The tranquility of Windmere's outskirts was shattered when a panting messenger stumbled into view. Sir Everard and Lady Eveline exchanged a quick glance as they approached the disheveled figure. The messenger's eyes were wide with panic, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Please, kind knights," he implored, his voice trembling. "I bear grave news from the kingdom of Oakwood. A dreadful outbreak has consumed the land. Villagers have turned into monsters, and chaos reigns."
Sir Everard's brows furrowed in concern as he exchanged a worried look with Eveline. "What kind of outbreak?" he asked, his tone measured.
The messenger's voice trembled. "I know not what it is, but it's like a madness. People are attacking each other, driven to a frenzy. I managed to escape, but my village... it's consumed by darkness."
Eveline's eyes held a mixture of empathy and apprehension. "Tell us everything you know," she urged, her voice steady.
The messenger recounted tales of fear and madness, villages driven to the brink of collapse by an inexplicable force. Families turned against one another, streets devolving into scenes of violence and horror. The very fabric of Oakwood seemed to unravel, its people transformed into something unrecognizable.
Sir Everard's grip on his sword tightened as he absorbed the messenger's words. "We must send word to our king immediately," he said firmly, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Eveline nodded in agreement, her expression resolute. "And we must prepare Windmere. We cannot allow the same fate to befall our village."
As the messenger continued to recount the horrors he had witnessed, the weight of the situation settled heavily upon them. The shadows of chaos stretched far, and the once-distant threat was now at their very doorstep. Sir Everard and Lady Eveline exchanged a determined look, knowing that the strength of their bond and the unity of their village would be crucial in the trying times ahead.