CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN

The Endless Maze, Part 2

The five of them were lined up on one side of the circular platform. On the other end of it, looming right in front of the door Sam guessed would warp them to their next stop, was a creature straight from the pages of a DnD manual.

If phantoms were mostly skeletons in appearance, then a revenant was like the dark-side version of the person they’d once been—more skin and meat than bones and rags. Some of them, at least those who’d been heroes before their deaths, still carried the weapons and armors they once possessed in life.

“Holy Zeus,” Sam breathed.

“Not Zeus...” Thunder replied. “This thing belongs to Hades...”

The revenant staring Sam and his friends down was about half a head taller than Dr. Hearthstone, although its body was as emaciated as a starving ghoul’s. Veins of ghostly fire spread across patches of deathly pale skin, mirroring the ethereal light blazing out of the monster’s empty eye sockets.

“Bloody Duat…that thing’s got a nasty aura,” Jackboot said.

“Don’t let it phantom-lock you or you’ll be easy pickings to its sword,” Dr. Hearthstone reminded everyone.

One might imagine that five heroes wouldn’t be so wary against a single undead foe, but a revenant was an existence that could rival even beta-level horrors, and that was only if they were brand new. Older revenants—like the ancient Egyptian mummies sealed away in their pyramids—brought about calamities of plagues and famine and death whenever they walked the earth.

“Blessed Athena, I think I know her,” Thunder whispered.

What remained of the revenant’s chest armor showed off a disfigured logo of an upright sword wreathed in white flames.

“I think she’s the Swordswoman,” Thunder guessed.

Sam had heard of the alpha-level hero, who, back in the nineties, defeated the ancient horror Fafnir after the dragon had been resurrected by the ‘Ponzi Scheme’ of a greedy American billionaire. He’d also read somewhere that the Swordswoman was among the missing heroes of the Endless Maze’s first raid.

“Then that sword it’s carrying...” Sam pointed to the blackened blade in the revenant’s hand. “...is that Gram?”

The same legendary sword that the hero Sigurd used to kill Fafnir the first time it appeared in the mortal realm had been passed down through generations of the world’s greatest sword masters with the Swordswoman known to have been its last wielder. This powerful relic had been lost to the endless maze like she was.

“If that is Gram then distance won’t matter much, mate,” Jackboot said. “I’ve heard a single swing from its enchanted blade can cut through space and hit its targets from long range...”

“We’re about to find out if that’s true,” Farsight warned.

The revenant had just raised its blackened broadsword high. In response, Sam jumped forward with his shield arm raised to the front.

“Bulwark, expand!” he ordered.

The revenant slashed at air, and although they were at least eight yards away from it, Sam still felt the blow that struck the near-invisible shield he’d spread to cover his team.

“Argh!” he screamed.

Bulwark shattered like so many shards of glass, and then his shield arm was blown back by the enemy’s otherworldly slash. However, with his other hand, Sam managed to throw Onus forward. Then, with a finger pointed straight at the enemy, he yelled, “Go!”

Thunder, Jackboot, and Dr. Hearthstone charged forward in pursuit of the flying hammer while Farsight moved to cover them with her bow.

Onus flew straight and true, forcing the revenant to block the hammer with her blade, preventing the creature from launching an attack at the heroes rushing toward it. In that short window of opportunity, Jackboot bridged the distance between them and then drop-kicked the revenant’s sword from its grasp.

Thunder charged in next with her Lash whipping forward to snap across the revenant’s body, causing the creature to elicit an inaudible shriek that they could all hear in their minds.

“Fahrenheit Two-Hundred!” Dr. Hearthstone yelled as he stepped within range of the revenant and launched a body blow right in its gut.

Orange flames burst out of the point of impact, launching the revenant off its feet and up in the air where it was struck in the back by Jackboot’s spinning heel kick.

It flew forward just as two of Farsight’s arrows struck its body and showered it in concussive blasts that sent the revenant hurtling to the ground with a resounding crash. However, it didn’t seem like their combined attacks had finished the revenant off. It simply vanished from the spot where it cracked the wooden floor just like a ghost might have.

“Where did it—”

Sam saw the broadsword hurtling toward him like a missile.

He ducked out of the way to avoid it, which was when Thunder yelled his name in warning. He looked up and discovered that the revenant had somehow warped to his side. Reunited with its sword, the ghostly warrior sent its blackened blade crashing down on Sam’s head.

“Gods—”

Sam met the revenant’s sword with Thorn Axe’s blade.

Clang!

Although he managed to deflect that would-be death blow, his arm was blown back from the impact. Unfortunately for Sam, the revenant was quick to follow up with a slash aimed at his neck.

Clang!

Sam blocked it again with the help of Thorn Axe, but he’d done this while unbalanced, and so the enemy sword’s sharp-edged blade struck his ax in the handle just underneath its head. His weapon was cut in two, which left Sam defenseless to a third sword slash.

Krak-ka-boom!

The thunder rang in his ears immediately after the jagged lightning bolt struck the revenant in the shoulder, causing a static shockwave that blew the monster and Sam apart.

“Th-thank y-you-u!” Sam gritted his teeth against the painful shock rising up his arms.

WARNING! [Spartan Endurance Suit] cannot counteract the effects of the previous attack. You are temporarily paralyzed.

Talk about danger-close, Chiron chuckled.

Sam didn’t think his predicament was anything to laugh about because the revenant hadn’t been paralyzed like he was. The ghostly figure was rushing through the air to take another swing at Sam, and he couldn’t even lift his arms to protect himself.

Godsdammit...I need to upgrade my armor... he thought. Maybe it’s time to get a sponsor like Nike or Moonday. I should ask Mr. Moonday if he wouldn’t mind...assuming I survive this.

The revenant was right on top of Sam with its blacked sword raised high. However, just before the revenant could swing its sword down, both Jackboot and Dr. Hearthstone appeared to either side of Sam.

“Lucky Rabbit’s Foot!” Jackboot yelled.

“Fahrenheit Two Hundred!” Dr. Hearthstone bellowed.

Jackboot struck high while Dr. Hearthstone hit low, and the impact of their attacks catapulted the revenant to the edge of the platform where its back smacked against empty air as if there had been an invisible wall behind it.

ALERT! You are no longer paralyzed.

“It’s not over yet,” Sam realized.

He rushed forward and impulsively picked up the sword that had clattered to the ground. Then, while ignoring the paradoxical cold that burned the fingers wrapped around the cursed blade, Sam lunged forward and drove Gram deep into the revenant’s chest.

A terrifying screech of pain pierced into his mind. It was followed by a heart-wrenching sob that plucked at his heartstrings and caused a tear to fall down Sam’s cheek.

Thank you, a woman whispered.

What was once a thing wrapped in darkness was suddenly shining brilliantly. For a single moment, the person she had once been was fully revealed in ethereal light. It was the beautiful, smiling face of a raven-haired woman whose armor wrapped snuggly against the contours of her shapely form. A second flash of brilliant light and the Swordswoman’s ghostly figure was gone.

After she vanished, Sam pulled out two drachmas from his coin purse and tossed them into the air. “For the Ferryman... May he carry you swiftly to a brighter shore.”

As he didn’t hear the coins fall to the ground, Sam assumed that Charon, guide of the Underworld, accepted his payment and would make sure the Swordswoman finally found peace in the afterlife.

“I’m pretty sure she was a Norse hero,” Thunder said as she arrived to stand next to Sam. “So it might have been a valkyrie who accepted your offering.”

Sam shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be Elysium...Valhalla’s good too, I guess.”

“Don’t let Crow-Man hear you say that,” Thunder chuckled.

She coughed, and then coughed some more, forcing Sam’s gaze to snap her way. Strands of blond hair stuck to the sweat coating her brow. Her face was paler, too.

Sam sighed. “You shouldn’t have summoned a lightning bolt for me... You can’t use that kind of power anymore.”

“I know...” She leaned against his shoulder. “But I couldn’t help myself...”

Feeling slightly tired himself, Sam leaned against her as well. “Geez, we’re not even at the boss fight yet and we’re both exhausted... Are all haunted zones this tiring?”

“We’re actually having a lighter time of it. There are usually more battles.” Thunder’s gaze drifted over to one of the soldiers’ corpses. “I guess we have these villains to thank for that...”

“They’re agents of Chimera…the same shadow group that’s funding Apex,” Sam revealed.

“Seriously?” Thunder raised an eyebrow at him. “And you’re just telling me this now?”

“We didn’t exactly have the time to catch up,” he reasoned.

“You know, instead of flirting with each other, maybe you should look at the thing in your hand, Sam,” Farsight interrupted.

“What do you”—Sam glanced down, his eyes widening—“Holy—”

“Odin,” Farsight finished for him. “You’ll want to thank Odin, I think. He made that sword.”

The sword in Sam’s right hand was no longer blackened but gleaming brightly. A golden dragon was emblazoned on the steel while its hilt was also decked in gold. It was smaller now than when the revenant held it. About three feet in length for the blade with another foot for the hilt and pommel.

That is one sweet piece of history you’ve got there, kid, Chiron whistled.

ITEM: Gram CLASS: Legendary TYPE: Longsword DESCRIPTION: The famous sword of the Volsung Saga which was given to Sigmund by Odin during his sister’s wedding feast, and wielded by his son Sigurd when he slew Fafnir. Its legacy has been upheld by the swordmasters of ages past who’ve used the legendary blade to carve their names into myth and legend. BOON(S): +1 to all attributes when in the user’s hand, +2 to Attack, 10% Increased Physical Damage against Dragon-type Horrors. ALERT! Gram’s full potential has been locked until the hero reaches a high enough level to unlock it.

“Hephaestus’ flaming beard...” Sam whispered in awe.

None of his friends begrudged Sam his prize. They all seemed to think he deserved it. Although it might also have been because none of them wanted the baggage that came with wielding a legendary sword, which Dr. Hearthstone pointed out meant Sam might be hounded by would-be swordmasters seeking to wrest the weapon from his hands.

“I think you’ll manage just fine though,” Dr. Hearthstone said as he offered Sam back his hammer. “Here’s your other relic.”

Sam was surprised by how Dr. Hearthstone managed to lift Onus with little difficulty.

“Huh...” Sam holstered the hammer back into his belt. “Wasn’t it heavy at all?”

“I make it a point not to let my burdens weigh me down. A sound body and mind focused on clear-cut goals, these are the keys to a happy life, Sam Shepard,” Dr. Hearthstone replied.

“That’s a healthy outlook on heroics,” Sam said, sounding impressed.

“As titillating as your conversation might be,” Farsight interrupted, “We really should get going...the Fates are getting antsy. And visions of failing to reach the clue before our enemies do are beginning to appear in my scope of probability.”

“Clue?” Dr. Hearthstone raised an eyebrow at her. “So, you do know what these soldiers after then?

Sam and Farsight exchanged looks before Sam replied, “It’s a pretty long story, but,” he spared Thunder a glance, noting how tired she looked, “I’ll tell you on the way...”

With a determined expression, he strapped Gram into his belt using his broken Thorn Axe’s holster. “Come on...we’ve got villains to catch and a damsel to save.”