The Quest

A man bargains with witches for forbidden power, braves a nightmarish cave to seize a cursed stone, slays its monstrous guardian with borrowed magic… and ends up holding a cold, heavy object that promises untold power while quietly reminding him the bill is still coming due. Lyrics: Down by the marsh where the hungry roots grow Three old hags told him where he must go A pact was signed in the soot and the dust For an iron relic turning to golden rust They promised him power or perhaps just a lie Under a hollow and bone-colored sky So he strapped on his leather and sharpened his mind Leaving the warmth of the hut behind The stone is calling from the throat of the cave Deep in the belly of a mountain-sized grave It glimmers like ice in a feverish dream Nothing is ever as calm as it seems He reaches his hand through the heavy black air To claim the bright burden that waits for him there But something without a face or a name Slithered from darkness like a cold-hearted flame No teeth to be seen yet it hungered for life Cutting through silence like a dull-edged knife He stood on the ledge where the shivering starts Feeling the hammer strike tough in his heart The beast was a riddle of smoke and of bile Watching him bleed for a long bitter while The stone is calling from the throat of the cave Deep in the belly of a mountain-sized grave It glimmers like ice in a feverish dream Nothing is ever as calm as it seems He reaches his hand through the heavy black air To claim the bright burden that waits for him there Then came the words that the elders had taught A shimmering weapon that cannot be bought He pulled at the lightning dormant in his veins Breaking the weight of the gravity chains The magic erupted in a violet flood Washing the hate from the dirt and the blood The creature dissolved into salt and regret A debt to the witches that hasn't been met He holds the prize now so heavy and cold A story of power that's yet to be told The stone is calling from the throat of the cave Deep in the belly of a mountain-sized grave It glimmers like ice in a feverish dream Nothing is ever as calm as it seems He reaches his hand through the heavy black air To claim the bright burden that waits for him there