Bruce carried Aleck swiftly through the forest, his long strides easily covering the distance between the trees and the outskirts of the town of Marakad. The boy in his arms was limp and dangerously pale, his breathing shallow, and his body barely clinging to life. The sight of the frail human weighed on Bruce's mind as he made his way through the dense foliage.
There was something strange about this boy—something that didn't quite sit right with Bruce.
"We'll figure you out later, kid," Bruce muttered to himself as he adjusted his grip on the unconscious Aleck. "First, we need to get you patched up."
As Bruce pushed forward, the trees began to thin, revealing the outskirts of Marakad. The town stretched out before him, built into the land between two towering valleys. Marakad wasn't just any ordinary town—it was a fortified sanctuary for the giant race, a place where they lived and thrived, shielded from the outside world. The town, perched high between the valleys, was an impressive sight. Though the town itself was relatively hidden from predators, the giants had carved their settlement into the very rock itself, with homes built into the mountainsides.
The wind that constantly swept through between the two valleys made Marakad a cold, harsh place to live, but the giants had adapted to the climate. Even in the warmest seasons, the wind would whip through the town with chilling intensity. It was a natural barrier, one that not only kept out unwanted intruders but also ensured that Marakad remained a well-protected sanctuary.
Although referred to as a "town," Marakad was sprawling. Giant families filled the streets, and the stone-hewn buildings were vast and intricately designed. Each structure had a distinct purpose—homes, marketplaces, and forges that echoed with the sound of giant hammers striking steel. The scale of the place was immense, dwarfing anything a human could imagine. The giants lived in a world crafted for their size, and their village, much like their people, was grand.
One of the most notable landmarks was the inverted T carved into the valley wall. The massive symbol of the Titan God, whose protection the giants believed in, loomed over the town like an ever-watchful guardian. The inverted T was not just a religious marker but also a reminder of their ancient connection to the Titan God—a being of immense power who had once blessed the giant race with strength and resilience.
The symbol was etched onto the Valley:
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It's presence gave the town an air of both solemnity and power.
As Bruce walked down the main path, the giants went about their daily routines, many of them casting curious glances at the boy in his arms. The further Bruce went, the more the town opened up, and soon, the central Marakad came into view.
At the heart of the town stood the medicinal shop, a large, domed building made of stone and reinforced with wooden beams as thick as tree trunks. This building was the town's lifeline when it came to healing and medicine. It was here that the most potent herbs and remedies were kept, and where the healers of Marakad worked tirelessly to tend to the injured.
Bruce wasted no time. He made his way directly to the shop, pushing the heavy wooden door open with ease. Inside, the air was thick with the smell of drying herbs and the faint scent of medicine. The shop's interior was cavernous, with shelves lined with jars of crushed herbs, dried leaves, and various potions stored in large, clay vessels.
Bruce set Aleck down gently on a stone slab that served as a bed for patients, his brow furrowing in concern as he looked down at the boy's pale, bloodied face.
The healer, Lora, a towering giantess with sharp eyes and nimble hands, approached Bruce.
"What in the world have you brought in this time, Bruce?" she asked, her voice carrying a mixture of concern and curiosity. Her eyes quickly assessed the boy, noting the severity of his wounds.
"I found him in the forest, near the moon flower fields. He was on the verge of death," Bruce replied. "A Sun squirrel led me to him, which is why I brought him here."
Lora's eyes widened slightly at the mention of a Sun squirrel. "A Sun squirrel? Interesting... Those creatures don't usually lead us astray." She moved closer to Aleck, inspecting the wounds more closely. "This boy is in a bad way, but I'll do what I can."
Without another word, Lora sprang into action. She gathered a handful of moon flowers and several dried herbs, which she began crushing into a fine paste. Meanwhile, Bruce stepped aside, watching as the healer worked with practiced precision.
Lora mixed the crushed herbs with a solvent and heated the mixture until it formed a thick, creamy paste. She allowed it to cool slightly before applying it to Aleck's deepest wounds after disinfecting them. As the salve touched the boy's skin, a faint glow emitted from the wounds, the magical properties of the moon flowers and naga fruit taking effect. Slowly, the torn flesh began to regenerate, the skin knitting itself back together as the magic did its work.
Within minutes, the bleeding had stopped, and the worst of the injuries had begun to heal.
"That should take care of the immediate danger," Lora said, her hands moving deftly as she cleaned and bandaged the remaining wounds. "Now, it's up to him. His body will need time to recover. I've done what I can, but he's weak—too weak. If his organs have failed... well, there's only so much we can do."
Lora raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she finished her work, placing Aleck in a ventilated area near an open window to let the fresh air flow in. "We'll have to feed him liquid energy through his veins and hope that it revitalizes the failed organs" Lora said, preparing a potion filled with energy-rich nutrients that giants often used to help revitalize the critically injured.
Bruce nodded solemnly. He had seen it before—patients who, despite all the healing in the world, never woke up. It wasn't just about the wounds; it was about the will to survive.
"Where are his parents? His family?" Lora asked, turning back to Bruce with a puzzled look.
Bruce scratched the back of his head. "That's the thing—I don't know. I assumed he was a kid who'd gotten separated from his family, but... something feels off. He doesn't seem like any giant child I've ever seen."
Bruce stood by silently, watching the boy's chest rise and fall in shallow breaths. There was something about this boy. How had he ended up in the middle of the Marakad forest, alone and on the brink of death?
Was he lost? Was he running from something?
Bruce's mind raced with questions as he left the boy in Lora's care. He couldn't shake the feeling that Aleck wasn't just any ordinary boy. There's more to this kid...
Bruce pondered, unaware that the patient he picked up wasn't a giant child, but a fully grown human.
As the hours passed, Bruce remained outside the medicinal shop, glancing back every so often, waiting for a sign that the boy would wake up. But all he could do now was wait and hope that Aleck's body would find the strength to pull through.