Cursed Serpent

Cliff straightened slightly, trying to hide the slight tremor in his hands. He had learned the hard way that one should never show the faintest sign of weakness in front of such a formidable entity. Yet every fiber of his being screamed at him to flee, to escape this cursed place before the dark creature decided to crush him.

Given the overwhelming aura of power emanating from the figure before him, that didn't seem impossible. It was the first time in his life he had felt such crushing oppression.

The man—or rather, the serpent in human form—looked down at him, his gaze filled with cold indifference.

Cliff took a measured step forward, placing one hand on his chest while extending the other in a formal gesture. He greeted the creature with the same respect he would offer to a foreign king.

"Greetings, Sir. I am Cliff Brown, master of the fortress. If I may, are you the one they call the Cursed Serpent?"