Magic: the Gathering
Chronicles, Volume 6
By Louis Kemner 2008
It was beginning to become later in the day, and so the trip to the giants would take place the next day instead. Viktor and the others, now in Grellis' company, traveled back to Grellis' farm, where the Kithkin worked with his new supplies. Viktor and the others hiked in the nearby woods, taking care to not attract unwanted attention. The leaves and branches rustled as unseen creatures pranced by them, denizens of the forest. Gerbie, who was getting over the lack of buildings and constant nature, scampered up and down tree trunks and along branches.
They spent the night at Grellis' house much like the last one, then set off once again for the town in the wagon. The trip to the town progressed peacefully, and then the kids found themselves before the armory.
"I understand these card things," Grellis said, choosing between armor pieces and setting them in a pile. Viktor had explained to him the creature card summoning the night before. "But if you're gonna go toe-to-toe with giants you'd better have some armor between you and their axe edges. Here, these'll work." With difficulty, he pushed the pile of armor forward, and everyone managed to work themselves into it. The armor was built for Kithkin, but Grellis found the biggest pieces he could find, and they fit reasonably well.
When farewells were said, Viktor and the others set off into the wilderness in a direction Grellis had pointed out. They first had to cross a peninsula of forest, cross a stream, then into rocky bluffs where the Grek giants lived and worked. The trees were still and silent, with only birds occasionally flapping away and bursting through the trees. Viktor's armor was already beginning to feel a bit hot and itchy —
At that moment, something long and thin flashed through the air and narrowly missed Viktor's left ear. Yelping in surprise, Viktor instinctively flinched away, and saw that a crude arrow had planted itself into a tree trunk. It vibrated from the energy of its path.
"What the —" Devin started to say, when a small rock zipped through the air and panged off his armor, making him stumble. Before anyone could react, many rocks and arrows flew through the air, and everyone was occupied by dodging the projectiles, crying out in confusion and fright. Viktor had just managed to summon Vine Trellis to protect him when they burst out of the foliage.
Out of the leaves came a dozen goblins, all of them shouting gleefully in bloodlust. They had green or brown mottled skin, no hair, and long, bat-like ears on the sides of their heads. They wore metal and leather body armor and carried slingshots, small axes, and rusty scabbards. One of them pounced on Ashley, pinning her to the ground and knocking Gerbie out of her hands. The gerbil squeaked and retreated to the shelter of several large tree roots. Ashley wrestled with the ferocious boggart, until Makoto summoned Battle-Mad Ronin, who sliced the creature in half.
A small battle erupted forth, with crazed boggarts clashing with summoned creatures. The goblins slew a few of the kids' creatures, but they were falling faster. More of them came out of the woods, however, and took the places of the fallen ones. They were encircling the human defenders, threatening to overrun them with sheer numbers.
"There are too many of these guys!" Devin cried, as he desperately summoned Goblin Chariot to hold off a pair of boggarts with rusty cleavers. "Come on!"
Viktor was just thinking how stupid it would be to summon his strongest creatures to fend off goblins, when it happened. In one split second, three boggarts had their necks sliced seemingly by thin air. Blood burst from their necks as their heads separated from their bodies, falling to the leafy floor. All the boggarts cried out and chattered in fear from the new attack, quickly becoming a disorganized rabble.
Four arrows sliced the air, planting themselves in four boggart hearts, sending the creatures to the ground. Unlike the boggarts' crude arrows, these arrows were fletched with swan arrows and had slick, shiny wood shafts. Out of the branches leapt four graceful elves, clad in dark green and brown armor. They were like bolts of green lightning, fast and deadly. The boggarts scattered like insects before them, retreating to the underbrush. The elves, however, did not let them. They unsheathed sharp and curving bronze swords, drawing arcs of sharpened metal through the air, slaying many of the retreating boggarts. Viktor watched in fascination as the boggarts were mowed down by the relentless assault. Within a minute, dozens of boggart bodies lay on the bloody dirt.
With the deed done, the lead elf flicked the blood off his sword and rested it over his shoulder. "Have you sustained injury?" he asked the group of kids at large.
"I. uh, guess we're okay," Devin said. "Thanks for helping us."
"No thanks are necessary," the elf cut in. "Our Winnower Patrol finds its duty in the slaying of eyeblights such as they. Though it is a bonus to give aid to those in trouble."
The elf, along with the others, was certainly the opposite of the nasty boggarts, Viktor thought. The elf's face was sleek and feline, with a calm predator's beauty. His pointed ears flowed back from his head, his ram-like horns curled gracefully, and his long eyebrows met in an intellectual frown. His eyes were moss green, lit by a proud strength. His armor was made of wood, but looked as durable as any metal casing. He had teardrop shaped shoulder pads and a ribbed chest plate. A silver dagger with a wood handle was held in his cloth belt.
"Now, what brings you to these woods?" the elf asked Viktor, his green, inhuman eyes drilling into Viktor's own. "Many dangers lurk here, not for travelers to face."
"We're on, well, a mission," Viktor answered, hoping that the elf wouldn't interfere. "On behalf of the Kithkin town."
"Really? The Kithkin?" the elf said. He rejoined the other three elves and talked quietly with them, then turned back to face Viktor. "What have they asked of you?"
"Well, eh," Viktor mumbled, looking at the others. They nodded, clearly willing to share that information. "One Kithkin asked us to rescue his wife from a tribe of giants. The giants run a slave trade."
"Well, now," the elf said to himself, rubbing his chin with his long fingers. "We are quite aware of this abomination. If we could assemble a larger patrol, we could undertake the same mission as you. But I wonder, how could travelers such as yourselves take the giants on?"
"We've got this," Viktor said, taking out his cards. He pulled out Fighting Drake, and released it. The drake flapped its wings in the forest confines, screeching at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"By the gods!" the lead elf exclaimed, stunned by the sudden creature. "What manner of wizard are you?"
"We can all do this," Kelly added, stepping up closer to Viktor and summoning Drudge Skeletons. The two skeletons rasped as cackled at the sight of living flesh, their thick bones rattling. The elves were even more surprised.
"I may reconsider this," the lead elf said, stepping forward. "Though this Patrol numbers few, we may have the power to eradicate those vile giants for good. Please, do you grant us your allegiance?" he extended his hand.
The others nodded again, and Viktor grasped the elf's hand and shook it.
"It is sealed," the elf said solemnly.
The elf patrol guided Viktor and the others through the trees, making headway toward the cliffs that housed the giants' slave camp. The Patrol Leader, who identified himself as Enris, briefly taught the kids how to stealthily steal though the woods, making no more sound than a bird taking off for flight. The elves continued to show their flawless grace and precision, letting them travel lightly and unnoticed. They made faster headway than walking, and it was quieter, too.
Before long, the trees thinned and then cleared, exposing small grassy hills with flowers and apple trees here and there. There was no wind, nothing to move the vegetation. The only movement came from a burbling stream that flowed parallel to the forest edge, with the clear water bubbling around rocks and fallen logs. The scene was quite peaceful, Viktor thought. A lone pair of faeries drifted past.
"And now we enter the open," Enris said, hopping down onto the soft grass. "Follow, everyone. Stealth matters little anymore, away from our home trees. We will stride the earth quickly."
The most interesting part of this part of the journey was crossing the stream. It appeared to be only a foot deep, but up close Viktor saw that a shark could swim comfortably in the depths. Enris walked up to a thick log bridging the stream and started to walk across. When he go halfway there, the surface of the water bubbled, and Viktor saw something burst out of the water. It was human-shaped, with scaly, fishlike skin and web-like fins on the back of its head.
"What business do you have here, elf?" the Merfolk demanded.
"I merely walk the wood connecting the two halves of ground," Enris explained. "Is that a crime?"
"We have had trouble in these waters lately," the Merfolk said. Viktor recognized it as a Fallowsage. "Many Flame kin have boiled rage into our currents, disrupting our schools and burning our warriors. A few rogue elves have been helping them do that. Seeing another elf, I sought to clarify things."
"I promise that I bring no trouble," Enris assured. Even as he talked, two more Merfolk with spears swam up to the Fallowsage, staying near him. "If you bring peace, you may pass," they said.
"My mission is to help a few travelers liberate Kithkin from a giant camp," Enris said. "I will move along, now."
"Go on," the Fallowsage said, dipping back into the water. The other two Merfolk waited a second, then dived to rejoin the Fallowsage, zooming through the water like bullets. With that concluded, Enris and the others crossed the log and made their way across the meadow hills.
In a short time, the cliffs came into view, towering over the otherwise flat terrain. The top was hundreds of feet in the air, lined by trees of a forest up on the higher level. Down on the ground, there were a few massive trees and several large caves worked into the cliff wall. The one thing upsetting this tranquil scene was a single Axgrinder Giant sharpening a massive stone ax on a spinning stone wheel. The two rock surfaces screeched and sparked horribly as they ground together, working the ax's edge to maximum sharpness. Viktor also saw that there were several crude wood crates stacked together, and huge burlap sacks full of something.
"And here is what we seek," Enris whispered, seeing the giant.
"I hate that ax noise," Devin complained, covering his ears. "Why does it have to be so loud?"
"Should he be killed, it will make no more noise," Enris said smoothly, starting to draw his bronze sword. Viktor saw a predator's glow kindle in the elf's green eyes, and in how his eyebrows met. "However, if another giant were to witness the kill, then we would be exposed. Stealth may be our greater weapon here."
"Sure, sneak into a giant camp and release a bunch of Kithkin," Devin said sarcastically. "Sounds easy."
"The right tools can make this possible," Enris countered, looking at him. "You didn't come all this way to give up, did you?"
"It's a darned suicide mission, I say," Gerbie said firmly, crawling out of Ashley's pocket again. He looked at the Axgrinder with a distant look. "Really, everyone, it's a giant camp. How about we just turn back and have a drink at the Kithkin town? I'm thirsty!"
"Come on, I'm sure I've got a card here for this," Ashley assured, searching through her cards. "Something, something… maybe this? It's got a giant in the picture, too."
She took out a card and showed it to everyone: Glimmerdust Nap. It depicted a giant fast asleep, with a faerie freely picking at its dream.
"Looks good to me," Viktor said, looking at it. "We'll need something to get us close, and quickly. I don't think Fighting Drake is big enough for all of us."
"Don't you have a Simic Sky Swallower?" Makoto asked Viktor. "It's huge, we could ride it."
"Too big a profile," Kelly argued. "Sis, don't you have some enchantment for being unblockable?"
"Yeah, it's this," Ashley said, taking out Infiltrator's Magemark. "It'll enchant us so we're impossible to find. We can get close with this, enchant the giant to sleep, and get into the cave."
"A well-versed plan," Enris agreed. "Winnower Patrol, get ready to strike."
In little time, the group of eight cloaked themselves with the Infiltrator's Magemark, and they stole across the grassy plain toward the rock cliff, where the cave and giant camp was. When they drew close, Ashley cast Glimmerdust Nap, speaking quietly. When the spell was cast, thousands of blue and silver sparkles swarmed toward the giant, who looked up in confusion at the magic bearing toward him. He started to snarl a loud giant word, only to have the magic press into him and induce unnatural sleep. The giant collapsed to the ground, making a shudder as he hit.
"And the beast is downed," Enris praised, watching Ashley's handiwork. The giant snored loudly, his massive chest swelling and falling steadily. A thin cloud of the sparkles surrounded his head, locking him in slumber.
Taking advantage of the enchantment, the group hurried across the open grass, watching out for any other giants happening by. They ducked behind a large wooden crate, just as a second giant stomped out of the cave mouth. It was smaller than the Axgrinder, but still towered at over twenty feet. His muddy brown hair waved in a sudden breeze as he surveyed the landscape. He took several more steps, then saw the slumbering Axgrinder and a look of dull surprise crossed his face. The small giant walked up to the Axgrinder, rumbling Giant words and nudging it with a foot.
Certain that this would be the last giant, the eight left the cover of the crate, so that the giant would not see them. They reached the cave mouth and entered it, feeling the air grow a little colder and damper as the cave's conditions took over. Signs of giant inhabitation were clear; some stalactites and stalagmites were broken off by giant feet of heads breaking them off. There were chewed carcasses of wild animals and boggarts everywhere, some skeletons and others partly decomposed. There were also parts of giants' armor lying around, soaked with giant body odor and perspiration. Simply put, the cave smelled terrible.
"How about we find the captured Kithkin quickly?" Devin stated, pinching his nose. "Forget giants seeing us, the smell is worse."
"I agree that haste will be necessary," Enris replied. "But let's not be careless on the process. Look there, the giants placed a sentry bird." He pointed, and Viktor saw that a large green and blue bird was perched in a crude wooden post. The animal roved its head side to side, watching the wide cavern with its beady eyes. It cawed quietly.
"Maybe this way," Kelly suggested, pointing down a smaller branch cave. "Pretty out of the way."
Enris and his Winnower Patrol elves crept forward, checking the side passage for enemies. Seeing none, they motioned for the others to follow, and the five kids dashed after them. They struck luck; just a hundred feet down the side tunnel, they reached a round room, big enough to hold a large house. Along the walls were several large wooden cages, and Kithkin women and girls were in them.
"We did it!" Viktor breathed. He approached the nearest cage, where the Kithkin started babbling and begging for release. Viktor found the lock to the door, or rather, thick ropes that kept it closed. Giants were clearly not smart enough to use locks, so they tied knots only they had the strength to loosen. But the Giants hadn't been prepared for Naturalize, and the spell soon had all cage doors creaking open, and the dozens of Kithkin rushing out, giving their thanks.
"Okay, now what?" Makoto asked, seeing the large cluster of liberated Kithkin. "How are we getting them all the way back to the town? I know we can't just rescue one and leave the rest, but still…"
"I'm not sure either," Viktor confessed, searching his deck as curious Kithkin watched. "Fighting Drake is too small for this many, and Devin's Volcanic Dragon would probably try to eat them. Plus, the giants would see that many escapees."
"We will devise a plan as we leave," Enris assured them, starting toward the tunnel. "Please. I can't tolerate this stench or ugliness in here."
"C'mon, we've got more to worry about than ugly carcasses around here," Devin muttered, but he followed Enris with the others through the tunnel. Viktor knew that the elves were obsessed with beauty, finding it the most important thing possible. They also hated ugliness, calling non-eves "eyeblights." The eves went as far as to even exile disfigured elves, to maintain a perfectly beautiful society.
The crowd made it into the main cavern without incident, with no giants in sight. They all swarmed down the cave, making sure not to step on anything that could crunch or clatter to raise a ruckus. The first Kithkin were just starting to exit the cave mouth suddenly, when a hair-raising squawk pierced the cool cave air. Viktor jumped in his armor, his heart rate accelerating. "Holy sh —" Devin started, in response. Viktor heard flapping and saw its source: the green and blue bird was screeching and flapping its wings in alarm of the escaped Kithkin.
Damn it! Viktor cursed. He had forgotten about the bird! It didn't take long for its alarm to take effect; shuddering footsteps came closer, until the small giant loomed at the cave mouth, and his stupid eyes peered in. He stared dumbfounded at the crowd of Kithkin, then pulled back his lips and snarled. He unsheathed his rusty giant sword, swinging it down and leaving a nasty gouge in the rock. The Kithkin cried out in terror as they recoiled from the blow, and the kids, too.
The giant huffed as he took a step into the cave, slamming his sword down again. Finally, someone came to his or her senses, as a bolt of crackling lightning shot forth and fried the giant's chest; Devin had used Shock. Wounded, but not defeated, the giant swung his sword a third time, knocking Devin off his feet, cutting him with rock shrapnel.
"Nagao!" Makoto cried wildly, summoning the samurai warrior, who occupied the giant. "Come on, let's go!"
The crowd hurriedly poured out of the cave, into the fresh air and sunlight. Though the small giant in the cave was trading blows with Nagao, Bound by Honor, more giants had arrived. From the direction of the Axgrinder, two giants with wooden clubs stomped forward, and a third giant with a staff approached from the opposite direction. Within seconds, Volcanic Dragon, Sengir Vampire, General Takeno, and Fighting Drake engaged the three giants. The elves assisted the creatures, using their nimble attacks and deadly weapons to harass the giants.
The fight was even, Viktor thought. Maybe even good. The summoned creatures fought with valor, fending off the giants. But just as the tide was turning, a new set of footsteps caught everyone's attention. Two trees cracked and fell over, heralding the arrival of a new giant. Feeling fear clench his stomach, Viktor turned and saw a giant berserker. This giant wore only a loincloth, a bloodstained and ragged one. He was of average height, but only that. He had muscles that seemed to strain his skin to the limit, and cruel brass knuckles adorned his fists. Four spikes, each as long as Viktor's arm, were attached to the knuckles. The berserker hunched, spread his arms wide and gave a deathly roar.
"Holy Sky Swallowers," Gerbie squeaked. Ashley fainted.
The berserker thudded forward with alarming speed, his bare feet leaving imprints on the ground. It shoved a fellow giant aside, and threw a fist at the five kids. They narrowly dodged, and the fist exploded into the ground. A fountain of dirt sprayed at the contact, and crater was left when the giant pulled his fist back. There were four conical holes in the crater from the spikes.
"Vine Trellis!" Viktor said desperately as the berserker came his way. The wall of vines and branches materialized at once, only to have the berserker sweep it aside on one blow, reducing it to a pile of debris. Viktor backpedaled quickly, into the cover of a pile of crates. However, the berserker paused, then in three seconds dealt four more blows. Only splinters were left of the crates, forcing Viktor into the open.
"What are we gonna do?!" Devin cried, as the berserker came his and Kelly's way. It planted another blow into the ground, sending him tumbling. Devin called over his Volcanic Dragon, which fired a gout of flames at the berserker's back. The berserker snarled in pain, then swung a fist at the dragon, grazing the dragon with the spikes on his knuckles. The Volcanic Dragon moved in close to attack with claws and teeth, but that was a mistake. The dragon clamped its jaws on the berserker's left arm, drawing blood. In response, the berserker threw the dragon off and planted his fist into its body, pulverizing it and sending the ruined dragon to the ground.
"Jesus!" Devin cried. "Nothing works! Maybe one of Ashley's stunning cards?" Another double fist strike sent him scurrying as he spoke.
Viktor looked around frantically, looking for a way out of this. Maybe even Thorn Elemental would be no match for the giant. He saw Ashley lying there, and his mind drifted to Gerbie, who was huddled in her pocket, probably scared out of his wits. "Holy Sky Swallowers," the gerbil had said, upon seeing the berserker.
Viktor felt his hand drift toward his cards. That was it! Simic Sky Swallower! The beast was a 6/6, with flying and trample. It could be a match for this monster, and even carry them all to the town! As the berserker shifted its attention back to Viktor, Viktor found his Simic Sky Swallower and cast it.
A vast, snake-like form flew from the card, twisting and taking shape in the air. The berserker paused, confused, as he watched the Sky Swallower take form. The great Sky Swallower was like a serpent of the sky, over thirty feet wide. It sported nasty spines in a row along its back, as well as four larger spines on its head like flattened antenna. Its mouth was a mass of curving, talon-like yellow teeth. It growled quietly, its rumble growing louder. Then, it lunged for the berserker. The giant grinned and planted a fist into the Sky Swallower's gut, only to have its belly spines rake the giant's arm. The Sky Swallower hissed and snapped forward with its head, sinking its hundreds of teeth into the giant's shoulder.
"Yes! Kick his ass!" Makoto cheered. The giant cried out and pummeled the Sky Swallower in an unprotected area, wounding it. But the Sky Swallower wasn't done yet. Keeping the berserker in place, the Sky Swallower thrashed the berserker with its great body, crushing it. The giant groaned as its body was pulverized under the Sky Swallower's sheer bulk. It was dead in seconds.
The Sky Swallower hissed hungrily as it turned away from the defeated berserker and eyed the crowd of terrified Kithkin women. The other giants had been defeated, and the summoned creatures returned to their cards. Now that the battle was over, Viktor was able to organize the escape, and the Simic Sky Swallower was their ticket out.
"No! Don't eat them!" Viktor shouted up to his Sky Swallower, which groaned in disappointment of a forbidden Kithkin meal. "We need to fly back to a Kithkin town. All of us are going to ride on you. Fly high so nothing can attack us, okay?"
The Sky Swallower did not like the idea of having the role of airplane, but under Viktor's magical control, it had no choice. It lowered itself until it was lying on the ground like a tremendous snake, with its tail acting as a boarding ramp. "Okay, everyone!" Viktor addressed to the Kithkin crowd. "To get back to town, you'll have to ride this creature. It can fly. Don't worry, it won't eat you. I can control it. Everyone aboard!"
The Kithkin were understandably nervous about riding the Sky Swallower ("It's a demon from the underworld! I'd be more of a snack than a passenger!"), but they nevertheless advanced up the Sky Swallower's tail like a ramp. The five kids and three Winnower Patrol elves climbed on, too, and the Sky Swallower took to the skies.
Late in the evening, the Kithkin town finally came into view, its presence evident by the lamp lights in the houses and taverns. From way up high, Viktor could see that many animal pastures, sheds, and other farm-related structures. Upon Viktor's command, the Sky Swallower dipped lower into the sky and landed its bulk on the ground. Viktor could see the entire town's worth of Kithkin massing toward the Sky Swallower, to greet the returned women and girls. As soon as the rescued Kithkin disembarked the Sky Swallower, their numbers combined with the town's Kithkin, and many happy reunions were the result.
"Aye, you've done a good thing, there," a familiar voice said into Viktor's ear. Turning around, Viktor saw Grellis standing behind him, with a Kithkin woman standing next to him. Both were beaming.
"I figured we couldn't leave any behind," Viktor answered. "Besides, you forgot to tell us what your wife looked like. I had to get them all."
"Oh, sorry 'bout that," Grellis said in good humor. "You and your friends are heroes! Got over a quarter of the town back. And you know what the best part of it is?"
"What?" Kelly asked, as she and the others came up.
Grellis winked and pulled out his pipe. "Why, we're gonna throw a festival for the return! Food, drinks, merry jesters and more!" as he said this, other Kithkin men agreed by cheering and tossing their hats into the air. Someone broke out an accordion, pumping out a rapid and merry tune. The hundreds of Kithkin cheered and scrambled to start organizing the party.
"I think I like this town!" Devin said, watching the merry Kithkin prepare. The others laughed.