1. The Fool

In the shadow of the light,
I lived as a shadow of my past life.

Tears of the father, blood of the son
Through years of dishonor, come undone
So I'll armor myself with this knowledge
And I'll match my speed to the wind
I'll journey away, far from this place
and pray, none will know me as a "friend"

By moonlight and starlight
Those shadows let me astray
Take comfort in darkness
Hide me away from the light

Her hand gripped mine
I went with an open mind
But the light she shined on me
It burned me deep down to my bones,
And I promised I would never
Allow myself to feel the light again
Through the flesh that sloughed from the bone
Was blackened and diseased
That flash was not my flesh
That blood was not my blood
Yet still in the shadow I hide
Drag me back into the grave
And let me die

Cling to comfort child, no longer
Suffer with pride
The pain: Healing
Wait not, for time will surely
Not wait for thee
Is that the ticking of the clock
Or the beating of your weakening heart?
Hear the thunderous rumbling

2. Tarot

Riding hard through the barren wasteland
Over mountains and plains
Pursued by a foe out to claim my homeland
One will die this day
I fear the worst for this foe is peerless
with the axe and the sword
in facing this trial
One chance for survival
A witch lives in these woods

Burdened by the farsight
Cursed to live a half life
Can't you see we all are blind
Spare me your riddles witch, can't you see?
They mean nothing to me

Take what you must from me
To gaze into the future
The light is fading and I don't have much to lose
What are you waiting for
Go ahead and deal the cards
You've the knowledge I need to win this war

Doomed to a life on the run forever
Will I fall if I stand and fight
Only one way to know
I've nowhere else to go
So let my fortune be told

Burdened by the farsight
Heard you the first time, won't change my mind
Cursed to live a half life
Gave you all I had, and I'm out of time
Can't you see we all are blind
Spare me your riddles witch, can't you see?
They mean nothing to me

Spark the incense, kill the lights
Place your trust in the runes and the bones
Only you have the means to say the future
it is written in stone

Far to the north in the land where the cold winds blow
You'll find yourself feeling lost and alone
It is there you will meet your end
At the edge of the earth you will die my friend

So make your stand in the fading light
And have no fear you will win this fight
Have faith in yourself, you have come this far
Strike true my child

3. The Tower

You ask me for my blessing
But that I cannot give
A monument to a false legacy of a life you didn't live

To spend your time stacking stones
A good way to be overthrown
And build your tower out of bones
On the back of another's groans

No I don't have all the answers to the questions that you seek
But I know that you're preoccupied with the wrong side of these
Machinations in your plans
You can build your tower with your own damn hands

You can build that tower high
Build it toward the summer sky
But it will fall
You hollow minded fool, you did it all in vain

When the brick and mortar fails
Know your deeds write better tales
And only time can teach the lesson child
You will learn

4. King Of Cups

I came upon an old man in a forest
Living deep in a hole in the ground
He filled a cup and he gave it to me
Drink it down, drink it down, drink it down

Seven days since I had that potion
Seven days since I drunk his brew
I feel a thirst and it's getting stronger now

[Christopher Bowes:]
So long I have dwelled in the darkness
Perfecting a mystic brew
From afar come the bravest drinkers
For a taste of this deadly juice

Seven years it has been fermenting
Seven years in an oaken cask
Now it's time, the drink is ready
This booze will kick your ass

One drink just to dull the senses
Two more just to calm the nerves
Another round for the brave among you
It's really nothing more than you deserve

One drink and you'll feel the magic
Two drinks and you'll beg for more
Three drinks and your world is spinning
One last drink and you'll hit the floor

Last call and my glass is empty
I don't have a lot to lose
We gotta keep this party going
I gotta have that booze

I've got a recipe, it's off my own design
So take a chance with me
And pretty soon you'll find
It's better than wine

Tequila gin and mead, the taste that I most need
That wicked potion maker's brew
A whiskey and a beer, stir till the drink is clear
Just take a breath before you chug

5. Death

Sister dear, I never dreamed that I would find you
In the light of the dying day
I see the tears reflect the light upon you
And it's been so long since I've seen your face

Faced with the dark, I once chose wisely
I felt the light and it felt good
But three years and I don't know what happened
But something changed in me

He feels numb lost in time
Hears whispers of a world in an endless night
But he won't miss the life he had
If this is really death then it's not so bad

Fed to the crows, they picked my bones
And left my body to decay at the whipping post
I can still see the blood running through my hands
And if I had another chance to live I think I'd rather be dead

He feels numb lost in time
Hears whispers of a world in an endless night
But he won't miss the life he had
If this is really death then it's not so bad

He feels numb lost in time
Hears whispers of a world in an endless night
But he won't miss the life he had
If this is really death then it's not so bad

6. The Chariot

For far too long I've been imprisoned in the dark
Held by the fear that stills the hands and cools the heart
I can feel it even now
Feel it grip and drag me down
Back down to my comfortable despair

But staying down, it never got me very far
I can refuse to take the fate that's in the cards
Don't be afraid my friend
This need not be the end
But we must make the call
Ask yourself will you rise or fall

So if you think you can stop me
You can think again 'cause I'm going strong
I've got my fight and I've got my drive
And you can cast your doubts but I'll prove you wrong

Sure as the twilight casts the starts across the skies
It's creeping back like a disease that clouds the mind
I feel it every day
Inescapable decay
I hear the calling of the void

When you feel you lack the will to carry on
The deepest darkness of the night's before the dawn
Don't let it steal your pride
Just make it feed the flame inside
Oh, you must learn
Find your strength and let it burn

So if you think you can stop me
You can think again 'cause I'm going strong
I've got my fight and I've got my drive
And you can cast your doubts but I'll prove you wrong
So if you think you can save me
You can think again 'cause I'm doing just fine
Oh no, I don't need a savior
And you can cast your bones, but my fate is mine.

[Solo]

You've labored under every pine
And broke your back a thousand times
Bearer of a thousand scars
Take care not to forget who you are

So don your armor, we won't be delayed
Join the force or get out of our way
Feel the ancient ones guiding your hands
Let go of your fears; heed their demands

So don your armor, we won't be delayed
Take up your arms or get out of our way
Feel the ancient ones guiding your sword
Let fly all your fears and respond to the call

So raise your glasses for the fallen ones
The ones who lose their battle and succumbed
So raise your glasses for the fallen ones
Would you grieve for your fallen son?

So if you think you can stop me
You can think again 'cause I'm going strong
I've got my fight and I've got my drive
And you can cast your doubts but I'll prove you wrong
So if you think you can save me
You can think again 'cause I'm doing just fine
Oh no, I don't need a savior
And you can cast your bones, but my fate is mine.

7. The Devil

Your obsession will swallow you whole

The chill of death clings heavy
And the stench of blood still strong
Can the gnawing of guilt of your blunder
drive you to face the devil you spawned?

His pallid skin hangs loosely, with a chaos in his wake
A harbringer of sorrow, fear, of pestilence and plague

So whether you will survive, will be for you to decide
Can you break the cycle of madness festering
Deep inside of your mind?

You can read the scrolls and consult the tomes
That the ancient ones laid down
And you may find a way to sever the bond
Or you may find the solution's only total
self annihilation

This will cause your name to mean traitor
And the accusation rings true
You see, you blindly lusted for power
And then you gave the devil his due

The circle drawn, the blood released
That ritual performed
And then the awe replaced by horror
As you beheld the terrible form

So when the smoke begins to rise
O'er ashes of your kind
It's only then you'll know the cost
Reach inside, expose it all to the light

This task won't fulfill you, it might even kill you
But the choosing is easy if you don't have a choice

It's time, to kneel to the floor
And savor that last sweet breath
As you're sharpening the blade
You will use to extinguish the inferno made flesh

All it took was a drop of your blood
And it was summoned from the fiery plane
But you know the incantation weakens over time, you only have
yourself to blame
to send it back from whence it came

You will bleed yourself until you're barely clinging onto life
Not enough, you're gonna need another pint
So draw your sigil, thumb the blade now meant for you
In your heart you've always known what you must do
Raise that knife above your head and drive it down

So twist the knife into my side, it's through that pain I feel alive
I want the world to know I threw it all away

He to the world appeared to die
But in his heart he felt divine
He wants the world to know
To heed to the call

You feel the fear consume you cold as ice
A wretched token of your sacrifice
Bind your souls and cast them down to save your kind
Before you find

Why should I cast my soul away for a world that never cared for me?

8. The Emperor

At the throne too afraid to fight
Where are you while your sons and daughters die
Too many years growing fat from the another's work

At the top of the tower high
So unaware that your people may defy you
After years growing lean in a laborious world
and I feel it

Down in my heart, down in my soul
Down in my bones, and the blood that you stole
I think that I feel a change in the wind
So pick up your swords and cover your skins

Ash into ash, and dust into dust
See I'm holding onto live just to fuck you up
So when we come for you, you'll be the first to find
That you're no emperor of mine
No emperor divine
No emperor of mine

You see we've had it up to here you son of a bitch
And now the hammer's coming down, coming down on you
We're gonna take it back, and then we'll take you out

There's nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide
For justice to be served, the masters must be tried

God damn
Stand up and die with a sword in your hand
Judgement is coming, judgement is nigh
You will be sentenced to death for your crimes

9. Strength

In the comfort of the water's cold embrace
Gripped tight by the undertow
I let the water carry me away

Drifting far from the sight of land
A strange calm and inner peace
The monumental choice but a distant feeling

Feel the terror taking hold
Grip and break your bones
It will drag you down
Push the feeling deep inside
Reach and calm your mind

Light will dim, and hope recedes
You can hang yourself from the gallows tree
But in time even the mightiest oaks will fall
Will you still be there at the end of it all?
Ash to ash, dust to dust
Swords grow dull and iron rusts
I feel the weight of the water bearing down on me
But I got two good hands and I know my strength

The calm pierced by a realization
I have to swim for shore
This is not the way I'm meant to go

There's a peculiar beauty
Revealed when your flame burns low
That blurs the lines between the light and the darkness

Feel the horror sinking in
Rip and tear your skin
It will drag you down
Push the feeling deep inside
Reach and calm your mind

Skies cloaked in darkness
The fire starts to fade
Shivering, friendless
And I'm afraid I've lost my way

What if I never had the power
What if I never had the will
Then all remaining is the journey
It had to mean something

10. Temperance

Gods I call to thee
Grant me life and strength
And if my strength should fail
Grant me force of will
Should my will be broke
Grant me light and hope
And If my hope recedes
Give me death and peace

On that autumn day
I met an old friend
With her hand in mine
We sat and talked a while
As the hour grew late
She spoke of a quiet place
Where the gods will hear your prayer
I will take you there

Gods I call to thee
Grant me life and strength
If my strength should fail
Give me force of will
If my will should brake
Grant me light and hope
When my hope recedes
Give me death

Gods I call to thee
Grant me life and strength
If my strength should fail
Give me force of will
If my Will should brake
Grant me light and hope
and when hope recedes
Amen

11. The Sun, The Moon, The Star

Long have been complacent with the hand I've been dealt
Restless and weak from the life I've built
So I'll journey afar, for there's glory to find
And I'll fill out my entry in the annals of time

Bid my farewell to the ones I love
Their grief but a fleeting feeling
For nature is calling, my heart compelled
Every branch, every leaf has a story to tell

Fear is swirling within me
A tightening grip on my heart
In a world where nothing is certain
The fear of failure looms large

No room for these doubts
I'll cast them far away and
Take up my father's sword
History favors the daring
And only the brave will receive the eternal reward

Will you be here ready to guide me?
When I must leave this dream behind me
A beacon of hope, but fading away
I have to let that light die

Mother, father, sister
I'm sorry for what I've done
But the man I've become is
Is no longer content with comfort and home

Cold is the wind that chills me down to my bones
And cold is the knowledge that for this I abandoned my home
Cold is my sorrow, like a knife in my chest
And cold is the path that I chose
For what worth can be found in glory in the lands that I roam

Raise your eyes, case your gaze high
And forget your sorrows

Cold is the wind that chills me down to my bones
And cold is the knowledge that for this I abandoned my home
Cold is my sorrow, like a knife in my chest
And cold is the path that I walk
But I carry those memories close to my heart
And remember them fondly when I gaze at
The sun, the moon, the stars

So we'll find our dreams fade in time
In time our dreams leave us blind

By moonlight and starlight
Those shadows led me astray
Take comfort in darkness
Hide me away from the light

Hide with me from the light my child
I'll show you another way
Burn away your sorrow in the cleansing fire of power

Colors swirling around me
Shifting landscapes obey my every command
But still I don't possess the power to fill the emptiness

Swallow and take what you thought you were meant to be
And reconcile it with who you are
Another lesson learned in time, and, oh, you'll find
You don't know what you want until it's gone

I've hailed to the cosmic masters
I've walked the astral plane
And travelled to distant worlds

Time like a river flows,
The one thing I don't have the power to change
The only thing that matters

Mother, father, sister
I'm sorry for what I've done
For the man I've become
Finally knows the true power in home

A broken legacy
A tale of tragedy
Take heed my friends
The path of pain isn't always
The means to the end you seek

By moonlight and starlight
I turn my gaze to the sky

The sun, the moon, the stars
Shine less brightly with you so far
I never knew sorrow
'til you asked me to follow my heart
For all the tales I've told
And these whispers of silver and gold
I'd throw them all away
To gaze on your face once more

One more time

With his burning brand he split the skies
And plucked out the stars, one by one
With an aching heart he cursed his name
And nothing would shine as bright as her again

+ The Magician(2013)

The Magician

Alone on the ancient mountaintop
Stood the one who had lost his way
For when you walk on the path of a traitor
You will find you may soon be betrayed
Stray not from the path you've chosen
You may yet find what you seek
You will learn to command the ethereal realm
And fulfill your destiny

Cast out of his land for reaching for that which lies out of mortal sight
Like a beast he is feared and hunted
Like a beast he intends to fight
Stay true to your heart young warrior
Keep your sword close by your side
And when night comes again beware what the darkness hides

Go now to the realm of spirits child
You are running out of time
Seek quickly the one who will guide you
Who will teach you the way of light
Doubt not your resolve young wanderer
May your stride be swift and true
For the colors of day are fading away
And tonight they will come for you

No amount of work or training
Can prepare you for the changing winds
But don't despair my child
You must fight
Take hold of strength divine
Shape the world to your design
And release the power you keep inside your heart

I am the light when a life's at its end
The still burning candle when darkness descends
I am desire, warmth from the fire
fueling your steps when your journey began

I am the fear twisting tight round your throat
The life giving spark hiding deep in your soul
I am your aura, hunger for honor
I hold the power you seek

Eeeeyuh

A fire arose behind his eyes
The trees, like torches, blazed up in the night
The fire raced across the sky
The trees like torches
Like torches blazed with light

And now they're on the run
No mercy smite them one by one
You've got an axe to grind
Relentless, no one left behind
Immolation is their fate
Hunt them down and let them feel your hate
No cowards left alive
By your power they will die
And now they're on the run
No mercy smite them one by one
You've got an axe to grind

For the fire of your soul
Is a terror to behold

No amount of work or training
Can prepare them for their flaming end
But don't hold back my child
They must die
Take hold of strength divine
Shape the world to your design
And release the power you keep inside your heart

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