The familiar crunch of snow fills the air as we trudge our way through the Whisperwood Forest. Unnaturally, Penelope leads the charge in the hope of finding a giant as Hopper, and I hang a bit further back.

  “We’re not ready to fight a giant,” Hopper whispers to me for the fifth time in the last fifteen minutes.

  “Yes, Hopper. I know we aren’t ready to fight a giant. You go stop her,” I say, pointing at the maniacal Penelope.

  “Can’t you do it? The Princess is kind of hard to talk to, and you guys seem like good friends. I’m sure she’ll be more agreeable if you ask,” Hopper whispers as he tries to push the responsibility onto me.

  I let out a small. “Agreeable? Oh, yeah, I’m sure that’s how it’ll turn out,” I say as I clear my throat, “Hey, Penelope!”

  “What do you want, Charlatan? Can’t you see I’m trying to find a giant?” she asks with a hint of hopefully unintentional venom.

  “Nothing. Just wanted to say you’re doing great,” I say as I give her a big thumbs up.

  Penelope rolls her eyes as she returns to searching. “Naturally.”

  “You chickened out,” Hopper accuses.

  “I did not,” I [Lie].

  “Then ask her. This time, don’t chicken out.”

  I scratch one of my horns as I clear my throat again. “Penelope, we need to talk. This whole giant-fighting thing is way too dangerous for us as we are right now. Why don’t we give it a couple more [Levels]?”

  Penelope stops abruptly as she takes a deep breath. “I guess I’m being unreasonable. I thought that the supposed ‘Chosen One’ would be able to fight a simple giant, but it seems I was wrong.”

  “Well, let's not over exaggerate. I’m not saying I couldn’t take on a little giant. I’m saying you guys aren’t ready to take on a little giant,” I [Lie] as naturally as I breathe.

  “Hmm, you’re right. We’re not at your [Level] yet, but isn’t that why we should hunt this giant? Afterall we have ‘The Chosen One’ on our team. We should fight twice as hard so as not to hold you back,” Penelope says.

  “You don’t have to do that. We both know you guys aren’t holding me back,” I say as I scratch my neck.

  “Oh, so we don’t have to wait to fight the giant,” she says, throwing me off guard.

  “What, no, wait.”

  “After all, if we can keep up with the great and powerful ‘Chosen One’, then surely we can take on a simple giant. Isn’t that right?”

  “No, I’m saying you guys aren’t ready-”

  “Either we’re holding you back, in which case we fight this giant in order to catch up, or we can keep up, in which case we fight this giant easily. Which is it, ‘Chosen One’?” she says, trapping me.

  I lost? Me? I could understand if she beat me in an arm wrestling contest, but to beat me in a contest of wit. How? No matter what I choose or say, I think we’re going to be fighting a giant. On the one hand, I don’t want to, but on the other, I’m impressed by Penelope's ability to corner me in conversation. I really didn’t think it was possible. After all, I’ve only ever been bested by one other person in my entire life when it comes to wit, and she was a master of the craft.

  I let out a long sigh. “Lead the way, Penelope.”

  Penelope gives a sickly sweet smile before returning to her search for giants.

  “We’re going to be fighting giants, aren’t we?” Hopper says with a dejected look.

  “Yes, yes, we are. What’s with her obsession with giants anyway?”

  “You don’t know?” he says as if it’s common knowledge.

  “Why would I know?” I ask with an annoyed tone.

  “Well, it’s common knowledge,” he says as I curse him in my thoughts.

  “Stop beating around the bush, Hopper. Why is Penelope obsessed with giants?”

  “It has to do with her family. Her bloodline is rife with Giant Slayers. They’re known for it,” Hopper explains.

  “I thought her family descended from the First Chosen One. Did I make that up?” I ask as I loosen my tie.

  “No, you’re not wrong. Her father, the Emperor, is descended from the First Chosen One. Her mother, on the other hand, is descended from Giant Slayers,” he explains more about Penelope than I probably knew about her.

  Penelope stops in her tracks. “Not just any Giant Slayers, but the best in history. My people have been hunting giants even before the Gods left. It’s what we’re made for. Giant slaying runs through every part of my body. My blood screams out in joy if I’m even near a giant,” Penelope says as she leans on a large boulder.

  “Is that so? Have you ever been near a giant?” I ask, pulling on a loose thread.

  “Well, of course. I’ve never slain one, but I’ve seen my older siblings do it before. They seem to have taken to it quite naturally,” she says, covering up some embarrassment.

  “Penelope, is this some sort of make-believe thing? You know how kids like to pretend to be The Chosen One. Is this what this is?” I ask.

  “How dare you insinuate that. The blood of legendary Giant Slayers runs through me. I am built to combat and hunt giants. There is no make-believe or pretending here,” she says with a huff.

  “Hmm…”

  “Don’t ‘Hmm’ me. I’m telling you the truth, Charlatan,” she says, lying through her teeth.

  I look over at the boulder she’s leaning against. “So, if it’s true what you’re saying, your body would scream out in joy if you were near a giant?” I ask.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Have you not been listening?” she says with a condescending attitude.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “No, I’ve been listening. Hey, Penelope, how do you feel right now? Is your body telling you anything?”

  “Right now, I’m feeling pretty agitated, and my body is telling me to punt you. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason. I just thought you might want to know that you’re leaning against a giant, right now,” I say as I watch the boulder start to shift.

  “That’s impossible. I would-”

  “AAARGGHHH!!”

  The scream of the giant rattles throughout the Whisperwood Forest, sending a variety of small critters running. The hulking grey mass of pure muscle stands up. It towers above us, barely cresting over the treeline. The giant looks down at the shocked Penelope with its silver eyes. With one swift kick, Penelope is sent flying past us and out of sight.

  Maybe I should’ve told her about the giant earlier. Whoops!

  Hopper pulls me by my shoulder as the giant's vision veers over to us. Without question, I follow Hopper as we run towards the general direction where Penelope was sent.

  “I don’t think it liked that we interrupted its sleep!” I yell as the thundering footsteps of the giant echo.

  “You think!” Hopper yells as he lets loose an arrow at the giant.

  The arrow harmlessly bounces off the giant's stomach. That might as well have been a toothpick. This is why I didn’t want to fight a giant. I mean, really, who wants to fight basically a moving building with an anger problem? Now that I think about it, isn’t it just a really tall Penelope?

  Lost in thought, I barely notice as Penelope blinks in and out of existence as she flies towards the giant. Like a speeding arrow, she slams straight into the giant's chest with her crackling blade. The giant staggers back and manages to stop its fall by grabbing onto a nearby tree.

  “Hopper!” I yell as I point to the giant's hand.

  Hopper takes an arrow and quickly slides it up his forearm. Then, in one smooth motion, he fires at the tree. The arrow sticks into the tree as it glows light blue. The giant soon finds the tree covered in ice. Unable to get a grip, it falls flat on the ground.

  As that happens, I rush forward to catch the now falling Penelope. Please, don’t be heavy.

  Penelope falls straight into my hands as I barely manage to catch her. “You’re not heavy,” I say as I set her down on the ground.

  “Of course not,” she says as she turns her attention to the giant.

  “Your attack barely dazed it, Hopper's arrows bounced off of it, and I don’t think using [Throw] is going to change anything. Have any ideas?” I ask as I watch the dazed giant slowly get up.

  Penelope wipes some blood off her face. “I still have my trump card, but even I’m skeptical if that will do anything. It’s fast, strong, and hardy, but it’s also dumb and young,” she explains.

  Dumb? I look over at the giant as I watch it reach for the same ice-covered tree again. It promptly falls back down. Think, CJ, think. Snow-covered floor, open clearing, and we can’t hurt it.

  “I have an idea! Penelope, hold its attention for a bit and then lead it over to that clearing! Hopper with me!” I yell as I rush towards the nearby clearing.

  Penelope rolls her neck and spits out some blood onto the snowy ground. “I can do that,” she says as she charges towards the recovering giant.

  As we get further from the battle, we stop at the edge of the clearing. I then kneel down and brush the snow off the ground to reveal ice. I knew it! This isn’t a clearing. It’s a frozen-over lake!

  “Hopper, how many times can you use [Freeze]?” I ask as I begin to hand him my equipment.

  “I can only do it one more time. CJ, what are you doing?” he asks.

  The sound of thunder reverberates behind us as Penelope keeps the giant company.

  I grab a long roll of gauze and press it against Hopper's forearm, soaking up his blood. “Simple, really. I’m going to go out into the middle of the frozen lake and bait the giant. Meanwhile, you use your [Skill] to [Freeze] the area around the edge of the lake. Also, tell Penelope to save my life, or I’m going to haunt her,” I say as I place the gauze in Hopper's hand.

  “You’re insane!”

  “Thank you!”

  Without waiting for a response, I rush out onto the frozen lake. With each step I take, I can hear the crackling of ice and the crunching of snow. Don’t fall into the freezing cold lake. That’s how I die. Once I’m a fair distance away, I turn around and watch as Hopper finishes up [Freezing] the edge of the lake and just in time too.

  The giant stomps its way towards me as it chases Penelope. With no hesitation, Penelope disappears and reappears off to the side near Hopper. The giant begins to slow down as it seems to have lost its prey.

  “Oi, Tiny!” I yell out to it.

  The giant turns to me with a menacing glow in its eyes.

  “Yeah, I’m talking to you. I’ve seen dirt mounds bigger than you, and you call yourself a giant!” I say, trying to goad it.

  “AAAARRRGHHH!” the giant yells as it charges towards me.

  Okay. Sufficiently taunted. As I try to run away, the thundering footsteps of the giant knock me off balance. No. NO. NO!

  The giant reaches the edge of the lake and promptly slips on the patch of ice that Hopper had set up earlier, but that doesn’t stop its momentum. The giant slides straight towards me and barely stops a mere inch away from my face. The ice cracks under the weight of the giant as it lies splayed against its back.

  That was way too close. Time to get out of here before the ice breaks and we go for an ice-cold plunge. With careful movements, I try to get away from the giant, but things don’t always work out as I hope.

  The giant slams its hands on the ice as it struggles to stand up. The cracks on the ice grow as I speed up my escape. With no warning, the ice underneath the giant and me suddenly gives way to the dark abyss of the lake below. Right as I’m about to hit the freezing water, I watch as Penelope suddenly appears and then disappears with me in tow. We then land hard on the ice near the shore of the lake.

  “Oww. Cutting it close there, aren’t we?” I ask Penelope.

  Penelope catches her breath as she gives my arm a squeeze. “Do you ever… stop… complaining?” she asks.

  “Only when I’m sleeping,” I joke.

  Penelope gives a small laugh as we walk over to Hopper.

  Hopper waves at us. “Did you get it?”

  “We should get a [System Message] when it drowns. How long can giants hold-”

  The ice behind us shatters as the head of the giant lurches forward onto the shore. Without a second thought, Penelope fires off a white beam of light straight into its head. The beam pierces straight through the giant, leaving a sizable hole behind.

  Right before the sudden fit of nausea overtakes me, one thought runs through my mind. That thing was [LvL. 6]!!