Get your stuff and go.

You shut the door and run over to gather your belongings. Quickly you don the armor and stow the gear. “We have to go. The king is going to have a demon kill us.”

“That’s crazy. My father would never. He adores you like a son. He gave you his permission to marry me last week, didn’t he?” She asks.

A vision flows into your mind, a memory. You asking a bearded man for his daughters hand. The man smiles broadly and clutches you in a powerful hug. “I was beginning to think you would never ask.” He says then releases you and adds, “Of course, all fathers dream of finding someone like you for their daughters.

“Yes he did. Fuck. The creature said “the king says hi” before he killed me.”

The princess grabs your hand and makes you look at her. “What do you mean? What’s going on? You are frightening me.”

“I don’t know. Is there another king that would want us dead?” You ask her.

“What do you mean before he killed you?”

“A vision, I can’t explain it exactly. Think, is there a king that would have us killed?”

“My father is friends with the king of the elves, the dwarves don’t really have a king right now, the queen of the dark elves isn’t married I don’t think, besides she wants me for herself. The nearest kingdom of men is King Makhet in the desert to the south, he hasn’t even spoken to my father since I was a little girl. He brought me sweets. I don’t think any of the northern tribes have a king right now, but it’s possible I suppose.” She pinches her lower lip trying to think. “Oh.” Her eyes light up. “There is a legend of a king of...”

A powerful fist slams her side and she bounces off the wall. “No.” The creature is standing there looking at her. “Huh didn’t kill her. Just a sec. I’ll kill you next.” He walks over to her and raises his leg to stomp on her head.

“No!” You draw the sword and charge him stabbing it into his body deep. You can tell it hurt him but before you can pull it out he backhands you and sends you sailing. His stomp misses her head but you are sure it doesn’t matter as it crushes her arm and blood flows out like a faucet. He strides across the room toward you as you pull out a long dagger. A quick slash, you duck his strike, you grab your sword and pull it free. Your sword cuts deep with every strike. Your body is fast and your armor lessens each blow. The fight begins to turn in your favor.

“You don’t get it. This body isn’t me, I am eternal, you are meat. Meat is weak.” He lunges at you and you drive your sword into his heart, a killing blow. But the blow leaves you open for an instant and as his fangs tear your throat out you realize what he was doing.

Time freezes again. This time it is different, a bit, you see the crystalline creature again and in your mind you hear it say, “Save the princess. There are no other bodies left here to use.” You watch as it touches the doll to the bloody body of the princess as your eyes close. Time again rewinds but it seems faster, and the video seems to blur as if the tape was wearing thin. This time as it stops you find yourself standing there on those impossible sandals looking at your former new body, your husband to be. Time snaps back and starts flowing again. The man in front of you smiles wickedly.

“Neat trick princess. I don’t know how you got the gods to save you but they aren’t the only one that can put a new soul in a body. It’s been a long time since I rode a human shell. What do you say, let’s fuck before I kill you again.