The Knight's voice was cold, but held no accent. Elthis wondered how he knew their language so well, but didn't care. He didn't care about much of anything at this point. He'd seen too many people die that night, and knew he was going to be the next.
It wasn't supposed to happen like that. He had caught a few Knights in the forest, was holding them prisoner. But apparently, their leader—whoever he was—wasn't going to watch them get executed. They hadn't been prepared for the strike. They still had no idea how the Knights got in without them knowing; no idea how it had happened.
All Elthis knew was that they had gotten in. They had caught the Warriors off guard—the fight was barely a fight. It was a slaughter. He hadn't been killed in battle, though. He was here now, with the handful of other survivors. Tied in a row, completely immobile.
His life was flashing before his eyes: growing up, finding Ocando, becoming a Warrior, marrying, his daughter's birth, his wife's death, losing his best friend, recovering his best friend, growing older, That Slave, his daughter's wedding, his grandsons' births, battles, and now he was here, looking up a sword at a Knight.
Elthis smiled slightly. He was about to die, and there was no way out of it. "Let me take my own life."
This must have been how he felt when he stared me down that night. This must have been what it was like when his heals scraped the edge of the cliff.
For years, it bothered Elthis how much he thought of that particular slave, but now... Now, it just seemed appropriate.
The Knight raised an eyebrow
"Why?"
If that slave could do it, so can I. I don't want them to tell Shoris and Kerev that some Knight killed me. "So my grandchildren can be proud."
"It's a stupid thing for them to be proud of," the Knight commented, but nodded, and handed Elthis a knife. It wasn't as though Elthis could do much of anything else with it, by the time he'd cut himself loose, the Knight would have killed him.
He took a deep breath. Ocando hold me.
He died nobly. That was the only consolation his family had, but ultimately, it would be enough.