A Story Ends

[JaydeMoon]

"...What Eldritch fire did foil and fade
The hopes of Heroes dashed
What will they say of this Golden Age
When bones have turned to ash?

No valley verdant, nay, all is blood
The sun is shrouded red
They've ripped away all that is good
They carry off the dead

A pall across the blighted ground
Death soaks into the earth
Hope and Love forever bound
In Maurum's blooded curse"

She inked the final words with a flourish. "Maurum's Curse" it would be called, a fitting tragedy to remind the coming ages of the folly of pride. A ballad, conjuring the feelings felt by all of the characters, those beautiful feelings.

In the shadows of a great ruined catapult, she leaned on one of the wheels, watching as men moved quickly about, slaying the wounded with a cut across their throats, then robbing the corpse of anything remotely valuable. A grim scene, but not without its own poetry. Whenever the shadow would appear, accompanied by a great flap of wings, the ghouls would hunker down in fear, waiting for it to pass.

None of them paid her any notice. The wind tugged at her cloak, but she was safe within the embrace of the catapults shadows. It would take discerning eyes indeed to note her there, and any who might have possessed such eyes no longer saw through them.

A shame, she thought. Had they been able to defeat Maurum's forces, those heroes might have been able to carry on, gloriously, for years to come, inspiring more songs from more sharp minds that recognized the beauty in drawing forth emotion through song and sound. Instead, full of themselves and underestimating the strength of the cunning wizard's dark arts, they had wasted resources and lives in a pitched battle with every disadvantage.

Still, she had over a hundred verses in this particular ballad, and the Feizaldi, those dark story hoarders, would be salivating over the dark history this would provide them. No, despite its darkness, it was too beautiful a story for those wretches. She determined it would go the the Oghman Lorekeepers. They would appreciate what went into the story, and share it. The Feizaldi would hoard it to themselves, she would not be able to glimpse the words ever again and to cheat the Feizaldi was beyond even her daring.

So then, the Oghman Lorekeepers. She would fetch a sturdy price from them as well. Perhaps new boots. These did not do so well in this country, this time and place. She stepped away from the wheel, surprising and frightening the battlefield ghouls nearest her.

They cowered and fled as she moved her free hand into a series of arcane gestures, calling forth magic not often seen in those lands. Then, she spoke a few words, softly and stepped into a pool of shadow that grew before her.

Moments later, there was a beating of heavy wings and then silence.

The men who stood breathing amongst the dead, dirty and bloodied, pouches and bags filled with the belongings of others who would never see a need for them again, stared dumbly at the fading blackness. Then, they returned to their tasks and eventually to lives under Maurum's rule.

[Mizbiz]

Simply wonderful.

[ayergo]

TPK?

[Twin Axes]

Beautiful language! Impressive.

[JaydeMoon]

"...Warriors fought: North, East, and South
Without heroic bands to aid
The orc-kin spewed from Death's grim mouth
Throughout the night and day

The dwarves drop back, against the odds
Retreated from all harm
Orderly to the House of a God
The Harvest Mother's arms

East, young warriors prove their mettle
They bleed to hold the land
As elves like night drive drive orcs like cattle
Death so near at hand

The town so near to death is seems
That hope could 'ere be found
But further out a light does beam
The Heroes go to ground

Against all odds they stand for right
Unyielding before the Drow
Against the Wings of Death they fight
And dodge dark magics thrown

With righteousness a weapon bared
Four heroes scatter the dark
By their own folly, evil ensnared
Goodness leaves a mark

Now amongst a broken land
Ravaged by a war
Lifted up, countless heroes stand
And hope can shine once more"

As she penned the final seven verses of the ballad, the tiefling looked at the amulet sitting on the stump next to her and smiled. She did so enjoy coming to her home plane, and she was happy to write a ballad that was not a tragedy for once.

This song would assuredly go to the Lorekeepers, it was only right. She laughed inwardly. 'Right'? She shook her head and let her mirth vocalize, a chuckle breaking the silence around her.

A dark elf ahead tensed and looked about, trying to spy the source of the sound, but he could never hope see her sitting in the darkness. Still, it irked her that he would presume to find her when she chose not to be found, this wretch amongst the defeated.

She put the parchment away and slowly stood. Moving with a preternatural silence and keeping to the shadows she advanced. Even alerted to the presence of... something... his surprise was total and complete when her inwardly curved blade slid deeply across his throat. His eyes widened in shock before rolling slowly upwards, his lifeblood pumping furiously from his neck.

Satisfied, she wiped the kukri on his leather before going back to retrieve her bag and her lute. She would sing this song personally for the Lorekeepers, and they would be pleased. She weaved her free hand in a series of gestures, then turned and called to the earth. A dark form pulled itself from the ground and followed her through the portal she created.

It closed behind her and the only witness stared unblinking, forever after.

[Mizbiz]

Very well written.

Oh, and

[Inwintersshadow]

Very cool:)

[Misty]

very nice