CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED NINETY-FOUR

Labyrinthian, Part 1

Things certainly weren’t going as planned. Sure, Sam and Raven Knight wanted to enter the City of the Dead, but they didn’t expect to be taken to its king immediately after being admitted through the city gates. The two heroes didn’t have a choice, however, as they were escorted through the gap between the heavy metal iron doors by six spartoi — three to each side of them — along with the spirit of the eunuch who’d allowed them entry into the city.

“Somehow, I can tell”—the eunuch glanced over his shoulder as he led Sam and Raven Knight past the city gates—“you two will make excellent material for our city’s growth.”

Sam didn’t like the sly look the eunuch just gave him, but he wasn’t in a position to say anything. He and Raven Knight may have been welcomed with open arms, but it seemed more like they were prisoners rather than guests. At least that’s what the spear tips pointed at their backs were suggesting.

Regardless of the treatment, Sam couldn’t help but catch his breath at the sight that greeted him once they were past the gate. “Holy…”

Despite the deep shadows that persistently clung to every surface they touched, the ghostly flames of the lamp posts to either side of the wide road shed enough lighting to see by, allowing Sam to see the towering edifice fifty yards away. It was roughly the height of the canyon wall his party had just left behind them, a structure akin to a New York skyscraper but carved entirely from the canyon’s sandstone wall. The skyscraper’s design was peculiar too. At its base was a temple with twin ionic pillars rising ten feet high to support a typical triangular roof. Interestingly enough, a similar-looking temple was stacked over the first, and then another, and another, and another. These small temples were piled on top of each other to rise roughly two hundred feet high, giving one the impression of a many-tiered cake or a pagoda-style building common in ancient Asian architecture. It was a unique design that wasn’t limited to the building to that one area either.

Sam’s party had barely crossed the ten-yard line when the canyon walls to either side of them changed shape from craggy surfaces to stone-cut towers of the same many-tiered temple design as the one he could see at the end of the road.

“It’s like a much larger version of the ruins of Petra,” Raven Knight whispered.

“Like a super-sized version,” Sam agreed.

Unable to keep his curiosity in check, Sam peeked into the dark opening of the base temple to his right.

Ugh, I’m reminded of extremely hard times all of a sudden.

The temple’s interior was a small rectangular chamber with a high ceiling that was no bigger than Sam’s first studio apartment in Queens.

“This place is as empty as my place had been during my rookie year hustle,” he noticed.

Comparing the chamber to his past hardships didn’t last very long because he eventually noticed that the chamber’s back wall had been cut into several square blocks. Words were carved onto each block in a familiar arrangement that caused Sam to step away from the temple’s entrance.

“Those are… grave markers.” His gaze drifted upward, reaching up to the temple that was essentially the building’s roof. “These aren’t temples… they’re tombs.”

As Sam’s gaze drifted back down to street level, he finally noticed the row upon row of tombs stacked over one another on either side of the road. He couldn’t help liking them to the shabby apartment buildings on either side of the street of his old neighborhood.

“Um, this isn’t a city…” Sam gulped. “It’s a cemetery.”

“It is called the City of the Dead,” Raven Knight reminded him. “Perhaps there are even enough graves here to contain all the dead that arrive in Hades.”

The eunuch flinched after he heard Raven Knight mention the H-word, although he was quick to clear his throat and keep walking ahead of them.

Sam wasn’t eager to follow the eunuch right away though. Whispers had reached his ears, prompting him to glance back into the opening he’d looked into earlier. Four ghostly faces could be seen peeking out of their graves to stare curiously back at him. Normally, the sight of these spirits would have freaked Sam out, but he was more shocked that he could see their faces and their curious expressions which were quick to shift into a familiar expression of sympathy the longer they stared at him.

The spirits belatedly noticed that Sam was staring back at them too, and, like shy children, they dived back into their graves.

“They’ve lost their hoods,” he noticed.

Finally, the eunuch’s steps faltered. Then he turned around to explain, “The chosen are allowed to shed off their mortal burdens and live free of past regrets after they become citizens of our great city.”

“Mortal burdens,” Raven Knight repeated, to which Sam added, “Past regrets…?”

The eunuch raised an eyebrow at Sam. “You are aware that your robes represent the regrets and unfinished business of your living days?”

“O-of course, we know that,” Sam said hurriedly.

No, he didn’t know that. The Phylarch never mentioned this important fact to them, but Sam could understand why he didn’t. Somehow, it seemed too private to share the truth that all shades literally wore their regrets on their sleeves.

“See”—Sam raised his right arm—“I’ve got so many regrets that it’s hard to move my arms… He-he…”

Anyone with a brain could tell Sam’s acting was terrible. Luckily for him, the eunuch didn’t seem to notice or care much about Sam. The spirit was far more focused on Raven Knight. The creepy gaze he periodically sent her suggested as much.

“It’s strange”—the eunuch glanced over his shoulder to gape at her once more—“I feel like we’ve met before, but I’m certain I would have remembered an exquisite beauty such as yourself.”

Wow, that was such a lame pickup line… Sam wondered if he’d ever sounded that lame with Thunder, and he thought that Farsight probably would have said yes if she were privy to his thoughts. I would never have tried to flirt with Sarah in a gloomy place like this though… or maybe I would…?

“No.” Raven Knight’s flat tone brought Sam out of his musings.

“Are you certain?” The eunuch cocked his head. “I can’t help but feel—”

“This is my first time coming to this city,” Raven Knight cut him off.

“Then perhaps you’re one of the rare beings to achieve metempsychosis and have now found your way back here to our great city,” the eunuch mused as he continued their jaunt forward. “Indeed, such a beauty as yourself should be reincarnated, if only so you might serve his great majesty just as you surely must have done during a previous past death.”

Sam felt Raven Knight stiffen at his side, but she managed to keep her cool. She chose instead to divert the conversation into less rapier-stabbing waters. “Will we also be able to shed our mortal burdens?”

“Naturally,” the eunuch nodded. “Once you are awarded citizenship you too shall be allowed to shed the refuse of your past life and have it thrown into the River Styx where the trash belongs.”

He glanced suggestively at Raven Knight’s arm which was linked with Sam’s and then chuckled in a way that made Sam want to punch him in his ghostly face.

Like Raven Knight, Sam kept his cool though. Choosing instead to move the conversation along. “And, um, how exactly do we attain citizenship?”

What he actually meant was “How do we avoid you trying to take our cloaks off and exposing us,” but he didn’t ask that out loud.

“Truthfully, it will be very hard for you.” The eunuch emphasized the ‘you’ a little too much for Sam to think Raven Knight was also included in his statement. “Well, heroes are always needed for various situations so you certainly have a chance… It also helps to know the right people.”

The eunuch winked at Raven Knight in such a sleazy way that Sam was reminded of another deplorable encounter with a certain river god who’d unashamedly hit on Thunder and Farsight while they were on a quest to find the Golden Fleece.

He couldn’t help rolling his eyes while he asked, “What sort of ‘situations’ are we talking about?”

The eunuch looked annoyed by Sam’s constant interruptions, but he still managed to reply. Albeit, in a disinterested tone. “To be royal guards, champions, or commanders of the new army…”

Once more, the eunuch glanced over his shoulder, and the gaze he gave Raven Knight made Sam’s skin crawl even though it hadn’t been aimed at him.

“A very few exceptions are given the rare chance to attend his great majesty as one of his concubines.” The eunuch stared at Raven Knight for a second longer than necessary before his head pulled an Exorcist and rotated to Sam just so he could sneer at him. “Some are chosen for a more unique role… to become playthings of the beast.”

“Um, beast…?” Sam was surprised to hear his voice didn’t shake despite the eunuch’s flexibility creeping him out so much. He had bigger concerns than rotating ghost heads though. “What beast?!”

READ ON FOR SOMETHING INTERESTING...

So, it's a brand new year, which means a brand new story from yours truly is currently in the works, and I'd love to share a bit of GIANT FIGHTING with all of you.

Check out the synopsis below, along with an excerpt from chapter 1. XD

Logline:

Ten years after he and his twin sister were rescued from Mother Nature’s vengeance against humanity’s abuses, a newbie but gutsy giant fighter joins Station Seven — arguably the toughest, rowdiest, and bravest crew of giant fighters in the Republic of California — so that he too can battle the giants hellbent on humanity's downfall with the very 'breath' Mother Nature used to give birth to these elemental calamities, and maybe save some people along the way while he’s at it.

Excerpt:

It was the tears pooling beneath my father’s eyes that confirmed for ten-year-old me what I already suspected — we were going to die.

“They’re coming… We just need to hold on a little longer,” Dad promised.

He did his best to keep the terror from showing on his face, but the words spilling from his lips gave his desperation away. They sounded almost like a prayer to my ears, although I didn’t think God would be listening. Death was hurtling at us from above with gale-force strength and no amount of prayer would save our family from its touch. Besides, what help could prayers give us now when the very earth, Mother Nature herself, seemed hellbent on facilitating our demise?

I could feel Jin shivering beside me while dad held us both tightly to his chest. My twin, fearless against neighborhood bullies while daring to stand out all our short lives, was now staring wide-eyed at the sky beyond the truck’s windshield and the thing barely visible at the center of the raging storm. I noticed Jin’s trembling lips, saw the panic rising in the depths of her amber irises — which were a replica of mine — and I couldn’t help thinking that her fear might have been the worst thing I’d witnessed so far in this disaster.

“Jack,” dad called, his tone urgent.

“Yeah, dad?” I replied.

I was surprised to hear myself despite the howling of the wind outside. It surprised me even more that my voice didn’t quake even though my heart was beating like a drum solo at a rock concert.

“Whatever happens, stay with Jin. Protect your sister,” dad ordered, his gaze drifting from me to Jin and then back to me. “Protect each other… always.”

Our father’s lips pressed against my forehead. They were dry and cracked and smelled of iron.

“They’ll be here soon to rescue us,” he promised.

I didn’t know who ‘they’ were. It seemed impossible for anyone to come and save us now that we were stuck on a road in the middle of nowhere and right in the thick of what I guessed was Mother Nature’s opening act to bring about the end times.

“Whatever happens to me…” Dad kissed Jin’s forehead next. “…you two just need to hold on.”

“Dad… what do you mean?” Jin was crying now.

She’d picked up on our father’s mood too. And, being the emphatic twin that I was, Jin’s waterworks moved me to tears as well.

“I love you both so much,” dad whispered to our ears as if he knew his time was up. “I’ll always—”

The thing is, it was.

The sound of tearing metal drowned out whatever else he had to say, and then the roof of our truck was torn apart and whisked away. The rain swept over us, battering us with icy droplets that made me cling tighter to dad. It wasn’t enough. My tiny fingers grasping against his soaked shirt wasn’t strong enough to keep him safe. Because a moment later, I felt him get yanked away from our embrace.

“D-dad!” Jin screamed.

No words escaped my lips though. I was too afraid to scream. All I could do was watch in silence — wide-eyed and trembling — as our father was lifted into the sky by a gust of wind that almost seemed like fingers to my all-too-human sight.

At the heart of the torrential rain and forks of lightning was a tornado, large and menacing and full of wrath, but it also wasn’t just a tornado. It couldn’t just be that when the thing which had taken dad into the storm was now staring down at me with a cold gaze that sent currents of shock racing up and down my spine.

Then the sky came crashing down — and I woke up from my nightmare with a start.

WANT TO READ MORE? GIANT FIGHTING ARRIVES ON ROYAL ROAD NEXT WEEK! XD