The three walked outside of the clan. The 90 foot Alexis leading the way until she yields to the 75-foot Amber to pick her spot to talk. Alexis couldn’t believe it had worked. Amber had listened to reason, albeit after giving the order to have her and Rektor killed. She looked at her lover and couldn’t have been more proud of him. There he was standing on a table surrounded by more than a hundred giantesses all several times bigger than him and he stood tall and proud. Rektor she thought, you are only the size of my index finger but you always impress me with the size of your heart. The banished leaper who only a short time ago was alone I the world has now found himself a lover, made a family with the normal people and is building hopefully a coalition for the future. If it weren’t for the size difference just once would she like to be carried in his arms. But that’s not the world we live in Alexis thought with a sigh.
“So where do we go from here?” Rektor was the first to talk after a fifteen-minute walk. Alexis slowly sat down next to Rektor who had found a stump to lean against. To Alexis this was a sign of equality that she has learned to give Rektor after that snow ball incident. They both looked at Amber who seemed to pick up the hint from Alexis’s gesture to Rektor. In years to come this meeting will be talked to as a pivot point in history where the world started to make sense again.
“I was about to ask you the same thing, you my mother sent you, that you need our blood. You see how we must be prepared for war and you ask me for an additional burden?” Amber was showing enough attitude for a lifetime.
“Our mother sent me, look, I know this is hard to believe but our friends who have become family believe they can change the world. Make it the way it was or at least improve it. I’m not asking for you to completely trust me, I know it is earned but if our mother is protecting those people can you give me some trust?” Rektor held both his hands out trying to add emphasis but to Amber he looked like nothing more than a doll.
“What can you do? What can someone so small even do? I could crush you like a bug, if those people that make up your new clan are your size what can they do?” Amber reached over to a large tree about 30 feet and effortless uprooted it and placed it within each hand. She slowly with her arms bent the tree and her shoulders started to bulge. As the tree bent the sounds of the cracks started. Eventually the force was too much and the tree broke in two with Amber threw both ends high into the air and a laugh. “What can you do? If you want me to listen any further you must prove that you are my equal, I have given you this chance as well as both of your lives. I only did that because you are my brother.”
“Hold on, how can you expect Rektor to be your equal in size and strength? You stand 70 feet taller and your biceps are equal to his height? You ask him to be equal and give him a test that you know he will fail? Why are you wasting our time?” Alexis was fuming at the test Rektor was given. A test she believed he had no chance of passing.
“Hold your mouth for I will not take insults, you’re lucky you are a giantess or I would have you killed on the spot if you were a man.” Amber turned her attention from Alexis and back to Rektor. Rektor understood she at this moment had all the power.
“So, what I have to do is break a tree in half in equal time or less time than you?” Rektor asked for clarity.
“No, you must break a tree in half that was equal to or greater in size than the one I just did, do that and we are equals?” Alexis dropped her head knowing he would fail.
“So, there are no other rules or stipulations to this test? Ok, you pick the tree Amber.” Amber looked at her tiny brother, not sense her mother had left for her walk that anyone had ever openly challenged her. She was before hoping he would succeed and she would have something to explain to her clan as to them being equals. However, with his arrogance of having her pick the tree and Alexis’s insults she will not make sure he failed. Amber scanned the forest until she saw the biggest tree. It was over 125 feet tall and was a healthy one at that, it would be impossible for him to cut it in two in an hour with an axe, Rektor would only have half a minute.
“That tree right there.” As she pointed to the tree she picked out a second earlier.
“He can’t do that, is there any other test?” Alexis began pleading with Amber.
“It’s fine Alexis, I’m going to go and cut it in half. Amber, my sister, I want you to watch closely how I do this so you can gain the respect you need for me and my new clan.” With that Rektor pushed up from his stump and pulled his gun from under his coat. It was all black and had a huge barrel with a sight post on top. He walked towards the tree in a gingerly pace with both Amber and Alexis following. They both were not used to walking at the speed of Rektor when he wasn’t leaping. He slowly raised his weapon to his shoulder and looked down the barrel. He remembered the key to shooting from the time the guards taught him. He breathed in and controlled his breathing. He focused on the front sight post. Rektor slowly squeezed the trigger, not pull because that can jerk his shot but squeeze the trigger. A loud bang was heard from the tree as it’s trunk exploded. Amber watched as Rektor’s upper body was jerked backwards a foot and with amazement she saw the splinters fly into the air. The top of the tree swung to the side and gravity took over and it fell. As it was falling he heard amber yell “How did you do that?” As the tree rested now over on the ground and the dust had settled he turned back to looks at Amber who had a stunned look on her face and then to Alexis, “Remember I asked them for their latest weapons. I’m happy that they came in so handy.”
“How did you do that? Is it magic?” Amber said as she went to the tree and examine it and try to understand how such a small person could have fallen it.
“No, it’s science and technology. Have I passed your test?” Rektor said while walking to her with a pep in his step.
“Yes, what do you need from me?” Amber looked back to her brother and for the first time she gave a different look from her normal stoic leader face.
“We want your blood. Look my new clan thinks they can help you, your clan, all clans and fix this world. They have technology that you couldn’t imagine. They are also unchanged and have boys and girls who play together. I want your support so they can work and hopefully we can stop this endless stale war.” Rektor looked as Amber stood to her full height and extended her hand out followed by her fingers making a palm.
“I have only touch a man’s flesh during the gatherings or in battle. I have not gotten a good look at you and would like for you to land on my palm.” Rektor looked at Alexis who slowly moved closer to Amber when she realized Rektor was going to land on her palm. It took Amber by surprise just how light Rektor was when he landed. It felt like he was a feather. She looked him over and noticed how his eyes were identical their mother’s eyes. She looked and saw his weathered face, obviously from his time after banishment. Then she noticed Alexis and how she was looking at her brother. Love was something a giantess just doesn’t have for a man but there was that look again she had seen before while at the forum. That same look she gave when she asked to have him come inside. Maybe these two weren’t as crazy as they seemed.
“You know when I was banished I would go into these houses. Few survived the growth often being destroyed over the course the years to battles, weather or just time. But the ones I found I would go in and I would see pictures of families and imagine how it would be if my family was with me. It is a silly thing to say but I didn’t know I had a sister until I met my mother a while ago. It’s nice to meet you Amber.” Rektor looked her square in the eyes and for the first real moment Amber viewed them as equals.
“Mother would talk about her first born, the son she would always say. She said it was the hardest day of her life to give him up. But she said we are beholden to tradition. It wasn’t silly to say that.” Amber looked away but Rektor and Alexis could see her tears as she finally let go of being the leader and became a sister. “It isn’t silly to say that you wanted a family, I thought about it a lot and once, I found this cottage. It had little bikes and one of the bikes was blue and one of them was pink and I thought how it would be to go on a bike ride with my big brother.” The three came close with Alexis using her big arms to wrap around the torso of Amber as Rektor hugged her thumb. They stayed there for a moment before they all heard the rumble of an engine.
The three broke their embrace and looked up into the air, Amber clenched her fists as if to fight. “Are we under attack?” Amber started looking for her escape route.
“No, it’s our friends and most likely Sarah. That’s an airplane as they call it and it flies in the sky like a bird. We should go over there because it is the only place big enough for them to land.” Rektor started to leap to the clearing. Amber watched in pure amazement as the plane circled the whole clan lands which had to give a scare to everyone as bend around. It landed with a few bumps and drove up to the waiting giantesses and Rektor. They watched as Sarah exited the plane and ran to Rektor and started talking to him. Rektor grabbed Sarah by the legs and with one leap he was up in the waiting hands of Alexis.
“Amber this is Sarah, Sarah this is Amber, she had agreed to help. Ok, introductions done, Sarah tell them the problem.” Rektor looked more startled than he had been in the forum when his sister gave the order that they were to be put to death.
“One of our scout planes were doing recon and they saw a male clan heading in the direction of Narn. They are about eight days out but no doubt they are heading in our direction. We are on high alert and have moved the children. We need you two to come back now. I don’t know if Kim is powerful enough to even slow them down but she has agreed to stand and fight.” Sarah when giving orders always looked powerful. During all this time, Amber just stood in shock, they were telling the truth. True she believed her brother but now she really believed he was telling the truth.
“We won’t be able to start a full male clan. We don’t have that much power even with the combined strength of Kim and Alexis. Amber you asked what you can do to help, we need your clan on the move now.” Rektor stared at Amber, his words being firm and begging at the same time.
“I have an obligation to my people, we can’t just leave our home.” Amber had mixed feelings, she wanted to help her mother and brother but she had a duty to her clan.
“Please, we are so close to figuring out this puzzle. We don’t have another facility like Narn. If we evacuate now we may lose it all.” Sarah was now on her knees in Alexis’s palm begging Amber for help.
“Look around you, is this what is good for your clan? Ever notice how every generation is getting bigger? When I was five years old the tallest woman were 65 feet, now Alexis has grown to 90 feet. How long until there isn’t enough food to go around? How long until resources go? I know you have noticed that to keep up with the sizes you need more and more land to feed them? Please this is our only option, and it is your clans only option. For the future.
“This is all too much. I have to think.” Amber looked at all of them and looked overwhelmed.
“We don’t have time Amber, my sister we need your help. Please!” Amber looked as she saw her guards running towards her, no doubt investigating this strange airplane that had flown over the clan. The guards looked at the four of them and noticed the tiny woman in Alexis’s hand. They looked at Amber for directions and for a moment saw her slouch her shoulders and take a deep breath in as if to gather her thoughts.
“SISTERS, we move in an hour! Sound the drums of war and we are taking everyone. No woman or child left behind.” Amber looked at a relieved group of Alexis and this small woman Sarah and of her brother. She looked at her brother Rektor who was the first man she had ever talked to except for which positon to use at the gatherings. This little man has just changed the course of over 100-woman clan. This little man walked into her clan and changed its history by sheer force of himself and by not willing to take no for an answer. “GUARDS, disregard the last order about woman and child left behind. We are taking everyone, woman, child, and man alike will be coming with us. You have one hour before we step to our new home.
“Thank you Amber.” Sarah looked at Alexis and motioned to drop her to the ground so she can go back to the plane. As the plane took off Rektor and Alexis waved and Rektor was formulating a plane.
“Amber, who is the second in command of this clan?” Rektor was deep in thought.
“Ana is, she is my Mother’s second daughter and closes to my height. Why?” Rektor jumped up and grabbed the bag that Sarah had left which were filled with all sorts of weapons.
“She will be in charge of the clan, Alexis find her and tell her how to reach the facility.” Rektor watched as Alexis walked towards the clan. “We must assume that your clan will not make it in time so we must delay the male clan. I know the route they must take because of the rivers. We can get there in three days’ time if we hurry. If we can by your clan an extra half day of travel, we may win this upcoming battle. If we win this battle we may win this war.” Rektor swung the bag around his shoulder as Alexis brought Ana to Amber and Rektor.
“Ana understands and they are moving out in any moment, so should we, Rektor, Alexis I never thought I would be doing this, but because of you two I have never been more hopefully than I am right now for the children.” This was all the Amber could say as the three started to jog to an uncertain future.