The old man tasted death and knew he’d failed in every way
his dreams of fighting as a hero all just ripped away
but as he looked upon the evil monster standing there
he suddenly forgot what heroes were, and didn’t care
He thought about the cities full of life that he let down
he thought about the land of death that would be his hometown
but nowhere in despair did he find any will to fight
hope was just the flickering of some old distant light
Breathing grew much harder as the poison settled in
and coldness numbed the pain of wars he knew would soon begin
but as the thought of war began to fill his aching mind
his heart began to warm and other thoughts were left behind
The faces of the dead all vanished in a smoky haze
the names of all the friends he’d lost so many times and ways
a raging fire ignited in the dying old man’s heart
fueled by the desire to tear his enemies apart
He didn’t know the way to swing a sword like heroes wood
he didn’t care if ever he had done a bit of good
he couldn’t name the kings and queens he lifted up or killed
he never cared to count the nameless graves which he had filled
All he knew was how much he would enjoy one final war
against the strongest foe he’d ever fought a little more
the weight of good and evil all but vanished from his mind
the overwhelming burden which his destiny defined
He couldn’t care about a world that needed to be saved
all that he could feel now was the battle that he craved
it shocked him for a moment that he felt no guilt at all
to disregard a hero’s quest and heed adventure’s call
He wouldn’t waste his time in search of honour or their praise
nobody would celebrate his deeds, gone were those days
all he wanted now was just to fight and to destroy
and when he through the shame of it away, it brought him joy
He felt the same excitement he once felt so long ago
to simply face adversity and feel his power grow
the pretence of a hero didn’t do him any good
regardless of the cause, if he could fight, he surely would
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Feeling like he’d been set free, he called upon his flame
letting go of all control and any hope of fame
it filled the cavern quickly and the rocks began to melt
the lich’s eyes grew brighter with the power that he felt
“That’s what I was waiting for, you’re finally awake
now fight for no more noble reason than for fighting’s sake”
the mage’s fire erupted as he pushed the lich away
burning brighter than the sun on any summer’s day
The lich responded quickly with some magic of his own
parrying the mage’s strikes with shields of blood and bone
the battle brought the mountain down into a sea of flame
both enemies unleashing powers neither one could tame
The lich’s twisted laughter soon was joined by one more voice
with every grand attack the mage would chuckle and rejoice
no trace of stoic heroism left upon his face
instead there was happier expression in its place
He had no words to grant the lich, he simply fought with glee
the lich was then content to fight the old man honestly
the land began to quake and churn beneath their fiery fight
they flew about their battlefield with innocent delight
The lich would summon monsters from a thousand years of wars
the mage would drag them down beneath a wave of molten ores
early in the battle half the forest was consumed
the mage incinerated every corpse the lich exhumed
The lich had planned to test the mage’s power just for fun
expecting his new servant’s power was surpassed by none
but while the laughing pair of madmen fought he realised
all along the mage’s strength had been too well disguised
Such a power wasn’t something from the mortal realm
there wasn’t any mortal who he couldn’t overwhelm
it was then he understood the error that he made
the road the mage before him walked, is one that fate had laid
“You filthy traitor, all your magic wreaks of fairy kind
You threw away your pride for strength, you must have lost your mind
I can’t even use a soul polluted by those things
a silly puppet dragged along by dirty little strings”
The lich’s laughter stopped despite the smile his foe still wore
the old man didn’t care about the fairies anymore
“all that I can say to you, is thank you for this fight
but now I think the time has come for us to say goodnight”
The lich’s twisted smile had given way to fear and rage
panicking he cursed with desperation at the mage
he struggled as the otherworldly magic made him weak
and soon he was too overcome by flames to even speak
The mage who flew with grace above the hell he helped to make
knew the lich might not be killed beneath the fiery lake
he threw away the magic swords he loved with all his heart
and summoned one great ball of fire that tore the land apart
Where the lich had fallen he had taken careful aim
letting out his thirst for sheer destruction without shame
the lich along with every mountain seen for miles around
reduced to molten rock and dust with one gigantic sound
Across the poisoned places where the lich had cursed the land
in a moment, countless undead creatures turned to sand
the dragon of the midland hills could finally retreat
the northern forces who’d survived were rescued from defeat
A hundred kingdoms, unaware of what had happened there
felt the whole world shake and felt a warm breeze in the air
but few would guess the reason that the world would move and shake
unaware of who was fighting just for fighting’s sake
The mage in satisfaction looked upon the fiery land
lakes of lava all around where none could even stand
he felt the fairies’ powers slipping quietly away
but with one final breath the fiery skies all turned to grey
As he breathed his last he turned the ashes into snow
to quell the molten landscape burning endlessly below
soon the raging fires were all replaced by fields of white
the smiling man who made the snow then faded out of sight
He joined the snow that travelled on the wind and never fell
without a reason left to stay, no stories left to tell
as his body disappeared he let his spirit go
and suddenly was in a place he’d known since long ago
~
