Teagan winced as she climbed down from the tree, extremely sore from her fitful and unaccomodated repose. Her night, after her strange and almost dream-like encounter, had been filled with restlessness, fear, and the discomfort of sleeping on a knobby cluster of branches. Teagan landed on the hard and dry dirt with a thud. The sun hung low in the horizon, having just brought a new dawn. Teagan ate the last of Isaac's provisions as a hearty morning meal, and killed off the remaining thimbleful of whiskey she had been carrying around. She was confident in her ability to find more food and water without getting too close to any tomkin settlements, and if for some reason she couldn't get enough food, she'd always have the the somewhat risky but dependable option of raiding a tomkin town or two. After concluding her sumptuous meal, Teagan pulled out from her belt and opened her little box. Sihil slept inside, her miniscule and frail frame curled up in the corner of the box. She was shivering, for the nights were growing colder as summer drew to a close. Teagan felt her mouth water as she stared at the tomkin girl, and it took her a good deal of self-restraint to not pick the frail thing up and gulp her down. Teagan sighed and shut the box, her hand trembling. She felt something stir up deep inside of her, a feeling she had pushed down so deep inside of herself that she had almost forgot that she, at one point, had even had it - remorse.
~
Firkon and his men trudged up to the massive city gate, their tramping boots hitting the dry and cracked earth in nigh unison. The walls of Q'thuman were impossibly high, an intimidating relic from the times when a true siege from the bloodthirsty giants was something to be feared, and massive walls had to be constructed to have a chance at repelling them. Firkon struggled to look for any observers on the wall's top, but the cloud of grit kicked up by his division's boots made picking out details all but impossible. The city proper was situated in a particularly dry area to avoid the possibility of a catastrophic flood, something generally all too common when near the foothills of a mountain range. Firkon's throat was parched to the point of pain and irritation due to all of the dust kicked up by his arduous march, but he nevertheless managed to sound the high-pitched horn at his side. Laeron, who stood at his side, looked expectantly to the city's gate. It didn't budge, and Firkon couldn't see any movement at the walltop. He sounded his whistle-like horn once again, but was again failed to elicit a response. Firkon turned to Laeron.

"Should we knock down the gate? Judging by our numbers, that should be no hard task, and I'm sure we'll get a hasty response if we do."
Laeron looked to the ground and nervously wrung his hands.

"Sir, with all due respect, we aren't an army, and an attack on the very city we seek to enter doesn't seem like a good idea. Of course, sir, if you decide to knock down the gate, I will assis-"

Firkon cut Laeron off with a quick gesture as a booming noise came from the city gate. Firkon stared at the gate as it slowly swung open, just enough to let a trio of people out, before slamming shut again. Firkon motioned for Laeron and four other soldiers to accompany him as he marched forward to meet the three from Q'thuman. They were clad in lighter armor than Firkon's men, wearing plant fiber vests padded with protective bits of shredded and dried foliage, enough to stop a glancing blow or an arrow and not much more. Upon their heads they wore thick and opaque veils made of the same plant fiber, obscuring all but their wary eyes. Shortswords hung at their belts, and a small wicker shield was slung across each of their backs. Their leader, distinguishable by the gold adornments upon his vest, approached Firkon and firmly clasped his hand.

"Greetings, brother," began the leader, releasing Firkon's hands and giving a dignified bow, "and may the stars for eternity guide your way. I am Ibn-Jahan, a captain of the city guard. It appears that you wish to enter our city, and yet it is not the season for merchants..."

The leader cast a suspicious glance towards the soldiers amassed behind Firkon.

"...and besides, it does not seem as if you are a merchant or traveler. If it is not too much to ask, could you tell me what you seek within our city's walls?"

Firkon smiled in an attempt to win the trust of the captain, and rested his helmet in the crook of his arm.

"Thank you for your audience, captain. I am Legate Firkon, a proud soldier of the Orestian Legion. I come seeking the wisdom of Brother Volkhard, who I can only assume you're familiar with, for his feats are perhaps second to none. We seek trouble with neither yourself nor the good people of your opulent city, and we will leave as soon as we have had counsel with Brother Volkhard."

Ibn-Jahan nodded at this, and motioned towards Firkon's rear guard.

"If you have come seeking only counsel, then why have you brought with you such a large force? Surely a smaller and more flexible group of soldiers would be better for the long trip from your homeland... and, if you will grace me with an answer, for what reason do you seek the counsel of the Exalted Brother Volkhard?"

"I can answer both of your questions with but a single word, captain," Firkon said gravely, "and that word is giantess. There is one on the loose, I have seen it, and done battle with it, myself. My task is to hunt the creature down, for it has already killed hundreds in its violent rampage, and I don't doubt that it will kill hundreds more lest it is stopped. Surely, a number of your people will be among those slain if the giantess is not stopped, for this giantess is like none other I've seen so far - it slinks about with agility of a hidden predator, and despite its great size it can easily hide itself. It devours men, women, and children whole, and was able to escape two of our most cunning ambushes. We can only hope that Brother Volkhard's prowess will be enough to give us a more than ample advantage over the giantess."

Ibn-Jahan stood silent for a few seconds after Firkon finished before responding.

"Then this is a matter of grave importance indeed. You and all your men are, to the extent the authority I wield can provide, welcome forever and always in Q'thuman, for you do us a service by slaying this giantess even after it has long departed from your land. I will see if we can provide any further assistance to your cause, for it is a noble one indeed, and Q'thuman will be greatly indebted to you and your men if you do slay the giantess. We can talk more within the walls of the city, for surely both you and your men are tired. We are to hold festivities tonight, and surely, you deserve a short respite from your task. Come with me, Legate Firkon, and bring along your men."

The leader and the two soldiers at his side returned to the city's gate, with Firkon and his men in tow. The gate swung open again, and Firkon entered. A broad street, lined with barracks and watchtowers, extended deep into the city's heart, where Firkon assumed the general populace lived. Firkon had heard much about the city, but seeing it with his own eyes made it all the more stunning. It was built in a fashion that belied its true nature, not as a city, but as a fortress. Every house was sturdy and built to last, lined with bricks to prevent the spread of fire. Watchtowers sat at every street corner, each with enough space to be manned with at least 10 archers. Further into the city, the watchtowers were larger, and mounted with massive ballistae that dwarfed the small crossbow-like weapons Firkon had seen used to slay giants. Every building, no matter its purpose, had a flat roof that could service archers. Firkon marvelled at the ingenuity of the city's design, not even noticing the ribbons that decked most homes, nor the bursts of cheering coming from the city's interior. Ibn-Jahan, noticing Firkon's awe at the city's design, couldn't help but chuckle.

"Our city is ancient, one of the first to be established in this realm of giants. Had we not built it this way, we would perhaps not be here today to inhabit it. Come now, Legate Firkon - you've come at a wonderful time. Today is a very special day in this city, as it is the start of our Week of Rejoicing. As the harvest season draws nigh, we celebrate the year that has passed. You look tired, and there are many festivities for you to observe while you recuperate. Surely, your travels have been rough."

~
Teagan grunted and sat down. She'd made little progress in her journey, only having just exited the forest of dead trees. She was already hungry and thirsty again, and there was neither food nor water to be found. Perhaps raiding nearby tomkin settlements could be of more use to her than she thought, especially in this all to dry climate. Teagan had managed to find a few edible plants so far, but in small clumps that were not nearly enough to sustain her, at least on their own. Teagan had to supplement her diet with something more substantial, and she knew that game would be scarce in a place as dry and lacking in flora as this.

Teagan was not an expert huntress of most prey, but she knew she was among the best at stalking her particular quarry. She surveyed her surroundings. To the left sat a small range of hills, tall enough to perhaps be considered mountains of lesser size. To the right, a dry field stretched out, dotted with rolling and gentle slopes, ending abruptly in a far greater mountain range. Teagan knew that tomkins had a tendency to live near small bodies of water so that they had access to said water far more easily. Teagan knew that runoff from the mountains would certainly form small lakes and rivers, and as such, would have the highest propensity to be dotted with a few tomkin villages.

Teagan couldn't help but grin as her hawk-like eyes picked out a cluster of miniature cottages in the distance, nestled comfortably in between two sloping hills. She had no cover, but she had desperation and the advantage of speed. She darted forth, showing no pretense of stealth, and she heard the chorus of shouts and screams before she even reached the little village. Teagan's eyes flashed with predatorial lust as she took the bound that propelled her into the midst of the village. With nigh unbelievable speed, she dropped to all fours and scanned the village. A fleeing crowd trampled each other in abject fear, trying to escape the deadly grasp of the giantess. However, in their individual hopes to escape, the villagers rendered each other helpless, only a few managing to escape the tangle of arms and legs that Teagan easily swept up. She, not having the time to put them securely in her box, threw them in the pouch at her side and hoped that none of them carried something with which they could cut a way out. Teagan then turned her eyes to the stragglers, most of whom were screaming and scattering in all directions. Teagan almost instinctually licked her lips as her eyes settled upon a group of three younger tomkins all fleeing together. Teagan scrambled forth, her arm smashing into and flattening a small cottage. Her fingers closed around two of the three, and Teagan bit her tongue as the mere thought of ending the lives of these pitiful tomkins gave her immense sadistic pleasure. Teagan wrenched the two she caught in front of her face, giving them a quick examination. They were both young women, perhaps even girls, and were both crying and terrified. Teagan flashed them a quick smile before opening wide her mouth and cramming them inside, savoring their struggles and screams before gulping them both down...

"Ah... if only all of you little shits were this easy to eat... I'd never be hungry again."
...
Adelpha gasped in horror as the giantess grabbed her sisters away from her, and screamed as she swallowed them both alive. Their outlines were visible in the throat of the giantess, still struggling as they went down. Tears streamed down Adelpha's face as she dropped to her knees, engulfed in despair. The eyes of the giantess settled upon her, but Adelpha was not yet ready to give up... there was perhaps one who could get revenge upon the giantess. Adelpha clambered back up and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, faster than she ever had in her entire life. She managed to escape as the giantess began shoveling others in her accursed, grinning mouth, swallowing them all alive... children, the old, the infirm - none were spared as the giantess preyed upon them, devouring them whole.

Adelpha ran, pushing out of her mind the screams of those she knew, those she loved, and those she wished a thousand times over she could die to save. She ran until she reached the hut of Phyllida, the witch. Adelpha kicked in the door and found Phyllida sitting at her dinner table, eating a meager meal. Phyllida looked worried at the panicked look on Adelpha's face, and pulled a chair over for hear. Adelpha nearly beat the woman before she remembered that the witch was deaf... and didn't know a thing about the massacre happening outside. Adelpha grabbed the witch and led her outside, so that she could see the carnage for herself. Phyllida staggered back as the giantess picked up a straggler, set him gently down upon her tongue, and retracted it, nearly crushing him between her lips before gulping him down. 

Phyllida began chanting, her words slurred but still decipherable. After a quick incantation, Phyllida raised her hands above her head, pointing them towards the giantess. A blast of electrical energy arced out from them and lanced into the side of the giantess, causing her to topple and crush a small storehouse, dropping her next potential victim. A look of shock and pain crossed the face of the giantess, which was quickly replaced with surprise and anger. Phyllida said the incantation again, and again energy launched itself from her hands and hit the giantess, this time squarely in the chest. The giantess recoiled, clearly more hurt than shocked this time, and her hand darted at Phyllida. Another blast repelled her advance, though, and the giantess was pushed back a little bit by the sheer force of the attack. The giantess harrumphed, almost like a disgruntled child, before snatching a pair of farmhands unfortunate enough to be within her reach. The giantess then retreated hastily into the woods.

Adelpha fell to the ground as tears streamed down her face. The giantess had escaped. She had finally met a foe capable to killing her, and she fled. Phyllida, meanwhile, also fell to the ground, from exhaustion moreso than sorrow. She had expended a great deal of energy fighting the giantess, and needed to rest... but Phyllida knew something was off. That was a great deal of energy, and it should have at least left a small burn mark where it impacted... but the giantess seemed to shrug off the attack somewhat more easily than she should have been able to. Of course, she was clearly injured, but Phyllida still thought that something was awry. But now wasn't the time for conjecture. The village was in shambles, and the survivors were slowly gathering around Phyllida, many of them wounded. Something had to be done... but what?