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."
"No, yes, no… we are sorry… we didn't know," the giants shook with fear, "don't make us small! Please, we'll do everyth
ing… no small!" the giants began to weep.
"Do you promise not to do it again?" asked Achtisanor.
"Yes, yes, promise. Just no small! Sorry! Please! Thank you!" the giants continued to cry.
"What do you say?” Achtisanor asked the squibs.
"Where are Dupree and Chase?" asked Fitz.
"They… one is there… we threw him into the forest…" the giants said apologetically. "And the other one… someone flying took him."
"Krunch," said Achtisanor.
The squibs whispered among themselves for a whole minute, and every time the word "shrink!" was heard, the two giants flinched, when the word "release!" was heard, they were more relaxed.
"We have decided—," called Fitz after the deliberation.
"We will set you free, but only if you agree to the following conditions," said Sai quickly.
"One," said Fitz, "from this day forward, the giants will pay great respect to the squibs."
"Giants will honour squibs… yes, yes, okay!" said the giants.
"Two," said Sai, "whenever the squibs are in peril, the giants will come to their aid."
"Come to their aid… okay, okay!" said the two giants.
"Three," called Fitz, "from now on, the giants will take a bath every Friday."
"What, every Friday? Yes, yes, a bath, we promise," said the giants, looking forlorn.
"And four," said Sai, "from now on you must wear skirts."
"Skirts?" wondered the two giants.
Sai and Fitz looked at them menacingly.
"Okay! Okay! Skirts, skirts…" called the two giants.
"And… that's it!" concluded Sai.
"Yes, if you will do all that, the commander will return to his former size," said Fitz.
"Yes, yes, promise, promise!" called the giants.
"Now take your friend from here and return to the mountains," said Achtisanor.
"Yes, come, commander, let's go," one of the giants lifted his small friend and walked to the river.
"Do you remember what they said?" asked one the giants.
"I think so… but we better write it…" the second muttered.
"Do you know how to write?" asked the first.
"No… and you?" asked the second.
"No," said the first, "so let's sing them…"
Achtisanor, Logan, De-Stik and the squibs smiled towards the two vanishing giants.
"It is high time that you have arrived to save me from these louts," De-Stik said angrily. "My treasure of jokes almost ran out."
"Hurry! Hurry! Get over here!" Krunch leaped suddenly from the foliage. "Come, quickly! They hit one of the squibs," he panted. "I found him on top of a golden-leaf tree, and I put the other one on it too. Quickly! They are unconscious, the healing potions are not working." He leaped back into the foliage.
Chapter 11 - Sludge
"Maybe you can tell your pig to move a little faster?" called Dunlop to Serdamus, who trailed behind him, sitting on the back of a young boar.
"I canna do nothing, Dunlop, Sludge is still small," said Serdamus. "It's difficult for him'ta move in that pace. Maybe ye be running a little slower?"
"If I'll run any slower than we won't reach in time," rebuked Dunlop. "We have tarried enough on the way here. I don't know why the press association thought the rented race elephants could enter the forest?! I will write a very harsh letter to the press association president. Very harsh indeed. What an improper management. What will the advertisers say? The sponsors will stop paying us if the story is not published in time."
"Okay, giddyup, sludge, faster! Run with ye!" Serdamus slapped his little hand on the boar's legs.
"At last we have reached Idrinor," said Dunlop when the sound of running water reached his ears.
"Come on, Sludge!" called Serdamus. "Run to the water, go on!"
The boar screamed and ran wildly into the trees, passing the surprised Dunlop, who fell down on the ground.
"Great, Sludge. Faster, Giddyup!" Serdamus yelled happily.
"I'll never understand pigs," Dunlop rose to his feet, cleaned his cloak, pulled his hair back and started to run after the boar. "Wait for me, Serdamus!" he yelled.
"Oh!" Serdamus was thrown from the boar's back into the river, when it stopped suddenly on the shore to drink.
"Help! Dunlop!" called Serdamus. "Save me! I be drowning!" his hands hit the water in an attempt to stay afloat.
"I'm coming, Serdamus," called Dunlop. He came running, threw his pack aside and leaped into the water to save his little friend.
"Ouch!" yelled Dunlop when he hit the shallow river. "Oh!" he stood up straight on his legs. The water reached his knees.
"You stupid sod," yelled Dunlop to Serdamus, "stand on your feet!"
"What? Oh… I can stand here," cried Serdamus happily and exited the river in an awkward gait.
Sludge rolled happily in the mud.
"Stupid pig," called Dunlop towards the satisfied boar.
"Bad Sludge," admonished Serdamus. "Now all me paints are wet."
"And now we are both soaked wet," Dunlop lifted his pack on back. "I still don't know why we needed this pig!"
Dunlop entered the river again, in order to cross it.
Serdamus took the boar's leash and dragged him forcefully into the river.
"Come on! Clean all that mud of ye!" he said when the boar rose on his hooves and shook his body, splaying mud everywhere. "And now I have to do it too," he said after one look.
The three crossed the river and continued on their way.
"We'll head to the beach," Dunlop walked quickly between the tall trees.
"Sludge, now no strangies, ye," Serdamus alighted on the boar's back, which started to reluctantly move again.
The forest grew dark around them. They could no longer hear the sounds of the river behind them.
"I'm cold," said Serdamus after a short while, "maybe we'll make a bitsy stop here and get dry?"
"No stopping now, Serdamus!" said Dunlop firmly.
"I think it will be scary to sleep t'night with all the trees here like this," Serdamus looked around.
"Don't worry," Dunlop tried to ease his worries, "I have brought my dagger." He pulled a small dagger from his belt.
Dunlop turned around when Serdamus did not answer. Sludge stood there, but Serdamus was no longer on his back.
"Serdamus?" wondered Dunlop, returned a few steps and looked around. "Serdamus?"
"Dunlop!" a small and choked whine was heard from above.
Dunlop looked above and saw Serdamus hung upside down. A bug and horrible creature held his feet and he smiled towards Dunlop, revealing rows of big, ugly fangs.
"What the h…" Dunlop muttered before something hit him on the back of his head and he knew no more.
Chapter 12 - Idrin – The Tree of Life
"Here, a little closer. It's right here." Krunch moved between the trees to the tree on which he left the two unconscious squibs. Achtisanor, Logan, De-Stik, Fitz, and Sai followed him.
"You said that the tree has golden leaves?" asked Logan.
"Yes! Golden leaves, a shining canopy," gasped Krunch. "Here it is!"
Inside the darkening forest, a majestic sight unfolded in front of the companions: an impressive thick and large trunk. He was covered in a golden-orange hue, and his canopy, which spread like a cloud above them, was filled with golden leaves.
"Whew," said Fitz excitedly, "I've never seen such a tree."
"Neither have I," said Sai.
"We see a wonderful sight after so long," said De-Stik, "I think I'm going to write about it a song."
Fitz lifted a golden leaf and examined it with his lenses. "I have never seen such a material," he said. "Sai, take some of the leaves to the lab!"
"They are over there," Krunch pointed upwards, "on the treetop."
"I shall climb with spree!" said De-Stik. "I have never climbed on a golden tree." He leaped to the trunk and started climbing, but when he reached the first branch, it collapsed
and De-Stik was thrown to the ground. De-Stik moaned and rubbed his aching buttocks.
"Come on, De-Stik," called Krunch, "you can do it!"
De-Stik jumped and tried again, but when he reached the first branch, it collapsed again and he fell to the ground again, to the sound of Achtisanor and Logan’s laughter.
"Do not laugh at me!" said De-Stik and he rose to his feet. "I have never encountered a stubborn tree."
"It is not the tree," smiled Logan, "you are the stubborn one."
"Okay, Logan," said De-Stik. "You are laughing while I frown; let us see you get the mission done!" He stood back and waved his arm as he escorting Logan to the tree.
Logan stepped to the tree and stood in front of it, she looked at De-Stik and then at the tree.
"Hello, Idrin," she talked to the tree in the Elvish tongue, which only Achtisanor understood, and caressed it.
"Gigigigi," a loud laughter was heard. "Gogogogo, oh, you are tickling me. Gigigi, gogoggo…"
The golden bark suddenly moved on the surface of the tree, and two eyes and large nose appeared on it.
"It… it talks," Sai ran and hid behind Achtisanor.
"It's good to see one of you inside this big forest," said Logan. "I was surprised that there are not many of you."
De-Stik opened his mouth in wonderment.
"It's Elvish," explained Krunch.
"And it is good to see you too, Lagwanamaris, my dear," replied the tree. "It is true," he continued, "there are no more Idrins around me. I am alone."
"I am sorry," Logan lowered her head. "So you have a large task – to lead such a big forest."
"Indeed, my dear," said Idrin.
"On your top, dear Idrin, there are two wounded and unconscious squibs," said Logan. "I am asking for your permission to climb and bring them down, so we may heal them."
"Of course, my dear," said the tree, "please, climb."
A long branch reached down and Logan jumped on it, and it began to rise gently to its place, where another branch waited to lift her higher. So Logan jumped from one branch to another, while the tree helped her along.
"That is not fair," said De-Stik. "It seems that for me you did not show such care."
"Gigigigi…" laughed the tree. "You did not ask nicely like Logan. And besides, you hurt me when you climbed!" the tree said angrily in the common tongue.
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