FMH ~ Epilogue!

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“That’s all for tonight, folks!” Zed called to the enraptured tavern audience. “Come back tomorrow if you-”

“Boo!” someone called out, making Zed’s eye twitch. “That’s not what happened!”

“Please explain where I was wrong.” Zed’s overly calm voice and dangerous tone was missed by the too-drunk barfly.

“Everyone knows the Fields of Blood was the first real triumph of the Terraformer!” The words of the barfly caused a roar of agreement to sweep the area. “He became the youngest Druid of the Third Circle in history, and leveled the entire mountain range in the battle against the Dynasty of Dogs! The resources he carted back to the Hollow Kingdom are still the lifeblood of the country!”

“All of that is true, except the claim that he was the one that transformed the mountains into plains.” Zed shook his head knowingly. “Next you are going to say that it was Taylor the Archmage who-”

“Healed the Scars of the land?” Another person was influenced by the first. “Of course it was! Your story suggests that it was the Murderhobo that closed the Scars? Everyone knows that it was the structured magic of the Archmage that made closing Scars possible!”

Zed stood slowly, and the rumbling crowd quieted, unknowingly swallowing back fear. “It doesn’t matter if you believe my tale. Know that I tell you the truth, and not the propaganda that these false ‘Zed’ characters have been giving you. I’ll tell you now, creamy lies certainly spread easier upon the toast of life than the cold and chunky truth does. The true story is here if you want it. Otherwise, feel free to listen to a new take on an old tale… somewhere else.”

“That’s another thing!” Someone snapped their fingers and pointed at Zed. “You’re too young to be Zed the Mindbender! If you were him, we’d believe you if we wanted to or not! That’s the truth, and we all know it!”

“A True Bard is exactly the age you need him to be… to hear his story.” Zed snapped back, starting to get sick of this rabble. “I will be back for two more nights, but then I will pass on. Feel free to join in, or not.”

Zed stepped outside of the tavern, and looked at the sky. “Looks like the rain finally let up. Should be clear for… just long enough.”

He closed his eyes with a deep sigh, and rubbed the long beard that had not been on his face only moments ago. When he reopened them, crow’s feet and wrinkles showed for a bare moment; and the wisdom of ages appeared in deep-set eyes. All the changes were gone in an instant as he turned to face the young man that had followed him outside.

“Mr. Mindbender, why did they laugh at you? I could… I could see the story.” The youngster swallowed deeply as Zed smiled at him. “Can you tell me why you are the ‘Mindbender’? You called your old team different names the whole night… I don’t understand.”

“Ah, lad.” Zed shook his head. “That was a lifetime ago, and on the other side of the defeat of the Dynasty of Dogs. When there is no war, the people in charge of old monsters want them to go in a cage. There is no place for war heroes in a time of peace. Nowhere except old stories that can be used… the next time a war comes around.”

“In fact, two nights should be just enough.” Zed got a faraway look in his eyes, and the young man next to him could have sworn he was hearing hasty warnings, snapped orders, and the marching of boots.

“What happens in two nights?” the young man asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“Why, Rupert… I already told you. All the way back when I started my tale. This world, this entire civilization… is ending.” The smile on Zed’s face was dark. “The truth is, in two days, I’ll be the one that ends it.”

“How did you know my…?” Rupert gasped as he saw behind the illusion that Zed was using. “You really are him! Your Sigil! Oh, Celestials above it’s… it’s…”

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man stepped out of the tavern. “Rupert? Son, what are you doing out here? Are you… Rupert! Are you alright?”

“Dad! I saw…!”

“What, Rupert?”

“There was… something. Something terrible!”

The father looked around, swallowing nervously. “I think this might have been a long night. Let’s get you to bed.”

There was no movement, and the father began to grow cautious. “What is it, boy? Are you ill?” 

“No, I just needed to tell you…” Rupert looked at his dad and shook his head sadly. He couldn’t remember the thing he had seen; only that it was incredibly important. 

“Something.”