For the first time Achos brought back a captive. He had raided a temple, stolen all the gold and given it to the men. While searching the temple he saw the statue of a god and destroyed it. Behind the statue hid a priestess and she was found to be related to the Prince. They were going to hold her for ransom. Achos had found her so he decided that he would take care of the woman until they paid the ransom. I found his treatment of her very particular. He never showed such care to another living being before. The only things he cared for in life were his tools of war and using them. I held my tongue and left the two alone.

Aside from his studies and training, I had always let Achos do what he wanted. I saw that he had developed feeling for the woman. I thought he himself would not realize this since he had never loved before. Love with a woman of the enemy would not look good under the eyes of those we were allied with. I imagined that if I were to confront him, he would deny all possibilities of such things. I would be by his side even when the rest of the world was going to be against us, so I informed no one. The next day while Achos was at another battle the King sent his men to take the woman. I followed and told the King that he should treat the woman well lest he risk angering me. I stared into his eyes and he found that he wasn't able to breathe. I waited until he realized that I was the one that caused the phenomenon then I walked away letting the foolish man take a breath. After I felt I had given the King a decent warning, I returned to Achos' quarters to find him declaring that he was going to go kill the "Filthy Pig!!!" I held him down since I considered the actions to be rather rash. I told the men to inform the 'filthy pig' King that we would not participate in the war until the woman was returned.

The King had grown envious of the status Achos had achieved among the men. Achos fought alongside them, he protected them, and he commanded them. While the King never took command and let his generals fight the war he started. While Achos was on the front line, the King sat on his throne surrounded by wealth and concubines. He wished to take from Achos but Achos had no worldly desires. He saw an opportunity to prove his superiority by taking the woman that Achos held captive. The King felt that if Achos wanted the ransom the woman would provide, then he was to come before him and kneel. However Achos was raised to never kneel before another, for no man could take away his freedom. The King did not realize that after what he did Achos would have separated his head from his body on sight.

The King would not return the woman, so we stood and watched the next battle. The Prince's older brother, the Crown Prince, had taken command of the opposing force. The Crown Prince was a very charismatic man, a great warrior and a greater strategist. Without Achos and our forces there the Crown Prince tore through the King's armies. He would flank them from every side and once the King's solders were no longer confused by the tactic the Crown Prince would retreat. The strategy saved his side many lives and cost the King's side many more. We were pleasantly surprised with the Crown Prince's prowess. After a few more battles the King and his generals were pushed all the way back to the shores they had landed on when the war began.

The King called Achos to his throne room in order to apologize, but Achos would not go. We were to sail back to our island the next day. The King in a panic sent the woman back along with everything he had with him made of gold. We were given chairs, tables, beds, and even weapons of gold. The precious metal was left in a pile and the men were ordered to never touch a pig's gold for it would curse them to be slaves. Achos promised the woman that he would take her back to the city so she could be with her family. I saw her approach him and begin whispering into his ear. I left the two lovers to their desires.

War and Love has never mixed well. Love has caused many wars and War has killed many lovers. How different is Love from Greed? Greed invites Envy and Wrath. The more you love something, the more you desire it to be yours. The more you desire it to be yours, the more you are willing to fight for it. The more you are willing to fight for it, the more suffering will be caused until it's yours. I have given and been given much from this cycle of Love and pain. I have loved, I have been jealous, I have taken, and in the end I have been left with nothing. Love and War do not belong together, but like the most intense of lovers, to be separated would require the death of both.

Despite their many similarities they are not the same. I do not believe they are. I know I ignore my experience. I know what Love has done to me. Like the most intense of drugs once you have a taste, even though you know the dangers and outcome of such a pursuit… you will do almost anything for it. I know what War has made me do to others. I have hurt many. Maybe I did not wield the weapon that made the child an orphan. Maybe I did not burn a village down forcing families to flee homes that their ancestors had built. Maybe I did not order the enslavement or death of an entire people, old and young.

But I was there… I chose to give advice… I chose to not stop their actions…

Also I want to write of a time when he is the bad guy, any ideas about that? I want to keep the central ideas of his charater alive even in the bad version, free will, desire, curiosity, and all that.

Thank you for reading.