I saw him on the front lines and I immediately knew I was standing behind a legend.
The mere sight of him on our side rose the spirit of our men and demolished those of our enemies.
We just finished with the first wave of the opposition with our meagre 500 men killing their 1100, we were raring to go claim more lives for our queen.
The invading enemies didn't seem to share our enthusiasm as they slowly yet steadily retreated down the hill.
It was an easy trap, one that we wouldn't fall for. A bluff to try to say that we aren't defeated, just waiting.
As the sight of their banner was gone from our eyes we shouted in victory.
It was our 3rd battle in this siege and although food was low, morale was high.
The men yelled and laughed while hiking back into the castle on top of the hill like a pack of boys coming back from a won wrestling match.
I smiled at their contagious enthusiasm and was about to run after them too.
"Hey.... You...." I heard a trembling voice and turned my head to see him pointing straight at me. The brave hero Anthony, the one who I watched slaughter over 200 men and get washed in their blood, the one everyone in the army admired, respected and feared, appeared to be shivering.
As I turned fully, I noticed he was really shaking and breathing heavily too. Before I could comprehend why he would call me or why he was acting this way, he fell.
30 minutes later, he rose, giving me a heartache. "What would I tell the rest of the army?" I wondered when he first fell.
I could already see the trial that would be put against me.
There's really not much of a trial there.
"Water..." I heard, barely over a whisper. Breaking me out of my thoughts.
I gave him a bit of water and watched him sputter as he drank.
He seemed to have regained himself as he handed me back the waterskin.
He stood up shakily leaning on his sword.
"Sorry boy...." He manages to say. "I get weak at the sight of blood."
I was confused at the words. Does he even realize what he just said? I looked at his uniform soaked in blood and he followed my eyes to his chest.
He vomited immediately.
I ran to his aid, rather perplexed at this weird situation.
He looked menacing, tearing enemies apart hours ago. Now he just seemed so pitiful, shivering and kneeling in a puddle of his own vomit.
"Errrm, Sir Anthony... Should I go get the medic." I asked nervously, not wanting to be blamed for what is happening to him, or what may happen.
"Don't... worry.... boy.." he said between heaves.
"It's just a sign." He finished then coughed out blood.
"It's a sign of what?" I was confused.
He looked at me with haunted eyes. Eyes that had seen it all, eyes that were experienced.
"It's a sign that my end is near." He says with a sigh as his breath finally settles.
"I've awaited this, finally a release from this terrible affliction." He said with a drawled smile
I couldn't understand what he was saying, death?... affliction?...
He looked as healthy as a horse, before this blood fit.
"What do you mean by affliction?" I asked meekly while using a rag to clean his earlier vomit.
"Oh for so long I've been sick, killing people over and over again." He rambled on.
"Sending them to the great beyond, while I stay in this cursed land to send some more."
"The Hero.." he laughed dryly when saying his nickname.
"I've always hated that name, I've killed too many to be a hero. Maybe I'm the dispatcher, the transporter..." He said with a wave of his hand.
"I would've dubbed myself death but that's too clichΓ©... What do you think?"
He asked me. I was too confused at what was happening to be able to contribute so I just nodded my head and agreed with him.
"You're right."
"Right? The hero is a lie, it's a burden.." he rambled on while I wrote a note to the castle medic about what was happening, I put it on my messenger pigeon and walked back to the main room to meet Anthony asleep on the floor.
He was too heavy to lift so I just left him there and put a blanket on him while I waited for the medic.
A few minutes later the medic and some guards rushed into my room taking the sight of their hero lying on the floor.
They rushed and took me into custody which I expected.
As I stood tied up beside their horses, the medic walked up to me with sorrow on his face while the guards held nothing but spite.
THE HERO WAS DEAD
