The Phoenix's Tale (on hold until August)

The Coward, Weiss and Hilders

            Ignaz Weiss scared Joktan horribly, despite Weiss being more than five metres shorter then him. He was the elfish ambassador to the giants, and sat on a box of chickens eggs beside their enormous chief, because it was the smallest thing which could be found for the man to sit on. Had it been any other man Joktan may have laughed, but Weiss was no such person. His skin is pale like cows milk covering his body in an unearthly glow; there are no blemishes apart from one above his left eye rumoured to be from his warrior days. His cheek bones are sky high like all Elfish folk, with minute lips which are always pursed, as though always sucking a sour sweet; he eyes the giants surrounded him with distaste wiht his sharp green eyes. Weiss was the only ambassador to live amongst their kind – the other races preferred to keep a fairly large distance away.

            Tyr had called the meeting on the elf's insistence - another first for the giant clan - because of the imposing marriage of Decima and Maximianus.

         "I am proud to announce Chief Tyr that you and your.." he looked amongst the surrounding giants in a distasteful manner. "...fellows. Have been invited to the wedding ceremony in Cloud, two weeks from now on the insistence of Prince Ortwin.."

            Joktan sat between his sisters of the same birth, Grimhilder and Brynhilder; despite coming from the same womb the three were non-identical to the extreme; Grimhilder was the tallest, standing heads and shoulders above Joktan, her lips were full to the extent that they were nearly in line with her hook nose, (Joktan new this as he had once measured it whilst she slept); her raven black hair was long but she kept it in a tight bun on the very top of her head, which made her look like a man. The grey eyes on her face were the one redeeming feature of her ugly appearance, (as she was also cruel and bad tempered), for they shown like wet pebbles in a clear stream when they caught the sun. The  baggy clothes she wore as well hid any traces of femininity almost as if she was ashamed of being female. Their Nanna Idunn dreamed she would follow in her own footsteps and become the Nations warrior as she had before being beaten into submission by Nanna Tir.

            Such dreams could not be said of Brynhilder, as she was the fairer of the two sisters. Joktan and she held the same height, with Joktan being a few inches taller, they also shared the same hair, a dark red – the colour of blood which Bryn, (as she was more affectionately known), liked to tease Grimhilder with because of her common colour. Bryn's beautiful hair which she always wore lose, and beautiful face had once caught the eye of Balder, the chiefs son. They had been betrothed until Balder ran away.

           "The Emperor Vulcan and His Grace King Harald ask for a gift, as a blessing for the uninion," the Ambassador shouted, his voice echoeing around the stone walls so everyone heard.

            "We would be happy to give them one your Grace" Alvis, the Chiefs adviser said standing up in the sea of giants. Joktan watches as a small smile plays upon Weiss' mouth at the old giant; perhaps he thinks him senile? But Weiss would be stupid to underestimate the old giant for Alvis had been Tyr's adviser for the past sixty two years - ever since Tyr had his last adviser killed for stupidity. "Have I said something to amuse your Grace?" He enquires, making his way through the sea to the floor before Tyr. "I have a present for King Harald for his daughter not for your Emperor." Tyr did nothing in this disrespectful behaviour to the ambassador, he merely chuckled at the ambassadors discomfort.

          "Nanna Tir" Alvis asks, a tall slender, long haired female giant stands up, armed to the teeth with blades and arrows. "Perhaps you would fetch the robe?" Nanna Tir nods and leaves the hall, the sea parting quickly not wanting to cut itself on her weapons.

          "A robe?" Weiss' laughs, "that would please perhaps a giant bride, but not-" he stops and Joktan turns to see why. Nanna Tir reappeared holding carefully a long white robe embedded with glass. Tyr stands up also suddenly, he takes great strides across the hall and snatches the dress from Nanna Tir.

          "Why this one?" He simply asks Alvis who now approaches him, removing the dress from his tight grasp.

"King Harald gave you this dress in honour of your wedding to Alba, Vulcan's sister - I thought it best to return the favour" Alvis said in reply handing the beautiful dress to Weiss, who looked at it gleefully.

"Thank you very much for your gift Chieftain," he glanced around the room. "I am sure the bride will be most pleased."

"Yes, yes..." Tyr sighed as the only remnant of his last wife was taken away. "I will attend the wedding of course, now did we have not have some private business to attend to?" He said, at the word private the giants got and started to leave - they knew their ruler inside out.

Joktan decided to go for a walk when he came out of the of the hall. The sun was high in the sky and there was a cool easterly wind coming from the blood channel. His two sisters returned home with their father.

Despite being a giant, Joktan found himself to be a more solitary being. He found more happiness in being alone then in the company of others. That wasn't to say he didn't like his giant fellows, because he did greatly. It's just if the option came on going for a walk or practising swordsmanship with his sister, he chose the walk every time.

He thought of this as he approached Gunner's wall. The giants were almost sectioned off from the other inhabitants of Maine by a large wall built between mountains. It had been built by the fairies after the Giant King of Maine was deposed, and the giants exiled from Cloud. It was a useless contraption as Joktan climbed over the wall, which was perhaps two metres taller then him, almost every day. But that was only because he knew where a good climbing spot was.

Sometimes he liked to sit on Gunner's wall and watch the sun set. That was not going to happen today, it was far too early so he decided to explore instead. On the other side of the wall, the mountains had caves. He enjoyed looking for creatures or travellers in the caves, not to eat -he wasn't one of those kinds of giants - but to look at. To marvel at their size, the colour of their skin or fur; the contraptions they take around with them. Joktan had once seen a man carry a giant child's knife as a sword! How he had laughed and scared the would be hero away.

Today he found a man. He too carried a Giant Child's knife like a sword, but the sword was like no other he had ever seen. It was silver not orange, so it obviously was not made from Zion like all Giant weapons. The hilt of the sword was encrusted with jewels, red jewels, never had he seen such things. He bent down beside the man hiding behind a mountain. The small man was heading towards Gunner's wall Joktan guessed.

"Hello," Joktan called so his voice echoed omnioulsy around the mountains. The man in response unsheathed his sword and darted this way and that, trying to find the owner of the voice. "What business do you have coming to Gunner's wall?"

"I..." the man choked, looking nervously around.

"Speak up!" Joktan thundered, stifling a laugh.

"I've come to explore," the man said sticking his sword in the ground. "I can see you," the man shouted causing Joktan to jump up in surprise.

Joktan stared at the man for a minute, watching as his eyes grew larger and larger in fear.

"I'm not going to eat you," Joktan smiled, taking a step towards the man.

"Are you a giant?" The man stuttered, taking a step back.

"Yes," Joktan smiled in his friendliest manner. "My name is Joktan, what is yours?"

"Lancelot..."