Ezekiel stood facing the Enchanted forest. He wore his black suit of armor but without a helmet. His face revealed nothing demonic, nothing malicious. It was just a normal face, belonging to a young man, handsome, in his late twenties. His sky-blue eyes seemed to have been lost among the branches of tall trees. He carefully listened to the song of the forest, the melody composed by thousands of creatures, big and small, singing in unison, greeting the spring. His neck-long white hair danced to the sound of the forest carried by the brisk wind.

Spring. What a beautiful season. I miss it.

He closed his eyes for a second, as if trying to hold on to this fleeting feeling of peace. An elderly knight approached him, disturbing his quiet meditation.

“Ser Arthur.” Ezekiel said without opening his eyes. “I take it we were late.”

“I apologise, my lord. We thoroughly searched the city and the forest in the last few days.” the knight knelt and bowed his head so low he almost touched the ground. “The sword is gone and we couldn’t find any signs of them.”

“Ser Arthur, please get up. It is not appropriate for a man of your age to kneel before a child.” Ezekiel finally opened his eyes. “Thank you for the devotion you showed in this task, but don’t feel the guilt. This outcome was to be expected.”

“M-my lord.”

“Come, walk with me.” Ezekiel extended his hand to the elderly knight with a warm smile. The knight accepted the hand and they started their stroll through the forest.

The walk started off silent with Ezekiel observing the forest become more magical the deeper they went. He then asked the knight.

“Ser Arthur, have I ever told you how the wars were waged in my world?”

“No my Lord, you haven’t spoken about that yet.”

“I’m glad. I want to tell you that story. In my world, wars don’t have a beginning nor do they have an end and they are everywhere. They are bloodier, crueller and more devastating than anything you can imagine. There is no such thing as mercy in those wars and more importantly there is no higher purpose to them.

The old knight’s face grimaced. “If there is no purpose, why are wars waged my Lord?”

“Not only is there no purpose to them, there is also no need for them. My world is prosperous. There is enough food for everyone, yet people starve. There are enough homes for everyone, yet people live on streets. There is enough love for everyone, yet people hate each other. Wars are born from that hate. First they start in the minds of people, but soon they spill onto everyone else. And when these purposeless wars are born, the true face of hell is revealed. Friends become enemies, brother kills brother, father betrays son, and so on. Out of many different types of war, this one is the worst.”

Arthur’s body shuddered. “My lord has experienced these wars first hand?”

“I was a soldier. War was my duty and my job. I didn’t think about complicated things like higher purpose. I did my job and I went home. Until one day. I was going back to my wife and two little children. I had spent six months away, fighting a war that wasn’t mine, wasn’t needed and served only to fulfil selfish desires of faceless few.” Ezekiel slowed down, then stopped, looking at the fragments of sky through the intricate web of branches. Ser Arthur patiently waited for the story's continuation.

“Instead by my wife and my children, I was greeted with another war. The one born from hatred. My whole family slaughtered, for a couple of coppers. For a loaf of bread. My entire world collapsed. They found the killer soon after. A drunk bum. It didn’t matter. My life was over. What little purpose it had was lost to a drunken rage of a stranger who didn’t care. I gave up my home, my life, my job, my everything. In the middle of that existential dread I was summoned into this world. Save me. He said. Yet another selfish purposeless call to war. But I saved him. And when saving him once wasn’t enough I got stronger and saved him again. I did everything in my power to keep my worthless soulmate safe as his selfishness grew more and more unbearable.” Ezekiel’s whole face furrowed into a menacing, dark expression. “Then one day he wanted me to kill someone who crossed him. Someone who insulted him. It was nothing serious but he was drunk with power and I was his soldier. When I realized my target is but a scrawny boy stealing oranges to survive I was overcome with rage. I realized this world is going down the same road my world has thoroughly paved. I killed my pitiful soulmate and as a prize I was bestowed with this power that gave me a new purpose. I won’t let this world destroy itself.”

When Ezekiel finished his story, the two knights stood for a while, observing the forest. Then Arthur said.

“Your story Lord Ezekiel, is both terrifying and inspirational. It is my honor to be at your service. I only regret that I am not younger, at the peak of my power. But this old sack of bones still has a fight or two in it. Ha-ha!”

Ezekiel smiled, unable to ignore the old man’s charming remark.

A storm of footsteps came from behind. A boy was running towards them. When he got close, he dropped to his knees and hands, trying to catch his breath.

“What happened boy?” ser Arthur asked.

“Th-the scouts have returned, my Lord.” said the boy, still on the ground. “They found them to the north by the Ludlow village. Th-they managed to escape and the village… it was burned to the ground. People and everything.”

“Thank you Samuel. You did well. You can leave when you catch your breath.” Ezekiel’s calm voice was soothing to the boy who showed dedicated eagerness to deliver the message.

Ezekiel turned to Arthur. “Darian has already started his bloody campaign. Aris is the true scourge of this world, the den of evil. We need to act fast, before more innocent lives are sacrificed.”

“My Lord, I will rally the troops. We will be ready in two days.”

“No, Arthur. I need someone to take care of those two. Can you help me?”

“My Lord.” the old knight kneeled once again before Ezekiel. “It would be my honor.”

“Ser Arthur. This task requires the ultimate sacrifice. You must know you are free to refuse this task.”

“No, my Lord. My heart is willing and it will be my honor to serve your purpose to my utmost.”

“Very well. Stand up Ser Arthur. After this you bow to no one anymore.” a swift thrust of Ezekiel’s sword came out of nowhere and went through the knight's armor, chest and heart, exiting through his back. Arthur’s mouth opened wide but uttered no sound. His eyes were open, but somehow absent and empty.

“I will give you more power than you ever had, even when you were younger. You will be able to see my whole vision and know my reasons. You will know my suffering and my happiness. My ambitions and my shakiness.”

Old knight’s face lost its healthy pink color. It turned grey and lifeless, with eyes black as night. In the middle of this blackness a red circle came to be.

“I gave you a part of my power. More than any of my other subordinates received. Now, I want you to find those two. You know the rest. You’ve seen everything now.”

“Yes, my Lord. Now I understand everything.”