URIK

1

I slam my hammer against the head of a Warmonger, seeing its metallic head crumble and cave in on itself. Damned be these Warmongers, only ever dying when their entire head gets fucked to oblivion. Little shits..

I feel a resonance of mana entering into my brain- our telepath. What could be so important?

"Knight-Lieutenant, the Warmongers.. their Wyvern model has arrived. To the east of you, the men are already fighting it!"

We should have kept these pieces of scrap iron in place years ago when we found out their beasts were stronger than the original! Damn it, if only we knew where their factories were!

I spin around, smacking another Warmonger into the ground. I must have blown that one's spine off- still alive, but unable to move. I start running to the east, smashing through several Warmongers, feeling my boots start to empower me as I continue in a straight line.

I see the flames of the wyvern, and the remains of my brothers scattered around it. I charge at it, building up even more momentum. I can feel myself start reaching my peak, any more will start to jostle everything inside me. The wyvern roars at me, spewing flames.

I charge through them, as the fire starts to heat up my armor. One more step.. here it is. It's about to dodge to the side, to avoid the charge.

Convert your momentum into force, and smash it straight into the ground! Surely, the King will not be disappointed in my valor this time.

I slam the wyvern into the ground, shaking the earth. A direct hit to the head, there's no way it isn't dead or paralyzed. I start to swing on the skull, feeling the metallic bone start to crumble and give way.

I grab a flag from the ground, impaling it in the wyvern's head.

"We are victorious! Hail to the King, let this battleground be blessed by the Moon!"

I can hear their solid footsteps, the Warmongers are running away. Good, soon.. this territory will be ours. There are only so many forests and caves that the Warmongers can hide their factories in.

I will be..

"Knight-Lieutenant of the 1st Company, Urik Ghalzhog, your failure to prevent the ambush leaves me with no choice. Let me spare the formalities. You are discharged due to your entire camp being slaughtered as a result, for the Telepath is witness to this. Admit your wrongdoings and I, as the King, will leave you with your armor and weapon as a last gift due to your achievements."

I.. pushed them back. The king should be proud of me. I killed another one of their damned wyverns, those turn the field of battle by themselves!

"My.. king. I, Urik Ghalzhog of the 1st Company, as Knight-Lieutenant, I have failed in my duties to protect my brothers. May my future brothers only see me as a reminder that safety is never assured, even with the strong."

"As of today, you are no longer Knight-Lieutenant. Begone from my castle, and never return to the field of battle as a soldier."

"Yes, my liege."

I killed them all, for him. I devoted years of my life, my childhood, my adulthood, even my body. All for nothing, for a single mistake. Those soldiers were weak anyway! They would have died without me!

I get up, and I am immediately escorted out by the guards. They're looking at me with pity, aren't they? Because I failed, now they can look down on me? I bested all of them in combat! I am this kingdom's strongest soldier!

They should be praising me!

----------------------------------------

I wake up with sweat covering my body, and old scars feeling fresh once again.

"Five years."

I stare at my old armor and weapon, now nothing but reminders of the past and wall-hangers.

"Not today, ol' friend."

I give the armor a good pat before I head out and put on my normal armor, heading to the tavern. I need a strong drink.. those memories have been appearing too much.

I open the door, waving to Ira. What a lovely daughter the innkeeper has, with her silver hair and slim figure. I'm sure she can find someone nice.

"Two horns o' Dwarfcrusha."

"Urik.. you've been coming here too much recently. We're all worried about you."

I don't know why they're worrying. Can't a man unwind?

"Just get me the drinks, Ira. You don't need to worry."

I take my usual spot in the back, as I see the two horns being placed down. Wonder how a girl like her lifts these big heavy horns, anyway.

I gulp down a horn, savoring the strong taste.

"I'm serious, Urik. Dad's been saying you changed ever since she lef-"

I crush the horn in my hand, slamming it on the table, feeling the table crack a bit.

"Don' talk to me 'bout dat."

I.. I'm fine without her. That damned.. Warmon.. Golem is treating her fine. He's a good person. My hatred for his kind disappeared long ago, yet.. I still hate him.

I gulp down the second horn.

"U.. Urik. Please.. you're scaring me!"

"I don' care anymore. I'm going to da guild."

I slam down money from my pouch- enough to fix the table and buy a new horn.

"Al.. alright, Urik."

It's only been a week since they left together. I wished I tried harder.. if I knew I would never see her again, maybe I would have. I should have done so many things differently. I don't even have that many memories with her..

I bump into a passerby.

"Ah, sorry 'bout dat."

I'm losing focus. I'll head to the guild and just grab a quest. I feel the clanking of my boots hit the solid ground, leading to the guild hall.

I open the door, looking around. Wh.. why am I looking around? She wouldn't be here, anyway. Maybe it's just the beer.

Which quest..

This should be easy. I rip the paper off the wall. Wyvern hunting, something 'bout some Auric Wyvern in a local forest. It should be fun.

"This quest."

I can see the new desk girl stamp the quest. I grab the quest, walking out. Tools, supplies.. and weapons.

I twist my ring. It's been a while since I used this. Most of my.. supplies are still intact. Including my wyvern hunting equipment..

I thought I made a promise to myself long ago that I wouldn't touch this. But I still wear this ring every day, just for emergencies. Just emergencies. Only.. emergencies.

I start to walk to my room, looking at the city. Ah, there's the old lady I helped. She looks like she's having a good time with her grandson.

The Others are talking, always about odd things that we can't understand. Palaris acts oddly similar to them sometimes, as if he hasn't been accustomed to the culture here. But he is a golem..

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I find myself at my room, staring at the armor I once wore on the field of battle. My glorious Warhammer, adorned in medals and trophies of my enemies. It's a bit beat up, but those are just war scars.

My armor is still pristine, even after being through battles. How funny, my weapon is more damaged than my armor. Ah.. those tapestries. Surprisingly they never got burnt or damaged in the wind..

I don't know if those were the good times or not.

I start to put on my armor, feeling the old enchantments whirr back to life. My boots.. hm, the enchantments are a little worn. Can't go peak power. Protection seems fine..

My voice modifier.. I used this because none of the soldiers could understand me sometimes. Fuck them, they were all a bunch of.. loyal.. people.

I enclose my helmet.

I slap my hammer, waking it up. I see the runes glow and start to turn into a golden color. I fetch it off the wall, holding it. Still the right weight, even after all this time. Well, I suppose it hasn't been that long.

I walk out of my room. I'll keep the tapestries on. Even if people recognize me, it'll probably be for the wrong reasons. It always is.

"You're not a hero! You killed my dad!"

"Mommy.. where did brother go?"

I can still hear them in my head. It always worsens when I look at this suit.. now, I'm even wearing it. Once upon a time, I was heralded as a hero in this same suit of armor.

I look at the tapestries- my former coat of arms blazed onto it and sealed with magic. The night sky- the shining moon, and the stars that followed. Gives off a different air than how I usually am, I suppose.

Needs a good polishing, though. I take off the suit, grabbing my repair liquid. Convenient little thing.. rub some of the oil on there with a cloth, and it's good as new. Never had to use it for this set.

Is it really right for me to wear this? I'm not a soldier anymore. These tapestries have no meaning to me- my faith is gone now. I look at the moon and the stars and see nothing but objects filling the empty void of the night sky.

I'll put it on. Maybe I'll find something different to fight for. It's a struggle sometimes to find that reasoning.. even now, it bewilders me why I joined the knights. I need another drink.. too bad I'm probably banned from the inn at this point.

I put on the armor, feeling the enchantments start to activate once again. I can hear them again. Every time..

"Aye, Knight-Lieutenant! The 1st Company is ready for battle!"

"KNIGHT-LIEUTENANT, THE ORDER FOR RETREAT, WE BEG YOU!"

The hatred in their voices. They were never loyal to me. Of course they weren't..

I was too much of a brute for them. They were cowards. I don't need them. I never needed any of them. I don't need Coralline, I don't need her pity. That Warmonger can kill her- it doesn't concern me anymore.

She's just a damned manipulator anyway!

My heartrate is increasing, and I can feel every beat become harder. What am I thinking? I need to calm down.

Those days are behind me. The burden of the Knight-Lieutenant is gone.

Has it really only been five years?

"Of course not, Sergeant."

I see him. A drakekin- I know those scales. Mud-brown and those large wings, with that stump of a tail..

It can't be. He's dead.

"Come, Sergeant Ghalzhog. Your orders aren't over yet."

No. Get away from me. You're not alive.

I bump into my armor stand, knocking it over with a loud crash.

"YOU'RE DEAD! I'M THE LIEUTENANT NOW, HOWLER!"

I can see his gaze. Those sharp red eyes, drilled into me from several years of working with him. I remember how he used to train me with ferocity, never sparing me. I still have those scars from live weapon training..

"At ease, Sergeant. We're not supposed to drink in camp. You're lucky I'm a lenient man.."

Lenient my fucking ass! These scars still sting to this day, you bastard!

"GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD, HOWLER!"

"SERGEANT GHALZONG, CEASE. STAND AT ATTENTION!"

I can feel my body straightening from those years drilled into my head, countless days and nights. I can feel my breathing quicken, and my vision becomes dizzy.

"A.. at attention, Lieutenant!"

He paces around my room, looking around. He picks up a wine glass.. but I don't drink wine. He's not even alive, how can he touch things?

"I see that you've slacked off a bit. We've recently got a request, you know? There's an Auric Wyvern we need to take down. Those Warmongers have taken interest in it, but it's a shame the 1st Company lacks in beast tamers. We've got to kill it. I'm quite aware of your abilities, so you'll make do with ten men, correct? Five archers, five spearmen. Understood?"

Ten men.. I haven't even led one man in years. My hands are trembling, but they form a salute. He glares at me, as if trying to see what I was thinking. I can't believe I'm doing this again, voluntarily..

Shit, I have to give him a response before he slaps me.

"Yes, Lieutenant!"

"What was that, Sergeant? I can't hear you properly. Was your voice damaged too?"

"YES, LIEUTENANT!"

He laughs, his voice booming throughout my room. It continues on for a while, for a solid minute or two. I start to see him reach into his ring- probably bigger than mine since he was a veteran..

"Sorry, Sergeant. I know you've had it rough lately. Here, I got a letter from your mistress. Don't tell me you've forgotten, right?"

No. Please..

Stop. I don't want to listen to this anymore. I left all of this behind. No one knows who I am here. The Kingdom of the Moon was crushed.. how many years ago? No, wasn't it nearly forty years ago? Then how did I stay so young during all this time?

"Ah, by the Sun. You actually forgot your anniversary, you fool! I know I said I could get you some off time, but the war's been pressing us harder and harder. I told her this, and she said it's fine...

... as long as you came home fine."

He hands me the letter. It's stamped with her house's sigil.. a six-pointed star, with intricate engravings and a rose in the middle. I don't want to open this.

I thought I moved on from this. I moved on from everything. Is this my past finally catching up with me?

I can feel my hands breaking the seal, bringing out the delicate piece of paper. It even.. smells like her. She always washed with flower-scented soap. I thought it was stupid, but it was popular among the nobles back then..

> Dear Urik,

>

> I know you couldn't make it home for our anniversary. But that's okay, we'll have a fantastic celebration when you get back, right? If Howler got this, then he should have already told you that I wanted you to come home safe. Everyone's worried about you, even your father! And he used to be quite the warrior in his day, well- according to what he said.

>

> Nevermind all that, I just hope you're doing alright. They're not treating you horribly, right? I know all of them have been stressed because of the recent losses. Even if this kingdom should fall, we'll run away together, right?

>

> Love, Olivia

Why? Why did I have to read this? Why did I feel so impulsed to read this letter?

It's only hurting me.

It's.. wet now. Oh. My helmet's off.

Those are my tears. Damn it. I'm a knight. Knights don't cry. We stay strong, in the darkest times of the people, so they don't have to cry.

"It's alright, Urik. Let it out. No one's watching- and at least you have a life to come back to. Some of these men in our company, I wish I could say the same. I wish I could even say the same for myself, you know?"

I miss her. I miss everything about her. I miss her golden locks, beautiful as the stars that glittered in the night. Those wonderful amber eyes, that I could stare at all day. Even when she went to other houses during the nobles' gatherings, she always took the spotlight no matter how modest she dressed.

I was.. lucky to have such a fulfilling life to return to. Her parents even liked me, due to my nature as a knight and my accomplishments in the battlefield.

She even could understand my accent, dammit. She had a perfect imitation, too. I remember I used to laugh every time we talked when she always imitated me in the most irritating way possible.

Why did it have to end? Why did it all have to come crashing down, when I saw that her house was deemed as traitors. I tried to protect her..

I tried to save her from the King, and he even regretted it. He regretted that he had to punish his closest friends for trying to stop the war by allying with a group of Warmongers that were non-violent, no, Peacekeepers.

It snowballed, and they were sentenced to death. Their house was burnt, the father and mother beheaded..

Olivia herself, I could only grant her mercy by..

Executing her myself. I remember the one and only time I had to do an execution, no matter how much of a traitor and coward my soldiers were.

Her last words as I only barely managed to tell the rioters that she deserved a humane death..

I gave her one. I had her dosed with a slow, unnoticeable, but lethal toxin. I remember our last hour together. She told me that it would be alright, how she was sorry that I didn't have a house to come back to.

She told me to continue what I wanted to do, and that she would never blame me for what I had to do. I killed her, but she had no regrets and only wanted to share with me stories of her childhood and life that we haven't talked about..

I listened, even her dying breath she told me how much she loved me. I wish I could have saved her.

And for that, I took out my wrath on those around me and the Warmongers themselves, leading the spearhead to destroy the Peacekeepers headquarters..

"I'll leave you be, for now. The soldiers are outside your house. Get to it when you're ready, we only have so much time."

I hear him walk out, and then his footsteps vanished.

I wonder had I done anything differently, would I still be with her? Would I had never met Coralline, who I now know.. I was only using her to fill the void in my heart? Would I have never met that golem, who had all the traits of a Warmonger and more?

I wonder how my life would have changed. But now..

I can still change, right?

I put on my helmet, making sure it's fastened to my head. I walk out the room, down the stairs, and out the exit. I see the ten soldiers before me, and I see passersby look in awe and confusion at me and them. Nobody has ever seen me in this armor. They don't know who I am.

But now, I know who I am.

"At attention, soldiers! I, Knight-Sergeant Urik Ghalzong have been placed in direct charge of you! Ready your supplies, we march to kill a wyvern!"

I hear a resounding, "YES, SIR!"

That's who I am.

I am a soldier of the 1st Company.