Grasslands

Grasslands is a short story and is BionicleChicken's entry to the Spring 2014 Writing Contest.

== Story== The general walked out of his tent, which was made out of the dirt considering the environment. Behind him followed the scout that had just reported to him. The general looked at his soldiers, who were all stopping their activities to look at the sight. The sight confirmed the scout's report.

More of those giants have wandered into the lands.

The general watched as the giant and its equally sized companion lumbered past them, unaware of the camp's presence. The titans blotted out the beautiful sun, and each step shook the ground everyone stood on and riled up the dragon-steeds the soldiers rode into battle. The general spat at the dirt next to his feet. The dirt absorbed the water.

All these years, all these generations, the general, his family, and the Grassland Army has defended their lands from these giants. Everytime, they were able to ward them off. Somehow, they were able to drive them away from destroying their people with a single step. They rode on their steeds and fought for their lives against the gigantic creatures. They always start from below, where the trees look like the blades of grass, and they soon rise to the monsters' eyes. Now is no exception of these traditions.

The general cracked his neck and walked through the crowd of his troops. They look at him, waiting for his rousing speech. When he got their attention and was before them all, he gave the speech they were expecting, and listened with eagerness.

"Once again," the general spoke. His voice was commanding and projecting. "these monsters have come. But now is rare. Now, we have two of these creatures coming to destroy us. To step on us like insects. Like pests that don't matter. Well, it seems they haven't learned from their past approaches!"

The soldiers nodded in approval at their commander's rising confidence in speech. "Once again, we shall drive these beasts away! Perhaps we'll even kill them! Who knows! We shall have to see! Not all of you will survive, I can tell you that. But I know what I'm saying when I say, it is an honor to fight alongside you." The general unsheathed his sword and raised it into the air. "NOW! RAISE YOUR BLADES WITH ME! CLIMB ONTO YOUR STEEDS! AND LET'S GIVE THESE MONSTERS HELL!!"

All the soldiers unsheathed their swords. The metal scraping was simultaneous. Their cry was so loud and great and it seemed as if one of the giants turned its head slightly to the source of the sound. All the troops ran to their respective steeds, all of which stretched their wings, preparing to rise into the sky. They snarl, growl, and exhale their toxins. Their poison was not effective around their masters, as the steeds were not unleashing this gift. They were preparing this ability for the creatures that towered several miles over them.

The dragon-steeds all launched into the air, the winds shaking the trees around them and blowing away the dirt below them in a wide radius. The soldiers readied their swords as the steeds flew up to various places of the giants' body. Either the legs, the arms, the neck, or the face. When they neared close to one of the titan's body part, they roared ferociously and began to attempt stabbing.

---

"Ow!" Beacon yelled as he felt a sting on his neck. He rubbed it hard, trying to dull the pain. He had to blink in order to prevent any of the insects from entering his eyes. He swatted at the swarm close to his face, feeling small dots that signaled that he had gotten some of them.

Bolta looked at the swarm around her, all of which were vaporizing due to her electrical physiology. She looked over at Beacon's struggling and stuck out her hand close to his face. All the bugs that touched it vaporized with small sparks. The bugs instantly flew off when they realized they were near a Toa bug zapper. Beacon scratched at areas on his neck and face.

"Ugh, I think I'm allergic. Places are starting to itch," Beacon said. Bolta slapped his hand away from his neck.

"Then don't scratch," Bolta said. She looked around the beautiful grasslands. For miles she could see nothing but green surface until the end of it, where hills and forests were. Bolta sighed. "Shame we can't explore this place. Full of bugs."

"If I start to get a rash, I'm going to be really irritated," Beacon said, twisting his head around to get rid of the itching without having to scratch with his hands. Bolta chuckled.

"Well, at least we didn't have to deal with a living forest, talking trees, or immortals wanting to destroy the world," Bolta quipped.

"Yep, just itching rashes," Beacon responded wittingly. Bolta shrugged and watched Beacon turn back the way they came. Bolta took one last look at the scenery before following Beacon.

Trivia

 * BionicleChicken wanted to write a story about a living forest, but decided against it as his idea was too similar to Alan Moore's "Mogo Doesn't Socialize".