The
A ripple of shock spread through the battlefield,
The Golden Lord had been killed.
The blood of an army soaked a once-green valley,
The sky became cast with a dusky smog.
The Shadow King, perched upon his dark steed,
Threw his head back and cackled viciously.
Crude yells of victory drowned the cries of the dying.
The victors began to march,
The Dark Ones had prevailed.
And the forest never knew.
Nearby, in a little verdant dell,
There stood a forest of wonder.
Still and quiet, rich with leaves.
The sunlight glimmered through the boughs here,
Sparkling and twinkling merrily.
Nymphs skipped down a path flanked by trees,
A bubbling brook gurgled soothingly.
The air was peaceful here.
And all the while the soldiers marched
And the forest never knew.
Still, through the bloodied vale,
The sordid soldiers stamped on.
The Shadow King at the lead,
Proud, formidable, seemingly invincible,
His uncouth henchmen clamouring on behind.
He scanned the region with his small, fiery eyes,
Smirking as he relished in the destruction he had caused.
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of greenery; he advanced
To extinguish the last fragments of calm that were
left.
And the forest never knew.
Meanwhile,
in the enchanting dell,
The sun was beginning to set.
Following its age-old pattern,
It filtered golden light through the trees.
Small minnows darted down the stream, their scales illuminated.
The trees gently rustled their leaves
As the tiny birds blissfully chirped.
The very soil was tranquil and fragrant.
The ruthless king approached, his mind set on massacre
And the forest never knew.
Nearly reaching the dell, the king paused.
"After this, the kingdom is ours!" he boomed, turning.
He was greeted with shouts that quickly died down to a shocked silence.
He spun his horse round and was greeted with a majestic sight-
An exalted seraph, soft wings unfurled, was hovering over him.
"This land is sacred. Leave now, never to return," it said softly.
Eyes glinting, the seraph spread its arms,
Filling the land with revitalising light.
The Dark One's reign went as quickly as it came,
Yet the forest never knew.