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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
Eadnoth and Huon were not buried deep. Instead thay had been set
beside the wide dirt path at the crest of the hill. The lowlands lay
below them, a forest that spread out far as the eye could see, but beyond
thetrees, the human lands. These two failed watchers would now keep a
ceaseless vigilance.
"Nen-slfen, nen-rast, nen-friden." Engenulf cried aloud. His face
was drawn and gray, this rite sapped at his spirit and blackened his soul.
His voice started high and clear but fell to no more than a whisper. He
set upon each grave, a brazier filled with a powdered bone, a sliver of
flesh cut from each dead giants hand and marked with a drop of their own
blood. As his voice began to fade, a magic fire white hot and shooting
high burst forth. It consumed the powdered bone, flesh, blood and braziers
too. The flame burned deep within the ground, burned its way into each
giants chest and from the burning hole arose a spirit cloud that swayed
above their shallow graves. A soft whispered moaning word upon each
ghostly lip and then as if some breeze took hold, though no wind was
blowng across the hill, each wavering form turned into a thinning mist,
and then was gone.
"It is done. They guard." Engenulf said and swayed upon his feet,
his strength was gone, run out into the spell.
"My friend..." Nosnra said, and reached out a supportive hand, but
a howling angry voice broke in upon his words.
"Nosnra! Nosnra! What have you done!" Eadwig came running toward
them, a small crowd of giants following close behind.
"Eadwig!" Nosnra shouted back. "Do you command! The right of
life and death are mine to choose!"
"My brother, you have dishonored him, Engenulf how could you curse
him so." Eadwig fell to his knees before his brothers grave.
"I, Eadwig, I had no hand in his dishonor. You step too far, your
grief is no excuse." The thegn was in a rage. "Your brother died beneath
a humans hands. He failed, he slept, like Huon there, he brought his
dishonor upon himself!"
Eadwig flushed, his face went pale then suffused with red. His
anger was so great he ould not speak, a vein pulsed along his neck, he
breathed great painful sobbing heaves. A rdless scream roke from his
tortured throat, it hurt the ear to hear. He stood, then threw himself
at Nosnra.
The Chief screamed back, He charged as well and crashed head to
head with Eadwig. They collided with the sound of bone on bone, like two
roud horned rams upon a mountaintop.
Eadwig won that first encounter, he knocked the thegn from off his
feet and sought to crush his head beneath his broad iron nailed boot.
Nosnra rolled aside and grabbed him by the ankle, then made a sudden twist
that tore muscles with a popping sound. Eadwig yowled in pain and fell
hard upon his side, but as Nosnra crouched, prepared to rise, Eadwig
summoned up more strength from rage, and with his uninjured leg, sent out
a kick that caught the chief across the face. Nosnra coughed and spat out
blood. He shook his head to clear it, the time it cost let Eadwig close,
and with both hands grabbed Nosnra by the throat.
The stunning blow had left him dazed but at the grip of Eadwig's
choking hands his mind was clear as crystal. He saw a look of manic glee
behind his sub-chiefs eyes, but with both hands he struck a hammer blow
that cracked against the temples of Eadwig's head. The look of glee was
wiped away, the crazed eyes rolled up and showed bloodshot whites, the
strangling hold was broken.
Nosnra struck again, his knuckles thick with scars broke tooth and
nose, burst forth in lood themselves as stone hard skull and jagged
teeth rocked beneath the chiefs relentless fists. Eadwig stunned and
gushing blood from mouth and swollen eyes, struck back, but his force was
spent, the chief now had the upper hand. Nosnra stood, with two bloody
hands, above Eadwig's prostrate form, but he did not stop. He used his feet
to kick in ribs, break hands and head, till his breath was gone. He
paused.
Engenulf came to his side. "Enough?" he asked.
Nosnra spat, red frothy blood. He let his breathing calm. "Enough"
he answered back. "Does he live?"
"Yes thegn, but he is badly hurt."
"Take him to the Keeper" Nosnra called, a pair of young warriors
grabbed Eadwig beneath the arms and carried him away. "He will live
or die as fate decrees."
"It is sad work done this day." said Engenulf, watching as Eadwig,
still senseless from his beating, was dragged off to a dark bare cell.
* * *
(To Be Continued)