'Man, I can't be naked forever, please tell me they have some baby cloths ready.' Ymir was walking around and searching for at least a diaper to cover himself with. Last time he hadn't noticed his nakedness because he had been that way for so long. He just hoped clothes didn't feel weird now.
He found a lot of rags and sheets but nothing he could put on without a safety-pin. They had packages of food encased in plastic-like bags, some even in a chest with an ice cold gel smothered on it.
Ymir was closing the lid and looking for a rag to wipe the gel off when he heard a loud pop.
His ears weren't working, it was like they had abandoned their job and picked up the musical triangle, professionally, of course.
He felt the sides of his head and there was a wetness present. 'Blood?' He wondered why he was bleeding when he was suddenly lifted from the ground by a giant.
"BABY, MY BABY, I AM SO HAPPY YOU SURVIVED!!!" The arms had wrapped around him from the back, but the softness of the skin and color told him right away, "MAMA!" he hollered out, it sounding like a muffle to himself.
Ilse placed her son down and noticed his ears, "Can you hear?", the blood was a classic sign of ear rupture.
He spun to see her but did not hear her question. She returned a smile and flexed her Qi.
'I wonder what she is doing?' he was thinking about the golden light washing over him when he felt the flesh in his ears move.
He was freaking out but noticed the sound was returning quickly and absentmindedly asked "Did you just heal me?"
She nodded, her golden locks were bobbing, the luster was even more ethereal than before.
He didn't know what to say, he was utterly stumped. He had spent most of his life wanting to help people but could only indirectly do so. She had just used a superpower to casually fix his hearing. He almost wanted to break into tears.
People dying from preventable diseases, incurable diseases, and accidents could be entirely solved here. 'Would a Nurse even be useful here?'
He was regretting his paths unwalked.
The overpowered characters that come from a military background and revolutionize their new world sure got lucky, huh.
He went to school for something that this world would probably find laughable, maybe even offensive. He could imagine old giants crippled and busted from decades of war, being tended to by their wives. 'How medieval is this place?'
He had some basic knowledge of the eras and who did what. But the total of usable information was essentially summed up into "don't ask questions and be loyal."
'I have to set a level of expectations first, they can't know what I know. I have to prepare myself for escape if they want to force me into a society like this.' He could feel his heart breaking at the thought of leaving his new parents, the biological response was completely remarkable.
'Is this why people stay with abusive arseholes?' He could feel it, if he wasn't actively thinking of running away, it would worm its way up into his brain.
He was thinking, 'If they make me a prince and I have to be married off, how do I escape? I need friends to help, right? Can I use my status or am I a pawn, how many kids do they have? There were none in the portraits but...they might be egotistical arseholes.' He was preparing for real possibilities when his mother interrupted him, "What are you working yourself up over?" She had a calming effect, 'Probably an Oxytocin-like effect. Resist it.' He shook his head, "Nothing, mama, nothing."
She looked at him and shook her head, "My love, you need to take those gifted teachings to heart and be grateful." Her eyes turned stern as the world tensed around them and then she spoke, "But not all of them, as I am aware of the "teaching" they have endowed you with. My spymaster says that you show great promise in the way of misinformation, is that correct?"
He felt like reality was closed off. Right now it was like a glass barrier but it was turning into diamond. He wanted to run or hide and the panic showed on his face as she asked, "Are you afraid?"
She took small steps, "Please do not be afraid, I am your mother. And you are my only son. I would fight the whole world for you."
Ilse felt like she could understand the confusion her mother often spoke of when she was young. Younglings are notoriously difficult to place, they appear so old physically, but even with an age of 6, one might be as blank as a sheet of parchment. Then, there are some at the age of 2 that are able to speak before their Rite of Tongue is performed. They varied more than any other race, but by age 13 they could be expected to be leading a squad or on their way to mastering a craft. Other races feared their potential, rightfully so.
"My baby? Are you okay?" She had closed the gap and was trying to help her greatest joy work through his first experiences.
Ymir nodded, "I don't know what to say." He nearly stuttered. Real tears were being held back, the conflicting emotions he could feel were warring. Half of him wanted to tell her EVERYTHING, and then half of him wanted to run from the threat. But all of him wanted to love her. So, so, badly.
"My love, tell me what you experienced in the Rite of War?" she sighed, this was a critical failing of the Giants in her mind. She had once been deemed unworthy by the heads of her culture.
Ymir felt like his world opened back up. He cleared his throat and spoke, "I felt fear. They-..." his eyes were hard and staring at her waist, "They cut you in half with a sword. Then I-I fell out of your torso. I was covered in blood." He wanted to stop when she asked, "Did he hurt you too badly?" She was frowning, those old fools were supposed to do a normal trial.
He shook his head and muttered, "He tried to cut my head off."
The world plunged in temperature. Ice was forming and floating in the air, ready to be launched, "And then what happened, did you dodge?" He felt the fury roll off her tongue. The Icicles were going to be launched but not at him.
"I didn't notice it coming, I was distracted by your...corpse." He sighed, he just wanted to forget it. He barely knew the woman, but dammit if he didn't love her.
The frost was creeping up him, holding him like he was in a blanket.
He shrugged, "The sword hit my neck and then I snapped." He waved his hands, "I was upset at him hurting you. And-and I just lost it." He let out a huge sigh as the chunks seemed to be lowering in number.
She nodded and spoke softly, "Baby, please tell me what caused the trial to fail."
He gulped, "I failed?" His knowledge of the black orb was plastered all over his face.
He didn't want to be exiled, "I-uh. I-um." He was trying to get it out but he didn't want to be thrown away like trash. These weird worlds rarely made any type of sense and followed ancient principles that are mostly evil.
She placed her hand on his chest and felt the quiver of fear, "My love, do you fear the Elders?"
The smile formed on her lips, "Would you like me to remove them?" He could feel the implication. The sheer eagerness to protect him radiated from her eyes, 'Wait, what?' He had this wrong. 'I am her only son? She'd kill them for offending her "young master" of a son?'
He shook his head and realized he had to be just plain honest. Too many cliches and tropes are born from the "misunderstandings." He was a fan of them as stories, but, he couldn't LIVE that type of life. He couldn't be seen as the guy taking over the world from the shadows. It is cool, but he wanted to have friends, maybe find a girl one day. He wanted to live his life, not be shackled to the idea people had of him.
He stored the fear. Things had to be different this time.
"Mother. Can you make it so nothing I say leaves this room?" He stopped sputtering entirely. "And get father."
Ilse could see it, his heart stopped for a few moments too long. 'He is breaking free already?!' She nearly jumped for joy, but nodded and called for the Royal Seal to be enacted.