The 2nd chapter in the retelling of Dez's saga is here once more. Let the battle commence!

ONTO THE STORY!

Disclaimer: Mashed potatoes will not be found on my plate. Unless something is seriously wrong with me, that is.

FLASHBACK TO THE LAST CHAPTER

If I had been paying more attention to my surroundings other than mulling over the lack of sound, I might have seen the large, muscular hand before it could have gotten close enough to grab me.

I might have been able to draw my sword to prevent it from gripping my body like I was just some little rag doll.

At the very least, I might have been able to cover my head before I was tossed carelessly through the air and slammed into tree.

But, of course, I hadn't.

Nothing ever goes the way we plan, does it?

Chapter 2: The Goliath

Thunk.

I hit the ground, pain blossoming from the back of my head. I clenched my jaw, willing the pained moan away before it could be released. Tentatively, I felt around the wounded area. My fingers had just brushed against something wet before I winced, jerking them into my view with a soft curse. A brilliant red coated my fingertips, falling gently down the curve of flesh.

A deep, wet cackle broke through the layer of silence surrounding me. Goosebumps rose on my arms as my eyes darted from side to side, trying to find the source. Tremors vibrated the ground as something extremely heavy moved behind the trees, an odd sound of squelching stickiness following each step.

Gripping the bark as best as I could, I hauled myself up to lean against the tree. My arms had become strong after years of rigorous training she had guided me through, but things were starting to get foggy. Standing proved to be more of a challenge than I had expected. I tried to push past it, refusing to let my guard down as I scanned the area near me. It appeared as though nothing else was there, but I could feel its eyes like hot coals burning holes into my skin. They felt malicious. And hungry.

A deformed silhouette caught my eye as a stray sliver of moonlight hit it, causing me to orient myself accordingly. It must have figured out that its cover had been blown, because a moment later it stepped out of the cover of the woods, taking up much more space than I anticipated. Its body was so massive that it cast a shadow over my face from across the clearing. My jaw dropped and my hand moved down to grip the hilt of the sword, ready to pull it out at a second's notice.

Some strained, gurgling-like noise bubbled up from within the creature. It wasn't quite as unnerving as the cackle I had heard earlier, but I was almost certain it was laughing again. My skin crawled and my stomach knotted in disgust. I watched as it turned what I assumed to be its head toward the sky, sniffing the air not unlike the yellow dog from earlier had.

"Oooohhh…" It moaned throatily, its voice hoarse and raspy.

"Such-ch a won-der-ful s-scent…" It continued, sounding like it was echoing despite not being loud enough to do so.

I rubbed at my eyes, struggling to get them to focus clearly through the dulled muck my brain had turned into. I managed to unsheathe my weapon despite my struggles, my body naturally positioning itself into a fight-or-flight stance as I held it defensively in front of my person. Exactly the way she taught me to do.

"I don't want any trouble," I called, "so just stay back and we don't have to do this." I sounded much more confident and commanding than I actually felt in the moment.

"S-so brave-ve…" It rasped, "S-so stupid-id…"

The only thing I had time to do was widen my eyes before its hand connected with my side. I was flung once again through the air, landing unceremoniously in a heap far from where I had once stood. My side ached, pain blossoming from where the creature had made contact. Its heavy footsteps thundered in my direction, rocking the very ground below me as that sick suction sound from earlier followed it.

Fighting through the haze of pain, I scrambled back onto my feet, arms spread to keep my balance as my backpack slipped off my shoulders. My efforts were in vain, however, because as soon as I was centered I had to throw myself back down against to avoid its large hand as it swiped at me. It moved slow, unable to maneuver its limbs with finesse given their size. That's when I got an idea.

Picking up the sword from where it had landed next to me, I advanced on the giant, eyes on its arm. I lashed out with the sword, the blade biting into the creature's muscular hand. It shrieked. The shrill sound was so high and loud that I figured my eardrums would shatter any moment. Stupidly, I let go of the hilt to protect my ears, thus making mistake number one.

It swung its arm away from me, backing away into the shadows and further protecting its appearance from my eyes. I watched as it went to pick the weapon out of its wound as if it were merely a splinter. A piercing growl ripped through the air when it dug it deeper in before getting it out.

Thud.

The sword lay forgotten near its massive leg, well over thirty yards away. My eyes darted around, calculating the best possible way for me to retrieve it as quickly as possible.

All hopes of recovery were crushed as it shifted its huge, tree-trunk-like legs and effectively blocked my view of the weapon. My brain went into overdrive as I ran through every plausible way I could defeat my newfound enemy. In my current weakened state, I wouldn't stand a chance with only my fists. But that wouldn't stop me from trying.

One time, many years ago, she had told me my foolish way of thinking would be my undoing one day. She might have been right.

I took a deep breath to center myself, holding it for one heartbeat, then two. I let it out. And then I burst into motion.

I sprinted forward, using my hard-earned speed and agility to my advantage. However, the closer I came to the goliath, the more the putrid scent of rotting carcasses and sickeningly sweet sugar filled my nostrils. I was barely able to hold back my retching as I continued barreling forward, bracing myself as I jumped as high as I could. Knowing I only had a moment before gravity came back into play; I kicked out into what could only be the creature's body.

It was like hitting a wall of rubber. My foot sunk into its gelatinous belly before all of the momentum I had built up was used against me. I was thrown backwards, hitting the ground hard and rolling.

What in Ooo is this creature made of?

It gurgled again, louder this time. "Mmm, yesss…W-we w-will enj-joy eating y-you…"

Fear reared its sharp head into my heart, and with it came fury. I hated feeling that way. Feeling scared and powerless. It was one of the few things that were a surefire way of pissing me off. A rough plan came together in my head. All I needed to follow through with it was the sword.

Gritting my teeth harshly, I pulled myself to my feet and darted forward. Just as I had hoped, the giant brought its arm down in a long, sweeping motion. Waiting until the last second, I slid under the reaching hand and made a mad dash to the fallen blade.

My fingers had just barely caressed the hilt when I was knocked through the air once more, this time landing high up in a tree. The sharp, prickly branches dug into my threadbare clothes, scraping and stabbing my already bruised and battered skin.

I gasped, my lungs aching for air. All of mine had been lost when I hit the tree. Not to mention the lack of chance to recuperate from all the other flight trips I had already endured. The world began a slow dance around me, my eyesight dimming. My sides were killing me, and one look at them told me why. Blood leaked through punctures in my tank top, staining the grey material a shiny black. It was only a matter of time before I would be unconscious.

The branch I slumped against unexpectedly creaked. It was a small, almost indecipherable sound that could have easily been dismissed. But its meaning instantly had me vigilant and wary. I threw my arms up to protect my head just as the bough snapped in half, sending me crashing down the tree.

The world was a mish-mash of browns and blues as I fell. I clenched my jaw tightly to prevent biting my tongue every time I hit another limb. The pain blossomed all over, and I knew if I made it out of this fight I would be, without question, one giant bruise by morning.

The gurgling laughter of the twisted creature pounded into my head, ricocheting back and forth around the clearing. The pure amplitude of it shook the ground, or maybe that was just my legs shaking as I tried to get up again.

"S-so s-slow-w…" It crooned happily. "C-canno-ot-t wait-t t-to rip y-you t-to sh-shre-eds-s…" And with that, it took two squishy steps forward into the strongest ray of moonlight. Finally, I would be able to see what it looked like for certain. I almost wished I hadn't.

Its thick legs were literally made of tree trunks, making it look as though it had grown right up out of the forest floor. One look at its bulging, bloated body, however, made me discard any such notion. Its torso was absolutely massive, glistening and quivering with every twitch or movement it made within the thin membrane holding everything in. It was like it had the consistency and complexion of a faded red, ball of slime.

Its eyes bugged out from what must have once been eye sockets, but had long since drooped down from the filled in grooves. But that was it. There was nothing else there, nothing but its eyes that gleamed like raw eggs dripping down from the caved-in orbital cavities made up its face. Where were the other facial features?

The arms that protruded from its sides were thick, red, and meaty– an odd contrast to the rest of its vomit-inducing figure. They were much longer than what seemed proportionately correct, scraping restlessly against the ground. Its over-sized hand opened and closed in agitation. Something embedded in the palm reflected the faint light. Narrowing my eyes, I craned my neck to see what it was hiding.

My stomach flipped and my face drained of color. I hadn't realized how close to being devoured every time I risked getting closer to it. Horror churned my insides when I glanced over at its other hand only to find another of the same thing.

Sharp, needle-like teeth stood proudly at the gaping holes that marred the palms of the creature's hands. Fresh blood shimmered brightly in the moonlight from around the cavernous holes.

Another wave of understanding hit me when I thought back to all my recent flight trips when the goliath could have just as easily crushed me instead. It enjoyed playing around with its food first before eating.

It started with little tastes here and there, testing to see if it would be worth the effort to kill. Maybe once it deemed it suitable it began playing rougher. So rough that it was tenderizing it like one would their meat before cooking it. Until it was time to feast without leaving a single trace behind.

Oh, Glob.

I hacked painfully into my hand. It burned as it tore through my throat. I didn't even have to look to know that there was blood in it. My gaze rose back to the repulsive creature's eyes and I glared, a newfound hate forming inside of me. Hate was good. She always said it kept one's determination clear.

A gasp escaped my lips as a wave of pain spasmed throughout my body. My eyes clinched tightly as I attempted to bear through it, but it was almost too much for me. I felt light as air, yet as heavy as a boulder at the same time. I'd suffered too much blood loss. I'd be a fool to think otherwise.

The breath left my lungs in shallow bursts, the pain only intensifying if my diaphragm expanded any larger. I cursed myself under my breath from being so weak. She wouldn't have been. If she were here she would ridicule me for my feebleness.

All the sudden, the hand I had been examining so closely lashed out, reaching, grasping, ready to consume me with the sharp needles it called teeth. Its sagging eyes were lit up with glee- as much as I considered the idea impossible. It had to be darn near ecstatic to fill its already engorged belly.

Everything that came next felt as if it were happening in slow-motion, like a moment most beings would get when something awful was about to happen and their life flashed before their eyes. It was like time had actually slowed down, if that were even plausible. Something flashed brightly in my peripherals, and I turned to look at it warily, not expecting to find what I did.

The humanoid boy from before had sprung out from the shadows, the yellow dog that followed at his heels now three times as large. The boy leapt in front of me, slashing horizontally with his sword to slice into the beast's outstretched hand. The blade slid into the niche I had already carved out from my earlier attempt, cutting deeply and effortlessly through its tough skin.

It shrieked again, the sound slightly mangled now that one of its mouths was split in half. White, chunky liquid spurted profusely from the laceration, intermingling with the blood- my blood- that spilt out of its throat. It turned into the same disgusting shade of pink that made up its jellylike body.

Some of the visceral liquid splattered against my cheek. I touched my face, feeling the grit of whatever the white stuff was and my grip on the world slipping away. My knees gave out and sent me sprawling out on the ground. I fought against the hands of unconsciousness, battering them away as I tried to regain something of my blurry vision. My fingers curled into the cool soil of the forest floor, finding comfort in the familiar feeling.

Warm, callused hands gently dug under my exhausted form and lifted me up; seemingly aware enough of the state I was in to treat the wound on my head with care. I was then cradled against a broad chest, and since I was too beat up to resist, my head ended up resting comfortably in the crook of their neck.

Unconsciously, I took in my captor's scent, the smell of fresh air and mint tickling my nose in response. I stiffened, knowing that what I was thinking was impossible. It couldn't be her, no matter how familiar her scent was.

The warm hands hesitantly brushed against my face, the way they barely caressed it making it seem as though whoever it was did so in disbelief. I forced myself to reopen my eyes, fighting with all I had in me against the dark cloud that had taken over my vision to prove to myself that she really was gone, and that I needed to accept it.

The first things that came into view once my eyes could focus were blue eyes, their clear and distinct shade striking even in the dark. Sadness threatened to overwhelm me when I caught sight of the pure white bear hat sitting upon his head, its black eyes looking curiously down at me. She wasn't coming back for me.

His thumb brushed against the apple of my cheek, bringing me back to the present and out of my silly fantasies. I blinked slowly, just now realizing how close we were. The way he looked at me would have normally been unnerving if I hadn't probably been examining him with the same intensity.

Before I could stop myself, I reached up, my hand shaking, and cupped his face. My fingers trailed over the slight scruff along his jawline to get a better understanding of its texture. They moved further up, above the faint facial hair, and my brow furrowed. The skin was warm and soft. Just like mine is. Like hers was. But, no. It couldn't be. I was the last human. She had told me so for years. She said that I would be all alone in this strange world without her.

But then how could his skin feel like that?

"You!" I choked out, my throat aching along with the rest of my body. "You're a… A human?"

Those familiar blue eyes widened, but he didn't stop staring. In fact, he continued to make eye contact as he nodded. His Adam's apple bobbed distractingly as he swallowed. I blinked slowly once more, my mind gradually stuttering to a stop. My sight became blurred before greying out and eventually turning black. Only one thing lingered in my conscious before I finally slipped away.

There was another human.

A/N: Hey guys! Here's chapter 2, back 'atcha! I finally discovered a way to covertly work on my stories when I'm really supposed to be doing other things, and it has been a great help, let me tell you.

Anyway! Just wanted to thank you all for sticking around! I think this story will just get better and better with all this experience I now have. Maybe it'll have the potential to actually be great someday.

Thanks again to all our new Silent Watchers! I haven't had much Vocalist activity, but I get it. Sometimes you just don't want to say anything. I've been there. But, boy. Let me tell you nothing perks me right the hell up than to see an email saying someone reviewed something I created. I get giddy every time. Even if it's just a simple, "Thaz perty good. Updat sun."

Virtual cookies for all! I hope to update another one of my stories (if not this one) before Thanksgiving, but we'll see!

Okay.

Bye!