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dynast would be to cast Ostoria into a carnage that would destroy it as surely
as the Great Glacier.
Vilmos laid his hand on Lanaxis's shoulder. "I am sorry, my brother,"
rumbled the storm giant. "Perhaps Nicias is right. To move against Dunmore
is to destroy Ostoria's spirit and I'm sure none of us wants any part of that."
With that, Vilmos turned to leave the veranda, as did Nicias. The other
giants moved to follow, for they all knew that, without the help of the cloud
giant and storm giant, even Lanaxis was not powerful enough to reach Ulutiu's
body. Nor did anyone suggest open defiance of Othea. So great was the
Mother Queen's power that only a fool would dare such a thing.
Still, Lanaxis could not bear to watch them go, for with them went the future
of his beloved empire. "Wait!"
The giants stopped and looked toward the titan. "Accept our fate," advised
Nicias. "Let Ostoria die in peace."
"I'm not asking you to move against Dunmore," said Lanaxis. "Only to give
me time. Stay until morning. Perhaps I can think of a way to convince Othea
to let us save Ostoria."
Nicias and Vilmos exchanged glances, then Nicias asked, "You will raise
no hand against our brother Dunmore?"
"I will leave the thane alone," the titan promised. "All I want is time. If
Ostoria has hope, I will find it tonight."
The cloud giant nodded. "Then we will all try to think of something." He
looked to the other giants. "We meet beside the Well of Health tomorrow at
dawn."
With that, Nicias and the other guests entered Bleak Palace. Once they
were gone, Lanaxis turned to glare at the mountainous glacier that loomed
over his empire.
"Traitors!" Though Lanaxis had only whispered the word, it echoed across
the plain as though he had screamed it from the highest mountain. "What do
they care for Ostoria?"
"Them cowards!" offered Arno. "They 'fraid to "
"Quiet!" hissed Julien. "Can't you see Lanaxis is thinking?"
"No Arno's right," said Lanaxis. "They are cowards as am I, quivering in
Othea's shadow!"
The titan smashed his fist down, so consumed by his growing rage he did
not notice when the blow broke an entire section from the veranda railing.
Julien raised a brow. "It's merely prudent to be cautious. After all, Othea is
a goddess."
"A demigoddess," Lanaxis corrected. "And I am done venerating her. She
is my enemy. I will treat her as such!"
"What?" gasped Arno. "Attack Othea? She butcher us!"
Lanaxis heard the objection only as a distant echo, for the heinous task
ahead had already caught his thoughts in its dark web. The titan stood staring
at the distant glacier for many minutes, then suddenly spun around and
stepped toward one of the archways leading into Bleak Palace.
"Fetch me an empty vial and bring it to my chambers and be quick. We
have much to do before dawn," he said. "Say nothing to my brothers. Let
tomorrow's events surprise them."
At dawn, the morning sun hovered just above the snowy horizon, a crimson
disk that filled the open end of the colonnade. The orb's rosy rays coursed
down the length of the arcade, running almost parallel to the floor, so they just
skimmed the Well of Health's bubbling waters and set the pool aglow with
scarlet light. Despite the fiery colors, to Lanaxis the colonnade felt as cold as
the Great Glacier.
The titan's brothers had already gathered, and none of them raised their
eyes to meet his as he stepped out of Bleak Palace. Without asking, the titan
knew the giants had thought of no way to save Ostoria. They had left that task
to him, and now they would have no excuse for shirking the price.
Lanaxis stepped over to the Well. The ettin followed close behind, bearing
a tray of silver chalices, each sized for a particular giant.
"My brothers, I bid you drink."
Nicias and the others finally met the eyes of their host. "Then you have
reached the same conclusion we have," said the cloud giant. "Ostoria cannot
be saved."
Lanaxis did not answer. Instead, he took the two largest chalices from the
tray and offered them to Nicias and Vilmos. "Have your fill from the Well of
Health." The titan smiled, taking care that his guests saw that it was bravely
forced. "By now, Dunmore has found our mother. She will come quickly."
Nicias did not accept his chalice. "We were all willing to deceive our
mother. We should bear the consequences."
Lanaxis's smile remained frozen on his face. He had not expected to
endure such pretensions of nobility. Exhausted as he was from his long night
of labors, it took him a moment to think of a suitable response.
At last he said, "It would be foolish for all of us to suffer." Inside his mind,
an angry voice was screaming for his cowardly brothers to drink and leave.
He had to prepare the Well before Othea arrived. "Besides, the blame lies
with me."
Lanaxis was about to continue when the floor trembled beneath his feet. A
series of distant rumbles sounded from the other side of Bleak Palace, each
one growing progressively louder. Othea was coming.
"My brothers, I'm sorry," said the weary titan. "But it appears there is no
time for you to drink from the Well of Health today. Julien and Arno will show
you out."
The ettin set the tray of chalices on a bench, then started down the arcade.
Masud and most of the other giants followed at once, but Nicias and Vilmos
lingered behind.
"We will not let you bear Othea's wrath alone." The cloud giant's voice was
as soft as breath. "We shall stay."
"I have asked you to leave Bleak Palace," Lanaxis said, struggling to
remain patient. "Will you not honor my wishes?"
"If you ask that way, we have no choice," Nicias said. "But we are not
happy "
"I don't care!" Lanaxis pointed down the arcade. "Go!"
Nicias's mouth dropped open, and he was too astonished to move. Lanaxis
grabbed Vilmos's hand and guided it to the cloud giant's arm. The titan
shoved them both after the other giants, who had already reached the end of
the arcade.
"Take him away!" Lanaxis yelled. The Mother Queen was so close that he
could feel the floor buck with each of her steps.
Vilmos nodded, his admiring eyes fixed on Lanaxis's face. "As you wish."
The storm giant turned away, dragging the astounded cloud giant along. "But
we will not forget what you have done today, my brother."
"I know you won't." The titan slipped his hand into his robe pocket. He
grasped the vial he had spent all night preparing, then whispered, "No one
will."
Lanaxis waited only until Nicias and Vilmos had turned away before taking
the tiny bottle from his pocket. The colonnade's columns now shook
constantly from the power of Othea's footfalls. If not for the massive bulk of
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