Thunder boomed through the cold air and lightning flashed through the night sky. Raindrops gently hit the windows of an old farm house that sat peacefully several miles from the Kingdom of Cloister. The house belonged to a farmer named Jules. The only other person who lived in the house was Jules' son, Sonic. The two should have been asleep, but, neither were able. Jules was awake due to his concerns about the lack of money he owned, while Sonic was awake because the thunderstorm had woken him from his sleep. He picked up the small wooden toy, a figure of King Erik, from the table beside his bed and sat up, then started retelling his favourite story to himself.
"Fe fi fo fum. Ask not whence the thunder comes. Ask not where the herds have gone. Nor why the birds have ceased their song. When coming home, don't take too long. For monsters roam in Albion." Sonic said quietly, keeping his voice down as he held the small wooden toy in his hands. A flash of lightning made him look up to see his father standing in the doorway.
"Sonic. You're still up." Jules sighed.
"Sorry father. The giants woke me." The eight year old Sonic replied.
"Sonic, heh, it's a thunderstorm." Jules chuckled.
"Mother said the giants made the thunder. Look." Sonic stated and pulled out an old, small book from beneath his pillow. Jules stared at the book that had belonged to his late wife.
"Where did you find that?" Jules asked.
"Along with her old things. Will you read the rest to me?" Sonic asked. Jules smiled.
"Alright then. Where were we?" Jules asked as he sat down on the bed beside his son.
"The monks wanted to find god, so they made magic..." Sonic started.
"Magic seeds. Aye, I remember now. With seeds they pulled from magical pod, the monks grew a pathway to seek out their god. But when they arrived to what they thought was heaven's gate, they met with a terrible, grisly fate. For between heaven and earth was a perilous place. Gantua, home to a fierce giant race. With a bridge now before them to the world of me. A plague of giants descends." Jules started, reading from the small book Sonic had been holding. He smiled as his son nestled up beside him and got himself comfortable. Jules took a small breath and continued.
"Taking a cue from the richest of kings, they acquired a taste for acquiring things. But the one taste that caused them to lose all control..." Jules continued.
"...was a taste for the mankind blood, bones and all." Alicia, the queen of Cloister, red to her daughter, Sally, the current princess and future queen of Cloister, who was tucked up in bed.
"Well that's revolting." Sally stated, her voice showing her disgust.
"Too scary, Sally?" Alicia asked.
"Giant's aren't scary." Sally said.
"Not even their terrifying leader, a monstorous giant with two heads?" Alicia smiled.
"Keep reading mother, it's just a story." Sally smiled back.
"Really? King Erik bade the monks return to dark arts, to find some way to rule giant hearts. So they melted one down, mixed in magic and more and they crafted a crown unlike any before." Alicia continued, smiling as she looked down on her daughter, who seemed intrigued.
"King Erik's magic crown. This is my favourite part." Sonic smiled
"As soon as the king took the crown in hand, the giants were slave to his every command. He sent them back to the place of their birth. Their home now a prison between heaven and earth. Erik severed the link between giants and men..." Jules continued.
"And peace returned to his kingdom again. The mystical relics were all that remained,
safe with Erik through the years that he reigned. And when time came at last for King Erik to sleep
he took crown and seed with him for permanent keep." Alicia added.
"And as the king's bones slowly crumbled away, truth became legend..." Jules smiled.
"Or so people say." Sonic finished. Jules handed his son the book and got off the bed. He then began to tuck his son up into bed, hoping the boy was now calm enough to go to sleep.
"What will happen when the giants come back?" Sonic asked.
"They won't son." Jules stated, not believing in the story he had just red to Sonic.
"But what if they do?" Sonic asked.
"Sonic. Well, I guess the king's guardians will have to cut them down to size." Jules smiled and handed his son the toy guardian that had been sitting on his bed side cabinet.
"I want to be a guardian then." Sonic stated as he took the toy from his father.
"You have the spirit son, no doubt about that. But the king's guardians must be born of noble blood. There's not much in ours but dirt and sweat." Jules stated and ruffled the fur on his son's head. He sighed when he saw the disappointed look engrave itself on Sonic's face.
"It's only a story Sonic, giants aren't real." Jules added.
"But king Erik was real." Sally pointed out, having an almost identical conversation with her mother as the one Sonic was having with his father.
"He was, and in some ways he still is. You're of his blood." Alicia stated.
"I've seen where he's buried." Sally smiled, her face lit up with glee.
"In the royal catacombs? Sounds like you've been having some adventures of your own." Alicia said. Sally looked down as her mother spoke, not knowing whether she should have told her.
"Am I in trouble?" Sally asked, a look of concern across her face.
"Not at all. I want you to have adventures. It'll make you a better queen." Alicia smiled.
"How?" Sally asked, not entirely sure how adventures would make her a better queen.
"Because you'll get to see how the world works. And when you're queen, you'll have the power to make the world a better place. Now off to sleep." Alicia smiled and kissed her daughter on the forehead. She then stroked it soothingly, easing her daughter into a peaceful sleep.
"Sweet dreams, Sally." Alicia sighed.
Meanwhile, Jules blew out on candle in his son's room and was about to blow out another when...
"Leave that one." Sonic said quietly, a small amount of fear was in his eyes.
"Alright. Net some sleep, son. We have to be on the fields before first light." Jules ordered.
"Father? How do you know giants aren't real?" Sonic asked. Lightning struck just before Jules answered, lighting up the room with a spooky light that made Sonic shudder.
"I don't." Jules stated and closed the door. As soon as it closed, Sonic opened the book and red.
"And jealous eyes are looking down, on peaceful fields in Albion. An enemy vows will come a day, when giants return and giants stay. To wage a war and this time win, and eat the last of Erik's kin."
10 Years Later...
Sonic was taking his Uncles Chuck's horse and cart to the market to sell the white stallion.
"Sonic? When you get back from selling the horse, get started on the weeds out back. They're about to swallow the house." Chuck ordered, slightly exaggerating at the size of the weeds.
"I'll get to it Uncle." Sonic smiled and continued to walk the horse down the dirt path.
"And Sonic?" Chuck called.
"Yes uncle?" Sonic asked.
"Don't get distracted." Chuck sighed. Not long later, Sonic had reached the market and was trying to attract the attention of anyone who might want to buy his horse and cart.
"Horse and cart for sale. Going for a price! He's a good horse, I'll be sad to see him go." Sonic called out. Just then, he saw a tent in which some of the locals put on a performance of his favourite childhood story. One of his good friends, Tails, was one of the performers. After tying his horse and cart up, Sonic entered the tent and watched as Tails performed in front of the young children, who laughed and giggled as the two tailed fox told the story of Erik the great. Sonic then turned to see a female wearing a hooded cape. She laughed as the "giants" appeared on stage and began running after some of the cast. Suddenly, a group of males surrounded her, started touching her. They were obviously drunk, Sonic could tell in the tones of their voices and their movements. The female broke away, but, they followed her. Before they could reach her, Sonic stood between them.
