“Darvin, your name will be recorded in our histories. You will be remembered as the giant who defied the keeper’s own. You are like a mighty stone in a river, immovable and strong. However, against the tide of Meleirelnar you fell. Your bravery will not be forgotten” explained Tyrienwalker smoothly. He may be cruel and unrelenting as a foe, however, that did not mean he did not appreciate the giant’s last stand. The dark elves appreciated the powerful fighter whether friend or foe.
“Anything you want me to pass along to your master on my way out?” asked Darvin through spasms of laughter. He then left this life laughing. His heroics would live on in stories throughout all the different races of Tuwa. The tragic hero then lay still before the feet of the dark elves.
“Bury him” order Tyrienwalker solemnly. He did this for those he felt deserved a proper exit from the world of the living. He respected the giant’s fighting skills and grim determination. After all, he did kill several hundred elves by himself, not to mention killing master Shadowin. Anyone who could defeat the finest swordsman in all of Meleirelnar was a worthy foe indeed.
After the burial, the dark elves continued their journey north. They slaughtered the entire race of giants. They killed with ruthless efficiency having learned from earlier mistakes. The suddenness of the attack along with the lack of soldiers to defend the homeland made the genocide possible. The entire land of Burien was wiped clean of all giants. No one was spared during the weeks of slaughter. A dark cloud seemed to now follow the elves though they did not take notice. A sign of the curse Darvin had spat in anger at the forces of the Meleirelnar.
This was only the second instance of genocide in the history of middle Tuwa. Many races had been targeted before, however, not in the way that the dark elves had murdered the Eldar and now the giants. The race of giants was not completely eradicated; however, those who were fighting in the race war were not aware of how precious each of their lives had just become. They were the last of their kind in the middle lands. While it was likely that there would be no more giants in this part of the world, there were still other tribes scattered throughout the rest of Tuwa.
***
Lord Adair’s eye glazed over as though he were either lost in thought or was looking at something far away. A tear leaked out of his right eye followed by tears out of his left eye. He wept soundlessly as he felt the loss of so many lives. He felt the death of the giant nation. He knew that a dark force had been unleashed and that the keeper had now cast his lot. The ruler of the underworld had chosen his time well to strike at the living. With everyone focused on the war of the races it would be the perfect time to act. The question was what the keeper’s end game was. Of course everyone knew that he envied the living that had bodies; however, Adair was not sure that it was envy that was the driving force. This move required his attention and he did not have time to waste. He vanished in an instant and was on the move again.
Westward Bound
As master Aiden approached the elven capital he could not help but feel the sense of loss all around him. He was always very in tune with his surroundings and the enchanted forest was speaking to him as he traveled. He could feel the pain and anguish as though it was tangible. He had always enjoyed his time visiting the tall black oaks of Renshaw and was saddened by what he was sensing. Nothing escaped the ravages of war. He was glad for this opportunity to get away from the day in and day out bloodshed. He had been charged to lead a contingency of elves on a journey to a secret location where the mysterious Orb of Nitesh lay hidden. He was curious who he would be meeting with once he arrived. He had a feeling from the guardian that there was someone there that no one would expect.
As he reached the clearing just east of Tarisdell, he noticed that the massive wolves he had heard about were burning in gigantic bon fires in the middle of the open area between the forest and the eastern walls. He was glad to not have to deal with those beasts while traveling through the Black Forest. He knew that in his future travels that he would be confronted by the unnatural beasts. At least he could travel with peace of mind while in the woods when it came to those beasts.
As soon as he thought this there was a chill wind that sprung up out of nowhere that sent unpleasant shivers down his spine. What made this unnerving was the fact this wind was from the west and not the north. He stopped dead in his tracks and did not move for quite a while. The wind persisted and did not gain in strength nor did it diminish. He sensed immediately the evil behind the steady breeze. His gaze shifted to the west; however, he could not see anything over the massive bulwarks of Tarisdell. He waited for a few more moments before continuing to the eastern gate.
As he neared the gate he could sense that the barrier was still up even though the elves had returned home. He saw the shadows of archers preparing their bows from within the shadows of the walls. This made his pause once again. He stood stock still with his hands raised high over his head and waited for someone from behind the gate to address him. He knew that the city was on high alert as these precautions were not typical even during times of war. It was as though Tarisdell was under siege once more.
“We are not under siege…there are some disturbing events unfolding in the west that necessitates these measure. Master Aiden, will you allow us to scan you?” came a strong female voice. It seemed to originate from directly above the gate itself.
“Do as you must, I do not take offense” replied the master swordsman. He stood still as he awaited the scan. He much rather enter as a known entity than deal with doubts from the elves.
“We will need to do this up close and outside the barrier. We have had to change some procedures to ensure everyone’s safety including yours” replied the same voice again. Aiden simply nodded his consent once again and waited where he was.
Three elves detached from the shadows on either side of the gate. The one in the middle made straight for Aiden while the other two watched for things unseen. Their scrutiny was intense and more thorough than what this soldier was used to experiencing. It was clear they were using magic to try to discover what may be hidden. As the elf in the lead reach the barrier, there was a brief pause before the home guard mage continued. The other two elves stayed behind the protective magical wall.
“This will not hurt and will be over momentarily” was all that the elf said before doing her scan.
He immediately felt a strong intrusion into his person in a way he had never before experienced. Though he did not have any real magic of his own, he was quite adept at protecting his mind. He was so good at protecting himself that even most expert magicians were unable to tell that he was subverting their attempts. He simply redirected the mental perusing to areas that were relevant. In this case, it worked without much effort. It was clear they were looking for specific information or tampering. The last part of the scan made his skin burn. It was as though they were looking for magical artifices contained within him.
“You are clear” said the elven mage simply. She gestured for him to take her arm as they approached the barrier. When they passed through the magical wall he felt a rush of warmth run through his body. It made him feel comfortable and at home all at once.
There was no talking as they marched to the gate and entered without any further delays. Once they were inside the walls, the guards that had met him vanished. He was met by none other than King Ciel. He had a considerable vanguard with him and looked surprisingly relieved to see him. The reception had not been what he had anticipated. He had expected the elves to be happy to be back in their homes and to be protected by so much magic that they would be a little more at ease.