The Flight Of Sleipnir Saga 1. Prologue "It does us no honor to quarrel about what we have done Greater than the other, over ale in the high-seat. You stood upon the helm as waves bore it through the sound And I sat in the hull as we rode into the harbor." 2. Reaffirmation He no longer felt the wing of winters wind Standing tall, focused on what lies ahead And as waters flow above the river blood Currents carry with them a malicious intent Blinding reflections from the solstice sun Across the water, our pathway gleams The road ahead is long and far from done Upon our voyage rests my father's eye 3. Reverence "None shall sing more loudly My song rings louder than iron upon bone! None will boast as heavy as I My sons will never eclipse my might!" "Hear not the cries of your dying A silent hymn that dead men sing Hear only sounds of silver coins Falling before my feet" "No bold man will stop me As I sail through foreign lands Boots crush the bones of kings I reap the treasure from their hands" "Bards will sing of my glory So bright never shadowed by kin Paths of crows, the river flows Hidden treasures of chieftains slain" 4. Harrowing Desperation He found himself upon rival shores The storm had cast him to this fated soil Scattered around him, his ship lay in ruin And from the wreckage emerged his plight Unwise men approach without restrain Subjected to a northern wrath Among the sand and stone, alone Voices reach him from afar, unknown The Heavens dark and grey, above Uncertain paths before him, arise Over barrows of Earth and mountains of sand Through the wintry winds and rain of the North Umbrian Land who was once the master, who bore the raven flag Tormented in chains by an Anglian hand 5. Heavy Rest The Chains Of The Damned Confined behind stone walls Apprehended, bound by chains A man amidst the wolves A man certain of his demise Apprehensive remained the king If truly he has captured the one Beware the wrath of his kin A sanguinary threat you must heed "No sword hast cleavd' him No snake will pierce his skin!! He is a mighty king indeed Tear his clothing Hang serpents from his sides This man will meet his fate Be him Ragnar or not" 6. Judgment Through the corridor, serpent's hallow awaits Within their coils now rests his fate Entangled, unwilling to relinquish sentience Afflicted by the burning sting of circumstance Unable to change this unfortunate out come He must abandon all that remains of hope Even the mightiest man would be overcome by fear Yet in the chasm he embraces the darkness For where this path ends a new journey begins 7. Demise Carries With It A Song "I will enter the hall of my fathers Greeted with ale and song Of my death I shall not lament As they all welcome me home I gladly depart from this life I shall be carried towards the skies To sit and drink among the Aesir To laugh in the face of death" "We fought with our swords: Upon the serpent I thrust my spear I shall receive my reward" "We fought with our swords: From the slain came crimson tides In blood the raven sang" "We fought with our swords: We conquered the highest order A host of men now gone" "We fought with our swords: A trail of dead behind our blades From the red Earth we shall rise" 8. The Mountain When darkness ceased When light shines through I become embraced by her To look upon the mountain To tread the halls of doom To find my way home 9. Hour Of Cessation Treachery has befallen our father! The oath, pledged with sword and mail Iron will restore his honor Black clouds emerge from southern skies Fire gleams from irate eyes Vehement winds blow tensions high Upon his flesh we wrest our chains Ready hands hold steady blades Captive, cruelty bestowed upon him For mercy he implored them He begged for release with empty pleas Unchanged by his cries, they shall deliver him... To his demise! Upon a solemn path he followed to a clearing on the hill he was led Eyes closed, likely to never open again 10. Remission [Instrumental] 11. Beneath Red Skies Beneath red skies retribution arise Carven flesh 'neath iron's gaze Spires of bone shelter claret quills In pools of blood does the eagle wade Outstretched wings within an osseous rage Lifeless eyes reflect a kingsman's scorn Talons grip upon a broken corpse The knell rang not on mournful ears A requiem only a dead man hears Only the dead can hear Eyes fixed upon this man now slain The eagle rests upon atoned remains Atoned remains 12. Epilogue As great kings rise, so do they fall So strands of fate end, as the weavers of looms die But the tapestry remains.... As stones in the Earth, as songs in the wind From father to son No man could foresee a hundred thousand swords fallen Felled by the word of the east, captured by a fool's song But the legend remains... As words to be heard As the blood in my veins From father to son David Csicsely – Drums, Vocals, Guitars Clayton Cushman – Guitars, Vocals, Bass, Keyboards