“You were able to kill a small group of giants?” She did not bother to hide her disbelief as she said this.
“Yes…but that is not important right now. I believe that they will not interfere, but we should be vigilant. They are a most curious breed and could cause us some serious trouble if we are caught off guard.”
“Excellent thinking, Lord Dukker. Let me update you on what has happened thus far in the south.” She then explained the events that led up to her arrival. Lord Dukker’s face became darker as she told the tales of her recruiting efforts and especially of her confrontation with the elves at Tarisdell.
“I believe that the other guardians may be involved somehow. That would account for the foreknowledge of our plans. The only group that appears to have been caught off guard completely was the people of Nairi. At least that is what the message was from Queen Kishi.”
“I agree. I have been thinking for some time now that the guardians have been keeping a close eye on things. I know that Lord Keb has not reported anything, but I do not know about the others. I will look into this matter after we begin the attack on the elven capital.”
They both stood there for a few moments without saying anything to one another and not moving from the spot. They were both thinking things through and trying to come up with the best plan of attack now that the elves were alerted to the southern army of orcs. Dukker had an uneasy feeling about the Seda even though he agreed with how Kana handled them. He believed that the fire would keep them at bay, but if they decided to help the elves, who had coexisted with them for a thousand years, they would be in serious trouble. He did not know how even he could contend with one of them let alone their entire population. The guardian was more concerned with the apparent interference of the other guardians. They had not gotten involved in the affairs of the peoples of Tuwa for centuries. She did not like the idea one bit because she was not yet powerful enough to resist the entire council, and she could not destroy them. No one could as far as she knew.
“We must move swiftly against the capital. Leave a rear guard to protect against the possible threat of attack from behind. Make sure the soldiers you place there can wield magic and are skilled in taking down our curious neighbors. I must go now and take care of some other pressing matters that could decide the outcome of our efforts.” She had a faraway look in her eyes as she continued to think about what she must do next.
“I will take care of the elves; you go and see what you can find out about the guardians and their meddling,” replied Dukker. He did not bow at all as he turned walked away. He felt emboldened by the fact that Kana could not protect her mind from him and that he could protect his from her. He was also feeling very powerful after his meeting with the giants. No one had ever taken down five giants by themselves.
As Kana flew off to the north, Dukker returned to talk with his captains. No one noticed the brown bear that had been sitting in some bushes near where Dukker and Kana had been speaking. The bear moved slowly toward the forest as if it were foraging for some berries. After the furry animal had journeyed deep into the forest, the bear looked back at the army. No one had noticed her departure, and no could see her now through the dense undergrowth. She turned around and took off at an amazing pace in the direction of Tarisdell. The druid Nita had not been seen since the merger of the high elves, and now she was returning to the elves with news of the impending attack from the north. She had not agreed with the politics of the high elves and had decided some time ago to return to Renshaw Forest. Now seemed like the perfect time for her to reunite with her true brethren. She did not want the elves to fall prey to the wicked and corrupt high elves or the twisted Elemental, Kana.
***
As the army of the high elves moved into the central part of Renshaw, they began to notice the absence of forest life. There were no birds chirping or chipmunks darting back and forth through the canopy overhead. There was not even an insect buzzing around them as they continued to move toward the capital. They had encountered several small ambushes along the way that had delayed the resolute army, but they had been eliminated almost as quickly as they had attacked. Lord Dukker called a halt to their advance and sent forward several of his spider’s kin to find any other possible traps. As he sat atop the massive spider, he could sense that something was terribly wrong. He sent out his own magic web to try to find any signs of life. As he did so, there was a strange popping and crackling noise that seemed to be increasing in volume. He looked up at the tops of the trees and saw a series of fireballs falling from the sky. The balls smashed into several troops and burned them to a crisp as they shrieked in pain and surprise. Dukker knew that they had come across the biggest ambush yet. How do they know that we were coming?
“Attack!” yelled Dukker in a villainous commanding voice. He spurred his steed forward, and the high elves rushed their hidden attackers. Fire and smoke blurred everyone’s vision as the battle commenced. They were within fifty yards of the northwestern outer wall of Tarisdell, but the chaos that had erupted blinded them to this fact.
Coming of the Giants
The giants sat around the campfire watching the flames with rapt attention. They had come to the plains west of Mount Quang to find out why the weather around the mountain was behaving in such a peculiar manner. They had felt quakes that were so strong that they could not be caused naturally. Chief Angus Vokias had sent this detachment to ascertain the cause and determine if there was any threat to his tribe. He was the leader of the most prominent tribes of the giants. They were not under one banner as a people because of their inability to cohabitate peacefully. As a result, they were divided into five major tribes. Vokias was chief of the Tribe of the Wolf, which had the largest number of giants and was the most well known for their participation in the liberation of Tuwa a thousand years ago.
Gerodi was the leader of the Tribe of the Eagle. Lang was the head of the Tribe of the Bear. Boaz was the chief of the Tribe of the Elk. Marcello was the chieftain of the Tribe of Mystics. The five groups had never been united under a common cause, but that time appeared to be drawing to a close. Four of the clans lived in the far western parts of the Land of Burien in the west lands. Angus, who lived on the extreme eastern border, was much more concerned about the new neighbors. The others were not concerned one bit about the unusual happenings at Mount Quang because of the considerable distance they had between them and the tall mountains. They believed in not getting involved with the other tribes, let alone the other races, so they stayed away from the strange activities in the north. The only giants that had any dealings with any of the other peoples in Tuwa were Angus’s tribe. He had made a pack with the elven King Ciel Tiranidrol many years ago to come to the aid of the other if ever they were in need.
The giants who were circled around the bonfire were silent as they ate their evening meal. The fire rose some twenty feet into the air and burned a brilliant crimson color. The shadows cast by the flickering flames made the ominous giants look even fiercer as they sat there. Anyone walking by this site would have turned tail and fled, but Lord Aellenas was not just anyone. He crept up silently on the mute brutes as his spider set traps with his kin along the border between the Burien Lands and the Black Forest. Dukker wanted to find out for himself exactly what was going on with the curious bunch. He did not trust anyone else to get the information he was looking for and knew that he was the only one who could defend against an attack from multiple giants.
“Who do you think is living up in the mountains?” asked one giant in the circle.
“You remember what Angus said, don’t you?” asked another. “He said it was some type of elf.”
“Then why are we bothering with them? Aren’t they on our side?” asked a third giant.
“No. The chief thinks that they broke off from the woodland elves. They are not to be trusted,” said the second giant in reply.
“You said you would tell us the plan once we got here, so what is it?” asked yet another giant fr
om the circle.
“We are going to visit these deserters and determine whether or not they are a danger to us. If they pose a threat, we wipe them all out. We cannot risk them living so close to us when they may have evil intentions. We do not want another war like the one that destroyed our homes when the Eldar were wiped out. We must circumvent another such possibility. Besides, our pack is with the elven king and not these traitors,” explained the second giant.
Dukker had heard quite enough of this talk and decided to act. Had he put more thought into his actions, he probably would have done things differently, but his close proximity to five giants blinded his mind to any other option. He conjured up a staff out of thin air and pointed it dramatically at the bonfire, and the flames turned a purple color right before it exploded into the unsuspecting brutes. The giants were unaffected by this attack and were on their feet in a blink of an eye. They are much more agile than I would have thought possible. This split-second of thought by Lord Aellenas cost him dearly. As he stood there in temporary shock, he was hit with a rock the size of his head. He tried to dodge the projectile, but it caught him in the right shoulder. He went flying backwards some twenty feet before landing on the rocky field and skidding to a halt. Dukker realized that he was not going to be able to regain his feet before they were on him, so he summoned his staff to his left hand and put up an energy field that deflected several rocks that had been thrown at him.
As Dukker stood up straight, he felt sharp pains throughout his entire body. The rock had shattered several bones and would require extensive healing for a normal person. This warlock was no ordinary creature, so he pointed the staff’s tip, which had a purple crystal placed at the top of the staff, and his shoulder glowed purple like the fire. Several trees in the distance wilted as though their life force had been drained. His wound seemed to mend itself, and he moved his whole arm to make sure that he had all of his functionality back. After making sure he was completely healed, he turned his fiery gaze on his attackers. He removed the protective shield quickly and sent black smoke from the end of his staff at the five giants. The vapor obscured their faces for a few moments, and then it was gone. The massive brutes stood there coughing and gagging as if they had been poisoned or were being choked. After a few more minutes, they had stopped their struggle with the invisible attacker and turned their attention toward the elven warlock.
“You are one of those evil elves!” bellowed one of the giants.
“You will die little one!” yelled another.
“I am afraid that I cannot allow that to happen,” Dukker said with an evil grin.
“What do you-” began one of the giants. They all went silent, and they began to look at one another.
They did not notice Dukker muttering something under his breath while they stood looking at one another. His speech was so low that it was rather difficult to tell what he was saying. It had a rhythm like a chant or incantation. As he continued to mumble to himself, the giants’ countenance fell, and they began ripping each other to shreds. The giant who had done most of the talking survived the sudden attack from his companions by knocking off their heads with his massive club. He turned his attention to Lord Dukker and started making threatening movements toward him.
“I do not know how you did that, but you will pay for it with your own blood!” the giant raged. He swung down his club just as Dukker threw up his protective shield. The giant’s blow was deflected, but the warlock was sent reeling from the effort of keeping the magic shield up.
“You are a powerful brute for sure, but I am much stronger than you,” replied the warlock savagely.
Fire burst from the end of his staff and sent the giant flying through the air. He landed some fifty feet away and was on his feet within seconds of landing. He came bounding back at the wizard with a look of pure loathing in his eyes. As his attacker approached, Dukker had decided to try a different tactic. He summoned a bow and arrow into his hands out of thin air. The arrow was dripping with some kind of poison as he let it fly. The arrow flew with great speed and struck the brute right between the eyes and imbedded itself in his skull. The only part of the arrow that did not penetrate the giant’s head was the feathers. The poison immediately dropped the massive soldier to the ground. Within a few moments, he lay completely still bereft of life.
Lord Dukker smiled savagely at his handiwork and looked about him to make sure that he was alone in the desolate plain. He could see no one around him, so he decided to leave so that he could return in time for the assault on the elves. He looked forward to this momentous occasion. He had longed to teach his lesser brethren the true meaning of power. He would make them suffer horrific deaths and take their place as the dominant race of Tuwa. The high elves would replace the elves just like the elves replaced the Eldar in days of old. He knew that the circumstances were drastically different but the principle was the same. When the dominant nation fell, then a more powerful one took its place. The only difference, in his mind, was that they were forcing the elven race down from their throne.
As Dukker began to make his way back to the border where his faithful spiders were busy setting traps, an unseen giant moved for the first time since the appearance of the wicked high elf. He had sat in stony silence watching the horrific events unfold before his eyes. He had been sent by the chief to make sure that if something should happen to the others that he would at least be able to report back what happened. He wondered if the little warlock guessed right or if he knew that the giants were susceptible to mind control. Only the great guardian knew of this weakness, and he would never share that information with anyone else. The enormous creature sat stalk still until the little villain was well out of sight and ear shot. After he could no longer see Aellenas, he stood up and stared at the remains of his poor fellow tribesmen. They had all been good friends and had been relatively young. He turned about slowly and headed toward his home to report what happened to Chief Angus.
As he set his sights on home, he began to run at such a vigorous pace that he crossed the many miles from their campsite to his destination within minutes. He struggled to push out the dark images of death and destruction brought on by that little elf. The very thought made him so angry that he began smashing objects that he passed by. The giant continued his fervent pace until one of the sentries of the Wolf tribe caught sight of him.
“Galen!” shouted the sentry. “Galen!” The guard was trying to get the attention of the fast-approaching giant.
“Get Chief Angus; must speak to him right away,” said Galen as he panted for breath. His prolonged sprint had winded him terribly, and his lungs were burning from the effort.
“I will get him at once. Take a seat and catch your breath, Galen,” said the sentry soothingly. As soon as his massive friend had taken his seat, the guard had turned about and began to make his way into the camp.
As the guard ran toward the central tent in the camp, two unbelievably huge giants stepped into his path, blocking the entrance to the chief’s tent. They pushed him backwards gruffly and stared down at him imperiously. The sentry had forgotten that he was supposed to give a secret password to gain entry to the chief’s residence. His brain was racing so fast that he was having difficulty remembering what the word was. The entry guards began to laugh and point at his apparent dilemma. They were going to be no help to him, so he had to think of the secret word, and he must do it quickly. These idiots have no idea the urgency of my visit!
“You still can’t think of the password?” asked one of the chief’s guards, laughing raucously.
“Look at him; his little brain is trying so hard to remember what it is,” said the other guard while pointing at sentry. He was laughing so hard that the ground shook slightly around them.
“What is the meaning of this?” boomed a voice from behind the two pillar-like guards. The smiles disappeared, and the laughter died at once. The chief was right behind them.
“This sentry came running up here without bothering to
stop and give us the password, Chief,” explained the guard who had been laughing hardest.
“Did you even bother to ask him what business he had with me?” asked Angus pointedly. His eyes were boring holes into his jovial guard.
“No, sir. I…I… He said nothing about why he was here and…” stammered the guard.
“Galen is back, isn’t he?” the chief spoke to the sentry solemnly.
“Yes, Chief, he came running faster than I have seen anyone run before, and he was tearing up the path as he ran. Something must have gone horribly wrong,” explained the sentry with great concern in his voice.
“You imbeciles go and retrieve Galen. Bring him here at once. If I hear so much as a giggle from either of you again, your heads will be placed on my wall!” Angus was so infuriated by the childish behavior of his guards. They were supposed to be the most fierce and powerful of his guard. These two morons had to be the dumbest among the ranks. Stay calm; if there is a war brewing, I will need these idiots to fill my ranks. If there is no war, rip their heads off then.
“What do you think happened to the scouts?” asked the sentry.
“Whatever it is, it can’t be good. Go back and inform all the sentries to be vigilant. We need to be prepared for anything,” ordered the chief. The soldier nodded affirmatively and took off at once.
The chief turned around and entered his tent. He would wait for Galen to arrive and report what happened. As he walked toward his massive throne, he could not shake the sense of foreboding that had come over him. He knew that something was wrong and that he would have to be decisive. This must have something to do with those wicked elves that left the Black Forest. If a war breaks out, we are going to need more troops. That means combining the strength of the five tribes. Has it really come to that? He shook his head to clear his thoughts so that he could be alert for his visitor. He could hear his two guards approaching his tent with the silent messenger in tow. The tent door parted, and Galen entered with a bow.
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