Night descended upon the giants' village like a heavy cloak, bringing with it the acrid stench of fermented mead and the shadow of Knull's fury. The giant, staggering and with eyes red with drunkenness, stormed into King's humble shelter. The small flame in the hearth flickered, casting grotesque shadows on the stone walls.
"You... abomination!" Knull growled, his voice hoarse and drawn. His sword, drawn with a metallic clang, reflected the flickering light like an omen of death. "You should have died with your mother!"
King, seated near the fire, rose slowly, his muscles tense like steel ropes. The rage, contained for so many years, bubbled beneath his skin. "Why do you hate me so much?" he asked, his voice low and controlled, despite the trembling of fear that coursed through his body.
"You are the living reminder of my weakness!" Knull roared, lunging forward with his sword raised. "A weak son... a stain on my lineage!"
The steel cut through the air, aiming for King's heart. In an instinctive movement, he rolled to the side, the blade grazing his shoulder. The searing pain was like an electric shock, igniting the dormant fury within him.
King leaped back, grabbing a battle axe leaning against the wall. The familiar weight of the weapon in his hands calmed him, giving him an icy focus. He was no longer the cowering boy, but an awakened giant.
"I am not weak!" King roared, his eyes burning with rage.
The clash of weapons echoed through the village, the metallic sound mingling with Knull's furious cries. The fight was brutal, a whirlwind of blows and dodges, each impact reverberating in King's bones. Knull's sword was swift and relentless, but King's axe was heavy and powerful.
In a moment of opening, King delivered a devastating blow, the axe finding Knull's skull and splitting it in two. The giant staggered, his eyes wide with surprise and pain, before collapsing lifeless to the ground.
The silence that followed was deafening. King stared at his father's body, anger giving way to a wave of emptiness. He had survived, but at what cost? There was no longer a place for him in that village, in that tribe.
With a heavy heart, King gathered some supplies and set off into the darkness. He crossed the icy mountains toward the neighboring continent, leaving behind the only home he had ever known. His destination was uncertain, but one thing was clear: he would never be the same again. He was now an exile, a wandering vagabond, carrying the weight of his past, but determined to forge his own future.
The icy vastness of the foreign continent stretched before King like a challenge. The wind howled mercilessly, and thick snow covered everything. He had been walking for days, haunted by guilt and the pain of loss. The memory of the final blow to Knull, the nauseating sound of the axe splitting his father's skull, echoed in his mind.
He survived by hunting small animals, his immense strength a constant reminder of his nature. The nights were torturous. The cold and darkness brought with them the ghosts of the past. But King persevered, driven by the need to escape, to reinvent himself.
Wandering through a forest of twisted, dark trees, unlike anything he had ever seen, King spotted smoke. A spark of hope rekindled in his chest. He followed the trail of smoke until he reached a clearing. In the center, a campfire crackled, and around it, a group of Orc and human adventurers warmed themselves.
The sight of King, with his impressive three meters of height, caused an immediate startle. Faces contorted in expressions of fear and surprise; some screamed, others prepared to fight. They had never seen a being of that race.
The Orcs, with their greenish skin and rough features, wielded rudimentary axes and spears, now pointed at the giant. The humans, with their fair skin and softer features, gripped their bows and arrows, their bodies tense, prepared for whatever might happen.
A robust Orc, with scars that told stories of battles, stood out as the leader. His gaze, once scrutinizing, now overflowed with apprehension. "What creature is that?" he growled, his hoarse voice echoing in the clearing. Beside him, a human woman, with red hair tied in a braid and wide green eyes, watched King with a mixture of fear and curiosity. She instinctively took a step back, seeking protection from the Orc leader. "Gronk, watch out!" she whispered.
"Don't come any closer!" shouted a young Orc, hiding behind a large tree. His voice trembled, revealing the terror he felt.
King, perceiving the fear he inspired, raised his hands in a sign of peace. "I don't want to hurt you," he said, his deep, calm voice contrasting with the tense atmosphere. "I'm just lost and hungry."
The red-haired woman, after a moment of hesitation, stepped forward. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice hesitant.
"My name is King," replied the giant. "I am of the Goliath race."
"I am Erza," the woman said. "And this is Gronk," she pointed to the Orc leader.
Gronk still stared at him suspiciously. "What are you doing here, King?" he asked, his hand still firmly on his spear.
"Just traveling," King replied, avoiding details about his origin and past. "As you may have noticed, I am not from this continent."
Elara, after exchanging a glance with Gronk, cautiously extended her hand, offering a dark-skinned, peculiarly shaped fruit. "Eat," she said. "It's a gesture of peace."
King hesitated for a moment, the image of Knull still vivid in his memory. But exhaustion and the need for contact compelled him to accept the offer. He took the fruit, feeling its rough texture on his fingers, and ate it. The taste was bittersweet, awakening his senses.
"Thank you," King said, feeling some of the tension dissipate.
Gronk, still cautious, gestured for King to approach the fire. "Sit down," he said, his voice still heavy with distrust. "But know that we'll be watching you."
The crackling flame, the comforting warmth, and the presence of those beings, so different and yet united by fear, brought a new perspective to the young exile. He sat down, feeling hope reborn in his heart, while the snow fell silently on the strange and frightened community in the clearing.