{"id":171,"date":"2019-10-01T11:59:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-01T11:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/141.148.246.190\/index.php\/single-post\/the-giants-gamble-pt-30\/"},"modified":"2022-05-23T14:04:48","modified_gmt":"2022-05-23T13:04:48","slug":"the-giants-gamble-pt-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/01\/the-giants-gamble-pt-30\/","title":{"rendered":"The Giant’s Gamble Pt. 30"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Chapter 30: Defeat<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\u201cIymrith\u2019s gone down into that hole,\u201d Kilian said, \u201cso we\u2019ll need to do the same.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cGreat,\u201d Roon said sarcastically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHow about us small ones go through that door?\u201d Flint suggested, pointing to the doorway across the amphitheatre arena. His griffin croaked in agreement. \u201cUh, you stay here,\u201d he told the creature.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cQuickly, then,\u201d King Hekaton ordered, and the giants, plus Opal and Thia who\u2019d grown with their enlarging potions, crawled through the collapsed ground. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Flint, Evelyn, Kilian and Roon ran for the doorway and descended a dark stairway, lit faintly by Evelyn\u2019s sunblade. They followed a long hallway and entered a chamber with light filtering through. They looked up and saw the roof where it had caved in, and the giants crawling through. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOh, hello!\u201d Opal said loudly, waving to them. Her voice echoed through the chamber.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They greeted the giants and scanned their surroundings. There was only one doorway, leading ahead, and it was wide open. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They followed it through, avoiding any notion of stealth due to their numbers and the fact of half their party being unused to their overlarge physiques. They travelled through near darkness for several minutes, listening carefully. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe small ones should go ahead of us,\u201d Harshnag said. \u201cThey have good eyes, and clever minds. Perhaps they will see what we cannot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Kilian gave an acknowledging nod to the frost giant, and he, Roon and Evelyn jogged ahead. A few hundred feet ahead, Evelyn spotted a smaller doorway to their right. \u201cHere!\u201d She hissed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Cautiously, they opened the door and looked inside. \u201cWoah,\u201d Kilian said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The room\u2019s walls were carved in strange runes. \u201cIt\u2019s some sort of language,\u201d Roon said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cLooks like it\u2019s myths about someone named\u2026 Gendar, the Night Serpent\u2026\u201d Evelyn read, holding her glowing sword up for more light.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYou can read that?\u201d Kilian asked in surprise.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Evelyn shrugged, \u201cit\u2019s abyssal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYou can speak abyssal?\u201d Roon asked, eyebrows raised. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOh, yes,\u201d the girl smiled in her haunting way, \u201cI know all sorts of dark languages.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSure, sure,\u201d Roon muttered uncomfortably. \u201cWell, sounds like it\u2019s not directly relevant to us finding Iymrith. Besides, she wouldn\u2019t fit through this door. Shall we continue?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They continued down the hallway, until it split into two. One went right, the other left. They waited for the giants to catch up to them, and Hekaton suggested they try the righthand passage, sending the giantess, Vasha, to scout ahead. She returned a minute later and reported a simple sinkhole trap and another doorway leading back up to the amphitheatre.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cLeft, then,\u201d Thia said, and they moved ahead, still listening for any signs of the ancient blue dragon lurking somewhere in the caverns. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

\u201cWait!\u201d Evelyn said. \u201cDo you hear that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They all stopped and listened. Roon could hear distant murmurings. \u201cCan you hear what they\u2019re saying?\u201d he whispered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThey\u2019re speaking abyssal,\u201d the girl said, then shook her head, \u201cbut it\u2019s too far away. I can\u2019t tell.\u201d She looked around at all of them. \u201cLet me go ahead of you and see what I can find.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWait!\u201d Roon touched her arm and a light passed into her and disappeared. \u201cOkay, good luck.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The white-haired girl turned and padded away on quiet feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They waited in the hallway for several minutes, and the giants grew more uncomfortable, crammed as they were in such a small space. Finally, they saw white hair and Evelyn returned, panting somewhat. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhat did you see?\u201d Kilian asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSnake people,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a statue of this big snake in some sort of temple room, and the snake people are performing a ritual.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhen you say \u2018snake people\u2019\u2026\u201d Thia started.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHalf snake,\u201d Evelyn gestured to her waist and lower, \u201chalf people,\u201d then to her torso and up. \u201cOh, and some have snakes for arms.\u201d She wiggled hers around in imitation. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cGreat,\u201d the wizard said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOh, we\u2019re so <\/em>big now, Thia,\u201d Opal told the elf, as if that were comfort enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSo yeah,\u201d Evelyn added, \u201cthere are six of them coming this way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhat!\u201d Kilian hissed. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cDid they seem hostile?\u201d Roon asked her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

She shook her head. \u201cThe priest was giving a speech. He said something about us being necessary, and that they should let us claim the dragon\u2019s plunder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHow does he know we\u2019re here?\u201d Flint demanded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Evelyn shrugged. \u201cHe said it was in the prophecy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHuh,\u201d Roon scratched his head in surprise, \u201cmaybe Zephyros was right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cZephyros, the cloud giant?\u201d Orlecto, one of the giants, said in confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the guy!\u201d Roon said with a flourishing snap of his finger.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSo, we\u2019re not hiding then?\u201d Flint asked for clarification. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe charge ahead,\u201d Hekaton said, and they all obeyed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They moved toward the room Evelyn had described but saw no sign of the snake people. They approached a large, square doorway and saw the room. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

At the end of the room was a massive green statue of a basilisk with ivory fangs. Beneath the statue was a large pit. In the corners of the room were great piles of sand, but there were still no signs of snake people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThey must have left,\u201d Evelyn said. \u201cOh, or they all jumped into that pit. I saw one of them do that. I\u2019m not sure why.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cProbably some weird ritual sacrifice shit,\u201d Flint said, gripping his axe nervously. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They were about to step inside when they heard the echoing, growling voice of Iymrith. \u201cI KNOW YOU\u2019RE THERE,\u201d the serpentine voice came, though there was no sign of her within the chamber. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cNo you don\u2019t!\u201d Opal squeaked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cCOME OUT AND FACE ME,\u201d the dragon hissed. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHere we go,\u201d Roon said to Kilian, touching his own chest and giving himself a temporary warding spell against lightning. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYOU TRY TO TAKE MY KINGDOM,\u201d Hekaton shouted, stepping into the room and holding up his greatsword. \u201cYOU DECEIVE MY DAUGHTERS AND SEW EVIL INTO MY FAMILY. YOU WANT TO SEE THE ORDNING SHATTERED. NOW, YOU MUST PAY!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Then, the giant king roared to his compatriots, and they all rushed forward, Harshnag the frost giant quickly out-striding the rest of them. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Roon saw her, then. Iymrith. He gulped down his potion of enlargement and shot twenty feet in the air. A strange heat moved through all his limbs as they stretched and expanded. A second later, Kilian, Flint and Evelyn drank their potions and stood next to him, flexing their giant hands. Evelyn drew her now-massive swords and ran into the fight, streaking her arms with her own blood as she ran. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWoah!\u201d Roon exclaimed in a deep voice, flexing his muscles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThis will make for a great story!\u201d Flint shouted, charging after Evelyn with his axe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cGood luck, friend,\u201d the large Kilian said, and then he was running too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Roon took a second to pull aside his waistband and glance down. \u201cNot bad,\u201d he said appreciatively, then ran last into the fight. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Lightning shattered into the stone wall, throwing bits of broken pieces in every direction and clouding the air with dust. Iymrith had crawled in from the darkest corner of the room, sand streaming down her back. She roared and shot more lightning, but the storm giants absorbed the electricity and kept running. Thia\u2019s blade was dancing with light from her bladesong and Evelyn was shooting a sickly green acid from her sword at the dragon. Flint hit her with massive crossbow bolts, and one caught her in the wing joint and broke off painfully. Roon was about to conjure his weapon over her head when she flapped her wings, knocking them off their feet, and flew up. She spun in a quick circle, then dove headfirst into the pile of sand behind her. Her body was swallowed whole.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWHAT!\u201d Roon exclaimed as they all ran for the pile. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBlue dragons,\u201d <\/em>Hekaton spat, kicking at the sand. \u201cThey can burrow incredibly fast through sand. This desert is her domain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cMove aside,\u201d Kilian said, and they moved back at once. He threw up his hands and the sand started to shake and shift. Then, it swirled into a whirlpool effect, showing them the tunnel through. \u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d The sorcerer said, and they all jumped in, sliding through the swirling sands. Roon squeezed his eyes shut against the torrent as they rocketed forward, Kilian following lastly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Roon grunted in pain as his feet hit solid ground and his unusually large legs collapsed under him. He got to his feet and Harshnag was cursing. \u201cCOWARDLY BLUE WYRM! WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The room was large enough to fit a dozen more giants and<\/em> a blue dragon inside, but it was empty except for a few large piles of sparkling gold. This room\u2019s walls looked to have been clawed out, rather than carved by man. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cFIGHT US, IYMRITH!\u201d Roon shouted, impressed by his giant-sized voice. \u201cSHOW YOURSELF, OR\u2014OR I\u2019LL PISS ON ALL YOUR STUFF!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

It was quiet for a moment, so Roon shrugged, pulled it out, and let a warm stream of piss onto the nearest pile of gold.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cEgh, Roon,\u201d Thia said, shielding him from view with her hand, \u201cis that completely necess\u2014ah!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The walls shook and there were four tiny explosions as four air elementals appeared around them, swirling like tiny angry tornadoes. Three of them bowled into Roon and knocked him over, and he felt his head crack against stone. Everything went blurry and dark for a moment, and he heard shouting and explosions around him. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Then, he blinked a few times and found clarity just as Iymrith burst from another large pile of sand, roared, and lit the cavern with blinding lightning. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Flint shouted, \u201cI BANISH YOU!\u201d while pointing at two of the air elementals, and two identical black vortexes appeared and sucked them in, then vanished. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWell done, dwarf!\u201d Thia shouted approvingly as she slashed a third with her blade. \u201cMaybe you\u2019re not all stone-headed after all!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The giants were converging on Iymrith, but Roon suddenly noticed Kilian was standing directly beneath her, bombarded with attacks. A thin, shimmering blue magical shield surrounded his form as Iymrith slammed teeth and claw into it. Finally, she rammed into him with her tail and he was knocked aside. Her attack on the sorcerer left her open to the other giant\u2019s attacks as they tore pieces of the room apart and hurled whatever they could in her direction. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Roon got to his feet and swirled his staff in his hands. \u201cHelp me, Cloakshadow!\u201d He said, and a flash of white light shot from his staff and blended with his companions, healing them. He felt his own wounds from where he\u2019d landed roughly. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Flint, in all his dwarvish glory, destroyed the third air elemental with a well-placed swing. The fourth swathed a wide path around them and went for the king, who cut it cleanly in half with his massive blade and dispersed the winds. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHARSHNAG!\u201d Kilian shouted, getting unsteadily to his feet. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Iymrith turned her blue head toward him again, but Harshnag was running at her from the other direction. The two, who were now nearly the same height, slammed into each other as Kilian grasped Harshnag\u2019s hand and threw<\/em> him into the air. Harshnag, now defying gravity thanks to the sorcerer\u2019s flying spell, shot over Iymrith\u2019s head and landed on her back. He hefted his greataxe and slammed it into the back of her thick neck. There was a horrible, moaning scream from the dragon as the axe hit a nerve. She started to twitch as Harshnag wrenched the axe free, then slammed it down again, severing the neck cords. They all watched in awe as Iymrith\u2019s face crackled with lightning, her expression going slack. Black smoke billowed from her nostrils and her eyes rolled up into the back of her head as her neck, nearly cut all the way from her body, collapsed, followed by the rest of her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Harshnag\u2019s flying momentum carried him stumbling back a few paces and he hit the wall, then awkwardly flew down, flicking dragon\u2019s blood from his axe. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They all whooped in victory. \u201cHARSHNAG!\u201d King Hekaton cried proudly. \u201cYOU\u2019VE DONE IT!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cShe shouldn\u2019t have tried to kill me that last time,\u201d the frost giant said, grinning. \u201cThanks for the boost,\u201d he added, nodding to Kilian, who smiled in return. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIs that it?\u201d Opal asked, looking relieved, \u201care we done?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe need the stolen sceptre,\u201d Hekaton told her grimly. \u201cIt should be around here somewhere.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOh, I can help with that,\u201d the genasi smiled her enlarged smile. She closed her eyes, and her eyelids glowed with purple light, then flew open a moment later. \u201cIt\u2019s through that sand, there,\u201d she said, and pointed to where Iymrith had come through. \u201cThere\u2019s a sarcophagus. She\u2019s hidden it inside.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Kilian to pull aside the sand, and for the giantess Maneer to retrieve the sceptre without difficulty. She handed it to her king, and he turned to them gratefully. \u201cThank you, smallfolk. You have saved the ordening.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They all smiled at each other, allowing the victory to wash over them. \u201cWell,\u201d Kilian said, elbowing Roon in the arm, \u201cthey don\u2019t call us The Giant Saviours for nothing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

The party took their weight in gold and the giants took the rest. Hekaton ordered Orlecto to wrap the dragon\u2019s head for a trophy to bring to their palace. Roon took a small token of the blue dragon for himself\u2014a large, sparkling blue scale. Then, they returned to the amphitheatre and hailed their airship\u2019s captain. Marteen met them in the hot, dry desert air, just above the collapsed ground. \u201cSo, you defeated her?\u201d The captain asked, shielding his eyes from the hot sun. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cEasily,\u201d Roon said with a casual wave of his hands. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get this gold onto the airship before we\u2019re small again,\u201d Thia said, heaving an overlarge bag over her shoulder. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They piled the gold onto the ship, then returned to Hekaton and his compatriots. Harshnag was again sweating profusely in the heat. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to get back to the mountains and snow,\u201d he proclaimed. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYou have done well,\u201d Hekaton scanned their faces, \u201call of you. How can we repay your deeds?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Roon spoke up first. \u201cJust remember that we\u2019re friends,\u201d he suggested. \u201cAnd allies. It\u2019s good to have big allies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

King Hekaton gave him a large smile. \u201cAllies,\u201d he chuckled, \u201cwith smallfolk. Har! I\u2019m glad to see the day come.\u201d With that, he gave them each a rough handshake, and with every one, they shrunk down to their normal sizes. \u201cGoodbye, Giant Saviours.\u201d Then, he held a conch to his lips and blew into it. They all backed away as the bubble surrounded the giants, including Harshnag, and with a pop<\/em>, they disappeared.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI hope he doesn\u2019t mind,\u201d Opal said, pulling their conch out of her bag, \u201cthat I still have this one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHow else are we going to pop in and say hi to our new friends?\u201d Roon asked happily. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cNow what do we do?\u201d Evelyn asked, looking up at the floating airship. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good question,\u201d Kilian agreed, and no one had an answer. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They climbed aboard the ship, weighted heavily with gold, and soared through the desert heat back to familiar lands. Beatrice meowed and rubbed against Roon\u2019s leg, and he let the tressym flutter up into his arms. \u201cGood\u2014ah, boy, I guess. Opal told me I got it wrong.\u201d Beatrice purred. \u201cLook, man, I\u2019m not a very good caretaker,\u201d Beatrice tilted his head at Roon. \u201cHow would you feel if I left you with Marteen? You two seem to get along.\u201d The tressym purred again, then licked his cheek and flew out of his arms and landed on the captain\u2019s wheel. He saw Marteen scratch the tressym behind the ear as he steered them ahead. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Roon then walked to the bow of the ship where Kilian stood, his gray-streaked hair blowing back in the hot wind. He leaned against the railing and watched the landscape speed by beneath them. \u201cWell, we did that,\u201d he said to his friend. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSaved the world,\u201d the sailor nodded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWasn\u2019t so bad,\u201d Roon said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cNo one died,\u201d Kilian agreed. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cExcept Bran\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOh, right.\u201d The humour died. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cSo, what are<\/em> we going to do next? Have you thought about it at all?\u201d he asked his friend. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Kilian looked down at him, then let his gaze wander back over the horizon thoughtfully. Roon knew when the man needed time to think, and this was one of those times, so he patted the railing of the ship. \u201cWell, I\u2019m always up for adventure,\u201d and walked away. As he did, he remembered something. He stopped in his tracks. \u201cOh!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Roon closed his eyes and cast his mind out for Zephyros, the cloud giant. He found the familiar mind almost immediately. \u201cHi Zephyros. It\u2019s Roon. Guess what? We found Hekaton, killed an ancient blue dragon, and saved the giant ordening! How about that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cRoon!\u201d Came the cheery voice of the cloud giant. \u201cI am not at all surprised by your success. You little folk are so resourceful! Now you know, you were the chosen ones after all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Roon grinned to himself, then pulled a deck of marked cards from his coat pocket and went to find Evelyn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The companions continue their battle against the ancient blue dragon, Iymrith, alongside their newfound storm giant and frost giant allies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[18,19,17,14,15,16,23,20],"series":[],"class_list":["post-171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-giants-gamble-dungeons-and-dragons-series","tag-campaign","tag-cult-of-the-dragon","tag-dnd","tag-dungeons-and-dragons","tag-fantasy","tag-series","tag-the-giants-gamble","tag-wizards-of-the-coast"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/10-copy-20.png","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/music.amazon.ca\/podcasts\/09c34bbc-b359-49af-a286-31830ed5634c\/short-stories","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_play":{"key":"google_play","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Play","class":"google_play","icon":"google-play.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0lcQCRs52MfYlKs35lVX4K","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"itunes":{"key":"itunes","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"iTunes","class":"itunes","icon":"itunes.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/feed\/podcast\/default-podcast","embedCode":"

The Giant’s Gamble Pt. 30<\/a><\/blockquote>