A final crash came against the door, and it splintered. There was a battering ram on one side, trying to get in.
They obliged and the door broke in a large bunch with the final attack of the battering ram. The smoke cleared, and Eli stepped forward, followed by a group from the Fortress. His eyes landed on Aspen and he relaxed for a moment before addressing the whole crowd. "The Mad King is dead!" he told them. "You are free to go."
He looked down at her. "Our patrols ran into him in the woods," he replied. "We actually recognized the bird on his shoulder as your handiwork, Aspen, and we figured there may have been some validity in your hypothesis that he was keeping people alive after capturing them."
There was a pause and a silence as he considered her for a moment, all the blood draining from his face. "...what?"
He seemed numb from surprise, looking over his shoulder. "He... he's in the woods... we left him in the woods..."
His body wasn't hard to find. He was on his back by a cherry tree. The blossoms weighed down the branches and his chest was heaving as he struggled to breathe, his mask covering his face. His eyes stared up at nothing, straining for a view of the stars through his armor.
She took his helmet off gently, though clearly panicking as she tried to help, moving to put pressure on the wound. "August? August? It's Aspen. Do-Everything is going to be okay.."
He shifted his head slightly, his breathing steadying as she approached. "Aspen...?" he asked quietly, his voice soft and tired.
The wound felt strange under her hands. It was almost like his body was stiffening and hardening, preparing for death. "Hey," he said quietly, wiping away a tear. "Don't cry. Please don't cry. I know you love me, Aspen. You're always looking out for me, you know."
He frowned, reaching out to her. "Just lie down next to me, Aspen," he said gently. "You're hurting me when you do that. Just lie down with me, okay? Look up at the sky."
