Of Tears & Darkness: 1 Light of Elliana

Part 5 - Know Thy Enemy

Donovan and his token force galloped across the bridge onto the drying muddy road and stopped. "There's no telling what we will face once we catch up with the enemy. Every man here serves in the Dawn Breaker Mounted Brigade and carries leather armor if the need requires it. Let's prepare for battle as true men of Etmindor." Donovan dismounted to unpack his gear.

Perhaps thirty minutes later, sunlight gleamed from burnished oak-tanned leather surfaces of Donovan's armor and of eighteen men around him. He put on his steel studded-leather barbute helm and saw something below. The prince crouched lower to inspect what had caught his attention. It was the boot print of a Giant, nearly obliterated by many tracks of smaller booted feet.

"The enemy has a Giant; how did they manage to accomplish such a feat?" Donovan asked.

One hundred and eighteen years ago, an army of Giants had invaded Northern Etmindor during a blizzard. Out of the howling winds and driving snow, they had attacked and destroyed farmsteads, logging camps, and the town of Endelmere buried in drifted snow. The hulks had slaughtered everyone and left the village in ruins. King Edder led the Etmindorian Army into battle, and great pitched-battles erupted in the Northern regions of Etmindor.

Allies joined the war, determined to help Etmindor end this threat once and for all. Two months later, during Edder's Stand's twenty-one-day battle, both sides had suffered horrific losses. Dead were stacked everywhere, and wounded were beyond counting. Out of necessity, both sides agreed to a temporary truce. For five days, each side tended to their wounded and dead with only an open plain between them. Through ravaged grass-land flowed a stream which wound over and around tangled bodies of the fallen. Ever since the historic battle, the creek had come to be known as Bloody Run.

On the morning of the sixth day, during a light rain, a towering figure had limped toward the stream separating them. The outstanding figure stood on his side of the flowing waters. King Edder had approached the massive form, limping due to his injury to his left lower leg. With great effort, the Giant had knelt and placed upon the ground the iron battle-ax he carried. Blood was seeping down from a wound to his right shoulder, dripping off his iron chest plate.

"We fight no more." The Giant stood upright. King Edder had stared for a few minutes at the massive figure before him and nodded his head. He slowly knelt and painfully drew his long sword and placed it on the ground. "Leave in peace," King Edder said loud and clear. Both leaders had returned to their people bearing painful reminders of the battle, yet the bloodshed had ended. Donovan shook his head to clear his mind of these distracting thoughts.

"At least three Giants were traveling with a force of many more fighters leaving Drennard," Maneau said quietly at Donovan's side.

The young Centaur of nineteen years was skilled in tracking and was studying the enemy's tracks. Maneau's dark brown hair was pulled back behind his head, and his brown eyes spoke of youth. The sunlight shone off his breastplate of light leather-harness armor.

Prince Donovan mounted his horse and galloped down the road. In drying mud, perhaps three miles farther down, lay two dead Kang with short spears sticking out of their backs. Each of them was approximately seven feet in length, sturdily built, and covered with wiry black hair. They wore crude leather armor. Each of their faces was locked in a death leer with green eyes wide-open. The beasts lived in elaborate tree-top colonies in massive trees beyond the Skargtooth Mountains.

Donovan galloped onward, continuing the chase. The direction the enemy was traveling didn't make sense. Ahead, the Turga River thundered between towering rock walls. There were no fords for miles in either direction. The river consisted of a series of deadly cataracts and cascades which would kill anyone who attempted to cross. Topping a ridge, Donovan paused while observing their enemy for the first time with his spy-glass.