The clay monstrosity shambled towards the pitch.

“Witchcraft! Evil spirits!” cried Kojo. “This is a magic puppet made of clay. I bet a witch is doing this. Get behind me, kids. You stand no chance against magic.”

But the golem towered above Kojo. Tiggy couldn’t let the coach grapple with it alone. She ran forward.

“Ogre-girl…?” said Kojo.

Tiggy stood between the golem and the team. “G- Go ‘way now…” she said. Her heart was thudding in her breast. The clay monster lunged forward, snapping at her. She gritted her teeth and kicked hard with her iron boot. Her boot hit the wet clay and stuck there.

“Not like that girl, draw your leg back, then kick, like this!” Kojo mimed drawing his leg back and kicking.

Copying Kojo’s motions, Tiggy kicked the golem in one of its lower appendages. The force of the blow caused the golem’s limb to break off. The clay automaton reeled and collapsed.

“Good one, Tiggy!” said Hal, sounding relieved.

Kojo pointed at the golem. “No… look… magic…”

The golem’s limb was merging back seamlessly to its clay body. In a trice, the golem was on its feet again. Its club like fists flailed like Tiggy, but she dodged from side to side.

“You move gracefully for such a big girl,” observed Kojo.

Tiggy kicked the golem hard, and the clay monster stumbled again, and then shambled towards the bench where Elliot was sitting, his eyes wide with horror.

Tiggy’s stomach lurched with worry and she leapt in front of the golem, kicking hard.

The golem’s clay limbs broke, but it didn’t fall. Now it was merging back together again, quicker than before. It bellowed at her silently, displaying a cruel mouth of jagged teeth.

Atticus stood nearby. “It’s not the how, your enemy is fighting you, it’s the why?”

For a moment, Tiggy was puzzled. Then she had a realisation. The golem had been sculpted to look angry. She recalled how she had formed the clay worms from the magic loam in her garden at home to be happy. It had just been a question of putting smiley faces on them.

“Hold on…” she gripped the golem’s head and began to punch and pummel it, reforming the head so that the mouth no longer displayed jagged teeth. Now it looked like a happy smile. “There.”

The golem stood up and paused.

“You’re a happy clay man now,” said Tiggy, patting its cold damp back.

“It still can’t stay here,” called Verena from the sidelines. “The horrible, great lump!”

“I’ll call him Lumpy an’ he’ll be good,” said Tiggy grinning at her sister.

“Alright boys, excitement is over,” said Kojo.

Atticus was gazing off into the distance and then his eyes narrowed. Tiggy turned to follow his gaze. In the distance, she saw, with a chill feeling, the figure of the maniac who had attacked her that time in the garden. Hooded and cloaked, with a Jack the Giant Killer mask. The Giant Slayer. The mysterious malefactor clenched his fists, then turned and ran.

00O00

Furious at the failure of the clay golem, Sully went to find answers. He left the town, went past the Carnival and out onto the fields and up a dirt path. He approached a long low building, with a dark entrance.

“A mystic practices here,” said the bracelet in its prattling, squeaky voice.

Sully strode confidently into the darkness. A woman’s voice rang out from the shadows. “Greetings, Adventurer. I can see you are not to be trusted.”

“You have me wrong,” said Sully.

“No, I don’t think I do somehow,” said the voice and laughed sardonically, a grating hyena like laugh.

“This one sees further into the millstone than others,” said the bracelet.

“I am on a mission to stop the mutant filth that has proven mightier than a clay golem,” said Sully. “Give me the answer I seek, or I shall run you through.”

“Choose a symbol,” said the mystic. “A crown, a gate, or a sword. Pick one.”

“Just pick one,” urged the bracelet.

“A sword. One with a deadly, smiting blade,” said Sully.

“I see a trail of carnage left in your wake,” said the mystic. “You cause much misery and suffering wherever you go.”

“I’ve no time for flattery,” said Sully. “I wish to find a weapon with which to fell the mightiest giantess.”

“Pick another symbol,” urged the mystic. “A village, a hamlet, or a hermitage.”

“A village then,” said Sully.

“I see a settlement in the hills to the south that you left in ruins,” said the mystic. “Are you so eager to repeat such a feat?”

“All too eager,” said Sully. “The weapon I tested out on that dismal place proved to be far from perfect and could only be used once. I sense something special is needed to defeat the evil giantess. She is more resourceful than I anticipated. For the record, I do not care if I lay waste to this entire town.”

“One final symbol… No!” there was a sharp intake of breath from the shadows. “The Winds of Doom! But that symbol is not in my pack. How can this be? There is a malign force in the crags to the north. A sleepless malice that would wreak havoc!”

“Sounds intriguing,” said Sully.

“You will bring doom upon us in your self-serving quest to kill a girl with a good heart,” said the mystic. “Take yourself away!”

“I will not,” said Sully. He strode forward boldly into the darkness. A light flared up, illuminating the form of a young woman with a pale green face. Touched by magic, clearly. It often left that mark. Sully curled his lip. “You know too much.” He raised his sword.

“Please…” the girl’s eyes were wide and frightened. “I won’t breathe a word.”

“No, you will not,” said Sully. He squeezed her cheeks so that her tongue stuck out to its fullest extent, then with a swift motion of his sword, he cut her tongue off and threw it away. Not staying to see the result, he left the building and set out on a new quest.

00O00

Tiggy and Hal both met with Jax in Tiggy’s house to ask him about SpooksEve. Verena was at a party and Nadine was on patrol along the perimeter of their property in case the evil Giant Slayer should return. Corey joined them in the reception room. Corey fully agreed with Hal that Tiggy could not go out storytelling on SpooksEve with the evil Giant Slayer on the loose.

“Hal is a boy with a lot of good sense,” said Corey. “I am very glad he has brought this to my attention. Jax, what were you thinking? Storytelling with that madman on the loose?”

“Jax didn’t mean any harm, Dad,” said Tiggy, her big brown eyes anxious.

But Corey had to let Jax know his displeasure. How could he suggest putting Tiggy in danger? Tiggy was the one person who was most precious to him. Even more precious than Nadine and Verena. And Corey had to make this clear, even if it meant sounding all serious and formal. “My elder daughter is my biggest achievement.”

Jax smirked. Why did the stupid boy smirk just because Corey said Tiggy was his biggest achievement?

Tiggy grinned and chuckled. “Yeah, ‘m really big ‘n tall. But I’ll always look up to you, Dad.”

Corey touched her large green hand. “My life changed so much for the better when you came along.”

Tiggy’s grin lit up her green face. “Awwww. Hugs!”

That meant she wanted Corey to sit on her knee so she could put her arms around him. Corey was self-conscious about doing that in front of the boys. It was strange, being so much smaller than his daughter. But he couldn’t possibly refuse Tiggy. He clambered into her lap and she put her muscular arms around him. “You’ll always be my hero,” she rumbled, her reeking breath blasting the back of his neck.

Corey wished Verena could show him such respect, instead of being snide about the tales of his adventures.

“Storytelling on SpooksEve is out of the question, Jax,” said Corey firmly. “But Hal’s idea of a Ball sounds OK.”

“You like Hal better than me, Mr Harris. Just say it,” said Jax.

“Don’t be stupid, Jax. This has nothing to do with comparing you and Hal,” said Corey. Emotion welled up in him, making his heart beat faster and his throat feel tight. “If you must know, I don’t think anyone can be good enough for Tiggy because who could love her like I do.”

“Aw, Dad. I’ll always love you no matter what,” said Tiggy. “That won’t change.” She leaned down and lightly kissed the top of his head. Tiggy understood his emotional turmoil. The boys didn’t, but what of that? Hal was staring at them and Jax had put his hand to his mouth as though to hide a smirk.

Corey privately thought that just letting her go on a date with either of them was like handing a fine Stradivarius to a gorilla. Was any boy worthy of his sweet daughter?

00O00

Nadine carefully scoured the perimeter of their garden, just in case the evil Giant Slayer should put in an appearance. If he did try and trespass, she was ready. However, she wasn’t ready for what she found on the road outside. A huge figure, sitting down on the paved road. The moon above was a ghostly orb above a sea of clouds. It shone down the on the figure. The figure was huge and green, with a straggly mane of red hair and a swollen forehead. An ogre! Unmistakably female.

The ogress looked at Nadine with one bleary eye (the other was swollen shut and bruised).

“’M hurt,” she rumbled, her speech slurring. “Me leg dun’ work no more…”

“Oh no! You poor thing. Here, let me look at it.” Nadine approached the ogress. It looked like she had taken a blow to her knee joint. Nadine peered at it. “It looks bad, but some blimberry will ease the pain.”

Nadine just happened to have a paste made from the healing berries. Standard for any sensible Adventurer to have some at all times.

She worked it into the ogress’ oily flesh. “So what’s your name?” said Nadine, smiling at the ogress. “What brings you to these parts?”

“’M lookin’ for me gran’daughter,” said the ogress. “I wanna see her… do yer know Nadine ‘Arris?”

Nadine paused. “I am Nadine Harris. Please tell me your name?”

The ogress cocked her head. “Yer so much prettier than I thought. ‘E said you was a slattern.”

Nadine blinked. “Excuse me?”

“’M Drezar,” said the ogress. “Did yer “meet” Blarsh the ogre?” The ogress made a quotation marks sign with her fingers when she said the word “meet.”

Nadine paused. The question was like a slap in the face. She would never be able to forget about Blarsh the ogre. That encounter would always be a very vivid memory. “I – I…” she stammered.

“Did yer?” asked Drezar. “’M ‘is mum.”

Nadine had been about to say that her encounter with Blarsh had left her pregnant and scared for her future and for her baby’s future, but how could she start saying harsh things to another mother about her child, no matter who the child was?

“I wanna see me gran’daughter. I do,” said Drezar.

“I had Blarsh’s child, yes.” Nadine knew she was blushing. “She’s grown up to be the loveliest girl imaginable. Now you should know I’m married to a sweet and wonderful human man who has raised and loved her like his own.”

“I wan’ a son like yer yooman man,” said Drezar. “Sounds better n’ Blarsh. But mos’ I wanna see my gran’daughter.”

Her good eye had such a look of sadness mingled with hope. Nadine could feel the poor ogress’ pain. But how would her own family receive the ogress? And yet how could Nadine in good conscience turn Drezar away?

00O00

Corey, Tiggy and the boys got a bit of a shock when Nadine came into the reception room with an ogress limping after her.

Jax yelled and stood up and so did Hal. Corey leapt off Tiggy’s lap and struck an Adventurer’s fighting pose.

“What’s going on?” demanded Corey.

The ogress’ good eye lit up as she saw Tiggy. “So, so beau’iful,” she breathed. “Such a sweet face.”

“Hello…” Tiggy stared at her with wide brown eyes. “How d’you do?”

“Guys, Tiggy…” began Nadine.

“’M Drezar, yer gran,” said the ogress. “Yer Blarsh the ogre’s baby.”

“Nadine, what is the meaning of this?” said Corey, starting to feel a hot flush of anger.

“Sorry… sorry liddle man,” said Drezar. “I know yer sweet an’ wunnerful.

“’M Blarsh the ogre’s baby? What…?” Tiggy raised a hand and touched her head, looking very puzzled.

“Oh come on, Tiggy,” said Jax. “You know you were made with an ogre’s sperm. Put two and two together. That ogre must have been called Blarsh, and this is his mum.”

“Spot on, liddle man,” said Drezar. “Sorry, Tiggy, that I couldn’t be the gran you deserve. I think I was not a good enough mum to your dad, but I did me best.”

Tiggy narrowed her eyes. “That Blarsh the ogre isn’t my dad.” There was an edge to her voice. Corey felt a surge of pride in her.

Drezar prattled on. “I tried… Blarsh’s dad was an ogre like ‘im, but a real mean one. ‘E tried to eat my boy once, so I brained ‘im with me club.”

Hal groaned audibly and Nadine covered her face with her hands.

“Your ogre grandad tried to eat your ogre dad? What a family!” said Jax succinctly.

Corey wished that the wretched Blarsh had been eaten. But then he considered that thought and took it back and reproached himself for wishing such a stupid thing. Indeed, he wanted to slap himself for thinking it.

Tiggy’s brown eyes widened when she heard about the ogres and her mouth fell open. “I-I…” her husky voice was choking. She stood up and strode quickly from the room.

Nadine was very pale, her freckles really showing.

“Everyone stop!” said Corey. “Just leave it to me now.”

He ran after Tiggy. “Tiggy… Sugar-pie…”

Tiggy was in the grand conservatory, sitting on the tiled floor and hugging her knees. She turned her face towards him. Tears coursed down her green cheeks. He cupped her face in his hands. “Hey, hey, Dino Baby, don’t cry.”

‘Dino Baby’ was a nickname for her from when she was little. Or at any rate, not so big as she was now.

He wiped a tear from her cheek. “Don’t cry, daughter dearest,” he said softly. “There’s no reason for you to be sad.”

“Isn’t there Dad?” she hiccupped. “Now I know all ‘bout the ogres …” she shuddered.

He stroked her long red hair. “Tush. I know it’s a grim topic, what Drezar was talking about. But what are the mad ogres to us? We’ll never see them, and they don’t matter.”

Her bottom lip quivered. “That monster ogre, the one tha’ wanted to eat kids, was my biolog’cal grandad.”

He reached his arms around her as far as he could. She pressed her face into his shirt. He stroked her long red hair. “Oh, sweetheart. That’s not your fault. Why be sad about stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with you?”

Her voice was muffled. “I’m more sad cos I always wished I was your biolog’cal daughter, Dad. But I can’t be. Verena is. Not me.”

He felt a warm feeling of tenderness for her, along with a twinge of pain at her sadness. “Tiggy, why’re you angsting about that all of a sudden?”

Her face was still pressed against his chest. “I always did, Dad. I jus didn’ say. I want to be your real daughter.”

Corey gripped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “You are my real daughter,” he said sternly. “Now think logically. If you came from a different sperm and egg, you would be a different person. If you were a different person, you wouldn’t be you. I wouldn’t even want to imagine a life without you. You’re the person I love most in the world.”

Tears still shone in Tiggy’s eyes, but now she grinned broadly. “I love you so much, Dad. You’re my biggest hero. There never was a hero you in the whole of hist’ry.”

Tiggy’s nose was runny because she had been crying and Corey realised that her mucus had got all down his front when she pressed her face against him. Oh well. Corey just happened to have a handkerchief on him. He held it out. “Here. Blow.”

Tiggy blew her nose with a sound like a foghorn. Unfortunately, the handkerchief was far too small, and the mucus results were messy…

“Let’s get cleaned up,” said Corey. They went to a washroom where she splashed water on her face and Corey had to get another shirt.

“Let me see,” said Corey, when Tiggy had finished washing.

She leaned down so he could see that she had washed her face thoroughly.

“Good.” Corey took her by the hand. “We can face Drezar together. She’s not scary, is she?”

Tiggy gave a husky chuckle. Corey wasn’t worried about Drezar. An actual nightmare come true would be Blarsh the ogre making a return and demanding custody of Tiggy. That of course would never happen, so there was a comfort.

As they returned to the reception room, Corey heard Nadine’s voice. “Corey’s got this. Tiggy needs reassurance from her real father. It’s gotta come from him and no one else. I can foresee how things work out, Jax… I was a veteran adventure, honey, that’s how I honed the skill! Ah!” She turned round and smiled as they came through the door.

Drezar was sipping from a bowl of bullock’s blood. She looked up when they came in. Blood glistened on her lips. Corey was struck anew by her overlarge forehead. She really didn’t have a pretty face like Tiggy did.

“Sorry if I upset you, Tiggy,” she said, in her raspy, wheezy voice. “I think we ogres, we not sensitive!”

“You tell things like they are,” said Jax. “I wanna hear more about your horrible husband!”

Tiggy’s brown eyes widened in horror again.

“Absolutely not!” said Nadine firmly.

Drezar pointed at Jax and laughed. “You funny, liddle man.”

“How d’you do, Drezar,” said Tiggy, holding out her hand to Drezar.

Drezar grinned. Her sharp teeth were cracked and chipped. “Me gran’daughter. Yer so bootiful.” She grasped Tiggy’s hand in both of hers. “’M so proud.”

“Thanks,” said Tiggy, giving Drezar a small smile. Corey patted Tiggy on the back. Goodness knew she needed moral support.

“If you want to be in Tiggy’s life, you must take things slowly, Drezar,” said Corey.

“I wanna ‘usband like yoo,” said Drezar. “Cuz yer sweet an’ wunnerful.”

“Oh, well…” Corey was a little taken aback.

“Yes, he is,” said Nadine. “He is the very best husband. So please listen to him. Corey, Drezar was crippled by some horrible man at the Carnival. She’s not doing all that well.”

“Yer a real ‘ead of the cave,” said Drezar, pointing at Corey. “The females love ya ‘cos you c’n sort stuff out.”

Corey’s opinion of Drezar improved slightly. “Well…” he didn’t want to boast. “Yes, we all love each other in this household.”

“What about me, Drezar?” said Jax. “What d’you think of me?”

“Yer so cute,” said Drezar, showing her cracked teeth. “Wish I was young agin. Bet Tiggy likes yoo. Dat boy too, ‘E looks nice.” Drezar pointed at Hal who raised his eyebrows.

Tiggy ran her fingers through her long red hair, looking uncomfortable. Corey thought it best that Drezar didn’t wear out her welcome tonight.

“You can sleep in the old stable, Drezar,” he said. “It’s secure enough.”

00O00

In the privacy of their bedroom Nadine sat on the edge of their bed, her brown eyes wide and anxious. “Corey… honeybunch… I know I’ve got some explaining to do… I was so sorry for Drezar and I thought I was right to introduce her to Tiggy. But then she went and dropped that bombshell on her … I couldn’t have handled things without you. What should I have done?”

There was a hint of tears shimmering in her lovely eyes, and Corey could not bear to be angry at her. He had never had reason to be before. “It’s done now,” he said with a sigh. “No point in worrying about what might have been done. But you must consult me about stuff like this, every single time. My girl has very fine feelings and you understand why I’m protective of her.”

Nadine clasped her hands together. Her eyes shone. “You’re off the charts adorable. Come to bed.”

All Corey’s uneasy feelings evaporated, and he came to bed.

00O00

Sully Heliot elbowed his way through the night-time market at Silverstall, shoving the rabble aside. He moved with a sense of purpose. He would find the ultimate magical weapon to bring down the giantess.

“Magic here,” muttered the bracelet.

Nearby was an artist’s stand, and a shabby, grimy old artist with a scrubby grey beard. Sketches of the Silverstall nobility and the surrounding landscapes of the land around Silverstall were set up around him, in front of a curtain that hid his studio from the rest of the market.

But what was strange about the artist? Sully noticed something extremely strange. This artist had no arms.

Sully guffawed and pointed at him. “Do you hold the brush in your mouth? Wretched cripple. How could you possibly draw anything?”

“My secret is in my studio,” wheezed the artist, inclining his head towards the curtain.

“Then out of my way,” said Sully, aiming a kick at the artist and then pushing the curtain aside.

In the studio, a canvas and easel had been set up and a paintbrush hovered in the air.

“Magic,” squeaked the bracelet unnecessarily.

The paintbrush was moving in swift strokes across the canvas. With a thrill of anticipation, Sully recognised the outline that was taking shape. It was his own outline!

He tried to grab hold of the brush, but it dodged and worked even faster. Thinking quickly, he drew his sword and stabbed the canvas. At that moment, the brush completed its work and a doppelganger of Sully dragged himself from the painting. An outline in monochrome, now real. But there was a gash across its chest, and it staggered.

“Your money and your life!” it rapped out, pointing at Sully.

“An exact copy of you alright,” said the bracelet. “But the brush could not sense me.”

“I don’t need you, I know my own fighting moves,” said Sully.

The portrait hung back warily, but Sully knew he had the advantage. He lunged forward with his sword and the image of himself, already mortally wounded, did not have the strength to fend him off. His sharpened blade cut his image in two.

“More magic,” chittered the bracelet. “Look in the corner.”

In the corner, there was a portrait of a blasted, desolate landscape. It looked very real. Sully picked it up and slipped it into his Adventurer’s issue backpack, then he stormed out of the studio.

He pointed accusingly at the artist. “Your painting attacked me, you wretched cripple!”

“My art is not responsible for your bad heart,” said the artist. “It copies what it can see. Now buy something or clear off.”

“I ought to run you through,” said Sully.

“In the middle of a crowd? Right.” The artist spat on the ground.

A challenge? Sully raised his sword and drove it through the artist’s heart. His blade met with no resistance, cutting through flesh and bone.

The crowd all stopped what they were doing and stared in horror. Straightforward, coldblooded murder in public was not something they had seen before.

“You absolute fool. You’re in great danger…” muttered the bracelet.

Sully strode forward, sword out, not letting himself show any trace of fear. The crowd retreated from him, staring at him in terror. Sully knew that if he turned and ran, then they would very likely turn on him. Only by showing absolute confidence could he escape. The crowd parted ways and he left the market. One step closer to finding the ultimate weapon…