Victory speech

“The demon lord has been defeated!”

Those simple words set off roaring cheers. Despite the people already knowing it, hearing you say it makes it real to many. You wait for the cheers to subside before continuing.

“The demon lord is dead, his armies are dead or scattered, and the threat they posed has been eliminated. I return to you in victory, though it was not without cost. Those of you who lost loved ones, know that they died as heroes. Everyone on that battlefield was a hero.”

You gesture towards the assembled army. “Now, because of the bravery of these men and women, our future looks a little bit better. Love instead of hate. Acceptance instead of intolerance. Joy instead of fear!”

You again have to wait for cheers to subside before you continue. “People will look back on today, and say this is the day the world started changing for the better. This is the day the world began to unite. This is the day we chose peace!”

Another round of cheers before you continue. “I won’t take up more of the time you could be celebrating. And I know the soldiers are eager to get home. And I know I have things I’d rather be doing right now.”

A glance at your girls catches most of them giggling at the last comment, and a ripple of laughter comes from the crowd. “So I leave you with this. We still have a ways to go for true peace, but we made the first huge leap. Continue to be good to each other, and we will get there. In the end, good will win.”

You smile out over the crowd. “Now get out of here, go celebrate!”

The crowd cheers again, getting louder when Maya comes over and kisses you. Over the cheers, she whispers in your ear. “So, what kind of celebration did you have in mind, my Josh?”

You chuckle.