The Unfated Wanderers Canto 21
Tong, Billet and Vilerend joined the guard upon the palisade. She said, “King, a giant is walking towards Shatterbone.” Mere miles away crawled a turtle, its horned bull head caressing the clouds, its ant-like legs consuming the distance, like a child hopping a rill.
Relief replaced the worry creasing her face as she greeted the Unfated Wanderers. “Brave saviors of Icebrunt! Can you slay this giant? Unless Fate says otherwise, we will all perish today.” Hope danced in her eyes while her hands clenched the gong’s mallet, threatening to crack the wooden handle.
Vilerend and Billet had no answer for her, nor was one needed. A jagged streak of purple tore across the sky. This great wound gaped open and for a moment the tundra was tinged purple. A boiling bolt of black lightning burned through the sky and pierced the giant’s shell. The palisade shook as thunder cracked and then again as a deafening shriek burst from the giant’s bull-head maw. The ant legs carried it one step further, and then another, before their strength failed and dropped the colossal beast onto its belly. The rent in the sky closed but the jagged tear remained, purple light bubbling into the Living World like an oozing wound.
The Stormcraft Cult had claimed another kill. The village of Shatterbone trepidatiously watched a band of wizards trot towards their town. They stopped within shouting distance and began to talk amongst themselves, cheering and boasting over their latest victory. A single wizard wearily walked closer to the palisade. Tong, Billet and Vilerend gasped in unison. Fern Quickstream stood before them.
She said, “You do not trust me. Nor should you. I am trying to redeem myself. My group has devised magic to slay giants. We are traversing Icebrunt, killing one fell foe at a time. It is working. I cannot ask for your trust or forgiveness but I still have hope. As a gesture of good will, I will tell you some news from the south of Icebrunt. I do not know if you have seen them yet, but there are people preaching some sort of new radical Weaverism in various villages and towns. They have been gathering followers and enriching themselves with the peoples’ possessions and money. They are planning to seize control of the country and unite all of the hordes as one nation with one government. That is their long game. I just wanted to pass this information along. Do not allow them into your village. They seem pious. They seem helpful. They are villains.”
“How do you know their plan?” Tong asked.
Fern smugly replied, “Spies. I strive to be informed. Even after everything, I still care about you and Icebrunt. Do not trust these new zealots.”
“We must be going. More giants to kill. It was good to see you again, Tong.”