Sarah decided to think it over for a while, sitting silently by herself for much of the day lazily staring out the window. Finally Darius walked over, "How are you feeling?"
"Torn" She said with a sigh, "I love my people and my country, I really do. But...there could be only so much we could do"
Darius nodded, "Yes, the royal guard and army are blinded by duty, as my father once told me, we would need to think of some way to give rise to the people and those in the army who are brave enough to think for themselves"
"Could you do that?"
Darius lowered his gaze, "I doubt it" He turned his head as a new conversation formed around the table.
"So...there seems to be all of these ways to make people tiny" Wendy started, the sound of a question already forming in her voice, "So would the opposite be possible?"
Brooke and Nika looked towards each other for a moment, "Well, in short yes it is possible" Brooke started.
"In short?"
"Well, you see it can be quite dangerous on multiple levels" Nika now chimed in, "To make yourself big brings on so many more responsibilities"
"But you could be so powerful!" Wendy gasped.
"Yes, and that is exactly the problem. Once you are big enough, you will be considered a monster by almost everybody who does not know you, and even some that do. You will be powerful yes, but powerful enough to fend off an army? Or even a smaller team of trained huntsmen or sorcerers?"
"I see...but what if you were able to explain to everyone that you meant well? Say in Sarah's case" Wendy glanced over to Sarah and Darius who were now fully interested in their conversation.
"Well, other than having to deal with the Queen and all those working for her, I guess a giant wouldn't be a bad thing to have around" Darius offered with a shrug.
Brooke glared at him for a moment, "And would you offer yourself up for such a mission?"
Darius sat back in his chair, "No. I am perfectly content with my size and I plan to keep it"
"I would" Wendy said with a grin.
"Yes I am sure you would, but no, you certainly will not" Brooke said sternly, "Though this is a bad idea" She said with a sigh, "The sort of magic that is required for this is unstable"
"Meaning?"
Nika took over, "Shrinking is a way of condensing energy, though it takes quite a bit of energy to go through with the act the outcome is easier to control and stable. Growing, on the other hand, is expanding energy, exploding it if you will. It might not take as much energy to get the desired effect but getting that effect is well...explosive. The very act of making an enchantment to do this would be rather dangerous"
"I see" Wendy said with a sigh, "Was just curious is all"
There was suddenly a knock at the door. Nika rose to her feet slowly, cautiously sliding the wooden door open.
"Hello again Nika" A strong yet young sounding voice said.
"Oh, Luthor how pleasant of you to visit, again"
"Who is that?" Wendy whispered.
Nika opened the door widely, allowing a tall man to step inside. His features were slender yet muscular, an intricately decorated breastplate hung on his chest, a purple and gold robe draped from his shoulders. Like Nika he was a Neko, though of a slightly different breed. His ears that poked up through his long black hair were taller and the fur slightly less smooth, much like that of a wolf. His tail as well was more canine in appearance, shaggy and curved slightly upwards unlike Nika's which was slender and nimble.
"I am sorry to intrude once again-" He looked inside, "Oh I am sorry, I did not realize you had guests"
Nika nodded, "Yes, these are my friends from the other side of the forest, Wendy, Brooke Sarah and Darius"
"Sarah?" He said stepping towards her, "Are you the very same Princess of Whitehorn?"
"Luthor?" Sarah said rising to her feet, "I-I did not think I would see you again"
"Wait...you two know each other?" Nika said glancing between the two.
"We have met" Sarah said, "But it was a long time ago"
~~~~
Sarah was only thirteen, her father had only just taken over as king. She had accompanied him out to their court to greet with their visitors, ones her father told her to be wary of. She stared wide eyed at the neko's, their appearance so strange to her. Her eye caught on a boy who looked nearly the same age as her, he waved. She looked away, her father had told her not to interact with them. Shortly afterward she was whisked away...back to her room.
She sighed, sitting on the bed as she was so accustomed to. She eyed the doorway nervously before reaching her hand under her pillow and pulling out a book, one that her grandfather had given her when she was only a young girl.
Suddenly a figure appeared in the window, she yelped dropping the book to the floor and jumping to her feet. She squirmed nervously as she stared at that same boy from in the court, wondering if he meant her harm as her father had warned.
"Hello" He said with a smile, hopping down onto the stone floor.
"What are you doing in here?" She demanded.
He shrugged, "Just stopping by, I saw the window was open"
"If my father knew that you were in here he would have both of us beaten!"
She crouched down and lifted her book, slipping it under her pillow again.
"You like to read?"
"Shh" She glared at him, "But yes, I do"
"Why so quiet?"
She looked away, "Father forbids me to read"
"But why?"
"He says that they are evil"
The boy laughed, "What? That is nonsense" She glared at him again but kept silent, "My name is Luthor"
"Sarah" She said without facing him.
"I wanted to talk to you earlier but you left"
She sat back down on her bed, "I was taken away" She sighed.
He pulled over a chair, "Why?"
"Because that is how it is for me" She locked eyes with him for a moment before shifting her gaze downward.
"I am sorry to hear that"
She shrugged, "Why? How is it for you?"
Luthor explained his own life to her, how he could do pretty much what ever he wanted as long as it was in good taste. She was amazed that he was aloud outside of his own palace without supervision.
"I wish I had your life" She whispered, staring out the window as a red beam of light streamed inside from the sunset.
"Why don't you just leave?"
"Because I can't"
He rose to his feet, "Then maybe one day I will come and rescue you" He smiled before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek, "But I have to go before my parents get worried. I will see you again someday?"
She blushed deeply, but could only nod as he made his way out the window again, grinning at her before dropping out of sight...
~~~~
"You have grown" He commented.
"As have you" She said softly, "Are you king now?"
He shook his head, "No, just a lowly prince"
Nika scoffed, "I don't know of lowly is such an accurate word"
Luthor shook his head, "But, Sarah, if you do not mind me prying, why are you so far from the castle?"
Brooke laughed, "It is a long story"
"I would very much like to hear it"
Darius sighed, "I guess we should start at the beginning, I think I can sum this up pretty briefly now" He took a deep breath before once again giving someone a run through of the past two months, though only touching on the important details.
Luthor nodded once he was finished, "Then I am afraid I have some grim news" The room tensed, "Your fears of the Queen seem to be playing out back in your kingdom. That is why I have come here in search of Nika's assistance"
"What could I possibly do about this?" Nika asked folding her arms.
"I will explain" Luthor continued, "You see back in the lands of Whitehorn the Queen has been lashing out punishment seemingly at will, and at times without reason. Her new army has been sweeping across their lands, and even some had said to have seen them crossing their borders into Rudia"
"Rudia?" Darius asked, "But that is a small state? They only have a small flat of farmland, it has little to value?"
"We have speculated that it is a display of power"
"I still don't see where I fit in" Nika mumbled.
"Right, I was getting to that. We have accepted waves of refugees fleeing the Queens wrath, many had tried to rise against her, and many were killed doing so. Those who were lucky managed to get away. Nika I came here to ask for your help in healing the wounded, there are few who are as skilled as you are"
"Right, of course" She said with a nod.
"I would like to help too" Sarah said, "I want them to know that I am not like my Father"
"Then we will all go" Brooke said rising to her feet.
~~~~
They started their way on the worn dirt path towards the village, it was no more than two miles walking. Little under a mile out they saw the lines of tents.
A short time later they had found themselves within the village. Sarah and Nika had gone off to the hospital, leaving Brooke Wendy and Darius to wander around on their own, unsure what to do with themselves. After a few hours of aimless walking a shout caught their attention.
"Darius!" A powerful voice called out.
Darius turned, grinning as his eyes fell on Rodrick, "Rodrick! So good to see you here"
Rodrick nodded, "Good and bad my friend, I am glad to see you have made it out of there"
Darius chuckled, "I was not even aware of what has happened in the past month to tell you the truth"
"No?"
Darius shook his head, "But I will explain it all later, it is a long story" He noticed a massive tan sack slung over his friends shoulder, "What do you have in the bag?"
Rodrick threw his shoulder up a bit, "Just some things that I could not bare to leave behind, I am soon meeting with the head smith around here to see about working again"
"I am sure you will be head of the forge in no time, I still admire the sword you have sold me. I have yet to use it in a fight but I must say I am rather excited to"
Rodrick laughed, "Careful friend, you are nearly talking with the tongue of a murderer!" They both laughed.
"That is why you ignore men like these" Brooke said leaning over to Wendy. Wendy giggled.
"Oh hello Brooke, long time no see" Rodrick said bowing slightly, "Still as charming as ever"
Brooke smiled at him, "Well me and Wendy will leave you two alone, there are some things we need to buy"
They watched the two depart, "I had thought you two had fallen out, you are back together now?" Rodrick said once they disappeared into the crowd.
"Well, as friends at least" Darius said with a shrug, "I guess I should have just taken my chance like you told me too years back"
"Shame, she has quite the figure"
Darius grinned and nodded, "Which reminds me, there was actually someone quite interested in meeting you"
Rodrick tilted his head, "You don't say?"
"A girl, a Neko actually"
"Go on"
"She said she was looking for a man like you, someone good with their hands"
"That is certainly about all I am good at"
Darius nodded, "And she is quite the looker too, and actually an impressively skilled sorceress"
"A sorceress you say?"
Darius nodded again, "And need I also mention that she is also pretty comfortable expressing her-Nika!" He said as he suddenly spotted the Neko walking towards them.
"Hello" She called, stopping before them with a smile, "Who is this?"
"This is my friend Rodrick, remember the one I was telling you about"
"How do you do?" Rodrick said bowing his head.
Nika's eyes widened, her face turning a little red, "Oh, nice to meet you" She stammered, Darius raised his brow at her sudden nervousness, "Erm..uh Darius I was actually coming over to ask something rather personal"
"I will give you some privacy" Rodrick said stepping away, pretending to make himself busy with something else.
"Did you tell him?"
"What?"
"That I wanted to meet him!"
"Yes, why?"
Her face became even more flustered, "Why? Why would you tell him that!?" She whispered.
"I don't see why not"
"B-Because that is not how I planned on meeting him! You will ruin everything!"
"Planned? Nika what are you talking-"
"Shut up! You need to fix this before I lose my chance to talk with him"
"But he is standing right there"
"Yes but I am not ready! I need to...well...Just tell him that I am interested in his craft and would like to do business"
"Why not just talk to him now?"
"Because I need to have something to break the ice"
"But I already broke the ice just go talk to him!"
"No! That won't work!"
Darius sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Fine, fine"
"Besides I am busy I need to go" He watched as she practically stormed off.
"Where did she go?" Rodrick asked as he came back over.
"She had to go back to the hospital I think"
"Oh, she sounds like a nice girl then, the hospitals are really a sad place right now"
Darius nodded, "But she mentioned that she might want to see some of your works, perhaps talk over some possible business things I'm not sure"
"Oh, well that sounds good"
"Yes, well here comes the girls again. I would guess you might get to meet her within the week?"
"Sounds fine"
"Okay, are we ready to go back?" Brooke asked holding a package of assorted herbs and potions.
"Yeah, I will see you soon Rodrick"
Rodrick nodded and said goodbye.
"So we passed by Nika, she seemed to be a little um, flustered" Brooke said as they made their way out of the village.
"Yes, she was acting kind of strange" Darius laughed, "But we have set her up to meet with Rodrick...again"
Brooke laughed, "Again?"
"Well she just bumped into us back there, though the meeting was not as she planned it apparently" Darius said with a grin.
"Oh god" Brooke laughed, "This will be interesting"
Giantess World
