The Warrior Within

He ran, the wind blew on his face cool and refreshing as it dried away the beads of sweat from his skin. Music pumped in his ears to a heavy grungy beat that elevated his mind and soul to victory. Elation fluttered in his heart at the same time that fire burned in his legs and his lungs. Was that fire, pain? No, he decided, the fire was fuel, it was the power that drove his muscles faster and harder.

Every pound on the road ahead of him was a strike against his enemy. Every swing of his legs drove him closer to the heart of the enemy's territory. No obstacle could stop him, no thought could dissuade him. He could hear the sound of his feet on the dirt resonating through his body to match the power of the drums in his ears. THUD ! THUD! THUD!

The warrior took in lungfuls of air, exhaling quickly, only to try and fill his starving lungs with more precious air. His world had been oppressed most of his life but now the tables were turned, the power was on his side and the enemy would be conquered once and for all. It had conquered the body, subjugated the mind, and ensnared the soul always taking more and giving less. It took no effort to be conquered. It required no responsibility. It was easier.

But what was sweeter than freedom, more fulfilling than achievement. There was no room for passion in the conquered and he would be conquered no more. He was the Warrior and would not submit, his passion would drive him to victory and his resolve would not let him falter. He could taste victory like he felt the fire coursing through his body. He believed in victory as he believed in the road below his feet. THUD! THUD! THUD!

Defeat was a thing of the mind, and the enemy had no power over him anymore. The ground passed quickly below his conquering pace, eyes on the horizon where victory lay. It was beyond what he could perceive with his eyes, but the crystal clear vision in his mind was there. Victory was not an event, it was a journey, and he had begun it. It would never end until he fell over the horizon, the enemy left in the dust trampled by his feet. THUD! THUD! THUD!

Miles passed, the sun rose and set, and the warrior ran on. The harder he ran the further the horizon seemed to go, but the sweeter the taste of victory in his mouth. The road dipped, rivers tried to sweep his feet from under him, hills and mountains exhaust him. But the further he went the stronger victory made him and more of the enemy was trampled. THUD! THUD! THUD!

The fire burned so hotly that it filled his belly and shone through his eyes. It lit his path through the darkness and warmed him through the frost, as his path lead ever onward. One victorious step after the other the road fell behind him, the enemy lost to memory, the horizon ever closer. Orange sunrises, bright days, red sunsets, nights filled with stars, and the wonders of the heavens. The road rougher but the horizon ever closer as the warrior ran with his cohort around him, not one fallen.

The sky was eternal, the road ended, but the warrior did not stop. THUD! THUD! THUD! He ran, his song of victory and shout of his army a chorus of glory. The warrior leaped but did not fall, even then, as wings carried him to met the warriors who paved the road he had conquered.