The night air was tense, the fire crackling in the middle of camp as Arlo and Tessa stood ready with their weapons drawn.
The bushes shook again.
Arlo's knuckles were white around his sword hilt. "Whatever you are, we're ready for you," he muttered, mostly to convince himself.
Tessa's grip on her dagger was steady, though her lips pressed into a thin line. "Eyes sharp. Don't relax until you know what you're dealing with."
The branches parted, and out stepped—
Two ogres.
Massive, green-skinned, and each easily twice Arlo's height. One carried a spiked club the size of a tree trunk, the other twirled a chain weighted with a steel ball at the end like it was a toy. Their tusks gleamed in the firelight as they stepped into view.
Arlo's first thought: I'm dead.
His second thought: At least Tessa will die with me, so I won't be lonely.
But instead of charging, the ogres raised their hands in what looked suspiciously like... peace.
The chain-ogre cleared his throat. "Listen, little people. We no hurt anyone."
The club-ogre nodded solemnly. "Leave food and shiny things, walk away, and nobody gets squished, please?"
Arlo blinked. "Wait... what?"
The chain-ogre gestured politely. "Food. Shinies. We robbing you. Nicely."
Tessa arched an eyebrow. "Ogre bandits? Really?"
"We not bandits, we nice collectors," the club-ogre grumbled.
Arlo whispered to Tessa, panic creeping in. "Okay, so—hear me out. What if we... actually gave them our stuff? I mean, I like being alive. It's one of my hobbies."
Tessa gave him a flat look. "And what are we going to survive off for the rest of the trip, we're on a tight schedule you know, not getting executed?"
Arlo winced. "...Ugh. Right. Stupid logic."
He tightened his grip on his sword, trying to look intimidating. "Listen, you oversized cucumbers. Sorry, but if you think we're just gonna hand over our—"
The ogres' attention suddenly shifted, their yellow eyes narrowing past Arlo and Tessa.
Arlo froze. "Uh. Why are they staring at the fire like that?"
But no—not the fire.
They were staring at her.
Sari, who had been crouched by the flames the whole time, scrambled to her feet, face pale.
The chain-ogre jabbed a fat finger toward her. "Her!"
The club-ogre snarled. "Thief!."
Arlo blinked between them. "Wait, thief? Her?"
"She stole food!" the chain-ogre roared, slamming his weapon into the ground. The earth trembled. "One boar! We hungry, she took one, without asking?!"
Arlo tilted his head slowly toward Sari. "...You stole from ogres?"
Sari's voice cracked. "I was hungry! And it was just lying there—okay, maybe not lying there, maybe on a spit—but still!"
The club-ogre stomped closer. "We been tracking for days. And now you here. Our campfire."
"Technically, it's our campfire," Arlo muttered, but quickly shut up when the ogre glared.
Tessa hissed at Sari. "You idiot. Do you know what kind of danger you've put us in?"
Sari trembled, her eyes darting between the monsters and her supposed allies. She wanted to shrink into the dirt, vanish, run. Anything but this. But... if she ran now, the ogres would crush Arlo and Tessa first. But, again she might have two ogres and a dysfunctional couple chasing after her.
Her stomach churned. Her chest squeezed. But her legs moved anyway.
She stepped forward.
Arlo nearly dropped his sword. "What are you doing?!"
Tessa's eyes widened, sharp but calculating.
Sari clenched her fists, trying to hold steady though her knees knocked together. The ogres loomed, ready to pounce, weapons raised.
And then, from deep in her throat, a voice forced its way out—loud, raw, shaking.
"HEY! Ugly and Uglier!"
The clearing went silent. Even the fire seemed to pause.
The ogres froze. Slowly, they turned their heads, both sets of yellow eyes looked at each other and then landing on the girl.
Arlo's jaw dropped.
Tessa raised her dagger slightly higher, uncertain but intrigued.
Sari swallowed hard, but her voice rang out again.
"You want someone to pick on? Then look at me."
The air thickened. The ogres' focus shifted entirely.
And for the first time that night... Arlo realized the real storm was about to start.