A whimper doused his flame, a trembling hand reached out to him. Even the winds died out in the midst of chatter, listening to his thumping heart. His ears still rang with the clash of swords and the boom of explosive weaponry, the screams of agony wrenched his heart, the coppery tang of blood and sweat wafted up nauseated nostrils, body protesting under fatigue.
My people, those are my people. Filled with so much anguish, so much pain.
His hardened face slackened, lips no longer squeezed in a thin line. His eyes followed the lieutenant, pointing towards a carriage heading to his eternal prison. Weighed by sorrows in his heart, his feet settled a step below. He gazed at his soldiers, then at the skies and beyond.
"Forgive me, my people, that it has to end this way."
All will be revealed in time.
All will be revealed in time.