Shadow Requiem

Chapter 19: Giants of Sariayah

~~[666 Words]~~

Run. Run. Run.

Yuren charged down the grassy trail, not slowing for a second. The only thing on his mind was the burning urge to see what lay ahead—something his eyes had been dying to find.

Sunlight was already spilling over the treetops. He was almost there.

His pace faded as he reached his goal.

Now he stood on a giant slab of rock, right at the edge. Below, the ravine stretched open, deep—thirty, maybe forty meters down.

He took it all in. Green rolled out everywhere, wild and beautiful—but honestly, none of that mattered right now.

It was the beasts.

A whole herd was scattered around an enormous tree that looked impossibly ancient, towering at the heart of the clearing. Massive. Old. Colossal.

Yuren's eyes went wide, almost child-like, as if he'd just found some secret the world forgot to mention. He soaked up every detail, trying to count them all.

No way. These creatures really were the same kind as Baby Giant.

"*Wooaaaah——* They're incredible," he blurted, grinning like an idiot. "They're huge—and there are just so many," he whispered.

Words just left him.

He didn't notice Baby Giant slip up beside him, at least not until suddenly, Baby Giant let out a thunderous cry—a raw sound that had been bottled up too long.

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The animals below froze.

A beat later, every last one answered.

Just then, Baby Giant's parents showed up behind him, arriving a little late. One was so big, Yuren almost forgot to breathe. Easily the father. Fully grown, standing there with a heavy presence.

The other is a little smaller. Probably the mother.

The father opened his mouth—wide enough to fit a watermelon inside—and unleashed a sound that shook the world. The herd joined in, all their voices crashing together, thick and wild, like they could rip the sky apart.

Up on the rock, Baby Giant didn't back down.

"You never told me, Baby Giant," Yuren said, shaking his head with awe. "You've got your whole crew out here."

He paused.

"Respect."

Baby Giant rumbled softly in response.

"Come on, let's head down." Yuren started along the rock's edge, and Baby Giant followed him.

*******

Two minutes later, Yuren dropped down onto the forest floor.

Leaves shot up past his shoulders. He craned his neck, surrounded by those giants. Standing there, he felt small—like a rabbit lost in the wrong neighborhood. One careless move and any of them could erase him.

"This is wild," he breathed. "Never seen anything like this. Makes elephants look like house cats."

He watched one huge animal bow its head toward the ground.

"They're plant eaters—" He nodded. "*Herbivores.*"

Something moved behind him. He turned.

Baby Giant was eating, wrapping that long trunk around a bunch of grass, snapping it up, roots and all, in one messy sweep. Still clumsy, but learning. At least he was eating—Yuren couldn't ask for more.

"Living your dream life, huh, Baby Giant," Yuren joked. "Guess you know how to get a meal now."

Baby Giant just mumbled, mouth full.

Yuren wandered on, sneaking glances at the giants. He was headed for the enormous tree in the center—the real reason he'd come down here. It tugged at him.

He stopped.

The trunk was—no other word for it—*massive.*

He pressed his palm against the bark. Rough. Solid. Tough, like stone that's never met plaster. His hand looked tiny against it.

He closed his eyes.

He breathed.

Then he just listened—reaching for something quieter than thought, tracing the tree from its roots up. Wind played through his hair. He stayed still.

"I feel it," he whispered. "Life, running through this tree—every inch filled." He lifted his hand and looked at his palm. "Like I'm connected to it."

*******

Somewhere in the dark, a single eye blinked open.

Red. Glowing.

A shape—barely there, its outline hinting at a presence in the shadows.

Who?

Nobody knew.

The darkness kept its secrets.