In tents and shelters buried far beneath the ice and snow

the hero and his countless knights felt time begin to slow

their enemies were all around but no one dared to move

they spent their days just waiting for the weather to improve

His home was now a frozen hut, his bed was only straw

the prince and all his knights were all the company he saw

the future of the empire rested on his shoulders now

and he would have to lead them all to victory somehow

From what he heard the army was content to hide away

they’d never been so far up north or seen so short a day

it seemed the demons also had no reason to advance

but everyone agreed, they wouldn’t leave it up to chance

They resolutely guarded their position in the ice

the hero warned complacency exacted quite a price

they watched and listened, vigilantly waiting for the day

the demon army finally awoke and came their way

The prince could only praise the hero’s hesitance to sleep

always volunteering when there was a watch to keep

“a hero doesn’t rest when battle waits around the bend”

but he would sleep if only those disturbing dreams would end

He wished to dream of all the songs he’d hear when he went home

by now he had inspired more than enough to fill a tome

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

but when he closed his eyes he only saw a shadow’s smile

laughing in the distance somewhere with a voice so vile

He wondered if it wasn’t really laughter of his own

something he imagined on the nights he was alone

but either way he steeled himself to face the war ahead

if he had time to worry he’d sing hero’s songs instead

The winter dragged along and the morale of soldiers sank

but songs of war kept spirits warm, with one hero to thank

and as they waited in the bitter cold for war to start

hatred for their enemies crept into every heart

“They really are just monsters to live somewhere cold as this”

“when I saw their magic I knew something was amiss”

“after all, they’re nothing like the humans and our kind”

“if they all just died tomorrow nobody would mind”

Once upon a time they hadn’t understood his song

and wondered if they weren’t at war with demons all along

but hatred grew the longer they endured the bitter cold

warming up their weary hearts to tales the hero told

Even if they didn’t quite look monstrous at a glance

they thought it best to slaughter them while they still had the chance

“call them what you will, they threaten everything we know

be they monsters, demons, or just elves, they have to go”

By the time the snows began to melt they were alight

jumping out of shelters to rush onward to the fight

the hero led a charge to flush the demon army out

but nowhere in the battle field was heard a cry or shout

For days they searched but found no sign of demons anywhere

if they had advanced the army would have been aware

the hero and the prince were too confused to curse or sing

and slowly they advanced until a few weeks into spring

The army felt it eerie and they couldn’t celebrate

they felt uneasy not knowing the missing demons’ fate

but then one day a messenger appeared from the empire

to tell them that capital’s situation was dire

“They came in dead of winter and attacked without a sound

while you all sat waiting, all the demons went around

the emperor is safe but half the empire has been lost

the capital is under siege while you play from the frost”

The messenger delivered all the fear and rage he could

from there, the hero’s power couldn’t do them any good

no longer were there battle lines, the war was everywhere

but far more shocking was the way the hero didn’t care