Through the Aqua Gate

Prologue

■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■

The night was clear and cool. I was walking home from my now ex-girlfriend's place. I can taste blood coming from my busted lip, which I got when her new roid raging boyfriend saw me there.

■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■

"I'm sorry Douglas," She said when I got there, "But I been cheating on you with another guy or guys really. You just don't satisfy me enough sexually speaking."

"Wait a minute, we haven't even had sex yet."

"Yeah that's what I'm talking about, when you didn't jump me after our first date, I thought you were interesting, but after the second, I got horny and bored. I mean I'm a cum slut, and you..."

"Hey babe are ya done with ponyboy yet, I'm ready... oh it's ponyboy, give it up ponyboy, she is too much woman for you to handle. She fuck me and all my friends in a gangbang, she couldn't get enough of us."

I had had enough, "You know what," I said, "I don't have to stay here and listen to this. So fuck you both, y'all really deserve each other." I stand from the couch and move to the door. Soon as I reached the door, the new man (whose name is Brodie, and happens to be the Chief of police's son, comes up behind me. Pulls on my shoulder, turning me around and sucker punch me across my mouth. I stumbled back against the door. Before he can grab me again, my instincts kick in and I fought back.

Brodie comes at me with another wild swing. I dodged it, step pass his guard, and punched him on the jaw. He goes down, out like light.

I breathe in and breathe out. Something was in the air.

"Oh Dana, you wouldn't happen to be late for your monthly visit," I smile a knowing smile at her, "I hope that gangbang wasn't recent, that will make finding out the father very hard."

■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■

As I was heading back home I see Lighthouse Bluff. It is this old Lighthouse on the bluffs outside of town, a great place to go and sort through your problems, and since I just took down Brodie, and no doubt he has gone to his daddy, I will have many before long.

The lighthouse is still alight. I sit and watch the ocean waves slam against the rocks. The stars look beautiful tonight. One star is brighter than the rest, but I don't know which is, I never seen before. It begins to feel it is pulling me toward it.

"Hey you," I look over to see two police officers coming up the hill, weapons already drawn. "Hold it right there, don't move, raise your hands so we can see them." I do as told but when one of them goes to hit me with his police baton. I jump into action, knocking his weapon out of his hand toward the edge the bluffs. I rolled to the weapon. The other officer finally did something, pulls the trigger of his 9mm.

Suddenly there was pain in my shoulder, I fell back and down to the ocean. Soon as I hit the water I was like is this it, this is how I go out. I started thinking about that one bright star, as I began to sink down into the torrent dark waters.

Chapter 1

■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■

Suddenly I wake I was underwater I quickly swim for the surface of the water, I was just 20 yards offshore of a black sand beach. When I made it to shore, I crawled up out of the surf, coughing up sea water. My hands immediately go up to where I was shot, but my skin was untouched.

Before I think more on that thought. A voice came from behind me. "Whew that was close, almost lost ya for a moment, I even had to give ya a new body." I turned to the voice to find a guy floating as if he was lounging in a hammock, and he was glowing, I took a step back, "Hey Douglas, you can call me Aquarius and welcome to Altolamir," Fireworks shoot up from behind him and spell out Welcome in sparkling letters. "You're probably wondering what happened; well you were shot, you fell, and I caught you, well your soul anyway, sorry I couldn't save all of you. I don't have as much power in your world as I do here, but I did create you a new body."

"Thanks, I guess. What do I do now."

"Well I want to change this world. Now there are good people, but they're vastly outnumbered by bad people, who are filled with malice and greed." Aquarius produces a glass orb, which showed images of war, murder, greed, torture, rape, and other injustices one could think of. "Many races and creeds call the lands Altolamir home, I can hear them all calling for the world to change."

"Aren't there any other gods, why don't they anything. Why are you the only one, wait are you the only one?"

"Too many of them are set in their ways and/or already have their cults making things worse. You see I'm relatively new among the gods and my godhood."

"Okay why me then,"

"No clue, you're the one I saw. Okay now your first step is to go and save an Orc woman who was captured by some sneaky bandits. You need to go that way." Aquarius pointed off to a direction I guess was west, "You will need some gear huh?" He waved his hand, and armor appear on me. It was a made of black leather armor. "This armor will serve you well in days to come. Now for your weapon, you prefer the sword right?"

Aquarius clapped his hands together. Light shines from between his hands. As Aquarius' hands separated, a sword form in the light. It was 2 feet long and made of a solid black metal. Single straight edge blade with etchings of some foreign language. The pommel was shaped like snarling lion.

With that done Aquarius disappeared. "Great job Dougie, looks like you are on another world." I said to myself. I move to a tidal pool and viewed my reflection. The face I saw in the water's surface was similar to my own, but it was sharper more refined. The eyes a deeper blue, skin a light bronze tan.

■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■

I was soon running through the coastal forest in the direction Aquarius had pointed. The trees of this forest looked ancient standing a couple of hundred feet tall.

I found the bandits' camp that Aquarius mentioned in a large clearing in the forest. Now when I heard bandits, I thought of the unsavory types of humans that you see in RPG'S. That's not what I found. Instead I saw Lizardmen milling around a military style camp. They look like bipedal komodo dragons. While most wore leather armor, there was some in medium plate metal armor. I even saw one in expensive looking silk robes, I thought he was either a magic user, the leader, or both.

That was until I saw the guy that exited the pavilion Mr. Silk-Robes was standing in front of. He was huge compared to the others. He more muscles, and looked more akin to a tyrannosaurus Rex. His scales on back were a rusty red color, dirty white belly scales. His armor was also something different, it looked as though it was collected over many years of fighting, organically like gladiator collecting pieces to cover up vital areas, but keeping it minimal as to not to impeded the movement of his fighting style.

"Big Rex, the hunters have found a she-orc, alone in the forest, you will need to beat her in a challenge to break her." Silk-Robes spoke with constant hissing sound.

"No problems, Survex," Was Big Rex's replied as he picks up a wicked looking greatsword. With that most of Lizardmen left the camp, leaving only couple guards.

I sneaked my way to the area with the slave cages. These lizardmen must have not been here long as many of the cages were empty. That or they just sent a shipment to market. One of the cage did have an occupant. It looked like a Lion, but bigger. It stood over 4 and half feet at the shoulders, was 7 ft long from tip of the nose to base of tail. Black fur, ice blue eyes.

It recoiled at my approach, growling a warning. I kneeled down in front of the door of the cage. "Okay, buddy" I said softly, "I'm going let you out, but if you try to eat me, I will kill you." I looked around for the keys to unlock the cages. I find them hanging on a nail in a post nearby.

I soon find the right key, but that's also when one of the guards came to feed the lion. I quickly opened the cage door, the lion charged out at the unfortunate lizardman. The lion tackle the lizard, and clamped on his throat. The lizardman soon stopped struggling.

The other guard heard the kill, and came running. He blew past me, I guess he didn't see me. I fallow behind, and as he raised his hand axe to attack. I run my sword through the lizardman's back where I guess the heart was. The lizardman turned his his head to the side to look me with one eye.

'Oh shit,' I think to myself as I pulled my sword out, and go to chopped off his head. The lizard turned to me, and ducks under my blade swing. He swings his hand axe at my chest. I jump back to dodge the steel bladed axe. He overcommitted to strike. I charged forward, aiming my sword point at the lizard's right clavicle. I struck true, the lizard hissing in pain and dropped his axe. I slice my sword out of the lizard shoulder and looped it around into a two-handed swing aimed at the lizard's sinuous neck.

This time I was not denied, and lizardman's head rolled off his shoulders I work to slow my breathing back down to a manageable level.

Then I got upset that my first strike didn't out right kill the lizard. So I removed the lizardman's leather armor, and took the small dagger from his belt. I began an autopsy of the creature. Remembering I had to be fast as time was not on my side, I quickly opened the lizardman's chest cavity. That when I see my error, a heart like organ was on the opposite side of human anatomy.

I recalled Big Rex's armor layout on his back, and there was metal on the right side of his spine.

I looked up, the lion was standing right in front of me. It sniffs the air between us. I reached back into the lizardman's chest and cut his heart with dagger, and offering it to the lion by lightly tossing the bloody organ to the grass at its feet. The lion pounced eating it in two bites.

After it was finished, the lion stalked toward me. I start back, but I slipped on the bloody grass falling on my back. The lion put it paw on my chest pinning me in place.

I heard a low Vader like voice, "My Name is Krugar," then there was laughter coming from behind the lion. I saw Aquarius float into my view. "I see made a new friend." He scratch Krugar behind the ear. "Like I said before, his name is Krugar, and he is a cave lion. They are very loyal to their pack. He bounded to you now Douglas, he will follow you anywhere on Altolamir. I was surprised by you staying here to check the slave cages and not immediately following after Big Rex. But now you have a powerful new ally to help you. Now you really need to hurry." And with that said Aquarius disappeared in a flash of the light.

I looked at Krugar, "well Krugar let's go hunting." I said before taking off in jog. The big cat just followed along at a similar pace.

■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎■

In no time at all we found the Lizardmen hunting party. It wasn't hard as they were all cheering, then there was the roaring.

I found one lizard by himself. I snuck up to behind him, a snap of a twig made him stop cheering. That was what I was waiting for, I jump into action.

I reached out and grabbed the front of his snout to keep him from raising the alarm. I plunged the small dagger into the side of the lizard's neck, I pushed forward and out the front of the throat. I dragged him away and hid his body in the under brush. I took the quiver of arrows and picked up the lizardman's bow.

I saw that none of the other scouts had noticed the missing lizard. I quietly make my way to the next few scouts, they were loosely grouped together. I knew I needed to kill them quickly and quietly for the plan that was forming in my mind to work.

My plan was to kill as many of them quietly as I could. While some would say that's not a plan, my old mentor would be proud.

My reminiscing was interrupted by loud bellow, followed by a t-rex roaring. The following cheers from the watching Lizardmen, allowed me to kill two scouts with my sword. I marveled at how easily the onyx color blade's ability to cut through the lizard's tough hide. I turned to third lizard of the group, only to find that Krugar had taken down the lizard of the scouts.

This is when I finally saw the female orc. Her face was the picture of fury. Her blue eyes filled with her rage. She had very little in the way of clothing, a couple pieces of leather covering her breasts and a skirt made from the fur hide of some animal. This left much of her skin showing, which was a rich emerald green color, I could see that her skin was marred by scars that had long since healed. Her body was incredibly fit, powerful musculature and undeniable feminine curves. Her copper color hair was done up in a single warrior's braid.

She carried a crude great club made a tree branch. She had Big Rex on the defensive. The Lizardman was steadily losing ground from her powerful blows.

This also when Big Rex decides that he has had enough of her winning and yelled, "Hunters, Tranquilize her!" a two of hunters raised their blowguns at the female orc.

And for some reason I thought it was a good time to ignore my training and do something stupid. I drew two arrows back on the bow. Took aim on the two hunters and released the bow string.

The two projectiles flew true, one imbedded into a eye socket killing the lizard before he hit the ground, the other pierced the hunters throat causing him to cough up blood.

All cheering immediately stopped after that. I dropped the bow, drew my sword, and with a challenging roar from me and Krugar. I would like to say that we charged down the hill into the mess of lizardmen slaying them one by one until none remained. But that didn't happen.

What did happen was, I tripped over the first exposed tree root my foot came across. And I fell on my face, my back, my ass about ten or twelve times going down the hill, hitting every tree in my path like a pinball. Making the Homer Simpson 'D'oh!' sound every time I hit something. When I finally hit the bottom of the hill, I landed face first in the mud.

I slowly got to my feet holding up the one moment signal with my hands, as work to pop my dislocated joints back into place. The Orc woman, Big Rex, and all of the other Lizardmen looking at me like, "Who is this crazy motherfucker?"

With one final movement everything was back in place, and I was able to speak again.

"Now listen here Big Rex I won't allow any cheating under my watch." I said trying not to sound like a total boy scout superhero but failing.

"What's stopping us, you?" Big Rex replied with a rumbling chuckle, "We will just take you both, seeing as you don't have your weapon. There is no thing you can do about it. Take them boys!"

The closest lizard to me swung his saber at me. I dodge to the right of the sword arc. I spun so we were shoulder to shoulder. I tried to wretch the sword from his grasp. But the lizard was strong, he let go of the weapon until I had elbowed him to the eye.

I spin around to bringing the sword to the lizard's neck, but this sword didn't pass through the lizard's flesh as my sword did. But hey it was something, and that was better than nothing.

Big Rex thought that this was a great time to charge at me. But Krugar came to my rescue carrying my sword in his mouth. I let go of the saber in the lizard's neck, and take my blade from Krugar.

With my blade back in hand, I turned and faced the charging large Lizardman. Our blades met with a loud clash. Both swords dance in the space between the lizard and me. Neither gaining the upper hand.

Then Big Rex made a mistake. His parry of my strike was off, not standing up to it. I was able to blast through his guard and sliced his left hand from his wrist. Big Rex let out something in between whine and roar, as blood sprayed from the now bloody stump.

The Lizardmen in heavy metal plate armor dragged Rex the Tyrannical from the battlefield while the rest scattered to the four winds.

My breathing was heavy from the fight, and there at my feet was Rex's severed hand. Then came the distinctive pain of a club to the back of my head. The fade to back moment came after.