In the deep valley he lurks anxiously waiting for little prey. The brutal wind goes through his bones like a knife. He curls up like a cat to savor that little bit of warmth he has. His vision is blurry, his mind is shutting down, every muscle in his body screams for food. It's been four days since he caught that little bird. There aren't many animals in this valley and he isn't strong enough to pass over the mountains.
He never expected to end like this, dying of hunger. So meaningless, so alone. Nobody will miss him, nobody will remember him. With him his legacy will disappear. This looks to be the destiny of the silent warrior. But he has no remorse, no regrets or what so ever. In the end he got what he deserved, nothing at all.
So he keeps wandering through the vast wilderness just to stumble upon another lost soul, an old blind man sitting by a welcoming fire. “ Come and join me”, he says, “ I’ve got food and shelter, But I miss a friendly conversation while enjoying a cup of tea. I can see you’re hungry and in pain. I’ll give you food in exchange for your story.” The warrior sits down and accepts a bowl of soup. When it’s finished he answers. “I’ll happily tell you my story old man, but can I ask first what a blind helpless man like you is doing in het middle of nowhere.” “ A fair question, one can trust no one in the wild. I am Kalchas, an oracle of Ionn. I see what he wants me to see, go where he wants me to go. So please tell me your story.” “ People call me Doc before I lost everything and that is the only name I remember. I am a lost soul looking for answers. They call me a rented sword, I travel from war to war. I served many lords, fought for lands I can’t even remember. They say my axe starts wars, ends battles, tears families apart, slays legends, creates myths, ruins kingdoms and builds empires. They say that blood and hater are my companions, rage my weapon. They call me a Shinigami, messenger of Death. But I don’t care about all that. I just try to ease my troubled mind, to find peace within myself. All the bloodshed , the battles and the chaos are just a cover, to keep people away from me. I’m already dead on the inside so nobody can harm me. I know that there won’t be anyone to mourn over my lifeless body, when I pass away, nobody to search for my lost soul, nobody that will realize I am alone. That’s why I choose to imprison myself deep inside unknown regions. I am not a hero, just an ordinary coward with his hands stained in blood.” The oracle looks at him. “ There is a hill, not far from here. They say it’s the place where the gods lost their immortality and it flowed into the hill. You’ll find your peace there. But please sleep, you look like you haven’t slept for ages.” So Doc lies down and falls asleep.
He stands there on top of the deserted fortress, bading in blood. His arms are heavy, his senses clouded. He leans on his broken axe and watches the red sunset. Thousands of enemies wait in front of him. Wave after wave they throw at him, but everytime again he breaks them. He rages through their lines with a demonic savagery and they fear him. Because he is the messenger of Death.
Doc wakes up after seeing the same old dream again. It still haunts him, all those lives he took. He notices that the old man is gone and the remains of a fire are still smoldering. He hears whispers, carried in by the wind. They seem to guide him towards something, so he follows them. He travels for days, until one day there were no whispers anymore and there it was. He felt a like a burden was lifted of him. So he walked towards the top of the hill, where a young man was standing. He was tall and had gracious features like an elf. The boy drew his sword when the warrior approached. Doc shows his axe and says: “ Put your sword back, kid. Don’t you realize how fragile your situation is, how thin the strings that keep you alive are? I Don’t want to shed blood here. So please help me make some tea and enjoy the view this hill provides us.”
oef eindelijk af en nu hopen dat het leesbaar is, sorry voor het engels. Ik schrijf nu eenmaal beter in het engels.