<< Chapter 21 (Part 2)
The multi-talented @verbal-d (who, by the way, edited this chapter) has bestowed a wonderful gift for this story. Known for his lyrical rhymes, he's also a master when it comes to mixing melodious beats. To enhance the reading experience, play this on loop in the background as you read this chapter. Take a deep breath, and allow yourself to be consumed by the entire experience. Please be sure to follow and donate to @verbal-d! You can also follow his work on SoundCloud.
The billowing smoke made it hard to maneuver, but I eventually made it to the town square. Flyers were scrambling all around trying to fight the lone threat. They were accidentally hitting each other with their armas. The obsidian fog that had enveloped more than half of the village made it hard to see our opponent.
I waved my hands above my head, trying to use my viento to clear the air, to no avail. The winds were only fanning the flames, and they were doing more harm to us than our titanic adversary. I ran between the giant's legs, then propelled myself upward. Using my viento, I shaped my armas as a force field that surrounded my entire body. It was a technique commonly used when retreating or charging into battle. The technique was also an effective means of self-protection. Knowing the giant's weak points, I used it to make myself like a cannonball.
The giant flinched upon impact, but didn't seem like he took any damage. I tried to steady myself on my way down to the ground. Even with a wind force field as protection, the attack still took a lot out of me. I unfurled my wings and looked for higher ground.
As I was surveying the surroundings, I spotted Adobo tending to the wounded. I retracted my flight apparatus to dive down to where she was.
"Hey," I said, almost out of breath. "Are you alright?"
"I-I ... I'm alright," she replied. She looked worse than the people she was treating, but she didn't want to admit it. "It ... The damn thing came out of nowhere. How could it—"
"Have caught us off-guard? Hidden itself without anyone noticing?"
"Yeah, that. And, how the hell do we beat that thing?"
"Together, that's how."
The gigantic monstrosity let out a deafening wail. It incapacitated almost all the warriors flying above it. The ground shook as the giant pounded on it.
"I need to rally everybody to hit its weak points," I remarked. "We can't win if we strike without coordination."
"How are you so sure of that?"
"I just am. I ... Just trust me. Get these people to a safe place and hide out there until this all blows over."
I clasped my hands together and focused my viento between them. With all my power, I then formed a ball of concentrated wind. My knowledge of the giants helped me to identify their weaknesses. If I could've found a way to coordinate our attack, only then would we have stood a chance. I held my hands high above my head, then slammed the armas down on the ground, propelling me high above the air. Once I was about as high as the giant's head, I spread my wings and glided through the air.
"Hit the back of its knees!" I shouted to anyone who would listen. Unfortunately, everyone was too preoccupied with their own strategies to pay attention. I dove between its legs and aimed short bursts of viento to my intended target, with little to no effect.
The giant was nimbler than the others. I hadn't gotten the chance to get a good view of its face to see if it was familiar. It was much more athletic than I anticipated. The giant swiped and stomped faster than anything I had ever seen. In fact, I thought I had never ever seen this before.
This whole scene, this whole battle — everything felt new to me. It was like I was living a memory of something I wasn't even a part of. The first time I had ever encountered a giant was when I dove off our village's cliff. It was around the time when the Great War had already begun. I had no recollection of any giant invading our village. But, seeing my village in ruins on the teevee made me wonder what could've caused it.
Was this memory erased from my mind during the giants' reconditioning? Did I recover it when I ingested my memories from the tiny water droplets?
All of a sudden, a humongous palm pressed up against my body and threw me to the outskirts of the village! I tumbled wildly, hitting trees and rocks, before I finally settled on the ground.
Out of breath, I laid myself down on the dirt for a couple of minutes. I suffered a few gashes here and there, but there were no broken bones. My body ached every time I tried to stand up. I had to be careful not to get hit again, as I might not have been as lucky next time.
"Are you alright?" Lumpia asked, as she descended from the sky. She stretched her arm forward, offering to help me stand up. "That was quite a hit."
"I was hoping everyone was too preoccupied to notice."
"Tough luck. I was calling you back there right before you got slapped silly. I was so worried that ... I trailed quickly to see if you were still breathing."
"It would take so much more to take me out."
"I know ... I just ... From where I was flying, it really didn't look good."
"I'm alright, Lumpia. No need to worry."
"No one would blame you if you sit this one out. I don't even know how we're going to beat that thing. It's swatting us in droves."
"I do. But, I need your help to rally everyone. Have you seen Prito?"
"Oh *Bathala, *Prito," she exclaimed, sobbing. Lumpia broke down and kneeled on the ground. "I-I ... I don't—"
"Easy, easy. Breathe," I suggested, trying to console her. I stroked her back, scared to think of the words left unsaid. "Breathe, Lumpia. I'm sure he's okay. Prito's way tougher than I am."
"Y-You don't ... You don't understand. That thing ... That thing clapped his hands, and Prito just ... Prito just disappeared. It ... It clapped Prito out of existence!"
"No, shh ... Ease your mind. I'm sure Prito's just stuck in a tree somewhere sleeping it off."
"I looked for him everywhere. Everywhere! When I got back to the town square that's when I saw you get hit."
"Prito's safe. If I know him, I'm sure he'd be the last of us to fall."
"H-How could ... How could you be so sure?"
"I just am. Trust me."
Lumpia nodded silently, as she remained crouched to the ground. I could feel her body shaking as she recounted the events.
"Let's end this now," I urged, trying to remain optimistic. As I stood there, I felt like the weight of an entire mountain crushed my body. "So that we can get back to looking for Prito, and there will be no more casualties."
She sat silently, trying to regain her composure. I felt her viento rising with every second. Lumpia took a deep breath, stood up, rubbed the sweat off her face, and gritted her teeth.
"Lead the way," she said with an almost impassive tone.
The extremely passionate @ryivhnn has created this magnificent viento-inspired artwork for this story. Close your eyes and picture this masterpiece, as you imagine Ledd soaring to new heights. Please be sure to check out @ryivhnn's wonderful artwork and in-depth logs of her experiences with homeschooling her children. You can also become a patron of hers on Patreon so that you can support her regularly.
<< Chapter 21 (Part 2)
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