Cheese hurtled through the air, the force of the blast slamming into him like an unrelenting battering ram. The impact sent him careening through the first house, splintering wood and shattering stone in a cacophony of destruction. He tumbled through walls, each collision sending shockwaves of pain through his body, though the adrenaline coursing through his veins dulled its sharp edges. His chaotic flight ended abruptly as he crashed face-first into the dirt, something massive and oppressively heavy pinning him to the ground.
Gritting his teeth, he planted his hands in the earth and pushed, every muscle straining as he forced the weight off his back. A jagged section of wall slid off with a sickening crunch, collapsing into a heap beside him and raising a choking cloud of dust.
"CHEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAT!" roared the giant behind him, its voice like an avalanche of fury, shaking the very air around them.
Cheese staggered to his feet, his legs trembling but unbroken. The vibrations of the giant's colossal steps reverberated through the ground, each one an ominous drumbeat heralding doom. He took a shaky step forward, trying to orient himself, but the reprieve was short-lived. A bone-shaking impact struck his legs like a hammer, launching him into the air. He sailed like a discarded doll, smashing through walls, roofs, and beams that shattered around him in splinters and rubble.
The world became a chaotic blur until he finally skidded to a halt in Timberbrook's market, landing in a heap amidst overturned carts and shattered stalls.
"Well, fuck," Cheese muttered, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. His body screamed in protest as he wobbled upright, bruised and battered but miraculously intact. He flexed his arms and torso, expecting broken bones or torn muscles, but his body remained strangely resilient. The pain, while sharp, lacked the depth of real injury—a curious anomaly.
The ground shook anew as the giant resumed its pursuit, its footsteps like the tolling of a massive, earth-shaking bell. Cheese turned toward the sound, the firelight from Timberbrook’s burning buildings casting wild, flickering shadows that danced over the destruction. He broke into a run, the acrid stench of smoke and charred wood filling his lungs as he headed toward the beacon of fire and ruin.
The monstrous footsteps grew closer. Each one was a deafening clap of thunder, but as the beast closed the gap, Cheese pivoted and leaped. A massive foot whooshed beneath him, the sheer force of its passing sending him soaring upward. He flew above the rooftops, limbs flailing as the burning town spread out below him like a twisted tapestry of chaos. For a brief, surreal moment, he was weightless, and a wild, reckless grin spread across his face.
In mid-air, he summoned his axe, gripping its rune-etched haft tightly. With a feral yell, he hurled it with all his might. The effort sent him spinning uncontrollably, his vision a dizzying swirl of fire and sky, but he caught a fleeting glimpse of the weapon as it streaked toward the giant.
The axe struck true. The giant’s guttural scream split the night, a roar of agony so primal it made Cheese’s skin crawl. He landed hard, rolling in a tangled heap until he came to a stop amidst the amphitheater’s stone seating. Dizzy and disoriented, he forced himself upright, the crackling flames of the town casting eerie shadows across the ancient structure.
Timberbrook’s amphitheater was a sanctuary of stone amidst the chaos, built into the hillside and fortified against time. The air shimmered with heat as flames licked at its edges, painting the scene in shades of orange and crimson. Above the infernal din, the giant’s pained howls echoed.
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Cheese couldn’t help but laugh, a hoarse, defiant sound that felt more like a battle cry than amusement. He wasn’t just surviving—he was still in the fight.
With a thought, his axe returned to his hand, the runes along its haft glowing faintly as if in response to his resolve. He descended to the amphitheater stage, every step deliberate, his eyes locked on the hilltop where the giant would appear.
“This is it,” Cheese muttered to himself. “Hope you’re in place.”
The plan had been a desperate gamble. Lure the giant here, use the amphitheater’s fortified design, and let his brothers execute the trap. He hadn’t expected to be flung halfway across town to get here, but it had worked out.
Minutes ticked by, each one stretching interminably. Cheese's nerves frayed as the pounding footsteps faded to a distant rumble. He opened his status menu, searching for clues, and spotted the lumbering form of the incursion leader.
When the giant finally appeared, Cheese’s breath caught. From his vantage on the stage, the beast’s colossal form towered above, its silhouette against the flames like a nightmare made flesh. Its face bore a gruesome gash, and one eye was missing, black ichor streaking its cheek.
“You have cheated, little man,” the giant growled, its voice a venomous snarl. “You are a heretic. I see it now. Before, I thought you were one of the weaklings of this place, but you... You have killed her. You are strong. Yet your power wanes. Your faith falters. Yes, it is over.”
Faith? Cheese blinked, the word rattling around his mind like a loose cog in an unfamiliar machine. He opened his status menu and froze at the sight of a new notification:
Divine Form Activated:
Burn Faith and inhabit a Divine Form. Your enhanced resilience allows you to engage in battle with all but the strongest of foes. Backlash may be fatal for your followers if you die in this form.
What in all the gods’ names was this? He recalled the earlier surge of power but couldn’t connect it to any action he had taken. As the buff expired, exhaustion swept over him like a wave, sapping his strength.
“Well,” Cheese called out, his voice shaking but defiant, “if you want to play, come here, then!”
The giant sneered, its massive frame descending the stone ramps with deliberate, earth-shaking steps. Cheese braced himself, knowing the odds were stacked against him. Just as the giant reached the right spot, his brothers struck.
From the amphitheater seats, two saplings erupted like living missiles, their growth fueled by a spell Char had been holding. They speared the giant’s knees with a sickening snap, sending the monstrous creature toppling forward with a thunderous crash. Its head struck the stone stage, leaving a crater in its wake.
Char collapsed, coughing blood from the strain of his spellcasting, but the opening was enough. Cheese sprinted forward, aiming for the giant’s legs, but Waff was faster.
The burly man vaulted onto the giant’s head, grabbing a fistful of its hair. “Throw!” he bellowed.
Cheese understood instinctively, lobbing his axe high into the air. Waff caught it mid-swing and plunged it into the giant’s remaining eye with brutal precision. The monster howled, its hand reflexively driving the weapon deeper as Waff leapt clear, landing on its belly.
Cheese caught his brother as he fell, both of them scrambling away as the giant’s wails of agony shook the night. With a final, desperate effort, Cheese hurled his axe one last time, embedding it deep into the creature’s knee before fleeing into the countryside with Waff in tow.
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They met up with Char an hour or so later. He caught up with them as they were resting and talking about their audatious luck. "How in the fuck did you manage to pull that off" asked the youngest brother.
"I have absolutely no idea" Cheese told him honestly. "I was running from tehm, and then there was an explosion, I had thrown my axe but I didn't do anything to cause it. And then he started calling me a cheat, and a heretic.
"Somthin to do wif the brand" said Waff with a shrug. "M` sure well sus it out once we get home. How did you do the trees?"
Char shrugged in return. "I don't know it just felt like I could. I felt a stronger than normal connection to my goddess. Im not sure why or how but the energy I pull to do things like that was just.... well there was more around I suppose."
Cheese nodded at their words and then gestured towards the trail. "Lets get going then"