The dragon king

It is said the old gods once named him fear,
though truth be told his heart was pure,
born a beast of scale and bone, with breath of fire and eyes of stone,
the dragon king, he was vast and strong,
he led his armies on journeys long
till one day he met his match, an enemy he could not dispatch
a brave young bard, with much to prove, came forth to face the dragon's brood
and though battle came on fierce and strong
the dragon couldn't take this one
the brave young knight brought down the beast, the smoldering snout sighed in defeat

as years went by the knight grew proud
he gained great fame from all around
till one day the beast returned, to take the bard for all he'd earned
again the battle broke out with zeal
each side involved refused to yield
the dragon reared his demon head, and struck the knight with fire red
the brave knight raised his sword again
and drove the dragon back again
in a rage of scales and might, the beast attacked all full of spite
the knight struck back metal true
and struck the dragon back to doom

defeated once and never more
the dragon bowed his head and then he swore
never again to trouble men, he would leave for far off lands
and when the dragon fled from here
he took with him all magic near
the door was closed and forever sealed, and magic left, the land was healed
to this day the beast is gone
and man laments all that we've lost
for when the beast fled from this land, he took with him the best of man
with magic lost to all of man
the knight shed tears and raised his hand
"never again shall man be free, I've cost us all we'd ever need"
from that day forth we've lived mundane
till some day dragons fly again.

-JHewitt