“I can’t thank you enough for this, you really saved my livelihood and me when you swooped in and took down those bandits. I would have been ruined if they stole from my carriage.”
A vintner named Connor wildly gesticulated as he thanked his savior. A lady wearing open toed heels, displaying her blue painted toenails. A ring on her second largest toe of both feet, that lead to blue fabric stretching towards the rest of her foot. Albeit it was hidden by a layered shear bodysuit that covered nearly her entire body. With windows that showed her skin at her hips and shoulders. The bodysuit stretched over her arms until it stopped before her wrists, with a single extension covering her middle finger in the cloth. The rest of her fingers laid bare, displaying the blue painted nails. She wore another piece of white clothing over her and upper arms. From behind, it was obvious that her bodysuit was backless. And the white clothing fanned over her rear, like the feathers of a crane. An outfit that was surprisingly unscathed from her recent combat. The woman’s skin was unblemished, and her eyes were radiant pearls. Her silver hair was long and ended in a single braid that went down her back. The most important part of her ensemble were the ropes over her shoulder and holding her braid together. As they were utilized to contain the natural malice within her. Although, she wore a neutral and restrained expression as she listened to the brewers incessant prattling. This human woman has commonly been mistaken as one of the divine beings, Adepti, in the past. Although it was not that great of an exaggeration as she possessed strength unmatched by any other human in the Liyue region. She was known as Shenhe, an ethereal soul amidst the mortal realm. An individual instrumental in the reconstruction of the Jade Palace and defeating Beist the Leviathan. It was during this time that Shenhe was able to use her strength for the good of others, bringing her a step closer to human society. Although, progress is never a linear path, it is full of hills and valleys as will be made apparent through Shenhe’s journey.
“…You must return with me to the Dawn Winery so that I may repay you, for what you have done for me.” The vintner had ended.
“That would be out of the way.” Shenhe curtly said as she began to walk away.
She would have continued if she hadn’t looked back and saw the taxed and dismayed look on his face. Shenhe recalled why she was heading to Mondstadt in the first place. Cloud Retainer had created a new experimental device, one that would be tested in Mondstadt. With the assistance of the Knights of Favonius. Of course, after several errands completed in human civilization, Shenhe had realized that Cloud Retainer was just trying to get her exposure to contemporary society. Something that she had missed out on growing up due to her unique circumstances. Shenhe was plussed about this. She was determined to complete both the explicit and implicit directives of her task. Over the multiple requests, Shenhe had come to realize that burdening oneself due to another may not always be perceived as a burden by them. A blunt and persistent rejection may hurt his emotions and make him feel unjustly indebted. Thus, Shenhe had turned around and accepted Connor’s offer.
Apparently, it was only a small detour, one that Shenhe hoped that Jean, acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, would understand. The vintner gave her a tour of his collection of wines and liquors. An experience that she found to be very informative as she had spent most of her life just drinking water dew and eating Qingxin leaves. The tour ended with the vintner offering Shenhe to take as much of his stock that she can carry. Again, in his words, if it weren’t for her, his business would have been ruined. The vintner than walked off as his attention was called somewhere else. This would typically be the point where Shenhe would have picked up an obscenely large number of bottles with her absurd strength and balanced center of gravity. Instead, she decided that this would be the best time to pull out the device that she kept attached to the side of her hip. It was in the form of a teapot, similar in design to Madame Ping’s teapot but much smaller. Cloud Retainer had designed this teapot to work under similar principles as Madame Ping’s teapot. Although instead of whisking the individual into the realm within the teapot. This teapot shoots out an imaginary space over a specified radius, a “fragile realm”. Once designated, anything within this fragile realm will shrink along with the realm itself. This would seem to be a downgrade compared to Madame Ping’s serenitea teapot. However, the difference between the two is that Cloud Retainer’s new device, used a lot less adeptal energy than the other teapot. It is to the point that Vision holders and regular people should be able to use it as well. It was created with the intention of being mass produced. So far Cloud Retainer had already completed a stress test. It was observed that things that were shrunken down didn’t degrade or had their internal structures compromised during the shrinking process. She had yet to test it on organic matter, but she planned on doing it on resilient volunteers like one of the other Adepti. Cloud Retainer had already surmised that the smaller the organic matter, the greater the amount of energy they would exude. In other words, the smaller they are, the more heat they lost. Shenhe was unaware of this conjecture and already left to carry out the regional generalizability test. To see if the device worked in an area with abysmal adeptal Energy. Mondstadt.
Shenhe, taking Connor’s words at face value and seeing this as an opportunity to begin testing the device. She rubbed the teapot clockwise, away from her and towards the drinks. It shot a virtual bubble at the inventory before it shrunk away. Shenhe now picking it up and putting it in her satchel. She walks out before seeing Connor and bidding him farewell.
“Huh, that lady didn’t even take a drop of liquor. You know sometimes people can be too good for their own…sake?” Connor paused as he walked back to his inventory seeing that it was empty.
“Sigh, I guess I am going to have to put up a quest for corollas and wheat again” Connor said despondently.
Shenhe had made significant ground since she had left the Dawn Winery. She had made it all the way to Springvale, but the sun was already down. Thinking it best not to alert the guards of Mondstadt and make them overly suspicious of a new character, Shenhe decided to camp out for the night. She laid down under the moon light, reflecting on her day. Thinking of the events under the context of how she conducts herself tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amber had gotten up early this morning. As the sole Outrider of Mondstadt, Amber had a responsibility to ensure the security of the outskirts. In addition to her regular duties, she was told by a sleep-deprived Jean that a representative of Liyue should have arrived by last evening. There were no concerns of her safety, as according to Ningguang’s endorsement, this individual was of great strength and determination. Amber had left for the main entrance of Mondstadt, the sun bright this summer day. Amber had wiped the sweat off her brow,
“Whew it’s hot. I’m probably going to sweat buckets today if I stay out for too long. This would go a lot quicker if she could use her glider within the town.” As she reached the front gate, she was stopped by the guard, Swan.
“Oh Amber. Good to see you. If you are going out today, Dawn Winery may need some assistance.” Swan asked.
“Sure. I’m surprised that it isn’t Diluc handling this himself. Considering how he feels about us and all.” Amber said as she rubbed the back of her head.
“It’s nothing big, just some missing inventory. One of his brewers, Connor lost a large portion of his alcohol. Not much we could do about it now without a lead. Just keep an eye out.” Swan waved Amber goodbye as she had set off on a light pace, in the direction that the Liyue representative would most likely arrive from. Her destination of Springvale already in her sight. Not much was out of the ordinary, Amber even kept an eye out for a sign of bandits or mercenaries that could have stolen the alcohol. Rather, the first sign of disturbance was not on the way to Springvale, but as she arrived at the village.
“How many times do I have to tell you, put the boar down.” Draff, the Kätzlein hunter, said menacingly as he held his bow. There was an arrow notched at the women holding the squealing boar to her thigh.
“Sir, you need to calm down, I don’t think the women means any harm. Wait, Sir Draff, have you been drinking this early in the morning. It’s only six in the morning!”
“I won’t let that woman take my daughter. Hiccup, urp. You can’t have her hand in marriage.” Draff drunkenly let the arrow fly as Shenhe catches it with her free hand. She looked at the foolish woman with an irritated look on her face.
“Get the flask off of him.” A Springvale hunter yelled at him and another tackled Draff into the pool of water at Springvale. “Noooo brbrlbrp.” Draff yelled as he sunk into the pool of water, never learning how to swim and in his intoxicated state mistook to pool for a deep lake. Dragging his fellow hunters to flounder in the shallow body. The residents of Springvale looking on at the scene dismissively at the nearly daily spectacle of one of their chiefs. It is no one wonder that his daughter had spent most of her time at Mondstadt. Shenhe had let the boar go at this point.
“Hey, are you okay? That was a nice catch!” Amber said as she jogged over to check on Shenhe’s condition.
“Wait, you don’t look like you are from around here…wait are you the Liyue representative. Sweet. score one for Outrider Amber!” Amber shouted as she shot her hand through the air triumphantly.
“By the way, how did you end up in this situation? You carrying the boar and all.” Amber asked as Shenhe eyes lingering at Amber’s fist as it left the air. Still pondering the purpose of such an action.
“I had noticed this flower with a sweet scent that looked like would make for a good breakfast. The beast, or boar, had intercepted the meal. So, I apprehended the boar before it consumed my breakfast. Then the crazy vagrant came yelling about how this boar was his daughter.” Shenhe had finished her recounting of the events, before taking the sweet flower and stuffing in her mouth. Enjoying the taste of her breakfast as Amber rubbed the back of her head. Lightly laughing at the incredulous situation and the unique individual she encountered.
“My name is Amber, the sole Outrider of Knight of Favonius. To my understanding, you are the representative from Liyue here to deliver a parcel, correct?” Amber held out her hand.
“Shenhe. It is a pleasure to meet you.” Staring at the hand, before slowly reaching out and shaking it.
“If you don’t mind. I would be more than happy to escort you myself to Mondstadt. It is not a dangerous transit, but it’s always more fun to do such things in company.” Amber said as Shenhe nodded, not fully understanding what Amber had meant.
After that situation, and due to Amber’s insistence, the two women stopped by Brook’s place for more substantial food. They then took a seat on the grass, looking out at the watery moat that separated Mondstadt from Springvale and the surrounding area. Shenhe studied the “Sweet Mondstadt” silently before taking a bite. “Hmm. This tastes just like the flower.” Shenhe said before thanking Amber. “No problem, although this meal would taste better with something to drink, but the villagers here try to keep that stuff locked up because of Draff. I don’t know how he ends up getting a flask full every so often.” As Amber finished talking, Shenhe had rubbed the something on the side of her hips pulled out several bottles of wine.
“Woah! Where did you put all of those?” Amber said as she looked for any place that Shenhe could have hidden these drinks.
“I got these from the Dawn Winery. A man offered me to take as much as I could carry so I have plenty left over if you want some more?” Amber connected the dots after listening to Shenhe.
“These wouldn’t happen to be from a man named Connor, would they?” Amber asked as Shenhe had nodded affirmatively.
“Yes, I actually used the device that I was asked to bring to Jean.” Shenhe had then shown the device, the virtual space containing the wine, and a couple other invisible permeable membranes containing an assortment of supplies. She explained its function, and the reason that she is delivering this to Amber’s acting Grandmaster.
“Well, that was a lot to take in, and we’re going to have to return most of that wine back as that brewer didn’t expect you to take that much-splash.” Amber had accidentally tipped over one of the wine bottles onto Shenhe, splashing the liquid on her clothes. Shenhe looked at the color that now dyed her clothes.
“Oops! Sorry, I can wipe that off.” Amber tried to look for a spare cloth as Shenhe got up.
Shenhe stood up, “Thank you for your concern. I can wash the drink off at the lake nearby.” Shenhe said politely. Walking away before giving a chance for Amber to respond.
Amber sighed at her clumsiness, hoping that she hadn’t soured her new partner’s mood. Although Amber couldn’t tell as Shenhe had kept a reserved expression during the entire conversation. “It wasn’t like she was trying to withhold her emotion. Rather, it’s more like she is forcing herself to be emotional.” Amber thought to herself as she had begun to inspect the device left behind by Shenhe. Amber was trying to figure out how the device operate, something that would be I’ll-advised in untrained hands. Especially when alone and with a mind focused on other thoughts. Amber had rubbed the pot a certain way as it pointed towards her. It had all happened within a second. A bubble was released from the pot before colliding with her skin and expanding to cover her entire body. The world became muted and a blur as everything seemed to be moving as Amber stood still. A sense of vertigo developing as in the face of this new phenomena. To an observer, Amber had seemed to vanish instantaneously. When, in reality, she had swiftly decreased in height, from 5’4” to 1”. One moment the device was in her hands, the next it was a towering obelisk in front of her. Despite her body’s aptitude for gliding, Amber’s vestibular system was not prepared for the sudden change in her outdoor senses. Before she could situate herself, Amber had already kneeled over and was vomiting the food that she had consumed just a few moments ago. Her body shivering despite the radiating heat of the sun.
Shenhe had went off to wash herself of the sticky residue. The swiftness in which the liquid had seeped and dried into her clothes made the endeavor difficult enough that Shenhe had debated whether she should take her sleeves off or ask Amber for help. The outrider had presented as an oddity for Shenhe, as she was unfamiliar with Amber’s bubbly personality, casual nature, and friendliness. The Adepti, we’re ethereal and divine in nature, making it hard to approach them even if they wanted to establish amicable relationships. The same could be said for Liyue humans, as over time they have mistaken Shenhe for an adeptus, resulting in them acting in a state of reverence towards her. It wasn’t until she had met Lumine and the others on her mission to the Jade Palace that Shenhe had realized that there were social nuances and intricacies to human social interactions that she was oblivious to. Shenhe had slowly come to realize that she couldn’t just smash in a person’s head if they looked at her weirdly. Thus, when her thoughts drifted to Amber, Shenhe decided to keep an open mind with how she would interact with her. Not wanting to offend her as she had nearly done with Connor the brewer. Especially since she worked under the grandmaster of Mondstadt. Regardless of how odd her actions may seem to her, Shenhe would do her best to act in accordance with them. Thus, she kept that mindset when she returned to the area of their impromptu lunch. Although Shenhe was slightly surprised to see that no one was around. Her device and other items left alone. Shenhe had considered searching for her, but ultimately decided against it. As she was a capable Knight of Favonius, she was probably familiar with the area and the threats within. If she were to go searching for her, she would more likely get herself lost and separated from Amber. Extending the time for her to arrive at Mondstadt. Shenhe sat back down on her spot. Proud of the conclusion she had arrived due to her experiences in the human world. She took off her heels and let her stirrup-covered feet feel the cool breeze of this region’s air. Shenhe had then dropped her feet down and pressed them into the grass to feel the moist morning dew. Feeling a lump under her right foot. Something that she had attributed to a clump of grass overlaying itself. Nothing that would merit her immediate concern as she waited for Amber. She proceeded to press her feet into the grass, noticing the resistance the lump had displayed. Shenhe had pumped her feet several times to savor the moisture at her feet, as the slight annoyance beneath the ball of her foot grew. Eventually Shenhe had exerted a greater pressure on that specific patch of grass, until it flattened with the rest of the grass.
When Amber’s senses had returned, she was astounded by the new scale in front of her. Blades of grass, just a blur from her former stature now reached to the level of her torso and beyond. The ambient sounds of nature had taken a whole new pitch and timbre. Either muted due to the overwhelming distance of her new scale or with a new depth. Her vision could only stretch so far, her perceived world much smaller, as the anything too far in the distance was just a blur. The city of Mondstadt, now looking not that different from the mountain ranges of Dragonspine. After she had gotten over her initial sickness, Amber had thought that her body would warm up. Unfortunately, despite the warm sun, Amber’s small stature and the cool breeze made it seem like the rays never reached her. Her clothes had thankfully still on her body after the transformation as Amber thought that it nearly felt as cold as Dragonspine. A condition that she would not be able to sustain for that long without expiring. Amber had rushed over to the obelisk of the device to look for a way out of her predicament.
“Dang it. Why doesn’t this thing have an instruction manual? It’s not user friendly at all. If only I waited for Shenhe to come back or at least explain how the device worked.” Amber said as she held her hands close to her body, trying to warm herself up.
Thump
Thump
As if on cue, Shenhe was returning from cleaning her clothes at the lake. Her arrival had brought about seismic activity that gave Amber another reason to shiver. The sonic booms first sending Amber into a panic before she lost her footing due to the shockwave.
THUMP
THUMP
Amber had fallen flat on her face. Wondering what was causing these successive earthquakes.
CRASH
A voluminous sound and burst of wind had passed over Amber as she struggled to stay adhered to the ground and not blown away. Finally, after the elements had dissipated, the bunny eared girl was able to look up. A woman who was only an inch taller than her at 5’5”, now towered over her like the statue of the Anemo Archon. The rays of the sun reflecting off her hair and illuminating her body, as if she were an archon herself. Thunderous sounds coinciding with the movement of her limbs, signaling at the great strength that was hidden beneath her muscle. Amber was nearly convinced that she was an archon herself from that sight. Breaking out of her stupor as she was reminded of the chill that went down her back. Amber got back up to begin her trek to this relative goddess, as she was already out of options on how to return to her former size. Amber pulled out of her satchel her handy Outrider Glider. To expedite her trip as Amber concluded that she would freeze to death before reaching the frosty beauty that lay before her. With a simple draft equivalent to a gust of wind, Amber had taken off the ground and maneuvered herself towards Shenhe. Something that she had begun to regret as the cold air bit into the exposed parts of her skin. If Amber didn’t have prior experience gliding in Dragonspine she would have fallen off right as she took off. Through grit and perseverance Amber had reached over halfway to Shenhe just as she was removing her heels. A simple action that had a large impact on the micro impact that Amber existed in. The departure of the footwear from Shenhe’s feet and onto the grass below, created an unexpected shockwave that was not typical of the environment of Dragonspine. One that belted Amber twice over, regardless of her skill as a glider, she had lost control and was veering dangerously close to land. Again, if it weren’t for her plethora of experiences as a glider, she would have simply been knocked out. Instead, she oriented her body into a rolling maneuver to spread and disperse the damage applied to her body. Amber laid winded on the grass. The moisture dampening her clothes as she took deep breaths between her clenched teeth. Feeling the cold began to set in her bones, Amber had begun to wonder if this was it. A foreign scent had wafted up to her nostrils. One that caused her to recoil and open her eyes. Expecting to be blinded by the sun, Amber instead saw a structure that cast a shadow over her. Five projections pointing up towards the sky, attached to a large central body covered with horizontal ridges. It had a frosty white color and looked to be covered by a black and blue material that stretched over the middle of its body, before disappearing as the ridged white body met the grass. Through bated breaths, Amber had noticed the horizontal ridges move, as the projections from the top curled into the main body. Unable to move, her body battered and hypothermia setting in, Amber was only able to look at the landform that blocked the life-giving rays of sun from her. It was as this structure began to fall towards her, that Amber was able to discern the identity of the odd cliff in front of her as Shenhe’s foot.
THUD
At first Amber thought that she was going to be unknowingly suffocated or crushed by the gorgeous women that she had tried to seek assistance from. A light pressure encompassed Amber’s world. Shenhe was just resting her foot on the grass at this point. The movement of air outside of the feet caused Amber’s ears to burst. A sour odor pervaded her senses, as Shenhe had traveled a long distance with as few breaks as possible. Amber, between gasps, had let the salty residue of the organic press drip on to her tongue. Amber’s senses were left scrambled, unable to process all this information. She was trapped in this hellish chamber where the scent of Shenhe’s trek had reached a new depth for the spunky glider. The sweat, imperceptible to the giant woman’s eye, had mixed in with the dew that wet Amber’s clothes. The fallen mountain seemed to have its own ecosystem, the blood pumping through the appendage sounded like a hidden river. The mixture of these sensations disoriented Amber for an unknown length of time. It wasn’t until Amber’s eyes perceived a literal glimmer of light that she was able to orient herself. Through the sliver of space created by the gap between Shenhe’s foot and the grass, Amber ascertained that she was at the ball of her foot, right between her big and second toe. With light, meant there was an exit, something that Amber would have taken advantage of if her mind was not focused on another concern that was finally resolved. “It’s warm.”
The relative safety of Amber’s current condition was made evident to her due to subsequent change in environment. The organic press had become firmer as it applied more pressure on the grass and her. Now unconcerned about hypothermia, Amber had pushed her arms up towards the sole of her new friend. Although all that she was able to accomplish was increasing the pain in her elbows. Her hands falling to the wayside as the foot fell towards the grass and onto Amber’s body. Her world cast back into darkness as the sliver of light, and her exit, disappeared. Amber could feel her lungs strain against the pressure placed upon her with each inhalation, and her face was smeared by the earthy smell of Shenhe’s flesh. Amber noticed some relief when she exhaled, realizing that Shenhe hasn’t put all or that much pressure in her feet yet. Amber began to pray to Barbatos that he would give her the freedom to escape from this situation. Hoping that Shenhe would just lift her foot up as she rhythmically scrunched her toes overhead. Obviously deriving enjoyment from her action, that also unknowingly caused Amber a great amount of suffering. Amber had begun to hyperventilate, diffusing the Shenhe’s earthy scents into her lungs as she had noticed that the pressure was increasing. She felt her ribs begin to creak, as she had become increasingly concerned that Shenhe was targeting her body specifically. The flesh of the feet forcing its way into her mouth mid-breath. Amber’s face had begun to turn red and then blue as she struggled to breathe. Not struggling, she focused her strength in moving her face to the side in one quick motion. Amber’s face now towards the side as the ball of Shenhe’s foot pressed down on her face. Amber had begun to wonder if her efforts were hopeless, it was almost as if the skin was adhering to Amber’s muggy clothes.
“Wait…!”
Slam
The space between the grass and Shenhe’s foot had disappeared along with the body of Amber. The foot splayed out on the grass, Shenhe’s toes fanning out, satisfied at having conquered the errant grass. Shenhe allowed the air to pass between her toes as she looked around at the grass. She noticed a small pair of wings in the grass, beginning to wonder if there were insects nearby. Shenhe scrunched her toes back in, feeling another lump being squeezed by her toes. This time, it was evident to her that the lump was not continuous with the grass. Perplexed, Shenhe had begun to wonder if the thing that lay beneath her feet was an insect. Maybe it was even the lump that was under her ball earlier. “It returned to my feet even though it almost expired underneath them, what an odd bug.” She thought back to her days as a child, where she would one-sidedly callously play with insects. Their interactions usually ending with her squishing them a variety of ways. Times that she remembered fondly as it was before she was nearly sacrificed by her father and when she was newly adopted by Cloud Retainer. Before squishing this insect, Shenhe decided to deign it with an audience with her, so she could consolidate this memory to recall later. Her blue painted nails reflected the light as she gripped the object between the toes of her right foot. She placed the foot on her lap as she prepared to crush the thing between her toes after glimpsing at it. Shenhe would not follow through with this action as instead of an insect, she saw her bunny eared colleague.
Just before the overbearing mass had squeezed the contents of Amber out of her body, the bunny eared girl realized a way out. As she used the sweat, in addition to her strength, to move her mouth out of the overly affectionate and earthy flesh. She would use the liquid in her clothes to act as lubricant. Amber had swiftly unbuckled the straps on her clothes, as the pressure increased twice-fold, Amber realized that she was nearly out of time as she put her plan into motion. Using the pressure applied to her, and swift directed movements on her part to squeeze herself out of her clothes like toothpaste and out of the ball between Shenhe’s second and biggest toe. Leaving a naked Amber in between two blue headed behemoths.
“I have to find my glider.” Amber said between labored breaths. She had nearly been crushed without Shenhe even noticing her. Amber doubted that she would be able to make it far if Shenhe had decided to make any more moves or walk away. No, she needed a straight shot towards her ear, and Amber had the confidence in her glider skills to get it done. Where is it, Amber said as she had walked away from toes, only getting several feet, relative to her size, before once again falling over. It wasn’t due to the battering her body received, rather the frigid cold had returned to Amber’s body. Despite being under the sun, Amber had realized that this was very much like her time in Dragonspine. Where if an individual didn’t pace themselves between lamps, they would immediately freeze to death. Unfortunately. Due to her recent maneuver to escape five headed leviathans, Amber was without clothes or gear that she could have used with her Pyro ability to warm herself up. Thus, Amber had walked back to the toes that were currently airing themselves out, the blue painted nails laid upon the bulbous toes, a ring around Shenhe’s second toe connecting the stirrup to her foot. From farther away, the skin looked pristine, matching the beauty of the goddess that was laid before Amber. However, from her prior experience, she knew that this appendage also held the brutality and strength of a goddess. Regardless, Amber had to see if she could retrieve any of her gear. At least that is what she told herself. Having lost the overwhelming embrace of Shenhe’s foot, and being thrust back into this cold microscopic world, Amber was slightly desirous to expose herself to that warmth once more. Just as Amber had reached down and under Shenhe’s fanning toes. Now under less dire circumstances, Amber had noticed some features of the former death trap that she had missed. Even though, Shenhe had undoubtedly traveled a long distance, her toes and sole looked soft and firm. The soft concentric ridges and swirls differentiated these organic appendages from the sharp crevices of cliffs in Mondstadt. As Amber trailed her hand on the feet, it reacted by pumping its blood more swiftly upon contact. Closed to the ball of the foot, Amber could not find any sign of her clothes. Betwixt the toes and sole, Amber had noticed a familiar scent mixed in with the strong earthy musk. They were of this vegetation Lumine had on her one time. It was called Qingxin. It was a flower that gave off a sweet and aromatic perfume. The banality of it made the earthy smell more pronounced. The heat around Amber had reached a comfortable level. It was like when Amber had activated a flaming potion during one cold winter. For the first time since she was shrunken, Amber had relaxed. Something that the beast surrounding her had taken advantage of, as the vice grip of the toes enveloped the bunny eared girl. The sudden pressure sending Amber’s thought racing. The smell of Qingxin became stronger, but so did the threat to her own life. She recalled that she had felt ticklish in the underside of her toes. Hoping to convince Shenhe to look instead of casually crushing her body. Amber had begun to lick the bittersweet liquid that covered Shenhe’s toes. A task that was harder than the times she had done before as it was of her own volition. The taste reminding her of the dish that Eula always ate whenever they went to Good Sara for dining. Amber did not have that dish again. Amber had continued this action as the rays of the sun hit her and Shenhe’s eyes hyper focused on the sight before her.
Shenhe’s immediate reaction was one of concern. Her thoughts arrived at removing Amber from the traumatic conditions she was subjugated to, initially. It was when Shenhe noticed Amber’s position, lack of attire which laid on the sole of Shenhe’s foot, intimacy with her toes, and correlated them with the ticklish sensation.
“Am I misinterpreting the situation once again? I’m certain that I told Amber of the device’s purpose and that it is currently being tested. Yet, she is shrunken down committing actions that I have only heard about from Yunjin. Is it possible that Amber did this intentionally? That if I reverse this that I would end up hurting her. Like I nearly did with the brewer and have done to many others in the past.” Shenhe thought to herself as she extricated Amber from between the ball of her right foot and toes. Her stature diminutive, as Shenhe sat Amber on the palm of her hand. She was shaking slightly, but from her gestures and posture, Shenhe was certain that Amber was happy to see her. “Wow…how um unabashedly perverse can she be.” Shenhe thought to herself. Mistaking Amber’s relief at being found and apparently rescued from torture, for Amber being very open and forceful of her unique sexual predilections to a stranger. As someone who still had a tenuous grasp of human social conventions and norms, did some introspection upon this thought. “Who am I to judge her for her preferences, I smushed a lot of insects when I was a child because I enjoyed it. So, I understand her from the opposite side of the spectrum.” Shenhe had thought that she had grown out of that condition in the past, but as she continued to approach the topic internally, her curiosity continue to increase. Shenhe had brought Amber up to her ear to get her input.
“…” “…” “…”
Shenhe had brought her hand back in front of her face after a few minutes. Seeing that Amber was now winded. Due to her dimensions smaller scale, the frequencies that Amber was able to produce were different to that of a normal human range. Shenhe, could not even hear a peep. “I’m sorry. If you said anything I couldn’t hear it.” Shenhe said back to her. Amber then dropped down on the palm, the frigid cold returning to her body due to her body’s much higher basal metabolic rate. A fact that had escaped both the giantess and the denizen on her palm. Shenhe stared at the submissive posture that Amber’s nubile body had adopted. Her bunny ears, now weighed down by moisture, were also drooping. “Maybe she really does want to get closer to my feet. It was inappropriate for her to do it without my consent. But if I had similar predilections and were presented a device that made my wish come true, wouldn’t I take it. In fact, aren’t I already in a situation like it right now?” Shenhe’s processed the sight of Amber, her breath prickling the palm of her hand. “I know that she enjoyed it, maybe I would as well?” Shenhe had begun to lower herself and her hands towards the floor and her feet. Certain that if she was mistaken in her conclusion, Amber would signal her to stop.
A stroke of luck finally hit Amber as she laid on the palm of an inspecting Shenhe. Glad to have been found by the Liyue representative. She gestured excitedly, not even bothered by the slightly colder temperature on top of Shenhe’s palm. Her eyes stared at her intensely like a pair of moons. It wasn’t until Amber had to catch her breath that she noticed that Shenhe had not moved that much aside from visually inspecting her. Amber became slightly concerned that Shenhe might have confused her for something else when she looked over her body. A blush rising over her as she realized her lack of clothes. Before Amber could further dwell on the matter, Shenhe had moved her hand towards her ear. Amber nearly stumbling at the display of strength displayed by this giantess. Amber attempted to relay what transpired. How her new size had left her cold and forced her to find heat amongst her skin. She also thanked Shenhe for finding her, and that she needed to be returned to her former size. Then Amber waited for Shenhe’s response. When she wasn’t returned one, she had become concerned at the lack of activity on her partner. Amber began to yell again hoping that she would get a response this time. Finally, Shenhe had returned Amber to the front of her face after the third time. Amber now winded from yelling and shivering from the high altitude and the warmth of Shenhe’s skin only transferring to her soles.
“I’M SORRY! IF YOU SAID ANYTHING I COULDN’T HEAR IT!”
Amber had dropped down due to the cold at this point, so Shenhe wasn’t able to see the effect her vocal cords had on the diminutive woman. Her eardrums burst as she couldn’t bring herself back up from the palm. The heavy warmth of Shenhe’s breath weighed on her body. The muggy vapors that smelled like the eviscerated Sweet Mondstadt now diffused through her respiratory system. This impromptu Anemo attack had left her feeling nubile and recovering body violated without rest. Her body shaking and feeling weak at the sudden warmth. Her skin felt clammy as the saliva and spittle, imperceptible to Shenhe, had coated Amber’s skin. A few words causing Amber to hyperventilate and lay prone in defeat. Fearful that if she were ever yelled at by such a large being, she would be whisked away. Amber was not sure what would be a worse fate to expire at the unintentional hands of this giantess or to freeze to death by herself. As Amber tried to recompose herself, she noticed that she and Shenhe were going back closer to the grass. Amber would have attempted to relay to Shenhe her befuddlement. Instead, she could only stare with growing concern as her platform had gotten further away from Shenhe’s torso. The giantess’s upper torso becoming blurry as the only thing that her vision did not lose focus on were Shenhe’s twin eyes, shining bright as twin moons amongst the beings’ indiscernible features. The platform morphed under Amber, now wrapping around her. The sun bouncing off the blue painted fingernails and momentarily blinding Amber. The black part of the stirrup stretched from her instep, proximal to the heel, before it changes color midway into a light blue, the most distal part stretching out and ending at a ring attached to her second toe. Shenhe flexed her toes and inched the ring from the second toe of her right foot and off. Opening a gap between the stirrup and the skin of her sole. Before Amber could react, she was inserted into the stirrup. Her body laid within the instep. Amber noticed the familiar sudden change in darkness and heat.
“Wait, Shenhe!” Amber yelled despite Shenhe not possibly hearing her.
Shenhe brought the ring back over her second toe, stretching it tightly over her sole. Silencing Amber as her face and body was pushed upon the expansive sole. Shenhe had scrunched her toes to reach the ring over, Amber being released from the embrace of the sole momentarily, as it bended away. Amber took a deep breath as the ring went back over the second toe. Shenhe relaxed her toes now as the miniaturized girl was now a captive within the giant woman’s footwear. Amber was left questioning as to what led to this change of events as Shenhe had stood up. Keeping pressure off her right foot. Testing Amber’s endurance, not wanting to hurt her, but also wanting to give her the best experience that she could ask for. Shenhe has a slight smile as she slightly increased the pressure of her foot.
Amber was not sure why this was happening, but she braced herself for the ensuing pressure. Unlike when Amber was just between the grass and Shenhe’s sole, she did not feel as much pressure. The stirrup which was designed to provide cushion and support for Shenhe’s feet also cushioned Amber’s body and redistributed the pressure over the stirrup. The frigid cold was the last thing on her mind, as the heat was much greater than when she was under Shenhe’s toes. Before it was like being in a warm room during winter, now it was as if she was in the middle of the summer day. As hot as it was when she first walked out today. The clammy skin of Shenhe’s sole spread itself over Amber’s immobile body as the bittersweet scent of Qingxin and Shenhe’s sole wafted over her body. Amber felt the pressure decrease as the foot lifted into the air, before rushing back down to the grass.
THUD
The pressure spiking as Amber nearly lost her breath. Amber’s thoughts were only focused on survival as the foot’s arc continued.
THUD
Amber utilized the breathing techniques she picked up as the best glider in Mondstadt.
THUD
If not for that Amber may have already lost her breath and be left floundering within the confined space.
THUD
She exhaled upon every time the sole slammed down on her, and then inhaled as the foot lifted into the air. Careful not to choke on the stray sweat.
THUD
This was successful if the foot followed the same arc, which it hadn’t. The pressure increasing to the point that Amber could not expand her chest. Stuck in a state of expiration. It had only lasted a moment before the pressure returned to normal, the foot lifted once more, this time straight up instead of moving forward. Then it dropped back down. This time Amber felt a different surface upon her back from that of the grass.
Shenhe visually checked that Amber was secure before standing back up slowly. She adjusted the weight on her right foot until she was satisfied that Amber’s body would not collapse under the stress her body was put through. Shenhe had begun to walk, each passing step her confidence growing with this course of action. A smirk emerged on the white-haired hermit as she recalled the feelings she had in subordinating smaller beings under her might when she was younger. “I think I might enjoy this as much as Amber.” Shenhe crouched to pick up her heels. She put them on one at a time. Making sure the straps were secure. It was the afternoon and Shenhe was ready to embark on the final portion of her trek to Mondstadt. The hot sun presided overhead, causing her body to perspire as she reached the entrance of Mondstadt without break as the sun went down.
“Excuse me Mam, could you give me your purpose for coming to Mondstadt today.” Shenhe wordlessly handed a document that Cloud Retainer penned, satisfying Swan’s question. He then directed Shenhe to the location of the Knights of Favonius headquarters. As Shenhe left for her destination, Swan had noted a smile that was uncharacteristically plastered on her face.
Amber’s existence was that of pain. The stress her body was put through had increased under the sole and over the heel. Amber would have swiftly recognized that Shenhe put on her if she were not focusing all her attention on timing her breaths with Shenhe’s steps. Every step now compressing her chest to the point where she had no choice to exhale. Ambers own breath barely diluting the miasma that emerged as Shenhe had walked away from Springvale and on the road towards Mondstadt. Amber’s breaths became more labored as heat radiated from Shenhe’s sole from her minor physical exertion. If Amber’s body had not lost heat as soon as it accumulated it, her body would have burned up. Although, as Amber soon realized, this was not her greatest concern. As the sun crawled through the sky and out of sight, the sweat of captor would trickle down to certain parts of Shenhe’s body. Most prominently, for Amber, it included the sole that she lay under now. The accumulation under Shenhe’s sole, perceived as a sheen to someone of Shenhe’s stature, was a rising water level for Amber. The sweat dripped over Amber’s body, stinging the more sensitive parts over her. Before falling to that stirrup that bound Amber to the giantess’s sole. Amber thanked Barbatos, the puddle that she lay in did not go above the middle of her torso, as Shenhe’s stirrup were not air thought. If Shenhe was wearing any other footwear, Amber may have drowned. Although, the odor of her chamber became more pungent and bitter as the Qingxin fragrance lost the fight of predominance to the body’s natural odors. Change seems to happen whenever Amber became adapted to her environment. As the road that Shenhe transverse shifted from gravel to brick road. The road less forgiving, Amber would now feel her ribs creak down to her lungs. It wasn’t until Amber heard a muffled voice that she vaguely recognized that she was back home. The constant pressure on Amber’s body soon causing her to gasp for air. Instead, her mouth was only met with the invasion of salty skin. Another near-death experience persisted until Shenhe had went in the direction Swan had pointed out. Amber struggling to regain her composure underfoot. The sweltering and ever present sole not making it easy. Amber was near tears as she knew that her home was probably not far from here. Berating herself for not taking the day off. The downpour of sweat has lessened under the cold night sky. The ambient temperature being more bearable as the sweat had begun to dry around Amber. A pruritic sensation spreading over her body, a disturbance intensified by her immobility. She tried to direct her attention elsewhere, such as the muted noises outside of Shenhe’s footwear. Thus, Amber was able to hear a new sound that repeated in succession. Before the familiar voice of her commander from high above. Amber had braces herself as Shenhe and her commander conversed on the experimental device and the trials that would need to be run for effectiveness, reproducibility, and quality control. All the while, Amber wanted nothing more than to scream her heart out, to be found, and extricated from this torture. Underfoot, Shenhe standing, Amber was forced to expire her air reserves and unable to inhale. The voices becoming mute as the odor around her became more prominent. Black spots appeared in Amber’s vision as her mouth was in an open-mouthed gasp. The air that diffused through her lungs in her last inspiration mostly composed of carbon dioxide. The last thing Amber thought of before her vision went black were the Qingxin. An aroma that was twisted and encompassed her as she had struggled underfoot of Shenhe. Her body going limp under Shenhe’s sole.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shenhe had noticed a sudden burst of activity under her right foot followed before it stopped as Jean went over the individuals, she had in mind for the trial runs.
“To my understanding, Cloud Retainer’s concern is the ability of her device being a viable tool for our knights, adventurers, and even the common folk. Did she mentioned how she was going to handle distribution?” Jean questioned.
“Pardon me. I’m appreciative of the time you’ve allowed me to meet with you, especially considering how busy your schedule is. Would it be possible to table this conversation tomorrow? I have traveled from Liyue for the past two weeks and I’m feeling quite exhausted. Would you happen to have any spare lodging or where I might go?” Shenhe lied. As she was concerned for Amber’s state and needed an excuse to get to a private area to check on her.
Of course, We have a spare room right now. I can open some time in the morning to finish this conversation. Would 5:00 am suffice?” Jean offered.
Shenhe agreed and Jean led her to the room. Shenhe’s thoughts went back to the outrider that was along for the ride since Springvale. Shenhe had the liberty, due to the dearth of travelers and monsters on the road, to focus on Amber’s minute struggles under her sole. It brought her back to a time when life was much simpler, when she felt more in control of herself. Before she had to wear the ropes to bind her more sadistic tendencies along with her emotions. Having Amber underneath might have fed into those desires, but it had taken some of the burden off the ropes to a point where she could emote an expression of contentment. Unlike her resting face of placid emotions. Something that Shenhe would want to investigate for possible future considerations. That is of course if Amber was willing. Thus, when Shenhe had arrived at her room and bid the acting grandmaster a good night, she then checked her right foot. Shenhe removed her heels and slipped off her stirrups. Amber was unconscious, her hair and bunny ears were frayed, and her body seemed like it had been through a tough fight. Shenhe prior thoughts were replaced with an immediate concern for Amber’s well-being. Shenhe’s fear that she had inflicted irreversible damage to Amber was abated when she noticed the slow expansion and contraction of her chest. She placed Amber near the foot of her bed, before getting up on the opposite side of the mattress. Despite the night advancing, Shenhe chose to stay up for a couple hours until Amber roused from her involuntary rest. Breathing a sigh of relief, Shenhe started with an apology.
“I hope that you are feeling all right. I know that you wanted to experience this to the point that you would use the device without my permission and sexually satisfy yourself underneath me. That is fine, as I think that I enjoyed myself as well. But I think that this experience may have been too harmful for you.” Shenhe had paused with a yawn as allowed Amber to take it all in.
Amber was once again overwhelmed by the booming articulation of Shenhe. Despite the torture she was put through, Amber was still astounded by her beauty. It took her a moment to process the first piece of dialogue as she blushed in embarrassment and humiliation. “Wait, she thought that I enjoyed this. Could it have been when I was trying to get her attentions from her toes.” Amber had stood up and fought through her nervousness and tried to mime what really happened. Unfortunately, Shenhe had already began to doze off. “Since I also derived some enjoyment from this encounter we shared, I don’t have the right to speak from a moral high ground. So, I’ll leave the decision to you. If you want to return to your former size, then activate the reversal process on the device.” Shenhe moved her hands in a pattern on the device in front of Amber. If not, then we will discuss future matters tomorrow morning. Shenhe had placed the device on the table adjacent to the bed before laying down on the mattress, unable to stay up any longer. As it was late into the night, she wanted Amber to make the decision without her input, and she was expected to wake up early tomorrow to meet with Jean.
“Wait don’t go to sleep. I can’t get to the device even if I wanted to. My body can’t handle the cold!” Amber yelled to an unaware and now slumbering Shenhe. As she was used to sleeping out in nature, Shenhe did not choose to lay covers over her body. A choice that already left Amber shivering. “Dang it. What should I do? If I stay near her body that will just cause more misunderstandings. I don’t know how much energy I have left but I must get to her ear. Maybe biting or punching it will wake her up.” Amber thought as she began her trek to explain the situation to Shenhe. Amber had kept close to Shenhe’s body, to maintain her body temperature. Amber had given her all this past day just to make it to this point. Her will was a determined one, but her physical abilities had their limitations. The cold or the heat, both influenced her attention and cognitive arousal. Amber’s eyes slowly drooping and her feet stumbling. Eventually Amber had stopped. “Halfway there. Just a little rest and then I’ll get back to Shenhe’s face.” Amber said as she fell near Shenhe’s wide hips. Halfway to Shenhe’s head, but all the way to the land of dreams.