The Demon Plague Verses Chapter 3
Billet and Vilerend left the
caravan to their grief.
They said goodbye to Cinder,
the undisputed chief.
They continued their march to
Keeper of Lore’s domain.
The land crawled ever onward,
a strong pace they maintained.
After wandering for a
number of days, they found
a seemingly empty town
plagued by a wailing sound.
The air was burdened with screams
unending, with no break
for breath, from many hidden
throats tormented to ache.
A woman stepped from shadows
brandishing a long knife.
She was worn from sleeplessness
and horror come to life.
“Declare yourselves now
and come no closer,
lest I free your ghosts!”
The wanderers gave their names
and told their tragic tale.
She’d not heard of Tallenwid,
the far land whence they hail.
In turn, she spoke the story
of a recent raid on
her village that slew many
folk and their food is gone.
The name of this village has
been lost to time. All those
that once lived there before the
end, no one alive knows.
This village we name Wailing,
for the unquiet dead
awakened as vile demons
terrorizing this stead.
The woman begged for their help,
but not for gaining food.
They kept spare food hidden at
a place that can’t be viewed.
She begged Vilerend and Billet
to slay the awake dead.
They are roaming the village.
You must remove their heads.
They are wailing in such pain
yet attack us on sight.
We can not stand against them,
our dead friends that bring fright.
Billet and Vilerend wandered
through the village to slay
the undead demons that sought
to claim Wailing and stay.
The fight was ended quickly,
the demons could not kill
the brutal travelers with
their fearsome fighting skill.
The villagers emerged from
the places where they hid
and thanked their two saviors, the
strangers from Tallenwid.
Vilerend and Billet looked at
the buildings in Wailing.
They were simple homes added
onto ancient dwellings.
This village was founded by
the Elder People in
the Span of Might long ago.
But now ‘tis just ruin.
An ancient statue dwelt in
Wailing’s central square.
‘Twas a chain bound dragon and
man, hammer held in air.
No one knew the origin
of this prophetic art.
‘Tis older than the ruins
built on at Wailing’s start.
The plinth beneath the statue
had a hidden alcove.
Within was an old tablet,
a valuable trove.
This ancient tablet had text
no one could understand.
There was an impression of
a hammer held in hand.
How did the tablet remain
unfound for centuries?
Fate directs people away
until one has the need.
Billet and Vilerend knew that
to free the dragon they
need the Hammer of Souls,
this clue could point the way.
Some folks know of a village
not far to the northwest.
Their king has a library
and could just solve this test.
Billet and Vilerend trudged back
from whence they came alone.
Eager to avoid raiders
but seeking Shatterbone.