When the pair of ragged pilgrims reached the town at last

news about the merchants’ tragic ending travelled fast

the guild was quick to bring the hero in to hear his tale

and given such a chance the hero’s words would never fail

“Our business in the foreign kingdom all went very well

aside from their economy, there’s nothing much to tell

there were many rumours though, among the slaves we bought

stories that we couldn’t comprehend, or so we thought

On our way back home, we learned the rumours all were true

trying to escape was all that anyone could do

I tried to hold them off and though I beat them in the end

everyone was lost, I couldn’t save a single friend”

The faces of the people at the meeting were like stone

his story was convincing and his power was well known

the leader of the local mercenaries’ guild then stood

intending to confirm if this young hero’s word was good

“Who’s to say you didn’t run from such a horrid thing

nobody would blame you, there’s no shame that it would bring

since you left we’ve also heard a similar report

of armies from a foreign land that conquer just for sport”

The hall was noisy once the accusation had been thrown

did the hero handle such an army on his own

it seemed as though they’d sooner label him a lying thief

than to trust a tale that was so far beyond belief

As the hero stammered in defense of all his claims

the meeting room was suddenly engulfed in raging flames

panic soon subsided though as everyone soon learned

it was an illusion, there was nothing there that burned

Just as their astonishment was giving way to rage

the whole illusion changed as if its caster turned a page

now they found themselves upon the plains of the frontier

the grass was green, the sky was blue, the air was fresh and clear

On the plains a caravan appeared, which they all knew

slaves and merchants guarded by a mercenary crew

the hero, just like everybody else inside the hall

looked at his own memory, dumbfounded by it all

The vision then moved forward to the moment they all died

such a gruesome scene that left the guild hall petrified

the army full of madmen and the monsters they controlled

the massacre they undertook was too much to behold

Once the caravan was slaughtered, fire swept through the land

the hero at its centre with an enemy in hand

that’s where it all ended, disappearing in a flash

the room returned to normal though a trace remained of ash

“This is what I saw with my own eyes then, so be warned

that’s the power of the honest man that you have scorned”

an elf with golden eyes was standing at the hero’s side

in her presence, no one dared suggest the hero lied

As the mercenary guild continued the event

some made sure to take the time and properly repent

the hero had a moment with the elf, but was confused

still a little shaken by the magic she’d just used

“Were you such a powerful magician all along

how did you end up in chains with magic spells so strong”

her golden eyes grew darker but she leaned into his chest

after she’d relaxed she looked at him and then confessed

“I was just a farmer’s child, and magic was for fun

we would play with magic every day when work was done

we just used illusions though, and never learned to fight

it’s not something I’ve used since my village burned that night”

The busy guild concluded that the hero’s tale was true

time would be required to decide what they should do

in the meantime, rumours spread about his epic wars

defeating armies just to save the girl that he adores

Once the town had spent some time in panic and in grief

celebrations for the couple brought them some relief

their wedding was a festival the whole town could enjoy

where all his friends were bragging that they knew him as a boy

His bride was quickly bored of all the stories and his fame

stories of the things he hunted sounded all the same

his very first acquaintance in the town was there as well

the story of when they first met was one he’d often tell

“There I was, about to die to goblins fierce and green

and who should help me but the wildest boy I’ve ever seen

covered in more mud than muscle, hairy as a bear

but with awesome strength and spells, he saved me then and there”

The hero always loved to hear the songs of foes he’d fought

one new song he heard them sing though, bothered him a lot

his elven bride with golden eyes so graceful and so fair

was said to be a princess, for her beauty was so rare

Aside from this alarming rumour, he was quite at ease

free to hunt together with his wife as they should please

they earned enough to buy a home with quite a bit of land

but peace and quiet wasn’t quite the life that he had planned

They spent all their time together hunting for the guild

the hero was surprised to find his wife was fairly skilled

she had many talents and a magic like his own

with little practice she could summon ice and cut through stone

He found himself enjoying all the time he spent with her

so much fun that every day would go by like a blur

they didn’t talk a lot about their lives before they met

they lived in peace without a single enemy or debt

Several peaceful months went by for this unlikely pair

others in the kingdom though were desperate to prepare

facing armies full of twisted mages, knights, and beasts

a cult of death commanded by corrupted, evil priests

The town where they were working members of the local guild

was on the outskirts of a kingdom heroes helped to build

now its armies lacked the strength to carry on that flame

and all their frequent losses brought unprecedented shame

That was why the king sent his own son to scout the land

searching for new heroes for the ruler to command

he was not a tyrant though, he knew a hero’s pride

he only wanted loyal heroes fighting by his side

So when the tales of one who’d save a damsel in distress

and whose battles only ever ended in success

found their way into the prince’s ears one summer day

he tracked the rumour down, and he was quickly on his way