Hammers of Misfortune

my shrine?
Where is the blood I took for my wine?

Now I sleep in nether darkness
Dream with wolves in cold betrayal
Breathe in storms and turn the seasons
Through this curse of mortal treason

Who dares disturb my slumber
Ages and eons of sleep without number
The spell is broken my fury unleashed
The Dragon is summoned,
the mark of the beast
Who is this sprig off a fallen tree
Thus is a creature created by me
Manifest is this deathly vision
I give you life to carry a mission

Speak in tongues of spheres in blackness
Cross the stars with dark recitals
Turn the wheels of catasrophis
Fly! My spear, your name is vengeance!


2. The Bastard Sapling

The forest lends its life to me
And loyal to her oaken creed
On her ethereal wind I rove
Up above the race I loathe

My roots are flesh and blood
But supple as the soil they suck
A bastard sapling When winter
calls me down And brings me life

And when the nights falling down on me
I watch the demons fly

I wake the trees and give them speech
Their words teach me the ills of mankind
Walk this path and feel my pain
For this hatred and disdain

My birth is still a mystery
Unto the skies and the earth I plead
An explanation for this curse
Be it gold, be it dirt

I feel a darkness drawing near
Barbaric voices invade my kingdom
Lurking shadows follow me
Of a man I cannot see

The earth casts shadows on this race
I claim no party to this disgrace
To bear his form and not his mind
To my past this world is blind


3. On Wings Of Vengeance

I have come to answer your fears
I have come to make good on a promise
I am the whisper that gives you a reason
For all your feelings of hatred and treason

He left you fighting for your life
A bastard son he soon forgot
He raped and destroyed the village
No regard for the life he pillaged
On the throne there sits a villain
And for this now you must kill him

On wings of Vengeance
Fly forth my son
To claim your right as
Chosen One

Now I understand what is my history
It's no surprise
From a king given to treachery

My destiny
I am the rightful heir to the throne
You left your son Forsaken

Turn the wheels of Catastrophis
Fly my spear your name is Vengeance!

My destiny
I am the rightful heir to the throne
You left your son Forsaken

Turn the wheels of Catastrophis
Fly my spear your name is Vengeance!

My destiny
I am the rightful heir to the throne
You left your son Forsaken


4. The Hunting Tyrant

Hark! The hounds are hot
Upon the trail of our quarry
Spur your horses faster
And let not your arrows miss
Fell the tallest tree
To feed the fires at the castle
Meat we'll need aplenty
For tomorrow we shall feast

Wait! Who is this standing in our path
Stand aside or you shall feel my wrath
Don't you know that this is my domain
Now! Stand aside or you'll soon be slain


5. You Should Have Slain Me

To die you left me
You should have slain me
I stand before you
Now you shall face me
I am the bastard
Of your carousing
I am the true heir
And your undoing

Father your henchmen
And lackeys surround me
Cast not the first stone and you
shall be saved

Lies! You foul wretch!
For I have no heir
(What I do by night
Is my affair!)
From your words It's clear that you're insane
Now! For your life
You must prove your claim

[Servants / Villagers:]
Round the fires the Thralls
Pursue their folly
Prophecies and foolish tales of old
Of an ax the elders tell a story

"When the Ax is freed from hell
A single stroke shall break the spell
When the Ax is free again
A brutal reign shall meet its end"


6. An Oath Sworn In Hell

[Act II]

Long I have journeyed and far I have roamed
Weary of searching, I rest by a stone

Then without warning the earth swallowed me
Falling through blackness forever it seemed

Where is this I find myself now?
I hear a voice, familiar somehow....

"Come hither, Come hither" The voice cries to me
Blind in the darkness then what do I see?

The vision of my dream
Floating in liquid flame
Silently beckons me
Across this hellish plain
With dragon's wings she stands
Blood-thirsty ax in hand...

What Brings you to this deathly land?
What do you seek in the land of the damned?

Searching and Searching I finally find
Give me the Ax and let vengeance be mine!

Make me a promise and so it shall be
Swear on your life-blood and so it shall be
Strike me a bargain you cannot betray
Then you may have it and take it away
We'll meet again and you'll do what I ask
Anything I wish no matter the task

This fire that burns inside
It must be satisfied
Burns me to sleep at night
Burns me at dawn's first light
This oath I take and swear
Then let the king beware


7. The Blood Axe Speaks

Of unholy fire forged
And by inhuman hands created

You're free now, you're free now

Blessed with endless lust for blood
My appetite cannot be sated

You're free now, You're free now

Seven thousand kings I've slain
And seven thousand years I've waited

You're free now, You're free now

When the light of the moon
Is reflected in red
When there's blood on the stone
In the sacred event

Costly, the light of the moon
Saturated in red
Cast the blood on the stone


8. Tyrant Dies

Behold I've come Ax in hand
To lay claim to this your land
Face me now I stand alone
Rightful heir to yonder throne

Fool! How dare you come here
With your insults and delusions
Guards! Behead this wretch
And fetch his ax for my collection

Good it is to taste this wine again
And fall upon the necks of mortal men
Drunk I am upon the blood of slaves
Kingly blood I deign to taste

[dies]

[Villagers:]
"When the Ax is freed from hell
A single stroke shall break the spell
When the Ax is free again
A brutal reign shall meet its end"


9. The Witch's Dance

Did you see the Wood-child's gaze
See the ancient fire in his eyes?
Did you hear the Ax as it sang
Thirsting to drink the blood of a king?

Did you see it flash to and fro
Glowing with a life all its own?
Did you see the tyrant fall
Headless in the torchlit hall?
Did you see the wood child
Tear the crown
From the severed head
of the king?
Did you see the Tyrant
On a stake in the village square?

Could it be the end
Has come at last?
Could this be the prophesy
Come to pass?
Back in the town they
Celebrate times to come.
Here in the wood we dance
For the end has come


10. The Prophecy Has Two Meanings

[Act III]

This prophecy has two meanings you see
There is:
One for the Boatman, one for the stream
One for the dreamer, and one for the dream
One for the victim, and one for the blade
One for the blood, and the sacrifice made


11. New King's Lament

I occupy this throne
For only spiteful reasons
The only kingdom known to me is out there
My forest calls to me
Amongst her leaves and grasses
As calm and callow as the springtime air
This keeps no home for me
Unholy sanctuary
These castle walls can't keep my spirit in
These people don't love me
I don't belong amongst them
They want a king and I want
Peace and quiet now


12. For The Axe

I have come to collect on a bargain
Now you must make good on your promise
For the Ax, the source of your power
An oath you swore in that black abyss
Build a great road to the forest
Use the ax to strike the first tree
Wide and straight into the village
Only then will you appease me

Now I understand all of your treachery
How could this be.. This evil destiny?

How could you ask this of me?
(You swore)

My sacred forest home
(To me)

The only thing in this life
(Do this)

That I can call my own
(For me)

Cursed is the day I met you
(I lied)

Cursed is this wretched throne
(To you)

I'll Take this life you ask me
(What can)

And then I'll take my own
(You do?)

It is done


13. Troll's March

March ye trolls of wood and stone
March for now the way is shown

He who sits upon the throne
Is not a man but of our own
This road he built will show the way
To find the mortals we must slay

He who sits upon the throne
Is not a man but of our own
He who sits upon the throne
Is made of wood, wind and stone


14. Sacrifice / The End

Costly, the light of the moon
Saturated in red
Cast the blood on the stone

My Sacrifice
Blood sacrifice

[Wood-Demons:]
Spare the horses
Spare the bats
Spare the chickens,
Dogs and cats
Spare the oxen
Spare the plant
Lofty dove and
Lowly ant
When the Ax is free again
The mortal's cursed reign shall end

Slay the ones who chop and cut
Slay them in their wooden huts
Slay the ones who slay the birds
Slay the ones who speak with words
Slay the ones with tools and games
Slay the ones who's gods have names

And as I watch the slaughter
My kingdom swiftly ends
I recognize the slayers
They are my childhood friends
The blood-ax strangely silent
As all these mortals die
Together we could save them
But I've no will to try Why....?

Of the wood you are
Soil and dust you are
Of the Stone you are
Wind and rain you are
Not of human mind
Nor of mortal life
Yes you are my son
And your work is done
See me as the creator
Of your destiny
You have a void to fill
Full with your elusive life

You are He

[The End]