I pushed myself up after sulking on the ground for a few more moments. Grabbing some strange-looking paper, I wiped myself down, then pulled up my pants from around my ankles. I tossed the paper into the bowl and hesitantly touched the red crystal embedded on the rim.

  Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. The crystal hummed with power, then zapped downward into the toilet, disintegrating the paper instantly. The beam was thin, but damn, it was effective—left no trace behind, and the bowl sparkled like it had just been scrubbed by a divine janitor.

  I stepped out of the brightly lit sand room, and as soon as I cleared the doorway, the bricks behind me reshaped themselves, sealing off the entrance like it never existed. I shook my head. What kind of psychopath designs a bathroom you need a spell to enter?

  "Open the doors! His Majesty requests this heathen's presence in the throne room!" barked a towering Amazonian woman.

  One of the guards fumbled with his leather loincloth—presumably looking for keys. I contempted attacking the moment the door opened. Old instincts. But unlike back on Earth, I had no clue what was beyond that door. And without weapons or intel, going full berserker might not be the smartest py.

  While he struggled with the lock, I casually walked over to the crystal basin and washed my hands. Credit where it's due—the plumbing here was impressive. Like a five-star hotel run by wizards.

  The door creaked open. The guards were smarter than they looked; they didn't rush me. Instead, they stepped back and waited, wary of trying to manhandle someone like me in a confined space. Smart.

  As I stepped out, I gnced down the corridor. I see rows of identical cells stretching into the distance.

  The guard on my left reached out to grab my arm. Mistake.

  I jerked away, adrenaline flooding my veins. I spun on my heel, muscles coiled, ready to strike. That rage from being tossed in here like a mutt still burned hot in my chest.

  I drove my foot into his inner thigh hard. He staggered, pain fshing across his face. Before he could recover, I snatched his wrist and twisted. The ornate spear cttered to the floor. I yanked him forward, driving my elbow into his face. The satisfying crack of bone echoed down the corridor. His eyes rolled back, and he crumpled like wet undry.

  The second guard lunged with his spear aimed for my spine. I sidestepped, smming my foot down onto his boot, pinning him. The spear thrust forward, but I caught the shaft between my arm and chest, gritting my teeth as the wood bit into my skin. He tried to pull back but it was too te.

  My hand shot up, wrapping around his throat like a steel cmp. I drove him backward, smming him against the iron bars. He gasped, struggling as I lifted him off the ground. Red streaked across his back as I pinned him in pce.

  I could see the panic in his eyes. The same look I'd seen in the eyes of hundreds of men before. The moment they realized death was just one heartbeat away.

  Then I felt it. Cold steel lightly graze my neck. The chill of sharp steel and the warmth of fresh blood mixed at the edge of my shoulder.

  "That's quite enough, you foreigner scum. Release him... or I might just cleave your head from your shoulders," came the venom-ced voice of the Amazonian.

  I turned slowly. Her eyes met mine. Dangerous eyes. We stared each other down like two predators circling over the same kill.

  She wasn't bluffing. That murderous aura didn't come from years of training. No, it came from blood. She had killed before. Many times.

  "Fine, have it your way. Can't lose my head when I just got this young, new body, now can I?" I said with a cocky grin, releasing my grip.

  The guard dropped, coughing and gasping for air. The Amazon kept the bde at my throat, then gnced at the stairs and motioned for me to move. I obeyed, but not before casting a warning gre at the guards.

  "Count yourselves lucky muscle mommy stepped in. Next time you reach for me, bde or no bde, I'll make sure you don't walk away."

  "Hmph. You may be a pervert, but no one could mistake you for weak," she says, finally removing the bde from my throat.

  "Oh? Didn't expect a compliment from you. It’s actually a little refreshing," I chuckle, stepping over the unconscious guy.

  "Shut up and walk," she snapped, kicking me in the back to get me moving.

  As we ascended the spiraling stairwell, I got my first look at the pace. Lavish paintings. Torches lighting up the stone walls. It was excessive but kind of impressive. Once we entered the hall, she holstered her scimitar, and I finally got a good look at her.

  She stood taller than me—about 6'3"—with long bck hair that flowed past her broad shoulders. Golden armor draped over her like royalty, accentuating her dark brown skin. Beautiful by any standard, with sharp features and a warrior's build. Her arms were wrapped in golden gauntlets, and her feet were cd in bck-and-gold greaves.

  Unlike the guards, this woman radiated raw strength and power. She is defiant a cut above the rest of the soldiers I have seen so far.

  "So, what's your name?" I asked as we passed some frail servants.

  "I told myself I wouldn't entertain conversation with the pervert who assaulted the princess. But... you've earned a sliver of respect. My given name is Yuhana Jal. My enemies call me Blood Eagle," she replied, fshing a grin that sent shivers down my spine.

  "Yuhana, huh? Pretty name. Look, I apologize for the whole princess situation. I thought I was dead and in heaven. She looked like she could've been one of my... uh, never mind. Forget I said anything."

  "If your customs involve burying your face in a woman's chest or shitting in buckets next to a toilet, then you're going to struggle here," she says with a chuckle.

  "I'm not even gonna address the bucket thing. But seriously... where the hell am I?"

  Just before I could get a real answer, Yuhana stopped and bowed her head. "Good timings, Uncle Wano. Uncle Reno."

  Two massive men stood ahead, silent and gring. Their red eyes pierced through me like sers. They didn't say a word, but their presence screamed: Cause trouble, and you'll die.

  I instinctively nodded. I've spent too many years around killers not to recognize when I'm in the presence of apex predators. These weren't pace guards—they were walking weapons.

  "Hm, if include your razor sharp instincts with your fighting skill... perhaps you're not entirely useless," Yuhana muttered, sounding a bit disappointed. "Too bad. I was looking forward to seeing you get pummeled to the brink of death."

  "Sorry to disappoint," I said, lowering my gaze slightly.

  "Open the doors to the royal chambers. We have an audience with the king!" Yuhana ordered with pride.

  The two titans exchanged a gnce, then gripped the bronze handles and swung open the doors.

  Light poured in. The throne room gleamed with white marble tiles. The entire ceiling was a massive pane of crystal-clear gss, bathing the room in sunlight.

  "Come, heathen. Be respectful—you stand before his Majesty," Yuhana said, waving me forward.

  I straightened up, and inhaled sharply, and stepped into the blinding light of the throne room, ready to meet the man who ruled this nd... and possibly held the keys to my freedom.

  I followed closely behind Yuhana, ignoring her insults. The moment my foot touched the white tile, everything changed. The suffocating heat vanished, repced by a cool breeze rising from the floor. It felt like there was an AC unit built right into the marble, pumping cold air throughout the massive throne room.

  I took a moment to absorb my surroundings.

  The first thing I noticed were the intricate paintings carved into the white sandstone walls. One wall dispyed a vivid mosaic of the desert, while the other showcased a sprawling kingdom. Lining the hall were guards holding spears and shields, dressed in the same cloth garb as the two I fought downstairs.

  In the center of the room sat a massive bronze-and-gold throne, with a smaller one beside it.

  As I drew closer, I finally got a good look at the man on the throne. A towering Middle Eastern titan, his intimidating red eyes gred down at me as he sat with one leg folded over the other. And sitting on the arm of his chair—was the princess. The same one I may or may not have motorboated earlier.

  The king was decked out in gold neckces, bracelets, and rings gleamed on nearly every inch of his body. The princess, on the other hand, wore something far more modest this time: a beautiful brown dress that hugged her fwless figure, with a slit down the side showing off a golden band wrapped around her light, almond-brown thigh.

  Unlike her father, whose expression could curdle milk, she smiled warmly at me. That smile...

  We locked eyes for the first time, and my cold, forsaken heart skipped a beat.

  I quickly looked away, fixing my gaze on a group of elderly men standing beside the throne. They were dressed in eborate blue robes, each holding a scepter topped with different-colored crystals. They were murmuring quietly among themselves.

  "Now that the st of us is here, someone needs to start expining where the hell we are—and why we're being held captive!" a deep voice boomed behind me.

  I flinched. I'd been so caught up in the ambiance, I hadn't even noticed them walk in. Sloppy. Back on Earth, that kind of pse would've gotten me killed. I've been so wrapped up in this fantasy world and the idea of chasing my dream, I almost forgot who I was—and what I was trained for.

  I turned around.

  A tall man with slicked-back, greasy bck hair stood there, tugging at the colr of his sweat-drenched white shirt. His bck suit jacket hung over his shoulder. Beside him was a gum-popping redhead with an outfit that screamed escort.

  "Calm down before you piss them off—or worse. I do not want to get thrown in some fantasy Saudi Arabian prison dressed like this," she said with a smirk, the click of her heels echoing through the hall.

  One look at her and you'd know she was either a call girl or someone trying way too hard to look like one. She wore cheap fishnet stockings, a short pid skirt that barely covered anything, and a red tube top that struggled to contain her enormous chest.

  "I will not be silenced or threatened by anyone! These savages tore my Jacobs and Jacobs sports jacket!" the man growled, holding it up for everyone to see.

  The jacket had been shredded—spear punctures, from the looks of it. I couldn't help but grin. Good to know I wasn't the only one who got the warm welcome treatment. At least they were consistent.

  "Who cares about your suit? I'm just gd this pce has air conditioning. The heat was ruining my hair," the woman said, fanning herself zily.

  The man marched forward, his tone full of indignation. "Which one of you primitive beings kept poking me like I was a zoo animal? You'll all be hearing from the prosecutor's office, I assure you!"

  He stormed up the steps toward the throne.

  "Halt! Don't take another step!" Yuhana's voice cracked like a whip.

  He shoved past two guards, holding his ruined jacket high for the king to see. He got close enough that I could see the fury in his icy blue eyes. Yuhana drew her scimitar in one smooth motion, and her killing intent surged through the air like a bde itself, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

  So that earlier pressure... wasn't even her full bloodlust.

  I'd suspected she was dangerous. But this? This confirmed it. That bloodthirst. That poise. She's not just a warrior—she's a killer. She may not have as many bodies as me, but close. Real close.

  The idiot didn't even notice the aura of death radiating from her.

  He started to pass me, so I stepped aside and subtly stuck my foot out and clipped his ankle.

  He tripped spectacurly, crashing face-first onto the cold tile and skidding right to the base of Yuhana's armored boot.

  She looked up at me, her eyes sharp with curiosity and suspicion.

  Then she grabbed him by the curled colr of his dress shirt and lifted him off the ground like he was made of feathers.

  "You bastard! Why'd you trip me?! I'm going to kill you! Nobody embarrasses the Attorney General and gets away with it!" he yelled, filing like a toddler.

  Yuhana chuckled darkly. "That bastard just saved your life." She hooked her bde behind his neck.

  "H-How do you figure that?" he stammered, his body went still.

  "If you'd taken even one step beyond where he was standing, I'd have assumed you were an assassin. And I would've executed you without hesitation," she said, her cold red eyes gleaming with amusement.

  Then, with zero effort, she hurled him over my head like a sack of potatoes.

  He let out a strangled scream before nding with a loud thud behind us.

  The redhead walked over him casually, shaking her head. "For someone so smart, you can be a real idiot sometimes," she muttered, bending down to help him up.

  He shrugged her off, sulking from being tripped, his face red with embarrassment , from being unched across the throne room, by his captors. And worse, by a woman.

  An_Ordinary_Writer