The Forgotten Land: The Return of the Giants

Prologue

Before buildings, factories and stone houses there were the three pillars who ruled over mankind. The giants were the protectors — the first pillar, gifted with the strength of the gods. Their footsteps rattled the earth and their presence dominated everything in the land. With their pet dragons, they were hailed as the Kings, as gods. Evil men were put to place in their presence.

The second pillar was none other than the Sorcerers. Smart, cunning, manipulating. But true and kind. They calmed the storms, halted earthquakes and qualmed demons and orcs and the vile undead that used to march the Earth. They taught man how to read and write, passed on their knowledge and molded leaders. They were the teachers, and the humans loved them as much as they adored the giants.

And then there were the witches who were dressed in white. They created potions that heal the broken, mend the weak. They crafted things that quenched hunger not only for the body but also for the soul.

Their worshippers, the humans, loved their protectors wholeheartedly, offering them sacrifices, harvest and their first born sons and daughters to serve the pillars until their dying day.

And man watched closely as the three crafted great treasures they’ve called ‘magestries’.

The giants offered a ruby. The great giants shaped and polished into a heart. Not only is it a ruby but it could fulfill the desires of anyone, it could give anyone anything… All, except for love.

The Sorcerers offered a book that contained all the knowledge of the world. A book that contained history, spells, casting and secrets to power.

And the witches offered a bottle that could concoct a potion that would match the holders' needs. Maybe it be a potion of healing, a potion of love or a potion that could fill a dry river — healing a thousand years of drought.

Humanity was in awe of the gifts, and every year… the leader of every country, every land could touch and yield these magestries. The giants would take out the magestries inside the hidden vault and let man fulfill their wishes, their needs and desires for a day.

Thousands of years went by, peace had prevailed and the world was slowly crafted by the will of the three pillars and the wishes of man.

But then greed overruled one man’s senses. He wanted the heart shaped ruby and tried to force his way inside the room of Magestries by waiting for the giants and their pet dragons to fall asleep. He tried, but failed. Instead, he was locked in a cell with a witch named Antheia to guard him.

From being a scrawny teenager, Cedar was freed at the age of 28. He was prisoned for 10 years and came out as a man.

“Be mindful of your ways.” Antheia warned him. “For if you try to do something stupid again, you will be imprisoned for life.”

“I will, Theia.”

And Antheia blushed. For she and the man had shared a bond for she guarded him in his prison for ten years. They’ve become friends.

The moment he got out, he wooed her, and they fell in love. The witch realized a little too late that Cedar —, her lover, of all of man was not after her for love. No. But he was merely after her potion. A potion that could open any lock, any gate. Just a drop of the potion to any key and it could open anything the user could want. And he used it to try to get inside the vault of magestries again.

She knew she had to stop him, as she could not stand by and watch Cedar chase an impossible dream and have his blood spill on the land.

But when she arrived at the vault of Magestries... it was too late. Cedar was killed by a giant named Kuttlejolt.

Cedar's head was decapitated from his body and the blood from his neck bathed the ground.

Angered, heartbroken and in rage, Antheia killed the Giant and his pet. And thus… the war between the giants and the witches began. Thousands of people died because the witches were no longer white. Their spells no longer healed, but killed. The potion bottles that used to contain endless pure and clean water contained tar. And their wands no longer casted spells of blessings, but curses.

The giants no longer protected anyone but themselves, and the dragon’s fiery breath destroyed forest, burnt homes and trees.

Magic and mayhem killed humans and magical creatures alike.

So the second pillar, the sorceresses and the sorcerer's bargained for peace, calling the attention of the two pillars at war by summoning a cloak that covered the world in darkness, showing a dark, dark future if the witches and giant’s war continued.

"With raging eyes, the two scraggly beast of fury. Lips were bursting of curses with rows of razor teeth! Upon this battle, blood will ooze on the ground. This is a fearsome battle where peace cannot be found." The sorcerer named Arkin spoke in riddles while his staff remained on the air. Warning the giants and the witches to not do anything stupid, and keep things fair.

"It's time we cleanse this world of man and witches!" Gobbin, an elder of the giants announced. His thunderous and loud voice echoed throughout the land, and with his mighty dragon named Atlas beside him, everyone listened. “If a single man can do this to us, the ones who have the same evil heart as him will follow in his footsteps! They are creatures without contentment, creatures who were made of greed!"

The witches on the other hand raised their hands, disagreeing with the hot-headed giant. “This is how the great creator made man! This is their nature, to preserve themselves to want more! For their hearts were made into an endless pit.” Sharla, the head of the witch's counsel answered. “It is our job, the pillar’s job to contain that greed! We cannot kill men!”

A giant laughed, and his laughter echoed from east to west. “Hypocrite!” He mocked. “Don't act all high and mighty when one of you coveted with one of them! You merely protect them for your own pleasure!”

"That is not true!" Antheia disagreed. “I merely fell in love. I merely wished to be loved! Yes I was tricked, but he is just one man! His death is punishment enough, why are you trying to wipe out the innocent?! Punish me instead! Punish me, and only me!”

"But you killed my son! And the elders whom you called counsel did not even flinch or mourn for his death! He was simply doing his duty. He was simply protecting the magestries! But you... you lowly little witch..." An old giant screamed, his name was Kultengreen. His face was laced with anger, his wrinkly mouth curled down with a frown. "...you killed my Kuttlejolt, and you were not even punished! You witches --- are scums of the Earth!"

"Then kill me!" Antheia screamed. "Cedar is dead, I am in despair, living in a sorrowful world. Take my life and let the world be at peace!"

The giants hummed, looked at each other and pondered.

"If the witch who killed Kuttlejolt is killed... then we accept. An eye for an eye, a life for a life." Kultengreen said. "I will be at peace, knowing the witch who killed my son is dead."

The sorcerers agreed, and the witches approved of the punishment Antheia would receive. The day of her death was marked... but when she was about to hanged and burnt, a witch sensed a soft yet strong beating of a child inside her womb.

A code that's followed by the coven dictates that no witch is to be killed if she's carrying a child or if she's a mother. And when the giants found out, one after another, they came to the land of the witches to wreck havoc on the land.

The giants killed many witches, killed as many as they could count. The line of Antheia and Cedar was cursed for being the reason of the death of the others. After giants disappeared with a victorious smile on their faces. They took the ruby from the vault and as they left they drag their pet dragons, leaving without a trace where they are off to.

While the sorcerers remained neutral, teaching men and sharing their wisdom until civilization happened. Men became too smart and decided magic to be redundant.

They relied on themselves and stopped worshipping the sorcerers. They stopped telling the tales of the witches, the dragons and the giants.

Everything was at peace... but that was until a descendant of the foolish witch, a boy named named Kane found a shabby house located in the outskirts of his town. A lair of a rogue sorcerer and a chained dragon.