Chapter 14: Stone Giant

"Stone giant!" Graldor is moving too, following Vosh, hands reaching in his pockets while the troll moves with astonishing speed. I race after him, Damaris beside me, knowing I'm far too late to reach the elf and halfling in time, that the giant-the guardian of this bridge, obviously-has already crushed them against the stones and killed them both.

I underestimate Vosh's dexterity and speed as he bounds the last twenty feet, landing with both legs spread over our fallen friends, his powerful body swelling while he roars again. But the stone giant looms over him, at least twice his size and I am now terrified for him more than I am for the elf and halfling.

Not to mention the state of the bridge. A selfish thought I can't suppress.

Fleur and Blossom are scrambling for safety, the pair on their feet and racing back toward us, turning as we reach them, the five of us able to do little but stare up at the two massive forms about to do battle on the narrow expanse over the bottomless chasm.

"Vosh!" Graldor reaches into his pocket and pulls out the statue's heart, but the troll growls in return.

"Run, you idiots!" He lunges forward, planting his shoulder in the gut of the stone giant. I back off half a step as the massive creature bellows in pain, his thick rock beard shedding a ripple of pebbles, deep set eyes flaring with red flames much like Vosh's.

He's bigger than my friend but not as fast, not by a long shot, though when he swings forward with one arm, his fingers clip Vosh on the hip, sending him tumbling backward.

I leap over Vosh's shoulder, sword out, but as I stare up at the stone giant towering above me I realize I'm completely out of my league.

"Webb, just run!" Vosh is on his feet, hands grasping and tossing me back behind him. I land on my feet, barely, the others crowding around me, eyes locked on the giant as if they have no idea what to do next. Blossom is meeping soft breaths of anxiety, Fleur humming a low and terrified song while the dwarf beside me bounces on the balls of his feet like he wants to do something, anything. And Damaris stares.

"We won't leave you." I refuse to abandon Vosh, even if it means my death. The troll backs up two steps, forcing our retreat, while the stone giant lunges for him in slow motion, the sound of rock crushing at his movements sending dust and small pebbles raining down over us. Vosh grasps the hand that swings and jerks on it, the giant stumbling from the loss of balance, but quickly catches himself again.

"Get off the bridge now," the troll shouts over his shoulder. "I'll be right behind you." "He'll just follow!" Blossom's protest is a wail of terror and she practically climbs

my body, clinging to me. I sheath my sword and prop her on my hip. There's nothing I can do to fight, so carrying her isn't any trouble and brings me a small measure of usefulness.

"He can't." Again Vosh retreats and this time Fleur squeals an uncharacteristically harsh sound before skipping back almost to the end of the bridge. "Those carvings in his face. He's locked to this expanse. When we leave it, we're safe." I see them now, the etchings, realize those same carvings are in the archway that begins the bridge and have to believe Vosh knows what he's talking about. "Now get out of the way because I'm leaving!"

That's enough for me. I retreat as quickly as I can, unable to force myself to turn my back on the slow motion and yet inevitable feeling threat of the stone giant towering over us. There's an eerie sensation to the entire encounter because I know I'm moving faster than the hulking creature overhead and I'm positive I'm going to reach the end of the bridge before that massive fist descends fully and strikes the stones at my feet. And yet I'm unable to shake the surreal vibration of the moment as my boot exits the span and I'm back on the ledge, Blossom with her little face turned into my neck, arms twined around me, Damaris crushing me on the left, the dwarf on the right while Fleur scampers sideways as we sidle back the way we came.

Vosh doesn't leave, not yet, his bulk at the end of the bridge, and I know then as the giant's fist impacts the troll's upraised arms I may have just lost my friend for good.

Instead, Vosh speaks a word in trollish, a powerful word with an echo like nothing else I've ever heard and the giant's fist slides sideways instead, impacting the curved arch of the bridge. Shattering it as it makes contact, shards of rock blasting outward in a volley of shrapnel that would have killed all of us were it aimed in our direction.

I can't remember dropping Blossom but I know I have because she's not in my arms anymore. I'm moving, faster than I've ever moved in my life, feet flying and yet I'm stuck in one place, heart pounding, stopping between one beat and the next, pained breath catching in my throat as I throw myself forward, hands outstretched. Grasping, reaching. Catching the thick belt of the troll as the bridge end explodes with the concussive force of the giant's descending fist and collapses down into the darkness.

Vosh wavers, dragging me with him and I'm falling but I will never, ever let go. But someone grasps my shoulders, catches my legs, holds me and heaves. No, not one person but many, hands using me to hold the falling troll as I hold him, the lot of us teetering on the edge of the precipice, the tumbling form of the giant disappearing into the black while I accept my death and embrace it when I heave on the massive form before me.

My feet slip, my hands cramp, and in the end I'm positive we're going over. But the tipping point shifts at last, the painful, terrifying instant of choice as if the Universe inhales and exhales and decides it's not our time after all. I stumble backward with the troll almost on top of me, the others crushed to the wall with groans and protests. And yet, it takes us a moment to separate, to shift away from each other and check ourselves for injury.

I look up from my own unscathed form and into the silent eyes of the troll who extends one large hand to pull me against his broad chest. Odd how I feel choked up and embarrassed at the same time, offering a halfhearted punch to his arm as he releases me and ducking my head so the others won't see me blush.

"My deepest thanks, Webb," Vosh says. "I owed you that," I say.

***