Glimpse had found something interesting. Our journey had been well timed as a warband of giants had been making their way south, no doubt with ill-intentions in mind. To be fair to them I had slaughtered all the little bands chasing me when I went mammoth hunting and the big bastards had probably taken it as a bad sign when forty odd of them suddenly vanished overnight. My conscience didn’t even twinge at the thought of killing the cannibals.

  Was it even cannibalism though? They were the vile version of humans, not actual humans? Did they eat their own or just regular people? A question for another time.

  I’d kicked the Fangs awake and we’d set off to lay in wait for the band heading south. There were fifty three of the big bastards moving our way. They didn’t stick to any formation or have scouts running ahead. They didn’t even have troops covering their flanks. Amateurs.

  The Fangs spread out in a loose arc. Jandak was directly behind me in the giant’s line of advance and Mune and Kos were off to the left and right respectively. They had all laid down in the relatively short grass but I couldn’t see them when I stood upright so it would have to be good enough. The plan was simple enough. I got to play bait, and seeing as these assholes ate people like me it wasn’t a comforting thought.

  I’d started a fire and was making a stew. We’d been living on cold rations for what seemed like forever and the savoury smell that rose up as I added water and vegetables to the meat made my mouth water.

  Glimpse floated above like a black and white ghost, watching the surprisingly nimble monsters move towards us. He swooped down and flew closer to them to listen in.

  “It’s a fucking normie, we should ask him some questions then eat him. Maybe rip an arm or two off to make sure he tells the truth, ya know?” grumbled one of the smaller creatures at the front. I couldn’t decide if they were monsters or people. They spoke like humans but were so alien they didn’t register on my code at all. As far as I was concerned they were massive ambulatory bags of Souls and killing or taking control of them were both options that wouldn’t lose me any sleep.

  I waited patiently, stirring my pot occasionally and basking in the scent of the food to come. They were half a mile away and they’d stopped talking as they drew closer. The general consensus was that they’d only rip one of my arms off to make sure I told the truth then try and quiz me before I bled out. Considering they were supposed to be smarter than normal humans I wasn’t terribly impressed. They did rise to the top of my list of disposable shock troops though.

  The world shook as they broke into a charge thinking they’d snuck up on me. I was happy to disabuse them of this notion. With a roar I shot to my left, trying to drag them away from the stew I really did want to eat when this was done.

  My new sword trailed behind me in my right hand and I rushed their left flank. I ducked under a swinging fist and the blade flicked upwards to take the limb off just above the elbow. A club the size of a tree caught me and sent me tumbling but I sprang back to my feet as I cast Heal then launched three fireballs into the main mass of the monsters.

  That was probably a mistake, I have to admit. The damn spells ignited into balls of blazing fury on the first giant they hit and incinerated a huge chunk of the tundra and most of the giants. I heard screeching cries coming from the sudden darkness caused by my eyes going into shock at the brightness but it was the Fangs rushing in. They at least had heeded my instructions even if I hadn’t. This was a capture mission and killing your targets isn’t terribly helpful.

  As the Fangs caught the remaining monsters unawares I unhooked the stone club I still carried on my hip. Dodging and lashing out I bludgeoned two giants unconscious, including the one I’d partially “disarmed” earlier.

  “I am the First Fist of the North Star Clan! Fight me honourably little vermin!” The largest of the giants had survived the blasts, although he looked a little crispy in places. He stood nearly six metres tall, huge and hairy. He was wearing furry hide clothes that covered him from neck to toes. The giant wasn’t carrying a weapon but was brandishing both fists as my Fangs circled him cautiously.

  “I killed your predecessor, bloke. He wasn’t so impressive. What counts as an honourable fight?” I asked as I smacked the club into the skull of a giant trying to push himself back to his feet.

  “Fist’s should fight unarmed!” the monster snarled. I stepped up onto the back of a brained giant and smiled at him in the moonlight.

  “I can live with that. You don’t have any hidden weapons on you?” I asked as I sheathed my sword and raised my empty hands.

  “Of course not! I am Grethnuk, mightiest warrior of the-”

  As he was speaking I cast Enhance on myself and reduced my weight by fifty eight percent. I took off like a rocket aiming high. It felt like I was going to soar over his head but as I was shooting forward I cast Mass again and went from fifty eight percent lighter than I should be to fifty eight percent heavier. My right fist slammed into his face before he could blink and as my flesh touched him I cast Mass on him, making him a half again as heavy as he should be.

  He went down like a felled tree and I was next to his head in an instant. My foot curled back then slammed forward into his temple three times before I stepped away. The big bastard wasn’t moving.

  “Rest are covered, Mond. Did you really just kick a giant’s head in?” asked Mune as he moved around the remaining living Ur-viles.

  “He’ll live. Get the wire! Tie these pricks up then we can eat! Bloody hell I’ve missed hot food!” I headed back to the fire and stirred the pot.

  Vilis Humano slain x46

  Two thousand three hundred Souls harvested.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Bloody hell. Maybe I should just make this a kill quest? We had seven of the giants left alive. One was down an arm and was probably worth more to me dead than alive. The other six would need to learn their place in my "new world order". I sipped the stew appreciatively then put my bowl down and picked up my sword. I removed the head of the crippled giant and gained another fifty Souls. After a quick wipe I sheathed the blade and headed back to the fire.

  “What are we doing with these pricks?” asked Jandak, pointing at the tightly bound giants.

  “Nothing for now. Let’s eat then when they wake up we can make them an offer they can’t refuse.” The accent I assumed was lost on my companions but I got the joke. I began spooning out bowls of stew for the others and we all started on our first hot meal in over a week.

  “So why was Haylin angry at you?” I asked innocently. Jandak made a rude gesture with his free hand as he finished his mouthful.

  “She isn’t with child,” he muttered, causing Kos and Mune to break into snickers. Jandak shared the rude hand gesture equally as a result.

  “So? These things can take time and you’ve been away from the camp a lot,” I said gently, hoping to mollify my unhappy friend. He scowled and lifted another mouthful which he chewed slowly.

  “It’s a bad omen,” he grumbled. “I might be a bastard but I’m your sworn man and a scion of the Hatrik main line. It’s… not good.”

  “Have you asked Kril? Maybe there’s some herbs or-” Jandak threw his bowl down and stormed off as Kos and Mune burst into howls of laughter.

  “I’m not sure you guys are helping! What’s the problem?” I asked them.

  “He’s just being stupid, Mond. He knows it’s not a big thing but Haylin is annoyed and she can zap any of us into ash. He feels… unmanned. And recommending he ask Kril for herbs!” Mune broke out into giggles again.

  “Untie me puny mortals!” roared a voice from the pile of giants. “I’m the First Fist! I’ll carve the meat from you then roast your bones into broth! What the hell did you use to tie me up?” The last was a basso squawk as he realised he couldn’t break his bonds.

  “Looks like our first customer is ready. JANDAK! Come and take out some of that angst on this cannibal bastard!” I yelled. The man stomped out of the shadows and kicked the giant in his left kidney. The rest of us winced as all the air left the giant's lungs.

  “Now let me make your situation clear to you. First Fist of the doobery-wotsits doesn’t mean shit right now, bloke. I decide if you live or die and honestly I’m not as interested in keeping you alive as you are.” The giant snarled and received another kick to the guts before he could do more than lean his upper half upwards a little.

  “Next time, kick him in the balls, ok?” I called out, earning sniggers from Mune and Kos and an angry nod from Jandak. I moved through the tangle of unconscious giants until I was glaring down into the big one's face.

  “You will accept a gift. I’ll make you strong but you have to serve me. I won’t make this offer again. The alternative?” I drew my sword and held it loosely at my side. “The first time I was able to put you down without a weapon, giant.” I raised the blade over my head with one hand.

  “What’s the gift?” gasped the injured monster.

  “Power like mine. To throw fire, make yourself stronger, heal instantly. In exchange you’ll be bound to me and forced to obey my orders. You already understand what happens if you say no.” I shifted my head to nod slightly in the direction of the upturned sword and waved it towards the beheaded giant I’d just killed.

  “I cannot break the code!” he snapped. This was unexpected and frankly not something I could lightly ignore. A man’s got to have a code.

  “What’s your code?” I snapped.

  “I cannot act against my clan. I must be the strongest. That’s it, really,” the Ur-vile managed to shrug despite the woven steel wires binding his limbs. Loyalty to his own and being the best? I was starting to like this bastard despite everything that was wrong about him.

  “Would you be able to bring the North Star clan to my side? I could offer magic to some of them and the protection of a Shikrakyn,” I asked. I hid the trepidation from my voice but inside I was nervous.

  “You have the magic, little man. One like you made us, many winters ago. As long as you don’t move against my clan I would serve,” his voice was resigned.

  “Not good enough, mate. If I’m to promise not to work against your clan I need them to be friendly. Do you have any enemies?” I wondered.

  “Of course we’ve got bleeding enemies. And by the gods do they bleed when we catch up with them! The Kalast are the worst. They shit upstream in the river when we go out to wash! Fucking savages!” the giant snarled.

  “You’re based along a river?” asked Mune quickly.

  “The mighty Vialith. All the tribes are based there. We vie for control of the upper reaches. He who controls the well spring controls the tundra! It never freezes even in the deepest snows,” he snapped. I could see him testing his bonds with no luck. If they broke I’d take his head and deal with the next one of these monsters that woke up.

  “What if I promised to make the North Star clan king of the fountain, or whatever the fuck it is. I’ll give you and these here-” I waved a hand over his unconscious friends and he blinked as the realisation his entire troop had been beaten hit home, “- some magic to get you started. Your tribe will rule the tundra. Some of you will come south with me to fight in my wars and the rest will keep the other giants away from my lands. Sounds fair?” I felt it was a hard sell but the big man's eyes gleamed at the word war.

  “You want to take me south to the rich lands? The lands where children can be snatched up and devou-” My fist interrupted his sentence.

  “You will not be permitted to eat my kind. Do you eat your own?” I asked.

  “Of course! Gerihuskars are tastier than the true breed but my kind is tasty enough!” he licked his lips in a way that made me want to kill him. I held myself back. Battlemad giants rocking magic spells to make them even more terrifying… Mortimer would have shit I hadn’t even thought of yet and I needed a few surprises of my own.

  “When you take my hand, letters will appear in your vision. If you think ‘accept’ you live. If you refuse you will die and I’ll find another clan to serve me.” I moved an open hand to where his arms were bound by his waist. Eyes the size of fists glanced up and down from my face to my limb and back again. He snorted, a deeply disgusting sound like a cement mixer turning over gravel, then spat high into the sky. I was out of his line of fire but one of his compatriots received a head sized lump of grey mucus to the face.

  “I agree.” A hand nearly the same width as my torso was long twisted round and gripped my suddenly tiny seeming fist. I transferred five hundred souls and immediately snapped at the mental link that appeared in my mind.

  “You obey me, now. No more eating Gerihuskars. No attacking my people, don’t spend your Souls yet,” I ordered. I nodded to Jandak who began untying the giant extremely cautiously.

  “What does Magical Strength do?” the monster asked.

  “You can read but none of my tribesmen can? Well that’s just fucking great! What’s your name again, big guy?” I asked as the Ur-vile rose to tower over me.

  “I am Grethnuk, mightiest warrior of the North Star clan and First Fist of my people. All who see me tremble in fear! I’m the scourge of the-”

  “That’s great, bloke. I’m going to call you Nuk. It’s not negotiable. Choose the Life affinity.” He blinked and somehow I knew he’d obeyed me. This power was dangerous. I could see it becoming addictive. “Now you and I are going to recruit your mates after you spend some Souls. I want you to get to level ten first then we’ll put a third of the leftovers into your basic Heal and Enhancement spells. Take Time as your second affinity and then boost up Haste…”

  My shock troops were going to rock Mortimer’s world when the time came.

  If you want to read 21 chapters ahead of Royal Road you can do so on my

  follow, a rating or maybe even a favourite! Any of them would really help the story get seen by more people and I'd be very grateful to you for taking the time! I'm happy to respond to any and all comments so if you see something: say something :)

  discord. Come along and say hi!