“This way,” Askar said, guiding an armoured phalanx unit through the swampy forest. They all wore their armours, galeas, and held large shields and lances in hand. Elkas, the decurion was by his side, the tunic and segmented armour could not hide his massive back, and his arms hung about like tree-trunks.
Askar had told them what he had seen. Elkas’ words had been true, and the rest of the company knew exactly what it was. The day before had been full of preparation and pressure.
They walked out into the old defensive wall and through the gap that had been carved through the rocks and wood. They saw the signs of the centurion’s blood, and where his remains had been taken away the previous days. And below, a row of footprints, like the trail of a catapult. Each was as long as a cow, and the space between each step like the length of a rescue navy boat.
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“My gods!” one of the soldiers exclaimed, and Askar saw how his face turned pale. The rest of the soldiers stopped, many of them kneeling and touching the deep gorges produced by the giant’s feet.
Elkas took a deep breath.
“Let us continue on,” he said. “If we let him live long enough, he may destroy our camp as we sleep, or destroy another village.”
Askar nodded. He was right. Elkas was a brave man, and yet even brave men like him faced fear. They were all afraid, Askar could feel it. He grasped the lance in his arm, leaned it against his shoulder and advanced with the group, walking in their tight formations, attentive at any noise and any movement in the bushes and trees.
“Beware of anything that looks like a grey rock,” Askar whispered. “When we saw it first, it did not move.”
“How should we attack him then, Decurion?” Adna, a broad shouldered legionary with black hair and almond-shaped eyes asked. “You also said the centurion’s sword didn’t hurt him.”
Askar cleared his throat.
“We will see,” he said, unable to think of an answer.
“Everything has a weakness,” Elkas muttered. “In most beasts, the eyes are vulnerable. If we see it, archers, aim for the eyes. Then we shall attack the legs.”
“Aye,” the company responded, the soldiers all making eye contact with each other.
Soon the landscape changed. The footprints sunk ever deeper, through a forest of broken trunks, as if an eleven foot lumberjack had been sloppily felling. The forest was covered with fallen branches and trunks that blocked their path, which they had to jump over.
Then they came to a point where both feet of the titan stood together, and from there onward, they did not find another footprint. Looking up, Askar noticed the branches had also been broken, as if pushed from below.
“He’s not here any more,” Elkas said.
“What do you mean?” Karvatis, another Gadalian soldier, asked him.
“He flew away.”
“Flew?” One of the soldiers chuckled. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Or he jumped up, rather,” Elkas clarified.
“What’s in that direction?” Karvatis asked.
“Well, it’s just the north,” Askar said. “Suevian peoples, that’s what’s up there. Barbarians like us, but not in league with the Empire.”
“But we’ll keep going,” Elkas stated. “Until we find the fecking beast and kill it.”
Askar thought Elkas was too invested in chasing the creature.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“But it’s Suevian land!” Another soldier protested. “It’s only ten of us, they will kill us if they see us marching into their territory.”
“We will kill them,” Adna corrected him.
“They will surely try to ambush us, Decurion,” Karvatis said.
“I will raise the banner of peace, and you all, stay alert. If anyone wants to go back, you are free to do so,” Elkas declared.
“I am going back; they heard a voice behind.” It was old Jovius, a half Itruschian born in the capital to an Adachian mother.
“Me too,” said two other legionaries.
“Are you people serious?” Elkas said.
“If your monster doesn’t kill us, the barbarians will,” Jovius responded. “Besides, we are not under the orders of any centurion. What if the command finds out? They’ll hang us.”
“Hey, I’m in charge,” Elkas said. “We are showing bravery, Jovius, that’s what they teach us in the training.”
“This is a bad idea,” said another.
“If you want to get killed, go for it,” Jovius said.
Askar felt tempted to go back. That world was inhospitable and cruel. He did not know what to expect, but Elkas was one of his best friends.
“One thing is to be brave and another is to jump into the enemy’s territory,” Jovius said. “That has a name, and it’s being stupid.”
“Are you afraid of barbarians? We are of Gadalian stock, much better fighters than any regular legionary,” Elkas said proudly.
“We’re going back,” the three soldiers behind them said. They turned around and disappeared into the foliage from whence they had come from.
Elkas growled. “How about you seven? Are you willing to continue?”
Adna held on to his spear, breathing deep.
Elkas also looked at him.
“You all have things to lose—families, wives, and children—but we have to solve this mystery before anything happens. Adna, I trust in your bow. This beast will go down by us.”
They walked through the woods, avoiding the deep swamps and dark bushes. As they advanced, they saw small wooden houses with hay roofs, built next to the banks, its terrified inhabitants lowering the voices as they passed by. But they were not as terrified as Askar. Curiosity pressed in him, to see that strange creature, hopefully, from a distance. Engaging in battle seemed like a suicide. The image of the Centurion’s body being crushed like a beetle echoed in his mind every time the word creature, or giant was muttered.
What chance did they stand against it, even with Elkas’ idea?
He only thought of his wife Gitara, and the child that was probably already born. He had a child, he had to press on and see him or her. He wondered what it may look like, and felt warmth in his heart. Was he being foolish? Wouldn’t it be better to turn back?
As they marched on, Askar heard whispers around him, along with whistles too regular to belong to springtime birds. They all knew what it was.
Elkas lifted his sword, and the legionaries assembled, their shields pressed together, their knees bent, their spears pressing out, not letting anything in.
“We come in peace,” Elkas lifted his sword from the centre of the circle. And then they saw them through their shields: barbarians with long yellow hair, braided beards, and clothes made of animal hides. One of them, probably their chieftain, wore a horned helmet of bronze. His shield was round and held a long spear with runic inscriptions on his right.
“Stop!” the chieftain said to their men. He looked at the legionaries, who did not move out of their formation. “You are our enemies,” he said. “And have come into our territory, not invited, not expected. Now tell us why we should let you out and not kill you.”
“We come not to fight!” Elkas exclaimed. “We have seen a monster spring from the earth and kill our commander.”
They heard laughter around them. But one of them silenced them in his own language. Then, they started to argue. The legionaries looked at each other from within the formation. What was about to happen?
“Our friend here believes you,” the chieftain said.
“He does?” Elkas said. “Let us pass; we are just looking for the beast. We wish to slay it. And you may come with us, we can establish a truce. I am in charge now that my commander has died.”
“Fine,” the chieftain said.
Elkas looked at his companions and told them to lower their arms. They complied.
“But we will escort you to the village,” the soldier said.
“Indeed,” Elkas muttered. Askar looked around as the barbarian sentinels sprung out, some descending from the trees, others emerging from the foliage. He counted twelve of them.
“So,” the chieftain said. “Come out and speak like a man.”
Elkas ordered them to disband, and Askar cursed in his mind. It was a bad idea. The formation dissolved, and Elkas stood in the middle. The chieftain walked on, and looked Elkas in the eye. “What is troubling about this giant?”
“I know not what it may do, but it possesses great strength,” Elkas said. “I have seen it, and my comrade here saw it.”
“Fine,” the chieftain grinned. “Let us meet the giant,” he said with a grin. Askar narrowed his eyes, there was something off about those men. He did not know much about those tribes, but he knew many of them hated the Empire. And for good reasons. They, as foreign legionaries did not care much about that. They only did their job and defended remote posts, but wearing that armour and uniform marked them all in the same way.
They started to march once again, up into the ever deep forest.
Then, out of nowhere, Askar heard a buzzing sound, he turned in fright as a blade quickly approached his head. He tried to dodge, lifting his shield and spear, but he felt a dull pain on the side of his head, and the sound around him faded.