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 crewUnauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author`s consent. Report any sightings.

　　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