The Half-Giant's Guide to Seeing the Future

The Day I Was All Tied Up

The first thing I felt when I woke up was something cold and rough shoved against my back. Hard, thick ropes chafed against my skin, connecting me to some sort of support beam.

My body ached. My halfant armor was gone, leaving me in a tank top and thin shorts. The zip tie cut into my wrists between my body and the beam.  I shivered, and the only bright side was the gag in my mouth was gone.

"Alana?" I called. "Anybody?"

"You're awake," Alana's voice was close, but I couldn't see her.

All I had a view of from my tied position was a dimly lit tunnel. There was no one around and no sign of Finn and his men.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"Tied to a beam," she said. "I woke up here. Any chance you saw where they took us?"

I grimaced. "No, but I think your brother is safe. Maybe he can get help?"

Alana's laugh was delirious. "My brother? He's probably glad we got pinched."

"Where are the giants?" I asked.

"I haven't seen them," Alana said. "All my gear is gone, and we have no idea where we are. Never thought I'd be tied up again."

"Again?" I frowned.

"B-Bad childhood t-trauma," Alana's voice was shaky. "It was so long ago. I-I thought I had it under control."

I sucked in a breath and took the plunge. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It won't help," Alana said. "W-We have to get it out of here. We have to get help."

She sounded panicked. I didn't know what kind of childhood trauma involved fear of ropes, but that couldn't be good.

However, she was right. We needed a way out of this, preferably before the giants came back.

I looked around again. I didn't see anything that could help us. There was nothing sharp or that could be used as a weapon.

Footsteps sounded in the distance. My heart pounded as Finn Hassan'son and six giants walked out of the darkness illuminated by a lantern.

"The princess is awake," Finn grinned. "Oh, her highness will be excited."

"What do we do with her?" One of the giants behind him asked.

He was dressed in a patterned gray camo. The light made his bald bronze head gleam. From the way this giant held himself, I guessed he was Finn's lieutenant. The other giants deferred to him.

"Oh, Lysander, her Highness wants to meet her precious daughter," Finn smiled wider. "So cut her loose and help me escort her to milady."

Lysander and two of the guards moved towards me. Lysander cut the ropes and shoved me towards Finn.

"What are we doing with the goth guard?" Lysander asked.

"Leave her here," Finn said. "We can make sure she's neutralized later."

Lysander and Finn dragged me forward into the dark. From the dim lights that the guards behind us carried, I thought we were still in the tunnels. Still, that was a long way of knowing where I was.

A light at the end of the tunnel grew brighter as we got closer. I was pushed into a well-lit tunnel with more giants and makeshift tents. It looked like their camp.

The giants greeted Finn, and some looked at me with curiosity or suspicion. I spotted more guns and weapons. These giants were all heavily armed.

A golden curtain cut the tunnel in half. I had a sinking feeling I knew what was behind it. Finn shoved me forward, and it took all my effort not to hit the ground.