Somehow we have to accept that these giants are normal, Olanus thought to himself whilst looking up at the mountains. Why? Why not protest their existence? Why accept something like this? He continued in his distraught thoughts. The coldness of the mountains even in the sun, was sending shivers down his spine. As a thick fog laid itself upon the road. Worthless, spoke the giant mountain. Olanus froze on his horse. Through the breeze the trees were whispering, You are doomed, you are doomed, you are doomed, you are doomed. The sweat rolling down his face felt like needles, his skin goosebumps, ears itching and focusless was his vision. And you’d thought you’d be a guardian, the mountain spoke again. Insignificant, insignificant, insignificant, the grass was saying. As pebbles and stones started jumping in pace with the insignificant chant.

Born in the depth of the night, Olanus had the love of his parents. But tragedy had struck them, during one of the happiest of days, Saturnalia. When some slaves used the opportunity to revolt against some of the more cruel masters, during the festivities. And from their way from the Colosseum on a small alleyway, the three were attacked by one crazed slave that had escaped, but was in need of money. Trying to protect Olanus, her mother, which was a taller woman launched herself at him, trying to overwhelm him, only to jump into his sword and get herself killed. With this his father, a smaller man, ran towards the slave trying to jump him, only to do the same thing his wife had done. Seeing this, the slave couldn’t help himself but start laughing and laughing. Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa… Olanus was then adopted by the army, when one of the soldiers had found him on the ground, blood on his face, crying over the bodies of his dead parents.

Pathetic, spoke the mountain to Olanus. The fog started to move to the left, through the trees, the sun was no more just a pale dot in the skies. As the trees ended, a gigantic green shimmering lake appeared, it looked like liquid emeralds, but on it, were floating decomposing corpses. All those that got too close to the lake, their silver had turned black, this scared them, and quickly turned away from it. Now the army had to get away from this place as quickly as possible. Olanus still in his trance, is woken up by Alicaria, when she goes to beg for his forgiveness. Olanus, pale, his eyes red, shivering and scared, couldn’t understand what she was saying. Some soldiers got sick and died later that day. Now they had to stop to regroup themselves…

And on the path North…

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