The First Ballad
Come hither SkyWings, I'll tell you a song
We'll begin with a right, end with a wrong
Fly with me back to an old carmine sky
Stained red by fire burning fierce to the eye
Here the dance begins around sweet Candle
Forest aflame billows black breaths of smoke
Swaths of land sizzle by scarlet storm's stroke
O blessing of burning, weapon of mine
Crackle and cackle as raging fires dine
Life into ash, that is the way, Candle
Licking like tongues of some battle-born beast
Now higher the hot flames leap, leaning east
And the fumes, o the smoke, the air's gone dry
Leaves curl and sap pops and little plants die
Twas overgrown, ready to burn, Candle
Once a peaceful place where spring breezes played
Once a green hillside steeped toward pretty glade
A hopeful habitat, many miles wide
Prey for plenty dragons, this land supplied
All gone, all burnt, because of you, Candle
Hunting ground lost is unfortunate, yes
But he aptly avoided bigger mess
No SkyWings fly 'round here, not at this time
No dragons to witness commissioned crime
Your death will be a private one, Candle
Mid-way through, he enters this tale's proem -
A royal dragon flies into the poem
The son of the SkyWings, one to behold
See the hesitant prince with scales of gold
His bravery flickers like a candle
He is not the type to be murdering
Indeed, his is a case quite hard to sing
The Gold Prince is weeping, wishing to change
He looks to the left and spies something strange
A tree burns like the wick of a candle
A bird - an eagle - stands guard at a nest
The fire surrounds, but the bird does her best
Eaglets she protects, the chicks cannot fly
'An omen!' he gasps, and gives a pained cry
He remembers an egg and a candle
Know that this dragon reluctantly sinned
His wildfire wishes wax in the hot wind
If only, if only, he could do right
O no, O no, he thinks now, but he might...
He might make a miracle, my Candle
The Gold Prince swoops down, down into the fire
And reclaims the egg left there for the pyre
It's warm as an ember, did it survive
Cherry red eggshell, please keep her alive
'She's my sister, and I name her Candle!'