The Ageless Giant

by B K Suitter

  Torique’s arms were exhausted and he rowed his small boat away from the island, away from his wife and child. His eyes were glued to the beach and he tried desperately to wake himself.

  “Please wake, please wake,” Torique said again and again.

  The island moaned and the jungle gave birth to a blood- thirsty cry, a savage squalor that hissed the promise of a brutal death. Elizabeth stopped dancing and Angelica stopped singing. The two stared wide eyed at the jungle as it slowly came to life. Torique watched as his wife started screaming, gesturing wildly for him to come back for them. Torique watched as his daughter ran to the cold waters and begged him to save her.

  Torique rowed diligently away, tears running down his cheeks in thin rivers. The man watched the gulls fly in agitated circles as his beloved entered the ocean surf to escape the island. At first Torique hoped they might get away, which he knew was impossible and evident when two long arms shot from out of the waters and pulled his daughter under. Elizabeth thrashed on the waves as she too was grabbed from beneath and slowly pulled down into the depths. Torique rowed his tiny boat away and stared into his wife’s pleading eyes as she sank into the cold red waters.

  ***********************

  Their boots echoed down the long cold hallway that seemed built for giants. Towering stone walls were intricately carved with scenes of battle and lust, and huge marble statues of sentries frozen in time lined the massive corridor. High vaulted ceilings were shadowed in darkness and they loomed over the party as they were ushered towards the throne room of Castle Coldstorm. They approached a pair of massive wooden doors that were laced with iron bindings and guarded by two Beoraki soldiers. The two men pushed at the doors and a large chamber full of loud Northmen opened up before them.

  Aliha, Gideon, Shanks, and the imposing Beoraki woman, Gretta, all entered the throne room. Daphaxian had stayed back at Frostbite and talked of business in the city. They all knew he was not welcome at Coldstorm.

  They walked the path towards King Ironheart, who sat up high on a dais in an immense chair that was covered in the skins and furs of the great white bear of the North. The room began to quiet as the small company made their way through the towering Northmen. The large Beoraki wore heavy furs and carried stout mugs of dark ale. Most had long white hair and thick snowy beards; their pale skin and light blue lips giving them a frosty look like someone caught in a light snowstorm. At times, when the light was right, their skin and hair seemed to sparkle.

  Aliha and the others stopped at the base of the throne. Long steps rose up before them and the largest Northman Aliha had seen yet sat in the great chair. King Ironheart was quiet – his cold blue eyes staring down at the small troupe as if weighing judgment on the guilty. He wore heavy furs of the white bear and grew his hair thick and long. It was a snowy white and it matched the thick beard that covered his sturdy jaw. The king was heavily muscled and in the best of shape. He appeared to have not gained in age since Gideon healed him with the magic eighteen years earlier.

  All around the king were his Shadows. These men were considered the bravest, strongest, and most loyal to Ironheart. They stood stoic with dark eyes absorbing every detail, and they carried heavy spears at their sides.

  Bearok, who was the leader of the group, stood closest to the king. He had long black hair that was streaked with white and eyes that were dark as coal. Gideon remembered the man from eighteen years prior when he had saved the king’s life.

  “I see you have accomplished your task. The Ironheart was swift!” The king boasted loudly. “You have returned from Perlosia much sooner than was expected,” King Ironheart’s voice was deep and resonating.

  “Yes,” Gideon replied, “thank you for your help.”

  “The girl’s journey has just begun then,” said Ironheart and the giant Northman stared down at Aliha, and Gideon gave a nervous chuckle as the girl realized she had just become the center of conversation.

  “What?” Aliha muttered quietly to Gideon.

  “You are Princess Aliha?” the king asked the simple farm girl.

  “What? No,” the girl responded and laughed as she looked at Gideon, who stood quiet and nervous.

  “Tell her who she is, Gideon,” King Ironheart said in a tone that left no argument.

  “I know who I am,” Aliha said to the king and she turned to Gideon with a questioning glare. “Who do you think I am?”

  “Aliha,” Gideon began nervously, “you are the daughter of Queen Aliha and King Uriah.”

  The girl was shaking her head and saying, “No,” even before the healer stopped talking. “That’s impossible and you’re crazy.” Aliha stepped closer to Gideon while Shanks and Gretta shied away. “Why would you say such a thing? You brought me here and made me believe I came by my own choice.”

  Gideon opened his hands out before the girl in a kind gesture. “Aliha,” Gideon said softly, and she turned away in anger, fuming at the thought of being duped.

  “Have I been abducted?” Aliha asked as she slowly turned around. Her face showed her annoyance, but she tried with all her might to be calm.

  “Of course not...,” Gideon tried to say.

  “Why did you bring me here?!” Aliha screamed.

  “I… you needed to…,” Gideon stammered over the words. He wanted to explain everything to Aliha, but not at this time. King Ironheart had put him in a very difficult position, and Gretta came to his rescue.

  “Aliha, no one here blames you for being angry. The matter was not handled properly,” and Gretta gave Gideon a look with a scowl. “You should have been told everything.” Gretta’s icy blue eyes seemed to douse the flames that were Aliha’s.

  “I would not have believed him,” Aliha said and she gave the healer a look that filled him with sadness. “I would have thought him crazy and I would not be standing here now.” Aliha stared hard at Gideon, “He could not tell me,” she whispered and then looked back to Gretta. “Why am I here?” Aliha simply asked.

  The Northern woman reached down and took Aliha’s hands into her own and smiled to put an edge onto what she considered good news.

  “You are a princess, Aliha,” Gretta said with excitement. “Your mother, the queen of the South, is an amazing woman and loved by all.”

  “Did she give me away?” Aliha asked bluntly, glancing at Gideon to gauge his response. She found the healer shaking his head, and his eyes pleading for forgiveness and she turned away coldly.

  “You were taken to Perlosia for your own protection,” Gretta answered her question.

  “Protection from what?” Aliha’s face was an open book that read disbelief and confusion.

  “King Uriah,” Gideon answered and Aliha took her hands from Gretta’s and moved to stand before the healer. A ripple of voices sounded throughout the crowd of Northmen, and Aliha realized they were betting on the odds of her slapping his face.

  “Where is the queen now?” Aliha asked Gideon.

  “Your mother is at the Temple of Carami,” Gideon lied, “waiting for you.”

  “Not that I believe you,” Aliha said, “but why now? Why after eighteen years does she so rudely send for me?” The words grated through her teeth as she suddenly became bitter again.

  “You are the Princess Aliha,” King Ironheart interjected, his voice deep and powerful. “You are Queen Aliha’s mirror image, and she was also quick to anger. I met her many times, and surely it’s as if I am meeting her again. If I did not know better,” and Ironheart looked at Gideon with suspicion, “I would say this is the queen and you have been working magic again. If, I did not know better.” The way Ironheart spoke left no argument to the fact that he held a secret of Gideon’s.

  The healer held the king’s gaze. Ironheart was the only other person to know the truth. The Northern king was as impervious to lies as he seemingly was to death and Gideon felt compelled to tell the man the truth, in secrecy, when asking for a ship to retrieve Aliha. Shanks did not know the fate of the queen and Daphaxian knew only w
hat Gideon had told him. Only Ironheart knew the truth and Gideon was sure he had had enough of the healer’s lies.

  Aliha’s eyes scanned the two men and the room held quiet. The girl wondered what secret held their tongues and Gretta shattered the tension with ease.

  “Aliha, you should be happy to know you are one of the three princesses of Asaria.” Gretta moved slowly up the steps toward King Ironheart as she spoke to Aliha. “I thought that Princess Sunfire was the only other true princess. She is my sister from the West. You will be my sister from the South. The Three Princesses of Asaria, what do you think, Father?” As the large woman crested the throne she moved in close and gave the fierce king a kiss on the cheek.

  “I have missed you, Princess,” and Ironheart emphasized the title and Gretta smiled all the wider. “Coldstorm becomes quite lonely when you are away.”

  Aliha watched the touching scene, but clearly felt she had bigger issues to contend with.

  “How does this help me, Gretta?” Aliha called up despairingly.

  “Don’t you know?” The Beoraki woman asked. When Aliha shook her head, Gretta turned to Gideon and asked, “Did you not tell her of the Three Princesses of Asaria?” Gretta almost seemed angry as she made her way back down the steps towards the pair. Gideon stepped back and quietly apologized. “Stories of princesses are not worth telling, healer?” Gretta continued in anger and Gideon took another step back.

  “I like stories of princesses,” Aliha said tiredly, and Gretta turned to her and smiled.

  ********************

  Year of the Sleeping Lioness 2005 A.A.

  Rhayne braced for impact and the heavy shield dropped her to the dirt. She kicked her legs back over her head and gracefully stood, her fingers touching just below her nose and coming away with blood. She smiled at her opponent and the huge warrior smashed her again to the dirt floor of the arena. Thousands of spectators roared in the delight of seeing their Asarian champion savage the cocky Arani Princess. She wore black leather armor that showed off her incredible physique. Rhayne was the kind of woman that all other women wanted to be, and the girl that all men found themselves wanting. She had long blonde hair around a beautiful face and cat-like green eyes.

  Gormax reached down and picked the woman up off the ground by her neck and held her high; her feet dangling off the ground. Rhayne wore knee-high leather boots, high-heeled and steel-toed. She brought her knees up quick and extended her legs out, driving the boots hard into the man’s mid-section while pulling away. She backflipped high into the air and landed perfectly on the ground, then took the full force of Gormax’s shield and kissed the dirt again. The brutal warrior stood over the princess and raised his shield high over his head while the crowd screamed with lust. Then Gormax brought it down and sank the circle of iron deep into the ground.

  ******************

  What is she doing?” Bird in the Sky asked, almost sounding bored with the spectacle.

  “Rhayne is playing again,” replied Storm, a Northern Princess.

  “I hate when she does this. We did not come here to play, and she could get hurt,” said Bird in the Sky, a Dishoni Princess from the West.

  “She will not get hurt,” replied Storm. She had snow-white hair that fell long over broad shoulders and eyes that sparkled like ice. She was beautiful in her black silk dress that ran the length of her tall muscular body. Storm smiled as she watched Rhayne scramble away just as Gormax’s heavy shield cut deep into the arena floor, missing her head by the width of a hair.

  “She is not even trying. If Rhayne wanted to, she could finish the Asarian brute and we could be on our way.” Bird in the Sky had jet black hair that grew straight and long and was decorated with feathers from the red eagle. She was Dishoni and her reddish-brown skin was smooth, her face a mask of delicate features and sharp angles, her almond shaped eyes black and intoxicating. She wore a long silk dress the color of pearl with highlights of pink along the neck and sleeves.

  “We have the time to teach the Asarians a lesson in humility. Rhayne thrives on combat and I personally enjoy watching her fight. She is beautiful out there. I wish I had her grace,” Storm pouted.

  “You are graceful,” Bird in the Sky replied. “Maybe not in combat, but that’s because you have chosen to wield an axe – which is very unprincess like, I must say.”

  Storm smiled and patted the knee of the Dishoni Princess. They were sitting in the king’s section of the huge stadium, away from the screaming crowd. They sat high above the arena floor in comfortable chairs and held delicate glasses of fine Arani wine.

  The two princesses were in the company of King Amkerda and Queen Iolla, who was always skeptical and very short. Her brown eyes sparkled above fat rosy cheeks and she had a small pointed nose, thin red lips, and short brown hair. She wore a queenly gown of reds and blues and a thin crown of gold.

  Rhayne found herself scrambling as the fierce Gormax stomped again at her head. She rolled in the dirt and then leapt away in a tight somersault as Gormax’s shield crashed to the ground under his massive weight. He quickly stood and brought his shield up to bear while the Arani princess slowly circled away. She had only one strike, and she intended on making it count.

  Gormax suddenly bull-rushed the princess and Rhayne was forced to spin away from the driving shield. The huge Asarian pressed the Arani woman with kicks and punches and mighty swings with his heavy iron shield. Rhayne spun, ducked, and dodged, then rolled away, always in retreat and waiting for her one shot, all the while thinking maybe she shouldn’t have been so boastful the night before.

  The night before, Rhayne, Storm, and Bird in the Sky were guests at Castle Lamourne. They had gone to Asarian City in search of a man by the name of Tanamar, who had information on the abduction of a young girl from Arani City. Her name was Isella, and the three princesses were determined to find her and return the young girl to her parents. Tanamar was a traveling herb healer and he frequented the taverns and halls of all the major cities in both the Southern and Eastern Kingdoms.

  When the three princesses entered Asarian City, word spread quickly to King Amkerda and he immediately sent the royal carriage to fetch the women back to the castle to have dinner with him. At first, Bird in the Sky refused and said there was no time for such nonsense, but Rhayne and Storm accepted the invitation, knowing that to refuse was to insult the arrogant king. The four lands were at peace and the princesses did not want to cause bad blood with the man that ruled the South, so they accepted, and Bird in the Sky went with them, albeit, pouting all the way.

  Once they were at the great castle, they were escorted to the throne room of King Amkerda. There they met Queen Iolla and immediately found her quite unpleasant.

  “Say again why you three came to Asarian City,” the Queen said with an insulting demeanor, and that seemed to affect Rhayne in a very strange way. Although brass, the Arani Princess always conducted herself with proper manners, until now.

  “We never said why we came to your lovely city, dear,” Rhayne spoke in a mocking manner. Then the princess turned to Iolla’s husband, the king, and turned on the charm.

  “I would simply love it if you escorted us around your wonderful city,” Rhayne purred. “I would not be afraid if a brave king such as yourself was at my side.”

  “What are you doing?” Storm whispered and Bird in the Sky looked down and exhaled in disgust.

  “I would love to, Princess,” the king flirted back and then gave Rhayne a wink. Amkerda was an older king, close to sixty summers. He had been brave and strong once, when there was a reason to be. The king had a beautiful queen once, but she had long since passed. The lands had known peace for nearly a decade, and in that time, King Amkerda had become a drunken fool. He was extremely large and even larger in his red kingly robe. He grew a shag of thick brown hair and wore a heavy crown of gold.

  “You can show me all the darkest alleyways,” Rhayne said and then giggled.

  “Um,” said Storm, and Bird in the Sky curse
d under her breath in her native Dishoni tongue.

  “I will show you that and more, Princess,” slurred the king who was obviously far into his drinks and Rhayne knew it.

  Queen Iolla growled in frustration as she sat there and listened to the pair flirt. She said not a word, but her eyes threw daggers at the Arani Princess.

  Later, when the three princesses were at dinner with the king and queen, Rhayne really poured on the charm. They sat at a long table in a great hall. There was a kingly feast spread out before them and dancers danced and jesters follied. The Arani Princess began to drink heavily with the king while Iolla, Storm, and Bird in the Sky were forced to suffer and watch.

  “You are the bravest king in all Asaria,” Rhayne said with a drunken slur and then gave Iolla a wink and a smile that set the queen off.

  “They say you are a great warrior, Rhayne,” said Queen Iolla, and it was true, the Arani Princess was quite adept at fighting.

  “I consider myself the best,” Rhayne said with a confidence that spoke clearly of intoxication.

  “Well, for the Eastern Kingdom I have no doubt,” the queen said with a laugh. “But not here in the South. Here, you would not stand a chance, especially against our champion, Gormax.”

  “Ha,” Rhayne laughed, “I could beat your pathetic Asarian champion with one strike.”

  Rhayne again found herself face down on the arena floor, spitting dirt and blood. Gormax had finally had enough. He threw away his shield and strolled confidently towards the princess, who smiled under a mask of pain and bruises, and she slowly got to her knees and tried desperately to stand.

  “Or so it seemed, for Gormax came to stand before the battered princess and he pulled back a mighty fist to deliver the killing blow, and Rhayne–” Gretta was interrupted by Gideon’s soft knock and slow entrance into the small room. It was a relaxing chamber and Gretta had led Aliha there from the throne room, all the while telling her the story of “The Three Princesses of Asaria.” There was a warm fire in a stone fireplace and the two young women sat in comfortable chairs before it.