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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Chapter Notes:
This story is on a trial basis. I make no promises on finishing it. I'll upload the first chapter and then it's up to you the reader to tell me if you want more. So please a review telling me your thoughts!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 1

Many years ago, in an ancient kingdom...

Zarelda smiled in great satisfaction. Her plan had come to fruition without a problem. She was now almost fifty feet tall and the entire city was under her control. A few weeks ago she had been a normal sized woman with barely anything to her name. Zarelda had been a traveling sorceress. Always on the look out for new and interesting magics. Life had not been kind to her. At a young age she had been thrown from her village when the people discovered her powers. Zarelda wandered the land all by herself for many days and nights, living off of what little she could find.

One day a woman driving a horse drawn cart stumbled upon her. She lying on the side of a dirt road starving and dehydrated. The woman had taken Zarelda to her home and nourished her back to health. Once she was healthy, the woman told Zarelda she was a sorceress and she knew she had magic in her as well, that was why she had saved her. The woman offered to teach Zarelda as much as she could in the way of magic. Zarelda pounced on the opportunity. So she became the woman's apprentice and practiced under her tutelage. Zarelda stayed with the woman until she became a woman herself and was a beautiful one at that. She had slightly pale white skin and long black hair that went to her shoulders. Her breasts were large and her eyes bright blue. If she had grown up in a village , she would likely have already been married.

The day came when the woman could teach Zarelda no more. Everything she knew she had passed on to Zarelda. However, Zarelda had developed a thirst for power and it demanded more. One night she took as many of the woman's supplies as she could fit in a bag and fled into the night, taking one of the woman's horses. She traveled the lands searching for increasingly powerful magic. A few years later she found the lair of a great sorcerer who had accumulated many magics in his time. It was difficult, but she managed to kill the old man in a long duel. Zarelda searched his collection and found two amazing scrolls. One told how to make a interesting powder with an even more interesting effect. The other told how to make ones self immortal! Zarelda quickly used the contents of that scroll on herself. Afterwards, she went back to the scroll about the powder. A plan began to form in her head. One that would make her the most powerful being in the world...

That was weeks ago though. Now, Zarelda's plan had succeeded. She'd come here to the capital city and gotten rid of anyone who could stand in her way. Zarelda had taken the size of any powerful person in the city and locked them in a chest that was hidden in the citadel. The size she took from them became her own. Zarelda became taller than any building in the city and announced she was the new ruler of this city. Everyone swore their servitude to Zarelda. Citizens, soldiers, they were all under her command. Zarelda sat on her sandstone throne she had made for her by the slaves. It had taken some time, but it was worth the wait. The giant throne stood directly in front of the citadel. Zarelda had the soldiers positioned around her throne at all times. She didn't need them for protection, it was more a show of power for the slaves. Zarelda had set her slaves to work on many different things.

There were fifty or so people down at her feet at this moment rubbing oil into her skin. When Zarelda had grown her clothes had grown with her, the same went for the people who had been shrunken. Walking around was still tough on her feet though, so they needed care. Sometimes they needed to be washed after she crushed traitors and runaways underfoot. Some slaves were building monuments in her honor throughout the city. Others were tasked with bringing Zarelda food and drink. An affect of Zarelda's immortality was that she didn't require food or water to live, but she still liked to eat. The rest of the slaves were waiting for their shift or doing the other jobs needed for keeping the city running. " Bring me my lunch! " Zarelda boomed.

Slaves carrying barrels full of fruits, vegetables, and water climbed the scaffolding set up next to Zarelda's throne. Ten slaves reached the top and put down their barrels. Five full of food and five full of water. When Zarelda finished these she would call for more. She picked up three of the water barrels between her pointer finger and thumb, she lifted them and dumped them into her mouth. Zarelda paused at the taste of the water.

" Slave! What is wr- "

Zarelda stopped speaking as she looked at the ground to her right. Two soldiers were walking towards her carrying a chest. Zarelda recognized it as the chest she had put the shrunken lords and ladies of the city into.

" What is the meaning of this!? " she yelled.

Suddenly, she was overcome with a wave of dizziness. She closed her eyes a moment. When she opened them the far off walls of the city seemed to be rising. Zarelda looked at her feet stretched out in front of her. The slaves were moving away as her feet were steadily getting smaller. It wasn't just her feet, Zarelda was shrinking! Zarelda rose from her throne in anger. She looked to the two soldiers who had opened the chest and were taking out its prisoners. As Zarelda shrunk, the prisoners were getting bigger.

" Stop this! I will crush all of you! "

The soldiers who had been standing at the sides of the throne surged forward and surrounded Zarelda's dwindling form.

" Stand down, sorceress! Your reign is at an end! " the general shouted.

" Traitors! "

Zarelda swung her leg forward, kicking dozens of soldiers, including the general, into the air. The remaining soldiers charged forward, stabbing at her feet with their spears. Zarelda stomped her still shrinking feet, crushing more soldiers. Soldiers atop nearby buildings shot arrows at her. Zarelda was only ten feet tall now and getting smaller. She threw punches and kicks at the swarming soldiers, but they all retreated. Zarelda was shorter than all the men around her, only coming up to the middle of their chests. A few minutes later she stood level with their knees. Zarelda whimpered in defeat, almost coming to tears. Her plan had been sabotaged.

She stopped shrinking at only inches tall. Zarelda looked up at the giants around her, now they could crush her with a single step. The king of the city made his way through the surviving soldiers and stood in front of Zarelda with the other lords behind him. He crouched down and wrapped his fist around the tiny sorceress. He brought her in front of his face.

" Zarelda, today you pay for your crimes against the kingdom. In this small state, you have no magic to help you. We have already decided on your punishment. "

The king reached behind him and a servant placed a black, clay long necked bottle in his hand. He showed the bottle to her.

" You will spend the rest of eternity in this bottle. You will be stuck this size forever. That is your punishment. "

Zarelda beat her tiny fists on the kings hand. " You will pay for this! That bottle will not hold me forever! I will escape! "

The king took the stopper off the bottle and raised Zarelda over it. " Be gone. "

Zarelda was dropped into the bottle. She landed roughly at the bottom and looked up as the stopper was put back in place. Darkness enveloped her. Zarelda began to laugh. It was a twisted, maniacal laugh. She reached to her waist and pulled out a small glass vial of the powder. She had always kept some of the powder with her at all times. " Whichever fool opens this bottle will gravely regret it. "



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