Romance of the Twenty-Four Realms pt.1
Cruel Ombras, tropic foaming,
Whose vast deeps hide demon powers,
Saw the Brethren afloat roaming,
In barque Afric for many hours.
Gainst the high seas through the gloaming,
Battened tight from ocean towers,
Timbers shuddered with her riding,
Afric over great waves gliding.
Bold warriors, of Gepek isle,
By the Basileus knighted,
Voyage forth in princely style,
Six as one, by oath united,
Over many a weary mile
In each others trust delighted.
Chaste and pious tryst they raveled
While to Kushta shores they traveled.
Stand forth these few, skins of umber,
Marcus, Gascon, Jordan, Peter,
David, Justin, six in number,
Afric gains, meter by meter,
Through waking and through their slumber
On to Kushta. Duty sweeter
Than comforts or civic glory
In Gepek where began our story.
Bold Marcus rose, noble foeman
Of all evils, known to them all.
Master swordsman, master bowman
In Afric’s prow he rising tall
Stood forth this bronz’d hearty yeoman
In the midst of a tropic squall
He the other five addressed
With thoughts from his unwearied breast.
“Forth we now to Kushta rushing
Crost Ombrasi high evil tide
For the troth of princess blushing
Margathea, our virgin bride,
To the lord of rivers gushing
Amarys, king of mountainside
In Bror he sits on golden throne
And of Gepek claims her for own.”
“Forth we now for preparations
Of the joining of man and wife
For the forging of our nations
Into allies without strife
Earning us congratulations
And honors jointly ours for life
When both kingdoms by our labors
Shall become the best of neighbors.”
Spoke next David, kindred spirit,
"We who answer the Basileus
Come for duty and for merit
Not for what Gepek will pay us
Though what comes we surely share it
Sweet or sour, set or chaos,
We are brothers, bound by duty,
But for merit, not for booty."