Mae's Drabbles!

Till My Last Breath

The knight's head hung as their foe stood high above him. Sweat ran down his blood encrusted face.

He slowly, shaking, raised his head looking at the sorceress in the face. Her sharp eyes calculating even in her clear victory, prepared but relaxed. Shoulders wide, ready really. The ghost of a smirk on her face. Nothing but pride coming off of the young woman.

The knight's lip out, split, he just barely kept it from quivering. That much obvious to the magic user. He unclenched his jaw and took an uneven breath.

"I never stood a chance, did I?"

The sorceress looked at the knight almost frowning. She unclenched her hands, taking a step down the stone steps. She pursed her lips, her eyes became dull at a thought.

Finally she sighed before responding, "That is the sad part–" she paused taking another step down. Now on the same level as him, knelt down looking him in the eyes; there was a mourning of something.

Ever so gently–a voice he had heard her speak with to her comrades–spoke, "you did once."

Silas's throat tightened, not at the words but how she said them to him. All he did was fight for the Crown, faught her. A true hero. Someone the people joined, believed. If he could change his decision from all those years ago he would not have enlisted. Perhaps he could have had a simpler life before somehow joining her.

But he could not.

Never could.

He vowed to the Crown for this life, and there was no undo once the magic had set in. And so–

"Sidra," he spoke, his voice broken, "will you grant me to do as I vowed oh-so-long ago?"
The sorceress–Sidra–softened, "What may that be knight?"

"Let–" Silas took a deep breath–"allow me to defend the Crown as vowed. My last action to it, to strike you with my last breath?"

Sidra held a sad smile, "Of course." She stood, taking a step back. She waited patiently.

Silas got up, made his way a few feet to his weapon. His sword in hand, tears ready to run, body sore, mind exhausted from more than he could remember.

The knight turned back to the sorceress and once again forced his body to move. He ran at her, battle cry came out scratchy, he raised his sword–

Just as he could bring his body to strike, his body stopped; her hand touched the chest of his armor there was a purple glow; the glow spread over him. When she removed her hand from his body his form started to disappear. His tears came as his sword clattered on the stone floor. He looked in her eyes as slowly his own glew in a light blue. Silas smiled at the savior of the kingdom he could not properly protect.

"Thank you."

He quietly spoke out just before he was finally gone.

Sidra sat down on the stone steps, a sigh slid out of her. She closed her eyes, "Goodbye."

And for a good while she simply sat there.