His sword came down, and I saw the faces of my people in his blade. Their hopes, their dreams, their determination. All cleaved from existence with the fall of the executioner's blade. With that final blow, reality came crashing back into focus.

The earth shuddered beneath the thundering of hooves and the mass of armoured bodies colliding, rendering more flesh to the crow's buffet. The stench of iron and smoke was suffocating, stuffing its way into every orifice. The air hung heavy, choking, alive with the screams of Paladin and Cursed Blood alike.

Utter chaos reigned across the battle plain threatening to pull me under. Gods I wanted to let it. To follow her into the deep dark and forget about this wretched existence we had been forced into. But I couldn't stop here. There was no room for error, no room for hesitation or mourning. Not yet. The people still needed someone to follow, to lead. Until the very last.