Chapter 12: Downright terrifying.
It took us nearly twenty whole minutes to encounter anything resembling a resistance. By now it was mostly dark. As observed by Quan, East was indeed the best place for us to try and break through. The giants were sparse, spread out.
The wind sighs through the canopies of trees like a lovers finger, gently tracing expanse of skin.
It would have been a really good bluff, if we hadn't caught on. But as things stand, our chances of slipping the net are pretty good, I'd say.
Unless they have any more well hidden surprises awaiting us. I hope not, fighting through their ranks is already going to be quite a feat. I'm still inexperienced in a real fight, mostly I spar with Kassia. Nothing about that is exactly putting my life on the line against a stronger opponent.
"Stay together." Quan calls back. Like he needs to tell us.
The forest gives way to a valley. vast canopies stretching endlessly… the land gradually sinks, the trees grow taller and closer, mist gathers low to the ground. Suddenly we're standing in a sunken green world within the forest.
We make our way through the valley, ambushing two unsuspecting giants. I study them, as their blood pools under my feet. I think they're adolescents, their skin leathery and rough. The makings of bone armor evident, but it wasn't as hard or pronounced like the one's I saw on the adults. Both were just around 8 feet tall.
Look outs, probably.
Quan took both they're heads with a single swing of his sword. Their mouths open in silent scream. I almost pity them, the thought that they would eat us with relish keeps my more kinder nature in check.
This world really does eat us, one way or another. Am I going to become a cold blooded killer in order to survive? Or just because.
Kassia points up, intending to give us some air support. Understanding her intention I unhook my bow and quiver, tossing them to her without a glance. She's off in seconds, jumping almost 15 feet in the air, snagging a small branch and swinging herself upwards at incredible speed.
The branches sway under her feet as she makes her way up, and up, and up. Scattering squawking birds of prey.
Two months ago, I'd have marveled at the sight, now it doesn't even impress me. "Do we go for a frontal assault, or just slink out..." I say as I punt the skull of one giant spawn into a grove.
"We would be surrounded, and crushed under the sheer numbers of them. We have to find the weak link in their chain. Up for a bit of recon?"
"Aww, no?" He laughs. I laugh. "Keep pushing east? Or maybe switch it up at random to hopefully throw off the mark?."
"They'd have to be dumb as shit for that to work, everything we've seen so far points to that not being the case. We're going to have to wander till we find an optimal point of egress." He goes on a spiel as we trudge on. "Say, have I told you about the story of Randai the beast?"
"Is this an appropriate time to wax poetic about a fictional character?" I watch for movement in the shadows of the trees. Quan seems oddly at ease in the dark. The night air ruffling leaves and our cloaks.
"You can find time for anything, all you need do is look. So, do you wanna hear the story or not?" At my nod, he continues like we're taking a leisure stroll. "Randai is the second of four sons, pups of a hunter, he's not the biggest or meanest or fastest. But he possessed something the others didn't: intelligence..."
As he spoke, I try to figure out the point of the story, Quan is not one given to meaningless chatter. As we descend deeper, the valley gets darker. Kassia signals occasionally. A flicker of blue light, double blink for enemies and one for a clear coast. It's a pattern we worked out when hunting together.
So far we've not encountered any more adversaries.
We travel due East.
"...they were tasked by their father to hunt a particular beastie, it was a rite of succession. The one who kills the beast shall be crowned heir.
"Naturally, they have to compete against one another. Randai, being more cunning than his siblings proposes a contest. Of course, he knows he would lose a contest of strength, for he was weaker than his siblings. He devises a drinking game, the one who can drink the most mead has the honor of first hunt."
"His siblings knowing Randai's tolerance for strong drinks is low, agrees to the contest. Here's where things get interesting..."
A soft blue light blink up in the trees. Once, twice. Enemies up ahead. I sigh, taking out a flask from my backpack, I unscrew the lid and take a sip. The water feels refreshing traveling down the road of my throat.
The sword in Quan's hand begins to give a soft hum, the blade appears to be vibrating. I eye it with obvious interest. Quan pretends not to notice.
It was getting cold in the dark, we move without sound, I am not as fluid moving unnoticed as Quan and Kassia so I take extra care not to step on any twigs or detritus on the dirt. It was easier than it used to be. Within minutes we huddle behind a titanic grayash.
The bark of the ancient tree reminds me of chalk, it's roots must be kilometers deep underground. The tree itself isn't useful for anything, but the roots are used as alchemical reagents.
Peering out, I spy three giants, two were chopping down a much younger grayash with bone saws longer than I am tall. The last one was preparing cuts of wood to set up a large bonfire. None notice us.
With a practiced eye, I survey the surroundings, we've stumbled upon a clearing. Stumps of trees long felled populate the surroundings, there's a smell that reminds me of fresh pine in the air, with a hint of blackspice.
I relax my grip on my spear, holding it blade down and to the side, channelling vita into the redwood... It begins to turn a darker shade, almost black. Interesting.
Quan taps me, he gestures with his offhand, fingers splayed in a concise pattern. Signaling our targets.
He points to the one setting up kindling with his index, and points to me with his thumb. I nod. His instruction clear: keep it busy while I deal with the other two. We didn't have to instruct Kassia, she doesn't miss anything.
The wind stills as everything goes silent, the world holds it's breath as if in anticipation of the violence about to unfold. I ignore everything else, but the flow of my vita empowering my body and the target of my focus.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
My nervousness wanes, I let the fear and uncertainty wash away with the next exhale. Replaced by a calm determination. I nod.
I'm ready.
When the signal comes, I flow like a river. My movement fluid. I make it in just three steps, appearing beside the giant, my spear poised, I slash: aiming for it's neck where the bone armor doesn't quite cover the hard flesh.
Despite our ambush, the giant reacts with insane speed. The bone jutting out of it's elbows like a spiked vambrace, comes up to parry my strike.
It would have succeeded, and then gutted me with it's next move, I still had time to dodge but I stay the course, pumping more and more vita into my weapon. It drinks hungrily.
An arrow hits the giant on the arm it tried to parry with, another pierces it's neck --- coming out the other end --- less than a second later, a third takes it in the knee but fails to penetrate the armor there.
My attack descends with more force than I expected, almost wrenching the haft from my grasp. The blade bites into the meat of it's cervical, and travels downward. Severing it's vertebrae. The giant drops like a puppet with it's strings cut.
It wasn't dead. Not yet. I try to pull my weapon free from the maimed creature but it was lodged in deep. I let go, scanning the environment while taking out my skinning knife. I don't think it'll do me any good in a fight but I feel better for having something I can stab with.
Quan is still fighting it out with the two giants, both look like oversized hedgehogs. Arrows sticking out of their backs, arms, thighs and a few bone armor looks cracked or shattered. They were bleeding heavily, with huge gashes marring their flesh. One looks about to keel over at any moment, missing most of the flesh in it's right arm.
I scramble forward, intending to do something but not knowing what I can achieve with my knife. If I engage either giant, I'd die in seconds.
The forest is quiet except for the sounds of our battle. We need to end this, a drawn out fight will only increase the chances of our pursuers catching up.
My eyes, long adjusted to the grim dark picks up the silhouette of another giant. This one bigger than any I've seen before, it's body corded with rippling, bulging muscles. The bones of it's armor looks denser than the others. By its side, a great Warhammer three times taller than me rests on the forest floor, it's weight crushing everything underneath it. The giant watches passively. Not interfering in our fight.
How long has it been standing there?
It notices me watching it and doesn't react in any way. It's eyes were hidden behind an helmet of bone with spikes ranging from the base of it's skull to the fore. The eye sockets were dark and foreboding, promising pain. And death.
It looked downright terrifying.
I have a bad feeling about this.