ONE KINGDOM Metal

I was there. Drawn to the ecstasy of battle. Embracing victory with open arms. Fighting defeat like a wild animal. But now I am getting older and before I fade, the time has come to share my story with you.

I was there when the wizards spell failed. He tried to save us all but during the chant he received a mortal wound and the way in which his spell manifested was chaotic.

To this day I remember the moment. While the enemy forces were focused laying siege to one of our castles it was our mission to hit their flank, draw their attention and crush them between us. But then the wizard died. A bubble shimmering in the weirdest of colors quickly grew from inside of the castle walls and soon embraced the whole battlefield. I could no longer see what was happening inside and the sounds of battle were distant and far away. Mesmerized by what was in front of us we stopped our advance.

Now, 30 years later I still can only speculate what went wrong but it seems that the spell has trapped everyone inside of the bubble in a perpetual repetition of the day of battle. For 30 years they have been fighting.

Every day until the sun burns out. One can still hear the blasting trumpets and war cries. I can only imagine the iron will needed to keep fighting an everlasting battle. And still, brethren are joining the fight. Walking into the time bubble without fear, unknowingly of what awaits them and if they are even able to join the fray.

I would do everything for the Holy Metal, give my life.

But entering this everlasting fight….I could not do that.

I was there in the glorious days. From the frozen north to the dusty deserts of the south. From the west to the far east where the sun is setting. Undefeated we marched from battle to battle.

Our hearts were filled with joy and confidence. Wherever we went we were welcomed, and the people shouted “Metal lo Vult” when we entered their villages and cities.

But despite our successes there were still those who worshiped evil. Back then I did not waste a single thought on why they were doing it. I only wanted to wipe out the nonbelievers. My hate for them was strong and we burnt them alive to make clear that the Order and the Kingdom would not tolerate such heresy.

For my zealous participation in these purges and my successes in battle I was promoted to Lieutenant. But now, when I ponder about what happened, I ask myself if we did the right thing.

I was there when we were close to the final victory. The kingdom at its peak of power. The Order of Metal was growing continuously. An unstoppable force destroying every enemy in its path.

These were the good times. United under one strong banner and with the goal to cleanse this plane from evil.

From Lieutenant I was promoted to Major. I was responsible for the lives of an increasing number of men but I was not afraid to take responsibility.

I believed in the Holy Metal and that it would guide me to make the right decisions. I was a stern leader and demanded sacrifice from my brethren. But they loved me and followed me even into the darkest abyss.

Our battle formation was unbreakable.

We were seeking the heart of battle, full of hate for our enemies, screaming and shouting while we cut them down one by one. I still have to smile when I think about our victory celebration. Maybe celebration is the wrong word.

It was more like a feast. You should have seen it.

I was there when the dragon awoke. It was during the final battle, or at least back then we thought it was the final battle, when disaster struck.

We were in fierce close combat with the demonic hordes when a frightening growl came down from the sky.

What was first a small dot on the horizon grew in size and soon the gigantic black dragon rained fire upon us. It incinerated demons and knights alike with his fiery breath. A chaotic force that carbonized everything in sight.

We tried to fight it, but his scales were hard as rocks. Within seconds my most trusted brethren were turned to dust. Despite the dragon also attacking our enemies we were devastated, and our morale was broken. The final victory was taken from us. We were forced to flee like cowards, hide like rats.

We regrouped in a safe distance only to find out that more than half of our force was lost. The remains were in catastrophic condition and order needed to be restored. As our Seneschal was burnt alive, I took command and led the remaining force back to the nearest castle.

I was there when darkness came upon us. By the seven spheres of Heaven and Hell I wish I could unsee this massacre. I can only imagine what horror descended upon the people of the city. When we arrived only smoking ruins and smoldering corpses remained as witnesses of what has happened. They left none alive, you could not even find a single rat.

Some of the corpses were arranged to form hellish symbols that made me and my men regurgitate, trembling when we looked at them. We tried to put these heretic statues down, but the bodies were stiff and frozen. We had to chop them apart piece by piece.

A lot of men refused to take part but my faith in the Metal kept me going forward. As the cavalry searched the surrounding area, they found a frozen body without any battle wounds. Searching his belongings we found a letter stating that he was a messenger sent out with a warning and a call for help. What struck us was that he did not manage to get far from his town.

He should have been familiar with the terrain but for some reason he got lost and froze to death.

It seemed like not only the demons were fighting us but also the weather. Winter itself forged an alliance with our enemies and cloaked their movement from our eyes. The destruction of the city was only an Omen of what was to come….

I thought the war was over but now darkness spreads again across the kingdom. The winter this year is longer than usual and I long for the Spring to bring back the sun and longer days. I have fought so many battles in my life and thinking about what will come puts a heavy burden on my shoulders.

I hope the kingdom will face the task united and fight for the Holy Metal. May it protect you wherever you go.
METAL LO VULT!