Our Flame: A Short Story

Our Flame

The corridor was dim and frigid, the only illumination coming from a set of fading lanterns mounted to the walls and the sunlight from the exit far down the tunnel. The hallway had a near deafening silence to it, the cold space filled with nothing but darkness and patches of light.

Gradually, however, the clanking of footsteps started to echo throughout the corridor, the sound bouncing off the walls to make a symphony of clanking metal and steel. A single knight walked down the seemingly endless hallway, the patches of light reflecting off his flawless silver and red armor as barely audible chants could be heard above him.

The knight walked with a commanding and confident stature always, for he had learned to always keep a fearless poise in even the most dire of situations for the sake of others; however, as the knight continued down the hallway to the exit, helmet at his side, the cold surrounding his dark face, he couldn't help but reminisce on everything hed been through in the last few years.

It felt like another lifetime ago when he was just a young, overconfident and spirited recruit wanting to prove himself to his family, his friends, and to the man he aspired to be: Sir Denimos of the Phoenixguard.

He still remembered the day he met his hero, stepping up to spar with the veteran Lord Marshal of the royal Phoenixguard in the Proving Grounds when no one else would dare to. It had been false confidence and stupidity, and the young knight lost effortlessly to the veteran, but Sir Denimos saw the untapped potential the young man had, so he decided to take him in as his protege.

The knight smiled slightly remembering the many journeys and challenges the two had, the duo gradually becoming an inseparable pair while also learning to be better men from each other as well.

"The battle is never over for us, young Connor'' Sir Denimos said to the young knight one night while they observed the kingdom from a distant hill under the night sky "Even now, as we sit and rest, our enemies out there gather in strength, looking to one day destroy everything we hold dear. If we ever hope to hold back those dark forces from our doorstep and defy destiny, we must be willing to face and stop the unstoppable, even if it comes with sacrifice". The elder placed his hand upon Connors' shoulder, turning and smiling at the young knight "You have become a great knight, young one, and one day you will make a superior commander than even myself. Until then," the knight said, turning back to the city, "Together we will defend our home and those we hold dearest until we can't fight no more. For we are the Pheonixguardand we fight until our flame burns out".

As he continued to reminisce, however, Connors' expression changed from joy to grief. His mentor had been right; the kingdom's enemies had grown in strength with each passing day, and soon, the royal armies took defeat after defeat as the dark forces pushed forward, hellbent on fulfilling fate and reducing the last kingdom to rubble.

Even the Phoenixguard, who's ranks were filled with hundreds of the best swordsmen and warriors in the kingdom, suffered loss after loss with every new campaign, weakening while the enemy grew ever fiercer. Battle after battle, Connor watched traumatically as his closest comrades were slaughtered like animals, the bodies left to rot across yards of the battlefield below him as he fought on. Even Sir Denimos, the Knight who many considered to be unbeatable, eventually fell to the blade of one of the most vicious of the enemy's generals: Gar'nul the soul-cleaver. Though, even in his final moments, bloodied, beaten, broken, Denimos refused to yield, dueling the nightmare general with every spark left in his beingeven if it was pointless."Until our flame burns out" was all Denimos could muster as his life faded away in the cradle of his horrified proteges arms. Finally broken, Connor screamed into the darkening sky above him, causing even Garnul himself to halt his beastly laughter. Blinded by pure rage, Connor rushed the soul-cleaver with his masters sword and, through sheer luck, managed to strike down the nightmare general, causing the rest of his legion to retreat back into the abyss. Soon, only the last survivors of the Phoenixguard would remain among the thousands of corpses spread across the battlefield, the ground being saturated with blood as heavy rain started to pour. For the first time in what seemed like ages, the Kingdom had successfully taken back one of its lost regions and finally claimed victory; but for the Phoenixguard, the cost was too great to call it that. As the survivors helped each other up, Connor stood there, taking off his helmet and letting it fall to the ground before falling on his knees, his whole body feeling limp. And as the raindrops peppered his face, Connor finally let the emotions overwhelm him, screaming into the dark sky with tears streaming down his cheeks as he grieved all he had lost.