The Higher Plain Ch 8: The Descending Foot, The Cold Trek Upward

(Orik)

The hunter, Orik, crouched low beneath the sprawling canopy of the Verdantwood, his sharp eyes scanning the dense undergrowth. For three long days, he had stalked his elusive prey, the Veltherin. This deer-like creature was unlike anything found in human lands—its shimmering silver fur and antlers glowing faintly in the dim light. The Veltherin was swift, cunning, and skittish, but to Orik, it was also survival. The creature's meat could feed his family for weeks, and its antlers could be sold for a small fortune to traders from the southern lands.

He adjusted his grip on his bow, the wooden shaft worn smooth from years of use. His breathing was steady, practiced, though hunger gnawed at him from within. This time, he thought, I'll get you.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet shuddered. Not the slight tremors he might have expected from a herd of beasts passing nearby, but a deep, violent quake that seemed to ripple through the very bones of the earth.

Orik froze, his instincts screaming at him to remain still. His gaze darted upward to the jagged peaks of the Elythar Mountains towering nearby. They were silent as ever, untouched by the occasional rumbles of distant lands. But this? This was different.

Another quake. The trees swayed violently, leaves raining down like a green storm. Orik staggered backward, nearly losing his balance. His heart pounded as the trembling intensified, and then—without warning—a shadow fell over the forest.

Not just any shadow. A massive, all-encompassing blot that swallowed the sunlight and painted the sky in hues of tan and faint white.

"What in the gods' name—?" Orik whispered, spinning on his heel. His jaw dropped.

The sky was gone. The once familiar blue and yellow expanse above had been replaced by something impossible. What he first thought was some strange storm cloud quickly revealed itself as something far worse. It was no cloud. It was a ceiling. A vast expanse of pale flesh stretched far into the horizon, marred by deep, canyon-like grooves.

His legs moved before his mind could catch up. "No. No, no, no, no." He zigzagged through the underbrush, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him. His breaths came in ragged gasps, the air thick with a humid musk that clung to his skin and filled his lungs. It wasn't the clean, earthy scent of the forest he knew—it was something alien. Floral and feminine, yet tinged with sweat and heat.

"What is this?" Orik shouted as he dodged fallen branches and leapt over a broken log. Around him, chunks of earth had been torn free, massive slabs of soil scattered like a child's discarded toys. Trees lay uprooted, their trunks shattered.

The quake grew stronger, shaking loose stones and sending them tumbling down the mountainside. Orik risked a glance upward, only to wish he hadn't.

Above him, the massive ceiling shifted. Slowly, impossibly, it moved. The grooves carved into the flesh flexed, revealing a curve of muscle so vast it seemed to ripple across the horizon.

And then it fell.

The air screamed as the colossal foot began its descent, the forest beneath it dwarfed by its enormity. Trees snapped like twigs under its shadow. The earth split open, deep cracks racing outward, swallowing everything in their path.

"Gods help me," Orik muttered, his voice barely audible over the thunderous roar. His legs burned as he pushed himself harder, weaving between the wreckage of his once-familiar forest. Run faster. Move.

But it wasn't enough.

The air turned deafening, a rush of wind and force that knocked him off his feet. He barely had time to look back before it happened.

BOOM!

The foot made contact, slamming into the ground with a force that could level cities. The impact rippled outward, flattening everything in its wake. Orik's scream was cut short as he was thrown forward, his body slamming into the jagged edges of a deep crevice carved into the earth by the step.

Blood seeped from his broken form, pooling in the cracks of the shattered ground. There was no time to comprehend his fate, no last thought or prayer. Orik was gone, crushed beneath the weight of something so vast, so incomprehensible, that he would never know it wasn't a monster or god that ended him—but the simple step of a young woman who didn't even know he existed.

The land stilled. Above, the massive form shifted again, oblivious to the destruction left in its wake. Life, for Orik and the forest he called home, had come to a sudden, brutal end.

***

(Krelzor)

Climbing a Xylarion was the single dumbest thing I'd ever done. And that's saying a lot.

The wind cut through me like icy blades, numbing my fingers as they gripped the thick strands of hair—no, ropes—sprouting from the Titan's scalp. "Ropes" isn't even right. These things were like tree trunks made of silk. Each strand was smooth and glossy, yet thick enough that I could wrap both arms around it like I was hugging a pillar.

Except I wasn't hugging anything. I was dangling.

Dangling very high up over gods-know-what, as this enormous woman strolled casually across the countryside. Each of her steps felt like an earthquake, sending vibrations up her body that shook me like a bug on a branch.

And then there was the wind. By the gods, the wind. Every step she took caused gusts strong enough to knock me sideways, whipping her hair into my face, my mouth, my eyes. I spat out what I could only describe as the worst-tasting silk I'd ever experienced.

"Just... great," I muttered through gritted teeth. My voice barely carried over the sound of the air rushing past me.

I looked up—or what I thought was "up." It was hard to tell anymore. All I could see above me were more endless strands of golden-black hair, stretching upward like an unending forest canopy. Somewhere beyond all this hair was her ear, my goal, my salvation.

"If I freeze to death before I get there, I'm haunting this chick," I muttered, trying to distract myself from the biting cold.

The worst part wasn't even the wind or the cold, though. It was the movement. Every step she took sent her hair swaying, these massive, silky ropes shifting and twisting as if they had a mind of their own. My arms burned from gripping so tightly, and my legs ached from bracing against the strands, trying not to get flung off into oblivion.

At least the follicles were helpful. Yeah, I know—sounds weird. But the base of each strand of hair was nestled in these tiny grooves on her skin, like little pits in the earth. They gave me something to grab onto, little handholds I could use to pull myself upward. It was almost like climbing a cliffside—if the cliffside was warm, soft, and actively trying to throw you off with every step.

The closer I got to her head, the colder it got. The air felt thinner up here, the wind more cutting. My teeth chattered so hard I thought they might break. "Why didn't I bring a damn coat?" I grumbled to myself, clinging desperately to a particularly thick strand of hair as the Titan took another step.

Below me, the world was a blur. Mountains, forests, rivers—gone in an instant as she crossed distances that would've taken me weeks to traverse on foot. It was mind-boggling, really. Each step of hers covered more ground than I'd ever traveled in my life.

Finally, after what felt like hours—no, days—I saw it. Her ear.

A massive, shell-like structure jutting out from her head, larger than any house I'd ever seen. The ridges of her ear curled gracefully inward, forming a deep cavern that looked almost inviting. Almost.

"Finally," I gasped, hauling myself up the last few strands of hair and onto the ridge of her ear. I collapsed there for a moment, breathing hard, my chest heaving. My entire body felt like jelly. Every muscle screamed at me to lie down and never move again.

But I couldn't stop now. I wasn't about to climb all this way just to freeze to death on the side of a Titan's head.

"Now to get her attention," I muttered, dragging myself to my feet. My legs wobbled, but I steadied myself against the smooth curve of her ear.

I glanced around, trying to think. What the hell was I supposed to do now? Shout at her? Knock on her eardrum? Throw something inside?

"Yeah, that'll go well," I muttered. "Hey, giant lady, sorry to bother you, but you kind of ruined my dad's field and also crushed half the forest. Mind waking up and fixing that?"

I sighed, running a hand through my messy, sweat-drenched hair. "Alright, Krelzor," I told myself. "Think. You've made it this far. Just... figure out how to wake the giant without, you know, dying in the process."

I took a deep breath, staring into the vast depths of her ear. "Here goes nothing."