by Billy Wong
Rose smiled coyly. "What can I say? It didn't seem that hard at the time. The strain was incredible, but it only lasted for a moment. I've had tougher. In any case, it sounds like a fiery trait would be good for my weapons, and an earthly one for my armor and shield. I don't really need any of my things to be lighter. I'm pretty quick as is."
"What I find amazing," Derrick mused, "is that it was your curiosity about weapons which led Finn to tell us of his new understanding. These are pretty important insights for the study of magic, don't you think?"
Sarcastically, Finn said, Sorry, I was too busy wanting to be human to think about the pursuit of knowledge.
"Yeah, he got bored of enlightenment pretty fast," Rose added with pride. "He'd rather be with me!"
"I wouldn't want to be unable to interact with people either," Derrick said. "Remember that in the Old World though, dragons were treated with respect, and viewed as bearers of great knowledge."
They still couldn't mate, though. I suppose they were like monks, only sacrificing earthly pleasures for magical rather than spiritual enlightenment.
"I like that comparison. I might've considered such a tradeoff in the past, but not anymore."
That makes three, because I know Rose wouldn't go for it, and I regret not trying harder to stop it more than any decision I've made.
Rose looked sadly at him. "I'm sure we'll fix this somehow. You'll be human again." They returned to looking through the man-dragon's book collection, and she came upon a mention of swapping bodies through magic. "Would this be a possibility?"
If I was advanced enough in manipulating souls, which I can't do at all, and there was someone willing to swap bodies with me, and I actually wanted their body, yes.
"Hey, haven't we heard of mages who lost their arcane powers?" Derrick asked. "If whatever did that happened to you, do you think it would take away your dragon form? Your new body is due to having great amounts of magical power within you."
That was a pretty interesting idea, and Rose asked, "Do you remember exactly how they lost their power?"
Finn's mental voice grew worried. But I love being able to use magic, I just don't want to be a dragon! Besides, how would I enchant Rose's weapons without magic?
"Don't worry about the weapons—besides, maybe Derrick can do that when he gets better, or I could myself. As for losing your magic, perhaps since you're a dragon, you'd just go back to being a normal mage, and not a totally magicless person."
What if I lose it all?
"Would you rather be the guy you were before being a mage, or what you are now?"
I'd rather be human.
"I think the way some mages lost their power," Derrick said, "was by putting it all into a particularly powerful item. Like the man-dragon's book, actually."
I don't want to be a statue for a few centuries.
"I doubt it'll work that way for you. The other mages who did it didn't turn into statues, from what I recall. I think the man-dragon intended for itself to become inert, so that it could remain hidden until its power was returned to it."
What would I make?
"How about some architectural marvel like the Tower of Verveem? It'd be a kind of immortality, to have something like that in the world bearing your name."
To his friends' surprise, Finn shook his head. I have enough fame as the modern world's first mage and founder of the center bringing spellcasting back to the world. I don't need another thing to be known for.
Rose added her own idea. "How about something that can help lots of people, like the kind of healing device Wilner had, or strengthening the walls or gates of Gustrone?"
Yes, I'd like to make something that can help people. But not exactly what you're talking about.
"What do you have in mind?"
It's a secret. I have to study the books on making magic items, so get them for me from the center, will you? Nobody else is that advanced yet anyway. I'll come to you when I'm ready, and human again. I'm sure you'll like what I make.
"How long will this take?"
Finn sighed, his head drooping. I really can't say, but I know it's a long process. Even with normal magic items, it can take weeks to complete an enchantment. With this, we might be talking months or years.
She blinked back tears. "I can't bear to lose you for that long, again."
You can still visit. I'll show you the cave where I'll stay, and you can come see me. Just yell for me before you come in, so I can keep my surprise out of sight.
Rose felt a sense of relief and smiled. "So where is this cave?"
I didn't find it yet.
"Let's go pick one, then. The sooner you get started, the better. What, no more forests?"
I think we've learned well enough it's too easy for me to get spotted in the forest. Rose then noticed Derrick looking at Finn as if the dragon had mentally said something to him, and wondered what secret her husband kept from her. She realized he was probably asking for help to make his mysterious item and said nothing. Mounting him, Rose and Derrick accompanied Finn while he looked for the cave of his dreams. Finding a nice dry, cozy cavern, he chose his place of rebirth, and his wife and friend committed the place to memory so they could remember where to find him.
Chapter 12
For a short time, Rose and Derrick's lives returned to relative normality, each of them occasionally visiting Finn in his cave. Once Rose even brought the children along, so as to allow her husband a chance to be with their kids and see how they had grown. With Rose home, Derrick found greater freedom in choosing what activities to share with Julie, and the two had much pleasure in one another's company. One day, a Kayland soldier visited the center looking for Rose.
"Lady Rose," he said to her surprise, "you are invited to participate in the annual Royal Gentlemen's Tournament. Should you accept, the regent looks forward to seeing you perform against the nation's best."
Puzzled, Rose replied, "But I'm not a gentleman—not a man or gentle, the way it's meant here. Besides, I wasn't even invited last year."
"We were too busy having a war to have a tournament, I think?"
"Oh right, that."
The soldier smiled. "After what you did then, you're more than deserving."
"But I'm not a noble."
"You're the Knight Protector of Kayland, remember?" a staff member chimed in.
Rose thought about fighting in a tournament of the nobility. In past years she would have jumped at the chance, not only to test her own strength, but also to enjoy showing haughtier members of the upper class what a mere peasant girl from Hullel could do. But this time, she declined the offer.
"I'm not going to travel far from home just to participate in a contest of masculine pride. I have babies to take care of."
The messenger looked at her strangely. "You do know the tournament's held right outside Gustrone, within view of the walls?"
She hadn't known that. She'd always thought of the tournament as being far away—but then, that had been when she lived in Hullel. Rose was tempted to test her arm against the best noble fighters in Kayland, though she wondered how much unfamiliar rules might harm her performance. She hadn't jousted in years, but had won such a contest before, and it wouldn't disappoint her too much if she lost. She did know she could at least keep her seat well no matter who rode against her.
Rose worried a bit about having to face Justin's hostility if he was there, but she had handled it before. "Okay, I'll go," she said at last. "Should be a fun diversion."
"Will your husband be there as well?"
She hadn't expected that, and stammered, "N-no, he, uh, he's still away on a trip, and won't be back for a while."
He stared at her awkward reaction. "Who will be your attendant?"
"Uh, what?" Rose was at a loss as to what he meant, her only initial thought being that she could take of herself.
"The person who gives you your lance at the beginning of each pass and things like that. I'm just a regular soldier, I'd have thought you wo
uld know this stuff better."
"I'm not used to 'this stuff' because I'm not a noble!" she reminded him. "I'll get someone. Anything else?"
"No, not really. You'll bring your own arms and armor except for tourney lances, yes?"
"That's fine. When is the tournament?"
"It's in a week," he told her matter-of-factly.
Rose blinked. "A week would be cutting it pretty close if I didn't live here. But considering I do, I guess it's all right." She hoped they had informed the other participants earlier, though...
"Good luck!" he said, and left.
She went to Derrick's room and, finding his door unlocked, walked in. Spotting the scholar in bed with Julie, she quickly backed out, glad the two were asleep. Later, she asked Derrick if he wanted to serve as her attendant at the tourney. He understandably declined, citing his work, but to her surprise Julie offered to do it.
"You don't seem like the type who likes combat and violence. Do you know a thing about weapons and armor?"
"No," the redhead admitted. "But I want to see you fight, to see if a woman can really be as strong as they say you are."
Rose chuckled. "What, you doubt it? Come on, I thought everybody saw me with Joghra's mask!"
"I didn't really mean to say I doubt you, just that I want to see you fight in person."
"If you don't know anything about arms and armor, how are you going to attend me?" When an embarrassed look broke out on the girl's chubby face, she laughed. "Don't worry, I'm just playing around. I'll teach you some stuff, if you want to learn. As for what you need to do in the tourney, you can hand me weapons, right?"
"Yes, I'd think... and, I want to learn to fight!"
"Okay, you're in. I'll teach you how to put on armor, how to maintain combat equipment, and a little bit about fighting. When do you want to start?"
"I could start now," Julie said eagerly, and Rose led her to the training yard.
#
"Not bad for a novice," Rose complimented her student, her first lesson over. Julie already looked promising in her eyes, though she'd yet to see how the girl would hold up under the stress of a real fight. There was nothing more important for a warrior. "You're strong for a girl."
"I'm honored to hear that from you. But you're still, what, ten times stronger than me?"
She laughed, and said modestly, "Maybe not quite ten. Hey, I've been doing this since I was fifteen. I'd better have something to show for it."
"You like Derrick?" Julie asked.
Rose was surprised by the sudden shift, but answered easily, "Of course. He's one of my best friends, after my husband."
The girl smiled. "He's fearless, isn't he?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. When we go out together, he never hesitates to do what he wants, or say what he thinks. He's really confident—it's great!"
Rose had really never thought of the scholar that way, but it was true he rarely showed second thoughts about pursuing his goals, which generally involved pursuing new knowledge when he'd adventured with her and Finn. Now she knew that applied to other aspects of his life as well. Remembering the verbal battles the scholar had waged before against herself and Finn, she smiled.
"Yes, he is. We had lots of great adventures together, back in the day."
"You must have had some time keeping him out of trouble."
She laughed. "Well, yes. I once followed him into a war, and ended up dragging Finn along too! But he led us to great knowledge at other times. It was always exciting, no matter what!"
"Is he a good warrior?"
"He's a good warrior and comrade. He never abandons his friends, no matter what he has to fight to help them. It's no wonder he likes you. You're just the kind of spirited girl who'd suit him."
Her pupil gazed thoughtfully at her. "So are you. He always talks so lovingly of you."
"Me?!" Rose chuckled. "You know I'm taken, and Finn's the only guy for me. We already have kids together!"
"I didn't mean that you and Derrick... I was just giving you a compliment."
Seeing the girl's worried expression, Rose said, "Don't worry. I'm not angry, and I didn't think you were implying anything about me and Derrick. I was just talking. Though I really haven't thought of Derrick like that. He's a good man and we're all lucky to have him, but physically, he's really not my type."
"Too small for you?" Julie asked humorously, her anxiety gone.
Rose grinned. "Finn's more my type, yeah. I like a guy who can hold his own while drinking with me. As an aside, you should know Derrick once called my face ugly."
Julie gaped. "Really?"
"He also told me I was beautiful inside. I didn't mind. I used to worry more about it before, but these days I'm comfortable with how I look. Well, on most days."
The redhead looked curiously at her. "Why'd you decide to become a warrior, anyway? Did something bad happen to you in your childhood which made you take up the sword?"
"No, my childhood was fine, as nice as I could hope for. I was raised by both my parents, had good friends, and didn't experience too much real violence. But I was quite the tomboy, wanting to follow in my dad's footsteps and become a blacksmith. Then the road watchmen started testing for new recruits, and I jumped at the opportunity to join. I didn't really think of becoming such a warrior as I am now then, just that it would be an interesting experience. Of course, one thing led to another and..."
"And now you like to fight guys like Prince Wilner and Death General Joghra, and monsters like dragons and the Spelldrinker."
"No, no I don't 'like' that!" Rose shook her head heartily. "I'd rather explore strange places, and seek knowledge to better civilization as a whole, than just fight the threat of the day. I just haven't had the luxury of such choices a fair bit of the time. As the warrior I am, it's sort of my place to face the challenges I'm suited to."
"How does it feel to kill men?"
Rose frowned. She didn't like talking, or thinking, about this issue. "I don't really think about it, when I do it. Though, I sometimes feel guilty when I recall what I've done—but really, I try not to do that too much. But killing's an inevitable part of being a warrior, at least the type I am. I don't know if you'd want to be that kind of person."
Noticing her discomfort, Julie hastily apologized. "Oh, I'm sorry if it's hurtful for you to talk about. I won't mention it again, I was just curious. But I wasn't sure if someone so accomplished could still feel such pain at the thought of killing."
"I think I'm a better person for bearing this pain, than I would be if I could just take the slaughter I've wreaked as a matter of course. But you don't need to apologize. You can ask me whatever you want, I'm not someone who shies away from talking about an unhappy topic. I'm tough, I can take your questions."
Julie seemed relieved at her words. "Your husband, does he treat you well?"
Rose was sure she knew about their falling out—after all it had been her, along with Derrick, who took care of their children when neither of them had been there. But she and Finn had settled their differences and were back on the same page; though he still wasn't a human, they'd had good times together lately. She smiled at her pupil's question. "He treats me great. Best husband I could ask for."
"I knew that from the way you speak of him, and how he used to talk about you—the admiration with which he told us stories of your prowess! What I really meant is, not whether he's nice to you, but what the... dynamics of your relationship are, I guess."
Though Rose wasn't quite sure what Julie meant, she took a stab at it. "He's my best friend and I his, as we were before realizing our love. We view each other as peers, and take pleasure in the occasional competition. He used to get a bit too worked up over that stuff, at least when he was on the losing end, but he's gotten better I think."
"Then why has he been away for so long? I mean, you two obviously aren't fighting anymore, so..."
The answer Rose gave was honest enough. "He's exploring the nature of m
agic."
"You two never can stay put."
"Nope!" Rose agreed wholeheartedly. "There's too much excitement out there to pass up easily."
"Maybe you could take me with you someday."
"It'll be a while before you're ready to follow where I go. But who knows, maybe you and Derrick can experience the same kind of romantic cave and ruin dates me and Finn are used to!"
Julie laughed. "That would be different."
"So what about you? How did you come to be here, and what prompted this interest in fighting?"
The girl shrugged. "Like you, I didn't have a particularly eventful childhood—my father's a merchant right here in Gustrone. I wasn't much of a tomboy either, unlike you. The one thing is I'm an only child, hence me being allowed to be a scholar. I really came to this center because my father told me to, saying he wanted the next generation of his family to be involved in the continuing progress of the world. But I've liked my stay here. I've met some good people"—she winked at Rose—"and had a lot of fun learning magic, though it's a bit slow for my taste. And I'll never forget the day the Spelldrinker attacked! What a terrifying memory, but it doesn't detract from the rest.
"As for my interest in fighting, it came from hearing about you, and seeing you around. You made me think a woman truly could be equal to a man, and inspired me to desire such strength. The time you came in bleeding all over the floor, after killing the fearsome Spelldrinker, and the first thing you wanted to do was hold your kids—seeing that really sealed it for me, that I could be strong without giving up my femininity. Everyone respects you. I want that too."
Rose knew she should have felt proud of herself, but instead she remembered Justin's harsh words and fear crept into her mind. "Being a warrior isn't the only way a woman can achieve respect, just the most violent way. You can be an artist, poet, philosopher, whatever. Yes, all those roles are harder for a woman to find acceptance in compared to a man, but so is that of a warrior. If you just want to be successful in the world, my path isn't the one to follow. It's more likely to get you killed than to make you famous. Even I've got to admit, women aren't likely to be as strong as men—hey, don't look at me like that, I'm a freak. Also, if you ever get captured by the wrong kind of enemy, there are things they'll be inclined to do which they wouldn't if you were a man."
