[Verse 1 - the assembly] They came from every steeple Every altar, every gate The ones who claimed the highest ground United in their hate They called it holy purpose They called it God’s defense They brought the Riders with them The last ones - full of vengeance
[Pre-Chorus] Let them come Let them raise every banner Let them call it righteous Let them call it war If this is what they saved for Then we are what they feared for We have been ready for this Since before
[Chorus - battle at full force] Church of Conflict Every banner in the field Church of Conflict Every last one refusing to yield Rider by Rider They met the Crimson blade Church of Conflict The world they built Was never going to be saved
[Verse 2 - the casualties, the Order falling] I watched the Baker take the first blow I watched him stumble, then stand I watched the Priest cover a child With nothing but his hand I watched the Knight fight three at once I watched him take the wound I watched the Old Man keep on moving Like a man with nothing to lose And then the ones behind them kept on coming And the ones behind them more And the ground beneath the Crimson Order Was not the ground we had before
[Pre-Chorus 2 - the tide turning] They kept on coming We kept on falling The ones behind them Had no end in sight And then-
And then-
[Bridge - THE THUNDER - the song drops to near silence] The sky cracked open.
Not from us.
From somewhere to the east. Far enough to mean nothing. Close enough to change everything.
The enemy stopped advancing.
We did not understand why.
The remaining Riders fell Before the thunder passed.
We won.
I looked east. I saw nothing. I told myself: weather. I told myself: fortune. I told myself: it does not matter.
But my hands had stopped moving Before the rest of me did.
[Final Chorus - victory, heavier now, grief underneath] Church of Conflict Every banner finally on the ground Church of Conflict Every last Rider finally found Rider by Rider They met the Crimson blade Church of Conflict The world they built Is finally unmade
[Outro - surveying the fallen, Elara alone] The Baker. [pause] The Old Man. [pause] Three of the children. [pause]
Gone.
We won.
[long pause]
There was thunder from the east.
I do not know what it was.
[beat]
…I do not know.