A lone figure sits on the banks of the once-magical lake. Behind him, around him, the air echoes with the sounds of war. Children shriek at the gunshots, running on the shrapnel that cover the streets. Defeat is written across the man's face. Eyes that have seen far too much pain, close as a tear rolls down his cheek. For even his magic is not enough to end the carnage. Great though his powers once were, he has not used them in decades, centuries even.
He has waited for years for the King's return. It took him nearly a millennium to accept the futility of his patience. 'Just as well, for now I need not wait anymore,' he consoled himself. Kilgarrah was a creature of half truths, yet his words about the immortality of the warlock had held fast. Lost among the millions of souls that were screaming in the destruction, the wizard chose to make a difference, for the first time in many lifetimes. Magic coursing through his veins after too long, he headed for the battlefield, the once peaceful town where he had spent many peaceful years, None of the townspeople had pried into the life of the immortal, but had revered him and his aura of solitary sorrow.
One young child, with bleeding feet and a burnt hand sat silently amidst what was left of a house, staring blankly at the chaos. Perched silently on the cold stones, her face reflected no pain even as others ran frantically into their homes. Rubble and dust were her home now. She turned her tiny head to look at him. The sorceror looked back, and took a wordless oath. Under the sky filled with smoke, he world protect the child; she would be his reason to continue. Very slowly, the girl's empty gaze turns into a sparkling smile when she sees his expression. With the deafening hum of the airplanes above, he picks up the tiny girl from the cold stones, and in moments her wounds are well on their way to healing, as are his.
Notes: I wrote this for a challenge/prompt thing on Tumblr. It was a challenge to write a story with each new sentence starting from the next letter of the alphabet. I got quite far. I just wish there were better words with 'X'!
Nontheless, I hope you enjoyed this little fic!