Maybe it was his fault that he had come here. To a barren land, devoid of hope.
The stench of fear congealed in his nose, as he gripped his sword more tightly, the furrows of his ring biting into his skin. It had been fate that had brought him this far; and his love for his newfound family- Elora and Hythe.
And his infant child, still too young to have been named.
He'd heard the news just that very morning, but there was nothing he could do. It was his duty to defend his people. His family would come later. If he would return.
The Scourge of Maldréa had come too far.
It had swept across his lands, devastating everything in its wake.
The people of Dunyn had made a futile attempt to broker peace, by opening the mountain pass. That hadn't saved them, though. Their people had been slaughtered, the same as his own.
In time, their treachery would be justly rewarded.
But now was not the time; the Scourge of Maldréa had to banished from this plane.
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It would be. Even if it meant his own sacrifice. He twisted the ring on his left ring finger, staring at the design on it.
"Bryndis!" His adviser and friend, above all else, Hythe, startled him.
"Bryndis!" he repeated breathlessly. "The army are on the move. You have to rally our men. Else we stand no chance."
Oh, Hythe. Brave, reckless Hythe.
"Are they in formation?" he replied, a slight flicker of emotion on his face.
"Yes. They await your command."
He breathed in and out, hoping that his friend wouldn't notice his discomfort. "Come on. I need your wits, and your courage." He hauled Hythe onto his horse, a figment of a smile present on his face as his friend shifted nervously behind him.
Even now, he could see the light radiating from the Scourge's army, if you could call it that.
He tried to quell his uneasiness, a lump in his throat. He cantered to the front of his army, cursing himself inwardly for how weak he felt.
"We are... here today not just for our families, but also for our home.
If we defeat this evil before us, we will return. If we do not, this evil will continue to spread, ravaging even more lands."
His men stood in front of him, although it felt as though they were leagues away. It may very well have been mountains that divided them, although they were only a few metres away from him. He admired their courage and their tenacity, their unshakeable belief in him, their king, that had lead him to this final battle.
"I stand among you not today as your king, but as your comrade. Daerion will fight to its dying breath. I promise you that."
The army was on the move now, picking up momentum as they charged over the desolate plain.
"Charge!" he shouted. He could say no more.
"For Maldréa!"