THERE IS A PLACE
NOT FAR AWAY,
THAT'S CALLED,
AKAI-DAI-JIN.

AND IN THAT PLACE,
SO LONG AGO,
I HEARD
THE ANGELS SING.
OF KNIGHTS AND DAMES,
OF FRIENDS AND FOES,
OF SHEEP AND WOLF
AND DRAGON KIN.

THE STORY OF
LORD XIAND THE GREAT,
WHO SOLD HIS SOUL
TO THE FALSE KlNG,
THE LORD OF EVIL STATES
TO SAVE HIS KINGDOME
AND HIS LOVE
FROM THE CLAWS
OF EVIL FATE.

UPPON HIS HEART
HE WORE THE RING OF TRUTH,
THAT LIT THE FIRE IN HIS EYES,
AND IN HIS RIGHT HAND TOOK
THE SWORD OF VANISHED MIGHT,
THE GIFT RECEIVED
FROM HANDS OF GOD.

THE LAND WAS PLAGUED
WITH BEASTS OF PRAY
WITH DEMONS, WOLF
AND MEN OF DARKEN HEART.

AND EVEN RAMS OF DEED,
WHO SPAKE AND PLANNED,
OF HOW HIS KINGDOME
AND HIS LADY
FROM HIS HANDS
TO RELEAVE.
A DRAGON RULLED THEM ALL
GRASPED IN HIS CLAWS
WITH FEAR AND HATE.

HIS KNIGHTS HE CALLED
TO RIDE TO WAR AGAINST IT
IN THE NAME OF KING AND STATE.


THE LORD OF DEATH
HE THEN BECAME.
AND ALL HE TOUCHED
WOULD CRUMBLE,
DIE AND FADE.
HIS LOVE, THE FAIR,
SHED MANY TEARS,
FOR WHAT BEFELL,
HER BELOVED LORD'S YAEBS.

HE BEAT THE RAMS
WITH THEIR BEARDS AND HORNS,
WHO MUMMBLED OF THE LAWS.
HE BEAT THE WOLFS,
WHO STALKED AND KILLED
AND FED UPPON THE HERD.

HE HUNTED LIONS FOR THEIR SKIN.
DARKHEARTED MEN AND DEMONS
HE FOUGHT ALIKE.
AND THEN HE MET
UPPON THE DRAGON IN HIS LAIR,
HIS GREATEST FOE OF MIGHT.

HE FOUGHT IT LONG,
HE FOUGHT IT FAIR,
HE WITHSTOOD ALL IT'S TRICKS.
THE DRAGON THEN STAYED ITS CLAWS,
OPENED IT'S MOUTH,
AND STARTED UP TO SPEAK:

"MY LORD THE BRAVE,
MY LORD THE GREAT,
KNOW THIS,
KNOW ONLY THIS:
IF YOU DO WIN
THIS ONE LAST FIGHT
I FEAR WE BOTH
WILL CEASE TO EXIST.

ALONG WITH ME
WILL END THE GAME
OF ALL THAT
WHICH YOU CALL LIFE
THE PAIN, THE JOY,
THE LOVE, THE FUN,
THE FRIENDSHIP AND THE STRIFE.

CONSIDER THIS, I BEG OF YOU,
PLEASE, SPARE ME NOBLE LIEGE,


FOR IN YOUR TOUCH
I FEAR,
OH BLAZING ONE
I SEE MY DEATH
APPROACHING NEAR".

THE FAIR YOUNG PRINCE
STOPPED NOT TO HEAR
THE WORDS OF THE WISE OLD WORM
ITS' HEAD HE CUT
AND TO THE GROUND
WITH ONE GREAT BLOW
HE LET IT ROLL, IN RETURN.

THE REALM WAS SAFE
THE EVIL GONE
NO DEMONS WALKED THE LAND.
THEN TO HIS HOME
HE SET HIS PACE
TO BATH HIS EYES
IN THE BEUTY
OF HIS WIFE.
HE KISSED HER NOT
BUT ONCE
UPPON HER LIPS
AND CRIED IN FEAR
WHEN TO THE EARTH
SHE FELL ALL DEAD,
FROM WHAT?
HE COULD NOT SENCE.

HE ORDERED SERVANTS AND BRAVE MEN
TO COMB THE LAND FOR FOES.
TO LOOK UP EVIL AND DRAG IT BACK
TO STAND BEFORE HIS TRIAL OF RAGE
FOR WHAT WAS DONE TO HER.

IN THE PALLACE
HE LOOKED UP
EVERY CHAMBER, EVERY ROOM,
WHEN IN A HALL UPPON THE WALL
IN A MIRROR
HE SAW THE TRUTH
FROM IT STAIRED BACK AT HIM
HIS OWN DOOM.
BACK IN THE TEMPLE
UPPON HIS KNEES
HE CALLED UPPON THE ONE

THE LORD OF LIES
BEFORE HIM THEN APPEARED
AND OPENED UP HIS EYES.
"YOU ASKED OF ME
TO GRANT YOU STRENGTH
FAR MORE
THAN MORTAL MEN
SO YOU COULD FIGHT
WITH SO MUCH MIGHT
ALL WHO HELD LIFE
THROUGH BREATH.

I GAVE TO YOU
THE GREATST GIFT,
THE WEAPON OF THE GODS.
THE TOUCH OF DEATH
TO KILL
ALL THOSE YOU HATED,
ALL THOSE YOU LOVED.

THERE IS NO WAY
TO HARNESS DEATH
THE KING OF ALL THAT LlVES.
YOU WIELD IT ALL AROUND,
UPPON FOE AND FRIEND ALIKE,
UNTILL THEY FALL DOWN
TO THEIR KNEES."

THE BRAVE YOUNG LORD
THEN CLOSED HIS EYES.
AND LET A SINGLE TEAR
FALL WITHOUT A SOUND
HE DREW HIS BLADE,
FOR ONE LAST TIME
AND FELL
UPPON HIS SWORD.

WEEDS AND FLOWERS GROW TODAY
UPPON THE RUINS OF THAT PLACE
AND IN MIDSUMMER NIGHTS,
UNDER THE STARS,
THE SYLPHS PLAY
AND THE WINDS RACE.
THE ANGELS TELL THE TALE
OF THE GREAT LORD XIAND
WHO LIVED AND DIED
YET PLAYED
HIS NOBLE PART.

A SINGLE SWORD
WITH RUNES OF OLD
STANDS ALONE
SET IN A ROCK.
WAITING FOR THE KING
WHO WEARS THE RING
WHO'LL DARE TO DRAW IT OUT
TO LET IT SING
TO THE BELLS
OF HELL
RINGS.
LET IT FEED
AND LET IT FIGHT.