บท 24: A Perfectly Normal Day (II)

Dorry and Broggy rarely paid much attention to the island's daily happenings. Their focus remained on their century-long duel, and after so many years, they'd learned to ignore nearly everything else. Visitors were few and far between; the Marines never troubled the two giants, and most pirates were wise enough to steer clear. When a ship occasionally did stray near, it never took long for word to spread that Little Garden was a place best avoided.

But their interest piqued with the arrival of this new strong guest. Therefore, they both proceeded to meet their new guest with a huge grin on their faces.

So imagine their surprise when they found a young human on their shores. His whole body was battered, bruised, and covered with serious wounds. His once-green clothing now dyed with the dark, dried blood of his injuries. But even that was not the strangest part. As they approached, Dorry and Broggy's eyes widened in astonishment.

Sticking out from the center of his chest, right over his heart, was a sword. At first glance, it seemed like a mortal wound—a death sentence. But as they examined closer, they noticed something unusual. The sword was not fully embedded, nor did it seem to have been the final strike from an opponent. No, the position and angle told them a different story entirely. It was a self-inflicted injury, a deliberate wound made with a kind of fierce purpose. The sword, miraculously, had been used as a makeshift dam to stem the bleeding from his heart. Such a feat was beyond anything they'd ever encountered; even among the greatest warriors of Elbaf, few could manage such an impossible act.

The two giants were proud warriors. And they recognized a warrior's spirit when they saw one. This small human in front of them was no doubt a warrior!

"Dorry," Broggy rumbled, a fierce pride in his voice, "another warrior has joined our island."

"Gegyagyagyagya!" Dorry's laugh boomed, sending birds scattering from nearby trees. "You got that right, Broggy! It would be a pity if a warrior like him died here without a fair chance."

Broggy frowned, inspecting the bloodied figure. "Do we have any human medicine?"

"No," Dorry replied, scratching his head, "but we could spare some of our bandages for him. Might be enough to keep him breathing until he recovers."

"Gabababababa! That should do the job!" Broggy said, nodding. "The vitality of us giants is much stronger than what a puny human needs. If he's got the spirit to survive this far, a little extra help will be more than enough."

Carefully, they wrapped him in portions of their enormous bandages, sections far larger than his body. Even in his weakened state, they could see that his breathing remained steady, his body working hard to recover. But removing the sword was not an option yet, not while it was serving as his only lifeline. They would need to wait until his wounds had begun to mend. Only then could they attempt to remove the sword and help him fully heal.

And so, time passed on the island of Little Garden, a land frozen in time where dinosaurs roamed freely and the remnants of battles old and new were etched into the landscape. The days slipped by as the giants continued their duels, their mighty clashes signaling the start and end of each day. They did not coddle or spoon-feed their injured guest. As warriors of Elbaf, they believed in their god's will, trusting that if their guest's fate was to survive, then he would.

They had done all they could to help him, tending his wounds and dressing him in rough, oversized bandages from their own supplies. Beyond that, they left his recovery to fate. They knew that if his resolve was as strong as it appeared, he would pull through.

Six months passed in the blink of an eye. A month after his arrival, they had deemed his condition stable enough to carefully remove the sword lodged near his heart, the weapon that had both wounded and saved him. His body now bore scars that ran deep, markers of a battle he had lost and of a conviction that refused to die. The wounds had healed as best as they could.

And now it was time—it was time for him to wake up.