H- They make a choked noise of surprise, their heart leaping into their throat as he pulls them behind him.
"What? Why?" They whisper back, fumbling in their pocket for their knife.
They can sense his tension, his fear, and it terrified them....what scared a giant?
The snick of a knife popping open fills the cave, but they don't move, determined to see what had caused his reaction. They hoped whatever it was, would simply pass on, but if it didn't, well...
They'd figure that out as it went...
C- Two giants drew closer. Their surprisingly light tread could faintly be heard as they approached. For a moment, Daki debated what to do. He could run. But he was still weak. They would catch up with him. He could hide deeper in the cave and hope they passed, but his scent reeked the bloody scene. Either option wasn't looking good.
After a brief debate, he grabbed for the human again and ran. The two other giants ran after him. He scanned the forest up ahead for anything he could use for his advantage. The mountainside loomed to his right, and to his left, a steep slope led downward. He took the left, almost tripping over his own feet as he ran. He was already exhausted and starving, but his adrenaline was the only thing really keeping him going.
H- Another startled noise as he grabs them, and its an active effort not to stab him in their surprise. To their credit, he didn't even get a cut.
"What are you doing?" They rattle out.
They catch a glimpse of the pursuing giants, and ice-cold understanding washes over them. Hazel eyes widen, shot with fear and confusion.
So many 'whys' played in their mind.
C- Daki didn't have the breath to respond as he kept running. Down the mountainside. Weaving through the trees. He tripped over his own feet from the steep slope, hurling himself into a tree. He narrowly caught his fall with one arm, while holding Sam with the other out of the way of the impact. He caught his breath and kept running.
"You can't keep running, Outcast!" One of the giants taunted.
"We've got you! You're DEAD! DEAD!" The other shouted after them.
He skidded down the slope with the sides of his feet, spotting a road up ahead. He jumped over the road, and ran towards an old metal-roofed barn in an overgrown pasture meeting the road. It was shelter. It was broken down, but it was shelter.
He ducked and skidded inside, dropping Sam on the ground as he barred up the door and held it shut. The place had been abandoned for years. The foundations didn't seem strong. Daki prayed that they'd hold well enough to hold the giants off.
A deafening pounding struck the barred door to the barn. Daki's legs buckled under the impact, but he reinforced his stance, pushing back against the opposing force.
"You can't run forever, freak! We're going to fucking kill ya like you fucking deserve!" One of the giants voices shouted, pounding again on the door in repetition.
There were sounds as the other giant moved around the barn to try to find another opening, occasionally pounding on the various walls along the way.
H- Sams heart rammed in their chest. "What's going on? Wh- what did you do?" they ask, baffled as to why giants would want to kill each other so badly. Their grip was tight on the knife, the only comfort they had as their mind reeled and they tried not to just break down on the spot.
Think, think. They look around the barn, searching for exits and entrys first and foremost. THey study the rafters, the layout, looking for anything to help them in this situation. They weren't going to escape this, they'd need to fight, but...how? They could climb into the rafters and jump down on a giant if it came in... or crawl out of a convenient hole and try stabbing them in the knees while they weren't looking....Could they really pull that off, though? could they?
They'd have to pull off something - something quick and messy or they were both dead.
C- There was only one other door to the barn that Sam would notice as they searched, and it wasn't secured. A chain tipped with a carabiner was loosely draped over a hook, though it wasn't secured or clipped in place. The sounds of the searching giant began to approach that door. It wouldn't be long if it didn't get secured quick.
"Now isn't a good time! I said I don't want to talk about it,"
Daki growled back at Sam, letting out another grunt as the other giant shoved against the gate again, before leaving to search the other side of the barn for an opening.
H- Sams mind goes 500 miles a second, it's all too much, there's all too much going on. If there was a ladder to the rafters, maybe they could do something with that, but, so far, everything blended together in the dusty gloom and panic. They dart to the opposite door, intent on clasping it shut to buy them just a little bit more time...just a few seconds more...
They pick up the chain and fumble with getting it through the door.
*there's no time*
They manage to get one end through a handle,shaking hands making it difficult to loop the second through, and even if they did, they still needed to screw it closed. THey shook like a leaf in the wind, head dizzy, hands shaking as panic took a deep grip on them.
*Hide*
And, as the foot steps stop right outside the door, the do. They drop the half-looped chain and press themselves into the shadows, terrified and certain everything was about to go straight to hell.
THey have an idea...an awful and dangerous idea...but it's not like barring the doors would do much for them anyway in the end. They had to face this.
C- The giant shoved against the chained door, making a nasty clattering sound against the half-done chains. They withdrew for a split second, only to shove at it a second time, knocking the door off its hinges and onto the overgrown floor. A silver-eyed giant with long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail of tiny braids appeared in the doorway, soon joined by her twin, whose hair hung in shorter ringlets pulled back. .
"Ah, there you are!" The first one cooed, focusing on Daki. She sniffed the air, then glanced in Sam's direction, able to see easily through the shadows.
She chuckled. "So you're not just an outcast and a weakling, but a softie too. What an embarrassment,"
Daki's expression wavered, backing against the opposite wall of the barn. "I took my beating. I earned my survival. Leave me alone," he tried to sound firm, though his voice wavered with fear.
"Oh you took your beating alright. But do you think that will ever be enough to pay for what you've done?" The second giant snorted.
Daki opened his mouth, then quickly shut it, looking doubtful.
H- Sams eyes widen, froze like a deer in the headlights as those silver hues focus on them. They had hoped the shadows would cloak them, hide them for just a little longer...They had hoped to surprise them, to stab them in the knees when they weren't looking...Guess that was out the window.
Their gaze flicks between the two, back to Daki, then back to the nearest one, curious, confused, and certain that none of their questions mattered in this moment. They kept their knife low to their side, out of sight and clutched so tightly their knuckle ached.
They gauge the two giants focus, maybe, if they weren't looking...they could still stab one - I mean, what lunatic just *ran at* a giant? How often did that happen to them? Probably not often.
C- The longer-haired giant approached Daki before she was suddenly upon him, gripping the blond-haired giant by the throat. His good hand went up instinctively to grip the hand holding him.
"I'm going to enjoy ending you." She purred.
Meanwhile the second giant stood behind her, not seeming to think of the human as a threat, and was caught up in the excitement of this all, wanting a part in this. Their clawed fingertips ran down Daki's face, close to his eyes, digging into the skin over his cheekbones.
Daki grit his teeth in feigned defiance, though his breaths were quickening in unease. His eyes flit towards the human, almost pleadingly, before focusing on the two other giants looming over him in fear. Their claws trailed down to drift over to his throat, pressing in threateningly over his airway.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Daki choked in his throat. He suddenly reached up with his right arm. A comparatively tiny hunting knife was in his hand. He jabbed it into the first giant's rib cage.
H- Sam grit their teeth tight and swallowed down their fear as they bolted forward, seeing their one and only chance to strike. They attempt to *slam* their pocket knife into the side of the giants knee caps, hoping to jam the blade right in there and disable her - if only for a time, and if they could carve across a little, all the better.
Their heart was hammering so loud they could hardly hear, the adrenaline rushing through them so violently they felt like they were drowning in a sea. If this failed, they'd probably die - both of them just might. Part of them mocked them for their rash decision, but they knew they had only one option, act first and win....or die.
C- The giant let out a growl of pain, and Daki used this as his chance to break free from their grip, slipping out from under the second giant, and broke into a run towards the open door.
H- Sam swiped the blade through the giants knee until it struck something and stuck, it only takes them two tugs to tell them it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and they peel away from the snarling colossus. They attempt to bolt for the door behind Daki, even though their mind told them running was a death sentence - staying was certainly suicide. Half of them wonders why Daki didn't stay - while the logical half already knows.
The two of them couldn't kill to healthy giants, hell, Sam didn't think they could even take care of *one*.
C- The giant let out a twisted screech of agony, swiping her claws at the human. They snagged on their back as they fled, digging into the skin, but couldn't get any purchase, allowing the human to slip from her grasp. The two dark-haired giants focused on the two while they fled. One tugged Daki's knife out of her chest with a pained grunt, while the other worked to get the knife out of her knee while hissing through her fangs in agony. It was stuck in there good.
The distraction allowed just a significant enough head start for Sam and Daki to start running again. The giant was much faster, but slowed his pace just outside the barn, enough to look behind and make sure Sam was catching up.
H- Sam hissed as claws raked deep into their back causing them to stumble and almost lose their footing. They catch themselves and haul ass out the barn door, they're surprised to see Daki hadn't simply vanished by now, they feel a mix of relief and guilt at this.
"I thought you would have been gone by now." they call up to him, the unspoken question of 'why aren't you?' lingers in the air unspoken. There's blood on their arms and their shirt, a lot on their shirt actually...the wound bleeding freely with the beats of adrenaline coursing through them. They try to ignore the warm cloth clinging to their skin.
C- Daki hadn't just waited for Sam, but it seemed he had another plan. He grabbed the chain of the barn door and pulled it around to lock from his side, working hastily with the tiny carabiner. The twin giants were locked inside. He backed away from the door, ignoring Sam's statement. He didn't have time to speak anyways.
"We need to get out of here before they break loose." He said, lifting Sam up by the scruff of their shirt once more to hold more securely, then continued along the road near the barn at a brisk pace.
Stars, the smell of blood was so enticing. He was starved. He needed food. He needed *human* prey. He couldn't dally now, though. Even if he chose to eat Sam, it was a bad time. The twin giants could now be heard in the distance banging against the locked barn door.
H- Sam watched him work the lock with a mix of amusement and amazement. His hands were so big, the lock so small, even they had fumbled with it, but - he made it all look so easy.
They don't have time to respond properly, making a choked pained noise as he lifts them. Oh, that didn't feel great...their whole back was ablaze with a heated searing pain, a pain they did their best to tune out as they clung to the giants fingers. This felt so odd to them, so bizarre- being carried around by a giant they hardly knew....it was nice, they supposed, not being punished for their optimistic decisions....Yes, this was nice. THey suddenly wondered if this is how the giant felt about them...Weird because a new situation, but maybe nice... That'd be good.
They're bleeding out over his fingers, probably not enough to kill them, but still quite a bit.
C- The giant continued at a brisk pace alongside the road, just within the tree line to avoid being spotted by any passerbys. He finally slowed his pace once he was a good distance away and spotted the road lead to a bridge over a stream. It was perfect. He stepped into the icy mountain stream and trudged upstream, trying to erase his scent. His pace wasn't so brisk now, deciding he was far enough away and needed to conserve his energy.
It was hard not to notice the amount of blood from Sam as he walked.
"You have a place where you can get patched up?"
H- "Mmm. Other than my house? Not really." They mutter, remembering the price of health care in this hellscape "It's probably not that bad." They offer lightly.
They completely forgot Lexie's house was probably an option, too, still unused to relying on others.
C- "The giants probably won't track you down as far as your house. We should get you to there asap. Even if you say it isn't that bad, the smell is distracting me," he stated bluntly.
It probably wasn't a welcome reminder that he was a half-starved man-eating monster.
H- They're quiet a moment before muttering out a guilt-filled "Sorry."
Why were they sorry? For bleeding? For getting injured in the first place? For reminding him he's hungry...?
Yes.
"Uuuh" they try to reach for the phone in their pocket - and immediately realize it is gone. "Uuuuuh." They say slightly more worried. "I...lost my phone...I don't know where we're at..."
C- Daki mentally groaned. Humans and their phones. He had tried toying around with one from one of his victims, but never got past the passcode. And being raised in the woods, he wasn't the most tech-savvy person out there. Whatever secrets phones held, humans seemed obsessed with them. Addicted, even. What was so valuable in a little slender box that humans would obsess over them that much?
"We can't go the the barn. It's either your phone or your life. But I'm not going back there. If you want to go back to look for it, you're on your own," Daki said stiffly. He was afraid of encountering those giants again. What they said seemed to have gotten to him.
H- "N- no!" the protest, "The phone isn't impooortant...perse..." they say awkwardly. "It's just...Without it, I don't...have a map on hand..." A thought. "I , suppose you can drop me off anywhere? Someone would come by eventually." they say uncertainly.
C- He cocked his head. "How do you fit a map in that tiny th...?"
He dropped the thought. He probably sounded stupid. "That's a dumb idea," he deadpanned. "One, you'd be left out in the open, covered in my scent, and two, who on earth would care if they saw some human on the side of the road. Humans aren't stars."
H- They rest their head on his hand with a heavy breath, it was stupid, there was no telling how long they'd have to wait - and if something else wouldn't just come along and get them. "Aren't...stars?" they ask curiously, not bothering to move
C- "You don't have that saying?" He seemed to think on it. "Giant saying," he explained, seeming distant.
He continued to walk in silence, eventually veering off of the stream into the forest beside the bank and set Sam down to walk on their own.
H- "what's it mean?" they ask, stumbling as they're set down. Oof, they're tired. They try their best to keep up with him as they walk, though they often have to half-jog to keep up with his long strides.
C- Daki slows his pace so the human can catch up, glancing down towards them as they speak. He paused for a moment, going silent, seeming to debate answering, or shoving off the question again.
"Giants believe stars are the eyes of the giants that died before us, watching us." He seemed distant as he spoke, a certain untold emotion about this belief, or a specific star in mind
"I guess the saying gets thrown around a lot that they see everything. Just said that 'cause... eh well I'm not sure what a human's probability of caring will be if they see some bloody person stranded on the side of the road. To my experience, they can be asses."
H- They tilt their head, a sympathetic sort of sadness playing on their features as they watch the clouding sky above. "Humans have a similar belief, though, often clouded with beliefs of heavens and hells -"
Their gaze fixes back on him, "humans...can be ok sometimes. I think most would be willing to help - if they noticed in the first place. Though ...just as many may be equally too afraid to get involved." a sigh "...We are...a mixed bag."
"You...spoke as if you knew a set of eyes on you as we speak..." they prod gently, perhaps...he will speak of it, perhaps not.
C- "I'm aware," Daki commented on the humans' beliefs. Since he had become a living vessel of death for his past prey, he it wasn't uncommon to hear quite a bit of praying or threats of damnation from his prey. Humans tended to reveal their deepest believes and parts of themselves at the brink of death. Daki had learned not o think too much into it over time.
He frowned as the question was asked, debating being able to answer. The wound was fresh, and he didn't want to appear vulnerable.
"My sister." He said finally, keeping his tone void of emotion. "I was banished just days ago for failing to keep her alive. That's why those other giants want me dead."
H1 They stop, heart aching as they look up at him. "That's...not fair..." they word, voice cracking. "That's not...That's" They're struggling for words. "...Cruel..."
Do they pity him? Yes, but they also feel many other things... "I thought you guys were supposed to be a community? I thought...you guys looked out for each other? To just...toss you aside like that..." they crack out, a tinge of anger at the unfairness of it tinting their tone.
"It..doesn't make sense." in either sense of fairness, or strategic value. If giants were so valuable and rare..."Why would they kill you when they already lost someone? Isn't one hard enough?"
C- Daki scoffed, letting out a bitter laugh. "Where did you get that idea? Giants have a long history of killing each other. Our culture revolves around survival of the best. If they have an excuse to kill a weakling, they'll take it,"
He rubbed at his scarred right arm in thought as he continued to walk. He could smell some gasoline up ahead. Hmm...
H- They're silent for a long time, "I just thought...humans were your biggest problems - and that's why you ate them..." they say, feeling very smalI - wich, they were, but, even more so now. They felt bad for bringing it up.
"I don't think you're weak..." they offer softly. "You survived all that...and!" They say louder, more confident, "Could weaklings have gotten away with stabbing two whole giants!" They're pretty proud of themself for that, to be honest.
They're beginning to feelheavy - tired, the blood loss making them weaker with each step. They tried to ignore it.
C- "Mm, whether I am or not a weakling doesn't matter. It's just how our culture works. As for humans, yeah we have a grudge against them, but we have to eat them or else we'll go feral. Our instincts rely on it,"
He scratched the back of his neck in thought. The mention of eating humans was once again another reminder that he really needed to get some food soon. Or else he'd be eating Sam. Which... was a saddening thought since he enjoyed their company.
H- They tense, sensing they said something they shouldn't have again.
"Sorry." They mutter, wincing, recalling he probably hasn't eaten in a while and that, despite their own feelings on it - they were extremely edible.
"I wish...I wasn't human..." they sigh bitterly.
"Maybe there will be others camping nearby!" They offer optimistically. "It is camping season for us - and hunting...." they frown. "Just...be careful, ok? Some hunters shoot at anything that moves..." they snort, lightly chuckling, "Hell, they've even shot at me before."
C- Daki snorted back a laugh. "You are very quick to sell out your own kind. Well, not the first I've seen of it. I can smell a car up ahead. Might be yours?" He gestured ahead to the source of the smell, where Sam's car was parked.
"And I know to be careful. Only been at this for most of my life," he grinned slightly. "You don't have to worry about it though."
H- "Not a big fan of my own kind." They shrug. "Hypocritical, I know...but, I don't exactly like to consider myself human. Can't relate to the -" they put their fingers up, creating qoutations, "human lifestyle."
Despite the snarky smile they wear, a sadness permeates them. A jealousy, and a further sympathizing with the giant.
They perk up, looking ahead and relief floods them. It's an old rusty ford with a broad white stripe down the middle and red on either side. It looks ancient and decreipet, but it was theirs, and it still ran. A blessing after they'd lost their old car to Mega Karen.
"Eeeey, it's Tony!" They call out to the truck, wandering forward to hug its hood in relief. "Thought I lost you, bud."
C- "You're an odd one, I'll give you that,"
Daki chuckled, then watched as the human went ahead to hug their car. He shifted his feet, debating his next move now that they were taken care of.
"Now that that's out of the way... I might take you up on the offer to find some campers, if you really want to sell out your kind... can also use a ride away from those other giants to throw them off my trail,"
H- They lay there on the hood, processing his words. "That's...Don't word it that way." They say with furrowed brows as they stand up to lean their back against the truck.
"It's not selling them out, it's just..." they look away awkwardly, suddenly torn on their thoughts. "Blatantly ignoring reality? Accepting reality?" They seem more confused. "I'm...not a super hero...I try to help people when I can..but I can't be expected to save the life of every single person to exist...nor be responsible for them....That's too many..."
"I have enough stress." They sum up with a shrug, still bothered.
They tilt their head, not quite catching on to his 'ride' bit. They point at their truck. "You. Want a ride?" They ask dunbly, verifying.
C- Daki stated for a second, seeming to have difficulty processing Sam's dilemma. They just said they didn't like humans and didn't want to be a human. Why did they seem uncomfortable about this all of a sudden?
He shrugged off the thought at their last statement, nodding. "Yeah? I can hold camo for a couple hours, so it's not like I'd be going like this," he gestured to himself. "I mean shrink— like tiny human... size,"
H- "Oh! I know about that!" They perk up. "I just, wasn't sure if you, personally, were asking for a ride." They shrug, though still seem uncertain of something as their eyes go everywhere but to him.
"Sure," they shrug casually, pulling away from the hood - and stumbling as their world spins. They manage to make it to the doir where they hold onto it for a moment, just letting their world settle once more.
They sigh. "Can't wait to get home..." they mutter. "Gonna take the longest nap."
The dizziness passes, leaving them feeling fatigued.
C- Daki shifted to his smaller form, gritting his teeth as his bones cracked and compacted to their smaller size. It was never a pleasant experience for him, and he wasn't the most skilled at using camo. His slit pupils, claws, and stripes around his eyes still remained, and his fangs could still be seen behind his lips. He could never quite perfect camo, but right now it would do. The size was the main thing of importance at the moment. He managed to shrink down to a measly 5'7.
His arms reach out instinctively as Sam stumbles, though they thankfully caught themselves.
"You... sure you're in a shape to be driving? You lost a lot of blood."
H- "Define...a lot." They chuckle with a hiss as they slip into the drivers seat. "It's fine." They assure.
C- "Enough to smell like dinner ten miles away," Daki joked. Though... he wasn't wrong
He sighed, rolling his eyes as the human dismissed the damage and slid into the passenger's seat. He had only been in a car once before. But it was... still odd.
H- They grimace at the comparison, then offer a grateful smile. "That sounds pretty bad," they chuckle. "I'lllll call someone later." Except they won't. Because they didn't have a phone....
Eh. They can drive to Lexies later. They've toned it out into a throbbing heat, nothing more, nothing less.
Up this close, sams scars became clearer, more defined, patches of skin with bubbled dots along the edges.
They flick the ignition on, and music bubbled up from the radio. They watch him out of the corner of their eye,curious as they pull out onto the road.
He looks kinda silly like this. Just...mini giant. He could have easily been mistaken for someone in cosplay.
"Are you ok with the music?" They ask, recalling past encounters
C- Daki studied Sam as they started the car, seeming to notice the scars the first time from up close. It was easier to make out the details here when he was around the same size as the human.
Were those... burns?
He was taken out of his thoughts as the radio turned on and Sam spoke again.
"Oh yeah it's fine. I don't think the car I was in before had this..." he wasn't sure whether he liked or disliked it, though he wasn't accustomed to very much noise and music often, aside from the annual Bandings. Basically he had to deal with noise once a year. Humans seemed to have more of a skill of filtering out this many stimuli, however.
"So I told you my secrets, what about yours? Your scars look like... acid burns. And you seem pretty familiar with giants," he prompted in thought.
H- They tilt their head, adding a question to their ever growing list.
Did giants not have music?
They dont think they'll ever get all them answered.
At his question, they suddenly become self concious, pulling their long sleeves down in an attempt to cover their hands with their sleeves, and give up immediately. What good would it do? Instead, they stare at it, frowning, uncomfortable.
It was only fair after their own questions.
"Of the now ...4? giants I've met," they begin, voice low. "You're the first one that hasn't ate me - so far."
"I've been....incredibly lucky so far. These-" they continue,running their thumbs over the wheel. "Are from the last one I met."
A shakey breath, their gaze far away, their mind somewhere suffocating and terrifying. They're drowning in acid.
Their breaths are fearfully quick and shallow. They blink, trying to focus.
C- Daki's brow furrowed as he listens, then his voice lowers.
"You've been eaten by three giants and survived each time," He stated, his tone grim, almost threatening. "Are you a hunter?" He punctuated each word with more force this time for the repeated question.
H- They blink, his tone shaking them out of it, and slamming a harsh weight into their chest.
"NO! Gods no!" They say, horrified. "I..." they're feeling too much. They pull over to the side of the road. Below them lays a trailer park surrounded by woods, a lake shimmering near by.
They look away, thinking, they could tell him the solid truth, but he wouldn't like it. Probably kill them.
They decide on a half truth.
"One of the giants and I became friends. She's been teaching me about the Legion, about giants, sometimes alchemy...She has so many books...Yet, there's so much to learn still..."
They have a heart wrenching feeling this will sound like bullshit to him, but it's genuine, it's truth. He either accepted it...or didn't.
C- Daki was surprised once they pull over, though he didn't let his eyes leave Sam. He was still skeptical. For all he knew, Sam could be leading him into a trap. But why would they do that after helping him? He didn't know, but he didn't want to take his chances.
"One giant you befriended. You seem to have good luck with that. What about the others? Happened to carve your way out of them, huh?"
His voice was unfaltering, threatening, low. He didn't blink, his animalistic slitted silver eyes focused on Sam's with a cold intensity.
H- They look away, ashamed and scared.
"No..." they admit, barely above a whisper, voice cracking. "The first let me go...I ...don't know why." The memory is hazy and watery, saturated in exhaustion and bare minimums.
"My friend managed to...-to save me from the third..." they're pressing themself into the door, unable to meet his eyes. Tears prick at their own hues.
"They're all alive - as far as I know...."
"Though, based on how the others treated you, I can't be sure"
C- Daki's eyes remained narrowed and cold for a moment. He could sense the fear off of them. It was an appetizing scent that drove his instincts off the edge. He subconsciously began to lean closer to the human...
He quickly seemed to snap out of it. He wasn't sure if he believed the human. He could eat them for all he cared and not think of them again.
He snapped out of it and pushed his way out the passenger door and slammed it shut.
"Get your scratches taken care of," was all he said. His voice was detached, uncaring. He just needed food really bad right now. He wanted the human to leave so he could find a quick meal already. Whatever the truth was about them, he didn't want to care to find out.
H- They flinch as he closes the door, then deflate in their seat, feeling hollow.
He'd probably kill them later...
They look out over the trailer park - and they'd left him in the perfect spot to. A depressing thought.
They watch him go, watch him wander into the tree line before turning back out onto the road to do a u turn and head to Lexies. Stupid. They were stupid.