EarthBorn: First Days
Learn Thy Enemy

Seconth Day 5th Quarter

Fortem leads them out across the rolling glens along the tree line towards a great slope , late afternoon rays beam their backs with the rustling of leaves in the cooling breeze bringing short moments of tranquillity, the flowers bloom in the brilliant present sunshine small invertebrates showing off unique metallic shimmers and pattern they fly and rest singing all around them, the winged creatures return in force swopping and rolling to avoid the aerial predators returned in songs of sonic booms that sound at thunder...

They pass the tree line and travel up the great slope bringing a new horizon, a scarred rocky plain, tuffs of grass try desperately to take over but nourishment is sparse and deep beyond their roots reach, they walk along to the highest point on the hill to an overlook, the desolate land shows its harsh face, like the gods themselves clawed at the land it is ugly to the eye, crowned by a river that slithers in the distance the only slightly point, highlighted by lush green an oasis beyond the desolate wastes far to the right where the river seems to end ,Titan peak alone rules standing tallest, it’s brothers and sisters cut off the other side a natural wall of mountains imprisoning the Sapien people, they’ve never seen beyond...

‘’What way to the river crossing beast’’...Fortem does not answer quickly enough so Legion gives him a roughing shake to liven his senses...

“Through the valley to the bridge, across the contrast then, blue will guide you ’’...

“We stay close here the terrain could conceal much and is unforgiving, you two scouts stay in the middle of our formation, Legion lead him at point, anything attacks he can take the first hit”...Legion edges Fortem down the progressive slant on a stiff chain, the igneous rocks fold his ankles either way it is hard to walk, Maidon stops Fortem before he passes slamming her arm across the prisoners chest and gives him foul warning...

‘’ If anything should happen or you try to call out, your head will fall before you can close your mouth again!?”...She lowers her arm letting him pass ,Fortem caries on his stumble down the slope with a slight grin, one sound away from decapitation, Wayke speaks unaddressed to himself looking out across the dead land...

’’I can’t get anything, the ground is dead here, not enough lives here to feel”...he speak out aloud to all...” Be extra weary we are blind here!”...the others form a kite with the two natives central and head down the valley behind , many of the rocks bear carvings broken and eroded statues of figures and gods from times long past , the path beaten down to slate gravel revealing the rich blue precious stone that lay beneath the surface, one solid precious flat under the slate top crust, alluring fungi tempting in smell spore the air with periodic bursts of toxicity and pollination, there’s no sounds here only the footsteps of those who dare to venture across...

’We’ve never been this far beyond the forest, not anyone alive today that is, the stories say great battles were fought to control these lands long before our time”...Fortem with his head down calls out through his swollen burst lips...

“ A few have made it past the river running from the battle fields, none came back though HAHAHAHA” ... The two scouts look displaced Maidon attempting at quelling their now racing minds...

“Don’t listen to him, he’s trying to get in your head because he knows this journey will be his last , he is but an expendable brute sent out to do the peons work, he is not important to their cause”....

“A PEON...HA! I am Fortem, captain in the berserker legion , hand of Set Mortem bringer of the one race...lord of”...

“ O blah blah blah your all the same, we’re great we’re lords of the land”... Maidon cuts him half way finished, Rune waves his hand in a kingly manner and pitches his voice up...

“Maidon quiet...stop agitating his lordship Fortem ..he might end up losing his head”...the whole company laugh solely at the prisoners expense Fortem he grunts lowering his head again , he mouths words under the laughter only for himself..

They walk the rough gauged plains for a mile guided by the blue glare of the pounded path , the sapphire pulses and flows as if alive it disorients the native scouts bringing them nausea, the water carved it’s caverns under the bank creating the illusion, from here the land is but a hovering platform waiting to break off, it takes a moment and plenty of water over their faces to gain focus, they keep their eyes front and power through the last stretch before they truly become disorient and a burden, grass begins to show itself ,small signs of life then, eyes climb up and Change almost a miracle the land, as if its own heart beat beneath that pump life into a seemingly dead marshland bottom of which is still as harsh just unseen , thick green slop and calf high water stagnant and unpleasant no oxidation , no two places look the same twice, like the land shifts around them they take a second glance to replace it unfamiliar from seconds before, strides in silent keeping their concentration it is not long before their pace brings them within a few hundred metres of the river, the terrain begins to blend, blotches of growth all different heights begin to emerge from the stinking marshlands and the scarred rock into wetland sanctuary infinite shades green, glass clear water they can see the rocky bed now, the sand and bottom mosses cushion and absorbs their boots, the small plants begin to distort under the weight of the small amphibious species clambering to escape the home wreckers that trample their dwells, Venomous tongues protrude their vibrant deceptive bodies before they leap away wings spread as they glide to settle somewhere new, to rebuild. They traipse through the mini paradise splashing the water, with each step a silt cloud blooms they leave the water murky disrupting miniature predators, before long they arrive to a colossal formation of impossibility, a warped tower from their point view its surface rippled and waved like a drop of water from the heavens splashed the ground itself and froze instantly before it settled, it rounds towards each side disappearing into the mountains that formed millennia after to meet again the other side, it towers over now blocking the sixth quarter sun and the way past a basin of water it holds, the company head for the unnaturally formed arena, they walk into a deliberate opening smashed into the spectacles face, light from all direction gone only the very top sees the sun Earth thane raises his fist halting his band in the centre it is dark down there , looking upon the inner walls of the frozen splash faces and forms appear in scatters, almost hallucinations quickly expanding to tapestry the more their eyes scale the walls this is no rock formation, it is but a tomb, mammoth beings men and beast of titanic proportions now part of the rock for eternity, ancient duels locked forever in combat unable to pass on almost still alive the detail is striking, ferocious creatures of scaled demonic forms claws teeth in deep the men’s flesh, man they return clasping throats subduing with all might on show not all are victorious this was a battle of equal and devastating measure....the company is taken with the awesome sight as well as overwhelmed with feelings of being watched they look to every inch inside...

‘’Star Fathers?”...what do they battle? Monstrosities?’’ ....Fortem illiterates the stone tapestry as if a story told amongst his people, fabled legends to keep the young in check...

‘’ They are the Ole Kin, the first us of which all of us spawn from, each race modelled by a piece of those guardians, some superior to others!... They fought gods and demons so we could flourish, but for now they rest until the time comes again to protect this land’’..... They all look at Fortem who looks at Rune alone....

‘’Maybe that’s your purpose here, raise the Ole kin and destroy everything!’’... Legion gives him a yank on the chain but the two scouts troubled bow their heads and start to think, the mere thought of these colossal beings rising again terrifies them to the core, questions roll about their heads ushering in doubt...Wayke is taken into a seemingly deeper place then the rest, he walks over to the foot of the splashed form cliffs , gargantuan feet of the stone clad titans, he bends his neck as far back as possible fixed on the monstrous beast the Men wrestle, Rune walks behind Wayke and puts his hand atop his shoulder...

‘’What is it my friend? What troubles you?’’...

‘’Do you remember the legends of the old world? The one where they use to say before the great cities were built terrible lizards ruled the earth, land was ruled by them not man’’...

‘’ Yes how could i forget? The spawns had an odd fascination with the whole idea, big footy beast shaking the very earth! who wasn’t even as a grown man?”......

‘’Lets just hope that here it is also just an extinct tale!’’ ...Rune asks of Wayke...

‘’ Keep this between you and i for now, there’s many things about this place not adding up right now, best to keep it down till we know for sure, the others have are struggling I can see it”...

’’I agree , more will reveal itself in time, i think Legion knows something too, you know better then any his silence is not to mistaken for stupidity”...

‘He’s probably got the whole picture already’’ ...they share a snigger and begin to make their way back to the centre to re-join the company who sit and lean resting out the ankle deep water, one of the scouts turns to see a growing white light beneath the water and creeps over on guard by dangerous curiosity, four steps short of the circle as if by unseen magic Wayke freezes as Fortem simultaneously starts sniffing the air loudly like a wolf catching the scent of a far off prey item...

‘’what is it Wayke!?’’.....Fortem turns to face the rest with a worried expression and answers for him...‘’Grinders! we need to go ...RIGHT NOW!’’ ...he tries to run for the opposite exit out but the chain wrapped tight in Legions fist halts him, Fortems wild actions force the knights to circle him, the native unwatched closes in on the glowing disc beneath the waters surface , he stands two yards back and leans on his front leg getting as close as possible without touching...

‘’NOOOOO WE MUST GO NOW..THEY CANNOT BE KILLED!’’...

‘’What you fiend? What are you babbling about?”...the naïve scout alone over the glow interrupts the kafuffle disturbing the water as he does ...” IVE FOUND SOMETHING’’... He calls out ,They all turn to acknowledge him their gaze cut off by the mine field of glowing discs that now surround them...

‘’AHHHHHHH’’ ... His scream and water disturbance pulls their attention to him, his arms and pike are gone, concealed in a fleshy muscular tube that comes from the rock, a glowing ring of teeth clamp him all the way up his arm stopping at the chest ....

‘’HEEELP ME!’’...powerless to move they watch as the creature begins to hoover the scout up with such a force it bends him unnaturally until he is completely enveloped, you can see him still alive trying to break free, creatures skin like an inflated bloated leech, the muscular exterior throbs strains and contracts the dim wordless pleas and moans bring no help, the living meat grinder begins to tense deflating slowly with each contraction it turns the scout to pulp with the sounds of bone being cut a thousand ways all at once, the scout now gone it retreats back into the rock satisfied gut full...

‘’GET OUT NOW!’’ .. .The moment the first foot breaches the water the predators launch their assault, grinders fire from the rock their glowing mouthparts try to attach them , the first propels towards Maidons head, she turns halting the grinder mid air by greeting it’s teeth with her shield, locked in position it’s suction will not loosen ,Wayke underarms his axe removing the top section latched to the shield, the beast retreats with insides on show , thousands of teeth to renew the ones lost await in the throat the wound glows and takes position as the new mouth just less in reach.

From behind Legion gets caught out, the back of his alloy clad leg is in the grip of the grinder it tries and hoover but cannot even hope to fit his mass inside itself , with his spare hand One Legion bends and grabs the grinder as far back as he can and rips from the root exposing the whole body, a fleshy bulb six legs strong anchor and hook deep beneath telescopic necks give them false form on the surface, The company cuts and moves hacking their way towards the orange twilight exit, the last remaining native is agile weaving left and right unable to deal a killer blow without suffering the same fate as the scout moments before he strikes to deflect only, a tactical retreat without adding risk he avoids using his superiors skill as a shield, Fortem, he pivots and uses his legs best he can to fend off any attempts, his strength and pain tolerance being his greatest survival tool the chain restricts his radius, no hands arms bound the grinders expose Fortems remarkable instincts as he seemingly dances through the onslaught without pulling the chain too harshly or being taken, Rune is at front leading the way, he can see four discs covering the exit they wait dormant , he slows his pace and breathing just for a moment to envision his approach, he sees the four targets, he bolts towards the grinder guarded exit kicking a loose stone ahead of himself rolling and landing inches from the grinder lures prompting them to action, the four rise up in anticipation fooled by Runes ploy into early exposure, Earth thane takes flight into a forward flip motion, one swift swing from the left side to the right he splits the Grinders down length ways and they fall either side like split trees opening the door to safety...‘’THIS WAY THE PASSAGE IS OPEN’’ ...There’s only ten yards to the exit, Wayke Maidon and the last living scout fold in behind Legion who fends off any random assaults from strays, walking backwards his spiked fist is enough to beat them hard enough to not try again, he backs into the twilight where they cannot follow they must remain moist, they look in to see the predators dimming away leaving no signs only foul memory behind, they stand panting in thanks, the native scout arched over catching his breathe...

‘’That was too close, we have to be more aware!’’... Wayke says, Fortem holds nothing back....

‘’I told you to get out, typical sapiens doesn’t listen until it all goes wrong and now you’ve lost ANOTHER one! That’s why your doomed to fail! Ignorance!’’... his words are met with silence and turned backs for the sight before the remaining company overwhelms all but Fortem who knows well his own lands he is not in the same awe, they stand wordless Fortem goes on...” Behold... The domain of Set Mortem...Kingdom Caedes!’’...