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

by Billy Wong

  "This is never going to work," Joghra commented, but he gave his pick to Derrick and the two attacked the beast's legs. The Sevrian nodded when the scholar buried the poisoned pick in the skin between the monster's toes, and its movements grew less coordinated while it began to shudder. It laid Joghra's arm open to the bone with a wild slash of its claws, but he retaliated by crushing one of its toenails with his hammer.

  Though the men's crafty attacks did it little real harm and were quickly healed, the pain kept the monster's attention on them. Thus when the sound of cracking wood was heard and Derrick and Joghra dove aside, the Spelldrinker was completely surprised to look up and catch the enormous tree in the face. The two men rushed to the trapped creature and swung away, and Fiona joined in though each strike looked like it would be her last. Finally, its visage an unrecognizable pulp, the Spelldrinker stopped moving. All three warriors stood panting and waited to see if it would heal. But before ten seconds passed, Fiona collapsed.

  Derrick ran to her side, and lifting her head felt for damage. "Her skull's cracked in more than one place," he said for Joghra. He began a chant, but the Sevrian stopped him. "She needs help or she'll die," Derrick pointed out. "I don't have the skill to heal her, but I think I can preserve her life a bit longer and relieve her pain. Won't you let me try?" Joghra nodded, and Derrick cast his spell.

  To his surprise and dismay, no noticeable change came over the injured girl, though an immense wave of fatigue nearly made him swoon. But then she opened her eyes and whispered, "How did you..."

  For a moment, Derrick thought his magic had worked. Then he realized Fiona was staring behind him, and Joghra too had turned to look that way. His gaze followed theirs to find the Spelldrinker thrashing beneath the tree as it transformed. Its destroyed face reformed into a longer snout, a coat of wire-like hair grew to cover much of its body, its claws and teeth lengthened further, and its build became even thicker and heavier. It also grew another several feet. The thing shoved the huge tree off itself and scrambled upright. Not yet used to its new face, it turned its head around this way and that as if blind, though Derrick knew it would only be a temporary reprieve.

  "How the hell did you do that?!" Joghra spat.

  "I am a more experienced mage than the others, so it's natural my spells would be stronger." Derrick realized however he was nothing compared to the archmages of old, or his friend Finn, and wondered at the power this creature could have gained from a single spell cast by them.

  "The destroyer of eight nations," Fiona whispered with a hopeless smile, and Derrick believed her completely.

  Joghra's command snapped them out of their awestruck gawking. "Boy, help me with her. Let's go, I've no heart for more of this." Derrick agreed, and supporting Fiona between them they ran through the gates the Gustrone guards opened a crack for them.

  For some reason, the Spelldrinker did not pursue. Maybe it actually felt distress at its near death, and not realizing its new strength feared its opponents could resist it. But once it got hungry again...

  #

  Returning from an unsuccessful search for Finn, Rose walked into the city and stared at the widespread carnage. Many buildings had been destroyed, and congealing blood stained the streets. It took her a while to locate Derrick. She found him in a makeshift hospital sitting with Joghra of all people, at the bedside of... who was the pale, gasping woman with her head so well wrapped in bandages? From the enormous size of her, Rose could only conclude it must be Fiona.

  "Derrick, what the hell are you doing with these two, and what are they doing here at all?!" He explained, and Rose frowned. "So basically, these idiots released a monster they couldn't control or kill, and now because of you it's gotten even stronger. What do you want me to do about it?" Derrick looked down, flushing, and didn't answer.

  Joghra regarded her. "Shouldn't that be rather obvious, even to you?"

  "You ought to be more polite, when it was your own stupidity that got you into this," she shot back. "In any case, I guess I'll have to clean up your mess whether I want to or not. Where did this thing go?"

  Derrick shook his head. "We really have no idea. But I'm sure it'll be back for me and the others soon."

  "So why don't we just shoot it down with ballistae set up on the walls, and then worry about finishing it off?"

  "I suppose that's a possibility, but the Spelldrinker could come from any direction next time. It's also really fast, and I don't think it would be easy to hit it with a ballista bolt, or even kill it that way if it does hit. I don't want to risk it getting in the city again and killing any more people. Especially mages, because I don't know how much power it could gain if it consumes more magic. My last spell—damn."

  Rose sighed. "All right then, I'll go and try to kill it. But I think it'd be easier to lure out if I had some, sorry to use the term, bait to attract its attention. You up for it?" Derrick nodded fearfully; he had contributed to the problem, after all. She turned then to Joghra. "And will you help me, considering it hurt your friend so bad?"

  It took him a few moments to find an answer. He must have considered denying his old enemy help, but in the end nodded. Fine, I will help. The monster must die."

  "How much poison do you have left?"

  Derrick looked curiously at her while Joghra shook his head. "I left my supply in Coblan, where I was to leave for Sevria. I would not risk carrying such deadly toxins in my pack, when they might spill during battle and bring about my demise."

  "Oh well, we'll just use regular daggers," she said, and both men blinked. They'd see what she meant soon enough. "Let's go. We don't want to give this thing any more time in the world than we need to, right?"

  #

  Rose left the hospital, and Derrick followed. Joghra rose as well, but when he turned, he felt Fiona's hand grab his arm.

  "Take my halberd, Joghra. Kill Rose with it, so that the Laros name won't die unavenged."

  Joghra met her desperate eyes. It hadn't occurred to him before, but the idea appealed greatly. Let Rose do most of the work of slaying the Spelldrinker, then kill her while she was weakened, followed by the useless scholar. "Yes, Fiona. Thank you."

  She looked confused, and not only at his words. Her eyes were open, but saw nothing. "Joghra? Where'd you..." Then her head lolled to the side, and he knew she was dead. He blinked back tears. Tears? Why should he cry? She was just another disposable minion—wasn't she?

  #

  Rose yelled at Joghra to hurry up while she and Derrick walked. After she got a few choice items from the armory and gave a whole sack full of serrated daggers to the scholar to hold, the three went into the clearing where Joghra and Derrick had last seen the Spelldrinker. As expected, it wasn't there. But they could easily see its heavy tracks, and followed them deeper into the snowy forest. Suddenly the creature burst into view, lured by the residual magic on Derrick's person.

  To the terrified scholar's shock, Rose did not immediately attack, but instead darted behind the Spelldrinker while it advanced singlemindedly on him. He yelled at her to do something, then she charged the beast from behind. As it took a huge stride forward, Rose rammed with her shield into its raised foot. Taken off its balanced, the creature crashed heavily onto its back.

  It rolled over swiftly, and Rose was there, bringing her immense broadsword down on its snout as if to chop it off. But only a small rent appeared on its skin. It roared furiously. Pushing itself up on great arms, it forced her to back away from slashing claws. She ran back in quick and chopped at its thigh, but only opened a shallow wound as a coat of hair like metal wire slowed the blade considerably.

  It struck back with its flail-like tail, which she nimbly dove over to slash the creature's leg. But again, she only opened the slightest scratch, the hide having grown tougher since it last faced human weaponry. Its backward kick knocked her down, and it turned to face her. It charged as she stood and punted her like a ball, hurling her away while a huge claw tore her side open.

  She registered
then that Joghra was being no help at all, and catching her breath screamed, "What are you doing?!"

  He didn't answer and Rose glared at him, wondering what he was trying to do. He wanted her to get killed, she realized, and so distracted almost failed to dodge the immense claws. Another swipe came close, and the next closer. Damn, it was fast! It clawed at her again, but this time she was ready and intercepted the monster's hand with her sword, impaling it near the wrist with its own momentum. She pulled the blade down through its palm with great effort, splitting it in half down the middle. The creature screamed in pain and pulled its mangled hand away. It snapped at her with its jaws, but Rose took the dagger-filled sack from Derrick and threw it into the gaping mouth. Without hesitation, the creature swallowed. Rose danced away from its attacks, waiting. Soon enough, it doubled over clutching its stomach, the daggers shredding the organ as it moved.

  Now she lunged, stabbing at the Spelldrinker's groin with all her weight behind the heavy lead-cored sword. Even so, it was like stabbing a stone wall, and the blade only sank about half a foot deep. But it was enough for what Rose had in mind. Pushing on the hilt, she caused it great pain and made it fall on its back. She pulled out the weapon and jumped onto its belly, then ran up its body. Reaching its chest, she jumped into the air and drove her sword down into the hollow of the monster's throat. With all the strength of her whole body, she started to drag the blade sideways and saw through the neck, but the creature reached up with a hand and swatted her off.

  It lay on the ground, choking as it tried to breathe through its severed windpipe, but already its wound began to close. Having been smashed fully through a tree, the stunned Rose tried desperately to regain her feet. She saw brave Derrick run at the downed creature, aiming a pick blow at the top of its skull. But even a pick would not avail to penetrate the unnaturally strong bone, especially with strength like his behind it. Rose screamed for him to get back while she stood and charged again.

  Her friend began to retreat, but as it rose, the monster's thrashing tail grazed him and knocked him down hard. The Spelldrinker stabbed downwards at him with its claws. Rose leapt through the air, launching her body into its wrist. She knocked the deadly claws off course, but after she landed clumsily on her back, the other hand swept down. Her poor trunk once again found itself host to cruel, bony blades which pinned her to the ground, one in her belly and the other higher up, in her solar plexus.

  Finally Joghra moved to join the fight, surely knowing if she died now, he'd have little chance of stopping the Spelldrinker. The Sevrian charged, and Rose's overwhelming agony did not keep her from feeling relief at his action and worry over Derrick's condition. Despite the deathly pain and nausea, she raised her sword and hacked at her foe's wrist. Her first blow was so weak it barely scratched the hide, but Rose somehow rallied her strength and hit harder, cutting through skin and into veins on the underside of the joint. In pain, the beast withdrew its hand, freeing her body though also allowing more dark fluids to gush from her torn middle.

  She lay there coughing and choking on her own blood, but somehow held onto enough sense to defend herself when the monster came on again. She chopped hard into its ankle, made it stumble away with a deafening screech. Reaching the Spelldrinker, Joghra swung his halberd in a tremendous arc and took a strip of skin off its inner thigh.

  "Are you good for more?" the Sevrian asked.

  At first she couldn't speak, only a gurgle escaping through the blood filling her throat. Terror coursed through her mind to hear such a sound come out of her own mouth, for she was used to a death-rattle following it. But Rose simply would not allow herself to die despite the unbearable agony completely filling her torso, like it was on fire inside and out. With the greatest effort, she rolled over onto her side and spat out a great gout of mixed liquids. She tried to raise her mangled body up with her arms, letting anger for the many people the Spelldrinker had slaughtered in Gustrone fuel her strength. Even this wasn't quite enough and she fell back as the pain overwhelmed her, her tear-streaked face pressing into the blood-soaked ground while she shook her head trying vainly to drive the anguish from her mind.

  Then she remembered the grave danger the monster had put her children in, chasing their caretakers out of the city with her babies in hand. She slowly stood, no pain great enough now to stop her from venting her rage. Steadying herself as best she could, she scared herself by smiling while she declared, "I took claws the size of longswords in my torso, of course I'm not alright. But it's not such a strange situation for me. I can still go, until I finally free this beast's soul from its corpse."

  The Spelldrinker caught Joghra with a swipe which knocked him down and charged past him at the opponent who had caused it the most pain and frustration. But this time, it proved a mistake. As it bent and attempted to catch her in those long jaws, she whipped her heavy cloak off her back and threw it over its face. The cloth would have quickly fallen away, but Rose pulled a barbed spear from her back and stabbed it through the cloak and eye beneath, pinning it in place.

  She held onto the cloak while the Spelldrinker reared away in pain, and throwing herself over the snout pierced its other eye as she had the first. Crazily, she wondered if the watching Joghra was impressed by her tactic. Now Rose painfully dropped down and ran behind the beast. Timing it just right, she stabbed her sword up into the opening under its tail. It screamed as the sharp blade pierced its vitals and Rose pushed the whole weapon in, turning the crossguard at an angle so that it, like the spears, would not be pushed out by the creature's regeneration.

  The monster fell writhing facefirst to the ground, and Rose pulled forth the huge axe she'd once won from Prince Wilner. Running to its neck, she raised the heavy weapon high over her head and brought it down again and again. She avoided the nearly indestructible bones, but instead chopped into the cartilage in between. Penetrating the tough material after several attempts, she cut through the spine and the Spelldrinker fell limp, but Rose didn't stop until its head lay fully separate from the body.

  Rose stood proudly next to the corpse and, though her trunk and thighs were covered with blood from wounds which would have easily killed an ordinary person, remarked, "I'm surprised Derrick, I thought it would be harder than this." Then she remembered the hit the scholar had taken, and turned painfully to check on him. As she did a shadow fell over her, and she spun back to see Joghra atop the dead monster, leveling his halberd at her. "Don't," she warned. "You'll break your wife's heart."

  The Sevrian laughed contemptuously. "Arrogant woman, surely you cannot hope to defeat me in this state?"

  Rose returned his smile. "I felt worse when I beat you before, and you don't have most of your poisoned weapons now, do you? Give it up. Even you kill me, I promise I'll take you with me."

  Joghra took half a step back, but stopped and shook his head. "If I don't kill you now, I'll never get a better chance."

  "If you do try it, you'll never have another chance to do anything."

  "Your arrogance astounds me."

  Her voice was serene as she replied, "There's a difference between arrogance and confidence. I know what I can do."

  The halberd waved tauntingly. "Then prove it, confident woman." He jabbed lightly at her, not really trying to hit her, but testing her reflexes.

  She blocked with her shield, and again pleaded, "Please, no more."

  "You know, it was because of you Fiona died."

  Rose was unmoved. Though the death of one so young should've been sad, the giantess had brought her fate upon herself. "If she hadn't been so obsessed with getting revenge, she would be alive now. Don't make the same mistake."

  "She made the mistake of trying to control something she didn't understand. I know exactly what I'm doing."

  "Why are you so intent on seeing me dead? Your goal of taking Kayland is far out of reach now. What would killing me achieve? Fuel for your own ego? Or rather, relief for your shame? The war has done enough harm already to both sides. Let's not deprive
your nation of another strong leader, okay?"

  He scoffed. "My nation? The island where I grew up only became part of Sevria when I was a teenager, and I have little use for their pompous culture. I only joined the army for the sake of enhancing my status as a warrior, the thing which matters most to men of my tribe. And as you know, I'd succeeded quite well at that until you came along. So at least now if I slay you, I won't bear the disgrace of having lost to a woman and never avenged such a stain on my pride."

  Rose frowned at his chauvinism. "What of Fiona, who you seemed so fond of? Was she not a woman, and a warrior?"

  "She was not a woman who challenged me and my power. Besides, she was a good minion, but only a minion nonetheless."

  "I don't believe you. You cared for her more than that, but never admitted it. If you didn't, you wouldn't have stayed at her bedside all that time when you were wounded and bleeding yourself. Now you're trying to forget that, to push aside your hurt. Am I right?"

  He laughed. "What are you, a warrior or a Sevrian mind-doctor?"

  "Never heard of those. So do you still think you're going to try and kill me, or have you discovered some sense?"

  Joghra raised his halberd. Confidently, he revealed, "What I think, is that I've let you stand there bleeding long enough."

  Rose merely grinned and replied happily, "No, what you've done is given enough time for my friend to recover."

  Only now did the Sevrian realize that Derrick had gotten up, and now came to stand by her side in a fighting stance. But Joghra demanded, "And what of it? He is no match for either of us, and can only provide a brief distraction at best."

  "It'll only take a moment for me to put my sword through you. Give it up, the moment's passed."

  Joghra refused to let his enemy have the last word. "There'll be other chances," he promised before jumping off the huge carcass and disappearing from view.

  "Five to zero!" Rose yelled, taunting him about the win-loss record between them though a less partial mind might not have scored it as favorably for her.