While Ipsy lay snoring, a tingle at his feet awoke him.
He lurched up and faced a beautiful woman half the size of him, hovering over the ground. Long hair white as snow. Eyes dark as black pearls. Two violet wings beating gently behind her back. She was surrounded by a dozen dark and colorful hand-sized fairies. He dove to his knees and groveled. “Fairy Empress! Do with me what you please!”
“Arise, Ipsy the Hood,” she said with a coy smile. “I see our little plan failed.”
“I’m sorry, but my pets were not quick enough. And those two are quite formidable. I’m sorry. Punish me!”
She slapped his cheeks with her delicate hands and squeezed them. “Did you mention me?”
“No, they didn’t ask. I just told them about the giants like you said. As a matter of fact, they walked right into it.”
“And Nath Dragon didn’t suspect a thing?”
“I wasn’t lying, but his eyes were still wary.” Holding his back, he grimaced. “They sure love horses. Ugh.”
Her black eyes inspected the stone grave. “At least you killed a mount. That will slow them down and give me further time to plan.”
Fingers fidgeting at his side, he asked, “So, I did well?”
“Of course, Ipsy.” She caressed his cheek. “Of course. After all, you chose to follow me, the giants, and the titans. You’ll be a part of our destiny to take down the dragons.”
“What else can I do, Fairy Empress Lotuus?”
Glancing at the rocks, she said, “This pile of rubble is suspicious. You’re going to need to remove it, and the horse with it.”
His mouth fell open.
Lotuus waved her hand toward the small cave opening. The giant cobra with the busted fangs slithered out. “Come, come, sweet pet.” The snake coiled up beneath her feet. She patted its head. “Ipsy, close your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
Her face darkened. “Yes, your eyes.”
“Uh, as you wish.” He shut his eyes.
“You trust me, don’t you, Ipsy?”
“Certainly.”
“Good, now keep your eyes closed and don’t move.”
He swallowed and nodded. A new layer of sweat beaded on his brow. He felt his snake entwine itself around his body. The connection he had with it was gone, overpowered by a darker force.
“Now open your eyes,” she said.
He did. He was wrapped from neck to ankle in the giant poisonous restrictor. Its muscles slowly started to squeeze the breath out of him.
“Fairy Empress, you said I did well.”
“I lied,” she said with a sneer. “You should have at least killed the dwarf.”
“But–” he blurted out. Breathless, he could say no more. The snake began crushing his body.
Lotuus pinched his cheek and smiled. “Die knowing that your ultimate purpose was served.” With the grace of the wind, she and her fairies departed.
All Ipsy could do was unleash a silent scream. “Noooooooo!”
CHAPTER 16
Brenwar stood inside a giant-sized footprint of pressed-down grass. Squeezing his war hammer, he said with a fierce grin, “There be giants.”
Leagues away from where they had left Ipsy, Nath led his horse alongside his comrade. The footprints led straight toward the base of the Craggy Mountains. He hopped off the saddle and studied the prints in the grass. “I see three sets of them. Seems that the druid wasn’t fibbing after all.”
“He’s not very good with distance. We’re a good bit farther north than he suggested.” Brenwar’s eyes studied the mountains, whose peaks stretched up above the clouds. “And it’s no surprise there’d be giants up in there. Probably be some mountain goats too. Har, he’s fooling with us.”
Scanning the ground, Nath said, “True.” After all, he and Brenwar knew Nalzambor about as well as anybody.
Though he’d never ventured into them, the Craggy Mountains weren’t so much of a mystery. Their high, jagged peaks were a coarse trek, and most men didn’t go near, let alone bother to climb it. It was a great place to hide, for anyone, any size.
Nath took a knee and plucked up a handful of the flattened grasses. He sniffed it and made a sour face. “If it stinks like a giant, it must be a giant, right?”
“I thought it was obvious.”
The sun gleamed through the grey clouds, but a light drizzling rain still fell. Nath’s nose twitched. “How many days do you think, since they passed?”
“Three,” Brenwar replied.
“Even with all this rain?”
“It’s rained more south than north. I stick with three. Why?”
“Oh, that’s my assessment as well.” Nath eyed the mountain. “I say we go back.”
“Back?”
“Let me rephrase that. Backtrack.”
Brenwar clawed at his beard. “You mean, backtrack the giants?”
“Yes. I’m curious to see where they came from.” Nath snapped off some grasses that were still standing high. Blood residue was on them. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“You should. It’s giants.”
Taking the horse by the reins, Nath followed the giants’ trail over the rocky steppes.
For some strange reason, the land was quiet. Not a single bird crossed the sky. There was no rustle of vermin scurrying through the fallen leaves. Only the rattle and squeak of the horse’s saddle accompanied them.
They’d made it about a league when Nath said, “I don’t like where we are headed.”
“Aye,” Brenwar agreed.
“Why don’t you get on the horse?” Nath suggested.
“Why?”
“So you can keep up.”
Without hesitation, Brenwar climbed on the horse and took his place in the saddle. “You’re that worried?”
“I feel trouble in my scales.” Nath took off running, with Brenwar on the galloping horse behind him.
Based on the course they were following, he knew there was a large group of village communities only a few miles away. Good people, hardy and durable farmers and traders, and a mix of the races at that. They called the area Harvand, which was Elven for outcast. Nath never understood why it was called that. The people were like the rest of the world, but they did seem to prefer additional isolation and were quite accepting of people who were a little different.
Nath’s long strides kept an even pace with the horse that ran behind him. His flame-red hair was a banner behind him. It felt good running at the speed of a horse. There weren’t any two-legged creatures in the world that could outrun him. At least, he’d never known one that could. Not even the fastest elves were fleeter of foot. Charging up one hill and down another, blood pumping, he started to feel good. He might not be a full-sized dragon anymore, but his body and what it could do was still incredible.
It’s not so bad, Dragon. Not so bad at all.
He bounded up a steep hillside and came to a stop at the top. The dapple-grey horse snorted when it caught up with him. Nath rubbed its neck. “You enjoyed that too, didn’t you?”
“Harrumph. Running’s overrated. A dwarf never rushes anywhere.” Brenwar got off the horse and handed the reins to Nath. “He’s always exactly where he needs to be.”
With Brenwar at his side, Nath focused his attention on the valley of villages ahead. Tiny houses and barns were stretched out on the fertile land around Harvand almost as far as he could see. Aside from the barns and silos, no building was taller than two stories. He could see people milling about the streets. They looked small, but his keen eyes could make out some of the faces quite well. The people were long-faced, and many carried tools.
“What’s that?” Brenwar pointed west of the village.
It was a pile of rubble. Wood and stone. People were dragging materials over on carts and wheelbarrows. Some carried it by hand. They pitched materials into the pile of scrap.
Scanning the buildings, Nath noticed that many of them weren’t even standing. Several were crushed. A barn had a grain sil
o stuffed through its roof.
Nath’s throat tightened. “We need a closer look.”
The closer they got, the worse it looked.
Following the sloppy road, they crept into the nearest village. No one paid them any mind. The last time Nath was here, dozens of years ago, the people had been nothing short of accommodating. Of course, that had often been the case with him back then, and he had enjoyed it. Now, the people were grim-faced, and heads were downcast. They slogged through the torn streets carrying tools and scrap. Few words were spoken.
A woman with two small boys was trying to fix the door to a small home that didn’t have a roof or a back wall. A group of children splashed through a puddle made by a giant’s foot, chasing after loose chickens. There was hunger. Pain. Depression.
Finally, Nath approached a group of three sandy-headed men with scruffy faces and small points on their ears. They were sawing down a tree. One on one handle, one on the other, and the third measuring with a strip of cloth. “Might I ask what happened?”
“Giants,” said the one who measured, without looking at him. “Best that you move on.”
Nath pressed. “Did they take anything?”
The half-elves stopped sawing.
The taller one said, “Just our livelihood.” His piercing eyes scanned Nath. “You best keep going. No room for heroes around here.”
“Sssh,” said the half-elf on the other side of the saw, glancing at Nath. He looked back at his counterpart. “Just cut, will you?”
“Come on, Brenwar.”
That might have been the most impolite and brief conversation I ever had with an elf of any kind.
“Sorry to bother you.”
Walking along Nath’s side, Brenwar said, “Something’s still amiss.”
Nath headed toward the heart of the cluster of villages. “And we need to find out what that is.”
CHAPTER 17
In the center of Harvand was the grandest structure of all: a round stone building with a high cathedral-like ceiling. Smoke came out the chimney on the top. A pole stretched up taller than the chimney. On it, a checkered blue-and-orange flag bearing a wheat symbol flapped in the brisk wind. An archway covered by a sheepskin led inside.
Nath pushed through. “Hello?”
There wasn’t much in the room. A rectangular table with long benches for chairs. Aside from the fire blazing, there was no life inside at all.
Nath spoke again. “Hello?”
The shuffle of sandals over the stone floor caught his ear. An old woman with long white hair and plain purple robes teetered out from behind the other side of the fireplace. She had a cane in one hand that clicked on the floor, and she held a horn to her ear. Her left eye was milky.
“Do my eyes and ears deceive me? Is that Nath Dragon I hear?”
“Marley?” He made his way over to her and took her wrinkled hands in his. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Oh, I can hear the disappointment in your voice.” She rubbed his scales. “Oh my, that’s fascinating.” She coughed. “You’ve changed. But you’re still the same.”
“I could say the same of you.”
She slapped his arm. “Oh, please. I’ve aged sixty years since you’ve been here last. I’ve more wrinkles than a prune. But it’s good to know you’re still a flatterer.”
“Has it really been so long?”
“Oh, yes. The truth is, not a whole lot has happened since you left. Us old ladies still talk about the time you waltzed in here and dazzled us with your song and skills. And you got rid of the horrible bugbear, Mondoon. Blecht.” She clicked her cane on the floor. “And you danced with all the women and even saved the last dance for me. I swear, my feet didn’t touch the floor.”
Nath remembered. He remembered everything, even though time often slipped by him unnoticed.
Marley had been the most beautiful gal in Harvand. Chestnut-haired and dark-eyed, her natural beauty had rivaled that of the elves. She couldn’t have been more than thirty years old then. A widow, for her husband was killed by the bugbear Mondoon. A terrible time for the whole village town. After a hard-fought battle, Nath had vanquished Mondoon.
“And you never remarried?”
“No point really, at least not after dancing with you.” She sighed. “No man in the village could measure up to my tainted expectations.” She poked him with her cane. “And they’re still pretty high, you know. No, I raised the kids, worked until my back couldn’t take it anymore, and let them place me in charge of this city. Things were quiet until now.”
“Please, Marley, tell us what happened. We want to help.”
Marley shuffled over to the bench and sat down, eyeing Brenwar. “And who is this hairy little fellow?”
“I was here the last time too, you know,” Brenwar said with a grumble.
She cocked her ear toward Nath. “What did he say?”
Nath sat down by her side. “He said it’s good to meet you, too.”
“I did not. Oh, never mind.” Mumbling under his beard, the dwarf proceeded to tour the small building while Nath and Marley talked.
Nath took her fragile hand in his. “Marley, tell us what happened.”
She shivered. “They just came. Three of them. My, they were taller than those tall buildings in the cities. They were hairy, brawny, and had a smell about them. Started smashing things, toppling one home after the other. It was awful. They then gulped down our livestock, and we thought that might be the end of it. Maybe they were hungry. So we tried to plead with them, and they just laughed. They said in huge baritone voices, ‘This is just the beginning.’”
Nath put his arm around her shoulder. “How many people were hurt?”
“Oh, well, that’s the oddly fortunate part. There were some injuries, but not one person was killed.”
“That is odd.” Nath caught Brenwar looking at him. Giants didn’t leave survivors. “But that makes me happy to hear it.”
“Oh, don’t be too happy. They said they would be back. They said they wanted people to come with them. Serve them and their new leader. They have built a mountain city in the Craggies. I don’t understand it myself, but they made it clear that if they got enough, eh, volunteers, the village would be spared. But only to serve them. I think they want us to raise livestock to feed them. Oh, Nath,” she sobbed, “we were peaceful, and that peace is gone.”
Brenwar walked over and spoke. “How long until they come back?”
Startled, Marley said, “Where did you come from?”
“Morgdon.”
She looked up at Nath. “Where?”
“It’s not important. Marley, how long until they come back?”
“They didn’t say. And though we are terrified, I think many believe they won’t come back. But I know they will. Nath, I don’t think anyone will go with the giants. I’ve tried to have meetings. We have no volunteers. We’ll all be killed.”
It rankled Nath’s scales. Clenching his fist, he said, “No one will be killed. Not so long as I am here. But perhaps, Marley, you and your people should hide. I know a place. And when the giants come, Brenwar and I will take them on.”
“Aye!” Brenwar injected.
Marley jumped. “Excuse me, who are you?”
“Brenwar!”
“Be easy,” Nath said to his friend.
“Easy? She hears me just fine, just doesn’t like dwarves. She didn’t the last time either.”
Nath recalled Brenwar and Marley getting into a spat. She’d told him to shave his beard, and he’d said he would shave her head first. But Nath couldn’t tell if she was being selective with what she heard or if she was that feeble.
His thoughts drifted to Sasha.
I hope we can make her better.
“Is it warm out?” Marley asked. “I’d like to walk. The sun warms my cold bones.”
“I think there’s enough sun out there for you, and what it won’t do, I will.” Nath helped her up and led her out the door and kept his hand on h
er shoulder. Sunlight crept through the clouds. “Which way?” he asked.
“Eh, this way,” she said.
She moved slowly, but that was fine with Nath. He wasn’t in any kind of hurry. Instead, he took in all of the busy activity. The workers were far from robust, and only a few eyes found their way to him. There were some children who hid and giggled at him as he passed by the split-rail fences.
Scanning the distant fields, Nath noticed some odd structures. “What are those, Marley?”
She stopped and followed where he pointed. “Oh, those are just silos. I’ll take you to see them if you like.”
“It’s just odd that all of them are still standing. Did you rebuild them?”
“I can’t remember. I guess it must be good fortune. Come on, let’s go and see what’s going on.”
Four silos stood in a perfect square. Made of stone, they were over thirty feet high, with round shingled roofs.
Brenwar stood in the midst of the four of them. “That’s a strange design for silos. They’re too wide.” He rubbed his bearded chin and eyed the ground. “And I don’t see any evidence of grain. And those stones. Awfully big. Did your people build those, or did someone else?”
Marley slipped out from under Nath’s arm and looked at him with a painful expression. “Nath, I didn’t have any choice.” Her chin trembled. “They said they’d kill all of us. It’s a trap, Nath. Run!”
CHAPTER 18
“Marley! Marley! What are you talking about?”
The old woman was suddenly more nimble than she appeared to be. She slipped away from Nath’s outstretched grasp. “Run!”
Wary eyed, Brenwar growled. “I knew something wasn’t right—with her or this hog hole—from the beginning. You should have listened to—”
Giant arms busted out of the silo walls.
Big, ugly bald heads popped out the tops of the silos.
“I knew it! I knew it!” Brenwar yelled. “They’re stone giants, Nath! That’s why I didn’t smell them out!”
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