As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

1- ☾☾☾

Lieutenant makes to stab Pariah's chest

but quickly doth he jump to get away;

he scrambles in the dust before he's chok'd                    50

by leash Lieutenant grabs to quell escape.

He yanks Pariah near and slashes down

at him, so pull'd toward his hands and knees,

but outcast wraps his chains around the wrists

of his betrayer, and the two now fight

a wrestling match, but th'other man is large

and overpowers outcast easily;

he frees himself from chains and pushes him

upon the ground, his head now brushing on

the sleeping guard who dothn't hear a sound                       60

or even stir at struggle happening

beside him, for the drug is far too strong.

Lieutenant wraps the leash around his hand,

approaching our Pariah scrambling back;

he reaches for a tool that he can use

to swat the bigger man away from him,

who grasps his neck with th'hand of coiled chain

and raises knife above in order to

deliver lethal strike with sharpen'd blade.

But in this final moment of the fight                        70

Pariah's fingers find a hilt to grasp;

out from the belt around the sleeping guard

he draws a dagger, stabbing it inside

Lieutenant's temple for a fatal blow

which fells the man and drains upon the sand

a liquid thick and red out from his skull.

Pariah leans above the corpse to reach

within the pocket of its coat and pulls

the key as teas'd before when still this man

was living foul, corrupting th'Earth with his                        80

detestable existence undeserv'd.

He twists the key within the holes of these

grey shackles and the collar round his neck,

which come undone, to which he sighs relief

before he plucks the dagger from the corpse

and slits the sleeping guardsman's open throat.

Once this is done he marches to a horse,

untying Leader's—for it's likely best

in quality of speed and stamina—

and leads it through the camp whilst stabbing men                        90

he passes sleeping, on his way toward

the Leader at the centre of the band;

but voices rise and though it's dark he knows

his presence hath been noted through the camp;

it's probable that Leader's loyal man

which he did mention during light of day

to Pilgrim—whilst Pariah trapp'd within

did listen to the conversation had—

was listening awake this night as well

and now hath notified the bandit crew                             100

of outcast's lurking purge upon their blight,

which complicates this mess beyond repair

and causes our Pariah to decide

to mount this horse and ride away by dark

with only Luna lighting with her rays

of weaker grey the road that lies ahead

and hoping that this lead he hath on them

will be enough for Pilgrim to maintain

when outcast loses pilot of their form.                        109