The Song of Elryk
by Clark Moody
Far away in distant forests
O'er the hills and tow'ring treetops
Through the dells and vales and meadows
Lived a man among the woods.
Long ago in days of twilight
Ere the world was full and flowing
He dwelt alone in secret valleys
Lost to time and myth and mind.
Then the sun in all its glory
Rose and shone forth through the darkness
Spreading to the full height of day
Bathing all the lands in light.
Seeing now the first true sunrise
Shining down upon the meadow
He looked inward to his being
Rose his voice and let forth song.
Running now across the forest
Voice raised in that mighty singing
Gave he life to all the creatures
That now crawl upon the land.
Seeing all of his creation
Spreading forth its wond'rous display
Thought he to himself, "I shall name them,"
And he did so on that day.
Task completed, he felt empty
Knowing not a name for himself.
So he sat down there to ponder:
Elryk was the name he chose.
At that moment something happened
Deep within the soul of Elryk
Stirrings of a dread forthcoming
Bode him to take flight away.
Elryk never had been fearful
Nothing he saw gave him pause
Up to this time he had mastered
All his eye had set upon.
But he resolved to go quickly
Through the lands an untold journey
To what might be his undoing
Yet he ventured on his way.
Days and days he walked the courses
He had worn through field and valley
'Cross the lands of his own making
In this world that he had grown.
Leagues untold were now behind him
Ere he came to unknown vistas
Lands now plagued with thorn and thistle
Plants for which he had no name.
When three days upon his journey
Through the bleak and broken landscape
Elryk came upon an old man
Standing center in the path.
Worn and rugged were his features
Bent and weary he seemed broken
From long years of pain and labor
Spent in searching for the Light.
"Halt," he said and thrust out forward
his worn hand to signal Elryk
"I have not seen you around here
Wand'ring ever in these lands."
Dropping slowly onto his knees
Elryk showed utter respect
And asking the man politely
He said, "May I service thee?"
Noting Elryk's worthy manner
The man spoke and asked of Elryk,
"Carry on the quest of searching
I have been on all my life.
"For I am a man who's dying
Coming now to his last days
Yet unto this very hour
I cannot look back and say:
"I have lived a life worth noting,
Surely all will tell my story
Thinking of my days of glory
I have found my true reward."
With this the man broke down weeping
Lamenting his life spent running
From the evil plaguing the lands
He now in was doomed to die.
Slowly lifted he his shoulders
Into waiting arms of Elryk
And with his last breath on this earth
Said, "Elryk, find Love's True Light."
Elryk now rose and departed
For the lands in deeper shadow
Heeding the old man's instruction
Knew he now what he must do.
Seeking days and months and seasons
Through the bleak and barren wastelands
Elryk one day stumbled upon
A dark forest's gloomy gate.
Knowing that the root of evil
Somewhere dwelt inside that forest
Elryk gathered all his resolve
And plunged headlong through the gloom.
For at least a week he labored
On a path winding in darkness
Ere he came upon that clearing
Filled up full with evil's hate.
There upon a throne of darkness
Sat the power of the forest
Cape and robe and cloak of blackness
Hung suspended in the air.
Elryk raised his voice in challenge
To the figure in the darkness,
"Rise forth from your shady posture,
Face me in the light of day."
Laughed the figure throned before him
As he rose from his position
Standing taller now than Elryk
As he pulled his hood away.
Elryk squinted, tried to focus
Could he still trust to his eyesight?
For where evil's face should have been
Floated now but empty air.
Slowly taking one stride forward
Elryk saw the Wraith advancing
So he prepared to do battle,
But a new thought crossed his mind.
Taking to his course of action
Elryk turned back to the forest
Running through the gloomy darkness
Striving for the light of day.
Looking back over his shoulder,
Elryk saw the monster coming
Not advancing, not receding
Keeping up with Elryk's pace.
Taking random twists and turnings
Through the tangled gnarled forest
Elryk slowly made some progress
With the Wraith still close behind.
After hours of painful travel
Through the briar and prickly thorn bush
Forest opened up before him
Starlight shone down from the sky.
Once outside the forest border
Elryk turned to face the evil
Drawing forth his gilded weapon
He was ready for the fight.
With all speed and craft of cunning
Evil prepared to make battle
Wielding now its sword of hatred
The Wraith simply disappeared.
All that remained of the figure
Visible still in the twilight
Was its sword and crown of iron
Floating unsupported there.
Elryk gathered all his courage
Waiting ready to attack him
When the Wraith let forth his war cry
Chilling Elryk to the bone.
Nonetheless he stood there waiting
And the wraith began attacking
Both swords flashing in the starlight
Both men fought with unmatched skill.
Calculating and correcting
Elryk parried his attacker
Blindly striking at the this air
Where the wraith's body should be.
But he never struck the essence
Of the evil he was fighting
So the battle raged there onward
Till the East again grew light.
Elryk's strength till now had tarried
But his arms and legs were aching
He could feel himself retreating
More than he was advancing
Coming near to his strength's ending
Elryk's will was now abating
But he renewed his firm resolve
And gave a quick desperate lunge.
Flinching back from this new onslaught
Evil slowed the fight a moment
And Elryk seized this chance fully
Running a short way away.
For some time the sky had brightened
While the fight still had continued
But the sun had not yet risen
Till the very moment planned.
Standing high upon a boulder
Elryk raised his sword above and
Drawing now upon his power
Pulled the sun into the sky.
Dawn shone brightly on the metal
Of the Wraith's dull iron weapon
Casting back its dull reflection
Giving it a shadow pale.
Elryk knew the wraith was muddled
At the sudden come of sunrise
And with sudden realization
Raised his voice up to the sky.
"Now I know why I have come here,
why I slept in secret meadows.
I am he who brings the balance,
I am he who loves the Light."
Came he now on winds of fury
Blown from vale and distant hillside
Taking flight in mind and spirit
Willing body to the fight.
Elryk climbed on wings of legend
Soaring through the paths of twilight
Taking hold of all he holds dear
Clinging fast to Love's True Light.
Knowing the love he had for the
Creatures of the secret forest
Lit a flame in Elryk's body
In his being shone the Light.
Up inside him rose the power
Of the hills he walked in twilight
Of the life that he created
Focused in a point of light.
Carefully he focused his mind
On that tiny point of power
Bidding it to his commanding
Channeling its unknown might.
Looking down upon the evil
From his vantage point above it
Elryk was in striking distance
Mounted on the wings of dawn
Focusing his newfound power
To the sword now slightly glowing
Elryk found his strength was gaining,
Held aloft his sword aflame.
Diving headfirst into battle
Fighting with a grim resolve
Elryk struck the blade asunder
Smote the evil where it stood.
Far away on distant mountains
Thunder rumbled in the morning
A new day dawned bright and happy
Evil left these dying lands.
Then before him on the scorched earth
Elryk saw a strange new thing there:
Where the Wraith had stood in battle
Was a pendant on the ground.
Elryk took the shining object,
Held it high to look it over.
Then he placed the crystal pendant
'Round his neck for ever more.
Now a forest filled with brightness
Holds the host of Elryk's creatures
As he thinks upon his journey
Into darkness, into night.
Elryk had prepared the pathway
For the men of days of old to
Come from shadow into living
To be born upon the Earth.
Go ye forth and spread the message
Speak the truth and do not hide it
Keep alive the ancient story
Tell of Elryk, King of old.
February 2004
