The Fallen Warrior

Prologue1

“I would like to challenge your strongest warrior to a battle. One-on-one.” A stranger’s voice called through the door.2

“Who are you?” The house’s owner called back in response.3

“I am known as The Fallen Warrior, I have come to make a stand for myself. As I’m sure you know, to do that I must battle the strongest warrior in each of the surrounding towns, and then I must defeat the one who beat me.” The feminine voice called back.4

The man who owned the house had heard of The Fallen Warrior, he was supposedly very powerful…but, this ‘he’ sounded like a she. Every person she had fought had been unable to even lay a finger on one strand of hair or her head…pretty powerful, especially for a girl!5

“Who was it you said defeated you?” Replied the man, cautiously unlocking the door.6

You will amount to nothing; I am ashamed to call you my daughter. The Fallen Warrior’s head echoed with her father’s vengeful voice.7

“I didn’t.”8

“Well, who was it?”9

“That is irrelevant, and therefore we shan’t discuss it.”10

“Very well.”11

“Would you kindly point me in the direction of my next fight?” The Fallen Warrior asked with forced gentleness.12

“But…but…but you’re a woman!” Despite the woman’s feminine voice, this fact still came as a shock to the man who owned the house.13

He looked the ravishing woman standing on his porch up and down and couldn’t help smiling: she definitely looked like she could take a punch or two, as well as deliver one.14

“Yes, I realize this.” She replied, not completely unkindly. “If it’s a problem, I have no objections to battling you first.” Her voice was silky-smooth as her glacier-blue eyes gazed unflinchingly into his chocolate-brown eyes.15

The wind gently ruffled her hair, blowing it to the left just enough to reveal a glistening black rose tucked safely behind her right ear.16

“No, I have heard much of you…our warrior is three houses down and to the left.” The man responded, pointing in the general direction of where the warrior resided.17

“Thank-you.” The Fallen Warrior replied both her voice and eyes turning cold as she began her descent down the front steps.18

“But, I must warn you, our warrior will not stop until you’re dead. If-“19

“Nor will I.” The Fallen Warrior responded, an icy glare fixed on this ignorant man.20

“The man ignored her as he continued. “If you’re stupid enough to still challenge her, go right on ahead.” The man called, grabbing her by the tips of her fingers to stop her from leaving.21

“I’m smarter than I look.” She growled, and, as the wind picked up once again, she continued on her way, her midnight-black robes billowing out behind her.22

“Hello?” A woman asked, pulling open her front door in response to The Fallen Warrior’s knock as she wiped her greasy fingers off with a dish towel.23

“Are you the strongest warrior in this shoebox village?” The Fallen Warrior asked, a smile twitching on the edges of her lips.24

“That would be me, yes.” The woman replied simply and kindly as she began to close the door on the stranger standing on her stoop.25

“I would like to challenge you to a one-on-one battle.” The Fallen Warrior replied, jutting her foot out to stop the door from closing.26

“Why?” The woman replied, taken-a-back by this odd request.27

“Does it matter?”28

“Maybe. Why don’t you want to answer the question?”29

“What’s your name, and do you accept my challenge?”30

“My name is Eliza, and before I accept your challenge, you must answer one of my questions.”31

“Depends…what’s your question?” The Fallen Warrior sighed.32

She knew that this fight was going to be a challenge, but, she also knew that winning would be all the more fun because of its essence of a challenge.33

“What’s your name? I will not accept your warrior name either, I want the name you received at birth…your real name.” Eliza replied.34

“My name is Deca.”35

“Very well, come noon tomorrow, we shall commence in battle.” And, with that, Eliza shut her front door with an arrogant ‘click’.36

As Deca made her way to the Village Square, where the battle was to be held, a familiar sense of nervousness and excitement filled her.37

This was one of her favorite parts of any battle, the apprehension that came, regardless, before-hand.38

Deca knew that the only way to get the first hit (which was also the only way for her to win a battle) was to block out all emotions and focus on her opponent, so Deca paused for a few minutes to take a breather before heading on-ward.39

As Deca approached the ‘arena’, she saw a referee and a medium-sized (and still growing) crowd there, and her anger made her blood boil…she really hated it when her opponents did this.40

“Shake hands.” The ref. commanded as Deca and Eliza approached the center.41

“No.” Deca replied bitterly as Eliza began to offer her hand.42

“Why not?” The ref. asked, shocked.43

“Did I not say that I’m smarter than I look? Could’ve sworn I did…whatever, let’s go, I’ve got other battles to fight tonight.” Deca snapped, recognizing the ref as the man whom had pointed Eliza out to her the other day.44

“Very well.” Eliza replied, hatred seeping into her voice, and filling her eyes with rage.45

That’s right Eliza, get pissed, it’ll only make you weaker. Deca thought silently to herself.46

“Begin as soon as I’m off the stage.” The ref. barked, backing away slowly.47

The ref had just left the stage to sit in the judge’s box (signaling to the two warriors that they may begin.) when Eliza charged at Deca, her fists clenched and rose to hit Deca in the jaw.48

You will not get the first hit! Deca screamed at Eliza in her head as she stubbornly stood her ground.49

Eliza was closing in, her clenched fists raised, and her lips curled into a menacing smile.50

Deca skillfully ducked, wrapped her arms around Eliza’s waist and brought her down. Deca was back on her feet the instant Eliza’s baby-blonde hair hit the floor.51

“One point to The Fallen Warrior.” The ref half-heartedly called out, pointing at Deca.52

“Just a tip, never go for the jaw first…too predictable.” Deca smirked at Eliza.53

From the first connection, Deca knew she would have no problem with her opponent.54

“Ref! What’re we fighting to?” Eliza shouted, standing softly (and rubbing her head) as she shot an icy look at Deca.55

“Death dear.” The ref called back in a depressed (to everyone but Deca whom knew she would win) sing-song voice.56

Eliza glowered at Deca, fire in her eyes as she charged, her arms out as if to hug her.57

Ahhh, the false fists of fury. Deca thought as she side-stepped to her left and brought her curved elbow down into the small of Eliza’s back. With a grunt, Eliza sank to the floor…face-down.58

“Two for the Fallen Warrior.”59

“Again, waaaay too predictable. You’re making this fight too easy, it’s no fun.”60

Eliza slowly and painfully rose to her feet, seemingly not paying any attention to Deca’s cocky comment.61

“Shut. Up.” Eliza was more pissed at the fact that the score was 2-0 than at Deca’s cockiness.62

“My turn to attack.” Deca called cheerfully as she brought the palm of her hand up into Eliza’s lower jaw.63

Eliza quickly stepped back before Deca could make the connection, but it was too late, Deca had already swept her foot into Eliza’s kneecaps, knocking her onto her back where Deca then preceded to kick Eliza in the face, causing blood to come spurting out of Eliza’s nose.64

“4 to The Fallen Warrior.” The ref sighed.65

“And here I thought this was going to be a challenge.” Deca taunted, knowing full well how mad it would make Eliza.66

“I know you.” Eliza gasped, trying to catch her breath as she rolled around on the floor.67

“I know, we’ve been ‘fighting’ for the past 15 minutes, and I really hate to say it, but I’m-”68

“After my brother.” Eliza finished for Deca, slowly standing and enduring the pain.69

“What?” Deca questioned, letting her emotions get the better of her.70

“Carl, you’re going after Carl…he told me all about you, how he beat you…” Eliza trailed off.71

Carl…I don’t know a…my dad was the only one to ever…Deca thought to herself, never bothering to complete a thought.72

“Nobody by the name of Carl has ever beaten me.” Deca growled, she was having a difficult time swallowing her anger now.73

“Well, you wouldn’t know him as Carl; you would know him as…daddy.” Eliza replied, speaking the last word tauntingly.74

Deca froze, and her mouth dropped open. This arrogant woman was her last tie to her father…suddenly, this fight didn’t seem as easy as the other ones had been.75

Eliza took advantage of the moment of initial shock, and headed for Deca, swinging her fists at Deca’s head.76

To Eliza, the fight had suddenly become a whole lot easier…in her mind, Eliza had it all mapped out, she just had to hit the untouchable.77

Deca, seeing the hit coming, ducked…if it hadn’t been for her cheetah reflexes, she would have been hit and the whole battle would have been a lost cause.78

As Eliza’s hand hit thin air, Deca straightened up behind her and sank her own fist into the back of Eliza’s neck, sending her down face-first to cause another nosebleed.79

Deca fought to control her anger at Eliza for using that information against her, and her disappointment in herself for almost getting hit.80

“5-0!”81

“Get. Up.” Deca spat at Eliza, she was panting from the rage running inside her, and exhausted from trying to keep it from coming out.82

Eliza only moaned in response which really ticked Deca off…here was her father’s alleged powerful, unbeatable sister…one of the few people he could never manage to beat, and she was moaning in pain from a beginner’s style move!83

“Eliza? Do you want a break?” The ref called out in a worried tone.84

“Uh-huh.” Eliza moaned, curling up into the fetal position as medics carried her away.85

“I’m going for a walk.” Deca murmured angrily, she was definitely going to need to walk off some of this rage.86

“Be back in 5.” The ref responded distractedly as he flowed Eliza’s stretcher away from the Village Square.87

Deca stalked off to a well-worn path in the woods…the same path she had taken to get here, her second to last village before she could go home…home to defeat her father, the toughest fighter in the state of Birmingham.88

The thought itself excited her, once she beat her father; she was free to go wherever, to do whatever…her own dream, to protect a village of her own, could come true!89

Hearing voices coming up behind her, Deca instinctively jumped up on the lowest branch in the closest tree and began climbing.90

“Could you believe Lady Eliza’s performance?” A woman asked, speaking in awe as she recalled the battle.91

“Oh my goodness, I know! Especially towards the end…letting that naïve little girl think she was winning!” A second woman laughed.92

“Yeah, but, more importantly, can you believe the hottie that’s refereeing?” The first woman spoke again, fanning herself.93

“Becky, you’re horrible!” The second woman squealed, shoving Becky playfully.94

“Oh, c’mon Marge, you know you like him!” Becky giggled making kissing noises at her friend.95

“Hush, come on, it’s almost time to get back.” Marge blushed, a grin spreading across her face.96

Deca effortlessly leaped from the tree, and landed in the ‘proposing pose’ with her good punching arm lightly touching the ground to help her keep her balance. She slowly stood up and dusted herself off, not quite understanding why Eliza would pretend to lose, but not brushing the information off either. Deca began to head back to the Village Square crunching leaf after leaf on her way.97

“Lady Eliza, The Fallen Warrior, let’s go!” The ref called, and Deca could see Eliza making her way to the stage, good as new.98

Deca sighed, and climbed up.99

“Okay, shake.” The ref said professionally, shooting a glance at Deca.100

“Again, I repeat: No, N-O. Got it? Got it. Good.” Deca snapped, not taking her gaze off of Eliza’s soft emerald-green eyes which were fixed on the ref.101

“Fine, begin.” The ref sighed climbing off the stage to let the two warriors take up the battle.102

Almost instantly Eliza grabbed Deca by the hair, pulled her face down and moved her fist to punch her, but Deca grabbed the swinging fist and pushed it back so that Eliza’s own elbow snapped one of her ribs. Eliza staggered back, tripped over her heel, and, to the dismay of the crowd, fell.103

“I hope you drown in your own foul damned blood.” Deca spat bitterly as the ref called out the 6-0 score.104

Eliza slowly stood up (blinking fear out of her eyes) and in a moment of anger and possibly self-defense, ripped out a dagger and sent it cart-wheeling through the air at Deca’s face. In that instant, everything froze.105

Deca merely blinked as she clapped her palms over the dagger, stopping it a mere 3 inches from her face. Deca slowly released her hands, letting the dagger clatter to the ground. Everyone, from the ref to Eliza gasped at Deca’s lightening reflexes.106

In 2 seconds, Deca was across the arena, and had her fist smashed into Eliza’s face. The crowd gasped as Eliza fell over backwards; her nose bone had been pushed up into her brain, killing her instantly.107

Deca strode over the dagger lying on the floor, picked it up and strode over to the dead Eliza. She raised the dagger as if to plummet into Eliza’s still chest, but, instead she released it, letting it fall to Eliza’s fingertips.108

“True warriors never use weapons.” Deca muttered.109

A fierce wind suddenly picked up and the crowd was temporarily blinded by the dirt it was blowing around. When the air cleared and the crowd could see again, the only things left on the arena floor were Eliza’s body, her dagger still laying at her fingertips, and a black thorn less rose growing at her feet…the sign of The Fallen Warrior.110

Chapter 1111

There was a swift knock on the mayor of Ashwen’s door just as he was getting off the phone with the village of Spotwick’s counselor112

“Honey, there’s been a major tragedy in Spotswick! Eliza was killed in battle with a warrior by the name of The Fallen Warrior, don’t send her to Alec, we don’t want to risk it…though I’m sure he could take her…she’s only a girl after all. I’ll send the message out to the villagers tonight.” He called over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway to get the door.113

“Hello?”114

“Hi, my name is Deca, I’m looking for…” Deca glanced at her hand for the name of the man she was looking for. “Alec. Do you know where I can find her?”115

“Alec is a he…” There was unmistakable suspicion in the mayor’s voice.116

“Oh…right…” Deca replied, her heart beat increasing at the thought of challenging a man to battle.117

“What do you want with Alec?” The mayor questioned.118

“I was sent from Carlston with a private message for him.” Deca replied.119

It wasn’t a complete lie, she was sent from her hometown Carlston, and she did have a private message for him…sort of.120

“Oh, okay. He takes care of his father right next door.” The mayor replied, pointing as he shut the door, his suspicions easily extinguished.121

Deca breathed a sigh of relief as she headed next door. She was glad she hadn’t knocked right away, if she had, she would have never heard the man warning his wife about her…or her opponent’s real name.122

She swiftly knocked on the door, she had no time to waste…her last day to defeat the warriors in the surrounding villages was approaching fast.123

“What?” A deep voice called from around the side of the house.124

“Is Alec home?” Deca asked, peering around the corner.125

“Yes.”126

“May I speak with him?” Deca asked, walking down the steps and around the corner to get a better look at the speaker.127

“You are.” The voice called, and there was a rustle as Alec picked his way through the flowers.128

“Oh, okay. I would like to challenge you to a battle…provided you are the strongest warrior in your village.” Deca called, as she came face to face with Alec for the first time.129

Alec took one look at his challenger, and his crystal-clear blue eyes widened. One curl of his blindingly white hair fell over his tanned forehead, and the muscles in his arm tightened…as he moved his arm to brush the hair out of his face, a red rose with three thorns was revealed…his symbol!130

Deca felt her chest tighten in slight fear at seeing his symbol printed on his arm…only 4 warriors had a rose symbol, 3 of them were in her family (her, her father, and her deceased aunt Eliza), and the fourth was the only one to ever beat her father. Seeing this rose gave Deca good reason to believe he would be a difficult one to beat, and even better reason to make sure her hair covered the rose tucked safely behind her ear.131

“Okay, but, before we do, I would like to know more about you.” Alec replied softly.132

“Fine, what is it you want to know?” Deca replied, shifting her weight anxiously.133

“No, you’ll come back at 6:30; you will eat over, and then spend the night answering all of my questions to the best of your ability. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we will battle with dad as our only witness, and he will serve as ref as well. Deal?” Alec said, extending his hand to close the deal.134

“Before I say deal…are you fighting for anything?”135

“Hmmm…good question, and it shall be answered in due time.”136

“Very well, you have a deal.” Deca replied, never bothering to take his hand but turning and walking away instead.137

As Alec watched the challenger walk away, he smiled. He had been like that once…when his mother had defeated him, and he had basically become her slave until he was 18 and able to fight for his freedom…literally, fighting the strongest warrior in each surrounding village/town/city within a 20-mile radius. After he had defeated them (and his mother of course), he was free of his mother and had left to take care of his time-wizened old man.138

Alec turned back to his father who was asleep in his wheelchair, and, in doing so, he caught sight of something rather odd. A thorn less black rose was laying on its side on the welcome mat in front of the door. Alec gently picked it up and brought it to his father.139

“Dad?”140

“Yes Alec?”141

“Could you tell me what this is?” Alec asked, handing his father the rose.142

“It’s a warrior’s symbol; you’ve been challenged haven’t you?”143

“Yes, by a woman.”144

“You accepted?”145

“Sort of.”146

“You either did, or you didn’t.”147

“I offered her a deal and she accepted it.”148

“Well of course she did! Not like she had a choice, she’s fighting for the same reason you were.”149

“What do you mean?”150

“There are no thorns, meaning she has had zero years of freedom.” Alec’s father (Mr. Mancotti) replied, waving Deca’s rose under his son’s nose.151

“Take a look at your symbol, 3 thorns, 3 years of freedom.” Mr. Mancotti continued.152

“Okay, but why is her rose black?”153

“It’s the color of her soul.”154

“Oh.” Alec replied, fully understanding now, he took the rose and placed it in a vase…it died instantly.155

“So…?”156

“She does not want to be in captivity.”157

Chapter 2158

Deca glanced at the sky and sighed knowing that 6:30 was approaching quickly. She slowly stood up, knelt down, and touched the field where she had previously been sitting. Almost instantly, a black thorn less rose sprang from the ground. Deca plucked the rose and attached it to the chains hanging from her black pants. Gently, she lay back down and watched as a snake slithered over her finger. In seconds, Deca was asleep dreaming of a memory.159

“Dad, I want to move out.”160

“No.”161

“Dad, I’m turning 18 in a week, you can’t stop me.”162

“I know…before you go, how would you like to have another practice battle?”163

“Okay.”164

“I’ll meet you outside?” Deca’s father asked, offering his hand.165

“Yep.” Deca responded, taking his hand.166

Instantly, it felt like a lightening bolt had shot up her arm and there was a flash of brilliant white light. When Deca opened her eyes, she was in a clearing in the woods with her mother and father.167

“Your mother will be the ref.” Her father said, standing unblinking with his fists clenched at his sides.168

It was in that moment that Deca realized she had been tricked into a real battle…her freedom was on the line, if she lost, she would be enslaved to her evil father until she was able to defeat the strongest warrior’s in surrounding villages.169

“But…this is just practice!”170

“Since when do we shake for a practice?” Her father smirked.171

“Shake hands.” Her mother said, stepping forward.172

Deca’s father extended his hand, and Deca foolishly took it. They shook, and Deca should have dropped her father’s hand right then, but she didn’t.173

“Begin.” Her mother snarled, refereeing her husband’s fights was her least favorite thing to do…and her only job.174

The word was still hanging in the air, echoing in Deca’s ears when her father flipped her onto her back. Deca hit the floor with a sharp thud, knocking the wind out of her. Her father stood above her, glaring down.175

“1-0 to Carl.” Deca’s mother called, referring to Deca’s father.176

Deca stumbled to her feet and charged at her father, aiming her fist for his jaw. Carl ducked swiftly, and punched Deca in the gut sending her flying backwards to land in the same spot again.177

“2-0.”178

Deca got up again, struggling to swallow her pain as she charged at her father, using the False Fists of Fury.179

Carl side-stepped and tripped Deca, sending her face-firs onto the floor.180

“3-0.”181

Deca forced herself to stand up, and put her hand on her thighs as she began to couch up blood.182

Carl took advantage of this moment, and brought his elbow down on the middle of Deca’s back, sending her sprawling.183

“4-0.”184

Deca rolled over onto her back, and saw her father charging at her, and, in an attempt to dodge him, she rolled to the other end of the floor…which was exactly what Carl wanted her to do.185

He quickly made it to where she was laying, and kicked her hardly in the side, breaking three of her ribs in half. Deca rolled onto her stomach, feeling severe pain...giving her father yet another point.186

Deca stood up, just in time to avoid one of her father’s fists. To her dismay, she ducked right into her fathers rising fist…the punch to her jaw caused Deca to inadvertently bite off the tip of her tongue. Blood came dripping out of her mouth as Deca slowly fell backwards.187

“6-0.” 188

Deca was becoming angry, and she staggered to her feet only to be knocked down again.189

This time, while she was down, her father took a sword out and thrust it into Deca’s leg…it went so far that it stuck into the ground. It took both her mother and her father to yank it out.190

Deca gasped as she woke-up from her dream-memory, blinded by hatred for her father.191

“You will amount to nothing; I am ashamed to call you my daughter.” Her father’s voice boomed throughout her head.192

It wasn’t until Deca had gotten her emotions under control that she realized her leg felt like it was on fire. She rolled up her pant’s leg, and gasped as she saw the cut where the sword had pierced her leg was bleeding profoundly again. She quickly stopped the bleeding by taking her jacket (which had been serving as her pillow) and tying it around her injury.193

Deca stood up and began limping towards Alec’s house for the series of questions.194

She found herself looking forward to it, despite her efforts to feel indifferent…after all, this was her last battle before she had to fight her father again, and that sent chills of excitement up her spine.195

Chapter 3196

Deca knocked on Alec’s door, took the rose that had been tucked behind her ear for so long and twirled it nervously between her index finger and her middle finger.197

Alec pulled open the door, and, in a moment of temporary shock, Deca handed him the rose. He took it, paused for a moment, and stuck it in her hair, brushing the hair out of her face as his gentle hand (which had killed so many) grazed her cheek, causing Deca to blush for the first time in her life.198

“Come in, come in.” Alec said smiling broadly, his grin filling his entire face and making his soft blue eyes twinkle happily.199

“Thank-you.” Deca responded politely as she turned sideways to pass Alec in the doorway, limiting their physical contact as much as possible.200

Alec showed Deca into the family room where his father was waiting in his wheelchair.201

“Hi, I’m Deca.” Deca said, acknowledging Alec’s father.202

“I’m Mr. Mancotti, and I know who you are.”203

“Really? I’m sorry, I don’t recognize you.”204

“I know you’re father, he’s the one who put me in this stupid thing.”205

“Hmm.” Deca replied, her eyes flashing dangerously at the mention of her father.206

“Time to eat!” Alec called from the kitchen, casting his father a warning look.207

Deca, relived tremendously at the distraction, stumbled into the dining room…her leg was beginning to hurt again.208

“So, why are you fighting? Such a pretty girl, you should be making a family.” Alec immediately began questioning Deca as they sat back in the family room.209

“My father.”210

“Okay what’s the story there?” Alec countered, he knew she would evade his questions as much as possible and he was prepared to be very specific if need be.211

“Well, a week before I turned 18, he tricked me into battling him. Because he was my first real battle, and because I lost to him, I became his slave until I turned 18. On my 18th birthday last month, I left the house seeking out the strongest warrior in each town, village, or city in a 20-mile radius of my own hometown Carlston. After I have defeated my last warrior, I must return to Carlston to battle my father, and if I defeat him, I am free to do as I please.” Deca responded, her voice showing no emotion, but her eyes jumping around from emotion to emotion as though they were on a trampoline.212

“How did he trick you, and when is the final day to complete this unfortunate task?” Mr. Mancotti jumped in as Alec processed Deca’s story, his eyes filled with compassion.213

“My father told me that our battle was just another practice, but we shook on it…I did not know what was at stake until I saw the ref…by then it was too late…My final day to complete this mission is Sunday…two days from tomorrow.” Deca responded, fiddling with the red rose that had just appeared in her hands, one of its three thorns pricking her thumb and causing a droplet of deep, crimson blood to appear.214

Deca gently pushed her index finger into the cut as she answered Mr.Mancotti’s questions.215

Alec heavily sat down on the couch, rubbing his forehead as he absorbed this information. When he looked up, he saw Deca sitting rigidly…answering all these questions was making her rather uncomfortable; she really hated talking about her past.216

“Who is your last fight before your father?” Alec asked gently, not wanting to stress her out anymore.217

“You.” Deca replied, masking her emotions well.218

This response shocked Alec, all’s she had to do was defeat him and her father and she was free to go.219

A lock of Deca’s soft, perfectly black hair fell over one of her hard blue eyes.220

“Okay, so we’ve heard all about your father, what about your mother?” Mr. Mancotti questioned, his soft, meadow-green eyes piercing into her soul, trying to read her.221

“Dead.” The word fell from Deca’s lips like dead weight, as if it didn’t effect her at all.222

“How?”223

“Carl murdered her.” Deca replied, referring to her father by first name and not batting an eye.224

“How do you know?”225

“I watched it happen.”226

“Why’d he do it?”227

“Didn’t like mom’s call…he was angry because according to her score-keeping, he lost 7-6.” Deca responded, glaring at Alec.228

“Who defeated him?”229

“You.” Deca growled standing and walking out the door, done answering questions.230

Chapter 4231

Deca walked with great deliberation to her last battle, and on the way there, she was hit with so many over-powering flashbacks that she had to stop.232

“7-6, Lovely Death wins!” Her mother’s voice came before any of the pictures.233

“What?! That last move was a foul!” Carl shouted, jumping to his feet, his anger flooding out of him.234

Deca slowly backed away from the arena, sensing danger.235

“Well, I’m the ref and I say it counts so get off my back!” Deca’s mother screamed, her voice sounding angry, but her eyes flickering with a sense of fear.236

“Unfair call!” Carl retorted, slowly making his way to Deca’s mom.237

“It was not!” Deca’s mother snapped, stupidly holding her precious ground.238

“You should take it back.” Deca’s father grumbled as Deca ducked behind a tree and Alec (Lovely Death) disappeared, satisfied with the call.239

“Or what?” Her other shouted, bitterly shoving Deca’s father back…a big mistake on her part.240

Deca’s father angrily drew his sword, and advanced menacingly upon her mother.241

“No!” Deca screamed as her father brought the sword down on her mother, slicing through the tender neck skin and cleanly coming out the other side, killing her instantly.242

Deca shook her head getting that particular memory out of her head instantly.243

Slowly, Deca climbed the porch steps to Alec’s front door. She raised her hand to knock on the door, when a thought struck her. This was not the first time that this particular thought hit her, and it would not be the last.244

This is my last battle with a stranger…from here I go back to Carlton and fight dad…maybe I’m not strong enough…I don’t think I could stand to lose and have to wait another 18 years to fight for my freedom. I don’t even know what it is that Alec is fighting for…God, what if I lose to him? Okay Deca, breathe, this is it, don’t let it get to you…just breathe, try to relax. If you don’t, you’ll be too nervous and you’ll lose for sure. Calm down. Deca thought to herself. She regained her composure before raising her fist to knock on the door.245

Alec was looking out the window, and grinned stupidly as he saw Deca ascend the front porch steps and head for the door. He was about to pull it open, not giving her the chance to knock when his father called to him from the kitchen.246

“Yeah?” Alec replied to Mr. Manicotti’s call as he headed 247

“Let her come to you.” Mr. Mancotti said, handing Alec two plates, forks, and knives.248

“We need to set 3 places this morning dad, remember? She’s eating breakfast here before we fight.”249

“I wouldn’t count on it.” Mr. Mancotti responded, but handed his son their plate, fork, and knife regardless.250

“Why do you say that?” Alec asked over his shoulder as he placed the utensils, plates, and glasses in their right places on the table.251

“Because she doesn’t strike me as the type to be compassionate openly or as the type to sit to a home-cooked meal with her last fight and his father.” Mr. Mancotti replied simply, knowing that he was 100 per cent correct.252

“Oh.” Alec replied, dumbfounded by his father’s incredible ability to read people...and be right.253

“Why do you love her so much? You just met her.” Mr. Mancotti asked innocently.254

“Wha-how do you-that’s-” Alec started and stopped multiple times severely shocked that his father had been able to make that call so well.255

Alec was feeling trapped as his father grinned mischievously when there was a sudden rapping on the door. Alec pulled open the door, and a grin crept along his face when he saw Deca.256

Deca realized with a start that Alec had dimples deeply creased in his cheeks making him all the more likable and trustworthy. Deca involuntarily returned the grin, her smile stretching from ear-to-ear, and her perfectly pearl white teeth sparkling in the sun.257

“You ready?” Deca asked as she anxiously shifted her weight from foot-to-foot causing her to look like she was swaying in the wind.258

“Almost.” Alec replied stepping to his left and opening the door a few inches, the universal sign of inviting someone inside.259

“Okay, I’ll wait outside... gives me a few minutes to strategize” Deca said as she sat with her legs folded on the bench beneath a cashmere - white window sill.260

“You sure?” He asked, swinging the door wide open revealing a breakfast table set with an extra dish which Deca guessed was for her.261

“Yes I’m sure.” Deca was beginning to feel awkward as she watched Mr. Mancotti serve perfectly poached eggs, fluffy soft pancakes struggling to surface underneath a thick layer of gooey sticky home-made syrup. Along with the eggs and pancake, there were candied apricots glistening with extra-sugar.262

“Okay Dad! It’s just you and me!” Alec called over his shoulder.263

Mr. Mancotti nodded at Alec and smiled gently at a rather uncomfortable Deca.264

“That was to be expected son.” Mr. Mancotti said, rolling over to the door in his wheelchair.265

“Here you go dear, its only fair you have a healthy breakfast before battle as well.” Mr. Mancotti spoke to Deca as well as Alec moved out of the way making room for his father to hand Deca the steaming plate of delicious food along with a cold glass of water which was dripping with perspiration by now.266

Deca smiled and, out of politeness, took the food, sat down, but did not eat... she never ate before a battle.267

Alec carefully shut the door and turned back to his grinning father who was rubbing his hands together eagerly ready to begin breakfast.268

“Dad?” Alec approached his father and placed a rough carefully lined hand on Mr. Manicotti’s slumped shoulder.269

“Yes son?” Mr. Mancotti held still, not moving to hold his son’s hand, or shake it off as he typically would.270

“How did you know... about ... about my loving Deca so early?”271

“Because you agreed to fight her without considering it, despite the simple fact that you haven’t fought since you killed your mother three years ago.’272

“How ... How do I stop it? I don’t want to be in love, it’s scary ... not to mention warriors, retired or not, cannot love.” Alec asked, his eyes filling with tears from the knowledge that Deca would never love him back.273

“You can’t stop love, it can’t be helped. The human heart has no control over whom it loves ... it is a strange and complex thing”274

“What about the warriors’ heart?” Alec pushed; he had to know what his chances with Deca were.275

“The warriors’ heart is even stranger and more complex. I assume you are pushing this subject because you want to be able to call Deca yours, so, I will give you my knowledge and my advice.”276

“Yes, please do.” Alec knelt anxiously beside his father awaiting his council.277

Deca is a warrior; nobody could possibly imagine how serious she is about what she does. The only way you can call her yours is if you beat her in battle, clearly stating that if you win, she must marry you.” Alec‘s eyes lit-up with excitement at the easiness with which he could claim Deca as his own, however, they quickly dimmed down as Mr. Manicotti continued.278

“But, just a warning if you do this, and you win... to her you will be no better than her father whom she obviously has good reason to hate with no prevail, and the second she is able, she will be fighting for her freedom.”279

“Yeah, but, that would be 18 years from now, right? And, she ‘d remain my wife until she defeated me, correct?” Alec cut in, not caring about nothing else at this point.280

“Yes, that is correct, provided you beat her.”281

“No problem, I can do that in a matter of minutes.” Alec replied confidently.282

“I wouldn’t be so sure. She is definitely one of the strongest warriors I have ever met, merely one level below her father... and it took him years to get to that level... it took her a matter of months to get where she is. If she does not effectively defeat you, at least she will be a challenge.”283

“You sound like you have no confidence in your own son.” Alec snapped bitterly.284

“It’s not that, I have plenty of confidence in you.. I just have more in her, that’s all.” Mr. Manicotti explained briefly and calmly.285

“Okay since apparently you know everything about her why don’t you tell me how to beat her?” Alec replied testily.286

“No, not with that tone of voice I won’t.”287

“Okay Dad, I’m sorry. Please tell me how I can defeat her.” Alec said in a hurried apology... his father rarely got that angry.288

“Fine but only because you’re my son.”289

“Of course.”290

“If you absolutely must talk to her during the battle, which is unlikely, don’t say anything to make her feel an extreme of any emotion because she will just harness it and it will make her twice as strong. She already has her hatred for her father helping her out strength wise.” Mr. Manicotti said, getting his emotions under control and masking them again.291

“Anything else?”292

“No, the rest is up to you. Now quickly go prepare, the battle is in a matter of minutes. I’ll go fetch Deca and we’ll be around back, you have 15 minutes.” Mr. Manicotti wheeled himself out the back door and went around front to bring Deca to the backyard arena for the long-awaited match with Alec.293

Chapter 5294

Deca saw Mr. Manicotti coming, and bolted to meet him.295

“Time to battle?” she asked anxiously.296

“Yes time to battle.” Mr. Manicotti replied as he rolled himself to the backyard arena.297

Deca rolled up her sleeves and slowly climbed up the steps to an arena raised a good 30 feet off the ground. She stood to the far left with her arms folded across her chest as she waited for Alec to appear. She looked around and was thankful that the whole damn village had not shown up.298

Slowly, the back door opened, and it began to sprinkle. There was a low rumble of thunder, and a quick flash of lightening. When the lightening hit, Deca could hardly make out the shape of Alec approaching the arena stage.299

“You two ready?” Mr. Manicotti inquired as he wheeled into the center of the stage.300

Yes sir.” Alec responded promptly.301

Instead of speaking, Deca could only nod. Suddenly, she was nervous... despite her low self-esteem, Deca knew she was pretty powerful, and she didn’t really have an entrance, and her exit was just a gust of wind. She also knew that a warrior’s entrance/exit was chosen by the power of that specific warrior. Her wind was becoming stronger, it was almost to tornado status at this point, and occasionally it would blow in some rain clouds, but she didn’t have an entire storm welcoming her. Suddenly, an odd thought occurred to her:302

If Alec and I were married, and we fought together, our combined entrances/exits could have the power of a hurricane. She quickly shook that thought, things like that could throw this battle severely for her.303

“Okay, I’m sure you both know the rules, but, as the ref, I have the right to make a request, correct?”304

Alec and Deca both nodded at Mr. Mancotti, not taking their eyes off of each other.305

“Okay, I’m very fond of the both of you, so I only ask that you do not kill each other.”306

Deca couldn’t help but grin, and Alec, thinking the grin was for him, grinned back. This made Deca smile even bigger because she had only been smiling at the compliment paid to her by Mr. Mancotti whom she had thought couldn’t care less about her.307

“What’re we fighting for?” Alec asked pointedly to remind his father to state what it was that was at stake.308

“Right, thanks! Deca,” Mr. Mancotti waved a hand at Deca as if there were a crowd, “is fighting for her freedom. Alec,” Mr. Mancotti now pointed at Alec for the benefit of the invisible crowd, “is fighting for Deca’s hand in marriage.”309

Deca gaped at Mr. Mancotti, her jaw falling open. She quickly regained her composure however, preparing herself for the battle of a lifetime.310

Chapter 6311

“Begin.” Mr. Mancotti said sharply, bowing out of the arena in his wheelchairs to give the warrior’s room to battle.312

Deca stood by and waited for Alec to attack, her arms hanging loosely by her sides ready to attack if necessary and her black hair whipping angrily in the wind, challenging anyone to come near. Her legs were hardly holding her up, loose enough so that they could move in a fleeting moment to counter-attack anyone stupid enough to come after her.313

“Well, aren’t you going to attack me?” Alec asked after a good 15 minutes had passed.314

“Me? Nah, I never attack first.” Deca replied, waving her left hand vaguely in the air dismissing the idea.315

“Well, neither do I.” Alec replied, shifting anxiously as he waited for someone to attack.316

“Well...that’s...um...interesting?”317

Alec ignored this comment and was across the arena, aiming to hit Deca in the jaw at the same time as he kneeled her in the gut within seconds.318

Deca was taken by surprise and tried to side-step the move, but it was too late...the connection had been made. This did not surprise Deca, and, having braced herself, she did not topple over. Instead, she grabbed Alec’s wrist as he passed and viciously twisted it behind his back before roughly shoving him face-first into the floor.319

“You’re not supposed to hit girls.”320

“You’re not a girl!” Alec retaliated, swinging his ankle into Deca’s ankles and sending her sprawling to the floor next to him...this move instantly tied the score.321

Deca and Alec both simultaneously struggled to their feet, and locked eyes. Both of them were expert fighters, fighting for something important to them. Deca glared at Alec, whereas Alec’s eyes just held their usual soft tint.322

Deca growled and charged right into Alec, tackling him and bringing him to the ground. Alec remained on the floor, shocked.323

Deca stood, dusting her hands off, but only remained standing for a minute before Alec angrily shoved her from behind, sending her on her face.324

“2-2, tie.” Mr. Mancotti called amused by his son’s cheap, but legal move.325

Deca rolled over and punched Alec in the nose, feeling her knuckle crash into it, watching his nose shift far to the left, hearing the bone crack sickeningly loudly, and feeling the warm, sticky substance of blood drip onto her curled fist.326

Alec toppled over backwards, feeling an intense pain pick it’s way across his face. He lifted his hands tenderly to his nose, and felt the blood flow over his fingers.327

Alec slowly stood, grimacing in pain, frowning in anger, and blushing in embarrassment. He toggled towards Deca, who smartly backed away. Suddenly, Deca was on her back with a cracked rib where Alec had pushed his palm into her side. She was gasping for breath.328

“Thanks for the nose.” Alec smiled.329

“Anytime, thanks for the rib.” Deca replied, grinning to mask her pain and shock.330

“3-3, tied.”331

As Deca stood up, Alec lifted a tree branch from the arena floor near him and swung it straight at her throbbing head. Deca, seeing the brain coming, ducked and stuck her arm into the air, grabbing it. She swiftly yanked the branch out of Alec’s grasp and threw it at him with such force and agility that it crashed into him, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Alec’s hands grasped the thick branch, and his knees rose up to it as he tried to stop it from flying through the air with him attached. Alec landed and bumped back 7 feet before stopping. He lay on the ground, with the branch covering him like a blanket gasping for breath. Deca’s supernatural strength scared him, but it also made him respect her quite a bit more.332

“I never took you for a coward...aren’t you just full of surprises?” Deca laughed as she dusted her hands free of the dirt and tree bark that had come off of the branch.333

“How do you figure me for a coward?” Alec groaned as he struggled out from underneath the heavy branch.334

“Only cowards use weapons.” Deca replied simply as she lifted the branch off her competition and, with a grunt, threw it off the arena and away from the house and Mr. Mancotti, whom was grinning.335

Alec slowly rose to his feet and cracked his knee back into place. His eyes were glowing, he was becoming frustrated with himself. He stretched, and ran at Deca with his hands down so his move wasn’t too obvious. As he came closer to her, he raised both his hands to either side of her head. Within seconds, his hands were clapped on her ears and he was pulling her head into his raised knee. With a sickening crack, one of her teeth fell to the floor, leaving a bleeding hole in Deca’s mouth. Deca collapsed to the floor, unconscious and unmoving. Alec watched and waited for her to rise, and after a while he began to worry.336

“Dad! I don’t think she’s breathing!” Alec cried, his voice rising in a panic.337

Mr. Mancotti blinked in shock, but, then he saw something Alec did not. Deca’s right hand was curling into a fist slowly, and she was beginning to rise behind Alec.338

Deca, standing hunched over, glared at Alec with a fury never before seen. She began shuffling over to him, and by the time he turned around to see her, her foot was closing in on him. Because he had turned all the way around, the kick meant for the small of his back connected with his gut sending him to the floor with a grunt.339

Alec was beginning to enjoy this battle immensely, Deca was proving to be quite the challenge...and, not surprisingly she had the upper-hand.340

Deca calmly walked over to Alec and offered her hand to help him up. Naively, he took it, she lifted him up...only to flip him onto his back. She was grinning from ear-to-ear, these were moves she hardly ever got to use, and Alec was proving to be good practice, able to keep up easily, and counter-attack effortlessly.341

“6-4, Deca, next point is game point.”342

Alec stood up and smiled, despite his serious injuries, he was still having the time of his life fighting his first love for some returned affection. He dusted his pants off, and walked over to where Deca stood waiting.343

In one swift move, Deca had Alec’s arm twisted painfully behind his back. Alec’s teeth were bared in agony, and he knew the fight was over...this would be the seventh and final point if he hit the ground.344

Deca, not releasing Alec so he couldn’t catch himself, began kneeling down, gently bringing him down with her. She didn’t see the need to hurt him anymore when this was the final point.345

Alec decided not to struggle, but spoke to Deca instead.346

“Promise me something.”347

“What’s that?”348

“You’ll come back.”349

“I promise.”350

“And you’ll marry me.”351

“I can’t promise that.”352

“Why not?”353

“Because I don’t love.” She responded, pain and loneliness from years of being left behind finally being unmasked, as Alec’s face touched the ground.354

A fierce wind picked up suddenly, causing Alec and Mr. Mancotti to have to shield their eyes. When they uncovered their eyes, Deca had vanished, off to battle her father.355

Mr. Mancotti sighed, but Alec smiled as he saw the infamous warrior’s symbol. As always, Deca left her black thorn less rose at the feet of her fight, but this time there had been a slight alteration...her rose was wrapped around a red rose with 3 thorns, which was Alec’s symbol...a sign of respect, and respect, in the warrior world was as good (if not better than) love any day.356

Epilogue-The Rising Warrior is Born357

“Alec!” Mr. Mancotti yelled, slamming the back door behind him.358

“What?” Alec called back, ignorantly thinking his father just had a few more chores for him.359

“Come here please.” Mr. Mancotti called, rolling into the living room and holding two tissues in his old, weathered hands.360

“Mmkay, what’s going on?” Alec asked stepping into the living room, wiping his young and scarred hands with a plaid dish towel.361

“Have a seat son.” Mr. Mancotti commanded patting the tan, felt, cigar-smelling recliner that seemed to be made to comfort those receiving bad news, while keeping his back to his son.362

Alec sank deeply into the seat his father indicated and could feel his muscles begin to relax. He looked into Mr. Mancotti’s eyes which seemed to have a sad tint to them.363

It took Alec a little while to notice the salty, crystalline tears picking their way carefully, graciously even, down cheeks that had seen their fair-share of battles and dripping delicately down Mr. Mancotti’s round chin and onto the starched white cotton t-shirt.364

“Dad? What’s wrong? What happened?” Alec asked, suddenly very frightened.365

“I have some bad news for you.” Mr. Mancotti replied, watching his only son’s eyes fill with a deep fear of something forthcoming.366

“What is it?” Alec asked, knowing that it must be pretty bad if it could make his father (whom had not cried once in his life) cry.367

Alec watched in horror as another tear fell, landing on Mr. Mancotti’s approaching hand.368

“It’s...Deca.”369

“What? Is she okay?”370

“She’s...dead.” Mr. Mancotti pulled Alec into a hug as the news began to settle in.371

“No.” Alec whispered into his father’s collar bone, fighting desperately to convince himself this was just a dream as he felt his hear rip into two.372

“I’m...sorry son.” Mr. Mancotti mumbled wiping his own tears away as he stroked his son’s furiously shaking head.373

“No! You’re lying!” Alec screamed, still fighting to wake-up from this nightmare.374

“I wish I was.” Mr. Mancotti gently released his struggling son.375

“Please...no...” Alec sobbed, gasping for breath as a lone tear rolled down his pale cheeks, quickly followed by a flood of them.376

“I...” Mr. Mancotti trailed off as he watched his horrified son push his palms into his eyes as if to try to stop the steady flow of tears from falling.377

Alec’s shoulders began to shake like an earthquake as he piously shook his head from left-to-right, right-to-left. He felt as though he was going to vomit, and it felt like there were millions of little demons rioting inside of him. He did not open his mouth, and, as a result, his cries were silent.378

Slowly, his heart was being ripped up and shoved into places it did not belong. Every cell of his being was raging with pain, and his stomach felt as if he had just swallowed a hundred rocks...his throat opened and closed rapidly as Alec tried to swallow his pain, but there was not a spare place in his body for it to hide.379

To him, it was like falling into this bottomless, dark pit of a depression that he knew he would never be able to get out of.380

Slowly, his head lifted and he met his father’s eyes...the turmoil on the inside of Alec’s soul was not hidden by his dark eyes...hurt, to no end shot out of his pupils as he cried dry tears. Within minutes, Alec could cry no more, not because he had harnessed his emotions, but because he had no more tears left to cry.381

“How?”382

Mr. Mancotti slowly cleared his throat, not sure if his son was ready to hear the gory details. He glanced up and saw his son watching.383

“Are you sure?” Mr. Mancotti asked as Alec nodded his head, too damaged to speak.384

“She um...I uh...I found her.” Mr. Mancotti began, watching Alec for a reaction.385

Alec nodded slowly, his mind echoing the news that Deca, his first love had died. He closed his eyes so he could concentrate more on his father and less on his misery.386

“She’s laying face-down just a few houses from here, since it’s 4 o’clock in the morning, I suggest you go get her. I would have brought her back myself but...” Mr. Mancotti made a hand gesture at his amputated legs.387

“I’ll do that now.” Alec said gently as he shakily got to his feet.388

“Er...okay, whatever. Be back soon?” Mr. Mancotti replied, taken a-back by Alec’s readiness to see the gruesome sight of Deca’s body, not realizing that Alec didn’t know just how gruesome it was.389

“Yeah, right.” Alec responded as he slowly pulled open the back door.390

Alec stepped onto his back porch, and, with his hands stationed on his hips picked his way over to the grassy area where Deca’s rose was wrapped around his. The only difference: Deca’s rose was limp, dead.391

This sight was like a sharp knife penetrating his stomach, it was a warm sense of pain as he felt his heart begin to rip itself to smaller shreds.392

Alec, unable to face the dead rose anymore, ran. He made a stupid mistake and ran down the street in a frenzy, within minutes, he tripped over Deca’s body and fell beside her. He sat up on his right elbow and stared at her body.393

There was an arrow sticking out of her back, and dried blood surrounded her. Deca’s face had been carved off by a skilled swordsman, and her hands and feet had been taken as well. The only reason Alec knew for sure it was his fiancée were her raven-black hair with it’s read streak and the dead rose sticking behind her ear.394

Alec leaned over and hugged Deca’s body. He grasped her shoulders as tears rolled down his cheeks. He lifted her half-way up and brought her into a hug, sobbing into her hair. He slowly stroked her bloody head.395

“Deca, Deca wake-up honey. Please, don’t be dead! Deca, please!”396

“Deca, no!” Alec moaned, the sound coming out of his throat sounded like an injured animal.397

He continued to hug her, blood soaking into his black outfit.398

Tears spilled from his eyes as he sat there, holding Deca and mourning her death.399

“Even like this, you are beautiful.” He whispered, kissing the top of her head.400

At this point, he was rocking back and forth, his white hair falling over his eyes.401

“Don’t worry baby, I’ll find out who did this to you, and I’ll kill them!” Alec promised softly as he draped Deca’s body across his arms and carried her back towards his home, not noticing the letter addressed to him drifting slowly to the floor behind him.402

THE END403