THE WIZARD QUINTET PART 3 - DRAGON GOLD

Tales are told of hoarded gold
And of the evils it can hold.
How in its name, friend foe became,
Innocence lost beyond reclaim.

Such things befell, the stories tell
In lands where dwarves a time did dwell.
Where mountains high fair scrape the sky
And on their peaks the snows e'er lie.

Down their sides steep, clear waters leap
Beneath their roots lie caverns deep
Where mighty halls with jewel seamed walls
Did echo long with dwarvish calls.

Midst stalagmites and stalagtites
The dwarves lived out their days and nights,
In crystal glades their homes they made
And sweet content did all pervade.

Yet all the same, great evil came
And marred their world with grief and shame.
A dwarf called Nain, through acts profane
Did come to be his people's bane.

For this dwarf lord craved gold to hoard
A cancerous greed within him gnawed.
Then wealth he found, deep underground
Which no mere words could fair expound.

'Twas once the bed, the legends said,
Of fearsome dragon, long since dead.
Its guardian slain, the gold remained,
In evil deep it had been stained.

Right from the start, like poison dart,
It smote the dwarf deep in his heart.
So quick to feed his burning greed,
Its evil in his soul took seed.

His sword he drew, his friends he slew
Lest they should crave his treasure too.
In vicious mood, he hacked, he hued
The drake's foul lusts had him imbued.

In whispered dread the word soon spread
Of how he'd left his comrades dead,
Then some souls brave, cried "seal the cave,
His treasure house shall be his grave".

This choice they made, their plans they laid
Yet one named Frar was sore dismayed,
A friend indeed, in glut and need,
He'd been to he who'd done this deed.

The way loomed clear which he must steer,
So passed away a friendship dear.
His heart thus set, his sword he whet
And strong and proud his fate he met.

'Fore break of day Frar made his way
To where that tainted treasure lay.
Past tree and stone, he crept alone
Through Frar's own hand would Nain atone.

Frar found him there, outside his lair
The glint of madness in his stare.
For moment brief, Frar paused in grief
And pain he felt beyond belief.

Take heed ! Take heed !, dear god take heed !
For Nain attacked with cunning speed !
Too late ! Too late !, dear god too late !
As Frar he slew with gleeful hate.

Too late to save their comrade brave
The other dwarves approached the cave,
In vengeful vein, they fell on Nain
In manner cruel was he then slain.

No joy they felt, at justice dealt
A chill it left that would not melt.
The acts of Nain did their hearts stain,
Their lives now ever tinged with pain.
___________________________

This tale I've told of hoarded gold
And of the evils it can hold.
How in its name, friend foe became,
Innocence lost beyond reclaim.

COPYRIGHT D M PAMMENT 2009