True origins

by Digitalis

Chapter 9

Sarr informed the others about Spike’s presence, so he wouldn’t have to remain hidden. He also ordered them to prepare the tower in case the giants could break through the main army and attack the watching post itself. Suddenly, an explosion shook the entire tower, throwing everyone to the floor.

“What was that?” Spike asked, dazed.

“Their artillery.” Sarr answered while he ran outside to see where the impact had taken place. Spike followed him. “Their siege weapons are able to break parts of mountains without problem. That’s how they could put the Capital Citadel under siege a hundred years ago.”

More impacts. Some soldiers took flight to stop the siege weapons from causing more damage. Others went to the lowest levels to repair any exterior damage. Still, there was no sight of storm giants, which meant they were still being held outside of the frontier.

“Now, Prince Ka-Hurr.” Sarr offered one of his hands to take Spike. “We must hurry. Your father could be in danger.”

Spike nodded and hoped on the hand. Sarr immediately took flight, followed by a dozen of dragon soldiers.

“Sarr.” Spike inquired; despite the roar of the wind they were able to talk to each other. “What do you know about the storm giants? Why did they attack in first place?”

“Storm giants are one of the oldest creatures in our world.” Sarr explained. “They fought along with the dragons and other creatures in the first war against the Army of the Void, and they also fought with Chronus’s army against Alduin. After that they retires here, to the Northern Wastelands, but they still expanded their territories, until Draconia entered in conflict with them. They are warriors and conquerors. Thorimus, the first giant known, which is also considered the mightiest warrior that ever existed among them, is worshiped by them like a god. They care only about themselves. They conquer, take lands as theirs, and if the local inhabitants resist, they won’t hesitate to fight.”

“Do you think we could reason with them?” Spike wanted to put an end to this the most pacific way possible, so there wouldn’t be more bloodshed.

“That is unlikely.” Sarr responded. “They take any attempt to dialogite as a sign of weakness. They are too prideful for that. However they still value honor. If their chief is challenged to a duel, he will have to accept, and if he loses, he will have to obey any conditions imposed to him in case he lost.”

They were outside of Draconia’s borders by now, and everything was a vast white plain. However, even in the blizzard they were in, Spike could see something at ground level. Hulking catapults towered over the relative plain terrain, made of stone and metal, launching gigantic boulders against the mountain. Siege weapons, but Spike had never seen something as big before, the machines could have easily crushed a pony’s house.

Some of them fired against Sarr and the dragons. “Incoming fire! Disperse!” A sergeant yelled. Immediately the dragons dispersed and descended, flying near the ground. The sight of the battlefield became clear, and Spike took a glance at it.

He had never seen a storm giant before, but he could see hundreds of them now. They were humongous, humanoid creatures, as tall as an average adult dragon. They carried immense axes, clubs and hammers, and they wore armors made of metal and mammoth skin. Spike saw several armored mammoths with the giants, and he came to the conclusion that those beasts were the giant’s battle beasts.

The storm giants were fighting the dragon soldiers, and both sides seemed to be in a tie. Spike gulped down. Corpses were scattered on the snow, of giants and dragons alike. So many losses…

The dragon reinforcements started firing fireballs at the catapults. One by one, the siege weapons exploded in flames. Spike looked up, and saw Sarr take a breath. The mage then aimed to a catapult. He then fired not a fireball, but a frost bolt that impacted on the catapult and exploded, destroying it and freezing a nearby giant with the shockwave. After that he breathed again, showering a group of five giants with a little hailstorm. They covered with their shields, but they got hurt anyways.

However, there was no sign of Kiguroth anywhere. And both dragons were getting more and more worried. For a moment, Spike dreaded one of the corpses would be of his father, but after a quick glance he rejected that thought. However, this did not ease his worry.

Sarr, on the other hand, seemed to have seen something. “There, Prince Ka-Hurr! The King is fighting with their chief! We must help him!” Sarr descended quickly, and Spike could now see it.

---

Kiguroth launched a vertical slash, which was easily blocked by his opponent’s two axes. The giant then twisted them and diverted the sword of the dragon, which left him vulnerable to an attack. The giant took this opportunity and sent a horizontal slash with the axe in his right hand. The dragon was able to take a step back in time with a flap of his wings, but he had been to slow. The edge managed to cleave the armor and make a shallow cut in his chest.

It wasn’t the first though, Kiguroth’s body was covered in cuts and bruises, and although his opponent was hurt too, he didn’t look tired at all, unlike the Kiguroth, who was exhausted.

“Come on, already out of breath?” The storm giant warlord mocked him. “I told you, no one can beat me, Warlord Strom, in a fight. But what else could I have expected from someone as thick-headed as you? Just give up, your overgrown lizards will never defeat Thorimus’s warriors.”

“We did it a hundred years before.” Said Kiguroth between gasps for air. “Don’t you remember?” He knew he had stricken a nerve. Strom’s left eye (the only good one, the other was crossed by a scar) twitched. He roared in anger and hit Kiguroth with his right axe. Kiguroth was too tired to evade the attack, and the axe left a deep gash in the dragon’s left arm. He clutched it with his other hand, dropping his sword.

Strom spat at the king’s side. “Of course I remember. You marked me that time.” He pointed at the scar in his right eye. “But this time, I will end you. Your petty kingdom will fall. No one stands against the storm giants!”

He lifted both axes for the final blow, but was interrupted by a spike of ice falling from the sky, aiming right at him. He dodged it pretty easily, and spotted a light blue dragon towards him.

Sarr shot several frost bolts at the giant warlord, but he repelled it with his axes. Soon, the mage landed next to Kiguroth, and Spike between the elder dragons and the storm giant.

“Your Majesty!” Sarr leaned towards Kiguroth and tried to help him stand up. The Dragon King rejected the offer and stood up by himself.

“Ka-Hurr. What are you doing here?” Kiguroth asked, still shocked for the appearance of his son in the battlefield.

“I couldn’t let you go out there and risk your life. And I know how to stop this war right now.”

He then pointed at Strom.

“Warlord Strom! I, Prince Ka-Hurr, challenge you to a duel!”

Comments

[Digitalis]

We are reaching the end. The next would be the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed the story.

[Trickquestion]

Only one chapter left? Seems like a bit of an abrupt ending, but this has still been a pretty fun story.

[KARLOS1234IFY]

Well that escalated quickly.
Awesome story.

[Dragon Blaze-X]

and here comes the birth of Spike the Giant slayer

Battel comase in 3 2 1 FIGHTE