The Homeless Veteran [PK]

[AdventureMaan 130]

The Homeless Veteran [PK]

Spoiler

 

“Tonight is an especially cold one” Stervon Shadowsteel muttered to himself as he held his hands over the warm fire which gave him some protection against the cold biting wind. You see, life has never been the same since Stervon Shadowsteel, the once respected lieutenant of the third brigade, left the Imperial State Army. As soon as he left ,he felt the error in hardly ever accepting his pay which was once a noble action he took as he saw the knowledge that he has made the world a safer, better place, a more noble payment. But in the end he found his beliefs backfiring on himself and he quickly found himself on the streets of Providence as a homeless man, begging others for food so he may survive another day. All of his children had left Providence and many of his friends had passed away, he had no one. Until one day one of the passersby was his old friend Methas Shaw, who gave him a room in one of the houses that he owned. But that didn’t last long as the house was soon evicted.

 

Now he once again finds himself as a homeless man standing over a small fire at night trying to keep warm, condemned to a life of begging people for small amounts of money and scraps of food. He lifted a hand up to cover his mouth as he coughed. And at that moment he truly realized that he wasn’t the young optimistic, jolly man, he once was who wanted to save everyone from great evil beings. He was now an old man, all of his strength in his bones had now left him. But in the darkness that his life now was, he found hope in the form of old memories. The Cactus Café, when he first joined the ISA, his old comrades and his family.

 

As he went to move his hand above the fire to warm it after coughing, he felt a sudden jolt of pain in his chest. His breathing slowed and Stervon felt like he could hardly breath. He slowly sat down on the floor, hoping that would somehow change what was happening to him. “Please not now…” Stervon repeatedly murmured to himself as his eyes slowly began to close. And as they closed his whole life flashed before him. It was a cold night in Helena and before him was his father, Arthur Shadowsteel, with a knife in his back, lying in  a pool of red crimson. Next he saw a man all dressed in red and gold, standing upon a dais, the sun shining behind the man as he read the sacred words of the oath that Stervon would repeat that would make him a true member of the Imperial State Army. The next image was him looking up at a painting of the owners of ‘The Cactus Cafe’, Methas Shaw, Willem Galbraith and himself, those who he considered to be the brothers that he never had. The next image was Stervon helping his injured comrades into a cart  after an Inferi attack while he was injured himself but thankfully not too badly injured. One of the final images he saw was his final goodbye to his comrades as he left the ISA, the hardest decision he ever had to make.

 

“What a life I have had…” Stervon slowly murmured as his eyes finally closed, releasing one single tear which rolled down his old, withered face . Stervon Shadowsteel was dead. His life was now a story that would probably be passed down from generation to generation in his family.

 

In life he did what he could to protect people from the evil that lurks out there. He never received any medals or hardly any thanks for his service to the Holy Orenian Empire but Stervon did not care for such things, he saw the Knowledge that he made people safer a better reward than any medal. Even though there have been many dark times in Stervon’s life, the darkest was the end. He died alone in a cold alley, no one to comfort him in his final moments. He had hoped to die in some great battle where he would sacrifice his life in order to save his comrades. Sadly, most don’t get to choose where they end and in the end Stervon died as a Homeless Veteran.

Spoiler

Thank you to everyone who made my time as Stervon Shadowsteel a blast. I'm not a good writer so I'm sorry if this post is bad.

 

[𝖂𝖆𝖌𝖜𝖆𝖓 740]

Sergeant Willem Galbraith frown deeply as he read the missive moving to curl his hand into a fist slamming it against his desk without saying a word he would reach for his cigar his eyes beginning to water as he would light it. Tossing the opened letter into the fire he would stare as it burnt "Why..." he simply stated turning to the whisky bottle at the end of his desk signing the Lorraine just beforehand. 

[ErikAzog 3312]

The General would recall his time with the Good Stervon, closing his eyes, recalling how when they were younger they would ride alongside eachother when the General was a Captain. A vivid thing, Matthias Stafford, Willem Galbraith, Jacquelyn Cenobia,  Aplex Wynn, Velhrun Darkwood, Aaron Dern, Stevron Shadowsteel, all sat beside him. He would then open his eyes, "I'm sorry your life ended so indignantly, my old friend. I shall ensure that no one in the ISA falls the same way." 

[DarkWrath94 762]

Major Velhrun Darkwood would read the missive over a few times, after the third time he would look back at the accomplishments of the retired Lieutenant, his advancement from a mere recruit to a Lieutenant and note: "We enlisted at almost the same time, he was a good comrade his actions in the 3rd were commendable and he did not fail the empire during his service, a model officer and soldier in many ways. No matter of his place of passing he will be noted amongst those who have served with honor, that is all i can do to thank him for his assistance as a Lieutenant and even before that against bandit scum, i hope you find peace in whatever comes next for you."

[grnappa 1230]

Major Erik Othaman sighs as he held the notice of Lieutenant Stervon's demise in his grasp. The Commissar would reach for the box of cigars laid upon his desk as brought one to his mouth, striking a match. He'd contemplate on the officer as he leaned back in his chair. 

 

"Damn fine officer, that one. I remember his steadfast determination in the defense of our homeland against the Inferi. If there was one man who I would pick to be the example of what makes a true soldier, it would be him."

 

The Major chuckled as he brought the cigar down from his mouth. "That man was older than even I was, yet he fought with even more ferocity."

"Rest in peace, comrade."

 

The Commissar gave a final nod as he signed the Lorraine over himself before writing Lieutenant Stervon Shadowsteel's name down in his book for an Honor of the Fallen medal.

Edited January 26, 2021 by grnappa

[Crows 117]

Tears rolled down Methas' face crying for the first time in a long time "my friend.. Long time companion dead he'd punched him self in the face " I should have asked him to come live with in Norland knowing his hatred for the place u still would have forced him.... Love you my brother and friend Stervon your your name will not be forgotten ever........... 

[bugbytes21 790]

Recruit William Johnson would look upon the news, a flash of anger and sadness races through his mind. Tears stream down his face through his grief he says, "No ISA soldier should suffer the same fate"

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by bugbytes21