Sir Quincy and the Sickened Sister Part 2
Note: This is part two of a ongoing story. It is highly recommended you read the first part here if you have not already done so. Read the notes below the poem for further information on this series.
Merchant I am sorry but your quest I must refuse
By your leave I must myself excuse
I will send the king a message by bird
And another knight shall provide the help you most deserve
So to the apothecary the knight then rode
Consulting his map he reached the abode
Wherein the man he sought did reside
He dismounted his steed and walked inside
The inside of the shop was filled with phials and flasks
As a man ran around doing a multitude of tasks
Are you the owner of this establishment Quincy decreed
I am Sir Knight you may call me Anwir Creed
I have come to you in great need
I require your knowledge and help Master Creed
I seek a nightfruit to save my sister’s life
I only wish to heal her pain and end her strife
You do not realize just how much you ask
Acquiring a nightfruit is no simple task
They only grow in regions completely lacking in light
It is because of this they no longer exist in our land of light
Surely there must be a place where they still grow
If you know anything then tell me what I must know
There are two rumors still of that dark fruit existing
But to reach those places will lead you on paths dark and twisting
The first lies to the east of here
In a place many have come to call the Cave of Fear
Nightfruit used to grow wild within its deeps
And savvy salvagers would harvest it in heaps
Yet as of late none who travel there ever do return
And the land surrounding is ashen and burned
Guarded supposedly by a guardian most terrible
To lose you to such a beast would be unbearable
As for the other location it lies far to the west
Getting there unscathed will be a great test
But should you succeed the Castle of Shadows you’ll reach
And somehow its gates you must breach
Once owned by a king who fell into darkness long ago
He was known for his nightfruit trees planted all in a row
They grew plentiful in the shadowlands where he kept his hold
And when you picked one it filled you with the deepest cold
Yet no one has been inside for years
And the people in the surrounding villages whisper in fear
Stating that a curse controls the doomed hold
Guarded by a army of the dead it is constantly patrolled
Thank you for the information Master Creed
If you don’t mind while I ready my steed
Please draw the locations upon a map
So that I can be on my way without mishap
So Sir Quincy set out despite the apothecary’s protests
He had to hurry if he was to complete his quest
Yet as he reached the crossroads a choice he must make
East or West, which path should he take?
© Jared Denstad
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From here Quincy path is in your hands. Starting the day this poem goes live and lasting for a week you can help decide whether Quincy should head for the Eastern Cave of Fear or the Western Castle of Shadows. You have a few options on how to do this.
First you can leave a reply on this poem. If you don’t have a Medium account, you can email your choice to me at professortolkienpoetry@gmail.com. Your email address will not be saved, sold, or spammed with marketing materials from me if you do this. I have no desire to steal from or bother my readers unduly.
Second, you can vote on the official twitter poll here. The close of this poll marks the official end of voting so any votes received afterwards, regardless of their source will not be taken into consideration otherwise.
Finally, if you have Facebook, you can visit my page Professor Tolkien Poetry. This is a page for my readers to find my latest work, hear what I’m up to, etc. I always post a link to my new poems there and any comments received on those posts regarding your votes will be added to those of other sources.
The next part of this story is currently scheduled to go live on March 18th, exactly one week after the polls for the current voting close. I hope to see you all back here then for the next part.
