by Billy Wong
Then she saw him taking a spear in hand and remembered how he'd fought Prince Wilner, one of the greatest warriors in the world, the day the latter invaded this city. He had pride, which would not stand for someone walking away against his will. She cut down another burly knight, and saw brains splatter under Finn's mace. Rose reeled amidst her nightmare, nearly swooning as only her survival instinct kept her upright. An axe flashed in her face. She leaned aside, the blade glancing off her pauldron. Almost reflexively, she impaled its wielder from hip to armpit and flung his corpse aside.
She glimpsed Finn snapping a neck in a headlock before hurling his victim into his comrades with a bellow. He seemed to have less reservations about killing his countrymen than her, but she didn't fault him for doing what needed to be done. Indeed this proved he could be stronger than her sometimes, even.
Having finally managed to get her shield up, she used it to ram a foe's weapon out of the way, then cleaved through his thigh. His dying screams clawed at her heart, and she silenced them with a downward chop. Lawrence stabbed at her, knuckles white around his spearshaft. She brushed the pole aside with her sword and stepped in close to him. "Why are doing this? There's no point... call them off or I'll break your neck!"
"Do it then, and show everyone how highly you regard your own interests!"
Rose couldn't quite bring herself to do it. She opted to hit him with her pommel, dropping him stunned to the ground. She leveled her sword at his throat and the remaining knights froze. Before she could think what to say, a roaring explosion behind her threw her and Finn forward. She flew over Lawrence's downed form, lucky not to have had her sword tip driven down through his neck.
She looked back with a feeling of dread, to regard an enormous figure framed by the remnants of the heavy oak doorway shattered by a blast of flame. "You still haven't shown me your magic," Deathend said, red eyes on Finn.
Damn, he was alive? She supposed it shouldn't be too surprising, given he had healed Regis' body from two fatal stab wounds before. They probably should have cut him up and burned the pieces after she defeated him, but too late now. The couple scrambled up. Lawrence crawled out of the way and his knights stood back while Deathend advanced. He held the replica of his destroyed sword; a lesser weapon than the real deal, but Rose too was less well armed than in their last battle. She worried if her steel blade would penetrate his armor at all. Sure she'd have Finn's help, but she was also hampered from her shoulder wound, and even if they won they might not be in any shape to get away...
Then she got a crazy idea. "We don't have to fight," she said, lowering her sword.
Deathend paused, blinking in surprise. No one would have expected her to say that, and he proved no exception. "You defeated me. Nobody has ever beaten me before, even the one who killed me died herself doing so. How can I not avenge myself on you?"
"It isn't necessary. Even though I won before, it was a fluke. If we fought a hundred duels, you'd win at least sixty times." She didn't know if that was true, though the evidence seemed to support it, but flattered him to soften him up for her next suggestion. "You fight for the challenge, right? Killing me might give some short-lived gratification, but what about after that? There aren't many other people around these days who could stand up to you, if there ever were. And we already know how capable a conqueror you are. So why don't you take on a new type of challenge?"
"I must admit I am intrigued. Like what?"
She had no idea if this would go well, but if not they'd just fight like they would have. "How about you use your gift of magic, which no one else has to your degree, to make Fanteia a better place, a peaceful place where people live in the best conditions imaginable. That way your empire can become a land the world looks up to, with a far better reputation than that of a greedy conqueror."
"Why would I be interested in making Fanteia a paradise? I do not concern myself with the plight of those weak ones who cannot bear the natural hardships of life. I only care to show the world my strength, and that of those worthy to follow me."
Rose should have known it wouldn't be that easy. She could hardly expect Deathend to suddenly change into a paragon of kindness and compassion. However, she had another trick up her sleeve. "I expected as much. But, you want to know why I beat you, even though I'm weaker in almost every way?
"Because I cared for others besides myself. That's what gave me the extra drive and motivated me to win."
Finn nudged her with his elbow. "What is this," he whispered, "a speech out of one of those children's magical hero tales?"
"Shut up! I'm working here, and you better hope he didn't hear that!"
"So you claim you defeated me because of you were fighting for more than yourself. But how does that fit with you saying it was a fluke and I would beat you more often than not?" And with that Deathend began to laugh.
"I, uh... I would lose on paper, but with the love of my friends behind me I would never fall before injustice! So why don't you come back after finding something to fight for other than your own vanity, and then we'll see if you're worthy?" Well, I just completely blew it. Not even a kid would take her seriously after those lines...
Deathend's eyes all but smirked at her. "Pathetic attempt. You're just trying to avoid a fight with me. But I can tell you are still handicapped from our past encounter, despite your resilience. Yet you and your man would fight me together, and might still overcome me. There is little one could judge from such a battle. Thus, I will leave you for a time when we can face each other under more ideal circumstances." He bolted out the smoking portal, so fast she didn't even see him turn.
Though she feared he might lead Fanteia against Terlon again, and figured he'd have to be dealt with at some point, Rose took getting him to back off even temporarily as a minor miracle. "See?" she said to Lawrence. "Any problem can be solved in more than one way. You don't have to kill my children."
"Besides," Finn added, "Evan did fail to see Rose's life past something that happened long ago. So instead of trying to find another 'interpretation' for that, maybe we could conclude she is a person fate cannot control, and capable of spoiling its plans."
That was good. She wouldn't have thought of it. "Please spare our family. We'll do everything in our power to prevent the prophecy from coming to pass—and we have power to spare, don't we Finn?"
Lawrence hesitated. After a while of silent deliberation with himself, he gave a small nod. "The prophecy indicates your children won't revive the demon until they're grown, anyway. So I give you thirteen years. If you have not eliminated the threat of its return beyond a shadow of a doubt by then, however, we must kill them."
"You can try," Finn said under his breath.
Rose felt relieved, but not completely so. Thirteen years sounded like a long time, but the world was a big place and offered no guarantee they would be able to find and destroy the demon's inert body or whatever it represented in Evan's vision before then. Still, it was better than nothing, and at least they hadn't yet been forced to kill Lawrence—though she shivered at the memory of her butchering his bodyguard before Deathend's interruption.
Lawrence covered for them in that regard, making the official story that Rose and Finn had saved his life from Deathend after he attacked the regent. Rose did feel awfully selfish for taking part in such a lie, and getting credit for doing good when in fact she'd been responsible for more than half the deaths among the royal guard. But then, Lawrence was also escaping his piece of the blame, which she thought he should bear the bulk of. She assumed Deathend would take back control of Fanteia, and hoped he would be at least a little more cautious about attacking other lands now knowing there were people out there who could stand up to him.
Rose and Finn headed back to Evan's island to pick up their kids for the bittersweet return home. All the way there, she cried and hardly spoke, unable to find any cheer after the battle against Lawrence's guard. They might have saved their place in Kayland for the time being, and managed not to kill the
ir ruler, but the innocent lives they'd taken were a price more than terrible enough for her. The faces of the men whose lifeblood she'd spilled across the throne room haunted her, and to imagine the grief and suffering of their families made her chest tight with guilt.
Evan decided to leave the island with them, saying he no longer wanted to be a prophet upon learning of the tragedy he had a role in creating. Finn encouraged him, but Rose wouldn't be bothered after the damage he'd already done. Though she knew he had never intended for his visions to cause harm, she couldn't help but retain some aggravation towards him. He didn't join them on the trip to Gustrone, but separated from them in Nacin with the intent to explore the world he'd never known for himself. Knowing it could be a rough ride, Rose wished him luck then.
Looking out her window at a cloudy sky just after arriving at the center, she did wonder if, for the world at large, things would be better off had she let her children be killed. But even if that was a possibility, she could never have allowed such a thing to happen. For one, sacrificing innocents for the mere chance of a better future was wrong, no matter what the stakes might be. And perhaps more importantly to her, Jacob and Amber were her greatest treasures, her heart, her life. They, and her mighty Finn, were her family.
Yes, she'd done a terrible deed for their sake. But she admitted to herself she'd cause a dozen, a hundred more such tragedies if it proved necessary to save her babies. They would always be her babies, she knew, no matter how big and strong they got, and she'd always protect them as long as she had breath in her body. No matter that her track record was no good when it came to being a protector for the people she cared about, she would never let herself fail these two most loved ones. Not on her life.
And as for the prophecy? In spite of the tears which filled her eyes, Rose grinned with determination. What if in the end, she couldn't prevent her children from rousing some terrible being that had destroyed civilization before, and would do it again? If it woke, what then? As Finn gently put Jacob and Amber into her arms and turned her tears of anguish into ones of joy, it was easy for her to figure out the answer to that.
She'd kill it.
Main cover image copyright © Andreas Gradin
Cover design copyright © Littera Book Designs http://litterabookdesigns.blogspot.ca/
Author Billy Wong is an avid fan of heroic fantasy, with a special love for strong female warriors. He draws inspiration from the epic legends of old, and is on a quest to bring over the top deeds and larger than life heroes back to prominence in today's literary world.
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Other Works
Iron Bloom (FREE!) - A young woman with a kind heart and extraordinary constitution, Rose becomes a warrior to better the world. Despite the wealth and fame she wins as one of the greatest champions of her time, the bloody reality of her new life is nothing like her ideal dream. She yearns for a chance to escape the violence. She finds that chance in Ethan, the leader of an altruistic pacifist group. But when a barbarian horde invades their kingdom, Rose knows that she can make a difference by taking up her sword again. Will her need to protect her homeland cost her the man she loves? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AWKEKP4/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Flower - One of the greatest fighters in the world, nearly indestructible Rose lets few things strike fear into her—but magic is one of them. Nonetheless, she seeks out the magical dangers left by the ancients alongside warrior partner Finn and curious scholar Derrick in order to protect others from them. Their mission is complicated by Rose and Finn's budding romance, as her choice of lifestyle conflicts with his expectations for the woman he loves. But after their quest pits against such titanic foes as a prince able to slay a thousand men in a day and a draconic archmage, will Rose be forced to embrace the very magic she fears? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C2CV2CY/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Bonds - Nearly indestructible warrior Rose has brought the use of magic back to her world with the help of her love Finn and scholar friend Derrick. Yet there is no time for weary heroes to rest as Death General Joghra, military leader of the most advanced nation in the world, and vengeful giantess Fiona come with a vast army to conquer their homeland. But as Rose and Finn clash with these titans with their underhanded tricks and endless horde, will it be the magic she has always feared that ends up costing Rose her love? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D7HD8QQ/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Tears - Famed warrior Rose receives a request for aid from Count Brandon, who uses the ogre attacks in his territory as an excuse to get her close intending to woo her. Unknown to him, her husband Finn secretly comes along to help. But the monster problem turns out more serious than any of them expect, especially when they must also protect a pair of much less experienced friends. Can the three mightiest warriors of their nation work together in their strained relationship long enough to save their land? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DSOOLFK/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Melting - Wracked with anxiety over a dread prophecy concerning her children and guilt for the men she has killed to protect them, weary heroine Rose decides to take a break by visiting her mother with her family. But ill fortune strikes again as she and her husband Finn encounter The Lost, an organization of people who have lost everything and wish to balance the scales of fairness by making everyone suffer as they have. When they learn The Lost serve the same destructive force their children are foretold to revive, it looks like they may have to face a reckoning earlier than expected. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H16B2AS/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Clash - With the ultimate weapon in hand, treacherous prince Victor gathers allies from around the world to join him in his bid for Kayland. As civil war looms, Rose races against time to stop Victor's power from growing out of hand and save her country. Foes old and new gather under his banner, forming the fearful coalition of the Tri-Principality. But when Victor using another guise calls forth the last survivors of an ancient civilization, will his deception force Rose and friends to exterminate an entire race? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IGUTHL4/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Iron Seeds - Rose thought she had saved her children from a dread prophecy by destroying the evil they were foretold to revive. Her kids grown, the family now adventures together in search of lost knowledge. But when the wheels of destiny turn again and a dark fate looms over the twins once more, they all must face the most powerful enemies yet. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MBNANWO/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Saving Fate -The adopted son of an earl, Mark fears he will never live up to his father's expectations. But when he learns his mother is a famous warrior who once saved their country from barbarian invasion, he sets out to meet her and become more than the underachiever he no longer wants to be. Joined by wild and brazen warrior princess Ann, Mark travels through barbarian lands and cursed wastes while ever hounded by the minions of an evil duke who plans to kidnap him to control his father. Will timid Mark find the strength to survive endless mercenaries, demonic shrubs, an awkward romance with the more experienced Ann, and the duke's conniving son who just happens to be named Marcus? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BC17YDW/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Blood of Kings - Illegitimate Mildred "Mildy" Pendragon wants just one thing: To prove to Camelot that she's as much a warrior as her daddy, King Arthur. With her cowardly Greek squire Ares and metrosexual best friend Lance at her side, she strives to prove her legendary bloodline through knightly deeds. But no matter what she does or who she beats, she cannot seem to win over chivalric society. On quest to save the fey from destruction by an evil mage, Mildy meets the mother she has never known and learns the bitter truth of he
r incestuous birth. She continues to fight for good despite her disillusionment, but accidentally kills Arthur's favorite knight and makes a bitter enemy of her father. Can she defy fate and save her family from imploding, or is the saga of the Pendragons destined to end in tragedy? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAXFMK6/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
Lost from Legend - After losing his memory, Jack had moved on and started a family with the woman who saved his life. But when his former love finds him at his humble inn and reveals Jack was once a warrior king, he remembers her place in his heart. For all he adores his wife, he is hard pressed to reject the powerful queen who loves him. Urged to take back his throne and longing to complete his memory, Jack visits his homeland. There, he battles an elusive mage with ambitions to take the crown while his wife is terrorized by a ghostly stalker seeking revenge. But as he struggles to defend his loved ones from these mysterious foes, the mistakes of his own past may be prove to be his undoing. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNTX01C/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
The Red Rider - After killing the werewolf that took her grandmother's life, a young girl is outcast from her village over the perceived taint from contact with the lycanthrope. A decade later she is the famous Red Rider, slayer of hundreds of werewolves. When she learns of a new breed of more intelligent lupines, her skills are put to the ultimate test, and even the help of other warriors such as overweight knight Herbert and cage fighting champion Evie may not be enough to overcome the rising threat. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JBTNXUA/?tag=bilthestaarts-20
