Snores rumbled through the predawn air as the fire began to crackle and smoke. A giant clad in leather, furs, and iron plates shuffled up to the blazing kindling dragging a log behind him. He dropped it with a grunt and hefted an enormous ax. The ground shook with the force of his blows, and a few of the snores were replaced with drowsy muttering. The giant reached down and wrapped his huge, dirty hands around the logs he’d chopped, then tossed them onto the growing flames. A few charred bits were knocked loose from the ash pile; some barrel staves, the remains of a spinning wheel, and half of a large femur with the marrow sucked out.
Another giant shuffled up to the fire on his thick legs, yawning and scratching himself. A long rod of darkened iron hung over the fire from a pair of posts that had been driven into the ground on each side, and the newcomer poked at it with a calloused finger to ensure it wasn’t hot, before picking it up and walking to the edge of the camp.
A pair of drowsy looking giants stood watching a livestock pen filled with an assortment of cows, pigs, goats, and terrified-looking villagers covered in mud and blood. The giant with the iron rod grunted and pointed at a cow as he stepped over the fence. The animals began to panic as he lumbered closer, and the villagers screamed and begged as he grabbed a man who’d slipped and fallen on the filthy ground. One of the guards grabbed the cow that had been pointed out, and the two stepped back over the fence and walked through an early morning fog mixed with smoke down to a stream.
A little while later they returned. with the cow and the man both skinned and skewered on the iron spit. The giants set it over the fire, and the guard returned to his post. The cook dug through his things for a bag of rock salt, while the one who had built the fire poked at the burning logs with stick, spreading them evenly beneath the meat. After rubbing a bit of salt on the carcasses, one stayed to turn the spit, while the other took a pot and filled it with water, before tossing in a couple of evergreen branches and setting it next to the fire to brew.
The smell of roasting meat eventually roused the rest of the camp, and when it was finished there were twelve giants waiting to carve off a piece. They growled and muttered at one another in their rumbling language as they washed their breakfast down with evergreen tea, and the sun rose over the camp they’d built in the remains of the village they’d attacked the day before.
The giants’ raiding party marched up the track toward the pass, herding their livestock and captives before them with an occasional blow from a spear shaft or ax handle. The raiders carried what goods they’d cared to take from the town, mostly barrels of alcohol and iron implements. The path ran through the center of a large, open meadow with a grassy hill overlooking it. One of the giants split off from the group to climb the hill and get a view of the area. She steadied herself with her spear as she paused to catch her breath and wipe the sweat from her brow. The wind carried a familiar scent to her from over the crest of the hill, and she scowled. They’d missed some yesterday, and the arrogant little fools had the audacity to think they could hide from her raiding party! She gave a shout to the other raiders below, who brought the procession to a stop. She signaled with her hands that there were other little folk with animals nearby, and to wait while she got a look at them. The raid leader signaled back that they’d understood her message and would wait.
She crouched low, and crept to the spine of the hill, trying to avoid coming up at the highest point, where she’d be easiest to spot. Carefully, she raised her head to look.
There was a shout, and her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw. Still, she wasn’t fast enough to recover; they’d been waiting for her. The air filled with arrows, and while some missed, enough found their mark. She screamed in surprise and pain, stumbling back away from the ambush, blinded by arrow shafts stuck in her eyes.
A horn sounded, and the ground shook with the pounding of hooves. She swung her spear wildly around her but only managed to scrape the ground. Two columns of green-clad troopers rode over the peak of the hill with their shortbows in hand. The first was closest to the giantess, and loosed another volley at her as they passed. Their steel-tipped arrows had been honed to a fine edge and cut deeply into their target’s flesh, regardless of her size. The hussars didn’t slow down, and left the wounded giantess behind as they swept down the hill toward the front of the raiding party. The second column of cavalry rushed at the rear of the giant’s line in a tight formation. The rearmost giants began to load stones into slings and hurl them at the hussars, causing numerous injuries to both horses and riders, but it was too little, too late. As the hussars came into range there was another horn, and all at once they let their arrows fly.
The two groups of cavalry began to circle the raiders column in opposite directions and the air was filled with dust, screams, and the whistling of arrows. It was impossible for the giants to pick out an individual target; everywhere they looked were uniformed hussars galloping past. They lashed out ineffectively as they shouted in fear and confusion.
Near the peak of the hill, the unfortunate scout had taken advantage of her attackers’ departure to get the arrow shafts out of her eyes and face. Giants were hardy creatures and her eyes would likely heal up well if given the opportunity. She wasn’t likely to get that opportunity, however, as three riders trotted up from where the ambush had originated.
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Captain Lexington nodded at Sergeant Bellamy, who put the spurs to her horse and charged forward. She she tightened her grip on her lance and leaned low against the animal’s neck as it bore down on the giantess.
The giantess heard the approach of her enemy and turned toward the sound with an animalistic snarl on her bloody lips. Candida lifted first one boot, then the other, out of the stirrups and crouched on top of her saddle. She had no thoughts, no doubts, no concerns. She was consumed by her focus; there was nothing in that moment except her goal. The giantess swung her hand at the sound of the approaching rider in an open-palm slap, but she misjudged the distance and the blow passed harmlessly in front of the trooper and her mount.
Sergeant Bellamy leaped from the back of her horse as it passed, with her weapon raised and her back arched. She hurtled over the giantess’s arm and struck as hard as she could, driving the lance’s blade into her enemy’s neck where it met her shoulder. She released her grip on the weapon and rotated, tumbling over the giantess’s shoulder and rolling across the grass. She immediately sprang to her feet and drew her saber, but it wasn’t necessary.
The giantess fell to her knees, blood spurting from the wound. She gasped and held her hands to her neck, before she fell over and stopped moving.
Candida sheathed her saber and straightened the black beret on her head. She waved at the two observers to let them know she was fine, then started walking toward where her lance lay in the grass. Captain Lexington tipped his hat in congratulations, and even Puglith looked impressed. She bent over and picked up the lance, wiping the blade on the grass. As she stood up, something zipped past in her peripheral vision and she whirled to see a stone crash into the side of the hill a few feet away, bouncing and rolling as it expended its velocity. She turned back toward the raiders just quickly enough to see the other stone as it struck her squarely in the chest.
The two giants that had taken the opportunity to attack the slowest-moving enemy in range each let out a triumphant roar while the expressions on the faces of the circling hussars hardened. They rode closer now, and thrown lances joined the flying arrows. The raiders began to cover their faces, and the hussars pressed the advantage, with some coming close enough to slash with their sabers.
Salvador leaped off his horse as he reached Bellamy, dreading what he knew he’d see. He was shocked beyond words when she looked up at him, still alive. She tried to say something, but her chest was crushed, and the words wouldn’t come. She turned her head and coughed weakly, blood dripping out of her mouth. Salvador crouched down and took her hand.
She coughed up blood again. And again. And again...
Each cough was stronger than the one before. She spat out some blood, then gestured for Salvador to turn her over. His eyes wide, he did so, and gasped as she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. There was a grinding noise as Candida continued coughing, and Salvador realized it was her broken ribs moving. The blood she was coughing up began to disappear, turning into wisps of reddish smoke that vanished as it rose into the air. Her ribs popped back into place with a disturbing snapping, and a shudder ran through her.
The blood stains had seemingly evaporated out of her uniform, which had been torn by the impact of the stone lying in the grass next to her. She unbuttoned her collar, then glared at the captain, who looked away. She looked under her torn tunic, but the wound was gone.
“Here,” Lexington offered his coat, which she accepted. “I was afraid that might prove too much for the enchantment.”
“We both were. By the gods, that hurt more than anything I’ve ever experienced in my life!” She was breathing heavily, but slowed as she began to calm down.
“I do good work.” Puglith smirked as his pony ambled up to the two in the grass.
“I take back every mean thing I ever said about you!” Candida said, her eyes still wide in amazement. Her brow furrowed. “Well, most of them anyway.”
“I’ll take what I can get.” he replied.
“Too many people saw that to pretend it was a miss,” Captain Lexington returned to business, “so we’ll bind your arm and shoulder and say you just took a glancing blow. We don’t need our capabilities to be common knowledge at this point.”
Puglith reached into one of his saddlebags for some gauze and a bandage. He tossed them to the captain as he continued to search, then joined them with his canteen and some dried herbs. “We’ll apply a poultice to it to make it convincing,” he said as he began to mix the herbs with a bit of water. “I’ll see if I can forage some purplish berries tonight to make a convincing bruise.”
They got Bellamy onto her horse and Puglith took the reins to lead it back to camp.
Captain Lexington rode out to take stock of the patrol. The raiders had been wiped out, and the rescued villagers were variously cheering or crying in relief. As they rounded up the survivors and started back to the village, Salvador rubbed the spot on his forearm where Puglith had tattooed the sigils and began composing his report in his head. The field test had been an unqualified success. The ritual wasn’t enough to overcome the many advantages the Agathocletians held over the kingdom, but it was an excellent start. The colonel would need to be updated.