A Fateful Day

Lying down in the soft green pastures of Frostholt a half-giant youth enjoyed the beauty and joy of springtime in the mountains. Today was perfect, the sky was clear, the flowers blooming; one could almost say that they could feel the serenity that Phaet felt on the first day.

"Edje! Where are you?"

Edje sat up and looked across the field and caught a glimpse of his baby sister Lene searching the fields for him. Edje smiled as he watched his beloved sister run towards him, her long blonde hair bouncing in pigtails as she ran. Edje rose to his feet and waved to Lene as she neared his heart leaping for joy. Lene neared her brother and leapt up into his arms as Edje hefted her up onto his shoulder.

"What can I do for you little one?"

"Edje, you know I hate when you call me that."

"I know Lene, but you’re my baby sister…"

"And you love me… I know. Papa’s looking for you. He wants you to help him.

"Oh, that’s why you came running. Tell Father I shall return home in an hour or so, I want to enjoy this day as long as I can."

"Okie.""Lene, do me another favor please, tell Larek that I’ll be by tomorrow to help him with getting that piece of alabaster from the mountain for his next sculpture."

"Ooh… Larek’s making another statue? What’s it going to be of?"

"He hasn’t decided yet, but he thought maybe a statue of Phaet would be good."

"Hehehe… Ok Edje, I’ll tell him."

"Thanks Lene, now hurry home I’m sure you have other things to do that waste your day with me."

"Edje…"

"Yes Lene?"

"I know you just turned 12 years old, but I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind playing with me later…"

"Lene, you don’t even need to ask." Edje reached out to a nearby rose bush and drew a rose from the bush and carefully placed it in Lene’s hair. "Of course I’ll play with you. Now hurry home, I’m sure that Mother and Father are worried about you."

Lene waved happily as she bounded back over the fields and back to the farm that the Swift family called home. Frostholt was a small community of humans, giants, and half-giants all living in peace and serenity. Edje laid back down into the grass as he watched the clouds move across the sky, dozing off into a peaceful sleep.

**************

The sound of screaming and suffering permeated the air as Edje woke up. Looking towards Frostholt Edje saw black smoke pouring forth from the city. Edje’s mind filled with millions of thoughts as he ran towards Frostholt. As Edje neared the city acrid smoke filled his lungs and the smell of blood hung heavily in the air. Running for Frostholt’s square Edje quickly ducked into a corner as he neared the square.

"Frost Giants…"

A small band of Frost Giants from the mountain had swept down the mountain and attacked Frostholt. Edje crept closer to listen to what was happening when he placed his hand on something sticky and slippery. Looking down Edje almost screamed as he saw his hand in a pool of blood and guts. Edje stifled his scream as he shuddered at the thought of the violence that had been wreaked. Edje looked around and saw the bodies of many of his friends and their families strewn all around Frostholt. Edje scanned the scene in search of his family and thought all was well with the Swifts.

"What’s going on here? Why are you here? Did we not agree to peace last autumn? Are the giants of the mountains dishonorable?"

Edje turned his attention back to the square and saw his brothers and father standing there with pitchforks presented before them, challenging the band of giants. Despite being severely outnumbered the Swifts stood their ground. Edje quickly looked for Lene and his mother and saw them standing just out of sight of the marauders. The leader of the Frost Giants was massive, even for a giant. Standing at about 9 feet tall the giant was well muscled and wore armor created from the bones of his enemies. Yet, this was not what made Edje gulp in fear, the weapon the giant wielded amazed Edje, it was a sword that few men could carry, much less wield, yet this monstrosity wielded it one-handed with ease.

"You are a fool. You and your people dared to refuse our wishes and for that you pay. You will never be safe from us. Run and we shall hunt you down. You will not be safe from us. We have come to make a lesson of this little village."

"You asked us for what we could not give! Do not do this, please; we are a kind peaceful village. You have already killed everyone in the village, please, leave us at peace."

"Are these dead bodies your friends?"

"Yes… my friends and their families. What good is this? You’re killing innocent people! We did nothing to you!"

"You denied me. What I wanted. Now En Guarde. Prepare to die."

Edje’s father moved forward and assaulted the leader. The leader laughed as he brushed off the attack as if it were nothing. Edje’s father doubled his efforts but it wasn’t long before the leader sent Edje’s father sprawling with a powerful bash. Upon seeing their father bashed to the ground Edje’s brothers sprang into action and attacked. The other giants joined the battle as the Swifts put their heart and soul into the battle. From the west came a small group of men who had been hunting for food and just returned to the village to see their families slaughtered. Armed with crude wooden spears the warriors ran to the Swift’s aid. The din of battle quickly filled the air as the warriors of Frostholt battled the invaders. Unfortunately the warriors of Frostholt were not prepared to face such an onslaught. Their crude weapons and substandard armor were no match for the superior armaments of the invaders, yet they did not die quietly, of the two score that walked into Frostholt only a handful remained. In the end five warriors and their leader stood victorious over the warriors of Frostholt, only Edje’s father remained. The leader proceeded to drive his sword into Edje’s father’s chest, piercing, skin, flesh, bone, and cloth to protrude from the other side. Carelessly removing the body from his sword the leader tossed the body aside and moved on in search of any survivors to kill.

"Edje’s father looked up into Edje’s eyes and with his dying breath spoke to his son. "Edje… please… escape this place… keep the Swift name alive… live on…for…m…"

Edje broke into a quiet sob as he held his dying father in his arms. A feminine scream broke Edje from his misery as he remembered his mother and his sister. Moving quietly through the ruined city, Edje came upon a scene that would be forever ingrained in his mind. His mother’s limp body was impaled upon the leader’s sword, her lifeless eyes staring directly at Edje. Edje looked down in sorrow when he noticed a small knife on the ground. Looking at the knife Edje read the inscription, "Happy Birthday Larek." Edje looked around for the corpse of his best friend Larek, but it was not anywhere to be seen. Picking up the knife and placing it inside of a small pocket Edje was about to run when the leader turned his attention upon Lene. Edje drew upon the courage of the Swift family and stepped out from his hiding place and spoke.

"NO!"

The giants turned their attention on Edje and laughed to see the young boy standing there awkwardly wielding a grubby long sword. The leader turned away from Lene and moved towards Edje.

"You expect to stop me little boy?"

You killed my family! I’m going to kill you!"

Edje moved forward to kill the leader, but the leader was too quick, he grabbed Edje by the neck and slammed him down into the ground. The wind was knocked out of Edje’s lungs and he gasped for air as the leader kicked him and began to systematically destroy Edje. Bloodied and battered Edje continued to suffer in silence, not allowing the giants the joy of hearing him scream. The leader finished with Edje and left him beaten in a pool of his own blood, seemingly unconscious, and turned back to Lene. Lene was crying and begging for mercy as the leader neared her. The leader grabbed Lene by the neck and in one fluid motion planted a sword into her belly.

The leader dropped Lene to the ground and the rose that Edje had placed into her hair fell from her little head landed into a pool of blood. At that moment, something within Edje was opened. Edje felt power surge into his body; a power that he had never known existed within him. Drawing himself up to his feet Edje screamed and charged at the leader.

The leader motioned for his men to leave Frostholt but Edje’s scream made him stop and turn.

"Not dead yet?"

"You killed my father."

The leader connected with a mighty punch sending Edje reeling back, but still standing.

"You killed my mother."

The leader continued his assault and connected with a might blow to the head, sending Edje back yet again.

"You killed my brothers."

The leader sent a thrust kick directly into Edje’s chest sending the young man flying into a ruined home.

"You killed my sister."

The giants looked in awe as Edje climbed out of the ruined house and moved forward against their leader, who upon seeing the insolent young man who would not stay down drew his massive sword forward.

"You destroyed all that I care about."

The leader viciously swung his mighty sword at Edje’s head when Edje brought up his left arm and parried the swing with a small metal shield he had picked up in the ruined house.

"You’ve killed your last person. Today. You die."

The other giants laughed at this and backed away from the battle and decided to leave this battle to their leader.

"Insolent boy. I will enjoy killing you."

"In your dreams."

Edje reached down inside of him and tapped that source which gave him the power to stand and knew that this would be mortal combat. Only one would leave this place alive. Edje picked up a quarterstaff from the ground and wielded it awkwardly as the leader grinned and moved forward, attacking easy prey. Edje suddenly felt infused with power and he handled the quarterstaff with practiced ease as he sent the staff thudding into the leader’s ribs causing him to stumble for a moment. Pivoting on his foot Edje dipped down and rolled forward, attacking the leader’s knees from behind and causing him to stumble. The leader stumbled forward and glared angrily at Edje. The leader charged forward sword swinging and Edje dodged to the right, rolling down and away from the leader, but Edje had inadvertently caught his foot in a hole in the ground and was truly easy prey. The leader saw this and closed in, ready to finish Edje off. Edje broke free just in time to have the leader’s massive sword slam down hard on where he would have been seconds earlier. Edje and the leader circled off, each watching the other warily. Weakness suddenly overtook Edje and he knew he would not be able to last much longer. Whatever had given him the power to fight was still there and Edje drew upon it and screamed at the leader.

"DIE YOU GODDAMN SON OF A BITCH!!!!"

Edje threw all he had into one last surge of power. The quarterstaff flickered past the leader’s sword and in quick succession struck knee, wrist, ribs, and finally Edje thrust the quarterstaff into the leader’s stomach like a spear. Groaning the leader fell to the ground.

"Phaet forgive me."

Edje twirled the spear and rammed it directly into the leader’s throat. Gasping for breath the leader looked up at the young boy who had defeated him and his head rolled back in death. The other giants looked at Edje in horror. Unsure as to what to do next the giants ran, their leader defeated they fled into the mountains. Edje used his remaining strength to go over next to Lene and get the rose that he had put in her hair just hours before.

"Edje…."

"Lene!"

"Edje… I’m soooo cold. Why is it so cold?"

"Lene… shh…"

"Edje… why am I so cold?"

Tears formed in Edje’s eyes as he held his dying sister in his arms, the blood flowing from th vicious belly wound. Edje removed his shirt and covered his sister’s wound the best he could.

"It’ll be Ok Lene…"

"Edje… mama and papa are dead…"

"I know Lene… I know…"

"Edje... please don’t leave me… I don’t want to be alone, I’m soo afraid."

"I won’t Lene… I promise. I love you my dear sister. Please don’t leave me. Phaet… if you have any mercy…please… spare her…"

"Thank you bro…th…"

"Lene!! No!!! LENE!!!!!!!"

Edje pulled his sister close to his chest and loudly wept as rain began to fall from the sky. All the pain that he had taken today was nothing compared to the pain of holding his dead sister in his arms. Edje wept himself to sleep holding Lene in his arms surrounded by the dead bodies of his friends; Edje could only weep…