literature

True Friends: Chapter Fourteen

Deviation Actions

LumiereDarling's avatar
By
LumiereDarling
Published:
3.8K Views

Literature Text

I stare at the stars without really seeing them. 

What happened? 

A few days ago I was head giant slayer. I had reliable food, my father, and a place to call home. Now I am sleeping on the ground with a giant, a witch, a shapeshifter, and the daughter of one of my greatest enemies. 

A few days ago I had a bed. 

I sit up with a sigh, pushing my hair back from my face. Sage is sleeping peacefully beside me. I reach over and pull up her blanket so it covers her whole body. Her beautiful black hair is woven into a braid, I run my fingers over it lightly, enjoying the smooth texture. She mumbles something about toads and I smile despite my troubled mood, the familiar warmth spreading through my chest at the joy of being near her. 

Things could be worse. 

The ground shakes a bit and I jump, reaching for my sword. I have it halfway out of its sheath before I realize it's just Cole shifting in his sleep. I glance around, making sure no one saw, then shove it back in slightly more forcefully than necessary. I sit forward, bracing my elbows on my knees and running my fingers through my hair. 

Cole. 

Of all the brothers I could have chosen, I picked the one that would get himself turned into a giant by a troll. 

Why me? I sigh, feeling slightly selfish as I think it. No, that isn't fair of me. Cole is the one who got the worst wrap. Besides, he and Sage are my home just as much as Belgate was, I don't regret leaving. 

It wasn't something I would ever have expected, I didn't even miss it that much. I loved my life at Belgate, but it was stressful. I was under constant pressure to be perfect and make the right decisions about every threat. If I messed up people died. At least here Cole was the only giant I had to worry about... so far. Plus he took some of the burden off of me now. Sure, here I would still be a leader and have others relying on me, but Cole's new found size and strength automatically gave him more power than any of us, should he choose to use it. I swallow, the thought making me nervous, but clench my hands into fists and shake my head stubbornly.

He won't hurt us, he isn't a monster. 

I look over at the sleeping giant. He lays about 20 feet away, but I can still feel a slight breeze as he breathes out. Thank the Heavens you don't snore Cole. We'd all be deaf. I smile despite myself at the joke. Then frown and stand up, curiosity getting the better of me. Stepping carefully, I skirt around Sage and approach him. His breathing gets audibly louder as I draw closer. My hand rests on the hilt of my sword by habit, although I doubt I could do much with it. The only reason I had a slight advantage before was because Cole was restrained and muzzled. I wince at the memory of him like that. Its hard to see your best friend tied down and bound like a monster. Its even harder to find out your brother is the monster you've been fighting your whole life. I am so close now I can feel the heat radiating off of his skin. His eyes twitch lightly beneath the lids, he looks troubled, like he is having a bad dream. A twinge of guilt knots my stomach. This must really suck for you... 

I jump and spin around as I hear a twig break behind me, pulling my sword part way out of its sheath. I see Sage and Violet, sleeping peacefully as before. The shapeshifter Marin is nowhere in sight, probably off lurking somewhere doing who knows what. About 40 feet past them a small glowing orb of light floats by the tree line. I frown and start forward, pausing mid-step.

No, I handled myself just fine before Cole became 60 feet tall, and I can handle myself fine now. 

My mind made up, I start toward the light, drawing my sword slowly. It makes a quiet hissing noise as it leaves the sheath, and I grin despite myself. The light continues to bob serenely as I approach, only when I get about 10 feet away does it move, bobbing slowly into the forest. I hesitate, before pursuing it. I won't follow it far. I study the light as it continues to keep pace ahead of me, it looks like someone took the flame from a candle and blew it up to about the size of an apple. It has the same soothing effect that a candle does. I wonder what it is? I turn and glance over my shoulder, frowning as I realize I can't see the edge of the woods anymore. I swear quietly, and consider leaving, when I realize the light has stopped as well. It probably just stopped because I did. I take an experimental step forward to test it, blinking in surprise when it doesn't move. Holding my sword at the ready I cautiously creep forward.

"Hello?" 

No response. The orb still doesn't move. Slowly, I reach a hand out to touch it. 

Then time slows down.

This close to the light, I can see the shiny, dark skin of the creature behind it-and more importantly, the countless rows of teeth. Instinctively, I slash out just as the creature leaps forward. My sword glances off its fangs, and is knocked from my grasp. I fall backwards, hitting the ground hard. I don't even have time to scream. A huge mouth gapes open, ready to embrace me. I raise my hands up before my face in a last defense and close my eyes. My last thought is that at least Cole will be there to protect Sage from this beast.

I wait for the pain.

Nothing. 

And then the most terrifying noise I have ever heard in my life. 

If thunder could growl, it would sound like this noise. Deafening, ferocious, all of God's wrath packed into one heart stopping snarl.

Opening my eyes, I see the orb swinging like crazy above me, illuminating the huge teeth gnashing inches from my face, the beast shrieks like a banshee, struggling against the giant hand holding it, to no avail. 

"Cole!" I cry out, half in relief, half in terror. Whipping my head back, I gaze up into the dark and nearly shit myself. He takes up the entire view of the sky, face set into a furious snarl, revealing huge teeth, sharper than I ever remember them being. The light from the swinging orb reflects in his eyes like firelight, but no longer the peaceful candle light from before, no, more like a house fire. The eyes gaze past me, down at the creature helpless in his hands with a heartless, predatory fury I would never have thought Cole capable of. He lifts the creature up to his face and I look away, but can't stop from hearing the sickening crunch as he bites down. 

The shrieking stops. 

I plug my ears, curling up into a ball.

That isn't Cole.

I'm going to be next. 

I wait for the pain. For his hand to engulf me and scoop me up and turn me into a midnight snack. I wait to follow the creature. 

It felt like an eternity. 

Finally, I feel something brush against my back, and curl up further. Squinting my eyes shut in terror.

How could this happen? How could my best friend be turned into the most horrifying giant I've ever faced? A creature of nightmares? 

The giant that would kill me. 

I think of my mother, how scared she must have been, how I am about to live my last moments like she did. At least the giant that ate her wasn't her brother. 

Poor Cole, he will be heart broken if he ever overcomes it enough to realize what he has done.

I just hope Sage and Violet escape my fate.

More fingers inevitably join the first, wrapping around me and lifting me, the hand rolling over and taking me with it until I rest in his palm. I scream, unable to help it at this point and shuffle back against his fingers, my arms raised in a pathetic attempt to protect myself. I stare past them as I rise, his chest passing across my field of vision, then his neck. The moon illuminates just enough so that I can see him with faint detail. I wait for the eyes, those soulless green orbs filled with hunger and wrath. 

The eyes of a monster. 

But the eyes that meet mine aren't those of a beast. 

"Gideon."
colegiantgideongtsagetinytruefriendsweirdblackanglerlandfishofdoom
Yay new chapter!
Thanks to my ever faithful editor~ :iconprincessirregular" 
© 2016 - 2024 LumiereDarling
Comments28
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
TalonV's avatar
TalonV
This story is astounding! The raw emotion.... it's absolutely amazing, how moving it is! 

Thinking here though; if I'd have to guess, I would say... bet even, that Cole, even in his feral 'blackout' state, wouldn't have harmed Gideon. After all... the way he picked Gideon up was impressively careful for a 'feral monster', rather than a mindless crushing grip one might otherwise expect.... I mean, a predator doesn't bother being careful with food.... right? Right?

..... maybe? ^^;