Excerpt from "Patron's War"
We are told that Hell is a place. That it is a punishment, a judgement of our lives and the misuse that we put it to. That is a mistake. It is wrong. Hell is not a destination- it is a journey. Hell is a state of mind.
Each one of us undertakes, in our lifetimes, some great task. For the lowest of men, this task may be as simple as raising an honest son or leading a life that brought comfort to those around you. For great men, the task that is set before them is equal to their powers. Some create art that seems to reach out to our very souls, some bring peace in times of war. No man is given a task that he does not have the strength to accomplish.
My task was both the simplest and the greatest of missions. My end in life was simply to be good. In an age of unrest, violence, and unmitigated cruelty, I was to be a shining beacon of virtue. A standard above all others, a man apart from the filth of corruption. I was to be something people could look back on and say, "That, children, was all that it means to be human."
But our lives are never so simple as we should like. I recognized my task in life early on, and I fought for it with every ounce of passion in my body. I excised the demons of my worse nature, and I struggled with sacrifice as much as any man before or after me. And somewhere, at some point in my journey, I took a single mis-step. I strayed from my path, to one of personal glory. And, in doing so, I took the first step into my own Hell.
I was to be a pillar of justice, mercy, and humility. But, in my faux pas, I saw only vain opportunity. The glory I would do for my king, my country, and my God was not in my sight when I crusaded for the Cup of Christ. And when I found the Grail, my mind was not overwhelmed by the glory of my God. I could not help but to try and drink from that blessed cup; the path of righteousness was distant and beyond my sight. When immortality came down upon me, I took it to mean that I was God's chosen vessal. That I was his favored son. And when the realization came that the "blessing" was, in truth, a curse, I forsook my God, throwing the pity he held for me into his face.
And I strayed in the paths of darkness long. Years and decades and centuries trickled through my wicked fingers as I wrought great evil on God's earth. I sought release from the curse of eternal life that I had taken unto myself and I did not mind the suffering or depravity that my passing sowed. When, at last, the agent of my repreive came to me and tore the agony of ages from my skin, I cursed his hands and I swore that revenge for his mercy would be mine in the next life.
And now I am here. My journey to Hell has culminated in this... this torturous city of chaos and tyranny. And while I know that I failed in my mission, I will not accept this fate. I was destined for greatness, but am remembered only as a myth. My life cannot end like this. I will not allow it.
I will wrest my soul free of Hell if I have to destroy every wicked soul in this city.
Each one of us undertakes, in our lifetimes, some great task. For the lowest of men, this task may be as simple as raising an honest son or leading a life that brought comfort to those around you. For great men, the task that is set before them is equal to their powers. Some create art that seems to reach out to our very souls, some bring peace in times of war. No man is given a task that he does not have the strength to accomplish.
My task was both the simplest and the greatest of missions. My end in life was simply to be good. In an age of unrest, violence, and unmitigated cruelty, I was to be a shining beacon of virtue. A standard above all others, a man apart from the filth of corruption. I was to be something people could look back on and say, "That, children, was all that it means to be human."
But our lives are never so simple as we should like. I recognized my task in life early on, and I fought for it with every ounce of passion in my body. I excised the demons of my worse nature, and I struggled with sacrifice as much as any man before or after me. And somewhere, at some point in my journey, I took a single mis-step. I strayed from my path, to one of personal glory. And, in doing so, I took the first step into my own Hell.
I was to be a pillar of justice, mercy, and humility. But, in my faux pas, I saw only vain opportunity. The glory I would do for my king, my country, and my God was not in my sight when I crusaded for the Cup of Christ. And when I found the Grail, my mind was not overwhelmed by the glory of my God. I could not help but to try and drink from that blessed cup; the path of righteousness was distant and beyond my sight. When immortality came down upon me, I took it to mean that I was God's chosen vessal. That I was his favored son. And when the realization came that the "blessing" was, in truth, a curse, I forsook my God, throwing the pity he held for me into his face.
And I strayed in the paths of darkness long. Years and decades and centuries trickled through my wicked fingers as I wrought great evil on God's earth. I sought release from the curse of eternal life that I had taken unto myself and I did not mind the suffering or depravity that my passing sowed. When, at last, the agent of my repreive came to me and tore the agony of ages from my skin, I cursed his hands and I swore that revenge for his mercy would be mine in the next life.
And now I am here. My journey to Hell has culminated in this... this torturous city of chaos and tyranny. And while I know that I failed in my mission, I will not accept this fate. I was destined for greatness, but am remembered only as a myth. My life cannot end like this. I will not allow it.
I will wrest my soul free of Hell if I have to destroy every wicked soul in this city.
posted by Jonc0re at
2:05 PM
2 Comments:
Well, I didn't mean for it to sound like he gains immortality, then immediately turns evil. That was a mistake. I meant to convey a sense that he learned it was more of a curse than a blessing after the passage of some time.
I'm glad you liked, it though. Always tricky to write from the perspective of another person's character.
By
Jonc0re, at 12:21 AM
There was one already, Matt. The narrator of the story about the Sins in your character talking to Nick's character.
By
Jonc0re, at 12:34 AM
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