Part 1
The Captain stood next to the helmsmen of the Hindengog, looking displeased at the region in which they were flying through. He disliked mountains in general, and flying over them was easy, but they still made him ill at ease. They only had one machine gun, the three olgogs without a machine gun, including himself, carrying rifles. He looked through the scope attached to his, a loaner from Olav, and spotted the small Aerie. HE had the idea of staying at a far distance and trying to get good shots in at the giants, having the heavier gun reserved for any closer problems they encountered.
He turned to the crew of the Hindengog. They flew light today, only four crewmen and himself aboard. “We have arrived, half speed and are to circle the target from this distance.” He thought for a moment. “Actually, make that full speed. Keep an eye out for any projectiles and avoid them at all costs.”
He turned to the three sharpshooters; Ur’og, Tla’ab and Tla’hob. “You’er some of our best sharpshooters, keep at the ready though. These giants could throw anything at us. Literally.”
He looked at the helmsman, remembering his name. “Der’ol, keep your eyes peeled and be ready to take evasive action if there is something incoming that could take us out.” He looked back at the other three. “We traveled light to be maneuverable, but also to make sure no shot misses due to a slight jostle from another.” He looked pointedly at Ur’og and Tla’ab. “That means you two. Anyway, make shots that count, and keep them worth-while. Der’ol is a good pilot, he will be able to keep us at a steady pace as to not make our shots miss.” He ordered them to their stations at the side, he himself took a spot next to Tla’hob who was at the machine gun post.
Alongside them a Lur Union Fightercraft bearing additional markings of the Auf Lal’al kept pace. He did feel a sigh of relief to see they had a good wingman. He hated to wish ill on allies, but Captain Reshed of the Rhug’na’ru hoped if the giants began to hurl projectiles they would aim for the fightercraft and not for them.
The the signal for the battle began. The Sword giants in their heavy iron armor stepped away from the cliff faces they had been camouflaging to. Their forty foot tall forms were beyond imposing, seeming to defy reason in height and girth. They were not human in any sense of the word, but definitely humanoid with two arms, two legs and a head. As one they began to howl and roar, and even the bravest of the crew felt a shiver of fear run down their spine.
As the giants charged they let loose a salvo of javelins carved from young trees. Not tree branches but the full tree itself, ripped from the ground, sanded smooth and topped by a vicious barbed iron spike. Fletching made from baribur feathers graced the back half of the javelin and it kept the aim true.
The Aerie of the Choir of Payne was built into a small plateau and the stonework reinforced with the Leyas. Despite that, the javelins struck with such strength that they cracked the stone, and some even embedded themselves into the walls. The fastest of the sword giants took advantage of this, using them like stepping stones to climb up to the habited levels of the Aerie.
A sword giant fist smashed a guard house, pulling a screaming fighting baribur from inside. The baribur’s wings had been crushed by the Giant’s grip, but this did not stop the baribur from calling down lightning from the sky. The Giant was shocked, shook and fell off the wall, taking the baribur with him as they did so. In an act of supreme self-sacrifice the baribur created a wall of pikes where they were going to land. The pikes extended up from the ground in time to catch both giant and his prey. The Giant died thrashing on the pikes which now riddled his back and buttocks with bleeding holes.
The next four who reached the walls of the plateau suddenly lit up with glowing light. They stopped for a moment confused, and in that moment their doom came. From the ground below them burst up huge alien millipede-like creatures. Four Mighty Yadols rose up, wrapping themselves around their giant victims, biting manidibles aimed firmly for the soft unarmored throats of the Giants. The Giants never expected Mighty Yadols here up in the mountainous region, so native were the Yadols to the deserts to the west.
Each of the giants fell, struggling against the yadols as they chomped away in a flurry of blood and flesh. Some of the sword giants tried to come to their aid, but were also lit up by light. And in that moment the whipcrack of rifles could be heard as the Hindengog’s crew added their firepower to the counter attack.
Even giants could not keep moving with a severed spinal column, and the pair of Lur Union fighters that strafed the giant’s lines killed any of the five not dead in the initial fusillade of rifle-fire. Ten giants raised their javelins at a roar of a command from the shadows, and let loose.
Like a cloud of giant arrows they filled the sky, some coming within inches of the Lur Union fighters. A few found their mark. One hit the lead Lur Union fighter aircraft, and an ice shield froze the javelin arresting its forward momentum before breaking apart under the force. This javelin struck the side of the fighter craft but did not pierce the armored hull.
The second fighter craft was not so lucky, three javelins struck it in succession. The first shattered its shield. The second lodged itself in the crew’s cockpit, and the third cracked the fightercraft into two pieces which crashed down into the mountains below.
