I pass over him, half bent on my knee after a fully offensive attack... The arm still reaching back after swinging my sword, it was just one powerful movement but that's all I needed.
I straighten up and bring back the red blade to my side... Turning around to look at my opponent.
He stands still, the sword low almost touching the ground and his free hand over the abdomen. No smile is visible anymore -You're... Strong- his voice doesn't sound teasing now -Stronger than me, I understood that from the moment our blades touched- he gasps for air, pressing over his open wound he coats his hand in blood and then rise it at eye level... Giving up on stopping the bleeding.
He smiles -We don't need to drag it out more than this- and then he drops his weapon, letting it fall on the ground -Finish it, you've earned this much-
I look at him with a frown -Do I need to "earn" the privilege of killing you?- he shakes his head tho -I'm not talking about me... I meant that you earned my respect, my trust that you'll put an end to all of this-
I tilt my head, asking him to explain and he goes on -I told you, not everyone wants to be here. I've been a warrior all my life, but this war? It's not worth calling this a war. Fighting has lost its meaning now, it's just a massacre for the fun of someone above us all- he takes a deep breath and falls on his knees -I ask you but one last favor... Kill me-
I widen my eyes at such an absurd request -If you manage to get out of here in some way, you can treat that wound and go back home-
-I don't think a home exists anymore for me to return to and... Even if I make it back, the future that awaits me is not a pleasant one. I suppose you guys are in our same situation when it comes to medical herbs and cures- I remain silent, nodding in agreement -I wouldn't make it, but what comes after... Is what I truly want to avoid the most...-
-What do you mean?- he begins to laugh at my question and more blood spills out of his body, dripping on the dry ground beneath his knees, the laugh itself sounds like the coughing of a dying man -The sand men... Those are the most wicked thing I've ever seen, straight out of the underworld-
-So my theory was true...? That's why there's always more of them and the enemies troupes never run dry-
-I suppose, I don't know for sure myself- I step closer to hear his weakening voice -Aren't you a General or something? How do you not know what goes on in your army-
He rises the head -We aren't under the same Lord, our army and that one barely interact... Those men don't even listen to our orders, only follow their Lord's command, even their normal human soldiers are completely out of our power-
-What? Two armies... There are mone enemies than I thought... Not just one body so not just one head to cut-
He reaches out an hand and grabs my arm -Please, kill me now and throw away the body... There's a river nearby, do it quickly, don't let them see you-
I press my lips together -Are you sure about this?-
He nods -To finally fight honestly and to die with some honor... That is the only decent way to die we have left- he looks up, not afraid but ready for what's to come -Your name will be remembered as the one who saved us-
And his smile vanishes just as it came, a clean and brief death is all I could offer him now.
-And your name will be one more Injust death that I will remember and bring with me to the end- his body falls down and the tension in my shoulders vanishes.
...
I drag his corpse all the way to a cliff deep in the forest but as I am approaching I feel dozens of other presences... While hissing up the body I can feel the silent tension around me, my heartbeat echoing above the loud silence. An arrow ready to shoot from between the trees and many eyes targeting me... The rumbling sky about to erupt.
I need to act fast.
With the side of my eye I try to look for the position if the men hiding behind, instead of throwing the body down the cliff I slowly reach to grab my sword... This will have to act as my shield, I'm too exposed.
I turn around and when I hear the arrows going off I start rotating my sword to send them away as much as possible. I throw a kick at the corpse behind my feet and fulfill my promise before walking toward the forest as I keep shielding myself against those never ending arrows.
I feel my injured arm getting slightly slower after carrying that man here, I pass the sword in my other arm but that one single move costs me a high price... One arrow slips past my blade and scrape further over the open wound.
I grit my teeth at the stinging sensation -Dammit!- the arrows seems to be even faster and begin to push me back toward the cliff -The situation isn't looking so good...- I murmur to myself trying to hold my ground.
I see movements in the dark trees and notice the men slowly approaching, but it's not just archers in the group coming my way... I squint my eyes to see better and my eyebrows shoots up as soon as I realize.
-This was an ambush all along...!- They reeled me in with those initial men and made me venture further in the forest, send these other soldiers to their death without them knowing and waited for me to take the bait. Then ambushed me when the situation was favorable... And I was so stupid to even approach a cliff all alone, I'm literally offering myself on a plate at this point!
Black smoke comes creeping in my direction and I can't do anything but take one more step back -You played your cards well, I admit that-
I look at the cliff with the tail of my eye, it's deep...
My eyes come back at the silhouettes in front of me, the smoke is about to reach me and turn me into a much weaker version of myself... I could burn the forest as I did the last time that many amount of sand men had me cornered... But my chances of escape would be zero then and I would also signal my position to eveyone else, both enemies and comrades who would immediately realize that I've distanced myself again.
My right heel loses ground and the rock beneath my feet crumbles. An idea pops into my head
-Maybe...? Well, that's my only option anyway!- I shout and rise my sword up in the air before thrusting it in the ground with all my strength, immediately a crack forms and crawls torwar the forest.
The arrows stop coming and the cliff side begins to crumble apart, dragging us all to the bottom of the deep gorge.