The Enemy From Long Ago

Most of the Geetin have only seen the Dead Stealers. Our ancient foe sends tens of thousands of them. From generation to generation, they only know the beasts as the face of their enemy. Thousands fall on either side and I despair. The ones that have seen them know the face of their own death and it fills their dreams. Even the Hunters who are far more dangerous inspire less fear.

Few of them know the horror I see, they cannot be let to know. Only my most trusted Geetin of Battle come with us, the ones that are more Gijorn than Geetin. We return to the battle site to recover the dead, to bury them only to find most of them stolen. The Dead Stealers lurk in the shadows and watch us. If they knew how to laugh, I imagine it is what they would be doing. When they find our burial grounds, hundreds of them come to rob the graves. They do not care for metal, carved ornament or jewel, it is only the flesh that they take. I cannot think of a greater evil.

I have even seen the Geetin confused when they meet one of the beast’s masters in battle. The form of a man on the field of battle is foreign to them. It falls to us and our kind, the Gijorn to face the beast masters, their Warriors. We train every day, readying ourselves but still I see three of our kin fall for every one of them. I have often wondered if they hatch their ingenious plots or if it is the Priests that scheme away in their comfort. I have at times thought it one way or the other, perhaps it is one time the Warrior and another time the Priest.

These are our enemy from long ago. My grandfather’s grandfather has handed down books of how to fight against them. I have at times wondered who we would be if our long time foe had been defeated long ago or had never been. Without them, who would I be? I say truthfully I cannot know. So my grandson, now that you have become the Rantaa’s Chief and lead the army as I once have, learn from my writings and those of my grandfather’s grandfather but know this, these books are not the end. We have, all of us failed to finish our foe, study them so that you may.