• Arthur's Arrow
• Lady of the Forest Glen, The
• Mordred: The Sorcerer of Nottingham
• (unnamed king)

• Excalibow

• King Arthur*
• Mordred
• Robin Hood*

• Camelot
• Sherwood Forest

• Excalibur**

“Mordred by name, dragon by spell, To Excalibow, the sorcerer fell!"

I liked this bit especially. Poetry not normally my thing, but I liked this. Good work

Well done once again...

Like your setting for the story very much... I can even feel the intense poetic expression from here...lol

...I'm going to vote for @cbishop. His was something different that I've never seen before and it was all round awesome :D.

Giving @cbishop an 8/10. Great verse, made me smile. Very talented...

I'm going to go ahead and vote bishop. His was my favorite overall.

I'm voting for @cbishop poem of epicry. ...I liked. Bit like art.

My vote is for @cbishop

cbishop. Really entertaining read.

@cbishop ...yours was the most interesting story style.

CBishop for sure. ...doing it in a poetic style like the old tales was a stroke of genius. Reminding me of some of the Robin Hood and Arthurian tales I've read.

...Bish's poem is outstanding...

@Pyrogram I gonna be gone most of next week, so if not now then it might as well go to Cbishop.

@wildvine: Ok, if you going to be gone can you host the next one, if so you win. If not Bishop. Good contest.

@Pyrogram Actually, I'm going to bow out. Like i said, gonna be gone most of next week and i think Cbishop already has a theme.

VOTING IS OVER.

Wildvine wins with her story including Dracula, she drained (see what I did there, Dracula.. blood. Never-mind. ) votes away from people.

This was an amazing contest with many entries and a variety of styles used.

If Wildvine can, she is hosting the next contest. If not cbishop does it. Thanks for all who voted. I hope the next contest is as good as this one.

Cbishop WINS! Wildvine withdrew with honor, well deserved bishop and hope you do a good contest.

@cbishop: ... Congrats bishop.

@wildvine: Good job to you aswell!!

wow... really? <sighs> This was kind of a nail biter lol. Alright, thanks to all, and thanks, Wildvine - I do expect you to defend your title - this victory isn't really mine. ;)

@cbishop No worries. I'll kick it next time.

Excellent. :D

@cbishop: @wildvine: congrats to the both of you.

Well done to @cbishop and @wildvine. Next time is my time!

“If it please the King, then listen, Sire.

Listen knight, and listen squire!

Listen court, and listen all!

Listen, dear guests of the King’s masked ball!

“Come one! Come all! Gather round, good friends!

Lean in close and do attend,

As my words pull gently back the veil

To reveal to you a wondrous tale

“Of adventure and magic, and a quest for right–

Of a hero familiar, and yet… not quite.

For this is the ballad that so few know

Of Arthur’s Arrow and the Excalibow!

“Young Arthur’s story does begin

With a call from the Lady of the Forest Glen,

Offering a bow the hue of sun bleached bone,

If he could draw matching arrow from yonder stone.

~>

~>

~>

~>

“Arthur knew well of this stonebound shaft:

Lusted after by the kingdom’s 'nobler' half.

Searched for by peasants. Dreamed of by the fool.

For legend claimed its bearer would one day rule.

“Yes! Laugh, dear friends, and toast your King!

For it might be of him whom the minstrels sing!

Could he be this tale’s hero? Sire, is it true?

Dear friends, a nobler man, you never knew.

“But back to Arthur, and the offered prize,

The arrow in the stone, before his eyes.

Many had tried, and many had failed.

Yet, he was invited– might he prevail?

“He considered long moments what this could mean–

Deciding if, truly, he could be king.

Though unexpected, there was the Lady’s call,

And finally, that fact overshadowed all.

~>

~>

~>

~>

“Stepping forward, he felt his life’s path narrow,

Grabbing his destiny as he grabbed the arrow.

Then, with deceptive ease, it slid right out,

Leaving no room for further doubt.

“The white bow then shown like a harvest moon,

And the Lady smiled as she gave his boon.

With a gentle sigh he could barely hear,

The Lady faded, then disappeared.

“A slight breeze blew that made Arthur shiver,

And he wondered that there was no quiver.

Nocking the arrow into the bow,

He took careful aim, and let it go.

“He had not yet seen his arrow land

Before another appeared in Arthur’s hand.

Many times, he did thus fire,

And never did his supply expire.

~>

“As he retrieved each shaft, their magic done,

They left in wisps, until back to one.

He could not break the bow or shaft,

And thus delighted, the archer laughed.

“He hid his face with a cloak and hood,

And traveled ‘round, doing all manner good.

Making allies, and fighting the damned,

Including the Sorcerer of Nottingham.

“Mordred by name, dragon by spell,

To Excalibow, the sorcerer fell!

Be it dragon’s marrow, flesh, or scaly shield,

To that enchanted arrow, all things must yield.

“With a final roar, the dragon was felled.

Crowing triumphant, the archer yelled.

‘That’s the might of Arthur’s arrow!’ he did proclaim,

And this was how our archer received his name.

~>

~>

~>

~>

“The news and legend of Arthur spread,

And eventually, a price was put upon his head.

Long outlawed, he roamed the wood,

And still showed the people just where he stood.

“This enraged the King, as you might have guessed.

He would not endure this hooded pest.

He raised the reward, as well as the taxes.

Hung the hero’s allies, or took their heads with axes.

“And still Arthur gathered a band of fighting men

At a great, round, stone table in his forest den.

So weapons were gathered, and pacts were made,

Deep within Sherwood Forest, in a secret glade.

“Through a winter quite bitter and a summer quite hot,

Plans came together to free all of Camelot!

Those plans led to now, to this festive proceeding.

This very moment is where my tale has been leading.

~>

~>

~>

~>

“Now, dear friends, this last part might get a bit gory,

But I thank you for your patience with this humble bard’s story.

We have almost reached midnight, where we will all unmask,

But before we do, dear guests, I charge you this task:

“If you will direct your attention to the walls, and beyond to the yards,

And take notice of the Lincoln green masks on the guards.

That’s the merry band of fighting men that I did bring.

They belong to me, and not to the King.

“For those of you who don’t follow, or may be a little dim:

This Arthur’s Arrow that I speak of? That’s me; I’m him.

You see, when we heard of this gathering of all the noble class,

It was clearly carpe diem– we couldn’t let it pass.

“As my men draw their bows, it is time for decision,

And I suggest you make it wisely, with sudden precision.

For you, this one thing: you can bow down, or you can be dead.

As for you, O' King: surrender your crown, or surrender your head.”

~>

~>

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~>End<~