Sons of Ironstorm - Book 4: Griffon's Stand

The Star of the Aramas

Greying but as powerful as he was the day he met Jerald Ironstorm and cemented a friendship between the two families that lasted for over fifteen cycles, Tromn, Herd Leader of the Quada clans, Named War Stallion and Master of the Ffta, nodded in satisfaction as he felt the great hammer passed to him from his father, and his father before him, now in the hands of his son, come into the presence of the ancient Weapon of Power known as the Tree Staff.

(At long last, it is done,) he quietly murmured in the quadan tongue, Mra. (You have gone home, Majinor. May the weapon of the Scions find true retribution after these many cycles, in fighting against the dark plague that rises from the south to haunt us. As the prophecy did foretell.) Then, louder:

(Commander Gahn, summon me the Herd Masters if you'd be so kind.) He looked up from the broad desk he had been working at, to look steadfastly at his aide, the capable General Gahn, from one of the northern clans. Dressed for war in horse body barding and breastplate, as was his custom, the thick-armed Gahn quickly nodded his understanding even as he stuffed his crested helmet onto his close-shorn man head.

(I will summon them at once, Herd Leader,) he rumbled, saluting with a clenched fist over his head then turning towards the door leading out of Tromn's workspace, neatly organized but filled to nearly overflowing with documents, books, and maps. Before the veteran soldier had gone more than a step towards that door, however, he paused to look over his shoulder.

(Ahn vreda, has the prophecy come to fruition, as the shaman have promised?) he asked, the normally brusk and blunt old warrior oddly quiet and subdued.

(Yes, my friend, it has,) Tromn confirmed, stepping away from the desk to reach for his own armor, hanging from a peg on the wall closest to the desk.

(And now the clans of the Quada will go to war, to stop the demons from destroying all life!)

****

"Officially it's called the Hammer of Brahm, the weapon of the Scions gifted to the first Hunt Leader of the Quada, the great shaman Brahm," Tearn said, holding the massive war hammer out for Lawrence to see. "My father, however, named it Majinor, which, in our tongue, means 'Retribution'. For it was our retribution against the Kaal Eran for their attempt at destroying us all."

"So ... you knew about the Norak Utterance all along?" Lawrence quietly asked, looking up from the big hammer and over at his friend. Tearn slowly nodded in the affirmative.

"We didn't lose all our lore during the oppression of the Crimson Empire, as the human nations did," he revealed. "The prophecy exists, in great part, with our most venerated and closely guarded histories, under the care of our shaman. Word of it is passed only to the Herd Masters, Named War Stallions, and the Herd Leader. Until war was actually upon us, it was decided between the Herd Masters and the Shaman's Circle that the general populace of the clans wouldn't be told of the Return and the demonic plot to destroy us all." The big centaur let a sigh ease through his nostrils.

"However, with the final Weapon of Power coming into the hands of its Wielder, I'd say the time for war against the Return is here. And time to tell the quada clans about the Utterance and the Return."

"That it is, old friend." Lawrence let his hands slowly slide down the Tree's dark shaft. Even with gloves dulling his sense of touch, he could feel the runes etched into the alien material as they passed beneath his fingertips.

Tearn watched his friend slip into a thoughtful state as he appeared to be examining the Weapon of Power. 'Now we have hope against the coming storm,' he found himself thinking. 'The Wielders walk amongst us once more!' Then he was visibly shaking off his grim mood.