Before Sylvie arrived at the gates of Eris, it was obvious the people inside were expecting her. She could see the guards eyeing her from their spots on the knee-high wall surrounding the city; beyond that, she saw a clear road that led to a large gathering waiting at the base of the tower. Stopping at the gate, she looked down at the soldiers, all of whom wore a mix of steel and furs, best to keep them warm and safe at the same time. They looked up at her with a mixture of fear and awe on their faces as she loomed over their grand wall. 

“So…am I allowed to come in?” she asked politely.

“Y-yes! King Radigan awaits you!” The soldier who spoke pointed towards the tower, and she thought she could make out the man he was referring to. With her permission to enter granted, Sylvie stepped over the wall, careful not to let her cloak brush a person off; with one foot over, she was pleased to see the streets were wide enough for her to comfortably stand in, and the path to the tower was straight. In fact, from her point-of-view, the town seemed to be incredibly symmetrical; the tower stood in the center, and the streets seemed to spider-web out from it until they hit the wall. Now inside, she walked carefully, watching the ground so she wouldn’t hurt anyone or anything on her way to the town center. As she made her way there, Sylvie felt Roth rummaging about, probably getting nervous about his fate which was close at hand.

Once near the town square, she spotted King Radigan, dressed in his pompous clothes, his portly figure standing out amongst the incredibly thin townsfolk; many of them looked like they hadn’t seen a meal in a while. Perhaps Roth was right about corruption, but she knew the greater threat was the pirates, for now. He stood at the base of the tower which was twice her height, which was very impressive by human standards; on the top of the tower she could spy a stack of wood and dead leaves, perhaps a beacon to warn other towns of impending danger.

She stopped at the edge of the crowd and they parted for her immediately; she didn’t move any closer, merely standing still at the entrance. 

“Welcome to the watchtower of Eris!” Radigan bowed, his hand on his hat to keep it from flying off into the crowd. “Your efforts at aiding the other cities in this region have not gone unheard! We are forever indebted to you!”

“I’m just doing what needs to be done. I don’t like bullies who exploit others for their own gain.”

Radigan gave her a nervous laugh, then nodded in agreement. 

“I agree! Terrible for our people! Yes, they truly have made life difficult here. Which is why, if you would hear us out, you may be able to help solve the problem for good.” Sylvie eyed the small man, knowing that he had plenty to hide behind his welcoming facade. She would have to play nicely with him for now; it’s not like Roth would be an open book with her about the whereabouts of the other pirates.

“I’m glad to help however I can. Before that, though…” She reached into her pouch, her hand fully wrapped around Roth; she took one step forward and knelt down so she could present her tiny prisoner, her palm open once it was level with Radigan. “I captured this one after I helped a city a few nights ago. Make sure he gets the right punishment.”

“Oh, oh yes, thank you!” Radigan motioned for one of his guards to take Roth away. Sylvie expected Roth to put up more of a fight, but he simply stood atop her palm, his hands stretched out, waiting to be bound. The guards were anxious about being so close to her, and they took care not to touch her at all as they applied a rope to him and yanked him away. She simply rolled her eyes as she watched the whole ordeal; people could be so unreasonably skittish around her or Belena. The last she saw of him was when he turned his head around to look her in the eyes before they took him around the corner, out of her view. Strangely, she felt guilty about letting him be taken away; he didn't’ seem evil, just misguided and stubborn.

“Right, well, back to business-”

A bell rang from the far end of the city, near the coast; the guards who hadn’t attended to Roth all tensed up at that moment, and Radigan rushed back into his tower before Sylvie could ask what was happening. Just like that, everyone else was running as well, many even pushing past her boots to get to their homes, or so she assumed. Standing back up to her full height, Sylvie could see what the issue was.

Three ships had appeared off the coast, all with black sails billowing in the wind. 

“To your posts! Come on, to your posts!” She saw guards rushing towards the wall facing the docks, all of them brandishing either bows or crossbows, each one heading to an assigned spot to defend Eris. Looking at the ships again, she smiled, knowing exactly what to do. 

*

Roth was silent for most of the trip to the prison, and the guards gave him that same treatment as well. He wriggled his hands a bit, testing his bonds; they were tight, but crudely tied since it had been a quick job, just so they could get away from Sylvie. All in his favor. 

It was just when they reached the door when the warning bell rang, and for a moment the guards looked away with wide eyes. He took his chance, pushing off from his captors and then throwing his arms around one as he held him around the neck from behind. The other guards both stood still, not wanting to see their friend get hurt by Roth. 

“Alright…I’ve really enjoyed my time with you all, but there’s so much of the world to see…so many people to meet…don’t take it personally.” He felt the rope fall off, his hands having worked on them up to this point, and he kicked the guard into the other two, knocking them all to the ground. It wouldn’t take them out for long, but it was enough for him to run off into the maze of houses; with luck, he’d be able to escape the city and Sylvie. Really, the pirate attack worked well for him; not only had he been given to a much easier force to escape from, but the attack would clear out the soldiers that would have been in his way otherwise. Now if only they would all be distracted long enough for him to get away. 

*

“Nevil! Quick, barricade the door!” Radigan ran around the room like a headless chicken, his wits entirely gone as he worked to protect his gold. 

“But sire, you have the giantess to help!”

“You fool, she’s onto us! We will leave while there’s still time. When she gets back, she can deal with all these poor fools! We can live comfortably elsewhere.”

“Sire, that seems hasty…”

“You didn’t see her out there! She saw right into my soul! As soon as she gets rid of the pirates, she’ll come for me! Probably take the gold too as payment for her services! They’ll all let her take it freely, those rats! Always begging and pleading…”

“Well, they are starving, sire…”

“Quiet, Nevil! Go pack up my clothes!”

*

  “Give them another volley!” shouted the captain of the Grimhorn, a fine vessel which had conquered numerous cities for the pirate lord. Not a ship had been made that could top its size, firepower, or speed, and Captain Driscoll never let anyone forget. The cannons from the other two ships fired, and smoke trailed from cannonballs that smashed into the walls of the city; wood splintered, and the screams of those inside were clear even to the pirates offshore. The sounds filled Captain Driscoll with glee, that feeling of power driving him on. 

“Get the rowboats ready to head ashore! Continue firing to keep us covered from those archers!” He expected to hear the sounds of cannons again, or maybe the sound of people boarding the rowboats, but when he turned towards his crew, he saw faces flushed of all color. “That’s an order! Get-” His words escaped him as he too looked towards the shore, following the crew’s line of sight. Wading her way towards them, her body covered from the waist down, was the giantess. She had removed her gray dress and her purple robe, leaving her in her undergarments.

Every step pushed aside hundreds of gallons of water, and the ripples were felt on the ship despite the considerable distance between the opposing forces. Without a moment to lose, Driscoll got his wits together and called out a frenzy of orders. 

“Take her down! Fire all cannons on the giantess! Send her to the bottom of the ocean!” The crew eventually manned their stations again, but even in that little time the giantess had closed the distance enough to reach out and grab their ship, but she stopped before plowing through them. With the sun behind her, a shadow was cast over the ship, everyone pausing to look up at their giant foe. 

*

“Well, this is cute! I thought your ships would look bigger up close. Really, you’re small enough to fit my dolls at home. Maybe even smaller than that!” Sylvie put a finger to her bottom lip, quite amused at the situation. This might be easier than she originally thought. Her amused demeanor was cut short as a cannon was fired, and she felt a sharp pain as it punched her stomach. She staggered a bit, the cannonball having hit her stomach dead on, and she looked down to see a red mark left where it had struck her skin. 

“Ouch!” In retaliation, Sylvie swatted at the foremast, the beam cracking immediately upon impact, and she watched as it tumbled down onto the deck, the sail smothering many pirates and the ropes snapping and getting other pirates tangled in them. Despite this setback, they began firing more cannons, each one slamming into her with the force of a good punch. While it would never seriously injure her, she knew she’d feel sore afterwards. Moving quickly to the side, she put herself behind the ship and out of the line of fire, this time bending over to get a look at the captain. The tiny man looked at her and shouted obscenities as he tried to defy her with his presence, but Sylvie was having none of it. With a miniscule amount of effort, Sylvie pinched the man between her thumb and forefinger, his anger turning to dread as he was lifted towards her face. 

“Well, you’re their nasty leader, right? If I were my sister, I’d negotiate your surrender, but…well, I’m not her.” She smiled at him, then turned around and dropped him into the sea behind her. She then turned her attention back towards the ship and the rest of the crew who were just now removing themselves from the mess of the downed mast. Getting a new idea, Sylvie descended into the depths further until only her head was above the water. This put her at eye level with those on deck, and she circled around to the side once more, winking at them before submerging completely. Once she was underwater, she opened her eyes and looked up at the bottom of the ship, grinning as she pushed herself up, her arms stretched wide to match the length of the vessel as she pushed up. Her head emerged, air filling her lungs again as she forced the ship onto its side, the pure chaos growing on deck. Pirates tumbled over one another and over crates on the deck as they all fell into the ocean, one by one.

“Oops! Silly me. Didn’t see that ship above me! Hold on tight, if you’re still onboard!” She let go of her grip and stepped back, letting the ship right itself violently, sending those who had clung to the rails overboard as the ship rocked to and fro. She laughed, watching as the tiny men splashed about in the chilly waters, all trying to swim towards the other two ships or for land. For the moment, she let them be as she approached the battered ship once more. With one slam of her fist, she broke through the top deck, leaving a gaping hole; she then grabbed onto the deck and pulled it off entirely, tossing it into the ocean and exposing the mess inside. In one corner, she saw four crew members, all huddled together and trying to avoid their attacker. Snaking her hand in, she grabbed them all in one fistful, then tossed them into the ocean to join their friends. 

She did the same for the deck below that, and once she was sure it was empty of pirates, she once again submerged herself in the ocean. Once she was fully submerged, she pressed hard against the seafloor and then pushed off with all her might, exploding into the open air. She used the momentum to propel herself forward a bit, then let her body fall right onto the ship, splitting it in two upon impact. Wood and other debris flew out in all directions, much of it ripping through the sails of the neighboring ship. 

Happy with her work, Sylvie looked towards the remaining two ships, both full of pirates from their lead vessel. She wanted to give chase, perhaps maroon them here and let the people of Eris deal with them, but she knew this was more than enough to keep them away. With her mind made up, she turned around, pushing past the two halves of the once mighty Grimhorn, its two halves sinking to the bottom of the sea. 

*

During Sylvie’s fight, Roth had managed to make his way past every soldier in the city, only having a close call at the most when he neared his exit. Now, all that stood in his way was a lone guard who must have been ordered to stand guard in case the pirates made it to shore; despite his poor relationship with the giantess, Roth figured the battle would be over in no time. In another world, maybe she would’ve made a good ally, but he knew the two of them would never be able to work alongside each other. Their worlds were too far apart, and their pasts like night and day when compared. Not only was she larger than any house he’d ever lived in, she also had grown up as royalty, a type of people he’d learned to despise. Really, anyone in authority was someone Roth tended to despise; he was his own man, just as his father wanted him to be. No pirate lord, corrupt king, or bratty princesses would have any control over his life. 

Just as he prepared to step into the street to sneak up behind the guard, his ears picked up a commotion behind him. He turned his attention in that direction and beheld a sight he’d always wanted to see: King Radigan and his cohort were running from what looked to be a very angry crowd, and they were running in his direction. He pulled back into the shadows, but an idea suddenly struck his head. He waited, biding his time until he could clearly hear the huffing and puffing of the portly king, and then he struck. Stepping into the light, he held a foot right in the man’s path, and down he went, tripping over the leg that appeared out of nowhere. He fell flat on his face, and out of his robe came a fortune of gold and jewels, all of which he tried desperately to stuff in his pockets before the people descended on him. 

“Hey, hey! Everyone back off!” Roth pushed the ravenous crowd back, creating a barrier between them and Radigan. Nevil simply stood off to the side, his eyes downcast. “I know I’m not popular around here. My previous allegiance to the pirates is not something I’m proud of, but what I thought they stood for is something I still believe in.” He turned around and gestured at the dejected man at his feet. “Men like this have always kept a tight fist on Eris and its surrounding lands. Decades of famine and poverty have come because of their greed! Could you blame a young man, whose family was lost to starvation, for wanting revenge? Look at him! Running off with our riches when a true threat arrives.”

“That’s right! I bet he has loads more in his tower!” A woman cried out.

“We should hang him!” A man suggested, and many began to shout their approval.” Apparently, this was enough for Radigan, and the man got on his feet quicker than anyone would have expected. 

“Enough! You’re all so pathetic! Greedy?! When a man protects you all from bloodthirsty pirates, or rampaging giant princesses, you all just want more! Listen to you all, ready to raid a man’s home to rob him of his well-earned coins!”

“That giantess saved us! You’ve ignored them until now!” Someone in the crowd interjected. 

“Ha! You truly believe she has your best interests at heart! Once she’s done eating the pirates, she’ll either come here to have you all for dessert, or better yet, rule over you all with an iron fist! I’m being sensible, taking what I’ve earned and going to a safer place!” With that, he turned on his heel and tried running off…only to run face first into the booted foot of a wet and angry giantess.