As he communicates with his so-called God, he once again uses Saintess Maria's left hand as his wand, and begins to fire a spell, a close range spell aimed at my head, I struggle to escape his grasp, all the while trying to cleanse him of THE THING, but, the influence is more than I could have hoped for, and just as the spell is about to end, a knife penetrates his head from behind, one from the left ear to the right, and another at his neck. Hurt and angered, his grip on me loosened, allowing me to escape. As soon as I escaped, the elder giant, once again covering himself with a metal spell, stomped a multitude of times.
The earth shook with each of his stomps, the craters growing larger with each one. The forest screams in fear as the elder giant rages. I know of only a few tribes of giants, but I'm sure he's the strongest of them all, and perhaps the strongest of all the giants in this world.
"Gaia's Hands!" [Elder Giant]
As he swung his club at the crater, titanic hands made of the earth itself appeared, many, countless, each the size of a small hill. Truly, a mastery of earth magic before my very eyes. I suppose the Earth Fairy Gaia within me is capable of similar feats, as I can hear the Earth Fairy Gaia feeling challenged by this spectacle, but for now I'm sure I'm not strong enough for the task at hand.
As the materialization of Gaia's Hands disappeared, a lone figure fell. Valdrid is high up in the sky, I can tell he's struggling to recover, but it's a futile effort as his body falls back into the crater. Just to be on the safe side, Mr. Alaric quickly cuts off all his arms and legs. As Mr. Alaric breathes a sigh of relief
"GOD, help me..." [Valdrid]
A prayer. A prayer answered. I can feel THE THING growing larger and larger inside his body. He floats high in the air again, using the Saintess' hand as a wand, preparing to do something. The elder giants, Mr. Alaric and the other one quickly prepare themselves. Fie and I fire a fireball spell, hoping to thwart whatever he's planning, not expecting
"He's gone..." [Diana].
"Shit, I didn't expect that!" [Alaric]
No one did. I'm sure everyone here is expecting a prolonged fight, and we're all ready for it. Not everyone, though, and while I'm angry that I let him get away so easily, I can't help but feel relieved as well. At least for now. I can hear the sound of baby giants crying as their mother tries to calm them down.
"Vampire, Special Knight of Amleth?" [Elder Giant]
"I am, how did you know?" [Alaric]
"The symbol on your chest. The same as the brothers of Diana." [Elder Giant]
"So you have met them." [Alaric]
"I have. I'll fortify my home, maybe even move if necessary. This person is dangerous, do not be surprised if he comes for revenge" [Elder Giant].
"For you to say that he's dangerous... I am afraid of what he will be able to do in the future" [Diana].
"Will still win, hopefully, for now, bring Diana back home" [Elder Giant].
"Will do" [Alaric]
"Is there anything I can help you with before I go home?" [Diana]
"That's fine, but please let me know what Queen Amleth has to say about all this" [Elder Giant].
"I will! Should I bring Sister Khamisah, or Brothers Nar and Sas, or even Chief Caprio, or even the Head Librarian! The wandering sage might be a bit difficult though, who knows where he is right now" [Diana].
"Either are fine. Even that smart-looking vampire is appreciated" [Elder Giant].
"So Elder Giant here knows all about the outside world thanks to you?" [Alaric]
"One of many, she's not my only source, but a very valuable one" [Elder Giant]
"I'm glad to hear that." [Diana]
Before going home, I explained to the Elder Giant what had happened. Knowing that this was the body of the revered Saintess Maria, the giants couldn't help but accompany the coffin. They may not know the significant history of Saintess Maria, but they do know that a holy person, a daughter beloved by the Goddess, should be treated with the utmost respect. I wanted to use my magic as before, but the Elder Giant himself insisted that he carry the coffin. The other giants, in turn, like a marching soldier, take their best weapon and walk together, behind the elder giants. Honor before one's own home, I suppose. It's a spectacle, at least for me, until I have to calm down the guards and the citizens at the border, who think the giants are here to attack them.