After playing mind games with Anastasia and Henrietta ultimately killing her, I wasn't sure what to feel. We had technically found who we were looking for, but the death of Anastasia was unexpected. As if Juliette didn't already want to kill me bad enough.


Oh well.


There was no time to think about that now, as I chased Henny through the streets. She lept up and down from rooftops and down alleyways. It was apparent she didn't want to talk to me either but eventually she stopped in a secluded alley, surrounded by walls on all 4 sides.


I looked on the ground behind her and Julius was laying there, bound and unconscious.


"So. . . These are the types of amateurs you're runnin' with now, huh?" Henny said with her raspy voice, motioning with her head towards Julius as she took off the mask. "I caught the little twerp tailing me!" She spat, giving his unconscious body a kick.


"Well. . . We were here to find you, if that makes you feel any better. . " I replied, removing my own mask.


"You know Ant. . . . it really doesn't." She said, her tone bitter. "You le- she began before looking to the roof behind me.


"Malakai. . " She said, unenthusiasticly.

Malakai dropped down beside me, his arms crossed.

"Peter. . "

Peter came walking around the corner from the street.

"Oooh! And even little Jakey!" She commented, feigning happy to see him.

Henny looked around, as if expecting at least one more person.

"What, no Davis?!" She asked, disappointed.

"Not yet. You first." I said, dead serious.

"Ha!" She replied, taking off the cloak and dropping it on Julius. "You can take this whole little reunion and shove it up your ass if you think I'm comin' back!" She spat, glaring at me.

"The end of the world is coming! This was just a taste!" Peter said, passionately.

"That's funny. . . I didn't really think that was much of a challenge, myself! I'm not even entirely sure why you fools were even messin' with that poor girl! You would still be over there playin' hide and seek if I hadn't put her out of her misery!" Henny said, folding her arms and looking away from us.

"Yeah, except now you got us into a whole nother problem!" I said, pointing a finger at her.

"What, because she said she was Jessica's little fuckin' assistant or whatever?" She asked, shrugging her shoulders.

"Her name is Juliette, and she is guaranteed stronger than anyone you have ever met!" I warned her.

"Do you. . . Do you hear yourself talk?! Are you even the same Ant that abandoned us 2 years ago?!" Henny asked me, anger simmering as she squinted at me. "Because the Ant I knew didn't give a shit about how strong anyone was, giant, slayer, or human!"

"We didn't abandon you." Jacob said, speaking up for the first time but no real passion in his voice.

"You got somethin' to say to me, you little runt!?" Henny asked, stepping up to Jacob, pressing her tits into his chest and looking down into his eyes from her 8 inch height advantage.

"Yeah. . . We left for us! Nobody else. It's not something we need to defend." He replied, not backing down.

"There is nothing to defend! You left us completely in the dark! We looked for you two for a fuckin' year! Not knowin' if you were dead, or taken!" She shouted in his face.


"We couldn't force you to feel how we felt!" I butted in.

"You didn't even try." Malakai replied, to my surprise.

His usual grin was gone and I suddenly felt the weight of our decisions hanging on us. All three of our family members stared at us and I knew we were in the wrong. If there was any hope of the family getting fully back together, I needed to apologize.

"You guys. . . . What do you want me to say? " I said, raising my arms.

"How about you start with the truth!" Henrietta spat, stepping to me and poking me in the chest.

I took a deep breath.

"Fine! You want the truth? The truth is. . . We didn't feel like killing anymore! After Fryaer. . . We. . . . I. . Couldn't wash my hands hard enough to get the blood off of them!" I said, looking Henrietta right in the eyes.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, she was unmoved. .

"You think you're the only ones?!" She shouted, spit flying as she was inches from my face. "We all lived and fought together for a human lifetime, and you assumed hearing THAT was more than we could handle?!"


"It wasn't that. . ." I said calmly.

"Well what was it then!?" Malakai demanded now.

"We couldn't ask you to stop doing something you love!" Jacob replied passionately.

"Is taking pride in saving lives something to be ashamed of? Is that not what we are doing right now?" Peter asked, looking between myself and my brother.

I knew what I had to do.

I knlet, bowing on one knee, and my brother did the same.

"I have no excuses and I see now that I was wrong. We tried to be passive and found that it does not work. . . . I'm sorry." I said, without hesitation.

Not surprisingly, Peter and Malakai's expression softened and they nodded their acceptance. I watched Henny carefully and I knew what was coming next. She let out a chuckle and her hands clenched into fists. It seemed my brother felt it too and he cracked his neck and closed his eyes.

Even though I knew it was coming, I saw it coming, and I was ready for it, it still hurt quite a bit as Henrietta proceeded to punch both my brother and I in the face, sending us crashing through the wall behind us. Jacob was the first to stand from the rubble, rubbing his jaw. I followed quickly after and we both emerged from the hole our bodies left.

I looked around, but Henrietta was nowhere to be seen. Peter had begun to untie Julius and Malakai was just leaning up against the wall casually smoking a cigarette.

"So, that went about as well as expected, huh?" He commented, laughing his low laugh.

"She hit us a lot lighter than I thought she would, honestly. . . " I said, dusting myself off.

"Do you think she will join us?" Peter asked, helping a now conscious Julius to his feet.

"There's no telling for sure. I think she just needs time to cool down." I replied.

"And what do you plan to do about the little problem she created?" Malakai asked, motioning back to the area where Juliette's assistant lay dead in the street.

I thought about it for a moment. . . .

"Nothing. We were never even here!" I replied sly, before pulling my mask back on and heading out into the street.



[The royal castle. Throne room. Giant realm. 2 weeks after the battle in Haliday.]


The giant throne hall was a large square room. Along the wall, thrones of different design ranging from the smallest along the sides getting bigger until they reached the king's throne in the very center. Juliette's own seat was along the side along with Leonara and Florence. Between them and their father sat various older siblings and advisors to the king. Beside the king, sat his current queen, their mother.


Although. . . Since the war had begun in the West, the room had been used very little. While every member of the royal family was an accomplished warrior, it was decided that the 3 daughter's role for now would be training more soldiers for the army, making battle strategies and running the day to day operations of the kingdom.

Their activities in the human realm were largely unknown in the kingdom, before Ant's wanted poster and another assassination attempt only got the citizens more riled up. There were calls for all out war on them too, but right now the war effort was 100% focused on their giant enemies.


This day, Juliette and Leonara were both at home, which was rare. They sat in their thrones, in an otherwise empty room. Leo looking over battle plans and making strategies while Juliette played with the human boy Cain that she had taken from the human village. Since she had brought him home, all the women in the castle had since agreed that he was the cutest thing ever created and as such, he was usually the center of attention when he was in the room, constantly being smothered with affection.

As promised, the boy got everything he could ever ask for, and though he sometimes asked about his parents and siblings, Juliette was trying her best to make him see that he was better off with her. The fact that she had annihilated them all in brutal fashion did make it uncomfortable for her though.


Cain was on the left arm of her throne, between her and Leonara. He was practicing with a sword Juliette had given him, though it was dull so he wouldn't hurt himself. She coached him lightly on his footwork and showered him with praise as he was a quick learner.

It was then that Octavius, the head advisor to their father walked in, and knelt before the sister's.

"Your highness. . . . The human spy we sent with lady Anastasia has returned, and requested a word with you. . " he said, his tone humble.

"Is Anastasia too busy to see her own sister?" Juliette asked with a laugh.

Octavius said nothing, but presented the human to Juliette, placing him on the armrest opposite of Cain.


The middle aged man removed his hat and bowed to the princess. He was incredibly nervous and he kept glancing between the sisters. Leonara's steady gaze could give the most battle hardened warriors the chills and she liked it that way.

"So, human. . . .what news have you brought? Have you two found Antony Lockwood?" Juliette asked, leaning in to better hear him.

He gulped.

"Your highness. . . . Anastasia. . . Anastasia is dead." He said quietly, taking a step back in anticipation of her reaction.

The news hit her like a ton of bricks. She appeared to be trapped somewhere between crushing sadness, and boiling rage. In the blink of an eye, her hand shot out and the man found himself trapped in her fist. Instinctively, Leonara reached over and grabbed Cain, lifting him away from the danger of Juliette's movements

"WHAT. . . HAPPENED" She demanded, holding him up to her now, decidedly angry face.

"Julie. . . . Maybe he could better tell us what happened if you were a little more. . . Gentle. . . With him." Leo suggested, giving her sister a stern look.

Holding back the appropriate wave of emotion, Juliette released her grip on the man and he crumbled to his knees on the armrest in a coughing fit. Juliette waited impatiently for him to regain his composer.

"Now human. . . Tell us what happened! And do not test my patience!" Juliette said, grimly.


"It was. . . A spirit!" The man exclaimed, as much in fear of the spirit as of Juliette.


Octavius let out an audible gasp. Leonara's brow furrowed and Juliette's face turned red. Again she lunged for him to wring his little neck.


"That's enough, Juliette!" Leonara shouted, stopping her in mid grab.


Leo leaned over and plucked the human from the armrest too, before placing him on her own armrest as far away from Juliette as possible.


"I know you're upset. You have every right to be Julie, but this man isn't likely the cause of Anastasia's passing, and he isn't much use to us dead!" Leonara scolded.


Juliette just turned away in her seat and tears began to stream down her face as she broke down.


"Julie?. . . Julie, are you alright?" Came Cain's meager voice.


Juliette found it hard to stay angry or sad whenever Cain was around. Everything he did was so adorable. Hearing his voice melted her anger, but left her with the sadness. Her best friend was dead now.


"Why don't you go keep her company while aunty Leo talks to this man, hmm?" Leonara said to the boy before lifting him carefully back to Juliette's throne.



"Ok. . . So. . A spirit you say?" She asked, picking up where he had left off.



The man nodded apprehensively.


"What makes you think it was a spirit that killed her, not something else?" She questioned.



"The way everything happened. . . The way it looked and acted. . . It wasn't natural!" The man said, visibly shaken.


"First. . . . Can you describe to me what the spirit looked like?" Leo asked, grabbing a blank sheet of paper and her pencil.


The man carefully described the figure in a black cloak with a white mask that he had seen in the courtyard. A few moments later, Leonara showed him the sketch.


"Yes. . . That is exactly right!" He said, nodding.


She showed the drawing to both Juliette and Octavius. Both of them looked at it, Octavius with puzzle and Juliette with distain.


"I've. . . Never seen anything like it. . " Leonara commented.


"Neither have I." Octavius agreed.


Juliette responded again with anger.


"You expect me to believe that some. . . Ghost killed Anastasia!?" She demanded. "It's obvious he's lying!" She accused, pointing a finger at the man..


"And what reason would he have for lying Juliette? Clearly he knows the consequences of such an action!" Leonara argued as she focused her one visible eye on the man.


"Please sir. . . Tell us how it happened. . . Overlook no detail." She commanded.

". . . . Julie!" Cain, said, tugging on Juliette's sleeve. "Julie!"

"Not now Cain!" Juliette snapped, pulling her arm away from him.

"But Julie I-

"Cain!" She shouted, pounding her fist on the armrest.

He cowered in fear, retreating as far away from her as he could get on the armrest.


The man looked nervously at Juliette, who was giving him the stink eye from afar. He swallowed his fear and began.



"Well. . . We traveled from the capital as instructed by lady Juliette. . . . The. . The first thing of note we came across a band of giant women in human country. They were on their way back to some giant village to bury someone. . . I didn't hear the name of the person, but I did hear them vow vengeance on Antony Lockwood. They said something about he killed her in cold blood. . . In her sleep . . " the man explained.


At this, Juliette perked up, leaning in.


"We continued on until we came to the city of Haliday. . . Outside the city, she told me to keep my distance and watch her back. . . . She gathered everyone to the city square, and that's where she confronted it. . " The man said, trailing off as Leonara began to scribble on another piece of paper.


"Continue. . . " She said, not looking up.

"She started separating them by. . . By height and looks. . . I think. . .That was when she noticed it. . ."

"The spirit?!" Juliette interuppted.

"Y-yes. . . It was just sitting on a bench. . . Like it was trying not to be noticed. . " the man explained.

"Strange. . . Why would a spirit be trying not to get noticed?" Leo asked, knowingly in Octavius' general direction. "But then again, why would a spirit be just sitting on a bench?"

"I'm. . .not sure. . " he replied, shrugging.

"Unless. . . It wasn't a spirit at all. . " she insinuated.

The man seemed confused by this statement but held his tongue.

"Continue. . . Human!" Juliette growled.

"Ok. . . The giant. ." He began but a raised eyebrow from Leonara made him think twice. "Anastasia. . . She confronted the. . .spirit." the man decided. "And it. . . Just looked at her like it didn't understand what she was saying."

"Then. . . She went to grab it but. . . " the man said, closing his eyes as if trying to remember exactly what happened.

"What happened next?" Leonara prompted, patient as ever.

"She went to grab it, but then looked up to the rooftop. . . . And there it was."

"The spirit was on the roof?!" Juliette questioned in disbelief.

". . . . Yes. I saw it with my own two eyes! The spirit was on the rooftops and when we looked down, it had vanished from the bench! But. . . When she looked back to the roof. . . It was gone from there too!" The man exclaimed.

Octavius stood in disbelief. Leonara showed intrigue and Juliette was not amused. Cain was sitting by himself, on the verge of tears.

The man continued.

"She yelled at the crowd. . . . I don't remember what, but it was a threat. . . . Then she must have seen something because she ran through the crowd and over the courtyard wall. . . . I pushed through the crowd and when I got there. . . . She was bleeding from scratches on her legs and she had her sword drawn."

"What do you mean, scratches?" Juliette demanded, standing and looking over her sister.

"Th-three scratches. . . On each leg." He explained, unconsciously stepping back from her. "Like claw marks!"

Now both Leonara and Octavius seemed puzzled. Juliette continued to glare at him, teary eyed, but otherwise unphased by any aspect of his story thus far.


"It was strange. . . But I don't think she had time to worry about it because she was facing off with the spirit again only. . . . This time it transformed!" He exclaimed.

"Transformed how?" Leonara asked, her eye transfixed on the man.

"It. . . Was taller now. . . More broad." He said, turning to face her.

"Are you sure it wasn't something or someone else?" Juliette asked, planting her arms on her sister's armrests and bending over, getting right in his face now.

He timidly shook his no.

"How can you be sure?" She followed up.

"It. . . Was dressed the exact same. . . The exact same mannerisms. . . " He explained, stepping even further back.

"Julie!. . . Will you please control yourself!?" Leonara snapped, putting two fingers on Juliette's forehead and pushing her out of her lap.

Juliette stood, and began pacing back and forth.

"Please. ." Leo prompted the man.

"Next. . . She tried to crush the spirit with her sword, but she either missed or it dodged by millimeters! Oddly. . .after she attacked, it reached out and grabbed her sword."

"And did it have a three clawed hand?" Leo inquired, her attention fully trained on him.

". . . No. It didn't. . . It had bare hands. . . Regular hands."

The man paused and looked at Juliette. She stopped and looked at him, before throwing her hands up.

"What?! I'm not going to hurt you, just finishing telling the tale!" She shouted, rolling her eyes.

"Ok, so. . . The spirit grabbed her sword, and when she went to pull it away, she couldn't budge it! It was able to completely drag her! Then, when it let go, she went flying back and crushed a bunch of buildings. . . . That was all I saw. Next thing I knew, she was stabbed with her own sword and dead in the street." The man finished, looking between Leo and Juliette.

"Hmm." Was all Leo said.

Juliette was not so calm.

"How did you not see what happened?" Juliette demanded, stomping her foot and earning a startled yelp from Cain.

Leo reached over and gently grabbed Cain again, this time holding him in her cupped hands and stroking his back with her finger.

"She moved too fast! She was 3 streets over in two strides. I couldn't keep up. . " the man said, timidly.

"Pathetic!" Juliette spat at him before turning away.

"Excuse my sister please. . . She has been in a foul mood for weeks now!" Leonara said to the man, but it was aimed at Juliette. "The last question I have is. . . What did they do with her body?"

"The last I saw. . They had every horse in the city trying to pull her. . " he said, thinking back.

"Ok. Well, I think we have all the information we need. Octavius please take him back to his quarters." She commanded.

"Hey! I'm not done with him!" Juliette said, stepping in front of Octavius.

At 92 feet tall, Juliette towered over the man, and he had many unpleasant memories of dealing with her temper tantrums when she was a young girl. She looked down into his eyes, daring him to defy her but to his relief, Leo stood, still cupping Cain and stepped between them.

"Now please, Octavius." She said, and she didn't need to say it twice. He took off with haste, not looking back.

Juliette shot her sister a death glare, before turning and storming out.

"Hmm. . . . Well that sure was interesting wasn't it, Cain?" Leo asked with a chuckle strutting out of the throne room and down the hallway.

"Is. . . Julie mad at me?" He asked, looking up at her.

"Oh, no sweetie! Juliette is just. . . . Stressed. Do you know what stressed is, Cain?" She asked, holding him up to her face.

He shook his head no.

"It means that she has a lot going on right now, and everyone expects great things from her. She is just trying to make everybody happy and do the best she can. It's nothing you did. Ok?" Leo explained, looking him in the eye.

"Ok. . "He replied quietly, looking away.

"Now, what do you say we go to the dinner hall, hmm? I know you haven't eaten all day and I'm so hungry I could just gobble you up!" She exclaimed, playfully nibbling at his feet.

He laughed and began to feel a little better.

"Can I have pie for dinner?" He asked, smiling.

Leo chuckled.

"Maybe AFTER dinner! You'll never grow up as big and strong as we are if you don't eat your meat and vegetables!" She said, winking.

"But you guys are giants!" The boy proclaimed, throwing his arms up to show size.

"Well we weren't always! We all just eat healthy!" She said, pushing open the door to the great dinner hall.