Chapter Four

The march is long. Rain floods the air. Top Knot and the soldiers look unfazed by it, but as for me and the girl, I think we're walking corpses.

My legs ache, and I can't feel the rocks beneath my feet anymore. My arms hurt from carrying the concrete shackles around my wrists, which really does a number on my lower back. I breathe heavily, trying my best to stay alive, but they just keep going.

Passing through the muddy road. Up ahead are remnants of what looks like a village here. The wooden walls are all black, burnt, and broken, with no roofs. Pots, pans, destroyed furniture and charred corpses lie everywhere. Wet ash replaces the mud beneath my feet. Then we come across more blackened bodies everywhere like they're the plants on the field. But among them, a body three times the size of a man with only a cloth covering its loin and long, dreaded gray hair and beard. It doesn't look like a normal human being but more like a giant? The thing also has fangs and a flattened nose.

Where the hell am I?

More marching. Now, a scorching sun. The air becomes thick with steam rising from the ground. My legs buckle, but the soldiers won't let me rest and force me back up by hitting me with the side of his blade. My throat is dry, my head aches, and sweat sticks my hoodie onto my body like glue.

I wonder how the cloaked girl is doing, but I can't see how she is besides her slow and weak walking as she covers her face with her hood. I shake my head, and it throbs, feeling like my brain is rattling.

When will this end?

They drag me through a dense, dark forest. The shade feels better, but just like everywhere else in this world, there are more bodies. This time, they are smaller. But not children. These guys have long, pointy ears and green. They almost look like goblins.

Along with them is another dead giant and piles of dead humans. Blood paints the dirt road in splatters; there are even puddles of dark blood in the potholes. The stench of rotting flesh and iron pinches my nose as I cover it with my dirty hands. But the smell is too strong.

Where the hell am I? This world is messed up with so many corpses; I have not once even seen a living being or heard a single chirp of a bird. Is everything here dead besides the golden king and his soldiers? And Why did the girl reanimate me? Or summon me? Whichever one. And why did they call me the king of the dead? What does that even mean?

My head throbs like a heartbeat with these thoughts coursing through me. I slightly shake my head so as to not make the pain feel any worse and forget the questions. These will eventually get answered along the way. I hope.

Finally, a town. And it's thriving with people wearing kimonos? It's as if this is a paradise compared to the rest of the world. It feels like this place can't decide whether it's a fantasy or an Asian historical world.

The townspeople all glare at me. A guy throws a tomato, hits the girl in the head, and collapses. I rush to her side, but the chains on my handcuffs get yanked. I try to shout, but my throat is too dry. The girl slowly gets back up and is dragged, almost making her fall again. A radish this time comes flying at me. I raise my arms up and block. Then, more and more fruits and vegetables are thrown along with curses and shouts.

"It's the witch and her servant!"

"Get them!"

"Filthy vermin!"

My blood boils as I want to slam these concrete handcuffs into their skulls, but the soldiers keep pulling my arms down and forcing me to walk.

"Walk, or I'll make it more painful!" yells one of the guards with his sword drawn.

So I walk. Gritting my teeth.

Beyond the town is a fortress. Its white walls reach high into the sky with more soldiers on top and golden flags flapping to the wind. The giant wooden gate rolls open. A line of golden soldiers awaits, standing tall. They all bow as the golden king exits his comfortable carriage and trails beyond a humongous gold wooden door. A couple of soldiers grab mine and the girl's chains and drag us further into the castle.

The king's favorite color must be gold because everything in here, from the endless rug, pottery displays, pillars, and pictures of himself, are all golden. Except for the walls as they're left white but still lined with gold in the moldings. In the portraits, the king pets his mustache like it's an animal in all of his photos, and they're all him. No one else besides him. This guy is full of himself.

I groan at everything.

Another set of golden doors opens, then music blasts, and cheers roar as the king raises his arms up like he's taking it all in, trying to hug everything. A throne lies ahead, with guards standing next to it with their heads held high. The king's guests are all women, and they wear kimonos etched in his favorite color; they squeal and holler at him like fans of a boy's idol group.

This guy? Getting women? Sorry, ladies, but he finds his mustache to be more attractive than all of you combined. I'm surprised he didn't even dye it gold like everything else here. That's how you know his mustache is sacred.

The only dudes in here are the musicians and guards. Also, by the way, wearing gold.

The king finally sits in his chair and lets out a long sigh like he did anything. He raises his hand up and pats the air, quieting everyone. "My subjects, I have personally brought you all a new toy for the show." Laying his hand out towards me, he smirks. "Welcome the witch and her so-called, King of the dead."

"What are you planning to do with us?" I demand in a hoarse voice.

"Why, you are on trial to be a part of something magnificent. And you, my boy, have truly caught my interest."

"Sorry, but I'm into women. Not old men."

The golden king laughs and then waves his hand. A blow strikes me from the back of my head. My legs finally give out, and then I am held down with a boot, crushing my neck. I gag as I smell dirt off of this guy's shoe.

"This king of the dead has shown to be quite skillful in combat. However, the little one is not so special." The golden king pets his favorite thing, then nods his head and waves his hand.

A guard grabs the cloaked girl as she screams and exposes her neck, holding a katana high. Heat flushes through as I squirm, but the boot keeps me pinned to the floor.

"Thou can't kill me yet! For if I die, the king of the dead shall perish as well!" The cloak girl quickly bites herself, blood spilling from her arm.

An excruciating pain runs up my arm like it's burning me, making me scream.

"Halt!"

The pain stops. I look up; the guard with the katana just inches away from the girl's neck looks at his king. I am greeted by the golden king, who stares back at me with a pinched expression and then firmly nods.

"Put these two together in a cell." His goldenness clicks his tongue, then waves his hand. "Prepare them for their first bout!"