King of the Country

King of the Country - Norman A. Rubin

"Ah, good evening, my friends, I am Norman of Agramount, Bard and
Balladeer, and court retainer for the Duke of Lothern. I know
countless tales and legends of great deeds and mighty heroes from Ages
past. Yes, the legends and lore of heroes and historic are known
to me. Listen to my words and you will hear of chivalry and bravery:

It was told at the time of the age and of the moment when giants
were once mighty warriors, but alas at one great battle...

"The Teutonic Northmen, sagas tell, were at war with the Giant
Warriors of the uttermost Northern Lands, in the Great War of the
Chaos Tyrion. Through the might of their steel sword and lance the
Teutons were victorious. The Giants were ferocious in battle, but the
lords and masters of the Deathless Empire broke their strength with
powerful magic. After the final battle for the Teclis Lands of Ice and
Snow the Northmen called upon their wizards to invoke a powerful and
deadly curse against the Giants.

"The spell tainted the blood of the enemies of the Teutonic Race
that was devised to drive the entire Giantkind to near extinction.
From that day onwards, only one Giant in a thousand was born and
healthy; the rest were conceived with abominations that corrupted
them and they quickly gave up the spirit of life. The survivors, few
in number, of the Giant race were exiled from the land of their
birthright forever; they paid a grim price as they drifted from land
to land, being cursed and hated by all the races they encountered.

"One such giant was Herogar, the Terrible who fled the bloody
defeat and wandered through the Teutonic Lands, only to be driven from
their cold lands by the magic spells of their sorcerers. The Germanic
peoples bode no welcome for him and with their brute strength drove
him across the borders. And on the Island of Oland, the bowman of the
reigning king wounded him with true aim, blinding him in one eye. Rage
was in mind when he escaped to a fair land of chivalry.

"Herogar, the Terrible took up abode in the country of Dragenfells,
overlooking the Mountains of Heimdal; woe be to sons of man who took
up arms against him as the rage burned and tormented him towards those
creatures. Towering twice over the tallest man, the sight of the
Giant Herogar was unmistakable. He was a massive creature twelve feet
tall and covered with muscle. The giant had a broad face, dark bushy
brows, deep set dark eyes, and thick massive chins covered with a dark
coarse beard that matched his crowned hair.

"The sight of Herogar, the Terrible had an added ferocity as he was
dressed in rough clothes sewn from the furs and skins of the animals
he slew in the hunt; thus he had the appearance of a wild and unruly
beast. The feet of the giant were shod in coarsely crafted knee
high leather boots lined with fur skinned from bears, which thudded in
his heavy treads. His hairy backed hands held tight either a crudely
fashioned battle axe or a fine edged battle sword or both, depending
on the purpose for the day.

The coming of Herogar the Terrible to the country of Dragenfells
was of great concern to the good people. They trembled in their very
boots when the cruel giant ravaged through fields when he tramped from
his lair in the nearby high hills. The giant's angry roar caused
fright to the good folk and flight was the word.

"Help, help me, my milking cow had been snatched by that terrible
creature," cried one husbandman to the High Sheriff.

"Oh dear, oh dear, the giant had bound three of the fattest sheep
from my flock to his wide leather belt," screamed the shepherd to the
bailiffs to the crown.

A lean harvest year was in the offing for the good folk. A shortage
of meat and milk was threatened as the giant scoured the land of
Dragenfells for nigh on two years for beast and fowl for his meals;
Even the fresh carrot and lettuce were hard to find as the farmers
were frightened to work their fields.

"The nimble dance of the sword master of the able courage of a
King's warriors in their stern discipline was beyond them when they
tried to drive him from their fair country as the brute bode his evil
upon his terrible touch. But alas and alack, it proved to be a vain
effort. The giant Herogar simply charged in fight with those brave
men, crushing and smashing everything that strayed into his path. More
than one brave and lordly knight had found himself beaten and
humiliated by this dastardly monster; some found the final hour
through the chop of either his battle axe or the sharp thrust of his
finely honed sword.

"And now in the ensuing days the giant had taken fair Elenor, the
Duchess of Danneburg as she rode in welcome to the palace of the king,
accompanied by all her squires and handmaidens. Herogar had pounced on
her entourage sweeping aside her brave men at arms and driving away
frightened ladies of waiting.

"Save me! Save me!" were the plaintive cries as the foul monster
scooped the comely damsel in his arms and carried her away to his
lair on the high hills, the Dragon's Rock. There in his evil den
he planned to ravish and lie with her till the end of time. Many brave
people followed the trail to his lair, more than five hundred or so,
and they tried to rescue her, but all failed and left poor Elenor
shrieking and crying lamentably.

"Her cries of lament and wailing stung the giant's ears and it
stopped him in fulfilling his foul lust. So on the following days
When the clever duchess saw the creature near, the good woman would
let off howls that would drive Herogar from his den. She then would be
left in peace to sup and to tend to her needs.

"But, in the meantime in the king's palace there were lots of
commotion to the kidnap of Elenor, Duchess of Danneburg; after all she
was the regal wife of Sir Alefborn, third cousin of the king, whom it
deemed nigh of blood of the royal house. The king was then called upon
to have pity on this lady and to go through all means necessary to rescue her.

"'Now art thou rightful king of Country of Dragonfells? Do your
noble deed and bring fair Elenor back to me unblemished and untainted
to her honorable status, admonished Sir Alifborn.

"And his loyal subjects called out, "Revenge us all on the
nefarious deeds of this terrible giant! '

" 'Alas, this is a great challenge to me as I am near my elder
years,' spoke the good king, 'the hair on my head is white and my
beard is shaggy and equally white in shade.'

"Yet, the royal personage was heir to the throne of the Ulthian
line of brave warriors and just and able leaders, being fourth in the
heritage. King Ulthian the Fourth was his blessed title and the
challenge had appeared once again to honor the line.

"When the good king understood the piteous cry of Sir Alefborn and
of the people of his land. King Ulthian called upon the gods of the
Vanir, Njord and Freyer, to empower him with the courage and strength
to do battle. And the gods of the Northern Lands heard the call and
they covered the spirit mantle of a warrior upon him.

"King Ulthian felt the grip of strength and the needed elixir of
bravery covering his now able body. Then with swiftness he lifted
himself from his throne and tightened his girth, which revealed a
strong and tall stance ready to do battle. He called for his
attendants to remove his rich robe of office and to cloth him in
armored dress. And they hustled and bustled about and made their
Majesty ready and armed him at all points.

"Then King Ulthian called Sir Hermod and Sir Aesir, two of his
brave companions, and commanded them, "Take me to the haunting of the
giant Herogar, so that I might challenge him to his death and redeem
my faith to my loyal subjects. And to my chivalrous deed to the rescue
of fair Elenor."

"And so the three mounted on their steeds and rode thence forward as
fast as the beat of hooves could run till they came to the foot of the
hills where the lair of the giant was set at the very top. There, they
dismounted their trusty chargers and the king commanded his faithful
companions to remain with the animals. And so the king ascended the
hill till he neared the cave of Herogar. But the giant was nowhere to
be seen and without hesitation he entered the deep cavern. There,
around a smoldering fire, the king found fair Elenor clad in torn
garments and dirty in body; yet she was still virtuous.

"The fair maiden, with tears in her swollen blue eyes, took a look
a the brave Royal Highness and cried piteously to be rescued from the
evil monster. She spoke hoarsely as she told the king that her voice
was closing tight from all her wailing cries; that upon her silence
she would be forced to lie with the lustful giant. When the King
Ulthian beheld the piteous sight and heard the tale of woe, he had
great compassion in his heart and it beat in sorrow.

"Good King Ulthian then took her slim hand and lifted her from the
foul dirt of the cave. He then pressed her lithe body to him and let
her place her comely head on his wide shoulders and she cried out her
misery. Afterwards he placed the strength of a strong arm around her
and led her from the misery of the captivity.

"Suddenly when they neared the mouth of this vast cave they heard a
terrible outcry. Herogar the Terrible had sighted King Ulthian and
Duchess Elenor in their attempt to leave the foul grounds. The giant
was filled with rage in evil soul. Then he lifted his great battle-axe
and charged at the two; as he neared he swung the murderous weapon
close to them.

"King Ulthian pushed fair Elenor to the safety of the nearby rough
wall. Then he pulled out his sword of fine steel from his scabbard;
Then he pointed the weapon in a defiant challenge at the monstrous
creature. He cried out in brave tones, "Alas I can fulfill the honor
of the line of Ulthian and become the master of his duel." He called
out in a loud cry of battle in his challenge to the nefarious monster.

Then with sword in readiness, the king faced the giant and called\b
out once again to the brute, "We will stop when one of us will die!"

"And so the two adversaries face each other as they wielded the
weapon in thrusts, strokes, jabs and parries; but Herogar had the
advantage of his towering height, but the king was nimble on his feet.
The giant slowly drove the king deeper into the cavern as he tried to
to chop the blade on his adversary. All time King Ulthian dodged the
sharp blade as he darted under the swing of the battle-axe to wound
the giant with mighty slashes. The king sided from the plunging battle
axe to appear at monster's side with the thrust of his sword; blood
gushed from the monster's flesh upon each cut.

"The enraged Herogar awesome power steadily decreased as he swung
his battle-axe as his strength weakened with the loss of blood. The
king continued to duck and side away from the blade as the duelists
moved deeper into the cave. The giant charged and charged maddenly
again, each time in blinding pain. Then through the light of the
burning fire the king saw the brightness of the blade going past in
the thrust. As the giant's arm swung weakly above him, the king
parried his sword upward and hit Herogar's limb, spilling more of his
blood with a bloody slash. It knocked the terrible weapon to the
ground from the giant's hand that now dripped with his lifeblood.

A"Herogar weakened with the loss of blood, kept charging the king
trying to grip him in his powerful arms; but the king was endowed with
the spirit of the Ulthians, which gave him the prowess to avoid the
massive limbs. Then, suddenly, the giant staggered and with a roar to
his throat crashed to the earthen floor. The king stepped near the
monster; he lifted up his sword and with one mighty blow severed the
head from the giant's body.

"King Ulthian was tired in his limbs by the terrible ordeal, but
honorable duty to the fair Elenor, the duchess of Danneborg called
for fulfillment. Then with strong will he straightened his stance and
went to the horrified maiden; he held her in his broad arms and
comforted her as once she shivered in body and sobbed out her
hysteria. After a few moments the king led her from the cave and the
horrific sight and stench of the fierce duel.

"The two made their way down the high hill; the king assisted the
fair maiden with great care as they trekked the torturous path. When
they reach the bottom they joined with the king's companions. The two
knights sighed with great relief on the sight of their majesty as well
as the Duchess of Danneburg.

"Then King Ulthian commanded them to go to the cave and fetch the
giant's head, and bear it to the High Sheriff of Dragennfells, "Let it
proof to the good liege that the giant had been slain and that the
good people of the land can once again live and work in peace. Also
give word to Sir Alefborn that his beloved woman is unblememish, but
still tainted in shock and discomfort from the terrible ordeal. Then
tell my good lords and ladies of my realm that I will follow soon with
fair Elenor upon our rest."

And so Sir Hermod and Sir Aesir, upon returning from the lair on
Dragon's Head with the bound head of Herogar, the Terrible, departed
on their mounts with the grim trophy in hand."

"Afterwards it was told told through the buzz of tongues that King
Ulthian had the head of Herogar the Terrible impaled on a barbican on
the stone walls around the king's castle that all people may see it.
That they will know the power of the gods in overcoming evil and
seeing to the redemption for the righteous.

"It was also revealed to the good folk of the land that brave King
Ulthian had confided to his trusted companions that the Giant Herogar
was the fiercest monster he had ever met and challenged to a deadly?
duel. The king admitted that at the ferocious battle when his strength
weakened he saw death's door, but upon the powers to be, he found the
needed strength to correct the terrible evils committed upon his loyal
subjects by the brute... and to do his chivalrous duty to save fair
Elenor from the lustlful giant.

"And anon this was known to all the kingdom far and wide, and
beyond, and all the people, lords, and ladies came and paid homage to
King Ulthian."

¦¦ And so my friends it ends the epic legend of King Ulthian. HUZZAH, HUZZAH!