Original: http://lumieredarling.deviantart.com/art/True-Friends-Chapter-Two-511837218

Author: http://lumieredarling.deviantart.com

(The next few parts are of the same author and series so I'm putting them in the same section.)

The hissing of metal on metal is the first sensation I am able to detect aside from the intense pounding in my skull. Groaning I try to open my eyes, but my body doesn't seem to want to respond. My tongue feels heavy in my mouth, and I vaguely notice that I can't seem to taste anything or even move it. My mind slips in and out of focus, yet the metallic hissing continues. What is that? With a final burst of will the grogginess begins to clear, and my eyes open some.

The noise stops.

Above me I can see the stars. Thousands of tiny orbs in the sky. I stare at them, still blinking the sleep from my eyes. I wonder what its like up there. I roll my eyes and attempt let out a massive yawn, only half managing; there is something weird covering my mouth. Working my jaw around I determine that it has to be some sort of muzzle. Then it all comes back to me: losing my temper, desperately fleeing the city, Gideon following, seeing the look on his face, attempting to explain, him knocking me out, falling... Wait, that means I'm still a giant. I feel another yawn come on and this time I manage a small one, it's then I hear a familiar cussing noise.

"Holy ****!" I feel something scrambling around on my chest, just below my chin. Craning my head to look down I gasp in pain as my hair is yanked backwards by what I assume is ropes. I must be tied down. I strain try and lift my arms and legs and the notion is confirmed. Yep, tied down. I snort in annoyance, and try again. This time lifting my head slower, I manage to lift it high enough to see Gideon sprawled on my chest, propped up on his elbows as if he just fells backwards and froze in the process of trying to escape. He stares at me, his breathing heavy, eyes huge with fear. He must have been frightened when I yawned, oops. We stare at eachother for several minutes, each trying to work up the courage to speak. Finally he seems to relax some, sitting forward he rubs a hand over his face, eyes hard by the time it reaches his hairline. Standing he lifts his sword from where he dropped it on my chest, sheathes it, then picks up the stone he was using to sharpen it. That must be what the metal scraping noise I heard earlier was, he was sharpening his sword. Gideon sticks his hands on his hips, one still holding the stone, and stares at me for a long while. I remain silent, unsure of what to do. Finally he lifts the stone in front of his eyes, looks at it calmly, then throws it across the arena.

"What the heck Cole?!" He screams, pulling at his hair. He spins around, sword ringing as he pulls it from its sheath, pressing it's cold tip to my throat. "Why didn't you tell me? What the heck are you? What is this, turn into a giant monster and play the giant slayer until it's time to eat everyone?!" I feel blood trickling down my neck from the sword tip. "I mean, I spend my whole life protecting this city from gigantic monsters, only to find out my best friend, and adopted brother, IS ONE."

I attempt to speak, but the muzzle muffles my ability to talk, before I am able to form a coherent word Gideon snarls and pushes the sword point deeper into me throat. "Don't you dare speak you know this sword has killed giants before, it can do it again." I can feel the sword swaying against my skin, he is shaking. "How could you do this? We were brothers, we told eachother EVERYTHING, we would have died for eachother man. How could you lie like that? How could you not tell me? Are you even still Cole anymore?" He steps back, lowering the sword, and looks at me with a look I never thought I'd see Gideon give me: desperation. I blink sympathetically, yearning to tell him I am sorry. Instead I resort to the oldest joke we have as friends, it started when we were playing as kids. I got hurt when we were being rather naughty and sneaking into the arena, we both got caught, and as they were dragging us home I gave Gideon the thumbs up, which he then returned. Ever since that day thumbs up has been a special thing between us.

Flexing my right hand I manage to snap the strings (ropes) that were pinning my fingers, I then rotate my hand into a thumbs up. Reverting my eyes from his I look at my hand, his gaze follows mine and I hear him make a quiet choking noise. All strength seems to leave him right then, his knees buckle, and he sits on my chest, curling his knees to his own and groaning.

"Cole you are such a jerk you know that?" When he meets my gaze again he looks miserable, but there is a slight twinkle of gratitude in his eyes. You know I won't hurt you.

"And Lord have mercy you're MASSIVE Cole!!" He leans forward, placing a hand on my chin his eyes wide with curiosity as if he can't contain himself anymore. I blink, which is the closest I can come to saying, and you're so small. He shakes his head in wonder, a boyish smile plastered on his face. "I used to call you short stuff, and little buddy! All those times I made fun of your height and to think, you could have stepped on me like a bug if you wanted." He laughs nervously. "You know I never thought I'd be thankful that you are the kinda guy that refuses to even squish spiders and ants.... though that's pry why isn't it?" I nod my head slightly, causing him to jump. But he is getting used to me now, and settles back down with a slight shiver. "I have never been this scared of a giant before." He stares at my chin and picks at the material that forms my muzzle. "But I'm really glad it's you. There is no way we could handle a sixty foot giant, and I thought thirty feet was huge! We'd all die." He gives me a serious look. "I know you won't hurt anyone, but you still have to be careful okay? You can kill people easily now." I roll my eyes as if to say I know this already and give him another thumbs up. He nods and laughs, smacking me on the chin.

"Man I bet we could get in some SERIOUS trouble like this!" He laughs again, and I do my best to grin despite the muzzle, then he seems to realize something and all mirth fades from his features. I blink in confusion, but he just shakes his head at me, leaning forward with a groan. I hold still, shocked as he leans his arms on my chin, placing his head in the crook of his elbow. He remains there for a minute, then looks up at me, tears streaming down his face.

"They're going to kill you Cole."

Original: http://lumieredarling.deviantart.com/art/True-Friends-Chapter-Three-521284681

Author: http://lumieredarling.deviantart.com

I am not sure which I am more shocked by: Gideon crying, or him telling me I am going to die. I blink and let out a muffled noise of confusion. I haven't seen Gideon cry since his mother's funeral. I also don't want to die.

"Umph?"

"They are holding a council meeting tomorrow morning to decide your fate." Gideon wipes tears from his face and gazes at me sadly. Absentmindedly picking at the collar of my shirt from his seated position on my chest. "You know the Vex twins will want you executed, with you gone, your father will be broken-hearted and leave his position in the council, and they will finally have the city fully at their mercy. The worst part is everyone will side with them, because if they don't they will cut off the food supply and we will all starve. We can't expect people to endanger their families for your sake, even if it is wrong... what are we gonna do Cole? I can't watch you die..." I consider this news, he is right. The Vex brothers will do everything in their power to attain the position at head of the council. I shudder at the thought. They would ruin everything my father has worked to accomplish.

"Well it's obvious isn't it? We break him out." Gideon jumps as a new voice chimes in somewhere to my right. Even if I could turn my head to look I wouldn't have to, I know it's Sage. "Good grief what did you do to the poor boys neck?" I feel a tiny hand brush my jawbone as she surveys the cut made by the tip of Gideon's sword.
"I've already packed all of the things we will need for a journey to the next town." She states calmly, I hear jars clinking as she rummages around in her large leather bag.

"What?!... We can't just pick up and leave." Gideon's outraged cry echoes around the arena.

"Shhh Gideon, and yes, we do. If we stay, then Cole will die. If we cut him lose or he shrinks and he escapes, they will know we let him go. And while your dad may be able to protect you from punishment if he escapes, my status as a witch will give the Vex brothers the perfect excuse to hang me. Especially if they scare the townspeople into thinking that Cole is a giant mindless monster who wants to come back and eat everyone." I feel Gideon collapse on his back on my chest with a groan.

"Oh if only I wasn't so stupid and had just let him go, none of this would have happened... but there has to be another option other than leaving."

"There isn't. Trust me I've been planning for this day for a long time." Gideon gasps and jumps up, standing once more on my chest.

"You knew?!" His voice echoes around the arena once more, followed by more shh-ing from Sage.

"Of course I knew, remember that day we took a walk in the woods and ran into that 20 foot giant, and your horse threw you and you were knocked unconscious? But when you woke up the giant was nowhere to be seen and we told you it had just run off for like no reason? We lied, that giant was going to kill you, and he would have succeeded if Cole hadn't grown 60 feet and saved your life." I hear her pull open her pouch and a subtle rasping noise as she removes the lid from a jar. I gasp and wince as a cool substance touches the wound on my neck, her hand jerks away, Gideon yelps, and they both jump, afraid of my sudden movement. Oops. A few seconds later she starts rubbing the solve in again, and gradually the pain stops.

"And neither of you thought to tell me huh?" He sounds more hurt than accusing.

"Well considering you tried to slit his throat, it's a good thing we didn't." She shoots back, adopting her motherly chiding tone she uses 25% of the time on children, and 75% of the time on Gideon.

"I wasn't gonna do it.." He replies sulkily, hopping down from my chest. Sage snorts in response and lays a cloth across the wound on my neck, sticking it on with a mystery substance and creating a makeshift bandage. When she is finished I hear her take a deep breath, then laugh nervously. "We should probably take this foolish muzzle off him, and cut the ropes binding his hair."

"Yeah, we should." Gideon replies haltingly.

Silence.

They're afraid of me. I feel my stomach drop at the notion. I can't really blame them.. I'm a monster... My pulse quickens and I remain as still as possible. What if they are too scared to free me? I don't want to scare them anymore by breaking out myself...

Then I hear the singing of steel as Gideon draws his sword, and I feel him hacking at the ropes binding my head down. Sage climbs onto my chest with an umph and begins unstrapping the muzzle.

"Hold still Cole." She orders, I obey, and within minutes they have my head free. I wait for Sage to slide down my shoulder, heaving the heavy muzzle down with her, before turning my head in attempt to loosen the knots in my neck and work my jaw, relieving the built up tension in it. I breathe a sigh of relief and turn to look at them.

"Thanks." I whisper. They look nervous, but Gideon nods.

"Okay so.." He begins, but is cut off with a harsh laugh.

"Oh I knew you would try and save him! How utterly pathetic." All three of us turn in the direction of the new voice, which belongs to Cedric, Edward Vex's son. He steps out of the shadows at the edge of the arena with a triumphant grin on his face. Standing as tall as Gideon, Cedric has curly black hair and blue eyes as cold as his fathers. I suppose he would be handsome if he weren't such a jerk. Cedric is on the giant-slaying team and serves under Gideon, he has also been trying to get Gideon killed so he can take his job ever since the two met.

Like father like son.

Gideon shifts his grip on his sword and curses. While Sage holds her head high and stares at Cedric defiantly, reaching into her sleeve and grabbing hold of something in preparation for battle. They remain like this, Gideon posed to fight, Cedric grinning like a kid with a new shiny toy, and Sage with one arm up her sleeve. I don't wait to see the conclusion of the epic stand-off between two friends and a douche-bag. Tensing my muscles I jolt upwards, as if doing a sit-up in my daily (okay every few days) workout routine. The ropes snap like string, reaching out I swiftly pull the majority of them off so they don't tangle my legs up. The rest fall off when I stand.

Alarms begin to blare, and Cedric cries out in fury, his cries barely audible over the blaring siren. No point in being quiet now, the whole town will be up at this rate. I frown and turn so I can see Sage and Gideon. They both look as if they might faint. I briefly notice that at some point Sage reached for Gideon's hand, before the urgency of the situation takes over once more.

"Sorry about this guys." I kneel down, carefully scooping them up in one hand. Gideon cries out and Sage clings to him, noticing movement out of the corner of my eye I spare the top of the arena a glance, only to be dismayed by the amount of archers lining its walls. I panic briefly, I doubt their arrows are capable of killing me, but Sage and Gideon will be vulnerable. I need to eliminate the possibility of them being targets... OH. I give them a sympathetic look, causing Gideon narrows his eyes as me. He looks kinda cute when he is pissed at this size. Using my other hand I pull open the small leather pouch around my neck. Gideon, realizing what I am about to do screams.

"Cole don't you dare put us-" He is cut off as I raise my hand and tilt it, sending them tumbling forward, I support the pouch at an angle that will allow them to land softly inside. Once they are in I cinch it shut, muffling Gideon's screaming. Not a second after the first volley of arrows is fired. I gasp and cover my face as hundreds of stinging little barbs stick into my skin. It's going to suck pulling those out later. But at least the pouch protected Sage and Gideon from harm. Not bothering to let the archers attempt a second volley, I charge the nearest wall. The men panic and scatter before me, making enough room for me to brace a hand and vault myself over the wall. I land on the street with a thud, making the humans in the near vicinity fall over.

"Sorry!" I cry, breaking into a run and loping down the streets. I watch the ground, being carefully not to crush anyone. The darkness makes it harder to see than I would like, street lights included, and I have to go slower than I would like for fear of squashing someone. Tiny houses blur by, including my own, I hesitate then skid to a stop, peering in the windows of my house in search of my parents. No one is home. I sigh sadly, accidentally blowing my mothers hanging plant off its hook, then resume my escape. I don't make it far before I am forced to stop again. I can hear Gideon screaming at me, but elect to ignore him for now. I have bigger problems to deal with. Like the catapults on the outer wall aiming straight for my face. Arrows may not leave a mark, but I bet you rocks, or well, boulders will.

The other Vex brother, Nick, stands between two of the catapults holding a megaphone. He has a slightly larger hook in his nose than his brother, and a more prominent frown. Holding up the megaphone his voice echos around the town with authority.

"Halt giant!" I snort, as if I were still running towards you little man. I hold up my hands.

"I-" A woman's high pitched scream cuts me off. Looking for the source my eyes find the ground between my feet, where a young female with curly jet black hair, and petrified blue eyes stares up at me. She is sprawled on the ground where she fell, probably due to me. I choke silently, it's Violet, Nick Vex's daughter. She is also the girl I have secretly admired since I was 6. I stand there gawking at her, and pry would have sputtered something stupid and flustered relating to an apology when an idea occurs to me. Kneeling down I wrap my hand around Violet's waste, being careful not to snap her in half in the process. Then I stand, holding her up as I do, and meet Nick's gaze.

"Open the gate or I'll crush her."