Nonexistent End

"speech" 'thoughts'

1 - The End.

On a vast grassy plain lies an old man surrounded by humans, and not just humans; surrounding the man was a large variety of creatures and beasts alike that have seemingly come far and wide just to accompany this aged man.

Under the light of the setting sun, the man's long beard and a necklace shaped like a snowflake with a blue and gold jewel embedded in its casing heaved up and down as he opened his mouth and sighed "You all.... really didn't have to come this far just for me" he said with a deep breath in between.

A short moment of silence resonated in the plain before a male elf who seemed to be the coordinator of the gathering of these supposedly fictional races spoke up with a gentle smile on his face that was framed by his emerald green hair "Worry not old friend, this is the least we could do for everything you have done for us all these years" His young appearance betrayed his countenance and the wise way he spoke, though of course this man was far older than he looked.

The old man let out a sigh and was about to speak up when he suddenly felt a tug on his shirt "hm?... what's wrong little ones?" The deep breaths he took in between his words spoke loudly about the amount of time he had left.

A beautiful young elven girl in her twenties with red hair and blue eyes clutched the old man's shirt even tighter as she spoke "Father please.... Don't leave us.." the tears that were forming in her eyes glistened with the tears she already shed.

Following the young girl, more voices echoed out in the grassy terrain. As the wind breezed through them and the sway of the grass and flowers followed.

"She's right... Father please don't go yet, all of us here know that you can make potions to extend your lifespan, why not do it?" Another girl shared her thoughts, although she was not as young as her sisters she still shared their beauty which was only enhanced by her flowing green hair and blue eyes, this particular girl was seemingly human yet her beauty wasn't the only thing special about her.

"Father... we have just said goodbye to our mothers yesterday, we can't say goodbye to you this soon too" This time a white haired girl tried to convince him, her slitted blue eyes that were the only sign of her racial inheritance glowed fiercely with emotion as she stared at the old man.

"...." The old man stayed silent.

"Girls...." After a few more seconds of pondering he had come to a decision "While I would like to stay here with you longer... there would be no point..... All of you..... have grown up to be very great and fine women. Your mothers.... shared the same sentiment... and that is why they are no longer with us today..." He spoke with deep breaths as he continued.

"A day..... before your mothers journey..... into the afterlife..... all of us made the decision.... to leave this world to the 3 of you.... and all of the companions you will make on your journey... like me.... and your mothers have.... already done...."

"We have.... already seen and explored..... every inch of this world..... and it is time we leave..... The reason I have prolonged my death.... more than your mothers is because I.... wanted to spend one more day with you... all...." He said as tears formed in his eyes, a sight of which no one has seen since his arrival in this world, not even on the day of his marriage or the days his daughters were born.

"On this day..... I ask of you.....all three of you... to live your lives to the fullest... have no regrets..... and..... remember us..."

"Do you..... understand me.... children?" He said as his breathing seemingly started to calm down.

His children cried harder at his words, while one of them nodded intensely, the other one stayed silent and let her tears speak for herself, and the stubborn one shook her head multiple times in a last ditch effort in hopes of persuading him from his decision, although her face clearly showed she had already accepted it...

The old man sighed as he looked at the blue sky that he fought so hard to protect back in his youth, he went through a lot of hardships to reach this goal and yet he regretted nothing of it.

He closed his eyes and as the sound of his children's cries, the sound of the grass rustling from the wind, and the sound of his own heartbeat faded away; he drifted off to eternal sleep.

On that day, everyone in the world felt it. A change in the world, no one that wasn't at the gathering knew what it was but they felt something change. Whether beast or insect, everyone and everything felt it. The world felt warmer.

A shift.

The Hero was dead.