Epitome of a Hero

New beginning

“I would like to raise my objection.”

As soon as Duke and I left the room, I headed to confront my father, sitting on his golden throne beside his new pregnant wife. As I tried to clarify my point, I made sure that he’ll see the certainty behind my very eyes. I knelt on one knee and stared at him directly, waiting for his answer.

“What is it that needs the objection?” The King answered with a fake smile plastered on his face. He’s making a fool out of me. I stood up and answered.

“If you are going to send us to war against hundreds of the opposition, the King should be considerate enough to wait for the other soldiers to be ready as well. I heard that you want to send Duke and my troops to fight the rebels alone.” I frowned at him and he huffed, putting his hands together as if he just found the greatest idea in his mind. My eyes slid to the woman beside him and she was just silently listening to our conversation.

“Ah… That one.” He chuckled, making my eye twitch out of his mockery. 

This is not right! Other people must not suffer because of me. He wants to send all of us to our death beds.

“I’m afraid it has been decided. And— it’ll be the perfect time to see what the great Damian is made of. I heard the crowd cheering for the fiercest woman in the Kingdom.” The way he said his words made me want to slap myself, he was ridiculing me. My face is numb after keeping my emotions at bay for minutes of his sickening attitude but I snapped out of it.

“Why are you doing this to me, father?” He leaned back and his face dropped into his stoic expression so I continued talking, “If you want to make me suffer for my mother’s death, then don’t put my people’s lives on the line as well.” I let my hand crumple into a fist behind my back, feeling my nails dig into my palms. I looked intently at the King’s expression and an evil glint flashed in his gaze.

“Your –people?” he smirked, “If that is your wish, then you go alone.”

His answer didn’t surprise me. Without uttering any more words, I turned my back from him and Duke followed my steps outside the throne room. “You know that I will never let you go alone, right?” He whispered beside me as we walked towards the palace door.

“You don’t need to do that. I can do it on my own.” I uttered back then he grabbed my wrist so I turned to him, his brows furrowed, I know he was pissed because I am too.

“Stop acting almighty.” His tone was deadly but I whisked his hand away, if he comes with me, he’ll die too.

“The knights will need a leader, Duke. I don’t need your help and I don’t need you.” I walked away before he can even speak another word. This is not right, anymore. This just isn’t right anymore!

 As soon as I reached the training grounds, I punched the training dummy made out of compact hay, and my fist went through, holing it out. I pulled my fist out, crumpling it after the impact it has made with the thing. I was so mad, and remembering how my own father was so composed on his plan to take me out made me even more anxious. I kicked the hay over and over again until it is crushed into strands.

I don’t care about how painful the repetitive blows are, my life is even more hurtful than anything else right now. I spend the day ransacking every dummy on the ground, messing with each, like I was a monster hauling on the field that no other knight even dared to go near me.

I made my way to the tavern upon dusk, and as always, I was a lone wolf. I didn’t make friends with anyone but I gave every knight the respect that they have given to me as a fellow soldier. Caring for anyone else will bring about my doom, especially when all those I cared about in this damned place are already dead. I sat down at the wooden stool and asked the man from the bar for some beer. As I waited, I held the sword belted on my waist, and my heart was tearing itself apart as I did. This sword was my friend and it was the memory of my father figure, Lumiere. Looks like I’m going to head right where you are now, Uncle. I huffed at myself and gulped the beer down my throat, feeling the spice that runs down on it.

“One more please.” Duke sat down beside me and I glanced at him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked and he grabbed the tankard for his drink.

“I should be the one asking you that, Damian.” He replied with a smirk as he feasts on his drink. I stayed quiet and just asked the barkeeper for another drink. Duke is a sincere man—his got talent, skills, and proper etiquette as a knight. He is not to die and I must have a say in that too, he’s got more things to do in this world. Both of us refused to talk but we just settled our time by drinking. After a time, I glanced at him and my eyes scanned Duke. His eyes were fixed on his beer and his expression was grave.

“I can’t have you dying, Duke. I suppose you already know that the chance of winning tomorrow is like trying to take hold of the air itself.” I spoke weakly, my fingers fumbling on the tankard’s handle. I sensed him take a look at me but I don’t want to look back.

“Lumiere wouldn’t want you to go alone, Damian. You know he raised us both, so even if you threaten to kill me right now, nothing would stop me from coming with you.” I sighed and glanced at him, his brown eyes fixed and settled on me. I smirked at him, but my soul felt a little bit uplifted because of what he said. This is what the knight’s code is for, arms on arms, holding your honor even in the pits of death.

“Let’s try winning, then,” I uttered a lie, and he shook his head with a wobbly laugh. He held out his fist and I bumped mine on it, both chuckling at the thoughts of dying tomorrow.

The night passed and when the dawn came, we ready our horses for the incoming fight. Our troops came to us, their will was strong and unshakeable, even when they knew where we were going. As they ready their weapons and saddle up their horses, I watched all of them with a roaring heart. I never realized how much I cared until now, that it made me think of a possible outcome that may never occur. Maybe we can win.

“We’re ready, Commander.” One of the knights called, and I raised my fist up, and all of them rode on their horses.

“No matter what happens today, we will march with glory. You are much valued by your fellow knights, you’re all beloved by the people--- so even if we die today, at least we die fighting, at least we die with honor.” My words roll out of my tongue, looking at their eyes as I give them a piece of encouragement, a piece of a white lie. Duke smiled and nodded, and I did the same at him. The soldiers yelled out their hearts and we screamed for triumph like it was the last day seeing the sun peak from the top of the mountains.

We rode on our horses and headed to the north, where the reported rebels await, where our future will be decided.

We slowed down when we approached the manor. Everything seemed odd since it was so silent, there’s no single soul residing in the houses. What is this? I leaped down from my horse and scanned the whole place, everyone was evacuated—but why? I plucked one arrow from the quiver at my back and kept it ready on my bow. The wind was blowing hard in an unusual manner, making me feel uneasy with the silence that envelopes the place.

“Something is wrong,” I whispered and Duke heard me.

“Damian.”

“Yes?”

“If everything goes wrong, run for it.” A ghost of a smile haunted his face and I shook my head.

“I’ll never run anywhere, you of all people must know.” I don’t leave anyone behind. Both of us looked back in shock when one of our people got hit by an arrow on the chest. The horses started to rumble because of the continuous arrow that fell down from the sky, aimed from behind the trees beside the village.

“It’s an ambush!” One of my men shouted before an arrow pierced his throat. This is unjust, how did the rebels know that we are coming? A bunch of rebels on their horses jumped out of the corner, and I watch the rest of my people skewered by the spears that the opposing forces launched as they jumped on them. I fired two to three shots at the horsemen, and they fell down. We are outnumbered. Someone sold us out. I grit my teeth as I draw my sword out, thinking of the eerie smile that the King had on his face when we last talked. I have slain the men that came by my way, and my ears were burning from the screams that came from my people. My heart was pounding, and my dilemma rose as the rebels started growing more in numbers, even though Duke and I already killed more. Everything is happening so fast, that sixteen of my people decreased to us four in just a flash of a moment. This is so unfair—everything is unfair!

“Damian!” Duke’s powerful hand pushed me away and the time slowed down, when a horseman run into him, a spear piercing into his belly.

“No!” I shouted my throat out and rushed towards Duke who fell down the solid ground. The horseman was about to run through us again but before he could I fired an arrow right on his head making the horse halt on its gallop. Duke shook his head, blood coming out from his mouth, pushing me away when I try to keep him in my arms.

“Protect the princess!” One of the two men left, shouted, running towards us in a rush. I shook my head, hopeless, broken—grabbing my sword, slaying those who launches themselves near us, and we fought—fought until the only remaining soul on our force is me. I was staggering, and my knees fell down when the exhaustion succumbed to my body. The rebels just kept coming, I thought to myself as my eyes set on the dead bodies of my men, on Duke. I just knelt still, until I sensed a man walking towards my worn-out soul.

“This is the end, Princess.” A sharp blade was held on my throat but I took a moment to look at the man who had his face covered with a cloth. This is the day of my death, I never lived a good life. But at least I die doing the thing I worked hard for my whole life—fighting. My heart was crumbling down, and my mind was exploding the thoughts that I kept for so long, making the voices in my head even harder to understand. How cruel… I smirked, expecting my death until I see an odd-looking golden butterfly flying slowly before my eyes. It is beautiful…

At least I get to see something good before I die. I closed my eyes when the man lifted his arm, his blade ready to swing on my throat. Despite this acceptance of my ill-fate, the trepid feeling devoured me--I don’t want to die.

“I don’t want to die.”

A voice of a woman echoed in my ears, overlapping with the exact words I said, making my eyes flung open from my surprise. But as I did, I was more taken aback by the scenery that blinded my eyes. Where am I? The sky was bluer than the usual, and high cubic palaces emerged from the ground, and the ground from afar was made of stone, there were moving things speeding on it, but they weren’t horses, they were machines. Where am I? I repeated the same question again.

I can’t move my body, and I felt like I was floating, since I was so up high, making the things down the ground look like ants from below. A hot liquid was streaming down my face, and my chest was so tight—I was crying and it was so painful. Why can’t I move?

My body suddenly started to fall down the top of where I was standing, but before I completely fell down, I regained control of my body, I held on to the edge, slowly feeling my body move again, my feet were dangling mid-air, if I fall down, I’m dead. 

My heart was stampeding inside my rib, out of my own accord, and my tears never stopped flowing out. I tried to pull my body up with my hand but it was too heavy, so I clutched my other hand on the edge too. After a minute, I managed to pull myself up, and I sat down, breathlessly on the ground as I reached the edge. It took me a second to realize that I was wearing a black long-sleeved cloth, and my hair was black!

I wiped the tears that still come out rushing through my cheeks, and my eyes widened when a weird-looking device, the word Samsung written on it, showed me my reflection. Who is this girl? I screamed deep within me, startled by what is going on. I touched the girl’s face and it was my hand touching my own face, I gasped--- but this is not me!

“What is going on!?”