Once again the sun rises over the mountain on which I sit, a place I have sat for hundreds upon hundreds of years now, ever since I found that I actually prefer the silence of solitude instead of the buzz of life down below.

It was hard the first couple centuries, for in solitude you must come to terms with your something hard for me. I had had to confront all those things I had done wrong and defeat them, I had to defeat crushing loneliness, I had to try to save my race while sitting upon a mountain.

I have come out stronger for it.

I look at the sun and sigh, years upon years, decades upon decades, millennia upon millennia. All of it is coming to an end. All of it, all of the bloodshed, the betrayal, the burning cities, mourning families, all of it was coming to a close. The corruption, the sickness, the madness, it was all going to end, for the final quest was close to fulfilment. The quest that would either damn your {Race} or the quest that would save it.

It brings back memories of the past when the final quest wasn’t yet issued. When we were all just trying to do the best we could in this new world. Those were good times when I didn’t worry about anything except killing monsters, gaining levels, and saving whoever was in distress.

It also brings back memories of the slaughter that I did, of the children I killed in the name of the Warlord. My sins are hard to bear, even after all these years of meditating... they will weigh on my forever.

I sigh once more, dwelling in the past accomplishes nothing. I stare into the sun and wonder why it was me that was chosen all those years ago, why it was me that had to bear the burden of saving my {Race}.

I stare into the sun and prepare myself for what is about to come. I had not fought in centuries but the final test was coming and blood would have to flow. It may even be my own. I can only hope that I would do enough to save my race from enslavement, enough to at least keep them sentient, enough, maybe, to let them roam free.

It was going to end today. I would fight, and whether I won or lost, I would be able to roam free afterwards, whether it was in the afterlife or through the galaxy.

I could already feel their signatures climbing the mountain, the signatures of my opponents, I position myself at the very highest point of the mountain, the real peak, close my eyes and breathe in. I feel the suns rays touch my skin and give me power, welcoming me. It was a shame that I could no longer welcome them as they welcomed me.

I look up and take in the beautiful sight, the sight of the sun rising over the world, a world that took the sun for granted, that couldn’t recognise the beauty of it. It is only I that can truly appreciate it.

It paints the sky a mural of colours, pink, orange, mixing to create a picture of beauty that could hardly be matched. It blended them so perfectly together and when it met the vibrant blue of the sky? It created perfection. This used to be my favourite part of the day all those years ago when I first came and secluded myself. Now though? I was desensitised. No longer did the sun call to me as it used too.

I continue to look at the sun and bask in its warmth, drawing strength from it, drawing {Power} I can only hope that it would be enough, for if I failed now then I would fail all of my {Race} I am one of the last Trolls here, and I am by far the most powerful. Still, though, I cannot be sure if I could succeed against the foes that were coming for me, or at least succeed without destroying the world on which I stood and damning my race along with it.

Whatever the case.

It was going to end today.

I draw my weapon, a morningstar, I bring it close to my lips and whisper its name. {Sunrise} it flares and draws the power from the energy that surrounded it. I lay it in my lap, my keepsake, my heirloom, my inheritance.

Yet, it would not be {Sunrise} that would win this battle. It would be the power of Perfection and the power of Beauty that would give me victory. I channel my power and my eyes began to glow, I feel the power coalescing around me, felt it form into armour.

I’m not going down easily.

Not today.

Not ever.

My {Race} depends on it.

I feel the hostile presences come up behind me, settling down and staring up at the sun. They also, seem to understand the moment, the calm before the storm. A good memory to remember when the weight of what you have done comes crashing down on you.

I feel them draw their weapons. I smirk, it seemed that they had not comprehended as much as I had realised, only those who had not understood some of the greater mysteries still needed weapons.

They might just be old fashioned, or maybe their weapons are imbued with their path. Whatever the case though, it seems that they are using them.

I continue to sit. Looking at the sun, and waiting for the end.

I feel them talk amongst themselves, probably debating whether it was honourable to kill a man who does not fight back.

It seems they still do not realise that they had left honour behind long ago, we all did.

One of them steps forward with a shrug and casually swiped down at my head. I let it hit my skin and grin as it shatters, I feel the shock as it emanates off him in waves. He would need a lot more than a {Mythical} weapon to break my skin.

I concentrate and channel the Beauty that is the sun, I manipulate it and send it smashing down on the poor soul who dared to strike me.

I squash him like a bug, there was no need for finesse or even a degree of power control, I take it from the sun and destroy him.

I ignore the system prompt about how I brought about the failure of an entire race and continue staring at the sun, I had done much worse in my time here.

The feelings of outrage that are streaming off of the rest of the group are so powerful I can practically see them. It seems that this group was close.

The rest of the three came at me simultaneously, aiming so that all their strokes would hit different areas of my body, and making sure that should I dodge none of their strokes would hit each other.

I let them all land, and laugh as they all bounce off. Do they truly think that those could affect me? Trolls have notoriously strong hides. They are much too arrogant, and for this, they would pay.

I lash out and gouge deep grooves into one of their chests, I see one of the others glow and the gouges heal over.

I sigh, it would not be against these that I would die today.

….

I fight against ten now, the mountain where we once stood is now reduced to ashes. The three had called for back up and back up had come. I see a flash of light in the distance it seems that fights like mine are happening all over, everyone fighting so that their race might live free.

….

Only five remain now, and I am flagging. I thought that it would end in a day…. Oh, how wrong I was.

….

I have killed another ten that had just arrived from another fight, and once again I am back down to five enemies. My skin is covered cuts, small, long, and large, so many that my regeneration can barely keep up with it. It is then that I see another twenty figures land in front of me. If my will was not broken before, then this has shattered it, still, I will not use my overload ability.

I continue to fight, slaughtering lesser being after lesser being, I do not regret spending so much time up on my mountain but it put me behind when it came to saving my race.

Hours turned to days, turned to weeks. All of us were tired by this point. Heads were rolling, corpses gushing out blood, if we were all still mortal the amount of blood would have us slipping,

I strike down the person who I thought was the last of my enemies. I look up and see another hundred foes land. It seems that I have no choice. It seems that I must use the forbidden power. It seems I must use, the complete power of perfection, the only way to save my race is by destroying this planet.

And all those on it.

I channel huge amounts of perfection, I feel my very body start to tear at the seams, a body is not meant to channel that much power, even a body as strong as mine.

I look at the sun once more, remembering.

Then I give my body, letting it disintegrate to power the once spell that would save those who would come after. I can see the sun no longer. I can sense it though, for my soul is still present.

It warms me, in all my years of loneliness it was the one thing that I could rely on to be there. A friend. The power rips at my soul and I realise that I will never see the sun again. For when you give up your soul there is no afterlife. No afterlife except eternal darkness.

I realise that I care not. I am tired of this world, and darkness eternal doesn't seem so bad.

I give up my soul, letting the rays of the sun warm it one last time. At least I will die in the presence of the one thing that never hurt me. I will die happy, for I will die with a friend.

I draw on the power of the sun next, and then...release all the energy stored. Perhaps this will give my Race a chance. A chance to thrive. A chance to live in a world free from the horror that I endured.

I welcome the abyss and the rest that it offers, I let myself fade, fade, and let the burden drop from shoulders. Fade, and maybe find some peace and rest away from this bloodthirsty world.