The earth shuddered beneath Elias as Torvald stirred, the dying light of dusk swallowed by the giant’s towering, bare form. A sharp, icy wind sliced through Elias’s clothes, his teeth chattering as he clung to the warm, rough skin of Torvald’s backside, where he’d foolishly climbed in his reckless quest to prod the legend awake. His pulse roared—equal parts terror and thrill—certain he’d sparked a titan’s fury. But when Torvald’s massive head twisted, peering down with a curious squint, Elias saw not rage but a broad, delighted grin spreading across the giant’s face.
“Well, now!” Torvald’s voice boomed, warm as a hearthfire. “What’s this ticklin’ my ass? Come out, I ain’t one to swat a guest!”
Elias, gripping a fold of skin for dear life, blinked in disbelief. The giant was… happy? “I’m here!” he yelled, voice nearly lost in the evening gusts. Torvald’s bright eyes, gleaming like polished flint, locked onto him, sparkling with surprise.
“Oh! A man, bold enough to scale me bare!” Torvald’s laugh rumbled, shaking Elias’s perch. “I’m am pleased, I am—most folk flee at the sight o’ me, yet here you are, keepin’ me company!” His enormous hand swung down, fingers gentle as they plucked Elias from the curve of his backside, lifting him with care. The giant’s palm was warm, a shield against the biting cold, and Elias sank into its creases, catching his breath as Torvald held him close to his chest, where a steady heartbeat thudded.
“Name’s Elias,” he called up, the wind whipping past as the sky deepened to a frosty indigo.
“Elias, eh? Good, sturdy name,” Torvald said, his stride slow and deliberate, each step stirring the gravel below. “What madness drove ye to climb a giant’s rear, lad? Stories paint me a monster, I hear?”
Elias managed a shaky laugh, the heat of Torvald’s hand easing his shivers. “They say you crush villages, snack on herds. I wanted the truth. Looks like they got you wrong.”
“Always do,” Torvald chuckled, his breath clouding in the chill. “Night’s fallin’, Elias, and this cold’ll freeze you stiff. My cave’s close—got my shorts and shirt there, and a fire to warm us both. Care to go there?”Elias responds “yes plz as he starts to feel the cold.
Torvald’s long strides carried them swiftly, the world blurring past Elias’s perch in the giant’s hand. They reached a yawning cave mouth, its interior glowing with firelight. Torvald ducked inside, setting Elias gently on a smooth stone ledge. True to his word, a pair of massive shorts and a patched shirt lay folded nearby, big enough to blanket a village square. Torvald grabbed the shorts, stepping into them with a grin.
“There, now—bit more better for u,” he said, tossing logs onto the fire. Sparks danced, heat flooding the space. “Sit, Elias. Tell me what the world’s sayin’ ’about me and oh name is Torvald by the way also I’ll set their tales straight.”
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author