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

Thursday, July 6th, 2006 at 12:26 pm.
Filed under .
Subscribe to RSS 2.0.
Leave a comment or trackback.