"Mind if I sit down to eat?" Joseph asked. "...go ahead" Susan said. "Susan! This dude just showed up on our doorstep!" Keith yelled. "This dude probably has the power to blow this house into splinters if he wanted. I don't smell any malice from him. Please. Let's just see where this goes okay?" Susan asked. Keith reluctantly let him in. He was on edge until the man shrank himself down to sit at the small but fitting dinner table. Keith shrank himself down to join him but motioned with his eyes for Susan to remain large. She sat on the floor behind them. "My condolences by the way" Joseph said putting food on the plate. "How do you know that?" Keith asked. "I know a great many things Keith. I know the spirit of an ancient fairy resides in you. I know Susan hates hairy fruit. That Claire is worried she's not spending enough time with her son. That Aspen feels she needs to find something else to do with her life" he said eating.

"You're not making me feel better about you" Keith said. "I'm not here to soothe your anxiety. I came because you need guidance. Sun Tzu wasn't kidding when he said you need to know your enemy" Joseph said. The man devoured his food quickly. "These baked beans are exquisite. Better cut back or I'll be playing the butt flute tonight" the man grinned. Susan chuckled behind them. "So, you're really the man who helped my family?" the giantess asked. "The same. I can tell your seal broke. Must've been terrible for that to happen" he said. "I got ran through with a needle" she said. He stopped eating. "...I see. Well it worked out anyhow. Got those memories back I bet" he said. "You never answered my question" Keith said. "I know things because I can see things. Calling it clairvoyance doesn't do it justice.  Hmm..." he said seeing a few staring at him. "Can we talk more in private?" he asked. Keith nodded and led him to the library.

"An original first edition of Moby Dick? Is that the original page from the play manuscript by Shakespeare? Lily had excellent taste" the man said admiring the collection. "Ahem" Keith coughed. "My apologies" Joseph said sitting on the floor. Keith sat inches away with a looming giantess Susan nearly between them. "On behalf of my sisters, I apologize for the trouble Ikaros caused" he said. "Sisters? Wait...Ikaros was you sister?!" Keith yelled. "Keith. Pelé said she was the sister of three siblings. Her, Ikaros, her little brother who died, and then another brother she doesn’t mention" Susan said. "That's right. I'm that other brother" Joseph said. "Hold the phone. That means you had Etherion. Is it true that you created the Lemurians?" Keith asked. "Both true" he replied. "You white haired asshole! You have any clue how much misery your actions brought on humanity?!" Keith yelled.

"How your Generation says it, slow your roll. What they did was by their own choice. I'm no more responsible for that than a mother giving birth to a murderer. And besides, it worked wonders for the first thousand years. My intentions were noble I assure you" Joseph said. "Forgive my skepticism but I have reason to doubt your sincerity" he said. The man snapped his fingers turning Keith into solid gold. "You made your point!" Susan yelled. With a snap of his fingers he turned Keith back to normal. "How did it feel to have your soul trapped inside your gold body? Gold is eternal" Joseph said quietly. Keith didn't answer. "Keith. I'm here to help. No tricks. No cons. Now I can leave you to fend for yourself and bury more of your beloved people, or you can take my help" he said. Keith silently nodded.

"When I made the Lemurians, I did it to elevate humanity as a kind of penance" Joseph said. "Penance for what?" Keith asked. "You may have heard this tale from Pelé already. Us four were gifted with Etherion at the same time. Not long after we got to arguing about how to use it. Our little brother wanted to transform the world to ease the suffering of humans. Pelé wanted to let humans fend for themselves and intervene when absolutely necessary. Ikaros wanted to rule over humanity and force evolution through culling. And myself, I wanted to use the power to evolve humanity peacefully. Our squabbling turned into an all-out conflict with our brother trying to broker peace. Pelé tried to kill her sister with a super volcano. Ikaros tried to obliterate her with the power of the sun itself. And I used my power in an effort to seal Ikaros away in what you call a micro black hole. Yes, you heard right. The battle ended when our brother got caught in the crossfire. He didn't survive our attacks."

"We came to our senses too late. Our brother was no more, and the sky was choked with ash and soot. The very land itself was broken by the upheaval of magma, nuclear explosions, and super gravity. We vowed to use our power to prevent such a tragedy from coming again. We went our separate ways after that" Joseph said. "So, your penance was for your brother and the damage you caused?" Susan asked. "Not just that sweetie. Our battle was so fierce, we nearly caused the extinction of humanity. Imagine, thirty young girls being what was left to rebuild the species. Can you understand the gravity of such a thing? A 11-year-old girl having to bear children before the winter sets in to stave off extinction? That was my sin" Joseph said. "So, you took random humans and gave them magic?" Keith asked. "With a bit of guidance Keith. I'm remorseful not stupid. And even then I waited almost 40,000 years before making that decision.  Within a thousand years, Lemurians had created a civilization that rivals anything modern."

"I selected people from across the globe for genetic diversity, gave them my Etherion seed, and showed them how to use magic responsibly. So peaceful I took a mate and lived as they did...under disguise of course. And all that ended when an Etherion child was born among them. They divided his power and chose to use it to expand their culture and influence onto the continent" he said. "Why didn't you stop them then?" Keith asked. "Last time I swung my magical dick around we burned the world Keith" Joseph replied. "I could only watch the horrors they inflicted on the helpless humans. Slavery, forced breeding, shrinking them down for sport, food, and pets. But the seeds of their destruction had been sown as Lemurians had already begun taking some as husbands and wives. A civil war broke out. One side wanted freedom for the enslaved humans, the other to dominate not just them but the entire population. The ruling council sided with the slavers and brought their power onto their own people rebelling."

"It all ended with the defeat of the council but not without cost. The city was in ruins, most of the population dead, and tidal waves approaching followed by quakes that would swallow the continent. The council was immortal, some of the few that mastered the power, and the rebels feared their rise to power again. As the end came closer, they decided to seal them away with a powerful magic array. However, as even you know, magic arrays can be destroyed depending on the medium. Paper can burn. Blood can wash away. Stone can erode. They needed something eternal. Something not even the mightiest spells cannot corrupt" he said pointing up. "The stars" Susan said. "Bingo kiddo. They used the stars in the sky as the base for the array and sealed them in a prison without light, heat, matter, or energy. A void of nothing. The very stars the bars of their cage."

"And it was done. The rebels had won at the cost of their nation. But the legacy of the thirteen members of the council lives on in their surviving descendants along with the artifacts they inherited" Joseph said. "And now these descendants are members of ZODIAC". Susan said. Joseph nodded.

" I explained what was. And now for what is. As you probably surmised, the array that imprisoned the council has declined. On December 31, 2018 at 3:38 local time, the moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will come into alignment obscuring one of the key stars that binds the spell. A crack will form and with the power of Etherion that crack can be wedged wide open. The council will be freed to finish what they begun so many years ago" he said. "There is an entire nation of magic users we can call upon" Keith said. The man chuckled. "The yaksha are nothing in terms of power to them. It would be like a child competing against Stephen Hawking in a science fair. You struggled against Ebonheart. She was an amateur compared to the council and there's 13 of them Keith. But there is a silver lining in this. The rebels took this into account as well and broke apart a key artifact the Etherion user would need to free the council" Joseph said. "Artifact? They can't just have her snap her fingers?" Keith asked. "No. There has to be a focus for it. We're talking about cracking apart a dimensional plane. A spell relying on celestial gravity, time, and space" he replied. "So what is it?" Keith asked. "The most dangerous artifact ever created. The Eye..."

"of the world" Susan finished. "That's it exactly. Susan? How do you know that?" Joseph asked curious. Keith looked at the giantess wanting the answer as well. "That's what's been rattling around in my head since we came back from Japan. I saw Lemurian script talking about it and three places marked on a globe" she said. "Just now telling me?" Keith asked. "Keith. Half of their language doesn't even fucking translate. And forgive me for being distracted" she said coldly. "Sorry Suzie" Keith muttered. "Suzie?" she asked. Keith shrugged. She grinned slightly as she scooted over to him. "Oh? My vision didn't tell me you two were involved" he said. "It's complicated" Susan and Keith said in unison. "Anyway...this artifact?" Keith asked. "A ring-shaped object around the size of a dinner plate. It focuses gravitons, and exotic particles into a tight singularity..."

"Creating an Einstein Rosen Bridge" Keith said. "A what?" Susan asked. "A wormhole. A shortcut in reality" Keith answered. "Like translocation?" she asked. "Nothing that simple. The Eye can focus magic power like a lens and project it millions of times farther than any movement spell and that's not all it can do" Joseph warned. Joseph used his fingers to make an O and sent his power through them. Above their heads was a shimmering in the air. Joseph stuck his finger through the O and to Keith and Susan's shock, a huge finger appeared over their heads. Joseph pulled his finger back and ended the spell. "Whew! Gimme a sec" he said huffing. "How the hell did you do that?" Keith asked. "Using the same principles as the Eye. Due to reality being distorted, what goes in can come out a different size. And the Eye can do this ANYWHERE. Nukes don't mean shit if you can flatten an missile base under your hand whenever you want. Hell, a fucking city like London can be

squashed flat as a pence, people and all" he said.  There was a uncomfortable silence. "The Eye was broken into three parts though" he said. "And this Markus has one already" Susan said. "Yes...Markus...." Joseph muttered.

"Markus, as he calls himself now, is the last pureblooded Lemurian in the world" Joseph said. "What kind of spell can keep someone alive even after their fucking head gets cut off?!" Keith asked. The man sighed. "He said something about Schrödinger's cat but that's a quantum physics theory" Keith said. Susan looked puzzled. "It's an idea that subatomic particles are in a unknown state until they're observed. It's also why...Lily might still be alive" he muttered. "Are you kidding me?!" the giantess shouted. "I didn't want to burden you with something we can't do anything about! We shrink down to go after her we fall into the same trap and we can't search for her without combing trillions of particles in just one square millimeter. I tried crunching the numbers..." Keith said.

"Keith. It's not just particles. All of reality is based on observation. Even that we cannot see is grounded in the belief of the unknown. In the case of the cat, it's both alive and dead at the same time until it's observed. What Markus did nobody, not even me has done. He used his power to believe his own existence. Simply put, he can't die unless he accepts his death. You could burn him to ash and as long as he thinks he isn't dead, he's not" he replied. "Excuse me. If he is so powerful and long lived, why hasn't he conquered the world already?" Susan asked. "The giantess has a point Joe" Keith said, "What makes you think he didn't? The first record of his existence by human writing names him as Gilgamesh. And then later on down the ages others. Ashoka, Ardashir, Umar, William..." he said. "You telling me he was all them?" Keith asked. The man nodded. "Don't feel so bad about getting my ass handed to him now. Bastard even broke my sword like a tree branch" Keith said. "Show me" Joseph said.

Keith had the sword appear to him. "Wow. He did a number on her" the man said looking at the broken blade. "You can fix it right?" Keith asked. "Not that simple Keith" Oberon suddenly said. "You should listen to your fae friend. He didn’t just break it. He tried to murder it" Joseph said. The man gestured as the hilt of the sword came to his hand. He inspected it closely. "Got good news and bad. Good news is the soul anchoring the incantations is intact. The bad is nobody can fix this kind of break" he said. He saw disbelief in Keith’s eyes. "Susan. Be a dear and hold these two pieces. Oh and don't move or speak" he said handing them to the giantess. With a snap of his fingers, he and Keith vanished.

"Where are we? It's humid as fuck and smells like the ocean and something else" Keith said looking at an expanse of rosy pink under his feet. The ground felt firm but spongy in places. Stranger yet, the ground rose like steep hills or small mountains every hundred feet or so. "Don't recognize this? Ah, you've never been this tiny before. We're standing in the sweaty right palm of your sort of girlfriend. By your estimation, were about one nanometer in size" he replied. "Why the hell would you shrink us this small? Are those gaping holes sweat pores?" he asked looking the flesh at his feet. "Yes, and pay attention. Look that way" he said pointing far left. In the distance, like a mile to him, was what appeared to be a towering shiny wall awash in reddish light rising into the sky "That's your blade or the exposed broken part of it. That light is a kind of curse eating away at it like poison or acid. The blade is a total loss" he said. *

(Authors note: The math...the horrible math. If Keith is six feet tall normally, then he's a nanometer tall here. Since the blade is about an eighth of an inch thick, it makes what he's seeing about 529,166 times his height. Or...601 miles tall...I think. Still not as tiny as what happened to Lily though. Not even close)

Joseph snapped his fingers and they reappeared where they vanished. "Where did you go?" Susan asked. "On your sweaty hand. Nervous much?" Keith asked. "There is a way to restore your sword though. Won't be easy but it's possible" Joseph said. "There's always a catch" Keith sighed. "Deep in a mountain range in Kazakhstan exists an ancient village. There you will find a special sliver ore" Joseph said. "Waiting on the other shoe to drop" Keith said. "This ore is special. Crystallized silver. From it we can forge a new stronger blade" he said. Keith waited still. "The catch is its guarded by a tribe of matriarchal people descended from both Yaksha and Mogwai. My suggestion is you send Susan alone" he said. "And that was the other shoe dropping. I'm not sending her alone. This is my problem. I'm going and that's that" Keith said sternly. "Keith. The Xi, as they're called, don't take kindly to males with chips on their shoulders. While mixing human blood with theirs has weakened them considerably, they're not without ways to kill you...or worse. Consider this a moment" Joseph warned. "Considered. Not changing my mind" he said. "So be it. Meet me back here when you're ready to go" Joseph said growing to human size and picking out a book to read.

Not long after...

"Daddy where are you going?" Hope asked. "Central Asia. I have to fix my sword" he said as he looked for his hiking boots. "I can come with you" she said sitting on his pillow. "No honey. I don't know what we're dealing with. That's no place for a kid" he said. "I'm the strongest kid in the world dad. Don't treat me like I'm glass" she said coldly. "I know you're not made of glass. You are my child. It's my job to keep you out of harm's way" he said. Keith sat on the bed seeing her not buying it. "Do you remember me getting shot? Bleeding on the street as you were torn away from me?" he asked. Hope nodded shedding tears. "That feeling. That fear, dread, that coldness. It's so much worse when it's for a child. I'm only as strong as the people around me Hope. I... I cannot lose you. And that goes for your brothers and sister. I'm not stupid enough to think you won't have to fight one day but until that day comes, you're just a teenage girl. No battles, no missions, no spy shit" he said. "...okay" Hope huffed.

"Leave the bad guys to us kiddo" Susan said entering the room. "You ready?" Keith asked putting his boots on. "I guess" Susan shrugged. "Something on your mind?" Keith asked tying his shoes. "Markus is looking for the other two pieces while we go mining" she replied. "Can't be helped. He beat our asses like we owed him money. The only reason he let us live was because we disappointed him. Take heed that it will be his undoing" Keith said standing. "Take heed?" Susan asked snickering. "Oberon has been chatty the last hour. His way of talking kinda rubs off on ya" he replied. "And what has old fairy been saying?" she asked. "He blames some of this shit on himself. Said he should've kept teaching me magic, so I'd be better prepared" he replied. "I doubt it would've made a difference" Susan said. "I told him" Keith said. Keith picked up his daughter. "Be good while I'm gone" he said kissing her face. He placed her back on the bed.

"Have you considered enrolling her in martial arts classes here?" Susan asked as they walked to the library. He shook his head. "She's at an age where she needs to be physical Keith. Your little bug hunts aren’t doing it. We're borrowers. We need to practice our instincts. Feel our hearts pumping. Smell the air. Feel the dirt between our toes. And do I have to point out she's ovulating?" Susan asked. "No. I could smell that" he said. "And you didn't forget that sexual frustration can lead to mood disorders for our kind, right?" she asked. "What is your point? Suck on her a little? Eat her pussy to calm her down?" he asked irritated. She stopped walking. "You just might have to Keith. I heard the speech about her young mind but she's not normal! We are not celibate creatures Keith! We're tiny and we need to fuck to survive. Evolution doesn't give a flying fuck about her circumstances. Now I agree she's not ready for a mate but you're her father. Even if it's just an intimate massage" she said. "Let's just get on with our mission" he said walking past her.

"They call me Ishmael" Joseph said. "Never read it" Susan said entering the room. "You should. It teaches you not to let your obsessions ruin your life. An odd lesson coming from a man who drank whiskey like water" Joseph said putting down the book written by Hemingway. He looked them over. "Guess you're ready. If you're going Keith, there's something you should know. The Xi keep their males shrunk. Age old law so get small" he said. "Gets better and better" Keith said shrinking. Susan placed him on her shoulder. "Relax. Don't make waves. Don't piss anyone off and just get the nugget of silver you need. Simple" joseph said as he made a translocation gate. The man watched them leave and the gate close behind him. "Think I'll take a look at this city of theirs" he muttered leaving the room.

The air was cooler than they thought as they came out the gate. "It's...beautiful" Susan said. Where they appeared was at the shore of a majestic lake surrounded by mountains. "I don't see any city and what's the weird smell?" he said. "Don't know. Kinda like almonds but with a metallic twang to it. Wait...there's something in front of us. Something hidden" she said stepping forward. As her feet got close to the water, they both felt an overwhelming urge to turn around and leave. "We uhhh...we should leave this place" Keith muttered. "We...we can't. He sent us here to get the ore" Susan stammered. Her feet felt heavy as she stepped closer. "Susan turn around. Turn around!" Keith yelled. Susan didn’t listen as the magical part of her pushed forward. She took another step and the world changed.

"What the fuck?" Susan asked as the crushing anxiety disappeared instantly and what they saw next astonished them. "A spell ward. Similar to what the koonago used to keep outsiders from their village. My god..." Keith said taking in the sight. Before them was a stone bridge that extended for at least a mile right into a collection of ancient but majestic buildings. They didn't have much time to take it in when two women ambushed them. "CTON!" one shouted. "That was Russian" Susan whispered as she tensed up. The women were in their early 20's dressed in light red robes, which exposed their tits, with sandals. Both had black hair. One had green eyes, the other hazel. Curiously they looked Asian. In their hands were silver spears with tips sparking with energy. They cut of Susan and Keith and aimed their spears at her. "Easy" Keith muttered. The woman began asking questions in Russian. "English?" Susan asked in Russian. They looked at one another. "Where did you come from? How did you pass the barrier?" one asked. "We walked through. We mean you no harm. My friend and I are looking for..."

"What species is the male?" one said cutting her off. "Borrower" Susan replied wary. She held her hand near Keith as they eyed him strangely. "Come with us" one said before throwing out an odd disc of silver which expanded many times its size. She had Susan hold her from behind as they stepped onto it. The other guard followed closely behind. "Susan this is incredible! They're using lightning magic to levitate these discs! Susan?" Keith asked over a magical link. "I don't like how they're looking at you Keith. Their pheromones are jacked up" she replied. "Well, I guess I'm kinda rare" he chuckled. "I'm serious. They're looking at you like they want to rape your ass" she said. "Duly noted" he said quietly. As they got closer, they could see this was no village at all but a sprawling metropolis. "How the hell did this all...oh. That...that's clever. That barrier we passed through didn't just hide this place, it shrinks anyone of anything within it down to their scale. And my lucky ass got shrunk even smaller" he said. "This reminds me of something" Susan muttered as some buildings were stepped pyramids. "Kinda looks Mayan doesn't it?" Keith asked. "Aztec actually. That's it! Aztec!" she yelled making him wince.   

"This place reminds me of Teotihuacan the Aztec capital city. That too was built on a lake" she said. "Both built on a lake and both have the same pyramids. Can't be a coincidence" Keith said. "Didn't you say you believed that all small races had a common ancestor?" she asked. "Yeah except the fae. Yaksha and Mogwai both are related to koonago for example" he said. "What about the alux?" she asked. "Elena just said they existed before human's arrived in the region. Wait. You're saying that the Xi are the ancestors of the Alux?" he asked. "Or they have a common one. History is rife with settlers branching off from nomadic groups to settle while the others keep going. What if their ancestors traveled all the way to Central America? What if the story of this place was passed down until the Alux told the Aztecs which in turn built their own city modeled after the story?" she asked. "Fascinating theory that'll have to wait. We’re entering it now" he said.

Keith and Susan were shocked at how many people lived there.  It must've been thousands as they zipped down Main Street and those close enough looked on in wonder at the westerner. They passed a cart filled with men in chains but other than them they saw no males. Not yet anyway. "Off" the woman told Susan as they arrived at the foot of the largest pyramid. She stepped off as onlookers stopped to eye the woman. "Keith. These women..." she said. What they saw didn't bode well for Keith. One woman had a shrunken male tied to a necklace. Another tied in her hair. Even a young girl had a young shrunken boy with a kind of chain around his neck like a leash, in her hand. They were led inside which was far more glamorous than one would think. Polished marble floor, carpet, modern amenities like a fountain and lights. It was as if one took the ancient city and made a 2.0 version of it. One spoke to a woman dressed in red and black robes. "Can you hear them?" Keith asked. "Yeah but my Russian is shit. Test? Male and empress?" she said. "What kind of test?" he asked. "On the platform" one said. Susan was led into a lift with a silver disc under their feet. The woman tapped the disc with her spear and it rose carrying them up.

Once it stopped, they exited into a beautiful room with a unobstructed view of the city and lake. It gave off a sense they were hundreds of feet up but in reality, it was more like 25. And near one window was a throne of polished black marble matching the floor. In it sat a woman around 25 years old barefoot with her feet sticking out. Down at her feet were four shrunken males servicing her soles and toes. She stretched tossing her long black hair from her shoulders. One eye was brown their other blue. Her robes were black with red and gold accents. Her breasts bare "Who may this be?" she asked in Russian. "Forgive the sudden intrusion Empress but these two were caught at the northern gate" the guard replied. The woman bid them to come closer. Susan stepped closer and smelled a scent very familiar. She glanced around. "Westerner. Ah. This is why you rushed here. An outside male and he's small already. You understand me yes?" she asked. Susan nodded.

"What are your names? Where do you come from?" she asked. "Her name is Susan Durmont and the pipsqueak on her shoulder is Keith Empress" a voice replied. From behind her throne stepped none other than Aquarius. "You! That last as whupping wasn't enough for ya?" Susan asked stepping forward again. The guard poked Susan with her spear shocking her. "Compose yourself in front of her majesty!" the guard barked. "Take the male from her" the woman said. Susan stood up as she activated her magic. "I mean you no harm, but I will defend him and myself" she said as her eye glowed with the magic array. The woman motioned to her guard. Susan felt her try to strike her with the spear. She grabbed it and judo flipped the girl. She threw the spear hard enough it stuck in the wall. The empress glared at them as Keith scrambled back to her shoulder. "Cancel the shrinking..."

"Nope" Aquarius said using his artifact. Sudan and Keith felt a force drive them to her knees. Strangely, it wasn't pushing down on her. It was as if her own body knelt. "What the hell is this?!" she yelled. "A technique I enjoy when I'm this close to my target. Don't bother fighting it. You can't" he snickered. Susan concentrated harder. Whirls of energy enveloped her. "Slow learner aren't you?" he said gesturing with his hand. Susan vomited blood immediately. She gripped her heart. "Stop it!" Keith yelled. "Will you continue to fight me?" the empress asked. "...no" Keith replied. The woman took him off Susan's shoulder.  "Let her go" she told him. Aquarius stopped his attack. Susan coughed out a little more blood before gasping. "Give him back" Susan snarled. "Give her shit again and I'll reverse your blood flow till it kills you" he warned. "Susan" Keith said shaking his head.

"Take him for inspection and send the woman to the cells" she commanded. The guard yanked Susan to her feet and carried her out. She then gave Keith to the other one. "Not wanting to be rude but my master is waiting" Aquarius said. "Tell him if you deliver as per the agreement, you can have the part of the Eye" she replied. He bowed and left the room. Keith caught that just as he was carried out. He was carried to a room and left on a table all alone. There were cages around him, but all were empty. However, the smell of blood and piss could be found in them. "Weird. Looks like some kind of medieval lab" he thought looking at oil burners, optical lenses, and glass containers. Nervous as to what they had planned, he used his spit to carry out a spell Oberon had taught him some time ago. "Translation...activation" he muttered finishing. It would allow him to understand their language to an extent. The guard returned with a woman in white robes. 

"He speaks English" the guard said. "And he's from outside? He hasn't been afflicted like the others?" the woman asked. She shook her head. "Then he has uses" she said. "What do you mean uses?" Keith asked. They were surprised by his question. "Take off your clothing" she said. Not seeing an option and worried about Susan, he obeyed. Keith stripped off his clothing until he was naked. "Your age? Species?" she asked. "20 and I'm a borrower" he replied. She jotted down notes. "Children?" She asked. "Five" he replied. The guard and woman smiled. "Lie down" she said. He laid down and Keith his eye on her. “Do not move" she said as her finger went right to his crotch. He grit his teeth as the giantess used her fingertip to raise his cock and balls. A few gentle strokes and he was erect. "Excellent" she muttered. She smiled at him as her giant fingers jerked him off. Keith tried to fight it, but he came on her finger anyway. The giantess studied his semen. "Sticky, thick, appropriate smell. Healthy" she said. "Why are you doing this?" he asked sensing another reason other than sick fun.

"Our males are experiencing infertility. We need fresh males to continue our society" she replied. The guard looked at her. The woman simply shrugged. "I'm a scientist. You don't have to treat me like some stud sex slave. I can help" he said. "We already have someone helping us. What we need is fresh blood to mitigate the damage. Prepare a lottery. No more than four entries per day and only the healthiest females" she told the guard. The guard nodded and left. Seeing her gone, the woman licked her finger clean of his cum. "Hey. Wait a minute now" Keith said as the woman took off her clothing. She snatched him up so fast he got dizzy. The woman sat down in a chair as she looked him over. "Do all borrowers look as cute as you?" she asked petting his chest. "Never compared. Why the fascination with me? There has to be hundreds of males here" he said. "Thousands but none as healthy as you and you're prime for inseminating me" she smirked.

She gave him a long lick before kissing his stomach. "Look, I'm no average borrower. I don't want to hurt you" he said. "You're in no position to threaten anyone unless you want that female to die painfully" she said coldly. "...I'll have you remember you said that" he said softly. She gave him no mind as she forced him up her cunt. Keith closed his eyes and timed his breathing as she pushed and pulled him out. He didn't struggle at all as he planned what to do. Her fluids covered his body. Her heart beat faster as her body temp rose. She was by no means gentle as she left bruises on him. He felt a rib crack and almost cried out but that itself was dangerous as what little air pockets were disappearing. He fell right against her cervix and felt her spasm. "About time" he said. The woman lost on her orgasm didn't feel a slight pinch inside her nor did she notice light coming from her cunt. He felt the cool air as he was dragged out by his left arm.

She placed him back on the table before straddling it. Keith watched as she shrunk herself down. "Thought so" he muttered. He grimaced as she sat up and was suddenly pushed onto his back. "Shocked? I know about borrower strength, so I made sure I was stronger that you" she giggled. "Stop please. You don't have to keep raping me. Let me fuck you normally. I'm begging here" he said. "...very well since you asked nicely" she replied. Keith had her lay on her back. He pushed into her and began fucking. "Now you get the picture. I'm just glad I got to sample you first" she said. Keith said nothing as he bent down to kiss her. The woman smiled contently. She locked her legs around his waist and pulled him in tight. "Yeah that's it. Tell me exactly how strong you are" he thought. He pushed all the way into her and came. "I'm extremely tempted to keep you to myself. Hopefully, the baby will be a girl" she said smiling. With vicious speed, Keith wrapped his hands around her throat and squeezed.

She panicked and went to push him off. "What happened to you being stronger than me? Oh, must've been that fortification spell I cast while I was lodged in your fucking snatch. Used my fingernail to scrape the tissue to draw the blood in needed. Her hands flailed about trying to cast lightning spells. Keith took his left hand off her throat and slammed her right arm down so hard it popped out of its socket. "Please...don't...kill" she wheezed. "You threatened someone I care about. You raped me till you cracked my fucking ribs. And what I have planned next I don't need you fucking up" he said coldly as he bore all his weight down. There was a sickening pop as her windpipe was crushed. Her eyes went into the back of her head. She jerked a few times before she went still.

Keith got off her and put his arm around her neck. "Keith what are you...*CRACK*. By the goddess" Oberon muttered. "Not taking chances anymore. I'm done" he said letting the corpse fall from his arm.

Meanwhile...

"What will they do with her?" a guard asked. "Not a clue. The last outsiders that were women were cycled into the birthing programs" another replied. "Feel sorry for her. Forced sex is a fate that should only be for males. Has she said anything since she got tossed in there?" one asked. "It's been only 20 minutes. She's just sitting there with her eyes closed tapping her bare feet on the floor" the other replied. That indeed was what Susan was doing and for good reason. Closing her eyes sharpened her hearing. Tapping her bare soles on the floor sent out very tiny tremors that gave her an idea of how the layout of the cell block was. And by using her own magic listened quietly to what others were saying. All this didn't distract her fears for Keith though. "Susan. Can you hear me?" Keith asked over a magic link.

"Jesus I was worried sick!" she nearly yelled out loud. "I take that as a yes. Your status?" he asked. "Stuck in a cell with iron bars. Two guards" she said. "Got it. Cancel the shrinking spell on me" he said. Susan willed it and heard him wince in pain. "You alright?" she asked. He didn't answer. "Keith please" she said. "I got a cracked rib from being raped" he replied. Swirls of energy formed around Susan. "Can you meet me in front of that pyramid we entered?" he asked. "Yes" she said coldly. Susan put her socks and shoes back on. She stood up. "Analyzing stone. Sandstone. Alchemical destruction level two. Degradation" she said touching the stone wall that held the bars in place. Instantly, the sandstone turned into sand making the bars fall to the floor. "What the hell?! Sit back down!" the guard yelled. Susan cocked her head as her magic flared up. One went to strike her with the spear only to have Susan catch it.

She spun on her heels tossing the woman still holding onto it. With her momentum, she stabbed the other woman. Susan kicked her to the floor before going to the other woman nursing a bump to the head. "Transference" she muttered magically switching clothes with the woman. She waved her hand over her face changing her appearance to look like the guard. "What the he'll are you?!" she yelled. Susan walked over to the dead girl and shrank her where she lay. She picked her up still in the spear like a cocktail weenie and ate her. She coldly spat out the robes and sandals terrifying the woman. "Don't...don't kill me. I was just doing my job" she cried. Susan watched her piss herself. With a snap of her fingers, she shrank her down to the size of an insect. She plucked her up and paused. "We're you the one who said you felt sorry for me?" she asked. "YES!" the woman screamed. Susan placed her on the floor after using her magic once again. "The spell will wear off in a few hours. Take note I can smell a spider in that corner. That's the extent of my mercy" she said coldly before leaving her.    

Susan calmly made her way out of the prison wing passing guards that gave her no notice. She still worried about Keith who sounded detached. She knew that was when the darker part of his personality took over. She once asked her therapist about that. Her response was that it was a defense mechanism some sensitive people have to cope with trauma or severe emotional stress. A common issue with borrowers she explained. Speaking of Keith, he was busy scribbling arcanes on paper and tearing sections off. "That should do it" he said before leaving the room.

He didn't get far before being spotted. One screamed halt rushing to him. He grabbed her spear and rose his knee up jumping cracking her under the chin. The strike so hard she was lifted from her feet. She fell to the floor unconscious while Keith held her spear. The two guards coming behind her stopped and raised their hands. "Idiot male" one hissed. Keith could see how hasty their spell was which meant his defense would cost them dearly. "Spell error" he uttered. Their own spells backfired causing them to shrink before his eyes. Keith walked after them as they ran away. "Keith they're no threat anymore" Oberon said. Keith easily caught up to them and slammed the spear into the floor making them fall on their tiny asses. He grabbed them both up. "How do I get to the front entrance?" he asked. "Fuck you. I won't give a male the satisfaction of subservience" one said. Keith tore off her clothing and dropped her into his mouth. With no emotion he swallowed her alive. "You turn" he said to the other. "Two corridors down and right! Please don't eat me!" she shrieked. Keith stuffed her into his pocket and proceeded. He had not gotten far when an alarm sounded.

He picked up the pace. More guards blocked his path. "Lightning arcane" he muttered after using a paper. The bolt struck his target shocking anyone within a few feet of her. Their own lightning spells fired. "Spell intercept" he muttered gesturing the bolts to miss. It wasn't his technique that struck terror in their hearts. It was the look on his face. The look of a predator observing his prey. The tactician he was, he was taking their full measure. A bolt got through hitting him in the chest. They ran to subdue him and found the leader stabbed in the chest. Keith rose to his feet. "No more grunts? Officers?" he asked shaking the body off his weapon. He could see a few crying as he got close. "Leave" he growled. They looked at the officer. Keith pulled out another paper. She charged him. "Shrink" he muttered. She shrank quickly as her own momentum carried her to him. When she was able to stop, she was right at the feet of the giant. Keith didn't bother to look down at her. He raised his foot and brought it down with a crunch. "Won't ask again" he said. They took off running. Keith made it to the front only a few minutes later as the enemy only tasked a few to catch the "inferior male" hat escaped.

Susan saw him emerge from the back and ran to him. "I'll kill you to bitch" he said pointing the sparking spear at her. "Hold fire! Jesus Christ hold your fire!" Susan yelled cancelling the illusion on her face. Keith lowered the spear and sighed. "This close!" he yelled. He walked to her and grabbed her hand. He yanked her along gripping her hand tight as they went through the main lobby doors. "You're hurting me!" Susan yelled. He let go. She saw he was deeply disturbed. Breathing through clenched teeth. Muscles tight. Eyes narrowed and tense. "Fuck this place, we're leaving" he said. "Oh shit" Susan said as what looked like police spotted them on the street. They took off running through the nearest alleyway.

They could hear their pursuit. Susan pulled him right as she could hear footsteps coming towards them. They ended up at a dead end. "Protocol omega Susan" he said. "Keith. They're families in these shops and houses. Innocent people" she said. "Down here!" a voice yelled at their feet. They looked down to see a small young woman at a sewer pipe waving. "This way quickly!" she yelled. The guards were getting closer. "You rather take your chances with them?" she asked. "No" Susan said shrinking her and Keith down. The woman had them follow her inside. They rushed to a lower level and waited. "They're not here. Must've took a wrong turn" a giantess guard said. They held their breath until they were gone. "And who are you?" Keith asked wary. "Not one of them. Please follow me. There's no reason to fear me" she said. The young woman held a lantern in her hands illuminating the dank and smelly sewer. "Where's the rats?" Sudan asked worried. "All around you. Any rodents that get through the barrier are shrunk too so don't worry" she said. Keith watched her intently ignoring the struggling in his pocket. Her sandaled feet walked carefully with no hesitation on the slippery stone indicating she's walked this path many times. Minutes passed...

"Not too far now" she said taking a left. "Where are you taking us?" Susan asked. "To a safe place where the empress can't find you. You're not the first to catch her ire" the woman replied. Eventually they got to a stone walkway the led up a steep staircase. The woman pounded her fist on the wood above their heads. A giant trap door opened. Looming over them was a giantess the same age as the woman who found them. "Did you get the medicine Sion?" the woman asked. Sion stepped out and grew herself. "No, I got sidetracked. Come on out. You're safe" she said to Keith and Susan. Susan emerged first wasting no time growing herself. "It's okay little guy" Sion said as Keith took a moment to size up the giantesses. She stretched her hand out to him until Susan grabbed her wrist. "Don't. Don't touch him" she said. "Fair enough" Sion said backing up. Susan gently picked Keith up placing him on her shoulder.

"We really need that medicine Sion" the woman said. "Sasha, the market is swarming with her police looking for them. It was too risky" she said. The woman named Sasha squinted her eyes and Susan and then Keith. "I can see why. The man has no traces of blight as far as I can see" she said. "What's blight?" Keith asked. "It's easier if I show you" she said motioning for them to step deeper into the large underground cellar. There were small tents set up on the floor. Under each tent was a cot and a male laying on it. Keith motioned for Susan to put him on the floor. "This is the blight" she said. Keith looked at the males. Some as young as five years old. What appeared to be bruises on their bodies. Their eyes hurt by the light. Weak and still. He covered his mouth and nose immediately. "It's not a virus or bacteria nor is it passed by contact. We know that much for a long time" Sasha said. "You wanted medicine. Why not use a healing spell?" Keith asked. "Healing spell? There are healing spells?" Sasha asked. Keith and Susan looked at one another. "Yeah" he replied. One of the males began convulsing. "Shit! I just gave him a dose an hour ago!" Sion yelled bending down. She pulled his cot out. It was a boy no older than ten.

"Susan" Keith said. She nodded. "Stand back" she said to Sion. She went to object until she saw the magic in her eye. The giantess scooted back in awe as Susan put her giant finger on his fragile little chest. "Analyzing. Arsenic, cadmium, chromium detected in body. Poisoning. Transmuting into oxygen. Lemurian healing spell level two. Panacea" she muttered. The boy glowed brightly until he stopped convulsing. "He'll be fine now. Just needs rest and hydration" Susan said. "The blight. There's no traces of it at all?!" Sion said. "By the gods you're right. No blemishes on his skin. How did you perform this miracle?" Sasha asked. "Just advanced healing magic. You don't have that? I saw you use shrinking and lightning magic but no healing?" Susan asked. They shook their heads. "Magic is strictly controlled by the Empress. The only magic commoners are allowed is shrinking. Soldiers and police can use lightning" she replied. "And males?" Keith asked. "Absolutely none" Sasha said. "What can you tell me about the blight?" he asked.

"Only what we know. It affects men and woman but mostly men. It goes through stages. The first is bruises. Sensitivity to light. Then miscarriages and weak or delayed ejaculations. Then sterility followed by spasms and death" she said. "Infertility?" Keith asked. Both giantesses nodded. "That explains what they wanted with you and me...especially me" Keith said to Susan. "This has been a plague for ten years but in the last two days it's become a full-blown epidemic" Sion said. "Two days?" Susan asked. "And this Aquarius is here now. I don't see that as a coincidence" he said. "I wish we knew more. We think the state knows the cause but won't disclose the information to stave off panic" Sasha said. "I can out that to the test. Is there a place I can be alone?" he asked. "There's a room right over there" Sion said. Keith motioned for Susan to take him to it. "Stay out here" he said entering. He waved to close the door. Keith sat at the door letting the light enter under it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the shrunken guard from before. He placed her on the floor.

"My...my people will come for me" she said frightened. "Unlikely. I left a pile of bodies in my wake. I'm sure they're thinking things over right now. They probably haven't even noticed you're gone yet. That false bravery you're clinging to because I'm a male. I'm not your docile little man you see every day here. I'm something far more. A pissed off person with a penis.  A male with the power to shrink you into oblivion and that's if I choose a merciful death for you. So please keep putting on airs. See how far it gets you" Keith said coldly. The dim light reflected in his eyes giving him an unworldly look. "Why drag it out? Kill me" she said with a whisper. "I don't kill without purpose. Not usually. I'm inclined to spare your pathetic male enslaving life if you cooperate" he said. The girl sniffled as she took off her clothing. "Didn't mean that. I have questions. You got answers" he said. She looked at the small giant nervously.

"First question. Do you know healing magic?" he asked. "Only senior officers know that" she replied. "Second question. How is the blight transmitted?" he asked. "By drinking the water. The poison is in the water" she replied. "Why do the males get sick more?" Keith asked. "Drinking stations designated for males don't have the proper filtration" she replied sheepishly. "Wait. You have segregated drinking fountains?" he asked. She nodded. "And your people knew this was what was happening and still didn't desegregate?" he asked. She gave no answer. "Your society is going to fall, and it goddamn should" he hissed. "Who...who are you to judge? Our society has run this way for thousands of years without fail!" she yelled. "You shortsighted little shit. Look around you! The males are either dying or going sterile! How will your society keep going without fucking kids?!" he yelled. "The same way it always has. We take humans from the outside" she replied. "What did you just say?" he asked. "We sometimes take humans from the outside world to add to our population. It's for a healthy gene pool" she said.

"How often?" he asked. "Every century or so. Last time we took Russians from a camp in the mountains" she said. "Is that why you speak Russian?" he asked. The girl nodded. "We have spoken many languages in the past. Chinese, Mongolian, Arabic..." she said. "All from humans you kidnapped, shrunk, and forced to breed here" he said coldly. "The outsider promised to cure us. This will just be a cycle in our history" she said with meager confidence. "A cycle? I saw how fucked you are. Your society is set to fall in as little as a century. And let me clue you in on something. In the last few decades, humans have gotten only more vicious. Your bullshit raid won't work this time. You either hold up here and go extinct or venture out into the world and take your chances. And let me tell you this..." he said grabbing her leg. He slipped her sandal off her right foot. "Women our size are more prone to be crushed, raped, or eaten alive than men. And that's when the shoe will be on the other foot" he said coldly. He sucked her tiny foot into his mouth making her whimper before he let go. Keith stood up and knocked on the door. Susan opened it. "Who were you...hell did she come from?" she asked. Keith picked the girl up and walked out of the room.

Keith didn't answer Susan as he made his way back to the tents. The other two giantesses there were busy giving the others water. "Stop. You're killing them. She said as much" Keith said holding the girl out for them to see. She was barely a speck to them, but they saw enough to know she was a guard for the Empress. "You brought one of her's here?! She'll expose us!" Sasha yelled. "I want you to see what's coming for your people" Keith said showing the girl males in different states of illness. "They'll get better" she said. "No, they won't. The damage is very extensive. I can save most of them but even those may never have kids. I can see the damage in this one here" Susan said pointing to another young boy sleeping. "I can clear the toxins out of his body but the damage to his sexual organs are beyond me. He'll never have children" she said. The girl looked at the boy. "How many are affected Sion?" Keith asked.   

"Every male has some degree of the blight. Cases this advanced? About a third" she replied. "A lie!" the girl yelled. "The truth! Your degenerate of an Empress lied to you all about how sick they are! What kind of person lets this happen to children? What has he done to deserve a life of slavery other than being born with the wrong set of genitals? Hmm? These are our sons, brothers, fathers, nephews, grandchildren and we treat them as sex toys or slave labor in the mines. Maybe...maybe we should all die off. But before we do..." she muttered touching Keith’s hand. The girl fell to the floor and due to her size (terminal velocity being extremely low) survived. She scooted the girl away from the tent. "Your name" Sasha growled. "N... Nadia" the girl said barely being heard. Susan's eyes perked up.

"Well Nadia. Before I die, I'll spend what time I have left saving what your side treats like garbage" she said as she slipped her sandal off. On the sole of her foot was a black bruise indicating Sasha had an advanced case of the blight herself. She slammed her foot down. Sasha stared down at her foot. Between her toes was a cowering sobbing speck named Nadia. The smelly confines between her toes began to close in on her. "Sasha. It won't change anything" Susan said. "And it won’t bring your son back" Sion said. Sasha lifted her foot up and walked to the opposite side of the room. Susan snapped her fingers growing Nadia to Keith’s size. The girl ran hysterical to Susan. "Don't you dare thank me. You have NO IDEA how lucky you truly are right now. I grew you only to keep a better eye on you. You try to escape or harm my male I will eat you alive...slowly" Susan said. Nadia wisely sat near the wall.

"You disagree?" she asked Keith. "Couldn't care if she lived or died" he replied. She took him to the other side of the room for some quiet time. "My luck powers kicked in again it seems" she said. "What do you mean?" he asked. "That girl. It wasn't random you chose her" she said. "Yes, it was" he said. Susan shook her head. "Her name is Nadia. That's Russian for hope" she said. Keith looked at the girl missing her sandal crying by herself. "She told me a few things" he said. "That's why you took her?" she asked. He nodded. Keith went on to tell her what he had been told.

"So that's why they speak Russian? What kind of camp do you think it was?" Susan asked. "Not a clue but some of the pieces are starting to fit. Their water supply is contaminated with heavy metals and compounds which explains the almond smell. The entire damn lake is polluted" he replied. "Natural?" Susan asked. "Those do occur naturally but if that was the case, the blight would've finished them off ages ago. Come with me" he said. He walked over to Sion. "Sion. You said this has been around for decades?" he asked. "About 30 years" she said. "And around this time the Russians came here?" he asked. "5 years prior" she replied. "And this here got serious when?" he asked. "Two days ago," she replied. "Nadia! When did the outsider come?" Keith yelled. "Two days ago" she replied. Keith and Susan looked at one another. "You gotta be fucking kidding me! He's the reason they're like this! You stupid..." he trailed off.

"I agree Aquarius is behind this but how?" Susan asked. "Don't know. I'm sure he made the problem worse somehow. He's using it to cash in obviously" he said. "The outsider was promised the fragment of the Eye if he staved off the blight" Nadia said. "That's the plan. Markus knew the second fragment is here, so he sent Aquarius to fetch it. Since he's male, they told him to fuck off. He discovered the source of the blight and made it worse as a way to gain leverage. I'm sure of it" he said. "But how?" Susan asked. "Tempering with the water source for the city. Sion, I'm assuming you don't take water from the lake" Keith said. "No, too much of a hassle as the fish are big enough to swallow us whole. We couldn't do any maintenance on the pipes. We built aqueducts that funnel water from the mountains long ago" she replied. "Can you take us there?" Susan asked. "In the morning" Sion replied. "It is late. Forgot the time zone" he said. "You can use that spare room over there. I use it sometimes when I can't leave the infected alone" she said. Keith and Susan nodded. Keith watched quietly as Susan went to healing as many as she could.

"Good night" Sion said. "And her?" Sasha asked looking at Nadia. "With us. We'll keep the door closed" he said. "You try to escape..." she said licking her lips. The girl cringed in fear.

Late that night, all three were resting in the spare room. Nadia slept in a box. She was given the choice of either that or Susan's humid smelly boot. Nadia chose not to use her sweat soaked insole as a bed. Susan slept on a plain bed with Keith sleeping on her pillow not far from her face. Keith however was not sleeping peacefully. "Please sir. Don't....it hurts. You're too big...to big! IT HURTS!" he screamed. His shouting awoke Susan. "Keith?" she asked opening her eyes. He was tossing and turning, whimpering and crying. "Keith! Wake up!" she yelled poking his small body. He woke with a start. Susan went to touch him, and she jerked back so hard he slipped off the bed. Susan caught him before he fell to the floor. "...please...I'll do whatever you want. Just don't rape me again" he whimpered. The sound of his begging voice broke her heart. "It's me baby. It's Susan" she said softly. The terror left his mind reminding him where he actually was. "Oh. It's you. Sorry about waking you" he muttered. "Keith...your voice. What you said" she whispered. He looked away. She brought him to her face. "I recognize that tone in so many others. I didn't know" she said. "It's not something a talk much about" he said. "Tell me" she said. Keith didn't say anything. "Please. I share so much with you" she said. He could see the worry and sincerity in her eyes.

"Shortly after I escaped the human that killed my sister and nearly me in an experiment, I found myself living on the streets of Boston. I was a 14-year-old kid with no parents, no money, and because my DNA was borrower, I couldn't go to any child protection service. Begging helped me for a while. I was cute enough to get some sympathy. When I was 15, I wasn't so cute anymore. I was starting to look like a man. Sprouts of facial hair and all that. In that winter I was starving. Hadn't eaten in days. I wandered down a particular street known for hookers. A car pulled up. "How old are ya kid?" a man asked. I told him I was 14. He had me get in. He drove to an empty parking lot where he stopped. "It's yours if you suck me off" he said waving a $20 bill" Keith said softly. "Oh Keith..." Susan said. "I did what he asked and got my money. Ate off it for a week. Now and then I would go down that street and make money. Got me through the winter."

"Because I ate sparingly, I didn't develop much the following year. Borrowers need more protein than humans so even though I was almost 16 I looked 14. I celebrated my 16th birthday being assfucked by a guy under a bridge. And then one night a man came by and waved a cool grand of cash in my face for one night in a hotel with him. A thousand dollars and a warm dry place to sleep. I couldn't say yes fast enough. He was gentle with me at first. Kissing me. Sucking my toes. Hugging me and kissing my neck. And then it began. He pushed me down and I felt him...enter me. It hurt so much. I felt warm blood trickling down my thigh" Keith said getting quieter. "You don’t have to...

"I begged him to stop. Told him I'd do anything just not that. He just laughed" Keith said. Keith turned away for a moment. "Oberon don't blame yourself" Keith said. "You were my responsibility. I could've done something" the old fairy said softly. Keith had never heard him cry before. "He let me go around 3 a.m. or so. Told me since I didn't get through the night, I don't get shit. So, there I was back on the street still bleeding out of my ass. Distant thunder in the sky and I was just...done. If this was life, I didn't want to be part of it. I began walking to Bunker Hill bridge ready to just throw myself off it. And while was heading there a faint voice had me stop in front of an electronics store window. A computer was on playing random YouTube vids and one caught my attention. The Daily Life of a Borrower by Aspen McCormick. I felt a connection looking at this human girl and ended up walking to her home. And as they say the rest is history" he muttered.