Irrela, Irrela

By: Brindle Posted on: June 17, 2010

O Brave Irrela, what fate has come to thee?

You faced the infernal gate and entered in

That Cyrene might continue to be free.

Like a lamb into the ravening lions' den

You marched alone into that fiery blaze.

Irrela.. Irrela.. Light be with you always.

When Evil turned its gaze to fair Cyrene,

Foul hatred stirred within its blackened breast,

Contempt and scorn for a city so serene,

The Heart of the Vashnars, tranquil in her rest.

And he designed to raze her rich estates,

To slaughter all, and lay the city waste.

She woke to peril. There within her gate

The air grew hot as the fires of Phaestus' forge.

A rift blazed forth; the Inferno's flames of hate

Left the ground beneath it singed and scorched.

And from within that fiery portal spilled

A host of daemons, swarming to the kill.

Their skin was black as night. Their hollow eyes

Looked on unmoved with pity for their prey.

And armed with cruel claws, as sharp as knives,

They slaughtered all who stood to bar their way.

Like a wave upon the city did they break

And left but broken corpses in their wake.

Alarum bells rang out at the attack

And Cyrene's forces, quickened by their zeal

To hold the city, drove the daemons back

Into the rift, and followed at their heels.

And there within the hellish fires they found

The generals of the horde.. and struck them down.

And with the final blow, the war seemed won.

Yet the shout of victory turned quickly to a curse;

The rift remained. They soon were overrun

By a second wave, more dreadful than the first.

And as it too was driven back, another flood

Rushed in behind to bathe the streets in blood.

As Cyrene's doom advanced inexorably on,

Mother Marhisa sat with downcast eyes

Within the great Basilica of Shallam.

Her angel, Irrela, vowed to sacrifice

Herself to close the rift, and meet her fate.

She'd go alone into that fiery gate.

O Fair Irrela, we never shall forget

The Celestial who, on behalf of men,

Marched alone to face the cruel threat.

And though the flames of darkness shut you in,

Still may you shine like a star within the night.

Irrela.. Irrela.. Go ever with the Light.

While in Cyrene the daemons overran

The last defense, and swarmed the city's streets,

Within Shallam, the holy rite began

To break the bond 'twixt angel and her priest.

As the symbols of the ritual were prepared,

All lifted up their eyes in fervent prayer.

Four candles burn: the clerics channel Fire.

Four leaves of bloodroot: the rumbling Earth attends.

Four pools of Water: the elements conspire.

Four Airy feathers: there comes a rushing wind.

All channel Spirit, and Marhisa pleads aloud

That Celestia now break what once they'd bound.

A light so bright it blinded every eye

Consumed the hall, till every shadow fled.

And when it faded, hope began to die;

Marhisa lay upon the stone as dead.

Irrela knelt beside her; it was done.

When their strength returned, the pilgramage was begun.

Then set they out to cross the continent,

While Cyrene's streets still rang with sounds of war.

Her heroes strove, though all their strength seemed spent,

Pushed on, and drove the daemons back once more

Into the fiery rift from whence they came,

Then stood Irrela forth to face the flames.

She neared the rift; it trembled at her prayer,

And shook as she approached the Inferno's door.

As she passed through, a tremor split the air,

And buildings shuddered 'neath that thund'ring roar.

Then all grew calm; where the fiery gate had been,

The rift was gone, Irella trapped within.

Marhisa wept; no other sound was heard.

Though the rift was gone and their city had been spared,

They uttered not a whisper nor a word,

For all words falter before a deed so rare:

On behalf of men, an angel chose to give

Her body to the flames, that they might live.

O Brave Irrela, your death was not in vain,

And ever shall your name be counted blessed.

For all the angels of Celestia's plane

Were humbled by the courage in your breast

When you marched forth into that fiery blaze,

Irrela.. Irrela.. Light be with you always.