Final Spark

It took so much out of him to cast that last spell. Defending the city to his last breath was something he had pledged to do, but he hadn’t expected it to be so soon. The invaders were legends of a far away land when he had signed onto the Ebony Corps, the city’s magic guards and soldiers. He could’ve been in the Ivory Corps�"the healing squad�"but his father’s last wish was for him to join the Ebony.

He collapsed against the wall, taking a gulp of water from his canteen. His heart rate gradually slowed as he noted all his fallen comrades and the hundreds of invaders still attacking. He caught the eye of others farther down the line. His own eyes suddenly lit up, an idea slowly dawning on him. As his eyes brightened, his countenance darkened. There were three more besides him of the most elite branch of the Ebony Corps left on the battlements. He motioned for them to come to him, and he stood up. As he explained the plan, they nodded solemnly. They had no choice if they were going to save the people.

Each drew his dagger and held it tightly sideways, the tip of one touching the hilt of the next, forming a square. Each funneled all but the very last drop of energy into the square. He slowly raised his sword, pointing it at the enemy’s army. “Populi dauthus!” he shouted, sending the energy outward. With the final spark of their energy, he repeated on more time, “Death to the People!”

They simultaneously fell to the ground, only one still holding onto life. Why was he still alive? He wondered silently. He had used the final spark of his energy. He looked further. “Ah,” he smiled, “Celine.” Love does seem to conquer all; even death.

Author's Note

As a note: Have fun trying to find the language that "Populi dauthus" is from. You won't find it. It literally means people's death, at least, that's how I interpreted it. I used a dictionary of word origins to find older roots of people and death...Maybe I'll stop talking. You're probably bored.