His second chance at a happy life

The last human memory I can recall was an agonizingly painful death as a sharp blood-soaked blade was protruding from my chest. The metal had cut through my saturated armor. I was drenched from head to toe in other people's blood. I can't remember much, but the pain still lingers to this day. I do know that it had taken many tormenting hours until the black cloud of death had finally ended it... When I had woken up, no matter how hard I tried, my body wasn't yielding to my commands. I was infuriated with how difficult such a simple task, like opening my eyes, was. After a few hours of struggle, I could finally see and hear but just barely. What I could make out was all in a deep muted tone. The area was washed out in a blue tint that narrowly penetrated the inky black surroundings. Somewhere in the distance I could hear a whining sound, but what it was exactly I wasn't quite sure. I couldn't tell what kind of creature would make such a noise, but I found it annoying, and it was getting on my already irritated nerves. My ears still felt as if they were plugged. In fact, it was as if my whole body had become stuck in a deep muddy bog. I had to take a few breaths to reassure myself that I was indeed on dry land. However, that didn't stop my muscles from feeling as if a hot fiery wave of boiling water crashed into me and pulled me down thousands of feet underwater. Just as I began to feel suffocated, a heavy and yet strangely weightless feeling took over. I slowly take another deep breath in, and finally I start to feel better. While my heavy form relaxed, I slowly drained the fog that was muffling the unfamiliar cry. I could see the form appearing just beyond in the darkness. The sound itself was getting louder, but the small dot didn't get much bigger. Once I was able to properly move my body, I sat up to take a good look around. I spot the source of the annoying screech to my right. It approached stumbling was a small green goblin I had heard about only in stories running towards me, dragging along a weapon that was much too large for his little frame. I angled towards the thing; it was doing its best to wield the long blade. I took the time to eye the metal; it was just as strange as the creature. The thing tried to lift it above his head, barely keeping his balance as he swung at me. I sighed and moved out of the way with more ease than expected from my sore muscles. I leaned forward letting the blade fall behind me. I hear a thud as the metal crashes to the ground. I looked at the small bony monster in the eyes and slowly stood, unsure if I could on my own two feet. While doing so, he leans away, but I take my elongated claws and plunge them into his chest. My hand moved fast as I wrapped it around the beating heart and squeezed, he coughed and gagged on blood before the annoying sound finally ceased, and in its place was the grotesque sloshing sound followed by the loud thud of the body hitting the ground. Glancing down, I noticed my nails were indeed longer and sharper to a strong point, they were black, and they were covered in a robust green liquid from the goblin. The still beating heart was in my palm. I stared as the pattern only slowed and didn't stop. I toss it to the ground. A hint of curiosity sets in as I watch the thing keep beating on the ground. Bending down, to wipe my scaled hands on the back of its shirt, I stood sluggishly and nearly fell over as a hot breeze hit me the parts that were not covered with scales. I was surprised at how it stung, as if the wind itself slapped me. The pain was quick. When I opened my eyes again, I glanced down the corner of my lips twitching up. I felt a hint of amusement. My large naked body was just as fit when I was human, but it was enlarged and freckled with obsidian scales even my adulthood was larger as it swung between my legs as I moved. Glancing around, the tiny thing on the ground started to inch together. For the first time, my curiosity peaked. I spotted a bag a few feet away. It was also too large for the thing. The marks on the ground were proof he was dragging the stolen bag. I take my first real step and a radiating pain sharp as nails vibrate all over my body. However, the most painful places were my head and shoulder blades. I heave over, a roar of misery retched out of my throat as two large sets of wings tore through my skin and the sound of the violent act was echoed as large horns formed on my head. Once the pain subsided, I arched back up right and flexed my shoulders forward. The sable wings were covered in my dark muted red blood, the feathers were slick to the touch. I reached up, and the horns were just shy of my hairline and followed the curve of my head, stopping after twisting up. I get to the bag and find a pair of fabric pants to cover my lower half. Once I was covered and placed all the things I wanted to keep in the bag, I looked around. I followed the drag marks, noticing a hint of different lighting in the distance. It was yellow with hints of red. Finally getting a destination, I picked up my speed, my wings still aching, and not sure how to use them yet. I walked heading to the strange sight. When I reached the town, I traded the items I collected on the way here and made my way to a pub down the street from the trader's hut. The trader had told me that I could get plenty of information about the hell I woke up in. The hellions had called this place the Underworld most of the time. It seemed to be the preferred name for this realm. I had wandered aimlessly, half from curiosity and half from the warm breeze that seemed to have a direction planned for me. Where I was going, I had no clue, but sometimes they were not pleasant places. The creatures varied as I moved. Some were smart and crafty, doing their best to try to trick me into handing my stuff over to them, while the dimwitted ones would outright attack me. However, the outcome of each that crossed my path was the same, they would become motionless at my feet. It was as if I was back on the battlefield, needing to be watching my back wherever I went. I was surprised when I had met my one and only true friend after a few decades. I seemed to have made a name for myself as the crazy bloodthirsty demon that traveled around the Underworld not caring about the boarders that were loosely placed by certain creatures. The demented demon had heard so much about me that he had to find me and when he did, he became an annoying parasite I couldn't shake off. After a few hundred years, a war among all the creatures had erupted and my demon companion had the urge to join the fight along with other demons. I couldn't tell if he joined for the love of chaos or for the calm that he said he hoped for after. By the end, I could tell it was for both he loved to create and end chaos, so he could relax in peace once he had his fill. I didn't stick around for the end of the war since I was being pulled somewhere else. A voice would come to me in the wind while on the field or in war meetings distracting me from the task at hand. It was so consuming that I had finished my last mission and told my friend that I had to leave. The moment I took flight, I knew the direction I needed to go, and I didn't stop until I spotted the red hobbit hole surrounded by the underworld's most vicious plants. If it wasn't for the sudden cease of the wind I would have missed the door completely. The building had been covered almost entirely in the green and red vegetation around it. I hovered at a distance, surveying the landscape closely watching the hell roses did not move. If they were wild, they would have attacked from this distance. Since they weren't, it was a clear indication that they had a master. I moved to look at the back of the house when one of the roses shot a thorn my way. The other quickly started to follow until one finally hit me in the gut. I passed out before my body hit the ground. I woke up in pain. I winched as I sat up looking around, surprised that I was inside the vine-covered home I was looking at. It was a cr*p space filled with human trinkets and shelves full of books, scrolls and loose paper piled up in every corner and on almost every table. I continued to look around and spotted an old creature that froze me in my place out of real fear. The saggy grey skin was drooping off the bone as the hunched form stared at a book. The beast was horizontal to the floor and was swimming in the brown robe. He made no sound as he moved to another table, one with maps. His pockets were full to the capacity of scrolls and papers and who knows what else? He sensed my movement but did not acknowledge my presents until I hung my legs down over the table I was lying on. I stared at the monster's eyes that were glazed over, telling me he was a blind old monster that was weak in his late life. His movements were slow as he made his way towards me. "Weak." I officially settle on my thoughts. He stopped in his tracks. "I am stronger than you think, boy." The deep, grainy voice spoke as if it hadn't been used in a while. However, the even tone was full of power and had a force behind it that sent a chill down my spine. I opened my mouth, but the dry feeling was making it hard for words to form. "Drink!" He commanded as he thrusted a mug full of purple liquid at me. I didn't even see where the cup came from, but I took it and chugged down in one gulp. The content was bitter, sending me into a coughing fit. "What is it that you call yourself?" I asked once the mini-death was over. "N'eteri." He made his way back to the table he was working at. "My name is...." I begin to introduce myself, but he stops me by putting his hand up. The look and sound made me gag internally, the skin was pulled tight around the bones and the sloshing noise was not something I will ever forget. "No need, I know who you are. What are you doing here?" I shrug, sliding off the table and moving to the closest surface to my left. It had maps that were brown and blotched with black and grey line work. The words that were scribed on the different pages all had some strange linework and different languages. "Are these maps of the Underworld?" I answered the question with a question. "Yes, so is that why you came here? Snooping around my house?" "No, I was following the wind," I mutter, looking at the other maps on the wall. The terrifying monster let out a gurgling sound as if he was laughing. The sound rumbled from his chest and shook the home. "What wind?" He finally asked once he let out his amusement. I glanced at the creature. He had a slight resemblance of an old man; he had his brow raised and staring at me intensely. I sigh, hating this particular conversation because it always ends with them not believing and me tearing their tongues from their skulls for calling me a liar. "You know, the breeze, the movement in the air." I have said this thousands of times, not quite believing it myself since the thing I felt and the voice I heard were a warm experience that hit my heart as it appeared and vanished, leaving me cold and angry. Regardless, I wave my hand to make a flowing motion to intimidate the wind. "The underworld has no wind," The thing said in a dark matter of fact tone. "I was following a warm breeze, it is the reason I am even here in the first place. The current stopped abruptly as I was passing by, I had no choice but to stop when it did." I stated emotionlessly, staring at the beast. The behemoth locked eyes with mine and stretched it's back to stand up straight. His final height reached well over ten feet tall. The once loose skin slicked back into place, clenching the skeletal frame. "Liar!" He screeches. I huff angrily, the heat in me rising. If the thing thought he could intimidate me by using his tall stature, I was not going to stand for it. I was not going to be scared just because he was tall. In fact, he just pissed me off even more and I stood straighter. I knew I was nothing compared to the beast, but I was not going to back down. "Since day one of waking up in this sh*t hole, I had followed this warm gust of air. It has guided me to many different places and has gotten me out of things I should not be part of, and it was the wind with the voice that had led me to your red door in the middle of nowhere, east of all beating heart beings, and I refused to be called a liar for I know I am telling the truth!" By the time I finished shouting my wings had lifted me up and into the things face the slight pain from the thorn stung, but I ignored it. "Are you sure about that boy?" He asked. His voice was calmer. Looking into his milky white orbs, I nod. He sighs and shrinks back down into his hunched state. The sound and sight of his skin falling off his bones will haunt me for eternity. The thing didn't pause in step he turned and shuffled through the books on the furthest shelf. Once he found what he was searching for, he thrusted an old dusty book into my chest. "Study and come back when you learn a thing or two." He grumbles. I opened my mouth to ask what this was about. If he knew anything about the voices, however, I was greeted by a blue dust being tossed into my face before I could utter a word. I landed on a chair as I fell back. I watched as his mouth moved, but the words escaped me to this day. I was paralyzed, and he had tossed me out on his front lawn. For a short time, I was lying face down on the ground until I could feel my wings move again. I didn't wait for the rest of my body to catch up and started to fly as far as I could from that crazy banshee. I was midflight when I regained movement in the rest of my body. The first real movement had me almost falling out of the sky. Once I found a nice place to rest, I began reading the context of the book. When I came across the way back to earth, I took off.