Carthas lay on the cobbled road. The wounds sustained causing extreme amounts of blood loss. The Ithanian coughs up a bit of blood, trying to laugh, but blacking out in a matter of moments and losing consciousness. Then all that remains is black. A void of blackness. In that blackness two voices, both identical, but both with different personalities. The voices speak to one another.
Non, we could not.
We were a monster, we /are/ a monster!
Non, that we are not.
We are the Warbeast Carthas of the Wolf's--
We are Nicolas of the House d'Eluise. Our sister is Madeleinne d'Eluise, our matriarch. We were never meant for any of this. We should have simply taken our lot in life.
No, that is not the case. I refuse to let this stand! We are a Blackmark, we are the Legate of the Ironwolf Legion!
We will be dead in a matter of moments. Don't you see? All of this fighting, all of this survival and selfishness. What has it done for me? What has it done for Nicolas d'Eluise? I will tell you what it has done. We are going to die here today. For what reason? For a man we both wish to have been our father? For a cause that we were forced into? We could not accept our lot in life so we destroyed ourselves until we became something we are not.
The Warbeast remains silent.
Why did I do it? Why did I do any of this? Was my jealously truly so great that I throw myself, body and soul away? There is no Warbeast. There was no Delacroix. I alone am Nicolas d'Eluise. Now I await my death and rebirth.
The blackness is silent. Waiting. Nicolas continues his thought once again.
Surely I have failed the Great Way with my actions, non? There is no Great Way is there? No Imperial Spirit, no great deity to wish I shall or shall not return to. This is it. In a few more moments I shall be dead and all of this will fade away. I have literally thrown my life away.
If this is it then so be it. I Nicolas-Francois d'Eluise welcome death with open arms. There will be no glory for me, there will be no power. My only regret is that I hadn't realized this truth sooner. Au revoir world.
Then in an instant all that remained was the blackness.
