Cedrik and the Iron tithe

The Steel Guardian did not question who he protected. Until today.

This image captures the tragedy of Cedrik's choice at the end of The Iron Tithe. He owed his life to the Realm and the people of Alcia. But on this day, he was forced to choose between trusting that Law is Justice... or that Morality defines the person who wields it.

Writing this ending was difficult. It's a choice that I would never want to face myself. Yet, I felt compelled to follow it through, because our history is filled with impossible decisions. Not out of desire, but because the circumstances demanded it.

This short story is the first example of the moral weight the characters in The Second Cycle will have to carry. Their world is shaped not by clear lines of good and evil, but by the consequences of the paths they choose. We rarely understand the full cost of our decisions until much later. Cedrik certainly didn’t on this day. And it changed him forever.

I want to believe that we are forged in Steel by the decisions we make. Some will be "correct" and some will be "wrong", but no single choice will define our lives. Redemption is always possible. My hope is that you follow Cedrik, and others, as they search for it in a world where all choices have consequences, physically, mentally and spiritually.