by Billy Wong
Finn hadn't spoken since following Rose into the tent, but now asked, "So Rose, what are you going to do? Kill him?"
Though furious, Rose forced herself to say, "No, we can't do that. He's the leader of the army. It would be pretty bad for their morale—though I can't say he's that good for it. No, I think a talk and a warning that we won't save him from Joghra or Fiona if he does anything like this again will suffice."
"Aren't you worried he'll try to harm you for defying him?"
Rose smiled tearfully. "He can try it, but if he goes after one of us directly, I will kill him."
"My fearless Rose. I love you so."
The couple arrived at General Lipner's tent, and guards barred their way inside. The two parties were about to come to blows when the general's order came. "Let Rose in."
Assuring Finn she'd be okay, she stepped into the great tent to find the general scowling. In her anger, she didn't waste any time before getting to the point. "You left my friend to die. Explain yourself!"
Lipner looked at her without remorse. "You abandoned us when we needed you most. Look at what has happened since you were gone. We have suffered great losses, and been driven back nearly as far as we had in all the time before you came. The Sevrians' numbers are overwhelming and their champions strong, and we could not hold them without your help."
"You needed me that much? You're a whole army! How can one woman, even me, be that important?"
He laughed mirthlessly. "One woman? How many of the Sevrians have you killed so far? Two thousand, maybe? No, more. We needed you to keep Joghra from picking off our officers at his whim. He's killed most of them since you've been gone, and all our efforts to thwart him have proven less than effective. We cannot catch him with our siege weapons, nor break through the Sevrian ranks to reach him on the ground. Even if we could, few here could stand against him for long. You were the only archer with range to rival his, and it was caution of you that checked him from showering us with death from afar. Now, we officers disguise ourselves as common soldiers to hide from his eye, but his ability to pick us out through watching our actions is uncanny. His giant woman is a terror too, killing nearly as many as you each day and sending panic through our front line every time she starts to approach. So you can imagine my frustration, seeing our people at the monsters' mercy."
Rose recognized truth in his words, but her anger only grew. "If you needed me so much, how could you refuse my friend help and leave her to die?! Did you imagine I'd want to help you after that?"
He paled at her wrath. "I lost my temper in the heat of the moment, and did not think of the consequences. Besides, I didn't know if you would come back. Why did you leave? You knew how much the men were inspired by you. How could you abandon us to wonder where you went, without even telling us where you were going?"
"My father was dying!" she snapped. "And I didn't tell you, because I didn't think you'd let me go! Would you have?"
Slowly, Lipner shook his head. "No, I wouldn't have. I couldn't. We needed you."
"My parents needed me! You can't expect me to simply act as your weapon, and not consider my own obligations!"
"You ignored your duty to your country, in favor of your own emotions, and we suffered for it. Some would call that treason, you selfish woman."
"I was never officially part of this army. I came here of my own free will to help you, as my friend Loreen did. And you repaid her for her help by leaving her to die. I can't believe you'd consider that a justified act."
"No, you were not a ranked soldier. But when you came here and fought for us with all your heart, as you did, it implied to me that you were committed to our cause. But you left us to the Sevrian dogs, and we paid with our blood. Ask the men outside who've lost brothers because of you, and see who they side with."
Her resolve weakened, and her voice grew softer. "I did come back for you. My mother begged me not to come, and I left her to suffer her grief alone in the name of the greater good. I'm sorry about the men who died, who I might've saved. But the news about my father just came so suddenly, I had no time to think it through."
General Lipner too seemed to calm down a bit. "You could at least have left us Finn."
That was true too. While not quite as resilient as her, Finn was equally strong and close in skill, and had magic besides. He could have replaced her well enough. She would've missed his support, but it wasn't like she would have died without it. Though what Lipner did was still wrong, she acknowledged she had made poor choices as well.
"All right, general," she finally said. "If you apologize for Loreen and swear never to do it again, I'll forget the past and we can work together for our people again."
He agreed, and they shook hands. But his eyes still held distrust for her; their partnership remained one of necessity. She left the tent.
"So, what happened in there?" Finn asked. "Did you scare the piss out of him?"
"No, I came to understand we both weren't blameless. So we agreed to a truce, although he still dislikes me. I just hope Loreen won't be too mad."
Finn grinned then. "So since we are staying to fight, it looks like the world will see what a mage can do in war again!"
#
Though Finn's spells took a steep toll on the Sevrian army, he tired out from constant spellcasting faster than Rose and the Lipner brothers did fighting normally. Soon he found himself sharing a tent with the recovering Loreen, who enlightened him on just how much she wanted to fight alongside Rose again. His powerful love gave the battle her all alongside the others, but with the army being depleted, it was difficult to do more than hold their own section of the wall.
On his second day of battle, Finn used his magic much more conservatively, fighting with his mace until opportunities arose to catch a sizable group in one of his spells. He found this strategy much more efficient than blasting everything that moved, and was able to pass the day on the battlefield. The friends fought and fought, quickly losing count of how many they killed. Even Howard seemed to improve; he still chased glory, but learned to work better in the team. But their success was not complete, as Joghra and Fiona continued to pick at their forces. Joghra no longer used his bow, but now led quick strikes on foot along with Fiona, keeping distance from Rose's group by attacking elsewhere on the line and pulling back before they could arrive. And often the giants taunted them from afar, while killing some unfortunate Kayland soldiers.
"You lucky dogs," Howard jokingly said once as they ate together, "they never come after you!"
"It's because they know not to dare stand against the first mage of the modern world!" Finn replied.
"Yeah, yeah, some people are easily impressed by your fancy fireworks."
"You're just jealous." Finn's tone grew more serious. "Don't be. You wouldn't want the headache of 'responsibility' that comes with this package."
Rose looked at his troubled face with concern. "Has Derrick been putting too much pressure on you again, Finn?"
He shrugged. "He didn't want me to come here, though he didn't try to stop me in the end. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the study of magic. But there are other priorities I put before that. As if sharing magic with Kayland matters, if there's no Kayland—or my accomplishments matter, if there's no Rose with share them with."
"Aww..." Howard began mockingly, "how cute..."
They shared in merriment then. When they were done, Loreen asked, "So your uncle, is he always so heartless?" She often bad-mouthed Lipner these days, but this was the first time she did it in front of his nephew.
"Don't start," Rose said, "we're trying to have a good time. I know you had it rough, but it's not all his fault."
Howard raised his hand. "No, it's okay. My uncle is a man who cares only about results, with no thought for people's emotions other than his own. But he's not without his good points. He's dedicated to his country, which is why he took Rose's departure so harshly. Of course, he also wants accolades for himself, for a job well done."
Lore
en frowned. "Why does your brother continue to socialize with him so much, if he is such a cold man? Justin doesn't seem equally devoid of compassion, yet he prefers his uncle's company over lunch with us."
"I think he wants the same kind of success, for our uncle was able to climb in the ranks very quickly. As you see my brother is already a captain, but he desires to rise much higher. So our general is something of an appropriate role model for him, in a professional respect if not personal."
"And what do you want for yourself?" Finn asked.
"Heh, I don't know." Howard paused. "I suppose I just want to keep enjoying my privileges as a lazy noble as I have been, trying what I want and never letting life be taken over by tedium."
Finn patted his back. "A respectable outlook, to be sure. I used to have just that kind of attitude—except I'm no noble, of course."
Rose hugged him. "No, but you're noble. You never fail to come flying to my rescue."
"Your sappy love talk is making me feel queasy," Howard said. "When are we going to talk about fighting and killing?"
"I do so much of that, I'm sick enough of it not to want to talk about it. After all this is over, I'll be glad to get away from this misery... I'll finally be part of a worthy endeavor that's not rooted in violence, even if violence is the thing I do best."
Finn caught the guilt in her voice and tried to sooth her. "You never kill or hurt anyone because you like it. You always just wanted to help others, and sometimes the only way to do that is to stop the ones who would hurt them. You're a warrior of light, and have helped far, far more people than you've killed."
"I know. I don't regret my life. It's just that sometimes, I wonder what it would be like if I could've been some gentle priestess or healer, who helped people without having to kill others."
"You would've been good at whatever you did, Rose," Loreen said. "You have the drive to succeed."
Finn cheered up again. "And you say you know Rose? You should know she'd die of boredom if she didn't get the chance once in a while to show off how strong she is."
Rose smiled meekly and admitted, "It's true, I feel a need to prove my strength sometimes—if not to other people, at least to myself. But I'm not so sure I would've turned out this way, if I hadn't been a warrior. Maybe if I didn't get accepted that fateful day into RIEL, I'd just be a big strong housewife right now." She thought about it for a moment and added, "But then I would be a totally different person, I think."
"You'd still be Rose," Howard agreed, "but you wouldn't be the Iron Flower."
"The fool has insight!" Loreen said, punching him in the arm.
Finn noticed Rose's suddenly melancholy face, and asked with concern, "Rose, are you sure you're okay? Your father died days ago and you're already back to fighting, even though you've had so little time to mourn..."
Rose's shoulders began to shake, and Finn held back tears of his own when he heard her soft, heartfelt sobs. "I must seem like such a monster," she gasped, "already indulging in bloodshed when my own father just died, and leaving my mother to suffer alone while I lose myself and my grief in slaughter. Maybe I am. But I have to fight. I can't not go on, I just can't."
Finn and Loreen hugged her together, and after a moment Howard joined in. "You're not a monster," Finn told her. "You're just doing what you have to, and nobody blames you for that."
The one-armed woman added, "We can see how much you were hurt by your father's death, and that you're not heartless. I admire you for going on, and not letting your pain rule you."
"Thank you," Rose breathed, wiping her eyes as she regained her composure. "Do you think it would be an appropriate gesture, for me to dedicate the rest of my actions in this war to my father?"
Finn stroked her tear-streaked face. "Yes, I'm sure he'd be proud to have his daughter's great deeds done in his name."
"Then every blow I strike, from now until the Sevrian army is driven from our nation, will be in the name of my father," Rose declared, blinking to keep back new tears. "I'll do you proud, Dad."
The battles continued, the Kayland army finally being pushed back to their second to last defensive position. Yet the Kaylanders rallied despite Joghra and Fiona's efforts now that their nation's greatest warrior and strongest man (and only mage) were both here, while Sevrian morale ebbed. The invaders could not drive their outnumbered foes back any further and paid for their attempts with more blood than they spilled, so that many grew hopeful the war could be ended here. But Rose and her friends knew Death General Joghra was not about to let his ambitions elude him, and prepared for whatever his next big move might be.
#
Howard cheered as he watched one of Finn's fireballs scatter a pack of rushing Sevrians. "You've got to teach me that," he whispered with awe.
"It's really hard," Finn warned. "I had an unfair advantage, mind you, because of an enchantment an ancient archmage placed on me. It would take years to acquire such prowess otherwise."
"I prefer to stick with the sword, anyway," Rose said while she went against a crowd of soldiers alone, her mere presence slowing their advance with hesitation. "Though magic could be helpful in rebuilding whatever the Sevrians destroyed, if we learn enough in time."
Loreen shrugged. "How much did they destroy, anyway? They're a very cultured people—I don't expect that they're the type to burn cities along the way. Besides, the only land they've taken so far is in Coblan, which didn't really put up much of a resistance. It was a good idea, Rose, but not really applicable."
"Depends if we stop them here... hey, isn't that Joghra in the middle of that swarm?"
They looked at the huge wedge of Sevrians which had broken through the defenses far down the line from them, and Finn growled when he spied the figure directing them. "No mistaking that hideous mask of his. Fiona's right beside him. They're trying really hard to get deep inside—why?"
"I don't know, but it can't be good. Think it's time we finish this?" Rose asked. "I never could get him before by myself, so let's do it together."
Finn rolled his eyes playfully. "You always say that, then end up stealing all the glory for yourself."
Rose elbowed him lightly before her heavy sword cut through a huge Sevrian officer's spear, then his helmet, and felled him lifeless to the ground. "I don't steal. You just have to keep up with me."
They charged towards the general, but a large chunk of his wedge of men broke off to meet them. Rose and Finn broke through the wall of steel and flesh, and she looked back to check on her friends. It seemed Loreen and the brothers were holding their own, but she feared for their safety and almost turned back to aid them before Justin yelled, "Go on! Who else will stop him?" She nodded, and ran on with Finn.
They found Joghra's group assaulting the officers gathered in the middle of the camp, seeking to slay those important few who did not fight with their soldiers at the front. Rose cut down man after man and Finn likewise smashed his share, saving many beleaguered allies from doom. Then she spotted Joghra himself, slaughtering General Lipner's bodyguards left and right while advancing on the cowering man. She charged the massive Sevrian, screaming a challenge. After a single blocked arrow, the huge man exchanged his bow for his great hammer and met her rush. Their weapons clashed once, strength evenly matched, then she sensed movement to her left and deflected a giant halberd. Fiona. Finn was there, clipping Joghra's shoulder with his mace. The Death General grunted and Finn's shield rang loudly from the return blow of his hammer. Rose struck back at the giantess, locked weapons with her and shoved her between the men.
"Take Fiona!" she said to Finn. "I'll get Joghra."
"Why do I have to fight the girl? Because our names are a tiny bit similar?"
"Rose!" Fiona cried as she exchanged blows with Finn. "I'll kill you!"
Joghra raised his maul, and his eyes smiled behind the mask. "Four titans clash. Who will survive and who will die?"
Rose hated Joghra and kind of pitied Fiona, but she couldn't deny the guilty thrill this encounter bro
ught to her heart. This, indeed, would be a fight.
#
"So you're the 'Strongest Man in Kayland?'" Fiona asked. "You look short and fat."
"All muscle," Finn said. She held the reach and height advantage, but he still felt confident he was stronger. And also... he chanted a quick spell and sent her flying away with a lightning bolt to the ample chest.
She hit the earth, tumbled head over heels and rolled to her feet. "Cheap shot! Coblan and the Laros family's last great warrior will not fall so easily."
Finn walked after her and they exchanged mace and halberd strikes again. "You're what, eighteen? Isn't it a little premature to be calling yourself a great warrior?"
"Your Rose was sixteen when she killed Pierce, the strongest of Volston. Today I'll kill her, and you!"
"Do it if you can." He hit her with a mace swing that must have broken ribs, took a nasty gash to the arm in return, punched her with his shield, and saw her eyes roll up. She collapsed, and he regarded her laid out form with disappointment that she was already defeated. Maybe if he peed on her, it'd get her to stand up and fight back. Then she kicked him in the groin so hard it lifted him off his feet. He dropped to his knees, and she raised her halberd. He caught her in a cone of flame which caused her to scream as skin and flesh burned. But still she came on.
"But anyway," he said with a wince, "I wouldn't want you to fall that quickly. Just keeping you on your toes... this ought to be nice and long for the songs." He got to his feet just in time to meet her charge, her halberd slamming down on his shield before she elbowed him. She threw an arm around his neck and wrenched at it with a savage headlock. The pain and pressure he felt were great, but also somehow exhilarating.
"Do you see me now, father?! I kill the strongest man of Kayland!"
He gripped her about the waist, lifted her and dropped back, driving her into the ground. "Damn, I am enjoying this. Not bad, Rose..." He rolled over and whacked Fiona with the shield, then raised his mace for the finishing blow. Before it could fall, she kicked him back.
