The giant
1834 Words
"You just ran out of luck, Leon," he says, smirking. "I had the girl that you liked and you know? She is wild! The things that we did…"
Leon remains silent.
"The day she rejected you she went with me and… we did delicious things, for the gods!" he continues. "What can I say? She likes alpha males, and you are not an alpha, no matter how hard you try. You don't have luck. Curse whoever made you like this."
Samson is confident, he is skilled.
The mayor announces their names. First, he calls Leon.
"And you know, Leon? After I defeat you I will go and celebrate with her, in her bedroom. I bet you dream of that place, don't you?"
Leon walks leaving him behind. He crosses the gate and the audience receives him.
I don't care about Maria at all, he thinks, but the words that Samson told him are clearly vivid in his mind as if Leon was there when they happened. Am I jealous?
Somehow, the man has managed to disturb his calm. Leon is angry, not because of jealousy but because it affected him when he truly doesn't care.
He inhales deeply, trying to recover his perfect mood. One day he will get rid of that weak human shell, and those who condemned him to such disgusting imprisonment will pay.
He takes his fight stance and waits for his opponent.
The announcer calls Samson and the handsome man enters the arena. It's obvious who's the favorite.
Leon allows himself a grin because it would be completely different if his parents hadn't organized that dinner with lord Davis and his knights.
"Please get close to each other, salute, and begin," commands the announcer, and they obey.
"Looks like my luck is improving," Leon declares. "Don't quit because of fear, please."
Samson chuckles.
"You are a loser, shut up!" he replies, venomous.
"Imagine being defeated by a loser," Leon adds, holding the burning stare of his opponent. "What would that make of you, huh? You better don't lose."
"I will erase that smirk from your stupid face and you-"
Stop, please, let's end this," Leon interrupts. "You are becoming boring, maybe that's why Maria dumped you."
Samson looks at Maria, intrigued. Then he looks at his opponent.
"You're dead!" Samson replies and attacks.
It begins in less than what a heartbeat takes. The wooden swords clash with something more than the desire for victory.
"Are they enemies or something like that?" Davis asks Maria. They are sitting on the highest balcony of the small colosseum of the town, alone. His hand is on her leg. She removes it.
"No, they are not," she replies, cold. "And don't do that again, please."
He lifts his eyebrows, surprised by her attitude after the things that they have done, and then grins, not pleased at all.
I will teach you, he thinks.
"I apologize, my lady," he says, smirking with lust and anger, but she holds his stare. She doesn't fear him.
"We are good," she replies, cold and sharp.
The audience cries, shocked, and both of them look at the arena again. Something happened.
The wooden sword of Samson lands on the ground, several meters behind him. The incredulity written as a whole book on his face is delightful, and Leon allows himself to enjoy it… for one second. In other times and another place, Leon would have killed him slowly, with cruelty and pain beyond the unbearable, and he would have enjoyed it, but Leon left that part of himself long ago.
So uncivilized isn't it, master Raziel? he thinks, reminding of heaven and a bit of all the things that made him better.
"I will kill-" Samson begins, but he can't end his line, Leon doesn't give him the chance to taint his own honor. The man of 204 cm falls like an oak. Leon holds him and prevents him from getting hurt.
"The honorable master Leon Drako wins!" the announcer declares. "Showing his excellence he has reclaimed victory in less than a minute! You are in the next stage! Congratulations, master Drako!"
The people cry, clapping their hands, calling him things like swordmaster, honorable knight, prodigious son of the Drakos. Leon bends forward in a gracious and elegant reverence towards the balcony of the queen of the flowers and the man the leader of the holy knights. He does the same gesture four more, in different directions, then he leaves the arena.
"We are so proud of you, son!" his mother tells him, hugs him, kissing his cheeks over and over. Leon is overwhelmed. He doesn't know what to say or how to answer. They are on the hotel's patio, next to the pool. The place is one of the most luxurious and popular in the town, located in the southwest corner of Bonaventura. It's his family's hotel, the place where lord Davis is staying.
"Okay, okay, Sara, it's enough, you are embarrassing him," Lucan says, flashing a smile.
"Shut up, Lucan! I'm not," she replies. Lucan shrugs as if saying I tried to help. "My baby is becoming a knight, my baby will be a knight. I'm so proud!"
"Tomorrow's opponent is the kid of the mayor," Lucan comments.
"He has no opportunity," Sara adds. They sit at their table. One of the waiters runs towards them.
After they order their food they continue.
"The thing is that the mayor wants his kid in the ranks of the knights, he will pay if necessary," Lucan says. "That's how his brother became a knight, remember?"
Sara sighs.
"I do, and it was a death sentence, it seems," she says. "Are you sure, Leon? Are you sure you want to have this dangerous life, son?"
"I am," Leon answers. "I had a pathetic life until I discovered the hard way that I needed to be strong, that I needed to win a worthy life. I will become a knight."
Lucan seems proud, and Sara is too. They are smiling, their eyes glowing with pride.
"Be prepared for everything then," Lucan warns. "They could play dirty from now on, and as you very well know the order allows anything that gives profit."
"I'm prepared, father," Leon answers.
The food arrives. It's a lovely moment that Leon enjoys. It's peaceful… until it's not anymore.
A strong sound is heard, stone against stone. People start to cry in fear and agony.
"Help! Help! Somebody help me!" Someone enters the hotel, and Leon watches him through the walls of glass. Everyone is shocked, with their eyes on the colossal figure one hundred meters down the hill, it's destroying the mayor's house.
"It's a giant! A giant is attacking the city!" the soldier screams, in his eyes it's clear he's reaching the limits of his sanity. "A giant! It killed them! All of them! All are dead!"
He laughs hysterically and then he faints.
"Leon?" Sara asks, terrified.
"Father, make the knights bring down as many barrels of wine as they can," Leon says. "And meat, I want all the meat that is being cooked with fruits, rice, whatever. We are preparing a feast for our guest. And father, make sure the cook adds crushed glass as a special ingredient. Make sure it's in the right quantity so the giant doesn't notice it."
"I will," Lucan says. "Good luck."
"Good luck? What the hell do you mean, Lucan?! I'm not letting my food child go to die! Never!" Sara intervenes, mad. She tries to grab Leon, but Leon steps back, and Lucan grabs her.
"I promise I will return safe," Leon says and leaves them behind.
They see as their kid goes to face death, and they see how death reduces the house to rubble in minutes. The creature eats the unfortunate servants of the mayor, and when he finishes he goes for the next house. They can't see Leon from the hotel due to the trees and the vegetation, but when the giant stops they know it's because of him. Then the creature hits the ground in its path with violence.
"Leon no!" Sara screams in agony, Lucan turns pale. They know Leon is dead. "Leon… Leon! Leon! Leon! Lucan, it's your fault!" It's your fault! My precious child! My poor child! I hate you! I hate you, Lucan!" I hate you!" she screams in despair.
The giant speaks.
Sara stops screaming. Lucan looks at the colossal being. It's talking to somebody else, to someone between the thees.
"He did it…" Lucan says. He can't believe it. "Leon did it…"
"What?" Sara lets out, confused. "My Leon what?"
Lucan kisses her feeling like this woman is his life.
"Our child stopped the beast, he is winning us time, my love!" he says and kisses her more. Then he addresses the cook and his team. "Quickly! Make sure the feast is ready for the time the knights are here."
They do their best. The deep voice of the giant is enough motivation for them to work. When the knights arrive twenty minutes later the feast is ready.
"We need to evacuate the hotel and the town, right now," Davis says. Then he sees the food. "What in the world is this?"
"Leon said that the knights have to carry this to the giant," Lucan informs.
"The kid is there?" Davis asks, surprised.
"Yes, he is! Please save him, lord Davis!" Sara begs. "Save my brave child!"
"What's in the food, poison?" Davis asks.
"Wine, lots of the best wine, and crushed glass," Lucan says.
"Crushed glass?" Davis replies and grins. He addresses his men. "Men, we are taking down that thing! Take the food with you! We are going to give that giant a feast to die!"
The soldiers doubt, for a second.
"Don't make me repeat myself!" Davis adds. "You cowards! That kid is buying time! We can't let him down! Move or I will end your pathetic lives rights now!"
The soldiers obey.
Hours later Davis and Leon behold the sleeping giant laying on a growing pond of blood. The giant is at least three stories tall and has a smile on his red face that eventually turns pale. The knight and Leon know that it won't wake up ever again. The town has been saved.
"You are a bad cook," lord Davis declares. "Your customer has died!"
Leon grins, letting his body rest.
"It was starting to think that it was not going to work," Leon admits.
"And yet you stayed," Davis replies. Leon shrugs.
"Are they safe?" he asks.
"All of them are," Davis answers. "Good job, sir Leon."
"No, not yet," Leon says. "The tournament hasn't ended yet."
"This gives you the victory," Davis declares.
"Yes, it does!" the other knights agree. "You are one of us! Nobody has defeated a giant without heavy weapons before! You are a hero!"
"And the worst cook ever!" Davis jokes. His men laugh.
- Writer
