Genocide
“Try to get a hold of one of those vermin!” bellowed Captain Jargus. His ruddy face was covered in a mixture of mud and giant blood. His anger was his driving force at this point. The death toll was unfathomable to the giant captain and his soldiers were not having much success in fighting the invaders off.
A cloaked figure darted across the giant captain’s line of sight right after his booming command. He deftly reached behind and grabbed the hooded intruder. With both of his saucer sized hands he squeezed forcefully which was abruptly followed by a sickening crack. The body in his hands went limp. He pulled the hood back of the fellow and stared at the black face staring blankly back at him. It was a dark elf…something from legend and myth. They were the scum who killed the Eldar and then were never heard from again. There were stories that some had escaped the guardians’ punishment, but that was just fairy tales. He held in his hands proof that they did exist.
“Look alive! We are being attacked by dark elves!” boomed the captain’s voice dramatically. There was a moment, brief as it was where a cackling voice filled the air.
“The brainless oafs can actually speak! Why don’t you say hello to our friend!” shouted lord Tyrienwalker. The malice was thick in the dark elf’s reply. The voice was magically enhanced which made it difficult for the giants to identify where the vile dark elf was.
The black mist suddenly cleared and revealed a nightmare come to life. The beast in front of the Captain Jargus was the size of the largest giant and had a blackened armor to protect its rough hide. Radesh, the beast summoned by the dark elves, lowered its head and growled loudly in the direction of the giant captain. Quicker than anyone would of anticipated the beast was bounding powerfully toward the leader holding the dead dark elf. The beast panted as it rushed wildly into a group of giants. He swung his head about hitting giants as he rushed onward.
Before the beast reached Jargus, the giant captain grabbed the dead elf by the legs and proceeded to swing him back like a club. Just moments before Radesh’s leap carried him to the waiting giant he was hit alongside the head with the dark elf. The hit temporarily stunned the gigantic doglike creature, which was long enough for the captain to get on the beast’s back. He swung down hard between Radesh’s shoulders with a boulder that was three times the size of a man’s head. There was a sickening crunching sound followed by the ground beneath them started to rumble. The ground shook as the underworld creature shook back and forth like a dog attempting to dry himself of water. After a few moments he was successful in dislodging Captain Jargus.
“A creature summoned from the world of the dead…you fools do not know what evil you have unleashed” panted the giant captain. He used his considerable strength to stand up as straight as he could. He had broken his leg when he had been tossed from the beast which had a bone sticking out. The adrenaline of the moment blinded the captain to the danger he was in.
“It is you who is ignorant. You were not watching as you should have been and discarded rumors of our existence over the centuries. Now, your failure will mean the end of the giants of middle Tuwa” laughed lord Tyrienwalker darkly. His gray eyes appeared to bore into the giant. There was lethal intent in that look.
The momentary exchange allowed Radesh to end the encounter. He opened his massive maw while rearing up for his attack. The giant captain stood transfixed as the beast came down on him. Blood instantly gushed from where his head and shoulders used to be. The lifeless body fell to the ground like a mighty black oak from Renshaw forest. The raging battle seemed to pause briefly to watch the fall of their captain. He had been the battle master entrusted with the training of new recruits. He had been the greatest warrior left behind after the unification of the giant tribes and now within moments he was no more.
Time sped up and the battle recommenced. The giants were losing ground slowly and with the loss of their leader, they started to give ground as though they were retreating. As the giant fighters backed into a circle for their last defense, they noticed that their attackers were only a small portion of the army that was now descending on the giant nation. There was no fear in them at this realization. They faced the vile elves with grim determination. They were outnumbered and they were going to lose. That did not mean that they would go quietly into the night of endless oblivion.
Radesh, impatient to continue his feeding his blood lust, rushed into the twenty one giant soldiers. He bowled them over as he slammed blindly into the heart of their defense. Had he thought ahead, he would have used the tactic of attack and retreat. However, he had chosen to do an all-out assault since they clearly had the upper hand. He knew his mistake the moment he hit the first giant. They had simply given away instead of standing fast in front an enraged underworld beast. The instant he was in the middle of the giants he knew he was trapped. They immediately grabbed him by the legs. Two of the giants clasped his head in their massive hands.
As they rent the beast into pieces, the dark elves attacked. They cast magical bolts at the giants’ backs. The magic had no effect. That did not dissuade them…after all; they could call on magic from the underworld. They thought that the giants may not be able to naturally fend off the keeper’s dark magic, so they changed their tactic at once. Before the first dark spell hit any of the giants, Radesh’s head was ripped free of its massive body by the two that had been grabbing the gigantic cranium. They quickly tossed the beast’s head at the nearest group of dark elves. The unsuspecting elves were knocked clean off their feet and were sent sailing through the air for about ten feet. After hitting the ground hard, the elves did not move again.
“Enough of this!” spat master Shadowin. He had a pure black battle staff in his hands and with a flourish sent a black mist at the giants. The mist formed a huge hand reaching for the souls of the remaining giant fighters.
It did not have the effect he had hope for. As the other dark elves threw their darkest spells at the brutes, they too discovered the truth. The skin of giants will deflect both elemental and underworld magic. This would make their mission more difficult and costly than they had anticipated. Many lives would be lost due to their arrogance and folly. They would have to change their tactics immediately to mitigate the losses as much as possible.
The giants threw the remaining pieces of Radesh at random dark elves before reforming their circle. While the small victory gave courage to the giant soldiers, it only momentarily put off the inevitable…they were all going to die. Even though their magic could not harm them, they were simply too few against far too many. That did not mean that they were not determined to send as many of those filthy dark elves to the keeper before they took their journey to the paradise Kedem had for the strong warriors of Burien.
The dark elves focused on using the one brand of magic that could give them the edge they needed. They moved closer so that they could make eye contact. They correctly surmised that these brutes would likely be susceptible to mind control. They did not know if this new attack would work and they were taking a huge risk by getting so close. The reach of a giant is much farther than one would think. It was never wise to get anywhere close to a giant regardless of whether you are a friend or foe. Giants typically smashed first which left no reason to ask any questions later.
Just as the elves were starting their mind attack, the giants did the unexpected…they ripped their own eyes out. This proved that they were correct about what they were attempting. The dark elves were momentarily stymied; however, they opted for the less elegant method of attack. As master Shadowin pointed his staff toward the ground beneath the giants, a thousand dark elves which surrounded the twenty one giant soldiers attacked. Roots had sprung from the earth to ensnare the giants briefly which gave the elves a chance to get in close.