The Timeless Hero

The Timeless Hero

Since I was a small child I felt like people needed me. I didn't know who and I didn't know where, but I knew people were in danger and only I could help them. I never knew my family. For most of my childhood I traveled around the country trying to help where I could. As time went on I acquired many useful skills and talents. It was a simpler time then, a time when you could hop on the railroad and find work in the next city. I have seen a lot of different times and whens since then. I always thought I was destined for greatness, but little did I know how much things would change for me when I turned 21. At the time I was living in Alaska and had been living with a self described monk in the mountains. He had been teaching me survival skills and martial arts. He taught me how to live off the land, and during a routine winter outing alone in the heartland, I heard the first of the screams. Suddenly it seemed as if I was surrounded by people in the most terrible of agony. I covered my ears but to no avail, still the screaming persisted. Where are they? How do I help them? I ran towards what I thought was the source, a small cave up the mountain. As I grew near, it felt like the screams were physical, as if I was running into the very soundwaves that the voices travelled through. I began to feel a pulsing in my chest. I could no longer block out the screams, and I reached up to find blood leaking from my ears. Regardless, I pressed on, only wanting to help end these people’s suffering. As I neared the cave, I started to see a golden light radiate outwards, and it felt like it was encapsulating me. My eyes fixed upon the most beautiful Locket. A heart of pure gold with Lapis Lazuli engravings. In Latin it read “Invictus” across the front. Overwhelmed by the lights and sounds around me, I fall to the ground in front of me. I reach for the Locket to feel some comfort and lose myself in the screaming.

As I dropped to the snow, with my head in my hands, a sound came out of my mouth that sounded more animal than human. When I punched the ground in frustration it all suddenly stopped. The pain, the noise, the cold, everything was gone. As I stood to look around reality began to fill in; the way a computer renders a video game. As time went on, this new state of existence would never cease to amaze me. I seemed to be the only thing tangible as the world became one I did not recognize. Gone was Alaska and its lustrous snow filled mountain side. In its place was the interior of a castle. It looked to be an armory, swords and bows lined the walls with suits of armor to the back. I heard a scream come from outside the open door and made my decision quickly. Now wasn't the time to think, I'd lived my life in preparation for this moment. The moment my life would really begin. I donned the armor quickly, my body moving as if it had gone through the motions a million times. I picked up two short swords and a small belt with knives. I ran out the door, towards the sound of conflict hoping I wasn't too late. When I reached the end of the cobbled hallway it opened to a courtyard. It appeared I was on the second level looking down on one of the most gruesome scenes I will never be able to forget. Below me were stretching racks and upon them men were being pulled apart. There was also a large cage held over a massive bonfire that contained 8 other men. Along with what looked like Iron coffins lining the walls. Small fires were lit underneath them, and the screaming coming from them was the most grotesque of all. Across from me sat what appeared to be a warlord on a throne. Without thinking, trusting my body as I always had, I reached for a knife and threw it as best I could at the man who commanded the others' pain. As it sunk into his stomach he noticed me for the first time. He looked me in the eyes and I realized it was the first time I'd ever killed a man. The mixture of pain and fear in the man's eyes awakened something in me. As the years marched on, and my body count increased, I came to enjoy the killing nearly as much as I enjoyed saving people. The only two guards in the room rushed me and before I could really prepare I was backing up under a flurry of blows from both men. I blocked what I could and prayed the armor could block what I miss. An opening appears and I'm able to stab one man in the throat and as he falls his partner screams in rage. As the man charges me I drop to one knee and cut his legs out from under him. I finish him by stabbing him in the heart. I free the men in the cage knowing the men on the stretching racks are already dead. It was their final screams I heard. Once they were on their feet I pointed them towards the armory and said get ready we have to fight our way out of here. The men didn't seem to understand what I was saying so I pointed at the sword and made emphatic gestures towards the doorway. That seemed to do the trick because they hurried towards the room.

As I waited for them to come back I examined the room more thoroughly. I switched my dual short swords for a spear I found in a place of honor behind the warlords throne. He had fled the moment I began my attack. I heard heavy footsteps, and at first mistook them for being the freed prisoners, but as they neared I became increasingly confident they were coming from the stairway at the back end of the second floor that I'd planned to use to escape. I ran over to the stairway and tried to determine how many were coming. I figured more than one and instead blocked the doorway with the small table that had been next to the warlord. It left me just enough room to stab into the approaching men. Before the men reached me I had enough time to throw the guards bodies into the stairway to further trip up the oncoming adversaries. As they closed in I began to hack away. Stabbing between armor plates and into face plates as best I could. I heard running footsteps coming from behind me and thanked god the prisoners had finally showed up. Only two of us could effectively stab at the same time. Meaning the others simply took up positions in a loose half circle ready if the men broke through. Despite being recently tortured the men were completely ready to do battle and kill as many as possible. I had thought to myself they must be very highly trained warriors. As the skirmish continued I switched out and as I was catching my breath I heard a new commotion coming from the bottom of the stairway. The prisoners began to cheer and now I realized why there were only two men in this inner sanctum. The other men had been busy defending the fort from the rescue party. When the remaining enemy forces in the stairway were eliminated and we met up with the rescue party a brief discussion ensued. I am guessing about my unlikely arrival and assistance. When they finished speaking with one another I tried to speak, but was quickly silenced by who looked to be the commander. He wore a silver and gold trimmed suit of armor that looked immaculate despite him being on the frontlines of this conflict. He looked me in the eyes and bowed, I returned his bow without hesitation. When we once more looked each other in the eyes, I offered him a small smile, and although he didn’t return the smile his eyes seemed to soften. For the rest of that day I helped them remove all the bodies from the castle as they prepared to make it a new part of their small kingdom. I would learn that the leader's name was Eldrik, and he prided himself on being the force of righteousness in this area.

I spent one year and four months with King Eldrik and his Dauntless Knights. They taught me the true meaning of justice. His knights were raised since birth to be peacekeepers and pillars of their society. They were not only expected to be soldiers, but also scholars, philosophers, and law bringers. From them I also learned the origins of the Locket I now bore. It is the symbol of their religion protector. Apparently when their civilization is on its last legs, a Savior will be sent to defend their lands by the one they call Wingalosic, the God King. As my life would go on I would battle against many of the tyrants that plague this land. Their acts of evil and human degradation have gone on far too long. Their people have been slaughtered and tortured for far too long. I am here now, people of Hev.