Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 74

The giant consider, took something from his belt and threw it to the ground. The object bounced and became table with weapons displayed on it. Most of the items seemed more like cooking utensil, or something you might find in a butchery. The table bounced and slid to a halt beside Shen. He casually side eyed the table, not wanting to look away from the giant. Nothing fell off the table while it slid to a stop.

“Nice trick,” Shen said. “Can you pull the table cloth off while leaving things on the table?”

“Choose the instrument of comfort you wish to cling to while dying,” the giant said.

(Jon, are you insane?) the voice was in his head. ‘Maybe. You up full?’ (No! It takes a while to get the drivers re-installed.) ‘I am going to need a uniform.’ (Working on it.)

“You’re stalling,” the giant said.

“No. I am just wondering where the slingshot is,” Shen said.

“Pick, or die empty handed,” the giant said.

“Hold on!” Shen snapped. “What do I get when I kill you?”

“You will not kill me. I will eat your eyes and then fuck your eye holes,” the giant said.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, your dick is that small,” Shen said, baiting him to run. The giant didn’t seem to get it. An emotionally raging giant might have given him an advantage. “But what do I get when I win?”

The giant was more confused than angry. His friends laughed.

“You will not…”

“Either call it, or I will claim my own reward,” Shen said.

“You will get to live to fight my friends,” the giant said.

“And if I kill all of you?”

“You will receive a normal size chicken,” the giant said. His friends laughed.

“Dead or alive?” Shen asked.

“What?”

“The chicken- is it dead, or alive?” Shen asked.

“There is no chicken, little man,” the giant said.

“I am confused,” Shen said. “I want my chicken…”

The giant came forwards, raising a sword.

(Go limp.) Shen let go of all his muscles and nearly collapsed. ATL caught him, full uniform suddenly on him. Shen’s hand took a sword from the table as he fell, dive rolling in between the giants swing, rolling out between his legs, and came up standing behind him. The giant went down on a knee, the tendon cut, not severed, and the sword remained stuck in its heel. The giant fell onto his butt, lifted itself on two of its arms, and came at Shen crawling like a crab, swatting Shen with its sword. Shen had rolled and came out standing, grabbed another sword, and just barely blocked. Shen’s new sword shattered. Shen was thrown into a pillar, bounced off, and as he came off, he grabbed one of the spongy ropes for flying. He didn’t grab it- his body grabbed it because TL was in control. The giant had pursued and was suddenly wearing the flying ribbon around his neck. Shen dropped, tightening the impromptu noose. Two of the giant’s hands went to his neck. Two went to the floor to support his weight. Shen stabbed into one of his wrist with a weapon. It swatted Shen away, but also bound himself tighter. It had to bring his hands to the floor to keep himself from choking.

In all of this, Shen was injured badly, but he got up. He was facing the giant, hearing the others coming up behind him.

“Kill him!” one of the giants screamed.

Shen suddenly had a Torch in his hand. He leapt into the air, a warp bubble catching him, taking him straight up. The closest giant slid to a stop, trying to track Shen, looking straight up into the darkness. It was the warp bubble or the sword, never both at the same time. The bubble popped off and gravity immediately took Shen back down, dropping him behind the giant. The gold soul blade made a loud rapport as it lit, cutting a line down the giant’s back. It was essentially the Pirate King, sliding down the sail with a knife, only this was a soul sword cutting through flesh. The giant flopped to the ground. The second closest giant attacked. Shen’s sword blinked off and the bubble shield returned in time to take the full brunt of a club- and passed it through as if it were a hologram. As the club went past, Shen dropped the shield and severed the arm holding the club as gravity took him down. The rapport of soul sword blazing back to life was as loud a Magnum with 18in barrel. The giant retreated, nursing its wound. Shen, with feet on the ground, charged, almost fully severing the left ankle as he ran under the giant. The giant went down much easier than the first, falling forwards and catching himself with his hands. Shen ran up the body and plunged his blade into the neck, and the giant went limp. Arms splayed out.

Shen turned to the remaining two giants. They were frozen.

A shadow rose and Shen turned to see the giant whose back had been cut rising. The giant rose- leaving his second skin, the body armor, the same way a cicada emerges from the grub. He was a bloody mess and hurting, and fiercely angry, turning to pound Shen with his two good hands. He was injured and falling before Shen could respond to the attack. It was a slow fall, at first like a tree not sure what to do after an era of defying gravity. It crashed with a resounding thud, an arrow in his eye- evidence four other arrows, penetrating deeper were in his skull. Shen looked back to see Jerica reloading, her arrows glowing. He turned back to the remaining giants. They turned, running towards the gate. The tallest giant, the table boss, coughed disparagements at them as they fled.

Shen approached the boss. His party gathering around him.

“Shen, we won this,” Arne said. “It’s over.”

“He promised me a chicken,” Shen said.

“Who are you?!” the giant demanded, hoarsely- the victim of one rock and roll too many.

“Jon Harister,” Shen said. “Captain of the Calypso, and today, giant slayer. You will order your people to cease all hostilities or die!”

Lights came back on and a dozen Centaurs transported in. Their bows were at ready. The top of the ballroom was lifted away. Camera lights swarmed the room. A hand came in and took the giant away. The giant protested, but his voice faded away fast.

“Lower your weapons.”