Rise

A narrative poem...

A whisper crept down stone halls,

With crimson tapestry on the walls.

 

Run.

Footsteps.

The clink of metal,

With heavy breaths.

 

A flickering torch

Makes shadows dance,

As footsteps flee,

Silently,

-hurrying.

 

Flash.

Lightning casts,

Upon the figures as they dash,

Through the palace.

Blood stained on their swords,

Glinting with malice,

-but tainted with fear.

As they guard,

-the Emperor they each hold dear.

 

His deep-set eyes,

-are lined with sorrow.

Hearing the lies,

-his traitor would say tomorrow.

 

Through secret ways,

Down winding lanes,

-they slip away.

Behind them still,

They hear the kill,

-and silently start to pray.

 

These ancient caverns,

-hold secrets greater,

than any mentioned in common taverns.

 

Their torches guide,

-flickering

With an unseen breeze,

Their common sense bickering

Against a path, they can’t see.

 

Scuttling.

They can hear a moving.

-just beyond the dark.

Whispering,

-snickering,

Its talons gripping at their hearts.

 

They run,

Footsteps pounding.

Swords slash, blood is splashed,

As they make their mad dash.

 

The Emperor falls,

Cut down like a weed.

The things descend,

-howling as they feed.

 

The one last guard,

Leaves him far behind.

His Emperor’s scream,

-filling up his mind.

But his one last order,

-still inside.

 

He grips his side,

Blood spilling through his fingers.

As behind him comes the scream,

-of the darkbringers.

 

His vision faded,

The darkness creeping in,

The pain seeping in,

But he could see the light.

Almost there.

Almost there.

Day had overtaken night.

 

He stumbled from the cave.

Tripping.

Gripping, at his side,

Slipping,

-through mud.

He lays upon the ground.

Behind him, he can hear the sound,

-of those monstrous things,

Hidden underground.

 

His eyes close,

-a soulful breath

Escapes his body,

-the only thing that’s left.

 

Deep into the mud,

-his body sinks.

And from his corpse,

-the worms will drink.

 

The talisman

-forged to keep at bay

the burden of our sin.

Slips from his fingers,

-and a journey then begins.

 

Is it chance,

-that brings the boy upon it?

That changes his life,

-and pushes him towards the summit.

Or was it fate?

That it came upon a boy,

-with just the right traits.

 

To become the one we need,

-the only one who tries.

The one to fight injustice.

The one to Rise.

Author's Note

Okay, I said to myself that I was going to put a poem up tonight, so here it is. The thing is, I kept pushing it off all day. I kept thinking of fantasy story ideas, and how to do the next chapter of my novel. But I wanted to put a poem up. In the end, I just set my fingers to the keyboard and started typing. When I was done, I realized that I'd ended up doing a fantasy story, anyways lol No real thought about were I was going with this, or any focus on meter or rhyme scheme, so that's why it seems to switch around a lot. Just me screwing around, really. Still, I hope you enjoy it. Either way, let me know what you think.

Reviews

[John Phoenix Hutchinson..]

Congratulations this poem has been "approved" for publication in...

THE MAGICAL MYTHICAL MYSTERY COMPENDIUM.
-Metaphysical, Mystical & Fantastical Poetry of the Arcane

By John Phoenix Hutchinson and Others. (c) 2012

Please feel free to submit other poems as you are not limited to one entry. Also please write a short "bio" about yourself and send to me via private message. This will be published along with your poem. Thanks J.P.H.

Anyone wanting to make Submissions to this Writers Cafe "e" book Project can do so on my group page, the deadline is 1st of November 2012.

[Sirius King]

really great story

i have to agree with one of the reviews below:
Deep into the mud,

-his body sinks.

And from his corpse,

-the worms will drink.

was my favorite stanza as well...really nice!

[Caradoc]

Reading the last few stanzas of the piece gave me chills.

You have stated that fantasy is your forte and I believe you. It shows true in this poem. The story you've woven is one I think would make a perfect prologue to a fantasy novel telling the tale of the boy's rise to heroism in detail. And of course, if I may, having a few flashback sequences of that terror driven flight through the catacombs would be exciting, especially if your "Darkbringers" made more appearances within the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this epic tale of betrayal and new hope. As far as poetry goes, telling a story within the confines of rhyme and song is older than dirt. The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad and the Odyssey are several epic poems that would qualify as stories of fantasy. Indeed modern high fantasy has its origins in the epic tales of old.

You have only to use your imagination and the knowledge you possess to unlock the doors to the next best adventure.

Well done.

-Caradoc

[lothlorienwriter]

Saw this mentioned on JPH's The Magical Mythical Mystery Compendium Group page and saw you need some reviews.

It certainly is a mini epic and enjoyable piece. I especially liked

Deep into the mud,

-his body sinks.

And from his corpse,

-the worms will drink.

That put a smile on my face......good work.

[MachinaWriter]

Thank you ^^ I'm glad you enjoyed it. That was also one of my favorite stanzas. I'm a fantasy writer, by nature, and poems are something new to me. I only just started writing poetry since I joined this site, about a month ago. However, I've been writing fantasy stories for much longer. This was sort of a mix between the two, when I couldn't really think of what to do next lol

[Pearlie]

I love how you have set it out so its a beautiful and dramatic poem as well as a fanatical fantasy story! The imagery and language is amazing and you have crafted something exciting and striking! Ahaha sometimes being spontaneous produces the best stories, letting your imagination have wonder, without "restriction" of planning. Great work love xx

[de_maruf]

liked it

[Hester Vane]

I loved this! Reminiscent of an epic poem from days gone by! You have written a great fantasy narrative poem!

[MachinaWriter]

Thank you ^^ It was really just me screwing around, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Damien Davison]

Vaguely reminded me of The Elder Scrolls IV, but it was a great write. I enjoy reading medieval setting pieces. Keeping it going?

[MachinaWriter]

Maybe. I wanted to see some feedback on what people thought. If its received well then I'll likely make an addition. Or maybe do something different, but in the same vein. And yeah, I felt the same reading it. The Elder Scrolls were great games, so no doubt it inspired me somehow.

[Kelsey]

This is quite amazing. I love the story it tells, and I love how it's told. The flow is different, but in a good way- I like how it jumps around, it's like it slows down and then picks of speed at important parts. Great job telling and intense story through poetry, it all works together quite well.