The king condemned the hero to the front lines of a war

he quietly accepted, and he dared not ask for more

a battle which had brought two kingdoms many years of pain

to be his prison til the war was won or he was slain

When he joined the battle first to fight for his new king

tempted to imagine what rewards the fight would bring

finally to fight for justice, bravely without fear

he raised his sword to fight for every moral he held dear

No knowledge of his enemies or help from any friend

he fought in bloody battles in that war without an end

for all the game he’d hunted, every enemy he’d fought

he still believed his bloody efforts wouldn’t be for nought

With some rusty armour, and a rusty sword and shield

ordered by his captain to muddy battlefield

the flag he marched beneath displayed an angry lion’s head

the banner of the enemy, a dragon coloured red

He wondered why the kingdoms fought but never understood

if he could slay a dragon though, he thought his luck was good

the only dragon there, however, flew upon a flag

and so he’d risk his life to claim some dirty, coloured rag

The heroes he had read about fought monsters dark and grim

but now the foes he faced were men and boys as young as him

forced to fight or else be killed, he’d swung his rusty sword

soldiers just like pirates fought for death or some reward

The battlefields where he had planned to forge his hero’s heart

were built upon the ruins of a village torn apart

aside from soldiers all he met were starving refugees

mothers and their children struck with sorrow and disease

The first time that he saw a young girl starving in the street

all that he could do was stare in silence at his feet

he didn’t have the means to help a single person there

even when he stopped to say hello, they didn’t care

Once he’d gotten used to passing orphans on the road

he found a bit of purpose in the quest he’d been bestowed

he had no food or gold to give them, but he had a sword

maybe through his battles would his honour be restored

Such a chance arose one day when battle lines were drawn

the army with the dragon’s flag attacked the town at dawn

the slaves and conscripts, like the boy, were driven to the front

meant to slow their foes’ assault until their blades were blunt

The hero was the only one who revelled in this chance

he met the dragon army early on in their advance

so intent on showing off his skills to all who saw

that even some commanders looked upon the scene in awe

Leading such a charge against the enemy alone

even other slaves and conscripts quickly changed their tone

though they’d only known him as a pirate and a thief

his devotion to the war left some in disbelief

By the end of day the dragon army was repelled

though they suffered losses one boy’s pride had quickly swelled

feeling full of confidence he wandered through the town

waiting for the moment everything had settled down

Then he found the knight who was in charge of every slave

and asked for his report on the performance that he gave

“we were all surprised to see a pirate go to war

now rest, you filthy pirate, and tomorrow fight some more”

The boy was cold and speechless but he later understood

fighting like a pirate was the only way he could

anyone who saw him fight would instantly conclude

that how he swung his sword at war was cowardly and crude

Any chance at recognition also would be hurt

lost upon his status as a slave worth less than dirt

all that he could hope for was to see the end of war

then at least he wouldn’t be a pirate anymore

Now he fully understood the mercy of the king

death was still his sentence, but by sword instead of string

the army he was sentenced to was pushed back every day

no time to rest before he met another foe to slay

In between the battles, when he had some time alone

cold and putrid air would quickly chill him to the bone

where were all the monsters, why was man attacking man

where was honour found when half his enemies just ran

He wondered if a princess could forgive a hero’s crimes

but there was little time to spend lamenting bygone times

he soon lost count of all the battles that he made it through

fighting for survival was the best that he could do

Sleeping in his armour at the end of every day

eating scraps of food that older knights would throw away

he didn’t bother trying to fight like royal knights

he’d only made it this far fighting like a pirate fights

he never made a friend among the slaves he fought beside

most of them were criminals without a bit of pride

the battlefields where he was sent extracted quite a cost

and war demanded many armies fight until they lost

Though he’d given up on earning praise from those he served

often knights would give him the attention he deserved

“never have I seen pirate having so much fun

killing everything he can until the battle’s done”

Though they won their share of battles, it was clear to all

they were being pressured with their backs against the wall

every day the lion army lost a little ground

then one day the dragon army’s drums began to pound

With a fierce assault their reinforcements had arrived

the pirate’s army fought, but not a single knight survived

fighting while retreating over rocky hills and sand

The boy fought desperately until his sword fell from his hand

On that day the greatest battle of the war was lost

though the war continued, with survival came a cost

the kingdom who the boy had served would very nearly fall

though the boy, now far away, might never know at all

The hero had imagined war would be a tale to tell

now he had no luck or friends to keep him out of hell

Backing up toward a cliff, his allies mostly dead

the only flags left flying dawned a dragon coloured red

He wondered if a real dragon could be half as strong

but now he was as tired as the battle had been long

the boy could hear a rushing current roaring down below

only steps away from both the cliff’s edge and his foe

Without a sword he still believed that he was plenty strong

but if he fought so many knights, he wouldn’t live too long

the army right before his eyes were many fearsome knights

so then and there the hero proved he had no fear of heights

He said that he’d return then jumped into the deep ravine

noticing the river was much wider than foreseen

his comrades all were slaughtered as the current took him down

he wondered if he’d ever hold a sword again, or drown