It happened too fast.
It wasn’t supposed to end this quickly.
For all of his blind remorse and blurred vision, Eir’thall understood all too well the fate that met him. He understood all too well that nothing, not even the work of the gods above, could repair the consequence of his own grief.
Regret surged above all. Above his grief, above his wroth, and above the discomfort of the spear lodged through his torso. Perhaps, he figured, it was something every suicidal maniac experiences in their dying moments. This… regret. The idea lessened his concern, but not the struggle he found himself in. He felt the shaft of the spear around every move, every breath he tried to take, and even in the trembling of his jaw.
He felt the silence in the air, a million eyes that watched with what he assumed was shock. He’d be shocked, too. Hell, he was surprised he had the guts to commit in the first place. How funny is it, that for a man of such pride and confidence, these tiny revelations follow him to death? If he could drag in even a sliver of air, he’d surely have laughed in that moment.
He hoped to speak, to say something worthwhile, but he only felt the warm spill of blood pour from his lips. The taste of iron brought back a flash of nostalgia, an almost comforting reminder to the brawls he shared with those he called brother and sister. It eased him, just a little, and he pretended his wound wasn’t the death-sentence it actually was. It’s just a pinprick stab, don’t look at it.
But it wasn’t, no matter how much he tried to convince himself.
Eir’thall’s knees trembled. He had been standing for some time, after all, and he felt the weight of the spear drag down. He’d lift his gaze to the one who held it — a familiar face, one he swore he’d seen before, but couldn’t put a name to it. For a moment, he almost thought he starred in the mirror. It was the same panicked, regret-filled churn of his face that reminded Eir’thall of himself in those moments. How ironic is it, that one of the few times he was actually sorry for something, was in his own dying? Gods above, making me mull in it. I get it, I’ve been a ****.
Someone’s hand set itself to the back of his head. He didn’t know whose it was, but he accepted its support nonetheless — his head felt awfully heavy, the muscles of his neck straining to support it. He felt the warmth of the bonfire nearby, the hold of its flames against his side, and he closed his eyes. He pretended he slept beneath a canopy of yellow and orange, and that was all he needed.
It was like going to sleep.