by Dave Hazel
“I have never heard the giant language,” Uminair shouted. “I do not know what was spoken, though the tone was not friendly.”
“Do they understand the common tongue?” Mykal asked and could see even more of the normal men coming from around the side of the hill.
“The giants do not seem to understand the common tongue,” Egoneal said.
“Uh oh, more are coming,” one of the men near the front yelled. He pointed to others coming from around the hills. “There has got to be close to four hundred now.”
“Take up defensive positions men,” Finley ordered. “Get those 60s and 203s ready.”
“This shouldn’t be very difficult men,” Staff Sergeant Moreno yelled out. “I don’t see any archers. Jenkins, Chandler and Flesch,” he yelled to three of his Marine M-60 gunners. “I want each of you to pick out one of the giants and if we can’t resolve this peaceably, take their damn heads from their friggin shoulders. Got it?”
“Aye aye Sergeant,” they yelled in unison while they readjusted the aim of their machine guns. They were three of the eight M-60 machine gunners in the group.
“Egoneal, please tell them we don’t want any trouble,” Captain Diaz said. “Tell them we only wish to pass through.”
Egoneal and Agnor moved forward so they could work on a settlement. They made sure to stay away from the entire mob that awaited their surrender.
“That may not have been a wise move,” Nordad said to Diaz. Mykal, Towbar and Finley stood beside Diaz.
“Why do you say that Nordad?” Finley asked.
“I have never laid eyes on these people before. I believe they are the hill people of the Black Forest. I heard rumors that giants were a part of their tribe and now I see it with my own eyes. They are like most clans and peoples of the lands who have an intense hatred for people other than their own kind. Their hatred for Elves would be stronger.”
“Damn it,” Mykal hissed. “We shouldn’t have had him do the negotiating. Let’s get up there,” Mykal said to the others and started to walk behind Egoneal and Agnor.
Diaz and Towbar followed behind Mykal. “Just don’t move too fast,” Mykal spoke from the side of his mouth. “We don’t wanna spook these ugly bastards.”
Four of the mob, weapons in hand stood before Egoneal and Agnor. Their weapons didn’t look the best but they would be effective in killing or harming. The speaker of the four had black curly hair and his face was scarred on most of the left side. It looked as if he had been burned and half of his face had melted off. His left eye drooped down giving the appearance he couldn’t see from his left eye. His left hand curled into a club where the hand had been burned beyond help at an earlier time in his life.
Mykal walked up just in time to hear the scarred man snarl into Egoneal’s face. “Doh-nah. Doh-nah,” he said as if hissing the words into the Elf’s face. Mykal saw disdain and hatred for the Elf.
“I don’t know what’s been said so far, but we would like to walk through your land,” Mykal said to the scarred face bully.
“You not walk through land,” The curly haired scar faced man said and gave a loud laugh. “You surrender or you die.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Mykal said and tried to remain calm. He tried hard not to stare at the man’s scars but it was difficult.
“You greatly little numbers,” the curly haired leader said. “We greatly bigger numbers. We greatly more numbers,” he said and pointed back to where they came from. One of the three with him shouted something back in their foreign language which caused many of them to laugh. One of the giants laughed and slammed his spiked club down into the ground which created a frightful thud. The eighteen to twenty-four inch spikes dug deep into the ground and pulled up hefty divots.
“We don’t want any trouble,” Mykal said and he noticed Captain Diaz to be mumbling or whispering and then he realized Diaz, the Christian, was praying for them to get out of this situation. “We just want to pass through your land or we’ll turn around and go back the way we came.”
“You no go through our land,” ‘Half Face’ laughed and the three with him laughed also. “You no go back the way you came. You on our land now. You come with us or you die. You belong to us now,” he said and stuck the tip of his sword into the ground.
A heated rage ignited inside Mykal. He wanted to turn himself invisible and kill each one of them with his bare hands. “No. I’ll tell you what pretty boy,” he said and deliberately stared at the scars on the man’s face. “You back the hell up and let us through and I’ll let you live.”
“You not see good? Look at numbers,” Half Face said and fanned his arm back behind him. “And we not let foul doh-nah live. Doh-nah!” He snarled and looked at Egoneal. “Little foul Elves. They make good meal for Anarts,” he said and nodded to the three giants. “Come with us. We let you live,” he said and started to laugh with the three standing beside him. “Some might make good womens,” he laughed and looked at some of Mykal’s men and then back to his three partners. Half Face crudely licked the good side of his lips. It wasn’t clear if he did that as a perverted gesture or if he had to because of his deformity.
“I know you’re not going to understand what I’m about to tell you,” Mykal said and pulled his .357 magnum from its holster. “But I’m on a mission to save a princess. A real life princess. If we don’t save her she’s gonna die and I’m not about to allow an ugly friggin piece of shit like you to get in my way,” he said casually and raised the handgun and fired off three shots, one into each of the heads of the three standing beside Half Face. The rapid explosion startled Half Face the scar face. What scared him more was to see his three friends fall just as quickly with their heads bursting open and then to see blood gush and ooze out.
One had a fountain of red shoot out from his temple, a second had his forehead bashed in and the third looked as if part of his head had just been ripped away like a piece of old cloth. “Screw you, you ugly bastard,” Mykal yelled and fired a fourth round into Half Face’s smooth half of his head. Just as Mykal yelled “open fire” all the men had already begun shooting. He slammed his pistol into the holster and pulled his rifle off his shoulder and began taking out targets as they charged toward him. Mykal squeezed off shots so quickly it almost sounded like automatic gun fire, but he hit a target with each round.
In the mass chaotic noise and surprise the mob attacked the smaller sized invaders. To the mob’s horror the three giants were killed very quickly. Twenty to thirty rounds of 7.62mm lead to each of their heads seemed very effective even for giant hillbillies. Explosions erupted from 40mm grenades and hand grenades. Rifle fire and machine gun fire cut them down rapidly. The Elves shot their bows and the Dwarves fired off their crossbows for those close enough. The enemy never got close enough to engage in hand to hand combat.
Towbar rushed into the mass of hillbilly warriors swinging his glowing blue blade. The enemy thought they could take him down with just sheer numbers. Towbar sliced and diced them to pieces. Heads and limbs flew in all directions. Those near Towbar backed away and retreated first.
In minutes the four hundred plus army had been cut down to less than one hundred fifty. They wisely turned and retreated. Many were left on the battlefield wounded. Some cried out their pain and some made it a point not to express their pain.
“Do you want us to kill the wounded?’ A voiced shouted.
“No, but if they try to stop us or continue to fight, then kill them,” Mykal yelled. “Is anyone hurt at all?”
“No injuries Myk,” Finley shouted. “Let’s get a move on before they counter attack.”
“Be aware gentlemen,” Ratner yelled in a serious tone of concern. “Watch for the catapults or whatever they used on us at first.” Ratner then yelled in his playful but serious senior NCO voice. “Hurry up ladies, get your rear in gear so we can get out of this blasted hell hole.”
“Mykal, you do know that we lost one man, right?” Captain Diaz asked.
“Are you talk
ing about Towbar’s man?”
“Yes, he was crushed with the flying boulders,” Diaz replied.
Mykal turned to Nordad and his two men Codlon and Agnor. “Hey Agnor, what was that guy saying to Egoneal? Was it doh-nah? What is doh-nah?”
“It is a very bad term Mykal,” Nordad answered. “It refers to the skin of the Elves. It is always meant as a derogatory term. Some would consider it to be a curse or foul language.”
“I was wondering cuz when that guy said it, he said it real nasty, but Egoneal didn’t respond or he looked like he wasn’t about to allow it to bother him. But he knew what the guy was saying to him, right?”
“Oh yes. Egoneal knew what he said and he knew what he meant by it. He was trying to provoke the Elf into responding which would be just cause, in his mind, to retaliate.”
“Well good then. I’m glad I killed his ugly ass,” Mykal said with a smirk and reloaded the rounds from his .357 magnum. The more Mykal thought about the prejudice against the Elves, the angrier he became. It reminded him of racial problems he witnessed back in his world. ‘It’s one thing to hate someone cuz they’re a friggin douche bag,’ he thought. ‘But to hate someone just cuz of the color of their skin, or their nationality or where they grew up isn’t right. These Elves are great people from what I’ve seen and they probably got some who aren’t the best people, but to hate them all, just cuz they’re Elves isn’t right. Just like back in our world there are people who hate blacks just cuz they’re black. I have so many black guys I’ve fought beside and even in this group. I don’t care what their skin color is. These guys have proved to me they are A-one kinda guys. That racial shit pisses me off,’ he fumed in thought and realized he was looking for a reason to unleash his anger. He knew the magic ring was playing games with his emotions. When he realized his thoughts were on the ring it made him want to suddenly turn himself invisible and go on a rampage. ‘Oh this can’t be good. And I killed those low lifes and enjoyed doing it.’
As a group they moved forward and they cautiously watched before them. They continued to watch the top of the hill for more boulder throwing giants or even more of the hill people. The hills grew higher the farther they traveled.
“Mykal and Towbar,” Nordad called to them. “Captain Diaz and Lieutenant Finley,” he also called to the military leaders while he rushed to the front. “The Elves informed me we may be able to follow around the hills,” he said and pointed to where the enemy retreated to. “By doing so we will remain in open land where as if we travel straight we will be in the forested area in about two or three of what you call miles.”
“Whadda ya wanna do?’ Mykal asked Diaz and Finley.
“We could try staying on the open and if they come after us we’ll retreat by going into the forest to the north,” Diaz answered.
“That’s if we can’t handle them,” Finley added.
“Alright, that’s good. Are you okay with that Towbar?”
“I am with you my friend. I will do what you think is best,” Towbar answered and swung his massive sword as if to loosen his arm or to fling off excess blood from his mighty blade.
Finley turned to face the men and walked backward. “Obviously men, we need to keep alert so be on your best watch. We are nearing enemy territory. If we start to get peppered from above we’ll move closer to the hill base. From the angles I saw, I’m assuming their using some sort of firing mechanism, like a catapult.”
The men walked quickly but remained cautious and vigilant. The hills rose high and the ground seemed to be rougher without even any weeds to brighten the dark brown dirt and cold grey rock.
Mathis quickly joined Mykal and walked with him, Towbar and the Dosch Brothers. “That was crazy Myk,” Mathis whispered.
“Yeah, did you hear what scar face said before I killed him?”
“No. I wasn’t really near the front,” Mathis replied and looked in all directions as to be alert.
“He was saying he wanted us to surrender. He said some of the men would make good womens,” Mykal laughed when he tried to imitate the way the Half Faced hillbilly said it. “I think he was looking at you Mathis.”
“Me?” Mathis squeaked and gasped with an audible gulp that caused those near them to laugh.
“That’s cold Myk,” Randy laughed but raised his hand for Mykal to slap it and couldn’t keep from laughing.
Roy Jr. started to squeal like a pig which they all knew he was imitating a scene from the 1972 movie Deliverance. “Dat hillbilly woulda made you squeal like a pee-ig if Mykal wouldn’t a blowed ‘is head off,” Roy Jr. laughed and caused many of the men to laugh out loud.
Even Captain Diaz had to turn away. He didn’t want the men to see that he thought the crude humor was funny.
When they rounded the slope of the hill they spotted a face of an old castle. The formation looked as if it had endured its share of battles. Parts of the wall had been demolished and there didn’t appear to be any attempt at renovating or restoration.
Right away could be seen two moats. The first was filled with murky muddy water. The scent of stagnant water filled the air. The width of the moat was about fifty to sixty feet wide. The second moat about a hundred yards behind the first was empty of water and dried out. Rocks and debris littered the empty chasm. It had clearly been man made. It was forty feet deep and about a hundred feet wide. A wide bridged crossed the empty chasm. And a worn road connected the bridge of the moat with water. The archway over the bridge and the roadway stood at least seventy-five feet high and suffered wear and tear from years of exposure to the weather.
While the men filed past Mykal and Towbar stopped to look at the find. There had to be far more than what their eyes could see since over one hundred fled to the inside and over four hundred originally attacked them. In the center of the structure, the keep towered to an amazing height, its width was not miniscule. Several hundred yards on either side of the keep were corner towers. To Mykal’s right the corner tower was built into the hillside. The battlement between the corner towers and the keep seemed pretty sturdy and thick. It reminded Mykal of the walls of Beramus the Great Walled City where the palace of King Loankore III was located.
“Do you see that?” Mykal asked Towbar. He pointed to some movement along the battlement. “We’re being watched.”
“Yes my friend. I will not be surprised if the inhabitants initiate another attack.”
“What was that Towbar?” Diaz asked just as he and Finley joined them. Ratner and Lemon were right behind them.
“We are being watched from the towers and from the castle wall,” Towbar answered. “I do believe they may try to attack us before we get very far from the castle.”
“Man, I would really love to go exploring in there,” Mykal said like a school kid on a field trip.
“Why do you think it’s so beat up?’ Sergeant First Class Lemon asked. “Why do you think they let it go downhill?”
Nordad heard the question and answered while he and his men along with Starling and Blair walked by them. “I would assume this was not their property to begin with. This is only my guess,” Nordad said and raised his finger in the air. “Thus I admit I could be wrong. However I would venture to guess there was a great battle here. The original residents were probably killed off or chased away--”
“Or made prisoners,” Blair offered.
“Yes, or taken as prisoners if they had not been killed off,” Nordad agreed. “Most would not just give up such a great piece of property unless there was another one to run to. I never knew the hill people of the Black Forest owned a castle.”
“So are the giants a part of the hill people?” Mykal asked and watched more movement along the battlement wall. “Something is going on,” he added and pointed to the old castle.
“No Mykal,” Nordad answered and gave a slight laugh. He tugged on his beard while watching the movement. “They are not regular people who happened to grow a little larger than normal. And in this case they are much, much larger than
we humans are. They are actually a race of people. They are called Anarts.”
“Oh, that’s what Codlon’s friend Kawliga said when he said we have Elves, Dwarves and an Anart. He must have thought Towbar was one of the giants from their race,” Mykal said with an enlightened smile since it finally made sense to him. “I would agree that they are a race of their own, cuz those three we killed were about eighteen to twenty feet tall,” Mykal said. He thought back to the three giants they had just killed. Mykal eyed the dead giants when they walk by them and it amazed him that their bodies were easily three times his size. “They weren’t freakish like they had a growth problem, cuz their proportions were right as if they were supposed to be like that.”
“Mykal, not to get side tracked,” Captain Diaz said and smirked. “But we have had giants in our world. It’s even in the Bible.”
“What?” Mykal gasped in disbelief.
“Obviously you heard the story of David and Goliath, right?” Diaz asked.
“Oh yeah.”
“Well Goliath was over nine feet tall and his brother was taller I think. But there was a race of giants in the land called Nephilim and there are a number of things I could point out. It’s all in the Bible.”
“Wow! Are you kidding me?”
“Oh no, they were the offspring of angels who had sex with women. I don’t want to get off on a tangent but one of the purposes of that was to pollute the line of man and disrupt what God planned to do through man. Some time, if you ever want to learn more I will sit down with you and show you through the Word of God, the Bible, what I’m talking about.”
“Oh yeah, I would like that,” Mykal replied with a genuine curiosity.
“So back to the Anarts,” Diaz turned to Nordad. “Since they are their own race of giant people, we have to believe they have an alliance with these people. These crude looking hill people.”
“Yes, I firmly believe that,” Nordad answered. “Numerically the Anarts would not be a very large clan. I have heard of the Anarts in the past and never heard they worked with or lived with humans. Obviously they must have found some common ground, something in each other that they could help the other with.”