Luyện nghe bài hát The Splendour Of A Thousand Swords

ALTARUS: Gaze into the mists with your spirit-eyes, Xerxes... look far, and tell me
you see.
XERXES: I see a land far to the north... a vast empire of dark moors and snow-
crowned mountains... a of brooding citadels and warrior-kings who hail to grim gods.
ALTARUS: Look well, Xerxes, for enlightenment within the fog-swathed vales of
Hyperborea...
The Dream:
By the onyx sceptre of my forefathers, the air is with auguries of dethronement...
dread thus prophesized!
In a dream I was bade the argent-eyed unicorn to the Ring of Stones...
There a torrent of viscid slime assailed me, as pipes and sang the clarion of my
dissolution...
And the of my ancient azure throne.
Assassins stalk the nighted halls of my palace... poisoned and chalices surround
me.
I thirsted for a balm, but my was slaked by an envenomed draught.
My swordarm shackled by tendrils of sloth... enthralled by the gloom...
Borne upon wings of dread... I awaken!
I shall seek the counsel of the sorcerer, of the ancient scrolls of wisdom, and the
of Power...
The Words of the
My liege, great and regal king... the mists disclose secrets... you are destined to
wield a great dark power. Drink deep of the potions of the apothecary, for upon now I
bestow a shard of the mystic Crystal of Mera... sacred artefact of the mages,
won in battle by our legions. My liege, the Crystal of Mera unveil the truth lurking
hidden in thy most dreams...
The Voice of the
The land awash with spilled blood, and viscera torn from the sundered dead...
Gorge the earth with flesh darkened with the claw and fang of war... rent the
maws of worms...
The
The Crystal illumines dark secrets, the truth is known... a dire and threat is ranged
me.
Hearken, the clarion is upon the winds, now the call to is upon us all,
Grim warriors, take up thy spears and thy gleaming swords.
Archers, string thy bows, knights, saddle the steeds of war,
The glory of battle is nigh at last, our banner shall fly day in victory!
My warriors, a shall this day be wrought by our blades, decreed by the gods,
Blessed by the blood of vanquished foes. Our beckons...
Angsaar, Dark Liege of Chaos:
Come, great king of Hyperboria, march against me with your legions and
shimmering swords. I, the Bane of the Atlantean Kings, the Scourge of Lemuria,
of the of Ultima Thule, shall Crush you! I shall visit a thousand plagues upon
your realm, and wreak havoc and bloody carnage until I have your throne... and
soul!
ALTARUS: And thus, by the splendour of azure banners, a vast army marched
forth from the great of the Imperial City of Hyperborea, and at the forefront of the
mighty legions, an ebon war-stallion, rode the king, sunlight glinting upon his
splendid armour... by dreams, and guided by the Crystal of Mera...
XERXES: Where? Where did the king's path take
ALTARUS: The king was to lead his forces to the shadow-haunted Mountains
of the Dead, a grim and 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
countless ages past by unknown hands. For three full days and nights he did not
from the cave... until, at last, he rode forth from the eldritch once more, a terrible
knowledge shadowed in his icy eyes, and bearing in his gauntleted a huge black
sword, a magnificent blade which no human blacksmith ever forged. Fearsome
sorcerous power crackled the yard of black steel, dancing upon its searingly honed,
glyph-scored blade... and its bejewelled, dragon-carved did whisper arcane secrets to
the king in a strange, tongue.
XERXES: But master, what powers did this possess? What secrets did it hold?
ALTARUS: Many centuries ago, before even were waged the Great Wars the
ancient kingdoms of Atlantis and Hyperborea, Lord Angsaar did rise from his
and do battle with a powerful immortal warrior-shaman over the possession of the
Crystals of Mera, mystic gems of unparalleled potency. Angsaar, his power
swelled by forces from the vast Darkness, did smite his foe to the brink of
destruction... but, with his fading sorceries, the immortal mystically transferred his
into his great black sword, and scattered the magic crystals across the galaxy,
leaving Angsaar with a victory and forcing him to return once more to his dark
Chamber of Slumber. The sword was lost for centuries, as were the crystals, the one
gem to remain on this world was discovered beneath the northern seas by an
ancient Atlantean wizard. And the sword... legends spoke of how its resting place
would be made known by the sorceries of the last only when the blade's power
would once again ne needed to the Chaos-liege. This was the immortal's final, most
powerful spell... upon the reawakening of Angsaar, the energies and undying
lifeforce encased the blade would be transferred to its wielder... aye, the one who
discovered the Shadow-Sword would be imbued the power of the immortal, and by
the art of spellcraft, he would do battle with his ancient nemesis once more...
XERXES: Then there such a cataclysmic battle!
ALTARUS: And so, from his Black Citadel, the Chaos-liege did forth his Horde of
Wraiths to engage the of the king...
THE
Behold, a legion of undead fiends meets us the field of war.
me, Scourge of Lemuria, I wield thy bane, the Shadow-Sword... (and darksome
sorceries now empower me thunderous might!)
Hearken, the clarion is the winds, now the call to arms is upon us all,
The glory of battle is at last, into the fray we ride!
XERXES: The outcome, master... who left the field victorious? Did the prevail?
ALTARUS: The begin to disperse... for now, the images fade. That tale shall have to
'til another day...
Lyrics:
Jonny Maudling