Chapter 249: The slumbering giants
White and blue flakes whirled to the ground. Snow covered the lands, the air, and the sky. Life seemed absent from existence in these lands. The lands were nothing more than tall, unending mountains, with peaks penetrating the sky. No one remembered these lands. Because no one ever managed to reach this place.
Darkness reigned in this place. The black sky hovered above whether it was day or night. So, when the dark receded and gold colored the sky, the tallest peak shuddered. Rather, the only creature living on these lands moved.
It was large. Large enough to take up half of the peak. The snow slid off its gigantic body, turning into an avalanche. The size and strength of the avalanche rumbled as if the sky had broken down. The mountains trembled due to the impact.
With the snow having fallen off, the body of the creature became visible. The creature seemed as if made from pure ice crystals. Its talons glistened dangerously, like ice blades. Its feathers shone with a radiance that seemed almost divine. It opened its eyes, revealing two massive eyes. The eyes shone like two diamonds. But the center of the eyes were abyss-like black circles.
The black centers moved up. The creature eyed the golden sky and released a keening cry. It closed its eyes and turned still again. But its cry traveled thousands of kilometers. The nearest settlement with thousands of humans and millions of beasts shattered like broken ice upon hearing the sound. All turned silent. Only the golden sky glowed above.
The destiny of an entire tribe and multiple herds ceased to exist.
...
People scuttled and hurried away. The storms came out of nowhere. Nothing strange about that. In these lands, people were used to it. The storms came and went out of nowhere. Nothing grew in these parts. At least, nothing that was easy to kill or grow.
They didn’t dare to lift their heads. The sky filled with black clouds seemed to slither and coil around itself. Flashes of bright lightning lit up the sky, revealing sharp claws and white eyes staring down. But no one looked up. No one dared to.