Cloud crashed. Thunder boomed. The sky was an ominous shade of grey. Rain continued to pour heavily. It felt as if the Gods were weeping at the sight of their deceased creations.

On the battlefield, mutilated bodies howled in pain. Some clung to hope and started begging for mercy. Some ended their misery by plunging their daggers into them. Captured troops were executed by the sword as the rain prevented any torching. The whole area smelled of death and decay; a person would describe it as Hell itself. Inspite of this, laughter echoed in the nearby encampments. Inside one of these camps, a poet sang while bards supported the lyrics with fine uses of lutes, violins and harps.

"Only the dead have seen the end of war,

The Ferryman approaches to take them from the shore."

The King sat on a throne made of mahogany. Despite his old age, he had a burly body. His strong arms and massive hands could wield the heaviest of axes. His red hair, a prominent feature of the Firebornes, matched the colour of his beard which covered him till the neck. A scar originated from his torn left ear to the lower lip. As for his armour, he wore a fire-emblemed golden chest guard with vambraces, spaulders and boots of silver. Lucius was renowned for his benevolence towards his people and mercilessness to his enemies. Moreover, being a successful ruler, he was arrogant and ignorant of his mistakes; be it during wars, while implementing worst policies or when he was caught sleeping with someone else by his wife.

The arrival of a prisoner in shackles silenced the crowd. He was naked and had several fresh wounds and cuts that bled profusely. His body bore the markings of whips and lashes. Reeking of the smell of blood and urine, he stood before the King, held by two guards. The King gave the poor creature a scathing look while gulping chunks of mutton with beer. On the other hand, the prisoner stood with his head bowed and eyes lowered. His initial pride and ego had vanished, such was the torture he went through in two hours after the battle. Having gobbled the last piece of lamb, the King commenced his speech.

"My brave warriors! Honourable men! I introduce you to Shunka, the midget sent by Karakan ruler Dahaka to capture our city of Ember. He is responsible for the deaths of our fellow brothers on the battlefield of Loa today."

The crowd jeered. Several men spit on the prisoner while some threw their jugs and cutlery at him, targeting his face.

"Our ambush took his cowardly forces by surprise", Lucius continued, "and now he is at our mercy. We decide Shunka's punishment. Should he go by the rope, the axe, by fire... or should he have privilege to be part of a small game?"

The soldiers thumped their table in agreement. They wore smiles of contempt. A bard gave a sympathetic look while Shunka desperately tried to shake off his restraints.

"Therefore it is decided. Shunka shall play a game of survival for our entertainment. He is to have his limbs cut off, bandaged with herbs and left in the wild at the mercy of the animals. Either he will fend off the beasts or surrender to them, it is entirely his choice haha. The game begins tomorrow at cockcrow. As for now, enjoy the evening and relish the victory!"

No sooner had he finished, the troops hailed their noble King. Music and beer continued to flow. Shunka was dragged away by the guards. Drunk soldiers rambled and spilt liquor on the tables.

Lucius, weary and sleepy-eyed, went to his private tent. He removed his armour and put a dagger behind the pillow made of geese feathers. Then he wrapped himself with a blanket made of bearskin. Once comfortable, he started at the ceiling and got lost in his thoughts.

By the Heavens! Its been ten years since I last fought a battle with an army at my command. Ten years since I gave the battle cry, struck fear in the enemy's heart and charged at them with my stallion and spear. Tempus Fugit! I lost track of time. I blame General Ironheart. His success has completely overshadowed my capabilities as a warrior. Now that I feel younger than before, I should lead the expedition in the East. Leon will pave the path for me by eliminating the barbarians that fled, Remus will govern the city of Tyle, while Ironheart shall...

In his contemplation, he failed to realize that he was unable to move. He neither realized his time as a King was about to end nor realized that he saw his family for the last time when he left for Loa. In short, he did not realize he was doomed.

Later when he finally realized his condition, he was unable to utter a word or move a limb. His breathing had become disturbed. He lay on his bed, helpless like a puppet with its strings attached to some master who had forgotten about him. The shouts of jubilation outside had been replaced by the tolling of knells. Was it just his mind playing tricks on him or did he actually hear them?

It was too late for him to ponder on that. Death had come for him; paralysing his strong body that suffered numerous injuries but never succumbed, his hands that once choked a bear, his legs that stomped enemies to death and finally his mind that made decisions to protect the people of the Fireborne kingdom.