Valors Heart (Songs of War Fanfiction)

Prologue: A Kingdom Divided

(Would suggest listening to Riverdel by BrunuhVille)

The figure gazed at the stars that glistened in the blackness of the night sky. Even through the gray mist that hung throughout the eve of the forest, the figure could see that the stars revealed the softer shades and hues of color in the darkness of the sky... Colors that could only be revealed by glowing starlight and the gentle light of the pale moon, least they would never be seen at all.

The mixtures and blends of black and blue, and calming violet. Violet... A color that had illuminated the figure's midnight darkened armor for years. Armor such as his should have weighed him down to make him drop like a stone. The material of the ore from which the armor had been made from, was very strong and hard to obtain. Some may say it was even harder than the bedrock that laid hundreds of yards beneath the earth's dirt.

The figure stood alert, on guard, even though he was absolutely certain he was alone. He had already checked to make sure no one had followed him. The task he was doing was too important to mess up. In all the years he had been a knight, this would always be his favorite part, aside from all his other duties. He had done this only three other times throughout his years, and now this would be his forth. It was an honorable tradition. A welcoming. A calling. A tradition that always brought hope to a king during his time of reign.

The man savored and clung onto the feeling of the moment... for he feared it would be the last he would feel this way... No... he knew it was the last. There was no point in trying to deny the inevitable. The people had made their decision, every human's right in their life. The freedom of choice to make a decision. And all any leader could do was either support and maintain the peace and balance through that decision, or resist and fall victim to the very subjects they had sworn to protect.

The man set aside the feeling of betrayal that lingered in his heart. It wasn't the people's fault. They had made their choice. The conflict of war was what he had experienced for years. The blood of both the living and the undead stained his calloused hands. He would never add innocent blood to that list over a simple dispute of uncertainty. Through blood, sweat, pride.... and now silent tears, the man had fought for his people. And all they had offered him and his brethren in return were rebellious actions, and curses and swears.

What had he missed? Had he been oblivious to a tension that was always there for years? Or had this common hatred sprouted over night? Corrupting the hearts of the people, only to make them grow bitter and unify with one another to drive the man and his colleagues out... so soon after the loss... The man ignored his feeling of grief. The loss of life was a part of human nature. Beings such as themselves were fragile compared to the many other species that inhabited the land. And the man had felt the painful parting of a cut, the hardened impact of a punch, and the sharp pointing pierce of a dagger from every one of them. Mercenaries, bandits, ruffians, thieves... killers and murderers.

Many of the citizens did not know the truth of what they really carried. One does not know what they have... until that very thing is gone. Yet they say they knew of the truth, and spoke of it. Many were false truths and lies. However, many had obviously been holding their tongues for years to develop and build up such hatred.

The figure sighed inwardly. What had happened to the days of glory during the start of his knighthood? When he had found his place, his calling, his chosen destiny. One such destiny that had been bestowed upon the likes of him. He felt he had not deserved such a fate of life, for it only seemed for the honorable, courageous, and the brave. Things he had never been in his time before...