The prince’s sword was moving just as countless times before

to rid the world of one more victim of this endless war

the hero wasn’t sure what happened or when he had moved

he simply thought of how the prince’s sword hand was removed

He looked down at the sword he now held, stained with blood and rust

then at the old drunken friend who’d given him his trust

he glanced around to see his comrades standing there in shock

then down to the prince’s severed hand upon a rock

A pain ran through the hero’s shoulder without much warning

some demon didn’t wait to seize the hero’s opening

he cried out and he turned around to pierce the foolish foe

and as his blade was buried, his eyes met a golden glow

The sword he held had pierced another of his enemies

the man who’d stabbed his shoulder was now dying on his knees

he’d seen the look in his eyes far too many times to tell

but never had he known a pair of dying eyes so well

As time began to slow, their golden glow began to fade

but even before he could understand the choice he’d made

he looked up and he saw another pair of eyes he knew

full of fear and rage and coloured with a reddish hue

He took a step toward the boy, but now the boy had grown

the boy seemed old enough to have had children of his own

he almost asked him how he was and if he was alright

but he was interrupted by the sharp blade of a knight

The prince had fallen to the ground, his face was deathly pale

without blood, even a heroic prince’s heart would fail

and now a member of the very unit he had trained

buried his sword in the hero, his expression pained

There were many people shouting as the moment passed

but he could hear no words among the allies he’d amassed

he pulled the sword out of his side and felt the rusted steel

and for a moment its cold edge was all that he could feel

He watched the sword he held as it descended on his friend

a soldier he had trained himself from beginning to end

another sword was on its way to claim the hero’s head

but this time before he was injured, several men were dead

He wondered what was happening before his very eyes

he fought as he had always done regardless of surprise

he knew his sword was covered in the blood of his own men

and still he felt no hesitation to swing it again

The northern army didn’t need to wait or understand

the momentary chaos gave them all the upper hand

the prince lay by the hero as their northern foes ran by

all except for one man with resentment in his eye

Kneeling by the body of the elf with eyes of gold

the air around the northern king’s own son was growing cold

“is everyone your enemy, or do you have no friend

you swing that bloody sword around for fun, but to what end”

The red-eyed man walked over to the bleeding, drunken prince

but all the prince could do when he looked up at him was wince

“from one prince to another, you were wrong to trust that man

in the next life, choose your friends more wisely if you can”

The hero realized too late the red-eyed man’s intent

a spell was forming that the hero could never prevent

the demon laughed while casting one great dark magic attack

but more surprising was the prince who managed to fight back

Just like he had learned from his old hero friend before

the prince repelled the fierce attack while curled up on the floor

with just one hand, the prince did all he could to save himself

looking back and forth between the hero and the elf

In his eyes the hero saw confusion and distress

the sting of his betrayal left the battlefield a mess

the demon was surprised to see the prince was not yet dead

but lost no time in swinging his sword at the prince’s head

this time though, the hero was aware of his own will

lunging forth to save the prince the red-eyed man would kill

the sword was roughly parried and the prince was quick to act

he threw a dagger at his foe before he could react

But this attack was also interrupted by his friend

unsure who next he would attack or try to defend

the prince wanted to know the reason for the hero’s crime

but amidst the chaos there was far to little time

The red-eyed demon stumbled back then looked on with disgust

“see, this is the hero which has earned the empire’s trust

in a way, I somehow always thought it would be you

no one makes a mess of destiny quite like you do”

~