Inside the palace of Man Country, Wang Bao had shut himself in his study while his Mother had done the same in her own section of the palace. Mr Liu brought all of Wang Bao's meals as well as new books that had been ordered online. Seeing the prince in such a bad state Mr Liu's old heart hurt and he tried to coax Wang Bao out.
"My Prince, the weather is so nice today, shouldn't you head out for a walk. Your complexion is starting to turn transparent."
Despite his fragile appearance, Wang Bao's voice was stern.
"The War between both countries started 8 days ago, do you think they are close to finishing or will this fight last a few more days?"
Mr Liu's coaxing words were caught in his throat as he watched over the prince. It was obvious Wang Bao was anxious about his brother's return but he tried to hide it by reading and eating. Wang Bao suddenly looked up from the page he couldn't bring himself to focus on.
"If there isn't anything else you can leave now."
Mr Liu bowed before making his way to the door, his old hand was about to twist the handle when the door was pushed open violently. Mr Liu's brother, Old Liu and General Pan gasped for air as they bowed towards the prince. Wang Bao paid no attention to them as he rushed over to Mr Liu.
"Are you alright? What is the cause for this barbaric ac- Old Liu what are you doing here? Has my brother returned? There was no signal by the outer city guards to signify his return."
Old Liu helped steady his brother out of sympathy for his abrupt entrance before he handed over the letter. Wang Bao wanted to swiftly break the seal but General Pan spoke quickly.
"Reporting to Prince Bao. Giant country has retreated after the disappearances of Prince Nakai and General Nera of Giant Country as well as King Lei of Man country."
Wang Bao let go of Mr Liu and stumbled backwards; Seeing how the colour had drained from Wang Bao's face, all three men rushed forward to help the Prince sit down. Wang Bao asked in a panicked high pitch voice.
"Wh-Who else knows of this? Has Mother been told?"
Old Liu was quick to answer while his brother rubbed Wang Bao's back.
"No, the only other people who know are the remaining squadron that was under Prince Nakai's command, one of our soldiers and General Pan. I was already halfway back to the palace when General Pan contacted me."
Wang Bao's eyes instantly fell on the panicked General, urging him to continue with whatever information he had. General Pan's voice was rushed as he shut his eyes to relay everything properly.
"I was ordered to stay behind in the camp via a letter from the King, but I couldn't stand to be the only soldier there while everyone else defended our land. After the second day, I left for the battle site and... And everyone was dead. I tried to find the King but there was no trace of him. It was only after searching for half a day, I was able to find one living soldier from our side but the soldier knew as much as I did."
Wang Bao tried to catch his breath as he processed everything. His mind felt both numb and pained.
"What about Prince Nakai? Are we sure he is missing?"
General Pan continued telling his story, his voice becoming more frantic.
"Prince Nakai was leading the largest squadron through the clearing but apparently all of a sudden, halfway through the battle the Giant's retreated. The injured soldier and I were able to come across a working earpiece from a deceased Giant soldier. With it we heard about the news of Prince Nakai and General Nera."
The Liu Brothers looked at one another in a state of anxiety, Man Country was only confident in winning this ludacris fight since King Lei was blessed in the art of war but without him, they were headless chickens. It was a blow to their ego but the same could not be said about Giant country. Mr Liu wiped the sweat from his brow before kneeling beside Wang Bao.
"My Prince, what should we do? If news gets out about the disappearance of the King...The news could kill the Queen Mother."
Wang Bao tried to calm his nerves and pushed back his long hair. He was the youngest out of the group in his study but he was now being relied on. Brother is this what you felt once you were crowned King? When Wang Bao had calmed himself enough to talk, he gave out orders in a shaky voice.
"W-We won't tell anyone yet. I put you in charge of the King's army General Pan, talk with guards that are remaining in the camp first, inform them that they are now under oath to keep this a secret. Once that is settled, send out a team to search for the King. We'll also have to set up a meeting with the Giant's. We are both at a loss so maybe we can end this war without too much more blood shed."
General Pan bowed to Wang Bao before answering seriously.
"Yes your Highness. Will you be travelling to the camp too?"
"No, it will be too obvious that something is wrong if I leave the royal city. If there is any news, send it to me only."
With nothing left to discuss, General Pan took his leave and rushed out of the room. With only three men left in the room, Old Liu poured everyone a glass of water. Once his dry mouth was wet, he spoke with a steady voice.
"Your highness, the letter in your hands was written by the King himself the night before the war began. He also ordered me to serve you, he said this was his final order."
Both Mr Liu and Wang Bao stared at Old Liu in disbelief. Old Liu had served Wang Lei ever since his birth the same way Mr Liu had served Wang Bao, for the King to give this as a final order, it meant the current situation was trickier than they thought.
. . . . . .
On the day the war had been scheduled, Nakai woke up before the sun had fully risen. He quickly stepped out of his bed and put on his underclothes. The soft linen hugged his large muscles leaving nothing to the imagination. Next was his armour, the thick pants and shirt were made with bulletproof fabric as well as flexible metal inner lining. The first time he had put his armour on he felt the incredible weight but now, after years of combat training, the weight was comforting. It took Nakai only a few seconds to dress, once his boots were tied Raia was sitting by the door, ready to escort her master out. Meeting the large cat's white gaze, Raia spoke softly.
"Remember to take care of yourself today."
Nakai pressed his forehead against Raia's before standing up straight. The sun was now peaking over the mountains surrounding their camp and he headed towards the eating area. For twenty generations the Royal commander would dine with his soldiers on the day of departure, and he didn't plan on breaking the tradition. All the soldiers cheered loudly as Nakai and Raiai walked past the crowded tables; unlike the time back in the royal city, he greeted the large soldiers with a few nods, filling the men's hearts with fire. As he had expected, Nera wasn't in the dining area. Choosing the least crowded table, Nakai sat down, there was no need to get his food since the soldiers took it upon themselves to serve their future King.
"Your Highness, eat up. Your Strength is our strength."
A young soldier pushed freshly grilled meat and vegetables towards Nakai with red cheeks. His words of encouragement were ignored as Nakai ate hastily. The sooner this is dealt with the better.
The meal was quick and only lasted a few minutes before everyone set off to load their weapons and saddle their beasts. Each rider had a large automatic rifle as well as two small handguns. These weapons were made specifically for each soldier and they were built to fit the size of the man holding the weapon. Although everyone in the camp were Giants, it was easy to tell Nakai apart from the rest, his build was not only more broad but his height was a full head taller than the other Giants. Royalty in Giant country had always been taller than normal civilians since it was believed they were the original bloodline for Giants. Nakai led Raia to the camp gates, his soldiers following behind him. He gave one last gaze over the various faces staring back at him but he didn't find the one he was looking for. As one last inspiration for his men, Nakai bellowed out to his soldiers.
"Everyone, fight with every ounce of strength you have."
The soldiers lifted their fists that were painted red and cheered. Nakai mounted Raia easily and raced off towards the clearing over the hill in the distance. While riding out, his mind was filled with thoughts of Nera and his whereabouts. Nakai and his squadron rode forward while small squadrons broke off. Within no time they had reached the clearing, large trees and dense bush lined both sides. The clearing was both wide and long, reaching close to 2 kilometres in length; at the other end the soldiers from Man country could be seen getting into position. Their usually tall bodies resembled ants because of the distance between them. Nakai leaned forward and stroked Raia's chest, her growls rumbled through her chest heavily.
"Take it easy, this fight won't last long."
Nakai didn't need to tap Raia's stomach or whistle to send her forward since she had already started her sprint, the soldiers' beasts instantly followed behind, their growls mixed with the ground shaking thumping from their heavy feet. The sound was ominous and skin crawling. The human General that had been put in charge last night swallowed hard and gripped the reins of his horse firmly, kicking his foot back harshly against his steed's stomach. The horse stood up on its hind legs before landing heavily and racing forward. Both sides had firearms however they differed in strengths. Man country focused on speed and efficiency while the Giant's relied on power and accuracy. The men started shooting while their horses charged forward, they had covered only a quarter of the distance but they were confident in their shot. The Giants paid no attention to the bullets coming their way since the unsteadiness from the horse would deter any fatal shots.
Raia felt the small bullets hit her sturdy skin and she became annoyed, saliva dripped from her mouth as she leaped forward, her first target was the general leading the pack. Her long teeth snapped at the neck of the horse, with one bite the animal became two bloody pieces. Nakai used his hand gun to shoot the general in the head before moving onto his next target. Even during a war his face looked calm, his eyes moved from one target to the other as he trusted Raia to take him where he needed to go. In the distance loud growls and gunshots echoed. All squadrons had started their own fight. With one kick of his leg, Nakai leapt off of Raia, the dead horses and giant's were making it hard to manoeuvre freely. Any horse that bolted towards him earned a heavy kick to the throat resulting in a quick broken neck. It didn't take long before blood soaked the dirt beneath Nakai but he continued his killing.
Close to two thousand soldiers had gathered from both sides and the numbers slowly depleted as the fight carried on. Raia was focused on her own hunting when she saw a group of men cut across the field on horses, disappearing into the tree line. She growled loudly and ran towards Nakai, he made one last kill before launching his large body onto his beast effortlessly. Nakai bent his large torso down to shield his body from the low branches while Raia chased after the fleeing men. Nakai could see four men riding horses through the forest. The deeper Raia ran into the forest, the less he could hear the sounds of war. All of a sudden Nakai felt their surroundings were too quiet and he lightly patted Raia's neck.
"Focus on your surroundings too, something is off about this."
The four men split into different directions simultaneously, Nakai pressed against the earpiece in his right ear.
"Eastern forest, south east 3 Klicks. Ambush."
There was no point in wasting time in discussion. Nakai slowed Raia down before getting off. The sounds of a stream were close by and birds tweeted loudly in the dense bush. Both Nakai and Raia were on guard as they protected each other's backs. Nakai was the first to react and he shot towards his left, a person disguised as shrubbery dropped to the ground. With the thud of their body more people jumped forward. These people were different to the men that had fled the battlefield, their bodies were naked except for the leaves disguising them. The sudden large number of people shocked Nakai and he switched to his automatic weapon. While he was able to kill close to a hundred of the bush people it seemed as if they were never ending, some rose from ditches hidden under the ground while others dropped from the high trees. Raia also had a large number of kills but it seemed pointless. Nakai knew they couldn't stick around and continue the killing spree and he shouted to Raia.
"Raia, make an opening!"
Suddenly more and more people dropped from the trees like spider rain. The human sized people clung to Nakai's large form as they punctured Nakai's skin with small skinny blades. The blades weren't enough to severely injure Nakai but they had been dipped in a substance that caused his body to feel numb and limp. Witnessing the sudden attack on Nakai, Raia let out a blood curdling cry and she lunged towards her master, her teeth dug into Nakai's arm before she leapt towards a large tree. She was able to use it as a jumping platform and landed a few metres away from the large group of enemies.
Her jaws unclenched and Nakai fell onto the saddle, he could barely find the strength to hold on, instead he wrapped the reins around his bloody arm hoping it was enough to keep him steady. Raia narrowed her white eyes while she followed the stream down through the forest. Nakai faintly heard in his ear piece the back up had arrived at his destination but there were no signs of life. He wanted to speak to give his new coordinates but his arms no longer worked and his throat felt dry, as if a sponge had soaked up all of his saliva. Raia had also been stabbed with the same poison but she was determined to find a safe place first. Despite her efforts, her large body staggered. Raia tried regaining speed but it was no use her condition was worsening.
"Raia....stop......Raia."
Nakai hoarsley called out but Raia ignored him, he could feel the depletion in her speed the longer she ran, before Raia could stop, they came to the edge of a steep hill. Raia's heavy body propelled forward without any resistance, both bodies rolled down the hill with great speed and force. Every now and then they would hit a large boulder or tree. By the time they had reached the bottom, their bodies were bruised and badly injured. Nakai was unconscious from the large amount of poison in his system while Raia was on the verge of collapsing too but still conscious, she lifted her heavy head and gazed around but her vision was blurry. With no other choice she curled her body around her master, her breathing was haggard as her eyelids drooped heavily. She wanted to protect Nakai but she could no longer fight off the poison and fell unconscious as well.
. . . . . .
It had been one week since the disappearance of Nakai, Nera and King Lei. Wang Bao was pacing around his study anxiously as he read the report that had been sent to him. He hadn't bothered opening the letter his brother had sent him since he had other things on his mind. The report was dated three days prior and the news was zilch. Mr Liu poured a cup of black coffee for Wang Bao as his previous cup had gone cold but he didn't hold any hope for this cup to be drunk.
"My Prince, you should sit down. You haven't been resting well since the King's departure."
Wang Bao knew he was exhausted but he couldn't sit idle.
"Mr Liu, there isn't any news on my brother. What is the point of sending the best men if they can't do their job?"
Wang Bao sprawled his tall body against the plush rug beneath him, muttering how he didn't want to become King. Old Liu suddenly knocked at the door as he tried to feign calmness but his Brother could see through it.
"What's happened? Have you heard something we haven't?"
Wang Bao sat up with a dejected expression as he stared at the aged men standing in front of him. Old Liu wrung his hands nervously as he tried to figure out how to word his next sentence.
"W-We, we've found something, My Prince but i-it's hard to explain."
Wang Bao suddenly sprung to his feet. His heart beating in his throat.
"Tell me already, have you found my brother? Is he injured?"
Old Liu shook his head as he told both men to follow him. To keep the rest of the palace from finding what the guards had found, Old Liu had ordered any findings to be placed in the dungeons as they were barely used. Wang Bao was becoming impatient as he walked behind quickly, his hushed voice echoed through the damp walkway.
"Old Liu, hurry and tell me what is hidden down here."
The damp musty air clung to every breath Wang Bao took, making him uncomfortable. Old Liu didn't answer, instead he picked his pace up; his own brother was also concerned about what was being hidden in the dungeons. It didn't take long at a quick pace to finally make it to the end of the dungeons. Old Liu had led them to the very last chamber, large wooden doors blocking their view of what was hiding on the other side. Old Liu finally started explaining with breathless words.
"Ha~Ha~ We've made it, My Prince. It's not the King but a beast and a Giant."
Old Liu waved his hands and the two guards opened both doors. Both Wang Bao and Mr Liu widened their eyes in shock and they were met with a haggard hiss. A large feline beast that was obviously injured stood over a large body, her stance was one of protection. Wang Bao regained his composure quickly at the sight of the beast and took a shaky step forward. The ferocious beast lowered her body as if she was about to pounce but Wang Bao could see how shaky her legs were.
"Shh, I'm not going to hurt you. You're injured aren't you?"
Ever since he was young, Wang Bao had had a fascination with different creatures, most of his books in his study were of the different beasts of the world. Unfortunately Raia didn't believe what she heard and she kept her guard up. Wang Bao stepped a little closer as he held a hand out, his voice gentle
"I can help you, you have to promise not to hurt me though."
Raia was losing blood from the old stab wounds that had reopened and her strength was already low before the doors had opened, she had been standing for too long and her body was visibly drained of energy. Raia's large body suddenly collapsed as she lost consciousness, the body lying beneath her disappearing from view. Wang Bao worked quickly, ordering the closest guards.
"Quickly, remove her from whoever is underneath her. Bring the royal vet to check over her, as well as the Old Doctor. Bring them to the back entrance of the dungeons."
It took all 8 guards to roll the large feline over enough to stop the unconscious person from being crushed to death. Because Raia had been protecting the Giant with her body, no one had been able to see who the Giant actually was, all of the guards only needed one glance at the man to recognise who it was. They wanted to immediately stop helping the unconscious animal but Wang Bao's dark eyes stopped their actions before they could drop the animal. Without any hesitation, Wang Bao got closer to the large Giant laying on the wet dungeon floors. His breath was slow and his body that was usually tan was a ghostly white, almost resembling Wang Bao's complexion. Wang Bao didn't know who the man was but knew he was a Giant which made him feel a little complicated in his heart. He was willing to help the beast since animals were innocent in his eyes but creatures that could knowingly harm the lives of countless people were different. Especially when that creature was the enemy of his country. Wang Bao turned his head to speak to the hesitant guards.
"Keep the Giant here, take the beast to my private stable in the forest to be treated."
From behind, Mr Liu asked.
"Should the doctor look over the Giant's wounds?"
Mr Liu stepped into the room for the first time since seeing what was beyond the doors nervously, he knew that if the Queen Mother was to find out what they were keeping in the dungeons they would all be severely punished. Wang Bao touched Nakai's damp forehead, the Giant's skin felt colder than ice.
"Bring the Doctor quickly, we can interrogate him once he's conscious."
Wang Bao stood up swiftly, his long hair falling against his back beautifully. He wanted more guards to come watch over the giant so he could return to his study but he had already involved 8 guards, if he brought in any from the palace it would risk information being leaked.
"Mr Liu, you should return to my study, act as if I'm still inside. Old Liu, stay with me down here. Nobody knows you've returned yet, we should keep it that way for the time being."
Both Liu brothers bowed after hearing their orders just as the Old Doctor arrived. She had been working for the palace since Wang Bao's grandfather's reign and she had been studying medicine for even longer. Her aged face stayed stern as she moved her gaze from the Giant to Wang Bao then to the guards that were trying to lift the oversized feline onto a self-driving cart. Noticing the older woman, Wang Bao cleared his throat while he pointed to the large body beside him
"Ehm, Doctor, this Giant needs examining."
The Old Doctor swiftly moved across the damp room and knelt down. She was intrigued by the situation in front of her but decided to hold her tongue for now. Retrieving a phone-like device from her bag she scanned Nakai's large body. While reading the information from the screen, she spoke in a clear voice.
"He has numerous small stab wounds on his upper half and his left tibia is broken. There also seems to be traces of a poison in his system. The poison could be the reason behind his low temperature."
Wang Bao knew the condition of the Giant was no easy task to make better and he looked at the doctor seriously.
"You can't call for the royal nurses, Doctor. The less people who know the better."
The Old Doctor looked at Wang Bao, her stern eyes making his heart skip anxiously. He side eyed the guards that only now managed to get the unconscious animal onto the cart. Wang Bao sighed inwardly as he rolled his silk sleeves up, he had considered becoming a doctor in his youth and remembered the basic training he had received but it had been a while since he had an actual patient.
"You'll need to guide me, Doctor."
The old doctor gave a satisfied nod before speaking.
"Very well. We need to remove all of his clothing first to treat his wounds. Old Liu, find a large blanket for this Giant to lay on. The damp ground against his bare skin will only worsen his condition."
Wang Bao was handed a pair of small scissors but they weren't enough to cut through the protective clothing. He removed a small dagger from his waist but even the sharp blade had trouble cutting the fabric. All Wang Bao could do was wrench the shirt over Nakai's head. He was pleased to see the under shirt fabric was easy to cut, with the last of the cloth removed everyone in the room could see the full capacity of the Giant. Had it not been a week since his last meal and no poison running through his veins, Nakai's body would've been in even better shape and colour. The Old doctor ignored Wang Bao who was obviously staring at the Giant's body enviously and handed over all of the equipment needed to clean and stitch open wounds. While she moved down the Giant's tall body, she ordered Wang Bao.
"I need to focus on the broken leg, clean the front first and stitch whatever wounds are open, then we can roll him on his side to clean and stitch his back."
Wang Bao grunted to show he understood, then put on a pair of black gloves and got to work. His hands felt a little clumsy at first but he soon remembered everything he was taught years ago as a young teen. The Old Doctor used the device from before to scan over the broken bone, luckily there was no need to add pins. Her voice echoed through the stone room as she called out.
"Old Liu, find me some plaster."
Old Liu had only just returned with a large blanket and sheets before rushing out to find some plaster. With everything she needed beside her, the doctor ripped the expensive sheets and dipped them into the white paste. Her wrinkled hands moved with precision and speed while she wrapped the calf that was the same size as both her legs combined. From the other side of Nakai, Wang Bao called out to her.
"Doctor, I've finished. What's next?"
"In my bag, take out a needle and the small bottle with red liquid."
Wang Bao searched through the bag of treasures until he found what was needed. Before he could ask, the doctor kept talking.
"Empty the whole contents into the syringe. It may take two goes."
Wang Bao made sure there was no air trapped in the syringe then tried to press the needle into Nakai's forearm but there was no puncture. He looked at the doctor with confused eyes. She was still working on the makeshift cast when she looked at the skinny needle.
"The Giant's skin must be too thick, your Highness. I have no other syringe needles and the vet is too far away now. You may be able to inject him in a softer part of his body. You can either try behind the ear or the head of the penis. The eye area is also thin but with your inexperience you could damage his eye sight."
Wang Bao's hands began to tremble as well as his voice.
"So behind the ear, Doctor?"
Wang Bao turned the large head to the side then pressed the needle into the soft tissue, thankfully it went in with ease. Wang Bao emptied the last of the contents into the syringe and was about to press the syringe into the red mark from the first time when the doctor stopped him.
"Inject the head of his penis, it's best if the poison is removed from all over as quickly as possible."
Wang Bao's body froze for a split second before he took a deep breath. Once he was ready, he moved down to Nakia's hips. The Doctor was finishing off the cast then stood up, her arms were covered in plaster while her face was flushed from the laborious work. Without delaying too long, Wang Bao lifted the large flaccid penis, this was his first time handling another man's privates and he was not excited. He tried to push the foreskin back but it was awkward while holding a syringe. Wang Bao reluctantly held the syringe in his mouth as he tried again with more success, the large head poked out staring at the Prince with intimidation. Wang Bao's slender arms were beginning to ache from the hard work and he quickly grabbed the syringe from his mouth and pressed it into the visible vein. Despite the connection being made to somebody else, he felt the pain in his own loins.
As soon as the liquid was emptied a large hand gripped his small wrist, removing the syringe in the process. Wang Bao and Old Liu gasped as they both stared at the Giant. Nakai stared back at Wang Bao, his tired eyes holding a sense of annoyance.
"Ow."