Breath
They were slowly moving forward.
Next to her, another building was crumbling down. Hastily she jumped out of the way to avoid the debris that were raining down. A few others weren’t as luck as her and were crushed by old walls or stumbled into the fire that was slowly moving in on them. Others were trying to help their comrades but it was hopeless.
The heat was unbearable and every breath felt as if she was inhaling nothing but ashes. The screams next to her resonated in her helmet and she gritted her teeth. She would have taken it off but it had saved her from some serious injuries during the last couple of minutes. A few dents and scratches in the dark metal were proof that she could have died if not for the sweat-filled and scorching hot basket on her head. It was a little reassuring. Not much but it was all she had.
They had a mission, reaching the opponent and killing their commander in charge to take back the city. Why? That wasn’t something a soldier should ask, so she refrained from doing so. But after seeing her comrades die like flies around her, the question gnawed at her. It was getting difficult to breathe. Should they give up on the city, return to their king and face his wrath? What would that make them? Deserters. The word tasted of ashes.
“Look out!”
A man in front of her had shouted and she looked up just in time to see another missile flying their way. The opponent had located their troop. The giant stone flew over their heads, crashed into another abandoned house and made it crumble. More orders were shouted but the crash drowned them all out. The chaos resonated in her helmet and pierced her ears. She couldn’t make out anything because of the dust and the smoke. Holding her breath, she tried to find her team members. Their captain had been at the front of their squad, but now she could no longer make out his blue scarf. She tried to calm her breath and her grip on her sword tightened.
Inhale.
She could hear the others; new orders were given.
Exhale.
Some opted for a retreat. The enemy knew they were coming but it was too late for that.
Inhale.
Another scream made her look up. It wasn’t a missile this time. A huge shadow soared over their heads. On dark wings, death had taken the form of a dragon of the ancient times. She slowly stepped into the shadow of a ruin. She crouched down behind a pile of rubble to hide from the giant reptile. Stones, wooden remains of furniture and ripped clothes. Although it took so long to build a home, all it needed was a well-aimed boulder and the construction was gone in a heartbeat.
She was still holding her breath. Exhaling slowly, she continued her path along the remaining ruins. Dead soldiers were everywhere on her path. The debris had killed most of them, others had fallen victim to the flames around them. She checked on some, if they were still alive, but there was no pulse. A few she recognized as a friend. It made leaving them even harder.
Inhale.
Her lungs ached from the smoke. She suppressed a cough with all her might, as it would give away her location. The dragon was still circling over her head and she knew they had a keen sense of hearing. The dust hadn’t cleared and she felt as if she was walking through a cloud. No wind, no breeze, no relief.
Exhale.
She didn’t know where she was heading. She felt as if she was going in circles. Her sense of direction was gone. All she could see were ruins, boulders, remains of a civilization and dead bodies. How should she be able to take on the opponent without someone backing her up?
Inhale.
Closing her eyes, she focused more on her hearing. She took in everything around her. No voices. Only the whispering of the flames close to her. But, there was something else. Footsteps to her right. They were fast, as if they knew where they were heading. That could only mean one thing.
Exhale.
She raised her sword and blocked the first strike of a warrior in red armor. He wore a helmet, so she didn’t see his face. However, it was clear that it was a man fighting her. He held his sword in one hand, emitting an air of self-confidence and pugnacity that made her grip around her weapon tighten.
They had wanted to catch them off guard. She hoped her teammates were alright and getting out of here. They had lost the city.
She forced him back with a few strikes, trying not to stumble over the debris that littered the ground. Her opponent wasn’t as tired as her and she had to acknowledge the grace in his fighting style. He was almost dancing around her, taunting her. She gritted her teeth and raised her shield when another blow came her way. Bracing herself, she waited for the attack that never came. Too late, she realized her mistake. It was a feint. He had whirled around and aimed for her unprotected side. His blade pierced through her leather armor as if it was nothing. He had precisely aimed for the spot where there was no chain armor to protect her.
The pain was nothing compared to her aching pride. It had been a stupid mistake on her part.
Using her shield, she drove him back, bringing enough space between them to breathe again.
Inhale.
Her head was spinning and she briefly shook it to clear her mind. He kept the distance. Wounded animals still had their claws and teeth and weren’t any less dangerous. They circled each other and she knew he was searching for a new opening.
Exhale.
Her vision was blurry because of some sweat drops clinging to her eyelashes and the lack of oxygen in this godforsaken place. The flames around them continued to find something to feast on and the fire was growing. It hissed dangerously behind her as if to remind her of its presence. The man in front of her didn’t seem to mind the heat one bit. She would pass out if this was continuing any longer. Behind her ventail, she examined her surroundings for a few seconds.
Inhale.
She only had a short window to act and catch him off guard.
Exhale.
She could hear the blood rushing in her ears. Her heart was pounding so loudly, it sounded like the wing-beats of the dragon above her. It was pounding. She was still standing and alive.
Inhale.
With a roar, she attacked the knight, aiming for his head, which he countered with a heavy blow that sent sparks flying. The sound pierced her ears and her arm shook with exhaustion. But she continued her rain of blows. Crashing her shield against his helmet, she forced him back again without stopping her assault. Her sword hit the armor on his arm, his shoulder, his knees, everywhere she could reach. Her muscles screamed in agony. The knight stumbled back, clearly surprised by her force but she didn’t leave him time to get accustomed to her speed.
His armor was heavy and had only a few weak spots. It was a good protection but it was not easy to move around in it. Through her onslaught, she could see that he favored his right side while keeping the left side out of her reach. That was it, his weak spot.
She had to act now. Fast.
Blocking a blow that should have decapitated her, she ducked under his weapon, let go of her shield and rammed her blade deep into his unprotected left side. He choked under his helmet and grabbed at her as he was going down on his knees, pulling her with him.
Exhale.
Her wound screamed in pain, blood slowly soaking her armor. The knight fell on his back, trying to grip the decorative hair on her helmet, but missing it. She listened to her heavy breathing and the death rattle next to her. The man was still fighting death, refusing to let go of his life. There were no footsteps coming their way and the dust still hadn’t settled.
Kneeling right next to the fallen knight, she lifted his helmet to look at him. The man wasn’t much older than her. His short brown hair glistened with sweat. He examined her visor and she took her helmet off with shaking hands. He didn’t seem surprised that she was a woman and nodded once. It made her heart sink. The man acknowledged her and her victory. She didn’t feel any pride in it.
Inhale.
A drop of blood trickled down his lips into his brown beard. He didn’t say anything. They wouldn’t understand each other anyway because of their different languages.
His breath was shaky while his eyes looked around for something. Following his look, she saw that he was reaching for his sword. At first, she wanted to kick it out of his reach, after all, she had been the winner of this battle, but seeing his expression, she knew that he did not intend to fight her anymore. Lifting his sword off the ground, she looked at him. A warning. Her breath was still heavy, but it was nothing compared to his deep gasps. They sounded utterly painful. She didn’t feel guilty though. They were at war.
His eyes had a pleading look and she nodded curtly before handing him his sword. A thankful smile played on his lips when he grabbed the hilt with both hands. He kept it close to his chest when he shut his eyes with a last long exhale.
Exhale.
Died like a true knight. With honor.
The peaceful expression stayed on his face, getting covered by ashes and dust. She closed her eyes for a second, collecting her thoughts before putting back on her helmet and picking up her weapons.
The shadow flew over her again. She didn’t see it, but she could hear its wings and the resonating roar. The war wasn’t over yet.
Inhale.