A Heart's Desire | Negan x Maggie |

His Angel, His Goddess

Krešimir Horvát was a man of many things, but in this moment, he was simply a storyteller. A messenger of the carnage past, a voice to remind the living of the atrocities of Man before the Fall.

But above all, a man on a mission to rebuild what once was. For when the King comes, there must be a throne. For when the Saviors arise from the ashes, there must be blood to prevail and take the place of the fallen.

In the beginning no one came to listen, his voice gracing nothing but empty walls as Krešimir began the story he vowed to never let die. Eventually, just as he knew would happen, curiosity overcame those who wondered what the Croat was up to when he took center stage to the Garden in the dead of night.

One survivor became two, and then another and another until one day all of the Burazi came to listen. Even the Dama herself came out from her quarters to listen to the harrowing tale of brotherhood and sacrifice, the war for freedom and salvation. The beginning and the end to those called the Saviors.

Night after night Krešimir would take to the stage, the spotlight shining solely upon him as the rest took to sit and listen. He would speak with flair and excitement when the moment called for it, regale the horrors solemnly and bitterly when needed.

He gripped the hearts of all who listened, taking them with him decades past to relive a different age. A different world. It was a song of loyalty and sacrifice, of tragedy – joys and sorrow, that the Croat sang.

"He saw something in me. In us all. We were nothing! Lambs to the slaughter, left to die. We were villagers, farmers and herders many! None of us knew how to handle a weapon, much less understand what it meant to kill another human being.

''And yet! And yet...our hearts raged. Our blood boiled. The Višegrad Massacres were but the beginning to the war, and I along with the rest of the men vowed to never let such horrors reach our women and children. Our sons would not be put down like dogs! Our daughters would not be enslaved and raped alongside their mothers!''

The men and women who listened roared and shouted, entranced in the illusion that they themselves were the villagers who saw the shadows of war looming over the horizon. That it was them who stood tall and came forward to rise to the occasion.

''Negan saw what we could become, if only we surrendered to his leadership. If only we gave him our loyalty to follow him to the depths of hell and back! He stayed when the other Americans were recalled back to the States. When the United Nations embroiled themselves in the politics of consequences. That man would see us rise, and by his hand we would become the Saviors! As a people we cried out for change! For leadership! And he humbly answered our call...''

Krešimir snapped his feet together and saluted, putting a fist against his chest and the other behind his back.

''The Noble! The Valiant! The Few!''

The Saviors! The crowd chanted back at him.

Krešimir smiled wide, laughed and nodded excitedly.

''Yes! Exactly! To the last man we must endure. Down to the last bullet we must fight!''

The Saviors! The Saviors! The Saviors!

The Garden trembled beneath the chant, and for a moment the Croat was transported back into time. A time where he stood next to the Savior, his brother and leader. Before them stood their army, the Saviors ready and willing to kill and be killed. Whatever the cost, they would do what must be done to protect those weak and innocent, the ones they love.