TORIN YOUTH – CHAPTER 03: SHE WHO WAITS

Early on the morning of the Legionnaire Specialis trial, the three teams of Elite Legionnaire candidates gather in formation inside the Great Outer Wall.

They carry gear for the long journey ahead, which will take weeks to complete. Many kilometers behind them is the Great Inner Wall, the last line of defense for the city of Torin within its perimeter.

Before the students is the Legion’s highest-ranking General, Aello.

Even while crouched down, the 33.5-meter—or 110-foot—tall harpy towers over her human audience as she briefs them.

Bia stands side by side with her teammates, with Leon on her left and Atreus on her right, fidgeting as her thoughts trouble her.

“I have the worst feeling in the pit of my stomach… that everything is about to go wrong,” she mutters to herself.

The feeling brings memories of many years ago—when she was just a child—to the front of her mind.

Bia sees her father and her four older brothers gathered around her mother, who lies on a bed. Excited, she steps forward to see what has them all so captivated.

Her eyes widen with delight at the sight of a newborn baby.

Bia’s mother carefully places the baby boy in her arms, and she cradles him, falling deeply in love.

“I finally have a little sibling,” Bia says, lovingly embracing him. “Can we name him Eudae?”

Her mother and father look into each other’s eyes, nodding in agreement.

“Eudae it is,” her father says, smiling at Bia.

Overjoyed, Bia looks upon her little brother’s face and exclaims, “I love you, Eudae!”

The memory fades and another surfaces, taking her to a later time.

Bia is older, and her little brother is learning to walk.

“Come to big sister, Eudae,” she says, seated on the floor as the child toddles over to her.

She embraces him and whispers, “I promise, I’ll never let anything bad happen to you.”

Years later, her promise is put to the test.

The boy lies on a bed, mysteriously ill, his eyes nearly closed.

Bia’s father, mother, and four older brothers are gathered around him, grieving. No medicine or magic can cure him.

Bia sits in the doorway, away from everyone else, with her arms wrapped around her knees. She lowers her head to hide the tears streaming down her face.

She remembers the pain that she felt then—she thought it could kill her.

Her memory shifts again.

She’s grown. At the age of twelve, she walks through the Lower District, curious about life on the edge of the city. Insulae loom on all sides—taller and more densely packed than in the Middle District where she is from. There are many people in the streets, some of them appearing to be homeless.

At the end of the district, Bia encounters the field of grass, brush, and trees stretching toward the Great Inner Wall. She walks the neglected cobblestone street with insulae on one side and the grassy field on the other.

The voice of a man shouting from above arrests Bia’s attention. She stops, looking upward in curiosity toward the sound of the commotion.

“YOU’RE JUST LIKE YOUR DAMNED MOTHER!” a man roars furiously from the apartment on the top floor.

A door slams. Footsteps echo in the stairwell as someone comes down to ground level. A boy with hazel eyes and spiky auburn hair emerges from the building, wiping tears from his face.

It’s Atreus. Bia is smitten at first sight and stands frozen in place. He walks in her direction while trying to mask his pain from others around him, and he passes by her, not even registering that she is there.

Bia’s memory shifts once again—her mind taking her to a later time when she visits the Lower District again. She hopes to see the boy again, and she does—she finds him being bullied by three other children who shove him around and call him “the Devil’s son.”

Bia watches from around the corner of a building as one of the boys punches Atreus in the face. He is then kicked by the others as he falls over, covering his face with his hands.

The girl with black, windswept hair becomes furious and charges at the bullies.

As the leader of the group raises a foot to stomp on Atreus’s face, Bia tackles him and throws him aside effortlessly.

The other two boys recognize her and become weak-kneed.

“Oh crap—it’s Bia! RUN!” they both cry at once.

The two boys sprint past their leader as he lifts his head and has the terrifying realization that Bia is the one who saved Atreus.

The girl grins widely at the bully and cracks her knuckles.

Trembling, the bully scrambles to his feet and bolts, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME!”

Bia calls after them, smiling. “That’s right—run! Ya big scaredy cats!”

Satisfied, she then turns to check on Atreus, extending a hand to help him up.

But there’s no one there.

Bia stands alone, still reaching out, and sighs sadly.

“Oh…”

Her thoughts return to the present.

Bia stands in formation, troubled by the uneasy feeling that won’t go away.

“I’ve wanted this day to come so badly—the chance to prove that I can protect the ones I love,” she thinks to herself.

Bia glances to her right at Atreus, who stares steadfastly ahead, determination and anger in his eyes.

“…but I’m afraid my strength won’t be enough for what’s ahead.”

The imposing giantess Aello prepares to speak. Her red skin, paired with dark violet sclerae and red irises, is enough to send a shiver down the spine of the toughest warriors.

“Listen up, chick droppings!” Aello snarls. “This is very likely the last time I’ll see you alive, so you’d better pay careful attention!”

The students stiffen as the harpy General briefs them on their objectives and gives final warnings, grinning menacingly to showcase her sharp, jagged teeth.

“You maggots have all been equipped with maps to your objectives,” she says. “Team One will plant their flag at the abandoned mine leading into the Crystal-light Caverns. Team Two will plant their flag at the Shattered Crown. Team Three will plant their flag at the entrance to the ruins of Old Torin.”

After pausing to ensure the candidates are following her, she adds, “Your training will be all the help you’ll have. No one will be coming to your rescue. If you ‘tinies’ see a predator, fight it as a team or you will die. If you see two predators… it was nice knowing you, I guess.”

The harpy’s blade-like feathers stiffen as she delivers another warning.

“This is also a trial of your honor,” she explains. “If you receive any help from the city, you will be disqualified. If you don’t complete your mission but return under the false pretense that you did, and it’s discovered that you lied, you’ll be in danger of severe punishment. You got that, you bunch of fecal sacs?”

The Legionnaire Specialis candidates respond in unison, “SO LET IT BE!”

“GOOD!” Aello responds with a sneer. “Now get out of here. You’re making me hungry.”

The Great Outer Gate slowly opens as the twelve courageous souls make their way toward it.

As Rhea passes by the hundreds of people gathered near the gate, they heap praise upon her—some of them have even styled their hair like hers.

“No more Pyros the Giant Slayer—now it’s RHEA THE GIANT SLAYER!”

“Please marry me, Rhea!”

“She’s FLAWLESS!”

“…THE STRONGEST!”

“…UNSTOPPABLE!”

The girl can only offer the crowd a gentle smile and a nod, doing her best otherwise to tune it all out and keep her mind fixed on the task ahead.

The candidates march out beyond the safety of the massive walls they’ve known their entire lives, down the mountainside toward the unforgiving wilderness below.

Atreus looks out at the world beyond the walls for the first time. Even from this high elevation, he can tell the world below was made for creatures twenty times bigger than him. He has never felt smaller.

No one has dared to break the silence among them yet, which makes Bia more nervous, but she tries to maintain her cheerful persona. Her eyes flick to her teammates as she desperately tries to release the tension.

“I think I’m going to lose my breakfast,” she jokes, smiling awkwardly.

Leon smiles, picking up on Bia’s nervousness.

“Not running headfirst into danger? That’s not the Bia I know,” he says playfully.

He notices flowers of varying colors and sizes alongside the path down the mountain slope, ranging from knee-high to twice his height.

“Perhaps we should stop and smell the flowers,” he suggests as he approaches one of the tall ones and gives it a sniff.

He exhales happily.

“It always helps to calm my nerves.”

Bowing his head to the flower, he says, “I hope you and your neighbors are having a great morning.”

Rhea, annoyed, urges him along.

“Not outside, Leon,” she says discreetly, blushing bright red with frustration and embarrassment. “You’re embarrassing me in front of everyone.”

Leon shrugs, unsure what there is to be embarrassed about, but he hurries along anyhow.

As the three teams descend into the forest at the foot of the mountain—disappearing among trees that tower even over the giant inhabitants that roam here—they near the point where their paths diverge.

One member of Team Two groans loudly while studying their map.

“By the Sacred Seven… imagine if we didn’t have to go around the Valley of Atomata and could simply pass through it,” he says, peering over at Atreus.

“Oh yes! If only we had won that battle for the Valley so many years ago…” his teammate adds.

Atreus keeps walking, ignoring the comments. He still hasn’t spoken a word or softened his hardened visage all morning.

A member of Team One joins the verbal prodding.

“I hope you made sure everyone on your team knows which side they’re on, Rhea.”

While the jab is meant to hurt Atreus, Rhea takes it personally. Her temper ignites.

“Just who do you think you’re talking to?” she snaps. “Do you think I cannot control my own team? Mind your own matters, or the giants will be the least of your worries. I hope I make myself clear.”

The other two teams silently acknowledge the warning as they hike deeper into the forest.

Reaching the end of the path, they pause.

“This is it,” the leader of Team One says.

“Until we meet again…” the leader of Team Two says.

“Be strong,” Rhea says.

The three teams go their separate ways into the depths of the towering forest.

Team Three heads north.

Teams One and Two head south and northeast, respectively.

The day wears on.

Creatures of all sizes skitter through the undergrowth while the watchful Torinian Legionnaires march forward. Bia tightens her caesti as her team ventures deeper into the wilderness of gigantic man-eaters. She talks to herself, trying to steady her mind.

“There is still the part of me that can’t wait to punch somethin’ big...” she says quietly. “...but the key to survival out here is knowing when to throw ’em and when to hold ’em. If we can avoid a fight, it’s best to do that.”

Shortly after sunset, they spot a giant sphinx and hide in a crevice beneath a log. The feline-human hybrid seems to be aware of their presence and searches for them.

Bia has her fists clenched, ready to unleash her punches if needed. However, she must hope to remain undiscovered.

After about ten minutes of digging and sniffing around, the sphinx gives up the search and walks away, swishing her striped tail as she goes.

Meanwhile—

Team One travels south toward the abandoned mine in the Crystal-light Caverns. With the encroaching darkness, they decide to set up camp and rest. As they unload their gear, movement in the forest catches their attention. The forest becomes strangely quiet, as if creatures have started hiding themselves from something much bigger stalking nearby.

The team stops to examine their surroundings.

A pair of heterochromic eyes—one silver, one gold—studies them carefully from the cover of the trees.

“Everyone be on guard,” the leader says. “Something’s out there.”

The four teammates stand back-to-back and raise their weapons.

A peculiar and troubling sound echoes through the forest—it’s a verse from a song.

“How far is the sky?” the bird asked the fox. “Can you even climb above the highest rocks?”

Members of Team One glance at each other in confusion.

“Female. Big, judging by the size of her voice,” the leader adds.

They tighten their grips on their weapons.

The watching eyes narrow, taking notice.

The team turns their heads, searching for any sign of the creature.

Nothing emerges.

“Silence,” one of them whispers.

“She’s… gone?” another asks, confused.

The night passes. The next day comes.

Far from there, Team Two treks through the forest, paying careful attention to their surroundings.

A fallen branch—massive in this world—blocks their path.

As they climb over it, they feel the gaze of giant eyes on them.

“Hold it,” the leader of Team Two says, looking around.

“We’re being watched,” he adds.

As she did with Team One, the owner of the heterochromic eyes observes their reactions to her presence.

She sings another verse.

“You may tease, yet even through the trees the sun shines on those you mock,” grinned the fox.

Unnerved, the leader gulps hard.

“You can’t intimidate us!” he shouts into the forest.

The team aims their weapons.

As before, the watching eyes take notice and lose interest.

The giantess quietly slips away.

The leader smirks, no longer sensing a threat.

“Let’s go, team,” he says, sheathing his weapon. “I think we scared her off.”

They resume their journey, though even more alert than before.

The sun makes its trek across the sky, and the day draws to an end.

Further north, Team Three looks up at the darkening sky after another long day of traveling on foot.

“We should set up camp,” says Rhea, feeling the air become cooler.

The team nods and begins work on their campsite. By the time night falls, they rest. They relieve themselves of their armor and enjoy a meal made from whatever they could find in the forest.

Leon stands, gazing up at the great trees whose tops seemingly touch the stars. He sighs.

“I was hoping we’d see a dryad by now… and maybe talk to her.”

Rhea tends the campfire and raises an eyebrow at the tall, blond boy.

“Talking to your plants at home isn’t enough? You want to talk to a dryad too? You do know that they eat humans, don’t you?”

Leon kneels beside her and gestures with his hands for her to hold her skepticism.

“I hear you, but what if all of nature shared a connection?” he begins. “What if plants could communicate with each other over long distances?”

Leon continues, “If it is true, then dryads could share this connection with plants. Maybe they even heard me talking to the flowers this morning.”

“No such connection exists, cousin,” Rhea says dismissively. “Besides, dryads are predators—they only want to eat you, not listen to you chatter about mundane things.”

As Leon goes on about dryads, Rhea seems to lose interest and turns her attention to Atreus, who sits on a log, avoiding everyone with his eyes.

The hazel-eyed boy still has the look of a hunter with only one thing on his mind—to kill something.

The girl’s gaze lingers, a hint of warmth appearing in her eyes.

Leon notices that Rhea curiously hasn’t been responding to his ramblings about dryads. He leans down to check on her. To his surprise, he finds her preoccupied with Atreus. He naturally assumes she is concerned about the change in Atreus’s demeanor.

“He seems different today, doesn’t he?” Leon asks. “Not himself. Distant.”

As if startled by Leon’s question, Rhea’s eyes widen. She turns away at once, her expression hardening.

“Good,” she says firmly. “The more distant, the better.”

Meanwhile, Bia places a large roasted beetle—the length of her forearm—on a leaf.

She breaks off a leg and brings it to her mouth. She stops there.

Though she is hungry, she is deeply concerned for Atreus, who still hasn’t spoken to anyone. She looks over at him, working up the courage to try to break through his icy demeanor.

She moves to sit beside him, wearing a warm smile.

“I know that look,” she says. “You wanna beat something up really badly.”

Atreus sighs, trying to ignore the girl. His unwavering gaze remains locked on the forest ahead of him.

Bia swallows uneasily as her smile fades.

“Even though you couldn’t see me, for years I’ve watched you bounce back from just about anything and find a way to smile,” she resumes delicately. “Obviously, something happened the night you were alone with Rhea. Do you wanna talk about it?”

Atreus replies softly but firmly, “No.”

Bia gently bites her lip, swallowing her disappointment.

“Oh…” she says, turning away.

Hesitantly, she stands and returns to her seat by the campfire.

Atreus remains alone for another minute. Then, suddenly, the ice breaks. His determination begins to melt, and his gaze drifts toward Bia.

The girl sits with her arms wrapped around her legs. Tears well in her eyes as she gazes into the campfire.

Atreus inhales deeply as concern for her begins to overtake him. He stands and approaches the fire, taking a seat beside her.

Bia discreetly wipes away her tears as the boy settles in. She then welcomes him with a warm smile.

Atreus returns the smile and wraps an arm around Bia’s shoulder. They sit together and pass the night.

With the rising of the sun the next morning, Team Three continues their journey.

Leon studies a map. They’re getting very close to the ruins of Old Torin.

Bia is upbeat today, smiling as they hike through the forest.

“I gotta admit… when we left home, I was so scared something bad was gonna happen,” she says. “But now I’m startin’ to think I was just worrying too much.”

Rhea smirks. “Hmph. Don’t go jinxing us now, Bia.”

As they travel, a giant figure hidden among the trees behind them watches from a distance. Her heterochromic eyes narrow as she studies the team.

The stalking giantess unintentionally alerts them when she brushes against a tree. A branch snaps loudly.

Team Three freezes.

They draw their weapons toward the sound. Leon stands in front with sword and shield ready. Rhea stands on his right with her oversized sword ablaze with fire magic. Bia stands to Leon’s left with her armored caesti raised, wind swirling fallen leaves around her feet. Atreus stands in back with his bow raised, a lightning bolt ready to be unleashed.

Their eyes scan the forest for any sign of the creature.

A giantess’s voice sings softly.

“The bird ever despised the fox while spreading her wings to glide, only to find there was no place to hide.”

The team exchanges confused looks.

“Singing?” Rhea asks.

Atreus is the most perplexed of them all.

“That song…” he mutters. “How?”

The giantess continues.

“While tormenting the fox gave her glee, the bird was blind to see—

She found joy only in a cage of her own making.”

Her eyes remain narrowed as she watches their reaction.

Atreus stares in disbelief, losing himself momentarily and dropping his guard while his team stands ready to defend themselves.

The giantess gasps, her eyes widening at Atreus’s reaction.

“IT’S HIM! It has to be!”

Rhea notices that Atreus has dropped his guard.

“WAKE UP, SPEROS!” she shouts. “Now is not the time to be daydreaming!”

The giantess’s eyes narrow again—this time with only Atreus in her sights. She darts forward.

Staring into the shadows beneath the trees, the team can feel a gigantic body rushing toward them.

“Come on,” Bia says with a grin. “We’re ready for ya!”

The giantess erupts from the trees and slams her clawed hands into the ground on either side of them. The team has a brief moment to register the size of the fox-human hybrid as she looms over them on all fours. Her hands dwarf them—each of them barely measuring the length of her longest finger.

Her long, scarlet hair drapes over one shoulder. Her canine ears twitch as she watches their movements.

Rhea grits her teeth.

Leon gasps, “THE SCARLET VIXEN?!”

“What? Why here?” Bia asks. “Why US?”

Atreus takes a step back, muttering, “She’s… she’s looking at me…”

The Vixen swipes at the group with her right hand, trying to snatch Atreus from behind them.

Leon sees the attack coming. Channeling his psiki into the Caeli Crystal crafted into his weapons, he stomps the ground, causing a pillar of rock to rise and block the Vixen’s hand.

“Leon, boost me!” Bia shouts.

Leon’s sword and shield glow as he makes an upward motion.

Another pillar erupts beneath Bia.

The rock launches her upward toward the Vixen’s face.

Bia springs with one fist cocked back, a vortex of wind behind it.

“I got somethin’ you can eat!” she shouts, slamming her fist into the Vixen’s jaw and unleashing a shockwave that nearly knocks the giantess over.

Rhea moves next, swinging her flaming greatsword at the arm the giantess is using to support herself.

The Vixen groans in pain as the blade cuts and burns through fur and flesh.

She drops onto her elbows and knees, grabbing her wounded arm with her other hand.

Atreus shakes his head to clear his thoughts.

“What am I doing?”

He readies his bow, charging it with lightning.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for this chance!”

The Scarlet Vixen sees Atreus preparing to fire.

With renewed determination, he unleashes a lightning bolt.

“I will be the one to strike you down, Vixen,” he quietly threatens.

The Vixen shifts her weight back, sitting upright on her knees, and blocks the elemental arrow with her forearms crossed over her face.

She groans loudly again, holding her arms out in front of her as they sting from the shock.

“Something isn’t right,” Rhea says as she stares into the Vixen’s pained eyes. “It’s like she’s not even trying.”

The scarlet-colored fox giantess shakes off the pain and returns her gaze to Atreus, sprawling back onto her hands and feet to strike.

Bia shouts, “Let’s attack at once and send her runnin’ back where she came from!”

Atreus raises his bow again, knowing that his life is about to change forever.

“This is it,” he assures himself.

The Vixen lunges toward the group as a glowing mark resembling an open eye appears on her forehead.

Rhea swings her enormous sword toward the Vixen’s neck, igniting it with searing fire.

Bia leaps, intent on slamming a punch into the Vixen’s cheek.

Leon jams his shield into the ground, ejecting a pillar of rock toward the giantess.

Atreus leaps back and lets another lightning bolt fly.

The forest shakes with the explosion of powers. Smoke plumes high above the treeline as small birds flee the area.

The forest goes silent.

Slowly, the smoke clears.

Rhea labors to her feet, taking up her sword to prepare to strike again if need be.

She finds the Vixen lying on the ground, unmoving, with her eyes closed. The fox giantess’s waist-length scarlet hair drapes partially over her face and completely over her shoulders, making it impossible to assess the damage at a glance.

Approaching from the front, the girl takes cautious steps toward her head while Leon and Bia push themselves up off the ground.

“She looks to be down… for now, at least,” Leon says.

Rhea tightens her grip on her sword hilt.

“I’m going to make sure she stays down.”

Bia looks around at the site of the battle, beholding its scars. She suddenly becomes fearful.

“You guys… where’s Atreus?” she asks with urgency in her voice.

Rhea and Leon exchange looks, realizing at once that he’s missing.

Suddenly, the Vixen’s eyes snap open.

She shoves herself up off the ground and bolts into the forest as fast as she can.

“As I suspected, she was only playing dead,” Rhea says, frustrated by her own hesitation.

“SHE’S GETTING AWAY!” Bia shouts, lunging to chase after her.

Leon grabs her by the armor before she can get past him.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, LEON? That predator has Atreus!” Bia pleads desperately.

Leon tries to calm her. He somberly speaks her name, compassion in his eyes.

“Bia…”

They all know that the Vixen is already gone—moving through the forest at tremendous speed after her successful hunt. There’s no hope of them catching her on foot.

Bia trembles. Her wide eyes stare into the trees, but there’s no sign of the giantess anymore.

She lets out a bitter cry that reaches the top of the treeline, startling birds that had only just settled after the explosion.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

(NEXT CHAPTER)

Rhea Taiyo concept sketch.