The Final Battle

   Rain showered the land as if the gods themselves were weeping for what was about to conspire. 

  The boom of thunder rang out in the distance accompanied by the flash of lightning.

  The storm had set in just as the battle was reaching its climax.

  Far beneath the capital in the ancient catacombs whose origins were still yet to be discovered, stood the great hero.

  His armor was all but shattered. The blade of his sword dulled after countless strikes. 

  He could feel nothing but the warmth of his own blood as it began oozing from the gaping wound on his chest.

  Yet despite his current state the hero had not even once considered the possibility of defeat.

  The thought of retreating was the furthest thing from his mind as he prepared himself for the next attack.

  Some would have called him stubborn or maybe even crazy for refusing to run. 

  While these words aren’t what most people wish to be remembered for, the hero wasn’t most people.

  He’d say “So what if I am?  you need to be stubborn and crazy to do the things I do. If I weren’t stubborn then I’d give up when things got too hard and if I weren’t crazy then I’d never be able to run head first into danger to protect those I care about. In my opinion it’s because I’m stubborn and crazy that I’m able to be such a great hero.”

  With the catacombs collapsing around him and his enemy drawing near, the hero raised his sword. 

  If this was going to be his end then he would at least make sure his foe shared the same fate.

  His only regret was that he wasn’t able to say goodbye to all the people he cared for. 

  He thought of his mother and sister. What would they do when he was gone? Will they be able to move on?

  In his final moments he reflected on all the time he’d spent with them and wished he’d had more. 

  Alas there would never be enough time to say all the things he wished to say to them.

  He gripped his sword as a smile began to form across his face. 

  He would say all he wished to say, not with his words but with his actions. 

  In one swift movement he lunged at his opponent with speed and unbridled determination that would make even the gods flinch.

  It was in that moment that Maximus Luminose, the great hero of Arksis died.