Epilogue;

I walked quietly down the dirt driveway, a light rucksack over my shoulder.

"Luke."

 It was said flat with no real emotion behind it as usual.

I turn to face the man called my Father; "I'm going, you can't stop me any longer. I only stayed f--"

 The words caught in my throat but I held my resolve, "--for Aile and Amor's funeral."

Amor - What right did I have to name her that, when because of me she never lived long enough to even develop a gender, an unborn child of just a few weeks doesn't have time to develop a gender. There is no paperwork for a being that young, no proof or official record they ever even existed.

 She simply seemed like a girl, it was the little girl that Aila had always wanted.

"Luke you don't have to do this lad, stay here as my second. I wouldn't want anyone better."

I didn't turn to face him, I'd seen him enough for a lifetime;

 "Oh yes, I've seen the posters man- I hope turning my wife into a legendary Martyr has had the desired effect on your recruitment drive Colonel, 'Sir!'.

 Commander of the Southern Brigade 'Sir'!"

"She was like a daughter to me too boy, But I shant let her memory go to waste - Her death is better used for defending our homeland, than running away." - 'Still no emotion, just his flat uncaring delivery.'

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Then remember this man, you were the one! The one who put ideas of valour and heroism into your 'daughter's' head.

 I migth be the idiot pilot who wasn't good enough, who let a stray bullet kill his wife and child - But you Father-Dearest are the one who tells lies of war being glorious!"

 I spat the words, not entirely sure if I blamed him or me more in that moment.

There was silence for a brief time and I began walking, no striding forward - When he spoke up once more;

 "Where will you go Luke, to die? Is that what sh- They'd want?"

I stopped, half ready to throw fists but I held my self in place like a statue rooted to the ground;

 "I'm going to the continent - I'll join the engineer or pilot core or whatever other part of TSU will take me - Not that it's any of your business old man."

"Why? To get revenge against the Abhailens? Or simply to die my son?

 Will you really follow the same path you watched me walk when your mother died? I came back but you might not - Stay here Luke, you'll get your chance to fight them again here - It's what they'd want."

 'Same Flat Tone.'

I trained to fight in 'The Incident', when Ivernia was being invaded - But the war ended before I was ever deployed. I got to come home, to propose to my lifelong love and run our small farm together for the most glorious days of my life.

 But a new war came, 'a true war' according to the governments of the world - The so called 'First War of the Third Age.'

I didn't have an answer for the man behind me and so I simply kept walking.

 You might be wondering what the point of it was - Why it all happened, why I choose to tell you all this.

Honestly? I don't know, maybe I never will. I think she would of though, she had a better way with words then me - Aila with the strawberry-blond her and the soft hands - My one and only Aila.

The End