Board Thread:What Would You Do?/@comment-31749612-20170813085555/@comment-32265879-20180108174105

My vision was still blurred from having been unconscious for what appeared to be a while, once I was able to see clearly, I looked around me. The Mamono army had stopped just a short distance from one of their own, a lamia, who was hurt, far worse than myself, opposite them were my comrades, The Order, both sides were just watching me.

Why had everyone stopped?

Just what the hell was going on?

Then I saw it, a pole which had a white flag draped at the top... so it has finally come to this...

All this time I had wondered what we were fighting for, moreover, why we were fighting. It all seemed pointless and just served to show naught but arrogance from both sides. For all the loss of life, for all of the meaningless bloodshed, what was it all for? Just to prove which side was evil? Even a child could see the folly in all of this, I knew exactly what I had to do.

With what little strength I had, I crawled over toward the incapacitated lamia, I could feel the eyes of both armies on me, judging my every move, wondering what I was going to do next. Carefully, I propped myself up, sitting on my knees as I cradled the lamia's head in my hand. Thank the Chief Diety she was still breathing, she was going to make it and whatsmore, I was going to ensure that this would happen. Wincing and through grit teeth, I pushed myself to rise from my knees, one foot at a time, until I stood, legs wobbling, but I perservered, just long enough to lay the lamia before the, who I believed to be, Mamono Army's liuetenant, a Salamander, who just stared at me with a shocked expression, as did the rest of her army.

"There isn't much time... please... help her..." I spoke, slowly looking up at the Salamander, whose judgmental expression weighed down on me, yet softed, slowly but surely as she nodded.

"Medic!" she called out, signalling one from the back, a lizardman appeared from within the crowd who knelt beside the lamia and immediately began work, the salamander spoke again, "You do understand the consequences, I would hope, it isn't often that one of your Order, so willingly helps our own."

I just chuckled, bowing my head.

"If you truly believe me your enemy... strike me down... I can't fight anymore... no... I WON'T fight anymore..."

The salamander wasted no time in raising her sword, so this was the end for me? Fitting... for all the crimes I've commited against other living creatures, I deserved this. My comrades in the order gasped behind me, but I ignored them, my eyes slowly closed as I accepted my fate. I heard the flash of steel in the air, then, silence... then I hear the sound of the salamander's sword sticking into the ground, I open my eyes, as I see her knelt before me, as well as the rest of her army. I stared, clearly dumbfounded, the salamander spoke once again.

"I, too, tire of this..." she said softly, before rising, staring down the entirety of my comrades opposite, "From this moment forth, if there is to be more killing, it shall not start with us." she looked at me once more, "You're truly a strange man, nevertheless, you have shown mercy to one of ours, let us return the favor... I am sure you know what to do..."

I simply nodded in response, as I reached for her now extended hand, I was pulled to stand. With what strength I had left I gripped the salamander's hand for a brief moment, before releasing it, I then turned, walking toward the white flag, kneeling to take the pole in hand and approach my Order, met only by disapproving glances, and the general of the army, a large, heavily armored, elderly man who scowled at me.

"WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE?" he shouted, "YOU LET THAT FOUL CREATURE LIVE?!"

I withstood a few more moments of berating before, in a swift movement, I took the flagpole in both hands, raised it up and stabbed it through the general's foot. He screamed for what seemed an eternity before, I returned his scowl.

"NO. MORE." I retorted, stripping away my armor and letting it clank upon the cold ground below me, before turning and walking away.

<p style="font-weight:400;">I could hear the chatter of my former comrades, wondering how one could commit such a traitorous act, it all didn't matter to me however, my days in The Order were over. As I turned to walk off the battlefield, I was stopped by a shout from the Salamander Lieutenant.

<p style="font-weight:400;">"WAIT!" she called out, which caused me to stop and look at her from over my shoulder as she approached me, "What will you do now? The Order is going to have your head for defecting like this..."

<p style="font-weight:400;">"There's a punishment and I'll take it." I sighed softly before looking ahead, "But in the meanwhile, I'm going to go try to spend the rest of my remaining days doing some sort of good."

<p style="font-weight:400;">"I see..." she sighed, "Live well..." she turned and returned to her soldiers, who were preparing to pull their ranks and burying their fallen.

<p style="font-weight:400;">I departed the field, knowing full well my time in this world was limited, but I wanted to spend it peacefully, I wasn't sure how that was going to happen, but it also meant giving up the only life that I knew.

<p style="font-weight:400;">In the months that followed, I had found some work in a mountain farming village, under an elderly couple in a mamono friendly region, hoping to put my blood-soaked past behind me. The work was grueling but I found I grew to love it there, the simple serenity of the country, even the community has been nothing but good to me. I was even offered a small guest house on the farmers' land which I gladly accepted. Nightmares still came to me from time to time, as war leaves scars that never truly heal.

<p style="font-weight:400;">Everything seemed to be going well, until one morning, as I was getting ready to start today's work, I hear the elderly woman call from outside.

<p style="font-weight:400;">"There's someone here to see you dearie."

<p style="font-weight:400;">"Perhaps one of the traders from the distant city." I thought to myself, "No doubt wants to see about helping sell some of the crop."

<p style="font-weight:400;">I slip on my shoes and approach the door to the guest house and open it, my eyes grow wide, standing before me, was the lamia from months ago, the one I had saved. I saw the tears well up in her eyes as her lips formed into a smile.

<p style="font-weight:400;">"It's you... I've finally found you!" her voice shook as she spoke.

<p style="font-weight:400;">Fate truly works in mysterious ways...