So I got the idea to write this small short story a few nights ago. Atheist-themed of course and it deals with a man who is forced to take part in a religious war. At first I thought this piece could be attributed to a fictional account of the crusades, but I was informed that the facts don't match up. Anyhow, I don't know if this tale is any good, but if you have spare time and you like reading, have at it.

I stared down at my gauntleted hands. Bloody. Reeking. The once white metal was stained and the overpowering scent of iron permeated the air around it. Patterns adorned the metaled glove. The symbols of the faith. The symbols of the almighty. I gave a slight shake of my head. My eyes scanned the land beyond my hands and found my sword. It lay on a thirsty ground basked in red. The crossguard was golden no more; the designs engraved were now sinister and devoid of their elegance. A fit mirror to the cause which had led me to where I stood now. There had come a time when I thought the blade beautiful. That time was long gone----swept away like the grains of sand that whirled and whistled through the air around me.

I looked past my sword to see the world. The leather beneath my gauntlet creaked. I yearned to tear my gaze away, but I could not indulge my wish. Prices are not so easily avoided. Red water flowed and quenched the thirst of a dead land, contrasting sharply with the harsh grey of the world that engulfed it. The ghastly liquid flowed from men who lay sprawled on the sand as far as the eye could see. Stone-faced and still. Breathless and pale. Their glassy eyes stared out blankly, seeing nothing. Armor was ripped asunder and weapons lay scattered everywhere. An eerie silence descended upon my surroundings, chilling my nerves. Or had it always been there? Perhaps it had been that the cries of the thousands that had intruded on this place's dreadful serenity.

"What a waste…" I muttered, shaking my head. "What fools, the lot of them."

A slight chuckle met my ears followed by the sound of armored boots striking the sand behind me.

I turned slowly and saw a Holy Paladin. The man stood tall and erect in golden armor. Intricate designs of the faith were interwoven on the metal plates of his defenses. Even now, even amidst the blood that tainted the armor, the metal shone brightly----defying the grey shadows of the clouds that had swallowed the sun above us. At his back hung a broadsword. The hilt was golden, but inlaid with a great ruby. It pulsed with a life of its own. Utterly beautiful.

"Why do you say this, knight?" rasped the Holy Paladin. The man's lips were dry and cracked, his face bereft of any true mirth.

I gave a sad smile. "Because. These men fought for nothing. They fought for an idea. I along with them. Although I was lucky enough to survive this fiasco of an ordeal."

The Holy Paladin glared at me. "They fought for God. To uphold his honor and eradicate the heathens you see around you, swine. These men are heroes."

I looked at the man in disbelief, gaping. "What god? There is no god. Not here, not anywhere. I don't think there ever was." I kicked the sand at my feet and gestured towards the swathes of dead around us. "These men, our allies and our enemies, thought god was on their side. And they both perished. They both cried out and prayed, and they were both ignored. Or rather, not heard at all, as there is most likely nothing to even perform the act of listening in their regard. It was all utter lunacy, this conflict, this war."

Rage streaked across the Holy Paladin's features. His hand grasped the beautiful hilt of his broadsword. The next second, a menacing hiss cut through the air as he drew his silver blade.

"You'd cut a defenseless man down?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Metal creaked as the Holy Paladin tightened his fists. "Retrieve your blade."

"Why?"

"If you want a shot at retaining your miserable life, I suggest you do as I just instructed."

My blood grew as cold as ice. Was he serious? After everything that had happened? I turned back and trudged towards my sword which lay on the sand soaked in blood. I grabbed the hilt and went back to face the Holy Paladin.

The man tightened his grip on his blade. "How bold you are to proclaim such a thing. You who stand so proudly right now in your white armor with the symbols of God upon your crest. The armor which the Church gave you. The same one that you took so greedily in your quest to demonstrate your devotion to the King of the Heavens. Yet you stand here now with the same elegant piece and renounce everything which you once stood for. Because of what? Fear of death? Bravado over your ability to command fate? The loss of a few comrades? Have you lost your wits, boy?"

I stared straight into the Holy Paladin's cold, blue eyes. "I desire no quarrel, yet I will not be cut down by a deluded fool. You have been deceived all of your life to fight for this cause---this cause which is nothing more than a calling of bigots and racists. A crusade of hatred which is a result of very faith that runs through your veins like a poison. Do you not see? Our armies have killed hundreds of thousands over something that could simply be attributed to figments of their twisted imaginations. A figment which they call a God that they have never seen, heard, or felt. They follow orders at the behest of kings and priests who claim to know the mind of this creature, yet there is no evidence for the existence of such a being. I took this armor because I was forced to. I was to serve in this holy war to wipe away my "sins". Which is absurd. I am sinless and I have always been."

The Holy Paladin's eyes flashed and he took a step forward. "It is recorded by the Harbinger of God in the Book of the Divine. All of the information you say we lack. This god is real and stands witness of your treachery. You are not sinless. You are basked in it. Black as night underneath the white of the Church's armor which you now soil. You are dirty, and you are no better than the heathens which lay on the ground at your feet. You shall join those animals shortly, godless knight."

"I do not wish to spill blood, but if you leave me no choice, so be it," I said, grinding my teeth.

The Holy Paladin lashed out at me with a stab from his broadsword. I smacked the blade away with my own hastily. The Holy Paladin gave a nasty grin and began to walk around me, his sword poised for attack. I did likewise and we both found ourselves moving in a circle, our eyes glued to each other's body. The Paladin suddenly screamed and delivered a flurry of blows, devouring the distance between us with a few lightning fast paces. I blocked the blows hurriedly and backed up as I do so, my arms shuddering due the immense force of the attacks.

"If there is a God, he is most likely disgusted with you for all the evil you have done in his name. You are unworthy of the title Paladin. You are no champion. You are no better than a brigand or a murderer," I spat, "The same applies for most of your brethren."

The Holy Paladin screamed and kicked sand into the air. I turned and shielded my eyes, swinging my sword in an arc as I did so. The Holy Paladin had begun to rush forward, but he darted back hastily to avoid my defensive measure. I turned back and swung my blade in whirlwind, running toward the murderous champion, my heart pounding hard. The Holy Paladin employed the same tactic and our blades met at every turn, ringing out into the dreadful silence of the land around us. We lay pitted against each other on the final blow, our muscles straining to keep the swords away from our own bodies.

"You know nothing of me. I have delivered justice and I have fought to honor God's name. What have you done, cur? Did you hide behind your fellow soldiers fearing for your insignificant life? Thinking that if you died, that it was over for you? You live on your knees, I live on my feet."

The Holy Paladin delivered a kick which caught me off guard and sent me crashing backwards. I rolled by instinct and escaped an overhead strike from the silver broadsword which now disturbed the grains of sand upon the ground from where I had lain only moments before. I lashed out as I got to my feet and hit the back of the Holy Paladin's calves, sending him stumbling forward with a furious cry.

"On the contrary, vagrant, I fought savagely to protect the lives of my friends! The lives of men who were forced into this lunacy along with me. There is no reason to believe we live on after death and somehow defy it---it is pure arrogance to think we accomplish such a feat. But I do know that I live here now, and I will ensure I do not depart until I am full and ready."

"I am afraid you will have no choice in the matter," growled my assailant.

The Holy Paladin turned back and delivered a mighty sidestroke, making the air scream as it was severed by his blade. I stepped away hastily, knowing that attempting to block such a blow would render my own blade into a million pieces. I gripped my sword tighter, feeling sweat begin to fall down from my forehead. Adrenaline coursed through my veins violently.

"This battle is pointless. The real battle was fought by fools on both sides which cost the lives of thousands. This one is currently being fought by one. Open your eyes. You say that the Book of the Divine provides proof, I say that anything can be written down in a book. Lies, fairy tales, manipulation, threats."

The Holy Paladin screamed and rushed forward, his face red. I blocked his first strike and spun behind him quickly. I sliced the back of his knee which was devoid of protection. The Holy Paladin shrieked in pain and fell. He rolled onto his back and suddenly drew a dagger from beneath his greaves, and threw it at me. My sword was too slow---it didn't block the dagger but rather made it veer slightly off course. The blade ricocheted off my armored shoulder, making my heart jolt. Pure luck. I hastily pointed my sword down at the Holy Paladin's throat and kicked his silver sword away.

"Go on then, godless heathen. Kill me. My God shall see the evil which plagues your soul and damn you for all eternity."

I shook my head, my breathing coming in hard. "There has been enough death on this day. It is a sad, terrible day when any life is taken. It is so precious, it is so fragile---human life. The slash of this sword can end the experiences of a lifetime. It destroys a person forever---everything they once were---their memories, their emotions, their personality. I was forced to kill dozens of men today to protect my own life and that of my friends, though I failed them ultimately. I will not kill you."

The Holy Paladin stared at me in shock, hatred and surprise adorning his severe countenance. I looked closely at him. What a sad man, deceived his entire life into believing in a fruitless cause.

"Goodbye," I said simply, turning away. I threw my sword on the sand, the fresh blood on it hydrating the dead land. I looked up at the sky and saw that miles away the clouds had been vanquished; the sun shone there brilliantly. I began to walk away from the Paladin, my eyes riveted on the far-away, mesmerizing blue. I kept my gaze from wandering over the corpses beneath my feet. I needed to leave this terrible field of death.

"Knight!" called the Holy Paladin after me.

I kept walking, ignoring him. Our fight was done, there was no way he could leap after me.

"Knight!"

I stopped in my tracks, the leather beneath my gauntlets creaking. "What do you want, brigand?"

"You say you are sinless. How?"

I turned my head slightly. "A sin is a transgression against divine law. If there is no god, there is no source from which the law can come from. If there is no source, there is no law, so I cannot transgress against it. Therefore, I cannot sin, nor can anyone else---including you. We are without sin, but we do have ourselves to answer to, ourselves to live with. We have one chance to live virtuous lives. I don't intend to soil mine."

Silence met my ears after my reply. I walked on and never looked back.