The firelight from the camp flickered against the mist of the falls. The night was crisp, quiet but for the occasional hiss of logs and the rush of water. The four figures remained seated, mugs drained, the earlier tension now dissolved into a companionable silence. Yet the curiosity between them had not lessened, it had only taken a new form.
It was Feiyin who broke the quiet first. He set down his cup, silvery eyes steady. "Your physiques are renowned. Among all the races, none carry the same reputation for strength as the giants. I would love learn something of your ways- if such a thing could be permitted. In return, I could refine a few things for you, medicines or otherwise. What do you think?"
For a heartbeat, none of the three spoke. Then Alaric leaned back, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Your words are bold, Feiyin. To take from us is no small thing. But… to offer refinement in return, that is not something to dismiss."
Darak, the young clan leader, leaned forward with a sudden grin, his eyes flashing with the reckless pride of youth. "You want to learn from us? Then prove you can even endure what our ways demand. Strength is the root of our path- without it, there is no meaning." His grin widened into a challenge. "An arm-wrestling match. You and I."
Feiyin tilted his head, then smiled, almost amused. "Very well."
The two shifted, laying themselves upon the cold stone ground beside the fire. Darak's hand, broad as a shovel and thick with corded veins, completely swallowed Feiyin's smaller palm as they clasped hands. The stone beneath their elbows cracked faintly under the pressure even before they began.
Alaric folded his arms, watching with cautious curiosity, while Elder Fjord simply chuckled and took another swig of warm milk. "So it begins," the elder muttered.
With a grunt, Darak began, his bicep bulging like a coiled mountain. Yet the moment he pressed forward, his confident grin faltered. His hand had not moved Feiyin's in the slightest. Instead, it was as if he had grasped the root of the earth itself, immovable and eternal. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as he bore down harder, veins straining, breath hissing.
Feiyin's expression remained calm. His elbow did not shift, his wrist unyielding. Then, slowly, deliberately, he pressed forward. Darak's arm bent back despite his roar, muscles flexing desperately, until at last his knuckles struck the stone ground with a resounding crack. A cloud of dust burst upward.
Silence followed, broken only by the rushing waterfall. Darak stared at his pinned hand in disbelief, then laughed, breathless but genuine. "Hah! By the heavens… it is as though I wrestled a mountain."
Alaric's brows lifted, and he glanced at the elder, who had gone very still. "He bested you, Darak. That is no small thing."
The young clan leader flexed his arm ruefully, grinning despite the sting of pride. "So be it. You have enough strength to walk our path, Feiyin."
But it was Elder Fjord who stirred next. He set down his mug with a heavy thud, a wide grin stretching across his weathered face. "Impressive. But tell me, youth… how do you fare against one who has carried the weight of decades?" He leaned forward, planting his massive arm onto the ground with a crash that sent cracks spidering through the stone. "Come, try me."
Feiyin's lips curved faintly, curiosity gleaming in his amethyst-flecked eyes. "Gladly."
They clasped hands. The elder's palm engulfed Feiyin's entirely, rough and scarred from countless battles. At once, both pressed with full force. The ground shuddered beneath them, fissures radiating outward. A pulse of pressure rippled through the air, forcing Alaric and Darak to retreat a step back.
Elder Fjord's eyes widened for the briefest instant, shock flashing across his features. Then his grin only widened, teeth flashing beneath his silver beard. "Good!" he boomed. "Very good!"
Feiyin's own smile mirrored his, teeth gritted as his muscles coiled, body contracting with explosive strength. Their locked arms quivered, veins standing out like cords, as the pressure between them grew immense. The air around their clash warped, snow from the treeline scattering into the air as if blown by an invisible storm.
Alaric's cloak whipped in the force. He muttered, "This… how suprising…" Darak, however, only grinned fiercely, his pride wounded but his spirit ignited. "Look at them… it's like watching two mountains collide."
The cracks in the stone spread wider, a web of fractures glowing faintly with released qi. At last, with a final thunderous crack, the ground beneath gave way. The two combatants fell as one, plunging into a hidden underground water channel connected to the pond. A tremendous splash echoed through the clearing.
For a heartbeat, silence hung, then laughter erupted. Two drenched figures burst free of the icy water, climbing back to the surface with wet hair plastered to their faces, but with grins wide and unbroken.
"You're not bad, boy!" Elder Fjord roared with laughter, water streaming from his beard. "I, Fjord, acknowledge your strength and recognize you as a guest of our clan!"
Feiyin, shaking droplets from his long black hair, laughed freely in return. "I look forward to it." His chest heaved, exhilaration blazing in his eyes. It had been the first time in years he had unleashed his strength in such a contest- not for combat, not for survival, but simply for the joy of it.
Darak slapped Alaric on the shoulder, grinning with newfound respect. "Seems your daughter was right after all. He is not ordinary at all."
Alaric sighed, though a smile tugged at his lips despite his usual composure. "So it seems."
And so, beneath the silver light of the moon and the endless roar of the waterfall, the four- giants and human alike- walked together toward the clan grounds, laughter echoing through the night.
As they walked, conversation flowed more freely. Feiyin, still curious, asked about their people. Alaric stroked his beard and explained that their clan had been reclusive for centuries, not out of disdain for the world but because of an ancient mandate.
Elder Fjord nodded solemnly, saying, "It was our illustrious forebear, known for feeling the very currents of the world's fate, who warned us. He foresaw a great catastrophe in the centuries to come. He ordered that our clan retreat into seclusion, to grow inwardly, to strengthen ourselves until the day we would need it."
Feiyin's heart quickened at their words. He could not help but wonder- was this ancestor's vision tied to the insectoid threat he had already encountered? The thought unsettled him, yet also deepened his respect. If such foresight was possible, then the giants' patience in seclusion was no mere retreat, but preparation.
He couldn't help but ask, "Does that mean that all Giants have some innate ability?"
Alaric chuckled, shaking his head. "No, not at all. Each manifests differently and to various degrees. I, for example, don't have any notable ability, while my daughter Fiona, whom you previously met, has always been strangely sensitive to people's true natures. Her brother, Finn, can also feel when special energies or treasures are near."
Elder Fjord rumbled a laugh, adding, "Strength is our foundation, but the world itself flows through our blood. Some of us catch a glimpse of it more clearly than others."
Feiyin listened, fascinated. He recalled the records that spoke of rare constitutions and strange gifts, and wondered where would that place them.