When The Land Was Flat

To my son, whom I will tell a great story. My father told me, you will tell your son when you are older.

It was an excellent time for the Giants and many tribes of them. They were said to be upwards of fifteen feet tall and towered into the clouds. They were living in the flat lands and lived peacefully for a while. Each took care of their own and respected the other's territory. Each tribe had a great leader that kept control of the lands. They farmed with seeds the size of man today. Their fields were vast, with giant crops that almost reached the sky.

Each town was plump with wealth and many more tiny slaves of the more petite men. The smaller men were in their servitude. As tribes became too large, they split off to form another town and provide for their large families. Each city with its giant houses and meeting halls. Each leader had his small army to protect the village from harm. The large weapons kept the more miniature mankind in his stead. The world was great for the giants who had all the control. The halls were filled with pride from their tribes. Eventually, this will bring down the great time of peace. The flat land was in plethora with so many expansions.

Several feuds had been avoided by some crafty tribal leaders. The giants were starting to lose peace with the territory becoming smaller and their prized wealth. The small man was made to take care of the low jobs, making the giants forget how to do the work. The world was too populated, and confident leaders wanted more land for their tribes but could manipulate another town. This started the alliances of the cities against other partnerships made. Instead of fanning out to new territory, they just fought over the original land.

This only brought more angst between the giants, and former friends became foes. It was only a matter of time till any violence broke out. The flat lands were becoming more dangerous to travel and sell their goods. Shortages became prevalent as food and supplies were not available. War was brooding in the air as many suffered from loss of wealth. The crops were suffering, and famine was coming over the land. No one could have predicted such a fate they faced on their beloved flat grounds.

It all started when one of the short men escaped his master and ran to a rival town. Tribal leader Elishon was glad to take the slave in. The small man, Kyron, wanted a different life and did not wish to return to his master, Melkor. They were in two rival alliances and knew the leaders did not get along. He crept under their feet when working in their house and through the small cracks. Only the tiny men could fit there, and there was plenty of refuge in the small places. He crept in the dead of night across the fields of his master. He was so small the guards did not even seem to see him. He knew that Elishon was starting to change his mind on the treatment of the small men. Elishon wanted to free them and let them have some rights. Melkor was one of the most influential leaders and liked to keep up with the old traditions. His reign was terrible, and working conditions became worse. Melkor had some issues with Elishon. Kyron was just the start of the last feud of the Giants.

Melkor was the chief leader of the Piquore Alliance. He and his fellow family towns ruled for years, making them one of the oldest alliances.

The newest alliance, Allissant Alliance, is led by another chief leader. Elishon has just made this alliance, but the coalition is gaining momentum. Many felt like it was becoming as large as the Piquore Alliance. This has made Elishon a threat to Melkor's power. There were other alliances in the different leagues. The two main leagues were the Ogalet League and the Sultral League. The six significant associations were lined up with those leagues. The Giants formed alliances and leagues to protect their interests.

So, when Kyron ran, he created the perfect storm for the Giant's community. Melkor demanded that his slave be returned to him, and Elishon pay a tribute tax for harboring him. Elishon claimed that being in a different alliance and league nullified Melkor's request. Each territory was subject to its own rules, not the other communities. This embittered resolve of both sides grew the dispute to even greater involvement of the alliances. Each was brought before the Giant's Council, but no decision was made by them not to offend the partnerships along with the leagues. The sides started lining up, supporting one side or the other. Elishon had his Allissant Alliance behind him, along with Xetoc and Cyrone. The other side is with Melkor, his Piquore Alliance, and Valeen and Zoxit. Both were preparing for war and proving each side right. No one was supposed to be arming themselves, but both sides did anyway. This situation was getting the leagues involved. Again, the Giant's Council did not give any ruling on the stolen slave case. The matter became that the more minor battles started happening and sabotaged each other.

Each incident became more severe, and no one was backing down. It started as sabotaging crops to outward attacks on the perspective citizens. The violence grew by the day, and both sides were ramping up for a significant attack.

Then the day came, in the early morning of the year-long conflict. Melkor cracked the very flat ground underneath, pulled out a giant stone, and threw it toward Elishon's house.

Elishon and his family were out in time, but his anger was kindled.

"You have declared war on the Allissant Alliance and even the Sultral League," yelled Elishon.

"You should not have stolen my slave, you rule breaker," replied Melkor.

Elishon took his hammer, broke the flat ground till he found his rock, and threw it back at Melkor's town. Some citizens were injured. This only infuriated Melkor, who broke more of the flat ground with his men and his alliance's men. Elishon called upon his Allissant Alliance to start breaking up their land. Before the small associations and leagues could imagine, the stones were flying and crushing all the towns around.

Melkor declared, "You have now declared war on the Ogalet League and Piquore Alliance."

The sound of hammers pounding the earth woke all the towns as they joined their perspective leagues and alliances. The stones were flying from everywhere, destroying both crops and homes. As the days of battle continued, the ground became uneven with valleys from where the rocks were removed. The valleys became trenches.

The small men came down from the hills running for their lives as the giants duked it out. The deeper the trenches became steep, and the giants could hardly stand. All the cities were destroyed in this epic battle of power. At the end of the week, the flat land was utterly desolate, with sharp rock edges everywhere. Many died, from giants to petite men, from the war of rules. Both sides were exhausted and starting to slide down the narrow cliffs.

All the glory the Giants had worked for was gone, and their flat lands were destroyed. The remaining populations looked at the works of the war and were saddened to see their mighty land obliterated. The lower grounds were now the only inhabitable place.

The only problem was that the space was even more limited, and giants' crops could not do as well in the lower lands. The food was running out faster, and their kind started to starve because of the Giant's war. The old alliances were broken as the giants tried to survive the hard times. Slowly more and more died as the land was less fertile than the previous lands. The small men had better luck with shorter crops and building cities, free from the Giant's control. They could never make enough for their enormous bodies anyway. The population of giants kept falling till the last one died, leaving only the tiny men alive.

The legend has been told since about how our grand mountains were formed. It is said that some remnants of the Giants and their society can still be found on the mighty rock walls.

Sadly, seeing all that happened with the Giants and trying to destroy their enemy, ending up killing themselves. The small men today play the same actions trying to hurt each other's group. The devastation is less dynamic, but still, many are lost to worthless wars for power-hungry men. Sadly, the lesson is never learned from the mistakes of the Giants. When you become a leader, I need you to remember the value of life and be more intelligent than warlords. Sometimes proving you are right comes at a high price, and letting peace rule is the best option. The only good thing from that war was the sheer rock cliffs that remained. Something good always comes out of devastation despite the high cost. The mountains that protect us now came from the Giant's race expense.

As my father told me, I told you the extraordinary story of the Giants' wonderful flat land becoming the mountains that destroyed their civilization.