Fragments Gallery
A Night to Fall
The last time before the war I stood guard atop the walls of that old keep it was night. From there I was given the perfect view of the castle as it was taken.
That night was warm. I remember that well, for had it been colder I likely would have died. You see I was not watching as an innocent bystander, and neither was I merely watching as they killed my companions. They had taken me out early in their attack and all I could do was watch.
You don't know how hard that is, helplessly watching your companions fight and die in the defense of your home while you can only look on, struggling to breathe, and struggling to stay alive.
Let me go back though. I'll start my story earlier on that night.
The day before my shift was entirely normal, it had rained early in the morning but by the end of the day there was lovely weather outside. I had walked off to my shift with a warm wind at my back and the setting sun warming my brow.
My watch took place atop the northern wall halfway between the great gate and the corner tower. From that vantage point I had a wondrous view of the thick forest below the wall. In the night it was dark and mysterious. I never tired of peering into the depths of those woods, imagining the wonders the foliage might hide. I still miss that view…
Nothing had seemed out of place. It had proved to be yet another boring shift, or at least so it had seemed, when I noticed something odd in the forests down below.
I had to look a couple times before I finally accepted what my eyes were revealing to me. It had seemed that the woods down below me were moving. It wasn't as though an animal was running through the tree tops; I had seen that many times before, this was larger scale. It was as though the entire forest had come to life. The movement wasn't blatant; you just had to know what to look for.
It didn’t cross my mind right away that this could be an attack. That sort of thing hadn't happened in years. As result I didn't think to call the alarm immediately. By the time it occurred to me it was already too late.
I turned to shout the warning but my yell turned into a gurgle as a blade was thrust through my back. As I fell someone stepped over me as they continued down the wall. I slumped against the wall and from there I could see the entire keep as I slowly bled out on the stones.
I tried calling out but my voice had fled me. All I could do was watch as the enemy swarmed over the wall and set fire to the keep. I saw so many die that day, so many people I knew and cared for. However the slaughter did not last long.
It wasn't long before I saw our keep's General pulled from the central tower and executed on the steps. With the execution the enemy had control of the keep.
After that things got a bit fuzzy, but I do know they let the other guards search for the wounded then.
I was still conscious when my comrades found me on the wall. They carried me down and left me with the other wounded. Soon after that I lost awareness.
It took me months to heal from that wound.
That’s all that I remember.
When I emerged from the infirmary so much had changed. The world was at war and my keep was still under the control of the invaders. The keep was now one of their command posts.
Since I was healed I took up my old duties on the guard once more. We were much diminished then. There were almost more new faces then old. They welcomed me back with open arms since I was a veteran. I continued to stand watch on that blasted wall until the end of the war.
After that I left the keep. Too many memories plagued me. So I came here, settled in, fell in love, and got married.
I'm now a grandfather; my second daughter just had her first child. My children all have decent trades. They're doing well. It's all I could possibly ask for.
That is all I can tell you.
I have told you what I know.
Now please, leave me in peace. I am done with that time.
I left that place for a reason.