The stench of death is not something that can be easily forgotten. It’s a persistent, stubborn smell that grips any living thing it can reach in its twisted vice. It’s a sulphurous curse that kneads against your skin and plies at your hairs. It was real and it was everywhere.

I could still see the dark maroon smudges that must have once been people. The majority of the gore had been washed away, leaving only faded stains as reminders of their deaths. Though the scent of the corpses lingered the room itself didn’t smell particularly bad. Instead, it smelled mostly sterile, with underlying hints of dead leaves and murky lake water. It was especially alien to me, but then again maybe I had just grown accustomed to Vera’s scent.

“A-Amora” My shaky repetition seemed to displease her further. Through her snarling lips I caught sight of her glossy incisors. I felt like I was staring into the maw of a dragon.

“That’s right…”

“Well, my name is Ellis”

“So?”

“So, I just thought…”

“Thought what?”

“I-”

“Ughhh!” she groaned. The horrendous sound drowned out everything else in the room. Instinctively my hands shot to the sides of my head to shield my eardrums from the earth shaking clamor. When I finally regained my senses I saw that Amora had turned away from me. Mustering up what strength and courage I had left I tried to call out to her.

“I just want to talk! I can help you get out of here…”

That was just what I needed to get in her attention again. In a flash of movement she rolled back over and leered down at me. Such rage was not really what I was expecting but I can’t say I was surprised.

“What makes you think I need your help you worthless speck!”

Once again the intensity of her voice startled me. In an effort to stabilize myself I set my feet in a wider stance. Should she raise her voice again I’d be ready to brace myself against its force.

“Have you been able to escape yet? I think not!”

It was a bold choice of words. Even I was surprised by them. I might have been able to get away with that when I was around Vera, but I quickly learned that would not be the case with her.

Slowly, decidedly, she turned. Her hand shot up over her head in a tight fist intent on wiping me from existence. It lingered in the air for a second. There was murder in her eyes and there was nothing to save me. I noticed Amora’s whole body shook with rage, but despite her fury she could not seem to bring that hand down. She leaned in closer. A few puffs of her breath washed over me in a menacing barrage. Each breath was accompanied by a short growl.

“AAAAAGHHHH!”

“Sorry, look I’m being honest, I know its sounds crazy but-”

Suddenly the intercom cut on. The usual buzz of static reverberated against the chamber walls. An echoing female voice thundered down:

“Subject Bet, you are displaying aggressive behavior, either desist or prepare for extermination”

The voice was difficult to understand but was far more clear than the intercom at Camp Juliet. Lucky for me, Amora got the message and grudgingly lowered her fist. I watched her shoulders rise and fall with every frustrated inhalation. She lay both arms on the ground and leaned in closer. So close that her chin practically rested on the outer platform. I backed up further and further until I ran into the wall. I felt like a cornered fox about to be torn asunder by a pack of savage hounds. Faintly, I could hear the sound of scraping. It was then I noticed Amora grinding her teeth together.

“Subject Bet, you will comply with Officer Gulliver’s requests, otherwise you will forfeit future rations. Is that understood?”

A few long, tedious seconds passed before her gigantic head gave a subtle nod. With that the intercom cut off. That just left the two of us. Staring. Waiting. Looking into each other until finally Amora spoke...no, seethed:

“So little one, what are your...requests?”

For a moment I forgot how to speak. I was too caught up in those hateful eyes.

“L-Like I said...I just want to talk. I’m in charge of deciding whether or not you will be executed.”

“Oh? And what do you want to know. There’s nothing I have to tell you.”

“How about just a little about yourself?”

“You know enough. Understand one thing little man, we will not become friends, we will not become acquainted.”

Hmm. I could already tell she was going to be a much tougher nut to crack. Vera was at least motivated. By what? Hmm, hard to say for sure. Boredom, fear, loneliness, who can tell? Perhaps all three. Either way, she became easier to talk to because she simply wanted to talk to someone. Amora, however, was so full of anger. If anything she’d rather just be left alone. Again, maybe it was just too early in the game to tell. Vera might have been this volatile when she was first captured as well, though in some corner of my mind I highly doubted it.

“Ok, well how about-”

“And another thing.” she flared. “If you expect me to beg or grovel like one of you little insects then I’d advise you find a new line of work, gas or not.”

I audibly gulped. Amora seemed to gain a moment’s worth of satisfaction from my enduring terror. Unlike Vera though, she didn’t seem quite as interested in scaring me.

“Understood” I mumbled.

“Good”

“Now, if you wouldn’t mind-”

“I would…”

“Ok, well do you think you could go over the events from a few nights ago?”

She waited for a second. I assumed the strain had finally overcome her shoulders so she threw herself back into a seated position. Like a pouting child she crossed her arms across her chest and averted her gaze. For a while there I thought she wasn’t going to speak.

“It’ll make it easier! I can get you some things. Might make it a little more bearable but you have to answer!” The incentive was weak, sure, but I didn’t have much else to use against her. I could tell that even after a few short days she was already driven mad by her solitary confinement. Considering the size of her cell I could hardly blame her.

“We heard from a few whelps up north that there was a trove of you little shits hiding away somewhere along the lake. Can’t pass up an opportunity like that. There are so few of you left, and even fewer groups to raid.” An evil smile passed over  her lips as she began to reminisce about her recent plunge into the slaughter. It was unnerving how quickly she gave in to such a request. I could hardly get Vera to talk about such acts of violence. It was clear Amora was proud of her past.

“But, as I’m sure you heard, it was a setup. We wandered into the valley and got attacked from both sides. Tore through them and moved down near the lake. The other two left. Fucking cowards. I kept going though. I wasn’t about to let a bunch of helpless bugs drive me away.”

Then came a long pause.

“And…?” I asked rather impatiently. Another murderous glare was directed toward me. I suppose that was warranted.

“And what?”

“How were you...uhh...you know...captured?”

It was a sensitive subject, I know, but I thought it might be a good way to get her talking. I soon learned that was not the case.

With a quick jolt, she bashed her head against the wall behind her. Both legs shot out and slammed into the opposite wall. The joints keeping the building together shuddered and whined. For a split second I was convinced the whole facility was about to collapse. The tremors knocked me onto the ground. When they finally subsided I found myself cowering in the leftmost corner of the room.

“Fuckin’ tricks. You and your little friends, think you can stick me with a bunch of drugs. Gas me. Force me to dance for you…”

“Ok, ok we don’t have to talk about that!” I tried to scream out. Her voice twisted and warped into a monstrous grumble.

The next few seconds could best be described as slacked. Like a rope building tension. Becoming more and more taut until finally...SNAP. Normally I would have watched her face to gauge just how angry she was, but now I was so terrified that I paid closer attention to her hands.

“What do you think you can do with me? You can’t beat me.”

“That may be true…” I started, “but I don’t have to…”

There! Her hands tensed up. I could see the tendons pull back on her knuckles, turning them white. After that she rolled her wrists a few times and slid both hands over her stomach so that they lay hidden beneath her forearms. Somehow I was getting to her.

“May I ask you a question?”

Amora said nothing in reply.

“I was wondering, how many are there in your troop...currently?”

Another stretch of silence. This time I met her eye to eye. On the surface there was the usual malice that I had expected to find, but somewhere deeper, perhaps a layer underneath, was some other powerful emotion struggling to break through to the surface.

“What troop?” she eventually said.

I cleared my throat. Man they’d really need to get me a megaphone at this rate. If kept  talking that loud I’d lose my voice.

“You said you were with two others. Are there anymore.”

She smirked, as if to inform that it was a stupid question.

“Others come and go.”

“I’m aware.”

“Why?”

“Nothing, I just thought I might need to know if any others are out there. Just so we’re prepared.”

Ah, there it was! The trap was set. Now I just had to lead her into it. Odd. Most of my fear was melting away. I guess my time with Vera did help me adjust a fair amount. It was almost exhilarating. The chase, the hunt...whatever you want to call it. I gotta say though, none of it would be possible had it been for Vera’s earlier testimony. I got lucky...very lucky. Unfathomably lucky.

“Why, what...what happened to the others?”

“The ones you were with?”

There was weakness in her voice. Could she have cared for them? That wasn’t really in the giants’ MO.

“Yes, where are they now?” she asked in a mottled growl.

The outburst was startling to say the least. My temporary confidence had been quickly replaced by the usual modum of fear. I should’ve known it was a bad idea to press too hard, especially with her.

“Can’t say for sure, but it doesn’t look good for them.”

Another silence. A concourse of facial ticks and inconsistent breathing followed along with it. Then, her torso lept forward. Both hands crashed down into the wall overhead. Amora’s entire weight shifted the facility, causing two dents to form in the layer of metal siding as she brought her palms down. Meanwhile, her head hung over me with cascades of her golden hair sweeping down on either side like the flaps of an enormous tent. I instantly hit the ground. Wave after wave of her hot breath kept me pinned. The shadow on her face kept her expression hidden, but I knew well enough what it must have been.

“WHERE ARE THEY?”

“I don’t-”

“WHERE? WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?”

“I didn’t know you cared”

“WHERE IS GURN? WHERE IS HE?”

Now I knew what this was about. Typically when male and female giants join together sexual relationships form. That usually leads to some emotional bonds. Even though the giant’s are socially very different from us humans, their physiology is almost identical. It doesn’t take a psychology degree to know that fucking always leads to stronger sentimental connections between individuals. This was both a good and bad thing. I had some leverage, but if I was too forward with it I could get myself killed.

“He got away!” What else could I say? I mean, I didn’t know for certain but the camp hadn’t reported any other bodies. It seemed safe to assume.

Amora again made no response. She just loomed over me, consumed by fuming ferocity.

“If you’re lying….” she began in a whisper, “so help me I’ll personally tear every little bone from your body. You won’t die...you’ll live through it all. I’ll see to it. Got it?”

I thought I said yes but all I can remember was nodding furiously.  

There was no rebound whimsy. She remained bitter as she withdrew back into her original position. We both looked each other over from the corners of our eyes. I noticed she began to bounce her knee nervously. It was reassuring to know that even if I couldn’t get much out of her verbally, I could definitely read her body language.

“I do have another question for you…”

She obviously didn’t hear my shaky voice. I repeated myself a bit louder. Still nothing. Then again a third time. This time she cocked her head to the side in my direction.

“I am sick of your questions and I’m sick of you…”

“This is the last one for today, I promise!”

The knee shaking stopped. Amora turned her whole body to face me. Figured she was eager to get rid of me.

“Fine…”

“You see, there’s another of your kind we have in custody. I’ve been talking to her the past few days and I have reason to believe you knew her.”

Both her eyebrows raised. In fact, she looked legitimately shocked.

“Oh?”

“Yes, around twenty five to thirty years of age. Brown hair. Goes by…”

“Vera”

“Y-Yes, that’s correct” I was taken aback. I mean, yeah I knew they that had been acquainted but it was just so strange hearing her name come out of another giant’s mouth. Amora’s expression became hard to decipher. My best guess was somewhere between pleased and confused. Her nose wrinkled as she said the name again softly to herself.

“She was in your troop?”

“For a while.”

“What happened?”

“She left.”

“Why?”

“There seems to be a lot missing from this ‘last question’ of yours…”

Ugh, I remember that smug look she got. She was loving the whole ordeal now. Having information that I needed. Watching me flail and stumble over my words. I hated it. I hated her.

“Just...tell me about her.”

“Oh? She not talking to you? She’ll do that. She’s a conniving whore.”

“How so?”

“Hmph, normally I wouldn’t pander to your little requests but if it means getting her in deeper shit then I’m all for it.”

Amora shifted herself from side to side. I had a feeling I was about to get quite a bit of dirt on my old friend. Amora finished adjusting her posture and began to smooth through her hair. All the while humming an alien tune.

“Little Vera’s gone and pissed off the wrong people again…”

“Please just explain!”

Amora shot me another dirty look.

“Vera was just selfish. All she would do was fight with Gurn and I over...little things. She stole from us. Picked on Morod. That sort of stuff. Sometimes she’d disappear for days at a time and wander back after we finished taking down one of your little towns. How do you like that? We did all the work and she helped reap the spoils.”

“So why did she leave?”

“She didn’t put out. Neither Gurn nor Morod were getting any and that pissed them off. One day we got in a bit of a...tiff. We exchanged insults, a blow or two, nothing too serious. Next day she was gone. Figured she was just blowing off some steam but she never came back.”

“What was your argument about?”

“Oh nothing you’d be interested in…”

She gave me a wicked grin and continued.

“Besides, it would never worked out with us. She was too…” Amora searched for the word. I saw her mouth a few possible adjectives but none seemed to satisfy her.

“Soft?” I said.

She shook her head.

“More like particular. It was annoying honestly.”

“I see.”

Next came a prolonged awkward stillness that unsettled us both. I took a few cautious steps back and knelt down to gather my things. Amora never took her eyes off me.

“Well, thank you, I best get going…”

Once my satchel was back in hand I quickly turned and began a fast-paced walk to the exit. I didn’t make it more than five steps when I heard Amora’s voice boom from behind.

“Wait…”

Instinctively I froze.

“You knew who I was...That means that bitch talked about me.”

Slowly, as I turned to answer her, the shaking in my hands started back up.

“She...did. A little…”

“What did she say?”

“She said...that you...were a mean bitch. That’s about it.”

Amora cackled softly. “Yeah and she’s not?”

“I-I-I-”

“Ugh, just get the fuck out of here.”

And I did. I cleared the room as fast as my unstable little legs could carry me. When I collapsed outside I could hear the shuffle of feet as a dozen camp personnel surrounded my convulsing body. I pushed myself off the ground just as an old man’s voice croaked out:

“We’ve got a problem…”

I looked up. Cinna stood over me with his hand outstretched.