For many months he hadn’t seen a single living thing
but one day as he walked, the pilgrim’s ears began to ring
he knew the sound so well that he could see it playing out
the story told of battle heard in every cry and shout
He climbed a hill to look upon the battle down below
and saw some mages fighting undead monsters in the snow
the northern soldiers looked as strong as ever they had been
but what they fought was not a force that any one had seen
The soldiers who had fallen quickly rose and turned around
even in their death no rest or mercy could be found
never had he seen so grim or horrible a scene
soldiers fighting fallen friends, a battle too obscene
He flew toward the winter battlefield on wings of ice
hurriedly preventing any further sacrifice
he hit the ground like lightning in the centre of the horde
unleashing all the magic in the ice that he had stored
He froze the undead army and the battlefield grew still
a silent snowy graveyard where descended such a chill
the blood that stained the ground soon disappeared beneath new snow
the northern army wondered who had dealt the final blow
The mage who held a staff and wore a hood to hide his eyes
walked across the battlefield to all of their surprise
they didn’t bother questioning his origins or name
whoever he was, they were only thankful that he came
He asked them if the sickness was a fate they could reverse
and why they weren’t infected by the all consuming curse
he learned that like himself the very strong were safe for now
but soon they’d all be weakened and defeated anyhow
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The curse was only strong enough to claim a dying mage
but even they would tire and fall despite their bitter rage
still they fought with all they had to keep stand against the curse
fearing that it may infect the continent or worse
They pointed him to where they thought the curse had first been seen
a barren rocky mountain range that once was rich and green
they volunteered to follow but he told them all to stay
and keep on fighting where they were, and then he went away
He flew toward the mountain range and found that they were right
miasma flowing out of caves emitting eerie light
he landed near the entrance to the greatest of the caves
choking on the poison flowing out of it in waves
With his icy staff he struck the ground as if to knock
greeting any monsters in the tunnels with a shock
the mountains and the sky all shook and wind swept through the trees
such a force would bring a normal monster to its knees
But from the cave the old man heard a sound he’d heard before
the wind of mighty wings and such an overwhelming roar
from the cave two dragons flew and circled in the sky
afflicted by a wicked curse and not allowed to die
Their soulless eyes were locked upon the mage who sadly sighed
such mighty beings had been deprived of purpose and their pride
one dragon summoned lightning every time it flapped its wings
the other spewed a poison fog that burns the flesh and stings
Although the mage had grown to match the dragon that he knew
together, these infected monsters’ powers only grew
he had to summon all his will to match their strength and speed
casting spells of ice and wind, but never did they bleed
They fight dragged on for many hours with neither stepping back
the mountains shook and crumbled with their every new attack
but when it came to battles of attrition, it was clear
even facing two such dragons, he wouldn’t have to fear
He counted on the purpose of his final fateful quest
to give him all the magic he could feel within his chest
no longer was the fight itself the goal he had in mind
now he fought to save the world he almost left behind
Every spell he summoned would defend his family
this was not a war just to defeat his enemy
he wouldn’t let a single person die before he won
the world would be its safest when his fated quest was done
The dragons fought with cold indifference to their death and pain
controlled by some external force whose power they would drain
and when the old man noticed once a lull in their assault
he brought the epic battle to a frozen, sudden halt
The dragons fell, consumed by ice, and shattered on the ground
the mage lamented such a waste of creatures so renowned
in their time as guardians the dragons lived with pride
what monster made them lifeless dolls with honour cast aside
He looked upon the cold and lifeless dragons and he vowed
such an evil in this world should never be allowed
even if no song would ever tell of what he’d done
he would stop at nothing to do right by everyone
~