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"Naga and the Serpent"
A poem of The Slayers,
by Shunsuke -|||
Part the third
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IX: The First Defeat
Her retainers now dead, her teacher now eaten
Naga ran to the forest, as scared as a child
Driven by terror she had long dropped her blade
Ev'ry sound, ev'ry step, was her terror piled
Running 'til ragged, she could not go on
She at last fell down, 'neath the bough of an oak
And sobbed openly into her hands
Her tears so many, did her gauntlets soak
Arms clasped her knees, crying and shaken
The afternoon shadows taking light from her gaze
For fear of the wyrm, could she not look up
As evening's fog grew, it hid her in haze
There she saw, wailing woman in the wood
A coward's course, running had she sinned
Would she her blade, her own life she'd take
But without this means, she asked of the wind:
"How can I alone bring the wyrm defeat?
I am but apprentice, my Ciaran dead
My magic no match, no spells to be said
The beast's belly full, it's hunger replete
Were I a true mage, 'twould I battle on
But I cannot, I must tell thus the lord
Seen with my own eyes, cannot stop the horde
The battle is lost, I must now move on
Not even with a thousand paladins
Not with aid of a thousand gallant knights
There be no force that could end this foul reign
Forfeit my life from loss to Saladin
To claim I defend, I have no such right
Tell the king thus, take my life and my blame."
Night it soon came, as her weariness grew
Tired from the battle and from her weeping
Strange allies she found, a great force on her side
The one who tended her, as she lay sleeping
Nature cradled her well, in the nook of the tree
The flora and fauna, they kept her quite warm
Nature hateth the foul beast that takes without giving
And would see out that Naga slept without harm
Come morning, mayhaps, she would lessen her grief
And she would find hope in the light of new day
Come mourning, mayhaps, she would find the strength
And the need to avenge, to return to the fray
For the first defeat is the only defeat
It is not the loss of the final battle
But only with the loss of the will
When the disheartened, do their sabres not rattle
X: Soliloquy of Love
Come new day, red sun of the morn
Red lines 'cross the face of a woman lost
Left by her man, abandoned and scared
Hateful thoughts to'ard him, now her mind crossed
She pondered return, to end her own life
She sat down, despondent, without life's purpose
Saw him torn limb from limb, a vision of madness
To a sense of sanity, she could not hold purchase
Weeping anew, could not see the fawn
A gentle young thing, that sensed of her woe
It saw in her loss, and suff'ring great
It saw in her pain as when she lost her doe
Spooked by her motions, ran the young deer
Away from the human, and back to her mother
For tho the doe be by dragon slain
Nature doth surely provide her another
"My dear friend, how thine sweet tears bring me pain
Would I dry them all, were I by your side
My true affections, to you I confide
Should e'er I have leave to see you again
Wipe thine eyes dry, for I have much to tell
Time runneth short, and thou hath much to learn
And whence the spell cast, the battle will turn
My pupil fair, I must teach you that spell
Within enemy lines, assassins kill
Spies in the castles, they hide in shadow
Saboteurs, havoc, destroy by command
I will play traitor, the meal of wyrm's ill
And I, from within, shall deal out death's blow
I, the pawn, sacrificed, saves the queen's hand"
Amazement and whirlwind now filled her head
And at first she thought herself truly mad
But with her remembrance of love in his eyes
The acceptance of truth now left her quite sad
Questions in her mind, like wildfire through grass
Raging and burning, well out of control
His life, his rescue, how could she succeed?
Inside the beast's belly, a dark and dank hole
His spell proved stronger than both flesh and scale
Stronger than any that she had been taught
But stronger than even the magic they shared
Did he find in her, the love he had sought
He soothed and he comforted her, speaking in thoughts
Shared every secret each held in their mind
For they were now one, united in love
No evil could sep'rate a love of this kind
XI: The Passing Of Knowledge
She could but naught accept of his plan
With no other means to slay now the beast
She listened with care, lest she errors make
Else the wyrm's terror, 'twould ne'er be ceased
First came the forms, the shape of the hands
The motions, the movements, the fingers precise
The figures her digits, to draw in the air
The symbols of curses, and magic's device
Then was she taught of the stores she'd need
The blood, the thread, the flesh of the lamb
How each was used and mixed quite well
'Gainst wicked forces would serve as the dam
At last were the words she mouthed as she wrote
With a fresh quill upon a fresh page
He bade her remember, practice the text
For once she mastered them, would she be a sage
Enchantments to counter the fury and flame
Words of great magic, of legend and lore
Mem'rization, contentration, and steady hand
And a cast iron will, like never before
She was once impatient, grew weary of practice
Hated the lessons, sought only to fight
But now she relished his torturous drilling
They studied the text long into the night
She treasured the moment and his purpose true
Her first test of his lessons before
Though it not be spoken, both shivered at once
With each word they shared, did they wish for more
Inside and out, she learned well the charms
Inside and out, they talked and they planned
Inside and out, the path of the battle
Inside and out, a work of their hands
XII: Warning To The Wyrm
Silence between them, as morning is came
With battle commenced, nothing more to be said
Dare not speak angrily, or incomplete thoughts
Only intent on the battle ahead
Within hours' walk, the edge of forest was near
With no care for secrecy, and none for silence
Let the beast know I come! 'twas her pronouncement
(Though inside she prayed for both strength and guidance)
Alone 'mongst the rocks where she stood now to fight
Inside did she shake, outside bluff and bluster
But to know of her love inside the foul beast
Came the wellspring of strength that she did muster
Away from trees' safety, did Naga stride
To the place where spells, were they best to invoke
With her voice so taut, and word that did taunt
She called out a challenge, one meant to provoke:
"Hear me, foul thing! Shall this be your last day
To run on this Earth, you thought of never
All pain shall be yours, your head I sever
Off to the hells, shall I send you away
It shall be your tomb, the spire of the mount
Your scales will fetch gold, far more than your hoard
I shall see your blood, when your heart is gored
And 'twill be your last ragged breaths I count
Should you by chance be the victor this day
Then the world to your reign, shall it endure
And nevermore shall a challenge you face
But there be no loss, not to you! I say
And there be no strength like one who is pure
Your time ends now, I will end your tail's chase"
The wyrm it awoke! Its temper, it flared!
Who dare speak its name, and dare mock its pride?
Not since the first few, cent'ries long away
When champions first came, and readily died
Seething with anger and venomous rage
The dragon flew forth to blot out the sky
How dare a child mock me! did it cry out
For the dragon, eternal, it shall never die
Eyes searched the lands for a petulant voice
Its mind distracted by anger so savage
Young and lovely this girl, would have taken its time
'Twould rather, but 'twas time to kill, not ravage
Through the morn sky was the serpent's descent
To sip this girl's blood, would it anon
A smile on her lips and love in her heart
And thus, it was, the true battle begun
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End, part the third
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