Theo awoke, stretching with a yawn as she slowly came to, her eyes struggling to open after a long night's rest.

She finally opened her eyes, and saw a confusing sight. “The village?” she grumbled, rubbing her eyes to be sure that she wasn’t dreaming.

Sure enough, the visual didn’t change, and she was currently in her old bed, a medley of sticks and grass in a hut made of the same material. She slowly slid out of it, standing up and feeling the dirt beneath her feet.

“I guess the whole thing with the giant lady was a dream…” she remarked, as she slowly made her way out of the hut. She pushed open the leaf door, shielding her eyes from the bright sun as she stepped out into the open air, feeling a cool breeze blow across the forest floor as her village came into view.

“Hey Theo!” a voice shouted, leading to the same call out from several others.

“Hey everyone!” she shouted back, waving at all of her fellow villagers. A smile crept across her face

“I’m glad everyone's okay…” she sighed, looking around the array of stick-made huts and searching for a certain one.

“Who’s okay?” a voice said from behind, startling Theo.

“Mother! Don’t scare me like that…” she scolded, turning to see her smiling mother. The elegant woman wore her age beautifully, her blonde hair cascading down her barely wrinkled face like a waterfall, leading to a set of shimmering blue eyes, that looked intently at Theo with a curious gaze.

“Oh hush, my child. I was just curious as to what you were saying. Why would we not be okay?” she asked, touching a hand to Theo’s shoulder and smiling sweetly, her laughter lines a sign of a life well lived.

“I had a dream that the village was destroyed by rats, and I got found by a Giantess. She kept me as her own, and made me rub her feet… it was awful…” Theo shuddered, getting a laugh from her mother.

“Well, I can assure you Theo, if you were caught by a Giantess, you’d be thankful that they just made you rub their feet…” her mother giggled, shaking her head at her daughter's naivety.

“What do you mean, you sound like you’re speaking from experience…” Theo asked, garnering a forlorn look from her mother.

“Well… did I ever tell you what happened to my brother?” she offered, looking at Theo with a questioning gaze.

“Not that I recall… you always said Uncle Thomas was taken young…” Theo responded, curious as to what her mother was talking about.

“He was. Let me tell you a story, my daughter…” her mother said, guiding Theo to a nearby stick to sit on. The two took their seats, and Theo looked patiently at her mother as she took a moment to think.

“Long ago, your Uncle and I were out in the forest, foraging for food…” she began…

-

“Thomas, how much further? This isn’t safe…”

“Be patient, Alicia, this is where the good food is!” Thomas replied, petting his sister's head as she cautiously stepped along the forest floor, her dainty feet tapping lightly along the ground behind his heavy steps.

Alicia bit her tongue, knowing her brother’s reckless nature.

“Look! A red mushroom, and a huge one at that! This could feed the family for weeks!” he cheered, noticing a bright red protrusion near the base of a redpine. He ran towards it, causing Alicia to groan as she ran too, trying to keep up.

Thomas grabbed chunks of the mushroom, shoving them into his leafen satchel by the handful. Alicia joined in, doing the same.

“What a lucky find! See, this is why we go so far out! All the good stuff is by the Giant’s Crossing!” Thomas laughed, struggling to fit all the mushroom pieces into his bag.

“But it’s called that for a reason, brother. I don’t want to be here long…” Alicia warned, tugging at her brother as her bag had been filled.

“Here, hold this piece so we can bring back as much as possible…” Thomas replied, not caring for Alicia’s concern

The young blonde looked around fearfully, worrying that something would come flying out of the forest to attack the two. The whistling sound of the forest's wind felt like a bad omen, she just wasn’t sure of what.

“Alright, this should be enough. Ready to head back?” Thomas asked, looking to Alicia for approval. He was confused, as he looked to her, and only saw her simply stricken with fear, white as a ghost as she looked behind him.

“What’s wrong?” he said with concern, touching a hand to his sister’s, trying to break her out of her trance. She wouldn’t budge.

Thomas rose an eyebrow, then slowly pivoted his head to look for the offender.

“What is…” he began, before he found the source of the problem.

A giant canvas of pale flesh, with a nose, a fanged mouth, two yellow eyes with peculiar thin pupils, and a mop of black hair, broken up by a pair of protruding ears, twitching with every barely audible sound of the forest. It looked at him with one, very identifiable emotion; hunger.

Thomas dared not move, maintaining eye contact with the giant being as she looked down at him, a black tail swinging back and forth behind her as her rag-covered body maintained its downward, all fours position.

“Alicia… run…” Thomas instructed.

“But… what about you!” Alicia shouted, also maintaining her gaze with the black-haired giant.

“Alicia, you don’t know what this is… do you…” Thomas said with a defeated tone.

“No, I don’t, but I want us to get out of here!” she pleaded, trying to tug at Thomas and pull him away.

“Damnit Alicia, this is a Neko! Our worst predator! You really think she’s just gonna let us both go? She’s had every chance to take us, she’s playing with us! They do that for fun! They wait until we can’t fight anymore, and then they eat us!” Thomas yelled, pulling Alicia towards him and making him look into her eyes.

“Run.” he mouthed.

Tears began to fall from Alicia’s eyes, and she felt her lips wobble as she struggled to get out her words.

“Please don’t make me leave you…” she begged, sniffling as her brother looked at her stoically.

“Just live a good life, okay?” he asked, a single tear running down his face.

Alicia pulled her hand away, sobbing as she began to turn around. She began to sprint, leaving her bag behind as she distanced herself from her brother and the Neko.

“NO!” she screamed, as she felt something pin her down. A set of sharp nails appeared before her, and she was trapped in a cage of flesh as the Neko’s hand laid on the tiny girl.

“Oh no you don’t!” Thomas yelled, as he plunged his blade into the hand, eliciting a yelp from the Neko.

“Ow! You’re starting to get on my nerves, you little pest…” the Neko growled, her hand lifting off of Alicia and immediately swiping Thomas into it.

“Thomas!” Alicia shouted, getting to her feet and looking back as her brother was fastly lifted into the air, the hand being brought to the Neko’s face.

“What is she… oh my god, Thomas, no!” Alicia yelled, watching as the Neko lifted the hand above her head and licked her lips.

“Ah…” she said, as she stuck out her tongue, holding her mouth open as the tiny warrior fought with all of his might against the appendage keeping him in place.

Alicia began to run towards the Neko and picked up Thomas’s blade, struggling to wield the heavy shard of flint.

Just as she was about to reach the Neko’s foot, the worst possible outcome happened; she dropped Thomas, and he plummeted into her mouth, disappearing from Alicia’s view.

“Please don’t eat my brother!” she begged, but it was to no avail.

*GULP*

A loud gulping sound echoed through the forest, and Alicia watched as a lump traveled down the giant cat-girls throat, sinking down past her chest, disappearing into her stomach. She patted her belly, suddenly burping, covering her mouth with a giggle.

"Nyaa~ I can't believe I got to taste a Mini! That was sooo good!" the Neko chirped, letting out a satisfied sigh.

Alicia broke, her sobs delving into the territory of screams as she watched her brother get consumed by the Neko…

-

“So how’d you escape?” Theo asked, looking at her mother as she recalled the terrible memory.

“I got lucky. She tried to catch me, but I made it into a log she couldn’t fit into. She waited me out, but grew too bored after about a day and a half…” Alicia explained, wiping a tear from her eye.

“I’m sorry mother. That sounds terrible…” Theo said, offering her mother a leaf-fragment to wipe her eyes.

“Thank you dear… and, yes, it was. That’s why I warn you against venturing out into the forest so much, as you love to do. Leave it for the men. Us women belong in the village, where it’s safe. Why don’t you focus on finding a partner?” Alicia asked, eliciting a groan from Theo.

“This again… how many times have I told you, I don’t care about that stuff. Your gender concepts are so dated…” Theo explained, an irritance audible in her tone.

“You’re too much of a tomboy…” Alicia complained, looking at her daughter's dagger-cut chin length hair and roughed-up body.

“Just, please… be careful. I don’t want to see you taken too…” she pleaded, taking her Theo's hand and making her look her in the eye.

“I promise, mother. If I see any kind of Giant, I’ll run away. Especially a Neko…” Theo sighed, rolling her eyes and standing up, walking away from her mother and heading towards the forest gate.

“Oh god’s above… protect my naïve daughter…” Alicia prayed, looking as Theo slowly made her way out of the village…

-

"Where are the mushrooms…" Theo sighed, struggling to find her foraging target as she ventured deeper into the forest.

It had been about an hour since she'd left the village, and there wasn't a single sign of anything edible.

"The forage teams must've picked things clean…" she grumbled, searching every nook and cranny but coming up empty.

Suddenly, Theo heard a rustling in the grass nearby. She took a stance, and pulled out her flintblade, looking around and trying to see if anything was watching her.

For a while, there was no sign of movement.

"I must be going crazy…" she mumbled, tucking her blade back into her leaf scabbard. But as she put it away, a black ball of fur came lunging at her from the forest, almost too fast for her to dodge. Thankfully, she got out of the way just in time, and pulled her blade back out. With a swift cut, she traced along its body, opening it wide and sending it down to the ground.

"What was… a baby rat?" she remarked, noticing the creature as it heaved. She put it down with a stab, then cleaned her blade.

"That was lucky. There's no way I'd be able to take a full sized rat…" she sighed, returning the blade to its scabbard and looking around.

"I should report this to the warriors…" she said as she broke out into a jog, her bare feet dancing elegantly on the forest moss as she ventured back towards the village.

-

As she made it back to the village gates, everything seemed… quiet. The usual chatter of the village was gone, and no one was in sight.

"Anyone?" Theo called out, hoping for a response. Nothing came back.

"That's odd…" she thought, walking through the main street as she looked around. Suddenly, she saw someone laying on the ground.

"Are you okay?!" she shouted, getting down on her knees and rolling the person over.

"Oh my god… mother?!" she gasped, seeing her mother in fatal condition as a wound seeped blood from her midsection.

"Theo… run…" she breathed, before passing out.

"No… gods, no… mother!" she pleaded, hoping someone would come and save her.

Just then, a rustling sound echoed through the village. She turned, and her face fell white, as she realized what the sound was. A rat.

She cursed her luck, and broke out into a sprint, trying to distance herself from the rat as it's loud squeaks indicated to her that it was gaining on her.

"No good… it's faster…" she cursed, pulling her blade out of it's scabbard and turning around. Before she could even blink, the rat was upon her, and opened its jaws. She covered her face, preparing for the worst…

-

"No!" Theo screamed, breaking out into a cold sweat as she scrambled to her feet.

"Woah! Are you okay Theo?" Tess asked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the small blonde.

"So THAT was the dream…" Theo panted, trying to catch her breath.

"You had a dream?" Tess inquired, curious to hear it.

"It's a long story… and more like a memory. Some stuff that happened the day you found me…" Theo sighed, slowly returning to a level state.

"I guess that would be pretty hard to live again. I won't make you repeat it…" Tess said compassionately, stroking Theo's head.

"Hey! Don't do that!" Theo scolded, pushing Tess's finger away.

"Sorry, just figured you'd be okay with that…" Tess giggled, looking at the blushing blonde.

"I'm not a pet!" Theo argued, huffing and crossing her arms.

Tess held Theo in her hand and tried not to continue laughing, then eventually helped her back into her pocket.

"So, what are we doing in… I think you said Bisila?" Theo asked, settling into the pocket.

"I have a contact who lives in the city, and one who lives outside of it. Gonna try and make some trades happen and build some inventory to sell." Tess explained, wiping the sweat off of her brow as she trudged along the beaten streets, Papo following closely behind.

"One of them owns an orchard. It's where I get most of my apples from. She supplies half of the apples in the country… When we visit her, I'd like you to stay hidden in my pocket. It's for your own good…" Tess said, trailing off without much explanation.

"I guess I can…" Theo responded, confused at Tess's statement. She figured being under her ownership would protect her from any Giants.

"It won't be long before we enter the city limits. Papo, are you good or do you need a break?" Tess asked, turning to her mule.

Papo reared his head. Tess knew that to mean he could keep going.

"I definitely could… but if we're lucky, Lynn won't mind if we park up at the orchard for a little…" she sighed, continuing her stride through the never ending forest…

-

"Ugh… finally…" Tess groaned, flailing around as her tired body finally laid eyes on the sprawling orchard, with apple trees as far as the eye could see. She looked up on the sign, "Felinia Orchards," nodding to Papo to let him know they'd arrived. Papo let out a satisfied sigh, slowing his pace as he stayed behind Tess.

"Alright, Theo. Don't leave my pocket, no matter what…" Tess warned, tapping her pocket to get Theo's attention.

"Yeah yeah… don't hassle me…" Theo complained, staying put in her hiding place as she resisted the playful taps of the giantess.

"Nyaa~ is that Tess?!" a voice called out, high-pitched and excited.

"Hey Lynn! Long time no see!" Tess called out, waving energetically to her business partner and close friend.

"Tess! How've you been? Make any money?" Lynn asked, as she jogged up to the redhead, her silver hair doused with sweat, the result of a hard day's labor at the orchard.

"Ha… yeah…" Tess began.

"C'mon girl, you've been in business for all these years and you still don't know how to turn a profit?" Lynn giggled, getting an annoyed glance from her friend.

"Look, I didn't inherit a whole orchard like you, I'm starting from the ground up!" Tess reasoned, getting continued giggles from Lynn.

"Please, we both know this place was a dump before I took over. My parents were far better warriors than they were at botanicals…" Lynn explained, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Whatever… anyway, I want to talk business. I need a cartful of apples." Tess asked, placing a hand on her hip as she began business talks.

"Well, I've definitely got that. You got money?" Lynn asked with a suspicious tone.

"I… uh… don't. But I could put it on my tab, right?" Tess asked nervously, smiling to hide her embarrassment.

"Mhmm… the tab you already nearly filled?" Lynn sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Please? I'll pay you back, I've got new ideas!" Tess pleaded, taking Lynn's hand in hers.

"You know, going into debt for perishable goods isn't good business practice…" Lynn sighed, walking over to her notebook to check the inventory.

"Hey Papo!" she laughed, petting the mule's head on the way.

She grabbed the piece of paper, looking through the pages.

"So… that'll be five gold coins for a "cartload" of apples…" Lynn muttered.

"Five?! It used to be three!" Tess groaned.

"Inflation hurts everyone, Tess. I'm sorry, it's five today." Lynn replied, crossing her arms and tapping her foot as she awaited Tess's answer.

"Ugh… fine. I'll pay ten-percent today, and I'll pay you back an additional ten in interest later. Deal?" Tess sighed.

"Deal." Lynn smiled, shaking Tess's hand.

"You're terrible at this!" Theo laughed, popping her head out of the pocket to make fun of her owner.

"Theo!" Tess shouted, trying to push the Mini back down into her pocket, but not succeeding in time, as she noticed a distinctive look on Lynn's face.

"Is that… a Mini?!" Lynn gasped, her fangs showing as her tail excitedly flicked, and her pupils dilated fully.

"No it's… fuck, damn you to the gods Theo…" Tess cursed, pushing the Mini all the way into her pocket and holding her tight.

"Tess, I'll offer you as many cartfuls as you want and wipe your debt right now, if you give me that Mini!" Lynn pleaded, trying to grab at Tess's pocket, getting her hand slapped away.

"She's not for sale, or food for that matter, Lynn. She's in service to me." Tess warned.

Theo was shaking in Tess's pocket. "That's why she didn't want me to be seen!" she realized, covering her mouth and trying to stay hidden. "She's working with a Neko!"

"Just… load my apples and we'll be out of your hair…" Tess asked, trying to snap Lynn out of her trance.

"Hmph. Fine… ugh, I'm so hungry too… you’re no fun…" Lynn complained, motioning to her workers to come over.

-

The team worked hard at loading Papo's cart, eventually filling it as much as they could with apples, and Tess handed Lynn the money she owed.

"Phew. Alright, we gotta find somewhere to sleep, so I'll be heading out, Lynn. It was good to see you, and I appreciate you helping me out…" Tess said, going to shake Lynn's hand goodbye.

"... Actually Tess, why don't you stay a night? We have a bathhouse, you could wash off all that… stink…" Lynn offered, scrunching her nose.

"I smell?" Lynn asked, lifting her arm to smell her pit.

"Awful!" Theo added, before covering her mouth again as she realized her mistake.

"Yeah, what the Mini said. Neko noses are hyper sensitive, I could smell you before you even stepped in the orchard…" Lynn coughed.

"...I guess we can stay a night. Is that okay Papo?" Tess asked with an air of suspicion in her voice, seeing Papo rear his head in approval.

"Guess we're staying the night." she laughed, looking to Lynn.

Lynn smiled. "Well, let's put Papo in the stables and head inside!" she exclaimed, motioning for Tess to follow her…

-

Tess sighed, stepping down into the hot bath and feeling her stress melt away into the steaming water.

"Holy shit… this is heavenly…" she laughed, slowly sinking into the water.

"The things you Giants have astound me. I could never imagine a clean pool of water this hot, and this large…" Theo said, touching a hand to the waters surface and pulling it away, startled at the heat.

"It's called a bath. They aren't very common, which is why I'm usually so dirty…" Tess explained, closing her eyes.

"A bath… boy, mother would love this…" Theo exclaimed, sitting at the edge of the water and splashing her feet around.

"Wanna get all the way in?" Tess asked, to which Theo nodded her head. Tess grabbed Theo, and placed her right on her chest, just beneath her cleavage.

Theo blushed, trying to hide how flustered she was by the act.

"What's up? We're both girls…" Tess asked, confused by Theo's shyness.

"It's… nevermind…" Theo replied, getting a raised eyebrow from Tess.

"Well, whatever. Anyway, how's your first night in an actual building going?" Tess inquired, looking at the miniature blonde.

"Um… intimidating. But it's nice to be able to relax without worrying about something trying to eat me." Theo laughed.

"Yeah… about that. Keep away from Lynn while you're here. I don't trust her. I feel like she wanted me to stay here just to have a chance at you…" Tess reasoned, a tone of annoyance in her voice.

"You really think she'd do that? I thought I was your property…" Theo countered.

"Hopefully not. Still, we'll play it safe tonight. You'll stay in my boot. I doubt she'd look there, and the smell should hide you." Tess smiled.

"Oh c'mon, please just let me sleep in an actual bed for the one night we aren't on the road…" Theo begged, giving Tess puppy dog eyes.

"Ugh, fine. But you're sleeping with me." Tess ordered, getting another blush from Theo.

"Oh… okay." Theo nervously agreed.

Tess looked curiously at the Mini, confused by her shyness around her. She sighed, disregarding the thought, instead sinking into the bath and enjoying the steam…

-

Tess awoke with a yawn, stretching out as the linens gave way to her toned body. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get the sleep out.

"Theo… wake up…" she said, nudging the tiny girl laying before her.

"Huh?!" Theo yelled, startling awake.

"Boy, you don't sleep gently at all… poor thing…" Tess remarked.

Theo also yawned, scratching a few places as she caught up to speed.

"Well, where I'm from, sleeping too gentle can mean you get eaten…" Theo explained, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"I guess that's fair. But you've got me now, you don't have to be so on edge." Tess argued, smiling at the Mini.

"I guess so…" Theo accepted, sitting up and looking around.

"So what's the plan for today?" she asked, looking to Tess.

"Well, I need to meet my old contact in the city. That's something I need to discuss with you…" Tess began, a hint of hesitance in her voice.

"What's the problem?" Theo said, picking up on the tone.

"I don't have a clean shirt with a pocket in it like my other one. And my pants don't have any either. So you'll need to ride… in my boot." Tess explained, knowing Theo's impending reaction.

"No!" the tiny girl yelled.

"Yeah, I figured you'd say that." Tess laughed.

"Well duh! I can't survive being in there with your big meaty foot! You'll crush me!" Theo argued, jumping up at the titaness.

"It's better than staying here. Lynn definitely wants to eat you…" Tess warned.

"I'll just hide! Trust me, I'm real good at it." Theo countered.

"But I found you?" Tess rebutted, an awkward pause gained from Theo.

"That doesn't count! I was running for my life from a rat!" she yelled, getting a laugh from Tess.

"I know, but still. Are you sure you'll be okay? If Lynn eats you, I'll be down a foot massager…" Tess grinned.

"I'd rather be eaten than live that life…" Theo shuddered.

"Alright, I guess I'll get ready…" Tess groaned, stretching once more, then hopping out of bed…

-

Tess let out a satisfied sigh, as she hooked her scabbard into her waist, making sure it was secure.

“Okay Theo, I’m all ready. Are you for real sure that you’ll be okay?” she asked, looking towards the tiny blonde sitting on the bed.

“Uh huh. Tell you what, if I get eaten, I’ll rub your feet for the rest of my life.” Theo smiled.

“But you’d be dead if you got eaten? You couldn't rub my feet if you were dead!” Tess pondered, a puzzled expression.

“What a shame…” Theo giggled, getting a laugh from Tess.

“Alright, I’m going to make my way out then. Be safe, Theo.” Tess ordered, getting a salute from the Mini. She watched as Tess made her way out, shutting the giant door behind her as she left the room.

Theo took in the silence. She hadn’t had much of that since she was found, as even during the night she could barely sleep due to Tess’s deafening snores.

She continued to sit on the bed, looking around for any points of interest.

“Not really much to do in the meantime…” she muttered, standing up and walking around on the squishy bed.

“It’s like the lily pads on the pond back home…” she giggled, bouncing up and down into the mattress.

She gazed upon different spots of the room with each bounce, wondering what she could do to occupy herself for the potential entire day alone…

-

As time passed, Theo quickly realized that there wasn’t going to be anything of any kind of entertainment to cure her boredom, and she laid splayed out on the exposed mattress as she tried to think of mental games she could play.

“Bugs-on-the-wall?” she pondered, recalling all the childhood games her and her fellow villagers used to play together.

“Ugh… this is even more boring than the village. I… actually miss Tess… am I going crazy?” she giggled, thinking of her red-headed captor.

Suddenly, a latch turned, echoing out through the room.

“Shit! A maid?” Theo wondered, quickly pulling herself under the blanket and pushing her head out to see what was happening.

The offender opened the door, and stepped inside, pulling the door shut behind them.

“Is that… Lynn?” Theo gasped, covering her mouth. She was right, the giant figure in front of the door was indeed the giant silver-haired cat-girl, currently eyeing up the entire room, as if looking for something.

“She’s looking for me, isn’t she…” Theo muttered.

“Oh little Mini… I know you’re in here… I can smell you…” Lynn grinned, her tail flicking excitedly as she sniffed the air.

Theo thought back to her mother’s story. This was no laughing matter, this Neko wanted her for a snack, and she hardly wanted to continue the family tradition of falling victim to cruel fates…

“I’ve got all day little one… perks of being the boss!” Lynn giggled, getting on all fours as she started to search further for Theo. Theo observed her, feeling terrified as she saw the trademark fangs and claws of the Neko, sharper than any blade she’d ever seen.

“Where can I hide…” Theo whispered, searching around the bed for some kind of hiding place.

“The pillows!” she realized, as she broke out into a sprint towards the bedding, struggling to maintain pace as the mattress sunk under her feet.

“Damn this luxurious material!” she groaned, her body aching from the repetitive motions.

Just as she was about to make it to the pillow, a giant shadow was cast over her, and she shielded her face on instinct as a titanic force flopped onto the bed, sending Theo flying into the air.

“Oh shit!” Theo yelled, as she soared through the air. She began to fall, but before she could even hit the ground, a hand grabbed her with ease, gripping her tight and only leaving her head exposed to the air.

Theo gulped. She was in the hand of Lynn, who was looking at her with awfully hungry looking eyes…

“Well, that was easy!” Lynn giggled, blowing playfully on the Mini she held firmly in her grasp.

“You aren’t very fast, nyaa~” she continued, her fangs poking out of her plush lips as she gazed intently at the tiny girl.

“Let me go! Tess will kill you!” Theo yelled, struggling in vain against the impossible force.

“Oh, she could try. You know, I was an A rank adventurer back in the day, at just sixteen. Tess wouldn’t be able to put a scratch on me, even if she did train under Roderick…” Lynn smiled, getting comfortable on the bed, resting her head on her elbow as she continued to hold the Mini.

“This isn’t right! I’m a person, just like you!” Theo pleaded, grunting in frustration as the hand refused to give way.

“Oh, you are now, nyaa?” Lynn giggled. “You aren’t a very strong one…”

Theo suddenly had an idea.

“Ow! You bit me?! That’s not very nice, nyaa~” Lynn scolded, squeezing the air out of Theo.

“Shit… I can’t escape…” Theo muttered, ceasing her struggles. This wasn’t a game of strength anymore.

Out of nowhere, Lynn’s hand suddenly loosened its grip, letting Theo breathe, and lowering her to the bed. It relaxed, letting her fall out of it onto the bed in front of Lynn.

“What are you doing?” Theo asked with a suspicious tone, wondering what was happening. Was she letting her go?

“Well, I found you so easy, nyaa~” Lynn began. “Go ahead and try and run, make things fun!” she continued, a wide grin on her face.

She wasn’t letting her go. She was playing with her.

Theo didn’t hesitate. “My people are blessed by the wind, you giant idiot!” she laughed, breaking into a sprint as she distanced herself from the giant demi-human.

Her face broke into a happy smile, as she reached the end of the bed within moments. She didn’t think twice, instead flinging herself off the bed, falling towards the floor.

“Yes!” she shouted, rejoicing in her ease of escape from Lynn as she saw the floor approach.

Suddenly, a force gripped her body, enveloping her once more in a tight grasp.

“Nice try! You certainly do seem to be blessed! Unfortunately for you, I too am blessed. My people have wonderful reflexes, and catching you was kitten’s play, nyaa~” Lynn laughed, rolling over onto the bed, sitting up as she lifted Theo up.

“Now… time to have a taste…” she giggled, bringing Theo to her mouth.

“No!” Theo pleaded, as Lynn’s tongue stuck out and reached towards her. Within moments, the rough, slimy surface of her writhing muscle made contact with her skin, scraping against it with a fervent lick.

Lynn shuddered, her pleasure at the sensation audible in her tone.

“Oh my… you taste so good, nyaa~” she gleefully stated, going in for further licks.

“Stop!” Theo begged.

*LICK*

“Licking!” she continued.

*LICK*

“Me!” she finalized, punching at the tongue with her free hand.

Lynn continued to giggle, relentlessly lashing at the Mini with her tongue, savoring the taste of her supple skin with each lick.

“Mmm… never in all my years did I think I would get to taste this delicacy… I’ve heard rumors, but they don’t compare to the real thing…” Lynn grinned, her giant yellow eyes menacingly staring at the Mini within her grasp.

“Please stop licking me…” Theo whimpered, feeling her skin drip with the Neko’s slimy spit.

“Oh, stop licking you? Okay, I guess I can do that…” Lynn smirked, starting to raise Theo even further into the air.

“What are you… no! Don’t do this!” Theo screamed, realizing too late what Lynn was doing. Within an instant, she was released from her grasp, and plummeted downwards once more, screeching towards the now opening lips of the Neko. They parted to reveal a pink, fleshy hole, hidden behind her sharp white teeth, that ended clearly in a dark tunnel underneath her uvula, and Theo was headed straight for it.

“Please! Mother! I don’t want to die!” Theo begged, closing her eyes in fear.

Suddenly, a sharp stabbing pain gripped her waist, holding her in place.

“What… oh for the love of the gods!” she yelled, noticing the white porcelain wall of Neko teeth poking into her midsection as they almost pierced her body.

With a further prod, they did, making a little trail of Theo’s blood drip into Lynn’s mouth.

“Mmm….” Lynn moaned, savoring the Mini’s lifeforce as it coated her tongue.

Without warning, Theo fell further, leaving only her head exposed between the teeth. This was a terrible position, as if Lynn wanted to, she could bite her head right off. The only thing saving her was Lynn’s instinct to toy with her prey as long as possible.

“Tess, please! Save me!” she screamed, before the teeth parted once more, causing her to fall into the mouth, disappearing into darkness as the teeth snapped shut behind her.

Lynn leveled her head out, touching her hands to her cheeks as she shifted her tongue around her mouth, tasting every inch of the tiny being. She was in heaven, wanting to remember this day for as long as she lived. She couldn’t slow her heart at all. Even fighting a Queen Dragon was no comparison to the exhilaration she was feeling now.

Theo whimpered, trying to slow her tears, noticing that Lynn was focusing especially on them as they poured out of her eyes, a cruel mocking touch that showed the Neko’s lack of remorse for the horrific act. She failed to gain stability, being tossed around the mouth as she was tasted entirely, no part of her body being spared from the onslaught.

Lynn let her hand fall, keeping one of them towards her face. She dragged it slowly down her skin, letting it glide down her chin, falling upon her throat.

Theo felt things shift within the mouth, and it was if she was starting to slip.

“Wait… no! Stop! Don’t swallow!” she yelled, but it was futile, as her legs sunk towards the hole, feeling the constriction of the Neko’s throat as it closed around them, the muscle beginning to pull her down.

*GULP*

“STOP!” Theo screamed, her waist being pulled in.

*GULP*

“LYNN!” she screamed further, feeling like her words were barely escaping the wet, dark cavern. In truth, Lynn heard every word through her hyper-sensitive ears, and was very much so enjoying the extra show with her meal, and the struggle made her taste even better…

*GULP*

Theo’s head was the only thing left in the mouth at this point, and the Mini shed one final set of tears, as she was pulled under, disappearing entirely behind Lynn’s tongue…

*GULP*

-

Theo slowly descended down the throat, shaking with fear and disgust as the lining of the Neko’s interior slid across her skin, making her shudder and squirm.

“TESS!” she cried, praying for the one person she had left in the world to save her.

Suddenly, she stopped falling, feeling a force constrict the throat closed beneath her. The throat began to pump, the sound of gagging and coughing threatening to deafen the poor girl. Within seconds, she was sent flying out of the throat, launching past the teeth, landing squarely on the soft bedding.

“What happened…” she grumbled, wiping the slick spit off of her eyes and trying to readjust to the light, slowly taking in the view in front of her.

“Tess!” she shouted excitedly, looking up at the red-headed savior as she wrapped her hands fiercely around the throat of the Neko.

Tess turned her head, looking at Theo with tears in her eyes.

“Theo! Thank the gods!” she gasped, a look of pure relief on her face as she gazed upon the shiny Mini.

She released her hands from Lynn’s throat, as the Neko coughed and heaved as she regained her breath, while Tess tended to Theo gently.

“I’m so sorry Theo! I got here a second too late…” she whimpered, lightly grasping the tiny girl and looking painfully at the small dripping wound on the Mini’s skin.

“It’s fine… you saved me Tess… thank you…” Theo panted, looking thankfully at the giant girl as she caressed her.

“Lynn… we’re going to talk, now!” Tess scolded, grabbing the Neko’s hair with her free hand.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! I’m sorry! I’m sorry, nyaa!” Lynn pleaded, struggling as Tess threatened to rip her hair out…

-

“Look Tess, I’m sorry… something came over me…” Lynn shamefully apologized, struggling to make eye-contact with the fierce merchant.

“Uh huh… NEVER touch my Mini again, you hear?!” Tess yelled, getting an approving huff from Papo as they stood at the orchard’s gate.

“I won’t…” Lynn grumbled, glancing at Theo before turning away in remorse.

“And I’m taking these apples without debt, in exchange for the damage to my personal belongings. I trust you accept that?” Tess added further, an attitude-filled notion in her statement.

“Fine… free of charge.” Lynn groaned, accepting the punishment for her mistakes.

“Good. We’ll be heading out then. I hope by the next time we see each other, you’ve learned to control yourself…” Tess scoffed, before turning away, instructing Papo to follow. The mule grunted, before dragging the cartful of apples with him as he paced behind Tess.

Theo turned back to look at the Neko. “Bleh!” she mocked, sticking her tongue out with a grin as she blew air at the humiliated demi-human, before turning with a satisfied “hmph.”

“Ms. Felinia, are you okay?” a worried Neko worker asked, noticing Lynn biting at her lip so hard that she was drawing blood.

“Don’t patronize me… I’m fine…” Lynn scolded.

“Sorry miss!” the worker apologized, before running back to her station.

“One day…” Lynn grumbled, before breaking her gaze on the leaving merchant as she returned to her affairs…

-

“Again, Theo, I’m so sorry…” Tess apologized, a saddened look on her face as she looked at the leafen bandage adorning Theo’s midsection.

“It’s fine. It was my idea to stay behind. You saved my life, Tess. I owe you…” Theo responded, feeling at her wound.

“Enough to rub my feet? They’re awful tired from walking around the city, and you did say you'd give me unlimited foot rubs if you got eaten…” Tess grinned, getting a groan from Theo.

“Give me a break…” she pleaded, laying defeatedly in Tess’s palm.

“Oh! Speaking of that, what were you doing today?” Theo asked, sitting up and looking curiously at the red-headed giantess.

“Ah! Thank you for reminding me…” Tess remarked, as she turned to ruffle through Papo’s cart.

“Here!” she grinned, holding something up in front of Theo.

“What is that?” Theo inquired, looking with a confused expression at what seemed to be a leather pouch secured by a strap.

“It’s a pouch for you to ride in! It secures around my neck, so you can see everything I see!” Tess smiled, putting the garment around her neck and holding Theo in front of it.

“That’s… so considerate of you… thank you Tess!” Theo chirped, stepping into the holder and nestling herself within, looking up at the giantess with beaming eyes.

Tess blushed, looking away embarrassed. 

“Y… you’re welcome. You’re lucky I know a great leather-worker…” she responded, securing the garment in place above her chest.

“I guess so. Beats riding around in your stinky boot…” Theo joked.

Tess smirked, a light giggle escaping her lips at Theo’s comment. The two stayed silent for a moment as Tess walked, before Theo broke it again.

 “Hey… where are we headed next?” she asked, watching as the path passed by while the giantess thumped along the trail.

“Well, I figured we’d head to the beach town of Yosa. Any complaints?” Tess inquired, looking to the tiny girl for her opinion.

“Beach? Wait… I’ve heard about that… is that where the “ocean” is?” Theo said excitedly.

“Yes it is! And plenty of people to sell stuff to!” Tess laughed, getting an eye-roll from Theo, and a vocal expression of the same act from Papo.

“Oh c’mon… you guys are no fun!” Tess groaned, nodding her head in disapproval as she continued walking along the trail.

Theo closed her eyes, resting off the lingering stress of the earlier events. “I survived a Neko, huh… well, thanks to Tess…” she thought.

“I guess life is going to be a little more exciting from now on. Mother would be furious…” she sighed, feeling a wave of tiredness take over, as the rocking motion of the pouch guided her to sleep…