Iron Wolf!

(Furniture crashes)

(Heavy breathing)

(Steel scraping stone)

Another rider kneelin’

Another fortress lost

Another burning village

Bought back at twice the cost

I sent drakes at midnight

Turned the valley black

But by the break of morning

Twosun took it back

Maps scattered on the floor now

Wine running like blood red

Every line I sever

That monster repairs instead

My captains fear the doorway

Too terrified to speak

Cause every failed offensive

Leaves another body weak

Who keeps feeding them fire?

Who keeps breaking my chains?

Every time I close my fingers

I’m left choking on the flames

IRON WOLF!

Why won’t you die for me?!

Through the ash and artillery

You come screaming down the rails

IRON WOLF!

Every scar’s a memory

I tear the world apart

But you survive every strike again

You ruin every victory

You drag hope back to life

And I HATE that sound—

That whistle in the night

I crushed the western crossing

Sent wyverns through the snow

The walls were finally breaking

Then I heard that engine groan

Steel beast through the smoke clouds

Black smoke against the sky

Line Runners spilling soldiers

Before my drakes could dive

My lieutenants avoid me now

They shake before they speak

One more “failed advance,” and gods—

They’ll beg before they bleed

Track-track-crack through the mountain pass

Thought I burned that iron path

Drop the bridge? They build anew

Kill one crew? Another comes through

How many bombs?

How many dead?

How many sleepless nights in my head?!

I am the terror mothers fear—

SO WHY IS THAT TRAIN STILL HERE?!

Every failure feeds it

Every battle grows its name

Like a curse across the mountains

I can’t stop, can’t break

IRON WOLF!

Why won’t you bow to me?!

I have drowned whole kingdoms

Just to break your iron spine

IRON WOLF!

Still hunting endlessly

No matter what I send

You survive the fire every time

And somewhere in the darkness

That whistle screams again—

Like the world itself is laughing

At the rage I cannot end

(distant train whistle)

“No survivors…”

(another whistle answers closer this time)

“…then why…

does it keep coming back?”