*one week before Mato's death*
Nathan sat, his back against a tree as he brushed his hands over the leaves of grass on the ground. He sat a couple yards away from his fleet, enshrouded in the shadows of the night, the tree leaves blocking out the light of the moon from reaching him. He watched from a distance as soldiers all sat around small fires, telling war stories or just joking around. In some groups, there was a gravity that hung over the soldiers, men and women alike, as they talked quietly about those who've died, or of the battle to come. Everyone was in edge, some could find a way to hand the stress, others were starting to break under it.
Nathan's eyes were on Evelyn. He watched her joke with the other soldiers, laughing around a fire as they roasted fresh boar meat over the flickering flames.
He began to pluck blades of grass out of the dirt one by one. He didn't feel welcome among the soldiers, due to his… issues. Nathan's abilities were extremely powerful, but he had a hard time controlling them, and in the past he'd hurt his own allies by accident, killing them. This brought about rumors and negative feelings among the soldiers toward Nathan, even some of the Deities disapproved of him. Especially Desrian.
Evelyn looked over at Nathan, who quickly averted his eyes to the ground, where he opened his hand, slowly letting the blades of grass he'd grabbed fall from his fingers and drift to the dirt.
He heard footsteps and the rustling of grass as someone walked towards him, but he didn't need to look up to know who it was.
"What's up with you?" Came Evelyn's voice.
"What do you mean?" Nathan asked, avoiding eye contact.
"Are you still upset about that?"
"About what?"
"You know, that. When you… lost control." She said, trying to be as kind as she could about it.
Nathan looked up at her. He couldn't help but get lost for a moment in her beauty. He sighed, "The others don't approve of me. They don't trust me, and they have right not to."
"It was an accident, Nathan, accidents happen all the time, not just in war." Evelyn said, "I'm sure that some of them forgive you."
"Some of them." He said.
Evelyn rolled her eyes, then sat in the grass beside him.
"Who cares what the think anyway?" She asked, "I trust you. I approve of you, I acknowledge you. Isn't that good enough?"
Nathan looked over at her, unsure of himself. He looked down at her hand, once again feeling that urge to reach out and hold it in his.
"Yeah… that's enough." He said quietly as he pushed away his feelings, his fingers twitching towards her.
Evelyn saw his hand move, and when she did a slight smile appeared on her lips. She reached her hand and placed it on his, and for a moment Nathan felt a sense of peace and happiness, but then he remembered the blood that was on his hands and he pulled away. A frown now appeared in Evelyn's expression.
"You're a good person Nathan. I hope your realize that." She said, before standing up and walking away, back to the fire, glancing back at Nathan only once.
•
•
•
*Two days after Mato's death*
"Where is he, damn it!" Nathan cursed, bitter cold wind beating against his face. He lay on his stomach looking over the edge of a sheer cliff leading down to a massive valley. Far off in the distance he could see the first fleet, a jumbled blotch of motion that looked like a swarm of ants from his view. So far the Titans had made no appearance… yet. This was where the battle would take place, but they were only to attack when Mato's group gave the signal; a large red flag bearing the crest of the human race, a dragon.
Mato's route was shorter than Nathan's, maybe not easier, but definitely shorter, yet he wasn't there. Mat should've beat Nathan's fleet to their positions… but he wasn't there.
Nathan clenched his fist, staring intently towards the cliff opposite to him. He hoped that, maybe, he was there, just hidden out of view. But if he wasn't… he shook his head, pushing the thought out of his minds. Mato would be there. He had to, otherwise everything would be ruined.
Then the ground began to tremble, nearly knocking Nathan over the edge. A hushed silence fell over the fleet. They all knew what was coming, and it struck fear into them, making them all go quiet.
*BOOM*
There was another quake.
*BOOM*
Rocks began to break away and fall down the cliff side.
*BOOM*
"Everyone get down!" Nathan ordered. "We have to stay hidden until Mato gives the signal!"
*BOOM*
The soldiers all dropped to their bellies, staying low to the ground as to avoid being seen by the Titans.
*BOOM*
It was getting louder and more powerful now.
"Nathan!" Evelyn called from behind. "Where is Mato?"
*BOOM*
"I don't know… just lay low." He answered.
"But-"
"Just do as I say!"
*BOOM*
A sudden gust of freezing cold air ran through the valley.
'Why's it so cold?' Nathan wondered. 'It's usually quite warm here, but recently it's been so cold… it started the other day… I wonder… no, it's probably just the altitude.'
*BOOM*
Nathan found himself holding his breath, his body tensed up to the point that it hurt. His eyes were constantly moving across the valley, from the opposite cliff, down to Desrian's fleet, and then around the bend of the valley where the Titans would soon appear, over and over again his eyes followed this same loop.
*BOOM*
The sky was painted gray as if someone spilled white and gray paint over a canvas and spread it all out evenly. A tense sense of dread hung over the valley, their anxiety increasing with every quake of the Titans' steps.
*BOOM*
Then the Titans came into view. Three colossal beings stepped around the bend of the valley, each of the giants decorated with thick armor unique to Titan culture; the armor plates were layered, plates of metal stacked over one another with thick rope looped through holes punched into the metal and tied off at the end, holding the plates together. The chest plates were thick and square with sharp edges, while the shoulder plates started thick at the top but became thinner as they moved out towards the shoulder and down the arm. Strange symbols were etched into the metal and precious stones were embedded into the armor in patterns resembling storms or waves.
They wore traditional clothes, large cloaks that hung past their knees and baggy pants, while the sleeves were tied tight around the wrist and the cloth bunched up around the neck like a scarf. The middle Titan had a long beard and long white hair, two large bull horns extending from his brow, while a massive hammer was tied to his back.
It was Ballakon, the king of Titans.
The Titan to Ballakon's left was known as Lezzric, Devourer of Dragons. He wore the same armor as his father, Ballakon, but his beard still held its red color and was not as long, while his hair was shorter and tied in braids, while two thin horns protruded from his brow, one of them being snapped in half. Across his armor attached to a small, long rope were countless heads of dragons he'd killed in his life. He had an obsession with killing and eating the flesh of dragons. Two sabers were sheathed at either side of his waist.
The third Titan was Lezzric's brother, Yeildir. He was the youngest of the four brothers, but he was well known for being the most ruthless. He often stayed on the battlefield, even after being victorious, just to find every last survivor and end their life. He had a short scruffy beard and short black hair, two small spikes pointing out of his head, early signs of his horns growing in. He held an axe in his hands.
"Nathan, is Mato here yet?" A woman with pure white hair asked, crawling up next to him. "When will he give the symbol?"
Nathan looked over at the other side of the valley, trying to see any sign of life. Nothing. "I don't know.. just get back."
"But what if he-"
"Enough, Lily." He said, "just do as I say. He will be here.."
The Titan continued to move down the valley, drawing closer and closer to Desrian's fleet. Now they were directly below Nathan's fleet, and still there was no signal from Mato. Nathan cursed.
"Come on… come on… Damnit Mato! You said you'd be here…"
Now the Titans were beginning to pass them.
"Fuck!" Nathan cursed once more as he watched Desrian's fleet begin to March forward. 'We are out of time..'
Nathan stood, raising a large flag into the air.
"Go! Now!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. The soldiers were hesitant at first, as they hadn't received Mato's signal yet.
"ATTACK!!!" Nathan roared, and this now sent the entire fleet into motion, charging forward and leaping over the edge, skidding down the side of the valley down towards the Titans. At the same time, Desrian's party now charged at full force, almost sprinting, their battle cries echoing through all of Mezzrik Valley.
"Where is Mato's fleet!?" Evelyn shouted.
Nathan avoided looking at her, ignoring her question as if she'd said nothing at all.
"Damn it!" She spat, seeming to understand.
Mato wasn't coming.
After about half of his troops had descended the cliff, Nathan rose the flag, then jabbed it into the ground, the pole burrowing into the dirt. He then left the flag there, drawing his sword and following the wave of soldiers over the valley's edge.
He skidded down the side of the cliff, quickly gaining speed as rocks and dirt kicked up around him. He tried to put his hand down to slow himself, but only succeeded in scraping himself.
When he reached the bottom, he looked up and saw that the first fleet had already made contact with the Titans, flaming arrows and boulders being flung through the air in their direction while soldiers rushed forward with swords and nets, cutting and tying the ropes around the Titans' feet. But only then did Nathan realize how futile their actions were as the giants simply kicked their feet, breaking free of the ropes while sending hundreds of soldiers flying through the air, before their feet crushed dozens of men to death.
Within a span of seconds, the Titans had simply walked forward and had succeeded in killing half of the first fleet just by walking on them. They hadn't even drawn their weapons.
Nathan's heart dropped. What even was the point?
Then, a flash of light pierced through the chest of Lezzric, leaving a gaping hole. Nathan turned to see Sedori, who stood upon a large boulder, hundreds of swords zipping around his body. He raised his hand, and as he did his Aura Cloak formed around his body and all of the swords began to pile together, forming into one massive blade that was then sent forward, the force sending a shockwave through the valley as it was sent towards Ballakon next.
The Titan king raised both hands, catching the weapons between his palms, but then it began to break apart into hundreds of smaller swords that flew forward, cutting and stabbing into Ballakon's skin like a swarm of silver hornets.
Nathan grinned. 'There's only three of them…' he thought. 'We can do this.'
Then his eyes began to glow a bright green and a thick Aura Cloak of heavy set green armor formed around his body as he raised both hands into the air. The valley began to tremble, and as it did Nathan let out a loud battle cry while veins began to pop on his forehead. And then the sides of the valley began to crack, the earth rising upwards into giant waves of rock that rushed inwards onto Lezzric, crushing him.