Chapter 1
  Liam was walking through the forest, minding his own business. The noise among the trees was normal: birdsong, small animal chatter and the brief yip of a fox. Suddenly, the forest went quiet. Deathly quiet. Heavy, thundering footsteps broke the stillness and he was completely caught off guard as a pair of trolls, easily nine feet tall each, broke through the trees and headed directly for him. Panic set in when their black eyes locked on him and their cracked lips spread wide in a sneer, revealing disgusting yellow teeth. Liam turned and ran as fast as his legs would take him. He scrambled through the forest, desperately trying to get away. Thankfully, although the trolls were big, they're slow and he managed to put some distance between himself and them. He turned a corner and saw a giant woman lounging on her side, reading a book. She had to be at least twenty feet tall. Maybe she would protect him! Without another thought, he ducked behind their legs and curled into the bend of their knees.
 "Please help!" he cried. The giant woman barely spared the terrified man a glance before going back to her book.
 Liam’s voice cut through the initially tranquil woods with the timbre of his panic. Any intelligent being with working ears would notice the call for help, though maybe would be set aside by the almost theatric tone in how he said it. A shiver runs through the leg he was braced against, it's owner likely reacting to his touch as well as his cry. If he was lucky, which by this point could be up for debate, he wasn't just trading one peril for a much, much bigger one. By now, the trolls had broken through the tree line, scanning the area for their prey. No doubt they'd heard his shout the same as his potential protector. Not a few beats passed before the rough creatures zeroed in on him, beginning to step forward to hone in on their next kill. They might've been slow, but they weren't ultimately dull in the head when they appropriately stopped upon recognizing the larger creature.
 Liam finally had a moment to think again without fearing their approach. He looked at the reading giantess but couldn't get a strong look at her face beyond her lounging thigh and hip. He caught a glimpse of her hair and finally her powerfully deep eyes that shined like floating basins that dared to protest gravity. He may as well have forget the danger at hand looking at this by all accounts human inhuman. Still, he was being pursued.
 "Oh Mistress! You said there'd be other monsters in the wood so bold as to steal your treasured liege!" His plan was simple: she was bigger than the trolls, he and the woman were strangers, but they needn't know such details. If he could convince the savages that he was under her protection, likely she'd scare them off. Assuming that they'd back down from such a challenge. They were quite large themselves, and brutish. Maybe dumb or clever enough to believe their numbers might give them an edge. Better assuage that notion. "Oh, I always hate seeing such poor creatures utterly massacred at your hand! Please show them mercy! They won't take me from you!"
 Now came the harder gamble. Would she back his bluff? Again, they were both complete and utter strangers likely of different background, race, species, and overall cultural identity. Who's to say she'd even take pity on him? What if she was only confused by his attempt and didn't support his claims in her body language, convincing the trolls of the charade and dooming him? Ultimately, it came down to if she was privy enough to understand, and quick enough to validate the act. Best case scenario, she actually was a powerful and just giant who would leap to his rescue. Worst case, she just kicked him back to the trolls like a stray mouse. On second thought, worst case would be if she proved a more gruesome beast than the trolls.
 Lacy did a double take at the human crouched behind her knees. She stared at him with her verdant green eyes before a smile twitched the corners of her mouth. She snorted with a level of amusement as she marked her spot and closed her book. “My most treasured liege, huh? Alright.” She chuckled as she sat up, making sure the human was at her back. She glanced at the trolls and sighed. “I’m not even going to try and pronounce your names. I know them, I just hate your guttural language,” she said. The trolls snarled as she stood and picked up her bow and arrow from the ground. They were wise enough to not approach the woman who was significantly taller than them. “You know the rules. No chasing helpless creatures in my forest.”
 She held up a hand when the larger bull troll began to protest. “No arguing. I am Guardian Lacy, and this human is now under my protection.” She knocked an arrow to the bow and drew it back, clearly aiming for the largest troll. “So leave.” The smaller troll snarled and gurgled something before dropping his head and charging, club raised, clearly intent on ramming the woman who was over twice his size. Lacy expertly swung her stance, aimed, and fired. The arrow flew through the air, lodging itself in the troll’s skull. It dropped like a stone a few feet from her.
 He patiently waited to hear the woman’s response, and was relieved to hear amusement in her voice. A good sign that could be followed by compliance or treachery. As her body turned into position, he could hear the creak and power in her limbs as they moved away and pivoted over his head. He might’ve been knocked over had he not crouched. Then came her grandiose retort to the beasts, along with a formidable weapon to back it up. His reaction was somewhere between humble shock and smug satisfaction, which he quickly hid behind the character he’d committed portrayed for his attackers’ sake. “Oh miss, no more bloodshed! They’ll leave you be. They couldn’t be foolish enough to lay a hand on me!” The odds of running into a benevolent creature of greater strength were astronomically inferior than the likelier result of a troll-induced skewering. Even more, she was intelligent, a warrior, and immediately open to the clever rouse he’d sprung on her. His hazel eyes glimmered with success. Still, the monsters antagonized her, looking ready to assume a larger query. Then she took her shot.
 “Holy halibut!” The troll staggered and crumbled like a dull, hollow sculpture, the dark ichor spraying from the exit wound and pooling around the limp corpse on the mossy floor. Its partner looked on in shock, then anguish. It looked back the amazon with fury, stepping closer with claws bared.
 The rage caused a lump in Liam’s throat, but at the least it was no longer aimed at his own countenance. Yet, its visible anger diminished. There was a brain in there after all, and it realized its chances of victory were far reduced in solo combat against an opponent four to five times their superior. It looked down to its comrade, letting out a guttural roar that almost sounded woeful in its pitch. It retreated into the woods, turning back once to cry once more at its better, as if to swear vengeance. Perhaps trolls are the sentimental type, but never mind. He could promise they were the vengeful type, so he’d have to be smart trekking through the forest in the future without his impromptu guardian.
 “Whew! My lady, you are formidable indeed. Much obliged for the intervention.” He stepped around her side to address her front, a slim arm reaching up to rustle his medium length dark brown hair. He wore a beige shirt with many graphic designs, complete with slimming dark pants and simple brown shoes. His jaw had the makings of heroic angularity, but never quite grew so boldly, still providing a pleasant shape to his face and its gawky features. He wasn’t handsome, but charm oozed from his pores, painting a friendly and witty disposition. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything imperative. Such a large book must carry great import for a profound being as your ladyship.” He dialed up the respect. There was still a chance this impossible entity would mean harm on him for disrupting her day, despite willingly playing along with his game. Not that he could easily escape her now, so best to put his cards on gratitude.
 Lacy snorted as she looked down at the human. “No. It’s just a book for my leisure. I was taking a break and having lunch while I read it,” she said. She crouched and looked the human over. “I am Lacy, a member of the Guardians Guild. You are now under my protection. Where is it you’re headed to?” Her russet red hair fell in curtains over her shoulders, framing her heart shaped face and adding a feminine allure to it. Her eyes, as rich a green as the foliage around them, searched his small face. “You’re witty, I’ll give you that. But why are you out here in Troll Forest without a guardian?”
 Such a kind face and voice, the tension fizzled out from his shoulders knowing he was in safe company. "And here I thought these were the Rosburough Woods. Must've made a wrong turn on the wrong map." He chuckled, then took a step back, bowing ahead in a humble gesture to his rescuer. "My Guardian Lacy, you have my utmost gratitude for going above and beyond to save this man's cursed soul." He leaned his head up, but quickly found the practical shortcomings in bowing to someone many times his size, something he was distinctly not accustomed to when he realized his gaze accidentally landed on her groin as she crouched before him. Hastily, he stood back up, a hue flooding his cheeks.
 "I am Liam Stolten. And I hope one day our paths will cross again and I'll be able to return my thanks. For now, I must bid ado, and reiterate my overwhelming appreciation for your valiant generosity!" His legs started moving him in the opposite direction he'd entered this clearing from, stepping gingerly over the moss laden ground. Though his intention was to resume his journey, he found it hard to pull himself away from that lovely, rosy face that loomed over him like a dim yet effervescent sun. Her fiery hair and viridian stare painted a portrait of the goddess Gaia. Perhaps it was this beauty that still left him out of ease? More accurately it was likely her height, but he hadn't the strength to complete the task he came here to achieve with such... wonderful distractions. "Until we meet again, love! May the road rise up to meet you." With that, Liam turned to return to the woods.
 Lacy snorted and reached out, snagging the human by the back of his shirt and dragging him back to her side. A smile quirked the corners of her lips as she looked down at him. “I asked where you were headed. I told the trolls you were now under my protection. I meant it,” she said. “How would it look if I let you go wandering around on your own? The trolls would skewer you, use your bones as toothpicks, and laugh about me as they did. My reputation would be irreparably tarnished. I can’t let that happen.” She chuckled and let him go. “So I ask again, where are you headed? I’ll escort you.”
 A powerful grip wrenched him from his stride to reel him back before the amazon. He kicked briefly to regain his steps but inevitably accepted the losing fight. Once again facing her, he caught more of her personality than he’d originally presumed. She was amused, blunt, and a certain gruffness that may not have just been attributed to her stature. Her beauty contributed a menace to this amalgam. Unlike the trolls, she understood, and listened, she wasn’t dumb, and her confidence flushed into the very atmosphere. Not easy to shake.
 When he was released, he let out the breath he’d been holding in and straighten his shirt. “I thank you miss. Your passion is inspiring, to be sure. Still, I’m attending to some rather... personal matters which may be unfit to perform in front of a lady-“ His eyes shot open, recognizing his easily misinterpreted wording, “-eh! I mean, I’m overdue for a rather embarrassing circumstance which I’d rather not be witnessed... damned! Nothing intimate! I’m trying to-“ Liam had to freeze in place and take a deep breath to collect his thoughts, finally peering up to Lacy with pleading eyes.
 “Look, I’ve suffered an uncomfortable condition of a magical sort, and I’ve been going into these woods to keep it my secret. I usually stick to the entry ring of the woods, but decided a short hike might be good for my heart before it... sets in.” He began to betray the anxiety he’d been hiding from the powerful guardian, quickly righting himself to hide it away again, “I was foolish to stray further. It was a mistake on hindsight to go this far anyway regarding the symptoms of my condition. I’ll just return to safer regions. Thank you for your time but please don’t both-“ The boy did a queer thing before the curious bystander. His body seized up, as if gripped once again by an even larger force then Lacy had used on him to drag him back. Only his eyes could move, glancing around in frustrated panic. Whatever his ailment was, it was taking hold.
 Lacy watched, confused and concerned, as the young man froze. Her head tilted to the side, long locks of red hair sliding off her shoulder. She watched him carefully and quietly. “If it’s a magical ailment or curse, I would be of little use, directly, in removing it,” she said. “However, I do know people who would be of help.” She pursed her lips as she continued watching him. He didn’t move, didn’t speak. It was obvious to her that Liam was under at least the beginnings of his magical issue. “I’m not going anywhere and neither are you until I see the extent of your ‘personal matter,’” she said. “I’ve already told you, you’re under my protection. You have it until you make it home, since I’m assuming you live relatively close by.”
 For not having any desire for any soul to witness his problem, having the gorgeous redhead insist on watching was the absolute worst case scenario Liam could imagine. He could barely sweat as the temporal distortion on his person paved the way for the strange effects to proceed. The tightening feeling had already begun, so there was no hope to avoid his embarrassment. Before Lacy’s eyes, his clothes loosened. For Someone his own size, the change was more notable. To the twenty-plus-feet-tall warrior, she had to look closely to notice. From his head being level with her naval in her crouch, in but a few moments, his height had reduced to just below her waist and her knees. His pant legs bunched up on the ground, and his hands slipped into his long sleeves until only the slim fingertips showed.
 His expression wore the resounding panic it started with until the process was finished, and all too soon, his motor control returned and he stumbled backward into his ass. Liam breathed heavily, panting at the unexpected seizure he’d endured. That one was bigger than the last two. Was it getting worse? As he’d grown into a young man, he enjoyed a decent height of six foot four inches. Until recently, he’d been reduced to 5’6”, and with this latest change, he’d have to measure yet again to figure this most substantial reduction. Only now did he remember his peer, watching him with a mix of concern and curiosity, “Ahhhhlright... so... you’re the first to see this....” Liam’s cheeks blushed with shame, wishing against anything to be alone once again and not face the issue at hand.
 “Oh wow,” Lacy breathed. She was absolutely in shock over this. “Incredible. Do you return to your normal height? What’s causing this? Do you know?” She reached her hand out towards him but didn’t go so far as to actually pick him up. He had shrunk quite a bit for no apparent reason. “Did you piss off a wizard?” She asked. “You must have offended someone with a significant magical aptitude for this to happen.” She dropped her crouch into a kneel and rested both her hands in her lap. It was hard to restrain herself. She wanted to inspect him and figure out this new puzzle in front of her.
 Her approaching mitts made him jump. Feminine as they were, they appeared hardened by experience and not exactly what he wanted to be assaulted by right now. “Woah woah woah WOAH!” Liam raised his arms defensively, then held back when her own advance halted. “Sorry... you’re just big...ger,” he leaned back on his elbows and sighed, then sat up to sit with his legs crossed. The initial embarrassment was wearing off, now replaced with an indignant defensiveness.
 “D-don’t laugh miss, if you’d please.” His blush was stronger now, crossing his arms in his lap. “And no, it wasn’t a wizard!.... I think.” Liam didn’t wish to give up too much information. But what could he do? Lie? She’d have good reason to believe he was fibbing given their introductions. “It was a misunderstanding, I was drunk, so was she... the next morning was a bit awkward, and maybe I said some things that she... misinterpreted, that’s not the point!” He was looking up at her through his testimony, but knelt forward to face the ground, “Now, every day, at a time near sunset I’m never able to predict, I’ve lost several inches from my standing. She’s long gone, and I’ve been to the library and the doctor for solutions. But I don’t want anyone to worry or... take advantage I suppose.” His hazel eyes returned to meet her gaze. “it’s only been a few nights. I only started coming into the forest to hide it last night... Do you really think you might know someone who could help?”
 “I do,” Lacy assured him. She shifted once more to sit cross-legged in front of him. She was trying to reduce her own stature in an attempt to not loom. It was hard, though, since he was so small and she was, well, not. “Most members of the Guardians Guild are giants, such as myself. The second largest people group is made up by elves,” she explained. “Elves are the original magic users. Well, as they tell it anyway. If your bed partner was a human, she used borrowed magic.” She reached to the dirt and drew a simple picture of a fairy, a small stick figure with wings, and a stick figure of a woman. Between them, she drew wavy lines.
 “She would have to have used a talisman as a focal point,” Lacy continued. “Likely as not, she illegally harvested corrupt pixie blood to fuel her talisman.” She looked him over and nodded. “I’ll take you with me to Provoston. That’s where our main guild hall is. Once there, I can procure an elf or a magic-versed healer and let them have a look at you.”
 "That's um--" the information was a lot to process. He couldn't follow much of the talk of elves and fairies. He'd heard of such, but never thought them to be real. Let alone trolls or giants... especially not spectacularly pretty ones. "I appreciate your suggestion, but I'd hate to have such a fuss over little ol' me, no pun intended... eh." He paused, realizing his joke might've hit too close to home in this circumstance.
 "Besides, I don't have any of my necessities for such a trip, and I'm not so sure my town would be welcoming of such a, uh, Grand Guest." In truth, he knew exactly his folk's response. The question was how fast could the militia gather in time. Then again, this whole time he had been in denial. There had already been a few stray comments on a change in Liam's stature through this ordeal, and the regulars at the tavern would definitely notice his diminishment. He'd hoped the effects would just wear off, but they only worsened. What if this curse proceeded indefinitely? What would become of him if he became smaller than the specks of dirt amongst and grass and moss beneath him? He shuddered, the idea of being truly helpless beginning to weigh in.
 And then there was Lacy's aid, presenting itself as if from a fortuitous void. Hearing someone talk of magic with such confidence shared a sliver of reassurance to the lad, but the words coming from a towering, powerful woman made it seem all the more wishful and favorable. That fear was still weighing him down from the belly, but for the first time since it had begun the last week, he felt an inspiration to actually solve his crisis instead of avoiding it.
 "I suppose... if I could grab some supplies first, it'd be foolish of me to refuse." Liam stood, finding trouble in maneuvering within his now baggy pants and squared his shoulders to make his decision. "If you'll have me, I'll gladly accept your escort, Lady Lacy!" He stretched out his hand to seal their arrangement, but understood quickly the futility of his gesture and grinned at his mistake. "Please be gentle. No telling if I'm more breakable, hehe."
 Lacy chuckled and carefully took his hand, giving it one shake before releasing it. She looked him over, amusement clearly present in her features. “I think I’m going to have to carry you,” she said. “I don’t think you could keep up with me on a good day; let alone as you are right now.” She held out her hands as invitation for him to come closer, but she didn’t force him. Her new mission was to help this poor soul, not further injure him. “Come on then. You’ll be just fine. No use in you traipsing through the trees and tripping over your clothes every other step.” She was still grinning in mild amusement as she watched him. “You’re more likely to get hurt and break something that way.”
 “I guess... don’t mean to be impolite, but that’s still quite... undignified?” She brought up some valid points but being held like a parcel or child was precisely the situation he wanted to avoid in order to keep his pride. “I’ll lead the way, if that’s fair. I’m the one that’d recognize the trail I took in anyway.” With that, Liam proceeded past his new companion towards the brush where he’d entered through while pursued.
 He managed a few steps keeping her concern for his pants length in mind, elated to disprove her concern. Then they caught around a thorny vine, restricting his gait and making him trip forward. He hit the forest floor with a soft plat, yelping at the surprise misfortune, “Damn!” He felt that she’d try to help him up, to which Liam insisted none with a hand up. “I got this. Thank you for your patience— AH!” He was already trying to stand when his still-caught leg denied his recovery and led him back to lie face down in the dirt. He sighed heavily. “My Lady, if you wouldn’t mind?”
 This time Lacy had to bite her lip in order not to chuckle. The poor man had it rough enough. She crouched next to him and untangled his pants before helping him back to his feet. Although she said nothing, her green eyes danced with mirth. She gave him a moment to collect himself as he stood there in front of her.
 “I am an excellent tracker and can easily see the trail you and the trolls made as you barreled through the trees,” she said. “It would be faster for me to carry you. I could get us to the cabin, where the rest of my gear is, before moonrise while still going back to your town for supplies.” She gave him a moment to think on it before extending her hands again.
 It made the most practical sense. His protest now only stemmed from pride but persisting would be the end of that anyway when his new friend was exercising so much patience with him. She offered her large, mighty hands to him, and with a huff, he reached out and held it in acceptance. Still, that was all he could do, since he couldn’t quite picture how she’d even be holding him. Did she expect him to sit in her palm? She might be strong, but that’s still be like carrying a substantial sack of food in one hand, or a pile of rocks. Then again, maybe he was giving his reduced mass too much credit. “Do what you need to do, Miss. I trust you.”
 Lacy carefully gathered him into her hands and stood. He was significantly smaller than before. This faded some of her amusement, allowing concern to take its place. She perched him on her hip as if he were a child and began to walk. She kept one arm around him as support, but that was all she needed. “Now when we get to your town, you’ll have to direct me to your house,” she said. “While I more than likely could track your path, it would be silly to do so when you could far more easily point out the way.” She glanced down at him and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. You’ll be perfectly safe with me the whole time.”
 Her plan brought up the alarms right away, Liam’s eyes widening at the notion of Lacy striding through his town. “NO! No, I mean, my town’s never seen a... giant before. They’d likely panic. Any talk of magic or inhuman things isn’t exactly commonplace, no offense.” He had to take a breath to regain his composure before elaborating. “My lodging is near the town square, so I’ll have to go in on my own. We can arrange a place to meet, but I doubt you’d be able to sneak around.” As he said it though, he had to acknowledge that night was beginning to fall. The cover of dark might be some aid if she was adept at stealth. Still, the risk was too great. And his hope to not be seen nearly two feet shorter than normal by his neighbors was still strong.
 Lacy arched a brow at his insistent cries for her not to go into town. “I think I can handle a few scared humans,” she said. She ducked under a low branch and stepped high over some creeping vines as she talked. “And if you go in alone, you’re going to take much more time than needed.” She gave him a moment to think before speaking again. “It would be much faster and more efficient to escort you in.”
 “Perhaps. Just, please, try not to be noticed. I’d hate to cause any distress if it can be helped.” The first sensation he had to settle was the feeling of weightlessness in her arm. He felt gravity’s pull into his smaller frame, but found it constantly bested with ease by Lacy’s strength. The second sensation was the height. Besides the rare second story in his hamlet, Liam didn’t think he’d ever been so high up. The woods whizzed by below him as she, accurately, traced his path. He was impressed by her skill coming to fruition, yet it lead his mind to some dark thoughts. She was obviously clever, and clearly adept at tracking humans... who’s to say he wasn’t leading her to what would be her next big meal? She did say she was having lunch, but no evidence supported that... unless she was preparing for a big one that happened to fall in her lap. His trust in her may have been premature, his judgement possibly impaired by the challous leaf he’d smoked to prepare for tonight’s shift. What would he do? Should he steer her away? If she caught his lie, would she just kill him then and move on to the town anyway? He began to sweat, in no small part to being held against her bare hand, forearm, and hip. He had to do something. “So, uh, you see humans often? Any friends? Or do you exercise a subtler policy?”
 “I do have some human friends,” Lacy said. She continued walking as she spoke, eyes on the ground in her efforts to retrace Liam’s path. “But most of the humans I know are other members of the Guardians Guild. Of the people groups, the largest in number is the giants, such as myself. Humans in the guild are prevalent but they know the secret underground passages to get from place to place.” She paused as they rounded a corner and came to a small stream. It was easy for her to extend her stride and step across it, carefully placing her foot on the rocky shore. “They use the underground since they don’t have the brute strength and size of giants nor the magic of elves. And elves are extremely expensive to hire,” she explained. “It’s practically a king’s ransom fortune.”
 “Heh, imagine, the King hiring elves. Wouldn’t put it past that bloke,” he wasn’t entirely convinced, but she was speaking kindly. Though his head might’ve been addled still, since he began to grow more and more comfortable in the warm, womanly arm that supported him. Watching the world slip by under his perch, the whole experience began taking a surreal turn. He felt like he was levitating above it all. A voice in the back of him started wanting his mates to see him like this. While danger still rang in his subconscious, there was surely a clear bright side to this turn of events.
 “Shouldn’t be too far, I only walked a good ten minutes.” All of this was so spectacularly impossible. Trolls? Giants? Elves and magic? He thought he’d been losing his mind when he started seeing the results of that mad girl’s “spell.” But this was all real. He really should’ve been freaking out, but his contentment with his new acquaintance’s touch and aid would do until his pipe wore off. “I would show the lads what’s right when they see me rollin’ with a new bird that could pummel them. And you know what else?” Liam craned his neck to meet her face from below. “Likely be harder to see how smaller I’ve become in comparison, hah!” Quite a few mood swings were expected when dealing with the impossible. Luckily for now, he was finding the humor in all this weirdness.
 Lacy almost wondered if this human had ingested a hallucinogenic drug. She wasn't sure she could have been as mellow as he was at the prospect of magically diminishing height. While she wasn't tall for her race, coming in at just above average, she still disliked the thought of losing what she had. She rounded the bend of the woods and stepped through a veil of vines, coming out to face a human town. She glanced down at the human on her hip. "Alright, which way to your home?"
 Hardly any time had passed it felt, and yet they were already arrived. His hometown of Devonshire wasn't a small village, the industrial bubble had blown up to consume this region long ago. Still, with only a populace of a few hundred persons, it hadn't grown into the thriving city some hoped it would be someday. The moon was obscured by a cover of thick evening clouds, and most people were thankfully in their homes. Even with minimal chance of witnesses, Liam's home was close to the town center, which left plenty of windows for people to spot Lacy.
 "Okay, have to be careful. I understand you aren't afraid of them, but they will be. Some might near have a heart attack if they saw a giant woman out their window." He was trying to strategize out loud so she could work with his concerns, "Maybe if we walk down the market street... the shops would be mostly closed and abandoned save for the tavern. Which we could just duck behind. Then we'd be right near my house. Right!"
 Liam had a course in mind. "There will be a straight road leading towards the center of town from the East. It'll be empty at this time. If you walk behind the buildings there, we could make it most of the way. Sound agreeable, love?" He was smiling up at her. Nervous as he was, he was brewing in a well of excitement. It felt awfully clever to be scheming with his magically inclined comrade, and he was slightly anticipating the suspense of this covert infiltration from his warm, elevated lookout.
 Love? She snorted in amusement. "Alright. Point out the street." She began following his directions, carefully winding down the dark streets. Her own dark clothing helping her to blend with the shadows. She tread carefully, trying to avoid alerting any of the sleeping humans. Although Lacy was confident that she could handle any humans, she still didn't want to stir up a hornet's nest. If she could avoid issues with them, she was going to. For such large size, she was adept at maneuvering behind the small shops. She stood above the majority of them, most not even reaching over two stories, but she crouched down to blend in. This might just work after all. Now it was a matter of what supplies he’d need to get.
I have a nap sack that’d suffice for a weekend trip. Larger baggage would be cumbersome for the both of us to manage. He at least knew that’d it’d be wise to bring whatever shorts and belts he had. If he continued shrinking, he’d need to plan my garb around the possible worst outcome. Would I even be able to wear clothes? No, don’t think like that! he thought to himself. This will be a quick trip through the weekend, and I’ll be sorted out and home in no time. Just a handful of shorts and some shirts from my teens. No worries.
 They were closing in on one of the larger buildings in town, the Blue Whale Pub and Inn. The building was the most well-funded for tourists and festivities, reaching a grandiose three stories high, enough to even dwarf the mighty Lacy. This would prove favorable, since just a block away in plain view was the small cottage he’d been renting. “Okay, here’s good. I can walk the rest of the way, and you’ll be able to hide back here.” Liam tapped her wrist, an unspoken request to be let down.
 Lacy nodded and crouched, setting him back on the ground. She gently turned him to face her. "Now listen, go quickly but carefully, alright?" She looked him over. "If you need me, simply call out. I'll wait right here for you." She smiled and tightened his belt teasingly. "Whatever you do, just make sure you don't trip and fall. This hard stone ground might break your face. Then where would you be?"
 “I’d be where I was, but with a handsomer mug.” Liam grinned up at her, the surrealness of this exchange not lost on him. With her blessing, he hiked up his pants, the waistband hoisted up to his diaphragm, then began moving. His steps were labored from dealing with his ill-fitting shoes. Replacements for those would become an issue, to his knowledge he hadn’t brought any of his old children’s pairs with him when he moved. Perhaps he’d find a substitute. Or perhaps Lacy would be committed to carrying him through the extent of their journey.
 Now that he was alone, and had time to picture his time being carried against the impossible woman, Liam finally recognized how much bare, feminine flesh he’d been pressed against for the last half hour. He’d had his share of intimate exploits with fine young girls, but the idea of being so completely encompassed by a beautiful bird reminded him of his manhood for the first time tonight.
 “Jesus christ, you need to lay off the pile, lad...” He said to himself. No doubt his guardian was attractive, but lest he forget, she’s also a mythological creature. Best to keep it in his pants for all party’s sakes. Eventually, he managed to hobble back to his side cottage, reaching into his pocket for the key. Removing it from its roomier compartment, he found the bulk of the metal fidget now filled his palm. It was already large and dull before when resting in his pants, leading to some not-so-subtle references to his package at the pub, but this was ridiculous! Being larger meant it took his whole hand to turn it rather than his fingers, but he was able to enter all the same and begin preparations.
 Meanwhile, at the Blue Whale, the front door burst open, making way for a slobbishly dressed, blonde haired man with a messy beard and shirt. A dumb grin blossomed on his mug, calling back to his mates in the pub, “You ‘ores bettah be readeh when I’m back from me piss! I have the commodore’s suite reserved for the first lucky cunt to give me a dance!” He stumbled out, turning the corner around the building. There was a perfectly functional lavatory within, but he hadn’t the patience or bladder to wait for its occupancy to free up. Besides, it was a man’s joy to piss out in the free world! At the least, he had manners, and would confine his public urination away from the general walking space for the townsfolk.
 He walked along the building toward the back to conceal his actions. Once there, he wasted no time in whipping out his semi-flaccid member and sticking a stance facing towards the rear wall. With one hand supporting himself against the bricks, the other aiming is penis, he let loose a strong stream that splattered wildly against the stonework. “Ahhhhh~” he leaned his head back to sigh, happy to relieve himself after holding off. With the seal broken, it’d be time soon to grab a wench and make to bed before his spirits left him. He wouldn’t protest another drink, but he’d be a pansy to let his old age break his seal so early in the night. He was so zoned in on his internal diatribe, he hadn’t taken notice of the proportional absurd miracle to his left. She’d very noticed him, though.
 Lacy stared at the man in disgust. It was vulgar, in her opinion, to relieve oneself outside of a bathroom when one was available. So to see this man just pissing away on a wall made her scowl. "Gross," she muttered. It was revolting, how he did it in such a cavalier way. Did he have no manners? She snorted and looked away, lips curled in disgust.
 “Wuh?—“ the man heard a nearby voice and looked around, only finding some smooth grain bags in a weird pile with a wild orange quilt high above. Looking the other way proved no help. He shrugged, summing it up to tonight’s unique brand of drunkenness. When he was close to empty, he shook his willy and tucked back into his trousers. The loose jangling of his belt rang out while he fully returned his outfit to its original unkempt fit, then started moving back around the corner.
 His head was spinning from the relief of urinating and he didn’t quite make a step. He stumbled, and that stumble led to him hitching forward. To avoid outright falling to the ground, he kicked forward to push himself back, arms spread out to brace him for what was no going to be a fall onto his back. Instead, his back smacked into something soft, tough, and warm. His palms turned to feel the strange materials which must’ve been the grain bags he’d seen, but they felt like no workman’s weave he’d ever known.
 He turned his head, long hair brushing against the surface, and he found the little notches of fuzz one would expect from a cloth fabric were of a different sort. Little hairs growing along a smooth, lightly tanned surface. He turned around properly and began petting the material. There was a surging presence in it, like something inside was alive and pulsing. Or maybe it was simply just alive? Did a nude cow find its way into the square? But then where was the head?
 “The actual fuck is Clarence keeping back here these da—“ He found his answer by following the tab mound up its length to find a massive bosom, capped with a large, angry woman’s head. His gut turned, “Woah there!?” He stepped back but clumsily fell again into what was apparently her thigh. She was unamused, which he figured out quickly. Still, this revelation led to its own merits. This was a massive thigh. He squished his palms and fingers into it, now with wonderment, “Bloody hell! ‘as Clarence been hiding a lass like you ‘round back this ‘ole time?”
 Lacy glared down at the man. “You are impossibly rude, boorish, and drunk! Get your hands off me.” She flicked him away, wincing slightly when he went flying farther than she had intended, landing in a pile of empty barrels. “Oops. Oh well. No big loss.” She glanced around, hoping the noise didn’t attract any unwanted attention. Just how long was Liam going to take to gather a few bits of clothing?
 The force came from nowhere and sent him reeling backwards before crashing painfully into a pile of empty ale barrels. The rushing air gave way to the searing pain on his front and back, a few cuts from splintered wood in his arms and back. He tried to cry out, but the air had left his lungs. Left to wheeze pitifully, he just retreated into the small alcove the rubble provided to avoid this monster. The humor had left his mind, and now he understood he was under attack. “He—cough—help—“ He regained more of his speech as his bearings returned.
 At this time, from the other side of Lacy, Liam was approaching with a rucksack slung over his shoulder, stuffed with the necessities he deemed worthy to bring along for the weekend. Approaching the giantess again, he was struck by her natural majesty. She was simply garbed, and not the most refined in her looks. However, she carried an air of profound majesty with her stature. Even leaning against the tavern like it was a sofa rest made her look regal, as if this beauty deserved to treat such a large building as such. He shook the thoughts and his budding attraction away, getting back to the matter at hand, “ ‘allo! Think I’m about ready, unless I’d need some food, but I brought some mint to pay for grub wherever we’re going, should that suffice.”
 Lacy looked back to her traveling companion, her charge, and nodded. “Good. Let’s go. There was some arrogant drunk pissing inches from my boot. Then he copped a feel. I knocked him across the alley. I would rather go before any others come.” She shifted to her knees and held out her hands again. She figured he was still willing to be held and carried but wasn’t going to force it on him. Before he could consent to be held, the man Lacy had sent flying had apparently gathered his buddies and come back for more. Or vengeance or something.
 “What? Who did—“ Before Liam could ask, he noticed the four or five men that had rounded the corner of the pub, all halting in shock at discovering the blond man’s testimony to be true.
 “I told ya’s lads! This bulky cunt knocked me to the ale shells!” One of them was cleaner than the rest, procuring a rifle from at the ready, already aimed up at Lacy. Liam was horrified at this turn of events. He hastily ran around Lacy’s legs and staked himself between the two parties.
 “Calm yourselves, friends!! She means no harm! This is just a mis—“ He couldn’t finish as one of the men pulled his shoulder and yanked him into the ranks.
 “Get back, lad! It’s not safe!” “What are ya on about?!” Another spoke up, “who’s kid is thi— wait.” The man stopped, and the same time the rest were getting a good look at the short adolescent who’d wandered into this mess. It was the man with the rifle who spoke up. “Christ Son! The hell are you doing?!” “That’s Liam? What’s wrong with him?”
 The other men joined in their collective bewilderment. They all knew the barkeep’s foster child who’d grown into a fine young man at level with their lot. But this man was a mere fraction of the pal they knew. This discovery was precisely what Liam wished to avoid. Desperately, he pulled himself from their grouping and broke out back to Lacy. “Leave! Now! Let’s go.”
 He didn’t mince words, hurrying to get back in her hand so they could make their escape. Clarence wasn’t too privy to his son’s will, interpreting his escape as a motion of panic. He had no clue how to respond, but raised his gun up at the monster. “Son! Get back!” He fired his rifle into the air, though fortunately wasn’t a great shot in crisis, only hitting a chunk off the back of the building. Damning his mistake, he hurried to reload.
 Lacy swore and flinched away from report of the rifle. What the hell?! When Liam came running, she gathered him into her arms, shifting him to her side again. She easily swept the other humans off their feet to prevent chase. Then she stood and took off. She ran full-steam ahead, powering through alleys without bothering to crouch and hide. There was no use for that now. She slid around corners, her heavy boots pounding into the earth, gripping the wet stone. Her breathing was even and regulated. She knew how to run. She knew how to run well. She just had to run fast enough to get out.
 The buildings and streets were a blur as soon as Liam was back in her care. He felt the tremors from her heavy footfalls vibrate his very core. None of this situation was helping calm his panic, which escalated with each boom on the gravel. There weren't any pursuers for now, but they eventually cleared the town and returned to the trees in no time at all. The moon obscured by the tall woods and various branches and leaves whipping past while she sprinted into safety. In their haste, one of his shoes had fallen off and been left behind. He held tight to his bag as tightly as she held onto him, having wound up curled into her side with her arm securing him by his back. Her flesh flexed and released every other second with her gait, but shortly began to slow when she must've believed it safe to let up. He gripped onto her skin for dear life, even by the time she stopped. Everything felt so cold and intangible, her physical presence and warmth was the only thing keeping him grounded. "....that might've gone better...."
 Lacy breathed easy once they had crossed through the veil of vines. She turned to peak through them again, only to no longer see the little town. Instead was a large lake set at the foot of two tall hills. She frowned and looked to her charge. “We did just come through here, didn’t we?” She let the veil fall, waited a moment, and opened it up again. Still, there was no quaint little town. There was only the lake and the hills.
 "How do you mean?" His face only perceived the large trees they'd been surrounded by before. The left side of his head was pressed into her torso until now, giving him a proper view of their environment. The brush was thick, and the moon no longer pierced through the canopy. None of these details concerned Liam. When he could think again, his mind went back to their possible pursuers, "Wait, don't stop! They won't be far behind, and our goose is cooked if they get the horses!"
 Lacy huffed and boosted Liam further up. He was now on her ribs, his knees just below her breasts, in an effort to give him a better look. “No one is following, Liam,” she said. “Look.” She pulled back the veil of the vines. The moonlight hit the lake, casting a perfect reflection of the sky and the mountains. It almost looked like a glass casting of the scene around them. “I’m not sure but I think we crossed through a veil,” Lacy said. “A rip in the fabric of the world that can take us to different places and times. It’s never permanent, though, and are impossibly hard to predict.”
 “...Not the strangest thing I’ve heard today.” He scanned the magnificent view Lacy revealed in the place where his home should’ve been. The landscape illuminated in the vastly brighter moonlight was glorious to behold. “Other worlds, you say? Well, could’ve been worse.” He found a footing to stand on her palm and forearm, steadying himself against her to fully appreciate the vantage point.
 “I don’t suppose that’d explain how I was found by two trolls and a giant in Devonshire.” He looked into her eyes. He’d never been this close to her face, and the subtle details it held were all revealed in the lunar glow. The freckles across her nose the size of small flowers, dark brows brushed across her forehead complimenting her eyes as almost as equal to his head. The moonlight reflected in them, and his own visage stared back the deeper he fell into them. The deep, dark shining void that made the path into her soul. He must’ve still been winded from their egress. He shook himself out of his dumb trance. At the same, he came to the conclusion that his hands were supporting his upper body on her bosom. Shocked by his absent-minded brashness, he pushed away from the soft flesh on instinct. Once again, after many times in one night, he was falling.