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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.

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Thursday, July 6th, 2006 at 11:16 am.
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