Clank
Clank
His sword struck again and again, slicing through the air with a rhythm he knew as well as his own heartbeat. He had fought for as long as he could remember, fought in the rain, in the biting cold, under the blazing sun, his steps relentless, his focus unbroken. He knew his path; he knew what he was chasing. Every scar on his skin, every ache in his bones had been earned in pursuit of something greater, something he’d sworn to himself to achieve (a Porsche 911 Cabriolet, btw). And so he fought, one step forward, one victory at a time.
Yet, beneath his armor and behind his sword, there was still weariness, a quiet exhaustion that crept into his bones when the world grew still.
And then, one day, amidst the dust and blood of the battlefield, he found it, a shield lying half-buried in the dirt, its surface smooth yet impossibly strong. It seemed out of place, untouched by the fray around him, as if it had been waiting just for him. Curious, he reached out, grasping its edge, feeling the weight settle comfortably in his hand, as though it had been made for his grip alone.
He didn’t understand it at first, didn’t know why he felt drawn to this shield he hadn’t thought he needed. He’d always fought with the edge of his blade, no barriers, no hesitation. A shield was for the fearful, for those who needed something to hide behind.
But as he lifted it, he felt something new, a strength that spread from his arm into his core, a stability that held him upright even when the weight of his battles threatened to bend him. And in that moment, he knew. This wasn’t something to hide behind. This was something that would stand with him.
Clank
Clank
The battles raged on, fiercer than before, but now he had this shield, this steady presence beside him. When enemies came too close, when strikes were too heavy to parry, he could press forward, his grip tighter, his courage surer, knowing he had something, someone, holding him steady.
It changed him. The shield absorbed every blow he couldn’t withstand alone, every force that would have brought him to his knees. With every clash, he grew, learned to lean on this unexpected strength beside him. Together, they pushed forward, enduring storms and trials he never would have faced alone.
And when the day drew to an end, and the dust settled, he looked at that shield, his hand resting on its surface, feeling the solid, unyielding support it had given him. In it, he found more than defense; he found a partner, a protector who would fight not just beside him, but with him.
With this shield, he knew he could face anything. The war stretched out before him, battles yet to come, but he no longer fought alone. For he had found the one thing he hadn’t even known he needed, a shield, a strength that was no longer just his own.