“Dance with me, traitor!” Edward Tiburon bellowed, his gloved left-hand tense on the leather of his drawn cutlass, a shimmering symphony of silver and red, rippling against the white moonlight that crept through the palm leaves. His words were heavy, his voice deep and rough.


    The sour smell of salt and death hung in the hot air as thundering waves thrust up the shore of The Serpent’s Isle. William Thorne noticed a gaping wound in Edward’s right arm. His muscles were exposed, stirring with the movement of his shoulder.His sword hand is gone, William noticed when he saw the pus seeping down into the sand. His right eye was milky with blindness framing a deep red scar.


    He stood tall and broad, his thick garments of leather and steel fit tightly to his muscular frame. A flag was strewn across his shoulders, torn and wet, the silver shark of house Tiburon against a deep-sea blue.


    “I shall step no closer, Shark. You''re hurt! Yield!” William cried, 20 yards from death.This is the face of the Devil, he thought.


    “Don’t patronise me, I’ll kill you all the same!” Edward’s left eye was flaming red with rage, and his legs were planted deep in the ground, a moment from charging. He was also shaking; From anger or pain, William did not know. He was fitted with a loose cloth and leather - heavy and torn, His father’s red sword of Roseshard steel sheathed by his hip; a gift that was given at his passing -manyyears ago now. William spoke words of unnerving persuasion. “You’ve changed. Edward.” The Rose took a step back - the Shark trailed, growling.


    “This is what war does to a man,” he roared.


    William spoke softly, “But I am no enemy to you.”


    Edward Tiburon strode forward in a booming fit of rage. “You are! You bear the name of Thorne—”


    “-But yet...” William interrupted, throwing down his weapon “I don’t wish to fight, my lord.”


    Edward paused.“Shame. You carry the blood of Damien Thorne,” he responded blaringly. “And I wish to see the red of the Rose.”


    He broke into a mighty charge advancing rapidly towards William, who plucked his sword back up off the shore as Edward charged, hoisting the blade above his head, striking down towards his skull in a lethal blow.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    William froze the ruthless drive of the blade in a desperate parry. Both swords clashed and whistled a harmony of steel and sparks, singing a song of death as the forest rang behind them. Crows took wing as Willaim stood firm - the force from Edward’s blade carrying through his body like a hot poison, driving his boots down into the sand. Edward advanced, slicing toward William’s torso. He stumbled back, barely escaping the fatal path and forcefully swung out to find flesh.


    Edward was remarkably quick; his blade cut through the air, finding William’s. Fire flew from the sharp crack of the steel, spawning a dark red smoke that swirled to the stars.


    Left, right, left, down, up, the swords glistened in the moonlight as they struggled to find each other through the sand that leaped around them. William’s ears rang to the shrieking of his Roseshard steel on Edward’s. His arm was screaming as his sword began to slow and lag while Edward’s danced in the light of God.


    William noticed the Shark was smiling as he delivered his blows; some beginning to find the chain of his mail, cutting through to his flesh. He grimaced as the steel hacked at his skin, the cold force striking through his body.


    Edward crouched down to drive a clever and soulless blow violently into William’s calf. He flinched, screaming as his legs collapsed beneath him.


    He was falling.


    It felt as if the sea began to scream as his head crashed against sandstone. Not like this. Have mercy, Edward. Not like this. His ears rang as the sand moved beneath him. He couldn’t move, the battle was lost.


    Edward Tiburon stood over him,smiling,His frame dark and menacing against the light of the moon streaking past him. William tried to speak but only blood came. Coughing, he spoke, "I Yield."


    "I know you do... I know." Edward Pressed the tip of the sword against William’s skull. Blood began to draw. The pain overtook William as he began to claw at the wet sand below, howling, calling to the gods above. "You''re onlya child," He whispered.


    "Stop this!Please!I Yield-"


    "-Shhh. Say hi to your father for me."


    “NO! You don’t want to do this! My brothers will-”


    -Edward thrusted his blade through William’s eyes. Blood spewed across the sand as his body began to spasm. Edward grinned as he watched him slow, turning white, as the blood painted the pale-yellow canvas around him.


    "The Red of The Rose." He muttered, venturing deeper into the dark of the forest where no God could see.