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The nurse looked at me in shock, clearly not expecting me to speak their language. "I'm surprised you can speak Eotenas," she said as she examined my father. "His condition is critical. He was stabbed near his vitals, assuming a dwarf's vitals are in the same position as a titan's." I could understand her words, but speaking the language fluently was still a challenge for me.
"Can you help him?" I begged.
The nurse hesitated before answering. "I don't know what treatments would help him. Medicine that works on a Titan could poison a dwarf," she explained. "We no longer have a healer on hand, so we must rely on science. We've taken hisblood for analysis, but until we have more information, there's not much we can do."
"Please," I pleaded. "Do whatever you can to save him."
The nurse nodded solemnly and left the tent, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I began to pace the floor, racking my brain for something, anything that could help my father.
It was then that I heard it – a coughing fit from the royal tent nearby. My ears honed in on the sound, drowning out the discord surrounding me. It seemed like no one else noticed the noise over the din of the medical tent. Curiosity piqued, I made my way towards the private section where the titan king, was resting.
"Um, do you need help?" I called out hesitantly as I entered. He looked so much like Thorsten – same long white hair, same piercing silver eyes – but there was a sternness about him that Thorsten lacked. And gods, he was huge. I'd always thought Thorsten was a giant at over seven feet tall, but Radorgirn had to be at least eight or nine feet.
"Here," I said softly, pouring him some water and handing it over. His massive hand dwarfed my own, to me the cup was like a tall bowl, but to him a normal cup, it made me look comically small in comparison.
"Unseemly to fret over the injured," Radorgirn told me, his voice a low rumble. "I can hear your pacing from here."
"Sorry for waking you up," I said, feeling a little sheepish. "Back home, it's normal to worry about a loved one, especially when they're not getting proper care." I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "I'll try to fret more quietly."
"Doesn't matter," Radorgirn dismissed my apology. "Wouldn't sleep now even if I wanted to. The enemy is getting bolder, our people need a royal leader to rally behind... and all I have to count on is my sickly younger brother."
I snapped before I knew it. "Don't you dare call Thorsten sickly! He's the strongest, bravest man I've ever met!" Yeah, it was probably not the best idea ticking off a king who probably had the power to flay me alive, but I just couldn’t help but defend Thorsten.
But lucky for me, no flaying alive happened. Radorgirn just laughed at me, which only made me angrier. "Of course, you think that. You're a dwarf."
"Being a… dwarf… has nothing to do with it!" I shot back. "Bravery isn't about being a badass when you're in top condition and the odds are in your favor. It's about facing the unknown even when your body's damn near giving up on you." My voice broke as I remembered Thorsten's struggles, his body breaking down on him while still pushing forward. "I've seen him face impossible odds, head held high, with a grace and dignity I've never seen before. Don't you ever badmouth my mate to me again."
Radorgirn's laughter continued, but there was something different about it this time – it was almost approving. "Thorstenfound himself a fiery mate who loves him fiercely," he said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That's a good thing, Kal. Keep that feistiness. You'll need it to survive around here."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that." I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "It's just... Thorsten is your brother, right? From what I've heard, siblings are supposed to make fun of each other sometimes. I'm an only child, so I don't really know the dynamic, but I heard brothers sometimes take the piss out of each other."
"Take the what out?" Radorgirn asked, his silver eyes narrowing in confusion.
"Taking the piss out" – I started to explain when the tent flap was pushed aside and, speaking of the devil himself, my mate stepped in. His face was bruised and he seemed to be favoring his left side, but otherwise, Thorsten looked okay. Relief washed over me as I rushed to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.
"Hey there," Thorsten said with a small grin, returning the hug. "Missed you too, Kal."
"Thorsten," I sighed, blinking back tears. "William's condition is getting worse and the nurse can't treat him. What do we do?"
"Then we'll find another way to help him," Thorsten reassured me, his hand gently stroking my back. "If some of the meds from the human realm work on titans, then I'm sure some of our meds can work on humans. We'll try everything."
"Is it possible for us to leave?" I asked. I felt like crap for wanting to leave so soon after Thorsten finally stepped into his home world, but what else could we do? By the looks of it, they were at war and I was afraid of what might happen to us all if we stayed here.
"No, the portal was destroyed," Thorsten said, his face grim. "Even if it had worked, going through would have killed us. When titan scouts entered the portal, it spat them back out in pieces.” He paused, taking a deep breath. "However, the Traveler's rune was recovered from the rubble of the destroyed portal. The only other portal is at Élivágar Castle, and it was destroyed when we crossed into the human world centuries ago. And Élivágar is currently unsafe to travel to – the journey is long and we won't be able to remain hidden for long."
"Fuck," I whispered, dread settling like stone in my chest. "What are we going to do?"
"I'll do the only thing I can do to protect our family." Thorsten said, his voice firm and reassuring.
"Which is?" Radorgrin asked, startling me when he spoke because he had been so silent before.
"I'll accept the position as King until you get better or if we find our father." Thorsten addressed his older brother, standing tall despite his injuries.
"Good," Radorgirn said, an approving smile on his face. "That's what I wanted to hear. Now, tell me what's happening outsidethis medical tent. What's the state of affairs with our soldiers and civilians here?"
"Enemy soldiers are dead, and the survivors have fled," Thorsten reported. "But it's no coincidence that they attacked right after I showed up in Utangard."
"Agreed," Radorgirn nodded. "The goal could have been to destroy the portal after your return. Falka plans to eradicate our entire family – it's the only way to truly lay claim to our lands without a fight from the subjects. If even one member of our family lives, then our people will fight on and wait for their return. Falka probably believes trapping you here is his best shot at purging the whole family."
