They had returned to the great cavern and the group was stopped at the center, facing the entrance. It was only a moment before a shadow passed before the cave's mouth, and was followed by a figure that filled the massive opening, blocking the last rays of the setting sun.
It, he, was monstrous. A giant at least, no... more than, twenty feet tall, wearing only a half toga as laborers do in the hot sun, his massive upper body exposed, revealing strange greyish colored skin stretched tightly over huge knotted muscles. He looked as though he could crush a man's head between his thumb and forefinger. She couldn't repress her shudder. Two of the girls became feint and fell into the arms of their neighbors, and several screamed.
He looked down at them with huge gleaming amber eyes. As the glare from the sun faded behind him she noticed two short horns that sprung from his hairless head like a saters. She glanced at his feet expecting hooves, but they were more or less normal looking, like a man's, just much, much bigger, enough to support tree trunk legs. He seemed to look them over, and snorted derisively, causing a number of them to let out another round of terrified cries, that broke down into more uncontrollable weeping. He shook his massive head, and his strangely colored eyes darkened. She thought he looked... disappointed. She wondered what that meant. She decided it wasn't good. When he opened his mouth to speak his voice rolled over them like distant thunder.
"Take them away Demitri" Demitri, the servant, nodded and began shepherding them all back into the hall. Calliope paused, not following, only staring up at the behemoth. Demitri didn't seem to notice; perhaps he was too busy trying to revive one girl who'd fallen unconscious. She watched as he hefted her up into his arms and shooed the others ahead of him.
She looked back at the towering figure. He'd turned and was just standing, looking back outside. She swallowed hard and stepped forward. Their lives might depend on what she did next she thought, so she better not do anything stupid. She cleared her throat softly. He didn't seem to hear.
"My lord" she called tentatively. She saw the corded muscles in his neck twitch indicating he'd heard her. He turned his head slowly and looked at her with mild curiosity.
"Yes?" His voice rumbled deeply in his chest reverberating through the cavern, shaking her to the bone. She took a breath. "I, I'm sorry." She stuttered. "I'm sorry, that you're disappointed."
"Are you now?" He arched an eyebrow at her and turned. Looking directly at his face now she noticed how his elongated canines showed when he spoke, pressing lightly against his bottom lip. They terrified her.
What's more she wasn't sure how to respond to the question. She should have thought this through.
"I... I would hate for you to be angry... my lord."
"I see. Is that all?" She paused.
"I suppose so. Yes."
"Very well." He turned back away.
"My lord."
"Yes." He did not turn around.
"Have you decided what will happen to us?"
It was his turn to pause. "No."
"I see." She lowered her head and closed her eyes. "Is it very likely that we will die my lord?"
She didn't see him turn and look back at her this time.
"No," he said in a softer tone, "you will not die."
Her heart jumped out of her chest and she was awash with relief when she raised her eyes back up to meet his frightening gaze. She wasn't going to die! No one was.
"Thank you my lord." She breathed, feeling her first honest smile in days playing across her lips. He softened visibly and moved closer crouching down in alarming proximity to her so that she was but a step or two away from reaching out and touching his bent knee. She didn't pull away, but the urge to run was powerfully strong. I'm not going to die she reminded herself, and took another deep breathe.
"Is that why they're all screaming and crying? They expect to die?"
"Well... partially. But you must forgive them," she rushed on "they're all very upset, and you're, well, surprising, to see so... suddenly." Damn she though, that hadn't come out very well.
"I think you mean terrifying." She opened her mouth to argue, and realized it was futile and ridiculous. All she could do was nod apologetically.
"And what about you? Why aren't you screaming and trembling in fear?"
"I promised myself I wouldn't. But if it's any consolation," she added, "I'm out of my mind with fear right now." She tried to smile gamily, but she thought if felt more like a grimace. He gave her a little smirk and stood again.
"Fair enough. Well, if it will be any consolation to Them, you may tell them they aren't in any immediate danger, and certainly not of death."
She nodded. "It may help."
He looked like he was about to leave again.
"One more thing my lord..."
He sighed. "What is it?"
"Is, is there anything that I might do?"
"Do?"
"To... serve you." Or make you less displeased she thought.
"You want to serve me?"
"It was very gracious of you to spare our lives. It seems like the least I can do." He looked at her a long while before he spoke.
"Demitri will be serving my evening meal soon. After that I think I will have a bath. You can help him and draw that bath. Good?"
"Yes my lord." He looked at her again and turned striding back out into the pastures that surrounded the cavern before she could bother him again. "You fool." she chided herself. "How are you going to pull this one off." How did one draw a bath for giant? She didn't know where to start. It just didn't seem possible. It must be a test she thought. The only person who might know was Demitri, but if it was a test, he might not help her. He might not help her just because, he did seem like the miserable type. "Only one way to find out." she muttered and went off down the smooth stone hall in search of Demitri. She found him in what looked like a kitchen of some sort. He looked up in surprise from a roasted lamb he was carving.
"What on earth are you doing in here? How did you get out?" he was striding towards her and reaching for her arm before she could stutter anything out.
"I needed your help. I never went back. Please." He was pulling her out of the room and into the hall. "Please, stop, the master... he, he set me a task.."
He finally paused. "You spoke with him?"
"Yes." He released her arm. "And?"
"And he told me to draw him a bath... is, is this possible?"
"Of course it's possible." He looked at her like she was addled.
"I mean is there such a bath for one of his... stature?"
"Look, there's a room two doors down on the left, the bathing cistern is there, go and take a look if you don't believe me, but I have work to do."
"Can I help?"
"Yes, take this," he pointed to a tray with a plate of olives, grapes, and fruit and a large jug of dark wine, "and deliver it to the room next to the bath... the first door down."
"Where does it go."
"Wherever makes sense."
She nodded and picked up the tray and headed down the hall. "Drop it and I'll whip the life right out of you..." he called after her. At the first door she paused, and balancing the tray partially on one knee, she pushed the door open. The interior was surprisingly pleasant. There were a few tapestries, some of them very handsome, some benches and numerous skins and pillows piled around a low table. The table seemed the logical place for the platter, so she set it carefully before taking a better look around. It was a little bit sparse, but it could reasonably be considered a normal room in most houses, excepting the grey stone walls. There was a single large decorative vase on a little table against the wall with images of warriors battling a three headed monster, and a large somewhat ornate chest against another wall. She thought to peek in, but thought better of it instantly, an image of Pandora standing over her god forsaken box flitting through her head. Instead she left the room, eschewing temptation, and went in search of this enormous bath. There was a bath in the next room, but she instantly thought it was a joke, or a trick being played on her.
Certainly the sunken stone bath was large enough to fit four or more normal people comfortably, but certainly not a giant such as the master of this place.
Her heart sank... and here she thought it might not be so hard. There was not much more she could do but prepare the bath and plead ignorance later. At least she could claim she was trying to be obedient, or some other such nonsense.
She noticed a spigot at one side of the squared bath, she knelt down and turned the little crank attached to it and water gulped out slowly, fresh water too by the smell, just like in some of the nicer bath houses. That would save her having to haul several dozen buckets of water at least. She filled the bath until it covered the built in bench, and headed back to the kitchen. The water was cool, but more tepid than frigid, which meant less boiled water was needed. Another point in her favor. She was calculating the time it would take to boil that water when she reached the kitchen and saw to her surprise and delight four kettles already set to boil on the oven.
"Tell me those are for me."
Demitri looked up with a gruff expression and snorted. "Some one had to get it started." He looked angry but she was sure she heard a laughing if sardonic note in his voice which gave her some ease.