A Paladin's Dream

By: Wivylma Posted on: February 24, 2006

I dreamt of a great shining city,
Its citadel clad in white stone,
Its tower was crowned with a glistening mound
Of gold, the largest I'd known.

The gardens inside were abundant,
The ponds were so still and so clear,
The streets, they all wound round the centre of town
Past shops and past houses so dear.

The high walls, they stood still and empty,
Of watchmen there was not a sound,
No guard on patrol, nay, nary a soul
On watch in the valley-girt town.

The streets on the inside were teeming,
A great crowd was gathering there,
The young and the old, the cautious and bold
They'd left all their watch-stations bare.

A speaker stood up from the gath'ring,
He lifted his voice in a cheer,
It rose to resound the whole city round,
To burst from his mouth without fear,

"On this day," said he, "we have conquered,
The great Light has triumphed at last,
We've come to the end of evils to mend
The darkness of Mhaldor has passed!"

The priests were all singing in triumph,
Embracing their brothers in peace,
Dark Vicars all turned to the Paladins stern,
Apostasy vowed to release.

"The lost here will always be welcome
To give up the yoke of the night,
There will be no more fear, for no child a tear,
We're meet to be 'City of Light.'"

The rapier of steel awoke me,
I gasped as it plunged in my chest,
With delphinium coated, that I might be devoted
to dreams, and not stand to the test.

My enemy saw how I faltered,
He opened his mouth in a leer,
"Dreaming of night, of fleeing the fight?"
These things he said with a sneer.

I forced myself up with a stagger,
and ate of a small kola nut,
I readied my blades, and thought of the glades
Of peace, and my foe's arm I cut.

"Evil will never us conquer,
For even in your dreaded night,
We can see our dreams, those beautiful scenes
Of Courage and Order and Light!"

My enemy laughed and made ready
To separate body from head,
"Go to your dreams, those small silly scenes
Are all you shall have," he said.

"Our knights will forever subdue you,
Ours is the strength in this land,
Go tell the Mother you wish for another
Chance to be slain by my hand!"

So saying he cut me asunder,
I felt from my members life flee,
My foe's laugh resounded- how terrible sounded
That venemous cackle of glee!

I prayed to the Mother to save me,
I asked Her for dreams of the Light,
I asked for a day when Evil we'll slay
And all the world know no more night.