Those who have heard the mystical tales...

Thursday, April 18, 2013

V: The Giant

The giant carried Badger and Dumon through the forest. The two Bards struggled to free themselves from his grasp but to no avail. Suddenly, Schaff swept through the tree is front of the giant. He stopped just in front of it. The giant tripped on a vine he could not have seen, and fell face-first onto the ground. Badger and Dumon fell out of his hands; Badger grabbed her bow and loaded an arrow, meeting Schaff, whose sword was drawn, at the giant's head.
"Who are you?" yelled Badger.
"Answer me!" She lodged an arrow in his left hand. The giant stood, growling, and roared. His eyes were a sickly green, and his veins bulged. Badger put an arrow in his right hand; he still grabbed her, but not before Schaff cut his right pinky off.
"Let go of her!" Schaff cried, as he stabbed the giant's foot. It turned and picked him up, neglecting the sword sticking out of his foot.

Dumon had climbed a tree. She used it for cover as she pelted the giant with arrows. She fired quickly, but soon ran out. When her barrage stopped, the giant put his arm down from his face (he had been using it to shield himself.) He dropped Schaff, who fell unconscious. Running at Dumon, the giant grabbed her too, and fled.
An hour later, the other Bards arrived. Schaff's light armor took the brunt of the fall, so he survived with only a few bruises.
"What happened?" asked Scott.
"I managed to stop the giant, but he still took Dumon and Badger," came the reply.
"So back to square one again?" asked Paddy.
"Not really," said a voice from the forest. It was Scheaun. He brought forth an aid kit and attended to Schaff.
"I heard the screams," he said. " Got here just after you all did. See the giant gap there? Where all the trees bend as if something crushed them? He went that way."
"What? Oh--the branches. Wow. That wasn't that noticeable before," laughed Paddy.
"Where did you go?" asked Holden.
"I went to check out the camp at Koma."
"What did you find?"
"Nothing."

By now, Badger and Dumon gave up their struggle.
"So you're not going to tell us where we're going? At all?" Badger asked.
"No. Not at all," said Dumon. She laughed.
"So what if I have to pee?" laughed Badger. "No?"
"No," said Dumon. "No peeing. Just wait." The giant stopped.
"Finally!" said Badger.
"Can I pee now?" laughed Dumon.
He let them down, but a fire formed around them.
"What do you want from us?" asked Badger.
"What do you want from me?" sang Dumon. Badger looked at her.
"Sorry."
The giant fell to his knees. Seemingly having a spasm, he rolled over on his side, screaming. His eyes were no longer green; his veins were of normal size (for a giant.) Badger and Dumon walekd around to his face's side. The giant sat up, frightened.
"Aah! Who are you? What happened to my hands?" he asked.
"What do you mean? You just kidnapped us and almost killed two of my friends! Who are YOU?" stormed Badger.
"Oh no... I'm in a prison. You can't be here! Whatever I've done, I apologize for! I wasn't myself."
"What do you mean?" asked Dumon.
"I'm under a spell. A witch holds me hostage and I do her every bidding."
"You've been terrorizing an old woman. Do you know who she is?" asked Badger.
"No, what woman?"
"Do you know anything about what you do?"
"All I've heard is something about some 'Bards' or something. I'm helping her kill them, I think."
"WE are the Bards!" started Dumon. "Well, two of them."
"You need to leave now! Listen to me! Get out! It's a trap!"
"How?" asked Badger, arms crossed.
"That tree," he said, pointing to the only tree in the ring of fire. "Climb it, and jump to the tree next to it. Then run, and DO NOT COME BACK."
"No, we will come back. We'll save you."
"You can't."
"We've beaten gods, battled dragons, and broken civilizations. A witch is nothing."
"Fine. But go now, and do not come back without an army." Badger and Dumon climbed the tree, and descended the second when the ring of fire went out.
"Really!?" asked Badger. Then she and Dumon hid. A witch entered the ring.
"Where are they???" she screamed.
"Where are who?" replied the giant. She grabbed a sword, lifted it, and let go. It floated for a time. The witch left. Her last words to the giant were, "I'll find them myself."
The floating sword held still for a final moment, then flew through the giant's chest. Badger and Dumon  ran to the giant's side. His last words were, "The stone."
The other Bards arrived.
"Things just got weird," remarked Holden.