A parable

Once upon a time there was a young soldier by the name of David of Dunland. David was a fine young leader who had won many great victories in his short time on Earth. He thought to himself, "I am a fine young leader. I want to help out as many people as I can and bring the people of the Grand Kingdom under my peaceful rule."

Horace, the old warrior and Lord of the Western Realm, owed the Grand King a favor. He said to David, "David, you are a fine young leader but do not cross the Grand King. He is a good man and there is time to rule later." But David disagreed with the Grand King's policies. He believed that the Grand King's policies would bring the Grand Kingdom and, by extension, the Western Realm into ruin.

"Horace," he said, "I do this for the people of the Western Realm." And David continued to agitate the Grand King and his followers and failed to see anyone's side of the story but his. He was eventually exiled from the Western Realm, exiled and disgraced.

Time passed. In exile, David saw a threat to the Western Realm in the form of a corrupt extension of the Grand King's policies. "I am going to build a large army and make things right," David said. And he did.

In the Eastern Watchtower, John the Viceroy heard of David's act. "The man that David killed was my friend," John said. "He was a good man and meant nothing wrong. I cannot see why anybody would want to kill him." John decided to confront David about it at the next legislative meeting. He continued to watch as the good Grand King, Steven, was also assassinated. "These times are not good," John mused to himself.

Horace saw what was coming and tried to stop David, but was too late. "David has done an evil act," Horace said. "He is a danger to the Western Realm. He cannot be allowed to rule."

Time passed. David's army was depleted from many battles and it appeared that he was once again powerless. All across the Grand Kingdom, including the Western Realm, people were dying, lands were being taken, plagues wreaking havoc on cities. The Grand Kingdom faced a massive threat and was sorely in need of leadership.

One man, Leonard, Duke of the Southern Plains, saw this and gave a large, powerful army to David after David had assisted in fighting off the Grand Kingdom's mortal enemies, the Violet Empire. "David," he said, "Take this army and use it to free the Western Realm. It needs a ruler like you."

When John the Viceroy heard of this, he was outraged. "How could Duke Leonard do this?" he asked. "David is clearly deranged and is the main contributer to why the Grand Kingdom is in such trouble! For the people's sake, he must not be allowed to rule the Western Realm." And John the Viceroy departed the Eastern Watchtower, leaving behind what he had devoted his life to, in order to raise an army and defeat David, thus saving the Western Realm.

Horace, meanwhile, also saw what happened. "Great, another challenger," he said, for the Western Realm was already strife with civil war, "If the Western Realm has any chance of surviving it must be united. I must defeat this usurper David and save the Western Realm."

Horace and John together trapped David in a city and were about to strike, when another army, led by General Henry, materialized out of nowhere. "Wait," this Henry said, "Do not strike! David saw what was coming long before any of you did! Horace, you are old, and John, you understand only the Eastern Watchtower, which is a totally different place. David is the only one that can save the Western Realm!"

The four parties argued and argued, but alas, no side would budge. And so, the four armies, all soldiers of the Grand Kingdom, fought a terrible battle.

Henry died first, with his inferior army. His final words were "Keep fighting... lads... Only David... can save... Western Realm..."

The three remaining generals continued to see the battle rage on. They fought each other, oblitering each other's armies to no effect. Combat became smaller and smaller until individual fighting prowess had the chance to determine the outcome.

In the Great City, John the Viceroy charged right into a wall of David's soldiers. He fought through them, confident that he was doing the right thing, for David was a cancer to the Western Realm. He eventually fell, his victorious army taking control of the city.

To the North of the Great City, what was left of David's and Horace's armies continued to fight a vicious conbat even though it no longer had any meaning, since their conflict was the longest and most personal. "David," Horace said, "You are destroying the Western Realm! Surely you realize this!"

"No," David said, "It was under your rule that the Western Realm became this threatened. Only I can save the Western Realm!" The two fought a terrible duel, and eventually David's youth prevailed and he slew Horace. However, his triumph was short-lived.

John the Viceroy's cavalry, looking for vengeance, rode out from the Great City to finish the battle. David fought bravely, but was no match for the superior cavalry and eventually he fell. The cavalry members, the only survivors of the horrible bloodbath, looked among themselves.

"David the Devil is slain!" they cried. "The enemy is beaten! We are victorious! Oh, what a grand day this is!"

But then, a particularly smart member of the cavalry spoke up.

"It is a great day indeed," he said, "But who will rule and defend the Western Realm now?"

Nobody had any answer to that.