Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 21 - Finale
Shaun brought down the syringe with all of his strength. Suddenly, the syringe hit a hard surface. The jolt made Shaun lose his grip. His momentum carried him forward, making him smack into Zarelda's foot. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the syringe was floating in midair.
" Oh, no... "
The syringe began to rise higher into the air. An invisible force wrapped around Shaun's waist lifting him into the air. As he was being raised, the agents spells hit an invisible wall surrounding Zarelda. Shaun and the syringe were lifted in front of Zarelda's face. A large smile spread across her face when she saw him.
" Shaun! It's so nice to see you again. I knew you would come back to me! "
" Put me down, you giant bitch! "
" Didn't we already talk about this? I'm mistress to you. "
" Shaun! " Joseph yelled firing energy bolts in rapid succession at Zarelda.
" Shaun! " Kyrie cried running out from behind the van.
" Kyrie! Don't! " Victoria yelled running after her.
As she ran, Victoria saw Kuwale draw a knife from his belt behind Joseph. She thought he was going to throw it at Zarelda or something, but instead he moved closer behind Joseph.
" Joseph! Behind you! " she yelled realizing what was about to happen.
She was too late.
" Now! " Kuwale shouted.
He stabbed Joseph's lower back, sliding it under the chest plate. Joseph cried out in pain and fell to his knees. He turned halfway around and threw up his hand. Kuwale went flying back, rolling across the pavement and finally laying unconscious. One of the two agents who were standing together turned to the other and shot lightning at him.
The agent convulsed and crumbled to the ground. The traitorous agent turned to the last remaining agent and electrocuted him too. He was so stunned at his comrades sudden betrayal, he didn't have the time to react. Zarelda had whirled around when she heard Kyrie cry out for Shaun. Her smile became malicious as she raised a poised hand.
An energy bolt flew from her fingertips and hit Kyrie square in the chest. Time slowed down as Shaun watched the girl he loved fall.
" Noooo! No! Kyrie! Kyrie! "
Shaun thrashed against his invisible bonds. Victoria ran to her friend. There was a large, smoking blackened spot in the center of Kyrie's chest. She wasn't breathing and her eyes stared up at the night sky, unblinking.
" K-Ky-Kyrie... Kyrie... Please... No... No! Come on! Wake up! Please! "
Tears flowed from her eyes as she scooped her friend up in her arms and hugged her tightly. Joseph suddenly appeared next to her.
" Victoria. We have to go. We have to go right now. "
" Joseph, please! You have to heal her! You can do it, right? "
" Victoria... Kyrie's... gone. There's nothing I can do for her. We... have to go. Let go of her. I'll come back for her, I swear. " he panted out.
" No! I'm not leaving her here like this. You're taking both of us or neither. " Victoria cried angrily.
Joseph nodded and put a hand on her shoulder.
" Hold on to her... tight. "
All three teleported away. Shaun was crying freely now, still trying to escape Zarelda's grasp.
" You fucking bitch! I'll kill you! I don't care how long it takes! I will kill you! " he yelled at the top of his lungs.
Zarelda ignored him, instead looking down at the traitorous agent.
" What is the meaning of this? Why did your betray your allies? "
The agent dropped down to his knees.
" I am part of a group who secretly broke away from the order. Our new mission was to make sure that if you ever escaped, the order wouldn't be able to capture you again. My mission is complete. Our leader will come to you soon to talk. Until then, I am yours to command. "
" I'm sorry to tell you that I don't trust order members. Even supposed traitors. But you can still be of use to me. " Zarelda grinned.
She launched the syringe into the agents arm. Using her mind, she pushed down the plunger. The effect was almost immediate. The agent dwindled in size as Shaun grew.
" My lady! No! I only want to serve you! " the agent begged shrinking down to inches in height.
Zarelda dropped Shaun roughly to the ground. He got up and beat his fists on her foot.
" Bitch! You evil whore! "
She kicked her foot out, knocking him onto his back. He didn't even try to get up this time. He just laid there breathing heavily with tears rolling down his cheeks.
" Be silent, slave! If you keep talking to me like that I'll be forced to punish you. Now, what is the matter? Did you care for her? "
" You bitch. You already know the answer. That's the only reason you killed her! "
Zarelda stomped her gigantic foot down on Shaun's chest.
" Enough! Do not speak again, you little bastard. "
Unknown to Zarelda and Shaun, Joseph had reappeared by the vans. He stumbled over to the one with David inside. Joseph was in a great deal of pain. He was almost certain that the knife Kuwale stabbed him with had been poisoned. Every time he used magic now, pain lanced through his body.
With a lot of effort, he tugged the side door open. He pulled David up onto his feet, draping his arm over his shoulders. Joseph looked to where he had left Kuwale unconscious. The traitor was gone. He saw Shaun pinned under Zarelda's foot.
" I wish I could help him, but there's not much I can do in this condition. I can't risk dying before I send word to the order about the traitors. Don't die, Shaun. I will save you. "
Grimacing, Joseph teleported off again with David.
Shaun stopped struggling against Zarelda's huge ped.
" Just kill me. I'd rather die than live the rest of my life as your slave. "
" Oh, Shaun. Have I ever done anything you told me to do? Why would I start now? " They both paused as they heard police sirens in the distance. Zarelda took her foot off Shaun. " Come. It's time we get moving. "
" I'm not going anywhere with you! "
" Hmmm... I think it's time I give you a welcome back present. "
She raised her hands and began to chant in the same strange language she'd used to curse Shaun before.
" What the hell are you doing? "
Shaun tried to run, but found he was frozen in place. A white light appeared and swirled around him.
" What is this?! What are you doing to me?! "
The light intensified, making him squint.
" WHAT ARE Y- "
Shaun was cut off as the light exploded around him. There was an instant of excruciating pain and then he blacked out. He fell to the ground, unconscious. His body was completely unharmed. Smiling, Zarelda picked him up in her arms.
" Come, my pet. There's much we have to do. "
Zarelda carried him out of the parking lot, leaving behind the littered bodies of the order's agents in the ensuing chaos...
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Five weeks later...
Shaun adjusted his position on Zarelda's shoulder. A lot had changed in the last few weeks. He himself was a completely different person. Something had broken inside of Shaun. He no longer had the will to fight Zarelda.
For the longest time he wanted nothing more than to stop her, but now he realized there was no beating her. Zarelda was unstoppable. Zarelda was now near fifty feet tall and marching across the U.S. Her new mission was to take control of the country by sheer force. She wasn't alone in this task, however.
A couple weeks ago, when Zarelda was only thirty or so feet tall, a helicopter had appeared and came very close. Zarelda initially thought it was another attack from the military and tried to take it down. A man's voice called out from the helicopter, telling her they came in peace and had a proposition. Zarelda stopped attacking, but remained on guard.
The helicopter came closer and hovered in front of her face. Shaun saw a man leaning out of the chopper with a megaphone. He looked to be on the older side, at least over forty. His hair and beard were a dark grayish color. His skin was a light tan. He wore a black trench coat that was billowing in the wind and black gloves.
The man introduced himself as Edgar Ravik, a former elder of the order who had created the traitor group. He explained that he had wanted to free Zarelda since shortly after he joined the order, but he knew waiting for the right time would prove to be more successful. So, after many years he became an elder and bided his time creating his own personal army behind the order's back. An army of hundreds of normal soldiers and dozens of sorcerers fully equipped for battle. All for the day Zarelda freed herself.
Ravik's deal was simple. If Zarelda made an alliance with him and promised him a seat of power after they conquered the country, he and his army would fight for her. Also, he would give her all the size changing powder she wanted. Zarelda thought about the deal for a few minutes. Shaun knew she was going to accept though.
Marching across the country was proving difficult for the sorceress. Fighting off the military wasn't easy at her current size and she had run out of powder days before. She could use all the help she could get, but she wouldn't let Ravik know that. Zarelda merely said yes. Ravik said she had made a wise decision and flew off to mobilize his army.
An unholy alliance was born.
Ravik's army started taking out military bases all throughout the U.S. with Zarelda's help when available. Besides, how were average human beings supposed to fight against magic? The military fought with everything they had all along the way, but they couldn't keep the immortal bitch down for very long. Ravik would occasionally come with barrels full of water with the powder mixed in. Shaun did not know whose size he was stealing from.
Soon enough Zarelda was her current size of just under fifty feet. The military was now on the defensive, trying to keep the ground they had. Shaun did not know where the U.S.'s allies stood on the matter. He hadn't heard anything about them coming to help. Presently, Zarelda was walking through the countryside. Her target was the nation's capital Washington D.C.
Shaun sat on her right shoulder with a length of her hair tied around his waist for safety. Zarelda had thrown away both of their clothes a long time ago. She said a goddess and her pet did not need them. It took some time, but he got used to being nude 24/7. He guessed a lot of guys didn't mind seeing a naked giantess stroll past them. Especially one with Zarelda's looks.
Shaun looked out at all the trees spread out around them. Under different circumstances, he might actually enjoy this. Zarelda stopped walking as they both heard the roar of jets approaching. Not too long after they heard the jets, they saw a squadron zooming towards them.
" Here we go again, my pet. " she said with a grin.
Once they were in range, the jets launched missiles. Zarelda deflected most with her telekinesis, but a few hit her midsection. Shaun held on tight as the explosions rocked her body. Already her burnt muscles and skin were starting to regenerate. The jets opened fire with their main guns as they flew by.
One of the bullets tore through Shaun's chest, knocking him off Zarelda's shoulder. He dangled from the length of hair as blood poured from his wound. Another bullet cut through the hair and Shaun started to free fall. Time seemed to slow down as he fell. He thought of Kyrie and how, ultimately, he had caused her death. He thought of his mother who he hadn't seen in weeks, he didn't even know if she was alive now as the country was being thrown into anarchy.
Finally, Shaun's body slammed to the ground. Multiple bones were broken and shattered all at once. His arms and legs contorted in normally impossible ways. His dead eyes looked up at the sky... and his bones began to set back into place, mending back together. The large bullet wound in his chest and puncture wounds from his protruding bones started to heal.
A few moments after his body healed, he sucked in a raspy breath. He still wasn't used to dying. It had only happened once before now. A soldier had shot him down when he recognized him as the one Zarelda carried with her. Shaun freaked out when he came back to life after that. It was then that Zarelda revealed her latest gift to Shaun.
She had given him immortality.
She told him that it would be awhile before he could instantly regenerate like her. The fact that he was immortal still hadn't entirely sunk in yet. He still feared death every time he came close to it. Shaun sat up in the mixture of dirt and his own blood. He looked up and saw Zarelda yank one of the jets to the ground. An explosion boomed not too far off.
The jets continued their futile attempt to kill Zarelda. There was no way they could win. For an instant, Shaun considered turning and running away from the giantess. It was a pointless idea though. First of all, Zarelda could catch up to him in a few steps at her size. Secondly, he didn't know where he would run. He had no clue where Victoria and Joseph could be at this point and walking all the way back to Arizona would take weeks.
Shaun stood up and waited for Zarelda to dispatch the jets. She would pick him up when she was done...
________________________________________________________
Three weeks later...
Zarelda leaned back on her makeshift support. Her throne was still in the process of being made. Until it was finished, they had made her a metal back support with arm rests to use. Scaffolding was set up on either side of her so she could hear whoever she needed to talk to and they could give her whatever she wanted. The country was almost entirely under her control now.
The military was still putting up a minor resistance, but they couldn't keep it up for long. Ravik's army, now renamed Zarelda's Army, would destroy the last of them soon enough. None of the other countries had even tried to intervene yet. When she arrived in Washington D.C. the President was already gone. Edgar said he had likely left for the safety of a bunker somewhere and it was of no importance.
The country was theirs to rule. Edgar proclaimed himself Prime Minister of the new U.S. after the military was wiped out of Washington. Zarelda remembered she needed to come up with a new name for the country when she had the time. Her new base of operations was in front of the White House, while Edgar and his men worked inside the building. Zarelda looked to her right as Edgar climbed to the top of the scaffolding.
" Good afternoon, my Emperess. " Edgar said and bowed.
" Hello, Prime Minister. "
" The country is now ours. The military is falling apart. No one can stop us. What is first on your agenda? "
" First, we need to eliminate any opposition left. Then our army must be strengthened. After that, we move on to the rest of the world. One country at a time. " Zarelda said with an evil smile growing on her face as she spoke.
She looked down at her foot. A single figure stood atop her foot, licking and rubbing its body on her toes. It was Shaun, her eternal foot slave. Zarelda started to laugh loudly. Victory was hers. This was the first step in making the world pay for what it had done to her.
Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
Well, this is the end guys. When I started this story I wasn't very confident in it, but you guys liked it so I kept writing. As time went on this story grew on me. I loved writing it. I never expected to write a sequel either. Yes, I am confirming that there will be a sequel right now. I hope to make the sequel better by improving on everything I did badly in this story. Anyways, please enjoy the final chapter of Trouble In A Bottle.