Tall Tech Tales And Other Short Stories

The Shadow Giants (Historical Smackdown 1.2)

The young boys hid in the shadows of the brush on the north side of the valley, mere yards from the footpath that led to the other side of Tollense river. The far side of the path, as well as the forest on the other side of the river, were hidden by the thick fog that lingered from the cold night, not yet displaced by the rays of the morning sun. Only the sound of the water of the river could be heard.

The younger of the two pulled his legs closer and wrapped his cloak tighter around his body. The rock he sat on was far from comfortable, and they had been sitting there for several hours. He had started to regret his insistence of coming along. It was a chance to see the foe the townsfolk had been talking about but was it worth freezing?

"Do you really think they are giants, Folke?" he asked his older brother. "You know, like they say in town."

His brother turned and looked at him, with a finger on his lips.

"You've got to be quiet, Petr. They're close. Only whisper, please."

Petr nodded and waited a few moments before he tried again. "Are they?" he whispered.

"Don't be silly. There are no such things as giants. Nor do they spit fire or split the earth or any of the other silly tales we've heard."

Petr yawned and stretched. "But how do you know?"

"Don't believe everything you hear, Petr."

"What are they then? What do they want?"

Folke shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know what they want. One farmer further south said they passed by with weapons and armor, some even riding on horses. They're not from around here."

"So why are we here?"

"You wanted to see them, didn't you? This narrow valley and the footpath across the river, it's the only way to continue north. We need to understand them to fight them."

"I wanna fight!" Petr said and kicked a bunch of leaves on the ground.

"You? You're just a child," Folke said as he suppressed a laugh and a smirk with his hand.

Petr folded his hands across his chest and pouted. "So are you."

"I'm not!" Folke protested. "I'm old enough to fight, and I will. I will protect our family."

"Like father did?" Petr said and instantly regretted opening his mouth.

Folke looked at Petr in silence for what seemed like an eternity. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eyes and returned his attention to the fog ahead of them without saying another word.

Petr knew better than to continue talking. His father's death was a sore subject, and Petr knew that Folke had been forced to shoulder much of a the burden of providing for their family. If he could provide, he could also protect, he had told Petr. Petr was convinced he could do the same. He would fight the giants with his brother. Together, they would protect mother and sister.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a horn from somewhere on the other side of the river. They heard one blast, then another. Petr counted three all together. He grabbed the arm of his brother and made himself as small as he could.

"What was that?" he whispered. Folke gave him a look, a finger across his lips and shook his head. It was only moments later that Petr felt it. At first, it was barely noticeable, but as they waited, they both felt the earth vibrate under them, stronger and stronger. At the same time, the sound of metal against metal and shuffling bodies could be heard across the valley from the other side, rising in intensity as it approached, hidden by the fog. Then, another blast of the horn and everything was once again quiet.

"What was that?" Petr said again, this time barely audible.

Before Folke had a chance to answer, they heard a grunt from beyond the fog, and heavy footsteps began to march across the wooden path towards them. Through the haze, a disturbance appeared, a shadow. Barely visible at first, the shadow grew darker as it approached the edge of the fog, its steps now accompanied by others behind it.

Petr gasped when it broke through the fog and emerged. Folke pushed him down, his eyes fixed on the figure now approaching. Tall and broad-shouldered, the warrior approached, a longsword in his right hand, a rectangular shield in his left. Shoulder-length, brown hair flowed out from beneath the helmet that covered his head. His body was covered with armor.

The warrior stopped halfway across the footpath as he was joined by others of his kind. They stood in silence, their gaze on the wooded area where Folke and Petr were hiding. They young boys were transfixed, their mouths wide open as they took in the monsters on the path. Then, in unison, the warriors raised their swords straight into the air and let out a battle cry that echoed across the valley.

"You still want to fight?" Folke whispered in his brother's ear.

Petr looked up at his big brother, eyes large. He opened his mouth to respond when the warriors lowered their shields, thrust their swords forwards and charged. Petr and his brother look at each other for a fraction of a second, both certain of their next actions. They turned and ran.

898 Words, written for the Historical Smackdown 1.2 prompt.