It didn’t matter anymore if soon the war would end

at least not to the soldier who the prince still called his friend

all that mattered was surviving one more day of blood

then awaking from his drunken slumber in the mud

Be they men or demons, elves or monsters on the field

all invited war and were too stubborn now to yield

his enemies all cried out for revenge against mankind

but all that meant to him was they were never hard to find

He didn’t count the years he spent in war but he was sure

no enemy that was could end a hero’s adventure

why should he be burdened by the choices they all made

they came to take his life, and with their lives they justly paid

Maybe he resented how is fate cast him aside

but with the victories he claimed he would be satisfied

his sons could wait another year to see him anyway

and maybe they would join him there as warriors one day

Those shadows that still lurked somewhere, the reason he’d been cursed

stalking him like predators that couldn’t sate their thirst

those were his true enemies, and he would kill them all

so anyone who tried to stop him, simply had to fall

The fire he sat beside at night did look a little strange

sometimes it brought him back to that old dragon’s mountain range

his victory had been decided from the very start

though sometimes what he saw within the embers broke his heart

Either way, his cause was certain, he would fight and live

to take a life and save one’s own was easy to forgive

his path was clear as always, though it twisted and it turned

he’d swing his sword with honour as his magic once had burned

One day he found himself not far from where the prince now fought

and took some pride in seeing him use things that he had taught

their enemies had been reduced to remnants here and there

victory was close, as far as any were aware

Battles carried on across the empire’s continent

but news of victories was among the most prominent

the northern front was almost broken, giving them a chance

the humans finally had taken an offensive stance

The hero and the prince fought on, the two were side by side

the prince’s genuine excitement proving hard to hide

“we may just see the last of this war before end of day

let us finish this before those demons get away”

Caught up in the prince’s pace the hero swung his sword

“then you should quiet down and start thinking of my reward”

he laughed as they went forward to destroy the demon threat

but though the day was theirs, the war was not decided yet

Their northern foes were still by no means weak, and they fought well

not a single one of them would stop before they fell

the hero did his best to aid the prince in his attack

although he spent most battles at the stronger prince’s back

The battle gave the hero little time to stop and think

and for the first time in a while he didn’t crave a drink

he felt a satisfaction in the battle’s looming end

and looked on with affection at his strange old royal friend

He started losing his momentum as the day went on

for like the prince he had been fighting since the break of dawn

so while the prince still charged ahead, the hero fell behind

envy of the prince’s power forming in his mind

Still, the end was near and then he’d be free of that place

he watched the prince cut down his foes, a smile upon his face

and there among the enemies the prince would make his prize

the hero noticed several pairs of desperate, golden eyes

~