Unfortunately, progress was still slow for the group as the horse couldn't pull the cart very quickly thanks to its own fatigue. The quality of it was definitely below what any of them had expected and it was likely that if they knew that it would be this weak. They never would have purchased it.

Instead, they found themselves stuck with a slow-moving horse and time seemingly slipping away from them. Asla in particular was becoming worried, she knew that her people suffered without her presence. They had already wasted too much time as far as she was concerned as they had waited for Maxine to recover. Further delays were going to cause more suffering to take place.

Worse still for them was that several dark clouds were beginning to appear in the sky, and it was almost for certain that it was going to rain in the very near future. Unfortunately, their money reserves were close to nothing, so it meant finding a room was off the table completely for them.

Instead, all they could do was try and find some form of shelter. This was much easier said than done as they were more or less out in the open. There were a few trees scattered along the route that they were travelling, but not enough to shield them from the rain. Getting wet was something that none of them were particularly looking forward to.

There was still a slight sense of distrust from Maxine as she could listen to her foreign companions talking to each other in their native language. In her mind, it was as if they were talking about something that they didn't want her to hear. Jaxin was someone in particular that she didn't trust.

When they had first met, he had tried to kill Charles and she feared that if she hadn't been awoken by the commotion that he would have been killed. Thankfully he was still sitting next to her and was relatively unharmed. But it still put her on edge as she thought that an assassin was someone who couldn't be trusted. No matter what Asla had promised him, there was always the chance that he could betray them.

The fact that Maxine didn't have the size and strength to protect Charles at this moment in time wasn't lost on her. Even though by this point in time, it was likely that he had saved her more times than she had saved him. But she still wanted to remain close to him, just to ensure that nothing happened to him. If there was some sort of incident that would require her assistance, she most likely would not be able to help.

All during the time, the cart was being tracked. Using whatever cover that they did, an assassin was watching what was taking place. He had been keeping tabs on the group and was simply waiting for the best moment to strike. When they had been within the inn, it was too risky for them.

One thing that he was surprised to see was the fact that they had picked up another companion. The gigantic woman that he had poisoned had seemed to disappear and this was something he was more than expecting. He was sure that his poison had killed her and that they had simply left her body somewhere.

This didn't answer where they had picked up this much smaller woman. However, not for a moment did he think that she and the muscular giantess were one in the same. Even though both had a striking resemblance, he was under the stern belief that people didn't suddenly lose more than four feet in height just like that.

There was also the fact that the smaller woman looked quite skinny where the giantess that he had encountered had more muscles than he had seen on practically any person. That was something that was practically impossible to lose in such a short amount of time. This only furthered his conviction that the two women he had seen were completely different and not the same person.

At this moment in time, the main reason why he hadn't attacked them was because there was no places for him to hide. If he approached them, they would be able to see him coming without too much effort. His whole strategy depended on the element of surprise and if he lost that, he would put himself in danger and also severely reduce his chances of success. Because of this, he would bide his time and wait for the perfect moment to strike.

As expected, the rain did eventually begin to fall and the group did what they could to stay dry. Unfortunately, there wasn't too much that they could do and they soon enough found themselves getting soaked through and through. However, as they continued to travel, they noticed something that looked to be exactly what they needed.

Not too far away from the road, they noticed what looked to be a house that was in a state of disrepair. It was as if no one had lived there for some time and although there was an element of risk to it, they did make their way towards it. The rain was still pelting down and any form of shelter would be greatly appreciated for them.

The house itself looked as though it was an old farmhouse that looked to be on the verge of toppling over. The garden in front of the house was completely overgrown and the door was slightly ajar. Out of the group, it was Taiyun who was the first to enter, simply to ensure that it was safe for Asla.

Upon entering, the first thing that he noticed was that the place was in disarray. Anything of value had been taken and all that was left was toppled over furniture that was damaged beyond repair. It was clear that they were not the only people to have entered here since it was abandoned. There was graffiti on the walls and damaged debris practically everywhere that he looked.

More importantly, there didn't seem to be anyone present and thus, he gave a gesture to the others that they could enter. This couldn't come any sooner for them as they quickly entered in order to get out of the rain. Charles and Maxine also ensured that her armour was also placed inside so it was less likely to rust. Plus, she simply wanted to keep it close as a reminder of the woman that she had been.

"Well, it isn't exactly the most cosy place," said Charles as he looked around. There was a cool draft that flowed through the house, and it did send a chill down his spine. "But it's better than staying out in the rain."

"Indeed," replied Maxine. She was trying to shake some of the water off of her dress. "As long as it provides shelter, I don't care what it looks like. But I just wonder…" Before she could finish what, she was saying, she sneezed. Once again, it sounded pretty cute, and it was clear that no matter how big or small she was. This was an element of her that remained the same.

For several moments, Charles said nothing as he just looked at her. It was clear to him that she had noticed the cuteness of her sneeze. Her face began to turn red with embarrassment and he knew not to say anything on the matter. Although he did enjoy her sneezes and wouldn't mind hearing them continuously for hours on end.

"I think we better do something about that dress of yours," said Charles as he looked at her and began to think. "That thing looks like it's completely soaked. You're going to make yourself sick if you continue wearing it."

"Then what do you suggest?" There was some frustration in her voice. "If you haven't noticed, I don't really have a wide range of choice when it comes to outfits."

"Well, I mean, you can wrap yourself in something so that you can cover yourself up while it dries. I'm sure that there's a blanket that you can use."

Maxine didn't really say anything, but she did feel cold thanks to her wet dress. She could also still hear the rain outside and if anything, it had only gotten heavier since they had arrived. She was also sure that Asla and the others would be in the same position as her. They had all been caught out in the rain and were most likely also feeling cold.

One solution to this problem was to build a fire. Thankfully the old farmhouse did have a fireplace and the group used some of the damaged furniture around them as firewood. They might not be useful for things such as chairs or a table. But now they were perfect to use as fuel.

Eventually, the fire was lit, and the group did sit quite close to it. Maxine chose to keep her dress on despite how wet it was. In a way, she didn't want people to look at her smaller body. It was as if it were a part of her that she wanted to keep hidden. Despite the fact that everyone could see that she was significantly smaller than she was before. The nine-foot powerhouse that she had been was seemingly a thing of the past.

The heat of the fire was nice for them, and they were all relieved to have warmth and shelter for the night. This was something that they thought that they would be without, and it was daunting for them. That was the problem when they didn't have much money and didn't have a direct way of making more.

"I wonder who owned this place," said Charles as he took a glance around the room. It was very bare with some debris around and the graffiti on the walls. Rather than words being written, it was instead images which also included one of a penis. It was something that he thought was a little embarrassing for the others to see.

"Whoever it was, they're long gone now," said Maxine. She more than appreciated the warmth of the fire and even leaned a little on Charles. To her, this was so that she could get some extra warmth. "From the looks of it, no one has lived here for years."

"Well, it doesn't really matter now," said Asla. "If they were here, then we most likely wouldn't have shelter for the night. I doubt that whoever lived here wouldn't have the kindness to offer us shelter."

"Y-Yeah," answered Charles. "I can understand that." He thought if any one of them were to go to a random house and ask for shelter. It was Maxine who would be the most likely to be allowed in. Since she was a woman and now actually looked quite small, it was likely that many would take pity on her.

For the others, it made it seem unlikely that they would be given shelter. For Asla and her companions, it was due to the fact that they were foreign. Because of that, there was some distrust towards them amongst the commonfolk of Angleland. When it came to Charles, he would most likely get turned away. His skin was a slightly darker tone than was expected in Angleland and once more, this made him receive some distrust.

Unfortunately, after some exploration of the farmhouse, they couldn't find any beds that could be slept in. Instead, they would have to sleep on the floor which was far from comfortable. It was dirty and they would all be sleeping in the main room not too far away from the fire. It would keep them warm and even when it went out, it would most likely leave the room in a more comfortable state. Either way, it was the best that they could do given the situation.

There were a few blankets that were found that had been hidden away. Unfortunately, there were only three available and were large enough to accommodate two people at once. This meant deciding how the blankets was shared was quite difficult. Maxine didn't mind sleeping alongside Charles. She had done it many times in past so to her it was nothing that was too different.

Since it was also decided that Asla should have a blanket for herself. This left Taiyun and Jaxin to have one between them. The two men weren't very comfortable with this as there was still an aura of distrust around them. They remembered how they had first met and because of this, they still somewhat saw each other as enemies. Although at this moment in time, they were working together.

That night, Charles did find himself lying with Maxine as the blanket that covered them did keep them warm but just barely. It wasn't as thick as a regular quilt and thus, it wasn't as effective. This was more or less noticed immediately by Maxine who lay there and did what she could to keep herself warm. But found it difficult to do so under the circumstances as she couldn't help but shiver.

Charles hadn't ignored what was happening and he was tempted to do something that he thought he should be careful of. It was still odd seeing his friend so small as he was used to seeing her as the largest person in any room. Not as this very short woman that he found lying before him.

"Maxine are you alright?" asked Charles. He lay just behind her but he made sure to keep a small distance between them. His voice was nothing more than a whisper as he didn't want to disturb the others who were seemingly fast asleep.

"I-I'm feeling a little cold," replied Maxine. She still faced away from him and had her eyes closed. Her voice too was a whisper but this was more so that she could speak in line with him.

"Y-Yeah, it's not very warm. Do you mind if I hold you at all? Just so that my body heat can keep you warm of course."

"You want to what?" This caused Maxine's face to turn red like a tomato as she thought about being held by him. She had experienced it before but it would be the first after she admitted her feelings to herself.

"Of course if you don't want to, that's perfectly fine." There was a sense of panic in his voice as he could tell how this looked and that it didn't paint him in the best light. The last thing he wanted to lose was her friendship.

"N-No, that's alright. Please, can you hold me?" She somewhat couldn't believe what she had just asked him. However, she did feel his arms wrap around her body and his chest came into contact with her back. He felt warm and this did make her feel relaxed and this was something that she had never expected would happen to her.

Never did Maxine think that she would be held by a man like this. Simply due to the fact that she thought that there would never be a man large enough to do such a thing. Now that she was smaller, practically every man could. Even one who was as short as Charles. Her face was still very red but she did feel a sense of safety when she was with him.

By now, she knew that Charles wouldn't do anything that would cause her harm. Instead, she just leaned into his back and simply enjoyed what was taking place. It made bottling her feelings up extremely difficult but she did so as best as she could. Or else she feared that her friendship with him would be shattered.

"Are you alright Maxine?" asked Charles as he could feel that there was something off about his shrunken friend. He couldn't put his finger on it but it did make him worried for a moment.

"Y-Yes I'm perfectly fine," replied Maxine. She was trying to hide how she was feeling and with her facing away from him. He couldn't see how red her face had become. "There's nothing the matter."

"That's good to hear." He didn't entirely believe her but thought that it was best not to pry any further. "Now, let's just try and get some sleep. I doubt that tomorrow is going to be any less difficult than today."

Maxine simply nodded and continued to be held by him. The blushing that she was experiencing wasn't going away at all and instead, she just closed her eyes and enjoyed what was happening. Being smaller did have a lot of disadvantages, but one that she did appreciate was being held by someone who was larger than herself.

It was something that she didn't know that she truly wanted until it was happening. While she was with him, she had a sense of warmth and safety that she had never felt before. She couldn't help but smile as she felt happy and in a way, she didn't mind being small for a little longer.

Eventually, everyone in the house did drift off to sleep despite the circumstances that they had come across. Everything seemed peaceful as all that could be heard were the pleasant snores of the group and the occasional creaking of the house itself. But eventually, another sound could be heard.

This wasn't just a natural sound from an old house or someone turning over in their sleep. Instead, it was the sound of the front door slowly opening from the outside. In the darkness, it was almost impossible to see the intruder entering the house. His movements were slow and precise as he tried to ensure that he didn't make any kind of sound.

As an assassin, he knew the importance of getting in and out of a situation without being spotted at all. His last encounter with the group hadn't gone very well as he had failed to kill Asla but it wasn't all bad as far as he was concerned. He had killed the largest and most likely dangerous member of the group so he had that to be happy about.

Although he was still confused with why there was a small woman with them now. The Assassin couldn't help but think it was very odd that the group would replace someone as large as the woman he had killed with someone who was so much smaller and seemingly weaker. He thought that she might have some kind of strength that he wasn't aware of. But at the end of the day, she was not his target.

Instead, he made his way towards where Asla was sleeping. The princess from a foreign land seemed to not be aware of what was happening as she was sleeping soundly. It was likely that she was in the middle of some kind of dream as she was moving around slightly and at one point, even muttered something in her native language.

To the Assassin, this was perfect. This meant that he could kill her quietly and then slip out before anyone realised that he was there. It would be hours before that would happen and by then he would be long gone. All it would take was just one quick exposure to the poison and then he would had on hand. It was the same that had brought him a lot of success in the past and he expected it to be useful once more.

However, he couldn't help but notice some kind of sound coming from behind him. He only just had enough time to turn himself around as he felt something large and metallic striking his head. The suddenness of it was a huge surprise for him and he found himself going down to the ground.

It didn't knock him unconscious, but it was enough to daze him as he was knocked silly. But even in the low light, he could see the outline of the person who had struck him. From what he could tell, they had a small and feminine frame. For a moment he thought that it was Asla who had struck him, but he soon realised that this wasn't the case. The foreign princess was still asleep on the ground in front of him.

This was when the assassin realised that it was in fact the small woman that he had seen before that had just struck him. This was the truth as Maxine stood there with her helmet in her hands. It was far too big for her to wear, but for the time being did make the perfect weapon for her.

She had swung the helmet with all of her might, but the blow hadn't done the damage that she had wanted. But it still put her at an advantage as she saw the Assassin dazed on the ground. Knowing that if he got back to his feet, she would be in real trouble, she struck him again and again.

The immediate thoughts that went through Maxine's mind was that she needed to protect Charles. But she also thought about killing the Assassin, it was him who had caused her to lose her size, and this did make her angry. However, the memory of the promise to her mother went through her mind.

Although to her, it had seemed like a long time ago. She still remembered how she had promised Jessica that she wouldn't take another life. At first, she had merely agreed in order to stop her from worrying, she now wanted to keep her word. If she couldn't keep her word to her own family, then she felt like her word would mean nothing.

Thankfully, her efforts were beginning to wake the others around her. They too were in a state of confusion but when they glanced over to Maxine, they could see her engaged in combat. Quickly, the confusion began to melt away as they realised that she was battling an intruder.

Taiyun was the first to react as he quickly picked up his weapon and stepped towards where Maxine was still striking the Assassin. A fair few of her blows had not targeted the head but instead was more towards the body. On a couple of occasions, she had heard a cracking sound, a clear indication that a bone had been broken.

"Stand aside woman!" commanded Taiyun. He quickly pushed Maxine to one side and went to stab the Assassin with his blade. However, he soon noticed that his enemy had been able to place a pipe to his lips and seemed to be prepared to blow. There was no chance of the bodyguard getting out of the way if the poison was fired.

Thankfully, this hadn't gone unnoticed by Maxine who quickly kicked the head of the Assassin. Unfortunately for her, her recent shrinkage had caused her strength to diminish significantly. Her kicks were far less effective than they had been before, but it was still enough to knock his head as he went to blow.

Because of this, the dart that had been fired was blown in the wrong direction and struck one of the nearby walls. If it had struck true then Taiyun would most likely have been killed before he even realised what had happened. But now, he owed his life to Maxine, even though she was much smaller than she had been before.

Asla became aware of what was happening and she quickly moved away from the scene. Jaxin stayed with her as her protection as he knew that if she died, all the lands and titles that she had promised him would turn to dust. Although he had originally been hired to kill her, she was far more valuable to him alive than she was dead.

When Charles was aware of what was taking place, he stood by Maxine to offer her some protection. It was likely that she didn't need any at that point in time but he didn't want to take the risk. Even if she did, it was likely there wasn't much that he would be able to do. But this didn't matter to him, if he needed to sacrifice his very being in order to keep her safe, he would do.

But now that the assassin was defeated, he began to slip out of consciousness. He had been defeated and he didn't expect to wake up. If he was them, he would have made sure that he was dead. But now he was more or less helpless and was at the mercy of the people that he had tried to kill. All he could hope was that they made his death quick and painless, although he didn't expect such mercy.