Johan had no idea what to expect as they were led back up towards the playground. When they were up there it had seemed like the tunnel leading to the dining area had been the only way, but the two giants must have come out from somewhere too, they couldn’t have just appeared out of thin air.

“Here we go.” Viddi stopped. Johan squinted, they were only halfway back the playground, still in the dark tunnel.

Johan watched as the giant crouched down and reached to the bottom of the wall, laying his big hand flat over it.

Nothing happened for a long moment and as they stood there, the other giant caught up, coming to a stop just behind them. Johan tensed, keeping an eye on both of them.

“This is it..?” He glanced at Note when nothing happened. They wouldn’t be leading them into a trap, right?

Whoa-!

His head snapped back when he saw the light. The wall was glowing under Viddi’s hand!

Johan’s jaw dropped and he quickly stepped back as metal whirred and a huge chunk of the wall just disappeared up into the roof.

Without hesitating the first giant, Viddi, got up and walked through. Johan stared. How-

That was incredible! He had never seen anything like it in his whole life! And by the looks of it, neither had Note and Signe. He shared a speechless look with them.

The second giant huffed and stepped past them. “Coming?”

They shared another look before finally following the giants through the open wall. Johan looked back to where Viddi had put his hand and saw a small symbol of a horned hat barely visible in the uneven rock of the cave wall. If he hadn’t known something was there he wouldn’t have been able to see it.

He pushed down the urge to try putting his own hand over it, and quickly went through as the wall started sliding down, shutting behind him.

What he saw on the other side though… For a second he forgot to breathe, his steps faltering.

They had ended up on a platform of sorts, and while they stood on it, it started descending downwards. But that wasn’t the craziest part. Ahead was another huge caveroom, dozens of meters above the ground, and sound filled his ears, so many voices that Johan couldn’t tell them apart.

Beneath them were giants! Tens if not a hundred of them, just there! They were walking, chatting, some were carrying stuff around and one was even chopping vegetables! And in between their feet, a group of tiny giants ran through the room.

Johan could only watch in wonder.

“What is this place?” There was no way a primitive type of monster like giants could build something like this, even with everything he had already learned today. There was no way huge creatures like them had the dexterity for this.

After a moment Viddi spoke up. “Our leader will tell you.”

Johan looked up in surprise. He wasn’t expecting to get the whole story. Earlier he wouldn’t even want it, but now? Suddenly his interest was piqued.

Johan tok a deep breath and moved closer to the edge. It felt like they were descending quickly, but the ground beneath was nearing slowly. He eyed the platform. What was this thing and what was it doing in a cave of all places? Not even Heaven had anything like this!

That’s when one of the small giants noticed them, and the peacefulness immediately disappeared as she screamed.

For a second the giants seemed confused, then one after another they looked up. Johan tok a step back, hands itching to grab onto his ribbons as the giants started yelling.

By the time they reached the ground, a hundred pairs of eyes were on them, and none of them happy.

“Viddi, Dornir, you better have a good explanation for this!” One of the bigger giants roared.

“Please! They won’t hurt us, they’re here to see Hymir!” Viddi pleaded, but Johan didn’t pay attention to that. He saw the way the children were herded away from them.

Johan tensed up again. He made sure to keep Note and Signe in sight. He was not going to be intimidated by monsters, but who knew what they would do if they thought they were in danger.

He stood tall as they followed Viddi, the giants unhappily letting them pass, straight into another big room.

“Hymir, I have-!” That was all Viddi managed to make out before he was interrupted.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

The words echoed through the cave and Johan’s head snapped up to see him. The oldest giant ever! How did something get that old?!

It was weird, in theory Johan knew that giants could get to hundreds of years of age, but he never expected to see one that looked so old! The giant was hunched over, and even while sitting he was leaning heavily on a curved cane held tightly in his hands.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

That must be the leader, Johan mused. The old giant sat on a huge stone chair that was carved right into the wall with much less detail and craftsmanship than the rest of the cave. It was decorated with grays and browns, long branches of a willow tree hanging elegantly around it.

“You have brought humans into our home!” The old man raged and Viddi flinched back, bringing his hands up defensively.

“Wait, Hymir!” He pleaded. “They promised not to hurt us if I brought them to you!”

“And how do you imagine they would get inside to hurt anyone if you didn't lead them in? Humans cannot activate the doors! They would be stuck outside and we would hold out, like we always do!”

Humans can’t activate the door? Huh, so there really was something going on with that. Did that mean they couldn’t leave either?

“Now where is your brother?!” The old giant continued.

“Here…” The second giant mumbled, dragging his feet behind them and not meeting the elder’s eyes. Viddi twiddled his thumbs.

At the sight of the other giant, the old one changed his tone completely. His anger turned to silence. His back straightened ever so slightly as he turned to the three of them. Johan met his eyes challengingly. Beside him he noticed Note trying his best at a comforting smile, while Signe simply watched.

“Viddi.” The old giant started, speaking softly but not looking away from Johan. “You and your brother, go outside.”

“But-”

“Go!” The old giant raised his voice, cane slamming into the ground. Dornir left without a word but Viddi stayed, sucking in a deep breath and for a second he stood still but then he too left, only glancing back anxiously before disappearing after his brother.

The old giant watched them until they were completely outside. Then he set heavy eyes on Johan.

Johan didn’t flinch back, he met the eyes with the confidence that if a fight were to break out, at this point the giants would hurt more than they would.

“You three.” His eyes passed over all of them. “You are not human.”

Johan startled, eyes widening in surprise. How did he know that?

The giant huffed. “Don’t look so surprised, child. Now, what are you here for? Deities are not welcome in our home.”

Johan broke eye contact for the first time. What was he going to say? He didn’t even know why. He clenched his jaw and kept silent, nothing springing to mind. To either side of him, Note and Signe also stayed silent, barely a twitch in their movements.

Johan really didn’t think he would get this far without even a clue about what the vision meant.

The giant frowned at their silence. “Long has it been since the day a deity set foot in a giant’s home without the intent of murder. Monsters you call us. For eternity we have dealt with your antagonization, your ill intent and your trials of eradication. We will not stand down and let you kill our people.

“Peace might have been an option, the day that foolish deity of Fate came to us many summers ago, proclaiming a home for all monsters in Heaven. But instead you turned humans against us, driving us away from our home and now that we have settled once more, you return again. Now, I will ask again. What did you come here for?”

Johan startled. The deity of Fate? Many summers ago...His dad? “You met my dad?”

Beside him, Note twitched. “Maybe that’s why we’re here?” He asked Johan silently, interest clear in his eyes.

Johan shook his head, glancing quickly at him. “Maybe..”

He still didn’t know why they were there, but peace? That was impossible. How was he going to make peace happen when he himself was hunted down by other deities?

“Your father?” The giant grumbled thoughtfully, still watching them cautiously but the anger had disappeared. “I believe we are not on the same page-”

“Hymir!” A giant ran in, just barely shorter than Johan and at least twice as wide, her hair pulled into tiny pigtails at the top of her head. It was one of the children! The girl noticed them and seemed to shrink, her eyes rounding into big doe eyes as she fell silent, eyes glancing between them and the old giant.

“Yes, dear, What is it?” The old giant asked gently and the girl snapped right out of her silence.

“Humans are bothering big brothers Viddi and Dornir out in the dining hall!” And without missing a beat, the child turned and ran out.

Wait, what? Alarm bells rang in Johan’s head. Someone else was there? Could it have something to do with the vision?

But before he had the time to think about it, giants in the other room started yelling and suddenly dozens emerged through the doorway.

The giants swarmed into the room yelling, and suddenly Johan found himself to be the point of everyone's attention.

“There’s more humans outside!” A giant pushed to the front of the group. Glaring eyes stared at Johan and the giant tok threatening steps forward.

Well, that talk was over. Johan let the ribbons fall into his palms-

BANG

Johan froze. Everyone fell silent.

“Act civilized!” The old giant roared behind him, cane clenched tight in white hands. “Viddi and Dornir are in trouble. For now these children are our guests and are not an immediate threat.”

Johan eyed the antagonizing giant but he was glaring at the wall now, looking unhappy.

“Now go protect our own!” The old giant ordered. That turned things around. The giants had been angry when they entered, but those words were enough for the tide to turn. Roars of war vibrated the floor and even dust fell from the roof as they stomped.

“Wait!”

Eyes turned back to him, this time in confusion, but Johan had an idea.

He smiled confidently. “We’ll deal with the humans.”

At his words murmurs broke out in the crowd, but he stood strong. He didn’t know why there were suddenly more people outside, but if he could use them to gain the giant’s trust, then he would do so.

He raised his hand and they fell silent. Beside him Note and Signe stepped up, weapons raised.

He took a breath.

“You can’t leave Viddi-” and whatever the other one was called. “-to the humans. But if you attack, they’ll only come back with more people. You could kill them.” Johan added, watching the giants as they shuffled at the word. “But their families would take revenge. Isn’t it much easier to let us deal with them?”

Johan finished and for a moment nobody spoke. Then the chatter started back up, this time angrier.

Well, that didn’t work. He shrugged, meeting Note and Signe’s eyes as they lowered their weapons. “I tried.”

“Silence!” The old giant yelled, slamming his cane into the ground and immediately silence fell. Johan turned around to meet his eyes, but instead of trying to stare him down, the giant seemed thoughtful.

A long moment passed. Then he settled back in his throne, sighing deeply. He looked even older now, one hand coming up to rub his eyes.

“You know the way.”