The Battle withinAshkaan's eyes fluttered open, his consciousness drifting back from a deep, dreamless sleep. The world around him was unfamiliar yet strangely calming. He lay on a simple bed, the only object within the four walls of a rustic cabin. The room was bare, offering no clues to his whereabouts, no hint of how he had arrived. Gone was the familiar weight of his armour, replaced by the soft, unfamiliar feel of simple black robes.
He rose from the bed, a sense of unease mingling with a growing curiosity. He moved towards the only exit, a weathered wooden door that seemed to beckon him. With a hesitant hand, he pulled it open, and what lay beyond stole his breath away.
As the door swung shut behind him, the cabin vanished, as if it had never been. Ashkaan found himself standing in
