• Every rose has its thorn. People that see it tend to pick it up, just to get hurt by the thorn protecting it. It’s a very beautiful but lonely flower. I pull out a dagger and carefully cut it off from half of its stem. Mother would love to have this.

    “I won’t accept this!”

    “But mother, I have to do this.” Mother is serving the dinner, but her smile is missing.

    “Even The Order won’t bring my daughter to be another barbaric warrior.”

    I couldn’t bring myself to say any more. She is very stubborn and protective about me. I put the rose in a small broken glass filled with water on the wooden table. Our small town is always being attacked by undead army. Without any reason, the attacks rate accelerated recently. The Order chooses some people to be trained as warriors to protect the town, including me. There has never been in our town history a woman become a warrior.

    “I want to protect you. I’m wiling to do this.”

    “Rose!”

    Mother glare at me.

    “You’re willing to be a ruthless killer?” I calmly look straight to her eyes.

    Then she put down the last plate on the table in front of me. Silent filled the room as we having dinner. I look again at her, only to see her frown face. She opens her mouth, but she couldn’t say anything when I stood up. She understands how much I resemble her and how stubborn I can be.

    “I’m sorry, mother.”

    I close the door behind me. Looking up to the sky looking for a ray of light, I see only dark cloud. Just like how I try to see my future. I walk in the rain towards The Order building. I can’t bear looking back as my tear become one with flowing water on my face.

    **************************

    “That’s her. Quick. Close the doors.”

    One by one door closing, until I am alone on the streets. It’s been three years I have been serving The Order to protect this town. But the town people have cast me away, including my own mother. I look down at my hands. The attached katar pair seems sad. Outside or inside my town, an assassin is seen as evil presence. Just like how they see a necromancer.

    “Don’t be sad, Kami, Raiden. I’m okay.” I walk through the gate as rain hitting hard on my head. It flows on my face, as if I am crying. . I never cry again after I leave my home. The dark cloud is the permanent replacement. Wherever I go, it follows.

    An undead soldier is walking towards me. I stop when it sees me. I smile to it, as I say, “Come here, little undead.” It let out a howl of rage before running towards me with it sword swinging around. I didn’t remember what this thing name. I step forward and dashed through the foe. Lightning strike the stunned enemy, after a swift blow with Raiden attached to my right arm. “Now you’re dead again.” I walk on the wet street as the undead dust is swept away by the rain. From afar I can see undead soldiers march towards me. Kami vibrates, as if it knows an endless fight will start.

    **************************
    It’s felt so cold. But I didn’t do anything to warm myself up. I keep my gaze at a man standing at the top of the mountain. He must be another bounty hunter. I slowly step nearing behind him in the darkness of moonless night. I get a glance of a sheathed sword hanging at his belt as he looking around. A paladin is hard to deal with head-on.

    “Summoning: Shadow Master.” A duplicate of me appear beside him, putting the blade of her katars below his neck. He put his right hand up, accepting his fate. What a coward paladin.

    “What do you want, swords man?”

    “Thorn, this is a letter for you.”

    “You hear what he said, Master. What should I do? Kill him?” Shadow asked. I didn’t answer her question.

    “No. Wait-” His body fell soon after she slits his throat. Why would she wait to kill you? She smile, satisfied after a week without anyone to kill.

    “I told you, send letter to me using owl messenger.” Coldly I said to the poor guy. I feel rain drop on my head as Shadow examines his body and pulls out a letter. She shows the back of the letter to me and my usual cold emotion stirred. Kami and Raiden vibrate releasing some lightning charges as a reaction. It has been 10 years since I feel this warm feeling.

    From: Your mother.

    **************************

    “Raiden, be a good boy, okay?”

    Pulling the leather straps, I remove the attached katars. I take a quick look into the small, broken window of the shack. I can see the same glass with a rose on the table. It is still there after these years. In the letter, she wrote she finally accepts me and my job.

    Come home soon, my Rose honey.

    That’s the last line in the letter. I look up and take a deep breath. The bright sun among the dark cloud blinds my sight, and then I close my eyes. It takes two nights to come here running without rest. I feel tired, but I also feel so refreshed just by standing in front of the door. I open my eyes as the door opens. A contented smile from an old woman warm up my cold heart.

    “Welcome back.”

    “I’m home.” Quickly I step forward and throw my arms around her. She hugs back.

    “Here, take off your armor. You must be tired.”

    She pulls out my studded leather armor over my head and put it on the table. I can see loneliness in her eyes. Her face shows some aging line and her body is slightly smaller. I sit down on the wooden old chair. The sweet fragrance of the rose fills the room. I put my katars aside. Mother takes a quick glance at the weapons and smirk. I should have known on that time. But even if I realize it, I wouldn’t have guessed what will happen.

    “Please eat, my honey.” Her smile still stays on her face.

    “How about you, mother?”

    “You don’t have to worry, I already ate.” I feel very glad. It’s has been a very long time since I eat dinner cooked by mother. Thunder sounds angrily outside as the wild winds knocking hard the door.

    “Do you have fun with you job?”

    “No.” She chuckle a bit. “You have been a colder woman since then.”

    “So, those are you weapon as an assassin?” She stands up and walks towards me.

    “Huh? Oh, yes.”

    “What’s the name?” Something is wrong. Although mother already accept it, for her to talk directly about it seems a bit weird. “It’s a pair of katar. Their names are Kami and Raiden.” Suddenly I felt enormous pain in my body, as if something is burning me from inside. At the same time, I felt my skin starts to freeze.

    “M-mother…” I try to look at her smile on her face hoping to reduce the pain, but it’s gone. Mother takes the katars, pace her way backward and holds them tight. I hear the door slams, forced open from outside. Paladins scurry in the midst of flowing wild gust, then encircle me with their swords points to me before I could stand up. I have let my guard down.

    “The Order appreciates your aid, Ivy Thorn. Please stand back.”

    “I won’t allow you to endure the suffering anymore.” Her tear comes out as the rain outside becoming fiercer. If only I has Kami to neutralize the poison. But in my mind, I have something more important. Mother’s in grave danger. I must warn her before its too late.

    “Put that… away…”

    “Ah!” Mother screams as multiple lightning strikes and instantly burns her to dust, leaving the raging Raiden and wrathful Kami. The rose smell replaced by fume reek. The warriors look at each other with fear in their face. “I… told you… not to be… bad boy… S-summoni-”

    “Kill her quickly!”

    Multiple sword blades go through my unarmored chest. I cough out some blood while holding a sword with my bare hands. “S-shadow… M-master…” I said as I fall vulnerably on the floor. Shadow appears beside my katars, pick them up and throw them on my weakening body. I loss my consciousness when she stabs mercilessly her first prey.

    **************************

    “Huargh!” The Blood Raven cried as she steps on my trap. Shadow run hastily from behind her and begin continuous blows. Turning around facing her, the undead archer begins shooting her fire arrows despite the offensive Shadow. I must seize this chance. I dash towards her leaving my hiding spot and set the blades under her neck from her back.

    “No more skeleton to be revived? It’s time to die again, my worthless foe.” I said to her.

    “W-wait. I’m not-” Her skull fell out of the place before Shadow steps on it. I laugh scornfully as thunder roars angrily in the storm cloud. Kami and Raiden release lightning charges. They shock me out of my insanity, and then I look up at the darkness.

    “So, she’s not the cause.” I take a quick glance on my katars. They are permanently attached to the skin without the leather straps. The beheaded body falls on the ground. I feel cold; maybe it’s time to take a rest. I walk on leaving the wet, barren graveyard followed by Shadow.

    Rose is a very beautiful, but vain and lonely flower. Its thorns protect it from everything and hurting every single person touching it. Since the day my town burned down to ruins, I have found my own ‘thorns’.