Send a spelling or grammar correction to: Tracy Johnson
This is Part XV & XVI of a story set in the World of Greyhawk.
It's based on my own campaign, so some persons, places and things are not
in line with the published setting. Any helpful comments or suggestions
are welcome.
Thanks
Jason Zavoda
Kyle twisted away. He half stood, but before he could completely
gain his feet, a flailing arm slammed him back against the ground. Spots
of light twinkled behind his closed lids. He coughed and felt the sting of
blood against a cut lip. His hand felt numb, but to his surprise, his
sword was still there.
A giant lashed out with a vicious kick, trying to strike at a
trooper who had made it to the far side of the wall. The man had slid down
the scaling ladder and jumped aside, just in the nick of time. The huge
foot smashed the ladder to bits, as if it had been made of kindling.
Halfway down, the trooper fell like a stone, a wooden rung still clenched
in his hand as he landed. Another soldier, who'd just turned around and
stepped off the wall, was grabbed by his fellows. His feet dangled over
the side. In a flash, he was whisked away, a giant had him by the legs.
Gripping one in either hand, the monster pulled him apart like the
breastbone of a chicken. The monster laughed as he flung the gory halves
aside. They sailed over the bridge and into the water with a double
splash.
The giant's laughter was short lived. With a growl of anger, the
soldier whose comrade who had been torn from his grasp then ripped apart,
launched himself atop the giant. His sword fell from his grasp and
clattered on the stone, while the man, berserk with rage, clawed and
scratched at the giants face. Monstrous teeth bit down and severed an arm.
The man did not even realize his loss, but plucked a fistful of eyelashes
from the giants face. A huge hand grabbed the soldier and cracked the
trooper's neck and spine, but not before a small hand raked nails across
the giant's open eye.
The roar of the giant shook the stones. The monster held the
trooper's body by the neck, forgotten in one hand, while its other hand
rubbed at its injured eye. It staggered blindly toward the wall and half a
dozen swordsman jabbed out. Three blades struck. A sword slashed open a
two-foot cut across its arm. Another sank in a hands breadth between its
ribs, but the third blade went up and in, beneath its arm and deep within
the giant's chest. The huge arm, raised up to rub at its eye, went
numb and dropped lifeless to its side. The giant gasped and stepped back,
away from the stinging blades. The sword beneath its arm was stuck fast.
The trooper tried to pull it free, but, instead, was dragged forward
and fell from the wall. His companions could not save him.
Fintan was weaponless once again. The short goblin-spear was gone,
and with his head swimming, the captain reeled. Huge legs and feet pounded
all around him as the giant's tried to cover the gap left by Hraesveglur's
fall. He had to press himself against the wall or be trampled. An inch
from his shoulder, a scaling pole clunked on the giant's side of the
bridge and his men followed close after.
"Hold this steady." Fintan yelled to the first trooper coming
down the scaling pole.
The man was wild with battle lust and fear. He didn't hear
Fintan's command, then shook off the captain's hand from his arm and ran,
screaming, at the giants. One moment he was rushing forward, his sword
still in its sheath. The next, a giant club bashed into him from the side
and sent him hurtling through the air.
Fintan grabbed the next trooper down and gave him the same
command. "Hold the ladder! Keep it steady!"
"Yes sir!" the trooper replied, shocked to find the captain still
alive.
"You won't need this." Fintan pulled the sword from the startled
trooper's grasp.
"My sword!" the man cried in protest.
"Scavenge another." Fintan told him, then charged the nearest
giant.
A few steps and he was beside a massive leg. Without looking up
Fintan swung his newly acquired sword and slashed above the ankle. The
heavy cloth of the giant's trousers took the force of the blow, but it
made the monster turn.
There was a stone-headed axe in the giant's hand. It twisted
round and tried to hit the captain as he ran past. The blow rebounded off
the bridge, stone against stone, as huge warrior missed its mark. Sparks
flew, mixed with splinters from both bridge and axe.
Fintan whipped around and slashed the giant across the arm. Two
troopers came up from behind. One drove his sword in above the monster's
belt. The blade merely pricked the giant's side, but the other soldier
stabbed the giant deep into its calf.
A backhand blow from the giant knocked the trooper away with a
broken jaw. The distraction let Fintan come rushing in. He scored two
solid blows against the giant's knee. The first only cut through the
trouser and skinned the cap. The next struck across the side and split the
bone with a meaty sound. Behind the giant, the one trooper left pushed in
his sword and drove the blade deeper into the giant's side. The tip
pierced the kidney and the giant gave a shudder as it tried to turn. The
monster's wounded knee gave way. Its fall was slow, and a mighty arm went
out against the stones. Fintan swung his sword with both hands and tried
to chop through the thick wrist that was braced against the bridge.
* * *
On his hands and knees, Kyle scurried forward, then knelt back and
raised his sword, both hands on the hilt. The subchief Hraesveglur lay
before him, but Kyle knew not his name and would not have cared. All
giants were the same to him. He stabbed just as the monster began to
thrash blindly on the ground. The sword cut flesh, but merely scraped
across the lower ribs. No more than a gash in the wide expanse of flesh.
Hraesveglur rolled and pinned the sword to the bridge with a
snap, catching Kyle's hands like a mouse in a trap. The ponderous weight
pulled the man down and bloodied his knuckles. Kyle would not release the
sword. He dragged the blade back, ignoring the pain from his bruised
and throbbing hands. The sharp edge left a bloody trail
across the giant's skin.
Two giants lay upon the ground, one dead. The captain's sword
had taken off its hand. The giant had fallen on its face and a pair of
swordsmen had chopped at its neck like lumberjacks hewing wood.
Another giant staggered to the bridge's edge with a sword sticking
from its side. The blade was driven deep beneath a numbed and useless arm.
The monster plunged over the side and into the water with a titanic
splash.
Troopers now swarmed over the wall and rushed the surviving giants
who still fought to hold them back. Above the melee, standing atop the
wall, the signalman sounded the call to advance. The notes rang out,
vibrant and strong, drowning the din of battle.
One giant threw its club at the troopers attempting to ring it
in a web of steel. The club bounced and crashed into two soldiers chest
high, slamming them against the wall. It ignored the jabbing swords and
grabbed Hraesveglur and hauled him to his feet. The subchief groaned and
struggled in his underling's grasp.
"Broglie, Broglie!" the giant shouted.
Broglie heard the call and rushed over to their side. The
giant sent half a dozen men tumbling, then caught hold of Hraesveglur's
arm.
Fintan jumped back as the giant come rushing by. One trooper who
moved too slow was knocked aside, brushed by the monsters leg. He tumbled
and rolled, limbs snapping hard against the stones. Fintan leapt over the
man. He didn't look back to see if the trooper rose or where he rolled,
but ran after the giant, followed by a score of men.
The giants were retreating, dragging Hraesveglur between them.
Their huge strides taking them further and further from the troopers who
had crossed the wall. Fintan gave chase, but some men held back just happy
to be alive and see the giants running off. Many more followed their
captain and joined in the pursuit.
One soldier sprinted ahead and slashed at Broglie, who held up
Hraesveglur on his strong right arm. The blade cut deep above the boot and
nearly to the bone. The giant howled and stumbled, a spray of blood struck
the trooper in the face. Broglie went down onto his knee, he swung a
massive fist and sent the blinded trooper flying back with splintered ribs
and a lung pierced by jagged bones.
"Go, take him." Broglie yelled "I will hold back these little
rats."
"I will tell them how you died." the other giant called. It struck
Hraesveglur a short, hard blow against the head and slung the subchief
across his shoulders. Moving at a slow, jogging pace, the giant escaped
from the bridge and carried his wounded leader safely from the battle.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)