As the vision faded away, it left a lot more questions than answers. I guess I had a few less than Jacob, because he started in immediately.
"What was that?! And who was that woman?! And what are you?! How are you here now when we just watched you die?!" He demanded, a wild look in his eyes.
The man chuckled.
"The woman was one of the three daughters." I said, calmly. "A master strategist and apparently not half bad in a brawl. I've faced her once before. . . . Not everyone walked away from it. . ."
"That is more than I knew about her. . . Not that I had never fought a giant before, but she had an aura about her. . . Like the less time I spent fighting her. . . The better." The man added.
"And so how did you survive? If that truly was what happened here, than you clearly perished! And none too gently." Jacob commented.
"A simple trick of the brain. . . I won't get into the details, but essentially I seamlessly blended reality with one of my visions. After I hid in the trees I used it and blended them when she was struggling against the branches."
"So. . . I gather that you aren't a slayer. . . . What are you?" Jacob asked, cautiously.
Again the man laughed.
"No, I'm not a slayer. . . . Though in some distant, distant way. . . We are connected. . . . . My people were the first created." He stated, as he began to walk to the shore, apparently deciding we weren't a threat.
"The first created?" My brother and I asked together.
"Yes. . And before you give me some pre-rehearsed history lesson. . . Humans and giants were not the first races the gods ever created. Not even close."
"So. . . What are you?" I asked, walking back to dry ground as well.
"Hmmm. . . That is a good question. . . Well. . . Physically. . . I'm not so different from a human. No incredible strength or speed. . .durability. . But my soul. . . . . Our souls were as close to the gods as they ever saw fit to create." He said, sitting down next to a large pile of ash that I now knew to be from Leonara's fire.
"What does that mean exactly" Jacob asked, confused as he calmed his horse.
"Prayers without permission essentially . . Elemental and reality control." I said, looking at the man, wide eyed.
"Among other things. . " He said, humbly.
"So wait. . . If you were the first created. . . How old are you?" Jacob asked, fascinated. "Even a giant's lifespan isn't as long as you would be talking. . . Only the giant king. . "
"I'm not immortal, if that's what you're asking. . . Although I personally have found a means to negate the effect of time, if say. . A one thousand five hundred ton woman were to jump on me from the top of a waterfall. . . . I would be as dead as any other living being in that situation." He explained.
"If a whole race of people like you actually exists. . . Why are we just now hearing about it?" I asked, skeptical.
"The gods. . . We pulled our power from the same place as them. . . As we grew and developed, some of us began to rival their abilities. . . So much so that they saw fit to wipe us out and start fresh. . . And thus giants and humans were born."
My eyes narrowed.
"You're telling me. . . . Giants were created to extinguish a race of. . . gods? " I asked, totally in disbelief.
The man chuckled but said nothing.
"It would make sense. . . The gods lose control of you, they create the giants to kill you. They lose control of the giants, they create us." I said, summing it up.
"I wonder. . . What do they create when they can't control you?" The man said, thoughtfully.
"I think you've already seen it. . ." I answered solemnly. "That woman and her sisters have single handedly begun the extinction of both the human and slayer race."
"And yet. . . Here you two are with no swords or anything to defend yourselves." The man replied, giving us a look like he thought we were fools.
"Like I said. . . We are doing what we have to do. We have to do right by our family in order to get them back on our side." I said, coldly.
"So do you intent to kill me?" The man asked, though he didn't seem confrontational.
". . . . No. I don't suppose we do. ." I said finally, looking to Jacob. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Besides. . . Giants seeked to end you just as they seek to destroy us now. We are walking in your footsteps and I think this meeting is fate."
"Hmm. . . . It sounds like you are inviting me to join your party. . ." He said, leaning up against a tree and kicking his feet out.
"I suppose I am. . . . We need all the strength we can muster for what lies ahead." I replied, following suit and leaning back.
"As lovely an offer as that sounds. . . I'm afraid I must decline. The staff must be protected." He said, closing his eyes.
"Fair enough. . . . But. . . What do you think is going to happen when our 150 foot tall friend realizes that the staff she has now. . . Isn't the real omni staff. . " I began.
"Omega staff." The man corrected.
"Right. . . Whatever. . . Point being. . . What better way to keep the staff safe, then to not have it be exactly where the world apparently knows it is?" I finished, knowing that point couldn't be argued.
The man laughed at this.
"You think I'm afraid of that giant coming back here?" He scoffed at us.
"It isn't a matter of fear." My brother and I said together.
"Lack of fear doesn't keep a monster like her from twisting your spine and throwing you into the fire. . ." I said coldly.
I knew I struck a chord with that.
He was silent for a time.
"She was skeptical of your death the last time. There is no way she falls for it again." Jacob added.
"That doesn't mean that I want to band together with a couple of swordless giant slayers!" He replied, looking between us.
"We are the best chance this world has of stopping them! You only faced Leonara. Her sisters Florence and Juliette are out there too. Every single one of them is unreal." I said, pridefully.
"None of that concerns me." He replied, waving me off.
"And just how does this land, overrun with giants fit into your master plan to keep the staff safe?" Jacob asked, as he climbed on to his horse, apparently tired of wasting time with this. "Your troll is dead, your home exposed. Your race seemingly extinct. . . You have nothing to lose at this point. "
. . . .
A half hour later, the 3 of us were on our way back to Haliday. The man, whose name we learned was Monte, riding on the back of Jacob's horse. As we rode, he filled us in on the history of his race and the unfortunate relationship that they had with the gods.
He was able to shed some light on to why the gods could only create something new to deal with their past creations, instead of just destroying them and it gave us a new perspective on our own existence.
Eventually, we reached the city, and dawning our masks again, we made our way back to Henrietta's compound.
"You?!" Monte shouted, when he saw who had commissioned his assassination.
"You really let me down here, boys. . ." Henrietta said, sighing.
"You two know each other?" I asked, confused.
"Yes. . . When this woman was a little girl, just about every day she would come up with some type of scheme to get the staff from me!" The man laughed. " and every day she would leave empty handed. . "
Henrietta just scowled and looked away.
"But. . . Even though she lost every day. . . Little by little, her footwork became better. . . Her swordplay faster. . . She gained some control over that immense strength the gods saw fit to give her. . . And eventually she became a proficient warrior."
"So. . . You're saying. . . You trained Henrietta?" Jacob asked, his eyes wide.
"Well I- " Monte began
"He hardly trained me! More like humiliated, taunted, and tortured me!" Henrietta interuppted.
"You're lucky merthryl didnt kill you!" Monte chuckled.
"I was hoping that these two idiots would kill you! Or the other way around! But no!. . .here you all are! " Henrietta ranted.
"And you'll be joining us, won't you?" I asked her, with a fake smile.
Henrietta grumbled something under her breath
"I said you had to bring back his head!" She spat at me.
"Yeah well. . . . Here is his head. . . It just so happens to be attached to the rest of him. I'd say you have an obligation to us!" Jacob chimed in.
"When did you get a sense of humor, you little shit?!" She replied, glaring at him.
"A deals a deal. . . .or do I need to send Monte after you for old times sake?" I asked with a grin.
". . . Shut up!" Was the only reply I got, as she walked out of her office.
Luckily for us, Henrietta kept her word. She even did us one better, and declared the entire team off limits to bounty hunters in Haliday. The city was also declared under our protection. With that done, we were able to easily gather supplies for the rest of the journey and it turned out, the city was grateful to us for taking care of Juliette's assistant.
While their support was appreciated, in the back of my mind I couldn't help but worry about what would happen to them when Juliette inevitably showed up. We couldn't exactly hang around waiting for her to show up, but at the same time, even if we weren't there, there now no promise that she wouldn't just level Haliday anyway out of revenge. Around the fireplace at an inn, I spoke my worries to everyone.
"We are most definitely not fightin' any giants here!" Henny declared, pounding her fist on the table.
"Ant is right! What guaranty do we have that she won't just crush this place either way?" Malakai asked, looking to her.
"Well I mean. . . She IS just after ANT. . Isn't she? We could just set him out front and let him fend for himself!" Henrietta suggested with a wicked grin.
The look on everyone's face told her they didn't find it funny.
"Oh screw you, guys! It was just a joke! You know I wouldn't ever put our precious Ant in any real danger!" She said, sweetly. "Don't worry! I've got the makings of a plan. We just need to figure out the finer details."
Three days later we were two cities east of Haliday in Durham. It was one of the many cities inside an invisible boundary that were ordered evacuated by the king. Everyone inside the line was shipped to one of 4 major fortress cities depending on location. I knew that it could come to this, but I honestly thought that at least one of these sisters would be dead by now.
It was a strange feeling being in a city that big entirely abandoned. Granted, it had only happened a few weeks ago, so time hadn't worn it down at all, but just seeing buildings this tall and modern, and nobody inside, was more than a little weird. That being said, it was perfect for what we needed, so long as Juliette took the bait and didn't stop to utterly destroy Haliday. . .
[Day 5 after the slayers departed: Haliday]
Tremors.
Tremors signaling the arrival of something large.
Henrietta had warned the people of the city that she was coming, so when the massive blonde woman emerged from the forest, while there was still fear, a wide spread panic didn't break out. Everybody watched as she thundered to the front gate of the city and stopped.
All according to plan.
The woman knelt, and the look on her face showed pain as she examined the makeshift "memorial" that the slayers or humans had made for Anastasia. Tears welled up as she looked over the sword she had made for Anastasia, stuck deep into the ground outside the front gate.
It had a light layer of rust on it now, as it rained in the human realm almost constantly it seemed. Juliette had to tell herself to keep calm at seeing this. . . . It wasn't a grave to commemorate her fallen sister. It was a warning to any other giant that might try their luck in this human city.
Unacceptable.
She wrapped her hand around the handle and pulled it from the ground. Unfortunately, the sheathe was nowhere to be found so she settled for just wiping the dirt off of it and wrapping it in an extra cloth she carried, before strapping it to her back beneath her own sword.
With that out of the way, she stood and walked to the gate again, this time, stepping into the city. As she looked around, she found it odd that the people weren't scrambling to hide from her. She had become used to that reception by now, even when she was feeling friendly, but in her currently foul mood, this only worked to irritate her.
"Let me speak to your city leader." Juliette demanded, keeping the tone of her voice in check.
She stood and waited as a "tall" young man made his way through the now gathering crowd and stopped in front of her feet. She gazed down at him, more or less sizing him up, and he pretty much did the same. She immediately noticed that he didn't seem to be afraid. He wasn't trembling, nor did he even look the least bit nervous. At the same time. . .there was something familiar about his face, that she couldn't put her finger on.
"You must be Juliette, I presume?. . ." The man asked calmly, but loud enough for her to hear him.
"I am. . . Did the slayers inhabiting this city warn you of me?" She asked, just focusing her cold gaze on him.
". . Yes. . . Except they are no longer here. I was told to give you a message. The slayers have continued east, and will likely have no more business here. They know that a meeting with you is inevitable but they also know that what happened to your assistant was. . . Unfortunate. " the man said, gauging her reaction.
She clenched her fists. . Not because she didn't like his answer, but because she could tell he was telling the truth. Every fiber of her body told her to crush this entire city, but something else weighed heavy on her mind. The fact that the gods seemed to be punishing her exclusively for her every action.
"Unfortunate indeed. ." She replied. "Thank you for the information, but I'm afraid I must be going."
And with that, Juliette walked out the gate and around the city, heading east.
When they were sure she was gone, the real city leader emerged and handed Jacob his sword.
"Thank you for that. That is twice now you guys have saved this place." He said, as Jacob mounted his horse.
"Yeah well. . . Convincing her not to destroy the city was only one small part of the plan. We still have to fight her. . . ." He said, wearily as he rode off.
[5 days after the slayers departed: Durham]
Peter came riding into the center of the city, where the base of operations had been set up. He gave the secret call, letting everyone know that it was safe to come out of hiding.
"I just saw Juliette searching the last city back for us! She should be here within the hour." He said, jumping down from his horse.
"Was she alone?" I asked, walking out from an alley.
"Yes, it appeared so." He replied.
"Ok. This is all according to plan." I said, as everyone else emerged. "Remember, keep your distance, and stay coordinated. Only get close if you absolutely have to and don't waste attacks. This isn't some run of the mill village giant. She is a master swordsman."
"Alright. . . Let's get into position." Peter said, as he slapped his horse on the rear end and watched it run to safety."
Malakai, Henrietta, and Monte all dispersed in different directions leaving myself, Peter, Cassius and Julius to set up on the main street.
"Ok. . . You two get out of town, and wait for the smoke to clear." I said, pointing the way out of the city.
Cassius said nothing, but handed something to Peter before he turned and walked away. Julius just stood.
"What are you waiting for?" I asked him, confused.
"I. . . I'm staying. . . I can help you guys!" He said, although his voice was shaking.
"You will only get in way kid!" I said, pointing again to where Cassius was walking.
"Let me help, Ant! I saved you before and I can do it again! I'm ready!" He said, standing his ground.
"I think your memory is a bit shaky, friend. . . . Now go!" I replied, beginning to lose my patience.
"Peter! Tell him I can help!" Julius shouted, looking between us.
Peter looked to me and nodded but said nothing.
"Fine! Just keep your head down and stay out of the way!" I said, getting myself into position on one side of main street. Above my head, the edge of a roof kept me from sight from any giants.
Peter and Julius took the opposite side of the street, behind another building some 25 feet away. Julius closest to the street, Peter behind him.
There we waited.
About 20 minutes later, we heard the gallop of a horse and the secret call. . . Jacob returning. We didn't reply, except with an answering call. I didn't see where exactly he went but it didn't matter because a minute later, I felt a tremor.
And another.
And another.
Juliette.
I quickly peeked around the corner and saw that about 500 yards away, she was standing at the entrance to the city. Although the city was surrounded by a 50 foot wall, it was obvious that it was only meant to keep out humans. It looked tiny in comparison to her, only coming midway up her thigh. I guess the humans never thought a giant would make it this far inland.
Juliette just stood there, cautiously looking for signs of movement or life anywhere. A full 3 minutes later, she finally drew her sword and stepped over the wall.
As soon as she touched the ground on this side of the wall, my soul lit up. It burned more intensely than it ever had as the death goddess made her presence known. But. . . As much as we could use the power boost right now, I knew I couldn't give over control of my body with my teams little faith in me already hanging in the balance.
I pushed back against her influence, straining as hard as I could and actually felt my soul flex and twist, threatening to crack as I rejected a force far stronger than myself. Her will bored into me like a hot knife, and I could hear her voice in my head but still I refused her permission. She continued the pressure for what seemed like an eternity, even as Juliette began to walk down main street. All I knew is I really didn't want a moral repeat of the Zahra incident and so I held out.
Worst case scenario, I would be frozen in place at the time Juliette crossed paths but the plan would't fall apart. She was only about 4 steps away from us now, and I gave it my all. . .
And just like that, when I was just about to to submit to her . . The goddess was gone. Instant relief flooded over me as she decided to leave me be. I had beaten her. With my body mine again, I took a deep breath, clutched my sword, and prepared to spring the attack, maybe setting off the most important battle of our lives. I looked across the alley, just to confirm that Peter and Julius were ready. Peter nodded and Julius-
What on earth was Julius doing?!
I watched him stand and look directly at me, his eyes glowing green. Before I could even process that, Julius walked rigid, and unnaturally from his hiding spot and out beyond the cover of the buildings into the middle of the street, directly into Juliette's path. He gave me one last look before he turned and faced the behemoth before him as a shadow befell him.
It all happened so slow.
First Peter's eyes got wide as he realized what was about to happen.
A giant footstep somewhere beyond my line of sight.
Peter yelled out for Julius. He ran for him in a bolt of speed.
And the final footstep.
Just like that. . . . In the blink of an eye. . . Julius was gone.
Juliette's sandal pushed into the street, sinking a good foot and a half into it. Peter was repelled backward by the pressure wave. The sound of a human life getting effortlessly snuffed out was the last thing I remembered before blacking out.
Giantess World
