Vol. 2
Marika silently watched as her men marshaled. A great host of nearly ten thousand souls, garbed in the golden and holy armaments of her own personal forge, prepared to crash against the tide of the great giants. Crushed beneath them. Yet her heart pulsed silently in anxious woe. Would it truly be enough?
She stood slowly from her gilded throne, signaling silently for her aid to approach. A tall, slender woman with rich black skin and a head of heavy brown hair that was braided in a way Marika did not recognize. Her eyes glew with a haunting red aura, and no matter her attire or perfume, she always smelled slightly of spider venom. She was fair but not striking to most. With a larger nose and two scars along her lips, she was often questioned for being made Marika's aid. How foolish they were to look at her and not see the brilliance beneath an already fair view merely for seemingly coming from a distant land. She would make an example of the next noble to comment.
Her aid adjusted her ringed red glasses and cleared her throat as her flowing earthy dress swept along the floor. "Yes, your highness?"
"Prepare my chambers. We shall be sending Him to lead the armies." She said in a low voice, ensuring only Lisee heard her.
Lisee gently adjusted her glasses, responding in a hushed tone. "Is that... truly needed?"
"The giants will be no small task. It may be unnecessary, but let us not make our grand entrance onto the world stage any less than glorious." She waved to a few of those cowtowing to her from rooftops below, and she signaled to begin the marching deployment before heading down towards her chambers.
Lisee followed closely, always writing on the little papaya scroll she favored. She claims they were a gift from the homeland of her sister, Nisabu, and found the feel of their texture comforting. Marika had needed time to replicate the process, but now many of the scrolls across the Golden Order used these kinds of papers. They were durable, easy to write on, and lasting.
"Are you certain, Your Highness? It is a heavy resource to resort to." She urged as they entered the candlelit chambers, slowly aiding the golden goddess in disrobing.
"I am." She said with a firm finality. The foreign aid simply nodded, breathing as she turned and began to lock the nearby doors. All attendants were quickly ushered out, and the candles were put out to ensure no spying eyes would see the grim secret.
She heard the snapping of bones first. A sharp cry, followed soon by flesh tearing itself apart and stitching itself together again. She quietly covered her ears and chanted a small prayer to her own beloved god, trying to distract her mind from the horrific sounds that were but feet behind her. The doors had been padded to keep sounds in, so the horrible screams were only privy to Lisee.
After five agonizing minutes, the screaming subsided, and the sound of feet on wet stone was heard. She sighed in relief, reaching for one of the little candles before she felt a heavy heat behind her. Her eyes silently widened, but she knew full well that there was no arguing. No bargaining. No refusal.
Not whenever came to take what He wanted.
...
Messmer
"By the order..." Rellana said as she stood from their little table. She needed a moment as she walked to a nearby shelf, holding it slightly for support.
Messmer nodded somberly, more aware of the grim works his mother had put to task, but his stomach was not saved by familiarity. He was only glad that a kiss had been his morning meal and not something more tangible. "Best we... skip over that section."
"Agreed..." she answered with a quelled retch. She brushed her hair back from her face with a sigh before sitting back against Messmer. "To believe such stock produced you... unthinkable..."
"My hands are not clean, you know." He smiled, a small teasing poke to her side.
"Well, we are warriors. Though, surely there is a difference between what we do, and..." she trailed off.
"Is there?" He asked quietly, a somber self reflective look to his eyes.
"There must be." She responded, meeting his eyes with a fierce kind of sincerity that made his burned heart glow a little more pleasantly. Her views always leaned toward the good in him, and it gave him comfort in hours when he would have otherwise been lost.
"Surely." Kissing her temple after he spoke, he sighed. His fingers slowly turned on a page and found the start of the next chapter. "Good... it wasn't dragged out."
"Agreed."
Vol. 3
Siege of the Volcanic Planes.
"CHARGE!!!" Shouted a zealous general as his blade sunk into the heart of a felled guard giant, crashed against the ashen earth at the gates to their lands. A thousand men began to charge as their allies prepared great incantations and volleys of horrible arrows. Many giants, great twenty meter tall beasts with powerful bodies and great red hair, with flesh of deep pink and a terrible eye in their chests, roared in defiance even as one by one they were felled by the rain of greatarrows and vast reaching spellwork.
In twisted tongues, they roared back, hurling vast gouts of flame that tore through flesh and armor as if they were little more than kindling. They were fierce, and few remained now in this heavy ashen land, but they fought like death itself for their last vestiges of home. The great cauldron in the distant burst and bubbled with seemingly endless pools of fire, and a soldier could spot several of their priests chanting to it. They were preparing something.
The line surged at this revelation, trying now to press against the defending giants. It was to no avail, for their spellmakers began crafting massive walls of flame that only the greatest of her knights could break through. Those brave souls who did would soon be crushed by the overwhelming force, and some began to think this was a fool's venture.
A particularly brave scout made a charge towards a guarding giant outside their flame wall, swatted aside with ease and cracking against a rock as he felt his lungs bubble and bleed. "Queen... Marika... sa..."
As if to answer his prayer, a rough hand gently brushed his shoulder. Healing and gold flooded him as he stood and marveled at his savior. A great man of nearly ten feet, with flowing golden hair that radiated with the blessing of order. His eyes glowed with the grace of gold, and his pale body rippled with power in muscle and magic. He only deined to wear a skirt of plates hammered out from the former throne taken at Leyndell before they had made it the queen's.
"He is here!" The soldier shouted as Radagon, champion of Marika, raised his mighty hammer. He slammed it down as great golden runes burst and tore apart soil and bone alike. Twenty giants were felled instantly, and he then proceeded to match through their flame wall as if it was but a breeze.
His men roared on excitement as they soon follpwed as a wave of his hand shattered the remaining fire. The giants roared, but now it was afraid. They feared Radagon. The Flame Killer.
Many began to prepare their greatest spells only to be crashed through, crushed, broken, or blown up by the swings of his hammer which carried such force, the very mountain they fought across shopk with every single swing. The bloodshed was truly cruel and merciless.
Marching along the volcanic soil toward their great cauldron, his eyes burned with hateful determination. His hand gripped his hammer more tightly as he breathed. A single giant marched along the vast chain that connected the cauldron to the cauldera of the mountain, hands raising slowly. He was bigger than all the rest, and his chest seemed to hold the face of their god. The eye was spiraling orange and red that seemed like a tornado of fire, and the maw of the face was gnarly and crooked grinned. It disgusted Him. Such disorder must be destroyed.
The other giants threw themselves into that cauldron as a massive swirling host of flame bathed the last giant left in great chaotic flames. His own eyes seared and swirled with orange madness as he roared so deeply that the heat of it began to bite at Radagon's flesh.
"Defiant to the end." He charged towards him, running along the vast chain as the giant raised one hand and launched a massive fireball. Radagon batted it aside, exploding against the mountain behind them. Volleys of these fireballs were fired and deflected before the golden champion leaped toward the giant and crashed his hammer across his jaw. The beast turned, kicking the gilded fighter so hard that he flew right back against the mountain as he felt it rumble.
His hand touched his ribs, the other the ground to raise himself and support himself on his hammer. His eyes widened further as he smelled a far heavier surge of sulfur. He turned to his armies, shouting, "RUN! THE MOUNTAIN IS GOING TO ERUPT!!!"
Maybe it was the sounds of battle or a cruel touch of fate that made his voice fail to reach them. Perhaps it was the last spiteful repost of this wicked god. His eyes widened as his feet burned from the heat, and he looked at his armies one final time before leaping off the side of the mountain.
He could hear the chuckle of the last giant as the entire mountain exploded. As he descended through the whipping winds, he heard the cries of his men. Of his warriors. Of his heroes.
...
3 days later
Radagon slowly awoke with a grumbling, pained sound. Trying to right himself, he was surprised to find his wounds had been wrapped. He found himself in a rather regal blue tent, and turning, he was met with the most startling blue eyes he had ever seen.
"Who...?"
"You may call me Renna. Seems you had quite the fall little giant." Her voice was intelligent and rather understanding as she lightly rinsed a small wash cloth in a bucket of steaming water.
"I am no giant." He growled but lacked the strength to raise himself up or argue any further as he placed a hand on his face.
"Well, tall with flaming red hair. Could have fooled me." She answered with a playful smile.
Radagon's eyes snapped open, and horror gripped tight to his chest. A hand alowly touched his hair, and it had become as red as blood.
"No... no, this... this is..." He shook quietly.
Renna's soft hand gently touched his shoulder that was not bandaged. "It's alright. Let us just call this a chance encounter. Hm? Once you are healed, we simply part ways. It's a long way home for me, and I wouldn't mind even a temporary companion during my excursion."
He looked at her, mind still reeling as memories flooded back of the battle. "I... I can do that... and... it's Radahn." He muttered.
"Good boy."