Ephialtes, Nirut’s Arch-Rival (The Fifth History of Nirut)
Not everything goes right into war once they get close to their enemy, and Nirut was no different, Nirut had one of his general’s send out a search party to check things out on Planet SSARG before he started his invasion, his decent to the planet. He knew once it started he would have to cross the whole orb, planet and subdue it, death was already part of this dreadful land, with its hybrid creatures, not so much sickness assailed the land, but agony in and anger among the hybrids: the vipers, rats, bears cave dwellers, nomads. And so he sent 168-men to search and seek what were the weakest and strongest points of the planet were, and General Ephialtes was in charge of that contingent. No one knew of the residing army on Retina, and Nirut wanted to keep it that way.
In a way, Ephialtes was a hero of sorts on Lihterb, one hungry for power, yet he was next to the highest general, aforetime he was going old, I do not mean old, old, but for a Lihterbion, who lives 200-years or so, 105-years is getting there.
The Blue King once told his son, Nirut, “Who knows what is in the heart of a man!” And so right he would prove himself.
It was at this time, Jason the Wizard was building his armies up in the Desert on SSARG near the Valley of Arrows, when the General came upon him. And while they slept, he counted their tents, and guard posts, and guards on night and day duty, 1500-was his count for the total number of soldiers, infantry, fighting men, not to mention the women and children, and support people, not many but he was building it up more Ephialtes could see. He was getting nomadic tribesmen, cave dwellers, etcetera; he also noticed not everyone had weapons. He also noticed the shadows of demonic forces, Buer, and Gywan, of earth’s hell. They, like him, were checking out things.
Nonetheless, and to his best guess, Jason was thinking about conquering the land himself, unaware of Nirut’s ambitions. For they were somewhat increased in happiness, as they grew stronger each day, and Ephialtes, remained there for two weeks, sending back reports every other day to the command on Retina.
And Jason, noticed the Cave dwellers, those who went against their new leader, they slew cruelly upon their pagan alters, accordingly they had iron dispositions. In the far distance they were building a small fortress, temples, tombs, and there were lovely women to look at. One was called Sun (second daughter to the Cave King), she was the one that got a glimpse of him one day watching behind a dunes.
King Nirut’s strength was now great, as he prepared to launch the war any day, waiting for General Ephialtes’ last report.
The General took a liking for Sun (still in her teens), and they met, had an affair, and tried to persuade Nirut it was not safe to land yet, telling him there were thousands of nomadic tribes men not only in the desert, but in the grasslands waiting for him, it was all a charade of course, he wanted time with his mistress. The bone truth of the matter was, he had become friends with Jason, in the mean time, on the side, but not with the Cave King.
(I mean, had he time to forecast his own doom, I suppose he would not have placed himself in such a compromising position, delicate as it was. At the moment his eyes were filled, riveted with love for Sun, conceivably in time it would vanish as often times lust and bliss does, yet he told himself it wouldn’t of curse; that is, if lust or bliss contains gravity, it may fall and bury itself, but it usually buries the hopeful—if he wanted to go on with his state of affairs, and perchance try to outlive the war, but Sun did not love him, she was working for Jason, it and hope he did not have, nor after two months of persuading Nirut to wait, and informing Jason of the impending army, to get back into the good graces of the elite of Lihterb, was impossible, he was now called a betrayer, and was now promised a position, in Jason’s army.)
In a like manner, Ephialtes’ soldiers, under his command, had disappeared. It simply seen like a mild distraction for him, during his stay with Sun; they had returned to Retina to report to the king that Ephialtes was under the spell of Sun, whom was endlessly devouring him with her love and passion, lust and attention. Oh she tried to avoid him, but it was Jason that wanted all the information he could get, and those two now were an entity, or so it seemed.
As many things can be, great warriors can die simple. Ephialtes had always thought he’d die in a great battle, as every warrior wished, and at one time he was a great warrior. And before the Cave King, or King Nirut could get their vengeance out of him, a mysterious thing happened, unending to some folks thinking, impossible, but true doubtless nonetheless. Ephialtes was putting a roof on a small adobe house, in the new Fortress, for him and Sun, and he seemed to look about as if looking at shifting shadows, and trying to place his feet properly so he would not slip off the roof, but he did slip, right onto the end of his life, he died from the fall. Oh perhaps it would not have killed him if he was fifty years younger. If perhaps he did not follow those two shadows with his eyes. Many things to consider, but I doubt it went beyond what we are looking at, it was for the most part, an accident.
See Dennis’ web site: dennissiluk.tripod.com dennissiluk.tripod.com
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