[Prologue] The Fall of Tarren Mill [Part 1]

by Guest Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:03 pm

Tarren Mill Church, 11 AM, begining of the Third War

A brief look outside through the door revealed the same picture I saw for the last couple of days. Ghost town. Whatever was causing this disease, it was doing it's job pretty damn well. I took a step backwards and turned around. We provided shelter for everyone we could, yet that was not enough! We, the five remaining Clerics, are taking care of about ten times as much people, and those are only the ones we could find place for in our Church! The rest? As much as we want to help everyone, we just do not have the time nor strength to do so.

My thoughts were disturbed by a local militia man who was lying on the floor at the far side of the room.
-H-... Help... Help me... - he mumbled in his sleep. I walked closer to the man, and...

-Rrrraaaagh! - He jumped at me all of a sudden, clawing against my face with enough force to leave a scar for the rest of my days. I took three steps back, the blood statred to flow out of the wound; The man was on his knees, weakened, with his eyes closed, shaking in agony. I wiped the blood off my cheek and asked:
-William? Did you have a Nightmare?
He was staring at the floor between me and himself, still shaking.
-William?
The man started crawling towards me, roaring and breathing heavily as he rose up for another attack.

Something wasn't right. William, of all men, attacking me? For the last five days he was lying here, unable to even take a simple mug of water without aid. I took no chances and rose my hand, sending a simple Holy Lance at him. The lance did rather well... Setting him on fire and destroying good half of his face...

Wait, what? I used to throw these throughout the entire second war, and it hardly ever did more than stun my foe for a second or cause a major, though far from lethal, nosebleed.

But it mattered not, as I was standing next to fresh bleeding corpse of a man that wasn't able to raise on his own for days... And was able to tear some skin off my cheek with his bare hands - I noticed my own red face reflecting in a golden goblet. A simple healing spell... A piece of cloth... There, one problem solved. Now, for William.

I took his body outside, to the graveyard right next to our church. Demotivating picture... A Cleric, sworn to protect and heal, has to take out the dead bodies. The bodies he made dead... Suddenly, I felt powerful darkness coming from inside my Church, Of all the places! I left William unattended, thinking nothing would happen. If only I knew how wrong I was.

I rushed towards the entrance and saw a picture one does not easily forget. All those in the Church... All rose up... In the same way as William, after spending days, or weeks, lying on the floor! And worst of all, they all were rounding up around a fellow Cleric. Brother Roman, he was sent here last week as we requested assistance with next to everyone in town getting sick.

"Run! Warn Southshore, The Disease-..." - He shouted looking at me through the doorway, surrounded by raging patients, tearing him apart. I turned around and prepared to run, but my faith stopped me... I had to save him...

I turned back to see nothing but raging crowd moving out of the church. Something was telling me I won't see Roman again, and that I had to respect his last wish. So I followed the road out of the town as fast as I can. As I passed the houses, I could hear the sounds of brawling... By the Light, this couldn't be happening to everyone! It just... Couldn't!

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I was almost out of the town as I saw the Alliance patrol passing by. I rushed towards them.
-Soldiers! - I shouted, running as fast as I can. As I got close enough for them to hear me, I fel onto my knees as I had to catch my breath.
-Soldiers... Tarren Mill is lost! We must warn Southshore! The people... They are going mad, killing everyone in sight!
-Brother, you can't be serious? - The Sergeant looked at me, as I pointed at the fresh scar on my cheek.
-...Maybe you can. Take my horse, we'll have to see it for ourselves. - he said, dismounting and walking towards the cursed town with his men. I rode towards Southshore, knowing this will be one hell of a day to remember...

<To be continued>