Logan Marsh: A Thrilling Fantasy Novel (Action Adventure,Mystery, Y/A Book 1) (8 page)

"Help!" a faraway sound suddenly squealed.

"Help!!!" another reedy voice seconded it, "Help!!! Help!!!"

"Do you hear what I hear?" Logan stood, her backpack already in place.

"The sounds are coming from there!" Achtisanor pointed to the south and started to briskly walk towards the sounds.

"Come on, Choop, leap on my shoulders," De-Stik urged sleepy Krunch, "I think our help is needed by others."

"Help!" the squeals echoed eerily in the forest.

"Help us!" echoed the second voice.

"Rrrrr," a rough and thick voice was heard above the din of falling trees.

"Look over there," Achtisanor turned their attention to a huge figure wielding an enormous wooden club that kicked a hollow fallen log. A fur garment covered its chest and loincloth covered his nether regions.

"Mountain giants!" Achtisanor held his sword hilt. "De-Stik and Krunch, don't get any closer. Stay here, behind the rock."

"Wow, look at the giant," said Krunch.

"Help!" the reedy voices echoed from within the fallen log each time the giant kicked away another portion of it.

Achtisanor and Logan entered the foliage on their left and approached the scene.

"Look, Krunch – there, near that tree!" pointed De-Stik to the other side of the river, "I don't think I like their glee."

Two giants laughed wildly on the other side of the river. Two tiny white-clad figures yelped when they were thrown from one giant to the other.

"We've got to help them," said Krunch and wanted to leap into the water, but De-Stik's long arm caught his backpack and stopped him.

"We've got to help them, but you, my friend, shall take the rear," said De-Stik. "I'll take the front, and please beware." And he started to walk into the water.

"De-Stik, wait, let's go from there!" Krunch pointed to several rocks that jutted from the water surface.

"Logan, stay here," whispered Achtisanor when they stood behind a large trunk near the hollow log.

The sounds of wreckage were heard again as the giant furiously kicked the log.

Achtisanor ran between the trees and exited the foliage several meters behind the giant.

"A thousand pardons, sir giant! Yelled Achtisanor to the giant, who turned around in surprise, "what kind of terrible monster lurks inside this log?"

"Oooh!" moaned the giant. His black and curly hair obscured his face and he waved menacingly with his club.

As soon as the giant turned his back toward Logan, she took advantage of the distraction and whispered into the log. "Come on, hurry out!"

Two squibs wearing once-white coats, now covered in mud, poked out with fear. One of them had curly black hair and wore spectacles while the other was a freckled redhead.

"Please, do not be upset," Achtisanor said to the giant. "I merely asked for the nature of the horrid monster that tried to hunt such a big and strong creature as you."

"Over here!" whispered Logan urgently and ran back to the foliage.

The two frightened squibs ran after her.

"Ha," laughed Achtisanor when he saw the two creatures running after Logan into the forest. "Squibs!"

The giant turned his head and saw their white frocks disappearing in the green foliage.

"No!!!" he yelled and started following them into the forest, tossing aside the first tree that stood in his way.

"I can fully understand you, good sir," continued Achtisanor, "squibs are one of the most frightening monsters this forest can deliver your way."

The giant stood in his place. "They… did not pay toll," he rebuked Achtisanor and approached him, "and now they ran away. You pay for this," he waved his club to hit Achtisanor, but he leaped easily away.

"Toll?" Achtisanor ran quickly behind the hulking and slow moving giant and drew his sword, "you do not think it is ridiculous to ask for a toll in a place with gate or fences?"

"This is our forest," called the giant, turned slowly and tried to hit Achtisanor. Achtisanor leaped away and landed near the fallen log.

A long green-fletched arrow was shot from the forest, a rope attached to it. The arrow stuck the fallen log. Achtisanor reached his hand and took the rope in his hand.

"Now!" he yelled. Logan ran from the forest and circled the confused giant. She held in her hand the second end of the rope. Achtisanor left his spot quickly and ran parallel to Logan, wrapping the rope around the giant's legs.

"I'll show you!" screamed the giant and tried to get close to the two vermin running beneath him. A great thunder echoed in the forest when his huge body collapsed on the ground, and his head hit a big rock.

"Come on, after me, this not the time to settle," De-Stik leaped between the rocks. "Let's show these bullies our mettle."

When they have reached the other side of the river, De-Stik looked back. Krunch was not there.

"Krunch! Krunch! Where have gone?" he muttered. "I just turned for two seconds, maybe even one!"

A long squeal was heard from above.

"Poor creatures, do not fear," De-Stik lifted his head and his staff, "brave De-Stik is here!"

De-Stik stepped between the trees until he reached the place from which the scream sounded. Two giants stood one in front of the other, amidst a wreckage of fallen trees. In one of the giant’s palms was a small squib wearing a white and torn frock, and in the hands of the other – a big wooden club poised for a hit. The second squib was nowhere to be seen.

The giant lifted the squib, aiming it towards his friend.

"We shall fly as the great hawks cry!" Krunch called from afar.

The squib was thrown towards the waiting club.

"No!" Krunch shouted. His tiny figure darted quickly in the air, took a hold of the squib and avoided the club that tried to hit them.

"Well done, Krunch, well played," De-Stik exited the foliage and clapped. "The darting around was… good, even without my aid!" He looked above toward the two flying figures. When he lowered his eyes, his smile left his face. The two upset giants looked at him. Each one of them wielding a huge club.

"Oops, no… yes… well, it did not seem that easy," De-Stik retreated quickly, "anyway, don't let me interrupt, you seem quite busy…" he turned and ran as fast as he could, looking over his shoulder.

"Oi," De-Stik hit the trunk that was exactly behind him and examined his brow with his finger. "Ooh!" he screamed when his legs got tangled in the tree roots. He fell on his behind, his backpack was thrown and his equipment spilled out.

The two giants laughed wildly.

"That was on purpose, a great joke I must tell," De-Stik sat in his place and tried to think out of this grim situation, "I will introduce myself, big giants, as the wandering minstrel!" He thrummed three times on his harp. "So, my dear fellows, you like a little mirth?" He tried to smile honestly without success, "my jokes shall make tremble of your girth!"

The two giants looked suspiciously on the sparkling instrument.

"So listen to my story, dear giants, lend me your ear," De-Stik said confidently, "because you will never hear this jokes far or near. Our story includes a lutin. Goblin, soldja, and a dwarf that decided to band together…"

"Quickly, before he wakes up," called Logan to the two squibs.

The two little squibs peeked from the foliage and leaped on the unconscious giant's back.

"And here!" yelled the redheaded squib and kicked the giant's head.

"We've beat you!" called the other one and punched his back.

Logan and Achtisanor looked at the two squibs and smiled.

"I do not think this will help much," smiled Achtisanor.

"Maybe not, but now we'll show us what we can do," the bespectacled squib said, sat on the giant's back and drew a small notebook from his pack.

"Sai, you may begin," he called to the redheaded squib. "Keep an angle of exactly forty-three degrees."

The redheaded squib pulled six small needles from his back and ran across the giant's big body. He stuck two of them in the back of his head, two in his arms, and two in his legs.

"Ready when you are, Fitz," called Sai.

The squib returned his notebook to his pack and removed the spectacles from his eyes. He leaped to the rock behind the giant's head and lifted his hands in the air, each one of them holding an oval lens. "The left lens should be in this angle… the other one…" the squib murmured to himself. Suddenly, the sunbeams shot through the lens and bathed the giant's body in the places where the needles were set.

"It's working!" called Sai. Achtisanor and Logan looked amazedly as the giant shrunk until he was smaller than the squibs.

"Wow!" called Logan, "how did you do this?"

"Our methods are secret," said Fitz proudly and returned to lenses to his eyes, which looked a great deal larger than before.

"I must see his reaction when he wakes up," laughed the redheaded Sai.

"I have never seen such a feat," said Achtisanor.

"We didn't thank you yet," Fitz turned to him proudly. "Allow me to shake your hands in thanks for saving us," and he shook Achtisanor’s hand with his tiny palm. "I am Fitz, the leader of the adventuring group 'Mind over Matter'. And this is my friend Sai. You must be the renowned Sir Achtisanor," he looked at him adoringly.

"And you must be… beautiful," Sai looked like a hypnotized man at Logan.

"Thank you," Logan blushed and leaned to shake his tiny hand, "well met, I am Logan Marsh."

"Let's go back to De-Stik and Krunch," Achtisanor lifted the shrunken giant that looked like a doll in his hands and started marching toward his two friends.

"Yes, and we need to save Chase and Dupree," Fitz ran after him, "they were taken by the giant on the other side of the river."

"I am sure that Krunch and De-Stik have gone to their assistance," said Achtisanor after they returned and realized that they were gone.

"Over here," shouted Fitz and ran towards the rock trail on the river.

The wild laughter of the two giant was clearly heard from the other side of the river.

"And now I must go, I know you are upset," said De-Stik to the two giants, "but I need to depart before the sun sets."

"Sit and tell us more jokes. The sun just gone up," thundered one of the giants.

"You are not going anywhere!" shouted the second giant.

"Okay, okay, you are stubborn like an ox," De-Stik searched his memory for additional jests. "Here are some more jokes."

"Into a giants' bar went in a dwarf and a lutin," he told his seventh joke, "and heard the giants shouting from within: 'Seven! Seven! Seven!' they shouted, creating an awful din.

"'Ye' wonder wh't they say?' the dwarf. 'I really want t'know.'

"'I'll climb on your shoulders,' said the lutin. 'And look through the window.'

"The lutin climbed, and looked inside, and suddenly… a giant's fist smashed his head. "’Eight! Eight! Eight!’ their singing now was heard."

The two giants roared with laughter. De-Stik noticed Achtisanor, Logan, and the two squibs in the foliage in front of him, standing and smiling. Achtisanor carried the shrunken giant. De-Stik looked at the tiny figure and he gaped.

"Hi, what is wrong with you? Tell more stories," called one of the giants.

"Yes, yes," replied De-Stik, looked towards them and an idea came into his mind, "I will continue a story, but this not jest. It is something else, truth that no one can test. It is not a riddle or a tale, not a scary story for toddlers to tell. The story is about the infamous group 'Amalek Avenger'. All giants know of them, I gather?"

"I don't really know…" One of the giants started speaking.

"Shut up and let him tell the story, fool," the second giant rebuked him.

"This adventure group was scary as hell," De-Stik continued with his story. "They would never surrender, and never leave a trail. It is said that they swore to protect all the little folk, especially if they are tiny and wear a white frock."

The two giants looked at one another in growing terror.

"The rumours say that they are quite close," continued De-Stik, and Achtisanor went stealthily and put the unconscious shrunken giant on the ground behind them. "Avenging the little ones as they chose. They have a great powers, I think, that cause the mightiest giant to – shrink!"

The two giants listened intently to De-Stik's story and had not noticed that the miniature giant was set behind them.

"And the reason I tell you this, you mind," said De-Stik in a mysterious manner. "So that you can look behind."

The two giants turned. A long shout echoed in the forest when they saw their shrunken friend lying on the ground, and the angry companions waiting above him.

"Amalek Avengers!" screamed the first giant. "Look what happened to the commander," screamed the second one.

"They," Fitz pointed towards them, "they abused our friends."