Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction. Yahoo! I had this idea floating around my head for a while. If it isn't obvious, Germania is Rubezahl, a German giant. And Roma is well. Roma. More characters will be introduced soon! Without further ado, please enjoy the story!
[Prologue]:
Winter in general was the most infamous season. Beautiful flowers ranging from daisies to tulips wilter under the beautiful sun. Animals that once roamed the grasses hibernate to a deep slumber. Trees lose their color as leaves fell. However, some still viewed the season prepossessing.
Ironic, no?
The season encouraged the humans to dwell in their warm brown cottages as the blonde giant peered from his home on the peak of the mountains nearby. He sat on the branch on the tallest oak tree amongst many.
Well, one of the stronger ones that could hold his changing weight.
Squinting below, his piercing blue eyes noticed that said humans lit their chimneys right as their young ones came inside. Speaking of; the children had red noses due to the freezing weather. They resembled red berries which made the giant chuckle. They might have gotten it from running errands in the cold too long, or helping their caregivers with chores. The giant shrugged and smiled at the warm sight of families gathering around the fireplace-his body relaxing on the branch.
Boys and girls scattered inside to rejoice from a successful day. Some of the boys bragged about the fish they caught with their fathers(who in return boasted to their wives), others were just ready to escape the wrath of the season's winds.
They took off their coats in hurry. Coats made from the hides of nearby animals ranging from brown to black...Bears?
Who knows.
They remembered to pat their leather boots dry before coming inside their hearth. They were constantly reminded by their mothers to do so, or risk a good lecture about staining carpets. As a matter of fact...
The giant shifted on the branch, scolding at his legs that were beginning to strain. Some of the snow from earlier fell as he did so. He stared even more intensely, something he wished was not a natural trait. It scared the humans even more as they glared into his 'bitter' eyes.
"Maybe it's the coat…", he thought with a chuckle as he glanced quickly at his personal wear.
Shifting position, he watched the mothers taking their freshly baked rye bread from their man-made stone ovens. Which, the giant took notice of, would be accompanied with the meat of the animals their strong partners captured that day.
Deer meat was toasted to a nice dark brown, chicken from their farms were in a hearty stew that quickly disappeared into stomachs.
A beautiful sight really...
The giant was jealous of it.
His long golden hair was tied to the back to prevent the strands from falling over his eyes. He laid his bag full of arrows and wooden bow against the tree's bark. Taking his blue stained wool blanket from the gigantic bag he had on his back, he sprawled it across his lap. He began to eat his own arrangement of bread and salted meat. He loved watching the people, it entertained him every afternoon before slumber.
The giant realized how quickly the sun was setting, the splashes of gold, red, and purple filled his vision. Quickly, he grabbed his personal belongings from his bag and placed them on the blanket. He made sure to count everything, and to make sure he did not forget or lose any items. The giant liked to be organized, something the humans tended to forget.
He nodded at his load, and placed them back.
The giant took one last look at the humans who were chattering about their days to their families. The cottages were spewing smoke from the chimneys, indicating a warm household, and light illuminating from the windows thanks to the candles being lit.
Children were laughing, mothers and fathers were proud of how much their children had grown. Chuckles, shouting, and scowling were thrown here and there...
He turned back to return to his cold cave.
-quiet as ever.
The sun rose earlier that day. The giant's eyes slowly opened as sunlight came from the opening to his face. The warmth kissed his skin, making the blonde smile. He yawned so loud that the cave trembled. His face grew red from embarrassment, and he stood up. The giant counted his items again in case a human dared to steal from him that night. Luckily, nobody wanted to risk his fury. It's not that the giant was violent or anything. He liked to be secluded, and hell. He was not that tall. He was just a foot or two taller than the men in the village. He traded with some of them from here and there. Brave ones made conversation, which in return delighted the giant. These relationships were always cut short by the warnings of others.
He respected their decisions, but humans are tremendously cautious creatures.
He did not blame them.
Sometimes, he'd hear stories of murder amongst the humans. Other times, he'd hear stories of rape, corruption, and etc.
"Ugh..", the giant grumbled.
His long blonde locks were in the way of his sight again.
He grabbed a tie made from cloth, and he gathered his hair into a ponytail of some sort. When he was satisfied with the tightness, he sat down to put his black leather boots. His thoughts ranged from hunting rabbits to trading some of the fur he managed to clean to offer a deal with a human in the village.
The latter was tempting to the man.
The humans would occasionally bring in souvenirs from foreign lands that excited the giant. Once, a man from a neighboring land brought dyed cloth.
"Pink", the man called the dye. It was rather soothing to the eyes, and many of the townsfolk bought the material in a haste to wear and brag(the foreigner promised to come once a year for such a good profit.)
The women even incorporated the dye to their skirts for spring activities, or ribbons for their light hair.
The memories of the villagers dancing brought a smile to his pale face. Blossomed flowers were collected to be placed in vases on tables, rivers ran fresh crisp water, and more scenes filled his thoughts. Hell, he was even invited a few times the humans felt out of pity, who ever knows with them. He would drink beer quietly with the men around a fire as the lot would make a ruckus, or help the baker with the numerous orders of bread. In some cases, the baker would discount the prices to the glee of the mothers who could not afford to buy the usual price.
It was a nice change to his usual patterns..
He stood up, and made way towards the opening. The sunlight shining even brighter, and revealing the white landscape. Positive vibes erupted from the giant. It made him want to soak in every last second of it.
Upon the entrance of the cave; snow blanketed the bushes and trees, but it was a sunny day nonetheless.
His mind was brought back to the trading.
Although the trinkets brought no use but to admire, he became excited at the thought of buying Asian silk or a new cloak. The black one he had was beginning to grow old, and had holes from the long wear. He wanted a new cloak that gave him much needed warmth for the long winter ahead. Remembering to bring his finest fur skinned from a bear almost as tall as him, he began to think of such a fine trade.
He pondered on the thought of finding a nice dark green cloak..maybe a blue?
The giant sped down the mountain still lost in thought. Squirrels and birds stopped to stare at the giant before attending their own business.
He glanced once more at the white substance that covered almost everything in sight. The sun threatening his eyes with bright around, he noticed how peaceful his corner of the world was. In fact..
It reminded him of his birth to the world. Strange enough, he knew nothing of where he came from, or if he had parents. Perhaps...that is why he was so jealous of the villagers. They actually knew what they were, where they belong, and their duties. The giant knew nothing of how he was born, and for what reason he had in the human world. For all he knew, he might have been a mistake by the gods themselves.
All he remembered was that he appeared on the mountain peak during a blizzard. The ice had disguised the land with a white blanket, and the giant did not recognize such feeling of...living. He winced at the painful feeling of actually taking his first breath. It had felt unorthodox at the moment, as if he held his breath for hundreds of years. The cold beginning to numb his limbs, he began to walk around searching for an escape from the harshness. Winds so cold that he felt as if he was being slapped across his body.
Growing red, he remembered that he was naked until a passing villager felt horrible for the giant. The villager was an elderly man known throughout the village as a nice fellow, with a wife to match his kindness. Both were no taller than four feet, due to old age. The husband had silver hair that gleamed under the sun's rays. He had a big belly due to his, 'wife's cooking skills from the gods.' He was an elderly man who would always have a positive outlook on life, much to the delight of the townsfolk who cherished such innocence. As for his wife, she had blonde hair transitioning to the same situation. A belly to compete with her husband as well. The villager's wife also flushed to everything ranging from happiness, anger, and sadness. Her rosy cheeks made her look even more innocent than her husband. The two made a perfect pair, but they knew they were missing something: a child. Unfortunately, the villager's wife could not bear children due to an injury sustained during childhood. Her uterus had been punctured and torn, almost causing her to die. Yet, she had lived her life to the fullest, and found a man who never once made her feel any less of a woman for her situation. However, she did fantasize about upbringings, and her husband always had a glint of joy when looking at the young children in the village run about.
As they grew older, time flew by quicker than they thought. Reality hit the woman in the face for her age made it impossible to even consider children. Nights of crying, days of sadly peering through windows at the families who appeared utterly content made her heart ache.
However, that had all changed one day.
The elderly dragged the giant to his cottage where his wife sewed a nice outfit for the fellow. One that was suited to his height. Confused with the rapid change of environment and actions, they helped the poor giant conquer life; one step at a time. Seeing as he had no parents, they immediately took him in. Finally, a son of their own!
The blonde remembered how nice the couple was, giving him food and shelter until he understood the basic human workings perfectly. From using utensils, bathing, and etc. He had felt like a baby learning how to walk. The couple taught him English and German through books.
The elderly man also taught him to hunt and skin animals, while the wife taught him how to cook(cookies were their speciality).
Unfortunately, the couple were the oldest pair in the village. They had lived long past seventy, which was a rarity. Sadly, they eventually died soon due to natural causes. The man who found the giant had died in his sleep, and his wife laid dead the day after due to heartache. Gladly, both had their wishes of a son granted leaving them happy towards the end.
Images of flowers on tombstones made the giant's heart throb.
After they had died, he lived in their house for a while. Yet, he could not bring himself to be surrounded by the memories of the pair. He was the one who arranged their graves, and he would place flowers everyday to give his respects. This took a toll on the giant to an extent. He decided to live on the mountain to bring ease to the village. He was happy watching them as long as he got to interact with them here and there.
He gathered his valuables, and he set off to the mountain. Luckily, he discovered a cave that was on the peak with a full view of the village below. Fauna and flora surrounded the cave as well, bringing some color to the otherwise grey section.
He walked faster down the mountain to where he was at the edge of the village. Brick houses had appeared, and some men were preparing their stalls to sell in a strip near the houses. A specific blonde haired man caught his attention, the trader who sold pink fabric. However, he had brought cloaks from an array of colors and patterns.
"Like, hey there big giant!", waved the foreign man who finally noticed the blonde staring, "Come over and see the totally amazing cloaks I brought from my homeland! I think this color might suit you…"
Perhaps shopping would get his mind out of whatever internal conflict he was going through.
"Oh no, it's getting dark."
The giant was currently walking uphill to his cave on the mountain. The moon was on the verge of replacing the sun, and the giant had just finished his trading and shopping with the bag that he swung over his back was filled with a soft material. Luckily, he bought a green cloak that 'paired totally well with his blue eyes'. The foreigner had a funny way of talking, but he had gotten used to it.
Exhausted, he came near to the entrance of the stone, right beside the cliff. The moon in the sky shone brightly between the trees-as if the gods were giving a little help to guide the giant back home. He was starting to walk inside when he heard a voice. A rather feminine voice that is.
"Merdemerdemerdemerdemerde-"
The giant furrowed his eyebrows at the strange language.
'Merde?'
He quickly clasped a steel knife he keeps inside his boot, and slowly made his way inside. Upon entering, there was a dim light near his belongings, and he quickly grew angry. The giant never stole, and found it rather rude that someone would dare touch anyone's personal belongings. However, theft was inevitable in the world.
Tiptoeing closer, he realized that the voice sounded less feminine. It resembled a woman with a deep voice. If the situation were different, the giant would have thought it was rather beautiful how the words echoed off the walls in the cave.
The giant came near the figure that trying to warm him or herself by the makeshift fire. He held the knife tighter.
The blonde had only ever killed animals for their fur and meat, never had it crossed his mind that he might have to kill a human. Yet, he was never sure for what humans were capable of. They were their own paradox of their own.
The mysterious person appeared to be shivering, and the giant felt sympathy for a moment. He knew how harsh the winters in the village were. Sometimes, he'd hear stories of humans having their limbs fall off leaving numbs. He'd hear others would die from the dropping temperatures, bodies turning as blue as his eyes…
Mother nature sure is a bit-
"Hey you there! Tall guy!"
Fuck.
Wait...he knows English?
He shook his head from his recollection of memories, and looked at the person who was only a foot away from him. The man before him appeared to be slightly shorter than him by an inch, which surprised him.
Maybe he wouldn't be gawked at by this stranger...maybe.
He also had dark brown hair that gave off a slight wave. He had honey-colored eyes that stared right into his soul, tanned skin which was extremely rare in his village, and he had muscles that could rival the giant's. His attire was strange to the giant, for he had not seen clothing of this fashion anywhere before. Even the foreigner that brought pink cloth lacked the cloth before his very eyes..
-And for a brief second, the giant felt a familiar feeling in his heart. The same feeling he had when he would laugh and joke with the elderly couple that took him in. The same feeling for when they would hug him and congratulate him after he brought meat and fish after a hard day hunting…
'How..what..', he thought with a flushed face.
"Is this your cave? My, it's really cold in here! I made a fire to warm up, I'm not used to this damn cold!", the intruder said with a chuckle at the end. The stranger made emphasis to the lack of heat by rubbing his arms.
The giant blinked at the stranger while still holding his knife in an armed position. Was he not scared? He had a knife for god's sake! Yet, he chose to talk about how cold his cave was. (Which kind of offended him)
"Who are you?! Why are you here?! I should stab you for trespassing-"
Before the other could open his mouth, they heard footsteps and men talking. The noises grew closer and closer. Boots crunched against hardened snow, and the clanks of swords could be heard.
The intruder blew out the fire faster than lightning striking the ground, and put his hand over the giant's mouth.
He whispered, "Please, I'm not here to harm you or anyone. I'll explain later...but please, be quiet!" He tilted his head up to face the giant, golden eyes meeting blue eyes. The intruder silently stared at the taller man, his eyes pleading.
It was at this moment, the giant did not know what to do. He was not fond of getting involved in affairs that were not his, but his man looked truly harmless. Plus, he had no weapons on him, just the clothes on his back. The shorter male's honey eyes begging for an answer, and he finally sighed.
He whispered just as quietly back, "Explain later. Do anything funny, and I will skin you."
The shorter man's eyes grew wide, but he smiled and nodded.
They both leaned against the wall near the entrance, overhearing the conversation from the men outside:
"Porca miseria! Where did Roma go?!", said the first guy with an accent that signified snobbiness.
"Maybe inside the cage?", replied another with a deep voice.
The first voice gasped, "The cave?! The locals say a giant lives in there! Roma would not dare risk it! Plus, it's probably too cold in there."
The shorter male smirked at the giant who rolled his eyes in reply.
The men outside passed the cave, leaving the two men silent until they could no longer hear footsteps. Still, the brown haired male sighed with relief. He went back to light up another fire while the giant looked outside to make sure the men were gone. He came back to the cackling of a fire, and sat down next to the stranger who was still shivering. He took notice of this, and went further inside the cave to grab a bag. He took the thickest wool blanket he owned, and put it over the male. The shorter man took it without question. He told the giant, "Thank you for the blanket! Oh! And for not ratting me out! My name is Roma!"
He took his hand out, to which the giant shook back.
"My name is Rübezahl. Germania if you prefer."
"Yeah, Germania is easier on the tongue…"
With that, Roma smiled at the blonde who in return smiled back. Unknown to both sides, this night would be the most crucial chapter of their lives. They sat by the heat, Germania waiting to hear Roma's story about how he ended up in his cave.
And oh boy, was this about to get good.
