• Prologue
• Chapter 1: Shara
• Chapter 2: Shaman
• Chapter 3: Daro
• Chapter 4: Kito
• Chapter 5: Oola
• Chapter 6: Daro
• Chapter 7: Armis
• Chapter 8: Reya
• Chapter 9: Shara
• Chapter 10: Shaman
• Chapter 11: Lam
• Chapter 12: Kito
• Chapter 13: Oola
• Chapter 14: Armis
• Chapter 15: Shara
• Chapter 16: Kito
• Chapter 17: Lam
• Chapter 18: Reya
• Chapter 19: Armis
• Chapter 20: Oola
• Chapter 21: Kito
• Chapter 22: Lam
• Chapter 23: Reya
• Chapter 24: Armis
• Chapter 25: Oola
• Chapter 26: Jiant
• Chapter 27: Shara
• Chapter 28: Kito
• Chapter 29: Reya
• Chapter 30: Lam
• Chapter 31: Jiant
• Chapter 32: Armis
• Chapter 33: Shara
• Chapter 34: Kito
• Chapter 35: Jiant
• Chapter 36: Lam
• Chapter 37: Oola
• Chapter 38: Shara
• Chapter 39: Oola
• Chapter 40: Reya
• Chapter 41: Jiant
• Chapter 42: Oola
• Chapter 43: Shara
• Chapter 44: Jiant
• Chapter 45: Lam
• Chapter 46: Jiant
• Chapter 47: Oola
• Chapter 48: Shara
• Chapter 49: Jiant
• Chapter 50: Reya
• Chapter 51: Kito
• Epilogue: Lam

If anyone would like to read the sequel, send me an email (johnbr gmail.com) and I’ll send you a copy.

Epilogue – Lam

Dust kicked up behind him, as Lam wearily walked up the path towards the ridge above. Sweating freely under the hot sun and scorching sky, he kept going, unwilling to stop and rest. The path wasn’t steep, or treacherous, but it was long, winding its way halfway around the hillside before doubling back and leading up towards the small plateau that overlooked the village, the river, and the grasslands beyond.

The view from the ledge was superb, , the grasslands extending south across gentle hills, south towards a rise of hills, and then the great Storm beyond. Sometimes when the air was clear, you could see another river, far out to the west, snaking southwards across the plains. Lam imagined it must be immense to be seen at such a distance.

.Lam turned, and walked into the cave, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. Shara was still sitting on the floor, exactly as she had been sitting every other time he had come to visit; just as she had been placed there two moons ago.

Sitting down next to her, he pulled the water skin and the furs from his pack, careful to avoid spilling. Wetting the fur, he gently wiped her face and arms, wiping away the layer of dirt and dust that had built up since yesterday. She never responded, but it was a ritual for him now, a way to end each day.

“Reya’s baby came today. ” He paused for a moment, to see if she would respond. “It is a boy, very strong and healthy. I’m sure he will make it to his naming day.”

“Mika’s belly is starting to show. She is always smiling now. So beautiful…”

He paused for another moment, trying to recall what else had happened since his last visit. “I think I told you already that a new family has joined the clan – a man, woman and an older son from the Yellow Valley tribe. Rik, Yan and Eto.”

Lam smiled wanly for a moment. “Barak was against it at first, but we will need spears if Jiant or his minions come back.”

He looked at her face again, to see if she responded to the name, but she was unresponsive as ever. One of the Yellow Valley women had called it a spell, which seemed like a good word for it. How do I wake her up? What do I do? Frustrated, he turned away, fighting back the anger. He wanted to yell at her, shake her, slap her. Anything to break her out of this… living death.

He stared out at the hills, slowing his heart, calming his anger. It wouldn’t be right to yell at her. She had saved them all from certain death, twice. She did not deserve this spell. She should be laughing and playing and working with her friends. She should have been there to help Reya with her pregnancy, and Mika. She should have been practicing her magic, to prepare for the dangers to come.

There were more dangers out there. Barak was sure of it. Giants, stone men, fire ants, giant wolves, Shub, scorpions, burning dead – this was just the beginning. There would be more. And they would need Shara’s help.

A soft scrape, and a clattering pebble broke his thoughts. He whirled around, surprised that he had not heard anyone coming up the path. “Who’s there?” he called. No one answered. Perhaps a wolf, or a long-tooth cat. Picking up his spear from the ground, he scrambled to his feet. “Who is there.” he called out again.

A stifled squeak came from behind a large rock. Leaping forward, he landed on the top of the rock. Below, three children were hiding, covering their mouths with their hands. His sudden advance startled them, and the youngest one, a dark haired boy of six years cried out in fear.

They should be afraid. To spy on him while he was talking to Shara? How dare they? He opened his mouth to start screaming at them.

Wait.

He snapped his mouth shut, and whipped his head around. That had sounded like Shara. But that was stupid. She was still sitting on the ground stiff as a tree, staring out at the clear blue sky.

With an effort, he pushed the anger away for a moment, and turned back to the children, cowering in fear below him. “Why are you here?” He tried to keep his voice even.

The oldest girl responded. “Tiko and Salla wanted to see the storm lady.”

He pointed at Shara. “She is over there. Why are you over here?”

“When we heard you coming up the hill, Tiko was afraid. So we hid behind the rock.”

“I was not afraid, Wai;” The boy who must be Tiko protested. “I didn’t want to get in trouble.”

Lam nodded, gently. “Your parents will be wondering where you are. Go home to them.”

The children stared at him. “Go home.” He barked, with just a trace of fire.

They scrambled upright and started to run off. Tiko, the little one paused after a few steps, and turned around. “Who is she? Why is she stuck like that?”

A good question.

“Children, Come back, ” he beckoned, “and sit down. I will tell you about Shara.”

Eagerly, the children rushed back to the foot of the rock, staring up at him. Shifting his feet, he began the story.

“A long time ago, before I was born, the spirits sent the world into a long winter, that lasted for an entire year. Many people died. But then the spirits forgave us, and taught Shara’s mother the Song of Forgiveness, which made food plentiful. But the people were afraid of the Song, and refused to use it.”

He studied their faces for a moment, to see if they were confused, but they all stared attentively.

“After a while, the spirits grew angry again, and struck down our village with a golden spear from the sky. They wanted to teach us not to ignore the powers that they had given us – to use them to make our lives better.”

“Only a few of us survived, watching from a distance. And we had to find a new home. Shara was one of the survivors, and taught us all the song that her mother had taught her.”

He paused for a moment – at least one of these children was from Yellow Valley tribe. Best to be careful…

“We had many adventures together, and saw many amazing things. Eventually, we were captured, and evil men wished to kill us. But the spirits, not wishing for us to die, gave Shara great powers. She used those powers to free us, and save us from the evil men and the great Giants.”

He paused again, remembering.

“Once she had saved us, she went to sleep, like you see here. Now, she is waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” Salla asked.

I wish I knew.

But that answer wouldn’t do. They wouldn’t understand. He bowed his head for a moment, and gave voice to the first idea that crossed his mind.

“She is waiting for the next time we are in danger – for the next time that some danger threatens our village. And she will rise up, and cast down the danger. She is our protector, and we must always thank her for the sacrifices she has made for us.”

“Now, go home and eat, or play. Or something.” He waved them away with his hands. The children got up, and ran back towards the path. Tiko paused for a moment. “Thank you Shara” he called out, and continued on down the hillside out into the bright blue afternoon.

He waited until he was sure they were gone, and then crept close to her.

“Shara,” he whispered, staring into her impassive eyes. “Your storm… it is taking away the rains.”

“I killed them all.. I killed them all… I killed them all…” She whispered.

Lam shook his head. “Please.. please.. The grasses are turning brown, the river is drying up. We’ll have to leave soon, and this is such a fine place to live. Please, help us.”

Nothing.

He waited for a time, listening to her soft murmurs. Shaking his head, he turned to go.

Something rolled against his thigh. Almost forgot.

Reaching into a pouch, he pulled out a peach. One of the hunting parties had found the tree, and brought back a sack full of them.

“I.. I brought you this.. I know how much you loved… love peaches.” He placed it gently on the ground in front of her. “It’s probably a little past ripe, but…”

He sat silently for a little while longer.

Finally, finding nothing to say, he turned to leave.

A shadow passed over the sun and the cave suddenly grew dark.

And outside, he could hear the unmistakable pitter pat of rain falling gently on rock.

He turned, but she was still sitting there, unmoving, lips quivering slowly. The peach, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Lam blinked, and smiled. “Thank you, Shara.” Uneasily, he stepped back outside, and felt the cool water splashing against his face.

The End.

Kito

Kito shook his head silently, staring at the monstrous fury of a storm that dominated the valley below them. Clouds roiled and churned through the heart of it, writhing and boiling. It seemed almost alive, like some animal tortured by the anger of the spirits.

Tohm and Kito stared at it for a long time, a light rain falling slowly around them. After a while Tohm spoke.

“The tracks lead down towards it.”

Kito nodded, still staring at the dark fury. For some reason it made him sad.

“Should we keep following the tracks?”

Tohm nodded, and they started down the grassy hillside that bordered the river. Below him, the river wound its way down into the hills,and straight into the heart of the monster storm. Still, it was certain that a storm of this ferocity would blow itself out by the time they came close.

The plains were unusually empty as they continued down the hillside. No birds, no rabbits or deer anywhere. It was almost like something had scared them off. A sense of unease started to grow in Kito’s chest. They had been walking all day, but the storm continued to boil, never changing in size, never moving from its spot.

They paused briefly for lunch, to devour cold meat and berries. The bushes were nearly empty, picked almost clean by animals. But it was enough. With Shara’s song of thanks, it was always enough, although they had found little to replenish their stocks.

As the sun started to sink into the west, it immediately ran into the leading edge of the mighty storm cloud, fading behind the towering mass of grey. For a while it poked weakly through the fringes but soon it vanished altogether, leaving them in a shadowy gloom that lasted the rest of the afternoon, oppressive, gray and windy.

As night approached, they reached a huge campfire, and the rotting carcasses of several bears. The waste and sloppiness of Jiant was appalling, splintered bones scattered everywhere, the bears’ skins mangled and torn. Red Cave Clan could have made several outfits, and many tools and weapons from the bones, if they had only been taken care of. Now, they were nearly worthless. Still, once the fire was lit, both Kito and Tohm spent time rummaging through the piles, looking for anything worth salvaging.

As day turned into night, the lightning from the storm dominated the sky, flashing constantly, washing out the stars. Kito slept fitfully, worried about the storm, worried about his sister.

The next morning, they awoke to find the storm unabated. It seemed even bigger than before, if that was possible. They both stared at it again as they ate a quick breakfast.

“Maybe this storm has always been here.” Tohm suggested. “Maybe this is just the valley of the storm”

Kito shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right to me.” Tohm nodded silently; what else was there to say?

It was entrancing to watch. Every so often, a cloud would bulge out from the center of the mass, surrounded by flashing lights. Within a few heartbeats, the bulge would rip apart, shredding into tiny wisps of gray that would quickly be lost into the blackness. And it just kept happening, over, and over again.

Still, after a while they got up and continued forward, walking steadily through the hills along the riverside. As the afternoon gloom sunk in, it started to rain. At first it was nothing, the lightest of drizzles, hardly worth noticing. But as they continued westward, each passing bend in the river seemed to bring more rain with it, until the light drizzle had become a hard downpour, pounding on their weary heads.

The ground too became treacherous, drenched with water, and increasingly slippery. Pools formed all around them, sometimes several paces wide. And then Tohm stepped into a mud pit, sinking to his kneecap into greenish-brown ooze. Off-balance, he waved his hands futilely through the air for a moment before falling forward with a cry to land face first into a puddle.

“Ow.” He shrieked, as Kito rushed to help him. “I think I broke my ankle.”

“Let me see.” said Kito, carefully helping Tohm pull his leg from the trap, and letting the rain wash it clean. The ankle was already starting to swell up, rapidly turning purple in the fading light. Examining it carefully, he smiled at Tohm. “I am pretty sure you didn’t break it. I remember when Jeru – Din’s mother – broke her ankle – it was much worse than this.”

Gingerly, Tohm nodded, and tried to stand up without putting any weight on his aching ankle. Finally, Kito had to help pull him up, and even then Tohm could barely walk. Looking around, Kito saw a stand of trees a few stone’s throws to the southwest. Slowly and painfully they made their way to the trees, until, exhausted, they slumped down beneath the covering branches, which were only half as wet as the open sky.

Kito fished some of the remaining berries and bits of meat from his pack, and sang the Song of Thanks. Eating quietly, Kito pondered their situation. “We can’t go any farther west – this rain and the storm are too dangerous.”

Tohm nodded, gently rubbing his ankle.

“We need to go around the storm and hope we find tracks.”

Tohm was silent for a long time. “Do you ever think we’ll see them again.”

Kito shook his head. “I don’t know. If it wasn’t for this storm, we might have found them already. “

Tohm fell silent again, gently rubbing his ankle. To the west, thunder rolled slowly through the night sky.

Kito laid down on the ground, throwing his pack over his face to keep the rain off. Closing his eyes, he listened to the soothing sounds of the storm.

Tohm moved the rock, and the water burst out, flooding the cave. Filling it to the top. I’m up at the top. Armis is holding me, keeping my head above the water. Wait. Armis is dead! No one is holding me. The water is rising, and I’m clawing at the walls, trying to breathe. The cave stretches out above me, towering upwards out of sight. It keeps filling up, higher and higher. I keep trying to climb out, but it follows me. It would be so much easier if I had two hands. Ah! The light. The stone is so bright it is blinding! I can’t see. I try to stuff it back in my pocket, but it is swept away by the water, dwindling downwards into the blackness like a falling star. The water surges upwards, and I have to scramble again to stay on top. My hand is back. I start climbing more quickly. But the flood keeps rising, chasing me up the cliff. I hit my head. I’m at the top. I can’t go any higher. The water is all around me. I can’t find an exit. My head is jammed against the roof of the cave. Nowhere to go. The water is rising, covering my face. I try to close my mouth but I can’t. It pours into me, filling me. I can’t breathe!

Gasping and choking, Kito lurched upright, his lungs full of water. Stumbling backwards, he tripped on a root, and fell into ankle-deep water. Lightning flashes, and he could see water everywhere, all around them, flooding the trees.

Where is Tohm Scrambling upright, Kito spun around, trying to find his friend, but the trees and clouds have smothered what little light might exist.

“Tohm? … Tohm?” His voice is ragged and weak from coughing.

No answer. Swallowing nervously, Kito stared out at the darkness.

“Tohm?”

“Kito? Where are you?” Tohm called out, far away.

“Here.” Kito called, his chest aching with relief. Blinking, he wiped his face clean. “We have to get out of here.” He called.

Tohm said something, but it was lost in the roar of the storm.

“What?” Kito shouted.

“Where are the packs?” Tohm fought to be heard over the wind. Kito could see him now, limping closer.

How are we going to find our gear in the middle of a forest, in a flood in the middle of the night?

“I don’t know. We need some light.”

“What about your stone?” Tohm said, stumbling to a stop just a few paces away. Still, it was difficult to see him in the gloom.

“I lost it.” Wait.. that doesn’t seem right

“What!? Where did you lose it?”

“In the water – in the – wait.. That was a dream.”

He reached to his neck to find the pouch. It wasn’t there. His heart surged, as he frantically patted himself down. Where is it!!! Wait. There’s the string. It’s behind my shoulder. Pulling frantically, he yanked the stone out of its pouch and held it aloft.

It flared into life, lighting up the forest in all directions.

Both men sighed in relief. Slowly, too slowly, his heart crept back to its normal rhythm.

Tohm limped off, and located their clothes and tools. Kito eyed his leg – a good sign – he hadn’t been able to limp at all when they set up camp.

“Let’s get out of here.” Tohm said. “Which way do you want to go?”

Kito pondered for a moment. North or South? “South.” He said, shrugging.

After a while the sun started to peek over the top of the eastern mountains. The rain slowly slackened until it was no more than a drizzle.

Finally reaching another small wooded area, they rested for a while, and tried to dry out their equipment. The food hadn’t washed away, and as old and dried and flavorless as it was getting, it was still a lot better than nothing at all.

Pulling on his pack, they walked through the wood. The trees were coming alive with tiny little flowers and budding leaves. A rabbit panicked, and dashed across the clearing in front of them. Catlike, Tohm sent his spear hurtling after it. His aim was true, and it fell dead, twitching in the grey light.

Kito smiled. “Fresh food. A good omen.”

Tohm nodded as he scooped up the carcass, tying it to his waist.

They kept walking, slowly but steadily all day, skirting the ever-growing storm, wondering if this was right right way to go.

At least we’re out of the rain.

Thunder rumbled overhead. He glanced at the shapeless dark mass of the storm. It was definitely growing.

“What is that?” Tohm pointed at a pile of boulders and rubbish. It seemed very cluttered, very unnatural. They rushed over. The shattered, wasted carcasses of several deer were lying on the ground, half covered in the drifting ashes of a huge fire.

“Jiant” whispered Kito. “We must be on the right track. A moments’ further investigation exposed footprints – large ones, and many of them, all heading south. And nestled among them, one smaller footprint.

“Do you think that could be Barak’s foot?”

Tohm shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. It seems a little small.”

“Maybe it’s Shara’s!” Kito hissed.

Tohm shrugged again. “I guess that’s better than nothing.”

Crouching low, Tohm followed the tracks across the grass.

“Look.” Tohm said, pointing at the ground, his voice a mixture of fear and excitement.

A huge round hole had been stamped into the grasses, leaving a puddle full of rich brown mud. At first, Kito was annoyed. “So what? it’s a puddle.”

Impatiently, Tohm gestured waved his hands northwards and then southwards. “No.. look!”

Kito looked north. A double line of puddles marched northwards, directly into the heart of the storm. Turning south, the line continued, straight for a time, and then disappearing around the base of a hill that rose, smooth and grassy above the plain, the vanguard of a legion of hills that dominated the southern horizon.

“These are huge footprints.” Tohm said, excited.

Kito shook his head. “No.. these are round. What kind of creature has round footprints?”

Tohm shrugged. “I think they’re footprints.”

From the north, the wind picked up, and set the grass to rustling and waving gently. Except for the grass around the circles. Suddenly, Kito realized that the ground was crushed and trampled in a wide swath around the footprints – as if a large number of animals or people had come this way.

Bending down, he stared at the ground carefully. “Look around.” He called out “See if you can find any normal-sized track.”

The afternoon was nearly spent by the time Tohm shouted out in delight. A worn patch of earth, dry and cracked had left several footprints, both the huge Jiant-sized feet as well as normal human feet. “They’ve been here.” Kito whispered, hardly daring to believe it. “They went south, and Jiant must still be chasing them.”

Full of hope, they marched quickly southwards, eager to find their lost comrades. They marched well into the night before setting up camp near the base of the hills.

Kito closed his eyes, and was asleep nearly immediately.

—

“Kito.” Tohm whispered, shaking him gently.

His mind wobbled, aching from exhaustion. “What?”

“Campfire. On the top of the hill.”

Kito sat upright, shaking his head to clear away the fog. “What?”

Impatiently, Tohm turned Kito’s head southwards with one hand, pointing with the other.”Look.”

A yellow-orange fire beckoned warmly.

His heart lurched in his chest. Could it be them?. Quickly gathering their packs together, Tohm and Kito jogged southwards, using the digging stone to light their way.

Reaching the bottom of the hill, Tohm called out, his shout breaking the still night air. There was no response. Waiting a few more moments, he called out again,. Dread wrapped tightly around Kito’s heart, and he started climbing rapidly up the hillside, worried at what the silence implied.

As they reached the crest, they could see several bodies lying around a fire. Pausing, Kito stared at them. An old man, and several children. They were all sleeping peacefully. At once elated and heartbroken, Kito wondered what to do next. Wake them? Leave them and keep searching for their Clan? But the decision was made for him. A shrill scream of fear pierced the night air, and a small figure went hurtling across the campsite, grasping at the old man, babbling in a strange language. Almost immediately the entire camp was in an uproar, the children rushing to the side of the old man, who struggled to get up. He stared at them with milky white eyes, and Kito realized that he was blind.

Holding the children close, the old man said something, his voice dry and raspy. The children quieted down, staring fearfully at the two intruders. The old man spoke again, raising his voice, and staring at a point not far from the two men. But again the speech was meaningless.

Kito felt his spirits drop even farther. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak your language.”

“Oh.” said the old man. “I know your language. Who are you?”

Tohm stepped forward. “I am Tohm.”

“I am Kito”

A pause. “There are just the two of you?” The old man asked.

Kito nodded, and waited for a few moments, before remembering that the old man was blind. “Sorry. Yes. Just the two of us.”

“How did you come to find us here?”

The children were slowly relaxing as they realized that these strange men were not going to run them through with their spears. Still, they kept very close to the old man, occasionally whispering in his ear.

Kito rapidly summarized their adventures; the death of their village, Jiant, the tentacle monster, the caves, and the tracking. The old man listened carefully, nodding gently. It almost seemed like he had heard this story before.

When it was done, the old man sat silently for a moment. “I would offer you food, but we are nearly out. “

Kito smiled. “That’s okay. We have a magic song that will make more food.” The old man nodded again. “I see. Can you provide us with some food, then? We have eaten poorly for the last few days.”

Kito and Tohm pulled the remaining food from their packs, tough, sinewy meat, some nuts and a few early apples. The children clapped and hooted excitedly at the pile of food. A single word from the old man, and the children dove forward, devouring the feast.

“What is your name?” Kito asked the old man, as he chewed carefully. Pulling the meat from his mouth, the old man smiled, his face a mass of wrinkles around the sightless eyes. “I am Oppa, once shaman of the Yellow River tribe. But now I am just a broken old woman.”

Kito flushed red with embarrassment as he realized that he had confused her sex. “Hail Oppa, of the Yellow River tribe. We are from the Red Cave clan.”

Oppa nodded. “I know. I recognize your song, and the children have spoken of your red clothing.”

You know our song? You’ve seen our people?”

Oppa nodded again. “Yes. They came to visit us just after the time of the empty moon.” Kito looked up. The moon, still soft and curdled, was close to half full. He didn’t like looking at it – all of the familiar features were gone.

“They stayed with us for a short time.”

“They were here?” He shouted. “Where did they go? What happened? We need to find them!”

The old woman paused. “Not here. North.. at the center of the storm, in Yellow Valley.”

“I don’t understand.”

“They came to visit us, but teath and destruction followed them. A few days after they came, the giants came.”

“Jiant?” Kito asked, uncertain at the strange accent.

Oppa nodded. “There was a great battle. Your clansmen were killed in the fight, or in the great storm that rose up afterwards to destroy our village.”

Kito thought maybe he hadn’t heard her properly. “They were what?”

Oppa shook her head sadly. “They were killed fighting the giants.”

“Are you sure?”

Oppa nodded. “I am sorry. They are gone.”

Tohm stood up, his face twisted with emotion. “How do you know? Did you see? “

She turned to look at him with her milky white, sightless eyes. She motioned with her fingers, beckoning him closer. “No.” She whispered. “But I heard the screams. And the others told me of the fight.”

A small arm reached across his back and patted him gently. It was then that he realized that he had been sobbing. Looking up, blinking away the tears, a tiny little girl whispered something in his ear, and hugged him warmly. In a moment, the children were all around them, hugging and patting them gently, whispering sweet-sounding words.

One of the oldest, a pretty girl of perhaps ten years came up to him. “Hello.” She said, the word strange in her mouth.

“You speak my tongue.” Kito said, but the girl just blinked.

“Kito.” He said, patting his chest.

“Ami.” She said, patting hers.

“Hello, Ami.”

“Hello, Kito.”

Kito turned stared at the storm, as lightning shot through the night sky.

There’s no way we can go back there.

“What do you want to do, Tohm?”

Tohm was staring at the storm as well. And then he looked at the children. “Someone needs to help take care of these kids.”

Kito nodded, reluctantly.

In the distance, thunder rolled across the sky.

Next Chapter

]]> http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?feed=rss2&p=55 2 http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?p=54 http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?p=54#comments Sun, 16 Jul 2006 14:02:50 +0000 jb http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?p=54 Prologue Previous Chapter

Reya

They buried Oola beneath a pile of stones, in the hills north of the village. Less than two spear throws away from the village the rain eased, and then stopped altogether, an eeriely precise arc that seemed to circle the collapsing huts. Reya studied Shara’s face intently as the others rocks piled up around Oola’s remains, looking for any sign of grief, or recognition, or even any response at all. But Shara remained still, staring into space, sitting where they had placed her on the ground, whispering quietly to herself.

“I killed them all.”

Reya shuddered. What spirits have possessed you? She stood up, rubbing her arms together for warmth as she stared back down at the rapidly growing lake. A malevolent column of wind twisted and howled at the center, its low growl still audible even from here. As she watched, it swept over the last of the Yellow River village huts, disintegrating it in an instant.

Grimacing, she turned back towards Shara. “What have you done?” By the time the others were finished, Reya had poked and tickled and slapped and shook the girl, anything to get her to come out of her stupor. But she might as well have been arguing with a boulder..

The air here was heavy, with rain and grief, and Barak decided to continue north, weaving between and around the low green hills. Lam and Pak hoisted Shara onto Barak’s back, and he carried her like an overgrown child, staring stone-faced into the distance as he tried to ignore her whispers.

As they reached the basin of yet another valley, he stopped. “Help take her down.” He said, his jaw clenching. “I can’t carry her anymore.” Reya glanced at him curiously. He didn’t look tired.

Oh.

Din and Pak rushed to help, gently lowering her to the ground, smoothing out her arms and legs, making her comfortable in the long grass. Reya and Mika set to making a fire, while the boys rushed to find wood. Looking up after a few moments, she was startled to see that Barak was gone.

As Reya and the others were eating from the bits of food that they could find in their pockets and packs, Barak returned, carrying a huge deer on his shoulders. “Throw that food away!”

Reya looked up in surprise. He’s serious.

“The Yellow Valley tribe is foul. Everything they have touched is unclean.” She thought to argue, for a moment, but one look at his face suggested otherwise. After a moment’s reflection, she realized that he was probably right, and she emptied her hands into the fire.

“Where do we go from here?” Lam asked, staring at the fire. No one answered for a long time. The baby kicked and bounced inside her, and she rubbed her belly gently. The silence continued, despair hovering like a cloak around them. Finally, tired of it, Reya grabbed the water skin, and some deer meat, and walked over to Shara, lying still in the grass, staring at the cloudy sky.

But the moment the food touched her lips, she stopped whispering, and closed her mouth tight, accepting neither food nor water. “Shara” Reya whispered fiercely. “You’ll die if you do not eat.” But it was useless..

Maybe the hunger and thirst will bring her back. A good thought. A hopeful thought. She clung to it.

“Hello?” A voice called out from the darkness. Barak glanced at them all, and snatched up his spear.

“Who’s there?” Barak challenged, scanning the night.

A woman appeared at the edge of the firelight, small, with light brown hair. Two dark-haired children peered out from behind her – a little boy and an older girl. All of them wore yellow.

Barak frowned. “You are from the Yellow Valley tribe. You are not welcome here.”

“Please.” the woman stepped forward a little, her voice pleading. “We have no food, and-”

“No” Barak said, fiercely. “Your chief tried to kill us. One of our friends is dead, and another is lost because of his treachery.

She paused for a moment. “I- I’m sorry… I didn’t know.”

“What?” Mika shouted, standing up suddenly, gripping her spear, knuckles white. “He told us your people ate the flesh of others…” She stammered. “You’re an abomination.”

The woman swallowed, her eyes wet with tears. “Yes- I- I heard stories. But I was only a child then. I didn’t kill those people.”

Reya chewed on that for a moment. “Where is your husband?” She asked.

The woman shook her head. “The storm– it–” she plainly did not want to say it in front of the children. If she is responsible for her chief’s actions, are we responsible for Shara’s?

The little girl peeked from behind her mother’s leg. “Momma? Can we have some food?”

The woman stared at them for a few moments.

Barak stared back, impassively.

Her face fell. “No.” She said, dully. “We are not welcome here.” With a last, measured look, she turned and walked away, the children reluctantly following, looking back longingly at the fire.

A fireball of shame and guilt shot up insider her, battling with the anger and resentment.

They betrayed us. Yellow River village lied and deceived us.

Those children did not betray us.

But that woman was part of the village.

Shall we judge everyone by the actions of a few?.

The voices argued inside, and the frustration grew, until she leapt to her feet, nerves singing with tension.

“Barak, does it make you feel powerful to let children suffer?”

That didn’t come out right.

Barak’s face flushed red. “How can you take their side? After all they’ve done to us?”

“What, Barak? What have those people.. those children done to us?” Reya shot back.

Barak stormed over towards her, staring down at her, trying to intimidate her with his height. “I don’t care. I will not have Oola’s killers–”

“The giants killed Oola. Not the Yellow Valley tribe.”

He stared at her coldly. “They might as well have.” He turned and walked away, pacing. “If they had helped us fight, instead of trying to kill us–” He spun around again, practically shouting. “How can you take their side?”

Reya shook her head. “I’m not taking their side. If you hadn’t noticed, there are only six of us left.”

“Seven.” Mika said quietly.

Reya looked down at Shara, lying there, unnaturally stiff, lips constantly in motion.

“Seven” Reya said, pausing. “If Shara were still okay, she would have welcomed them. She would have forgiven them.”

Barak opened his mouth for a moment, but stayed silent.

Sensing her moment, she carried on. “Shara saved us from Jiant, and she saved the Yellow Valley people as well. They should know that. They should know that she gave her own li- her own health to save us all.”

Barak stared at her, silently.

“I’m tired, Barak. I’m tired of trying to find a home, and I don’t want to do it anymore. My baby is going to come very soon, and I don’t want to still be looking for a place to live. It’s already hard enough to bring Shara along. “

Incredibly, Barak nodded slightly.

Gamely, Reya kept going. “I’ve never had a baby before. That woman has. She could have helped me with my baby. She could have helped me with the birth. She could have helped me take care of it. But you sent her away. You didn’t ask, you didn’t even think about what is coming next.”

Barak pursed his lips, as if to argue, but stayed quiet.

“There are only six of us to take turns watching for danger in the night. That’s not enough for two at a time, so we can only have one. She could have helped us keep safe.” Tears started to fill her eyes. “She probably knows the area better than we do. She could have helped us find more fresh food, and maybe a place to spend the next winter.”

“Please Barak. Please.” Reya couldn’t help it anymore; the tears were running down her cheeks. “If you’re going to be our chief, you have to think about the rest of us.. what we need. Otherwise, you’re not better than… than Jiant.”

Barak’s faced twitched a little at that, but he stayed silent, staring at her. She waited for his anger to come raging down on her, but then she decided she just didn’t care. Sitting down again, she grabbed Shara’s hand and closed her eyes, head pounding.

It was silent for a moment, and then a piece of wood was pulled from the fire. Footsteps came towards her. She pulled her head back, heart shuddering, defiant. He was walking towards her, carrying a flaming stick. Her legs tensed as she prepared to flee.

He raised his hand, and smacked her across the face. “Shut up.”

Her cheek burned as she stared at his retreating back as he walked out of the camp, into the darkness, following the path of the Yellow Valley woman.

“Hello? Woman?”

He shouted several more times, each call more faint.

Reya turned and watched as her friends exchanged uneasy glances with each other.

The baby hiccupped inside her, breaking the solemnity of the moment, at least for her. She smiled, rubbing her swollen, ridiculous belly gently as the baby continued to twitch inside.

“Do you think we should help him look?” Pak asked.

“No” said Lam. “We should stay here for now.”

“But what if he doesn’t find her?” Din asked. They want to get out of here.

“What if he does find her, and you wander out in the woods all night and get eaten by a wolf?” Lam responded, soberly.

Pak leapt into the air, twirling his spear. “Wolves can’t get me. I’m too fast”.

Mika laughed. “Pak, I think Reya could take you down.”

“Hey.” said Pak and Reya at the same time.

Torchlight flickered in the distance, and everyone fell silent, watching it approach. Barak came into view, carrying his stick high, followed by the woman, and her children.

Reaching down, Reya grasped Shara’s hand again, and squeezed gently. She tried to think of something to say as he walked back into the circle, but nothing appropriate came to mind.

“Thank you.” The woman stammered, turning to face them all. Yes.. that would have worked. “I am Tega, and this is Eris and Bearan. We call him Little Bear.”

“Why do they call you Little Bear?” Lam asked, with humor in his voice.

The boy didn’t answer, he just leapt forward, and growled mightily, slashing his hands through the air.

“Wow. You are a little bear.” Lam laughed. That broke the tension, and soon they were all laughing as the little boy roared and howled.

Mika pulled bits of deer meat from the fire, and sang Shara’s song. The children stared wide-eyed as the chunks of flesh multiplied before their eyes, clapping in delight.

They devoured the food rapidly, as if they expected it would vanish. But there was more than enough for the three of them, and soon the children were resting contentedly against their mother’s leg, licking grease from their hands.

Tega looked over at Reya. “When is your birth-time?”

Reya scooted closer, delighted to have another mother to talk to. “Less than a moon.”

Tega made a face. “Ugh.. Eris was born in the middle of summer. I was miserably hot every day.”

The children were running around now, jumping and playing with everyone.

“Really?” said Reya “Is there anything to do?”

Tega shook her head. “Go sit in a stream when you can. And stay out of the sun.”

“How bad is the pain?”

Tega looked at her quizzically for a moment, and then smiled. “Oh.. birth. It can be very painful for some.” She looked Reya over. “But it wasn’t too bad for me. You’re a big girl. It won’t be so bad. And when you hold your baby in your arms, and bring her to your breast, the pain won’t matter at all.”

Reya closed her eyes, trying to imagine that. A shiver ran down her spine, a mixture of excitement and dread.

“Look Momma, I have a red shirt now!”

“I’m sorry.” Din called out. “I didn’t see her grab the berries until it was too late”

Tega started laughing, and Reya opened her eyes again. Eris had taken a handful of berries and crushed them in her hands, smearing the purple juices all over her clothes. The swirls of purple and yellow could only be red in the eyes of a six year old, but she still felt touched. Maybe they didn’t need to join another tribe. Maybe they could build a tribe of their own.

A question had been burning her mind since Tega had come back. Afraid of asking for fear of rejection, it gnawed at her, until she couldn’t stand it. “Will you.. Can you help me… with the birth?”

Tega started, and stared at her for a moment. It’s no.. she’s going to say no And then smiled. “You honor me. Of course I will help!” And she reached out and gripped her hand, squeezing tightly.

Reya felt a huge weight lift, and gratefully returned the embrace. They spoke late into the night, sharing wisdom and telling stories.

As usual the next morning, Barak roused everyone right at sunrise. To the south, the massive rainstorm continued, with no sign of slacking. There was no change in Shara’s condition either. Again, she refused to eat or drink, her lips still constantly moving, silently.

“Tega,” Barak said as they all finished another meal of deer meat and berries. “Where do you think we should go now?”

“North.” she answered, immediately, as if she had been waiting for the question. “Our hunters often spoke of a cave they would use when they were out on long hunting trips. I have never seen it, but I know it is in a hill, near a river, north of here.

“Do you think that is where your other people will go?”

Tega shrugged. “Some. I’m not sure how many… survived the storm.”

Lam looked down.

Barak nodded, ignoring her comment. “We don’t have any better options, and I want to keep moving, in case Jiant comes back.” Reya blinked. She had already put Jiant out of her mind.

“I thought Jiant was dead.” She protested.

Barak shook his head. “Or one of his followers.”

She blanched inwardly. He has a point.

As everyone started gathering up their belongings, Lam and Mika lifted Shara up on Barak’s back. Lam stepped forward, and lead the way northeast, skirting the side of a large hill. Behind them, thunder cracked and rolled across the hilltops.

Next Chapter

]]> http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?feed=rss2&p=54 3 http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?p=53 http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?p=53#comments Sun, 16 Jul 2006 13:36:17 +0000 jb http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?p=53 Prologue Previous Chapter

Jiant

Jiant laid motionless on the ground, feigning death as he watched the red children hurry off, carrying the two women. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with the one with the long hair, but the one with the curly brown hair was clearly dead.

And the battlefield was quiet, but for the rain and the wind. But inside his head, another still raged. Coward. Get up. Get up and be strong

But his body refused to obey. If the stone beast sees me this time, it will surely kill me.

It felt like he was lying down in a gravel pit full of spears. Each breath was an agonizing roll of pain, starting near his shoulders, rolling down to his belly and then back up again. Crying only made it worse, but for the longest time, he couldn’t help himself, and he endured sharp, stabbing pains with every sob and moan.

That thing is unstoppable

When it had tired of squeezing him, the beast dropped him to the ground, where he had lain, perfectly still, watching it massacre his followers. Don’t look at me! he had cried, as it had thrown back three of his best men, stabbing one through the heart, and trampling Tamu into a smear of blood and gore scattered across the ground, leaving bloody footprints in its wake. The others had run out of his site, and he heart the it rumbling after them.

So he waited. Waited in fear for the turn of those terrible stomping feet, waiting for the arms to wrap around him, crushing the life out for sure. The rain kept falling, and the wind kept howling out of sight, to the west. The storm showed no sign of stopping – the sky overhead was purple and smoky, boiling with rain, constantly shifting, but never ending.

He laid still on the ground as rain started pooling around his legs, slowly rising past his calves, and then his knees. The gloom deepened, and deepened, until the only remaining light was the regular flashes of lightning from the west. That only made things worse – every shadow cast by every tree became another dark stone monster, waiting to pounce.

Eyes darting feverishly back and forth, constantly, he could feel the panic bubbling up in his chest. Must not scream! He thought, trying to fight down the fear.

It was the second fight that he was to lose today. Overwhelmed by his own mortality, he screamed and blubbered and cried, begging the shadows not to kill him, pleading for their forgiveness.

Eventually, sleep overwhelmed everything else.

The stone monster was chasing him across a field. He was running as fast as he could, but the monster was faster, and closed on him. As it caught up to him, it turned into a huge wave, that crashed over his head, knocking him over, rolling him across the ground, smothering him. Desperately, he tried swimming to the surface, but he was stuck, anchored like a stone to the bottom, staring at the surface, glimmering above him in the sunlight. Finally, desperate for air, unable to stop himself, he tried to breathe.

He woke up, gasping and retching, his lungs full of water. Pain forgotten, monster forgotten, Jiant scrambled upright, coughing and gagging. The pain flooded back into his chest, worse than ever before. It was pitch black, and the rain was still pouring from the sky like a waterfall, pounding and sizzling as it struck–

Water. He could feel the cold rain rush surrounding his legs. I’m standing in water

A lightning flash illuminated the area. For a spear’s throw or longer in front of him, the water frothed and churned under the relentless force of the rain. Low hills were becoming islands, and nearby trees stood like forlorn pillars, doomed to a slow, watery death.

It was time to get moving. Ow. Searing pain lanced up his right ankle. Considering how cold the water was, it was amazing he could feel anything. Looking for something to brace himself with, he glanced around for his club, but it must have floated away.

Grimacing, he limped uphill, towards the tree line to the south. Twice he stumbled, falling face first into the water, slowly pulling himself out again. He was starting to feel lightheaded. Everything was whirling.

No! Can’t fall now.. Drown for sure. He shook his head quickly, trying to clear it.

Each time the lightning flashed, the hillside was a little closer. But it was starting to tilt, sloping down to the left. He struggled to keep his balance. Need rest

Must get to the hill.

The air flashed again, and he blinked.

Where was the hill? It had been right in front of him.

Another flash.

Looking around wildly, he saw the trees to his right, still tilted at a crazy angle, and he struggled to adjust his course.

Need sleep. Lie down.

No.. not yet The exhausted voice grew more and more seductive. A brief rest. Just a moment. He tried to push it away. Another step, and the ground betrayed him, opening beneath him, dropping him to his knees.

He struggled to his feet again. I Need to find that hill.

Wheezing, he waited for another burst of lightning. There it was. More steps. A voice taunted him from deep within, reassuring and calm. “Rest. You’ve earned it. Just sit down. The water won’t rise any more. And if it does, you can keep moving then. Sit down. You’re so tired.”

Screwing his eyes shut, Jiant ignored the false hope, and kept walking. Step. Step. The hill was right in front of him now. Pitching forward, he fell against the muddy slope, his body too numb to feel the cold, or the sharp rocks. “Rest.” The voice commanded, and he closed his eyes, the water lapping against his knees.

A sharp, jabbing pain awoke him, and Jiant opened his eyes, to find the air glittering with uncountable lightning strikes that rippled back and forth across the sky, shimmering and pulsing. He gasped then, overwhelmed at the unearthly beauty.

Something stabbed him in the shoulder. “You raped me.” A voice raged. “You raped me, and forced this curse of growth on me.” There was some light now, buried deep in the clouds. The rain continued to pour all around. He felt lightheaded, staring at the sky. Must be a dream.

Ow! Someone stabbed him again. “Pay attention. I have been waiting for the chance to pay you back in pain. ” Suddenly he recognized the voice behind the anger. Suet. “Now it is my turn.” She said, grunting as she stabbed him again.

Against his will, he moaned, wincing at the pain. She leaned forward, pushing all of her weight down onto the spear shaft. Another cry escaped his lips. So tired. He tried to knock the spear away with his hands, but quickly discovered that they were tied behind his back.

She laughed, coolly as the rain poured around them. “You’re not going to escape me. You deserve all this and more.” Ripping the spear from his chest, she drove it home again, closer to the middle. He could feel the spearhead grating against his ribcage as she pressed against the end.

“What do you want?” He grunted. She wasn’t as strong as she thought, her attempt at torture was barely noticeable after all he had been through. There was a rock digging into his shoulder. He shifted uncomfortably. That hurt.

She only growled in response, shoving the spear back and forth. Heaving, he pulled himself up and back a few inches, trying to escape her fury.

Great. Now the rock was digging into his spine.

Wait, I have an idea.

As she stabbed him again, he again heaved away, this time straight up the hill. Yes! The rock was pressing into his left arm, just above the wrist. Trying to ignore her attacks, he ground his bindings against the stone. He felt the slightest of rips, and muscles rippling, he yanked his arms apart.

Suet stumbled backwards, face white with fear.

Roaring in anger, he grabbed the end of the spear, yanking it out of his chest, pulling so quickly that it sent the girl flailing backwards into the water. Lurching to his feet, he spun around, readying the spear, searching for his target in the water.

She burst back to the surface, coughing and splashing feebly, her eyes quivering.

Reaching down into the water with one huge hand, he pulled her out, tossing her on the ground next to him. She rolled away, scrambling to her hands and knees, crawling away, moaning.

Snarling, he dropped down on top of her, driving her into the hillside. “You want to kill me? Kill me now!” He growled menacingly, bringing his face close to her ear, listening with pleasure to her shrieks of terror.

Sitting up on his knees, straddling her, he spun her around below him, until she was staring up at his face. “You should have killed me quickly.” he laughed. She was trying to say something, but no sound came out. “I will not make the same mistake.” Gripping the spear with both hands, he pulled it back over his head, ready to drive it through her skull.

“No!” she cried. The cry was so earnest, so desperate that he paused, for just a moment. “I..” she swallowed. “I am carrying your child. If you…” she swallowed again, tears and rain and mud running down her face. “If you let me live, you’ll have a son.”

Interesting. “How do you know it is mine?”

She shook her head. “The others were afraid to touch me. You are the only one.”

Growling, he slammed the spear down with a sure stroke, burying it deep in the ground next to her head. His massive head near hers, he whispered into her ear. “Your life belongs to me now. Any further betrayals, and no child will save you. I can make more children.”

She stared at him, motionless, pupils dilated, breathing shallowly.

He took that as a yes.

He rolled off of her, and slowly stood up. His foot hurt a little less – he could hobble, with some pain. Carefully, he climbed the rest of the way up the hillside, and found a tree of just the right size. With a few blows from his fist, he knocked it down to size, a good club, and a fair walking stick.

“Come on” he grunted. “We need to go find the others.” If the stone beast found him, he would die. Or, perhaps it would simply crush him nearly to death again. Either way, staying here was not an option. Limping gingerly, trying to find the right hold on the walking stick, he headed south, up the rise into the hills. The forests were heavier here – perhaps some protection from the stone monster. In any case, he wanted to get out of the rain, and quick.

After that, he would find his minions. And then some bears. His stomach rumbled, just thinking about it.

Meekly, Suet followed, shoulders hunched in submission.

Next Chapter

Shara

The battle was joined, and her stone man raced towards Jiant. She watched, a wicked smile on her face as the foul man struggled with her beast. You don’t have a chance.

Reya stood next to her, staring at the battle, staring at the stone man.

“Shara?” She asked. “What… how?”

Desire and imagination. That had been the key. It had all fallen into place when she found herself bound hand and foot, listening to Zar discuss how he was going to cook and eat her friends – her family. As the flames had been lit, she had imagined the rain pouring down, strong enough to douse the flames.

And the rains had come, mixed with the wind, smashing through the village of liars and murderers and betrayers. I hope this storm never ends. I hope that these people are scattered and lost. I hope that no one ever lives on this land again. The air had flashed gold for just a moment.

I want to be free of these ropes. With another golden flash, she felt them dissolve. Scrambling to her feet, everything had changed.

She imagined a storm, ripping the village into pieces. And the winds had roared as a massive cloud formed overhead, smothering the sky. Buildings began to shatter under the assault. Shara smiled. I will never be afraid again. The golden powers would see to that.

And then Jiant had burst forth from the woods, interrupting her thoughts. She stared at him, hating him for what he had done to her brother, to her people. He was so full of power and strength, and malice. It was time to pay him back for his cruelty.

The stone man had been an inspiration. Reya’s remark about the strange pile of rocks had stuck in her mind. Something that could defeat Jiant. Imagine that statue, smashing Jiant, driving the giants away, letting them experience some of the terror that they had visited on so many others. And then want it to exist, to perform this terrible task.

Still, she had been surprised at how it had arrived – not with a flash, before her, but crawling out of the ground. There was still much for her to understand.

And when the stone man’s head was smashed apart, she was astonished that it continued to fight, it didn’t even seem to be affected. Much to learn.

Reya screamed triumphantly as Jiant was flung to the ground by the stone man, lying motionless.

That’s it. Keep at it Destroy them all. Hunt them, the way they hunted us. The air flashed golden again, just for a moment.

Odd. I wonder what’s causing that.

“Oola killed one!” Reya cried

Shara’s eyes searched the field. There she was. Ooof! She winced as the tall one snatched her up, and then laughed in delight as it howled in pain when she bit into its hand.

Still, her heart skipped when the giant threw her across the field. She tried to imagine some way to land safely, but it was too sudden, and her mind was jumpy. Shara winced as her friend slammed into the ground.

When she had appeared again, above the ridge, she had let out a cheer. Oola the fierce!

Just then, three giants piled on the stone man. What do I do? It stumbled and fell beneath their weight. Should I make another? Why not? Why not fill the world with stone guardians to protect her friends. But then Oola again came to the rescue, stabbing the giant in the back with her knife. “Ha!” Shara crowed, the cheer dying in her mouth as the giant fell on top of her.

“Oola? Oola?” She screamed, stumbling forwards.

The large giant ran past Oola’s motionless form, narrowly missing crushing her beneath its heel. “Oola!” Shara shrieked. “Get up! Get up!”

The stone man stood up. “Help her!” She called, still sprinting forward through the rain. The stone man started rumbling towards Oola. No.. wait.. slow down.. She desperately tried to focus her thoughts, to stop it. Too late. The foot came down. “Oola, no!”

The stone man kept running, chasing the giants, oblivious to what it had done.

Shara was at Oola’s side in a heartbeat, tears streaming down her face.

Too late. I’m too late.

Her friend’s body was smashed, a bloody, gory ruin. Perversely, there was a peaceful smile on her face. She held Oola’s face in her hands, kissing her hair over and over again, sobbing uncontrollably.

The others gathered around her. Din was sobbing. “She saved my life.”

“Shara..” Lam said, uncomfortably.

Shara looked up. “I can bring her back.” She said, looking at all of them as they gathered around her. “Yes. My powers. I just have to want it, to dream it.”

“Shara?” Barak said, his voice unusually distressed. She ignored him, and closed her eyes. I can do this. I just have to concentrate.

“Shara? No. You can’t heal the dead.” Mika whispered, interrupting her concentration.

“I can. I just have to focus.” Shara hissed, Oola’s hair tangled between her fingers. “Leave me alone.”

“Shara… what about the burning dead?” Reya said softly.

Oola

A second giant swung at her, his club harmlessly swatting the air to her left as she danced away. They were so slow this was almost easy. The giant roared as he brought his hands together, and the club arced through the air. She leapt backwards as the wood smashed into the ground, buried a foot deep in the soft earth. Grinning, she ran up the shaft towards his face

Now! Focusing her energy, she yelled out in fury and slammed her spear forwards with all of her strength, burying the sharp tip deep in his chest.

The giant stumbled backwards, face ashen, eyes bright with panic. Oola jumped away, ripping the spear from the wound, spurting blood fountaining across his skins as she turned to find another club whistling for her chest. Jerking madly, she felt the tip brush against her clothes as she fell backwards herself, tripping over the outstretched legs of her previous foe, the back of her head smacking the ground. The air erupted in whirling stars, dazzling her.

A massive hand scooped her up, fingers wrapping themselves around her chest, squeezing hard against her ribs. The giant leaned in close, baring his teeth and barking strange words at her, the criss-crossing web of scars on his face twitching and pulsing.

Wrenching her hand from his grasp, she punched her thumb into his eye, drenching her fist in goop. The giant jerked his head away, squeezing hard. Before he could recover she doubled over, driving her teeth into the soft, fleshy skin under his thumb, biting and tearing as best she could, her mouth quickly filling with blood.

The giant howled and squeezed even tighter with his one-handed grip, his other hand pressed against his damaged eye. The air turned red as she felt the blood and air being pressed from her middle, and then agonizing pop as her ribs cracked under his formidable strength. With the last of her energy, she took another bite, worrying and gnawing at the fatty flesh, trying to cause as much pain as-

Howling with rage, he flung her away, her teeth snatching away a shred of skin as she hurtles through the air, the ground everywhere around her. Before she can find her bearings, she lands chest-first against the earth, rolling uncontrollably across the hillside, until she flung out her arm, bringing herself to a jarring halt.

Ow.

Her lungs burned, thick and wet, and she coughed helplessly, her chest exploding in pain. Dizzily, she gasped, spikes of pain assaulting her ribs, her shoulder, her leg.

Forcing herself back up to her feet, Oola stumbled up an embankment back into the battlefield. Three giants were wrestling with the stone beast, entangling its arms, forcing it backwards. Already, the stone monster had lost its head, but it fought on, arms and legs fumbling for its foes. Lam and Mika worked together, dancing and spinning around the brown-haired one, painting the air with his blood. Barak sparred with black-hair, unscathed but unable to land a strike against his nimble opponent.

Where is Shara?

But before she can find her, she sees Pak stumbling backwards, his face red with blood, and her heart leaps into her chest. Din howls in fury, stabbing his spear forwards, burying it in the thigh of their enemy, the smallest of the giants. Roaring, it turned and smacked Din across the face, sending him tumbling across the ground, a smear of red in his wake. Grimacing, Oola stumbled forwards, pain forgotten. The boys are brave, but they are over-matched. I need a spear. She searched the ground, finding only churned earth and puddles of blood. Grimly, she pulled her skinning knife from the pouch around her neck, absurdedly small against the foe towering before her. Shrieking with rage, she attacked anyways, anything to distract the monster away from the boys. The giant whirled at her approach, swinging its club at her face, and she rolled sideways, the wood brushing against her hair, ripping strands from her scalp.

Gasping for air, Oola kept rolling and the giant came after her, its long hair flying across its eyes. Din leapt forwards from behind, stabbing the monster’s right leg with a cry of rage. Roaring the giant dropped its club, snatching the boy and hurling him at her. Wincing, Oola opened her arms, letting him smash into her chest, driving her back through the air to slam into the ground, the boy’s weight like a mountain on her battered ribcage.

Be safe, little one. Rolling him off, she choked back a cough, rising wearily to her feet, every breath a rattling lesson in pain. Pak came up beside her, spear in trembling hands. “Are you ok, Oola?”

And she had to laugh, as much as it hurt. “Get him.” She wheezed, holding the knife before her, fighting to keep her arms from shaking. Pak came up beside her, his spear dripping with gore. As they advanced, the giant stumbled backwards, tripping on the broken ground, driving Din’s spear through the flesh, until the point appeared just above the knee in a bubble of blood. Shrieking in a high, thin voice, the giant clutched at the wound, scrambling madly back to its feet, ripping the spear out, stumbling in agony.

“Now.” Oola said, grimly, choking back another cough, her mouth thick with the taste of blood. The giant snarled, its weaponless hands twitching and grasping at them. Oola shrieked as she charged, raising the small knife above her head.

But the giant had enough. Turning, it ran from them, shambling as it fled the battle, drips and splatters of blood marking its trail.

“Yes!” Pak and Oola shouted together.

A strange groaning sound comes from behind and Oola turned. Three giants were piling on the stone man, pushing and shoving and it fell to the ground. Roaring in anger, they slammed their fists at the stone warrior, as if to smash it to pieces. This isn’t over.

“Help your brother.” She yelled at Pak as she turned and raced to help their ally. The giants were all focused on their stone foe, pulling and yanking on the arms and legs. Trembling, she ran forward and leapt towards the exposed back of the closest one, ignoring the wave of dizziness assaulting her, the screaming pain in her lungs. She slammed into its back, the knife biting deeply into its spine. Shrieking in pain, the giant stumbled away, flailing its arms helplessly as it sought to pull her away, but the massive muscles get in the way. Still, Oola pushed off, landing on the ground, her arm drenched in blood.

She tried to suck in a breath, but nothing came. Panicked, Oola stumbled backwards, blood filling her lungs. The monster’s back eclipsed the sky, and silently toppled across her, burying her beneath its fetid weight. She felt her chest give way, the rest of the ribs popping as one. One indescribable instant of agony, her flesh turned to fire, and then the pain started to fade away.

The giant struggled back to its feet, its hands still grasping helplessly for the knife buried deep in its back. My knife.

A stone fist appears where the knife used to be, a strange sight indeed, until Oola realized that the stone man had just punched the giant through the chest. It jerked once, and then slid off of the sharp arm, falling to the ground next to her, unmoving, staring sightlessly at the sky.

One of the other two giants ran past her, eyes shining with terror, racing from the battlefield.

Fleeing. We won.

Oola contemplated attacking it, but she had no weapons, nor, really could she even move. Oh well. Besides, it is well known that the spirits frown on attacking those who flee battle.

The stone man awkwardly rose to its feet. Headless, and with one arm partially smashed, it would be funny if it weren’t drenched in blood. Turning, it chased after the broken foe, the ground quaking as it charged towards her.

Uh oh

Far away in the distance, she could hear someone screaming her name. So sleepy. Must rest.

She closed her eyes, and the last shreds of pain melted away.

Next Chapter

]]> http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?feed=rss2&p=51 1 http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?p=50 http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?p=50#comments Thu, 06 Jul 2006 16:26:38 +0000 jb http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?p=50 Prologue Previous Chapter

Jiant

The storm clouds were building in the sky before them, black and purple through the canopy of the trees. Tamu turned to him as they ran. “Rain is coming.”

Jiant sliced angrily through the air with his club. “We will not let a little rain stop us.”

They rounded the hill. Just beyond it lay their prize.

Only it was in tatters. Two of the huts were collapsed in on themselves, and the others shook in the wind. Bits of wood and debris were spiraling up into the sky, pulled up into a dark, rotating cloud that twisted slowly across the sky.

There was a brief flash of dull red. Shifting his focus, Jiant laughed as he watched a pack of young men and women in red fleeing before the storm. “I’ve changed my mind.” He said as he watched them grow closer. “Kill them all!” He held out a hand, and slowed to a walk. There was no need to run anymore.

“Rocks!” He bellowed, fishing a sharp hunk of quartz from his pouch. A cascade of stones sliced through the air, but none found a target. “They are good at dodging.” He thought, as one of the men jerked his head out of the way just in time. No matter, they couldn’t dodge forever. “Again.” He roared, aiming this time at the girl who seemed to be surrounded by golden flames. The sharp-edged flint shot through the air, true to its course.

The wind roared, and turned towards them, shrieking with fury, sending the stones flying off in all directions.

His fingers started twitching and he stared at the distant storm clouds. “Forget the rocks. We will kill them with clubs.” The sun is behind us. We will use it. Jiant charged forward, roaring with battle lust, the wind howling past his face, driving sand into his eyes. Lowering his head, he pushed forwards. “Keep going.” He growled, forcing his way through the onslaught, holding up his free hand to shield his eyes. The Red Cave brats stood before him, their spears in their hands, unwavering. Do they think the storm would stop me?

They do not know me, then.

After a few more steps, the stormwinds failed, and he shook his head, wiping the sand from his face. “Keep going.” He roared, his shadow stretching far in front of him.

The ground bulged up in front of the Red Cave children, and they backed away from the erupting pile of dirt, clutching nervously at each other. What new threat is this?

Stones poured out from the hole, brown and grey, somehow connected, working as one. More and more pushed up from the dirt, taking on an almost human shape, two arms, two legs, a massive set of boulders for a chest. It shook, sending dirt cascading around it as it turned and faced the glowing girl. She turned, and pointed at Jiant, and the stone monster followed, loping towards them on feet of granite.

“What do we do?” Tamu asked, nervously.

“It will break before us, as everything else has.” He said, eyeing the beast. Amusingly, the red children followed it into battle, roaring and whooping. Now this is getting interesting. He looked back at his followers. “You take the children. I will fight this stone thing.” Without another word, he ran towards his prey.

Timing his strike, he smashed his great treetrunk into the face of the creature, slamming the wood into the chalk-circle eyes. The club shivered in his hand, splintering and cracking, but the force of the blow sent the stone beast stumbling backwards, tripping and falling clumsily to the ground. “You are no match for me.” He roared as the beast seemed to settle into the ground. Too easy.

Out of the corner of his eye Jiant saw the tallest of the Red Cave striplings leap at Tamu, dodging and lunging with his spear, as Tamu swung his club through the air. The boy’s back was turned. Snarling, Jiant swung his club across his shoulder, preparing to send the boy flying through the air, when a mighty blow smashed him in the shoulderblade, sending him reeling to the ground. Spinning, he scrambled back to his feest as the stone beast leapt towards him, bringing its two fists down at his head. With a roar, Jiant launched himself forward, shoving his shoulder into the stone chest. Pain erupted across his arm and chest, radiating from his clavicle as he smashed it against the rock. He hissed in anguish as he stumbled forwards, but still the beast fell backwards again, collapsing to the ground before him.

You won’t get up again. Fishing a rock from his pouch, he drove it full force into the chalk-lined face, just as the stone man swung awkwardly at him with its left arm. It caught him in the ribs, and he rolled with the blow, tumbling across the ground, his side aflame with the memory of the strike.

Struggling back to his feet, his lungs singing in pain, he saw one of the Red Cave girls leap up and stab her spear through Mu’s chest, sending his friend stumbling backwards, clutching feebly at the spear before he collapsed in a heap on the ground, his chest soaked in blood.

“Stop playing with them, and finish them!” He roared, turning back towards his foe. The beast was already up, and running at him, the face shattered, dropping shards of stone as it charged.

Pulling another rock from his bag, Jiant flung it at the monster, smashing it in the chest, a blow that would have ripped a man in two. It seemed to pause for a heartbeat and then continued rumbling towards him, leaping into the air.

Only one rock left. Grabbing it with both hands, Jiant shrieked with rage, leaping up to meet the enemy, As they came together in midair, he smashed his weapon into the remains of the face with every ounce of strength he could find.

The head of the beast shattered , crumbling into a rain of stone on the ground. Together, they fell back to the earth, Jiant roaring in triumph.

Stone arms encircled him, crushing him to its chest. What will kill this creature? He struggled and squirmed, as he felt his chest crack under the pressure. Grunting and growling, he forced his arms into the embrace to force them to part. “I am Jiant!” He gasped, red-faced within the pulverizing grasp.

But the stone arms refused to budge, squeezing ever tighter, cutting off his air

A small flicker of doubt grew in his heart. Perhaps being Jiant is not enough.

“No.” He wheezed, the last of his breath escaping in a bare whisper. Sparkles and dots filled his eyes. It’s not fair. The world went black.

Next Chapter

Lam

Cold water splashed into his face, and he sputtered and choked. Trying to bring his hands up to wipe it off, he found them pinned somehow. What is going on? He tries to shake off the haze, but the world is shifting and strange.

He was standing, tied to something that is digging painfully into his back. He could feel chunks of wood gathered around his feet.

I was drinking the red liquid, and…

And then what?

“Hel-Hello?” he called out, the world a blur in front of his eyes.

To his right, someone gasped, and coughed. “Who’s there?”

“Barak…” The man grunted, his voice a rock of familiarity. “Lam? Is that you?”

Lam squinted, peering nervously around him. “Yes. You’re tied to a stake.” He paused. “What happened?”

Barak shook his head. “I don’t remember. I was drinking, and then… and then I was here.

Lam blinked his eyes. “There is… is… is… firewood piled up… around your feet.” He stammered, his blood freezing.

Barak snorted. “What are they going to do, cook us?”

Lam’s stomach began to heave silently, and he fought for control, cold sweat gathering on his face. “Yes. I think they are.”

“What are you doing!” He shouted, but no one answered. Oppa moved past Barak to toss a bowlful of water into Din’s face. Beyond Din he could see Pak, still unconcious. “Is this a joke?” He shouted again, tears pooling in his eyes. “Why.. what?” He whispered.

“Lam?” Mika called out, uncertainly from behind him. He craned his neck, to no avail.

“Mika, are you ok?” He said.

“I’m tied up. What happened?”

He grimaced. “I’ll get you down. Somehow.”

“Down, no? I’m on the ground, tied to Shara. Reya and Oola are here too, next to me. They are all asleep.”

There was no one to help them. Straining furiously, he wrenched against the restraints, twisting and pulling. His wrists burned and bled, and his back was slick with blood before he gave up. “I can’t get free.”

Barak grunted, and Lam turned to him. The man’s face was purple, his muscles straining hard against the ropes.

Come on, Barak.

Barak slumped back down, and then pushed again. Lam could see blood running down his wrists.

He slumped down again, and stayed still.

Lam paused for moment, staring at his friend. “Good try.”

“Shut up Lam, I’m trying to think.” Barak hissed.

Zar walked into view from the left, and planted himself in front of them, his fat legs quivering. His face was dark, even as the first rays of the sun began to peak over the mountaintops. “You told us of the Great Winter, many years ago.”

The wind started kicking up, tossing the fat man’s black hair across his face. He brushed it aside without a thought. “We stayed overlong at our hunting camp, expecting that it would thaw.” he frowned. “When we finally decided to flee south, we found the passes blocked, filled with ice.”

“Get to the point, Zar.” Barak sneered.

Zar paused for a moment, licked his lips and continued, raising his voice to be heard over the whistling wind. “So we returned to our caves, and waited, asking the spirits for help. The answer they gave was most unexpected. Another tribe arrived from the north, also heading south.”

He paused again, speaking more quietly. Lam strained to hear. “We couldn’t feed ourselves – how would we have fed them?”

Lam’s heart skipped a beat.

Zar bowed his head. “Oppa and… my father… gathered everyone together, and gave them the sleeping drink. And then we killed them, and ate their bodies.”

“Their meat sustained us, and gave us time to find another passage south, one that was choked with buffalo.”

Barak’s voice crackled with rage. “Winter is not coming now, Zar. You don’t need our meat.”

Zar lifted his head up, staring at Barak. “Afterwards, we discovered that their bodies had given us great magics, like the Speaking potion, and the Buffalo Song.” he paused again. “And the True Dreams.”

The wind grew stronger, and colder. Lam shivered, but not from the cold.

“When you fought those wolves, you moved with speed and strength that we had never seen before-”

A man stumbled into view, his face smeared with blood, his right arm dangling uselessly , blood dripping steadily down his arm. “Huge men in the hills to the east. They killed Veen.” He stumbled uncertainly and Zar turned, catching him, and whispering in his ear.

The man nodded, and staggered away towards a nearby hut. Zar watched for a moment. “Oppa, it is time for you to take the children away. They do not need to see this.”

Oppa nodded. Without a glance, she walked away with her assistant’s guidance. “Children? Children, come with me.” She called out, vanishing beyond the circle of huts.
A shadow passed in front of the sun, and the air grew colder. Above them, dark storm clouds circled ominously, rampant with lightning. Whisps of sand and ash whirled around them, rushing westwards across the village. The fire bent before the storm, leaping and flickering at the sky.

Zar paused, and stared at the sky for a moment before continuing, scratching his arm uncertainly.

Barak spoke up, his voice urgent. “Zar. Those huge men. Their leader is called Jiant. He is coming to devour us all. Let us free. We can help you fight them!”

Zar shook his head. “We know about these… giant-men.”

What?

Barak blinked. “What? How?”

“I told you, we have experienced true dreams. Oppa had a true dream that told her that men the size of trees were coming to devour us, and children clothed in red would help us stop them.” Lam’s head twitched. What?

Zar continued. “I did not know how you would help, until I saw how you fought the wolves. When we eat your flesh, we will gain your strength and speed, and it will allow us to defeat them. But we must hurry.” He waved at someone, and they carried a torch forward, placing it against the base of each pole.

“No, this isn’t right.” Barak growled. Lam could hear the fear leaking into his voice. “We helped you last night. We can help you now. Don’t kill us.”

Thunder rolled across the valley, even as smoke began to rise from the wood beneath him, almost instantly shredded by the wind. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the soles of his feet were already starting to feel warm.

Zar shook his head. “No. There are too few of you. Veen was one of our best hunters. If they killed him…” He shook his head again. “I’m sorry, but if we are to defeat these creatures, we must have your strength.” He paused briefly. “We will keep your women safe.”

“Zar,I will rip your head from your shoulders.” Barak growled.

Turning, Zar grabbed a log from the fire, ignoring Barak’s challenge. “These giants will likely attack very soon. ” He said, shouting to be heard above the roar of the wind. “I’m sorry, but it is time.” He pulled a flint knife from a hidden pocket. “It will be quick.”

A bright, golden-white flash and a crushing bellow of thunder exploded across the sky,. Instantly, rain began pelting the ground, and in the span of just a few heartbeats, it grew to a deluge, a waterfall from the sky.

“No, ” Someone said, behind him. Turning his head, Lam twitched as a figured walked past him, encircled by golden flames. The wind and the rain whipped around her, sending her hair flying, but she seemed not to care.

“Shara?” He whispered, but she ignored him, stepping between the stakes. The storm seemed to surge behind her and rain stung his back and arms, bits of wood and cloth pelting him, flying before the tempest. Beyond the great fire, one of the huts, already damaged from the wolf raid began to shake violently, bits of grass and splintered bone flying off into the sky. What is happening?

“I must protected my people” Zar shouted, stumbling against the gale, one arm raised to shield his face, his voice barely audible above the roaring winds and growling thunder.

Shara raised her hand, and he gasped in pain, reeling backwards. The flint knife fell from his hands, burying itself in the sand. “No.” She repeated.

Lam glanced quickly at the smoking wood at his feet, feeling a surge of hope. The rain had soaked the kindling, and the flames were rapidly failing.

“It is the only way.” Zar shrieked, extending his hands as if he would choke the life out of Lam himself.

“No!” Shara screamed, shoving both of her hands in front of her. The golden glow around her grew bright for a moment, and the air seamed to moan as it engulfed Zar, spinning around him, faster and faster.

The fat man careened backwards, hands raised to shield his face, a silent scream on his mouth as the wind consumed him in a spinning vortex of dirt and debris. In an instant he was down on his knees, his face a bloody mess as the wind continued to darken around him.

“None of my friends will die today.” Shara howled. “None.”

Zar looked up at her for a moment, jerking violently as the winds began to lift him slowly, unsteadily into the sky. He cried out again, and this time Lam could hear the panicked shriek of fear as he shot up into the blackened sky, vanishing into the darkness.

Shara turned back to them and closed her eyes. The wind and the rain slackened almost instantly, the huts fell still again, the sand and wood dropping from the air.

Opening her eyes again, she stared at him. “You are free.” She said. The tendrils of glowing fire that enveloped her grew brighter again, just for a moment, and the bonds around his arms loosened, and fell away. Lam lurched away from the pole, dizzy and . Barak and the boys followed unesteadily, Reya, Mika and Oola coming up to join them. As a group, they stared at Shara and the otherworldly flames that shimmered around her.

“Shara?” Oola said. “What-”

Shara shook her head, staring towards the eastern mountains. “Look.” She cried, pointing at a horde of huge men racing across the plain, roaring gleefully as they charged directly out of the sun. Lam could feel the ground quivering as they approached, or maybe it was just his legs. One, two, three…

“I count eight!” Mika yelled, grabbing at his arm, her fingers closing tightly around his bicep.

Barak glanced around desperately. “We need spears.” He growled. “Lam, find us-”

“Here.” Shara said, motioning with her hand, and with a golden flash a spear appeared in each of their hands. Yelping in fear, Lam’s nerveless fingers let it drop silently to the ground.

“Pick it up, Lam. Let’s go.” Barak said, grimacing slightly as he stared at the long shaft of wood in his hand. Lam fumbled for the spear, the wood too smooth, too straight. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed it tightly as the wind began to tug at his clothes again.

“Look out.” Reya warned. “Rocks.” Lam glanced upward as a blur shot towards him, narrowly missing his face. Mystic spear forgotten, he turned towards the sun-limned silhouettes, watching axiously as they pulled more rocks from their pouches, sending them slicing through the air. Jiant stood at the front, tall and dark, his face a mask of fury as he bellowed at his minions.

The wind shifted, and roared from behind him, shoving him forwards even as it seemed to send the rocks hurtling to the ground. “Get down.” Barak shrieked, barely audible over the wail, sand and ash whipping around him, spiralling towards their foes.

Holding a hand in front of his face to shield him from the burning sand, Jiant barked another order, and the giants dropped their pouches, shifting to their clubs. Bent low against Shara’s furious tempest, they pressed forwards.

If it was possible, the wind seemed to grow more furious, shoving and buffeting him, even as he knelt in the dirt. Pak squealed as a mighty gust sent him stumbling forwards before Mika could grab his hand. “Get down.” She shouted, and the boy pressed himself against the earth, screwing his eyes shut, digging his fingers into the dirt.

“Shara!” Oola shouted. “What are you doing?”

“I can’t stop them.” Shara yelled back, and the windstorm collapsed instantly, until it was little more than a gentle breeze tugging at his hair. “I’m sorry.”

Growling in triumph, Jiant charged towards them.

“Then we fight” Barak said, grimly, looking at each of them. As one, they nodded.

Eight of them… eight of us.

Only one of us is great with child, and two are still just boys.

Mika’s hand was still tight on his arm. Reaching up, he brushed it gently. She turned and flashed him a smile in return, squeezing his arm. If this is how we are going to die, so be it.

The ground rocked beneath him, moaning and cracking as it started to buckle and break.

“I have an idea.” Shara said, her radiant fire glowing ominously.

A large brown stone, rounded and rough shoved its way from the earth, twisting and pushing its way free, clumps of dirt raining down from its sides. ” It’s almost as tall as I am.” Lam thought as he the others backed away a step, alternating their frightened gazes between the girl, the ground and the oncoming horde. Other stones followed and the crack widened further. A second chain of stones followed the first, and both slammed against the ground, and this time it shook for certain, the stone columns pushing downwards, an even more massive pile of stones coming up in between.

“The statue.” Reya whispered, and with a starled blink, Lam realized she was right. The two columns were the arms, the pile in the middle the body, and these last clumps must be legs. Climbing to its feet, the chalk-circle eyes seemed to stare at them, as streams of dust and mud fell away from the body.

“But how?” He blurted, unable to tear his eyes away from the monstrosity.

“Go.” Shara spoke to the creature, and it turned to her, shuddering on massive pillars of granite. “Kill Jiant and his minions.”

Without a word, the monster turned, and began to run towards Jiant, leaving massive circular footprints in its wake. Lam watched, and then winced, the brilliant sunlight bringing tears to his eyes. “I can’t see them.” He cried.

“Shara, can you do something about the sunlight?” Barak yelled.

“Yes.” She said. Almost instantly, a dark bank of clouds began to build in the eastern sky, smothering the sunlight.

“Follow the statue.” Barak howled, a feral smile on his lips “It is their turn to fear.”

Raising his spear, Lam roared out his power, and charged into battle, his friends at his side.

Next Chapter

Jiant

Cresting the hill, Jiant grinned as he found the village on the plain beyond, surrounded by a great valley of yellow flowers. The small huts were bare shadows in the pale predawn light, in two circles around the central fire. He could see dark shapes of the villagers milling around the central fire, clumped in groups. There seemed to be no guards, no watch of any kind.

Idiots.

A child screamed and broke from the crowd, running between the huts, chased by several others, but a sharp yell and they all slunk back to the main group.
His stomach growled impatiently.

One of the villagers turned and glanced up at the hill, right at him, and he ducked quickly. As he slid back down through the grass and rocks, his shoulder arched at the abuse, still tender from the great fire at the anthill. But he ignored the pain, a necessary cost to maintain surprise.

After a while, the sky lightening behind him, Jiant crept back up to the top, peering over the edge again to find the village much as before. Tamu crept up next to him and stared at their prey. “What are they doing?”

Jiant shrugged. It was impossible to tell, but they continued to cluster near the fire. “If they stay together like that, our work will be even easier.” He said, grinning slightly. Shifting his gaze, he studied the landscape. The valley was long, but fairly narrow, the river running to the south, and a few hills beyond, none as tall as the one he stood upon. To the north, two hills sat side by side, and then row after row of gently rolling ridges beyond. He backed down and looked at Tamu. “Hills to the south, and the north. They will flee east, or west, depending on how we approach.”

Tamu nodded. “Do you think we should split up, come from both sides?”

Jiant thought about the approach for a moment. “No.. the hills are too small. We’ll be seen, and we’ll lose the opportunity for surprise.”

He glanced at the east. “It will be dawn soon. If we wait until the sun crests the mountains, it will be at our backs. If they flee, we will run them down. If they fight, they will fight with the sun in their eyes.” The sky above and to the west was clear, it promised to be a bright, sunny summers’ day. Soon. His stomach churned in anticipation.

Tamu started to slide down the hill, and Jiant called down to him. “Before I forget. Tell the others – if they see anyone dressed in red, take extra care not to kill them. I want them alive.” Tamu looked up and nodded, his face grim.

He took a last look at the village, before sliding back down the hill, and returning to their makeshift camp, hidden in the center of a small stand of trees. The others rested there, exhausted after a full day and night of running.

They may be tired, but tonight we will feast. Nothing will stop me this time.

Jiant grinned wickedly, and sat down against the base of a large oak tree. It shuddered as he leaned against it, leaves and acorns falling all around him. Closing his eyes, he thought about their imminent attack. It would be just like all the others. Most would run in terror, women and children, and the cowards. The rest would stand and fight, and stare at him as he leapt past them, chasing after the small ones while his friends shattered the defenders with rocks. He would snatch up two of the children, and bellow in rage, and the hunters would falter, dropping their weapons, offering themselves in exchange for their precious younglings. The Red Cave children would be there, they might even tell the fools not to surrender, but no one listened when their children were threatened. They always gave up.

And then he would have them all. He would save the Red Cave brats for last, let them watch as his followers devoured their new friends. And then, he would let them choose who of them would be eaten first.

Makari roared, and snatched a stone from the ground, launching it into the woods. Jiant stared in surprise as his minion scrambled to his feet, thundering into the woods. He returned a few moments later, carrying a limp body, dressed in drab skins.

“Two men. One got away.” He tosses the body on to the ground, the web of scars across his face pulsing red in anger.

“Why didn’t you see them earlier?” Jiant demanded.

Makari stared back. “I rest and keeping quiet, as you ordered.” His strange accent slurred his words. Makari was smaller than most, a more recent addition to his group.

Jiant felt his hands twitching, and forced them still as Nash backed away in alarm. I can always punish him after we have the village.

“Tamu. Go with Nash. Find the other one, quickly. Keep quiet.”

Tamu nodded and the two of them rushed off into the woods.

Jiant climbed back to his feet, ignoring the protests from his knees and paced around the valley.

Do I send more out?

They might be seen.

So what?

If we attack, we all need to be together. If your followers are all out searching, we will have to wait until everyone returns.

That would give them too much time to escape.

Jiant smashed a fist into the study trunk of another oak, and the whole top shuddered, shedding branches all around him. Bellowing, he hit it again and again, until the wood split with a loud boom. Moaning, the top began to cant awkwardly, shuddering to a stop, still whole. Snarling, he landed another blow, and with a chorus of cracks, the top collapsed on top of him, a shattered limb driving itself into his shoulder. He stifled a roar, wrenching himself clear of the debris, back into the center of the clearing, gripping his shoulder with his right hand. The others are staring at him, standing in the shadows beneath the tree at the far edge of the little glen.

And then he saw movement in the forest beyond, flashes of tan and brown. He glanced around, searching for a rock.

Tamu stepped out from behind the trees, with Nash following behind, walking slowly into the pale blue light. Jiant looks at their empty hands, and then stared into their eyes.

Tamu licked his lips. “We couldn’t find them.”

Jiant’s fingers start twitching.

Makari spoke up. “Jiant, if we attack now, we may still surprise them.”

Jiant closed his eyes, and clasped his hands together.

Idiots.

He opened his eyes again, to find everyone retreating further into the shelter of the trees.

“Stop backing away.” He growled. “I will only kill you if you deserve it.”

They all stared at him, unmoving and silent.

“By the time we get there, they will be alerted.” He growled, glancing at Makari. “Makari is right. Get up, all of you. We attack now.”

His minions stepped forwards out of the trees and slowly gathered around him.

Much better.

Jiant turned to the west, motioning with his hands as he spoke. “There is a hill directly to the east of the village. We will circle around from the north.” He locked eyes with each of them, Suet in particular. “Try and keep up.”

He turned, and started to jog, the first slivers of sunlight appear above the dark mountains to the east, brightening the ground in front of him, as if it was lighting his path. The sun is with me today. Up ahead, clouds were spreading across the sky, turning darker with each heartbeat.

Odd. It was sunny just a moment ago.

He pushed the thought from his mind. Rain will not stop him. There are much more important things to worry about now.

Next Chapter

]]> http://stonemagic.picobusiness.com/stonemagic/?feed=rss2&p=48 1