Twas not long ago,
Some years, more or less,
That I wandered the streets
Of the town in distress.

For with little to eat,
And no coin to my name,
I knew Death approached
Yet I avoided his game.

For one day I vowed
This pain I would show
Upon all those nearby
Who scorned me so.

My greed and my hunger,
They knew no bounds,
And the truth fled my tongue
Like a fox from a hound.

When one night in a tavern
I spied an old man,
Deep in his cups
With a sword near at hand.

He noted me watching
As I stared at the blade,
And he shook his head sadly,
And to me he bade,

Son, do not seek the answer
To the riddle of steel,
For the price of the answer
Is not a fair deal.â

And I could tell from his eyes
He was deep in his drink,
And with the knife from his table
I struck afore he could blink.

As he fell to the floor
He smiled most unpleasant,
And as the life left his shell, he said,
Take the blade as your present.

"Remember my words
When the next comes for you,
For it is only then
You will know them as true.ä

Then he went to the gods,
And I took his blade,
My eyes wide with wonder
As I heard it to say,

Greetings, Most Fortunate!
I am called Grief.
I steal the lives of your enemies
Quick as a thief.

"You need only hold on -
I will do all the work,
Dispatching your foes,
Be they hero or jerk.

"That old fool I had done with.
It was time for new blood!
And it's you I have chosen
To let loose its flood!ä

And as the blade spoke,
A great anger leapt,
Filling me soul
Where till now it had slept.

And as I strode from the tavern,
The city guard came,
So I introduced them to Grief,
And they fell all the same.

T'was a most heady drink,
A powerful thrill,
As my bloodlust it surged
With the joy of the kill.

I strode from the town
Right through the main gate,
And though I slew twenty more,
The lust did naeâ abate.

In my mind a voice woke,
Appalled as I slew,
Yet I could not stop
Or me deeds undo.

I ran, my screams mixing
With those I had slain.
It was not what I expected,
This causing of pain.

For two days and two nights,
Pausing just here and there,
I rode like the wind,
The blade and my hand in the air.

For it would not release me.
My fist it controlled.
In my mind the blade laughed,
Its echo quite droll.

I knew not where it led.
T'was as if in a dream
As the lands and the people
Fell like wheat, or it seemed.

I lost count of the numbers
Who fell in those days,
Their screams and the gore
All passed in the haze.

I begged and I pleaded,
My soul crying out,
ãRelease me! I beg you!'
But Grief laughed, then it shouted,

As you, I'm a captive.
The great wizard Germade
Changed my form from a demon
Into that of a blade.

"But though he intended
A great knight me to wield,
The knight I controlled
And the wizard first killed.

"So with great glee
I have since discovered
That feasting on lives in this form
Is easier than any other.

"For who would suspect
What hides in a blade?
Instead blame the man
Who fills up the graves.

And as the coive from the blade
Grew dim in my mind,
I rode upon a new village
Where the churchbell did chime.

And with a horrible laugh,
Grief led us right to the temple
Where families did gather,
Life present and ample.

Right through the great doors!
The crowd let out a shout
As the blade forced my hand
To start laying about.

How many fell
I fathom no guess,
But from the blood and the bodies
At least fifty, no less.

'Kill me!' I screamed
Before Grief froze my tracks,
And the last three drew near,
Each wielding an axe.

Grief only snarled,
Then lunged at the first.
The three struck together,
Doing their worst.

The first he fell quickly
With a blow to the head,
And as the secondâs axe bit
My leg it went dead.

As I fell, Grief kept on,
Spinning me right,
And drew across the manâs stomach,
His entrails pouring into sight.

As the third ran away,
Grief smiled, as if charmed,
Till an axe out of nowhere
Severed my arm.

The second man down,
His eyes glazing over,
Had severed Grief from me
Just past the shoulder.

Sudden pain, it did grip me,
But the demon was gone,
Now just a mere blade
As the day it was spawned.

I fell to me knees.
Blood poured from my wounds,
And I dropped to the floor
Like a maiden who swooned.

And as I lay dieing
Upon the cold floor,
I saw the font of Tamsine,
And I knew I had one task more.

Using the cloak
Of my savior unnamed,
I lassoed the blade
And crawled toward its bane.

Raising up with great effort
To the blessed waterâs sight,
I smiled in my knowing
How to end the swordâs blight.

'Grief, it is time
You went on your way,
For sorrow needs no further help
From you on this day.'

And I heard from behind me
A great clatter of feet.
Still I dropped the blade
The blessed water to greet.

And the scream from the blade
Matched the one of my own
As the archers behind
Had their arrows strike home.

Now as I lay gazing
Through soon sightless eyes,
I see Mother Tamsine smile
And offer my soul a surprise.

And strange as it seems,
I could hear her sweet voice
As my life ran away
And my spirit drew forth.

'Though in life you were wicked,
At the end, you were true.
Late still beats never
In good deeds to do.

"Though it cost you your life,
For the sake of others you gave.
Now unto the hereafter
Your soul shall be saved."

So wait not, dear friends,
Until Grief comes to you
To act in all ways
Both honest and true.