The Prophet's Answer

Riding on the beast whose death he foretold
Cometh the Prophet, the Seer of old
O, what great secret does he now hold?
Asketh not, if ye be not bold.

Give us a sign! the people cry
If you do not save us, we'll surely die
You've tamed the one, but the others, they fly
They circle our castle in the clouds up high.


I've come to speak for them, not for thee
If thou wilt not turn, and in turning, flee
Thou wilt pay the unmatchable fee;
Thou shalt never another sunrise see.


O Prophet, return; return, O Seer -
Because of the dragons, for our lives we fear
They've tormented us for a quarter year
Every waking moment, it's them that we hear


O Fool, O Idiot, use thine head!
If not for I, thou wouldst be dead
Once, I helped thee - once, I led -
But now has been spoken all that needs be said.


O great wise one, what shall be done?
Must we abandon, O must we run
And abandon our castle of the moonlit sun?
Surely, somehow, this battle can be won.


I turn my back; I'll say not more.
And with that, he marched prompt out the door,
Onto the dragon - and with a shattering roar,
She flapped her great wings, and began to soar.

O Prophet, O Prophet, the people they wailed
But soon the dragons, flying demons, they hailed
With teeth and claws and wings they impaled
And, having done, into the sky they sailed.

Singer of riddles, your people are felled.
With righteous fury, we've singed them with hell
From the great oaken doors to the top tower bell;
Did you tell them all you had to tell?


Great Lady Dragon, I give thee thine land
My people had no right to build on this sand
And they heeded not my furious reprimand;
Their blood is clean washed from my hand.


'Tis just as well. I bid thee adieu;
People like you are a true precious few
You've delivered justice where justice is due
And now I must part with you.


What I have done, it was in the least.
But onward I travel, for I am due east.

And, in saying, he unmounted the beast
Who, as he foretold, in battle deceased.

He asks not a penny; he takes not due gold
Only his cloak and his staff he doth hold
Singer of riddles, great Seer of Old -
Asketh not, if thine actions be not bold.

(just in the case of confusion - in italics are the words of the people, in bold the words of the Prophet, and in Italicized Bold the words of the Great Lady Dragon.)
"Tonight, I won't be alone
But you know that don't mean I'm not lonely
I got nothing to prove for it's you
That I'd die to defend..."

-Bed of Roses, Bon Jovi

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