The Knights of the Risen King

Only eleven remained, eleven of a twelve fold cord
Twelve knights bound to the cause of salvation
Devoted to their king, their master, their lord
To him they committed love and admiration

One now dead, the betrayer, who sold the king
Greed for golden riches corrupted the mind
Dark cold of winter replaced the warmth of spring
Hearts gifted with the sight of hope now blind

The king, dead and gone taking away dreams of desire
The king, they had hoped, would slay the dragon of evil
Who enslaved and destroyed with flames of fire
All anticipation and trust remains in an upheaval

The knights in fear have hidden themselves away
While the dragon prowlers seeking to kill and maim
Their king, buried awaiting to rot and decay
The cowardly knights bound by regret and shame

A spirit of flesh and blood passes through the walls
The knights scream in terror at the disfigured man
With an offer of peace the gentle voice calls
“My dear knights, you failed to understand my plan.”

The king explained how he had to suffer and die
The innocent had to be sacrificed for the lost
To free them from the chains of the dragon's lie
This was the exact price, the demanded cost

Fear turned to courage, weakness to strength
The dead king had risen again to new life
Their king’s love would go to any length
To end all wars, all guilt and all strife

Though the king would soon depart from their sight
He promised to send more help to his knights
So they would never again be overwhelmed by fright
The darkness would be overcome by their lights

Though the dragon remained alive to deceive
He could live to tell his lies and breath his fire
But victory over him had been achieved
The knights would boldly proclaim dragon as a liar

Those who believed were free from their chains
And given power to rid the land of ogres and trolls
The earth waits as a mother having labor pains
For the knights to rid the land of evil and save souls