To take a sword to my neck and silence myself. (Hualian) (xianle trio)

一

War

Cold, dark, and grim. Fighting day and night, tooth and nail, unyielding. Both sides determined to win. No one backing out. War is no place for cowards. No place for second thoughts or pacifists.

It's a final decision. One you can't go back on. War is persistent. It won't end until an ending is in sight. It can last days or years. Can stay in one place or spread. Rulers have a love hate relationship with it.

War is tricky. It's cunning, it's cruel. Placing everything on the line. Calling in every favour you have. Gathering your aide. Rallying troops. Training, weapons, time, and effort. Giving everything and more. Even if it's just to say they won in the end.

There really wasn't ever a victor in war. War was about showing off and trying to make the other loose face and keep your own. Both sides would loose something. Money and resources scarce. Poverty and destruction overflowing. No one ever comes out the same as they went in. There's always something missing on the other side. You're lucky if you can still find you have a house, or a family even your comrades.

War takes from all. No matter your excuse. No matter what you've already payed. War will take and take and take.

Most of the time it's freedom. A lot of the time it's hope. Too much of the time it's love. And always life. War cannot exist without life to fuel it.

Damn war

Its the colour red.

Red as the colour of the sky as fires burn. Red as the blind anger. Red as the love for one's country or cause. Red as the flairs that are shot up in desperate times giving away your position to everyone. Red as the ground as blood drips between piles of bodies. Some new some old. Some young some not.

But in the towns and cities close by you can see someone from every walk of life in those mass graves. Everyone from newly born to the elderly tempting death, they all lay emotionless on the ground or slumped against walls. Men and women, even animals can't escape from the cool blade that promises eternal sleep.

Cold lifeless eyes of once breathing beings stare into nothing not even able to rest in death. The occasional twitch that's enough to fill you will false hope that maybe they're not dead just yet. Maybe there's still time. Maybe you can still save them.

Xie Lian had learnt from a young age you cannot save everyone. Or maybe you can. But he can't.

Xie Lian can't save everyone.

He can't save his kingdom.
He can't save the people.
He can't save his family.

So when war breaks out in XianLe, the crown prince, the boy who pleased the gods did one thing.

Granted that one small thing led to a domino effect of other rather large things that followed in a wave of pure chaos. That Xie Lian nor the emperor of heaven himself could have ever predicted.

So we arrive at one and only thing Xie Lian did. The event that started all events. A rather small, yet a rather notable one.

The crown prince, stood outside in the garden of his palace in the heavenly capital. Nothing unusual. Long brown hair flowing gracefully around jewels and gold pins, dressed in his finest robes, however the usual white is stained with striking red flower embroidery that grows in a gradient from the hem up to his sash. Like he stepped in blood and it bleed up through the fabric. And in his hands lay a impossibly sharp sword.

He looks distant. Upset and hurt. He feels lost and helpless and it's killing him inside.

In front of him two of his finest generals kneel, head bowed ready for punishment. They wait not even twitching. A clear sign they think they deserve death. Xie Lian would never give it to them. He would never kill his friends even if they asked like these two were. The sentiment is coming from a place of love and care. At least he hopes it is. And not just reckless suicide due to their circumstances.