Smoke In Their Wings

We formed the line like we always do

Steel in the sun, sky split in two

“Hold for the charge,” the captain said—

But they stood still… and raised instead

Dragon men in the drifting smoke

No battle cry—then thunder broke

They came with smoke in their wings that day

Thunder in hand where no beast should play

Claw and fang—but the world had changed

Iron and fire in a demon’s frame

We held the line but it gave away

To a storm that burned the sky to gray

We thought we knew what we faced before—

But they learned our war… and they wanted more

Wyverns circling overhead

Flashes before the charge instead

Men went down before steel was drawn—

“This isn’t beasts… something’s wrong…”

They came with smoke in their wings that day

Thunder in hand where no beast should play

Claw and fang—but the world had changed

Iron and fire in a demon’s frame

We held the line but it gave away

To a storm that burned the sky to gray

We thought we knew what we faced before—

But they learned our war… and they wanted more

Smoke rolled thick and the line went thin

“Mark the sky—bring the rain!” rang in

Fire fell in a rising arc

Airships thundered through the dark

Bought us time we were set to lose—

Just enough we could still choose

And the sky fought back for a breath of grace

Fire from above held the line in place

We were breaking—almost gone—

Till the guns above turned it on

Mortars fell and the airships roared

Pulled us back from the breaking point

We trained for teeth… we trained for flame…

No one trained for this kind of war…

If they can learn…

What are we fighting for…?

They came with smoke in their wings that day

Turned the sun to ash and the blue to gray

Claw and fang—but the end was near

When monsters learned how to make us fear

We held the line but we’re not the same—

When the sky learned fire… and spoke our name

We used to pray when the shadows grew…

Now we pray they don’t learn more than we do…