10,000 years ago
Mortem fell, his great sword clattering to the ground. Vitae stood above him, his own sword covered with the dark liquid from Mortem's broken body. The fallen Giant looked over and saw his brothers, Tenebris and Timor, crumple to the hard gravel. He looked up into the scarred face of Vitae and saw hatred. Deep, violent hatred, from millennium of war. Lux and Fortis stood above their own Giants, waiting for the order to finish it. Vitae and Mortem's locked eyes, and their past spilled into each other. The endless agonies, the cruel deaths, the malevolent surges, and the terrifying power they both wielded. Vitae pressed his sword against Mortem's heart.
"Will you do it? Can you? You need me, Vitae, despite what you think. I am the reason for your existence, the yin to your yang, the bad to your good. If kill me, you will have nothing left. You and I, we are one and the same" Mortem spoke in his deep, earth shaking voice, "I am immortal, as are you. You may kill me, but I shall not die. I shall return, and destroy everything you stand for." Vitae hesitated, suddenly considering his future without the dark Giant. In that split second, Mortem made his move. He grabbed Vitae's sword and yanked it to the ground on his left. Vitae reacted instantly. He swiped quickly to the right and the blade lodged in Mortem's neck. Blood, as dark as night, trickled through the wound. A wet gurgling sound emerged from Mortem and he looked at Vitae. Even with his injury, Mortem smiled at Vitae. There was no warmth in the smile. It was one of pure malice.
"You still lose" he whispered, and the blood stopped pumping. Vitae pulled his sword from Mortem's neck and watched as his brothers stabbed into the hearts of the two Giants. They sheathed their swords and looked at each other. It was over. The war was won. But they had lost so much
