No Sympathy for Devils

No sympathy for devils.
Not for them, or us.

You know what we are.
You can see it in our nature,
Indivisible from our truest form.

          My breath portends brutality.

Violence has always composed our core.
To deny it would be to deny our heritage.

          I must harness my birthright.

Judge me not
By the temperament of my voice,
Or the iron in my eyes,
But by the will with which I fight.
Your pity is an unwelcome crutch.
I refuse it.

          Do not question our nobility.

We wage war on many fronts,
But our enemy is singular.
We have seen him.

          We know him well.

Our lives will be the final offering.
We'll build the altar ourselves.
No, we don't need your help,

          But you may sharpen the knife, if you wish.