"To be steeled in armour, means to die gloriously!"
Yeah, right. Heroes meet an end as worthy as they lived huh?
What life could I have lived to be laying in a cold suit of armour on top of a field of mud.
Ahh— shit. It's going through my visor and into my mouth.
I'm bleeding out too; I should've spent more on the armour. A broken sword to complete the whole set.
The battlefield's quiet now. The type of quiet that follows intense screaming. It's— peaceful.
I'm positive that steel is still clashing with flesh above me. Yet, I can't hear it at all. I must be close to death.
Is it wrong to only now reflect on my life? No land, no lineage, no legacy.
Only my name. Caelum.
A knight not in prestige nor power, but only within title. Rather, only in service.
I still fought. I still bled. I truly tried.
And yet, I've failed. Failed to live gloriously, and now a failure even in the manner in which I die.
…
No— I want to live!
The crows circle above me, masked as a part of the smoke and ashen sky. They caw from above, awaiting.
I tried to move this body of mine. Pushing the air through my lungs in order to grasp at any manner of strength.
There was none.
No! No! No!
It was hopeless. I could feel my heart beginning to beat slower and slower.
Will the others be remembered? Will the others have songs sung about them, and banners lifted to praise them?
Am I just going to vanish? Disappearing into this abysmal mud?
This isn't fair.
Yet… It hadn't gone cold. My body slowly became warmer.
I was being pulled, yet my body wasn't moving. It was as though my soul was hooked and being reeled.
I was absorbed into darkness. Then it became hot, real hot, very hot. This sensation of heat engulfed me quickly.
And then…
Light.
Pain. I shuttered my eyes.
I could hear cries— not battle cries. These words were loud as I could feel my body still being pulled.
"Push! Once more my lady!"
I could hear a woman in agonizing pain. Is someone giving birth? On a battlefield? Odd choice.
"There we go, we have him! It's a boy! Wonderful job my lady."
That must be the voice of a midwife. At the same time, I could feel my body being lifted and moved.
I must be being sent to a field hospital. I must've survived that hellish field somehow. I'll need to thank whomever pulled me out.
"Here you go my lady. What will you name him?"
Am I still not away from this battlefield birth fiasco? Are they following me to the field hospital? I can still hear them, it's quite obnoxious.
"Caelum. A name befitting a great knight."
Such a beautiful voice. And what? Did I hear my name? This battlefield birth child has my name? My name isn't exactly common, it's actually quite random. So no one should distinctively have it.
Now I have to take a look at this.
I opened my eyes only to be greeted by a face much bigger than my own.
Woah! Why is this person so huge? She's… beautiful.
I was greeted by a young woman with long golden hair and green eyes. Her skin was fair and pale. She must've been the one to give birth just by telling her exhaustion.
"Alicia!"
Another voice echoed through the room. A young man with broad shoulders and a confident presence entered the room.
As he hurriedly shuffled through the midwives, his black hair directly contrasted his hazel eyes and green attire.
"My lord—"
One of the midwives tried to intervene on the man shuffling so fast.
"Her ladyship has just given birth, her immune system is very weak. Please move slowly."
"Ah— my apologies."
The golden haired lady spoke,
"It's okay. Come close Darius, hold your son. Hold Caelum."
"A son? Alicia, this is wonderful!"
The black haired man was ecstatic. Good for them. Wait, why is he reaching out towards me? Hey buddy, I'm not your son— hey! Wait!
Huh?! How am I being held— Wait… this isn't the field hospital.
Where the hell am I?!
"From this day forward, you shall be the future of the Vire Household! Caelum Vire!"