by Billy Wong
She smiled slightly at his concern, but said, "If you were afraid for my life, you should've tried to save me, not stand around doing nothing."
Jacob bowed his head in shame. "Sorry."
Amber couldn't help but try and comfort him in his distress. "It's okay. I'm fine. You think a couple little puncture wounds would put me down for the count?" She paused, and glowered as her anger returned. "But you really messed with Mom's head. You should've seen the look on her face when she saw you down. I don't think she realized it, but she was crying!"
"What's going to happen?"
"You mean what's Mom going to do? I have no idea, but I would guess you can expect not to fight too much anymore, and our trip's probably ruined."
He nodded despondently, but asked, "Ruined? I didn't think it was supposed to be fun."
"Maybe not fun, but it's getting more aggravating than I was prepared for thanks to you."
Jacob spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "What am I supposed to do?"
Keep his composure? But Amber didn't know how he was to do that; staying calm in danger came naturally to her, and she didn't have any tricks with which to help him cope with fear. Except... "Maybe you could try remembering who I am, and who my—our—mother is before getting so panicky. I take a lot more killing than most people, though whether it's as much as her is yet to be proved."
"I know, I've seen it. But I can't help being scared for you, when you're wounded so deep..."
"Like I said, then try and help me out."
Before Amber even realized she was there, Rose sat down next to her. "Or, don't fight at all."
Both the teenagers looked at her, and Amber asked, "You are only talking to him, right?"
Rose's voice grew soft and unsteady. "I didn't expect either of you to get hurt so bad today—I thought we could protect you from harm at least half decently. It's very hard for me to see, you know. You're still my babies, no matter how big and strong you are..." Returning to a more normal tone, she continued, "But Amber, you're a more than respectable fighter, and I think you'll be okay. It's you I'm really worried about, Jacob."
He didn't meet her eyes, and whispered, "I'm sorry I messed up again. It was scary to see Amber drool blood like that."
Rose shook her head. "It's one thing to be scared for your family, but you couldn't even keep going when that Yibal man died in front of you. I know it's hard, but you just can't stop like that in the middle of a fight!"
"So what do you want me to do about it?"
Amber hoped Rose would somehow help him learn to control his fear. Instead she said, "You have to stop taking part in these conflicts; you're just not cut out for it. I mean, people used to say that about me because I was 'too compassionate,' but I didn't stand there waiting to get shot! And I was always, always terrified of what the next battle would bring, but I didn't stop—I fought my fears, and I'm only being honest when I say I conquered them. So if you can't, you've just got to stay away while we fight."
"Where?" Amber asked for the shaken Jacob. Though she'd be glad not to have to take care of him when he was having a bad time, she also would feel bad if he was forced to leave.
"Your father and I talked about it, and we've come to a compromise. I wanted both of you to go home"—at this Amber swallowed—"but Finn insisted it's only one of you who's making the trouble, and he really is right. Sorry, Jacob. So what he suggested is that you hide in one of the villages further south from the front lines until we're done, then we'll come and pick you up."
"That's awful! You're going to make me stay in some unfamiliar town alone?"
While more carefree day to day, Finn had always been the harsher of their parents when he had an issue with them. Rose shrugged in response to the question. "Hey, maybe you'll have fun, even make some nice new friends there. I think it'll be better than you than fighting again, anyway."
"That's likely true," he admitted. "What about Tirrn?"
"What about it? Amber can escort you back down to Whitehill while me and your dad go check it out."
She started. But Whitehill was a week away! "Mom, I thought you were going to let me keep fighting at your side." Sure the battle had been painful, but it'd been a good chance to fight for a just cause and prove herself worthy of her warrior pedigree, and she looked forward to more.
"You're still hurt anyway. You can fight when you come back, and will probably be mostly healed. Right now you get to take care of your brother."
Jacob looked bashfully at Amber and blushed. "Sorry."
Deciding not to make more trouble than was necessary, she said, "Fine. So where will we meet up later?"
"Hmm... we'll be in Yibal if we manage to take it back; you'll know if we do by the colored smoke the residents plan to send up to celebrate their triumph. If not, look for us in Tirrn. And if Tirrn's gone too... well, in that case we'll come to Whitehill to find you."
Not an overly appealing idea to wander around by herself searching for her parents, but Amber was happy her mother trusted her to look after herself. "Okay, no problem."
A bearded young man, lean and wolflike, strode over. "Are you ready to go, Lady Rose?" Votild, Frild's son who had just assumed leadership of Yibal's warriors, asked.
Rose nodded. "Good luck, you two. Have a safe journey!"
"You and Dad take care," Amber said as she walked away towards the flap of the tent where Finn stood, and they all bid each other farewell.
Chapter 6
"This stinks, doesn't it?" Jacob remarked miserably while he and Amber walked down the road together. "It's like our parents don't think we can take care of ourselves, that we have to be babied and kept away from the hardships of real life!"
Amber shook her head. "They don't think you can take of yourself, Jacob. I'm just being forced to play babysitter. You brought it on yourself, you know."
It was tough to admit, but true; if only he could keep a handle on his damned fear! He gazed at his sister and exhaled. His twin, yet so different—she was tough! How had he not managed to inherit that very desirable part of their parents' personalities? "Amber, what makes you so fearless?"
She walked in silence for a while until he repeated his question, then answered, "I don't know. But I'm not totally fearless. It's scary to see your blood running out of gaping holes in your flesh no matter who you are... even Mom, I'm sure."
"So what do you do when you get scared, to not let it overwhelm you?"
"Well, when I'm afraid, my reaction tends to be to try and solve the problem that's making me so. Does that help you?"
"Maybe, a little. Is there some, uh, inspiration, you use to help you cope?"
"Our parents, I guess... Mom. I want to be as tough as her, or if not, at least close."
Jacob smiled. "You're doing a good job of it. You're made of sterner stuff than us mere mortals. But isn't that more of a natural thing than something to aspire to?"
"Being able to survive those wounds? Sure, in large part. Going on while suffering from them? I like to think that's mostly my will working. But I didn't really mean 'tough' just in terms of taking wounds. Resisting injury's just one thing. Moreover, it's about continuing to strive for whatever goals I'm trying to accomplish, against any hardship that stands in my way."
Impressive sounding statement. "So what are your goals now?"
"Right now? My goal is to help them defeat this Dark Justice, and my main obstacle is you!"
Though a smile accompanied her words, he knew they held plenty of devastating truth. "Why don't you go rejoin Mom and Dad, and I'll go to Whitehill alone?"
Amber didn't reply immediately, and seemed on the verge of saying yes until she shook her head. "That's not what they want us to do, and I'd feel pretty bad if anything happened to my Corn Cob while he was pretending to be a big man."
Her concern was genuine, but it still annoyed Jacob that she looked at him as something of a weakling. Not that it was completely undeserved. Still... "I can take care of myself. It's just a little walk,
and I won't have any companions to freak me out by getting hurt or killed."
Amber stepped in front of him, grabbed his shoulders and looked admonishingly into his eyes. "Even I'd be a little nervous to travel by myself for a week on these monster-infested roads, though apparently I will be doing that soon. Still, it's not necessary to put you through the same trouble."
All his negative emotion towards her drained away with that. "Thanks, and I really mean it. So, are you regretting your suggestion for us to come here yet?"
She laughed. "You think it would be any better any of the other ways?"
"No, probably not. You, Mom, and Dad fighting the enemies while I sit out will probably be the best we can do."
"You sure you're going to be okay by yourself?"
He knew he'd probably be very bored, but other than that shouldn't be in too much danger. "I suppose so."
"Sorry this had to happen."
"Forget it, you've got nothing to be sorry about." Except maybe being so darn perfect, of course. He knew she didn't think of herself that way, but she did use their parents as the standard for comparison... Even so, she was an awe-inspiring warrior, especially for one so young. Pondering it though, Jacob supposed he was fine with being the black sheep of the family. For all her desirable traits he couldn't envy the position she was in, with the burden she placed on herself hoping to live up to her parentage.
His sister's situation seemed reminiscent of the early days of Finn's relationship with Rose, when he'd often felt threatened by her greater prowess in battle. He had gotten over that when he'd found his own unique calling, to restore magic to prominence in modern times. Jacob didn't think Amber actually sought to surpass the fame of their legendary parents, but just not to disappoint them, to follow in their footsteps by actually doing something meaningful in the world. Yet next to what they'd accomplished, what could seem meaningful? No matter what she did, it might never make her feel good enough to be her parents' daughter.
Rose and Finn were proud of her, but Amber didn't appear satisfied with that, and Jacob feared pushing herself ever harder would be the death of her. Even if she was fortunate enough to escape a tragic fate, she'd only be disappointed when she realized she could never live up to her parents' unmatchable legacy. Her spirit still shone bright and optimistic for now, but wait ten years—if she didn't change her outlook by then, Jacob imagined she might be a bitter woman after squandering her youth.
And what would become of him? Though he didn't enjoy an existence constantly full of danger and marked discomfort, Jacob couldn't bring himself to leave his sister to endure such alone, and so continued to stay by her side in her pursuit of glory. That, and he didn't really know what he wanted to do with his life yet. But he did know he wanted to live past his teens, and after the last few days the chances of that not happening felt depressingly high.
Amber's cry of pain interrupted his cheerless introspection, and he returned to the present to behold a crossbow bolt protruding from the back of her right shoulder. It didn't seem as immediately dangerous as some of the wounds she'd endured recently, but surprising anguish contorted her features, and he worried over at the possible damage the projectile might have done to her bones and tendons. Looking in the direction from which the bolt must have come, he saw a familiar goblin standing behind a large rock. It struggled to reload its crossbow, one arm in a makeshift sling.
"Tall girl, you broke my shoulder!" the goblin squealed. "I'm going to kill you for that!"
"Y-you speak the human tongue?" Amber stammered out as she turned, trying to raise her sword with her quivering injured arm.
"Of course Winston talks human! Winston's the smartest goblin in all Norh!"
Jacob couldn't help a laugh in spite of his anger. "Winston? What kind of monster name is that?"
"My mom named Winston that because it means I win!" the odd creature proclaimed.
Oh, great. Apparently there might be something to goblin superstition after all, given what Winston had managed to do to the siblings in their last confrontation. Still, he didn't have any allies with him this time, and as Amber charged, Jacob dared to imagine the fight would be over quickly.
Winston finished reloading and faked aiming high, then shot low, too low for her to save herself with her shield. Jacob gasped as the large-headed bolt pierced her calf, and with a cry of pain she stumbled and fell on her face. "No friends to save you now," Winston said merrily in a sing-song voice. "I'm going to have fun with you, big gal."
Amber pushed herself up on her hands and knees while the goblin walked forward with a wicked dagger in hand. Apparently, he had been too unimpressed with Jacob's last showing to even pay him heed. She caught his wrist as he plunged it down, and the two began to wrestle. Remembering to help, Jacob lifted the little fiend away from his sister, only to be slashed across the forehead by his flailing blade.
Blood poured out of the wound into his eyes and Jacob stumbled back, yelling in fright. He was blind, he couldn't see! He heard wicked laughter behind him, then a sharp pain in the back of his thigh brought him to his knees. Winston had stabbed him! He felt the goblin throw himself onto his back, and desperately tried to cover his neck with an arm. He didn't want to have his throat slit... Suddenly the weight disappeared off him, and the sounds of a fierce struggle between two relatively high-voiced beings filled his ears. There was a scream and a thump, and Jacob finally wiped and blinked his eyes clear enough to see Amber kneeling beside him.
"What happened? Did you kill him?"
Her face and hands covered in ugly scratches, she looked over towards a clump of snow-covered bushes by the roadside. "Probably not, unless we're lucky enough that he broke his neck. He was so fierce I couldn't hold onto him, so I tossed him as far as I could. At least he doesn't have his crossbow anymore." Scooting away to retrieve the weapon, she tucked it in her backpack. "Are you okay?"
"I think so... the wounds aren't too deep. You?"
"He's a very good shot. That or he's just lucky."
Jacob looked worriedly at her. "Can you walk?"
She slowly eased herself to her feet. "Yeah, I can. Hope Winston doesn't come back, though. My sword arm can barely move."
Still trying to stem the flow of blood from the cut on his head, Jacob mumbled, "I wasn't much help, was I?"
Amber shrugged as she began to inspect her own wounds. "At least you tried, Jacob. At least you tried."
#
Approaching Tirrn with those of their allies who could help in its defense, Rose and Finn could already sense something wrong long before they reached town. They saw many hurried footprints leading away in the snow, some dotted with blood, and concluded a good number of people had already fled. Along with the human-sized tracks were scattered the marks of smaller and larger feet. While some of the former no doubt belonged to children, Rose guessed others had been made by pursuing goblins, and the large prints surely the work of ogres and trolls.
Had Tirrn already fallen, then? All evidence pointed to it, especially considering the village could not have been well prepared for the monsters' attack. Still, Rose wasn't about to leave without knowing what was happening inside, like if there human prisoners suffered here still, and together with Finn snuck forward for a closer look. The scent of burnt flesh entered her nostrils, filling her with revulsion and dread at what she would see. What had been done to the people of Tirrn?
She found out before long, for when she passed through the town gate, she saw a line of charred corpses arranged as if they'd all been caught in one fiery blast as they tried to flee. Clearly a wielder of powerful magic took part in this massacre, and the raspy laugh which now cut through the air confirmed her suspicions. The Dark Justice was here.
Rose looked towards the heart of town to see a beast step out from the solitary house which must have belonged to the chieftain, a smile spreading across its grotesque face. The biped's navy blue skin had the texture of cracked stone, with black eyes like two gaping pits in its skull and no hair
anywhere to be seen. Its hands were tipped with long talons, and spikey growths jutted from various places on its massive frame. It closely resembled the form of her former friend turned enemy Justin when she'd killed him, though the face was somewhat different.
"Fools," it said haughtily. Its voice even sounded like Justin's, but maybe she was remembering it from after he'd become the demon power's heir and all so afflicted sounded the same. "You've walked right onto the site of your demise."
Had the attack on Yibal been part of a trap to lure them here? But if so, it would have wasted a quite a few of its troops. It probably didn't care; the previous battle had at least worn down her and Finn to an extent, and now it intended to finish them itself. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. "Who were you before, and why do you ally with monsters if you were once human—if that's the case at all?"
"It is. It's been a long time... Rose."
Her heart sank as she realized, even if his face had changed, somehow it was him. "Justin? B-but how? You were most assuredly dead."
The unreadable gaze he regarded her with made her squirm. "I was. But not enough time had passed for my spirit to completely lose its connection to the spike when a revenge-hungry bandit named Oswald stumbled upon it after fleeing Kayland and claimed its power. Thus I was able to enter his body along with it and take it for myself.
"Your children brought me back after all."
Rose's mouth felt drier than a desert. How could this happen? She'd thought this nightmare over many years ago, and now that it manifested again, she didn't know how she would deal... could fate not be fought after all? But she had beaten it before, she reminded herself, and she must again; even if it was making it harder this time around. "So why would you lead monsters against mankind, when you never wanted to destroy the world before? You wished to avoid fulfilling that prophecy, and tried to kill my children to avert it. Why have you changed?"
"I haven't. This army wasn't built by me, Winston did the work long before my return. I simply saw the opportunity to bring it under my sway and took it. I don't hope to rule the world or even the north. Now that I am no longer dead, the prophecy isn't either, Rose! Your kids brought me back. Perhaps someday, somehow, they will drive me to war against humanity and destroy it. As I do not desire this, I must eliminate them to make sure it never happens."