Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 152: The story written in blood (2)

'You, who symbolize conduct of chivalry, who guards me when I was unconscious and those who have kept their faith in me. It arouses in me with a great sense of pride and yet of humility which will be with me, always. I have been thinking about this when I was awake from my unconsciousness. What would be a rallying cry for our new nation? What will be our creed? Our words? Right now, we are at stalemate. Morale is low all around. And even though we are not in such a bad condition that we need to retreat. truthfully we are in a crisis'

He sighed and there is a bitter smile on his face.

Then he added

'Ipromise you a few days ago that I will bring you victory. I fail' he said slowly and then he followed up with

'When I should have prevailed'

'It is not your fault my lord!' a voice from the crowd yell to him trying to console him

Arial held up his hand.

'Maybe. But I have blame in part. But should I retreat now? Now, when we are at the precipice? Victory...victory is so close. Change is so close, so near that I can feel it in my hands' he said as he is grasping the air with his hand and clench his fist so hard his hand trembles.

Then he added

'So I woke up from my slumber, determined. I will not wallow in my miseries. Duty! Honor! Crown!!' he yelled and they all were stunned

Arial did not waste time as he continues his speech

'Those three words. Those three hallowed words will reverently dictate what you ought to be my fellow countrymen, what you can aspire, what you will be. They are your code, your chant, your prayers to create courage when courage seems to fail you, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to give hope when hope become nonexistent, to give light when darkness is all you can see.'

Then he takes a breath as he let that thought sink down among the crowd

They will listen now. He can see colors and life returning to their face, the fire in their eyes kindled again.

A spark. Now he need to turn that spark into a flame.

'Unfortunately' he yelled 'I possess neither that eloquence of diction, poetry of the illustrious imagination, nor that brilliance of metaphor, words that can convey the sacred meaning of these words.'

He takes another pause. Waiting to see if they are listening. The spark is beginning to show some fire; a flame is in the making.

He then spoke again

'The unbelievers will say that they are but words, and we all know words are winds, they'll say it is a flamboyant phrase concocted to march you to battle for my own nefarious reason, they will undoubtedly say. Every unbeliever, pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, will try to tell you my word, is pure wind, they will smear it with mockery and their cynical ridicule. What will you think I should do to them?' he asks the troops

'Punish them.'

'Kill them' they shouted. Arial shakes his head and with a smile he said calmly

'No. I will thank them'

They looked each other in confusion. Arial continue

'Why? You may ask. Because they build you. Your character. Your personality. They build you as you prepare to be the guardian, the vanguard of the country defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak and brave enough to know to face your fears when you are afraid. They teach you to be proud and unbending, unyielding in honest failure but they also teach you to be humble and gentle in your success, not to replace words for actions, not to seek the easier path, but to face the horrors, the darkness and the challenge and difficulty'

Without a pause, the words come to him as he spoke the words that is kindling a spark into a large flame in the hearts of his troops.

'They teach you to stand up in the most unrelenting storms but to also have compassion on those who fall in the storms, to conquer your own self before you conquer others, to have a pure heart, an ambition that reach to the stars, to learn to laugh unrestrained, yet never forget to weep and cry, to reach into the new future but not neglecting the past. Should we not thank them? Should we not be grateful even for our enemies? They will remind you, teach you, to be of modest stature so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength. They give you a temper of the will, a great quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions, freshness of the deep springs of life and a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity. Should we thank them?' he asks again

And this time they answered with a resounding yes.

Arial smile and he chuckles.

'Yes! Why not we thank the unbelievers for molding our suffering and determination? They teach you to be a soldier worthy of this country culture and wealth and all of its greatness. You all regarded me as your lord, of noble stature and kind and forgiving to his allies. But not once any of you dared asked me my estimate of the men that fight for me, that die for me, sacrifice their lives for me?'

He takes a pause as he saw some of his troops lowered their heads. In the end, they were peasants and Arial is of high noble stature.

Arial smiles and then he said something that shook the heart of all his troops.

'My opinion of all of you was formed when we went to the battlefield together.'

And Arial began walking among the crowd and they all parted to give way as he walks but their eyes never leave him as their ear perked up to listen to what he has to say.

'I regard all of you' and he point his finger to the troops, 'as one of the noblest figures, one of the finest characters, and one of the most stainless. Your name, and fame will be remembered by the next generation. They will say....in his prime youth and strength, he gave his country his love and loyalty, he gave all. that mortality can give. That is what they will say for all of you that stand beside me tomorrow with bravery in their hearts. '

And the cheers turn to a deafening roar. Arial laughed and cheered with them

Now, the ember is already there. Now, a fire. He spoke again, his word even under the deafening roars of cheers could still be able to be heard.

'In life, you may find some need in people giving you compliments but in death, you will need none of that. None from me or from any other man. My troops have written his own history and written it in red on his enemy scars. I am filled with admiration that I cannot put it into words. I am oblivious to the dignity of your birth, nobles or common, but if you die in the battlefield tomorrow I will know the glory of your death.'

And they cheered yet, this time with tears in their eyes and laughter in their hearts. A great fire has started.

'And know this my troops! Tomorrow I will be with you. Follow me if I advance. Kill me if I retreat. Avenge me if I die!'

And with that the camp cheer so loud that he could swear even the people in Dented Shield can hear it.

Arial vowed that he will kill Alderam. For poisoning him and robbing his future. And everything he have done to this land.

He vowed that he will take Alderam head. He has angered the dragon. And he shall learn what happen when you wake the sleeping dragon from his slumber!

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The end of the speech. I think there might be enough chapter until the end of the month. I will tell you when I posted the rest.