Black dragons soar above the mountain of shadows (prologue)

[the watcher in stone:]
...and i stand enthralled and silent atop the ancient, shadowed mountain,
gazing in awe at the stygian, night-cloaked sky, as above me a wondrous flight
of ebon dragons soar on vast wings blacker than the darkling heavens... mayhap
i behold the personal war-dragons of none other than the mysterious and
legendary ophidian king himself, majestically riding the night winds to the
glorious field of some great and epic battle... by the gods, a more fearsomely
splendid sight in this world there cannot be!
[lyrics: byron]
[music: jonny maudling]