Showing posts with label giant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giant. Show all posts

Monday, October 5, 2026

Gigantic Supply

The giant Oyazar hit on a great scheme. He kicked his way through the mountains and charged the humans a toll for using the pass he made. His work and smarts made him rich in goats.
His wealth was not ignored by the other giants, who rushed to trample out their own passes. The fools leveled the whole range, they made it a plain, they ruined Oyazar's business and got none of their own. He wished the worst upon them and said everything he could, but he knew better than to talk all day instead of doing.
His next job was raising cities for the humans, great things with walls, and as many fortunes as they paid him they knew it was cheaper than doing it themselves. It was a good career, but the other giants ruined that too by competing instead of colluding. Before anyone could count them all humans had cities everywhere they wanted them at lower prices than they should have brought in. Oyazar was back to selling off his goats.
"Those oafs! They've got to be handled!" He went on in that way to a clever human he had met in his wall-building.
"Now that I've heard the whole thing, pay me one or two of those fortunes, you won't miss them, and I'll tell you how to fix those giants up."
Oyazar liked the plot as much as any of his own. His friend acted out paying him while they were near wells. When the other giants found out, they were always spying of course, they gave the friend a bit to find out what it was for and heard it was for sinking wells straight down, just stomping the earth out of the way faster than what any shovel could do. They offered the same service to every hamlet they came across, dug deep down, and all drowned or starved before they remembered to make sure they could get back up.
After that Oyazar was the last giant. He did things only giants could do and earned plenty of goats.
Finis

Friday, December 12, 2025

Makeshift Armorization

One advantage of enchanted greaves is that they can be taken from unusual sources, such as a giant's shinbone or a chunk of the palace of death. Turning a meteorite into a magic sword is one thing, but a bell which is the last remnant of a ruined kingdom? Possible, but take the easy route and get some greaves out of it.

Sunday, September 7, 2025

The Laws of Dead and Living

Who carried the grumblings of the owners to the king, and what was done about it? Taums it was, the son of Aums, and he told the king this, that the men of the kingdom had become few in number, not enough to see the harvest done, the farmers feared.
King Hadwis was not deaf but heard it all, not slow to war either but swift in it. He mustered strong men, as many as there were, to march on the underground kingdom. Who led the center? He did, proud in his armor and hard to look upon. Who led the right? It was Count Hemma, unbending and wise in war, the king's brother by oath. Who led the left? Count Kyvring led it, whose hall and whose riches were the greatest any had, but he disdained comfort when foes enjoyed life.
The host seized the caves that were the porch of that realm and dared to go farther. Count Hemma slew men that had horns and were huge, Count Kyvring overcame giants that killed three men by stamping once, and more than one hound of manly size learned the king was too strong for them. The slaughter was great on both sides, but more on the one, and the country below became the king's.
Hadwis made all submit and left them afterward in ownership of their land but under his law that never again should the underground steal away living men from their landly toil but only the dead that both countries might thrive.
Finis

Sunday, August 24, 2025

The Giants' Fingers

What caused the trembling? Two giants disputed and rocked the earth with their wrestling. They carried on for some time.
"Brother, enough of this."
"I know it. How is this? I see a man there, five miles away. He has a clever face."
The giants Aiks and Eiks gave the man their problem. "We must know who is mightier between us. You know that for giants there is no question of older or younger; we cannot learn from that. We thought to wrestle, but if we use all our strength, there will be no mountains in this country a day longer, a shame!"
"It is lucky you asked me, for I am a blacksmith. Now give me one finger, each of you."
Aiks and Eiks did so. The smith wrought two swords, Aiksfinger and Eiksfinger. He told them to lower their heads, which they did, and hewed them off, each with the sword of the other. Aiksfinger cut through the neck of Eiks in two blows. Aiks lost his head to Eiksfinger in three. The giants set their heads back on their necks and thanked the smith for his help.
The story has wide fame. The man who gains Aiksfinger rejoices greatly. He who has Eiksfinger is cheered little less, for it is keen and good.
Finis