Fate's Hands

Chapter 2

     You chose to play it safe. Better safe than sushi, right? You closed your eyes and pretended to be asleep, just as the covers were ripped away from you. You felt serrated, warm talons, as warm as desert heat, touch your head.

"This is them. (Y/N) (L/N), age 18, orphan most of her life..." Horden said.

"She's too weak. She'd never make it through the experimentation." Cobalt began. "We should feed her to something else, that Mountain-Duster likes lazy prey."

"Yeah, he hasn't had fresh human meat in a month. I bet she'll wake up just as her skin starts to melt."

"Easy, unless you want to feed that loud and hyperactive Forest-Stray." Cobalt warned. "And not cattle or weaklings. As in yourself." Horden gulped nervously, and sighed.

"Right, lets load her up before anything else can happen." Horden said, picking you up and carrying you bridal style. You remained "unconscious" until they loaded you into a large cage in a van. They locked the cage door, and then the van door. You knew you were screwed royally this time. They began the long drive, and soon exhaustion took over fear as you fell asleep.

     You woke up to a strong, ashy and sulfuric smell, hot air, and the sound of molten lava somewhere nearby. You got up, and realized you were on a ledge by a volcano, or an artificial one, anyways.

     Where am I? Why would anything be here? You thought, looking around. There was a mountain that had looked like it had been clawed at and climbed on for almost 22 years, and most of the claw marks were not friendly. Below you, a river of lava flowed lazily, with large volcanic rocks sticking out to form a safe walkway. For something big. Beyond the lava plateau you could see trees and large rocks jutting out. You could also see a river of water that probably ended in a lake, but, what was this place?

     Please tell me there's not a dragon! You thought. Your question was answered when something huge tapped your back. You turned around, and you were met with a huge, serrated and hooked black talon that smelled like ash and fire, attatched to a giant finger. You looked beyond the talon and saw a giant face with warm almond brown eyes staring at you with curiosity.

   "Hi, you're awake." He said softly. You screamed, and he flinched, then pinned you to the ground, his finger muffling you. "Okay, if I lift my finger, you won't scream, right? Can you promise me that?" You nodded and he lifted his finger, and began coughing. "You okay? They almost decided to kill you but they thought I could use the hunting training so they just dropped you off right here."

Oh, god, they're feeding me to him, I am going to die. You thought. The giant's eyes widened.

"No, no no no no. I'm not going to eat you." He said. You froze. Did he just, read your mind!? You thought of something funny, but kept it well hidden.

Mushrooms and mongooses! You thought loudly, almost saying it. Surely enough he started chuckling at the random thought.

"You are reading my mind!" You snapped. Then paused. "How are you doing that?"

"I don't know, it's something I can turn on and off. I've had it ever since I was kidnapped and turned into," he gestured at his body. "And, very few people get thrown in here, other than the soldiers that work here."

"What killed them?" You asked. A stupid question, until he explained.

"Falling, being burned alive by that river of lava. A lot of people wake up facing me and run straight for the cliff." He said solemnly. "The soldiers, I kill and eat myself. They're horrible and deserve death." He growled while talking about the soldiers and you backed away. He noticed this and quickly put his hand on the edge, forming a wall between sudden death and him.

Well, this is quite the pickle I'm in. Stay and get eaten if this guy gets hungry enough, if not turned into a pet parrot, or run and chance death. You thought. He seemed to have heard this and his brow furrowed. He seemed lonely, but if he was lying about the other people and ate them, too, no doubt you'd be next.

What is your decision?: A) Stay and talk more (low chance of death). B) Run and risk falling into the river of lava (20% chance of death by lava or falling in general)