In the shifting haze an old man waited by a mill

He stayed there till the child came

Then they lingered, statue still

Still as water in the morning

where the river stops to rest

Shadows grew on shadows

under dark skies in the west

---

And they watched

And they listened 

Then they knew

Then they walked

To Altazyn

To Altazyn

To Altazyn

To Altazyn

---

They walked down through the valley

Past the dragon tree

The preacher gave his sermon

And the walkers became three

Men joined them by the castle

Then soldiers by the score

The archers joined the marchers

It was me that they marched for 

---

And they watched

And they listened 

Then they knew

Then they ran

To Altazyn

To Altazyn

To Altazyn

To Altazyn

---

They ran till they reached Altazyn 

I was standing by the sea

The child looked back at mountains

And the old man looked at me

I cast my sin into the waters

And braced against the cold

I cast my song into the black clouds

And ancient thunder rolled

---

The old man reached out to the storm

touching lightning when it came

He put a hand into the ocean

And the ocean turned to flame

The stars grew slowly dimmer

As my plan became untied

In the chaos of the cosmos

There is no place to hide

---

And I watched

And I listened 

Then I knew

Then I knelt

For Altazyn

For Altazyn

For Altazyn

For Altazyn

---

I knelt before the old man

And offered him my sword

He didn’t take the offer

The holy wine was never poured

Now the flame was burning stronger

And my blade was keen to sing

The army were my people

And I was asked to be their king

---

The flame became the focus

The flame became a tree

To mountains I was headed

But the old man halted me.

As the destiny of future kings

And the lighting of the world

Needed me to hold the bright star

While the banner was unfurled

---

And we watched

And we listened 

Then we knew

Then we turned

For Altazyn 

For Altazyn

For Altazyn

For Altazyn

---

(Break) 

We turned to face dark forces

With the white flame on our side

The voices of my multitude

Were not to be denied

As a boy I walked in solitude

As a king I stood with men

Their undeserved servitude

Gave us victory in the end.

---

(Break) 

---

The old man rested finally

Then we parted on the shore

And the image in the mirage 

was the land we knew before

I reached out for the sacred cross 

But struggled now to stand

My blood ran red into the water

And I fell upon the sand

---

Then the child took up a branch

And showed it to the flame

Then raised it to the sky

As she whispered soft my name

For Altazyn 

For Altazyn

For Altazyn

For Altazyn

Altarzyn

—

Copyright: Rod de Lisle