Just a humble villager, a pilgrim then a slave

never closer to his friends than to an early grave

maybe it was luck that brought him power but he knew

he’d do anything to make his oldest dreams come true

He’d found himself a family, and drank the finest wine

his children never touched a farmer’s tool, and that was fine

he loved them and he gave them every benefit he could

no child of his would ever break a sweat by chopping wood

His endless foreign conquests had come to a quiet end

the empire now had great armies on which it could depend

the emperor had given him obscene amounts of gold

and all across the empire, all his tales were often told

There were few who hadn’t seen him in a story book

there were paintings of his wars wherever one might look

and even in the farthest reaches, all his songs were sung

his face and tale were known to every subject, old and young

He was tempted to feel satisfied with where he stood

maybe he’d done everything a modern hero could

but sometimes when he told his children tales of what he’d done

a feeling crept upon him that he’d only just begun

It seemed that he had everything he’d dreamt of in his hand

but when he held a bag of gold it felt like dirt and sand

he’d look upon his peaceful town and he’d begin to shake

with every quiet day that passed his heart began to break

He swung a wooden sword to train his children and to play

but it began to feel more like a shovel every day

he played the hero’s role at home, and loved it for a while

but there was only one who knew the pain behind his smile

Before he’d even realized the longing in his heart

his wife had packed his things already, knowing he’d depart

“I could never keep you from the dreams that you still see

the sooner that you go the sooner you’ll come back to me”

He promised her as always that he’d come back when he could

but he was bound, as any hero, to the greater good

she smiled as she had always done and watched the hero leave

hoping there was something worth is efforts to achieve

It used to be much harder to say goodbye at the door

he’d cling to all the children who he’d long been fighting for

now that they were older though, they begged him not to go

they wouldn’t understand his quest, but one day they would know

They’d be safe wherever in the world their father went

he’d protect them from whatever evil may be sent

no matter what the enemy, he’d come to their defense

his power to protect his empire now was common sense

But when he thought of how he’d made his nation what it is

and when he thought of how the songs he knew compared to his

he realized he monster hunting days had come and passed

years of killing only humans trickled by too fast

That is why one day he came to kneel before the throne

driven by longing for the only dream he’d known

“I can’t count the people who I’ve killed to spread your rule,

but am I just a murderer, a hero, or a fool”

“You have served me well and you’re the hero of this land

tell me what you want, that I might place it in your hand.”

“give me honour, give me war, but not some battlefield

give me monsters, give me fights with foes who never yield”

The emperor was taken by the words of his young knight

at first surprised, he had a thought that filled him with delight

“as you know, our empire has expanded west and east

but to the north, the icy hills are guarded by a beast

Indeed, you’ve made our empire strong and safe for many years

but for all our power, we are not without our fears

if you have the strength to rid the world of such a threat

the world itself would be forever in their hero’s debt”

The hero thanked the emperor and left him right away

his comrades all had nothing but the kindest words to say

“you’re certain that instead of wealth and land you seek a quest

you’d rather die a legend now than count your gold and rest”

Their words were lost, for in the end he knew why he must go

destiny had called to him since very long ago

and as his restless feet were once again upon the road

in his heart, nostalgia for adventure overflowed