he was once human.
yet too long has he been bounded.
shackled by these steel bonds that hold him.
no more.
today he breaks free.
today he is released from this earth.
the wings of freedom were his today.
his to spread.
his to unveil.
he hears the whispers of his benefactor: "careful, careful".
but the words were lost to him.
they were a haze, a blur that mattered not.
the rush of the wind was upon him.
he gently raises his wings, testing each stroke.
he begins to rise.
slowly, yet surely.
he soars through the skies.
words forgotten, warnings unheeded.
who, after all was worthy of his time?
he was no longer a man.
no longer confined to the realms of mortals.
he was a king amongst peasants.
a god amongst men.
he glides with grace.
with power as his only purpose.
he was with the clouds.
treading realms forbidden to men.
his was the dream of men.
his was the stuff of legends.
nothing else matters.
or so he believed.
he rises again and again.
above the hills,
the mountains,
and eventually the stars.
he was truly a god,
for was he not sailing through the ocean of immortals?
he had not a care in the world.
for what god cared of the lands beneath?
yet somehow within his reverie,
upon the deepest recesses of his mind,
he could not escape the nagging of worry,
words once spoken yet could not be remembered.
what were they?
who had uttered them?
and then he remembered.
they were the wisdom of one who loved him.
one who gave the world for him.
one who granted him his wings, his godhood.
yet he had ignored him.
ungrateful of the gifts showered upon him.
he longed to return.
to ask forgiveness.
yet he realized in his heart that it was too late.
for he saw the rising of a chariot.
he had gone too far.
beyond the reaches of safety.
and then he felt the scorch of Apollo crossing the skies.
he struggled.
but in his heart he knew.
the Fates were today against him.
for had he not ignored them as well?
as the fiery chariot approaches.
he stares into the depths of Hades.
and understands his doom.
for it was he who had chosen it.
as his wings finally burn.
as the pits of Hades open to embrace him.
his thoughts were this:
so falls Icarus the fool.
so falls Icarus the vain.
so falls Icarus the ignorant.
but perhaps worst of all,
so falls Icarus the lonely.
and then he plummets into the void.
and returns into dust.
so ends the tale of Icarus.
ever proud, ever free.
yet ever alone.
by Invictus92, ever unconquered.
edit: thanks to mr. L for pointing stuff out!!! :D
