The rider had been traveling west for 3 days. He was a stout lad of 15
winters, but he was exhausted almost as much as his steed. For most of the
first day he rode with evil things in pursuit, pushing his horse its
limits. The demons had lost much ground to the rider, but he was sure that
they still followed. He had heard of the tenacity of the denizens of hell
in stories from the adults of his homeland, Denfent. If he stopped to rest
for the night they would overtake him in his sleep and drag him to a fate
worse than death, he was sure.
At around midday, he saw his destination. The village of Fesnik. His mother had sent him to Fesnik as the demons began to show themselves in greater numbers. Already many in his village were killed or dragged of screaming into the night, only to return hours later as dead things that simply would not stay dead. His two older brothers and his father were all skilled with a weapon, his father having served in the militia and passing down the knowledge of war to his sons. Even the rider had slain 3 imp- things and a dog-sized demon, which leapt about with blinding quickness. He didn't want to leave his family, but he did feel relieved when he had left the town. At least out here he didn't have to fear demons.
He arrived at the gates of the village and practically fell off his horse. The haggard boy ran to the first man he saw and delivered the package he had been sent with. Thomasin, the leather-worker of Fesnik opened the pouch the boy carried, looked in and dropped it with a startled cry as he backed away despite himself. A gruesome imp-head rolled out of the pouch onto the earth, its protruding tongue swollen from rigor mortis. The smell of the decaying demon-flesh was repulsive, a horrible stench of death and putrescence. The lad lay barely conscious. Thomasin could tell the boy must be very hungry and almost dehydrated completely. He picked the lad up and carried him to the chapel of Fesnik.
The boy lay in the chapel on a bed put together by the caring priests. A nun was charged with caring for the boy, which she did with the caring of a mother. Three priests, Thomasin, and a few other men of Fesnik were gathered, trying to figure out just what had happened to the lad and his family. The nun came in suddenly, with a grave look on her face. "How is he?" one of the priests asked. "Fine, fine. He woke a few minutes ago and asked if he were in heaven. 'Not quite, but you are with God' I said. He smiled and pulled this from his pocket ." The nun handed the priest a crumpled sheet of half-torn parchment.
DENFENT UNDER ATTACK. DEMONS BY THE SCORE. PLEASE HELP US. WE FIGHT BUT THERE ARE TOO MANY. IF YOU CANNOT HELP, THEN LEAVE THIS COUNTRY SOON. THERE WILL BE MORE. PLEASE HURRY.
The priest thanked the nun and she went back to the boy. He read the note aloud to those gathered and looked about the room. Thomasin looked at his feet and shook his head slowly. "What are we to do?" he asked. "We are no warriors, and it would take us days to reach Denfent even if we were." "I do not know, my son." replied the priest. "We will ask those who would help to go, while we organize for the departure of Fesnik for a safer realm." replied another. "Please," Thomasin said, "do you think any would go voluntarily to a fate worse than death? We are but farmers and smithies, not soldiers!" "Still, we must seek to defend our kind. Do we let the folk of Denfent befall that fate alone? Do we not offer any aide to them?" another priest asked. "What do we do?"
The nun returned, telling the gathering that the folk of Denfent still fight valiantly, but each one that falls or is taken rises again and bolsters the ranks of the damned. "They come back as zombies, striking at their own kin they gave their life defending!" "We leave," the head priest decided. "There is nothing we can do for the poor people of Denfent. This lad was probably followed here, and I do not doubt it that if we do not leave soon, we will share their fate. Spread the word, take only what you need to survive." Thomasin wiped a tear from his eye as he nodded and left the chapel, followed by the rest of the men. "We leave at dawn on the morrow!"
The next morning the caravan set out, the men armed with whatever weapon they deemed best from the sorry supply the village had. The elderly and the very young packed into wagons, while those who could walk did. An honorable woman of the village who was seven months pregnant chose to walk, so her mother could sit. She did not complain at all as they began their trek to the east.
As the day grew darker, the caravan came to a halt as the refugees made camp. The man who had the night watch had spotted a man in armor approach the caravan and raised the alarm. The men got their weapons as the women and children found cover. The man approached with his helmet off and hands raised in the air as a sign of peace. Three of the men mounted horses and headed out to meet the traveler, weapons at the ready. To see a lone man at night in these times of trouble did not bode well for the men of the village of Fesnik.
As they reached the traveler, once man let out a heavy sigh of relief. In his torchlight he could see the markings of the church of Zakarum on his armor. The paladin spoke first. "How fare you, good sirs? I come from the kingdoms of the west to spread the word of God. I am Thespan, chief paladin in the order of the Zakarum." The men invited the noble paladin to the campsite, where they and the priests told him of the lad on the horse and the troubles of Denfent. The paladin listened, and as soon as he heard of demons to the east he had heard enough. He stood atop a wagon and spoke to the refuges of Fesnik. "Brothers and sisters, return to your homes! I have slain many demons in the name of Heaven, and I shall do so again! Worry not, I leave for Denfent immediately, and I will slay any creature not of the light!" Thespan spoke as the glow from the campfire enshrouded his body, making him look truly to be an ambassador from the Heavens in this dark hour. "Fear not the foul creatures of evil, there will be none that can withstand the righteous retribution of the Heavens!" The people of Fesnik cheered as the paladin leapt from atop his perch and began his trek to the east. Thomasin called to Thespan. "Take this steed! He is the fastest in Fesnik and he should bear you to Denfent in two days time." The paladin accepted the noble horse and set out on the road to retribution.
At around midday, he saw his destination. The village of Fesnik. His mother had sent him to Fesnik as the demons began to show themselves in greater numbers. Already many in his village were killed or dragged of screaming into the night, only to return hours later as dead things that simply would not stay dead. His two older brothers and his father were all skilled with a weapon, his father having served in the militia and passing down the knowledge of war to his sons. Even the rider had slain 3 imp- things and a dog-sized demon, which leapt about with blinding quickness. He didn't want to leave his family, but he did feel relieved when he had left the town. At least out here he didn't have to fear demons.
He arrived at the gates of the village and practically fell off his horse. The haggard boy ran to the first man he saw and delivered the package he had been sent with. Thomasin, the leather-worker of Fesnik opened the pouch the boy carried, looked in and dropped it with a startled cry as he backed away despite himself. A gruesome imp-head rolled out of the pouch onto the earth, its protruding tongue swollen from rigor mortis. The smell of the decaying demon-flesh was repulsive, a horrible stench of death and putrescence. The lad lay barely conscious. Thomasin could tell the boy must be very hungry and almost dehydrated completely. He picked the lad up and carried him to the chapel of Fesnik.
The boy lay in the chapel on a bed put together by the caring priests. A nun was charged with caring for the boy, which she did with the caring of a mother. Three priests, Thomasin, and a few other men of Fesnik were gathered, trying to figure out just what had happened to the lad and his family. The nun came in suddenly, with a grave look on her face. "How is he?" one of the priests asked. "Fine, fine. He woke a few minutes ago and asked if he were in heaven. 'Not quite, but you are with God' I said. He smiled and pulled this from his pocket ." The nun handed the priest a crumpled sheet of half-torn parchment.
DENFENT UNDER ATTACK. DEMONS BY THE SCORE. PLEASE HELP US. WE FIGHT BUT THERE ARE TOO MANY. IF YOU CANNOT HELP, THEN LEAVE THIS COUNTRY SOON. THERE WILL BE MORE. PLEASE HURRY.
The priest thanked the nun and she went back to the boy. He read the note aloud to those gathered and looked about the room. Thomasin looked at his feet and shook his head slowly. "What are we to do?" he asked. "We are no warriors, and it would take us days to reach Denfent even if we were." "I do not know, my son." replied the priest. "We will ask those who would help to go, while we organize for the departure of Fesnik for a safer realm." replied another. "Please," Thomasin said, "do you think any would go voluntarily to a fate worse than death? We are but farmers and smithies, not soldiers!" "Still, we must seek to defend our kind. Do we let the folk of Denfent befall that fate alone? Do we not offer any aide to them?" another priest asked. "What do we do?"
The nun returned, telling the gathering that the folk of Denfent still fight valiantly, but each one that falls or is taken rises again and bolsters the ranks of the damned. "They come back as zombies, striking at their own kin they gave their life defending!" "We leave," the head priest decided. "There is nothing we can do for the poor people of Denfent. This lad was probably followed here, and I do not doubt it that if we do not leave soon, we will share their fate. Spread the word, take only what you need to survive." Thomasin wiped a tear from his eye as he nodded and left the chapel, followed by the rest of the men. "We leave at dawn on the morrow!"
The next morning the caravan set out, the men armed with whatever weapon they deemed best from the sorry supply the village had. The elderly and the very young packed into wagons, while those who could walk did. An honorable woman of the village who was seven months pregnant chose to walk, so her mother could sit. She did not complain at all as they began their trek to the east.
As the day grew darker, the caravan came to a halt as the refugees made camp. The man who had the night watch had spotted a man in armor approach the caravan and raised the alarm. The men got their weapons as the women and children found cover. The man approached with his helmet off and hands raised in the air as a sign of peace. Three of the men mounted horses and headed out to meet the traveler, weapons at the ready. To see a lone man at night in these times of trouble did not bode well for the men of the village of Fesnik.
As they reached the traveler, once man let out a heavy sigh of relief. In his torchlight he could see the markings of the church of Zakarum on his armor. The paladin spoke first. "How fare you, good sirs? I come from the kingdoms of the west to spread the word of God. I am Thespan, chief paladin in the order of the Zakarum." The men invited the noble paladin to the campsite, where they and the priests told him of the lad on the horse and the troubles of Denfent. The paladin listened, and as soon as he heard of demons to the east he had heard enough. He stood atop a wagon and spoke to the refuges of Fesnik. "Brothers and sisters, return to your homes! I have slain many demons in the name of Heaven, and I shall do so again! Worry not, I leave for Denfent immediately, and I will slay any creature not of the light!" Thespan spoke as the glow from the campfire enshrouded his body, making him look truly to be an ambassador from the Heavens in this dark hour. "Fear not the foul creatures of evil, there will be none that can withstand the righteous retribution of the Heavens!" The people of Fesnik cheered as the paladin leapt from atop his perch and began his trek to the east. Thomasin called to Thespan. "Take this steed! He is the fastest in Fesnik and he should bear you to Denfent in two days time." The paladin accepted the noble horse and set out on the road to retribution.
