015 - Giants by the Sea

....

Above only stars and moons, seven moons in seven perfect crescents, black sky black night small, the smallest and brightest pinpricks of light.

Magnus felt the cool earth against his back, his head resting on a small hill, the toes of his feet stretched out into the leaves of a nearby woods.

Softly stretching, yawning and sinking deeper into sleep, blanket of stars and moons above, cool earth below - Magnus the Giant slept for a thousand years, his snores shaking the very rafters of the heavens.

Too comfortable, too at peace.

Magnus turned, his heels dipping into a river, silent and alone in the endless night . . .

"Magnus!"

"..."

"Give him a smack."

"Ow! His face is hard as a rock!"

"Hells alive . . . Magnus! Wake up lad! Come on, its Pa Lund, you hear me, ah, ah." Pa Lund's voice faltered.

"Pa! You've gotta lay down." Willis' voice croaked with strain.

"What about Magnus?" This was a voice Magnus did not recognize.

"Just keep smacking him." Pa Lund shut his eyes. "Hells above, heavens below, this really has been a shit show."

"Least we're alive, right?" Willis laughed weakly.

"Mister Lund, I think Magnus is awake!"

Magnus opened his eyes and saw a girl in her early teens standing over him with a worried expression.

"You awake Magnus?" Pa Lund sat up on his bed. "Thank the stars!"

"I'm awake Pa. Where are we? What happened?" Magnus tried to get up, the words hurt to form in his throat. "My arms . . they don't hurt?"

"Lad, aren't you gonna say hello to little Petra here?” Pa Lund smiled, nodding at the young girl. “She's been a saint these three days, treating us day and night changing your bandages. How you feeling now Magnus?”

“I’m . . I’m alright Pa. My arms are alright, but the black lines, and blisters . . where are we?”

“In the fishing village back on the mainland. “Ulf and his friends found us; those fishermen who rowed us over. They'd come to look for us, bless their hearts, and been so kind as to take us into their home."

Pa Lund lay back exhausted from the effort of talking. Magnus saw that the lines on his face were deeper than he'd ever seen them, Pa Lund looked weaker and older, his eyes seemed to have lost a spark of vitality that he always used to have.

Willis lay still on his bed opposite Pa, his face contorted in pain and several patches of blood showing through on his bandaged torso.

Magnus examined his arms and body. The skin had healed a great deal. Black lines ran in a vein pattern over every inch and pus filled blisters bubbled up in the cracks between the lines and skin. He touched a blister and it burst, the pus within smelt of rotten eggs and filled the room with a rank stench - Petra wiped it off with a wet sponge and tied a bandage around the affected area, then leaving the three alone in the room.

"Pa, Uncle . ." Magnus felt tears well up, his voice cracking. "What's gonna happen to me? The Alchemist said I've only got a month, and three days have gone just like that! What am I gonna do?"

"Get a grip!" Pa Lund growled.

"Pa, don't be so hard on Magnus." Willis sighed. "I don't know what we can do, me and Pa have been poked full of holes and cut up real bad, Pa has had his arm broke and his hip has gone. It looks like you've healed up the best out of the three of us!" Willis chest heaved with the effort of sitting up and talking. "How are you feeling lad?"

"I don't know . . it hurts, not as bad, but like a dull pain. My skin feels dry, I feel so weak, like a breeze could snap me in half." Magnus got to his feet. "I can stand . . my arms and legs seem alright."

"You're doing better than me or Pa. That's a blessing lad." Willis' expression relaxed a little.

"But Uncle, Pa, what do I do now? What about Kloster? Ma? Da?" Panic filled Magnus' face.

"I'm sorry Magnus." Willis shook his head. "Ulf went up to take a look at Kloster yesterday. There ain't much left."

Magnus fell back onto the bed holding his head in his hands.

"There is one thing," Willis said. "If it's to do with Alchemists then I've heard of something that might be able to help you out. On my travels there were always rumours of a place called the Witching Road. They said it was a place where those who fought against Alchemists gathered. I didn't think much of it at the time,well, but now . ." Willis coughed, clutching his belly and gritting his teeth before carrying on. "Don't know how much help me telling you is now lad. Maybe they can help you."

Magnus sat silently with his head still in his hands. The room fell silent for a time. Outside there was the sounds of playing children and waves against the shore.

"Magnus," Pa Lund called out. "Come over here lad."

Magnus went over to Pa Lunds bed and sat next to the old man, his eyes stained with tears.

"Look into my eyes Magnus, look straight at me. Right lad, listen well. You have to live! Don't believe a word those poxy Alchemists said to you! Live! You are a Lund! Remember that! Whatever you can do from now Magnus, you have to struggle to live on! Live, and find those bastards in their high towers, you hear me? You find them and you tear them down!" Pa Lund's eyes flashed with anger, Magnus felt an immense rage pour into him, a burning ambition to destroy.