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The Demon King
Restless shadows struggling wildly in the currents wind,
Icy fingers of death await the journeys end.
Lightnings strike eerie landscape brightened momentarily against the dark,
Crashing echoes of thunder entwined catching the fear beating in her heart.
A desperate journey riding the swift wings of Leer a great white owl,
Needing, wanting, hoping to escape the demons clutches somehow.
He comes for her this she already knows,
Word had come through Sanna the hunters ghost.
Through the angry black clouds twisting and turning through the hearts rainbow,
A dense fog unseen till upon her body its moisture flows.
Breathing heavily now looking back and from side to side,
In hopeless desperation searching for a safe haven to hide.
A place often heard of but nigh impossible to reach,
Mooriah, an island of Muire, the coastal hidden beach.
The demon could not dare to invade its mystical shores,
For the greatest of goodness a shower of kindness pours.
On they flew eternal darkness breath spewing forth icicles of immense cold,
The treetops reached for them seeking a strong firm hold.
She screamed the pain of an oaks limb whipping across her face,
As it reached to wrap her in its massive arms leer flew higher taking her farther away.
Crimson blood eased slowly down showering raindrops in the forest sky
Ah fresh blood the manlon licked his sunken lips his meal was flying high.
He had been searching for food his hunger so immense,
The drops of blood made his two hearts beat intense.
His claws were thorns shaped in a half circle fifteen on each squared paw,
The sharpest of razor teeth held tightly against two skeletal jaws.
Four blazing yellow eyes, glowing brightly in the night,
Two unmovable in the front, two moved in circles on each side.
His nose was that of human but his sense of smell five times that,
His chest and stomach were that of a human, his limbs that of a wild cat.
He thrived on blood fresh meat easily ripped apart,
But his tastes run more to a beating heart.
He pounced once then twice on his powerful haunches, the wind carrying him in flight,
Perhaps they would give up willingly, ah he hoped not for he loved the thrill of the fight.
But leer anticipated this attack from below,
For being a wizened old owl with magical vision these things he knows.
He bade his lady hang tightly lest she fall from her seat,
And soaring towards the land below spiraling picking up speed.
Round and round faster throwing the manlon slightly of track,
He wondered at the owls reasoning till the swiftest of currents caught the manlon landing flat on his back.
Ah tricked, no how can this even be fair,
For like the earths turtles he could not turn over all he could do was lay there.
Back into the clouds leer flew the lady's heartbeat echoing a wild tune,
But a sigh of relief under her breathe when they neared the Wind tunnels of dune.
That was it the entrance to the land of the hidden beach,
Her safety, her hope, her new life all within her reach.
Suddenly the winds gust threw currents through the air,
As she tumbled from Leers back she moaned in helpless despair.
Leer stopped in mid flight circled to catch his lady rider,
But too late he saw the invisible web of the widow spider.
Quickly she wove, Leer was unmovable he couldn't break free,
Poisonous fangs oozing blood the widow shivered in ecstasy.
Such a big bird of prey, much food was this
All her passion, her desires would spew forth wrapped in her final deaths kiss.
Spider veins pattered upon her human legs,
Her eight spiders arms safely tucked away her little widows eggs.
Her human face crinkled in a twisted grin,
As she crawled towards her prey, ah so big where to begin?
A deathly scream caught her attention ah if only she could reach the lady human,
More food that she could handle but the demon would finally give her attention.
She began to weave faster and faster trying to gain ground,
But the roar of thunder and maniacal laughter she stopped and turned around.
The demons approach and the lady human was meant for him,
She crawled upon a mighty oak and rested on the edge of a limb.
A front row seat a fight to the death,
Oh she couldn't wait for the humans last breath.
The demon appeared eyes shooting blood red flames,
Goats hooves for his feet and three asps attached to his horses mane.
Wings shaped of a raptor fanning rancid breath,
Rotting smell of flesh from millions the smell of death.
Four sharp fangs then small uneven teeth,
Hundreds of them chomping in rhythm from the dead flesh they eat.
A white foam oozed from its skeletal tongue running down thin narrow jaws,
His chest was skeletal no flesh covered him at all.
Flames from his eyes reached for the lady and oh the scream she released,
Leer wrapped so tightly heard her scream through the breeze.
He fought against the web, twisting turning, but all it did was tighten,
He had to help the lady for he knew she was extremely frightened.
"Oh wise one I have need to conquer a demon force,
I bow to your wisdom for I have no other recourse."
"She is defenseless against an evil such as the demon king,
Please release this magical spell you have cast upon me.
Sir Leer I hear your words and your unselfish request,
I will release your owlish form, and return your human vest."
"Your pittance has been served to human form you will now become,
But you must save her before the morning sun.
If you fail I cannot help again,
Only if you succeed will you remain a mortal man."
A golden sword appeared in his hands the brightness burning the strands,
To late the widow spider saw it for no longer a great white owl, but a man.
The demon king prepared to bite into flesh but his attention was drawn behind,
This new threat took the golden sword and stabbed him through his fiery eyes.
Explosive flames spread throughout the Demons Forest burning uncontrollable,
The lady frozen in terror oh how he wished he had time to console her.
But he didn't. He lifted her in his arms and ran evading the limbs that grabbed for control,
And then around the corner he spied a widened hole.
Jumping in breaking her fall with his own,
Running onward never stopping through a slimy tunnel a mile long.
At the exit a city of gold where peace reined supreme.
As he held her in his arms for loves first kiss she awoke from this nightmarish dream.
Sweat glistened from her body, sheets twisted underneath,
Tears formed seeping slowly from her eyes, it was only a dream.
The nightmare was over for that she was relieved,
But what was that, she pulled back the sheet and there was golden sand upon her feet.
© Cynthia Clark
