The Iron Cast

The sound of his own labored breath echoes from within his iron helm as he stumbles through the forest thicket. At last he is alone, but an overwhelming exhaustion sends him collapsing like an enormous boulder amongst the twisting ivy of the forest floor. The sharp sting of the inevitable burns as a crimson red death pours from somewhere beneath his armor, as he now understands this will be the last rest he will ever take. He removes his helmet and tosses it aside. But he does not do so in sadness, nor anger, as a sense of relief now envelops his ever-calming heart. After decades of suffering, he has done what he set out to do. The land on which his family was raised will now be protected for years to come. As he closes his eyes one final time, he smiles as their faces appear before him. At last he will be able to join them in eternity…an epic conclusion to his story.