With each messenger's report of the battle, a hint of the pervasive horse dung odor from the battlefield would enter.
Over time, having been exposed to the smell of horse dung repeatedly, the king's chest pain intensified until he could no longer hold back a mouthful of fresh blood, startling the messenger with his cry.
By the time the medics arrived in response, the king's eyes were blood-red, blood dripping from his mouth, and he had ceased breathing.
Thus ended the reign of a once formidable ruler.
The decisive battle between the two armies raged from dusk till dawn, with both sides suffering heavy losses.
The king's two hundred thousand royal troops initially held the advantage in the early stages of the battle.
However, the sudden death of the king shifted the entire dynamic of the conflict, providing Norton's rebel forces with a chance to recover.
