The Ballad of the Black Knight

Introduction/Teaser

The ancient Erpheronian tale of the fabled and feared, gruesome and grisly black knight was picked up in his ballad of the same title by Manthria's famous poet Monsonius. In it he tells us of the demise of the one they all thought to be invincible, even immortal - maybe there wasn't so much truth in that legend after all?

The Black Knight

Come and dance, my graceful children, dance,
dance around the black knight's fiery lance!
All his ghastly life he rode with her to battle,
pierced friend'n foe - now himself he's bony rattle,
he drove his weapon right here into the earth -
pray, Soulgryph: See to judge the vile man's worth!

Gather around, my friends, rejoice, let's feast!
The wicked grimace... at last its grin has ceased!
Oh yes, he had so many masters, killed with glee,
did the gruesomest deeds, grabbed bloody fees.
Greed and lust, death and demons of the night,
yield to this day, the Injèrá shines so bright.

Behold the flame around that lance, see its intent!
How it creeps and winds, how it enjoys to reinvent!
Can you sense the magic living inside this thing?
Once a blazing sceptre, swung by the iron king -
yet now it does flicker, the fire begins to fail,
the lance looks dead, shrouded mere in bluish veil.

Hey and hooray! Swift, priests, tend to the felled,
as far too long their final word has been withheld.
The fiend lies still, never he will move again,
this seals his fate, end of the shadow's reign.
May the priests in death restore what once was lost,
remind the soul of lines so shamelessly were crossed.

But enough. Spare some blessings, and leave me be!
Let the proud victor step closer, just let him see
the one final thing he has sworn that he must do,
that very last thing - go, go, let him through!
Away with you, food aplenty wants to be prepared!
The black knight's slain - go, spread that word!

And now... Allow me to approach, darkest of foes,
lying pinned to the ground, as the lowest of lows,
fallen, spread out, pierced clean like a leaf,
rest assured, the final encounter - I make it brief.
For now the time has come to pull off your mask -
yet I feel my hand trembling fulfilling the task...

My friends, trust me: There's no reason to believe
what those foolish folks claim: That to bereave
the villain of his mask is wrong - or so they say,
it only bringeth death, destruction, doom, decay.
Ha! Through my hand the black knight had to die,
I've well earned to look into the evil eye!

On then, let's reveal the truth behind that visor,
lo and behold - one moment, then we'll all be wiser!
But how... Why... What dirty trick I'm being played?
Where's that grimace? The lack of it finds me betrayed,
empty is the helmet, dark, blacker than the night,
where are thou gone, thou horrid master of fright?

But wait! What's that? Something in the helmet stirs...
A strange faint light, a flicker there, a flash occurs,
and as I bend down to look, fascinated, I draw nearer:
Show yourself! Crawl out there, let me see you clearer!
Indeed, from the shadow rises, aye, I now can see
- a face: The knight? No, just a reflection, it is... me.

And in each my fearful eyes winds this fiery tongue,
amazed I feel, shaking - yet lively, vigorous and young.
There's a chill, a shriek, and all those lights are gone,
darkness I see, stars, moon, and then the break of dawn.
I breathe, get up, tear from the earth the heavy lance,
to command my trusty flames: Kiss the steel and - dance!