"No! No no no! You stubborn arrogant bastard! Why didn't you say something sooner? I don't... I don't have the components to bring you back if you die right now!" Grom's frustration and anger echoed in the lonely cave. He shifted position and hovered over his fading friend. "Come on, work with me... Come on..." Digging into that power he carried the light erupted around him. Slamming his palms on Jax's bare chest, the light washed over the warrior's body.

The pulse was fleeting and drifting away fast. Such grievous wounds are impossible to stabilize without proper offerings. Offerings the cleric did not have. He tried to take a glance at the carnage but quickly looked away, pains of disgust making him nauseous.

"Don't be so far gone... Come back..." Another pulse of magic ran over the still body from the glowing hands. "All you ever did was fight everything! Fight now! Don't you give up on me!" his voice began to crack with emotion. Sweat all over the healer's body, he was exerting everything he could offer.

Jax still faded.

Breathing even faster, he thought of his options. There was little else his tricks could do besides keep the embers burning for a little while longer... Not against something as dramatic as this. The crippled body just couldn't sustain itself. Tears forming and starting to run down his panicked face, Grom's despair turned to anger.

He threw his head back and roared, "I'm not going to ask if you're there because you never are! Literally yesterday he saved my life... And then I was able to stop even more devastation to this world! What kind of justice is it for him to die now? How can this be his fate? How can that be your intention?! Your... Intention..." All his life, Grom healed people. His friends, acquaintances, even complete strangers.

People.

He had never tried to mend a wound directly. Without any other options, the lone man sucked in sharply through his nose and stared forward. Whole body trembling, and most of all his hand... Both his sight and palm slowly drifted down to the wrecked kneecap. Gritting his teeth, he placed that shaking palm and fingers on the wound. The warmth and wetness drove away clarity, nausea taking root.

"I know, that your time,” he spoke sternly but still struggled to say anything, emotion overwhelming him, “Is not now." Channeling the normal stubbornness from the one dying in front of him, "Not, today." Grom stared directly at the fatal mess. Clenched teeth fought back queasiness. His hand grew brighter, burning with a focused intensity.

Intention.

Not just fix his friend but fix the problem. Heart pounding, arm about to pop feel of its socket once more, a splitting headache piercing and spiraling down throughout his whole body. Grom focused. The first sign of the leg regenerating astonished the healer. Freezing for a moment, then continuing to imagine a good functioning limb. Walking, kicking, running. Bits of bone and muscle crawled under his fingers as the reconstruction took place.

Still fighting against that present nausea, he continued. Slowly but surely the absolute worst condition Grom had ever dealt with his own power pieced back together. Well, second worst. Now holding the restored limb, he quickly assessed the warrior's condition. Just a spark, about to go dark. With one more surge of healing, Jax bounced back from the brink now that his body could sustain itself. The cleric held his breath waiting for the healed man to spring alive but only saw the soft breathing.

He slouched back with recognition, "Oh right, you didn't actually die so you're not going to bolt awake like I'm... Used to seeing. Ugh..." The exhausted man flopped back, collapsing with limbs spread out. For a long while, he caught felting breath, staring up into a fake starless night sky. How dark it was, hidden under a woman's armor and clothes. Taking a while to once again grasp composure Grom finally noticed subtle ups and downs of the ground beneath.

With all of that excitement out of the way, in this new stillness, he could feel the living being that they resided on. He could feel Astrid breathing. "She is still so impossibly massive... How in the realms are we going to fix you, my colossal friend?" Suddenly, a low vibration picked up. A heartbeat later the whole cave trembled violently. The two bounced up and down at the motion causing the tiny man to panic once again. This living landscape wished to shake and be rid of the explorers. But just as quickly as it started the earthquake subsided. Jostled and confused he looked around.

"Now what was that? Honestly could have been anything. Whatever she does we're completely at her mercy. Oh no... What if she tries to stand up?" The thought made the cleric's blood turn to ice. He had to do something. They couldn't just stay here. But where was here? Grom stood up. Once again calling upon divine favor he produced a much brighter sacred aura to illuminate the surroundings.

The floor like twisting and winding foothills. Curved bits of skin coming together and ramping up against a smooth wall. A slight cupped nature to how this odd bowl of a landform rested. Turning about the rounded valley, darkness still clung to the other side. Gazing up and up unable to see how far the canyon stretched it dawned on him.

"Oh my God... We're in her belly button." A woman's navel, so huge he couldn't see the other side. The immensity of such an easily forgotten feature took his breath away... And a hopelessness began to emerge. "I can't climb this!" Grom's voice echoed out. "Let alone carry this deadweight!" Unconsciously he had put his arms out wide and let them fall, slapping against metal armor as he deflated.

Yesss... Quite the predicament you to find yourssselvesss in... That creepy voice softly hissed in his mind, with a subtle tiredness as if waking up. Congratsss on sssaving Jaxxx.... We almost lossst him again. Just how many timesss are you going to have to bring him back to life? Grom grumbled with annoyance, sitting down and searching his pack for the troublesome object.

"Guess I didn't put you down well enough this morning. Maybe if I try hard enough I can shut you up for good. At least I know I can be rid of you for a good while again," the cleric spoke confidently. Almost having his hands on the idol, the magic item knew it's time was short.

Wait! Grom No! I have secrets, so much to share, but you would have to listen, secrets, yes, Airvin, she's not who you think she is, so many secrets she's hiding. Think about it, why did her focusss burn you and not the unconsciousss one? Somehow able to pull the memory, Grom felt that strange tingling sensation where her crystal had burned him. It certainly troubled his mind. Didn't harm Jaxxx... Why'sss that? I know Grom... As I see into your mindsss... Your wishesss... Your desiresss. So too, I sssaw the well of liesss your teammate fostersss... I'll give you this one for free as a token to hear my offer... Her biggessst fear... Isss that you find out who ssssshe really isssss...

The quiet man had his hands on the gold. He stared into those ruby eyes. He knew all too well that listening to this thing would bring nothing but further turmoil... But whether through exhaustion, curiosity, or genuine concern...

Grom did nothing for a moment.

Tasting the sweet hesitation the hissing continued, Sssecrets... Answersss... I have them and you didn't even know you sssought them. What could your friend have that'sss ssssssoooo evil... It'sss very exissstence isss vile to your nature? Never quite ssseen a mage do sssuch powerful ssspells with sssuch ease as her now have you? I'm here to tell you shesss not just lucky... Or perhaps ssshe isss...

He didn't speak.

For a little bargain... A promissse that you won't sssilence me... I will tell you what that cryssstal isss... Even who it usssed to belong to...

There was a great pause in the dim light.

Ssso... What do you sssay... Do we have a deal?~  Grom took a long deep draw through his nose feeling his lungs fill with air and slowly released his breath out his mouth.

"Nope." And with a flash from his center down his arms into the item again, it hissed loudly the sound dissipating to quiet again. "Oh my God..." he said in exacerbation. "This is also bad... This is such a problem... Why do we have so many problems? Why do we have so many goddamn problems?!"

A low rumble started in the distance. Rapidly it grew closer. "Really?! I just can't catch a break can I?" A deafening growl suddenly surrounded him. Loud deep groans continued reverberating around and underneath.

Because Astrid's tummy needed to remind her she was hungry.

Grom sat there wide-eyed listening to the noise subside. Not until just that moment did he ponder... Just how much the giantess could consume at her newfound size. Where would she even be able to get a bite to eat? So many things catastrophic about how absurdly large she was. All the more reason to figure out how to fix this small problem.

"Jax? Grom? Where are you guys?" the welcoming feminine voice of his friend called out from far away and above.

"Airvin! Am I glad to hear you! Can you hear me?" No immediate response but still an excitement flourished from within. The two were definitely not quite so hopeless with their ally coming to rescue. The cleric pivoted righting himself to stand up and welcome his friend... But the cold metal in his hands quickly recaptured his attention.

Remembering what it said, he felt the heavy pit in his heart. Something about his essence knew it, like a bad omen of things to come... He was going to have to confront his friend. But trying to push that aside he prepared for rescue. Shining the divine light brighter he called out for her again.

"Grom? That you? I think I can see your light... Really? You guys fell into her belly button? Are you two okay? I see blood up here..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cool wind whipping her hair once more, the mage took the ride on the fingertip to the peach-colored canyon that belonged to the bigger giantess. With her massive finger set firm on the ground, Airvin took a glance at the rounded edge and huge drop to the chest below. Her tiny friend's hesitation made Astrid realize that she had to do better. Awkwardly pressing into herself and adding a slight twist, she tried to lessen the severity of the slide down her teammate would have to make. Not satisfied with the effort but realizing the position was as good as it was going to get, the mage squatted down and carefully slid off the tremendous digit. Even getting off of this woman's finger was an ordeal. The men were surely in trouble.

After a quick fall and touching down, Airvin spun around and looked toward her friend. The humongous hand retreated and the teeny tiny teammate waved in acknowledgment. With a soft smile Astrid returned the gesture, hand so far away atmosphere actually obscured it slightly. Almost spellbound yet again at the giantess's size, the tiny giantess immediately missed the view of the horizon. Because now from her new vantage point... Pretty much the only thing around was gigantic boobs. The subtle curve of the valley met rounded edges against the supple mountains. From that point up, however, were tall steep walls climbing into the atmosphere, holding those rope bridges in the heavens above. As Jax had said before, this adventure simply had revolved too much around titanic tits. Remembering the job she needed to do, the magic user shrugged off the overwhelming sense of weirdness and searched the area. With only a living surface here, the mage traveled toward the darker area.

The pulse of a humongous heartbeat shook the ground as it hammered. Every single one found Airvin's feet, working up her body and rattling her bones. Incredibly fine and tall blonde hairs were scattered everywhere. Not so much a forest, but hopefully the men didn't get stuck on one of them. Now those mighty breaths, certainly noticeable but with shielding, that monumental rise and fall wasn't as bad. A whole different kind of experience when you were forced higher into the chilling jet stream without protection.

The massive grown woman had settled back enough making the slope less daunting but the small woman still needed to watch her step as the skin offered little grip. She could still take a tumble.

Finally taking a stroll as a one-woman search party, Airvin's mind began to wander. How strange that she had to rescue her friends merely because her other friend was now so outstandingly humongous that she had leveled a mountain range when she fell. At least that was probably what happened, the tiny but huge mage hadn't seen what became of the local landscape. She didn't know if the giantess watched but assumed. That view most likely perplexing. Being forced to stay as still as possible while your ant-sized teammate casually walked a relatively intimate part of you.

The mage tilted her head and once again drank in the majesty of the towering mountains around her. In the immediate area, it was obvious progress happened... But step after step still looked like so much didn't move. Realizing she wasn't covering enough ground the small woman quickened her pace. Without gravity granting speed this trip across a monumental chest could actually take a while.

Calling out for the men a few times her brunette hair shifted while she scanned the area. Back and forth she looked as if expecting some sort of new feature to suddenly appear, like a rock or boulder that she would have to move over and check behind. But there were no such features. Only skin.

The tiny woman took a moment to remind herself she was actually substantially large. So easy to feel perhaps inadequate with the immediate scenery. Then the bizarre waves of thoughts begin to bubble up like a fresh boiling kettle. Astrid's current colossal size... That could have been Airvin. If it hadn't been for Grom... She didn't think nearly enough about the swap of scale that could have continued. It may have been Astrid crawling across her boobs because she had woken up and sent even smaller people tumbling into such inappropriate places.

What would I do if I was that size? What is she actually seeing and feeling right now? I bet she feels... Powerful...  Airvin got goosebumps while she kept envisioning herself as the world's newest calamity. It almost happened. A creeping bit of evil came to her attention. *I don't have to think too hard about it. If I really had become such a powerful force... I would go to her... I would end her existence...

I would kill my mentor. *

Airvin suddenly snapped back to the present and once again looked around. Making progress but it certainly didn't feel it. Of course those two wouldn't be here. They would have kept falling and falling, much, much lower. Out of nowhere, she felt embarrassed about the sounds released when she had originally grown bigger. *Why on earth did that cursed item have to make me feel so inappropriately in front of my peers? It did that to me on purpose... Such a wicked and vile thing. I truly hope Grom can figure out a way to dispel or destroy it. Seems like he's the only one who can deal with things right now.

She spoke aloud, "Except maybe you. You're a big girl. You can probably take care of yourself." Thinking about the healer putting a stop to the size swap brought to question, what if he had not been able to do that until much later? A truly crazy image flourished in her mind. What if the magic had been subdued right in the middle? Both me and her, equally massive, just kind of vibing here absolutely gigantic. Even half of Astrid's size is still far too huge. You would probably be all excited about us being able to hang out... Magically enlarged and on top of the world, 'Like we should be,' that's what you would say. Dear gods, you would most certainly also start getting flirty too. You always take things too far and love making everybody else uncomfortable.

The idea of both of them, heads in the literal clouds as Astrid stared at her, biting her lip before swooping in for a kiss... Airvin blushed ferociously and shook her head refocusing on the task at hand. What the hells is wrong with me?! Where are these ridiculous thoughts coming from? I guess it's impossible not to think about somebody... While you are literally hiking an absurd distance across and directly on them...

She completely missed the discarded metal dagger but did find the rope. Picking it up and holding the end reminded her of her new scale. This was far more like floss than anything useful.

Better keep it, Jax would probably want it back. Then the thought about how bad this fall must have been for them started playing in her mind. Visualizing just how awful their trip must have been.

"My gods, I hope Grom was able to protect them with that useful trick of his." Quickening her pace across the incredible amount of skin, the shadows started developing into greater darkness. The cloth canopy overhead made this cavern less inviting the further in she tracked. The temperature began to rise away from the open sky. Subtle aroma of perfume was being swallowed by body odor.

I mean... It's not the worst smell in the world... But certainly way more of Astrid than I've ever wanted to smell... Producing a soft pale purple glow in her hand, the mage had reached the giantess's abdominals. "You guys? Are you down here?" Airvin called out in the dark. Most places down here were actually high enough for her to stand upright. Only a few spots where the cloth came down to meet the round-toned muscle she wouldn't be able to squeeze through. Ducking her head and running her fingers across the cream-colored cloth above the tiny giantess continued. She searched forward but then looked down and froze in her steps. Small circles of shiny red dotted the peach-colored field. With a frantic motion, the tiny woman reached down and wiped, hoping this was just some kind of blemish. The blood smeared.

Instantly the whole ground underneath her shook up and down. Astrid failed to suppress a giggle. The mage was knocked forward against the ceiling and flattened face down against the vast tummy.

A booming voice rang out trying to be apologetic, "Sorry, I'm ticklish... I'll really try to be more careful...." the gigantic woman said sheepishly.

"I am getting to know you, way, way too well," Airvin grumbled getting up and pressing forward. One of them or both were hurt and/or in trouble. She had to hurry, while being mindful of her actions. Down one hill and up the next the magic user could only imagine what this landscape was like to her friends. While moving quickly, she indeed saw more blood and became even more fearful for her friends. Reaching the top of this hill the dim light revealed a massive crater, incredibly wide and descending into pitch black.

"Really?! You guys fell into her belly button?! This really can't get any worse..."

A loud churning growl echoed across the cave. The small mage squatted and put her hands out in a fighting stance head on a swivel. Trying to see what monster just made that noise before a sudden wave of embarrassment washed over her. Obviously, that rumble had been the giantess's stomach. Besides what in the world could Airvin do? She was useless without her magic. The brunette quickly moved over and found the trail on the edge of the pit. Looking down into the dark she called out, "Jax? Grom? Where are you guys?"