“He ones of the Trinity, he has to be.” Grey heard Marissa say from inside of his new glass confines.

            She had said the name before, just shortly after Grey had been placed into a new jar that Marissa had made Kassandra fetch for her. After he was safely secure in his new transparent enclosure the three giants began discussing matters amongst themselves completely unconcerned by the two humans that sat on the table overhearing their discussion. Grey could easily see Zeke’s jar placed not far from where he was currently positioned. Zeke had continued to fight even after being captured, firing arrow after arrow at the glass walls that entrapped him, with no trace of the green light that he had been able to conjure up previously. Grey could make out the desperate clinks as metal hit glass, but to no avail. Once his quiver had been emptied Zeke had resigned himself to his failures sitting on the floor, broken and dented arrows scattered around him. Grey and Zeke’s eyes met only once since then, it was brief but it was all Grey needed to feel the full weight of what he had done. It was ironic, the past few minutes had successfully managed to make him feel more guilt than years of thievery could have ever accomplished.

            Grey would occasionally glance at the giants as they continued to discuss the preceding events. Even Kassandra who seemed to be the carefree oblivious one of the group seemed to be taking everything that had happened very seriously.

            “How can you be so sure?” Jule spoke up, but the uncertainty in her voice seemed to speak for her. As if she was only trying to deny the possibility that the human that had captured would be part of this “Trinity” that they kept speaking of.

            “The bow, the green light. God’s sake Jule look at your wall! No normal human could have done that! “Jule looked at the hole the arrow had left, her face grew pale as her mind recalled its original target. “It’s a moot point.” Marissa added. “Even if that hunter isn’t one of the Trinity that just means he is an unknown human; a hunter nonetheless, with the ability to use magic. Any human found with that kind of power should be held with just as much severity.”

            Jule remained silent, her gaze turning to the floor.

            “What should we do about him then?” It was Kassandra who spoke this time, almost as if she was hesitant to start speaking in the first place.

            “We take him to The Capital.” Jule and Kassandra looked at Marrisa in surprise. Grey couldn’t help but become intrigued.

            “The Capital!?” Jule exclaimed.

            “Yes.” Marissa nodded. “We take him to the Queen and have him answer for all the giants he has killed.”

            Zeke’s voice rose up from his confines. “The giants I have killed are nothing in comparison to the humans your kind continue to kill every day, giant.” His words were bitter and harsh as he spoke them.

            Grey turned back to Zeke, he remained sitting turned away from the giants and their conversation. Both Jule and Kassandra turned to Marissa anticipating that his words would provoke in some way but Marissa remained calm. Grey however could tell that she was fighting something back, something that could prove dangerous if pressed too far. Marissa could apparently feel Grey’s attention on her because her eyes quickly came to fall on him. Grey felt a cold sweat run down his back almost like her stare was as strong as Zeke’s arrow. Hell with the magic he saw her do earlier, that wasn’t necessarily wasn’t out of the question. There was fire in her eyes, and as Grey stared into that fire he could almost feel their burning hatred. Something about this hatred seemed familiar. Grey recalled how he held his knife while he was in Jule’s mouth, or in Kassandra’s hand how much he wanted to hurt them, how much he wanted to make them kind pay for what they had done to him. It was that feeling. Grey didn’t know why but he knew, for some reason Marissa didn’t just see humans as just a lesser race like other giants. She saw them as a threat, and that perception garnered a hatred for not only himself but all humankind. He wanted to inquire about this hatred, but knew that in his current predicament it would be unwise to ask at the current moment, but something about the look Marissa gave him told him something. He would probably never live to see that moment.

            Kassandra’s eyes followed Marissa’s gaze towards Grey who was none to happy to have gained this new attention on himself.

            “What do we do about him?” Kass asked turning to Marissa for an answer.

            Marissa and Grey’s eyes remained locked on each other as the room seemed to await her response, she didn’t hesitate as she made her decision. ”We eat him.”

            “NO!” Zeke voice erupted from behind the glass. He had jumped to his feet and was now standing defiantly facing the giants. “You were right about who I was, I am Zeke of the Trinity, Slayer of Giants, and enemy to your kind. I am the one you want, take me, but let him go!”

            “I agree.” A voice uttered from behind Marissa.

            Marissa turned around to see Jule standing before her, her eyes slowly starting to well. Both humans shared their surprise when they heard her.

            “Jule, what are you talking about?” Marissa asked apathetically.

            Jule hesitated before carefully choosing her next words. “He saved me Marissa. That human right there just saved my life, and you want to just kill him after what he did for me.”

            Marissa's harsh demeanor seemed to soften as she looked at her friend, seeing just how much this ordeal was affecting her. “Jule we can’t. Were giants, and he’s a human. It’s just how it goes. Besides it’s clear that this human has some sort of connection with the hunter, it’s too risky to let him go.” Jule looked at Marissa tears starting to form in her eyes. Despite feeling like Jule was acting irrationally, Marissa couldn’t help but feel some pity for her friend. “I’m sorry.” Marissa turned to Kass who was standing patiently on the side. “He’s all yours Kass.”

            Despite Kassandra’s apparent voracious nature, she did not smile. She responded with a nod and began to advance towards Grey’s jar. Grey rose from where he sat slowly clenching his fists as heard what was to be his fate. At first he said nothing, standing in silence as he decided whether or not he was prepared to say what he was about to say next. As Kassandra began reaching for the jar Grey spoke up.

            “I want Jule to do it!” He finally declared breaking his silence.

            “Grey what the hell are you...?” Zeke began.

            Grey looked up as he caught the attention of all three of the giants. His expression cold and distant as he spoke. “If anyone is to do it, I want it to be Jule.”

            Jules eyes widened as she looked into the jar were Grey stood his arms slowly shaking at his sides as he tried to swallow back his fear. “It’s only right.” He finally said. “You were the one that captured me, it’s only right that you be the one to do it.”

            “Grey, are you insane!” Zeke screamed from inside the confines of his glass prison. Grey smiled. He probably was. No, in fact he most certainly was. He couldn’t claim that he wasn’t scared for his life, he was practically shaking, at the thought. The thought of being eaten, meeting the same fate that his parents had years before, it terrified him like nothing ever terrified him before. But if this was destined to be his fate then it was going to be on his terms.

            Grey threw his arms into a shrug as he gave a weak and obviously forced smile to Jule. “That's the fate of a thief I suppose.” Grey said the fear in his voice giving away his cool composure.

            Marissa opened her mouth to speak but stopped when Jule walked silently past her. Kassandra and Marissa each took a step to the side and watched on as their friend approached the table and stared down through the glass walls that imprisoned Grey.

“Thief?” Jule uttered, the words lingering uncomfortably in the air.

Grey awkwardly scratched the back of his head trying to avoid making eye contact. “Yeah.” He finally confessed.

            Jule and Grey shared a few moments of awkward silence before Jule grabbed a chair and took a seat at the table in front of him. Her hands reached out for the jar and slowly and steadily tipped the jar causing Grey to fall out onto the tabletop. Grey landed on his feet with relative ease as Jule folded her arms and placed them on the table, leaning forward in her chair looking down at Grey who returned her gaze.

            “It occurs to me that if I do this… we won’t be able to talk anymore.” Jule said slowly.

            “Appears that way.” Grey responded.

            They continued to look into each other’s eyes, as if in this moment they were the only two people in the room.

            “I want to know more about you.” Jule finally said.

            Grey looked into the two large blue orbs she called eyes. At his size he could make out tiny patterns that seemed to glisten in her irises. Her dark hair and fair skin helped to make them pop. While Kassandra and Marissa’s figures seemed to stand out as their more prominent features, especially compared to Jule’s more modest sized curves, neither of them held a candle to Jule when it came to her beauty.

            Jule for the first time since his captured began to admire Grey’s appearance in return. Short sandy blonde hair that seemed to be made messy from days of travel. He had light skin, which was slightly tanned from all the time he had recently spent traveling outside under the sun. And as Grey appreciate the beauty in her eyes, Jule began to appreciate the beauty in his. They were green in color, wild and adventurous, or at least that's how she would have imagined they would have looked under different circumstances. His face was dirty stained with the dirt that one would earn living a life without any real chance to periodically bathe themselves. Jule was slightly happy by the fact that he was covered in honey when she had first tasted him, and pondered how well he would have tasted without it. Yet behind his dirty exterior he had a face that appeared young and cute with an even mixture of mature handsomeness thrown in. Jule could have imagined all the attention he must have garnered whenever he entered a bar. Little did she know despites all of Grey’s supposed “charm” the only female attention he tended to attract was those that came with a price tag. Such were the women a thief would normally draw.

            Grey considered what Jule had said. She wanted to know more about him, it was an odd request for someone who was to serve as his executioner. But Grey didn’t mind. It made him happy in a way. This was probably the last chance he would ever get to set aside his lies and tricks, his last chance to actually get to be himself. Like a man being brought to confession before the gallows, Grey took a seat on the floor, throwing his arm over his leg as he made himself comfortable.

            “Alright Jule, let's talk. What do you want to know?”

            “I want to know who you are. Who you really are.”

            Grey let out a deep sigh as he craned his neck. “Well, I’m Grey. Grey Nersin. If you want to know it fully and yes that’s my actual name. I think my parents may have named me after some old nobility or something like that. I don’t know. Peasants do that sorta thing from time to time, and as for what I am. Well, it wasn’t wrong to call me a troublemaker, because where I come from, I’m a thief.”

            “Why did you come out here?” Jule asked with sincere curiosity.

            “Well… there's no way around it I suppose, I came here to steal from you. You see there are some really bad people after me. I’m not the best person myself, but I like to think I hold certain standards that keep me a somewhat decent person. These men… they don’t have those standards. Long story short, I heard a rumor that you had loads of valuables hold up here, Jewels and all sorts of other goodies. So I thought I would help myself to some. At least enough to buy myself some protection, and well you see how that turned out.”

            “Jewels?” Jewel said in utter confusion. “I don’t have anything like that here?”

            Jule sat pondering for a moment as Grey entire body went stiff from her remark. 

            Kassandra’s voice spoke up from behind them. “Maybe it has to do with your name?”Jule and Grey both turned to Kassandra who stood pondering behind them. “Well maybe it had to do with your name. Ya know. Jule and Jewel. Sound alike.”

            Their discussion was broken by a sudden fit of laughter. Jule turned back to see Grey had doubled over onto his back laughing hysterically. A misconception! All of this was over a simple miscon-fucking-ception, probably because some crazy villager just so happened to be around to hear Jule’s name once.

            Grey continued to laugh uncontrollably at revelation. “Oh… oh… you gotta be fucking kidding me!” Grey continued to laugh as he slammed his fist repeatedly into the wooden surface next to him. “You hear that mom, you hear that dad. It was all for fucking nothing!” Grey said as he continued to laugh in between words. Even Marissa and Kass watched in silent concern as they continued to witness Grey’s mental breakdown.

            Jule hesitantly reached out to touch Grey but stopped. “Grey...” She began. “Are you alright?”

            Grey’s laughter slowed slightly as he carefully sat up. “Of course not!” He exclaimed. “Don’t you see, not matter what I did I was already screwed. Damned if I did, or damned if I didn’t.” Another laughing fit hit as Grey fell onto his back once more. “I should have just let Jack gut me, oh but I’m sure he would love to see where I am now! Bet he would pay a big to see this shit show!”

            Jule placed her hands on her lap as she continued to watch Grey cackling to himself on the top of her table. After a few moments his laughter finally subsided, as Grey was left lying back against the table breathing deeply a new and defeated man. Grey was completely certain that there was some sort of divine force in the universe, and its sole purpose was to flip him the largest middle finger it could possibly muster.

            “Better?” Jule asked after a moment.

            “Not at all…” Grey panted. “But continue.”

            “You mentioned your parents.” Jule said.

            “Did I?” Grey sat up trying to recall. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

            “Why?” Jule asked.

            “There dead. They have been for a long time.” Grey said, his voice finally recovering from the fit of laughter earlier. “I was a child when they died. It was because of a giant.” Marissa looked up as Grey spoke. “It happened so long ago, and so much has happened to me since then. It seems like a lifetime ago” He turned his head and looked at Zeke who watched him from behind the glass wall. His eyes were to the ground in silent recall of the story Grey had once shared with him years ago. “I didn’t really think about it much growing up. I had to look after myself once they were gone. To be honest I haven’t thought about them in years. But coming here, every night as I made my way further into giant territory I was plagued with more and more dreams. More and more memories of what had happened to them. I was terrified. I didn’t know what would happen if I came out here, I didn’t want to meet the same fate as them. I couldn’t bear the thought of it, but I pushed on anyway. Figured if I could survive this I could finally be rich enough to escape all of my problems. For good.” Grey let out a small chuckle. “I guess I was right. After this I won’t have to worry about anything anymore.”

            Jule looked at Grey in horror. “Grey, you don’t have too...”

            “No.” He said. “Marissa was right, it's better to just end me now. If you let me go, all I have waiting for me is the same fate, different hands. I prefer to have it be here, with you, then let Jack get his dirty hands on me.”

Tears slowly began to form Jule’s eyes once more as she stared at Grey. Grey smiled to himself. There ya go breaking hearts. Such a dashing rogue you are.

            Marissa walked over and placed her hand on Jule’s shoulder. Jule looked up to her friend and nodded gaining some of her composure. She looked at Grey once more and nodded. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

            Grey stood and faced Jule, forcing himself to give her one last smile. Grey turned to the jar were Zeke was. “I’m sorry.” He said. “If it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t be in this predicament. I hope you can forgive me.”

            Zeke shook his head. “Grey, think about what you're doing. You can’t just give up like this, this isn’t something the Grey I used to know would do.”

            Grey continued smiling as Jule’s hand slowly began to reach for him. “Well, a lot has changed. I don’t know what world you’ve been living in since we last parted, but sometimes you just gotta learn when to cut your losses.” Zeke’s eyes went wide as Jule’s fingers wrapped around Grey’s body. “For what it’s worth.” Grey continued. “It was good seeing you again.”

            Grey felt himself being lifted up as Zeke began shouting swears and hallowed threats. Grey blocked him out of his mind as he let Jule carry him upward towards her face. Grey once again found himself lifted up in front of her colossal face. Jule mouth twitched unsure what to do next. Grey looked forward, his eyes focused on her lips, a protective coldness washing over him from the sight he would soon witness.

            Sure enough Jule’s lips did part but it wasn’t to take him, but instead to speak. “Julie Rosa.” Jule said as her breath washed over him. Grey looked up at her confused. “That’s my actual name. Everyone just calls me Jule though, but I wanted to tell you it anyway.”

            “Julie… Julie Rosa” Grey repeated. “Just as beautiful of a name, if not more.”

            “You know.” Jule began. “In another life. Things could have been different between us.”

            Grey couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “In another life then.” Grey said almost as if it were a promise.

            Jule’s lips slowly parted before him, but unlike before this time it was different. She was done talking and only one thing awaited him now. As light shined into Jule’s mouth as it slowly opened allowing Grey to better make out exactly what awaited him. A row of well-maintained white teeth, and past that her tongue, which unlike his previous encounter, seemed almost reluctant to accept him. Past that was her throat which remained unfazed by the circumstances which had brought him here, to it he was the same as any other meal, it served only as a gateway to what would be his final resting place. Shivers were sent down Grey’s spine as he looked at the chasm that awaited him. No matter how prepared he was, the thought of him sliding down her throat was something he was not ready for. Jule shifted Grey between her thumb and index finger as she slowly and gingerly placed him onto her tongue. Feeling the fleshy appendage squirm slightly as he made contact sent a jolt through his body. He felt her grip on him end as her fingers retreated from her mouth. Sitting on Jule’s tongue Grey looked behind him to see what would be his last glimpse of the outside world as her lips closed to a shut.

            As Grey sat he became increasingly aware of the salivating mouth he was now stuck in as a pool of saliva began to form under where he sat. Despite her hesitance it was apparent that Jule couldn’t help but appreciate his flavor. It was a small comfort he supposed. At least he know knew he tasted good. Grey was waiting for Jule’s tongue to come to life as it had once before. His thoughts returned to how violated and powerless he felt last time he was here, and dread that he was to repeat that experience. However that moment never came, instead Grey continued to sit in the darkness as more and more saliva formed in her mouth. Grey could make out very faint noise coming from the back of Jule’s throat. The gurgling and squelching came from the abyss below him, of what Grey could guess was what was left of Jule’s breakfast. Grey felt his position begin to slip, at first he thought it was her tongue, but realized that her entire mouth began tilt causing him to slide forward. Despite himself Grey tried desperately to grab hold of something, anything to just try to slow his decent, but to no avail. As Grey slid he felt his legs and feet being pressed on by all sides as they entered Jule’s throat, her muscles gripping at him like a long awaited prize. Grey tried, wanting to fight, resist the pull her throat had on him, but with great reservation he threw down his arms and allowed himself to be taken. If it wanted him so bad, it could have him. Grey felt himself pressed and pulled as he made his descent down Jule’s throat.

            Quicker than Grey initially thought he found himself dropped into Jule’s stomach with an unceremoniously wet plop. Grey stood up in the darkness and stumbled around as he attempted to find even footing, his body covered in some type of wet soupy substance. Grey shook arm in an attempt to shake off the liquid but to little avail and found himself having a hard time keeping balance as the stomach rumbled and moved underneath him. The smell was something fierce. Grey was used to unpleasant smells, having lived around drunk alleyways, and sewers that typically smelled much worse than the smell he was currently contending himself too. But the strength the smell brought with it was something far stronger than he was used to. He supposed it made sense, what else would a stomach smell like if not vomit, it wasn’t like he expected it to smell like a spring breeze or anything, but then again he never actually thought he would find himself in a situation like this. The gurgle and groans that Grey had heard earlier were much more audible now as it continued to work on Jule’s breakfast, as well as its new found occupant. Grey was already chalking this up as one of the most unpleasant experiences he had been though, not the worst; he still thought crawling through a sewer was worse, but it was close, and seeing as this one was going to end in his death he was prepared to just give it top place for the principle of it. Grey trudged through knee high sludge as he began trying to find the edge of the stomach wall. The turning and constant sloshing of the stomach almost threw him off balance once or twice but Grey managed to keep his footing intact and trudged forward. Grey eventually felt a squishy flesh wall and decided to sit down his back against it. Grey submerged his lower body under the soupy mire until the liquid was about up to his chest. Grey winced at how disgusted he felt, but he had to admit it felt better to be under the liquid’s surface than above it, it was almost like a warm bath. That smelled like vomit, was filled with disgusting half-digested hot cakes, and would probably soon be eating away at his flesh, but you know, small comforts. As Grey laid his head against the stomach he could hear a low faint rhythmic sound. At first it was hidden by the sounds of stomach digesting its contents, but as Grey shut his eyes he could start to make it out. It was the sound of Jule’s heart beating somewhere above where he currently sat. Grey closed his eyes and slowly listened to sound of Jule’s beating heart, it was somewhat soothing, to just sit there and listen to the sound of someone else's heart. Grey almost felt like he was one of those tragic heroes he had heard about in the stories of his youth. A warrior with their head rested against the chest of his true love, closing his eyes as he left this world. He imagined this was what it must have been like to pass away in the arms of someone who cared for them. Grey soon became aware of an irritating tingling feeling that started to spread over his body as he sat in the pool of stomach bile. Grey just clutched his eyes shut and focused on the sound of Jule’s heart. Small Comforts.

            Jule remained motionless as she felt the small object descend down her throat. Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks as Jule felt him disappear somewhere behind her chest. If circumstances were different Jule thought she would have enjoyed eating this particular human. Despite his appearance she couldn’t help but marvel how great he tasted. He had ended up being the best human Jule had had in a long while, and under different circumstances she would have been rather content with the meal she just had. However, these were not different circumstances. Jule couldn’t explain it, but Grey had been different from other humans. Something about him stood out to her, and despite their difference in race, Jule had felt she had made a connection with him. A connection that was now gone, he was gone, just like every other human who had previously crossed paths with her, in the end he was nothing special. The human that had given up everything in order to protect her, a human that made her genuinely curious about the way humans lived their lives. Tears continued to stream from Jules eyes as she fell to her knees and cried.

            Marissa and Kassandra looked at their friend as she knelt before them and wept. Kass moved to comfort her but Marissa stopped her.

“She needs her space right now.” She said. Kass only nodded as they began to walk towards the table.

            Jule continued to kneel as she folded her hands in front of her chest. “I’ll see you in a different life.” She muttered in a whisper. A whisper, a promise that she thought only she would hear.

            As Marissa and Kassandra began to walk away a large gust of wind exploded from behind them. Both of them quickly turned around as they were blinded by a bright white light. Zeke quickly covered his eyes as the light appeared in the room. Before he could think to do anything else, a large gust coming from the light tossed the jar off the table. The jar landed with a loud crash as shards of glass scattered across the floor. Zeke sprawled onto the floor as he adjusted from the impact he had just suffered from. Luckily for him he remained mostly unharmed from the crash, a little sore and bruised and a few cuts but nothing he couldn’t handle. Zeke repositioned himself to his feet. The blinding light and strange wind slowly began to die down. Zeke ran underneath one of the nearby legs of the table, having his back pressed flat against the wooden surface, before peering around the corner to see what had caused the source of this mysterious light. His eyes widen at what he saw.

            “It can’t be.” He muttered.

            Jule had her eyes shut, she didn’t know what had just happened but as she slowly opened them she saw a figure standing before her. A tall woman dressed in a long white silken dress, with long gorgeous brown hair stood before her. She had beautiful silky smooth skin and green eyes. She looked down at Jule smiling a sweet comforting smile and stood extending out an open hand to her. Jule looked in awe for a moment before slowly taking the mysterious woman's hand and standing up.

            “Who… who are you?” Jule asked almost a loss for words.

The women continued with a pleasant smile. “I am Queen Amelia, citizen.” Her voice seemed to hold a mixture of tenderness and regal elegance as she spoke each word.

            “Queen Amelia!?” Jule gasped. Jule had heard the name Queen Amelia before, any giant would say the same. Queen Amelia was a name well renowned in giant society, and there wasn’t a single giant that didn’t know who she was. But for her to be here, it was impossible.

            The woman turned her head and looked about the room in odd curiosity. Jule didn’t know what to do, Marissa and Kassandra stood off to the side oddly silent and still in apparent shock as to both this woman's sudden appearance and her abrupt claim.

            “Are… are you looking for something?” Jule finally asked.

            The woman turned her attention back to Jule. “Of pardon my manners. But yes I am looking for something, or rather someone. Pray tell me have you seen a human by the name of Grey. You see he is my lover.”

            Jule’s eyes widen in fear and the woman gave her a curious look. Jule slowly moved her hands over her stomach and looked down. The woman’s eyes followed Jule’s as she stared at Jule’s belly and her face went pale.