How the Bird of Paradise Came to Be

Her curse was in being beautiful

So much so, that she caught the eye

Of Manes, son of Zeus and Gaia;

Whose obsession one could not deny.

He watched Paradise, night and day,

Year after year, as her beauty grew.

But so did her love for Eragon

And Eragon loved Paradise too

It came to pass, as the news spread

Of their impending wedding day

King Manes plotted against the two

And vowed he would steal her away.

Each morning, just at dawn,

One could always see

Paradise high on the cliffs,

Overlooking the sea.

(Her olive skin, with flecks of gold

That shimmers in the morning light;

Her sea-green eyes that mesmerize

All, much to their delight;

Her glorious robes of red and orange

Flowing majestically in the breeze;

As she stands in the Temple of the Moirai

Where she Instructs the Temple trainees).

But the morning of her wedding day

She went to the cliffs alone

To say a prayer to the Goddesses of Fate

And her future with Eragon be shown.

Meanwhile, King Manes had lain in wait

While Eragon dressed to wed

Thus ensued a raging clang of swords

Until, poor Eragon, beaten, fell dead.

High on the cliff's, Klotho, Goddess of Fate

And mother to Paradise

Informed her daughter, gently but sadly

Of Eragon's fateful demise.

Paradise screamed and wailed

At the news of her lovers fate

And it moved the Goddesses to tears

To see her in such a state.

Suddenly the Goddess unveiled

A beautiful bird as never seen before

Which transformed into Eragon,

Paradise's tragic paramour.

As Manes reached the top of the cliff

The lovers embraced for one last time

Then the Goddess turned them both to birds

And towards the heavens they started to climb

Angered at the site of the two

King Manes drew his bow

Shot an arrow through their hearts

And they fell dead into the sea below.

But not before the Goddess caught

A single drop of blood

Upon which she exhaled

And planted it on the edge of the cliff

In a hallowed plot of mud.

She watered the plot with her tears

And watched as a flower grew

Like a bird from out of the ground

Up to the heavens it flew.

Another sprang in its place

But this one was earth-bound,

Which Klotho named the

Bird of Paradise,

Whose beauty did astound.