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Author's Note:
I didn't consciously make this story up. The main beats came from a dream I had shortly after finishing "Regalia Bleeds" and "To Soften the Heart of Iron." I never would have chosen such a scenario, and certainly never would have wanted it, but I found it fascinating how things turned out. This serves as the finale of my short "Ironheart" Trilogy. It begins with "To Soften the Heart of Iron," continues with "Not Her Pawn," and I now present the conclusion.
Solovet rose and addressed the party. "I shall depart forthwith. Follow the guidance of Vikus and Ripred while I am away."
"Where are you going?" Gregor asked, surprised and clearly a bit alarmed.
"The spinners are still conflicted about whom they choose to side with. They may require my personal guarantee of their safety when the war ends." Solovet sprang onto Ajax, then she looked over the group, which included Hazard, the code team, and Gregor's sisters. But it was Gregor himself that she addressed directly. "I will rejoin you in two days' time on the Plain of Tartarus. If you battle before then, do not forget that your weakness is your left side."
With that, she took to the air. Horatio and Marcus followed on their own bonds. They set a leisurely pace. She had budgeted plenty of time to reach the spinners, give the needed assurances, and reach the Plain of Tartarus. There was no need to tire their fliers, especially with the importance of the coming battle. Far better for all to be rested.
For hours, the six of them flew in silence, lost in thought. The only sound was the beating of bat wings and the fluttering of their torches. Solovet suspected Horatio thought mostly of Dulcet, whom he couldn't hide his affection for, and who saw combat during the attack on the palace. Marcus likely fretted over the knowledge that his few remaining extended family had narrowly survived the fighting, and most would soon face it again. And the three fliers likely pondered all of the family and friends that would fight at Tartarus as well. Ajax in particular had cause for reflection. His wounded granddaughter had chosen to return to the flier lands to recover. Had the young bat accepted treatment in the palace hospital, she might have died in the attack.
Solovet could easily have dwelt on similar thoughts, including the loss of so many of her colleagues on the council. But her mind instead focused on what lay ahead. Even with the planned surprise attack, the battle with the Bane's forces might cost thousands of lives. Perhaps, if the loyalty of the spinners could be secured, and their strength added to the alliance, that battle might go more in their favor, and fewer would die. She cared not for how many of the Bane's gnawers might fall in battle, but those who sided with Regalia deserved the best possible chance to survive. As Commander-in-Chief of the army, it was Solovet's job to give them every conceivable advantage.
If only the plans regarding the plague had gone better. If foolish, clumsy Neveeve hadn't accidentally spread it before the cure was ready, costing many innocent lives and turning public opinion against the weapon. If all had gone according to plan, this war would have ended swiftly and with far less loss to her people. Unleashing the plague when Luxa declared war would have prevented so much heartache. With control of the cure, Regalia, the fliers, the nibblers, and all gnawers that rejected the Bane would have been safe. They could even have taken in gnawer pups and cured them, making a clear distinction between innocent and guilty. Vikus, Gregor, and even Luxa would never understand. If Solovet held total power over life and death, she would not need to deploy that power in its full, ruinous scale. No enemy would dare fight her once they knew the consequences. She would prevent war. With absolute power to kill, one need never actually use it. The Warrior's father once spoke of the Overland's almighty power to eradicate all life on the surface. It did not lead to such power being used. Rather, it led to less war, as most factions had the sense to accept that nothing was worth risking such mutual annihilation. Solovet's plan for the plague would have been even better. She was the one most qualified to hold such power. She would have saved the Underland.
Ajax twitched, his ears rotating, and Solovet knew this meant he heard something unexpected. A moment later, Artemis and Demeter did the same. "Report," Solovet commanded.
"A flier approaches from behind," Ajax said. "Overtaking us, flying hard. It is very large. Likely Ares."
"Curious," Solovet mused. "If the others had important tidings to send, why use Ares as the messenger?" He of all fliers needed to be well-rested for Tartarus. Flying into a battle where you know your bond will die must be the hardest thing any bat could ever do. Ares shouldn't face that harsh reality already weary.
"If the message is vital and urgent, sending the strongest flier might supersede all other concerns," Horatio suggested.
"I can confirm that it's Ares," Demeter said. "And he has the Warrior with him."
"Even stranger," Marcus whispered. "If speed mattered more than all else, Ares should have come without a rider, even one as light as-"
"The Warrior is shouting something," Ajax interrupted. "I can barely hear the words at this distance. Artemis, you are youngest. Can you understand him?"
"I can," the bat said, sounding confused. "He says that Luxa's missing leg has become dangerously infected, and that you must go to her at once."
"Missing leg?" Marcus objected. "But, Luxa-"
"Silence," Solovet hissed. Gregor must fear he could be overheard, so his words were meant to deceive or hide the truth. "Fliers... has Ares said anything in your own language?"
"Ah, yes, he is speaking now," Artemis whispered. Then his voice grew grim. "None should overhear this." Artemis issued several high-pitched squeaks that Solovet could barely hear.
Then Ajax whispered the translation for her ears alone. "Ares warns that the code team intercepted a message. The gnawers know of our mission and intend to ambush us. Gregor's false report about Luxa's infection is his cover story for warning us."
Clever boy...
Behind them, Ares had drawn close enough for Gregor's shouts to reach Solovet's ears. He continued to push the deception, shouting about Luxa's "missing leg" and the infection being life-threatening.
But what to do? Could she really justify turning back due to the planned ambush? The negotiation with the spinners was vital. She turned, looking back toward the rapidly approaching giant bat and his barely visible little rider. If they had Gregor and Ares with them, and kept their guard up, perhaps they could fight off any ambush and carry on their-"
Too late, Solovet realized that the boy coming up from behind was an even more hated target than herself.
Two dozen rats sprang from numerous side tunnels, shouting, "The Warrior!" At the edge of their torchlight, the shadowy shapes were monstrous to behold.
They had deliberately waited, allowing Solovet's party to pass, with their eyes on the greater prize.
"Come about!" Solovet shrieked, as Gregor's sword opened the first rat's throat and plunged into the belly of the second. "Aid them!"
Ajax, Artemis, and Demeter swiftly reversed course, and all three humans drew their weapons, but they might already be too late. Two rats tackled Ares out of the air, and Gregor tumbled across uneven stone. The boy jumped back to his feet and sprinted toward his bond, who was barely moving. Ares appeared to have struck his head hard, and was too disoriented to defend himself.
But none of the gnawers cared about the wounded bat. They all converged on the Overlander.
The Warrior attacked with all the fury and lethality of a rager surrounded, spinning, slashing, and stabbing out with both dagger and sword. Though beset on all sides, three rats tumbled away from him, screaming. Then two more died without a sound. Then five lost limbs and tails.
But the rest all pressed in, heedless of the danger, seeing only the glory that would come to the Warrior's killer.
Despite being outweighed four to one by even the smallest gnawers, despite the fury slashing at him from every side, he still might have held his own.
Had there not been other tunnels on the slope above him.
A dozen more rats sprang down from above, and the boy was too pressed from every side to move out of the way. One gnawer crashed directly into the Overlander, knocking him off balance. Teeth sank into Gregor's left arm, and Solovet's dagger clattered to the stone. Four more rats died to the slashing sword, then the boy was overcome.
He fell backward, shouting in defiance and stabbing repeatedly.
Claws slashed and teeth ripped.
Then Solovet's sword took a rat in the back of the head.
The three fliers circled low, risking themselves to allow maximum aggression from their human bonds. Swords hacked, and daggers plunged into rat bodies, as the three humans threw all caution to the wind. They abandoned all defense, their every movement committed exclusively to killing the rats surrounding the hope of Regalia. In their fixation on the Overlander, the rats failed to counter their airborne foes, and soon the last gnawer died thrashing.
Solovet leapt from Ajax while still dangerously high, tucking and rolling when she landed, bruising her left leg and shoulder. But she couldn't bring herself to care.
She reached Gregor's side, took one look...
And dropped to her knees.
Blood gushed from a hundred wounds. The boy's armor was torn completely away, and his small body was ruined beyond hope of recovery. Most of his shirt was missing, and everything was a savaged mess of shredded flesh, exposed bone, and flowing blood. His left hand and right leg lay nearby, his left eye was slashed through, and dark arterial blood pulsed from two different gashes in his neck.
WHEN THE WARRIOR HAS BEEN KILLED
He didn't die killing the Bane. He died foiling this ambush. Drawing the hatred of the rats to himself.
Despite the horror of his wounds, and what must be indescribable agony, the boy managed to speak. "Ares...?"
Solovet turned, and confirmed that the bat still breathed. "Dazed, but alive. You saved your bond."
Gregor nodded. Then his voice grew frantic. "I... I can't die yet... The Bane's still alive... I have to-"
Solovet gently silenced him with a finger to his lips. "You rescued us, dear boy. Perhaps you were never meant to kill the Bane yourself. You spared him once, after all. Instead, you die... saving my life. What if it is I who am meant to ensure the monster's death? What if my plans are the key to the final battle?"
The child's strength was failing, but he managed to nod. Then, he fixed his eye on her. "And... my family? Please. After the war... once you finally... have peace-" A fit of wet coughing took him, and Solovet's heart tore.
Despite the blood, she took his remaining hand and squeezed. "For your love of my granddaughter, you remained in the Underland, despite knowing what the prophecy foretold. Your sister gave us hope, and you have given your life that I might live. I vow to you: The monster will die. The war will be won. And then I will personally take your family home."
Gregor's eye clamped shut, spilling tears that carved a path through the blood on his cheek. He managed the approximation of a smile.
Then the boy composed himself. It was a wonder to behold, and Solovet never would have believed it had she not seen it with her own eyes. The child lay there, face serene, still as stone, calm in his final moments, despite the terrible pain.
His breathing slowed... and finally stopped. His expression was the very picture of peace... and fulfillment.
Horatio and Marcus stood nearby. Silently, they raised their swords in salute. Solovet gently laid Gregor's hand over his heart, and slipped her dagger back into his belt. Standing, she saluted as well. Ajax, Artemis, and Demeter bowed low.
Ares finally regained his senses, and crawled to Gregor's side. Silent, his face twisting in pain, Ares took the boy's hand in his claw, assuming the bond gesture.
More time passed than should be spent during war, but the enormity of this tragedy held all of them in a vice. When Gregor was first identified as the Warrior, the grim prophecies had tricked Solovet into viewing Gregor as a piece in a vast game. A critical component of the grand tapestry of history. A vital resource for ensuring Regalia's survival.
Only recently had that finally changed, and she had been right to see him as a child. Before her lay a young boy, his body savaged, who died in agony... saving her. Ares, a champion of the people, a hero among the fliers, curled up next to Gregor... and began to softly weep. They had been bonded less than a year, had so often been apart. Yet Solovet suspected their mutual love and respect had known no equal.
Finally breaking the silence, Solovet whispered, "Now cracks... a noble heart. I shall keep my vow. Ares, when your heart allows it, bear your bond back to the others. You did not fail him: He fulfilled his destiny. Ensure Hazard, Lizzie, and Boots do not see him, but tell the tale of how he saved our lives. I shall secure the alliance with the spinners... and then I shall redraw our plans for what comes next. If the prophecy meant that the Warrior would die for me, then I must ensure that my leadership in the coming battle is decisive. This is clearly the time for bold, unconventional plans, and I suspect the spinners are meant to be a vital component of my strategy."
The Plain of Tartarus was all but silent. Two thousand rats slept fitfully, exhausted from the fighting, the marching, and the morale blows of so many recent defeats. Their few sentries lay dead from stealthy strikes, few of their surviving officers had much experience, and none suspected the danger. Believing the false intel planted by nibblers using the Code of Claw, they took no note as the web drew tight.
Many allies had gathered in great strength. Lapblood's gnawers, emboldened by the heavy losses suffered by the Bane's troops and officers, had mustered more than a thousand fighters. Having rescued the daughter of Queen Wevox from the Bane's forces, they now stood ready for the final battle.
At a whisper from Solovet, relayed by many fliers, it began.
Five hundred bats flew above the sleeping rats in a dense formation, raining incendiary explosives upon the packed bodies. As the fires burst to brilliant light, every flier shrieked in unison, an ear-splitting wail that chilled the heart. Rats came awake to sheer chaos and mayhem, with many hundreds already on fire, and keening screams echoing in the vast space.
And as many rats tried to flee... they found themselves caught in dense webs.
Queen Wevox herself sat behind Solovet on the back of Ajax. The spinners hated all the noise, but they had been warned to expect it. Thousands of her people had silently woven dense webs, blocking all of the most convenient avenues of retreat. And on the other side of the webs, waiting to pounce on any rat that managed to wriggle through, thousands more creatures waited. Spinners, crawlers, nibblers, and Lapblood's gnawers ensured that none of the Bane's army could survive fighting through all of those webs.
Seeing the mayhem, terror, and crumbling morale reaching a fever pitch, Solovet signaled the next stage.
In unison, every human and flier shouted, "The Bane is dead! The Bane is dead! Surrender, gnawers! Your King is dead!"
Though many veteran rats shouted denials, trying to rally their trapped forces, the panic rapidly grew. Many rats started screaming out their surrender, begging for mercy, and some of these were murdered by their fellow gnawers. As predicted, the unified cry of the Bane's death was too much for the army to endure. More and more of the officers started crying out for the Bane to show himself, to prove he still lived, to come to the aid of his army.
At last... it worked.
An enormous white shape emerged from a tunnel high on the far wall of the chamber. Vast, deranged, and incoherent, the Bane roared in defiance and rage. His army began to rally, cheering at the sight...
And Queen Wevox ran a leg across her thorax, sending a loud, sharp, abrasive signal.
A flight of bats swooped over the Bane, and the many spinners on their backs dropped thick, sticky webs. The viscous silk rained down on the huge rat, who thrashed and roared and bucked. With his monstrous strength and oversized claws, he snapped or cut many of the threads, and it seemed likely he might break free...
But Solovet gave the next signal.
Another team of bats flew low, taking advantage of the Bane's severely limited mobility. More explosive packages broke over him, and the white fur ignited. Screaming, thrashing, the Bane twisted and rolled, finally breaking free of the webs, desperate to smother the flames. He lost his balance on the steep slope, rolling and crashing until he came to a stop on a ledge. Moving with difficulty, with some of his bones clearly broken, and blood gushing from the stump of his tail, the giant rat finally put out the fire. His fur was scorched black, he wavered in dizziness, weariness, and pain...
And Solovet gave the final signal.
Swooping low, Ares passed over the Bane. In vengeance for his murdered bond, the big black bat delivered the only creature that could fight such a monster alone.
Ripred crashed onto the Bane from above, ripping his claws across the huge rat's eyes and biting off his ears. Screaming, wailing, the tremendous gnawer bucked and thrashed, hurling Ripred off his back. Landing on the slope above with fluid grace, Ripred charged. The Bane lashed out blindly, his huge claws swiping with desperate fury. One claw raked across Ripred's face, opening a diagonal gash that crossed the scar Solovet dealt him decades before.
Then Ripred sprang, taking the Bane by the throat.
Despite an eight to one advantage in weight, the panicked, burned, blind Bane lost balance and toppled off the ledge. Together, he and Ripred tumbled, crashed, and rolled all the way down. The rats below scattered, making way, and the two combatants skidded to a stop, with the rager hidden entirely beneath the Bane.
While the fires still burned, and many dying rats still howled and wailed, relative silence fell. According to the plan, the allied army paused their attacks when Ripred engaged the Bane, allowing the enemy army to watch the battle unfold. Now, all eyes were on the huge rat, his skin and fur charred, his tremendous body sprawled lifeless on the floor of the cavern. The blood flowing from his throat slowed... and stopped. Ripred was nowhere to be seen, buried beneath the giant corpse, and Solovet's heart seized up. She couldn't lose Gregor and Ripred, not in so short a time.
Rats began to wail in grief, and the cry of surrender again rang out. Where before, the calls for mercy numbered in the hundreds, now they echoed in the thousands. Surrounded by webs and waiting foes, with fires burning in their midst, and five hundred fliers circling overhead, the enemy army couldn't bear the sight of their dead champion. Despite the Warrior's death, the Bane could not bring them victory.
The Monster's blood... had been spilled.
At a command from Queen Wevox, openings were made in the encircling web. Lapblood's gnawers, along with the many smaller creatures, entered to accept the surrender. The gnawers submitted to being muzzled, webs tying their mouths shut.
Then one rat threatened to ruin everything.
Small, her silvery fur beautifully groomed, Twirltongue dashed into view at the mouth of the tunnel where the Bane entered the cavern. She called out for all to hear, shouting that they must avenge their fallen King, that the Bane's killers must be punished. Several gnawers began to spread that call...
Then Solovet's sword drove through Twirltongue's head from above, leaving the corpse to roll and bounce down the slope. The evil heart shaper, who unlike Boots used her remarkable charisma for only harm, was finally silenced.
Circling back around, Ajax carried Solovet and Wevox down toward the gnawer army. "Your cause is lost, enemies of peace! The Warrior died saving my life, and ensuring our alliance with the spinners! You can fight for your dead King, and be slaughtered in your thousands! Or you can honor your surrender, and live to see peace! The Monster's blood is spilled! The Warrior has been killed! The Princess broke your Code of Claw! The prophecy has been fulfilled in Regalia's favor! Surrender, or die on the wrong side of history!"
Then, incredibly, Ripred's voice echoed through the chamber. "Heed her, gnawers! Peace is the only hope for the Underland's future!" All heads whirled toward the rager. A thick trail of blood marked where Ripred tore his way out from under the Bane. None had known he even survived the fall, and it was almost as if he'd returned from the dead.
And thus, the bloodshed on the Plain of Tartarus ended.
Under Solovet's leadership, not a single ally of Regalia died in the battle.
Solovet and Vikus stood to either side of Queen Luxa, with the three other surviving Councilmen standing silently behind. The battered and grieving people of Regalia filled the arena. Ripred stood at the front of the gnawer delegation. Branded "the Peacemaker" in the aftermath of his duel with the Bane, he was eventually accepted as their spokesman. Lizzie stood at his side, unafraid of the other gnawers, her eyes red with grief, leaning against the rat for comfort. Hazard, Boots, Grace, and Gregor's father sat in the midst of the crawlers. All, even Boots, were somber and silent. Grace especially looked nearly broken. For over a year, she wanted nothing more than to get her family far from the Underland, away from the dangers of this war-torn world. Deep down, Solovet understood her pain, and regretted its necessity. But by that family's heartache and loss, thousands of lives were saved. Ares stood behind the family, lightly embracing them all with his vast wings. With the foretold death of his bond, he had declared that his oath of protection would extend to Gregor's family. And having heard the vow to the dying boy, Ares was determined to see Solovet's promise fulfilled.
Luxa stepped forward. Her eyes showed her weariness and grief. Though the final battle cost her people no lives, nearly a quarter of the human population had fallen earlier in the war. And the one life lost two days before the battle of Tartarus nearly broke her heart. No amount of foreknowledge, no warning from the prophecy, could adequately prepare her. She stood strong largely by virtue of Solovet's words the night before. Gregor knew what the war would cost him. He chose to stay the course out of loyalty to Luxa herself. Out of respect to Gregor's memory, and to honor his choice, Luxa would now ensure that his death would not be in vain.
"Ripred, do you speak for the gnawers?"
"As slayer of the Bane, I have exercised my right to claim the Kingship, and I've defeated all challengers. And as the Peacemaker, I'm prepared to speak for my subjects."
Luxa nodded, regal despite her pain and sorrow. If anything, her sorrow added to her dignity, to the undercurrent of invincible strength that none could deny. "We have gathered here to mark the end of an unhappy and costly war. I have come to accept the surrender and present the terms of the peace."
Solovet fought to hide the tension growing within her. What would come next had been carefully planned by her, Vikus, Luxa, Ripred, Lapblood, and the last surviving rat General. But it would take a bit of theatrics for it to feel genuine.
Vikus spoke first. "By the blood of many, including the child who saved my wife, we have this chance for peace. All have seen the cost of war. No one here came through these dark days without great personal loss. We propose an alliance, as strong and mutually beneficial as what Regalia has long held with the fliers." He unfurled a scroll, and for several minutes he read the terms. Acknowledgements of sovereign territories. Commitment to military support. Open trade, with the humans offering medical treatment to any gnawers in need, and vowing to research technologies that might one day allow trained gnawers to use tools. The gnawer delegation marveled at that. The humans were offering to give up their monopoly on science and technology.
Then, Solovet spoke. In accordance with Ripred's suggestion, she falsely reported a military buildup of cutters on their border, and expounded on how effectively the threat could be faced by a combined alliance of gnawers and humans.
Finally, Luxa spoke. "We all know the tale of the Overland Warrior. The son of the sun. He brought us light by ending Gorger's war, which cost thousands of lives, and would have cost thousands more had it dragged on. He set an example of compassion when he refused to kill the infant Pearlpelt. He took up the sword of Bartholemew despite knowing he would die. Before us all stand his father, his mother, his sisters, and his bond. They have lost their most beloved, one more precious to them than their own lives. Their hearts were torn asunder... that this chance for peace might be offered to us all."
Ripred stepped forward, slowly enough that Lizzy could stay at his side. The girl's tears flowed fresh again at the open discussion of her brother's death. Solovet was there when Lizzie and her parents were allowed to read the true, uncensored Prophecy of Time. While it gutted them, it also deepened their love and respect for their dear, kind Gregor.
"I accept these terms, on behalf of all gnawers," Ripred said, his voice solemn but loud enough for all to hear. "In memory of what this family gave, and so that no other families need ever suffer such loss again, I offer peace, alliance... and more." He nodded, and two other rats stepped forward. Lapblood approached Solovet, Ripred stepped up to Luxa, and General Clawsin stopped before Vikus. The one-eyed rat had once been loyal to Gorger, had later joined Ripred's band, and lost his eye while caring for the young Bane.
Luxa held out her hand, and took Ripred's paw. Vikus did the same with Clawsin, and Solovet did so with Lapblood. Many in the crowd gasped, recognizing the gesture.
"On behalf of all humans," Luxa said, "I offer this bond."
"On behalf of all gnawers," Ripred said, "I accept."
The words were spoken, with Luxa bonding Ripred, Vikus bonding Clawsin, and Solovet bonding Lapblood. Into the amazed silence, Luxa and Vikas took turns speaking passionately for peace. Queen Wevox, Queen Athena, the King of the crawlers with Boots at his side, the nibbler elder Hypatia, and a huge digger came forward one by one. In the sight of all, the leaders of each nation faced the leaders of each other, and many declared their bonds. The diggers had recently split into three factions, and the one bonding Luxa could only speak for two of them, but the foundation of an enduring peace was still laid.
When all words had been spoken, the bonded rulers entered the palace together to discuss the details of this new alliance. The first of Luxa's promises was for the diggers to be granted permanent ownership of a quarter of Regalia's land, provided all who lived their swore personal oaths to do no harm. With the deaths of so many humans, granting the space was, sadly, an easy concession.
Solovet's mind and heart swirled with a complex storm of thoughts and feelings. A lifetime of loss and struggle made her crave vengeance... but thousands of gnawers had died for their crimes. The battle of Tartarus had been a one-sided rout, with no friendly losses and the Bane dying in front of his entire army. The leaders of seven nations were prepared to repudiate the bloodshed and look to the future.
Though many former enemies still lived... Solovet accepted...
This peace... was victory.
Solovet's strategies and military might had won the war. Vikus offered the wisdom and diplomacy to prevent another. And Luxa stood between them, the young, hardened, wise ruler that had learned from both. All three of them would forever remember the service, the courage, and the sacrifice of the young hero who made this triumph possible.
With peace declared, and the war officially behind them, Solovet approached Gregor's grieving family. Ares stood with them protectively, comforting them with his warm, steady presence.
Solovet knelt, laid her sword at their feet, and bowed her head. "Your family bought survival for my people, and peace to my world. Your son gave his life... that thousands might live. I wish you still had him with you, but he made the choice of a hero. His heart... was larger than mine. His love... far more pure." Lizzie, Boots, and Grace were all weeping, and Solovet didn't look up to see if Ares or Gregor's father fared any better. "In his final moments, your dear boy thought only of you. He begged me to bring you all home."
Slowly, Solovet rose, and looked upon the bereaved family. Sure enough, Gregor's father wept, though quietly. Ares stood silent and stoic, hugging the family a little closer.
Solovet laid out the full truth. "Boots has the loyalty of the crawlers. Lizzie is a codebreaker of inestimable value. All of you would be welcome and cherished here." She met the eyes of Grace, whose grief hardened with clear threat. If Solovet ordered the family detained, she had no doubt Grace would fight for their freedom. Solovet smiled, and nodded in genuine respect. "As one bereaved mother to another... I honor your courage. You did far better by your family than I did by mine."
Grace's eyes widened at this candor, and she hesitated.
Solovet continued. "By my harsh demands, the heart of my son was broken. He fled, rejecting me utterly, and he died without wanting to ever set eyes on me again. But you, Grace... you ensured your boy knew he was loved. He knew you valued your family above all else."
Solovet reached out to take the mother's hand. Grace did not resist. "Your son acted against your wishes. He gave his life without your permission. But in doing so, he upheld the love, and the courage, that you taught him. That you showed him by how you live your own life... and that made him who he was. Who we all needed."
The whole family was sobbing now. Grace held Boots, and Ares hugged them close in his wings.
"I swore to Gregor that I would take you home once peace was won. I am a hard woman. A harsh leader. But I do not break my word." She signaled, and Ajax descended. "Though the hole in your hearts may never fully heal... it is time for you all to go home."
Author's Note:
Thus concludes the "Ironheart" trilogy. When writing "To Soften the Heart of Iron," I depicted Solovet openly talking with Gregor about his foretold death. Apparently, my dream took these ideas and ran with them. I certainly would never have made up a story like this, with Gregor dying while rescuing Solovet, but it allowed a chain of events where far fewer lives were ultimately lost. And Vikus never even had his stroke. Gregor's foretold death was something Vikus had the entire series to prepare his heart for, while Solovet's death in canon was something else entirely. I of course prefer the real story, but this dream presented a scenario where Gregor faced the violent end he had armored his heart for. Ares was one of the thousands who lived because of it. I never wanted to have a dream where Gregor died, but if he did die, I'd hope it was to make a difference as profound as this.
Special thanks to TUCfan, whose encouragement led me to write "Not Her Pawn," bridging the gap between the two stories in a way I hope was satisfying.
The vast majority of my Underland work strives to be 100% canon compliant, only adding details, characters, and worldbuilding to fill out the beautiful tapestry Suzanne Collins wove. So this trilogy represents quite an exception, striving to show how events can snowball and build momentum, if a single change of sufficient significance is introduced at the right time. If you enjoy stories where events diverge, you might get a huge kick out of "Bullets, Blades, and Extradimensional Fire." That gloriously bonkers dream was the first one I ever wrote out. One minute, I and my marines were struggling to survive against Xenomorphs. Then, freak'n Gregor arrived, and things got awesome. It was enough fun to inspire AO3 writer PhillMcWilly to begin the story "Swords, hats, and tired children." In it, Gregor finds himself in the Walking Dead universe, and teams up with young Clem.