Melissa's head was spinning, she opened her eyes and her body stung from pain. Her ribs and lungs were on fire, and she had lost the feeling in her shoulder. She tried to roll over, but she couldn't support her weight.

She realized that her hands were tied, and her vision was blurry, but she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth to fight the pain.

“If you doze into another sleep, I'm not sure, I will be able to save you” her savior or kidnapper in this case said drawing Melisa back. She opened her eyes and jumped to her feet, scanning for her.

“Hey, you stabbed me” Melisa cried out.

“I would call it bonding and besides, it's not that deep, you will be fine,” she replied as she walked out of the shadow.

“Now where were we?” She asked circling round Melisa, Melisa pulled back, but she pulled the rope drawing Melisa back, Melisa screamed from the pain of being pulled and pulled back.

“Hush now, you would rather not reopen your wounds, I want you alive until you take me to the silver stag” she called out silencing Melisa.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Melisa replied.

“Really? Is this the game you are going to play?” She asked,

Melisa didn't reply but simply sat down staring at the night sky.

“How long before the end of the game?” Melisa asked.

“2 or 3 hours even less which is why my patience is running out, so get up and give me what I want” she called out, pulling Melisa back on her feet with the rope. Melisa let her, she was too tired to fight back, and besides she didn't know what kind of danger lurked on her way there. Miss danger pants was going to help her clear her way there.

“Wait? Are you actually thinking I will clear the path there, and you will snatch the stag last minute, come on Melisa you can't even stand less fight me” the girl commented.

“When I heard you were a pure breed giant, I expected more. You know, something stronger, bigger and faster, but all I got was a little red haired girl that loved her crippled master”. Melisa groaned and pulled the ropes, but she pulled back dragging her on the floor, she took out her knife pressing it again Melissa's neck, “this is pure cursed steel one cut, and you are dead so you better act like the princess that you are, or I will kill you”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Melisa swallowed hard and stopped struggling. “Good girl now get on your feet and take me to go find my stag.”

Ivo sat in his chair and watched, he didn't really watch though his mind was busy. He made other plans, but he was worried about Melisa.

She was supposed to be out in the previous hour, but she wasn't, and it wasn't a good thing. He turned to Ethan, “how much time does she have before it wears off?”

Ethan pulled out his pocket watch and stared at it, closing it and staring back, “half an hour or less depends on her resistance.”

Ivo didn't reply but simply turned towards the king's table, the queen flashed him a smile, and he smiled back before turning to Ethan. “We have trouble.”

“It appears so,” Ethan replied, pouring Ivo a drink, what is your back-up plan? He asked, but Ivo didn't reply.

“Wait, you don't have a back-up plan?”

“Let's just call it believing in one's comrade” Ivo replied as he grabbed the cup from Ethan's hand and took a sip.

“Fuck I hate losing” he called out.

She was a cold-hearted killer, Melisa thought, she didn't hesitate and simply shot anything that moved full of arrows whether they were on their way or not.

Melisa could tell the numbing effect was wearing off, she was bleeding from her side and her shoulder was already numb. She knew she will not make it out of here, and the only thing that kept her moving was the fact that Jetta pulled her along with a rope.

The cave was dark, but she didn't need the light. It was earthy, earthy was good for giants. Her vision improved, and her body grew a lot more comfortable, but not enough to help with the pain. Now she was leading Jetta down the tunnel, she made turns just as Ivo had told her.

The warmth grew as she got closer to the stag nest, she could hear the breathing of the creature. Ivo's words rang in her heart you don't have to kill it. Just say this words Korvath shakar oola, zhilak na konkat. Thagga zhilak oola, kora sha kora. It was Kraelion (Giantish), her language, how Ivo know how to speak it she had no idea, but she liked the fact that he knew how to.

The words lingered in her mind, it was a rhyme in the east, it was called the song of no death. The meaning was mixed, and she hardly understood it. I’m a child and I offer nothing but life give me a piece, so I return with it. What was she returning with? She just trusted Ivo and continued her walk leading a killer to the stag's hide-out.

Melisa had begun to question if she had missed her turn, it was taking longer than expected and Jetta was starting to think the same thing until she heard the sound of a horse .

Wait stags don't make such sound she thought as she made a turn, the light was so bright and it was warm. As they eyes adjusted to the light. It was beautiful.

It had silver horns that matched it white fur on it body, it was rather large, but it didn't seem to notice them as it munched on the rocks wait it ate rocks? That explained the tunnel, it must have eaten its way through.

Melisa could see the reason Ivo asked her not to kill it. Until she heard the arrows whistle through the air.

She turned, but it was too late.