Steven Burke - The Dark Tide

The next part was a blur of action and confusion. Several giants went down as though they were being cut down like trees. After a few minutes of intense battle, there was only one giant remaining. Darvin was now surrounded by hundreds of dark elves. They formed a circle around him as master Shadowin stepped forward to face the giant who was easily three times his height. The dark elf look at the twenty lifeless brutes that lay piled around the last giant fighter.

“I applaud your skills with swords, however, it is time for you to die” Shadowin said with a slight nod in Darvin’s direction. He really did appreciate the amount of skill Darvin had shown in fending off their attacks. While the others used their strength and clubs, he used his swords in a way he did not think possible from a giant.

“Know this you sons of the keeper…your time will come. I curse you, in the name of the creator Kedem. In the end you will be left alone to your own devices and that devil you serve will no longer support you. You will be left to face a world that hates you. You killed the Eldar and now you will end the giants of middle Tuwa. Your curse will be to suffer eternally in the darkness you crave!” He spat angrily at Shadowin. A more observant person would have felt the effects of the curse that had been laid down. The dark elves did not think that the giants were capable of actually cursing anyone, so they merely ignored the drivel from Darvin.

Shadowin twirled about again and rushed in at an angle. Darvin was prepared for this move and deftly moved out of the way as their blades clashed. The dark elf reeled from the block. The giant was considerably more powerful and was more agile than the dark swordsman gave him credit for. The giant made the next move by jumping high into the air with his swords outstretched. As he came back to earth he spun about smoothly as he cut down several dark elves that made up the circle. His knee slammed into the ground hard which shook the ground severely. Shadowin was knocked off his feet temporarily.

Several of the dark elves rushed in to avenge their comrades, however, their haste led to a quick end. They were summarily cut down as they approached. This did allow Shadowin to regain his feet and to make his next move. He started to run in a circle around the giant. He was testing the senses of this blind swordsman. He had to know if he could use the visual impairment against the brute. He continued to run around the stationary giant who did not move at all. It did not appear that he was following the dark elf’s movment. So, more of the elves in the circle attempted to attack the giant…this time from where they stood.

As black shafted arrows flew at Darvin, he quickly swung his swords up to block the projectiles. It was amazing to watch the giant swat away every arrow fired at him. As he knocked down the last arrow, he turned to face to Shadowin who was rushing him. With his right hand, the giant raised his sword at an angle and swung downward. He quickly did the same with the sword in his left hand. He cut the legs out from underneath the master swordsman. The elf slid to a stop and lay motionless at the feet of the giant. Wasting no time, Darvin unceremoniously smashed the head of Shadowin with his right foot. Black blood poured from the stumps of the dark elf’s legs. There was a moment of shocked silence quickly followed by a flood of elves rushing the giant.

It was over in a few minutes. Lord Tyrienwalker came down the hill to where Darvin lay dying. His eyes found the broken body of his friend Shadowin. His look was impassive and difficult to read. However, it was hard to miss the waves of hatred emanating from him. His gaze returned to the severely cut form of the last giant fighter in the region. His eyes were cold and calculating as he looked the giant over from head to toe. Darvin’s breath was ragged and loud. He coughed up blood as he lay there.

“What is your name?” queried Tyrienwalker smoothly. He was looking intently now at where the giant’s eyes should have been. He held his grief mingled with his hatred in check when he the waited for the giant to reply. He still could not help but appreciate the heroics he had just witnessed.

“Darvin Stonewalker…you can call me Darvin the Great” he sputtered up more blood as he laughed. He turned his head slowly toward where Tyrienwalker stood. “End it you filthy bastard…what are you waiting for?” Blood flowed freely from his massive mouth. He looked deranged with no eyes and his face covered in blood.

“Darvin, your name will be recorded in our histories. You will be remembered as the giant who defied the keeper’s own. You are like a mighty stone in a river, immovable and strong. However, against the tide of Meleirelnar you fell. Your bravery will not be forgotten” explained Tyrienwalker smoothly. He may be cruel and unrelenting as a foe, however, that did not mean he did not appreciate the giant’s last stand. The dark elves appreciated the powerful fighter whether friend or foe.

“Anything you want me to pass along to your master on my way out?” asked Darvin through spasms of laughter. He then left this life laughing. His heroics would live on in stories throughout all the different races of Tuwa. The tragic hero then lay still before the feet of the dark elves.

“Bury him” order Tyrienwalker solemnly. He did this for those he felt deserved a proper exit from the world of the living. He respected the giant’s fighting skills and grim determination. After all, he did kill several hundred elves by himself, not to mention killing master Shadowin. Anyone who could defeat the finest swordsman in all of Meleirelnar was a worthy foe indeed.

After the burial, the dark elves continued their journey north. They slaughtered the entire race of giants. They killed with ruthless efficiency having learned from earlier mistakes. The suddenness of the attack along with the lack of soldiers to defend the homeland made the genocide possible. The entire land of Burien was wiped clean of all giants. No one was spared during the weeks of slaughter. A dark cloud seemed to now follow the elves though they did not take notice. A sign of the curse Darvin had spat in anger at the forces of the Meleirelnar.

This was only the second instance of genocide in the history of middle Tuwa. Many races had been targeted before, however, not in the way that the dark elves had murdered the Eldar and now the giants. The race of giants was not completely eradicated; however, those who were fighting in the race war were not aware of how precious each of their lives had just become. They were the last of their kind in the middle lands. While it was likely that there would be no more giants in this part of the world, there were still other tribes scattered throughout the rest of Tuwa.

***

Lord Adair’s eye glazed over as though he were either lost in thought or was looking at something far away. A tear leaked out of his right eye followed by tears out of his left eye. He wept soundlessly as he felt the loss of so many lives. He felt the death of the giant nation. He knew that a dark force had been unleashed and that the keeper had now cast his lot. The ruler of the underworld had chosen his time well to strike at the living. With everyone focused on the war of the races it would be the perfect time to act. The question was what the keeper’s end game was. Of course everyone knew that he envied the living that had bodies; however, Adair was not sure that it was envy that was the driving force. This move required his attention and he did not have time to waste. He vanished in an instant and was on the move again.

As master Aiden approached the elven capital he could not help but feel the sense of loss all around him. He was always very in tune with his surroundings and the enchanted forest was speaking to him as he traveled. He could feel the pain and anguish as though it was tangible. He had always enjoyed his time visiting the tall black oaks of Renshaw and was saddened by what he was sensing. Nothing escaped the ravages of war. He was glad for this opportunity to get away from the day in and day out bloodshed. He had been charged to lead a contingency of elves on a journey to a secret location where the mysterious Orb of Nitesh lay hidden. He was curious who he would be meeting with once he arrived. He had a feeling from the guardian that there was someone there that no one would expect.