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[Jon Potter]

A cold breeze was blowing wetly across his naked skin when he finally awoke. A dull roar filled his head, and weakness pulled at his limbs. At least he didn't feel so clumsy any more. When those damned dwarves had jumped him he'd-

He sat up quickly, blinking into the darkness.

What had happened to those dwarves? They needed a taste of his hammer!

He started again.

What had happened to his hammer? And the rest of his gear for that matter?

He patted himself down and found out two things immediately. First: he was naked. Second: his ankle was manacled to the stone surface on which he lay. He grabbed the chain with both hands and pulled.

It only took a few tries to yank the manacle free of the bolts that held it in place.

That done he peered around at the dark for some clue as to his locale.

He noticed two things immediately. First: the roar that he'd thought was in his head was actually coming from somewhere to his right. The sound of falling water, maybe? Second: the darkness that had seemed total, was actually only MOSTLY total.

He could see the clouds of vapor billowing from his mouth as he breathed in the frigid air of the place. And he could, with effort, tell that he was on a flat, stone platform in the midst of some enclosed space. He couldn't see the walls, or ceiling, but he'd grown up in a cave and he recognized the acoustics of a stone chamber when he heard them.

He rolled over and looked over the side of the platform and there was the ground, only about three feet away.

It was covered with snakes.

They weren't moving and at first he thought that they might be dead. But no sooner had that idea started to form in his mind than a dry rattling sound rose out of the darkness. It was echoed by another and another until the chamber nearly shook with the maddening sound of angry serpents.