(Hello everyone, or at least anyone who has been reading this opus of mine. Anybody still out there?
Sounds of nature. Crickets chirping, etc.
Anyway, I know I’ve been absent for some time and I apologize for that. However, strange things have been happening to me the last few weeks. Sickness for one. Also, a strange series of events that parallel the last sentence of the previous entry. Prophecy? Don’t know, don’t care. Anyway, let’s continue on with the strange free-for-all known as Titan’s Travels.)
Reacting to my words, Tummi dashed off into the surrounding Valparta, only to return moments later with another, larger, version of himself. This character stood at least half a foot taller than his relatives and looked a darn sight meaner. His fangs were actually showing even though his mouth was tightly closed.
Another item set him apart from his people. He was wearing armor. Lots of armor. The suit was all metal and intensely engraved from the neck on down. He had a helmet hanging from his belt that even had a Roman style plume. Pretty impressive that. He also wore a sword much like the Roman Gladius and carried a pretty hefty stabbing spear.
He and Tummi stopped right in front of me and Tummi did the introductions. The other guy just glared.
“Him short name Bert. Leader of Valparta army from Avanwy. Him ticked off you show up. Make his day complicated. Thinking of killing you, but willing to be talked out of such thing.”
I looked at Bert and, for the first time in a long time, chose my words carefully. “Um, hello Bert.”
Glare.
“Look. Maybe we can sort this thing out general to general.”
Glare.
Bert’s glare was beginning to get on my nerves, and not in a good way. I tried again.
“Okaaaay. What would it take to calm things down and get a dialogue going?”
Glare.
By this time my own temper was spiraling upward. I’d had just about had it with short stuff and his glare. I put some teeth into my next words.
“Look buster! I’m trying to be nice here, but you’re not helping. Either join the conversation or get the hell out of my face!”
Tummi saw where things were leading and promptly stepped in to mediate. He turned to Bert and, with a lot of arm waving and gabbering, apparently was trying to get Bert to cooperate.
Something he said must have worked because Bert relaxed and smiled. A little. Anyway, his fangs weren’t so pronounced. I turned to Tummi and asked him about it.
“Okay Tummi. What did you say to him anyway. He looks like he just won an award or something.”
Tummi grinned back at me.
“Tell Bert might be to his advantage to compare weapon stuff with you. Also said is good thing to have you as friend. Better defense against Nephilim and Elohim. Bert like both ideas.”
I looked at Bert who was smiling even wider now. Definitately large fangs.
“That true Bert? You wanna’ be friends?”
Bert nodded and spoke up.
“Bert understand now. Thought you were trying to trick me before. You have nice weapon stuff. Different, but nice. Also, Tummi tell me you good at slaughtering enemies. Like that.”
Well, at least we were on speaking terms. Looked like there wasn’t going to be a battle after all. This was confirmed when Bert raised his spear over his head and, in a voice that could be heard by everyone, gabbered happily away.
The response was immediate. Both the Valparta from our group and the Avanwy army began wildly cheering while jumping up and down in a frenzy of excitement. My Titans sighed with relief at the turn of events. No battle meant continued futures for everyone.
Especially us.
The Valparta camp was a bit of a distance off and Bert’s army was a bit anxious to get back to it. As for me and my boys, even Titans can get a little weary. We were looking forward to a small break to rest up and get our collective bearings.
So it was that the Avanwy army formed up in marching order and headed back to their camp with us in tow. It was while this was going on that I got another brutal surprise.
Seems Bert wasn’t the only big, armored Furry around. Leading the parade were what looked like about a thousand of Bert’s relatives. All in armor from head to foot and armed to the teeth.
Seems we had lucked out better than we, at first, thought. Though they were shorter than us, that armored mob would probably have made short, messy work of us. Sure, we were the Titan’s, but fifty eight against a thousand armored fanatics? Nope. No way could we have survived against those odds.
As we began the march, another little surprise greeted us. Several of our own Furries ran up to us and asked for our backpacks.
Tummi explained. Bert had ordered these guys to run ahead and set up our camp for us. Seems Bert respected us as fellow warriors and wanted to show that respect in this manner. Who were we to argue?
So off the Furries ran with our backpacks while, somewhat lighter now, we paced ourselves to the speed of the Valparta march. Those guys might be short, but boy could they move.
My boys were looking forward to a little snooze time while I wanted to quiz Bert some more. Turned out his answers were a bit different than what I wanted or liked.
The Roman View 
[…] Chapter XXVI […]