============================================================ "Naga and the Serpent" A poem of The Slayers, by Shunsuke -||| ============================================================ I: Of Remembrance I take up my quill to write, lest forgotten This tale of glory I pass down the years For I have grown old, and so few remember Only I and those who shed many tears A tale of fair lands, both far and near Of where, whom, and whence, it matters not For lessons and legends are treasures themselves Gold be but dust, but their acts not forgot Righteous be those who battle not for themselves Each had their reasons, each had their cause But it be those who would give alms without question Each had their strengths, each had their flaws Two stood alone 'gainst a dragon so foul 'Twould have swallowed the world, would all have vanished You would know not the legend, perchance read these words Should the valiant have failed, should they not it vanquished He, a seasoned champion; she, an apprentice Aye, an uncommon legend were they But it is not for we to judge, only remember Sacrifice and honour, for the gift of today Heroes may die as easily as fools And cowards mistaken for the heedful But a knave cannot love like a man of honour A woman's heart that is so needful Who among you has courage to fight? An evil, to kill? For others, to die? Who among you has the strength to love? For justice, to care? For another, to try? Let the words be a fibre, the lines be a thread Let the verses be a pattern, the stanzas a seam Let the message be the warmth, which fends off the cold Let the tale be a cloak that allows you this dream II: Ciaran Ciaran of the Fourth Circle was he Sorcerer, swordsman, mendicant, wanderer Generous to others in all his deeds To the selfish, 'twould seem he a squanderer Dark in his face, but not in his heart Pure of soul was he and his face filled with fire His breast so full, his passion runneth deep Yet there be more than lust to a man's desire Born in a hamlet, to a wealthy man's birth He shed of himself all nobility and baggage He knew all that would matter one could hold in the hand That the things he desired only be freedom and knowledge Of years three and thirty 'twas he born before He bore that many scars, from battle and blow A man who had seen and learned much of life Yet knew enough that there was still more to know No fool was he, for he knew well of women Not harpies or whores, not stealers of men's essence But of friends and of siblings, of mothers and sisters He thought only of one, that which stood in his presence He longed for her, his dark riding friend; His pupil, confidant, his sole companion So brusque, yet radiant, a dream he wished - The taste of her lips as he slept 'neath the banyan His soul would have sung had his love he voiced But silent he kept, for he knew her true purpose She came to him not for love, but for wisdom To learn all he knew, to become the enchantress Yet what, truly, is love? Is it children, being wedded? Is it loyalty and fealty that one has well earned? Is it gold that is given, a king's ransom all told? Nay, 'tis giving more than is asked of - with nothing return'd III: Naga Born on a long, cold winter night, In a village nestled amid a farmer's hills A woman of youth, she brought forth a child Labour that was more a battle of wills At five a spark of talent first appeared, At eight a spark of fire did ignite in her hands At thirteen a first vision of womanhood, At seventeen a first vision of arcane commands Bold and beautiful, loyal and fair She was like no other and her laughter a joy A maiden of radiance, of raven hair She became the passion of ev'ry man, ev'ry boy Volatile and voluble, voluptuous and viviporous Innocent child and wise woman, what men so desire She was scandalous, ambulous - aye, even tantalous With a spirit that burned bright as a fire But none of these men could capture her heart For she had thoughts unlike any other To travel the lands, to learn, to explore (A fool, 'twas she, not to want touch of another) Garbed in white cloth, her breeches and bustier A bag on her hip to carry her notions She searched through the lands, both near and far To find her a mage, who would teach her of potions Many times she would stop, each a place to begin Each time she began, they soon showed their lust Many moons did she ride, til at long last She found her a mage she knew she could trust So for sev'ral seasons, did they share their camp They hunted the forests, over meals shared a spell But she would not be enchanted, for she knew that the eyes Cast spells of love, in she'd fall, like a well IV: Duty and Honour Travellers they, the two roamed the lands Seeking tests of their mettle, honour and resilience Came upon them a valley, a pit of despair A kingdom once proud, a wyrm stole its brilliance Weeping and sorrow were the women and the aged Only tears and not hope, did shine from their eye They gave not a heed to the strangers amongst them But instead only watched for the scourge from the sky A shepherd did tend to his pitiful flock And the mages did ask whence could they find the lord The man called a boy to lead them to the keep But warned that his liege welcomed all with a sword Down roads no longer tended, they strode them afoot The boy dressed in rags, to his lord were they led The mages were granted an audience with he And they bowed before him, and these words he said: "What bring ye, o wizards, to my fair lands? To seek ye your fortune, plunder for gold? We have no riches, the smelters stand cold I say this to you, and show you my hands Flee from my homeland, do not be waylaid If ye be but trav'lers, thou walk alone; But if ye be thieves, then get thee begone I would sooner slay thee with mine own blade But if ye be heroes, champions good Give alms to your host, I have no reward I call to your honour, to heed my geas Slay for me the dragon, blight of this wood Give hope to us all, give us some regard Four cent'ries past, has this land no peace" A man not yet forty, yet worn well past his age The lord's throne did crumble, with no artisans to tend Though the words were not spoken, our heroes they new Should they do nothing, would the king's royal line end Without hesitation, Ciaran spoke to the king Told him that they would be the end of their blight Even though he knew no reward, and much danger To spare the innocent, 'twas the noblest fight With what he could spare, the king gave to the two Retainers and servants, packs upon horses Supplies to last them on their journey to come To keep up their strength as they sought out dark forces No need had the king to doubt their sincerity Could see the young witch ne'er in life had told lies And the mage would he ne'er betray that fine girl For the king could he see, the love in his eyes V: The Wyrm Deep caverns housed that perilous beast A foulness and evil that alone would have stank Putrid, its ichor, caustic and black A blinding, bottomless hate, so dark and so dank Spring times were stolen from this beauteous land For four hundred years, the dew with blood dripped For too long they cowered, those who lived in the valley From the well of their efforts, the wyrm it had sipped The newborns it sampled, the farmers and flocks The innocent villagers, their fam'lies and wives Powerful lords and kings, all helpless against The face of the wyrm, all fled for their lives With scales and spear wings, it flew 'cross the skies Its eyes sharp and sure, its domain it surveyed All claw and all tale, those who saw it they claimed The screams and the weeping of the victims it preyed "Gold and new flesh, I take flight on this day I who long rules over lands that I see As long as I live, these lands be ne'er free A meal of blood, I taste flesh that I flay For am I not the most gilded of all? Am I not the most feared across the skies? Strike fear into both the fools and the wise? Am I not the one whose proud voice does call? Centuries come, and centuries may go, Many a knight has fought, many have died And so many more will in years to come Yet my reign of terror doth vastly grow Would take but one swordsman to carve my hide I must strike them, for I do fear that one" Wisdom with time comes, as do fear and lies Treasure and troves do amass into piles Knowledge and skill from decades its life The wyrm lived this long, and hath learned well its wiles But just as no man can wield a sword in his sleep And no righteous man can be his own confessor One can only be brutal so long There can be no tyrant who can kill his successor The dragon kept its watch, ears set to the winds Its nose gathered scent, some new kind of fragrance Blood like no other, with a pinch of the magical Not the king and his sullen, downtrodden vagrants Had a man been near, a fool in those caves A sound that was made, beheld by no men's ears Rattling scales, of a beast living in fear A sound like no other made in four hundred years VI: The Path Through The Woods With farewell to the king, did they make their way Out of the village, with the hopes of all On this early spring morn, with wishes and cheers The villagers they did hope for early fall Many miles did they trod away from the keep Along the path through the woods throughout the day Through burnt and torn trees, did the sun shine As though it had wanted to guide them on their way The cobblestone road, now rutted, unkempt Wound its way through the valley, toward the spire It stood in the sky, stand of stone aloft Like a spike through the heart, and filled them with ire Seen all 'cross the valley, 'twas the beast's home From where it could see the span it surveyed The homes and the fields, the lands and the beasts The cheated farmers from whom it purveyed The road it grew worse, 'til no wheels could pass Only horses and those who were sure of foot Only fools and the damned, went beyond the line Where living things stopped, lay only ashes and soot At the edge of the trees, the party they camped Hidden amongst branches, unpacked their provisions From where they could foment their plan A place of safety, to make their decisions Asking questions of they, retainers six, A barrage of questions, the mages inquired What knowledge could be gleaned from these men Until all were ragged, of puzzlement they tired Night was not the beast's chosen time All felt safe in the dark of the stand Lit them no fire, for 'twould tell the beast Nay, 'tis only fools that would tip their hand VII: A Glimpse Of The Tail With dawn came the call of the bird in the cage Surely, no need, the wyrm awaken first No need for them all to die foolishly sleeping No need to let the beast on them slake its thirst Awoke, they broke camp, and watched for the skies The two mages thus, they ventured fo'ard Into barren wastes that surrounded the spire A desolate land, so bleak and so scarred The scurrying sounds of rats at their feet Amongst the bones of heroes before Death awaited the ill prepared, it seemed For their numbers ran to the many score A flap of wings! A sound from above! Looked, they, up, as the rock fell between They dove each aside, the stone shattered at once In skies clear, a glimpse of the tail was seen The battle, they thought, 'twould be fought on the mount But to their dismay, and 'twas their mistake Far off in the distance heard they the screams And they knew, their men's lives did the beast take The mocking laugh of evil flew not ten feet overhead As in front of them did its maw drop bloody meat The wings of the beast knocked them to the ground The force of the air swept them from their feet They reached the camp, torn and tattered it was The men lay in pieces, fear seen on their faces One was beheaded, another impaled, And both before they had run but ten paces The third and the fourth, crushed by a weight Surely lay dead where the beast had once stepped Fifth and sixth torn as they hid in tents Only now stood the wagons, where the weapons were kept VIII: In The Presence Of Evil Alone, stood the two, in a perilous strait 'Gainst a minion of hell, a lizard perversed Its mocking laugh echoed into their bones 'Twas their folly, into its domain they traversed Time not for thought, and none for respite Did the wyrm grant them as it pondered the two The taste of their blood, not be they a threat And within scant seconds, did attack them anew Flew it by, once, did barely miss clutching Naga's hair and head within its sharp claw Whilst Ciaran swung round, his blade striking scales No piercing of flesh, and no damage he saw Circled round, the wyrm did it turn And began its descent to, it seemed, kill them both But Ciaran pushed Naga, and she fell to the ground Puzzled and pained, she then heard him quoth: "Yea, though I stand in the valley of death I fear you not, not in ten thousand days Here is my sword! It is you that it slays And it is I, who will take your last breath I shall tame this snake, and winnow its lust Nevermore your desires rape this fair land For with righteousness placed at my right hand And so shall I win awe, honor, and trust Come to me, you foul denizen of hell Dost thou think thyself a worthy foe? You, who would dare, to make me your repast? Would thou know my secret? Dare, you I tell? Knowledge that you fear, knowledge you should know? Then you I tell: this night shall be your last The beast it flew down, and didst spread its teeth Ciaran with sword, readied buckler as well Naga stood frightened, afraid for her sage Wond'red why would he not battle on with a spell Then did the fray with the dragon commence It struck her at once - not the claws, but the plan Stunned she was, could not move in time To cast the spell that would save her man Her face filled with horror as she watched the sight A scene of pure evil, it tore at her soul Her friend, her companion, her man, she didst see With a single motion, in wyrm's maw taken whole A scream, she now heard, but couldst not discern If it be the large beast's rally cry Ciaran's of pain, as teeth cut his bone Or her own that shattered the stillness of sky 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 XIII: The Bastion Within The Beast A blinding fire rained down from above But Naga's first magics were more than she'd need Tested again, the heat was no danger Only the lightest of warmth through her charm did it bleed The dragon it sensed she was more than she seemed A relished the battle, a test of its mettle The dragon incensed, though, when it felt Lightning from above, on its scales it did settle Curious and curiouser, its own magic cast The wyrm left no scars upon Naga's fair self Furious and furiouser, aside its spells cast Magic was for naught, 'twould slay her itself! Swiftly descending, the dragon it dove A smile on its lips until 'twas surprised The girl stood stock still, still with a smile With the sword in its belly, intestines incised! The burst of the pain did it cloud the wyrm's mind Could no longer fly, and fell hard to the ground Confused and confounded the dragon it heard A spell it knew well, the girl's voice did it sound The mystics and charms of elementals strong The bane of the fire breathing and of the cold Struggled for purchase, for its defense, but Could not for the blade in its belly's fold Once more Naga's magic struck from the clouds Once more did answer to her true call Once more did a sword pierce inside the beast And once more in pain did the wyrm fall And with a gath'ring of grey sky, so far up above Came a thund'rous blast, so aurally violent And with unearthly noise, exploded the beast And with the light's flash, all now lay silent XIV: Wings And Shadow Amid the foulness of the newly slain foe Lay a man, soaked with blood, the beast's and his own Crying in pain, howling like a babe In the filth, the waste, he lay there alone Aroused from her pain by sounds from without Naga rose to her feet, to search for her friend Wept she did she see him, lain on the ground And his proud body, the wyrm did it rend Naga knelt down beside him, and lifted his head He gasped, he screamed; she called out his name It pained her heart to see his torn body And pained him to be this way, to his shame His eyes wide with pain, dilated and delirious A rasping noise was his bated breath A she cradled him within her arms 'bove her knees Both surely knew, 'twas his certain death Ciaran: "Cry not, my love, for you have set me free, No longer do I moisten the belly of the beast No longer do I rot, nor does it feast No longer need I fear for my love: thee" Naga: "No! I do not want to hear of such talk Only true love, of what we will soon share Stay close, without - I could not ever bear I do, I do, with rings, in white I walk" Ciaran: "Nay, Death it soon shall call upon me here Kiss me now whilst I still may taste your lips My eyes, Naga, no longer see your face" Naga: "Oh why! My sweet Ciaran, kind and sincere Never will I bear your child with my hips I will surely miss your sweet, strong embrace" Kissed upon his lips replied he with a smile Her weeping ceased for a moment; recognized: His eyes, his cheeks, his fingers, his hair His love always there, she at last realized She knew of no spells, not of healing nor curing She knew not of how to raise the dead to the living She knew of no means to stop what was certainty She knew only how to comfort, and that was she giving They talked of their conquests, their travels and deeds They cherished their mem'ries, of wishes and dream They shared their true souls, left naught to regret They spoke in what time was left, nary enough it would seem Rocking him slowly, she counted his breath Only with time, his wounds would they mend Their tears with blood mixed, dropped, cleansing soil She counted one more; he at last reached the end XV: A Pyre In Victory In the forest beyond, fields once overrun Cross a stream of cold water, so bubbly and clear Naga came to a place that she felt would be right Many leagues from whence lost what she held dear From sticks and from deadwood she gathered for days When she felt enough, to the pile would return Carried wood on her back, the work cleansed her soul And said her farewell, her love did and would burn She sat next the fire, saw her love burn to ash Alongside her clothes, naked sat the young mage To be reborn anew, not the sweet virgin child But to write her own legend, to begin a new page From off of his back she had took his wool cloak That it should be he who warmed her at night From within his sack took forth his knife That he should protect her, to wield in a fight From his belt took a buckle and leather adorned Made a diadem full of magic, round her head it did band From his jerkin 'twas her costume, of leather was made To provide her some modesty, sewn by her own hand From his buckler she then took the metal plate Pried off with her dagger, and took it apart Punched holes with her awl, and sewed to her clothes She fabricated a brooch to wear o'er her heart Adorned in his clothes, from head to her boots Everything that she touched, a remembrance of he That her first love did not soil her, nor did he join her To mock those who desired, forever celibate be The sun slowly rose, its pace matched her stride To begin a new journey, alone she now must She burned all her past, left ashes to ashes With each pace anew, her boots prints, dust to dust XVI: Grains The grains, they ferment, the brew it glows warm Harvest time has past, the days they grow short They will soon depart, and light will come again Time is of the essence, when Death comes to hold court Children we were all once, and many are still, Heed this mindful lesson, and tell those who care And put a damnation upon those who do not For the wyrm is within them, so mind you, beware! Take up the tale, and remember it well Stoke up the fires and gather them all Share out the mead and forget winter's storms Let the warmth of the story make storytellers all For it is not of me, it is not of them 'Tis only of now - embrace it whilst here It is not of things that will not last We have only so much time - love what you hold dear Watch thou for the skies, and ye men in your hearts And watch for the signs, the jealous and the lusting Ugliness is not evil, only the feelings it cradles For the greatest of evils bears a face so trusting Beasts of evil they be, both within and without The nature of desire, good judgement forsaken Both with will and for honour must we winnow our lusts Let only paths of righteousness be taken Be not that which must be struck down, Be that which carries the light of good deed Carry not the sword of anger and strife But the shield of kindness, of those in need The battle is fought, not with swords but with words 'Tis a war with ourselves, and our hearts must win out Not bemoan, nor regret, nor to ever hold back But to dare speak the truth, and let love leave no doubt ============================================================ End ============================================================