The old man tasted death and knew he’d failed in every way

his dreams of fighting as a hero all just ripped away

but as he looked upon the evil monster standing there

he suddenly forgot what heroes were, and didn’t care

He thought about the cities full of life that he let down

he thought about the land of death that would be his hometown

but nowhere in despair did he find any will to fight

hope was just the flickering of some old distant light

Breathing grew much harder as the poison settled in

and coldness numbed the pain of wars he knew would soon begin

but as the thought of war began to fill his aching mind

his heart began to warm and other thoughts were left behind

The faces of the dead all vanished in a smoky haze

the names of all the friends he’d lost so many times and ways

a raging fire ignited in the dying old man’s heart

fueled by the desire to tear his enemies apart

He didn’t know the way to swing a sword like heroes wood

he didn’t care if ever he had done a bit of good

he couldn’t name the kings and queens he lifted up or killed

he never cared to count the nameless graves which he had filled

All he knew was how much he would enjoy one final war

against the strongest foe he’d ever fought a little more

the weight of good and evil all but vanished from his mind

the overwhelming burden which his destiny defined

He couldn’t care about a world that needed to be saved

all that he could feel now was the battle that he craved

it shocked him for a moment that he felt no guilt at all

to disregard a hero’s quest and heed adventure’s call

He wouldn’t waste his time in search of honour or their praise

nobody would celebrate his deeds, gone were those days

all he wanted now was just to fight and to destroy

and when he through the shame of it away, it brought him joy

He felt the same excitement he once felt so long ago

to simply face adversity and feel his power grow

the pretence of a hero didn’t do him any good

regardless of the cause, if he could fight, he surely would

Feeling like he’d been set free, he called upon his flame

letting go of all control and any hope of fame

it filled the cavern quickly and the rocks began to melt

the lich’s eyes grew brighter with the power that he felt

“That’s what I was waiting for, you’re finally awake

now fight for no more noble reason than for fighting’s sake”

the mage’s fire erupted as he pushed the lich away

burning brighter than the sun on any summer’s day

The lich responded quickly with some magic of his own

parrying the mage’s strikes with shields of blood and bone

the battle brought the mountain down into a sea of flame

both enemies unleashing powers neither one could tame

The lich’s twisted laughter soon was joined by one more voice

with every grand attack the mage would chuckle and rejoice

no trace of stoic heroism left upon his face

instead there was happier expression in its place

He had no words to grant the lich, he simply fought with glee

the lich was then content to fight the old man honestly

the land began to quake and churn beneath their fiery fight

they flew about their battlefield with innocent delight

The lich would summon monsters from a thousand years of wars

the mage would drag them down beneath a wave of molten ores

early in the battle half the forest was consumed

the mage incinerated every corpse the lich exhumed

The lich had planned to test the mage’s power just for fun

expecting his new servant’s power was surpassed by none

but while the laughing pair of madmen fought he realised

all along the mage’s strength had been too well disguised

Such a power wasn’t something from the mortal realm

there wasn’t any mortal who he couldn’t overwhelm

it was then he understood the error that he made

the road the mage before him walked, is one that fate had laid

“You filthy traitor, all your magic wreaks of fairy kind

You threw away your pride for strength, you must have lost your mind

I can’t even use a soul polluted by those things

a silly puppet dragged along by dirty little strings”

The lich’s laughter stopped despite the smile his foe still wore

the old man didn’t care about the fairies anymore

“all that I can say to you, is thank you for this fight

but now I think the time has come for us to say goodnight”

The lich’s twisted smile had given way to fear and rage

panicking he cursed with desperation at the mage

he struggled as the otherworldly magic made him weak

and soon he was too overcome by flames to even speak

The mage who flew with grace above the hell he helped to make

knew the lich might not be killed beneath the fiery lake

he threw away the magic swords he loved with all his heart

and summoned one great ball of fire that tore the land apart

Where the lich had fallen he had taken careful aim

letting out his thirst for sheer destruction without shame

the lich along with every mountain seen for miles around

reduced to molten rock and dust with one gigantic sound

Across the poisoned places where the lich had cursed the land

in a moment, countless undead creatures turned to sand

the dragon of the midland hills could finally retreat

the northern forces who’d survived were rescued from defeat

A hundred kingdoms, unaware of what had happened there

felt the whole world shake and felt a warm breeze in the air

but few would guess the reason that the world would move and shake

unaware of who was fighting just for fighting’s sake

The mage in satisfaction looked upon the fiery land

lakes of lava all around where none could even stand

he felt the fairies’ powers slipping quietly away

but with one final breath the fiery skies all turned to grey

As he breathed his last he turned the ashes into snow

to quell the molten landscape burning endlessly below

soon the raging fires were all replaced by fields of white

the smiling man who made the snow then faded out of sight

He joined the snow that travelled on the wind and never fell

without a reason left to stay, no stories left to tell

as his body disappeared he let his spirit go

and suddenly was in a place he’d known since long ago

~