The Watchers

a random splash of poetry

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(There’s also some Latin sprinkled here and there. I included a quick key in the footnotes)

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Asleep with lidless eyes

Seven Watchers in halls of stone

Standing in wait for need to arise

With each this verse upon their weighty throne:

Septem stant exspectantes, septem surgent tempore necessitatis.

Sex cadent, at unus stabit, usque ad finem temporis.¹

Each knew the day would come

When the sun would go dark; and the stars fall

Even the strongest of them must to the powers of evil succumb

Thus it was foretold to come, when the Heavens call

Yet there was a glimmer of hope, faint but bright

The Watchers, made for the end

Knew that while Six must fall to the Night

One would be left to hold and defend

This Watcher Lord would ne’er fall

Come what may, come what will

He alone would against the coming Storm stand tall

Bloodied yet alive, bent yet unbroken, grim face lifted still

Each longed for this honor, yet none dared to speak aloud

Each wishing to be the Lord the Heavens foretold

Thus while eons passed, Seven Watchers sat silent and proud

Born to save mankind in time of greatest need, and sacred life uphold

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For a thousand years and more

These Watchers sat in peace

Guardians of the world, made for war

Then their rest came to a cease

Into the hall came fleeing a wounded man, wrought with fear

Knelt he before his lords of ages past

“My lieges, the Storm has come. Your enemies are here.” Then he breathed his last

None stirred in the hall

Then the First Watcher arose

There was fire in his eyes and with this he answered the call

“Itaque, veni², brethren, let us throw down our foes.

The time has come to wake at last, once and for all”

Then he drew his ancient sword

And with him five more Watchers rose

Yet still there sat a single lord

Taller and more terrible than any in his repose

And spoke he forth these words of doom

“Beware the wiles of ancient man

For time and time again they have led the Powers to the tomb

Stay, tarry, wait and plan.”

But hasty was the Watcher Lord

And so he set forth

The other lords, in their fury roared

With not a thought to counsel, they followed him North

As they left the Hall, each wondered

For the sky was stormy and had become as black as night, middle of the Day though it be

They knew the end of the world had come, as the skies thundered

Yet each set their face, determined to die free

As the Prophecy of Seven foretold

They rushed forth, with hearts hardened and bold

But still sat the Seventh Lord

On his throne made of dark and terrible stone

Sadly he rose, and took up his sword

For this he had known

Sex cadent, sed unus surget³

But his duty was with his brothers

And so he dolefully departed the hall; and setting his face to the North he went to join the others

Though he knew they were destined to fall

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Spreading wings made of light

He became a fell and terrible man of renown

With these he took flight

And all who saw him fell down

He alighted upon a mountain

And with wonder surveyed the battle below

There seemed to be an innumerable force of men and demons, as from a fountain

The Six were in the center of an ever closing circle, surrounded on a plateau

Then the Seventh Lord knelt

And when he rose, his eyes were like a raging storm

He drew his sword from his belt

And then he came, and his coming was like that of Death himself

Thus the ancient prophecy was fulfilled:

In hora maxima necessitate, Septimus veniet, et eius adventus erit sicut mors⁴

Men and demons fell before his sword

None could stand his onslaught

The Six stood in awe of the fell lord

He was as a hero of ancient tales long sought

One by one, each Watcher was sent to the grave

As innumerable foes surrounded the remaining Lords

But each of their foes was killed, new enemies appeared, wave upon wave

The final warrior stood with his back to the mountain, slaying the hordes

Yet even he, Seventh Watcher, mightiest of the kings

Could not stand forever against these

Many he killed, and many deaths he brings

But then he fell to his knees

Surrounded, beaten down, yet still defiant

The Seventh Watcher lord of olde

Knelt he on the ground, upon one thing reliant

And as a sword came crashing down, he bowed his head, upon which was a ringlet of gold

And spoke a curse, with a voice like a giant

Then there came a sound, as of a glorious choir

And a blinding light, like that of the sun

The sword was frozen in time, surrounded by searing fire

Every evil undone

In a moment’s time, foes were vanquished, and the Sun began to shine

The Seventh Watcher arose

Lifted he his face to the skies, watching the sign

And for a second his was as that of a glorious king

Then fell he before the Heavens, his foes killed

And as in a flash of light

He vanished, his duty fulfilled

For lo, the Dawn was come, and he had banished the Night.

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1. “Seven stand waiting, seven rise in time of need. Six will fall, but one shall stand to the end of time.”

2. “Therefore, come.”

3. “Six will fall, but one shall rise.”

4. “In the hour of greatest need, the Seventh shall come, and his coming shall be like that of Death.”