And There Were Giants

Haon watched in horror as dark pillars of smoke rose along the Eastern Frontier. Thes' son knew his cousin's attack on the Nephilim had failed in the Lowlands of Don. Now, as the Adama retreated back into the Highlands, the Chimera followed them through the foothills and over the escarpments of the Forbidden Range. Added to the havoc of guerrilla infiltration, an organized invasion at the edge of the Borderland was setting Nede ablaze. The question plaguing Haon's mind was whether or not Hale-suthem still lived. According to Chone's prophecy, the final cataclysm could not begin until the Warlord was dead. Overhead, a darkness was growing around the blazing star. Although the object was becoming larger and brighter, a rapidly expanding halo of night was spreading in all directions where the air was blown away. As the last group of animals disappeared inside the deck-house, Haon hurriedly locked the wide doors. Then, as a reverberating roar filled the air, the man raced along the ramp to cut the moorings. Suddenly, a blinding flash of fire tore through the sky as the burning object passed directly overhead trailing a smoky tail. The monstrous boat began to list and slide as the pinnacle of Ishah's Rock tumbled. Locked in the belly of the giant ship, the panicking animals bellowed in fear. The children's desperate cries mixed with the beastly noises, while Toleda's voice pleaded, "Haon? Are you still alive? Lord Theos! Please help us!" Roaring above the frightened creatures' incessant din, the horrendous wave broke against the mountain's slope. The driven spray pummeled the roof of the deck-house. Then diverted through the open channel of Low Pass, the churning torrent tore into the hollows of the Great Basin. Quickly filling the bottoms, the deluge began to rise.