The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Face Behind the Fist
by Nadia Corin

Ezra was prepared for what would come. Although royalty, she often snuck off to the Pits, where the strong matched the strong to see who was worthy of adorning imperial armor. In her youth, she watched from wherever she could see. As she got older, she began fighting in the Pits herself. Crowds cheered at her skill, defeating most opponents she faced.

It wasn’t long before she gained favor among the masses, and eventually developed a following. Everyone wanted to know who the mysterious warrior was, all wanted to peel back the mask and see the face behind the fist. But due to her status in the empire, she had to remain anonymous.

It wasn’t until the horde came and broke through the city wall that she revealed her identity. The six-legged creatures managed to gather enough of themselves to form a living ram of sorts. The found a weak spot and exploited it, sacrificing many of themselves in the process. But the remaining vile things came crawling into the city, tearing apart anyone they got their claws on.

Ezra heard the screams, and the reviling screech the horrible monsters made. She was the first to run toward it. She not only knew her duty was to protect her people, but she knew it was her time. Her time to show people their leaders shouldn’t hide behind castle walls, that they should be strong, and protect those within their domain.

It was her time to lead.

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Fiction © Copyright Nadia Corin
Image courtesy of Pixabay