by Billy Wong
He looked closely at her. "Is this what you really want, or is her call too much for you to fight?"
It was true that Thraga felt Kayla's call every day—as all of them did. Like hooks in their minds. "What does it matter, father? I am not saying we should follow her blindly, but observe her before we make our choice."
"And if we go to her side, will her magic not affect us more strongly? Moreover, how could we refuse her among her many allies, if truly she has been replaced?"
Thonng was right. They could not approach Kayla with safety. "You are still wise." She nodded, and walked away. But the death of the other Ulir still weighed heavily on her mind. It would be unwise to commit themselves to a fight at this stage; somehow, though, Thraga wished they could avenge those unjust deaths. There had to be a way.
The next day, she went again to her father and asked, "Might I go alone, to see as to Kayla's state?"
He sighed. "You are brave, Thraga. I know you are grown, and should have some choice in your destiny. But if you go, your mind might never escape her grasp."
"I'll be strong, I swear. It doesn't matter how powerful her magic is—I believe that as long as I keep you and our people in mind, I can remain free."
From his dubious look, he did not quite seem to believe her. "Maybe you are strong enough, and maybe not. But even if you are, might your going not lure others to follow who might not be able to resist her charms?"
She thought about how she might prevent others from inspiring others to join her, then looked up into Thonng's eyes. "You'll have to condemn me, then. Let everyone know what I did was wrong, a crime in your eyes. That should keep them from going astray."
"But if I condemn you for leaving, the others will lose all respect for you. And when you come back, I will not be able to retract what I said. As king, I must not waver in what I decree. So even if you return, your reputation will be tainted for all time."
Thraga knew this would not bode well for her standing in the tribe. But if it could help the rest of them... and she wanted to see Kayla besides. The need was fierce, pulling at her spirit and body. "I know, father. But I'll be fine. As for their contempt, I won't mind it as long as I'm allowed to return to your side. Even many a hero was thought less of in their day." Of course, she would only be able to come back if she survived. Bur she wasn't a coward to let fear of death stop her.
"Go then, my beloved girl. But don't you be fooled into accepting evil's embrace."
"I won't. I love you, and when I come back, I'll tell you where our people belong today. We have to rejoin the world sooner or later, and I will make sure we do it the right way."
#
Derrick entered the town of Huur near the southern edge of the Norh plains, his feet aching from long travels unrewarded with success. He had gone from town to town searching for any news of Rose and Finn, and found it likely they had not stopped in any. They would do that if all the settlements were out of their way, being hardy folk.
When he visited the local tavern for a meal, he overheard a group of hunters talking about a young man they'd found unconscious in the wilderness nearby. While he probably wouldn't be one to deal with monsters or bandits like them, his time with Rose and Finn had taught him to pay attention to any possible dangers, and he listened intently to the tale. A mention of the wounded man being a bard got his attention, and he walked over to the group. "How do you know he's a bard? Did he wake up?"
A balding heavyset man in leathers answered him. "Yes, he's awake. What of it?"
"Does he happen to have long blond hair?"
"Yes."
There were plenty of young men with long blond hair in the world, and probably a fair number of them were bards, but Derrick had a feeling... "Can you take me to see him?"
"What, you think you know him?"
"Maybe."
The hunter led him to his cabin, where the injured bard was resting. Spotting the man with two badly swollen eyes and a crushed nose beneath the blankets, Derrick saw he'd guessed right. "Mick?"
"Wait, who... Derrick? Hi."
"What happened to you?"
The bard, who was extremely pale and looked feverish, gazed at the ceiling and sighed. "I lost them. The babies your friends gave me to look after—I lost them."
"And that's how you got beat up like this? Did bandits or something attack you?"
"No, I was fine when they escaped. They just somehow got out of my wagon while I slept, and disappeared. But after telling Lady Ashleigh what'd happened, I went back to look for them. And guess who I met?"
"Who?"
"There was this man in face paint who attacked us before..." His voice trailed off.
Derrick grew worried at his evident weakness, but pressed on. "And?"
"He caught me on the road, and this time decided to make me an example for your friends. I tried to tell him I wasn't that close to them, but he wouldn't have it... he destroyed me anyway."
Destroyed? Derrick wasn't unsympathetic to his pain, but a beating hardly equaled destruction. "What do you mean? You'll be okay."
"No, I won't. Even though I'm not bleeding anymore, I might still die. I'm gravely sick."
"How? What did he do to you?"
He didn't reply right away. Then he lifted his arms out from under the blankets, revealing the seared stumps of his wrists. "My hands, Derrick. He took my hands."
Chapter 7
Rose and Finn joined the army camped before Dunwal, which soon moved forward to their defensive lines to intercept the Western Alliance's advance. For now they were led by Sierra's close friend Baron Nicholas; the regent herself had not yet arrived, and was rumored to be chasing the remnants of the Volstonian army under Prince Max. The Western Alliance's force proved somewhat smaller than their own, but might have dwarfed them in menace. The magical powers of the Ulir terrified most of the soldiers, and threw those they engaged into disarray. Day after day, the Kaylanders could not mount much of an offense, and soon began to give ground to the enemy.
If they were defeated here, the war at large would become a true uphill battle. Many more supporters of Victor among their own people had not joined the fight, but a Western Alliance victory might motivate them enough to stand with him. So Rose and Finn devoted their efforts to taking down his Ulir allies, finding their scattered placement behind the front lines both a blessing and a curse. While the giants could not concentrate much of their collective power against the couple, neither could they be killed more than one or two at a time. Each who died only added to Rose's misery. She thought of them as innocent pawns, and often expressed her wish they could be convinced to abandon Victor's cause.
Still, there were less than forty in total, and after the couple slew nine, they changed tactics. They stuck together to pool their resources, hiding behind several lines of elite human soldiers to keep out of melee. Nonetheless, Rose and Finn attempted to tackle the mass—and paid. Spells bombarded them while they rushed. Just as they began to penetrate the wall of men a lightning bolt struck Finn and made his whole body seize up. He fell helpless, ears ringing, fingers and toes curled up and shaking. Vaguely he heard the stamping of soldiers' boots closing in, Rose's shouts and gasps of pain as she fought like a hellcat to protect his life amid continued blasting from the giants. When he recovered enough to look up, he saw her nearly dead on her feet, still battling with several broken pikes jutting from her bent frame.
Together they managed to beat a path through the crowd and escape back behind their own lines, where Finn swept the exhausted Rose into his arms. Count Brandon spotted them, and following after asked fearfully, "Is she... all right?"
Finn walked to their tent and laid his love down inside, and his heart ached to take in just how bad her wounds were. She had deep punctures in her chest, shoulder, back, gut, and thigh; a bone-deep slice over her hip; a gaping rent in her side; and a gash in her scalp under which her skull was cracked. She also bore many lesser cuts, and was burned and battered from the Ulir's magical assault. But
as he looked fearfully over her closed eyes and arm draped limply over her middle, she grinned slowly, rivulets of blood running out between her lips.
"I'm not dead," she whispered at Brandon, "if that's what you mean."
Finn barely noticed the count helping while he knelt to start unbuckling her shattered armor. He treated her surface wounds, but couldn't change the fact she had already lost a ton of blood, or that she'd suffered massive internal injuries. Spears had pierced her liver and stomach, and her lungs were damaged from inhaling the acidic mist the Ulir summoned around her. Finn could only hope her freakish constitution would preserve her life. His heart tightened as he imagined her pain.
Brandon squeezed her hand. "It must have been a real tough fight, huh? I should have been there to help you out, Meatball."
While Finn appreciated the concern in his voice, he hadn't forgotten how the other man once tried to steal the love of his life. One of the greatest warriors in Kayland, the big black-bearded nobleman had met Rose during a tourney and fallen for her right away. Though he was married to another now, Finn still didn't trust him. He frowned and said, "You're welcome to come along next time, but better remember you'll always be under my eye."
Rose looked from one man to the other. "You know I won't stray again. Don't worry, Finn, he's a good guy."
Brandon had fought well beside them before, against the godlike evil that called itself the Earth Mother. "I said I'd let him come," Finn grumbled. "What about you, Rose? Are you okay?"
"She looks pretty banged up to me," Brandon said, as to mock a stupid question.
Rose smiled, but Finn cringed at the anguish in her eyes. "I'll be fine. What are a few mortal wounds to me?"
"You better stay down for a while. Me and your husband are going to take care of things while you rest, right?"
Finn doubted he and Brandon could do any better than he had with Rose. Even she, the best of them all, was now down and hurt bad. Rose seemed to share his feelings, as she warned, "Don't you try to go after the giants. I don't want to rest here only to hear you got yourselves killed like idiots."
"I'd rather stay on the lines," Brandon replied. "But those giants are really taking it to us. Somebody's got to take them down."
"We already killed a bunch. But yeah, that closely packed block tactic's a real pain."
Finn stroked her lovely round face. "Just rest, Rose. We'll be okay."
"Somehow, hopefully."
Finn kissed her soft lips, and the two men walked outside to let her sleep. Brandon asked softly then, "She's in bad shape, isn't she?"
"She'll live," Finn said, believing it. No one had resilience to match that of Rose. "She's a real tough girl. But damn those Ulir."
They returned to the battle, but Brandon shortly used the excuse of a minor wound to his leg to fall back. Suspicion and anger grew in Finn's mind. The mighty count shouldn't have given a scratch such mind, and likely tended to Rose in an attempt to again make her betray Finn. He confronted Brandon after night put a temporary end to the fighting. "What are you trying to pull with Rose? It won't work this time."
"I'm not trying anything," Brandon said. "I was hurt enough to slow me down too much, and while I admit to visiting Rose, I just wanted to keep her company and take her mind off the pain."
"Yeah. Like last time."
Brandon spread his hands and sighed. "How was I supposed to know you were trapped in a non-human form then? I thought you were just being a poor husband, not being there for her in her time of need. I didn't think you deserved her. I know I was wrong. Sorry."
"You still tried to steal my wife. The only reason you're alive is because Rose wouldn't like otherwise."
They stood awkwardly facing each other for a time. Then Brandon asked, "Are we going to listen to her? About the Ulir, I mean."
"You mean are we going to kill them?"
"That, yes."
Back in the day, he would have been eager to take a shot at it. This was a chance to show he could do better than Rose, and massage his pride. He loved her, but had always envied her greater prowess in battle. Now, though, such matters were trivial in comparison to the need to stay alive for his family. "Wouldn't we just get ourselves killed? Rose doesn't want that, and you have a pregnant wife too, right?"
Brandon laughed. "I don't plan to die. I have an idea, to make those big apes pay for hurting your wife."
"What kind of idea?"
"I hear there's this flying machine in Dunwal, and maybe if we could use it to bombard the giants' camp..."
"That sounds like a stupid plan."
"Why?"
Finn thought about it and wasn't really sure. It had just sounded stupid at first, but maybe... "How would we actually harm them from there?"
"Devastating weapons can be made using the rare black powder that explodes with fire. They sell that in Dunwal, albeit at a high price, but we can afford it."
"Wouldn't they see us coming?" Finn asked, but he was starting to see the appeal of this.
"Not if it's night. Their night vision isn't any better than a human's or they would have attacked in the night, right?"
"Maybe Victor just didn't want them to."
"Why wouldn't he? He's a ruthless bastard."
"Still, he could have his reasons. But assuming you're right, how would we get use of this flying device? Is your status enough to buy us a ride?"
Brandon frowned. "Probably not, especially if they knew what we intended. Those scholars are quite possessive of their work. But I'm sure we can take it. We're the two best male warriors in Kayland, no?"
"A count and the Mage Protector of Kayland stealing an invention from the scholars of Dunwal? That'll be good for our reputations."
"Our deeds and what we'll accomplish in doing so should excuse us well enough."
Finn couldn't help a chuckle. "Derrick isn't going to like this."
"So are you in or are you losing your balls, old man?"
"I'm not old." He wasn't even as old as Brandon, but the man did know how to goad him. "As for the plan, it's hard to resist a chance to avenge Rose's pain, even if I'm trying. But what about our allies? Won't they miss us?"
"They'll be fine. We'll do more good getting rid of some giants than just fighting on like we've been."
Finn supposed he was right. Even he and Rose had been unable to do much against the giants in their close formation, and they defended easily against conventional attacks at range. It probably would take something special to break their strength. With a last prayer that Rose would be alright—and wouldn't force herself up too soon for her health's sake—he followed Brandon away.
#
Rose awakened on her back on a familiar battlefield, the smell of blood and burnt flesh all around. Somehow, she still felt immense shooting pain, not able to escape it even in a dream. Kayla was kneeling at her side, her destroyed heart looking more repulsive than ever at close range. She addressed the ghost. "You're back. I thought I'd seen the last of you in my sleep."
"What, you don't like me?"
She smiled. "I try not to judge, but your appearance is a little unnerving. Can't you change, make that hole in your chest go away?"
"I don't know, I never tried. Didn't feel a need to—after all, this is the real me." Kayla paused. "A woman centuries dead trying to affect modern times."
At least she didn't try to pass herself off as a god or whatever else some of her contemporaries might. "You have some new insight for me?"
"Not really. But wouldn't you say I was right?"
"About what?"
"That you needed to kill those Ulir before they could wake. Look at how much trouble they're causing you now."
Rose shook her head. "Remember I did convince the last group not to fight. Maybe I could have done so to the one before too, if not for you and Finn's insistence on the wrong way."
"But imagine you didn't, and those twenty awakened and joined Clearsky. You'd be in an even worse spot."
"They were your allies, w
eren't they? I don't know how you could care so little for their lives."
"The ones who are left weren't those who remained faithful to me. No, they're the ones who killed my loyal followers in Clearsky's name."
"But they didn't know. They thought they were avenging you, and now they think they're following you again."
Kayla shrugged. "Still, everything you did was justified. You needn't get down on yourself for it."
"I just wish there was another way. I hate that we're basically being forced to commit genocide."
"There are still the ones you saved. I have to admit that was brave."
Rose grinned. "You mean the kids, or the fourth sleeping bunch?"
"Both, I suppose."
They looked at each other for a bit. "Why did you visit me, Kayla? Just to insist you're right?"
"No, I..." A bashful smile appeared on her face. "I was bored, and wanted to talk... of life."
"Okay, then. It's not the most common thing to do in a dream, but let's talk about that."
"So what was the best moment of your life, you think?"
Rose touched her chin. "I would have to think about it. There's been lots, but maybe one from that time with Finn and the kids at Alicia's..."
#
Rose awakened after a long conversation with a smile on her face. It had been nice to talk about the better days of her and Kayla's lives. She opened her eyes, and was surprised for them to be filled by a woman's broad face. Alicia? The big duchess with long red curls had been her ally in more than one fight, and was an old friend if not the most sensitive. She could be quite reckless and selfish at times, yet Rose still liked her for the brave comrade she was. She wondered if Count Brandon might not try to work his charms on the noblewoman too, considering she shared enough traits with Rose.
"What are you doing here, Alicia? Shouldn't you be playing mercenary somewhere? I was just talking about you."
"Talking about me, with who? And I was, but I've always had an itch to test myself against Prince Victor's arms. So now that he's a traitor, I came to get my chance—and what do I find, but you lying here all pale and sweaty? What happened to you?"
