Who Says `No' to the Earthquake? #3
by Scott Grildrig
The Princess uses her power to stop an invading army
Update: 23/10/1997 to giantess

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    Symfrall stood and watched the army drop from the clouds.  Men, horses
  and engines of war drifted in from the eastern sky, and settled to earth
  with the gentleness of snowflakes.  Within the hour, ten thousand spears,
  two thousand cavalry, and scores of siege towers, catapults and arbalests
  flooded all the lands about the castle.
    "How are we equipped for siege?" asked Symfrall.
    "We are just short of the summer harvest.  Two months," answered Nodwood.
    "This fortress will fall long before that."
    "Aye.  We are ill-manned to cover even the parapets."
    "I must see the Princess," said Symfrall.
    "Do so, whilst I make inquiry of my cousin."
    Nodwood had his loudest soldier brought to him, and a quick exchange
  of information was conducted.
    PRATTLE: whither are thee headed?
    DRAXIS:  we are arrived.
    PRATTLE: planning on a long stay?
    DRAXIS:  nay.
    PRATTLE: any kind of working agenda?
    DRAXIS:  everyone in the castle must die.
    PRATTLE: any particular reason?
    DRAXIS:  part of a new business venture.
    PRATTLE: ye shan't be getting any more feta cheese from us.
    DRAXIS:  thought of that, can't be helped.
    PRATTLE: right.  well, hope thou catcheth the plague.
    DRAXIS:  die of farting.
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    "Hold it thus," explained Tasgeni.  "until thy hand warms it to life.
  Then touch it with the gold, to swiften the process."
    "Nothing is happening," said Symfrall.
    "It did not begin all at once," answered the Princess, but there was
  doubt in her voice.  "Perhaps if I tried it."
    "Nay.  Thou are not bred for war."
    "No.  But I am sworn to the king, the kingdom and its people."
    "And I am sworn to thee.  I own a final hope.  May he forgive me for
  the presumption."  And Symfrall drew Valorja from his sheath.  "Stand
  back," he warned.  "The full consequences of this are unknown to me."
  He waited till Tasgeni was at the far end of the room.  Looking at the
  blade, he brushed it with his gloved hand, thinking about the sword
  and its maker.  Then, shouting a word of command, he raised the sword
  high, and brought it down flat upon the stony floor.  The metal
  exploded into a cloud of bright shards.  For a long moment nothing
  happened, then the bits and pieces began to float up from the floor
  and began to gyre like a dervish.  The fragments sparkled and glittered
  as they flew, and a great noise of roaring filled the room.  There was
  a dreadful thunderclap, and a third person was seen to be kneeling in
  the center of the room: the wizard Nogcunmanodin, holding a hand spade
  and a yellow chrysanthemum.  He tapped the floor with his spade and sighed.
    "You couldn't have waited another minute, no?  I was just about done."
    Tasgeni stepped forward and took the plant, while Symfrall helped the
  old man to his feet.
    Nogcunmanodin clucked his tongue at the remains of Valorja, strewn
  across the floor.  "Next time I'll find a better way to bind a summoning
  spell." He closed his eyes and mumbled an incantation.  The shards began
  to move, to dance.  First, some, then all of them melted into a quicksilver,
  and ran together into a quivering puddle.  Eyes tightly shut, and without
  breaking his song, the wizard bent and thrust his hand into the molten
  metal.  Then, slowly he stood up.  As his hand emerged from the pool,
  it was seen to hold a hilt, and the hilt owned a blade.  The puddle
  shrank as Nogcunmanodin withdrew Valorja, and when the source was
  drained, the blade was whole.
    Nogcunmanodin opened his eyes and looked the sword over, polishing
  its flat upon his sleeve.  Without looking he tossed it to Symfrall, who
  deftly snapped it out of the air and returned it to its sheath.
    "The sword is barren now," warned the wizard.  "So don't be slapping
  it on the ground anymore.  Now," he said, clapping his hands together.
  "Tell me how bad things are."
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    The Draxisian army attacked.
    The noise of it seemed to fill the world.  And though the defenders
  had some small success in fending off the first waves, everyone knew
  what he outcome would be.
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    "I'll not tolerate it," said Symfrall.
    "Tough fewmets," said Nogcunmanodin.  "Would you rather see her and
  everyone else here spitted and gored?"
    "Weave a spell."
    "Suck an egg.  This isn't a game.  There's a sorcerer and a dragon
  out there.  I'm over matched.  Hades, boy, they're so dangerous that
  they don't need the magic.  This castle would fall without spell one
  being cast.  The moment I sent something their way, they'd wrap me
  up, and let the militia finish the battle."
    "I want another option."
    "You don't get one.  Besides, there's another opinion to be asked."
    "I was wondering when ye would remember that," grumbled Tasgeni.
    "Thou understandeth my fears?" asked Symfrall.
    "Aye, but I'll not stand by when I might make a difference."
    "So be it.  Nogcunmanodin, garb her well, I'll not suffer her to
  bear any wound, that foresight might fend off."  Reaching down, he
  pulled Valorja from its sheath.  "But first, Princess, if thee will
  feign to be a warrior, thou must at least demonstrate some knowledge
  of the blade."
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    Battle continued.
    Draxis washed up upon the stony castle walls, like a tide from hell.
  The attacks were more fearsome now, and beginning to pay with results.
  Two of the siege engines were hard against the walls, further taxing
  the ranks of the defenders, and more engines were close to coupling.
  Nodwood, himself, fought extravagantly and led the cheer when Symfrall
  returned to battle, wielding a morning star and a long sword.  But in
  between his war cries, Symfrall cast nervous glances towards the west
  end of the castle, where rose the dome of a tall hill.  Minutes passed.
  Then, something happened that caused the battle to pause.
    Tasgeni slowly rose from behind the hill.
    She was attired in chain mail with a breast plate of iron, her greaves
  glittered in the sun, she wore an iron glove upon her sword hand, and
  everything was black, black as coal, black as midnight.  Her long blonde
  hair lifted and stirred in the winds that move far above the earth.  Her
  face was beautiful, but grim.  Her stance was relaxed, but ready.  The
  hill at her side topped near four hundred feet, but reached scarcely to
  her waist.  No goddess of war ever stood so tall or was ever so proudly
  caparisoned for combat, as was Tasgeni, Nodwood's daughter, when she
  confronted the army of Kingdom Draxis.
    She unsheathed Valorja, Symfrall's sword, and the sound of its unleashing
  was as the storm, and the light of its sheen was as the lightning.  Tasgeni
  held the sword up, then with a casual motion let the iron fall and sweep to
  the side.  Her stroke sent the blade shrieking through the forest of trees
  set high atop the rounded hillock.  Scores of century year old hardwoods sent
  their crowns leaping into the sky, and not one ever slowed the giantess'
  hand.  Then, she turned her ocean blue eyes down upon the countless legions
  of soldiers; cold eyes, filled with giantess strength and giantess
  determination.  No champion ever beheld so fearsome a challenger, no army
  ever met so mighty a foe.  Slowly, she pointed the sword down at the
  miniature army.  Two hundred men could stand from hilts to point upon that
  dreadful blade.  No sound was made, no one stirred, no one dared move, or
  risked drawing the attention of the Princess.
    "Leave." she commanded, and her voice rumbled with dire promises.
    Suddenly, out of the sky fell Bitumen, claws open, jaws agape and
  spreading flame.  He flew straight at Tasgeni's face.  She gasped and
  ducked her head, and the dragon slammed into her and tangled himself
  within her golden tresses.  Then Tasgeni reached up with one hand and
  pinned the dragon down, catching its neck so that it could not set her
  hair alight with his flame.  While with the other hand she raised Valorja
  and stabbed down, sinking the blade nine yards into the rock and
  earth.  Now, with both hands free, the Princess reached up and fought
  with the dragon, untangling it from her locks.  Bitumen's claws
  raked at her gauntlets, but could not pierce them.  His flame jetted
  into the sky, but never seared her.  His roars mixed with the noises
  of exertion let by Tasgeni, until with a triumphant shout she liberated
  the worm from her golden mane.
    "Thou art the cause of all our travails," snarled the Princess, and
  she beat the dragon against the hill.  Bitumen alternated between
  roars and yelps as he fought against the overwhelming strength of the
  giantess.  Tasgeni used the dragon against the hill as though she
  were pounding a rug, until the its carcass hung limp within her grasp.
  Sighing deeply, she went to cast the body aside, when suddenly it
  flared into life.  She had but only one chance to swipe at the departing
  tail of the worm, drawing a high pitched shriek in response.  Bitumen
  worked his wings hard, flying rather erratically towards the east, and
  he was not seen again in those parts for many long years.
    The Draxisian army seemed at something of a loss.  But a snarling
  command from their king sent them charging towards the castle, albeit
  with many a nervous glance towards the colossal Princess.
    Tasgeni watched the advance with disbelief.  Even she was a little
  awed by her contest with the dragon, and had hoped that her display
  might dissuade Draxis from further aggression.  But, seeing that this
  was not to be, she yanked Valorja from the ground and advanced upon
  the miniature army with an angry gleam in her eye.
    That was quite enough.  The tiny soldiers, feeling the ground
  tremble, and seeing the giantess bearing down upon them, never missed
  a beat, but wheeled around and charged in the opposite direction.
  The defenders cheered lustily as their Princess strode past, pausing
  only to smash the various engines of war in her path.  At first she
  slashed at them with Valorja, but quickly discovered that just stomping
  on the toylike structures was more than effective.  Her rampage threw
  the army into a full rout, and it seemed the day was won, until the
  voice of Hablrod, King of Draxis boomed over the field.
    "Turn!  Turn and fight.  I command ye."
    The army stopped as if pole-axed, and everyone, men and beasts, turned
  to confront Tasgeni.
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    "Enough!  She must not be made to fight." yelled Symfrall, and he let
  loose a piercing whistle.  A moment later Domhona burst from his stalls,
  and the knight leapt upon his back.  "Let me through," he shouted, and
  the gates parted, just in time.  Symfrall rode Domhona towards Tasgeni
  at a breakneck pace, his voice calling out her name, over and over.
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    Tasgeni stepped back slowly, letting the army advance upon her, but
  turning to her right, drawing a substantial portion of their force away
  from the castle.  Slowly, slowly, a mile, two.  Then, satisfied with her
  distance she crouched down low.  The army surged forward, weapons drawn,
  war cries echoing shrilly in the air.  It was madness, she was more than
  a match for all of them, but even had there been honor in such a battle,
  it was not for her.  Gathering her strength into her legs she launched
  herself forward into a great leap, soaring high over the miniature hoard,
  and landing behind their ranks with a thunderous clamor and a shaking
  of the earth.  She did not suffer her motion to stop, but leaned forward
  and began to run, rocking the countryside with each mighty stride.  In a
  matter of moments she covered the distance to where Hablrod stood upon
  Thangrock's hill, a low rock that stood a mile before the face of the
  castle.  Slowing to a walk she advanced upon him and his retinue, her
  blue eyes flashing with rage.
    Falling to her knees she slammed her hands upon the hill to either
  side of the evil ruler.  The King's Guard attacked her as best it could,
  hacking at her iron bound fingers, shins and feet.  But even the arrows
  fired upon her were unable to pierce her unarmored flesh, and with a
  disdainful glance she dismissed them from her thoughts.
    "Draxis, withdraw thy men.  Abandon this attack."  Her voice seethed
  with threats of retribution.  But the dread king made no answer to her,
  and instead raised his arms and made an arcane gesture that hurt Tasgeni's
  eyes to behold.  Then, taking no further note of the giantess, Hablrod
  returned his attention to a strange red jewel, gathering it to his chest,
  causing it to pulse in time to the rhythms of his heart.
    Tasgeni frowned darkly and reached for the king with her forefinger,
  intending to flick the evil jewel from his grasp.  But she encountered
  an obstacle, a barrier that prevented her from touching him.
    "Draxis," she warned.  "End this now.  I'll not suffer Prattle to fall
  to thee while life in me remains."  But all her threats, her pleadings,
  all her words fell on deaf ears.  So reaching out with her great hand, she
  wrapped her colossal fingers around the magical aura, and began to
  squeeze.  Lambert lights flickered across the magical field, and sparks
  buzzed against the palm of her hand.  Joining her left hand to her right
  Tasgeni applied all her giant strength, and the denial hummed and flashed
  from the contest, but she never so much as dented it.
    Panting from her efforts she mused a moment, then tried to dig under
  the shield, seeking a way beneath its power, or failing that a way to
  dislodge it.  But the shield seemed secured to the very hill, and she
  was unable to budge it.
    The noises of war caught her attention.
    She had taken no note of the time spent in her attack, and now the
  Draxisian army was once again on the verges of Castle Prattle.  Screams of
  agony, of death and dying brought tears to her eyes, and she turned back
  to the dread king, her eyes shining with a fierce intensity.
    "Draxis!  Draxis, hear me.  Cease this attack, or I shall go in defense
  of my people.  Think!  Think Draxis, think of the carnage.  I'll not be
  merciful, and thy army will fall.  Answer me!"
    Then, finally, for all this time Hablrod had been engrossed by his
  potent jewel, taking no note of all Tasgeni's spent energies; now,
  finally, he looked up at her, and he flipped her the bird.
    Something within Tasgeni broke, and she howled aloud in a great voice
  that reached even to the horizon: "Then perish!" she cried and she lofted
  her enormous mailed fist.
    Symfrall and Domhona sped like lightning, yet for all their haste they
  but arrived to hear Tasgeni's judgement upon Hablrod.  Symfrall shouted
  a word of warning, then watched helplessly as Tasgeni's mighty fist
  slammed down upon the magical denial.  The shield flashed red, and for
  the first time Hablrod showed some sign of concern.  Raising the jewel
  he shouted words of power, and the red faded.  But Tasgeni was not to
  be thwarted, and she began to pound the shield with her balled hand.  The
  ground shook with each furious impact, but the denial shrugged off her most
  powerful blows.  Crying with anger and frustration, Tasgeni struck the thing
  harder, faster, harder, faster.  Thangrock's Hill began to shiver into
  rubble, and the shield was pushed into the bedrock, carrying Hablrod
  along with it.  The noise was deafening.  The ground bucked and trembled.
  Tasgeni's golden hair flew as if caught in gale winds as she increased
  her pummeling.  Rising up onto her knees she clasped her mailed hands
  together, making a fist the size of a house, and with a falcon shriek
  she brought the dreadful hammer down upon the shield.  There was a vast
  explosion that blew the hill into dust, and lifted the giantess and
  tossed her a hundred yards back.  Symfrall threw up an arm to ward off
  the detritus tossed at him by the blast, but it was too much, and he was
  knocked unconscious.
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    When he woke he was cradled in the bare hands of the Princess.  Shaking
  his head he stared up at her, reading her misery in her eyes.
    "Ah, sir champion," she sighed.  "I failed."
    "Nay," said Symfrall.  "What of the army."
    "It flees," she answered.  "But the gore of Hablrod stains my gloves."
    "His choice," declared Symfrall.  "Mourn the soldier, never the
  commander.  Thou saved lives."
    "But Symfrall," she quavered.  "I felt him break beneath my fists."
  and tears welled up within her eyes.
    "Aye," said Symfrall.  "Ye were born for gentleness, not the savagery
  that is the employ of the warrior.  Lay thee down lady.  I have not the
  proportions to comfort thee as thou deserve, but I would do what I can,
  to help thee to forget."
    Then Tasgeni laid down upon the forest floor, and Symfrall clasped
  himself against her throat as best he might and stayed with her until
  nightfall.
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    Nogcunmanodin and Symfrall watched Tasgeni as she sat within the basin
  of Clearmoor lake, her body bent so that she might immerse as much of
  herself as possible.
    "Three days now," said Symfrall.  "Her mood improves too slowly."
    "A gentle heart has been wounded," answered the wizard.  "If you
  would not have her grow fond of her innate peril, let her remember
  that gentleness."
    "Aye, aye.  But I would cradle her and comfort her, and I cannot."
    "That will come, soon enough.  Be sure, she hesitates as much out of
  fear for you, as for the memory of her own violence."
    "I had suspected as much, but hoped the memory of our earlier tryst
  would absolve her of that doubt."
    "It will, Symfrall, it will.  Give her time.  I, though, should go now."
    "My thanks, old man."
    "Nay, I but remind you of things you already know.  Be thou patient."
    The wizard departed, and Symfrall sat long by the lake, until the sun
  was near to westering.  The slow day, and the weariness of waiting had
  bowed his head.  But a noise of crashing water roused him, and he looked
  up.
    Tasgeni rose out of the lake and waded up onto the verges of the
  meadow.  She was beautiful in the colored twilight, but Symfrall's
  eyes never strayed from her face, as he tried to read her feelings.
  Tasgeni crouched down slowly, and invited the knight into her cupped
  hands with a shy little curl of her lips.
    "It's good to see three smile again," said Symfrall.
    "I've not had the will," sighed the Princess.  "The memory of the battle
  does not fade quickly for me.  But the deed, however foul, is done.  You
  and my father say `twas necessary.  I will learn to live with that."
    "Will thou still join thy hand to mine?"
    "Aye," and she giggled softly.  "I caught thee, and I'll have thee."
    Symfrall's face mirrored his concern, "Not at this scale, I pray."
    "Nay, I'll spare thee that, though `twould make for a memorable wedding
  night.  I've had my fill of my mountainous stature.  I wish to see the
  roots of trees, the inside of my castle.  I wish for the company of others.
  And most, I wish to fit again within thy arms."
    "Forever?" asked Symfrall.
    Tasgeni laughed gently.  "For now," she replied, and she bent her
  head to kiss.
  ...End...