"So…. This is the potion, eh?"
            The king beheld the glowing green goo. It bubbled furiously and fumed twice as.

"Yes, my king. Inject this bloodstream, and… down she goes."

"Forever?" The king's eye cocked.

"Yes, my liege. Forever."

"Wonderful… now…Michael! Come forward."

            A short young man with a baby face came forward. The king gave him the green bottle. The boy embraced it in his chest.

"Dip your arrow into this," the king's apothecary started. "and let the arrow fly into her mouth. Make sure your aim is true."

"Indeed," the king interrupted. "Aim true or your family dies."

            Michael gulped. "Y-yes, sire…" The king waved him away.

"Dismissed."

            He turned back to the apothecary.

"This had better work…"

            The chemist flushed.

"It shall my Lord… I guarantee it."

            The king started to walk away… and looked back.

"Then no need to worry, good doctor…"

            It had already been a day since Matt left Amelia. At a slow walk, Arod made about twenty miles out without stopping.

            His wound didn't close. As he rode, his blood slowly leaked out. Before he knew what had happened, his left shoulder started to throb, and he blacked out.

            Arod stopped and beheld her master on the ground, unconscious.

"My Gods, it's a giant!"

"Where are my children?!"

"Gods help us!"

            These were only a few of the things heard as Amelia entered the castle town. She had tried very hard not to step on anyone, but so far, one fruit stand (but thankfully not its owner) met its fate under her foot. She had almost slipped on the smashed fruit, and would have crushed a dozen people if she had. She was glad that she had worn sandals; she didn't want her toes to be sticky.

            Amelia set her hands on her hips and squinted. The King had to be around their somewhere, right? She needed to talk to him, and possibly… 'give him a talking to,' if need be. Well, as far as 'giving a talking to' as giants were concerned. She wanted to talk to him, and hopefully, convince him that Matt was not at all a traitor, but an ambassador: No other man has communicated with a beast without being killed or letting himself go.       Surely, the king must be reasonable to see this… why else wouldn't he be king? She thought to herself.

             Minutes upon entering the city, the entire royal army was on her: spears, arrows, ballistae, everything. She stopped and surveyed the army. She could have very well crushed all of them, had she wanted to. She closed her legs and tightened her dress-skirt; she didn’t want any young boys (or old men for that matter) looking up places their eyes didn’t belong.

            She cleared her voice.

"Ahem… I want to speak to your king!"

            The army's jaw dropped.

"She can talk! Bugger me…"

"Wow, a talking giant! That's a new one."

"Damn, she's pretty cute!"

"Shut up, idiot, she'd eat you as soon as look at you!"

            They were ignoring her. She stamped her foot; and a few soldiers close to her feet stumbled back. At least it got their attention…

"Your king! I want to talk to him. You have a king, don't you?" She motioned above her head, flailing her hands, hoping they'd understand a simple sign such as 'crown.' "Damn monkies."

            A horn called from the castle. Not a minute later, the king himself came out; entourage and all. Even a small boy accompanied the king. Must be his son, She thought.

            The king was given a horn of some sort; rather large for a battle horn. Then through it came the king's voice:

"Greetings, my young, large friend. Welcome to the Kingdom of Ilica."

            Amelia curtseyed. She heard a few of the soldiers snicker. She eyed the soldiers directly, and growled. The snickering stopped immediately.

"I… I am Amelia, my King. I request an audience."

            The king bowed his head, never taking his eyes off her.

"Granted."

            She sighed. "About a week past, your men attacked me and my friend, Matthew. You knew him, I think. You contracted him to kill me, correct?"

            The King nodded.

"Well… I have a request. Please, with your blessing, please let Matthew go free… he is a traitor… but I love him deeply. Surely a man like you can understand… Mercy, please."

            The king stroked his beard. And, shortly,

"No."

            The ballistae at her sides clicked. Bow strings stretched, arrows nocked. Amelia took a step back. Nothing crunched (Whew!).

"W-wait… please..."

            She looked at her feet. The boy who had accompanied the king was at her feet, admiring and hitting the toes that were twice as big as him. In desperation, she grabbed him, but softly. She brought him up to her mouth…

"Let Matthew go, King, or I'll end your son." She opened her mouth and slowly moved the boy in. He went berserk, and started crying.

"N-nooooo!!" He screamed.

            The King just laughed. Wide eyed and jaw dropping, Amelia was amazed.

"Do you think I care about that rat? He's a mistake: I bore him with a servant of mine. Trash. The only reason I don't kill him is because the Queen likes him… So go ahead; you'd do me a favor, actually…" He continued laughing.

            The boy continued crying.

"Nooo, daddeeeeeeeee…."

            She couldn't handle it. Tears formed in her eyes… She put the boy down… he ran off to somewhere.

            She rose back up, tears in her own eyes. What had she done? She had been bluffing, but it was just…. Too damn close. She pointed a mighty finger at the miniscule king.

"You… King, are an evil, evil devil… You will never find Matt! You-gaack!"

            Something stung in her throat, like a needle.

"Bastard!" She croaked. She felt a falling sensation. She saw the sky as she fell back, and a hard thud as she hit the hard stone road. Nothing went crunch… Whew… She closed her eyes. Every part of her body burned. First her throat, then her chest then her legs and arms… She felt like she was melting away… the buildings at her side got taller and taller…. Right when she was about to black out, and when the world was like a foggy dream, a group of soldiers clouded her vision…

"Gods, even at this size… look at those-"

"It really worked…. It actually worked! I thought we were doomed!"

"Idiot, of course it worked! We've got the best chemists in the world."

"Move aside! Move aside for the King!"

            The soldiers parted, and the king filled her vision. He smiled.

"How does it feel, Amelia…. to be a bug like us?"

            The last thing she heard was laughter…

"Get up, pathetic worm." Matt opened his eyes. Black. Soil? Maybe.

"…What?"

"I said, 'get up!' How lazy are you? And you call that a wound? Seriously. Pathetic. I expect more, even from a dog like you."

            Matt was finally able to look up. Like staring into an abyss… blackness. A figure stood in the center of it all. He couldn't tell, but it almost seemed as the black, unholy light emanated from the creature himself.

"Who the hell are you?" was all Matt could half mutter. He put his arms under himself, and started to push up.

"That's it… keep pushing." He casually folded his arms, adorned by black leather bracers, much like Matt's own.

            In fact, he was dressed exactly like Matt.

"Stand, and I'll even tell you my name."

            Inch by inch, hand by hand, knee by knee, he rose. Finally, standing, he looked at the figure. Slowly, like a face out of still water, an image appeared. The man was about Matt's height, medium build. He had long sinister black hair and a small goatee of the same night. His clothes were slightly less black. Only slightly.  Centered were his eyes…. evil. Pure and unsullied. Definitely a killer's…

            "Good. Now was that so hard, maggot?" He lifted his hands up, shrugging. In one hand was a bottle of tan liquid. He wasn't sure, but Matt thought it said 'Jack Daniels.' Must be a drink.

"Now that you're awake, we can talk. It's been a long time since you've spoken to me… an entire week! You know how bored I've been?" He shot Matt a disappointed look.

            Matt flashed a wary eye.

"Who… are you?" The figure went from disappointed to angry-looking.

"Are you serious? Jeez, idiot."

            He struck a pose, a rather effeminate one, Matt thought.

"I am War, I am Pain, I am all you've ever slain!" He smiled devilishly and approached Matt slowly.

"I am tears in your eyes; I am Greed, I am Lies!" He continued.

"I am Pure, I am True; I am all over you!"

"I am Laugh, I am Smiles, I am the Earth defiled!"

"I am the cosmic storms, I am the tiny worms!" His eyes opened unevenly and teeth gritted.

"I am Fear in the Night, I am Bringer of the Blight!"

            He finished with a rather evil smile and clawed hands. Matthew would have been delighted in the idiocy of the dance, or the maybe even the power of the lyrics (he really did like them) had he not been so tired. He clapped. The figure smiled genuinely and bowed.

"Nice. Do you have a shorter name?"

            Mr. Blight took a swig of the bottle.

"I, my monster of a friend, am Sagreth."

Matt cocked an eyebrow.

"…Sagreth."

"Yes."

"Ok. But who are you?"

            Sagreth sat down and took another drink.

"I am a physical manifestation of all of your choices, and I whisper in your ear whenever you stab someone, think dirty thoughts, or get up at night for nature's call."

            Matt sat next to him.

"Sooo…. My conscience?" Sagreth handed him the bottle.

"Eeeeeexactly."

            Matt drank. Tasted strange.

"What is this stuff, by the way?" Sagreth looked back at him with mild interest.

"This? Oh, it's a whiskey. Kind of like the mead you drink, except it’s made of malt."

"What’s malt?”

“A grain.”

“Ah.”

"Yes."

            A silent moment passed. Both looked at the trees, each passing the bottle of booze back and forth.

"So," Sagreth began. "Aren't you going to go after her?"

Matt looked away.

"No."

"I see."

            Another couple moments of silence. Pass. Pass. Pass. Empty bottle, thrown against a tree by Matt. I shattered in a storm of ice in the failing light.

"Guess you're still upset about it."

"…Very."

"Why not go make amends? I mean, you loved her, didn’t you?"

"Yes, I did."

"So why did you leave?"

"Conflict of interest. Why live with someone who lives in a dream world?"

"Then again, why live with someone who kills for a living, Matt? Honestly; did you think she didn't see the reality of things? She knew what you were. Hell, you even said that you were going to kill her. Smooth move, by the way, asshole. Any other girl would have cut you down long ago."

"What does that mean?"

            Sagreth was livid. He stood up; his eyes flashed, and Matt swore he saw fire in them. Sagreth then slapped Matt upcross the head.

"It means she loves you, jackass! Despite your obvious shortcomings as a complete dumbf**k and your dog's intelligence, she honest to Gods loved you! Are you just going to throw that away?!"

            Matt sighed. Was he really that insensitive? Now that he thought about it, he had said some pretty mean things. Was he so blind he couldn't see the intent of so large a heart? It sickened him. He sickened himself.

            He put his head down between his legs.

"I don't deserve her."

"You sure as hell don’t."

            Matt brought his head back up, and smiled softly.

"Guess I should apologize, huh?"

He flashed Sagreth, who was standing over him, a wry smile.

"Yeah, you should." He held his hand out. Matt grasped it…

"Get up and go get her. She's in danger…"

            Matt was pulled up…

            …And then hit the ground. He heard a horse whine. It was Arod. He opened his eyes again… soil. But at least his shoulder didn’t hurt. He got up…

            And mounted Arod, spear in hand.

"Come on, girl… back to Amelia's place."

            Arod whined and nodded in approval just before bolting forward.