Utter fury steamed from the face of an armored man as he trudged through the slush of earth that seeped through the braces of his sandals. His violet cape flapped in the cold breeze as his sword and dagger rattled with a lethal song at his side.
The man undid and hurled his helmet to the mud with a splash. How could I have let this happen?
The man gazed at the feast for crows that was scattered before him. Fallen spears and shields, covered in mud, rested silently to never be raised by their valiant warriors again.
The man clenched his fists as his eyes raged from one corpse to the next. Why didn’t I stop him?
“Sir…” a voice whispered near his side, amongst the mangled bodies that littered the field.
The man stopped as thunder rumbled in the distance. He turned toward the voice as a chill trickled down his neck.
No. The man’s lips trembled.
A boy no older than sixteen lay beneath the corpses of his comrades. Red mud covered his face. An utter look of terror covered the boy’s expression as he desperately attempted to free himself from the weight of his comrades.
“Sir…” He whimpered with barely a whisper as he slowly clawed his fingers in the muck.
The man’s face was stone cold, yet his eyes wavered. He took a step toward the boy and knelt in front of him.
Tears dripped from the boy’s eyes as he raised his hand. The man crept to the boy’s side, taking hold of his thin, grimy fingers.
The boy tightened his grip with what strength he had left. He looked at the man with trembling lips.
“What’s your name, son?” the man whispered, not taking his sight off the boy’s deep brown eyes.
The boy labored for air as his eyes rolled from side to side. “Nadeir…”
The man gave a sad smile as he gazed at the corpses that were piled on top of Nadeir. His eyes fell to the boy’s shattered armor. Blood seeped from the cruel wound that ravaged his side.
“Please help,” Nadeir wept. “I don’t…”
I’m so sorry…
The man hushed the boy as he patted his hand. “Where you from, Nadeir?”
“Tukula,” Nadeir whispered with glistening eyes.
The man nodded his head. “Hill country.” He took a long breath as if he could taste the fresh air. “Beautiful farmland, eh?”
Nadeir nodded with clenched teeth as rain drops splattered across the ground. Thunder rumbled overhead as the man continued to pat Nadeir’s hand.
“It hurts,” Nadeir cried as his lips seethed in agony.
I know…
The man patted the boy’s hand with pity. “Everything will be fine.” The man rested his hand on the hilt of his dagger. “You’re one of the bravest soldiers I know, Nadeir.” The boy smiled as the man gently removed his dagger without taking his gaze from the boy. “Think of Tukula, Nadeir.” He steadied his hand behind Nadeir’s head as he saw the boy’s lips widen. “Think of home.”
The man plunged his dagger into Nadeir’s skull, spewing a stream of fleshy blood down the boy’s neck.
The man hurled his dagger aside. Gods be cursed!
A lone tear dripped from the man’s face as he held a hand to his head. He gently removed his hand from Nadeir’s thin fingers as the boy’s head drifted against the mud.
So much life…The man frowned as he heard horse’s approach. He gazed at the wretched corpses all around him. So much wasted life…
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