Damnation's Steel: A Tale of the Samurai of Hell

By Daniel R. Robichaud

Haiyu has sworn to plant his lord's station in the heart of this strange, alien world. As he pursues this quest, he faces dangers, devils, and damnation dispatched by the terrible masters of the monstrous oni-worlds . . . Haiyu's steel is always ready to slash his enemies to ribbons, but in "Damnation's Steel," Haiyu is faced with a new challenge: Is a dead man's heart capable of compassion?

When Haiyu arrives in the spiral shaped community, he is shunned as a stranger. Only the strong-willed woman in the teahouse welcomed him with a smile and good cheer. Her fate is soon to be tied to Haiyu's when something terrible emerges from the dark jungle.

The town is plagued with pride and haunted by guilt. The community's hetmen leaders expelled an outspoken but sickly man and his son, and this decision has returned to bite them. In this strange land, mistakes have a way of perverting, transforming, and returning to destroy.

Daniel R. Robichaud delivers another exciting tale of adventure and epic fantasy.

Other volumes in The Samurai of Hell include:
Heed the Hell-Bound
Unforgiving and Cruel

• Language: English
• Publisher: Twice Told Tales II
• Release date: Mar 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301459155

Daniel R. Robichaud

Daniel R. Robichaud has lived in southeastern Michigan, central Massachusetts and southern Texas. He is a Rhysling Award nominated poet and the author of over one hundred stories, articles and poems, which have appeared in such markets as Shroud Magazine, Rogue Worlds, Goblin Fruit, Rage of the Behemoth, Green Prints, and WritersWeekly. Daniel holds degrees in both Physics and English, and his career path has reflected these passions. In addition to his numerous writing opportunities, he has been an Igor For Hire (aka a freelance research engineer), a substitute teacher, an automation engineer, and a neurophysiology lab manager. Daniel enjoys entertaining people with his words and stories. If you enjoy a good read, why not try one of his works? You might just love them.

Book preview

Damnation's Steel

A Tale of the Samurai of Hell

By: Daniel R. Robichaud

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Fiction © 2013 by Daniel R. Robichaud

Cover Design © 2013 by Twice Told Tales

Cover Art © Christos Georghiou

Smashwords Edition

Published by Twice Told Tales

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

Table of Contents

Damnation's Steel

Further Reading

About the Author

Damnation's Steel

As he shoved through the jungle foliage, Gobaiyuki clutched his father’s body in a tight embrace. Though he was built as powerfully as a horse, broad shouldered and strong, the young man’s arms and legs were weary from carrying the corpse these last five miles.

Every step he took was a stumble over inevitability. Though a sizeable man, he could not outrun one simple fact: No matter how far he went, Father would remain dead. The time had come to lay the old man's bones to rest.

But where?

Some place pleasant, as free of animal spoor as possible, with a bed of earth and soft grasses. Father deserved a scenic gravesite.

He searched for hours more before finally settling on the clearing with the loosest soil.

Then came the digging. Gobaiyuki’s hands grew raw scraping out the grave, his muscles strained as he lowered Father inside, and he collapsed in an exhausted heap after finally covering Father over.

As he lay by the burial mound, Gobaiyuki tried to recalled his Father’s face and only found the final death mask he wore through the end: So pale, his dull eyes staring into clouds, his lips locked in a frown . . . Blind and dying, the old man had nevertheless cursed the hetman council for forcing them from their home. From the village. He cursed the council