“Before all is nothing.”

The sky was dark and moonless, no stars shone in onyx sky, no light came from the endless night only observant shadows. A forest lay under the sky, barren of any real life. No leaves grew from the trees, only barren branches reaching like claws. Darkness enveloped the forest like a fog. hiding the savages inside a veil. However a single light shone through the forest, a rare treat for the the forest to have.
A lone soldier walked warily through the forest, a torch in one hand and a gladius in the other. The sword was short but well made, easy to swing with one hand. He wore a grey uniform with red embellishments on his collars. He had a helmet but lost it in a fight with those things. He was a latin with black hair. He watched the shadows as he walked waiting for them to come back again, but missing the man coming from the behind.
“Hello ,old mate” said the man from the shadow. The soldier turned and pointed his sword at the man. “Well I suppose you're a new mate but that just sounds silly.”He said unfazed by the sword. He spoke a mile a minute not stopping for a breath. The man was dressed in a black dress suit,white gloves and top hat. His skin was pale and murky like old milk. Short straight red hair protruded from under his hat. He leaned on a smooth styrian cane. He smiled like a man who knew no trouble but gave a essence of nothing but trouble.
“You have no idea how boring it is down here. It’s same story every time. people come and they get eaten. people come and they get ripped to shreds.” the pale man said. “It gets very repetitive after awhile. They don’t even get to die. though thats why I love it here. endless torment, that my middle name. No it not, but that would be cool. i’m Reshillian by the way, but you you can call me Resh.”
The soldier kept his distance his eyes locked on Reshillian. “ Oh I forgot. They can never speak, but they can always scream. so annoying.” Reshillian said “I want to hear people talk to each other, say sweat nothing to each other, beg for mercy as their eaten by…” a violent roar cut him off. “ I am trying to speak.”
A monstrous cat beast leapt from the shadows. It had the body of a very large lioness but had red scale for skin. The beast tackled the soldier. The soldier dodged to the side and swung with his sword at the beast, but the blow bounced off the beast's scales. “Awww… it’s trying to kill you. It could just eat you up.” Reshillion said. The beast leapt again knocking the soldier on the floor. It’s teeth just over the soldier's head. his blade caught in the mouth of the beast They wrestled each other for the sword. “See now you just going to be eaten or mauled, nothing ever…”
Another roar came louder than the last. it was coming from everywhere the whole forest shook from its magnitude. it didn’t sound like a beast but a man. then it stopped. Reshillian was laughing “ It’s too good to true, must be why it is true.” He Said more hysterical the before. The beast was still but then bolted off the soldier running for the shadows. “Wait where do you think you going.” Reshillian said as he whacked the beast with his cane. The beast crumbled to the floor from one hit of the cane. “You're coming with me you little murder machine. You just got first class tickets out of here. Goodbye person I hardly know, I will never remember you.” And then him and the beast were gone. Leaving the soldier alone in the forest.