The Tower’s Terror

The bones buried beneath the tower told a terrible tale 

Of a population’s sickness and suffering 

Of an unprecedented pandemic 

The dragon race had its strengths in its time 

Speed and agility in battle, loyal to their own 

But the one foe who attacked without rhyme or reason 

Spelled doom for dragonkind and left one dragon alone. 

Descended from a great hero, the one they called Elbert, the solitary survivor now suffered.

The grip of the Rot proved overwhelming

Death was inevitable, he knew

He’d seen what others had gone through.

The infection most cruel had run rampant,

Taking first the elderly but then spreading

Soon the entire encampment knew its wrath

And no balm, medication, or bath could do

To ease or stop the spread of the affliction.

It had taken the lives of so many dragons.

Burying their bones failed to stop it from spreading.

If a leader like Elbert proved no match,

What hope did another dragon stand of avoiding the catch?

The one known as Boryl now fought as he could

Knowing the fate that he faced

And bearing the weight of the knowledge

That with his passing the dragons would be erased.

Heroes such as Elbert, the legendary joiner

Of dragons and dwarves

Whose trust in an individual defined a relationship evolution

That lasted until the last of the dwarves had expired

Now the dragons themselves had all but joined them.

Extinction waved from the horizon, the ugliest

Neighbor of all.

Boryl strained and fought for every last breath

To keep that horror at a distance

Nearer and nearer it crept as his muscles and tissues decayed

Internal systems sent messages of panic

That pinballed around to dead ends

Fear grew in spite of Boryl’s determination

As he felt himself falling deeper into decay

With each passing moment his life was fading away

Summoning his dwindling strength he sent up some flames

As high into the air as he could

To serve as a message to The Rot

If The Rot thought he would be broken

He would not

As the fire subsided it coincided with

The final breakdown of Boryl’s life

As his cells passed the point of no return

He was forced to give up his fight.

The Rot might take life and might wipe out a group

But the history they built can never be erased.