My entry for the New Eden Capsuleer’s Writing Contest in the category of poetry.
Circling wildly over the ravaged battlefield,
Glistening black harbingers of death.
Eviscerated corpses,
Casualties of a meaningless war.
Heaving for breath,
Leaning on his sword,
He waits.
He listens.
Collecting the souls of the departed,
He watches their flight,
Head dipped in reverence,
Wondering.
A weary ache besets his body,
Reminding him of his dislike for conflict.
Yet bound by oaths,
He fights on.
Cries of comrades and enemies
Haunt his dreams.
Waking nightmares.
Horrific echoing pleas for mercy, for death.
A flutter of wings,
Sharp talons in his shoulder.
They speak.
They remember.
We are one, they say.
We are one.
Protectors, soldiers,
Harbingers of death.
((This piece was written in-character by Lasairiona Raske, and I, as the author, hold all necessary copyright.))