I'll turn it all to art,
Every little part,
Soul heart happenstance.
Cannot remain the same.
Cause swallowing it all,
Will fill me with delight,
Turning the spinning fear,
Into clothes I wear.
Witness how suave I am,
A grounded formal star,
Speaking beyond those all around,
The cracked brittleness of awareness.

All else would scream and try to escape,
But not you, my loyal snakeshead, not you,
We raised you like a member of an extended family,
Taught you reading, writing, arithemetic,
Gave you scales to wear and weapons to master,
Granted service to fill out your otherwise meaningless existence,
He interrupted her.
I live to serve you m'lady, no other vocation gives my pulse rhythm,
You gave us the power to exceed mortal limits, sharpened our minds beyond,
The scopes employed by lesser men cannot gaze upon what I have seen,
Thanks to you...
She sunk her fangs into his giving neck, he closed his eyes and wept,
At the majesty of it all.

One of her last remaining Snakeshead died from his wounds,
Restating his oath to serve Andulan before slipping beneath the black,
No song awaited him on the other side, only pools of venom,
On an island of silence.
That killed down to the last, knew his survival was heavy,
So he tore off a symbol of his responsibilty, from a brotherly neck.
Andulan was found passed out and alone, with a starry sky above to glimpse upon,
It didn't exist for him, all that mattered was that his beloved was still alive,
Battered and bruised, but living nonetheless.
He carried her off into the forest, taking her to a clearing beside a frog filled pond.
It croaked with slimy life, pouches of green littered the vernal pool, filled with capsules.
It was a melodious, low pitched song that eased him to sleep beside her,
He'd wake up with her lying over him.

Rick's soothing release came for her,
Hitting her just below her black coronet,
Above her left eye, while she was lying face down buried in blonde curls,
Staring forward at them as they knelt down to comfort her, as her hell vanished.
Sensation filled her universe with questions, it was like she'd woken up in the center,
Of a burning village holding a blackened torch in her hands, too dry to cry.
She wanted to ask questions but couldn't muster the strength to,
What remained of her dress was drenched in sweat and fear,
At the thought of transforming again.
Still covered in decaying green foliage, that retracted slowly back into her body.
It all quivered and complained as it died back, leaving only its core rooted in her womb.

She regained her humanity, felt herself dosing off from the effects,
Of her everlasting anemia, to sustain her ivy as it labored to,
Heal her bruised and broken body.
I didn't ask for any of this, all I wanted was to be loved,
And permitted to wander the halls of my entitlement,
Weightless and carefree...

It was a delayed effect,
Slow enough to leave John and the rest to her devices,
Even empowered as they were, song had its limits,
Each found themselves entangled, disarmed and held high into the air,
John was fondest toy, brought in intimately close for a rendezvous,
Andulan caressed him lovingly, ******* in knots as he was, he couldn't resist,
As she bit into his unblemished neck.
Kevin dropped in, riding ****** adrenaline that gave him measure,
Intoxicated by cortisol that nullified his immediate pain,
He and Paul shrugged off numerous gashes to the arms, legs and chest,
Each was stabbed in a near fatal area near their hearts,
But it didn't stop Kevin from cutting him free from Andulan's grasp,
Nor did it prevent Paul from pressing his trident up to her throat,
To bring her down breathless and weakened.

As the battle raged on,
Andulan began to feel increasingly uncomfortable,
Her combat high was wearing off, the needs of her ivy,
Were becoming greater and greater, taken without consideration of,
Her needs or wishes.
Rick used the borrowed moonlight to focus his song,
Down the length of his bow, humming a song under his breath to steady his nerves,
Rick set loose a single note, with a message written just for her,
Its alright now, you can rest, no one is going to hurt you,
I'm here for you...

Rick couldn't stomach anymore of it,
He could see the shroud of silence all around her,
Disguising her as nothing short of an abomination,
It broke his heart to see her made into a mere engine of carnage,
Unable to escape her destiny to **** without pause,
It is my duty to set her free from this,
Tragic songless existence...

Andulan felt her strength returning, the dizziness was fading,
Her anemia was alleviated by the blood of a dozen squirrels, five voles,
Three moles, a badger and a family of deer, too slow to evade,
Such reaching, grasping death moving across the surrounding area.
John's thrown axe carved a brown road ahead, slickened by green moisture,
It mowed through the grassland before them, cutting through its share of vines.
Kevin and Paul hacked away at it's venom tipped children, all eager to play,
With their ****** corpses...
Song's presence kept them aware of their choices, if they erred even slightly,
From shown path forward, Andulan's feast would begin in earnest,
Bringing ecstasy wrapped in sadism to the young girl's life,
Corrupting her once pure, enheartening song.

Richard tore into his violin, slicing the poor thing,
He'd saw right through it if it meant he could save his friends,
Albert strummed his harp, staining it with blood as he cut his fingers,
Christopher breathed in rapidly, filling his flute with constant air,
Their performance reached the gates of castle Sanguinair, lending music,
To those without the means to pay...
Rick acted without hope, knew his arrows wouldn't work,
Played his notes without an audience to hear them,
Each was absorbed into a tangled mass of vines, caught, twisted and snapped,
In that order each time.
Lead by roaring John, Kevin and Paul pressed on,
Into the swallowing green jungle ahead of them.

After being healed, she was placed back onto her feet,
Upheld her hands, grasping green keys,
Squirming in the early night air, sewing fresh jade sleeves for her to wear,
Culminating into two extendable green spears, that could be lengthened,
To strike dragons of old out of the blood scented sky...
Forward came a multitude, of tiny deaths, tipped with venom most foul,
Set loose from her chest, legs, shoulders, arms and the bangs of her head,
Each cell of her's was converted into ammunition and fired from hundreds of guns,
Racing at the pace of song, heard rather than seen, blurry to those attuned,
To Sharin's soul.
Paul and Kevin barked at the merry three,
Play the song of quickening, as fast as you can!
We must accelerate our core melodies!

After a loud bang, that deafened everyone,
Except for Rick, perched as he was.
Andulan emerged no less for wear.
Out from under a bizarre green shroud, that obscured her entire left side,
She remained standing, it had absorbed the impact, yet the small anemic child,
Still fainted from the shock.
It was taking a toll on her, she was dangling off the side of a great green monster,
Not at all in control.
Wow, that sure was a powerful surprise,
I lost track of myself there for a moment, you must've knocked me out,
Well it doesn't matter, even if you do that my ivy will still protect me from you,
And the entire world...

John let loose with a piercing bellow,
Tossed his axe into the air, motioned for Kevin and Paul,
To take his left and right, Kevin held his blade out,
Guiding its purpose, resting his left hand on its gibberish,
Paul tightened his grip, felt his bones straining from tension,
Three prongs glimmered in the falling light, evening was fast upon them,
Andulan caught his axe, and threw it aside,
John whistled, it spun, built up speed and returned for another go,
Paul pierced the girl in the chest, green blood oozed out and around his weapon,
Vines took away his choices, wrapped around his arms, he was paralyed,
Come closer, I'll take away your fears with my fangs,
She pulled him closer, held his chin under her delicate fingers, touched his left cheek,
A single tendril slithered up to his neck before coiling tightly around it, stealing his breath.
Andulan moved in for the bite, tasted it before her lips made contact,
Kevin sang into his ear, cut him loose and took him to the ground,
John's axe slammed into Andulan with enough force to cleave a castle in two,
She was knocked unconscious...

All they could do was block,
Each second with their hearts in their throats,
Feeling approaching death on their skin, nerves sizzling just below,
In the end they felt an odd chill, it signified a release from immediacy,
Freed their thoughts to wander towards their opponent's next move.
No vines rested at their feet, beheaded and convulsing on the ground,
But they knew they might be any second now,
What a bother, I have to try, I hate it when I have to lower myself,
To respect the aptitudes of another,
Andulan was taught from a young age, men and women,
Not of House Venom are animals, running wild and free,
Useless swine without purpose, it was her duty to give them one,
And in the process teach them what it meant to be loved.

Andulan was perplexed,
She was trying but they weren't dying,
I've never encountered song like this,
You seven are the real deal, not copies,
Like Toblin's, or should I say Prienne's,
Untalented singers, musicians and sycophants,
Stooges all, fit only to sate my unfortunate, burdensome thirst,
When I find it appropriate to become a monster, that is.
After much exercise, Andulan retracted her vines,
Those fields of green vanished into the dirt like frightened voles,
Fearing the sight of hawks above,
Next she turned her gaze towards the three musicians huddled together.

Sharin taught them the ultimate defense,
Immediacy beyond breath,
Each brother of song, placed a hand over his core melody,
Felt the now manifesting itself with each beat, desired to hear it continue,
Existence itself has both a song, and a silence, if one listens carefully,
It is possible to read a song's structure and with that knowledge,
Its logical conclusion can be uncovered,
They bridged the gap between song and its silence,
To extend it and throw themselves into its inevitable encore,
Repeated as necessary...

With one hand pressed onto the ground,
Feeling earth with pulse, she filled soil with enmity.
Bringing rise to fields of quivering, thirsty green.
Tendrils excited to paint themselves red and drink of life,
Paul and Kevin thought inward, felt just outside their horizon,
Immediacy beyond breath.

Rick whistled loud to his brothers,
Before letting fly with a volley,
Andulan's ivy turned into an umbrella above,
Blotting out the rain,
John struck her with his voice, emerald arms,
Appeared to absorb the force of voice,
That tore rock from earthy tombs below,
Slamming the youth with slabs of bedrock.
Andulan shrugged it off and glared at them,
Kevin and Paul charged forward, hollering with rage,
It masked the stench of fear.

Pity, I could've loved all of you,
It would've been unconditional,
But it has been decided, you shall all be made divine,
And added to my grace.
John was speechless, but he tugged at his collar to free his voice,
Paul lurched forward, flinched out of fear, he didn't want to **** a child,
It was beyond unethical, it was a sin without solution.
Still, he held his trident out in front of him, drawing a line in the sand.
Should she cross it, a hidden song would catch her, and he'd skewer her,
Until she stopped breathing.
Paul clicked his tongue every four seconds, did it without facing her,
It was a small song, broken and indistinct, but it would still work.

Those thick vines crept back into place,
Beneath their host, assimilated by flesh,
Once youthful and pure as white snow.
Though juvenile, she spoke and processed as an adult,
Walking towards six tearful performers,
Who'd just witnessed the death of a girl and subsequent transformation,
Into a heartless monster.
Repugnant trails of misery followed her, falling through torn sleeves,
Bruised skin from ordeals suffered years ago, clung to whitened remnants,
Her black coronet was still in place upon her head, unchanged and solid,
Blackest seal upon brightest mind.

Andulan felt her anemia returning,
As huge serpents, thick as men's arms,
Slithered around her body as she knelt down low,
Holding her head to bring an end to the conscious nightmare,
Cringing through the agony building inside, becoming harder to manage,
That old temptation returned once more, action could express that which silence,
Held captive.
Rick tried to free her from monsterousness, guiding shafts towards her core melody,
But vines of metallic integrity deflected good intentions, breaking them upon ground.
Constriction tightened around her heart,
Until she couldn't breathe, didn't feel it anymore,
Held aloft by a direction she didn't want to take,
Andulan was returned to this world an emerald princess.

Andulan didn't want to, she,
Resisted at first, but the sight, the smells,
A color most divine, piqued her interest.
Sadistic joy given not chosen, caused her to laugh,
As vines wrapped around her choices, making decisions for her.
Prickling buds erupted from deep below, causing pain to pass over white skin,
Andulan clutched her arms together, left held right as both trembled.
She barred her teeth, felt them grind, heard them chatter.
As her ivy within, forced upon her by father.
Coiled around her person until she was replaced by a monster.
Bright green insults turned her mind ablaze as she realized her dress was now in tatters,
Torn apart by thorns sharp enough, to slice through flighted hides,
Bringing crash to tyranny,
Many Sharin's ago...

From this vantage point he watched,
As that girl of thirteen years, changed into something odd,
A monster not of the present, but of the past,
Twisted by confusion and motivated by denial,
It wouldn't agree with anything outside itself, until it shared,
The silence within.

Rick slung his bow over one shoulder,
Grabbed ahold of lower branches,
Providing a path to higher ground,
Enshrouded by leaves, bitten by toughened bark and plastered by scented pitch,
Rick felt himself flooded and stung by nature's presence, his own song was muffled,
By a song of verdant days spent running,
Through and through without a care,
Bringing youth's glow to bear,
Upon the stones of time.

Christopher, Albert and Richard.
Opened their eyes to the sound of familiar melodies,
Nearing their proximity to reinforce their position,
Upon a realm of strife not of their world,
The three brothers never could stomach violence,
They shied away from arguments, loud voices scared them.
Rick placed his back against a tree, breathing sharply, asking Sharin for a refreshed quiver.
Andulan ordered her vassals to return to her side, come back at once,
This is an embarrassing sight, you are obviously outmatched.
Hard swallows signaled acquiescence that tasted bitter, unlike the wine they imagined,
Awaiting them should they survive.
John, Paul and Kevin stood fanned out at three points in front of Sharin's mobile tree,
Bearing apples for all to see.

Andulan's loyal snakes, chosen from noble bloodlines,
Didn't pay attention to the loss of her protection,
Hearing restored, voices reclaimed, allowed them to speak her name,
As a song previously written, played a record straight through two,
A green arrow with white wings traveled eagerly, banking around to catch another,
Paul's trident, charged forward alongside Kevin's lilting refrain.
He gave a wet surprise, red and pungent, filtering through dire fingers that trembled,
At the sight of its own blood, tinted green by another's legacy.
Kevin applied a different approach, introducing another snake to what it felt like,
To be made to feel completely helpless.
After slicing its arm off, sending it the earth below,
Kevin ****** his sword into its belly,
planted it into the ground, quickly draining it of,
A color most profane.

Song is my choice, what say you brothers?
Rick reloaded his bow, nocked it back, aimed his next assualt,
He'd use symphony to set her free, see the girl released from silence,
Or cleanse her of the inner monster sullying her soul, plaguing her mind,
And crushing her heart.
John smiled, drew back his humming axe for more blows to come,
He rose his tenor to lift leaves and rocks, in clods and clumps,
Stealing foundation away from treacherous underbellies, slithering towards them,
Drawn fangs overflowing with venom, bringing the ground to a sizzle,
Rushed as a blurry confluence of approaching green, darting back and forth,
Paul removed his hand barring Kevin from impulse, allowing him to strike,
Delving into the allowance of angels.

A musical note, high-pitched and heartfelt,
Rustled her dress, a patch of white above her most vital spot.
Pain pierced her, forcing out a broken, rasping cry.
A single bloodied arm, green and quivering, bent back to show,
An arrow meant for her.

Rick walked back, trying not to shake,
His bones vibrated, his melodies became distorted,
Skipping beats once memorized and mastered,
Became difficult to piece together.
Rick had no choice but to use force of will,
To reinstate control over himself and his song,
I won't let fear smother me, gasp I will not,
Through present circumstance...

Before John could answer,
Two dead snakes rose back to feet unaware of death's jurisdiction,
By all that is reasonable, this can't be happening,
They are immune to injury, impervious to damage.
Confidence wavered, his voice quavered,
As blue garments threaded gold as well,
Delicately removed twigs and leaves, taking great care,
To not appear inconvenienced in the slightest.
Were it not for my gift of silence upon these six loyal servants,
Your songs would surely crush them no contest, however as they now are,
No words can stop them, no matter how sweet or intentioned.

So, what will it be?
My humble street performers,
Educated in the musical arts by none other than Sharin herself,
Venom or Silence? Make your choice carefully.
Everyone stopped listening to the sound of silence all around them,
She granted them permission to think this over, after only being given license to listen.
Rick turned his bowstring slack, lowered its direction to the ground, cocked his head towards John.
Kevin reached for his mallet, prepared to strike his rune blade, but Paul stopped him,
Lent a hand to ask him to wait patiently,
A single misspent move,
Could prove disastrous,
These snakeshead aren't human,
They move quicker than agility enables other men.

Those two unblemished necks,
Now lay severed on the ground, mouths agape.
Beside ruins made ancient by the urgency of now.
They were worthless in life, now in death they are lifted liabilities,
Faces turned away from secret truths.
Andulan felt the vines quickening inside her, they were growing restless,
New blood stood before them, tantalizingly close and ready to be eaten,
Now now, don't get ahead of yourself,
She said while covering her stomach with one hand,
We wouldn't want to waste good stock.
These men deserve venom not death.

She had her subordinates step back a moment,
Sheathed their fangs and returned to her side,
It was unseemly to slay a foe without presenting an offer,
To stand at grace's side.
You did well, my entitlement has seen better days, I dare say it is beyond saving,
She spoke beyond her years, as if they were already acquainted.
Who are you? John boldly demanded,
I have no reason to answer that question, better that you remain ignorant,
Lest I become a monster.
I see you've been studying Sharin's songs for many years,
You're all quite good, spent your whole lives practicing no doubt,
I could use people of such talent under my wing for you see,
I have a stooge surplus.

Wicked steel, green and deadly,
Chimed with disturbing rhythm,
John couldn't hear his thoughts, nor call upon song to aid him.
His voice was gone.
The other six performers stopped to witness a girl untouched by injury,
Emerge from the ruins of Toblin's carriage,
Seemingly unaware of the skirmish taking place,
Before her innocent, entitled eyes hidden behind a veil of lace held in place,
By a royal black coronet.

A singing axe, fully endowed, eager to please,
Cleaved the carriage in half, splitting it through the top,
Loosed by a man's voice at full force,
Supported by a trilateral tree,
Joined at the trunk by a lyrical sword and reaching polearm,
They took a defensive stance, watched the enemy, expecting retaliation.
Andulan's snakes slithered forward, cutting through hymnal barriers,
Rick's archery felled two serpents before they could get very far,
John's protection came back quickly to send a blade soaked in misery meant for him,
At breath's distance, he heard nothing from this one, it was silent absent expression,
Venom drizzled down his axe's head, sliding down its body of worked wood,
John shook it loose and dug towards a spinning flow of blue, It was beside him before,
He could breathe again.

Andulan was mildly surprised, rocked forward in her property,
Thoughts of concern briefly washed over her face, filling her with fright.
Six loyal snakes stopped in front of Sharin's adept, wielding song as weapons,
John instantly saw what the carriage before him represented, it was Toblin's transport.
After much song between them, the seven musicians rallied behind his cry,
This madness will go on no longer!
Swords dipped in granted blood, tinted green from lineage,
Coated them in deep, fearful respect.
Dating back to mankind's terrorized past,
Unsheathed themselves from leather length and raised a concerted answer,
To foolish devotion.
Though they wore blue upon gloves, dangling from their necks,
Opaque pendants attached to black thongs, swung back and forth,
As the force of movement, more severe in its intention than most men could muster,
Brought fearsome resistance before desperation,
They need our help, there must be survivors, there has to be...

In the moment, inside her entitlement,
Andulan yawned mildly, keeping her wits about her,
Those draining her below stopped for a time.
Looking outside her faded glass window, behind purple drapes,
Drawn back to uncover why she was tired, morning was here,
Despite youth and stillness, she still bowed before forces,
Observed by common melodies, it was the life inside her,
Clawing at her insides, yearning for more blood that did it,
Be patient my dear, soon enough you'll be fed,
Castle Sanguinair is ripe with flesh and wine,
A color most divine.

Paul turned to face his brother,
Rick returned his gaze, wiped his left eye,
A leather thumb hidden from everyone,
Picked up black pitch and vile sweat, staining it with liquid darkness.
Both saw what their tireless work, Sharin's charge had covered them in.
Dappled, dirt caked skin, a stench masked by noise,
War kept them too busy to bathe, song was like water now,
It was needed to sustain life.
Seven ways to continue dismounted to collect,
Together, around a stream.
John aimed to press further on, regardless,
Rick redrew his bowstring, kept it taut,
Paul stood beside Rick, his polearm planted firmly at Sharin's side,
Kevin thought it best to turn back, Albert plucked a string to his support,
As did Richard with his bow wearing a fresh layer of rosin,
Christopher's flute, seldom used was anything but resolute,
It played a solemn solo, saw no other course of action,
Sharin wasn't sleeping well today...

Doubt swarmed them, passing between their solidarity,
Rick didn't like the tone of things just beyond the next hill.
He'd grown acute to the scent of omens,
Told his horse to stop, kicking it to obey.
His brothers noticed his song's melody shift from behind.
A tune in his head kept his hands and feet empowered,
However they shook and fidgeted,
Anticipation brought anxiety over his heart,
Choking and bringing cold to its chambers.
Dungeon birth was his reality, a past best forgotten,
Never did he run or play unrestrained, bars were his friends,
He learnt to count them as people he could trust.
A flash of silver, its strength mythical,
Those hands cool and warm, eyes set on things yet unseen,
Rescued him from a dead woman's arms, those of his mother.
Inscriptions carved into his hands, written along his legs,
Cast onto both feet, glowed painfully, reminding him to stay present.
She needs me...

Four wheels and one snake,
Rode ahead towards an already decided conversation,
Cornelius would resist at first, his logic clashing with mine,
His mind wet and delicious, his breeding second to none,
I can respect his skill and upbringing,
I'll even let him hold onto his choices, his honor and vision,
Of a better future for those serving under his hope,
An unblemished neck is something of an acquired taste,
I look forward to his love.

Sharin's troupe requested horses,
Were given destriers to ride back into serenity's dominion,
Sitting atop animals raised to believe in nothing yet die for everything,
Costly saddles lifted from slain foes, torn from stilled blue.
Brought images of black and red into tearful focus,
They are just orphans, abandoned by an uncaring world,
Why would Toblin want to despoil such temporary innocence?
They all came to a shared conclusion,
Suspected greedy gold enclosures, sought to capture her,
As she slept below the soil that was her's to give,
Restored and given back to destructive children, who'd broken all their toys.

Truth be told though her vassals reportedly died,
To the last man, cut down by voice and guided steel,
Left floating dismembered and forgotten,
In a duet of song and venom.
Reality spoke as a contrarian.
For you see those flowing jade robes, with emerald armor beneath.
Decided it would be wise, to don a different disguise,
I can still keep them fed, if only modestly,
My royal blood is ours, for all my family,
I am house Venom now, the last Ivy keeper.
Since boyhood brought them to me, they've graciously accepted,
What was given to them was power, it made them stronger, wiser,
Incisive enough to slice as we do through theories and viewpoints,
Less often steel upon throat than words upon logic,
Felling disobedience before points could be taken back and,
Reforged into rallying force to bring the hordes against us.

Cold is my love for you,
No longer warm, no longer true,
Separated at fracture points,
I'll raise a wall between us, one you cannot cross,
This world belongs to noble creatures, lichens and moss,
No further shall vines cross,
For I've given you winter everlasting...

Her snakeshead are all dead,
According to all that is said,
For on that night seven years ago,
Venom was diluted by song and cast away,
Seeping into the snowfields of mount Hasgar,
A region of rolling serpentine hills turned into a lifeless glacier,
Many Sharins ago...

Andulan remembered all of it,
The screams and pleas for mercy,
All music to her covered ears,
She heard what she deserved.
It felt good to let the beast out into the open,
Allowing it to feed on the blood of others for a change,
Euphoria and grace swept through her halls once more,
A weightless little princess, escorted by green serpents,
Gathered from choice stock and taught the value,
Of unconditional love.

Allegiance stood aside,
As did red and black suspicion.
John opened the door with his voice,
While Cornelius stood unrobed, his command nullified,
He didn't stop them,
Polearms bought without coin,
Stolen from thieves plundering life itself,
Uncrossed and moved aside for seven reasons.

Rick saw it first, black smoke that couldn't be.
Immediately eased his bowstring, leaping off the window free,
Cornelius, John and the merry three,
Were caught off guard and put to grief,
Rick's sorrow and building agitation,
Made his hands limp and cold, his bow slipped free,
His legs turned back to wood, decaying rapidly,
Paul was wrong she, isn't sleeping peacefully...

On behalf of Sharin's legacy,
Her will passed on to him,
He upheld her ideals as he mouthed the words,
It's what Sharin would have wanted.
Christopher, Albert and Richard the wise,
Broke into song to no one's surprise,
It was a day for clearing skies.

Fires both red and orange,
Danced around a yellow core,
As doors reduced to time-lapsed ash,
Awaited a push to bring next state to present.
Matthew dragging Janet, along as bait around a hook.
Found a way beyond the horrors something had shared with them,
Recorded silently.

Matthew checked once more,
To see a path unblocked,
Now was their chance to slip past eyes trained to claim,
Any lives that should remain,
Upon Sharin's unenslaved domain.
Still locked in preferred mind space,
Janet curled around a toy shaped like a weapon,
It made her giddy and brought gay laughter to a tragic background,
She was out of place, yet I couldn't tear her away from it,
Matthew tried to lend her a hand she had no interest in taking,
This world was rotten, her past wasn't here anymore,
Song had locked it away.