Wooden Giants

The boy tilted his head as the bull spoke of a challenge. “A challenge?” he cooed excitedly, “a challenge given by the king must be worth it. Yes, worth trying at least”. His ears flattened atop his skull and a playful growl coursed from his maw. Eyes wide and eager, he dropped into a sort of play bow. Spurred by sheer excitement, hackles slowly rose along the bony length of his spine. Wondering at the possibilities for what the creature had in mind his skin grew warm, his heart tapping against the walls of his chest. So eager to know, Arató's words came out sharp and quick, as if it was wasting too much time for him to speak, “yes! What challenge has the king got?”