17/09/2026
THE FOURTH MORNING — An Imaginative Tale.
The fourth morning arrived swiftly and without ceremony. Abu Bukhari awoke before the sun had fully risen, his body stiff from the three nights spent upon the bear Earth, his wrists raw and sore beneath the bindings. Around him, his companions stirred quietly with restlessness . No one needed to speak. They remembered the plan concocted the night before all too clear. The River boarding was their opportunity for a Forest escape. Beyond it lay the unknown.
The Guards were already active and moving about the encampment, preparing the prisoners for the journey downstream. Fires were being revived. Leather straps tightened. Spears were gathered. Copper ornaments and helmets were fastened upon the soldiers as they prepared to resume their march toward the imperial lands. Abu watched everything intently and attentively. Then one of his companions whispered to him....“Look.” Far downriver, something could be seen moving through the morning mist that lay at the River's surface.
At first it appeared to be a dark line upon the water, something bearly peaking above the mist. Then it grew clear to be a vessel. Large magnanimous in scale, Abu narrowed his eyes in awe and wonder. It was a massive, wooden carrier boat with multiple decks, unlike the much smaller craft he had seen upon the rivers of Guiana. Its hull rose high above the water, broad enough to carry a considerable number of people and cargo. Several figures could bearly be seen moving hurriedly upon its deck. The Imperial Guards noticed it too.
Immediately, the atmosphere changed. One soldier stopped what he was doing completely and armed himself. Another raised his hand and called out to the boat to welcome those on board. “Hold, stop here...." The guards began watching the approaching vessel, whilst an atmosphere of suspicion and anxiety grew thick. Some moved toward the riverbank welcoming.Others reached for their weapons. Spears were lifted while captives were being told to stand and gather. Shields were taken from their resting places as all prepared for what would be the next part of their journey.
One soldier who disappeared briefly beneath a shelter and returned carrying a heavier weapon and a lone slave girl he had taken for the night. No one knew who was aboard the vessel for sure as it was still pulling ashore to be be birth. The vessel continued toward them more slowly....cautiously and Steadily being mindful of any debris just under the surface. Slowly the mist began to lift as the vessel got closer. The soldiers looked on some signaling directions, eagerly waiting. Abu's Heart began to pound fiercely in his chest. His companions exchanged glances in anticipation, this was not the moment they had imagined, but perhaps it was the moment they had been given. Abu whispered sharply....“Be ready.”
Then....a sudden cry, loud and explosive, erupted from the Forest! Not from the river before them but from behind them. The Imperial Guards turned quickly, stunned and taken by total surprise. For one single heartbeat, there was only silence....then the tree line Exploded with rumbling! Warriors Great and Strong burst from the dense Jungle with terrifying speed. They came upon the encampment like a raging storm released from the forest. Among them were ordinary-sized men and others who towered above them, more giants, immense figures whose height made even the imperial warriors appear smaller at times.
They wore a striking combination of Red, Black, and White. The giants were heavily adorned in these magnificent combination of colors. Their bodies were wrapped in garments of deep red and black, broken by broad black bands and geometric markings and spots, mirroring thsoe of an animal. Their arms carried layered ornaments. Their heads were crowned with elaborate feathered headdresses, some rising high above them in magnificent silhouettes. Painted designs covered their faces and bodies, emphasizing their eyes and making their expressions seem almost otherworldly and fearfully intense.
Black and white patterns crossed their clothing, red dominated the greater portions of their ceremonial dress....their huge feather accessories moved violently to and fro as they charged. The ordinary warriors wore the same colors, though with far less ornamentation. Red and white garments, dark bands, simple feather decorations, and practical war equipment suited to movement through the forest....making them much more swift and they were already upon the Imperial Guards in staggering numbers.
The first spear struck a nearby soldier before the other soldiers could properly form ranks to mount and defense.
THUD!
An Imperial Warrior staggered backward falling to the ground. Another raised his shield just as a second attacker violently crashed into him with a smashing force. The riverbank erupted into a chaotic battlefield instantly. War cries thundered beneath the trees, coming from every direction. The Imperial Guards fought back immediately, admirably. Copper flashed. Wood splintered. Spears crossed in full display. One of the enormous warriors seized an Imperial Shield with both hands and tore it from its bearer, sending the man hurling, then tumbling into the shalloows of the muddy River bed. Another giant came crashing through the smoke of the campfire, his Red and Black Feathers streaming behind him. He brought his weapon down with such a powerful force that the ground seemed to tremble.
The imperial formation collapsed in no time and without a considerable resistance. Yet they were trained warriors, brave and strategic. A small band regrouped quickly, a line of copper-armored soldiers surged forward together, shields overlapping as they pushed against the attackers. The giants and their regular sized counterparts met them head-on. The collision was absolutely brutal and raw. Men shouted terrifyingly, overcone by unhinged rage. Weapons struck and clased together, some being broken by others with the force and power applied. Bodies fell into the shallow river, some were trampled and lay partly buriedin the mud.
The Red garments of the attacking force became darkened now, rich with with mud and blood. White feathers scattered across the ground in every place. Black-painted faces emerged and disappeared among the chaos like ghosts at times. Abu could hardly believe what he was witnessing, something that could not even be found in his wildest imagination. The attackers fought most courageously, with extraordinary discipline, skill and tactics. Clearly are more agile and superior force. The giants who fought together with the Men were not merely strong....they to were very skilled and extremely agile.
They moved with the regular warriors as though they had fought together for generations, sideby side as one unit. One would draw a soldier's attention while another struck from the side. Smaller warriors moved beneath the reach of the imperial spears while the giants broke through the defensive line, together they devastated the Imperial Guards and proved to be a formidable opponent for any Nation. Then came a startling tremendous roar. One of the giants seized an Imperial Standard, planted as a marker for identification, and ripped it clean from the Earth.
The symbol of the Empire fell into the mud. The surrounding warriors answered with a thunderous cry, loud cheers and chants. The remaining Imperial Guards began to retreat while small companies took chase behind them into the Forest. Freedom at last, Abu Bukhari looked at his companions firmly. No command was necessary. "Now!" They ran without hesitation or delay, still bound and in bad condition. Some still connected by ropes and wooden restraints, but free from the guards who had previously captured and watched over them. They sprinted toward the forest in desperation.
Behind them came the sounds of battle, the clash of weapons, shouting warriors, the groans of the injured and the thunder of feet along the riverbank. Abu stumbled briefly, only regaining his footsteps after a companion caught him and ushered him on. “Keep moving!” They plunged beneath the trees and low growing shrubs under the dense Forest Canopy. Branches snagged and tore at their clothing as they passed in full running pace. Roots caught their feet and sandals still they pushed onward without fear. Faster and faster, deeper and deeper until the sounds of battle became distant and low to them.
Then fainter still....then finally it disappeared completely. At last, Abu raised his hand in gesture as he pointed, “Here....” The men collapsed into the vegetation. For several moments, nobody spoke they were out of breath. They simply breathed heavily and lay flat, others leaned against trees. Although they were still bound, they were finally free again. Quickly enough, they caught theor wits and gathered together beneath a massive tree. One man worked desperately at the knots around another's wrists with each one helping the other to get free. Another used a sharpened stone to saw through the fibers. Slowly, painfully, their restraints began to loosen and they were unbound.
One after another, hands became free and feet became free. A wooden neck restraint fell away amd hit the ground with a slight thud. Then another....then another. Abu's wrists finally emerged from the rope, free and unrestricted. He rubbed them, wincing at the pain. “Almost finished,” someone whispered. The final companion struggled with his bindings out of sheer exhaustion. Abu leaned in and reached toward him. “Here. Let me....”
As he took hold of the restraints a sound interrupted him. A branch breaking. Crack Everyone froze stiff with fear and paranoia. Abu slowly turned looking cautiously....nothing. Only trees. Then, just as he thought to turn away his attention....another sound. Snap! Crack! Even closer now. The men reached instinctively for whatever weapons they had managed to retain and could use. Abu rose slowly, through the foliage appeared a Large figure. First came the feathers, then the enormous shoulders....then the towering body.
A Giant Warrior stepped from the forest into their presence. His clothing was now unmistakable. Red, White and Black. Feathers rose from his head like a crown, some broken and bloody. His body bore intricate markings and mystical symbols. In one hand he carried his weapon pointing down to signal peace. Behind him, several ordinary-sized warriors emerged cautiously between the trees, dressed in the same colors, though less elaborately adorned. The Giant stopped and he immediately stared at Abu directly. Abu stared back in shock and fear. Neither moved forward.
For the first time since escaping the Empire, Abu realized that freedom did not necessarily mean safety. The Giant took one slow step forward toward him....the forest became completely silent and seemed to gasp. Abu's mind wondered 'Had they escaped their captors....only to fall as captives once again? This time into the hands of those who had defeated the first?"
