Ètienne the forgotten
Ètienne had roamed the land since the oldest trees around him were but seedlings.
Nowadays his usual day began by a walk in the forest, of which he could easily see over the treetops. He would hunt bears and reindeer as the main meal of the day, but taking a more creature-friendly approach when it came to stocking up on snacks. Ripping birch trees from the ground to get a hold of their malleable roots and for the sweet syrup hidden within it’s bark.
He would spend most of the winters sleeping. His seasonal rhythm was much like that of a black bear. Where he would hunt, forage, eat, sunbathe and sweat during the warm months and hibernate during the blistering cold.
One cold day when the leaves had already departed their former homes, Ètienne lay down for his seasonal sleep. He tried to look for a spot that didn’t have too many trees growing on it. Laying down with a thump that scared the local wildlife, a thud that could be heard for kilometers, with birds fleeing in anticipation of danger. Pulling a big piece of ground over himself he made sure he didn’t have anything uncomfortable against his body. He found a field that was big enough if he ever wanted to hibernate with a companion and then some. One year he fell asleep with a pine tree spooning his back and had the worst imaginable rash for a month after waking up from it. Not something he’d be happy to welcome again.
But it wouldn’t be until the passing of more or less than fifty seasons (I lost count when I had other business to attend to in the south, where seasons didn’t really exist) before he would wake up again. The blanket on his body now fostering wildlife, more green growth, and avoidant locals that only knew this as a steep hill with a habit to breathe. The latter a reason why none would build their homes there, even tho it had a great strategical overlook of the surrounding area.
Ètienne woke up because of the nightmares he saw. Generally giants kept to themselves and were mild mannered, but his own thoughts now turned him into a frenzy. He pushed his aching bones through the rubble that had accumulated on top of him. Twisting and turning, writhing and stomping until he was free. Needing to find those who had supposedly wronged him. Destroying everything in his path.
