Chrysalis: Red Fury

By JF Ridgley

 

Proverb "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was coming to an end, she changed into a butterfly."  A dangerous butterfly...

Ravaged by Rome, Morrigan turns her fear into revenge and now it is Rome who should fear her. Rome's tax collector Decianus Catus intrudes on Morrigan's father's funeral, flogs her mother Boudica, and then takes the Iceni people back to camp where the women are raped. He then sells them all as slaves to be taken back to Rome. However, the Trinovante warriors save them all of this horrid fate. To survive, Morrigan turns her fear into fury. Now  Rome should fear her wrath.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JF Ridgley
• Release date: Nov 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781951269067

JF Ridgley

Times Change. People Don't.   This was something my mother said once. I agree. I love writing about people dealing with their lives now or in the past. It's just as complicated. Challenging and fun.

Book preview

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was coming to an end, she turned into a butterfly

Chrysalis

Short story to Red Fury Rebellion

JF Ridgley

Chapter 1

Morrigan shrank away from the Roman slaver’s filthy hand reaching for her. The short chain to her slave collar allowed him to clutch her hair and yank her close. I look forward to fucking you like we did last night. The stench of his foul breath hit like a fist. Look forward to it, little princess.

Images of that horrid night seared through Morrigan…soldiers raping all the women of the Iceni as their men watched. Hatred boiled in her veins. She sank her teeth into the Roman’s fat cheek.

You little bitch. He backhanded her, knocking Morrigan into the woman chained behind to her. Stars swarmed in her glare as she struggled to stand. Still, she managed to ram her knee into his groin. The Roman double over in pain.

The master slaver, the one named Silvio, the bastard who planned to sell them in Rome, charged his horse between them. Leave the bitch alone, Ruisco. I don’t want her ruined like you did the last—

A lance sang through the air and jerked Silvio from his horse. Another pierced the Roman’s back, throwing him toward Morrigan. She moved aside and let him fall to the mud at her feet just as an explosion of war cries burst from the thick bushes and undergrowth lining the road. Livid glares of angry warriors flooded into view.

Diras! Calgacus! Joyous tears sprang to Morrigan’s eyes. She had never seen a more beautiful sight as Trinovante swords gleaming in the midday sun while the tribe’s warriors slaughtered all those who were not chained.

One of the men behind her was cut free, allowing him to search Silvio’s body for the key to the slave collars. Once freed, he shoved the key into her palm. Free the rest. I have some killing to do.

The feel of metal falling from her neck would never be forgotten. Morrigan tossed the key to the woman beside her, fell to her knees, and snatched the knife from the Roman’s belt to plunge it into his chest.

Die, you bastard. Die!

All the pain the Romans had done to her people rose to a boil in her soul. Memories returned— of holding Mergith—the man she loved more than life itself—as his blood poured onto