Legend of the Iron Flower Box Set (Books 1-4)

by Billy Wong

  Finn already imagined her receiving ghastly wounds and struggling with all her heart to push on, even as she'd asked him not to. But he didn't really think he could stop her. He hugged her tightly, delighting in her warmth and solidity, and whispered as he pressed his face into her great fluffy mane of dark hair, "Okay, Rose. I love you so damn much—you better come back to me!"

  The big woman laughed and replied touching his hairy face, "I love you too, Finn. I promise I'll come back and bring some good stories with me. And some fame too, to make you all the more jealous!" Joke though it was, it would've held true even half a year ago; Finn had always felt threatened by her great prowess even before they were lovers, until he found his calling as a mage and mostly abandoned his need to compete with her as a warrior.

  "Good luck, Rose," Derrick said while he watched the couple share a passionate kiss right in front of him. "We won't disappoint you when you come back!"

  Finn watched his love stand and begin to walk away. "What, you're leaving right now?"

  "No, it's almost night already! I'm just going to the washroom. I'm leaving tomorrow morning... how about we stop thinking about the center, and just enjoy our last night together?"

  Finn and Derrick readily agreed to that, and the three went to the nearby tavern ironically called the Drunken Wizard. They entertained themselves with stories of people they knew in humorous situations, many about each other. It was quite late by the time they retired back to the tower which now doubled as their home, and Derrick went to his own room while the lovers made the most of the night in theirs. When morning came, Rose promptly equipped herself for battle and left. Finn kept her as long as he could with his extended farewell, his chest tight while he watched her ride away.

  She moved out of sight, and Finn wondered how he'd fare with only Derrick for company. The scholar was a good friend and steady comrade in battle, but as a work partner, sure to push Finn a bit harder than he'd like. Finn just wasn't as learned or able to grasp complex ideas quickly despite being a "mage," and sometimes Derrick couldn't quite seem to understand that.

  "Don't worry about it so much," the scholar said just now. "This is what she does—what you used to do too, remember?"

  "Why the hell didn't you let me go? She needs me."

  "You're needed more here. Besides, she chose not to take you with her. She'll be fine, Finn, she just doesn't know how to die. She is the Iron Flower."

  At that, Finn grinned. Worry for her though he might, he had to admit he didn't know what it would take to kill her. She'd charged through a dragon's stone melting breath, been gutted and impaled through the heart, and gotten mostly cooked by lightning before. And always, kept fighting. They called her the God-Touched, but he attributed it as much to her unconquerable will as her freakish constitution.

  "She's got no quit in her, for sure. I imagine she'll put the Sevrians on notice the first day she fights them. But I still wish I could be there with her." He thought a bit more about it, and an idea came into his mind. "Hey, if you learn enough spellcasting and Rose still isn't back, I could go help her while you hold down the fort here. Agree?"

  Derrick gave him an exasperated look. "Same old Finn even after all you've changed, never willing to give up an idea once it's in your head. All right, I'll do it if circumstances actually call for it. After all, you're no fun to be around when you're all upset. In the meantime, let's get to work so I'll be ready if it does come to that."

  The last comment was characteristic of the scholar, and Finn smiled at his eagerness. The two men walked back to the tower, taking the first steps towards the new age of magic they saw themselves creating.

  #

  Rose rode anxiously through fields and forests green with summer towards her next battle. She knew she was in for a dreadful time, as she'd again be forced to kill hundreds, if not more, in the name of saving her countrymen. She had always excused the slaughter she wrought among the enemy by thinking it for the greater good, but was it really? She didn't think the common soldiers on either side of a conflict were inherently more evil, in most cases.

  But she'd always gone to fight for the side trying to defend its home, rather than the invaders who sought to take it. Though she wished more peaceful solutions could be found, she certainly wasn't the one to find them, being no diplomat. She also defended her actions to herself by figuring her presence could bring a conflict to a faster end so less lives would be lost. That much was true, as she'd seen in Coblan until she left prematurely and allowed the enemy to strike back and destroy her unfortunate allies.

  She'd left her allies to fend for themselves due to the horrible wounds she had suffered, which would have easily killed a normal person, and because she thought they could wrap up the battle without much trouble at that point. She knew this time she should see the fight through to the end, and resolved not to use her own hurts as an excuse to leave the terrible scene of the battlefield. She'd recovered from her injuries quickly after leaving Coblan and even returned with her friends to topple Prince Wilner and his regime, and wondered now if she and Finn could've stopped him from routing the Kayland army if they had been there then.

  She eventually passed by the little town of Three Springs, and stopping in the inn was shocked to see her friend Loreen sitting at the bar. "What are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be back home with your brothers?"

  The one-armed woman looked up with equal surprise. "And you? Aren't you supposed to be starting a center for magical study with Finn and Derrick?"

  "I had to help in the fight against Sevria. I just couldn't bear the thought of not helping save as many of those boys as I could. Now what about you, still in Kayland?"

  Loreen touched Rose's massive shoulder with her single lean hand and smiled. "Noble as always, eh you great bear? I'm just getting my fill of travel, enjoying the unfamiliar sights of this country. But I'm glad you're here. Now I've got something to do again."

  Rose frowned. "You don't mean...?"

  "Yes, I do. I'm coming with you."

  "Why? This isn't even your war. You're a citizen of Coblan, even if it did get taken over by Sevria, and this fight is for a province of Kayland. Don't tell me you're going to fight solely for my sake! I don't need your help, I'll be just fine."

  "You need a friend and I don't mind fighting when you're there with me. I see you're all alone, and I don't like that one bit. Why didn't Finn or Derrick come with you? They know how much it hurts you to fight in such battles."

  Rose shook her head. "Finn has to take care of the center, as the king expects him to. As for Derrick, he's got no heart for fighting in a war again. You really want to come with me?" She truly would like to have someone to support and comfort her during the grueling battles, but always hesitated to drag a friend into her fights and worried for their lives. She'd be especially concerned for Loreen, due to her handicap.

  Loreen smiled. "Yes, I would, Rose. Yeah, it'll be rough, but we've been through rough times before. It won't kill me, hopefully, to do it one more time. You're not going to convince me you don't need help. You're the toughest person with the greatest heart I've ever met, but you're still human. I'll let you cry on my shoulder, and you can pay me back by giving the Sevrians your usual dose of pain."

  Rose didn't try to dissuade her friend anymore, glad now for her company. After staying a night together in the inn, they departed for the border between the Brushknoll and Coblan, where the Kayland army struggled to hold back the invaders.

  #

  Joghra gazed happily upon the cold northern harbor as it came closer and closer, the towering ship he rode quickly approaching its destination. He felt ready to finally get what was rightfully his, and take the land of Kayland for himself. Oh, he did it in the name of his country, of course, but the Death General of Sevria was no mere dutiful puppet of the grand old republic even if he let them believe so. He knew it would soon be time to carve out a name and a kingdom for himself, and the Brushknoll was just the beginning. He'd heard from
his spies that the magical knowledge hidden there had already been taken by people of Kayland, but he didn't worry. Wherever they hid the secrets they'd found, they wouldn't be safe for long once all of Kayland was part of the kingdom of Joghra, which he hadn't yet decided on a name for. Joghria? Joghrir? Joghrlan? He'd have plenty of time, he knew, once he finished with the easy part—crushing the soldiers of Kayland who stood in his way.

  That wouldn't be much trouble, considering that once he joined the Sevrian forces already fighting, they'd outnumber their enemies by over four to one. This in addition to the Sevrians' better technology, tactics, and discipline would make it an easy rout. He was actually surprised they hadn't already squashed the army defending the Brushknoll, and reluctantly gave his enemies a measure of respect for their tenacity. But their toughness would do them no good once he arrived, and after he broke through into Kayland, it would simply be a matter of time before he swept into the kingdom's capital of Gustrone, which he'd make his own capital at least for the time being.

  He was pulled away from his vision by his arrival in port, where he saw his Coblan informant waiting for him down the ramp. Joghra did a double take as he laid eyes on the girl. She was absolutely gigantic, at least as tall as the near seven-foot Sevrian himself if not quite as wide, though that wasn't by a huge margin either. Her thighs looked like they could easily crush a normal man's ribcage.

  With a bit of hesitation, he greeted her. "Fiona? Is that you, or are you her bodyguard?"

  "What? Have you never seen a noblewoman of Coblan before?"

  Joghra chuckled. "Noblewoman, hmm? I've seen plenty of noblewomen—but none was ever so, eh, impressive as you."

  "You should have seen my father," Fiona said with sadness in her eyes. "He was twice my size! But a terrible demoness of Kayland killed him and my entire family as well—all my strong brothers, many larger than me, who she slaughtered without a second thought."

  Surprised to hear this, Joghra wondered just how many powerful women there were on this continent. "Who is this demoness of whom you speak? Will she be part of the force we soon face?" He looked forward to fighting a worthy foe, male or female—there was no greater thrill than the blood of a strong warrior pooling around his feet as he stood over their lifeless corpse.

  "She has not been seen there yet, I'm sorry to say. What I'd do to get my hands on her, and kill her so that my destroyed line could finally be avenged! I hope you'll slay her someday, when she comes to defend her dying country as I know she will."

  The girl's passion amused Joghra, and he offered, "If I meet her, I'll call on you to help me finish her off if you want. All you have to do to get this chance, is come with my army and lend your obviously strong arm to my cause."

  She seemed a little scared, or maybe it was just worry about living with an army comprised almost completely of men, but Fiona answered, "Yes, I'll come with you, so that the Laros name can regain its glory with the death of the Iron Flower!"

  Iron Flower? Her?! Joghra had heard the name and stories before, of the woman named Rose who'd killed dragons and defeated Prince Wilner, then thought the greatest of all warriors, and slain hundreds in only a few days of battle against Wilner's powerful Coblan army. Knowing all this, he smiled. It would be a glorious thing indeed to kill this woman. He decided now that if at all possible, he'd make sure it was himself, and not Fiona or anyone else, who delivered the killing blow to this Rose. It would be a good deed, to confirm he was the greatest fighter not only of Sevria, but of all the world.

  Chapter 2

  Rose and Loreen arrived in the Kayland army's camp to find the men looking dejected and demoralized, eyes dull and bodies sluggish. They asked about the status of the campaign and got an unnerving answer. For months the Kayland soldiers had managed to hold back their powerful enemies, but reinforcements had now arrived in Sevria-controlled Coblan and their prospects looked grim.

  Loreen couldn't resist the opportunity to try and raise the soldiers' morale, as well as get a favorable reaction from the crowd. "This is Rose Agen the Iron Flower, slayer of dragons and greatest of warriors! She's come to lend her strong arm to your cause, and I, though only a humble lesser fighter, shall aid you as well. So fear not, this won't be the first time she's turned the tide for an army on the verge of breaking!"

  "What the hell are you doing?" Rose demanded. "You're acting like Finn here. Since when are you such a braggart, even if not for yourself? I came to help out, not bear all the hopes of the army on my back. I don't want anyone to think they can rely on me to protect them, because the truth is, I can rarely protect anyone in this kind of fight."

  Loreen looked surprised she would react so harshly. "Rose, I'm sorry. I was just trying to cheer them up—I never thought of it the way you just said. I'll stop, okay? Don't worry, I doubt they'll expect you to protect all of them. No one could, unless a god. But why are you so worried about how they'll view you? If some of them have unrealistic expectations, they'd be in the wrong anyway."

  "It's just hard not being able to live up to others' desperate hopes, that's all. But don't worry, I can take the sting of harsh words if I have to. Let's see General Lipner. I wonder if he's changed since we last saw him."

  The fierce face and bald head remained the same, but Lipner greeted Rose with less hostility than in the past. "Rose! I assume you've come to aid us? It's fortunate that such a warrior as you would fight with us. How have you been? Have you gotten better since before?"

  The last question was telling. He was desperate; at this point he'd accept help from a resurrected Prince Wilner. It must be a mighty force he anticipated facing. "I've been fine. I think I might've improved a bit. I haven't stopped fighting or practicing, after all. So, how many are our enemy? How good are they, and who leads them?"

  His answer staggered both women. "Once the reinforcements arrive, over one hundred fifty thousand, including many of Sevria's best. And they will be led by their greatest warrior, the Death General Joghra."

  "One hundred fifty thousand..." Loreen muttered. Rose could hear the shock in her friend's voice at such a massive number of men coming overseas, which she too felt. "Just for the Brushknoll?"

  The general shook his head, and his eyes were full of fear as he answered. "No, I believe they mean to take all of Kayland, sweeping into the heart of the nation after crushing us here. Of course, I won't allow that if I can. But I'm afraid my ability to stop them is limited."

  Rose knew the general's predicament. His already struggling army would be outnumbered more than four to one, and desperately needed reinforcements. But King Benedict was reluctant to send more troops to aid him, for fear of Sevria attacking Kayland from other directions. The Sevrians would have little trouble sending troops to the southern border, and could conceivably attack from the east as well. Because of this, many lords now insisted on keeping a sizable force at home, and would not allow those troops to be called away to aid the Kaylanders fighting in the Brushknoll. On the other hand, it'd be difficult to stop that massive army if they broke through here.

  "So what's the plan then?" Rose asked.

  "We really can't hope to defeat them the way we are now. So, I've decided to simply try to survive and take as many of them down as we can. To that end we've established ten lines of defense, each of which we'll hold as long as possible before falling back to the next. Our main goal is to deplete their numbers so much that they won't have enough left to invade the rest of Kayland, and if our countrymen be willing we can drive them off the continent once our own reinforcements arrive. But we've already been pushed back to the fourth line, and their reinforcements haven't even arrived yet. Things do look grim indeed."

  "If we can take down their leader, it should put a dent in their organization and morale. This Joghra, what is he like?"

  Before Lipner could answer, Loreen grabbed her arm. "No, Rose, you mustn't think that way! You'll only get yourself killed, and I don't want to see that!"

  Rose looked with great surprise at her fr
iend. "What's the matter? I beat Prince Wilner and his best man, though he was called the greatest warrior in the world, and would have killed him if not for magic. Is this Death General so strong then, that I'd have no chance?"

  "No, my mighty friend, he cheats. He rarely goes into close combat, instead waiting for an appealing victim to give him a clear line of sight, and then shoots them down like dogs from afar. But even in close, he's a dangerous beast. He carries many a poisoned weapon, and his terrible hammer is a weapon against which there is little defense. And that's not taking into account his tendency to stay among a throng of his men, who'll fight like wolves in a pack at his side, savaging any who'd seek to challenge him alone."

  Rose scowled. "This Joghra doesn't sound like the kind of fighter you'd glorify in song. No wonder I'd never heard of him before; he's no worthy foe, who would honor a warrior to face in battle."

  "You cannot underestimate him so. Though he may not be honorable, he is deadly. I've heard he never picks a fight he doesn't win."

  She shrugged. "Same old story as Wilner, huh? Then he'd better stay away from me if he wants to keep his reputation. Though that means he'd better run."

  Both her friend and the general looked at her dubiously and said nothing. Ah, well. What they might take to be arrogance in her, she thought more of as determination. A treacherous foe like this would motivate her like few others.

  Putting aside her thoughts of testing her arms against the dreaded Joghra's, she asked, "What do you want me to do? Do you have any specific task in mind?"

  His answer dismayed her, though maybe she should've expected something like this from his unusual cordialness. "I have a nephew here with us, a young man by the name of Howard, in the green tent to mine's right. I've found excuses not to let him fight yet, but he grows impatient and I'm afraid I can't hold him back much longer. I'd like you to fight alongside him, protect him and teach him your secrets for success. Will you do it?"