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

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

~