Shadow Requiem

Chapter 15: Water Definition

~~[1,339 Words]~~

That voice, soft and cool as it was, took the pressure right off his chest. Yuren could still hear it clear as day, even while hanging in midair.

The creature had him lifted with its ridiculously long trunk. He'd guessed right—it really was who he thought. The same strange giant he'd just rescued from a pack of wild beasts. And here it was again, a second meeting not even five minutes later.

"Y-you—Baby Giant," Yuren broke into a shaky grin, even as lumps of cold mud slid from his hair and shoulders. He was coughing before he even hit the ground.

The creature set him down, gentle as anything, not making a sound.

Coughs racked him, rough and heavy. He braced his palm against the ground, heaving. When he wiped his face, he felt something cold, gritty, and sticky—mud smeared everywhere.

"God, seriously? " He checked himself out—head, arms, and legs. Mud covered all of him. Top to bottom. "What did I even land in? " He glanced back. No clue.

And then, without warning—*whoosh*. Ice-cold water just blasted him, fast and hard, like a firehose switched on high. He squealed and scrambled backwards, hands flying up to shield his face, but didn't make it far before he was standing and trying to outrun the torrent.

In a few wild moments, the worst of the mud washed away. Some stubborn streaks clung on, deep in his skin's creases, but it could've been worse.

"Where is all this water coming from? " he mumbled. "Is that you, Baby Giant?"

It let out a sound—low, cool, almost humming. The giant tilted its head, eyeballing him, eyes so big and goofy he had to grin. Then, without much warning, he got another jet of water right in the chest.

He almost lost it—he really did. The more it cocked its head, the cuter it looked. Right in the face this time. SPLASH. Body, too. Enough was enough.

When he finally managed to stand up straight, he caught his breath and cracked a real smile.

He had to laugh—there was no holding back. He threw his arms wide and hugged the giant, not even thinking about it.

"Thank you, Baby Giant. You're seriously the best." All brightness, mostly just relief and joy.

And then—he actually looked at it. "Whoa, you're huge," he blurted out. "And you're still just a baby… your parents must be monsters. Actual giants." His eyes were shining. It made sense; Yuren had always been fascinated by the stuff that was bigger, stranger, and more than normal life.

He hugged its leg tighter, just to try.

This was like hugging a massive, living wall. No chance at getting both arms around it.

He stayed there for a bit, just letting himself relax, cheek pressed to its warm, scratchy skin. "It's pretty warm, Baby Giant. Maybe you're the one who needs a bath."

And honestly, the little noise it made? He could've listened to it all day. It was just a baby, after all.

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He pulled back and started gesturing—big, exaggerated signs. "Wash. Yourself. See? Like this." He ran his hand over his head, fingers wiggling, hamming it up for the audience.

Another blast. He got soaked.

He groaned, "No — not me!You! Yourself!" No point—it had no clue.

"Fine, here—" He grabbed its trunk and pointed it right at its own head, miming the action. "Like this. Bathe. Look—cool off!"

Eventually, it got it. He watched it copy him, helping itself to a rinse.

"There you go! That's the trick! Doesn't that feel good?" He giggled, the sound bouncing out happily.

"Wait. Where does all that even come from? " he wondered out loud, watching water stream out. "You're hiding a whole lake inside you?"

He turned the trunk on him again, just for good measure.

He froze, lips pressed into a thin line, totally soaked. "Guess I asked for that. Whatever. I'll be dry. Eventually." He glanced down at his collar—it was still muddy. "Alright, one more for good measure; come on."

He raised his arms, ready for whatever. "Give it all you've got."

Baby Giant reared up, stamping both legs at once. The ground rattled under his feet, and he had to jump back or get flattened. Yeah, Baby Giant was definitely pleased with itself, grumbling in that gentle giant way. There was still water left. And he—well, he got drenched again.

Yuren didn't stop there. He took the trunk, pulled his shirt open, and aimed the icy stream right down his chest. Then the nape, shoulders, and back. Not done—he hooked his thumbs into his waistband and dumped half a river straight into his pants.

Amaya, flying nearby, spun around fast, eyes wide, pretending she saw absolutely nothing. When she looked back, she saw Yuren just dousing himself with abandon. The trunk disappeared into Yuren's clothes, and water just cascaded straight through.

Amaya turned away again, thinking, That's just Yuren. She couldn't stand to be sticky.

Yuren finished up with his face and hair. A bath, clothes and all. "That's unreal. So cold. Baby Giant, your water's amazing. Wonder if it's drinkable?"

Baby Giant rumbled softly.

Yuren didn't hesitate. He brought the trunk to his mouth and gulped down the icy water.

He gulped a few times, then let out a breath. "Whoa. That's actually kind of incredible. Cold, clean—tastes like a glacier spring. Are you filtering this somehow?" He peered at the creature, grinning. "Seriously, do you have a built-in filter in there?"

Baby Giant made another soft rumble.

Yuren's lips curled up still more. "Really? Storage, filtration, all-in-one shower system… Baby Giant, you're something special." He laughed, then quiet fell. Something felt… off.

No more water. One drip, two, three, and then nothing. He shook the trunk—empty.

"Dried up already?"

He heard Baby Giant's soft, high voice again—gentle, like a warning. He just understood.

"Heh. Drained you already, huh? Sorry. Don't worry; we'll get you filled up. Is there a stream nearby? You know where one is?" He nudged the giant to move, shoving at its massive flank.

It didn't even flinch.

He braced himself, dug in, and pushed harder. Not an inch.

Trying to move this thing was like trying to tip over a mountain.

Baby Giant finally seemed to realize what he wanted and started walking—but Yuren, legs tangled, fell flat on his face.

More mud. Of course.

"Guess I'm due for another bath."

*******

"Ahhh. Now that's what I call a real bath…"

Yuren went all out, splashing around in the shallow stream, not a scrap of clothing left—a real, proper soak. The water rippled, cool and soothing, sunlight playing along the surface, gliding over his skin. He floated, letting the current massage away the aches—his kind of peace after the chaos he'd survived. He lay back, water lifting and carrying him, breathing easy for once. "Seriously, nothing beats mountain water. This is paradise. I could live out here forever."

Baby Giant joined in, kicking and splashing, a lumbering kid in the creek.

All around, the stream ran lush. Bright moss. Patches of wild green. Vines dangling. Trees old and new pressed in, branches dripping mist. Everything quiet, alive.

Yuren squeezed out his shirt, twisted his pants till the last drops gave up, then spread them across a sun-warmed rock.

He paused. "Where'd Amaya get to?" He looked around. Not in sight. "She always disappears when there's water involved…"

He threw his clothes back on, but something felt off—an off-kilter shadow in the stream. Something out of the corner of his eye. Eyes in the water… strange and too bright.

He jerked back, heart slamming. There was nothing really there—he'd just seen his own worried face. Just nerves.

"What the hell…?" He peered closer into the ripple. Just his reflection again. "Ugh. I'm seeing things now." He shook himself off, stomping out of the stream. "Alright. Time to go. Enough swimming for one day."