Chapter 4 – A Past Revealed
My friend and I have been traveling for quite a while now, but the closer we get to the top of the world, the more the sun shines in front of us when it sets. I’ve finally gotten enough rest from all my walking. Speaking about walking, I wonder how my friend is doing. I go up to him and ask him.
He says, “I’m doing fine. To be honest, I’m pushing myself to go far because you told me about how far you’ve been traveling. It should be alright though. I have a feeling that we’re almost to the top of the world.”
“I have the same feeling too, but you shouldn’t push yourself too hard. Even I took breaks every now and then, and what was that advice you gave me?”
“Haha, okay. I’ll remember to take my own advice. Hey, friend, before you go, don’t you think it’s strange that there aren’t that many buildings out here? You’d think there be more due to how close we are to the top and the lack of resting places.”
“I doubt many would give up after going this. I think it’s a good thing that we don’t see that many abandoned buildings around here. It only gives me the hope that the city at the top of the world has expanded with what’s missing here.”
“That’d be good, and I didn’t think about that. The more people that make it to the top of the world, the more that grand city there will expand so that people come across it sooner.”
“Well, what did you think happens when more people become part of that city? They need more space for the growing number of people, however, slow that rate may be.”
“The thought didn’t even come to my head.”
“What do you think the city is like then?”
“Something beyond my simple imagination. I haven’t even come with a story or a simple poem song like you. You must have your head in the stars with that imagination of yours, my friend.”
“It’s another thing that helps keep me hopeful.”
While looking around, I see something in the distant. Oh no.
“We have to move faster!” I say.
“What’s going on?”
“A convoy of large people in armor mixed with smaller ones with siege weapons are approaching us. They don’t look friendly. They might be bandits.”
“Are you sure they aren’t knights? I’ve heard of wandering knights in this area that protect people from bandits.”
“Well, these don’t look like those people.”
“Alright. I’ll try to run and hide us away from them as best as I can. Hold on down there!”
My friend runs as fast as he can. The armored attackers behind us launch a barrage of arrows at us along with large ropes. We manage to dodge the attacks, but we don’t have any cover until now. Just ahead is a graveyard of destroyed and abandoned buildings. I guess more people than I thought gave up around this point, but that isn’t going to be us.
We use the buildings as cover as my friend swerves and runs through the maze of buildings in a way to confuse our enemies. He then hides us within a hollowed out building. After a while of waiting and silence, he leaves the building. It seems like we’re safe. I heard movement going in the opposite direction. I hope they keep going that way. My friend is cautious he creeps around the buildings while carefully looking around.
Ah! We got caught from behind. My friend is tied up and we’re surrounded. It looks like they split off part of their forces in order to throw us off.
A man, who looks like the commander, says, “Cavallo, your days of escaping the law is over! You are to be executed for your crime of being in relations with the queen. Your being together cost her life.”
“You really are a knight, and your name is Cavallo?” my friend whispers to me.
“Yeah, you thought I was lying?”
The commander continues, “However, we will bring the young princess to the top of the world in order to have her cured and for her to take the place of the queen.”
I respond, “You can’t enact your corrupt laws on us! Your laws influenced by the fiends. That’s what cost the lives of my queen and her subjects.”
“You betrayed your role as a knight.”
“You should talk about betrayal, ‘friend’. You were supposed to pick up for me and change your ways. No wonder why it is said that we should love our enemies as our friends because they’re generally the same people.”
“I serve the crown.”
“I serve the Heavens.”
“And that is why you must be put to death along with your accomplices.”
My friend says, “Do it! Kill me you slaves of the fiends but spare the life of my friend and family.”
“That can be arranged, but your family will be killed alongside you to pay the full price.”
“You monsters!”
“No! Spare their lives. Just them to the top of the world with my daughter. I submit my life to you,” I say.
“Then your friend must deny you,” the commander says.
My friend says to me, “Are you sure you want to do this? I can defend you all until I’m put down.”
“Don’t. Keep your family and my daughter safe. There’s less risk in it, and I might not be able to protect all of us.”
“…Fine.” My friend then says to the commander, “I do not know this man. I met him at the settlement I was at and helped him, but now that I know the truth, I deny ever knowing him.”
“Good man,” the commander says as he orders my friend’s release. “Now come down, Cavallo for your execution.”
I make my way down as I hear my daughter crying. It’s going to be okay, little princess. Your father will save a place for you in the Heavens. Once I get down to the ground, I'm beaten by the many soldiers around me.
The commander says, “That was for the disrespect you showed the crown, you disgraceful knight. Now, your execution.”
A blade is held above my head and is about to come down, but the fiends arrive.
One of them says, “This was not part of our deal, commander. You were to execute the child once you obtained her.”
“We bow to the crown, fiends.”
“You bow to us.”
The fiends attack as the soldiers retreat towards the top of the world. I guess they neither party sees any use in me now. They’re all gone now. Thankfully, I’m still able to walk. I have to get to my daughter. I have to protect her. It’s my duty as her knight and most importantly her father. I have to!
I’ve been here before. The bottom of the barrel. When my wife died, and I had to escape the kingdom. I didn’t think I was going to make it, but my queen came to me in a dream and kissed me. In that kiss, I got her message of hope. I have to keep going no matter how I feel. I rip apart my cloak so I can move faster. To get myself to move even faster, I sing myself a song that I came up for my queen and princess.
I'm the worst because I'm inconsistent
Making Heaven so distant
I'm useless because I can never be perfect
My sins leave me wrecked
But I can't just stay here forever
The Bottom is Where I Start
Where all broken hearts fall apart
or become beautiful works of art
The Bottom is where I awoke in
Our pains unspoken
But I won't be broken
I'm delusional because I believe in God
I'm an idiot for thinking I'm flawed
I'm insane because I'm not full of myself
in a world that's in love with itself
But I can't just let them put me down forever
The Bottom is Where I Start
Where all broken hearts fall apart
or become beautiful works of art
The Bottom is where I awoke in
Our pains unspoken
But I won't be broken
Never to going to give in
Never going to give up
Never letting my light dim
Never to going to give in
Never going to give up
Never letting my light dim
The Bottom is Where I Start
Where all broken hearts fall apart
or become beautiful works of art
The Bottom is where I awoke in
Our pains unspoken
But I won't be broken
The Bottom is Where I Start
Where all broken hearts fall apart
or become beautiful works of art
The Bottom is where I awoke in
Our pains unspoken
But I won't be broken
From the bottom is where I start
From the bottom is where I start
The pain has given me a strong heart
And I will never fall apart
I’m approaching the top of the world now. It’s a city of lights that looks like a town made of castles. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of. Oh! There are the knights being chased down by fiends. The guards from the city defend them, but I’ll get to my daughter. Just you hold on for me, my little princess.
No comments:
Post a Comment