Fists clenched tight, Leon pressed his jaw shut hard.
He mumbled it under his breath - "Not enough."
Another swing.
The force made his knees give way.
A single knee touched the ground. Then he stayed there, still.
A heavy blade crashed downward, biting into the stone with more force. It left another long cut where it struck.
Kneeling there, Leon kept his balance on a single knee, grinding it against broken rock. His fingers stayed tight on the handle, gripping without pause. Stone split beneath him, cold and sharp under worn cloth. The weapon did not move, held firm by steady palms.
His chest heaved.
His vision blurred.
Salt stung his tongue instead of iron. His breath caught behind clenched teeth. Something sharp rode the backwash of every swallow.
Blood.
Bitten was the tongue he'd kept silent.
Leon laughed weakly.
A gasp without laughter. Yet heavy silence fills the gap.
"So… this is it?"
Vibrating all over, his hands trembled badly at that moment.
Uncontrolled.
