Epic tale of Azmaroth the Unbidden. Second place in A Story-Poem Contest, July 2020. |
The Journey of Azmaroth When Pelligrana, apple of Urdan’s eye and Chief Defender of the Gate, fell in love with handsome Arbet, Prince of Erith, and the lovers fled to escape the mage’s wrath, only Azmaroth, unbidden, rose to accept the quest pressed by Urdan’s thirst for vengeance. Dark bounty hunter shunned by all, Azmaroth took the road to Erith. By night and day she journeyed on, her eldritch eyes piercing the trail clear only to her wisdom, she sensed the war that came to Erith long before the smoking skies announced its vile destruction. Pure by chance, Bagdaniel, leader of the dread horde of Urk, had ravaged the once fair city. The hunter found dead Arbet at the gate. Azmaroth the Unbidden, alone and ever wary, drifting through the shadows of the Halls of Erith, came at last to the still form of slain Pelligrana, high valkyrie of Urdan, and settled to wait the passing hours as the mage’s charm commenced to recall his errant Defender. The tortured remains of Erith’s clan, chained in half-life contemplation to the walls and held in dreadful awe, observed the scene impassive while dark Azmaroth in silence gazed upon her quarry, tainted, now fallen, warrior of Urdan’s elite Defenders of the Gate. And when the hand of Pelligrana, in answer to its master’s call, the spell of mighty Urdan, stirred as life returned obedient, reaching for lambent valkyrie sword, Azmaroth rose unhurriedly, stooped to gather the weapon and dragged Pelligrana to her feet. Thus they left the echoing hall, the patient bounty hunter and her prey. Line Count: 50 Free Verse For A Story-Poem Contest, July 2020 No prompt |