The Bloody Cavern

The town that was messily displayed before the wave of energy looked anything but civil.

It had massive pillars made out of rock and ice that acted as a defensive measure against the unknown dangers that lurked beyond its walls. The energy neared these gigantic walls and floated over them easily as its contents were revealed to it.

The town's buildings were made of stone and strange grey wood that was used to brutishly create massive shacks and hovels that were seemingly deserted.

Large piles and carts of ore and stone lined the ice road that led into the town. The ore looked strange and unlike any metal from Lyre, but the fact that it was left out in the open said that it was common in this icy land.

The energy lingered here for a small amount of time, twirling around the buildings with a glint of interest in its strange formless waves, but after indulging its curiosity it moved on towards the center of the town where a gigantic pit led down into inky darkness.

It dived down the pit with little hesitation and quickly found itself in a massive stone plane that was completely submerged underneath the earth. Gigantic red spikes of ice covered the ceiling of the cavern and looked as if they would fall at a moment's notice but they remained still despite their dangerous appearance.

The energy weaved in and out of the ice before coming across a massive red stone city.

The buildings in the cavern were much more refined than the ones on the surface and even had an artistic appeal to them. The buildings towered over one another and walkways and bridges connected them at various levels creating an incredibly chaotic feeling for them.

The energy swirled through the bridges and observed the first individuals it had seen since coming to this land.

Massive pale white beings lumbered through the city performing various duties just as any other mortal would do in a town.

Some of these giants were up to 20 feet tall while others were as short as 6 feet tall. The range was big but most of the Giants were on the smaller scale.

They all had a beast-like appearance as muscles bulged with every action they made, almost as if they were ready to strike at any moment.

The wind and ice would have made anyone shiver down in this dark cavern, but the Giants didn't even flinch as they lifted heavy spikes of ice across the city for various uses. Most of these giants were being used to traffic materials across the underground city while the rest were building and crafting, though these were all just the common Giants of Improst.

A few giants stood out among the rabble and seemed to act more superior compared to all the others. The energy swirled towards them and slowed down to a stop as it inspected three of these special giants who were standing in a massive circle of polished stone that was directly in the center of the City. Towering statues lined the outer ring of the circle while the inside seemed to be a sacred place with 13 thrones placed in coordination with the statues. Though only 3 people sat on any of these thrones at the moment.

"You felt it too?" The tallest of the three giants said, his height reaching 30 feet tall easily. He wore bright red metal armor that weighed more than any human could ever carry.

Two huge hand axes rested on his hips and carried a dangerous glint to them. He was just as pale as the standard giants but one thing made him different than the rest, not including his size.

The veins that bulged across his muscular body were not blue like that of a human or a typical giant but instead blazed red like fire or freshly spilled blood.

His voice was strong and noble despite his barbaric appearance.

"Indeed, Gorewalker. It seems as if your Grandson's life is coming to an end,"

"It's a pity he wasn't born pure blood or else he could have been a rising star of our people..." The smallest of the giants said in a distasteful tone.

He was the smallest giant the energy had seen during its journey here and was even shorter than Kull who was a half-giant. He stood at 5 feet tall which was shorter than most humans, let alone Giants.

He had seedy black hair that fell to his waist and eyes that were black and brown. He was covered in dirt and grime but held a dignified air that the other two giants present didn't possess. His clothes were simple but the man's presence said he wasn't a man to be trifled with.

Unlike Gorewalker, this Giant wielded no weapons, and his veins pulsed with vile black energy that seemed much more pronounced than the tallest giant.

"Mind your tongue, Decay!" Gorewalker commanded sternly towards the grime-covered Giant.

"Humph!"

"You know it is true Red-Vein, if he was a true giant we wouldn't be in such a dire situation,"

"Stop it you two!" The third and last giant commanded mightily.

This giant was far different compared to the other two which bickered back and forth. This Giant was average in looks and size but he wore a heavy black cloak that was woven out of an unknown material.

His hands clutched a large crooked staff that was made out of a gnarled white wood which was a sharp contrast to his dark clothing.

His body was hidden by the cloak but his face was clear to see to all who passed by. He was perhaps the most handsome giant out of the entire clan. He had a wisened face that was filled with experience while still holding a great deal of charisma and charm. He looked like an ancient general who could sway the masses with his words and back his promises with real action.

Though this charm and wisdom came at a steep price. His face was wrinkled and his eyes dulled from the passage of time. He was old... truly old compared to all the giants in the clan.

"Yes Elder," The two bickering giants said in union.

"Mistakes have been made, that we cannot deny,"

"Whether pure-blood or half-born, we should treat a champion of our people with respect and cherish the chance that his life presents to our people,"

"You punished him for your bastard son's mistakes," The Elder said with a stern expression as he stared at Gorewalker intensely.

"And you Decay, you let that Dark Dwarf steal him from Improst!"

He took a ragged breath as his body tensed up from anger.

"Elder, are you well?" Decay asked with worry.

"I am fine," The Elder wheezed.

"I would have your heads if you were not both chiefs of your clans,"

"The Dark Dwarves and The Frost Elves are taking the surrounding cities down one by one,"

"It won't be long before we succumb to their attacks..." The Elder said as he stared off into the distance.

His dull black eyes flared a myriad of colors for a few seconds before returning to their old appearance.

"Hmm..."

"If we had Kull... We may have been able to end our enemy's lives without having to lose a single life," The Elder whispered.

The other two giants sat still and remained silent. They had no words to explain their actions and no clue on how to remedy the situation that they had put their home in.

"Nightmare is a truly powerful skill... It frightens me to think what it would have become if he received the blessings of the spirits... But what could have been holds no value in the present,"

"He will not die," The Elder stated.

"I clearly felt his life force slipping away," Gorewalker said in denial.

"As did I," Decay added.

"Enough,"

"Do you take my inheritance lightly?" The Elder said in a deadly tone.

The two giants tensed at his words and felt their chests tighten.

"I am the chief for a reason,"

"Infinity is the strongest skill we have had for many generations,"

"Without it, we would have long fallen,"

"And using this sacred gift from Strad and Uneq I have determined he will not die today,"

"A god chosen has taken by his side and is performing a great feat of magic to keep Kull alive,"

"Though this means nothing to us,"

"He left for a reason... Because of your mistakes," He said while gesturing his staff towards them, their bodies tensing as he did so.

The three giants fell into a deep silence as they stared off into the distance in thought.

They will die, and soon at that. They had tried to prepare for the war that was soon to come, but they didn't have enough talents to make up for the other race's armies.

So they needed to do something big, and they knew that.

"I have a plan..." The Elder said in a sad tone.

"I believe it's time I retire. My soul has grown tired and using Infinity to its true potential is impossible,"

"But if I burn my life force... I may be able to save our people,"

The other two giants found themselves stunned by their leader's words. But it was at this moment that the energy lifted into the air and returned to that tunnel underneath Nickten in a mere instance.

Things were happening... Big things...

What will come of them?