Chapter 10

The next morning a chill breeze entered the cavern and stoke at my face till I woke up. Wanting fresh air I walked towards the exit, not truly conscious, and quickly snapped out of it when my left foot walked on nothing. I shifted my weight in an attempt to save myself but it was too late I was already falling. “Ahhh, Terra, help me!!” I managed to get out before the cold air took my breath away. I stared down the cavern was enough off the ground for me to die from the plunge. A gust of strong wind hit my face and with it a hand warped under me to cushion my fall; it happened so quickly in fact that I literally blinked and when I opened my eyes it was already there.

“Got you!” said a panicked voice. “Please don’t scare Terra like that, bad Hubert” she scolded, “meanie, Terra so scared.” A pout was on her face with red eyes strictly on me; she was fairly angry but the pout was so cute it was quite a fair trade-off for almost dying. It reminded me of those baby-eyed pouts that children make when they don’t get what they want, a pout that was so adorable that the child basically hypnotized anyone into submission. Terra’s was equally charming, the difference was that unlike a child’s selfish reasons Terra made it because I nearly killed myself. “Sorry” I blurted sheepishly. She blew the long, silver bangs in front of her eyes away then made a  maternal smile, “Terra forgive you, but Terra not nice next time, do ouchie Hubert if happen again, kay?” Not knowing whether or not she meant that last part I simply replied, “It won’t happen again, let me down please” “Next time ask Terra, I get you out” she said lowering me to the ground. It was still high considering it was just the thickness of her hand to the ground below. To get down I did what any person would do in a similar situation, I sat on my behind and carefully slid off.

My feet made contact with solid ground; it was really awkward not to be standing on anything made of flesh, my body was exceedingly clumsy due to the fact that if I fell softness would cushion my fall; this was no longer the case. Another aspect I was adjusting to was the static environment; just as people who have been at sea finally reach land feel, I was experiencing the tentatively named reverse-sea sickness. The only time I was not in contact with her in several weeks was when I ran away however; I assumed I didn’t feel effects due to being pumped with adrenaline. This time, my brain actually had time to ponder unnecessary details. I tilted my head up to see her, but it was impossible (due to my field of view) to see any part of her besides titanic legs and a moist cavern between them (one that was actually so far away a slight white fog diluted). It was actually the first time I examined her standing up from the ground and the spectacle truly made me feel insignificant. Any part of her was larger than my entire body and could splatter me beyond all recognition; all that is I would be nothing but a thin, crimson layer of organic material if any part of her landed on me with the mere strength of gravity. Those adorable pudgy toes could be tools of destruction and death…even the tiniest one could squish a dozen men with a mere wiggle. And yet this goddess loves a creature smaller than a grain of rice to her.

Finally I stopped thinking about the many ways she could kill me and decided that if I wanted to be with her I would need some essential supplies, “Terra I am going to town.” “Terra come with you!!” she quickly responded with my answer being, “Err, I don’t think that is a good idea, I mean…everybody does know about you but…” “Terra stay near town, wait for Hubert.” There was really no way I could stop her if she really wanted to go but I could tell she desperately wanted my approval. “Fine, you can come, but be good” I told her, “soft steps, we don’t want any earthquakes.” I began to walk towards the town with her tagging along far behind me, very slowly. “Terra can carry you” she said in a hopeful voice, “it faster.” “No thanks I want to walk.” I told her. She sighed to show discontent; something told me she already missed having me with her. “Please, Terra want carry Hubert…”Terra begged with her signature baby face that was meant to mesmerize me into giving in; but this time I quickly turned my head and replied, “I’m sorry Terra but I need exercise and if you constantly carry me around I’m going to be a balloon in no time!” This time I was looking at her from far enough that I could see her entire body which actually looked to scale if you didn’t compare any surroundings or considered the slight fog. Her glaring red eyes looking at me and her sulking mouth were her only response, I was defeated, “Alright, you can carry me.”

“Whoopee!” she exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, “thank you Hubie! (the first time hearing the nickname but certainly not the last)” In 2 gigantic earth-shaking steps her golden body was directly above me, it made me dizzy just how fast she reached me (think about an entire mountain, 2000+ ft moving at you all at once, a very scary sight indeed). Her entire body bent with her silver bangs falling from her head towards the floor; an eager hand extended to take me the moment it made contact. Suddenly, I was thousands of feet in the air with two giant crimson eyes once again focused on me. “Is there something on my face?” I asked her sarcastically. “Hmm, no it just Terra really missed Hubert” she told me. “But I was only on the floor for a few minutes!” I declared…she pretended not to hear me. In a way I was a captive of this gentle goddess, not forcibly of course, but I felt force was not long away. She really loved me, too much in fact, that she had to have me in or on one of her body parts at all times. I was somewhat ashamed that she convinced me but at least we got to the town in mere minutes from Mt. Niarra, a trip that would have taken me hours, perhaps days. Obviously as soon as we got there everyone in the town severely panicked. “Oh my lord, the monster from the hills is here!” said a member of the audience. “She’ll kill us all” said another. As much as I believed Terra a gentle soul I knew she had a stomach to feed and unfortunately her glowing eyes (focused on the tiny snacks at her feet), whipped out drooling tongue, and predator-like stance confirmed it. “Ohh, Terra starving…” she grunted hungrily, “but err, I-I…” She swiftly deposited me on the floor and darted away with earth-shattering stomps, “Terra go find food, Hubert come find me later.”

There was something that bothered me about her voice but I quickly dismissed it and headed towards a shop. The shopkeeper said in a ruffled voice, “can I help you?” About an hour passed and I made my purchases (everyone seemed to pretend nothing happened), I headed towards the mountain when at last someone blocked me. “Do you realize what you have done” the man yelled in an agitated voice, “you have led a blood thirsty monster to our town!” I was stunned, eventually I yelled back, “she is no monster, if she were this town would be in smithereens by now!!” The man glared at me for a bit then ran away allowing me passage back to the mountain.