Conversation on the Cliff

Millard sat silently on the cliffside, enjoying the view of landscape below him. The vast stretches of green extended far beyond the horizon under the deep blue sky, occasionally darkened by passing clouds. Stone structures dotted the otherwise perfect fields, adding a touch of atmosphere that Millard was quite familiar with. The wind that blew behind him brought a nostalgic feeling that relaxed his weary shoulders and strained muscles. It wasn't until he heard the sound of shuffling metal when he finally mustered a smile.

"I'm glad that you arrived, Nylis." Millard spoke favorably in a withered voice to the younger man he knew was coming his way. He didn't move, remaining to take in the sights in front of him.

"We agreed to this, didn't we?" Nylis said in his usually regal tone. His recently-polished armor shuttered with every step he made, each of which were slow and casual. He walked up to the cliffside next to Millard and clattered down beside him, beaming a relaxed smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good, good." Millard just nodded. They listened to the light howl of the breeze, paying no mind to the silence that stood between them. It hung for a few minutes until Millard spoke again. "It's a beautiful sight."

"It is, isn't it?" Nylis' eyes glided over the fields, observing the same scenery but with a different view. "It always has been and always will be. Truly one of the most spectacular sights in this land."

"Indeed..."

The wind continued to stir.

"Tell me, Nylis...do you fear death?"

It was a question that would have felt sudden to anyone, but Nylis more than expected it coming.

"I would be lying if I said no."

"I see..." Millard paused. "What do you think happens after one dies?"

Another question that Nylis expected, but one that he was still not yet decided on how to answer. He began speaking, hoping to piece something along the way.

"My faith tells me...that all noble souls find themselves in the brightest of all lands, a land where no ill-will or harm can come to you. A splendorous world where you can find happiness, wonder, and true inner peace. You can dine with the gods, drink the finest wines, and eat the heartiest meals. Then, eventually, you are reborn into the world anew, and your soul continues on." He sighed. "But...my heart tells me something different."

"And what is that?"

"I don't know."

Millard nodded. "An honest answer. I do not believe anyone truly knows. Perhaps that is why many fear it, despite their faith telling them to worry of nothing. Uncertainty, the unknown...that is what many people are apprehensive of."

Nylis turned to Millard, trying to withhold a question burning within him. From this angle, he could see his aged face, weathered from the years gone by. Although he could not see his eyes, he knew that they had not moved since his arrival. This place was sacred to Millard.

"Are you afraid of death, old friend?"

He spoke, practically forcing the question out from within him. Millard chuckled, his head bobbing as he did.

"It's funny. In my youth, I was terrified of it. Worries would plague me day after day, always wondering when it would come for me and in what way it would arrive. When I had fought in the war, I was certain that it would come for me at any moment. Across many battles, I had seen friends and comrades alike die. Some directly at the hands of the enemy, some from their gruesome wounds, and some at their own hands. I had witnessed the demise of many, yet despite it all, I survived. My outlook on death had changed. In the end, instead of worrying over avoiding it, I wondered night after night why death hadn't come for me instead."