Tales from Year's End (Storm Keep)

Lormo tumbled from the courtyard into the west corridor as the blizzard-like cone of arctic cold struck Storm-Keep with deadly efficiency. Escaping the brunt of the blast, his legs were however struck numb from the attack hindering his attempts at moving and even standing.

It was dinner hour because the hall was awash with rich smells of spices and fresh bread from the cookery. Good Lormo thought, many stormtroopers would be in the mess hall, the others however…

Lormo drank from an elixir and slowly got to his feet briskly rubbing warmth back into his legs; he made ready a wand and carefully proceeded outside and found... death.

 

To say it was cold was an understatement of colossal proportions. A thick malaise hung in the air not unlike fog; it and the unearthly silence unnerved the normally nonplussed Lormo Agundar. Vague shapes clarified from the whiteness as guard dogs of the keep, beasts of burden as well as other animals all startled by the dragon fear.

He tentatively called out for any survivors; no reply. Advancing further, Lormo’s boots crunching icy ground, he came across a figure encased in frost. Lormo knew this individual, as it was his job to know everyone…

Trehuger of the Ardeep Forest- his story, as Lormo recalls, was that Trehuger left his family behind to serve the Samular Heirs. Now Lormo will always remember him and the upwards look of terror frozen on his pathetic bearded face.

He found Angia one of Briar’s followers, Toola a neighborhood guard and others…

Belgora emerged from the white gloom and began to delegate the gruesome task of removing the dead and distributing all remaining manpower to posts. The battle still raged in the city; dragons could be herd unleashing their terror, animals everywhere bucked and cried protesting within their stables across the city.

 

Then a silent impact, like a razor sharp wind swept through the keep. The blood wind opened superficial bleeding wounds on Lormo as well as the others, but for the dead it freed them from their icy condition and reanimated them as hungry undead.