Chapter 4 Grieving Invictus

Finis! Finis! Finis!! As I ran searching for him, he’s missing, he’s gone. I broke my own promise, he relied on me and I brought him down. I was too full of myself, all I saw in the battlefield was victory and triumph, I completely neglected my only friend, and now he’s gone.

I scanned the whole area, the battlefield, the army, amongst the living and the dead, I couldn’t find him, I ran around for miles and miles from afternoon to midnight, he’s nowhere to be seen, as my legs shakes of extreme exhaustion and my conscience tremble in the weight of my guilt, I collapsed.

I woke up, as I slowly opened my eyes, and saw the ceiling, I’m in a triage, a medical tent, voices of excitement can be heard, “He’s awake! He’s awake! Our hero is awake!! Tell Commander Vyn that he’s awake!!!”, Commander Vyn came crashing in, “You did quite a heroic feat boy, I’ve spent years serving the army but I’ve never seen such daring action before, you’ve sent them all running, we won because of you!! You my boy, is a candidate for promotion! You can have a new set of armor and a sword you’ve always wanted!!” Commander Vyn happily reported.

As they all cheer for me and the victory I’ve brought, I remained disheartened and asked in a low voice “Have you seen Finis sir?” Commander Vyn replied “He was last seen trying to follow you as you charged deep into enemy lines, that was the last time we ever saw him.”, they looked at each other and understood that I am in pain, they walked one by one with a gloomy ambience, “Breakfast’s on its way kid, make sure to eat many, we can’t present you to the public looking like that.” Commander Vyn spoke, and took his leave from the tent. 

My mind was shrouded by whispers of guilt, blaming me, everything that has happened to my friend, is my fault, if he was captured and being beaten at this very moment it’s my fault, if he’d lost all his hope and died of an agonizing death, it’s all my fault, I was too selfish, I should be the one dead and missing right now instead of a kind man like Finis, I swore to myself I will wear a mask to hide my shameful face. As I was lost thought and staring at blank, a messenger entered the tent, “I seek audience with Klayden Gustall his father wishes his return and summons him in his death bed.” I stared petrified at the messenger, I. Felt. Numb.

After 6 days of travel on horseback, I arrived at the capital, quickly ran and trekked the Heimrich Volcanic Ranges and made it back home. I saw the grasses uncut, bushes untrimmed, floors dirty, walls unwiped, the fields unclean, I rushed inside and saw spider webs on every corner, and on the floor lies my father on his death bed.

My father looked at me and smiled “Come here my son.” I approached him teary eyed and sat down, He reached his arms out to wipe my tears “Do not fear of what is to come my son, in death I shall not vanish, I shall find peace, and once more I shall be with your mother again, promise me my departure will not bring you grief, cherish the memories we’ve shared, it will accompany you along the way just as I will.”, “Yes father.” I replied sobbing and tears streaming down my face, “You’re as soft as the day your mother brought you to this world, my life has been tender and beautiful as you brought us joy, and once more you made me happy. I pass down onto you our family’s tradition my son, you will inherit my armor the bulwark of righteousness, ‘The Bask of Dawn’ and my sword the slayer of armies, ‘Nightfall’ they will serve you well, I have spoken my final message, delivered my remaining words, I will always think of you as I reside in your mother’s arms, farewell, my son.” My father’s last words as he died in front of me.

I took my father’s remains outside and set it alight, I performed a sword dance unceasingly until the fire burned out, that’s our family’s tradition of delivering our dead into the next world. 

I explored our family’s basement, a place I am only allowed to enter if my father’s in the next world, as I descended through the stairs I found a door, I opened it with my father’s keys and beheld an armor of red hanged beside a sword, the headpiece has three horns instead of two, its shoulder guards has two spikes on each side, the sword has dragon carvings on its handle and on its blade carved our family’s name Gustall, I wore the armor and the sword, and an overwhelming feeling of power shrouded my whole body, I feel I could conquer the world alone, and my personal weapon is now a sword nothing could stand in my way.