Breaking Through by ProbablyIX

                                                                                                                                          Present Day

Cool water ran down Mary’s face, washing away the memories. The gentle stream burbled around her, mingling with the sounds of the forest it meandered through. According to Eloise, it was the same river she and Clara had stopped at on their first day in the forest, just further upstream.

Mary finally finished washing off the grime of Eloise’s various insides – it had been a bitch to get out of her hair – and she lay down, letting the stream’s caress flow over her exhausted body.

The gentle ripples of the water – and the accompanying sound they made – brought Mary’s mind back to her time inside Eloise. To the hollow powerlessness she had felt, trapped inside the giantess’ stomach. Seeing Clara again had reignited the fire in her, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling from her mind. It had been… calm.

Though, reminiscent of last night as the river was, the one thing it wasn’t was warm. Mary opened her eye, rising out of the water and shuffling back to the bank. She settled on a large flat stone, next to the freshly abused bar of soap which Clara had the foresight to bring. The poor thing had its work cut out for it, and Clara hadn’t even had a chance to wash yet.

Mary glanced backward into the wider clearing, where Clara and Eloise were quietly chatting. By the time they had awoken, the various bodily fluids coating her and Clara had dried, or in some places, solidified – Clara could hardly move at first. Eloise had hurried, carrying the two of them to the nearest source of water she could find. It wasn’t very long until she found the river snaking between the trees, and the small clearing that opened on its far bank. Mary blessed the giantess’ surprisingly good sense of direction.

A cool breeze danced through the forest, wicking the wetness from Mary’s skin with its chill touch. She looked down at herself. Her skin was still broadly irritated, and patches of red still faintly marked her skin erratically. Though more pressingly, her vision felt… skewed.

Careful not to prod too hard, Mary felt at her left eye. Clara was worried, but it was still intact as far as Mary could tell. The pain was gone, too. Replaced by the subtle ache of recovery that permeated her body.

With some effort, Mary slowly forced her eye open. Her eyelid resisted at first, but eventually gave in to her mental command, creaking open. For the briefest moment, her vision was clear. Like nothing had happened. But then, her vision blurred, her eye watering from the strain. With a sigh, she let it go, her eye flopping closed once more. She would have to talk to Clara about it later.

With her good eye, she glanced back at the healer, who was still talking with a huddled Eloise. A visible seam ran down the left leg of the giantess’ pants, the damage from last night having been hastily repaired with magic while Mary was bathing. It was a far cry from the damage Mary had sustained, but it served as a physical reminder of the emotional damage Eloise had suffered that night.

Clara had insisted Mary wash first, saying she didn’t want to leave Eloise alone right now. Seeing the usually timid Clara stark-naked, speaking so comfortably with Eloise, Mary couldn’t help but stare. She really was incredible.

Mary was still struck by the sheer lengths Clara went to for her sake. With what she was capable of, in spite of the fear that seemed to plague her. Offering to join Mary on her journey, befriending Eloise in a day. And her brazen plan to save Mary from the brink of death. There was a very real bravery hidden beneath Clara’s unassuming exterior. Mary could scarcely look away.

She hadn’t been able to say that last night. She wasn’t able to find the right words. Mary frowned at herself. She regretted what she’d chosen to do instead. Clara had gone with it in the moment, but Mary feared she’d crossed a line.

Her train of thought was cut off as Clara trot over, looking eager to wash off. Mary’s heart squeezed a little – neither of them had wanted to replace their clothes until their bodies were clean. Clara settled down beside Mary, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as her eyes avoided direct contact.

“A-all clean, I hope?” She asked, casting a quick glance at Mary’s body.

“Yeah, thank the gods.” Mary replied. “I was worried I’d never get it out of my hair.” She grunted, feeling at her drying scalp in case she missed anything.

“Oh, good.” Clara sighed, visibly relieved. She picked up her soap and started scrubbing up a lather in her hands.

Mary took a breath. “Clara, listen. I-“

Clara paused, green eyes peeking at Mary from behind her fringe.

Mary sighed. “I’m sorry about last night.”

Clara tilted her head, looking confused. “What about it?”

Mary shuffled in place, glancing away. “When you found me in Eloise, and I…” She trailed off, feeling a heat rise in her cheeks. In the edges of her vision, she could sense a similar blush coming over Clara’s features as well. “I couldn’t find the words for how I felt, so my body just moved.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come on to you like that.” She grimaced. “I’ll… keep my distance from now on. If you need me to.” A knot twisted in her gut.

A sudsy hand embraced Mary’s, and she looked up to see a warm smile on Clara’s face. “I think it’s sweet that you’re worried, but you don’t need to apologise.” Clara said, looking bashful. “Truthfully, I…” She trailed off, eyes nervously glancing around as her mouth floundered silently, struggling to articulate.

After a moment, Clara simply leaned over and planted her lips on Mary’s cheek. Mary’s face flared as Clara pulled away, with a chaste smile. Her expression turned sheepish as she quickly rubbed at Mary’s cheek with a soapy finger, wiping off the less-than-clean residue that still coated her body.

Flustered, with cheeks burning, Mary cleared her throat as she stood. “I should… probably keep Eloise company.” She mumbled, unable to meet Clara’s eyes. “I’ll let you wash in peace.”

Similarly flushed, Clara nodded, slipping into the water properly. Mary could hear Clara shiver as she turned and walked back over where Eloise sat huddled against a weathered trunk. She tried to distract herself from her feelings as she walked, feeling the grass between her toes. The chilly autumn air helped.

And gods, was her body tired. Her legs struggled to properly hold her weight as she trudged up to Eloise.

The giantess’ blue, bespectacled gaze followed Mary’s approach, peeking over the knees she huddled to her chest. Eloise’s blonde hair was loose, messily cascading around her shoulders. There was a tension in her that Mary could sense. Clara was right, she needed company.

Eloise spoke up first, after a pause. “How are you feeling?” She asked, her voice muffled by her posture.

“Cold.” Mary grunted. “And tired. You mind picking me up again?” She asked. “Your hands are warm.”

Though Mary could sense her hesitance, Eloise complied. She slowly uncurled her posture, and offered her palm to Mary.

Mary would have preferred to collapse onto the giantess’ palm, but she didn’t want to freak Eloise out – vulnerable as she was right now. So, she put in the effort of carefully stepping onto Eloise’s palm, then settling into a seated position. Eloise’s body heat immediately seeped into Mary’s skin, easing her tired muscles. She flopped backward into the giantess’ fingers with a groan, basking in the reprieve from the chill air.

Carefully, Eloise lifted Mary up, cradling her near the giantess’ chest. Mary couldn’t help but notice the anxious slowness that infused Eloise’s movements. She was clearly being much more careful. Eloise’s posture re-curled around Mary, and a general warmth filled the air around her.

Mary sighed, feeling relaxed. It was a nostalgic feeling, being held like this. The warmth flowing from Eloise’s skin, the subtle heartbeat that pulsed beneath. Though the quiet ambience of the forest, and faded cherry scent reminded her of the undeniable present. She stared up through the trees as she spoke.

“It’s been a long time since a giant was this gentle with me.”

Eloise shuffled in a way that likely would have been imperceptible at a smaller size. “…Your father, you mean?”

Mary grunted an affirmative.

“Would he carry you often?”

“Not as much as I got older, but yeah.” Mary reminisced. “When I became an adult I pushed away a bit, wanted to be more independent – not be carried around all the time.” She paused. “I regret that, now.” She added in a small voice.

Eloise gave a slight smile. “It sounds like you had a peaceful life.”

Mary paused a moment before responding. “…I did, yeah.” She couldn’t muster the energy to be angry at what she’d lost. Instead, she simply appreciated the memory.

Eloise held her smile for a moment, before a blush crept into her features. Mary frowned as she glanced away.

“What?”

Eloise fidgeted with her free hand. “Nothing, I just-” She mumbled, her eyes avoiding Mary’s. “It’s just that, I’ve been the only one with clothes on for a while, and it just sort of hit me.”

Mary smirked. “There’s an easy way to fix that.” She joked, turning Eloise’s cheeks a deep crimson. “I’m kidding.” Mary chuckled, glancing away as a thought occurred to her. “Though, while I’m still drying off, you could take the chance to have a look at my father’s magic, if you like.”

Eloise perked up, some of her tension melting away as her posture relaxed. “Can I?” She asked, a familiar intrigue shining in her eyes.

Mary grunted in response, rolling over onto her front and resting her chin on the edge of Eloise’s palm. She couldn’t be bothered to sit up properly right now. To her amusement, she could feel Eloise’s heartbeat quicken at the prospect of inspecting her father’s magic.

Mary heard a faint clicking as Eloise adjusted her glasses, leaning forward to probe at Mary’s back. Eloise’s fingers gently slid over Mary’s back, drawing goosebumps as the texture of her fingerprint trailed over the rune that had been weaved there.

It was strange. Now that she was aware of it, Mary could just faintly feel its presence. A near-imperceptible warmth, subtly pulsing against her spine.

Eloise let out an awed breath, the warm breeze rolling over Mary’s backside as it passed. “Gods above…” The giantess murmured.

Mary glanced backward, spotting Eloise’s wide-eyed expression. “What?”

Eloise’s eyes scanned over the air behind Mary, taking in what Mary assumed was the spell. “I’ve never seen a spell this complex , before.” She squinted. “Its structure is so thick I can hardly see inside. Either your father was a genius, or he kept adding to it so many times that it’s knotted together into this… impenetrable tangle.” She noted, bemused.

Mary smiled to herself. “Probably a bit of both.”

“Either way, it’s impressive. The larger a spell’s construction gets, the harder it is to keep it together. Right now it’s all I can do to scan over the outside of it. I’m worried if I pry too much it could all come crashing down.” Eloise bit at the inside of her cheek.

Mary let her mind wander as Eloise continued muttering to herself. Eloise’s fingers danced carefully through the air, occasionally brushing against Mary’s back. Mary sighed, letting Eloise’s body heat pulse into her front. Her thoughts drifted, wandering through her memory, before it snagged on something. Something Stephanie had said the night before. A question coalesced in her mind.

With a grunt, Mary pushed herself up onto her knees. Behind her, Eloise paused, blinking as Mary shuffled around to sit facing her. There was something behind Eloise’s eyes. A discomfort that still lingered. Mary could guess what it was.

“Last night,” Mary said, dimming Eloise’s expression. She pressed on anyway. “What Stephanie did to you. That wasn’t the first time, was it?”

Eloise winced, closing her eyes as if she was enduring some great pain. Which, Mary recognised, she likely was.

Eloise took a slow breath, her posture curling up again. “…No. No, it wasn’t.” She said, her voice small.

Mary frowned. “What happened?” She asked. She tried to make her voice soft.

Eloise paused a moment, eyes downcast. “Did Clara tell you about the humans living in the town hall?” She asked. “We spoke about it two days ago.”

Mary shook her head. “No, but I heard about that from my father, once.”

Eloise nodded. “Right.” She mumbled. “I was… close. With some of them. When I was younger. I’d carry them around sometimes, or help them keep warm in the winter.” She explained. “There was this one woman who always liked my help, and never seemed all that scared of me.” A deep, old sorrow filled Eloise’s eyes. “I was taking her where she needed to go one day when Stephanie caught us.” A darkness flashed across her expression. “It’s not as if we were doing anything wrong. Most of the other giants just thought I was strange and left it alone. But Stephanie, she…” Eloise grimaced, the rest of her sentence dying in her throat. “She thought it was just some dumb prank, but-” Eloise took a deep breath, looking sick to her stomach.

Mary could infer the rest. With Clara’s help, she had managed to survive. The other human hadn’t been so lucky.

Eloise huddled down further, unwilling or unable to continue. Moisture built at the corners of her eyes.

The sight fed the flame of Mary’s simmering anger. There was a spiteful, uncaring cruelty in Stephanie, and Eloise’s story only convinced Mary further. Her nose twitched. Thoughts of vengeance began to coalesce in the back of her mind.

“I’m so sorry, Ellie.”

Clara’s voice startled the giantess, who flinched a touch, glancing down at her side where Clara had suddenly appeared. Freshly cleaned with moisture beading in her hair, Clara laid a hand on Eloise’s hip, her eyes gentle.

“You shouldn’t have had to go through that, let alone twice.” Clara said, her voice carrying up from below. “What Stephanie did to you is unforgivable.”

Mary nodded. “She seems like the kind of bitch that’s used to doing whatever she wants to whoever she wants. People like that never turn out nice.” She muttered. “It’s not your fault she happened to target you.”

Eloise murmured in the affirmative, before taking a deep breath. Their words seemed to ease her sorrow. Not enough to send it away, but Eloise visibly calmed at their words.

“You’re right.” She eventually said. “I just… can’t stop thinking about it sometimes. If I’d just run away…” She sighed, her mounting sorrow morphing into a more placid malaise.

Mary glanced away. She’d had her fair share of wondering what could have been, if only she’d acted differently.

Clara hugged Eloise’s side as best she could, before stepping back a pace. “If it’s not too hard, Ellie, could I have Mary back for a few minutes?” She asked. “I want to check over her injuries again to make sure I didn’t miss anything.”

Mary frowned, confused. Too hard? Surely it wasn’t that hard to simply place her down again. She failed to notice the way Eloise’s fingers had been slowly curling around her, protectively.

Eloise nodded, shifting in place as she lay her hand down, letting Mary step off and onto the grass. The giantess shuffled back a touch, while Clara fished for her medical supplies in Mary’s bag. As Clara slowly retrieved each item – bandages, salves, and other various equipment – Eloise watched. Her expression slowly shifted into something firmer, and she dug around in her coat a moment before coming up with her spellbook. Mary idly wondered how many pockets Eloise actually had.

Clara caught Mary’s attention as the petite healer led her to sit. Clara went through the motions, meticulously checking over Mary’s body, pressing at her skin to check for lingering fractures, bruises, and the like. Mary tried not to blush at the feeling of Clara’s hands on her body.

“How are you feeling?” Clara asked, making her way up Mary’s right arm.

“Exhausted,” Mary answered. “But I’ll live. Nothing hurts much, at least.”

Clara frowned with a sceptical look. “What about around here?” She asked, pressing her fingers into Mary’s ribs, one by one. At her third press, a sharp pain flashed through Mary’s chest.

“Ow.” She grunted. Clara quickly muttered a prayer, eliciting a small pale glow from Mary’s chest.

She pressed again. “How about now?”

“Whatever that was, it’s gone.” Mary said. Clara nodded with an exhale, before moving on.

Her hands continued, probing over Mary’s body for hidden injuries. Mary let her work, occasionally grunting in the affirmative or negative when questioned. What few injuries Clara did find, she quickly healed.

Mary sat quietly, watching the dance of red and white that was Clara’s hands as they roved over her body. When her right hand was being inspected by Clara’s own, she gently grasped it, pausing Clara’s ministrations. The healer glanced at her, a question in her eyes.

Mary stared at their hands. Clara’s was a stark red, a deep crimson covering most of its surface. The blotchy scar on Mary’s hand was much less striking. A darker, discoloured shade of her usual skin tone, as opposed to the angry red that marred Clara’s skin. It was the same all over both their bodies. Mary frowned.

“Our scars are different.” She said. It hardly seemed fair. Mary had been subjected to far worse, and yet got off with a mild discolouration. To her surprise, Clara grinned.

“I know.” She said smugly. Mary stared at her, incredulous. Seeing her confusion, Clara explained. “I know what you’re saying. You suffered much worse injuries than I did, over a longer period of time, too. And yet my scars are somehow much worse than yours.” Mary nodded, feeling bad. Clara smiled. “I take it as a sign that I’ve become a more capable healer than my grandfather. His healing saved my life, but my scars are harsh and, well, obvious. My healing not only saved you, but your skin is almost good as new!”

She smiled down at Mary’s hand, cradled in her own. There was a self-assurance, a satisfaction in her eyes. Mary followed her gaze, taking in her words. She matched Clara’s smile.

Clara glanced up, and her expression faltered. “Though,” She reached up, feeling at Mary’s left eye. She grimaced. “I wish I could have done better here…”

Mary felt at it herself. “It’s all still there.” She reassured. “And it still works when I can open it.” With another concentrated effort, she managed to will her eye open, evening out her vision.

Clara leaned in, holding Mary’s eye open to get a closer look. Her own green iris filled Mary’s vision. “It’s paler than before…” She muttered, inspecting closer. “You said it’s still working?”

“Yeah. Though, it doesn’t like to stay open for very long.” Mary’s eye started to water, quivering with the strain.

Clara let go, letting Mary’s eye flop closed again. She frowned. “I think you should let it rest for now.” She advised. “Though, once you’re feeling better, try and exercise it regularly. Keep it open as long as you can at least once a day. Hopefully one day it’ll… go back to normal.” She trailed off. From the way she glanced away, Mary could tell that it was a pretty big hope. “I’m sorry… I should’ve done more.”

Mary offered a lazy smile. “You’ve done more than enough, Clara. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you, remember?” She smirked. “Even if I somehow got out on my own, I probably would have lost my eye completely without your help.”

That brought back some of Clara’s confidence. She smiled, opening her mouth to reply before the flash of a nearby spell caught her attention. Mary turned, following her gaze.

Eloise sat against the same tree, a fading glow settling over her abdomen as her eyes flicked between it and her spellbook. A look of concentration shadowing her features.

“Trying a new spell?” Mary asked, eyebrow raised.

Eloise mumbled in the affirmative as she closed her spellbook. She set it down to her side, then stared at her stomach as if anticipating something.

“I’m trying to figure out one of the spells Melanie cast on me, then reverse it so it neutralises stomach acid instead. In case-” She frowned. “Just in case.”

Clara leaned past Mary. “Did it work?”

Before Eloise could answer, a loud, angry growl rumbled out of her midsection. She clutched her stomach with a grimace, doubling over. “Oof, ow. Okay, no. I think it just gave me a stomach ache.”

Clara bit back a smile. Mary chuckled. “Y’know, my father once vanished his eyebrows like that.” She said. Clara raised her eyebrows at the comment.

Eloise suffered a moment, groaning in place. Eventually, she tugged at something Mary couldn’t see, unravelling the spell with a sigh. “Damn it all.”

Clara offered a smile. “You don’t need to worry, Ellie. There’s no need to torture yourself over something that might not happen.”

“No.” Eloise shook her head. “No, I need to figure this out. I need to make sure that if that ever happens again, you’ll be safe.” She said, determined.

Mary smiled. “Getting ready to have me again, huh?” She joked.

The blood drained from Eloise’s face as she froze. Clara frowned at Mary, looking upset on Eloise’s behalf.

Whoops. Mary winced. “Sorry.” She apologised. “Sorry. That was in… poor taste.”

Clara’s frown deepened at that. “Mary…” She scolded.

“What?”

Eloise pushed air through her nose, glancing away with a ghost of a smile. Mary was confused. What had she said? At least Eloise was smiling.

The giantess sighed, leaning her forehead against her palm as she looked down at Mary. A curious expression behind her wan smile. Mary shuffled in place, unsure of herself.

Eventually, Eloise spoke. “I don’t get how you can be so casual about what happened.” She said, glancing away. “You nearly died. Now you’re making jokes?”

Mary glanced away, looking down at herself. The giantess had a point. Why was she so casual? She thought a moment.

“I don’t know…” She said, flexing her hand before herself. “Maybe something about being pulled back from the brink of death fucked up my perspective.” She mused. “Maybe I’m just happy to be alive. Though… I think it’s just, everything turned out fine in the end, so I’m okay to make jokes about it.” She shrugged.

She said that, though her rage toward the ones responsible still simmered in the back of her mind. Her brow furrowed

The look on Eloise’s face dampened. “Your eye isn’t fine…” She said, almost a whisper. Clara shuffled behind Mary. “Neither are your clothes.” Eloise added.

Mary winced a little. She had a point. Mary’s clothes had been pretty much unsalvageable after Stephanie’s rough treatment. She wasn’t getting those leathers back.

A part of Mary quietly grieved at that thought. An old wound aching in her heart.

The way Clara looked at her gave her the impression her eye might never go back to how it was before, either. Not entirely. Though that was hardly Eloise’s fault.

“Still.” Mary insisted. “No one died. And no one here is to blame for what happened.” She caught Eloise’s gaze in her own. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Clara nodded along in agreement. “I do think Mary is being a bit too flippant, but she’s right. It wasn’t your fault. You shouldn’t agonise over it.”

Eloise glanced away, but mustered a half-hearted smile. “…I’ll try not to.” She said.

Mary nodded, satisfied with the answer. She rose to her feet, stretching her tired muscles. Gods her body was heavy. Behind her, Clara quietly packed away her things, then emerged with a novel she had apparently packed. Mary shivered lightly. She needed to lie down, but her body was still cold.

Glancing at Eloise, a solution presented itself.

“Pick me up again, will you?” She asked. “I need to lie down, and the grass is cold.”

Eloise smiled, this time with more energy. “Sure.” She lowered her hand. “You can be really bossy sometimes, you know that?”

“Shut it.”

Eloise gave a soft chuckle. Clara trot over eagerly as Mary slumped into Eloise’s palm. She hopped on next to Mary, novel in hand.

With both humans secure, Eloise slowly lifted them up, cradling them in both hands. They settled, each taking a palm for themselves. Mary lounged on her front in Eloise’s left hand as Clara sat in Eloise’s right.

Mary let out a long breath as she felt Eloise’s warmth suffuse through her body. Energy left her with a shocking speed, and she quickly started to drift.

~~~

Eloise smiled, watching the humans lounge. She still couldn’t get over how they felt in her hands. They were heavier than they looked, the sense of weight a reminder that they were real, living beings. Not wooden or cloth facsimiles of personage. They were warm, breathing and moving. It was incredible to her.

Eloise could feel Mary’s tiny heartbeat, racing away as the human stretched out on her palm. When she was younger, she’d always thought that human hearts beat so quickly because they were afraid. She knew better now – they needed to beat faster because of their smaller size – though it was still hard to reconcile in her head.

The comparatively frantic heartbeat she felt from the humans tickled at a protective instinct inside of her. A desire to swaddle them up and keep them away from anything dangerous. Seeing Mary in action had lessened that instinct somewhat, but seeing her now – battered, naked, and exhausted – caused it to return in full force.

Both Mary and Clara lounged like reptiles on a sun-warmed rock, relying on Eloise’s body heat to stave off the chill of autumn. That sense of reliance – that Eloise could truly offer them something good, beyond fear, and danger – filled her heart with warmth.

A quiet snore vibrated out from Mary. Eloise blinked. Clara stifled a giggle, grinning at the sleeping human fondly.

Eloise’s heart squeezed. Mary, somehow, was comfortable enough around her that the human could fall asleep in her hand. Mary’s breath softly puffed against Eloise’s skin,. She looked more at peace than Eloise had yet seen her.

Eloise chewed at her lip, feeling emotion prickle at her eyes. Even after everything that happened – in spite of it even – Mary trusted her. At least enough to sleep. Gently, so as to not wake her, Eloise cradled the human close to her chest. She cherished the moment, committing every detail to memory. Her darker fears assured her that no human would ever truly be safe in her presence, but she clung to this moment in defiance.

Clara smiled at them warmly. She was clearly satisfied to see them getting along. Settling back into Eloise’s fingers, she opened her novel as she got comfortable. Her posture was all too familiar to Eloise – curled up against a soft surface, a book against her knees.

Eloise smiled. They were shockingly alike, despite hailing from vastly different worlds. As her gaze lingered, she sensed warm feelings bubbling inside of her chest.

Mary was right. If it wasn’t for Clara, last night could have ended much, much worse. Truthfully, Eloise couldn’t imagine what she’d have felt like if Stephanie had gotten her way. A swell of gratitude finally surfaced from her congested emotions. Her heartbeat picked up.

Eloise carefully lowered Mary – who had, adorably, begun unconsciously snuggling against her fingers – out of earshot. Mindful of Mary, she got Clara’s attention with a whisper.

“…Clara?”

The petite human looked up at her curiously with a quiet hum.

Eloise glanced away. “I wanted to say thank you.” She whispered. “For last night. I was so caught up in everything that was happening, that I forgot to actually… say that.

Clara offered a smile. “It was the only way we could have saved Mary. You don’t have to thank me.” She glanced away.

“No, I do.” Eloise insisted, holding Clara’s gaze. “It was your idea in the first place. If you hadn’t been there, then…” She trailed off, seeing, in her mind’s eye, a dozen terrible ways things could have gone. She shook the thought away, her hand unconsciously curling around Mary’s sleeping form.

She held Clara close. There was so much more Eloise wanted to say. A handful of sentences died in her throat, her mouth moving as she struggled to find the words. Clara held silent, waiting patiently. She seemed almost transfixed, the human’s little green eyes shining up at her.

Eloise’s heart squeezed. She couldn’t find the words. So she threw caution to the wind, and planted a kiss around Clara’s face.

With her eyes squeezed shut, Eloise’s senses heightened. She could feel the rush of heat that flooded into Clara’s face. The way Clara’s heartbeat fluttered against her lips.

Eloise held the kiss for a handful of wonderful, anxious seconds, before pulling away. Clara looked dazed, the scars on her face had vanished into the burning crimson of her cheeks. She stared back at Eloise with wide eyes.

Eloise flushed. “I-I-I’m sorry.” She stammered, suddenly very aware of Clara’s current state of undress. “I don’t know what- Uh-“

“It’s okay…” Clara mumbled, dreamily. She blinked a few times, before standing to place a kiss of her own on Eloise’s cheek, in the crook of her smile. Eloise sucked in a breath as Clara stepped back, red-faced. “…I’m glad I met you too.”

Eloise shrank down, hiding her face in her jacket as she averted her eyes. Eye contact was too much right now. “I’msorryIinterruptedyourreading,youcangobacktoitnow.” The words raced out of her mouth at near unintelligible speed.

Thankfully, Clara seemed to understand, nodding with a meek noise as she sat back down. She reached for her novel, but paused, glancing back at Eloise.

“We… could read together if you like.”

~~~

A handful of hours later, Mary woke up somewhere warm.

She blinked open a bleary eye, rising onto her elbows. Her body still protested against the movement, but she felt a damn sight better than she did before. It was dark, though a bright light shone just ahead of her.

Slowly, her vision adjusted. Overhead was a pale cloth canopy, draped over two mounds that huddled in on either side of her. Heat crept into her cheeks as she realised where she was.

Eloise’s heart thumped slowly below, slightly off to the right of side of the giantess’ breast. Eloise’s faded cherry scent lingered strongly in the air, and her blouse helped trap her body heat in the cavity, keeping Mary warm. The ground beneath Mary was soft, rising and falling in time with Eloise’s breath.

Mary had been put in the giantess’ bust.

Embarrassing placement aside, she was comfortable. She considered returning to sleep, but, spotting afternoon light outside, she dismissed the thought. She’d have more time to sleep when night fell.

Crawling on her belly toward Eloise’s neckline, she heard the giantess speak.

“So, the main character…”

“Mhm?” Clara’s voice.

“His planet was being attacked by more powerful alien invaders, yeah?”

“Mhm.”

“And, seeing they couldn’t win, his king made a deal with the alien leader?”

“Mhm.”

“And the deal meant that they had to stifle magic among their people, cause the aliens felt threatened?”

“Mhm.”

“So, they’ve been oppressing themselves for hundreds of years, executing anyone who uses magic or technology, because they’re afraid the aliens will come back?”

“Mhm.”

“And the main character just freed his people from that, in part because another alien, descended from the invaders, told him that their old evil empire is gone?”

“Mhm.”

“And now that he’s just finished freeing them, he says he’s going to take over the world?”

“Mhm.”

“…That seems counter-productive.”

“Mmm, I think he doesn’t completely trust the alien, and wants to unify his people in case there’s another invasion in the future?”

“Unify them, by taking them over by force?”

“Yeah.”

“That seems like a pretty awful way of getting people to work together.”

“Well, we’re only a third of the way through. Maybe that’s the point?”

Eloise hummed as if to say ‘maybe’ as Mary emerged into the dappled afternoon light.

The giantess was leaning against a different tree, holding a giant-sized book that Mary didn’t immediately recognise. Clara – now fully clothed – sat on her collarbone, chatting with her about what sounded like the book’s contents.

Next to Clara a set of Mary’s spare clothes – a simple brown skirt, and pale tunic, had been neatly placed. Noticing Mary, Clara brightened, opening her mouth to speak, before a blush flooded into her cheeks. She offered a sheepish greeting, avoiding Mary’s eyes.

Feeling the movement, Eloise glanced down. “Oh, hey.” Her cheeks reddened in turn. “Sorry about the, um, placement. I needed my hands free.” She said, also sheepish. “I hope it was comfortable, at least?”

Mary shrugged. It was. “I didn’t mind it.” She said.

Eloise smiled, before glancing down at the book’s page number. She closed it gently, before pinching it between two fingers and tugging at something invisible. With a flash, it shrank down, vanishing between her fingers. She carefully lowered her index down toward Clara, who fetched the now human-sized book from the presented digit.

Mary stepped into her clothes as Clara was carried down to the ground, stowing the novel away with their shared things. When she was dressed, she stepped into Eloise’s offered palm as the giantess glanced at the sky.

“We should probably sleep here tonight, to make sure you get a proper rest.” She said, looking at Mary. “But after that we should probably get moving.” Her expression clouded. “I don’t want to be anywhere near Stephanie if we can help it.”

Clara nodded. Mary held silent.

Eloise shuffled nervously, glancing at Mary. “We’d… get to town a lot quicker if I carried the two of you. I know you don’t-“

“I don’t mind.” Mary cut her off, raising a hand. “We’re… closer now, so I trust your sense of direction more than mine.” She said, glancing away. She could sense Clara smiling even at this distance.

Eloise visibly relaxed. “Great.” She sighed, looking as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. “In that case, it should only be a couple days until-“

“Hold on.” Mary cut her off again, crossing her arms before her. “What are we going to do about Stephanie?” She asked, holding Eloise’s gaze through her glasses.

Eloise shuffled, looking anxious. “I’d… prefer if we just avoided her altogether, honestly. I don’t-“

“And just let her get away with what she did?” Mary challenged. Her rage flared inside her chest. She wasn’t about to let Stephanie and her goons walk away without consequence.

Eloise glanced away. “I wasn’t- We’re not a lawless people. If I report what they did, then they’ll see some kind of justice.”

“I thought giant law didn’t consider humans ‘people’?” Mary said, raising an eyebrow. Eloise winced. “I doubt they’d care that much. Not as much as they should.” The way Eloise avoided her eyes told Mary she was right. “If we want them to face any kind of real justice, we have to do it ourselves.”

Clara spoke up from below. “Mary, you’re still recovering.” She warned, wringing her hands nervously. “You shouldn’t charge into danger so quickly.”

Mary rolled her shoulders. “I’ve been injured before, I know my body. I’ll be fine by tomorrow, I can feel it.” She meant it. The vengeful desire in her heart flooded her body with dark resolve. “And,” She added, looking at Eloise. “You’re a mage. They caught us off guard last night, but that’s not going to work a second time. If we’re the ones on the offensive , they won’t stand a chance.” A part of Mary still seethed at how easily she’d been subdued.

Eloise glanced downward, thoughts tumbling behind her eyes. She seemed unsure, but her expression slowly hardened. Mary could almost see the memories flashing through Eloise’s mind as her gaze steeled.

“…You’re right.” She said, meeting Mary’s eyes. “They won’t be punished. It has to be us.” They shared a nod.

Below, Clara shuffled in place, shifting her weight nervously. She glanced between the two of them, looking like she was weighing the thought in her mind before her gaze lingered on Mary. Mary could tell the healer was focused on her eye.

After a silence, Clara nodded.

“They hurt you.” She said, softly. “Both of you. I’m not supposed to hurt people, but…” Her eyes narrowed. “…I can’t forgive them either.”

Mary felt her posture soften. “We’re not going to force you to hurt anyone you don’t want to.” She said, unfolding her arms. Clara nodded, looking slightly less troubled.

“Though,” Eloise piped up. “That does raise the question. What exactly did you have in mind?” She asked.

“…Good question.” Mary admitted, combing through her thoughts. As her gaze roamed her surroundings, an idea formed. She glanced at Eloise’s spellbook, laying near her and Clara’s belongings.

Mary’s expression darkened. She knew exactly what they should do.

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Translator’s Note:

I swear, I will find the merchant who sold Clara that book.

In any case, there’s a lot of dialogue in this chapter, so I have a bit to note this time round.

• Eloise uses the phrase ‘all come crashing down’. This is an English phrase used in place of her original remark, which, if translated literally, would be more akin to ‘come apart completely’.

• Another word that slipped my mind to mention was the use of the English term ‘bitch’, which is often applied to Stephanie. The term in English is a derogatory insult, originating from descriptors of canines, and holding a slightly gendered connotation as a result. The original Vratan Common word used is similar, though originates from descriptors of serpents, and is heavily gendered, used almost exclusively for those of feminine descript.

• Eloise’s use of the term ‘run away’ has been translated accurately, however I feel it important to mention that the original Vratan Common word used is slightly closer to ‘escape’ in connotation.

• The term ‘stomach ache’ is directly translated, though the original Vratan Common is closer to ‘stomach knot’.

• Mary’s unintentional pun relies on the English phrase ‘poor taste’, with the latter half doing the heavy lifting. Puns are always frustrating to translate, though in this case I was lucky. The original Vratan Common has a similar phrase, which Mary used. Translated directly, it would be akin to ‘that was a flavourless joke’. That doesn’t fully convey the pun, but it’s as close as I could get.

• The word ‘flippant’ was fittingly translated from a Vratan Common word of the same meaning. Though the original word could be directly translated as ‘unserious’.

• Eloise comparing the humans to reptiles urges me to note that reptiles are relatively uncommon in the south of Vratan. Their existence is known of however, mostly due to the prevalence of dragons across the planet.

That’s all for this chapter. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out via the usual channels.