Lumikki at first could not fathom what she was witnessing. The Goliath rising from the ground and no longer smothered in snow or ice, was now adjusting its behemoth frame towards them. Hardly taking a moment within the silence to observe the trio like they did it, before dashing right at them. Its decrepit legs surprising holding and supporting its mountainous weight as it sprinted for them with each lumbering step shaking the ground in a thunderous roar.

”Is that a bloody giant!” Lumikki howled, her wings were quicker to take her off the ground than for her words were leaving her mouth. While Mikhail and Mùchén stayed silent as they took off as well and dispersed. The three all going their own separate directions as a means to confuse and daze the beast so it could not continue its full stride in narrow minded certainty.

With a bit more time to observe her foe, Lumikki would begrudgingly confirm it was indeed a long fallen giant. More than likely one of Harrogath old enemies forced into the role as ally for now its undead corpse was but a puppet to the whims of its new master. Its blue skin was long withered and decayed with only the cold to keep it mostly intact though its armor still glinted with full prestige and the ram horned helm brazenly still showed off both it long curved horns. Its thick white beard was littered with stray blocks of ice the still clung to its hair and its long mustache was woven into two simple braids. Besides the pale white and lifeless eyes or the scar the laid before its left one, the teeth and fangs of such creature as striking trait. Adding to the imposing ferocity of the towering foe before them.

Giant:

The trio could indeed ignore such a creature, as it had no means to chase them in flight and their draugr was long tucked away in Lumikki’s personal abyss. But if it were not struck down now, it would be just another in the hoard that soon she and her people would fight later. ”We’ll have to knock him down, we can’t let this bod cean keep walking. I’ll practice me new magic to hold him down but ye lot will have to strike him down!”

”Heh, it’s kinda funny that ya thought you had to tell me Rav, cause I’m already ahead of you.” His lips were pulled back in both a smirk and snarl, his fangs perturbing from his mouth. It was clear to see Mùchén was coming back to life now that he was in the heat of battle. The energetic Daemon was tired of being beaten around by the waves of occurrences that simply happen to them, without giving him or Mikhail the room or grace to fight back. All her could watch his sister suffer alone, in realms he could have never imagined, let along understand the tongue and customs. And every turn as he tried to comfort Lumikki, he was struck by his uselessness to aid or protect her. Whether it be by Lumikki’s own hand and reckless decisions, or the insufferable presence of the divine that kept stepping in and interfering as if they are a guiding light in the path. Mùchén Would have rather done away with them all, bearing weapon and fang with each interjection. But he knew just how important this was to his sister and he would not be the one to disgrace that. Even if it meant boiling over so that he could not be the carefree person who usually was.

Mikhail also shared in those very same frustrations. Though he had his own ways of processing and showing it. He always was a more introverted man. Content in both his lonesome and quiet. It wasn’t until he adopted Mùchén that life became more loud and lively, and even when he pretends such things bring him dissatisfaction, one could easily tell the lie from the spark in his eyes. As Mikhail is a man of family, it was this trait that their shared Demon father exploited. The eldest Daemon of thirteen simply wanted to bask in the love and kinship of his father and siblings but life was not so simple. The war directed back at their father had split the children apart. Six on one side and seven on the other. With each loss in the family…it broke Mikhail’s heart but he labored further for he knew what Lorimer had planed and he could not continue to allow the suffering to go on. His first act of defiance was facing the reality, the obedient child no longer listening to the only parent they had. Instead he would only act for siblings beside him and take Lumikki in with the sincerity and warmth that most of them lacked.

So in his silence, as he observed his baby sister is her struggles and battles, to forego aspects of herself and leave parts behind so that she may transcend to something more. He was happy for her but mostly sorrowful. The journey thus far was so bittersweet. Could Lumikki, his precious sister, not trust him to help hold her burdens or for console? Could she not see him as reliable or supportive? Cunning or strong? Was the dissonance the culture or was the folly entirely with him? It bothered him to say but it unnerved him to think about it more….

So like Mùchén he relished on this simple pleasure. An act of violence and destruction didn’t usually refresh him but in this time of confusion and helplessness, the exertion of power would make for a nice respite. And so just as Mùchén willed his darkness into a guandao, a weapon of choice when he embraces a fight, and as he held it firmly in his hands, he awaited his time to strike. Inversely it would not be weapons that Mikhail conjures, but a demonic shadow that enacts his will. The darkness around him pulled apart before smashing back together and piecing its haggard form. A mesh of segmented pieces like armor with dagger-like claws, mashing teeth, and unsightly tendrils reared from just behind him. Readying itself for the will of his master to direct it toward the giant that was now choosing its target and opting for Lumikki as she happened to still be the closest.

Lumikki, gathering her magic and mana in preparation for her large cast, swiped her hand through the air pulling a staff from what seemed like out of nothing. Her Abyss spine, a weapon that sat within the in between of two realms now sat firmly in her grasp. And Lumikki would promptly shift its weight, taking the staff into both hands before swiftly twirling in the air. The momentum kept the spin going as she charged her massive spell and fed it into her weapon before it burst forth all at once on the sprinting giant. It cut his speed starkly, but not entirely. Which was fine as Lumikki didn’t relent either. Casting spell after spell in her intricate dance to burden him further until he truly could not take another step.

The moment the brothers sense this, their instincts came alive. Propelling bother to burst forth and take their aggressions on the undead fiend below. Mùchén went low enough to the ground to slash both of the achilles heels in too slashes that resembled a whirlybird spinning one way before swiftly reversing the rotation to the other. And as he stepped out of the twirling motion, he’d just as quickly kick off back to the sky. While Mikhail aimed his strike for the nape of the giants head. His shadowy stand striking deep with its claws before the plethora of tendrils grabbed for remaining portion and took it into its jaws.

The severed tendons were enough to end the balance of the beast, quickly making it topple over; and the damage to the throat would soon tear off its head, but Mùchén would choose to keep slashing. Releasing all his pent up with growls and aggression as with each slice that he’d mince the remaining bits of flesh that lasted all this time. And he would not stop until he was heaving, tired, and satisfied.

Mikhail was the one to approach him with an arm placed upon Mùchén’s back. ”Not as composed like usual, but still nicely done. Now Mùchén, let’s go…” Lumikki, who never seen this side of him, was somewhat taken aback. She never minded aggression or destruction as it was what’s in her very nature to be, but it was his anger that somewhat scared her. The Demoness never realizing before how uncomfortable it was to see her family so angry, like it struck her with a sense of guilt and fear. Mùchén was usually a playful guy, laid back in his ways while smart with his words. He was as competent as he was brash and goofy. Always preferring to hide his upper hand in a disposition that disarmed his foes. But now, he was just a rush of rage and Lumikki felt somewhat the cause for it. What else could it be if he was never like this before? And now it was like she was frozen in place by the very magic she cast. Hovering in the air while slowly being pulled to the ground.

Mikhail as perceptive as ever, quickly met her as she touched the ground. Slight tears welling in her eyes but head simply wipe them all away. ”He gets that way sometimes, you know. It is not your fault. It’s just, it’s painful to feel so useless when all you want to do is help and it would just seem like his patience finally gave out. He’s not so much mad at you as he is himself…and really, I couldn’t blame him. Lumikki, tell me something. Do you really trust us?” The question took her more by shock than Mùchén‘s outburst, and in the midst of her emotions, the Demoness would once again break down. All the tears she was just trying to hold back a moment ago were now all raining down. And she’d begin to wheeze and wail with every breath that came and gone.

Mikhail, quite protective but somewhat flustered, pulled Lumikki with his arm and into an embrace. Somewhat bending over to shield away and hold her as she purged in peace. Softly whispering, ”It’s okay, it’s okay,” over and over into her ear and lightly kissing her from the top of her head as he she would soon calm down.

Mùchén overheard it all and chose to stay away. Hiding now behind the giant as he angrily kicked the remainder of the corpse repeatedly, as once again he was helpless but worst of all, at fault now. It wasn’t often that he lost his cool, nor was it something he ever wanted her to see. Shame, sadness, and anger simmered within him while prickly thoughts were also getting the better of him. That was until Mikhail could out to him. And upon hearing his name, he’d poke from behind the beast like some scolded child. Only to be met with a sincere and concerned expression along with an outstretched hand.

”She’s just scared Mùchén, remember she’s still just a child. Come over and help me comfort her instead.” The two Daemon, though they don’t look it, were well beyond their age. Mùchén well into his sixties and Mikhail almost two centuries. But time passes differently for them than it might a human, especially when they were born as such. And though Mùchén was wisen by experience in from his many years, he was still figuring things out as well.

Mùchén stepped forward slowly, defeated and wounded; but he did not want to drag out the pain any further. With Mikhail’s request, he’d join in trying to sooth their sister, as all the burden and stress was still tearing away at her.

”I don’t think I’ve ever noticed just how much we keep in…..”