Outside in fire and mud rain a castle wall cracked
as a tooth squeezed too tightly by jaw catapult
hammer punches splitting molten drips sprayed
falling to foundation gums peat hardened with throb
The mob villagers in rags echoed on fractured flats
in a current of their screams pounding a rhythm in pulse
of gaping pain flushed and dancing in rivulets to escape
to burst a turgid skin and run down a body of hill
But in one lost cavity a man worked plugging the gap
a spill halted at root a human gauze his robes unfurled
an alchemist setting under tarp a trap to cut swung
fist under crackle of jagged scrape he dug a war potion
Mortar mixed with molar stone swirling in a pit
he moulded points of stalagmite a fang grew jutted
cleaning ring in widdershins he waited for steel
to chisel capped tip flash bang back his venom
sting dazzle eyes with fire so he would be
remembered as a magician