Reapers -- The First Familiar (Reapers Chronicles Book II)

9 - Dungeons

Resigned, I met her gaze. There was no fear in those dark feline eyes of hers. All I saw was hope. She was counting on me. They all were. So I had to do what I came here for.

“I’ll try my best,” I replied, drawing a deep breath.

Like sun peeking from behind the clouds, Mei’s smile reached her eyes. Gently, she took my shoulders and pushed me toward the corridors.

“Now go,” she said, finally facing the enemies.

My legs started moving before I knew it. I ran like faster than I had imagined I was capable of, not looking back. I believed they would make it. They had to. Silently, I prayed to whoever was in charge ‘up there’ to keep them safe as I streaked past one corridor to another.

At first, I didn’t know where to go. Like Sinclair mansion, Pilgrim Reaper’s castle was confusing with its maze-like hallways. After nearly a minute of wandering along the stone-walled corridors, I stumbled upon a group of three Asian familiars. Unlike the ones I had encountered at the castle entrance, they weren’t wearing uniforms but black traditional clothing that was very similar to a robe from neck to waist and a lose pair of pants that looked more like a skirt at first glance.

One of them was a tall statuesque woman with short hair that was cut to the length of her chin. The other was a smiling dark-haired young man while the last, the smallest of the three, was a little boy not more than five years old.

I doubled back and hid behind the turn, pressing my back against the wall. The hallway was extremely dark, lit only by swarms of fireflies that occasionally passed by. I tried to quiet my breathing. When I risked a peek, they didn’t seem alarmed. Good sign.

Slowly, I reached for the Helcium inside my pocket and slid it over my head. I took in a few lungfuls of air before stepping forward. My steps were slow, careful. Still, it was like my footfalls echoed throughout the whole castle. I watched them carefully as I approached. It didn’t look like they knew I was even there. It didn’t look like they were going away anytime soon either so I had to pass by them without being noticed. Or else, I would be totally defenceless.

Holding my breath, I edged my way right in front of them. My heart almost stopped as the lady’s scrutinizing eyes shifted toward my direction then back to the guy she was talking to. The conversation was in hushed tones.

“I wonder if we should help,” said the young man, yawning as he leaned on the polished stone wall. “But won’t it be too troublesome if we do? Ah, it’s making my head hurt.”

The short-haired woman crossed her arms in front of her chock-full of a chest. “Kyo-sama hadn’t decided about the matter yet. So quit complaining even before the orders are given,” she hissed, rather irritated.

The young man muttered something in a foreign language as he shrugged impassively. “First, the Masters get grounded and now, this? I should be sleeping right now but Archie kept bugging me to try to get Kyo-sama to side with them.”

“And Vladimir-sama?” I heard the short-haired lady ask as I hunkered down to keep from hitting them when I passed by.

The guy just shrugged. “In his quarter, I guess.”

So they were Kyoshiro’s familiars. From what Mei said, The Tenth only had two familiars. I didn’t know he got three now. Or that kindergarteners could be recruited for immortality.

I was only able to breathe freely once I was more than a yard away from them. The rest of the conversation was in Japanese or Chinese (not sure) so I didn’t linger any longer, especially when I noticed that the little boy seemed to be staring right through me as though he could actually see me. He didn’t say a word to his comrades but I had this strange feeling at the pit of my stomach that I was being watched.