Shades of a Shade by Mage / Cthulu
Shades of a Shade by Mage / Cthulu
The hamlet was haunted, so fable lay claim
A home to a horror with no face or name.
The foregners knew nothing of villages infamy
Sent in their scouts to take conquests inventor
y.
Fourteen days later, not one had returned
They mustve deserted with salt that theyd earn
ed.
The clerks were insistant - the papers must show
As to what they had gotten and where it would go
Several soldiers marched in, holding true to the
word
That the pens fortitude was more so than the sw
ords.
They moved all about looking round the small vi
llage,
Not looking for death, but for goods to pillage.
Their leader, he waited, and sat all alone
In the taut canvas lodging hed learned to call
home.
He was losing his cool at the end of day two
His hand-picked fanatics had failed him too!
Pogo is the creation
of Walt Kelly.
Mage is in no way to be
considered original from
the making of this ansi.
Holding pilum in hand, he strode into the night,
And was merclessly killed without showing a fight.
Back at the camp the commander was furious,
His men had been killed - as to HOW he was curious.
Formidable, Imperial legionnaires
Whose prowress at war would become legendary.
Masters of tactics, and armed head to toe
What then in the town could be killing them so?
Hed risk no more men a grim lesson hed learned.
Archives be damned, that small town would BURN!
He stood on the hill overlooking the town
The foul fumes of pitch wafted slowly around.
His cloak caught the edge of the nights errant breeze.
His men worked below with the semblance of fleas.
The barrels were scattered, all ordered and neat
In strategic locations, the work was complete.
Trenches were dug for a precaution wise
Palisades raised when - a sudden surprise!
While still occupied, all alone in the dark,
The village exploded in cinder and spark.
The single centurion standing aloft
In the oily black smoke knew that all had been lost.
Donning breastplate and greaves he strode into the flame
To confront the cruel beast which had caused him such pai
n.
The oily black form paced up, blacker than black
And the captain crouched down, all prepared to attack.
The shadowy maw in the midst of no face
Swallowed him up, leaving nary a trace.
And so they were gone, the entire brigade
Lost, evermore, in the Shades of a Shade.
Ansi by Mage. Lit by Cthulu.