Delving into these temples
Unknown what lies beneath them
The walls shake and tremble
Seeming to echo a guitar strum

My crew follows behind
Tired and unamused
No longer do our names hold worth
But our bodies are badly bruised

The strumming gets louder and louder
As the shadows creep closer and closer
No longer does this seem so amazing
But my curiosity needs closure

We draw our weapons
The metal glinting in the flames
Enchanted to slay any foe
So long as we don't get maimed

The caverns open up
But what lies ahead?
A treasure trove of gold to take?
Wait... that's the dead!

The strumming pounds louder and louder
The slashing of swords fighting the beat
But we will not be defeated by some dead spirits
We are quick and light on our feet

As we dance and the battle goes on
I realize what we got wrong
We shouldn't be fighting this haunting song
Instead we should use it to fight head on

Slashing and slaying the physically dead
Ducking and diving and moving my head
One by one they fall at last
No longer haunted by their pasts

Finally, the coast is clear
No more foes or spirits near
We take the chance to rest and cheer
But still, a haunting song we hear

We pick ourselves up
And keep moving on
Our courage restored
And our fear now gone

The chance to finally have worth to our name
Is enough to make us want to play this game

The next challenge appears easy at first
A simple puzzle using stone pillars submersed
At first it seems like it couldn't get worse
That's until you see the pillars are cursed

Just ever so slightly do they not line up
And the passageway has sealed, so no backing up
A seemingly impossible task
But then, my loyal parrot croaks "Flask!"

We glance at one another, then pour out our water
The pillars shake, but do not falter
As the water flows in the right places
The pillars light up and so do our faces

A new doorway cracks open
and we delight in what we see
A shining artifact on display
For my crewmates and me

We stroll to the object
As it glimmers and shines
The wealth that this could bring
Is at the forefront of our minds

But to our shock, when I try to grab it
The object floats up, and then drops and smashes
Bits fly everywhere, and we duck out of range
The precious artifact, now forever changed

We stumble about, upset and outraged
Our names could've had worth
But now we are caged

I slump to the floor, accepting defeat
There's no way out, and nothing in it for me
My parrot coos, and nestles in my lap
And I drift off to sleep, just for a nap

Drip, drip, drip, the faucet leaks again
But wait, we're in a cave,
So what's the explanation?

I rise from the floor,
My parrot fluttering to my shoulder
Something's off about this room
And I notice a boulder

It's appearance is slightly different from the rest,
It's edges smooth and it's surface not stressed
I push it to the side, and light engulfs my eyes
For on the floor sits a staff of great size

My gasp wakes my mates, and they come to my side
Glancing nervously at me as forward I stride
I pick up the staff, gently rolling it in my hands
It gleams brighter at last, and it reveals its use as I stand

In a silky voice, it relays its blessing
And we listen quietly, hearing and assessing
"You have picked me up and become my mage,
but spells you shall not cast or a war I will wage.
To restore peace is what I am for,
use my power wisely or your life will be no more."

A growing vine wraps around my wrist,
Thorns marking my skin with a harsh kiss
Through blood and magic our bond has been sealed
Now it's time for our names to be revealed

The staff whisks us outside in a swirl of light
And on the shore sits a ship made for flight
We board with caution and check for things
And we finally rest as the ship starts its wings

Soaring faster than any other machine
We can finally sit down and have a drink
For once, we have a plan that we can act on
And in motion it will be by the dawn

The staff guides the ship to the holy abode
Of only the most corrupted leaders we know
With a sickening crack and the shatter of glass
The rulers lay dead, no more sick laws can they pass

The guard rush in, but no people are found
For we are simply citizens, walking on the ground
A smile makes its way to my face,
but I brush it off, not wanting to look out of place

As panic and horror begin to set in
We go over our plan and so it begins
The staff makes a beam of light in the sky
Drawing people to me, and I almost waver under their eyes

With a booming voice, I command them to listen
I know that they will, since they're all citizens
"People of the Isles, peace has come at last.
I was once a pirate, but I'm now a mage with this artifact. I shall bring peace to our realm, and none shall be hurt.
For if I fail at my duties, then my blood will mix with the dirt."

The people look around, confused but excited
I would even say that some look delighted
One gets on his knees, bowing in respect
And many others take a moment to reflect.

One by one, they get on their knees
Bowing in respect as they pledge loyalty to me
The staff glows bright, like the moon tonight
And I know that my new life will be just right.