The king was pleased to see the hero looking like a knight

and happier to find he hadn’t lost his appetite

the hero asked the king what battlefield he would see next

but when the hero heard the answer, he was quite perplexed

“You shall see a hundred battlefields, but not just yet

here is where your first important mission has been set

thanks to your heroic strength, the kingdom is alight

every second man and child is hungry for a fight

You shall use your name and reputation as a sword

to slay their doubts and gather brave young knights for your reward”

the king was too excited to contain his boisterous voice

the hero wasn’t sure he had a reason to rejoice

“What of all our enemies who threaten to attack

shouldn’t I be sent abroad to hold invaders back”

though it made him happy that his story had been spread

rather than recruiting, he’d prefer to fight instead

“I can understand you may be bored in times of peace

but it is too important that our forces should increase

you’ll be hosting tournaments across this land of mine

to build morale before their optimism can decline”

He still knew very little of the nature of this place

but tournaments would always put a smile upon his face

no more senseless fighting, as a poor forgotten slave

all would see him as a knight, so valiant and brave

Since he’d gained his powers and become a hired sword

he hadn’t learned of much beyond his work and its reward

but now he had become a royal knight with wealth and land

a wife at home who dealt with things he couldn’t understand

Now a knight, his duties were quite grand and dignified

his armour and the flag he carried filled him up with pride

soon he grew quite bored with politics and marching bands

but now he held the honour of a nation in his hands

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His tour began in earnest on a chilly autumn day

the king wished him the best of luck and sent him on his way

he hosted many tournaments, recruiting many men

pledging to assist him in the war right there and then

At the end of every tournament, he’d join the show

and challenge all the winners once before he had to go

never were they strong enough that he would break a sweat

but he took every chance to flaunt his skill that he could get

In every town and village, by the order of the king

there was organized a monumental gathering

entire populations came to wish the hero well

and listen to the captivating stories he would tell

Several months of this had passed before the hero knew

the kingdom’s newfound hero had a grandiose debut

never had morale been higher in the kingdom’s past

the kingdom felt their time for victory had come at last

As he travelled he learned many things about the land

the history of where he lived was hard to understand

legends told of heroes who had founded an empire

but their descendants squandered it while blinded by desire

After many generations, many lands were lost

territories sacrificed to enemies they crossed

the kingdom now was just a fragment of its former state

lost were all the days of armies strong and heroes great

The hero was surprised to learn that of the songs he knew

many people living in the kingdom sang them too

it was likely they originated in this place

surviving here and there despite their homeland’s fall from grace

Once he learned of this he felt an overwhelming pride

like he had a flame of hope that burned him up inside

he took this new conviction to the stages where he spoke

so alight with passion that he often smelled of smoke

“I am here to bring you back the glory you deserve

as your hero, yours will be the purpose that I serve

when you sing your heroes’ songs, in fact you sing of me

I shall be the greatest hero you will ever see”

Although his fancy words met some suspicion here and there

his grand displays of magic were enough to clear the air

after one full year of travel, he returned at last

and was well rewarded for the army he’d amassed

The king decided it was time to launch their first attack

his favoured knight would march with his great army at his back

he wouldn’t have much time to rest before he was deployed

but still the thought of conquest left the hero overjoyed

He had a day to greet his wife and son before he went

eager to explain how all his days away were spent

but when they came to greet him, he was taken by surprise

she carried two young children, both with shining, golden eyes

“It’s good to see you now, although I know you cannot stay

but you did leave me with a gift before you went away”

the hero couldn’t understand her smile, nor his own mind

but still he felt as always that her words were soft and kind

He took his second son up in his arms and promised then

“you’ll hear of all my deeds in songs before we meet again”

he spent the night beside the fire, his family as well

keeping them awake with all the stories he could tell

after several hours his children tired and fell asleep

and for the first time he saw his old friend begin to weep

she didn’t say a word and quickly wiped away her tears

then smiled at him the same way she had done for many years

Before the children woke, the hero had already gone

thankful for the road that destiny had set him on

he led the grandest human army he had ever known

an army in his honour that would follow him alone