Free The God Warriors by Sean Liebling Page B

three sides, and from the few times Elsa had been there, she knew its attractions rivaled even those of the capital.
    The Northern Mountains, on the other hand, were a concern to Elsa. Inhabited by loose tribal factions of humans, it also contained villages of other creatures. Creatures, which had no names for their species, at least that she knew of. The south referred to the various breeds as the “Dark Ones,” the “Earth Dwellers, ”the “Red Stone Eaters,” and “the ‘Wolven.” It was after a battle with Illian forces dressed in the skinned furs of the wolves that Elsa's own company had been renamed, for they'd been victorious in that encounter, even against overwhelming odds. That had occurred way before her time, but she knew the history.
    The dark ones were hairless and dangerous creatures, day or night. Named for their dark skin, they were massive beasts that could pull a man's head off with their bare hands. They wore either an inordinate amount of armor or none at all. The fangs protruding from their mouths did not help their image either. The Red Stone Eaters lived in the lava, or near enough for others to think so, and were fiercely protective of their territory. They had red skin, and Elsa had heard tales from some of the veterans that even falling into flowing lava would not hurt one of them. As far as she knew, they didn't even understand what clothing was, and no one she knew had ever talked to one.
    The wolves, or Wolven, as they were actually called, were almost as dangerous as the dark ones if the tales Illian captives told were to be believed. A large head with blunt features and furry bodies with iron hard claws to match, they were a formidable foe which somewhat looked a wolf. Still they resembled humans the most, except for the fur. The only sanity in that mountainous and volcano-strewn region were the Earth Dwellers, or Thana. A short people, they were nonetheless probably the strongest. Most of them, male and female alike were usually as wide as they were tall and lived in caves that stretched deep into the mountains leading to immense underground cities, usually at the side of a volcano. Elsa had met a few of them over the years and knew they were purveyors of fine metals and jewelry. She also knew they sold finished ore to the human countries almost cheaper than could be mined back in Jordache. Though they seemed nice enough, she knew they were strictly neutral.
    She knew that if they ever all banded together there would be hell to pay in the south. The good news was that they all fought each other with a passion unrivaled. With the regional passivity of the Red Stone Eaters and Thana, so far, only the dark ones and the Wolven appeared to enjoy conquest. However, just those two races were bad enough. Thank Hera the Wolven restricted their raids to Illian soil and not Jordache, though the same could not be said for the roaming bands of wild humans.
    The company had formed and were starting to move out when a voice called out. "Elsa! Hold up a minute." Elsa groaned. The speaker was none other than Lasos. Lasos was another captain of the guard like herself, and a man who was full of his own magnificence. While she did not exactly hate him, she did not intend to share his furs like so many other women. The irritating quality of Lasos was that he was relentless, and she'd known more than a few that had given in just to shut him up. She also considered that option but decided against it. Perhaps it was a foolish thought, but she could not help thinking there was someone out there who was right for her, someone who would love her for herself, not as a conquest of short duration.
    "Lasos. Something wrong?"
    "Why no, Elsa, I was simply hoping to set up a date upon your return from patrol ten days from now." He smiled charmingly, but she was not even slightly fooled by his act. The man simply wanted in her leathers badly before moving onto the next girl.
    "Lasos, I've told you half a hundred times.