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Cucode presents Birds of Empire, created by Jason Liu.

The Iron Axe of White Rock, an early lowland tale.

The ogres of the ancient age had hearts made of stone, locked within the glinting cages of impervious ribs. The ogres of the ancient age were sorrowful, slow creatures, who hid themselves deep within the rocks of the mountains.

They moved so slowly that it could take a thousand years

just to blink one of their great eyes.

Eyes as round and vast as their memories.

The ogres kept the stories of the people of the rock

deep within their throats.

It was here that they would nest,

like the eggs of eagles waiting to hatch

when time and circumstance dictated,

wings spreading.

One such story was that of Oren

and the iron axe of white rock.

Oren was an ogre with a thirsty heart that had lain inside stone mount for thousands upon thousands of years.

He would move through the minerals and rocks and bones and swirls of color, hoping at one end to find release.

He longed to move at the speed of rain or of the reptiles sunning themselves across his face.

A lizard would come and it dart away as if remembering suddenly that they had broken a promise.

Orrin thought there would be no hope for him, and he wept, causing great boulders to fall and

crush any and all below. But in this sad dislay, there was contained the answer to his

discontent. At this time, the Rams were still

...