Somewhere in an underground lair, the scene resembled that from a horror show. People from all tribes stood solemn in two large lines going from the ground layer to the deep area below. They carried fine metal plates holding all sorts of treasures made of gold, shining jewels, furs and so much more. A ransom they had to pay at the end of every month. Those that did not carry gifts, were running around frantically, fulfilling various tasks. In between the two stairways of people stood a large throne made of dirt. No other material could be used for such an imposing figure sitting on it. The giant towered everyone, with his bald head almost reaching the high ceiling. No matter how excessive, his height could not outshine his width. With a belly so large it almost covered his legs, his meaty fists struck the throne, making his entire arm jiggle. "More! More!" he yelled as each person presented their gifts. He would only stop to be feed, before shouting again. "More!" Not even taking a proper look at what was shown at that moment, his eyes always went to what is to be brought next.
Kofi stood nervous, awaiting his turn. His shoulders slouched as he looked down upon his humble offerings. The shimmering hoop and a golden harp with pearls. Zora yelled furious, repetitively hitting the wall of her pearl cage, but Kofi ignored her. No matter how bad he felt about stealing, he had to present something to the glutenous giant.
Once in front of him, Kofi kneeled, raising the silver plate. The giant glanced at it, stunned at first. "Is this all you bring me?" he shouted in disgust.
"Please, your Majesty. These are magical. Do not eat me?" Kofi said timid.
The giant snorted, taking a closer look. "What can it do?"
"The hoop can take you to any place you desire, and the harp, well. It's supposed to put anyone to sleep," Kofi explained.
The giant master squinted at the harp. He giggled, seeing the tiny person trapped inside. "This will fetch a fine price from those who need it." As he spoke, a bunch of startled scrolls started writing quickly. "Where did you find such magical things?"
The others, whom he visited before, glanced at him with disdain.
Kofi slouched, making himself smaller. "I took them from some travelers," he said quietly.
The giant frowned. "And that is all you found?" he yelled before throwing the harp onto a pile. "Next time, bring more!" he yelled so loudly, it pushed him to the far side of the lair. Happy to still be alive, Kofi got up and quickly moved away.
The procession would continue, if not for the sudden interruption of a large creature. It jumped from above, with a sword in hand. Covered in fur, his face resembled a wolf's, growling and snarling at the giant. Everyone stopped, stunned.
"And who might you be?" the throned man said, scowling.
"I am Aidan, king of the Seven Hill Kingdom! And I have come to get what was taken from me!" he replied, almost fuming with rage. Seeing this, Kofi hid out of sight.
The giant scoffed. "Nothing here belongs to anyone but me! Everything you see around you, below and above you, is mine. And no one dares challenge me on it!"
"Then consider yourself challenged!" the werewolf said, taking out his sword.
The giant snickered, prompting himself with his arms. As he slowly stood up, his figure became even more intimidating. "Very well! I haven't had a chance to stretch my limbs in thirty years."
He stomped on the ground and growled, frightening everyone around him. Still, Aidan was not scared. With his weapon and werewolf speed, he zigzagged towards his opponent. The giant stomped and struck the hard ground with his mighty feet, each time making the ground quiver.
Aidan was faster, though. Avoiding the blows, he looked for the perfect opportunity to latch himself onto his enemy. The massive foot struck the hard floor, missing him by a hair. Then, Aidan jumped on, digging into his skin with his sharp claws. The giant screamed in pain. To everyone's surprise, his skin was softer than expected.
The giant smacked the hurt place, making Aidan climb down. The young king looked around. "Is this what you have been afraid of? Is this who you serve? Why, this is nothing but any overgrown bandit. Just look how he bleeds!" he said, pointing at the place he scratched.
The giant attacked again. This time even fiercer. Aidan jumped out of the way, continuing to fight. Still, no matter how big his werewolf form made him, next to the giant, he resembled an annoying bug. The people observed in fear, yet him words did affect them. A group of workers notices for the blood spilled and had an idea. Rushing into the enormous kitchen, they grabbed the humongous jug of cooking oil and pushed it down. The jug smashed, covering the throne room and making it slippery.
Seeing this, Aidan felt encouraged. Winded from his last dodge, he grabbed another opportunity to pounce on the giant. He jumped, digging his claws and teeth into his sides. His opponent screamed, slapping the injured place.
Then, Aidan jumped down and started running away. Enraged, the giant ran after him. Not noticing the slippery ground, he lost balance. Everyone ran, seeing his massive body topple over, landing face down.
"Ouch!" he mumbled with his face squished. The people started laughing. He did not seem so scary anymore.
Aidan was pleased, but the job was not over yet. Thinking about his finishing move, the land started shaking uncontrollably. The shakes were so severe, it felt like the ground would crumble into pieces. Many ran to higher grounds, others started praying. The gigantic oppressor, laid on the floor, bewildered.
The earth quack gained intensity. The ground finally cracked. The giant tried to prompt himself up, but it was still too slippery. The rift widened, leaving him to fall into the deep hole it made. The terrified people ran around, panicking. In a frenzy, they grabbed anything of value and ran towards the surface.
"Zora," Aidan gasped, trying to pass the crowd. From all the noise, the werewolf managed to hear a familiar voice. "Aidan!" she yelled, lifting her arms. He could see her, fully-grown, almost getting squished by the multitude of people.
Overjoyed, he made his way towards her. "I got the hoop and the harp!" she said loudly, but Aidan was thinking only of her. Holding her tight, he jumped as high as he could, and then used his claws to climb them both to safety.
Once on the surface, the situation had not improved. The earth continued to shake, leaving them to fear if the entirety of their land will shatter.