Alicia held Mike until he passed out, gently holding him against her stomach as she leaned her back against the tall rock cliff that they had made camp under. She stared down at him, a concerned look on her face.
"You want to sleep?" Liza asked, rubbing her shoulder softly. Alicia shook her head, "He's sleeping?" Alicia nodded, nudging him slightly to be sure, "He's certainly been through a lot"
Mike slept soundly for the first time since he was still back in the village. His dreams were more like memories fading in and out of his mind. He pictured himself looking up from his mothers arms, his father there too. He looked happy. He realized that all these years the only thing that kept his father going after the loss of his mother was him. If there was some sort of afterlife he was in a better place now, back with her again.
~~~
Mike woke up, feeling oddly content. He sat up a little surprised to see that they were moving.
Alicia felt some movement in her hands and smiled down, "Afternoon"
"Afternoon?!" Mike gasped, not realizing he was out so long.
"How are you?" Liza asked.
"I'm alright" He said leaning back against Alicias stomach, causing her to blush a little.
They traveled at a steady pace, spending only one more day in the red terrain. Mike sat quietly most of the day, not acting particularly depressed, just lost in thought. The cliffs started to shrink, the ground started to break up allowing more vegetation to poke through the landscape. Then they stumbled upon a landscape that was even more alien to the jungle dwelling women.
"Wow" Alicia said, the sun had just started to set again, "Its so...open"
Liza nodded, "I didn't know there could be such open space, and look at the ground its all green!"
"Its called a plain" Mike called up to the awestruck giantesses.
They decided to stop for the night right on the edge of the green plain which seemed to stretch endlessly before them. The sun dipped down further, revealing the mountains miles away on the other side of the plain.
"So thats them?" Alicia asked.
"Unless I'm mistaken" Liza started, "It is said that on the other side of those mountains it is treacherous and cold.
"And the goddess lives within the tallest peak" Alicia said with a nod.
"Right"
Snow whined as she watched Mike rise to his feet again, idly walking down onto the grass smiling as it brought memories of home back to mind. He hadn't realized how much he missed home until now.
"Dont worry he's not going anywhere...not yet" Alicia said watching him stop down stream, "I guess he still has a lot on his mind" She said looking to Liza.
Liza nodded, smiling as Snow rose to her feet and started to follow Mike, sitting down behind him, "God that is too adorable" She said with a smile.
Alicia smiled as well, watching Mike jump in a bit of surprise to see the big pup behind him.
"Gah!" Mike laughed, "Don't sneak up on me like that" He brushed the side of her nose as she curled up behind him. He sat down and continued petting her nose. He remembered when he was young he had a dog, he always was able to find comfort with it. It seemed like they always knew when something was up, he could only hope he would be so wise one day. She whined lightly.
"What is it?" He asked, "Whats got you so worried?" She seemed to react by looking back over her shoulder, setting her head gently back down with another whine, Mike laughed, "Everyone is okay now". A deeper grumble came from her throat, her eyes staring forward at the mountains, "Oh I see. I mean who knows whats over there" He eyed her fur coat, "You'll be fine though I have a feeling"
Liza and Alicia looked down at the scene, Mike talking reaching their ears as just a low indistinguishable mumble, "I think he's talking to Snow" Liza said with a laugh.
"I talk to Snow all the time" Alicia retorted.
Liza leaned her head against Alicias shoulder, glad to have friends again, "You've certainly caught yourself an odd one. A good one though"
"Caught? You act like were something"
"Oh don't be silly, of course you are something"
Alicia sighs, "But I still don't think it will work. Thats why I have to get smaller"
Liza grabbed Alicias hand, "Aw! You really do like him!" Alicia blushed.
"So you think there really is a goddess in those mountains?" Mike asked with a grin. Snow looked down at him, tilting her head, "Yeah I kinda doubt it too" He laughed, "But who knows in this crazy place"
~~~
It would take them three days to reach the base of the mountain range, Snow was able to catch a small deer to help replenish their food supply. The mountains were ominous, dark in color and stretching up into the clouds.
"I don't really want to leave here" Liza pouted, "The ground is so nice and soft"
"Well maybe the goddess can give you some harder scales" Alicia said with a grin.
"My scales are plenty hard, thank you" She said folding her arms. They spent one more night out on the grass, though the cold winds of the mountain were already starting to blow.
~~~
Liza groaned as they started to make their way up the rocky slope of the mountain. It was much different than the red rock from before. For starters it was broken up, almost like gravel. Mike sat between Snows ears as they climbed, the air growing thinner and colder as they did. They rounded the top of the first steep slope, looking down into the rolling hills between the giant mountain slopes. They found that they could walk between the mountains pretty easily, though it was still tiring and cold.
"How can we possibly know which one is the tallest?" Alicia whined trying to look up at all the peaks surrounding them.
"Um, maybe it's that one" Mike said looking straight ahead.
"Oh, wow" Alicia said, feeling dumb for not seeing it before. Far in the distance there was one mountain that towered over the rest. Its incredibly wide slope was completely white with snow, and its peak was not visible through the thick clouds that surrounded it.
"Thats going to be a full days walk, at least" Liza commented, "We might want to stop now and get a fresh start in the morning"
"Thats not a bad idea, and its only going to get colder" Mike said with a shiver, little pockets of snow already covered the ground at their feet.
~~~
That night they found themselves huddled together, mostly trying to nuzzle into Snows thick fur. Liza surrounded them with her long tail, just able to touch the tip to her head to complete the circle.
Mike sat on Snows neck, who was now laying on her side, scratching behind her ear. He was rather comfortably warm, though he was the most at risk to the cold weather. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Alicia looking over at him, this time she didn't avert her gaze. She smiled warmly, and he smiled back. Though they did not voice it, they had grown closer over the past three or four days. She reached her hand up, placing it behind him, fingers gently moving back and forth through the fur. Mike leaned back against her thumb, closing his eyes.
~~~
The next afternoon they were well on their way to the mountain. They had tried talking to take their mind off the cold and fatigue but eventually they were almost too tired for that. When they started to climb the slowly rising slope of the mountain they realized that they would need to find shelter. The mountain stretched endlessly ahead of them. It was impossible to tell the time with the gray skies, a gentle snow starting falling. As they day grew darker the snow grew heavier. No one wanted to say it but they knew they were in trouble. Mike tried to lay as flat as possible to Snows fur to avoid the howling winds and bullet like snow. Liza and Alicia tucked their arms under their chests and had to bow down just to keep pushing further.
"We should have turned back" Liza cried out over the winds. Alicia glared at her but knew she was right, they started climbing too late and there was no way they could reach the peak before night, when the temperature would drop well below zero. But now they were too far to turn back. They could no longer see the other mountains through the snow, the night was starting to look grim.
~~~
Alicia screamed. Liza, who had gotten slightly ahead turned back in horror, wondering what had happened.
"Alicia?" She called, but no response. Her eyes scanned the hill, Snow just barely visible her white fur helping to blend into the storm. Mike shouted something but his voice was lost in the wind. Liza turned back down the slope, surprised to see a hole about the size of Alicia in the ground. "Alicia?" She called inside again.
"I found a cave" Alicia called back. Liza let out a sigh of relief. She helped dig out the hole, with Snows help. Once it was large enough they all climbed inside. The cave was pretty comfortable, but not that big.
"So now what?" Liza asked after they had warmed up a bit.
"I guess we wait the night out here" Alicia offered, "But tomorrow...I don't know"
"This mountain is huge, it might not be wise to go any higher, not unless we are certain we have shelter for the night"
"But our food will only last us another week at most" Alicia said with a sigh. There was suddenly a sound that made everyone jump. They turned towards the darkness, a single rock tumbling down from one of the back walls. Then there was a bigger movement, a much bigger one....
Giantess World
