The Higher Plain Ch 14: The Anger Of A Prince, The Hunt Begins!

(Krelzor)

Krelzor stood at the doorway to Faylina's room, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. It was strange, really. He had never expected to be showing a Xylarion—a literal former colossus—to a guest room in his house, let alone one that she had helped him rebuild.

"Well... here it is," he said, gesturing into the simple but comfortable space. The wooden walls still had fresh hammer marks, and the bed, while sturdy, looked tiny compared to its new occupant. "Not much, but it should do."

Faylina stepped inside, running her fingers over the bedframe. "It's perfect," she said with a smile.

Krelzor felt his ears heat up. He wasn't used to getting compliments, especially from someone who had once been able to squash his entire farm under her toe without noticing. "I, uh... sorry I couldn't offer you more. I mean, you're used to palaces in the sky or something, right?"

She shook her head. "I didn't come here for comfort, Krelzor. This is more than enough. And besides..." She patted the bed. "This is the first time I've ever had a human-made bed."

Her grin was so genuine that Krelzor found himself smiling back, though he quickly covered it with a cough. "Well, if you need anything, my room's just down the hall."

"I'll be fine," she reassured him.

They stood there for a beat longer than necessary before Krelzor cleared his throat. "Right. Goodnight, Faylina."

"Goodnight, Krelzor," she replied softly.

With that, he turned and walked down the hall to his own room, shutting the door behind him. He lay on his bed, staring up at the broken ceiling. Through the gaps in the wood, he could see the night sky, stars twinkling down at him like silent observers.

So much had happened in a single day. His farm destroyed, a giantess-turned-human now living in his house, and now he was offering her a place to stay as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

He exhaled deeply.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

***

(Ruined Kingdom)

The air was thick with the scent of ash and death. What had once been the great kingdom of Valtheron was now nothing more than a barren wasteland. Smoke curled from the remains of shattered buildings, and the once-mighty castle was nothing but rubble scattered across the lifeless plains.

Prince Aldric stood at the edge of a jagged cliff, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His silver armor, still polished despite the journey, reflected the eerie glow of the dying embers below. His knights stood behind him, equally silent as they took in the devastation.

"This... this can't be real," Aldric murmured. His voice, usually firm and commanding, wavered with disbelief.

His kingdom. His home. His people.

Gone.

The wind howled through the ruins, carrying the echoes of what once was.

One of his knights, Ser Davos, stepped forward, his face grim. "Your Highness... we found a survivor."

Aldric turned sharply. "Where?"

Davos gestured behind him, and two knights approached, helping a frail, injured old man forward. His robes were tattered, his face streaked with dirt and blood. His body trembled with exhaustion, but his eyes were still sharp, filled with the kind of terror that no man should ever have to bear.

The prince knelt beside him, gripping his shoulder. "You're safe now. Tell me—what happened here? Who did this?"

The old man swallowed, his throat dry and cracked. "A monster," he rasped. "A beast of unfathomable size... I have never seen anything like it."

Aldric frowned. "A beast?"

The man nodded weakly. "Bigger than any mountain, vaster than the kingdom itself. It came from the horizon, and with each step, the world trembled. Buildings crumbled, the land itself split apart... and then..." He shuddered, his voice breaking. "It raised its foot... and everything was gone."

Silence fell upon the group.

Aldric's grip on the man's shoulder tightened. "You're saying that a single creature destroyed all of Valtheron?"

The old man's sunken eyes met his. "I do not say it, my Prince. I saw it."

Aldric slowly stood, his mind racing. A monster large enough to blot out the sky? To erase a kingdom in a single step? It sounded impossible. It sounded like a myth, the kind of thing old men whispered about to frighten children.

But there was no denying the destruction before him.

He turned to his knights, his expression hardening. "This thing... this monster took everything from us. Our homes, our families, our kingdom."

His men remained silent, but their eyes burned with the same rage that now consumed him.

Aldric's fists tightened. "We will find it. And when we do, we will bring it down."

Davos hesitated. "Your Highness, if what this man says is true... how do we fight something so vast?"

Aldric's jaw clenched. "We will find a way. Even the mightiest beasts have weaknesses."

The old man coughed, his body shaking. "Prince Aldric..." he wheezed. "Beware..."

Aldric turned back to him, kneeling once more. "Beware of what?"

The man's fingers dug weakly into Aldric's wrist, his breathing ragged. "It did not even notice us."

Aldric's blood ran cold.

This thing—this colossus—hadn't even acknowledged them. It had destroyed an entire kingdom, wiped thousands of lives from existence... and yet, it had done so without intention.

Without thought.

As if they were mere ants beneath its feet.

Aldric slowly pulled his hand away, his heart pounding.

This was no ordinary foe.

This was something far beyond their understanding.

But it didn't matter.

It didn't matter if this thing was the size of a mountain, or if it had crushed his people without even realizing it. He would not let their deaths be meaningless.

He stood, his voice like steel. "Prepare the men. We leave at dawn."

Davos hesitated. "And where do we go, my Prince?"

Aldric's gaze darkened as he looked toward the distant horizon.

"We hunt a giant."