As it would turn out, “Special Day” meant another day of exactly the same chores and tasks as the previous days with none of the breaks. Unsurprising as it was, it still somehow shocked Emil to realize that. but hours upon hours of tending to Alexandra’s every whim. Needless to say the Attendant’s body was nothing but aches and pains once the day finally drew to a close.

“Was it really necessary for me to massage your feet and your back?” Emil groaned.

Alexandra, naturally, didn’t share any of the exhaustion of her Attendant. Quite the opposite actually if her glowing expression was any indication. “Of course. You had to make up for not being able to finish that massage a few nights ago.” She was busy setting the foundation for their nightly campfires, only occasionally glancing at the human collapsed on the ground beside her.

“And the couple hours of delivering barrels of ale?”

“I was thirsty.” Alex shrugged.

“And when you asked me to tie your boots because, and I quote, ‘I can’t be bothered’?”

“I was bored.” She smirked and stood up. “If you have a problem with that the bottom of my boot is taking complaints.”

“I’ll pass.”

Alexandra laughed. “Believe it or not you’re already showing signs of improving. A few more days and we may even be ready to start heading back to Windermere.”

Emil rolled his eyes. “Great.” The weariness made him a bit snappier than usual. Alexandra wasn’t wrong though. Something about the errands today felt less strenuous for some reason. Maybe he actually was improving. Not that he’d ever admit the blonde giant was right. Gods forbid.

“If it’s any consolation tomorrow should be much more relaxing. I just wanted to get as much out of today as I could.” Alexandra took a couple booming steps towards her Attendant. On either side of him her boots fell, each almost as large as a house. The giant loomed directly overhead and gazed down playfully. “You did good today. Go ahead and take it easy while I get some firewood. Okay?”

“Can do Alex.” He lazily replied.

The lovely view of the giant was blocked as one of her feet moved, the dirty sole hovering over her Attendant. “Kiss for good luck?” Specks of fist-sized dirt rained down on him.

“Sure.” Emil was much too tired to care and just obliged, puckering his lips against the bottom of the boot. It was nothing new at this point.

“You’re learning.” Alex laughed and pulled her foot back. “I should be back soon. Try not to run off while I’m away.”

“Couldn’t if I wanted to.”

“So you don’t want to leave.” Alexandra smirked and began to walk off. Emil lazily waved, not bothering to see her off. Step by step the footsteps grew softer, turning from booms to soft thuds in the distance. Soon they couldn’t even be heard at all. By that point Emil had already slipped into the deep thralls of sleep.

At some point his eyes reopened again. Or maybe they were always open. The familiar buildings of Windermere surrounded him. He was a kid again. There was nothing strange about that, he just was. All around were the other boys, each in the same predicament he was. Shoved out the door by a nagging mother who demanded they take part in the Flower Festival.

“But I don’t wanna give no girl a flower! I dun’ care how pretty there are!” A dozen meters away Andrei complained to his mother. The sight made the boy smile, and sad for some reason.

A blur. The world around him shifted. Now he was in a small clearing. He knew he’d seen them around here before but…Ah-ha. There they were. The flowers, nice and hidden away where none of the other boys would think to look. Before he realized it he had scooped ‘em all up. Some lady nearby said some were weeds, but he made sure to correct her.

“This should make Momma happy!” He beamed. For some reason the thought of his mother was sad too. Regardless, he began to hurry. The ground shook in rhythmic patterns. The giant was nearby. His Momma didn’t like it when he and his friends hung around her. They called her big words like dangerous or menacing. But she was super nice, and close by how it sounded. Each step was growing louder, and louder, and louder…

BOOM!

“Ugh…” Emil’s eyes fluttered open. Just a dream. “Welcome back Alex.” How much time had passed? At least enough for the sun to set and for the sky to grow starry; a few hours? He sheepishly sat back up and began to rub the sleep from his eyes. How long had it been since he’d had a dream? And it was some nonsense about giving a flower to his mother. Figures, just the silly sort of thing he would come up with. “Even in my dreams I can’t escape those loud stomps of yours.” The young man laughed, finally opening his eyes.

It wasn’t Alex.

In fact, he wasn’t sure what it was. Everything was still dark and all that remained visible was a pair of dark, beady eyes staring at him from the pitch black abyss. As his vision began to clear he started to see more. Two…Three…Four…Seven sets of eyes. Their features began to register, hazy but growing increasingly clear. Gray fur, whiskers, long snouts, and the bared fangs. They faced Emil in formation, poised to pounce at a moment’s notice.

Wolves.

Emil’s blood turned to ice. The beasts were ten meters away, more than capable of easily closing that gap in seconds. He knew it, and so did they. He had no means of defending himself. They had him outnumbered. The second they pounced that would be it.

Everything was silent. Even the wind came to a halt. All Emil could hear was his own deafening heartbeat. What should he do? What could he do? Even if logic said he was dead his instincts just couldn’t come to terms with such an answer. Careful not to alert his hunters, his eyes turned to the set up for the campfire Alexandra had prepared. To her it was little more than rocks and sticks, but to anyone who wasn’t a giant it was towering bundle of boulders and trees. If he could somehow get on top of them, maybe, just maybe he could wait the wolves out.

There was one tree in view with just the right series of branches. If he could climb fast enough he could reach the top. It was only a few meters away.

Crack

The Alpha at the head of the pack took the first move, its paw smashing a twig beneath it.

Emil remained dead still. All the pain in his body was numbed. His remaining strength welled within his legs.

Crack

Another step, the Alpha’s pack began to follow his lead.

What Emil would have given for Alexandra’s thundering footsteps right about now.

CRACK

The Alpha took yet another step, eyes never leaving his prey. It was almost as if he knew it was coming, and was anticipating it. The pressure was suffocating.

That was it; Emil broke off as fast as he could in a full sprint. He didn’t need to look to know the wolves had done the same. Their snarls and growls were all that filled his ears. Fangs snapped mere inches away from him, only missing because of how eagerly competitive the pack was over this helpless morsel.

With a panicked crash into the base of the tree Emil reached his target. Without pausing for reprieve he clambered upwards as fast as he could. In any other circumstance this climb would have been exhausting, but at this moment his body may as well have been air. He was virtually weightless as he glided up the branches. Down below the wolves were snapping upwards at him. A few branches up and he was already well out of their range.

Emil paused, just for a moment. The young man’s breaths were ragged, uneven. The shrill sounds of jaws snapping at him blotted out all other sound. This spot was safe, even so the desperation that flooded him urged him to keep going, unable to even bringing himself to look back and check on how far up he had gone. That was his mistake.

CR-ACK!

After reaching upwards once more the branch in his hands snapped, the last line of support in his moment of need and it had abandoned him. The Attendant let out a shriek as he stumbled backwards, his back landing on another branch far below. Snapping teeth rang in his ears. He must’ve been mere inches away from their jaws. Being this close to the beasts, all it would take was one good jump and that’d be it.

“So this is it.” Emil let out one last dry laugh. “Couldn’t even make it a week.” The joke allowed him to brace himself for what was to come. Emil’s eyes shut in acceptance. Hopefully it would be quick.

“YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!”

Overpowering all other sound was a voice like thunder. The wolves whimpered in fear, but to Emil the voice brought him back to reality.

Right as he managed to turn his head he saw the familiar boot stomp into the ground, instantly crushing three of the wolves to a bloody pulp. The remaining four looked at the foot in horror. In that brief moment a giant fist smashed into another one. Its blood tarnished the otherwise fair skin of the giant’s hand.

Those few short movements were all the pack needed to see to flee. Just like that the hunters had become the hunted. They were less than half their number, but their giant predator still wasn’t satiated. As they ran she gave chase. The giant’s hand grabbed one of the discarded trees within the fireplace and hurried. Fast as the animals may have been they were no match for her speed. Emil could only watch in awe. Each second the wolves would run a dozen steps over and she would match it in one. In mere moments another wolf met the bottom of her boot.

Only the Alpha and one other remained, and that other was smashed into gore by the large tree the giant wielded like a stick. It was a spectacular sight. In a matter of moments, the blonde giant had crushed almost half a dozen wolves underfoot and smashed another with an uprooted tree. All these beasts that had so easily cornered Emil, and yet they were mere insects before her rampage. The Alpha of the pack ran with all the speed of a great hunter but it meant nothing. Before the Alpha could get any further a set of large fingers grabbed him. He struggled and bit for all he could but it amounted to little more than scratches against the thick pads of the giant’s fingers. In his final moments he locked eyes with his executioner. Her oceanic irises bore down without mercy. Seeing his death reflected in that intense gaze, the creature lowered its head and accepted its fate.

It took but a second before Alexandra clenched her fist and crushed the final wolf in her fist. The creature perished with a sickening crack of his own as blood shot out and dripped along the giant’s fingers. There was none of the usual joy or playfulness to her expression. Just the hardened exterior of a predator. When all was said and done the massacre had barely lasted fifteen seconds. She turned to her Attendant. The bottom of her boots, her hand, even the tree she held were all stained and dripping with blood. The eyes that were without mercy moments ago looked in naked concern at Emil. “Emil! Are you okay?”

He was stunned, truly, unequivocally, undeniably stunned. “Y-Yeah.”

“Thank the Gods.” Alexandra fell to the ground and released a long withheld breath. The tree she levied crashed into the dirt with a resounding crash. “I’m so sorry Emil. I didn’t notice the tracks, and once I did…”

“It’s okay.” He could feel his senses start to die down with the threat removed. “Let’s just…Try to move on. Shall we?”

The giant nodded. “I’ll get the fire started and keep watch for the night. Try and get some rest Emil. We’ll take it easy tomorrow. I promise.”

The relief in her voice was palpable. How concerned was she when she found out he wondered? Did she fret that much over him? “Um…Thank you Alex.” There wasn’t much else to say. The giant woman had saved his life.

Alex dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “Don’t. This was my fault to begin with.”

“I didn’t notice the tracks either you know. Besides, you saved me.” Why he chose now of all times to get stubborn he would never understand. “So thank you.”

Alexandra stared blankly at him. “You’re welcome.” Her hand tapped the ground beside her. “Come on; sleep where I can watch you.”

After all this, Emil was more than happy to oblige. The whole affair was enough excitement for a life time. With it passed he felt…drained. Nothing looked cozier than the ground beside the giant. He took up a spot beside her resting hand and laid down, eyes swiftly closing.

“Goodnight Emil.” Alexandra’s voice was still shaken, but seemed to be slowly calming down.

“Night Alex.”

With the danger now gone and Alexandra there once again he was free to return to the land of dreams.