Bad Milk
(Side Stories of the Iron Flower)
by Billy
Wong
Description
Bad Milk is an heroic fantasy tale featuring the
indestructible female warrior known as the Iron Flower.
When an insanity
epidemic afflicts bandits and wealthy merchants alike, well-scarred Rose's
investigation sends her on an awkward journey into a temple of beauty.
This short story was
previously published in Afterburn SF. It
is a side story in the Iron Flower series and takes place after the events of Iron Bonds.
Excerpt
Big Rose watched the
obese giant jump up from his seat with a scream, knocking over his chair so
that it thudded down behind him. He
continued to shout as he turned to and fro, swinging massive arms like a
maddened bear. Patrons scrambled from
their seats around him and scurried away, too late for one couple drenched by
the mugfuls of ale his flailing launched through the air. The male victim cursed at him, and behind him
the barkeep ducked to retrieve a stout club from beneath the counter.
Rose frowned,
bouncing her leg up and down under her corner table while she struggled over
her course of action. She had seen
innumerable bar fights, and participated in no few. Her involvement here could make the
difference between someone getting seriously hurt or not. But, far from home and without her braggart
husband at her side, today was a rare time she got to enjoy a drink in peace
without being recognized. So she sipped
at her bowl of whiskey and waited, hoping things would not escalate.
The behemoth slammed
huge fists down on his table, causing it to split and crash down in
pieces. Rose bit her lip; it would have
taken considerable force to do that. The
barkeep stepped in front of him, talking to try and calm him. A backhand sent him sprawling as blood sprayed
from his nose, and Rose stood.
The giant advanced
on the stunned man, who two waitresses rushed to aid. One woman tried to drag the barkeep away,
while the other brave girl grabbed his attacker in an attempt to restrain
him. He flung her away and into a bunch
of chairs. A youth ran to aid her, while
two friends stepped towards her assailant.
His hands shot out in a flash and cracked their skulls together. One fell, senseless at best; the other stood
reeling, defenseless against the fist drawn back to end him.
"Enough!"
Rose said as she caught the haymaker in her hand, a powerful blow but no more
so than one of her husband's. She
squeezed, relatively calm if resigned to unwanted attention later. Few men even of his size could match her
strength, and she expected him to be incapacitated by pain. But when his glazed eyes met hers, she saw
something she had rarely encountered off the battlefield - the madness of a
berserker rage. No wonder he didn't
speak. Nor did he show any regard for
the crushing pressure on his hand, and before Rose could adjust to this
surprise his other fist smashed into her face.
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About the Author
Billy Wong is an avid fan of heroic fantasy, with a special love for
strong female warriors. He draws inspiration from the epic legends of old, and
is on a quest to bring over the top deeds and larger than life heroes back to
prominence in today's literary world.
Billy lives in Coney Island, Brooklyn. He has written numerous fantasy
books, including the Iron Flower series and the Gothic Warrior series. The Iron
Flower series consists of Iron Bloom, Iron Flower, and Iron Bonds. The Gothic Warrior series consists of Gothic Warrior and the Dark Man, Seeds of Despair, Gothic Gladiator, and Best in the Elf-ing World.
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