As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

1- ☾☾ ☾ ☾☾

For six long nights Pariah lay in bed

with naught for options to prepare escape;

was left to rot and suffer over wounds

inflicted on his counterpart by day.

Now on this seventh night he lies upon

the straw and watches beetles crawl across

the floor and slip between the bars to roam

outside his cage where truly doth it seem

the insects are a freer lot than he.

But still a fire burns inside his chest                           10

whereas our Pilgrim's hath begun to fade;

with just one chance Pariah could remove

their body from the confines of this place,

and on this seventh night as steps approach

he catches sight of just the chance he needs

as Torturer appears before his cell

with manacles and chain to lead him by

and says unto Pariah these commands:

"Thou'rt summon'd to a session on this night

within the courtyard where we'll hold a test                      20

where Warden will assess thy progress here

and then decide how onward we shall press

with thy conditioning by my stern hand,

which hath, in mine opinion, guided thee

with such efficiency that I believe

the Warden will be pleas'd with the avail

I serve to him in order t'expedite

the readiness of pris'ners such as thee,

who likely will be offer'd up to sell

much sooner than anticipated when                        30

thou wert to us brought only week ago."

With that the Torturer unlocks his cage

with key that hangs upon a ring at hip

and beckons our Pariah to the door

with shackles held in order to encase

his wrists upon convening with the man,

but outcast dothn't plan to go with him

to see the Warden manacled in chains;

he makes his way with hands held out in front,

and when the distance closes twixt the men                 40

he reaches lightning-fast for Torturer's

sheath'd dagger at his hip and draws the blade

and stabs it into Torturer's right side.

The Torturer then wraps his fingers round

Pariah's neck, and here his eye doth bulge

within its socket; still he stabs at him