* * * * *
It was the same story from one side of town to the other.
A disheveled, obviously exhausted middle-aged man with wide and wild eyes, muttering about the "vision" and the "voice," had limped, stumbled, or ran into the middle of a crowd, drawing immediate and often fearful attention. Nothing horrible had happened -- until the man spoke to those amassed around him in a strong, clear voice that carried to every person's ears.
"Hearken unto me, man, woman and child, for I bring to thee tidings of the dark days ahead.
"Where there were once five there are now four, and beyond those five are two more that are and are not a part of what is to come to thee. And in the hour of defeat for each of the remaining four shall its successor awaken and arrive, but that is if they are defeated, for each of the four is more terrible than the one before it and wields a power equal to or greater than its predecessor.
"Hearken further, peoples near to me, and draw thy kin and thy friends closer as well, for the words that I speak to thee shall come to pass despite thy efforts.
"In the event that one of the four is not defeated shall its successor awaken at a predetermined time, and these awakened shall contend with each other while working together to achieve the same goal, which is the consummate death of every living thing on this world. Thou hast averted the ultimate disaster by defeating one of the primary four, but the danger is not yet over and the peace thou now experience is but a fleeting thing. Ready thyselves with will and weapon, peoples of this land, and hope thy combined strength is enough to prevent what will certainly be the end of the world as we know it."
The man would then stare at the crowd -- the crowd whose numbers had swelled considerably by the time the message reached its crescendo -- and then fall dead to the ground. Upon examination, it would be discovered that each man's heart had failed -- and then exploded.
Where there once was peace in the hearts of Myrken's people, fear and doubt now dwelt.
And noticed by a few, perhaps, would be the sudden disappearance of the blood-red letters on the blade of the massive sword transfixed in the earth just outside of Myrkentown's border.
