To Death And Glory

People living deeply have no fear of death — Anaïs Nin

A battlecry from an orc alerted me of an unsuspected attack from the street corner I had been approaching. Had it stayed silent, it might have had a chance to land a hit on me. I ducked under the swing of the blade and dug my katana up its throat and took its blade.

Around the corner, there were two elves outnumbered by pack of orcs. One elf left an opening and a orc got ready to gut him. It did not take for than a few seconds for me to weigh the orc blade in my hand and launch it at the orc. The corner of my lip twitched up slightly as the blade embedded itself into the orcs head with a satisfying 'srctch'.

Three orcs rushed at me — evening out the battle for the elves. I held her ground and once they got close enough I sidestepped the closest orc. I grabbed him by the chin and used him as pole as I ran along the wall before pushing off and kicking the next orc in the face, forcing him to trip against the other orc. As I twisted in the air, I tightened my grip and then there was a sickening 'crack' as I snapped the orcs head. I pirouetted and grabbed the new blade and threw it at the second orc, lodging it into its chest. The last orc narrowed its eyes and growled. It hurled its blade at me, but with expert practice I spun, grasping the hilt as it spun in front of me, and flung it back at the orc. Its body fell backwards to ground with a blade lodged right between its eyes.

My eyes briefly clashed with the elves that were quickly disposing of the orcs they fought. I didn't stay to chat as I continued my search for more orcs. I had lost count of how many I had killed. There had been nine at first, then three, after that ten, maybe four after. I couldn't recall what came after. I cut down some running on their own and there were others bands of them.

I hate to admit but I missed the thrill of battle. I missed fighting, going through the movements. I might hate killing but it was an art to me. A dance. And It was the only thing I was good at.

The clash of metal and groans of orcs caught my attention and I broke into a sprint, leaping on to the roofs, to reach it faster. My head peeked over the ledge and I witnessed the Elvenking wielding two glimmering silver swords and fluidly spun around the orcs, cutting them down, his coat billowing around him like wings. There was no hesitation as he pivoted. No openings. His nimble footwork had no flaws. The hilt of the blades twirled in his hands, shifting the direction of the sharp blade, and not once did he lose his hold. The Elvenking was as great as the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist. There was no doubt. He could hold against any of them in a fight with no chakra. But with no chakra, it was impossible for him to singlehandedly hold back the swarms of orcs that were coalescing on him.

I didn't want him to die. My chakra hummed angrily at his perilous predicament. I leapt into the fray beside him, slicing and dicing, slitting throats, and snapping necks with chakra infused blows with my sheath. I could have wiped them all out in a second but I couldn't use chakra. Not in the battle. Not until I knew the elves, dwarves, and humans could hold against them no more. I would turn the tide when all felt lost, but, in this very second, the orcs held no chance against the combined skill of the Elvenking and I. Soon, they were all dead and we surveilled the courtyard littered with orc corpses.

My eyes suddenly clashed with Elvenking's and I knew he also heard the scuffling footsteps hurrying towards us. I picked up a discarded axe and threw it at the orc that appeared at the street corner. Its body banging against the wall from the force before it slid down.
"You said you wouldn't get involved," he commented and there was a concerned wrinkle on his brow.

"I don't want to live in a world where these things," I rammed my katana through a dead orcs head, "rule."
My eyes flickered behind the Elvenking, where a silent orc was drawing his bow, aiming right at the elf. I had no time and my instincts kicked in.

I pulled at my katana and threw myself at the Elvenking. He caught me in a spin, wrapping his solid arms around me, and I felt the arrow tear through my skin, by my spine, and bore itself into my heart. My steps did not falter. I pivoted, swinging my katana at the orc, and releasing it. It spun rapidly and the orc had no time to draw another arrow as the blade sliced through its neck. Its head rolled on the ground as my katana dug itself in a wall.

"Thank you," a low voice whispered next to me and the arm around my waist tightened. I met the enthralling blue eyes and the trouble in them was evident. The hand at my hip gripped tighter at the bone, pressing me closer to his armoured body, and I knew he was registering that there were only bones underneath my bags of clothes.

"Well, shit," I hissed as my blood set me ablaze and the King responded affronted, "Excuse me?"

A quiet, sardonic chuckle passed my lips. The elf's arms were the only thing holding me up now and I lost all my composure to the pain. "This is really good poison. Gaaah, body burns. Holy shit, my heart hurts."

"Why?" He asked after spotting the arrow protruding from my back and pulled it out, pressing a hand to the wound. I held my groan and focused on my boiling blood, on my heart faltering in its beats.

A pained smirk grew on my face. "I couldn't leave your people without a king."
His eyes never left mine. They were unmoving. It was unbearable to be at their pained scrutiny. The corner of his lips were tugged down and he whispered, "Oh, Calemireth." He sounded so broken.

"Is that elvish?"

He didn't respond as my legs gave out and the Elvenking lowered me to the ground, still secure in his arms.

"That's nice," coughs hacked my body. "I'm glad… I'm dying like this," my body convulsed and blood splattered onto the Elvenking's face. The red contrasted so greatly against his pale skin. His hand gently caressed my cheek and I focused on his silver-blues. "Your eyes… remind me of home… of the forests… that touch the sky… of the… green leaves… that never fall."

"Green leaf?" His shaky voice repeated. My eyes closed for a moment, as I felt a snowflake land on my cheek and, as I opened them, I lost myself once again in the pools of blue skies.

"I collected… them… different trees… I stopped… when… came here… painful…reminder… home."

And I died for the fourth time, staring at pained blue eyes that held back tears as the sky wept snow for all those that lost their lives in this battle.

Two battles down, infinity still remaining.