Chapter Text
The fallen leaves...have yet to tell their story.
The lands between is a fragile home. A land between distant lands, surrounded by perilous ocean, and filled to the brim with magic and myth that terrified the outer world. The lands between was not a place for those who feared the unexpected.
The lands between was the place of champions. It was the land of the sorceries of Caria, and the queen of the full moon. It was the land of roaring magma bubbling within Mt. Gelmir. It was the land of the faithful incantations of Altus, the beautiful forests of Limgrave and starry caves deep below. It was the land of the incomparable warriors of the Caelid wilds. And of course, it was the land of the snowy, yet fiery mountaintops of the giants.
"TO GLORIOUS BATTLE. THE GIANTS WE SLAY!" A commanding, booming voice cried out. It was closely followed by an almost sonic boom of a lion roar, snow fell from rock crags in front of the army, and any matter of birds close by scattered immediately.
Godfrey, the first Elden Lord raised his double sided war axe high, the silver metal decorated with shallow lines of gold shining in the pale sunlight. He stood sideways, facing his vast army all decorated in yellow garbs over their armor, a tree insignia upon all of them. Golden armor shone from knights both on foot and horseback. Then by contrast, the dark, red and black rusted looking color of the crucible knights' primordial gold armor. There were few crucible knights, but they were the fiercest amongst the golden army of Leyndell.
The fiercest amongst most of the golden army. Lord Godfrey was unmatched in his ruthless tenacity, undying persistence, and masterful battle prowess. Though behind the restraint the golden lion Serosh enforced upon the Elden Lord was a bloodlust that knew no end.
The army of Leyndell had just all crossed over quickly built but stable wartime bridges. It was the only sensible way for those the size of man to make it across the chasm that scarred the landscape of the mountaintops of the giants. There was a single leviathan sized chain spanning the gap, but with the size of their army, and their weapons, they couldn't take that risk. Now that the army and its equipment were ready, they had made themselves known and pushed into the snowy mountain top. However, after the war cry of Serosh, a fierce, snow filled wind swept over the mountain face.
Cassian was a young man within the golden army. Dressed in the full golden armor of a knight, but one that discarded the advantages of horse riding to stand beside the foot soldiers under his command and rally them under his guidance.
And his foot soldiers would need his anchoring presence, because ahead of them was arguably the most terrifying opponents most of them would ever face.
"Captain!" A soldier shouted out as the wind picked up. Cassian turned his head to acknowledge the man with a nod. "We're having trouble staying with the rest of the army in the fog!" The same soldier shouted. Cassian's men had stuck close together, well trained soldiers who were brothers in arms, but the windy peaks had blinded and discombobulated the golden army.
Cassian swiveled his head, searching for a glare of golden metal amongst the now smothering snow fog. He raised his hand in the air and clenched it into a fist. "Gather close!" He shouted, and immediately his men formed up in a circle with him at the front. There were about twelve of them, nine of them forming their circle with shields and swords ready, Cassian included, and three with crossbows primed in the middle. The crossbow men aimed high, ready for any flying threats or ambushes from high ground.
Cassian normally would've faced any danger boldly with two swords brandished and daring. In fact, he had his secondary sword sheathed upon his back. However, given the thick snow fog, the unknown number and size of the many creatures atop this mountain, he opted for temporary safety.
"Steady!" Cassian said, his head tilted towards the direction of his men behind him. They moved forward slowly, trying to listen above the howling winds for the rest of the army. Then, far louder than the winds, a roar was heard, one rivaling that of even Serosh.
A titanic gust swept away the snow and fog, the air become clear. Cassian and his men weren't too far from the rest of the army, scattered as it was, and moved to regroup. However, before they all could, a figure emerged from the small rocky hilltops ahead.
Flaming red and orange hair, braided down the sides of the rotund head, thick beard, and even mustache. Gnarly, and separated teeth were bared in a pale green lipped mouth. The giant wore no clothes except a loincloth, and individual hair braids wrapped around the joints on its arms. Upon its stomach was a massive closed mouth with a beard of its own, braided into a convenient extra layer around its waist. A gigantic nose was higher up on the middle of the chest.
The massive eighty foot behemoth lifted a plate of pale greenish metal, engraved elegantly, and more than large enough to crush any amongst the army it came down upon. Behind the monster was the roaring forge of the giants, the highest point in all the lands between. It stood in the high distance almost like an observer to the war below. Flames spewed from the center of the forge, almost taunting the relatively new, if not massive Erdtree with its fire. It was the only flame that could possibly burn down the Erdtree, and as such, must be extinguished. But in this moment, the raging flame of the fell god merely cemented that this battle would be remembered as one of the epic greats.
That was why they were here, that was why Marika had sent her king consort, the strongest warrior in the history of the Lands Between, his elite crucible knights, and her golden armies to stamp the forge out for good. But at the sight of this fire giant, Cassian almost wondered how even someone as powerful as Godfrey, all of the crucible knights, and their entire golden army could defeat that singular monster. It was enormous, and not only was armed with a weapon, but presumably wielded powerful fire magic of the flaming fell god.
Then to top it all off, there were sure to be more than just this one. The golden army had killed dozens of small, twenty foot stone giants on their way up the mountain. But this? This was completely different.
The fire giant roared and it felt as if the mountain itself was rumbling. The giant pointed his metal shield forward, and then, dozens of other roars sounded. Cassian froze. They hadn't known there were going to be that many giants. They had expected several, but dozens?
Almost in synch with his mere thoughts, the numerous other fire giants leaped over the far off chasm that separated the high peak from the foot of the forge that the golden army now stood on. The battle was upon them. Serosh roared viscously, and Godfrey slammed the pommel of his war axe down. There was a loud bang, but no shock wave was emitted.
"TO BATTLE!" The Elden Lord cried, dashing forward with borderline inhuman speed. For a moment the golden army did not move. The crucible knights were following their lord, but the foot soldiers and golden knights remained immobile for the briefest of moments.
Cassian snapped out of his fear induced reverie. Suddenly he dropped his oval shaped golden shield and unsheathed both of his golden great swords. His shield would do no good against beasts of this magnitude. Cassian planted a foot in the snow, his armor clinking lightly, and reared his head back to the sky; releasing a mighty war cry. It wasn't as epic as Godfrey's, but Cassian never needed it to be. With his mind ready, he followed his sovereign.
Then, in a thunderous charge the rest of the army followed.
The fire giants varied in size, the largest were hulking at eighty feet high, where as others were merely half the size. Regardless, a forty foot giant was still several times the size of any ordinary solider or even crucible knight, and thrice the size of Lord Godfrey. So as to be expected, the initial clash did not turn out as optimistic as previously hoped.
The fire giants, big and small, raised their massive metal shields and slammed them down onto the golden army's front lines. Some men were crushed instantly, others were fortunate enough to evade, close enough to strike at the many giant's feet and ankles. Small avalanches screamed forth as the giants dug their shields into the snow and fiercely yanked their weapons upwards. But it was not enough to stop the tenacity within the golden army.
Cassian charged forward and leaped to the side to avoid the shield of a smaller fire giant. His men followed behind him, but unfortunately a few were killed, blood began to taint the pure white snow across the battlefield. Thankfully the golden order had sent a large part of its forces, and as men fell, reinforcements rushed in.
The call of a commander could not be heard by either force amongst the new battle. As this commander stood back across the gaping chasm from which the army had crossed, a single behemoth chain connecting the fragmented mountain top. However, his presence was announced quite obviously when catapults launched giant boulders into the ranks of the giants.
Cassian heard the whoosh of rocks over head, the roars of pained giants, and the crashes of massive metal arms against the ground. White and red snow was sticking to his greaves in little pieces, and his cape fluttered, the bottom half torn off after too close of a call with a giant's weapon.
Cassian now faced that same tall giant with both swords raised, rushing forward and dashing either way to dodge the giant's shield. Many of his unit had died, caught up in the chaotic haze of battle. Part of him wondered how such well trained men had let themselves be slaughtered so easily, he knew those men, fought and trained with them. But then again, a chaotic haze of battle was hard to navigate as is, but one where the opposing army are behemoths beyond belief would be a nightmare to keep track of.
Fire began to bloom and explode amongst the battle field. Giant orbs of red flame slowly floated forwards, detonating when close to a golden solider and roasting him and anyone nearby in fire. Some giants slung powerful comets of fire from farther away. The catapults would've leveled the playing field against the fire magic if every other volley of boulders didn't hit their own troops instead of the giants.
Soon the barrage was called off and a different weapon was utilized. The golden order wasn't out to kill its own soldiers, even if a cruel fate still awaited them from their own queen.
Various knights called upon the holy magic of the fledgling Erdtree and their goddess Marika. Though the holy spells of gold and light were not quite as devastating to the giants as their fire was to the golden army, it at least did something. But soon the real game changer was launched.
The golden army's close range ballistas fired.
The spears were barbed at the end, with several points in a messy version of a trident head. The golden army had marched their equipment over the bridges and assembled their ballistas before battle, during the night. Now, they struck at the fire giants with impunity.
A massive bolt pierced the stomach of an eighty foot giant, the tip penetrating all the way through and sticking out of its back. The giant gripped at the shaft of the bolt, still lodged in its abdomen, and for a horrifying moment the golden army feared their one hope of winning was useless. But then the fire giant fell to its knees, snow kicking up as it keeled over, catching itself on its hands as the butt of the bolt dug into the snow and ground, propping the dying giant's body on its knees even after it succumbed to its wound.
The giant had died, and suddenly the other giants realized this wasn't going to be the curb stomp they likely imagined it to be. Though then again, Cassian had no idea how intelligent the fire giants were. For all he knew, they were barely above primitive, and judging by their clothes and weapons that might've been accurate.
A forty foot giant appeared next to the body of the first giant to fall, standing at full height it was as tall as the hunched over corpse of its comrade. The smaller giant glanced at the dead body next to it, quickly raising his pale green shield high and roaring in anger, its eyes landed on Cassian.
Cassian stood firm, both great swords resting in each hand loosely pointed outwards. He raised his helm to stare up at the approaching behemoth, bending his knees as he formulated a plan. A quick glance to his side showed that some of his men still lived, following his lead. A golden light bulb went off over his head.
Cassian kept the giant in sight, but called out to his men. "Use your crossbows! Draw its attention!" He commanded. It was difficult to hear over the roar of battle. The unique zinging sound of magic spells, both fire and holy, sounded out frequently. Not to mention there was the dozens and dozens of orders from commanding officers, and the sounds of the fighting itself?
The roar of Serosh broke through the discord, Cassian was tempted to check if Lord Godfrey was alright. However, he had to keep his eyes on the furious giant stomping towards him. Lord Godfrey was the fiercest creature in all the lands between. If anything, Lord Godfrey was surely killing multiple giants single handedly.
Cassian's men thankfully heard him, and before the fire giant could get within killing range, it flinched as crossbow bolts pierced the hide of its right arm. Its head turned towards the golden soldiers, but before it could turn its aggression on them, Cassian charged. Twin great swords branded he tore across the snow surprisingly fast, reaching the ankles of the brute and slashing with both swords.
He heard a deep grunt above him and rolled to the side as the foot he'd just injured slammed down where he'd previously been standing. The fire giant looked down at him as Cassian looked up and mockingly saluted it. More crossbow bolts now lodged themselves in the creatures back, only angering the giant further.
With a roar the monster extended both hands towards Cassian's remaining men. Two comets of fire flew forwards from its palms, and for a moment Cassian feared the last of his men would perish horribly. However, not a moment too soon, a golden tree sentinel, still on his armored horse, lept in between his men and the giant. The sentinel's massive golden shield, decorated with tree roots to symbolize the Erdtree, absorbed both blasts, slightly rocking the horse rider as golden magic shined around the shield. But he remained firm, and after a wide flourish of his golden haleberd, he pointed it at the giant and charged.
Cassian was rather surprised to see a tree sentinel amongst the battle. They were far from weak, in fact they were stronger than any warrior in the golden army except for Lord Godfrey and his crucible knights. However, they were sentinels. Their purpose was to defend the still expanding city of Leyndell that would soon become the capital now that Radagon had ended the war in Liurnia, married and had children with the queen of Caria, Rennalla.
Cassian's men roared behind him, firing their crossbows even more fervently. Cassian charged in time with the sentinel, both encroaching on the giant from different angles. Tree sentinels were massive, larger than your average man, and this one was no exception, but he still looked small next to the giant he warred against. It didn't make his haleberd any less sharp however, and it was big enough to do some damage.
The tree sentinel's horse leapt, followed by the sentinel harshly swinging down on the Giant's right hip before he landed and made distance, pivoting to face the giant once more. The gargantuan creature roared in pain, blood dripping onto the snow and off of the sentinel's haleberd.
Cassian reached the giant's foot, slashing just below the ankle, before jumping onto the massive appendage, clipping his swords onto his belt and jumping onto its stone anklet within a matter of seconds. He hung on tight as the giant turned and dug the side of its shield into the snow, yanking it up and sending a small avalanche at the tree sentinel.
The golden clad stallion charged at the incoming snow and rocks, leaping to the side and over the edge. The sentinel didn't miss a beat. He has seen Cassian climb onto the giant's leg, and in response lept into the air, shield at the ready. Many soldiers didn't understand what he was doing, He was too far to hit the giant. But the Sentinel had his reasons.
The Sentinel slammed his shield into the ground, kicking up a large amount of snow that concealed his form. The giant was perplexed, now having lost sight of his target. But it gave Cassian the time he needed to latch onto one of the red braids hanging from the Giant's back, and climb up.
The giant grunted in pain when it felt twin greatswords swords dig into its back. Cassian used them like ice picks, climbing up its back rapidly even despite the arms that failed to reach back for him.
Realizing the giant was now preoccupied, the tree sentinel rushed out of the snow like a bolt of lightning. Its golden haleberd was brandished and at the ready, almost as if in a jousting match. With a leap the Sentinel gored his opponent's leg, driving the spear head of his weapon deep into the flesh until it was no longer visible. With a fierce tug he yanked it out and flourished his blade, stylishly leaving a shallow but bleeding laceration on the same ankle he'd just punctured, and flicking blood off his spearhead.
The sentinel's wounds had properly distracted the behemoth. Cassian had lept onto the braids dangling from its head, and now stood shakily on its shoulder. But now, with the giant bleeding and weak, he readied himself to end it. With the casting of an incantation, he enchanted both of his great swords with golden light, they glowed brilliantly. Then, with a roar, he violently and forcefully plunged both blades into the Giant's temple. The twin blades sunk almost to the hilt, and once they did Cassian violently jerked them down.
Golden light radiated outwards from the wound, then with a flash it exploded. The magic had done its damage, and though the giant's head looked no different, it went limp. Cassian pulled both his swords out, the metal gleaming but having lost its magical enchantment.
With a dying groan the giant began to list to one side, tumbling like a great tree being cut down. Cassian almost lost his balance, but with a firm grip onto the red braids he held steady. He heard hooves thumping in the snow below him, and looked to see none other than the tree sentinel that had helped him racing in the same direction the giant was falling, trying to reach Cassian.
The sentinel extended his free hand, having put his haleberd onto his back. Cassian let go of the giant's hair and leaped towards his fellow golden warrior. His hand caught the sentinel's, and with a tug he was pulled away from the body as the steed pivoted towards a safer direction. The forty foot giant's body tumbled to the snow, rolling before coming to a stop near the edge of the cliff. However, it would not stay there for long as the rocks gave way and collapsed, and as they fell into the depths of the mountain, so too did the giant's body.
Cassian now dangled from the arm of the sentinel, but both the sentinel's and his grip was firm, and as the steed slowed down he allowed himself to be lightly tossed to the snow, catching himself with a side roll and coming to a stop on one knee.
Cassian looked ahead to where the Sentinel's horse had dug its hooves in and stoped as the Sentinel unsheathed his haleberd. Cassian watched as his fellow warrior turned his head to look back at him, before nodding. Cassian nodded back in mutual respect and approval. Together, the giants they would slay. For queen Markia the eternal, for the grace and glory of the Erdtree, may it never fall.
The battle against the giants still raged, but the tide was turning. Dozens of giants lay dead, pierced through the stomach by enormous barbed ballista bolts. Cassian heard the roar of Serosh, and watched as Lord Godfrey jumped high into the air before throwing his war axe into the face of a large giant. The giant reeled back, grabbing at its face, managing to dislodge the weapon from its jaw, only for a massive barbed bolt to drive through its open stomach mouth.
The eye on its chest, the one that the fell god of fire lived within, went dull. It closed, and with that the giant bent over forwards and died just like the others.
Cassian turned his head when a much closer roar sounded. He looked to his left and saw an eighty foot monster bearing down on him and his remaining men. Cassian deflated, defeating the monster half its size had been exhausting, how was he supposed to kill this one, even with the help of his new sentinel comrade?
Thankfully it seemed that the greater will was watching over him, because not a second too soon did another barbed bolt pierce through the closed eye of the fire giant. The bolt entered into the giant's back and came out the front, and it was then that Cassian realized the battle had become so chaotic that neither army could maintain a solid line of battle. The giant's and golden army warred between each other all over the mountain face.
This time the eighty footer fell backwards. He was still on his knees, but it died looking up at the sky. Cassian sighed in relief, seeing a similar relieved sag of the sentinel's shoulders.
Cassian forced himself to his feet after taking a few moments. He faced his newfound friend, the sentinel, and the both of them nodded to each other and with the few crossbow men left from Cassian's unit, they marched into the rest of the battle.
Cassian and the Sentinel didn't have anymore extreme heroics like they did against that first giant. Cassian spent almost every moment directing his men, doing his best to keep them out of danger, and casting what incantations he knew to support the ballistas and crucible knights. His sentinel friend did the same, golden magic took on the mirage of an identical, but larger version of his real shield, absorbing every fire and avalanches alike in defense of the army. But eventually the battle began to come to a close. And soon, Queen Marika herself arrived.
Nearly every giant had fallen, and two crucible knights, under order of Lord Godfrey, had flown to the forge of the giants at the very top of the mountain. But it was upon their return that a horrible truth became known to them. The forge of the giants, though considerably tamer since the knights attempts to quell it and the death of its followers, would never fully die.
It had all been for nothing, all their deaths, the slaughter of the giants, had been for virtually nothing. The flame that threatened the Erdtree couldn't be extinguished. Cassian supposed that at the very least, the giants that could wield such a flame without consequence were all gone. For any other to wield the forge flame, death would surely follow their attempt to control it.
When Lord Godfrey's knights relayed their discovery to him and the queen, Marika ordered the last giant to be spared. It had suffered deep wounds to its left ankle and both fore arms, and was down on its knees, but it was alive.
Marika approached up the hill towards the eighty foot behemoth, having advanced to the very top of the face, not too far from the chain that connected the mountain to the forge. Lord Godfrey and all sixteen crucible knights stood around her on guard against the giant in case it tried anything. The Giant stared down at the queen and golden army in pain, suffering, and rage. It was furious, but everyone doubted if it could truly perform complex thought.
But upon her encroaching enough distance, queen Marika uttered her curse upon the giant. The entirety of the now resting golden army could hear it despite her soft tone. The words sent a figurative shockwave throughout the mass of soldiers. "O trifling giant, mayest thou tend thy flame for eternity." She said, and it was then Cassian understood.
They couldn't extinguish the flame, but they had killed nearly every creature capable of wielding it freely, and the only one left was now bound to forever guard the flame, to prevent anyone else from ever trying to claim it and use it against the Erdtree. The giants, sworn enemy of the Erdtree, were now almost entirely extinct, and with that reality, the fell god of fire would wither without its subjects. With only one cursed and weak fire giant left, the outer god of fire would be no more.
Almost as if realizing its fate. The fire giant roared in anger. Godfrey and the crucible knights leapt into action, moving to protect Markia as the giant roared ferociously into the sky and dug its hands into the snow. Its roar made it feel like the ground might crumble. The injured hands yanked snow up from the mountain, and sent it in an avalanche at everyone in the golden army. Marika, Godfrey, and the crucible knights evaded, but the rest of the army was not as powerful as them.
The wave of snow crashed into the golden knights and foot soldiers, sending many flying. Cassian was amongst them. He tried to dodge the snow, but it was inescapable. He hadn't been able to reach the sentinel in time, and was thrown violently into the air and careened towards the edge of the cliff. Before he could even realize what was happening, he and several others had been thrown off of the side.
He crashed into a stone ledge on the cliff face, but before he could see if there was any more he could land on, darkness overcame him as another impact connected with his body. He thought he'd seen the tree sentinel reaching for him as the snow had hit, and part of him was glad he'd managed to have that brief friendship, even if it was to end like this.
But then the world turned black and he could think no more.