The SkyPath Crusade
A Science Fiction Epic Poem
Copyright © 2007 by Daniel Schilling
All Rights Reserved
Chapter Ten
The seconds fled the time went dead
And all of nature paused
The creature inched the Roman flinched
But neither’s gaze was lost
Expectantly they had to see
Whose move would seal fate
The moment fell when heck and hell
Could not much longer wait
*
With moves rehearsed by minds well versed
The deadly sport commenced
With fatal skill and strength to kill
The two combatants fenced
With sword to claw and helm on jaw
They fought to gain the ground
But though they pressed from foot to chest
No weakness there was found
*
The Roman parried back and forth
His body filled with sweat
He stuck and stabbed, he jumped and jabbed,
But still could not forget
An ancient fear he once did hear
While on his father’s knee
About a distant monster race
Who came from Vega Three
*
“So long ago when time was young,”
-His father’s words returned-
“They had to leave their mother world
Whose surface had been burned
With wounded pride and hate inside
They tried to make things right
By killing guilds on other worlds
To thus extend their plight.”
*
“But now their race has reaped disgrace
To such a great extent
That any honor they once held
Has surely all been spent
To love and kiss and nurture bliss
Is far beyond their skill
They’ve sold their soul and all they know
Is how to loot and kill”
*
The Roman took another look
Upon his hated foe
The face he saw from nose to jaw
Was painted black with woe
It’s drooling fangs and mangy bangs
Were thick with smells and lice
The angry beast to say the least
Looked anything but nice
*
Before he blinked or stopped to think
The Roman soldier knew
The stories old his father told
Were all correct and true
The legend stood before him
In the stillness of the night
Unsheathed in all its evil as
A trans-celest’al blight
*
He yelled a word, he raised his sword,
The awful fiend drew near
The Roman stooped, his shoulders drooped,
Engulfed in darkest fear
He gave a cry, he knew he’d die,
As surely as it came
But in his heart he felt the dart
Of deep unvarnished shame
*
His inner self began to melt
And pecked him with its beak
The bird inside of righteous pride
Had now begun to speak
“How dare you die, you have to try!”
Implored the tender dove
“This thing you do is not for you
But others whom you love”
*
“The truth speaks clear: your help is near
If only you will trust
For faith and love and things above
Will never turn to rust
You’ll live or die, or sing or cry,
But keep this truth in sight:
Though demons cheat there’s no defeat
For those who do what’s right”
*
The soldier knew that this was true
As quickly as it spoke
Like crystal streams in sunny dreams
His will to fight awoke
He hacked and sawed, he kicked and pawed,
He felt his strength return
For loss of breath and fear of death
Were none of his concern
The entire SkyPath Crusade is posted at http://skypathcrusade.wordpress.com Only go there if you feel like reading a book-length epic poem. Otherwise, just keep browsing this website. Or: I just started rewriting the epic poem in prose as a serial novel. You can read the first post at http://returnofthemuse.wordpress.com/2008/03/22/space-crusaders-1-a-serial-novel-about-romans-in-outerspace/
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