Chronicles of Emma the giant slayer.
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The air was still and snow dulled the sound around Lily as she made her way across the cold tundra. The caravan she called home for the past few weeks came to a halt sliding across the Great Glaciers unforgiving surface.
“This is as far as I can take you ma’am.” The man’s raspy voice echo’d.
With a nod, Lily hopped off the carvan and began to gather her packs preparing for her hike deeper into the Ice Glaciers to her homeland. She hadn’t been there in nearly forty years and her last visit was one of bitter regret. Her tribesman and parents all but disowning her for falling for a halfer and picking Narfell over them for the remainder of her life.
Finally she was on her way home, as was customary of those in her village. Even with heated disagreements from last she visited, she pressed forward across the unforgiving tundra following the path ground into her memory since childhood. She was older, waning and well past her prime. All her friends and the ones whom she loved were gone. The town she called home “Jiyyd”, no more.
On the horizon she noted the shifting of the wind and the approaching blizzard. Her pace quickened and the muffled sound of footsteps on moist powder filled the air around her. Village torchlight illuminated in the distance as Lily’s chest tensed uncertain what her mother might say, how she would react. “What, did your halfer halfwit leave you and you come crawling to us?”, “Finally reached yer senses and came back to marry one a yer own?” and similar sentences haunted her subconscious as she lowered her shoulders closing in on the once thriving village.
Lily’s eyes began to squint as she approached the village gates. A figure lay in the snow covered partially hinting to a struggle since past. Dropping some of her packs to the ground she rushed to the figures aid only to find the man’s flesh frozen near solid.
”Who could’ve done this? Lily murmured as she made her way into town slowly. Dwarven and human bodies littered the villages interior grounds.
THUMP
“ARGHH!” A voice exclaimed from within a nearby hut.
THUMP
The sound around Lily became silent and numb of feeling, similar to that of the eye of a storm. As she pulled open the door to the hut peering in the area was dark and heavy with the remorse of another.
“…’ello Lily… you’ve been away a long time…”
”Emma…?” The words trickled from Lily’s lips uncertain. She hadn’t seen her childhood friend in some years now. Since her pilgrimage to find skullcrusher in fact. Lily’s eyes ran the length of the club resting in Emma’s hand. Her eyes slithered across the thick handle noticing the notches within. Splattered across the head of the war-club was fresh blood and the walls around Emma canvassed with the same crimson hue. At her foot a body, motionless and void of life.
”Why…why did you do this? Are you… responsible for all these dead bodies? All… of them?
“A lot changed since yuh left Lily… lots. Yer folks made a pack with ‘em… those longleggers.”
”The… ice giants north a here… why?”
“Time…”
”Time?”
“Time… it makes folks weak…”
”I… I don’t get it…”
“I’m sorry Lily, I really am…” Emma’s eyes followed Lily as she relaxed her posture walking towards a dying fireplace.
”Are… my parents…” Lily inquired as Emma began to wipe her club off with her cloak. Glancing up Emma nodded once in reply.
“…They were the ones tha’ presented the peace treaty ta them long leggers on behalf a the village.”
”Why? We were at war with them…”
“Went too long fer em… they grew soft… got tired a seein’ folks die… I don’ know.”
”So… why… kill everyone here… including yer kin…”
“…” Emma’s jawline clenched at the thought of Lily accusing her of murder.
“They weren’ innocen’… They deserved death and any’un who sides themselves with longleggers… they’re traitors… through and through!”
Lily’s head dipped watching the last of the flames die off within the fire.
“Yuh shouldn’t a come back Lily… yuh weren’ supposed ta see this.”
Crouching down Lily began to cup some of the ashes by the fire pit as Emma crept up behind her locking her fingers tighter against skullcrushers handle. Raising the club high above her head she uttered the following. “I’m sorry Lily… I really am…””Me too…” Just then Lily turned throwing a handful of ashes into Emma’s face as she screamed grappling Emma’s arms and wrestling her to the ground. The pair rolled violently across the floor until they slammed through the hut door. Unfortunately for Lily Emma had the advantage of youth. With a firm shove Emma snarled and swung skullcrusher right into Lily’s left foot shattering all the bones.
”AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Lily reached down involuntarily clutching her foot as Emma kicked her square in the face sending her onto her back. Lily whimpered as Emma circled to her side kicking her onto her stomach.
”Why? Lily whimpered as she clutched her side and gurgled blood to the stark white canvas of snow underneath.
“Death… sweet merciful death… is the only solace fer those who side with giants… death ta them…” Emma raised the club high above her head.
“…and their loved’uns!”
THUMP
-
The snow soaked the blood up like a sponge around Lily’s head. Emma’s eyes ran down the shaft of the club until they met the back hemisphere of Lily’s shattered skull. The kill would have been savored further had it not been for the loud crumpled steps of another.
FRUMP…
FRUMP…
“Who’s THERE!”
A lone giant peered out from behind a hut at the base of the hill where Emma and Lily’s lifeless body were.
“Murl… Murl Grumeater… why?”
“Wanted ta make sure I knew the person I was ‘bout ta kill is all…”
Just then the giants eyes grew large and wide. He was only able to step backwards once before Emma was on a full sprint down the hillside with bloodlust in her eyes and death on her breath.
”No…no….”
“…YES… RAHHHHHHHHGHHHHH.” Leaping airborne Emma sent her body towards the hulking mass known as Murl. She visualized the exact location to rest her club squarely against. Unfortunately for Murl, that was right between his eyes.
ThuNK
Murl’s eyes followed the clubs motion as it’s runes glew brighter and brighter. The sturdy club sunk deep into the bridge of the beast’s nose snapping the cartilage and driving it into the giant’s brain. Emma’s body continued forcefully into the creature’s chest and carried them to the ground with a jarring thud that shook snow to the air around them. Emma pushed herself to her feet as she slowly looked around. There was nothing left of her friends, her family, or her kin. It wouldn’t be long before the nearby giants came looking for their lone scout whom went missing. Gathering her things she began the tiring trek through the cold tundra…
