#starskichildswritings

[starskichild]

The Behemoth Father

Chapter 1: The Discovery

Cw: Blood, minor character death, self-sacrifice, mentions of kidnapping, murder, and slavery/dehumanization of humans Overview: To the North are the Northern Behemoths. These giants are two times the size of their Southern Giant brethren, usually around 20-25 feet in height, absolutely dwarfing the southern giants, who usually stand around 13-15 feet in height. While the Southern Giants consider humanity equal to them, and simply their smaller brethren to benevolently look over, the Northern Giants consider them in a much colder, cyclical, and brutal light.  The Northern Behemoths consider humans, or “man-swine”, as lesser beings, some even as pests. Given their strength/size-based class system within their culture, humans to them are no better or powerful than the dirt or scum of the earth. Given that human/smaller folk country is situated right between the two giant kingdoms, humans are much more fearful of giants (southern or northern) considering their violent frequent experiences with the Northern giants, who will sometimes attack and ransack innocent human villages. Either killing or kidnapping the humans of the village, deeming them as slaves or pets in the process. Some among the northern giants, however, do not all act or think this way. Such is the case with Ogden. A kind, intelligent, paternal man who thinks there is way more to humanity than simply being pests, lessers, pets, or slaves. He considers them sentient and equal beings, something that is somewhat a rare belief among his people, but not impossible. He simply wants to live a peaceful life with him and his precious little human daughter, Leilani.

So… This story is about my characters Ogden and Leilani. Ogden is a 27-foot 35-year-old Northern Giant (Or Northern Behemoth), and Leilani is a 2-year-old human girl. I love the found family trope, and the whole “good monster” story line and this story is just full of fluff between these two silly billies, so I hope you’re ready for some good found father/daughter goodness.

This is truly a guilty pleasure writing oop.

Word count: 5626

Special thank you to @narrans @minutemenren/@silverrens @izatoonist @dracothemdragon @orionlionscribs @Bat_Bimbo and my creative writing class for tagging in as early beta readers, proofreaders, and helping in critiquing/sending advice for the story! You guys are da best!

I woke up late one morning not feeling right. I sat up and sniffed the air with a cautious glance from my bed, it seemed to feel heavy all around me. Something wrong happened last night while I was sleeping, but exactly what I wasn't so sure.

I begrudgingly got out of bed, dead tired. I went and checked that the doors were all shut and that the windows had not been broken, but nothing was out of the ordinary. I glanced over the interior of my log cabin, built by my younger hands long ago. The wood chipped with age, but still a sturdy foundation. I checked the cabinets, the pantry, the kitchen, and all throughout the living room for… something, but found not a thing out of the ordinary… "What is happening?" I asked, to no one in particular except myself. My mind was hazy and groggy from some deep slumber I must have fallen into, I walked around and sniffed the air for any signs of intruders...or smoke.

To my horror, I did smell smoke, but when I focused in on the smell of it, it wasn’t coming from anywhere in my house. No, it was coming from close outside. Sure enough, I looked out from one of my windows, and there was a large billowing cloud of smoke above the treetops, not too far off from my humble cabin in the woods. What happened last night??

Oh no…Did a fire burn down the village?

I realized, as smoke seemed to be coming from a nearby human village. I bolted for it, hoping I could help. I had never really interacted with them before, not wanting to deal with a bunch of tiny humans screaming and running away from me, but I still worried something terrible happened, and deep down, I already knew that terrible feeling was right.

~~~

I rushed out of my home and raced towards the smoke. My legs moved faster than ever, my feet left deep divots into tree roots and soil as I ran with giant strides. I thought back to all the times I stood at the edge of the woods, watching the little human children play, or the townsfolk going about their days with a naïve innocence only people with carefree lives can feel. I envied them. Sometimes, I would help in herding animals towards groups of humans out hunting in the cover of night, but never once scrounging up the courage to show myself to them, from fear of how they’d react and how dangerous being seen could be. They’d only ever think me a monster… I could’ve possibly hurt one of them without even trying, but if they were in danger, I wouldn’t hesitate to make my presence known. I could promise that much.

I reached the edge of the trees quickly enough, not stopping in fear of what I was going to find...I looked around, my eyes scanning every nook and cranny.

I approached the village and what did I see? It lay in ruin: houses had been destroyed, and trees had been uprooted. I looked around for survivors, for anyone that had any information, only to find ash and soot that was once a village. I began searching in between the small houses for anyone that might live in the now ashen ruins, and to see what possibly could’ve done this. What caused such chaos to this innocent little human village?

…And then I saw it...large and deep footprints surrounded the village on all sides that were around the size of my own...northern giants were here.

My blood boiled in hot rage, these footprints...these footprints belonged to northern behemoths...My own kin were here. Someone had destroyed this village, and I was going to find out who did. I was going to avenge this village, no matter the cost. I started searching for any survivors or signs of life, hoping, and praying all the while.

I searched the human sized village, walking all throughout the little roads that intertwined within it, but other than finding the charred remains of minuscule bodies of some of the formal residents, I found nothing.

I saw the burnt remains of children, of people who could not fight equally in such a battle, and my anger grew tenfold. If I had met these people…If I had known them, could I have possibly helped in such a massacre? Would I have known sooner? Acted quicker? Could I have prevented such a loss of precious life? My insides churned at the thought of having betrayed these people because of my own cowardice, my ignorance…I must find something, I declared, anything that might explain what happened here. I looked around some more, growing tired and frustrated with every passing moment, every minute not finding a single thing. I was about to give up, turn on my heels and go, but in one desperate attempt for closure, I took one last look around…

Suddenly, as I was about to give into my despair and leave, my ears twitched as they picked up a sound. It was incredibly faint, my ears had almost missed it, but I could’ve sworn I heard a noise coming from one of the human houses. The softest of noises, almost like a squeak, or a whisper caressing my ears.

I froze at the sound, turning slowly, the anger in my chest starting to subside with a newfound curiosity of what the pained sound could be. I started to approach the little squeal with great caution, not knowing what might lie in wait for me inside…

As I got closer to the charred house the little noise emanated from, I gasped realizing what the sound was. It almost sounded like a very weak muffled cry, and it only got louder the closer I got, there was someone in there!

I began to move faster towards the house, the cry growing louder and louder...I needed to get into the house somehow, I needed to get to them - whoever they were. It would’ve broken me if I had lost another soul here, and the weight of the destruction would’ve been too much on my conscience. No more dead bodies to add into my thoughts, please. Not after what I’ve seen…the things that haunt my dreams, this village being a nightmarish addition…I would not let that happen.

I finally reached the burnt remains of the sagging house, the walls visibly quaking next to my footsteps. It was a one-story home, a quaint little thing, albeit barely standing from such fire damage, half the roof caving in on itself. I knelt down, overshadowing the house completely, wondering how in the world I was going to get in there. The faint crying was very clear now. However, a peculiar thought occurred to me, when I realized I couldn’t smell anyone in there, anyone alive, that is...what was going on? Who was in there? In the end, I just decided uprooting the roof from the house would be my best bet to get inside without hurting anyone. It's not like anyone was using the house anymore anyways…

I ripped into the roof like it wasn't even there, using my hands like a force of nature, and upending the roof from its hitches to carve a path directly to where the noise was coming from. I could hear it clear as day, a muffled cry that sounded so faint, it almost sounded like a small animal. I wondered what exactly I would find...someone was in there; I needed to make sure they were okay.

When the dust settled, the roof now completely uprooted from the house, it exposed the interior of the small abode. I overlooked the whole scene before me, a little confused. Down below, within the house, I saw a burnt but relatively unharmed younger human woman lying in her bed sleeping with a tranquil look across her features, and next to her, was a small cellar storage door with a latch on it where the sound seemed to be coming from. As I looked over to the woman my heart dropped when I saw blood surrounding her.

I almost couldn’t believe the scene before my eyes; it was like the world had flipped upside down. I looked at this innocent-looking, peaceful woman. I wondered what she did to be hurt so bad? I looked over at the little door and noticed the little latch on it, but I ignored the latch...there was something under that door, something that needed my help. I approached the door, and ripped it off, wondering what I would find…

I was instantly taken aback in pure shock by what was inside. In the small cellar space laid a tiny, tiny human toddler, probably no older than two years. A little girl, it seemed, who was completely unharmed, if not covered in a little soot and ash, but other than that, I couldn’t see any clear physical wounds on the child. The little one cried out, supposedly left there all night during the attack. Her poor face puffy and red from wailing, covered in snot and drool as she screamed to be heard, surrounded by pine of all things, and then it clicked. Pine! It's a natural masking scent to hide from giant senses. The human child had been put in there to be hidden from giant attackers, I surmised. I had to admit, I was quite impressed by the woman on the bed’s ingenuity, supposedly the child's mother. That explained why I couldn’t smell the tiny child, with her being so close to all the pine surrounding her. Once the child seemed alright, I turned my attention to the wounded woman on the bed, seeming to be in a much worse state than the child. 

With the utmost care, I lowered my hand and wrapped my fingers around the woman to turn her and see the extent of the damage, asking "Miss? Are ya alright?" but as soon as my fingers unfurled around her, my heart stilled. Her skin was cold, her back was soaked in her own blood, and her body was utterly limp in my hand.

Oh no…she was dead. Her flesh was cold, so cold, and her body crumpled into itself, void of life.... There was no saving her. My eyes widened, and I set her back down with care. I felt so much remorse and guilt for her - for this whole village. She was only trying to be strong, to protect her child, and now she was gone... No one deserves that. I turned back to the little girl, now realizing that I was her only hope in surviving this terrible tragedy.

It seemed her mother had been like this for a few hours at least, perishing during the village’s destruction. I put the covers over top of her bloodied body, out of respect, and gave her a gentle pat over the covers. I noticed that there was a letter by the head of the woman that I hadn’t notice before, and I took it in my fingertips, putting it in my pocket. I would worry about that later, I reasoned, as I directed my attention back onto the child. 

The little one looked at me through tear filled eyes. Her cheeks soaked from desperately wailing, praying for her cries to be answered, and after finally getting that attention, from a towering giant no less, she looked up at me with a frightened, but curious and expectant gaze through her whimpers. The poor thing seemed too young to realize the potential danger she was in, if I were a giant other than me, of course. I looked down at her, also with a curious gaze, as we both seemed to just stare at each other for a few moments, taking each other in. Finally, she sneezed from the soot and ash around her, adding to the mucus on her face. It broke me out of our collective trance, and I decided to break the staring contest between us by reaching out towards her, in her once hiding place, trying to be as slow and calming as possible so as not to seem like a threat to the human baby. 

With a hesitant determination, I tried to wrap my fingers around her minuscule frame, which she didn’t care for much at all. She whimpered and whined, recoiling from the touch and overwhelming sensations, as if the mere contact of my skin was burning her. Fat fearful tears started streaming down her face. She looked so miserable with everything. It made my heart wilt to see the child so on edge, but I couldn’t blame her. I must’ve been horrifying to look at from her perspective. However, it didn’t seem like it was my size that she was afraid of, but more-so the fear of a new face. Not terrorized of me because of being a giant, but rather a stranger. It was quite abnormal, not the usual reaction I expected from a human, especially one who went through such a harrowing experience in the face of my own kin…but I could work with this.

First step, I needed to get her out of the little space. She may not like it, but I had no other choice. I couldn’t leave her here knowing she would likely die if I didn’t do anything. So, I reached out to her again, this time, petting and rubbing her side with the utmost care, to get her comfortable with my presence. My massive fingers in comparison to her ruffling her clothes as she stilled, and looked at them seeming slightly confused by the feeling. That seemed to calm her down just a little bit, enough so that I could attempt to encompass my hand around her once again.

She wiggled and squirmed in my hold like a worm once I was able to pick her up. The feeling sending shivers down my spine. Her crying building with vigor from the new sensation. I tried to be as attentive as possible to her reactions, making sure I wasn’t hurting or squeezing her in any way.

I took a brief moment to take in just how tiny the precious life in my hand was, as I lifted her from the space. She was no bigger than my whole thumb, if I were to reckon her height. She weighed nothing, as if as light as a feather. She was so small and fragile in my hands; it was almost scary to think about how tiny she was there in my palm.

On her way out of the space, she looked over to her mother on the bed, and the small girl reached out to the body. She locked her eyes on her mother’s form, seeming only interested with the corpse as she wailed to go to her. She wanted the comfort of her mother… a comfort she would never get again, a comfort I would have to try and provide for her now in her mother’s absence. The child didn’t look back at me once as she was brought up from the house’s wreckage, her only regard being to her mother’s dead body.

I made sure to be exceedingly slow with her as I raised her from her spot, so I didn’t give the poor thing whiplash from any fast movements. She squeaked a little bit in my hold at one point, and I stopped to check up on her, but she didn’t squirm other than that and seemed fine. Soon after that, she turned her attention back to me, now looking up at me with an utmost wonder in her eyes. I hoisted her up with all the care I could muster as I shushed her in a calming tone, still rubbing her with my thumb to help soothe her, until I brought the child up to my face.

She looked up at me, eye to eye as she stared at my face, and my heart melted a bit. Her tears had relatively stopped flowing, as she stared wide eyed and mouth agape. Her form was still quivering slightly, but she was now much calmer compared to a few minutes ago. She looked so innocent and pure, yet so unsure by everything happening. Even though the events that transpired the night prior with her was terrible to think about, she no longer seemed to have a fear of me when she looked into my eyes. In fact, she looked into my eyes with a curiosity like one would look into the sea...I wonder if she was scared?

As I held her form up to my face, my eyes almost crossing to keep her in focus, I looked at her with as much of an entranced curiosity as she did to me. I’d never held a human before, and it was even more nerve wracking than I had ever thought. I decided at that point, since I was this close to her, I could probably smell her now to see if she had any unseen or even internal injuries from who knows what she experienced last night. I brought my nose close to her, and sniffed to sense for anything, and thankfully I could detect nothing out of the ordinary. This miracle child was somehow completely unharmed, albeit the only surviving human in the town. However, if I could save at least one human from my own kinds’ wrath, then I would be satisfied. As I began to pull my face away from her, not wanting to intimidate her with being so close, I immediately stopped when I felt the smallest hand I’d ever felt reach out and touch the tip of my nose. I froze on the spot in pure shock as I looked down, awe-struck at the sensation of the tiny creature touching my nose within my grasp.

She reached out with her small little stubby fingers to try and touch my nose - I could only assume she wanted to play. I smiled at her innocent gesture, trying my best to stay still so as to not startle her. She was so small, so adorable, and so pure in all her innocence. I wondered if she was even old enough to say anything…

She kept her hand there for a little bit as she grabbed the tip of my nose, feeling it with an intense interest. I could sense the almost imperceptible pulse in her hands. Her breathing had fully calmed, as her toddler mind was now enthralled by my nose.

I couldn’t help it; I brought my nose closer to her and pressed it up against her tiny form. Feeling every ruffle of fabric of her outfit, and a pure warmth filled me as her tender hands moved around to touch the oversized pores of my skin. I could feel her chest move up and down with her individual breaths as it was pressed against my flesh, and my nose was tickled by her hair as her face brushed against me. I then heard the most beautiful sound; I heard her giggle as she wrapped her little arms around my nose.

She giggled, at me! A high-pitched and pleasant noise, as she snuggled my nose with the gentlest of touches. It was like the tiniest little hug I’d ever received, and the warmth from her body made it hard for me to want it to end, to pull away, to not be a possible danger to her.

Did she think that we were playing a game? That we were friends? How could one have such innocence in their heart, when the world she existed in was so cruel? I could not help but smile when she giggled, like seeing a ray of sunshine inside a storm cloud.

She seemed to be taking quite a liking to me. Did this little one...actually enjoy my presence? Was she so young she didn’t remember or understand the massacre? Or maybe she was hidden during the attack, and I was the first giant she had ever seen or met? It would have explained how easily she was warming up to me, that had to be the case.

I looked into the girl’s eyes, who was still snuggling against my nose. I decided to see if she could understand what I was saying. I needed at least some way of communicating with the little one, if I was going to be taking care of her, and I would really appreciate it if she did not consider me a monster. I pulled her away from my nose, leaning away enough to where she could see my face, and brought my hands together as I talked to her "Hello. Can yeh understand me, lass?"

She looked at me curiously for a second, before going back to giggling, but to my surprise, I heard something else:

“Hehehe-mm-hi-big!”

It sounded mostly like baby babble, but I could hear her saying words! I laughed a bit, both in shock and joy. She speaks! She can understand! This was incredible - I could just about make out what she was saying, "Hi big." She must be calling me "Big" - is that what she viewed me as?  Her giant friend? Her "Big"?

I smiled down at the child, and asked her, "Am I the big?" while pointing at myself with my free hand. She giggled again, patted the hand she was on, and beamed up at me like a child who just told their proud parents a new word they learned.

“Mmmm! Big!”

The first thing I understood her say, was that she had dubbed me "big", not "giant", not “northern giant", nor "monster", or even "beast." "Big". I beamed down at the child; she saw me as a friend and a protector…my large heart starting to swell at this precious moment. I was her friend, her "big". Never in my life would I have ever thought about a human considering me in this way. It was a nice change of pace, I must admit!

I decided to test her on one more thing. I had only ever been able to theorize on human intelligence so far, since I never got close to communicating with the few humans I witnessed while in my old herd and clan, nor interacted with any human communities. Back then I couldn’t even speak in the common tongue, only in the giant’s native language, so I knew I shouldn’t be too harsh on my past self…at least in that regard. However, I knew humans were smart, I just wanted to see how much. "Ma’ name ‘s Ogden. Can yeh say Ogden for me?" With that, she seemed to understand, and gleamed at me again:

“Hehhmm! Oggie!!”

This little girl not only understood me, but she could speak, remember, could be taught, and had her own vocabulary! This was amazing! I wondered if all humans were this intelligent. They must be. I laughed with pride, her big "Oggie" comment making me smile from ear to ear, she said my name! It was at that moment, that my whole world had changed. My whole view of the world so much bigger, all because of her.

I looked down at my new tiny human companion in my hands, and she looked up at me with a smile. Her big eyes staring up at me with a twinkle, as if she was made to be in my gigantic arms. She looked so small in comparison to my body, as if I could eat her in a single bite, but I would never dare. She was a precious little soul who had had a rough life. She deserved a better one now.

I stood to my full height and started to walk back to my cabin deep in the woods of northern giant country. I took another look back at the little girl's now destroyed village with pained eyes, and an empty spot in my heart. What a terrible thing...Looking down at my new friend for the millionth time, I realized I had a responsibility to take her to a safe place. I was now a guardian to her…and I would take her under my wing no matter the cost, even my life. I vowed to give her the best life she could ever have as her eyes met mine, feeling a spark of hope.

As I started to walk out of the town, something stopped me in my tracks that broke my heart. She looked up at me and spoke once again.

“…Why leave mommy? She still home! She sleepin’. We gotta go wake her up! Go see mommy...” She said with a slight whimper at the end, still missing the comfort of her mother’s embrace.

I looked down at the child as my eyes started to water. She understood she was leaving her home, her mother. I had no way of explaining to this girl, in a way she could understand, that she would never be able to see her mother’s eyes open, to look at her with warmth and love ever again. I was at an utter loss for words. How could I even tell her? How could I possibly explain that the person she loved was now gone from this world? I did the next best thing I could think of in the moment. I told her a soft lie, the slightest of falsehoods weaved with some truth that would at least attempt to quench her anxieties as to why we were leaving her home and old life behind her. I was still guilty to lie to such a young child such as her, though.

I spoke with all the softness I could as I explained to her: “Yeh mother is goin’ t be sleepin’ for quite some time, child… We need to let her rest. Ya wouldn’t want her to not get a good sleep, right? For the time being, I’ll be takin’ care of yeh while your mother is asleep. Is that okay, little one?”

She looked up at me unsure of my words, like she was about to argue, but she relinquished and sulked back down into my hand a moment later.

“Okay…”

I sighed and nodded my head, relieved at her response. This little girl should not have had to witness such terrible events...I looked to her house once again. 'You did everything you could have done to protect her; I will make sure that she survives. I promise you that…' I remember thinking to myself. I walked back over to her former home and picked up some of the broken wood and debris from the mother’s ashen abode, to store in my pocket. I will keep this forever, so that she would always have a piece of her old home to keep as a memory. From my palm, the little human child looked over at her old home, grabbed my thumb for comfort, reached out to the house with her other hand, and waved goodbye.

“Bye bye mommy…”

I turned back and continued my journey home, with the small girl within my giant grasp, nestled safely in my cupped palm as I walked. We left that desolate and smoldering town behind us.

~~~

We made it to my cabin, after a small journey, and my human companion looked on in awe at her new colossal surroundings. She gave an exhausted yawn. She did have quite the day, we both had. She must’ve been tired. So, I decided to gently rock her back and forth in my hand to lull her to sleep, which after her long day, did not take long.

I smiled down at her now sleeping form and found some spare cloth I had around the house, gently sliding her onto the scrap of cloth I laid on my desk within my bedroom, just to keep both my hands free. I decided this would be a perfect time to read the letter I found next to the child's mother. I fished the piece of paper from my shirt pocket, along with the debris from the human's old home, and placed it onto the table.

I studied the letter with much anticipation and interest, eager to read just what exactly was inside. The child was safe and fast asleep, and I hoped that her mother was at peace right now, wherever she was.

I opened the letter with utmost care, almost accidentally ripping it in the process, and had to grab my reading glasses just to read the incredibly tiny writing. The letter read as such:

[To whom it may concern,

If you find this letter, then I am probably long gone. Our village is being raided and captured by the Northern Giants at the edge of the woods. They came out of nowhere and just started killing and taking people I…

I don’t know what to do. I can feel them through the ground approach as I write this. I was barely able to escape with my life moments before I hid my daughter. I’m losing blood fast. I don't know how much longer I have…

If you find this and she is still alive...Please, take care of her. I pray that my sacrifice doesn't go in vain, that she has a chance at a better life. The smell of death should deter them from checking the house at least...

Just...please. Take care of my daughter. Give her the life that I couldn't. For my sake...

Tell my beautiful Leilani that I'm sorry.

I love you, my Leilani...]

[The letter ends in blood smears]

I stared in shock and sorrow, tears welled up in my eyes for the second time today, as my hand clasped over my mouth. The despair of knowing that this little child will never get to know her mother truly was heart wrenching. The final moments of this woman’s life were spent caring and fearing for the future of her daughter…I will make sure that this child has the best life there can possibly be, a life in which her mother can be proud. My little Leilani, what a beautiful name...your mother made sure that you were taken care of, even if she couldn't make it, I will... I promise…

I put down the letter next to the debris of the old house, setting it in a safe spot on one of my shelves, picked up Leilani's swaddle with her still fast asleep in it, and softly placed it down on the pillow next to mine. I gazed upon the human child’s swaddled form, a blaze of determination starting to form as I pondered: 'Your mother gave her life for her child to live - a terrible sacrifice, but not one in vain - for her little girl will live on, as long my heart beats. You will have all the love I have. Your mother died so you could live, Leilani… I will keep her mother's letter, so I can read it to her when she is older.' I set my reading glasses aside, and got comfortable in my bed. Reeling after everything the day had brought, but at the same time, swelling with pride for the tiny child sleeping next to me...

I fell asleep that night filled with a sense of hope and warmth, knowing that this child will always have a place to call home. I fell into a deep and peaceful sleep, the kind of sleep that can only come from doing good and knowing you've made a difference in the world. I hope this peaceful rest will last forever...

I am Ogden, a Northern Behemoth.

…and I am Leilani's father.

Here's my first ever written g/t story! I hope you guys like it! Again thank you so much to the people who beta read and gave feedback on this story I truly appreciate your kindness and help with this. If you like my work, please let me know! I highly appreciate any feedback, comments, or support that you'd like to send my way, and these two characters are free to send asks to anytime!

Thank you again everyone who got it this far to read this at the end, you're amazing. Have a great day everyone!

-MӨƬΉ