Essay frenzy

An essay I just wrote to practice writing and writing, preparing for tomorrow. It is influenced by Runescape lore, but the theme is recurring. It is inspired from the theme of the story writing competition by Jagex, which is to write about the Third Age wars of Glielinor (Runescape).

Holy War

Bright flames sparkled in my hazel eyes as I stood there, rooted to the black soil. Frantic families and panicking pets ran amok amongst the burning homes, their homes. The stench of death mixed with suffocating smoke was unbearable. My first reaction to this horrifying scene was an upwelling of hatred towards the accursed god Zamarok, but the nagging feeling at the back of my head took hold for the first time.

Zamarok is not pillaging this village, Saradomin is.

Since I was a little boy, I witnessed countless times, soldiers of Saradomin, marching through the streets and I told myself that one day I too will be in that gleaming, almost luminescent steel armour. That I will fight for righteousness and justice, and rid this wretched world of all the evil that Zamarok has wrought.

Why? For my village was attacked before. My village, the only village for miles loyal not to Saradomin, not to Zamarok, but to Guthix. We did not partake in the war and was left unharmed because of our neutrality, but one day, one of Zamarok's generals decided to ransack this defenceless settlement in the name of his master. My parents, the village elders, remained true to Guthix's ideals to the end, stood down without a fight. Slaughtered cruelly in front of my eyes, I cursed Guthix in his long slumber, for forsaking my village and parents.

After that terrible ordeal, I sought refuge in a nearby church loyal to Saradomin. They instilled into me all the 'wisdom' of Saradomin, and that was when I saw the armies of Saradomin valiantly defending our homes. So at just eighteen, I joined their ranks.

Which brings me back to the village I was 'cleansing'. After two years, I was weary. Apparently it was our duty to burn any lands that Zamarok's armies have trespassed, to vanquish the evil.

However, as my eyes darted from charred structures to mangled bodies, I solemnly wished I had not joined Saradomin at all.

'Ah!' shrieked a woman.

'Not my wife!' bellowed a man.

After hearing a final swish of a steel sword, I could only hear the blaze of 'holy fire' behind me.

Then, I spotted a frail looking child walk up to the dead couple. His face was twisted in despair and covered in tears. He had hazel eyes. I prayed silently.

To Guthix.

~End~

As aforementioned, this theme is recurring. You might say that it resembles the theme of the Christian Crusades.