(KBTCM) Ch 2: The Lowest District, A Battle That Shakes The Earth!

(Grelling Row)

The Lesser District of Vaeloria, known officially as Grelling Row, was a far cry from the grandeur of the Noble District or the modest comfort of Willowhearth, the middle-class quarter. Here, in Grelling Row, life was hard and unforgiving. The streets were narrow and uneven, filled with muddy ruts that never seemed to dry. Wooden houses leaned precariously against one another, their frames sagging from years of neglect. Some buildings were held together by little more than patched planks and frayed ropes, their roofs barely capable of keeping out the rain.

The air smelled of damp earth and wood smoke, mingled with the sour tang of unwashed bodies and rotting refuse. Children with gaunt faces and bare feet scurried between the alleys, their laughter thin and fleeting, a rare sound in a place weighed down by hunger and struggle.

In the heart of the district, a woman crouched in the dirt, holding her infant close. The baby whimpered weakly, its cries too faint to draw much attention. Around her, people trudged past, carrying sacks of grain, buckets of water, or the odd bundle of firewood. Life here was survival, plain and simple.

The ground beneath her shifted suddenly, a slight vibration that made her freeze. She glanced around, her expression wary. The trembling grew stronger, the vibrations deepening into a low rumble.

"What's happening?" she asked aloud, clutching her baby tighter.

The question hung in the air, unanswered by most. Some paused to look around in alarm, while others kept their heads down, unwilling to let curiosity distract them from their meager labors.

Nearby, a man hauling two large barrels of water paused. His broad shoulders strained under the weight as he glanced at the woman. His face was lined with the wear of years spent in Grelling Row, but his expression was calm, almost amused.

"Relax," he said gruffly, nodding toward her. "It's just the royal princesses sparring again."

The woman blinked at him, her confusion evident. "Sparring? You mean... the ground is shaking because two people are fighting?"

The man chuckled, setting one of the barrels down for a moment. He adjusted his grip on the other and straightened, his voice carrying a note of wry humor. "You must be new here, eh?"

She nodded, her eyes wide. "We came from a village on the outskirts last month. I've never seen—or felt—anything like this before."

"Well, welcome to Vaeloria," the man said, his smile faint but genuine. "That's just how it is here. The royal family—giants, the lot of 'em. When the princesses train out in the forest, it's like the earth itself is alive. But don't worry. They're far off. These quakes are nothing compared to what happens when they themselves move through the land."

The woman stared at him, her mouth slightly open. "Two girls... causing this?"

The man laughed outright now, a deep, rolling sound that briefly cut through the gloom of the district. "Oh, aye. They're not just any girls. Princess Rowena and Princess Sylara are giants born."

***

(Rowena)

The air in the forest was thick with dust and the scent of churned earth. Rowena and Sylara knelt amid the devastation, their massive forms surrounded by broken trees, crushed boulders, and craters that could swallow entire villages. Their breaths came in heavy pants, the sound echoing through the desolate clearing. Sweat trickled down their towering frames, falling in fat droplets that could drench a normal human in an instant. And yet, despite the destruction they had caused, both sisters wore wide, triumphant grins as they stared at each other.

"You're getting better," Rowena said, her voice still slightly breathless. "You're not so easy to beat anymore."

Sylara, leaning back on her hands, laughed, her voice bright and loud enough to make the few remaining birds in the area flee for safety. "Of course! Would you expect anything less from your favorite sister?"

Rowena smirked, rolling her eyes. "Favorite sister? You're my only sister, Sylara."

"That just makes it easier for me to win the title," Sylara teased, stretching her arms above her head.

They both laughed, their voices rumbling like distant thunder. Around them, the forest lay in ruins, but it was hardly the first time they had left a landscape looking like this. Their sparring matches had long outgrown the palace grounds, and even the largest arenas in the Noble District couldn't withstand the ferocity of their battles. Out here, in the depths of the royal forest, they could unleash their full strength without fear of collapsing a building—or accidentally injuring a poor, unsuspecting human.

As their laughter faded, a faint voice reached Rowena's ears. She paused, tilting her head to listen. "Rowena!" the voice called again, high-pitched and tiny, like the squeak of a mouse to her giant ears. She looked down, squinting at the ground near her boot, and spotted a familiar figure waving frantically.

"Rowena, down here!"

Rowena's grin widened as she recognized the small human girl standing at her feet. "Lyra!" she said, reaching out a massive hand. "What are you doing all the way out here? Didn't your parents tell you not to wander into the forest alone?"

Lyra, Rowena's childhood friend and one of the few humans who dared to treat her like a normal person, huffed and crossed her arms. "I didn't wander. Your mother sent me to fetch you and Sylara. She and your father want to talk to you. Both of you."

Sylara leaned over, her enormous face looming close to Lyra, who didn't so much as flinch. "Oh, this sounds serious," Sylara said, grinning. "Let me guess—it's about the ceremony, isn't it?"

Lyra shrugged, but her mischievous smirk gave her away. Rowena exchanged a look with Sylara, her stomach doing a little flip. They both knew what this meant: the Coming of Age Ceremony. Rowena's eighteenth birthday was only a few months away, and with it would come the formal announcement of her role as the future queen of Vaeloria. Their mother had already hinted at the responsibilities that awaited, and while Rowena was prepared for the challenge, the thought of standing before the entire kingdom still made her a little nervous.

"Well," Rowena said, holding out her hand to Lyra, "we'd better not keep them waiting. Want a ride?"

Lyra's eyes lit up. "You bet I do! Walking all the way back sounds boring. Just... be careful, okay? I don't want to end up as a pancake."

Rowena rolled her eyes but smiled as she carefully scooped Lyra up. Her hand, large enough to cradle a house, moved with surprising gentleness as she settled Lyra into her palm. Sylara watched with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.

"You're getting soft, big sister," Sylara teased, standing to her full height of 175 feet.

"Says the one who cried when a sparrow landed on her shoulder last week," Rowena shot back, grinning as she stood to her full height, towering over the landscape at 178 feet.

Sylara sputtered. "It startled me!"

Rowena just laughed, her voice shaking the leaves of the few trees still standing. She glanced around at the destruction they'd caused and sighed. "We really made a mess this time," she muttered. "I'll need a bath before heading to the palace."

As she began to walk, her massive strides shaking the ground, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. In a part of the forest still untouched by their sparring, a lone figure moved among the trees. He was smaller than anyone she'd seen in a long time, even for a human, and he carried a hammer far too large for his wiry frame slung over his shoulder.

Rowena squinted, her keen eyesight narrowing in on him. He looked young—maybe as young as Sylara—but what struck her most was how utterly unbothered he seemed by the destruction nearby. He barely glanced in their direction as he walked, his pace unhurried.

"What's wrong?" Lyra asked, looking up at Rowena from her perch in the giant's hand.

Rowena hesitated, glancing back toward the boy, but he was gone, vanishing into the dense forest as if he'd never been there.

"Nothing," Rowena said finally, though her brow furrowed in thought. She turned her attention back to the path ahead. "We'd better hurry. Mother and Father don't like to be kept waiting."

Still, as they made their way back to the palace, Rowena couldn't shake the image of the boy. There was something about him that felt... different. But for now, she tucked the thought away. There were more pressing matters to deal with.