Luyện nghe bài hát Splendour of a Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath the B; Azon of the Hype

[ALTARUS:] Gaze deep the mists with your spirit-eyes, Xerxes... look far,
and me what you see.
[XERXES:] I see a land far to the north... a vast empire of dark moors
and mountains... a land of brooding citadels and warrior-kings
who to grim gods.
[ALTARUS:] Look well, Xerxes, for hides within the fog-swathed
of Hyperborea...

[The Dream:]
By the onyx sceptre of my forefathers, the air is churning with
of dethronement... dread thus prophesized! In a dream I was bade
ride the argent-eyed unicorn to the Ring of Stones... a torrent of
viscid slime assailed me, as pipes and horns the clarion of my
dissolution... And the usurpation of my ancient azure throne. stalk
the nighted halls of my palace... poisoned blades and chalices me.
I thirsted for a balm, but my thirst was slaked by an draught. My
swordarm by tendrils of sloth... enthralled by the chasmed gloom...
Borne upon wings of labyrinthine dread... I awaken! I shall the counsel
of the sorcerer, keeper of the scrolls of wisdom, and the Crystals of
Power...

[The Words of the
My liege, great and king... the mists disclose their secrets... you
are destined to wield a great dark power. Drink deep of the of the
apothecary, for upon now I bestow a shard of the mystic Crystal of
Mera... sacred artefact of the At mages, won in battle by our legions.
My liege, the Crystal of Mera shall unveil the lurking hidden in thy
fever-haunted dreams...

[The Voice of the
The land awash with spilled blood, and viscera torn forth the
dead... Gorge the earth with flesh darkened with the claw and fang of
war... rent open the ravenous of worms...

[The
The Crystal illumines secrets, the truth is known... a dire and
threat is ranged against me. Hearken, the clarion is upon the winds,
now the call to arms is upon us all, warriors, take up thy spears and
hone thy gleaming swords. Archers, string thy bows, knights, saddle the
steeds of war, The glory of is nigh at last, our banner shall fly this
day in victory!

My warriors, a legacy shall this day be wrought by our blades, by
the gods, Blessed by the blood of foes. Our destiny beckons...

Angsaar, Dark Liege of Chaos:]
Come, great king of Hyperboria, march me with your splendid
legions and shimmering swords. I, the Bane of the Kings, the Scourge
of Lemuria, Archfoe of the Immortals of Ultima Thule, shall Crush you! I
visit a thousand plagues upo n your realm, and wreak untold and bloody
carnage until I your throne... and your soul!

[ALTARUS:] And thus, flanked by the splendour of azure banners, a army
marched from the great walls of the Imperial City of Hyperborea, and at
the forefront of the legions, astride an ebon war-stallion, rode the
king, glinting up on his splendid armour... compelled by dreams, and
by the Crystal of Mera...
[XERXES:] Where did the king's path take him?
[ALTARUS:] The king was compelled to his forces to the shadow-haunted
Mountains of the Dead, a and brooding place steeped in dark and ancient
legendry. Alone he rode into the gaping maw of a huge cave hewn into the
of the tallest mountain co ages past by unknown hands. For three full
days and he did not emerge from the cave... until, at last, he rode
forth from the eldritch mountain once more, a terrible shadowed in
his icy eyes, and bearing in his gauntleted fist a black sword, a
magnificent ebon blade which no human blacksmith ever forged.
sorcerous crackled within the yard of black steel, dancing upon its
searingly honed, glyph-scored blade... and its bejewelled, hilt
did arcane secrets to the king in a strange, elder tongue.
[XERXES:] But master, powers did this blade possess? What secrets did
it
[ALTARUS:] Many centuries ago, before even were waged the Wars
between the ancient kingdoms of Atlantis and Hyperborea, Angsaar did rise
from his charnel-tomb and do battle with a immortal warrior-shaman
over the possession of the elder of Mera, mystic gems of unparalleled
magical potency. Angsaar, his power swelled by forces from the Outer
Darkness, did smite his foe to the brink of destruction... but, his
fading sorceries, the mystically transferred his li fe-essence into
his great black sword, and scattered the magic across the galaxy,
leaving Angsaar with a hollow victory and forcing him to return once to
his dark of Slumber. The sword was lost for centuries, as were the
crystals, u ntil the one gem to remain on this world was deep
beneath the northern by an ancient Atlantean wizard. And the sword...
spoke of how its final resting place would be made known by the
sorceries of the last crystal when the bl ade's power would once again ne
needed to battle the Chaos-liege. This was the immortal's final, powerful
spell... upon the reawakening of Angsaar, the sorcerous and undying
lifeforce within the blade would be transferred to its wie lder...
aye, the one who discovered the Shadow-Sword would be imbued the power of
the immortal, and by the art of elder spellcraft, he would do with his
ancient nemesis more...
[XERXES:] Then there looms a cataclysmic battle!
[ALTARUS:] And so, from his Black Citadel, the Chaos-liege did forth
his of Wraiths to engage the army of the king...

KING:]
Behold, a legion of undead fiends meets us the field of war. Face
me, of Lemuria, I wield thy bane, the Shadow-Sword... (and darksome
now empower me with thunderous might!) Hearken, the clarion is upon
the winds, now the call to arms is upon us all, The of battle is nigh at
last, into the we ride!

[XERXES:] The outcome, master... who left the field Did the
prevail?
[ALTARUS:] The mists to disperse... for now, the images fade. That
tale shall have to wait 'til day...

Byron]
[Music: Maudling]