And the Shadow fell upon the Land, and the World was riven stone from stone. The oceans fled, and the mountains were swallowed up, and the nations were scattered to the eight corners of the World. The moon was blood, and the sun was as ashes. The seas boiled, and the living envied the dead. All was shattered, and all but memory lost, and one memory above all others, of him who brought the Shadow and the Breaking of the World. And him they named Dragon.
(From Aleth nin Taerin alta Camora, The Breaking of the World. Author unknown, the Fourth Age)
And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would come again, the Dark lay heavy on the land and weighed down the hearts of men, and the green things failed, and hope died. And men cried out to the Creator, saying, O light of the Heavens, Light of the World, let the Promised One be born of the mountain, according to the prophecies, as he was ages past and will be in ages to come. Let the Prince of Morning sing to the land that green things will grow and the valleys give forth lambs. Let the arm of the Lord of the Dawn shelter us from the Dark, and the great sword of justice defend us. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.
(From Charal Drianaan te Clamon, The Cycle of the Dragon. Author unknown, the Fourth Age)
And it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered, and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of the Age, and the Dark One shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man. Women shall weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent like rotting cloth. Neither shall anything stand nor abide... Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow, born once more as he was born before and shall be born again, time without end. The Dragon shall be Reborn, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth. In sack cloth and ashes shall be clothe the people, and he shall break the world again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind. Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle, and his blood shall give us the Light. Let tears flow, O ye people of the world. Weep for you salvation.
(From The Karaethon Cycle: The Prophecies of the Dragon, as translated by Ellaine Marise'idin Alshinn, Chief Librarian at the Court of Arafel, in the Year of Grace 231 of the New Era, the Third Age)
And men cried unto the Creator, saying: O Light of the Heavens, Light of the World, let the Promised One be born of the mountain, according to the Prophecies, as he was in Ages past and will be in Ages to come,. Let the Prince of the Morning sing to the land that green things will grow and the valleys give forth lambs. Let the arm of the Lord of the Dawn shelter us from the Dark, and the great sword of Justice defend us. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.
(From Charal Drianaan te Clamon, The Cycle of the Dragon. Author unknown, the Fourth Age)
And his paths shall be many, and who shall know his name, for he shall be born among us many times, in many guises, as he has been and ever will be, time without end. His coming shall be like the sharp edge of the plow, turning our lives in furrows from out of the places where we lie in our silence. The breaker of bonds, the forger of chains. The maker of futures, the unshaper of destiny.
(From Commentaries on the Prophecies of the Dragon, by Jurith Dorine, Right Hand to Queen of Almoren, 742 AB, the Third Age)
And it was written that no hand but his should wield the Sword held in the Stone, but he did draw it out, like fire in his hand, and his glory did burn the world. Thus did it begin. Thus do we sing his Rebirth. Thus do we sing the beginning.
(From Do'in Toldara te', Songs of the Last Age, Quarto Nine: The Legend of the Dragon,composed by Boanne, Songmistress at Taralan, the Fourth Age)
The Shadow shall rise across the world, and darken every land, even to the smallest corner, and there shall be neither Light nor safety, and he who shall be born of the Dawn, born of the Maiden, according to Prophecy, he shall stretch forth his hands to catch the Shadow, and the world shall scream in the pain of salvation. All glory be to the Creator, and to the Light, and to he who shall be born again. May the Light save us from him.
(From Commentaries on the Karaethon Cycle, Sereine dar Shamelle Motara, Council-Sister to Comaelle, High Queen of Jaramide circa 325 AB, the Third Age)
And when the blood was sprinkled on ground where nothing could grow, the Children of the Dragon did spring up, the People of the Dragon, armed to dance with death. And he did call them forth from the wasted lands, and they did shake the world with battle.
(From The Wheel of Time by Sulamein so Bhagad Chief Historian at the Court of the Sun, the Fourth Age)
With his coming are the dread fires born again. The hills burn, and the land turn sere. The tides of men run out, and the hours dwindle. The wall is pierced and the veil of parting raised. Storms rumble beyond the horizon, and the fires of heaven purge the earth. There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side of death.
(Fragment from The Prophecies of the Dragon, believed translated by N'Delia Basolaine First Maid and Swordfast to Raidhen of Hol Cuchone circa 400 AB)
The unstained tower breaks and bends knee to the forgotten sign. The seas rage, and storm clouds gather unseen. Beyond the horizon, hidden fires swell, and serpents nestle in the bosom. What was exalted is cast down; what was cast down is raised up. Order burns to clear his path.
(The Prophecies of the Dragon translated by Jeorad Manyard Governor of the Province of Andor for the High King, Artur Paendrag Tanreall)
There can be no health in us, nor any good thing grow, for the land is one with the Dragon Reborn, and he one with the land. Soul of fire, heart of stone, in pride he conquers, forcing the proud to yield. He calls upon the mountains to kneel, and the seas to give way, and the very skies to bow. Pray that the heart of stone remembers tears, and the soul of fire, love.
(From a much disputed translation of The Prophecies of the Dragon by the poet Kyera Termendal, of Shiota, believed to have been published between FY 700 and FY 800)
Rosel of Essam wrote 200 years after Breaking: "Heart of the Dark. Ba'alzamon. Name hidden within name shrouded by name. Secret buried within secret cloaked by secret. Betrayer of Hope. Ishamael betrays all hope. Truth burns and Sears. Hope fails before truth. A lie is our shield. Who can stand against the Heart of the Dark? Who can face the Betrayer of Hope? Soul of Shadow, Soul of the Shadow, he is..."
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"Leafblighter means to blind the Eye of the World,...He means to slay the Great Serpent....." message from a dying Maiden.
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The Stone of Tear will never fall until the People of the Dragon come to the Stone.
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The Stone of Tear will not fall till the Sword That Can Not Be Touched is wielded by the Dragon's hand.
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His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul, washing away the Shadow, sacrifice for man's salvation.
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On the slopes of Dragonmount shall he be born, born of a maiden wedded to no man.
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He shall slay his people with the Sword of Peace and destroy them with the Leaf.
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He shall bind the Nine Moons to serve him.
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He will heal the wounds of madness and cut hope.
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He will break chains and put some in chains.
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Five rides forth, and four return. Above the watchers shall he proclaim himself, bannered cross the sky in fire...
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He will be of the ancient blood, and raised by the old blood. (TGH:8)
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The grave is no bar to my call (inscribed on the Horn of Valere) (tGH)
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The Horn of Valere will only be found just in time for the Last Battle. (tGH)
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Let whosoever sounds me think not of glory, but only of Salvation. (Horn of Valere) (tGH)
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The Horn of Valere will call dead Heroes back to fight in the Last Battle. (tGH)
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No more False Dragons after the Dragon proclaims himself.
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When the winds of Tarmon Gai'don scour the Earth, he will face the Shadow and bring forth Light again in this World.
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And the Glory of the Light did shine upon him. And the Peace of the Light did he give men. Binding nations to him. Making one of many. Yet the shards of hearts did give wounds. And what was once did come again--in fire and in storm Splitting all in twain. For his peace... --for his peace... ...was the peace ... ...was the peace... ...of the sword. And the Glory of the Light did shine upon him.
(From Glory of the Dragon composed by Meane sol Ahelle, the Fourth Age)
The lions sing and the hills take flight. The moon by day, and the sun by night. Blind woman, deaf man, jackdaw fool. Let the Lord of Chaos rule.
(Chant from a children's game heard in Great Aravalon, the Fourth Age)
Power of the Shadow made human flesh, wakened to turmoil, strife and ruin. The Reborn One, marked and bleeding, dances the sword in dreams and mist, chains the Shadowsworn to his will, from the city, lost and forsaken, leads the spears to war once more, breaks the spears and makes them see, truth long hidden in the ancient dream.
(Kandori translation)
Into the heart he thrusts his sword, into the heart, to hold their hearts, Who draws it out shall follow after, What hand can grasp that fearful blade?
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Twice and twice shall he be marked, Twice to live, and twice to die. Once the heron, to set his path. Twice the heron , to name him true. Once the dragon, for remembrance lost. Twice the dragon, for the price he must pay. Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed. Once for mourning, once for birth.
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Red on black, the Dragon's blood stains the rock of Shayol Ghul. In the Pit of Doom shall his blood free men from the Shadow.
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