The three of them made their way through the narrow space where the dark river flowed, turned a corner at a narrow pass, and suddenly the view opened up before them.
A black plain with a low-hanging firmament unfurled before their eyes.
Phantoms of giants clothed in leaping golden arcs stood between heaven and earth, raising their fists and bellowing at the pitch-black sky.
Waves of darkness rose from the black ground, higher with each crash against the giants' bodies, stripping away large swaths of gold until they were completely engulfed.
Each disappearance of a giant was accompanied by the swelling of a huge black blister on the ground, which then burst open violently, releasing a new giant.
This interplay of light and dark bore no resemblance to the memory of the two observers.
