A Closer Look

When Keida had commissioned the clothes, the tailor had laughed. Something lightweight? What would she use it for? But Keida insisted, and she was glad she had. The land of the giants was a lot warmer than home. And here she was about to just walk into the liveliest giant town she’d ever found.

Keida realized the stupidity of what she was doing, but her research wasn’t going any farther by studying from afar. She had to see them up close, and the only way to do that would be to… well, get up close.

Her robes were thin for Averdine make, but the leather was still warm for this southern region. Keida was sweating as she walked among the giants, staying towards the outskirts of the beaten road. The giants’ wear was completely foreign to her. Their clothing billowed in the wind in bright colors. The smells were something else, too. Sharp spices colored the air with tangy acidity.

There were more giants than Keida had expected. She had deduced this was a trading town over the past month or so, but the gathering of giants was more than it had been when she had arrived. Keida noted as well a large bonfire now ahead, waiting to be set aflame. It looked like too much work to be a daily task. Perhaps an offering?

Foreign voices bombarded Keida as she entered the town center. Here giants had set up makeshift stalls, screaming loudly at passersby in what Keida hoped was jubilance. They were smiling, at least, between blasts of mangled vowels and sibilants. She watched avidly as one giant came up to a stall and picked up a small object. There was a conversation, then the giant pulled something from his pocket. Keida nodded to herself as the trade completely. Foreign as their ways were, Keida couldn’t help but notice the similarities. Odoho Asa had a large market in its south-bottom district, and a few others scattered through the capital. The difference really appeared to be what they were selling.

Keida approached a stall, but the owner batted at her and chased her off with a string of nonsense. He didn’t follow, though, she noted as she turned her head back. She’d just wanted a closer look, but she reasoned he was probably in the right. She had none of the local currency, whatever that was.

Instead, she approached the pile of logs, which she could see now were surrounded by an unwieldy fence. The giants could see over it easily, but she had to peer between the posts. It was the kind of fire to lose a body in, she thought. Why else make something so large? But the faces around her were happy and she could hear laughter. She was curious, that was for certain.

Keida felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle, and she turned to see a giant approaching her. The creature stooped to come face to face with Keida, then said something entirely unintelligible. Keida just shook her head. She tried to guess at a good escape. Probably could lose it in the crowd, she thought. The giant frowned, then said something else. At Keida’s continued silence, the giant seemed frustrated.

It pointed then at some other giants nearby: a small child jumping up and down, babbling at its presumable parents. That child-giant was about the same height as Keida.

Oh.

Keida turned to the first giant again and shook her head more fiercely. She didn’t have parents — at least, not anywhere near here. And she certainly didn’t need to find them. But the giant just smiled and took Keida’s hand. The giant led her away from the bonfire and away from the crowd. There were a number of children here, playing games in the dirt and laughing with each other. An adult was minding them, but it looked up at Keida as she was led into their circle.

‘Who’s this?’ she imagined him to say. She didn’t have much clue, but it’s what she would’ve asked at a strange person being brought into her midst. The giants conversed, and Keida listened. Their tones were calm, which was good. The giant who’d brought her took a small cloth from its pocket and deposited it into a barrel of water. It stooped again and brought the cloth to Keida’s forehead. The cool water felt refreshing and alleviated some of the heat she’d been feeling. The giant kept up its conversation with its partner, tugging on Keida’s clothes.

Ah, yes. She did stand out, didn’t she?

A blast of heat hit her from behind, and a cheer went up from the crowd. Keida turned to see the bonfire lit and crackling. There was chanting, like a song that only half the crowd really knew, and some giants approached the fire with sticks. They lit them ablaze then returned to pass them around. Soon the darkening street was filled with the pinpricks of torch light.

Something the color of rose quartz fell over Keida’s person, startling her. After some confusion, she realized it was a set of robes. She’d never felt fabric so finely woven, and the color of the dye was fascinating. The giant, seemingly satisfied, picked Keida up and took her inside one of the buildings. Keida didn’t have much say in the matter until her clothes were completely changed. She couldn’t help but utter protestation at being treated like a toddler, but that was only met with laughter.

The robes were much better suited to the heat, though. Keida imagined she could feel the fabric breathe. Her old clothes were tossed away, but Keida didn’t mind. She had no use for them — halfway solutions that were not fit anywhere.

Keida decided, then, that this would be her plan. Her task was to understand the giants. What better way than to live among them? If she stayed here, listened to them babble and watch them on a day-to-day basis, surely she could learn enough that would be of use to her superiors. At minimum, she hoped to decipher their language. Perhaps she’d found the giant equivalent of an orphanage, or perhaps the giant couple had a large family. Maybe that was their way. But Keida did know one thing.

She’d find out everything there was to know about the giants, and one day, the time would come to create a strategy against them.