They were walking across the
large trees, heading towards their strawberry plantation. Henry and Sandra
Chapman have been married for over two years, and together they owned one of
the biggest strawberry plantations on
The plantation was on a small
hill, and from there they could see the sea, and in the distance, Dragon Isle
stood tall and gigantic, like its inhabitants. Every time he saw it, Henry was
feeling a little nostalgic. He had worked as a thief for sometime, stealing
objects from the giants, but after he met Sandra, he quit, in order to live an ordinary life with her. It was a love at first
sight, and it didn’t take him long to find the guts and ask her to marry him.
Both their dream was to have a family and most important, a child. But after 2
years of efforts, they still weren’t blessed. They were both purebred griffins,
so there was a very small chance that they were sterile. After visiting a
doctor, they were informed that, even though they were fertile, it would take
them long to have a baby, mostly because Sandra’s womb had a “hostile
environment” as the doctor explained. They weren’t shuttered though, and kept
trying.
Sandra’s call brought him
back to reality
“They are almost done, Henry.
We must start hiring people to help us harvest them”
“You’re right” Henry answered
as he checked on the leaves that were poking above the ground. “Well, we have to go back home and start
preparing the pamphlets…” He put his arm around her as they started heading
back towards the city. Suddenly, a loud cry made both of them stop and look
back.
“Did you hear that?” Sandra asked eyes wide open
“Yeah… it sounded like a baby
crying… A very loud baby!!”
Sandra let go of Henry and
run towards the direction the voice was heard
“Sandra WAIT!!” He called as
he run after her.
She run
through the forest with Henry following close behind. He looked left and right
as he run, checking to see if there were any two-legged among the brunches. Two
legged gryphons were very dangerous for anthros. He didn’t notice Sandra stopped running and he
rammed onto her.
“Sandra?” He asked but he
motioned for him to look forwards. He followed her gaze and he saw the source
of the sound. They had reached the beach. A small spot was covered in
eggshells, and lying among them was a baby of a giant, crying! Sandra was about
to approach the baby, but Henry grabbed her from the arm
“Sandra! Where are you
going??” She didn’t answer. Instead, she shoved him off and approached the baby
who was still crying loud.
“Hello baby…” she said as she
scratched his nose. “Stop crying… it’s all right…” The baby Risso
sniffed and giggled when Sandra scratched his nose. “Awww….”
But Henry wasn’t sharing her
enthusiasm. “We have to go Sandra! His parents won’t be far away…” “I don’t
think so, Henry… Look around. There’s no one to be found!” “Still, it’s a
giant! Let’s get outta here!!” Sandra gave him a cold stare. “It’s a BABY,
Henry! An orphan! We can’t leave him alone like this! He’ll surely die!” Henry
sighed and approached the baby. The little creature put his paw behind him, and
before he could scream, he dragged him close to his face and hugged him. “Awww… he likes you” Henry grinned and struggled in the
baby’s grasp, but it was in vain. “Sigh… but what are we gonna
do with him?” “I have an idea!”
-----
“WHAAAAAT!” The mayor couldn’t believe what he was hearing! “Take a giant baby into custody? Do you realise what you’re saying???”
“Please sir” Sandra pleaded,
“It’s just a baby! We can’t let it die!”
It didn’t help. Henry decided to interfere as the voice of reason.
“Your honour”
the mayor turned to look at him. “I understand that raising a giant can be very
difficult and costly, and our thieves will have to steal more stuff for him,
but, think of the benefits…” That caught the mayor’s attention. “Benefits?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. ‘”Yes!!”
Henry proclaimed, all excited! “Think about it! We’ll
have our own giant! He will help us a lot with constructions, he will carry
things faster for us, and he will also protect us from predators, like the
two-legers! Giants are much bigger than two-legged gryphons!
It’ll be a piece of cake for him to chase them away! Not to mention that he’ll
make a great tourist attraction!!!”
“Hmm…” The mayor was
scratching his forehead, he was actually thinking about it!!!
“Tourist
attraction?” Sandra asked Henry as
he sat down. “Come on, Sandra!” He whispered. “It was the only way to convince
him”. The mayor hit his hammer on the giant bottle can he had in front of him.
“I have reached my decision. The baby giant goes under custody of Henry and
Sarah Chapman AND of the city council. This meeting is now over.” After hearing
this, Sandra gave Henry and strong hug. He lifted her up and spinned her in the air and kissed her. The mayor left the
room mumbling “I’m getting too old… a giant in our city… hmf”
- - - -
Years passed and the baby Risso grew up among the little anthros.
He chose a small cave very close to the city and turned it into a small
personal space. Something like a one-room house. All
the objects in it came from thieves. An inflatable bed and
chair, a very small and black-white television, s small microwave, two plates
and one knife and fork. For a door, he used a large piece of wood that
he sealed the entrance with, only at nights when he was asleep. Nothing much, but it was his home, and he loved it.
January 2005
Melissa, a Pegasus, walked
all alone the beach, following the train of flowers that acted like a fence.
She was heading towards the Chapman’s strawberry plantation, where she hoped
she’d find Michael. She grew up with the giant, and the two of them were close
friends.
When she reached the small
hill, she flew up, until she saw Henry and Sandra taking care of the plants.
She landed next to Sandra and greeted. “Hello Mrs Chapman…
Mr Chapman…” “Why, Hello Melissa…” Sandra said as she
looked up from a very big strawberry she was measuring. “…What brings you
here?” “Actually… I was looking for Michael. He wasn’t in his cave…” Henry
spoke up. “You won’t find him here. He’s down at the river helping with the
bridge” “And Melissa…” Sandra added, “when you do find him,
tell him to come over… we need his help”. Melissa thanked them and flew off, at
the direction of the bridge. Sure enough, as soon as she left the forest, she
saw Michael Chapman kneeling down in the river, holding the new bridge while
the workers were securing it at its place. He was wearing a pear of old jeans and no shirt. She landed on his shoulder.
“Hey there
big boy. What’s up?” “Hi Lisa… how r u?” He said through clanged teeth. The
bridge was obviously a little too heavy for him. He wasn’t very strong, and his
body was very thin, mostly because the little anthros
could not provide him enough food. But he has gotten used to it while growing
up.
“Hey
giant!!” One of the workers yelled
at him. “The bridge!! Hold it straight!!” Michael
frowned and lifted the bridge a little higher to where the worker showed him.
“I have a name damn it… why do they keep calling me a giant?” Melissa laughed
“Maybe cause you’re one?” “No I’m not…” Michael said
as he slowly let go of the bridge. He got up and walked towards the beach.
“Giants are monsters… I’m not a monster…” Melissa didn’t answer. She thought of
what they tought him about giants… they told him that
they were huge monsters that liked to kill her people, and that they were
eating raw flesh and kidnapping their children. All those stories were nothing
but stupid myths, she didn’t believe them… but they made Michael being afraid
of his own kind! Maybe a trip to Dragon Isle would change his mind. She giggled
thinking of how Michael would react upon hearing this.
“Hey where are you going? The
plantation is the other way!” she asked when she realised
that he changed his course. ‘I found the most beautiful spot… I want you to see
this!’ He said, all excited. He kept walking until he reached a small hill.
Under that hill there was a small factory that processed stuff that came from
the thieves. But that’s not what he wanted to show her. At the distance, the
beach was visible, and with it, the sun setting. Golden hue along with
fiery-red clouds added to the scene. “Isn’t it the most beautiful spot on the
island?” “Wow… you’re right…” Melissa said as she drew her knees close to her
chest and hugged them.
Suddenly, Michael felt the earth
beneath his feet tremble and slowly give way. “What is going on Michael?’
Melissa asked, all worried. “…I think I’m a bit too heavy for this hill…” He managed to jump away just in time before
the hill collapsed. He believed that all was ok, until he heard the rumbling
sound. He looked under the hill and was terrified when he saw the mass of sand
heading towards the factory and, finally, engulfing it.