War chiefs POV
This is not going well. Not going well at all. The only saving grace so far is that everyone is very disciplined. I guess staying in a state of constant war will do that for you.
All the clansmen are doing their part of patching each other up as we make our way south, we should be making camp but after the stunt we just pulled killing top level members of the giant clan, no way will they let us go easily.
While carrying Fannar I had one of the others cauterize his leg to keep him from bleeding out. Luckily, he will live as even the gods would fear the night with the anger of his woman pointed at them. Her being one of the few that are top tier normally on a battlefield but legendary at assassination. Still shivering thinking about it.
We have been going nonstop for 3 days now, normally that's how long it would take us to get to a clan territory and be free. Instead, we have been fighting a rotating war of attrition while being constantly slowed by the enemy. We are just shy of being halfway to reinforcements while being constantly attacked by fresh and well rested giants.
Perseverance I keep repeating to the men, though I know at this point I'm trying to convince myself more than them. If we were born in any other realm, all of us would have scattered to the four winds only protecting ourselves, but we are Earth Clan. The lives of my brothers and sisters are my life, and my life is theirs. without one we crumble and are nothing, weak and vulnerable we would become if in the harshness of the north we could not even have faith in each other.
Suddenly enormous explosion sound all around us. Preparing for a large-scale attack we group up to defend each other, standing by the side of our fellow warriors till the end. Smoke and dust rise into the sky and vicious roars fill the air lasting several minutes as nothing seems to happen.
As everything settles down, we see a group of cultivators flying towards us. This is a sign that those coming are at the peak of the middle realms in power. Seven power houses make their way towards us and they seem to have been through quite the battle as well, though obviously in much better condition than us.
A tiny woman by our standards seems to lead them as she appears before us.
"who is in command and what is the current status." She asks.
"I am, men set up camp rest and treat the wounded." I reply while stepping forward still holding Fannar on my back.
Passing him to one of the others and settling matters of order, I set up a tent and great the Powerhouses who now sit comfortably drinking mead at the table I don't remember placing. Walking up to the girl from earlier I notice that she now has a raven's cloak on signifying she is of raven's clan. Putting two and two together I great her.
"Great Lord of Ravens' it is my honor to meet you, as well as the other lords present. When you found us we had been fighting our way back for several days and were on our last leg thank you for your aid."
I then explain all the events that had occurred from start to finish without leaving anything out. I then explained my deduction of why this was happening and none of the lords seemed surprised and just nodded along as if they expected this.
"Thank you for the report. I may as well fill you in on the full situation of what has been happening. The real reason you were able to escape is because we have killed the King of Giants in his very throne room. However, the ancestor of stag clan fell, his brother ancestors will probably personally slay any giant that reaches near the great divide just as an excuse to vent from now on." Spoke the lord of ravens.
She shows us a recording rune stone and I begin to watch it with great curiosity.
*****
Ravens clan ancestor POV
"Welcome to my castle tiny earth clan, have you come to acknowledge me as your king? HAHAHA." The current frost king speaking arrogantly. We don't say his name as its not pronounceable in the human spoken tongue. Just a series of guttural sounds in some random manner.
"No moron, where is your father? the adults need to speak little frosticles." I say back to the brat. He instantly frowns, then after realizing what I said his poor blue body turns pink from the anger.
"You are nothing, I will wipe the realm of earth clan and return the north to the giants. Too bad you won't be there to see it as I am going to kill you all now HAHAHA." The brat says back.
Suddenly a frosty mist pours in from the walls. Many of the giant guards fall to the ground unable to breath. We can't believe he resorted to poisoning us in his own hall while still under guest rights. The worst part is he poisoned his own clansmen. This brat is about to get beat down; guess he never heard the saying of not competing with snakes in poison.
Before any of us start to feel the effects of the poison, the snake clan head already figured out what it was and passed the correct antidote pill. Now we have the upper hand as its 8 of us versus the king and his 3 guards.
Splitting two groups of three and to individuals. We split the work with the two groups of three focused on bring down their opponents as fast as possible while we hold ours off. Sure, we could have gone in groups of two but three vs one is way easier than two vs one. Beating them down one at a time finally getting the king knocked down and injured very badly, we have snake clan use poisoning methods to figure out what's really going on.
The interrogation yields great results. Turns out the southern continent was trying to use the giants as a distraction to give them enough time to develop a foothold in our realm. After building this foothold they would constantly battle us from the south while the giants fought from the north. And if things continued, they knew the eastern continent wouldn't sit still and join the invasion.
We then drag the boy out of the palace and display him to the giants explaining how he broke the rights of hospitality, even showing some of the poisoned guards. After that we told them he sold his clans right of sovereign to the southern continent and killed his own father taking the throne. After this we tossed his limp body to the other giants as they ripped him apart.
Playing with the laws and traditions was one thing, and skirting the lines of war and training is another. But kin slayer and oath breaker are the highest crimes that even a king cannot escape from.
"we do not want all-out war with your people. Once you elect a new king send notice and we will conduct a new treaty with your people at the frost waste fort." I speak
As we make our way to leave, we hear a pained grunt followed by the collective gasps of the giants. Turning around I see a man with a cross painted on his face currently stabbing into the heart of the stag clan head. Before the clan head can die, he jerked his body to force the blade out as he spins cutting off the mans head showering his body in blood.
Even after all that they still launched a sneak attack. I told the giants he was the man who bought the giant king. Seeing their anger as they root our every man hidden in the city and hanging their corpses on the walls.
Now that's how things get done.