Part 1: Children of The Scorching Sun

The gigantic rat was being hunted by the small humans. The humans were disproportionate in size compared to the terrain they were standing on. The trees pierced the sky, reaching unimaginable heights. Blades of untrimmed grass were the height of multiple adults stacked up on top of each other. Pebbles on the ground were not simply so, it would be more fitting to call them boulders. The rat was not gigantic; the humans have shrunk.

The rat shrieked in agony as the blade of one of the humans pierced its sides. A total of four people surrounded the creature. Each carried a different weapon, the long blade was wielded by a middle-aged man of darker complexion with decades of battles shown by the wrinkles of his face. It was clear he was leading the group of inexperienced youngsters.

“I immobilized it for a few seconds. Lasik, shoot its eyes!” The old man shouted. He pushed his blade deeper inside the creature that responded by turning its entire body towards its attacker.

“Got it!” A girl replied. She pulled the strings of her bow that was already loaded with an arrow. She aimed for a few seconds before releasing it, a small gust of wind was produced from the force. The arrow traveled in the air and missed, hitting the nostril of the rat.

“Damn!” Lasik said.

The old man pulled his blade free of the creature. He kicked off the ground to push himself back. “Don’t panic! Jon, it’s your turn!”

This time, a young man with long hair who was wielding a long glaive ran forward. With the bottom handle of the glaive, he pushed his entire weight into the air to fling himself towards the rat. With the momentum of the jump, the young man used the glaive to pierce the creature’s neck.

“Watch out!” Lasik shouted.

The rat reacted by swiping its claws towards Jon. But Jon again used the glaive that was stuck inside the neck of the rat to push himself into the air to barely miss the attack. He also caused the wound he inflicted on the creature to deepened in the process.

“Alright! Alain, finish it off!” The old man shouted again.

Another young man with short hair and dark complexion walked forward slowly. He was carrying a giant sword on his back with his right arm holding it at the ready. The rat who was still preoccupied with the man who stabbed its neck didn’t notice the arrival of the third presence. Alain’s other free hand also gripped the handle. He took a stance as if he was about to spring forward. Suddenly, he pulled the sword from his back and swung a diagonal arc towards the rat.

The rat shrieked in agony as blood sprayed everywhere. The attack was almost fatal, It knew its life was forfeit. But its eyes showed vengeance rather than defeat and he looked towards the final man who attacked him as if resolved to at least take one down to the grave with it. The rat lunged itself towards Alain with its mouth wide open, its teeth full of its own blood. The man reacted quickly, he readied his giant sword in front of him and caught the mouth of the creature. They struggled for a few seconds in a contest of pure strength and stamina.

“Alain! Shift the form of your sword-ax!” The old man shouted again.

Alain who was still struggling to keep the rat at bay nodded looking at the old man, The giant sword did not look ordinary. For one, it seemed to have been made from the bones of some animal, it seemed almost alive with its intricate details etched on its body. And there seemed to be a hidden compartment inside the sword itself as if it was storing something inside. Alain focused his senses and suddenly the giant sword started to shift. Its mechanism moved like clockwork to reveal another form; the head of an ax appeared replacing the tip of the sword.

Alain kicked the rat to gain momentum to push himself back. After gaining some distance, he placed the sword behind him with two hands at the grip like before. The rat quickly recovered from the stupor and lunged forward to devour Alain for one last time. As the rat was mere steps away from reaching Alain, he finished charging his sword-ax and swung a powerful vertical downward motion. The sharply curved tip of the ax completely pierced through the rat’s skull from above. The momentum the creature gained from running, combined with its head that’s currently nailed to the soil below, caused the rest of its body to perform a front backflip before falling down again. Its body twitched slightly before becoming completely lifeless. The hunt has ended.

“That last swing was perfectly executed, Alain” The old man walked towards Alain. “But your first strike was supposed to be enough. You did not target the right artery on its neck. You were lucky to catch its mouth afterward, but this was only a weak juvenile Rakus. Forget mature Rakuses, make a mistake like that with more dangerous giants will cost you your life. A serpent-type giant would have devoured you whole that very second.”

“I...understand. I will learn. Thank you, Guru Bram” Alain replied frowning.

“Concise as usual with your replies.” The old man Bram turned towards the other two who started to walk towards them. “Lasik, you pulled the string of your bow for far too long. While the force was powerful, Your accuracy was greatly reduced as a result.”

“I’m sorry! To be honest, I was feeling the pressure quite a bit...I’ll do better next time, Guru Bram!” Lasik replied while bowing apologetically.

“It’s your breathing. I’ll tell Guru Valan to teach you proper breathing techniques for archers.” Guru Bram looked at Jon. “You did well. You managed to distract the Rakus enough to open it for attacks. You have the making to be an excellent Glaiver. I would just suggest you push yourself free from the Rakus sooner. It almost managed to get a hold on you”

“Got it, uncle Bram.” Jon replied nonchalantly.

“I am your instructor here. Address me as ‘Guru’ “ Guru Bram frowned.

“Yeah yeah,” Jon said.

“I’m telling your fa—”

“Alright! I will do better next time, Guru Bram!” Jon replied in a defeated tone while raising his hands.

“With this, today’s practical exam is over. Let’s go back to Sanctuary before it’s dark. I’ll send the Nightwatch to retrieve the Rakus body later if it’s not already eaten by some giant.” Guru Bram headed off with his three students following.

The four arrived in front of The Sanctuary after an hour of walking. In their scale, to say The Sanctuary was gigantic would be an understatement. The Sanctuary was built inside what seemed to be an abandoned cottage in the middle of the forest. It was almost as tall as some of the trees, all of its windows have been walled off. From below, they could see multiple sentry posts with guards inside on the cottage’s walls and window sills. The stone walls made the structure incredibly durable, enough for it to last several centuries after The Final Curse struck humanity. The giant wooden front door has been left closed, but the new humans have built a gate on the bottom of the door. The gate was currently open with people coming in and out. Guards were, of course, present on the gate to protect The Sanctuary from any wandering giants.

“Guru Bram, you’re back. How was the hunt today?” The guard noticed the four’s approach and greeted them.

“It was alright. These four have come a long way since one year ago. But they have a lot to learn.” Guru Bram replied.

The guard laughed. “Welcome back. We’re going to close the gates soon so please enter.”

Guru Bram turned towards the three students. “I have some duties with the Nightwatch so I won’t be following you. Report to the academy to notify them of your safe arrival. I’ll let you know your grades tomorrow. Get some rest.” Guru Bram nodded towards the guard and headed off into the forest again.

“Uncle is really impressive...I don’t know if I’ll ever want to work that much when I’m an official Giantslayer.” Jon muttered.

“Well, your uncle is also an exception. He’s one of the most respected Guru from the Academy. I can list his feats and talk about his slain giants for ages. Anyway, head on inside. It seems they’re going to close the gate now.”

The three entered inside as the gate was closing behind them. The faint daylight outside was blocked off but the interior of The Sanctuary was still bright. The Sanctuary was a town. It was quite an odd sight, there were buildings and houses inside of this larger house. But it was a sight to behold, the buildings were mostly constructed by wood but they revealed some intricacy in their design. The ground was also wood as it originally was for the cottage, but the gaps between them have been patched. Street lights powered by something mysterious also illuminate everything.

There were multiple giant tables and bookcases on their horizon. And one could see buildings on top of them as well. Intricate elevators and staircases were built to reach the top of those tables. And the buildings on top of those tables were taller and grander than the ones below as if to reveal a greater purpose. On the right side of the ‘room’, they could also see the cottage’s chimney with what seemed to be factories and blacksmith buildings underneath it. Finally, there was also a spiraling giant staircase that led to the second floor of the cottage, but ‘human’ sized elevators have been built on its sides so people can go up and down.

The three started to stroll into the town. The people of The Sanctuary were lively, the horror of the outside world seemed to not be something they think about often. There were also multiple Giantslayers carrying their own unique weapons. The armors and outfits of the Giantslayers were also individual and unique as if they have crafted them using materials from their proudest giant kills. Some wear fur while others wear reptilian scales, there was no standard uniform.

But Giantslayers, having the dangerous profession that they are, were far and between. The majority of pedestrians were ordinary people wearing leather clothing going about their day. Traders were seen haggling with customers and children chased each other around. There was a subtle hint of respect and awe towards Giantslayers as they pass these ordinary people who would not dare step outside unless they have to.

Alain, Jon, and Lasik entered the elevator leading to the buildings above the table. It was where the academy for fledging Giantslayers was located. The elevator was not empty as multiple students were also going up. Murmurs of their conversations reveal they have also just finished their practical exams outside. After a while, they arrived at the top and disembarked. The entire table housed the academy so it was standing right in front of them. The academy was not only vast but tall as well, seemingly having multiple floors. It was also made from wood like the rest of the town’s buildings but there were also hints of some stones used here and there. Towers could also be seen as part of the academy building as well.

The report process was short as it was a simple matter of stating their names and classes after they entered. After a short while, the three of them were already outside the building again.

“I’m gonna hit up the tavern, you two want to join me?” Jon asked.

“Sorry. I need to help my mother with something. Maybe next time?” Lasik replied.

“Your loss. Alain?”

“No. I don’t drink” Alain replied.

Jon frowned. “More like you don’t do anything at all! You have to socialize sometimes you know! Being a Giantslayer twenty-four-seven will wear you out sooner or later.”

Alain fought back. “It’s my business what I do in my own time. Unlike you, I actually have something I need to accomplish by being a Giantslayer. The sooner I do it, the sooner I can relax. If you’ll excuse me.” Alain did not bother to hear any more replies and headed off towards the elevator.

Jon threw his hands into the air. “That motherfucker is hopeless. Here I thought I could finally open him up by becoming his exam teammate. But alas…”

“Don’t say that. You know what’s at stake for him. What his past was like.” Lasik said.

“Frankly, I don’t believe everything he said about his past. An Elder Giant is just something from the legends. But whatever. Since you’re not coming, I’m going first. I need something strong to wash down my annoyance with him.” Jon said and left.

“You don’t have to believe him. His eyes tell the truth.” Lasik muttered to no one.