Giants (9 page)

“What is it?” Herrek asked. “What did you find?”

Joash forced himself to see what Adah had. He couldn’t understand what—a shudder passed through him. The head. He, too, made a strangled sound and leaped back.

Herrek stared at him.

“The head,” Joash whispered, with horror in his voice.

Herrek peered at the skull. His eyes widened. He bent closer. Rage filled his face.

“What do you see?” asked Gens, who stood in the chariot.

“The brain…” Herrek took a deep breath. “Something scooped out Ard’s brain and feasted.”

“How could the sabertooth do such a thing?” whispered Gens.

“No sabertooth did that,” Herrek said grimly. “Something used an instrument to scoop out the brain. It was a deliberate act, an intelligent act, and an insulting act that I shall avenge.”

“But...” Gens said. “From the signs, Old Three-Paws slew Ard.”

Herrek grew quiet, his lips pressed together.

Joash wiped his eyes.

“Singer,” Herrek said harshly. “Elidad and Brand are still lost. We must harden our resolve and do what we can. We—”

Adah’s head snapped up. A fierce light was in her eyes. “Oh yes,” she said, her voice odd, “we must indeed harden our resolve. Either that, or flee for our lives. But we won’t flee, because Elidad and Brand are in danger. And you’ve seen to it that only we are here to help them.”

Herrek met her strange gaze.

“Is your courage great enough that you dare to hear what I have to say?” she asked.

“Let me know the worst,” Herrek said.

Adah shook her head. “Let us bury Ard first so his bones won’t lie awake on these terrible plains.”

Joash went to his chariot and took the entrenching tool. As he dug Gens and Herrek gathered what stones they could find. Then Herrek and Joash picked up Ard’s corpse and reverently placed it in the grave. As the highest-ranked noble of Elon, Herrek spoke about Ard’s good nature, about his doggedness in training. He spoke about the love and mercy of Elohim, and he asked Elohim to take Ard into the Celestial Realm. Then Herrek departed from custom, and asked Joash to give his friend the parting words.

Joash looked down at the grave, but he didn’t look at the corpse. A hot wind caused the grass around the grave to bend, as if in prayer. Off in the distance, an orn screeched.

“I will not forget you,” Joash whispered. “And I will not forget this horrible deed done to you.”

Adah’s eyes showed her worry. She motioned to Herrek.

Herrek didn’t budge, with his auroch-hide shield at his side, and his spear planted like a towering redwood. He honored Ard, and something else was on his face: fierce resolve.

Joash breathed deeply. He picked up a clod of dirt. “Keep a place by the heavenly fire for me, old friend.” As tears ran down his face, Joash tossed the dirt-clod into the hole.

Soon Herrek and Gens clattered stones atop the soft dirt, lest carrion animals dig up Ard’s corpse. When all was finished, Joash took Ard’s skinning knife, whispered a secret oath, and spat on the blade. He drove Ard’s knife all the way down to the hilt into the ground.

Done with the burial, Joash joined Herrek and Gens as they sat on rocks and watched Adah. She gloomily plucked lyre strings. They knew now was the time for her to tell them of her fears.

Joash, knowing this was important in order to avenge Ard’s death, paid close attention to the singer. There would be magic in her voice and in her lyre. But it was welcome magic, not the dark and supernatural kind First Born and Nephilim wielded. A singer’s magic was a part of the world. It gave lessons, it entertained, it brought joy, it brought sorrow, but most of all, it took people away to different lands and places. Such a thing should not be rushed, not even beside a grave.

Adah gloomily plucked strings and started to speak. It wasn’t a chant or a part of her song. Instead, she talked to them.

“It is wise to understand that much is concealed about the
bene elohim
, and even more is hidden about their First Born. For the
bene elohim
were exceedingly secretive, and their First Born even more so. But fragments of tales have survived. Oftentimes, when the Shining Ones from above stormed a
bene elohim
stronghold, they discovered annals. Or sometimes slaves who had spent an eternity in thralldom to their wicked masters told unbelievable tales. Seldom, however, did captured First Born utter any words. A few of that abominable race we know today, Yorgash of Poseidonis, Jotnar Father of Giants, and Gog the Oracle.

“These are modern terrors, banes upon the lands where they dwell. In the misty past, there were others who walked in the light of day, others who openly plagued humanity. Join me in a journey to that awful time when the
bene elohim
caused the earth to groan under their tyranny. Come with me, and learn about the horror known as the Beast-god, Bloodlicker, the Berserker King, of him who was named at his birth Tarag of the Sabertooths.”

Adah concentrated upon her strings. The rhythm changed. Haunting music filled the gravesite as she began to chant.

***

Long ago, the
bene elohim
entered the world. The kingdoms and clans of humanity fell before them. Then did hideous acts commence. Beautiful women were dragged into the palaces of the
bene elohim
. The dread rebels lay with the women, and knew them. From such unholy unions came diabolic progeny. These progeny were known by many names, but the most that fell came to be known as the First Born. To the First Born came many bizarre powers and abilities, and often their shapes and desires were anything but human. Like their fathers before them, supernatural powers belonged to the First Born, and like their fathers, they yearned for dominance of all kinds. They became terrible captains of war and wicked councilors, becoming a burden to humanity.

However, not all offspring were of this ilk. To understand why this was so, one must first realize that although the
bene elohim
were the masters of the world, still they despaired. They were chained to corporeal forms, imprisoned to a worm-like existence, where before they had been the princes of the air. They possessed great powers but wondered at their limitations. So began the days of fiendish investigation. It was a blasphemous time, and as much from these experiments as the subjection of humanity, did the Shining Ones above become wrathful.

Moloch the Hammer was a grim
bene elohim
. He, like Azel, once served in the Temple of Elohim in Heaven. Evil Moloch knew the heights from which he had plummeted, and yet he wished to descend even farther. To him were brought many animals, and many things of which it is not right to speak or sing of. Yet one dreadful day, a female sabertooth of monstrous proportions was left in his chamber. Moloch the Hammer then knew the savage beast in ways that are not natural. After the harrowing ordeal, the grim lord of sin-flame waited to see what the female would propagate.

It was known even then that the union of horses and asses would give forth mules. And it was known that such unions would produce offspring unable to reproduce its own kind. The
bene elohim
had awful powers, however. One such power was that of their seed, to give life in unrecognized forms. If cunningly conjured, such blasphemous life was able to reproduce its own kind. In the days of their power, the
bene elohim
investigated many avenues. The sabertooth was simply one of Moloch’s.

Before wicked Moloch saw his begotten the Shining Ones descended from the Celestial Realm and began the Thousand Years War. The female escaped Moloch’s palace and bore her brood in secret. Only one of that evil union survived. His name was Tarag. Moloch captured him with beaters and nets and tried to train him in the arts of war. But the loathsome Tarag was not like other
bene elohim
offspring. He was uncontrollably savage and given to bizarre modes of thought. Several times Moloch almost slew him. In the end, the Hammer drove his spawn into the wilderness. There Tarag has lived ever since, waxing with evil wisdom, and growing with dark age, counting each century as men count the single years. To Tarag was given the power of control over sabertooths, for they are as much his people as the
bene elohim
ever were. The nature of the sabertooth is one of savagery and unrelenting fury. It is one of destruction and haughty might.

***

The music changed to one more serene and melodic.

“This too should be known,” Adah chanted. “Mammoths are sensitive creatures. They, like holy prophets, hate the smell of corruption that permeates the First Born. Mammoths cannot stand the smell of them. In the same country, the two will not abide. If the mammoths have fled, then First Born have arrived.”

The singer slowed the tempo of her playing. It had been a strange song. The poetry wasn’t there, although the horror had been. The song’s very lack of rhythm showed the hideousness of the terrible acts.

With her dark hair plastered to her forehead, Adah set aside the golden lyre. She drank palm-wine and dried her face.

Herrek stirred, drawing his brows together as he shifted his spear onto his knees. “Do you think Tarag is near?”

“I do,” she said. “He is an eater of human brains. It’s how he insults people. It would be understandable then why Old Three-Paws killed Ard, but did not devour him.”

Herrek brooded. “Do you think Elidad is still alive?”

Adah shrugged.

“Do you truly think Tarag is near?” Herrek asked. “One of the abominations? One of the terrible First Born?”

“Yes.”

Joash spine grew cold and his stomach tight. First Born. Not since Balak had he felt this scared.

“Is it by Ard that you have deduced Tarag?” Herrek asked.

“By the departure of the mammoths,” Adah said,” I have deduced First Born. By Joash meeting Mimir, I deduced the coming together of Nephilim plans. By the foul feasting upon Ard and Three-Paws killing, but not devouring, him, and by sabertooths attacking the steppe ponies, by all these things I deduce Tarag.”

“You think Tarag controlled the sabertooths each time?” Herrek asked.

“I have never heard of any other First Born, or Nephilim, with the ability to control sabertooths,” Adah said.

Herrek rested his powerful hands on the spear. “My great, great grandfather trusts your judgments. He believes you know much ancient lore.” Herrek seemed to choose his words with care. “But, can you be utterly certain about the judgments you’ve just made?”

“No,” Adah said, after a moment’s reflection. “But I’ve been in the presence of a First Born before.”

“Yorgash?” Herrek dared ask.

Adah painfully closed her eyes and managed a tiny nod.

Herrek continued to choose his words with care. “Could it be a different First Born than Tarag? Or perhaps not a First Born at all? Maybe these things were mere coincidences.”

“Maybe so,” Adah admitted. “But First Born are inordinately individualistic. Each behaves in unique ways. The ways we’ve been acted upon are Tarag’s ways. Of that I am convinced.”

“Tarag sounds more like a beast than a man,” Herrek said.

“I do not have the knowledge, or the wisdom, to judge the truth of that,” Adah said. “I deem it wise to hope not to find out, because few meet a First Born and tell of it. Those that do are never the same.”

Herrek sat warrior-straight, the muscles of his face under iron control. “How does Mimir figure into your calculations?”

“He is called Mimir the Wise for a reason. His wisdom is that of a lore master and diplomat. It is known that several times in the past he has acted as a go-between for feuding First Born. Maybe others wish Tarag to join them. Who better to be their herald than Mimir the Wise? I can think of no one more suited to the task.”

Herrek digested the weighty information.

“What chance do we have against Tarag?” Gens whispered. “H-He controls sabertooths. What if a phalanx of them should attack us?” Gens was pale and shaking. “I...” He clenched his teeth. After a time, he lifted his chin. “We are charioteers,” he slowly said.

“Yes!” Herrek said. “We are charioteers of Elon. If Tarag sends sabertooths against us...” The warrior eloquently shrugged, and plucked a blade of grass. “Tell me,” he asked Adah, “if cut, does a First Born spill red blood?”

“So the old tales say.”

Herrek picked up his spear. “We will fling these in his teeth, eh driver?”

Gens nodded sharply, although he wouldn’t meet Herrek’s gaze.

“And maybe, with luck, we will rid the world of this savage monstrosity.” Herrek turned to Adah. “You have warned us of the terrible peril that awaits us. But the charioteers of Elon do not abandon their own. We will track Elidad, and if it comes to it, we will war with Tarag and his sabertooths. We’ve slain the beasts before. Maybe it’s time to face their master.”

“Yes,” Gens said, with his own spear in hand.

“Very well,” Adah said.

“Groom,” Herrek said. “See to the horses.”

Joash hurried to obey, intent upon avenging his dead friend, but terrified of Tarag.

“On our chariots we are invincible against footmen,” whispered Gens, who had risen to help Joash with the stallions.