Temple of Shadow
A bastion of evil,
Drenched deep in spite,
Offers no mercy,
For the warriors of light.
Opened by fire, trapped in the night,
All those who enter, are robbed of their sight.
The one you shall seek, is a guardian like you,
The path you both follow, shall keep both true.
Somewhere in the darkness, her fate is unknown.
Now pursue for her rescue, return not alone.
Only silence is heard, and what is seen is grim:
Hollowed monuments of death, and trophies of sin.
From soldiers of the damned, to walkers of the dead,
You alone carry light, in this place of dread.
The beasts of the lair shall pull you below,
With tenacious resistance, the warrior's spirit will show.
A ship with no captain, or crew for detail,
Now sits in silence, waiting to make sail.
A symbol of purity, with intentions true,
Sits upon the deck, offering a clue.
With a song of peace, an old love offers respite,
Before the ship makes wave, into the night.
Boarded by warriors, undead from battles long lost,
By sword they are slain, or overboard they're tossed.
The new port is reached, even darker than before,
Into the darkness advance, descend once more.
Crumbling statues stand ominous, and seem to watch as you pass,
Alone you may walk, but your heart must stand fast.
From the walls and the ceiling in malevolence all is drenched.
Skin crawls from the cold, the nose scrunches from stench.
Drowned in such evil, with no light to contrast,
Even the strongest of heroes, in such darkness can't last.
In the heart of this darkness, the temple's master now stands,
Its hypnotic, evil music, harrows from foreign lands.
With each thump of the drum, you heart beats in turn,
But with each slash of the sword, the evil shall burn.
When at last it shall fall, to the sword of all might,
Shall leave none to ponder, the strength of the light.
For the one you pursued, your search not in vain,
The Guardian reveals herself, after the beast is slain.
In this temple of evil, she parried the challenge it posed.
Now she reigns as its master, and holds its gates closed.
The rescue has failed, but an alliance is gained,
You entered alone and return the same.
Damage is done, but strength is gained.
This journey has left scars, the warrior has changed.
Liberated from dark halls, once more walk in the light,
The sun shines on all and returns to you your sight.
The journey still beckons, but this dark trial is done.
Now forward you walk, in the light of the sun.
Behind you the gate stands in ominous warning,
Few have entered the bowels and returned while still living.
Many foes you have slain, many trials you have won.
But none as a dark or as evil as those posed by this one.
Valuable lessons, in this battle are learned,
Most valued of all: Never return.
With a plea to Goddesses, you pray none will follow,
In the footsteps you've left,
In The Temple of Shadow.