Once this had been a city called Eteer, the thriving, bright heart the world's greatest civilization. Once this had been a beacon of light, of hope, of order in a world of chaos. Once this had been her home. Now as Issari walked down the cobbled street, she moved through a hive of rot, blood, pus, and evil from the depths.

The demons swarmed everywhere. They scuttled up walls like monkeys. They perched upon domed roofs. They swung from palm trees, raced through gutters, and clattered and crawled and slithered along the streets. Their stench wafted, and their leaking sores coated leaves and stones. No two were alike. Some towered on stilt-like legs, withered beings like mummified corpses, their eyes glowing blue. Others dragged themselves forward, obese balls of fat, eyes peering between folds of skin, tongues licking their warty lips. Some flew as bats, scaled and horned, cackling as their heads spun. Others lurked in shadows, conjoined twins stitched together, four or five in each clump, writhing things of many legs, eyes, and tufts of hair.

"Creatures of nightmares," Issari whispered, clutching her robes as she walked down the street. "Terrors of the Abyss."

She had grown up hearing tales of the Abyss, that forbidden land that festered underground. For many generations, the kings of Eteer had guarded that unholy kingdom's doors; by ancient right, they governed the lands above and below the ground. Now her father had opened the seal. Now this terror swept across the city, and Issari—heir to the throne—did not know how this kingdom could ever light the world again.

"Weredragons, weredragons!" the demons cried. "We seek weredragons to kill. Brides, brides! We seek brides to fill with our spawn."

Ahead, several creatures—they looked like men turned inside out, their organs dripping—moved down the street, sniffing and snorting.

"We smell for dragons, brothers! Do you smell dragons? We smell for brides too."

The creatures approached a brick house and pounded on the door, shattering the wood. Screams rose inside. One demon raced through the doorway, then emerged dragging a woman. A few years older than Issari, her hair disheveled and her eyes wide with terror, the woman screamed and kicked.

"Dragon? Dragon?" The demons tossed the woman onto the ground and sniffed, their snouts quivering. "We smell no dragon blood. Bride! A bride!"

Issari stared in horror. Her fear froze her; she could barely even breathe. The glistening creatures, blood seeping from their skinless bodies, tore at the woman's clothes, ripping her tunic, revealing her nakedness.

"She will be my bride!" cried one of the demons, the largest among them. His heart thudded outside his chest, and his entrails bustled with worms. He leaned down and licked the struggling woman's cheek. "You will spawn my offspring."

The woman screamed, pleading for aid, trying to free herself, but the other demons held her down.

As the demon began lowering himself over the woman, Issari finally snapped out of her paralysis.

"Stop!"