A Hero's Last Mission

I am the greatest war hero of my country. I lead my batallian to victory when we were outnumbered ten to one and rushed friends to safety with only a lone shield against numerous swords. Drancal, curse their name, they would have us all killed if their invasion succeeded.

But now I need to escape from those that look up to me, I need to leave behind all the souls who gain hope from being by my side. At this time tomorrow I won't be the greatest war hero of my country any more, I'll be dead.

A trap had been laid out for me two full moons ago. A girls scream was the bait, an ambush was the hook and then the cursed potion was the poison. A poison that would kill me off would have been better, for this poison won't kill me, it will change me. The revered sage told me that I only have two weeks till I became a Drancal and obey them unflinchingly. My memories were already being rewritten; every bone in my body is fighting against the posion but it is an unending battle that I know I will lose.

I refuse to become a slave of the Drancal, my country cannot see its greatest war hero become a demon from one of their nightmares. It would crush them.

I only had one thing left to do. Death at the hand of the enemy which had to come by the next moon rise. Suicide was never an option for me, if my body were to be found the entire country would lose the hunger to win. They will give up just as they would see their hero giving up.

The Drancals would never kill me willingly, they would want the poison to turn me into one of them. I wrapped myself in a thin silk cloak and covered my face with a mask. My disguise was complete, the element of surprise should do the rest.

My army camp was behind me now, I stood on the edge of the forest. This machination of nature was all that stood between the enemy and our land. 

I leapt on to the tree at the edge of our camp and raced accross the branches towards my death. The forest guided me, the wind was my only companion now and the falling autumn leaves the only witness of my final journey.

I bounced out of the sleeping forest, five knives parted from my hands to find their victims. Moments later five Drancals fell to the floor and an alarm sounded. The Drancal army had been alerted!

More drancals came out towards me, I let them injure me before killing them. 

Now many dozens of Drancals came towards me.

What a beautiful sight it was; my search for a heroic death was complete.