The Wind Shall Remember


    So goes the tale for those who''ll hear it told


    There stood a fort as old as time itself


    None left who saw it come into our world


    Long years of war and battle it withstood


    Blood soaked its stone and death lived in its wood


    Dark stood the tower in winter and summer


    Its halls and its stones drank all fear and all sorrow


    It consumed sound of war and the sharp clang of sword


    And those who did dwell there first beheld in their dreams


    Dark murmurs, old whispers, and soft echoes of screams


    Deep in the tower a dark mind had stirred


    Crimson it''s thought filled by anguish and wrath


    It whispered in dreams and made itself heard


    And the lips of its dwellers carried its voice


    Abiding its biddings, never making the choice


    ''Till Egthon the Bloody, with marauders in tow


    Assaulted the tower, under moon''s glow


    Its whispers and words bewitched Egthon''s thought


    Lord and his bandits bloody deeds wrought


    And the tower once more with crimson was bought


    Dawn cast its warmth on the tower''s dark walls


    Where Egthon the Sleepless meandered the halls


    Thought bent on his reign that he yearned to expand


    The tower''s dark mind had its bloody right hand


    And its will now had means to ravage the land


    Each night Egthon''s mind wrestled the tower


    Drawn was his face and his countenance dour


    His thoughts ever darkened and anger did grow


    Fear bloomed ''midst his allies, and spread like disease


    His kingdom did shake ''neath his bloody decrees


    Folk of the land lived in fright of his madness


    His rule brought to them nothing but sadness


    To spirits they prayed for relief of their plight


    They sued for a hero to cleanse the dark fort


    To relieve them of Egthon, their ruthless lord


    Yet for many a year their pleas were ignored


    ''Till first day of spring, two score years in his ruleThis book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    There came a man with the dawn at his back


    Wind bore his words over walls and through stone


    Oh Egthon the Sleepless, I seek you alone


    O''er the rampart the guards sneered and mocked


    Begone ye poor fool, bother not our great lord!


    Blue cloak hid his face yet his voice clearly sang


    Egthon the Bloody, descend from your throne!


    Guards cried in one voice, flee fool, you''re alone!


    He paid them no heed and a third time he spoke


    Egthon the Vessel, mindless hand of the fort


    I shan''t wait for long ''afore invading your court


    Atop the fort''s walls guards seethed and enraged


    Their lord''s honour abused, battle they waged


    Shining mail, clanging sword, and cries - for our lord!


    Then a silence befell and the gate gravely groaned


    There stood Egthon the Bloody, in crimson adorned


    Blemished crown ''pon his brow, a contemptuous mien


    Grating voice shook the air - who dares intervene!


    Then the blue mantled man lowered his hood


    Frost filled grey eyes, framed by ebony mane


    Seized lord and guards and showed them their bane


    The tower then shook and guards fell to their knees


    But their lord stood unbent, resisting with ease


    I am the Scion of the northern wind


    The comfort to thine land’s despondent pleas


    I’ll cleanse the stone and wood of the old fort


    Leave now - free, and of your own accord


    The man in blue called to the bloody lord


    The great lord’s visage then twisted and soured


    Grim laughter boomed and in anger he howled


    Guards trembled in fear and fled from the men


    I shall suffer no wind, and neither her hen


    Begone, blithering fool - never come here again


    Adarsara’s Scion stood fast - undeterred


    The bloody lord’s words his courage had spurred


    Once more he cried out in a mightier voice


    I know your measure, I have my mission


    Begone from this land of your own volition!


    Malevolent malice took hold of the lord


    With white-knuckled tension he clung to his sword


    A hideous snarl warped and twisted his face


    He surrendered to bloodlust and hailed her embrace


    And longingly welcomed the tower’s dark grace


    Hear me, dark mind, crimson soul of the fort


    Spur my hen-hearted guards - ‘tis my last resort


    Then a Ghastly green glow boiled forth from the wall


    It grasped for the guards - ‘till green their eyes shone


    Filled by a dark will, and relieved of their own


    Adarsara’s scion knew the thoughts of the fort


    Halt thine dread will - to the spirit he called


    Untangle your tendrils from mind and soul


    Relieve them of memories - not yours to control


    Egthon, thine vessel shall suffer their toll


    Eghton’s mad laughter resounded once more


    The fort shan’t obey the fool at its door


    Yet horror and shock - the green glow abated


    It yielded his guards, their courage deflated


    Then Egthon did scowl at the scion he hated


    Thrice you shall hear my guidance - oh Egthon


    Be gone from this fort, ‘tis your final hope


    Cried the scion, unyielding ‘neath Egthon’s gaze


    The frenzied lord was deaf to his appeal


    O’rtaken by black will - full of crimson zeal


    The blue mantled man knew Egthon’s intent


    But the scion’s great will was not to be bent


    It swept through the land whose colour it drained


    Barring Egthon’s green light - which had remained


    Thus the fort’s bloody will its vessel had chained


    Filled by crimson lust, Egthon blindly charged


    The Scion evaded and raised was his blade


    It sundered the tendrils, their clutches unmade


    I free thee, poor vessel, your toll is thus paid


    Absent his chains, on the ground Egthon laid


    The Scion turned away from the poor lord


    And raised his mighty sword to the old fort


    Luminous grey eyes beheld its bloody soul


    I broke my word, yet mercy was the goal


    Fourth warning - leave now, ended is your role


    Indignation and shame burned in his breast


    Deaf to the world, by revenge thus possessed


    He squirmed ‘pun the earth and dagger he drew


    The bloody lord lunged and his vile blade plunged


    His credulous foe was thus surely expunged


    Piercing blue light spilled forth from the wound


    Its power and might struck Egthon aside


    His mind overwhelmed, he lay ‘pun the earth


    Henceforth he was known as Egthon the Mad


    Though vile last deed, completed he had


    Adarsara’s Scion was mortally struck


    Life he did forfeit to accomplish his task


    He then flung his sword, last effort of will


    True flew his blade at the heart of the fort


    The scion then kneeled, and colours returned


    Shook then the fort with an agonized scream


    Gone was the dark soul and too its regime


    Naught but ruins remained of the once mighty fort


    None saw again him who vanquished its court


    Forgotten by time, for its grace is quite short


    But the wind shall remember.