Only when red flames rained from the heavens
did the giants realize that they had committed a foolish error. They reached up with
their combined strength to thwart Einhasad's angered delivery of the Hammer of Despair.
Yet even with the giants' might, they merely altered the direction of the hammer slightly,
and it still grazed the cities as it descended upon the world.
That was enough to destroy the world's greatest city; countless giants and other
races were instantly crushed. A large hole was left in the earth and immense waves
covered its surface. In the end, almost all the giants had perished.
Those giants who managed to live fled to the east to avoid Einhasad's anger. Their
route paralleled that of Shilen in her earlier flight. Einhasad continued to hunt
them down and burned the giants to death one by one with bolts of lightning. The
remaining fugitive giants trembled in fear and prayed to Gran Kain.
"Gran Kain, Gran Kain! We have realized our erroneous ways. Only you can halt
the rage and madness of Einhasad. Do not let us perish, we who have been born from
the same place as yourself, we who are the wisest and strongest creatures in the
land!"
Gran Kain suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of pity for these poor creatures and
thought that the giants had suffered enough for their transgression. He lifted up
the deepest waters of the southern seas and blocked Einhasad's path.
Einhasad shouted in anger, "'What is this?! Who dares to interfere with me?!
Eva, my beloved daughter, rid the water that blocks my path this instant or be ready
to follow in the footsteps of your elder sister!"
Eva feared Einhasad and immediately returned the waters to the sea. Einhasad continued
to chase the giants, killing them one by one. The giants cried out to Gran Kain again.
"Gran Kain! The mightiest of the gods! Einhasad continues to chase us, determined
to exterminate us! We pray to you, please have mercy and save us!"
Gran Kain lifted up the earth on which the giants stood. The great cliff hindered
Einhasad's chase and she shouted in a loud voice.
"Maphr, my beloved daughter! Who dares to interfere with me?! Set the land
down this instant. Or be ready to follow the path of your sister!"
Fearful at these words, Maphr tried to lower the earth, but Gran Kain stopped her.
"Einhasad, why do you not give up? The whole land knows your anger and trembles
before your wrath. The wise but foolish giants feel their wrongdoing to their very
core. See for yourself! The race of proud and noble creatures -- that at one time
ruled the earth — are hiding on a narrow strip of land and shaking in fear
as they seek to escape you! No longer can they challenge the gods. This place will
eternally be the giants' prison. Calm your rage, your revenge is complete."
Einhasad continued to rage, but she could not act against Gran Kain's wishes --
he possessed strength equal to her own. She decided that, as Gran Kain had said,
it would be better to leave the giants on that narrow, barren land to forever repent
their sins rather than to kill them all. She ended her hunt and returned to her home.
Afterwards, Einhasad rarely interfered with happenings on Earth, as she had been
deeply disappointed in the Earth's beings. Gran Kain also agreed not to show himself
on Earth. The age of the gods was coming to an end. |