For one moment even he began to feel his spirit dim- But he saw their secret evil, and he swore e'er he was done He would stalk and slay these Shadows, and destroy them,
one by one.
Herald Vanyel, Shadow Stalker, hunted Shadows to their
doom They turned all their powers upon him, turned away from
other men And although they strove to take him, he unwove their web
of gloom. So the Shadows fled his anger, their creator sought again.
Herald Vanyel faced the Singer who had sung them into life And she sang to him of grief and loss that cut him like a
knife.
And she sang to him of self-hate, and she wove a net of pain With her songs of woe and hopelessness bent to be Vanyel's
bane. “So now what is there to strive for?” was the song she sang
to him. And the shadow came upon his heart, the world grew gray
and dim. But the Singer Of The Shadow did not know the foe she
fought, Nor how dear he held his duty, nor by what pain power was
bought.
Herald Vanyel looked upon her, and he saw through her
disguise And she strove then to seduce him into death or madness
sweet. Herald Vanyel looked within him, and he saw her songs were
lies, And he gathered up his magic then, her powers to defeat.
Herald Vanyel raised his golden voice and sang of life and
light,
Of the first cry of a baby, of the silver stars of night. Herald Vanyel sang of wisdom, sang of courage, sang of
love, Of the earth's sweet soil beneath him, of the vaulting sky
above, Sang of healing, sang of growing, sang of joy and hope and
dreams, And the Singer Of The Shadows felt the death of all her
schemes.
It was then she tried to flee him, but his song and magic spell Struck her down and held her pinioned and she faltered, and she fell.
Then the Singer Of the Shadows saw her Shadows shatter
there, Saw her lies unmade before her, saw her darkness turned to
day
And how empty and how petty was the spirit then laid bare- Like her Shadows then she shattered, and in silence passed
away.
