[centre][img]https://i.imgur.com/m1Q6adA.png[/img][/centre]
[h2][centre]Gatekeeper, Troilus, Clockwork Fortress of Troy[/centre][/h2]

Troilus sat huddled in the middle of the central keep, trying to distract himself with the scattered toys surrounding him. It was difficult to remain calm, knowing what was stalking Fuyuki, the darkness outside of those walls. But this place was somewhere the war didn’t exist, a place that repelled such things. The walls of Troy, that had repelled over a decade of assault from those forces, would surely hold against the dangers this war had to offer.

But still, he couldn’t shake the fear that gnawed at him. Even after Troilus’ own death, how many of his brothers had [i]that man[/i] killed? How many of his friends, people he saw every day in the city streets, had met their ends at the point of his spear? There were names he knew, names he could put to faces and names he couldn’t. Too many to process. The masses of people that he’d killed, corpses enough to stain a river with blood-

[centre][h2]“▂▂▃▃▅▅▅▅ —  — ! !”[/h2][/centre]

He was here. 

Pleading with him was impossible. Death cannot be reasoned with.

Running from him was impossible. Death cannot be outrun.

Fighting him was impossible. Death cannot be outfought.

The only thing he could do was hide behind those walls that had repelled him before, and hope. Troilus curled into a ball, and whimpered.