The Higher Plain Ch 7: Awakening Of The Giant!

(Faylina)

My head was pounding like a drum. A deep, relentless ache that made me wince as I slowly opened my eyes. At first, everything was blurry—just a haze of blue and brown smudges—but as my vision cleared, I could make out the details of where I was.

I blinked a few times, rubbing my temples as I sat up, trying to ignore the dull throb in my skull. The ground felt strange beneath me—soft yet firm, with a faint tickle of something cool brushing against my skin.

I lowered my gaze, curious, and dug my fingers into the ground. It crumbled easily, slipping between my fingers, light and soft. Dirt. Real dirt. Not the golden misty soil of Xylarion, but something earthy and solid. I held it in my palm, studying the blue-tinged grains glimmering faintly in the light.

"I made it," I whispered. My voice trembled as I said it, my breath catching in my chest. I clutched the dirt tighter, like it might disappear if I let it go. My dream, the dream that had consumed me for so long, was finally a reality. I was here. I was really here.

A rush of excitement coursed through me, erasing the ache in my head and the exhaustion in my limbs. I stood, brushing the dirt from my hands as I rose to my full height. Dust clouds swirled around me, the earthy smell of the human world filling my nose.

I looked down, noticing that the golden shimmer of my dress was now streaked with dirt and specks of green and blue from the strange foliage that had cushioned my fall. I let the dirt slide off me like raindrops, the golden fabric shining faintly beneath it.

Then I looked around—really looked around. My gaze traveled over the landscape, and I felt my breath hitch again, but this time it wasn't from excitement alone.

The world stretched out before me like something from a dream, but it was unlike anything I had imagined. The ground rolled into an open plain, blanketed in what looked like impossibly small plants—so tiny they barely reached the tips of my toes. Farther out, the plain began to rise and fall, the land swelling gently into hills that looked almost delicate compared to the jagged mountains of home.

The colors were strange but beautiful: deep greens mixed with vibrant blues, all under a sky that seemed impossibly vast. Everything was alive, moving with the wind that brushed past me, ruffling my hair and carrying with it the faintest scent of something sweet and wild.

"How wondrous," I murmured, a small smile tugging at my lips. I turned slowly, taking it all in, letting the reality of where I was settle into my bones. This was it. The human world. The place I had dreamed of since I was a child.

But as much as I wanted to stand here and take it all in forever, I knew this was only the beginning. I wasn't here to admire the scenery—not entirely, anyway. There was something I needed to do, something that had driven me to defy everything and everyone I knew.

I had to find a human being.

The thought sent a thrill through me, though there was a flicker of nervousness as well. I had no idea where to look, no idea how long it might take—or what I would even do when I found one. But none of that mattered. I had come this far. I wasn't going to turn back now.

***

(Krelzor)

The wind roared past me, tearing at my clothes and stinging my face. It was relentless, sharp, and unforgiving, making it almost impossible to breathe. I clenched my teeth and tried to suck in air, but all I got was a mouthful of cold wind that made my chest ache.

The giant was moving now. Standing up.

To her, it was probably as easy as stretching after a nap, but to me, it felt like the world was ending. Beneath me, her body shifted, muscles rippling like waves under a sea of white fabric. Every tiny movement she made sent tremors through her colossal frame, and I had to grip the rope tighter to keep from being thrown off entirely.

I dared a glance down and immediately regretted it.

What had once been ground just a few hundred feet below was now miles and miles away. It was as if the earth itself was being peeled away, shrinking smaller and smaller as she lifted herself upright. The sound of it—oh gods, the sound—was like rolling thunder, a deep rumble that I could feel in my chest.

"This is ridiculous," I muttered through gritted teeth, my knuckles white from gripping the rope. The wind whipped around me again, and I ducked my head instinctively, cursing under my breath. "Who even needs to be this big? Is this some kind of joke?"

I tried not to think about how far the fall would be if I let go.

No, scratch that—I definitely thought about it. Over and over again. Because it wasn't just the height that would kill me. Oh no. There were also the jagged pieces of uprooted earth below, scattered like shards of glass, courtesy of this walking disaster.

For a moment, I just hung there, swaying in the wind like some pathetic rag doll. My body ached from holding on, my arms trembling under the strain, but I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop.

I looked up, squinting against the rushing air. Her ear wasn't far now—well, okay, it was still far, but at least I could see it. A massive curve of delicate skin, high above me like the side of a mountain. I could make it. I had to make it.

"I have to reach her ear," I said out loud, as if saying it would somehow make it easier. The sound of my own voice was drowned out by the constant roar of wind and the occasional deafening creak of her movements.

Her ear. That was the plan. If I could just get to her ear, I could... what? Shout at her? Beg her to wake up and stop destroying everything? The plan sounded ridiculous even to me, but at this point, it was all I had.

The wind picked up again, colder this time, cutting through my clothes and making me shiver. My fingers burned from holding on so tightly, and my legs ached from the constant tension of bracing myself against her shifting body.

"Come on, Krelzor," I muttered, gritting my teeth. "You've got this. You're just... climbing the body of a literal legend. No big deal. Happens every day."

A burst of laughter escaped me, sharp and bitter. Gods, this was insane.

But I didn't stop.

I tightened my grip and started climbing again, moving hand over hand up the ropes that crisscrossed her side. Every step felt like a lifetime, every pull of my arms a battle against the freezing wind and my own exhaustion.

One more step. One more climb. One more stupid, reckless attempt to survive this madness.

Her body shifted again, and I froze as the ropes swayed dangerously. My heart pounded in my chest, a wild drumbeat that drowned out every other sound. Slowly, carefully, I adjusted my grip, pressing myself flat against the fabric to steady myself.

"This is fine," I said, my voice shaky but determined. "Totally fine. You've got this. No problem."

The wind howled again, and I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to keep moving. Her ear was closer now, a massive structure that loomed over me like a monument. I could almost feel it within reach.

I just had to hold on a little longer.