The Lost Song Of Aldmeris: Book Seven

Magnus opened his eye above the field,

Which had witenss'd much fire, much rage and steel,

The spirit solar watch'd the good Ald Fey,

Beat low by wand'ring swords of Padhome,

The night had brought to them a wicked price,

Scores of Ald heads had then blooded the ice,

The tides of war had swept bitter the Ald,

Those noble spirits who guard and uphold,

Anu's peace and the Dragon's sainted sphere,

Static order against wanderer's fear,

Magnus stretched his arms down through the dark,

But all that reach'd Nirn from his distanc'd heart,

Were the blessings arcane plac'd on his folk;

In the Ald Fey elder magic awoke,

But neither their spells nor cunning minds,

Could victory or e'en some small peace find,

Round the tent of the starbless'd Auri-El,

Gather'd his knights, his lords of war-and-spell,

A council of hope, a council of loss,

The sun-Fey's last stand 'gainst the coming frost.

Stood breast to breast, the blood-batter'd four wept,

King Auri-El, eldest of Nirn, had kept,

The light in their eyes from fading away,

Assur'd them Aldmeris would survive the day,

Trinimac his knight pledg'd his undying might,

That guiltless paragon of strength and right,

Syrabane through eyes of boundless wisdom,

Promis'd mage-craft to defend the kingdom,

Phynaster's cunning and heroic force,

Swore wand'rer death; their head and necks divorce,

Resolutely made were their plans that day,

One final push to drive the dogs away,

"We must retreat southward," spoke Auri-El,

To our last refuge in this mortal hell,

Our Tower, beacon of our nirvana;

And seek aid of our ancestor ada,"

Stalk'd by the Trickster's wand'ring northern hounds,

Our heroes led their Fey to southern ground,

The one-thousand-and-eight Fey did resist,

Forming a ring 'round Tower Aldmeris.

The next morn rose with many clashing swords,

The sun-Ald's music split to broken chords,

Many champions of Anu fell hard,

To the Trickster Psjjjic and his hoard,

Almynster the Templar, belov'd by all,

Crush'd by a brutal dog equip'd with two mauls,

It took sixteen-and-one wand'rers to fell,

The arcane beauty known as Raediel

Her blade-twin Anecra was next to die,

Sent by four beasts from life into the sky,

Fire-mage Molagoe was froze,

His undying flame snuff'd out true by those,

Who sail'd through the warping land in ships,

Vessels of their thrice-crown'd frostlord 'Shor-khan'

With daggers of snow they hack'd the Ald Fey,

So true that even memories were flay'd,

Three generals of the Ald-King were cut,

Their names and feats all Fey alike forgot,

While inside the Tower Auri-El pray'd,

To his fore-father, the Dragon craz'd.

"O lord, First-Drake, fragment'ry Tusk Aka!

We beg your defense from Shor-khan city-sacker,

The fate of your favourite folk hangs dear,

For our joint army is struck down with fear,

O peace of the Anu, soul of His soul,

I do prostate my haughty pride in whole,

Show me, Dragon, how to correct the ways,

Of my Ald Fey, Sun-Kiss'd, in these last days,"

The tears of the King were met with a light,

That lasted one thousand years and yet but a night,

The Drake's visage show'd, split in many parts,

Open'd a hundred mouths to thus impart,

"O my good son, my reflection mundane,

Can you not recall life off this dark plane?

Here, with Time's command, remember your birth,

Among the thousand voids, not on this Earth,

I am and you are me and we must change,

The course of un-hist'ry, I can arrange,

To offer chance; the wand'rers to erase,

Climb the tower, King Fey, and save your race."

The way walk'd by King Auri-El was steep,

Climing up while battle rag'd at his feet,

T'was a thousand moments before he reach'd,

The summit, as Ald defences were breach'd,

The noble king knew not then what fate held,

And as such, paus'd and to the heavens yell'd,

"Reveal your plan yet, Lord of all true Fey,

O He-Who-Perch'd-And-Thus-Allow'd-The-Day!"

And thus came Lord Aka, in a new shape,

Thrice-Crown'd, three fiery heads sprung from one nape,

"I do take this, form of my dual twin Lorkh,

For our answer must trick, your time is short,

As thine feet tread atop the Ur-Tower,

My true divine form shall light up the air,

Thus shall we our subjects deceive into,

Believing we are one spirit, not two,

Thus our seeming app'rition will rally,

Our once-ada to vict'ry in belief,"

Though shook, King Auri-El leapt through the door,

Lighting up the heaven above the gore.

To the Psjjjic below, vict'ry seem'd clear,

Until a golden-lit Dragon appear'd,

Seeing their one true God rallied the Ald,

Who then drove the wand'rers back to their cold,

Atop the world, Auri-El touched the sky,

And witness'd the opposing army die,

In grace the Ald Fey to bended knee fell,

Weeping joy and praise for Lord Auri-El,

They thought their King was made a Dragon true,

From dracochrysalis to born anew,

And on that spire, Auri-El's noble act,

Became through the King's eyes a fact,

His prior truth now distorted by,

Th'intoxication of rev'rent allies,

Forgot were his words with Dragon Time,

As Lord Fey believ'd his deceitful crime,

Above him Magnus and Aka did smile,

While the ada watch'd him complete his trial,

And so Auri-El thus retook his place,

Inside Aka and the souls of his race.