Rules of Engagement

When I came to I was being thrown on a filthy floor and by the sounds of Crawe and Elmont groaning I could tell they had been thrown as well. Next thing that hit me was the smell. I began to gag in disgust.

“Fee, well done.”

I froze and looked where the voice had come from. Oh no…

There were giants surround us on all sides and a cage in the middle of it all. But it wasn’t the cage that made me worried, it was who was IN the cage.

“Isabelle!” I yelled out and rushed forward towards it. I grabbed onto the cage and had to hold back from crying as we embraced as much as we could through the thick bars.

“Arabella! Crawe! Elmont!” She had tears in her eyes, was slightly cut up, dirty and bruised but at least she was all in one piece.

“Your Majesty!” Crawe said in disbelief.

“Princess!” Elmont said just as surprised. I was pretty sure we had all thought she was dead by now. I just grabbed onto her not wanting to let go.

“A delightful reunion.” I looked at the 2 headed giant before me and frowned. Talk about ugly.

“I demand you release her at once!” I yelled at him. I don’t know why I thought that would work but it was worth a shot.

He merely laughed. “Another descendant of Eric the Terrible!”

He put his face too close to mine and I had to turn my head away to keep from breathing in too much of his rancid breath.

“That was so long ago. I'm afraid we haven't met.” I said with a hint of annoyance. And fear. There was definitely fear in there.

“How many are you?” The thing asked but I refused to answer anymore.

“Piss off, giant!” Crawe yelled at him.

“Crawe, quiet.” Elmont ordered. I was shrink back against the cage in fright now. I could see the giant getting angry and I didn’t want that anger directed at me.

“How did you get here? Where is the way down?” The giant asked giving Crawe a bit of a squeeze.

“Choke on my bones.” Crawe spit at him. The two heads looked at each other with the main giving an evil smile. I screamed in fear as the giant did just that. I quickly looked away covering my face as Elmont yelled out for his now dead friend. Isabelle was screaming as well. There was the sound of metal clanging and I looked to see Crawe’s armor was on the floor. I looked back to the giant who now had his eyes on Elmont.

“So tell us how you got here or we eat them.” He roared to Elmont as he pointed at my sister and I. Isabelle grabbed my hand in fear as I heard her sniffling.

“No, general. I found her. The right to eat her is mine alone.” One of the giants stepped forward and I knew it was the one that took my sister because the one that took us was standing quietly nearby.

“We know the rules of the hunt, Fumm. But she is different!”

“The general abuses his power.” Fumm roared in anger. “You're not our king.”

The general, I guess that was what they called him, swung a spiked ball on a chain at Fumm knocking his head back. Both giants roared at each other and I was sure they were going to fight which would give us the chance to try and free Isabelle but another voice rang out and I closed my eyes in annoyance, rage, and horror.

“No! I believe that distinction now belongs to me.” Roderick said stepping forward.

The general turned toward him in confusion and I noticed 2 giants flanked his side. Where was his rat for a friend and the other soldier? “Foe? Fye?”

“We had no choice, General Fallon. He has the crown.” One of them said in distain. It was then I noticed the crown on Roderick’s head. How did he come by that? It had to be the same crown from the legend that said that whoever possessed it would rule over the giants! This could help us out actually! Maybe he could order the giants to stand down and we can go home!

“Yes, the crown.” Both giants groaned. “Cut from the same rock as your hard hearts. They are inextricably linked. To deny the crown is to deny your very existence. So on your knees.” The general resisted as much as he could but he couldn’t deny the order. He dropped to his knees. “Lower.” He dropped down a bit more. “Lower.”

Soon the giant was basically face down on the floor and Roderick used him as step stool and walked over him to boost himself up onto the thrown that stood behind the general. It was with that I realized I had been right and wrong about Roderick at the same time.

“Roderick! He’s here to save us Arabella.” Isabella said with a smile but I only shook my head.

“I don’t think that’s what’s going on little sister.”

“On your feet, general.” Roderick said before addressing the rest of the giants. I stepped down and away from the thrown which was next to the cage towards Elmont. I knelt beside him tugging at the ropes. While the giants focused on the snake I could try and get him out. He can help with Isabelle. He smiled at me relived but if was because I was by him or Roderick had the crown I wasn’t sure. I stared back grimly shaking my head. “Prisoners of Gantua!”

“Well done, Roderick. Have them release us at once.” Elmont called out and I almost slapped him. Instead I held his tied up hands and flinched waiting for a response I knew wasn’t going to be what we wanted to hear.

“Ah-ah-ah. I'm talking to giants at the moment. By the way, darling wedding's off.” He said pointedly looking at Isabelle.

“What?” she whispered in disbelief. I think it was more in shock that he wasn’t helping us instead of the wedding being called off.

“I told you he was a bloody snake. But nooooo, no one would listen to me.” I whispered harshly to myself as I began tugging on the ropes again. Elmont looked at me sadly realizing I was right all along. I gave him a quick glance that screamed I told you so.

“So prisoners of Gantua I bring you the gift of freedom! Tonight we feast but tomorrow you shall return below with me as your new king. First we'll take the kingdom of Cloister and then her neighbors. And in time, we will test this Viking myth of a greater land across the sea.” He said with an insane smile as he yelled out for all the giants to hear. The general was staring at him obviously liking what he was hearing.

“Are you mad?” Isabelle yelled at him.

“Yes. It seems that power's gone directly to my head.” He laughed at his own joke as he pointed at the crown on his head.

“You traitorous bastard!” Elmont yelled at him angrily. I glared at him and told him to be quiet under my breath so I could get these damn ropes off his wrist!

“Yeah. As I was saying gather your armor sharpen your swords and prepare for battle everyone! We attack at dawn!” He roared pumping his fist into the air. The giants roared in agreement and merry. Then the cheering started with shouts of “Hail! Hail! Hail!”

The General turned towards me and grunted. Next thing I knew I was being ripped away from Elmont kicking and screaming and passed on to another giant. That same giant grabbed the cage and Elmont and started walking away with us.

“Stop! Please let us go!” I said trying to wiggle my way out but to no avail.

“Quiet, you.” He yelled at me and I snapped my mouth shut.

“Don't worry, princess. Everything will be all right.” I looked at Elmont like he was crazy. This was not going to be alright!

We soon made it to what looked like a kitchen where I take it this giant was the cook. He threw me in the cage with Isabelle before throwing Elmont down onto some stick flour or dough. The giant grunted once more as he grabbed a handful of flour and threw it onto Elmont covering his whole body. Elmont sneezed and then the cook was rolling up. It was then I realized Elmont was on a tray next to pigs wrapped up the same way. He was being made into finger food?!

The cook grabbed a handful of giant toothpicks and one by one started stabbing at the pigs to hold them and dough together. My hand went to my mouth to stifle a scream as he slammed it down where Elmont was wrapped up. Only it didn’t hit him, but rather between his legs near a very important baby making area. Elmont’s eyes were wide before he let out a small grateful sigh.

“Jack.” I heard Isabelle whisper in glee and I almost yelled at her to get her head out of the clouds that Jack couldn’t come save us.

And then I saw him hiding behind a barrel of spices. Isabelle smiled at him and I couldn’t help but grin in return. “You're here.”

“You sound surprised.”

“Yeah, well, we're miles up and you're afraid of heights.” She said smiling but still jokingly arguing.

“I'm not afraid. Just not wildly keen.” Yeah yeah yeah now get us out please!

Jack was struggling with the huge heavy nail that held us in place in the cage. The cook wouldn’t be preoccupied for long. So I pointed towards where Jack needed to go. “Get Elmont.”

He nodded and quickly grabbed a knife to cut him out. “Don't worry. I'll get you out.”

“I had this, Jack. I took my eye off the ball but I had this.”

“Mm-hm.” I muttered to myself rolling my eyes. I looked at Isabelle and smiled. Maybe we stood a chance still.

“Ow. Careful.”

The cook was starting to turn around and Jack wasn’t done cutting him out. “Watch out.” I hissed.
Jack handed the knife to Elmont through the small incision he made and went to hide. “Take this.”

“Got it.”

When the cook got back over to us he picked up the tray with Elmont on and started walking towards the huge oven with flames that seemed to lick the sides of it. No no no!

“Elmont!” I yelled out and reached my hand through like I could grab at him. The giant placed the tray in the oven and soon I couldn’t see him anymore. “No!”

I fell to my knees and started crying as Isabelle fell beside me to pull me into a hug. She kept whispering how sorry she was as she held me close and all I could do was hold on to her.

The man I loved was being cooked alive in front of me.