Forgotten Heroes
- Introduction -
Time changes all things. As you walk through an empty field, you may be standing on what used to be a great mountain, or the bottom of an ancient sea, or maybe the site of a battle long forgotton. Perhaps all three are true.
When the past is forgotten, it has a strange way of coming back to haunt us, reteaching us what we've lost, sometimes painfully.
In the end, people will act as they always have, and the lessons remain the same but the scenery and circumstances change, making it feel like something completely new.
There are those, however, who can see the lessons as they come and know what must be done to restore things to the natural state of peace and tranquility. These people are known as heroes, and often times their path is a lonely one as they face hardships and ridicule and battle with self doubt wondering if they are truely doing the right thing. More often than not, a hero isn't recognized - even by themselves - until they achieve what it is they set out to do and the truth becomes apparent to all.
- Chapter 1 -
Sir Dwayne rode his steed through the muddy shanty town surrounding the castle. The sky was grey with thunder cracking in the distance, and while it had rained most of the time over the last two days he spent travelling, the clouds seemed to have taken a respite.The castle he was heading to was the latest in an ongoing campaign of acquiring new land for the kingdom. He wasn't entirely fond of the campaign but his current situation kept him a part of it. It served his goals for now.
Dwayne was a battle hardened warrior, being brought into knight hood by a kingdom whose name had been long forgotten in a land that didn't appear in any maps - well not in any maps around where he was currently.
He had seen his share of rulers come and go. He had been employed by many kingdoms over the years, changing employers as one power hungry ruler dethroned another. He had fought many battles - with the numerous scars to prove it - yet when it came down to protecting a man to the death who had slain his previous lord in cold blood, Dwayne would always slip out the back and let the new conquerer take his place. He felt as though he was avenging the previous employer everytime he let one fall to the next. Sometimes loyalty manifests itself in strange ways. In this way he survived, giving his leigance to whoever was least unsavory, and who would allow him the freedom to stay true to himself. It made for a strange life, but with the constant change in scenery, it was never dull.
"Good Sir Knight, have you anything to spare?" A begger called out.
Dwayne was always well kept by his employers. Real fighting men were rare, and men of his caliber who knew how to survive were even rarer so Dwayne was a man of value in a war torn time. Most others - like the people he was sent to meet with - could live happily for months on a single day of his salary and he was aware of this so liked to help others where he could.
He had scarecely noticed the man, being lost in his thoughts but fumbled into his pouch for a few gold coins to give to the beggar.
"Your kindness shall let my family see another day, and for that we are truely greatful, thank you."
Dwayne pondered the irony of the situation; Dwayne had personally led the charge on this castle, he and his knights broke through the gates and made their way through the castle defeating the royal gaurd, and finally slew the castle's lord. He had been a greasy, wirey man with shifty eyes and an unwholesome grin that spoke of the madness in his heart. He was a bad man who had to be stopped so Dwayne held no regret. However, the charge they led into the castle opened the way for a less honorable army to follow them into the town to lay waste to everything in sight and loot what remained.
It was a grim situation, one that he hadn't planned for, but it was the reality and all anyone could do is move forward.
The beggar knew from his distant gaze that Dwayne's thoughts were elsewhere, on the horror of this war and what had happened to the town.
"These are dark times, but there are some, like myself that remember what that symbol means." The beggar pointed to Dwayne's sword sheath which depicted an ivory tower covered in vines. "Some say it is a good omen that you've come here, we shall see if that is true or not."
It started to rain lightly, raindrops bouncing off his armor making ting ting sounds "I will do what I can, which is to say, I will do what I am allowed. Sometimes compromises have to be made to keep darker prospects at bay."
The old beggar nodded and sat down on a wooden box under an awning of what used to be a tavern. Fire had layn waste to the building and for the most part the awning shielding him from the rain was all that remained.
Dwayne pulled the hood over his head in a futile attempt to keep out the rain and kicked his horse into motion. He headed down the road to what remained of the local town hall to try and find out what happened to the tax collector that was sent out a week ago and never returned.