EarthBorn: First Days
Giants Bane

4th Day 2nd Quarter

8 Quarters Till Sky Change

“Why did you leave him with it, he cannot be trusted with the centur”...One Legion leaps and bounds crashing through the tree tops, a living wrecking ball that thinks and talks to itself locked in fiery debate with nothing but his own destructive mind...

“Shut up you, you’ve tormented me since the day I put you in there, just leave me ALONE!...AHHHHH!” ...his pace and ferocity intensifies , the anger can be felt for miles in all directions sending creatures winged and legged fleeing long before he comes to pass them...

“If you had done what I said we would’ve been together a lot sooner and they would be dead, but no! Here we are running round a shitty forest on an alien world going to grovel to some over sized buffoons”...The voice does not relent...

“No we are on a mission to save our people and right our wrongs, the Star Fathers are either with us or against us I won’t be waiting for council conventions its yes or no!”...

“Our people?....so brave so Nobel ....so stupid, you think they are going to listen to you? He’s incriminated you with the blood of giants then sent you to face their wrath, he uses you for all the dirty work and your too dedicated to see it you feckless oath!”...

“SHUT UP!” ...the wild rampant One Legions anger puts him in a void inside his own head, he sees nothing yet smells everything, nothing to touch yet all is there to do so, all is black with glints in the distance at horizons he will never reach, forever twinkling beyond his comprehension...

“You are useless, you’re nothing, you’re only good for killing!” ...the voice rings loud bouncing off the walls of his mind, screeching’s of broken speech, the void has an end, a sparkle of pure white comes with in reach and grows in size as he leaps through the void towards it, the tormenting chords grow higher attempting to deter Hammer from his heading...

“You are going to fall!.....AHHHHHHHH!”...The harrowing screams and infant cries draw out as One legion lowers his shoulder and charges down the light ...

He rages through the spark and falls flat face first against the grass soft and comforting, lifting his head up he looks around to see a place he has not been to yet recognizes Titan peak which towering above not far ahead, he lifts his heavy bulk up and checks he has not lost anything whilst lost in himself, looking back he can see the path of destruction left behind with trees mangled and felled, a sigh of defeat Legion turns and makes his way out of the shrubs where he can see the upstream river mouth vanishing into the Mountain face, the rock face sucks up the river like a giant beast with unquenchable thirst , Legion walks to the mouth of the Peak looking into the blackness of the chasm, huge breathes of air blow out like the mountain itself is breathing bringing foul scents with it, the entrance bears tell tale signs of mining with supporting pillars twenty feet high carved from the hard rock itself which holds the ceiling up, the walls arch and bend eroded away by the constant drinking of the river, Legion heads into the cavity mine and replaces the mountain is hollow, levels above levels all the way up to a narrow point where the light can be seen as a tiny star way up the top, with the river being taken up through a tight channel one legion takes to his feet looking for a way up, entire trees stripped of bark and branch lashed together as scaffolding sturdy and strong surround a central column still under construction, on his right lay a spiral staircase running around the outside wall the steps are large and wide made for giants, it would be suicide to take the long stairs which surely have guards somewhere along its dark way, seeing the best way up as the strong mega scaffold covered by the sounds of water falling, takes to the climb ascending like a gifted tree dweller up through the levels...

The great mountain hall is vast, home to more then just star Fathers the walls crevices and cracks play host to creatures that thrive in the darkness, the only knowledge of them being there is the squawks and shuffling around that can be heard all around, the scaffold bars are wide and long Legion buries his alloy clad fingers into the wood hoisting himself with hydraulic proficiency, he looks up to see how far is left to climb noticing flames lining the stairs at intervals from half way every fifty steps...

“Guards!. What are you going to do now LEGION!” ...

“Shut up fiend!”...water drops begin to tap and patter all around, huge clock work water wheels move and power the giants industry that is megalithic, sucking water in for their own ends at the cost of the land then depositing it to the west side. He keeps heading the trunk he’s on, clawing his fingers in to the end and hoisting up a star Father sentry falls into his sight dead ahead, a sentry standing on the curve of the staircase with a fire burning as the giant breathes heavy still as stone, at thirteen feet he’s an impressive enforcer wielding his heavy stone axe and knuckle brace tight and prepared his armour plates of milled flat rock held with a cage of unrefined hammered ore and natural bindings enough to shatter the will of the inexperienced...

Using the sounds of the cascading water and the darkness Legion creeps higher, holding his furious intent it is not fear that sees him pass the challenge by but the greater good and long hunger for redemption, the foul breathe grows stronger with a great down wind, water falling and spraying with each huge exhale , powering through Legion is but a few lengths from the press Apus, a large flat top plateau where the opening light shines through a port cullies on which Rock stacks stand in communion with the star Fathers council, he holds steady when he hears a loud roaring voice above which shakes his very footings...

“I DO NOT CARE OF YOUR PETTY WARS WITH THOSE MITES, OUR PURPOSE HERE IS TO KEEP THE RIVER FLOWING WEST TO HIM NOT HELP YOU, YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH IT YOURSELEVES..!..IL ASK ONCE MORE, WHERE IS MY SON BLOODFIX?!” ...the rock stack diplomat replies in poor taste forgetting they are in the Star Fathers territory...

“We know well your purpose here giant, but what do you think he will say if we lose this flank and the river head?”...

“WHAT ARE YOU BLABBERING ABOUT STACKER!?” ...the unseen figure bellows...

“The sapiens have grown stronger, they have help from outsiders , how long after we fall do you think it will take them to come here? This is the only passage west so where else will the sapiens go after ?” ...the gated floor begins to shake and rattle with angered stomps from above...

“AHHHHH, WE ARE NOT LEAVING THIS MOUNTAIN UNGUARDED ITS TOO IMPORTANT, MY SON....WHERE IS HE?!”...

“we do not know! For all you know the sapiens could have had him!”...Legion grits his teeth and clenches his fist shuffling his way around until he lays right beneath the unlucky Rock stack soldier ready to strike, the giant voice grows higher with emotion...

“THE SAPIENS ARE WEAK EVEN WITH HELP THEY COULDNT HAVE CAPTURED HIM”...

“who said they captured him?”...all falls silent no doubt in frustrated stare at each other, Legion hearing all he has to puts his arm through the wooden void grabbing the talkative Rock stack by the leg and rips him down through the gap like pulling paper through a keyhole, the scream of agony cut dead by instant dismemberment and death, he braces his boots against the trunk beneath his feet, with the gate above pressed hard against his palms he jerk upwards, he snaps through the wooden cullies sending splinters in all directions and emerges onto the platform above...

“THATS THE OUTSIDER !” ...the diplomats guard takes up arms and attack, the giants involvement held back by their kings curious arm...

They descend from all sides , legion takes the Warhammer from his back and brings it to life with the giants intrigued looking on, the first guard takes a full downwards overhead strike breaking clean through his block and folding him to half, the second takes strike against legions back with his blade only to be met with impenetrable hide, legion rotates with deadly intent and open palms the assailants jaw breaking the neck backwards , the last two freeze in fear knowing they cannot win and make for the large doors Legion gives hard chase, but in his haste to punish the lying Neanderthals the Token gifted to him by Earth thane fall out unto the floor bringing Immediate reactions and gasps from the giants, something Legion until this moment had forgotten...

King Titanox comes to his feet from his seat as the mountains breath gently lift and blows the fallen token open before him, his eyes widen and fill with tears, scrambling he bends down taking the blood stained cloth into his hand folding it open revealing the detailed sewn image of a woman’s face, he closes his eyes and clinches his fist until his hand runs pure white and quivers to be unleashed, the token suffocated inside his fist...

“HAKA NOOOOOOOOOOARE”....The enraged Titanox orders the hall gates be shut crushing the first stacker between them and halting the last, the gate keeper takes swing at the final stacker killing him instantly and hurtling him at the wall lifeless leaving One Legion now alone to face the giants wrath...

“WHERE DID YOU GET THIS STRANGER.....THIS TOKEN WHERE DID YOU GET IT!”... Seeing the kings anguish and facial expression Legion can see this is not going to end well, he de-activates his hammer leaving the shaft standing upright alone and approaches the centre of the hall where Titanox stands in rage to plead the truth...

“We found it on one of your kin, slaughtered in the Forrest by them...they who carved insignia onto his heart, the sign of the one race”...he raises his hand and gestures the one race symbol, a fist with one finger...”We took this from his body and tracked the perpetrators to Grey Camp and slayed the company of cave men who did it, none survived”...Titanox takes a second to absorb his Son, the future king, is dead, he turns his back and stumbles towards his throne which lays before a huge almost living heart made of vine and hollow wood trunks, creation of Gaia for the purpose of draining the lands of the mineral rich river, it pumps hard to drain the river upwards with it arteries of vine to a place beyond the range eastward...

“so you want me to believe that you, found my son slain in the Forrest by Stackers then TOOK IT UPON YOURSELF TO TRACK DOWN AND KILL ANYONE WHO CAN VERIFY YOUR STORY...SOUNDS CONVINENT TO ME OUTSIDER!”...

“It’s the truth, I wouldn’t have come if it was I who did this...but I did not and the ones who did are about to destroy those who did nothing, we need your aid great king”...

“I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU!” ...Titanox the King of the stars turns to One Legion pointing with pure hatred, his eyes they cast over red and swirl black his words as if dragons roar...

“YOU KILLED MY SON....YOU DID AND THEN SEEK TO BLIND ME WITH TALL TALES WEAVED OF DECEPTION AND STACKERS, I WILL END YOUR KIND ONCE AND FOR ALL...ITS WAAAAAAR!...CHASMA!”...The giants fall silent with the Kings commands echoing every chamber and then back again, the Star Father royal guard beck away backs against the wall, all is quiet, quiet beginning to break under large thuds that can be heard sounding back from afar and getting closer, Legion looks at the King who now sits in his throne poised eyes fixed upon him mirror glazed, the steps now clear ,close they shake dirt and rock loose around them until they fall silent...

The doors on the right of the kings hall swing open breaking hard against the walls behind them and emerges the champion of Titan peak, Chasma, fifteen feet of brutal savage power and personal hand of the King Titanox, long blood red hair with rough scarred stubble, shoulder guards shin guards no Vassar is he, Gauntlets and a concave cleaver matched by confident strides and address, marching over to take a knee at the feet of his King Titanox slamming his helmet down next to him hand atop, his clear taught voice breaks the quiet...

“MY LORD TITAN, WHAT IS YOUR COMMAND”...

“THIS SAPIEN FLEA KILLED YOUR FUTURE KING, BRING ME HIS FLESH!”...Chasma freezes for just a moment before nodding in acknowledgement, he rolls his head left towards Legion and without losing eye contact rises up placing the horned helmet over his head and fixes it beneath his chin and rolls his body out standing tall and wide blocking the King from Legions sight, Chasma draws his weapon and walks at fast pace towards Legion dead set on carrying out his kings bidding, nothing around to him exists, One legion backs off slowly taking his Warhammer shaft in hand, his Helmet slams down over his face eyes glow bright, his Warhammer bursts back into life readying for the onslaught to come...

Chasma side steps left then right in quick succession showing his fine agility and skill to Legions shock, they are equal in all but height, when his mighty arm is tested he becomes his best, Chasma is well plated with dense alloy the finest the giant can produce only ring aloud when hammer delivers a blow, a deadlock which Legion starts to lose he knocks Chasma with a abdominal punt breathless, with no one gaining any fast advantages in the skirmish Titanox orders two others to join Chasma to help him end it quickly, with this Legion deflects the giant champions heavy swing and makes for the hole he made in the gated floor as an entrance, he slides narrowly dodging a blade to his face and falls down through the hole onto the trunk scaffold beneath his helmet retracts for clearer vision, shimmying Down two full lengths he takes his weapon and aims at the scaffolding connection point before unleashing a swing that folds the joint and begins a domino collapse in the supports, as the trunks crash down he leaps from the tower to the spiral stairs and exits through an opening to a terrace to the outside, water spills from above constant as a water fall a translucent curtain , the destruction taking place inside opens the entire gate above allowing Chasma and the other Star Fathers to climb the rock unobscured down to his level, Legion turns to face his options which consist of a sheer drop down the entire length of Titan peak or running the gauntlet of wrath in the mountain alone and for the first time outmatched, the long fall is black with no visible bottom or breaks, faint horns on the distance winds raise his eyes up to replace on the horizon a great host,, their number only noticeable from the blue flames they wield in the dark night, too many to count,, thousands of rock stacks and beast amassing to take the warpath and, and somewhere among them is the likes of Gaia Mungam and Orin, the traitors, the pulse of the water disturbed behind him his awe is drawn back, emerging onto the water soaked terrace lead by Chasma a handful of giants stand before him as silent as a predator with a trapped prey item and no escape, he calmly puts his hammer away , back steps to the edge crosses his arms activates his armour covering all his body and face leaving only his glowing purple skin art visible and his misty breathe through the mouth guard...

“IL SEE YOU ON THE FIELD!”...Legion leans back into the long free fall into nothing in his biggest gamble yet, Chasma is helpless to do anything so cannot inform his King the Murderer is dead as Legion falls beyond sight still alive...

“SEND SOMEONE DOWN TO SEARCH FOR HIS BODY NOW!”...Legion falling frantically looks for anything beneath but is disorient by the star filled sky and terminal speed, he spreads his mass as wide as possible to try stabilise and gain visibility , a pultruding fragment from the mountain face gives him something to break the momentum and propel himself away from the mountain foot made with hard jagged rock...

He leans back with feet towards his target and streamlines in preparation for his moment, the wind rushes through every gap it can causing whistles to scream out, he braces and then, with an almighty crunch in both legs catapults himself away from the razor bottom towards the thick double canopies in one final gamble for life...

“AHHHHHHH!!!”... A loud impact with the shattering of the rocks, Legions success is only half measured for he has succeeded only in gaining another chance of fate, he barrels down towards the trees crashing through and down like a pinball between the branches and thundering through the second canopy to the dirt unconscious...