The Higher Plain Ch 5: The Fields Of Destruction!

(Krelzor)

I stood there, frozen, my jaw hanging open as I stared at the massive, unconscious figure lying before me. The stories didn't do them justice—not even close. A Xylarion. A literal legend, right in front of me. Their kind wasn't supposed to exist down here, not anymore. And yet, here one was, sprawled out in the middle of my life.

She was massive, her frame dwarfing anything I'd ever seen—human or beast. Her skin had this weird glow to it, like moonlight caught in water, and her black hair spilled around her like some kind of dark halo. Her dress was fancy too, even though it was torn up and streaked with dirt. She looked powerful, even like this, lying unconscious in the middle of—

Wait. No. No, no, no.

Something caught my eye, and my chest tightened. I turned, my knees shaking, my heart sinking so far down it might've hit my boots.

"M-m-my father's field!!!" I stammered, the words choking out of me as my entire body went cold.

Dust hung heavy in the air, kicked up from where the ground itself had been torn apart. Massive cracks stretched out like claws, ripping through the earth, splitting it wide open. They ran far—too far—through the land, swallowing up huge chunks of what used to be green and full of life. The fields where my father and I had worked, sweated, bled... gone. Just gone.

I stared at the wreckage, my throat dry, my chest heaving as the realization hit me. "So m-much of it is gone," I whispered, feeling tears roll down my cheeks. I didn't even try to wipe them away. What would be the point? They wouldn't bring back the land. They wouldn't fix the damage.

I looked further ahead, where my house—my home—stood on the edge of collapse. The roof was caved in on one side, the walls cracked and leaning like they'd given up on life. Everything I had, everything my family had built, was barely holding on.

"W-what am I going to do?" I asked, my voice weak, my mind blank. I stood there, a hollow shell, staring at the destruction. My hands hung limp at my sides, my knees wobbling under me. For a moment, I felt like the cracks in the ground were reaching out for me, ready to swallow me whole.

Then the anger hit.

It started as a tiny spark, a flicker in the pit of my stomach. But it grew fast—hot and furious—burning through the numbness like a wildfire. My fists clenched, my teeth grinding so hard I thought I'd chip a molar. I felt heat rise in my face, my blood pounding in my ears.

"How dare you..." I growled, my voice shaking, my hands trembling with rage. My eyes snapped shut as I tried to keep from screaming.

But it was no use.

"How DARE YOU DESTROY THE FIELD?!" I bellowed, my voice echoing through the ruins. I opened my eyes and glared at the Xylarion, lying there like some innocent, majestic goddess who hadn't just RUINED EVERYTHING I HAD. "You're gonna PAY for this!" I shouted, my voice cracking like a preteen, but I didn't care. The rage was too strong now.

I took off running, my boots pounding against the cracked earth, dust kicking up in my wake. I didn't have a plan. Didn't need one. I was going to wake her up, and then I was going to tell her exactly how much she'd ruined my life before I figured out how to make her fix it.

"Xylarion or not, I don't care if you're some holy celestial warrior! You're about to get an earful from ME!" I yelled, pointing at her as I charged forward.

I took off running again, my boots kicking up dust and the occasional loose thread from the fabric of her dress. The white fabric stretched out like an endless plain, rippling gently with the rise and fall of her breathing.

"Dang, this chick is HUGE," I muttered between gasps for air. I wasn't out of shape, but come on! I'd been running along her body for what felt like forever, and I hadn't even made it past her thigh. Her thigh. Who even has thighs this big? Legends didn't warn us about that.

I stopped, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath as I looked up. Her leg loomed over me like some kind of glowing mountain, the fabric clinging to her skin and making it look even taller. I stared for a moment, trying to figure out my next move. "Alright, new plan," I said, standing up and stretching out my shoulders. "I'll just... climb. Yep, great plan, Krelzor. This'll definitely end well."

Grabbing hold of the edge of her dress, I started pulling myself up. The fabric felt soft but sturdy, which was good because I wasn't about to fall to my death because of some celestial fashion choice. My boots scrabbled against her skin as I climbed, and I grunted with effort. "Dammit, this woman's huge," I muttered, teeth clenched as I hauled myself higher.

Minutes felt like hours, but finally, I made it to the top of her leg. I flopped down onto the fabric, panting and wiping sweat off my forehead. My arms felt like noodles, my legs were jelly, and my lungs were ready to pack it in. "So... tired," I wheezed, lying flat on my back and staring up at the sky. "Why did I think this was a good idea again?"

But I didn't have time to rest. I wasn't even halfway there yet. With a groan, I rolled onto my feet and stood up straight, brushing off the dirt and dust clinging to my clothes. "Alright, Krelzor, let's go," I said, hyping myself up. "You've got this. Just... run across a giant unconscious lady's body. Totally normal day."

I took off at a jog, then a run, trying not to think too hard about the fact that I was literally sprinting across the body of a Xylarion. The fabric shifted under my feet with her every breath, making it feel like I was running on a moving ship. I stumbled more than once, barely catching myself before face-planting into her glowing skin.

Her curves didn't make things any easier. At one point, I had to slide down the slope of her hip like I was sledding, landing awkwardly on the rise of her stomach. "You've got to be kidding me," I grumbled, pushing myself up and brushing off the dust again. "Who even has a stomach this big? What are you eating up in Xylarion—cloud bread and dreams?"

I kept moving, leaping over folds in her dress and trying not to think too hard about the sheer insanity of what I was doing. Every step felt like it was taking me closer to the edge of sanity—or at least the edge of her. I didn't even know where I was going exactly, but I figured if I reached her face, I could yell at her or something. That'd probably wake her up, right?

The air grew thinner the higher I climbed, and I was starting to feel lightheaded. "This better be worth it," I muttered, my legs burning as I clambered over yet another rise in the fabric. "If she doesn't wake up and personally fix my father's field, I'm gonna lose it."

Finally, I reached what I assumed was the middle of her stomach. I stopped for a moment, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath again. "Why is she so damn tall?" I wheezed, looking up at the seemingly endless stretch of her torso ahead of me.

But then I grinned, the absurdity of the situation hitting me. "Well, at least I can say I climbed a Xylarion," I said, laughing to myself. "That's gotta be worth something, right?"

Shaking my head, I started running again. If I didn't get to her face soon, I was going to collapse from exhaustion. And there was no way I was letting this giant, glowing lady win. Not after she'd wrecked my life.