Page 50 of Crowned A Traitor
“The Warlock tells us that you intend to leave for the Human plane on the River,” Gratide said.
“The Forest isn’t exactly happy with my presence at the minute,” Klara said, and Gratide stepped through the passage in the tree. Klara hesitated as the other Giants stepped through a ripple, exposing the glamour that protected their homes from outsiders.
“We shouldn’t trust them. If the High Queen wants you, who’s to say the Fae Queen won’t take you hostage as leverage.” Wolfgang spoke as though he knew of the Queens’ tactics,maybe I’ve underestimated the Lycaon.
“Think of Lottie, she needs rest for the journey ahead. With your injury you can’t carry her the whole way.”
Klara played on his conscience when all she wanted was to find out what the Giants knew about Kalos, and its Queen.
Klara stepped through the glamour at the centre of the unraveled tree trunks, squinting as bright sparkles floated around her. The fireflies like the Giants’ were in the thousands. It took a moment for Klara’s eyes to adjust to the new surroundings.
“It was once the old mine,” Arthur said as Klara stood on the edge of the ledge and looked into the pit of light and loud voices. Klara noticed the homes embedded in the mud walls of the mine as the group descended deeper than Klara thought possible.
“Best not to stare,” Wolfgang said as he came through the glamour.
“Have you seen anything like this before?” Klara asked as she followed Arthur down the path wrapped around the mine. Klara thought they were inside the elm tree but when she looked up all she could see was the sky.
Klara’s mind drifted to the dungeons spiraling staircase in the Queens’ Castle, and her palms grew sweaty.
Unlike in the Castle, the path was wide enough to accommodate Giants. Straight down, Klara saw a reservoir with an enormous tree that rivalled the height of a Giant at its centre.
Klara caught up to Gratide, “How is it you managed to create such a place without the High Queens knowledge or permission?”
“It was already here. This was once an old Goblin mine. But once the gold dried up, the Goblins left for the deep mountains.” Klara’s nose wrinkled; Goblins were notorious side switchers. All you had to do was flash some coin under their long-pointed noses, and their loyalties shifted. Abadan had managed to charm them into submission, she let them have their mountains of gold, so long as they paid their taxes.How else was she to keep her vault so well stocked?
“Why choose the mine when you hold so much land?”
“So many questions, one would think you are a spy,” Gratide smiled through yellow teeth and wrinkles formed at his eyes.
“If you want my trust, then why not answer?”
“The mine provides protection, and it is almost impossible to raid without our watchers catching them before they can descend.”
“Makes strategic sense, but what if you get trapped inside?”
“The Goblins built escape passages in the waters below to send their gold and jewels to the mountains undetected, so we have means of escape.”
“Not that we would run from a fight,” one of the Giants behind Klara thumped their chest which garnered a rumble of laughter and cheers from the others.
“After the treaty was signed, Abadan thought we were diminished, but that’s what we wanted her to think, and when she resettled those Ogres, she learnt just how strong we were.”
“And that gave you the right to grind their bones to make your bread.”
“Not everything is how it seems.”
Once they reached the bottom of the mine, they crossed the bridge over the glistening water to the tallest and broadest tree Klara had ever seen.
A patch of green grass surrounded the tree as illuminous waters threatened the edges of grass. “Step inside,” Gratide’s purple complexion brightened, and Klara didn’t hesitate. The tree was just a glamour within a glamour. Inside, a great hall of dark wood housed hundreds of drinking and eating Giants. The long tables were crowded with dozens of loud and merry Giants. Gratide joined Klara through the glamour with the others before walking them through the laughter to a top table of four giants. Klara spotted the fifth empty seat.
“Eat and drink,” Gratide told them. “We have honoured guests this evening, make them feel welcome,” he addressed the room, and everyone went silent and stared at the group.
Klara grew nervous as the large eyes searched them.
Clusters of conversation broke out as Gratide took his seat at the head table. A few Giants moved from the table closest to Gratide to make way for Klara’s small group. The Giants kept to themselves none batting an eyelid in their direction. If they did, it was only to look in the opposite direction quickly. “Eat,” a Giant said at their table with a crooked smile.
Klara took a random assortment of vegetables from what was laid out in the middle of the table, some foods she didn’t recognize. “Think it’s safe to eat?” Wolfgang whispered and Klara watched as everyone ate from the collection of food.
“If it’s poisoned, they’d all be suffering,” Klara replied, and Wolfgang took a drumstick from some sort of bird. “How I wish I could taste again,” Arthur grumbled, staring at the enlarged fruits and meats, there was no reason for a dead Warlock to eat. Everything was so much bigger, even the cups took two hands to hold. Wolfgang helped Lottie take a few sips from the small wooden cup as a Giant’s bowl was too much for her. Lottie hiccupped as she ate hungrily from the meat Wolfgang cut into small pieces.
