Giant News

Klain launched into action. Soldiers flooded onto the wall, down into the stables, and across the city to their stations. Citizens raced to their shelters, Doctors and medical personnel to their places. 

Drills for this scenario were routine, and it had become something like a fascinating, choreographed dance of the entire city. The new recruits checked supplies of arrows, pitch, torches, spare spears and swords, and lined them up for ease of retrieval should they be required. 

Even the youngest of children knew their tasks: namely, to run as quickly as they could to their designated safe place. The City gates prepared to slam closed, the bridges poised to be lifted. 

Riley looked towards the approaching giants as he ran to get off the wall. The bridges were nothing. A single step would be enough to take the beings across the river surrounding the city. 

That was disheartening, but he reminded himself that there were only three. Though the traps of the mountains had obviously not worked, there were other strategies to stop the giants. 

Archers were prepared with thick, strong, sharp arrows, and instructions to blind the enemy. That would mitigate the threat significantly since the giants had no familiarity with the area. 

If they could be driven into the lake, it should be deep enough to drown them. 

At least, that was Plan A. 

Riley and Peter were sprinting towards the stables, where more recruits had already gotten the horses saddled. Jumping atop them, they fell into ranks with the cavalry who were to ride out and meet the giants. 

There was far more maneuverability in the rolling hills around Klain. If they could trip up the giants and attack them before Klain was in danger of being flattened, all the better. 

A second horn blew, and the horses leapt forward, spurred by their riders. Equipped with ropes, long spears, and bows, the soldiers grimly faced the possibility they would not return. As soon as they were outside the city, the gates were closed and the bridges removed. There would be no easy way back home if the battle was not won. 

Riley had been privy to some of the strategic sessions with the General. With three known, large foes, there was little danger of being surrounded, and the risk of leaving the city seemed worth the potential to win the battle before it reached the walls. 

They formed battle lines outside the city, unwilling to run the horses ragged too quickly by running out to meet the enemy too great a distance away. 

The leading giant, a large female, stopped in place and lifted her hand. Riley glanced down the line to where Peter held a steely expression. If it were within his power to make sure the man survived, he would do so. 

His sister would never forgive him if he didn't.

Riley braced himself for the giantess to launch an attack, but she was getting something down off of her shoulder…

His eyes widened, and he spurred his horse forward. 

"Colonel, permission to liaison?" He asked hurriedly. 

The commander of the mounted soldiers assessed Riley for a brief second, but the eagerness in the Captain's eyes must have won him over. He jerked his chin and returned Riley's hasty salute. 

His horse neighed in protest over the force with which Riley's heels dug into its sides, but the soldier patted the animal's neck in halfhearted apology. 

"Sorry, friend, but this could change everything if that is who I think it is." 

He'd thought at first that it was Edmar up on the giantess's shoulder… but cousins could look similar. 

The seasoned warhorse did not particularly like rushing headlong at giants, but it did not balk until it saw an enormous white and grey spotted cat with six legs and something like a spear for a tail. 

Rearing, it almost threw Riley to the ground. Nonplussed, he leaped from its back and continued running towards the giant's feet, where Roland was being set down. 

He threw his arms around the man in a tight hug, laughing. 

"You absolute madman! You're not a hostage or anything, are you??" He cried joyfully. 

When the fires had indicated the giants were coming, it had put into doubt that the Rhone prince had survived the attempt to have them turn back. Arriving riding on one was certainly unexpected. 

"No, not a hostage. We had a little bit of help convincing them to not destroy the city, and they've come to aid us instead." Roland's voice was even, but he seemed uneasy nonetheless. 

A seasick-looking Lysander joined them, and Riley hugged his father-in-law as well. 

"I'm glad to see you, Sir." He smiled warmly. Losing the man would have been devastating for Ashley, and Riley had grown fond of him as well. 

"I'm glad to be back," The older man smiled. 

"Back on solid ground, you mean? Looked pretty high up there." Riley glanced up. "Hey, do I need to do some sort of formal greeting thing here? I ran out because I was the first one to realize it was you, but I didn't prepare any diplomatic-sounding stuff to say." 

Roland tilted his head, considering the words, and a small smile grew on his face. 

"They are rather proud," He whispered. "I think a greeting of some kind would do a lot of good." 

Riley nodded slowly, catching the slightly mischievous glint in Roland's eye but writing it off as amusement at Riley attempting diplomacy of any kind. Well, that shows what Roland knew. Riley could be extremely charming and diplomatic. He raised his voice to address the three enormous people before him. 

"Welcome, great Giants, to Klain! My name is Riley. We thank you for allying with us against the Void and its forces, and look forward to accomplishing wonderful things together! Are there any requests you have that would make your stay here more comfortable?" He didn't really know what else to say. 

The army didn't give him any classes on how to speak to giants from another world. He probably wouldn't have paid much attention in such a class anyway, he reluctantly admitted to himself. 

"Thank you, Rylan. We would love something to eat, just a snack. A few hundred sheep or goats should do." The giantess boomed at him with a broad smile. 

Riley involuntarily covered his ears to keep his eardrums from bursting. Roland had covered his before she had begun speaking, the jerk. He'd known what was coming but failed to give Riley any kind of warning. 

Apparently he needed to yell louder, because she hadn't even gotten his name right. 

"I'm sure I, Riley of Klain, can beseech on your behalf and have some food brought! I regret that we don't have accommodations large enough to house you!" He yelled, louder. 

"That's so sweet of you, Rodney, but we will sleep outdoors as we always do. You may tell your leader that Queen Jarnsaxa awaits her meal outside the city walls." She smiled. 

Riley plastered a welcoming look on his face with a glance at Roland. 

"You coming?" The horse had settled, and Riley grabbed its bridle. He mounted it, and reached down to give Lysander a hand up. 

Roland gave a low whistle, and the enormous cat trotted over. 

"You ok for the short way into the city?" He asked, and the animal chirped at him. 

"What an odd new friend you have," Riley pursed his lips. 

"This is Judah. Judah, Riley." 

The cat chirped again, and Riley gave it a wave, not knowing how else to greet the creature. One of its legs was bandaged, but that still left it with one more leg than the horse Riley and Lysander now rode. 

Roland climbed onto its back and it was off like an arrow from a tightly-strung bow. 

Riley blinked to make sure there was no magic at work. How could anything be that fast? 

"The gates are closed, you'll have to wait until–" He began, but Roland was already too far away to easily hear the statement. "I guess we'll catch up to you in a minute." He finished lamely. 

"I doubt it." Lysander said behind him as Riley nudged the horse into a trot back to the ranks of soldiers. The Colonel could blow the all clear to get the gate lowered for them to reenter the city. 

"What do you mean?" Riley was about to turn his head to look at his father-in-law, but the sight of the cat's mighty leap, which sent it soaring across the river, and then scrambling up and over the wall without much trouble made his jaw drop. 

"That's what I mean." Lysander replied. 

"That's… just absolutely fantastic. I want to hear everything, but first I just have one, burning question that I hope you can answer for me." Riley squinted after Roland. 

"What's that?" The older man asked curiously. 

"It's actually a two-part question, I suppose. What exactly is that giant cat thing, and where can I get one for myself?"