Breaking Through by ProbablyIX

Mary trudged forward through the undergrowth, brushing past oversized leaves and trying to ignore the tempest of emotions churning inside of her.

Behind her, Eloise shuffled forward a step, carrying Clara in hand. A tense silence hung in the air, the same as it had all day prior. Mary had hardly spoken a word since her argument with the giantess last night. Other than helping to untangle a sheepish Clara from Eloise’s hair, Mary had barely interacted with either of them at all. She simply marched onward, refusing to acknowledge how she felt inside.

The afternoon sun scattered across the forest, elevating its warm hues to greater saturations. Loose foliage crunched under Mary’s boots as she strode forward.

Once again, she could feel Clara’s eyes on her back. Mary didn’t meet her gaze, unwilling to confront the conversation it carried. Despite her best efforts however, her emotions still rose. Her nose twitched. Anger clashed against guilt in her heart. Pushing away Eloise was one thing, but hurting Clara in the process…

Her grimace tightened. Mary tried to focus on moving her legs. She didn’t want to talk to the others. She was afraid that she’d explode again. That her emotions would lash out, hurting whoever she spoke to in a way she couldn’t control.

Behind her, echoes of Clara’s quiet voice drifted down to Mary’s ears. The unintelligible vestiges of a request the healer made of Eloise. The giantess shuffled closer, lowering her hands to the ground and allowing Clara to hop off with a quiet ‘thank you’.

Mary tensed as Clara approached behind her. She glanced backward. Clara shuffled up awkwardly. Having left her staff behind, the healer wrung her hands nervously.

“Mary…?” She asked, voice low. “…Can we talk?” Despite Clara’s anxiety, Mary could see the familiar resolve behind her eyes. Sighing, Mary gestured off to the side, leading Clara away from Eloise. For her part, the blonde giantess obliged as well, shuffling back and giving the humans room to speak in private.

Mary trudged behind a giant fallen leaf, its brown canopy lending her shade, and hiding her from giant eyes. Clara trotted over, rounding about Mary until they stood face-to-face. The black-clad woman took a deep breath, calming her own nerves.

“Mary…” Clara started. “I-I think you should apologise to Eloise. …For what you said last night.” She said, her green eyes holding Mary’s gaze.

There it was. Mary sighed, glancing away. “…I can’t.” She replied, unable to meet Clara’s eyes.

Clara frowned “Why not?” The question was genuine.

“Like I told you last night, I meant it.” Mary said, folding her arms across her chest, still avoiding Clara’s gaze. “I’m not taking back what I said because I believed every word.” She lied.

Clara’s expression softened. “I think we both know that’s not true.” She replied, her voice gentle.

Mary grimaced, forced to acknowledge the feelings she’d been avoiding. Damn it all, but Clara could read a person well. With the initial rush of anger faded away, Mary had been agonising over her outburst all day. She knew she had overreacted, and said a lot of things she had really wanted to mean, but couldn’t. The anger was still there, however. Always present, clogging up her feelings and making her unable to truly acknowledge Eloise. Mary grit her teeth. Her emotions threatened to rise. Her throat tightened. Gods, she was going to explode, just like she feared.

Clara laid a hand on Mary’s right arm, tugging it free and taking Mary’s hand in her own.

Immediately, the surge of emotion slowed, quelled by Clara’s touch. Mary blew out a long breath as her feelings slowly subsided, as she regained control. She closed her eyes a moment, reopening them to meet Clara’s gaze. The petite woman’s expression was full of compassion as she held Mary’s hand in both of her own.

Mary sighed. It was incredible the soothing effect Clara had on her, carried by just her touch. Mary tried to convince herself it was some kind of magic. She almost succeeded. They stood in silence a moment, before Mary finally spoke.

“…I just don’t understand how you can trust her.” She admitted, voice quiet. “You’ve only known her for two days, and you’ve already come to trust her so quickly.” Clara blushed a little.

“Not as quickly as I trusted you.” She said, offering a small smile. Mary ignored the slight heat rising in her own cheeks.

“It’s not the same.” She argued, glancing aside. “If there’s one thing I meant last night, it was the part about humans trusting giants.” Mary said. Clara tilted her head, questioningly. “Giants are a hundred times our size, and nearly that much stronger.” Mary explained. “She could crush you in a second. She’d barely have to think about it, it could even be an accident.” Mary frowned, trying not to picture it. She shook her head. “I’ve fought and won against nearly ten giants, but it’s never been easy. They hold so much power over us just by existing, not to mention how good Eloise is with magic.” Mary glanced back in the direction of the giantess. “How can you trust her not to abuse that power, even by accident?” She asked, turning back, searching for the answer in Clara’s eyes.

Clara’s gaze lowered, pondering the question a moment. Her fingers idly brushed against Mary’s palm, half red, half white. “I-I guess it might be a little easier for me, when you put it like that.” Clara said. She met Mary’s confused gaze. “I’ve always been small and… well, not very strong.” She blushed a little. “In a way, everyone I’ve ever trusted has had power over me, like you said. I mean, y-you could probably snap me like a twig if you wanted…” Clara trailed off, looking sheepish.

Mary suddenly grew a lot more aware of how small Clara’s hands felt in her own. A little part of her felt guilty for even touching the fragile cleric. The promise she made to Clara’s grandfather swam to the front of her mind.

“I’d never.” Mary assured, almost by instinct. Clara smiled, giving her hand a squeeze.

“And that’s why I trust you.” She said, a light blush taking over her features. She nodded back toward Eloise. “And why I trust Ellie.” Her eyes glanced in the giantess’ direction, lingering a moment.

Mary shuffled in place. “Still, trust doesn’t stop accidents.” She argued. “What if you’d fallen into her throat last night?” Clara shivered a little, redness covering her sheepish expression.

“I-I’ll admit that what we did last night was… risky…” She confessed. “B-but it was my idea! I was the one who had to convince Ellie it was ok. So if anything …happened, …it would have been my fault.” Clara argued, blushing. “Outside of that one time, Ellie has been nothing but careful around me.” A thought crossed behind her eyes as she spoke. “I mean, your father raised you for years, and he never crushed you, right?” She asked.

Mary sighed. “No, but…” Her ears went pink as she glanced away. “…He did drop me once.” Clara chewed the inside of her lip, empathy battling amusement for dominance over her features. Mary smiled a little. “…It is pretty funny in hindsight.” Clara shook her head.

“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be amused by that…” She looked a little guilty. “It must have been really frightening.”

Mary shrugged. “Eh. I’ve had worse injuries than a broken arm.” She said. Clara paled a little. Hopefully the anecdote made her a bit more careful on Eloise’s palms. Mary glanced behind herself, peering through a hole in the leaf toward the giantess. She was fidgeting nervously a ways away, occasionally casting glances out into the forest. Clara followed her gaze, taking a step closer to Mary.

“…I know you have it in you to get along with Eloise.” She said, catching Mary’s eyes. “You’re not some heartless killer, I know you care about people. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gotten so upset in the first place.” Mary sighed, looking away. “And I know you’re angry. …About a lot of things.” Clara said, raising a hand to brush at a lock of Mary’s hair as if batting something away. Her touch tingled against Mary’s cheek. “But she really is trying to help. And I don’t want you to hate her just because of what she is.” Clara finished, squeezing Mary’s hand tight.

Mary let out a heavy sigh. Yet again she just couldn’t argue with Clara. Not when she looked at her like that. And her words had a point. Mary had been grappling with the same ideas since this morning. “Fine.” She relented. Clara’s expression brightened. “…I’ll talk to her once we settle down for tonight.” Mary glanced toward Eloise. Something about her morose posture made Mary’s gaze linger. She could almost sense a deeper sadness in the giantess’ blue eyes, more than just a single argument could evoke. Clara spoke before Mary could wonder any further.

“Thank you…” Clara said, smiling. The blushing girl shifted a moment, looking like she wanted to say more. Suddenly, she hopped up, tugging on Mary’s arm for leverage and planting her lips on Mary’s cheek instead. Mary froze, blood rushing to her face as her heart skipped a beat.

Clara wasted no time scurrying back toward Eloise through the undergrowth. Mary could just make out the reddened tips of her ears.

Mary could feel her heartbeat as she stood there, processing. Her blush didn’t settle as she felt at her cheek, her skin tingling. Mary’s mind was blank as she slowly followed after Clara, who was picked up by a confused-looking Eloise.

Shaking her head, Mary tried to put her feelings out of her mind. It was a perfectly normal interaction. Clara was just being nice, it’s part of who she is. Mary kept telling herself that as she reunited with her path and continued marching south, Eloise and Clara in tow.

Something about Clara seemed to put a bit more energy into Eloise, who peered down at the healer curiously. “What are you all smiley about?” She asked, amused.

Mary kept marching, but couldn’t get the heat out of her cheeks.

The hours went by, and eventually, night began to fall once again. The long shadows of trees slowly faded into uniform darkness as the sun dipped its toes below the horizon, summoning a chill in the air. It threatened to seep into Mary’s bones, seeking retribution for her blatant defiance of it the night prior.

The trio emerged into a large clearing, marked by a massive boulder on its eastern edge. Eloise kicked at a few fallen leaves to clear space while Mary checked for signs of previous occupancy. Finding none, she settled, looking for a decent spot to place their mats for the night.

Eloise set Clara down near Mary, and quickly got to work building a fire. The giantess had spent the last few hours gathering dropped branches in her spare hand while they walked, and was now setting them up to burn. It was a strange sight; what were sticks in Eloise’s hands were like logs to the humans. Mary frowned.

“We really shouldn’t risk a fire tonight.” Mary said, folding her arms at the giantess. “Last night was risky enough, and that one was human-sized.” She said.

Eloise frowned a little, keeping her eyes on the growing arrangement of firewood. “It’ll be fine.” She replied, her voice terse. “As long as you two are out of sight, anyone who passes by will think it’s just me.” She argued. “Besides,” She said, voice softening a little. “It’s getting colder; even I’m starting to feel it. You two aren’t going to get away with just a blanket for much longer.” She said, concern furrowing her brow. Mary glanced at Clara, eying her thin frame.

Mary wanted to argue further, but a pleading look from Clara had her blow out her complaints as a sigh instead. “Alright, whatever…” She relented for the second time that day. She was planning an apology, antagonising the giantess wasn’t going to help with that. “We can just hide under a leaf or your jacket or something.” Mary said. Eloise nodded, some of the tension leaving her posture.

The humans watched in silence as Eloise fiddled with the branches’ placement some more, before weaving a spell in the air above it. Her fingers dancing, Mary recognised the spell from her movements, it being the same one she used to light the fire the night before, though at a much larger scale. Eloise finished the spell with a tug, a sizable flame bursting to life in the centre of the arrangement.

The fire was small for a giant, only about the size of Eloise’s head, if Mary had to guess. For the humans it was a roaring bonfire, casting a brilliant orange glow across the clearing around them. Eloise settled back on her haunches, the firelight reflected in her glasses. She sighed, prodding at the blaze with a long stick to coax more energy from the nascent flame.

A silence settled over the clearing, broken only by the crackling of the fire. The three of them simply stared into it as it twirled into the air, casting dancing shadows across the clearing and upon the boulder. A few minutes passed until Clara spoke up.

“Um…” She cleared her throat as Mary and Eloise glanced her way. “I-I’m just going to go to the bathroom…” Her voice trailed off nervously as she rose.

“You want me to come with you? Keep an eye out?” Mary offered. Clara blushed.

“N-no, it’s ok, I’ll be fine.” She replied, looking embarrassed at the prospect. Glancing back at Mary, Clara gave her a meaningful look. Mary shuffled in place, understanding the healer’s intent. Still, not satisfied at letting Clara wander alone, Mary untied her pouch, offering it to Clara.

“Take this, then.” She offered, knowing all of Clara’s things were still inside. “Just in case you need it.” Mary said.

Clara nodded, trotting over and taking the pouch from Mary’s hands. “Thank you. I-I’ll only be a few minutes.” She said, glancing one last time at Mary and Eloise before rushing off into the trees with a rustle. Maybe she really did need to go.

Silence once again came over the clearing, settling awkwardly over the remaining pair. Eloise quietly poked at the fire, only occasionally glancing in the direction Clara was headed. Guilt pricked at Mary when she saw the genuine concern in the giantess’ eyes.

Mary sighed. Now or never. She trudged closer to Eloise, drawing the sword from her back and offering it hilt-first. The blade felt cold in her palm. The giantess’ blue eyes glanced down, past her knees.

“Here.” Mary said, letting Eloise carefully reach down and pluck the offering. The giantess shuffled further away from the fire before crossing her legs to sit down, holding the sword up for inspection. Mary shuffled in place, mustering her courage. “Eloise, listen…” She opened, averting her eyes when the giantess glanced her way. “I-“ Mary sighed. It was hard, forcing the words through the thick emotional barrier she had built up. “Look, I’m… sorry. For some of the things I said last night.” She said. Eloise paused her inspection, giving Mary her attention. “When I saw Clara in your mouth, I freaked out.” Mary admitted, gripping the back of her neck. “And… I took it out on you.” She grimaced. “I didn’t mean what I said… I know you’re doing this because you’re worried about your people; you don’t even know if the seat on the council rumour is true. The things you’re trying to figure out are important, I shouldn’t be making things more difficult for you just because I was upset.” She swallowed. “I… I will let you look at my body, if you need to.” Heat rose in her cheeks. “…I’m curious about it too.” Eloise took in Mary’s words, quietly adjusting in her seat, her expression attentive. Mary glanced in the direction Clara had left from. “I know you’ve been nothing but gentle with Clara.” She admitted, her voice quiet. “You even managed to win her over, and she’s probably the most afraid of giants I’ve ever seen a person.” She said, earning a slight smile from the giantess. Mary steeled herself, meeting Eloise’s eyes. “I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like I did. I’m sorry.” She apologised.

Eloise shuffled in place a little. “…In fairness,” She said, adjusting her glasses. “We probably should have waited for you to come back before we tried anything.” She admitted, looking a little sheepish. Mary let out something between a sigh and a laugh.

“Maybe…” She sighed. “But that doesn’t justify the things I said.”

Eloise smiled, the tension leaving her posture. “Well, I forgive you.” She said. “To be honest, if I were you, I probably would have freaked out too.” The giantess leaned forward, offering an upturned hand before Mary. “So… Friends?”

Mary shuffled in place, opting to simply rest a hand on the pad of Eloise’s middle finger, feeling the warm texture of her fingerprint. “…Don’t push it.” She said with a wry smile. “But…” She glanced away. “…We can be allies.” She said, cursing the blush rising in her cheeks.

Eloise snorted. “It’s a start.” She smiled.

“ D’aww , you gonna kiss and make up next~? You two make me sick. ” A new voice spat from behind.

Eloise gasped, looking up in shock. Mary spun, nerves standing on end as she faced the newcomer. Emerging from the treeline behind her was a familiar giantess. Stephanie. Mary grit her teeth in a snarl. Stephanie’s grey eyes glared out of her elegant features at the two of them as she settled, placing a hand on her hip as she loomed. The orange firelight danced across her clear, blueish complexion, causing it to muddy into a pale, ominous grey.

Mary cursed under her breath. She had gotten too used to Eloise’s footsteps over the last two days. Mary hadn’t even registered Stephanie’s presence until the pale-haired giantess spoke. Stephanie stepped further into the clearing, her thin dress fluttering as she loomed over Mary. A quick glance confirmed she still had her sandals, though the strap Mary had cut still dangled loose. A fact she noted with no small amount of satisfaction.

Mary reached behind herself by instinct, but caught nothing but air. Her blood ran cold. She had given her sword to Eloise. She glanced back at the blonde giantess, who was eyeing the newcomer warily, tensed and ready to rise. Clara was still absent, thank the gods, but she had taken Mary’s bag with her. Mary cursed herself for being so careless. She was defenceless.

“Stephanie…” Eloise spoke slowly, trying not to set off the angry giantess. “Listen, you don’t understa-“ Eloise’s words were cut off, replaced with muffled cries as a scuffle erupted from behind.

Mary spun, watching as a new giantess, chubby and olive-haired, wrapped her arms around Eloise, holding her arms in one hand and covering her mouth with the other. Mary could just make out the dark, baggy two-piece the new giantess wore, stark against the pale grey of the boulder behind her. Her eyes covered by thick bangs, the plush giantess leveraged her weight, holding Eloise in place. Eloise’s legs scrambled for purchase, kicking across the ground.

The giantess managed to pin Eloise’s forearms. Mary spotted a flash of silver as her sword tumbled from the blonde giantess’ grasp, landing somewhere in the grass beside her.

“Y’know I always knew there was something wrong with you, Ellie, ” Stephanie said, voice dripping with malice. “But this is a new low.” She glared down at Mary with derision. “Caring about humans is one thing, but this human? A murderer ?” There was an open hatred in Stephanie’s eyes, and Mary could tell most of it was directed at her.

Mary felt her heart beating in her chest as she slowly backed away from the furious giantess. She kept silent, letting Stephanie’s rant continue while she inched closer toward her discarded blade.

“I sent Isa out to try and snatch some humans, you know.” She sneered at Mary before her expression went dark. “Guess what she found instead.”

Mary’s pulse kicked up. Looks like the bratty giantess had more motivation than just a broken shoe. If she had been a friend of the last giant Mary had killed, then Mary could be in serious trouble. Slaying a giant that you caught off-guard was one thing. But a giant that knew what you were capable of, and was dangerously pissed off? Mary took another few steps backwards. She needed to keep Stephanie talking. “Someone who got what she deserved, I’d bet.” Mary said. Her voice carried an implicit threat, one that the giantess recognised.

Stephanie flushed with anger, the blue tinge on her cheeks growing more pronounced. “Know your fucking place, bug. ” She spat. “Humans are nothing but food, we have every right to come and take you whenever we want.” Mary snarled in response, letting her anger rise. “And you!” She said, pointing an accusatory finger at Eloise. “I can’t believe you, being all chummy with Gutter after what she did.” A bit of grief seeped into Stephanie’s features. “Did you really hate her that much?” She asked.

Mary glanced back at Eloise, unsure what Stephanie was talking about. The confusion on Eloise’s features told Mary the blonde giantess didn’t know either. The chubby giantess holding her in place took advantage of Eloise’s momentary distraction, pulling her backwards to the ground, holding Eloise’s upper arms in place with her knees, keeping a hand over the mage’s mouth. Eloise grunted with discomfort, struggling in place as she was pinned. Rage flared inside Mary at the sight.

“Lay another hand on her and I’ll rip out your guts with my teeth . ” Mary growled, the threat spilling from her mouth before she realised. The surge of protective feelings gave her pause, but she didn’t have time to dwell on them. The olive-haired giantess paled, glancing up at Stephanie nervously. The pale giantess scoffed.

“As if.” She said, looking down at Mary with a smirk that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “What are you gonna do without your weapon?” She sneered.

Mary cursed softly. She was only about halfway between Stephanie and where Eloise had dropped her sword. If she sprinted, maybe she could make it.

“Not like you could do much anyway.” Stephanie continued, a cruel smile growing on her features. “You caught me by surprise last time. But now? Now I know exactly how to deal with you…” She raised a slender hand, catching barely visible threads of magic and weaving them together in the air.

Mary tensed, locking her eyes on the forming spell, preparing for whatever it was about to become. A projectile? A trap? Mary’s mind raced through the possibilities as she stood her ground. She would avoid the spell, then dash for her blade. She could feel her heartbeat racing. A trickle of sweat rolled down her brow. A log snapped in the fire. Stephanie smirked.

Eloise’s muffled shout came just a second too late. Something massive burst from the treeline, hurtling straight toward Mary. She barely had a chance to register what was coming, before her world was swallowed by darkness.

~~~

Eloise struggled against her captor as Mary backed away from Stephanie. Melanie’s thick hands held strong over Eloise’s mouth, while her impressive weight painfully pressed down into Eloise’s upper arms. Her sizeable belly weighed down a little on Eloise’s forehead. Looking past it, Eloise shot a pleading glance up at Melanie’s eyes, spotting them through her messy olive-green bangs. The chubby woman glanced away uncomfortably.

Eloise’s attention was snatched away as the white-haired snob raised a hand, weaving together a spell. But Eloise had never known Stephanie to bother with magic. Focusing her seventh sense, Eloise squinted at Stephanie’s hands, confused. The blueish giantess plucked threads at random, weaving them together in strange, senseless patterns. It was a complete nonsense spell, it wouldn’t have any effect.

But Mary didn’t know that.

Eloise cried out a warning, her voice muffled by Melanie’s hands. Mary spotted Isa too late. The spindly woman burst from the undergrowth, empty gathering pouch in hand, and tackled into the space Mary was standing. When she rolled to a stop, Mary was gone, and the leather pouch thrashed violently in Isa’s grip. Eloise’s blood ran cold.

Stephanie barked out a laugh. “Well done, Isa.” She praised, shaking away her nothing spell. Isa grinned proudly, displaying her catch.

The woman was short for a giant, only some seventy-two feet, compared to Eloise’s eighty-two. She puffed long, bleached-white hair out of her eyes as she stood up to her full unimpressive height. She still wore the same ‘cute’ outfit: shorts, and a shirt with long sleeves.

Isa chuckled happily, offering the squirming sack to Stephanie. “I knew your plan would work, Steph!” She chirped.

Stephanie snatched the pouch from Isa, a smug look of victory on her face. “Obviously.” She gloated.

Isa’s obedience was cringeworthy to watch, as always. She was an obsessed puppy that trailed Stephanie’s every move. Something Stephanie naturally took advantage of.

Eloise’s mind raced. Mary was in danger, and gods only knew what Steph had planned. The bratty woman was clearly incensed by whomever Isa had found across the border. Eloise doubted she’d be able to talk her down. Isa wouldn’t be any help, as usual. Appealing to Melanie’s basic conscience was Eloise’s best option, but the meek woman had always been too afraid to stand up to Stephanie. Eloise was on her own.

With renewed effort, Eloise thrashed against Melanie, trying in vain to throw her off. Eloise’s upper arms were pinned, restricting where she could reach with her hands. She scrabbled at Melanie’s wrists, but couldn’t secure a strong enough grip to pull them away. Her efforts did draw the attention of the others, however.

“Looks like Ellie’s giving Melons a bit of trouble there.” Stephanie smirked. Of course she still used that cruel nickname. Eloise had no idea what kept Melanie from snapping at her. “Isa, go give her a hand while I deal with our little pest here.” Stephanie ordered.

“Sure thing!” Always one to obey, Isa hopped to it, approaching Eloise carefully with a playful smile. Above, Mary continued writhing in her prison, indents distorting its leather surface. Stephanie tsked, roughly swinging the bag into her other palm with a smack. Eloise watched in horror as Mary’s struggles went limp, her body weighing down the bottom of the sack. She prayed the human was only stunned.

Stephanie’s actions lit a fire under Eloise, renewing her thrashing. As Isa approached, Eloise threw a kick toward her face, not caring what she broke in the process. To her frustration, Isa nimbly hopped back out of the way. When she approached again, the interaction repeated with the same result.

“Steeeph,” Isa whined, casting a pout toward Stephanie. “She keeps kicking me, what do I do?” Stephanie glanced toward Isa, briefly taking her attention away from Mary. She rolled her eyes.

“Just go around her, Isa.”

“Oh, right.”

The thin woman scurried around Eloise’s side, avoiding her thrashing legs. She then leapt onto Eloise’s waist, straddling her hips. Eloise let out a grunt as the air was knocked out of her from the impact. Isa spun, shoving her butt in Eloise’s face as she tried to grab onto her legs from behind.

Eloise kept thrashing. Isa couldn’t abuse her weight like Melanie, so she couldn’t get a good hold on Eloise’s legs. Eloise bucked like an unruly horse, tossing Isa’s meagre weight around. The spindly woman struggled to stay on top of her, letting out unsteady vocalisations as she was jostled. A lucky knee managed to take Isa in the chest, rewarding Eloise with a breathy grunt. Taking advantage, Eloise used what little range of motion she had in her hands to start weaving spells, a pair on-the-fly evocations to hopefully scare off her attackers. Melanie noticed first, letting out an uneasy murmur as she shuffled in place. Her hands were occupied with covering Eloise’s mouth, and the olive-haired woman flickered nervously. Seemingly unsure what to do about this new problem. A daring hope flickered to life in Eloise. She just might be able to escape.

Stephanie’s attention flicked to the scene playing out below her. She glowered down at Eloise, brandishing the – thankfully still faintly moving – sack. “Hold still, Ellie , or I’ll cut the fun short right now .” She threatened, grabbing Mary’s form through the sack and squeezing.

Mary’s tiny, muffled grunt of pain stabbed at Eloise’s heart. She froze, staring wide at Stephanie as Isa finally scrambled over her legs. Her unfinished spells unravelled uselessly. The scrawny woman straddled Eloise’s thighs, holding her shins down with both hands.

Stephanie rolled her eyes, looking disappointed. “Ugh. Of course that worked on you.” Her eyes narrowed, a slight smirk playing on her features. “I guess you must not have learned your lesson from last time . ” She said.

Eloise’s heart stopped. One of her darkest memories roiled in her mind’s eye. Stephanie had the same look about her as she did back then. Eloise’s breathing quickened behind Melanie’s palm. She began to sweat.

No. No, no gods please no.

Stephanie ignored Eloise’s rising panic, dumping Mary out of the pouch and into her palm before tossing the bag aside. Before the human could react, Steph pinched a leg between the fingers of her free hand, dangling a scrambling Mary upside down before her. As if the rough treatment wasn’t enough, Mary’s skirt flipped, exposing her undergarments. Stephanie snickered.

“Not so tough now, huh?” She taunted, shaking the human from side to side. Pausing briefly to inspect her snarling prize.

Mary took advantage of the pause to heave herself upwards. Her abs flexing as she lifted her body without leverage and grabbed at Stephanie’s fingers. The human thrashed like mad, growling out threats while scratching and biting at her captor’s fingers to little success. Unimpressed, Stephanie brought up her free hand, curling her thumb and middle finger before launching a flick into Mary’s back.

The impact was accompanied by a heavy smack. The human cried out in pain, falling back limply. Eloise’s heart broke seeing Mary so overpowered. She cried out, her voice still muted by Melanie’s hands. Ignoring Eloise, Stephanie sneered down at her captive with a passive expression.

“Look at you. ‘Dangerous human warrior’ my arse. People talk about you like you’re some kind of monster. Yet here I am, throwing you around like a doll.” She smirked. “As if you could have ever affected anything in the grand scheme.”

“Seems like I managed to ‘affect’ you . ” Came Mary’s hoarse reply, her dark auburn hair dangling freely in the air. Stephanie scowled, sending another flick into the defiant human, earning another cry of pain.

“Don’t think you get to talk back to me, bug.” Stephanie growled. She stomped closer to Eloise. “Yeah, you’ve managed to kill some of us. Big deal ~.” She intoned sarcastically, waving her spare hand. “It’s not like you’ve actually achieved anything. All you’ve done is piss us off.” Her eyes narrowed. “Once you’re gone, giants are still going to eat humans, and humans are still going to scuttle around at our feet where you belong.” She spat, holding Mary close to her face. “Though make no mistake: we might keep humans around a while to paint our nails, or clean out our gutters.” She emphasised the last word, prodding Mary with a finger. “But at the end of the day, you bugs serve one role, and one role only: Food.” She concluded, voice dripping with malice. Eloise could see Mary’s furious expression, but the human held her tongue. Isa giggled.

“Yeah!” She agreed, twisting her head to look at Mary. “You guys are so tasty, what else are you supposed to be?” She asked with an exaggerated head tilt. Stephanie smirked. Melanie remained silent.

Stephanie stepped around Isa, looming over Eloise. She settled down to straddle Eloise’s waist, leaving her completely pinned. As she got comfortable, Eloise caught her gaze, pleading Stephanie to stop with her eyes as she groaned into Melanie’s palm. Stephanie simply sneered in response.

Not quite done yet, Stephanie roughly pulled up the front of Eloise’s blouse, exposing her abdomen to the world. Eloise flinched, writhing at the unwilling exposure. With a cruel smirk, Stephanie shoved Mary’s squirming form into Eloise’s gut, below the navel.

“Did you know that us giants rarely ever have to shit?” She asked Mary. The human was struggling against Eloise’s body, her hands sinking into her lower belly uselessly as she grunted with the exertion. “Unlike you humans, we need all the food we can get, so our guts fully digest everything we eat.” Stephanie explained. She pressed Mary harder, bringing her face close so the human could still hear. “That’s especially true when it comes to humans.” She hissed. “Once you go inside, nothing ever comes out again. You get what I’m saying?” Her grin twisted halfway between a smile and a snarl. “I’m saying that you’re less than shit .” She said, Isa cackling behind her.

Feeling Mary’s weak struggles against the outside of her gut shot horrible memories through Eloise’s mind. Her panic kicked into overdrive. She started thrashing, yelling, desperate to escape as Stephanie scooted forward, straddling her just below her breast.

“You won’t be needing these…” Stephanie muttered, roughly tearing Mary’s clothes from her body as the struggling human yelled in frustration. Mary’s leather vest came away in two pieces, her skirt snapped, and her singlet fell the to the ground in tatters. Her undergarments were ripped away in the process, leaving her naked and exposed. Mary kicked at Stephanie’s fingers, but the pale-haired woman remained undeterred.

Eloise’s heart pounded in her ears, each beat sending adrenaline through her veins. She felt herself start to hyperventilate, dreading what she knew was coming. What she knew Stephanie was about to do. Tears began to escape her eyes as Stephanie leaned close, bringing a still struggling Mary up to her face.

“Hold her head still.” Stephanie ordered. Melanie quickly moved her hands to the sides of Eloise’s head, grunting softly as she tried to contain Eloise’s thrashing. Eloise gasped for air. Her mouth free, she did the only thing she could do: she started to beg.

“Stephanie! Please. Please don’t, you don’t have to-“ Her desperate plea was made unintelligible as Stephanie grabbed the outside of her mouth. She pressed her fingers into Eloise’s cheek, forcing them between her teeth and keeping her mouth open. Eloise’s words devolved into simple whimpering and crying as Stephanie brought Mary’s battered form closer.

“Maybe this time you’ll learn.” Stephanie said, her cruel grin widening. “Now open wide~”

Eloise thrashed with everything she had, all but screaming at this point. But no matter how much she heaved, she couldn’t throw off the weight of three fully-grown giants. Panic shot through Eloise as Stephanie moved Mary closer. Eloise started to hyperventilate. Stephanie moved painfully slow, drawing it out for her own sick amusement.

Through tear-blind eyes, Eloise saw a final glimpse of Mary’s face. What she saw shattered her heart completely. Mary was afraid.

~~~

Mary was shoved into howling darkness. Stephanie’s grip on her sides trapped her arms, forcing her to squirm her torso uselessly as the cruel giantess shoved her face-first into Eloise’s tongue. The writhing muscle shoved back against her in a futile effort to keep Mary away from Eloise’s throat. Mary felt the wet, bumpy surface sliding over her naked body repeatedly as she and Eloise both struggled against one another.

The light of the campfire eluded the depths of Eloise’s mouth, casting Mary into darkness as she was shoved deeper. Eloise’s whimpering cries echoed up her throat, assaulting Mary’s ears. They overpowered the mocking taunts and insults Stephanie was hurling outside.

Mary’s heart was pounding. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to escape, to avoid the terrible fate every human feared. She thrashed against Stephanie’s fingers with renewed vigour as she felt her feet slip past Eloise’s lips. Stephanie’s grip pressed Eloise’s cheeks inward, hiding her teeth and turning her mouth into a slick, warm tunnel that offered no solid surfaces for Mary to cling to.

Mary sputtered through a mouthful of Eloise’s saliva as Stephanie pressed her down into the back of Eloise’s tongue. Struggling to breathe the humid breath of the giantess, Mary felt something wet and bulbous slap against her face. Through her panic, she recognised it as Eloise’s uvula. Mary’s world jolted as Eloise’s cries of distress were interspersed with choking and gagging, her body trying to reject Mary’s writhing form.

Stephanie’s fingers shoved Mary into Eloise’s cramped maw as far as they could reach. Suddenly, they released their grip, causing Mary to scramble for purchase. Individual fingers prodded and poked at her body, shoving her deeper. Mary scrambled backward, her mind barely registering the feeling of her breasts sliding over Eloise’s tongue. Her eyes slowly adjusting, she could just make out the shape of Eloise’s pulsing throat right in front of her. Panic threatened to overwhelm her senses as Stephanie’s prodding fingers shoved into her naked backside, each jab pushing her closer to Eloise’s whimpering gullet.

Gravity worked against Mary, her scrambling limbs slid across Eloise’s tongue and soft palate as she was inexorably drawn closer. Mary screamed, releasing all of her fear and anger in a single guttural sound. She could feel Eloise’s uvula slapping intermittently against the back of her neck. She was right above the giantess’ throat.

Someone outside roughly tilted Eloise’s head further back, causing the slope of her tongue to become almost vertical. Mary lost her balance, slipping face-first into the pit of Eloise’s gullet. The giantess’ saliva pooled around Mary’s upper body, running down her face and arms as she coughed and scrambled for breath. She shoved her arms out before her blindly, searching for anything she could push off of to save herself. Yet, her hands only buried themselves in slick flesh as she slipped, unwittingly shoving her arms into Eloise’s rippling throat.

Before Mary could register her mistake, a final shove from Stephanie’s fingers sealed her fate, lodging her shoulders inside as well. Eloise had been struggling to eject Mary throughout the ordeal, but with a human half-lodged in her gullet and blocking her windpipe, her body did the only thing it could. Eloise swallowed.

Pillowy muscles rose to claim Mary’s body as she was pulled headfirst into a slick, pulsing chute, surrounded by hot, wet muscle. Peristaltic motion rippled across her body, as she felt her legs, then her feet slide into Eloise’s throat behind her. As her body was squeezed on all sides, Mary could hear, then feel Eloise’s racing heart as she was pulled deeper. An acrid smell rose from below, a preview of what was about to come.

Mary writhed, screaming in impotent rage. It just wasn’t right. Her fury burned as she felt the slick flesh sliding across her face. She hadn’t even been given a chance to fight back. Mary felt her hands breach a tight sphincter, being released into a larger, swelteringly hot chamber.

The rest of her body followed shortly after. Eloise’s oesophageal sphincter squeezed Mary’s body out into the stomach proper. Mary felt the wrinkled walls of Eloise’s gut sliding against her body as she tumbled deeper, before coming to a stop in a pool of knee-deep juices in the deep end of the acrid sack.

Finally no longer moving, Mary paused, hearing her heavy breathing echoing around the dark, groaning chamber. Eloise’s body was active all around her. Mary could feel the giantess’ heartbeat thrumming through the flesh of her stomach. The air was hot. Eloise’s warmth was at its most intense here. It was humid, too. Mary could barely feel her own breath as it mingled with the muggy, acidic fumes. However, worse by far, was hearing Eloise’s muffled sobs echoing down through her body from above.

For a moment it all felt unreal. Like Mary was stuck in a lucid nightmare. Her mind struggled to come to grips with her situation. She was inside Eloise. Inside her stomach.

Mary was going to die.

A faint light flashed over her head, pushing through Eloise’s flesh and briefly illuminating her stomach. In the dim light, Mary spotted the entrance to Eloise’s throat. Snapping out of her daze, Mary scrambled to reorient herself, dashing toward the sphincter from whence she came.

She thanked the gods Eloise was lying down. Mary only needed to scramble up a gentle slope, rather than reach toward a distant ceiling. The wrinkled walls of Eloise’s stomach provided decent handholds as Mary crawled toward the narrow entrance. Jamming her hands into the pulsing sphincter, Mary gripped it at opposite ends and let out a grunt of exertion as she heaved with everything she had.

Shockingly, the ring of slick muscle didn’t budge. No matter how hard Mary pried, it simply would not open. A gleam of magical light softly glowed from where her hands gripped the sphincter, pulsing when she applied pressure.

Another flash of light pressed in from outside, followed by a third one shortly after. Mary was stunned, as she realised what had happened. They had locked her inside with magic. Mary released her grip, hands shaking. Even if Eloise managed to escape them, she wouldn’t be able to throw up. The raging energy pulsing through Mary’s limbs began to fade, the reality of her situation settling in.

There was nothing she could do. She was completely at the mercy of Eloise’s stomach, and the giants outside, who were going to make sure it stayed that way.

Mary’s body slumped, all energy leaving her. She felt gravity pull her back down, sliding back into the pit of Eloise’s churning acids. She came to a stop on her knees. Mary felt the acid start to rise, hot and fizzling as it covered her lower half. A faint tingling sensation on her skin rapidly gave way to a stinging burn, as she felt her body begin to digest.

Stripped of agency and powerless, all of the anger, and the urgency, and the hatred that Mary had been carrying for so long began to wash away. Her heartbeat and breathing slowed. She was going to die here, and her dream of revenge would die with her. So all of the burning emotions attached to it simply… faded away.

Mary let out a shaking breath that felt like she’d been carrying for all her life. As her emotions settled into resignation, her mind felt clear. Somehow, trapped in Eloise’s stomach and about to die, Mary felt… oddly serene.

In the darkness, her mind turned to Clara. She had wandered off into the woods before the other giants showed up. Mary hoped the healer hadn’t been spotted. Though, Stephanie would have almost certainly flaunted her if she had been. As long as Clara didn’t suddenly arrive inside Eloise, Mary felt hopeful that Clara would survive. Maybe, once the other giants left, Eloise would find her, and take her back home. It was a nice thought. Though, it was just as likely Clara would want to stay, and help Eloise achieve her goals. She should be able to retrieve Mary’s equipment after all, so she could probably still figure permanence out even without Mary.

The giantess’ fluids dripped down upon Mary from above, Eloise’s stomach preparing to do what it always did, seeing Mary as just another piece of meat. Feeling hot acids running through her hair and down her back, Mary remembered Eloise’s own conviction in the deal they had made. How the giantess had seemed similarly furious towards her father’s killer. Clenching her fists, Mary tried to muster her anger again. As if through sheer emotion alone, she could enable Eloise to take revenge on her behalf. Yet, none came. All Mary could feel was a rising despair, and sadness at her failure.

She never should have entered the Giant’s Forest. Worse, she had gotten Clara involved. Mary’s heart ached at the thought. She consoled herself with the hope that Clara and Eloise would be able to escape this alive, and move on without her.

A heaving sob reverberated down from above, shaking the stomach around Mary as Eloise cried. Mary rested a hand on the twitching stomach wall beside her, feeling the slick, wrinkled flesh squelching under her touch. It hurt Mary’s heart to hear the giantess so distraught. To now know how genuine she was, how much value she had really placed on the lives of humans. Mary just wished she had realised that sooner. At least she had apologised, before the end. The stomach wall shuddered against her hand. Mary’s touch seemed to reinvigorate Eloise’s despair, her muffled sobs growing louder, more guttural. Her sadness pressed into Mary’s own heart, and she felt emotion welling up behind her own eyes.

Despite herself, Mary felt comforted that she wasn’t dying alone. Even if it was Eloise’s body that claimed her life, Mary was happy that the giantess was with her at the end. That she got to be close to someone who cared. It was perverse, but Mary couldn’t help but think about how her body would end up becoming a part of the curious, bespeckled giantess. She wondered if a bit of her soul would stay with Eloise as well, after she died. The thought was almost comforting.

The burning sensation began to creep up Mary’s skin, crawling deeper into her flesh. Stripped of hope, she curled up in place, holding herself. Consumed by thoughts of her friends, Mary retreated into herself, and waited to die.

~~~

Melanie felt like she was the worst person in the world.

Beneath her, Eloise was distraught. Steph covered the poor girl’s mouth with both hands, muffling her wracking sobs. A mess of tears ran down the side of her face, her glasses fogged up and askew. A satisfied smirk twisted Stephanie’s features, the flickering firelight giving them a fiendish cast. Behind her, Isa cast occasional glances backward, snickering at Eloise. If she’d had the guts, Melanie would have slapped her. But, of course, she didn’t.

Melanie looked away, wringing her hands nervously as the pit of guilt that had been forming in her stomach grew deeper. She had helped Steph with a handful of nasty revenges before, but nothing quite like this. Melanie grimaced, trying her best to ignore Eloise’s muffled cries. She’d never been that close with the bespeckled mage, despite both of them being raised under the same roof. Melanie had never been good with speaking to people. Though Eloise was always nice, Melanie could only ever respond to her kindnesses with meek politeness, and nothing more.

Still, seeing Eloise like this hurt Melanie’s heart. Another whimpering sob broke through Melanie’s disassociation. Taking a deep breath, Melanie tried to bolster her resolve.

Isa had been sent over the border to fetch some humans, but to her horror, she had found Sandy’s corpse instead. Steph was enraged. Practically raving, she insisted that Eloise must have conspired with Gutter to cut Sandy down, as some kind of twisted revenge. Melanie wasn’t as convinced, but the idea that Eloise would so happily shelter Gutter after what she’d done still raked against her. She knew Sandy and Eloise’s relationship had been on shaky ground since Sandy lashed out, but how could Eloise just forgive her murderer like that? It was heartless.

It was that apparent heartlessness that convinced Melanie to go along with Steph’s plan. She had figured that Eloise deserved it.

Until now.

Stephanie turned back toward Isa. “Tear off some of her pants for me, would you?” She ordered. “Her slobber is getting all over my hands, it’s disgusting.” Stephanie’s nose rankled as she flicked a look at Eloise.

“Uh, sure? I guess?” Isa replied, before yanking hard on Eloise’s left pant leg, tearing off a large chunk of fabric. It eventually came away with a staggered ripping sound. Eloise barely seemed to react, utterly consumed by grief. “Here!” Isa chirped, passing a scrap of thick brown fabric over to Stephanie.

Stephanie took the offering with barely an acknowledgement, scrunching it up in both hands. With her mouth briefly uncovered, Eloise managed a staggering inhale, before Stephanie stuffed the rag into her mouth. Eloise groaned anew, gagging slightly around the intrusion. Her hands freed, Stephanie leaned back, wiping her hands on Eloise’s woollen jacket with a satisfied look on her face.

Melanie barely registered the exchange, her mind occupied with Eloise’s sorrow. It was too deep, too real to fit the scenario Stephanie had conjured. It was obvious what was going on, and Melanie felt terrible for not seeing it sooner.

Eloise didn’t know. She didn’t know what Gutter had done, only days before. The confusion in her eyes when Stephanie mentioned it was enough to see that.

Melanie glanced down at Eloise, the blonde’s face still reddened and streaked with tears. She needed to know. At the very least, knowing what the human had done might ease her distress.

Feeling a knot in her gut, Melanie leaned down, closer to Eloise. “E-Ellie, listen-“ Melanie’s voice choked to a halt. The rage and grief in the glare Eloise shot at her cut Melanie to the bone. Her throat tightened as she looked away, ashamed. She couldn’t even apologise.

“Melons,” Stephanie’s voice snapped Melanie out of her feelings. She flinched slightly at the pale woman’s snapping fingers. “Listen, I don’t want to be kneeling here all night.” She said, before her face broke into a smirk. “I know you’ve got plenty of magic to help keep your food down.” She put emphasis on the word ‘food’, glancing between both Melanie’s belly and Eloise. Behind her, Isa snickered. “So, use it on Ellie. Make it so she can’t throw up. That way, we can get out of here sooner.”

Melanie paled. Steph was always asking her for magical favours. It was probably one of the only reasons Steph kept her around. But using her magic on this? Melanie glanced down at Eloise nervously, though she immediately regretted it. Eloise’s eyes were wide, swimming in tears as they begged Melanie to disobey. The pit in Melanie’s stomach grew wider at the terror in Eloise’s eyes. But, glancing back up at Steph, the look on her face made it clear that Melanie didn’t have a choice.

With a heavy heart, Melanie leaned forward, hovering her hands over Elose’s abdomen, and began to weave her magic. Eloise’s writhing began anew as Melanie cast three simple spells, one after the other. First, a spell to prevent Eloise from throwing up, blocking anything that tried to escape her stomach. Second, a spell to stimulate her digestion, making sure it got to work on the human without delay. And finally third, a spell to toughen her stomach walls, making sure that any trashing from the human didn’t hurt her. That final consolation did little to ease the guilt gnawing at Melanie’s heart.

Melanie leaned back as Eloise’s muffled sobbing grew louder behind the cloth gag. Worse than Steph’s words, Melanie knew how talented Eloise was. The mage had seen the exact minutia of what Melanie had just done.

The guilt was becoming overwhelming. Melanie finally broke her silence. “Steph…” She meekly started, getting the pale-haired woman’s attention. “D-don’t you think this is… I don’t know… A-a bit much?” Melanie stammered. A shadow came over Stephanie’s features. “I-I just think-“

“Do I have to remind you what that human did? Who she did it to?” Stephanie asked, snapping a glare at Melanie, who immediately shrank back. “Ellie should have killed Gutter on sight for what she did, not get all chummy with her.” Stephanie insisted, Isa nodding along in agreement. Stephanie shifted her glare to target Eloise instead. “She deserves every bit of this, and more.” Stephanie hissed, before shooting a barbed glance Melanie’s way.

Melanie wilted. Stephanie’s look was a warning. A reminder of who was in charge. Melanie weakly acquiesced, her small, sputtering confidence extinguished in an instant. As if she could ever stand up to the domineering woman.

Powerless to do anything, Melanie simply went silent, feeling her guilt stabbing into her like a knife. Every sob from Eloise twisting the blade. She felt sick.

Stephanie leaned back, glancing around with disinterest as they waited for Eloise’s body to dispose of the human trapped within. Stephanie’s grey eyes caught something, bringing a fresh smugness to her expression.

“Oh, and we’ll be taking this , too.” She smirked, snatching the half-filled gathering pouch from Eloise’s waist. “Good luck explaining what you’ve been up to when you get home.”

“Yeah!” Isa cackled. “Let’s see how much the council likes you once you come back empty-handed!” She taunted. Stephanie’s smile grew wider. For her part, Eloise didn’t seem to react, her wracking sobs had withered to sniffling whimpers as she fell into a powerless despair.

Melanie couldn’t take it anymore. She abruptly stood, stepping away from the horrid scene with a grimace. Stephanie quickly shuffled forward, catching Eloise’s arms before she could take advantage. Eloise barely moved, only flinching at Stephanie’s sharp grasp.

“Melanie! What the hell?” She complained, shooting a frustrated look at Melanie. Isa quickly matched her expression. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Melanie couldn’t meet her eyes. “I-I’m not feeling well. I think I need to go home…” She confessed. There was indeed a deep discomfort stewing in her gut, though it was far from medical. “I’ll… I’ll see you guys back in town…” She mumbled.

It was a lie. Truthfully, Melanie had been on the edge for a while now. She could only put up with Steph’s cruelty for so long, and this was the final straw. Calling her names was one thing, but taking advantage of her magic? The one thing Melanie felt like she could be proud of, used just to hurt Eloise? Melanie felt disgusted. Both with Stephanie, and with herself.

Stephanie rolled her eyes with a scoff. “Ugh. Whatever. We’ll see you when we get back, I guess.” She said, seemingly indifferent to Melanie’s supposed ailment. Isa offered a wave as Melanie stepped away.

Casting one last look at Eloise, Melanie prepared to head home. The bespeckled woman had gone still, no longer trashing and wailing. She had simply gone limp, softly crying at the loss of her friend. Leaving the dancing firelight behind, Melanie tried her best to ignore the guilt gnawing at her heart as she stepped into the forest.

An odd shuffling sound to her left gave Melanie a moment of pause. She glanced to the side, unsure of what she’d heard. Though after a few moments passed, the sound didn’t repeat. She must have been imagining things. Melanie put it out of her mind, focusing on the ground ahead of her as she wandered back home, alone.

~~~

Clara kneeled in darkness, horrified.

She had been coming back to the clearing after finishing her business, only to freeze at the sight of a massive, darkly dressed giantess creeping through the underbrush. Dark green eyes peeked out of olive-green bangs, locked on Eloise. The giantess didn’t register Clara, focused as she was.

Before Clara’s body could lock up, Mary’s voice had rung through her mind like an alarm, urging her to hide. Carefully, her eyes locked on the giantess, Clara backpedalled until she collapsed into a low set of bushes at the clearing’s edge. The green-haired giantess continued to sneak forward as Clara watched, wide-eyed and hyperventilating. Her nails dug into the wood of her staff painfully, her other hand clutching Mary’s pouch against her chest. The bushes became wreathed in ragged fear spirits, swirling about and drinking in the dread. A part of Clara wished she could dash for Eloise, for Mary, screaming out a warning. Though that idea was quickly snuffed out, as yet another giantess entered the clearing, startling her friends.

Clara could only kneel there, frozen with terror as Stephanie – the giantess who had nearly crushed her underfoot – and two others that Clara had never seen before pounced on her friends with little warning. They utterly overpowered both Mary and Eloise, before force-feeding Mary to the blonde giantess, who thrashed and cried as her friend was shoved down her throat.

Clara felt numb, forced to watch as the plump one she had first encountered used magic to seal Mary inside Eloise’s stomach. All but ensuring her demise. Tears escaped from Clara’s paralysed features as Eloise cried out in sorrow, her voice muffled by Stephanie’s wicked grasp. It was all too much.

Clara could barely register the giant’s conversation after that. She clutched her things tightly, her breathing fast and shallow. She couldn’t bear to watch any more, but she couldn’t look away. Eventually, the olive-haired giantess stood up, looking upset. Dark blots of shame spirits clung to her features. She murmured some excuse, before stomping away from the scene.

Right towards Clara.

Clara was shocked out of her grief by quaking footsteps, each one more powerful than the last as the giantess approached. Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest as she panicked, floundering for somewhere else to hide.

The giantess was getting close. Clara could see the underside of her thick sole as she took another step, sending vibrations into Clara’s bones. Another step closer finally broke Clara’s paralysis. With a hand over her mouth, trying not to scream, and the other holding her things, Clara dashed to the side. She only had to sprint through half a dozen meters of undergrowth before diving into another similar set of bushes. She curled up into herself, screwing her eyes shut and locking up in place. Long, many-legged darkness spirits silently crept about the shrubbery, disturbed by the movement. Clara prayed they would help keep her hidden.

The giant footsteps stopped. Clara’s heart skipped a beat. She must have been spotted, or heard, and now she was going to be caught just like Mary and gods know what they were going to do to her and-

Her spiralling emotions were halted as the footsteps resumed their pace. For a heart-stopping moment, Clara thought the giantess was headed her way. But, blessedly, they continued right past her, slowly fading into the distance.

Clara took her hand off her mouth, gasping for air. She hadn’t even realised she’d been holding her breath. Trembling, she glanced back toward the clearing. Stephanie and the small, thin one were still holding Eloise down. The blonde giantess’ faint cries carried across the clearing. Clara could only watch, her body still frozen from the shock.

Eloise occasionally let out a weak struggle, but it was clear her strength had left her. It was hard to tell from this angle, but Clara could spot a host of darker spirits swarming the poor giantess, drawn to the intensity of her grief. A silence settled over the clearing, only broken by Eloise’s whimpers, or the crackle of burning wood. Eventually, the thin giantess broke through the silence.

“Steph…!” She whinged. “Do we really have to keep holding Ellie down like this?” Stephanie glanced back at her, looking annoyed. “My arms are getting tired, and I want to stand up.” The thin one complained, pouting back at Stephanie. The pale-haired giantess rolled her eyes, but seemed to consider it.

“Humph. Alright.” She eventually agreed. “It’s not like there’s anything she can do at this point.” She said, sneering at Eloise. “I think our work here is done.”

Stephanie gracefully rose to her feet, finally freeing Eloise. Her shorter look-alike followed suit, stretching her arms with a grunt. Finally free to move, Eloise kicked away from the pair. She scrambled to turn over, coughing out her makeshift gag as she kneeled away from the smirking giants. Eloise retched, heaving as she willed her body to expel the contents of her stomach. Yet, nothing came up, kickstarting her distress anew.

Stephanie scoffed, taking a few disgusted steps away from the gagging giantess as Isa cackled, pointing at the display.

“Try to let the lesson sink in this time, yeah?” Stephanie sneered. “We wouldn’t want to have to do this again, would we?” She smirked. Eloise didn’t respond, kneeling with one hand on her stomach and the other on the ground for balance, she continued heaving in vain. Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Come on Isa.” The pale-haired giantess turned and strut off into the forest, Isa trailing dutifully behind.

As their footsteps faded, Clara trembled as she tried to muster the will to move. A cowardly part of her wanted to curl up and disappear forever. To not have to face the world anymore. But she refused to give in to it, urging her muscles to rise.

Eloise’s panic was rising, her sorrow returning in full force as she continually failed to regurgitate. Ragged fear spirits swarmed her, and inky-black shame spirits clung to her body like stains. Each whimpering cry shot through Clara’s heart, compassion shaking the ice from her bones.

With effort, Clara stood. Trembling, she approached the clearing, trying to keep herself together. Throwing up had forsaken Eloise, and the giantess’ composure completely shattered as sorrow consumed her.

“Mary…!” She sobbed, clutching her stomach through her blouse. “Mary, please I don’t- I-I didn’t-“ Tear-choked breaths cut up her words. “I-I’m sorry!” She wailed. “Please- please don’t stop moving. Mary- Please- Stay with me Mary I-I don’t- I can’t-“ The words tumbled from her mouth before failing her completely. She covered her mouth and cried, eyes screwed shut as she wilted.

Close to tears herself, Clara finally emerged into the firelight, taking shaky steps toward Eloise. “E-Ellie…” Clara managed, getting the giantess’ attention.

Eloise stared at her, eyes wide behind her crooked glasses. Eloise was a mess, her clothes scratched up and torn, her blonde hair scuffed and messy, and her face streaked with tears. The giantess sucked in a trembling gasp at the sight of Clara, starting to hyperventilate as she shied away.

“C-Clara…” Fresh tears spilled from Eloise’s eyes, shame and anguish twisting her features. “This isn’t- I-I didn’t mean to- Oh gods…!” She scrambled away from Clara, huddling against the boulder at her back. She held a hand over her mouth, looking terrified of the human before her. Or more likely, terrified of being close to Clara after what she had done. Eloise opened her mouth behind her shaking hand, stammering out apologies.

“I-I’m sorry, t-the others, they-“

“I-I saw.” Clara said, cutting off Eloise’s voice. Words felt heavy in Clara’s mouth, as if the air itself was thick with grief. “I saw what happened…” She felt numb, the blood in her veins cold. “I-it’s not your fault-“

“It is!” Eloise cried, clutching herself. “I led them right to us! W-with this stupid fire!” She kicked a spray of dirt toward the flames, causing them to sputter under the assault. “I should have known Stephanie would come back, I-I should have been ready!” She sobbed, digging fingers into her skin. “Mary was-“ A sob cut through Eloise’s voice. “M-Mary was right, you never should have trusted me…” The giantess cringed, hiding her face in her hands as she cried out in grief.

Eloise’s sorrow threatened to overwhelm Clara, but she forced herself to stay composed. Forcing herself to take slow breaths, she scrounged up whatever professionalism she could muster. She was a healer. Right now, she needed to triage. Forcing the tears away, she spoke.

“Eloise.” Clara said, keeping her voice as steady as she could. “Ellie, look at me.” The giantess cracked an eye open, glancing at Clara through her grief-stricken features. “I-It’s not over yet. I know it hurts-“ Clara’s throat tightened sharply, cutting off her voice. She bit the inside of her lip, focusing on the pain to keep her mind away from the horrible thing that had been done to her friends. Regaining her composure, she continued. “I-I know it hurts, but Mary isn’t gone yet. S-she can’t be.” Eloise screwed her eyes shut. The giantess sucked in deep breaths, trying to get ahold of herself as she detached from the boulder she’d been huddling against.

“I can’t- I can’t throw up.” Eloise stammered through shaking breaths. “I can’t throw up, she’s trapped inside me.” Eloise threw a hand over her mouth, stifling a cry.

Clara’s mind started to race. “T-the fat one, she cast a spell on you.” She said. Eloise nodded, breathing heavily. “Can you undo it?” Clara asked. Her faint hope was dashed as Eloise shook her head ‘no’.

“B-breaking magic is the opposite of what I’ve been studying. Even if I could, it takes time, a-and I’m not familiar with Melanie’s weaving.” She explained, wiping away tears. The giantess got a stronger hold of her emotions, the problem-solving part of her mind taking over. “Y-your magic– human magic I mean. I-I’ve heard you can bring back the…” Eloise winced. “…The dead. I-is that true? Can you save Mary?” The giantess looked down at Clara with desperation. A knot formed in Clara’s stomach.

“I-I can… But I need her body intact…” She said, the words scraping her throat. Eloise grit her teeth, running her hands through her hair as tears leaked from her screwed-shut eyes. Both she and Clara knew there wouldn’t be anything left of Mary if they let nature run its course.

Eloise glanced around the clearing, desperately looking for anything that could help. Her eyes settled on something in the grass, and she scrambled over. Clara spotted the gleam of steel as Eloise plucked Mary’s sword from the ground, staring at it with an unreadable expression on her face. Clara felt a sinking feeling as she guessed what Eloise was about to suggest.

“I know what we have to do.” Elosie said, a grim determination settling into her features. She held the blade toward Clara, offering it hilt-first. Clara paled. “Y-you have to cut Mary out of me.” She said. “That way, we can bypass the spell entirely, cutting Mary out before my… my stomach breaks her down. It’s the only way.”

“No.” Clara refused. Her voice was blunt, staunchly planting its feet in the air between them. Eloise blinked, her determination chipped.

“W-what? But-“

“If I cut into you like that, I would only be trading your life for Mary’s.” Clara said, holding eye contact with the giantess. “I can’t channel enough power to heal a wound that severe on a body your size. Even if I can manage to get to Mary in time, you would certainly die in the process. I wouldn’t be able to save both of you.” The thought of being left alone in the Giant’s Forest, of losing both Mary and Eloise in the same night, scared Clara more than any giant ever could.

Eloise paled, glancing down at herself. Clara could see her mind working behind her eyes as she considered Clara’s words. After a tense moment, Eloise glanced back at Clara, a nervous determination in her eyes.

“Do it anyway-“

“ No. ” Clara insisted, not letting Eloise finish the thought. The giantess flinched, glancing away. “Ellie, I’m a healer , I want to save Mary just as much as you do. But I refuse to kill you just to get her back.” A part of Clara wished she could. Wished she could take the sacrifice, just to see Mary survive.

Refusing that part of herself, Clara clung to her principles, steeling her resolve. Making that choice would mean losing Eloise, someone who had become just as wonderful in Clara’s eyes. She knew she could never live with herself if she went through with a sacrifice like that. The broken giantess looked at the sword between her fingers, a desperate longing in her eyes. Defeated, she placed it down with a shaking hand. Tears welled up in her blue eyes as she looked at Clara.

“But, then… What do we do…?” She warbled, emotion threatening to break down her composure once more. Clara’s mind raced through possibilities. What could they do? Just like Eloise, she could feel despair gnawing at the edges of her composure. Eloise couldn’t throw up. They couldn’t cut her open. They couldn’t let nature run its… its course…

An idea. A dangerous, incredibly stupid idea. But it could be Mary’s only chance. Clara didn’t even hesitate.

“Strip.” She ordered, startling Eloise.

“W-what?”

“Strip! Take off your pants!” Clara demanded, tossing her own black dress over her head and onto the grass below. The cold night air nipped at her skin, but she powered through. Determination ran hot through her veins as she stripped down before the confused giantess.

“I-I don’t get it. W-what are you doing?” Eloise asked, darting her eyes around nervously as Clara removed her boots. She tossed them aside, breathing deeply as she steeled her nerve. She tried to keep her heartbeat steady. This was something she had to do.

Before Clara could respond, a gleam of gold caught her eye. Incredibly, a valour spirit manifested itself nearby. The shape of a golden dragonfly, it hovered about her with an eager energy. Clara watched it with wide eyes. She had only read about the gleaming spirits in stories. She raised a cautious finger, stunned as it settled atop the extended digit proudly. Clara clenched her other hand into a fist, trying to siphon as much courage from the spirit as she could. She took a deep breath, glancing up at Eloise, the confused giantess unsure what was happening.

“T-the spell they put on you is stopping anything from coming back up your throat.” Clara started, meeting Eloise’s eyes. “But it isn’t stopping anything from going the other direction.” Eloise frowned, still not understanding Clara’s plan. Clara swallowed nervously. “I can save Mary with magic, but I need her intact for anything to work. So, I… need to go inside of you and get to her before your body fully absorbs hers.” Clara explained, glancing away.

Eloise shook her head, eyes frantic. The ragged spirits about her stirred into a frenzy. “N-no, no I’m not swallowing you.” She said, fear painted over her features. “Even if I did, you’d still be trapped in my stomach. You wouldn’t be able to get out.” The giantess fretted, brushing a blonde tress out of her face.

Clara nodded. “Right. T-that’s why I won’t be going to your stomach…” She said. Eloise paused, her eyes widening. Clara could tell the giantess had started the figure out what she was getting at. Clara wrung her hands nervously, disturbing the valour spirit who hovered back up near her face. She blew out a breath. “I-I can go up through your digestive system in reverse, t-through your …rectum,” Clara blushed. “A-and into your intestines. If I’m quick, I should be able to find Mary before it’s too late.” Clara bent down, retrieving a tiny leather pouch from her dress pocket. “Then, I can revive her with this.” She opened the pouch, displaying the large, clear diamond inside. It caught the light, glittering as she held it up for Eloise to see. The giantess leaned close, a hint of awe breaking through her shock. “I-it’s an offering. By giving this to Falx, she can bring Mary’s soul back to her body in exchange. Once she’s awake, we should be able to crawl back out the… the exit.” Clara finished, glancing away from the flustered giantess..

Eloise flushed red. “Y-you want to go up my-?” She stammered, shocked. Clara nodded, similarly flushed. She carefully placed the diamond back into its pouch, before tying it around her neck by the drawstring, letting it hang alongside her mother’s bell.

Eloise stammered incoherently. The giantess rose away from Clara, who finished removing the last of her clothes, stepping out of her underwear and resting it on her dress. Clara shivered. The cold was really starting to bite now. Standing there wearing nothing but a necklace and leather pouch, she felt like her nipples might freeze and break off. She looked up at Eloise expectantly.

Clara’s look broke Eloise out of her stun. By instinct, the blonde giantess brought her palms down, cradling them around Clara for warmth. The moment their skin made contact, however, the giantess flinched back like she’d been burned. A look of terrified shame painting her features. The inky blots on her skin expanded, fed by the intense guilt consuming her. Thinking quickly, Clara stepped forward, reaching up to take Eloise’s left thumb in both hands. She tugged gently, guiding it into her chest.

“It’s okay.” She assured, meeting Eloise’s apprehensive blue eyes with her own. Clara could feel Eloise’s frantic heartbeat against her own. “…I’m not afraid of you.”

Fresh tears welled behind the giantess’ eyes as she carefully cupped her palms around Clara’s sides, keeping her thumb in place. The valour spirit zipped out of the way, only settling back down atop Clara’s head once the movement ceased. Clara let out a faint sigh as Eloise’s warmth filled her body, chasing away the cold. The faint cherry scent still coming off of Eloise’s palms helped soothe Clara’s nerves. The giantess sniffled, awkwardly wiping her eyes on her own shoulder. Through the textured pad of her thumb, Clara felt Eloise regain control of her heartbeat. After a moment, she spoke.

“Clara, t-the plan. I don’t know…” She trailed off, looking down at Clara with concern. “It’s too risky, What if you can’t get out? I… I don’t want to lose you too…” Eloise murmured, threatening more tears.

Clara shook her head, squeezing Eloise’s thumb against her chest. She blushed at the feeling of the giantess’ skin against her breast. “I-I’ll be ok.” She reassured. “Without going through your stomach, your intestines won’t know what to do with me. Worst case scenario, I… come back empty-handed.” She said the last part quietly. She didn’t want to consider the possibility.

Eloise frowned, unconvinced. “Still. It’s going to be horrible… Being trapped in someone’s guts like that…” She cringed, shaking her head. “I-I can’t imagine…”

“It’s the only way we can save Mary.” Clara insisted. “I don’t care how bad it is inside you, I-I can endure it.” The golden dragonfly buzzed with enthusiasm. “Besides…” Clara glanced away. “It… It’s not my first time…” She admitted, thinking of her time inside the red-haired giantess. Hopefully it wouldn’t be so bad the second time around.

Eloise paled, looking at Clara with wide eyes. Her gaze flicked to Clara’s right half, and the reddened scars that blemished her skin. “Clara…” She breathed, horrified. “You…”

Clara didn’t give her time to dwell on it. “Strip!” She ordered, getting Eloise back on track. “W-we can talk later, we’re running out of time!” Eloise flinched, clutching her stomach with an anxious glance.

“O-ok, ok.” She agreed, shuffling upright. Reaching for her pants, she paused, glancing down at Clara’s things. “W-wait, before we start.” She said, leaning back down to point at Clara’s staff. Clara picked it up, questioningly. “I-if we’re really doing this, I need a way to know you’re ok. Hold still for a second.” Eloise hovered a hand over Clara, and began weaving together a spell. Her fingers moved slowly, her reddened eyes locked in concentration.

Clara could feel a gentle tug on her mother’s bell, and noticed slight movement in her bell-topped staff as well. Eloise muttered arcane musings to herself as she weaved, the spell’s construction highly complex even to Clara’s novice eye. After a few minutes of careful weaving, Eloise took a deep breath, and tugged the final thread. The spell flashed in the air before vanishing. A faint glow slowly fading from both of Clara’s bells.

“…What did you do?” She asked, inspecting her necklace carefully.

Eloise watched her nervously. “If that worked, then the bell around your neck and the bell on your staff should be connected.” She fidgeted. “T-try ringing one.”

Curious, Clara held up her mother’s bell before herself and gave it a gentle tap. To her surprise, the bell on her staff tolled in the exact same way. Both bells moving in sync with one another. Eloise blew out a sigh, clearly relieved the spell had worked.

“Okay, thank the gods.” She said, adjusting her glasses. “Now you’ll be able to communicate with me while you’re… inside.” She blushed. Clara nodded slowly, understanding Eloise’s intent. “Every few minutes, ring the bell three times. That’ll be the signal.” Clara nodded. Eloise shifted in place, nervous. “I can try and send a signal too, from the staff. If I don’t hear from you, and you don’t respond to my signal, I’ll assume something’s gone wrong, and I’ll try to find a way to get you out.”

Clara nodded again. “R-right. That makes sense. A-and if something goes wrong, or I find myself in danger, I’ll make sure to shake the bell wildly, so you know.” Satisfied, Eloise nodded, rising to her feet.

The blonde giantess hastily shimmied out of her half-ruined pants, cupping a palm over her womanhood with embarrassment. Eloise swallowed. “H-how should we…” She trailed off, glancing away from Clara.

Clara paused a moment, thinking. “…Kneel down on the ground, w-with your butt in the air.” She ordered, blushing at having to address Eloise’s backside directly. Blushing furiously, Eloise complied, hastily assuming the position, resting her head on the ground next to Clara.

With her spare hand, Eloise began weaving another spell above Clara’s head. “J-just something to help you inside.” She explained, her breath warming Clara’s naked skin. Moisture began to clump in the air above Clara. She flinched as it made contact, dribbling down her skin. It was a slick, gooey substance that clung to her body. Clara grimaced, feeling it running through her hair as it dribbled. She understood its purpose though, and made sure to spread it over her skin evenly like a salve. “T-that should last long enough to get you inside, after that you… probably won’t need it.” Eloise said. Clara nodded, wiping the lubricant out of her eyes.

“O-ok. I’m ready.” Clara said, feeling the chill night air starting to penetrate through her slimy coating. “Get me up there, please.” Eloise nodded.

Clara held still as Eloise gently pinched her between the fingers of her free hand. The giantess applied a firm pressure, hooking under Clara’s armpits so she wouldn’t slip from her grasp. Awkwardly, Eloise moved her hand over her raised posterior. Clara’s heart began pounding as the giantess’ backdoor came into view. Nestled between her pale mounds, Eloise’s anus twitched in anticipation. Just below, her taint trailed out of view, her vagina hidden under her spare hand. Due to the pose, the giantess’ anus winked open slightly, giving Clara a faint glimpse of the pinkish tunnel beyond. Clara swallowed a lump in her throat.

Slowly, Eloise set Clara down on her right cheek. She held her grip a moment, letting Clara find her balance before she let go. Clara carefully knelt on the pale, warm mound, feeling her wet hands and knees slipping against the smooth flesh of Eloise’s backside. Even with the giantess bent over like this, Clara was still some dozens of feet in the air. She moved with caution, knowing a fall could set them back minutes if she broke something. Minutes that they – that Mary – didn’t have.

Clara inched forward, peering into the valley between Eloise’s mounds, and at the puckered knot of muscle hidden at the bottom. The giantess’s body heat radiated out from her skin, carrying her familiar cherry scent even in this most private of places. Clara felt her face flush red. Even as prepared as she had been, this was shockingly embarrassing.

The golden valour spirit hovered by, humming to a rest on Eloise’s cheek. Encouraged, Clara steeled her nerves one final time, taking a deep breath. “Ellie,” She spoke, getting the giantess’ attention. Eloise glanced back at her, awkwardly. Her hair splayed about the grass below. “Once I’m inside, I need you to lie down on your back, feet on the ground like… like you’re giving birth, okay?” Clara ordered. She didn’t want to force Eloise to hold this position the entire time, but needed to make sure the giantess didn’t accidentally make things more difficult. Eloise nodded, brushing her face against the grass.

Cautiously, Clara lay down on her stomach, leaving a slick trail as she slid into the cleft of Eloise’s backside. She could feel the chorus of involuntary spasms her movements provoked as she inched closer to Eloise’s sensitive anus. Eventually, Clara found herself face-to-face with the twitching orifice. It was larger than her entire head, and a stale odour emanated from within. Carefully, Clara grabbed at the rim, applying a gentle pressure in an attempt to coax it open.

At first touch, it squeezed tight, Eloise letting out a quiet yelp at the sensation. Gradually though, as the giantess forced herself to relax, her backdoor widened. Taking advantage, Clara shoved both her arms inside. Eloise gasped at the intrusion, but between deep breaths, managed to avoid clenching.

Clara grabbed two handfuls of Eloise’s inner flesh, eliciting an unsteady groan from the giantess. Taking a deep breath and a final prayer, Clara pulled herself inside.

Hot, twitching flesh slid over Clara’s face as she dragged her upper body inside of Eloise’s backdoor. Arms straining with effort, she squeezed through the twitching ring of muscle, legs scrabbling for purchase outside. She gasped as her head and shoulders finally breached the other side of the giantess’ sphincter. Clara sucked in a breath, feeling the anus pulsing against her midsection. To her pleasant surprise, the smell wasn’t nearly as bad as she had feared. The air was stale, and thick with Eloise’s natural musk, but the unbearable fetid stench Clara had been expecting was absent. She recalled Stephanie mentioning something about giant’s digestive tracts while taunting Mary. The lack of smell must have been due to a lack of use. Below, Clara could just make out the shape of Eloise’s rectum, dilated from her position and gently pulsing into the darkness.

Clara snapped herself out of her wondering. Mary was running out of time. Steadying her hands against the inside of Eloise’s anus, she shoved. Slowly, with effort, her hips slid through. A well-timed clench from the sphincter squeezed against the slope of Clara’s thighs, sucking her legs in all at once like a noodle. Suddenly, she was falling.

A shriek escaped Clara as she fell head-first into Eloise’s depths. Fear clutched at her heart for the briefest of moments before she splat into the sloping pillowy walls of Eloise’s rectum. Scrambling, Clara slid down the fleshy tunnel uncontrollably until she was caught by the bend of Eloise’s colon. The cradle of flesh held Clara’s body as she quickly spread her limbs out, keeping herself steady in her unstable confines, her heart pounding wildly.

There, she paused. Clara took deep breaths, trying to centre herself after the brief scare. The spongy walls of Eloise’s gut were slick with anal slime, which quickly started to replace the neutral lubricant on Clara’s skin. She tried not to think about how many baths she would need before the smell of Eloise’s insides left her.

Clara could feel the giantess’ heartbeat thrumming distantly, sending quick pulses of energy through the flesh surrounding her. The heat was humid and intense. Feeling herself start to sweat, she almost looked forward to reemerging into the biting cold outside.

After another minute of waiting, Clara’s world began to shift. It rolled around sideways, sending Clara sliding along the walls of Eloise’s gut, following gravity. In her mind’s eye, Clara tried to picture the giantess rolling over onto her back, like Clara had asked. The jostling came to a halt, as Clara faintly sensed two thuds from beyond her fleshy confines. Eloise had settled into position.

The tunnel of flesh surrounding Clara contracted, bunching up tighter from the new angle. The spongy flesh pressed more of Eloise’s body heat into Clara as the giantess clenched softly around her body. Clara blushed as she received possibly the strangest hug of her life.

Clara took a deep breath, shaking off the thought as she peered through the darkness, her eyes slowly adjusting. Beyond the bend, Eloise’s colon curved off to the left, leading deeper into the giantess’ gut. Before she could move, the bell around her neck jolted in place three times. Clara jumped, startled. Right, the signal. She adjusted her position a moment, shoving against the giantess’ insistent colon before holding up her mother’s bell to repeat the signal back at Eloise. Distantly, she could hear a muffled sigh of relief from outside. She was safe, just like she said she would be. Now, she just had to rescue Mary.

Clara steadied herself. Grabbing a handful of slick flesh, she started to crawl, feeling Eloise’s slimy inner walls sliding against her body. The tunnel had tightened somewhat, but she still had enough room to move as she dragged herself forward. Emerging into the intestine proper, Clara felt the texture under her hands change slightly. Larger ridges emerged, providing half-decent leverage for Clara to take advantage of.

Ignoring the sensation of Eloise’s gut flesh on her naked body, Clara focused on crawling, one limb after the other. All around her she could hear the groaning, gurgling sound of the giantess’ digestive system at work. Clara’s chest tightened. She knew exactly what it was working on.

With a shudder, Clara turned her mind to anatomy to distract herself. She cross-referenced each subtle alteration in texture with her memory of anatomical diagrams in her grandfather’s books. Tried to identify each part of the body the intestine brushed up against as she crawled past.

As she turned into the transverse colon, she shivered. Eloise’s stomach churned just beyond a thin barrier of flesh to her right. An intense heat pressed through the intestinal walls, reminding Clara of just how dire things were. Mary was in there. Or at least she had been. Hearing Eloise’s stomach growl, Clara tried not to think about the state she might find Mary in.

Clara quickly scrabbled forwards, leaving the fearsome stomach’s churning behind. She didn’t have time to hesitate. Besides, the large intestine was the easy part. After one final turn, the tunnel started to narrow. Clara dragged herself forward, eventually coming face-to-face with yet another sphincter. A more intense heat emanated from the other side, and the spongy texture in the flesh beneath her fingers began to fade into a smooth slickness as Clara got closer.

Nestling her body against the entrance to Eloise’s small intestine, Clara took a moment to catch her breath. She could feel her body beginning to ache already, after having to fight against the gentle peristaltic motions of Eloise’s gut. She raised her mother’s bell, flicking it three times in succession. It tinkled softly, its resonance muted by the plush and fleshy surroundings. Resting a moment, Clara noticed the smell in the air had changed somewhat. A more organic, acrid smell trickled from the sphincter before her. Though, she felt like there was something else. Something missing.

Clara realised it with a start. There were no spirits here. Thinking back, there hadn’t been any inside the last giantess she had entered either. Only now, given a chance to take in her surroundings, did she notice. The lesser spirits that normally populated her vision were completely absent. Not a single one was present within the confines of Eloise’s body.

A loud groan shuddered through the giantess’ gut, startling Clara out of her wonder. She could consider the spiritual implications of that later. She had little time to reflect right now.

Clara took a few deep breaths. Now came the hard part. Clara gripped her mother’s bell, and offered a prayer. Her skin shimmered a silver hue for a moment as she cast a basic ward against acids upon herself. As the spell settled into her skin, Clara couldn’t help but notice the redness of her right arm. This spell would have helped her back then. Would have given Mary more time to rescue her. Once again, she swore to herself to never stop wearing her mother’s bell, come hell or high water.

Placing her faith in her magic, Clara drove her hands into the sphincter before her, prying it open and squirming her body through. It was tight. Much tighter than Eloise’s anus had been. Clara wriggled through an inch at a time, until she finally felt the sphincter closing behind her toes. A jolt shot through Eloise’s body, a shuddering gasp sounding outside. Clara felt her bell tap against her chest thrice.

Panting from exertion, Clara tapped her bell in turn, before taking in her new surroundings. It was cramped. She only just had enough space to manoeuvre as the pliant tunnel closed in around her body. The flesh within was a wrinkled pink, periodically rippling against her skin as it tried to send her back into the large intestine. The air was even hotter than before, and humid with an acidic tang. Dragging herself a few tentative inches forward, Clara could feel how much slicker the ground was with moisture than before.

Clara took a breath in, then out. The only way was forward. Digging into the flesh behind with her feet, Clara squirmed forward once more. It was a lot easier to use her feet in here, an advantage of her more confined surroundings. It was just enough of an advantage to allow her to fight against the more insistent peristalsis of Eloise’s small intestine.

Squirming forward, Clara planted another hand in the flesh before her. She flinched slightly as a ticklish sensation squirmed against her palm. Crawling closer, Clara spotted a carpet of pink tendrils, wriggling against her hand. They tickled against her palm and between her fingers, feeling her up and down. Others nearby her hand stretched toward it curiously. Looking around, Clara could see they sprouted from every surface, starting to completely cover the walls from this point on. ‘Villi’, Clara remembered they were called. In the cadavers she had occasionally worked on, an individual villus was barely visible. Though at Eloise’s giant size, they were more than an inch long.

Clara swallowed. She had known what to expect, but wasn’t prepared for the feeling against her skin. Tentatively crawling forward, she squirmed as the inquisitive tendrils slathered and prodded against her naked body. It was like being wrapped in a living, curious carpet. They almost seemed confused as to how they should go about absorbing such a solid intrusion. Clara tried her best to ignore the ticklish sensation as she dragged herself deeper. Especially when the villi brushed against her sensitive areas, searching for nutrients in her most private crannies. Blushing at the pricks of pleasure they unintentionally caused, Clara increased her speed, squirming through the sharp bends of rippling flesh.

As Clara continued, a watery sludge began to appear beneath her, trickling through toward the large intestine. Though, given the lack of contents behind herself, Clara guessed that most of what Eloise ate didn’t make it that far. Thinking again of Mary, Clara hustled forward.

The winding passage of Eloise’s small intestine seemed to meander on forever. The only change that gave Clara a sense of progress was the thickening sludge she crawled through, getting deeper the closer she got to the stomach. This deep inside, Clara could feel the acidic remnants of stomach juices tingling against her ward. She swallowed. The spell didn’t provide an immunity, but she hoped it would be enough to stave off the weaker acids until she reached Mary.

The acrid smell in the air grew in intensity, tinged with the metallic scent of iron. Squirming around a corner, Clara spotted a trickle of red colouring the yellowish sludge ahead of her. Blood.

Clara’s heart pounded inside of her chest. A mounting dread began invading the corners of her mind. Her breathing quickened. One way or the other, Mary was close by. Fearing the worst, Clara rushed forward. She writhed around another bend, before her breath caught in her throat.

There Mary was.

Her energy renewed, Clara scrambled toward the broken warrior. A flickering hope lit in her heart. Mary’s body was still intact. Though it wasn’t unharmed. Her skin was severely reddened and worn down, bleeding in several places across her body, including around her left eye. Her hair was clipped, having lost some of its length. Mary’s body was oriented in the opposite direction as Clara’s, allowing Clara to see her face. Shaking, Clara placed a hand on Mary’s cheek before letting out a stuttered gasp.

Impossibly, Mary was still alive. Faint, staggered breaths moved her lungs as her body fought against the inevitable.

“Mary…” Clara breathed, shocked.

Then, finally, the floodgates opened. Clara’s heart clenched as tears burst from her eyes. Her breathing shook with emotion as she clung onto Mary’s unconscious frame. All the sorrow and grief she had been holding back surged forwards at once. She sobbed, her composure completely shattered at what had been done to her friend.

Fighting through the onslaught of emotion, Clara scrambled to reverse herself. Her emotions were in disarray, but her body kept her moving. Shoving against villi and chyme, she oriented herself the same as Mary. Clara sniffled as she shuffled her legs underneath Mary’s back, before grasping onto her shoulders with both hands. Heaving, Clara dragged Mary close, pulling the unconscious woman close to her chest.

Crying through heavy breaths, Clara embraced Mary tightly. Seeing someone she considered so strong, so wonderful, reduced to this state by the cruelty of others broke Clara’s heart.

And yet, Mary was alive. Thank the gods she was alive.

Clara wiped at her face, sniffling back tears. She whimpered out a prayer, clutching her bell tightly. With the same gleam of silver, Clara’s ward shifted into Mary, preventing Eloise’s body from claiming any more of her. Clara could feel the sludge beneath her tingle against her skin more intensely, but she barely paid it any mind. She continued into another, more familiar prayer, channelling healing magic into Mary’s broken body.

Over and over again, Clara channelled the same spell, Mary’s wounds glowing with a faint pale light as they repaired. Clara’s voice strained with effort as she heaved backward, dragging Mary back the way she had come one inch at a time. It was difficult, Mary’s muscled body was heavy, and Clara was exhausted. Though she was at least aided by Eloise’s body this time, moving along with the peristaltic flow. Clara’s feet shoved against the flesh behind her as she muttered out another healing spell.

Eventually, Mary’s bleeding stopped, though her skin was still raw in patches, her breathing had settled into a deeper, unbroken rhythm. Clara heaved backward again, dragging Mary another few inches before she collapsed. Gasping for air in the sweltering confines of Eloise’s gut, Clara held Mary’s head close to her chest. Thinking of the blonde giantess, Clara rung her bell trice to ease any fears Eloise might have had. Again, between puffing breaths, Clara muttered the same spell.

Mary twitched. Slowly, blessedly, her body began to move, squirming in place as she stirred. Clara’s heart leapt.

“Mary…?”

Mary jolted in place, sucking in a sharp breath before hacking out a cough. She kept gasping and coughing until her airway was clear, her hacking being replaced with a steady, deep panting. Groaning, she rose, steadying herself on her elbows over Clara. Her right eye cracked open, blinking into focus before going wide at the sight below her.

“…Clara?” Mary rasped.

Clara responded by pulling Mary into a tight embrace, squeezing her with every ounce of strength she had. “Mary…! Oh, thank the gods!” She cried, feeling tears prickling at her eyes.

Mary’s face fell, dread crossing her features as she held Clara in return. “No… No, how did they…?” She whispered. Her arms pressed tightly into Clara’s back as she grit her teeth. “…Damnit.” She buried her forehead into the crook of Clara’s shoulder. “How could I let this happen?” She breathed, voice shaking with grief.

Clara shook her head, pulling away from Mary as she realised the confusion. “No, no Mary it’s not like that.” She assured, meeting Mary’s confused eyes. “They never found me.” Clara offered a shaky smile. “When I saw the other giants coming, I… I hid. Just like you said.” More tears broke through her composure. Clara let herself cry, feeling relief rolling over her in waves.

Mary looked confused. “But then… Why are you here? What happened?” She rasped, looking around. A hollow cast shot through her features. “Did Eloise-“

Clara shook her head vigorously, wiping her eyes. “No! No, she helped.” Mary frowned. Clara took a deep breath, settling her heart. “The other giants, they trapped you in Ellie’s stomach with magic.” Clara began. “She couldn’t throw up, so once the others left, we had to get you out some other way.” She blushed. “I… um, realised that there wasn’t anything stopping things moving the other direction, so…”

Mary’s eye widened. “You…”

“Crawled up Eloise’s arse to come get you from the other end, yes.” Clara admitted with a sigh, giving up decorum to state the simple truth. With Mary’s safety no longer in question, the full embarrassing weight of the situation fell onto Clara. She blushed sheepishly up at Mary.

Mary just stared, the brown of her eye shining with admiration and disbelief. “You went to such lengths, just to…” Her voice trailed to a halt, words failing the battered woman.

Clara smiled, emotion welling behind her eyes. “To get you back?” She asked. “I’d do just about anything.”

Clara blinked, and Mary’s lips were on her own.

Clara gasped through her nose, wide-eyed as Mary kissed her. Every word Mary couldn’t say flowed through her lip’s embrace, swelling Clara’s heart with warmth. After a heart-pounding second, Mary pulled away. But in a moment of passionate insistence, Clara followed, wrapping her arms around Mary’s muscled shoulders, holding the kiss. Feeling Mary come back to her, mouth locked with her own, Clara melted into the embrace. The softness of Mary’s lips was unlike the firm muscles rolling under her touch, making the kiss feel that much more special. Like she was tasting some forbidden, secret part of the hardened warrior.

Gentle tears wet Clara’s cheeks as she felt Mary’s breath stutter, making her heart squeeze with empathy as she tightened her embrace. She wrapped her legs around Mary’s waist, holding Mary with every part of her body as their lips continued to glide against one another. As Mary held her in strong arms, Clara felt like this was everything she would ever need. It had been a long, slimy journey. But here, surrounded by Eloise’s warmth and in Mary’s arms, it had all been worth it.

The kiss continued as Clara let herself get lost in the sensation, until a stinging pain pricked her from below, earning a wince. Mary immediately pulled away, worry covering her features.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” She asked, looking over Clara nervously.

Clara smiled, warmed. “I-I’m okay.” She answered. “It’s just that I moved my ward against acid over to you, and it’s starting to get to me.” She explained.

Mary looked around, as if remembering where she was, dripping with digestive slime. She frowned at Clara, who returned a sheepish grin. Mary looked ahead. “Which way’s the way out?” She asked. Clara pointed behind herself, in the direction Mary was facing. Mary’s expression steeled, and Clara could feel her muscles tensing, readying themselves. “Hold on to me.” She said, looking down at Clara.

Clara didn’t need to be told twice, shuffling down out of the way of Mary’s arms. She wrapped her arms around Mary’s chest, nestling her face in the muscled woman’s modest cleavage. Her legs wrapped around Mary’s hips, Clara blushed hard as she felt Mary’s member brushing idly against her groin.

“Ready?” Mary asked. Clara murmured confirmation, locking her hands and feet. Mary took a deep breath, before surging forward.

Clara’s heart leapt. The difference in speed was incredible. Mary’s strong muscles letting her charge through Eloise’s guts at a pace more than twice as fast as Clara’s. Holding on tight to Mary, Clara felt her muscles rippling under her skin, as the fleshy walls around them slid past.

Mary squeezed around a corner, pressing their bodies together tightly. Clara could feel Mary’s heartbeat through her breast, thrumming along her limbs. Loosening her grip a little, Clara felt Mary’s breasts slide against the sides of her face, leaving just enough room to speak. Her mouth free, she continued to mutter out prayer after prayer, bathing the both of them in healing light as Mary dragged them toward freedom.

~~~

Eloise lay on her back, feeling numb.

The world around her was still. Only the chill night breeze fluttered through the trees, biting against her bare bottom half and rousing a low rustling sound that seemed to come from everywhere at once. Eloise’s eyes felt dry and inflamed, a consequence of the endless sorrow the night’s events drew from her. Though now, in the silence, Eloise struggled to feel at all.

She stared up through the canopy. She could just barely make out the pinpricks of stars, and the golden filament connecting them. The fire beside her flickered low. Eloise felt like her heart had been wrung dry. In the still silence of the clearing, her emotions were on hold.

It had been half an hour since Clara had vanished inside of Eloise’s body. The human had seemed so confident, so sure she could find Mary and bring her back. Eloise didn’t dare to hope. If she let herself believe Mary would survive, only for those feelings to be dashed, she feared the loss would crush her.

At the same time, Eloise couldn’t despair, either. The shred of a possibility that Clara might succeed kept her emotions from spiralling. It wasn’t enough to give her hope, but it was enough to put her anguish on hold.

So Eloise simply… waited. Suspended in a liminal moment where she waited for the proverbial pin to drop. For Clara to emerge and let her emotions collapse in one direction or the other.

Eloise’s throat tightened. Gods, Clara was inside of her. Terrifyingly deep, at that. Eloise let out a shaky breath, steadying herself. It had only been a few minutes since the human had last rung the signal, tolling her bell-topped staff that Eloise had planted into the ground nearby. Eloise trusted Clara. The healer’s plan was insane, but Eloise trusted that she would survive.

Clara’s safety wasn’t what worried Eloise. How would their relationship change after tonight? What if Clara came back empty-handed? Gods, what if she didn’t? Would the humans ever be able to look at her the same, after what they had been through? Could they ever trust her again?

Could she trust herself?

A flurry of movement from within broke Eloise out of her thoughts. Something was squirming through her guts with vigour. Her belly growling, Eloise clutched at her abdomen in shock. Her heart swelled. Clara hadn’t been moving this fast before. Careful not to jostle her occupant too much, Eloise reached out, awkwardly prodding the bell of Clara’s staff three times.

The movement inside of her slowed somewhat, and after a few seconds, the response came. Three soft tolls.

Eloise’s heart was pounding. Inside, the movement began again, surging through her guts in the opposite direction Clara had come. It couldn’t be... Eloise stuffed down the hope starting to swell within her chest. Not yet. She wouldn’t let herself hope until she saw Mary with her own eyes. A tight bolt of sensation shot up Eloise’s body as the pressure in her gut shifted, growing slightly fainter. It was the same sensation she had felt before – something solid passing through the end of her small intestine, if she had to guess.

Eloise rose on her elbows, staring down at her abdomen with wide eyes. The crawling sensation continued, drawing a wide arc about her navel. A familiar feeling began to settle into her gut as it got closer and closer to the exit. The feeling that something inside was ready to come out. Finally, a firm pressure shoved against her backdoor with urgency.

Her heart pounding, Elose carefully rose to her feet, feeling a weight settle to the very bottom of her gut. Her breath shook as she swallowed a lump in her throat. This was it.

Eloise scooped a hand under herself, concealing her womanhood as she squat low to the ground. She lowered her hips until she could feel the silky grass tickling at her behind. With a slight grimace, she squeezed her gut’s contents with the slightest pressure.

Finally, something burst through into the open air. A tiny gasp drifted up to Eloise’s ears as a pair of hands pressed against her skin. With a heaving shove, someone much heavier than just Clara slipped out from Eloise, collapsing into the grass below.

Eloise trembled. She realised that she was afraid to look no matter what she saw. With shaking legs, she stumbled back, collapsing against the boulder at the clearing’s edge.

There, rising from the grass on all fours, was Mary. The human huffed with exertion, her breath puffing tiny clouds into the cold night air. Wrapped around her like a satchel was Clara. The healer weakly muttered something under her breath, before a pale light glimmered over the pair of them. Exhausted, she released her grip, slipping off of Mary and slumping to the ground as she sucked in the cool night air. The clouds of her breath mingled with Mary’s as the humans relished the fresh air.

Eloise’s heart soared. Mary was alive. Clara had actually done it. Eloise’s breathing became erratic as she felt emotion welling up behind her eyes. The muscled woman rose, leaning back on her knees as she puffed. The position gave Eloise a better look at Mary, and her relief shuddered to a halt.

The human’s skin was severely reddened. Patches of acid burns were scattered all over her body, just like Clara. A particularly severe burn covered over her left eye, which remained closed as she turned her gaze toward Eloise.

Tears – tears that Eloise didn’t know she still had – fell from her eyes as a shaky hand covered her mouth in shock. She shied away from Mary’s gaze, consumed by shame and fear.

“Mary…” Eloise managed, choking breaths cutting through her speech. “Oh, gods, I- I’m so- I’m so sorry…” She whimpered, muffling a sob under her palm. “This was- This is all my-“ Her voice failed her as she broke down, crushed under the weight of her guilt.

Mary was silent, her expression unreadable at this distance. Slowly, she stood on unsteady legs. Taking shaking steps, she moved closer to Eloise. Clara remained prone behind her, taking a well-earned rest after her ordeal.

Eloise’s heart spiked with apprehension as Mary got close. Her voice broken, she could only shake her head with wide eyes. She couldn’t be near them. She couldn’t let herself hurt Mary again. She couldn’t-

“Eloise.” Mary croaked, breaking Eloise out of her spiral. “Eloise, look at me.” Her voice was cracked and weak, but still carried the same confident projection it always did. Eloise froze, meeting Mary's gaze with her own. Mary stepped closer. “What happened tonight wasn’t your fault.” She said.

Eloise’s heart crumpled. She shook her head violently, finding her voice between quaking breaths. “I-it was! I-I should have- I didn’t-“

“No, it wasn’t.” Mary cut her off. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” The human insisted. Eloise could only shake her head. Mary took another step closer. “Pick me up.” She said. Eloise froze.

“W-what? N-no, I can’t-“

“Eloise.” Mary stared at her with an unrelenting hardness in her eye. “Pick me up.” Eloise’s defiance crumpled at the quiet order. Despite her apprehension, Eloise knew she wasn’t allowed to refuse.

With a shaking hand, Eloise reached down toward the stubborn human. At first touch, she flinched back. Her fear and guilt convinced her that even the slightest touch could break Mary. For her part, Mary barely moved a muscle. Her gaze softened somewhat, communicating a silent calm that eased Eloise’s nerves.

Gently, Eloise scooped up the battered human, holding Mary close to her chest. Mary rode on her knees, feeling at Eloise’s palm with her own. Trembling, Eloise held her, not knowing what was about to happen.

Mary reached out a hesitant arm, before clutching Eloise’s thumb in a tight embrace. The muscled woman squeezed, sending a warmth through Eloise’s veins and into her heart. Eloise could feel Mary’s heart beating through her chest as the human sighed softly. Finally, she spoke.

“…I don’t hate you, Eloise.” She said, her voice the softest Eloise had ever heard it. Something swelled in Eloise’s chest, forcing further tears from her eyes. A warm touch against her thigh signalled Clara’s approach. The smaller human was leaned against Eloise, resting a gentle hand on her skin, silently backing up Mary’s words.

It was all too much. Eloise broke down, everything left inside of her came crashing out. She scooped up the exhausted Clara and held both the healer and Mary tight against her chest. Curling up into herself, Eloise sobbed. All the grief, and pain, and relief, and the joy at seeing Mary safe all crashed into her at once. Below her, Mary and Clara huddled close, pressing into Eloise and each other as everything came out.

Eloise held them close for hours, whispering apologies and being warmed by the humans’ reassurances. Slowly, as the adrenaline wore down, exhaustion began to catch up with them one by one. Finally, with both Mary and Clara safe and asleep in her arms, Eloise let sleep take her.

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Translator's Note: 

A few things of note this time, the same old clarifications, with a reminder of prior notes. Also, I have gotten in contact with someone who can more clearly elaborate on the nature of the sixth and seventh senses. I have been informed that they - particularly the latter - are a foreign concept to your world, and thus need a little explanation. 

• Mary uses the word 'Second' in reference to a period of time. This English word was chosen in place of the equivalent Vratan Common word. All measurements of time and distance in this translation are adjusted and translated accordingly. 

• Clara uses the word 'People' while asking Mary to apologise. This word was selected deliberately, as the Vratan Common word she used was one that refers to sapient beings, and is species neutral. She is referring to both her own kind, and others, such as Eloise. 

• Clara refers to her leaving to urinate as 'going to the bathroom'. This English phrase was selected as it is a decent substitute for the Vratan Common equivalent. The original phrase is a polite and evasive way of describing one's business, without being aggressively formal. 

• For my note on the use of 'Bug', see chapter one part one.

• Isa is described as an 'obsessed puppy'. It may be of surprise, but unlike the use of 'bug' this translation is actually direct. At risk of overstepping the narrative, the giants of Vratan actually do keep canines at pets on occasion. To them, dire wolves are about the size of small hamsters, and are treated accordingly. 

• All anatomical terms have been directly translated from Vratan Common into their English equivalents. 

• The phrase 'chummy' - as used by Stephanie - is a phrase with its origins in older English conventions. It was chosen in place of the similar Vratan Common phrase Stephanie actually used, which roughly translates to 'smiley' in English. 

• The phrase 'throw up' was chosen in place of a similarly informal Vratan Common word for regurgitation. 

That's everything for this chapter. Once again, if you have any questions about the translation, feel free to ask. 

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Arcanist's Note: 

Greetings! I am the Arcanist, though that isn't my actual name - the Translator insisted I keep our personal details to a minimum. I've been asked by the Translator to give a simple explanation of the nature of the metaphysical senses. Your planet must not have access to any major magics, poor thing. Anyway:

The nomenclature of 'sixth' and 'seventh' can be a little misleading depending on one's native culture. Some planets group taste and smell into a single sense, only recognising four physical senses. I once interacted with a culture that only recognised sight, hearing, and touch. Lumping smell and taste into the latter. I haven't been told many details about your planet, so I wanted to explain. The common nomenclature assumes there are five physical senses, so if that isn't the case in your culture, that hopefully clears everything up.

The sixth sense you may already be somewhat familiar with. The feeling of being watched, sensing someone's presence before they make themselves known, etc. To be more scientific: The sixth sense is one's 'spiritual' sense. It is the soul's innate ability to sense fluctuations in the ambient Divinity surrounding them. This most often manifests as an awareness of other souls within your external physical domain (for the uninitiated, think of that as your 'range', or 'personal space'). It also plays an important part in the way one interacts with the various domains - both their own and those of others. On Voeul, the sixth sense is most often applied toward interacting with their local gods (known as Shades). You have already read Clara's own description of the process, so I don't feel the need to explain again here. 

More pressingly for this note: The seventh sense: The seventh sense is a bit of an outlier as senses go, as there is much debate over whether it can really be classified as a single sense, or should be subdivided into many other categories. Personally, I find myself in the camp of the former. While we certainly could agonise over categorising the plethora of specific senses, it's far simpler to keep them all under a single umbrella term. In addition, there is mounting evidence that these specific senses actually do inform and strengthen one another, so I fear my stance will not change.

Essentially, the seventh sense is a group of senses that allow one to interact with magic. Again, this is often restricted to the bounds of one's external physical domain, though not always. This ranges from an Atherial's ability to sense their attuned element, to a Black Angel's ability to manipulate and construct their technique. On Voeul, the seventh sense is primarily used to witness and interact with what the natives call 'the weave', allowing them to twist it into different shapes for a variety of effects. An incredibly versatile local magic. 

That's the essentials for the metaphysical senses. I'd love to write about more. Especially about Void: Revenge, her placement on this planet, and the niche edge cases of her abstraction. Alas, I've been cautioned to hold my tongue to preserve the integrity of the story. I'll probably be receiving an angry letter just for writing the above. Oh well. 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask the Translator and I'll offer my reply!

Until next time! XOXO