- Keelan! - petrified woman cried, seeing how her husband was brutally thrown to the cage she was imprisoned in. The impact caused man's head to bleed, Hazel looked furiously at the man behind it.
- You monster, what do you want?! - she asked. Knight in black armour walked up to the cage.
- You need to pay the tribute, now - man replied.
- But we did pay it few days ago! - some farmer said.
- That was a tribute for the king, this one is for me! - knight growled.
- We had trouble with harvest this year, if we give you our crop, we won't survive the winter - someone replied.
- Silent peasant! - knight snarled.
- Please, have mercy - Keelan quietly whimpered.
- Mercy? I am here, because I'm known for my bravery and ruthlessness! For I'm not only a knight, I'm a wizard too! - he boasted and circled around the cages.
- I don't fear anything! I have slaughtered many fierce dragons, stone trolls and giants! - he added. The last part of sentence worried couple.
- But giants don't exist! They're a myth! - Hazel shouted.
- Yeah! It sounds so ridiculous. People bigger than dragons? Can you imagine that? - Keelan added, chuckling nervously.
- Wait, were we talking about giants? For real? No... No, why waste time on something that doesn't exist? - Hazel continued.
- Giants? What are those? - Keelan smirked.
- Enough of this facade! - annoyed knight put his sword against Keelan's throat. Everyone went silent.
- I don't know if you're that stupid or if you're only pretending - knight said and shown his sword's handle. It was made out of a huge femur.
- I've slaughtered many of these gigantic beasts, freeing people from their terror. It's not fair that I haven't got my own monument to this day... - townspeople completely ignored him, looking at something behind him.
Few miles behind the knight was a church. On its tower, a giant was leaning, listening with amusement, following knight with his eyes.
Keelan and Hazel were giving giant subtle signs to leave, but he just rolled his eyes.
People were watching the giant, wondering what was he doing in their town and why wasn't he scared of the knight. Didn't he hear what knight had done to giants?
Knight was boasting for a while longer and than turned to encaged people:
- And that's how I saved so many villages and towns from giants' terror. So how will it be: Will you nicely pay me tribute or will I have to inflict genocide? - he asked.
- Wait! - strong voice called from behind the knight, it sounded rather young.
- What is it peasant? - man asked, not turning around.
- Did I hear it right? Did you really slaughter giants? Alone? - voice asked. Knight became all high and mighty.
- Of course! It wasn't a big deal, giants are dumb as bricks - he replied. Townspeople gasped, but knight didn't seem to care.
- So hypothetically, if I brought you a giant, would you kill it immediately? - giant asked, slowly approaching knight, as not to make ground shake.
- It would be piece of cake! - man assured youngster.
- Great! - voice replied and knight suddenly was grabbed by arm and lifted up high.
- Hey! What's the meaning of-! - man turned pale, seeing smiley, but gigantic face which appeared to his eyes.
- Look I brought a giant for you to kill! Me! - he said, grinning widely.
Knight began to stutter, but couldn't get a word out. He then swung his sword at the giant and cut colossus's cheek. Youngster didn't even flinch.
- That's all what you've got? Shame, I thought I would be dying in convulsions - giant murmured in disappointment. Knight then threw away his sword and having folded his hands, begged:
- P-please don't k-kill m-me! I n-never m-meant any o-of t-these w-words I s-said! Infact, I d-didn't k-kill a s-single g-giant, I-I swear! I j-just w-wanted to f-flex a l-little, that's a-all! It w-was s-suppose t-to be a j-joke and-! - he was shushed by enormous finger.
- So you like jokes, eh? You know, I'm a joker myself too. I know plenty of jokes, here's one: Did you hear the rumor about giant who threw up? - he asked man. Knight was silent.
- It was all over the town! - giant finished his joke and began to laugh merrily. Knight joined him too, not wanting to make him angry.
In the meantime Hazel gave a death glare to her husband.
- What? I didn't teach him that, I swear! - he said innocently.
- All this talking made me very hungry! - giant unexpectedly exclaimed. Man was now practically white as a sheet.
- I-I c-can assure y-you, I t-taste a-awful and I'm j-just s-skin and b-bones - knight said and pointed at people imprisoned in cages.
- B-but look a-at t-them! They're f-fat a-and d-delicious, I-I'm s-sure they'll f-fit perfectly f-for y-your m-meal - knight added, hoping he convinced giant to eat townspeople instead of him.
- Actually, I have to reduce fat in my diet and I prefer lean meat - giant replied and looked sadly at man he was holding.
- It was so nice to meet you, bye - he said and began to slowly lower knight into his mouth. Human was squirming and pleading giant to stop.
- Fergus! Enough is enough! - Hazel yelled at giant. Youngster rolled his eyes.
- But mom! He hurt people and dad! He can't get away with it! - giant argued.
- Say what?!! - townspeople got shocked.
- If you did it, you wouldn't be better than him at all. Do you want to be bad? - woman asked.
- Sometimes we have to do something bad to guarantee something good - Fergus retorted.
- Fergus! - Hazel called warningly.
- Ugh, fine! - giant growled, but didn't put knight down. Instead, he brought him very close to his face and flashed his teeth at petrified man.
- Now listen! Stop talking bullshit about not paying enough tribute! I personally catched wild cattle for my parents, to help them make ends meet, because of your greediness they and rest of people were on the verge of death! - he roared at knight.
- I w-will n-never c-come h-here again t-to collect surplus t-tribute, I-I swear, j-just l-let me live! - man begged. Giant's face softened a little, hearing knight's declaration.
- That's all I wanted to hear - he murmured and dumped man. Knight hissed from the pain, it was quite a high fall. He looked at people in cages, at Hazel and Keelan and finally at the giant.
- Boo! - Fergus said. Frightened knight jumped to his feet and ran like hell.
Giant knelt down and ripped cages' doors, freeing people imprisoned there.
Hazel and Keelan hugged their son's vast hand.
- Thank you Fergus for rescuing us - woman said. Giant waved his hand nonchalantly.
- It was nothing really. I would love to stay a little longer, but I need to collect some wood for the night - giant said and having gave his human parents a goodbye kisses, got up and left the town.
- Be safe! - Keelan called after his son.
Couple turned around and was met with disbelief, fear and confusion painted on townspeople's faces.
- I guess we owe you an explanation - Hazel mumbled, wondering how to convince them that Fergus is a really sweet child, who would never hurt anyone, and was just pretending about eating knight, to scare him off.
