Leonara brushed a strand of hair out of her visible eye as she walked steadily down the center of the street, leading her horse.

"Hello princess!" Called a woman sweeping the front steps of a business.

Leo waved with her free hand and smiled warmly.

"Good morning your highness!" Said the blacksmith, who was busy hammering a horse shoe.

This time Leonara smiled and nodded in his direction.  She didn't entirely hate this part of being royalty, but it did make planning her strategy for revenge on the slayers that much more challenging.  It broke her heart and boiled her blood to see her vibrant and energetic little sister  barely able to even walk, let alone ever fight again.

Not that it would have been a challenge to wipe out the humans in a war, and nearly killing a princess was definitely an act of war, but the main fear of her advisers was that the gods might retaliate and create something else besides slayers to completely wipe out the giant race if they got too aggressive.

So for now, she was on her own and going to seek advice on her foes from her guide to all things mythical, Sebastian.

"Leo!" A voice called happily from behind her.

She had barely turned around when something barreled into her legs, hugging them tight.  She looked down to see a little boy wrapped around her.

"Samuel!  Leave the princess alone!" Called a woman, the boys mother as she walked up the road.

"It's been so long since I've seen you!  I thought those rotten slayers got you!" He replied happily, releasing her legs and looking up at her.

"I mean. . . . I'm not as good with a sword as you are, but you should have SOME faith in me!" Leonara said with a wink.

"The people in this town have a habbit of exaggerating and telling all sorts of stories about what they think is going on in the affairs of the humans. . ." The boys mother chimed in as she caught up with them.

"The joys of small town living!  Although, rumors aren't any better in the capital. . ." Leo commented, rolling her eyes.

"Are you having any luck finding your father's. . . . " the mother asked, trailing off.

Leonara only gave her an exasperated look.

"Have you captured Antony Lockwood yet?" The boy asked, eagerly.

"And what do you know of Antony Lockwood?" Leo asked, teasingly.  "Little boys and girls need not worry about such men.  You should be focusing on your school work so one day you can go on to be an advisor to the king or queen!"

"I hate school work!  I want to be a warrior like you!" The boy exclaimed.  " I've been practicing with the sword you gave me!"

"Well I'll tell you what. . . . If you be good and listen to your mother, when I come back from the mountain, I promise I'll give you another lesson!  How's that sound?" Leo asked, pinching the boy on the cheek.

He nodded happily, and his mother mouthed "thank you" as they turned to get on with their day.

These types of encounters were the ones that Leonara loved.  While she was known as a ruthless monster to her enemies, she took her role as a princess of the people very seriously as well, and she had become very fond of the villagers in this particular town from her many travels up the mountain.

Leo had only to drop her horse off in the stables and grab some supplies before she started the trek.  The path to the base of the mountain was a long straight road, lined by thick forest.  The villagers mostly stayed off of it because it only led to one place.

She stood at the beginning of the path, looking up at the humongous mountain looming over the forest.  A chill ran down her spine as she remembered how cold, snowy and wild the weather was at the top.  The gear she had with her would be much too hot to wear here on the ground, but at the top, it would take all she had to stay warm.

It was just then that she got the feeling she was being watched.  She glanced around subtly but didn't see anyone.  In a way she was used to being stared at behind her back.  After all, at 145 feet tall, she was head and shoulders taller than anyone but her sisters and she stood out like a sore thumb.

She brushed the feeling aside and began down the path.  The sooner she got her information, the better.  It was a solid hours walk to get to the end of the path and then a brutal climb from there.  She let her mind stray as she trudged on.

The woods always seemed so dead and calm whenever she walked through here.  Nobody maintained it, but somehow there were never even any leaves on the path to crunch.  Her thoughts went to her older sister.

She hadn't seen Florence in months, since they had begun their campaign to find their father's killer.  Leo was 100% sure that she was fine though.  Not as often as it had been, but her human spy/slave would steadily report of failed attempts by slayers to band together to take down a massive strawberry blonde giantess in the northern part of the human kingdom.

Leonara did wonder if she would come home to visit Juliette though.  Leo had sent word to her, but she was known for not replying promptly and it drove Leonara crazy.  They both knew it would mean the world to Juliette, but at the same time, Juliette didn't want to seem like a failure in the eyes of her big sister.

In a way, it irritated Leonara that Julie was so concerned with what Florence thought anyway.  Maybe it was because she disregarded her

own opinion and advice so often but cherished Florence's words as law.  It wasn't worth dwelling on and she would never bring it up in spite, but she HAD warned Juliette about fighting the slayers by herself before she knew anything about them.

There it was again. . . . That feeling like somebody was watching her.  She had been lost in her thoughts and noticed that she was already nearing the end of the path already.  The final gate stood stood about 100 paces in front of her.  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught something move to her left among the trees.  Still she continued to walk at the same pace.

At 75 paces, she noticed a large pile of leaves in the center of the path.  She didn't visually react and coninued to walk.  At 50, she saw something again, this time to her right.  Still she didn't react.

Another two minutes later she arrived at the pile of leaves and -

A battle cry came the trees to her right as her assailant finally made themselves known.  They swung their sword erratically but Leonara only dodged and moved, not drawing her own sword as she moved backwards toward the gate.  Always aware of her surroundings, as soon as her heel crunched a leaf, Leonara jumped back and clear over the pile.  She landed light on her feet on the other side.  Her attacker suddenly stopped and just stood with the pile between them.

"Is that it?" She asked, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow.

The figure stood frozen for a moment before trying to break into a sprint in the opposite direction but Leo was on them in a heartbeat, jumping back over the pile and snatching them completely off their feet by the back of their shirt.

"Did you really think this work on me?" Leo asked as she dangled the boy from village over the pile of leaves.

"Please don't drop me Leo!" The boy begged.

Leonara kicked some leaves aside to reveal a pit full of sharpened sticks below.

"I should drop you in there for being such a little twerp!" Leo snarled, pretending to be upset.  "But I can be a merciful princess. . . . So I suppose I'll let you go. . . This time!" She said thoughtfully, before dropping the kid back on his feet beside her.

"I thought I taught you better than that!"  She added, putting her hands on her hips.

"What?  It's a good trap!" Samuel argued, covering it back up with leaves.

"Except it's completely obvious it's a trap!" Leo replied, laughing.

"How? I covered it with leaves, didn't I?" He asked, confused.

"That's exactly why it's so obvious!  Do you see leaves anywhere else on the path?" She questioned, gesturing to the path behind them.

". . . . . . No." The boy admitted quietly, hanging his head.

"Not to mention your horrendous sword play!" Leo added, ruffling the kids hair with her hand.  "I know I haven't been around in a while, but that was terrible!

"Hey! It's my own style I have been working on!" He defended, with a shocked look on his face.

"Well keep working on it. . . . And fill this hole back in.  It better be perfect by the time I get back, you little shit!" Leo laughed, walking around the pile and continuing down the path.

"I'm telling my mom you called me that!" He called after her, like a little brat.

"I'm a princess!  I can do whatever I want!  Now fix it!  I'm serious Sam.  I'll be back in a few days!"  Leo replied, waving goodbye as she continued walking without turning around.

[Top of the mountain]

Sebastian looked down at the tea he was sipping, and noticed the ripples.  A sign that something large was approaching.   His heart fluttered as he put on his coat and opened the front door to the eternal blizzard that raged outside.  It was a form of security and only those who were worthy could make it through to speak to him.  It had been hundreds of years since he had even spoken to a human.

His eyes lit up as he saw a massive figure moving through the 50 foot deep snow just outside the clearing to his home.

"Juliette darling!  It's been far too long gir-

He stopped short as the raven haired giantess came into focus, the smile fading from his face.

"What. . . . Were you expecting someone else?" Leonara asked with a sneer, pulling the blanket further over her shoulders, her body covered with snow from head to toe.

"Well I. .   " Sebastian stammered.

"I know the kinds of things you do with my baby sister when she comes to visit you, and I can't say I approve, you little worm." Leo said, only half joking.

"Leonara. . . Your majesty. . . You know I would never take advantage of the ceremonious relationship between your family and myself!" Sebastian gushed nervously.

"Enough!  Are you going to invite me in?  I'm going to freeze to death out here!" Leo snapped, stomping her foot and causing snow to fall out of all the surrounding trees.

"If only I was so lucky!. . . Sebastian whispered under his breath.

"What was that, you tiny little cretin?" Leo challenged, crouching and looming over Sebastian's entire house.

"N-nothing. . . Your highness. . . " Sebastian replied, averting his eye.

"That's what I thought!. . . . You know, Juliette isn't here to protect you.  She would be none the wiser if I was to break a few of those tiny little bird bones of yours!" Leo threatened,  bringing her giant face inches from him.

Even though Sebastian was technically immortal, the memory of his arms being broken by the temperamental giantess a few hundred years ago was still fresh in his mind.

Without a word, he prayed and a moment later, Leonara was magically shrunken down from her towering height of 145 feet, down to a much more manageable but still formidable 15 feet so that she could better fit inside of his home.

The entire house also expanded to accommodate her.  It was the most that he was allowed to alter the reality around him and he turned away and walked inside.  The giantess followed, shaking off the snow before going inside.

Inside, she made a b-line for the roaring fireplace, sitting down on the floor in front of it. Sebastian knew better than to rush her, but at the same time he was incredibly uncomfortable around her when Juliette wasn't around to keep her at bay.

"To what. . . . Do I owe. . . The pleasure?"  He asked, cautiously.

"Something's happened to Juliette, and I need information so I can avenge her." Leonara explained, staring into the fire.

Sebastian gasped, and moved to sit down in his own chair by the fire.

"What happened to her? Is she alive?!" He questioned, worry in his voice.

"She's alive. . . . But she struggles to even walk now!" Leonara growled just thinking about it.  "Those coward slayers had the gall to poison my sister!" She shouted, losing her cool.

"Well I know that you don't need any advice on killing giant slayers. . . So what is it?"

"I do need advice on killing someone!  And you are the one who sent me on this path." She snapped.  "The guardian of one omega staff!"

Sebastian appeared confused.

"Did you not acquire the staff already?  You have used prayers yourself. . ."

Leonara let out a huff through her nose.

"I have begun to learn, though it wasn't through your fool's errands!" She spat.  "And now the guardian is working with the slayers to great effect!  So great that they came moments away from ending my sister's life!"  She shouted, standing up and towering above Sebastian.

"Princess, I assure you that the guardian is as physically mortal as any other human!" Sebastian cried, cowering slightly.  "If you didn't manage to kill him then surely it was from lack of trying!"

"I DID KILL HIM! AND I BURNED HIS BODY AND YET SOMEHOW HE WAS STILL ABLE TO SHOW UP LATER AND NEARLY KILL. MY. SISTER! " Leonara raged, flipping Sebastian out of his seat and onto the floor.

"Ill-illusions!" Sebastian struggled on the word.  "He likely waited until you were distracted and created an illusion  of himself to avoid death!" He stammered as he tried to crawl away from the angry giantess.

"How is that possible?! What is he?"she demanded, reaching down and grabbing Sebastian, lifting him and setting him back on his feet.

"Essential. . . . Essentially he is a step below a god.  The first created race and as close to the gods as was ever created." Sebastian gasped.

"Yet you say he can be killed?!" Leonara questioned, relaxing a bit and regaining her normal, stoic demeanor.

"Yes. . . While he is very powerful, he is still as vulnerable as a normal human.  You probably weren't far from actually killing him the first time." Sebastian replied, uprighting his chair and sitting again.  While he really wasn't a fan of her, he was at least used to dealing with Leonara's abuse.

"So are all of his powers just an illusion?  He had control over water and earth!" Leo continued, trying to paint the full picture of her enemy in her head.

"It could have been an illusion, but they also do have the ability to Control the elements."

"Why am I just now hearing about this race? If they were so powerful, why don't they exist anymore?"

"Because.  The gods don't want you to know about them.  They were too powerful and they may have been able to overthrow the gods themselves.  But for whatever backwards reason, the gods choose only to create, not destroy." Sebastian explained, his contempt for the gods apparent.

"And?" Leo pressed.

"And so they created you brutish, dull, giants to wipe them out!" Sebastian spat getting worked up himself.

"You forget yourself, Sebastian. ." Leonara countered, threateningly but calm.

"I regret many things, but calling things as they are is not one of them."

"Has it been so long already that you have also forgotten the bond that you and my father shared?"Leo continued, raising an eyebrow.

"I haven't forgotten. . . . But I also haven't forgotten about his ravenous lust for territory and power.  I haven't forgotten that this mountain used to be neutral ground for giants and humans.  Now it resides squarely in giant territory , doesn't it?  Or have the borders shifted even more lopsided then I remember them?  It has been so long since I've been from this place or even seen a map for that matter! Hard to come by when the blizzard outside never brings anything but snow or anyone but giants who have a vested interest in those very borders!" Sebastian ranted, winding himself in the process.

He sat panting as Leonara just looked him over with no emotion on her face.

"Are you finished?" She asked, condescendingly.

Sebastian didn't reply.

"Good!  Now, how do I neutralize his magic? " she demanded, done with the back and forth and ready to get to the real reason she was there.

"What, you don't have faith in your abilities with that fancy sword?" Sebastian chided.

"In fair fight, I would absolutely crush them. . . They know that.  I know that.  And so do you.  I always like to be prepared, but when the cowards start to use poison and tricks, then I need an edge.

"How is being 150 feet tall, heavy enough to outright crush a slayer, and too strong to measure. . . Not enough of "an edge" for you?" Sebastian asked, struggling to keep his voice from a shout.

"It isn't.  Not at all."  She replied, calmly.  "Every tiny little person thinks being big is some great advantage, but it isn't.  I'm out there fighting a race of people who were created specifically to kill me.  I'm a massive target fighting someone about the length of my finger.  Sure, a giant has the advantage out in the open, but slayers know that and choose to fight in cramped little cities.  If I trip or fall, that could mean my life."

"I wish it would. . ." Sebastian replied, under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Leonara asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Nothing. . . . The short answer is, there is no real way to neutralize his power. . . Unless the gods themselves gave you that ability." Sebastian explained, waiving off the notion.

Leonara was silent for a moment as she contemplated how she might gain enough leverage over a god to ask for that ability but nothing came to mind.  It wasn't a surprise to her that Sebastian was putting as much effort into withholding information as he could without invoking her wrath.

"Alright. . . . Thank you, Sebastian.  I'll be going now." Leonara said, politely before grabbing her coat and walking to the door.  "I'll send Juliette your regards."

And with that she left, closing the door behind her.  15 feet from the door her size returned to normal as she started back down the mountain.

She was pleased to see that samuel had filled in the pit in the middle of the path from earlier. She found him at his house in the village and as she promised, gave him another swordsmanship lesson before she departed for the human realm, two royal guards along with her.

She couldn't wait to start working on her plans for the Antony Lockwood and his band of slayers, but first she had to attend to some diplomatic business that had been pushed on to her lap by her sister.