Once a Farmer

They called us the defenders of the army, right up until they left us behind to die. A gritty, unvarnished fantasy short story about the men on the front lines, the weight of false hope, and what happens when heroes walk away. Bolkir was never meant to be a soldier. He was a farmer who loved the earth, his oxen team, and the simple satisfaction of a hard day's work. Now, instead of a plow, he holds a rusted war scythe patched together for a retreating army. His home is burning, his unit is routed, and his only comfort is the desperate belief that The Heroes, legendary figures of myth and power, are on their way to save them. Along with his cynical companion Hrun, Bolkir marches toward Grotier's Bridge, clinging to the promise of salvation. But when they finally cross paths with the enigmatic, otherworldly "heroes," Bolkir is forced to confront a brutal truth: to the powerful, common soldiers are not heroes in the making, they are just bodies for the pyre. When the horns sound and the arrows begin to rain from the sky, Bolkir realizes no savior is coming from above. If he wants to see his home again, he will have to fight for himself.- Story Length: Quick read / Short story (~17 pages / approx. 4,500 words)- Format: Ideal for a single-sitting read