Many Soldiers Have Asked Me About My Charms

The war was going poorly. My side had already suffered what felt like an insurmountable number of defeats at the hands of our enemies. The future looked grim, and I wondered if we even had a remote chance of success. <br><br>We were camped just outside of a small village. A few of the other soldiers had gone inside to visit the local market and purchase supplies. <br><br>I decided to go as well. I was poor, and couldn’t afford to buy very much. I looked around at what was available, and many of the items were not things that I would have used very much anyway. <br><br>I was about to leave when I noticed an old hag sitting on the ground. She was surrounded by various trinkets, and it was clear that she was trying to sell them. <br><br>“Sir! Sir, please! Many soldiers have asked me about my charms. They are very useful during the war. They’ll keep you safe, bring you good fortune, and catch you a wife when you return home. What would you like?”<br><br>I looked over the items that she was selling. Most of them were useless trash, and I already had many of them. I was about to leave when I noticed a small metal pendant buried beneath the rest of her goods. <br><br>“Excuse me, what’s that?” I asked, pointing at the pendant. It looked like it had a small pearl set into it, which would have been a valuable item for someone like me. I had the feeling that she was hiding it for a reason. <br><br>“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. That’s not for sale at all.”<br><br>“I think it is,” I said. She slowly reached down and retrieved the pendant. <br><br>“How much?” I asked gruffly. <br><br>“five gold coins.”<br><br>“That’s outrageous. I will give you one, and that’s as much as I have to spend.”<br><br>She glared at me. “Three, and not a single copper piece less.”<br><br>“Two, and that’s my final offer. If you don’t take it, I’ll go buy from somewhere else.”<br><br>She glared at me for a few more seconds before finally answering. <br><br>“Two gold coins, and you have a deal.”<br><br>I handed her the two gold coins, and she handed me the pendant. I tied it around my neck, and felt a sudden surge of confidence. I was going to be just fine. <br><br>I went back to camp, where I ran into one of my comrades. <br><br>“Where have you been?” he asked. <br><br>“Looking around the village,” I replied. <br><br>“I got some good luck charms from an old hag near the market. Did you see her?”<br><br>“No, unfortunately. What did you get?”<br><br>“I got this little pendant. It’s got a pearl set into it. I think it’s a little expensive for what I got, but it might be worth it just in case it helps.”<br><br>He stared at the pendant. “That’s beautiful. Where did you get it?”<br><br>“An old hag near the market. You should go take a look.”<br><br>“I will. I think that I might have one just like it when I return.”<br><br>I felt a surge of guilt. I had spent nearly all of my money on the pendant, and I couldn’t afford to buy any more food. I had very little anyway, and I had hardly eaten at all over the past few days. <br><br>I brushed off the feeling. After all, even if I had spent my money on food instead of the pendant, I would have been full for a few more days. But if this little trinket brought me good fortune, I would have food for the rest of my life. <br><br>The next day, we set out to battle. We met the enemy on an open field, and the fighting was fierce. We were outnumbered, and our enemies were better armed than us. <br><br>Despite our poor position, we were able to hold our own for a while. I was terrified, but I drew my sword and charged into battle. <br><br>I fought bravely, cutting down multiple enemies and sustaining only the slightest of injuries. <br><br>Eventually, our lines were breached. We were quickly surrounded, and we fought valiantly but futilely to fend off our aggressors. <br><br>Many of us tried to flee, but it was too late. Many of my comrades fell that day. <br><br>I was the last one standing, and I was only still standing because I had been knocked out and left for dead. <br><br>When I came to, I groggily surveyed the area. Many bodies were scattered all around me, and I assumed that I was most likely the only survivor. <br><br>I noticed a figure walking towards me from the horizon. I drew my sword and prepared to fight. <br><br>But as he got closer, I noticed that he was wearing the same uniform that I was. I lowered my sword, and he drew his own. <br><br>“Who are you?” he asked. <br><br>“I am Corporal Balric. Who are you?”<br><br>“I am Sergeant Adric. I don’t recognize you. What was your unit?”<br><br>“Squad seven. I was under Lieutenant Hrang.”<br><br>He shook his head. “I’m afraid we have bad news for you, Corporal. You’ve been out for a while. We assumed you were dead, and we couldn’t afford the time to look for you. We burned the bodies of your comrades-in-arms, and left a monument in their honor.”<br><br>I felt a pang of sadness. I had many close friends in my unit, and I had assumed that they all just happened to be in a different part of the battlefield. <br><br>“Will you come back with me?” Sergeant Adric asked. <br><br>I agreed, and we set off in the direction he had come from. <br><br>After walking for a while, I asked him the question that I really wanted to ask. <br><br>“Sergeant, do you know of an old hag living near a village up that way?”<br><br>“Yes, of course. She’s famous. Many soldiers have asked her about her charms. They’re said to bring you great fortune.”<br><br>I fingered the pendant. <br><br>“I bought one of her wares,” I said. <br><br>He looked surprised. “Really? What did you get?”<br><br>I pulled out the pendant from beneath my shirt, and held it in front of me. He looked at it in awe. <br><br>I felt a surge of guilt, just like I had when I was talking to my comrade. <br><br>“Are you okay?” He asked. <br><br>“Yeah. It’s just that I spent most of my money on this trinket. I didn’t have any food, so I had to go into battle on an empty stomach. Many of my comrades died. If only I had bought food instead of this useless trinket, I might have survived with more energy. If only I had bought food instead of this useless trinket, some of my comrades may have lived.”<br><br>“But didn’t you say that you were the only survivor?”<br><br>“Yes, and exactly. If only I had bought food instead of this useless trinket, some of my comrades may have lived.”<br><br>We walked for a few more hours in silence. It was starting to get dark, and Sergeant Adric suggested that we stop to rest. <br><br>“Where?” I asked. <br><br>“There’s a small cave over there. It should be perfect for the night.”<br><br>I followed him towards the cave. It was rather small, and I assumed that wild animals lived there. I wasn’t in any position to complain, however. <br><br>We entered, and there was nothing inside but dust. I collapsed on the ground, and Sergeant Adric followed suit. <br><br>I closed my eyes, and quickly fell asleep. I had to deal with the mental and physical rigors of battle, as well as the long walk with no food afterwards. I was exhausted. <br><br>I don’t know how long I slept. I was awoken by the sound of footsteps, followed by the sound of rustling. I tried to sit up, but it was too late. A bear attacked. <br><br>Of course, I couldn’t just lay there. I had to defend myself. I tried to roll out of the way, but the wound was too deep. <br><br>As my vision faded into blackness, I couldn’t help but think that the hag had scammed me. The pendant hadn’t brought me any good fortune. <br><br>Many soldiers have asked me about my charms. They are very useful during the war. They’ll keep you safe, bring you good fortune, and catch you a wife when you return home. <br><br>Well, I am safe. My soul is safe from the world of the living. I am going to a place where there is great fortune. <br><br>And one day, a man will find my bones, and he will catch a wife when he returns home. <br><br>&#x200B;