He caught up with the merchants and his mercenary friends

who feared he might resent them, but they quickly made amends

he saw among their slaves the same twelve men that he’d paid for

and hoping not to anger him, they gave him even more

Again, he turned them down, but they’d decided for themselves

and so came to own as many men as dwarves and elves

his mercenary friends were less afraid but still confused

about the choice he made and all the magic that he used

“Sorry that we left you all alone with that old queen

but we’d have all be killed if we had dared to make a scene”

the hero laughed along with them, but with a bitter smile

he wondered, in the end, if this excursion was worthwhile

the leader of the mercenaries found him late one night

sitting by himself beside a fire’s dying light

a man with so much power who declined a queen’s request

he’d never even heard a story like that told in jest

“Though she was a tyrant, she was still a queen and all

she offered quite a grand position, as I do recall

and weren’t you always looking for a princess to be saved”

“I’d rather be a merchant than a hero and enslaved”

The mercenary leader laughed “it’s really such a waste

but someone ought to live his life according to his taste”

he left the hero by himself to watch the fire die

the hero, now a merchant, turned his head toward the sky

“Just how many kingdoms will become my enemy

there could be no hero now as qualified as me

in all those heroes’ songs there was no mention of a slave

is every evil dragon out there hiding in some cave”

Deciding that he’d disregard his issues with the queen

and hoping nevermore to see a pair of eyes so green

he figured it was best he just complete the simple quest

to keep the merchants safe, but he would take no time to rest

Somehow he wound up in another new career

trading slaves across the plains and dangerous frontier

he was well aware of how their fate was now his own

and he could still recall the kindness he had once been shown

The humans which he owned were mostly prisoners of war

the ones the merchants gave him though were worth a little more

several elves who’d otherwise be sold to noble homes

and many dwarves who emphasized they weren’t the same as gnomes

He knew the look upon the soldiers’ faces from before

he had seen it countless times in his own time at war

the beauty of the elves could rival even the princess

he tended to avoid them as it caused him some distress

The dwarves were strong and noisy and complained of everything

but even while they worked they always had a song to sing

the merchants had been tired of all the hero’s songs since fall

so they had no complaints about the dwarven tunes at all

He wondered what he’d do with them upon their safe return

his quest was interrupted by the money he could earn

he asked the slaves about their lives but few had tales to tell

most of them survived a war they all described as hell

Other merchants keenly listened when they spoke of war

some of them had made a fortune selling swords before

but they were soon discouraged by the stories which they heard

sorcerers so strong they could make lightning with a word

Their foes had not used swords but terrifying sorcery

an empire filled with magic yet unknown to history

they burned the forests where the elves had lived for countless years

and crushed the mountains til a river flowed with dwarven tears

Even though the slaves had seen the hero’s recent fight

still they claimed that if he met them he should flee in fright

“they take no treasure, gold, or land, they only kill for fun

they worship death, so if you see them, save yourself and run”

The human men were soldiers who were scared and tired of war

fighting off invasions by that queen since long before

“one day as we held that tyrant’s ruthless army back

that ghostly force descended from the skies in one attack”

The elves and dwarves were sympathetic to the soldiers’ tale

the more the merchants heard, the more their faces all turned pale

these were not the stories normal people often hear

every word was from a nightmare, stained with blood and fear

The hero was content to never fight a war again

he’d rather slay a dragon than a thousand evil men

but what they said about the way that evil army fights

weighed upon the hero’s mind for several sleepless nights

“Armies full of sorcerers and monsters yet unknown

casting spells that shook the earth and melted flesh from bone

waves of pure destruction that destroy and terrorize

monsters like a thunderstorm descending from the skies”

The hero wondered if a fight with mages would be tough

he’d won a hundred battles, but he’d lost more than enough

his doubts became an irritating weight upon his mind

but soon his new uncertainty was all but left behind

often several weeks would pass without a beast in sight

the plains and woods were all too peaceful even late at night

many of the merchants thought it nothing more than luck

some thought it had been too long since last misfortune struck

After spring had come and gone they still were far from home

and still they had a year ahead to trade or freely roam

the hero recommended that they waste no time on trade

and go back to their homes with all the fortunes they had made

They all agreed that they had seen enough excitement now

the year had been too long and they had all survived somehow

but over the horizon at a peaceful time of year

darkness like a twisted sunrise filled the air with fear

The slaves all cowered feebly at the sight they knew too well

this was what they all had seen before they walked through hell

with his eyes enhanced by magic, first the hero saw

an army so unnatural, he stared at it in awe