The Origin of Meiness (3)

Taepia gave birth to a son, but the child was greatly marked by magic. By these marks, Aquthopos knew that his beloved's illness was not ill fortune, but the deliberate act of her healer. The King went mad with grief. He lost all reason. He drew a sword to slay the Nephilim who attacked her. The bronze edge rang and splintered, but barely scraped Lot's stony hide. The villain needed no weapon, he could simply crush the king with a massive fist. The King crumpled at the blow. Then the nephilim Warband turned on the town. “These lesser creatures have become so arrogant, they would dare to stand up to us. It is a disease to have such rebellion in our cattle; we must have it out or it may spread.”

King Konoi saw Warband's treachery. “They mean to destroy this city, and then to level ours! They never planned to let us expand or escape!” So his men charged the Nephilim, and joined the defense of Mein. That day the people saw the King of Ness as their savior, when their own was a martyr – or worse, a fool for brining wrath upon them. But Aquthopos was not slain, though he would not last the night. He told his bronzesmith or reheat the sword, and reforge* it. “And hurry, I know it will be needed soon. When it is hot and shaped, do not quench it, but bring it to me still bright from the fire.”

*[bronze weapons are cast; poured into molds to harden like any bronze object. However, the edges of weapons and folded and forged in a manner very similar to iron or steel blades because bronze does strain harden. I think. Also, the phrase “bright from the fire” is common to steel tools, which actually glow when heated because of a shift in structure. I don't know if bronze does this, I just haven't worked with it. I'd like to, though.]

King Konoi came to the throne of Mein, and said “It is my deepest regret to come too late to save your wife. I heard her bell toll as we ran.”
“You ran here?”
“Yes, friend. I am weary, for I came with all haste.” 
Now, King Aquthopos had spies throughout his land, and the most near his home. He knew Konoi was false, because he broke into a run only when the bell sounded attack. When the bronzesmith brought the sword, the King took it and said, “see, this is be blade which first struck my betrayer.” Then he plunged the hot metal into Konoi, at once killing him and quenching the blade. Then he cut off the king's hands, saying, “with these you struck down my beloved.” And then he cut out the tongue from the corpse, “With this you spoke nothing but falsehoods.” Then he laid down and died.

The brother of their king, Routhopos, took up the slayer-sword. He declared to the people, “you have been betrayed by Ness! They have brought the wrath of the Nephilim down upon you, and they have murdered your king. Even now, they march on our city to capture it or raze our homes. Join me against the betrayers!”
But Taepia's brother, Taepos, also had the attention of the people. He said, “This man distorts the truth to feed his ambition! You brought the wrath of the Nephilim upon yourselves, when you refused the extra tribute to Lot last season. I saw Aquthopos stuck by the first of the Lot, but Konoi never laid a hand upon him. You saw King Konoi come to your rescue. Why do you doubt him now?” Then Taepos cauterized the severed hand of King Konoi, and wore it about his neck, saying “this is the hand of a healer.”
So the people of Mein were divided. Some followed Routhopos and went to war against Ness. But they did not meet the army of Ness in the forest. The armies passed one another as bears, who keep to their own walk. Then Routhopos came to Ness and saw that it was practically undefended. “That must have been the King's whole house who came to Mein. Now is our chance for revenge, while they are not prepared!” 
Then the people of Ness, who in great fear for their lives, called upon the Nephilim to protect them. So Reouthopos took the slayer-sword, and found that its blade had prowess beyond any weapon, for it was quenched in the blood of a King. With it and with many granite-headed hammers, they battled with the Nephilim.
But the army of Ness reached Mein. It was now led by Prince Konoi, the son of King Konoi (for you must be crowned to be king). Taepos met them in force, and said, “Your father was slain by the hand of Lot. Him with all his men. Even now, my brother-in-law rushes to oppose the Nephilim in your city.” 
Prince Konoi suspected the deception, so he asked, “how many men does your brother-in-law bring?” 
Taepos answered him, “We are friends, as we have been, why should I not tell you? He has twenty of our strongest men, together with fifty farmers in wargear.”
and Prince Konoi replied, “There is an entire warband in our town, so small a force could not dislodge them. Come! We must hurry, or all shall be lost.” And the Hand of Konoi granted strength and healing to he who carried it, even if carried in secret.

And it came that there was a great battle across Ness. Some of the elves took sides with the Nephilim, and others stood against them at whatever price. One faction had the greatest loyalty to Mein, and another supported Ness against whatever foe.  

When the Emperor of the Nephilim saw what became of the two cities of the forest, he cursed them. “This fight shall be your last. It begins and ends in your forest, and shall never leave its bounds. But you, cursed, shall never rest until the earth blows away as dust and every stem of Mein-Ness is gone.”

At least, that is how I heard the story.