Excerpt from Book One, The Pit

Suddenly, something bit down on his left foot — and swallowed his leg up to the knee. It chomped with terrific force, attempting to devour him, but it could not bite through his dense flesh. Torg spun the sword around and drove it into the monster, piercing something thick and cartilaginous. With a hiss, the tentacle withdrew.

Although Torg’s leg burned, he touched the wound and felt no blood. Then he attempted to illuminate the tunnel with his magic, but he was too weak. He would have to wage this fight in total darkness. And the creature he faced had been born in darkness.

It attacked once more, driving between his legs and snapping at his groin. To protect his genitals, he slipped his free hand between his legs. He felt the thing gnaw on his inner thighs, then it reared back momentarily and rushed forward.

This time, the creature shoved him more than twenty body lengths. The passageway narrowed too much to accommodate his girth, and the wizard was wedged wickedly into the hole. He managed to retain his grip on the sword, but his arms were locked against his sides.

Torg could not move.

The creature sensed his helplessness and renewed its attack. First it bit his right foot. Any normal being would have been dismembered, but Torg’s dense flesh was too great for the toothy mouth to penetrate. Then the creature pulled away and drove forward again, swallowing most of Torg’s right leg and crunching on his thigh. Again it did little damage and was forced to withdraw.

Torg twisted and squirmed, but could not free himself. He could barely wiggle his fingers. With terrific power the tentacle struck again, pounding against his feet, ankles, and calves. It bit, hissed, and spat.

Over and over it smashed against the wizard. The more it failed, the angrier it became. The monster had never encountered a prey so defenseless, and yet so invulnerable.

One final time, it crushed its colossal strength against the wizard’s underside. Torg felt excruciating pressure build along his torso, and his shoulders were pressed forward until they touched.

Impossibly, his body squirted through the tiny hole into a wider portion of the tunnel.

The tentacle continued to propel him forward at fantastic speed.

Finally Torg exploded from the tunnel into an open expanse — and fell a long way, thudding against the hard floor of a magnificent cavern. The sword clattered beside him.

The wizard was dazed.

But there was light.

Splendid and dappled.

He gazed upward.

What he saw amazed even him.