Skreiburg

Stormghosts call a name
Vindman, Wanderer
Wake, time unfolds
Unburied bones
turn to flutes
A melody born
twisting minds
Calling the world
Axetime

Hailstorms
tore through fog and breath
With a KLANG
a furious blacksmith
hammered ice to flame
With a KLANG

No orchestra of ancient pain
could mute eight hooves
Hide, Silence, flee.
Bloodwing
Lightning ignites his path
Thunder—
when he touched the ground

At the Gates of Skreiburg
Festung stark
Built of thorns and wounds
Skulls and bones
And steel and fright
Glued by pain

Vindman—louder! Blow your bonepipes!
The once-mortal came—
blinded.
Deaf.
Yielding battlecries
He cannot hear
Mutemaker on his side
craving souls
Your end—or mine.

Skreiburg!
No longer stronghold
Mausoleum, Tombstone, Deathbed

Old stones moved in ache
The heart of the sky
forgot its beat
But time moved
So did Skreiburg

Armored men gathered on the walls
Spears, arrows, swords, stones
No-one dared to attack
the blinding fire
anathema
and ire
staring from the two holes
in the eternal judge’s skull

Igarth! Igarth!
Prevent the bloodshed!
The ever-flying snake
crawled behind the moon
They knew the signs

Mjöln! Come to aid!
Carrier of disease
Body-Dweller
Buried deeper into caves
They knew the signs

Unheard calls
warriors’ fear of death
One step of Bloodwing
made the bells shiver in terror
their unholy sound
called one long forgotten
one who once broke the fog
dwelled in the chambers—
too long, without a name.

Gates of Skreiburg—
opened wide
Warriors greet your brother—
fellow hunter—
with whom you reigned—
with whom you asked for worship—
as he hailed you
with a grim look
And a soul long withered

Dog-Beast!
Once a rebel
A Stray
Hero of this world
You cut the fog
Became the first father
of this blasphemy
we call home
Walk away
Be free
You deserve
our bows
not my sword.

The beast roared
voice formed by pain
muted by his own blood
Teeth ground
Tired
Weary
Already gone
The Vindman blew
his funeral tune
on bird bones

Too long have I been gone
Nothing good dwells in me
I forgot the new world
But with the old, I must leave
A needle necklace
cuts me every day
Pay your debt:
remove it from my dead body
Or I’ll rip out your heart
Chew it
Spill it
Swallow it whole
and return to my warm cell
to drown again
in the spring of blood
the slave necklace opened.

Dog-Beast howled;
an army of a thousand voices
Earth shattered
His wives on earth
Felt their husband—
for the first time in endless eons

Warriors on the wall
Joined his battle cry

Trembled down the heavenly path—
Kill. Or die.
Massive body, grown through centuries
Flower of regret
Odem of pest
Smell of molding flesh,
dead bodies, cold blood.

The judge drew Mutemaker—
breath of doubt
Hands shook
After all these sacrifices
Fatekeeper! Hast thou forsaken me?
No man could stand against this beast
Prepare to die
Void awaits
All is lost

Thunder rolled over heaven
but the clouds didn’t dare
to make a sound
Hammer-hooves struck the beast
Yellow teeth buried deep
in horse flesh torn
Neighs in pain
Clouds turn red
Raining blood—
Spoke to mortals, down on earth:
Time has come.
Screams of the beast
echoed the halls of Skreiburg
As its skull broke
And its eyes oozed out

The senseless judge
was deaf to pain
blind to pain
He watched over
Bloodwing’s sacrifice
Mutemaker growled in hunger
Not yet
Not yet
Your turn will come
to feast on warriors
and Gods.

The forgotten beast
and the newborn hero
Remnants of the old
cracked in heaven’s dome
broke up its cloudy skin
Holes formed everywhere
The judge saw the earth
and mankind stared at him
Some openings
lead elsewhere
into the pitch black:
The Gap.
Even he shivered
when he saw the beginning
of the ancient
and its end

Gods, beasts, mortals

feared.
Fear.

Fear the Gap.

A final howl of pain
and hunger
Dog-beast cut a throat
Eight hooves knew they’d die
But not alone
Strong Bloodwing
spread his blood-soaked wings
noble, pushing one more time
Both beasts lost their hold
entangled they fell
Warriors lacked sight
through the fog of blood
No one ever knew
which hole they have chosen
But their screams
turned to laughter
and echoed on for years

Skreiburg.
Your gate opened for me.
Now you are mine.
Warriors on the walls:
Let me pass
Or give Mutemaker
what it demands.
You, in whole.

A shadow moved across the battlefield.
Passed holes, passed blood
Mankind hailed
The walls remained in silence

Fatekeepers, you kept your promise.
Now it is time to keep mine.

Skreiburg.
Heart in the cloud.
Now you beat for me.

The once-mortal man entered.

Leave an offering †
Join the secret cult.

Cover Image Credit: Original photos by Mario La Pergola. Manipulated by Ashmore under the Unsplash License.