Gazing over the lands
he stands
and - withholding breath - waits
for the long war shout
to spill out of his lungs.

Sirens have summoned him
to that place
hiding their holy faces
as he paces behind them.

The message was carved
not in stone
but right into his bones
as he saw the bodies
of his companions.

The long, loaded cry
escapes his throat
and at the horizon he sees
numbers and numbers of men
coming for him
and only for him.

The sirens have long departed
and the demon - standing like a rock -
has started to breathe.