Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair Quotes

“Everything about the brain of a gnome is amped up. They weren't just intelligent. They were more susceptible to the effects of an emotional stimulus.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“What is a warrior without Love in his heart?”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“In the eyes of the All-Father, there is no trait so noble as loyalty which is born of love. It is the aggrandization of Love itself; though it may, at times, defy logic.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“If a knight encounters unbearable hardship and loss on his journey, he may weep, but he does so with the knowledge that even a river of tears could not reshape the course of his destiny.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“Every man’s life begins and ends the same. How we spend our days, and how we choose to face death is what makes each man different.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“Struggle is built into the fabric of life. It’s the trials you’ve faced that make you great men. Before you depart, I wish to reward the rest of you. Heroes don’t always get what they deserve. But if I have a say in it, they’ll get what they’ve earned.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“The Plain of Sorrow is just one big graveyard, but it sure is pretty when the stars come out.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“He wasn’t sure if the smoke was necessary to carry their prayers up to Heaven, but it sure did rouse the spirit.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“Everyone makes mistakes. So long as you bear the burden of your failures, you will overcome them. There is no forgiveness, without first forgiving oneself. This is what lightens the load.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“Everything about the brain of a gnome is amped up. They weren’t just intelligent. They were more susceptible to the effects of an emotional stimulus.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“The Knights of the Brotherhood must adhere strictly to the Code, yet each man remains free to act as he chooses. Though they may seem opposites, both are true. A knight who follows the line of his destiny has no reason to fear death. He knows, that as one thing diminishes, another arises.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“There is iron in the hearts of the blue warriors who bravely face death fighting the giants. The All-Father teaches us, that no amount of words or wishful thinking can reveal the iron that lies within our hearts. It must come from righteous action.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“It takes horror and pain in equal measure, to cause the petrified stare. The bastards ate him alive!”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“Honor is all good and well, until it stands in the way of survival. Dwarves need other Dwarves. There’s no weakness in it.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“HammerThorn wore the same jovial, welcoming smile Montego had come to expect when returning to camp. But as they approached, his expression changed—to worry—to anger. All the many years of living among the human clan had granted him the ability to read their faces like a children’s picture book. He awaited the bad news. One hand covered his mouth; the other gripped the knot of the blue sash tied around his waist.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“The worst evil it seems—comes from men.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“If it’s so, let it be so. No weak heart shall prosper.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“I have heard the voice of the All-Father. It is both soothing and terrible, and not for the weak of heart”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“It was the lesser god, Orcus that created the Ogres. Fueled by jealousy of the All-Father’s marvelous creations, (the Gnomes and Humans), he used his powers to bring into existence, the strongest and most durable race on Terra. But as you know, they lack any semblance of thoughtful intelligence, or grace. The other gods laughed at Orcus and the inept brutes he spawned. Orcus became enraged. He vied for revenge against the gods and the fairer races they created. He did not possess the power to make another race of beings, so he took the ogre females, and adjusted their fertility. They would not reproduce as often as before, reduced to only a few offspring in a lifetime. Orcus poured all his remaining power and loathing into their womb, so that every once in a great while—an Ogre Mage is born; an Ogre with the intelligence of a man, and the innate ability to cast certain spells.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“Our sacred vow, the virtue of our actions, and the valor in the very depths of our souls, is what makes us Knights. In the service of the All-Father, whom shall we fear? We who face evil without fear have gained the Lord’s respect. Ours is a heavy burden, but we must bear it gracefully, for we are meant to be the leaders of men. We must be the light that guides the way in times of darkness. So sayeth the All-Father.

Never hate. When we hate, we harm naught but ourselves. When it comes to retribution, be as unassuming as an act of nature. Fury must pass into calm. Keep peace with yourself, and you will endure—as the mountains endure. From the highest heights does the mountain draw the storm. Storms will come to us, but from us, many rivers flow. So sayeth the All-Father.

We must never think that slaying a wicked man is not a travesty. Even the most wicked man started out innocent and full of potential. There is a greatness in Humanity. Seek it, as one might seek the sun’s warmth. So sayeth the All-Father.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“You have shown me that a Knight can lose everything, he can be broken and made weak—he can be destroyed even, and still not be defeated. In the light of the All-Father we may rise again from the ashes, stronger than before.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“Make strong the defense of your dwellings, but search not for sanctuary, except within your own selves; for I have made you with iron in your hearts, and gravel in your guts…”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“High and low define each other; strong and weak, difficult and easy, each relies upon the other. It is only because of evil that we can know righteousness. Thus, no two elements can truly be at odds, rather they complement each other.”

[The Great Chief Heavy Horse]”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“Returning home is the most difficult part of any long journey. You have grown outside the geode in strange, and unexplainable ways. Your piece of the puzzle no longer fits the former matrix.”

[Gnomish ‘Book of Heroes’]”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“A lesson that hasn’t been earned through sweat or tears, is a lesson that’s easily forgotten…”

[Torbaer the Elder]”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“There is no point in a man’s life when he remains fixed and unchanging. When a man ceases to change, he will be no more.”

(Okuzig-wah-yehza / the Mist-on-the-Water)”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“I too will go. I will fight this terrible evil. And I will do it all for Love. For what is a warrior, without Love in his heart? Without Love, it adds up to nothing."

[Okuzig Wah-yeza, The Mist-on-the-Water]”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair

“When I dream, I leave my body behind and go through a small hole in the terra. From there I call forth our elders from the deep. With their help, I enter the place where the ancestors dwell. It could be done no other way. In my search for wisdom, they have seen fit to open my understanding. What I have learned is difficult to explain with words, but it is my duty to try.

They have shown me the significance of living each day in a sacred manner. The world we live in is filled with suffering, and shifting shadows full of malicious intent, but this is precisely what makes love precious. We may rest with the certainty that this life serves merely as a test. That is why a warrior must first align his spirit to the fight. The battle begins within, and soon rages out onto the battlefield. There can be no greater honor, than to walk a righteous path, and join in the war against wickedness.

Countless gods await becoming men, that they might be allotted just one more chance, to test themselves in such a way. In waiting, the gods sleep, and in sleeping they dream. In dreaming, they give rise to all the things of this world. Which world then is the dream, and which is reality?”

[Heavy-Horse, Peace Chief of the Young Lions]”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga 2, The Tree of Despair