I stood in front of a door and oddly enough noticed that, for the first time in forever, I was feeling nervous. A man came through the doorway, old, hunched and with a focused, yet friendly gaze.

“The madame shall see you shortly. Follow my lead and show respect.”

That I knew how to do. Morgenthal was dominated by women in power, for they were blessed variably with a weaker ardor or more commonly a stronger temperance of the storm within. Yet even then, they had to train like the men all the same. Though, the camps for that were strictly separate.

I entered to find a rather tall looking continental woman I’d wager was around forty or so years old. The old man bowed and so did I, though I already was doing so due to the height of the doorway.

The matron looked him up and down.

“So, this is the man who defiled my daughter?”

Woah. That was a misunderstanding that had to be cleared up immediately.

“I assure you, honored matron, I have never overstepped wills or forced mine with force, words or in any other manner.”

She clicked her tongue.

“I am well aware that my daughter consented to the… act. Though, the circumstances that led to it are still unclear to me. Would the charmer care to enlighten me?”

Her stare was one that could shatter ice. I didn’t hesitate to answer. In my eyes, I had done nothing shameful or wrong. Though, that could just be ignorance of local customs. The villa I was led into was quite large and the family within looked to possibly be well off. A form of nobility, perhaps. I knew that they still practiced as much even in the new empire.

“I was in a tavern down the road when your daughter sat next to me and asked me if I was a giant. The conversation went on from there and I didn’t fail to notice her advances. They weren’t exactly… subtle and I made no attempt at stopping them.”

“Why not?” she said, her voice icy.

“I assumed that customs did not forbid this in your country. It wasn’t the first time I had lain with a woman on my journeys these past few months and there had been no such issues so far.”

The matron waved me away.

“Go on. The story of my daughter, not your life.”

“Well. After concluding our conversation, we went to a room I had paid to stay at for the night. There, she leaned in and–“

“Enough! Gods, I don’t need to know the details.” The woman had her arms crossed all this time and her brow only furrowed all the more as time went on. “The issue was not the how, but the who. You see, giant, you have defiled the purity of my firstborn both in body and mind. A firstborn is to set an example for the entire family. And every example she sets, reflects upon all that carry her name. She cannot fool around. And any slight to her honor is a slight to that of the name of D’Orvillis.”

I licked my lips. I was immensely torn between nodding along, agreeing that the honor and good name of a family was important as was reflecting on how your actions could have unintended effects on others, or telling the matron that, well, her daughter hadn’t been exactly ‘pure’ when we engaged in the act.

Loyalty to parents and family won out in the end. If the girl – Anna – was lying to her mother, then she had to bear responsibility eventually. And lying was not something I could support, even if it was in favor of someone I didn’t exactly dislike.

“Honored matron, I must confess one thing.”

“Oh? You have my full attention.”

“Well… you see. How to say this…”

“Out with it.”

“I was not truly the first.”

The matron looked at me puzzled before her frown turned into a scowl.

“That ungrateful, frivolous bitch!”

She stormed away, leaving me alone with the old servant in the middle of the living room. He rubbed his temple and looked like he’d just lost a few years.

“You… would better have kept that to yourself, giant.” The servant said.

“Maybe. But I believe in honesty as a virtue.”

The servant quirked an eyebrow. “I would not have taken you for a pious man.”

“I am quite devout.” I said. “I honor Ubrus, Worga, Wroti and Kao-joo.”

A loud scream echoed throughout the villa. Distant yelling filled the air, making the atmosphere just that much more awkward. Domestic disputes were never a pretty affair and as an outsider, I only felt more out of place with every passing minute.

“This isn’t the first time lady Anna has gone against the family’s wishes.” The servant eventually said, most likely just to lift the awkwardness of the air all around.

“That so?”

“Truly. She’s always been the most headstrong and self-reliant among her siblings. I believe she knows what she desires, and our honored matron is distraught that it is not what she does.”

“Mhm.” I didn’t care much for the people’s problems, not this sort at least. Give me a monster any day and I’ll slay it out of hand. But make me negotiate the price or mediate whatever disputes followed? I’d rather leave.

The silence continued as something that sounded like a pot or vase shattered in the distance. The servant winced and the yelling grew louder.

“That… was the Xandrian. Oh, that won’t be replaced any time soon.”

“Hard to get by?” I asked.

“Expensive. Those vases aren’t made anymore. And the finances of the house… well, the less I talk about it, the better for all involved.”

“Ah.” So that was the reason the estate was so devoid of any other servants. Now that I looked around, I saw many an empty pedestal. The room seemed, well, almost barren of any ostentatious decoration. Only a few flowers, an old painting and some variably glittering rocks and shells from the seaside adorned it. It didn’t feel like I was in a noble’s house.

Though then again, maybe this was just the local standard.

After an excruciatingly long time, the yelling died down and a matron looking like she was about to declare war strode quickly towards the two.

“Shall I go clean up the mess?” the servant asked.

“NO. Let that wretch of a daughter clean up after herself. I am SICK and TIRED of having done so all my life if THIS is what I get in return.”

I wanted to interject but didn’t seem to find the right moment to do so as the woman sat down at her table, looking as if years had drained from her face. She eventually took notice that I hadn’t yet left.

“What!?” she asked.

“…would you perhaps allow me a few parting words with your daughter?”

She looked at him like I just demanded a horse made of gold.

“Out.” She said.

Her voice carried a tone of implicit violence.

“OUT!” The violence turned very explicit as she grabbed a nearby seashell and threw it after me.

She missed and I was already on my way out, feeling the breath of the enraged mother on my neck as I thanked the servant for the hospitality, gave him a pouch of money with a mumbled ‘for a healer’ and then hit my head on the doorframe as I went out the front.

“If you want to tell her something, send a Pidgeon. OR BETTER YET, SEND A NOTE ON A COCK. MAYBE THEN SHE’LL READ IT!”

I just hoped she meant a chicken.

The door slammed shut behind him and I breathed out. That was… an experience. I disliked talking to people, I wasn’t great at it and though it had led to more results than progressively beating them to a finer pulp over successive duels, I couldn’t help but feel that I had made a misstep somewhere. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here after all.

I felt sorry for the girl but knew that it wasn’t my place to meddle in family affairs. At least, not more than I already had. If this firstborn stuff really was as important as the matron had made it out to be, I would have to be a lot more careful in the future.

As I thought that, a heap of blankets flopped to the ground beside me. I looked up and saw a familiar figure slowly make her way down from the second floor with the improvised blanket rope. As her feet reached about head-height, the sheets tore, and she fell the rest of the way down.

“WAH–!”

She landed on her feet; hands splayed out for balance. She had a look of utmost concentration as she seemed to be listening for anyone who could have possibly heard her short outcry, completely missing the six-and-a-half-foot giant standing right behind her.

I waited for her to turn around and she almost shrieked a second time as she saw me.

“Big guy! What are you doing here?” She asked.

I looked at her, surprise written all over my face. She was thoroughly outfitted in travelers’ clothes, complete with boots and knapsack and all. She even seemed to have a dueling sword at her side, though what exactly she was expecting to accomplish with it I didn’t know. It was awfully thin.

Then again, I didn’t know why she had rappelled out of the window in the first place. Her clothes complemented her fiery orange hair and green eyes, and the pants and shirt hugged her figure very pleasingly. Though no, now was not the time to think like that.

“Taking care of loose ends.” I said.

“Taking care? What do y–“ Realization dawned on her face much too quickly. “Oh, you dick. You ratted me out to my mother!”

“Yes.”

She took my confession with considerable aplomb, only slapping me lightly on my upper arm. A ‘love tap’ she had called it before, though I didn’t see where the love was supposed to have been. It was a night of mutual comfort, nothing more, nothing less and if I had my way, I would like to have kept it at that.

“So. I’m going to run ahead before she catches wind of me leaving. Can’t really go out and enjoy the freedom to do who or what I want if she ties me down with stronger rope or a better knot. See ya’, big guy!”

That… was an unnecessary detail. Also, a lot of implications to unpack. I thought only men were ever tied down, for punishment or if their rage was too unbound. Though, maybe that only applied to Morgenthal men. On the continent, these people were apparently much more liberalminded in their application of binding rope.

“Mhm. You go do that then.” I said as she started a hasty jog out of the estate and down the nearby hill.

I went on my way as well, hoping to finally have put all this mess behind me. My troubles would hopefully have their end here and I would never see anyone from that difficult family again. No duels, no accusations by an angry matron and no talks with Anna. Even if she was a good listener and an eager partner for… conversation.

No. No attachments, Brod. You’re on a warrior’s journey. You live by yourself, you fight by yourself and if you’re not worthy, you die by yourself. Only one more year to see what it’ll be. Until then, absolute control, absolute obedience and no long-term relationships with the locals. Drown your emotions. You’re an ocean, Brod.

I walked down the winding road that had led me up to the estate and after only a few miles, I found a familiar figure sitting on a rock, brows furrowed and looking quite conflicted. It was Anna. I wanted to walk past her without saying anything, but my lips moved on their own.

“Already having second thoughts?”

“I… yeah, just… wow. After all that planning, I thought actually getting the ropes off and walking away from our estate unseen would be the hard part.”

“I see.” I moved on before she got any bad ideas, and I got any regrets.

Unsurprisingly, and much to my annoyance, Anna stood up and followed me step by step. I took faster steps, longer steps, until they were almost running. I was fast, but Anna was no slouch either, easily six foot tall and with a body that I could describe as athletic in detail.

We reached the edge of the nearby town, rolling fields of grain as far as the eye could see, interrupted by small seas of trees and a lake to the far right.

“Why are you following me?” I finally asked.

“I’m… not… following you! I’m just… going the same way.” She answered, panting.

“At the same speed as me?”

“Yes.”

“And through the bramble bushes?”

“There were bramble berries on them.”

Seriously. I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t beat her with words. I tried to be a bit more direct.

“Why are you out here in the first place?”

“Oh, well… I was planning to run away from home, go on an adventure and look what opportunity fate has given me!” She gestured towards me, as if I was opportunity incarnate.

“I am not your adventure.” I told her.

“Oh. Well–“

“I march for long hours. You’re going to turn around after a few miles of it. Why bother coming with?”

“I won’t turn around. I already planned this a few weeks ago. I’m serious about running away. I was just debating whether I should actually go or not but, well, Mother has a way of pushing you around. What with the disownment and such.” She shrugged.

“…that sounds serious.”

“Yeah.” She closed her eyes and settled down. “But I’m fine on my own. We weren’t really made for another, she and I. And I believe in forgiveness. I just have to be out of her hair for a day or forty.”

Well, I wasn’t going to lecture her on healthy mother-daughter relationships, but I would still prefer to leave her behind. Or, if she really needed to go out into the world, not follow me around at least. I needed to prove myself alone, in front of the gods and as far as I knew there was no way she wouldn’t try to meddle and get in the way.

“I hunt monsters.” I said.

“Cool!”

“No. Not ‘cool’. Dangerous. Very, very real danger. Maiming.”

“What’s an adventure without some maiming? Uh, I mean danger. Y’know, go out, kill the monster, save a pretty farmer’s boy and have a feast and jolly fun all around.”

That… was so inaccurate, I didn’t even know where to begin correcting her. She was only looking at one side of the coin. One skewed very much so by fairy tales, hearsay, and legend. She wasn’t even thinking about the danger, let alone the most basic expenses. People charged outsiders a hand and an eye for rooms and food alone, and that wasn’t even mentioning the repair and replacement of equipment, buying information, taxes…

One last attempt.

I walked up to her, making myself as large and intimidating as possible and looked her straight in the eye. I didn’t do this often; it wasn’t something that engendered friendly relationships. But I wasn’t looking to endear the traveler’s life to this sheltered noble girl.

“I have killed people. Not just monsters.”

Her gaze didn’t waver. I wasn’t that much taller than her.

“Yeah, I’ve seen someone die before. Happens all the time. Sickness, duels, executions, Grug stampede, lightning strike, divine retribution.”

“You will have to defend yourself. It isn’t safe for lone travelers, less continental folk and least of all a woman of your alluring figure.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. And I can fend for myself.” She patted her sword. “I won’t land a scratch on you for sure, but against other plebeian folk? I can handle them. I wasn’t ever planning on traveling alone, but if I have the chance, why not choose a giant as my companion?”

“I broke your brother’s arm.” I said, stepping close enough that she had to take a step back. “I maimed your sister’s eye. And I was holding myself back. A lot.”

She didn’t seem to understand, but a hint of fear and uncertainty was finally starting to show on her face. I continued.

“Every strike I make, every movement I take is measured and controlled because if I don’t, I will hit someone and sever an arm or grasp a cup and shatter it into a thousand pieces. Some days I am fine and some days I shake from the need to thrust and cut and destroy, for the body of giants like me are made to crave violence as much as they can endure and create. Now, I ask you this: Do you still want to travel with someone like that?”

To be fair, it took her a long moment of collecting herself again before she answered. She never averted her gaze, even as a few drops of sweat formed on her forehead.

“Yes.”

I looked at her face and beside the fear, I saw honesty. If she truly had weighed all I had said against travelling on her own or going back home, then a lot was being left unsaid about the latter. However, in that moment I wasn’t aware of how much I didn’t know. I pinched my nose bridge and sighed.

“Gods, there must be something wrong with your head.” I said.

“That’s not true! It’s just that if I want something, I WILL get it. And right now, I want to get out of my hellish family and dive headfirst into an adventure.”

“Ugh. Listen to you, you sheltered princess.”

She shrugged. “We can’t all be born into the brutal barbarian life. Some of us have to work for it. Also, not a princess. Daughter of a countess and that doesn’t count much with the new bureaucracy. Besides, you’re not the worst company to have around.”

I sighed, defeated. “I will take that as a compliment.”

“And if you are having one of those days, who knows, maybe you just need a partner to practice some thrusting with? I’ll spar with you all day.” She gave me a devious wink and I sighed, tired.

“No, none of that.”

She shrugged again. “Just offering. If you ever feel that you have too much pent-up violence, you know where to stick it.”

“Ugh. Please stop.” I buried my face in my hands.

Shame.

I couldn’t handle her, and she knew that. I felt shame, but a very different one than I was used to.

She smirked, using my own words of warning against me on purpose. I would really need to practice my breathing and imaging methods with her around. While she was trying to get under my skin, I was seriously worried that if she surprised me in my sleep, I would bat her aside out of reflex and break a bone or worse.

“I mean, if you need something to destroy, you can destroy my–“

“Please go home already.” I said despondently.

“Nope. Never. You’re stuck with me now, just going the same way you are, at the same pace, in the same direction.”

I was seriously debating waking up in the middle of the night and just running off. Though, leaving her in the forest alone would be more than callous. In the end, as we walked down the road and past a few travelers and farmers who all held a distance between polite and careful from me, I resigned myself to traveling with Anna for now. I just hoped that her parents wouldn’t fault me for her disappearance as well. Travelers were always so convenient to blame when you’d never see them again.

“By the way, now that I’m disowned, I think I need a new name.”

“What, is Anna not good enough?”

“My full name is Anna D’Orvillis, and I can’t just walk around with the name of widely known count’s family sticking to me like a tick. Some people who think my family has the money to reward them will try to haul me back if I’m not careful. They won’t see a single coin and I’ll be whipped.”

She sighed and for a moment, her rather jolly demeanor fell off her face. I seriously didn’t know enough about the people here to make any judgements, so I kept my mouth firmly shut and let the silence speak for itself. Eventually, she spoke up again.

“So, what’s the most common last name you can think of?”

I wasn’t good with names. I was happy to just the one.

“Dunno. Awful lot ending with -us or -is in this place.”

“I’ve got it! Our capital is Loften, right? And there are a lot of people living in Loften, some two million at least. So, why don’t I just call myself Anna of Loften? It’s great, see?”

“Mhm.”

They passed a mill, water flowing and wood silently creaking away.

“There’s nothing I can do to convince you that following me is a bad idea, right?”

“Yep. And Brod.” She stopped me and looked me straight in the eye. “I was serious before. If you need to talk or anything at all, I’ll listen and try to help. You’re not alone now.”

I didn’t answer because I wasn’t so sure if that was good or bad. I had been alone most of my life, after all. After my father died, my older sister trained hard and harder. After she ascended, my mother took shaping me in her likeness. Though I’d never measure up. No matter her measures. I was forever the runt of the litter.

Presently, I was thinking more along the practical lines of what it meant to travel with company. I would have to plan for twice as many meals now, twice as many ferry tickets, twice as many swords and shield, change my tactics and have the monsters focus on me, get more armor (reluctantly) so I could deal with taking a hit or two for others and…

“Hey. Hey! Brod, talk to me.” Anna was standing before me, staring me straight in the face.

“Hm?”

“There’s something on your mind. You’re worried.”

“I’m not–“

“Talk to me. Tell me about it.”

But how could I tell her anything? She didn’t understand, how could she, she wasn’t a giant, she wasn’t a warrior and by all means as smart as she was with people, she couldn’t help me solve the mounting problems and distant dread of ending my hunter’s pilgrimage a failure.

In the end, I couldn’t tell her.

“It’s…” he started, grinding his teeth together. “It’s your name. I like the sound of it.”

She stared at my face some more before breaking into laughter.

“Well, if that’s all then I’ll say it as often as you’d like. Today, Anna D’Orvillis is no more. Today marks the start of the adventure of Brod the Giant and Anna of Loften!”

Dark.

Pain.

Wake.

“A…aaa.”

Who? Who?

Go. Walk.

Walk.

Walk…

…walk…walk…walk…

Chitter.

“A-aaa?”

Who? Who?

Smash.

Walk…walk…walk…

Body.

Bite.

Hit.

Bite.

Hit.

Dead.

Who? Who?

Dark.

Dark.

Noise.

Enemy?

“A-aaa…”

Who? Who?

Sad.

Eye.

Wet.

Touch!

Who!? Who!?

Metal.

Dark.

Statue.

“You shall do.”

“A… Aaa! Aaa… An...na...”