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

by Billy Wong

  She did not sense real suspicion in his cool voice and manner, and wondered if he was testing them somehow. "Seeking out the treasures of the ancients is something I like to do because I had a bad encounter with such leftover magics in my youth, and want to protect whoever I can from these dangers. Since the magic compass is pointing to your house, you may well be the closest to the danger of the relic—if there is a danger, which there might not.

  "As for using it to fight Sevria, I don't hold any hatred in my heart for your people or, I like to think, any people. But I can't swear not to fight against Sevria in this war your nation brings to our shores, for our country has an equal right to exist as yours. But if we do find something here that could help us in war, I can promise I won't allow it to be used to destroy your land, only to save ours."

  Sumafu seemed satisfied with her answer, and nodded. "You're welcome to look, then. I must warn you, however, I have collected many strange objects over the years, and there are many more left from generations before. I am not certain how long it will take you to identify which relic it is you seek. However, you are welcome to stay until you do, and tell me of some of the things you have seen traveling in search of the ancients' work. I myself have often dreamed of seeing the great archmages' creations, and of seeing Sevria truly grow into something to rival their godlike constructs."

  Rose realized they might sound crude to the dignified aristocrat, but the words that came to mind just had to be said. "I can do one better than that. I've seen an archmage of the Old World!"

  Sumafu's eyes bulged, and excitement actually showed in his voice. "Really?! What was he like?"

  She shook her head sadly. "Nothing like what you might hope they are, for sure."

  The duke looked more intrigued than ever. "Let's have dinner now, and we'll talk more of this."

  Dinner! Rose knew Derrick must still be full from the last meal, but she and Finn weren't about to decline the offer just for that. The scholar always did marvel at her bottomless appetite, and she wouldn't disappoint him. They followed Sumafu to a magnificent dining hall, which huge windows with metal fencing towering nearly from floor to ceiling lit in beautiful patterns of light and shadow. The duke sat at the head of a long table which could have seated thirty men and Rose to his right, while Derrick took the seat across from her and Finn plopped himself down next to her.

  They shared many stories of their encounters with ancient magic with their host, who provided far too many dishes for Derrick to try all though Rose and Finn had no such trouble. None of them piqued his interest as much as that of Rose's battle against the dragon, and at the end his eyes were full of wonder.

  "I've read that only the wisest of mages could ascend to dragonhood. Why, then, did the one you faced seem so vicious and cruel? Such traits are not associated with wisdom in my country."

  Rose had wondered about that herself. "Maybe the only wisdom required is with regard to magic, or simply the wisdom to succeed in life, but not necessarily moral wisdom. Or maybe after centuries of living in loneliness, whatever morality it had as a human faded away."

  The duke scanned her face. "I can still hardly believe you defeated such a creature. As mighty a warrior as you are, how is it your name is unknown to me?"

  Rose grew quite uncomfortable. She wasn't used to lying, and didn't think she could pull one over on the keen noble. She felt grateful once again towards her love as Finn saved her, and surprised by the (forced, of course) eloquence of his words, though that gratitude quickly dwindled as she took in the content of his speech.

  "She was indeed a great fighter, with astounding potential," Finn explained, "but you heard what ghastly wounds she suffered in the dreadful battle. Most any other warrior would have died on the spot, would indeed have died at the first touch of its infernal flame, so how could you expect my lady to ever fully recover from such dire harm?

  "While she is of stout appearance, her body ails deeply still from the hurts she took at the terrible fiend's claws, and though she is as dedicated a seeker of knowledge as one may find, her fighting abilities are now insufficient to protect her from the dangers she meets during her perilous search. That is why she needs steady men like myself and our friend here, to protect her from such overwhelming risks."

  Rose wanted to roll her eyes, but refrained with difficulty from giving away the lie and instead smiled meekly at the duke.

  Sumafu frowned. "She, helpless? You are awfully heavily armed for someone unable to fight, when your blade alone would thwart the muscles of many a sturdy men. Still, if you have something to hide, I will not press you to reveal it. Let me not delay you any longer, then. Search for your goal as long as you want, and when you're ready to sleep, ask any of my servants and you'll be shown to where you can bathe and rest." With that, he left them, and Rose turned to Finn.

  "What was that?" she teased. "You sounded so unnatural just now. I would've expected something like that from Derrick over you!"

  Finn shrugged. "I was trying to follow his style. Guess I might've overdid it, though. He saw right through me, after all."

  Derrick hadn't nearly finished his plate of food, but looked up to comment, "Good thing he didn't seem to mind. Still, I thought that was pretty nice. At least for someone who never practices speaking like that."

  "Well, I do listen to bards a lot. Got to make sure they're getting the story right."

  They shared a hearty round of laughs, then rose to begin their search of the palace.

  #

  As expected, little progress had been made before it came time to retire for the night. Though Derrick wanted to keep looking, Finn advised him to get the sleep he needed as he was still weak after his bout with seasickness. Neither of the men took a bath before diving into bed, but Rose wanted to see how Sevrians cleansed themselves, and a nice hot bath besides. She had a fine time being washed, massaged, and having her tangled mane brushed by Sumafu's skillful maids, but got the feeling she was being watched.

  She wasn't exactly shocked, then, when the duke walked in on her. He received a greeting quite unbefitting his station. "What the hell are you doing in here, you lout?!" Though he slowed momentarily, his expression confused, he then continued to walk towards the tub. Rose leapt out of the water, covering herself with her hands until she could grab a towel and whip it deftly about her naked, scar-covered form. "What, don't your people have any taboo about looking at female strangers as they bathe?!"

  Sumafu shook his head, and his face grew alarmed. "Oh, I am so sorry, my lady! I did not know you would take offense—here in Sevria, being a guest in another's house amounts to becoming as kin with your host. But obviously, such is not your way. I'll leave you to dress yourself, then."

  Rose smiled, shaking her wet head. "No, it's alright, you can talk to me like this. I have the towel, and that's enough."

  Sumafu took her arm. "No, let's go sit and talk somewhere more comfortable." Rose dressed and allowed him to lead her to the room next door, where they sat together on a soft sofa. "You have an amazing collection of scars. Even in my country, we hear stories of the dark-tressed warrioress of Kayland with the strength of three strong men, and whose monstrous vitality allows her to fight on when she has suffered wounds to fell the hardiest of warriors. Tell me truly, are you that mighty Rose, who our nation hunts in vengeance for our slain heroes?"

  She could tell he was already sure of his theory, and doubted she could convince him otherwise. "If I am, what then? Am I no longer welcome here?"

  For the first time he smiled before her, and warmly. "If you are, then... you didn't do anything to harm me. Personally, I think it's foolish to carry a grudge over losses suffered in a war that perhaps we should not have been involved in. Besides, I've always admired your character in those tales I've heard, even if they sounded somewhat exaggerated at times. Now that I've met you, I see you're a noble person worthy of such praise. So no, I won't give you up. I just wanted to know if you were who I thought you were, because I would've been, and am
, honored to meet such a true hero as you."

  Rose shook the noble duke's hand and smiled. "Well met again, then. I am indeed Rose Agen, though I'm not much of a hero. Just a strong fighter who tries to do the best she can."

  Sumafu flexed his hand, admiring Rose's solid grip. "It's an honor to meet you." His expression changed, to an almost pleading one as their eyes met. "If ever you take up arms against Sevria, I hope you'll think of me and hold some of your fearsome wrath in reserve, so as not to devastate as utterly the brightest of Sevria as you did those of Coblan."

  "I'm sorry, but I always have to give whatever I do my all, especially in a matter as serious as war. But Sevria is a much bigger place than Coblan. I don't think one warrior can trim its ranks too much." It sounded like cold comfort, but it was all she could give while staying honest.

  To her surprise, the duke seemed content with her answer. "I would have answered the same way, were I as mighty a warrior as you. It's proper of you, to strive with everything to spare your countrymen harm. I wish you luck, even if to beat back the attack of my own Sevria so strongly as to drive the taste for fighting from their hearts."

  Rose shrugged. "I have no taste for slaughter myself. It'll be best for both of us if King Benedict's forces can drive back your people before things escalate any farther."

  "It's a settled matter, then; I'll pray to my gods and you yours, that my countrymen will realize the folly of invading Kayland and break off from their disastrous cause."

  Rose agreed and the two departed to their bedchambers, to seek slumber and dreams of a brighter future.

  #

  Finn and Derrick introduced themselves for the second time the next day, and the generous duke treated them to a breakfast which seemed a feast in itself. Though the meal was relatively short, Finn managed to share a tale of a sick horse and a stuck wagon which got them all, even the calm Sumafu, to fill the wide room with laughter. Once they'd cleaned their plates well and good, it was off to work for Rose and Finn; and Derrick joined them, full though his plate was only half empty.

  Derrick looked through the rooms of the palace with the magesight before his eye, seeking out any enchanted items. It made going through each room much quicker; though they weren't completely certain the thing attracting their gem compass was itself magical, they were almost. With him holding the magesight, Rose and Finn mostly just stood by, contributing banter which helped keep him, and themselves, awake. They went through each room on the ground floor, then to the next floor, and so on. Then they went up one tower, back down and up the next, and finally in the third tower Derrick saw a weak glow emanating from a nondescript section of wall.

  "This wall seems to be magical."

  "Or maybe something behind it is?" Rose began to run her fingers over the smooth stone, but Finn motioned her aside and, before she or Derrick could object, punched the wall. A loud thump later, Finn grimaced as he shook his hand, the wall not quite broken. But a small section had shifted strangely, and the sound the blow made suggested it was hollow in that section. Finn drew his mace, but Rose said, "Wait! You're just going to knock a hole in our host's wall? When he finds out, be sure you'll be the one paying for the damage!"

  He shrugged. "It's just a little tile. I'm sure any duke worth his name can afford thousands upon thousands of little plates of stone."

  "You miss the point..." Rose wasn't sure if she should be the one making this argument. After all, she'd done the lion's share of the damage to her own house a year ago, when she and Finn's heated debate turned violent. Still, that hadn't been someone else's home. "You can't just smash other people's property on a whim. People like the things they own—like you and your mace. It's best to try to find another way first."

  "Don't treat me like a baby," Finn snapped. "Of course I know people like their things. But we're looking at ancient magic here. Shouldn't we see what it is?"

  There was obviously something on his mind besides an urgent desire to find the magic. She was about to ask him about it when Derrick broke in. "Hey, I found how to open this thing. You just pull this hidden lever on the side of the window like so." Open, close, op—the panel on the wall didn't open again. Rose stared knowingly at him.

  "You broke it." Her words weren't so much an accusation as a statement of fact. He smiled innocently. Rose shook her head. "Nothing to be done about it now," she said, and smashed the panel herself with a few short punches. "Strong stone," she remarked mostly to Finn, and turned her eyes to the book sitting in the alcove.

  "Now that is most certainly magical," Derrick confirmed with a look through the magesight. He raised the magic compass to the book, and the stain inside moved to the edge of the gem closest to it as if trying to escape its ruby prison to join with the text. "So, what is it?" No words adorned the front cover, which was all they could see at the moment. "Is somebody going to get it out of there?"

  None too eagerly, Finn eased the book out of its resting place with his dagger and put it on the floor. They realized then that it was quite thin. "I don't see any words on it. Don't tell me I'm going to have to open it now."

  He was about to do so when Rose stopped him. "Wait. Are those words on the spine, near the bottom there?" She thought they were, but they were tiny. "Derrick, you have a magnifying glass?"

  To her surprise, Finn produced one from somewhere on his person. She passed it along to Derrick, who squinted through the lens and frowned. "We're hardly better off than before we read this," he said unhappily. "It says simply, 'The Key.'"

  Rose's first thought was one of annoyance. Key? She hoped it didn't mean they'd have to go running around the world again looking for the "Door." Then, excitement surged through her. Could the magic compass react to touching the Key? It seemed so strongly attracted to it... She took the enchanted ruby and dropped it on top of the book. The stain inside seemed to push hard against the gem's surface, straining to reach the leather cover but blocked by the smooth exterior of its prison.

  "I'm tempted to smash it. But then, you'd say smashing was my solution to everything, eh Rose?" Finn said it with a little edge, but Rose ignored him and looked uncertainly at the gem.

  "I'm tempted to try that, too. But we have no idea what'll happen if we do. Are we ready to open the book? It seems less dangerous, at least, than breaking something full of ancient magic."

  Nobody was eager to be the one to do it, but in the end Rose took the gem back and gently tried to flip the cover. To her chagrin, it didn't budge, and when she tried a little harder, it stayed as tightly shut as before. She wasn't about to risk putting any more muscle into it, and in an exasperated tone declared, "The Key is locked."

  #

  Dumping the Key and the Guide, as Finn named the magic compass, into separate sacks, the friends pondered their options. Derrick wondered if there was anything here that could help them solve the mystery. "We should look through Sumafu's library before anything else. Who knows, if we're lucky enough we might find the instruction booklet for the Key, and maybe the Door besides." None of them really thought they'd be that lucky, but any information would help more than none.

  Thankfully, most of the books here were in modern script, and it wasn't hard to separate the relevant texts, dealing with the Old World, from the rest. Many, of course, were in Sevrian, but Derrick read that well enough. Now they began to skim in earnest, and to their disappointment found nothing helpful.

  Derrick found himself drawn to one of the huge statues in the library, not in the image of any Sevrian hero or god, but a being from times predating the island nation. It looked to be something halfway between a man and a dragon, and even as a stone statue seemed to radiate power.

  Derrick noticed something written on the underside of its chin. "It says here, Treasure." He didn't know if this was even related to the Key, but it seemed plausible.

  Rose looked disdainfully at the sculpture. "If this is what the Key unlocks, I'm ready to dump the damn book in the middle of the ocean. I don't need to meet another one of th
ese things, for sure."

  "I don't think it actually means we're going to find a dragon. Dragons are often used as symbols of magic, naturally, so maybe we're being led to something... magical?"

  Finn rolled his eyes. "Every part of this puzzle is magical. If you mean some strong magic, rather than the usual trinkets, that would make sense."

  "The book's the Key," Rose proposed, "and magic's the Treasure—but what's the Door? And where is it?"

  Suddenly Finn's eyes lit up with recollection, and he smiled. "One time I heard a bard sing a tale of the archmages of old, and he called the mind, 'the doorway to magic.'"

  Derrick shook his head. "Maybe that's true in the sense the mind holds all our knowledge, but I don't think the inscription refers to a metaphor. Plus, the book doesn't open. Unless there's a key to the Key out there, I would assume it's meant to go somewhere, rather than be read. Plus, it seems way too skinny to teach much."

  Rose disagreed on that last point. "Derrick, it's magic. Who knows how it works? Maybe you just open up the book and gain access to magical power? The problem is, it doesn't open. But I'm not sure anymore—is the book the Key, or does the writing call for whatever the Key is to be used on the book?"

  Reluctantly, Derrick had to admit that possibility existed. What a dilemma. They didn't even know what did what, and the things they wanted to try, they didn't know if they would have undesirable consequences. "I wish there was someone knowledgeable about magic we could go to, but we can hardly go dragon-hunting." Then he noticed a conflicted expression on Finn's face. "What's wrong?"

  He sighed. "We do have the books from the archmage's library back in Hullel, but that's quite far away and I'm not sure they'll help. But there's nothing else to try if we don't find anything here. Let's just finish looking, and if we need to, we'll go home."

  #

  The words, if uninspiring, rang true. The trio continued to search Sumafu's palace for several more days, but wound up empty-handed. They prepared to leave, only to realize they didn't have a ride home. Before bidding the hospitable duke farewell, Rose asked him for one last favor.