The sun was scattered through the colored glass The floor was stained as light enveloped in a bath And shadows on the wall from piles of books were cast With rows that formed an aisle in through which I passed These the quarters of a recluse whom I'd come to ask About the origin of wisdom he was said to have To get the story of "the man who knows more than any", or so I read He welcomed me to sit with affection and then he said: "Since I was seven I've traveled the globe through words Set on a mission to devour all I could learn I've studied the writings of the greatest minds you've heard Discovered the tenets that the finest thinkers observed The more I gained, the more that I sought to earn The more I attained, the hotter the fire burned With every book I finished another was there to serve For every text I read there were pages still left to turn I've learned from all the migrants and drifters to whom I'd listen Philosophers and soldiers whose knowledge I would solicit I know histories of nations I'll never have chance to visit Complexities of science and language with great precision But in the end I've seen nothing of what's been given This life that I've employed, while I love it, it has its limits The failing I regret, though it's painful, I must admit it For everything I know of this world, I never lived it" A silence hung for a moment's thought As echoes from the room decayed and tapered off And there we sat reflecting, was it all for naught? Until I spoke in earnest with this brief remark I said that "while it's evident your knowledge is rivaled by much shrewdness I've never met a man with such wisdom who's so foolish" Then he grinned and he chuckled and asked if I Would speak on what I'd seen through my travels, so I replied: "I've seen the treasure that waits for a man to find I've seen the consequence when the sun and the moon combine I've seen the peaks of mountains that reach out and touch the sky The struggle to survive and the desert where dreams have died I've seen the best and the worst that we try to hide The salt of the earth and the evil of humankind I've seen the wrecked and ravaged and scavengers rummage through debris And those that searched in hope, finding meaning where none once used to be And some that stormed the beaches Some that pledged allegiance Some that scorched the earth for motives that they don't agree with Seen some get lost among the current of their grievance While the tide of death and birth left some speechless I've seen love bring some to their knees And some lift hearts when they smile for no reason I've seen fairytale endings to believe in And now I see a man who'd see the same if he'd but seize it"

Regin forges more than swords and blades In his smithy schemes and plans are made There is vengeance to be claimed To this cause his fate is chained But he needed someone strong and brave And for the price of horse and blade He found a hero who would do the deed To make his brother, Fafner, bleed In search of Fafner's gold A dragon's tale He'll run his sword Through his scales Fafner's gold A dragon's tale Treachery unfolds Deceit unveiled There is a dragon's treasure to be claimed To its curse Regin's fate is chained He sent his hero on this baleful ride With the sword Gram at his side Heading out on the Gnita plains A wasteland where desolation reigns In search of Fafner's gold A dragon's tale He'll run his sword Through his scales Fafner's gold A dragon's tale Treachery unfolds Deceit unveiled Gram stung him well The dragon fell Regin said "Fry its heart" Tasting dragon's blood He now understood All of Regin's collusive plans Then he made Gram bite him well And Regin fell as well To Andvare's malicious curse In Search of Fafner's Gold A dragon's tale Treachery unfolds Deceit unveiled In search of Fafner's gold A dragon's tale He ran his sword Through his scales Fafner's gold A dragon's tale Treachery unfolds Deceit unveiled

As the first light touched the waves And the ravens cawed across the bay A mighty fleet with red white sails Three hundred Viking ships were On their way War! With thirst for blood and all-out war A thirst that's aching through our hearts and bones We're heading west to distant shores To avenge our father and to win the throne They think their God will save their skin But all resistance will be in vain We stare at death with crimson grins With Odin's help we cannot fail We hold our heads up to the sky And know that we will never die As long as we stand side by side As long as we can see the ravens fly! Ravens fly! Ravens fly! War! Heading to Northumbraland Come what may we won't back down When horns of war begin to sound Aella's head will lose its crown Come what may, we hold our heads Up to the sky And know that we will never die As long as Odin's on our side We hold our heads up to the sky And know that we will never die As long as we stand side by side As long as we can see the ravens fly! Ravens fly! Ravens fly! We hold our heads up to the sky And know that we will never die As long as we stand side by side As long as we can see the ravens fly! We hold our heads up to the sky And know that we will never die As long as we stand side by side As long as we can see the ravens fly! Ravens fly! See the ravens fly!

Victory We fought hard and prevailed Brutally We were fighting Stormy seas Rolling thunder piercing hail Battlefield Lit by lightning Eagerly We filled the waves with enemies Hungrily Ravens cawing Home shore calls We return on bloody seas Twilight falls Darkness crawling So pour the beer for thirsty men A drink that they have earned And pour a beer for those who fell For those who did not return Raise your horns, raise them up to the sky We will drink to glory tonight Raise your horns for brave fallen friends We will meet where the beer never ends No regrets We went out to war and strife To protect King and country Victory Honour those who gave their life Willingly We will not grieve So pour the beer for thirsty men A drink that they have earned And pour a beer for those who fell For those who did not return Raise your horns, raise them up to the sky We will drink to glory tonight Raise your horns for brave fallen friends We will meet where the beer never ends Raise your horns, raise them up to the sky We will drink to glory tonight Raise your horns, raise them up to the sky We will drink tonight Raise your horns, raise them up to the sky We will drink to glory tonight Raise your horns for brave fallen friends We will meet in Valhalla again

Outside these walls an army awaits But in these halls we feel safe Countless attacks we have repelled They won't turn back, they cannot be quelled Supplies are running low Starvation now awaits Reinforcements will not show The day is much too late Broken and weak, never give in Prospects are bleak, we can't win There is no hope, no time for lament End of the rope, our lives are spent We have held out for months Hoping for relief Our fortress now our tomb And salvation now our grief We have held out for months Waiting for relief Our fortune's now our own This is destiny Supplies are running low Starvation now awaits Reinforcements never showed As the daylight starts to fade There's nothing left to lose We have run out of time There's nothing left to choose Except how we shall die Open the gates, now we attack Ride into fate, no turning back Stand by the king, to glory we ride Weapons and shield, together we die All is lost now, show no fear now All the world shall know our bravery All is lost now, show no fear now Let's charge for death or victory

The blade I swing is black as night Black as my soulless heart It bears the burden of many lives But I don't feel remorse I lent my sword to anyone Willing to pay the price No regrets for what I've done A mercenary's life But there I was on battleground Until I felt the jaws of death cut into my flesh Defending old and weak But I did not retreat Now, here I lie in my own blood And strangers cry for me I'm prepared to meet the gods I wished they'd let me be I don't deserve their sympathy I know who I am My soul is death and misery I am an evil man I rest in my blood Soon I will face the gods Strangers cry for me I wish they'd let me be Show no sympathy Shed no tears for me I know who I am I am an evil man I know who I am I am an evil man I know who I am I am an evil man I know who I am I am an evil man I know who I am I am an evil man

Ships were prepared Weapons and shields Sails were raised We headed out to sea Norway disappeared in the East Our journey had begun Helpful winds gave us our speed Under a warming sun Heading to the emerald land A fleet of 50 ships An army of 2000 men Led by the king On the horizon dark clouds arose Thor rode across the black clouds As the night rolled in over us We felt the wrath of the storm That night I was haunted by dreams An omen of what was to come The serpent arose from the sea Ready to strike With hammer in hand The serpent in pain Twisting in furious rage Fought for its life The serpent escaped Thor was enraged My dreams began to fade Woke from my dreams Sword in my hand The break of dawn Closing in on Irish land Time to attack Grabbed our shields We came ashore And saw the waiting horde The fight was short and deadly intense The Irish fought us well But as we gained the upper hand Their fighting spirit quelled Ready to strike With swords in our hands They struggled with heart The Irish fell to our wrath Fought for his life Their king escaped With fury divine King Olav threw his sword