Reunited

Buried by this cold, lonely powder that is yet somehow so heavenly,

I waver not in my search throughout eternity.

I watch not the death,

Pay attention to not the strife,

Nor the anguish or calamity,

The helpless, the fearful, the dying of the light.

I do not have the luxury to do those things-

To help others.

I have not the time

Nor the strength,

Not the mind

Nor the soul.

Sentenced by the heavens,

I cannot betray this call to adventure…

Not for anyone.

Not for anything.

I cannot look back and mourn the deaths of the people who didn't deserve this forced fate.

And I will carry that burden with me to the end of my days so help me.

I must carry on.

I must endure.

I mustn't falter or allow my emotions to get in the way.

But accepting these terms,

Following these rules and conditions set for the ones who are strong enough,

Who can endure this agonizingly painful weight that seems to grow heavier within my chest-

I am not strong enough.

These are set for the ones who do not listen to the beatings of their hearts nor follow them.

These are set for the people who are not afraid of adventure.

But… perhaps it is not the adventure I am fearful of, but of the innocents that are taken advantage of and the innocents that are placed on the doorstep of danger so that I may escape it.

Willingly or not,

Whether I accept it or not,

I am the one responsible.

I am responsible for their lives.

I am responsible for allowing them to not wilt but to thrive off the light that I am not afraid to shine throughout the darkness.

My job is to not follow the rules and standards.

My job is to not live on blindly with the time that I took from others.

My job is not to keep walking forward alone into battle.

It is not a real adventure when you are alone, I have learned.

It isn't real. None of it is.

And I refuse it.

I refuse the call.

I refuse the adventure.

I refuse to witness miracles and once in a lifetime experiences that I may not ever have the chance to see ever again.

I refuse it all.

By doing this, I am refusing to let them die.

I am refusing to accept the terms and conditions.

The price of this beauty are lives more beautiful than anything else- because they are mine.

They are mine to protect.

They are mine to guard.

They are my family, above all else.

Do not be surprised when I turn down your offerings and promises of earthly riches and greatness.

Do not be surprised when I am commanded by the Gods themselves to step aside,

To walk away and never look back,

To not care any longer,

And I don't.

I wouldn't dare.

I will go through whatever I must.

I will risk everything I am, everything I will be, everything I could be.

I will risk it all just to be able to turn around and go back.

I will retrace my steps from across the desert if I must so that I may have the chance to see them flourish,

To see them prosper…

To see the innocents that risked their lives for me alive and well.

You will itch to speak,

But I won't ever tell.

You will burn with fury and choose to critique,

But I won't let you within the borders of my mind.

These sweet lies you so prize

I have now assessed and redefined.

I will not stand to leave anyone behind.

Not anymore.

Not during an all-out war

Between what is right and what is wrong,

And what is wrong is left,

And down the left path it leads you to- nowhere.

So I will go right and go down the right path

And at least it will lead me to somewhere.

From somewhere I will then begin to go forward

And not spare even a glance backward,

Because backward is where the pain of the past

Is buried within the last box that I could find to hide all that I am not inside.

So I reject this call to adventure.

Perhaps now I can wait and pray that someday I can say that my rejection was worth it.

I refuse to neglect all that I have earned and the responsibilities that emerge from the hostilities of this rising darkness.

Not everyone has to be a documented hero.

Instead I try to be someone who is meant to be a hero within the minds of those I love.

And those I love I refuse to let go of.

I've done that too often,

So I do not accept your offering,

And I reject this call to adventure.

I opened my eyes and looked around, I found myself lying on the ground, I could see a man in front of me was standing looking at the other side, just then he turned around and smiled to me "You have done great young man, Leo was it?" he asked me.

"Yes", I stood up and bowed, he nodded and patted me in the shoulders and beckoned me to look over, there I saw the battle where I was just in, I could see my father in the battlefield as he slaughters the demons, I also saw these young kids with a white robe, casting spells like a mage, I then turned my head to the man and bowed "Thank you for your help, I will join the battle," I said.

"To stand above all things... That is what it means to be a dragon. Are you ready to face the trials to become one?" he suddenly said as he looked at me, "To stand above all things?" I was confused, but then something dawned upon me, I was like shocked, I bowed at him again and went directly to the battlefield, I made my way through where my father was fighting, "Father" I yelled.

He looked back and saw me, he made a caring expression"Let's go, son," he said, "Yeah, let's end this war!" I said.