Opherin--a ballad

deep inside the world

while I was resting at an inn
a’singing for my food
a stranger caught the web I spin
and asked if I would come within
and tell him more of Opherin
while I was in the mood

I told you once, I told you twice,
I told you once again,
if you seek for Opherin
you’ll seek and die in vain

in ancient shadows, (so I told),
just o’er the map’s far bound
where goblins snouts appear fourfold
and undead things are strong and bold
as they reach up with fingers cold
to pull you underground

in those dank caverns you will find
a most reclusive beast
pass caves where demons lie confined
through crystal caves that warp the mind
and if they kill you, t’will be kind
a cleaner death at least

I argued once, I argued twice,
I argued two times more
but you would seek for Opherin
in spite of all my lore

we slipped past webs that ward her sleep
a snarl of putrid vines
that grew from where the poisons seep
cold in the bitter damp and deep
where phosphorescent creatures creep
with pale, green, rotting shines

we delved still deeper into heat
our breath was burnt away
‘til every step would burn our feet
and still you wouldn’t cry defeat
our quest was all, we must complete
though reason barred our way

my harp and voice against the force
that fills the world below
I played until my voice was hoarse
my fingers burned and bled, of course
but in the quest to find the source
you refused to slow

you pushed me once, you pushed me twice,
you pushed three times until
we made our way to Opherin
your gold against my will

we saw her then, she haunts my dreams—
her dark, volcanic eyes,
her hair a long, obsidian stream,
her fingers with their lava gleam
while ‘round her, crystals turned into steam
I heard their dying cries

stop up your ears, don’t heed her song
or she’ll have you enthralled
she’ll sing to you, “adventurers strong,
come to my arms where you belong
there’s no escape, there’s nothing wrong
if you but heed my call”

she sang it once, she sang it twice
she sang four times in turn
until you reached for Opherin
she held you and you burned

and then she turned, one more to slay
and song was all my shield
she sang, “oh won’t you come and stay
I’m lonely here,” I backed away
my bleeding fingers found a way
and so I did not yield

I stepped back once, I stepped back twice,
five times, ‘til in a sweat
I left the cave of Opherin
echoing our duet

and so to all who hear my song
of lonely Opherin
don’t seek her cave you don’t belong
you are too small, the earth too strong,
she doesn’t even know she’s wrong
as she takes you in

line count: 80