The fateful night started out like any other. Derek and his wife Agnes were sitting in front of their fireplace, sharing stories and letting the storm pass. The occasional crack of thunder echoing from the night sky above, lightning casting hazy shapes into their dripping windows. In the small village they were the only ones awake at these late hours. Them and the noisy herd of sheep that the local farmer kept sheltered close by. 

“Why does Peter insist on keeping the sheep so close to the village? They’re so loud!” Derek joked with a hint of annoyance in his tone. 

“Well it’s better than having to go on a small journey just to get to your workplace. Can you imagine if our shop was outside the village?” 

“That’s true, who would even go shopping there anyways? I would be a travelling merchant.” Derek agreed. “I’m fine with you right here, with me.” Agnes smiled and gave him a kiss. “I’m not happier anywhere else.” Before either of them could say anything else the animals outside began to panic, accompanied by the sound of a loud crash. Derek ran over to the window to see the roof to the animals pens torn off, with the animals nowhere to be seen. 

“Is it a Wyvern?” Agnes asked him, and Derek denied. “Doubtful, they don’t usually fly in this weather.” 

“Then what do you think it is then?” She asked. “I don’t know, just stay inside.” Derek grabbed a sword mounted on his wall and cautiously left to investigate. There was not a single trace of the animals, just proof that they were there in the form of tracks littering the inside of the muddy pen. The fence was broken so he looked into the forest ahead to see if there was any trace of the missing livestock. 

It was extremely dark and the rain obscured the forest even more but he could see something moving in the trees, he wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t looking. He walked forward expecting to see perhaps a pig. That was when lightning lit up the sky and gave a brief flash of light into the forest. For a short second he could see a massive shape emerging from the trees, massive and feminine, hunched over with a sheep in its mouth. 

Every human in Pastia would know what was happening here and so did he. He was standing a mere 50 ft away from a giant. Out of all the dangerous creatures that existed within this place, none were as feared as the giants, they are human in almost every possible away except the fact that they range from 100 to 300 feet tall and eat almost anything that moves, having a special taste for humans like Derek in particular.  

His blood ran cold and the sense of security the sword gave him now vanished, it was now only in his hand to give him false hope, it was a thin piece of useless metal in the face of the greatest threat any human has ever known. He hadn’t been seen yet but he still felt like he was being hunted. He slowly and quietly moved away from the forest and walked home. The wind didn’t help at all with hearing where the giantess might be and he could only guess she was still in the tree line, lightning flashed the forest once more but the she was gone, just an empty clearing devoid of both the animals and the giantess herself. 

He let out a sigh and laughed to himself in relief, the wind however, felt different behind his back. Instead of the usual gusts of cold wind this wind felt warm and it wasn’t natural, it felt rhythmic, back and forth...

...in and out. 

He couldn’t move, he was petrified. He could hear something heavy creaking against a nearby house and the giantess holding back laughter, she was toying with her prey, he had no escape and they both knew it. With a quick moment of courage he spun around to see the massive green eyes staring into him and a wide smile bearing pearl white teeth, in any other context he would’ve been in awe at this woman’s beauty but in this context he didn’t care what she looked like, he was going to die.

He turned around and ran as fast as he could but he felt his legs being pulled and he fell flat onto the ground below, he was lifted off the ground and up to the giantesses face. He was now sobbing and his tears got lost in the rain pouring down his face. “Down the hatch little man!” The giantess said followed by a cruel laugh that vibrated through his ribcage. “No please! I have a wife! Dont do thi-“ he cut himself off with a scream as the giantess carelessly threw Derek into her slimy mouth and swallowed him whole. 

Agnes watched through the window of their house and had to cover her mouth to stop from letting out a scream. Tears flowed freely from her red face both from utter terror and the pain of her loss. The giantess looked into the window and Agnes quickly hid under a table out of view from the window. Heavy thuds rapidly approached the house and a booming laugh shook the glass and only muffled whimpers came from Agnes now. “Ready or not here I come!” The giantess cooed playfully, this was all a game to her. A sick twisted game that already left an innocent woman a widow and soon to join her husband as the giantess did horribly at hiding the fact that she knew exactly where Agnes was. She prepared for a giant hand to shatter the glass and carry her away to be devoured but she could hear yells coming from outside. The loud stomps of a giant who didn’t care about hiding or about stealth. 

The cruel giantess that ate her husband was now screaming in pain and was silenced with a loud slam. Agnes left the house, looking at every corner for the giantess but stumbled across the body of the titaness, her head having been bashed in with a Boulder. “These people aren’t food, fucking scum.” An unfamiliar voice boomed dropping a bloody Boulder onto the ground. This new giantess looked at Agnes who then cautiously stepped back about to run. “It’s ok. I’m not going to hurt you.” She reassured. “Do you have a sword?” Agnes nodded tearfully and picked up Dereks sword from the ground. Shakily handing it to the giantess who she had no reason not to trust at the moment. “Thank you, you might want to look away, this will be a bit gross.” 

The giantess held the relatively tiny blade over the corpses stomach, picking away at it with the sword until it’s contents spilled out onto the ground. Derek laid covered in acid and barely conscious on the ground and Agnes rushed over to him, cradling his head in her arms. “We need to get you to a healer quick!” She yelled worriedly carrying him to a nearby house. When she came out the storm had cleared, the dead giant was gone and their saviour disposed of the bloody Boulder. Now that the moon was shining down Agnes could finally get a better look at her. 

She seemed to be around 200 feet tall and she was wearing a thick leather tunic, no doubt dragon hide. Her eyes were brown and so was her hair, which was tied up in a pony tail.  “Y-you saved me. You saved my husbands life. Why?” Agnes asked up at the mysterious giantess. “Well you needed help didn’t you?” This answer baffled Agnes. This is not what she knew giants to be. “What’s your name?” Agnes asked as the giantess began to turn around to leave. “Excuse me?” She asked not expecting Agnes to want to know her name. “You saved my life I at least want to know who to thank.” Agnes replied. “My name...well...I can’t tell anyone my name. Call me Artemis.” 

"Another village saved, another monster slain." Artemis whispered to herself as she used the sword to carve a tally mark into her breastplate, over her heart, alongside 15 others, now 16

It didn’t take long for word to spread. Every tavern in Pastia was chattering about this unusual hunter within the following week. Some thought she had a hidden agenda of some kind and that she was just like the others. Most however knew that a powerful giantess like herself would have no need to go to such lengths to kill or subjugate humans, which meant that if she really was like the others she had some other motive. Either way, the giants who have been terrorizing and killing without any threat to their power finally had something to fear, because no matter how much magic, strategy or powerful weapons humans use, 

Nothing kills a giant faster than another giant. 

Artemis had been laying lower than usual following the incident. She wasn’t used to getting this much attention and despite her best intentions there were still stubborn hunters in Pastia who would still be willing to kill her, not only because she is a giant but also to benefit from her unwanted fame, to be the one to kill the legendary Artemis. 

Her reputation precedes her. She does not consider herself to be some divine saviour or masked vigilante. She is a tired young woman on a path of revenge. Her actions are not fuelled by love or compassion for humanity but by hatred for her own kind. Sometimes she feels ashamed of what she is, she knows it’s out of her control but she hates that she is one of them. 

Maybe this violent way of dealing with her grief is just the monster inside her wanting to come out, that violence is in a giants blood, maybe they’re right, maybe she is like the rest and she just doesn’t want to accept it. This train of thought is interrupted when she noticed how close to the tavern she was getting. 

She closes her eyes, focusing on her senses and breathing in and out, methodically. With a bit of mental effort she opens her eyes once more to see the tall grass around her brushing against her knees. This helps blending in,appearing human. It was a simple yet tiring spell to cast, but it was worth casting to have a nice drink.

She walked into the tavern at human size and everyone was on edge, some were shaking and some had their weapons drawn. She furrowed her brow confused, looking for an empty table in the process. “Uuhmmmm. Is everything ok in here?” She asked out to the room. Ready to leave quickly if it turned out she’d somehow been recognized 

“Did you not hear those footsteps? There’s a giant outside!” She looked bewildered for a moment then it clicked. She cursed at herself for being so careless as to walk that close to the building at full size.  “Oh! That sound? That uhm....I didn’t see anything if that means anything.” One man was looking out one of the windows and confirmed that there wasn’t a giant outside, that and the stomping obviously subsided. 

The tavern began to calm down until soon it was back to its cheery glory. She sat at an empty table by herself, she didn’t want company, not right now. She sipped away at a cup of ale, thinking about what to do next, she knew she was now in the public eye and many hunters would be looking for her, some for good intentions and some not. There were probably some people in this very room that had her on their mind. 

Across the tavern, Steven had been talking with a good friend of his. Everyone had seen the mysterious woman enter the tavern, while the rest of the room had gone paranoid she didn't budge when the giant's footsteps had passed by, it was unnatural, for someone to be so unwavering in the face of a possible giant threat. Neither of them knew the truth as to why, but their half drunk imagination led to wild conclusions. 

Stevens own village was under the control of a giantess, who called herself Azura Grimm, who didn't yet destroy the village, which meant she must have some intended use for them, which was perhaps even more concerning. Perhaps the woman knew something or two about giants, something he could save his people with. 

Artemis needed this drink, for every giant she killed she never felt like she was getting any closer to her ultimate goal. The giant she seeked was a master at laying low. She didn't know she was being hunted by Artemis so clearly she must be someone important. Even despite the legendary reputation she has attained, she was only one woman, a giant yes, but so are her enemies. It was her against an entire species. 

“Hello uhm. Excuse me?” She heard a male voice say. She raised her eyebrow and turned her head to the young man. “A-Are you a hunter?” He stuttered out. He looked pretty young, likely an adult only recently. He was a bit on the smaller side, even at human size she wouldn’t break a sweat against him. “What makes you think that?” She replied. “Well you were outside when the giant was here, you didn’t so much as flinch, I’ve only ever seen giant hunters have that kind of confidence around giants.” This young man seemed to be quite perceptive, maybe she’s underestimating him. 

“Good eye little man. Is there anything I could help you with?” She answered. He was clearly intimidated by her but being called ‘little man’ probably didn’t help his case, force of habit on her part. “I was hoping you could train me. To fight giants?” He asked. This caught her offguard, she was expecting a bounty or something along those lines. “You want me to train you? Why? This occupation is dangerous enough for hu- for us.” She couldn’t go through with this without revealing her secret so the answer was already no in her mind.

 “There’s a giantess that’s been living near my village and we don’t have the money to pay a hunter to kill her, so I want to learn to do it myself. Her name is Azura Grimm. She-“ hearing that name made Artemis’s blood boil. It brought back so many bad memories. “What did you just say?” She interrupted him, a bit of anger rising in her voice. “Her name? I’m sorry. I thought you needed the info?” He turned apologetic. “I do, Meet my by the river and tell me more. There’s some things I need to tell you personally if you’re serious about this.” She said a bit softer before she left out the door. 

The walk helped recompose herself and she wiped away a few tears from reliving those traumatic memories. She didn’t mean to snap at the boy like that but the anger wasn’t directed at him. 

She needed to know what he knew about Grimm’s whereabouts. She never thought she’d get this chance but she’s been waiting for it for so many years. 

Many years ago. A caravan was passing through a forest trail at dusk, most of the distant landscape was reduced to a silhouette against the orange horizon, a beautiful sight yes, but a worrying one as well, no one wanted to meet the creatures that come out at night in pastia and turning on the lanterns felt like they were asking for something to find them, but seeing the trail ahead was just as important.

“Think we can move a bit quicker? I don’t want to be travelling at night any longer than we need to.” Eric, a middle aged man said to the driver. He was currently travelling with his wife Hanna, they were transporting a shipment of supplies for their home village of Stillwood. His job was to load and unload the cargo between Stillwood and the larger town they pick up supplies from. This trip was scheduled too late in the evening for his liking and he was beginning to regret accepting this particular job. 

“We’re moving as fast as we can right now. I don’t want to be here either. Just, try to remain calm, if there is anything that wants to hurt us in these woods I’m sure they can smell fear.” 

“You are not helping ease anyone’s nerves but I agree, if we remain calm and just keep moving we won’t draw any negative attention.” Hanna interjected. She was their expert in Pastia’s wildlife, she was a survivalist at heart, having spent a lot of time camping and hunting in her childhood, dangerous in retrospect but the memories were worth it and the experience was a useful thing to have within Eric’s line of work. 

Hanna spotted something coming up by the trail, something was moving in the clearing. “What is that? It looks tall.” The caravan stopped and the mysterious creature stepped closer. A young giant emerged into the soft orange light of the drivers lantern. She looked lost and confused, scared even. The kid was quite small for giant standards. “We can’t stop here, it’s mother must be close by. If she comes looking for her child and finds us we’re fucked!” Eric said urging the driver to continue moving. 

“I don’t know a whole lot about giants but I know that they don’t leave their young alone at night, right now I’d say she’s as vulnerable as we are unless we help, I doubt she has parents to go back to.” Hanna reasoned. Eric just threw his head back, against the seat and sighed while Hanna gestured for the young girl to come closer, she was too young to know how to speak but she may still understand it. The caravan travelled back to Stillwood with the girl following close behind. 

While no one in the village was immediately frightened by the girl many agreed with Eric that bringing her here was a bad idea, especially without any knowledge of where she can from or if she has parents that are looking for her, the latter of which was the source of most paranoia from the villagers. Eric and Hanna discussed the situation within the privacy of their own house. 

“I know it was in danger but it is not one of us it is a giant! You of all people should know why that is a problem.” 

“Yes! Yes I know what you’re saying but she would’ve died out there on her own! She’s only top of the food chain when she’s grown enough to be! Until then she’s helpless without her parents.” 

“And what happens then huh? Have you forgotten what giants eat? Sure its cute now, but wait a decade and it’ll be picking us out of its teeth! It’ll be just like the rest in time.” 

“And that’s why we must raise her.” Hanna replied bluntly “...What? You mean...like one of our own?” Eric scoffed. “Yes. Like one of our own. We will raise her like we would a human, we will treat her with love and care so that when she is large enough to swallow us whole, she’ll have a kind enough heart not to. If we play our cards right, she could even protect Stillwood from outside threats, everyone is safe and everyone is happy.”

Eric couldn’t argue with this logic. It was a big risk but having a giant on their side would make it worth it. This will need to be discussed with the village leaders, but her reasoning was sound. Not everyone would agree, stigma around the giant race is understandably high and the prospect alone may scare off the faint of heart, even if it isn’t all that crazy in practice. 

“Well. We’ll have to pull a few strings to get this to even be allowed but...it makes sense. If it so much as licks its lips at us however, we can not keep it around.” He cautioned. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. And stop saying ‘it’ she’s basically going to be our daughter if this pans out.” 

In the following years the young giantess grew and so did the bond between her and the villagers. Apart from the accommodations that needed to be made she was simply another villager, another happy citizen of Stillwood. The other children growing up alongside her, used to invent new games incorporating their giant friends size, completely ignoring how much power she held over them because even the kids knew that she was a friend, family even and that she would never hurt them. 

Artemis watched the clear river flow rapidly in front of her, passing inbetween and around shiny rocks. She wished she had appreciated Stillwood more. Her childhood there was something she cherished, a life before the violence and hatred that her warpath has led her through, back when she was ignorant to the horrors that her kind was capable of. Remembering some happy memories from her childhood made her feel at peace, or at least gave her a clear memory of what that used to feel like. 

She was only 14 when that peace was broken...

Artemis was skipping rocks in the river to get her mind off the memories, one rock at a time sent bouncing across the strip of running water. The sun shined between the trees and casted rays onto the blue water, the beautiful spot was a stark contrast to her headspace. She doesn’t remember what she was doing that day or why, just that she left the Stillwood for a good while. 

She heard the screams before she saw the mysterious giantess pacing around her hometown bathed in the light of the gloomy horizon. Ever since she saw her she always knew something was different about that giantess, she was dressed elegantly, a short black dress, a necklace and well kempt hair. She destroyed and slaughtered with a grace that made Artemis’s blood boil just remembering it.

The giantess turned to the stunned teen and spoke. Artemis could never forget a single word she said, it was burned into her mind as though she heard it a thousand times. “Little one. Are you lost?” Artemis rushed at the woman but couldn’t move beyond a certain point, it was like a strong wind was pushing her away to the point she couldn’t move. The other giantess looked at her curiously as she held someone in her hand. Hanna, Artemis’s mother. Her heart sank and she fought as hard as she could against the invisible force. 

“You care for humans? How peculiar...” Artemis was held in place by the strong magic and the stranger stepped closer to her. “Have you never been taught anything about humans by your parents? They are not worth saving...” The stranger stated. “No stop! Don’t you hurt her!” Artemis screamed. Hanna sobbed as she felt the giantess bring her closer to her lips, she looked into Artemis’s eyes. “I love you, so much Si-“ she was sucked into the strangers mouth and her muffled screams faded as the giantesses throat bulged. “They are not worth anything at all.” She said to the teen who only stared, she was in shock, for a few moments before she let her head down and began to sob.

The giantess kneeled down to Artemis and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know you feel for these creatures. But they are not worth feeling for. Come with me child, let me show you what you are. You have a chance to be a true giantess, to learn our culture.” Artemis could only stare with hatred through teary eyes. The giantess just stared back with sympathy “My name is Azura, Azura Grimm. What is your name little one?” Artemis said nothing and Azura only frowned. “Where are your parents?” No reply. Azura sighed defeated and stood up. 

“If you want to side with the vermin then so be it” She said now with a hint of venom in her tone. “It doesn’t matter how hard you try. How much you pretend, you can’t run from who you are. You belong with your people. These humans? They are not your friend. I am.” She said as she walked away. “My offer is always open.” She says before she disappears into the night. Artemis is left sitting in the rubble of what was once her home, her childhood, her friends, her family, her once amazing life was ground into nothing. The splash of a fish breaking the waters surface brought her back to awareness. She held a crushed rock in her hands and dropped the dust into the river and wiped away her tears as she dipped her feet in the water. 

“Y-you’re a...” a frightened quivering voice spoke from behind her. The man from the bar stood there, she had forgotten about why she was here and was still in her giant form. She simply sighed. “Yes...Yes I am a giant. Just relax. Take a deep breath. All I want to know is where Azura is.” He backed away slowly ready to run. “She’s umm...she’s hiding out in the mountains between Darrow peak.” He stammered. Artemis grabbed the man and lifted him up who started panicking. “Woah! Don’t eat me! Please do-“ 

“I’m not going to eat you, just calm down. I know where you’re talking about, the walk should take a while, get comfortable.” She placed him in a pocket on her belt. “You can call me Artemis, it’s not my real name but I need to keep a low profile among my kind.” She told him, trying to ease his nerves.

 “My name is Steven. Wait, walk where? I thought you were going to train me?” He held on to her fingers and felt dazed looking at the ground below, even though all things considered it wasn’t that far. “No. There’s no amount of training I can do in a day that would make you even come close to being able to protect yourself let alone fight her. I have to do this.” She told him as she stood up to her full height and held him firmly. 

“But I don’t have that kind of money! And paying a giant to slay another giant? You must cost a fortune!” He cautiously asserted, as with most people he’d never been able to interact with a giant this much without imminent danger. He didn’t know how her temperament might be, or how far her benevolence can go before she snaps. 

“You won’t have to, I do this for free.” She spoke with resolve and walked heavily towards her destination. He didn’t know why she still had him with her. But he was able to tell that she wasn’t going the right way. “Artemis…? My village is that way.” He said pointing another direction. “I need to go home first. I left my armor there.” Replied. He simply nodded. “So I thought giants couldn’t use magic? How did you shrink back at the tavern?” 

“You really like talking don’t you?” She smirked slightly, the first time he had seen her smile in any way. “…sorry.” He trailed off. “No it’s understandable. Giants can’t use magic because they never learned and frankly they don’t need to, they’re strong enough on their own humans rarely stand a chance. I was raised by humans. I was taught by a local coven of sorcerers to shrink down so I can interact with my friends and family eye to eye.”

“Friends and family? Why aren’t you there protecting them? Surely they need your protection right?” He asked. She scowled and continued forward “Azura got to them first.” He held his head down in respect. “I’m sorry.” Was all he could say and stayed silent for a few minutes. “You’re not killing Azura just to save my village are you? You’re out for blood.” 

Her eyes were glossy, welled up with unshed tears, her scowl didn’t let them fall. She felt herself so close to her mission, it was like she could already feel her hands around Azura’s neck. “I’m going to kill her, for your village Steven….

…and for my own.” 

The two remained silent for most of the remaining trip. Steven knew better then to press on and Artemis quite clearly didn’t want to talk either. He had gotten used to the bobbing and swaying of being in a giants palm. He was still intimidated by her, albeit for different reasons than before. Even despite being on his side he still felt small and helpless in her hand, and for good reason, he was. Her benevolence was not something he took for granted. 

“My home is just over there. I need to grab my armour and some provisions for both of us.” She said plainly as she reached the end of the river where a massive waterfall poured over a large cliffside. “Your home? I don’t see any sort of house?” She scoffed. “That’s the point little guy, I’m not a threat to humanity but most hunter guilds don’t know that, and they wouldn’t recognize me either. I can’t reveal my location to anyone.” She walked up to the waterfall and reached behind a stone. There she pulled the stone outward and revealed a hidden entrance. 

She walked through the torch lit cavern, a floor made of redwood planks led to her room. A fire pit, large makeshift chests and a bed made from the hide of a large mammalian creature. The room overlooked another entrance, that was hidden by the waterfall. “How did you make all of this? It looks like a human home almost.” She placed him on a table before she reached into one of the chests and pulled out the dragonscale armor as she geared up for a fight. “Time and dedication. I need somewhere safe and most giants don’t build homes so, I had to improvise. I’m not going to wander like those animals.” 

“Right. Might as well while I’m still here.” She said remembering something. She pulled out a sharp stone from the chest and carved a tally into the wall along 15 others. A more permanent way of keeping track of her kills if the armour somehow got destroyed. Steven looked at the wall quizzically for a few second before asking. “What are those tracking?” She put away the stone. “Giants I’ve slain. First time I’ve been home since a giant I killed about a week ago. I couldn’t come home and risk being followed. Now that all of Pastia knows about me.” She replied picking him up again and leaving her home, closing the inconspicuous stone door behind her. 

“How have you been able to kill 15 giants without anyone noticing? What made the last one different?” He asked up to her. “Usually I do so whenever there aren’t humans around, or I distract the giant. Lure them in. This last one though, she was about to kill an innocent woman, I’m not going to let someone die if I have time to act on it.” He thought about it for a moment. “So you do care about humans. It’s not just anger that fuels you.” He said. “I have a basic sense of morality. I’m no hero.” She replied sternly, she clearly wasn’t comfortable admitting she had a fondness for the species that raised her. 

The walk to the village took a bit longer. But she knew where she was going and nothing would stop her. At the end of this walk she would finally have a shot against Azura Grimm. The monster who slaughtered her family, left her a two time orphan and destroyed her life as she knew it and smiled through it all, she had no regard for human life, or for her pain. God knows how many more innocent lives she has casually taken since then, how many she will take if Artemis doesn’t get there fast enough. Just then, she seen the village. The sun was setting, and Azura stood on the other side of the village, her massive body only appearing as a black shadow to the two. 

Artemis knelt down and placed Steven safely on the ground. “Stay safe. Let me handle this.” She walked into the village, making sure not to step on anyone, though everyone was cowering in their homes. The two titanesses stood opposite ends of the village, they were making eye contact, Azura had a curious look on her face, a smirk. That same awful smirk. Artemis’s face was filled with a primal hatred, her fists clenched and her eyes bloodshot red with a lifetimes worth of unshed emotions.

Azura wore the same elegant dress Artemis remembered seeing all those years ago in the ruins of Stillwood. The same dress she wore as she devoured her mother right in front of the young Artemis. She didn’t even get to say her last words to her daughter, and Azura took pleasure in it. She hadn’t aged a day, while Artemis grew into an adult woman, and a strong warrior. Azura didn’t so much as gain a single wrinkle on her perfect face, one Artemis looked forward to caving in. 

Azura was the first of the two to speak. “Now this? This is interesting, it baffles me that I didn’t anticipate this. That the mysterious giant slayer mercilessly killing her own kind, the vigilante, the human in a giants body, would be the same little girl I left back in the ruins of that human village…

Silvia Walker…”

“…how do you know my name, vile creature?” Artemis snarled. “I know more than you think Child, Do you really think I work alone? You think I am a monster. You think I slaughter humans for my own enjoyment? For fun?” Artemis began walking forward, as she did she discreetly grabbed and tore a large wooden plank in half and hid it behind her back. Her arms clutched around the primitive weapon, it would have to do. 

She rushed toward Azura and swing the shard toward her neck, only to feel no impact, no blood, no scream of pain. Her hand passed through. Instead a sparkling violet mist emitted from a gap in Azura’s throat where Artemis’s hand would be. “You thought I would come here in person? And get myself killed by the infamous giant slayer?”

The mist forced its way into Artemis’s mouth and into her lungs. She began to feel dizzy and she dropped to the ground, coughing up the mist. The projection of Azura broke down into the same air and it all went into her body. The giantess collapsed to the ground with a thunderous boom. As she faded into unconsciousness she heard Azura’s voice in her head. 

“Please, I am not your enemy, Child. Look and see for yourself.” 

Artemis drifted off. 

“Tea?” 

Artemis found herself sitting in a room, royal and lavish. The flickering light of a massive fireplace lit up the entire room and the head of a dragon mounted on a wall above them, she sat at on a soft chair covered in the fur of some unknown creature and she faced a round table, at the other end, Azura, sipping from a small cup with that all too perfect grin. Artemis looked around for a few more moments before asking. “Where did you take me?” 

“Nowhere. This is a dream my child, none of it is real. But my words are, this talk is real we are real. Even if the tea is not. So have a sip. We have much to discuss.” Artemis lifted the tea to her eyes and scowled. She looked up at Azura and shattered the glass against the ground. “Why the fuck would I ever talk to the woman who killed my mother? The woman who raised me?!” She was not yet yelling but she was on the verge, and her eyes began to swell up again, she fighted to hide any weakness she may have been showing but it was impossible. 

“Your mother? You mean the human woman I ate? Hm. I didn’t know she meant that much to you. Forgive me if I had known I would have been much more professional about things. But she was not your mother, the man you think was your father isn’t either. Your parents were one of us, just like that poor woman you bludgeoned to death last week. Or the man whose throat you slashed open with a sharp rock before that, or the sweet old hunter you strangled to death before him. You may have killed your real parents and not known. Would you have even cared?” 

Azura’s voice now had a hint of venom, like a parent scolding a teenager, she spoke with an authoritative confidence that fit her royal demeanour. Artemis couldn’t believe the words coming from this vile woman’s mouth, how she tried to frame her as the villain for protecting people and she was too busy gritting her teeth in silent anger to reply. So Azura continued. 

“I told you I would show you the truth. So allow me.” She roomed disappeared around them into the same violet mist that had entered Artemis’s body and was replaced by images that synced with Azura’s every word, painting the story she is telling. 

“Our people are not gods, monsters or just larger human beings. We simply are. This world never belonged to us from the start, we were brought here thousands of years ago, through an anomaly made of pure, ancient and unfiltered magic, we entered the world of Pastia from our homeworld,  The Cloud Valley. A divine storm opened up a gateway in the clouds at the top of the highest peak in Pastia. We came in peace, spreading the goods and the riches of our world to the poor folk of this one, worth so much more to them than to us because of their size. 

I, as the queens hand, personally negotiated with the royal families of Pastia. But despite all we had done for them, they still feared us, for no reason, other than the fact that we were so much bigger than them. They believe our power would upset the balance of nature and the power structure of their monarchy, fear and trepidation from within their kingdoms forced their hands. So they committed acts of genocide against our people, in an attempt to stop our war before it even started as they feared if we struck first, they would never be able to win. Of course they were nowhere near as powerful or strong, but they made up for it in numbers, stealth, and their slew of magic power we giants had only dreamed of wielding. The front lines were always empty no matter how hard we searched for enemy troops. Only when we sleep, would we wake up to see that many of our people will never wake up, their throats surgically cut open in their sleeps. 

Artemis was able to make out a single tear rolling down Azura’s cheek, and while she kept her composure much better than Artemis, she could tell she was reliving memories she wished she could forget. “We had no way of knowing when they were coming. Where they were or how many of them, they were silent, effective and merciless. We dropped one by one every night and soon even during the day when one of us made the mistake of going anywhere alone. And then…” she trailed off. 

“One night. I had walked into my queen’s room to report that we had found the source of their strongest hunters. But they had already gotten to her. They made sure to send a message with the death of the one I hold most dear, Blood everywhere, and a bloodstained crown sitting dead centre on her royal mattress. 

And from then on, I assumed command and we stormed the strongest castle in Pastia, and that. That held the key to turning the tides of war. The source of their magic power. A massive gemstone, one they called the rock of radiance. One we made into an amulet, and one worn by me.” The purple amulet on Azura’s chest blinked a multitude of colours like a miniature borealis. “It grants me great power, and an eternal life so long as I wear it.” She stayed silent for a few moments, returning the room to its original state, and took the last sip of the tea as it was exactly as she left it. “Now our people are scattered, impoverished. Broken. But if I, and a powerful warrior like you band together, we can rebuild our empire. In the name of our queen.”

Artemis was still processing everything she had just heard, just seen. How did she know she could trust what Azura was telling her, it could’ve very well been propaganda, in fact it was almost definitely a skewed perspective, but that wouldn’t explain how she didn’t age since Artemis was a child, Azura’s story did. “My mother did not kill any giants. Yet you murdered her in cold blood. 

The people you’ve killed. My friends, my family, my mentors. They were innocent. If they had ever raised arms it was in defense. I’ve spent my early life living among humans and believe me they are helpless against us, we are feared. I remember the stories they used to tell about us. You’ve become exactly the kind of monster they fear and then some. And I promise you this Azura, when I find you, I will kill you. For my family, for my life.”

Azura sighed. “Still a naive child. Defending the very plague that murdered our queen. You are clearly the vengeful type, don’t you want justice for our people? Don’t you want to fight back? To cleanse Pastia of its vermin? It’s little monsters? Don’t you want to end this war? It’s not too late Silvia. Join me.” Azura held her hand out, even though it wasn’t real in this case, the gesture was, and Silvia’s choice here would still define the path she chose. “I’m sorry Azura. But your war is over. 

Ours is just beginning.” 

Artemis gasped for air and shot up, startling the concerned crowd of humans that had surrounded her. She coughed up the violet mist and Steven ran up to her. “Silvia! What happened what? Where did she go?” She stared daggers through him. “Don’t get used to calling me that, I have an identity to protect remember?” She says upright and caught her breath. “She’s gone. It wasn’t real it was an illusion.” She said between breaths “What was that tavern I found you at again?” She inquired when she finally got the last bits of dizziness out of her head. “Hazel’s you mean?” He asked stiffly a little confused. “Yes. Yes let’s go there, I need a drink.” 

On a trail going through a nearby pine forest there was a caravan of supplies and goods. Mostly including food, pelts, fire wood and a small selection of tools. There were about 8 people between the 3 wagons yet they never spoke unless something seemed to be going wrong, which it rarely did but occasionally someone would raise a concern. 

This would be one of those times as one of the merchants sitting on the back. A young man, who saw something in the soft forest floor. He couldn’t tell what but it was some sort of indentation, like a small watering hole that had dried up but not really as deep. As the carriage moved and his perspective on the strange hole changed he saw its shape more clearly. 

The shape was a foot, he could see the heel lead into a thin strip that lead to the ball of the foot, and the five toes. It looked like a human footprint, minus the fact that it was enourmous. “There’s a giant somewhere in this forest! That’s it’s footprint!” He called and pointed at it, an urgent tone in his voice but he was not panicking, not yet. 

He had heard stories about giants when he was young, and while he knew from everyone he met that they were real he never really understood what real truly meant until now. He used to find entertainment in being told the same stories every night about creatures that were exactly like a human, but bigger and would snack on little humans or squish them like bugs.

Now however, seeing in person how massive they must be and feeling the presence of one of them, he understood how horrific those stories really were, he imagined what it must be like to have been inside that foot print when it’s owner stepped down into the dirt, or what it would be like to be eaten alive. The fact alone that he could possibly meet one of those fates in the near future gave him the most dread he’d felt in his life. 

The drivers all stopped to inspect the footprint and a couple got out of the seats but panic ensued in the rest of them when they could hear footsteps approaching. The two who got out were ready to run. The giantess appeared in the road in front of them, walking peacefully before noticing them. The drivers began to run and everyone else began to get out to do so. 

“Hey relax I’m not what you think!” Artemis yelled out to the fleeing humans. She couldn’t let them run off and warn the others of a giant within this area, she needed to avoid that kind of attention and most importantly hunters would know her last seen location. She lunged out and caught all the humans in her hand except one who she caught in her other hand. They were all screaming with mortal terror and Artemis only sighed. “I’m so tired of having to say this.” She thought before speaking. “Calm down. I’m not going to hurt anyone-“ 

“Why should we believe that? I’ve seen what your kind have done! I saw giants slaughter innocent people for fun!…they took my wife from me!…” one of the older men yelled out in anger, and a clear lifetime of hatred. He trailed off. “She called out to me…she didn’t want to die. But I watched her get crushed under its foot.” he started sobbing. 

Artemis was no longer annoyed and simply listened to the old man’s story with her eyes softening with empathy. “I’m sorry.” She spoke gently. “You won’t believe me I’m sure but I know what that’s like…You don’t have to trust me, but if I wanted to cause any of you harm I would have done so already. That being said I’m going to let you go but I need something in return.” They all began to look at each other and unanimously agreed to listen. “I need you to keep me ever being here a secret, you never saw me, whatever footprints I left behind were here when you arrived, understand?“

The younger man spoke up. “But, that’s true, there were footprints further back on the trail…” he said pointing behind them and toward where he spotted the footprint. Artemis’s eyes turned wide. “That wasn’t mine.” She thought for a moment. She couldn’t be seen anywhere near a human settlement at least at giant size, but she couldn’t leave them to travel alone with the possibility of another giant in these woods. She sighed. “Ok, I’ll escort you all as close to your destination as I can get you without being spotted.” 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hours later, Silvia arrived at Hazel’s tavern. The orange light of lanterns and the fireplace felt oddly peaceful after all that had happened that day. Sitting at her favourite spot she relaxed, for what might’ve been the first time that day. She couldn’t tell, Azuras story was filling her mind with thoughts she thought she would never have. 

If it weren’t for the rock around Azura’s neck she would not have believed her, it sounded like antihuman propaganda, it likely still is, but what other explanation was there? So few giants were able to use magic, to the point that most believed they weren’t capable of it, and even Silvia couldn’t stretch far beyond what she was already doing to blend in. 

But Azura having an artifact that allowed her to bypass those limitations was the only logical explanation, she should have been elderly by the time they met again, yet she looked exactly the same, even Silvia was now around the age Azura appeared to be last time she seen her. How else is that possible? 

And if Azuras story was true, vague as it may have been. She didn’t know who were the real monsters. The giants she had been killing for destroying homes and slaughtering countless innocent and defenceless humans? or the old human dynasty for instigating the wrath of a once peaceful race? 

Either way. Azura’s story was from so so very long ago. The fight had changed. Humans were no longer capable of putting up a truly good fight against giants, and the war was no longer a kings fight to maintain power. It was a war of survival. Silvia couldn’t let herself doubt her actions, or more people will share the same fate as her loved ones.

Steven wasn’t there yet. But she needed to find out more. The local library must have some information she could use. Just as she was about to stand up a ripple in the ground surged through the building. A vibration, short but in rhythm with a consecutive thud. The people of the tavern began to grow uneasy.

Everyone knew what this likely was but they all searched for a reason to ignore it. They hoped it could be anything but what they feared it was, but their worst fears were confirmed “It’s a giant!” Someone cried out as they looked out the window to see a pair of giant, sandalled feet approaching the tavern. Panic ensued

So many people in this tavern, so many victims if she did nothing. Yet so many people who will witness what she truly is if she acts.

While everyone else hid under tables or behind counters or anything large enough to hide them. Artemis stood, and walked into the middle of the room. Some people tried usher her into hiding, not knowing what she was. “Miss. Come back! You won’t survive!”

“You’re going to get yourself killed please!” 

“You can’t be a hero! They are so much stronger than us!”

“Hide until it goes away! It’s your best chance!” 

Artemis looked back over her shoulder, briefly, before speaking. “Before I do this, I need to know something from you all.” She turned around and looked at everyone as they listened.

 “Can I trust you?” 

The crowd in the bar glared at her with mixed emotions and murmured confusion. No one gave her an answer, no one had enough confidence in what they thought was happening to do so. They backed away and began to scream as they looked behind her. Visible through the open windows at the taverns entrance, two giant feet made contact with the soil in front of the building, casting a shadow where natural daylight used to shine in. 

Artemis turned, and knew what had to be done. She walked to the door and slowly opened it with a creak to step outside. She looked up to see the face of a young man, thinly built and at least early 20s with a grin filled with malice, he leaned against the hill the tavern was established in and his form was covered in shadow against the bright blue sky. She looked up at the giant with a completely blank expression. She didn’t know what to expect from the crowd inside, but she no longer cared, her identity was not worth their lives. 

As the giant lifted his foot over her small body she began to relax, and let the spell fade, the arcane chains tying her to this diminutive form, stretched…and shattered. She shot up to her true size and tackled the giant to the ground. Taking him completely off guard and allowing Artemis to deliver a storm of fast heavy blows to his face. Every time he tried to defend himself she struck elsewhere, every time he struck she struck him back harder. 

She did not stop until he was no longer moving, breathing or even coughing up blood. Her knuckles were shiny and red and she sat forward on the grass, panting and still shaking. She looked back to the tavern to see the crowd gathered around the windows, and they all backed away in fear under her gaze and the fury in her eyes began to soften. They had looked at her like she was a monster, she couldn’t tell if they were right. Suddenly, she let out a roar as she felt a searing hot sting of pain shoot from her arm. 

The hunters from the tavern had begun to surround her, all wielding weapons glowing with the magic necessary to pierce giant flesh with relative ease. “What the fuck!? I helped you!” She exclaimed through gritted teeth before she pulled the enchanted arrow from her arm. “Don’t fall for it!” The shooter spoke to the others as they circled her. “This had nothing to do with us, they spread violence to their own kind, and they spread violence to ours, she is not special. Yes, we know who you are.”

Artemis clutched her wound to stop the bleeding. “Then you know I have never raised arms against humanity.” One of the other hunters spoke “An innocent giant would have nothing to hide. Yet you hide yourself like a wolf among cattle. Is that what we are to you? Cattle?” Her eyes bore into him like daggers, and her voice was laced with venom. “What are they to you? You pretend to be a hero yet you demand heavy bags of gold to save families from being slaughtered, I wonder how much your honour is worth? “Hunter”…” He was about to shoot her again before their leader spoke up. “Hold your fire.” He said and the two archers looked at him as if he were mad. “What are you doing?” One asked in a bewildered but hushed tone. “She hasn’t done anything to harm us yet, so we shouldn’t give her good reason. Besides,”

“I think we can come to an arrangement that benefits us all.”

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Nearby a black haired giantess looked on at the scene from a safe distance and snuck away without being seen. Or at least Freya thought, but she could tell she wasn’t being followed and that was enough for her to journey back to camp. The journey this time around was quieter without her companion, Eric, who had been killed in an ambush by the legendary giant hunter that neither of them could have seen coming. She made a hard choice by not helping him when he was still fighting, but she didn’t think she could win a fight against Artemis even with his help, and she knew hunters would arrive even if she did. For now, all she could do was tell everyone what happened. 

The home was in a deep hollowed out cave covered by a curtain of vines that could easily be mistaken as grass at a glance. She stepped through into a dark cozy cave lit by the orange glow of torches and was greeted by Azura. “Freya, you never take so long when scouting….where is Eric?” Freya drew quiet and looked at the ground. “Arte-“ 

“Sylvia…” Azura cut her off. “Artemis is a myth”

“Right, sorry. Sylvia killed him…” the room grew silent for a moment, that felt far longer than anyone was comfortable with. Until Azura broke the silence with a sigh “sorry for your loss.” Her tone sounded like it was supposed to be empathetic, but it only showed disinterest. 

“Don’t let it get to your head like Sylvie let the death of her pets got to hers.” She said, this time sounding a little more earnest, but not by a whole lot. “You’re lucky you’re alive, she remains one of the only true threats to our way of life, to our culture.” She spoke plainly. “Can I trust that you will get us the intel we need?” She asked looking into Freya’s eyes, who simply nodded. Azura smiled back. 

“I’m always proud of you, you know that right?” She patted her shoulder. “I have something I think might cheer you up.” Azura opened a storage compartment and pulled out a cage of humans, all naked and either panicking or miserable, depressed and exhausted and placed it on the table. Even after the horrible event of the day this sight still brought a grin on Freya’s face. She was about to reach in before she hesitated. “Go on, have 5, the others want their share too you know.” 

Her giddy smile only widened as she grabbed a petrified man who fought and begged against the giant woman’s impossibly strong grip. He screamed as he watched Freya’s mouth widen and surround him like a tidal wave before engulfing him in darkness and the hot moisture of saliva and his kicking legs were sucked in between her lips. She swallowed and licked her lips before smiling at Azura and thanking her. 

“I won’t let you down mother, I promise.”