Rageus stood before the towering tree and braced himself. He glanced to his right and left at his squadmates, sharing their apprehension, then he lept. He soared hundreds of feet into the air, narrowly missing the branches of the trees. Then, at the peak of his jump, he spread his arms and slowed his descent until he landed gracefully on the tallest branch of the tree. In front of him stretched human territory. Green trees dotted the landscape surrounding a crystal clear lake. He grinned as he looked down at the height he jumped and thought to himself “this is how we will defeat the giants.”

Rageus was an orphan. At a young age he had watched both of his parents get killed in a raid by a rival kingdom for food. He had stared in horror as the man cut them each down with one stroke, before punching Rageus in the face and knocking him unconscious. Rageus grew up in an orphanage, and thought of little except for that day. He did not blame the man who killed his parents, nor the kingdom who sent the men. The only thing he blamed was the giants. They had locked humanity in a cage, and forced them into conditions in which resources were scarce and killed over. He vowed early on that he would help to liberate humanity from these walls. That was his sole purpose.

When he turned 16, he joined the army and excelled in sword-fighting and strategy. His superiors took notice, and recruited him for a special program they were developing in which they hoped to create a method to combat the giants. The alchemists had developed a brew which would dramatically increase the strength of a human, to the point in which they could leap hundreds of feet. The potions also gave humans the ability to slow their descent with the will of their minds, making it so their legs did not shatter upon impact. Swords were created with alchemical potions mixed with the molten metal, rendering the steel light enough to carry huge blades, and strong enough to easily slice through giant flesh and bones. 1 in 3 who drank the brew managed to survive the immense physical transformation, and those survivors became the perfect tool for fighting giants.

Rageus was 18 now, and his handsome appearance had been slightly damaged by some scars he received in battling other kingdoms. His jaw was slightly askew due to a blow from a sword pommel he once got, and his right eye had a scar leading down from it due to a blade slash. His hair had turned pure white after he had drunk the potion, and draped down past his clean shaven face to his shoulders. He was rather short, but extremely muscular due to the training he had received as well as the potions natural boost to strength. His eyes were harsh, the eyes of someone who had seen one too many people die, either by his hands or anothers. They contained a silent fury, and all that was directed towards the giants.

He glanced down at his squadmates, who hadn’t made it quite as high as him, and grinned smugly at them. Everyone knew he was the most skilled soldier amongst those who drank the potion, and Rageus saw no use in false modesty. Then he glanced back towards the scenery and stare at the wall looming menacingly in the distance. The black stone behemoth towered over all of the human territory, and reminded everyone daily of their entrapment. Rageus glared at this menace, this symbol of the cage that was his life, and felt absolute hatred.

There was a call from below, so he leapt down and landed gracefully at the base of the tree. A messenger had arrived by horse and was speaking to Commander Harr. The commander beckoned him over and Rageus complied.

“You are to report immediately to the South Gate,” Harr grunted.

Rageus was shocked. No one ever went to the gates except for the Patrolmen, and they were an elite and mysterious group that he had never encountered. He saluted Harr, got on the back of the messengers horse, and rode away, his mind wandering to all the potential reasons behind this strange order.

The trip was uneventful, with the messenger never saying a word. They arrived within 20 minutes, and Rageus dismounted and went inside the fort next to the gate. He entered a dark room, dimly lit by torches, and walked towards the large table in the center. At its head, to Rageus’s shock, sat King Tarius of Webern, his kingdom. Around the table sat two other soldiers who he was unfamiliar with.

“Ah, Rageus,” the King’s low voice boomed out. “Come. Sit. Now that you are here we can begin talking.” The king gestured to the red-headed, tall man to Rageus’s right. “Here we have Dunsil, the most skilled warrior from the southern anti-giant forces.” He gestured to Rageus. “Here we have Rageus, the most skilled warrior from the northern anti-giant forces.” He pointed to the hooded figure. “And here we have Shadow, the most skilled warrior from the central anti-giant forces.”

The King paused, and took a deep breath before continuing. “You have all been called here today for a very important mission, and it is because you are the best that you were chosen. We have been training for two years now with our experimental anti-giant forces, however, we do not know anything about the giants, or what life outside the wall is like. You three are to scout out the surrounding area, and learn of the number of soldiers they have, their strength and how we can deal with them. Should any giant oppose you, you are to engage with all your might, and you shall determine whether or not all of the training has given humans a way to fight the giants. Any questions?”

There was complete silence at first, with the significance of the mission sinking into the minds of the three soldiers. To say Rageus was nervous would be an understatement, he would be one of the first humans to even attempt fighting a giant, he still didn’t know if all of his skills even gave him a chance at defeating one.

Finally, Shadow raised his hand. “How are we to get outside the wall,” he asked in a quiet, monotonous voice.

The king grinned at this. “We have been digging under the wall, unbeknownst to the giants, for close to 8 years now. We have created a passage to the other side, and have a concealed entrance through which you are to exit and return, if all goes well.”

The king paused for more questions, but seeing none, he said “Very well. You are to report to the barracks to collect your supplies at 6:00 am tomorrow. Get some sleep and prepare yourselves.

The next day, Rageus was standing at the exit to the tunnel, a heavy pack on his shoulder and his new squadmates on either side of him. He glanced nervously at each of them, then prepared himself to exit the tunnel. He was about to enter the territory of his most hated foe, one that he had never even seen.

“Well,” Dunsil said, in a rather high voice. “We’re fucked.”

Warm. The warmth radiates throughout the body. Warmth is everywhere. Hands are warm, legs are warm, the world is warm.

Heat. Everything is too warm. Discomfort. Why is there so much heat? 

Burning. Engulfed in fire. Agony. Need water!

Rageus opened his eyes, his throat dry and his lips cracked. He wheezed in the thick, warm air. Where am I, he thought. All around him stretched an expanse of brown. Barren, dry dirt covered the landscape as far as he could see, the terrain expanding in a uniform level. No hills, no valleys. Nothing except the brown. So much brown.

"Beautiful," a voice whispered, the sound seeming to echoe throughout the air, coming from everywhere yet nowhere.

"Who's there," Rageus exclaimed, turning franticly to catch sight of the speaker.

"You're asking the wrong question Rageus," the voice answered in a mocking tone. It sounded like hundreds of people speaking in unison, each with their own pitch and sound. "The question is, who are you?"

"Show yourself!"

Then Rageus saw it. A white silhouette approaching from the distance. It appeared to be human, yet had no features. Just whiteness.

"Do you have an answer yet Rageus," the being asked as it approached. "Do you know who you are?"

"What manner of creature are you," Rageus spat, as he slowly began to back away.

"You would speak in such a manner to you mother Rageus?" The white being began to take on a new form. Features began to develop, and it began to shorten. Suddenly, Rageus's mother was standing before him.

"M-Mother?" Rageus was baffled. He had watched her die. He had seen her sightless eyes. How was she here.

"Not quite," his mother's face answered, still speaking in the strange voice. Suddenly, it was his father that he was staring at. Then his commander. "I can take on many forms, be many things."

"What are you," Rageus whispered. He was trembling with an uncontrollable fear. This being had an aura of power, power so strong that he felt it encroach on him. His breathing became shallow, and his legs began to tremble.

"We have no name. We have no identity. We are simply the keepers of balance."

"What do you mean?"

"Balance. Without it, the universe would crumble. Life would vanish. We maintain it. We keep balance so that Life can go on. And right now, the balance of your personality is in peril."

"W-What?"

"You, Rageus, are the key to a balanced future for you world. Balance can exist in many ways. Your world may be balanced by maintaining the isolation between the giants and the humans, or it may be balanced by one side wiping the other out. There may be balance by establishing peace, or they may be balance by destroying everyone. You are the balancer of your realm. You are the one who will determine how balance is made."

"Why me," Rageus demanded. "What have I done to warrant such a burden?"

"You were born. No one controls the universe. It was simply your fate to be born with this responsibility. The why is unimportant however. Now the balance is at risk."

"What's wrong?"

"You are torn. The views you have held your entire life have been shed in a new light in a matter of minutes. You do not know what you desire anymore. If you cannot redetermine your ideas, this internal conflict will destroy you, and your world will be destroyed by the imbalance that follows."

"So what can I do!?"

"We have come to you to warn you. You must decide what you want, and it must be before the humans leave the walls. You must believe whole-heartedly in whatever you set your mind to, or else you wil not succeed. This is your duty."

And with that the being began to dissipate into the air. 

"Wait," Rageus cried out. "How do I do that?! What path should I take?!"

"Do not ask us. Ask yourself. Our time is up. Awaken."

Rageus sat up suddenly, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Instantly he felt a sharp pain in his side. He looked down to see a poorly wrapped bandage around his waist, with a large crimson patch on its right side. Suddenly, he remembered why he was injured there, and what had happened before he passed out. He struggled to get up, to find somewhere to hide, but he found his legs trapped under some soft white sheets, the sweat causing them to cling to his bare skin.

Recognizing the futility in acting out of blind panic, Rageus breathed deeply a few times to calm himself, then looked around. He was in a dark chamber. Far in the distance he saw a wooden wall looming high above him. To his right was a large wooden table with two chairs, and to his left was a window, beams of moonlight piercing through it and into the room. Rageus himself was on what he thought to be another table. The white cloth over his lower body was identical to the cloth he found himself laying on. He was wearing nothing but undergarments, and he couldn't see his equipment anywhere.

Rageus realized he was far too injured to risk leaping, and without his equipment he was as good as dead should he escape. He lay back down, the pain proving too much for him, and attempted to think of a plan.

He did not know how much time passed by before he heard the loud footsteps, accompanied by the creaking of floorboards. Rageus knew what they meant, so he shut his eyes and feigned sleep. This giant had clearly bandaged him and put him in a bed, so he felt her intentions were not bad. Still, he didn't want to take any risks.

He heard the door slowly open, followed by the sound of the footsteps approaching him. When the sound stopped, he felt small gusts of warm wind wash over him, and knew that the giant was close enough for him to feel its breathe.

Suddenly, a loud, feminine voice whispered right next to him. "I know you're awake," it said. "You're too tense and breathing to swiftly to be asleep."

Rageus was surprised by her observational skills, but decided it was useless to feign sleep. He sat slowly and opened his eyes. Then his jaw dropped.

In front of him were gigantic, startlingly green eyes. They stared at him, and he felt as if they were boring into his soul. Black, beautiful hair cascaded around a glowing, beautiful, tan face. Gigantic lips, large enough to consume him, were forming a smile. Rageus had never felt so terrified by something so beautiful.

"Hello," the giant whispered. "Are you feeling okay?"

Rageus nodded dumbly, unable to do anything else. 

"I am so sorry that I did this to you," the giant said sadly. "It's such a relief that you're okay. I don't know what I would've done had the injuries been any worse." She paused to see if he would speak, then kept going after he didn't. "You're a human, right?"

Rageus nodded again.

"No one has seen your kind in such a long time. We believed that you all lived inside the walls. How did you get here?"

Rageus just stared at her, knowing he couldn't answer the question even if he was capable of speaking. It was a secret that the humans could escape.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. My names Katarina, but you can call me Kate." She smiled at him, with the most lovely, inviting smile Rageus had ever seen. "What's yours?"

Rageus realized that he had nothing to fear from this girl, and felt foolish for his fear in front of her.

"Rageus," he mumbled. "My name is Rageus."

Kate smiled down at him, her green eyes filled with joy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Rageus," she said. "So how was it that a human came to be in these lands?"

Rageus paused to think of a plausible lie. He could not reveal his mission. Looking down at his bandages, he realized there was an easy excuse.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "The last thing I remember before waking up is sitting in my home. How did this happen to me," he asked, gesturing at his injury.

Kate's smile fell as he asked this. "That would be my fault. My mother threw my necklace during a fight we were having, and it hit you. I'm so sorry for any pain you feel."

Rageus looked into her eyes and saw that she was entirely sincere. It touched him how caring this girl was, but he saw something else behind those eyes. A clever, knowing stare that told him she knew he was lying about his memory loss, but she was letting it be for now. He also would let it be, until it was hopefully forgotten.

"It's not your fault," Rageus said. "You didn't throw it, and you had no way of knowing I was there."

Kate looked relieved that he was not upset, and her smile quickly returned. "You must be hungry," she said. "I'll bring some food and then you can rest more."

With that, she stood up and began walking out of the room. Rageus took this time to admire the way her hips swayed, as well as the perfect curve and tone of her butt. She was really the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She brought him some bread and meat, which he quickly devoured. It was decent food, and he had been hungrier than he thought. Kate then left to let him rest, giving him time to think on his present situation.

He realized that he was too injured to leave, and even with his quickened healing due to the potion, he would not be ready to leave for another few days. He also realized that he was in no danger with Kate. Never had he so quickly taken a liking to a person as he did to Kate, her personality and beauty made her instantly trustworthy. 

Rageus decided that he would stay with her until he was healed, then leave to complete the mission. He would discreetly ask about the location of his gear and their location relative to the human city, then slip out unnoticed once he was recovered. With this in mind, Rageus passed into a deep sleep. The warning of The Order Keepers slowly fading from his thoughts.


Rageus awoke the next morning after a deep, peaceful sleep. He sat up, and already felt his injury recovering. There was little pain when he moved, and he was breathing a lot more easily. 

He heard what sounded like clanging pots coming from outside his room, so he decided to leap to discover the source. He braced his legs, then launched himself from the table. The second he landed, he regretted his decision. He felt a crushing pain on his side as the force of the impact shocked his wound. He fell to the ground, shouting out in pain. 

The clanging of the plates stopped, and Rageus could hear footsteps approaching the door. Kate burst in, a concerned look on her face, and quickly saw Rageus on the ground. She rushed over and gently scooped him up, her warm, pillowy hands making Rageus feel safe.

"Oh Rageus," she said with a concerned voice. "Are you alright?"

Rageus took a moment to slow his breathing, the feeling of being held by a giant causing an unnatural fear that he quickly repressed. 

"I'm alright," he said. "Just fell off the table."

Kate looked shocked. How could he have survived such a long drop, especially in his injured state? She decided to examine his wound again to see how badly the fall had worsened it. 

"Well it's good that your okay," Kate said, putting on a fake smile to hide her concern. "Do you mind if I swap your bandages now that you're awake. Those ones are looking rather dirty."

"Sure," Rageus said. He was distracted by the fact that she could hear him over the sound of the plates from another room. These giants had very sensitive hearing. He would need to report this to the general so they could better plan ambushes. 

Kate slowly began unwrapping the bandages from Rageus while he appeared to be lost in thought, and gasped at what she saw. His wound was mostly healed! An injury that bad would have taken months to heal on a giant, and incapacitated them for Atleast a few weeks, yet Rageus was almost fully recovered. Kaye began to wonder who this human was. 

Rageus didn't notice her gasp, so she quickly rewrapped him in new bandages. "Alright," she said. "Are you hungry?" 

Rageus nodded, feeling like he hadn't eaten in weeks. She then carries him to the kitchen, her hand staying in close proximity to her chest. Rageus couldn't help but feel excitement at his proximity to her ample breasts, and he admired them as they swayed with her steps. Kate didn't notice, she was too lost in her thoughts of Rageus's superhuman capabilities. 

She placed him on her kitchen table, then went to grab the breakfast she had been preparing. Rageus looked around at the room he was in. There was a large window on the far wall, with a lovely view of the surrounding woods and the morning sky. To the right was a fire place with metal plates above for cooking. To the left was a cupboard for cutlery as well as a kettle. 

Kate came back with a plate of eggs and some bread. She separated small portions for Rageus and put them on the side of her plate. They both enjoyed their breakfast in silence, then Kate went off to a wash basin Rageus hadn't noticed before to clean the plates. 

When she came back to the table, Kate sat down and stared expectantly at Rageus. "So," she asked. "I'm very curious. What is life like in a human city?"

Rageus was caught off guard by the suddenness of the question. He thought for a minute about how to go about answering the question, then decided to tell her how life really was. Kate had been so nice to him, he saw no reason to lie to her more than he had to. 

"The walls are a prison," Rageus said sadly. "Humans are forced into a small territory, with limited resources. This leads to many different kingdoms forming with constant fighting amongst themselves. War is common, and everyone has lost Atleast one person they cared about. I was orphaned at a young age due to another kingdoms raid, and I was raised to be a soldier."

"I trained to be a Peace Keeper. A soldier that doesn't fight for any kingdoms, but rather defends the innocent during the many wars. I am a captain of my soldiers, and we have grown up together, like family. I don't know how I got out of the walls, but I wish to return."

Kate had been silent during his entire story. She had never thought that life in the walls was bad. They were always taught that the walls were built to create a paradise for the humans, that they protected them, not trapped them. This was troubling news.

She knew Rageus was lying during his last part of the story, about how he doesn't know how he got out the walls. This meant he was hiding something, and she couldn't return him to his home without finding out what it is first. The risk would be too great. 

"That is a sad tale," Kate said sincerely. "Do you wish to know about life outside the walls?" Rageus nodded. "Well, we giants are united under one Emperor, Fillan Turock. He is a harsh ruler, but he rules well. His army is vast and keeps his reign throughout the lands. My father is a captain as well, in the army in charge of this region. The citizens of the empire are taxed fairly by the Emperor, and there has been no war under his rule in 20 years. I'm a tailor, and I work in this small village. Life is simple and easy."

Rageus nodded, taking in her information about the emperor and his army. It sounded to him if they could assassinate this man, the empire would be thrown into chaos, and the army into disarray. Useful information. 

"Oh my," Kate said. "That reminds me, I must be off to work. Are you okay staying here by yourself?" 

"Ya," Rageus said. "I need to rest anyways. Thank you for a lovely breakfast."

Kate smiled, then gently placed her palm in front of him, offering him a ride. She realized that he might not like being grabbed and picked up without permission. Rageus recognized her consideration for his own comfort, and smiled appreciatively at her. He found himself liking this woman more and more. Kate looked at his smiling face, and noticed for the first time his attractiveness, his white hair framing his handsome face. But he was a human. She could never be attracted to someone so small.

She took Rageus over to his bed, then waved goodbye as she left the house, making sure to lock the door. She didn't know how other giants would react to a human, so she decided to play it safe.

Rageus sat down and started to meditate. He began to clear his mind and think about his situation. Just as he was about to reach mental peace, he heard what sounded like a metal clink right in front of him. He opened his eyes, and saw a human standing right before him. He jumped up in shock.