The land was untouched by technology and was still home to magic. Here mythical creatures still existed and although many were terrifying there were some that lived in peace along with the human race that dominated most parts of the land. The land itself was the size of a continent that had one ruling family with numerous lords over other lands. There were sometimes minor disputes between the lords but other than that there was peace and harmony in the land, there had been no wars for several centuries although the minor skirmish did occur every now and again. This landmass was almost cut in half by the great River White that had its source in the north and the mouth in the south. The great landmass was named Angleland after the Angle family that had ruled the land for countless years.

In the West of Angleland lay Morgan, a small village that was ruled by the Lord Trevor Gimus and his family. Morgan itself was only a small settlement with a population of a couple of hundred people. Two of these people were named David and his wife Sheila Snape who worked as the village farmers. For years they had been trying to conceive a child of their own and yet the gods had not heard their prayers. All that seemed to change when Sheila announced to her husband that she was pregnant. No news had ever made him feel so happy in his life.

The pregnancy did not go smoothly however and when their baby daughter was born she was extremely small and sickly. They named her Jessica but almost as soon as she was born they were already thinking about where they would bury her. They had taken her to the village healer who was a kindly man and was devastated to tell them the news that their new daughter would be lucky to live another few days.

With no other option they had to turn to someone who had talents with the black arts and after sacrificing as much as they could the warlock gave them a potion that when Jessica was bathed in it would allow her to live. He did warn of unforeseen side effects but at this moment in time the Snapes didn't care, all they wanted was to save the life of their daughter and were almost willing to do anything to save her.

As instructed the Snapes bathed their sickly daughter into the potion that they were given and almost like magic Jessica's symptoms seemed to disappear. They were overjoyed at first to see that their daughter was healthy and would hopefully live a full life. This joy was short lived however when they noticed that Jessica was growing particularly fast. At first they thought that she was going through an early growth spurt but they soon discovered that this was not the case.

Within less than a year Jessica was already as tall as her parents if she stood up but she didn't stop growing there. As time went by the little girl grew taller and taller and after a few short years was too big to stay in the house and needed to live in the barn. She was as tall as their single storey house after two years and yet she continued to grow.

This caused major problems financially for the Snapes as their giant daughter needed to be fed and clothed and at the rate that she grew clothes didn't last her very long. It was fortunate that they lived on a farm and they could at least feed their daughter. Despite their prayers Jessica continued to grow and instead of seemingly slowing down she seemed to be growing faster and faster as she aged.

Numerous times they had tried to find the Warlock who had given them the potion that had saved Jessica's life but unfortunately he was nowhere to be found. It was like he had disappeared off of the face of the Earth and they were stuck with an ever growing giantess for a daughter.

Despite all this her parents still loved Jessica as much as any parent could love their child. At no point did they treat her differently and they showed her all the love and attention that she needed as she grew up. They had even tried to teach her to use her size to help with the farming work, they only regret was that they had to start Jessica so early since they needed her help to be able to grow more crops so that they could feed her. There were some accidents along the way but as time went by Jessica seemed to take in everything that her parents were telling her. Her size meant that they were able to farm more crops than ever before and herding their cattle was easy when Jessica could simply pick them up and take them to wherever they needed to go. She even learned how to count by moving the chickens from one place to another.

Not everyone shared their love for Jessica however. In the actual village many regarded Jessica as a monster and a freak. She had never done anything to them to warrant their anger but due to her ever increasing size she was seen as a monster who was only waiting to destroy them all.

Even when Jessica tried to play with other children they would all shun her. There was only one boy who actually played with her and she considered him to be her only friend. His name was Tucker Martel and he was the third son of the village Blacksmith. He was somewhat headstrong boy who had dreams of becoming a knight and going on some kind of grand adventure like he had read in the stories. He was the only boy who treated Jessica as a normal person instead of a freak. Because of this the two grew close relatively quickly and it was not long before they became best friends.

Tucker never showed any fear when he was around Jessica and he was the only one who made her feel normal. Due to their difference in size the number of games that they could play together were somewhat limited but they still had fun together all the same. One game that they would play was Knights and Damsels where Tucker would grab a stick and pretend that it was a sword. Jessica would pretend to be a damsel in distress and that she needed Tucker to save her from an imaginary monster.

Over the years their friendship never faltered but Jessica continued to grow at an alarming rate. On her sixteenth birthday she stood one hundred feet tall and her body showed no signs of stopping. She seemed doomed to continue growing bigger and bigger with no end in sight, that was until one fateful day.

That day Jessica had temporarily left her home to run a couple of errands for her parents when she came across a seemingly dying old man on the road. He had seemed to have been robbed and by the looks of him he was on the verge of death. Many people would have seen that there was little that they could do to save him and would have left him. Not Jessica however, the old man had asked her to take him Green Fields that was quite far out of her way. Instead of refusing she agreed to take him, this would be a large inconvenience for her but she still went along anyway since it was the right thing to do.

When the pair eventually reached Green Fields the old man had revealed himself to be a great wizard. The incident had been a test, he had been beginning to lose his faith in humanity but Jessica's kindness had shown that there was still some good in people. He wanted to reward her by shrinking her to the size of a normal person but unfortunately the magic that had made her a giantess was too strong even for him to reverse. Instead he created her a dress that when she wore it allowed her to shrink to a more normal size. She was also gifted with a pair of plain shoes that also changed size with her whenever she grew or shrank so at least she didn't have to walk around barefoot.

The dress had a somewhat cream colour to it and was magic. It allowed her to shrink from her giant size all the way down to eight feet and any height in-between. This was more than anything that Jessica could ever ask for but there were a few minor drawbacks to the dress. She would only stay small when she wore the dress, the moment that she took it off she would quickly grow back up to her full size. This meant that she could still only bathe in lakes.

One other thing that was striking about Jessica was her beauty, she was easily the most beautiful woman in the village and would have made a fine wife for any man if not for her extreme size. Even when she was down to her smallest size of eight feet she still towered above practically every man in the land and the majority of them disliked the idea of marrying a woman who was significantly taller than they were. She had her own dreams but for now she was staying with her parents to help out on the farm. Her body was slender with long legs that made up just over half her height. She had relatively long chestnut brown hair with deep hazel eyes. Her breasts were a little above average for her body size but it wasn't anything to really take into notice. She knew that if she were to walk around naked that many men would not stare at her due to her size but because of her beauty. She was too modest however to be doing something like that.

Although Jessica could shrink herself in size she was still considered to be a giantess. She had to bend down to get through doors and many times when she stood up inside a building her head would strike the ceiling. She ate more than a normal person and could drink a man under the table with some ease. She also had great strength in her smallest size, she was stronger than most men but her strength was not superhuman, not until she began to grow of course.

Her maximum size was increasing as if she was still growing, as long as she wore the dress she could stay at eight feet as long as she wanted but whenever she went to go maximum size she would find that limit going higher and higher with each passing day.

By the time she was nineteen at her full size was around one hundred and twenty five feet and if not for the dress she would be that size all the time. The main times that Jessica would be her full size would be to work, bathe and to travel long distances. Other than that she would remain at her smallest size although some day to day tasks were benefitted when she grew a little bigger.

Her best friend Tucker still wanted to be a knight of the realm like the heroes that he had read in the stories. There had been an old knight who had spent his final years in the village of Morgan. He went by the name of Sir Thomas Parker and he had seen some potential in Tucker so he had taken the time to teach him a couple of the basics in sword fighting. Unfortunately Sir Thomas died long before Tucker could actually be considered talented enough to carry around a sword.

Despite the fact that his skills with a sword were slightly more than average Tucker would sometimes act as if he were the greatest sword master in all the land. Like his father had wanted him to he had also trained to be a blacksmith along with his three brothers. He also had one sister who had already gotten married to a man who lived near the centre of Morgan. Although he was better at being a blacksmith rather than a knight Tucker still dreamed of being a knight and going on some kind of adventure.

In normal cases it was common for a child to inherit their parent's land and titles when they passed on but Tucker knew that most likely he wouldn't get much. His eldest brother would most likely inherit the family business and even if he were to die it would be Tucker's next brother who would get that inheritance. He knew that he was never going to own the family business and this did get him down from time to time.

Tucker was average height with short black hair with brown eyes. He had a bite mark on his right arm where he had once been bitten by dog. Thanks to his year of blacksmithing he had some muscles to his body but he didn't look like a bodybuilder. The clothing that he wore were somewhat like peasants clothing but thanks to the money that came into the blacksmith he was able to afford somewhat nicer clothing than the average peasant. He was far from being mistaken for a lord but he did look a little better than a peasant.

In his spare time when Tucker hadn't been blacksmithing for the family business he had been trying to make himself a suit of armour and a decent sword. His brothers had told him that he should give up his fantasy and stick to blacksmithing. They admitted that he was a better blacksmith than he was a swordsman but Tucker took no notice of them as he continued to try and make himself the armour and sword that he needed to become a knight. He wanted to show him that there was more to him than being a blacksmith.

Even Jessica had tried to tell him that being a knight wasn't the best life choice that he had. She had seen him wield a sword and she knew that he wasn't all that talented. So far he had only had a small amount of training and never truly sparred with anyone to test his level of skill. He had even tried to spar with her with a wooden sword but even then she could tell that he wasn't as good as he claimed to be.

One day Tucker was sent to the market town of Flea Bay that was located west of Morgan along the western coast of Angleland. Flea Bay was famous since almost anything could be bought or sold there. Tucker had been sent there to pick up a couple of items needed for the blacksmith business along with some works that needed to be given to the customers. Jessica had even asked him to pick up a couple of things for her while he was going and he was more than happy to do this for his best friend.

As normal the town of Flea Bay was packed with merchants trying to sell their goods along with buyers who were looking for items of great value that they could obtain for a fraction of its price. Tucker remembered to stay vigilante since there were a lot of thieves that operated in this town. He thought that he was relatively safe in his horse and carriage but still there was always the chance that something might go wrong of course.

It took Tucker a good three days to reach Flea Bay in his horse and carriage and when he got there he began to unload the pieces of work that needed to be given to the customers. After that he moved onto getting the supplies that he needed for his family before finally finishing off by getting Jessica what she had asked for.

Tucker was just about to leave Flea Bay when a certain outside store caught his attention. At first it seemed to be a store of cartography but when he took a closer look he saw that it was much more than that. It was littered with different withered maps along with various other effects that seemed to look out of place. The man at the store was a middle aged man with a beard and an eye patch. His remaining teeth were yellow and as Tucker looked at him he realised that he had a thumb missing on his right hand. He was a fairly large man with a pot belly and long greasy hair.

"Ah good sir I see that you have taken an interest in the products that I have for sale in my store," said the man with a deep and somewhat crackled voice. "I have maps of every piece of land in Angleland and even one special one that will lead you to the fabled Three Man's treasure."

This quickly got Tucker's attention. Three Man's treasure was a legendary treasure that was worth more an almost unfathomable amount of money. Whoever found this treasure would most likely become even richer than the king and queen of Angleland. For many, many years would be treasure hunters had gone out to find this treasure and none had succeeded. Some even believed that Three Man's treasure was nothing more than a myth, created purely to entice the imagination. There were those who had given up everything they had to try and find it but all had failed.

Even though the man claimed to have a map that led to the treasure Tucker was still somewhat sceptical. He was sometimes a little gullible but even he was not gullible enough to believe him completely.

"Wait, wait you're saying that you have a map that leads to the fabled Three Man's treasure correct?" asked Tucker.

"Correct," replied the man quickly.

"If you have it what's stopped you from going out and finding it yourself?"

"Simple because I'm not a damn fool. The quest to find the treasure is one of great danger that has claimed the lives of many foolish people over the years. I admit I'd like nothing more than to have the treasure for myself but what's the point in having all that gold when you're too dead to spend it? You on the other hand, I can see that you are a brave and fearless man, I can see into the hearts of men and I see one that is brave. You could do what many before you have failed so miserably."

"And exactly how much is this map of yours?"

"Fifty gold coins." This was a small problem for Tucker. This was all the money that he had brought to spend on himself. He had more than that but the rest of it was to take back to the family business. "But that is only a small investment, think about it you pay fifty gold coins now and you have to do a little bit of work but after that you will be the richest man in Angleland. Even the King and Queen will envy your wealth."

"Really?" Tucker was having a good long think about it. Some parts of his mind was somewhat sceptical but another part of him saw this as an opportunity to make his dreams come true. Not so much for the wealth but actually go on a quest, he had always wanted to go on some kind of quest. The wealth at the end of it was only going to be a bonus to him, he wanted an adventure more than anything else. "But before I can even consider buying the map off of you I want to see it first."

"A very smart man, that is what you are my friend. Just bear with me one moment if you can." Quickly the man ducked underneath his store and Tucker could hear him rummaging through some paper and other items until he brought up what looked to be an old map. He placed it on top of the counter and opened it up. There Tucker could see a scaled map of the entire landmass of Angleland. He could see a dotted line that led from Flea Bay all the way down towards the South East to a location that was not all that far away from where they were. "There you have it one map to the legendary Three Man's treasure."

"What the treasures near Lake Town?" He found this to be very unrealistic since it was a place that had been populated for some time.

"Of course not, if it was there it would have been discovered long ago. No the location is only the first part of the trials."

"Trials?" This caught Tucker by surprise. This was the first that he was ever hearing of the trials that involved Three Man's Treasure.

"Sure do you think any old sap could go and find Three Man's Treasure? No they have to show that they are worthy of finding the treasure. Any treasure hunter or group has to prove their valour and bravery. I don't know exactly how many trials there are before you actually reach the treasure. But each time that you complete a trial the map will update itself and show you the path to the next trial. This carries on until you actually find Three Man's Treasure and as long as you have completed the trial it will be yours."

"Wow." Tucker was completely going into this notion that he could actually find the treasure by completing the tasks. He was beginning to think about what he would do if he actually found it. He would wear a crown and sit on the throne that was placed upon a mountain of gold coins taller than any peak in Angleland. Even Jessica at full size would only be an insect in comparison to its size. "You've got yourself a deal my friend."

"I thought I would. I can see the type of man that you are and I suspect you out of all before will find it and when you do, don't forget who it was who sent you on your merry way to fortune beyond measure."

Over the space of the next couple of minutes Tucker paid the man for the map and went on his very way. The man was glad to have gotten rid of that old map, it was the genuine article but by getting rid of it he was finally letting go of something that had been plaguing him for numerous years. He had actually gone out and tried to find the treasure himself when he was a younger man, unfortunately he couldn't even get past the first trial and had lost his eye in the process. At least this way he was able to send another poor sap to almost certain death and he got a little bit of money out of it. He didn't think that Tucker actually had a chance of finding the treasure. He didn't care, all the man cared about was getting rid of the map and getting fifty gold coins for it.

Before Tucker could head back to Morgan he had to carry out a couple more errands. Although he was supposed to be concentrating on the work at hand his mind was fixated on going on the quest to find Three Man's treasure. He believed that he would succeed where so many others before had failed, he even knew that he was going to tell Jessica first as soon as he got back to Morgan. There were almost no secrets between the pair and it was another reason why they were so close.

Unfortunately due to the fact that Tucker spent all of his money on the map he didn't have enough to stay at any of the inns on the way home. He had to sleep out in the elements and unfortunately on the second night of his trek back to Morgan it began to rain. It was the middle of autumn so rain was fairly common around this time of year.

He was forced to sleep in the cart that his horse was pulling along and he wrapped himself up in a blanket in an attempt to keep himself warm. He felt very cold but even with all this all he could still think about was the quest. In a way this helped him get through the night as most other people would have concentrated on the fact that they were wet and cold. He was lucky to not actually catch a cold.

On the third day Tucker arrived at Morgan where he dropped off the cart at the Blacksmith and went about putting on some dry clothing. He had been gone for almost a week and he really needed a nice warm meal and a dry place to sleep. He had yet to tell his family about the map that he had bought. He knew that they would be against his quest almost from the get go and he even planned to leave in secret to go out and find his fortune. He admitted that he was going to miss them when he went but he thought that he would return a very rich man and they wouldn't have to work ever again.

Only a short distance away from the Blacksmith lay the Snape Farm and as usual Jessica was tending to her chores. A new pen had been built for the pigs and it was Jessica's job to move them all from the old pen into the new larger pen. For this job Jessica grew to her maximum size so that she could move as many as she could in one grasp. Unfortunately many of the pigs would try and escape from her as she went to grab them. It was somewhat annoying for her but she was used to this happening. Despite the fact that these animals had known Jessica their entire lives they were still nervous around her whenever she grew to giant size.

This was more or less the same as everyone else in Morgan who were always nervous around her. Even when she was at her smallest size she would get people staring at her at times and more often than not people who would work past her would change direction to make sure that they were far away. She liked to say that things like that didn't really bother her but in truth it did hurt her inside. She couldn't believe how heartless people could be at times, she had never done anything to harm them in any way and yet they still treated her like an outsider. If it was not for the love of her parents and the friendship of Tucker she would have shown them her displeasure with them.

"Come on guys I'm not gonna hurt you," said Jessica as she tried to pick up more of the pigs from out of their pen. She moved her hand to gently grab them but they would sometimes slip out before she could get a proper grasp on them. She would continue to do this until she had actually been successful in her efforts.

It took her a little more time than she expected as she moved the last pig to the new pen and she looked down to see them all loving the fact that their pen was bigger. She even gave a couple of them a stroke on the head and at least that time they didn't try and escape from her. She gave them a smile before she went to stand up. Suddenly she heard her name called, at first she thought that it was merely her imagination but when she heard it again she realised that it was indeed someone calling her name. She turned her head to see where the voice was coming from and there she saw Tucker running towards her. He had a basket filled with a couple of different things and a wrapped up map under his arm. He seemed to be excited as he ran towards her. She smiled at him and stood up to her full height.

"Ah you're back Tucker," said Jessica with a smile on her face. She began to walk towards him so that he didn't have so far to run and as she did she began to shrink herself. By the time the two reached each other she was at her smallest height of eight feet once again. Even so there was still a two foot height difference between the friends and it almost made her look like the big sister and he the little brother even though he was a year older than her. "Did you have a nice time?"

"Jessica you're not going to believe what I have," replied Tucker not really responding to her question. He was out of breath after running to her and he needed to take a couple more moments before he was even able to talk again. "I have something that's so amazing it's going to blow your mind." He was speaking so fast that Jessica was struggling to understand. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Wow calm down little man. When you talk that fast no one can understand you, now take a deep breath and tell me what's going on."

"Ok." He took a couple of deep breaths before he could begin to speak again. One thing he did quickly do was place the basket down on the ground. "While I was in Flea Bay I bought something that is so amazing that you'll need to prepare yourself for it." With some haste he unravelled the map and showed it to Jessica. He had a huge smile on his face but Jessica seemed to be unimpressed. "So what do you think?"

"It's a map of Angleland, forgive me for being rude but what's so impressive about that." He even gave it to her so that she could take a closer look. Even then she didn't see anything special.

"Ah my dear that is something that is going to blow you away. This is the map that will lead me to the fabled Three Man's treasure. Before you say anything I know that it only seems to lead towards Lake Town but that is only the first trial. After that it'll show me the way to the next trial and so on and so forth until I finally reach Three Man's treasure. Think about it, when I find the treasure we won't have any money troubles at all. You could stay at your full size and wear a dress completely made out of silk."

"You really think that this is the map to Three Man's treasure?" There was some scepticism in her voice as she didn't really believe that this was the genuine article.

"Well the guy at the store said it was."

"Oh Tucker you're a sweet little man but sometimes you can be so gullible." She rolled up the map and handed it back to him. "Just because someone says that it'll lead you to Three Man's treasure doesn't mean that it's true. To tell you the truth I think you've been conned out of your hard earned gold." She didn't like having to do this but she knew that it was best to tell him the truth.

"Even so I'm still going to take the chance." He had taken some of what she said into his mind but deep down he knew that no one was going to stop him from going. "Even it is fake it gives me a chance to go on a quest like I've always dreamed of. Facing dangers that you only hear in stories and even if there is only a small chance of me finding what I am searching for than it is still worth a shot. I know that you'll probably try and talk me out of it but my mind is already made up. On the morrow I will start my quest to find Three Man's Treasure and if I find it I promise to give you some of it. I have brought what you wanted from Flea Bay now if you don't mind I've got go and get myself ready, a world of adventure awaits for me."

Tucker turned around and went to walk away but the next thing he knew he saw a huge shadow and then a giant hand picked him up from the ground. He felt no fear as he found himself face to face with Jessica. She was only half her full size but even still she was a towering giantess. She had a small look of concern on her face as she looked at him and she knew that for the moment she needed to stop him.

"Wow hold your horses Tucker just take a moment to think about this for a moment," said Jessica with a gentle grip around her best friend. "Let's just say that it is a map to Three Man's treasure, going right now isn't going to do you any favours. Think about it logically Tucker, its mid-autumn right now and winter is just around the corner. If you start now you'll most likely freeze to death on the road before you make any progress. I know that nothing I can say will make you not go but at least wait until spring. It'll give you time prepare and in the warmer weather it'll make your quest that little bit more pleasant. Going off like this isn't going to do you any favours, so can you at least promise me that you'll wait."

"Ok fine," replied Tucker admitting defeat. He hated to think that he had to wait but he couldn't deny that there was a lot of sense in Jessica's words. "I'll wait but on the first day of spring I'm going to find the treasure."

"I expect that you will. And I'm coming with you."

"What?" This caught him by surprise. The thought never crossed his mind that Jessica would actually want to come along with him. "You actually want to come?"

"Sure, do you really think that I'd let my best friend go off into mortal danger without me there to help him? I know that you might not like to be defended by a girl but you have to admit that if I carry you the journey won't take as much time. And at least if you run into any serious trouble that you have me there to back you up."

"I don't know."

"Trust me Tucker you know that I would never let anyone or anything hurt you. You're the only friend I have in the world."

Tucker could see the sincerity in Jessica's eyes and he couldn't say no to her. There were too many benefits of having her come along with him for him to leave her behind. He thought that he would be able to deal with swordsmen and thieves by himself. But there were still other things that were too much for a single man to take care of himself so having a one hundred and twenty five foot giantess by his side was all he could hope for. He nodded his head at her to indicate that he accepted and she smiled back at him. Both were going to have an adventure that would last in their memories for the rest of their lives.

The last few weeks of autumn and the long months of winter seemed to pass over an eternity for Tucker Martel. He wanted nothing more than to begin the quest to find Three Man's treasure. When he told his family what he was planning on doing they were against it at first but when they found out that Jessica were to go with him they knew that he would be in safe hands. They knew how much the gentle giantess cared about him and that she wouldn't let anyone hurt him. She was also the one who seemed to have the most brains out of the two so at least she would know what she was doing.

At least for Tucker he would be able to fulfil his dream even though many people believed it to be a fool's errand. Some thought that he would most likely die on this quest and some of the villagers even hoped that Jessica died with him. At least then they thought that the threat of a giantess would be resolved even though she had never attacked anyone in the village. She had damaged a couple of buildings when she was younger but they had all been accidents.

Jessica had hoped that by waiting until spring would give Tucker time to think about what he was doing. She figured that he would probably decide that it was for the best to abandon the quest and continue his career as a blacksmith. Instead it seemed that Tucker was getting more and more determined with each passing day. He was getting himself more and more prepared for the quest. Not only was he practicing his swordplay on some dummies that he had clothed in old rusty armour. He was working harder as a blacksmith so that he could earn more money to make the quest that little bit easier. He was hoping to have enough money to be able to stay in inns and buy good quality food as he and Jessica went through the villagers and towns all the way towards the treasure. He even thought that he would most likely not be able to earn enough money for the pair to do all this the entire time so he figured that they would earn a little money along the way. He wasn't too sure what exactly he was going to do, bounty hunting seemed to be quite high on the list.

Jessica too was preparing herself for the quest as she realised that Tucker wasn't going to change his mind. Her parents were sad to know that she would be leaving them for an extended period of time. She was their only child and the thought of losing her was almost too much for them to comprehend. The fact that she was a giantess would certainly help her chances of coming home alive but there was always the risk that something unforeseen would happen to take their daughter to the other world where the dead lived forever.

Even the fact that Jessica was leaving was going to make an impact on the running of the Snape farm. Her giant size greatly benefitted the work since she could do feats that would take numerous strong men to complete. At her maximum size she could lift almost her own body weight which was several tons. The household did have a few extra gold coins to be able to hire a spare few hands while Jessica was gone. On the off chance that she and Tucker was successful it would mean that they would never have to worry about money again.

Many of the villagers were secretly celebrating the upcoming departure of the two. They saw Jessica as a possible threat and Tucker as a dreamer who needed a hard slap from reality. With them gone they thought that the village of Morgan would be a little more normal and not have to worry too much about having a freak and a fool living there.

The day soon came as it was the first day of spring and as promised Tucker was more than ready to leave on the quest. He had forged himself a pretty decent sword during the winter months that he had been practicing it almost as soon as it had finished cooling down. It was not the most well forged sword in Angleland but it was still good quality and would make a good sword for any knight. He had even decided to name it 'Juggernaut' because he thought that it was unstoppable. The armour that he had forged for himself was also well made and tailored to his body perfectly. He had forged himself a complete suit of armour but as he practiced in it he found it incredibly hard to move. Instead he decided to only wear a breast plate and a few pieces of armour to cover his arms and legs. This gave him a decent amount of protection while still allowing him the freedom of movement.

The first day of spring was a warm day where the birds were singing and the sun was shining down upon the land. There were a couple of black clouds in the sky but other than that the weather seemed to be perfect. It was a welcome relief to the dull and cold days of winter that her come before this day. The days were getting longer and warmer and in just a few short months people could finally bask in the warmth of summer.

For this day Tucker and Jessica were to set out on their quest to find the fabled Three Man's treasure. Their long weeks of planning and preparation were coming to ahead on this day, they were somewhat saddened about leaving but they would be going out on an adventure that many only dreamed out.

Jessica was able to produce some food to take along with them on this quest. She had been able to get it from her farm and it would at least last them for a short time before they had to start buying their own food or picking fruit from trees. She only ate and drank at her minimal size along with other activates. One activity that she could only perform at her full size was bathing since this involved removing her dress. The moment that she removed her dress she would grow back to her maximum size and no conventional bath could possibly contain someone like her. Thankfully there was a small lake that was located just outside of Morgan that she would bathe in. She hoped that there would be plenty of more lakes for her to bathe in along the way. She didn't like the thought of going through the entire quest without bathing at all.

Tucker was the one who would be carrying the map which he would keep in a satchel that he kept on his back. Jessica had given him a red cloak that had been an old blanket of hers. She had made it into a cloak for him so that he could feel like a true knight. It was something that Tucker would treasure for the rest of these days, things like that couldn't be bought with money and so was another reason that the two were so close.

The last thing that Jessica and Tucker did before departing was saying goodbye to their families. The Martels were somewhat sad to see Tucker leaving but they knew that he was following his dream and all they could do was show their support to him. The Snapes were very saddened to see their daughter leaving and there were some tears and hugs as Jessica gave her parents a giant size hug before departing. She promised to somehow send them word how they were getting on. She told them that she was a big girl now and more than capable of taking care of herself.

By dawn Jessica and Tucker had met on the outskirts of Morgan. Before they even thought about disembarking on the first leg of their quest they double checked that they had everything that they needed. As soon as they were sure Jessica grew to her maximum size and picked up her seemingly tiny best friend. She placed him on her shoulder and wrapped a few strands of her hair around his body so that he couldn't fall. He was used to being picked up by her, she had been able to do this as long as he could remember and never once did she hurt him while he was in her grasp.

With Tucker secured on her shoulder Jessica took the first step on their quest. Along with map Tucker was also bringing along a compass that would be invaluable in helping them find their way using the map. For the first part of their quest they were having to travel South West towards the settlement of Lake Town where the first trial was located. Even at Jessica's maximum size it would still take several days for them to reach Lake Town. Their food would hold up until then and they just hoped that there would be a few inns along the way that they could stay in.

"So I guess this is it," said Tucker as he could feel Jessica taking her footsteps towards Lake Town. He was feeling mixed emotions as he was overjoyed to finally be going on the quest, but another part of him was nervous. "We either return home the richest people in Angleland or return with nothing to show for our efforts."

"Hopefully we'll come home rich and not have too many scars on our bodies," replied Jessica in a pleasant voice. She was trying to be as upbeat as she could, she was somewhat nervous about this quest but as long as Tucker was going she would go with him purely to make sure that he was safe.

"Nah I want scars, all knights have some kind of scars from their time in battle. And besides women love scars, shows a man is tough and that he can take care of himself."

"Or than the man is easy to beat. Scars aren't what make you tough, it is somewhat how you perform in battle but it is mainly all the mind."

"I guess you're right there but I want some action. Juggernaut hasn't seen any real action yet."

"Juggernaut?" She had not heard him mention this word before and at first she thought that he was talking about her.

"Yep Juggernaut is what I've called my sword. Once it is drawn it is unstoppable, I've made sure of that."

"It's not the sword that's unstoppable but the man wielding it. I know that you've been practicing for hours with your swordplay but just remember that it is not the sword that makes the man but the man who makes the sword."

Tucker could see much sense in Jessica's words. It was obvious to him that not only was she the biggest and strongest out of the two she was also the most intelligent. Tucker himself was not stupid by any means but his best friend Jessica was just more intelligent than he was. He didn't mind this too much and he somewhat wondered what he could bring to the quest if she had both brains and brawn. He somewhat felt like he wasn't going to be much use because anything they came up again Jessica would most likely be able to deal with it with relative ease. He had seen in the past when a couple of men were giving her some grief so she flicked them away as if they were insects.

The only time that Tucker had ever seen Jessica really get mad was when one of the older boys had been picking on Tucker when he was younger. The boy had knocked Tucker to the ground and given him a black eye. He thought that he was a goner but Jessica's hand reached down and picked up the boy. She shouted at him so loud that the boy had begun to cry out of sheer terror from the angry giantess. She had not hurt him but the boy had not been the same since, even today whenever he saw Jessica he would flee in terror of her. But straight after Jessica had dealt with the boy she had turned her attentions back to Tucker but rather than being a terrifying giantess she was the sweet and loving person that she truly was. She even took him away so that she could try and make him better, she accidentally bandaged him up so much that he could hardly move. He was not angry at her for doing this, it just showed that she truly cared about him. It seemed that the vast majority of the time she was kind and gentle giantess but if anyone were to threaten or harm him she would show them almost no mercy. She was still fully in control of herself during this time and he doubted that she would seriously harm them but she would certainly let them know how upset she was.

The trek down to Lake Town was going to take a few days even at Jessica's full size. Tucker expected them to have some kind of action more or less as soon as they left Morgan but for the first several hours there was nothing. It was all just miles and miles of nothingness as Tucker could see seas of green fields stretching as far as the eye could see. Every now and again he could see a small village out over the horizon but other than that there was nothing to really grab his attention.

"By the gods this is boring," said Tucker as he continued to look out over the horizon. Most people would marvel over this sight but for Tucker he had seen many times before as he had sat on Jessica on more than one occasion. This sight was nothing new to him. "I want to see some action and yet all I can see nothing. I thought by going out on a quest I'd be fighting goblins and bandits."

"You're so naïve Tucker," replied Jessica with a slight girlish giggle. "You can't expect to be in a fight as soon as you leave Morgan. You've left there a few times over the years and have you ever encountered anyone who you needed to defend yourself against?"

"Well no." He knew that Jessica was once again going to state something that would be obvious to most but in his excitement had forgotten.

"Then just because you're going out on a quest doesn't mean that a thousand bad guys are going to jump on you just like that. Of course quests have excitement in them but the vast majority of the time quests involve walking and that's it. I'm sure that eventually something will happen that'll be worthy of a story but for now this is just the boring part."

"They don't mention that in the stories."

"Of course not, then most of the story would just be the hero walking. A story isn't gonna interest people if the majority of it is just the hero walking, so they just cut that bit out and get to the exciting parts. Or else a story can last for hours rather than just being a few minutes with most of it being a borefest."

"I guess you're right, I just had my expectations high."

"It's fine to have expectations Tucker but don't get them too high. You might want action now but eventually you might get sick of it and be thankful for these periods of nothingness. Besides if you really want some action you can always fight me."

"No I think I'm fine thanks." Tucker could remember the last time he had a play fight with Jessica when she was her full size. It was safe to say that she had physically overwhelmed him in more ways than any man would like to admit.

"I didn't think so." She felt something inside her body and it was a familiar feeling that she had a couple of times a day which was common in every person on the planet. "Oh dear nature calls."

Quickly Jessica unwrapped the hair around Tucker and placed him on the ground. No sooner had she done this she shrank down to her minimum size and stepped off the path. Tucker sat on a relatively large rock while he waited for Jessica's return. He drew out Juggernaut and began to look at it, he thought that he had done a good job in forging it. He even stood up and began to swing it in a sense of him practicing. He pretended that he was some kind of great knight and he still had the words 'Sir Tucker Martel' repeating over and over again in his head. It was a nice little fantasy that he had in his head that he was hoping to make into a reality at some point.

Tucker was so lost in his own little fantasy world that he didn't notice Jessica walking back up to him. She could see him waving his sword as if he was fighting an invisible opponent. Rather than disturbing him she just stood there and watched him with her arms cross and a small smile on her face. He hadn't noticed her even though at her smallest size she was still a towering amazon.

This lasted for a few more minutes before Jessica grew back up to her full size and her shadow looming over Tucker was his first indication that she was waiting for him. As soon as he saw the shadow he turned around and looked up at her. She still looked down at him and to him she completely blocked out the sun that was above her.

"You sure took your time," said Tucker as he sheathed Juggernaut. "I was beginning to worry."

"Oh I've been done for a while, I've just been waiting for you," replied Jessica. "I must say when you pretend to be a great knight you're so adorable."

"Hey knights aren't supposed to be adorable, we're supposed to be brave men with honour. To protect the weak and serve the king. And one day I will be amongst their ranks and everyone will call me Sir Tucker Martel." He struck a dramatic pose to show that he genuinely thought that this might happen. "You have to admit that it has a nice ring to it, come on just say it, 'Sir Tucker Martel.' All the women will want to be with a knight of the realm and I might have to use Juggernaut to please them and I don't mean the sword." He laughed at this little joke but Jessica didn't seem to be impressed. She just stood there and shook her head at him.

"You are one strange little man." She bent down and gently picked him up. "But I guess that you're my strange little man." She once again placed him on her shoulder and wrapped some hair around him for protection. To him her hair felt like silk and he could feel how comfortable it as when it was wrapped around his body. He always felt safe when he was with her, the knowledge that she would never harm him was at the forefront of his mind whenever they were together. Many people who had come across her would always have some amount of fear of her no matter how many times she claimed to be a gentle giantess. He and her family were the only ones who had absolutely no fear of her. "Now shall we continue or do you want me to turn around and return to Morgan?"

"This got the expected response from Tucker so Jessica continued to walk on towards Lake Town. The map that Tucker had purchased indicated that the first trial was located just outside of the town. They would probably go to Lake Town itself first and buy anything that they needed before they undertook the first challenge.

As Jessica continued to walk she felt very happy that she was going to have this life experience with her best friend. She remembered when she was a little girl that she had wanted to play with other children in the village but they were all afraid of her. She was a towering giantess who was growing like a weed and she couldn't help but terrify them. She remembered sitting by the lake that was right next Morgan. She was there crying and feeling sorry for herself, she thought that she would never have a friend in the world.

That all changed when Tucker Martel came up to her and asked her why she was crying, he was just a boy back then who didn't know that there were any dangers in approaching a giantess. In truth there were no dangers and he showed no fear towards her even when he didn't know her. In almost an instant Jessica forgot what had made her so sad and began to talk to him, he treated her as if she was a normal person rather than a freak. It made her feel like she wasn't a giantess but a normal girl. The pair had been inseparable ever since as Jessica knew that she had finally gotten herself a friend and she would stand by his side no matter what happened.

Even though it was spring the weather was still somewhat temperamental. One minute there could be a glorious sunshine and the next there was a downpour which could soak anyone who was unfortunate to get in its way. On their first night on the road it was raining and unfortunately Jessica and Tucker were too far away from a village to be able to stay at an inn so they had to sleep out in the wilderness for this night.

They were able to find a spot underneath a thick oak tree that helped to soak up the rainwater before it reached the ground. It was not completely dry but it was much drier than being out in the open. The temperature was also not too high either but they had come prepared for this as they also had blankets that could keep them warm. It was not the most ideal way of sleeping but they vowed that the next night they would try to find an inn before they settled down to sleep.

An additional method of keeping each other warm was that Tucker and Jessica would sleep very close to each other and their body heat would keep each other warm. It felt a little odd for Tucker to be lying down next to someone that he saw more as a friend rather than a lover. He didn't want to try anything with her, he respected her too much and he knew that she probably wouldn't like it one bit.

It was also funny to feel that Tucker was about to sleep with someone who was so much bigger than him. He had slept with other women in the past and they had all been smaller than him, Jessica was obviously much taller than the women that Tucker had slept with. It almost felt like a role reversal for him but this time there was no hanky-panky going on so to speak.

For Jessica it was easy for her to sleep since the walk had taken quite a bit of energy out of her. It was only minutes after putting her head down that she fell to sleep. Subconsciously while she slept her arms seemed to wrap around Tucker and she brought him close to her body. At first Tucker wanted to break free from the hug but she was too strong for him and a part of him didn't want to hug to end. He was in no danger and he still felt very safe in her arms. He looked up to her face and could see a smile. She was completely knocked out but she seemed to be enjoying having Tucker in her arms. She even rubbed her face a little into the top of his head and it was almost like she was holding a teddy bear.

Tucker was feeling more comfortable being in the arms of Jessica. Her body heat was keeping him warm and her softness was also making him more comfortable. He had removed his armour and Juggernaut so that he would have an easier time sleeping although at first there had been a small rock that was digging into his side. They were a short distance from the road so he hoped that no one would disturb them where they were. And after several minutes of being in Jessica's arms Tucker finally fell asleep.

As Tucker slept he could feel something in his mind, something that he had never felt before. It felt like he had felt a great sadness for years and then he was greeted with overwhelming happiness. He had no idea how this could be, in his life he had never been truly sad although now he was very happy due to the fact that he was going on the quest of his dreams. He could almost see himself standing on top of a mountain made entirely of gold with gold coins as far as the eye could see. The armour that he wore was also made out of gold along with his blade. The sun was shining down upon him and it gleamed on the armour that he was wearing and he felt like he was truly one of the greatest knights that the realm had ever seen.

Suddenly he began to hear his name being called and at first it sounded very distant so he ignored it and continued to pose on top of this mountain. As the moments went by the noise was becoming louder and louder. It wasn't until it sounded like it was coming right near his ear until he responded. The endless sea of gold seemed to disappear and his world went into darkness as he woke up.

As reality began to rush back to him he could see Jessica looking down upon him. Her beautiful face was certainly a welcome sight for any man when they woke up but he was still feeling tired. The sun was shining and the rain had seemed to subside for the moment. She had a somewhat concerned look on her face and she had been worried about him. She had been up for around an hour and had gathered eaten a small amount of the food that they had brought and she was beginning to worry that he wouldn't wake up. Even she admitted that it was a silly fear but with how much she cared about Tucker anything she even felt being abnormal always worried her when he was involved.

"Tucker," said Jessica as she looked down at him. She was sitting up right next to him and she was looking at him with a large hazel eyes.

"W-what is it?" replied Tucker not yet fully awake.

"I began to make you breakfast and if you don't get up we'll lose valuable daylight. I'm sorry to have to wake you up like this but if we're going to do this quest you have to wake up early every morning and get going more or less at the crack of dawn."

"Every morning?" This didn't seem to bold well for Tucker. He had difficulty getting up the previous morning for the quest and now the thought of it happening every day was something that he wasn't particularly looking forward. If he knew Jessica like he did she would make sure that he was awake early every morning. It was not the first time that he had set himself a task and she made sure that he completed it.

"Yep every morning, now I suggest you get up and have your breakfast before we lose more daylight." She gave him a smile. "I made your favourite anyway and if you don't hurry up I might have to give it to the badgers."

In Tucker's mind that would probably be for the best. Jessica was the strongest person that he knew and the kindest, but one thing she wasn't very good at was cooking. She tried her best when it came to cooking but it seemed that no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't get everything right. Once he had eaten a meal that she had prepared for him and he was sick for the next three days.

Rather than declining her Tucker accepted the food that she was making for him. He knew that it would make her happy and if he flat out refused he knew that it would hurt her feelings and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her. Not because he was afraid of her but because he always hated seeing his best friend upset.

An hour later Jessica and Tucker were on their way again on their quest, the breakfast that Jessica had made was barely edible and he was feeling a little sick but he was able to keep it down and tell her that it was the best breakfast that he had ever had. Somehow Jessica could sense that he was lying to her, she didn't know how but something inside her was telling her that Tucker was telling her a white lie. She would have called him out on this but since she knew that he wanted to spare her feelings she didn't make a fuss about it.

The hours of walking were once again utterly boring for Tucker, he had expected every day of the quest to be fun and adventurous but after finding out that the majority of it would probably just be boring he began to wonder if he should have left Morgan. He didn't want to turn back so soon after leaving because people would think less of him for giving up so soon after starting out.

The seemingly boring walk was broken when both Jessica and Tucker could hear a scream. Tucker was the first to hear it and he told Jessica, for the moment she had not heard anything but when they both heard it again they realised that they weren't just hearing things. There was someone in trouble and although Jessica couldn't see where the screamer was she could hear her. The person screaming definitely sounded like a woman and without giving it a second thought Jessica began to move quickly towards where the scream was coming from.

Only a short distance away a peasant woman was back away from a hungry looking black bear. It was growling at her as it moved towards her and she had gotten herself trapped between it and a small rock formation. She had no time to try and climb over it and she screamed thinking that her life was about to come to an end. She was a young woman herself and she thought that she was about to die.

The bear continued to growl at her as it snarled at her. As soon as it was only a couple of metres away from her it reared up onto its hind legs as the peasant woman had her back to the rocks. It was about to slash her until both of them could feel a shudder in the ground, instantly the bear stopped snarling and fell silent. The tremors were getting louder and it felt like they were footsteps rather than actually earthquakes.

It was only a few moments later when Jessica came into view as she stepped over the small trees entered the open area where all the drama was taking place. Both the bear and the peasant woman looked up at the towering giantess before them and both cowered in fear of her. She squatted down at and looked at the pair of them before focusing on the bear that was still standing on its hind legs. She nudged it with her hand and instantly it began to run back from wench it came and it seemed that the danger had passed.

Now that the bear was gone Jessica looked at the peasant woman and she gave the terrified woman a pleasant smile. Tucker even waved at her from Jessica's shoulder to try and help the situation as much as he could. In truth protecting a maiden from a bear was the perfect starting point to becoming a true knight, Jessica for the moment had taken this opportunity from him but he knew that there would be many more opportunities to prove his valour and sword skills.

"Are you alright now?" asked Jessica as she smiled down at the Peasant woman. But for the next several moments there was nothing but silence.

The woman stared up at Jessica and although the gentle giantess was smiling down at her she could feel wave after wave of terror overcome her body. She was far more terrified of the giantess looking down at her than she ever was of the bear that had just tried to kill her. She had never seen anyone like Jessica ever in her life and the first thing that came into her mind was not a saviour but a monster.

Almost instantly the woman began to run away from Jessica and despite the gentle giantess's protest the woman continued to run and Jessica didn't want to go after her. This was far from the first time that she had this reaction and it wasn't going to be the last. She gave out a small sigh as she watched the woman continue to run. She had intended to scare the bear but never the woman.

"I don't know why I bother sometimes," said Jessica with some depression in her voice. She sat down for the moment of the clear ground in front of her. She didn't want to admit just how much it hurt her the way that people reacted to her. "I try and help people wherever I can and they still call me a monster." She leaned her chin into her hand. "Sometimes I think that I should abandon them to their fate."

"Oh come on Jessica don't feel like that," replied Tucker rubbing his hand against the warm cheek of his best friend. "If you had let her die I know that you would have felt a lot worse about yourself. People are just narrow-minded and they can't see the person that you are inside." He was trying to reassure her as best as he could. For the moment he thought that it was all that he was good for. "Remember what your parents said to you. It is not what's on the outside that makes someone a monster but what's on the inside. One day everyone in Angleland will know that you're a heroine and not a monster. Besides you're too damn pretty to be a monster."

"Thanks Tucker." She was able to turn her head enough to give him a little kiss. It was not a romantic kiss but one of friendship. "You don't know how much that means to me." She gave him a little smile even though there was a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Now shall we continue on or will I have to fly on the back of a dragon?" He had sometimes fantasied about riding a dragon but in truth that was impossible. Many dragons were too dangerous to fly and the ones that weren't were too small to ride.

"Sure thing little guy." Slowly Jessica rose back up to her feet. Normally after being called a monster like this she would instinctively shrink to her smallest size so that she didn't seem to be as much of a threat. Since they still had a quest to continue on with they couldn't shrink herself. "As long as I have you by my side I feel like I can withstand anything. You're a living, breathing reminder that not all people are bad."

"Well I do have my moments."

This caused Jessica to laugh a little and for the moment she forgot about what had upset her in the first place. It was even told in Angleland that laughter was the best remedy to almost any sickness. This was one way that Tucker made himself feel a little more useful in this quest. He planned to show the entire land his soon to be greatness. He could see himself fighting foes twice his size and bringing them down to their knees. He wondered if he would truly have the opportunity to do this or if like with the bear Jessica would just deal with any opponent that they came across.

It was not until the third day of their quest until they saw Lake Town itself over the horizon. The last couple of days had been relatively uneventful although Tucker had tested his skills with Juggernaut when it came to dealing with a wolf. Jessica had allowed him to fend the wolf off himself but she was watching over him ready to intervene if he began to get into trouble. In his mind it was nice to know that she was there to help him if he needed it but it also made him feel that he had a safety net and when it came to swordplay it did more damage than good. Since he knew that he had someone watching over him he didn't need to be as careful as he should.

One thing that was between the pair and Lake Town was the enormous lake itself in which the town had gotten its name from. It was simply called Lake Rock and was easily the largest lake in Angleland. It was the source of a few different myths and legends over the centuries and the most popular was that there was some kind of monster living in the lake even though there had been no official sittings of this so called creature. Lake Town itself was on the far end of Lake Rock and it would only take a short time for Jessica to walk to the town at her full height. However they had already decided that about two or three miles outside of town Jessica would shrink in size and they would travel the rest of the way like that. It was so that there was less chance of their being panic in the town when they arrived. It had happened to her a couple of times and Jessica didn't want to repeat it again. She wanted to seem as normal as possible.

But rather than stepping into town straight away Jessica instead began to step towards Lake Rock itself. Tucker was still sitting on her shoulder and for the moment he had no idea what she was doing, to his knowledge they were going straight to Lake Town so that they could rest up before finding their way to the first trial. He could hear Jessica humming and he had to admit that her voice was somewhat soothing.

"Jessica what are you doing?" asked Tucker as he saw Jessica stepping closer and closer to the lake bank.

"I haven't had a bath since we left Morgan and between you and me I really don't want to smell," replied Jessica with a smile. "And if you have any sense in that head of yours you'll do the same as well."

"Hey knights don't need to bathe, all we do is protect the weak and greater our skills with a blade."

"Maybe in fantasy land but even knights need to bathe on a regular basis and I'm not going to keep carrying you around if you smell." By now she had reached the banks of Lake Rock and she stopped herself from walking into the lake itself. "You can either bathe yourself or I'll bathe you instead."

Tucker couldn't say anything to try and prove his case. He knew that when it came to matters like this Jessica had a very strict policy. His best intentions were in her mind but even so he wasn't looking forward towards it. Tucker did feel Jessica unwrap her hair around him and place him on the ground. No sooner had she placed her best friend on the ground she began to undress herself.

Tucker wasn't sure whether he should be seeing Jessica undress herself as she undid the buttons on the back of her dress. Within seconds Jessica's dress dropped down to the ground revealing her naked body for all the world to see. She didn't mind Tucker looking at her naked body, there were no secrets between them and she felt perfectly comfortable allowing him to see her. He tried to avert his eyes from her body but she just looked down and smiled at him.

"It's alright Tucker," said Jessica as she stepped into the cool water after taking off her shoes. "You're my best friend and you don't have to look away. I trust you completely and it's not like you haven't seen me naked before."

With that Tucker with some reluctance uncovered his eyes so that he could see Jessica in all of her glory and he couldn't help but marvel over her body. Not only its sheer size but also its beauty. She had a slim build and her breast size seemed to suit her perfectly for her body. Her legs were long and elegant, they made up just over half of her overall height. He could see some of the tones of her muscles that she had been able to build thanks to her years of work on her family farm. He could not see her bare feet in the water but he knew that they too were elegant and their size seemed to be irrelevant. With such beautiful figures Tucker couldn't work out how anyone could think that she was a monster.

He stood there and watched as Jessica stepped further into the cool water. Without her dress she couldn't shrink herself so she was stuck had her full size. It almost seemed natural for her to be this size in his mind. The dress was almost like a cage that was keeping her true form from revealing itself. He didn't care how big or small she was, in the end she was his best friend and nothing would be able to change that.

Tucker saw Jessica look back at him when the water level was up to her hips. She had heard that the lake was a couple of hundred feet deep in places and she saw it as a great opportunity to take a swim. This was something that she wasn't able to do very often since the lakes near Morgan were much too shallow for her to swim.

Jessica leaned forwards and allowed her body to slip into the water and she began to swim out closer to the centre of the lake. Tucker could only watch as the majestic figure of his best friend disappeared below the water and he wondered what it was like to be her. A being with an incredibly powerful body and yet such a gentle soul. He rarely ever saw her get angry and it was almost like she was a goddess herself.

Below the water Jessica's vision was somewhat limited but even so she could see fish beneath the water. Most of them began to swim away as soon as they saw her and she saw some that were considered to be big but in comparison to her they were nothing more than goldfish.

In this world Jessica felt more at home, although it was greatly inconvenient for many aspects of her life she felt truly like herself when she was at her full size. She loved being large and would only shrink herself so that she could feel somewhat normal and make people a little more comfortable. If people accepted her as a giantess she would stay at her full size the vast majority of the time. Instead she had been keeping herself small so that people were not as uncomfortable to be around her. True even at her smallest size she towered everyone by at least a foot but even so it was still some way of being normal in their eyes.

Jessica even swam to the very bottom of the lake and down there she could see the wrecks of a few fishing boats that had been unfortunate enough to have sunk. She wondered if the legend of the monster of Lake Rock was true, even if it was she thought that she was big enough to deal with practically anything that came her way. She even brushed her hand next to one of the wrecks and it seemed to break up.

Despite her size even Jessica needed oxygen and what was left in her lungs was beginning to run out. She quickly swam up to the surface and her head broke out of the water and she took a deep breath. Tucker could see her from the shore and he had been getting worried about her. She had been under the water for a few minutes and he was beginning to think that she had drowned. Seeing her coming up to the surface was a great relief and seeing her come up reminded him much of a whale.

He had decided that Jessica was right that he needed to bathe as well. One by one he took off his clothing and armour. One of the last things that he took off was the holster that was holding Juggernaut. As long as he had Juggernaut by his side he didn't truly feel naked. He had heard a tale how one brave knight had entered into battle with no clothing on whatsoever and all he had was his sword. He couldn't remember why the knight didn't have his clothes but it showed that as long as a knight still had his sword he was still a knight.

When Tucker was finally naked he stepped into the water and quickly got out after he realised just how cold it was. He couldn't believe that Jessica could even stand being in water this cold. He was just about to put his clothes back on when he saw Jessica coming towards him. She was slowly walking out of the water and she smiled down at him when she saw that he was naked. She could see that his body was still dry and she was a little disappointed to see that he was about to put his clothes back on. She knew to get him clean she would have to take matters into her own hands.

"Tucker what are you doing?" asked Jessica as she was nearly at the bank. She was smiling down at him and was doing nothing to try and cover her naked body.

"That water's too bloody cold," replied Tucker as he was just about to put his clothing back on. "You might not have felt it but to me it was like ice."

"Oh come on don't be such a big baby." She bent down and picked him up before he could grab any of his clothing. This had taken him by surprise and he began to somewhat struggle, he knew that it was in vain since he knew that he couldn't escape. "The sooner you get into the water, the sooner it'll be over with. It might seem cold now but after you get in you'll see that it's not so bad."

"Hey put me down!" He was trapped in her hand and he saw her turn around and walk back into the water. "I mean it Jessica I don't want to go in the lake."

"And I'm not carrying you around if you smell. You'll have to spend the entire quest in my pocket and you won't be able to see the sunshine or feel the breeze on your face. Besides a clean knight is a happy knight."

Tucker continued to protest as Jessica continued to walk into the water and when it was up to her crotch she gently began to lower Tucker into the water. He was grabbing onto her hand and trying to crawl up her arm but the grip that she had around him was too tight for him to escape. It was not tight enough to give him any discomfort, just to prevent him from escaping.

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you," said Jessica as Tucker was only a couple of metres above the water.

"Please Jessica it's too cold," replied Tucker trying one final time to convince his friend that he didn't want to go in the water.

"Nonsense little man the water is fine."

With that Jessica lowered Tucker into the water and he was shocked at first by the coolness of the water. It was almost like he was being surrounded by ice and he wanted to get out but Jessica still held him there. The water itself at this point was just over sixty feet deep and although he could swim he didn't think that he would get all that far.

After the initial shock of the coldness of the water Tucker had to admit that it wasn't all that bad. It was still colder than he would have liked but it wasn't as bad as he thought it was and at least he could look up at the loving face of Jessica. She also tipped some water over his head so that he could start bathing himself. She contemplated bathing him but she thought that he might see this as being belittling.

"See it's not so bad," said Jessica as she looked down at Tucker. Her pleasant face was more than enough to calm even the most aggressive man. "There was no need to make a scene like that."

"Believe me you don't know what I'd do to make a scene. Besides how can I make a scene when I have you here like this?"

"I guess so, now you better start bathing, I'm getting hungry but I am enjoying having you in my hand like this."

Tucker continued to bathe in the lake and he rubbed the water onto his body. Jessica didn't have a grip on him anymore and instead he was sitting on her hand which was below the water line. She wouldn't let anyone hurt him and all the fish in the lake were too scared of her to try and attack Tucker. There were a couple that could be considered to be man-eaters but none of them were a threat as long as Jessica was here.

It only took a few minutes for Tucker to complete his bathing and as soon as he was finished Jessica lifted him out of the water and she brought him close to her eyes so that she could inspect him of sorts. She wanted to make sure that he was clean and she even wanted to admire his naked body. She could see his penis and although it was not the first time that she had seen it she always liked it. She thought that Tucker was a very handsome man and unlike most other men that she had met he wasn't afraid of her.

"Ok you look clean now," said Jessica with a smile. "Don't you feel refreshed now after taking such a well needed bath?"

"I feel cold," replied Tucker as he rubbed his arms. He wasn't shivering but he still felt colder than he really should be.

"Don't worry about that. You can get put your clothes back on. Well right after you've dried yourself off of course."

Over the next couple of minutes Jessica stepped out of the water and began dry him off by gently rubbing him down with a little part of her dress. She was still naked herself but it was only a small part of her dress that was going to get wet to dry him off so she didn't mind all that much. But as soon as Tucker was dry Jessica put her dress back on and allowed him to dress himself. After that they were more or less ready to carry on but rather than Jessica carrying Tucker she shrank herself down to her minimum size, this was no surprise to him and they carried on with their walk to Lake Town.

Tucker felt a little uncomfortable with the way that Jessica had handled him. He knew that she didn't mean to make him uncomfortable and that she had a heart of gold. For now he would keep this to himself and probably tell her at some point. He did feel safe in her hand and he took comfort in the knowledge that she would never harm him.

The walk into Lake Town itself took just a little over an hour and when they arrived they could see many people in the streets going about their usual business. None had seen Jessica at her maximum size coming towards the town so there was no panic at all. The only thing that many of the townspeople noticed was that she was much taller than everyone else and some even thought that she was wearing stilts. One boy even walked up to Jessica and kicked her in the leg, when he realised that she was indeed extremely tall he ran away.

She didn't seem to mind too much about what the boy had done, he had been young and she accepted that he most likely didn't know any better. In truth it was better than the welcome that she was expecting. She thought that many of the people would probably have started running away from her but she was glad to see that none of them really took all that much notice of her.

There was even a small market in Lake Town and it was bustling with activity. Although it was not as big as the one in Flea Bay it was still large enough for Tucker and Jessica to get almost anything they wanted. Jessica could even see one store that sold dresses but she severely doubted that they would have one in her size.

"Hey you up there," said a voice that caught Jessica by surprise. She looked down and saw a little old woman right by a store that seemed to be selling pieces of jewellery amongst other items. Jessica and Tucker had been walking past it and she had taken an eye to Jessica. The towering woman looked down at the much smaller, older woman who was only around four and a half feet tall herself. "You're such a pretty girl and so tall too. I bet you have to beat the boys away with a stick."

"Why thank you," replied Jessica trying to be nice. She always liked it when someone called her pretty but she didn't like to be reminded that she was tall.

"And I have the perfect item to make you truly a sight to behold." Quickly the old woman picked out a golden necklace that looked to be expensive. The gold on it seemed to glitter in the afternoon sun and Jessica even had to admit that it looked beautiful. "This was forged in the Prime Islands and if you were to wear it you would truly be the most beautiful woman in all the land. You certainly are the tallest at least."

"I'm sorry but I can't afford to buy anything." She tried to give the old woman a smile to show that she wasn't going to buy anything. "All the money I have has to last me a long time and I can only buy it on essentials."

"Oh this isn't for sale. I only reserve this item for the most pretty of individuals and you are by far the prettiest girl that I've seen. You must take it and wear it wherever you go so that people can see your true beauty." She held out the necklace and wanted to put it over Jessica's neck but the height difference was too extreme for her to even make a slight attempt. "Would you be a dear and bend down for me? I am not as tall as I used to be and you are a truly a giant amongst humans."

Jessica did bow down like she was asked and the woman slipped the necklace around her neck. As soon as it was fastened she stood up to her full height again and she couldn't believe that she had just been given a free necklace. From the weight of it she thought that it must have been very expensive. She didn't know if the gold was real or not but even so she had to admit that it looked good on her.

Tucker stood there and looked at the necklace around Jessica's neck. He admitted that it suited her and he knew that she had wanted a necklace but her family had not been able to afford one for her. She never held it against them but seeing her with the necklace made him feel happier. He was a little tired from the walking and wanted to find an inn soon so that the pair could rest up and continue their quest in the morning. He had thought about finding the first trial today but in a few short hours it would be night and would make things too difficult to perform safely. It also gave him and Jessica time to rest up before they left.

"I don't know what to say," said Jessica as she began to feel the necklace in her hand. "Is there nothing I can do in return?"

"There is one thing that you can do for me," replied the old woman. "I would like you to seek the Lord of July and send him a message for me." Underneath a box on the store was a letter enclosed in an envelope. The old woman picked this out and passed it up to Jessica. "Take this to him but there can be no peeking."

"I will do as you have asked me." She gave the old woman a smile as she put the letter in one of her pockets.

"Good, I hope that you have a pleasant journey."

Tucker didn't like the idea of travelling to July. It was one of the main cities located in the Summer Lands that was a couple of hundred miles to the south. In the Summer Lands it was warm there even in the bleakest of winters. In the summer it was considered to be a tropical paradise by many. He admitted that it was somewhere that he would love to visit but he wanted to continue on with the quest and find Three Man's treasure. Then he would go there as the richest man in Angleland rather than a knight.

He thought that it was probably for the best to skip July and continue on with the quest no matter which direction that it took them. But he knew that Jessica wouldn't allow herself to go back on her word. One thing that he did respect about her was that when she said that she would be doing something she would do it. She was a woman of her word and he knew that she wouldn't break it.

The next place that Tucker and Jessica went to was an Inn located at the far end of the town. It was called 'The Silver Fish' and was popular with locals and travellers alike. Unfortunately for Jessica and Tucker there was only one room available and it had one double size bed. The others were all occupied but Jessica didn't mind sleeping in the same bed as Tucker. At least they would be sleeping indoors rather than in the open like the past few nights.

One thing that did annoy Jessica about the inn was that it had low beams. Several times she had to duck to get under these beams and at one point she smacked her forehead off a beam that she had missed. This caused her some annoyance but in her mind it was better than being too tall to fit in the inn itself.

By the time Jessica and Tucker had put their personal effects in the room that night had fallen on the town. And they decided to go down stairs to where people were singing and drinking to their hearts content. There were many men down here who could be called undesirables but they were drinking at their own tables and they didn't seem to want to bother anyone.

Heads did turn when Jessica entered the tavern as they couldn't get over her height. The ceiling was too low for her to stand up straight but there was still plenty of places for them to sit down. Tucker ordered in some ale and brought it to the table where Jessica had sat down at. Even at her minimum size a pint of ale wasn't all that much to drink for her, one advantage of being big was that she could drink many, many pints of ale and not get drunk at all. Tucker on the other hand found it harder to hold his ale and quite a lot of the time he could get drunk on what seemed to be a small amount of ale.

Even though Tucker had placed most of his belongings in the room he kept Juggernaut by his side. He knew that a knight should never be without his sword and with the large amount of undesirables in the tavern he wanted to be sure that he had a decent amount of security by his side.

The inside tavern it was a warm atmosphere with a great fire burning in one of the corners. There were men drinking and singing songs of fair maids and of brave men. Tucker noticed that quite a few of these men had scars on their faces indicating that they had been in sword fights. Many had swords as well hanging from their belts and they looked to be more than capable when it came to using them.

One such individual seemed to walk up to their table without an invitation. The man who approached them was a tall, muscular man with long dark hair and a long beard. He wore what looked to be leather armour and he had a long sword in a carrier strapped to his back. It was obvious to both Jessica and Tucker that he wanted something from them and they seemed to wait for the few seconds that it took for the man to come over to them. When he was close enough instead of standing near the middle of the table he was standing right next to where Jessica was sitting. He gave her a smile revealing his yellow teeth and spaces where he had once had teeth. It was somewhat unnerving to see someone like this and Jessica at first tried to ignore him but his presence was too unnerving for him to be ignored.

"Can we help you at all?" asked Jessica with some curiosity in her voice.

"I believe you can my dear," replied the man. "How about you ditch this skinny bag of bones and hook up with a real man like me. I like my women big and you are by far the biggest woman that I have ever had the pleasure to see. You're taller than even the tallest man I've ever seen and although I might seem small compared to you I assure you I more than make up for it where it really counts."

"No thank you." She tried to be polite so not to completely disrespect him. "I'm sure that there are other women who might be interested though."

"Oh you seem to have misunderstood me, that was not a request."

"And I still have to respectfully decline. You're not my type and besides I only date men who are taller than me." This was a lie but she hoped that it would be enough to make him get the message that she wasn't interested.

"Bullshit little lady, no woman has ever turned me down and I'm not going to let it start now."

"The lady said that's she's not interested," said Tucker looking confident but in reality he was very nervous. "Now why don't you back away and we pretend that none of this ever happened."

Suddenly the entire tavern went deadly quiet as everyone realised what was happening. Almost every person in the Tavern was looking towards the table that Tucker and Jessica were sitting at. They couldn't believe that someone had just told that man to back away. It was obvious to them that the two travellers had no idea who they were talking to and all they could do was wait and see what happened next.

The long silence seemed to last an eternity as the man glared at Tucker. Never had anyone spoken to him in this manner and he was about to pull out his sword and chop off Tucker's head right there and then. Tucker could see the anger on the man's face and he realised that the situation had become more dangerous than it had been just moments ago. At first it had just seemed that it was a man who was trying his luck but now it seemed that he and Jessica would be lucky to get out of here with their bodies intact.

"What did you say?" asked the man with great anger in his voice. "Did you just seriously tell me to back away? Nobody tells me what I can't do! I am going to have your lady friend here and there's not a damn thing you can do about it!"

"Maybe we can work out some kind of wager," replied Tucker. He was having to think quickly on his feet. An idea did spring to mind but it was very risky. "How about this, we have ourselves a little drinking contest, if you win you can have my so called lady friend here but if I win you leave us be and never disturb us again."

The man stood there for a moment and thought about the proposition. Jessica couldn't believe what she was hearing, Tucker was actually going to challenge this man in a drinking contest and she was going to be the trophy. She didn't like being used like an item like this and she was trying to hide her frustration. She very rarely got angry at Tucker but now she could feel some rage towards him getting bottled up inside of her. She did feel some sense of gratitude however since he was defending her honour and it was the first time a man had ever defended her honour like this.

The man began to laugh and his laugh felt like a blow horn going off. It was so loud that it was difficult for anyone in the inn not to hear it. The man didn't think that Tucker had a hope of beating him in a drinking contest. Tucker was nowhere near as large as him and the man could down more pints of ale than almost any other man in Angleland.

"You got yourself a wager but as soon as I win I'll be giving your lady friend a bastard," said the man with some laughter in his voice.

"If I have my way it'll be sometime before she has her first child," replied Tucker trying to be confident. He was thinking through all the different ways that he could resolve this situation and although he did have an idea in mind it was risky and there was no guarantee that it would work.

"Err gentlemen can I have a word with my friend in private please?" asked Jessica with a somewhat nervous smile on her face.

For the moment this was allowed as Jessica stood up and grabbed the wrist of Tucker. She was holding onto it so tightly that it was causing him some pain. She more or less dragged him to the tavern's restroom which wasn't another more than a wooden box in the ground with a hole on the top. It was in its own separate room so that anyone wanting to do their business did have some privacy.

Almost as soon as the two were in the restroom together Jessica's face turned even more angry and that wasn't just because she felt cramped in the tiny restroom. She stood above him like an opposing figure and although she couldn't stand up to her full height in here it was obvious to Tucker that she wanted him to know that she wasn't happy with him. All he could do was stand there and look up at her.

"Just what in the name of the Gods do you think you're doing?" asked Jessica with a sharpness of rage in her voice. "You're actually going to have a wager that might end up with me being raped?"

"You won't get raped, you'd grow to your full size before he could even lay a hand on you," replied Tucker. He tried to make it seem that the situation wasn't as bad as it actually was. But it seemed to be falling onto deaf ears.

"That's beside the point!" Her voice was a little louder and Tucker noticed her grow an extra couple of inches. "You don't do this to any woman, especially me, I'm supposed to be your best friend and you're using me as if I was a thing. I thought that you were different Tucker Martel but you're just like all the others who see me as a freak."

"It's alright Jessica I have a few aces up my sleeves." He tried to smile up at her in an attempt to calm the towering figure before him. "I would never wager anything like this if I didn't have some kind of plan. You know me by now, I would never do that could get you harmed. You're my best friend and as soon to be knight it is my duty to protect the women, children and the weak against those who wish to harm them. I just ask you if you can trust me on this one, that is all I ask."

Jessica stood there thinking for a few moments and although she was still angry at Tucker she admitted that he was right. He had never done anything to ever put her in harm's way and he most likely would not start now. She still didn't like the idea that he had done something like this without consulting her first.

"Ok but if you pull anything like this again I'm walking us straight back to Morgan and you'll spend the entire journey in my pocket," said Jessica with some anger still in her voice. She crossed her arms and she did shrink those extra couple of inches and was back down at an even eight foot.

"Ok Jessica that's fine. Now I believe I have a contest to win."

Several minutes later both Tucker and his opponent was sitting down at a table staring at each other. Almost everyone in the tavern was gathered around the table waiting to see the contest before them. They couldn't believe that anyone was brave enough to face such a legendary outlaw. The outlaw who Tucker was going to try and out-drink was a black hearted man simply known as The Wolf. He was legendary amongst these parts for his acts of both anger and lust. He took many women against their will and had his way with them. To him Jessica was going to be the next woman to join a very long list.

The bar maid brought over a couple of pints of ale inside wooden handled cups. Jessica was standing quite close to the table but she had to stand behind the crowd so that the others could see what was happening.

The Wolf had a confident smile on his face as he grabbed the handle of his first pint of ale. He brought the ale up to his crackled lips and drank it down in a few mighty gulps and almost like magic the ale was completely gone. Tucker didn't know that a man could drink a pint of ale that fast and he was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole thing. He couldn't back out now since it would mean that The Wolf would try and rape his best friend. He knew that Jessica had more than enough strength to fend him off but he didn't want it to have to go to that.

"You're turn!" stated The Wolf as he placed his empty pint cup on the table with a loud thud,

Tucker picked up his pint of ale and he could see that everyone around him was looking straight at him. He could see the concerned look on Jessica's face and the several missing teeth of the Wolf. He went to put the pint near his lips as if to drink it but with one sudden movement he threw the contents of the cup right in the face of the Wolf. There was a loud gasp from everyone in the Tavern and the Wolf was disorientated for the moment as the ale struck his face. Tucker instantly got up to his feet and struck the Wolf square in the face with the wooden pint cup sending the outlaw crashing down to the ground.

The who event had only happened over the space of a few seconds but the Wolf was knocked out cold and there was an awe of silence as the events began to sink in. Jessica was especially surprised with what had happened, this was a side of Tucker that she had never seen before and she didn't know whether to be glad that he had just knocked out the Wolf or to be ashamed of him. He had done all of this for her and for that she couldn't falter him and she did admit that the Wolf most likely what he had coming to him.

Almost as soon as everyone realised that the Wolf was unconscious they dragged him away as Tucker just stood there. His gamble had paid off because if the Wolf hadn't of been knocked unconscious the situation would have been a whole lot worse. Tucker knew from the start that he most likely wouldn't have been able to defeat the Wolf in a straight drinking contest. He knew that it wasn't really noble to strike an opponent down like this but he was still defending the woman that he cared about deeply. In his mind it made his actions just. At least he hoped that he had knocked some sense into the Wolf.

"Sorry about the mess," said Tucker as he turned his head towards the Bar Maid who was also in disbelief over what had just happened. "Put those ales on my tab would you if you'd be so kind." The Bar Maid nodded at Tucker causing him to smile a little. He then looked at Jessica who looked back at him. "I think its best we hit the sack now my dear I think we've had enough to drink for one night."

Over the next few minutes Jessica and Tucker returned to their room while the Wolf was taken outside of the Inn. He wasn't the most popular man in Lake Town so rather than taking him to the town healer he was left in the street by a well. He had not woken up since being struck by Tucker and from the looks of him it would seem that he would be out for a good few hours.

Inside their room Jessica still wasn't all that happy with Tucker. He was sitting on the bed taking off his boots while Jessica was pacing from one side of the room to the other. She had her arms crossed and was having to stoop because she was still too tall to stand up straight. She was keeping her emotions in check since if she lost her temper she would grow in size. She didn't want to burst out of the inn by accident. Tucker still felt confident with himself after taking the Wolf by surprise. He saw it as a step forward for himself and also it made him happy that he had put down someone as vile as the Wolf.

"What were you thinking Tucker?" asked Jessica with some frustration in her voice. "I can't believe that you would have done something like that."

"I told you that I had a plan and I executed it with perfection," replied Tucker as he took off his boots. "I've seen guys like him in Morgan who think that they can boss people around so I thought that I'd take him down a peg or two. I wasn't going to let him talk to you like that without giving him something to show the error of his ways."

"What if your little plan didn't work? All you would have done was make that ass angry. What would have happened then? I couldn't grow in such a small space and stop him from killing you."

"And what would make you think that he could have killed me? Don't forget it's not exactly like I'm unarmed."

"I know but let's face it you're not the most able handed swordsman in Angleland. What if he had been able to draw his sword?"

"I would have still been at an advantage. I would have been fresh with a good sword in my hand. He would have been drunk, have beer in his eyes and a strong blow struck at his face just moments before. Even then he would still have to have stood up and drawn his sword before he could have tried to kill me but by then I would have already drawn my sword and disarmed him. If he had still been conscious I would have made him apologise to you for what he had been saying, he talked to you as if you were some piece of meat and not an actual person. I won't let anyone talk to my best friend in that manner."

Jessica didn't know what to say. She thought that Tucker had just taken a gamble and hoped for the best. In truth he had thought almost everything through, she could see that the Wolf was beaten even before the contest had started. Although there were times when she thought that Tucker lacked common sense there were times like this that she realised that he had some intelligence. All she could do was sigh and sit on the bed right next to him, even sitting down she still towered above him and she looked down at him.

"I still don't want you to put yourself in danger like that," said Jessica as she allowed her frustration to subside. "I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you, you're my only friend."

"And you're my only friend, that is why I couldn't let him talk to you like that. I just wanted to do this for you, I can't count how many times you've gotten me out of trouble and I wanted to do it for you for once. I know it might be an inferiority complex but I just wanted you to know that I'm not just someone who constantly needs protecting, that I'm fully capable of looking after both you and myself. Almost as long as I remember I've always had you watching over me making sure I was safe and I gave you practically nothing back in return."

"But you did Tucker, you were the only kid not to treat me like I was a freak. You were the one who stood by me when everyone else went running. That is more than I could ever do for you, you made me feel normal."

She put her arms around him and embraced him in a hug. It was not the first time that they had hugged but this seemed to be one of the most meaning. It lasted for several moments as both Jessica and Tucker were lost in each other's world. For the moment nothing seemed to matter as they continued to hug. Both had left much behind to go on this quest and right now each other was all that they had.

It was not until just after dawn that the Wolf finally woke up after being struck down by Tucker. For the few moments that he was awake he had no idea where he was or what had happened. One thing that he was certain of was that he had a terrible pain in his cheek. As he began to try and rub over the pain he began to remember the events of the previous night. He remembered having a drinking contest with Tucker before he had ale thrown into his eyes and the pint cup smashed against his face. His confusion began to turn into rage as he pictured Tucker's face in his mind.

Slowly the Wolf got back up to his feet and saw that he was lying just outside the town cobbler. He still didn't know exactly how he got there but that was of little interest to him. All he wanted to do was to get his hands around the neck of the Tucker and to crush his windpipe before having his way with Jessica. That was going to be his prize and after he had finished having his way with her he planned on murdering her just to show that anyone who had a part in harming him would pay a terrible price. All he needed to do now was to go back to the inn and confront the man who was on the top of his hit list.

Inside the inn itself Tucker was unaware of the incoming danger. He was slowly waking up from a nice sleep and found that he couldn't move. Jessica's long and strong arms were wrapped around him and she was still asleep. He tried to move but she was too strong and if anything it only strengthened her grip. She rested her head right on top of his and it seemed that she had a smile on her face.

Jessica herself was dreaming and at first it seemed to be a happy one where she was just the same as everyone else. This was a dream that she had often but suddenly she saw the Wolf in there and he seemed to take Tucker completely by surprise. The villain drove his sword right into the belly of Tucker causing Jessica's poor friend to die instantly. Although it was only a dream to Jessica it seemed very real and when she saw Tucker die it caused her to jolt awake and it seemed to catch Tucker by surprise as well as her grip suddenly tightened around him. He was struggling to breathe and when she realised what she was doing she quickly released her grip and began to turn red.

"Tucker I'm so sorry," said Jessica trying to show that she was truly sorry for what had just happened.

"You don't need to apologise," replied Tucker trying to brush it off as if it were nothing. In truth he had been in a small amount of danger but he knew that Jessica had not meant to do it and that she would never intentionally harm him. "It'll take more than a hug from you to hurt someone like me."

"But still I'm sorry." She tried to give him an apologetic smile. "I guess I'm a hugger when I'm asleep."

"You're a hugger when you're awake as well." He slowly got out of the bed and began to stretch his body. He didn't want to admit that Jessica's hug had made him a little stiff and he needed to perform these stretches to get his body right again. "I'd rather have a woman like you hugging me in my sleep rather than a man stabbing me in the back any day of the week." He bent forwards and backwards doing his stretches. "And if all goes well today we should hopefully complete the first trial."

"I wonder what the trial is, if it is something to do with strength I don't think we'll have a problem there."

"Let's hope it comes to that." He finished off his stretches and took out the map that was amongst his personal effects. "I suspect that the first trial will probably be relatively easy but the others will be harder. It's a classic conception and who would want to spoil a classic?" He laughed for a moment as he placed the map on the bed very near to where Jessica was sitting. Most of her body was still under the covers but that seemed to matter little.

From the look of the map the first trial was just a couple of miles south of Lake Town and the pair could easily be there within minutes if Jessica travelled at her full height. Tucker pointed to where the trial was and there was a lot of confidence radiating in his body. Not just because they were on the verge of finding the first trial but also after the acts that he had done the night before he had more or less gotten a much needed boost.

"As you can see the trial is located right here," said Tucker pointing to the location on the map. "If you make yourself your normal size we could be there within minutes. If you still want to remain your present size it might take us a couple of hours but no more than that I believe."

"If it is all the same to you I'd rather remain like this while we're close to Lake Town," replied Jessica with some sadness in her voice. "I don't want to scare the folks of this town, I don't like scaring people."

"Ok that's fine it just means that we'll be walking for an extra couple of hours but it's a good way of getting exercise. Now before we leave I suggest we get some breakfast and maybe buy a couple of supplies before we leave."

"Sure I think I could eat an entire farm." Both of them laughed at what Jessica had just said not because she was joking but because it was very likely that she could eat an entire farm. The amount of food that she could eat at full size was legendary and it was even thought while she was going through a period of above average growth that even a full size whale wouldn't be able to satisfy her hunger.

Over the next hour Tucker and Jessica ate in the tavern, both had cooked breakfasts and although Tucker ate what seemed to be a normal breakfast Jessica ate one that was large enough to feed two fully grown men and even then she admitted that she had enough room for plenty more. She also drank a full litre of milk and stated that she needed the calcium to help her grow.

Tucker felt almost like a child with what he ate in comparison to his best friend but in truth he wouldn't have had it any other way. He was so used to having a giantess as a friend that it almost seemed odd not to have one. He just sat there and smiled as Jessica finished off the last of her breakfast and gulped down the last few sips of milk. To her it felt good having some nice hot foot in her belly and since it was someone else who cooked it besides her she enjoyed it that much more.

"Did you want me to order seconds for you?" asked Tucker as he looked up at the towering woman sitting opposite him.

"No thanks I think I could probably eat our entire budget away," replied Jessica as she wiped her mouth with a nearby tissue like paper. "Besides I have to watch my figure you know."

This caused both of them to laugh and it was almost like they were normal friends just having a run of the mill breakfast together. They didn't leave immediately after finishing their breakfasts, they allowed a little time for it to go before they decided to set off. Tucker was excited to face the first trial and he began to wonder what it was. He thought that whatever the trial was he and Jessica would be able to get past it with some ease. He thought that nothing would be able to stop them.

Before leaving the inn Tucker and Jessica made sure that they had all of their personal effects, they really didn't want to leave anything behind. However this was the least of their troubles. Trouble seemed to follow them almost as soon as they stepped out of the front door of the inn.

Tucker was the first to step out of the inn and he could see that it was a warm spring day. He was thinking that it was a nice day to continue on with the quest but his happiness began to turn into dread as he locked eyes with a man he had hoped to never see again. Standing about one hundred feet away from him was the Wolf who still had a bruise on his face from where Tucker struck him the night before. He was extremely angry with Tucker and as soon as he saw his prey he almost exploded with rage.

"HEY I'VE GOT A BONE TO PICK WITH YOU!" shouted the Wolf in a very loud and angry voice. He began to step towards Tucker and he took his sword out of its carrier. People nearby began to get out of the way and were in sheer terror of the Wolf. They were just glad that it was not them who would suffer his wrath. "NOBODY DOES A DIRTY TRICK LIKE THAT ON ME AND LIVES TO TELL THE TALE!" At this point Jessica had not yet exited the inn so it was only Tucker who was there. "YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE SO CLEVER PULLING THE WOOL OVER MY EYES LIKE THAT, WELL I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR EYES OUT WITH MY BARE HANDS!"

Tucker was somewhat frightened with the situation at hand but he had to admit to himself that it was he who had brought this about. He still was not going to back down and although Jessica was not yet there to back him up he was still going to engage in combat with the Wolf. It was a good way for him to truly test his skills against an actual opponent who actually wanted him dead. He drew out Juggernaut out and began the relatively short distance between the two. Tucker had already attached all of his armour on, it would protect him from strikes to many parts of his body and yet still gave him room to move.

"AS SOON AS I'M DONE WITH YOU I'M GOING TO FUCK THAT WHORE OF YOURS!" shouted the Wolf was only a few feet away from Tucker.

"I don't think she'd like that," replied Tucker with a small smile on his face. This was not because he was feeling confident. This was so that he could keep his opponent off-guard and possibly even make him angrier. He had learned that when an opponent got angry their strikes would become sloppy and easy to counter. "And after I'm done with you I'm stick my sword right up your arse."

This was all the Wolf needed to lunge towards Tucker and the wannabe knight was just about to raise his sword in time block the shot. The long sword that the Wolf was using required two hands and was very powerful. For now Tucker only had one sword but he could swing his much quicker than the Wolf could so that would give him an advantage in the fight. One thing he did wish that he had was a shield. At least then it would help him defend against the strong blows of the Wolf. Although he was able to block the first strike too many of those could break his wrist and then he would truly be in a world of trouble.

There were a crowd of people watching the fight between the unknown knight and fearsome outlaw. They didn't exactly know what to expect from this fight and they couldn't help but watch, just to see who would come out victorious.

Each time the Wolf tried to slash Tucker with his mighty sword the smaller and more nimble fighter was able to get out of the way. One other thing that Tucker was counting on was the Wolf getting tired. He had forged swords like the Wolf was using and knew just how heavy they were. Even the strongest and most athletic man would eventually get tired and Tucker was just waiting for fatigue to set in before he struck back.

Inside the inn Jessica was just dealing with a couple of errands before she would step out. She was just paying for the breakfast and filling out a little bit of paper work. Due her time as a giantess for the vast majority of her life she did have some difficulties reading and writing but she was still able to sign on a dotted line. She was unaware of what was happening outside while she went through these errands and she didn't pick up that anything was amiss until she could hear shouting outside. At first she thought that it was nothing serious but when she heard the shouting continuing she decided to investigate for herself. The scene that she saw shocked her.

By the time Jessica had actually stepped through the door she could see Tucker and the Wolf deep within a swordfight. So far neither man had successfully landed a strike, that was partially because Tucker had yet to even try to make a strike. She couldn't believe that Tucker would be in a fight like this and not wait for her to at least be by his side. Almost instantly she began to grow in height.

At first her growth seemed to go unnoticed by everyone watching but as her shadow began to loom over them the townspeople turned around and looked up at the growing woman in front of them. Many of them began to panic and run while the Wolf just stopped in his tracks and a wave of terror overtook his body. Tucker could also see the shadow developing over them, rather than being happy to see his friend he was actually upset. This had been his first chance to truly test his skills with a blade and by growing Jessica had ruined the fight for him. He wasn't sure whether he could have won the fight or not but it seemed that he was never going to find out.

It only took a few additional seconds for Jessica to reach her full height and she bent down and picked up both Tucker and the Wolf. The Wolf himself was terrified at this moment in time, never did he think that the woman that he wanted to have his way with could turn into a towering giantess like this. The look on her face was far from happy and he knew that he was most likely going to be subject of her wrath.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" asked Jessica with a very angry voice. She didn't care at this point what others might think of her. She wanted to get the point clear that she wasn't happy. "You're trying to kill my best friend and I won't let that happen, not while I'm still breathing. If I was a bad person like you I'd crush you right now in my hand, but you're lucky that I'm not. Instead I'm just going to put you on here." With that she placed the Wolf on top of the Inn. Unfortunately for him it didn't look like he had any clear way of getting down. "I guess this'll give you time to think about what you've done and if I hear that you're still up to these ways I will come back and believe me the next time I won't be so gentle. Do you understand?" This got a little nod out of the Wolf who was sitting on the roof, everything was happening so fast that he was dumbstruck. "Good now I hope you come out of all this a better person."

Jessica began to walk away and she felt glad that she had more or less saved Tucker again. Tucker himself was not too happy about her interrupting the fight. He wanted to have seen it to the end and maybe he might have gotten a scar out of it but it would still have been a trophy in his eyes. Something to show that he had been in a swordfight and had walked away from it with his head high. Having Jessica save him hurt him more than any scar and right now he was not very happy with his best friend.

Jessica continued to walk south away from Lake Town and towards the source of the River Red. She knew which direction that she needed to go but one thing that she did notice was that Tucker was unusually quiet. She thought that she had just saved him from the Wolf and she thought that he would have been happy. Instead he had barely spoken a word since the incident and she didn't know what was wrong. For the moment she allowed him to be like this as she continued to walk on. She knew that they wouldn't be welcome again in Lake Town due to her growing to full size and this meant that all they could do was carry on walking.

One thing that Jessica also noticed was that the golden necklace that had been given to her by the old lady had somehow grown with her when she increased her size. In the past jewellery had never grown with her until now. She didn't know whether this was because the necklace had magic properties or that she had somehow unlocked the ability to make things grow with her that wasn't her dress or shoes.

These were all questions that she would have to answer later but as she continued to walk Tucker was still not talking to her. She was starting to begin to get worried and she stopped for a moment and brought him up to her level. He had been sitting in her oversized hand and for once he was not pleased to see her pretty face in front of him.

"What's wrong Tucker?" asked Jessica as she took a good look at him. "You've barely spoken two words to me since we left Lake Town."

"You shouldn't have done that," replied Tucker with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He was hiding just how annoyed he was with his best friend right now.

"Done what exactly Tucker?" She was confused and she really wanted to know what he was talking about.

"You shouldn't have broken up the fight like that. I could have taken that guy down myself, I had the situation under my control and then you came along and broke up the fight. Do you know how that makes me feel? All those people were there expecting to see a soon to be knight defeating a man with an anger problem. But instead you stopped the fight before I could even land a blow and now they all think that I depend on you to win my battles."

"They don't think that."

"But I do, how can I prove myself if you keep interfering in my battles before I even get a chance to show what I can do. For once could you let me fight my own battles so that I can have some sense of adventure."

"If you had lost that battle you would have been killed for sure. I saw the anger in that man's eyes and if you had made just a single mistake he would have cut you in half and that was something I wasn't going to allow."

"I wouldn't have died, I would have defeated him."

"You didn't look like you were doing very well."

"That was because I was letting the big brute tire himself out. I would have waited for fatigue to set in before I struck. The sword that he was using was too heavy for him to swing around for too long. I was just waiting for my moment to strike until you grew and picked us both up."

"Well maybe next time I won't do anything and I'll just let him slice you in half." She was becoming annoyed and she was saying things that she truly didn't mean. Deep down she would never allow something like that to happen but Tucker was beginning to get on her nerves. She knew that she had done the right thing and she didn't like it that Tucker hadn't even said thank you.

"Next time you should so that everyone knows that I don't have to hide underneath your skirt every time I run into danger. What kind of knight would I be if I had to run to a woman every time I saw a threat?"

"The kind that will still be alive. You know that I would never willingly allow you to face danger. I would be a bad friend."

"Babying me isn't going to make me prove that I'm a knight. If anything it's only going to hinder me."

Jessica was starting to become somewhat annoyed at Tucker. He wasn't being thankful for her saving him and it seemed that he was biting her head off over it. If he was anyone else she would have put him down and simply walked away but there was one thing that she could never do to her best friend. Instead she frowned at him and brought him a little closer to her face.

"Fine if you wanna show that you're a big strong man the next time that you face danger I won't save you," said Jessica in an irritated voice. "Will you be happy with that at least?" She saw that Tucker was a little scared of her right now but at this moment in time she was too annoyed with him to really care.

"Yeah that's fine by me," replied Tucker trying to hide just how intimidated he was by his best friend.

"Good now I don't want to have this conversation again."

This had been one of the few arguments that they had had and Tucker was just glad that it was over. He had seen how strong Jessica was and he didn't want to see that strength first hand. He knew that she would never do anything to hurt him although he knew that people could do a lot of things that they wouldn't normally do when they were angry. Some years ago in Morgan a man had found his wife sleeping with another man so he chopped the manhood off the adulterer and then fed it to the pigs. This was an extreme case however and he still thought that he was safe with Jessica no matter how angry she got with him. He could at least depend on her for that.

Jessica was having to walk through woodland to get to the location of the first trial. The map that Tucker had indicated that it was at the source of the River Red. Tucker's compass was able to point them in the right direction. The two barely spoke unless it was Jessica asking if she was walking in the right direction.

One thing that did happen while Jessica was walking that a little bird landed on her nose. To her the bird no bigger than an insect but she did feel a little honoured that it had landed on her nose. It showed that the bird was not afraid of her unlike the many people that she had met over the years. It even let her pat it on the head with her index finger before it flew away so that it could find food.

It was only a short time later that Jessica came across something that seemed to be somewhat suspicious. She had arrived at the small streams that made its way to the River Red itself and there she saw what seemed to be a hole in the ground. From where she was it was too small for her to have a good look at it so she placed Tucker on the ground right next to it and she shrank herself to her minimum height.

It was obvious to the pair now that this hole in the ground seemed to lead down into what seemed to be a tunnel. There was a series of steps that could take a person down under the ground and from the moss growing on the stone steps both Jessica and Tucker could see that they had been there for some time.

"I guess this is the way to the first trial," said Tucker as he looked down. He couldn't see the bottom of staircase and there was a hint of fear overcoming his body as he looked down. He didn't know what was down there but it seemed to be in the place that the map had specifically pointed out.

"Maybe or it could be a dungeon," replied Jessica as she tried to look down but she had the same problem as Tucker. "My dad says that they're scattered all over Angleland. "I wonder how deep it is."

"Well there is one way to find out." Right next to Tucker was a rock roughly the size of a golf ball and he threw it down the staircase. The pair stood there in silence as they listened to the rock roll down the staircase and with each passing second it got quieter and quieter and when they heard it hit the bottom it was obvious to both of them that the staircase went down a very long way. "I guess that's our answer, now don't hit me for stating the obvious but I think its best that we have some kind of light before we go down there."

Jessica only nodded as Tucker picked up a long but sturdy stick while Jessica used her height to reach some dry leaves on a nearby tree. With a piece of string they were able to wrap the leaves into a ball and place it on top of the stick. Tucker then used two rocks that he had picked up from home and he was able to use them to set the leaves alit and create a torch so that the pair could see down the dark staircase.

Tucker was the first to head down the steps with Jessica directly behind him. He also had Juggernaut in his hand and with each step he walked he took great care just in case the neck step had part of it chipped off causing him to fall down. As they descended further and further down into the steps the sunlight of the surface faded away and they would have found themselves in darkness if not for the torch that Tucker was carrying.

The staircase seemed to be going down in a spiral manner and the ceiling above them was relatively low so Jessica had to be careful not to strike her head. This was one of the times that she wished that her minimal size was closer to being average height. She was thankful however just to be able to shrink to this size, if not for her dress she would be stuck at her full size and she wouldn't have been able to follow Tucker down here. She said that next time he faced danger that she wouldn't help him but she was still very concerned about her best friend and she still didn't want him to be harmed.

With every step the pair took they hoped that they would reach the bottom soon but the stairs seemed to go on and on with no end in sight. It was still too dark for them to see the bottom but from the walls that they walked passed they could see writing on there in a language which was completely alien to them. It seemed to be from some kind of dead language that had largely been forgotten by everyone in Angleland.

One thing that Jessica did do was lay on of her hands on Tucker's shoulder. This was so that they didn't lose each other and if by some accident that Tucker dropped the torch at least she would still know where he was. Both of them had never walked up or down stairs as long as these and they almost thought that they were never going to reach the bottom.

After several minutes Tucker reached what he soon realised was the bottom of the stairs. At first he wasn't sure but as he held his torch up high he could see that they were indeed at the bottom of the stairs. He was relieved to find that they were at the bottom and he needed a moment to catch his breath.

"If I have to walk up or down a step again in my entire life it'll be too soon," said Tucker as he began to catch his breath.

"Hey it wasn't all that bad," replied Jessica not showing too much fatigue. "You can't tell me that you're tired after that?"

"My legs aren't as long as yours, I can't walk as fast as you."

"Hey when it comes to stairs I took just as many steps as you. Face it Tucker you're not as fit as you like to think."

"A knight doesn't have to be fit to use a sword."

"But it certainly does help." She paused for a moment as she tried to take a look around but unfortunately the light from the torch wasn't very bright and she could barely see anything. "So what do we do now?"

"I guess we keep going until we find what we came for."

Tucker went to lead Jessica on but he noticed something on the wall. Hanging from the wall was an unlit torch. He didn't think that it would do much good but he still used his torch to light it up so that he and Jessica would have some more light. As he lit the unlit torch much to his surprise as it lit up several more torches down a long tunnel began to light up as well. The entire process only took a few seconds but when it was finished the entire passageway was lit up brightly.

The sudden lighting of so many torches had caught Tucker and Jessica completely by surprise and it was obviously to both of them that this was not normal. There was some kind of magic behind all of this, they were just thankfully however to have light leading the way for them.

"I guess I won't be needing this anymore," said Tucker as he dropped his own made on the ground. He still kept a hold of Juggernaut in case anything decided to try and jump out at him. In an area like this Jessica wouldn't be able to give him that much protection since she could just about stand to her fill height without her head hitting the ceiling. She couldn't grow any bigger here so her gigantism would be of no help.

"I think we're on the right path," replied Jessica as she looked down the passageway. "I don't think that torches magically alight like that in any old tunnel."

"Well there is only one way to find out my dear." He had a smile on his face at that moment in time. "An adventure awaits."

With that Tucker and Jessica began to walk down the passageway but they were careful with exactly where they were going. The passageway was likely to have some kind of booby trap and neither wanted to lose a foot or activate a spiked wall. They could see a couple of pieces of scrap metal on the ground that obviously belonged to someone who had ventured down here before them. They had no idea what could have happened to that said individual but they were certain that there was danger ahead of them.

"I can't believe that we're actually close to the first trial," said Jessica as she walked just behind Tucker. She was still somewhat angry at him for what he had said to her but her astonishment seemed to outweigh her anger.

"I can, I've been dreaming about something like this for years," replied Tucker with a smile still on his face. "This is only the first of three trials before we find Three Man's Treasure and become the richest people in Angleland. Do you know what you want to do with your share yet?"

"I didn't come for the treasure, I came to be with my friend and make sure that he didn't bite off more than he could chew." There was much truth in her words, she did want to use some of the treasure to maybe buy a place of her own along with a couple of other things but she was not interested in being extremely rich. She wanted to be with her friend and that was as much as she cared about.

"The more treasure for me. I'm going to buy myself some land and actually be called a Lord. To tell you the truth I still prefer to be called Sir Tucker Martel but being called a Lord is definitely nice. Wouldn't you want to be called Lady Jessica Snape?"

"Well I already am a lady, I don't have to have a title to be a lady."

"Suit yourself." Suddenly Tucker heard what sounded like rattling metal that caused him to stop dead where he was. He looked around to see if he could see where the sound was coming from but he could see nothing. The passageway before him was straight and there was no other passageways connected to it. "What was that?"

"What was what?" She had not heard anything and so there was no concern within her. She could see that Tucker was beginning to get a little worried and she knew that he had heard something.

"That!" He heard the sound again and this time he extremely tall friend heard it as well and she turned her head around to see if she could see anything from the way that they had come. "That's not just me going crazy is it?"

"No I heard something too." She heard the rattling sound again but this time it seemed to be louder than it had been before. "Whatever it is it seems to be closer." She wanted to grow and provide some form of protection but there was simply no room for her to grow and she had promised Tucker that she would not try and protect him from the next threat.

Before the eyes of both Jessica and Tucker they saw the pieces of metal seeming merging together and it was obvious to Tucker that the pieces of metal were in fact pieces of armour. They were helpless but to watch as the armour began to build itself and it even had its own sword and shield to go along with it.

The armour stood about six and a half feet tall and was built for a very large man. It made almost no sound and with the visor down it was impossible to see if there was a face behind it. The only thing that they could see were two glowing eyes coming through the visor and it was enough for both of them to begin to reconsider their choice in going on this quest. This was something that they had not been expecting and most likely they were in for the fight of their lives.

"What is that thing?" asked Jessica as she stood behind Tucker. She was still stronger than an average person but she still thought that she was useless in such a small space. It was one of the downfalls of her powers.

"I can only guess that it is some kind of guard," replied Tucker with a smile creeping onto his face. This was the excitement that he had been craving and this time he knew that Jessica wouldn't be able to help him. "Most likely it is part of the trial but this shouldn't be too much of a problem for me. Now step back fair maiden and watch as a true knight protects you from the forces of evil."

Jessica had no choice but to take a few steps back as Tucker approached the suit of armour. He still found it hard to believe that it seemed to move all by itself. This was something that he was going to put out of his mind for the time being so that he could deal with the task at hand. This was what he had left Morgan for, so that he could feel the excitement that he wasn't getting there.

The armour was the one to strike first but Tucker was able to use Juggernaut to block it before it came anywhere near hitting him. He made sure to move fast since he guessed that due to the size of the armour that it relied more on strength rather than speed. He went to jab it a couple of times while he was moving around but the armour seemed to use its shield each time to block the jab.

One blow came very close to striking Tucker and he was able to dodge out of the way just in the nick of time. If he had been a fraction of a second slower he would have been killed instantly. There was a slight gasp of shock from Jessica as she watched him fighting this enchanted armour by himself. She was hoping that he would win but she thought that there was a good chance that he would fall. It would break her heart to see her best friend killed but she still thought that she was powerless to help. Her heart was beating at a very fast rate and there was much uncertainty in her mind.

One thing that Tucker knew that he had to do was to remove the shield from the armour. As long as it had that in its hand it could just keep blocking his blows and eventually he would be too exhausted to continue. He would have thought that the armour would get tired too but he knew that there was no one inside the armour so fatigue wasn't going to be an issue for it at all.

"Come on Tucker you can do this," thought Tucker as he tried to use his superior speed to manoeuvre around the armour and strike. "So this is a magic armour that doesn't get tired and can seemingly block all of my attacks. It has to have some kind of weak spot, nothing is perfect so it has to have some kind of weakness."

His blows were repeatedly being fended off by the armour and he was beginning to get tried. He knew that the moment that he gave into fatigue was the moment that he was going to be killed. He didn't want his life to end here and especially in front of Jessica. He would have to win in almost any way that he thought would succeed but for the moment he could see no chinch in the armour.

One thing that Tucker did try was a fast attack that he had tried on dummies during his spare time. He went to attack low causing the armour to guard around its legs but with its shield down Tucker quickly moved his sword up and sliced off the head of the armour. The helmet fell to the ground and he thought that he might have won. In most cases a decapitation was enough to win in any fight. This was different however as the armour seemed to be still be moving as if nothing had happened. It went to slice Tucker and in his surprise he was only just able to get his guard up at the very last moment. He took a leap back so that he could create some distance between himself and the armour. The battle looked to be hopeless and he wasn't even sure that he could get anywhere near defeating this armour.

There was one thing that Jessica had noticed during the fight. A couple of times she had seen the back of the armour as it turned to face Tucker each time that he moved. She noticed something on its back that didn't seem to be normal. She saw that it had some kind of small gem on its back and even she knew that was not normal on the back on any armour. She knew that it would be interfering but this time she thought that Tucker wouldn't mind since she wouldn't be attacking it.

"Tucker there's a gem stone on its back!" shouted Jessica so that her friend could hear her. "Try and aim for that."

Tucker looked over at Jessica and instead of speaking he gave her a quick nod before he focused on the armour again. He had learned that during a fight that he couldn't allow himself to be distracted even for a moment since it would most likely be his last ever mistake. He had taken in Jessica's words and was going to use her advice the best that he could. He even found it unnerving that he was fighting a suit of armour with no head. It almost felt like he was fighting a ghost.

With a renewed goal Tucker tried everything that he could to try and move around the armour and strike the jewel on its back. This was difficult since he had not actually seen the jewel itself and getting around such a large suit of armour was extremely difficult. The fact that the armour was constantly attacking him didn't make the task any easier for him and he had to rely on his speed to get the task done.

An idea did pop into the head of Tucker. He thought that rather than trying to move around the armour while it was on guard he would try and do it after it unleashed a powerful attack. He knew that if the armour tried to use a powerful attack like a strong slash that he would be able to dodge out of the way and then move behind it within a handful of seconds. Then he would be able to attack the hopeful weak spot of the armour.

Jessica was very nervous as she watched the fight. Even though she had promised to stay out of it completely if she thought that Tucker was going to die she would do everything that she could to prevent his death. She wanted to respect his wishes but she would try and save him only as a last resort. She could see some sense in what he had said earlier but she still couldn't understand the whole male ego. It was something that she knew wasn't unique to Tucker but she couldn't understand why a man didn't want to be saved by a woman whenever they were in trouble. She had always been bigger and stronger than every man she met, ever since she was a young girl. She had also been protecting Tucker ever since they had become friends and he had never been ungrateful towards her for getting him out of a tough situation.

Rather than trying to attack the armour straight away Tucker held back in the hopes that the armour would unleash the powerful attack that he was hoping that it would. It was also giving him a little time to recover some of his energy and spot anything else that needed help. When he had been trained by Sir Thomas Parker the old knight had told him that he should always try and spot a weak point in an opponent. No opponent was invincible no matter how powerful he seemed.

The armour did try to attack him a couple of more times but they weren't the powerful attacks that Tucker was hoping for. He decided to give the armour a fake jab so that it would be coaxed into making the strong attack that he wanted. He quickly went to stab the armour but pulled back Juggernaut when it was close to striking the shield of the armour. This caused the armour to launch the powerful attack. It held its sword up high and went to unleash a powerful slash that Tucker was able to dodge around. With the energy that he had left he was able to dart around the armour and almost instantly he saw the gem that Jessica had pointed out. It looked to be a small sapphire like gem that would look to have some value to it but Tucker knew that it needed to be destroyed.

With only moments to react Tucker stabbed Juggernaut right into the gem and it took almost no effort to smash the gemstone into tiny pieces. The armour began to cry out an inhuman sound of pain as there was a bright blue glow coming out of its back. Almost instantly it dropped its sword and shield as it continued to cry out in pain. Both Jessica and Tucker took several steps away from it as it looked like it was about to explode.

Tucker was taking a few steps back towards Jessica and she could see that the armour was close to exploding as it continued to radiate the blue light and she had to think quickly. She thought about taking Tucker's hand and running but she thought that they wouldn't have that much time.

Instead Jessica began to grow as much as she could in such a confined space and she lay down right on top of Tucker. He had no idea what she was doing as she covered him completely with her growing body. She grew as much as she could but eventually the walls and the ceiling of tunnel compressed her growth and she had to stop herself. The whole process had only taken a couple of seconds.

No sooner had she grown as big as she could the armour seemingly exploded and Jessica closed her eyes. She thought that she was going to experience a huge amount of pain as she knew that the explosion was coming her way. She didn't even know if she was going to survive or not but as long as Tucker survived that was all that she cared about. She knew that it went against what she had agreed to do but she knew the severity of the situation and that her best friend could die.

The explosion of blue energy raced towards her at an almost impossible speed but before it could strike her a strange golden energy shield seemed to protect her and kept the explosion at bay. Jessica had her eyes closed at the time and didn't see the shield. The explosion only last for a few moments before subsiding and as soon as it was gone the energy shield that had protected her disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared.

With the explosion seemingly over Jessica slowly opened her eyes to see that she was still alive and miraculously unharmed. She could feel Tucker beneath her and she realised that he was probably struggling to breathe underneath her enormous body. Slowly she began to shrink herself and when she was small enough she stood on her knees so that Tucker could breathe again. He had heard the explosion and knew that she had put her body and possibly even her life on the line for him. He quickly got up to his feet and at Jessica's current position the two were almost the same height.

"W-what the hell just happened?" asked Tucker with some confusion. Everything had happened so quickly that he was almost dumbfounded.

"That thing just exploded after you struck its weak spot," replied Jessica still not standing to her full height. She wanted to seem like she was looking at him eye to eye for at least a little while. "I know that I promised to stay out of the way but I thought that explosion would hurt you, maybe even kill you."

Tucker wanted to be angry that Jessica had once again interfered when he was in danger but this time he saw that she had a valid reason. He did defeat the armour with only a minimal amount of help from her but even he didn't think that he would be able to survive an explosion like that. He was even surprised to see that Jessica was completely unharmed. He knew that she was very durable when she grew but even she wasn't invincible. This was something that was giving him reason for thought.

"Thank you Jessica," said Tucker with a smile on his face to show his best friend that he wasn't angry. "I owe you my life again." He gave her a little kiss on her cheek and this caused the very tall woman to blush. It also caused her to grow a few inches and she tried to hide how much she had enjoyed the kiss. "Now shall a good knight help his friend up to her feet?" He held out his hand as Jessica's much large hand gently grabbed it, her long fingers were able to encase almost his entire hand.

"You may good sir knight," replied Jessica playing along with him. This was something that they used to play along when they were younger. This brought a smile onto her face as she began to stand up to her full height.

Much to her surprise when she did stand up her head hit the ceiling of the tunnel. There was a fairly loud thud as her head struck the ceiling and she realised that the small growth spurt that she had was enough to make her too tall to stand up properly. She gave a somewhat high pitch ouch sound before she reduced her height by the few inches that she could to make herself an even eight feet tall again.

Jessica felt a little embarrassed about hitting her head on the ceiling. It wasn't the first time that it had happened and most likely it wouldn't be the last. What had made her embarrassed was that Tucker kissing her had made her grow those extra few inches to make herself too tall for the tunnel. She knew that she would grow when she was angry but it also seemed that she also grew when she was getting the affections of someone that she cared about. She was still blushing from the kiss and she tried to put it down to just being embarrassed.

One thing that neither Jessica nor Tucker knew about was how she was able to survive the explosion without a single scratch on her. When the explosion had taken place she had her eyes closed at the time and had failed to see the energy shield protect her from harm. It was likely that without that field she would not have survived the explosion.

One thing that Tucker did do was walk towards where the armour had been but now all that was left was a few shards of metal, a sword and the shield that it had been using. Since the explosion had been energy based rather than fire there were no scorch marks at all. This did surprise him somewhat but it also meant that the shield was perfectly intact. There were a few marks on it from where he had struck it during the battle but other than that it was in perfect working order.

As soon as he picked up the shield he noticed that it seemed to be both light and strong. He had heard of a metal like this but it was so rare that he nor his family of blacksmiths had never been able to use any. The shield was easily worth its weight in gold so Tucker strapped it to his back. The shield itself had a ram's head painted on the front and he wasn't sure if it was just a simple design or a house emblem.

At the same time Tucker took out the map to Three Man's treasure and he was expecting it to be updated so that they would know where to go next. He thought that the armour had been the trial that both he and Jessica had come down for. He unrolled the map and expected to see an update but instead he saw that nothing about it had changed. He stared at it for a few moments waiting for the update to happen but there was still nothing. He was confused and began to look on the front and the back expecting to see something different. Unfortunately there was still no change.

"Nothing's different," said Tucker as he desperately looked at the map. "There's nothing different, we completed the first trial, the map should have updated itself and yet it looks exactly the same."

"Let me take a look," replied Jessica as she stood over him. She was easily tall enough to see over his head and down at the map that he was holding. She could also see that there had been no change whatsoever and she wasn't sure exactly what would be happening now. "Yeah it does look the same, I guess either that walking pile of scrap metal wasn't the first trial or you've been conned out of your hard earned gold."

"That has to be it, that armour wasn't the trial." A huge smile appeared on his face as he thought that was the only explanation. He had ignored Jessica when she said that he could have been conned. His mind was too focused on the fact that she said that the armour wasn't the first trial. "I thought it was too easy, if the trials were this easy the treasure would have been found years ago."

"It didn't look easy and if I hadn't of shielded you, you could have died." She crossed her arms as he turned around to look up at her.

"Don't you get it my very tall friend, the first trial has to be further on. The map has led us true so far and as soon as we complete the trial we will find out where the next one is. We'll be up to our eyeballs in treasure in no time."

Jessica wanted to say something to try and make him see some sense but she knew that when he was like this that almost nothing could stop him. She just gave him a smile and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Ok Tucker just calm yourself down and keep going," said Jessica with the smile on her face still evident. "We're not going to be finding anymore treasure if we stand around here and get overexcited."

"Sure thing Jessie," replied Tucker as he took a deep breath so that he could calm himself. "Would you like me to hold your hand as we walk?" He was merely trying to be a gentleman and was also having a little fun with his best friend.

"That won't be necessary little man, I should be alright walking by myself."

"Your loss, when I'm the richest man in Angleland the women will be flocking to me from every corner of the land. From North Spike to South Spike, from Port Phillip to Dole Harbour and you will be the attraction of every man."

"I don't think so somehow, I think many men are turned off by a woman who's taller than they are and can become big enough to make them look like a bug."

"I wouldn't mind that, just remember it's not what's on the outside but what's on the inside that counts. That's what my mom always used to say to me."

"And she sounds like a very wise woman." She gave him another smile as she realised just how much Tucker didn't mind her size. She thought that he might be a little afraid of her as a giantess but she could see that it never bothered him at all. She saw that he was a man who didn't fear her in anyway.

Before they delayed any further the pair continued to walk down the tunnel and they expected to find something soon that would be the first trial. The shield that Tucker was wearing was a little strange for him to carry. He had never carried a shield that was this size and yet still felt so light. He thought that even if this quest led to naught that he could at least sell this shield and probably live off that. He thought that he would give Jessica a portion of the sale since she had been sticking by him for all of this time. He didn't know many women who would be able to put up with him and all the craziness he seemed to attract to him. His dreams of adventures had not won him many friends in his childhood but Jessica was always there for him no matter what.

The torches down the tunnel were still alit and they found it strange how all the torches had come on all of a sudden when Tucker had lit up a single one. It was doubtless to both individuals that there was magic involved in this tunnel. The armour that Tucker had battled was the icing on the cake and they were beginning to wonder what other surprises would be coming their way in the near future.

Their surprise came when after walking for several minutes they came to what seemed to be heavy stone door. Each door looked to wear several tons and it looked to be impossible to open. With his ego Tucker decided to try and open the doors himself but as he pushed he discovered not so much to his surprise that they wouldn't budge an inch. He pushed them for several seconds but nothing happened and he realised that he efforts weren't getting him anywhere.

The doors themselves were beautifully decorated with stone carvings of woodland animals and even a fish. Whoever had carved these doors had been done so beautifully that it was hard to believe that human hands could construct such a work of beauty. It had no signs of wear and it looked as if they had only been carved yesterday.

Jessica decided to try herself and she pushed against the doors much like Tucker had but once again she wasn't having much luck. Even at her smallest size she was stronger than him and yet the doors still refused to open. She even decided to lie down on the ground and place her feet on either door. She made sure that Tucker was safely out of the way as she began to increase her size so that the pressure of her growing body would push the doors open. At first there was nothing as she grew to twenty feet and her head was moving further from the door but her feet stayed in the same place. They were lengthening and expanding as was expect and yet the door still refused to budge.

Although Jessica was lying down her growing body was beginning to get close to the ceiling and she was widening as well. She tried not grow until the torches on the wall began to burn her dress. If she lost it down here she would instantly grow to her full size and then she would be in real trouble.

The combination of Jessica's strength and the force of her growing body didn't seem to cause the doors to move an inch. She had never come across anything like this, she had never known her strength fail her. Even with the supposed weight of the door she thought that she would have been able to move it even a little but the doors might as well have been a light breeze rather than a growing giantess trying to open the door.

Eventually when Jessica was roughly sixty feet she admitted defeat and began to shrink herself. She had been running out of room and she thought that even if she were full size that she wouldn't have been able to open the doors using her strength. Tucker had his back to one of the walls so that he wasn't accidentally crushed by his best friend but as soon as she was her minimum size he helped her back to her feet.

Both of their efforts had failed and it seemed that their quest had come to an abrupt end. There had to be a way for them to open the doors but judging from the area around the door there was no indication about how they were going to do that. Tucker was the one who was most desperate in his attempts to find some kind of clue. He was on his hands and knees and rubbing the floor trying to find something that would open the doors. Jessica just looked at him for a few minutes before squatting down and placing her hand on his shoulder At first he didn't seem to notice that she had done anything but as she kept her hand there he slowly looked towards her.

"Tucker please your embarrassing yourself now," said Jessica with a somewhat stern voice. She wasn't trying to be mean to him but she wanted him to have reality slap him in the face. "Rubbing your hands on the ground isn't helping anyone."

"But there must be something here," replied Tucker with some anxiety in his voice. "Something that will open these bloody doors. We can't have come all this way and fail because some fucking door refuses to open."

"Tucker you're thinking too small, no one designs a door that can't be opened because then what's the point. Maybe it isn't brute force or some kind of trick switch that opens these doors, maybe there's something else entirely." She slowly helped Tucker back up to his feet and he felt extremely light to her and it was some reassurance for her since she thought that she might have been getting weak. "Now before you go searching for any more clues on the ground why don't we try looking at the door, maybe there's something that's out of place. Something that's not supposed to be there."

"Ok maybe you have a point there."

With every moment he was becoming more and more glad that he had brought Jessica along with him for this quest. He didn't want to admit to her but he would have been lost without her. Not only did her size make travelling great distances much easier but also she seemed to be the voice of reason whenever he seemed to be going abnormal. She had always been there for him and would continue to do so as long as they stayed friends.

Tucker looked long and hard at the door and he hoped that he would find something that was off. Much to his annoyance it all seemed to look the same and he wanted nothing more than to rip the doors off of their hinges and throw them to one side. Unfortunately this was impossible for him so he would have to use his brain rather than his brawn to solve this task successful.

It took him several minutes of looking at the door until he did notice one thing that did seem abnormal. The design on the door was mirrored on the other. The precision and detail was emasculate but there was one minor detail that he did notice. It seemed that a carving of a hart had a slight different shaped antler to the hart on the opposing door. It was a detail that would have been easy to miss and Tucker walked up to it carefully and slightly pulled on the antler that was at a slightly different angle.

Both of them expected the doors to suddenly come open but instead there was a light that appeared above the tunnel. It took a few moments for it to form words and at first it was in a language that neither Jessica nor Tucker could read. All they could do was look at it for a few moments and they had no idea what they were going to do. They had no idea what the language was or even if there was anyone who would be able to translate it.

The writing had been up for roughly a minute before the words began to glow and change shape again. Both Jessica and Tucker began to fear that the words were about to fade away and that they had lost their only chance of getting through the door. Instead the words changed into that of the common tongue and after a few moments the words above the door read 'What runs but doesn't walk, with a mouth that never talks?' This got Tucker somewhat confused. He knew that it was a riddle but he had no idea what the answer could be.

"What the hell does that even mean?" asked Tucker as he looked at the riddle. "How can something be able to run and yet not walk and have a mouth that doesn't talk? It isn't a mute runner is it?"

"No Tucker it can't be that," replied Jessica trying to think of the answer. This was one of the times when she was having to use her brains rather than her brawn to solve the problem at hand. "Animals can't talk like us but they can make sounds which can count as talking. There are insects maybe."

"Maybe it might not be an animal at all." He was really having to think and he was thinking that a riddle like this was a little bit too complicated and too easy for it to be an animal. It was extremely unlikely that a person who came down this way would have an extensive knowledge of every animal in the world. It could be something that was entirely different. "Just think about it what runs but can't walk, which has a mouth that doesn't talk? There has to be something that is like that."

Jessica continued to think and as she continued to think she realised something else. The trial was right next to the source of the River Red and she realised that she had the answer within her grasp. It was almost like a connection was being made within her head and she was about the have a eureka moment.

"A river!" shouted Jessica in a loud voice. This caught Tucker by surprise who flinched a little due to the volume of her voice and she realised her mistake soon afterwards. It was just that the realisation of the answer had hit her like an ice cold bucket of water being thrown in her face. "A river runs but never walks and it has a mouth that never talks. That's the answer Tucker, I can't believe that we missed it."

Suddenly the words on the top of the door faded away and there was a groaning noise as the two incredibly heavy doors began to move. They opened away from the pair and there was a huge sigh of relief from both of them as they realised that they had answered correctly and within moments they would be able to go through. From the thickness of the doors Tucker could see why he failed to open them, even with Jessica's full strength it would have been unlikely that she would have been able to open them herself.

It took several moments for the heavy stone doors to move and when they were fully open Tucker was the first to go through. Jessica followed behind closely but the opening was still a little too small for her to walk through normally so as she was accustomed to she ducked to get underneath before she could get to the other side.

The room that they were in now was well lit with a ceiling high enough for Jessica to grow to her full size and not have to worry about striking the ceiling. There was a pedestal in the centre of the room with carvings on the walls all around. From what they could see the carvings seemed to depict some kind of battle that took place long ago before recorded history. It seemed to be from the legendary Age Of Titans where heroes were born, bled and died on the battlefields. There was little to no records dating back from this age but from the few sources that there were it indicated that there was much turmoil and unrest all along the land. With the end of the Age Of Titans came a sense of stability that Angleland which it was still enjoying today.

Tucker couldn't quite tell what was on the pedestal but all he knew was that it was going to be the last part of the trial before the map updated itself and they could move on. He watched as Jessica grew to about thirty feet in height so that she could take a better look around the room to see if there was anything that could present a danger. She couldn't see anything from her heightened vantage point but both of them knew that looks were deceiving. There was most likely something that was going to try and prevent their passage and it was only by performing a test could they see whether or not there were any dangers.

Jessica soon shrank back down to her normal size and picked up a nearby rock that was right next to Tucker. She rolled it across the ground towards the pedestal and almost immediately jets of fire shot up from the ground. From where they were standing both individuals could feel the sheer heat from these jets of fire and it was obvious to both of them that anyone unfortunate enough to step within them would be roasted alive. It was likely that even if Jessica was full size that the jets of fire would still have a good chance of burning her to death.

"Ok so walking towards the pedestal is completely out of the question," said Tucker as he saw the jets of fire die down and recede back into the ground. "If you don't mind I'd rather not find out what it's like to be in an oven." The heat didn't particularly bother him all that much, years working at his family blacksmith had made him experience heat that would be unbearable for most normal people.

"So what are we going to do?" replied Jessica wiping some of the sweat that had formed on her brow. "Do we go all around this room and try and find some way of deactivate those flames or do we simply give up now and go back to Morgan?"

"No I say that we cheat."

Moments later a full size Jessica had Tucker in her hand and she was attempting to gently drop him down right by the pedestal. They had determined that these tiles that led from near the entrance to the pedestal was what caused the jets of fire to flare up. These tiles surrounded the pedestal completely with the area just around the pedestal completely free. The distance for anyone to jump was too great but it was within reach for Jessica to place Tucker down in the safe area.

Thanks to the size of the room she was able to grow to her full size and she could reach over and put Tucker exactly where he wanted. Her feet were away from the titles but her reach was long enough for the task at hand. She was being really careful not to accidentally have part of her giant foot touch a tile or place Tucker too far away from the pedestal. One mistake would cause the jets of fire to flare up again and it would most likely kill them both. The best that Jessica could have hoped for in that situation was that only her dress would burn and she would have no choice but to discard it. The only problem with that was that it would cause her to remain at her full size and unable to leave the room. It wouldn't be too long before she died from thirst.

"Ok careful Jessica," said Tucker as he looked down. He could see that his feet was above the tiles but a short distance away from the safe area. He had already thrown a rock there and discovered that it didn't set off the jets of fire so he knew that it was safe. "Just a little further and that should do it."

"How much further Tucker?" replied Jessica as she continued to stretch him over. She was squatting down and extending her arm. She could easily extend her arm until Tucker was safely across but she didn't want to send him too far in case he accidentally landed on another tile and he would burn to death.

"Not too much you're almost there." He looked directly down and he eventually saw that his feet were dangling over the safe area. "Ok Jess you can drop me here." With that he felt himself gently lower to the ground. As soon as he was touching the ground he felt Jessica's long and soft fingers release him and he took a step forwards towards the pedestal. She was constantly watching him to make sure that he was safe.

As Tucker looked at the pedestal he saw what seemed to be a jewel sitting there. At first he went to pick it up but he discovered that it wouldn't move. Instead of repeatedly trying this time he pressed it down as if he were pushing a button. The gemstone went straight into the pedestal and immediately afterwards a beam of light shot out of the pedestal and went up into the air. This caught Jessica by surprise who had to shield her eyes so that she wouldn't be blinded. The light lasted for several moments before subsiding.

At first nothing seemed to happen but Tucker noticed that the map was beginning to glow. Quickly he took it out of its holder and unravelled it so that he could take a good look at it. To his relief and amazement he saw that the map had now updated itself. It began to show him the way to the second trial and he was more than happy to see that the map wasn't a fake and indeed truly was the one that would lead him and Jessica to Three Man Treasure. He wanted to rub it in the face of Jessica who had her doubts about the map but he decided to keep that to himself.

As Tucker took a closer look at the map he saw that it was now leading to an area just outside of Sun City that was located in the Summer Lands further to the south. It was closer than Tucker expected but it didn't mean that it was going to be easy.

The next thing that Tucker knew he felt a very familiar giant hand pick him up and gently lift him into the air. He felt himself be taken from the safe area, over the tiles and finally back in front of his giantess for a best friend. She saw what had happened and knew that something significant had happened. Tucker's safety was the first thing on her mind however and making sure that he was past the dangers was her primary objective.

"What happened Tucker?" asked Jessica with some enthusiasm. She gave him a small smile since she knew that it was most likely going to be good news.

"The first trial is done and dusted my dear," replied Tucker with confidence in his voice. "The map has updated itself and we can go on our way to the second trial as soon as possible."

"Just give me one moment." With that she placed Tucker down on the ground and slowly began to shrink down to her minimum size, she could make the process as fast as she wanted but this time she wanted it to be at a slower pace just to make a little bit of dramatic effect. When she was down to her minimum size she looked at the map and saw where the second trial was located. A huge smile appeared on her face as she realised that it meant that she could basically kill two birds with one stone. "This is perfect, while we're on our way to the second trial we can stop off at July and take the letter to the High Lord there."

"Wait what?" It was true that the city of July was not too far away from the second trial and most likely they would be going past it on the way. It made sense that they could stop there on the way but he didn't want to think that anything was going to slow them down. "Can't we just skip it and just say that we delivered the note?"

"No Tucker we can't, maybe the letter is something of extreme importance to the lord and by delivering it we will be saving many, many lives. Besides if we do this for the Lord Of July maybe he'll reward us with something to help us with our quest." Personally for Jessica she didn't want a reward but only said it to make Tucker think that there was more reason to go to July and drop the letter off the for the Lord who ruled there.

"Ok you've made your point, it's not like we're exactly going out of our way for it. July is on the way anyway."

Jessica gave him a little smile since she had won another discussion with him. One thing she did notice was that a door on the far end of the room suddenly opened moments after Tucker had pressed the gemstone down. It seemed to be a shortcut out of the underground dungeon and back up to the surface and hopefully sunlight. They were both somewhat glad to think that they were getting out. The experience had not been all that traumatic for them and they were more confident than ever to keep going.

Tucker was the first one to go through the door with Jessica behind him. At first it seemed that there was nothing in this tiny room behind the door and when Jessica went in she also couldn't see anything of interest. The space was so small that there was only enough room for the two of them to stand in but as they looked up they couldn't see the ceiling. Since there was no additional source of light in this room they didn't know whether it was because the ceiling was incredibly high or if it was simply too dark to see it.

Jessica contemplated growing to check how high the ceiling was but there was no chance that she would be able to get anywhere near large enough to make a proper check until she ran out of room. For once it wasn't height wise where she would run out of room but width and length instead.

The two adventurers were just about to step out when suddenly the door that they had gone through suddenly shut behind them. The door had closed so fast that there was nothing that either one could do to prevent it from closing. Also with the door closed their own source of light was gone and they found themselves in complete darkness.

"What the hell!" shouted Tucker as he tried to open the doors himself. Like before they were too heavy for him to move and he couldn't see exactly where the cracks were since he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. "It won't budge."

"Please don't tell me that we're going to die in here," replied Jessica knowing that there wouldn't be much that she could do either. The space was just too small for her to grow and that was something that scared her.

"Ok I won't but it is a distinct possibility."

This didn't fill the large but gentle woman with confidence and she began to think that this would be the end of their quest. It would be unlikely that anyone would be able to find them in there and even if they did it would probably take centuries. She shed a tear because she felt hopeless but on the plus side was at least she would die besides the man that she cared about greatly.

Suddenly they felt the ground beneath their feet shake a little. It caught them by surprise and the shudder wasn't even strong enough to make them uneven on their feet. The quick shudder was soon followed by the sensation that the ground beneath their feet was rising up into the air. It wasn't just the feeling that it was happening but the fact that they could hear the straining noise as it continued to rise up higher and higher.

Tucker and Jessica had no idea what was happening but they were helpless but to go on for the ride and they hoped that it would lead them to safety. They stood there in silence as the floor continued to rise higher and higher but as they looked up they could still see nothing but darkness. It was only after they had been rising up for several minutes until they saw what seemed to be a door above them begin to slide open. Behind this door they could see the welcome sight of sunlight and the sky. This brought a smile to both of their faces as they knew that they were safe.

When they were finally back on the surface Tucker took a deep breath and welcomed the fact that he and Jessica were both back up to the surface. He saw that he was in a different place from where they had entered the dungeon. The river was a further distance away from them and there was a small wood right next to them. No sooner had the pair taken a few steps forward the ground which they had been standing on began to lower back down from whence it came and the door covered it again. The door itself was covered by mud and grass and thus would make it close to impossible to find.

Jessica and Tucker allowed themselves a little bit of time before they moved on. They did have a rest before they set off and they had something to eat first. Going through the first trial had made both travellers hungry so they decided to have lunch before they went anywhere else. Jessica did ask Tucker if she wanted to cook any of the food but the wannabe knight politely declined, he stated it was so that they could carry on their quest in haste but in reality it was because he didn't like her cooking. He cared too much about her feelings to tell her that to her face so this was a little white lie.

The uncooked lunch did go down well with both adventurers and no sooner had they finished eating Tucker got up to his feet very quickly. He staggered a little since he was still getting used to the weight of the shield that he had acquired. It looked like he was about to topple over but thankfully he was able to stay on his feet and keep his bearings. He had prevented himself from looking like a fool and he was about to carry on walking towards the south. In his haste he had gotten his directions wrong and was actually facing west rather than south.

As Tucker began to walk he heard a giggle come from Jessica before he felt her giant hand wrap around him and lift him a couple of feet into the air. She had gone from minimum to maximum size so quickly that it had caught Tucker somewhat by surprise. She still had a smile on her face as she found what Tucker was doing.

"I believe south is that way," said Jessica as she turned Tucker's body ninety degrees to his left before placing him back on the ground gently. "You would have been walking a long way and yet still not get to July."

"I knew that," replied Tucker trying to make it seem that he had intended to turn the wrong way. "I was just seeing if you were paying attention that's all." He seemed so confident with his words that even he began to believe himself that he was telling the truth. All this got was another giggle from the gentle giantess who continued to look down at him.

"Sure you were Tucker, sure you were. Now do you want me to carry you or do you want to go the entire way on foot?"

This was a no brainer for Tucker, some knights might think that being carried by a woman would be demeaning but this was definitely a special circumstance. Allowing Jessica to carry him didn't just make the journey faster but it also made it safer. Not many bandits and thieves would try and rob them if they saw a one hundred and twenty five foot giantess coming their way, if they had common sense they would run to the hills as fast as their legs could carry them.

Tucker had seen Jessica scare bandits before and he even swore that he saw one of them lose control of his bladder. She never harmed them, just scared them and he doubted that the bandit ever tried to steal again. It was also a reminder what she could do if she got angry but in truth he didn't have reason to fear her, she had always been kind and gentle to him, even when he was being difficult.

He gave her a quick nod and almost immediately he felt his body lift into the air as he found himself face to face with the gentle giantess. She placed him on her right shoulder and tied a few strands of hair around him for his own safety. Whenever she carried him or anyone for that matter she always made sure that the little person's safety was at the top of her priority. Once she had placed Tucker on her shoulder and not wrapped any hair around him. At one point he fell and she was just able to catch him before he struck the ground and met a gruesome end.

The trip to July would take Jessica a few days, even at her maximum size but it was definitely going to be quicker than going at her smallest size. The distance would take any normal man a couple of weeks to travel if they were on foot, on horseback maybe a week but travelling by giantess was definitely the fastest means of transport. Besides the view that Tucker could see was experienced by very few individuals.

By the next morning the pair had already made good progress and they could already feel the weather beginning to warm up. This was a clear indication that they were nearing July and the Summer Lands. The Summer Lands were famous for its warm weather, even in the middle of winter. The scenery of the Summer Lands were second to known as the somewhat tropical weather made plants grow here that couldn't be found anywhere else in Angleland. It made the Summer Lands a much desired area of land.

In fact the Lord of July had only received his position a few years before. He had been a lord of another small settlement just a few short miles away from the city of July. He claimed to have an ancestral right to the seat and he was refused, in response he was able to gather several legions of soldiers who were loyal to him and he took the city by force.

News of this spread throughout the land and especially quickly to Royal City where the King of Angleland were resident. The new Lord of July had written to them several times demanding that he have July returned to him and his family like in the days of old. This request was turned down so he saw conquest for the city that he thought was rightfully his. He took it without mercy.

When all the fighting was done the members of House O'Donnell were nothing but memories and all those who had been loyal to them bent the knee to him. Many more lords feared that this new Lord of July would carry on until he was King of Angleland, the chances of him succeeding would have been very low but there was no doubt that many more people would have died before the bloodshed ended.

The new Lord of July was satisfied with simply obtaining the city and already under his lordship the city was experiencing what it was calling a new Golden Age. The city and the surrounding lands were exporting wines and numerous herbs for healing that was sent throughout Angleland and beyond. It was due to this that not only was the Lord of July not only the most ruthless lord in Angleland but also the most wealthiest. His rule there was absolute but there were numerous rumours about him that no knew were true or just simply made up.

Jessica and Tucker had been following the River Red since it took them fairly near to the City Of July. Not only that but it also gave them a source of water and every now and again they would go fishing to obtain some much needed food. Rather than using fishing rods Jessica would cup her enormous hands into the river and then scoop up some of the water. She would then open her fingers slightly to allow the water run out but any fish that were unfortunate enough to be in her hands would soon be the dinner of the gentle giantess and wannabe knight.

For the next part it was Tucker who cooked the fish. This was one thing that he was quite good at and he was easily able to start a fire that was hot enough to cook the fish through and make a tasty meal. He had learned as a blacksmith how to start fires and exactly how to create fires that were warm enough to metal steel.

Even when the pair were still in Morgan Jessica would take Tucker to the nearby lake where she bathed so that he could go fishing. His family would cook the fish and there was always enough for her to eat with them. This was a memory that she cherished and gave her the belief that even though most people treated her like a monster there were still a few who treated her like a human being.

Even at her smallest size Jessica ate almost double what Tucker ate and when she was at her full size it was almost impossible to satisfy her hunger. Quite a lot of the time she had eaten enough to feed an entire village and yet she would have room for even more. There was no doubt that if she was her maximum size all the time like she was before her parents wouldn't be able to feed her and the fact that she was still growing at a steady rate meant that her appetite would keep growing along with her height.

Both Tucker and Jessica were beginning to feel a little too warm as they entered the Summer Lands. Although he didn't like to admit it Tucker was sweating below his armour and he was needing drinks of water much more frequently than before. Unfortunately the River Red didn't run all the way down to July so for about half the trip from their starting point the two would have to rely on pouches of water that they had been able to fill up. They had brought several empty pouches with them for such an emergency.

Before they said goodbye to the River Red they filled up all of these pouches and Jessica placed them in her pocket. For almost all the time that they were travelling she remained at her maximum size so that she could carry all the water. The only time when she would shrink was when she was either eating or going to the toilet. She was even sleeping at her maximum size as well and Tucker would wrap himself up in her hair to keep himself warm even though the nights were relatively mild in the Summer Lands.

Jessica's hair felt like silk when he lay them over him like a blanket. Her hair was long and full and each brown strand was strong as well. He had sometimes gotten lost in her hair when they were younger but he knew that his giantess for a best friend would always find him no matter how lost and tangled he got.

On the first night of their journey down to July Tucker had fallen asleep relatively quickly while Jessica just looked up to the starry sky above her. She wondered some nights if she would ever meet anyone like her and if she did what would they be like? Would they use their size and strength to benefit people like she tried to do or would they use their superior size to downtrodden the so called little people. She also thought that if one day she would grow tall enough to reach the stars and bring them to the ground. She had heard legends about people who had been to the stars but she didn't believe them at all. But eventually fatigue did step in and her large eyelids closed over her hazel eyes and she soundly fell asleep before she even knew it.

It was not until the fourth day of travelling before the pair could see the walled city of July over the horizon. As was expected when they were a few miles out Jessica shrank down to her smallest size so that they wouldn't attract too much attention. She had been used to doing this for some time and she didn't mind doing this.

One strange thing that she could feel was the sensation that she was being drawn towards the city. She didn't know why but it felt like an invisible hand was pushing her closer and closer to the city and it was one of the oddest sensations that she had ever felt. She didn't tell Tucker this though and she could feel the gold necklace that she was wearing begin to hum from time to time. She had barely been noticing the necklace and hadn't even questioned how it had changed size with her when all other jewellery had remained the same. This was why Jessica never wore jewellery unless she knew that she was going to stay at her minimum size for a considerable amount of time.

Even though July was a walled city the pair had been able to spot numerous tall buildings from a distance and the mightiest of these was a castle that was the official seat of the Lord of July. They couldn't see too much detail from where they were but it was definitely one of the largest castles in Angleland even though everyone knew that the castle at Royal City was the largest. The sun shining on the city gave it a golden colour and also helped it be nicknamed the City Of Gold.

As Tucker and Jessica walked closer and closer to July they could hear the numerous folks who lived in the city go about their day to day lives. Since the city was walled none of them had been able to see Jessica t her full size miles away so none of them would have been afraid to see her as she entered the city. The only thing that would turn their heads at this moment was that she was most likely the tallest person in Angleland even before she started growing.

One thing that July was notorious for in recent years was gambling. Since the new Lord of July had taken power he had legalized official gambling and there were buildings created especially for gambling and the owners were extremely wealthy. A small percentage of the profits however were fed back to the Lord himself and this was another reason why he was such a wealthy man. It was rumoured that he could buy Royal City if he so pleased but in truth he was still loyal to the royal family so something like that would most likely never happen.

It took about an hour or so of walking before Tucker and Jessica actually reached the gates that led into July. These gates were huge and they looked to be brand new, Tucker could tell that the steel that made them was very strong and could probably hold out for a long time if the city was under siege. In times of war these gates were closed but at this time of peace they were open so that people could freely walk in and out as they pleased. There were numerous guards stationed at these gates who checked each person as they came and went. There were people who were wanted for numerous different crimes and they would either be picked up as they tried to enter the city or captured if they tried to leave.

As Tucker stepped towards the gate he was checked over by one of the guards. It wasn't illegal to be carrying a sword or a shield in the city but he did look a little similar to a man who was wanted by the Lord of July. They had numerous wanted posted inside what seemed to be a large book and as the guard flicked through them some of these posters had a huge X drawn through them indicating that that certain individual had been caught.

Eventually the guard was able to find the poster that he thought looked a little like Tucker but after going over it he realised that this was not the same person. Tucker was too short to be the man that was on the poster and he also had all of his fingers intact.

When Jessica tried to go through what happened was unexpected. Most of the guards marvelled over her height and she would look down at them with a smile. Inside their armour the guards were thankful that she couldn't see their faces. If she could she would probably see that there was something odd about them. In their armour the guards were not too hot since they were used to the head and could still function well.

It was a relatively short guard who had to stop Jessica so that he could ask her a couple of questions. This was not standard procedure for everyone but they had their orders when it came to women of Jessica's height. The last thing he wanted to do was to go back on the word of his Lord.

"State your name my dear and where you are from," said the Guard as he was having to look up at Jessica. The height difference between them was almost laughable but for Jessica it was nothing that she hadn't seen before.

"My name is Jessica Snape and I come from Morgan," replied Jessica complying with the guard. The guard himself had never been or heard of Morgan so he just kept it to himself before carrying on with the questions.

"What business do you have in the City Of July today?"

"I have been sent to give a message to the Lord of July himself." From her pocket she took out the envelope that contained the message that the old woman had given her in Lake Town. It had a couple of dents in it but other than that it was perfectly fine.

"I see and what exactly is this message?"

"I'm not sure, I was told to give it to the Lord of July and I haven't looked at the message itself."

"Ok." The guard looked at Jessica again and he knew what was going on. He saw the necklace around her neck and he fully understood what was happening. He kept quiet about it however and just kept going with his duties. "Everything seems to be in order here, you can take the message to the castle itself and Lord Nostory will be more than happy to take it off your hands. For your efforts he will reward you and he might even allow you to spend a night at the castle before you move on. Now move along please and have a pleasant stay in July my dear."

With that Jessica walked through the gates and the sight that she saw took her breath away. From a distance she hadn't been able to see the buildings behind the walls of the city but now that she could she marvelled over their beauty. It seemed that each building was designed by a major landscaper and with the warm sun shining down upon them she thought that the bricks were actually made of gold. Most of the buildings were only single floor but there were numerous that were two and three storey buildings. There were beautiful bursts of colour from the plants and flowers that grew on the buildings and it looked like something that had jumped straight out of a painting. One thing that had escaped Jessica's notice was that the guard who had spoken to her started to quietly speak to a man who was a messenger and within moments the messenger quickly ran away to take the message to Lord Nostory as quickly as he could.

The building that definitely stood out was the great castle that located near the back of the city. It was the tallest building in the city and Jessica thought that even at her maximum height it would still be taller than her. It stood in the city like a colossus watching over the common folk and it was easy to see why Lord Nostory had wanted it so badly, it was the jewel in the crown that was July with its mighty towers and solid looking fortifications. It looked to take a strong armour to be able to conquer the castle. One thing that was strange to her though was that it felt like something was drawing her towards the castle. She had only glanced at it for the first time now but she felt like she couldn't stop herself walking towards it.

Almost no sooner had she walked through the gate she saw Tucker there waiting for her. Since he had not been anyone of any real interest he had been let through relatively easy. After it was determined that he was not the man that was wanted he was free to go through as much as he pleased. He could see the somewhat far off look in Jessica's eyes and she was about to walk straight passed him but he held onto her hand and this seemed to snap the towering woman back to reality.

"Are you alright Jessica?" asked Tucker with a smile on his face thinking that she was just being a little goofy. "You're kind of zoning out on me here."

"I-I'm fine," replied Jessica as she began to realise exactly what was happening and it was like a small relief to her. "I think I kind of lost my head there for a moment." She gave him a smile back to show that she was alright. "Now shall we go to see the Lord first or do you want to get a bite to eat? I don't know about you but I'm so hungry that I could eat an entire cow."

They both laughed at this but it wasn't because Jessica had made a bad joke but because it was true. Jessica had been known to have eaten enough food to qualify as an entire cow and then some. Never at her smallest size but it was still something that had brought a chuckle out of the two old friends.

It was not hard to find a tavern that the pair could eat in. The tavern was also doubling as a gambling establishment and ground floor was where people could eat and drink to their heart's content. On the top floor was where a person could sleep and the basement was where the gambling took place and where the real money was made. The basement wasn't some sleazy place where only the ne'er-do-wells go but a respected place that was both clean and always bristling with legal activity. Fortunes were won and lost down there and the majority of the time it was the tavern that made the most money.

For a gambler it was easy for them to start doing well at first but then in a few turns of bad luck could lose all their money in an instant. On the flip side there were times when someone went down there with only a couple of gold coins to their name and walk away with enough money to buy their own castle.

For now Jessica and Tucker weren't interested in gambling any of their money. All they wanted to do was sit down and have a nice warm meal together. They had been in each other's company for everyday for just over a week and yet they were yet to bore of each other. This was always a good sign of their friendship and one other good thing that was going for them was that the food in the tavern was relatively cheap in comparison to other taverns. Since the bulk of the tavern's profits came from gambling they could afford to make their meal prices a little less than other places since they didn't depend on it. This was well received by both Jessica and Tucker who had no idea of the impending danger that was coming their way as they sat down and ordered their meals.

Almost as soon as Jessica had walked in she had turned some heads but this was nothing that she hadn't been used to before. She couldn't remember the last time she went anywhere without people turning their heads and being gasped at the sight of such a tall woman. At least when she was her minimum height she was more of a being to be wondered rather than one to be feared. She always hated people being afraid of her, to this day she always claimed that she was a gentle giantess and she had earned this title on more than one occasion and yet no one had picked up the message.

Meanwhile the Messenger had ran to the castle as quickly as he legs could carry him. Normally very few people were able to get into the castle as there were guards stationed there that prevented unauthorised access. This messenger was a common sight at the castle and since he worked directly for Lord Nostory he was allowed inside without much of a thus. He even said hello to a few of the guards who were his friends.

As the Messenger entered the castle he walked past several serving woman along the way. It was common in castles for the lord to have serving women at his beck and call but there was something about these serving women, the shortest was a little over five foot ten and all the others were above that. The majority of the serving women were taller than six feet and there were some who even reached six and a half feet and beyond. Each of these serving women had been handpicked by Lord Nostory himself and many of them had not stepped outside of the castle since they came into his service and none had stepped outside of the city.

It took the Messenger a few minutes to walk through the castle that was beautifully decorated with items of great value. Each one could easily be worth enough money to buy a common man a small patch of land. To Lord Nostory he could easily afford each one of them.

Lord Nostory was located in his main hall sitting on the seat that he had fought so much for. He was a fairly young man with tanned skin and very dark brown hair. He wasn't also particularly tall himself only standing at around five foot seven. His skills with a blade were pretty laughable but he was a master strategist. He didn't need his skills with a blade to conquer the city of July, he only needed enough men and firepower to get the job done and a little bit of intelligence.

There were two serving women tending to him as he sat in his oak chair. Both women were above six feet in height and were considered to be beautiful. The room itself had very high ceiling and granite carvings on the sides of Lord Nostory's ancestors from his father all the way from his grandfather of fifteen generations back. Formally the stands had featured carvings of the former Lords of July but after Lord Nostory had conquered the city he had destroyed them all when House O'Donnell had been extinguished. It was his way of asserting himself as the new Lord. On his order there were no remnants of House O'Donnell left, all paintings and statues of any family member had been destroyed and all mention of them had been removed from the city's textbooks. Lord Nostory's takeover had been absolute but there was one problem that he had. He lacked an heir to inherit his seat after he died and many times he had been offered a daughter of a different Lord to marry but he had turned them down. None seemed to be up to his standards and he didn't care if he had to marry a common girl, just as long as he got what he wanted.

The Messenger walked up to the seat and knelt down right in front of Lord Nostory. His head was bowed in submission to his High Lord and he didn't want to do anything that might upset him. A few people who had personally insulted Lord Nostory were sent down into the dungeons and many of them were never seen again.

"My Lord I bring you news from Carter who is stationed at the city's north gates," said the Messenger as he looked up to his High Lord.

"Speak what is it that he wishes to tell me?" replied Lord Nostory seemingly in no mood to have his time wasted. He took a drink out of his gold cup before giving it to one of his tall serving women who took it away to be refilled.

"He states that a lady who would tickle your fancy has just entered the city. He claims that she is at least eight feet tall my Lord."

"Eight feet?" He wasn't sure if what he was hearing was true. He was beginning to think that he might have misheard or if the Messenger was merely exaggerated. He had heard tales of men who were that height but in reality they were a little shy of being seven foot. "Are you sure that information is correct?"

"I do not know my Lord, but he claims that she is also wearing the necklace and has a message for you. He sent her to the castle so that she can deliver the message and that is all that he told me. I am sorry if I have not given you the information that you wanted my Lord but that was all that I was told." He didn't want to end up in the dungeon like other messengers who had failed Lord Nostory.

"You do not need my forgiveness," said Lord Nostory. There was a slight hint of a smile in his face as the serving woman brought back his gold cup but this time it was filled with rich wine. "You have served your duties well enough, you may leave now and you will find a couple of extra gold coins in your wages this week."

"Thank you my Lord." The Messenger got up to his feet and bowed to his High Lord before walking off. He didn't want to push his luck or maybe do something that could anger his High Lord. All he wanted to do was get out as soon as he could and think about what he was going to spend his extra wages on.

Lord Nostory continued to sit in his throne for several moments before slowly getting up to his feet. His two serving women stood there awaiting to hear if he had any commands for them. For them their life was now dedicated to them and although they would like their own freedom if they tried to escape they knew what would happen to them. At least under his service they were warm, well fed and had a place to stay.

"Mary inform the lads that we are having a very special guest coming along very soon," said Lord Nostory as he looked towards the raven haired serving woman to his right. "Make sure they know what preparations need to be arranged and when you are done send Katherine to my side."

"At once my Lord," said Mary as she walked out of the room. She was a very tall woman but nowhere near as tall as Jessica but unlike her Mary's height was mostly natural although a few of her inches had been added on.

"Laura I'm afraid it is that time now for you." He looked towards the other serving woman at his side who like him had colour to her skin but was an inch or so shorter than Mary. There was some fear in her eyes as he spoke as she knew what he was talking about. "Mathew is waiting for you downstairs, I wouldn't keep him waiting, and you know how he gets when his schedule is thrown off."

"O-of course my Lord," replied Laura as she moved away. She was scared of what was going to happen but it was something that she had experienced numerous times while under the service of Lord Nostory but it didn't mean it was any easier for her and she expected to feel a lot of pain.

Oblivious to what was being said at the nearby castle Jessica and Tucker ate away at the tavern as if it were their last meal. The food was very cheap so they could both eat to their heart's desire and not have to worry too much about the cost. Jessica in particular was very hungry since she had been walking for a few days straight and she hadn't been able to eat what she considered to be her fill. Because of this she ate more than she normally would have done, in the end she ate three times what a normal person would eat before she actually decided that she was full.

Her appearance in the tavern had not gone unnoticed as several people would turn their heads to see the colossus of a woman sitting there eating. It did bother her somewhat but she kept it all to herself and she was used to being stared at. It came with the territory of being a giantess, even in her smallest form.

Most men wouldn't even want to be seen with a woman who was so much taller than him but Tucker didn't mind at all. Jessica had always been bigger than him and he never thought of anything different. They were inseparable over the years and a little height difference was the last thing that was going to split them up. They even somewhat expected some man to come up to her and ask her to have sex with them but thankfully this didn't seem to be the case here, not like it had been in Lake Town.

"Hey Jess I was thinking," said Tucker as he took another sip of his ale. "There's a world of wealth downstairs and I feel myself to be a little lucky today, maybe I should go down there and win us a little extra money for the quest. You gotta admit that a few more gold coins for the trip is good for both of us."

"I don't think so Mr Martel," replied Jessica as she knew that she was going to have to be stern with her friend. "How do I put this Tucker? You and gambling don't exactly mix, you never seem to come out a winner."

"Oh come on I once won a thousand gold coins in a single bet." He tried to make himself feel proud of that achievement but Jessica was only a few moments from shattering that pride completely.

"Yes you did but then you gambled it away in less than an hour. I'm not entirely saying that you're a bad gambler but you just don't know when to stop and I promised your father that I wouldn't allow you to waste all that money again."

"Oh come on Jess I know what I'm doing."

"Don't make me have to carry you out of here, I know that you don't mind me carrying you when we're travelling but having a man carried out of a tavern by a woman is embarrassing to anyone, even you."

Tucker sat there for a few moments as he considered his options. He wanted to try and win some money but even he had to admit that his record wasn't too particularly bad. He knew that he was only one win away from making it rich. Another thought began to creep in over the fact that he didn't particularly need to try and gamble. The shield strapped to his back was worth a lot of money and for that there was almost nothing at risk. For the time being he wanted to keep the shield since it would be handy for the quest but he definitely wanted to sell it after the quest was over. This was so if they failed their quest they would still have a considerable amount of money.

"Ok you win Jessica I won't gamble," said Tucker admitting defeat but he knew that she had his best interests in mind. "But maybe a quick game of cards could get me an extra couple of coins." He saw the scowl on Jessica's face and he began to laugh. "I'm only pulling your leg." He began to laugh and the scowl on Jessica's face began to disappear and she did begin to smile. He thought that she looked a lot more beautiful when she was smiling rather than scowling. "Shall we go and see the good Lord when we're finished, maybe we can get ourselves a few extra coins there?"

"Sure but let me just finish this last drink off." Her last drink was a very large cup of ale which she was able to drink in one go with a handful of mighty gulps. Tucker could only watch as she drunk almost an entire litre of ale in seconds without spilling a single drop. When she was finished she placed the cup down on the table and she didn't even need to belch. "Ok little man, let's go."

It only took moments for Tucker and Jessica to be out the door and on their way. They had already paid for their food when they ordered it so it wasn't like they were running off without paying for their meals. That was a quick fire way of finding themselves in trouble and drawing unnecessary attention. Most likely if people knew about their quest they would try and steal the map off of them since the first part was already completed for them. Most likely if anyone wanted to get the map they would have to go through a towering giantess who was unwilling to see her best friend part with it.

As they continued to walk through the streets Jessica was getting some looks from others around her but these were all things that she was used to. There were a couple of the guards who knew what fate would fall onto her but they kept it all quiet. They only felt a little sorry for her but they knew that they would be seeing a lot more of her very soon in ways that she couldn't imagine.

One thing that Jessica did notice as she and Tucker walked closer and closer to the castle was the fact that the necklace around her neck seemed to be slightly tingling around her neck. There was also a small humming sound that was almost too quiet to hear. A few times she did think about taking it off but it was like something within her mind was telling her to keep it on and she had no idea why. She still hadn't realised that all the times that she had grown while wearing it the necklace had grown with her. This piece of information had seemed to elude her when normally she was quite sharp when it came to things like this.

Tucker was also somewhat excited to be going to the castle. Not just because he thought that there would be some gold at the end of this small trip but also because it would be the first time that he ever met a Lord. He imagined him to be some kind of giant of a man. He had no idea that Lord Nostory was actually quite short but his cunningness and ruthlessness made up for what he might have lacked. It would have even been nice for Lord Nostory to be able to knight him since a Lord of Lord Nostory's stature did have the power to knight a man. It would be one of his life ambitions drawn to a close and he still felt that the quest was relatively close to the beginning.

It only took Jessica and Tucker a few more minutes to approach the castle and when they were a few metres away from it they stopped for a moment so that they could see the grandeur of it, it was the first castle that they had seen with their own eyes but from what they had heard from others this one was definitely the fanciest. Much like the other buildings in July the bricks looked like they were made of gold thanks to the sun shining down on them. It was taller than Jessica's maximum height by a good fifty percent, maybe more and it also looked heavily fortified. There were guards posted everywhere and numerous vantage points for archers to wreak havoc on approaching enemies.

From the looks of the castle it seemed almost impossible in the mind of Tucker for anyone to be able to storm it. He thought that Lord Nostory must have had some kind of plan when he had invaded the city a few years back and had actually been able to conquer the castle and put himself on the seat. In the tales it didn't mention how many of his own men died but if it had been a lot of them it would most likely have some kind of mention and yet there was nothing. It seemed that the castle could fend off a huge army for a long period of time with very few men to defend it.

If he ever got the opportunity he thought that he would ask Lord Nostory exactly how he did it. There was no doubt that he had some kind of inside help but if there wasn't any then it made the achievement that much more impressive.

Their arrival at the castle had not gone unnoticed however. Word had been spreading as Jessica and Tucker had been approaching the castle. There were still preparations taking place inside but all would be ready in mere moments. Lord Nostory was especially looking forward to Jessica's arrival but he had also caught wind of Tucker as well. He didn't wish for the wannabe knight to remain around for too much longer but for the short term he was willing to tolerate another for now.

Before the pair even stepped into the castle one of the gates came open and out stepped one of Lord Nostory's serving women. She was a beautiful woman with long flowing fair hair and a dress that came all the way down to the ground. Her feet were invisible under the dress but one thing that Tucker did notice as the woman came up to them was that she was an inch taller than him. Jessica didn't really notice this since most women were small in comparison to her so this woman was only a different degree of shortness.

"Good day to your travellers," said the tall serving woman as she bowed slightly to them. Her voice was very soft and pleasant to the ears. "My Lord bids you welcome to his castle and his city. He is awaiting for you in the great hall, he has been eager to see you since you entered the city." She turned around and slowly began to walk away. She turned her head briefly. "Please follow me, this castle is so large that there is a good chance that you might lose your way."

As they were told Jessica and Tucker began to follow the serving woman through the castle and they marvelled over the magnificence of it all. If the outside seemed to be impressive the inside was even more so. There were items in there that were worth more than their weight in gold. A thief could steal more than his needs for an entire lifetime and yet it would hardly change the value of everything within the castle.

As they went through the castle to go to the great hall Tucker did notice something else that was odd. He could see who inside the castle were I important visitors or those that lived there and those who were merely there to serve. He noticed that all the serving women were very tall. He had not seen one yet that was shorter than him and he was a six foot tall man. He thought that it was more than coincidence for all these tall people to be together in one place like this.

For the moment he kept these thoughts to himself as he continued to follow the serving woman. He was finding it somewhat difficult to keep up with them. The woman was walking at a fairly fast pace while Jessica was walking at her normal speed. Due to the fact that her legs were so long she could cover more with one stride than any other person could. It meant for every one stride that Jessica took Tucker needed to take almost two. The items that he was carrying wasn't making the walk any easier for him. He did easily have enough energy to keep up however.

When Jessica and Tucker eventually did make it to the great hall they saw Lord Nostory sitting in his great seat. There was one other serving woman right next to him and once again she was very tall. There were also numerous guards all dressed in shiny new armour with weapons from the best forgers in the city. Their only duty in life was to protect Lord Nostory from all harm. The ceiling in the hall was easily fifty feet high and a man could easily echo his voice in this environment.

"Greetings my friends," said Lord Nostory as he stood up from the seat. Jessica and Tucker were a good way away from him and he used his hand to indicate that he wanted them to come closer. "Please approach, it is difficult to speak to you if you remain there." Without much fear Jessica did approach closer while Tucker remained by her side, there was something about this place that wasn't sitting very well with him. He couldn't put his finger on it but there was something in this castle and with Lord Nostory that just seemed to be off for some reason.

"Your castle is very splendid my Lord," replied Jessica showing her manners as best as she could. Her parents had always told her that if she were to ever meet a lord to know her place and be as kind and gracious as she could to them. This was a lesson that she wasn't going to forget. "My friend and I are deeply honoured that you have allowed us commoners to step inside."

"The pleasure is all mine my dear." He even stood up from his seat and began to walk towards the pair. His eyes were squarely on Jessica and to him Tucker didn't even exist. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Hector of House Nostory, the third of my name and Lord of July. Please may you introduce yourself my dear?"

"Err there's not much to introduce. If you want me to do properly I am Jessica of House Snape, first of my name I believe and a commoner from Morgan." By now she and Tucker had stopped walking as they were quite close to Lord Nostory. The guards had their hands on their swords just in case anything were to happen. "This is my best friend, soon to be Sir Tucker of the House Martel, first of his name and talented smith of Morgan." Tucker gave Lord Nostory a quick bow and didn't try to correct Jessica when it came to the fact that he had a couple of recent ancestors with the same name as him.

"Jessica, that is such a lovely name." By now he had reached Jessica and had gently grabbed her hand. He gave it a quick kiss. "And might I say that you are one of the most beautiful maidens that I have ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on."

Jessica began to blush a little. She had never expected to receive such compliments from a Lord. He might have been almost two and a half feet shorter than her but his social status was a long way above hers. She was merely a common folk while he was probably the richest Lord in all of Angleland. She couldn't believe that he was complimenting her in this way. She only noticed too late that this caused her to grow a couple of inches right in front of him. He took a step back in surprise and there was a part of him that was much more excited than afraid. He had just seen the tallest woman in Angleland grow an extra two inches right before his eyes.

"Please forgive me my lord," said Jessica as she realised what had happened and she quickly shrank herself until she was back down to her minimum height. She thought that he was going to cast them out of the castle and the city. She knew that many people were terrified of her whenever she grew, even if it were just an inch and she began to fear the worse. "I lost control of myself there and I just kind of grew. Please don't be afraid." She noticed that the guards seemed to be more anxious than they were a few moments ago and it seemed that they were just moments from stepping in between her and Lord Nostory. "I am not some kind of monster."

"If you are a monster you are that of beauty." His words were of comfort to her and for the time being she had seemingly forgotten about the message that they had brought to give to him. It was their sole reason for coming here and she had forgotten about it. "In my time I have seen a great many things but I have not seen a woman grow by a couple of inches right before my eyes. You are truly a gift from the gods my dear Jessica."

"T-thank you my Lord." This was not the response that she had been expecting. Whenever she grew she had been met with fear the majority of the time but this time it seemed to be different and she couldn't help but be happy about this. She thought that Lord Nostory was genuinely a nice person.

"You're very welcome my dear and I believe that you have a message for me." His smile went right through her.

"Oh the message." She felt a little stupid about forgetting to give him the message and she quickly looked to Tucker who got the roll of paper from behind his shield and he passed it to Lord Nostory. This was the only time that he really noticed the wannabe knight as he unrolled the paper and began to look. "We have brought this from an old lady in Lake Town."

"I see and did this old woman also hand you that fine necklace that you're wearing?" His gaze focused once again on Jessica and she had a surprised look upon her face.

"H-how did you know that my Lord?" She didn't think that he knew that it was the old woman who had given her the necklace. It almost seemed like too good of a guess to be coincidence.

"Would you believe that it was dumb luck?" He took a moment to look at the message that he had been handed. He began to read through it like it was something of importance but in truth it was just a list of different tomatoes. They meant absolutely nothing but he pretended that he had been given exactly what he wanted. He looked once again Jessica and for one of the few times he actually acknowledged Tucker. "This castle will be your home for the night and I will give you a few gold coins for your troubles. I would also like for you to join me for dinner later, I will have the cooks make you both a feast that is fit for a king. They should know I bought them from the royal castle itself."

"We would be honoured my lord." There was something within Jessica now that was telling her that something was wrong. However she had learned that when a Lord offered you anything you were to take it without question.

"Good now Alice would you be kind enough to show our guests to their rooms? They must be tired after such a long journey."

"As you command my Lord," replied the tall serving woman. There was a hint of fear in her voice but she did as she commanded. She knew what happened to those who disobeyed Lord Nostory and she didn't want it to happen to her.

Like she was commanded Alice took Jessica and Tucker to rooms that had been prepared for them. Unfortunately for Jessica the bed in her room was too small for her but it wasn't the first time that she had slept in a normal size bed. Her room looked grand much like the rest of the castle and if she didn't know any better she would have thought that this room belonged to the Lord of the castle. The ceiling was very high and she even had a little fun with growing until she could reach it.

Sometimes Jessica did like to play a little with her size when she was alone. Although being smaller did allow her to have more of a normal life being her full size made her feel like her true self. Whenever she was small she thought that she was simply hiding, she hoped that people would accept her whatever size she was and she would only shrink when it was more cost effective like feeding and sleeping inside.

Tucker's room was much the same as Jessica's it was grand and he walked towards the window so that he could look out over the city. He knew how expensive a window was and it only showed how wealthy Lord Nostory was to be able to have windows fitted in every room of the castle. He was almost too afraid to touch it on the off chance that he broke it. He had also began to take his armour off and sit down on the bed to relax. He thought that when he found Three Man's Treasure that he would be able to afford a room like this. He even thought that if this was merely a guest room he wondered what the master bedroom was like. He imagined that the floor was made out of silver and the window in there would be made entirely out of sapphires.

This was just a little fantasy that he had in his mind and he felt relaxed being in a room like this. He couldn't shake the feeling that he and Jessica had stepped into a world of danger that neither one of them were entirely prepared for. He was more than willing to sacrifice his life for that of Jessica and he was sure that she would do the same for him. He even felt something in his mind that made him think that they were close even though they were in separate room. Tucker couldn't explain it but when he was apart from Jessica he could feel her in more ways than most people would think possible.

There was also a serving woman inside the room that was there to tend to his every need. She had an exotic look to her and it was obvious that she was very tall herself. This girl though was an inch shorter than him so for the first time since entering the castle he was actually looking at a woman who was shorter than him.

One thing that he also noticed was that there was a guard outside of the door. Tucker knew that most likely he was there to prevent him from leaving. It was most likely so that he couldn't wonder around the castle and go into places where he really shouldn't go but there was also something that which made him feel uneasy. He didn't think that Lords would have guards standing outside of the room of a guest like this but then he and Jessica were merely commoners rather than being high birth guests like Lord Nostory was probably more used to. They probably made sure that nothing was stolen.

It was not until a few hours until both Jessica and Tucker were called down to the banquet hall so that they could have dinner. By now the lunches that they had eaten earlier had gone down so they were hungry enough to eat once again. Jessica felt like she was underdressing for the occasion since she was wearing the same dress that she wore every day. The only problem was that she couldn't wear any other dress, she knew what happened when she took off her dress and she didn't want to destroy the castle by accident.

When Jessica and Tucker reached the banquet hall they saw that Lord Nostory was already sitting down at a relatively small table. They had thought that they might have had to sit down at an enormous table that would have been so big that if someone wanted to communicate with someone else at the far end of the table that they would have to use a messenger. This table was still large but it was more than enough to sit three people down so that they could eat.

The food was already on the table and there was roast boar, chicken, turkey and even an animal that neither one had ever seen before. The food smelled delicious and it made Jessica feel like she hadn't eaten in days even though she had eaten enough to fill an entire family just a few short hours ago. Tucker himself was feeling very hungry and he had never seen such a feast offered for just three people. He was sure that a dozen people could have eaten their fill with all the food that was on offer.

"Welcome once again my friends," said Lord Nostory, he didn't stand from his seat but he had yet to start to eat. "Please sit and enjoy the feast that my cooks have made. Each bite will send your taste buds to another world." Alice was standing right next to his chair ready to serve him anything that he required. In her hand was a jug that was filled with the finest wine in Angleland.

As they Tucker and Jessica sat down at the table and they decided to sit right next to each other. No sooner had they sat down two more serving placed fine plates in front of them and began to ask them what they wanted to eat. Each of them told the serving women what they wanted and they would carve the meat off of the roasts and place it on their plates. They were even given a large range of different vegetables, some were grown locally but others were imported from the opposite side of Angleland. In Tucker's mind there seemed to be no limit to the riches of Lord Nostory.

As both Tucker and Jessica took their first bites they could taste the explosion of flavour in their mouths. It was the most succulent and tasty meat that they had ever tasted, it was superior to anything they had tasted in any tavern or even anything that came from the Snape farm. It was almost like something that had been completely alien to them, until then it had been like they had been eating rat droppings since they were born.

"Do you like the food my friends?" asked Lord Nostory as he was cutting a potato with cutlery made entirely of solid silver.

"The food is grand my lord," replied Jessica remembering to show her manners to a high born. "We are not fit to taste such food, I am surprised that you would allow people of our social status to dine with you."

"Well it's simple really, without the common folk what is a Lord? He's just some guy in a big house commanding livestock and nothing more. It is the common folk that keep the kingdom going, sure some lords see them as being insignificant but the common people are the cogs that make the kingdom work."

"I see my lord." Jessica was very impressed with the answer and she could see that he was very intelligent. She was almost beginning to see how he could have conquered July when it practically seemed impenetrable.

"And might I ask how you got so tall my dear?" There was a smile on his face as he asked this question. "You are by far the tallest and prettiest woman that I have ever laid eyes on, you are over a foot taller than my mightiest guard and yet you don't carry yourself much like he does. Please tell me how this came to be."

"There is not much to say my lord. When I was but a new born baby the gods were going to take me away from my parents but a being talented in the ways of magic gave them a potion that made me healthy again. Unfortunately a side effect meant that I grew much larger and faster than all the other children in my town. Unfortunately my height has made me somewhat of a taboo in my town and not many people liked to be near me."

"I see that is such a shame, how anyone could shun such a beautiful creature like you is beyond me. Now let me ask you, do you like my castle?"

"I do my lord." Jessica wasn't sure why he was asking her this. There was no doubt that this was probably the most beautiful castle in Angleland.

"Then why should you leave? You may stay at this castle until the end of your days and be by my side." Jessica was completely shocked by this. She hadn't expected for him to say that she was staying in the castle. She admitted that it was lovely but she didn't really want to stay.

"As another of your serving maidens my lord?" This was the only thing that could come out of her mouth. It was the only logical explanation in her mind and Tucker was also fully aware of what was happening. He remained where he was for the moment to see exactly what would happen next.

"No my dear, being a serving maiden is beneath you. I don't want to make you my serving woman or simply someone who will pleasure me when I seek it. I want you to sit by my side as my wife and we can rule this land as one. You will be Lady Jessica Nostory and I do not care about your low birth. You are the woman that I have been waiting to meet for as long as I can remember and I would be honoured to take you before the gods and marry you where the whole kingdom can see."

"That is very generous my lord." She was trying to think of the next words to say. She had to be very careful with what she said next because it could be the difference between leaving there with her head still attached to her shoulders and she also thought about the welfare of Tucker. He had almost nothing to do with this but if things began to go south he could be hurt in the process. "But I'm afraid I must decline, my friend and I are on an important quest and I know that you are a very handsome man but I prefer to know the man I am about to marry instead of someone I've just met. I know that if I accept that you would make me very happy but I have other responsibilities as well"

"I'm so sorry my dear that wasn't a request." His smile faded in an instant and suddenly he began to mutter words that neither of them could understand and the next thing that Tucker saw was that the necklace that Jessica was wearing was beginning to glow bright. There was a brief scream from her and suddenly there was silence. Almost all emotion had faded from her face and she seemed to stare blankly into space. The whole process had taken just a few moments but already he knew that something was very wrong. "Now my dear have you reconsidered my offer?"

"Yes my lord." Her voice seemed to be very different. It was her own but the bubbliness that came with it was stripped away completely leaving a voice that seemed to be void of any emotion. "Nothing would give me more honour then to wed you and produce you with sons to carry on your name."

Tucker stared at Jessica for a few moments and he couldn't believe what he had just heard. He had seen and heard everything that had just happened and he didn't have to be a genius to realise that something terrible had just happened to his best friend. After Lord Nostory had muttered those words it was like Jessica's free will had been taken away in the blink of an eye leaving an emotionless husk behind. He quickly stood up from the table and glared at Lord Nostory.

"What have you done to her?" asked Tucker in a very stern and angry voice. Now would have been the time that he would have taken Juggernaut out of its holder but the problem was that he had left it up in his room. The guard had made him leave it behind and he had seen no reason for him to take it. He had been expecting to have a nice meal without the chance of violence.

"I have simply made her more susceptible to my will," replied Lord Nostory with a smile on his face. "You are lucky to have been travelling with such a beautiful creature, your reaction right now isn't entirely unexpected." He then clicked his fingers and the next thing that Tucker knew two armoured guards came right next to him and grabbed both of his arms. Both men were very strong and he couldn't break free of their grip on him. He was completely at their mercy. "Take him down to the dungeons, let Mathew have some fun with him."

"As you wish my lord," replied one of the guards.

They began to drag Tucker away and he was screaming for Jessica to snap out of her trance like state and help him. She just sat there in her chair and didn't even turn around to look at him. Her will was completely gone and she didn't much think about what was happening to her best friend. If her will were her own she would have immediately done all that she could to help him, even if it meant growing right out of the castle she would simply to make sure that he was safe.

Now however Jessica couldn't lift a finger to help him and although she was crying on the inside on the outside she had the same blank look upon her face as she stared at Lord Nostory who was extremely happy to have the woman of his dreams. He stood up from his chair as he saw Tucker dragged out kicking and screaming and he walked over to where Jessica was sitting. He took her hand and she stood up to her full height. She towered over him like an amazon and this was exactly what he had wanted.

"I hope that your friend's outburst hasn't upset you my dear," said Lord Nostory in a voice that would send a shriek through the soul of any man.

"No my lord," replied Jessica in an emotionless voice. The necklace that she was wearing kept her will locked away.

"Good now shall we have a kiss to cement our engagement before we start eating again?" This was the moment that he had been waiting for and he saw Jessica bend down and kiss him on the lips. The kiss lasted for several seconds before it had to be broken off and for Lord Nostory he was in heaven.

One thing about Lord Nostory was that he liked his women to be tall. Whenever he was offered a wife by another Lord he would turn them down because they were too short for him. All his serving women had been picked due to their height and beauty. He found that none of them were tall enough to be his wife. His tallest serving woman was a hair above six and a half feet but even then he felt that it was too short. He almost thought that he would never find a woman who he deemed tall enough to be his wife but now that Jessica was at his beck and call he thought that he had finally succeeded. The fact that she demonstrated that she could grow even taller was another reason why he had decided to make her his bride and he was not going to let anyone get in the way.

Lord Nostory had hired watchers all over the land to try and find a woman who he had deemed tall enough to be his wife. Many of them had brought him no news back, other women had been spotted and although they were too short to be his wife they were tall enough to be his serving women so they would be sent to him.

The necklace that Jessica was wearing had been specifically created for Lord Nostory. Each of his watchers had one and would give it to the woman that was fit to be his wife. When the unsuspecting victim wore this necklace a strange force would be pulling them towards July and to him. It wouldn't be a sudden urge but a more slower and realistic urge so that the wearer and those around them didn't realise exactly what was going to happen.

One thing that Lord Nostory had thought of was that if a woman was travelling to July with a very expensive looking necklace that it would most likely attract the attention of thieves. That's why there was an addition spell infused with the necklace that made the wearer immune to physical attacks by all those that meant them ill-will. It was the reason why Jessica had been able to survive the explosion in the dungeon of the first trial without even having a scratch on her body.

Lord Nostory felt that his plan had come full circle and now he had a woman who was more than fit to be his wife. It seemed that Jessica's height and beauty had become truly a curse for her as she seemed to be willing to spend the rest of her life with this man who had won her through magic and trickery.

On the surface Jessica seemed to be happy but underneath she was sobbing. She was fully aware of what was happening to her but it felt like someone else was in control of her body. She wanted nothing more than to help Tucker but her body refused to respond to her thoughts and she seemed to be completely within his power.

Minutes later Tucker found himself chained to a wall down deep within the castle's dungeons. Along the way he could see other people who were in cells who in some way had gotten on the bad side of Lord Nostory. Some were just common thieves and there was one man who had even plotted to kill him. This man was due to be executed in the morning but first his will was to be broken before he was killed. This meant that the man went through torture so horrendous that a common man would throw up at the mere sight of such an act. It seemed that acts like these happened every day within this walls and there was one man who was in charge of it all.

This man was named Mathew Neeson and he was one of the most depraved minds in all of Angleland. As a boy he had loved to torture and dissect small animals, as he grew older his fantasies grew to bigger and bigger things and eventually he even moved up to killing human beings.

This is what led him to the attention of Lord Nostory. Mathew had killed a few people within July before being caught, originally Lord Nostory planned to have him executed but he saw potential in the depraved man. He couldn't see him as being his assassin, his methods were too sloppy for that but as a torturer he was perfect for the job. Whenever Mathew took part in an execution he would always wear a hooded mask that prevented people from recognising him since the people of July believed that he had been executed for his crimes. If they knew that he was still alive the people might begin to panic and it would be bad for Lord Nostory himself.

By giving Mathew victims to legally torture it lowered his will to kill others. One thing that did help with this was that Mathew was also the Lord's executioner. This allowed him to slice the heads off of people and hang them for their crimes. This was enough to keep Mathew off of the streets and give Lord Nostory a competent torturer and it made both men happy.

Although Mathew was ordered not to kill anyone he tortured but sometimes he would take it too far and his victim would die because of it. If it began to happen too often then Lord Nostory would have his guards whip him until he learned his place. Mathew even took some satisfaction in being whipped but even he had his own limits where he couldn't take any more pain.

Tucker felt his heart sink as he was continually dragged through the dungeons and the thing that was the foremost on his mind was his best friend. He worried that he had lost Jessica forever and how she had simply let him go without a fight. He knew that her mind was not her own but he felt that he had failed her. In some way he thought that there was a way that he could have somehow prevented what had happened. There was not a chance for him to have known exactly what was going to happen.

He had been dragged for several minutes until the guards stopped at the entrance of a small room that was lit up barely by a few candles and torches. It was very difficult to see inside this room but Tucker couldn't bear to look up. His eyes were fixed on the ground but there was one thing that he could hear. He could hear the screams of a woman and he shuddered to think about what was happening to her and that the same could happen to him. He vowed that his will would not break but this was a promise that he didn't know if he could keep or not. He didn't want to find out.

As Tucker looked down towards the ground he saw a pair of feet come into view that didn't belong to either him or the guards. They were clad in black shoes and it was almost obvious to him that this individual was a man. Tucker kept his eyes closed and tried to clear his mind of al worries but this was something that was extremely difficult for him.

"We got another one for you," said one of the guards as Tucker sat there. "The Lord wants you to have some fun with him."

"Oh Lord Nostory can be so generous sometimes," replied the Mysterious Man. "He gives me so many toys that sometimes I don't know what to do with them. Right now I really wish that I can play with him but I'm a little busy with Laura at the moment and I have so many other toys that have been waiting to be played with. Take him to one of the cells and maybe I might play with him before I retire for the night."

With that Tucker could feel himself get dragged away by the guards and he was relieved that he was only going to the cells rather than tortured. The only problem with that was that he knew that he was going to get tortured and that he was going to be playing a deadly waiting game. He also continued to hear the screams of a woman and he hated to think what she had done to get herself down here.

Moments later Tucker was flung into a cell and he landed hard on the ground. It caused him to be bruised in a couple of places but there was nothing broken. His cell consisted of a floor with some straw on it, a small bed, a bucket for him to relieve himself and that was it. The cell didn't have a window for him to look out of and the only light he got was from a torch that was outside of the cell. Three walls of the cell were made of brick and moulter and the fourth wall was a metallic cage door. He could see when people went passed but he couldn't escape. He was without any of his tools or weapons and escape was impossible for him for the time being.

All Tucker could do was sit on his bed as what was happening continued to sink into his mind. After a while he did see two guards helping one of the serving women walk. He didn't know that this was Laura but there was one thing that he did notice that he struck as being odd. The guards were helping her along and not dragging her like they did with him. It made him think that she wasn't entirely a prisoner like he was but he still did think that she was behind the voice that was screaming. She was a little taller than the guards and it made him think about Jessica.

After the guards were gone Tucker thought that he was by himself but he began to hear a voice. At first he thought that he might have been hearing things but he continued to hear the voice and eventually he realised that it was talking to him. It was a fairly quiet male voice and Tucker had no idea where it was coming from. He didn't see that the cell right next to him was occupied.

"Yo fresh blood can you hear me?" asked a man's voice that Tucker didn't recognise or see. He was mainly in darkness and could barely see his hands in front of his face. The voice was relatively quiet but he could still hear it.

"Y-yes I can," replied Tucker in a relatively loud voice.

"Not so loud, do you want Mathew to come snooping around?"

"No I don't thank you very much." He had lowered the volume of his voice so that he couldn't be heard too clearly from a distance.

"That's better, now since we're all alone in these fine cells I thought it be a good way of keeping our sanity in check if we have a quick chat. Gods know there isn't much else we can do but wait for that psycho to come and torture us."

"W-who are you?"

"No names, I'd prefer not to know people by name down here, that way I can't get a decent connection." He paused for a moment as he cleared his throat. "You could tell me what a fine gentleman like you is doing down here."

"I came here with my friend but the Lord did something to her and she was like a zombie. I don't know exactly what he did but one moment she was turning down his marriage proposal and then the next she fully accepts but her voice was different. It was like everything that made her, her seemed to be thrown away leaving a husk in its place."

"Allow me to hazard a guess but was your lady friend a woman of a particularly tall height by any chance?"

"Yes, but how did you know?" This had taken him by surprise. He didn't think that this mysterious man would guess that Jessica was very tall. He thought that he might have seen them together at some point but he doubted it.

"Ah I see and for Lord Nostory to make her his wife she must be the tallest woman I've ever seen. Might I ask how tall she is?"

"Eight feet." He didn't want to tell the mysterious man that Jessica was naturally over one hundred and twenty feet tall and that her dress allows her to shrink to a more manageable size.

"Woo wee that certainly a whole lotta woman. You're probably exaggerating a little there but even so I can see why Lord Nostory would take her."

"Why does her height matter?"

"Haven't you heard? Lord Nostory likes his women to be tall, all his serving women are very tall but that is never enough for him. He wants to see them become even taller, he gives them specific diets and potions that are supposed to make them even taller. In addition on a regular basis Mathew our host down here places them on a rack and physically stretches them. There was one girl who came here and she was no more than five ten. Now she is easily six and a half feet tall and with Lord Nostory's continued influence he will continue her to make her grow taller and taller. It is the same for the rest of the serving women, each go through the same process."

Tucker couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was beginning to see why Lord Nostory had picked Jessica, she was the tallest woman in Angleland, even before she began to grow. He began to fear that she would be going through the same process as these serving women but a part of him didn't think so. Jessica's maximum height was constantly increasing thanks to the potion that she was bathed in when she was a new born baby. It had saved her life but had caused her to become a colossus.

"That's terrible," said Tucker with some shock in his voice. "Hasn't someone tried to stop him from doing that?"

"Some have but most don't care. Lord Nostory gives the people a good quality of life here, they don't want to do anything that could upset their way of life. The ones that try and do anything normally end up down here at the mercy of this sadist. Most likely you will only leave here so that you can be publicly executed. There's nothing that a crowd loves more than to see a convicted man receive his punishment."

"No I refuse to let that happen." He was trying to be defiant. "I will find some way of escaping this hell hole and get out of this city with my friend. Whatever he's done to her I can undo."

"That's mighty brave words from a man who has nothing. You're not the only one who thought that they could escape. Few have tried and all have failed. Trying to escape will only make your lives down here even worse. The little privileges that you get down here will be right under your feet. I've seen a man starve to death down here after he tried to escape and then Mathew fed his corpse to the dogs. There wasn't much meat left on the body before then but it was a clear message."

"There has to be some way out of here. I can't be trapped down here as that bastard upstairs has his way with my best friend. If he does anything to her I'm going to drive my sword right through his neck and watch as he chokes on his own blood."

"You and many more would love nothing more than to do that but even by some miracle you got out of here there would be no chance of you even coming close to killing Lord Nostory. The guy's got more guards than the King and Queen of Angleland. You've got more chance of turning a rock into gold than you do getting anywhere near Lord Nostory without his permission."

"Where there is a will there is a way. There is no such thing as a hopeless situation, there is a way out of this dungeon and I intend to find it. Even if it takes me twenty years I will find a way out and rescue my friend."

"If I were you I'd make yourself comfortable. You're going to be down here for a good long while, that is unless Mathew were to kill you, I'd say that is a very likely scenario."

Meanwhile far above the dungeon was the master bedroom that belonged to Lord Nostory. He had slept in the mighty four posted bed by himself since he took the castle but now he had Jessica with him. She sat on the end of the bed and continued to stare blankly into space. She didn't move unless he commanded it.

Lord Nostory himself was getting himself changed into some sleeping clothing and he was looking forward to spending his first night with the woman that he was about to marry. He didn't care about the fact that her will was not her own and that he was in complete control of her. He had been waiting all of his life to be with a woman like Jessica and now that he had her he truly felt like he was a winner in life. He had achieved more than most people could have ever hoped to when he was able to conquer the castle and take back what he felt was rightfully his. He didn't feel that he was a true winner until he had the right woman right next to his side.

As usual there were two guards standing within the room. They were there to protect Lord Nostory at all costs, they would watch over him as he slept and if he found them sleeping on the job he would send them down to the dungeons. Both guards had only just woken up so they were more than ready to watch over him for the entirety of the night. Neither guard were permitted to speak unless they were spoken to by Lord Nostory himself, this meant that they couldn't talk to each other during the long and boring hours of the night. The pay was good however and it was the only thing that made the job manageable.

"So here we are my dear," said Lord Nostory as he walked towards Jessica who was still sitting on the end of the bed. "Soon we will be wed and you can birth me sons to carry me on my name and daughters who will hopefully be as tall as you. Does this make you happy my love?"

"It does my Lord," replied Jessica with still no emotion in her voice. "More than words can possibly express."

"Great I will invite every High Lord in Angleland to our wedding and it will even be grander than that of the King and Queen. I will have the tallest and most beautiful woman in all the land and I own the richest land that anyone could imagine. Our sons will be lords and mighty knights while our daughters will be ladies and also the most beautiful women in the land. You will be happy by my side until the end of our days, every woman will want to be you."

"That makes me glad my Lord."

"Good now shall we get to know each other a little better?" An evil smile came across his face as he sat down next to his soon to be wife. "Why don't you take your dress off and I can see your true beauty."

"That is something that I cannot do my Lord." She continued to sit there but she had moved her head so that she could see him and her face was still blank.

"What did you say?" He was completely surprised that Jessica had just disobeyed a direct order from him. The necklace that she was wearing should make her obey his every instruction but this time it didn't seem to work. "My dear I order you to take off your dress this instant."

"My apologises my lord but that is still something I cannot do. It would not be in your best interests."

"Explain." He couldn't imagine any reason why she would refuse him but he did remember being told that those under the influence of the necklace could turn down an instruction if it put their master in danger.

"You see my lord I must wear this dress at all times, it is the only way that I can maintain my current height."

"Wait the dress makes you taller?" This was an exciting thought in his head. If it were true he would buy these dresses for all of his serving women and each of them would be as tall as Jessica.

"No my Lord it is the opposite, this dress makes me smaller." She paused for a moment so the information could sink in for Lord Nostory. "When I was born I was a sickly girl and I was on the verge of going to the world beyond but my life was saved by bathing me in an elixir. It saved my life but as a side effect it caused my body to grow at an astonishing rate. If not for my dress my lord I would be too big to fit into your castle and if I took it off now I would grow until I burst out of the castle and most likely kill you in the process. For that reason my dress needs to stay on."

"Oh I see." Now he was glad that Jessica had refused his order but a part of him would have liked to see it happen. If he was going to die that would probably be the way that would favour him the most. "I guess that is something that we will have to find a way around at some point. I have some friends who are talented in the ways of mafic and even if they can't help I can hire someone who can. But let me ask you this, in my great hall when you grew can you get any bigger than that without going full size?"

"Yes my Lord. I can go any size between my current and full size."

"Now that is interesting." An idea popped into his head and a huge grin came across his face. "Stand up please my dear." Jessica did exactly what she was told and stood up to her full height. "Good now take a few steps away from me and then turn around until you face me." Jessica once again did what she was commanded and took a few steps away from Lord Nostory and when she was far enough away she turned around so that she could see him. "Good now grow until your head touches the ceiling."

Once again Jessica did what she was told and slowly her body began to stretch up. Lord Nostory was very excited with what he was seeing and the guards placed their hands on their swords just in case anything bad were to happen. They had never seen anything like this and they were prepared to step in if need be.

All three men watched as Jessica slowly stretched upwards towards the ceiling. She could have grown much faster if she had wanted to but she knew that Lord Nostory would have wanted it to happen slowly and as soon as her head scrapped the ceiling she stopped herself. This had brought great joy to Lord Nostory and the two guards marvelled as they saw an extremely tall woman grow even taller before their very eyes.

"That was magnificent my dear," said Lord Nostory with a lot of excitement in his voice. In his mind he had truly met the perfect woman for him. "Now sit down on the floor." Without a second thought Jessica did exactly what she was told. "Now grow again until you begin to fill the room."

Once again Jessica began to grow but this time the process happened a little faster than before. Her body continued to grow just like she was commanded and she would continue to do so until she did actually begin to fill the room. The guards were extremely intimidated as they saw her growing body creep closer and closer towards them, they were on the verge of running for their lives but they knew what would happen to them if they abandoned their posts. All they could do was watch in amazement as Jessica continue to grow bigger and bigger.

Her growing body was coming into contact with chairs and other items and was gently pushing them away and she continued to grow bigger with every moment. Lord Nostory kept himself quiet but inside he was having the time of his life. He couldn't have imagined that he would actually meet a woman who could change her size in this manner. A part of him was a little disappointed that she could only grow to one hundred and twenty feet. He would have loved for her to take him up to the clouds.

After close to a minute of growth Jessica did indeed begin to fill the room as her head was only a short space way from the ceiling but since she was sitting down she was close to being twenty feet tall.

"Ok now my dear you can stop," said Lord Nostory and just like he expected Jessica stopped growing. She looked down at him as he stood up from the bed and patted his hand on her oversized leg. "You are truly the most remarkable woman I've ever met. And to think this is only a fraction of your full size." He began to think about a couple of things before he spoke to Jessica. "Is there anything else that I should know about your ability to change your size?"

"I am still growing my Lord." This was the news that he had been wanting to hear. "I have been told that I will never stop."

"That is fantastic news. You have truly made me the happiest man in Angleland this day. When it is our wedding day you will be the envy of all women and you will live the rest of your days as the wealthiest woman in the land." He looked at one of his guards and he saw him shaking, he knew that he was terrified of the giantess sitting right next to him. "Ok my dear can you shrink yourself down to size."

As Jessica was commanded she began to shrink herself until she was down to her smallest size. Once again the process was slow purely for Lord Nostory's enjoyment. Inside though she was extremely worried about Tucker. She couldn't help but think about him, she was going through what was a living hell but she could only imagine what was happening to him. She hated Lord Nostory but because of the necklace that she was wearing she couldn't make any independent actions. She was completely under his control and she could do nothing unless he commanded it.

"Now shall we go to bed my dear?" asked Lord Nostory. "We have a very busy day tomorrow and I need you to be at your peak. You will sleep with me tonight as you will every night for the rest of your life, on the morrow you will take the first steps into becoming Lady Jessica Nostory of July. Does that excite you my dear?"

"It does my Lord," replied Jessica although she didn't mean these words. She could only hope that someone could free her of this curse but with her powerless and Tucker in chains the likeliness wasn't very high.

The next morning Tucker woke up in almost near darkness. It had been the most uncomfortable night sleep that he could remember and all night he couldn't take his mind off of Jessica. He only hoped for her that she was sleeping in a more comfortable place. All through the night he could hear squeaking noises that he was pretty sure was rats and he could hear groaning.

He had felt naked through the night without either Juggernaut or his armour and his mind had almost hit rock bottom. He couldn't call himself a knight at all without his armour or his sword, the chances of him being knighted now seemed extremely slim and he began to wonder just when his end would come. He could only imagine the torture that was coming his way, with the way that he had seen the serving women leave after having their regular session on a rack he couldn't fathom to imagine what would happen to those that Lord Nostory actually wanted tortured.

His first contact with another human being that morning was only of the guards walking past and banging on the bars of the cells to wake up the inmates. This was another form of torturing as the inmates were allowed very little sleep. They had only a few hours a night to sleep and if they fell asleep during the day they would be awoken by a guard. If they were caught sleeping they would move up on Mathew's list of torture victims.

Tucker's breakfast consisted of cold and weak soup that was only one level above being water and stale bread. He could see that there was mould beginning to grow on it but it was all the food that he was given.

Many of the inmates in the dungeons died from food poisoning rather than actually being tortured. But it was more tactics to break their wills so that when they finally died they were broken men, only a shadow of their former selves. Tucker vowed that his will would never be broken but in truth this was a promise that he knew that he couldn't keep. Every man no matter how strong had their own breaking point and at first glance at the wannabe knight his breaking point looked to be low. He was stronger inside than he looked but that still had limits. He thought that his only hope of getting out anytime soon was either finding a way to escape or somehow Jessica to free him. She was still under Lord Nostory's spell and he knew that she wouldn't be helping him anytime soon.

Tucker spent many hours wondering inside his cell as there was nothing that he could do. The man in the cell besides him was silent and he could only speculate that he was either being tortured or was simply choosing not to speak. Communication between cells was strictly forbidden and it was only late at night when the inmates had any chance to actually speak to one another.

There was literally nothing for Tucker to do and the boredom was another form of torture that was used to break the inmates. Even something as simple as a ball or chalk could be the difference between a man staying able minded and falling into madness. There was even suicide watches so that inmates couldn't kill themselves and end their torture. Only Lord Nostory could permit an inmate to die.

It wasn't until mid-afternoon that Tucker's cell door opened. In front of him he saw two heavily build guards standing there. They were different to the guards who had taken him down here but they still wore the same armour. Tucker wanted to try and break past them to make an escape but he couldn't see anyway passed them and all he would gain from the attempt as a fractured skull.

"Get up you bloody cur," said one of the guards. "You've got an appointment with Mathew and he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Both guards approached Tucker as he barely moved and they grabbed his arms and dragged him out of his cell. He didn't resist at all and his heartbeat increased dramatically as he knew that he was going to be tortured very soon. He wanted to try and distance himself from the situation so that at least it would be a little less painful. But there was nothing that he could do to stop what was going to happen. He was dragged away from his cell and he said nothing to his defence. He knew that he would only be wasting his energy and right now that was something that he wanted to conserve.

While Tucker was dragged he continued to look into the cells that he went passed and he saw one man lying on the ground motionless. At first Tucker thought that he was asleep but he soon realised that this wasn't the case, if he had been sleeping the guards would have woken him up, no that man wasn't asleep, he had passed onto the next world to meet with his ancestors.

The next thing that Tucker saw was a well lit room but before he could fully look at where he was he was thrown to the ground and he landed with a loud thud. It caused some bruising on his knees but there wasn't any serious injuries. This was the least of his worries however as when he looked up he saw a man standing in front of him. This man was around six feet tall and had long straggly hair. His clothing was a patchwork of different pieces of cloth that were many dark and shady colours. He wore basic black shoes that covered his feet but little more than that. He had a small scar on his cheek and his eyes were an emerald green. One thing that Tucker also noticed about this man was that there was some dry blood on his hands and they weren't recent either. He didn't even have to guess to figure out that the man standing in front of him was Mathew.

"So we have a new plaything this afternoon," said Mathew as he looked down with an evil smile. His teeth were yellow and it definitely was not a pretty sight. "I like them when they're fresh, it makes it that much more enjoyable, well for me that is, not so much for you. You must have done something very naughty to end up down here. I bet you tried to rob Lord Nostory didn't you, you naughty little thief."

"P-please I haven't done anything," replied Tucker. These were all the words that he could spit out.

"I'm sure you think that you haven't but in fact you have, or else you wouldn't be down here with the other naughty men." He turned his head slightly around and looked behind him. "Gwendolyn!" Moments later Tucker noticed a serving woman walk up to him. She was six foot three and had long blond hair with stunning blue eyes. She was very beautiful and Tucker instantly thought that it was a shame to have a woman of that beauty in such a horrible place like this.

"You called?" replied Gwendolyn as she bowed a little to Mathew. He was no lord but she didn't want to anger him and find herself in the torture devices. The only one she experienced on a regular basis was the rack like the other serving women. When she had first come to the castle almost a year ago she was a hair above six feet but her diet, elixirs and forceful stretching had increased her natural height by a full three inches and it was still an ongoing process.

"Yes, is the Red Chair ready?"

"It is, as you commanded." She was putting on a brave face but Tucker could tell that she was sad inside. Mathew had chosen her out of all of Lord Nostory's serving because he liked blondes and her beauty had been her curse. She was in charge of making sure that the torture devices were ready for use, she would have to clean them when they were finished with and sometimes even clean up the inmates if he commanded it. The one thing that she did take comfort in was that he never tried to rape her, the torturing was all the sexual needs that he wanted.

"Good I want to make our friend here as comfortable as possible. You did clean it from the last use?"

"I did but some of the marks are stained."

"Not to worry my little friend, I'm sure that our guest here won't mind there still being some bloodstains there." He turned back to Tucker and continued to smile down at him. "Today will be the hardest but believe me, it'll get easier."

Before Tucker could say another word he was dragged to the far corner of the room and while he was being dragged he could see what was before him. He could see himself being dragged closer and closer towards what looked to be a chair that was somewhat painted in red, it wasn't until he got even closer that he realised that it wasn't paint, it was dried on blood. He wanted to resist but the grip on his arms was too strong for him to break but he couldn't see Mathew walking just behind him with an evil smile on his face.

Moments later Tucker was forced to sit on this chair and his hands and feet were strapped down to it and with that the two guards moved away leaving only Mathew behind. Tucker could see a little of Gwendolyn but she was remaining behind. She didn't like to see men get tortured so she would try and block it out as much as she could, sometimes this was impossible and she would have to watch the full horror unfold.

Tucker tried to break free of his restraints but he didn't have the strength. He could see Mathew standing over him but now he had a small knife in his hand. It looked very sharp and more than capable to slice through flesh and bone. Tucker's shoes had also been taken off at this point so that his feet could be seen clearly by the demented man.

"Now let's see," said Mathew. He looked at Tucker's hands and toes, he was happy with what he could see. "Let's play a game shall we? I ask you twenty questions, oh but not in the traditional manner of course. Each question you get wrong will lose you either a finger or a toe. We can see how many you come back with, I once had a man who was so stupid that when I was done with him he only had one piggy toe left. I hope that you can do better than him, for your sake of course."

Tucker sat there and said nothing. He would have thought that Mathew had been joking but he could see the man before him was deadly serious. He could also see some more blood stains on blade of the knife and it was only further proof that Mathew was being serious with his threats.

"The silent treatment eh?" asked Mathew with a chuckle in his voice. "That'll just allow you to lose your digits that much faster. Now first question, which of these cities are furthest north Calf Heath, Featherstone or Willenhall?"

Tucker was silent for a moment as he began to think. He didn't want to play this game but he much preferred to play rather than losing his fingers and toes. He couldn't imagine that a knight would be able to have a very good grip on their sword if they had lost a few of their fingers. He had to remember what he had seen on his map before he had lost it and along with his other belongings. He didn't know the exact answer for sure and he knew that most likely he would have to make a guess.

"Featherstone," answered Tucker without much confidence to his voice. "The answer is Featherstone." He could see Mathew standing there still with the knife in his hand and he didn't know whether the madman would ask another question or slice off a finger or a toe. Nothing seemed to be going his way at the moment so he wouldn't be surprised if he had answered incorrectly.

"Lucky guess, you get to keep your little finger but believe me I might just take it anyway, just for fun." He laughed at himself and his laugh went through Tucker like a sword driving into his very soul. "Second question, which is longer, a metre or a yard?"

"A metre." This was something that he did know for sure. As a blacksmith he had been given measurements for swords by different customers. Some would give him the measurements in metres while others gave it him in feet, inches and sometimes even yards. This question he knew that he had gotten the right answer. "A metre is about thirty eight inches give or take and a yard is only thirty six."

"Ok I gave you an easy one there but you won't get many of the others. Here's the third question, what time did I wake up this morning?"

How the hell am I supposed to know that?" He was beginning to see that this was a very unfair game and that he was only moments away from losing one of his digits. He would try and close his eyes when this happened as he knew that he was most likely going to get it wrong.

"You don't but if you're right you keep your middle finger. If not I'll keep it in a jar and look at it every night before I go to bed. Now tell me your answer or else I'll go cutting anyway."

Tucker began to stutter as he tried to think of a decent answer but all he could really do was try to take a stab in the dark and he knew that it would most likely lose him his middle finger. He was about to stutter out his answer when he heard a bell ring within the dungeon. He saw Mathew turn his head towards a single bell that was in the corner of the room. He looked a little annoyed and at first he wanted to ignore it but he knew what would happen if he did and he quickly turned back to Tucker.

"Well my friend it looks like this is your lucky day," said Mathew as he went to walk away, before he did he looked over to Gwendolyn. "Call the guards and make sure our guest here goes back to his cell."

"As you wish," replied Gwendolyn as she slowly began to walk towards Tucker. He could see the sadness in her eyes and yet she did nothing to truly help him. He felt sorry for her in a way but he was still in a life and death situation.

Mathew walked out of the dungeon and moved onto one of the upper levels. He quickly stopped in what seemed to be a mirror and quickly made sure that he looked a little more presentable. The serving women that he walked passed each didn't like the look of him and tried not to look at him. They all remembered how much he would laugh when he began to stretch them on the rack. He would send shiver down their spines but they made sure that Mathew didn't know that they were intentionally trying to avoid him. If he knew then he would likely make their next rack session more painful.

Mathew didn't stop walking until he reached the great hall. There he saw Lord Nostory sitting in his seat and there was one other woman sitting next to him. This woman was Jessica and although she was sitting down she still towered above him. She still looked blankly at Mathew as she watched him bend the knee to Lord Nostory and bow his head to show his respect. Lord Nostory himself was wearing an outfit that many would think were his finest garments but in fact they were average to him. Jessica was still wearing the same dress that she had worn almost every day for the last five years but until a suitable replacement could be found she would have to make due.

"My Lord for what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Mathew as he continued to bow. He didn't want to rise up again until he had been given permission. If he did on his own accord it would be a sign of disrespect.

"You may rise again," replied Lord Nostory. Mathew stood back up to his full height and looked at Lord Nostory. "As you can see I have found myself a woman who will soon be my lady wife. I have been introducing her to all my staff here and that includes you as well. You have been in my service for some time now and you have never truly disappointed me, I think that you won't disappoint her."

"I will not my Lord." He had to remember what he was to say next. He had barely looked at her and he had to give her a compliment. "Your soon to be lady wife is very beautiful my Lord."

"Yes she is and she's very tall. The tallest person in Angleland I believe and she is no short of surprises either. You will do whatever she tells you to do unless they either undermine my authority or are not within my best interests. Whenever you see her you will bow to her and kiss her hand."

Mathew took the hint and he walked up to Jessica and bowed to her before kissing her hand. She was now wearing a large ring on her middle finger and her hand was the largest that Mathew had ever seen. He hadn't seen her in person before but he had been told by the guards that she was extremely tall. She was sitting down but he could still tell that he was much taller than probably the tallest man that he had ever seen.

When he kissed her hand Jessica gave him a small nod to show her gratitude and he backed down immediately so that his actions didn't anger Lord Nostory. He admitted that Jessica was beautiful and he could see why his lord would pick her. He thought that she would have been prettier if she was blond.

"My lady it is an honour to meet you and be in the presence of your beauty," said Mathew, he didn't like having to act like this but he knew if he didn't do what he was told he would be the next to have a public execution but this time people would be cheering to see his legs swing in the air.

"You do me a kindness," replied Jessica with still not much emotion in her voice. There was still a sweetness in her voice that was soothing to all those that could hear it.

"See isn't she a catch," said Lord Nostory happy with the fact that Jessica belonged to him and no one else. "And I take that her former friend is still in your care."

"He is my Lord," answered Mathew. "In fact I was playing a game with him before you requested my presence. I had to end it before we have some fun."

"If you would my Lord I would like to see him," said Jessica which caught Lord Nostory by surprising. He had not commanded her to see Tucker and yet she was requesting to see him. "He has been my friend for a good number of years and I would like to see him."

"I would love to but this is a request that only Lord Nostory can authorise."

"That is fine," replied Lord Nostory. He thought that it was odd that she had made this request but he could see no harm in allowing her to see him. He would have his guards all around them so that Tucker couldn't try and escape and he was confident that the spell on Jessica's necklace didn't allow her to do anything that would cause him harm. The connection between her and Tucker seemed to be much deeper than he expected but he thought that it would be soon severed as his influence over her increased. "If my love wants to see her former friend then let it be. Bring him up here by dusk and make sure that he looks presentable. I do not want my soon to be lady wife seeing her friend covered in blood and his own excrements."

"As you wish my Lord. I will have him within your presence in the requested time. Do not worry, he is still whole."

"Good now you may leave and carry on with your work. There are three maids that still need their sessions today. The shortest one Elyssa needs extra time, her height increase has been less than satisfactory."

Mathew bowed and walked out of the hall. Lord Nostory continued to sit on his seat and he turned to Jessica as he held onto her hand. He was extremely happy to have her at his side and he felt that he had won his ultimate prize. Winning the castle and the city of July paled in comparison to the woman sitting next to him. She was unique in Angleland and he would start a war for her.

"Why do you want to see your friend?" asked Lord Nostory out of curiosity. "He didn't want us to be together."

"I do not know why my Lord," replied Jessica. "I cannot explain myself my Lord but something inside me is telling me I must see him. He has been my only friend for many years before I met you my Lord."

"Hmm I see." Lord Nostory thought that part of Jessica's subconscious was still active and it was what had caused her to request Tucker's presence. He would humour her for now but he wanted to make sure that something like that wasn't going to happen again. If there was the slightest chance that she would be free of him then he would be in big trouble. "I will do anything in my power to make you happy. Now shall we get you ready to introduce you to the citizens of July?"

"I would like that very much My Lord."

Mathew walked back down to the dungeons in some haste and stopped himself right in front of Tucker's cell. The man himself had not noticed his would be torturer standing there and it wasn't until he began to bang on the bars that Tucker realised that he was there. He was surprised to see Mathew but he thought that nothing good would ever happen from having Mathew's attention.

Tucker had a lucky escape earlier. He had been on the verge of losing one of his fingers but Lord Nostory had wanted to see his chief torturer and it had been the only thing that had saved him. Now it seemed that there would be nothing that could save him for whatever Mathew had in mind for him.

"You won't believe how lucky you've been today," said Mathew as he glared at Tucker. "Not only did Lord Nostory more or less save you from my fun but it seems that his soon to be lady wife would like to see you."

"Jessica wants to see me?" replied Tucker with some surprise. The last he had seen of her she seemed to be completely under the control of Lord Nostory. The fact that she wanted to see him was surprising indeed.

"Was that her name? Oh well, Lord Nostory has ordered me to clean you up and make you look more presentable. When I say me I really mean my assistant Gwendolyn. But if you try anything funny I'll have you back in that chair and I will cut off every part of your body that isn't vital to your survival. So no more hands, no more legs, no more ears, no more nose and no more cock either."

"This isn't some kind of trick is it? Something to sap away my will even further until I'm nothing more than a shell of what I was."

"It could be a trick but then again it couldn't be. In the brief time that we've known each other have I ever lied to you?" There was an evil grin and Tucker didn't answer the question. "My assistant and a few guards will be here in a few moments to clean you up. Just be sure to behave yourself."

With that Mathew walked away and Tucker was left alone for several minutes before two guards came to the door along with Gwendolyn. As the door opened Tucker did nothing to try and escape and he noticed that Gwendolyn was carrying a bucket with a sponge inside. He saw her height but he could also see that she seemed to be very sad. It was obvious to him that she was not here through choice but at least for her he was not the subject of Mathew's torture techniques.

As he felt her skin it felt very soft but he could also feel her sadness. She was washing the dirt that was on his face and she didn't speak to him at all. She knew not to speak to the inmates and she didn't want Mathew's focus to be on her. He suffered enough pain when he stretched her regularly much like all the other serving women in the castle. She had seen one serving woman try to steal from Lord Nostory and he had her stretched until her arms and legs came out of their sockets.

One of the guards was also holding clean clothing that Tucker was going to have to put on. His clothing wasn't too dirty anyway but Lord Nostory had wanted him to be in presentable and that meant clean clothing. How Tucker was being treated he almost felt like he was a baby being cleaned and clothed by his parents but this was something that he didn't want to happen. He was no baby, he was a man and if he were to die soon he would prefer to die a man.

The entire process only took a few minutes but no sooner was he cleaned and clothed he was grabbed from both arms and taken out of the cell. Rather than being dragged he was forced to walk so that he remained clean. He complied only so that he could see Jessica quicker, the last thing he wanted to do at this moment in time was to do anything that would get him thrown back into the cells any quicker. He wished that he had his armour and Juggernaut on his person but alas they were things that had not been given back to him. He didn't know exactly what was going to happen to him but he was sure that it was going to be better than being tortured.

Lord Nostory sat in his great hall with Jessica by his side. He was wondering just how Jessica was able to make such a request, he had thought that while she wore the necklace that she was incapable of independent thought. He didn't mind it happening this time since it was only a minor inconvenience and he wanted to make his future wife happy. It was something that he was going to have to look into however.

Jessica who sat right next to him was oblivious to what Lord Nostory was thinking. She had forgotten everything about the quest and had accepted that she was going to marry him. She herself had no idea why she had even called for Tucker to be brought before her. It was something inside her that had forced her to do this. It was a little person trapped inside her had forced her into doing this.

Both Lord Nostory and Jessica saw the doors to the great hall open and they saw Mathew enter alongside two guards who were leading Tucker. A smile appeared on Jessica's face when she saw her best friend. She felt something else come along her and she sat there with a huge grin on her face.

"My Lord, my lady," said Mathew remembering his courtesies. "I present Tucker Martel as you have requested."

"Very good Mathew," replied Lord Nostory somewhat pleased to see that Tucker was indeed in a presentable manner. He didn't want to see him if he was covered in his own blood and excrements. "My soon to be Lady Wife had requested your presence here today. You have her to thank for being out of the dungeons at least for a short amount of time. If it were up to me I would have left you to rot. But alas it would upset my soon to be Lady Wife so I am giving you as much time as she wishes."

"Approach Tucker," said Jessica somewhat even sounding like a Lady. Tucker was nudged in the back and he began to walk towards Jessica. Two guards stayed by his side at all times in the off chance that he tried anything. In truth there wasn't anything that Tucker could do. He had surveyed the room when he entered and all his exits were blocked by guards. They were all armed with high grade swords and armour while he wasn't armed at all. His chances of escape or even survival were slim. He had an idea but it was risky and if it failed his death was more or less a sure thing.

When Tucker was about ten feet away from Jessica he was forced to bow down to her. He could see the smile on her face but he could also see that there was almost no emotion in her eyes. The spark that had been there ever since they were children was gone. He had to bow his head as well to show his respects.

"Jessica I beg of you," said Tucker knowing that he only had one shot. "Release me, I have done nothing wrong."

"That is completely out of the question," replied Lord Nostory not allowing Jessica to mutter a single word. "You are exactly where you belong and it will be a cold day in hell when you find your way out of that dungeon."

"Upon what crime? I have done no crimes and yet I am thrown in the dungeon. That is no justice there, by the laws of Angleland sent down by King Erik the First and all of his decedents since then I demand to have a trial."

"You want a trial good sir I will give you a trial." He could not refuse such a thing, he was a powerful lord but even he was not above the laws set by the King and Queen of Angleland. "Your trial will take place in three days' time, I hope you are prepared for it.

Tucker was pleased that he got the trial that he had desperately wanted. He thought that something was finally going right for him in this city. He planned on clearing his name and then leaving with Jessica by his side. He would have loved to take the map and Juggernaut along with him but he was more or less willing to leave them behind if it meant simply getting away from July. He would not leave the city without Jessica however, she was far too precious to him to leave behind and he would never forgive himself if he did this.

He could see Jessica sitting there right next to Lord Nostory who was the cause of all the pain and suffering that he had seen within the castle. Most of it had been dealt by Mathew but Lord Nostory was the man who held the leash. Everything that happened in this city went through him.

"You have played your cards well Mr Martel," said Lord Nostory who continued to sit in his seat and glare over at Tucker. "If you are found innocent you will be free to go and you will also be given back your personal effects and a few gold coins for the inconvenience. Found guilty however and your punishment will be left up to you. Either you will be executed or you can live out the rest of your days in the dungeons below this castle, you will never see the light of day again or the intimate touch of a woman. Every day you will experience pain and suffering until the light within you is snuffed out."

There was one other form of trial that Tucker could pick but he wanted to use it as a last resort if his original trial began to go south. He had the option of picking a trial by combat where Lord Nostory would pick a champion and he would do battle with Tucker. Tucker himself had a right to a champion but he doubted that anyone would agree to be his champion so he would have to fight for himself. If he were to win the trial by combat it would mean that the gods favoured his cause and he would be free to go. In this trial however losing the battle meant losing his life.

"I accept these terms," said Tucker with a small amount of confidence in his voice. "The gods will judge me as the rightful party in this endeavour and I will be freed before the next full moon."

"You seem very confident with your words wannabe knight. While you are awaiting your trial your accommodations will be upgraded. You will sleep in a room fit for one of my serving women but you will not be permitted to leave. There will always be a guard at your door to make sure that you cannot leave."

"Seems fair enough, anything is better than that cell that you put me in." He was acting confident once again and this was beginning to annoy Lord Nostory. He was a very powerful man but these were all things that he had to do by law. He was dead set on making sure that the trial went his way and that Tucker would forever be out of his hair.

Lord Nostory looked over to Jessica who still sat there without much emotion on her face. He was doing all of this for her and if she had her own free will she would have grown and taken Tucker to safety. Seeing him like this hurt her inside but on the surface there was nothing that she could do to help him. She was in an unwinnable situation in her mind and all she could do was sit there and watch as events transpired before her. She was the physically the most powerful person in the city and yet right now she was also the most powerless, the irony was not lost on her.

Tucker was taken away to his new accommodations and Jessica was left with Lord Nostory by his side. He looked over to her and gave her a smile. Everything that he was doing, he was doing it for her and he would die before allowing someone like her to slip through his fingers. He had been waiting his entire life to be with a woman like her and now that he did have her he would let nothing get in the way. He would start a war to keep her if he needed to, or even break away from the King and Queen and declare July and the Summer Lands and independent nation. He would do all this to keep his prize and much more, he had found a unique individual and he would allow nothing to take it away from him.

"Take him out of my sight!" said Lord Nostory with a stern voice. He had enough of looking at Tucker and wanted him to leave immediately.

Rather than being dragged out Tucker was led out of the hall and taken to the quarters that had belonged to one of the serving women. It was a relatively small space but there was a window and a bed that was actually comfortable to sleep in. For Tucker it was an enormous upgrade in comparison to where he had been sleeping before.

The ground was solid stone along with the walls but there was a cosiness to it that was definitely missing in the jail cell. There was one problem that Tucker had was that he wasn't too sure exactly how to defend himself in this trial. He had no idea about the laws that were local to July but he still had his trial by combat that he could use but he only wanted to use it as a last resort.

A small form of salvation came the next morning when Tucker woke up and saw a serving woman standing right by his door. She had short black hair and stood a fraction of an inch shorter than the top of the door frame. A couple of more sessions on the rack would mean she would have to start ducking to get through the doors. She was looking at him with a small but pleasant smile.

As promised there were two guards posted right outside of his door so that he couldn't leave and the room was located too high up for him to successful jump out of without falling to his death. There was not enough fabric in the room to make any rope and even if there were the guards were constantly looking out at him to make sure that he didn't do anything that could lead to an escape.

"Good morning good sir my name is Monica," said the tall serving woman. "Lord Nostory has put me in your service while the trial is ongoing. I am to carry out any requests that you ask of me within reason. I am to make sure that you are fed and that all of your needs are met. He extends you this hospitality until you are proven guilty."

"I am not guilty," replied Tucker trying to sound confident. "The trial will prove my innocence and then I will be free to leave this city and I intend to never return as long as I live."

"Very well good sir. Is there anything that you require of me?"

"Yes Monica could you fetch me some breakfast?"

"As you wish."

Tucker only had a few minutes to wait before Monica returned to the room with a tray of food. The breakfast was only a simple one but it was still better food then Tucker had received in the dungeons. He hated to think of those who were still down there while he had his trial. He thought that many of them probably had their own trials and yet they had been found guilty and left to rot.

He still wished that he had Juggernaut and his treasure map but above all he wished that he still had Jessica by his side. She was there for him when he was at his lowest and always seemed to know what to do to get out of any situation. Now he found himself in the predicament by himself. In a way it was exactly what he had asked for when he told her that he could fight his own battles. He didn't want his words to be twisted quite like this but he saw it as a good opportunity to show himself that he could find a way out of his own problem without Jessica's help.

Even if he were to somehow free himself he still had to find a way to break Lord Nostory's grip on his best friend and make her see things for what they truly were. She was much like a walking zombie with the enchanted necklace and he needed to find a way to free her before he left July. He had already vowed that he would not leave without her by his side and he was determined to do this or die trying.

Tucker wasn't the only one preparing for the trial. Rather than it taking place in the great hall of the castle a smaller building just outside was being readied for the trial. It had been used many times over the years for trials ranging from crimes of murder and treason all the way down to the simple theft of bread.

The building itself was one of the oldest in July and had been used for many different events over its history. In a couple of days' time it would be the venue for Tucker's trial and would either be the place of his salvation or damnation. If Lord Nostory were to have his way Tucker wouldn't be walking out a free man.

Lord Nostory himself was preparing his case in the trial but there was one predicament that he had. Normally in trials he would be the one who would be judging the trial but since the crimes were against him he was not allowed to be a judge by the laws of the land. Instead he appointed another judge who was greatly in his pocket. It had not been the first time that something like this had happened but as long as Lord Nostory paid the judge handsomely he would favour more towards him rather than the defendant.

A special seat was being constructed for Jessica so that she could attend as well. Due to her size a regular seat in the courthouse would be too small and it would be like her sitting on a seat designed for a child. It would be a large but majestic seat fit for the woman who would soon become the Lady of July.

Already word of the trial had begun to circulate through July and many people wanted to be the ones who witnessed the trial take place. Unfortunately for them the trial was not going to be a public spectacle so only a handful would be able to go into the courthouse and watch the trial take place. They would be seeing Tucker either earn his freedom or incarcerated for the rest of his days. None knew exactly why the wannabe knight had even been arrested but they just knew that it would be a spectacle to watch.

Inside his room Tucker was still thinking of someway of earning his freedom and rescuing Jessica. For the moment he was concentrating mainly on earning his freedom since he wouldn't be able to rescue her if he was rotting in some dirty dungeon or worse. He was still not allowed to leave the room and he could see the guards outside making sure that he didn't escape.

Monica stood inside the room awaiting any command that Tucker might have. She too was cursed by her height as she had been brought here to serve Lord Nostory. She had been stretched a lot since she had come here and it had made her one of the tallest serving women in the castle. Despite her height she was still short in comparison to Jessica if the two women ever stood side to side. The difference would be even greater when Jessica was her true height but in that case even the tallest man in Angleland would look to be nothing but a child's play thing in comparison to her.

Tucker looked towards Monica and he had an idea in his mind. It would be nothing that got him a quick escape or put his or Monica's life in jeopardy but he thought that it would go some way into helping him and possibly saving him from a life not worth living.

"Monaco is that your name?" asked Tucker as he tried to remember the name of the tall serving woman.

"Monica good sir," replied the tall woman with grace in her voice.

"Monica what do you know of the laws of July? I know many of Angleland as a whole but the local laws to this city have escaped my knowledge. If you could fill me in as best as you can maybe I could use it to my advantage."

"I have lived in July for a number of years and I know many of the laws. I can tell you all that I know if you wish."

"Yes I do wish it, first tell me what will happen if I were to be found guilty of whatever crime I have supposedly committed."

"That is up to Lord Nostory, since these crimes are against the Lord himself you will either be thrown into the dungeon and never see the light of day again. Or you will be publicly executed, if you are lucky he will allow you to choose your own execution. I would advise you to have a quick and painless death."

"I do not intend to die my dear, I intend to prove my innocence and release my friend from Lord Nostory's grasp."

"Your friend?" It took her a couple of moments for her to realise that he was talking about Jessica. She had seen her stand up for a brief moment and she couldn't get over just how tall she was. Monica had not seen a woman taller than her since she was twelve and seeing that Jessica was around a foot and a half taller than her had completely blown her mind. "You mean Lady Nostory."

"They are not married yet so she is still Miss Snape., her mind is no longer her own and I intend to restore her back to the way that she was before I leave July. She is my best friend and she has protected me for many years, it is time that I protected her and I will sacrifice my own life if need be."

Monica sat in silence for several moments and took in everything that Tucker had taken. She couldn't help but feel the world of sympathy for him. Here was a man who had been wrongly imprisoned simply because Lord Nostory wanted to marry his best friend. She would have loved to have helped him any way that she could but she knew that Lord Nostory would not allow it. If he suspected that she was truly helping him to rescue Jessica he would have her flung into the dungeon.

Lord Nostory himself was making more preparations towards his wedding rather than the trial itself. He thought that Tucker was going to be found guilty and he would be punished accordingly. The one thing that Lord Nostory was trying to focus on in particular was a way to replicate Jessica's dress so that she could wear other clothing rather than the same dress. He thought that she was beautiful but there was no chance in his mind that a Lady should wear the same dress every day. He knew that it would take time before a suitable replacement could be created.

More often than not Lord Nostory would love to see Jessica naked so that he could embrace every aspect of her beauty but he knew the consequences if this were to happen. She would grow in size almost instantly and destroy his castle. Even he didn't want to see his castle become nothing more than a ruin, he had been through too much for that to happen and so he was willing to wait.

The sensible part of his mind wanted to find some kind of potion that would prevent Jessica from growing when she took off her dress. But another part of his brain didn't want this to happen. He wanted to see her at her maximum height and the fact that she was still growing was another reason why he was so attracted to her. Taking that away would be like taking away a part of her. This he didn't want, he wanted her to grow as tall as the Gods wanted her to and he didn't want to do anything to stop it.

The days seemed to fly by but eventually the day did come for Tucker's trial to begin. It was a relatively misty day as morning broke in July. The birds could be heard in the skies as they sang their songs, they were oblivious to what was going to happen that day. A man was either going to earn his freedom or be condemned to a life that many would consider not worth living. The day would end in glory for one man.

Tucker was taken to the courthouse with a convoy of guards. Lord Nostory didn't want to take any chances and he wanted to make sure that Tucker couldn't escape. One thing that he didn't want to leave the city was exactly what was happening in his castle. He would not be charged for anything that he did but the other lords would begin to look down at him and the King and Queen of Angleland might begin to scrutinise him. This was all pressure that he didn't need and so he would not allow the information to escape.

The courthouse was packed with members of the public who wanted to see the trial take place. Many of them had not seen a public execution for some time and some were hoping that Tucker was found guilty simply so they could watch him receive the death penalty. Tucker himself had no intention of being found guilty and he only hoped that he could present a reasonable argument so that he could throw enough doubt to get him off the hook.

The jury had been picked at random and none of them had even heard of the name Tucker Martel before his capture so they seemed to be the ideal jury. Deep down though they were siding more with Lord Nostory since he was their lord and had made the city of July very prosperous ever since he came to power.

Tucker himself was placed in a dock while the judge was placed on a high chair that gave him an excellent view of the courtroom and everyone in it. Even Lord Nostory and Jessica's seats were not as high as his. This was to show that in the courtroom the judge had the ultimate authority that even a king couldn't ignore.

The Judge was a harsh man named Fabio Ramirez who was actually a local man. He had overseen many trials that had been below the notice of Lord Nostory but this was probably the most important trial that he ever conducted but he was the man for the job. He was being paid handsomely by Lord Nostory to see his point of view more than that of Tucker. Almost before the trial had even begun it looked like Tucker was doomed but he still had hope that he would come out the other side a free man.

The courtroom was filled and as he looked around all he could see were the faces of strangers. Lord Nostory and Jessica had yet to make their appearance and the court would not begin until their arrival. He held such power over the court that they wouldn't start without him and this was power that couldn't be bought. Lord Nostory demanded respect by all those in the city of July.

It was not until almost an hour after everyone had arrived at the court that Lord Nostory finally made his appearance with Jessica by his side. Many people gasped at her height as she walked past and on top of her dress and gold necklace that she was wearing Lord Nostory had given her rings and bracelets to go along with her beauty. It was an attempt to make her look more ladylike even though she was wearing a peasant's dress. They sat down on two special seats at the courthouse. It gave them a great view of the trial and Tucker couldn't help but stare at Jessica. She was the only friendly face inside the courthouse and she was completely powerless to help him.

Suddenly Tucker heard a loud knocking sound and as he looked up towards the Judge he could see him banging his gavel on the side of his podium so that he could begin the trial. Now was the moment of truth for Tucker as his fate now be decided in a very biased court. He had no idea just how crooked the proceedings were going to be.

"Now that Lord Nostory has graced us with his presence this court of law can begin," said Judge Ramirez as he stopped banging his gavel. "This trial is the city of July versus Tucker Martel for the crime of the attempted murder of Lord Nostory. How does the defendant plea to this charge?"

"Not guilty," replied Tucker with a defiant voice. He had no one to represent him for this trial so he was having to represent himself.

"Do you have anyone to represent you in this court?"

"I would have liked to have one but it seems that no one wanted to defend me so I guess I'll have to defend myself this time around." He looked back for a moment to see the people within the court. "Unless one of these fine people would like to step up and defend me." There was a few seconds of silence and Tucker more or less received his answer. He didn't expect anyone to jump to his aid. "Well it looks like I'll be representing myself for the foreseeable future your honour."

"Very well Mister Martel."

In the dock not too far away from where Tucker was standing was a thin man with thin black hair and a small beard. His clothing was definitely fancier than the ordinary peasant and it was obvious to Tucker that this man was the main prosecutor. This man was named Walter Harrington and had been personally picked by Lord Nostory to represent him and the case against Tucker. He was very good at his job and he had won a high percentage of the cases that he had been involved in.

"Your honour if it pleases the court I would like to begin with my opening argument," said Walter as he looked up towards the Judge. The judge himself gave Walter a small nod to indicate that he was allowed to proceed. "Your honour no more than five days ago Mr Martel here entered the castle of our Lord Hector Nostory and attempted to kill him when his lady friend the soon to be Lady Jessica Nostory accepted his hand in marriage. Lord Nostory's guards were able to subdue him before he could make a decent attempt but intention was there. By the end of this trial the members of the jury along with everyone else in this courthouse will see that Mr Martel is guilty."

With that Walter sat down and it was time for Tucker to make his opening statement. He stood up and took a small walk around the dock as he cleared his throat. There were guards situated all around the courthouse to make sure that he didn't attempt to escape in any way. That would more or less prove his guilt.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury if you don't know who I am, well I am Tucker Martel of Morgan," said Tucker trying to sound important. He looked over at the jury before looking at Jessica. He still couldn't believe what had happened to her and he wondered who was truly worse off him or her. "It is true that I did enter Lord Nostory's castle on that day but at no point did I attempt to murder him. My friend Jessica Snape and I were invited by Lord Nostory to enter and when we did he used some kind of magic spell to rob the mind and will of my friend. She is now nothing more than a zombie who bends to the will of Lord Nostory without giving a second thought. When I attempted to help my friend Lord Nostory's guards attacked me and I was thrown into a dungeon without good reason or a fair trial. When I am found innocent of my so called crimes I demand that my friend be freed and for us to be compensated for the misery that we have both endured."

This was the end of the opening arguments and Tucker thought that he had done a reasonably good job but unfortunately he didn't know just how crooked this court was. He would have more chance of bleeding blood out of a stone rather than actually winning this case. For now he had no idea but he always had the trial by combat if things truly went south and at least then he would stand a chance.

Over the next several hours the prosecution gave evidence to why Tucker was guilty of his crimes and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Witnesses were called and they gave evidence to how Tucker had supposedly tried to kill Lord Nostory. Some described how Tucker had pulled out a knife and tried to stab the heart of Lord Nostory. These were all fabrications but they were winning the jury over.

Lord Nostory himself sat in his seat with a smile on his face. He knew that the trial was going his way and he held onto Jessica's hand. It was not only the size of her hand that had caught his attention but also the warmth and softness of it. He could imagine her growing to her full size and he would lie down in her palm and be in heaven. They were the softest hands that he had ever felt and he wanted his body to be enveloped by this softness.

Jessica was aware of what was happening but found herself unable to stop it. If she could she would have broken down into tears at the very least but due to the necklace she couldn't do this unless Lord Nostory commanded it. She was more or less a prisoner in her own body and she thought that she would never see her best friend again. She thought that he would be convicted and then executed a few days later. Most likely Lord Nostory would make her watch his execution and if that were to happen Jessica's last thread of humanity would be severed. She would be his both body and soul.

Despite the magic that was keeping her a prisoner in her own body Jessica could still feel Tucker within her mind. She couldn't explain it but she could sense his anxieties and fears as he knew that the trial was not going well. She didn't know how exactly she could sense all these but it felt like she had some kind of connection with him. She only hoped that this connection wouldn't be severed.

During the trial Tucker tried to cross examine some of the witnesses but unfortunately defending himself in a court of law was something that he was not his particular strong suit. If it had involved swords and shields he would be more suited but since he was having to use his words rather than his sword skills he was finding it more and more difficult as the trial continued on. The deck was heavily stacked against him and he was having to use all of his intelligence to keep himself afloat so to speak.

The crowd within the courthouse were constantly booing him whenever it was his turn to speak. They had already made their decision that he was guilty and it seemed that the jury had more or less come to the same conclusion. Their minds had more or less been made before the trial had even started thanks to the gold in their purses courtesy of Lord Nostory.

For hours the trial continued to go against Tucker and slowly he realised that he was trying to break through a brick wall with only a needle. The trial had begun unfairly and unless he did something drastic it would end unfairly as well. He looked over to Jessica and he knew what he had to do to have any chance of keeping his freedom.

"Your honour I see that I will get no justice here," said Tucker as he stood up in the dock despite the fact that the prosecutor had been speaking. "From the beginning this whole court has been against me and not been at a neutral stance as it should."

"Hold your tongue Mr Martel," replied the Judge. "You're only making the situation worse for yourself."

"Worse? I am in a trial that is heavily against me and most likely at the end I will lose my life. My friend will forever be trapped with a man who holds her free will hostage. Tell me your honour how exactly can this situation get any worse for me?" There was a brief silence as Lord Nostory realised what was going to happen. It would be a minor inconvenient for him but it was something that he had already planned. "As I said I will find no justice here, therefore I see that my only justice can come from the gods. That is why I am evoking the trial by combat law. I will be my own champion against the champion that either the court or Lord Nostory has picked. When the gods favour my cause and guide my blade everyone in July will see that I am innocent of these crimes."

"Is that your final answer Mr Martel? Once you have demanded a trial by combat there is no opportunity to back out."

"I understand and accept."

"Very well this court is adjourned. Mr Martel has evoked the trial by combat law and he has also put himself forward as his own champion. In this case it would be best for Lord Nostory to pick his own champion. He will have three days to choose his champion to face Mr Martel, then within the grounds of the Castle of July the trial by combat will take place at noon as is law."

"That will not be necessary," said Lord Nostory as he got up to his feet. "I have already chosen my champion." There was a huge smile on his face and a shiver ran down Tucker's spine. He didn't think that he would like what came out of Lord Nostory's mouth next. "I want everyone to witness my choice for a champion. I Lord Hector Nostory, first of my name and rightful Lord of July to hereby choose my fiancé Jessica Snape to be my champion and since the gods favour my cause she will survive without a scratch."

There was a loud gasp as everyone heard Lord Nostory state that Jessica was going to be his champion during the trial by combat against Tucker. Tucker himself couldn't believe what he had just heard. He couldn't believe that Lord Nostory would stoop so low to actually have him battle Jessica for his own freedom. Unfortunately he knew that once he declared that he wanted a trial by combat there was nothing that he could do to revoke the claim.

Everyone else inside the court also couldn't believe that Lord Nostory had chosen Jessica to be his champion. They knew that she was very tall but they had never heard of a woman being a champion during a trial by combat. It was not uncommon for a woman to be one of the parties involved by never as a champion. They were unaware about Jessica's true size and the fact that the dress she wore actually made her small enough to fit into a building although door frames were still a minor problem.

The judge looked at Lord Nostory and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He had found it highly irregular that he would choose a woman to defend him. Many would consider him a coward but there was still a chance that Jessica wouldn't be his champion. She had to agree to be his champion so the important question had to be asked.

"Miss Jessica Snape," said the Judge as he looked down at the tall woman from up on his podium. "Do you agree to be Lord Nostory's champion in the trial by combat?"

"I do your honour," replied Jessica as she stood up to her full height. There was still no emotion in her voice and she was completely under the influence of the spell that stopped her from acting independently. Inside she was shouting at the top of her lungs, saying no but her body was not her own and she couldn't stop herself as she agreed. "I will represent my soon to be Lord husband in the trial by combat."

"Very well by the laws of the land Miss Jessica Snape will represent Lord Hector Nostory, the first of his name in the trial by combat against Mr Tucker Martel who has decided to be his own champion. The trial by combat will take place tomorrow morning on the grounds of the Castle of July. The combatants may have any handheld weapons of their choosing if they are available. The trial must take place with no interference or else they will face harsh penalties. This court is adjourned." He banged his gavel on the podium and stood up to climb back down to the ground.

People began to grumble as they got up to leave but Tucker just stood there completely dumbstruck about what had just happened. Never in a million years did he think that he was actually going to be battling his best friend. He knew that when she grew to her normal size that he didn't stand a chance against her. Even with Juggernaut he didn't think that it would do him much good. He would barely be able to reach her but above all he didn't want to harm his best friend. She had helped him so many times over his life that he couldn't bear the thought of actually harming her.

Tucker also thought about his own safety. At her full size she could crush him like an insect and he didn't have much defence against that. Even if she didn't stomp him she could pick him up and crush him with only using a small proportion on her strength. He had seen her move farm animals as if they were made of feathers. Worse still she could swallow him whole with minimum effort. He knew that Jessica would never actually eat a person but since she was being controlled through the necklace she was capable of doing more or less anything. He didn't think that he would survive. If he were to back off now it would be an admission of guilt and he would be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Even though Tucker was standing still he felt a strong grasp on his shoulder and when he turned he saw that one of the guards had grabbed his shoulder. This meant that they were here to lead him away, most likely he would be taken back to the room in the castle where he would be able to rest. One thing that Tucker did have at his advantage was that he could demand to have his armour and Juggernaut returned to him.

Quickly Tucker was taken out of the courthouse and taken back to the castle and the room where he was more or less a prisoner. Since his guilt had not been proven yet he was still allowed to have decent accommodation. This was the only comfort that he had but he dreaded the trial by combat the next morning. He didn't think that he would survive and he only had two options. Fight and die at the hands of his best friend or give up there and then and be executed shortly afterwards. He was being forced to pick the lesser of two evils and he more or less made his decision.

Tucker more or less decided there and then that he was going to compete in this trial by combat but he still didn't have much intention of surviving. He wanted to survive but he didn't want to hurt his friend, she had always protected him and he still had a belief that she would not harm him. No matter how much of a grip that Lord Nostory had on his friend he knew that she wouldn't harm him. They had too much history together and they had always been good to one another.

Monica was waiting inside the room for him and she was happy to see his return. This presented somewhat of a dilemma in her mind. If he had been found innocent he would have been set free and he most likely would have been on his way. If he had been found guilty he would have been sent back down to the dungeons where he would stay and rot. She had already brought a cup of water up to the room and she gave it to him. She could see that he was not in the best of moods and she could tell that the day's events had not gone his way. She did not ask anything however, that was not her role, she was only allowed to speak when she was spoken to unless it was of a matter of utter importance.

Tucker sat in his room in silence for some time before he could mutter any words. He looked over to Monica and he had a command for him. She waited for him and she was somewhat glad for the interaction.

"Monica I need you to give Lord Nostory a message," said Tucker. "I want my armour and sword returned to me so that I can battle his fiancé tomorrow morning. By law he has to comply."

"As you wish," replied Monica as she stepped out of the room, she had to duck slightly to get through the door but she still continued to walk.

Tucker felt a little bad about how he had just worded the command. It sounded like he was willing to fight Jessica when in truth he wasn't. He was trying to keep himself as far away from the fact that he was going to be battling her as much as he could. He didn't want to hurt her and he was even beginning to think that he couldn't actually hurt her. At her normal size her skin would be very thick and he already knew that an arrow strike was nothing more than minor inconvenience to her. She had been fired upon by arrows in the past and they had not been able to pierce her skin. Juggernaut would probably be different but even so he didn't think that it would do him much good. Besides she could crush him before he got anywhere near slashing her.

In his own chamber Lord Nostory had no worries about the next day. By now night had fallen and Jessica was lying in bed awaiting her soon to be husband. On her face she also seemed to have no worries about the next morning but inside she was terrified. She knew that it was most likely going to end with Tucker's death and then she would have nothing else to live for. Not just because her best friend would be dead but also because she knew that she was responsible it would destroy her inside. She would see herself as the monster that many had called her in the past.

Lord Nostory himself was actually looking forward to the next morning since he wouldn't have to worry about Tucker anymore. He was extremely looking forward to seeing his soon to be wife grow to her normal size for the first time in his presence and kill a man that he considered to be his enemy. The whole city would see her at her full size and would be able to bask in her glory. This was something that Jessica really didn't want to do but as she had no free will there was nothing that she could do.

"How do you feel about battling the man that you used to call a friend?" asked Lord Nostory as he poured some rich wine into a golden cup. He was also going to pour some more wine into a second cup for his wife to be.

"I feel nothing my love," replied Jessica, she was still under the influence of the spell so she couldn't say any other answer.

"Good, this time tomorrow Tucker Martel will be dead and we can make plans for a wedding unlike any other Angleland has ever seen. Every Lord and Lady will be invited and even the King and Queen will come, you will don a gown that will make you look more beautiful than the goddess Trianne herself. You will be the envy of every man, woman and child in the world."

"That makes me glad my love."

"And so it should." By now he had finished pouring the wine and brought them over to Jessica. He sat on his bed and gave her the cup to drink, normally he would have one of his serving women do this task but since it was for Jessica he wanted to do the deed himself in some way of making her happy. "I have no doubt that you are physically the most powerful woman in Angleland but after our marriage you will also be one of the wealthiest and politically powerful women in all the land. You will provide me with sons who will be worthy of being my heirs and daughters that should hopefully be as tall and beautiful as you. Nothing can spoil what we have."

"I agree my love. I will be counting down the days until our wedding. I will make you happy in any way possible."

"There is one thing you could do to make me a little happier right now. Increase your height a little, not too much, just a few inches will do."

"As you wish." She took a sip of the wine and it was definitely the best wine that she had ever drunk. Unfortunately she didn't have the will to actually enjoy it as she increased her height by half a foot. Since she was sitting in the bed the change wasn't as much as one would expect but watching her grow did excite Lord Nostory more than he would like to admit publicly. "Have I pleased you my love?"

"You have in more ways than I could possibly describe." He drank from his cup of wine and instead of taking a sip he drank the entire contents in one go. "Now shall we get some sleep, you have a big day tomorrow and I don't want lack of sleep to ruin your prettiness."

Jessica had no choice but to comply as she also drank the rest of her wine. When she had finished Lord Nostory took the cup off of her and placed it on a table right next to the bed. A huge smile came upon his face as he couldn't wait to sleep with the amazon that was Jessica. He had been wanting to do something like this for as long as he could remember and now that he actually had a woman who would do this for him every night he felt that his final victory was complete.

Lord Nostory climbed into his bed and wrapped his arms around Jessica's long body. His touch sent a chill down her spine but she still couldn't react to him in the way that she wanted. She would have loved to have pushed him away and take Tucker out of the castle and the city. Unfortunately right now those actions were beyond her and she had to put up with him touching her. She hated every moment that she was by his side and she wanted to throw up but discovered that she was unable to. She was experiencing a living nightmare that she saw no escape from.

The next morning Tucker was the first to wake up, it was not yet dawn and his room was still in darkness. His mind needed a few moments to adjust to exactly what was happening and he soon realised that he was only a couple of short hours from having to battle his best friend. This left a sinking feeling in his stomach and he wondered exactly how the day would finish off. He thought that most likely Jessica would literally crush him and she would be lost to him forever.

One thing that Tucker did take comfort in was that his armour had been brought to him but Juggernaut would not be brought to him until the actual trial by combat. Lord Nostory didn't want him using it to try and make an escape. Tucker was able to put on his own armour but he knew that it would give him little protection against a giantess who was over one hundred and twenty feet tall.

He had no stomach for any breakfast and just sat quietly in his room for what seemed to be an eternity. His leg was shaking as he hated to admit just how nervous he was. He tried not to give into his fear as a knight should be brave at all times. He remembered the lessons that he had been taught by the late Sir Thomas Parker. He could see his mentor looking down at him from the heavens and he didn't know whether the old man would be either proud or disgusted with how he had been doing.

After a couple of hours there was a loud knock on the door. Tucker looked towards it and it soon came open and he could see a very tall man who was well armoured and he looked to be formidable himself. Despite his fearsome appearance he was not the man that Tucker was going to face that day. His opponent would be both the largest woman that he had ever seen and but also the one who had been the only person that he had considered to be his true friend. He didn't think that the kingdom of Angleland would be the same after this trial took place.

"It's time!" said the well armoured man as he looked towards Tucker.

Tucker didn't say a word as he got up to his feet and followed him through the castle. There were a few guards who followed him as well to ensure that he didn't attempt an escape. Tucker was feeling more nervous with every passing moment as fighting his best friend was drawing closer and closer.

By the time Tucker stepped outside of the castle and onto the grounds he saw that hundreds of people had come to attend the trial by combat. None of them were aware that Jessica was a towering giantess who had her height restricted by her dress. Only a simple thought could turn her from an amazon into the giantess that brought fear to many despite her gentle personality.

As Tucker looked at the crowd many were shouting offensive words to him but he was able to block them out since the thought of fighting Jessica was an even greater worry in his mind. He could see Lord Nostory on an elevated seat with Jessica sitting right next to him. She was wearing her dress once again and there she was wearing no armour. He didn't expect her to wear any armour since she more or less didn't need it and with the added fact that the armour wouldn't grow along with her. The sudden entry into the sunlight had blinded Tucker for the moment as his eyes had to adjust to the light. He lifted his hand up to help stop the sun going into his eyes until they had adjusted.

Lord Nostory stood up from his seat and stepped onto the stage that had been set up specifically for him. There were many guards on the stage to prevent anyone trying to get on to harass Lord Nostory. He seemed to be very pompous as he walked a couple of steps forward so that he could address the crowd. He waved his hand in the air and the entire crowd fell into silence.

"My happy citizens," said Lord Nostory in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear him. "I thank you for attending this trial by combat between Mr Tucker Martel and the soon to be Lady Jessica Nostory. Many might question why I have chosen my fiancé to be my champion in this trial but I have the just cause so the gods will spare her. Mr Martel is charged with attempting to take my life, he has chosen a trial by combat to try and prove his innocence. He has also chosen to fight with his sword Juggernaut while by fiancé has waved away any weapon." With that one of the guards walked up to Tucker, he was carrying Juggernaut and he passed it to him. Lord Nostory would have preferred that Tucker not have his sword but he couldn't deny him right to the weapon. He also thought that even armed with Juggernaut that Tucker didn't stand much of a chance. "The rules are simple, the two combatants will battle until either one party backs down or a champion is dead. By the end of the trial we will know which side the gods favour." He turned to Jessica who was still sitting in her seat. "My love, it is time."

Lord Nostory held his hand out towards her and she gently grabbed it as she stood up to her full height. She bent down and gave him a kiss before she carefully made her way down from the stage and into the area where she was going to be fighting Tucker. The area was especially big at the request of Lord Nostory and was easily large enough for Jessica to grow to her normal size and still have room to move. Even he didn't want to see his citizens crushed by a giantess.

Tucker stared at Jessica for a couple of moments and he was still in disbelief that he was actually going to fight her. He wanted nothing more than to run up to her and hug her, she had always been his pillar of hope for him whenever he was down but he knew that if he tried she would likely kill him on the spot. She stared blankly back at him but there was a tear rolling down her cheek as her inner self cried.

A bell tolled indicating the start of the battle and Tucker didn't even try to move towards Jessica. He saw that immediately she had begun to grow and everyone in the crowd gasped as the saw the tall woman growing bigger and bigger before their very eyes. A few of them even screamed in terror but as Jessica grew she never took her eyes off of Tucker. He lowered his sword as he had to face the fact that he was going to have to face a full size Jessica. Every inch that she grew was like another knife stabbing into Tucker's back.

By the time that Jessica had reached her normal height many of the crowd were in complete terror of the giant woman who stood before them. Some thought that she was going to try and crush them all but they found themselves too sandwiched in the crowd to actually escape. Hey were stuck there and would have to watch the trial whether they wanted to or not.

By far the most nervous person in this area was Tucker who was having to face a towering giantess who could easily crush him. Almost instantly he knew that he didn't stand a chance in this fight but he still couldn't surrender. He would not give Lord Nostory the satisfaction that he had won.

Almost immediately Tucker saw Jessica's foot hover above him and as it came crashing down he had to dive out of the way so that he wasn't crushed. The ground shook a little as Jessica's enormous foot came into contact with the ground. This had scared even more people but for Lord Nostory he had an enormous smile on his face. The trial had started exactly like he had expected and he thought that soon Tucker would be no more.

Numerous times Jessica's foot came crashing down above him but each time he was able to dodge out of the way. He had a couple of opportunities to attack as well but chose not to since he didn't want to hurt his best friend. There was one thing that he noticed as she tried to stomp him. Her foot didn't seem to be coming down as fast as he thought that it would be, he thought that if someone was trying to crush a bug they would move their foot faster than Jessica did now. He knew that her additional size didn't affect her intelligence and he saw it as a good sign.

"Please Jessica don't do this," begged Tucker as he took a moment to look up to the towering giantess that was his best friend. He was hoping that there was still a small part of his friend in there.

Lord Nostory was happy to sit in his seat and watch as Jessica continued to try and kill Tucker. He had not noticed that she was slower than she should be and he couldn't help but become excited by what he was seeing. It was the first time that he had seen Jessica at her normal size and he knew now more than ever that he had picked the right woman to be his wife. Not only was he marrying what he thought to be the most beautiful woman in all of Angleland but also a woman who would be the ultimate bodyguard. No enemy would dare get close to him while she was around.

At no time did Jessica focus on the crowd or even truly acknowledge them. Her focus was entirely on Tucker and she bent down and tried to punch the ground. Her blows were light since she didn't want to risk breaking her hand on the ground. Her size did give her amazing strength but even she wasn't resistant to breaking her hand like any normal person. It was a sign that she wasn't invincible.

Jessica's hand even came close to grabbing Tucker and in his panic he slashed his sword cutting the palm of her hand. The cut was not very deep but it still caused her a small amount of pain and Tucker realised that he had just hurt his friend. He felt sick inside but a small part of him told him that he had done it purely out of self-defence but it still didn't make him feel any better.

This made Tucker drop Juggernaut out of disgust of what he had done but before he could make another move Jessica's other hand came down and grabbed him. In no time at all he was lifted up in the air and brought up to her level. For the first time in his life he was actually scared to be picked up by Jessica. He thought that he was close to meeting his ancestors in the afterlife. He had absolutely no defence against her strength and he thought that his life had come to an end.

"Jessica it's me Tucker your best friend," said Tucker as he tried to use his words where his skills had failed him. He was hoping that his best friend was somewhere trapped inside and that he could somehow bring it back to the surface. "Remember when we used to play hide and seek together, you always seemed to find me no matter how well I hid. I always thought that you had cheated but those were our happiest days. This isn't you Jessica, the Jessica I knew would never do anything like this." He suddenly felt her grip around him tighten and much of the air in his body was squeezed out. "Please Jessica, you're my best friend and you're the only person who was able to put up with me and my silly dreams. You even came with me on my quest for Three Man's Treasure."

It seemed that Tucker's pleas were falling onto deaf ears as he felt Jessica's grip tighten. The life was being squeezed out of him and she was only using a fraction of her mighty strength. She was squeezing him tighter every few moments and Tucker couldn't defend himself. Even if he had Juggernaut in his hand he would not use it against her, even if it were to save his life he still couldn't hurt his friend.

The crowd had seemed to have gotten over their initial fear of Jessica and instead cheered for her as Tucker seemed to be nearing his end. They might not have seen what they had expected but it was still entertaining for them to watch. Lord Nostory was the one who was enjoying the most since he was seeing his fiancé in action. He thought that he was mere moments from being rid of Tucker Martel. He admitted that Tucker had gotten further than he had expected but he was going to fall, just like everyone else who had tried to stand against Lord Nostory.

Tucker knew that he was only mere moments from falling unconscious or even worse, if Jessica tightened her grip on him any further he would be a dead man. He was on his last legs and he knew that if he didn't do something quickly he would die. Unfortunately he had realised before the start of the trial that he was in an unwinnable situation. He had only one option to try and save himself.

"Please Jessica," begged Tucker once again in one final attempt to convince his friend to stop crushing him. "I love you."

Tucker had not really expected anything to change but he definitely felt her grip around him loosen slightly and when he looked in Jessica's face he could see more tears rolling down her cheek. He didn't know exactly what was happening but it seemed that it was giving him a few more moments of life.

"T-Tucker?" replied Jessica stuttering with her words and they were the first truly independent words that had come out of her mouth since Lord Nostory had placed her under his spell.

Suddenly the necklace around her neck began to glow brightly and Tucker had to close his eyes so that he wasn't blinded by the light. Jessica screamed out in pain and even Lord Nostory had taken notice of what was happening. For the first time since obtaining Jessica he actually felt nervous. He wanted to make a move but found himself unable to stop himself from looking what was happening.

The glowing lasted for several seconds before subsiding and Jessica began to breathe heavily. She dropped to one knee but she didn't drop Tucker, her tight grip had transformed into a gentle one and he was no longer in pain. Jessica began to sob uncontrollably and she looked at the seemingly tiny man in her hand. He was still trying to catch his breath after being crushed in the manner than he was and she knew that she was responsible, she was the one who had been squeezing him and she looked at him as if he was about to end their friendship.

"Tucker I'm so sorry that I hurt you," cried Jessica as her mental wounds were coming to the surface. "I could see what I was doing and yet I couldn't stop myself. I almost killed you and I couldn't stop."

"It's alright Jessica," replied Tucker trying to comfort her the best way that he could. "It's not your fault."

"I know it's not." She looked towards Lord Nostory who was still in his seat but rather than being excited he was now feeling a wave of terror. Almost instantly all the sorrow washed away from her and she felt anger take over her body. "IT'S HIS!"

Lord Nostory was in complete fear as he saw that the now full size Jessica was looking down at him with absolute hatred in her eyes. He tried in vain to mutter the spell again to try and re-establish his hold on her but he saw her rip the necklace off of her neck with her free hand as if it were made out of wet clay. She threw it to the ground and almost instantly it shrank back down to its normal size.

"YOU!" shouted Jessica as she pointed down at Lord Nostory. He was practically shaking and already guards were coming to his side to try and protect him despite the fact that there was little protection against an angry giantess. "YOU ROBBED ME OF MY MIND, FORCE ME TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN YOUR SLAVE AND YOU TRIED TO HAVE MY BEST FRIEND KILLED!" Her anger was beginning to get the better of her and she turned her head slightly to see that there were still a large amount of people still standing where they had been when the trial by combat had been taken place. Her vendetta wasn't against them and she didn't want to see them harmed. "EVERYONE GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Her loud booming voice was enough to scare the crowd witless. Many were running for what they thought was their lives. Previously many had been in awe of her size but now they simply wanted to get away as quickly as possible. She was angry and they were not sure exactly what they were going to do. Lord Nostory even tried to make a move away with guards surrounding him but this was picked up by Jessica immediately. By that time they had gotten off the stage and was trying to make their way towards the castle but a giant foot came down right in front of them. This made them jolt back and Jessica continued to scowl at them, Tucker was still safe in her hand but even he was starting to become nervous. He had never seen her this angry.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" asked Jessica with still a lot of anger in her voice. She was crying again but instead of them being tears of sorrow these were tears of anger. "NOT ONLY DID YOU TREAT ME LIKE A SLAVE BUT YOU ALSO HOLD WOMEN AGAINST THEIR WILL AND MAKE THEM YOUR SLAVES AS WELL JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE TALL! YOU MIGHT THINK YOURSELF AS A GREAT MAN BUT YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A PARASITE! YOU MURDERED THE FAMILY WHO OWNED THIS CASTLE JUST BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT THAT IT WAS YOURS!"

Lord Nostory was absolutely terrified and he thought that his life was about to come to an end. He had never thought that his plans would blow up in his face in this manner and all he wanted to do was to get away as quickly as he could. Unfortunately the giant foot in front of him was preventing him from going anywhere.

He then ordered his guards to go forth and attack Jessica but rather than dying in a battle that they knew that they couldn't win the guards instead turned and fled as fast as their legs could carry them. Jessica let them go since her anger was squared solely on Lord Nostory. In her mind he wouldn't get off easy.

"If it is gold that you want I can give you all the gold I have," said Lord Nostory as he begged for his life.

"I don't want your gold," replied Jessica in a quieter voice but was still very sharp and angry. "I want you to release all the serving women that you're holding captive and I want all of my friend's personal possessions returned to him. If you don't do what I command I will pull down your castle brick by brick." The castle itself was directly behind her and when Lord Nostory didn't speak she slammed her fist into a top part of the castle. The section of the castle began to crumble and Lord Nostory jumped back a little as he saw a part of his precious castle crumble away. Now there was a large hole in the top of the castle and there was no one inside that part of the castle so there were no injuries. "I'M NOT FUCKING ABOUT HERE!"

Lord Nostory realised that unless he did what Jessica told him Jessica would rip down his mighty castle brick by brick. He saw the anger in her eyes and he knew that she was not bluffing. The damage that the castle had sustained was relatively minor but it would not take much for her to completely demolish the castle entirely. He loved having all those tall women at his beck and call but he preferred to keep the castle that he had worked so hard to attain. His options were very limited.

Tucker was also feeling scared along with Lord Nostory. He had never seen Jessica this angry before and he couldn't believe that she had intentionally damaged the castle in the manner that she had. He knew that she wouldn't harm him but even so he was very intimidated with the way that she was talking and her actions. He was only glad that she was not angry at him.

There was one of Lord Nostory's servants standing not too far away. He had been too frozen in fear to move away from the angry giantess and Lord Nostory signalled over to him to get all of Tucker's possessions. At first the servant was still too afraid to move but after a few seconds he ran into castle.

Several minutes later the same servant came back out carrying Tucker's possessions that he had confiscated from him. He had already had Juggernaut and his armour returned to him but now he was having all of his gold and other possessions returned to him. Above all he also received the map to Three Man's Treasure so at least the pair could carry on with their quest. The quest was the last thing on Jessica's mind, all she wanted to do was to free the women who were being held by Lord Nostory and then leave July. She hoped to never return and in truth she didn't know whether she would be the same after all of this. Her trust had been broken in a way that she could never had expected and she had become nothing more than a slave for the whim of a demented man.

That was the first part of Jessica's demands fulfilled and now it was time for the serving women to be released. This was a demand that Lord Nostory was more reluctant to uphold but he could see that Jessica wasn't going anywhere until they were released and she would continue to destroy his castle.

Word was given into the castle and one by one each of the serving women stepped out of the castle. For some of them it was a welcome relief that they were being released and actually be able to go back home. For a few of them they didn't know exactly what they were going to do, they had been in the service of Lord Nostory for a number of years and they didn't know what to do with their lives afterwards.

It took some time for all the serving women to be found and released by Lord Nostory's guards and Jessica sat there watching them leave. She couldn't help but feel happy about the fact that she had actually released people who were basically slaves. She had known what it was to be the slave of another and she would never wish it on her worse enemy. By now she had also placed Tucker on her shoulder after he had been reunited with his possessions and she had wrapped some of her long brown hair around him so that if he fell at least he had a safety line. She watched as the severing women and she felt some happiness knowing that she had released these poor women. This happiness didn't compensate for the raw anger that she was feeling.

Jessica looked down at Lord Nostory and he was still absolutely terrified. He didn't know if he was going to die at any moment or if Jessica would spare him. With how he had enslaved her he thought that she would kill him. If the roles were reversed he would do the same to him, all his armies could do nothing to help him right now and his guards were too afraid to come to his aid. They preferred to live on the rest of their lives rather than trying to kill a very angry giantess.

"Is that all of them?" asked Jessica as she looked down at Lord Nostory. He didn't speak and this only made her even more annoyed. "I SAID IS THAT ALL OF THEM?" Her voice was loud and very intimidating again.

"Y-yes that's all of them," replied Lord Nostory. He had to say these words quickly since he feared that if he stuttered any further Jessica would make the decision to kill him. He had already quietly started praying to the gods.

"Good and one last thing I want to remind you before I leave. IF YOU EVER TRY TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO ME OR ANYONE ELSE AGAIN I WILL COME BACK AND I PROMISE YOU NEXT TIME YOU WON'T BE WALKING AWAY! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"Y-yes." He realised that he would be living to see another day and he could sense that she wasn't bluffing.

"Good." She stood up to her full height and seemed to be a looming colossus over a city of dolls. "Goodbye Lord Nostory, I hope to never see you or this damn city ever again." She went to walk away from the castle and each of her footsteps caused a small tremor. After only a few steps she quickly turned her head towards Lord Nostory who had been wanted watching her leave. "Remember that wasn't a threat, that was a promise."

With that Jessica continued to walk through the city of July. The citizens immediately moved out of her way as she walked through and many of them were absolutely terrified of her. Her loud booming voice had been heard all across the city and at her height she was also seen for miles. Many of them knew just how angry she was and that she had demolished a small part of the castle.

Tucker tried to talk to his giant best friend but she was not speaking to him at that moment in time. He had never seen her like this and he himself was intimidated by her. It was scary to see someone of her size be so aggressive and angry. He knew that despite everything Lord Nostory had gotten off lightly.

Eventually Jessica did reach the wall that surrounded the city but rather than breaking through it she climbed over it. There were numerous guards at the wall but none of them stopped her. It would be a futile effort trying to stop her leaving and none of them wanted to feel her wrath.

After several minutes of walking Jessica had still been silent and Tucker had tried to talk to her numerous times but for now she was being silent. At her size she could walk miles in a relatively short amount of time and soon July could only be seen over the horizon. She had been following a road out of July and the two eventually came across a small family run inn. It was nowhere near as grand as the inns in July but it was enough to keep a traveller well fed and bed.

Jessica unwrapped Tucker from her hair and placed him on the ground. She had done all this without telling him anything at all. Tucker was in much confusion over what was happening as he had never known her act in this manner. He understood that she had just been through a traumatic experience but he didn't know why she had hardly spoke to him. He felt as if he had done something to somehow anger or upset her.

"Jessica w-what are you doing?" asked Tucker with much concern in his voice. He was truly worried about her state of mind.

"I'm sorry Tucker I need some time alone," replied Jessica in a somewhat sombre voice. She had a new reason to hate and be distrustful of people and at that moment in time she wanted to vent her anger on something. "I'll be back at some point to pick you up but right now I need to think."

"Please Jessica I can help you in whatever way I can. We can talk and hopefully we can get through what happened." His best friend was squatting down and her hand was quite close to the ground. He was able to hold onto her hand to show that he was there for her and this did make her see that there was still good in people but she still knew that she had to go away for a little while.

"Thank you Tucker, I'm lucky to have a friend like you." She took a quick sigh before she spoke again. "But there are a few things in my head that I need to iron out. I promise you that I'll be back tomorrow morning at the latest but for now I need you to stay here so that you don't get hurt."

"Don't get hurt? Just what are you going to do?" He was completely surprised about her last statement and was afraid that she was going to do something terrible that she would later regret.

"You have more than enough money to stay here for the night and have a good round of meals. Don't try to follow me and remember I will return." She completely ignored his question and then stood up to her full height. She turned around and began to walk away and she could hear Tucker calling her name. There were some tears in her eyes that were a combination of sorrow and anger.

Tucker wanted to run to Jessica and try and stop her but there was nothing that he could do. Not only was she faster than him when she walked at her full size but even if he was somehow able to catch up with her he wouldn't be able to stop her. All he could do was accept that his best friend needed some time to herself so that she could come to terms with what had happened to her. She had basically been a living puppet for a dangerous man and it had crushed her heart as she knew that the entire time that Tucker had suffered along with her and there was nothing that she could to stop it.

With little choice Tucker stepped into the inn which was the more traditional type that he was more used to seeing. Since it was still morning the inn was practically empty save for the innkeeper who was in some fear. He was a relatively short podgy man with no hair on top of his head. He had seen Jessica drop Tucker off and he thought that she was some kind of monster. After what Jessica had done in July she felt that she was a monster when her ager had gotten the better of her.

With Jessica gone the innkeeper felt his confidence growing and he was actually able to show his face. He could see Tucker standing within his inn and he saw him as a paying customer. The rest of the inn was empty since all of those who had stayed had already moved on.

Tucker knew that he was going to be here for some time so decided that it was best for him to have some food. The events of the day had made him hungry and he needed something to try and make him feel a little better. He couldn't imagine what was going through the mind of Jessica at that moment in time and he feared that she would never be the same woman that she was before.

As the hours went by the inn began to fill up with other travellers and people who simply wanted to have a drink and some food. Tucker made sure that he sat at a table that was right by a window so that he could look out for return of Jessica. To pass the time he did play a few different card games with the other travellers and gambled a small percentage of the gold coins that he had in his possession. Normally he would have gambled it all but since he didn't know exactly how long she was going to be there for.

Tucker didn't know what Jessica was doing several miles away. She had reached a small part of the Summer Lands which was nothing more than a wasteland. The terrain made it difficult if not impossible to build anything and the lack of rainwater in this area had turned it into nothing more than a mini desert. It was surrounded in mystery over the fact that this place had very little rainwater while the ground around this desert was fertile and more tropical. There were even rumours that magic was involved, it was the only way that the common folk could explain this phenomenon

Normally there would be nothing living in this small desert, most of the animals stayed away from it and there were cliffs all around the desert making it seem like a walled city. There were a few paths that could take a person in and out of the desert but if someone didn't know where these paths were they could die of thirst before they found what they were looking for.

This seemed like the perfect place for Jessica to go to have some time to herself. She sat on one of the cliffs that surrounded the desert and even she was amazed with how high they were. It still didn't make her feel too good knowing what had happened to her and every time she thought of Lord Nostory she felt rage overcome her body. She needed to be away from everything so that she could think straight but with all this anger within her she knew that she had to vent it somehow.

Jessica climbed down from the cliff and entered the desert but rather than walking straight into it she punched the cliff as hard as she could and it caused it to begin to crack. There were several large rocks around her and many of them she picked up and threw them as far as she could or simply crumbled them with her strength.

Each time she did anything like this she would give a cry out of frustration as she tried to vent her anger. She didn't want to do it in a place that was likely to have people but in this desert there were no living souls besides herself. This meant that she could let loose and not have to worry about accidentally harming anyone.

Jessica punched the cliff several more times until it finally crumbled down. It was like a large avalanche and there was a spray of dust that went up into the air as the tons of rock and soil came crumbling down.

She herself was surprised by her strength as she had never really let herself go in this manner but there was one thing she noticed when she looked at her hands. Her knuckles had been bleeding after repeatedly she had repeatedly punched the cliff. This was one of the few times that she had remembered herself bleeding from an injury and it was also a reminder that despite her incredible size and strength that she wasn't invincible.

One thing that Jessica took some comfort in was the fact that Tucker was not here to see how she was acting. She thought that anyone who saw her now would believe that she was some kind of monster that needed to be destroyed. In a way she felt that way after her actions at July as well. She had spent the last two decades trying to convince everyone that she wasn't a monster and she felt that in twenty seconds she had completely thrown all that away. She had no doubts that word of a giantess that destroyed part of a castle would spread like wildfire throughout Angleland.

As the hours went by Jessica sat in the desert and was completely alone with her thoughts. The heat didn't seem to bother her in the least, all her thoughts were on the events of the last few days and she was somewhat disgusted with herself. She thought that this desert would be an ideal place for a monster to roam without fear of running into another living soul. She considered staying and living the remainder of her life there.

The one positive thing on her mind was Tucker. He had been her friend through many ups and downs in her life and he was living proof that not all people were bad or would even view her as a monster. He had done almost everything that he could to try and rescue her from the clutches of Lord Nostory and he had paid for that with his freedom and almost his life. This was something that she wasn't sure that she would have been able to do if the roles were reversed.

At the inn Tucker continued to eat and mingle with the various travellers that were staying. They were telling him stories about their travels and the different things that they had seen, some would be considered to be abnormal in the least. Tucker would tell them a little about his travels but he kept out the details about Three Man's Treasure, Jessica or what happened at July.

The hours seemed to pass by and almost every moment he expected Jessica to return to pick him up and they could continue on with their quest but she was still nowhere in sight. He knew that she was dealing with a lot of different issues at the moment and that she needed the time to herself. He did feel somewhat guilty that he wasn't there to support her but in a way there wasn't much that he could do and he just needed to wait for her return before they could carry on.

He even began to wonder if Lord Nostory would do anything to try and get back at them for what had happened. He thought that it was unlikely that Lord Nostory could truly do anything that could harm Jessica more than he already had. If he was Lord Nostory he would cut his losses and just carry on with his life without trying to get even with Jessica but in truth he didn't know how the Lord would actually react. From what he had seen in July Lord Nostory had seemed to be in complete terror in the presence of an extremely angry giantess. Under normal circumstances he would think Lord Nostory was no longer a threat but he had discovered that Lord Nostory didn't give up things that he wanted very easily and he had a sinking feeling that they would meet again.

As time went by Tucker could feel his senses seem to leave him as he drunk more ale and its effects were beginning to take a hold of him. If he had to fight for his life he would be physically unable to and there was not even that much of a chance that he could walk straight either.

If Tucker was the only drunk person in the inn he would probably have been thrown out but in truth most of the people inside the inn were also drunk. They were all having fun and singing old folk songs from when they were children. All in all the entire place was in good spirits and there didn't seem to be any threat of a fight breaking out but when people and ale mixed there was always a good chance of a fight.

Eventually night did come and a fair few people had either left the inn or retired to their rooms. Tucker was still at his table and he was disappointed that Jessica hadn't returned yet. He knew that she wouldn't leave him there and that eventually she would come back for him, it was just the waiting that was unnerving.

Tucker tried as much as he could to drown away the sorrow with pint after pint of rich ale but yet he couldn't get rid of the sinking feeling that he could feel in his stomach. He should have felt happy about gaining his freedom and also winning a few extra gold coins through his card game and yet he still felt the same.

Almost out of nowhere a man wearing a black hood sat down at Tucker's table. He looked to be a tall man but the clothing that he wore helped to hide his build. The hood he wore helped to hide the upper half of his face, all Tucker could see was from the bottom of the nose down. Than man had a short black beard and he also had a metal hand. This hand didn't move however and was simply there for show and was also to cover up the stump where his hand used to be. The man's clothing was completely black and also seemed to be immaculately clean. He seemed to sit himself down with no introductions or even an invitation from Tucker.

"Do I have the pleasure of being in the presence of Tucker Martel?" asked the man in a deep voice. This took Tucker completely by surprise, no one in the inn had known his name and yet this man seemed to know it within an instant.

"Yes but how?" replied Tucker.

"There will be time for questions shortly but for now I need you to listen to me." There was not that much emotion in his voice and it unnerved Tucker. "I have come a great distance to find you. Our meeting here is of paramount importance, what you seek is something that should never be found. There is a reason why so many people have tried to find Three Man's Treasure and why those same would be treasure hunters have come up with nothing. Many of them don't even return with their lives. I am here to give your one and only warning, abandon your quest and go back home to Morgan. There you will live out the rest of your life in peace and tranquillity. If you carry on with your quest it will only lead to your doom and for the one that you love dearest." He stood up from the seat and looked down slightly at Tucker. "You have been warned and now I must take my leave."

The man then stepped away from the table and walked away from Tucker and towards the exit. Tucker stood up and called out to him and he just ignored him. He had many questions that he wanted to ask and he didn't even get the man's name. One thing that Tucker did spot was the Innkeeper still standing behind the bar. Quickly he went over to him but he was staggering a little from the excess ale within his system.

"Innkeeper who was that man?" asked Tucker as he finally reached the bar. He needed to keep his hands on it so that his head could stop spinning.

"Man what man?" replied the Innkeeper with some surprise in his voice. He had been wiping up a glass at the time and he placed it to one side.

"You know that bloke, all in black with the hood up. He came by and sat by my and spoke to me. He only just left the inn, he practically walked straight passed you and you're telling me that you didn't see him?"

"There wasn't anyone there. You were talking to yourself and then you stood up, shouted something and then came over to me. I don't know exactly what you were saying but I was about to come over and see if you were alright. I think you've had a little too much to drink my friend. I think it is best that you go to bed and try and get some rest."

"Y-yeah you're probably right." He couldn't believe that what had just happened had seemed to happen only in his mind. The man had seemed so real and yet the innkeeper and practically everyone else in the inn had not seen him at all.

Sleep had not come easily for Tucker as he contemplated both about his best friend Jessica and the man that he had seen earlier that day. He was worried about the mind state of Jessica after she became nothing more than a puppet for a high lord who had wanted her all to himself. They had just gotten away from him and she was still venting out much of her frustration in a place where she didn't have to worry about hurting anyone around her. He could only imagine what was going through her mind. While she was under the control of Lord Nostory she had almost killed him and only the link that they shared had prevented her from carrying out the deed. They had known each other almost their entire lives and Tucker had never seen Jessica like this. He feared that the girl that he had grown up with was gone and replaced with a husk.

Tucker also thought about the man who he had seen in the inn. He had told him that the quest was dangerous and it was best for him to turn back and forget about it. He would not have found it that odd since most people would have most likely told him the same thing. What struck him as being very odd was the fact that no one else in the inn had been able to see him. Everyone who Tucker had asked had told him that they had seen no man fitting the description that he had given them. He wasn't sure if the man had really been there or if he was merely a figment of his imagination.

Eventually Tucker's fatigue became too much and he did fall to sleep but he was awoken earlier than he had expected. There was a loud knocking on the door and it took him a few moments to come around enough for him to open the door. He only had his underpants on and his hair was in a mess. Not surprisingly it was the innkeeper who was standing there. He didn't think that he had a problem since he had paid the innkeeper in full before he had come to the room.

"W-what is it?" asked Tucker who was still somewhat confused. His eyelids were heavy and if he could he would fall down and go to sleep exactly where he was.

"I am sorry to have had to wake you at this early hour but there is a woman waiting downstairs for you. If you don't mind me saying she's the tallest person that I've ever seen in my life."

"Oh ok." He knew that it was only Jessica and for a moment he had been worried. "Tell her that I'll be down in a minute. I just need to make myself look more presentable. I think she'll understand."

A few minutes later Jessica was sitting at a table in the inn as she awaited the return of her best friend. She had come back to pick him up just like she had promised and she needed to have a talk with him. She was still experiencing anger over what had happened to her but she would try not to show any of this to Tucker since he was not the one at fault. She was the one who had wanted to come along him so that she could keep an eye on him. She thought that she would just have to protect him from raiders, not become the threat herself. She was also hungrier than she would have liked to admit.

She turned her head to see Tucker walking down the steps towards her. He had gotten himself changed and wore the light armour that protected him but also gave him manoeuvrability. She saw that he had Juggernaut by his side but he would never draw it in anger against her. She noticed that he seemed happy to see her and only moments later he sat down right next to her. Even in this seated positon she still towered above him but this was something that they had both gotten used to a long time ago. The fact that he was here already made her feel happier.

"Hey there Jessica," said Tucker who was trying to break the tension and start the conversation. "A beautiful morning isn't it?" He broke a smile to try and make her feel better and the next thing he felt was her arms wrap around him as she gave him a hug. She didn't care who was watching. It took her a few moments to break off the hug but already she was feeling better than she was a few moments ago.

"Sorry about that Tucker," replied Jessica as she tried to also break a smile but she found that she couldn't do this. "I've just been doing a lot of thinking and I'm just happy to see you, if there is anyone in the world that I can rely on it's you."

"How are you feeling anyway?" He paused for a moment before realising how stupid his question was. "Ok maybe not the best of questions right now."

"It's alright Tucker." She gave a sigh. "I'm feeling a little better than I did yesterday but I still don't feel the same as I did before. I don't think I ever will, what happened in July I will never forget and I don't know if I can ever forgive Lord Nostory. He took my free will away from me and almost made me kill one of the most important people in my life. I know I was a little naïve before but I don't know if I can fully trust anyone ever again. Maybe there isn't as much good in the world as I thought there was."

"You don't have to have the acts of one man destroy your faith in humanity." He gave her a little nudge to show that he was still being friendly. "Just look at me, am I worth losing your faith?"

"Of course not, you're the best friend a giant girl could ever ask for but as you know when I was growing up I wasn't the most popular person in our village. You were the only one who showed me kindness and for that I vowed that I would keep you safe. Yesterday morning I was the danger that almost killed you."

"It's ok Jessica you don't have to be sorry for anything."

"But that's the thing, a small part of me actually enjoyed it. When I was crushing you in my hands I could see the faces of those who had slandered me over the years and shunned me because I was a giantess. It was like I was venting all my built up emotions and unfortunately it happened to be you in my hands." She gave another sigh before she carried on. "You know that I wouldn't intentionally kill anyone but by the gods I've been tempted so many times. The only reason I never did was because I knew that I would become the monster that they had labelled me."

"And because you're one of the nicest people in Angleland." He place his hand on her shoulder. "Not many people could have put up with me when I was a child and even now not many people can stand being around me for extended periods of time. You've actually been with me for days at a time and never have you made me feel unsafe." He continued to smile at her. "One advantage of having a best friend who's taller than you is that you always have someone to look up to."

The next thing Tucker felt was Jessica once again giving him a hug but this time he could feel a few droplets of warm water strike his head. He realised that Jessica was actually crying as she hugged him. She felt that she was truly blessed to have Tucker with her, in truth if she could live the rest of her life with only seeing him she would die a happy woman. The feelings of overwhelming happiness was making her sob but she still kept a hold of the man that she valued as much as her father.

"Thank you Tucker," said Jessica as she continued to hug him. "You mean more to me than life itself."

"Err Jessica!" replied Tucker as he found his airways had been blocked by the enormous body that was his best friend. "I-I can't breathe."

"Oh I am so sorry." Jessica was greatly shocked and quickly broke off the hug. She had a very apologetic look on her face. "I kind of let my emotions get the better of me there. You're not hurt are you?"

"No I'm fine." He needed a moment to catch his breath. "There is something that I need to tell you, yesterday I was drinking and some bloke just sat right in front of me and told me to turn back from our quest. I know that might sound a little odd but the oddest thing was that no one else seemed to see him. They all said that I had been sitting by myself the entire time and that no one had come to sit at my table." He gave a small sigh. "I don't know if he was real or just a delusion bought on by drinking too much sweet beer."

"So what are we going to do? Keep going and hopefully find Three Man's Treasure or are we going to turn back and go home empty handed."

"That's the thing I'm not sure, after everything that has happened to us turning back would probably be the wisest move but returning empty handed is something I just cannot do. I can't face those people after they all mocked and doubted me. Not only will I be a failure in their eyes but in my own. If you want to turn back I won't mind, after everything that you've been through I can understand."

"I'll stay by your side no matter which way you go. I couldn't allow you to carry on with this quest alone and I'm not going to force you to turn back."

"I think that we should have fate decide for us." He then put his hand into one of his pockets and picked out a small six sided die. He placed it on the table and Jessica had no idea what he was thinking about. "We'll roll this die, if it lands on an odd number we go back to Morgan, if it is an even number then we carry on until the very end. Do you find these terms reasonable?"

Jessica nodded at Tucker and with that he picked the die up once again. He rolled it on the table and it seemed like the longest seconds in the pair's life as they watched it roll along the table. It almost seemed like an eternity before it finally stopped and Tucker dragged it towards them. His hand was over the die so that neither of them could see what it showed. Tucker could feel his heart beating very quickly and he could see that there was a small amount of nervousness in Jessica's face.

"Ok moment of truth," said Tucker as he lifted his hand up. Both of them immediately looked down at the die. They quickly saw that it had landed on a four and it meant that they were going to continue on with the quest. A part of both of them were both a little relieved and a little disappointed with the outcome. Neither of them had truly wanted to end the quest but they had not wanted to return home either. "Well there we have it, I guess our quest is going to continue."

"Hopefully for the better," replied Jessica. "I think we should better get out of here as soon as we can." She went to move but suddenly her stomach growled very loudly. It was a clear indication that she was hungry but she did try to hide it from Tucker.

"Unless some wild cat just got in here I'd say that you're hungry." A small smile appeared on his face. "Hey Innkeeper?" The Innkeeper had been working behind the bar as he knew that he would have weary travellers and regulars. "Can you fix us up two breakfasts for me please?"

"Really I couldn't." She was still trying to make it seem that she wasn't all that hungry when in truth she was starving.

"Nonsense, if you're going to be carrying around my bulky body all day you're going to need all the energy that you can." He turned his head towards the Innkeeper who was still behind the bar as he was preparing for any weary travellers. "Hey Innkeeper can you fix us up two of your best cooked breakfasts. Give a little extra to the lady, she's earned it." He saw the Innkeeper nod at him and move away.

They did have to wait a short while before the breakfasts actually came out. When Jessica first saw it she felt how truly hungry she was as she did everything that she could to stop herself from drooling. Tucker had also moved so that he was sitting across from her rather than right next to her. This was simply so that she had more room to eat and due to her size it just made her that little bit more comfortable.

As she dug into her food Jessica wasn't too particularly fond of what she was tasting. The toast was cold, the tomatoes were too squishy, the bacon was so hard that it could have easily shattered, the sausages tasted like they were underdone, the eggs were extremely runny and the black pudding was so tough that she thought that she would have broken her knife if she had tried to cut it. Despite all this to her it was the best breakfast that she ever had due to the fact that she was eating with her best friend and she was enjoying her freedom. Nothing would be able to wipe away the memories of what had happened but this was definitely the start of something better. She could see Tucker eating his food and she couldn't help but smile, she knew that as long as she had him she would always have someone who wasn't family that actually cared about her.

No sooner had they eaten their breakfast the two decided to leave the inn but not without paying for their mediocre breakfast. Tucker took his recently returned map out and rolled it out so that they could see the location of the second trial. It was a relatively short distance away from them. It was slightly to the west a few miles away from the west coast town of Logan. It almost lay right in between July and Logan and it would not take too long for them to reach the location. Unfortunately most likely the third trial would take them all the way passed July again and it was a place that neither one of them wanted to visit ever again. If Jessica had been a cruel person she would have destroyed the entire city brick by brick but she was not a monster.

Jessica then allowed herself to grow to her full size and she picked up Tucker. Like usual she placed him on her shoulder and wrapped a small piece of hair around him for his own safety. He felt extremely safe around her as he knew that his best friend would never let anyone harm him. He still thought that he could easily defend himself however, he thought that his skills with a blade would allow him to overcome an average swordfighter. A professional sword fighter would most likely be a little much for him but he did hope that one day he would be the mightiest sword fighter in Angleland. A knighthood would be nice so that people would call him Sir Tucker Martel.

A lot was still going through Jessica's mind as the events of the last few days kept repeating over and over again in her head. She could still remember everything that she had done for Lord Nostory and how she almost killed her best friend. Although Tucker had forgiven her for it she didn't know if she could forgive herself. It was something that only time could heal and she thought that this was something that she had plenty of.

The sun was still shining down on them and it gave the Summer Lands their name since even in winter it was still a relatively warm. It would have been nice for them to just relax and try and get a tan but they had important things to do although Tucker thought that when he found the treasure he would certainly live the rest of his life under the sun. It was a little dream that they both had.

If it were ever to come true they would definitely live as far as they could from July. Both had too many mental scars of the place to want to live anywhere near it. Just the thought of Lord Nostory filled Jessica with so much rage that she could hardly contain herself. If she were ever to see him again she didn't know exactly what she was going to do. She was likely to crush him where he stood, even her good nature might not be enough to save him in the end.

Tucker kept thinking that there was something that he could have done to prevent the whole event from taking place. He thought that he shouldn't have let Jessica allow the necklace from the old woman in Lake Town or maybe he could have stopped Lord Nostory from controlling her. In truth there was nothing that he could have done, he was just one man who was fighting dozens of others and in those odds there was very little chance of him ever walking away with a victory. He was just glad that the whole event was behind them and that he had his best friend back.

Jessica walked for some hours before she had to stop to take a rest. They had travelled a significant distance but even a giantess needed to rest every now and again. She shrank herself to her smallest size and watched Tucker as he used a nearby tree for sparring practice. He was not the most skilled of swordsman but in her eyes he was her knight in shining armour. He seemed to have some fun as he sparred with the tree. He tried to move around as he pretended that the tree was an opponent that needed to fall. She would have allowed him to do this for as long as he wanted but she knew that there was some ways that he could improve himself.

"Hey Tucker," shouted Jessica who was sitting on a large rock a few metres away. "I love seeing you stab a tree as much as the next girl but I don't think that you're going to do yourself much good."

"Well I am starting to be the greatest swordfighter in all of Angleland," replied Tucker with much confidence in his voice. "Don't forget that I defeated that armour thingy in the first trial and I would have beat that guy in Lake Town if you hadn't of stepped in." If Jessica hadn't of been there for him he would have been killed when the armoured being exploded in the first trial and for the man in Lake Town he would have killed Tucker if he only had one strike. He would have mentioned his trial by combat with Jessica but he knew that the memories of it would be too fresh in her mind.

"Maybe but you're not going to get much better by stabbing a tree." She stood up to her full height and began to walk over to him. "First off trees don't move and they don't fight back. I think that you need a sparring partner."

"No one can keep up with me." He was still trying to seem overly confident and Jessica could see through his façade.

"Yeah sure they can't." She continued to walk towards and she tried to break a smile. "Maybe I could help you."

"No I don't want to hurt you."

"Then maybe we don't use your sword for this one. We could use sticks and then work our way up."

"I don't know, I haven't used sticks since I was a child."

"But it could help you with your manoeuvrability and then we can move onto your attack. If I were to grow to giant size at that stage then you won't really be able to hurt me. Can you consider it at least?"

"Maybe." He knew that Jessica always had his best interests at heart and that she only wanted to help him. He could concede defeat for now and allow her to help him, he had to admit that it wouldn't hurt his pride all that much and with no one else around he didn't have to worry about what they thought. "Ok maybe we can for now."

"Great and I have the perfect idea for where we could start."

Several minutes later Tucker stood in front of Jessica, the distance between them was only a metre or two and she held a stick that was roughly the length of a sword. Tucker himself was unarmed. Jessica was still at her smallest size and she thought that this was probably one of the best ways to improve Tucker's swordplay. For now she felt that it was not best to actually dual, she thought that this was a better alternative. Juggernaut itself was lying a couple metres away behind her.

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" asked Tucker as he didn't seem to be too impressed with what Jessica had set up.

"It's simple Tucker," replied Jessica. She stood ready with the stick in her hand. "This is to help you improve your skills with a sword. Now imagine the scenario, we've been fighting and I've been able to disarm you and throw your sword to one side. You need to dodge my attacks and get past me so that you can get your sword back."

"This is stupid." Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his arm as Jessica struck him with the stick. It was not meant to harm him but to simply make a point. "Hey that hurt!" He felt a sharp pain in his other arm as Jessica struck that one with the stick. She had a stern look on her face as she went to strike him again but this time he was able to get out of the way. "Stop that."

"Only when you get to your sword. And if this was real you would have lost both of your arms." She went to strike him again and once again he was just able to get out of the way. "Good, now we're getting somewhere."

Over the course of the next few seconds Jessica repeatedly tried to strike Tucker with the stick and he had to keep dodging them. He didn't realise it but Jessica had positioned herself so that she was directly between him and Juggernaut. Everything that she was doing was working to her advantage as she continued to try and strike Tucker with the stick. He was doing everything that he could to dodge the attacks but he was beginning to get tired while Jessica still seemed to have some energy left.

"Stop this," said Tucker as he didn't want to continue on but Jessica was not listening to him. She felt that the only way for him to really improve was with sessions like this, in her mind they were for his own good.

"Only when you reach your sword," replied Jessica as she tried to strike him once again. He had to jump out of the way so that her strike would miss but she was still determined. "If you can't even get past me how do you expect to defeat a great swordfighter in one on one combat?"

"I-I won't drop my sword."

"Sometimes..." She went to strike him again and it caused to have to duck to prevent himself from being struck. "Those kind of things..." She slashed at him with the stick and he was just able to move out of the way before the blow impacted. "Are out of your hands." He was still some distance away from Juggernaut and she thought that he wasn't really putting that much effort into the exercise. "Come on Tucker you can do better, you're still miles away from your sword."

"I can't get to it if you keep trying to hit me." He was getting out of breath while Jessica still seemed to be fit even though she had just walked several miles and had tried to hit him repeatedly with a stick.

"That's the whole point dummy. Now you've got to try harder or else you're going to have so many bruises."

She went to strike him again but once again he was able to get out of the way and he tried to get past Jessica but he got too close to her and she was able to grab him and lift him off the ground with just one hand. Even at her smallest size Jessica was still stronger than the average man and it showed. She had even dropped her stick since she didn't think that she would be needing it anymore. She was disappointed that Tucker had seemingly failed in his task.

"You got too close Tucker," said Jessica as she tried to give him some advice. "Ok I admit that my reach is much longer than most people but my arm could have been a sword and you would have been sliced in half."

"Yeah I know," replied Tucker seemingly admitting defeat. "But have I told you that from up here I can see how stunning your eyes are."

"They are?" She was taken aback by the compliment and she somewhat couldn't believe that he was saying it. She did enjoy it but she hadn't expected a compliment like that before. "Thank you."

"And I must say when I'm wrapped in your hair it is as soft as silk. Believe me I've felt the hair of many people, don't ask me how and I must say that yours is definitely the best to touch."

"Oh please stop." The compliments seemed to be working better than Tucker expected as Jessica lowered him to the ground and even released her grip on him. Immediately after that Tucker dived right past her and grabbed Juggernaut. He lifted it and pointed it towards her, there was a smile on his face but Jessica herself was quite angered about this. "That was a dirty rotten trick!" She didn't notice that her anger had made her gain a few inches in height but Tucker did notice."

"I'm sorry Jessica but if it does make you feel any better I meant every word." A small part of Jessica did feel better. She would have been extremely angry if he had only said this so that he could distract her but the fact that he had meant every word did make her feel somewhat better. "And in the end I won contest."

"You cheated and I seriously doubt that complimenting on the eye colour of your opponent is going to stop them from killing you." She was still somewhat angry but it was starting to subside.

"I know but it did stop you." His smile was still there and he sheathed Juggernaut as he walked towards her. "I'm sorry that I did that but you have to admit my plan did work and besides you do have dashing eyes."

"Oh no Tucker no amount of sucking up will save you this time." A moment went past before she wrapped her long arms around her. "Oh who am I kidding come here you." She embraced Tucker in a hug and she had to admit that Tucker did have some intelligence in his plan. He would not use it on a big muscular man but he would most likely come up with something else for that.

They broke the hug up when they could hear someone applauding them. As they turned to look where the applaud was coming from they saw a woman sitting down on the rock where Jessica had been sitting a few short minutes before. She had long blond hair and stunning blue eyes. She wore what seemed to be a light blue toga like dress that went down to her knees. She also wore matching blue slippers and she had a large smile on her face as she continued to gently clap her hands.

Jessica and Tucker stood there for a few moments as they looked at the woman who was applauding them. They had never seen this woman before and she continued to applaud them quietly. She had a grin on her face and the pair couldn't help but feel that they were being threatened in some way. Tucker kept his hand on Juggernaut and Jessica was contemplating increasing her size. For now the pair didn't want to make the next move since there was only this woman there. She didn't look any older than they were and after a few moments she stopped her applaud.

"Bravo now that was fun," said the woman. She got herself off the rock and began to walk over to where they were standing. "I was wondering just how long it was going to take you to realise that I was there." As she walked closer to them they could see that she under five feet tall. When she realised that they both towered above her she had a disappointed look upon her face. "Oh you're taller than I expected." In an instant her height shot up by a couple of feet. This startled both Jessica and Tucker who took a step back from the woman who in the space of a couple of seconds had gone from being just under five feet tall to around seven. She was roughly a foot taller than Tucker but a foot shorter than Jessica. "There that's better. Humans seemed to have grown a lot since I last visited and correct me if I'm wrong but it now seems like the females are the taller of the two sexes and by quite a bit if I do say so myself."

"W-who are you?" asked Tucker. He was on the verge of drawing out Juggernaut but if this woman had the same powers as Jessica he knew that he had to handle the situation very carefully. "What are you?"

"Oh how silly of me. I'm what you people might call a demi-goddess. Not entirely a goddess like those brown nose bastards who like to be worshiped by you mortals. You could say I'm on the level below that."

"Wow wait the gods are real?" replied Jessica. She had known that there were people who doubted that the gods even existed. She too had her doubts after everything that she had been through in her life but the fact that she was looking at someone who was calling herself a demi-goddess was making her see that not everything she thought was true. There was an overwhelming sense of dread within her.

"Well of course? Who do you think created everything that you see? Believe me it wasn't the result of some explosion." She gave a small laugh. "It's been so long since I last came I can see much about humanity has changed. First of all the females of your species seem to grow taller than the males."

"Oh wait that's not the norm, that's just me." Jessica tried to correct her but she didn't know whether that was the best idea since this woman was seemingly a demi-goddess. "Are you really demi-goddess or are you just trying to make us look like idiots?" She instantly regretted what she said as she felt that she was moments away from eating her words and she felt like she wasn't going to like the taste.

"You want a demonstration? Then that's fine." Another grin appeared on her face. "You might not know this but like gods demi-gods have particular talents and abilities and in my case I'm the Mistress of Size. I can be so small that I'm invisible to the naked eye." Suddenly she began to shrink right in front of Jessica and Tucker and within moments she couldn't be seen anymore. Tucker quickly went down on the ground and tried to move the grass away so that he could try and find her. Much to her surprise she seemed to be nowhere in sight. Even Jessica bent down so that she could try and see her but the woman had shrunk so small that she could no longer be seen.

"Where is she?" asked Jessica with some desperation in her voice. She had never seen anyone else size change and the fact that the woman disappeared had made her think that she had ceased to exist. "I can't see her."

"She isn't here," replied Tucker as he continued to push the grass away. "She just shrank so small that I can't see her."

Moments later the pair saw the woman again but this time she was growing and extremely fast. Tucker needed to move back as she grew several feet in the space of a few seconds and within moments she was up to what was considered a normal size but she continued to grow beyond that. Both Jessica and Tucker continued to move back as they saw the woman continuing to grow at what seemed to be an impossible rate. In the space of a few seconds she had gone from being a minute speck to a towering giantess and she was still growing before their eyes.

Moments later she grew until she was the same as Jessica's maximum size but she still kept going beyond that, taller and taller she grew at a rate that almost defied comprehension. It only took her seconds to be so large that if Jessica had been her full size she would barely have reached her ankle. Jessica and Tucker were in some fear at this almighty colossus before them and they could only watch as the woman bent down and picked them up with extremely little effort. Jessica did consider growing to her full size but it would do no good in this situation and she felt like she was an ant in the hand of this giantess. Even the clouds were only a few hundred feet above them and they felt that this woman could easily grow tall enough to reach them.

"Or grow so big that even the clouds aren't beyond my reach," said the woman and her voice was so loud that it was almost deafening for the pair. They were in fear and Tucker could feel Jessica holding onto him tightly. Not just because she was scared but she was also trying to protect him although in this situation there was not a whole lot she could have done to keep him safe. This was noticed by the woman who seemed to be in some confusion. "What is wrong with you two? Why are you so afraid?" A few moments past as the mountain of a woman began to think and she soon realised what the problem was. "Oh yeah how silly of me, big things scare mortals."

The woman began to shrink really fast and as she did she placed Jessica and Tucker on the ground and she continued to shrink until she was a little shorter than Tucker. The whole process had taken only a few seconds and it had taken place so fast that Jessica and Tucker were still trying to comprehend exactly what was happening. They were still in some fear of this woman but now she was at a reasonable size they felt that they were a little safer. She was still smiling at them.

"I think that was a decent demonstration of my power," said the Woman as she continued to smile. "As you can see I can be whatever size I want, you thought I was big or small then well let's just say they are nowhere near my limits." She began to chuckle a little. "In fact I don't think I've have limits. I've been so small that I've seen splodgy little monsters and even beyond that I've seen compacted spheres with countless number in an incredibly small surface area. I've even been so big that I pulled the land masses apart." It had told in legend that all the land in the world had at one point been one big continent and that an unknown event had ripped them apart into the land masses that were known today. This confession seemed to catch Jessica and Tucker completely by surprise as they still couldn't believe that they were standing before a demi-goddess. "I think you can agree that I've earned the title of 'Mistress Of Size.'"

"W-what just happened?" asked Tucker who was in complete disbelief. He almost felt like running as fast as his legs could carry him and he doubted that anyone would call him a coward for doing so.

"You wanted to see my power and I showed you. I forgot how you mortals are so taken aback by something like that." The smile appeared once again on her face. "You don't have to be afraid of me, I won't hurt you. That is unless you give me good reason to do so. I know that mortals are quick to take arms when they're confused."

"No we won't do anything like that," replied Jessica as she didn't want to escalate the situation any further. She knew that the woman before her was extremely powerful and provoking her might be disastrous. She was curious to know why this woman was even here and above all why they were the ones interacting with her rather than royalty or a high lord. "Why are you here?"

"I knew that question would pop up at some point." She took a step towards Jessica and even wrapped her arm around her. "Let me ask you one thing, do you know what it's like to be on a higher plain of existence?"

"I-I." She had to choose her next words careful in case this was some kind of trick question. The last thing she wanted to do was to say the wrong thing and be crushed by an insect. It was something that she wondered if other people felt when they were around her. "I couldn't possibly tell you."

"Well I can, it's boring as hell. It's the same thing day in and day out and all you have are gods and other demi-gods who think that they're all so high and fucking mighty. Believe me after a few millennia of that I wanted to dash my head against a wall." A moment later she moved along to Tucker and wrapped her arm around him. "And then I catch wind of two adventures in Angleland who are trying to find a treasure of great wealth and riches. It wasn't the most exciting of prospects but it was a lot better than staying in the higher plain. So I decided to come down and see it for myself despite what everyone else said. I needed some excitement in my life."

"Wait you came down here just to join our quest?" asked Tucker in some amazement. He never thought in a million years that a demi-goddess would have any interest in their quest. He thought that it would be beneath them.

"Join not really? If I to join then I could get us from one end to the other before you can even bat an eyelid. I merely wish to observe you as you go through your trials and all the other crap that happens on a quest."

"I think that we'll be alright." He didn't want her to watch what they were going to be doing and he preferred to continue on with the quest with Jessica only. The next thing he knew the woman had grown to nine feet tall and looked down at him with a somewhat annoyed look on her face.

"Oh you misunderstand me mortal. That wasn't a request." She could see Tucker somewhat becoming afraid and Jessica got in the way of the pair. She wanted to diffuse the situation before she lost her best friend.

"Ok we get the point," said Jessica. She tried to put on an apologetic smile as she looked up to the woman who was now a foot taller than her. "But if you want to observe us we need to know what your name is. The Mistress Of Size is a bit of a mouthful."

"Very well." Her demeanour seemed to change and she seemed to be calm again. "I've been known by many names over the countless years but maybe I should let you give me a name. But be sure that it's a good one."

"Err let's see." Both Jessica and Tucker began to think really hard. They needed to come up with a decent name fast and they really thought that if they took too long the woman would get angry. One name did pop into Tucker's head and he spat it out and hoped that it would be good enough for her.

"Gwendolyn," said Tucker after a few moments and almost instantly he thought that he would be regretting it.

"What was that?" replied the woman. Her arms were crossed as she contemplated what he was saying.

"Or maybe Gwen for short." He hoped that this would be good enough for her and now he just had to wait and see what she said. The last thing he wanted was for her to be insulted and crush them both for it.

"Hmm Gwen, not too long and rolls right off the tongue." There was a slight pause. "Ok Gwen it is then. I must say that it is a much better name than what other mortals have called me. Hell once a mortal wanted to name me after his dead daughter. She probably died from having a stupid name."

Both Jessica and Tucker gave a huge sigh of relief although Jessica would have liked Tucker to tell her what name he was going to give Gwen before he had muttered it. Thankfully it seemed to have worked out for the best for now. Gwen continued to stand there and they weren't too sure what they were going to do next.

"I guess we better keep going then," said Tucker with some nervousness in his voice. "We won't be finding any treasure if we're just standing around."

With that Jessica began to grow which did catch Gwen by surprise she took a step back as she saw the tall girl turn into a towering giantess and this was something that she didn't expect. At first she thought that she was going to be attacked but rather than reacting Gwen decided to wait a moment and see what happened next. She continued to look up at Jessica as she reached her maximum size.

"Wait you're a size changer too?" asked Gwen who was in some small amount of disbelief. She had seen many things over her long life that could startle any man but this was only something of interest.

"I'm sorry I forgot to mention," replied Jessica who thought that she might have done something that she would soon regret. All she did with her size was bend down and place her palm on the ground for Tucker to step onto. Gwen just continued to look up at her with some interest. "I'm actually a giant and this dress I'm wearing allows me to shrink down to a minimum of eight feet."

"And let me guess, that's as big as you can get?" She continued to stand there with her arms crossed.

"Well yes, I am still growing but for now I can't get any taller than this. Now would you like me to give you a lift?"

"No I'm fine." Suddenly she began to grow again and Jessica quickly picked up Tucker as she watched Gwen grow until she was the same height as her. It still felt a little off for her that she was at her maximum size and she was staring face to face with another woman. Jessica had always wondered what it would be like to meet someone who was as large as her. Now it had happened she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. "I can follow you myself without even breaking a sweat." There was a smile on Gwen's face that did make Jessica feel a little easier but there was still that sense of dread.

"Yeah sure." There was some nervousness in Jessica's voice. Being around someone like Gwen was very unnerving for her and it was the first time in her life where she was actually afraid of someone who was actually bigger than her. She only hoped that Gwen would get bored and go back to wherever she came from soon.

As the hours went by Jessica continued to walk and she could still hear Gwen following behind her. Tucker was on her shoulder and every now and again he would turn his head to see if Gwen was still behind them. Each time he checked he could still see the blond haired, giant demi-goddess still following them. In his mind he had felt somewhat insignificant with one woman who could grow bigger and stronger than he was and now he had two of them. It made him feel a little useless since almost any threat that came their way could most likely be dealt with by either Jessica or Gwen. He knew that Gwen had claimed that she would only watch and not take part he didn't know if he could trust her word. She was after all a demi-goddess and they were mere mortals to her.

"Hey Jessica do you think this is the best idea?" asked Tucker as he whispered into the gigantic ear that he was sitting right next to. He did not have to speak loud and he hoped that Gwen wouldn't be able to hear him. "More than once I've been telling myself that this is the great trove of bad ideas."

"But what else can we do? She can literally crush us like bugs."

"The only thing we can do is just continue with our quest and hopefully she'll get bored and go back to wherever she came from."

"Are you mortals talking about something?" asked Gwen who could somewhat hear them from where she was walking.

"Oh no nothing," said Jessica as she turned her head to look at Gwen. It happened so fast that she almost pulled Tucker right off of her shoulder. He was able to keep a hold of her hair so that he didn't fall off completely. She realised what she had done and made sure that he was safe again.

"Hey don't be so jumpy." A smile appeared on Gwen's face as she was having a little bit of fun with all of this. "Just pretend I'm not even here." That was incredibly difficult since she could literally make herself the size of a mountain. Even at her current size it was close to impossible to ignore her.

"Yeah sure but I have to warn you that things could get very dangerous." This was only a minor attempt to get rid of Gwen and almost instantly she knew that it wasn't going to work at all.

"I'll be fine." The smile on her face grew. "I'm more than capable of looking after myself." She punched her fist into the palm of her hand and they could hear a loud thud. It would be unwise to be on the receiving end of that punch.

The party only walked for another hour before darkness finally fell and after a day of travelling both Jessica and Tucker were very tired. Gwen on the other hand was still very awake because unlike them she didn't require sleep or even rest. They decided to make camp inside a small wood where they built an open fire. Before they had left the inn earlier that day Tucker had bought some supplies which included some good meat that was being cooked as he decided to sharpen Juggernaut. Jessica was the one in charge of dinner since she could cook a lot better than Tucker and she wanted to make sure that it was cooked properly so that they didn't come down with serious food poisoning. The last thing they wanted was to be sick and unable to continue. Her skills at cooking was not the greatest but she could still do a better job than her best friend.

"So how is it that you're a giant?" asked Gwen as she sat down on a tree stump. She had shrunk herself until she was considered to be quite small. She liked to have fun being different sizes and usually didn't stay one size for too long.

"Well..." replied Jessica. She was still feeling nervous about being around Gwen and in the corner of her eye she could see Tucker sharpening his sword. She had not told many people about how she gained her size but she felt that it was best not to leave too much out since Gwen would probably know. "When I was born I was a very sickly baby and I would have died many years ago. After all else failed my parents risked everything by giving me a potion that they had no idea could cure or kill me." She was still a little hesitate to talk and Tucker took notice of the conversation. "To their relief I was cured but not too long after that I began to grow at an alarming rate and it has continued on ever since. I'm still growing and I feel that I won't stop growing until the day I die. This dress is the only thing allowing to stay at a more suitable size. I admit that I'm still probably the tallest woman in Angleland but at least it allows me to fit into buildings."

"Hmm interesting." Gwen sat further forward as she took a lot of interest in what she was saying. "I've definitely never seen a size changing mortal in my long life. I expect that you were the one in charge of your home village."

"Actually no I was an outcast." It was still painful for her to remember everything that she had been through as a child. "Tucker was the only person besides my parents who was friendly to me and we've been best friends for as long as I can remember. It was his idea to go on this quest and for him I would follow him to the ends of the Earth."

"It is rare to see loyalty like yours but one thing I don't get is why you didn't punish those who upset you. If anyone were to hurt me emotionally soon regretted it soon after, I'm guessing you've killed at least one person."

"No I haven't because if I did harm those who upset me then I would become the monster that they claimed I am. Believe me on more than one occasion I have seriously considered crushing someone but I have been able to stop myself from doing anything that I would really regret."

"Regret?" This seemed to puzzle Gwen as she had not come across this word before. "What is this word, regret? Is it some kind of word that has only recently been invented?" She was completely puzzled.

"You know, it means to do something but then regret doing it later. Like if Tucker had a piece of cake that he wanted to eat, but then I ate the cake and it saddened him. I would feel bad for eating said cake and wish that I hadn't done it. She paused for a moment. "You probably have done something like that."

"No I can't say that I have." Gwen's answer had come so quickly that it had taken Jessica and Tucker by surprise.

"Wait you've gotta have done something that you later felt bad about?" She couldn't believe that Gwen was admitting that she had never regretted doing anything in her life. Everyone regretted doing something in their life.

"Ok I'll use the word that you've just taught me. No I have never done anything to earn this regret. I am above that in so many ways that if I were to show you, your mortal minds would be blown up in the process. Unlike you mortals I am a demi-goddess and everything I do is with purpose no matter how small it may seem. I have performed great acts of what you would call kindness and evil. I do them because I can and feeling bad about it later won't change what has happened."

Jessica and Tucker fell quiet for a moment as they contemplated everything that Gwen had just told them. It made them feel that they should be even more cautious around her than they were before. They still weren't sure if Gwen was good or if she was evil but from the sounds of her she was somewhere in the middle. They didn't want to find out the hard way and for now they decided that upsetting her would not be in their best interests. The silence seemed to last for longer than it should but it was Gwen who was the first to speak so that the silence could be broken.

"I've gotta say that what I've seen so far of your quest has been nothing short of boring," said Gwen. "I thought that you'd be fighting bandits or some kind of monster. But instead all you've done is walk. If I was just going to watch you walk I would have stayed where I came from."

"In a quest there's not action all the time," replied Tucker who felt that it was time that he spoke up. "Most of it is just walking from one place to another. I learned that the hard way as I expected to be involved in action right from the get go but ninety-nine percent of the quest has just been walking. I know that it sounds boring but believe me you're thankful for the boring moments when they come." He still remembered the events of July and how he would prefer to forget them.

"In that I might just make myself scarce if you're just going to walk around most of the time." This was what Jessica and Tucker wanted to hear but then a smile appeared on Gwen's face. "But maybe I might stick around because the exciting moments may be well worth it. It has to be more exciting than being on the higher plain." She had her arms crossed and she showed a somewhat annoyed face. "The other demi-gods have their heads so far up their own asses that their air that they can actually lick their own backsides." It was evident that Gwen didn't think much of her fellow demi-gods. She was possibly one of the most powerful demi-god due to her ability to literally be any size imaginable but there was a chance that there were demi-gods who could beat her with ease. The full-fledged gods were on a level above Gwen and even she knew that she had no defence against one of them.

A short time later the food was ready to eat and although Gwen was offered some food she turned it down. Unlike Jessica and Tucker she didn't need to eat or sleep so Gwen was going to have to sit around and wait as her mortal comrades slept. The meat that was for dinner did actually taste pretty good but Jessica still was not the best cook. It did taste a little bland but it was still edible.

After a short amount of persuasion Gwen did take a bite of the meat and she was taken aback by what she had tasted. It was the first time that she had ever eaten food and she was also experiencing something that many people took for granted. It was the sense of taste and despite the fact that the meat wasn't all that tasty in her eyes it was the best grade meat in all of Angleland. When she was told that mortals needed to eat to stay alive she couldn't believe it. She thought that people ate for enjoyment and she was beginning to see why this was. The fact that they needed to eat to live was a concept that she couldn't fathom. She was beginning to see what she had been missing.

When Gwen asked for another small piece Tucker gave him a very tiny slice piece from his slab. When she received this small piece of meat she shrank herself until she was smaller than the piece of meat itself. At this tiny size she could eat as much as she wanted and when she only had a small amount left she would shrink herself further so that the process could repeat itself.

The next morning Jessica was the first to wake up. Her arms had been wrapped around Tucker and it was not just so that they could stay warm, she had done it because she wanted to be close to him. After everything that had happened she was just glad that she had someone who didn't treat her like a monster. She couldn't help but think that he did look cute while he was asleep and she would have loved nothing more than to continue to hug him and imagine what their lives would be like if they were merely normal people. It was something that she did wonder on a regular basis but she never told him. She felt it would make things awkward between them.

When Jessica turned her head she could see Gwen still sitting on the same stump where she had been sitting that night. It was a little unnerving for Jessica seeing someone watching her as she slept. Gwen herself just sat there and it took her a moment or two to even realise that Jessica was awake. Unlike Jessica and Tucker, Gwen didn't need to sleep or even rest. It was another perk of her immortality.

"H-how long have you been there?" asked Jessica as she untangled her arms from Tucker and sat up. She was a little intimidated but she didn't want to do anything that might provoke Gwen into action.

"All night," replied Gwen very quickly. She stood up from the stump and she stretched herself a little. "It's been some time since I last came down to this plain so I'm taking in everything I can. That includes watching mortals sleeping and I must say you were holding onto your friend there pretty tightly. If I didn't know any better I would have said that you're more than just friends."

"Wait what?" Jessica began to blush a little and her emotions made her grow around a foot in height. This happened every time that she felt angry or when she blushed. "We're just friends."

"Yeah sure you are." A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she took a step towards Jessica. She walked past the smoulders of what had been a fire the previous night. All that was left was ashes and a small funnel of white smoke. "You can't pull the wool over my eyes."

"I promise you, Tucker and I are nothing like that. We're just very good friends." She was trying to lie to herself more than to Gwen.

"Ok I'll play your game for now." She had stopped walking and stood there with her arms crossed. "But if I'm right don't think I won't tell you."

Jessica saw Tucker beginning to stir as the conversation had woken him up. He did groan a little as he woke up and he had no idea what had just been discussed by the two women. It took him a moment to sit up and he tried to scratch an itch that was just on the part of his back that was just out of reach. This was a minor annoyance but he felt Jessica's long slender fingers scratch the part of his back that had been irritating him. He gave a small groan of relief as she scratched and his eyes had yet to fully open.

"What time is it?" asked Tucker. His voice was a little croaky and he had to clear his throat before he could speak again.

"It's still early if you want to go back to sleep," replied Jessica. Her voice was very soft and soothing.

"No I don't want to sleep all through the day again." He slowly got up to his feet and his eyes began to open slowly. Jessica was still sitting down and he had yet to realise that Gwen was even there. A part of him had even forgotten all about her and he staggered a little when he got up to his feet but he didn't fall. His eyes finally locked onto Gwen's who was at his exact level. "Oh you're still here. I was beginning to think that you had gone back to wherever it was you came from."

"Oh I'm not going back there anytime soon," replied Gwen with her arms crossed. "I wanted some excitement and believe me what I want I get."

"Before we get started maybe we should have some breakfast," said Jessica as she stood up to her full height. She was a little hungry since her large body did demand that she eat a lot of food but also so that she could defuse with what seemed to be a volatile situation. She stood next to Tucker in a small attempt to keep him safe.

"All you mortals do is eat. I must admit that after that heavenly meat that you gave me last night I'm eager to try whatever you make for this breakfast." She was still getting used to the sensation of eating and the tastes that came along with it. "You may make the breakfast mortals and I will eat it."

Jessica did feel that Gwen was being rude but she didn't want to correct her in fear of how the demi-goddess might react. She did notice that Tucker looked unusually small, it took her a couple of moments before she realised that she was slightly taller than she was before. Her height was up to nine feet rather than the usual eight but it was very easy for her to lose the extra foot she had gained. She still towered above her best friend but at least now she felt that it was normal.

Rather than having a cooked breakfast the group had a meal of bread, cheese, fruit and a couple of vegetables. Once again Gwen couldn't get over what she was eating and she would purposely shrink herself so that the food lasted longer. Jessica and Tucker somewhat couldn't believe what they were seeing. In proportion Gwen was eating enough to feed a small village and by the time she had actually finished she grew back to what seemed to be a more sensible size. But now she had a very large belly and it looked like she was heavily pregnant. Rather than being a baby underneath her flesh it was food that would be too much for any normal person to digest easily, in fact having such a large amount of food in their system could have killed them.

The pair could only watch in amazement as they saw Gwen's belly begin to deflate as the demi-goddess decided that having a large belly like this would be problematic so she was adjusting accordingly. It was a form of weight loss that most people could only dream of and within moments her stomach was perfectly flat once again. Just like it had been before and she looked normal.

"H-How did you do that?" asked Tucker in some disbelief. He could see by Gwen's body language that it didn't seem to be a big deal.

"Oh that little trick," replied Gwen. "I thought that having a big belly like that wasn't right so I decided to change it. Did I forget to mention that I can selectively change the size of any part of my body?" Both Jessica and Tucker shook their heads. "Oh silly me, sometimes when I get excited some things slip my mind." A mischievous smile appeared on her face as it filled the pair with some amount of dread. "How far is it to this next trial that you mentioned?"

"It should only be a couple of hours walk from here for Jessica. We should be there before noon if we start now."

"Why don't I just grow until I'm as tall as a mountain and take you there within minutes rather than hours?" Tucker didn't want to turn her down but he could imagine what could happen if a mountain sized Gwen went walking through the landscape. There would be untold destruction under the demi-goddess's enormous feet. With Gwen's lack of empathy she wouldn't care less who was crushed under her feet and Tucker couldn't have that on his conscience.

"You said yourself that you only wanted to watch and not interfere. Well if you were to carry us there that would be classed as interfering." Gwen fell silent for a few moments as he had no idea what she was going to do. He tried to hide how nervous he was and just tried to keep his cool.

"You have a point there. Very well I'll allow Jessica to carry us to the trial and then I can watch you either succeed or fail. I don't think that I need to tell you how disappointed I'd be if you failed but then again I don't think that you'll be alive for me to tell you." There was a slight chuckle from her since she found the while concept of death as bizarre. She herself would never face death so the fact that a mortal could die made them that much more below her.

The group took a few more minutes to rest before Jessica grew to her full size and picked up both Tucker and Gwen. So that she could have a little fun Gwen shrank herself until she was a few inches tall and sat on Tucker's shoulder. She had done this so that the size scale was even between the three of them. Gwen was only a few inches tall against Tucker while he was only a few inches tall compared to Jessica. The size difference between the two women was almost beyond comprehension. Gwen was near microscopic size compared to Jessica but the tables could be turned within a moment as soon as Gwen decided this. For now she wanted to have a bit of fun being the tiny one.

With everyone secured Jessica began to walk towards where the second trial was located. Tucker hand unwrapped the map and was pointing to where Jessica needed to go. He used the position of the sun to navigate his way. He was also picking up on some landmarks that had been detailed on the map and he truly felt that he was going the right way. He could hear Gwen speaking into his ear. He found it extremely odd to have a tiny woman sitting on his shoulder when it was in fact he who was used to sitting on the shoulder of a giantess. That was happening at that exact moment in time but he still found it odd and even a little unnerving to say the least.

"Hey you know it has been a while since I've been with a mortal," whispered Gwen into Tucker's ear. Her voice was so quiet that Jessica had no chance of hearing him. "Maybe after we're done we can spend a bit of time away from your friend here. I can take you to places that your mind hasn't even comprehended. With my abilities I can even make you the big man but if you really want to we can go with the concept that you seem to be familiar with." She even rubbed the side of his head and this sent a shiver down Tucker's spine. He could imagine what they would do given the opportunity but he didn't want to spoil anything between himself and Jessica.

"I'm alright for now thank you," said Tucker. He turned his head towards the tiny Gwen but Jessica had also heard what he had just said and turned her head to him. She had no idea what he was talking about and was a little confused.

"Did you just say something Tucker?" asked Jessica with a small amount of confusion in her voice.

"Oh Gwen was just asking me if I needed my ear cleaning out." This was a little white lie from the top of his head. He didn't want to know how Jessica might react if he told her that Gwen was basically asking to have sex with her. "She said that she could shrink herself even more and remove any excess wax I might have. She said it was her way of thanking us for going along with this."

"Really?" Jessica was finding this a little hard to believe since the last thing she expected a demi-goddess to do was clean out the ear of a mortal but then again she didn't know too much about Gwen. She remembered how bored Gwen said she had been in the upper plains of existence and that cleaning out the ears of a human was probably like watching a great battle taking place. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes Jessica, believe me I found it odd myself but then again since we started out I haven't had that much chance to clean my ears."

"Well if you say so." She still found it extremely odd but she thought that it was best to leave things as they were. She didn't want to conversation to get any weirder and if Tucker told her that this was what was happening she believed him. He had always been honest to her in the past and she didn't believe that this was any different.

It took Jessica roughly an hour after this until she reached where the map indicated that the test was located. They found themselves in a tropical looking wood with the sun beating down on them. Jessica placed Tucker on the ground so that he could search along the ground while she remained at her full size so that she could look around the area as she tried to find anything that seemed to be a clue.

The search lasted for over an hour but there seemed to be nothing found there. Tucker continually looked at the map and the area around him and he could see that they were in the right place but it almost seemed that there was absolutely nothing there for them to find. He had also noticed that Gwen had seemingly disappeared. He knew that she had been on his shoulder throughout their trip there but now she had disappeared. He didn't know if she had simply fallen off or decided to go back to wherever she came from. This relieved him in a way since if Gwen continued her advances towards him he thought that there might be a confrontation between her and Jessica. It was not Gwen's safety that he was concerned about, it was Jessica's. For the first time ever he knew that there was someone who could be even bigger and stronger than his best friend and the last thing he wanted was to see her getting hurt or worse.

"You found anything?" asked Tucker as he shouted up to Jessica. She wasn't too far away from him and was looking to see if there was anything that looked remotely like an entrance to the test.

"No nothing from up here," replied Jessica as she continued to look. "How about you, have you spotted anything down there."

"A sweet load of naff all." He was beginning to get a little frustrated and he admitted that if Gwen had been there she could have been a help. She might have even known where the entrance was but alas the demi-goddess was nowhere to be seen. "I'm sure that we're in the right place."

"Maybe we're looking in the wrong place." She stepped towards him and as she did she began to shrink herself and mere moments later she was back down to her smallest size. She still towered above him but at least things now seemed to be normal. "Think about it, if anyone could have found the entrance it would have been discovered and the test be solved years ago. It has to be hidden somewhere in a way that makes it extremely difficult to spot." She gave him a little smile. "You're a smart guy Tucker, I'm sure that we can figure it out somehow."

"Ok just give me a moment to think." He took a few moments to really think hard and he did come up with a little something. "If the entrance is indeed hidden then there must be something around here that can reveal it to us. There has to be some kind of trigger or a lever that will make the entrance appear to us."

"Now you're thinking but you can guess what my next question is going to be." He did and the question was... where was the lever? This was a question that he had absolutely no idea of. "Does the map give some kind of clue?"

"I don't think so." Just to be sure he did take another look at the map and much to his surprise there was indeed writing at the bottom of the map. They had not been there before and he could only guess that they magically appeared there much like the way to the second test appeared right after they completed the first one. "Fuck me, there's some writing here that sure as hell wasn't there before."

"What does it say?" She quickly went closer to him so that she could have a better view of the map and the writing was there as plain as day but there was a problem. The message read 'DSZG BLF HVVP XZMMLG YV ULFMW DRGS GSV VBV. LMOB LMV DRGS Z KFIVHG LU SVZIGH YB GSV GZOOVHG GIVV XZM URMW DSZG BLF HVVP.' To both in question they had absolutely no idea what the message actually said. "That doesn't make any sense, it's just pure gibberish."

"Maybe it's another language, one of the dead tongues that was around during the Age Of Titans. Or maybe it's a language from across Sea Of Pryde."

"It isn't like any language I've ever heard."

"Damn it if Gwen hadn't gone and disappeared on us then she could have helped. For once I wish that she was still here."

"Wait Gwen's gone?" This was something that Tucker hadn't mentioned to her. He had to bite his upper lip as he realised that he hadn't told his best friend about the demi-goddess going missing.

"Yeah she went missing just after we arrived. I have no idea where she's gone." He did scratch his shoulder a little where Gwen had once been sitting. "I think she might have gone back to where she came from. I don't think she fell since she could have just grown and made her presence known. Even if she did fall I seriously doubt it would have killed her." Jessica didn't need to be reminded that Gwen was immortal and infinitely more powerful than her. It made her feel inadequate.

"Well I guess there's only one thing we can do." She gave a sigh as she ignored the fact that Tucker had not told her this information. "We'll have to go and get some help. If I'm not mistaken the town of Logan isn't too far from here?"

"Err." He took another quick look at the map and indeed the coastal town of Logan was not far from where they were. "Yes it is."

"Then we should go there for help, I know it might be unlikely that we'll find the answers but we do have to try. If it is some kind of dead language then there is bound to be someone there who will know and if worse comes to worse at least we can add another landmark to our trip." She looked down and smiled at him and Tucker couldn't help but feel a little happier about the situation. He couldn't believe how upbeat she was despite everything that had happened to her since the events in July. He knew that it had changed her on the inside but she was still the loving friend that he had grown up with up throughout his life. He knew that he could always count on her for almost anything.

"Yeah sure." He looked up and smiled back at her. He did watch her begin to grow as she began to sit down but she stopped growing when she was at eye level with him while she was at a sitting position. "But first I just want to have a few minutes to rest, even at my full size I can get very tired after a long walk."

"Ok fine but we shouldn't hang around here too long. Gwen might decide to pop up at any moment."

"I don't think we can ever hide from her Tucker. If she wants to find us believe me I think she could easily find us." She continued to smile at him but she did feel that she needed to ask him something. "Tucker is it alright if I ask you something?" Tucker gave her a nod since he was more than willing to answer any of her questions. "Do you feel that there is some kind of question between us? I know what you're going to think but I assure you that's not what I'm talking about. I feel that there is something that ties us together, something I can't explain."

"What are you talking about Jessica?" He admitted to himself that he did think that she was talking about love at first but he knew now that she was talking about something else entirely. Something that was beyond the norm.

"Remember when we used to play hide and seek when we were younger? Whenever I went to find you I would straight away."

"Yeah because you always cheated."

"I didn't cheat!" There was some anger in her voice but she realised this and cleared her throat so that she could keep talking in a calmer voice. "I didn't cheat Tucker, I just knew somehow that you were there. No matter where you hid I could feel where you were and believe me no one was more surprised than me that I found you every time. I felt something like that when we were fighting each other in July. The spell that I was under was extremely powerful and I don't think that it was mere luck that it broke when we fought. I think that whatever this thing is between us broke the spell and set me free. If it wasn't for that I would have been Lord Nostory's slave for the rest of my days." Tucker looked at her with some confusion as he was having to take in everything that she was saying. "You can't deny this Tucker." She reached and grabbed his arm, at her enlarged size the hand seemed very large in comparison. "I know what I'm saying might sound creepy but I know what I'm saying is true." She had a somewhat saddened look on her face as she looked into the eyes of her best friend. "Please tell me that you've felt the same."

Tucker remained silent for a few moments as he fully comprehended everything that Jessica had just said. She had said something to him that had been truly from the heart and he was just glad that there was no one around to hear this. He could feel Jessica's large but soft hand around his arm and he walked closer to her. She was silent as well and he admitted to himself that he had felt a somewhat similar connection. Unlike her he had no difficulties knowing where she was due to her size but he had felt something when he was in her presence. He had never known what to really call it but he didn't know that the feeling had been stronger in his friend.

"J-Jessica I'm not sure what to say," replied Tucker. He was having to think about each word that he spoke. "I have felt something as well but I thought it was just me being stupid as usual. I had always felt something when we were close to each other, I just thought that it had simply been in the presence of someone of your size that made me feel that way. I know that it must be something besides that."

"I know it sounds crazy, its one reason why I wanted to come with you on this quest. When I'm not around you I feel lonely, a sort of empty feeling that nothing else can seem to fill. It was why I was always saddened when you had to leave Morgan for an extended time. Whenever you came back I would always feel like I could breathe easily again knowing that you weren't far." She gently pulled him closer but not like she was forcing him to come towards her. Her grip on his arm was weak enough for him to break free if he wished but Tucker did take step closer towards her. When she felt that he was close enough she embraced him in a hug but this time it did feel different than it did before. Tucker felt a sense of warmth and safety that he had never felt before. They both felt truly blessed to have one another.

The hug lasted for a minute or two before they broke it off and they both smiled at one another. They were unaware that everything that they were doing was being watched. Gwen was still around but she had shrunk herself until she was so small that she couldn't be seen by either one of them. She was still sitting on Tucker's shoulder taking in everything that she was seeing and hearing. She could tell that Jessica's feelings towards Tucker was far deeper than mere friendship. Gwen had in fact heard of this link that Jessica and Tucker shared, it was a trait between two people who the gods had deemed to be soulmates in a way. Very few people possessed this but despite all of this she saw all this as a challenge. She had her eye on Tucker and she didn't care if the gods had deemed him to be soulmates with Jessica. In her eyes Tucker was going to be a challenge and that was what made it even more fun for her. She didn't even want to keep Tucker forever, she just wanted to have him until she gotten past this sexual phase that she felt every now and again and then discard him after she had finished.

This wasn't the first time that she had done this. Multiple times over the millennia's she had come down to Earth when she was either bored or needed that sexual twinge in her mind satisfied. She would make a man fall in love with her and then she would use him to satisfy her sexual urges. When she was done she would leave giving no thought to what happened to her sexual partner soon after. Most of them would fall into deep depression after they fell for her and discovering that she didn't care about them. Some had even turned to suicide and even then Gwen didn't care about their fate. To her human lives were almost nothing to her, it would be like a regular person caring about the death of a cockroach or spider. The human would serve their purpose and then she would be done with them like a workman with their tools.

In Gwen's eyes Tucker seemed to be no different and Jessica wasn't going to be an obstacle in her way either. Despite the fact that Jessica herself was a giantess she would still seem like an insect in comparison to the self-titled Mistress Of Size. She could grow until she was large enough to crush Jessica with minimal effort or if she wanted to be particularly cruel she could shrink herself and attack Jessica from the inside.

Once Gwen had even had her sexual urges satisfied by another woman and at one point had even shrunk until she crawled into the other woman's womb so that she could fulfil her urges. During the process Gwen had decided that she had bored of the woman at one point the woman even insulted her. This made Gwen grow until she exploded out of the woman in question killing her immediately.

For now Gwen didn't want to make her presence known, the fact that Jessica and Tucker had thought that she had simply gone away would work for her. It allowed her to watch events without being noticed and she decided to show herself again after the second trial was completed. Until then she was more than happy to stay hidden and watch both humans put their lives in peril while she didn't lift a finger. In a way it was what she had agreed to from the start.

For the next couple of days Jessica and Tucker travelled the relatively short distance towards the coastal town of Logan. When they saw it only a few miles away they did their usual preparation. Jessica would place Tucker on the ground and then shrink to her smallest height and they would make the rest of the way on foot. This was just so that the townspeople weren't frightened by their approach. They would be lying if someone had stated that there was not an air of intimidation when an eight foot woman came walking into town but it was certainly less terrifying than a one hundred and twenty plus foot giantess.

The town of Logan itself was mainly a peaceful town with very little crime besides the few pickpockets that lived there. It was famed as being one of the key towns in Angleland that provided seafood. Many fisherman operated from there since the warm water attracted a large range of fish which helped fund the town's economy.

The town was owned by the Logan family for more than a thousand years and currently Lord Richard Logan was the man who called the shots. He was a wise man who was in his twilight years and a couple of times over the last few years his health had been waning but he was still hanging onto life. His son Sir Peter Logan was the heir to his seat and looked to be a worthy successor. The family were much liked in the town and even Lord Hector Nostory would pay respect to them every so often.

The streets had cobble paths and roads and the buildings themselves were no more than two storeys. The castle just outside of the town was actually the tallest building in Logan and even that one was tiny in comparison to Lord Nostory's castle in July. There were numerous sea gulls in the air that would try and pick off one of the fish caught by the local fisherman, they failed more often than not but every so often the gull would catch its prize. The air itself in the town felt to be cleaner than that anywhere else in Angleland. In truth it was the same as anywhere else but the sea air was thought to be healthier. This was merely a myth but people still believed that sea air was good for them.

The first thing that Jessica and Tucker decided to do was find themselves some food and a decent place to stay. Even if they found the answers that they were looking for they would stay for at least the night before they set back off to the second test. They even ran into a small child who couldn't get over Jessica's height. The boy asked her how she got so tall and Jessica responded that she drank a lot of milk and ate her greens.

Eventually the pair settled down at the Red Herring Inn which was located near the centre of the town. On the walls were the trophies of extraordinary large fish that had been caught by local fisherman over the years. One of the fish that was hung on the wall had supposedly eaten three fisherman before it was caught over twenty years ago. This was most likely just a wild story just to attract tourists.

There were other fisherman related articles on the wall including fish nets, hooks, harpoons and one or two anchors. There was even a piece of wood that bore the name of a ship that had sunk under mysterious circumstances. The weather had been calm that day and there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary that took place. Yet the ship had gone down and all that was recovered were a few shards of wood. All hands had been lost and to this day there were still plenty of wild theories that included a fish that was large enough to eat an entire ship to pirates despite the fact that they rarely came to this side of Angleland.

Since they were in the right setting Jessica and Tucker decided to have a fish dinner to tie them over. Tucker ate a recently invented food which was a cod fish that had been covered in batter and on the side were thin pieces of potatoes. Jessica decided that she should eat the challenge dish that held more than a dozen different species of fish and it was a dish that only a handful of people had ever been able to complete. She knew that if she grew to her full size she would be able to devour the entire dish with some ease. If she ate the entire dish it was free and they would even win a small prize.

Everyone in the inn watched as Jessica ate the dish piece by piece. Even at eight feet in height her appetite was more than the average person. Big men had even attempted this dish and not completed it while Jessica seemed to be doing it with ease. The crowd inside the inn cheered with each fish she ate and there was even a time limit but it didn't seem to matter to her. At no point did she show bad table manners as she ate each fish with grace and it didn't seem like she was just shoving them into her mouth.

Tucker sat on a table that wasn't too far from where Jessica was sitting. Her table was at an elevated position and was reserved only for those who undertook what was called Red Herring Challenge. This was so that everyone inside the inn could see her and Tucker himself did look on but he was concentrating more on his own food, it was not because he didn't care about her challenge. It was just that he already knew that she was going to complete it so he didn't think to take any real notice.

After twenty minutes of the allotted hour time limit Jessica finished the very last part of the dish and the roar of everyone inside the inn was almost deafening. Even though she had eaten the entire dish she still thought that she could fit a little more in there but decided not to because it wasn't all that lady like. Instead she took part in a small amount of celebrations which included her signing a piece of paper which was then placed on a wall which had the other challenge completers. Also she was given a grail which had 'I beat the Red Herring Challenge' inscribed on it along with a small model fish that was no bigger than the average man's finger.

As soon as she did all of this she went to the table where Tucker was sitting and sat down right opposite him. He did acknowledge her and she had a smile on her face as she placed the grail and model fish on the table. The model fish was completely made out of metal and had even been made by one of the local blacksmiths. She did seem somewhat happy and at that moment Tucker himself was just finishing his meal. The dish that he ate was almost exclusive to the Red Herring and they called it 'Fish n' Chips'.

"That was somewhat impressive Jessica," said Tucker as he gave her some credit for completing the challenge. "But I would have thought that you would have wanted to stay out of sight."

"I would do but it isn't really possible for someone who is still as tall as the average man when she sits at a table," replied Jessica. There were no crumbs around her mouth and it was hard to tell that she had even taken part in an eating challenge. "Besides I was really hungry and you know what happens to me when I get that hungry." When she had been stuck at her full size she had easily been able to eat enough to feed many families and then some. Many times she had to stop eating simply because there was no food left. It did embarrass her but with her dress this was a thing of the past.

"Fair enough, I was just worried that Lord Nostory might be a little sore with how everything went down in July. I wouldn't be too surprised if there was a bounty on our heads."

"I doubt it." Her expression changed and she had a more stern look. "He knows what would happen if he even tried. Anyway there are no bounty hunters in Angleland who would be stupid enough to try and capture us." There was a small amount of confidence in her voice as she knew that she had scared Lord Nostory enough that he would never consider trying to track them down. He was probably the only man ever to truly make her angry and she truly didn't know what would happen if they ever met again.

"I still think it is best to keep a low profile, especially since July isn't too far away from here. But if you think that we'll be fine I trust you." He took a drink from his pint before speaking again. "You've never steered me wrong in the past and I seriously doubt that you ever will."

"You know that I would never do that." She gave him a smile as she felt a small rumble in her stomach. She was still a little hungry but she kept that to herself. "Anyway what's our plan of action then?"

"Well on the way to this inn I noticed that there was a library. It might not be as grand as one in Royal City but hopefully there'll be someone there who can help us." He moved his plate since he had finished his meal and began to look at the message that was inscribed underneath. He had looked at it several times over the last couple of days but he still couldn't figure out what it meant. He was sure that it must have been some kind of language that was long dead. "I still can't make heads or tails of what the message says. You haven't figured it out by any chance?"

"No not a clue." She didn't want to admit that her reading skills were not as good as she would have liked. She did have basic reading skills but she couldn't entirely read a book or even write down a message. It was one problem that she had growing up as both a giantess and the daughter of a farmer. They lacked the money to have her learn how to read properly. Her parents did try the best that they could but since their own skills at reading were subpar there was only so much that they could teach her.

"We'll just have to go in the morning. It's too late to go now and besides after everything you've eaten I think you could do with a rest."

"Nah I'm actually fine, in fact I'm wondering if this place serves any pudding. I still have more than enough room for a big apple pie." She gave him another smile as he looked at her with a small amount of astonishment.

"Jessica Snape you never cease to amaze me. Remind me if the next test is some kind of eating contest to make you do it." He did chuckle a little and Jessica just sat there for a moment as enjoyed the time that she was spending with him. She admitted to herself that she would never have gone on a grand adventure like this by herself. She didn't like to admit that it had its downsides like the events in July but she would have still done it all over again just to be by his side. "I don't suppose that you still want to take that grail with us? When we find what we're looking for you can have a grail made out of pure gold and studied with so many jewels that it will sparkle in the light."

"I wanna keep it as a souvenir. Just something to show my folks that I where I've been and what I've been winning."

The grail itself was only cheaply made but it wasn't the physical value that mattered to her but the sentimental value. It was not as valuable to her as something that came from a family or friend but it was still something that she had won and it was the first thing that she had ever won in all of her life.

By the next morning Jessica and Tucker had woken up relatively early and after breakfast they made their way to the library that they had seen before. Jessica was getting some stares from people and even a few of them congratulated her on completing the contest. A few of them even wanted to shake her hand, that was not just because of the contest but some of them just wanted to know what it was like shaking the hand of someone of her size. She did kind of like having some good fame for once. In Morgan she had been famous but for all the wrong reasons. Here it was a nice change of pace and it was a little something that she didn't want to give up too quickly.

One thing that they didn't expect to see was a crowd beginning to gather but it wasn't to encircle the pair. Instead they were gathering around a hangman platform as there were a small amount of armoured men standing there along with a man with clothing that stood him above the lower social circles. The final man on the platform wore nothing but some ragged trousers, he had a thick beard and long black hair and he was being held by a couple of the armoured men who were acting as guards. The crowd were booing at this man and eventually the richer looking man held his hand up and the crowd went silent. Tucker was having a hard time seeing what was happening but Jessica could see everything. It was one additional advantage to her height.

"Roger Maynard!" said the rich man as he looked at the lightly clothed man. He was holding a scroll and he was reading it out. "By a jury of your peers you have been found guilty of the murder of your cousin and attempted murder of his wife. You have been sentenced to death by hanging." His voice was loud enough so that the crowd could hear what he was saying. "Before you depart from this world do you have any last words?" Roger simply looked at the rich man weakly and tried to spit at him but he was standing too far away to be able to strike his target. All this got Roger was a punch from one of the guards and it was strong enough to knock some of his teeth out. "Very well." He then nodded at the guards and they moved Roger towards the noose. They placed a black bag over his head so that his face could not be seen as one of the guards placed the noose around Roger's neck. His hands were bound and he stood over the trap door.

A tall man wearing a black hood that hid his face walked onto the platform. At first Jessica thought that he was there to save Roger. She was contemplating putting a stop to all of this but she decided against it. It would only cause them a lot more trouble and since Roger had been sentenced for his crimes there wasn't much that she could do. It took her a few moments to realise that the man in the hood was not there to rescue Roger but rather he was the executioner.

There was a roar from the crowd as the executioner stepped onto the platform but as he reached the lever the crowd went silent. The next thing that anyone heard was the twitching sound that was made when the trap door opened and the next thing they heard was an inhumane cracking sound. Jessica covered her mouth in shock as she realised that the sound was Roger's neck being broken as he was being hung. The crowd didn't seem to be as horrified as her as they cheered for the death of this murderer.

Tucker himself felt a little indifferent to it. He did feel somewhat sorry for Roger since he too had once been tried and almost killed. On the other hand since it was most likely that Roger was guilty of the crime that he had been executed for Tucker couldn't feel too much sympathy towards him.

With the execution finished the crowd began to disperse. Jessica stood there for a few moments longer as she couldn't really turn away from what she had seen. She could see the guards getting the dead body of Roger and carrying him away as the others left the platform and went about their usual business. She felt a tug on her arm and she looked down to see Tucker standing there. He indicated that they had to move on and slowly Jessica did but she couldn't wash away what she had seen. It was the first time that she had ever seen anyone die and it had upset her deeply.

As they walked towards the library Tucker could see that his best friend was very upset. He even saw her shed a tear and for the moment he had no idea what the matter was. He did think that she was just having one of her moments but he did feel like that he should ask just in case that there was something truly wrong.

"What's up Jessica?" asked Tucker as he looked up at Jessica as they kept walking. Most would think that he had a neck strain having constantly needing to look up at her. He even held onto her large hand to show that he was there for her. Once again it did feel very large and to most people it would be very strange but since he had never known Jessica's hands to be small to him this was the norm.

"We shouldn't have watched that execution," replied Jessica as they continued to walk. "I feel there should have been something that we could have done to stop it from happening." She gave a small sigh as she wiped the tear away from her cheek. "It's not right to take someone's life like that."

"But there's not much that we could have done, besides you heard what happened. The guy had been tried and convicted of his crimes and as far as I know murder leads to the death penalty the vast majority of the time. If you had freed him then you would be committing a crime and helping to free a convicted murderer." He smiled up at her to show that he was trying everything that he could to make her feel better. "Everyone knows that the only thing bigger than your shoe size is your heart. That's what makes you one of the true beacons of light in this part of the world but we can't save everyone. Especially those who have committed such a heinous crime."

"I know what you're saying Tucker but I still feel that we could have done something to help him."

"If it is any comfort just know that his death was quick. The drop snapped his neck and he would have died instantly. Most likely he would not have felt much pain and believe me it was a lot more humane way to die then what would have happened to me in July if events had gone differently."

They had been walking and talking for some time and they hadn't even realised that they had reached the library itself. It was a fairly large building and they were somewhat surprised that they had reached it so quickly. It was one of the perks of not really paying attention when they walked.

The door that led inside was particularly small and even Tucker who was around six feet tall had to duck his head slightly to get through. Jessica had a harder time since this door was smaller than the average. She had to bend down further than usual to fit through and she had to remind herself that for once it was not her that was bigger it was the fact that the door was smaller.

Even when Jessica got through the door and stood to her full height her head struck the ceiling and she gave a small cry of pain. The ceiling itself was only seven and a half feet high and for an eight foot woman it was not ideal. It was an added annoyance that she didn't really need and another reminder that the world around her was too small for her. She kept her annoyance to herself and just took it on the chin like she normally did with most inconveniences in her life.

From what the pair could see there were rows and rows of shelves with books that ranged from those that came around when languages were first being written down all the way to those that had only been written weeks before. Someone who thirst for knowledge would almost be in paradise here. In Logan a high percentage of the population could read and write in comparison to other towns and cities in Angleland. Almost all of the text in this library was non-fiction since fictional tales were rarely written down.

There didn't seem to be anyone else inside the library and Tucker tried to look around to see if he could see anyone. Jessica's height did allow her to survey the area with some ease but the fact that she couldn't stand up straight was annoying for her.

"Hey hello is there anyone here?" asked Tucker as he continued to try and see if there was anyone else inside the library. Jessica followed closely behind but she had to watch out for anything that might be hanging from the ceiling.

The pair eventually began to hear a soft sound. At first they couldn't make out what it was but eventually they could tell that it was someone snoring. They followed the snoring until they came to a man with a relatively large belly asleep on a chair. He looked to be roughly the same age as Tucker and he had brown hair that was a little cropped. He wore normal clothing for the area which included a plain top, woven trousers and well-worn shoes. He even had a small smile on his face as if he were having a nice dream.

Tucker cleared his throat in an attempt to wake up the man. It didn't seem to work so he had to tap him and slowly the man began to stir from his slumber. At first he didn't seem to notice the pair as he stretched himself. It was not until he noticed Jessica and in particular her height did he fall off of his chair in astonishment. He was muffling his words as he stood up and much like Tucker he felt small in comparison to the woman before him. If he knew that she could make herself even bigger he was likely to have a heart attack.

"Are you alright?" asked Jessica in a voice that showed that she was concerned about him. His fall had seemed to be pretty painful but he didn't seem to have any immediate injuries although he could have them internally.

"Y-yes I'm fine," replied the Man as he brushed the dust that was on his clothing. He had not swept the floor for a while so it had been quite dirty. It had taken him a moment to get over his shock before he felt that he could probably help them out. "W-what can I do for you?"

"Let me start by asking if you are multilingual?" answered Tucker. He could see that the man was somewhat intimidated by Jessica so they both thought that it was best that he did all the talking.

"Yes I am." A small smile appeared on his face as he felt a little smug about himself. I have basic knowledge in most languages and are fluent in three."

"Good then there's something I want you to help us with." He went to his satchel where he had placed the map but much to his surprise it was empty. Not only was the map gone but the gold coins that had been in their possession and all of their food. He went silent for a few moments while the man stood there awaiting the request. "Fuck me it's gone!" Tucker's voice was in much shock.

"Wait what?" asked Jessica as she saw Tucker take his satchel off and he took a better look inside. She was horrified by what she was seeing as well and it almost seemed that all their hard work and sacrifice had been for nothing. "Tucker where is the map?"

"I don't know." He was trying to find it in the satchel but there was literally nothing in there except some relatively heavy rocks that seemed to be decoys. "I swear that I put it in here before we left the inn." He began to realise that most likely when he and Jessica had been watching the execution someone had stolen everything from his satchel. All that were left were several large rocks. "What the fuck happened?"

"Let me guess you attended that public execution and now your belongings are gone?" asked the man as he began to realise what had happened. He saw Tucker nodding at him and this caused him to sigh. "I'm afraid that you're a victim of one of the pickpocket gangs around here. They love big gatherings like that since they can pick the pockets and satchels of innocent people and then get away with their ill-gotten gains."

"Where the hell are these gangs?" There was a small amount of anger in Tucker's voice as he realised that he had been robbed. Besides his armour and sword all he had left were large rocks that he could only use as a projectile.

"Ha that's what I would like to know." He gave them a chuckle although neither of them were too impressed with this. "Believe me they're a nuisance and Lord Logan has offered a reward for the capture of them. If I were you I would forget about your losses and try to replace them elsewhere. You won't be finding them any time soon."

"But we can't," said Jessica. She was somewhat annoyed herself but not just because of the fact that their belongings had been stolen but also because of the low ceiling that prevented her from standing to her full height. "The map that we lost is the only one of its kind. We can't find it anywhere else."

"Are you sure about that? My brother's a professional cartographer, he could make you a replacement given the right price."

"We have two problems. The first is that this was a special map and when I say special I mean magical." She still loomed over the man and he was still intimidated by her. He couldn't help it, he was just uncomfortable around women who were taller than him. "The second is that from the looks of it all of our gold has been stolen as well. We can't afford a map, we can't afford to stay in an inn and we don't even have enough money to buy any food."

"Well I hate to use a pun but it sounds like you've got a big problem." No one laughed but then again it was not meant to be a joke.

"Please sir..."

"You can call me Ben."

"Ok Ben, is there anything that you can do to help us at all." Her voice was very sweet as she was letting go of her annoyance and allowed herself to stay calm. "We really need to get our stuff back."

"There isn't much that I can do to help. But I might be able to point you in the right direction." He quickly took a look around to make sure that there was no one else around. "I've heard rumours that one of these gangs like to frequent a tavern right on the port. It is called The Stern. I don't know if that will be any help but I hope that it helps. I must warn you however, it is not a place you want to find yourself at a disadvantage." He was showing true concern for the pair but Tucker was still feeling somewhat confident. He didn't think that they could face anything that they couldn't handle.

"Don't worry," replied Tucker. "We can more than look after ourselves. Thank you for your help and hopefully we'll see again soon with our map."

With that Jessica and Tucker made their way out of the library as Ben stood there for a moment. He wasn't too sure if he had done the wisest thing but he rather than going after the pair he simply sat back onto his chair and slowly went back to sleep.

The Stern Tavern was located right on the docks of Logan. It was a joint that was unknown to people who came to the town to see the sights. It was a popular destination for sailors who were coming back after many weeks, sometimes even months at sea. In the tavern they could drink to their hearts content and even have some time with the women of the night. It was also a place which was popular with a particular gang of pickpockets which would frequent there so that they could count the day's takings.

Despite the fact that the gang stole from almost anyone who was unfortunately enough to cross their paths they did have some rules. The first was whatever was stolen was shared amongst the gang equally. If any of the thieves had a dispute they would most likely settle it with words, it was only on rare occasions that violence was needed. The leader of the gang would only remain that way if he or she still had the approval of the other gang members. Needless to say that the leader was changed more often than not.

This gang were one of three large gangs in the town and this one was nicknamed the Children of Lankin. Lankin was a supposed demi-god who stole the sun from the gods, it was told that when he was captured by the gods and forced to bring the sun back he was forever cursed to move the sun through the skies. It was the Angleland explanation for day and night and the gang were named after Lankin after his infamous deeds.

The gang mainly used the cellar of the tavern and they paid the owners to look the other way. Although what they gave to the owners was somewhat meagre in comparison to the reward offered by Lord Logan over time the payments did add up so it was more profitable to allow the gang to stay and continue paying rent so to speak.

There were half a dozen members of this gang crowded around a small table as they began to empty out everything that they had taken that day. Within them was gold coins, food, jewellery and a few other relatively valuable items. These had all been lifted off unsuspecting people and the day's pickings had been pretty good thanks to the public execution. For that reason the gang were particularly happy. Not every member was at the table however since a couple of them were still out trying their luck.

The leader of the gang was a man named Len Grass and he had been the head of the Children of Lankin for some years now. He was a relatively small man with no hair and is middle finger missing on his right hand. He had rose through the group relatively quickly and he was well respected by the other members. He kept them all in line but so far he had not needed to use violence, he was known for being a devil of a fighter despite his lack in size. He had once taken out a man who was almost twice his size but even then the larger man had been nothing more than a half wit.

At the table including Len were three other men and two women. They had just finished placing all of their stolen goods on the table and Len smiled at the intake. Some days they did better than others and with everything that had been happening to them they were glad for what they had. With a combination of fights with rival gangs and those captured by the law the Children of Lankin were only half their original strength. It meant that the loot didn't have to be divided so much but with less members it meant that the intake was cut significantly.

"Ok people what do we have today?" asked Len as he looked at the loot on the table. "We have gold coins, some jewellery which isn't likely to be worth that much and enough food to feed us through the night. Not bad for a day's pickings, maybe tomorrow we can steal enough to buy us a castle."

"There is one thing that I was also able to pick up," replied one of the women at the table. She had long red hair and some freckles on her face. She took out Tucker's map from a bag by her side and placed it on the table. She opened it up and the thieves could see the entire continent which made up Angleland. Unfortunately for them they didn't know about its significance as they thought that it was just a normal map. They could see the writing at the bottom of it but like Jessica and Tucker before them they had no idea what it said. "Do you think it has any value?"

"All maps have some value Marian. Couldn't imagine why someone would carry around an entire map of Angleland but their loss is our gain." It wasn't too uncommon for a person to carry around a map but those maps were more detailed and of a particular area rather than the continent as a whole.

Only moments later the group were physically dividing the loot up into equal fractions. They didn't realise that Jessica and Tucker were reaching the tavern. They were just standing outside of the door and as they stepped in they could see that the tavern itself was a little run down. There were marks on the floor where dropped beer had stained. There was even some speckles of blood on the wall which was a result of a fight which took place the previous week. Rather than cleaning it up the owner had decided to keep it there because it was something that gave the place a bit more personality.

As Jessica entered a few of the men inside turned their head towards her and wasn't just that she was tall. In this tavern most of the women were prostitutes and a couple of the men contemplated what would happen if she was actually a prostitute. They could claim that they had sex with the largest prostitute in Angleland.

Each step the pair took they could hear the creaking floorboards and Tucker was somewhat worried that they might fall through. He was also a little nervous being inside because if things went south and all of these sailors ganged up on them they could be in some trouble. His only consolation was that he had Jessica with him and at her full size it would most likely take a fully equipped army to take her down. He was also wondering how exactly they were going to ask if the gang of pickpockets were even there. It wasn't like they could just ask everyone if the thieves were actually there. It was a quick way to find that his throat slit from ear to ear.

They eventually reached the bar of the tavern and they could see the owner there serving a drink for another sailor. The owner was a round and hairy man, even from where they were standing they could smell him. Tucker was about to get the owner's attention when Jessica felt someone touching her in a way that she didn't particularly like, she quickly turned around to see a sailor who had obviously had a little too much to drink. He was a fairly well built man with a long black beard and he looked up at her with a grin on his face although he was missing most of his teeth.

"Hey there little missy," said the Sailor. "How much to give me a good time?" He laughed a little but the next thing he felt was Jessica's large hand grab him around the neck and she lifted him clean off of his feet as if he was weightless. A flash of anger had caused Jessica to do this as this situation somewhat reminded her of what had happened to her with Lord Nostory and she was still dealing with some issues with that. She purposely kept her grip tight so that the sailor couldn't breathe, her anger had also made her grow by a couple of inches but this had gone unnoticed by almost everyone. The others in the bar were looking straight over at them as they didn't know what was going to happen next. The sailor couldn't talk and was completely at the mercy of the towering woman before him, she could easily snap his neck with a flick of her wrist.

"Let me get one thing straight!" stated Jessica in a very angry voice. "I am not some whore you can try to fuck, I am someone who doesn't want to see your face for the rest of my life or else I will snap your neck like a twig. Now you better get out of here before I get really angry and believe me you don't want that to happen." The sailor was still struggling to breathe but Jessica released her grip and allowed him to drop onto the ground. He didn't take much time in making sure that he was out from that door. Even Tucker was surprised by her actions and it was a further reminder not to anger her.

With the little skirmish over the other regulars just went back to what they were doing as if nothing had happened. Finally the pair could turn their attentions to the tavern owner and they needed to know where the pickpocket gang were located. They weren't even sure if this was the right gang but it was all they had to go on. After what had just happened the owner was now nervous but with the situation defused Jessica herself had actually calmed down and she was unlikely to try and harm anyone. For now the owner didn't even know that the pair was after the pickpocket gang. He merely thought that they were there for a drink much like everyone else that was there.

"Name your poison," said the owner as he approached the pair. He was still behind the bar and he had a large club located underneath if he needed to use it in a sticky situation. "I got alcohol and spirits from lands so far away that some people don't even think that they exist." This was a little something that he tried to use with the new guests as he tried to make the place seem more exotic than it actually was.

"We need information more than anything else," said Tucker. He tried to play it cool and he hoped that the situation didn't go south quickly.

"Oh information eh? That'll cost ya." A smile appeared on his face and they could see his yellow teeth and smell his stank breath.

"Well you see that's the thing, we have no gold, no food or anything else of value. It was all taken from us by a group of people who we've been told hang out here. If you would be so kind and give them up to us things will go a lot smoother."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Tucker could tell that the owner was lying. He could see him taking deeper breaths and there was a drop of sweat running down his brow. The smell that he produced was almost eye watering but Tucker kept his composure and stood firm.

"You're lying. I know that they're here and unless you start talking we might have a problem." He was more or less bluffing and he couldn't know for sure whether the owner was actually lying. He knew that he was going to have to act much tougher and more threatening than he actually was. He had run through it with Jessica as well and it was another of her reasons for acting so aggressively towards the sailor who had groped her. Her experience with Lord Nostory had also been a contributing factor although she would not have likely seriously harmed the sailor.

"I still don't know what you're talking about." He then grasped the club that was underneath his bar but this was something that Tucker and Jessica couldn't see so they had no idea that he might swing it at them at any moment.

"Don't bullshit me. I know that the gang are here and unless you start spilling your guts you won't have a tavern anymore."

With that the owner pulled out the club and tried to swing at the pair with it. Tucker was able to duck out of the way but Jessica didn't need to duck. Instead she was able to grab the club before it struck her. There was a loud smacking sound as the club came into contact with her hand. There was a look of surprise on the face of the owner as she easily grabbed the club and almost with no effort pulled it right out of his hand. She did consider striking him but decided against it at the last moment. She still needed to keep her wits about her and she felt that if she allowed herself to slide she would become no better than Lord Nostory and those who stole the map.

"That wasn't very clever now was it?" said Tucker as he stood back up. He had noticed that no one in the tavern was coming to the aid of the owner. This was some relief for him since he didn't want to have to fight off a hoard of drunks and thugs. "I will ask you again before I really lose my temper. Where are the gang?"

"I err," replied the Owner. He was close to wetting himself out of sheer fear of what was going on but right now he preferred to take his chances with the gang rather than facing Tucker and Jessica. All he did was point towards a door that led down to the cellar of the tavern.

"Thank you, your co-operation is much appreciated."

Before moving on Jessica slammed the club onto the counter. She did feel somewhat bad for what had happened but ultimately she had to keep a brave face. She had only agreed to this plan that Tucker had set out because it would get them what they needed without really having to harm anyone. This was a tactic that she never wanted to use again since it made her feel dirty inside. This went against almost everything that she had been taught and she could only hope that this wasn't all for nothing.

Tucker was the one who opened the door to the cellar and carefully walked down it. Jessica was right behind him and since the ceiling of the stairway was pretty low she had to duck her head once again. One thing that she knew that she would do with her share of the treasure was to build a house that was scaled up for her.

As the pair walked down the seemingly long and dark stairway it was hard for them to see what they were doing and Jessica herself almost fell which would have been disastrous for both of them. They could hear what seemed to be voices and the occasional laughter. It was obvious that there were a group of people within the cellar and it made them extra cautious as they continued on.

Just from the sound of the voices Tucker knew that they would be outnumbered but he still had a good feeling about this. His skills with a blade had improved since the start of the quest and with Jessica's abilities he didn't think that they would have that much of a problem. Even so he knew that they had to take great care in what they were doing. One slip up could result in one of them receiving a serious injury.

"I still don't think that this is a good idea," whispered Jessica. She had more or less bent down to his level so that she could whisper in his ear. This was just so that her voice could not be heard by those in the cellar.

"I know it's not the best idea I've ever had but believe me this will work," replied Tucker. He was also whispering and he could feel his heart beat grow faster as he knew that they were moments away from a confrontation. "Just follow my lead and everything will go according to plan."

"I hope so."

The sound of footsteps on the stairway had been noticed by the gang inside the cellar and already they had stopped talking so that they could get a better listen to what was happening a few metres away from them. Without saying a word Len used hand signals to command the Children of Lankin into action. With great care each of them quietly took out their weapon and a couple of them even made their way to the door. They hid either side of it so that they could spot whoever was coming inside. If it were the owner it would be a false alarm but if it were someone that they didn't recognise they would attack without mercy. The less people that knew that they were there the better. They hadn't forgotten that each of them had a price on their heads.

On the other side of the door Tucker and Jessica had gotten down the stairs and Tucker himself was about to open the door. Before he could Jessica grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled him back slightly. This was a clear indication that she didn't want him to go any further forward for the moment. Tucker turned to her in some confusion as he didn't know why she had done it.

"What are you doing?" whispered Tucker. There was a small amount of frustration in his voice. All he wanted to do was get back their possessions and get out of the tavern as soon as they could. They would then return to the library as they hoped that they would be able to get the message translated.

"I have a really bad feeling about this," replied Jessica who was also whispering. Tucker's safety was always her top concern and her gut feeling was telling her that they were walking into some kind of trap. "I think that I should go in first, I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I think that I'm more than capable of opening a door." He didn't think that they were in all that much danger.

"Please Tucker." From the look on her face Tucker could see that she was truly concerned and he couldn't help but admit defeat. He stepped aside so that Jessica could go past him as she made her way to the door.

With some care Jessica opened the door and ducked her way through it. She could see the table where the gang had been sitting and she even saw the map that had belonged to herself and Tucker. She took a step forwards but the next thing she felt was someone striking her in the back with a long pole. The pole itself snapped when it came into contact with her back and although she did feel some pain she didn't go down. Instead she turned to her attacker who was in shock of not only Jessica's size but also that she was still standing when most people would have fallen.

Before Jessica could do anything else she saw the others come out of hiding and make their way towards her with weapons in hand. A couple of them held daggers while one had a club, another pole and finally a relatively small sword. She was outnumbered but at that moment Tucker with Juggernaut in hand came through the door and used it to slice the hand off the thief who was just about to stab Jessica with his dagger. There was a cry of pain from the thief as he looked at where his hand had been.

The gang were now more than willing to kill Jessica and Tucker not only so their secret would not be revealed but also now to avenge the loss of a hand. One of the thieves was just able to get close enough to stab Tucker in the chest with his dagger but thankfully Tucker was wearing some body armour beneath his clothing that prevented the dagger from entering his body. Rather than stabbing the thief Tucker backhanded him across the face and it was all that was needed to keep him back.

The other thieves tried to gang up on Jessica but her size once again was keeping her safe from them. More than once she had considered simply growing to full size and bursting out of the tavern. She knew what would happen if she did and she didn't know if she could live with herself seriously hurting someone or worse. Not only would she be putting the thieves in serious danger but also the people above her and more importantly Tucker. This was something that she could never do.

Tucker himself seemed to be doing well, using Juggernaut he was able to keep his attackers at bay. It seemed that his training was beginning to pay off and already he felt like a more competent swordsman than before he left for the quest. He was having to fend away two thieves as the other three paid attention to Jessica. The final thief was on the floor in agony as he was trying to come to terms with the fact that he had lost his hand. This was something that was a nightmare for any thief.

One of the female thieves tried to strike Jessica with a pole but she was able to move out of the way. The thieves were somewhat surprised to see someone of Jessica's size move with speed but she did take the opportunity to grab the pole and use it to lift up her attacker who was still holding onto it. Using her strength she was able to throw her into the other female thief which more or less defeated them both.

Now there were only three thieves left in the fight. It was Len who was fighting with the small sword and another thief with the remaining dagger that was fighting Tucker. With his larger sword he was able to fend them both off and this seemed to be the perfect practice for him. Once or twice the dagger had gotten close to cutting him but thankfully his light armour did help protect him. In one swift move he was able to disarm the thief and knock him out. This was something that Tucker was somewhat proud with and it showed him that he was capable of defending himself.

The only other thief besides Len was the last male thief with a club and now he was one on one against Jessica. He already knew that he would most likely not win this fight but he still charged at her with his club in his hand as he wanted to strike her. Instead Jessica simply lifted her leg and struck the thief square in the face before he could strike her. Her foot struck square in his face and the impact broke the nose of the thief. He quickly fell down unconscious and it meant that Jessica had defeated all three of her attacks without that much of an effort.

Now Len was by himself and now he could see that he had absolutely no hope of winning. He wanted to flee since he knew a secret passage out of the cellar which he was intending to use. He knew that Tucker and Jessica would see where the passage was but one thing that Len did take some comfort in was that he knew that Jessica would be too big to fit through it. At least then he would only have to worry about Tucker.

Before he could even move he found the way towards the secret passage blocked off by Jessica herself. She sat down and increased her size to the point that her head knocked against the ceiling. The whole process had taken Len by surprise as this was probably the last thing that he expected and he dropped his sword as he knew that anything he did against them would be futile. Instead he lifted his hands up somewhat in the air and Tucker took a few steps towards him.

"I surrender," said Len. He knew that this would most likely lose him the leadership of the Children Of Lankin but there was no other way out for him. "I'm sure that Lord Logan is now going to give you a hefty reward for defeating each of us."

"We're not here because of Lord Logan but now that you've mentioned it that doesn't sound to be a bad idea," replied Tucker. He had already put Juggernaut away since he couldn't strike an unarmed man. "We want back what was taken from us earlier today, you took something from us that can't be replaced." He was seriously considering what Len had said about the fact that Lord Logan had put a bounty on them. The money would be a great way to further fund the quest. There were a lot of gold on the table where the gang had been counting but he felt that he couldn't take it all since most of the money belonged to other people. He had intended to only take what had been stolen from him and leave the rest. "We want them back."

"You want your stuff back?" He took a quick look up at Jessica who was standing there with her arms crossed. She still towered above both men and she stared down at him, she was not too happy with him right now and rather than showing fear he decided to stay brave. "You can have whatever you want since I'm in no position to argue. Just take it and be done with it."

"Thanks for that and just one other thing before we leave."

With that Tucker punched Len straight in his face and it happened so fast that it did knock Len unconscious. This did bring a smile to Tucker's face since he felt that things were going their way again and he even looked up at Jessica who still loomed above him. She was still not very happy with what had happened and she was not very impressed with what Tucker had just done.

"You know, you didn't have to do that," said Jessica. She wasn't in on Tucker's plan to take the thieves to Lord Logan and she had just thought that he had punched Len out of spite more than anything.

"I had to if we want to claim the bounty on these guys," replied Tucker with the smile still on his face. "I'm sure you could grow big enough and carry all of them over to Lord Logan's castle."

"Wait you want to turn them in?" She was quite surprised by this and it took her a moment to get over what she had heard.

"Sure you heard them, Lord Logan has a bounty on them and if we cash in just think of how much money we'll have for the quest. Heck we might even become rich." This was a form of money that he was more than willing to take since in truth he had earned every single gold piece.

"But what do you think will happen to them after they've been taken in." Her happiness had not increased at all.

"I don't know. I suppose they'll have their hands cut off or maybe even hung. It's not really our problem."

"Yes it is." Tucker knew that Jessica was about to put her foot down. "If these people will die because of us I won't be able to live with myself. I know since you want to be a knight that on some occasions you may need to take the life of someone but that is a line I'm not willing to take."

"But we won't be the one who kills them. It's not like you or I are going to be pulling the lever."

"We will be the ones who put them there in the first place. The blood will be on our hands as much as the executioner's. We are better than this Tucker Martel and we need to show them that."

"Then what do you suggest we do? Leave them here so that they can continue to rob from people. Imagine having your most prized possession stolen away from you by a thief and knowing that you'll never get it back. Something that might have been passed down from generation to generation. I agree that these thieves don't deserve to die but they do deserve punishment."

There was a moment of silence between the two friends as they had come to an impasse. They had a set of defeated thieves who were completely at their mercy and they both had some ideas of what to do with them. Tucker wanted to take them in so that they could claim the rewards posted by Lord Logan. Unfortunately it would most likely lead to the deaths of the thieves and this was something that Jessica could not allow. She did think that Tucker was right in the sense that they couldn't just let the thieves go since they would just keep stealing from innocent people once again.

"So what do we do then?" asked Jessica with her arms crossed. She waited to hear what Tucker was going to say, she didn't think that he would come up with a decent enough idea for her to agree with.

"Maybe we can still take them to Lord Logan but maybe we can ask for mercy on them," replied Tucker. "Have them locked up in cells for a while and maybe if we don't accept the reward money it might help influence his decision. Right now that's the best idea I can come up with since they will still be punished for their crimes and yet they will not be killed so that should make us both happy."

"That's going to be risky to say the least. You entire plan hinges on the whim of a single man."

"I know it's risky but do you have any better ideas?" He had to wait for a moment as Jessica didn't speak a single word. All she did was give out a small sigh as she admitted to herself that there wasn't much they could do in this circumstance.

"Ok fine we'll do that." There was a small amount of annoyance in her voice but she did take some comfort in the fact that Tucker had listened to her and was even willing to give up the reward to make her happy.

"Good, now we better be quick before these guys decide to wake up." He rubbed his hands together in some happiness.

A few minutes later inside the great hall of the castle just outside of Logan the Lord Richard Logan himself sitting on his seat and he was discussing a few different things with other important figures from Logan. They felt a few small shudders in the ground which was somewhat unusual but since the shudders were so weak there was no reason to be truly alarmed.

Instead the group just carried on with their discussions such as the next harvest festival but before long a lone guard came into the great hall and he seemed to be in a state of surprise. Lord Logan who in his younger days had been the definition of fitness but in his later years had turned fat with a thick red beard. He was completely bald with a small scar on his left cheek which he picked up in a training accident.

"Lord Logan I apologise for interrupting but there is something that has popped up which requires your immediate attention," said the guard. He was only a young man who had only been working there for a few short months.

"What is it boy?" replied Lord Logan. He was a good natured man but he wasn't above getting annoyed. "Spit it out."

"There is some bounty hunter and a monster waiting outside. And they wish to speak with you."

"A monster you say?" He found this hard to believe since he didn't think that actual monsters existed. There were the occasional tales of dragons but they had not been seen in this part of Angleland for some years. "I find that hard to believe." He thought that it was most likely a man who suffered from some kind of deformity.

With some amount of haste Lord Logan made his way to the main entrance of his castle. As usual he was surrounded by guards since he knew that by meeting a pair who were called a Bounty Hunter and a Monster it would be foolish to meet them unprotected. He was somewhat annoyed that he had been bothered about this but he did want to find out exactly what was going on.

It was only when he opened the main door that led out of the castle did he see a giant foot a fair few metres away. This took him by surprise but as he looked up he could see Jessica standing there. She smiled down at him as a way to seem less threatening and Tucker was sitting on her shoulder. As usual he had a piece of her hair wrapped around him for protection from falling. In her hands lay the now conscious bodies of the Children Of Lankin. Each one of them had been tied up and could not move. They could have rolled but if they rolled off of Jessica's hand they would have easily fallen to their deaths.

Lord Logan gave a small shriek of shock as he looked at Jessica and almost immediately he went to go back inside but he knew that he had to stay brave. He had fought against many opponents who were intimidating and for the moment since Jessica hadn't done anything aggressive he was willing to keep his nerves for the time being.

"Hi there," said Jessica as she knelt down. She was speaking with her calmest voice so that she didn't panic the somewhat old man. "Please don't be scared we come in peace." Gently she placed the thieves on the ground, they had been laying in the palm of her hands but most of them were just glad to be back on the ground. "I believe that you've been looking for these guys."

"The Children Of Lankin?" This had caught him by surprise but he did recognise them for what they were. The pickpocket gangs wore specific attire to distinguish one group from another. He was too busy looking at the thieves to notice Jessica placing Tucker on the ground before slowly shrinking down to her smallest size.

"Yes they gave us a bit of a run for our money but we still captured them," said Tucker as he took a step towards Lord Logan. There were a couple of guards standing between him the Lord himself.

"Incredible, I would have thought that maybe a bounty hunter could bring in one or two at a time but not six."

"Well you can thank my very tall friend for that."

"Yes indeed." He went to speak on but when he looked at Jessica he was very surprised to find that she had shrunk down to eight feet in height. It did make her seem less threatening than before. "Wow wait you're Jessica Snape."

"What you know who I am?" replied Jessica with some shock. She had expected him to actually know who she was.

"Of course." One by one the thieves were picked up and taken away by other guards after a couple of hand signals by Lord Logan himself. "You were the remarkable woman who was supposed to marry Lord Nostory of July. Believe me word of events like that spread quickly amongst the lords and ladies of the land." He then looked at Tucker for a moment before continuing to speak. "And you must be Tucker Martel unless I'm mistaken." Tucker was not as surprised that Lord Logan knew his name. If he had heard of Jessica there was a good chance that he would have heard of Tucker also.

"Yes that's right," replied Tucker. It seemed that everything was going better than he had expected but the most crucial part of the whole meeting was still to come and if it didn't go their way he didn't know exactly how Jessica would react.

"I thought so. I received a raven about what took place in July and I must admit I'm somewhat impressed. I don't think anyone has ever made Lord Nostory as angry as you have. And when I heard about a young woman who could grow as tall as a mountain was just some kind of tall story so to speak. Now I see that not only is it true but she is a very beautiful creature to say the least.

Jessica wanted to return the compliment but she began remembering how things had started out in July and how quickly they had gone downhill. She kept herself composed as she feared that history was about to repeat itself.

"You honour me with your words," said Jessica. She still remembered her manners and the fact that she was talking to a lord. "But before we go any further this is something else that we need to discuss."

"Oh and what's that?" He was very curious since he had thought that this was going to be a very quick meeting. He kept his guards close just in case Jessica and Tucker tried anything against him.

"Those thieves that we've just brought to you, what will happen to them now?" This was the big question that she had been wondering.

"Well I suppose that they'll be hung. They have been terrorising my town for years and I see no other fitting punishment." This was not the news that Jessica had wanted to hear and she knew that she had to do something to save the lives of the thieves that they had captured. "May I request that you spare their lives?" She even got down to her knee to show even more respect. "Please I beg of you, I do not want to be the reason for the death of anyone be they good or evil. If you will spare their lives my friend and I are willing to give up the reward money. Please show them mercy."

"You really want me to spare the lives of those degenerates? I highly doubt that they would have the same compassion for you if the roles were reversed." He found what was happening extremely strange since very rarely did a bounty hunter wish for their target not to be killed. He wanted to see where this would lead.

"Then we must show that we are better than they are. There is no justification for taking the life of another. I beg you Lord Logan please spare them."

"Hmm I respect your character Miss Snape." This was true but he also didn't want to do anything that might enrage her. He had heard how she almost killed Lord Nostory although he didn't think that he was in immediate danger. "If that is what you wish then so shall it be. They will be thrown into the dungeons and left there to rot for a period of time of my choosing. Maybe after that they'll decide to be model citizens although I doubt it. Of course your reward money will go towards making sure that they're fed and so on. Keeping a man in a dungeon and also trying to keep them alive does cost some gold and since we have six of them you can imagine how the costs will go up."

"I thank you for your mercy Lord Logan." She then stood up to her full height and she was actually happy. Tucker himself was somewhat disappointed since they had lost the reward money but Jessica's happiness was worth a lot more to him than gold. They had taken their gold back from the thieves along with their other possessions including their map. What was most important had been returned so he was somewhat happy about this. "If there is nothing else to discuss then we will be on our way."

"Before you leave you have to have some kind of reward. Since you were willing to give up the gold I can give you food."

Jessica and Tucker wanted to accept but the problem was that after their experience in July they were a little weary of Lords. They knew that Lord Logan would most likely be a lot nicer than Lord Nostory and very unlikely to throw them in the dungeon. Despite this they wanted to be cautious.

"Thank you very much for the offer my lord but we will have to decline," said Tucker who was speaking for the both of them. "We have more than enough food for what we need and merely doing you a service is payment enough."

"Very well you are indeed a rare pair," replied Lord Logan. He respected what he was seeing and he could also see the hint of fear in them as well. "But still you cannot be unrewarded, you can at least take this." He made a couple of hand gestures to his guards and one of them went inside the castle. It only took him a few moments to return with a piece of paper and a quill pen. He then signed something on the paper and past it over to Tucker. The wannabe knight took a look at it but he wasn't sure of what it was. "That there is a Distinction Of Logan, with this you are recognised as an ally of Logan. Lords who are also considered to be my allies will be more lenient towards you and even grant you some greater freedoms than normal citizens. From what I've seen of you pair I doubt that you'll get yourself into too much trouble with the law but if you do this will help you out with lesser crimes. Other crimes deemed more serious I'm afraid that you're on your own with that one. Somewhat imagine it as an I.P. pass."

"A what pass?" asked Jessica as she looked over Tucker's shoulder at the writing on the paper.

"Imagine it as being a step down from a V.I.P pass." He was not just rewarding them for their seeming willingness to give up the reward and sparing the lives of the thieves. He was not a fan of Lord Nostory and enjoyed the fact that they had taken him down by a peg or two. When he had heard he laughed for some time and he had not thought that he was going to have the opportunity to reward them.

"I see." She did bow down to him for a moment. "We thank you Lord Logan for this gift that you have given us."

"You're welcome and don't forget that you are always welcome to come back to Logan. If you brought any wanted crooks then that would be even better. I hope that you find what you're looking for and now I bid you farewell."

With the map back in their possession and the thieves taken by Lord Logan, they could get on with what they originally came to do. Jessica and Tucker wasted no time in going back to the library so that they could return to Ben who could hopefully translate the text that had appeared on the bottom of the map.

This time when they entered the library they could see that Ben was awake and sorting some of the books that was one the shelves. Jessica did have to go through the annoying part where she was too tall to properly stand up without her head touching the ceiling. If it meant that they would be out of here quicker and back on with their quest that was even better for her and Tucker.

Ben didn't waste any time in looking at the map that he had been given and he looked at the text before him. He was surprised by what he could see and the curious look that he gave did somewhat worry Tucker. Ben rubbed his chin as he tried to recognise the language that was written down. This was noticed by Tucker who became increasingly worried since if the text couldn't be translated their quest would end here and now. Jessica had not noticed but she was still curious.

"What does it say?" asked Jessica who was standing behind Ben and looked over him. He was still uncomfortable about the fact that she was easily two feet taller than him but he still tried his best.

"To tell you the truth I don't know," replied Ben as he continued to look at the text. "It isn't like any language I've ever come across. I may not be fluent in every language in history but I still know enough to recognise the language. This one isn't like any language I've ever come across before."

"So what now?" replied Tucker as he felt the goal of the quest starting to slip away. He was facing the prospect of returning to Morgan empty handed and he knew that he would be humiliated.

"All is not lost. I do have a theory but it might just take me a moment to figure it all out." He took another good look at the message and began to go through a few things in his head. He concentrated on the first word and after he had finished his calculations he was almost certain that he was indeed correct. "To tell you the truth I don't think that this is another language but instead a code. I believed that whoever wrote it used what I called a reverse alphabet."

"A what?"

"A reversed alphabet. It is written in the common tongue but the alphabet is reversed so to speak. A becomes Z, B becomes Y, C becomes X and so on."

"Can you decipher what it is says?" He was beginning to get excited as he sensed that the quest was not actually over.

"It will take me a couple of minutes but I should be able to find out what it says. It is as good as translated."

With that Ben took out a piece of paper and a quill pen. He began to look carefully at the message on Tucker and Jessica's map and one by one he reversed the letters. As the minutes went by the pair could see a clear message being written before and all they needed to do was to allow Ben to finish. For Tucker each moment felt like a lifetime and he was beginning to become impatient.

"There we go I believe that this is it," said Ben as he looked at the message that he had just written down on the blank piece of paper.

"Oh thank the gods," replied Tucker who was about to say something else if Ben had not finished at the moment that he did. He didn't realise that when he said thank the gods, one of the gods was much closer than he suspected. The demi-goddess Gwen was still sitting on Tucker's shoulder but she was still too small for anyone to see. She could see and hear everything that was taking place but everyone was oblivious to her presence. "So what does it say?"

"Well it says 'What you seek cannot be found with the eye. Only one with a purest of hearts by the tallest tree and find what you seek.'"

For Tucker this was an extremely happy moment and he even wrapped his arm around Jessica and jumped up and down a little in celebration. For Ben he thought that it was a little strange but Jessica was used to it. She had seen him happy on more than one occasion and what he did when he was happy.

"That's it!" shouted Tucker as he didn't care who heard him. "We can finally get on with our quest and be rich beyond our wildest dreams!" Already the trip to the second trial had taken much longer than he had expected. They had taken a few detours along the way but now he actually thought that they had a decent chance of finding the treasure and being insanely rich.

"Hey don't let the whole world know," replied Jessica as she placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. Her hand was so large that it more or less covered up his shoulder.

"Oh sorry." His voice had quietened down as he knew that he had to be cautious. They had already gone through a series of unfortunately events and he knew that he was tempting fate by doing this.

Ben wasn't sure of what to make out of all of this. He didn't have too much of an idea that Tucker and Jessica were on a quest. But the truth was that he couldn't really care less, he was happy enough with reading about quests in books and he had no interest in actually taking part in one. He was not unrewarded for his help as Tucker gave him a few gold coins for his troubles.

In his haste Tucker wanted to leave Logan as soon as possible and go back to the area of the second trial but it was already going dark and Jessica was too tired to walk anywhere. He hated to admit that they would have to stay for an additional night so that they could rest up and continue the next morning.

One thing that was also unfortunate for the pair was the fact that their first choice of accommodation was not available to them. The Red Herring Inn was full so they had to stay in an inn that was not as grand. It was cheaper however but the room was uncomfortably small. The ceiling was only seven feet high so the eight foot Jessica was very uncomfortable inside. There was only a single bed and like the gentleman Tucker was he allowed Jessica to take the bed. Unfortunately it was only six feet long so when she lay on it her feet came off the end. Her feet even touched the floor when she lay on the bed and to her it was another reminder that she was living in a world that was too small for her.

At least for Jessica the bed was somewhat comfortable but for Tucker that was sleeping on the ground it was incredibly uncomfortable. It felt like something was constantly sticking into his side and he felt that someone was actually poking him. He would have loved nothing more than to have slept on the bed but he didn't want to move Jessica so he just had to make due.

Eventually Tucker did go to sleep when fatigue won over his comfortability. He didn't notice the near microscopic speck that was Gwen step off his shoulder. As soon as she landed on the ground she enlarged herself to around five feet tall. She had been entertained that day but now that Tucker and Jessica were asleep she knew that she would become bored. She wanted to have a little fun around town before returning to the pair. She figured that she could do what she wanted while they were asleep and return to Tucker's shoulder before they woke up.

Gwen remembered what happened the last time she came to Logan. Back then it was nothing more than a couple of huts located in the northeast of the continent. She allowed herself to grow so large that she was able to pick up the ground around the huts and bring them down to the southwest where she knew that they would have a better life. Unfortunately this act of kindness had long been forgotten by the people of Logan since it took place many thousands of years ago when humanity had no form of writing.

As Gwen left the inn she planned to go somewhere where she could have a bit of fun, there were many taverns that stayed open for many more hours and she thought that she could find some entertainment there. For now she stayed her current size even though she considered herself to be short.

At this hour there were not many people on the streets of Logan since most decent people were asleep. Most of the people on the streets were either drunks who were trying to find their way home or others who still wanted to have a drink or two.

Eventually Gwen found herself at the front door of a tavern located at the furthest east point of Logan. She could hear that something was going on inside and her curiosity made her go inside and see what was happening. As she entered the tavern itself she could smell the stench of numerous men with body odour problems mixed with low quality ale. The only light source within the tavern was a large log fire and a few fire torches scattered around on the walls.

Gwen could see two men sitting at a table with a crowd of people around them. The two men were arm wrestling and both men were incredibly muscular and the match was not that much of a sport but more like a war as both of them tried to get an advantage over the other. It had been going on for a few minutes with each man almost being defeated by the other. The crowd were in uproar as they watched the action unfold.

It took another few minutes for one of the men to finally take the advantage that he needed and defeat his opponent. When the match had finally finished there was a roar from the crowd and one of them even lifted the victor's arm in the air as the loser got up and slowly walked away. The victor was laughing and he took a drink out of his large wooden cup that held the cheap ale that Gwen had been able to smell. As he stood up to his feet he was easily seven feet tall and his muscles were easily seen by everyone in the tavern. He was a good natured man who was not particularly aggressive. His muscles were thanks to his trade as a lumberjack and his laugh was deep.

"I think I have one more good game left in me!" shouted the Victor. He looked around and he towered above everyone in the tavern and he didn't even see Gwen because she was in amongst the other people. "So is there anyone brave enough to test their strength against mine." At first there was no answer as everyone knew that they would not stand a chance against him. He almost thought that he wasn't going to have another opponent until Gwen's voice was heard as she volunteered herself. People stepped away from her so that the man had a clear view of her and he began to laugh. "Is this some kind of joke?" His laugh only became louder and Gwen was confused.

"Why would it be a joke?" replied Gwen with some surprise in her voice. She had seen the game of arm wrestling a few times during her last travels to Angleland and so she did know how to play.

"Well isn't it obvious? I'm a big guy." He did a little pose with his arm so that everyone could see how muscular he was. "And you're a little woman, I'm sure you can arm wrestle but it won't be a fair fight."

"Oh I see, my size is the problem." She had suddenly realised what she had done wrong and quickly she began to grow much to the surprise of everyone in the tavern and especially the man himself. Not only did her height increase but she was also manipulating the size of her muscles so that they grew as well. Everyone gasped and moved further away from her as the process continued and once again the clothing that Gwen was wearing changed size along with her. She didn't stop growing until she was as tall and muscular as the man she was challenging and she took a quick look down at herself before looking over at him. "Is this better?"

Everyone in the tavern stood in utter awe at what they had just seen. Over the course of what was only a few seconds they had seen a woman who had barely been five feet tall with a skinny frame into a near seven foot amazon with very large muscles. Her body size was identical to the man that had given the arm wrestling challenge. He too was in utter shock and he felt a very sinking feeling. He didn't even know if what he had just seen was real or a hallucination for drinking too much cheap ale.

The woman who had changed was of course Gwen who was the self-titled Mistress Of Size and with her superhuman abilities it was hard to dispute this. She still looked at the large man for a few moments in some confusion. Just moments ago he had claimed that she was too small to be a challenge so she had increased her size to match his. She also briefly looked down at the people around her, moments ago most had been taller than her but now she towered above each of them.

"H-how did you do that?" asked the man. He was still in disbelief and he was tempted to turn tail and run but his pride prevented him from doing this.

"Is this better because if I need to be bigger I can be," replied Gwen. She more or less ignored his question and she just wanted to make sure that she was the right size for the contest.

"N-no you're fine." He had not even contemplated the fact that Gwen could make herself even bigger if she wished.

"Oh good." She then moved to the empty seat that was opposite the man's and she quickly sat down on it. The chair creaked a little under her weight of pure flesh and muscle. She rarely used her abilities to increase the size of her muscles in this manner. "I'm ready when you are."

Almost without saying a word the man sat down in the chair opposite her and placed his elbow on the table and moments later he grasped her hand so that they could begin the contest. The people watching couldn't believe that he was actually going through with it and although most wanted to flee after what they had seen their curiosity kept them from leaving. They wanted to see how probably the mightiest arm wrestler in Logan faired against Gwen. At this point they had no idea that she was a demi-goddess, if they had they would have known who was the stronger.

Almost immediately the man felt Gwen's strong grip as the contest began. He used a small portion of his strength to try and win as he hoped that Gwen's appearance was mainly for show and that she was still actually as weak as she seemed before. Not surprisingly Gwen's arm didn't move as her strength was equal to his. He decided to apply more pressure and Gwen had to use some of her strength to prevent herself from losing the contest. She had not expected him to be this strong.

"I must admit that for a mortal you're pretty strong," said Gwen as she stared into his eyes. He was concentrating more on his arm and not really looking at her. It took him a moment to look up at her.

"And you're strong for a maiden," replied the man as he tried to win the contest but Gwen was not allowing this to happen.

"Oh I am no maiden." With that she increased her muscles even further and almost instantly her strength doubled. She had more than enough strength swing the man's arm onto the table and thus winning the contest. The crowd were in utter silence after what they had just seen while for Gwen it was like nothing in particular had happened. "It has been a while since I have witnessed this game but I believe that I won."

"H-How did you do that?" He was in utter amazement not only about the fact that he lost his undefeated streak to a woman but the fact that she had been able to manipulate her size in the manner that she had. Already people around them began to move away due to the fact that the match was finished but also out of sheer fear. He was somewhat afraid at what Gwen had just done but he was more curious than anything else.

"Oh I'm a demi-goddess." She threw this as if it was not that big of a deal and by now the crowd had completely dispersed. "Right now I'm using the name Gwen, although I've been called many different things over the millennia. Some call me the great liberator while others have called me a destroyer."

"And which is it?" He still couldn't believe that he had been beaten but the fact that he had been competing against a demi-goddess gave him some comfort. Normally he would not believe that she was some kind of deity but after what he had seen he could hardly dispute the fact.

"Right now I'm neither. I'm just bored and I needed a little excitement that only you mortals can satisfy. I've even learned a few things since I came here, just like how delicious your foods." She could see that he was intimidated by her. "I'm sorry I didn't catch your name." In the past she would not much have cared but right now her own curiosity made her ask this question.

"Reginald." He almost gasped after he had said his name. He could feel his heartbeat rise of some fear. He did admit to himself that she was very beautiful but the fear he felt prevented him from feeling much attraction.

"I see now that I am scaring but you need not fear me." She began to make herself smaller, not only did she shrink in height but she also began to lose the huge muscles that she had gained for the contest. Within moments she looked more like a normal woman but she kept making herself smaller until only her head was above the table as she sat down. She genuinely didn't want to scare him and found him to be more curious than anything else. Rarely had she seen a man as big and muscular as him before she had to return to Tucker and Jessica she wanted to have some fun with him. "I've learned that mortals are scared of things that are big but now that I am much smaller than you it should make you a little easier around me."

"Y-yes that's a little better." His heart had almost skipped a beat when he seen her shrinking. Right now she was probably the smallest person that he had ever seen. The sight of seeing someone change size like that was breath taking and there was no one else around to see what was happening. The tavern had soon cleared out and even the tavern owner had made himself scare. "I'm sorry but you're so tiny."

"Yes I've learned that making myself small doesn't make me seem as intimidating to you mortals. "I admit that I enjoy being big but being small does have its benefits as well, just like how I'm travelling with two people who are trying to find this treasure." She had more or less forgotten the name of the treasure that Jessica and Tucker were trying to find. She had not really cared for the name since to her treasure had no real worth to her. "They don't even know that I'm still around." She chuckled at the fact that the pair had thought that she had gone back to where she had come from. They had not even thought about the fact that she had been travelling on Tucker's shoulder. "Also I've seen things that no mortal has ever seen before."

"Like what?" Reginald's curiosity was spiking and he couldn't help but look down at the tiny Gwen who was still sitting in her chair.

"When I shrink to a certain size I see creatures that are so small that no mortal can hope to see them. They can make your most terrifying creatures look nothing more than a child's play thing. Beyond that I've seen spheres that many of them are compacted together. They seem to make up everything around us." She lifted her hand up and knocked a little on the table. "This table is made out of countless of these spheres. More than any mere mortal can fathom and in the past I've shrunk so much that these spheres have seemed to be mountains in comparison to me." She seemed to be proud of what she had done. She was of course referring to atoms and if a human had shrunk to her size they would suffocate due to the fact that oxygen atoms would be too large for them to breathe. Since Gwen didn't need oxygen this was not a problem that she needed to worry about.

"Why would you do something like that?" He was almost blown away by what Gwen was saying. Normally he would say that she was lying but he couldn't help but believe what she was saying, especially after seeing how she changed her size.

"Because I could. Just like how I grew large enough to separate all the landmasses of the world." There was a small smile on her face after she made this admission. She saw that Reginald had a confused look on his face and she took a sigh as she knew that she was going to have to explain. "Countless generations ago all the landmasses of the world was just one big landmass. I found this boring so I decided to separate them. I still can't believe that your people have only really colonized two of them." He still looked at her with some confusion, he could figure that her height would have to have been thousands upon thousands of miles tall to be able to complete an act like that. "And before you ask why I would do something like that it was because I could and you have to admit that things are much better with them all separated, don't you think?"

"I err..." He was somewhat at a loss for words. "Well I would say that it is better but the thing is that no one who's alive today has known any different. It is hard to really give you an answer since we've never experienced the landmasses being together. Some may prefer them being separated while others would much prefer them to be all together again." For once it seemed to be Gwen who was the one surprised and the smile on her face only grew with each passing moment.

"I never thought of that." She seemed to be genuinely impressed with him and she got off her chair and began to walk over to him. As she did she increased her size until she was considered to be a normal size. "There aren't many mortals who can surprise me." She stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her lips were only a couple of inches away from his ear. "You know I could take you to places that you've never even contemplated. Make you feel things that have only been reserved for the gods themselves." He felt her tongue come into contact with his ear. He didn't realise that her mouth was too far away from his ear to normally touch it with her tongue. She was using her powers to extend her tongue so that she could reach it.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh I think you know what I mean. If there's one thing I've learned about mortals there's only one thing they really think of."

It was at this point that Reginald realised that Gwen was talking about sex. He couldn't believe that she was actually coming onto him. He didn't know whether to be honoured or terrified. A woman who admitted to being a demi-goddess and with the ability to be any size that she pleased. Although she mainly had her eye on Tucker she didn't mind taking something on the side until she got her prize. Reginald was a man who she found very fascinating and to her it was enough to allow him to have intercourse with her. She was already looking forward to the experience.

"I-I don't think I should," said Reginald as he realised what Gwen was talking about. The next thing he felt was Gwen's hand grasping his shoulder fairly tight. He wasn't sure but her hand also looked a little bigger than it did a few moments before but he thought that he was just imagining it.

"Do you really want to defy me?" replied Gwen with a hint of anger in her voice. She was used to getting whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it. She wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of what she wanted, especially a mortal.

"N-No I don't." He was quickly backtracking his words as he knew that it would likely make her angry and he doubted that he would like her when she was like that. "I'm sorry you misunderstood."

"Good, now is there anywhere where we can have a bit of alone time?" She gave his ear another little lick with her elongated tongue and it sent a shiver down his spine but he still kept it to himself.

Minutes later Gwen had been led to what seemed to be a small shack. It was where he would keep many of his tools and it was far enough out of the way that not many people would be able to hear them. When they arrived Gwen took no time in pushing him to the ground. It had happened so suddenly that Reginald was caught by surprise. He fell down quickly and Gwen made sure that the door was closed behind her, she wanted him all to herself.

The shack itself was quite small and scattered around was numerous tools that Reginald used in his lumberjack trade. It was not the cleanest of places but it did its job well and that's all a lumberjack really needed.

The next thing that Gwen did was to take off her clothing and throw it down to the ground. Reginald for the first time saw her naked body and she truly had the body of a goddess. He could feel his manhood beginning to grow and although he didn't particularly want it to happen but from what he could see he couldn't help himself. Her breasts seemed to be the perfect size as they were not too big or too small, he could see some tones of her muscles and a small amount of pubic hair around her crotch region. There seemed to be no imperfection on her body at all and it seemed that she had been chiselled out of granite. She smiled down at him that seemed to be angelic but he couldn't help but feel that there was a small amount of terror behind her smile.

"Well I'm naked now," said Gwen as she knelt down to him. "I think you need to be the same." She then grabbed onto his trousers and with one mighty pull she was able to rip them off him with strength that seemed to be beyond her current body's limitations. She could see his erection in his pants and she couldn't help but giggle as she too ripped them off. She could see his large erect penis for the first time in all of its glory and she did look in amazement for a few moments. "Wow for a mortal you have a very big manhood. You're such a big man."

All of Reginald's fears seemed to melt away as all he could think about was making love to Gwen. She was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen and just the thought of being with her right now was overwhelming for him. He actually smiled as she walked over to his crotch. She began to sit down but as she did she began to slide his large penis into her vagina and she groaned in pleasure as she could feel it going inside of her. It was pleasure that she never felt when she was on the higher plain and it made her trip down to Angle land that much more exciting for her. Reginald himself could only feel pleasure as he felt his penis entering Gwen. It was a feeling that was almost too much for him to comprehend and he was basically just going through the emotions.

The next thing he felt was unusual. He wasn't exactly sure at first but he felt the space around his penis begin to tighten. He looked over to Gwen and saw that she was slowly growing smaller. It seemed that she wanted to make his penis seem as large as possible so she was shrinking herself. The feeling was a little constricting for Reginald but they were too lost in the moment to really care.

"Y-you're amazing!" stated Reginald as he enjoyed every moment of what was taking place. He was feeling something that no human alive today had ever felt but for Gwen this was not the first mortal that she had sex with.

"Why are you telling me something I already know?" replied Gwen as she too was giving into her pleasure. She had shrunk herself to the point where it was impossible for her to get his penis out of her. She was still able to move up and down on him and she gave out cries of pleasure. "Keep it coming."

Gwen shrunk herself even more and the constricted space around Reginald's penis was causing him some discomfort. He was too stuck in the moment to really care about this as he was experiencing the greatest joy that he had ever known. He felt himself ejaculate and he was somewhat surprised that the now quite small Gwen didn't rocket off of his penis and into the air.

If anything Gwen was lost in the moment more than Reginald and she didn't notice that she was actually making herself bigger. She was still crying out in absolute joy and she felt that she was about to orgasm. She was too busy having sex with Reginald to notice that she was growing. Reginald himself had noticed that she was getting bigger and before long she was up to an acceptable size but he saw that she was still growing. He began to chuckle a little as he thought that this was trying to pleasure him.

"Hey Gwen you're getting a little big," said Reginald as he could feel her weight beginning to increase. Gwen didn't listen to him as she could feel the orgasm coming faster and already she was bigger than him and still growing. "Gwen stop growing, you're crushing me." His pleas still fell upon deaf ears.

Gwen continued to scream in pleasure and her body continued to grow. When the orgasm finally came she gave an earth crumbling scream of joy and her body rocketed up as she burst out of the small hut and pieces of it went flying in all directions. It was only then that she stopped growing and seemed to relax. She was still sitting down but even sitting down she was still easily twenty feet tall. She gave a huge smile as she stretched her back for the moment and for now her sexual urge had been satisfied.

"I haven't had an orgasm like that for a long time," said Gwen as she didn't even notice that she had completely destroyed the hut. It was either that or she didn't care. "You should be proud Richie, not many mortals have made me orgasm like that." She was expecting some kind of answer from Reginald but there was none. "Richie?" She looked down to her crotch and saw Reginald there. His eyes were still open and yet there was no life in them. Some blood was dripping from his mouth and his head was slanting to one side. In Gwen's pleasure she had crushed him underneath her growing body. She quickly stood up to her full height and began to shrink herself. "Seems I forgot how fragile mortals can be." There was no one around to see her as she continued to shrink. "It's a shame we can't do this again but at least you've served your purpose." When she felt that she was the right size she put her clothing back on and went to walk away. She turned her head to look at him for the moment before walking away as if nothing had happened.

As Gwen continued to walk in the streets there was still no one around and since Reginald's hut had just been outside of Logan there was no one really around to see what had happened. It would not be long before someone found his body but this was the last thing that Gwen was thinking about. It was close to dawn and she was somewhat worried that Tucker and Jessica would leave before she returned.

The reason why Gwen had decided to keep her presence a secret from them is because she figured their actions would be affected by her presence. By being completely out of sight in that manner it would reinstate the belief that she was no longer around so Tucker and Jessica wouldn't act any differently. She didn't want to go back to the higher plains before she saw the conclusion of the quest.

For once Gwen didn't want to draw any attention to herself since she knew that it would only slow her down so she stayed at a normal size as she walked through the town. She began to see a couple of people going about their business. These were generally the kind of people that their work needed to be started before the masses began to wake up. They didn't seem to notice her as she seemed to be like any normal woman. Her clothing was a little different to that which was the common fashion but nothing to really take that much notice of. If they had known what she was and even what she had just done things would have been a lot different in an instant.

One person that she did walk past was a man who ran a fruit and vegetable store. For an instant the store owner turned around to pick up some items and Gwen took an apple off as she walked past and began to eat it. She had not done this because the man had been distracted. She had done it simply so that she could eat and it had been dumb luck that the owner had not spotted her. Even if he had of done it was extremely unlikely that he could have done anything to stop her.

It took a few more minutes of walking before Gwen reached the inn where Tucker and Jessica were staying. Quickly she moved inside the building and made her way up to their room. She quietly opened the door and was relieved to see Tucker and Jessica were still fast asleep. Gwen did smile a little as she began to walk over to Tucker who was still asleep on the floor. As she walked she began to shrink herself and but the time she actually reached him she was only a few inches in height.

Gwen climbed onto Tucker's body and continued to walk and once again she made herself smaller and smaller. By the time she had reached his shoulder she could no longer and she was back to being incognito.

It was around an hour and a half later before Tucker began to wake up. He didn't feel very refreshed since his sleep had been extremely uncomfortable. He sat up from where he was lying and began to stretch himself so that he could try and eliminate some of his aches. He looked over to Jessica and saw that she was still asleep. Her feet still touched the floor at the end of the bed, she was completely in her own little dream world and Tucker himself didn't have the heart to wake her up.

Eventually he thought that they had to move on before they lost too much daylight so he went to wake Jessica up. He knew from experience that when Jessica was asleep that she was like a log and he did try to push her to try and wake her up. Rather than waking up Jessica subconsciously stretched her arms and grabbed him. She pulled him down so hard that he was completely taken by surprise and he found his face in her chest. He tried to struggle but even asleep she still had more than enough strength to hold him. He couldn't see the large smile on her face as she continued to sleep and hug him.

Eventually Tucker's constant movement did eventually wake her up and as she yawned at first she didn't realise what she was doing. As her vision began to return she could see that her arms were wrapped around Tucker and that his face was square in her chest. He had just enough space for him to breathe and although he did think that her breasts were very soft he still wanted his freedom.

"Hey Tucker," said Jessica with a smile upon her face. "What are you doing down there?" She had yet to release him and a small part of her was actually enjoying what was happening Tucker tried to respond but his words were being muffled and she couldn't hear what he was saying. "What was that?"

At that moment she released her hold on him and quickly he stood up and began to pant. Although he had been getting oxygen it was not enough for him and he had to breathe quickly to make up for what he had missed. His face was red after being in her breasts for what seemed to be an eternity and although he wanted to be angry he could not bring himself to it. He could see her smiling up at him and he knew that she didn't mean any harm. He was the last person that she would ever harm.

"W-what was that about?" asked Tucker as the redness in his face began to subside and it slowly returned to normal.

"I don't know," replied Jessica with a small amount of mischief in her voice. "I was dreaming that I was giving the cutest little puppy the world's biggest hug. Imagine my surprise when I woke up and it was actually you." She did giggle a little at what had just happened and in truth she much preferred what happened in reality in comparison to her dream.

"Anyway we're losing daylight and if you don't mind I want to get away from this place. I don't want that gang's friends catching wind of where we are."

"Don't worry about it." She turned herself and planted her feet off the side of the bed. She was already in a seated position and she continued to look up and smile at him. "I can protect the both of us from anyone who wants to hurt us." She began to stand up to her full height but in the excitement of everything that had just happened she forgot just how low the ceiling was and quickly Tucker heard a loud thud and a small amount of dust fall from the ceiling. Jessica herself gave out a small cry of pain and it was just another reminder that the world around her was not made for her size. The smile on her face faded away instantly and she had to bend down a little and rub her head.

Tucker himself couldn't help but laugh a little at what had just happened but Jessica glared down at him and he quickly stopped giggling. The fact that he had even laughed at this hurt her more than the impact but like Tucker before she knew that he didn't mean to hurt her in any way.

After a quick breakfast the pair decided to make their way to the location of the second trial. As soon as they were a safe enough distance away from Logan, Jessica grew herself to her maximum size and she carried Tucker like before. One thing they did see as they were leaving Logan was the destroyed shack that had belonged to Reginald. His body had already been moved so they didn't have to worry about finding the body. They had not taken too much notice of the hut itself and if they had known that Gwen was responsible they would have done everything they could to find her. They didn't know that the demi-goddess was right on Tucker's shoulder. She could see and hear everything that was happening and it seemed that she could remain like this for as long as she wanted.

The trip back to the location of the second trial went without any serious events. The only minor occurrence that happened Tucker had grazed his elbow. Concerned for his health Jessica had done everything that she could to try and make it better for him, she had even gone so far as to completely wrap his arm up in leaves as if he had actually broken it. Tucker knew that she was worrying over nothing but he didn't really stop her because to him it just showed that she cared.

Soon enough the pair found themselves in a familiar setting as Tucker looked around to see what they had seen before when they came looking for the second trial. Before he even started looking he looked at the map and saw that the message was still there as clear as day. It had not changed at all and fortunately he had written down the correct message on a separate piece of paper so he didn't have to figure it out. A shadow loomed over him and he didn't need to fear since it was only Jessica who was at her full size. She was kneeling down so that she could see him better.

"Ok Jess according to this map we've got to find the tallest tree," said Tucker as he looked up at her. "I don't think I need to remind you why you're more suited to finding it than me. Just whatever you do don't go off without me." This was a little joke that he was having with her and Jessica responded by giving him the ok hand gesture and then standing up to her full height.

"Ok Tucker I'll keep that in mind," replied Jessica. She was putting on a louder voice to make herself sound mightier. This again was just a little joke between them and as she stood up as usual she could see for miles around. This was a vantage point that no human being had ever seen in this manner and she was so used to it that it didn't even seem to be anything special to her.

Jessica did begin to look around for the tallest tree but she discovered that almost all of them were practically the same height. There were a couple that seemed to be taller than average but nothing that seemed to be out of place. It took her a few moments to see what looked to be a dead tree sticking out some distance away. It was so thin that from where she was standing. It did stick out above the tree line by some distance and it almost seemed like it shouldn't even be standing. The truth was that the tree had been there for longer than any other tree in the area, all that time it was seemingly dead and eventually it would have fallen down by itself but for some unexplained reason it was still standing but since not many people came through this part of the land not many really noticed. She didn't take long to look down at Tucker who was standing right next to her foot.

"I see something," said Jessica. She looked over to where she had seen the dead tree and she pointed towards it. "There's a dead tree a few miles away that's taller than the others. I think it might even be taller than me."

"Great work Jessica," replied Tucker. He knew that she wouldn't fail him. "I can already see us passing the test with flying colours." The next thing he saw was Jessica kneel down again and place the palm of her hand on the ground right next to him. He didn't need to be a genius to know what she wanted.

"Unless you're planning to walk I suggest that you climb aboard." This once again was a small joke between the pair and she waited until Tucker had stepped onto her hand before she stood back up. By now she had learned that it was best for her to lift a person up slowly rather than quickly. It was something that she had learned over a lifetime of being a giantess. She remembered picking up people in the past and lifting them so quickly that it made them throw up which was not a pleasant sight.

As soon as Jessica knew that Tucker was safe she began to walk towards the tree. She had to move past several other trees and she didn't want to just destroy them since each tree was basically the home for a number of creatures. She could even see squirrels running through a couple of the trees and the last thing she wanted was to make them homeless.

The ground that she walked on was very uneven and it was hard for her to keep her balance. Once or twice she almost lost her footing and fell but thankfully she was able to stay on her feet despite all of this. If she fell over she knew that Tucker wouldn't be able to survive. When she was at her full size she always had to be cautious about more or less everything. Even something as simple as a sneeze could cause disastrous effects for many living things around her.

"Wow steady Jessica," said Tucker as he felt her jitter. She had already placed him on her shoulder ad wrapped some hair around him. He had almost fallen off but thankfully he was able to stay seated.

"Sorry Tucker," replied Jessica. "This terrains a lot rougher than I thought. She tried to look down but the trees below her covered her view. "It would be easier if I could see my abnormally large feet."

"Believe everyone below the treeline can see your feet. Just walk steady and you should be fine."

"Easier said than done." She heard a loud cracking sound and she hoped that she had just trodden on an old log or something like that. She stopped for a moment and moved the leaves around her waist so that she could see her feet. Much to her relief what she had stepped on was actually an old log and she gave a sigh of relief. She didn't know how she would react if she killed some innocent woodland creature. "I'm seriously thinking that it's a better idea for us both to go on foot."

"But that could take us hours." He didn't really like the concept of walking when he had his best friend who could carry him more or less anywhere he wanted. "Surely you can keep going."

"I really don't want to since I really don't want to trip over something that I can't see or step on some squirrel that was unlucky enough to be under my foot." He was beginning to see that he wasn't going to change her mind. He just gave a sigh of defeat as he felt her unwrap the hair around him and then lower him to the ground. No sooner had she done this she shrank herself until she was at her minimum size although most people would still call her a towering giantess. "There I can see my feet now."

"Ok now that you're happy we can keep going. I want to find the test before nightfall." This was a wise move since it would be harder for them to travel at night and they could also run into something that could cause them serious harm.

The pair did continue their walk towards where they had seen the dead tree. Unfortunately for Jessica she came across a new problem. Unfortunately her height seemed to be the perfect one for low branches to strike her head. She was constantly having to duck to avoid these branches and once or twice she was actually a little too late and they would strike her. Tucker could hear her give small cries of pain each time and he had to hide his chuckles. Jessica herself was getting more annoyed and she was tempted to just growing back to her normal size and ripping the trees out. She did keep herself calm and she just kept going, she knew that if she did grow it would be showing that she didn't know best and that was something that she didn't really want to show to Tucker. Despite everything she did have a small amount of pride.

"Are you alright Jessica?" asked Tucker as they continued to walk. He could see that she wasn't having as good of a time as she would have liked and he also wanted her to know that he was concerned.

"Yeah I'm fine," replied Jessica. She looked down at him for a moment and this distraction made her come into contact with a low branch. It struck square in her forehead and it even caused her to fall to the ground. Tucker instantly went to her aid and she seemed to be groggy after the sudden impact. Although a bruise had appeared on her head the damage was not severe. Tucker did try to help her onto her feet but she was too heavy for him to lift. It was not because he was weak but because even at her shortest she was still very heavy. Her bone density was greater than that of a normal person so that her skeleton could support her giant size and the fact that she was much stronger than an average person only added to her overall weight.

"Wow Jessica you need to lay off the sweets." He was using all of his strength to try and get her up to her feet. With a bit of help from Jessica herself he was able to bring her back up to her feet and she rubbed her head. It had knocked her around a little and she did feel lightheaded. She was having to place her hand on Tucker's shoulders just to stay balanced and he could feel her weight upon him. He was able to suck it up and remain standing. "Jessica are you alright?" He knew that he had only asked that question a few moments before but he felt that he had to ask again.

"I'll be fine in a minute." She was still grasping her bearings and she did seem to be recovering. "What hit me?"

"Just another low branch, maybe you should just grow and walk the rest of the way." This was something that he had been hoping but even in her somewhat confused state she still wanted to stick with her judgement.

"No we continue on like this for now. It'll take more than a low branch to get the better of me." She was still recovering but she was grasping the situation more than she had done a few moments before. "If you're really that concerned you could try and carry me there, it would make a nice change."

"Oh you know I wouldn't get far." That was the truth, he could imagine himself trying to carry her on his back but he would only make two steps before collapsing under her weight. He could also imagine her laughing about it but it would not be out of malice but rather just a playful giggle.

"Well you always told me that you were a big strong man. This can be a way of you proving it." She knew that he wouldn't be able to carry her and if anything she was only teasing him a little.

"Maybe but I'm not that strong." They both laughed a little before they continued on with their walk.

The terrain of the forest was made up of small hills that constantly went up and down. Tucker began to see why Jessica had struggled to walk through it when she was gigantic. It would have been extremely easy for her to fall over and he thought that it was a miracle that it had not actually happened sooner. It just showed the balance that she had since if she had fallen over he would have most likely of been killed.

Unfortunately the terrain also made it more difficult for them to cross since they were constantly having go up and down. For Tucker in particular he was getting tired since he didn't have the long legs that Jessica had. She too was finding it difficult but at least she was having an easier time than him.

Eventually they did have to stop for a rest by a relatively large tree. They were still around a mile away from the dead tree that they had spotted but for now they were too tired to continue on.

"So when we get the treasure what are you thinking about doing with it?" asked Tucker. He already planned to buy himself a large plot of land and rule it as a Lord. With his treasure he would become one of the richest lords in Angleland and it would also be a great opportunity for him.

"I'm not sure really," replied Jessica. For her the whole quest had not really been about finding the treasure. It was more about spending time with Tucker and making sure that he didn't get himself into trouble. It was something that she had been doing most of her life and she planned to continue for as long as she could. "I might buy a bit of land but only a small patch. I want to plant my own garden and watch it grow."

"Wait a second, your parents own a farm. Couldn't they have given you a small piece of land to make a garden?"

"They wanted to but believe me they didn't have the space. Every inch of our land was dedicated to growing crops and feeding the animals. It was very hard for us to make ends meet and having even the tiniest bit of land for a garden could have actually ruined us. The fact that they had to spend most of what they had saved to raise me before I could shrink did almost make my parents lose their house. That's why I would only have a small patch of land somewhere else and quite a bit of the money I will give to my parents to make sure that they can live the rest of their lives without having to worry about money. That would make me happier than you could believe."

Tucker had to take a step back from the whole situation and think. He could see many considering his goal for the treasure to be somewhat selfish while Jessica's seemed to be noble. She was putting her own family before her happiness and he could see that she was kinder than he was. That's one reason why he liked her, despite everything that she had been through her life she was still a very nice person. He knew that many people would have become bitter after being shunned for so long but for Jessica she had been able to push the hatred out of herself and keep her golden heart intact. She had seemed to change a little since the whole business with Lord Nostory but he could still see her as the same woman that he had grown up with.

"Well that's a nice thing to do," said Tucker after he had taken a moment to think. "I might give some of it to my family but then again I think they're doing pretty well as blacksmiths." He laughed a little. "Nah I'd give them some."

"Do you miss them?"

"What, my family? Yeah I guess I do. I wonder if they're thinking about us right now. I do miss my brothers and sister." Unfortunately being the third brother he had seemed to be living in the shadows of his eldest brothers who were somewhat being groomed to take over the family business. His father had mainly been focusing on his eldest brother to take over the business once he was gone. This did allow Tucker and his younger brother to imagine that they could be anything they wanted. Tucker's younger brother actually wanted to sail across the seas as a merchant. Like Tucker he wanted to see the world but rather than Angleland he wanted to travel to other continents such as Entios to the east and Gailey to the west. Both had large trade routes to the coasts of Angleland with many different items going in and out of the kingdom.

"You don't know how lucky you are Tucker." She gave a sigh. "You have siblings, you won't believe how many times I wished to have a brother or sister when I was growing up. It can be very lonely sometimes when you're an only child, sometimes I would see you playing with your brothers and it made me so sad. I was happy for you of course, but I was sad for myself."

"Didn't your folks try to have any more kids?"

"Oh believe me they tried but nothing happened. Don't forget that I'm a miracle baby myself, to tell you the truth I shouldn't be alive, let alone have the power that I do. I sometimes wonder if I did have a sibling would I ever been as close to you as I am now?" She looked over to him and there was a small tear in her eye. Tucker placed his hand on her shoulder and looked up into her hazel eyes.

"Well I guess that's one thing that we'll never find out." He gave her a small smile. "Besides having you for a best friend is more than a guy like me deserves." They gazed at each other for a few minutes, they seemed to be lost in their own little world and if given the choice it would have lasted forever. Unfortunately they still had their quest to complete and more importantly the second trial to try and complete. "Ok we better carry on anyway before nightfall."

With that both of them got back up to their feet and continued to walk on. Jessica did feel a little hungry and was very tempted to pick a nearby apple from a tree which was within arm's length for her. She decided against this since she didn't know if it was poisonous. Tucker himself did try to grab it but he was a little too short to reach it and when he asked Jessica to reach it for him she declined for his own safety.

After another hour of walking the pair eventually reached their destination. They could see the dead tree which stood taller than all the other trees in the forest. Tucker didn't waste any time in getting the map out and looking at it once again. The same message was still there and he looked up at the tree for a moment. It was very tall and thin and he felt that if he even gave it a slight nudge that it would fall down.

"Ok what now?" asked Jessica as she looked up at the tree. For now she didn't see much of a point reverting to her full size so she remained at her smallest.

"Well the message basically said that those with a pure heart can find what we seek. Maybe if I touch the tree it'll somehow show us where the entrance to the next test is." The message had not made it specific on how to use the tree so Tucker was just making his most logical guess.

"Well good luck with that." She stood there with her arms folded so that she could see what happened next.

Tucker stepped towards the tree and placed his hand around the trunk. It didn't feel too much like wood but something that seemed to be alien to him. He gave a small sigh as he concentrated on the task at hand.

"Show me the entrance to the second test," said Tucker. He gave a few deep breaths but suddenly he felt what seemed to be another alien force go through his body. Instantly his hand shot back off the tree and he felt a small amount of pain. He had been electrocuted but this was an experience that very few people in Angleland had ever experienced. It was also an experience that he never wanted to have again. The next thing he felt was Jessica looming over him. She did show much concern for him and even bent down so that she could be at his level. It did make him feel that he was a child and he had to remind himself that he was actually normal and that it was Jessica who was huge.

"By the gods Tucker are you alright?" asked Jessica with genuine concern in her voice. Right now she didn't care if she did make him feel like a child, his health was her only concern.

"Y-yeah I'm fine," replied Tucker as slowly he rose to his feet. "That was a real shock." His hand was shaking a little but overall he looked to be fine. He did get back to his feet and so did Jessica as well. "That is definitely no ordinary tree."

"It has to be the right one." She did give him a hug and he knew better than to try and resist. "And I don't want you touching it again, I don't want you getting hurt again or worse." This was out of true concern rather than spite.

"But we still need to find the second test and this tree is our only real lead to it. We could search everywhere in this area for the rest of our lives and not find anything." He really didn't want to turn back but if Jessica really wanted it he doubted that he could stop her. He watched as she looked over to the tree.

"You remember what the message said, only those with pure of heart can find what we seek. Maybe I should give it a go."

"Oh come on I have a pure heart." He knew that wasn't entirely true since there were very few people in the entire land who had pure hearts. There were plenty of good and bad people but almost all of them had some amount of good and evil within their hearts. Although he didn't want to admit it there was a small amount of darkness in his heart much like those of everyone else in Angleland.

"If you did it would have walked." She began to slowly walk towards the tree and she did take some deep breaths. Slowly she placed her hand on the thin trunk and she expected to feel the same sensation that Tucker had. There seemed to be nothing but it was exactly what had happened to Tucker at first. "Please show us the entrance to the second test." There was some amount of fear in her voice but it she kept her composure.

There was a rumbling sound and the pair began to look around. They couldn't see what was happening but the sound continued for several moments before eventually subsiding. Where they were neither of them could see what had happened but from the sheer volume of the noise they knew that something fairly major had happened. Instantly Jessica grew to her full height so that she could see if anything was different. After a few moments she could see a fairly small door open in the ground of a clearing just a short distance away. She had seen this clearing before during her last giant search and she had not seen that door there at all. This was all the evidence she needed.

"Do you see anything?" asked Tucker. He stood right next to the enormous foot of his best friend.

"Yeah I see something," replied Jessica. There's an opening in the ground just a few hundred metres away."

"Great but do we have to walk again?"

"No the ground looks fairly even. I'll be able to get us there before you can even bat an eyelid."

This was the information that Tucker needed as he waited for Jessica to lower her hand so that she could pick him up. He did notice that the tree was slightly taller than Jessica but he thought if they came back in a few years' time she would have grown the extra few feet that she needed to beat it.

Jessica did begin to walk towards the opening in the ground and once again she was careful. Thankfully the flattened surface did make it easier for her to walk across it. Both she and Tucker were very happy that they were finally making progress. The constant distractions and detours had gotten them down a little but they knew that as soon as they gotten past the second trial that they would only be one away from finding the treasure and thus completing their quest.

It didn't take Jessica too long to reach the opening and as soon as she did she shrank herself down to her smallest after placing Tucker on the ground. They both looked down at the opening and it looked to be a little different to that of the first test. The first had a staircase that went down while this one looked to have some kind of slope. Just by looking at it they saw that it was possible to go down but almost impossible to go back up again. They would be able to slide down but that was about it.

"Ladies first," said Tucker as he bowed down a little and smiled at Jessica. He didn't particularly want to go down first and instead preferred that Jessica did. He felt if there were any real threats that she would be more capable of dealing with them. It was something that she didn't particularly mind.

"Such a gentleman," replied Jessica knowing full well why Tucker had offered to let her go down first. She said nothing about it though and allowed herself to slide down the ramp. Tucker did the same a few moments later and as they both slide down they quickly enveloped by darkness. They didn't notice that the opening behind them had already closed what would probably be for a very long time.

As they both found themselves in darkness it did make the pair of them nervous as they obviously couldn't see what was coming. Despite any dangers they thought that they could deal with more or less anything that came their way.

Their trip down the ramp only lasted a minute or two before they reached the bottom. Unfortunately they were still in darkness and they couldn't see each other at all. They couldn't even see their hands in front of their eyes. While they had been going down the ramp Jessica had felt an odd sensation. She didn't know whether it was anything serious or just her nerves getting the better of her.

"Hey Jessica can you feel anything?" asked Tucker as he hand his hands running down what he felt was a wall.

"No, just a wall," replied Jessica. They didn't know that they were actually on opposite sides. They would have seen that this was a tunnel much like that of the first test. She continued to use her hands to search the wall for anything that could help them. Eventually he hand felt something that she thought was a little odd. "Hmm what's this?" She awaited to hear what Tucker had to say.

"You found something?" He turned to her as best as he could but he could only use the sound of her voice.

"I think so." She began to push against it and discovered that it was some kind of panel. She continued to push it until it couldn't go in any further.

Like magic several torches on the wall began to light up. It almost seemed impossible for something like this to happen but the sudden influx of light quickly blinded the pair and they had to cover their eyes. It took them a few moments to adjust to the light and things seemed to be going their way. It looked to be the simple task of walking down the tunnel to the next test.

However there was something very different. When Tucker looked over to Jessica instead of the towering amazon that he was used to seeing he saw that she had become a short frail looking woman. He looked at her in disbelief and Jessica herself looked at herself and then at Tucker. It was the first time that she had ever had to look up at him while they were both standing up and an instant wave of fear struck her.

"Tucker what's happened to me?"

Tucker couldn't believe what he was seeing. A few moments ago his entire world had been surrounded by darkness but now that he was back in the light his world had been turned upside down. His best friend Jessica Snape who normally towered above everyone with her eight foot tall body was now having to look up at him as he now stood a foot taller than she did.

At first Tucker thought that he might have grown but as he looked at Jessica her body seemed to be different as well. Normally she would have a very small amount of muscle and her frame would look relatively long. This Jessica just looked frail and he thought that a gust of wind would be enough to knock her down. He could also see that Jessica's dress was too big for her. It looked to fit a woman who was at least half a foot taller than her as she now measured no more than five feet tall.

Jessica was panicking as she continued to look at herself. Her entire world had changed as well, she had always wanted to be normal but now that it had seemingly happened she was more in despair rather than relief. Everything had happened so quickly that she didn't know how to react properly.

"Tucker what's happened to me?" asked Jessica as she continued to look at herself over and over again.

"Y-you've shrunk," replied Tucker. These were all the words that he could mutter as he continued to look in disbelief.

"How did this happen?" She was nothing short of panicking at this moment in time. She had no idea what was happening to her or if the change was a permanent or temporary one. If it was permanent she didn't know whether to be elated with joy or begin to wallow in absolute pity.

"Wait maybe it's not all bad. Try growing and see what happens." It was the only idea that he could come up with.

"Ok I'll try." Jessica began to concentrate in the hopes that she would begin to grow at any moment. Unfortunately she didn't grow at all and this only brought about more panic. In her desperation she actually removed her dress as she thought that it would cause her to grow to her normal size of around a hundred and twenty five feet. Tucker flinched at both the expectation of her impending growth and the fact that she was naked at this point save for the shoes that she was wearing. "No, this can't be happening."

Tucker looked away so that he didn't offend Jessica with seeing her naked. He had done it with her permission but he felt that this time was different. For the moment that he had looked at her naked body he saw just how frail she looked. She looked like she barely ate and her once respectable breasts were now nothing more two small lumps on her chest. He also knew that she had not started growing which meant that she was stuck in this form and he didn't know whether to be happy or sad for her.

"Ok Jessica put your clothes back on," said Tucker before he looked towards her again. She gave him the signal that she had indeed put her dress back on. When she did he finally looked at her once again. "I think I might have an idea." Quickly Tucker took the map from his satchel and looked upon it. Much to his surprise the paper was completely blank. There was nothing on there at all and he showed it to Jessica who also looked at it with some amount of disbelief.

"What does this mean?" asked Jessica.

"I think I might know. It isn't too improbable to think that somehow outside magic is nullified. Just like the fact that our magic map to Three Man's Treasure is now nothing more than a simple piece of paper."

"So if that's the case why am I so small?" She had been so used to towering over everyone that being short was actually scaring her somewhat. She always had the comfort of knowing that practically no one could harm her. Now she felt small and defenceless and in a way she was.

"I don't know, maybe if you had never received that potion when you were a baby this is as tall as you would have gotten." He was somewhat enjoying the fact that he was taller than her but he could see the distress that she was in so he didn't do anything to antagonise her. "It's not so bad, you always said that you wanted to see what it was like to be a normal girl. Now you have it."

"Not like this and I would have preferred that it was through choice." She placed her hand on her head as if she was trying to measure herself. "And I would have thought that I was going to be taller than this."

"Look on the bright side, at least you're not as short as Pete Evans." Pete Evans was a man who lived in Morgan alongside Tucker and Jessica. He suffered from dwarfism which left him at a height of only three and a half feet. If it had not been for Jessica's extreme size Pete would have been closely scrutinised rather than her.

"I guess so."

"Anyway we're wasting time here. The sooner we get out of here the sooner you can be back to being the great big girl that you like to be."

"I didn't say I liked being big, it's just the only life I've known." She did give a small sigh as she had to come to a decision. "If you wouldn't mind I think I might head back, I'm not any good to you down here and I don't want you to worry about me. When I reach the surface I should be back to normal."

"If you really want to leave that's fine." He didn't feel like he was being betrayed or that she was leaving him. He understood where she was coming from and in her current form she would be more of a hindrance while they were down there rather than a help. "When I get to the other side I'll signal you somehow."

The pair said their temporary goodbyes and then Jessica went to walk back to the surface. In her confusion over everything that had just happened she had forgotten that she had slid down a steep bank to get down to this tunnel. It looked to be steeper than she remembered but nonetheless she tried to make her way up the bank. Unfortunately she didn't get far before slipping down. Tucker stood there and watched as numerous times Jessica tried to make her way up the bank but each time it was the same.

It was impossible for anyone to be able to climb their way up the slope and it had been purposely designed so that whoever went down didn't go back up. Jessica kept trying but after the tenth attempt she had no choice but to admit defeat. It was very depressing for her but she did take some comfort in knowing that it meant that she didn't have to separate from him.

"I can't do it," said Jessica. She was surprised to feel how out of breath she was. She didn't think that her attempts would have been that exhausting but she still found herself out of breath.

"Don't beat yourself up over it," replied Tucker as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "I don't think anyone would be able to get up there."

"I guess this means I'm going to have to go through the test with you. Hopefully I won't be too much of a distraction."

"Don't worry Jessica you won't be. Besides for all the times you've protected me I think that it's about time I protected you."

For Jessica it actually made a pretty nice change. She had sometimes wanted to be the small one who needed protection rather than the opposite way around. It made her feel that much more normal and she began to see Tucker in a new light. She began to see him as a protector rather than someone who needed to be protected. She held onto his arm and looked up at him and gave him a smile.

"Ok my big strong hero, lead the way," said Jessica. She did want to enjoy this for as long as she could and she knew that Tucker would enjoy playing the hero. It was a role that he had been more or less born to play.

"As you wish my fair maiden," replied Tucker with an equally large smile. Underneath this he was somewhat worried. In the past he knew that if he got himself into serious trouble that he had Jessica to protect him. Now that safety net was gone, much like when they were in July but at least he still had Jessica by his side.

The pair began to walk down the tunnel and each step was taken with great care. They still had the fear of activating some kind of trap. One thing that Jessica did find particularly difficult was keeping up with Tucker. Her legs were close to being two feet shorter than they had been before so she was struggling to keep up. Her dress was also slightly too large for her so she had to pick up as she walked. This was something that she never had to do before since the dress had always fitted her no matter what size she was.

Jessica did stay close to Tucker and in some expectation he held onto Juggernaut and his shield. He remembered how he fought against the living armour in the last test and he expected to face some kind of supernatural opponent. He was cautious of anything that could suddenly jump out at him and right now he was in the mood of slashing first and asking questions later.

The tunnel seemed to be endless but there were several torches on either side that kept it well lit. This did give the pair an additional form of safety and they just continued to walk along the tunnel. A couple of times Tucker stopped since he thought that he heard something but each time it turned out to be a false alarm.

Eventually they came up to a metallic gate, although it had probably been there for many, many years it looked like it had only been built yesterday. Even the paint on it looked to be newly dried but its problem was that it was blocking their way. In the past Jessica would have likely had the strength to pick it up so that they could simply get through. Unfortunately now that wasn't an option and they had to find some way of getting through. The gaps in the gate were too small for either of them to squeeze through.

"Maybe there's some kind of trick behind this," said Tucker as he began to examine the gate more closely. At first glance there was nothing that seemed to be out of the ordinary and for all intents and purposes it looked like a normal gate.

"Or maybe there's some kind of command," replied Jessica although this was more out of hope than being a genuine theory. "Gate open!" Nothing happened and this was to be expected. The pair would have been surprised if it had actually worked. "Ok that didn't work."

"We could try forcing it up. Sometimes trickery isn't needed when brute force gets the job done." He then grabbed onto the gate and he tried to push it up but it was far too heavy for him or any man to lift. "This thing must weigh a ton." It was times like this that Jessica would offer her assistance but she had to stop herself since she knew that while in this state she could barely lift anything. He did look over to her and he did notice that she was looking a little pale, for now he said nothing since he thought that it was nothing that was particularly bad. "Got any other ideas?"

"Well remember when we first entered how there was that switched that made all the torches light up? Well maybe there's some kind of switch on the wall around here that'll open it up."

"That's a little unlikely but definitely worth a try. You go that side and I'll take a look on this side."

For the next several minutes the pair scoured the walls on either side trying to find a switch. One major problem that Jessica had that was in her smaller state that her reach had greatly diminished. There was only so high that she could reach and she feared that the switch that she was looking for was just beyond that. It seemed alien to her that she couldn't reach something, her size had always allowed her to reach basically whatever she wanted but now that she was this size she saw this as a handicap. One thing that she did take comfort in was that at this size she didn't have to worry about her head hitting the top of a doorframe or the ceiling itself.

With every minute that past Tucker felt the chances of them finding the switch were greatly diminishing. One thing that he noticed in the corner near the gate itself was the skeleton of someone who had come before them. This unfortunate individual had not been able to get through the gate and also not been able to go back the way that he came. In the end the person must have died of either starvation or thirst. It was a fate that Tucker didn't want to befall himself or Jessica.

After several minutes both of them seemed to come up empty. Tucker in particular was frustrated but he was more concerned about his and Jessica's safety rather than the fact their quest might come to an end. He was not just worried about the fact that they might be stuck but with how Jessica might be responding to her current size. He knew how she had gone through practically her entire life being bigger than everyone else and now that she was petite he thought that she might be taking hard. For now she had not shown any real emotion breakdown but he thought that she might be keeping it all locked inside and was merely putting on a brave face.

"Found anything?" asked Tucker as he continued to feel up the wall. He was several metres away from the gate and with each inch he had to move further away the less chance he felt of finding the switch.

"No nothing yet," replied Jessica. She coughed a little but she felt that this was nothing to be concerned about. "It has to be around here somewhere Tucker, we just need to keep looking. I'm sure we'll find it."

"I think that we're already too far away for it to be anywhere around here." He took a step away from the wall and looked over to Jessica. "I think we could search these walls until the cows come home and not find a thing."

"I suppose you're right. But if we don't find a way through we'll end up just like that poor man by the gate."

"Believe me I don't intend to have that happen to us." He took another glance at her and he swore that she was looking paler than she had done before. It did cause him a small amount of concern but for the time being he didn't think that it was serious enough for him to mention.

The pair made their way back to the gate and it didn't take them long to actually reach it. It seemed as daunting as it had before and they knew simply staring at it wouldn't make it open. Both of them began to closely look over every square inch of the gate in an attempt to find some kind of clue. It seemed that there was marking on the gate itself. Rather than there being any words they were flowers, roses to be specific. Tucker tried to decide whether this was some kind of clue or just a fancy design.

Now more than ever it seemed like Jessica was missing her old size. She would try the same technique that she used on the door in the first test. Although her efforts then had been futile she felt that it could have worked in this situation. She was also beginning to feel weaker but she put this down as simple fatigue.

"There's nothing here," said Tucker with some frustration. "We're not going to find our way through this fucking gate."

"Calm down Tucker," replied Jessica who felt that she needed to be the voice of reason. "You're not going to make any progress if you just get yourself into a state. "Remember what Sir Thomas taught you, A distracted mind is easily fooled but a calm mind sees all around him."

"I-I guess you're right." He took a few deep breaths so that he could calm himself down. "What do you suggest we do then?"

"I don't know about you but I feel that the patterns on the gate is some kind of clue. First off what is the pattern?"

"It's a rose." He didn't really think before he spoke and he just blurted out the answer immediately.

"Well remember the message on the bottom of the map? The message was written with the opposite alphabet. Maybe muttering rose in opposite alphabet might open it. I know that you said that there can't be anything magical down here but when you pressed that switch for the torches they all suddenly came on. Magic from the outside might be nullified but any that was already down here might still work."

"Like I said before it sounds unlikely but at this point in time I'm willing to try anything. Let's see, what's R in the reverse alphabet?"

"I think it's an I."

"Ok that's a start."

It took them a few moments to work out the rest of the letters which were I, L, H and V. Unfortunately putting them together were made a nonsense word that was almost impossible to pronounce. They tried rearranging the letters to try and make a word but that too failed. It was somewhat disappointing for the pair but Jessica was still confident that they would find a way to open the gate. With a puzzle like this there had to be an answer. All they needed to do was take in everything around them.

"I think I might have an idea," said Tucker as he had kept thinking. "Maybe the answer to the puzzle is something so simple that we have simply not thought of it. Hear me out, I've known a couple of puzzles where people have thought of complicated solutions to them when really it was a solution so obvious that they had simply ignored it.

"So what's the obvious solution to his puzzle then?" replied Jessica who herself was now getting a little frustrated.

"Well we could just walk through the gate." He knew that it was a pretty stupid suggestion but it was all he could really come up with.

"I don't think that it'll work."

"But you have to admit that it's so obvious that you wouldn't think it." He was still trying to use his logic but if anything he was trying to make himself not look like a fool. "I say that it's worth a try."

"Ok we'll try but I still don't think it'll work."

Moments later the pair were standing in front of the gate. All of their previous ideas had failed and both of them felt that this one would fair no better. Tucker was the one who went first and as he stepped forward for a moment he pushed against the gate and much to both of their surprises the gate fell and it landed with a loud thud on the ground which echoed throughout the tunnel. Jessica was amazed to see that after everything that they had done simply pushing the gate had actually been the answer to their conundrum. She looked at the gate for a moment before looking up at Tucker who had a huge smile on his face. There was nothing more satisfying in his mind than being right.

"After you my dear," said Tucker with the smile still on his face. To him it almost felt like he had just found Three Man's Treasure.

Jessica did step through and she still couldn't believe that it had actually worked. She could see how Tucker was right however, in some cases an overly complicated solution was not needed and something extremely basic was often times the best. It was times like this that she respected Tucker.

As the pair continued to walk down the tunnel they could see carvings on the walls of both sides. The figures in the carvings seemed to be royalty of some kind but neither of them really had the time to stand and look at them so they kept moving on. They didn't realise that the carvings themselves were of that of House Angle who had been the first royal family of Angleland back in the Age of Titans. They were the first family to rule over Angleland and kingdom itself was named after them. This family's line had long ended and since then there had been a few different families who had seized the throne either through conquest or by royal decree. The current royal family was House Kent who had been ruling Angleland for the last couple of centuries after the extinction of the previous royal family House McGregor. This had not been through conquest but the fact that the last McGregor King had died without any heirs.

Ignoring this chance for a history lesson and continued on in the hopes of finding the actually test and thus having their map updated so that they could carry on with their quest. Already Tucker imagined having the thousands of rumoured gold coins run through his hands and he would be the richest man in all of Angleland.

As they walked Jessica almost tripped over a stone on the ground and she had to do everything she could to keep her balance. She didn't know what was wrong with her but since she came down into this tunnel she had felt herself getting weaker. She didn't want to say anything to Tucker since she didn't want to worry him. She thought that she would be alright shortly and when she got this whole trial sorted they could leave. She hoped that when she left she would grow back up to her normal size.

Eventually they came to a fork in the tunnel with an opening that lead to the right and another that led to the left. As both Jessica and Tucker looked down both ways the tunnels were too long for them to see what was at the end of them. There also seemed to be no immediate dangers.

"So which way now?" asked Jessica. She did look up both tunnels and she was feeling a little nervous.

"I have a feeling that we should go right," replied Tucker. His suggestion had no real evidence behind it and was merely a guess. "Even if it does lead to a dead end we could just turn back and come the other way."

"Or we could split up."

"No I don't think that we should." He was thinking about how he was going to say what he wanted to Jessica. "No offence but since you've lost your gigantism you're not really that much up for defending myself."

"Hey I can still look after myself?" She thought that despite her lack in size that she was still more than capable of fighting off anything that came her way.

"Ok let me ask you one thing then. In all the times you've fought against someone else how many of them were bigger than you?" This caught Jessica out since she had always relied on her size more than technique to handle a fight. She remained silent and he thought of a better way to show her that at this point in time she couldn't fend for herself. "I make you a deal, I'll let you go off by yourself." He held Juggernaut towards her but he made sure the handle was closest to her. This indicated that he wanted her to hold onto it. "If you can hold onto Juggernaut for ten seconds I'll let you go wherever you want down here. Does that sound fair to you?"

"I guess so." She thought that it would be a relatively easy challenge since she had held Juggernaut in the past and not felt anything that she felt she couldn't handle. With some enthusiasm she took a hold of Juggernaut with both hands. Tucker then let go and immediately she almost dropped it but she did hold onto it as best as she could. It felt incredibly heavy and it was taking all of her strength just to lift it up. He could see the strain in her face and this only made him even more concerned. Juggernaut itself wasn't all that heavy of a weapon and he really thought that she would have been capable of holding it up by herself. He would have understood if it had been a two handed sword but this was a standard one handed sword. She did drop it when the effort became too great for her and she did begin to pant. She watched as Tucker picked it back up and she thought that she had actually completed the challenge. "How long was that?"

"Five seconds." He put Juggernaut back into its holder and he still was concerned for Jessica. "I have to admit I thought that you'd do better than that."

"I should have." She gave a grunt of frustration. "If I was my normal size I would have been able to swing that sword as if it were a stick."

"It's alright Jessica. You don't have to push yourself too far but I hope now that you realise why I don't want you walking around by yourself. "You're nowhere near as strong as you used to be and I'm only concerned about your safety."

"But you don't have to treat me like a child." She began to realise that this is what she had done to him on several occasions. She had felt that he was too weak to deal with a situation so she would step in and resolve it. She didn't like it now that the shoe was on the other foot. "I'm a grown woman."

"Believe me if I thought that you could handle yourself down here I'd let you go wherever your wanted but the fact of the matter is that you're nowhere near as strong as you were." He looked into Jessica's face and he did notice something very troubling. Her face looked even paler and her eyes were bloodshot.

Tucker just looked at Jessica for several moments as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. She definitely looked worse than she did before and the bloodshot eyes was all he needed to become worried instantly. Ever since the magic that had given Jessica her size had been taken away she looked to be growing sicker and sicker. It was almost like his friend was fading away before his very eyes.

"Jessica have you seen yourself?" asked Tucker with a large amount of distress in his voice. He felt that it was highly appropriate since he was truly concerned for the health of his best friend.

"No," replied Jessica. She began to become worried as she heard Tucker's tone of voice. "What's wrong?"

Tucker had to think of a way to show Jessica her face but unfortunately he was short on a mirror. He did have one idea as he drew Juggernaut out once again and help the blade a few inches from Jessica's face. He pointed it long ways so that the tip of the blade wasn't pointing at her but instead she could see a small amount of her reflection in the blade. It was a testament to how Tucker maintained it but as Jessica looked she was horrified to see just how bloodshot her eyes were. She could also see just how pale her skin was and it caused her to look down at her hands. She could see that they were also pale and they even looked wrinkled. If she didn't know any better she would have said that they belonged to an old woman instead of a woman who was in her early twenties.

"Tucker what's happening to me?" asked Jessica. She was close to tears and she was going into an absolute state of panic.

"I think I have a theory. Remember, you told me that when you were born that you were very sickly?" He waited a moment for Jessica to respond. "When you received that potion to make you better it also made you bigger as well. I was thinking that since the effects of the potion have been taken away from you not only did you lose your size but whatever was keeping you alive. Without the magic fuelling your body anymore, you're dying from the same illness that inflicted you as a baby."

"No this can't be." She was in a full state of panic and she dropped down to her knees. The thought of dying terrified her more than even she expected. "We have to go back and get out of here before it's too late."

"I wish it was that simple but you saw what happened. The slope is too steep for either of us to get up. I hate to admit it but the only way we're getting out of here is if we continue on and complete the test." He knelt down so that he was at her level. He felt great sympathy for her and he to feared that she might not get out of there alive. "I promise you Jessica, will get you out of here alive and I'll understand if you want to go home." He held his hand out so that she could take a hold of it. "You're not alone in this."

Jessica had to wipe the tears away from her eyes as she grabbed onto Tucker's hand. With that he helped her back to her feet and he was still getting over the fact that she was so much shorter than him. He had gotten used to her being taller than him that he never thought that he would ever look down at her.

"Ok Tucker," said Jessica as she sniffed a little. "We can try and continue on, I'm just afraid."

"I know Jessica," replied Tucker as he gave her a hug. "I'm scared too but even if it kills me I'm getting you out of here."

The hug lasted for a few moments before they broke it off. They didn't want to waste any more time since they didn't know exactly how long Jessica had before she succumbed to her illness. They had no idea whether she had a few hours to live or a few minutes. Either way they didn't want to find out the hard way.

Like Tucker had suggested the pair began to make their way down the right hand tunnel. They didn't know whether it was the right way to go and since they didn't have any clues they had to take their chances.

As they walked he felt Jessica leaning on him, this was not to show her affections but because she needed him to support herself. The energy was effectively draining out of her body and she could feel the very life being taken out of her. She had never been so terrified in all of her life but she knew that she could count on Tucker to help her as much as he could, she knew that he wouldn't let her die without a fight.

Eventually the pair came to another metal gate but rather than have to worry about it opening they watched as it opened by itself. But rather than the gate lifting up into the air like most gates this one moved down into the ground. They stood and watched for a few moments as this happened but what was most striking to them was the fact that there was no one lowering the gate. They couldn't see that it was attached to any chains and they certainly couldn't see anyone physically moving the gate. It was moving completely by itself and they didn't know whether to be amazed with the sight or downright terrified. Things had only been getting worse for the pair so if the movement of the gate was caused by anything sinister they would not be surprised.

When the gate had disappeared out of sight they calmly walked through it and Tucker drew out Juggernaut, just in case there was any danger. He had already decided if there was something that decided to jump out at them he would shield her as best as he could. He could not call himself a knight if he wasn't willing to protect her.

The room that the pair found themselves in was small featureless room. It was still well lit like the rest of the tunnels but there seemed to be nothing that really struck the pair as being odd. If anything it made them feel a little claustrophobic since it was no bigger than a small room in a house.

"Ok so it's a dead end," said Tucker fearing that he had wasted what little time Jessica might have had left. "I don't know about you but I can't see anything in here that really sticks out."

"There might be something," replied Jessica. Even her voice was starting to sound weak. It was nowhere near as strong as it was when she first had her size taken away from her. It was something that she herself had noticed and it was just an additional reminder of the peril that she was in. "There could be something on the walls that'll help us or maybe the walls themselves are fake."

Tucker did think it was worth a try and he began to examine the walls for anything that struck him as being odd. This was much like when he was looking for a switch for the first gate. Thankfully due to the room's lack of size it didn't take him long to explore all over it, unfortunately he found nothing.

It was in that instance that Tucker decided that it was best to backtrack and go down the opposite direction from the T-junction. He did want to go in some haste but unfortunately Jessica's pace was only slowing with each passing minute. Although it couldn't be seen through the sleeves of her dress her arms were beginning to become wrinkly just like her hands.

The pair quickly walked through the gate that they had used to get inside the room but the sight that met them completely astonished them. Rather than seeing the long empty tunnel that they had expected instead they found themselves in a large room with a ceiling so high that it was shrouded in darkness. Tucker turned around to look at the gate they had just walked through but again to his surprise there was nothing there but a wall. He was beginning to become nervous as he realised that something was definitely going on at that moment in time and it only made him even more afraid of Jessica's safety. Time was ticking away as he could see her becoming weaker and weaker.

"Ok I did not expect that," said Tucker as he turned back around. "I guess all we can do is keep going."

"At least we're making some progress," replied Jessica. She was now having to hold onto him more and more. She could barely walk by herself and she knew that soon she would not be able to walk at all. She tried to look at the bright side of the situation but with every passing moment that became harder and harder to do.

As they both walked inside they felt the ground begin to shake slightly. This grabbed both of their attentions and when they looked forward they could see what seemed to be a woman wearing armour and carrying a sword. She only looked to be around five feet tall much like Jessica but that was not where the similarities between the two women ended. The warrior woman herself looked just like Jessica.

"T-That's me," said Jessica in absolute disbelief. The last thing she had expected to see was herself. It caught them both completely by surprise and they both had a feeling that things were going to turn out badly. "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know but it's in our way. I can't see any other exits out of here so I'm guessing the only way out is to defeat your twin so to speak." He looked at the warrior woman and he wasn't particularly impressed. He thought that this might be an easy battle but he knew that looks could be deceiving.

Under Tucker's instruction Jessica was able to sit down by one of the walls so that she was somewhat safe. She thought that it was strange to basically watch herself fighting against Tucker. She didn't know what caused this thing to appear but one thing that the warrior woman had that Jessica didn't was the fact that it looked much healthier than she did. It was one thing that Jessica was a little jealous of.

Tucker slowly made his way to the warrior woman who for now had not said a single word or barely moved. He had to remind himself that he wasn't going to battle his best friend but instead some kind of copy of her. He knew that it might prevent him from maybe being as precise as he could be but with the knowledge that Jessica's life was on the line he didn't want to hold anything back.

The warrior woman made the first move when Tucker was close enough. She swung her sword at Tucker who was more than capable of blocking it with his sword. Even he was surprised with how weak the attack had actually been. He had expected it to be some kind of blow that would cause him some discomfort but he found it extremely easy to block and even if it had struck it would not have harmed him.

There was a wide open gap for Tucker to attack but rather stabbing the warrior woman he elbowed her in the face and it made her go down to the ground. It looked like he had won and he even turned to Jessica to smile at her.

What he didn't see was that the warrior woman was getting up again. As she stood up she was also growing taller at the same time. When she stood at her full height she could look Tucker square in the eye and it was at this moment that he turned around and saw what had happened. Once again he was taken by surprise and he soon realised that the battle was going to be more dangerous than he first thought. He immediately readied himself for another attack and he definitely wasn't going to waste any time.

The warrior woman once again attacked Tucker and although he blocked it again he could definitely feel that this attack was stronger than the last one. As he expected this warrior woman was no ordinary person and he knew instantly that the fight was going to be much tougher than he expected.

With the attack blocked Tucker parried and went on the offensive himself. He had to keep reminding himself that his opponent wasn't actually Jessica but merely someone who looked just like her. There seemed to be no emotion in the eyes of the warrior woman and he suspected that she wasn't a living thing at all.

Tucker's attack did hit home as he stabbed her in her chest. Juggernaut seemed to go right through the armour with little trouble. He wasn't too sure whether it meant that Juggernaut was particularly powerful or the warrior woman was just wearing weak armour. He didn't much care as he watched her drop to her knees and fall to the ground. For a moment he thought that the battle was over.

Only a few seconds after falling to the ground the warrior woman began to get back up and as she did Tucker could see her growing even taller. Her armour and weapons were also growing to match her size and Jessica who was watching from the corner was taken the most by surprise. She figured that the magic that had been inside her had somehow been infused with this warrior woman. Not only did she look just like Jessica but it seemed that every time she was defeated she would just get up again bigger and stronger.

Tucker could only watch as the warrior woman stood to her full height which had now increased to eight feet. To Tucker it was almost like seeing the real Jessica herself but before he could think the warrior woman went to slash him with her now mighty sword. Rather than trying to block the attack Tucker rolled out of the way and aimed for her legs rather than her torso.

There was little armour on her legs and Tucker felt that this was his best place to attack. He had learned that when taking on larger opponents that striking their legs was the quickest way of cutting them down to size. It was a lesson that he learned from Sir Thomas Parker when the elderly knight had trained him.

Tucker put this technique to good use as he was able to use his speed to get behind the warrior woman and strike her in the back of her legs. Instantly she fell to her knees and Tucker stabbed Juggernaut right through her shoulder going deep into her body and most likely piercing vital organs. This was easily a kill by any stretch of the imagination and once again he watched her fall.

Unfortunately again he watched as the warrior woman began to get back onto her feet and once again she grew as well. Tucker took a step back as she stood up and he could see that all of her wounds were gone and when she had reached her full height she now stood a staggering twelve feet in height. Tucker was now only half her size and he knew that he was in serious trouble.

"This isn't working!" stated Tucker as he was running out of ideas. He didn't think that he would be able to defeat the warrior woman at this size. He knew that even if he did she would just get up again and she would be even bigger. This wasn't a battle that he was going to win any time soon.

"Try something else!" replied Jessica. She was trying to shout but unfortunately her voice was too weak to count as a shout. "Fighting her with brute force isn't working, you have to fight smart."

Tucker tried to take these words in but he couldn't see a way of defeating the warrior woman if she just kept getting bigger after every defeat. He knew that eventually she would be too big for him to handle and without Jessica's protection he would be nothing more than a red stain on the ground.

For the moment all he could do was dodge her mighty swings as best as he could but he knew that he had to think fast. Every once in a while he would take a look at Jessica and he could see her becoming weaker and weaker. He knew that it wouldn't be long before she finally succumbed and that was something that he didn't want to happen.

Tucker barely had any time to concentrate as he was constantly blocking and dodging against the warrior woman's attacks. They were causing him a lot of grief and when he felt her sword come into contact with his shield he could feel just how strong the blows were. He dreaded what would happen if he was struck by a blow if she grew even bigger. He thought that they were already strong enough to cut right through him if they were on target but if they were even stronger he wouldn't be able to block them.

One other problem that Tucker had was that the warrior woman had a much greater reach than him. Her incredibly long arms combined with her sword made reaching her to attack almost impossible. He was still having to think of a way of defeating her once and for all but that was going to be extremely difficult to say the least. So far all of his attacks, even the ones that normally would be mortal only made her grow bigger and stronger. He knew that there had to be someway of defeating her but finding the way was the really big question and he wasn't sure if he had the answer.

As he continued to dodge the warrior woman's attacks he noticed something that he didn't really expect. He wasn't sure at first but it seemed like she was getting slower, as if she was beginning to get tired. He didn't think this was possible since she was a being composed of magic rather than being a living person. As he carefully listened he could definitely hear her panting.

This made Tucker come up with an idea. Every time he had defeated her with force the warrior woman just grew bigger and stronger. He thought that if he simply let herself tire out she would basically be defeating herself. He knew that it was unlikely but it was certainly worth a try and with time against him he knew that he had to do something and fast. Jessica didn't have too long left.

Jessica was still watching from her wall and she could still feel herself becoming weaker and weaker. She couldn't see that her hair was beginning to thin and lose its colour. She was not concerned with herself but more with Tucker. Each time the warrior woman went to slash him she feared that it would strike and kill him. Her weakened heart was struggling to cope with the situation and if things continued like this she would suffer from a heart attack before her affliction killed her.

She also felt extremely powerless as her best friend was in mortal danger and she didn't even have the strength to stand up on her own two feet. All she could do was shed a tear as the sense of utter helplessness overtook her. At this point if she did die it would actually be a welcome relief for her.

It seemed that Tucker's plan was working as he saw that with the more time that went by the slower the warrior woman became. He had no idea exactly what was behind her existence or how it worked but he was just glad that he had found a weakness. He had also been trying to spot a gem much like the armour that he fought during the first test. Unfortunately he had yet to spot any gem but it seemed that it wouldn't matter.

After a couple of minutes Tucker could hear the warrior woman's panting increase to the point that it was almost impossible to miss it. Her movements had become so slow that Tucker could easily see what she was doing. When she went to swing her sword he was easily able to dodge it without putting much effort into it.

Eventually the warrior woman became so tired that she dropped down to her knees and tried to use her arms to try and support herself. Unfortunately for her they gave way and Tucker waited several moments to see whether she would grow again and stand up. With each second that went by his expectations of her getting up grew but after around twenty seconds he could see that she wasn't doing anything. She was just lying on the ground and he gave a sigh of relief.

After forty five seconds Tucker put Juggernaut back into its holder. The next thing he did was turn to Jessica and make his way back towards her. She was in an even worse state than he feared as he could see that her face was becoming wrinkly and her skin was as white as snow. She looked up at him weakly and even that used up more of her depleted energy. She knew that she was close to death.

"Jessica are you alright?" asked Tucker, from the moment he said the words he realised the absurdity of them. Instead of snapping at him Jessica just gave him a gentle smile as if everything was alright.

"I'm fine Tucker," replied Jessica although she knew that she was only a handful of minutes from death. She wanted to get up but she just didn't have the strength to do it. "Is there any chance that you can pick me up?" Her voice sounded incredibly weak and Tucker could tell that they didn't have that much time. "My legs seemed to have failed me, I might have to get myself some new ones."

"Hold tight Jess, I'll see what I can do."

With that Tucker bent down and picked up Jessica and placed her on his back. Unfortunately it did mean that she was going to have her body against his shield but it was the best thing that he thought. He did also notice how light she felt, it was not just because he was used to her being heavier than him but because she physically weighed very little. Her lack of size and muscle had been somewhat useful for Tucker because it meant he could actually carry her.

Not thinking about himself Tucker made his way around the warrior woman who had not moved from where she had collapsed. He hated the idea of fighting Jessica in any way but this had been a life and death situation and he took comfort in the fact that it was not the real Jessica. Even then he really didn't want her to suddenly wake up attack once again, it would certainly mean the death of his best friend.

It took Tucker a few moments to reach the other side of the room where there was another tunnel and it only annoyed him. He thought that this chamber was endless and that Jessica would long be dead before he found the exit. He couldn't bear to go back to her parents and tell them that their only daughter had died, in a way this had all been his fault and he didn't think that he would be able to get over the guilt.

"Hang in there Jess," said Tucker as he continued to walk through the tunnel, It seemed to be the same tunnel that he had walked through before. "We're not too far from the exit now." He expected to hear a verbal response from her but she was so weak that all she could must was mere mumble. "When we get out you'll be big and strong again just like before, then you can walk all by yourself." Again this only got a mumble from her and he feared that she was going to die there and then.

Tucker's pace went from a walk to a jog as he wanted to get out as soon as he could. He didn't need to have a knowledge in medicine to know what would happen if he slowed down. He was even having to be careful that he didn't drop Jessica. In her weakened state a simple fall like this could kill her. He had to put his own durability to the test as he too was tired after everything that had happened. He would allow himself to collapse before he gave up on Jessica, he knew that she would do no less for him and for all the times she had helped him it was time that he saved her.

Tucker's heart sank as he came up to another T-junction in the tunnel. It only cemented his belief that the chamber was endless and no matter which way he went they would never get out before Jessica died. He wanted to drop down to his knees and simply give up but with Jessica's life counting on him he couldn't falter.

He didn't have much time to think about which way he was going to go but before he could make his decision he was forced to stop dead in his tracks. His sense of fear grew as he saw a humanoid figure step out from the wall in front of him. Rather than being made out of blood like a normal person this being was made of stone that matched the wall that he had stepped out from. He was around six feet tall but had no real distinguishable features, he seemed to be bald and his eyes had no pupils. There was even a small amount of moss growing on his body and almost instantly Tucker thought that he was going to have to fight another warrior and this was something that he dreaded. It would waste even more time, time that Jessica didn't have.

"There is no need to draw your weapon sir knight," said the being in a voice that was calm and it even took Tucker by surprise. "I do not wish to fight you, instead I'm here to help in a way."

"If you want to help then you can restore the potion in my friend's system," replied Tucker in a somewhat harsh voice. He was not in the mood for any more games or challenges, to him this was just another detour.

"That is entirely up to you. I see that your friend there is in a very bad way. I'm guessing what was keeping her alive was drawn from magic, something that is nullified down here. Unless of course if it is magic that originates from here. I myself am a being of magic rather than flesh and blood. I have been here for more years than I cared to have counted but I have only seen a few people come down here."

"Just get to the point!" His patience was running out and if something didn't happen soon he would just walk away.

"Ok my very impatient friend. You have two options, if you go left you will find the location of the third trial and be one step closer towards your quest's end. If you go to the right you will find the exit of this place. I seriously doubt that you have time to go to the left, find what you seek and then leave before your friend dies, however if you do leave before you find your answer you can never enter here. Once a man leaves this chamber they can never return." He did chuckle a little as he knew that Tucker was in an unpleasant situation. As soon as you leave the magic within your friend will be restored and she will regain her health if she's not dead already. So what will it be? Continue onto the treasure and lose your friend? Or will you save her life and go home with nothing?"

Tucker was in a position that he didn't want to be in for obvious reasons. Finding Three Man's Treasure was the whole point of the quest. He didn't want to just give up on it but at the same time he couldn't allow Jessica to die. He wanted both of them very much but he had to choose one or the other.

Tucker continued to think for a couple of moments, he could try and continue on to earn more riches than even the royal family had to offer. It was a very tempting thought but he was holding onto the hand of Jessica who was still on his back. He felt that her hand was very cold but he could also feel a little movement indicating that she was still alive. He knew that he didn't have much time before she died and the fact of the matter was that he couldn't have both Jessica and the treasure. His decision was going to effect the rest of his life in more ways than he could imagine.

"So what's your decision?" asked the Being. He had been standing there patiently and he even had his arms crossed.

Tucker didn't say another word and began to run. He headed down the right tunnel and towards what he believed to be the fastest route to the exit. He had wanted Three Man's Treasure more than he would like to admit but he wanted Jessica by his side even more. If it had not been for her he would never have gotten this close and most likely he would have been dead in some ditch.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him ad although he was fatigued he refused to slow down. He could hear Jessica's breath become more and more shallow but he couldn't see that her hair had turned completely white. Her eyes were closed as she was clinging onto her last thread of life.

After a couple of minutes Tucker began to see something that he thought was sunlight. The thought did cross his mind that it was a trap but right now he didn't care, all he wanted to do was get out as soon as he could and save Jessica. He didn't know how long he had but he felt that it was better that he didn't know.

Unfortunately before Tucker could actually make it to the exit there was still one more challenge that he had to overcome. A head of him was a rope bridge that spanned across a relatively short chasm. Just beyond was the exit and Tucker could actually see the evening sun shining through it. The chasm was quite narrow but still too wide for anyone to jump from one way to the other.

The bridge itself looked very weak since it had been there for countless years. Tucker felt that if he ran across it the bridge would collapse sending both himself and Jessica down into the empty darkness below. It even looked like it would collapse with only a small amount of weight on it but despite all of this he knew that he had to risk it. If he did nothing Jessica would die but if he did try he was putting them both at risk. To him it was a very simple decision from there.

Tucker took a deep breath as he placed his foot on the first wooden step of the bridge. He heard a loud creaking sound which sent a shiver right down his spine. It did make him somewhat reluctant to carry on but with Jessica's life on the line it forced him to keep going and not turn back.

With great care Tucker began to walk across the bridge. The temptation of running was great but the risks were too high. Could hear every creak and groan as he walked across and he felt that the bridge could give way at any moment. He was trying not to look down as he knew that it would cause him to panic. He needed to show bravery and valour, two traits that he thought that he would need to become a knight. Right now however he didn't feel like a knight but rather somewhat a coward. He couldn't imagine the knights of the old tales being scared in this manner. He thought that they were brave in any situation and that a walk across a bridge like this would barely even grab their attention.

Every step seemed like a mile for Tucker as he thought that the bridge below him would give way at any moment. He even tried to speak to Jessica but she was unresponsive, he feared that she was dead. He refused to believe this and he kept going despite any fears for his own safety.

By the last step he thought that he had made it to the other side but just before he could step off the bridge gave way. Rather than falling into the abyss below Tucker had just been able to grab onto the edge. This saved him from falling but he could only use his one arm to prevent himself from falling. The other was to make sure that Jessica didn't fall. She had no independent grip on him so if he let go of her she would fall.

The weight of both himself and Jessica along with all his armour and weapons was almost too much for Tucker's one arm. He could feel great pain in his arm as it strained under the weight that it was forced to hold.

"Not now," said Tucker with some despair. "I can't get this far and fail!" His determination was giving him strength that he didn't even know that he had. It still wasn't enough to lift him out.

He did see one way of saving himself and that was simply to allow Jessica to fall. Without her he would be a little lighter and he would have his second arm to pull himself. Despite this it was something that he wasn't willing to do. He couldn't bear to think that he was responsible for her death. This made him even more determined to get them both out, he knew that their quest was more or less at its finale. He wanted to at least go back to Morgan with Jessica.

Unfortunately for Tucker despite his heart and determination his arm just didn't have the strength that it needed to pull him up and he lost his grip. All Tucker could do as he lost his grip was quietly apologise to Jessica as they both began to fall down into the abyss below. The only comfort that he had was the fact that they still had each other. He did close his eyes as he waited for the end to come, he just hoped that it would be quick and Jessica at least didn't suffer.

The next thing Tucker felt was a gentle breeze striking his body. He also found that he was in a lying position. As he opened his eyes he was greeted by the morning sun and he could hear the singing of birds. Quickly he sat up and began to look at his hands, they seemed to be the same as before and he could still feel objects with them.

Tucker saw that he had been lying close to a tree and when he looked down to his right he saw that Jessica was right next to him. Much to his relief she was her usual eight feet in height but more importantly she looked healthy again. He wasn't sure whether she was dead or simply asleep. Quickly he grabbed onto her and gently began to shake her a little in an attempt to wake her up. Slowly Jessica's eyes began to open as she also sat up. It brought more joy than he could ever imagine to see her alive.

"Hey Tucker what's up?" asked Jessica in her usually bubbly voice. She even stretched her arms but as she did she felt Tucker give her a hug which did catch her by surprise but she didn't mind. "I thought I was the hugger."

"Jessica you're alright," replied Tucker as a tear rolled down his face. "I thought that I'd lost you forever."

"No you're not that lucky." She then hugged him back and he could feel her warm and loving embrace. To him she was one in a million and if he could help it he would stay by her side until the end of time itself. The hug lasted a few moments and it also gave Jessica a warm feeling inside.

"Please you have to tell me, what is the last thing you remember?" There was a small amount of distress in his voice.

"Let me see." She took a moment so that she could think clearly. Her joyous smile seemed to fade as the memories came flooding back. "I remember going into the chamber where the second test was and I lost my powers and shrank until I was petite. We made our way through the puzzles but I began to die but we couldn't turn back. I don't remember much after that but I remember you fighting something that looked like me. Then you carried me away and I can't remember after that."

"Ok so it definitely wasn't a dream." At first he had thought that his experience during the second test had been a dream but since Jessica confirmed his memories he knew that it had happened. He gave a sigh as he began to explain what happened after that, Jessica sat there in amazement as she listened to every word. She couldn't believe that she was so close to death and what she couldn't believe even more was the fact that Tucker had willingly given up the opportunity to find the location of the third test for her life. She knew that he wasn't lying to her, over their years together she could always tell when he was lying to her but she could see that he was not lying now.

"So you did all of that to save me?" She was still in some disbelief over what she was hearing.

"Yes and I would do it all over again for you in a heartbeat. It was pointless having that treasure if I didn't have you there to share it with." The next thing he felt was Jessica's warm lips come into contact with his cheek. It was the nicest feeling that he had ever experienced and in a way he wished that it could last a little longer but it was only a moment but it would last a lifetime.

"Thank you Tucker, you're my knight in shining armour." She gave him a big smile and he couldn't help but feel happy with what was going on. "Now shall we find some breakfast, I don't know about you but I'm starving."

Jessica stood up to her full height and began to pick some berries and other fruits from the nearby trees. Some were a little out of reach so she had to increase her height so that she could reach them. She also knew which ones were safe to eat and which ones were poisonous. She had done her research before leaving Morgan since she knew that they would most likely have to live off the fruits of the land.

Although both Jessica and Tucker still had food they felt that it was best that they used the food from the trees first since they had a long trip back to Morgan. For these fruits thankfully Jessica didn't try to cook them since Tucker knew that cooking wasn't one of her skills. She had tried in the past but even she knew that it wasn't the best of ideas.

One thing that Tucker did like was the fact that he was having to look up at her again. It made him feel that things were finally back to the way that they were. No longer was Jessica small and dying, she was her old tall and strong self and he wouldn't trade it away for anything in the world. He was just glad that she was still with him and just the thought of losing her was more than he could bear.

A short time later Jessica and Tucker sat next to each other as they ate the fruit that Jessica had collected. She stayed as small as she could so that she didn't need to eat as much. Unfortunately even at her smallest she ate much more than the average man but thankfully she had collected more than enough fruit.

"So I guess we're going home then?" asked Jessica with a small amount of disappointment in her voice. She knew how much this quest meant to Tucker and she was sad to see it end. "At least we've had a grand adventure and a decent story to tell the family back in Morgan." She was trying to sugar coat the situation but she could already see Tucker's disappoint from where she was standing.

"I-I guess you're right." For the sake of it he took the map out from his satchel and took a look at it. For anything it was to see the best route back to Morgan. Much to his surprise he could see a line appear out of ink on the map. It started at where they were standing and moved across the paper until it reached a location just outside of Calf Heath which was on the South East coast of Angleland. He stood there in disbelief at what he was seeing. "By the gods, Jessica you won't believe this!"

"What is it?" She moved herself so that she was behind Tucker. This was so that she had a better look at the map. She too could see that a marker had appeared which basically pointed them to the location of the next test. Underneath the map they could both see writing appear. They both stood there a gasped. "How is this possible? You said yourself, you chose to leave the test rather than finding the next location."

"That's what I thought." He took a closer look at the writing and since he knew that Jessica couldn't read very well he thought that it was best to read it out loud. "Congratulations traveller. By sacrificing what you desire and ultimately your life you have passed the test. Your reward is the location of the third and final test. Your quest has not yet come to an end, be wary, there will be those who will try to lead you astray."

"Wow that's amazing." She was a little disappointed that they weren't going back home but she felt overwhelming joy for Tucker. He was willing to sacrifice everything to save her life and now he was getting his reward.

"You're telling me." He was trying to mask the joy in his voice but he was failing miserably at this. He was getting a little over excited but Jessica didn't mind, it was not the first time that she had seen him like this and she doubted that it would be the last. "We can still find the treasure and make ourselves insanely rich."

"That's great Tucker." She was having to look down at him again and he looked up to her in more than one way. To the both of them it just seemed right with this height difference although many would call it grossly wrong. From the moment they met this is what they had known and anything else would have been wrong. She did further increase her size until she was at her maximum, she lowered her hand for Tucker step onto. "We better get going then or else we'll never get there."

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

With no hesitation whatsoever Tucker stepped onto Jessica's hand and allowed the gentle giantess to lift him onto her shoulder and wrap a single strand of hair around him. She was taller than the trees by now and for Jessica this felt natural to her as well. Whenever she was at her smallest size she still stood out but she also felt like she was trying to deny who she truly was. When she was her true size she truly felt like herself but all too often she remembered how people would react about her size. Even when she was a little girl people were terrified of her size and often called her a monster. That's one reason why she was so attached to Tucker. Despite everything he was the only one who had treated her like a human being and because of that she would always be at his side, even if she knew that she was on a fool's errand.

The pair did enjoy the rays of the morning sun, after everything that they had been through it was nice for the both of them. Tucker did wish that he could draw the view from Jessica's shoulder but unfortunately he wasn't artistic in the slightest. It was one thing that she was a little disappointed about.

There was one place that Jessica did really want to visit and that was Royal City. It was by far the most majestic in all of Angleland and was also the seat of the royal family. Currently the throne was occupied by King Percy Kent, the third of his name. He was a relatively young king who had been in power since his late father also named Percy passed away after a brief illness. The realm had been relatively stable since he had come to power with nothing out of the ordinary taking place and no power struggles. There had been no real test to his rule yet. He was married to Queen Valerie who had come from a powerful family to the east of the realm. They had been betrothed since before they were teenagers and they seemed to love each other very much.

When Jessica was a little girl she would fantasise about going to Royal City and seeing the King and Queen. She had always wanted to bow to them and also to compliment the Queen on her dress. In these dreams she always imagined that the King and Queen were giants, even compared to her since they were the highest order in the realm. She knew that it was just a silly little fantasy, the only person that she had ever had to look up to was Gwen and she had no idea where she was.

Whenever Gwen was around Jessica would always feel nervous, it was most likely because she literally had no idea what was going to happen. Gwen's size manipulation abilities were limitless and with the fact that she didn't seem to care too much about anything Jessica didn't know what the demi-goddess was going to do next. She was just glad that Gwen wasn't around, she didn't know that Gwen was actually still around but was just so small that she could no longer be seen by the naked eye.

After a few hours of walking Jessica decided to have a rest at the banks of the River Red. She even took a chance of a nice cooling bath because she thought that it had been too long since she had last had a bath. This did mean taking her dress off but she didn't mind Tucker seeing her naked. It was nothing that he hadn't seen before and she completely trusted him to be mature about the whole situation.

Tucker had decided to have a little more practice with Juggernaut but while in the corner of his eye he could see Jessica bathing in the river. The water was deep enough for her to sit in and bathe herself. He couldn't see pelvic area but he could see her naked breasts with ease. Not too often he had seen her breasts but when he saw them he couldn't take his eyes off them. They seemed to be just the right size for her body since he didn't like it when women had breasts that were larger than they should be. They looked firm but he thought that there would be some softness to them.

He could also see some of the muscles in her body. She didn't look to be overly muscular but the hundreds of miles of walking and her life working on the farm had given her an impressive body. She probably didn't realise how beautiful she actually was because she had always seen herself as a monster. Her body had always been a cause for her grief but Tucker thought that it was an object of beauty. He could see the cool water running down her body and he could feel himself having a man reaction to this.

From where she was sitting Jessica at first didn't notice him but after a couple of minutes he could see him looking. Rather than being annoyed she smiled and looked towards him. She even signalled for him to come to her. At first Tucker pretended that he hadn't seen her and tried to act that he only noticed when she signalled him. Jessica knew better but she did keep her quiet about it.

"What is it Jessica?" asked Tucker as he approached her. He was walking in a manner that he thought would hide his erection but Jessica could still just about see it and once again she kept quiet about it.

"Oh nothing really," replied Jessica in a playful voice. "I just thought you would want to have a closer look." There was a mischievous smile on her face and Tucker knew that she was up to something.

"I wasn't looking." He tried to make up this lie to try and make it sound like he wasn't a pervert.

"Tucker you're a man that is good at many things but lying isn't one of them. I told you before that you don't have to try and hide it. We've been friends for too long and I doubt that I'll ever be disgusted by you." She then stretched her hand towards him and placed it on the bank just in front of him. "Now hop on so that I can give my brave hero the reward that he deserves."

Tucker didn't really know what was going to happen and with a small amount of caution he did step onto her hand and quickly he felt himself be lifted up. He was soon at her angelic face and her smile was still there for him to see. He could feel his heart racing as he knew that something was going to happen.

The next thing that Tucker saw was Jessica's warm, soft lips come right to his face and she kissed him. They had kissed before but those were merely friendship kisses where this one felt different, they could both feel ecstasy that neither of them had felt before and for Jessica in particular it felt joy. It was like she was finally doing something that she had always wanted to do. She had told Tucker that she felt more to him than a mere friend and this was her way of showing it.

Both of them were lost in their own world and neither of them saw a small boat floating by. The occupant was a single fisherman who just stared at what he was seeing. He didn't notice where he was going and was simply fixated at looking at the naked giantess sitting in the river.

The kiss lasted for a minute or so and when Jessica stopped it she continued to smile at him. It felt natural for her to do something like this and she could see Tucker was left completely stunned by what happened. He stared at her and for a few moments there was nothing but absolute silence. Jessica began to fear that the kiss had ruined their friendship and that he would want to continue the quest without her.

"Tucker are you alright?" asked Jessica. Her smile faded as her fear took over. She brought him a little closer to her so that she could see him better. She could see that he was still in a state of shock. She even thought that he might be stuck this way and that was something that she knew was silly.

"T-That was something else," stuttered Tucker as he was lost for words. He was trying to make reason of the feelings that he had just felt. It was like a volcano had erupted within his mind.

"I'm sorry if you didn't like it. I thought that it would show you how thankful I am that you saved me. And also to show just how much I love you, maybe in a deeper way than you might like to think."

"You don't need to be sorry Jessica. It's just a little hard to take in, I don't think you've ever kissed me like that before."

"Did you like it?" There was much caution in her voice and she still feared rejection. She held her breath in expectation.

"Yes it was very... pleasant." He was still looking for the right words to say. The situation could go either way right now.

"Do you mind if I do it again?" This was the difference maker for her. If he accepted she knew what it would mean.

"That would be enjoyable." He was still a little lost for words but before he could say anything else he felt Jessica's lips come into contact with his face once again. They were so large that they covered his entire face, it was a little hard for him to breathe but he still felt safe with her.

Jessica's lips felt like moist cushions coming into contact with his face and at no point did he want the kiss to stop. For Jessica she had been practicing for this moment for some time. Although she could have kissed him at her minimal size she thought that this was the best way to show her love for him.

Once again she was lost in her own world and she accidentally sucked a little too hard as she kissed and Tucker found himself being sucked into her mouth. He was beginning to struggle as he was somewhat afraid that she was going to swallow him. It was his struggles that alerted Jessica that something was wrong. When she snapped back to reality she found that Tucker was half way into her mouth and she could hear him trying to say something. Unfortunately she couldn't hear him properly.

Immediately she spat him out onto her hand. Jessica had a terrified look on her face as she looked down at Tucker whose upper half was completely drenched in saliva. He looked a little spaced out and a couple of tears rolled down her face. She thought that he would hate her now for what she had done. It had truly been an accident but she feared that she could have actually swallowed him.

"Tucker I'm so sorry," cried Jessica. She tried to wipe away some of the saliva on his body with her fingers bit it was a difficult task. She was more terrified than she could remember. "I got carried away."

"Y-you had me in your mouth," replied Tucker who was still spaced out after what had just happened.

"I swear I didn't mean for that to happen." It was not the first time that she had kissed someone at her maximum size but it was the first passionate kiss that she had ever done. She now felt more than ever that she had ruined the relationship which they shared. Tears were still rolling down her face. "It's just that I got caught in the moment and I accidentally almost swallowed you. Please don't hate me, you're the only friend that I've ever had and I don't want to be alone."

"I-It's alright Jessica." Slowly he got back to his feet and he was feeling a little lightheaded. Otherwise he was fine and a quick wash was all that was needed to get the saliva off his body. "These things happen." He was taking it much better than she expected and she couldn't help but wipe away a couple of her tears and even break a smile. "Like my swordplay I think you need some practice."

"Yeah sure I do." Her smile grew a little as she realised that Tucker didn't hate her for what happened. He had seen that it was genuine accident. "Does this mean that we're a... you know a...?"

"Couple?" There was a pause as Jessica awaited his answer. She could hear her own heartbeat. "I don't see why not."

Jessica's world had just become a little brighter. Finally she was more than just best friends with Tucker. It was a day that she had been dreaming of for so long and she couldn't believe that it was finally taking place. If she could freeze time at this moment she would do and she would treasure it for all eternity.

Jessica had to snap back to reality when she felt the cool breeze on her back. She did become to shiver a little and the fact that the water itself was not very warm. Her nipples had become stiff and she wanted to get out as soon as she could. She looked down at Tucker and did give him a little smile.

"I hope you don't mind but I think we should get out now," said Jessica. Tucker was still covered with saliva but other than that he was fine. "I'll catch a cold and believe me the last thing you want me to do is continually sneeze.

"I guess so," replied Tucker. He wiped a bit more of the saliva off of his body but there was still plenty more. "Although now I think it's me that needs a bath."

This got a small chuckle out of Jessica who stood up in the water and made the couple of steps back to the bank. She allowed the sun to dry her off and as soon as she felt that she was dry enough she put her dress and other clothing back on. Before she shrank down to a more reasonable size she began to wipe Tucker with her dress to get the saliva off. She used the bottom portion of her dress to do this and while she was cleaning him off he was fidgeting a little. Once or twice she did have to tell him to stay still, the last thing she wanted to do was accidentally hurt him.

It took Jessica a couple of minutes to clean Tucker enough before she considered her work done. She did quickly rinse the saliva on her dress with some of the river water and despite the fact that Jessica had washed herself they still collected some of the river water so that they had some more water to drink on their travels.

For the next several hours Jessica walked towards the location of the third trial. Even at her extreme size it would take them sometime to get there but for both of them there didn't seem to be any rush. They were more than happy to take their time and they even considered staying in one of the towns for a short while. It would be their way of making their relationship official.

For now Jessica just kept walking and eventually she was even close to the city of July but for obvious reasons they stayed well clear of it. The memories of what happened still haunted them both, Jessica had never remembered being so angry in her entire life, she was just glad that it was all over with and that she had happiness in her life. Tucker was the only man that she needed and she thought that she would be happy forever.

Eventually the pair reached a spot where they thought it would be wise to camp for the night. Jessica was tempted to sleep at her full size and allow Tucker to sleep between her breasts. However she knew the dangers of that, she feared that she might roll over in the night and accidentally crush him. For this reason she decided to sleep at her minimum size but she would hug Tucker all the way through the night.

After having a decent dinner the pair lay on the ground as both of them prepared to go to sleep. An idea did pop into Jessica's head and she looked into the face of Tucker who was laying right beside her. A smile appeared on her face as she looked at him, he had no idea what she was thinking but he knew that he would find out very soon.

"So how many?" asked Jessica. Her smile had not faded and it was unlikely that it ever would again,

"How many what?" replied Tucker with some confusion. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Children are we going to have when we've finished this quest. "I'm thinking about having at least a dozen."

"A dozen?" This caught Tucker by surprise. He didn't think that anyone would want that many children. "But why?"

"You probably wouldn't understand, remember I was an only child and more than once I wished to have a brother or sister. Unfortunately due to my parents' situation I was all they could have." She gave him another smile. "Think about it, you could have sons that you can train into knights and I will have daughters that I can teach to do lady like things." Her smile only grew as she finished speaking.

"Lady like things? Like what?"

"You know, lady things." She wasn't even entirely sure herself but she could imagine herself surrounded by her daughters in her farmhouse. She was teaching them how to do things like cooking and sewing. Although she wasn't all that good at those activities herself she would try and teach her children. "I don't care if I'm pregnant every year until I hit menopause, as long as we have a large family I don't mind."

"Yeah we'll have a large family." He meant large in a different way. He knew that if he were to have any children with Jessica they would most likely inherit her extreme size so there would be a family of giants in Angleland. "But we're not going to start until we've finished our quest."

"Well there's that and the fact that we need to get married. My daddy always told me that I should be married before I have any children." She gave him a somewhat evil smile. "And believe me if you want real access to my lady parts you have to put a ring on my finger." She held her right hand towards him and spread her fingers indicating her point. Tucker couldn't help but admire his friend, despite the fact that she was in love with him she wouldn't let him have sex with her until they were married. He also knew that when she had her mind made up it was close to impossible to change it.

"Ok, when we're finished with the quest we'll get married. We'll even use some of our well-earned treasure to pay for the most extravagant that Angleland has ever seen. You have my word."

"But when we get married I do have one condition."

"Name it." He was curious to know what this condition was. He didn't know whether he would entirely like it or not.

"When we get married I'm going to be my real size." This did take him by surprise but he was still curious.

"Why would you want to get married as a giant?"

"Because when I marry you before the gods I want people to see me as my real self, not this shrunken version of me. I know that many people would be afraid but I don't care, it will still be the happiest day of my life and you'll make me the happiest woman. Besides I can't really marry in this dress."

"Err." He took a quick look at her dress and although it was still in good shape considering she practically wore it every single day. It was still a dress that didn't look particularly nice to get married in. He knew that she would most likely want some kind of white dress as was tradition. "I see your point."

"Hey are you saying my dress is ugly?" For a moment she had a stern look on her face and Tucker had to quickly try and backtrack his words.

"No, of course not. I would never say such a thing." He began to laugh to try and pass it as nothing but Jessica still gave him the stern look.

"I was thinking of giving you some sugar tonight but now you can just forget about it." She could see the disappointed look on Tucker's face and this made her laugh. "Relax I'm only kidding."

"Oh thank the gods." He breathed a huge sigh of relief but before he could say anything else he felt himself be pulled right towards her and their lips came together for another kiss. At least this time he didn't have to worry about her almost swallowing him.

As they kissed Tucker felt the warmth and safety of being in the arms of an amazon. She wasn't crushing him and he could feel the softness of her lips pressing against his. For Jessica this was something that she had always wanted. For once she felt that things were beginning to go well in her life. She had gotten herself the man that she wanted and it was the first step to what she thought would be a happy life.

The next morning it was Tucker who was the first to wake up. Rather than disturbing Jessica he allowed her to sleep for a little longer. In that time he began to train once again, like before he used a tree as a dummy as he practiced his swings and stabs. He would have preferred a sparring partner but since there were none around this was the best that he could do.

Even though it was early morning it was still somewhat warm and there was there was a misty feeling in the air. Already he could hear the songs of the birds in the nearby branches. He was somewhat lost in his own world when he felt a large hand touch his shoulder. At first he didn't really have any fear since he assumed that it was Jessica's. But when he took a quick glance at his shoulder he saw that it was a man's hand and it was gloved. It was not the long and slender hand of Jessica.

Quickly Tucker turned with Juggernaut in his hand and he expected to see someone standing behind him. Instead he saw nothing and quickly he looked around to try and see if he could see anyone. The only person he could see was Jessica who was still asleep on the ground, there was no one else around him at all. He even looked at his shoulder and unsurprisingly the gloved hand was gone. Quietly he sheathed Juggernaut and began to think about what had just happened.

It was around that time that Jessica woke up and as she stretched herself she saw Tucker standing by himself. This struck her as being odd and rather than getting up immediately she decided to raise her voice so that he was able to hear her.

"Hey Tucker are you alright there?" asked Jessica as she saw Tucker looking towards her. He did seem a little confused and this did make her worry a little. Anything that could harm him she immediately disliked.

"Y-yeah I'm fine," replied Tucker. He was beginning to think that he had just imagined the entire event. What he didn't realise was that it was the same shoulder that Gwen was currently located on. She was still keeping herself hidden and was happy with everything that was taking place. "I've just got a few cobwebs."

"You sure that you're alright? You seem a little spaced out to me."

"No I'm sure. Anyway, we better get some breakfast. I don't know about you but I'm starving."

"So am I but I'm only hungry for one thing." She gave him a cheeky grin before she stood up to her full height. For Tucker it was always a wonder to see such a tall girl standing up. In a way he felt that it was the natural order. "I'm in the mood for something cooked today. You wouldn't mind gathering a bit of fire wood?"

Tucker dreaded the idea of eating Jessica's cooking. More than once in the past she had cooked for him and he never genuinely enjoyed a single meal. He loved her dearly but he certainly didn't love his cooking. For Jessica she knew that she wasn't very good but she felt that if she was going to be a wife and have a dozen kids she would have to improve her cooking skills. She thought that Tucker would help cook when they had their family but if he was working then she would have to cook.

Jessica even thought that if they found Three Man's Treasure they could simply hire people to cook for them but she still felt that it was best for her to learn. They couldn't depend on the treasure for everything.

Over the next several minutes Tucker did as he was asked and collected some firewood. Thankfully the wood that he found was dry due to the fact that it had not rained for several days. He quickly brought it to where Jessica was getting some of their food out from the satchel. She wanted to make a healthy breakfast since she thought that they would need their strength for the trip at hand.

Thanks to Tucker's experience as a blacksmith he was more than capable of starting the fire and as soon as it started Jessica began to roast some meat and toast some bread. She was trying to be as careful as she could so that she didn't burn anything and ruin the breakfast entirely.

It didn't take her long too long to finish the breakfast and as soon as she felt that it was done she shouted to Tucker that it was ready. The man himself did walk to her with some reluctance as he didn't know whether he was going to like what he ate or be throwing it up within a few minutes. She had put a lot of effort into cooking his breakfast and he didn't want to upset his bride to be. Especially given the fact that she could turn herself into a towering giantess within a moment.

Tucker began to eat his breakfast and he was actually surprised to find that it tasted half decent. He admitted that there were still a few things that were left to be desired but it was definitely much better than what he had tasted earlier from her cooking. He could see Jessica eating her own breakfast and as was expected her portion was much larger than his. It was easy to forget that due to her size she ate a lot more than an average person, sometimes she would even get a little embarrassed with the amount of food she ate. She didn't see it as being very lady like but he body demanded calories and she was simply a slave to its whims. She take some comfort in the knowledge that she didn't eat as much as she used to, if she did she would have eaten her parents out of house and home.

"So what do you think?" asked Jessica just after she had eaten her last shred of food. There was a few moments of silence because Tucker was still finishing off his last mouthful but Jessica thought that it was because he didn't like her cooking. "You didn't like it did you?" She thought that this was going to happen and despite everything it still did upset her more than she would like to admit.

"No its fine," replied Tucker just as he swallowed his last mouthful. "It is some of your better cooking certainly."

"What you like it?" Her face seemed to light up and Tucker could see how much this little comment had made her happy.

"Certainly, if you keep improving like this then you'll be a master chef before you know it. Heck you could even open your own restaurant and call yourself the tallest chef in Angleland."

"Thanks Tucker that means a lot." She gave him a smile and a small kiss on his cheek. They had only been an official couple for a day and already he was complimenting her cooking. She knew that it was the start of something special.

With the breakfast over the pair decided that it was best to keep moving. Jessica once again grew to her maximum height and carried Tucker. Along the way they saw a couple of travellers who just stood and stared as they went passed. Jessica smiled down at them and just waved at them. She could see that they were somewhat afraid of her but their reactions were nowhere near as bad as she had in the past.

It took them a further three days to traverse through the Summer Lands until they reached the banks of the River White which was the longest river in Angleland. It started from the Wetlands all the way in the north and ended in Delta Town which was one of the most southern towns in Angleland. The mighty river practically split the land in two and without the aid of a bridge or a boat a traveller would have to travel thousands of miles to get around the river otherwise.

It was on this very river that stood the greatest city in all of Angleland. Royal City was founded on the River White and it had been the home of the Kings and Queens of Angleland for countless years. It was this city that Jessica was heading to since it was a place that she had always wanted to visit. Although Tucker did want to find Three Man's Treasure as soon as possible he had already accepted that they would be having an extended visit to the city. It would also give them chance to replenish their resources and Jessica would have time to visit the sights.

Already they had decided that they were going to stay there for at least a week but Jessica would have loved to have pushed that further to a fortnight. Even then she didn't think that she would be able to see everything she wanted in Royal City.

There were other places that Tucker wanted to visit as well. Some of the best smiths in the land traded from Royal City. He wanted to see how they made their weaponry and armour so much better than anywhere else in Angleland. He wanted to also pick up a few tricks from some of the knights who were located in the city. Many of them were under the direct command of the King and Queen and he even thought that it might lead to himself and Jessica actually visiting the royal family. It would bring much joy to Jessica who had wanted to be a princess when she was younger.

When Jessica and Tucker began to approach the city they could see it from some distance. It was the largest city in Angleland so it was more than easy to spot. To reach the city they would have to cross a bridge directly into the city since it was located on the opposite side of the river from where they were.

As usual when the pair were a few miles away from the city Jessica shrank to her smallest size and they would carry on from there. At one point Tucker commented that Jessica didn't need to carry him and now it would be his turn to try and carry her. He remembered carrying her during the second trial but she had obviously gained a lot of weight since then. Still he thought that he was more than up to the task.

With Jessica's permission Tucker attempted to pick up Jessica. He attempted to carry her and he was just able to get the Amazonian woman off of her feet. Unfortunately that was all he could do as he could feel her sheer weight pushing against him and he lost his footing. He found himself tumbling down to the ground and unfortunately for him Jessica came down right on top of him. The sudden impact winded him as he felt his chest being crushed by her weight. Almost instantly she got herself up and tried to help Tucker back up to his feet. She had a very concerned look on her face as she feared that she might have seriously injured her lover.

"Tucker are you alright?" asked Jessica with a lot of concern in her voice. Her fear looked to be realised as Tucker was having a difficult time answering her question. If she knew that he would get hurt she wouldn't have agreed to this.

"Y-yeah I'm fine," replied Tucker as he was still gasping for air. "I just need a moment to catch my breath."

"Oh thank the gods but you should have been more careful. You knew that you couldn't carry me and yet you still tried." She gave a small sigh. "In hindsight I should never have let you try."

"Don't worry about it, in fact I did better than I expected." He tried to smile to show that he was fine but he could see that Jessica was a little annoyed. He knew that he would have to do something to make her happy again. "How about this, when we go into Royal City I'll take you to the fanciest place there and buy you whatever you want to eat. Think of it as our first real meal as a couple."

"A couple?" This made her face light up as she could see that Tucker was trying to be romantic. In that instant she had more or less forgotten what she was annoyed about and could only think about them at a table eating some food together. In her dream she was wearing a very fancy dress but she already knew that she would be wearing the dress that she already wore.

"Of course, it can be our way of making it official. Now shall we keep going or would you like to admire from a distance."

"Lead the way my knight in shining armour." She could see him hold out his arm and she hooked it up with hers and they walked towards Royal City. She did have to slower her normal pace since she took longer strides than him. Tucker did have to quicken his pace slightly so that they could meet in the middle.

There was another reason for their haste, it was because there were dark clouds above them and they knew that it would rain very soon. They wanted to go inside and find an inn as soon as they could. It hadn't rained for some time since entering the Summer Lands and it looked like it would come down with a vengeance. Already they could hear some of the rumble of thunder above them.

It did take them a little while for them to reach the bridge that would allow them to cross the river and enter Royal City itself. As was expected the bridge was very busy with people going in and out of the city. They could see a range of people from peasant farmers all the way up to Lords and Ladies. Each of them had to go through a checkpoint where their comings and goings were documented. There were numerous people who were wanted by the crown and would more or less be executed if they were caught.
Tucker and Jessica had to join a line of people who wanted to go into the city.

Unfortunately they were stuck behind a horse and carriage which was used to transport dead bodies out from the city. Thankfully the carriage was empty but they could still smell where there had once been a pile of dead bodies. Unfortunately it was a practice that wouldn't be going away anytime soon.

A couple of people did stare at Jessica as they walked passed since even at her smallest height she still stood easily a foot and a half taller than the tallest person on the bridge. By now she was so used to it that she didn't really notice them. Instead she held onto Tucker's hand and although it was smaller than she would have liked to her it was perfect in every single way.

Eventually after almost an hour of waiting Jessica and Tucker reached the checkpoint on the bridge. There were two checkpoints right by one another but where one was for people going in the other was for people going out. There were strict rules about how the process was done and if anyone was foolish enough to try and cut corners they would find themselves in a prison cell faster than they could relieve their bowels.

The man at the checkpoint was a relatively small man who didn't look like he could do well in a fight. He looked a little like a weasel, just because he looked weak didn't mean that he was a pushover. Right next to him stood a couple of guards who all wore shiny armour which was imprinted with a rose. This was the symbol of the royal family and indicated that they were knights under the order of the king himself. Tucker couldn't believe it but they were most likely knighted as well meaning that he would have to call them sir. The checkpoint man was most likely not a knight but also most likely someone who you didn't want to anger. He could deny a person entry into the city and they would be thrown out although he doubted that the knights could throw out Jessica. On the other hand he didn't think that she would hurt them either.

"Names," said the checkpoint man. He had a large piece of paper in front of him and a quill in his hand. There were a couple of cuts on his fingers and the wind blew his short black hair. He had been doing this for so long that he just wanted to get each person done with so that he could finish a little earlier.

"Oh I'm Tucker Martel," replied Tucker as he had to come up with the answers quickly and this is my partner Jessica Snape." Jessica gave the man a small smile and a wave but he seemed to completely blank her. He did write down the information that he was given on the large piece of paper.

"Occupations."

"I'm a knight." There was some amount of pride in his voice and he was hoping that it would impress the man and the knights standing right next to him. Unfortunately this was not meant to be,

"If you are a knight then why are you not named Sir Tucker Martel?" He did have a lazy eye which Tucker did find a little uncomfortable.

"Well I haven't actually been knighted yet." He did begin to sound a little nervous as he feared what would happen next.

"If you haven't been knighted you're not a knight. I have at least a dozen people a day claim to be knights but they're actually not. So don't waste my time with this fantasy crap and tell me your real occupation before I refuse you entry."

"Alright." He gave a small sigh as he had to admit defeat. "I'm a fully qualified blacksmith and practicing knight."

"That's better." He continued to write down the information. "And your partner? Is she just a housewife or does she have an occupation as well."

"I-I'm a farmer," replied Jessica. She did stutter her words a little but she was able to keep her cool. She was somewhat angry with how he had talked to Tucker and she found him to be very rude.

"Very tall for a farmer. Very tall for anything really." He finished off what he was writing. "And how long are you planning on staying in Royal City?"

"A week," replied Tucker just as Jessica stated a fortnight. The man just looked at them both and wrote it down.

"I will count that as a week." Finally he finished off what he was writing. "You both may enter the city and remember to be on your best behaviour. You might find yourself at the mercy of the king."

With the warning in the mind of Jessica and Tucker the pair entered Royal City and the sight that greeted them made them stand back in awe for a few moments. They could see a busy city ahead of them but it was drenched with banners as far as the eye could see. There were stores ahead of them but that sold items from all corners of the world. Armoured guards patrolled the streets at all times and every structure was made out of stone rather than wood. There were statues littered from place to place which depicted past kings and heroic knights from folk tales.

Jessica in particular was in amazement as she had always wanted to visit Royal City. She had heard merchants tell her how there was no other city like it in the world and from what she could see they weren't lying. Many of the buildings towered above her and she felt that even if she were at her full size she would still feel small. A huge smile appeared on her face as she felt very happy.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain from her shin. It caught her by surprise and she gave a small sound of discomfort before looking down. There she saw a young boy standing right next to her and she watched as she kicked her leg. This caused her more pain and she wouldn't be lying if she said that she was a little annoyed. Rather than getting angry she squatted down which caught the boy off guard. He seemed to be a little afraid right now as the extremely tall woman focused on her.

"Why are you kicking me?" asked Jessica with some expectation in her voice. She hid her annoyance and she tried to show that she wasn't angry.

"I-I'm sorry," stuttered the boy. "I thought that you were on stilts." It was not uncommon in Royal City for entertainers to walk around on stilts. There were numerous entertainers scattered around the city who perform small acts for whatever change the viewer had. Some went from minor acts of musical talent up to acts that could completely blow a person's mind away. He had truly thought that she was on stilts not just because she was so tall but also because her dress prevented him from seeing her legs and feet.

"No I'm not on stilts. I'm just a very tall lady who doesn't really like being kicked. Even if I were on stilts it still isn't very nice to kick them. If I had been I could have fallen and seriously hurt myself. You wouldn't want that now would you?"

"N-No." This was all he could muster. He was afraid that he would get a clip around the ear for his actions.

"Good, now run along and I hope that you've learned your lesson."

The boy didn't hesitate in running away as Jessica stood back up to her full height. Tucker had just watched and remained silent throughout the entire ordeal. He wasn't too surprised that Jessica hadn't shouted at the boy or hurt him. He looked up to his extremely tall partner who could still feel a small amount of discomfort in her shin.

"Well that was interesting," said Tucker. "I guess there can be a downside to having long legs." He made this sound like a joke although he knew that Jessica's body was proportionate.

"Well there's a downside to everything." She was just playing along with the joke and she found her hand take a hold of his. It was still much smaller than her own but she would think it were abnormal if it were the same size.

"I'm somewhat surprised that you didn't clip that kid in the ear roll. I would have done that if I were you."

"He didn't mean any real harm and hopefully he would have learned a lesson from that. Besides going around hitting people isn't really a nice thing to do."

"Well whatever makes you happy." He paused for a moment as he suddenly realised something. "Wait this is the second time that some kid thought you were on stilts." It had happened relatively close to the start of their quest that now seemed to be a lifetime ago. So much had happened to them since then that it almost seemed that their lives had not truly begun until they started the quest.

"I guess it's just one of the downsides of being a tall girl." She did smile a little as she spoke. "But it also means that I can give you bigger cuddles."

"Maybe when we check into an inn." He also smiled and he didn't really want her to cuddle him like that in public. A little to preserve his manlihood but also so that they didn't attract any unwanted attention.

"Of course, let's just make sure that they have high ceilings. I'm getting a little sick of bumping my head every time I stand up straight."

The couple began to walk down the street where they saw many people walking passed. They even saw some stores that sold goods from the continent of Entios which lay to the east of Angleland. There were cultures on that continent that seemed very alien to those of Angleland. There were even rumours of a society there that sometime delved into cannibalism but many thought that it was just a rumour. There was even rumours of an entire city made of diamonds which to them was as common as dirt. Some explorers had even travelled to Entios to try and find this city, few had returned but none had conclusive proof whether it existed or not.

There were also street performers as well and one particular man was on stilts. He was juggling a little for people watching and right now he felt that he was the tallest person there. That was until Jessica stopped by him for a moment and he had to look slightly up to her. There was a small amount of intimidation and for the moment he stopped juggling. Rather than speaking to him Jessica just smiled at him and put a few coins in his cup by his stilt feet before walking away. He stared at her as she walked and being a professional stilt walker himself he could see how her legs moved in her dress. Instantly he could see that she wasn't wearing stilts and this is what shocked him the most.

Eventually the pair came up to an inn which had relatively low prices. They had enough money to spend a few nights there and get some nice warm meals. The bedroom was even better for Jessica since the ceiling was just high enough for her to stand up straight. The only downside was that the doors were particularly small. Tucker was able to get through without ducking just by a couple of inches. Jessica had no chance for this and had to bend down quite a lot to get through the door.

Almost as soon as they were in the room Tucker took off his armour since he didn't feel that he needed it at this moment in time. He was surprised when Jessica asked him to stand on the bed. Not thinking much of it though he did as he was asked and the next thing he knew her lips came into contact with his but this time that they at eye level and she didn't need to pick him up. Her long arms wrapped around him and he could still feel the warmth and safety that he would feel when in Jessica's arms. They had only just gone from being best friends to becoming lovers and although their love for each other was unquestionable they still wanted to take their relationship at a steady pace.

Again there was only one bed but this wasn't much of a problem as Jessica would wrap her arms around Tucker at night and sleep with him as she would cuddle him like a teddy bear. Even when she slept she would be careful not to use too much strength to cause him too much discomfort. She only really wished that she could have his entire body right by her skin but she knew what would happen if she took off her dress. It was just thing that she would have to keep as a dreaming of. She hoped that one day she be able to have bare body to body contact with Tucker without fear of crushing him.

For the next few days things seemed to be going well for Tucker and Jessica. Not only did they enjoy the time they spent together as a couple but also seeing the sights and sounds of Royal City. Jessica really wanted to go to the palace so that she could see the King and Queen of Angleland but understandably commoners were not allowed to go into the palace and meet the royal family. She just hoped that they would make some kind of public address soon so that she could see them. One thing that she didn't have to worry about was seeing them through a crowd.

One thing that Tucker did take his time doing was exploring some of the iron works that took place in the city. As a fully qualified Blacksmith himself Tucker was allowed to go into the works and witness what was taking place. From time to time he would even help out with a couple of swords and shields while Jessica was out looking around the town. He was given a few gold coins for his work and some of the blacksmiths even gave him a few times how to make the metal stronger. They didn't reveal all of their secrets to him and he didn't really think that he would need these tips since he planned to live the rest of his life in luxury from the riches of Three Man's Treasure. But it would still be a nice little something to fall back on and he could even tell his father and brothers.

The word about an eight foot woman in the city had reached many ears and since Jessica stuck out she was a very easy person to spot. People would walk passed and marvel about just how tall she was. Many of the men felt like children compared to her but she didn't really like being in the limelight. At least these people weren't being hateful towards her like those in her hometown of Morgan. These people were merely just curious about her and in a way she couldn't really blame them.

One particular night when Tucker and Jessica were having some food in an inn a particular gentleman challenged Jessica to a drinking contest. He was a big man himself who had never lost a drinking contest but he was always out to look for the next challenge. Bets had been put on the contest not just between the contestants but many of the people watching on as well. Many believed that the man would win and yet some went with Jessica due to her sheer size alone.

The contest lasted longer than anyone expected as each contestant drank a pint of ale one after the other. Tucker was worried that Jessica was going to make herself sick but he was surprised to see that she was handling her ale very well. It did help that she could drink an entire pint in only two or three gulps and that her hand was almost as big as the pin itself. There was a lot of cheering as each opponent drank their pint. For a while they seemed to be neck and neck but there was one thing that Tucker noticed. The man was beginning to get slower and slower with each pint he drank while Jessica didn't seem to change at all. It almost seemed like to her she was just drinking water. He knew that by now any man would be feeling the effects of the alcohol but Jessica still remained perfectly composed although she did admit that she needed to pee.

It was not too long after this before Jessica's opponent took one last gulp of the ale before falling off of his chair as he was so drunk there was no possibility of him getting up to his feet unaided. There was a huge cheer from the crowd as Jessica's hand was raised in victory. The pair had just earned themselves some much needed money but the first thing that Jessica did after her victory was to get up and go to the restroom so that she could relieve herself before she could ruin her dress.

One thing that Tucker and Jessica didn't realise that a raven had been sent from Logan to almost every major town and city in Angleland. One such raven even found its way to Royal City with very important information. Whether it was good or bad for the pair was yet to be seen but one thing was for sure was that immediate action would be taken.

After Jessica had finished relieving herself she went to Tucker who was collecting the winnings from the man. He was still lying on the ground but his friends were there to make him pay up. When Jessica approached it was not her height that caught their attention but the fact that she was walking perfectly normal. Many would have believed that after consuming that much alcohol that she would have felt some effect. Even Tucker was surprised and it was just one other reason to be amazed by his lover.

After the contest Jessica and Tucker sat on a table together and he noticed that Jessica was breathing a little heavier than normal. This did cause some concern for Tucker but he thought that it was just the alcohol finally catching up to her.

"Hey Jessica are you alright?" asked Tucker with some concern in his voice although he was pretty sure that she was alright.

"Yeah I'm fine," replied Jessica. "I just think that the ale inside me isn't really sitting very well." She continued to breathe deeply for a few moments and it was a way for her to try and not vomit.

"I can imagine, I've never seen someone drink that much ale and still be able to walk and talk in full sentences."

"Well you know me Tucker I'm a special case. Guess another advantage of being freakishly tall is that I can hold my ale a lot better than most men." There was one thing that she wanted to say to Tucker but she didn't really know how to say it. Since they had left Morgan Jessica noticed that her minimum height had increased a little. She had grown a full inch since leaving but since she was so tall to begin with Tucker had hardly noticed. It did bring Jessica a sense of dread as she feared that she wouldn't stop growing. She had already grown practically a full foot after receiving her dress and the thought that she was still growing haunted her. She did take some comfort in the knowledge that since she was eighteen that she didn't have much growth left in her but she did fear that she was a special case. She didn't want to tell Tucker so that she didn't worry him and just tried to put on a happy face. "But there is still only one man in this inn who makes me feel like a real woman." These words were spoken softly and it made Tucker's heart skip a beat. "Why don't we go back into our room and spend some quality time together?"

Tucker almost choked on the ale that he had just drunk and he could see the smile on Jessica's face. He knew that she was being serious but he wondered just exactly she was thinking about doing. Most men would think that she was going for sex but she had already stated that they weren't going to have sex until they were married and Jessica was the type of woman to stick by that promise. The fact that he had almost choked on his ale did make Jessica giggle a little. If she wanted to she could easily lift him up and carry him back up to the room but she didn't want to make him less manly in front of all these people. She would have liked for him to carry her but she was simply too big.

It was not until they returned to the room before Jessica lifted up Tucker and gave him a big kiss. At least now she didn't have to worry about anyone else looking on but as she kissed him she accidentally grew an extra few inches. Normally it would not be that much of a problem but the ceiling was just above her and she struck it with a loud thud. The sudden impact took her by surprise and she accidentally let go of Tucker causing him to fall to the ground. He was able to land on his feet but he just saw Jessica squat down and rub her head. He was also surprised to see a few tears rolling down Jessica's face. It wasn't the first time that she had bumped her head against the ceiling but it had been the first time that he had seen her cry about it.

"What's wrong Jessica?" asked Tucker. He gently grabbed one of her hands and began to rub it to show that he was there for her. He watched as the extremely tall woman sat down on the nearby bed and she still cried.

"No Tucker I'm not alright," replied Jessica who used her free hand to wipe away some of the tears from her eyes.

"Did you hurt yourself?" He wanted to comfort her as much as he could since he didn't like to see her upset.

"No I didn't." She continued to wipe away the tears from her eyes. She saw as Tucker sat down on the bed right next to her.

"So what's wrong?" He didn't want to be so blunt but if there was something seriously wrong with her he wanted to know so that he could help her in any way that he could. Her problems were his problems.

"It's nothing really." She sniffed for a moment before continuing on. "It's just that hitting the ceiling just reminded me of something I can never be."

"And what's that?"

"Normal, everyday I see people going about doing normal things while I'm just this tower of a woman who can't even take my dress off or else I'll become a monster in the eyes of everyone. Do you know how many times I've dreamed about being normal? Being able to do things like normal people like walking through doors without ducking or sleeping in a bed where my feet don't poke out the other end. I want to be able to wear more than one dress and not have people staring at me wherever I go."

"You are normal Jessica." These were the only words he could think of for the moment and he saw her look at him with an angry expression. There were still tears rolling down her face but they were now tears of anger.

"How am I normal? How many other women in Angleland are as tall as me? How many don't have to fear crushing everyone that they love?" Her voice was filled with anger but they weren't really aimed at Tucker but more for herself. She just felt him onto both of her hands and he was trying to show that he was there for her. He could see that she was at a low point and all he wanted to do was make her feel better.

"I admit that you're unique in that case but that doesn't mean that you're not normal. Besides remember what would have happened if you weren't the way you were, you would have died as an infant and we wouldn't have been able to spend the time that we have together. You've helped me in more ways than I could possibly count and on more than one occasion you've had an excuse to be a monster like everyone claims that you are but you refused. That shows something that not many people have, it makes you the bright light in a dark night. It makes you the woman that I love." Before he could say another word he felt Jessica's long arms wrap around him and she brought him right into her chest. Her strength was beyond his and he could only allow this to happen. He didn't mind too much though as his face was squarely in Jessica's breasts but he could still feel droplets of warm water on his head. These were Jessica's tears but if he could see her face he would see that she had a smile on her face.

"Thank you Tucker." She kept a hold of him as if he was the most precious thing she had and in a way he was. Right now no other person was as important to her as her knight in shining armour. "You don't know how much that means to me. Just promise me one thing Tucker."

"What's that?" He struggled to talk but he was able to just about get the words out despite the fact that his head was still in her breasts.

"Don't ever change. Everything about you right now is perfect and I wouldn't change you for anything in the world."

"Air!"

"What?" She couldn't really hear what he was saying as he still get enough time to breathe at all.

"I need air!" He was beginning to gasp for air even more. This was when Jessica finally realised that her partner couldn't breathe. Quickly she let go of him and she could see that his face had been turning blue. Instantly she put on an apologetic expression as she became concerned that she had hurt him.

"I'm so sorry Tucker." Tears were still rolling down her face but now they were tears of worry. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." The colour of his face was returning to normal as he was getting the oxygen back into his body. "If I could take on magical suits of armour and a growing evil copy of you I think a hug from my future wife isn't going to kill me."

Jessica wanted to be sad but she couldn't help but smile. Tucker's comment just made her feel better in a way that only he could achieve. She knew that she was with a special person to make her feel like this.

The night went swimmingly for the pair as they slept together in the usual position of Jessica's arms wrapped around Tucker. He didn't mind being in her arms and it did give her some comfort having him so close to her. He didn't know that she smiled every time that he slept in her arms.

By morning Jessica and Tucker left the inn so that they could explore Royal City even more. They were planning on where to go next, there were some religious temples that they would have liked to visit. There were numerous gods that were prayed to and almost all of them had a temple dedicated them. There was even a small shrine to various demi-gods such as Gwen although those shrines were nothing more than stone slabs attached to walls. Nothing like the temples that belonged to the full gods.

Unfortunately as soon as they walked out of the door of the inn they were confronted by nine heavily armoured knights. Each of their armour was a dark grey colour and they wore red cloaks which bore the royal symbol which was a crown surrounded by towering oak trees. They were armed with the finest weapons in Angleland and the largest of the knights had a sword that was almost as long as a normal man. Instantly Jessica and Tucker stopped dead in their tracks.

Almost immediately the knights began to encircle the pair in an attempt to block off their escape routes. They all knew what they were up against and although some of them were a little nervous they all kept their composure. They were here under the direct order of the king and they had faced many threats and they felt that this one wasn't going to be much of a difference.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Jessica as she looked around at the guards. She was nervous herself and she thought that they might have been in trouble. She feared that these men might have been sent by Lord Nostory who was still bitter with what happened when the pair were in July.

"Miss Jessica Snape," replied the Knight who was standing right in front of pair. His brothers in arms stood around them and he felt safe. "By command of his grace King Percy, Third of his Name I Sir Daniel Redgrave here by place you under arrest for the murder of Reginald Trounce. You are to come with us for immediate questioning and if you do not have a representative one will be appointed for you."

"Wait I haven't murdered anyone." There was some panic in her voice as it fully dawned on her that these knights were there to arrest her. "I don't even know anyone named Reginald, you've got the wrong person."

"Regardless whether you're innocent or guilty doesn't matter to us. We are simply here to take you in and nothing more."

"She's not going anywhere," replied Tucker with some anger in his voice. He quickly drew out Juggernaut which caused the knights to all draw their weapons out. It seemed that there was going to be a stand-off. "If you want to take her away you're going to have to go through me."

There was a lot of tension in the air as there seemed to be the coming of a battle at any moment. The tension could be cut with a knife but rather than going in for the attack Tucker felt Jessica gently pull him back and she looked down at him for a few moments. There was some sorrow in her face as she knew what she had to do.

"No Tucker this isn't the way," said Jessica before turning to look at Sir Daniel who still had his sword drawn. "I assure you that I'm innocent of the crimes you've accused me of but I will come with you peacefully. If I need to do that to prove my innocence then so be it." She held her fists out and with a quick nod from Sir Daniel one of the other knights placed iron cuffs on Jessica's wrists. Tucker wanted to fight off the knights to defend his future wife but she had already spoken and he respected her wishes. She did turn her head towards him one more time before being led off. "Do everything you can to prove my innocence but whatever you do don't do anything that could get us in even more trouble."

"I will do everything I can," replied Tucker as he felt like the knights were taking away something of great value to him. In a way they were. "I promise you that. I won't rest until you're free."

Jessica was not allowed to say another word before the knights began to push her away. It would take all of their might to move her but thankfully they didn't have to as she was willing to go with them wherever they led her. She knew that she could easily free herself and escape along with Tucker but she knew that it would only lead to more trouble. She and Tucker would have a bounty on their heads so large that they dare not go to a populated area. There was even a chance that these bounty hunters might even get the slip on her and be able to kill her before she could grow. She knew that the only way that she could get out of this was to comply with the authorities and for Tucker to find evidence that would prove her innocence.

In the case of a few moments Tucker's world had been turned upside down. The woman he loved had just been arrested for the murder of a man that neither of them had ever met. He was pretty sure that neither he nor Jessica had met this man named Reginald Trounce. He did think that there was a possibility that it might have been someone that they had met for a moment such as the thieves in Logan but to his knowledge Jessica hadn't killed any of them. If it had been through some kind of accident during a fight he was certain that the knights would have arrested him too since he was involved. Instead they had left him alone and this was the most confusing out of all of them.

Tucker was still amazed with the fact that Jessica actually willing went along with the knights. If the roles had been reversed he would have done everything that he could to make sure that he didn't get arrested. This just showed how different she was to him since she believed that because she was innocent the gods would prove this. He knew that she was innocent but had no way of proving it at this moment in time.

He didn't even know where to look for evidence to prove Jessica's innocence. He had no idea where this supposed crime took place, when it happened and even if it happened. He wanted to help her more than he could admit but at this moment in time he felt like there was truly nothing he could do to help her. This was the most depressing thing for him, many times she had helped him and now it was his time to help her.

Not far away Jessica was taken to a dungeon where she was placed in a chair in a small room. There were several knights based there and each of them were tasked with taking her down if she showed any resistance. Each of them knew about her gigantism and if she began to grow they would have to kill her before she grew too big to be stopped. Many of them thought that this could be their last day but they still kept their composure, they were knights above anything else.

In this room was a small table that Jessica had to sit by. It seemed small to her, almost like that which would belong to a child. The room was surrounded by knights who would execute her if they felt that she was becoming a threat. They were not taking any chances with her and the slightest provocation was all that they needed.

There were two other people in the room who were not knights. These were known as inquisitors whose job it was to get a confession out of the accused. They were the ones who would decide whether they had enough evidence to go to trial or if the accused was innocent. One was a tall man named John Baxter who originally came from the coastal town of Calf Heath and the second gentleman was a man named Rupert Spencer who came from the city of Blanc. They were the two most qualified and respected inquisitors in the city and only the King could tell them which cases to inquire or not.

They were not intimidated by Jessica at all even though she was still extremely tall and could make herself even bigger. They had come across some of the worst people in Angleland and most of them had been executed thereafter. They thought that this was going to be another easy case since they had one defining piece of evidence that proved that she was the murderer.

"So you are Jessica Snape," said John as he took a good look at Jessica. She was still very calm on the outside but inside she was panicking. This was the first time she had gotten herself into real trouble and she just wanted it all to end. "I've been hearing a lot about you, you're a very interesting person so I've heard. You've been to many places recently and every time you're there we hear reports of a woman who can be as tall as a mountain. You are definitely something that cannot be explained with proper reason. Some would even put you on the level of the gods."

"Please can I leave?" replied Jessica. She was hoping that these two men would be able to see reason. "I've done nothing wrong."

"I see that lying is one of your talents as well. It seems that you're not very good at that one though." He smirked a bit and he showed that he wasn't intimidated by Jessica whatsoever, in truth he was a brave man.

"We know it was you who murdered Reginald Trounce no more than a fortnight ago," said Rupert who slammed his hands down on the table. This did startle Jessica a little but she still kept her cool.

"I don't even know a Reginald Trounce, I assure you you've got the wrong person. I wouldn't kill anyone."

"That is not true, we've seen reports of your visit to July. Many of the witnesses there claimed that you were close to crushing Lord Nostory. I admit that he is not the most pleasant of human beings but it still shows us that you are capable of murder if you're pushed too far. Can't say I really blame you though, a girl with your power facing someone you could crush like a bug. You've gotta admit, it is very tempting." He could see that Jessica was getting nervous and he wanted to get a confession out of her.

"No I wouldn't. I just wanted to scare him and besides you don't know what that monster did to me." There was some distress in her voice as she had to remember what happened when she was in July. It was something that would haunt her for the rest of her days. "That man brainwashed me and almost made me kill my best friend. Besides this doesn't prove that I killed this Reginald you keep talking about. I never met the man and I don't even know where this supposed murder took place."

"Trying to play dumb are we?" replied John. He didn't believe a single word that Jessica was saying. If he believed every person who claimed that they were innocent the dungeons of the city would be completely empty. "Since you want to play it like that I'll entertain you. You met Reginald in a bar in Logan and don't try to deny that you were there. Even Lord Logan himself confirms that you were in the city. You defeated Reginald Trounce in an arm wrestling contest in a local tavern before leaving with him. The next morning he was found crushed to death in what remains of his shack. From the spread of the debris something burst out of the shack rather than it just crumbling down."

"That still doesn't prove that I was the one who murdered him. I'm not the only tall girl in Angleland."

"That is true but there is one thing however you neglect. The witnesses at the tavern all claimed that the woman involved could change her size at will. Now if you ask me that kind of limits our list of subjects. We know that you're the only person in Angleland who can perform such a feat."

"And for that reason you're being charged with the murder of Reginald Trounce," added Rupert who could see Jessica's face dropping.

"No this is a mistake," replied Jessica. Her eyes were beginning to well up as it dawned on her that she wasn't going to get out of this. "I swear I didn't kill anyone."

"The King will judge that for himself." He looked towards a couple of the knights who were standing not far from her. "Take her to the dungeon and if you see her increasing her size at all slice her head off."

Jessica felt the two knights grabbing her arms and forcing her up to her feet. She still didn't resist as she was forced up to her feet, she did most of the work herself since she knew that she would be too heavy for the knights to move. She did consider growing to escape but she knew that they would easily be able to stab her before she grew to a decent height. Like it or not she knew that she was on her own.

On the outside Tucker was having a drink in the inn. He was feeling down and because he didn't know where to even start looking for the evidence he saw that he had no choice but to wallow in pity. He felt that he was powerless to do anything to help his future wife and drinking was the only thing that he thought would make the pity go away. If anything the drinking only made his sadness that much worse.

At this point Tucker felt like he was less than a man, he had always prided himself on being a brave man who was destined to become a knight. If he couldn't even protect the woman he loved he felt that he couldn't call himself a knight. He still considered trying to break her out

of the dungeon but this was more the alcohol talking rather than using his basic common sense.

A full day passed and Tucker did try some attempts of gained evidence to prove Jessica's innocence but his efforts had been for naught. He had attempted to gain more information about the charges brought against her but as he expected no officials were willing to speak with him. He wasn't even allowed to see Jessica who had been placed in a cell that had a ceiling which was too low for her to stand up straight in. He could only imagine what she was going through, it had not been that long ago since he was locked up in a deep dark dungeon and blamed for a crime that he was innocent of.

Tucker knew that Jessica would have the option of trial by combat and that she could defeat any champion that the prosecution would call up. Then again he knew that she wouldn't kill the champion and that would be a problem since the victor was the one who killed their opponent. He still wanted to get the evidence to truly clear her of the crime so that it wouldn't have to come down to that.

Eventually Tucker found himself in his room at the inn which he still had for another couple of days. He sat on the bed trying to think of exactly what he could do. Unfortunately nothing seemed to be plausible. He thought that there was truly nothing that he could do so all he did was sit on the bed and wrestle with his thoughts. If there was a low point in his life this was certainly it.

"You're looking a little down there," said a female voice. Tucker had been looking down at the ground but when he looked up he could see Gwen sitting on the chair on the far side of the room. He was completely surprised to see her there. He had not seen her since the day after they first met.

"G-Gwen what are you doing here?" replied Tucker with a lot of surprise in his voice. He didn't know whether to be happy to see her or be afraid. He knew that her size manipulation abilities had no limits and that some of her motivations were questionable. "How did you get in here?"

"I have my ways," replied Gwen with a smile on her face. She didn't really answer Tucker's question and she felt that she didn't have to. "I just saw that you were upset and I wanted to see why that was."

"Jessica's been arrested for killing some bloke named Reginald. We don't even know anyone called Reginald and somehow Jessica's being blamed for his death. I'm trying to find evidence to try and help her but right now I'm literally coming up with nothing. If I don't clear her name I truly don't know what'll happen."

"Oh that was his name." It looked like she had barely listened to what he was telling her and it seemed like she was thinking.

"What are you talking about?" He had only just caught what she had said since he had been explaining what had happened.

"Reginald, I thought it was Rickie or Richard but Reginald that's right." She smiled a little as she began to think of that night. "It's been a long time since a mortal made me feel like that."

"Wait you know this Reginald?" This came as a surprise to him but it took him a couple of moments to put two and two together. He realised that it was Gwen who had actually killed him and that Jessica was now taking the blame for it. "It was you wasn't it? You were the one that killed Reginald."

"Yeah I did." There was no reluctance in her voice or remorse. She just continued to think about when she had sex with Reginald and the wealth of pleasure she felt there. "And I guess you wouldn't believe me that it was an accident." She did smile over at him but Tucker just looked at her in horror. "I guess I got a little carried and unfortunately for him Reginald decided to be underneath. I really should have warned him what could have happened but still, can't change the past."

"This is great." Tucker's horror turned into delight when he realised that to prove Jessica's innocence Gwen could just go in and admit that she was the one responsible and they would let Jessica go. "You can just go to the king and tell him that you were the one that killed Reginald and Jessica will be free."

"And why would I do that?" There was a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. This was mainly because she saw his statement as him telling her what to do. In her mind he had no right to tell her to do anything.

"Because if you don't Jessica could get killed. And besides if you confess what can they do to you? You're a demi-goddess, they can't hold you and I'm pretty sure that the laws of men don't apply to you."

"You're right there but it still doesn't bother me in the slightest. I have nothing to gain from confessing." She did know that there was a good chance that Jessica could die if she was found guilty but she still didn't care what happened to her. On more than one occasion she could have saved Jessica and Tucker like when they were struggling during the second test. She could have easily stepped in and helped them immeasurably since her size manipulation abilities were not hindered by the no magic zone. To her all humans were lowly creatures and the only difference between Jessica and the rest of the humans was that she could make herself bigger than them.

"Please I beg you." He took a few steps towards Gwen who was still sitting down and got down to his knee. He bowed his head to her to show that he was at her mercy and Gwen couldn't help but feel happy about this. "Jessica means more to me than life itself and the thought of losing her is more than I can handle."

"You really love her don't you?" She had seen how they were together and seen all of their intimate moments.

"Yes I do. I love her like I have never loved another person before. She's my soulmate, my everything." He felt some confidence since he thought that Gwen was about to agree to confessing the crimes in order to spare Jessica and clear her name. He felt that he was just about to achieve a great feat.

"And would you do anything for this woman." Her eyebrow raised as she saw an opportunity to turn the situation to her advantage.

"Yes I would do anything for her. I would cut down a hundred men if it meant saving her. I would allow demons to strip my body and take me down to the world below if that was what it took." Gwen could sense that there was truth in his voice and that he would truly go to those lengths to save Jessica.

"Ok you've convinced me I'll go and tell this so called king that I was the one responsible for Reg's death and free your precious little girlfriend." She said this with a smile on her face that would be unnerving for most but Tucker didn't notice this. He was just overwhelmed to hear that Gwen would actually confess in order to save Jessica.

"Bless you Gwen. You will have done me a great favour in doing so." He bowed to her as a sign of respect and she raised her hand up before him.

"Wow there little man, there is a condition for my confession." Tucker still didn't mind this since he was willing to do practically anything to make sure that Jessica was cleared of the crimes that she was accused of.

"And what would that be?"

"When I had sex with Reginald I felt something that I had been missing for a few centuries. I want to feel that again so if you have sex with me right now on that bed I'll march to the king and tell him the truth."

Tucker quickly got up and took a few steps away from Gwen. He couldn't believe what she was asking of him. She was basically asking him to cheat on Jessica in order to free her. He would do anything to protect her but he felt that this was something that he couldn't do. If he did this he didn't think that he would be able to look Jessica in the face again after doing something like that.

"I-I can't," said Tucker with much hesitation in his voice. "I can't do that to her, she means too much to me."

"Then I guess that you don't care about her at all then." A somewhat angry look appeared on Gwen's face. "I was told that love was the most powerful thing in the world but that must be something that you don't have for your friend if you're not willing to do this for her. I guess I judged you wrong."

"Please there has to be another way." There was much sorrow in his voice as he began to see that the only way he could rescue Jessica was to give into Gwen's demands no matter the cost.

"No there isn't." Her words were quick and firm. "If you're not interested in the offer then I will be on my way."

"No wait." A thousand thoughts went through Tucker's head. Most of them would be how Jessica would react if she found out that he cheated on her. He loved her so much that he would never consider doing anything like this if the circumstances were different. He felt that this was his only chance and he gave a deep sigh before looking over at Gwen once again. "Ok I'll do it." His words were relatively quiet and filled with much remorse. It was like someone was taking the dagger into his soul.

"Great." Gwen's smile changed to one of excitement as she stood up to her full height quickly. She was a couple of inches taller than and she walked over to him and practically wrapped her arms around him. "This is something that neither of us will regret and because I'm in such a giving mood I'll even let you decide what size I'll be." She shrank herself until she was looking up into Tucker's eyes. "Maybe you want me to be of a size that you consider to be normal." She gave him another smile but she did unwrap her arms from around him. She then shrank herself even more until she was at eye level with Tucker's crotch level. He found it amazing to see a shrinking woman. He had been used to seeing Jessica growing and shrinking between eight feet and one hundred and twenty five feet but he had never seen anyone else go below normal height. "Maybe you want me to be the ideal height to suck your cock." She gave Tucker's crotch area a small pat and she was still excited with what was going to happen in the near future. She then began to grow in height and she went up until she was taller than Tucker. Eventually her head began to press against the ceiling and he had to look up at her just like he did with Jessica. She was different however, she had not made herself bigger but instead had just made herself taller. Her body looked like it had been stretched and she had very long limbs. It was very strange for Tucker to see someone like this since he was used to seeing his tall women proportioned rather than stretched. "Or maybe you'd like me tall, I could understand if you did." She then bent down to him and her mouth was right next to his left ear. "Or maybe we can find ourselves a nice open space and I can grow big enough until you can slip into my clit." She giggled a little at this thought, she had done it a couple of times and she wouldn't mind doing it again. To humour Tucker she was going to give him the choice.

"No I want to stay in here." He somewhat couldn't believe what he was saying. He almost sounded like he was looking forward to what was going to happen. In a way he was, he didn't like to admit to people but he was still a virgin. He had been saving himself for the right woman and he knew that was Jessica but it didn't mean that he wasn't tempted from time to time. He would be lying if he said that Gwen wasn't a beautiful woman and he knew that if he did what she said that she would clear Jessica's name.

"Your choice lover boy." She gave him a smile as she stood up to her full height. Her neck seemed longer than was the norm but since she went for the more natural tall look rather than the proportioned enlarged look it was to be expected. "How about this I'll give you a few moments to get yourself ready and then we can begin."

Tucker didn't say no to this opportunity as he went into a small room which was joined to the room. It was only small and allowed a person to get changed in privacy. There was also a mirror inside so that a man could see what he was doing while he shaved. It was hard for Tucker to move around in there and it is why Jessica never went in. She was much too big and she didn't like being in small spaces all that much.

He began to take off his clothing and he looked at himself in the mirror. He was both excited and terrified with what was going to happen next. One thought that was going through his mind was that if he did this he would be betraying Jessica. He knew that many married men would have sex with prostitutes but he wasn't like that. Jessica was the only woman for him but he knew that if he didn't do this Jessica would remain incarcerated and if she did escape she would be a wanted woman. He only wished that she was there to give him some guidance but he had to make the decision for himself.

After a few moments Tucker finished taking his clothing off until he was left with just his underwear. He walked back into the room and found Gwen naked under the covers of the bed. She no longer had her stretched appearance so it seemed like she had shrunk to a more average size. He couldn't tell exactly how tall she was but she looked at him with a smile. She was impressed with his body, it wasn't as muscular as Reginald's but it was still handsome and athletic in its own right. She was eager to have sex with him but Tucker was still having doubts. He knew that this wasn't right but he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

"What's wrong?" asked Gwen but it was not really out of concern but more for anticipation. "Aren't I the most stunning thing you've ever seen?"

"Of course," replied Tucker. He was lying at this moment since he thought that if he told her otherwise she might back out of their deal. "It's just that I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do. I love Jessica and if I do this I'm betraying her."

"You're not betraying anyone." She raised her arm towards him and she began to extend it until she was able to reach Tucker. Slowly she began to pull him towards her but it was more like she was leading rather than pulling. "If anything if you don't do this that'll be betraying her."

"Is there no other way of you just confessing?" He was hoping that there was another way and he was so fixated on Gwen he didn't notice the length of her arm. When she was leading him towards her, her arm was beginning to retract.

"Of course not, as a demi-goddess I'm bound by my word. I can't change it now and if you back out of our deal bad things will happen to you." Her voice was quite cheery and almost masked the fact that she had just threatened him.

"B-But." He was trying to think of what to say next but the truth was there was nothing that could be said. He was between a rock and a hard place and from one prospective there was only one way he could help Jessica.

By then Gwen had led Tucker to the bed. He didn't climb into it just yet but her arm had retracted back to its original length. Her smile was glowing and as she moved the covers he could see her bare breasts which were the ideal size for her size. They didn't look to be too small and on the flip side they weren't too big either. If she wanted to she could easily change the size of her breasts just like she could for any part of her body. Such mastery of size manipulation was something that no human could ever hope to achieve. It just showed how much she was above the rest of humanity.

One thing that Tucker couldn't help was his man reaction to the site of her perfect breasts. Gwen could see his erection in his underpants and she could only giggle, she knew that Tucker was somewhat looking forward to this but not as much as she was. She had been hiding out of sight for a week or so by now and she did admit that it was getting boring. This moment at being a more normal size was not one that she would squander before either going back into hiding or returning to her plain of existence.

"Is that a club in your pants or are you just happy to see me?" asked Gwen with a giggle. Almost immediately Tucker lowered his hands to his private area to try and cover up his erection but it seemed to be futile. "There's no need to hide little guy. You're going to be doing a lot of work in a minute."

With some reluctance Tucker decided what he needed to do as he climbed into the bed right next to Gwen. Almost instantly she began to wrap her arms around him and it almost felt he was with Jessica but this time it felt different. When he was in Jessica's arms he felt a sense of warmth and safety. He knew that she would never hurt him but when he was in Gwen's arms he could sense fear. Although she had a warm body there was something cold about her. Something that seemed to be different, he didn't know whether it was because she was a demi-goddess or his own doubts.

Tucker was having trouble this night but it was nothing in comparison to what Jessica was going through. She had been placed in a cell and was under constant guard who were commanded to strike at the moment that she began to grow. There was a draft that sent a chill right down her spine.

The cell that Jessica had been placed in was filthy and it looked like it had not been cleaned since it was built. There were only three walls with the fourth being blocked by thick iron bars that were said to be nearly unbreakable. She had no privacy in the cell but the worst thing about the cell was that she was too tall to stand up inside. The ceiling was just a little over seven feet high and for an eight foot woman there was an obvious problem. There was a bed but again it was filthy and much too small for her. Even an average sized man would consider it uncomfortably small. There was only a dirty sheet that she could use to keep herself warm and it was ill prepared for its job. She could hear the bed groaning when she lay on it and she dared not make a single movement in fear that it would crumble under her weight.

So many different thoughts were going through her head at this point. She feared that she would be found guilty of this supposed murder and she would be sentenced to death. She didn't know whether she would allow herself to be executed or would she grow in size and escape. She knew that she would be living the rest of her life on the run and she wasn't a woman who was easy to disguise herself.

Her main thought was about her loved ones. She shuddered to think what her parents would think when they received the news that their only daughter was being tried and possibly convicted of murder. They had taught her for as long as she could remember that life was sacred and that she should never kill under any circumstances. They would be greatly disappointed to hear that she killed someone.

Jessica also thought about Tucker. She knew that he would stop at nothing to prove her innocence. She could only think that right now that he was alone and worried about her. She would have loved nothing more than to smash out from the cell and go to him. She knew that it would only make matters worse but she was torn between seeking justice and being with him. She began to cry softly as she felt that she was at the lowest point in her life, at least when she was under the control of Lord Nostory at least she was still relatively safe. Now all she could do was try and get some sleep and try to forget what was happening to her. It was almost too much to bear.

At the inn Tucker was also having negative thoughts. He was in the arms of Gwen who had her naked body right next to him. She had a huge smile on her face as she was about to get what she wanted. He could feel a coldness from her which made him feel uneasy and he could feel her nipples come into contact with his chest. His penis was still erect although he wished that it wasn't.

Gwen could feel his penis brushing against her and it only made her excitement increase. She wanted nothing more than to have Tucker's penis in her vagina as soon as she could. She gave him a kiss before turning him onto his back. Like Reginald before her she more or less sat down on Tucker's crotch but as she did she slid his penis right into her vagina and she groaned in pleasure. Tucker couldn't help but feel turned on by this but he did notice something odd. He felt the area around his penis begin to get tighter and as he looked at Gwen he could see that she was shrinking herself. She wanted to make his penis seem as large as she could. Despite the fact that she had complete mastery over size manipulation she couldn't change the size of anything that wasn't a part of her being. Her clothing was special to the gods which allowed it to change size with her.

"Are you ready big boy?" asked Gwen as she stopped shrinking herself. She gave a groan of pleasure when she had been feeling Tucker's penis growing inside of her even though she knew that it was merely her shrinking in size.

For a few moments Tucker was silent. The truth was that he wasn't ready for this at all, if there was another way he would be doing it but unfortunately there was no other way. He was doing this purely for Jessica and nothing else.

"Yeah I'm ready," said Tucker with a small amount of reluctance in his voice. He saw Gwen leaning towards him and as she did she began to stretch her torso so that she could reach his face.

"After tonight you're going to forget all about girl you're obsessed with," replied Gwen with a smile on her face. "You will think of only me from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep. I will be the dream you will be chasing for the rest of your existence but no matter how close you think you are you won't reach me. That is unless I choose to be reached."

These words rung in Tucker's ear and he felt Gwen's lips come into contact with his. She was kissing him passionately but he felt that there was something odd. Her tongue was reaching further into his mouth then he expected. He didn't realise that she was extending her tongue so that she could go further inside his mouth and increase her own needs for pleasure. She could still feel Tucker's penis inside of her and she shrank her vagina a little more until she felt like she was completely full.

One other thing that Gwen also did was increase the size of her breasts and they were beginning to push against Tucker's chest. He could feel her breasts growing and he couldn't help but feel a little turned on. It was something that he had never experienced before and he was a little excited.

Gwen could feel Tucker's heart rate increased and at that moment she knew that he was completely hers. She felt that she had succeeded once again like she did many times before. She had many sexual partners who she would have sex with once before moving onto someone else. If she liked them she would stick around for a little longer before leaving them for no apparent reason other than she was bored of them.

Gwen's partners had not been limited to men and she had been with numerous women over the millennia as well. Very few of her partners were the same afterwards. Some could return to their lives before while most were trying to recreate the passion that they had with Gwen. None would succeed and some would live the rest of their lives a shell of a person while others took the quick way out. What was mainly troubling for them was the fact that after leaving them Gwen wouldn't even give them a second thought. If anything they were merely tools and it seemed like Tucker would be no different.

There was one thing that Tucker did to make sure that he didn't disappoint Gwen. He was thinking about Jessica and as he closed his eyes he began to pretend that he was her with him and not Gwen. He would be lying if he said that he never imagined having sex with Jessica but he had not wanted to push it because she would only do it when they were married. This was something that they both wanted to do as soon as they returned to Morgan either with or without the treasure. There was one thing that Tucker did want as he opened his eyes and Gwen stopped kissing him.

"Wait Gwen there is something I want," said Tucker. "Can you make yourself as big as Jessica?"

"Normally I don't let people tell me what to do but for this I'll let it slide," replied Gwen. Soon Tucker felt Gwen's entire body growing on top of him. He could feel her weight increasing and he could even feel the bed beginning to groan as it was taking the sudden increase in weight. It was almost as simple as breathing for her to grow to eight feet and for Tucker it now made it feel more like he was having sex with Jessica rather than Gwen. "Is this better for you?" She was sitting up on his crotch area and she seemed to be a tower of a woman.

"Yes, that's better thank you." He remembered to thank her since he was afraid if he showed any kind of disrespect things would like take a turn for the worse.

"Oh good, now where were we?"

For the next several hours Tucker and Gwen continued to have sex. For Gwen it was a wondrous experience and unlike last time she was able to keep herself composed enough to not allow her powers to get the better of her. This was good news for Tucker since it meant that he wasn't going to be crushed to death like Reginald. Unfortunately unlike Gwen he couldn't keep it going up the effort forever and eventually he couldn't go on any further. Gwen wanted to go all night but unfortunately all the energy in Tucker's body was gone and all he could do was sleep. Eventually even Gwen had to agree that he needed rest and so she allowed him to fall asleep. She didn't leave the bed though as she kept herself close to him and she slowly shrank to around five and a half feet tall.

At the crack of dawn Jessica was awoken in her cell by a couple of guards. She had not slept well at all, it had taken her a long time to get to sleep and the fact that she was woken up so early only added to her fatigue. She was brought in only a basic breakfast which was bread and water. Unfortunately they only gave her the same amount as an average prisoner rather than for someone of her stature. The meal was nothing more than an appetiser and her requests for more food was instantly shot down.

Now more than ever Jessica was tempted to use her powers to escape from the cell and leave the city after finding Tucker. Her temptation was mainly due to both her hunger and sleep deprivity but she still refused to do so. She still believed that the justice system and the eyes of the gods would find her innocent. She knew full well that she had done nothing wrong and would continue to believe this to the end of her days. Unfortunately she did have her trial to attend to that morning.

Jessica had even found it surprising that her trial was taking place so quickly. It hadn't even been a full day since she was arrested and already she was being taken to her trial which was to take place in the Palace Of Justice just outside the king's own palace. Due to the circumstances of this crime the king himself would be the judge, a part of him wanted to see justice served but another part of him was curious to see this so called giant woman that he had heard about.

Inside her cell the guards put strong iron cuffs around her wrists and she was forced to stand up even though they knew that she couldn't stand up straight in the cell. She was surrounded by half a dozen guards who were there to lead her to her trial. Jessica didn't say a word as they began to lead her away. Her hope was beginning to diminish as she knew that Tucker wouldn't have been able to find the evidence this quickly. She feared that she was going to be found guilty and sentenced to death. A part of her however refused to believe that this would happen, instead she tried to keep her faith in both Tucker and the justice system to prove that she was innocent.

Tucker was beginning to stir in the bed and he could feel some arms wrapped around him. For the moment he thought that it was Jessica since he didn't remember what had happened the previous night. It was only when he turned and saw Gwen that he remembered exactly what had happened. She lay there with a smile on her face and she looked to be completely awake. She still seemed to be as big as Jessica and he found that he couldn't escape her grip. She hadn't slept at all because as a demi-goddess she didn't need to sleep, that was something only mortal did. She was still naked and she allowed her body to rub against his and it was almost like ecstasy for her.

"Not bad for a first time Tim," said Gwen as she hugged Tucker a little tighter. "A little more practice and you'll make me and every woman quiver." Her smile didn't fade. "Shall we do this again some other time."

"N-No," replied Tucker who was able to move out of her grip and he sat up. "Last night was a mistake that will never happen again." He felt an incredible feeling of guilt over what had happened the previous night.

"Sure you won't." She also sat up and when she did she was still towering above him. If she stood up she would be eight feet tall but at this moment in time it didn't matter. Instead she gave him a kiss and slowly got out of bed. She began to put her clothes back on that had been on the ground right by the bed. "Last night was fun and all but I'm going to be going now. Keep up the quest."

"Hey wait." He quickly crawled to the other side of the bed where she was standing. She turned to him as she expected to say something about having another night together at some point. "What about our deal?"

"What deal?" It was like she had completely forgotten about the agreement that she had with Tucker.

"You said that if I had sex with you you'd tell the authorities that it was you that killed Reginald and not Jessica."

"Oh that, yeah I'm not doing that." She said this as if it were the norm, no thought had been put into whatsoever. From the instant she had made the deal with Tucker she knew that she wasn't going to keep her part.

"But you said that as a demi-goddess you had to keep your word." There was a sense of terror that ran through his body. He thought that not only had he betrayed Jessica but he wasn't even going to earn her freedom for this.

"I lied." She looked at him for a moment and another smile appeared on her face. This one was different however, this one seemed like she was mocking him. "Wait you actually expected me to keep my word?" She began to laugh at him as he got up from the bed. He was naked but right now it wasn't important. "I'm a demi-goddess and you're a mortal, how could you possibly expect me to keep my word?"

"Because it's the right thing to do." These were the only words he could think of in response to what she was saying.

"Oh Tim you silly little man." She crossed her arms and looked down at him. "To me there is no right and wrong, that is something that you mortals created to keep yourselves in line. It has no meaning to me. Now why don't you be a good little mortal and wait around for when I come back. If you're lucky it might even be within your lifetime." She went to turn around but she heard a sword be unsheathed. This made her turn around and she saw Tucker holding onto Juggernaut. He had taken the briefest of moments to put some underwear on but he held his sword firm and directly towards Gwen. She had a small cheeky smile on her face as she thought that this was some kind of joke.

"You gave your word and I intend for you to keep it." There was a small amount of anger in his voice but over he was absolutely terrified. He was acting more with his heart rather than his brain.

"Are you telling me what to do?" The smile instantly faded from her face and now she looked incredibly annoyed. She glared at him and if looks could kill Tucker wouldn't stand a chance.

"Yes I am. My best friend is in grave danger because of you and as long as I live I'm gonna make sure that you admit what you did!" He was still terrified but he stood his ground nonetheless. Jessica was too important to him and although he knew how dangerous Gwen could be he still stood his ground.

The next thing Tucker felt was Gwen's hand grab his neck and he was lifted off the ground effortlessly. She had also begun to grow and since the ceiling was too low for her to get really big she grew until she had to kneel down. She had a very angry look on her face and she lifted Tucker up and pinned him against the ceiling. She was holding his neck so tightly that he could hardly breathe. A slight flick of her wrist and she could break his neck as if it were a twig. By now Tucker was beginning to regret his actions and he thought that he wasn't going to survive this.

"You don't tell me what to do!" shouted Gwen so loud that it was almost deafening for him. He could see the absolute anger in her eyes and he truly believed that he was going to die. "You are nothing to me and yet you feel that you can command me? I have lived longer than this piece of shit that you call a kingdom and if I wanted to I could destroy it just as easily as I snap your neck." Tucker was gasping for air but the giantess before him wouldn't let him have a decent breath. "No mortal has ever told me what I can and cannot do and I ain't going to let it start now. Your friend's fate is of no concern to me, like you she is nothing to me. Know now that you will not leave this room alive but I'm not completely without mercy. I will allow you to make your last words before I send you to your ancestors."

"There is one thing," replied Tucker. He could barely get his breath back but she had slightly reduced her grip around his neck. He was still terrified and he found it an odd feeling being pinned to the ceiling. "Do you really want someone else to take credit for your deeds?" He had come up with an idea and although it was a longshot right now he didn't have much of a choice.

"What are you talking about?" Her facial expression changed from one of anger to that of curiosity. Her voice had even changed, now it didn't seem to be so angry, just a little confused.

"Jessica is going to be credited for what you did." He was able to get more breaths that allowed him to feel a little more comfortable. "If I was someone like you I would make sure that everyone knew what I had done and not let people believe that some lowly insect did it." He knew that he was referring to Jessica as an insect but right now his idea seemed to be working.

"Hmm you do have a point there." It looked like Gwen was in deep thought and she even let go of Tucker. This made him drop to the ground and he landed with a great thud. He even saw her begin to shrink until she could stand up comfortably in the room. "I'm not in the mood for anyone taking credit for what I did. I want everyone on this plain to know my deeds."

"So are you going to tell the authorities that you killed Reginald?" He was picking himself up from the ground. He had been able to get his breath back and thankfully the fall hadn't seriously hurt him.

"Yeah sure, it's not like they can do anything about it. Besides a mortal has not right to take credit for the work of a god."

Tucker gave a huge sigh of relief as he realised that he had finally convinced Gwen to do the right thing. He was a little sceptical though since Gwen's word couldn't be entirely trusted as he had just seen. He could only hope that this time Gwen did keep her word and if she didn't he knew that there would be nothing that he could do. Gwen was so far out of his league that it was like a single ant trying to battle a person.

Some distance away Jessica was being hurried along by a hoard of guards. She didn't resist at any point although she was tempted to break out of her cuffs and try and escape but she still knew that it wouldn't do her much good. Her life would be ruined and she would be breaking her own morals.

Eventually Jessica came to a large hall that was none other than Royal City's top court. Over the years many infamous figures had been tried there such as Sir Winston Marley who had planned to assassinate the King some centuries ago. His fate was obvious for those convicted of treason.

The ceiling in this hall was very high and up and down the walls were carvings and paintings of great beauty. If the situation hadn't been so serious Jessica would have taken the time to look over the beauty. In front of her was an elevated seat where the judge would sit, it was highly decorated and looked to be made of gold. It didn't take a lot of guess work to figure that is where the King would sit to judge each case.

The court was lightly brit up with sunlight radiating in almost every corner of the court. Towards the back of the court was a seating area where the commoners could sit and watch what was taking place. Since this trial would feature the King it was filled with people who wanted to see their King pass judgement. None of them had even heard of what the trial even was, they just wanted to see the King.

Jessica did hear a few gasps from the commoners in attendance as they saw just how tall she was. Many of them thought that she made the knights who were guarding her look like children even though these men weren't small by any stretch of the imagination. She was led to a table where the defendants were forced to sit but as she looked down at it there was only a small stool for her to sit on. Without giving it too much thought she knew that the stool wouldn't be able to support her weight so with a small amount of reluctance she decided to sit on the ground so that she didn't have the embarrassment of breaking the stool. It was times like this that she did want to be normal.

On the table to her left was where the prosecution would be seated. The prosecution was a smart looking man who wore an outfit that looked to be worth more than what a peasant's entire property was worth. He was an aging man who had once had a full head of blonde hair but now it was beginning to recede. He had a short beard and a small scar on his right hand. His name was William Taylor who was the second son of Lord Thomas Taylor of Port Phillip. His sharp mind had brought him to Royal City and quickly he became one of the Crown's chief prosecutors. He had wasted no time reading up the evidence and he too was very confident that he would get a conviction. Like everyone else he didn't think that there were any other individuals in Angleland who could change size like Jessica and he felt that it was going to be an easy conviction.

There was a lot of chatter taking place inside the courtroom and Jessica couldn't help but feel anxious. Over the next few hours she would know whether she walked away as a free woman or be convicted and likely sentenced to death. She did look around to see if she could see Tucker but unfortunately he wasn't present. She didn't know whether this was a good sign or not.

All the chatter came to a sudden end when a door at the other side of the court opened. The first to step through was Sir Daniel Redgrave along with another knight. Just behind them walked a man with short blond hair and a clean-shaven face. He wore a crown upon his head and his clothing was made out of silk and other expensive materials. Each of his fingers wore a gold ring that had been given to him by a lord of Angleland. It was not difficult to guess that this man was none other than the King himself as he moved up to the judge's position. Everyone in the court who was wearing hats took them off when the King entered as a sign of respect.

"Introducing his grace King Percy the Third of his Name and rightful ruler of Angleland!" shouted a voice which was loud enough for everyone to hear. He didn't quite look like Jessica had imagined but she kept this thought to herself in fear of making her situation even worse than it actually was.

Everyone remained on their feet until King Percy's royal robe was removed and he sat down on his seat. It was at that point that everyone else inside the court also sat down. Jessica was slightly delayed in this action but she soon realised.

"My loyal subjects we are here today to try Miss Jessica Snape for the crime of murder," said King Percy. His voice was also loud and it could be heard throughout the court. "May the gods bless us with the wisdom needed for such a task." He then looked down at William who gave him a smile. "The prosecution will make their opening statement. All comments by the defendant will be ignored until it is time for their opening statement. Lord William you may begin."

"Thank you your grace," replied William as he stood up and gave him a bow. He looked over at the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen what you see in the defendant's seat is a murderess. The gods saw it fit to gift her with the ability to increase her size until she makes the common man no more than a doll. She used this gift to maliciously murder an innocent man named Reginald Trounce. Because she can make herself seem like a goddess before man she felt that she had the need to take his life just to satisfy her own whim. This ladies and gentlemen is not a person but a monster."

There were a few gasps and some angry comments towards Jessica as William took his seat. Jessica felt very low but she still she refused to give into her emotions. She knew that William was only making her out to seem like a monster to win the case but she wasn't going to allow that to happen. She didn't think that she could rely on Tucker so instead she had to rely on herself.

"Thank you Lord William," said King Percy. "Now the defendant may make her own opening statement."

Jessica stood up to her full height but she did remember to bow to King Percy just like William had done earlier. She thought that he would take offense if she didn't bow to him and the last thing she wanted was to upset the king. Despite her height and capabilities she was still a lowborn peasant in his eyes.

"I thank you your grace," replied Jessica as she thought about her next words. Her mind wandered to when Tucker was on trial in July. Back then she had been powerless to stop what was happening but this time she was wanted to make sure that she came out of this with her head held up high. "If it pleases the court I will begin by stating that I have never met this Reginald Trounce or anyone with a similar name. I was raised by a good a man and woman who despite my size didn't treat me like a monster and instead treated me like a human being. They taught me many things during my time with them and their most important lesson is to treat everyone with dignity and respect. If I had of met Reginald I would have met another wonderful person but now I cannot and I am being blamed for this. The charges against me are unfounded and by the end of this trial the court will agree with me." She gave another bow as she once again sat at the table.

There was some murmuring from the crowd watching and the King had to slam a gavel onto his table just for the talking to stop. He had heard the opening arguments and so far he was still undecided so the rest of the trial had to go on as planned. This was definitely an unusual case but in truth he had tried stranger.

Over the next hour William showed the prosecution evidence of Jessica's guilt. This wasn't more in physical evidence but more on eye witness testimony. All the testimonies stated that the woman that Reginald had been with that night had been able to change her size. For now Jessica was the only person in Angleland with such a talent to their knowledge. None of the witnesses were present at the court so written accounts were being used. If a witness had been there they would have been able to see that Jessica looked a lot different to Gwen. Despite this the evidence looked to be damning and everyone at the court strongly believed that Jessica was guilty of the crime.

When the prosecution's testimonies had finished it was Jessica's turn to speak. She had an idea in her head but it did mean that she might have to change her size at some point. She just hoped that the guards wouldn't try and kill her before she made her point across. The last thing she wanted was to cause ruckus.

"Ladies and gentlemen I can prove to you right now that I was not the one responsible for Reginald's death," said Jessica. She sounded more confident than she actually was. "The testimonies state that the woman that Reginald was seen with had been of average size and then grew to meet his larger frame. I can admit to you right now that this is something I can't do since this is my minimum size. As you can see even at my smallest I am still probably the tallest person in Angleland."

"Objection your grace this proves nothing," replied William. He stood up from his table so that he could be clearly seen by everyone inside the court. "The defence is lying to the court. She can shrink to average size if she pleased but to try and give her lie credit she is refusing to do so."

"If only I were lying. Do you think if I could shrink myself any smaller than this I would have done so? There have been many times throughout my life where things would have been a lot easier if I could shrink to normal size but the truth of the matter is that I can't. No matter how much I wish or pray to the gods I cannot shrink smaller than this height and I am still growing. In fact my smallest height has increased by an inch ever since I left my home. The testimonies also state that I increased the size of my muscles again to match Reginald's and even more so to defeat him in an arm wrestle. Again this is something that is beyond my abilities, whenever I grow my body increases to proportion. I cannot selectively increase the size of a single body part or increase the size of my muscles so that I look like a strongman. With this in mind the testimonies describe a different woman to me."

"If not you then who was it? You've even admitted yourself that you were in Logan at the time of Reginald's death. I find it very odd that there would be two women who could change their size in the same place at the same time. You are the only person in all of Angleland who can change their size so your comments are nothing more than lies to try and sway the court into believing that you're innocent. This is pretty much an open and shut case your grace, Jessica Snape is guilty of the crime of murder."

"Stop everything!" shouted a voice. There were some gasps as people turned to the door and they could see Tucker standing there with Gwen right next to him. This had caught everyone by surprise as they had not expected something like this to happen. He was approached by a couple of armoured guards but he stuck his hand up. "With me right now I have the real culprit, she is a demi-goddess named Gwen and she is the self-titled Mistress Of Size. She is the one responsible for the crime not Jessica."

"Who do you think you are interrupting a trial in progress?" replied William who didn't seem to be too happy that he had been interrupted. From the armour that Tucker was wearing he could tell that he was a commoner since a highborn knight would have had more expensive armour. For the moment King Percy sat exactly where he was and rather than throwing Tucker out he wanted to see exactly where this was going. He would only evict Tucker if he saw that it was necessary.

"My name is Tucker Martel of Morgan and as I said my friend is innocent. I have the true culprit right here!"

Jessica was relieved to see Tucker but she was very surprised to see Gwen. She had not seen her since the night of their first meeting and didn't realise that Gwen had been with them the entire time. It began to make sense why everyone thought that she was responsible for Reginald's death. Gwen was the only other size changer that she knew about and in her mind was probably powerful enough to pull off the feats that had been described. It felt like a welcome relief as she knew that she finally had the evidence to prove that she was not the murderess.

"Yeah I did it," said Gwen and she had no regret in her voice. She didn't sound like she was proud of her actions either but she still showed no guilt. "I was the one who killed Rickie or Richie."

"Reginald," interrupted Tucker. He had noticed that Gwen seemed to have difficulties remembering names. He wasn't sure whether this was because she was absent minded or she simply didn't care.

"Reginald that's it. I killed him the other weak but if it makes you feel any better I didn't do it on purpose."

"This proves nothing," replied William who couldn't believe that there was someone else who could possibly have committed the crime. "So you hired some whore to confess for the defendant's crimes."

"What did you call me?" There was a streak of anger as Gwen couldn't believe that a mortal had called her a whore. It was the first time that she had been insulted by a mortal for a very long time.

"You're nothing more than a common whore who would confess that they were a mermaid for the right price." He quickly turned to King Percy and looked up to him. "If it pleases your Grace I suggest that these two are to be expelled from the court and this little outburst be stripped from the records."

Already one of the guards approached Gwen and grabbed her arm. She turned to look at him and there was complete hatred in her eyes. Quickly she grew in size up to around fifteen feet, there was a loud gasp as everyone saw her growing but no one was more surprised than the guard who found himself lifted off the ground. Everyone stood up and tried to get out in panic while William stayed where he was. He was completely surprised by what had just happened and he knew that he was in trouble.

"You dare not touch me!" stated Gwen in a very angry voice to the guard who was hanging from her arm. People were frantically making their way out of the courtroom in fear that they would get seriously harmed. "I did not give you permission to touch me and yet you saw it fit to do so."

"Gwen please don't!" shouted Tucker up to her. He had to be very careful with his wording since if he said anything that sounded like a command Gwen's anger would turn to him and this time he didn't think that he could save himself. "Please don't harm him, I'm begging you." He wanted to make it sound like he was asking her rather than telling her since it would be more likely for her to comply. "He doesn't know what he is doing and I'm sure that he regrets it. If he knew who you actually were he would not have even considered grabbing you."

"You're probably right there." Her voice seemed to be calmer and she shook her arm enough for the guard to lose his grip and drop. The drop itself wasn't too far and he landed on his feet. Quickly he backed away but by now there were very few people left in the courtroom and none of them had been the spectators. Gwen looked over William who was still at his seat, although he was somewhat intimated he refused to show it and stayed stern. "But that doesn't excuse what you said to me." She pointed towards him and her voice had become angry once again. She still stayed where she was although she was seriously contemplating growing until she burst out of the courtroom. It was a feat that would be simple to her. "No mortal gets to speak to me in such a manner and lives another day. In a moment you will be meeting your ancestors."

Tucker wanted to stop this but he didn't know what to do. He knew that his words wouldn't be able to save William and if he had heard what he had been saying about Jessica he might have just let Gwen kill him. He could only watch as Gwen took a few steps forwards and he didn't know if she could be stopped.

Without a thought for her own safety Jessica quickly stood up from where she was sitting and grew until she was the same size as Gwen. She took a few steps towards her and then stopped, she did consider growing bigger than Gwen but since she knew that the demi-goddess could simply make herself even bigger the act would be pointless. She knew that what she was doing could possibly get her killed but she still didn't want Gwen to kill William. She thought that he was a weasel of a man but he still didn't deserve to die, he was only fulfilling his duty.

"Please Gwen don't do this," said Jessica just as Gwen came right towards her. At this point the guards were all surrounding the king and although they wanted to evacuate him but he had refused. He wanted to wait and see what happened and he didn't want to seem like a coward in escaping. "This man might be a worm but he doesn't deserve to die. Please don't harm him."

"You actually think you can stop me?" replied Gwen with a laugh in her voice. Instantly she doubled in size and Jessica took a step back as she saw Gwen growing taller. Her growth only lasted a few moments and by then her head was only a foot away from the ceiling. She was a towering figure of beauty but right now there was no one near as terrifying as her. "Many have tried to stop me in the past and all have failed. What makes you think that you're any better than them?"

"I don't but you are. Ever since I was born I was taught that the gods were the wisest and most just beings in all creation. You are supposed to be as above humans as we are above insects but yet you show compassion. If you are indeed a god you can find it within yourself to forgive him for his comments. I can forgive him for what he has said to me and you're nothing short of a god. Surely his comments can mean nothing to one such as you." She knew that she was fighting a losing battle but the fact that Gwen hadn't simply pushed right passed her did give her some hope.

"I can see now why your friend likes you so much." She had bent down to her one knee so that she could be more level with Jessica but didn't shrink herself. She still wanted to remain large to show that she was still in control. "You're so much like him, you think you can use words on me to get you to do what you want." She did giggle again and it sent a cold shiver down Jessica's spine. She knew that the demi goddess was simply toying with her. "Everything you said is true except for one fact. Although it pains me to admit it I'm not a full goddess so saying that I'm compassionate might not be so true."

"Maybe this could be your path to becoming a full goddess. I have no doubt that it is within you." She knew that she was playing a dangerous game but at this moment in time she didn't think that she had much of a choice. He

"What in my name are you talking about?" There was not so much anger in Gwen's voice but genuine confusion.

"You said it yourself you're a demi-goddess. Maybe your path to becoming a full goddess begins now." She was trying to think of exactly the right thing to say but she didn't really know what could be said. It was a matter that was far beyond her understanding and even if she spent the rest of her life trying to find out she would be no closer than when she started. "I can try to pretend to tell you that I know what you need to do but the truth is I don't and I never will." Gwen knew almost exactly what Jessica was talking about but the truth was she didn't want to be a full goddess. The gods annoyed her since they were above her and some acted with a holier than thou attitude. That made her sick to her stomach and she was perfectly happy with the level that she was on.

"I know what you're trying to do little one. You're trying to tell me that if I decide to spare him I'll be on my way to becoming a full goddess." She did giggle a little. "I admire your tongue work I really do but you're wrong."

"But..." She wanted to speak but Gwen put her finger in front of her mouth before she had the chance. The situation was completely alien to Jessica who had always been used to being the big one but now the tables had turned. Gwen's finger was still very large on Jessica's lips and the demi-goddess smiled.

"The last thing I want to be is a full goddess. Do you know how stuck up those guys are?" She grunted in annoyance but it was not aimed at Jessica. "I can't stand being around them, even for a moment before I want to throw up my eyeballs. The last thing I want to be is one of them, having to spend every moment for the rest of eternity with them." This was one of the reasons why Gwen had come to Angleland in the first place. The gods wouldn't risk coming to this plain without causing so much unbalance by their mere presence. Since she was only a demi-goddess she could safely come to this plain without fear of disrupting the natural flow of things.

"Then is there truly nothing I can do to stop you?" Jessica didn't want to admit it but she was close to throwing in the towel. She knew that she couldn't stop Gwen at all and that it was only a matter of time before the demi-goddess got bored and simply pushed her out of the way.

"No there isn't but that guy isn't even worth the effort. He is nothing compared to me and destroying him isn't something that is going to make too much a difference. Hell just because I like you I might even forgive him if he simply apologises to me." It was true that Gwen did seem to favour Jessica and Tucker over many mortals that she had met. They didn't know it but she had seen many of their interment moments. She had seen their struggles and how they truly cared for one another. She had a little respect for them but the truth was that she viewed them much like a soap opera and she wanted to continue watching for as long as she could. She did look over to William who hadn't really moved from his seat. "I believe that's your cue."

William began to grumble, he had never apologised to anyone in his life for anything and he didn't really want to start now but the truth was that he didn't have much of a choice. He could see now that Gwen was indeed what she said and that if he didn't she would crush him where he stood. Jessica had been able to buy him this opportunity since if she had stood back and done nothing she would have crushed him straight away. He was a very stern man and it would take a lot for him to apologise but right now there was not much that he could do about it.

Slowly William did step forwards towards the still towering Gwen. He was still afraid but he still didn't show it. Instead he got down to his one knee and bowed his head. This was a sign of respect towards Gwen and although it was difficult for him to do due to his pride he did it nonetheless to preserve his own life.

"I apologise for my comments earlier," said William but his voice was nothing more than a grumble. This was as much as he could muster as what he was doing he felt was humiliating. He only had the comfort knowing that he wasn't doing it to any mere mortal but a higher being.

"Hmm that didn't really sound sincere," replied Gwen who crossed her arms. She thought that she would have a little more fun before this was all over. "I'm sure you could have done better than that."

"I am sorry." This time his voice was louder so that it could be heard clearer by everyone else. It caused Gwen to smile and she stood up to her full height. At first everyone thought that this was a bad sign but much to everyone's relief they saw her begin to shrink and she even giggled a little.

"See that wasn't so hard was it. Ok your life is spared for now but believe me if you insult me ever again there will be absolutely no mercy. Your life will belong to me and I will take just as easily as you can crush a bug." She began to look around a little and she could see that Jessica was also shrinking and that Tucker had made his way towards where everyone else was standing. She smiled once again as she looked up at King Percy who had not moved from his seat. "It's been fun and everything but I think I better be making a move." It's been fun everyone."

Gwen clapped her hands and it caused a huge flash of light that dazed everyone for a moment. No one noticed that Gwen quickly began to shrink herself and she leapt onto Tucker's shoulder. She continued to shrink until she was once again completely out of sight. The entire process only took a couple of seconds and by this time everyone had begun to recover. Not too surprising for them there was seemingly no sign of Gwen. They simply believed that she had teleported away, most likely back to wherever she had come from. To everyone this was a great relief as they felt that the true danger had finally passed and that they were safe once again.

Quickly William got back up to his feet and calmly walked out of the courtroom. In his view he had shamed himself and simply wanted to go and nurse his pride. He also knew that he had lost the trial after what had just happened. He wanted to forget that this had even happened, it was going to be a day which would stay with him for the rest of his life. He had stared a demi-goddess in the eye and he had blinked.

Jessica also shrank down to her smallest size as Tucker approached her. They did give each other a hug but they knew that they couldn't leave yet. Technically Jessica was still on trial and they looked up to King Percy, he was completely surrounded by guards who were there to ensure his protection. Despite everything that had happened King Percy still needed to pass judgement.

"Well that was unexpected," said King Percy as he cleared his throat. "From the recent events I am thus ending this trial and passing judgement. In light of the evidence brought before me I find Miss Jessica Snape innocent of the crime of murder. By my command she is to be released immediately. I would issue a warrant for the arrest of Gwen but she is a being far beyond humanity and thus our laws do not apply to her. This is my ruling of the case and so shall it stand."

Both Jessica and Tucker were more than relieved to hear this and Jessica almost broke down in tears. It was a great relief for her to be free and be able to live out the rest of her life outside of a cell. She had only been locked up for a day but it was something that she never wanted to feel again. She had Tucker to thank for ensuring her freedom and for that she gave him a big kiss on his lips. There was one thing that she did notice, she felt that he was distant for some reason.

That night Tucker and Jessica were once again at the inn. They were sitting downstairs along with other people who were there to have a good night. As it happened to be a travelling musical group were staying at the inn and for a small fee they performed. The songs that they sang were ones that many of the regulars knew and could have a singalong with. Even Jessica was singing along with a couple of the songs, normally she didn't like to make herself noticed but she was in a good mood that night. She didn't have the best singing voice in Angleland but no one seemed to mind since everything had all been in good fun. There were even some men that wanted to compare themselves with her when she stood up at her full height. Since she was in such a good mood she allowed them to this and all were shocked with just how much taller she was than them. It was something that they would never forget.

Despite all of the fun that was going on Tucker sat down at the table and seemed to keep himself to himself. The thought of him having sex with Gwen the previous night was replaying over and over again in his head. He kept trying to tell himself that it was to help Jessica earn her freedom but the truth was that his act had been pointless. Even though he had done what Gwen had wanted she was going to go back on her word any way. He had been able to convince her to confess but he felt that he could have done it without having to have sex with Gwen. He felt like he had betrayed her in the worst way possible. He didn't know whether to tell her and possibly ruin their relationship or if she would understand and forgive him.

Tucker was in a world of his own and he didn't notice Jessica sitting down on the table. She placed a large ale right in front of him and for a few moments he didn't even notice. She had to wave her hand in his face for him to finally notice her.

"Hey Earth to Tucker," said Jessica as she continued to wave her hand in front of him. Her hand was bigger than his head and it was just another benefit to Jessica's size. She saw him almost jump and it had been almost like he was asleep.

"W-What?" replied Tucker with much confusion in his voice. He had not been paying attention whatsoever.

"You're kinda zoning out on me there." She put on a smile to make him see if it would make him more alert.

"Sorry I'm just a little tired." He took a drink out of the ale he already had, he couldn't bear to look at Jessica who had no idea about the inner turmoil that he was going through at that point in time.

"Are you alright?" She held onto his hand to show that she was there for him. "If there's anything you need to tell me I'm all ears."

"I-I'm fine." He pulled his hand away from her which she did find odd but she didn't want to mention anything about it. "I just didn't get too much sleep last night. I was really worried about you." He hoped that this lie would be enough to convince Jessica that everything was fine but the truth was he was trying to convince himself more than her. "I'm just glad everything worked out."

"Believe me so am I. This body wasn't designed to fit in one of those small prison cells. I couldn't even stand up." She laughed a little and she hoped that he would laugh along with her but he remained quiet. "Come on lighten up Tucker, I was cleared of all charges and we're both free once again. Why don't we celebrate with a dance maybe? That is of course if you don't mind dancing with a woman who's taller than you." Once again she hoped that this would get a laugh but there was still nothing.

"Maybe next time Jess." He gave a yawn which was pretty convincing and he stretched himself. "Sorry but I'm really tired, I think I'll head up back to the room and have a good sleep."

"Ok, I'll see you later." There was a small amount of concern in her voice as she watched Tucker get up and go back up to their room. She sat there for a few moments thinking, she was concerned about him but she thought that he was just tired. She imagined that he had been worrying about her for all that time and it had prevented him from going to sleep. She was feeling a little tired too but she still wanted to have a little more enjoyment before she went to bed.

For the next hour Jessica remained where she was. A man had heard that she had beaten a well-rounded drinker in a fair contest. He wanted to try his hand at beating her in a drinking contest but the results were the same as Jessica was able to drink him under the table. Despite the fact that she had drunk so much ale she still didn't seem to be drunk. It was one advantage to her size although now she was feeling tired.

Much to the disappointment of the men she had to say her goodbyes and quietly she made her way up the stairs to the room she shared with Tucker. It was quite hard for someone her size to move quietly but with great care that was exactly what she did. She ducked to get through the door and she saw Tucker already in bed. She smiled a little before getting into the bed and wrapping her arms around him.

For Jessica she felt great comfort and safety being with Tucker. He had always been there for her when she had needed him most and for that reason she would always ensure his own safety. She felt that she was truly lucky to have someone like Tucker with her and she would never trade him for anyone else. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep with a smile on her face while Tucker on the other hand slept with a face of worry.

Through the night Tucker had unpleasant dreams but none of them were about telling Jessica the truth about what had happened the previous night. Instead they were general unpleasant dreams that didn't seem to have too much meaning or rhyme. All it did was give him an uncomfortable night sleep and when he woke up the next morning he was still feeling tired.

The first thing that Tucker tried to do was get out of bed but this was impossible since Jessica had her arms wrapped around him. He didn't want to wake her up since she seemed so peaceful while she was asleep but he did think about if she would be the same if he told her the truth. For now he wanted to keep his night with Gwen a secret so that their relationship could remain intact.

Tucker had to wait a full hour before Jessica finally woke up. She grumbled a little and then stretched herself. She didn't have any serious ill effects from drinking so much the previous night. The only thing that she felt was a strong need to relieve herself which was pretty moderate in comparison to other people who would drink heavily.

After a few minutes both Jessica and Tucker could hear a loud growling sound. Thankfully they were in no danger as it was simply Jessica's stomach. She just gave it a small pat and decided that it was best to have some breakfast. To save a little bit of money the pair decided to eat food that they had brought with them. This mainly consisted of fruits and oats but Jessica did down more than a litre of milk.

She didn't want to say it but she thought that she was experiencing another natural growth spurt and her body was craving for the calcium rich milk. When she finished drinking the milk she let out a loud belch that caught both her and Tucker by surprise. Her face went a little red in embarrassment since it wasn't very lady like. She was just glad that there was no one around to see it. One thing that she did notice was that Tucker was hardly eating his breakfast. She could see that he had little interest in his food and once again this caused her to become concerned.

"Are you sure you're alright Tucker?" asked Jessica with genuine concern. "You've barely touched your breakfast."

"Yeah," replied Tucker. "I'm just feeling a little under the weather that's all." He tried to smile at her to show that he was fine.

"If you want me to I can send you to a healer." She thought it might be something more serious than what he was making out to be.

"No really I'm fine. I don't need to see a healer." He put on another smile to show that he was fine and Jessica looked at him a little. She could tell when he was lying and she could see that right now. She had known him for so long that she could tell when he was being honest with her and when he was lying. Now she could tell that he was lying but right now she didn't want to push it unless it got to a point where she thought that she had no other choice. "See I'm eating my breakfast." He picked up one of the apples and took a bite out of it. "See, it's good."

"Please don't talk with your mouth full." For now she would keep quiet and let events play out.

"Oh sorry." He gulped down what was in his mouth."

For the next couple of days Tucker and Jessica continued to see some of the sights of Royal City but eventually they knew that they had to move on. They stayed in the inn for an extra night since it was raining and they didn't want to particularly travel while it rained. Unfortunately the gold that it took to get this extra night was just about what they could afford but not much more than that.

During this time Jessica noticed that Tucker was becoming more and more distant. She thought that it wasn't an illness that was causing this but that there was something mentally wrong with her best friend turned lover. She had no idea that he was guilt ridden and that his thoughts about whether telling her or not was eating him up inside. He barely slept and ate very little food and Jessica even noticed that he was feeling cold whenever she hugged him. Each time she asked him whether he was fine he would always give her the same answer. She was still waiting to see what happened but she had already decided that if he didn't improve soon she would intervene.

The morning that Tucker and Jessica were set to leave royal city it was a glorious sunny day although the streets were still a little damp after the shower that had taken place the previous night. There was some mist in the air but overall it was a very pleasant morning. There were already people going about their daily lives when Jessica and Tucker entered the streets. The day before they had bought some food that would last them for a short time but it had taken up the rest of their money. They had decided that they would find ways of making money as they continued on with their quest.

Jessica had noticed that Tucker hadn't seemed to have improved at all. He was still barely eating and he was so tired that he was somewhat struggling to walk. She still wanted to send him to a healer but he refused to stating that he was fine. Jessica knew that she could just force him to go but then it would undermine him and might even create a rift between the two. She remembered when he was having a sword fight in Lake Town and how she had intervened when he had not been happy with it. For now she would let him nurse his manhood unless she felt that he was in real danger.

Before leaving Royal City the pair had to go through another checkpoint but this one was different to the previous checkpoint. The one before had been the west checkpoint where this one was the east checkpoint. The pair needed to travel east to find the next trial which would then lead them to their ultimate destination.

The man at the checkpoint had heard about Jessica's trial and was somewhat glad to be rid of her. He had heard that she was found innocent but he didn't particularly like people who had what he considered to be unnatural abilities. He thought that the city was now safer with her gone.

Both of them were somewhat glad that they were leaving Royal City, the experience had not been as enjoyable as they had hoped. It seemed to be their way in life now that whenever they went anywhere they would have abnormal experiences. There had been a couple of times where they had stopped somewhere with nothing out of the ordinary taking place but this was few and far between.

As soon as Jessica far enough away from Royal City she grew to her full size and gently picked up Tucker. It was the first time she had been her full size for over a week and although she didn't want to admit it she was more comfortable at this size than any other. She didn't really know why but she felt more at home being at her full size rather than be restricted down to eight foot. If she could she would stay at her full size all the time but she would be viewed as a monster along with other problems like food and water. Also if she wanted to have children like she said she highly doubted that she could become pregnant if she stayed at her full size.

Even in Jessica's hand and surrounded by the softness of her flesh Tucker still felt uneasy. Due to his lack of sleep he felt really tired and just lay down on the hand. At least he felt warm and safe in the knowledge that Jessica was watching him. He couldn't help but drift to sleep but once again his dreams were unpleasant. They were still too random for him to make sense of and he just slept.

Tucker was asleep for a couple of hours and he awoke to find Jessica sitting down and looking at him. He wasn't exactly sure why they had stopped but he could see that she had a small smile on her face. He did yawn but even though he had been to sleep he still felt extremely tired. He slowly sat up and then looked up to the gentle giantess who still beamed down at him.

"Hi there sleepy head," said Jessica. She knew that he still wasn't feeling too well so she thought that this might make him feel better. "Has anyone told you that you're the cutest little thing when you're asleep?"

"Yeah you have," replied Tucker as he yawned. "Several times."

"Have I?" She put her hand over her mouth and gave a girly laugh. "Silly me, but I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true."

"Alright." This was the only word he could mutter before his guilt returned to him. He still didn't have the heart to tell her what happened and if he could live with it she would never know. "Why have we stopped?"

"Well this is a little embarrassing." She gave a somewhat embarrassed look as she looked down at Tucker. "I can't remember where I'm supposed to go. I was going to ask you earlier but I didn't want to wake you."

"Ok let me look." He took the map out of his satchel and rolled it out. There he could see the location of the third trial which was just outside of Calf Heath. It was almost directly east from their location but they would most likely come across Shareshill before reaching their destination. "You've just gotta keep going east until you reach the coastline, the third trial isn't far from there."

"Still a few days travelling though." Even from her vantage point she could still see enough of the map to tell that they had some way to go. "Oh well that just gives us more time to snuggle on the nights."

"Y-yeah right." There was some hesitation in his voice and Jessica found this to be very odd. He would normally be excited to getting a little intimate with her but now he seemed to be shuddering at the thought.

"Are you sure that everything's alright?" She was becoming more and more concerned with him every day. "You're not your usual self."

"It's nothing, I'm still a little tired." He was still trying to act like everything was alright but it didn't seem like it was going to work. He could see the stern look on Jessica's face and he knew exactly what it meant.

"Tucker I love you with all my heart but darn it you don't half annoy me when you try and lie to me." Quickly she sat down on the ground, she did this so quickly that the sound of her sitting down could probably be heard for miles.

"What are you doing?" He had a somewhat confused look upon his face and he began to get a little scared.

"I'm not walking another step before you tell me what exactly is going on with you." He tried to speak but Jessica placed a finger on his mouth. "And if you say that you're fine I swear I will throw you in the river and watch you struggle back to the bank. I've known you almost my entire life and I know when you're alright and when you're not. There's something eating away at you, I saw you like that years ago when you broke Mr Tomlin's wheelbarrow."

"But Jessica." He wanted to try and say that he was fine but again he felt Jessica's enormous fingertip push slightly onto his mouth.

"No buts Mr Martel, I'm not moving until you tell me what's wrong. Whatever it is I'm sure that it's not that bad. Just please tell me so that I can help you, that's all I've ever wanted to do." He could see the sincerity in her eyes but he still wasn't sure how she would react to his news.

"There is something." His words were fairly quiet and Jessica did have some difficulties hearing him.

"Then spit it out I'm all ears." She sat there expectantly for whatever Tucker needed to tell her. She could tell that what was afflicting him was of the mind rather than the body. She knew him too well.

"I-I." He was getting choked up on his words and he didn't know exactly how he was going to tell her that he had sex with Gwen. She had taken from him what he had wanted to give to Jessica. It was a fact that he couldn't change no matter how much he wished it but for now he knew that he had to tell her. He wouldn't be able to live with her if she didn't know the truth. "I did a bad thing."

"What was it?" There was genuine concern in her voice not just for him but for herself. She thought that it could lead them to trouble in the future if whatever bad thing Tucker had done could come back to haunt them. "You didn't kill any of the guards did you?" At first she thought that this was the answer.

"No something worse." He took a deep breath as he composed himself. "I betrayed you Jessica."

"Betrayed me?" She was confused for a moment and she tried to smile to show that everything was fine. "You didn't betray me, you saved me from being convicted for a crime I didn't commit."

"Don't you wonder how I got Gwen to confess to her crimes?" He didn't have the heart to look at her as her expression changed. Rather than the happy face it looked like she was in deep thought.

"Did you ask nicely?" This was the only answer she could come up with at that moment in time.

"Yes I did but it took a lot more than asking nicely to make her confess. She told me to do something that I wasn't particularly comfortable with but I did it so that I could earn your freedom."

"What did you do Tucker?" There was a very serious tone in her voice as she knew that she wasn't going to like the answer that he was going to give her. All she could do was wait for his answer.

"I-I had sex with her." His words were quick and he hoped that she would not understand him very well and think that he said something else. She remained quiet for a few moments before speaking.

"You did what?" Her voice was slightly louder and it made Tucker a little afraid to keep speaking but he knew that she would know that he was holding back. He had no choice but to keep going.

"I had sex with Gwen." A tear rolled down his face. "She promised that she would confess if I had sex with her. She took from me something I was more than willing to give to you when you were ready."

"You had sex with her?" There was some sorrow in her voice now and it was hard for her to hear what he was saying.

"If there were any other way I would have done it, believe me I would have. This was the last thing I would have wanted but it was the only way to earn your freedom. I love you more than life itself."

"But that didn't stop you." Her words had become harsh and for Tucker it seemed like his worst nightmare was about to happen.

"But Jessica..." He wanted to defend his words but he felt Jessica's fingertip once again touch his mouth.

"No buts Tucker. You can try and rationalise it as much as you want but the bottom line is that we're a couple and you had sex with another woman. I don't if she was a demi-goddess or a common whore. It's all the same in my view, but I sense there's more to it than that Tucker."

"W-Well..." He wasn't sure whether he should keep going but he knew that nothing was getting passed her. "When we were finished she refused to confess so I had to convince her otherwise."

"So you're telling me that you fucked her for nothing." He could tell now that she was furious just with the fact that she swore. She rarely swore and only did it when she was extremely angry. Although she wasn't showing on the outside, inside she was completely enraged.

"No of course not." He tried to defend himself but he didn't know exactly how he was going to do that.

"Then you're telling me that after she had sex with you she willingly agreed to confess without you having to convince her?"

"No but..."

"Then it was for nothing." She interrupted him before he could properly answer the question. "I know you Tucker, you're smart enough to have convinced her without having to have sex with her. I trusted you Tucker and you've betrayed that trust." She then quickly lowered her hand down to the ground. "Get off of my hand right now." With some reluctance Tucker did step off of her hand and no sooner had he done this she quickly raised her hand once again and stood up to her full height. "You can continue your quest by yourself because as of right now we're through!" There was much anger in her voice and she turned around and walked away. Tucker wanted to go after her but he knew that he didn't have a chance in hell of catching up with her.

"Wait Jessica!" shouted Tucker at the top of his lungs. "Where are you going?" He did move towards her but she was moving away from him much quicker than he would have liked.

"I'm going back to Morgan," snapped Jessica with a lot of hurt in her voice. "Goodbye Mr Martel."

With that Jessica picked up the pace and within a couple of minutes she was already too far from Tucker to hear him. She was fighting back the tears as she was hurt in a way that truly caused her pain. Her mind was too shook up to truly comprehend everything that had just happened.

All Jessica did was continue to walk and she paid almost no attention to anything around her. It was only when she was miles away from Tucker did she finally break down and cry. Her heart had been broken by the man she loved the most and it almost seemed to be like the end of the world to her. She knew that with her size it would be difficult to find any other man who would care for her like he had.

She just sat by an old and mighty oak tree and shrank down to her minimum size. She sobbed her heart out and she was just glad that Tucker wasn't there to see it. She felt that he didn't deserve to give him that satisfaction. Right now all she wanted was to be alone and right now that was exactly what she was getting, for how long it would last would be up to her.

Tucker stood where he was some miles away and considered his next move. He wasn't sure whether he should try and go to Jessica or if he should carry on to the third trial. He didn't want to abandon his friend but he knew that right now he was the last person that she wanted to see. He felt that she needed her space and he felt terrible for what he had done. If he could go back in time and change things he would have gladly done that but unfortunately that was something that he couldn't do.

For now Tucker like Jessica some distance away sat down and began to think about what had happened. He felt that there was something that he should have done differently but the truth was he didn't. If history repeated itself he would probably have done the same thing under the circumstances. Now he would have to live with it for the rest of his life and without Jessica by his side it might not be long.

There was one thing that Tucker felt and that was hunger. He had barely eaten due to his guilt and although he was upset he still needed food. Unfortunately Jessica had been carrying the food and when she had stormed off she had taken the food with her.

Right now the only option that Tucker had was to try and find his own food but that was going to be a bit of a problem. The trees around him were oak trees and so the only food that they provided were acorns. These would not be sufficient enough to sustain him so he had to find another source of food.

Unfortunately Tucker was miles away from any inn and he lacked money so even if he did find one he would not have been able to buy anything. He had to rely on his own survival skills and he tried to remember things that he had been taught.

One thing that Tucker did come across was a small patch of mushrooms that were growing between a couple of trees. He had memorised which mushrooms were poisonous so he began to inspect them carefully. These mushrooms were green and had white spots on them, he knew that the white mushrooms with green spots were poisonous but he hadn't heard if the other way around so he was pretty sure that they were safe. Even if they were poisonous he didn't really care. He had just lost the most precious thing that he had so losing his life would have made no difference.

Tucker quickly broke off one of the mushrooms and took a bite out of it. He was surprised to find out tasty it was and so he didn't he hesitate in eating the entire thing. Almost immediately he began to feel strange and he began to stagger a little from side to side. He blinked several times to try and figure out exactly what was going on. At first he thought that the mushroom had indeed been poisonous but he knew that he didn't feel like he was dying. If anything he was feeling happy and the dismal world around him was beginning to become bright and colourful.

Tucker began to stagger forwards as his memories of the pain he had just suffered seemed to completely disappear. Just moments ago everything seemed to be dank and dismal but now everything had complete transformed. Now the sun was shining down on him and there didn't seem to be a cloud in the sky. A huge smile appeared on his face as he began to walk forwards.

"Wow everything is great," said Tucker as he walked forwards. He had a spring in his step as if everything in his life was completely perfect. He even hazarded looking up to the sun, he saw that the sun had eyes and a mouth that was smiling down on him. "Hey there Sun, what's up?"

"Oh nothing much," replied the sun which didn't seem to be odd to Tucker at all. "Just cloud and sky, you go and have a nice day Tucker."

"Thanks I think I will."

He waved at the sun which suddenly sprouted arms and waved back at him. He continued to walk and he didn't even notice that the trees around him seemed to be much taller than they had been before. The sky was even turning into a bright orange colour but for the moment this had not registered to him. Even if he had of noticed to him it would have seemed like everything was completely normal.

Tucker walked forwards for several minutes before he came to what seemed to be a pink river. Sitting near the bank was a green boat with a man wearing clothing that was strange to him. The man also had oars for arms which were both dipped down into the water. The man's clothing was much like a black tuxedo and he had a black moustache. He also wore a top hat with a spinning daisy at the centre. He had a particularly long nose and his teeth shone as if they were made out of silver.

"Good afternoon good sir," said the Man. He was even able to lift his hat up by stretching his black hair. "I'm travelling to the beach and I was wondering if you wanted a lift." His skin was almost as pink as the water the boat was floating on.

"Oh yeah a nice day at the beach," replied Tucker with a smile still on his face. "The perfect way to continue with the perfect day."

"Then climb aboard Tucker Martel and I will take you where you need to go." The man's smile also continued and Tucker could still not tell that anything was wrong. It all seemed to be completely normal.

"Thank you my good sir but I haven't quite gotten your name." He began to climb into the boat and he realised that the man inside had no legs. It was like his body was fused to the boat itself. "Let me guess your name is Mike Hunt." This was the first name that came into his head.

"Indeed it is, good guess my lad."

"You have a stupid name." He couldn't help but laugh at the fact that his name sounded like a naughty phrase.

"Aye that it is but I believe that Tucker Martel is not the most sensible of names either. But I bet that it's not as silly as Jessica Snape."

"Ha." He continued to laugh as if he had been told the funniest joke in the world. "That sounds like Jessica Snake which is something that I have between my legs." With that he pulled down his trousers and a snake fell out onto the boat. Neither of them seemed to panic and as he pulled his trousers back up the snake seemed to have three eyes and two mouths. It didn't hiss but instead just blew bubbles between their two mouths. "See, I call it Goliath and Colossus. So big that it needs two names."

"Very good indeed, now shall we get going? There are plenty of people waiting to see you at the beach."

"Go ahead Mike and if you don't mind can I sing 'Maid Of Featherstone' as we sail along? I find it fitting."

"You do whatever you please my good sir." He began to move his oar like arms in the water and it caused the boat to move forwards.

"In Featherstone there lives a maid mark well what I do say." He was singing these words as the boat travelled gently down the river. "In Featherstone there lives a maid and she was mistress of her trade I'll go no more rovin' with you fair maid. Hi rovin' hi rovin since rovin's been my ru-i-n, I'll go no more rovin' with you fair maid."

Tucker continued to sing the song as the boat continued to move down the river but one thing that he had failed to notice was the fact that the boat was slowly picking up speed. He was more concentrated on looking at some of the people that were standing on the banks. He could see people of all shapes, sizes and races on the banks. Most were doing strange things such as digging for pears or trying to lift fallen trees. A few of them watched him go by and they smiled and waved at him.

There was one particular person that Tucker did notice on the banks, she was looking at him but she wasn't smiling or waving at him like the others. She was a tall girl with long white hair and a willowy figure. She wore what seemed to be a toga and she was also barefoot but there was something that Tucker could tell was odd about her. She seemed different than everyone else there, something about her just seemed to be off. He saw her turn around and walk away, something inside of him was telling him that he had to follow her. He quickly turned to Mike who was still rowing the boat ahead.

"Hey Mike be a mate and stop the boat," said Tucker. He was almost prepared to jump out of the boat and swim to the bank.

"No can do good sir," replied Mike with a smile still on his face. "We need to get to the beach as soon as possible."

"But I want to see that girl with the white hair, or was it black?" He was quickly beginning to forget what she looked like but it still didn't seem to be bothering him as much as it should have.

"We'll see her at the beach my good sir. Hold on tight, the next leg of our journey might be a little rough."

With that the pink waters of the river began to become much more unstable as if a storm had just hit them. Tucker practically fell into the boat as it began to move around violently in the water. There was even a point where he felt himself pushed up into the air only to land in the boat once again. He held onto the sides for dear life and rather than Mike trying to keep the boat stable he was just laughing. His laugh went deeper than that, they almost sounded like cackling sound.

Tucker could feel the boat picking up speed and it even began to spin around which was making him feel very sick. He did even throw up but his vomit was a rainbow colour and didn't even stink at all.

Eventually the boat stabilised and for Tucker it was not a moment too soon. He felt extremely dizzy after spinning around and if he tried to move he would more than likely fall into the water. He did look down into the water and saw what seemed to be the sun that he had seen in the sky smiling back at him.

Suddenly the boat came to a complete stop. This caused Tucker to fall forward in the boat but he was quickly able to pick himself up. He began to look around and he could see a beach that stretched as far as the eye could see with beautiful white sand and crystal blue oceans. He could see a few people on the beach but none of them seemed to notice him at that point in time.

"Here we are my good sir," said Mike. "The beach just like I promised, now you go and have some fun."

"Thanks Mike," replied Tucker as he jumped off the boat he took a few steps forwards before he realised that Mike wasn't following him. "Hey aren't you coming with me?" He shouted towards Mike who seemed to be rowing be rowing back up the river at a very steady pace.

"I'm afraid I cannot," replied Mike as he lifted up his hat again with his hair. "I need to drop some friends off at the pool." Tucker watched as he twisted his body around in an inhuman manner. "Good luck my good sir."

"Err Ok."

Tucker just turned and walked forwards. He couldn't take his mind off the white haired woman that he had seen while sailing down the river. Something inside of him was telling him that he needed to find her. The only problem was that he didn't really know where he was supposed to start looking.

As Tucker looked onto the beach he could see people there doing all manner of things. He even saw a man jumping on a trampoline a kite strapped to his back. It looked as if he was trying fly. Tucker just walked up to the trampoline and watched in amazement.

He also discovered that he was not the only person watching this kite man. He could see a family also standing there. They were watching as the kite man jumped higher and higher into the air.

"Come on a little higher and you've got it!" shouted the father of the family up to the kite man.

"What is he doing?" replied Tucker as he continued to watch the kite man jump on the trampoline.

"Mr Kite there is attempting to fly as if he were a bird." He looked to Tucker for a moment, he was a fat man with a bald head and a thick beard. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Mr. Henderson, this is my wife Mrs. Henderson." Tucker looked and saw that the woman looked to be a female copy of Mr Henderson. He found it to be a little odd and when Mr Henderson was introducing his children they looked to be younger versions of him as well.

"Charmed, my name is Tucker Martel." He went to state why he was there but for the life of him he couldn't remember. He had no idea why he had come here in the first place and even forgot about Mike. "I don't even know why I'm here."

"Happens to the best of us." They continued to watch as Mr Kite jumped higher and higher. It seemed that this would continue for some time until a gust suddenly sent him flying through the air as he had intended. "Bloody hell!"

The people on the ground saw him flying through the air and some looked in amazement while others just kept going with their activities. Mr Kite was laughing at the top of his lungs but suddenly he crashed into something that was warm and soft. Tucker could see it happen right before him, he was gobsmacked when he saw what Mr Kite had actually crashed into so high up in the air.

Standing a short distance away was a towering giantess and when Tucker saw her he recognised her as Jessica but there was something about her that was very different. For one she was around thirty feet taller than her maximum height and her hair was shorter than he was used to. That was not the only differences he could see, another was the fact that she was much more muscular than the Jessica he had known. One big difference he noticed was her breasts, his Jessica had normal sized breasts but this Jessica had enormous breasts, even in proportion to her body. He thought that she had the largest breasts that he had ever seen in comparison to the rest of her body. Her clothing was also very different, rather than the dress that she wore to control her size this Jessica wore a white jumpsuit with matching boots. She was a giant in every sense of the word and he could see that Mr Kite had actually crashed into her enormous breasts.

The giantess gently picked Mr Kite out of her breasts and placed him down on the ground. He seemed to be uninjured by the impact and she just gave him a smile. When she was bending over Tucker could see the gap between her breasts which he found to be very erotic. She reminded him so much of Jessica that it was unbelievable, if they weren't the same person he thought that they could have been sisters but he thought that to be impossible since she was an only child.

"Oh hi Tucker I didn't see you there for a minute," said the giantess as she squatted down and put her hand on the ground. "I've been waiting to see you." He was amazed to hear that even her voice sounded just like Jessica's. Without too much hesitation he stepped onto her hand and she stood to her full height. Her pearly smile was almost too much for him to believe. "How can I help you?"

"I saw a woman with long white hair while I was sailing down the river," replied Tucker. He could see all the tones of her muscles under her clothing and he couldn't imagine just how strong she was. "Have you seen her at all?"

"Was she wearing a toga and lacked shoes?"

"Yes that's her." He became very excited as it seemed like the giantess knew exactly what he was talking about. Although he had only seen this girl briefly he was fixated on trying to find her.

"No I haven't seen her." The giantess continued to smile even though she had just told him the exact opposite of what he was expecting. She knew exactly what the woman looked like but she hadn't seen her.

"What?" He stood there in some confusion and he wanted to be annoyed but her pearly white smile prevented him from doing this.

"But I know where she's going."

"Great, can you point me in the right direction?" His hope had been reignited when he heard this answer. Now he just hoped that she would tell him where the woman was going. Instead he waited for her answer.

"I think I have a better idea." The giantess then began to take a few steps back before running at full speed forwards. This caught Tucker completely by surprise and before he could say another word he could feel himself get thrown into the air at supersonic speed. The giantess just stood there and waved goodbye to him as he flew forwards at unbelievable speed. "Bye Tucker, happy landings." Her voice was so cheery that it was almost impossible to think that she might have just killed Tucker.

Tucker screamed as he went flying through the air. The sky around him was still orange and he could see the clouds that had turned pink. He could see that one of them was in the shape of a horse which was galloping around him. There seemed to be more than one and he swore that he could see people on the back of them. These people didn't look to be knights but rather they seemed to be racing.

There was a roar that he would have thought would have come from a crowd of people that for the moment seemed to be invisible to him. He was watching the clouds with wonder as he continued to fly at speeds that no other human had ever achieved. He couldn't take his mind off of both the white haired girl or the giantess that had just thrown him. He thought that he might never see the giantess again but he still thought that he had a good chance of finding the white haired girl.

All of a sudden Tucker felt himself beginning to drop towards the ground. It was as if he had been flying through the air at one moment and then the next moment he was falling vertically towards the ground. He screamed in terror as he continued to fall further and further down. He thought that he only had a few moments to live before he hit the ground and met his untimely end. All he could do was hope for a quick and clean death rather than suffering in pain.

Before Tucker knew it he struck the ground but rather than it being hard he found it to be incredibly soft. In fact when he first impacted it he actually began to push down against it before it quickly shot him back into the air. He couldn't help but scream in excitement as he felt his body spring up and down on the ground as if it were a trampoline. For the next minute or two he went up and down on the ground before it turned solid once again. When he impacted the hard ground he wasn't hurt at all but he was disappointed that his fun had come to an end.

Now he found himself in a bed of flowers but each one of them was much taller than he was. It almost felt as if he had shrunk in size and he noticed that all the flowers were a yellow and green colour. He even went to touch one and it felt to be very odd, rather than feeling like a real plant there was something odd about them. If he had known what it as he would have said that they felt like plastic.

Without saying much of a word Tucker began to make his way through the forest of giant flowers. He could hear the buzzing of bees nearby and he did want to get away as fast as he could since he wasn't particularly fond of bees. One had stung him when was younger and since then he has preferred to avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately the buzzing sound was extremely loud and he feared that the bees were as big as the flowers around him. So he began to run.

No sooner did he begin to run he was grabbed by a giant bee that was bigger than any man Tucker had seen. He began to scream in horror as he felt himself lifted off the ground, he could feel himself get taken higher and higher into the air. Rather than looking at the ground he looked at the bee that was carrying him and when he saw the face his fear increased tenfold. Rather than having a standard bee face it looked to be a mix of that of a dog and a dragon. It was nothing short of a monstrosity and he began to struggle in the hopes that it would let him go. He didn't want to find out where exactly it was taking him but he really didn't want to find out.

He saw that the bee was heading towards what looked to a pond. At first he thought that it was just going to fly over it but much to his surprise he could see it diving down towards it. He continued to struggle in the hopes that it would let him go before they hit the water. Unfortunately his efforts were for naught as he felt himself strike the water, he also expected not to be able to breathe but much to his surprise he found that he could breathe just as well as if he were on the surface.

Just before the impact Tucker had closed his eyes but when he opened it he could see that there were schools of many fish around him. There were so many different colours that he could probably spend his entire life trying to find them all but be no closer than when he first started.

He even looked up and saw that he was no longer being carried by the bee. Now it was more like he was being carried by a silver fish and he could feel it swinging its fin back and forth as it swam through the water. Despite everything that was happening everything seemed to be making sense to him.

The fish eventually let go and Tucker could feel himself being swept through the water and to him it seemed like he had died and gone to the next plain. He even began to forget about what had happened to him previously like Mike and the giantess who looked a lot like Jessica. There was one thing that he didn't forget and that was the white haired girl that he had seen on the river bank. Something inside was telling him that he had to find her and as soon as he could.

For some reason Tucker felt that there was some kind of connection that they had and if he found her he could truly discover what that connection was. He had no idea exactly what that connection was but all he knew was that he needed to find her.

He could feel what seemed to be some invisible force pulling him further and further down into the water. He did try and swim out but he could still feel himself getting pulled down, thankfully he could still breathe or else he would be panicking at this moment. He still tried to swim to the surface but the next thing he knew he had reached the lake bed. Normally he would have stopped being forced down but he felt his foot get swallowed up by mud and now his leg was beginning to get pulled into the mud as well. Tucker tried to pull his leg out but when he placed his other foot on the lake bed it too began to get pulled into the mud. Try as he might he couldn't seem to get himself out and he felt himself getting pulled further and further into the mud.

Eventually the mud was up to his chest and he still felt himself getting pulled down. He did begin to think that this was the end for him as he frantically threw his arms around in a vain attempt to save himself.

Only moments later his head had sunk into the sand as well and from world above it looked as though he had never been there at all. Tucker could just feel himself getting pulled further and further through the mud. Everything around him was dark and he closed his eyes and hoped that everything would go back to the way it was.

When Tucker opened his eyes again he found himself sitting on a grassy field. He stood up and he could see endless seas of grass in every direction. There didn't seem to be anything for hundreds of miles. There wasn't even so much as a tree in sight and he began to take a few steps forwards. The sky above him was overcast and there was a chilly wind blowing. He continued to walk and walk for what seemed to be hours but practically nothing had changed in the scenery. There were still miles upon miles of grass all around him and in the end he dropped down to his knees.

When Tucker looked up again he saw that that a wooden chair had suddenly grown out from the ground. It was a chair of twisted wood and there was even a woman sitting on the chair. Tucker started looking from her bare feet and his eyes moved up her legs to her midsection where he saw that she was wearing a toga. He moved up to her chest, then to her neck and finally to her head where he saw that she had brown eyes and flowing white hair that blew with the wind. She was definitely one of the most beautiful women that he had ever seen and he almost seemed to be unable to speak to her. He wanted to get up onto his feet but something inside was telling him that he had to remain on the ground as some kind of form of respect to her.

"Greetings Mr Martel," said the Woman. She remained where she was sitting but her smile seemed to light up the place. The clouds in the sky began to disperse and the sun began to light up everything around them. "I have been waiting to see you, I'm glad that you were able to find me."

"W-Who are you?" replied Tucker. He still wanted to get up but his body refused to listen as he remained on the ground.

"For now that is not important. You have come across something that she not be on your plain. I think you know what I'm talking about."

"What are you talking about?" He was confused but rather than explaining the woman just smiled at him again.

"I cannot explain further but there is one other thing that we must speak of before I depart." The wind stopped blowing and her hair dropped down. "You had something precious that you have now lost. Your quest might not be so much attaining your original goal but instead regaining what you lost."

"Wait what did I lose?" His memories were all over the place and he couldn't fully remember what had been going on in his life.

"You'll know soon enough. Do not lose what you hold dear for something that you don't yet have." She stood up from the chair and he expected her to be extremely tall but found that she was barely above five feet tall. She knelt down and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Remember what I have told you good sir knight. Only though that will you find true happiness."

She smiled down at him and she began to fade away. Tucker found that he could stand again and he went to tell the girl to wait but she still faded away. She wasn't the only one that was fading, as he looked around he could see that everything around him was fading and he dropped to his knees and screamed at the top of his lungs. He could feel a burning sensation throughout his entire body. It was a pain that he had never really experienced before and his first thought was that he was dying.

The next time that Tucker opened his eyes he found himself lying on the ground. His head hurt more than he would have liked to admit and his body felt heavy. He looked up to the sky and saw that it was blue once again. Carefully he sat himself up and began to survey his surroundings, he was near some oak trees which were similar to the ones he remembered seeing before he ate the mushroom.

Even though he was sitting up there was one thing in particular that he had noticed. When he sat up he hadn't used his arms and this was because he discovered that he was tied up. He could barely move but there was one thing that he noticed about what was tying him up. Rather than being some rope or chains it was something that felt both familiar and alien to him. The fibre that was tying him up felt very soft and although it seemed to be thin it was also quite strong. If he had to hazard a guess he would have said that he was tied up by a strand of long brown hair.

"Oh good you're awake," said a female voice. Tucker was able to turn his head and much to his relief he could see Jessica standing before him. She was at her smallest height but took a few steps towards him before taking a knee down. She had an apple in her hand and she seemed to be have a relieved look on her face. "I was beginning to think that you were too far gone."

"W-What happened?" replied Tucker. His memory was a little hazy and he was struggling to remember exactly what happened.

"I was hoping that you could tell me. I found you running around like some kind of looney so I had to tie you up for your own safety." This was when Tucker fully realised that it was Jessica's hair that had tied him up. He suspected that she had pulled a strand of her own hair when she was full size and used it to keep him secure.

"I didn't know that you still cared." He thought that after what had happened between them that Jessica didn't care about him anymore.

"Of course I still care Tucker." Her tone turned into one of some sadness. "I admit that I'm not happy with you but it doesn't mean that I will allow you to get hurt. We've been through too much together for that."

"You don't know how sorry I am about what happened." His head was still aching after his little trip and the combination of that and his guilt for betraying Jessica that caused him to shed a tear.

"I know you are Tucker. You were faced with a difficult choice and you did what you thought was right. I might not be happy with what you did but I probably would have done the same thing myself. It doesn't mean I fully forgive you for what you did but I do understand."

"Thank you Jessica, you don't know how much that means to me." He tried to move again but he was still tied up with a strand of Jessica's hair. "Actually could you do me a quick favour? Can you untie me now please?"

"I'll think about it." She did cross her arms and he wasn't sure if she was being serious or was just having a bit of fun.

  It took Tucker a couple more times of asking before Jessica finally released him. She had contemplated leaving him tied up but she had her fun and she untied him. No sooner was he untied he got back up to his feet. He did stagger and Jessica had to catch him before he fell over. It seemed like the effects of the mushroom had not fully dissipated yet so he was quite wobbly on his feet.

  In the end Jessica sat Tucker down and gave him some apples that she had brought along. He still felt very hungry and he didn’t hesitate in wolfing down the two apples that she gave him. Even though she was still somewhat angry with him she was still helping him when he really needed it. He felt lucky to have a friend like her and although their short romantic relationship had seemingly come to an end their long standing friendship seemed to still be there.

  It took Tucker a couple more hours before he was ready to be walking again without her aid. His head still ached a little but other than that he was fine, his hallucinations had subsided and he was back to being sane of mind. Most of what happened had left his memories but he did remember the white haired girl that he had seen. He wasn’t sure if she had been real or just part of his hallucination. For the time being he didn’t think it was that important so he kept quiet about it.

  While Tucker had been recovering Jessica told him that after she had a little time to calm herself down and process what had happened she had decided to try and find Tucker. It didn’t take long for her to do so but she discovered that he was running around as if he had gone truly mad. He had even climbed up a tree so she had to grab him before he jumped and hurt himself. In the end she had no choice but to tie him up with a strand of her own hair to make sure that he was secure. Then all she had to do was wait for him to regain his senses before doing anything else.

  Tucker did walk around a little to see if he was truly fine. His body still felt heavy but unlike before he didn’t need Jessica’s aid to walk. He discovered that he still had all his person effects with him so at least he took comfort in the knowledge that he hadn’t been robbed during his episode. He did walk around a little more and he could see Jessica watching him like a hawk.

  “You don’t need to worry Jessica,” said Tucker as he looked over to her. “I’ve told you I’m fine.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that thank you,” replied Jessica. Now that she was seeing that Tucker was recovering felt a little angrier over what Tucker had done. She was not as angry as she was before but it was still at the forefront of her mind. “I don’t want you to go climbing trees again any time soon.”

  “Don’t worry I don’t plan to.” He laughed a little but Jessica didn’t laugh along with him. There was something else that was on his mind which he needed to know. “So are you planning to go back to Morgan?”

  “Why do you ask that?” replied Jessica as she crossed her arms. At this point Tucker had walked up to her but he made sure that there was a comfortable amount of space between them.

  “Well you said that you were going back to Morgan and I just wanted to know if you were still planning on doing that.”

  “Yes I am going back to Morgan.” She gave a bit of a pause as she saw the disappointment on Tucker’s face. “But not until we’ve found the treasure.” She saw his face light up again and she couldn’t help but feel happier inside. “Although I admit that you’re more competent than when we first left Morgan the truth is that there’s still many dangers out there and I couldn’t live with myself if something terrible happened to you. I am still your friend but for now I’m not your lover. I might be again one day but until then we will be friends once again.”

  “I-I can live with that.” This was the response that he expected of Jessica. He would have loved nothing more than to become a couple once again but he knew her too well. She wouldn’t accept him back just like that. He knew that he had to earn it and he had already decided that he would do everything he could to do that, He was just glad that she hadn’t completely rejected him.

  “Good now it is pointless starting out now. It’ll be dark in a couple of hours and I really don’t like walking around in the dark.” This was true enough for her, on more than one occasion she had been walking in the dark and accidentally tripped on something or crushed it. This was something that she didn’t want happening any time soon so she avoided it almost completely.

  “Ok fair enough. I could still use a little more rest after that little trip I’ve been on. I swear I haven’t fully gotten to the ground yet.”

  “Well if you go on another trip like that I might not be here to keep you safe.” Tucker could tell what this was, she was basically threatening that if he did that again she would just sit back and watch it happen. He wasn’t sure if she would truly do that but the truth was that he didn’t want to find out.

  “I promise I won’t eat anymore mushrooms.” He held his hands and waved them a little in a way to show that he was serious. “Believe me I don’t want to do anything like that again.” He laughed nervously and he could see Jessica giving him a stern look. Even though she was giving this look she couldn’t help but find the whole thing a little funny. She did find it funny when Tucker tried to make a promise like this along with the nervous laugh. A part of her wanted to hug him and give him a series of kisses but she stopped herself from doing this. He still had some way of winning back her love.

  “Ok I believe you.” The stern look on her face disappeared and there was a little smile. For Tucker this was a big step forward. It showed that he wasn’t a million miles away from his objective. If he could make Jessica smile a little now he didn’t think that it would take him too long to make her his lover again and not too long after that his wife.

  For the next hour or so they talked about exactly where they were going. They wanted to carry onto the Third Trial but they had a slight money problem which needed to be addressed quickly. They knew that they were not far from the infamous Shareshill where a great battle had once taken place some years ago. There were tales of how many of the dead soldiers still fought on that hill. Many people claimed to have seen the ghosts fighting one another under a full moon but as of yet there was no concrete evidence so many folks just took it as a wild story.

  Located just west of Shareshill was a newly built castle and keep which was gifted to Lord Tyrone Howlet who was the cousin of the Queen of Angleland. For the last ten years he had been building a great castle which had only recently been completed. He named the castle Indigon after the dark colour of the bricks used to build the castle. There was even a small town filled with folks outside. Originally it was the residence of those who helped build the castle but since then it had begun to grow into a town in its own right. For now it was small but in time it would continue to grow and eventually it might even grow into a city but that was something for another day.

  Lord Tyrone was known to be a wise and just man. It was these qualities that had made King Percy give Lord Tyrone the land and means to build his own keep. He was sadly a widower after his wife died bringing a stillborn son into the world. He didn’t lack for heirs though as he had two strong sons and a daughter who was very petite. His eldest son was named Sir Tyrone Howlet and although he was well known for his skills with a sword he was also famous for having a fiery temper. Many people called him Ty for short and so that there was a distinction between the two men. The second son was more known for having his nose in a book than anything else. His name was Leon and many said that he had inherited his father’s wisdom but unlike his brother was not a warrior. His name was also Tyrone He was also not present at Indigon because he was serving King Percy in the grand library of Royal City. The final was Lord Tyrone’s only daughter named Nancy who was said to be one of the most beautiful and witty women in all of Angleland. It was said that she was the embodiment of the best qualities of her brothers. If she had been born a man many would say that she would be the one who should earn the Lordship upon the passing of her father. However due to the laws of succession her brothers and male relatives on her father side were all be considered for the lordship before her.

  The next morning Tucker and Jessica awoke pretty late and they soon had some breakfast. For the first time since the beginning of the quest Jessica had willingly slept away from Tucker. During the night she had wanted to hug something that was warm, but she didn’t want him at that moment. She still felt that she needed more time to heal before she let him be hugged at night again.

  As was usual when the breakfast was finished Jessica grew to her normal size and picked up Tucker. Rather than keeping him on her shoulder he remained in her hand so that he was away from her face. Tucker would have liked to have gone on her shoulder but he knew that he needed to work his way back up there.

  For the next several hours Jessica walked and walked. Not much really happened although they did go passed a small village on the way but they didn’t stop. They just kept going until darkness fell again. It took them almost three days before they saw Shareshill in the distance and a short distance from its base they could see Indigon being baked in the midday sun. It was not as large as Royal City or July but they could tell that it was much larger that Morgan. The keep could be seen from where they were standing and they could see that the bricks were very dark indeed and they could see how it got its name.

  They could make out the smaller buildings around the keep which made up the town which for now was also named Indigon but soon might earn a name in its own right. There was also farmland around them and it was easy to see that this was a fully functional society rather than just a collection of buildings.

  As was normal with the pair since they were a few miles away Jessica shrunk herself back to her minimal size and they made their approach on foot. They hoped that no one had seen her when she was gigantic. They didn’t want there to be panic but the truth was that it was likely that they would have known who she was. Word of the exploits of the pair on their travels was spreading quickly across Angleland. Some took it as stonewall truth while many others thought that they were simple make believe stories. Only those who had witnessed the actions of the pair could say for certainty.

  Although the sun was shining there was a breeze that made it a little cold. Jessica didn’t want to admit it but she felt a little chilly. She would like to go into a building so that she could warm up a little but until then all they could do was walk. She was also feeling tired after walking for so many days and she was looking forward to sitting down and giving her feet a much needed rest.

  Tucker was just eager to get a warm meal in his belly but the problem was that they didn’t have the money that they needed for such a luxury. They had already decided that when they arrived that they would have to find some way of making a bit of money so that they could buy some fresh food and even sit down for a warm meal. Neither were very good at cooking so anything they tried to cook didn’t turn out very nice. Jessica tried especially hard to cook but it seemed that everything she tried just came out wrong. It was another attempt of hers to show that she was normal but this was something that was just out of her grasp and it wasn’t because of her lack of cooking skills.

  It took the pair a good hour and a little bit to reach Indigon. The first person that they saw was a fairly old man who was standing near the entrance to Indigon. Since like in most places in Angleland people couldn’t read or write so when they wanted to know the news they would have a herald to relay the news to them.

  Before the pair fully entered Indigon they noticed that the streets were not as populated as they had expected. They did see a few people but not the numbers that they had been expecting to see in a growing town. They had not walked passed the herald just yet so Tucker decided that it was best to ask a couple of questions.

  The Herald stood on a large box so that he was taller than anyone around him. This was not because he wanted to be tall but because it helped him get noticed in a crowd of people and his voice would be easier to carry over a distance. He wore a brown cloak with a hood which prevented the pair from what he was wearing underneath. He had a large stick that helped him stand up properly and his thick white beard almost made him look like a man of the faith. He noticed Tucker and Jessica immediately and he was surprised to see Jessica’s height, he was seeing eye to eye with her and that was something that never happened when he stood on his box.

  “Good afternoon my good man,” said Tucker with a small smile on his face. He was trying to show that he was friendly and didn’t intend any harm on the man. “Any chance you can tell us why the town is so empty?”

  “Have you not heard?” replied the Herald. He had a powerful voice and it was easy to see why he had been chosen as a herald. “Lord Howlet is hosting a great tournament in honour of his keep being completed. Today is the last of the preparations so most of the townsfolks are making sure the last details are complete. It is also the last day to sign up as well and since you look like a man who can handle himself I advise you to enter. Lord Howlet has allowed anyone to enter ranging from we peasants all the way up to knights and high-borns. That is of course those who can afford the entry fee.”

  “That is a problem, we’re a little strapped for cash right now so I don’t think we can enter.” There was a small amount of disappointment in his voice. Since he was small he had wanted to fight in tournaments such as this so that he could prove his skill and valour before a large crowd.

  “I believe trades are accepted…” He took another look at Jessica who for now had remained silent. “And you are by far the tallest woman I’ve ever seen.”

  “Yeah you’re not the first to tell me that,” replied Jessica. She didn’t like when people told her that she was tall. She heard it everywhere she went and it seemed like now would be no different.

  “Say you wouldn’t happen to be Jessica Snape now would you?” He could see a surprised look on her face when he said her name.

  “You’ve heard of me?” Her annoyance turned into genuine surprise. She didn’t think that he would know who she was.

  “Of course, you’re the one who broke free from July and is said to be as tall as a mountain. You’re also supposed to be pleasing to the eye and I am very happy to see that that part of tales are true. I see that you’re tall but thankfully you’re not as tall as a mountain.” He had a smile on his face and the pair could see that he was missing a few of his teeth and the ones he had left were yellow.

  “Yeah that part is a little exaggerated.” She then made herself grow a few inches and this was noticed instantly by the herald. “But I can make myself much taller than this.” A part of her liked the fact that tales about her were being passed right through Angleland. Rather than being scared of her the herald seemed to be intrigued with her. He had not seen her at her full size but she would not grow that large here, the chances of damaging a property was too great and she didn’t want to scare him.

  “By the gods it is true.” He looked at her in complete shock and quickly she did shrink back down to her smallest height. “I thought the stories of you being able to grow were make believe. I see now that they were telling the truth.”

  “If you’ve heard of Jessica that means you’ve heard of me as well,” said Tucker as he interrupted the herald before he could say another word. He felt happy to think that his exploits were spreading throughout Angleland. He began to think about what his family would say once they heard them. He thought that they would think that he was becoming a real hero.

  “Erm…” The Herald looked at Tucker a few moments but he didn’t seem to know who he was at all. He did think that he might look like someone that he knew. “You’re not the butcher’s apprentice are you?”

  “No I’m Tucker Martel.” He seemed greatly shocked to see that the Herald didn’t recognise him.

  “No I’m sorry, the name doesn’t ring any bells.” He was not doing this in any way to annoy Tucker, it was because he genuinely had not heard of him.

  “I’m Jessica’s constant companion and I have gotten her out of a few tight spots since we began our adventure.” He hoped that this little explanation would help jog the memory of the herald. Unfortunately it didn’t seem to work.

  “Nope haven’t heard about Jessica having a companion. Maybe there are other tales where your exploits are mentioned.” Tucker was completely speechless, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of jealousy towards Jessica for having these stories and yet nothing was mentioned about him in any of them. “As much as I have enjoyed our conversation I have other duties to attend.”

  The herald gave them a little bow before stepping off his box. It was only when he was off his box could he truly appreciate Jessica’s height as she towered above him. He looked up at her for a few moments before walking away. This left the pair by themselves and for a moment they were silent. Jessica still felt happy that there were people in the world who had heard of her and weren’t even scared of her. Tucker was disappointed that he had been left out of the stories. He didn’t think that he could make that much of a name for himself if he was being left out like that. He did have an idea of a way to leave some kind of legacy but he didn’t think that Jessica was going to like it.

  “So what now?” asked Jessica as she looked down at Tucker. Although he felt small compared to her it didn’t diminish his manhood.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” He gave her a little smile as he looked up at her. “I’m going to enter that tournament and win enough gold to let us go wherever we need to.” He gave a little pose to show that he was ready but Jessica didn’t seem to be impressed and she placed her hands on her hips.

  “If you’re not forgetting we don’t have any money.” She thought that this would put an end to the discussion once and for all. Although she would have liked to have seen in the tournament she was worried about him getting injured.

  “Didn’t you hear him? They accept trades and I believe that Juggernaut and my shield will be worth more than the entry fee. When I win the tournament I can simply buy them back.” He knew that since this was only a tournament the combatants wouldn’t use real swords but instead they used blunted swords that were also used for practice. These would be supplied at the tournament.

  “You mean if you win the tournament, if you lose then you will also lose your sword and shield and you won’t be much of a knight without those.” Once again she thought that it would end the discussion but she was wrong.

  “Do you have so little faith in my abilities? Have I not proven to you that I’m more than capable with a sword?” He had a smile on his face which just oozed confidence. “You know I can take practically any man down.”

  “I admit that you are capable but I just don’t want to see you getting hurt.” It wasn’t just that, she genuinely thought that Tucker didn’t have the skills to win the tournament. She knew that he was more skilled then when they left Morgan but she knew that there were more capable sword wielders in Angleland and she thought that many of them would come to the tournament.

  “You don’t need to worry about that, they’re blunted swords so the worst I can get is a bruise or two. It’s not like I’m going to have my throat cut or lose an arm. I’m going to fight my way to the top and then keep on going.”

  “Are you sure you’re going to do that?” She just hoped that her words could convince him to change his mind. She even gave him a look to show that she wasn’t feeling as confident as him.

  “Of course.” He took Juggernaut out of its sheath and thrusted it forwards. Thankfully there was no one in front of him or even around him. “I have shown you on many occasions that this sword is not a simple weapon but an extension of my arm. You have seen me in action on more than one occasion and you have to admit that I’m no novice when it comes to the art of swordplay.”

  “Tucker I…” She was going to say something else to try and convince him otherwise but she knew that she was just wasting her breath. She gave a loud sigh and used her index finger and thumb to rub her eyes. “Ok if you want to enter that’s fine but don’t get upset if you don’t win and lose your sword and shield.”

  “I promise you Jessica that won’t be happening.” The smile on his face only grew as anticipation for the tournament. He wanted to test his skills against some of the greatest swordsmen in Angleland but unlike Jessica he truly believed that he would win. After completing the first two trials his confidence in his abilities were at their highest and it didn’t seem like anything could shake it.

  Despite the fact that Jessica didn’t think that he would win the tournament she was still willing to cheer him along and hope that he did in fact win. She would feel awful if she didn’t help him in some way win the tournament. She knew that she couldn’t get involved at all so cheering from the side lines was the best choice she had. Her expression changed from one of sceptism to that of encouragement.

  “Well if you want to enter then I suggest that you hurry,” said Jessica. She placed her hand on his shoulder and she continued to smile down at him. Her smile only made his confidence grow and he felt that the bridge between the pair was still being repaired. “You heard the man, the final registrations are taking place right now so if you don’t hurry you’ll miss the deadline.”

  “By the gods you’re right.” He then began to run towards the castle and Jessica just watched as he ran. “I’ll meet you there!” He shouted this as he ran further and further away from her, with each step he got closer and closer to the castle and in his mind his ticket to fame and glory.

  Jessica continued to stand there for a few moments and although she didn’t think that he would win she couldn’t help but feel somewhat happy for him. He was living out something that he had been wanting to do and she couldn’t help but wish him all the luck in the world. She just slowly began to walk towards the castle but unlike her companion she wasn’t in that much of a hurry to do this. She just took her time and she wasn’t afraid of losing Tucker, she knew that she would easily find him again so she just gave herself time to look at the buildings that she walked passed.  Even if she did lose him Tucker would more than easily spot her in a crowd.

  Tucker continued to run towards the castle and as he ran he could see more and more people the closer that he got. He could see people carrying equipment for the seating area which was just being finished. He also noticed knight looking men drinking with one another and generally talking to each other. He figured that these were going to be his opponents and he did study them a little as he went passed them. They came in all different shapes and sizes, he could judge which ones relied more on power while others he could tell needed speed to down their opponents.

  Eventually he came up to a small wooden shack where there was one person signing up to the tournament. There was a bald man sitting down and writing down details on a piece of paper while there were another two men who were standing behind them. Tucker couldn’t hear what was being said but he could see the man signing up give the other man a small pouch which he assumed had gold. The bald headed man open the pouch and took a look at one or two of the coins. He then gave the man a small piece of paper and sent him on his way.

  This was when Tucker decided to walk up to the shack. He was a little out of breath after running such a distance but he still put on a brave face and tried to show that he was not fatigued at all. The three men weren’t particular impressed by him but they just stood there and watched him approach. They saw that he was carrying weapons but they still didn’t think that he was going to rob them. Even if he did somehow steal their gold it would be difficult for him to escape scot free.

  “Hello there gentlemen,” said Tucker as he approached them. He had a lot of confidence in his voice but the men remained unimpressed. “I’m here to sign up for the tournament which is taking place at this fine castle.”

  “Before we go any further do you have the gold required to enter?” replied the bald man. He had a slight lisp in his voice which had at one point in his life been worse but he had been able to improve his voice.

  “I don’t have any gold but I was informed that you accept trades.” None of the confidence disappeared from his voice as he remained confident.

  “And what do you have to trade?” He looked at Tucker for a few moments and he didn’t really think that he had anything of value.

  “Well I’ll start off with this.” He withdrew Juggernaut from its sheath and at first the men thought that he was going to threaten them but instead he placed it right in front of the bald man. “This is a good quality sword that makes little work of anyone unfortunate enough to be on the wrong end.” He saw one of the men behind the bald man pick up the sword and he began to inspect it. “I also have this fine shield that has protected me from many deathly blows.” He took his shield off of his back and placed it in front of the bald man as well. The other man standing behind it also picked it up and began to inspect it. “That should more than cover the entry fee.”

  “We’ll see.” He then turned to the man inspecting Juggernaut. “Do you think that sword is worth anything?”

  “Yeah it’s a nice sword,” replied the man. “Not the best quality I’ve seen but one worthy of a warrior. Worth a few gold coins but maybe just a little below what’s required.” He continued to look and inspect the sword.

   “I see.” He then turned to the second man who was still inspecting Tucker’s shield. “And do you believe that this shield will cover the rest?”

  “Indeed,” replied the second man. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. Unusually strong for a shield. I can’t put an exact value on it but it will be enough to cover the fee.” He knocked it a few times and he was somewhat surprised to hear the sound that came off of it. He could tell that it was good quality.

  “Well it looks like you’re in,” said the Bald Man to Tucker who had had a smile on his face. “Now we can go through a few of your details before you’re fully registered.”

  “Ask away,” replied Tucker. “I have nothing to hide.”

For the next few moments Tucker answered some personal questions like his name, address, date of birth amongst a few other things. He was more than happy to ask these questions and as soon as he was done the bald headed man gave him a piece of paper which was proof that he had registered. He also found out that there were only around one hundred spots in the tournament and he turned out to be number ninety seven. That meant that there were only three more spots before the tournament was completely filled. He felt lucky since he thought that if he had been any longer he would have missed his opportunity to take part in the tournament.

"Meet outside of the castle's main gate at dawn," said the bald headed man who barely looked at Tucker. "If you're tardy then you will lose your place in the tournament and your entry fee with be forfeited."

"Sure thing," replied Tucker with much confidence in his voice. He didn't think that he would be late. "I guess I'll be seeing you later."

"Wouldn't count on it."

Tucker moved away and he saw someone else walk up to the wooden shack. Tucker knew that this fighter would be number ninety eight but at this point he didn't care. He was just glad that he was signed up and he thought that he was on his way to glory. He thought that he would take down every opponent that he came across and that by the end of it he would be crowned the greatest swordsman in the land.

As he expected it didn't take long for Tucker to find Jessica since she was so much taller than everyone else in Indigon. He quickly ran to her but by the time he had reached her he was out of breath. She had also seen a few people while she was waiting for him and a few of them had looked and whispered when they saw her. This was something that she was used to by now.

"Ah you're back," said Jessica. She could see that his sword and shield were gone and this was a little disappointing for her because she thought that he would never regain those items. "And since you don't have your sword or shield I take it that you were successful in entering."

"Y-yeah I did it," replied Tucker who was still catching his breath. He felt a little stupid being like this and he was beginning to regret running to and from. "Got there just in time, you could say that's just incredible."

"You're right it is incredible." She didn't mean it in the same way that Tucker did. She was disappointed that the registration had been a success and despite the fact that only blunted swords were used she still feared for his safety. "I guess all I can do now is cheer you on from the side lines."

"Yeah you'll be my biggest fan." He laughed at his own little pun although Jessica didn't particularly find the funny side of it. She just found it to be a little annoying but she tried not to show her frustration.

"I guess I will be, now we have some food left so do you want anything to eat?" It was true that they didn't have much. If Tucker did somehow win the tournament then they could buy as much food as they wanted. Until then they had to be careful with what they ate and even try to cut down a little.

"Do you still have any apples left? I could do with one of those right about now." He only had to wait a moment for Jessica to pass him an apple which he ate relatively quickly. He didn't realise just how hungry he was until he began eating it. He would have liked to have eaten more but he knew that they had to ration the food. It didn't help that Jessica ate double what he ate but this was something that couldn't be helped. Even at her smallest size she was known to be a bottomless pit. It was one of the numerous disadvantages of her size that she had to live with every day.

"No more for now. This food has to last us." They did have more food which they had but they needed to ration it out. Jessica wanted to believe more than anything that Tucker could win the tournament but she had to be a realist as well so she knew to ration the food in case they needed it later.

"Don't worry Jessica." Once again there was confidence in his voice and she could tell what he was going to say next. "When I win the tournament we can buy as much food as we want and gorge ourselves."

"I hope you're right I really do." She more than anyone wanted a nice warm meal in her belly but for now she had to go hungry. "I also think that you should get as much rest as you can, tomorrow you have a big day and if you're tired you won't be at your peak." She wanted to give him every advantage that she could so that chances of him winning the tournament were that much better no matter how remote it might be.

"You're right there. Running there and back as really knackered me out." It was a little late in the day and he knew that he had to be back at the castle by dawn to begin to tournament. "Besides you want to be up bright and early as well so that you can watch me defeat every adversary in my way."

"Yeah sure thing Tucker." There was not much confidence in her voice but she would still support him as best as she could. He had already paid the entry fee so they would have to see it out nonetheless.

That night because the pair didn't have enough money to stop at an inn so they had to sleep behind a building that wasn't far from the castle. It was not very warm that night so for the first time since their break up Jessica actually hugged Tucker while they slept. This wasn't to show him affection but for the simple fact that it kept them warm. Tucker did like being in her arms again since it felt like what had happened between them never took place. He could pretend this but it didn't make it true. He hoped that one day he would be able to lie in her arms because they were back together as a true couple.

When Tucker woke up it was just before dawn and he could see that Jessica was still asleep. Rather than waking her up so he slipped out from her arms and made his way to the castle. He didn't have to feel guilty about leaving her because he had told her the night before that he would go if she wasn't awake yet. She didn't need to be there at the same time as him because she would only be a spectator and wouldn't be allowed to attend until near midday. She just remained asleep although with Tucker gone she felt that there was something missing.

As Tucker walked the streets he could see that there was hardly anyone around. He expected this since he knew that most decent people were still fast asleep at this point in time. As he made his way to the castle though he could see that there were a fair few people there. It seemed that all one hundred of the participants had arrived along with some officials. There was even a small stage in front of them where one of the main officials was standing. He looked to be a man in his fifties with a lean build. He had black hair that had begun to recede and he wore clothing that showed that he was loyal to Lord Howlet. There was a lot of talking between the competitors and a couple of the officials had to blow horns so that the talking would subside.

"Welcome brave warriors and I thank you for coming at such an hour," said the Official as he looked upon the competitors. "We have counted and all one hundred of you have decided to turn up so that makes things a little easier for all of us. Many of you know how this tournament works but those of you that don't I will remind you. We will start off with four battle royals which will each host twenty five competitors. The last four standing at the end of the battle royal will go onto the finals which will take place in front of a crowd and those of House Howlet including Lord Howlet himself. These final sixteen will take each other on in a four round tournament with single elimination rules. He who wins all four of those matches will be crowned the champion."

Tucker was getting more excited but he knew that things might get difficult and indeed dangerous in the first round. He was aware that a battle royal meant that twenty-five competitors would be on the field at once fighting one another until only four of them stood. Despite the fact that it was supposed to be every man for himself it was not uncommon for temporary alliances to be formed so that a certain individual would be eliminated. Sometimes it was not the most skilled swordsman that advanced but the most cunning and in some instances the most ruthless.

"Tournament swords and shields will be provided to you by tournament officials," said the Official as he carried on his speech. "No actual swords or shields are allowed to be used, if any individual is found to be using a real sword or shield will be instantly disqualified from the rest of the competition and their entry fee will be forfeited." He cleared his throat for the moment. "For the battle royal bouts we will be entering competitors into each pool in alphabetical order. Pool one will be those between Sir Brian Adams to Robert Innings, pool two will be from Adam James to Sir Christopher Numb, the third will be Patrick O'Brien to Gregory Thames, the fourth and final pool will Sir Dick Thompson to Luke Zackery. If you are unsure of where you're supposed to be an official will help guide you. The first battle royal will take place in half an hour with each subsequent battle royal taking place after the previous."

Tucker knew where he was supposed to be. Because his last name was Martel it placed him in Pool Two. Right now he didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse since he didn't know the names of any of the competitors that he was going to be battling against. It made his task that bit more difficult.

"For the sixteen competitors that make it past the battle royals for the single elimination rounds we will not be placing competitors alphabetically. Instead there will be numbers in a box and each competitor will draw out a single number to determine where each competitor will be on the grid. For the single elimination round a winner will be determined if they make their opponent yield or if the judges decide that they have struck what would be a killing blow to their opponent. For the battle royal it is simply to take your opponent off of their feet for their entire body to strike the ground. A roll does not count as an elimination but a competitor can eliminate themselves."

For Tucker this was a little bit of bad news. He knew that he wasn't the biggest person here, some of them might be powerful enough to take him off his feet and make him fall to the ground. If that were to happen he would be eliminated before he really got going in the tournament. He just had to watch every front since he would have enemies on every side which he would have to look out for. This time he didn't have Jessica watching his back and in his own mind it was a good thing. It was a way to show everyone including himself that he could fend for himself without the help of his gigantic best friend.

"For those of you that do make it passed the battle royals before the rest of the tournament begins you will be personally met by Lord Howlet himself and his daughter Nancy." The official didn't have to announce about Lord Howlet's two sons. The younger son was currently in Royal City while his eldest and heir was taking part in the tournament. Since his last name was Howlet he would be in Pool One of the battle royal but he was more than confident of his skills. "Those of you who are in Pool One of the battle royal please acquire your tournament swords and shields from a designated area which will be shown to you by an official. The others will receive their equipment in order of their battle royal pools. I wish you look gentlemen in the coming hours."

With that the long speech was finished and those who were in the first pool made their way to one of the designated areas that had been mentioned. Tucker could only wait until the first pool of competitors had received their equipment before getting his own. He did find it odd that he wouldn't have Juggernaut but he felt that he could win nonetheless.

For the next several minutes all Tucker could do was wait around until it was his turn to pick up the supplied sword and shield. He did have to line up but he was surprised with how quickly the line was moving. Although there were around fifteen others in front of him at the beginning he only had to wait a few minutes before he received his sword and shield. No sooner had he received it he made his way to where the first battle royal was taking place. He was not the only one as many of his competitors also made the trip there. They all wanted to see who would make it to the knockout stage of the tournament.

As Tucker arrived he could see that the battle royal had yet to take place. The competitors for the battle royal were already on the field and were simply waiting for the signal to begin. There were no townsfolk or travellers watching at this point since they were not allowed in until the battle royals had finished. The only people who were there who weren't competitors were the officials.

There was some chatter but then everyone heard a whistling sound. This was the indication that the battle royal had begun and almost instantly those involved began to battle one another. There was loud sounds of struggle and grunting between the competitors as the battle royal began and with the way that it was unfolding Tucker was glad that they were only using blunted swords. If they had been using the real thing they would be seriously harming one another or worse.

As the minutes rolled by one by one each competitor was eliminated and left the field of combat. They were all disappointed since some had come from hundreds if not thousands of miles to compete and they had fallen at the first hurdle. The scene of the battle royal could only be described as utter carnage as swords came into impact with shield repeatedly. There were loud groans of pain as some of them were struck by the swords. Rather than being cut the swords would only bruise but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt when they came into contact with a person. The shields were almost as strong as the real thing so when a person got struck in the face with one it would be as if they had felt the real thing.

The entire carnage of the battle royal lasted for around ten minutes before four men stood tall amongst the rest. All four of these men were knighted by the realm and this included Sir Ty Howlet who had been very impressive during the battle royal. He had eliminated no less than ten men and yet it looked like he had barely done anything. Not a single hair was out of place and his armour was still clean. If anything he was angry that it had finished so quickly but at least he had gotten through the knockout stages.

No sooner was the first battle royal completed the combatants for pool two were commanded to enter the field. Tucker couldn't help but feel a little nervous as he stepped onto the green. He could see many of his rivals around him but there was one thing that he did which he thought would make victory more likely for him. He made sure that he was on the outside of the battle so that he didn't have to face so many different people at once. It didn't take a mathematician to know that the less opponents that one took on at once the more likely of victory.

He could see many of his rivals were larger than he was and most likely more experienced with a sword. He just tried to remember everything that he was taught by Sir Thomas Parker before the old knight had passed away. His skills had increased since he left Morgan and he only hoped that they had improved enough to see him through to the knockout stages. His confidence was not truly gone but it had definitely taken a nose dive within the last couple of moments.

A short time earlier Jessica had woken up to find that Tucker was not by her side. She wasn't all that surprised that he was gone and she simply sat up and began to stretch herself. She had not had the most comfortable sleep and her back was starting to hurt her a little but she did seem to be well rested.

It took her a moment brush the dirt off of her dress before stepping out onto the street. She could see that there were plenty of people walking all around the street going about their normal lives. A part of Jessica was a little jealous of them but she just walked down the street and she thought of a way that she could get some food. She didn't want to beg for it and she didn't want to steal it either.

As Jessica walked she could see a lot of people looking at her as she walked passed. Although it was something that she was used to it didn't mean that she particularly liked it. It always made her feel uneasy inside when she saw people staring at her, it was a further reminder that she was a giant living in a world which was simply too small for her. She wondered if she would truly be accepted as a normal person or if she will be forever an outcast as a monster.

"Err Miss," said a voice. By then Jessica had just walked passed a statue of Lord Tyrone's late father but she didn't see where the voice was coming from. She looked down and saw a relatively scrawny man standing not too far from her. "Do you have a moment to spare at all?"

"Y-yeah sure," replied Jessica. She didn't know this man at all but she felt that she was in no immediate danger. She felt that she could simply grow her way out of any danger that she came across.

"You wouldn't happen to be Jessica Snape would you?" There was an inquisitive look on his face. From the clothing that he was wearing she could tell that he wasn't a mere peasant but had some money to his name.

"Yeah." She didn't know whether she should be openly admitting who she was. In her mind she didn't have much of a choice since she was a very recognisable person so lying about her name wasn't going make that much of a difference.

"I knew you were, I've heard all about you." He began to smile and he became a little excited. She thought that he was a little odd but not in the way that creeped her out. "Is it true that you put Lord Nostory in your mouth and almost eat him?"

"Gods no." She was quite shocked that he had asked her such a thing. She knew that she would never try to eat anyone. It was most likely the story had been twisted in some way. It wouldn't be the first time that something like that happened since there were legends and songs about heroes who achieved great things which was simply impossible. "I would never do something like that."

"I didn't think you would do that. I told the guys at the taverns that you don't eat people but some do and some don't." He got a small piece of paper out from his pocket and he even had a small quill with him. "You wouldn't mind just signing this so that I can show that I actually met you?"

"I don't really have the time." She was reluctant to do this since she didn't like to have the attention.

"Oh come on." He put his hand in his pocket and took out a few gold coins. "I can give you a few gold coins for your troubles."

This gave Jessica an idea, she could cash in a little on her newfound fame to get enough money to put some food on the table. Although she was trying to ignore it her stomach was growling and it indicated that it needed food. She imagined that Tucker would feel the same and any money she could get would help with the quest.

Over the next several minutes Jessica began to sign autographs for people who wanted it. The man who she had signed for first paid her the gold and shouted to some of the others passing by. He stated who Jessica was and that she was signing autographs for a small fee. Around a dozen or more people stopped to receive her autograph and each of them paid a few gold coins each for troubles.

By the time it was all finished Jessica had a decent amount of gold coins to her name. It was not enough to buy a place or even consider herself to be truly well off but she had enough to buy herself some food. There was enough to even get Tucker some food and allow them to spend the following night in an inn.

Not too far from where she was standing Jessica could hear a herald shouting. This herald was different to the one that she had met yesterday and he didn't seem to notice her. Instead he was just stating some of the news, she heard him mention about the tournament that Tucker was taking part in. She learned that the knockout stages started at noon and that was when spectators were allowed to watch. From this information she knew that she had a couple of hours to kill before she had to go.

Jessica made her way to a small store that was on the street. It was selling warm pies that had caught her attention when she smelled it. It almost smelled heavenly and she couldn't help but take a few steps towards the store. It was being run by a small woman who looked even smaller compared to Jessica. When she first approached the store the woman thought that she was there to cause her problems.

"Can I help you?" asked the woman. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice, she looked up at Jessica who was looking at the pies on display. The tall girl was browsing for the moment.

"Yeah I couldn't help but notice these fine pies that you have on sale." She took a good sniff and she could truly smell the pies that were on offer.

"Y-yes they're fresh out of the oven." Her nervousness was beginning to subside a little as she began to think that Jessica wasn't a threat.

"You don't happen to have any steak and kidney pies do you?" It was one of Jessica's favourites and from where she was standing she couldn't tell which pie was which. They all looked the same.

"They're these ones over here." The woman pointed to a row of pies that were just on Jessica's right.

"Great I'll take three of those." The pies were only relatively small so she thought that three of them would make a decent breakfast.

"Sure thing." She then looked at Jessica again and began to realise that she was the same woman from the stories that she had been hearing. There was one way that she could know practically for certain. "If you don't mind my asking but how tall are you?" From the tales she knew that Jessica was eight feet tall but she wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth just to be sure.

"Right now I'm eight feet tall give or take an inch or two." She knew that she was a little over eight feet tall by now but she liked to make it sound like she was a little shorter. She didn't think that the woman would be in any hurry to measure her.

"Then you must be Jessica Snape. I've heard minstrels telling stories about you, like how you're said to be strong enough to move a mountain."

"Well I admit that I'm strong but I can't move a mountain." It seemed again that tales of her have been twisted to make her seem stronger than she really was. She didn't know if this was a good thing or something that she should be worried about.

"I can't possibly charge you the full amount for these pies." She was still a little intimidated by Jessica's presence and when she realised who she actually was just wanted to keep her happy. She feared that Jessica might harm her if she wasn't nice but she didn't know that Jessica wasn't like that. "Since you're buying three pies let's say that I only charge you for two and the last is on the house."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" She didn't mind the fact that her newfound fame was making her more liked amongst the people but she didn't want to really take advantage. "I don't mind paying full price for them."

"No I insist." She tried to smile at Jessica who gave her a curious look. She remembered the last time that someone had tried to give her something for free. It was the necklace that put her under Lord Nostory's spell. This time was different however since it wasn't an expensive piece of jewellery but just a pie.

"Well alright I guess." It had taken her a moment to think it over but she decided that it was a risk worth taking. She then gave the woman the gold coins required for the two pies and she took the third free as was promised.

With that Jessica walked away and the woman gave out a large sigh. She was glad to see Jessica gone and she still couldn't think of how anyone could live with being that tall. It was something that Jessica struggled with every day.

As Jessica continued to walk she took a bite out of one of the pies that she had been given. It didn't taste quite as fine as she expected but she was hungry so she didn't really care how it tasted. She was able to eat the first pie within a couple of mouthfuls, despite having eating it all she still felt hungry so she ate the second pie in quick succession. This one did taste a little better than the first but she still felt hungry so she ate the third and final pie. This time it tasted cold and she was tempted to spit it out but her hunger didn't allow her to do this so she just swallowed it.

Now that was all finished she began to feel a little lonely. Although she was still a little angry with Tucker over what he had done with Gwen she still felt like she wanted him by her side. He had been her friend for many, many years and the fact that he was away only made her feel that much lonelier. She also wanted to see him fight but she knew that she couldn't get through until the knockout stages had begun. She feared for his health and the last thing she wanted was for him to suffer a serious injury.

There was an idea that popped into her head that caused her some discomfort. She knew that Tucker was a man with some amount of pride and she remembered how he reacted the previous day when word about her escapades were entertaining people and yet he wasn't mentioned. She also remembered when they were in Lake Town and she grew and stepped into his battle. She thought that he had entered this tournament not just to win them some gold but to also try and prove himself. She didn't want Tucker to do this because of her and in a way she felt guilty about it.

Jessica didn't know that Tucker was already on the field of battle. His battle royal had not quite started yet but it would do at any moment. He too was missing Jessica as he always liked to have her close to him. The fact that she wasn't there at that moment in time was another slight factor for his confidence becoming lower. He could still see many of the men who were taking part in the battle royal and he didn't lie when he thought that many of them looked to be bigger than him. Where he was wearing more padded armour he could see that some of the competitors were wearing full metal armour which covered them completely from head to toe.

One particular foe was close to being seven feet tall and when he was in his full armour he looked to be a monstrosity. Anyone who crossed swords with him would most likely fall quickly and Tucker didn't want to find himself in this Knight's sight. Even though they were only using blunted swords Tucker thought that the Knight's strength would be enough to slice a man in two.

Tucker could hear a lot of grunting from the various competitors around him as many were eager to get the battle royal started. They were all keen to start so that they could eliminate as many people as they could and advance to the knockout stages. A few of them felt like Tucker but now was not the time to back away in fear but instead to go forward into the battle and either come out with their heads held up high or their spirits down in the mud.

On the side of the battlefield one of the officials placed his lips upon the whistle. He was given a signal by a couple of the other signals that everything was ready and with one hard blow the whistle sounded beginning the battle royal.

  All hell broke loose as the combatants went charging into one another. Within the first few moments there were already three men who found themselves on the ground and thus eliminated from the competition. For now Tucker was not amongst them but he found himself looking upon two different foes at once. He held his shield close to his body to protect himself and he had a firm grip on his sword. He had been taught what to do when facing two enemies at once. He remembered his stance and he made sure that his shield covered his vital areas.

  The taller of his foes struck at Tucker and he quickly blocked it with his shield. He knew that they were only blunted swords that they were using but in the heat of the moment he believed that they would do him serious harm. He did take a hop back to create more space between his foes. He did notice that their stances were somewhat off and he ran into the shorter of his opponents shield first. The suddenness of the impact caused the shorter man to be knocked down to the ground. There was some anger in his voice as he got back up and he wanted to attack Tucker but unfortunately his fall had been spotted by one of the officials who ordered him to leave the field as he had been eliminated.

  Now Tucker had only the one opponent, it looked to be a fair fight but within a few moments that all changed. However this time rather than being two on one against Tucker it was two on one for him. Another man stood by his side and showed that he was willing to fight along with him. It was not because he liked Tucker but because it made eliminating the taller man that much easier.

  This time it was the taller man’s turn to be on the defensive as Tucker and his temporary ally began to attack. To his credit the taller man was able to fend them both off for a respectable amount of time. Tucker tried to stab and slash at different areas of his foe’s body but each time he tried it was skilfully blocked.

  It didn’t take long however for both Tucker and his ally to defeat the taller man. Tucker’s partner aimed high causing their foe to lift up his shield to defend himself. With that Tucker attacked the man’s legs causing him to fall to the ground and thus be eliminated from the tournament.

  For Tucker all that concerned him was everything that was within a five foot radius of him. He couldn’t see what was going on around him. If he could see he would have thought that what was happening was a battle field rather than a tournament. Some of those taking parts were receiving nasty bruises from the swords of their opponents but they knew that if the swords had been real it would not be bruises they received. They would be receiving nasty cuts that would be life threatening. In the rules of the knockout stages a blow like that would be determined as a fatal blow and would end in the competitor being eliminated. However since it was still the battle royal it was only when knocked to the ground that a competitor was officially eliminated.

  With the defeat of the taller man Tucker and his ally quickly turned on each other. Rather than both going for an attack they paced in a circle with their shields covering themselves. Each was looking for a weakness in the other and for now they were both waiting for the other to strike first.

  Tucker thought that he could see an opening and went to stab his sword into his opponent but much to his surprise the attack was side stepped. His foe then went to take Tucker’s legs but the young wannabe knight was just able to block the attack at the nick of time. If he had even been a tenth of a second slower he would likely have been knocked down and lose everything.

  There was a flurry of attacks and blocks from both men as they went at it tooth and nail. It seemed that they were evenly matched and it would take several seconds before one of them would gain a decisive edge.

  This didn’t happen however as both men heard a whistle blow. This meant that the battle royal had finished. The adrenaline was still pumping through their bodies but slowly both of them came to a stop. At no point did they take their eyes off one another but slowly the heat of the battle subsided.

  Both men gave a sigh but they were just happy that both of them had advanced to the knockout stages of the tournament. They felt that the most difficult aspect of the tournament was finished and that it would be much easier. There was only downside was that there could only be one winner.

  “Well fought,” said the man. His voice was somewhat muffled by his helmet but Tucker was able to make out what he was saying.

  “Thanks,” replied Tucker. There was a confident smile on his face as well. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  “Excuse my ignorance but I don’t recognise you. I know many of the fine knights who battle here on this day but you are a new face to me.”

  “My name is Tucker Martel but for now I’m no knight.” He wanted to be a knight more than anything else, it was even possible that he wanted to be knighted more than he wanted to find Three Man’s Treasure.

  “It has been a pleasure battling you Mr Martel. With skills like yours you will soon be knighted.”

  Before the conversation could go any further both men were told that they needed to leave the field so that the third battle royal could take place. Tucker thought that he would be seeing his opponent on the side lines but much to his surprise he was nowhere to be seen. Tucker had not been able to see his opponent’s face so he had no idea what he looked like. He had also been trying to see if the knight had any sigils but when he had looked he had been able to spot nothing.

  Tucker knew that he would be seeing this knight again since they would be selecting numbers before the start of the knockout stages. It somewhat reminded him of when he saw the man in black at the inn while Jessica was venting her anger. He still didn’t know if the cloaked man had been real or just a figment of his imagination. He had been drinking a fair amount before so his true recollection was not entirely reliable.

  Rather than watching the other battle royals Tucker decided that he needed something to satisfy his hunger. He hadn’t seen Jessica since early that morning but he wasn’t too concerned, if he had learned anything about her it was that she was more than capable of looking after herself.

  Thankfully for Tucker there was a small stand which was giving complimentary food to those taking part in the tournament. It wasn’t a warm meal that would have been ideal but instead just some cheese and bread. Tucker ate what he was given which was two rounds of freshly baked bread with cheese that had a strong taste to it. He could see that many of the others around him were not all that happy since almost all of them had been eliminated during the battle royals.

  While he was eating Tucker felt a strong tap on his shoulder and when he turned around he could see the two men that he had eliminated during the battle royal. Both of them didn’t seem to be too happy that they had been eliminated by him. Tucker knew that he was in trouble but rather than panicking he tried to play it cool. He thought that if he showed any kind of aggression he would be disqualified.

  “Hey I remember you,” said Tucker. He could see that they were still angry but he didn’t really react to it.

  “And we sure remember you,” replied the taller man. “Because of you I lost the money I gained from my father.”

  “Well I’m sorry about that but the name of the game is to win. Maybe you’ll have better luck next time.”

  “We won’t need to come next year because right now you’re giving us both our money back right now.” Tucker could tell that these men meant business but rather than rising up he decided to remain calm.

  “I believe that it is against the rules.”

  “Rules were made to be broken, just like your legs if you don’t pay up.” By now Tucker had noticed the shorter man what he thought was some kind of large stick. Both men had their swords taken from them after their eliminations but it had been easy to find an alternate weapon.

  “You must be mistaking my friend. That sounds like a threat.” If Jessica had been with him he knew that she would likely step in and resolve the matter without the need for violence. He knew how much of an intimidating figure she could be but this time he only had himself to fall back on.

  “There isn’t a mistake, now had over the gold or else you won’t be walking to the next round.” The stepped closer to Tucker and he could see that the situation was indeed bad and he placed his hand on his sword. He knew that if he used it there was a good chance that he would be disqualified.

  “I’m sorry but I’m fresh out of gold. Maybe when I win the tournament I might give you some gold. A couple to polish my sword maybe? It hasn’t had a good polish for many months.”

  They didn’t answer as the shorter man tried to strike Tucker with the stick. He had seen the movement happening almost in slow motion and he dived out of the way. He rolled onto the ground and got back up to his feet. He wanted to use his sword but the risk of disqualification was too great. It would mean that he would truly lose his sword and shield and have absolutely nothing to show Jessica when everything was said and done.

  The confrontation was noticed by others who stopped eating and turned to look what was going on. Despite the amount of people watching it didn’t seem like any of them were willing to get up and help Tucker. He just had to keep dodging the attacks as they came, at no point did he try to attack. Instead of acting scared Tucker was still being confident and he was even able to give a couple of one liners that if anything just antagonised the two men. They began to become angrier but their rage made their moves more sloppy and easier for Tucker to dodge.

  “What is the meaning of this?” asked an angry male voice. All three men stopped what they were doing and they could see a well-dressed aged man standing not too far away from where they were standing. He had two armed guards standing by him and he had an angry expression on his face.

  “Who in the hell are you?” replied the shorter man as he didn’t recognise the man before him. Most of the others watching did recognise him. Most of them knew that something interesting was about to happen.

  “I am Lord Tyrone, the Lord of this Castle and host of this tournament. You will cease all aggression before I have all three of you cast down into the dungeons.” There was much authority in his voice. The shorter man dropped his stick and both he and his friend reluctantly moved away. Tucker was left there standing by himself, he didn’t know whether to stand up tall or drop down to his knee to show his respects. Instead he gave a small bow to show him gratitude.

  “My Lord,” replied Tucker. “I apologise for what has taken place but I assure you I was merely defending myself.”

  “Yes indeed.” His voice sounded much calmer than it had done a few moments earlier. He took a couple of steps towards Tucker, with each step he took the guards followed closely besides him. “I saw how you didn’t attack your attackers but I can’t say that I approve of your taunts.”

  “It is a technique which I was taught my Lord.” He had to remember to watch his manners. He thought that the slightest hint of disrespect might have dire consequences. “By taunting my opponent it causes them to become angry which in turn makes them sloppy which then makes it more likely that they’ll make a mistake. I was taught by Sir Thomas Parker before his passing.”

  “Sir Thomas Parker you say?” This seemed to intrigue Lord Tyrone, he definitely recognised the name. “He was a good man, he was one of my sworn swords but unfortunately age prevented him from fully performing his duties. His mind was willing but his body just couldn’t continue so I had no choice but to release him from my services and allow him to live the rest of his life in peace. He was a stubborn man at times but he understood and left with enough gold for him to live the rest of his life in comfort.” He stretched his hand to his side in order to show that he wanted Tucker to follow him. Tucker was a little hesitant since he had not had entirely nice experiences with Lords. But he did remember Sir Thomas mentioning about Lord Tyrone, he had stated that Lord Tyrone was an honourable man and thus Tucker did think that he could be trusted. He began to follow Tyrone and they continued to talk as they walked. “So Sir Thomas went all the way to Morgan, correct me if I’m wrong but that’s quite far to the west isn’t it?”

  “Y-yes it is my Lord.” Tucker noticed that the two guards were walking right behind them and they both had their hands on their swords. Each was ready to act within a moment’s notice.

  “That’s a little further than I expected but at least he found somewhere that he thought was peaceful enough to live the rest of his days. If you don’t mind my asking how did he die, did he suffer at all?”

  “No my Lord, one night he fell asleep and he just never woke up.” It was a little upsetting for Tucker to remember. Sir Thomas had been a friend and the only one who truly thought that he could become a knight, even when everyone had told him that it was a fool’s dream. It had meant a lot to him.”

  “That is good to know, it would have been very upsetting to learn that he suffered before he died.” By then they had begun to walk up the steps into the castle itself. Tucker didn’t know whether he should be going inside but he still continued to follow Lord Tyrone. “I did watch your skills during the battle royal and I must admit that I see promise in you, I can definitely see that Sir Thomas’s training has helped you considerably. I suspect that you’ll get far in this tournament.”

  “I hope to my Lord. My friend and I are a little short on money and we were hoping to win some here today. We’re on a quest you see.”

  “A quest? Whatever for?” He was intrigued, in his youth he had wanted to go on quests but all these dreams died when he became a Lord and discovered that he had many responsibilities, too many for him to ever go off on anything that even resembled a quest. He did look forward to hearing Tucker’s quest.

  “I have reason to believe that the fabled Three Man’s Treasure is real my Lord.” He still remembered his manners.

  “Three Man’s Treasure? I thought that was simply a myth.” The answer truly surprised him as like most people in Angleland he had believed that such a treasure was nothing more than a fairy tale.

  “So did I but I have found hard evidence that it is indeed real my Lord. My friend and I have risked life and limb to get this far and I believe that we’re not far from finding it.” There was a small amount of excitement in his voice, he knew that there wasn’t too much that needed to be done before they found the treasure.

  “If you don’t mind my asking but who is this friend you speak of?” By now they were inside the castle and walking through its halls.

  “Her name is Jessica Snape, she’s special to me my lord.” He saw the hint of recognition in the face of Lord Tyrone.

  “I think I’ve heard of that name.” He began to think for a few moments. “If you would be so kind can you remind me of who she is?”

  “If you would like my lord.” He began to think of the best way to describe Jessica that was not in any way demeaning to her. He respected her far too much to do anything like that to her. “There have been stories reaching the ears of many about her, she stands at eight feet in height but can make herself much, much larger than that.” He knew what he was saying sounded ridiculous but he carried on anyway. “Not only is she the biggest person in Angleland she is also the most compassionate. I am honoured just to be by her side never mind her best friend.”

  “Oh yes that giant woman that I’ve been hearing. I thought that it was only some tall tale the smallfolk told themselves for entertainment. I didn’t believe that this Jessica Snape was actually real.”

  “Did you say Jessica Snape?” asked a female voice. Both men stopped where they were as they saw a young woman approaching them. She had long fair hair and a very beautiful face. She wore a long blue dress and she was quite short. She was only just around five feet tall and this was something that she wasn’t happy about. There was some excitement in her voice as she spoke.

  “Tucker allow me to introduce you to my daughter Nancy. She is by far the most beautiful of my daughters.”

  “That is because you only have one.” There was a smile on her face as she did like the compliment by her father. She was definitely one of the prettiest women that Tucker had seen but he thought that Jessica was the most beautiful woman in Angleland. He saw as Nancy looked at him and there was almost a childlike excitement within her. “So you know Jessica Snape?”

  “Yes I do my lady,” replied Tucker. Once again he remembered his manners when addressing Nancy. She was the daughter of Lord Tyrone so she deserved the same amount of respect as him. “We’ve been best friends ever since we were children and we’re travelling together.”

  “Really?” Tucker’s answer had only seemed to make Nancy’s excitement grow. “What is she like? How tall is she? Can I meet her?” Nancy’s questions were coming so fast that Tucker didn’t seem to have time to answer any of them. He was a little overwhelmed and he heard Lord Tyrone just laugh.

  “I think Mr Martel has more pressing matters to worry about,” said Lord Tyrone to his daughter. He loved her very much but he knew that sometimes she could get a little overexcited. “I’m sure that he will be able to answer all your questions later but he has to concentrate on his next series of battles.”

  “You made it passed the battle royal?” Her eyes seemed to light up a little. She had grown up listening to stories about princesses and brave knights. Although Tucker wasn’t a knight she felt like he was. “So does that mean you’ll be fighting against Ty?” She didn’t really get on with her older brother that much and she wanted to see him taken down a peg or two. He was mean to her often and she didn’t like it.

  “I might but we haven’t even pulled the numbers yet my lady,” replied Tucker. This was the only answer that he could think about. He was a little puzzled with Nancy because of her questions but he found them innocent enough.

  “That reminds me we better get you back outside,” said Lord Tyrone. It was only now that he realised just how long he had been talking to Tucker. “If you’re not there in time you’ll be disqualified.” He looked at one of the guards that had been escorting him, “Lenard please escort Mr Martel to the remaining participants.”

  “As you wish my lord,” replied the guard. He turned to Tucker and he held out his hand much like Lord Tyrone had done earlier. “Please this way.”

  Before leaving Tucker thanked Lord Tyrone for his time before following the guard to the outside. His meetings with lords seemed to be doing better than they had originally. He still remember how Lord Nostory threw him in the dungeons and more or less kidnapped Jessica. Lord Logan had treated him honourably and he felt that Lord Howlet would do the same as well. He just had to remember to not do anything that could upset him, he didn’t want to get into any trouble whatsoever.

  Tucker had walked further than he had realised as the walk to the castle’s man entrance was quite far. He had been talking to Lord Tyrone at the time and hadn’t realised just how far he had walked. He was beginning to think that he would run out of energy before he even selected his number for the tournament. He did wonder what Jessica was doing and if she really was on her way to see him compete.

  Eventually Tucker was led outside of the castle and into a large courtyard where he saw fifteen other people were waiting. There were a few other men there who were officials appointed by Lord Tyrone. These were different from the officials that Tucker had seen earlier but they still commanded some form of respect from the competitors. There was one person that Tucker noticed and that was Lord Tyrone’s heir Sir Ty Howlet. In the face he looked much like his father but he was taller and a full head of brown hair. There was some muscle to his figure but this was blocked from view thanks to the armour that he was wearing. He seemed to be very confident of victory and he didn’t allow anyone to touch him. He was likely to slice off a person’s hand for that.

  “Thank you all for coming,” said one of the officials. His voice was loud enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear clearly. “And congratulations on making passed the battle royals.” In the time that Tucker had been eating and talking to Lord Tyrone the other two battle royals had taken place. “In a moment we will be drawing the numbers to determine who will face who in the tournament. As in the rules the man who eliminated the most opponents in the battle royal has earned the right to pick the first number. The heir to Indigon has earned this honour.”

  With that Sir Ty stepped up and pushed passed anyone that was in his way. He walked up to another official who was carrying a relatively small wooden box with a hole on the top. Inside were sixteen slips of paper that each contained a number from one to sixteen. Everyone watched as Sir Ty placed his hand into the box and pulled out a small slip of paper. He opened it up and showed another official the number that he had drawn.

  “Sir Ty has drawn the number six,” said the other official who wrote down Sir Ty’s name on a tournament chart. Sir Ty stepped to one side and he was still confident that he was going to win the tournament and show everyone why he was the best knight in all of Angleland. He certainly the most confident man there.

  “The rest of you will pick your numbers when your name is called out,” replied the first official. “This will carry on until all sixteen competitors have drawn their numbers. Good luck to all.”

  Tucker waited patiently for his name to be called out but there was one thing that he did notice. The man he had been battling during the battle royal was nowhere in sight. He found this to be quite odd and at first he thought that he was just late but when he began to count the number of opponents waiting for their number he counted fifteen. This didn’t include Sir Ty which would have brought the number up to sixteen. This caused Tucker a lot of confusion since he knew that he had fought against another man and that they had both made it passed the battle royal.

  Tucker was lost in his own little world when he heard his name called out. This snapped him back to reality and he stepped forward to draw his number. He didn’t realise that he was sixth man to be called up for his number.

  Carefully Tucker stepped forwards and placed his hand into his hand into the box. He seemed to rummage around for a few moments before pulling out a slip of paper and opened it up. Inside he could see another number and this time it was the number seven. At first he thought that meant he was going to fight Sir Ty in the first round but when he looked at his name being written down he realised that Tucker’s match was going to be the fourth of the opening round while Sir Ty would be in the third. It was somewhat of a relief for him although he did know that if both of them won that they would face each other in the next round.

  After drawing his number Tucker waited to see if he would spot the man he had fought during the battle royal but none of the men that stepped up seemed to fit the bill. This made him very confused and he knew that he definitely fought against someone after the other two men had fallen.

  Eventually all the numbers were picked and the tournament chart had been completely filled. Tucker was still in a small amount of confusion and he did begin to think that he was going insane. He had recently eaten something that had made him go loopy but he was sure that the effects had long worn off.

  Tucker was walking around and deep in his own little world when he felt a large hand touch his shoulder. He turned around and was somewhat surprised to see the towering figure of Jessica. She had a crumb on her face from where she had eaten the pie earlier but she did have a smile on her face. She was glad that she had found him and she was surprised that he hadn’t spotted her.

  “Hey Tucker congratulations?” asked Jessica as she looked down at him. She had heard that he had progressed through the battle royal and for this she was proud of him. “You actually got passed the first hurdle.”

  “Did you expect anything less?” replied Tucker. There was confidence in his voice but she could tell that there was something trouble him. She could tell by the slightest hint in his voice.

  “Is there something wrong?” She did give him a concerned look and it did make Tucker feel that their friendship was on the mend. At least this time what was bothering him was not as bad as the previous time.

  “It’s nothing really.” Tucker felt much more comfortable talking to Jessica because at least this time he didn’t have to worry about hurting her feelings. “It’s just that during my battle royal I faced a warrior who seemed to be my equal. We both got through the battle royal but for some reason he’s not here and according to the officials everyone who should be here is here.”

  “That sounds a little odd. Maybe you just don’t recognise them for some reason, like was he wearing armour?” Rather than going for an outlandish theory Jessica first wanted to go try the most likely scenarios

  “Yeah from head to toe. I couldn’t see his face.”

  “There you go, most likely he’s just taken off his armour and you haven’t recognised him. I’m sure that when the rounds start you’ll spot him in his armour.”

  “I guess you’re right.” His mind was somewhat at ease with this as what Jessica was saying made a lot of sense. Most likely he had just not recognised his opponent without the armour. It seemed to be a realistic answer.

 “Now you wouldn’t mind showing me the best place to sit.” The smile on her face remained and her touch felt soft. “I want to watch you win this tournament and gain the recognition you deserved.” She still didn’t think that he would win but it was a push in the right direction for him.

  Tucker had a few minutes before he had to attend his match so he decided to spend that time with Jessica. The knockout stages hadn’t started yet but some of the people had begun to get some pretty decent seats. For Jessica she knew that she would have to remain in the back so that she didn’t block the view of other people. This was one downside to her height as she would have loved to be in the front row to cheer him on.

  With some of the gold coins that Jessica had earned she bought herself and Tucker a drink at a nearby tavern. It wasn’t against the rules for the competitors to do this but all that was requested was that they would return for their match. There were some tables outside which was a welcome relief for Jessica since the inside of the tavern had very low ceilings which by now had become her arch nemesis.

  Originally Tucker was going to have some ale but Jessica convinced him against it. She didn’t want him to be impeded in any way. When he did ask her where she got the money for the drinks she didn’t mind telling him that she was using some her new fame to get some much needed gold. This only made Tucker even more determined to win the tournament so that he could be famous enough to be asked for autographs. He hated to admit it but he was somewhat jealous of his best friend.

  “Are you nervous?” asked Jessica as she took a sip of her drink. If she wanted to she could down her entire drink in a single gulp. However she wanted to savour it and spend that little bit of time with Tucker.

  “Of course I’m not,” replied Tucker. There was a hint of confidence in his voice but Jessica could see through it.

  “You know that you can’t lie to me.” There was a look of mischief in her face as she said this. She knew that Tucker was a lot more nervous than he led on. “I know that you are nervous.”

  “I assure you that I’m not.” He took a sip out of the drink and still played it cool. “I’m as cool as ice.”

  “If you’re so confident then why is your knee jerking?”

  “My what?” He looked under his table and saw that his knee was jerking up and down. He tried to stop his knee but discovered that he couldn’t. Although he was confident on the outside on the inside his nerves were getting the better of him. “Ok so maybe I am a little nervous it’s not a big deal.”

  “I know it isn’t Tucker but it’s ok to be nervous.” She gave a bit of a sigh and she knew that she had to give her friend a few words of wisdom. “You’re only human so you’re gonna feel nervous at some point and to tell you the truth I can understand why you’re nervous now. You’re about to face trained knights for the first time and you’re still questioning whether you’re up to their calibre.” Her words were ringing true and it left him speechless. “The moment you allow your nerves to get the better of you is when you have truly lost. All I can suggest to you is to try and take your mind off of it when you’re fighting. Think of a happy thought and it should do the trick.”

  “You mean like when we used to play when we were kids?” He was still dumbstruck with what Jessica had been saying and this was all that he mutter.

  “Exactly like when we used to play hide and seek?”

  “Yeah but you would always find me. I still think that you were peaking when I was finding somewhere to hide.”

  “I told you before.” She gave him a smile. “I could sense you, kind of made hiding from me nearly impossible.”

  “How come I never got to find you?” He knew the answer to this but he wanted to hear the answer from her.

  “It was before I had my dress so I was big all the time.” She could still remember her younger self being too big to hide. It didn’t stop her from trying and sometimes Tucker would pretend not to see her just to spare her feelings.

  For the pair it was nice to think about when they were younger. Back when things didn’t seem to be so dark. I time when even the simplest of things seemed to be magical and breath taking. Unfortunately that time was over and nowadays the wonders of the world normally had a dark underbelly.

  It was around this time when Tucker decided that he needed to return to the tournament before he was disqualified. He finished off his drink and not too surprising he saw Jessica finish hers off with minimal effort. They both made their way back to where the tournament was taking place and they had to part ways when they reached it. Tucker had to go where the other competitors would be waiting for their matches. Jessica had to go and find herself a decent seat to watch the tournament. One thing that she did have going for her was that Tucker had given her a ticket which were given to all of the competitors. It allowed them to give it to another person so that they could have a premium seat. These premium seats were nothing however in comparison to those that belonged to the so called high borns. They were greater than those of any other spectator.

  A few minor lords and their entourage had made the journey to Indigon to cheer on and bet on the competitors. Lord Tyrone’s heir Sir Ty was the favourite to win the tournament although a few of the high were betting on some of the lesser known competitors with low odds. This was not so much because they believed that they would win but because if they won they would win a lot of gold. Normally these low chance bets didn’t have too much riding on them and were more for fun than anything else.

  Jessica was seated in a seat that was behind a few other spectators who had gotten premium seats. She had opted to sit in the seat behind but she was beginning to regret this. Her legs were too long and she tried everything she could to make sure that her knees didn’t dig into the back of the person in front of her.

  What she was sitting wasn’t really a seat or a chair but more like a long bench with many others sitting on it. There was nothing to lean back on and the bench was pretty low so it was another reason why she felt uncomfortable. She just wanted to get this over and done with so that she could stand up and be comfortable once again.

  From where she was sitting Jessica had a clear view of the grassy grounds where the fighting would be taking place. On a heightened stage she could see many of the high borns sitting down. Their seats were much more comfortable than those that belonged to the commoners but there were two seats that she could see that were of extra comfort. Those were beautifully carved from top to bottom and were cushioned. They were reserved for Lord Tyrone Howlet and his daughter Nancy. Tucker had told her that Nancy had wanted to meet her and she thought that it was nice that someone of a high birth could want to meet someone like her.

  It was not the first time that such an event had happened and she could still remember what happened that time. She still remembered what Lord Nostory did to her and whenever she thought of his face it made her feel angry. Although she had simply walked away when she had a chance to destroy him she didn’t know how she would react if their paths ever crossed again.

  Jessica was lost in her own thoughts when she began to hear a fanfare of trumpets. It got the attention of everyone at the tournament. She saw what seemed to be one of the officials stepping onto the stage. All attention drew to him but he was not the reason for the fanfare that was what was coming next.

  “Ladies and gentlemen it is my pleasure to introduce Tyrone Howlet,” said the Official. Although he was a man of an advanced age his voice was still as powerful as ever. “Lord of Indigon and our host for today’s event.” There was another fanfare as people saw Lord Tyrone making his way onto the stage with Nancy following closely behind. “And accompanying him is his daughter Lady Nancy Howlet, the fairest maiden at Indigon by far.” People began to cheer and applaud as both Lord Tyrone and Nancy took their seats on the stage. They had a supreme view of the battlefield and for them they were going to be in for a good tournament.

  Sitting across at a table were three more officials. They were more than mere officials and had the important task of being the judges. Their task was to add up points scored by each opponent that would decide who the winner was if the time limit of the match expired. They would also stop the match if a competitor performed what was called a fatal blow. This would be a strike that would be lethal if they were using real swords. Once this happened the competitor on the receiving end of such a strike would be eliminated from the tournament and their opponent declared the winner. Unlike the battle royal being knocked to the ground wasn’t a loss.

  The first match to take place was between an agile fighter named Cecil Harrington against a noble knight named Sir Gareth Oxland. His attacks were more based on power rather than speed. A few times he tried to strike Cecil but many times Cecil would back flip out of the way. This was to show off to the crowd more than actually trying to get out of the way. Jessica watched from the side lines and although she thought that he was a little cute she still didn’t like how he was showboating. He was definitely fighting more for the crowd rather than trying to win.

  Cecil was popular amongst the audience, especially the women. His style seemed to play on the idea of a warrior who was a great lover as well as a fighter. There had been some stories about him of how he was able to woo the goddess of love and even claimed to have planted his seed in her. He was known in almost every part of Angleland as tales of his virtue would come to light.

  This didn’t save him however as when after performing a simple backflip to dodge an attack he landed funny on his feet. The mud beneath his feet had been a little wet which caused him to slip on the ground. Sir Gareth didn’t waste any time in moving towards him and stabbing his sword into Cecil’s chest. The strike didn’t actually stab into Cecil’s chest but it definitely came into contact and it would certainly leave a bruise.

  Almost as soon as the blow had been struck both competitors heard the word ‘Halt!’ This had come from the judges who determined that a fatal blow had been struck and declared Sir Gareth Oxland as the winner of the bout.

  This was a big disappointment for the women who had wanted to see their heartthrob carry on and defeat everyone else in the tournament. This was an opportunity that they weren’t going to see as they saw Cecil make his way back up to his feet. He was coughing and had his hand on his chest where the sword had come into contact. He was disappointed with himself and walked off the field he kept his head down as he was suffering the agony of defeat.

  The next match was a rather boring affair with it finishing on a judge’s decision. The winner was determined to be Sir Ryan Season. It was certainly a forgettable match but also allowed the audience know that Sir Ryan would be facing Sir Gareth in the quarter-final of the tournament.

  The third match was one that most of the crowd had been looking forward to. Lord Tyrone and Nancy were particularly looking forward to this match since it featured Sir Ty Howlet. His father hoped to see some honour in his son but he knew that would likely not see it in this tournament. He knew how much of a hothead his son could be and it made him fearful of what will happen when Ty became the Lord of Indigon.

  Sir Ty’s opponent was a noble knight who hailed from the Wetlands. He was a man who had just reached his forties although from his skill no one would think that he was that age. His name Sir Bastion Watership and he was the brother of the current Lord of the Wetlands Lord Benedict Watership. In his younger days he was often called the greatest swordsman in Angleland and although his skills had slightly diminished with age his technique was still second to none.

  There was much cheering when both men entered the field of play. Sir Bastion who a shining silver armour which glinted in the midday sun. He was a relatively large man but he could still move around with ease. It was mentioned that he spent more time in his armour than any other man in Angleland and that many members of his own family had never seen him without his armour.

  Despite all the tales of skill about Sir Bastion this meant nothing for the young and glory hungry Sir Ty. His armour was amongst the finest in Angleland but unlike many heirs he intended to use it as often as he could. He saw this as a stepping stone for his own path to glory, this tournament was the first of many challenges that he would face. He hoped that one day after he was long dead that the common folk would write stories and sing songs about his exploits. This aging knight was going to be his first hurdle before achieving absolute greatness.

  The crowd was silent as the match was only a few moments from beginning. Both Lord Tyrone and Nancy watched from their seats. Lord Tyrone knew that his son wouldn’t be too badly hurt but he was worried about him dishonouring the Howlet name. It was that name and the beauty of his sister that led to her marriage with King Percy. He knew that his eldest son was very hot headed and that one day it could cost him dearly. He just hoped that the Howlet name didn’t go through the mud in the process.

  When the signal to begin was sounded both men locked into combat with one another. Sir Ty was surprised with the skill of Sir Bastion who attacked with a flurry of strikes which the younger knight was only just able to defend.

  Sir Ty responded to his own attacks and once again he was surprised to see that Sir Bastion was able to block these blows and even perform some counterattacks. It seemed that Sir Bastion was far away from retirement but he didn’t have the energy reserves which Sir Ty had in plenty. The younger knight knew that he could outlast his older opponent and all he needed to do was wear him down.

 Over the course of the next few minutes that is exactly what Sir Ty did as he could see Sir Bastion’s attacks getting a little slower with each strike. It was not long before Sir Ty saw his opening and stabbed his sword right into Sir Bastion’s chest right were his heart was. As soon as the blow was struck the judges called for the match to be stopped. They felt that Sir Ty’s attack was a fatal blow and thus made him the winner.

  Sir Bastion was disappointed to see that he had lost but he was glad that it was to a superior opponent. He knew that not every man could defeat him in a fair fight and he felt that Sir Ty would become a great knight with such skill like that. He would have congratulated Sir Ty for his victory but discovered that the young knight had already left the field without so much as even a word.

  This was noticed by Lord Tyrone who was not too pleased with what he saw. He was happy to see his son win the match but he knew that after defeating an opponent like that the knights were supposed to shake each other’s hand on putting on a good match. Sir Ty had completely ignored this and it was seen as a slap on Sir Bastion’s honour. That probably wounded him more than any injury and Lord Tyrone knew that it might come back to bite Sir Ty so he would have to try and do something to try and repay for the insult.

  Just out of the view of the crowd Tucker was making his last preparations before his first match. He was more nervous than ever, unlike before he didn’t have a crowd watching him and this time he had a single opponent. He didn’t want to fall in front of Jessica and he would do almost anything to make sure that he progressed to the next round. He remembered to take deep breaths so that enough oxygen got to his brain. It allowed him to think more clearly and he just waited to call him out. These few seconds seemed to be the longest seconds he had ever known.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen it is now time for the fourth match in this opening round,” shouted one of the officials. “Introducing first from Morgan… Tucker Martel.” Tucker knew that this was his cue to leave where he was taking his breaths and enter the field of play. He took one more deep breath before stepping out and he could see the crowd of people that was watching him. Their reactions were no as cheerful as he would have liked but they weren’t booing him so to him this was a good sign. He looked around and it was difficult for him to miss Jessica who had stood up from where she was sitting and cheered for him. He was thankful to at least have her support. “And his opponent, from July Sir Randal Crawling!” This was when Tucker’s opponent stepped out onto the field of play. He had a larger reception since he was more well known than Tucker. Like Tucker he wore light armour but only his eyes, nose and mouth could be seen as the rest of it was covered by his helmet. He was quite a small built man but he was far from a pushover. There was word from all over on how he had defeated many foes that were much larger than him.

  There was one thing that both Tucker and Jessica heard which sent a shiver down their spines. This was the mention of July which brought back painful memories for both of them. The last thing they wanted to do was have to remember their last visit to July which they wished had never happened.

  Despite this Tucker stared down Sir Randal and Sir Randal stared down Tucker. Both of them heard the word to begin and for the first few moments neither man moved. When they did move they didn’t charge into each other but instead began to pace around in a circle as both waited for the other to make the first move. Tucker could feel his heart beating in his chest. He wanted to glance over at Jessica but he knew that if he did it would give Sir Randal an opportunity to attack.

  In the end Tucker couldn’t wait around any longer and performed a quick but careful dash towards Sir Randal. The knight responded by holding his shield close to his body as he anticipated some kind of blow. He was ready to counterattack and hopefully gain an easy victory against Tucker.

  Rather than attacking with his sword Tucker decided to try and strike Sir Randal with his shield. This was quickly blocked by Sir Randal but it kept Tucker’s sword free and with it he attempt to strike him. Sir Randal was just able to get up his sword in time to block the blow. There was a flurry of swords between the two that lasted for a few seconds before the pair backed off one another.

  The crowd enjoyed this small flurry with a shout of joy but there was one who wasn’t calling for joy. This was Jessica who was probably more nervous than Tucker, she was more worried for his health rather than him losing their last chance of earning some money. She knew that the weapons used was to minimalize serious injuries but she still feared that he might get hurt. The last thing she wanted was for him to pick up an injury that would make his life more difficult.

  If Jessica could she would grow to her full size and stop the match but she knew that it would only cause more problems. Not only would it cause her trouble with the common folk and Lord Tyrone she knew that Tucker would also be angry with her. She knew how he wanted to show that he was formidable in his own right and didn’t always need her protection. She respected him for it but she just hoped that it wouldn’t leave him making unwise decisions.

  The two men began to pace around again as they glared at one another. This didn’t last for long as this time it was Sir Randall who charged at Tucker. Jessica almost lost her breath as she saw Tucker block the attack and tried to respond with his own. This was also blocked by Sir Randal and it led to another flurry of attacks between the two. The crowd seemed to enjoy this more than anything else that took place in the battle. They thought it was likely that one of them would take down the other.

  At first it was Tucker who seemed to be gaining the upper edge in this flurry but he discovered that he was actually having to defend more than he was attacking and it seemed to be continuing the further the battle went. It was obvious to him that Sir Randal had much more experience than he did. It seemed that Sir Randal was using this experience to great effect and if Tucker didn’t do something soon he would find himself on the receiving end of a killer strike and thus lose the match.

  The first thing Tucker did was try and create some space between himself and Sir Randal so all he did was take several steps back quickly so that for the moment he was out of reach of Sir Randal’s dull blade. It was more than easy for Sir Randal to make up the distance and strike Tucker’s blade so hard that it flew out of Tucker’s hand. This got another cheer from the crowd as they thought that Tucker was only moments away from losing the match. Jessica could barely watch as she too thought that Tucker was going to be eliminated. All of his efforts would have been for naught.

  Without his sword Tucker couldn’t launch a decent attack but he was more than capable of defending himself. His shield was blocking almost every blow that came his way but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to launch an attack until he got his sword back. He began to remember the little training session he had with Jessica which had a similar problem. He remembered how he originally couldn’t get passed her and she had applied a bear hug in an attempt to stop him. He doubted that Sir Randal would try and bear hug him but the experienced knight made sure that he was constantly between Tucker and his sword. A clever move to try and pick up a victory.

  Tucker tried to move around so that he could see his sword but he didn’t have a chance to look mainly due to the fact that he was constantly having to block attacks from Sir Randal. He was close to defeat as he knew that Sir Randal would eventually get around his defences and strike the killer strike.

  Jessica could barely watch what was happening and she was on the verge of tears. She never liked to see Tucker failing and she knew how crushed he would be to be eliminated at this early stage. She also knew that it would mean that he would lose his sword and shield. He probably wouldn’t mind too much about the shield but the sword he had made himself and had much personal value. To lose it would make him feel less of a man and it might even make him go back to Morgan.

  As Tucker was continuing to block the shots he saw his sword lying on the ground for the briefest of moments. This did help somewhat for him as he now knew exactly where the sword was.

  There was also one thing that he noticed and that was that Sir Randal was too concentrated on the attack and not focusing at all on defence. He was too busy striking Tucker’s shield and trying to get his way around it to really focus on any kind of defence. In a way this was the perfect opportunity to strike.

  Using his shield Tucker thrusted it right into the chest of Sir Randal in between his strikes. The blow had come completely by surprise and had hit Sir Randal head on. The knight was able to stay standing but the blow had severely winded him and quickly he gasped for air. Tucker didn’t waste any time in diving passed Sir Randal and grabbing his sword. Sir Randal was not out of the fight as he turned to the now rearmed Tucker but he was still trying to catch his breath.

  Tucker wouldn’t give Sir Randal the opportunity to recover as he ran towards Sir Randal went to strike him with his shield. This was however a dummy attack as Tucker stopped the strike just before reaching Sir Randal and then stabbed his sword right into the chest of Sir Randal.

  No sooner had this happened both fighters heard the judges call for a stop to the match. Tucker had inflicted the necessary blow to win the match and almost instantly the nervousness that he had felt melted away and was replaced by absolute joy. Sir Randal looked in some disbelief that he had lost. He couldn’t believe that only a few moments before he had been winning the match but now he found himself eliminated. It was no surprise that he was disappointed about this.

  Rather than basking in his victory Tucker held his hand out to Sir Randal. This was a clear indication that he wanted to shake his defeated foe’s hand. At first Sir Randal looked at Tucker’s hand but he had to admit that Tucker bested him fairly. There were no underhanded moves or cheap shots. Tucker had simply out manoeuvred him and he didn’t feel any shame in that. He responded by grasping Tucker’s hand and shaking it as he admitted that Tucker was the worthy winner.

  This was seen by the entire crowd who were surprised to see Sir Randal lose but it had been an entertaining match nonetheless. Lord Tyrone was happy with what he had seen and even applauded Tucker for his efforts. The way that Tucker moved and swung his sword he could definitely see Sir Thomas Parker’s handiwork in it. He felt happy to see that some part of Sir Thomas was living on after his peaceful death.

  No one was more glad to see Tucker’s victory than Jessica. Almost instantly she jumped out of seat and began to cheer loudly. She didn’t care if she was blocking someone else’s view, the joy that she felt was too much. She was even acting like Tucker had won the entire tournament instead of just his opening round. She hadn’t seen him fight like this before and she was surprised to see his skill. He was definitely a higher level than he was when they left Morgan what now seemed to be a lifetime ago.

  One thing that Jessica didn’t notice that one person in particular was looking at her. This was Nancy who could clearly see Jessica towering above everyone around her. She was impressed with Jessica’s height and wanted more than ever to meet her. However she wasn’t going to go out of her way at that point in time. She was more than willing to end until the end of the tournament. Nancy already wanted to ask her father if she could meet this gentle giantess but she knew that there was one thing that could spoil everything. That was her brother Sir Ty who she had never truly gotten along with. He would always remind her that she was small and that he was the most skilled knight in Angleland. One other thing he liked to remind her was that he was the heir to Indigon and if their father didn’t find a match for her that he would send her off to some minor lord in the Prime Islands where she would live out the rest of her days. Nancy wasn’t too sure if her brother was joking on that last part but she wouldn’t be surprised if he actually meant it.

  With the match over Tucker took his leave from the field and made his way back to a waiting area where the other competitors. He was still on a high from winning his match but he tried not to show it in front of the other competitors. He would have also loved to have gone and seen Jessica but he wasn’t allowed to leave until he was eliminated from the tournament. This was something that Tucker didn’t want to happen.

  As he now had to wait until his next match Tucker decided to sit down and wait until he was called up again. There were a couple of officials who were bringing refreshments around for the competitors. Tucker took a couple of pieces of bread to satisfy his appetite but there was one person who approached Tucker who he didn’t notice at first. If he had noticed he would have seen that this man was none other than Sir Ty Howlet.

  Tucker was sitting by himself and thinking about how he had just won his previous fight. He didn’t think he had ever felt this happy before. The only other time he had felt truly happy was when Jessica kissed him passionately for the first time. He didn’t think he would ever be that happy again and he really hoped that one day he would be able to kiss her like that again. For now it seemed like a million miles away but he felt that it was more likely to happen now than it did a few days earlier.

  He was so lost in his own world that Tucker didn’t notice Sir Ty walking towards him. It was hard to miss the young knight in his highly decorative armour that was worth more than some castles. Not only was it nice to look at but it was incredibly strong. Enough for him to withstand almost any attack.

  “So you’re him are you?” asked Sir Ty as he reached Tucker. It didn’t seem like he was here to harm him. This would not happen until their match.

  “W-What?” replied Tucker with some confusion. He snapped back to reality and saw Sir Ty standing there. He wasn’t sure whether to remain seated or stand up in respect for this high born knight.

  “You’re Tucker Martel aren’t you?”

  “Yeah I am.” He was surprised that Sir Ty knew his name. He was somewhat honoured by this. It was rare that someone knew his name without him having to tell them. The fact that he was a high born only added to Tucker’s surprise.

  “Then you’re the one that I’m going to beat in the next round. I just want to run a few things with you. For the first couple of minutes I’ll take it easy for you and hell I might even let you get in a few good shots. You know a little something to get the crowd involved.” Tucker could see where this was going but he decided to listen him out first before truly reacting. “But then after that I’ll turn on the heat and you’ll fall. Just take a little dive but make it look good.”

  “Are you telling me to throw the match?” Tucker was disgusted by this thought and would have said some very choice words if not for Sir Ty’s birth rank.

  “If you want to get out of this unscathed.” He drew out his sword a little so that Tucker could see it. “These things might be blunted but I’m more than capable of inflicting serious damage.” There was a hint of anger in his voice as he could see that Tucker was going to be a problem. “I can still cripple you. You won’t ever be able to walk again and you will be left to slowly die.”

  “I can’t believe you’re saying this to me.” He was on the verge of striking Sir Ty for even suggesting such a thing but he knew that it would cause too much trouble and most likely would lead him to be disqualified.

  “It is not all bad for you. If you take a dive I will make sure that you’re paid well. That is of course if you put on a good show, make it look too obvious and you won’t get anything. So what do you say? Are you smart enough to take the dive or are you going to be stupid and throw your life away?”

  Tucker couldn’t help but think about the options. The money from winning the tournament would be comfortable for the rest of the quest but more than he needed. If he took the dive he would get enough money for him and Jessica to be able to eat at inns and even sleep there comfortably. The only thing that it would truly cost him would be his honour, he would see the disappointment in Jessica’s face if he were to fall and that was something that he never wanted to see. Even if he would get money out of it he still wouldn’t feel right and he knew that Sir Thomas wouldn’t approve.

  “I’m sorry I can’t do that,” answered Tucker. He thought that it would be best for him to stand his ground. “If I took a dive then I can’t really call myself a man now can I?” There was a cheeky smile on his face as he decided to continue on. “And it’ll be like cheating you out of an honest victory.

  Sir Ty’s face instantly changed. He became much angrier and for a moment Tucker thought that the young knight was going to strike him. Sir Ty couldn’t believe that Tucker was turning down his offer, it was one of the few times that this had happened and every time he made sure the one refusing would regret it.

  “You dare turn down my offer,” said Sir Ty with a lot of anger in his voice. “Much finer knights than you have known better than to incur my wrath! You my lowborn friend will live to regret this.” With that he walked away from Tucker and already he was thinking of the best way of harming Tucker in the match. He didn’t think such a lowborn fighter like him would pose any kind of threat.

  Tucker had no idea what Sir Ty had done to those who defied him in the past. What Sir Ty had said was not merely an empty threat but something he was willing to go through if he thought that he had to. He had not lost a one on one combat situation since he was training and he saw himself as the greatest knight in Angleland. He knew that one day he would inherit Indigon and under his lordship it would become the most well respected seat in the land.

  In the stands Jessica was still sitting there and watched the next opening round matches. She was impressed by some of the skills that she saw but she thought that Tucker would be able to give them a good run for their money. She had seen that a few people had noticed her when she had stood up. A couple of them had gotten her autograph earlier that morning but she didn’t concentrate on them. She was more concerned about Tucker, she had been overjoyed to see him win but this was only the first. He had three more to go and she knew that each of them would be more difficult than the last.

  By the end of the opening round the crowd were allowed to leave so that they could get some refreshments. This was where many of the locals would make their money, many of them opened their own little stores just outside of the field of play. Most of them sold food and drinks while others sold various other wares that they would think the spectators and travellers would need. These included blankets to keep them warm and other items of use. Jessica was no different from the others as she went looked around the stores. Most of the spectators were at the various food stands while she looked more at the other stores. She was surprised with some of the things that were on sale. There was even a store that was selling small animals for various uses.

  One store in particular caught Jessica’s eye. This store had various bottles that were not intended to be drunk for refreshment. The bottles came in all different shapes and sizes and the liquids that they held various coloured liquids. One particularly shaped bottle reminded her of the one that her parents had showed her some years earlier. It was the bottle that contained the potion that had saved her life as a new born babe and had led to her ongoing gigantism. Her parents had kept the bottle and placed it on a shelf inside their home, it was a constant reminder to them of how the contents of the bottle had saved their daughter. It was the greatest gift that they had ever been given.

  Jessica already knew that the contents of the bottle were not the same as the potion that had saved her. It just happened to be the same shaped bottle and it had drawn her eye. She looked at the bottle for a few moments and she didn’t notice the man running the store. He was an old man with a long grey beard and a thin build. He wore old clothing that looked like he had worn every day for the last decade. At that point Jessica was leaning down and he couldn’t tell her height. Instead he looked at her for a few moments and then cleared his throat. This caused her to turn and look at him. She stood to her full height and he was surprised by her height but he didn’t show it.

  “Can I help you?” asked the store keeper. Other people were walking past his kiosks but none looked at them. They were going to various other kiosks for food that people were visiting and they were mainly ignoring this store.

  “Oh I’m sorry,” replied Jessica. She had been caught by surprise there was the hint of fear in her voice. “I was just looking around.”

  “Maybe there is something I could interest you in.” Quickly he picked up a bottle a small glass bottle which contained a blue liquid. “Having difficulties with fertility? Well take a good sip of this and you’ll be pregnant in no time. Well of course you need a man to help you with that and I must warn you that there is a strong chance of having quintuplets.” She could see that this man was quite eccentric.

  “No I should be fine for that.” Although in the future she did want a large family right now it was not what she wanted.

  “If it is your partner’s problem then I have just the thing.” He quickly put the bottle back and took out another one from a shelf. This one had a more clear appearance than the previous one. “This little baby will make any man’s cock rock solid and ready for business. Believe me from personal experience it works.”

  “What, no.” She folded her arms and she was a little annoyed. She couldn’t help but see the old man’s actions as being humorous.

  “Then is there anything in particular that you’re looking for.” He placed the bottle back to where he had found it. He took a few steps towards Jessica and looked up at her. “Over my years I have helped many different people with their problems with my potions. There must be something that you want.”

  “Well there is one thing.” She gave a little sigh and began to think for a few moments. “I would like to be shorter.” This was her inner most dream, for all her life she had been the giant in a world which was simply too small for her. Although she was much smaller than she once was she still felt that eight feet was too tall. She wanted to be able to blend into a crowd and not have people staring at her wherever she went.

  “I see and I admit that you’re a very tall girl but many people would kill to have your height.”

  “My height is a curse.” There was pain in her voice but it wasn’t physical pain that she felt but instead mental. “All my life my size has made me an outcast, even in my home village. I just want to be normal like everyone else, to be able to walk through doors without having to duck or go into a building without worrying about the ceiling.”

  “So you wish to be a more average height but there is one question that I must ask you one thing. Do you truly want to be smaller?” He was looking into Jessica’s eyes and she felt a little something odd.

  “Yes I do more than anything in the world.” There was sternness in her voice to show that she meant what she said.

  “Now I don’t believe that to be true.” As he looked into her eyes it was as if he was looking into her very soul. “There are things in life that you would prefer to have. If you lost your height I know that you’ll be happy at first but eventually you will hate it.”

  “How can you know that? You know nothing about me.” There was much anger in her voice as she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She knew that what the man was saying was probably true but she was in some denial.

  “I know enough about how the mind works. We convince ourselves that there is something that we want and if we got it the rest of our lives would be nothing but happiness. That however is not true because when we get what we want we either have an empty feeling or try to achieve something else. You may consider your height to be a curse but I assure you that more than once you have depended on it to get yourself out of a tough situation.” His words were ringing true with every syllable that passed through his lips. “If you threw your height away because you thought it was what you wanted there is no doubt that you will regret it.”

  For a few moments Jessica was completely speechless. She knew that the old man was right, although she felt that her height was a curse but her gigantism had come in handy many times. She was sure that Tucker would have most likely been killed if she hadn’t of been there to help. Not everyone had treated her like a freak due to her height, some had even admired it.

  “I-I don’t know what to say,” said Jessica. She was completely speechless, too much of what he said rung home and she had nothing left to say.

   “There is nothing that you need to say. I can already sense that your extra height is not natural but yet without it you will cease to be.” He paused for a moment as he held onto Jessica’s large hand. She felt that his hands were surprisingly cold, almost icy cold. “The gods have a plan for everyone one of us. You might not entirely enjoy your height right now but I assure you that one day you will see that what you have is no curse but rather a wonderful gift.” He smiled up at Jessica and she was surprised to see that he still had all of his teeth and that they were perfectly white and straight. “Now I suggest you get going, your friend will be fighting soon and I don’t think you’ll wanna miss it.”

  Jessica gave the old man a nod and thanked him for his advice before making her way back to the field of play. She was greatly surprised with how much the old man seemed to know her. It had been the first time that they had ever met and she was pretty sure that the stories floating around about her didn’t go through the details that he had just said to her. She wanted to go back and find out exactly what how he had known but she was afraid that if she did she would miss Tucker’s match. She knew that he would be looking out for him and if she wasn’t there it would dishearten him.

  Carefully Jessica made her way back to her seat and she saw that almost everyone had gotten back to their seats. She had to sit down quickly before the matches started up again just so that she wasn’t in the way of people who were trying to watch. She just had to sit down on her seat and make sure that her knees weren’t digging into the back of the person in front of her.

  No sooner had Jessica sat down she heard the announcement from the officials that the quarter finals were about to start. The first match was between Sir Gareth Oxland and Sir Ryan Season and she watched as both men entered the field of play. Jessica had watched them both in the opening round and she admitted that they were great fighters. She also knew that the winner of this match would face off against Tucker if he was able to win his next match against Sir Ty.

  There was a loud roar from the crowd as the match began and the two knights locked swords in what looked to be a great match. Both knights had similar styles of combat and each blow was being parried by their opponent. It only added to the excitement from the crowd as they didn’t know who was going to make it to the semi-finals. Both of them seemed to be worthy competitors but only one of them could progress.

  The match lasted several minutes as neither knight could land a significant blow onto the other. This all changed when Sir Gareth found an opening which Sir Ryan was too slow to defend. This resulted in Sir Gareth landing a decisive blow which led to the match being stopped and Sir Gareth declared the winner.

  The crowd roared as the match came to an end and they saw that Sir Gareth was more than a deserving winner. Everyone was cheering except for Jessica who knew that Tucker’s match was up next. She knew that he was more capable than he was before they left Morgan but there was no doubt that these competitors were some of the best swordsman in Angleland. Only time could tell whether he was worthy or not.

  Tucker was standing just out of view from the crowd and he was thinking about Sir Ty’s words. He didn’t know exactly how someone could cripple another with one of these blunt swords. He just told himself that he was more than capable of looking after himself and that Sir Ty would be the one who would lose the game.

  Eventually Tucker heard his name called and he stepped out onto the field of play. This time there was some cheering for him from the crowd and he couldn’t help but feel a little happier about this. It showed that the crowd were beginning to like him and he could see Jessica within the crowd. Just knowing that she was there was a confidence booster for him. He truly felt like he would walk away the victor from this match.

  Almost immediately Sir Ty was called out and Tucker watched as the young knight stepped into the field of play. There was confidence in his swagger and if he was nervous at al he wasn’t showing it at all. The cheer for him was much bigger than what Tucker had received but just because he was more popular didn’t mean anything when it came to fighting. Only a man’s skill could speak for them.

  There was a confident smile on Sir Ty’s face as he took a few steps towards Tucker. He held his sword with one hand and it dragged on the ground as he walked towards him. Tucker’s heart began to beat faster as Sir Ty stepped closer and closer towards him. The cheer of the crowd around them was very loud and Sir Ty knew that he would get away with saying anything at this point.

  “You should have taken my offer,” said Sir Ty. His voice had a subtle aggressiveness which made Tucker feel very uneasy. “Now I’m going to humiliate you in front of everyone. They’ll write songs about this slaughter.”

  “I slaughtered your mom with my cock last night,” replied Tucker. He had some anger that seemed to be boiling up and at this point in time he wanted to get under Sir Ty’s skin before the match started.

   “Why you little shit!” The subtlety was gone from his voice and he went to strike Tucker but one of the officials got in between them before Sir Ty even got close. The match hadn’t started yet so a strike like that was illegal.

  “Knock it out you pair or else you’ll both be disqualified!” stated the official in a voice that commanded authority.

  Both Tucker and Sir Ty grunted a little as they were forced to step away from each other. Sir Ty was a lot more angered with Tucker simply because he was of a low birth and had spoken to him in that manner. If it were up to him he would have had Tucker’s tongue ripped out and his penis chopped off for such an insult. He was more determined than ever to defeat Tucker and cause him serious harm.

  Tucker stared back at Sir Ty and he thought about the best way he could start his attack. He was looking for any spot he thought that he could get an advantage but from what he could see Sir Ty’s stance didn’t allow for this to happen. He could tell quickly that this was going to be far from an easy fight.

  Lord Tyrone was taking particular interest in the fight. He wanted to see if Tucker could overcome his strong but arrogant son. He wasn’t going to lie when he said that his son was not the nicest person in Angleland. He thought that it would be nice to see someone take his son down a peg and Tucker was such a person. Only time could tell who would come out on top.

  The match was started with a call from an official and quickly Sir Ty ran towards Tucker in an attempt to beat him quickly. Tucker guessed that Sir Ty would do something like this so he had already decided to stand his ground and try and block any attack that came his way. It didn’t take Sir Ty long to strike Tucker’s shield and Tucker could feel the power behind the blow and it took him somewhat by surprise.

  Nonetheless Tucker stood his ground but this was something that Sir Ty was expecting. He would have felt embarrassed if Tucker had gone down so easy. He wanted to make him suffer first before he won the match. He had defeated so many opponents before him and he was sure that Tucker would just be another statistic.

  Sir Ty began to try and strike Tucker but each strike was blocked by the shield. Tucker noticed something that he thought was a little odd. For the reputation that Sir Ty had he thought that his attacks were surprisingly weak. He didn’t know whether this was because he was more capable than he realised or that Sir Ty was holding back.

  The crowd was cheering loudly with each strike Sir Ty made, Jessica was relieved to see that each time Tucker was able to block the strike. She seemed to be one of the few people who believed that Tucker could win the match. The majority of them believed that Sir Ty would win hands down. All she could do was sit and wait to find out who would win between the pair.

  Tucker allowed himself to be on the defensive for a few more seconds until he saw what he considered to be a decent opening. He went to strike Sir Ty in the leg which caused the more experienced knight to go and try and guard his legs. This was a fake strike however as Tucker quickly changed to than which actually went for Sir Ty’s head. Sir Ty was just able to lift up his shield in time and block the attack but once again this took him by surprise. This showed that Tucker wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought but he was still worth a small amount of his time.

  With the strike being blocked Tucker wasn’t disheartened as he unleashed another attack which Sir Ty had some difficulties blocking. The strikes seemed to be coming from all different directions but rather than focusing on power Tucker focused on speed. Sir Ty was struggling to keep up with the strikes and he was finding that he was having to step further and further back.

  Sir Ty began to realise that if he didn’t do something soon he would lose the match and to a common born fighter. He didn’t know what would be worse actually being defeated or being defeated by someone of such low birth that to him he was no more than a peasant who thought he could play knight. Sir Ty decided that it was time to shatter Tucker’s dream into a million pieces.

  Unfortunately Tucker couldn’t keep up this attack forever and fatigue began to set up. He had to stop the attack just so that he could catch his breath. This was exactly what Sir Ty needed to start his own attack. Rather than going to strike Tucker straight away he wanted to try and outflank him before striking. He wanted to attack Tucker in the back of the leg in an attempt to cripple him. He was more than willing to make sure that Tucker never walked again, just to spite him.

  Although Tucker was somewhat tired he was still able to keep up with Sir Ty’s movements. He could tell that Sir Ty was trying to get behind him and strike. Tucker made sure that his shield was between himself and Sir Ty at all times. This made the young knight’s attempts to strike him very difficult.

  Sir Ty wasn’t the only one who was impressed with Tucker’s skills. The judges watching were surprised to see how such an unknown fighter could actually hold his own with someone like Sir Ty. Both were scoring points here and there and right now the judges thought that it was a well-deserved draw on both sides. The fight was far from over and each opponent had time to try and gain a decisive advantage.

  Tucker had caught enough of his breath to try and launch his own attack at Sir Ty. It came quickly and Tucker was able to strike Sir Ty in the arm which caused him a small amount of pain. If anything rather than Sir Ty feeling the pain he felt the embarrassment instead. He was now more than determined to cripple Tucker. Such a strike like that couldn’t go unpunished, if he had his way Tucker would have been hung long before now and all would watch what happened to those who embarrassed him.

  The match continued on as Tucker unleashed his own attack which was aimed at the sword arm of Sir Ty. The young knight was just able to block the strike at the last moment and parried it away. This left Tucker open for an attack which Sir Ty didn’t waste any time in taking the shot. Just before the blow struck Tucker was just able to back away just out of the sword’s reach. It had happened at the last possible moment and he knew that if it had struck he would have most likely lost the match.

  Tucker decided that for now it was best to be on the defensive as he wanted to try and find some kind of opening that he could use to his advantage. Unfortunately from what he was seeing Sir Ty wasn’t leaving any openings for him to strike effectively. He might not like Sir Ty’s attitude but he had to admit that he was a more than capable knight who seemed to have all of his areas properly defended.

  Sir Ty unleashed his own attack but rather than trying to break through Tucker’s defences he was trying to get behind him and attack the back of his knees. Tucker wasn’t making his efforts any easier for him and he had to admire that of Tucker. So far in this tournament everyone he faced hadn’t seemed that much of a challenge. Tucker was the first one who was really testing his abilities, although Sir Ty respected Tucker for this it didn’t mean that he liked him at all. If anything it was making Sir Ty angrier as he felt that he should have beaten Tucker by that time.

  Sir Ty’s rage could be seen as his attacks were coming stronger but Tucker could tell that they were sloppier as well. This was the exact thing that he wanted to happen and he thought that it wouldn’t be long before Sir Ty made some kind of mistake. Then he would unleash a powerful counterattack which he thought would defeat Sir Ty and allow him to progress to the next round.

  Tucker only had to wait as Sir Ty continued to attack but with each strike Tucker blocked it with his shield. He only had to move his arm slightly each time but for Sir Ty he was constantly having to move his arm quickly to strike the blow. All the while he was trying to get behind Tucker so that he could defeat him but the peasant fighter was still proving to be a worthy challenge.

  Lord Tyrone was watching the match with great interest. He had seen his son fight more times than he could count but this was one of the few times that he thought Sir Ty was actually struggling. He had seen Sir Ty struggle against seasoned knights but never a person in the same rank as Tucker. It was amazing to see such a thing in his mind and it just showed that a knight can be anyone regardless of birth. He knew high borns who were completely useless with a sword like his second son Leon and there were some peasants who were more gifted than the most famous of knights. He knew that if there was one thing that Tucker had earned and that was Lord Tyrone’s respect for his skills and he thought that it was worthy of a particular gift.

  Jessica was also watching and she couldn’t really tell just who was in front. She didn’t have the knowhow when it came to a match like this. She didn’t know exactly how the judges were deciding the points but she had a feeling in the pit o her stomach that something was going against Tucker. She thought that his attacks had been exciting but she couldn’t help but feel that Sir Ty was the one who was actually winning the match. She didn’t want to think like that since she knew what would happen if Tucker lost.

  The crowd began to cheer as to them this had been the best match so far in the entire tournament. Many of them had expected Sir Ty to easily win this match but the fact that he was seemingly struggling only added to the excitement of it all. Even a blind man could see that Tucker had skill.

  With each strike there was a louder and louder roar from the crowd. Almost all of them didn’t regret going to the match at all and was well worth the money that they had paid to see it. Some of them were even making bets amongst themselves on who would actually win the match. To many it was too close to call but events in the next few minutes would soon decide that.

  The match continued on and Tucker went for a strong strike, he knew that it would leave him open to an attack but he thought that if he did it right it would win him the match. He lifted his sword high as he went to strike Sir Ty but he was somewhat surprised to feel Sir Ty’s shield thrust into his chest and he fell to the ground. The blow had winded Tucker but it was not deemed to be a fatal blow. He gasped for air and he soon realised that Sir Ty was about to strike him in the chest, he could see the young knight standing over him and he saw the sword in his hand. It looked like Sir Ty was about to plunge the blunted sword into Tucker’s chest if it had not been Tucker’s own ingenuity.

  Tucker was able to kick Sir Ty in the leg hard enough for the young knight to have to take a few steps back. He was surprised that Tucker still had some fight left in him and he watched as Tucker got back up to his feet. He was still gasping for air and he slowly got back up to his feet. He did feel a little woozy from the shield strike but he seemed to be recovering from it. His chest did hurt from where the shield impacted and he really hoped that there wasn’t any serious damage.

  The little confrontation between the pair was all that was needed to get the crowd into a frenzy as they truly couldn’t guess just who was going to win the match. It was simply too exciting for words but for Jessica she almost had a heart attack when she saw Tucker knocked to the ground. With each strike she saw it felt like someone was pulling on her heart strings, it was an emotional rollercoaster for her as like the crowd she didn’t know if Tucker would win the match.

  In her panic she didn’t realise that she had grown slightly making herself a few inches taller than she was before. While she was sitting down no one could really tell the difference but she had to be careful not to increase her size too much. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a widespread panic across the field. She had to keep her emotions in check or else she would be in a lot of trouble.

  Both Tucker and Sir Ty were panting and they glared at each other. The match was taking more out of them than they expected. Sir Ty couldn’t believe that Tucker was still going, he was more than certain that he would have beaten this peasant by now. He didn’t know whether he hated the fact that he hadn’t won but that he was being held by a peasant. One idea did come to mind, it was risky but he thought that it would prove that he was indeed the better man.

  “You’re better than I expected,” said Sir Ty. There was even the hint of a smile on his face. “I wouldn’t of thought that in a million years that you’d stand a chance against me.” For once he wasn’t trying to be demeaning to Tucker but was in fact giving him a well-deserved compliment.

  “Thanks, you’re not so bad yourself,” replied Tucker. He was still catching his breath after the shield strike. It was difficult for him but he could feel himself recovering more and more with each breath he took.

  “Why don’t we settle this like men?” Sir Ty saw Tucker raise an eyebrow at this suggestion. “No swords, no shields, no armour, just the two of us fighting with our fists like real men. Let’s put an end to this spectacle and settle this once and for all.”

  “I’m game as if you are. But let me just warn you, there’s a reason why they call me the ‘Fists Of The West’.” He knew that this wasn’t an actual nickname but instead something he had made up to intimidate Sir Ty.

  “Really?” He dropped his sword and shield to the ground and continued to stare at Tucker. There was a cheeky smile on his face as he was ready to throw down with his fists. “Let’s put that name to the test.”

  With that Tucker also dropped his sword and the two men took off their armour right in front of one another. The crowd were greatly surprised with what they were seeing and even Lord Tyrone had no idea just what Tucker and Sir Ty were up to. He only knew that the match was close to its conclusion. It would only be a few moments before one man stood tall and the other was downed.

  With both men now disarmed they ran at each other Sir Ty was the first to try and punch Tucker who was able to parry the shot away and respond with a strong punch into Sir Ty’s right cheek. The impact had come as some surprise as he didn’t expect Tucker to have such a punch. He didn’t know that Tucker had grown up with two older brothers who were constantly fighting amongst one another along with some of the local boys in Morgan. It had made Tucker pretty decent with his fists as well as his swords. The nickname he had given himself might have been fake but right now each syllable of it seemed to be true as Sir Ty staggered back.

  Despite the first impact Sir Ty was not out of it and stepped towards Tucker who tried to punch him a couple more times in the head. Sir Ty was able to dodge out of the way and punched Tucker in the stomach. Tucker had been expecting it and was able to tense his muscles up enough to withstand the punch without being winded. He also found that Sir Ty was now close enough for him to strike.

  Tucker responded with a strong uppercut and a side kick right into Sir Ty’s chest. It was obvious to those watching that Tucker was the most experienced when it came to hand to hand combat. Sir Ty had lived the life of a high born and hadn’t really been in a fist fight with anyone. He just assumed that his own conditioning and speed would be more than a match for Tucker. He couldn’t of been more wrong as he saw that in this field he was completely outclassed.

  There was one thing that Sir Ty did notice on the ground by his feet. He took a quick glance down to the ground and he felt that things were finally going his way. He looked over to Tucker who was quickly making his way towards him. It was with that that Sir Ty picked up the sword which was right by his foot and slashed it on Tucker’s arm. The impact had been somewhat painful but would only leave a bruise. Since Tucker had dropped his sword and shield along with his armour he had no defence against it. He quickly turned to try and see if he could spit his own sword and shield. He couldn’t see any at that immediate point in time and when he turned to Sir Ty the young knight stabbed his sword right into Tucker’s chest and he did it with a smile.

  No sooner had this blow been struck everyone heard the officials shout to stop the match. Sir Ty had inflicted what they saw as a killing blow and thus had won the match. There was a huge roar from the crowd and Tucker just dropped to his knees in silence. He couldn’t believe that he had just lost, not only did he lose his chance of gaining some much needed money but he knew that he had lost his shield but more importantly Juggernaut. It was almost too much for him to bear and he just watched as Sir Ty picked up his armour and shield and began to walk passed Tucker. He inflicted one final insult of his defeated opponent by spitting at Tucker. The broken man didn’t even try to move out of the way and remained where he was sitting. He was on the verge of crying but he was able to keep it bottled in, the world around him didn’t seem to matter as he was coming to realise that he had just lost everything that he owned.

  The next thing that Tucker felt was a hand on his shoulder, he turned and looked up to see Jessica who was kneeling down right next to him. She had a disappointed look on her face but she was nowhere near as disappointed as he was. He was just wallowing in his own self-pity but she gave him a smile that went through his grief. Right now to him she was the shining beacon of hope.

  “Come on Tucker let’s go,” said Jessica. Rather than picking him up she allowed Tucker to get back up himself and the pair walked off the field. She could tell just how disappointed he was and rather than scolding him for giving away his sword and shield instead she wanted to be comforting.

  “I-I lost it all,” replied Tucker as they continued to walk off of the field. If the ground could open up and swallow him whole now would be the perfect time. “I let you down and now we’re completely broke.”

  “You didn’t disappoint me Tucker.” She continued to smile down at him and her mere presence was making him feel a little better. “What you did today was nothing short of impressive. You showed me and everyone today that you are by far one of the best fighters in Angleland. You took down knights and even nearly beat one of the greatest fighters in the land. I can’t see how I can be disappointed in that Tucker, you might not have won today but you’ll always be my champion.”

  “Thanks Jessica that means a lot to me.” He meant every word that he said and he still couldn’t think about how he could even go through life with his larger than life best friend. “But what are we going to do now? We have no money and nothing to our name except the map.”

  “Don’t worry Tucker we’ll think of something, we always do.” They continued to walk although before they left Tucker had picked up his armour since he didn’t lose it signing up to the tournament.

  With the few gold coins Jessica had left she bought Tucker a pie to try and make him feel better. He was definitely hungrier than he would have liked to have admitted and he began to eat the pie quickly. He knew that the tournament was still going but he had no interest in going to watch it. Seeing Sir Ty winning his other matches would be too much for Tucker to bear since he knew that it was supposed to be him fighting those battles. Unfortunately would never know if he could have gone all the way.

  Tucker was contemplating just leaving Indigon right there and then and not even check who would win the tournament. He just wanted to go and leave his shame behind but before he could properly think of what he should do a pair of well armoured men approached both him and Jessica. He didn’t know what to do and he wanted to draw his sword out to defend himself but he realised that he no longer had a sword.

  Jessica would have stepped forward to try and defend him but she could tell something that Tucker just couldn’t. From the body language of the two armoured men they didn’t seem to be all that threatening. For this reason she didn’t think that they were there to cause them any harm.

  “Greetings Mr Martel,” said one of the armoured men. “Your presence has been requested by Lord Howlet to appear before him at six o’clock tonight. Your friend’s presence is also requested. You are to appear outside of the main gates to the castle where you will be escorted inside.”

  “What if we refuse to come?” replied Jessica. Even though the men didn’t seem to be threatening she didn’t want to take any chances. She was ready to grow at the slightest hint of trouble.

  “Your presence is not mandatory but I believe that you will not benefit from refusing. Good day to you both.”

  With that the two men began to walk away leaving Tucker and Jessica exactly where they were. They now had the decision whether to just leave Indigon or go and see Lord Tyrone. So far he had given them no reason not to trust him but they still remembered Lord Nostory. At first he had been a seemingly nice person but in the end he had tried to keep Jessica s nothing more than his mindless slave and have Tucker executed for nothing more than wanting Jessica to be free.

  Of course they knew that not all lords were like that but even so they were cautious. They also considered what would happen if they turned down the invitation. Lord Tyrone would most likely take it as an insult and a slight on him and his family. It took the pair a good few minutes to go through the pros and the cons of accepting the invitation but in the end it was Jessica who stated that if they ran into any trouble that she could just grow and get them to safety.

  Tucker couldn’t help but agree however he was still exhausted from his matches during the day. At the time he had barely noticed but now that the adrenaline had ebbed away he felt very drained. He also began to ache from where had been struck, Jessica had already examined him and discovered that there were bruises on his body. It was nothing for him to be worried about but simply something else that he could show off for a short while to show that he fought in the tournament.

  After a small amount of convincing from Jessica Tucker did go back to the field of play. This time it was not to compete but merely be a spectator for the final. It gave him a low feeling but he at least wanted to see who won the tournament. Not surprisingly he heard that Sir Ty had reached the final and he was going up against a seasoned knight named Sir Darren Large who despite the name was quite a small man.

  Unfortunately since it was the final the pair didn’t get very good views due to the fact that so many people had come late purely to watch the final. It was not a problem for Jessica who still towered over everyone. Tucker wasn’t so fortunate but he was able to find a box to stand on so that he could see over the crowd. Both of them knew that Jessica could have held him high enough to see but it would be demeaning to Tucker so this plan had been scrapped completely.

  From where they were standing they could see Sir Ty and Sir Darren beginning to tussle and fairly quickly it was clear who had the advantage. Sir Ty was simply more than Sir Darren could handle. The match was short and sweet as Sir Ty won what to him was a routine win and he didn’t seem to have put that much of an effort. From where Tucker was standing he thought that he had put up a much better fight than Sir Darren. He realised that if he had not been drawn against Sir Ty so quickly he would have likely made it to the final. Fate had not been too kind to him in this respect. He also thought that if he got a rematch he would have learned from his mistakes and win.

  This was all a fantasy however as he knew that there was almost no chance of any kind of rematch and he would just have to live with the fact that he had been beaten. It was not as crushing as some men would have believed but it was still one of the biggest disappointments in his life.

  Jessica could see the disappointment in Tucker’s face as he saw Sir Ty basking in the glory of victory. Glory that Tucker felt should have been his but rather than being angry at Sir Ty for beating him he was angry at himself for faltering. One positive thing he could take from it was that he had something to aspire to. To train himself until he could defeat Sir Ty in an honourable manner. Before this he had thought himself to be practically unbeatable and the defeat had been a clear wakeup call for him.

  Lord Tyrone had mixed feelings about his son winning the tournament. He was of course proud of his son for going all the way and winning the tournament. If Sir Ty had lost Lord Tyrone would have seen his son learn the lesson that Tucker had just learned. He had also noticed how Sir Ty had spat at Tucker after beating him and he knew that it was something that a knight should do to a defeated opponent. Even in defeat a knight should show some respect to his opponent. This was respect that Sir Ty sorely lacked and his chance of learning seemed to have been squandered.

  Nancy was disappointed to see her brother winning the tournament. She more than anyone wanted to see Sir Ty get taken down a peg or two but unfortunately it hadn’t seemed to happen. One thing she did take some comfort in was the fact that he had really struggled against Tucker and that she would be seeing him again soon. She knew that her father had invited both he and Jessica to the castle.

  Almost as soon as the tournament was finished the crowd seemed to dissipate. Some of them wanted to meet with Sir Ty but he didn’t really want to see anyone and just walked away back to the castle where no one could enter without permission of the Howlet family. He wanted celebrate his victory in private but he would probably hire some of the women of the night to keep him company.

  Later Tucker and Jessica slowly made their way towards the castle when darkness was almost upon the land. They were somewhat nervous with having to go but they kept themselves composed as they made their way towards the main entrance which was a large pair of oak doors. There were a couple of guards standing there but Tucker and Jessica were allowed inside since they were expected. One thing that he did find odd while he was walking around was the fact that he no longer had Juggernaut or his shield. It felt like two of his limbs had been chopped off and he didn’t know if he could continue on with the quest with these two items.

  Rather than being allowed to move freely the pair were escorted to the banquet hall where Lord Tyrone, Sir Ty and Nancy were having supper, there were a few other guests there but rather than having a full on banquet it was more like a small gathering. Lord Tyrone would have liked his other son Leon to be there but he was still at Royal City and would likely stay there for a considerable time.

  Tucker and Jessica were given a seat that was the furthest away from the Howlet family. There was an obvious class system in place and since Tucker and Jessica’s parents were of low birth they weren’t permitted to sit close to the Lord or his family. Lord Tyrone would have preferred for Tucker and Jessica to sit closer but he knew that it would be insulting to the other guests who were of a higher class and would most likely remember such an insult later.

  At first all that Lord Tyrone did for Tucker and Jessica was give them a greeting before the food was brought out by the servants. Despite the seemingly warm atmosphere the pair were still on edge, they did eat the food since they were very hungry. They could taste it the juiciness of the meat and the freshness of the vegetables. It was a meal that was common amongst the lords and other high borns and it definitely beat anything that a lowly peasant could hope to eat.

  The small banquet went on for a good hour before everyone had finally eaten their fill. The plates were then taken away by the servants and with the dining finally over Lord Tyrone felt that it was time for him to speak. He had a few things that he needed to say that he felt were important to his lands.

  “My friends and honoured guests,” said Lord Tyrone as he stood up from his chair. He easily grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. “I thank you all for attending tonight on such short notice. The first thing that I would like to do is to congratulate my son and heir for winning today’s tournament.” There was a small round of applause from those present for Sir Ty’s victory. The young knight remained in his chair and glared over towards Tucker. He couldn’t believe that his father would have invited them since they were nothing more than peasants to him.

  “May your son continue to bring your house glory,” stated one of the guests. He was a minor lord who lived close by but he respected the Howlet name was nothing short of a friend to the house.

  “Thank you but I also wanted to throw this little get together to celebrate the completion of Indigon. Just a few minutes ago the last brick was officially laid which means that the castle that will be the seat of House Howlet from now until the end of time is complete.” There was a round of applause from everyone there as they had to admit that they were glad that the castle was complete. It had taken years for the castle to be completed but now that it was it could truly be added to the map. Already I have invited my dear sister and her husband our King Percy, the Third of his name to attend a grand celebration. Today’s tournament was the first step but there is plenty more to come.”

  There was another round of applause from everyone there. Tucker and Jessica still didn’t know why they had been invited here. They were definitely not noble enough to ever be invited here without a decent reason. It made Tucker feel a little uneasy but he kept his composure and continued to listen to Lord Tyrone’s words. He didn’t see them as being threatening but he knew how a Lord could turn his words in an instant.

  “But before I go any further has Tucker Martel arrived?” asked Lord Tyrone. He looked around and saw Tucker stand up. This was just so that he could be seen and he responded with a simply ‘I’m here my Lord.’ Everyone turned their heads to look at Tucker and he felt somewhat embarrassed. “Good I knew that you would come, if you would be so kind to step here.” There was low level chatter amongst those attending since they all knew that Tucker was a mere commoner. He did do as he was told as he stepped forwards passed the other noblemen. Lord Tyrone stepped in front of his dining table so that everyone could see them clearly. The guards inside the room were ready to strike if Tucker so much as breathed the wrong way towards Lord Tyrone. “This man here is the only man I saw today who truly challenged my son and heir. This man was able to go toe to toe with him in a way that no one here could have expected. All here know that there was a good chance that things could have gone differently and it might even have been Mr Martel here who was crowned champion.” He then looked at Tucker who was happy with the compliment but he still felt nervous in front of these noble people. “For your efforts I would like for you to receive this reward.” He made a quick hand signal to a couple of his servants who quickly brought forward what seemed to be a sword and shield. Tucker watched them approaching and he noticed that the sword and shield were the same ones that he had put down as collateral to enter the tournament. “I believe that you sacrificed these items for your opportunity to become champion. After such a performance as yours you have more than earned them back to your services.” The two servants placed the sword and shield on a small empty table that was nearby but for the moment he wasn’t allowed to pick them up.

  “Thank you my Lord,” replied Tucker. He bowed his head as a sign of respect towards Lord Tyrone. “I will further put them to good use.”

  “I know that you will but there is one more thing I need to do for me.” He cleared his throat for a moment. “Get down to your one knee.” Tucker thought that this was an odd request but he did it nonetheless. Lord Tyrone signalled another of his servants who quickly brought forward another sword. This one seemed much grander and older than Juggernaut, it looked to be hundreds if not thousands of years old. It had a firm grip and a polished blade that looked sharp enough to cut the very air in front of it. Lord Tyrone grabbed the sword and everyone stared in wonder over its beauty. Jessica was getting somewhat worried and even considered stopping what was happening but something inside of her told her to stay put. She watched as Lord Tyrone placed the blade onto Tucker’s left shoulder before doing the same again to his right shoulder. “In the name of Percy Kent, the King of Angleland, third of his name the Lord of Men I Lord Tyrone Howlet, fifth of my name and Lord of Indigon do by dub thee Sir Tucker Martel of Morgan.”

  There was a gasp from everyone inside the dining hall as they had just seen Lord Tyrone knight Sir Tucker. This had come as a shock to everyone but not as much as Tucker himself. He couldn’t believe that he was now officially a knight of the realm and could now call himself Sir Tucker Martel. He had been wanting to say this for a long time but now that he finally could he felt as if he was living some kind of dream. If it was indeed a dream it was one that he hoped to never wake up from.

  Jessica was overjoyed to see that Sir Tucker had finally received the knighthood that she felt he deserved. She could remember when they were children and Tucker used to call himself Sir Tucker as part of the game. Now it was his official title and she just hoped that it wouldn’t go to his head. She was just glad that one of Sir Tucker’s boyhood dreams had come true and she hoped that his second one would come true soon as well.

  Many of the nobles were greatly surprised by Sir Tucker’s knighthood but it was not unheard of for a commoner to become a knight of the realm. There were too many examples to remember and it didn’t mean that Sir Tucker was any higher in the social order. He was still ranked quite low but at least he was recognised now as being gifted with the sword and of some integrity.

  There was one person in particular who was angered by this development and that was Sir Ty. He couldn’t believe that his father had given Sir Tucker his sword and shield back but it was the knighthood that had really gotten to him. He didn’t think that Sir Tucker was worthy of a knighthood but right now there was nothing that could be done about it. One comfort that he did take was the fact that Sir Tucker was now knighted it made him feel that his struggle in the second round was more warranted.

  There was a round of applause from the nobles as Sir Tucker stood back up to his full height. He still didn’t know how to react and he was on the verge of crying but he kept himself composed. He looked over to Jessica and she could see the joy on her face. This made him feel truly happy and he looked back at Lord Tyrone who was still standing there with a smile on his face. Quickly Sir Tucker bowed his head to the lord in a small way of showing his appreciation.

  “I thank you my lord,” said Sir Tucker. He remembered his courtesies as Lord Tyrone was still above him in the social ladder. “I am not worthy of such an honour.” He felt Lord Tyrone’s hand place on his shoulder.

  “You have earned that and more but there is one thing I must ask of you.” He had already handed his ancient sword to one of the servants who quickly took it away from view of everyone inside the hall.

  “Name it my lord.” He continued to keep his head bowed in a continual show of respect toward Lord Tyrone.

  “There might be a time when I am in need of your services like Sir Thomas before you. I hope that you will come when needed and show me that you have truly earned this title bestowed upon you today.”

  “I vow I will come to your calling my lord.” This was a vow that he was more than happy to give. He owed Lord Tyrone more than he could ever hope to repay and this was a small token of his gratitude.

  “Good now why don’t you take a seat and enjoy the rest of the banquet.” There was one thing that Lord Tyrone did have to do to officiate Sir Tucker’s knighthood. He needed to send a message to King Percy stating about Sir Tucker’s knighthood, this had to be done for every new knight in the realm but for all intents and purposes right now Sir Tucker was indeed a knight.

  With Lord Tyrone completing his duties Sir Tucker went back to his seat next to Jessica. He was almost lost for words when he sat down and he didn’t know exactly how he was going to react. He wanted to jump up and down as if he had gone mad but he knew not to do that in such a place.

  With Sir Tucker’s knighthood done with Lord Tyrone carried on with his words which varied from peace in the land to upcoming events and more thanks to a few of those attending. Sir Ty seemed to be bored in his seat and he looked to his father’s empty seat which was much larger and made of oak. He knew that one day he would be sitting in that seat and calling himself Lord Tyrone Howlet, the sixth of his name.

  His sister Nancy on the other hand had her eyes set on Sir Tucker and especially Jessica. She still couldn’t get over her size and although she was sitting down she could still tell just how tall she was. Nancy had seen Jessica standing up a couple of times but she had never seen her at her true size. If she did it was unsure whether she would be all out excited or completely terrified. There was one thing that she wanted and she hoped that the pair would say yes.

  The banquet continued for a few more hours before fatigue began to get the better of most of guests and one by one they began to retire to the rooms that had been specially set up for them. At first Sir Tucker and Jessica were going to find somewhere else where they could sleep, they were surprised when they were informed that a room had been prepared for them. A servant took them to the room and they were surprised to see that it had a high enough ceiling for Jessica to stand up straight and even stretch her arms.

  There was a single double bed but there had been some small mattresses and an especially long quilt so that Jessica could sleep on it without having to be curled up. It was more than they expected but now that they were alone they could finally talk to one another. At the banquet they had kept quiet while Lord Tyrone was talking simply out of respect for him and what he had done for Sir Tucker.

  “I can’t believe that it’s happened,” said Jessica as she looked down at Sir Tucker who still had a huge smile on his face. She squatted down a little so that she could be at his eye level and she too smiled.

  “Well it was going to happen sooner or later,” replied Sir Tucker. He was still on a high from the fact that he had been knighted. He felt that this opened more doors for him as he now had a title worthy of some respect. “I was just surprised that it happened now, I thought I’d would have to vanquish a dragon or two.”

  “I’m so proud of you Tucker.” She wanted to hug and kiss him for his achievement but she stopped herself from doing it. She had not yet fully forgiven him for his night with Gwen but he was definitely on the road to forgiveness.
  “Ah that’s Sir Tucker now Jessica.” His smile only grew as he struck a quick pose. “I am now Sir Tucker Martel of Morgan. One day I hope to add a further nickname to that like Sir Tucker the Brave or Sir Tucker the Mighty.”

  “One day you might be but right now you’re Sir Tucker the giantess’s best friend.” She did give him a hug to show that she was proud of him. She even stood up to her full height and Sir Tucker found his feet dangling from the floor. She was still much bigger and stronger than him but right now it didn’t matter. There was one other thing that she was thinking, if Sir Tucker’s dreams were coming true it made her wonder if her dreams will ever come true as well.

  As Jessica had told Sir Tucker that she wanted to have a big family and live until the end of her days with the one person that she cared about more than anyone in the world. She hadn’t lied to him when she said that she wanted at least a dozen children and she wanted to see them grow. She wanted sons who would be strong and capable of defending the weak and daughters who would be gentle souls to everyone and everything. This however didn’t look like it was going to happen any time soon.

  Things were not entirely happy in Indigon as Lord Tyrone was preparing himself for bed. He had washed himself and had gotten into his bedclothes with he heard a strong knock on the door. It was a distinctive knock that he recognised instantly and he had no fear of who was behind the door.

  “Enter,” said Lord Tyrone as he stood there expectantly. Not to his surprise he saw his son entering the room. Sir Ty was not yet in his bedclothes and was still in the thin clothing that he wore during the banquet. His father could tell that there was something on his mind. “And for what do I owe this little late meeting.”

  “Father I want to know why you knighted that peasant,” replied Sir Ty with a small amount of anger in his voice. “He wasn’t worthy of such an honour.” He strongly disagreed with his father’s actions and wanted to make his opinion vocal. He had enough sense to not make it in public and hence why he had come to his father in private.

  “In your opinion he wasn’t but in mind he had more than earned that title.” He was sticking to his decision and there was nothing that his son could say that could even make him regret his decision. Even if he regretted the decision there wasn’t anything that could be done about it, a knighthood lasted a lifetime and it was extremely difficult to take away. “He was close to being your equal during the tournament and I firmly believe that he is far more capable than many knights I have met.”

  “But he is a peasant, someone that we would hire to clean out our drains. Someone who we could use as target practice and no lord would even mutter a word about it.” He didn’t have that much respect for people who were born beneath him. He had often seen them as substandard people in his eyes.

  “He might not be born as high as you or I but you know that when it comes to knighthoods any man no matter how far down the social order they are born can be deemed worthy.” He gave a small sigh. “It is late my son and I need my rest, we can talk tomorrow but it won’t change the matter.”

  “No father I want to finish this discussion right here and now.” Sir Ty was putting his foot down on it and he wasn’t going to leave until he was satisfied that his father had given him a decent answer. “There is no way that Tucker is worthy of a knighthood.” He was taking a stand against his father although it had not worked that well in the past he still wanted to make his opinion known.

  “As I said he was worthy of a knighthood and you should refer to him as Sir Tucker. I am not in the mood with having an argument with you. Leave now or else I will really lose my temper and you know what will happen then.” He saw his son give a loud and annoyed grunt before turning around and walking out through the door.

  This was not the first time that Lord Tyrone and his son had strongly disagreed on a matter. It seemed to be a common occurrence and on more than one occasion Lord Tyrone had threatened to overlook Sir Ty’s claim to Indigon and instead give it to his younger son Leon. Although Lord Tyrone knew that Leon was not a fierce warrior like his older brother he knew that he was much calmer and more intelligent. In his mind it would make Leon a more capable lord and maybe even a more compassionate one.

  After a day like today Lord Tyrone was tired but he had been speaking with his daughter Nancy as well. She had wanted to meet Jessica and she was overjoyed with the fact that she was spending the night in the castle. She definitely wanted to have some kind of talk with Jessica before she left and to her it was like the Queen of Angleland had actually come to stay at the castle.

  Lord Tyrone loved Nancy dearly and she reminded him so much of his deceased wife which he missed every day. He would have went through hell itself to get her back but he knew that she was gone and that he was now alone. Many times lords had asked him to marry their daughters so that they could have a strong link to the Howlets. Lord Tyrone had turned down each of them since his late wife was his only love. No woman in any land could replace her in his eyes.

  Many hours passed and eventually the dark night gave way to a bright and warm day. For Sir Tucker and Jessica it had been the best rest that the pair had for a few days. The bed had been comfortable and for Jessica it was one of the few times she had been slept in a bed that was actually large enough for her.

  For Sir Tucker it was the first time he had woken up and been able to call himself a knight. It still felt a little strange to him that he could officially call himself Sir Tucker. He still thought that he was dreaming but this was a dream that he would never wake from. He stood out of bed and saw that Jessica was still asleep. She looked peaceful while she was asleep and he did think that she was cute.

  As Sir Tucker had done most mornings he put on his armour and made sure that it was all fastened and fitted properly. Despite the fact that heavy armour was much better defensively he still chose to wear light armour so that he could still move easily and yet have some defence against a strike.

  There was a loud knock on the door and it startled Sir Tucker. It was enough for Jessica to wake up and she was still dazed as she had been dreaming. It didn’t stop Sir Tucker from going to the door, he expected it to be one of the guards who was going to tell them when they had to leave. As he opened the door he did see a guard as he expected and he practically knew what was coming.

  “Let me guess we have half an hour to leave the room?” asked Sir Tucker as he said what he thought the guard was going to say.

  “Not quite Sir Tucker,” replied the guard. His voice was different to the guards that Sir Tucker had met earlier. He was covered from head to toe in armour and there was no part of his flesh on display. “Lady Nancy would like to see your lady friend as soon as she can. I am here to escort her.”

  “Well that might just take a minute.” He looked at Jessica who was still coming around after waking up. “She’s only just this second woken up.”

  “Do not worry, I’ll wait here.”

  With that Sir Tucker shut the door and quickly went to the bed where Jessica was still coming around. Her hair was in her face and she was slowly sitting up, she wasn’t sure exactly what was happening but it wouldn’t be long before she was back to her old self again. Sir Tucker stood a few feet away from where she was sitting and he watched as she stretched her arms and moved her hair from her face. She turned and looked at Sir Tucker and she gave one big yawn before speaking.

  “Morning Tucker,” said Jessica. She had forgotten to call him Sir Tucker but for now it didn’t matter. “Who’s at the door?”

  “It’s a guard, it seems that Lord Tyrone’s daughter wants to have a word with you.” There was some suspicion in his voice but he didn’t think that they were in any immediate danger. From what he had seen of Nancy she seemed to be a nice girl.

  “What why?” She was in some confusion as she didn’t really know who Nancy was. She had spotted her from time to time but nothing more.

  “When I first met her she was eager to meet you. It seems now that she is taking the opportunity.”

  “Can it wait? I’ve just woken up.” She stretched again and yawned as she slowly got up to her feet. Again Sir Tucker found himself looking up at her as she loomed over him like she did with everyone else she had met.

  “I don’t think so but it’s probably best that you go as soon as. Lord Tyrone has been more than generous to us and if we leave his daughter waiting he might see it as a sign of disrespect.” This was true, the last thing he wanted was to do anything that could anger Lord Tyrone. He had given him something that he had wanted for as long as he could remember. “You might even get something nice out of it.”

  “Like what?” She was genuinely curious to know what exactly was on offer for her. Besides a little gold there wasn’t much she thought that Lord Tyrone or Nancy could even give her. “Tell me.”

  “Well you will be meeting someone who genuinely likes you and you know how hard that it is to you. I don’t mean that in a bad way but you know how hard it is for people to like you just because of your size.”
  “You’re not making me feel any better right now.” She crossed her arms and she gave him a look of displeasure. She knew that he was trying to be nice to her but the way he was trying made it seem like he was falling flat on his face.

  “Ok let me start again.” He took a moment to think before he spoke and he knew that he had to be careful. He might have just been knighted but he was still no match against her and in general he didn’t like to see her upset. “Ok, in the past people have treated you like a monster, now there is someone who genuinely wants to meet you and I think you should take the opportunity. It’ll make you feel better and I’m sure that you’ll even make Nancy’s day.” He thought that this was the best thing he could have come up with and he tried to smile to show what he was saying was truthful.

  Jessica didn’t need his smile to know that he meant what he was saying. They still shared a link that allowed her to know whether he was lying or not. It was something that neither of them could explain but she knew what Sir Tucker was talking about. She gave a small sigh before looking down at him.

  “Ok I’ll go but if it goes badly you’ll be walking the rest of the way,” said Jessica. Her threat might have been an idle one but he knew that she wouldn’t be too happy if things went badly.

  Jessica spent the next several minutes making herself look more presentable. She was going to meet a high born and the last thing she wanted was to look a mess. Most of this time was spent on her hair that looked very messy after she had been sleeping. She even needed Sir Tucker’s help to comb it properly and make sure that it looked nice.

  Only then did Jessica leave the room and allow the guard outside the door to lead her to where Nancy was waiting. She was outside in a large garden that Lord Tyrone had specially requested for her. If there was one thing that Nancy enjoyed it was gardening as she loved to plant flowers from all over Angleland and watch them bloom. No one else helped her with the garden, she was determined to grow the flowers herself and if they failed it would be due to her and no one else.

  Nancy would be in her garden every morning and as Jessica walked in she could see so many beautiful flowers with more colours than she could possibly count. They were amongst the beautiful things she had ever seen and she saw this tiny pod of a woman kneeling down in a well-made dress. There were two guards standing near the garden but Nancy didn’t allow anyone wearing armour in her garden since she was afraid that she would damage it. She also felt safe enough to be there without any guards.

  When the guard with Jessica reached the garden he stopped just short of walking onto the grass. He indicated to Jessica to keep walking which she did but with caution. She slowly stepped towards Nancy who for the moment had her back to her. She was making sure that some of the flowers were properly watered. It wasn’t until she saw a shadow close by that she turned and saw Jessica standing there.

  She was by far the tallest person that Nancy had ever met and she quickly stood up to her full height. Even when she was standing up Nancy still looked tiny in comparison to this super tall woman. Small was one thing that Nancy felt but the main thing that she felt was overwhelming excitement as she couldn’t believe that Nancy was actually there. Seeing Jessica from a distance was one thing but seeing her up close was something completely different.

  “Jessica you came,” said Nancy with a smile on her face. “I’m so glad that you decided to come, I’ve wanted to meet you since the tales about you began to circulate.” She wanted to give Jessica a big hug but stopped herself as she thought that now wasn’t the right time. Instead she shook Jessica’s hand and she couldn’t believe how large they were. She thought that they were about twice her own size but she kept this to herself. “I’m honoured to be meeting you.”

  “If anything I’m the one who should be honoured to meet you,” replied Jessica. She remembered to be respectful to Nancy. Although she was three feet shorter than her she was still higher in the social ladder than her and she thought that any wrong move might lead to trouble. “You’re the daughter of a lord while I’m just a farmer girl. The honour is all mine.” She took a quick look around and saw all the flowers that were around her. “You have a very beautiful garden.”

  “Thank you very much, it’s my pride and joy. All you see around you I grew myself, my father gave this small patch of land and a few seeds but I did the rest myself.” Jessica could see that Nancy was very proud of her garden and it just seemed to be generally a nice place to be.

  “If I maybe so bold but I think this might be the most beautiful garden in Angleland. I always wanted a garden for myself but my father couldn’t find me the right patch of land. All of it was dedicated to farming.” She felt a little embarrassed as she spoke. “With how much I ate my family needed to farm as much as they could to be able to make ends meet.” This was mainly before she received her dress when she was gigantic all the time. Even though she still ate much more than the average man when she was at her smallest size it was still not as much as before she had the dress.

  “That’s too bad to hear, I think everyone should have their own space to do their own garden. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your hard work grow and bloom into beautiful flowers.” She paused for a moment as she thought about the next thing that she was going to say. “Is it true?”

  “Is what true?” Jessica did get a little nervous as she thought that Nancy might ask her something that she was uncomfortable with.

  “Can you turn yourself into a giant?” She felt a little silly asking this question but with the stories that she had heard she wanted to know for sure.

  “Yeah I can.” For Jessica it was a relief that Nancy hadn’t asked her something that was more embarrassing. It was no great secret about Jessica’s gigantism so she was happy to talk about it. “If anything I’m hiding right now, my full size is actually my natural height where this dress that I’m wearing is the only thing keeping me small. If I were to take it off right now I would grow to my full size.”

  “Can you show me?” There was more excitement in Nancy’s voice as she discovered that the tales of Jessica’s gigantism was actually true. Now more than ever she wanted to see Jessica as a true giantess.

  “I can but not here.” She took another quick look around. “I don’t want to do anything that could damage your beautiful garden but there is one thing I can quickly do.” With a small amount of concentration Jessica willed herself to be half a foot taller. Her sudden growth spurt was somewhat surprising but ultimately exciting for Nancy. She had never seen anything like this before and it gave her some hope for herself.

  “By the gods that’s amazing.” She found herself having to look further up so that she could see Jessica’s face. The half a foot height increase for Jessica wasn’t really noticeable but she quickly brought herself down to her smallest height. She was just happy to see someone who wasn’t afraid of her and was truly amazed.

  Nancy couldn’t get over the fact that Jessica was standing in her garden and had actually just grown right in front of her. Although she had shrunk back down to her smallest height to everyone else she was still a giant. In Nancy’s eyes Jessica was probably the most spectacular person in all of Angleland and there were a few things that Jessica was that Nancy knew that she would never be.

  “You’re so lucky to be able to do that,” said Nancy without giving it that much of a thought. She didn’t know how Jessica had wanted to be normal her entire life but her size was a constant reminder of how she would never be normal.

  “Yeah lucky,” replied Jessica with some hesitation in her voice. She knew that Nancy meant well but the last thing she thought she was lucky.

  “You have to show me just how tall you can get. Maybe if we go outside of Indigon and the town you can show me.”

  “But my lady is that wise?” replied a guard who was standing just outside of the garden. He had been monitoring everything that was taking place.

  “I want to spend a little time away from the castle and I will be more than safe in the hands of Jessica.” She had turned to the guard and she was a little annoyed. She would have liked to think that it was a private conversation but it was a reminder that she never truly had any privacy.

  “I must protest.” There was some anxiety in his voice as he had orders to keep his eye on her.

  “And I command you to allow me to leave the castle with Jessica for a short while and if my father asks tell him I will be back shortly.”

  “But my lady.”

  “No buts, now leave or else I’ll have my father relieve all of your duties.” She watched as the guards looked at her. They wanted to continue the protest but it was no use, all just bowed and began to walk away. This was something that Jessica had not expected and she saw Nancy turn and look up at her again. “I’m sorry that you had to see that, I don’t particularly like bullying people around but they annoy me so much.” This was true, she didn’t like to bully people since it reminded her too much of her brother. If on the slim chance she inherited Indigon she would make sure that it was a fair and just place to all no matter their birth.

  “I know the feeling but are you sure you want me to show you my full size?” replied Jessica. She was still surprised with what had just happened, such a small woman had been able to command men who were amongst the physically most powerful in Indigon. If anything she was impressed.

  “Of course and if any bandits want to mess with me you’ll be there to have my back.” She smiled again at Jessica as she truly felt happy. She knew that her lord father might be angry at her at first but he would forgive her. He always did.

  “Yeah sure.” There was some hesitation in her voice but she couldn’t refuse Nancy either. Despite the size difference between them it was Nancy who was actually calling the shots at that point in time.

  For the next several minutes Jessica and Nancy made their way out of the castle and even outside of the small town that had sprouted up. It was insane to think that a few short years earlier there was nothing but grassland. It seemed funny to most seeing an enormous woman like Jessica walking alongside Nancy. Most of the townspeople who saw them recognised the smaller woman as Nancy but none tried anything while she was in Jessica’s presence. In fact many of them showed their respects to her.

  Eventually the two women found themselves on a grassland just outside of the town. There was no one in the immediate area and Jessica wouldn’t have to worry about damaging any buildings. It was still morning and the birds were singing which gave the whole area a very peaceful feeling. There were a few dark clouds in the sky which hinted that it would rain later. Other than that it was a perfectly fine day but there was a breeze that did make things seem a little cooler.

  “Ok now that we’re here can I see you at your full size?” asked Nancy with excitement in her voice. To her it was almost like ten birthdays had all come at once as she more than wanted to see Jessica truly gigantic.

  “I’m not sure,” replied Jessica. She was still hesitant at growing in front of Nancy. “You won’t be scared will you?”

  “Of course not, I might be small but I’m not a coward.” This was true in more ways than Jessica could think. Since unlike others who saw Jessica grew Nancy would be expecting it so it wouldn’t be a surprise.

  Jessica took a few steps away from Nancy and began to concentrate on growing. Slowly Nancy saw Jessica growing taller before her very eyes. It was by far one of the most amazing things that she had ever seen and as Jessica continued to grow so did Nancy’s excitement. For Jessica growing was actually very simple since being a towering giantess was her natural height. It took a lot more concentration shrinking rather than growing and making herself her normal height was like she was taking off a mask and showing the world her natural self. Anything else was hiding.

  Although Jessica could grow faster than she did she kept it at a slower pace just so there was even less chance of her scaring Nancy. Despite the slower pace it still didn’t take her long to reach her full size and now she truly looked like a giant. There were even some birds who had flown close by and now they looked no bigger than insects in comparison to her. The birds were terrified about the giantess they could see but the truth was that none of them were in any danger.

  Nancy couldn’t get over what she had just seen. She had watched a very tall woman grow into a full blown giantess right in front of her eyes. It was something that she would remember from now all the way to the end of her days. She watched as Jessica went down to one knee and looked at Nancy, her shadow engulfed the tiny woman and it was a sight to truly behold.

  “This is the real me,” said Jessica. She made sure that her voice was fairly quiet and non-threatening. “The me that can fit into buildings is just a mask I wear, this how I truly am and without this dress I would be stuck like this.” There was a small amount of sadness in her voice but Nancy only remained excited. “I can understand if you want me to be my smallest height again.”

  “Are you joking?” replied Nancy with excitement in her voice. “You are truly amazing, can you pick me up? I want to see what it’s like up there.” Without saying much of a word Jessica lowered her hand so that Nancy could step onto it. No sooner had the little woman stepped onto Jessica’s hand it was raised up until she was roughly sixty feet off the ground but for Nancy this wasn’t enough. “You can do better than this Jessica. Stand up tall like you should do.”

  Jessica’s surprise was almost getting the better of her. She had never met someone like Nancy who showed no genuine fear of her and if anything was actually overjoyed with what was going on. Jessica did what she was told as she stood up to her full height and carefully allowed Nancy to stand in the palm of her hand.

  Nancy’s next expression was one of wonder as she could see for miles around in every direction. She had a clear view of Indigon and it was the first time she had ever seen it from this vantage point. She took a look behind and she could see a great forest which was only a few miles away. She was seeing the world from an entirely new view that many people would never have the chance to see.

  “This has to be the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” said Nancy as she looked at the world around her. “And you see this every time you’re at this size?” It was still more than she could really take in.

  “Pretty much,” replied Jessica. There was a little more cheeriness in her voice. “The view is nice but I still prefer to be able to fit into buildings. I guess the view is one advantage to my size and the fact that I never have to worry about thieves.”

  “There is something I want to ask you Jessica.” Just from the tone of her voice Jessica could tell that Nancy was being stern but was still excited.

  “Sure fire away.” She didn’t think that Nancy would ask her to do something that she really didn’t want to do.

  “Can you make me taller?” This question did catch Jessica by surprise and for the moment she was speechless. “I don’t mean to be as tall as you but I want to be taller than this.” She gave a sigh as she continued on. “I have to look up to every adult I meet and my brother doesn’t stop reminding me that I’m small. But if you make me taller then I won’t be a shrimp anymore.” There was some sadness in her voice as she really didn’t like being one of the shortest adults in Indigon.

  “I would Nancy if I could.” She would have loved to have told Nancy a white lie but she knew that it wouldn’t be helping anyone. “But my abilities don’t work like that, remember I’m naturally a giant and my dress is what makes me smaller.” She could see the disappointment in Nancy’s face and it did make her feel safe. “Believe me if I could make you taller I would do it without giving it a second thought. I haven’t met many people who have accepted me the way that you have and you are probably one of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure to meet.”

  “I understand.” Despite this she was still very disappointment and her voice didn’t hide this. “I knew it was going to be a long shot but I thought that it was worth a try. Believe me I drink a lot of milk to try and make myself taller but nothing seems to work. Maybe I’m just destined to be short.”

  “And you shouldn’t let that ruin your life. If you’re not supposed to grow any taller than you are now there has to be a reason behind it. Not everyone in the world need to be tall and it isn’t the height of a person that brings them greatness. You were able to grow your own garden without the need to be taller, you’re young and you still have many great things to do in your life.” Everything that she was saying was truly from the heart. She raised Nancy up higher so that she was at her eye level. “And believe me I’d much rather be your height than this one.”

  “Thanks Jessica that means a lot to me.” She was disappointed but she couldn’t help but feel happier with what Jessica had said. She seemed to listen to her more than her brothers or even her father.

  “Did you want to take a walk around?” She thought that this would make Nancy happier and also allow her to see what the world was truly like as a giantess. “Maybe a trek through the forest will make you feel better.”

  “Yeah sure, that sounds nice.” With that Nancy felt herself get placed on Jessica’s shoulder but before the giantess went anywhere she made sure a few strands of her hair was wrapped around Nancy.

  “Are you ready?” She tried to add some excitement to her voice so that it sounded like it Nancy was going to go on some kind of big adventure. It was another attempt to make her feel better.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” Nancy’s voice did seem happier but there was one other reason why she was somewhat jealous of the giantess. It wasn’t just because of her height but the fact that Jessica could go on these adventures while Nancy was stuck at Indigon. She would love nothing more than to go out on an adventure but due to her family ties this was impossible for her. She already knew that one day she would be married off to another lord and live at his castle for the rest of her days. It was a life that she didn’t particularly want but it seemed that she was doomed to live it.

  With that Jessica began to make what was to her the short walk towards the wooded area. For Nancy seeing world around her moving like it was doing was something else that not many people in Angleland had ever experienced. She saw Jessica travelling a distance with a single stride than anyone else could hope to make in several. It was just something else that she could be amazed over.

  It only took Jessica around a minute at her full size to reach the wooded area and carefully she entered it. One thing that she had to be careful of was the fact that the canopy of the trees was preventing her from seeing the ground. For this reason she wouldn’t walk very far inside but with the trees being so small compared to her she didn’t have to worry too much about getting lost.

  “It’s not exactly how I imagined it,” said Nancy since she was so far above the trees that she couldn’t see anything inside the wooded area. “I can’t see much from up here.” She did like to see some of the creatures from the woodlands but she knew that Jessica had most likely scared them away when they had entered the woods.

  “I can always make myself smaller if you want me to,” replied Jessica. Right now she could see how Nancy was disappointed with the fact that she couldn’t help her grow any taller. For this reason she wanted to make her have the best time that she could.

  “No I’m fine, it’s just that I’ve never seen the woods from up here before.” It was still an amazing sight for her and she was seeing something that normally only Sir Tucker shared with Jessica.

  “I know it takes a while to get used to it but you don’t have to worry about anything. As long as you have those strands of my hair wrapped around you there is nothing that you need to worry about.” She smiled at Nancy to try and make her feel better, both women were enjoying their time together but both knew that it wouldn’t last for that much longer before they needed to return to Indigon.

  “That’s fine, can we go deeper into the woods?”

  “Not at this size, it’s likely that I might trip over something and believe me you don’t want that to happen. Plus I don’t want to accidentally step on a little woodland critter. It’s just not in my nature.”

  “Oh I see.” She could understand where Jessica was coming from. If she tripped over it was likely that Nancy wouldn’t survive the fall and it would cause her too much grief to put into words. “You could help me pick some fruit, I’m sure that’s not dangerous.”

  “As her ladyship wishes.”

  Jessica then began to unwrap the hair around Nancy and allowed her to be cupped in her hand. She then bent down so that Nancy could pick some fruit out from the trees. At that point they were standing near a very large apple tree and Nancy was now one of the few humans to be picking apples from a tree without having to climb it.

  Nancy was right on level with the highest part of the tree where there were some large apples that were ready to be picked. Even though she was several feet off the ground at no point did Nancy feel like she was in any kind of danger. Jessica’s hand was very steady and she had years of experience handling a normal sized person.

  There was also a few birds in the tree and at first they seemed to pay no attention to Nancy as she continued to pick a few apples. She was sure that they could be used for a meal at some point in the near future and the fact that she had picked them herself would likely just make them taste that much sweeter. She could even make some apple pie for her father and even for a few of the guards.

  It took a few minutes for her to pick enough apples for what she wanted. She had picked around a dozen apples and each of them she had inspected. If any of them were imperfect she would have dropped it and allowed the animals below to eat it. Most of the apples lay on Jessica’s hand and the two women were having a lot of fun with one another even though there was a one hundred and twenty foot height difference between them. For Nancy she hoped that this day would never end.

  That idea came crashing down when both women heard a rumbling sound. It was something that both of them recognised in an instant.

  “Sounds like rain,” said Jessica as she looked up to the sky. There were dark clouds above her and she didn’t want to be around when it finally rained. She was normally the first person who knew when it rained. “Let’s go back to the castle before we get wet.” She remembered many times having to squeeze into her family’s barn whenever it rained. The older she got the more difficult the task had become.

  “Ok then.” There was the hint of disappointment in her voice. She would have liked for this little day out to last longer but it seemed that the weather was going to spoil it for the both of them.

  Quickly Jessica began to walk back to the castle and while she did this she was at her full size. Only when they reached the town did she finally shrink in size but the sound of thunder was getting louder. It wasn’t long before they felt the first raindrops begin to fall but by then the pair had just been able to get back into the castle. No sooner did they do this the rain poured down as if it were going out of fashion. A person would likely be completely drenched within a few seconds, they even spotted someone who was unfortunate enough not to get indoors in time.

  As soon as they were inside Nancy called over a couple of the guards to help her carry the apples that she had picked. Jessica had been carrying a few of them but now there was no need for her to do so. She instructed the guards to take the apples straight to the kitchen where she would return later. She also knew that she would have to leave Jessica for now and by this time tomorrow she would probably never see her again.

  “I should be going now,” said Nancy. “My father has probably noticed that I was gone so I’ll have to bat my eyes and ask him for forgiveness. I’ll also make some pie from the apples we picked, I’ll be sure that you and Sir Tucker will get a slice.”

  “That sounds nice Nancy and I’ve really enjoyed today,” replied Jessica with a smile on her face. “It’s not every day that I have fun with someone who isn’t Tucker.” She still wasn’t used to calling him Sir Tucker and still called him Tucker without really thinking about it. “It’s been a really nice day and maybe we can do it again one day.”

  “Sure you can pop round anytime you want and we can go apple picking again or maybe even scare the living daylights out of my brother.” This was a little something that she had imagined just so her brother could finally be on the receiving end of being bullied. Unfortunately to her it was just a fantasy.

  Both girls laughed but they soon found themselves embracing one another in a hug. It was strange for Nancy to be hugging someone so big but to Jessica she was used to hugging people much smaller than her. She had even squatted down so that she was at the same level as Nancy. The hug lasted for several moments and nothing around them seemed to matter as their hug continued.

  Eventually they had to break the hug off as both of them knew that there was other places that they had to be. They would definitely see one another again before Sir Tucker and Jessica made their way onto the third trial. What would happen after that would be anyone’s guess.

  Jessica was led back down to the room that she had shared with Sir Tucker the previous night. She found the man himself sitting on the bed and looking at the map that would lead them to the third trial. He turned and was somewhat surprised to see Jessica walk in, he had not had word of her for a couple of hours and he had been worrying that something terrible had happened. The memories of Lord Nostory were still fresh in his mind and he didn’t want it to happen to her again.

  When she came in he quickly got to his feet and looked over to her. He took a few steps towards her and she could see the relief in his face. He also wasn’t wearing his armour but he still kept his sword on his person. Just because he felt like he was in a safe place didn’t mean he could let his guard down.

  “Jessica you’re back,” said Sir Tucker with some relief in his voice. “I was beginning to worry about you.”

  “There was no need,” replied Jessica. She found it funny that it was him who was worried about her. Normally it was the opposite way around but it was another way for her to see that he cared. “You should know by now that I’m more than capable of looking after myself.” She began to chuckle at him for a moment. “You might be a knight now but I’m far from a damsel in distress.”

  “Very funny Jessica but you do know that I worry about you sometimes.” She did take a few steps towards him and bent down enough for her to give him a hug. It was the first real hug since they had split as a romantic couple but she felt that it was worth it. “Thanks for worrying about me.”

  “Well somebody has to.” The hug continued for several moments before Jessica eventually let go and stood back up to her full height. She also took a couple of steps back just so each of them had their own space. “So where have you been for the last few hours? I was beginning to get worried.”

  “We just had a bit of fun out of town and I showed her my full size. I thought that she would be scared but she actually enjoyed it. To tell you the truth I’ve never had anyone except you react like that to my size.”

  “That’s interesting, I would say that she seems to be a lot better than her ass of a brother. I know that he’s a great knight but not that good of a bloke if you ask me.” He paused for a moment before he could think about the next thing to say. “So what exactly did you do while you were out of town?”

  “Well we picked a few apples and she asked me to do something that I really couldn’t do for her.”

  “Did she ask you to kiss you?” This was the first thing that came to mind and the words just spilt out of his mouth.

  “What? No!” She was a little disgusted by the answer but she didn’t really want to show it. “No she asked me to use my abilities to make her taller.”

  “And did you?” He wanted to pretend that he had never asked his previous question and wanted to think that it never happened.

  “Of course not, you of all people should know that I can’t make people taller.” She didn’t know whether it was because he didn’t know about it or he had just asked her another stupid question. “If I could make people taller I would have used it to make money years ago. I had to politely decline her and tell her to be happy with her height and to accept the person that she is.”

  And how did that go?”

  “Pretty well I think. She was a little down about it but she seemed to get over it pretty well. We picked a few apples and she’s promised to bake an apple pie for us to try.” She truly thought that everything was well and the truth was everything did seem to be fine. “Have you seen Lord Tyrone?”

  “No not really. Just been in here waiting for you to come back. A couple of the servants brought me some food but other than that I haven’t seen anyone else. Just been looking over the map and making sure that my armour is still in tip top shape. Since I’m a knight now there are certain things that I have to keep standard.”

  “When are we carrying on?” She somewhat dreaded the question because she didn’t particularly want to go walking around during a downpour like this. Even she wasn’t immune to catching a cold.

  “I don’t particularly want to leave during this weather so I’ll ask Lord Tyrone if we can stay for one more night. We should leave next morning no matter the weather so it doesn’t seem like we’re taking advantage of his hospitality. Since we’re not high borns he is more than right to kick us out if he so pleases. Most likely he wouldn’t but believe me the last thing I want to do is upset him.”

  “I understand Tucker.” She truly did since she knew that he owed Lord Tyrone more than he could ever hope to repay. She was feeling hungry though since she hadn’t really eaten before leaving and she could feel her stomach growling. She was happy to see that Sir Tucker had kept some food aside for her just in case.

  For the next several hours the pair did some planning for the next stage of their quest. They were not too far away from the final trial and then it would be onto Three Man’s Treasure itself. Sir Tucker imagined that he would be swimming in more gold than even the King of Angleland owned. Of course he was going to give Jessica a decent share but she had never been all that bothered with the actual treasure. She just wanted a bit of money to be able to live comfortably and her main reason for the quest was simply to ensure that Sir Tucker was not in over his head.

  The pair were even given a couple of meals but rather than dining with the Howlets they instead ate with the servants. This was no disrespect from Lord Tyrone but simply because while he dined with his with his son and daughter he wanted to speak to them about private family matters which he didn’t want anyone else to hear.

  Soon after Sir Tucker and Jessica retired to their chamber and got themselves and early night since they had to be up bright and early the next morning. The rain had thankfully subsided and both of them hoped that it would be a bright day in the morning but for them there was no way to be sure of this. They just had to hope that luck was on their side as it had been on a few occasions.

  Deep into the night everything seemed to be still in Sir Tucker and Jessica’s room. They were in bed with one another and once again her long arms wrapped around Sir Tucker and she held him close to her body. She might not have wanted to do it willingly but it was more of subconscious need. For now everything seemed to be peaceful and it seemed like nothing would change that.

  There was one thing that did begin to happen. Over on Sir Tucker’s armour the microscopic figure of Gwen began to increase her size up until the point that she could be seen by the naked eye. She did remain small for the moment and climbed down from the armour and onto the ground in the room. Quickly she made her way underneath the door and into the corridor beyond. It was only then that she further increased her size until she was deemed to be a relatively normal size.

  Previously when Gwen had come out of hiding it had been because she had the need for sex. This time was different however as there was something else that was on her mind. She carefully made her way through the corridors of the castle and was more than able to keep one step of any patrolling guards that she came across. She could shrink herself out of sight if need be but eventually she came to a particular room in the castle and carefully she made her way inside.

  Inside the room it was complete darkness but this was no problem for Gwen who could easily see in the dark without problem. She had shrunk herself to creep under the door and as soon as she was on the other side she grew until she was around six foot in height. She wasn’t alone in this room either as there was someone else in there who at that moment in time was fast asleep.

  Gwen had a smile on her face as she approached the person and gave them a small tap on the arm to wake them up. At first the person didn’t wake up so she continued to poke until the person began to moan as they woke up. The person had been expecting it to be morning but they were surprised to discover that it was still the dead of night. They slowly sat up from there bed and in the darkness they could just about make out the figure of someone leaning down near the bed.

  “Whose there?” asked the person who had a female voice. She was on the verge of calling out for a guard since there was an intruder inside the room.

  “You don’t need to be afraid,” replied Gwen. She just clicked her fingers and a few of the candles around the room suddenly lit up and it helped light things up enough for her to see the person. The person in the bed was none other than Nancy who after being suddenly awoken was not in the best of appearances. “My name is Gwen and I’m the Mistress Of Size.”

  “The what?” She was in some confusion and she hadn’t even fully registered that Gwen had even lit the candles simply by clicking her fingers.

  “Mistress Of Size.” The smile only grew on her face as she was proud of the title that she had given herself but the truth was there was no one in existence who had the same control over her size as her. “I can literally be any size I want to be, I’ve seen monstrous creatures that are so small that millions of them could be in your bed right now. I’ve also been able to move mountains as if they were pebbles and yet this is far from the limits of my abilities.” It was true as even she had not yet discovered the limits of her size changing capabilities. If anything she didn’t have a limit.

  “That’s insane.” Nancy didn’t really believe her since she didn’t think that any of that could be true. She was more awake now than she was before and her wits were returning to her at an even faster pace. “No one has that kind of power.”

  “I see that a demonstration is needed.” Slowly Gwen began to shrink herself right in front of Nancy who watched in amazement. At the start of the day she had seen a woman growing to giant size but now she was watching the opposite happen. She had to lean over when she saw Gwen shrinking smaller and smaller and when she looked at the ground she saw that the tiny woman was now only a few inches tall. “If you’re not convinced by that I can go the other way.” With that Gwen began to increase her size rapidly and Nancy had to move further from the edge of her bed as she watched her growing quickly. Soon enough she was back up to six feet tall but she didn’t stop there as she kept going and even when her head hit the ceiling she still continued to grow. She sat down on the ground and continued to grow until she had almost filled it up. She continued to smile down at Nancy who was mixed with both excitement and terror. “As you can see my claims are not fabricated, but if you doubt me again then we might come to a disagreement and believe me you don’t want that to happen.” She chuckled as she began to shrink herself and within moments she was back down to being around six foot in height.

  “That was amazing.” She couldn’t help but be greatly impressed with what she had just seen. “You’re just like Jessica.”

  “Hardly.” Gwen laughed at Nancy for her comment. It was not because she thought that it was funny but because she thought it was stupid. “My abilities far exceed that mortal’s in more ways than you can imagine. It is like comparing a stick to a bolt of lightning in terms of raw power.”

  “That’s amazing. But how did you get here?” There was a hint of fear in her voice as she still didn’t know why Gwen was even there. It also made her think that if Gwen got inside that other intruders might find a way in.

  “Well I heard that you wanted to be taller and from the looks of you I can see why. You’re small for a mortal and since you’re no longer growing you seemed to be doomed of a life of being forever short. What if I told you that I could change that?”

  “You could make me taller?” There was surprise in her voice but there was also a hint of excitement. Jessica had not been able to make Nancy taller but she thought that Gwen could possibly do that.

  “Of course I could, I am after all the Mistress of Size. But I won’t be giving it to you for free of course. I want something in return.”

  “Name it and my father will make sure that it is yours.” She knew that her father could give Gwen almost anything she wanted and she thought that any price was not high enough to give her those extra few inches.

  “Well the thing is that I’m not sure exactly what I want so basically I’m going to come back later when I’ve thought of a way that you can repay me. It might be today, it might be tomorrow, it might even be forty years from now but one I will return for my payment. Do you agree to these terms?”

  “I-I.” Nancy wasn’t sure that she could agree to this. She had no idea exactly what she was going to be selling to be taller. However this was a chance that she couldn’t pass up and she had to take the risk. “I agree.”

  “Good now I just need you to relax.” Gwen’s smile was still there as she knew that she would be having another mortal in her pocket.

  Nancy did as she was told as she began to relax. She gave out a sigh just as she felt Gwen’s thumb come into contact with her forehead. She wasn’t sure what exactly happened next but she definitely saw Gwen beginning to glow and Nancy could feel a strange sensation rocket through her body. All the sound around them seemed to completely fade away as the process continued but eventually the glow around began to subside. Gwen then took her thumb off of Nancy’s forehead and quickly she got out of bed. Much to her disappointment she seemed to have not grown at all. She looked at herself and there was definitely no change in height in the slightest.

  “I don’t feel any taller,” said Nancy as she continued to look at herself. She was beginning to think that she might have been conned. However there were still a few things that she couldn’t explain.

  “Well I did have it that it wouldn’t work straight away. In fact if anything it is working right now, I’ve just initiated a growth spurt in your body. In a few weeks’ time you’ll notice the change and you will continue to grow. Eventually you’ll be taller than your family, taller than everyone in the castle and one day you’ll even be taller than the tallest man in Angleland and yet you will continue to grow.” She chuckled a little before turning around to walk out. “I’ll be seeing you at some point in your future. Exactly when I haven’t decided yet but this isn’t the last you’ll see of me.” She went to step out of the door but she heard Nancy call out to her, by then the smaller woman was sitting back down on her bed and was a little unsure of the situation.

  “When will the growth spurt stop?” asked Nancy with a combination of excitement and fear in her voice.

  “It won’t.”

  With that Gwen shrank herself and went underneath the door and went out the other side. Nancy was left to sit there but more or less as soon as Gwen left all the candles that had been lit suddenly faded away. She was left alone with her thoughts as she couldn’t believe what had just happened. It felt insane to her that she might never stop growing, she wondered if she would be as tall as Jessica or that her growth would be so slow that it would take her numerous years to grow a foot.

  For now there wasn’t much that Nancy could do but go back into bed and try to go back to sleep. If Gwen said was true she was looking forward to being taller than her brothers. Sir Ty couldn’t make fun of her for being small and she thought that she might be able to push him around. She would stay conservative with her height in other areas as she saw Jessica had the power to destroy practically anything she wanted but chose not to. She wanted to be like her in many ways.

  Nancy didn’t realise just how truly tired she was as she went back into bed and slowly she drifted off back to sleep while outside her room Gwen was making her way through the corridors again. She still wanted to have some fun before she shrank back to microscopic size and hid on Sir Tucker’s armour. She had been excited when he had been taking part in the tournament but she had been bored since then.

  A couple of times Gwen had even shrunk below being microscopic and interacted with the monstrous creatures that she claimed to have seen and even went down below them until everything was made up of spheres which were compacted to one another. It was something that no human had ever seen and she even considered shrinking down below that to see what was beyond these spheres but she was willing to leave that as an adventure for another day. Now she wanted a more human interaction and she just had to find someone who was awake and looking for a bit of fun.

  Gwen didn’t really hide herself this time as she didn’t have a fixed goal like she did when it came to searching for Nancy. She was sure that there would be a few guards patrolling around and it wouldn’t be long before she found one. She just couldn’t stop thinking about what she might do if she found a guard. Sex was not on the forefront of her mind this time and instead she wanted to have a bit more fun.

  It only took a few minutes for Gwen to run across someone else but rather than it being a guard it was instead one of the maids who was just running a few errands so that things could go smoothly in the morning. She was carrying what seemed to be a large basket filled with sheets and a few other items of clothing. She was an average woman and although she wasn’t the prettiest she wasn’t what a person could consider to be ugly either. She had long red hairs and green eyes along with some freckles. In the darkness of the corridors the woman couldn’t see Gwen at all but the demi-goddess was more than capable of seeing her.

  The woman was just about to go through a door when she saw the figure of Gwen approaching her. At first she thought that she was just another guard but when she came out of the shadows she could see that Gwen was no guard. She couldn’t help but admit to herself that Gwen was probably the best looking woman she had ever seen but it didn’t mean that her sudden appearance hadn’t caught her by surprise.

  “W-who are you?” asked the woman with some fear in her voice. By then she had dropped the basket that she had been carrying but it didn’t make too much of a sound when it impacted the ground. “You shouldn’t be here.” She went to call out for a guard but the next thing that she felt was Gwen put a single finger on her mouth. It was probably one of the oddest things that she had ever felt.

  “Shush now we don’t want to attract any unwanted attention,” replied Gwen. Her reassuring face made the woman feel that there wasn’t anything particularly wrong. “My name is Gwen and tonight is the first night of the rest of your life.” Normally Gwen would probably want to learn the woman’s name but the truth was that she didn’t really care. “I think that you need a little bit more fun in your life don’t you think?”

  “What are you talking about?” She was beginning to show some fear again but Gwen still remained as calm and collective as ever.

  “What if I told you that I could show you a world that no man can even imagine? Places so small that many wouldn’t even consider its existence. I can see in your eyes that you are bored with your life, bored with having to do this menial tasks every single day and the Lord not even saying thank you. I can show you something exciting that you will remember for the rest of your days.”

  “How can you possibly do that?” She didn’t believe that Gwen could do something like that. She had no idea the power that Gwen wielded and if anything she might be making one of the biggest mistakes of her life. “No one has that kind of power.”

  “Indeed they don’t but I’m not just anyone.” She increased her height until she was seven feet tall and now towered above the woman. This shocked the woman as the last thing she expected to see was Gwen suddenly growing like that. “As you can see I wield power that no mortal could ever hope to achieve.”

  “How are you doing that?” She was trying to think of a rational explanation for what she had just seen but there was no explanation for Gwen’s abilities. It was simply something that was beyond her comprehension.

  “Simple I am something that is far above humans. What you call extraordinary I simply call the norm. What you find fantastic I find it boring. I am the Mistress of Size and tonight you’re going to have a little fun with me.”

  With that Gwen grabbed the woman’s hand and quickly the two of them began to shrink rapidly. It was a sensation that Gwen had experienced more times than she could be bothered to count but for the woman it was something that was completely alien to her. She watched in fear as the world around her grew rapidly at a rate which completely blew her mind wide open.

  It was only a matter of seconds before both women were a few inches tall but Gwen continued to shrink them both. They were impossible to see in the darkness but as the seconds went by both women continued to shrink smaller and smaller and eventually they couldn’t even be seen by the naked eye.

  By this point the woman had closed her eyes and had tried not to panic as she felt the sensation constantly running through her body. For Gwen it was more fun than anything else for her to shrink herself and this woman along with her. She knew that it wouldn’t be long until they were at the size that she wanted them.

  Eventually the woman felt the strange sensation subside from her body and she was in a state of absolute fear. What she had just experienced was something that no other human had ever felt but rather than being honoured about this she was instead in a state of absolute fear that she would probably never fully recover from.

  “Isn’t this a magnificent sight?” asked Gwen as she looked at the world around her. She then looked at the woman and realised that her eyes were still closed. She laughed a little before smiling again. “You won’t see anything if you have your eyes closed silly. Open them and behold the wonder around you.”

  Slowly the woman began to open her eyes and she saw a sight which was beyond her own comprehension. The world around her looked like an endless stretch of almost nothingness. She looked up to the sky and it was black above her and she saw what seemed be large boulders around her. She had no idea that these were in fact dust particles which were now as large as her. The ground was brown and stretched out in every direction with no end in sight. The ground even felt slightly uneven as they were so small that they could feel the minute changes in the ground’s depth.

  “W-what is this place?” asked the woman with some fear in her voice. This was a world that she never imagined that she would see. It was something that brought her great terror and all she wanted was to return to her normal size. “Where are we?”

  “We’re still in the castle silly,” replied Gwen with a chuckle. To her it was all a game and the woman’s reaction was making all this worthwhile. “We’re just so small that no one can see us anymore.”

  “That’s impossible.” Despite everything that had happened she was in denial that anything had happened. “I’ve fallen asleep on the job again and this is some kind of dream that the gods have sent to punish me.”

  “This isn’t a dream.” She quickly grabbed the woman’s hand. Despite the fact that they were both small Gwen was still much taller than the woman. They kept the same proportions as they did before they shrank. “Now let me show you some of the fun you can have at this size.”

  Gwen quickly began to move forwards and she more than had the strength to pull the woman along with her. At first she wanted to stop exactly where she was but the woman knew that she couldn’t resist Gwen and that she was her only way of returning to her normal size. It was still very odd for her to be walking around at this size, she had walked this corridor more times than she could count but this was the first time she had done it at this scale. She couldn’t help but look in amazement at everything around her. She could see the odd item on the ground as she moved which could barely be noticeable by anyone walking passed. There was even a pebble which was nearby but to her it was bigger than any building in Angleland.

  Both Gwen and the woman moved for several minutes and the woman was beginning to get a little tired but Gwen didn’t know what fatigue was. One of the benefits of her demi-goddess status was that she never got tired. She could hear the woman panting and for a moment she stopped and turned to her. They had been moving at a somewhat fast pace which had seriously tired the woman out.

  “Hey what’s up?” asked Gwen. She looked at her in some amount of confusion. “Why are you making that noise?”

  “I’m tired and we’ve been running for what must have been a mile,” replied the woman as she continued to try and catch her breath. What had seemed to be a mile wasn’t more than a couple of inches to a normal sized person.

  “Tired?” Gwen looked blankly at her for a few moments before she finally realised what she was talking about. “Oh yeah mortals need to rest, little things like that slip my mind sometimes.” She giggled at herself as she thought that it was comical that normal people needed to rest. “And I just realised something.”

  “What’s that?” There was a hint of hesitation in her voice as she thought that she probably wouldn’t like the answer.

  “This is boring. I thought it was fun being this size but there’s just large expanses of nothingness everywhere you go. I think that we’re still too big to have any real fun.” She looked over to the woman with a smile still on her face. “Let me shrink us even smaller so that we can have some real fun.”

  “No please I want to be big again,” replied the woman with fear in her voice. She was still terrified about her lack of size and wanted more than anything to be back up to her full size so that she could be seen again.

  “What are you talking about? You have no concept on being big.” This was true since the woman had never been truly a giant like Gwen or Jessica. In fact Gwen didn’t even think that Jessica truly knew what it was like to be big. Not at the level that she could and it was something else that she felt was comical.

  “I just want to be my old size again. It’s terrifying walking around knowing that someone could easily crush you and not even know that they’ve done it. I still have a lot of work to do before dawn and I just want to get out of this place. The world at this scale is a really scary place.”

  “What are you talking about?” Gwen had no true recollection of what danger was. She was an immortal and thus couldn’t be harmed. She didn’t understand fear or mortality, it was as alien to her as a long desert to a penguin. “I can still shrink us even further and we can see creatures you couldn’t imagine.”

  “Aren’t you listening to me?” There was the slightest hint of anger in her voice which Gwen was able to pick up. “I don’t want to get any smaller, I want to be big again and carry on with the work I was doing.”

  “But why would you want to do that?” She still couldn’t figure out just what the woman’s problem was. “This is much more fun.”

  “You can’t just do this to people.” She was taken a firm stance since she thought that it would be the only way to get through to Gwen. “You can’t shrink a person down against their permission and then more or less refuse to make them normal again. I don’t care if you’re some kind of goddess or not you make me big again this instant.” Her tone was angrier than it had been before and Gwen was almost stunned. She had never had a mortal talk to her in this manner before and she didn’t know what she was going to do about it. For a few moments she remained in silence.

  The woman stood there after she had finished speaking and she was waiting to see what Gwen did next. It was only then that she thought that she might have said the wrong thing. Angering the only person who could restore a person to their normal state was not the best of ideas. This was when the woman felt her heart rate increasing as her nervousness began to peak. She watched as Gwen took a couple of steps towards her and she seemed to have an angry expression on her face. This was when the woman thought that she was doomed but instead of an angry outburst the demi-goddess began to laugh as if she had just heard the funniest joke in Angleland.

  “Oh my,” said Gwen as she continued to laugh. Her laughter was very loud but at her miniscule size no one would be able to hear her. “You’ve got guts I’ll give you that much.” She continued to laugh and the woman didn’t know if she was actually doomed or had just saved herself. “You’re one of the few mortals who have spoken to me like that and I’ll tell you bad things normally happen to them, but I like you. You’re definitely more fun than most of the mortals I’ve met.”

  “So what are you going to do?” replied the woman who still was unsure with what was about to happen.

  “Oh you’ll see.”

  Gwen then placed her hand on the woman’s shoulder and both women began to grow in size. It was slow at first but it began to become faster and faster with each passing moment. The woman felt a large sense of relief as she grew in size, she was looking forward to be back to her original size and finally out of that micro world so to speak.

  The growth continued for several seconds until both women were up to what seemed to be a normal size. The woman was able to look at herself in the low light and she seemed to be happy with the fact that she was normal once again. There was one thing that she hadn’t noticed as of yet.

  Despite the fact that Gwen had admitted that the woman had courage she still wanted to punish her for her outburst. For this Gwen had purposely made the woman three inches shorter than she was before. It might have seemed to be a harsh punishment but considering that Gwen could have left her at microscopic size being three inches shorter didn’t seem to be such a bad thing.

  “That was fun,” said Gwen. “Maybe a little short but still fun nonetheless, I’ll have to come back here at some point and see you again. You should see what it’s like to have clouds your hair.”

  “No I’m fine thank you,” replied the woman. She really didn’t want to be a giant and being able to reach the clouds was a level that she never dared imagine. “I’m fine at this height thank you very much.”

  “Suit yourself.” She chuckled a little and she looked down at the woman. She still towered above her and she found this to simply be the best course of action. “I’ll be seeing you later then, be sure not to get into any trouble.”

  With that Gwen began to walk away with a spring in her step. The woman just watched her in amazement and she even questioned whether what had just happened was indeed reality. She felt that it was so fantastical that if she told anyone they would think that she was crazy. She thought that it was best to keep this to herself for now and maybe some years later tell people what had happened.

  The basket that the woman had been carrying was close by and she picked it up but one thing that she noticed was that it was slightly bigger than she remembered. It wasn’t by much and she didn’t notice too much, she did go towards the nearby door and discovered that the handle was actually slightly higher than she remembered. It didn’t take her long to realise that she was not all the way up to her full height. She was shorter than she should be and she was left completely speechless.

  Not far away Gwen was still walking through the corridor and although she was much taller than the average person she didn’t seem to mind this. She just continued to walk as she returned to the room that was occupied by the still sleeping Sir Tucker and Jessica. Rather than shrinking to go under the door Gwen decided to walk through it at her current size but she had to duck her head to get under the door and she looked at the sleeping couple for a few moments.

  Gwen knew that they had been a couple but she had more or less broken them up simply so that she could pleasure herself. She found it fun to be able to do this to mortals but there was one odd feeling that she did feel. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. It was something that she had never felt before and it wasn’t a feeling that she particularly liked.

  Eventually Gwen began to step towards Sir Tucker’s light armour that was on the ground and with each step she took she shrank herself. By the time she reached it she was able to climb onto the right spot that she wanted and she shrank herself until she was completely out of sight.

  Gwen didn’t particularly like hiding away like this but she felt that if she interfered too much she would ruin her fun on this quest. So far she had seen more exciting things than she could have ever hoped to have seen on the higher plains. As far as she was concerned she never wanted to return there and instead remain in the mortal realm where marvels took place every day. To a god or demi-god they barely had any worries since they were immortal while for a mortal their days were numbered. They had the fear of death constantly hanging over them and this allowed them to be able to live lives that Gwen considered to be fun and most importantly exciting.

  She wished to have the best of both worlds where she could live amongst mortals and yet keep her god like abilities. Being able to literally be any size she chose was something that she would never even consider giving up.

  For now Gwen just wanted to see the end of this quest and then she wasn’t sure exactly what she would do after that. She doubted that she would remain with Sir Tucker and Jessica, instead she would find someone else who would give her the excitement she craved but that was a thought for another day.

  The next morning Sir Tucker and Jessica were ready to leave Indigon and make their way to the third trial. They might not have gotten the gold that they had originally wanted but they had gained things that they felt were much more important. Sir Tucker had earned his knighthood and Jessica had made a friend. The memories that they had gained from here would remain with them for the rest of their lives.

  Lord Tyrone had decided to see the pair off and Nancy wanted to join him as well. She didn’t know whether she would ever see Jessica again. If this were to be the last time she saw her giant friend she wanted this moment to be special. They were just outside of the main entrance to the castle where there were some guards also standing there to make sure that the Howlets were protected. Sir Ty had not joined them as he felt that he still needed to train so that his skills were up to scratch.

  The morning was a fairly warm one although the ground was still a little wet after the day of rain that took place the previous day. The weather was still much better however and Jessica was more than happy to travel in it. There were a few clouds but nothing that looked remotely like rain.

  “It is unfortunate to see you leave but you still have much ahead of you,” said Lord Tyrone. “All I can do is wish you the best of luck.”

  “And I thank you my lord for all you have done for us,” replied Sir Tucker as he and Jessica gave a small bow to Lord Tyrone and his daughter. It was just one way to show them their thanks.

  “Before you leave I do have one more gift to give you.” Just then a guard stepped forwards and he carried what seemed to be a large blue piece of cloth. He took it out of the guard’s arms and held it up for all to see, it featured a white sigil of what could only be described as a majestic horse with a mighty warrior on its back. The warrior was clad from head to toe in armour and had a sword that he was thrusting up into the air. “This cloak features the sigil for my house and while you wear this everyone will know that you are a friend of mine. It might even allow you to have a little leeway with a few people but it will not allow you to be immune from danger.”

  “I will wear it with pride my lord.” With much thanks he took the cloak off of Lord Tyrone and then fitted it onto his back. He removed the red cloak which was already there but there was nothing special about it so he wouldn’t be missing it.

  “And I must bid farewell to you as well Jessica,” said Nancy as she looked up to Jessica who for now had been silent. “I will never forget the day that we shared yesterday.” She still couldn’t believe that she had actually been in Jessica’s hand at full size as it was a sight that very few people had seen.

  “I will never forget you either my lady,” replied Jessica. “You were never afraid of me, even when I was at my largest and that means more to me than you can imagine.” The two women embraced in a hug and it was funny for everyone watching seeing a short girl like Nancy hugging someone of Jessica’s stature.

  “I hope that we see each other again.”

  “Sure we will.” She didn’t know that for certainty but it wouldn’t hurt to make this little promise. “After my quest has finished I’ll come back and you can show me how to grow those beautiful flowers.”

  “I’d like that.” She wanted more than ever to tell Jessica what had happened the previous night but she was still unsure of whether it was real or just a dream. It all sounded too crazy to be real and she just thought that it was a really vivid dream that had just felt real. Either way she thought it best to stay quiet about it.

  With that Sir Tucker and Jessica said their last goodbyes to Lord Tyrone and Nancy and they began to walk away. For now Jessica was remaining at her smallest size and would only grow to her full size once they had left Indigon. It felt funny to Sir Tucker that when he entered Indigon he had simply been a Mister Tucker Martel, now he was Sir Tucker Martel and he was still finding it odd. A part of him still believed that he was in some kind of dream and that at any moment he would wake up. If this truly was a dream he wanted to enjoy it for as long as he could.

  Almost as soon as the pair was sure that they were clear of Indigon Jessica wasted no time in growing to her full size and placing Sir Tucker on her shoulder. She still felt more at peace at this size than she did when she was smaller. She felt more free and she enjoyed feeling the cool morning breeze blowing in her face. She did turn her head to look at Sir Tucker who was taking a look at the map.

  “Ok Tucker which way do I go?” asked Jessica. She couldn’t fully remember which direction she had to walk and the last thing she wanted was to walk for miles and miles in the wrong direction.

  “Let me take a quick gander,” replied Tucker as he looked at the map. He could see that it was still indicating that they needed to go near Calf Heath which was to the east of their current location. Since it was early morning the sun was still in the East so that was their best indication of direction. “We need to head east for what looks to be a couple of hundred miles.”

  “A couple of hundred?” She didn’t mind too much about the walking it was just that they had been so far and yet they still had a long way to go before the quest was done. “Maybe you should walk and you carry me instead?”

  “You know I would be more than happy to do that but well with my back and everything. You know the rest.” This was a little joke between the pair as they both knew the true reason why Tucker couldn’t carry her.

  “In that case I’ll walk you there but if you complain in any way you’ll be travelling in my pocket.”

  With that Jessica took her first steps east and she knew that even at her size it would take a day or two to fully trek the distance. That was at least one advantage to her size but there were many more that went along with it as well. But as she walked there was something that she noticed with Sir Tucker. He seemed to be sitting there with a large smile on his face and he was even humming to himself. It was not hard for her to hear since he was sitting right next to her enormous ear.

  “What are you so smug about?” asked Jessica as she continued to walk. She wanted to look at Sir Tucker but she kept her eyes on where she was going. The last thing she wanted was to trip over something.

  “Oh nothing really,” replied Sir Tucker with a smile still on his face. “Maybe it’s because we’re one step closer towards getting Three Man’s Treasure.” He paused for a moment so that she could take this information in but she didn’t seemed to be all that bothered. Not like him anyway.

  “How long are you going to be like this?”

  “Oh until we get the treasure and then I’ll be jumping around with joy and you’ll probably think I’ve gone mad.”

  “I don’t need to think that.” She already knew the answer and she wondered if he would get her joke but right now it seemed to have gone over his head as he was still in his celebratory mood. “Any I don’t think you should be so happy right now, we’ve still got one more trial and someone might have beaten us to the treasure already.”

  “I seriously doubt it, the treasure has been lost for centuries and if someone had found it we would have heard about it by now. Besides I think we would have had some indication that it was found.”

  Jessica wanted to believe him but she couldn’t help but feel that they might have already been too late. Either way she knew that Sir Tucker would just want to keep going until he knew for sure. In his mind there was still an enormous pile of treasure just waiting for him to find and claim for his own. He had achieved part of his overall goal by earning a knighthood but before the treasure is found he would feel that he still had much more to do. The quest was far from over.

  For the next couple of days Jessica made the long trip from Indigon to near Calf Heath. The terrain was worse than she expected since it was a very hilly area and so she had to take extra care with walking up and down the hills constantly. There were many hills that were taller than her and unfortunately it would take too long to go around the hills so she had to climb up and down them.

  A few times she would see some sheep and it would remind her of her farm and she was surprised to see that they were standing on the side of hills without much difficulty. She was sure that a normal person would have to put in some effort in staying in their position but the sheep made it look like it was easy.

  A few of the sheep did begin to move away with some pace as they saw the gigantic figure of Jessica approaching them. They didn’t know that they didn’t have to fear her but this was something that they simply didn’t know. There was one little lamb that did fall behind from the fleeing flocks and rather than leaving it by itself Jessica picked it up carefully and took it to where the other sheep had fled. The lamb had seemed to be really tiny in her hand and everything inside her brain was telling her to keep it. But she knew that she had to return it to the flock so that it could be back with its parents. It didn’t hurt though to give the sheep a quick stroke.

  Returning the lamb did make Jessica feel happier as she continued on her way. For Sir Tucker he felt that it had been somewhat a waste of time but he wasn’t going to argue with her over it. He knew that there wasn’t anything he could really do to stop her but he did agree with what she was doing. It just showed the heart that his best friend had and the fact that she would never turn her back on anything that needed help. It was one thing that he admired about her and it was something that was overlooked by many people who saw her. To them she was just some big monster who would love nothing more than to destroy everything in sight. They didn’t know her true heart and showed that she wasn’t a monster but a human being.

  After a full day of walking even Jessica grew tired and so she stopped to rest for the night while Sir Tucker was still full of energy due to the fact that he had not walked anywhere that day. He did help pick some fruit from nearby trees for her to eat. Rather than for her assistance for that he had decided to do it himself simply so he could show her that he was capable of getting food by himself.

  Sir Tucker even went and found some mushrooms but this time he was careful not to pick the same mushroom that had sent him on his little trip. He still couldn’t fully remember what happened but he knew that Jessica would be extremely unhappy with him if he ate it again. Worse if she ate the mushroom it could send her completely loopy and for someone with her abilities that was a very bad idea.

  Due to Jessica’s fatigue all she did was sit down and rest as the constant climbing up and down hills had really tired her out. One thing she couldn’t complain about was not getting enough exercise. One thing that she did really want to do was to take a bath but as of yet they hadn’t found a large body of water yet for her to bathe in. When she was in Morgan she ensured that she bathed herself regular but on this quest she hadn’t been able to do that although she did bathe practically every opportunity she could. The last thing she wanted to happen was for her to smell, it really wasn’t lady like.

  One thing that Jessica did see in the sky above her was the moon. She remembered staring at it almost every night when she was living on her farm. It was almost a full moon but it wasn’t quite there yet. It would only be a couple of days before the moon was full and she thought it looked peaceful in the sky.

  “You alright?” asked Sir Tucker as he approached her with a bag filled with fruits that he had been picking along with some mushrooms. Jessica had been lying on the ground and she hadn’t noticed him approach her.

  “Yeah I was just looking up into the sky,” replied Jessica. She was comfortable where she was lying but she did sit up so that she was able to eat. “What’s in the bag good sir knight?” She knew that he liked it when she called him a knight and she wanted to make him that little bit happier.

  “Well I got you a few things.” He knelt down right next to her and began to rummage through the bag. Jessica sat there with anticipation as he took out some fruit. “I found some nice apples and believe me I checked them over before I took them. The last thing we need is for you to be sick.”

  “They look yummy.” They were not the best apples that she had ever seen but she was being polite to Sir Tucker for his efforts.

  “And I got you these mushrooms.” He took them out and showed them to her. “I picked the ones that you said so hopefully you won’t experience what I felt last week.” He was still feeling some of the effects of the trip even now but he wasn’t sure if this would stay with him for the rest of his days.

  “Thanks.” She did picked up the mushroom and looked at it herself. She just wanted to be sure that it was the right one first before eating it. She trusted Sir Tucker but she wanted to check for herself first. “And what are you going to eat?”

  “The spirit of adventure is all the food I need right now.” He stood up and struck a pose to make him seem heroic but she just looked at him blankly. She wasn’t too impressed with him.

  “Even knights need food and you haven’t eaten since yesterday. I think there’s more than enough food for you here.”

  “I don’t need food.” He was trying to be defiant but he saw Jessica staring at him with her arms crossed and he knew that it was an argument that he wasn’t going to win. “But a small bite would be great right now.”

  With that Sir Tucker sat by Jessica and they began to eat the fruit that he had picked. The fruit was not the best they had tasted but it was certainly enough to satisfy the hunger that they had. They even shared the mushrooms and Sir Tucker was somewhat afraid that they might be poisonous despite the fact that Jessica had checked it. He took a bite out of one of them with some caution and although he wasn’t too fond with the taste of mushroom it was still food.

  Within a couple of minutes all the food was gone and both of them ate their fill. Both Sir Tucker and Jessica lay besides on another and looked up into the sky. It was a clear night so the stars were out in full and it was definitely a pleasant sight for both of them to see. The stars lit the night sky along with the near full moon.

  “Why don’t we play a little game that we used to play as children?” asked Jessica as she looked up into the sky.

  “Which one?” replied Sir Tucker. They had played many games together as a child so it was hard for him to remember exactly which one she was talking about.

  “When we looked up into the night sky and tried to make pictures out of the stars.” She smiled although she didn’t look over to Sir Tucker. “We haven’t played that game for so many years.”

  “We can do, but you were always better than me.” It was true that almost every time that they played the game she would be able to make out better images than he could. But it had been some time since then and he felt that he had a chance of victory so he didn’t mind. Also it was just a harmless game.

  For the next several minutes both of them just looked up into the sky and stared at the stars. Both of them were trying to make the most interesting pictures out of the stars above them. It didn’t seem to be too difficult for Jessica as she continued to make the pictures as if she could see the lines drawn between the stars. Sir Tucker was having a little bit more of a difficult time as to him most of the stars seemed to be just a bunch of bright lights in the sky. He was good at a few things but this didn’t seem to be one of them.

  For both Sir Tucker and Jessica they began to forget about their quest and everything else that mattered to them. They felt like they were children again playing an innocent game, it reminded them of a simpler time of their lives. A part of their lives that was now behind them and they would never achieve again. It was something that was so beautiful and yet so sad when they thought about it.

  “What do you see?” asked Jessica as she continued to look up to the sky. She still couldn’t see Sir Tucker but she knew that he was there.

  “I see a penis,” replied Sir Tucker. It was probably the only thing he could make out from the stars and he heard Jessica scoff at him.

  “Tucker don’t be rude.” She didn’t sound to be too impressed with him but he felt that he should explain himself.

  “No I’m serious look its right over there.” He pointed towards a cluster of stars that were to Jessica’s right. She could see his hand and she saw it move as he indicated just how the cluster of stars looked like a penis. She thought that he was being immature but she could see the resemblance. Either way she wasn’t going to stoop that low to make pictures, she felt that she was beyond that. “What did you find?”

  “I see a man and woman holding hands.” There was some confidence in her voice as she pointed towards the cluster of stars that she was talking about. “Look the man is on the left and the woman is on the right.”

  “Just looks like a random bunch of stars to me.” He couldn’t really see what she was talking about but he didn’t deny that it was there.”

  “You’re not looking at it properly.” She grabbed onto his nearby wrist and he did extend his finger for her. She then moved his hand so that it drew out the couple holding hands in the sky. “Can you see it now?”

  “Oh yeah.” It was something that was hard for him to make out but as Jessica was showing him he could actually make out the couple that she was talking about. It was something that he never what have been able to do by himself. “Maybe one day we’ll be like that again, it was nice while it lasted.”

  “Maybe.” She still thought about how Sir Tucker cheated on her with Gwen but his reasoning for it was understandable and in a way she couldn’t condemn his actions. Despite this she still felt pain from it but it seemed to be lessening with each passing day. “It would have been nice to have the family I mentioned.”

  “What did you say, one kid?” He knew how many she had originally mentioned but he hoped that she had forgotten.

  “It was a dozen kids Tucker.” She had been bought up as an only child and it was one of her reasons for wanting a big family. “Boys to become mighty warriors and girls to become strong but pretty adventurers.” She didn’t particular want her girls to be simple housewives unless it was what they wished.

  “You sure you can handle that many kids?” He knew a few big families but he didn’t know any that had that many children.

  “Sure I can, I have a big heart and there is more than enough of it to be shared by twelve children.” She wanted to hold onto this little fantasy for a little longer. She thought that many people would think that she was being silly but it was her dream and she was going to do everything within reason to make it happen.

  “I can believe that.” He knew more than most about Jessica’s heart as she was still able to be his best friend despite what had happened. On more than one occasion she could have gone back to Morgan but she didn’t. She had a lot more patience than most people and for that he was thankful. “Hey I think I see something else in the sky.” He had still been looking up into the sky and he could see a cluster of stars that caught his eye.

  “What is it?” There was anticipation in her voice although she thought that he had just picked out something immature again.

  “I can see a sword.” He pointed towards the cluster of stars that Jessica could see. She didn’t need his help to draw out the image and she was surprised that he was able to spot that. “Can you see it?”

  “Yeah I can, that’s actually a good one.” A small smile appeared on her face as she was genuinely enjoying herself. “Maybe you’re not so bad at this game after all. “ She even giggled a little at him which he did find somewhat humorous.

  “I’m definitely more skilled with a sword.” He did turn his head to look at Jessica. “Did you want to practice before we go to sleep?”

  “No thank you, I’m completely beat. Walking up and down hills all day is really tiring no matter how big you are.” She gave a big yawn and she didn’t realise just how tired she really was. She feel that she didn’t even have the energy of getting up at all. “Speaking of being tired I think I might just go to sleep now.”

  “Ok, I think I’ll practice by myself for a little while. I’ll make sure that you can sleep without worrying about wolves.” He quickly got up to his feet. “I Sir Tucker Martel swear it.”

  “That’s fine good sir knight.” She wanted to humour him somewhat but she really did want to go to sleep. “Just don’t wake me up until I’m ready.”

  As Jessica began to drift to sleep Sir Tucker began to practice with his sword. For now he was leaving his shield to one side as he practiced his thrusts and even a couple of blocks against imaginary opponents. Each move he took was carefully planned as he would pretend to slash at an opponent or defend one of their attacks.

  Sir Tucker did make sure that he was a decent distance away from Jessica just in case he accidentally woke her up. He didn’t want to find out what happened when waking a sleeping giant. He had heard the expression a couple of times but he didn’t want to find out the literal meaning.

  With the moon being nearly full there was plenty of light for Sir Tucker to see with. Normally practicing at night would be somewhat difficult for him but with the moonlight it was easy for him to see. He could also see a few things around him like some of the birds flying through the air. He could hear the distant hooting of owls as they were on the hunt for small creatures.

  The animals around him didn’t seem to matter but the more that he practiced the more he began to feel tired. It was getting late into the night and even fatigue was getting the better of him. Eventually he placed Juggernaut back into its holder and he lay down right next to Jessica. Before he knew it he could feel her long arms wrap around him as if she instinctively knew that he was there. He knew long before now that there was no chance of him escaping and that he was going to be there for the rest of the night. He didn’t see her smiling though as he remained in her arms.

  It took a short amount of time after that for Sir Tucker to finally fall asleep and he was thankful that he was in the comfort of Jessica’s arms. His face was in her chest and it was softer than any pillow that he had ever lay down on. She hugged him tightly but not tight enough to force him not to breathe. It almost seemed that even when she was asleep she knew exactly how much strength to use in the situation. She was doing this on a subconscious level that went beyond being careful.

  As they slept the sounds of some of the animals seemed to change. The majority of them were the same in the peaceful night but there seemed to be the howls of wolves as well. They didn’t seemed to be the sound of regular wolves but rather people attempting to mimic the sound of wolves. If they had been awake they would have probably been cautious of the sound but since they were asleep they were none the wiser.

  By the next morning Jessica was the first to wake up and she discovered that Sir Tucker was in her arms. Rather than releasing him she decided that she would continue to hug him and she even smelled his hair. It was just a little something that made her feel closer to him and she was going to enjoy it as much as she could until he woke up. Having him in her arms made her feel complete in a way that she had never felt before.

  It was around another hour until Sir Tucker finally woke up and he saw that he was still in Jessica’s arms. He began to struggle somewhat and she pretended that she had just woken up. Slowly she released her grip on him and he was the first to get back up to his feet. He had expected to feel somewhat cramped after lying on the ground for so long but he felt nothing at all. This was somewhat surprising for him but it wasn’t something that he was going to really think about.

  There was still a small amount of fruit left from the previous night which became the pair’s breakfast. It was not entirely enough to fully satisfy Jessica’s hunger but she made sure that Sir Tucker was well fed. She did plan on picking some more fruit out of the trees as she walked passed them.

  One thing that Sir Tucker before he even considered carrying on to the third trial was to take another look at the map again. Like with the previous trial writing began to appear on the map like magic. Thankfully unlike before it was written in plain and easy to understand text which was huge relief for him. The previous occasion had annoyed him a lot but thankfully things seemed to be easier than they had been before.

  This time the writing on the map read ‘Congratulations for reaching this far, the only way to access the third and final test one must enter alone. No doubt you had aid beforehand but if two should enter the test both will be purged immediately. The best of luck to you.’ These words were harrowing to Sir Tucker. It meant that only one of them would go through the trial and it would be difficult for him to do it alone. He did consider having Jessica go down by himself but something inside of him told him that it should be him.

  What he felt was not simply male pride but the fear that if Jessica went in she would not leave. Her size changing abilities had more than helped her with practically every dangerous situation in her life but this would be different. If they were anything like the previous trials she wouldn’t have the room to properly grow and this would make her more vulnerable than she normally would be.

  “Are you ready to continue?” asked Jessica who had already grown to her full size. He hadn’t noticed her grow and the first instance that he realised was when her oversized hand came down right next to him.

  “Y-yeah sure,” replied Sir Tucker who had been in a world of his own. For now he wasn’t going to tell Jessica until they had gotten there. He knew that she would refuse to allow him to go down there by himself. All he did was step onto her hand and allow her to lift him up into the air at a slow and gentle pace.

  For the next several hours Jessica walked in the direction that Sir Tucker pointed out for her. For the first couple of hours she was once again having to constantly walk up and down hills which began to tire her out. Eventually the environment around them changed and the rolling hills gave way to flat lands which was a real relief for Jessica. For as long as she lived she hoped that she wouldn’t have to climb up or down any more hills.

  Sir Tucker was getting particularly excited about the next chapter as once it was complete they would discover the location of the treasure. He could imagine himself throwing money into the air and it would rain down like water. As of yet he hadn’t had the heart to tell Jessica that he would have to do the trial by himself. He thought that she would understand although he hadn’t gotten around to telling her yet.

  A couple of times over the day Jessica did stop to rest and grab a bite to eat. Each time they had to find their own food since they still lacked the funds to buy food. Sir Tucker might have earned his knighthood but it didn’t bring in any additional money at that moment in time. That was something that would be coming later but for now they had to make do with what little they had.

  Eventually Jessica reached a piece of land that looked very similar to what was on the map. Sir Tucker’s excitement seemed to peak as he knew that they were mere moments away from reaching the third trial. All they needed to do was find the entrance but Jessica could see the coastal town of Calf Heath just a few miles away. She would have liked to have gone there first but Sir Tucker was adamant that they completed the trial first. He had already been side-tracked enough and he wanted to get it out of the way so that they could finally go on their way to Three Men’s Treasure.

  Not too long after beginning their search the pair came across a large boulder that seemed to be out of place from the rest of the scenery. It was leaning against a large hill and from the looks of it there seemed to be something behind it. Jessica tried to move it at her full size but much to her surprise it wouldn’t budge. In comparison to her it was small and she had moved boulders much larger than it in the past with no problems. She did try a few more times before finally having to admit defeat, this was one of the few times that her mighty strength had failed her.

  Sir Tucker was standing on the ground and he looked at the boulder as Jessica tried to move it. He thought that he would have been able to move the boulder even slightly but this was not the case. It was as if the boulder was fused to the ground but it gave Sir Tucker an idea. This time it didn’t involve having to hit anything, he just waited for Jessica to shrink down to her minimum size and she stepped towards him.

  Sir Tucker took out the map from his satchel and he took a few steps towards the boulder. He placed the map upon the boulder and at first nothing seemed to happen. It had seemed that Sir Tucker’s idea had failed but there was a rumbling sound that immediately took place afterwards.

  Much to the surprise of the pair they saw the boulder begin to move as if it was being pushed by some kind of invisible hand. It was definitely a sight that was worth seeing as the enormous boulder slowly moved to one side revealing an entrance that went deep into the hillside. There was a huge smile on the face of Sir Tucker and he was eager to go inside but he knew that he would have to tell Jessica that he was the only one going inside. He just hoped that she would understand but he thought that she would given the circumstances of the trial.

  “Are you ready to go in Tucker?” asked Jessica who still wasn’t used to calling him Sir Tucker so she just stuck with Tucker.

  “I am but you can’t,” replied Sir Tucker as he rolled the map up and placed it back in his satchel.

  “What why?” She seemed to be somewhat angered over the fact that he was saying that she wasn’t going in with her.

  “I read on the map that only one person can go inside and complete the trial. If both of us went inside it would doom the both of us. I know that you’ve helped me considerably in this quest but this is something that I need to do alone.” He went to step inside but he did stop for a moment. “I hope that you can understand.”

  “I-I guess so.” She understood what he was talking about and it made what she was going to do next even more difficult. “Tucker just before you go.”

  “Yes.” He turned around so that he could see her but the next thing he saw was her fist as it sharply came into contact with his face. The blow was more than strong enough to knock Sir Tucker out cold in one punch. It had come completely by surprise and Sir Tucker had no time to put up any kind of guard.

  “I’m sorry Tucker I really am.” Her voice was very sombre as she knew that Sir Tucker wouldn’t be happy with her when he woke up. “But I know that if you go in there you won’t be coming out.” She bent down and picked up his unconscious body and sat it up a short distance away from the entrance. She picked up the map and she gave him a little kiss on his forehead. “I hope that you can forgive me. Sleep tight my brave knight, I won’t be gone for long.”

  With that Jessica took a sigh and walked towards the entrance to the trial. She knew that this might have damaged the relationship that she had with Sir Tucker but every fibre of her being was telling her that she was doing the right thing. She just hoped that one day that he would forgive her.

  Carefully Jessica stepped through the entrance and no sooner had she done this she saw the boulder behind her once again cover the entrance. For a few moments she was left in total darkness before several torches on the wall began to light up without any source of fire to start it. This was something that she had seen in the other trials so it wasn’t like she was caught by surprise.

  There was quite a long tunnel before her and she had no choice but to follow it to wherever it led. She knew that she couldn’t leave the way that she came and Sir Tucker couldn’t come in after her. She felt bad about what she had done but she continued to walk and she knew that she had to remain strong or else she wouldn’t leave there alive.

  Jessica walked for a couple of hundred metres before she heard what seemed to be a roar coming from around a corner. She saw what seemed to be a large shadow as well and the first thing that came to mind was that it was some kind of monster. She even increased her size a little to try and make herself seem more intimidating to whatever creature decided to make its way towards her. From the shadow she thought that it was a dragon or a very large reptile that was making its way to her.

  Suddenly she saw the shadow begin to shrink as the creature moved towards her and it continued to shrink until she saw the creature itself. Rather than being a large and ferocious monster it was a small lizard which wasn’t more than a metre tall and two metres long. He didn’t even have any sharp teeth or claws and he seemed to be no threat to the giant of a woman. The roars that she had heard turned out to be a chirping noise that he made but the echo in the tunnel caused it to sound more ferocious. He stood on two legs and carefully made his way towards Jessica. Rather than viewing the creature as a threat she thought that it looked cute and she squatted down to it.

  “Why hello there,” said Jessica as she saw the lizard running towards her. It stopped immediately when it reached her. “What are you some kind of dragon?” The lizard chirped at her as if it was answering her question but in a manner that she didn’t understand. “I wasn’t expecting to see anything alive down here.” She did give it a stroke on the head and the creature seemed to appreciate this. “But you’re definitely one of the cutest things I’ve seen on my trip.”

  The lizard seemed to like Jessica’s stroke but it still moved away from her but it wasn’t as if it was running away from her. She stood up to her full height and she could see that it was trying to lead her somewhere. She was still confused with fact that there was actually a living creature down there. She thought that there wouldn’t be a food source down there. However she couldn’t argue too much since she knew that there was some magic taking place here so she just put it down to that.

  The lizard continued to move away from her but every once in a while it would turn and chirp at her. It took her a moment or two to realise that it wanted her to follow it and again she found this to be odd. She did decide to follow it and she thought that this had something to do with the test.

  With some mighty strides Jessica began to move towards the lizard who continued to move away. Its pace did pick up a little but it still wasn’t moving fast enough to get away from her, it was more than capable of running even faster but it chose not to so that Jessica could still follow it.

  One thing that Jessica did notice as she moved further through the tunnel was that the ceiling was beginning to get lower. When she had started to follow the lizard the ceiling had not been a problem but she noticed now that it was only a few inches away from her head. As she continued to walk she felt her head brushing against the ceiling. With each step she took the ceiling continued to become lower and lower. She had to begin to bend down as she walked but the ceiling still became lower.

  The lizard didn’t notice the ceiling getting lower and he made his way through a small door that was right at the end of the tunnel. By this point for Jessica the ceiling was so low that she was having to crawl along the ground. She saw the door but she thought that it might have been too small for her to fit through.

  Against her better judgement Jessica decided to try and get through the door since she knew that she couldn’t leave through the way that she came. Carefully she moved her head through the door along with her shoulders but when it came to her chest she felt what she had been dreading. She had gotten herself stuck in the small space and she tried to pull but she still seemed to be stuck. She even tried to push the opposite way so that she could escape but it was still no good. She was completely stuck and she knew that she was stuck there, she did consider growing but she doubted that it would make the situation any better. If anything it would just make it worse.

  The lizard turned to see that Jessica was trapped and he turned to look at her. Carefully it made its way towards her and began to chirp at her. She was continuing to try and pull herself out but it was still no good. The lizard just chirped at her softly and even began to click at her a couple of times.

  “I can’t follow you,” said Jessica. There was a small amount of effort in her voice as she was trying to free herself. “I’m stuck.” She felt the tongue of the lizard on her cheek as it began to lick her. She didn’t know whether it was trying to help her or show her some kind of sign of affection. She didn’t know if it was even intelligent enough to do something like that or not.

  Jessica continued to pull but this time she felt her body budge a little. This gave her renewed hope and as she continued to pull her body was slowly making its way through the door. Inch by inch she was making her way through and as soon as her hips were through getting the rest of her legs through was easy.

  When she was through Jessica gave a sigh of relief and stood back up. She felt a lot better now that she was through the door as she feared that it would be her final resting place. She saw the small lizard by her feet and she wasn’t sure whether somehow when it licked her cheek that it had helped her. For now that wasn’t important as she knew that she needed to carry on.

  Jessica was able to stand up which came as some surprise and she found herself in a very large room. There were statues inside brave warriors and fearless maidens which were scattered around the room. She stared up at the ceiling but she only saw darkness above her and there were carvings on the walls around her that depicted primitive looking people battling against a great beast that she didn’t recognise. She knew that Sir Tucker would have loved to have seen all of this for himself but she hadn’t given him the chance.

  She had been afraid that the test would have been too dangerous for him to tackle alone and yet so far she realised that he would have had an easier time than her. She knew that he would have had a much easier time getting through the small door than him.

  Rather than continuing to think about what she had done Jessica decided that the best thing to do was to try and find out what she needed to do next to progress in the trial. She looked down at the lizard who seemed to be looking back up at her and wagging its tail. She did give it another stroke before beginning to look around.

  For the next several minutes Jessica inspected the walls around this room in the hopes of finding the door that would lead them out. The only problem was that Jessica couldn’t find any way out, the only way in and out seemed to be the small door. She didn’t want to risk going through that again after what had happened last time. She decided to squat down at the lizard.

  “Hey can you show me the way out of here?” asked Jessica and she put on a smile to see if it would make the lizard help her. It chirped at her a couple of times before turning and moving away. She soon stood up and began to follow him, he led her to one of the statues which were around fifteen feet tall. He chirped at her once again and she stroked his head. “Thank you.”

  Jessica knew that these statues were somehow the means of her progression from the trial. From where she was standing she couldn’t see anything odd about them, the only thing that was somewhat strange was that they warriors were all the same as well as the maidens. She decided to increase her size to around twenty feet which did catch the lizard by surprise. Rather than running in terror it stayed exactly where it was and it looked at her more in amazement rather than fear.

  When Jessica reached her desired height she looked at the statues once again. The warrior statues were heavily armoured and if they were real it looked like it would take an army to take them down. The maidens were all fair and beautiful and their appearance looked petite in comparison to the warriors. She also noticed one thing with the statues and that was the fact that they had numbers on their heads.

  She also unrolled the map and looked at it to see if it could give her some kind of clue but it was of course much smaller she remembered. Worse still was that the writing seemed smaller as well but that wasn’t her only problem. She couldn’t read very well and often needed Sir Tucker’s help when it came to reading. It was one thing that she was somewhat embarrassed about. She knew which letters a word started with but when it came to putting them together she couldn’t do it.

  That would make her feel stupid sometimes when she saw that Sir Tucker was perfectly capable of reading. She didn’t particularly like to say out loud that she couldn’t really read but it was something that she kept to herself.

  Even if she could read the writing on the map it still said the exact same as what it had said to Sir Tucker the previous day. It wouldn’t help her with this puzzle and she began to fear that she might not get out. One thing that she did notice was that the warrior numbers were odds and the maiden numbers were even, she also noticed that they had all been swapped around. This was her first indication of the solution.

  Jessica attempted to move the statues but even at her current size they were much too heavy for her to move. It seemed like statues were fused to the ground and she thought that even if she grew to her full size that she still wouldn’t be able to move it. She instead reverted back to her smallest size and began to think.

  The lizard sat near her and looked up at her. To it she was just another would be treasure hunter although she was the first one that it had seen for some time. It was just thankful for the company since remaining there by itself for so long was very boring. It even thought that she was very pretty.

  Jessica had to think even more and she began to remember a tale that she was told as a child. It was one about three maidens who were to wed three mighty warriors but on the eve of their weddings the warriors were called to war by their lord. Each man was honour bound to carry out their duties to their lord and each of them paid with their lives. Their would-be wives were distraught by the news of their deaths and it was said that rather than carrying on with their lives they opted to offer themselves to the gods in exchange for the power to end all wars.

  The gods fulfilled the maidens’ request and gifted them with more power than any mortal could ever hope to achieve. However the power had different effects on each maiden, one became a paramour who was said to be the most selfless person that the world would ever see. The second maiden became evil incarnate who used her power to cause nothing but misery on others. The final maiden was the middle ground, although she possessed great power she was neither good nor evil.

  Together the maidens eliminated war from Angleland and for a while all seemed to be well. Unfortunately the maidens eventually turned on each other after a series of disagreements and disputes. This led to a great battle between all three of them that eventually destroyed all three of them. Mountains were said to have crumbled during their battle and the earth itself split in two.

  Once these god like maidens had eliminated each other war spread to every corner of Angleland and after a century of bloodshed each lord came to an agreement and there was finally peace. Although there had been wars since none had been as gruesome or as grand as this almighty war.

  This story was supposed to have taken place thousands of years ago before any great keep or castle was even built. There were many who believed this tale to be true while others saw it as simply a fictional tale conjured up to entertain people and nothing more. For many it was hard to believe that such an event was even possible.

  For Jessica she thought that this tale had some kind of relevance to the puzzle before her. She began to inspect the maiden statues again and she discovered that at their bases there was also a single letter carved into them. The first maiden had a fancy looking P letter, the second had a G and the final had a R. The warrior statues also had the same letters but once again they were jumbled up amongst them.

  Jessica continued to think about exactly how she could bring the statues together. She figured that each of the maidens were supposed to be with their respective warriors but she didn’t know how to move them. It seemed that brute strength would not solve this puzzle and she would have to think her way out of it.

  “What do you think’s the answer?” asked Jessica as she looked down at the lizard who was still looking up to her. It chirped at her a couple of times and it was almost like he was giving her a full response. “Who am I trying to kid, you can’t talk and even if you are I can’t understand you.” It chirped at her again and even took a few steps towards her. “Maybe there’s some way I can physically connect the statues together, maybe it can somehow solve this puzzle.”

  Jessica began to think of how she could do this. She did consider growing until she could reach each statue but since she only had four limbs it wouldn’t work with six statues. Instead she thought that there was something else that she could use to be able to connect the right statues to one another.

  She saw the lizard move away and rather than it just wondering around aimlessly it seemed to be travelling in a particular direction. This was noticed by Jessica who decided to take a look to exactly where it was going. She followed it for a few minutes until he came to a wall where there was something on the ground.

  The edges of the room were not as bright as the centre so at first she couldn’t really make out what they were. She did pick it up and she discovered that it was something that was long and very thin. The texture of it made her think that it was some kind of rope but she did notice that it felt somewhat organic. She pulled at it and when she brought it more into the light she saw what she could only describe as some kind of vine which seemed to be alive and healthy despite them being in no source of soil or even a tree.

  Rather than questioning whether this was possible she just picked up as much of the vine as she could and she wrapped one loop of it around the free hand of a warrior and she wrapped it around the hand of the corresponding maiden. She waited for a few moments and at first nothing seemed to happen.

  Thinking that she had made some kind of mistake Jessica placed her hand on the vine and sudden she felt an influx of images and emotions into her head. For the next several moments all she could feel was pain and suffering but something inside of her was telling her that she was responsible for this. Rather than feel bad about what had happened she seemed to enjoy this although it went against everything that she stood for.

  The sensation only lasted for a few moments before Jessica was back to herself once again and she took a step back from the vine and looked at it for a few moments. The sensation of what had just happened was still fresh and it unnerved her so much that she was beginning to question herself. She did notice that the statues that she had attached the vine to were the ones that contained the letter R.

  Jessica once again thought about the story that she had been told when she was a child and she figured that she had felt this because it had been for the maiden who had been turned evil by the power gifted to her by the gods. What she had felt was something that would be attainable by someone who had been given ultimate power and yet be so willing to cause pain and misery to others.

  With as much care as she could Jessica removed the vines from the statues and instead attached them to the statues that had the letter P inscribed on them. She took a deep breath before touching the vine once it was complete and once again she was overcome with images and emotions. This time rather than feel absolute terror this time she felt what seemed to be complete bliss. The world around her was heavenly and she felt that she was the cause of it, it filled her with immense happiness but she also had a firm feeling of control of everything.

  Like before these sensations only lasted for a few moments before subsiding once again. Jessica figured that they were from the maiden who had become a beacon of pure goodness and hope after attaining her abilities. She was the one who Jessica had respected the most when she was younger since she showed that despite having ultimate power the maiden had only used it to help people in every way possible.

  The only one remaining were the statues that had the letter G inscribed on them. It didn’t take long for Jessica to figure out that this would be for the maiden that upon receiving her abilities became completely neutral. Unlike the other maidens she was neither a force of good nor evil and was more of a balance between the two. She didn’t know how it would help in the puzzle but she felt it was definite progress.

  Jessica once attached the vine on the two statues that were inscribed with the letter G. She had done this with the other pairs of statues and when she touched the vines after she finished she had been overcome with the emotions of pure good and evil. If this pair were same as in her childhood story she expected to be overcome by neutral feelings and emotions if such a thing was possible.

  Carefully Jessica grasped the attached vine and she felt herself become overcome with what she could only describe as greyness. Everything around her remained the same but she felt that she didn’t love or hate it. This was an odd feeling for her as everyone had their likes and dislikes but while she felt like this she had no strong feelings for anything. Such neutrality about everything was probably odder than when she was feeling emotions of pure good and evil.

  Once again this only lasted a few moments before Jessica let go and it subsided. She was glad to feel normal again and she hoped that what she had done would have been enough to allow her to move on in the trial. Instead nothing happened and she was surprised at this, it also somewhat annoyed her that she had gone through all that and yet she hadn’t even progressed in the trial.

  Rather than venting her anger Jessica kept it to herself for now she just tried to think of what she was supposed to do. She saw the lizard near her and it looked up to her as it wagged its tail. It somewhat reminded her of a dog and it began to chirp at her a couple of times. She knew that it was trying to tell her something but she still had no idea what it was. She felt that she wasn’t as intelligent as she would have liked to believe.

  “What is it?” asked Jessica as the lizard chirped at her. It also clicked its tongue a few times and it pointed its nose towards a wall. Jessica looked and at first saw nothing of any real interest. She did walk towards it just in case there was something there that she could have missed.

  After taking a few steps Jessica began to see something on the ground. At first she expected it to be more vines but instead she saw what seemed to be a small dagger. Calling it a dagger was giving it more credit than it deserved. The knife was nowhere near the size of Jessica’s hand and the blade was so dull that it would most likely not even cut through a thin piece of paper.

  Jessica picked the blade up nonetheless and looked at it. From her perspective there was nothing remarkable about it at all. The only thing that she could take note about was the fact that it seemed so dull. One could even give it to a child and there would be no worry about it hurting itself with it.

  Regardless of its seeming uselessness Jessica did pick it up and place it in her pocket. She turned to look at the statues and she was surprised to see that the vine attaching two of them had gotten much longer. This was odd in her eyes but since not everything inside the trials made that much sense she just went with the flow so to speak.

  It also gave her an idea. Now that the vine had grown it was possible that she could tie it to each statue and that way they would be connected. It seemed to be a sound plan as Jessica carefully unwrapped the vine from the statues. She figured that its length had been increased thrice so it meant that there would be enough for what she needed to do.

  First Jessica tried to pull the vine apart but she discovered that it was tougher than it looked. This didn’t really surprise her and she began to grow so that she would have the strength to pull the vine apart. Even when she had increased her size the vine still refused to be ripped apart. She began to get somewhat annoyed and she grew to full size and began to pull. She hadn’t noticed that even though she was at her full size she was standing up and hadn’t even touched the ceiling.

  Once again Jessica’s strength seemed to have failed her for the third time in this trial. It was pretty embarrassing for her as it had never failed her in such quick succession before. She had no choice but to shrink down again and she began to think. It only took her a few moments to realise that the knife in her pocket would be what she needed to cut the vine. She took it out of her pocket and looked at it again. It still looked to be as dull and boring as it had been before.

  “Surely this thing can’t be of any use,” said Jessica to herself as she continued to inspect the blade. She even went as far as to slide her finger on the edges of the blade and yet she wasn’t cut. Not because of the thickness of her skin but the dullness of the blade.

  At this point Jessica was more or less willing to try anything since she knew that the only way she could get out was to keep going forwards. She placed the vine over the section where she wanted to cut. She didn’t expect anything to happen but as she placed the blade on the vine it cut through it as if it was nothing.

  Jessica was taken by surprise with the ease of how the blade went through the vine. It was like a hot knife going through butter but rather than question what had happened Jessica proceeded to cut the vine again in a further section. This left her three strands of vine that were more or less the same length.

  Not wasting any time Jessica began to wrap the vines around the statues like she did before. Each maiden was tied to the corresponding warrior and it only took her a couple of minutes to achieve this. She felt that she was on the right course of action and she noticed that the lizard was just sitting there and waiting for her.

  Just as Jessica made sure the last of the vines were properly wrapped she saw the eyes of the statue begin to glow. She was completely silent as she watched the light from the eyes travel down from the eyes and into the vine. Quickly the light shot down the vine and only stopped when the lights met one another which was in the area where the vines intertwined. This was more or less dead centre between the statues.

  Jessica watched as a beam of light fired down from the intertwining point to the ground below. It was so bright that Jessica had to look away for the moment but not too long after that she could feel what seemed to be a tremor.

 Eventually the light subsided and Jessica was able to look again but now there was a large hole in the ground which was a stairway. A huge smile appeared on her face as she knew that she had completed the puzzle. It was a relief for her and she felt that she was one step closer to getting out with the location of the treasure.

  Before Jessica went to step down the long stairway she did feel some guilt. She knew that Sir Tucker would have wanted to do this himself but she didn’t want to risk losing him. She felt that she was much more likely to come out alive than him. She knew that he was capable of looking after himself but something had told her that he wouldn’t have walked out of the trial alive.

  All she could do was hope that Sir Tucker would understand. She cared about him more than anything else in her life and his safety was always her main concern. He didn’t like to think that she was constantly protecting him but Jessica didn’t care. She was just glad to know that there was no one else around when she knocked him out. At least then his manhood wouldn’t of been tarnished. She did wonder if he had woken up yet and she was somewhat worried that she might have punched him too hard. Even after all these years she still didn’t fully know her own strength.

  With some care Jessica began to step down the stairway but the lizard made sure that it was in front of her. She did make sure that she had the map in her possession before leaving since if she left it behind it would make their quest pointless. She did notice that torches were beginning to light up as the pair made their way further and further down the stairway. It was somewhat steep and Jessica didn’t want to fall because there were many steps between her and the bottom.

  Jessica watched as the lizard just jumped down each step without seemingly a care in the world. It showed no indication of slipping and it was like it had gone down them so many times that it knew exactly where to place its feet. It began to get a steady lead on Jessica as they continued to go further and further down.

  After well over one hundred steps they eventually reached the bottom where Jessica was greeted by another corridor which she was pretty sick of. She didn’t like them because they always felt small and if there was one thing that a giant hated it was small spaces. The ceiling was high however so at least she was able to stand up straight. The walls on either side seemed to be plain and unremarkable so she didn’t pay too much attention to it. Instead she looked down at the lizard that continued to walk ahead. It made sure that there not that much difference between him and the tall woman following him.

  Eventually they came to an opening and it just led to a blank wall but when Jessica looked up she could see another opening. Right now there was seemingly no means to get up to the opening and Jessica knew that this was another test. It also looked to be difficult because right there and then there didn’t seem to be anyway a normal person could climb up. It seemed to be a worthy test.

  However for Jessica it would be simple, she just began to grow in size until she was tall enough to reach the opening which had been roughly forty feet above her. Next she gently picked up the lizard who didn’t even seem to resist and placed it in the opening. It seemed to click in approval and if anything it almost seemed to be used to a giant person picking it up. She also made sure to place the map in the opening since she knew that she was going to need both of her hands.

  Jessica then placed her hand on the ground of the opening. She then began to shrink herself but she performed this slower than normal and as she shrank she began to feel her feet dangle. When she was small enough she placed her other hand on the edge and began to pull herself up as she continued to shrink. By the time she had reached her smallest size she had been able to pull herself up and she brushed any dirt or gravel she might have had on her dress.

  “Well that was easy,” said Jessica as she made sure that she was clean. She had just completed a test that would have taken a normal person some time to complete in less than a minute. She didn’t know if Sir Tucker would have been able complete this task, she had seen no way for a normal person to climb up without some kind of rope. She looked down at the lizard who was standing a few feet away from her. “Can you lead me on? I don’t want to leave my friend waiting for too long.”

  The Lizard chirped in agreement and began to walk away as it intended Jessica to follow her. The tall woman didn’t hesitate in following and she felt that she was close to the end of the trial. She would be more than happy to learn the location of Three Man’s Treasure and be on her way. She didn’t really care too much about the treasure but she knew how much it meant to Sir Tucker and she was willing to help in any way that she could. She wouldn’t do anything for him that she felt was wrong.

  Jessica found herself walking down another tunnel but this one seemed to be more open than the previous corridor. She didn’t feel so cramped and it was a relief for her although she couldn’t wait to be up in the open again. She always liked to be somewhere where she knew she could grow and not have to worry about bursting out. It was also safer for everyone since on a couple of occasions she had grown beyond her control.

  There was one thing that Jessica noticed as she continued to walk. Although the tunnel was well lit it seemed to be growing brighter with each step that she took. At first she thought that this was simply her imagination but as she continued to walk the light grew brighter and brighter. It became so bright that she needed to cover her eyes.

  Without being able to see where she was going Jessica continued to walk but she took much care as she did this. She used one arm to cover her eyes and the other was stretched out so that she could touch anything that was in front of her. She was even starting to feel the warmth of the light as she walked and it was a very odd feeling. She could hear the lizard continue to click its tongue as it continued to lead her. She couldn’t even see him but she just walked as best as she could.

  Eventually Jessica felt the light subside and she even hazarded a look. This when she truly found out that the light had subsided and she carefully lowered her arm. She discovered that she was in a large open room and she saw what seemed to be a large statue a short distance away from her. She did become somewhat nervous as she thought that this was most likely the combat stage of the trial. The previous trials had included combatants who had been above the norm. The first time Sir Tucker had fought a being that Jessica could only describe as living armour. The second trial had featured a being who had stolen the appearance of Jessica and would grow every time it was defeated.

  She watched as the lizard moved to one side and she looked over to the statue. It didn’t really look that much like a person but rather just a pile of large rocks that formed a humanoid figure. She watched as it began to move and it had a glowing red eyes and a mouth that when it opened there was the feeling of heat. It too was red and it stood well over ten feet tall and looked to weigh a couple of tons. Jessica did move but it was not towards the statue, rather it was just to one of the corners as she put the map down so that she would have both of her hands free.

  As soon as the map was placed down Jessica walked back to where she was before but she did notice that the entrance behind her had closed meaning that the only way out was through the statue before her. She put her hands up and clenched her fists in anticipation for the fight but much to her surprise she saw the statue ahead of her take a bow. She stood there for a few seconds with some confusion.

  “Greetings traveller,” said the statue as it rose itself up from the bow. It had a somewhat charming voice despite its monstrous appearance. “I applaud you for making it this far, many would be treasure hunters would have fallen long before now.”

  “Thank you I guess,” replied Jessica with much surprise in her voice. The previous combatants had not spoken and she had expected it to be a simpleton rather than a being who could string full and coherent sentences.

  “And might I say you’re much taller than I expected. May I ask, have the human race gotten taller over time or is it just you?”

  “N-no it’s just me I’m afraid.” She still couldn’t believe that she was having an actually conversation with a being that was completely made out of rock. It was definitely something that she would remember for the rest of her life.

  “Oh I see, now that the pleasantries are over I’m afraid that I’m going to have to kill you.” Despite what the statue had said it still had a pleasant voice. It made it sound that much more sinister.

  “Wait do we have to fight?” She didn’t particularly want to fight the statue since she didn’t really believe in pointless fights. She would have loved nothing more than just to make her way passed the statue without fighting.

  “I’m afraid we do, in a time long before I can remember I was tasked with staying here and preventing any treasure hunters from making their way through. I’m sure that you’re a very nice person but this is where your quest ends. If it brings you any peace you are the prettiest opponent I’ve had and because of that I’m going to give you the first attack. It is the only sporting thing to do.”

  “I thank you.” She knew that the only way through was to defeat the statue and quickly she grew to around twenty feet in height which was as tall as she could get in this chamber and she gave the statue a strong punch which knocked it off of its feet. “But I don’t think you should have done that.”

  The Statue did roll back somewhat and get back up to its feet. It was surprised that Jessica had grown like that right in front of it. Never had it seen anything like this before but if anything it didn’t think that its chances had diminished at all. If anything it was just going to make things more fun.

  “Ah you have size manipulation abilities,” said the Statue with some surprise in its voice. “I must admit that I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Believe me I’m full of surprises,” replied Jessica. If she could she would have grown until she was her maximum size but the chamber limited her growth. “Believe me I don’t want to fight you but I will if I have to.”

  Jessica went to punch the statue but much to her surprise it was able to get out of the way of her attack. It was faster than she expected and almost instantly it moved towards her legs. It knew that the only way to bring Jessica down was to attack her legs and bring her down that way. It was the classic strategy of when a smaller person took on a much larger opponent. However this time the Statue was actually the smaller of the pair, this was something that it wasn’t used to.

  Jessica began to feel some pain as the statue struck her leg and she gave a small cry of pain. It seemed to be just able to strike her before she punch it back, it was attacking and then darting back. It was the first time that she had been involved in a fight with someone close to her own size and she was beginning to wish Sir Tucker was there with her. She knew that he would have her back but not this time. She had to win this by herself and she hoped that she could without killing the Statue.

  The Statue went to attack again but this time she saw it coming and was able to grab its arm. Almost effortlessly she pulled him up and slammed it into the ground and there was a loud crashing noise as this took place. It would have been enough to kill a normal person but they were far from the realms of normality. She stood over it and even placed her oversized foot upon it.

  “Stay down,” said Jessica. She had a stern tone as she wanted it to try and seem that she was more threatening than she actually was. “It’s over.”

  “Never!” replied the Statue and with that he was able to lift up her foot enough for it to roll out and it was able to get back up to its feet. “I can take out beings twice your size and not even miss a beat.”

  “Who said I couldn’t get any larger?” She had a smile on her face as she knew that she needed to make herself even bigger. It was not to make herself a better fighter but more of an intimidation factor.

  With that she began to increase her size again and she began to lay down as she increased her size further and further. She was able to grab the statue and prevent it from moving away as she continued to grow. She wanted to pin it with her body weight but one thing she did was make sure where the lizard was. The last thing she wanted to do was to crush it, especially after everything it had done for her.

  Jessica continued to grow until she was around sixty feet tall. The statue was now underneath her chest and despite its strength it couldn’t free itself. Its head was still in view and she looked down at it with a smile. She did feel cramped inside the chamber but she hoped that she wouldn’t have to stay this size for too long.

  “As you can see I’m too much for you to handle,” said Jessica. She could see the statue struggling but to no avail. “And this isn’t even my full size. I can make myself at least twice this size, now if you give up I promise I’ll let you go.”

  “It seems my options at this point are a limited.” It paused for a few moments as it thought. It knew that there was truly only one way out of this predicament. “Very well I surrender peacefully.”

  “Wise choice.” She began to shrink in size and when she was small enough she stood back up and allowed the statue to stand up as well. She stopped shrinking when she was at eye level with the statue which was a few feet taller than her minimum height. “You know I really didn’t want to hurt you.”

  “I thank you for that and I must admit that you’re unlike any opponent I’ve ever faced.” She still found it strange that the statue was talking and was even being courteous to her. This was probably the last thing she expected. “I must admit that I never expected to face a maiden who could grow into a giantess.”

  “Well actually it’s not quite like that.” She began to blush as she felt somewhat embarrassed about it. “I’m actually a giant who has the ability to shrink in size.” It was as if she was admitting to having some kind of really embarrassing illness. She felt safe speaking it though as she knew for certainty that no one else could hear them.

  “That is unusual but hardly surprising.” He paused for a few moments so that he could prepare himself for what he wanted to say next. “You have bested me in combat so now you may continue on. At this stage I can only wish you the best of luck.”

  “Thank you although you haven’t told me your name.” She would like to properly thank him but she felt like she couldn’t do it properly until she knew what it was called.

  “I have no name, I was created solely to guard this place and to ensure that only the worthy may proceed. You have shown your worthiness this day.”

  “Ok, once again thank you.” She didn’t really know how to respond but to thank him again. She knew that it would be likely the last time that this statue every saw anyone else. Regardless she knew that she had to continue on or else she would find herself trapped there for the rest of her life.

  A wall had opened up behind the statue but before Jessica stepped through it she was sure to pick up the map and make sure that the lizard came along with her. It had watched her during the fight and had been more than happy with what it had seen. It was by far the most excitement that it had experienced in a good long time. It walked ahead and went towards the opening with Jessica following close behind. She did say goodbye to the statue and went to walk through the opening.

  Unfortunately Jessica forgot to shrink herself to her smallest and accidentally knocked her head on the top of the opening. This caused her a small amount of pain and she did rub her forehead for a few moments. It was an additional reason why she disliked her height but there wasn’t much that she could do about it.

  Jessica found herself in another corridor. At this point she was sick of seeing them but if it led to the way out and the location of Three Man’s Treasure she was more than willing to put up with it.

  The Lizard continued to walk forward quite quickly and it sounded somewhat different than it did before. Jessica noticed that it seemed to be happier than when she first bumped into it. She didn’t even know if lizards could experience happiness and sadness. She did find it cute but still found it odd that it had been able to live down there for so long without the need of food or water. That was of course if there was some kind of source that she wasn’t aware of, but since to her it seemed unlikely she dismissed it.

  This corridor was shorter than Jessica expected because after around a minute or two of walking she reached the end and reached what seemed to be another chamber. She hoped that this would be the final chamber but she noticed that it was practically featureless. She looked around and there was nothing on the walls, nothing on the ground and there was absolutely nothing that seemed to be worth noting.

  She gave a sigh and sat on the ground as she tried to think about what she was supposed to do. The opening behind her had already closed and if it was like any of the other entrances in this place brute strength wouldn’t be able break it open. She did wonder if Sir Tucker had woken up yet and if he was enraged by what she did.

  Jessica did look over to the lizard who seemed to just be walking around her a few times before finally lying down on its belly but it still continued to look at her. She didn’t think that it would be that much help to her this time. She was stuck here and it seemed like it would be some time before she would be able to get out.

  “Come on Jess think,” said Jessica to herself as she tried to figure out what to do next. Without any kind of indication what her next move was she was completely lost. “You’ve  got a big brain, now’s the time to use it. Tucker’s counting on me, that is of course if he’s not mad at me.” She took a look at the lizard who was still lying next to her. It seemed to be quite happy just laying down right beside her. “What do you think I should do?” It began to chirp at her a couple of times but it seemed so be any different than the chirps it gave her the previous times. “Of course it all makes sense.”

  Of course to Jessica knew that it didn’t make any sense at all. She was as stuck as stuck could be in this chamber. There was no way out of it and she knew that her gigantism wouldn’t be any help at all. She feared that she would die in this chamber without seeing Sir Tucker ever again. It was a fairly upsetting for her and she began to wonder if she really should have come, she thought that he should have completed the trial rather than her. She thought that he would have been able to solve the puzzle.

  Jessica was deep in thought when she felt an odd sensation run throughout her body. She didn’t know what it was or even what had caused it but she saw everything around her begin to grow smaller. This was a sight that she was used to seeing but this time was different, she wasn’t willing herself to grow taller and instantly she began to become panicked. She stood up to her full height.

  “What’s going on?” asked Jessica with terror in her voice. She was trying to stop herself from growing but nothing seemed to be working. Her dress was still firmly on her body and this only further her confusion.

  The next thing Jessica felt was a strong thud on her head when she struck the ceiling. It caused her a lot pain but she didn’t even notice it as she was continuing to grow. She knew that she would stop growing eventually but as she sat down she saw that she was still getting bigger by the second. She didn’t even notice where the lizard had gone but right now that was not her top concern.

  Eventually Jessica more or less filled up the chamber and she could feel herself continue to expand. She even thought that she might be growing larger than her natural height but she had no idea how large she actually was. All she knew was if it didn’t stop and if she didn’t shrink herself she would be crushed.

  One other sensation that Jessica was experiencing was the sensation that she was about to explode. It felt like there was a huge amount of energy within her body which was trying to get out and it felt like it was tearing her body apart. Sweat was rolling down her face and she couldn’t even keep her eyes open as she felt the walls all around her closing on her. It was probably the worst sensation she had ever experienced and she still felt like she was on the verge of exploding.

  All this came ahead when her body seemingly exploded with an earth shattering bang. And all that was seemingly left was smoke with no sign of the once gigantic woman who had been sitting there less than a minute ago.

  The next thing Jessica knew she was feeling very lightheaded and she was still sitting down. One thing that she did take comfort in was the fact that she was no longer feeling constricted. She had also lost the sensation that she was about to explode as well and this was more than a welcome relief. She was somewhat confused with everything that had just happened and she began to think that it had been in her head.

  When it came to Jessica’s enchanted dress it never allowed her to grow beyond her natural height or shrink any smaller than eight feet. She had never felt like she was going to explode before and she had never truly lost the ability to control her size like that before. It just continued to make her think that the entire experience had been in her head. But she still had one problem, she didn’t know where she had to go or if she was even doing the right thing. After everything that had happened she just wanted to get out of this chamber and forget that it even existed.

  With that Jessica stood up and began to look around but the environment around her looked different. She knew that she was in the same chamber as she was before but there was something about it which was very different. She didn’t have chance to think about it before she heard a deafening chirping sound.

  Slowly Jessica turned around and she was horrified to see that the lizard was standing behind her. Before there had not been any reason for her to be afraid but this time was different since it towered above her. It was easily a hundred feet tall and it looked down at her. This was only the second time that she had ever met a living being that was larger than her and the first thing she felt was fear. She realised this was probably how other people felt when she was at her full size.

  Jessica was completely confused with how the lizard had grown so much without her noticing and how it could even fit in the chamber. That was when she took a good look around and she could clearly see why it looked so different. Much to her horror she discovered that she couldn’t be more than a couple of inches tall now that the world around her was gigantic.

  It hit Jessica that what she had experienced hadn’t just been in her mind but her body expanding beyond its normal capabilities and the exploding leaving her at a mere fraction of her former self. She was in utter shock and for the first time since she was a baby she was truly small.

  She also became afraid when the lizard lowered its head at her as she was afraid that it was going to eat her. She wanted to run but she knew that it would be futile, remembered when she would play with Sir Tucker when they were younger. He would run and she would try and pick him up as quickly as she could. When it came to an open space like this she would always catch him within a few seconds. This was basically the same situation however she was the small one.

  Jessica did step backwards as it lowered its head and it nudged her slightly. Unfortunately it nudged her with a little too much force and she went flying off her feet and onto the ground. From the lizard’s response it seemed that knocking her down hadn’t been its intention and it even used its head to try and help her back up. She was able to get up to her feet by herself but now it seemed the situation had just become worse. If she had difficulty completing the test when she was a giantess, now that she was tiny it would be almost impossible for her to complete.

  Jessica was overcome with emotions as she realised that she was probably never going to get out of there. She was never going to see Sir Tucker or her family again and she felt her eyes welling up. Soon she began to cry and she sat down on the ground and just placed her head in her hands as she allowed herself to cry. When she was a giantess she had felt that she could always help herself and protect those she loved. Now that she was tiny that feeling she had truly lost herself, she saw no way out and after everything that had happened she just felt like she was rock bottom.

  The lizard could see that Jessica was upset and once again gave her a nudge. This time the strength that it used was a lot less and it became just a gentle nudge. It could hear her crying and wanted to do what it could to make her feel better. She felt its enormous head nudging against her body and she couldn’t help but turn and give it a hug. She would have preferred if it was Sir Tucker in her arms but right now she didn’t really care. The lizard was no threat to her despite the size difference.

  “Are you really going to sit there and feel sorry for yourself?” asked a voice. Jessica looked up and saw what looked to be another woman. This woman looked to be normal size which to Jessica was gigantic. That wasn’t the only thing was striking about her, from head to toe she just looked like Jessica. She even wore the exact same dress that Jessica did and had the same hairstyle. Jessica became afraid and she stayed close to the lizard in the hope that it would give her some protection.

  “W-who are you?” replied Jessica. She wanted to be brave but all of her courage seemed to have left her body.

  “Well you could say that I’m you.” She smiled down at the tiny Jessica and even squatted down so that she could see her better. “In a manner of speaking of course, seems that this trial is testing you in ways that you didn’t expect.”

  “I-I don’t understand.” By now she was close to the lizard’s leg and he was standing strong. It chirped a couple of times.

  “Well let me explain it a little better. Everything that made you strong has been stripped away from you. Your size, your strength, your fortitude and desire. All that has been taken away leaving behind this shell of a person behind.”

  “But why? What’s the point in it all?” Jessica was still feeling scared but she began to understand why she had been feeling so fragile. Everything that was strong about her either physically or emotionally had been stripped away. Despite this she still didn’t see how this could help her in this trial.

  “I don’t know, I’m just something you conjured up to try and make sense of this whole situation. Or I might actually be real but whatever it is you can bet that unless you figure your way out you’ll be stuck like this forever. You’ll be small and pathetic for the rest of your life which in this place will only be a few days until you die of thirst.”

  “What am I supposed to figure out? When I was bigger there was nothing here that I could have used. No kind of indication of what I was meant to do and obviously I had no way out at all.” Her words began to become angry as she was practically shouting at the towering figure of herself standing right before her.

  “Well there is something that you haven’t even considered. Maybe for once your size was your disadvantage. Maybe being the big one for once actually worked against you rather than in your favour.”

  Jessica looked down and began to think. This other her seemed to be talking some sense, she might have been too big before to see what she needed to see and at this reduced size she could actually do what she needed to do. She looked up again and saw that the other her had suddenly disappeared. This whole place was messing with her head and now she was more than determined to get out.

  She also felt that a small amount of her confidence had returned to her, she knew that sitting and crying wouldn’t get her anywhere and that she had to do something or else she would be stuck there. She felt that the only way out was to rely on her brains and not her strength since it was now completely stripped away from her.

  Jessica looked at the ground not too far away from her and she noticed something on the ground. It looked to be tiny even compared to her, it would be more than easy for a regular sized person to completely miss it and she knew that whatever it was, was definitely her key to solving the task and hopefully growing to her normal size.

  Jessica quickly moved to what she had seen and she could see what seemed to be a small carving in the ground. She was glad that it wasn’t writing since she had difficulties reading but what she saw puzzled her. It was the carving of a fish leaping out of water. There was another what seemed to be a human being and there was another one to the right which looked to be some kind of snake. As Jessica took a closer look she could see that it wasn’t a snake but some kind of worm.

  The next diagram that Jessica saw that was above it seemed to be a larger and more carnivorous looking fish. She took another quick look around and could see no other diagrams at all. She stood there and began to think for a few moments as she tried to figure out what it meant. She hadn’t noticed that the map that she was carrying was no longer in her hand. It had dropped during her sudden growth spurt and her explosive shrink spurt. It was lying somewhere on the ground but it was outside of her vision.

  It didn’t take long for Jessica to figure out that the diagrams represented the food chain. The worm would be eaten by the small fish who was in turn eaten by the bigger fish who would then be eaten by the human. She thought that it was a simple enough test and she began to press down on each diagram in order. They began to glow when each of them were pressed and once all four of them were pressed in the right order there was a very bright glow which lasted for a few moments.

  Jessica felt a shiver suddenly run down her body. Before she could properly react she found herself growing much to her relief. Unfortunately the growth spurt lasted nowhere near as long as she expected as she stopped growing after a gain of only an inch. From her perspective it was still a large gain since it had made her fifty percent taller than she had been before but still nowhere near her normal size.

  “That’s it?” asked Jessica as she looked at herself. She had hoped that she would have grown back up to eight feet but she was still only three inches tall. “I’m still tiny!” There was a hint of frustration in her voice. She was afraid that she would have to complete several more tests until she was her full size and could progress. If she only grew an inch every time she completed a puzzle it meant that she would have to complete another ninety three of them until she was back up to her old size.

  On more than one occasion Jessica attempted to increase her size thanks to her dress but each time had been a failure. She had even tried to shrink herself just to see what would happen and again nothing happened. She did consider taking off her dress in the hopes that she would grow but she didn’t think that it would work. Either way it meant that she would be stuck at that size.

  Despite the height increase of an inch Jessica knew that she was heading in the right direction. It was a step forwards nonetheless and she felt that soon enough she would be back to being a giantess once again. She looked over to the lizard who was still standing there and watching her. She tried to push all of her frustration out of her body and she remembered that keeping a cool head at all times. If she was angry or panicked it would make her more likely to miss something of importance. Only by calmly observing everything around her could she return to what she was.

  “Hey big guy can you point me the right way please?” asked Jessica. Her voice was somewhat pleasant and she couldn’t believe that she had called it Big Guy. She was used to being called large herself but never had she called it to anything else. She did watch as the lizard pointed his nose in a particular direction. She looked over to that direction and although she couldn’t see anything she thought that it was best to head there anyway. “Thanks, when I get big again I’ll be sure to hug you as much as you want.” She could hear it chirp at her a little which made her think that he approved.

  Jessica did make her way in the direction that he was pointing. Unfortunately at this size it was much further than it had first seemed. She walked at a quicker pace than normal but she didn’t run, she had no idea how far she would have to travel in that direction. At least with her one inch growth spurt she wouldn’t have to travel as far as she would have done. With each step she took the lizard stayed by her. It only needed to take one step for every several that she took. It was a scenario that she was used to doing with other people but never with a creature much larger than her.

 After roughly a minute of walking Jessica reached two tiny bowls on the ground. Both were filled with a liquid, one was a solid green colour while the other was a scarlet red. This test seemed to be simple enough, she thought that one of them would allow her to progress further while the other would likely lead to some kind of ill effect. She could imagine that one of them would restore her to her full size while the other would shrink her even further and would likely be so small that she couldn’t be seen.

  It was going to be a difficult decision for her since it was a literal fifty, fifty chance. She didn’t even know what the effects of the liquids were going to be. They could both lead her either success or ruin. Both bowls were small enough for her to handle and there was nothing around which indicated which liquid did what. It was going to be a complete leap of faith.

  Jessica sat and looked at the bowls and thought for a couple minutes before picking up one of the bowls and drinking its contents. She had picked the bowl which contained the green liquid and she quickly drank the entire content of the bowl. After she was done carefully put it down and waited for the effects to take place.

  Her body didn’t feel to be any different and she didn’t think that there was going to be any kind of change. She had gone through enough growth and shrink spurts to know what one felt like and she certainly didn’t think that one was going to take place then. Instead the world around her began to become dark. There was some fear that shot through her body as she saw what was happening.

  Jessica could do nothing as everything around her became dark. She couldn’t see a thing and immediately she put her hands on the ground in an attempt to find the other bowl but instead she found nothing. She had remembered where it was but she couldn’t feel anything at all. She even called out to the lizard but it didn’t respond to her. She seemed to be all alone in the darkness with absolutely no idea what had happened. She thought that she might have died and this was her on her way to the next plain.

  “Hello is anyone there?” asked Jessica. She continued to look around to see if there was any kind of indication of where she was supposed to go. Everything that had happened to her since she shrank hadn’t made sense but right now that meant nothing. All she could do was try and find something of use.

  Jessica began to walk forwards and she held out her arms in hopes that she could feel something that would be of help. Each step she took was with great care as she had no idea what was in front of her. She could easily trip over something that she hadn’t seen or run into a wall. At this moment in time she seemed to be in a huge, empty black space with nothing to it at all. A part of her feared that she would be like this for the rest of her life, a fate that she wouldn’t wish on anyone.

  There was something that Jessica did notice behind her. She could see what seemed to be a source of light. It was a bright white light which she could see and she thought that it was her only true way of getting out and returning to normal. She ran towards it but it seemed that no matter how close she came to it the light seemed to stay the same distance away from her. Despite this she still kept going and she just hoped that she would eventually reach it. Unfortunately for her eventually fatigue began to set in and she had no choice but to stop and take a breath. She looked up and saw that she wasn’t any closer to the light and all of her effort had been for naught.

  Jessica wanted to do nothing but sit down and cry once again but she refused to do this, she knew that it wouldn’t get her anywhere. She had people counting on her and she wasn’t going to let them down. Her mind was able but right now her body wasn’t, she still needed to rest before she could do anything else.

  She did sit on the ground but rather than crying she instead began to breathe steadily. This was to keep herself calm and her mind clear. Since shrinking she had wandered too much into sadness and confusion, she knew that only a clear head and a sharp mind would win her the day.

  In Jessica’s mind she recited a poem that she remembered from her childhood. It was about an old man who lived in an old wooden house near a river. One day the river broke its banks and the old man was swept away downriver. In some forms of the poem the man seemingly perished where in others he washed up on a bank a few hundred miles away from his home and rather than returning settled there instead. It was a relatively simple poem but reciting it in her mind allowed her to be calm despite the situation.

  As she sat there she began to hear a noise. It was quiet at first but it slowly began to become louder. She also noticed that the world around her began to turn from a dark colour to one that was grey. As she carefully listened to the noise she began to make out that it was a chirping noise. Much like that of the lizard that had been helping her during the trial. This was a welcome relief for her and carefully she stood up.

  When Jessica looked over to the light she could see that it was still there but rather than running towards it she instead just walked. It seemed that she was much more calm and composed. Unlike before she also seemed to be making progress with each step that she took. Before she had been in a more panicked state of mind but now everything seemed to be clear to her.

  Jessica walk to the light was a short one and soon enough she found herself bathed in the light’s rays. She felt a much greater feeling rush through her body and she could feel the light revitalising her in more ways than she could put into words. Her fears seemed to fade away and she felt that the world was right.

  The next thing that Jessica knew she was back sitting on the ground but as she looked around at her surroundings things seemed to be as normal as they ever had been. She saw the lizard and it seemed to be normal size in comparison to her. She stood up and slowly increased her size which to her was a welcome relief. She soon shrank herself back down to her smallest size.

  Jessica wondered if what she had just experienced was real or just something in her head. She remember when Sir Tucker had gone on what he could only call his trip, he had seen and experienced things that had felt real but had actually all been in his head. She wondered if she had just received a similar experience but to her it wasn’t important. What was important was that she saw that the map on the ground was beginning to glow. She bent down and picked it up and when she unravelled it she could see something that always amazed her. She could see an ink line which seemed to being pushed by an invisible pen.

  The line travelled North until it reached a location in the Wetlands which was right between the cities of Booton and Draketon. This was a relief for her since it showed her where Three Man’s Treasure was but there was one thing that she was disappointed with. It was a long distance away from where she and Sir Tucker were and it would take them a long while to reach it.

  Jessica would have been a little disappointed if the treasure was close by. It would have been very convenient but it also gave them the opportunity to meet new people and experience more adventure before their quest finally came to an end. She also looked towards a nearby wall and she saw that it had opened up.

  A huge smile had appeared on Jessica’s face as she felt that she was finally close to finding her way out of this trial. She began to walk towards and she began to her a chirping sound behind her. When she turned she saw the lizard standing there and she realised that this would be where they were splitting up. It made her feel sad to say goodbye to it even though she had barely known it.

  “Thanks for all your help,” said Jessica. She knelt down and gave it a stroke on its head and it seemed to respond positively to this. It was sad to see Jessica go but it knew that she had places to go. It would always remember the time that it had with Jessica as she turned to walk away. “If I’m ever in this part of the world again I’m sure I’ll come and give you another stroke.”

  Carefully Jessica stepped through the opening and it soon closed behind her. The lizard looked at it for a few moments before turning around and making its way towards the wall on the other side. It chirped a couple of times and the wall opened up for it to get through easily. It would now have to wait for the next person to come this way but that would most likely be a very long time. It wouldn’t be alone however since it belonged to a particular being who loved it very much.

  The next thing Jessica saw there was a step in front of her. It seemed strange to her that there would only be a single step rather than a full set a stairs. Nonetheless she did go up this single step and moments later she felt what seemed to be her rocketing up into the air. This was no growth spurt but rather the step below her rising up at an almost impossible speed. The young woman had no choice but to scream at the top of her lungs as the sensation had overtaken so fast that she had no chance to prepare.

  The sensation only lasted a few moments before she found herself in light. She was breathing deeply but the next thing she felt was a cool breeze come into contact with her face. She began to look around and much to her delight she could see the sky above her and her feet touching a grassy plain. It didn’t take her long to figure out that she was finally on the surface once again.

  A sense of relief overcame her as she realised that she was finally out of the trial and back up to the surface. It was better than she could have expected, when she had been below she had felt trapped and somewhat lost but now that she was back it was an amazing feeling of freedom. She knew that she could grow to her maximum size and not have to worry about knocking her head against anything.

  There was one thing that she knew that she would have to do next and that was to find Sir Tucker. She wasn’t sure exactly how far away she was from where she had knocked him out but now her main focus was finding and reuniting him. She just hoped that he wouldn’t be too angry with her. She had done what she felt was right but she knew that he would most likely be upset with her. She knew how much he had been looking forward to completing the trial but she didn’t want to risk his health. She didn’t even think that he could have completed the trial by himself. That was the only really redeemable factor that she could think of and she hoped that Sir Tucker was going to forgive her.

  The most important thing that Jessica needed to do first was to actually find Sir Tucker. That wouldn’t be too difficult for her since they both shared what she could only call a link. It meant that she was able to feel his presence and vice versa. She did grow to her maximum height to start off with which was a welcome relief for her ow that she didn’t have to worry about ceilings. She kept her mind clear and began to look in different directions until she could eventually sense Sir Tucker. It was close to the hills where the entrance had been and she thought that it was fitting that he would still be there. She wondered if he had woken up yet but she would soon find out.

  At Jessica’s current size it only took her a few moments to walk the distance to where she could sense Sir Tucker. After feeling so small she was glad to be big again and if she could she would stay big all the time like before she had her dress. However she knew how impractical it was so she would accept being a smaller size. Just as long as it was much bigger than two inches.

  As Jessica walked she noticed that it was beginning to get late. She didn’t know exactly how long she had been inside the trial but she could see that it had been a few hours. At least it hadn’t rained while she had been inside since Sir Tucker would have gotten very wet. He would have found shelter but not before getting soaked first.

  When Jessica finally saw a glance of Sir Tucker she saw that he had indeed woken up and was simply sitting on the ground not too far from the boulder which was the entrance. He noticed her arrival in more ways than one. Not only did he see her coming but he could feel the tremor of every footstep she took and the link that they shared allowed him to sense her arrival. He looked up at her and saw that she had a smile on her face, he saw her walking but she was shrinking herself with every step that she took. It didn’t take her long for her to be back down to eight feet in height.

  By the time she had shrunk to her smallest size she saw that Sir Tucker had a bruise on his chin from where she had struck him. This only made her feel even guiltier about what she had done but she still felt like she had done the right thing. Her smile turned from a happy one to one that was apologetic.

  “Err hi Sir Tucker,” said Jessica. Since she was trying to be as sorry as she could she remembered to call him Sir. “How have you been?” She knew that it was a stupid question but right now it was the only one that she could think of.

  “Oh I haven’t been too bad,” replied Sir Tucker. His voice seemed to be surprisingly calm but Jessica did notice that he didn’t stand up. “I’ve just been sitting here and relaxing. The only thing I can complain about is that you hit me in the fucking face!” His last collection of words had been stern and angry. He quickly pointed to the bruise on his cheek and he showed that he was upset.

  “I know that it looked bad but believe me I did it for the best of reasons.” She tried to show that she had acted in his best interests but she knew that it would fall upon deaf ears. “Please let me tell you my side of the story.”

  “Let me guess, you just wanted to protect me?” He knew exactly the reason why and if anything it only made him angrier. “I’m not some doll that will break at the slightest touch, I am a man and more than that I am a knight of the realm. It’s just like in Laketown, I had the situation fully under control and you decided to barge in and pull me away. Do you know what that does to a man?” He knew that his words might be hurtful towards her but right now he didn’t care.

  “Yes I do, it ensures that a man stays in one piece and is able to return to his family with his life and body still intact.” She crossed her arms as she saw Sir Tucker get back up to his feet. “I would say that if I could go back I would do things differently but we both know that would be a lie. Every time I would do the same thing over and over again and do you know why? It’s because I care for you more deeply than anyone I’ve ever known and I would do whatever it took to keep you safe. You can love me or hate me as much as you want but ultimately I don’t care. I ensured that you wouldn’t needlessly get hurt and I still stand behind it. You would never have been able to get through that trial all by yourself but I did, with my talents I was able to complete it where many before us most likely failed. You can hate me for the rest of your life for this but I stand by my actions one hundred percent.”

There was a silence of several moments between these two supposed best friends. This was definitely one of their most heated arguments and the tension could be cut with a knife. Sir Tucker was justifiably angry by what Jessica had done but she didn't regret her actions. As she had stated she would have done it again and again given the chance. It was difficult to see where this would end, one was a more than capable knight while the other could grow to a size that most thought to be impossible. It was incredibly unlikely that it would resort to violence but at this point anything was possible.

Sir Tucker looked at his best friend and he had seen this type of Jessica before. When she thought that she had done the right thing practically nothing could convince her otherwise. It was something that he respected about her but he also found it annoying like at this moment in time. The bruise on his face was sore and it would take a bit of time to recover, the last thing he wanted to tell people was that he was struck by a woman.

"You think that'll make what you're doing right?" asked Sir Tucker with anger in his voice. "You can't just baby me all the time, I'm a man damn it, no more than that, I'm a knight of the realm. I am more than capable of taking care of myself without you lingering over me." His words were somewhat hurtful to Jessica and these were his intentions. "I am no longer a child."

"I don't care about any of that," replied Jessica. She was starting to become angry herself and this translated with her height increasing by a foot. She didn't intend for this to happen but was just something her body naturally did. It did make her seem more intimidating but Sir Tucker didn't back down. "You know that I'd do anything to keep you safe and if it means pushing your manly pride down every once in a while I'm more than happy to do this." There was a subtle increase in the volume of her voice.

"This is nothing about pride, this is about me not being equal in your eyes. How the hell am I supposed to be a capable knight when I'm constantly living in your shadow? To know that I can never truly fight any of my own battles because you are always there to bail me out if things look too tough."

"So what you want me to let you kill yourself? I've only ever wanted to help you and you're throwing it back in my face." Her anger led her to grow another foot in height making her an impressive ten feet tall. Sir Tucker could see this growth spurt but he still stood firm. But he could see that this conversation was doing much more harm than it was helping. They were both venting out their frustrations and he knew that one of them would say something that they would later regret. He knew that he would have to step away from the situation or else things could turn ugly very fast.

"I think we should stop this right now." His voice had changed, before it was one of great anger but now it seemed to be calm. "As you can evidently see we are both too angry to properly talk to one another like civilized people. If this carries on I believe it might end our friendship for good."

"What are you suggesting?" She was somewhat worried about the answer as she feared that the golden friendship that they had shared for so many years was now nothing more than fool's gold.

"As you can imagine I don't want to see you right now and after this little heated exchange you don't want to see me. I suggest that we separate for now and meet up again in three days' time. By then whatever frustrations that we're experience will hopefully have subsided and we can sit down and talk like adults without raised voices. Then we will hopefully be able to sort out this tension between us in a way that is both much calmer and much more mature. Arguing like this isn't going to solve any of our problems."

"That I can agree." Her voice was also much calmer and she could see that Sir Tucker was making a lot of sense. She was too angry to properly talk to him and vice versa. "So what do we do now?"

"Simple for now you walk one way, I'll walk another and we'll meet again on this spot in three days' time. By then the frustrations that we're feeling right now will have subsided and we can actually talk."

"Ok that's fine with me." She turned around from him, she didn't look at him but at this moment she was more upset than she was angry. "I'll see you in three days, stay safe until then."

With that Jessica grew to her full size and walked away leaving Sir Tucker where he was standing. He watched her walking for a few moments before also turning around and walking away. It was then that he realised that Jessica still had the map but rather than going back to pick it up from her he would allow her to keep it until they met again. His cheek was still sore from where she had punched him. If anyone asked about it he would have to come up with some convincing story.

One thing that Sir Tucker did know was that there was a small village which was a few hours walk from where he was. He would stay there for the three days until he would go back to Jessica. He hoped that they would be able to iron out their differences and continue on with their quest.

It did feel odd to Sir Tucker that he was walking for miles by himself. He was used to Jessica walking the majority of the journey and him simply being on her shoulder enjoying the view. Right now he had to depend on himself in a way that was exactly what he wanted. To be able to roam around by himself and know that Jessica wasn't watching over him. That was good and bad in a way since it meant that he only had himself to count on which was something that he wanted to do all along. It also meant that his safety net had more or less been removed, before he had known that if he was too over his head Jessica would have stepped in and helped. Now that she wasn't here it filled him with a sense of both excitement and dread.

As Sir Tucker walked towards the village he was expecting some bandit to jump out at him from a bush with the intention of stealing everything that he owned. This wouldn't be all that much to say the least but he was still ready to draw out sword and defend himself in whatever way that he could.

No such event happened as Sir Tucker continued to walk and eventually he reached the outskirts of the village. It was a small village which couldn't have been any larger than Morgan and he saw many of the villagers going about their daily business. He expected them to look at him as he walked through the village but none of them even batted an eyelid as he walked passed them.

One problem that Sir Tucker had was the fact that he still didn't have any money. Lord Tyrone had returned him his sword and shield that he had forfeited during the tournament but he had received no gold.

Sir Tucker didn't want to resort to begging since that was beneath a knight. Instead he would have to try and earn a small amount of gold, that way he could buy some much needed food and hopefully have a roof over his head for the next three days. He was used to people looking in his direction but it was not to look at him but the enormous height of Jessica. She was practically the only eight foot person in Angleland and it tended to draw attention wherever they went. With her not there he now looked more inconspicuous as he walked through the streets.

Eventually Sir Tucker came what seemed to be the village inn which was named the Lone Hill Inn. As he entered he saw some people in there having a drink and talking quite loudly to one another. None of them turned to look at Sir Tucker as he walked inside. In a way he enjoyed this since it meant that he wouldn't be drawing any unwanted attention to himself. Thieves dwelled in every corner of society, no matter how nice a place seems it always seemed to have a darker side.

One thing that Sir Tucker did notice was that there were a group of men standing around a certain table. Carefully he made his way towards it but once again he didn't want to particularly bring any attention to himself. He just kept moving until he was actually at the table and he could see what was happening. Two men were engaged in a contest of wit which consisted of a card game. It was no mere game however as both men had placed a substantial amount of money on this little game.

Each man had put enough money down to easily buy a house and much of its contents inside. The game was a relatively simple one where by the end of the game one competitor needed to be in possession of a certain card. It would often change from person to person during the game but by whoever had it at the end would be the winner.

This particular game was drawing to its close and it looked like it would go either way. The crowd around were excited to see that one man was going to walk away with a small fortune while the other would leave with nothing. Sir Tucker couldn't get invested in the game at the same level as the others since he had only just arrived but there was a small sense of excitement as he watched the game come to its conclusion.

At the final phase both men revealed their cards and it turned out to be the older man had won the game as he had the winning card. There was a loud cheer from the group and the older man began to gather up the gold that he won and placed them into small pouches that he had been carrying.

This man looked to be in his late fifties, probably reaching his sixties and was not exactly the picture of health. He was relatively plumb and whatever colour he had in his hair was now gone replacing it completely with grey. His clothing indicated that he had a small amount of wealth but thanks to his victory he was certainly much more wealthier than he had been. As he stood up Sir Tucker could see that he was under five and a half feet in height which made him look short in comparison to the other men. There were even a couple of women within the group and they were around the same height as him.

It seemed like he was just about to leave and most of the crowd began to disperse. That was all good for them but Sir Tucker still had the problem of not possessing any money. He wouldn't get very far without any gold and he was thinking about a way of making himself some money before he returned to Jessica. However right now he couldn't think of anything better than begging.

As he was thinking he felt a tap on his shoulder and when he turned around he saw the man who had just won all the gold. He was surprised to see him and at first he couldn't really say anything. He didn't know why this man even wanted his attention but the only way he would find out is if he listened.

"You seem like a capable man," said the man to Sir Tucker. "May I sit with you for a moment and give you a proposition?" There was a smile on his face but this was probably due to the fact that he had won so much gold. It would be enough to put a smile on anyone's face.

"As you wish," replied Sir Tucker as he and the man sat at an empty table which was close to where they had been standing. It was not the most comfortable of seats but for what needed to be done it would suffice.

"Before we start anything may I ask of your name?" As he had moved Sir Tucker had heard the gold coins on his person crashing into one another.

"My name is Sir Tucker Martel of Morgan." There was a hint of pride in his words as he enjoyed officially addressing himself as a knight.

"Hmm a knight of the realm, it seems that I'm in luck." If anything this made him feel that much more impressed with what he was seeing. "As you can see I've just won quite a lot of money and I fear that if I travel back home with it there is a good chance that I might attract some unwanted attention. For a fee for your troubles I suggest that you accompany me to my home and ensure that any ne'er-do-wells we come across don't call me any hassle. I believe that sounds fair don't you?"

"Yeah but I was just wondering exactly how far is your home from here, there is a certain place I need to be in three days' time."

"By accommodations is merely a day away from here and you should be back well before your deadline. I'll be sure that your efforts will be reasonably compensated." Sir Tucker wasn't sure whether he could trust the man. A simple escort job had fallen into his lap and although normally he would turn it down but since he didn't have any gold to his name he felt that it was for the best.

"Very well then you have my services." He was also surprised with how trusting the man was. Sir Tucker had only said that he was a knight but he carried no real proof with him and anyone could assume that he was just another thief who happened to be better equipped than the average.

"Great we will start out immediately. I know that it is a little late in the day but I think that it would be in both our best interests."

"Y-yeah sure." Sir Tucker did feel hungry but he thought that it would be best if he picked up some food along the way.

Only minutes after meeting this man Sir Tucker found himself walking alongside him back towards the man's home. He had learned that the man was named Kermit LeStrange and he was a merchant. Kermit had fell on some hard times but his latest winnings had given him some hope for the future.

One thing that Sir Tucker did tell the man was that he needed to stay close to him at all times and if he heard anything of concern to tell him immediately since it could be some thieves waiting to ambush them. Sir Tucker made sure that his hand wasn't too far away from the helm of his sword. If anyone would be foolish enough to try and steal from them he would make them regret their actions immediately.

The path they walked across was well used and it was slippy every now and again. If Sir Tucker wasn't careful he could slip over and break an ankle. It would be equally as bad if it happened to Kermit since it meant that Sir Tucker would have to carry him the rest of the way. Kermit was by no means the smallest man in Angleland so Sir Tucker would certainly struggle to carry him.

"You seem to have a large bruise on your face there," said Kermit as he saw the bruise that Sir Tucker had. By now the pain was beginning to subside but the inner pain he felt that was still as fresh as ever. "I take it that you were in a fight recently."

"In a way yes," replied Sir Tucker. His tone meant that he didn't really want to talk about it but for Kermit for some reason seemed to be oblivious to this.

"I hope that you won."

"No one won." His words seemed to be sad but he didn't try and get too sad or else it would show some weakness. At this point any show of weakness might show Kermit that he hired the wrong man for the job.

"Shame about that, when it comes to me and fights I tend to avoid them at all costs. To tell you the truth fighting never really solved anything. Same can be said for wars, in times of war a merchant can make a lot of money out of what little they have. Unfortunately their supplies might be very limited but in times of peace a merchant can trade without fear of being killed by soldiers or having their wares removed. Of course there are always going thieves and pirates but at least there are people who have nothing better to do than stop them. War might be profitable in the short term but when it comes to the big picture peace is a merchant's greatest ally."

"For a knight a time of peace can be boring I guess. I believe most strive to die a glorious death on the battlefield."

"That might be true for some but I bet you that if you asked most knights they would prefer to die as old men in bed rather than young on the battlefield. Besides the longer a person lives the more chance I can sell them something."

Kermit was definitely one of the most interesting people that Sir Tucker had ever met. There was no denying that although Kermit did sound cowardly what he was saying definitely made a lot of sense. It almost seemed that a mind like his was wasting in the merchant trade but it seemed that he had heard his calling. Where for Sir Tucker his calling had been to become a knight but for Kermit it had been to become a merchant.

"So do you have any ladies in your life my good sir?" asked Kermit as they continued to walk on. As they spoke neither man seemed to notice the distance that they were travelling and it made the trip seem shorter.

"Well I do but right now we've had a bit of a falling out," replied Sir Tucker. He didn't want to give too much away, especially the fact that the woman in question was a towering giantess.

"That is too bad to hear, I was married to my wife for twenty years before the Black Fever took her from me." There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he remembered his late wife, in his head he could see her face as if it was right in front of him.

"I'm sorry to hear that." The Black Fever had taken place around six years before and had taken many lives during the epidemic. Although not everyone who was infected with the disease killed by it but still a lot of people died.

"It is alright but what I found saddest about it was that I wasn't with her when she was fighting the disease. I was away on a venture and when I heard that she had the fever I raced back home as fast as I could to be by her side. Unfortunately before I could get there she was already dead and was even buried. That is one of my few regrets in life my good sir, it is something that I would never wish upon anyone."

This gave Sir Tucker something to really think about. He might have had a serious falling out at this point in time with Jessica but at least they had been together most of their lives. If he ever truly lost her he didn't know what he would do and it was probably the same for her if he died.

However he and Jessica still had some issues that they needed to iron out but Kermit's story had certainly put Sir Tucker's problems into prospective. The important thing was that Jessica was still alive and there was still a chance of patching things up.

"But enough about my lost loved one," said Kermit who probably wanted to make the conversation a little happier. "Tell me a little about your lady."

"What did you want to know?" He was a little confused about the request and he wanted to see exactly know. He wouldn't give him too many details but he thought a few brief descriptions wouldn't hurt.

"Well things like what she looks like and what is she like?"

"Ok she has long brown hair and hazel eyes that you could get lost in. She's a tall girl but is still as gentle as they come, it almost seemed like she would have done anything for me." He did feel a little sad as he spoke and it seemed that Kermit was picking up on this.

"That girl sounds like a keeper, you shouldn't allow something like a petty argument get in-between you. If anything a small amount of arguments is good for a relationship, it allows you to know what she's happy and unhappy about and vice versa. Then you can both compromise and come up with something that will make you both happy. The wife and I used to do that more often than not and it helped us with our marriage immensely. This might just be a little test from the gods to see if your relationship is made out of stone or quicksand. It is whether you come out the other end either stronger or weaker which is important. Of course arguing too much is a bad thing but in all relationships it is all about finding the right balance."

Suddenly the two men began to hear something inside of a nearby bush. Quickly they stopped and Sir Tucker got between the bush and Kermit in order to properly protect him. Part of him was telling himself that they should run with Kermit so that they could get to safety. But he was still feeling a little frustrated and needed something to vent some frustration and a would be thief would be the perfect punching bag.

Sir Tucker had Juggernaut in his hand as he expected to defend Kermit but this however came to naught as both men saw a fox jump out of the bush. This was disappointing for him because he had wanted some action but instead he just placed Juggernaut back in its sheath and turned to Kermit.

"False alarm there," said Sir Tucker. He could see that Kermit was a little nervous over what had happened but he was still in full control of his emotions. "We better keep moving, we don't know what exactly is out here."

Kermit couldn't help but agree with him and the pair continued on down the path. It was beginning to get late and Sir Tucker knew that it was the most dangerous time to be out on the path. They could be attacked from any direction and they wouldn't even be able to see it coming. He would just have to have his wits about him as there was a possibility for an eventful night.

One thing that Sir Tucker did consider was finding a spot to sleep for the night but that would leave them exposed to thieves as well. Although he was tired he did think that walking through the night was probably the best course of action. If they were able to get to Kermit's home in good time he would be able to get a good night's sleep there as well. It was just getting there which was going to be the hard part.

A couple of hours later and the daylight had completely disappeared and the world was bathed in darkness. Tonight also happened to be a full moon so there was moon light which could aid the men at all. This allowed the men a better view of the world around them then they normally had. It was still quite dark however.

Kermit did suggest that they lit a torch but Sir Tucker thought that it wouldn't be a very good idea since it meant that others would be able to see them. As long as they remained close together they wouldn't lose one another. In the past he had depended on Jessica for his protection but she wasn't here and now he had someone that he needed to protect. It did give him a couple of doubts but he wouldn't allow it to dictate his actions.

"Good sir may I suggest that we have a rest?" asked Kermit who seemed to be out of breath. "My legs are not as strong as they used to be."

"A break might be a good idea at this point but we must not stay long," replied Sir Tucker. He was listening out for anything that anything that remotely sounded like a thief approaching them. He remembered Sir Thomas Parker telling him stories about how he and other knights were sometimes tasked to go into the countryside and apprehend thieves and highwaymen. He had learned that most of them would do whatever it took to ensure their own freedom.

"I will not need long to catch my breath."

Not too far from the path was a large fallen log which the two were able to sit down upon almost like a chair. When Sir Tucker did sit down he felt a great relief of taking the weight off of his feet. He didn't realise just how tired he was before he had actually sat down and he would have liked nothing more than just to remain seated for the rest of the night and carry on in the morning.

Although Sir Tucker didn't want to admit it he was close to falling asleep, he might have spent a large portion of the day unconscious but he was still feeling tired. He did wonder what Jessica was doing and if she was safe. He didn't have to worry too much about the latter however since time and time again she had showed that she could look after herself. It would be very foolish for anyone or anything to try and get the better of her. There was still a part of him that was worried about her. She might be incredibly powerful but she wasn't invincible and one day she might be in a fight that even she couldn't win.

One thing that Sir Tucker did begin to hear was the howling of wolves. This put him somewhat on edge as he thought that there were wolves nearby. A lone wolf would probably not be too much of a problem but if they ran into a pack of them then the outcome might be very different.

There was one thing that he did find somewhat odd about the wolf howls. He had heard them numerous times before over the years but these ones didn't seem to be all that genuine. If anything they sounded like people imitating the sound of a wolf. He didn't know whether to be relieved of this or more intimidated. Either way it meant that he would have to stay near Kermit for the older man's protection.

"Sounds like there're wolves nearby," said Kermit who was somewhat scared although he still kept his composure.

"Those aren't wolves," replied Sir Tucker as they continued to walk. "Those are impersonations, goods ones at that but still impersonations nonetheless." He was constantly looking around to see if he could see anyone or anything that was a threat. The moonlight did help him but not as much as he would like.

They heard the howling sound again but this time it seemed to be much louder which indicated that whoever was making the noise was close by. This made Sir Tucker even more on edge and it was to the point that he felt the need to draw out Juggernaut. He also took his shield off of his back and kept a firm grasp of it. If anything were to attack he wanted to make sure that he was ready as he got up to his feet.

Sir Tucker did hear a sound which sounded somewhat like a hissing sound. Before he could even figure out what was going on he saw an explosion of light a few feet ahead of him. It had come unexpectedly and he had the misfortune of staring right at it when it happened. Because of this the sudden bright light after being in darkness for so long blinded both men. Despite being blinded Sir Tucker made sure to keep a hold of his sword and shield. He knew that there would be trouble coming at any moment.

"By the gods I can't see!" shouted Kermit who feared that he was now permanently blind. He was reaching out to try and grab something so that he had some bearings of the world around him.

"Stay close!" replied Sir Tucker sternly. He was ready to attack anything that he considered to be dangerous but without his sight he was at a serious disadvantage. He knew that it would be a miracle if he was able to get out of this situation alive.

The next thing that Sir Tucker heard was the laughter of several people and he began to slash his sword in an attempt to protect himself and Kermit. Throughout all he had been able to strike was thin air but he knew that at any moment they would be approached and attacked from any side.

Sir Tucker could hear his own heartbeat and a sweat ran down his brow. Now was the time to show that he had earned his recent knighthood but he knew that he was in an incredible amount of danger. He didn't have Jessica to rely on this time and he feared that he might not see her again.

In a way this situation was what Sir Tucker wanted, not because he was in danger but to prove himself that he could deal with it without the aid of Jessica. He had been telling himself that he could take care of himself but right now was his chance to prove it. Was he truly a man or a wimp?

Unfortunately Sir Tucker felt a strong blow to the back of his head and he fell to the ground. Once again he was falling unconscious and he was completely defenceless from his attacks as his mind faded once more.

For the last several minutes Jessica had been walking away from the spot where she and her best friend Sir Tucker had their falling out. She was angry by what had happened and she wasn't particularly looking where she was going. She even almost stepped on a small sheep that had just been able to dart out of the way before her enormous foot had come down. She was still at her maximum size and it seemed like she wasn't going to shrink herself down any time soon.

Jessica had just completed the third trial which had been one of the most difficult things that she ever had to do and now she was having to deal with a trial of a different kind. She only really saw her side of the argument with Sir Tucker, she didn't want to risk him getting seriously hurt and thus her actions had been justified in her view. She thought that even if she lived until she was one hundred and fifty years old she would still believe that she was in the right.

Inside Jessica had a lot of frustration that she wanted to vent but there was nothing that she could see that would do the trick. Unlike the previous time that she needed to vent her anger this was a wilderness full of life and even now her merest movements could be causing untold disaster.

One thing that Jessica couldn't figure out was why Sir Tucker was so angry with her when he had betrayed her in the past. She still remembered how they briefly became more than friends but he had betrayed her trust by losing his virginity to Gwen who could have had any man in the world. He stated that he had no other choice but she still believed that there was a way for him to have avoided it.

Nonetheless Jessica continued to walk and at her normal gigantic size she was making more progress than any man or horse could possibly hope to accomplish. She wasn't saying a word at all and just kept her thoughts to herself as she was constantly thinking. She wanted to get Sir Tucker out of her head but the more that she tried to force him out the more that she thought about him. There was one thing that he was right about, if they had remained together any longer at that moment in time things could have turned very ugly. Splitting up was the best course of action although she did contemplate on making the split up permanent. She contemplated ignoring Sir Tucker's three day request and simply returning to Morgan to be with her parents.

Jessica was regretting coming on the quest with Sir Tucker, she thought that she should have stayed home and helped her parents with their farm. She had been helping them with the farming for as long as she could remember, it was the only way that they could have fed her during her early childhood.

As time went by Jessica grew at an alarming rate and her appetite had also grown with her. Thankfully as she grew older her competence had also increased as she was able to use her size to make short work of jobs that would take numerous men many hours to complete.

She had been able to bring in the crops so quickly that many would have thought that magic was involved. In a way it was since Jessica's size was not natural but she still used her hands much like any farmer. Those had been happier days for her as she remembered working hard and eating what she needed at the end of the day. There was always enough food for her parents and some to sell to bring in some much needed gold to the farm.

However Jessica's happiness had its dark underbelly. The other villagers had never been comfortable around her and many wouldn't even venture near her farm. They would continually view her as a monster and even though she had since been able to reduce to her height she was still thought as dangerous.

There was one thing that was causing Jessica some discomfort and that was the growling sound in her belly. Her body was demanding food but she didn't have anything to satisfy it with. The last of the food was gone and she couldn't see any trees around which had any edible fruits.

One big disadvantage to her size and abilities was that she couldn't last without food for as long as a normal person. If she went a few short days without food she would likely die and it meant that she needed to find something to feed herself with. She did consider eating a nearby sheep but she didn't particularly want to kill one. Even when she had been young when it came to slaughtering farm animals she could never bring herself to do it. Her father would be the one who did any slaughtering and it would always be when she wasn't around. It went against her morals which she vowed to never break.

After a short time of walking Jessica saw something ahead that did give her some hope. It was a small building on what seemed to be farmland. She knew that it would be a long shot but nonetheless she began to shrink in size as she approached it and she hoped that the farmer would be able to help her. She wouldn't simply ask for free food and a place to stay, she had wanted to offer her services in a form of payment. She still knew how to maintain a farm and any jobs that needed doing she could confidently do.

By the time Jessica reached the farmhouse she had shrunk to her smallest size. Carefully she walked towards the front door and she noticed that the doorknob was particularly low. She found it odd but it was still an average sized door. However she still towered above it but this was something that she was used to. She still held the map but she hid it down her back behind her dress. It was unlikely to fall down and at least then she would have her hands free if needed.

Jessica knocked on the door and waited a few moments before it swung open. She did see a man standing there but she was surprised to see how short he was. He couldn't have been any more than four feet tall and his body looked to be squashed down, to some it would look humorous but Jessica saw no comedy in it. He did have short brown hair and a somewhat pointy nose. Many from a distance would have thought that he was a child but Jessica could see that this was no child but a fully grown adult.

The little man looked up at Jessica with some astonishment. He had been looking up at people practically all of his life but never had he had to look up to anyone as much as her. She was easily twice as tall as he was and there was a small streak of fear that ran through his body. However he didn't back down as he had to deal with bigger people all of his life and now seemed to be no different.

"Is there something that you want or do you just like to knock on random doors," said the man. He was getting a stiff neck from having to look up at her but he refused to make her stoop down to his level. People had often done that to him and he found it very condescending to say the least.

"I apologise for disturbing you but I am a weary traveller and was hoping that you could provide me with a roof over my head and some food to fill my belly," replied Jessica. She made sure that her tone was respectful. The last thing she wanted to do was to offend this man.

"A big girl like you will eat me out of house and home before the morrow. I have barely enough to feed myself and the wife without having to worry about the likes of you. Be gone with you and find somewhere else."

"Please my good sir if it is payment that you need then I offer my services. I have spent my entire life on a farm and know almost every job you could possibly want. I promise you if you show me this kindness I will be able to repay you with the work of ten, no twenty men as a sign of my gratitude."

"So you think you know how farm life works eh?" He had a curious look in his eye. He could tell when someone was lying and Jessica didn't seem to show the signs of this. In his eyes this meant that she was either telling the truth or just a really good liar.

"Yes, I've lived on a farm all my life and I know how to work on one. Please sir, I am tired and I would be more that thankful for any assistance."

"Who is it?" asked a female voice that sounded like it came from inside the house. The man quickly turned around.

"It's no one dear," replied the man as he wanted to get rid of Jessica and live through the rest of his life in peace.

It was only a couple of moments later that Jessica saw a woman approach the man. She was a short woman who still stood just over a foot tall than her husband but this only just put her over five feet tall. She was probably one of the most beautiful women that Jessica had ever seen with long raven black hair and blue eyes that were instantly noticeable. She wore a long brown dress but the most striking thing about her was the fact that she was heavily pregnant. From the size of her belly she thought that the woman was close to giving birth. She had a more pleasant expression on her face in comparison to the man who Jessica figured to be her husband.

"My you're a big girl aren't you?" said the woman in astonishment at Jessica's height. When she was at this house she was used to being the tallest person there but seeing someone like Jessica made her blurt these words out. She didn't really think about what she was saying and the words just slipped out.

"And she was just leaving," replied the man who was about to shut the door on her and forget about her.

"Wait what does she want?"

"I am just requesting for a place to sleep and some food for the night and in payment I am willing to work on your farm until you see the debt is paid. I have a lifetime of experience working on farms so I'm sure that I can help."

"You sure can, if I was as tall as you I'm sure there would be many farming chores I could do a lot better." The man turned to his wife for a moment and remained quiet, he wanted to force Jessica way but he didn't want to insult his wife by forcing the conversation to end early. "Please tell me your name."

"My name is Jessica." She considered calling the woman a lady but she thought that the farmers might take it the wrong way. "I know that it might be a burden on you to have me stay and if you don't want me here I will leave."

"Nonsense, you seem like a nice girl and I'm sure that we can find some room for you." There was a smile on her face and the man didn't seem to be too impressed with what was happening.

"But Wanda," he said but before he could say another word he saw his wife stare down at him with an annoyed expression.

"No buts." She snapped at her husband before looking back up at Jessica. "We should have some food but maybe not enough to fill you completely." She could guess that from Jessica's size that she ate much more than the average person.

"Thank you and I will graciously accept anything that you offer me." Jessica made sure that her words were genuine, the last thing she wanted to do was to make the couple think that she was dishonest.

"I'm sure you will, we were just about to have some supper, you're more than welcome to join us."

"I would like nothing more."

The woman took a few steps inside the house and the man with some reluctance stepped aside. Jessica ducked to get under the doorframe and she was careful when she stood up to her full height. Roughly about six inches before she stood up straight her head softly struck the ceiling. For the couple this had never been a problem but for Jessica she definitely wouldn't be able to live in a house with such a low ceiling.

As Jessica walked inside the farmhouse reminded her a lot of her own in Morgan. It seemed cosy and it made her think about her mother and father who were still at home. She wondered if they missed her and if they were worried about her health. She was more than capable of looking after herself but a parent's love knew almost no limits. Even if she became a goddess they would still worry about her.

After walking forward a short distance before she saw a table that had food prepared on it. The food was half eaten and it was obvious to her that she had disturbed the couple while they had been eating their supper. This made her feel guilty but soon enough the couple re-entered the room. Wanda showed Jessica a seat for her to sit on at the table and with a small amount of reluctance she did sit down. There was a creaking noise as Jessica sat down upon it and she was worried that it wouldn't support her weight. On more than one occasion she had sat down on a chair and it had broken under her weight, these occasions hadn't caused any injuries to her but had simply been embarrassing.

A few moments after sitting down the woman brought Jessica some bread and a beaker of water. It wasn't much but right now it was all that they could spare her, not to be ungrateful Jessica began to eat what she had given and she saw the couple continue to eat their own food. She noticed that the man had a chair which was higher than that of his wife thanks to his small stature.

"So what brings you out here by yourself?" asked Wanda as she made sure that all of her food had been swallowed before she spoke. She looked at Jessica who was taking another bite of her bread.

"Oh I was going on a journey with a friend of mine," replied Jessica. She could see that Wanda was interested with what she was saying but her husband was not interested. He was just eating the soup and paid no attention to her.

"And where is your friend?" She seemed curious to know the answer as Jessica had come to them alone.

"We had a little disagreement so we've decided to spend a little time apart. I'm planning to find him later but for now we're just blowing off some steam."

"I hope that you can make things work." She then suddenly realised something that made her feel embarrassed. "My apologises but I never asked your name."

"My name is Jessica. And I must apologise to you as well since I have not learned yours yet."

"I humbly accept your apologise. My name is Wanda the antisocial love of my life there is Brian. He's my favourite little man." Both women heard Brian grunting as he ate his food, if anyone else had called him little he would have likely beaten them within an inch of their lives. Since Wanda was his wife and he loved her more than life itself he would allow it to slide. "And if you don't mind me saying you are by far the tallest person I've ever seen. How tall are you?"

"When I last measured myself I was eight feet in height but it is likely that I have grown since then." She didn't want to mention just yet that she could make herself even bigger than that. She did think that her smallest height had increased since she left Morgan. She thought that she was at least an inch or two taller than when she started out but until she was properly measured she would never know.

"My that is tall, when I was younger I always wanted to be tall but unfortunately the gods decided to make me the height that I am. As you can imagine Brian wished to be taller as well except the gods were not as favourable with him than me." She took a look over to him and he hadn't really listened to what they were talking about. "But I still love him no matter how tall or short he is." She smiled over at him and Jessica could see her real beauty, Brian did look up and smile back at his wife. Wanda did look back over to Jessica who seemed to be admiring the relation that the couple shared.

"I also see that you're expecting an addition to your family." She was obvious referring to Wanda's pregnancy. It was incredibly difficult to not notice her large belly which was carrying a hopefully healthy baby.

"No I just have a weight problem." Her words were quick and there seemed to be some anger behind them which made it seem like she was telling the truth.

"Oh I am so sorry." Jessica knew that she had just made a big mistake and wanted to make sure that Wanda and Brian know that she very sorry about what she had just said. "I just thought that..."

"Don't worry." Wanda began to laugh and she even noticed Brian smiling as well. "I'm only having a laugh." She laughed for a few more moments as Jessica sat there awkwardly. She felt that she had just saved herself from more embarrassment than she could probably cope with. "Yeah Brian and I have a little one on the way, our little bundle of joy should be coming in the next few weeks." She gave her belly a rub and she looked down at it with some joy. She couldn't wait for her first child to be born and especially with the man she loved by her side.

"Congratulations. I hope that it is healthy." She thought a little about herself when she said this. She still remembered her parents telling her about her own birth and how if not for the potion that gave her abilities she would have died. She knew that if she was born healthier there would have been no need for the potion. She would have lived a simple peasant life and would have most likely lived and died without ever seeing Angleland.

"I have no doubt that our baby will be strong enough to live. With genes like ours it'll have an unfair advantage." There was some pride in her voice but she knew that it was very unlikely that the child would be that strong upon adulthood. Its parents were not the largest people in the land by any stretch of the imagination. She did truly hope that their child did live since losing children at a young age was difficult for any parent to endure no matter how high or low they were born. "You could say that you've come at an ideal time, we have crops that need to be harvested and with my condition I won't be any help."

"So you better make good on your promise," replied Brian to Jessica who was finally talking to Jessica for the first time since they had sat down. "You told me that you can do the work of twenty men. I seriously doubt it but I am more than willing to give you a chance but if you fail which most likely you will I will hold you accountable. You will have to stay here until you've fulfilled the work that you have promised."

Jessica could tell that Brian didn't like her very much and she didn't really know why. She thought it was perhaps she was so tall and he was so short. He probably had people pointing and laughing at him whenever he went outside of his farm. She could understand his distrust to people that he didn't know. She wanted to keep her true size a secret for now, she planned to use them to fulfil her promise.

"I will do as much as I can," said Jessica. She made sure that she was still respectful to him for allowing her to be under his roof and eat some of his precious food. "And hopefully you'll be satisfied with the work."

"I doubt it but it will be handy to have an extra pair of hands on the field. It is difficult for a man to harvest the crops all by himself."

"Leave her be," said Wanda to her husband. She could see that he was being harsh on Jessica for no real reason. "I apologise but my husband isn't the most hospitable man in Angeland."

"There is no need to be sorry," replied Jessica. "If anything I should be thankful for allowing me to eat at your table." She took a big gulp out of the water she had been given and Brian look and he couldn't help but be impressed. He imagined how much beer she could drink if she were thirsty.

"There is one thing that I do regret to tell you. There isn't anywhere that comfortable for you so might not have a good night sleep."

"That's fine, as long as I'm warm and dry that's all that really matters."

Jessica couldn't help but think about where Sir Tucker was going to sleep. Even though there was still some anger towards one another she still worried about him. She knew that he was resourceful and that he would find somewhere to sleep. She also thought about what would have happened if both of them had gone to the farmhouse. Most likely they would have been turned away die to lack of room and food.

When she and Sir Tucker were younger he had tried to help her out with some farm work but he had struggled to complete most of the work, back then he was still training to be a blacksmith and farming just wasn't in his blood. She had found it somewhat humorous to watch him try and work the farm but she would step in and give him a small hand. He would always appreciate it and they had simply been friends at that point.

After the supper Wanda felt very tired as she was struggling to move around properly thanks to her pregnancy. Brian showed a lot of concern towards his wife as he tried to help her as best as he could. He might not have been the same height as an average sized man but his love for her made up for what he lacked in feet and inches. It did surprise Jessica as Brian had acted mainly cold towards her but with Wanda it seemed like he couldn't do enough for her. It was just one of those things in her mind.

Jessica was led to a small room inside the farmhouse which seemed like a small prison cell rather than an actual room. There was a small bed and table inside and it was meant for when a family member stayed at the house. Like the other rooms she couldn't stand up straight in it and if she were to lie down she wouldn't be able to sleep straight. There was a small opening in the wall that acted as a form of window but it was cold so that the cool breeze couldn't creep inside.

As Jessica lay down on the bed she heard it creaking loudly under her weight and she feared that it might collapse. Thankfully it was able to carry her weight and she covered herself with the duvet that was on the bed. She knew that she would need to get as much sleep as she could because it was very likely that she would have to wake up very early in the morning to start the farm work. If this farm was anything like her own an early start was the most likely occurrence.

Slowly Jessica began to drift to sleep and she could hear the calls of some of the animals outside and it made her feel at home. If anything the calls were relaxing her more and she began to forget about the quest and what had happened between her and Sir Tucker. She felt like she was home.

One thing that she did take some discomfort in was the fact that she didn't have Sir Tucker in her arms. She had gotten used to sleep with him in her arms and the fact that he wasn't there gave her an uneasy feeling. No matter how relaxed she was she still felt that something was missing. She would never truly feel comfortable until Sir Tucker was back with her but right now she didn't want to admit it.

Jessica did drift into a dream eventually but it wasn't one that she could say was very pleasant. It was not a nightmare but one that didn't make her feel good inside as she dreamt, she could make heads or tails of it either. It was one of those dreams that a person would forget about the instant that they woke up. At the time she didn't realise that she was dreaming and was just going with whatever happened.

Little did Jessica know about what had happened to Sir Tucker. If she had of known it wasn't too clear whether she would go and help him. A part of her would have done anything she could to protect him while the other did want him to try and get himself out of the situation. It had been exactly what he had been asking for but now that it was happening it wasn't very clear on whether things would be the same.

Sir Tucker's world began to come alive around him again. He felt some pain in his head and a small amount of shame for being knocked unconscious twice on the same day. He wanted to groan at the pain that he was experiencing but he kept it to himself because he knew that he was not in the safest of positions.

The next thing Sir Tucker tried to do was move and he discovered that he couldn't. He was not completely paralysed but he did discover that his hands and feet were tied to one another making any significant movement practically impossible. He began to look around at the world around him and he discovered that he was in some kind of small wooden hut. There was nothing around there of significance but he did notice that Kermit was sitting next to him. The older man had not regained consciousness yet but it was obvious that both men were in big trouble. His vision had returned to him so that was at least one thing that he was thankful for.

One unfortunate detail that Sir Tucker noticed was the fact that both Juggernaut and his shield were gone. This would be a major blow to any kind of escape plan since without them escaping would be very difficult. He thought that it was wise for his captors to take away his weapons away but it didn't make it any less annoying.

There was something else that Sir Tucker could tell and that was that wherever they were they were not alone. He could hear numerous people outside of the hut and it almost sounded like it was some kind of celebration. It was no celebration that he wanted to be a part of and now escape was the only thing that he could think about.

"Kermit," said Sir Tucker fairly quietly so that anyone outside couldn't hear him. Unfortunately there was no response from the older man. "Kermit!" His voice was louder this time and it caused Kermit to begin to stir. He groaned quite loudly as he came to. The groan was so loud that Sir Tucker feared that the people outside might hear but thankfully if they did none of them investigated.

"W-Where am I?" asked Kermit as he was regaining consciousness. His confusion was even greater than that of Sir Tucker.

"Kermit are you alright?"

"Sir Tucker?" The memories of what had happened began to return to him and he looked over to Sir Tucker. He was happy to see a familiar face but he could see that they were both tied up. "W-what happened?"

"I think we were ambushed." He tried to move his hands which were tied behind his back with no success. "The worst thing we can do now is panic, there has to be a way of getting ourselves free."

"You could cut the ropes with your sword." There was some optimism in the voice of Kermit as he hoped beyond hope that he could somehow get them out of this situation. The odds however were not very good.

"No they took my sword and even if I did have it my hands are tied behind my back. I wouldn't have been able to use it." He continued to move his wrists in the hope that he could wiggle his hands free but whoever had tied them knew what they were doing. There was no room for his wrists to move.

"Maybe we could find something to cut ourselves free." Both men quickly began to look around to see if there was anything sharp to cut the ropes on. Unfortunately there was nothing remotely sharp inside the hut so it seemed that cutting themselves free was something that wasn't going to happen.

"There's no two ways about it. We're stuck and the only thing that we can do is wait for whoever captured us to return. Can't say that it is something I'm particularly looking forward to be right now I'm all out of ideas."

"I was afraid that this might happen." He looked over to Sir Tucker for a moment. "Some security you turned out to be." There was some anger in his voice as he felt that Sir Tucker had failed in his duties. He had been hired for one reason and it seemed like he had failed in every way.

"I was taken by surprise, no one could have prepared for that." He was standing by this statement as he genuinely had not expected what had happened. Arguing about it wouldn't solve their problem either so for now Sir Tucker was going to forget about it and simply continue to try and figure a way out.

Their privacy was disturbed when they saw a man entering the hut. He was a very muscular man with long brown hair and a thick beard. It looked as if he hadn't had a haircut or a shave for many years. One of the most striking things about him was that he was wearing a wolf pelt which covered his upper body. He definitely had an intimidating appearance but to Kermit this was nothing. The older man hated being tied up like this and he wanted to be free as soon as possible.

"How dare you take us prisoner you brute!" shouted Kermit who was not keeping his voice down at all. He didn't care if the gods themselves could hear him. All that was left of him was anger. "I demand that you release us immediately and return to us what rightfully belongs to us."

"I think you better shut up," replied Sir Tucker quietly who could see that antagonising this giant of a man would not help them in the slightest.

"Do you hear me?" Kermit had completely ignored Sir Tucker's warning as he continued to antagonise the man. "If you don't release us right now you will suffer the King's Justice first hand."

Rather than being terrified the man simply laughed and his voice was booming. It was so loud that Sir Tucker would have covered his ears if his hands had been free. As he laughed Sir Tucker could see that the man had some missing teeth and the ones that were remaining were all yellow.

"You're definitely joking if you think the King cares about a shit stain on the map like this," said the man as he laughed again. "You've got more chance of getting help from the gods rather than him." He took a few steps towards Kermit and picked him up effortlessly. Kermit was not a small man by any stretch of the imagination but this man lifted him up with ease. Sir Tucker figured that he was as strong as Jessica when she was at her smallest and that filled him with dread.

"Unhand me at once!" Kermit struggled as much as he could but with his hands and feet tied there was not much that he could do. Sir Tucker was also helpless but to watch Kermit get taken out of the hut. He felt powerless to do anything and he felt that if he had his sword then he would have been in no danger.

A small part of him wanted Jessica to just burst onto the scene and free him but he was determined to get out of this situation by himself. Some help would have been appreciated but he didn't want to keep depending on Jessica to get him out of trouble when times got tough. He was a knight and now was the perfect time to show that he had earned his knighthood.

Sir Tucker was not alone for long as he saw the man re-enter the hut and without saying a word also picked him up as easily as he had picked up Kermit. Unlike Kermit Sir Tucker didn't resist and just allowed it to happen. If he had of resisted it was likely that he wouldn't have gotten anywhere anyway.

When Sir Tucker was outside of the hut he could see numerous other people there. Most of them were around an enormous fire which was burning brightly making it almost seem like it was daytime. There were several other huts there as well but one thing that Sir Tucker noticed was that everyone there was also wearing wolf pelts much like the man carrying him. This gave him a feeling of uneasiness as by now he knew that both he and Kermit were in serious trouble.

Sir Tucker could see an equal amount of men and women all around him but he couldn't see any children, he didn't know whether this was a blessing or the sign of something more sinister. From where he was he could feel the heat of the fire and it was a very uncomfortable feeling, he didn't know how the others could stand it. The fact that they were wearing wolf pelts made it seem like they could easily catch on fire.

After being carried for a minute or so Sir Tucker was unceremoniously dropped on the ground and he landed hard. He feared that he had broken something but before he could check he felt himself get sat up properly. He looked and saw that he was sitting right next to Kermit once again. He had no idea what was happening but he could hear some of the people around him beginning to howl.

Above them was a full moon that lit up the night sky and under normal circumstances it looked beautiful. However from Sir Tucker's prospective it was anything but, he knew that it was the reason for his kidnapping to have taken place. He wanted to believe that he could find a way out of the situation but the more he looked the more that it seemed that he might indeed be doomed.

There was one almighty loud howl which caused the others to stop howling. They all began to gather around near where Sir Tucker and Kermit were sitting and only the crackling of the fire could be heard. Sir Tucker could feel his heartbeat increase and he was probably more terrified than he had ever been in his life. He didn't show his fear however as he knew that it wouldn't help anything.

Eventually Sir Tucker saw a man carrying a staff walk in-between them and the fire. He was still a good distance away from the fire to not have to worry about being burned. The others that he had seen around him had been wearing brown wolf pelts this man was wearing one that was completely white. Sir Tucker had heard of an affliction which many animals including humans were born with. This affliction made them completely white in both skin and hair and normally gave the sufferer purple eyes. He figured that the wolf pelt was no different as the wolf had suffered this affliction before it had died.

This man also seemed to be older than the others that Sir Tucker had seen around him. Despite his age the man seemed to be strong looking but his eyes couldn't be seen as the pelt covered the top of his head and left his eyes shadowed. The people around him were absolutely quiet in respect to him. For Sir Tucker he knew that this only meant trouble and that there was a good chance that he and Kermit wouldn't be leaving this place alive.

"Welcome my children," said the old man with enough volume in his voice to be easily heard by everyone around him. "This night we have once again been blessed by the full moon, the source of all life in Angleland." Sir Tucker expected the people to cheer but instead they remained silent. This made him feel unnerved but he saw how this man walked around. "On this night we pray to Aristoteles God of the Moon and to Laytos Goddess of the creatures of the forest. Since time eternal we have prayed and sacrificed to these gods and we will continue on until the end of time. Not to do so will be an insult to the gods and we can surely invoked their wrath. Step forth the champion of this full moon and allow me to offer him thy blessing." Sir Tucker saw as the man who had carried them to this spot stepped forward and bowed down to the older man. His head was dipped with submission and it seemed strange for such an intimidating man to be bowing to one that looked significantly weaker than him. "Ronan, tonight you have been elected to be the champion of Aristoteles and the defender of Laytos. Do you accept your position?"

"I do," replied Ronan. His voice seemed to be much quieter than the priest's and it came as some surprise to Sir Tucker. "With all of my strength and life I will fulfil this duty as the gods see fit."

"And do you promise protect those of the clan?"

"I do, from this breath until my last our clan will be under our protection. All who stand against our beliefs and practices will be destroyed."

"Rise then Ronan." He watched as Ronan got up to his feet and as he slammed the butt of his staff into the ground the top of it began to smoke. The top was covered by the lower jaw of a wolf but the people around seemed to be excited to see the smoke. "I name you the Lunar Warrior of our Clan. The mightiest of our warriors and protector of our beliefs, but your title requires one more action on your half."

"Name it wise one and it shall be done." He knew what needed to be done but for ceremonial reasons he still spoke the words. If he had not done this the others would have called foul.

"Before you sit two outsiders." The priest pointed his staff over to where Sir Tucker and Kermit were sitting. Sir Tucker had a sinking feeling in his gut as he could imagine what was next. "You must sacrifice them in fire to fulfil your destiny and truly become the champion of the clan."

"The deed shall be done."

Ronan took a few steps towards the two sitting men. Sir Tucker tried to make himself free but unfortunately he still couldn't move. He was helpless but to watch Kermit get grabbed by Ronan and get picked up with ease. He could hear Kermit demanding to be put down but as Ronan carried him towards the fire his cries were more of fear rather than anger. He could feel the heat blasting him in the face and in a manner of seconds he would be one with the fire unless Sir Tucker could do something to save him.

"Wait!" shouted Sir Tucker so loud that everyone could hear him. Ronan turned to look at him along with the priest. Everyone watching also looked at him but he knew that he only had a few seconds to save both himself and Kermit before it was too late. "I demand a trial by combat."

"Your demand is ignored outsider," replied the Priest. "Your sacrifices will continue as planned."

"But you are condemning two men to death without a just cause. A trial by combat has been declared and you have no choice but to accept. Even your gods decreed such a trial and by ignoring them you will be insulting your own gods." There was a lot of chatter between the clan members and for a few moments Ronan just stood there and was unsure what to do. The priest hated to admit it but Sir Tucker was right. A trial by combat was one of the most ancient laws of Angleland and decreed by the gods themselves. That included Aristoteles and Laytos.

"Very well then outsider." He hated what he was about to do but to keep the integrity of his clan and to keep in line with the laws of the gods. "I suspect that you will be defending both your own life and that of your friend."

"Indeed, I fight for both my life and my companion's. I am a knight of the realm and I am more than capable of being my own champion."

"I declare Ronan to be our champion. His might is great and is yet to be defeated in combat. Your efforts are only delaying the inevitable."

"Oh I know that I'm going to die but I'd prefer if it took place in sixty years in my bed and surrounded by more gold than the King." He was confident but underneath he was actually quite nervous. He was going to have to get out of this situation knowing that Jessica wasn't going to be there to help him. However he felt that as long as he had his sword and shield he could defeat anyone.

"Your humour is pathetic but in all seriousness the trial by combat will take place immediately on the fighting grounds. It will take place within the next fifteen minutes, I hope that you are ready."

"Well I would be if I wasn't already tied up." He would have liked nothing more than to be free but of course the ropes prevented him from doing this.

The priest nodded towards a pair of other men who approached Sir Tucker. One of them was holding a knife but rather than stabbing him it the knife was used to cut the ropes that had kept him bound up. Kermit saw what was happening and he hoped that he too would be freed but he had no such luck. Instead the two men grabbed Sir Tucker's arms and forced him up to his feet. This was simply so that he couldn't escape from them, he had no intention of doing this without Kermit but the clan members didn't want to take any chances. For all they knew Sir Tucker was a lie and a cheat.

The majority of the clan members made their way to the fighting grounds which was nothing more than a patch of ground with some rope around it which indicated the boundaries. These grounds were mainly used for sport but with moments like this it was used to decide the fate of a man. The light of the large fire could still be seen and it provided the pit with all the light that it needed.

Within moments the clan members had completely surrounded the fighting grounds which made it impossible for anyone to escape from. There was some excitement from the crowd as they were looking forward to seeing Sir Tucker get killed by Ronan who was already standing on the opposite side. Sir Tucker was standing on his own side with the two clan members still holding onto his arms. Kermit was being held by one of the other clan members but he could still see what was going on.

The Priest stepped out from the other clan members and made his way to the centre of the fighting grounds. He lifted his staff up into the air and almost instantly everyone around him became silent. Sir Tucker could see him clearly and there was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was going to go very badly very quickly. All he could do was hope that his skill was enough.

"The outsider has demanded his trial by combat and under the laws of the gods we have no choice but to accept," said the Priest although there didn't seem to be much regret in his voice. "Ronan has been selected to be the champion of our people." Ronan lifted his arms up into the air and the crowd began to cheer. "And the outsider has been determined to be his own champion. The rules of this trial is simple, the first man to kill his opponent or force him to give up is the victor."

"I demand that my weapons are returned to me," replied Sir Tucker as he interrupted the Priest. He had become a little worried that they weren't going to be returned to him before the trial.

"Oh you misinterpret outsider. Our trial by combat is completely unarmed. Neither combatant has any weapons or armour." He nodded again to the two clan members holding onto Sir Tucker's arms and quickly they began to remove his armour so that he didn't have any protection. "Both combatants are required to battle in hand to hand combat without any outside influences. Disqualifications can take place if either a weapon is used or if there is outside interference. Either way these actions will not be tolerated and the guilty party will be executed immediately."

Sir Tucker looked over to Ronan and he just realised that his chances of victory had just fallen significantly. With his weapons he felt that he had stood a chance against this muscle bound brute but with just his bare hands he knew that he was in for a lot of trouble. While he was in Morgan he had learned some hand to hand combat but he didn't think that it would be enough for him to comfortably take on someone like Ronan. It seemed that only a miracle could save him now.

Ronan took a few steps towards the centre of the fighting grounds and Sir Tucker felt a similar push in his back which indicated that he had to do the same. He continued to walk and as he got closer to Ronan he saw that his opponent was around half a foot taller than him and easily outweighed him. The Priest was still standing there as he was ready to start the battle at any moment.

"We are here tonight to witness the trial by combat between the Champion of the Clan Ronan and the Outsider," said the Priest. He hadn't bothered to learn Sir Tucker's name and it seemed like it wouldn't matter in a few moments. "May the gods favour the righteous party."

With that the Priest stepped out of the fighting arena and that was a clear indication that the trial had begun. Sir Tucker could see a sadistic smile on the face of Ronan who could see that he had a clear physical advantage over his opponent. He was known as one of the strongest warriors in the clan, on more than one occasion he had been able to kill a man with his bare hands. It seemed like Sir Tucker would be no different.

Sir Tucker himself was moving around and looking at Ronan as he tried to spot any kind of weakness in the man. This wouldn't be easy though as he could see that Ronan seemed to be in his prime with no obvious injuries. He also made sure that there was a safe distance between himself and Ronan.

The crowd were beginning to get restless as they had wanted to see Ronan destroy Sir Tucker. They were calling out for blood but none of them were willing to step in as they knew the consequences of such actions. All they could do was watch and wait for Ronan to do what needed to be done.

Sir Tucker did remember a particular move that he had been taught by Sir Thomas back in the day. It was meant for an unarmed knight to be able to take down a larger opponent. The only thing was that he would have to get to Ronan from behind and from the looks of it that wouldn't be an easy task.

Ronan lunged at Sir Tucker who wasn't able to get out of the way in time. Ronan's speed had taken him by surprise as he had not expected someone of Ronan's size to be able to move so quickly. He felt himself get grabbed around the waist and then effortlessly picked up into the air and then slammed onto the ground. The move had winded Sir Tucker as he began to gasp for air.

There was a loud cheer from the crowd as Sir Tucker's body was slammed into the ground but the only person who wasn't cheering was Kermit would could see that his life was coming close to an end. He could see that Sir Tucker was outclassed and he felt that he couldn't watch this take place. He closed his eyes and began to pray to the gods for some kind of miracle.

Ronan quickly got back up to his feet and tried to stomp down on Sir Tucker's head. The smaller man was just able to get out of the way before Ronan's foot came down. He too got back to his feet but he was still gasping for air. It was a moment of respite for him but if things carried on the way that it was things would be over before they had even begun. He wasn't sure but he thought that one of his ribs might have been cracked as he could still feel much pain.

"Give up outsider and I promise that your end will be quick," said Ronan as if he was offering Sir Tucker a favourable deal.

"No," replied Sir Tucker. "Maybe if you gave up I'd make your end quick." He knew that this wouldn't likely happen but he thought that a bit of taunting would likely make Ronan make a mistake.

"You throw my offer back in my face?" This seemed to enrage Ronan. "I will make your end slow and agonising!"

With that Ronan lunged at Sir Tucker but this time he was expecting it so he was able to just get out of the way before Ronan could touch him. It was a sidestep that he had learned during his swordplay training. He could see that Ronan was angered and he knew that this was a good thing. Although his opponent would be more determined it also made him sloppy and a lot easier to dodge.

Sir Tucker was right behind Ronan but he knew that he didn't have enough time to do what he needed to do so instead he dived at Ronan's leg. This caused the larger man to go down and also caused some damage to his leg as well. This was a point of weakness that Sir Tucker had been looking for and in the end he had created it himself.

He still remembered the lessons that Sir Peter had given him all those years ago. He had told him that by taking down the legs made it incredibly difficult for an opponent to move around. Even the fasted of opponents couldn't around move without their legs. He knew that all he needed to do was to focus on Ronan's right leg and it would weaken him enough for him to finish him off.

Despite spotting this weakness victory would still be hard fought as Ronan still had more than enough fight left in him to cause Tucker a lot of problems and the fact that he was still incredibly strong. Ronan could still easily take down Sir Tucker if he could get his hands on him.

"Come on mighty Ronan," said Sir Tucker as he decided to mock his opponent. He knew that it wasn't very honourable but it was exactly what he needed to do to keep Ronan distracted. "My girlfriend is stronger than you." He knew this to be true and although Jessica was no longer his girlfriend in the romantic sense Ronan didn't know this and purely thought that he was being mocked.

"You dare suggest a woman is stronger than me!" replied Ronan in a very angry voice. He was still feeling some pain in his leg but he seemed capable of carrying on. "I will send her your ashes and tell her that you died a coward!"

Sir Tucker for a moment thought about what might happen if Ronan did take whatever was left of his body back to Jessica. Most likely he would tell her what he had done and Sir Tucker knew that Jessica wouldn't be too pleased with this. Even though they had a falling out he knew that she would still be very sad if he died and he couldn't think what might happen to the one responsible.

Ronan lunged at Sir Tucker again but this time due to his leg he was a little slower than he had been before. Sir Tucker saw this and again sidestepped out of the way and quickly gave Ronan a quick kick to his right leg. It didn't seem to do all that much damage but enough of them would eventually get him results.

The other clan members were getting restless as they had expected Ronan to be completely on top but much to their surprise Sir Tucker was actually giving him a decent run for his money. The Priest in particular didn't want Sir Tucker to win since without a sacrifice that night things might turn out badly for him and the other clan members. He would have loved nothing more than to step in and have Sir Tucker completely overwhelmed by the other clan members but that would break the rules of the trial and most likely the wrath of the gods would fall upon them.

Sir Tucker was still moving around fast and it seemed that he finally had the speed advantage over Ronan. Unfortunately he didn't have the strength but as long as he could make some quick attacks and then back away out of reach he thought that he would be fine. It was working for him so far and he felt that if he kept it up he thought that he was more or less going to win.

However Sir Tucker got too overconfident and he found himself in a bear hug from Ronan. The large man had wrapped both of his arms around Sir Tucker and began to squeeze tightly. He could feel the wind being taken out of him and both his arms were trapped by Ronan. From his prospective there didn't seem to be any way out for him as he felt the life being squeezed out of his body.

Jessica had been sound asleep in her small bed. She wasn't dreaming about anything in particular but she was suddenly awoken by the door to her room being opened loudly. Slowly she opened her eyes and she could see Brian standing there with what seemed to be a crossbow. What was somewhat surprising for her was the fact that the crossbow was scaled down to his size.

At first Jessica thought that she was in some kind of dream, she knew that it couldn't be morning yet unless the Brian and his wife started their work before dawn. It was possible but she felt that it was unlikely. When she fully realised that he was carrying a crossbow she thought that he intended to shoot her with it, it would be a big mistake on his part but before she acted she wanted to see what he did first.

"W-What is it?" asked Jessica as she was still half asleep. She was ready to grow at any moment but since she was a guest under his roof she would show some restraint. Besides she didn't particularly like hurting people.

"Come on get up," replied Brian. There was much annoyance in his voice but Jessica sense that it was not her that was the target of her anger.

"What's happening?" She slowly got back up to her feet but unfortunately she forgot how low the ceiling was and she felt a sharp impact on her head. She crouched down a little and rubbed her head. If she hadn't been fully awake before she was now.

"Some fucking thieves are trying to steal my livestock again!" His voice was angry but still quite quiet. Jessica assumed that it meant that Wanda was still asleep and he didn't want to disturb her. "You and I are going to find them and make sure none of my livestock. I ain't going to make ends meet if my cattle keep getting stolen. Now hurry before they escape." He was in no mood to wait. This had not been the first time that this had happened to him but he intended this to be the last.

Jessica followed Brian outside of the house and even though he was small in stature he could move quickly. It only took them a few moments before they were outside and in the darkness not much could be seen. Brian lifted his crossbow up in anticipation to fire it at one of the thieves. Jessica looked around and she couldn't see anything abnormal, everything looked to be calm and all she could hear were a few animal noises.

"Are you sure that there's anyone out here?" asked Jessica as she took a look around. She did have a much higher vantage point than Brian but he seemed more than certain that there was someone there.

"Yeah they're out here," replied Brian. "I can smell them." He took a few steps forwards and was constantly looking around. At that moment in time he couldn't see anyone out there but he knew the thieves were there. "If you see one of them show them no mercy." She wasn't sure if he was joking in that respect but from his tone of voice she could tell that he meant every word. "You go in that direction." He pointed towards an area where he wanted Jessica to look. "And I'll look in this direction." He pointed towards another area which was in the opposite direction to where he had originally pointed. "We'll meet back here in half an hour, got it?"

"Yeah sure." She was a little confused with everything that was happening but she saw this as her first stage of work towards repaying Brian and Wanda for their hospitality. "What do you want me to do if I find one?"

"I told you, no mercy."

With that Brian moved in the direction that he had pointed out. Jessica went the opposite way and she tried to search for the thieves. She still didn't believe that there was anyone else out there but she still did what she had been told. She didn't know whether Brian could actually smell people out there trying to steal his livestock or if he was paranoid. Either way it caused her some concern.

Jessica stayed deafly quiet so that she could try and hear if there were indeed any thieves. So far her search had completely turned up blank. Since it was so dark and she thought that Brian was a decent enough distance away from her she decided to increase her size. Rather than going to her maximum size she decided to only grow to around thirty feet which she felt would be more than enough.

At her height Jessica had a much greater vantage point but the darkness still considered to be an issue. She even contemplated going back to the house and getting some kind of source of light. It would allow her to see much better but it would also make her easier to see by any thieves that were out there.

Suddenly Jessica notices something move in the darkness. For the first few moments she thought that it was just some cattle but the figure seemed to be too small for that and the body type was all wrong. Slowly she made her way towards it and at first the figure didn't seem to notice her.

It was only when she was close enough did Jessica finally grab the figure with both hands and lift it up to her level. When she brought it closer to her she could see that she had caught a man and it wasn't Brian. He was of normal height although at Jessica's current size he was only just over a foot tall. He had been carrying something but when she had grabbed him it caused him to drop them.

"What are you doing here?" asked Jessica but this time she made sure her voice was intimidating. She didn't particularly like scaring people but it was certainly better than hurting them.

"You're a fucking monster!" shouted the man with much fear. He began to struggle but Jessica's grip on him was too tight. It was not tight enough to cause him any discomfort but rather just to make sure that he didn't fall.

"The only monster I see here is you." She never liked being called a monster but she didn't let her emotions cloud her. If she increased her aggression towards him she would become the monster that he stated. "Now tell me what you're doing here or else I might just get the dropsies."

"No you wouldn't."

"Believe me I have not had the best of days today. Do you really want to try me?" She thought that this would be enough to scare him into confessing. But before he could answer both of them could hear Brian approaching. He was asking Jessica if she had found someone and quickly she placed the man down and shrank to her smallest size. She still kept a hold of him so that he couldn't escape.

By then Brian had reached them and he still had his crossbow in his hand. He also seemed willing to fire it on a moment's notice. His expression quickly turned to anger when he saw that Jessica had caught the man. He lifted his crossbow up and pointed it right at him, he could see that the man had a terrified look on his face.

"What the fuck are you doing on my property?" asked Brian. From the tone of his voice Jessica could tell that he wasn't fooling around. "Tell me right now or this arrow is going straight into your black heart."

"The girl's a giant!" exclaimed the man. His words were somewhat distant and it seemed that he was in such a panicked state that he couldn't think clearly.

"Yes I am very tall," replied Jessica who didn't think it was wise at this moment in time to tell Brian about her true size. "But to tell you the truth I never noticed until you told me." She thought a little joke might calm him down.

"I'm not going to ask again!" shouted Brian who was on the verge of shooting the man. He was very skilled with the crossbow and even though it was dark it was unlikely that he would miss his target. "Tell me what you're doing here right now or else I'll be feeding your corpse to the pigs."

"I-I..." Before he could say another word he fainted and Jessica had to act quickly to catch him before he fell onto the ground. His reaction had been a surprise for Brian but not so much for Jessica. It wasn't the first time that someone had fainted because of her size and she doubted that it was the last.

"For fuck sake." Brian was there annoyed by what was happening. Now he couldn't get any answers from the man for a while. He looked at Jessica who was still holding onto him, she looked down at him and she could see just how unhappy he was. "This isn't over, Jessica take him back to the farmhouse and when he wakes up make sure you get answers out of him. I think that there are still more thieves out here. I'm not coming back until I'm sure that they're gone."

"Y-yeah sure," replied Jessica. She wanted to be the one who searched for the thieves but she felt that Brian was capable of looking after himself. She just did as she was told and picked up the man and put him over her shoulder. Brian was impressed with how easy she made it look.

"Make sure Wanda is safe. If she's harmed one of these arrows will be going into your heart."

Jessica didn't like to be threatened but she could see that Brian loved Wanda more than he cared about his own wellbeing. She just nodded to him and made her way back to the farmhouse. She could still make it out even in the darkness and quickly she walked towards it. She was on the lookout for any more thieves but she couldn't see anything that grabbed her attention.

When Jessica did return to the house she made sure to take care with the low ceiling while inside. She placed the man down on a chair and quickly she made her way to the master bedroom where she that Wanda was still asleep. The heavily pregnant woman was sound asleep and Jessica doubted that anything could wake her. She also had to move around quietly just in case she woke her up. She didn't think that Brian would be too impressed if she did that.

After she ensured that Wanda was fine she made her way back to the man who was still unconscious in the chair. She just sat on the floor and watched and waited for him to wake up. She realised that she might be there for some time but she did feel guilty about letting it happen.

Now that she was seeing the man in the light she thought that he looked a little like Sir Tucker. Of course he was someone completely different but there were a few traits that both men shared. It did make her wonder what Sir Tucker was doing, she thought he was alright but she had no idea that right now that he was fighting for his life. If she had known that he was in trouble she might have dropped everything and rushed to his aid.

After several minutes Jessica heard someone come in through the door and she looked over to it. She was ready to react if it were an intruder but much to her relief it was Brian and his crossbow was still loaded. This told her that he hadn't used it and to her this was a small relief.

"Did you find anyone else?" asked Jessica. She decided to remain seated so that she didn't seem so tall and also because of the low ceiling.

"No, the fuckers must have run off before I could find them." He placed his crossbow to one side. "Is Wanda alright?"

"Yeah she's sleeping like a log." She then looked over to the man who was still out. "But our guest here hasn't woken up yet."

"He's no guest, he's vermin." He stepped towards where the man was sitting and began to slap him across the face. "Wake up!"

The slaps seemed to do the trick as the man began to come around. Slowly his eyes began to open and the sight that befell him only furthered his terror. Not only seeing Jessica sitting down near him was terrifying enough but he could also see Brian with his crossbow pointed at him. He wanted to escape but there was no way that he could have gotten passed both of them. Jessica did give him a pleasant smile to try and calm him down but this seemed to be futile.

"W-where the fuck am I?" asked the man who seemed to be on the verge of wetting himself in fear.

"You're in the house of a particularly angry man with a crossbow pointed right at your heart," replied Brian who at this pointed seemed to have an itchy trigger finger. "Now start talking before I make you bleed out. What the fuck are you doing on my property?" He saw the man look at the crossbow and he was still terrified. "It's not the crossbow you should be worried about, it's me now start talking."

"Ok, ok I'll talk. I just wanted some money to get by, I was told that I could sell your cattle off for a decent profit. I even already had a buyer, please I'm just a man doing what he needs to survive, don't kill me."

"Well that all depends on how this conversation goes and if you don't think that I can use this you'd be greatly mistaken. I might be short but it doesn't mean I can't aim, I could hit you in your left testicle from a hundred metres without even having to look twice." He was angry but he could see that this thief was nothing more than a middle man, to stop the problem he would have to take out the source. "You said that you already had a buyer, who is this buyer?"

"Please just let me go, I promise I'll never bother you again."

"Tell me!" He was close to pulling the trigger and Jessica could see that the situation was getting out of hand. She had sat back and allowed things to flow but she felt that if she did nothing someone would get seriously hurt. She could see that the man was absolutely terrified and Brian was seeing red.

"Now wait a second," said Jessica. She held her hand out towards Brian but she didn't touch him. "We don't want to do anything we might regret."

"Stay out of this Jenny," replied Brian. He looked sharply towards her and she had noticed that he hadn't called her by the right name. She was allowing this to slide just so that things didn't get even worse. "When one man steals another man's property he has the right to exact justice in whatever way he sees fit."

"That's not a law that I've ever heard but the fact of the matter is that you're letting your rage blind you. Let me talk to him and I'll try and pry the information out of him, you don't need to worry about that."

"How do I know that you're not working together? You just show up on my doorstep and after a few hours you think that you know me? I know hardly anything about you, you could be a thief just like him."

"I am not a thief." She felt insulted with this accusation but she didn't lash out. Instead she began to use her head rather than strength to get around the situation. "You can stay here and see what happens but all I ask of you is to let me talk to him for a few minutes and if I do anything that makes you think I'm in league with him I'll let you put an arrow into my own heart."

There was a few moments of silence as Brian began to think. Jessica was stern in her words but she began to think that they had fallen on deaf ears. She thought that things might turn out badly but much to her relief she saw Brian lower his crossbow but the rage still seemed to be there.

"You have two minutes and not a second longer," said Brian who didn't seem overally happy with what was going on. "After that this son of a bitch is mine to do so as I please, got it?"

"Yeah I got it." She turned to look at the man who was still sitting down on the chair. He was probably more terrified than he had ever been in his life. "I know that we got on the wrong foot but if you just answer these questions I promise that things will get better. Can you do that for me?"

"Y-yeah." He had been able to mutter these words but hardly anything else although he did admit that right now Jessica was much more comforting than Brian. The vertically challenged man seemed to be much angrier and violent than the tall woman although he had seen her grow to an even larger size.

"Ok first can you tell me your name?" Her voice was as comforting as possible as she wanted to make him feel safe.

"Jimmy." Again he would have probably said more but the terror that he was feeling prevented him from doing so.

"Ok Jimmy my name is Jessica. See both our names begin with a J." She thought that making herself seem more familiar to him might just make him feel a little better. "Now would you be so kind to tell me why I caught you on my friend's property. I promise I won't get angry."

"Please I just want to go home."

"And so do I but you have committed a crime tonight and I want to know why. You have nothing to fear from me or my friend." She knew that she couldn't speak for Brian but she just hoped that it would be enough.

"I'm sorry, I was desperate."

"Why are you so desperate?"

"Taxes have been too high, I've almost lost everything. Everything I took was so that I could make ends meet. Otherwise I would be damning myself and my family. Please I have a son and daughter, don't kill me."

"I promise we won't harm you. You don't have to resort to stealing to get by, there are many decent ways to make money. Believe me I know that it can be hard sometimes but if you begin to become foolish you might do something that you would later regret." She began to see that what she was saying mirrored what had happened between her and Sir Tucker. She didn't dwell on it that much at this point in time as she knew that there were more pressing matters.

"I don't care if he regrets it or not," interrupted Brian who was still eager for retribution for what had happened. "The fact of the matter is that he stole from me and it is within my right to defend my property."

"And that doesn't involve murder." She looked at him and she thought that she was speaking out of turn. She was a guest under his roof but she knew that if she allowed Brian to have his way Jimmy wouldn't be leaving alive. "Killing him isn't going to make the situation any better, if anything it will be you who comes out worse."

"Then what do you suggest I do you overgrown bitch." It was obvious that he was becoming more irate and Jessica didn't react to the insult. She could still grow to her maximum size and destroy everything that he cared about except it was something that wasn't in her nature. She would expect such behaviour from Gwen but not from herself. "Let him go and forgive him for his crimes."

"Ideally yes but I know that wouldn't be the case. I suggest that you do what you have done for me this night. You allowed me to stay under your roof in exchange for some work tomorrow. I suggest you do the same to him, there is no doubt that this man wronged you but if you're willing, allow him to work of the debt that he owes to you. Then his crime will be paid and you will have some extra hands on your farm. It is certainly a more reasonable punishment then having a crossbow bolt in his chest."

There was a few moments of silence as Brian began to think about the options before him. Jessica was more nervous than she wanted to admit and it was taking her much of her willpower not to begin growing. She would sometimes grow when she was nervous but she knew what would happen if she did grow. She just waited and much to her relief she saw him lower his crossbow and she gave a sigh of relief.

"Ok you've convinced me," said Brian. He looked over to Jimmy who was still in his seat. "You will be back here tomorrow morning to work off the debt that you have for me." His voice was still stern and made him seem more like a figure of authority rather than just a simple farmer trying to live a normal life.

"Yeah sure, whatever you want," replied Jimmy who saw that he was actually going to be leaving with his life. It was a great relief for him but as he was soon to learn there would be more.

"But know this, if you run I will catch you, if you hide I will find you and if you fight me I will kill you. Got it?" He watched as Jimmy shook his head. "Good and you should be thanking her for saving your life." This made Jessica feel happy that she had saved someone else and this time she didn't have to use her size to do it.

The next thing Brian did was to escort Jimmy off of his property and although he was still tempted to kill him he refrained himself from doing so. He was a man of his word and I he went back on it he wouldn't view himself as that much of a man. He was tired however and just wanted to get back to bed. Slowly he returned to his house where he saw Jessica still sitting there waiting for him. Even sitting down on the ground she was still taller than him. He was used to people being taller than him but not like this, she was the tallest person that he had ever met.

"Thank you for doing that," said Jessica. She felt that sitting down was still her best option as it meant that Brian wouldn't have to look that far up her. She also liked to feel shorter from time to time.

"I didn't do that for you," replied Brian who barely looked at her. "I did that for myself, I do thank you for helping me catch him but as far as my thanks goes. You still have a debt to me for allowing you to stay and I expect you to work it off in the morning." His coldness was upsetting for Jessica but she didn't show much emotion towards it. "Now if it is all the same to you I would like to go back to bed. I suggest that you do the same yourself. You have a lot of work to do in the morning and I still hold you to your word of doing the work of ten men. If not we'll have to discuss our arrangement."

Without saying another word Brian moved away from her and back to the room which he shared with his still sleeping wife. Jessica just stood back up to her full height and craned her head so that she didn't hit the ceiling. She moved back towards the small room that Brian was allowing her to sleep in, it was still too small for her but she couldn't complain since it was either that or nothing.

When she finally got into the small bed she found that she was unable to sleep. Her adrenaline was still pumping after what had just happened but she was still thinking about Sir Tucker. She couldn't help but feel worried about him even though she was still somewhat angry with how they had split up. She could see sense in his logic but she still knew that she had done the right thing when it had come to the third trial.

One thing that Jessica did was that she kept the map safe. Once or twice she had contemplated destroying it but she knew that by doing so any chance of repairing her friendship with Sir Tucker would be ruined. They had just been passing thoughts and she had never given them serious consideration.

Jessica did wonder if Sir Tucker was alright out there by himself. She feared that something terrible would happen to him but for now she didn't know where he was. She had no idea of the danger he was actually in. All she could do right now was slowly drift to sleep and just hope that he would meet her in three days as they had planned. If not she would simply go looking for him, even if she had to travel from one side of Angleland to the other she would do it.

One thing that did disappoint her was the fact that she didn't have anything to hold onto when she slept. She had been used to Sir Tucker being in her arms but with him gone she couldn't help but feel lonely. She had always known that she had Sir Tucker by her side whenever she needed him but now there was an empty feeling inside. It just made her sleep more uncomfortably than she would have liked and she just hoped that things would be better in the morning.

Some distance away Sir Tucker was still have the life squeezed out of him by the incredibly strong Ronan who had him in a bear hug. There seemed to be no room for Sir Tucker to move as his opponent held tightly. He had also been lifted off of his feet which only made his situation that much worse. He was used to being hugged by Jessica but thankfully she had never hugged him this hard.

The trial by combat was still being watched by the other clan members who were howling in excitement. They thought that Sir Tucker was nearing his end and that Ronan was just moments from breaking him. Ronan seemed to be bathing in the howl of the other clan members as he continued to squeeze.

Kermit was watching the trial with much fright as not only Sir Tucker's fate but his own. From the start he had thought that Sir Tucker had not stood much of a chance against Ronan and it seemed liked his prediction was coming true.

"You can't escape my grip outsider," said Ronan as he tightened his arms even further which caused Sir Tucker even more grief. "My brothers and sisters will watch me kill you right where you stand."

"Would help if I was actually standing," replied Sir Tucker with some difficulty. Each breath he wasted was another step towards his own demise. There was only one part of his body which he could still move and that was his neck. This was the only weapon that he had right now. "But this fight isn't over yet."

With only his head as a weapon Sir Tucker began to head butt Ronan in the face. This didn't do as much damage as he hoped but one thing that he noticed was that Ronan's grip on him a little, not enough for him to escape but enough for him to see that his attack had caused some damage.

Sir Tucker began to repeatedly head butt Ronan in the face over and over again. The brute seemed to take the attacks in his stride but they were causing some damage. Sir Tucker was also receiving damage from his attack but right now it was the only option that he had. He had never head butted anyone before but it was a skill which wasn't too hard for him to get the hang off.

After what seemed to be ten head butts Ronan finally released his grip and staggered back as Sir Tucker landed on the ground. He had come down in a crouching position and although he felt disorientated after all the head butts the first thing he did was take his first decent breath in what seemed to be forever. He did stand back up to his full height but this was not the best idea that he had since like Ronan it made him stagger back.

When Sir Tucker looked over to Ronan he saw that the brute's nose had been broken by the head butts but if anything all it had done was make him angrier. He was still taking his time to recover but time was something that he had as Sir Tucker didn't seem to be in any shape to launch any kind of attack.

The pack members were surprised with how Sir Tucker had been able to break out of Ronan's grip but if anything it seemed that he had just delayed the inevitable as Ronan still seemed the clear favourite. The brute began to take a few steps towards the newly knighted Sir Tucker. He was still a little dazed from the head butts but with each step he took he could feel himself becoming more and steadier. Sir Tucker still seemed to be unsure on his feet as he was still shaking off the damage.

Sir Tucker's world was spinning and although it was becoming more still with each passing moment it didn't seem to be happening fast enough as Ronan ran towards him and with one mighty thrust to the chest Sir Tucker found himself on the ground. He saw Ronan looming over him and before he could sit on his chest to punch him in the face Sir Tucker kicked him in the leg. He kicked it with enough force to make Ronan take a couple of steps back as he had been taken by surprise.

Sir Tucker rolled up to his feet and made his own way towards Ronan. He acted more out of speed and instinct rather a definite plan as he kicked Ronan's leg once again. The brute tried to defend himself with a couple of punches but Sir Tucker was able to duck out of the way and deliver another hard kick to Ronan's leg. This was enough to make the brute go down to one knee.

With Ronan seemingly weakened Sir Tucker saw his chance and delivered a powerful kick right to the side of Ronan's face. There was a loud cracking sound as Ronan's jaw broke and he keeled over onto the ground. He looked down at his fallen foe and he wanted to finish him off but something inside of him was stopping him. From his view Ronan was defenceless as he was drifting in and out of consciousness.

The clan members watching the fight were deadly silent as they realised that their mightiest warrior had fallen and seemed only a few moments from death. None were more surprised than the Priest who was watching with some terror in his eyes. Not only did it seem like that the clan had lost one of its greatest members but without a sacrifice for the gods he felt that the clan would be doomed.

Kermit on the other hand was completely ecstatic with what he had seen as he knew that Sir Tucker had actually saved both himself and Kermit. He like almost every man and woman in Angleland knew that by Sir Tucker's victory it meant that the gods had favoured him and thus given him the skill needed for victory.

Sir Tucker looked down at Ronan and rather than seeing the mighty warrior he had just been facing instead he saw a broken man. His jaw was at an angle after Sir Tucker's mighty kick and it even looked like he was struggling to breathe. The brute was defeated and there seemed to be nothing that could be done about that.

"I'm done," said Sir Tucker as he turned around and went to walk away from the fighting grounds. This came as a surprise from everyone and although to them it was a relief the laws dictated that Ronan had to be killed for the contest to be over. The Priest slammed his staff onto the ground and this got Sir Tucker's attention as he turned to look at the older man of the clan.

"You must kill him," replied the Priest. He couldn't believe that he was actually saying these words but he knew that if the laws of the trial were broken there was no telling what fate might befall them.

"No I will not." He remembered his lessons from before he left Morgan and what Sir Thomas had taught him about the values of a knight. "Killing a man in the heat of battle is one thing but killing one who is unarmed and defenceless is another. I have won the trial there is no doubt about that, however I refuse to kill a man in this state, it goes against the code of a knight."

"If you refuse to kill him then you forfeit the trial and your friend as well as you will be our sacrifices once again."

"There is killing with honour and then there is outright murder and this is murder. Your champion fought bravely and for that he deserves to live but I will not lower myself to murdering him just because you decreed it. In the world of civilized men if one combatant cannot obviously continue then the trial is stopped. You may work differently but do you think that your gods will favour a murderer?" There was some talk between the other clan members as they saw reason behind his words. Unlike religious sacrifices and in the heat of battle their gods also looked down upon murder. This situation seemed to be similar but it was a trial by combat nonetheless.

"Stop talking and just do it!" shouted Kermit from where he was sitting. He could feel his chances of freedom slipping away with every moment that passed by. "There's no reasoning with these people, the only way that we can be free is if you get the deed done and be officially declared the victor. You've already done the hard part now all you need to do is finish him off!"

There was a few moments of silence as there seemed to be no words exchanged by anyone. The silence was unbearable for Sir Tucker as he had to make the decision that would either save him or prove his damnation. He looked down at Ronan for a moment and all he could see was the defeated and broken man before him. He knew that if the roles were reversed Ronan would have had no problem with killing him but he was not like that, he was now a knight of the realm and there was a certain code that he had to follow.

Sir Tucker didn't mutter a single word as he just walked away from Ronan and he made his way towards Kermit. He still needed to recover his armour, sword and shield before he could leave. He didn't really know where they were but he would find them easily enough in time. However he knew that it wouldn't be easy for him to leave as he saw the other clan members walking towards him. He began to think of a decent way for him to leave without having to harm anyone else.

"You saw what happened on this night," said Sir Tucker in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "I defeated your champion in fair combat, that means that the gods have sided with me and it is through their wisdom that I am sparing his life. If you are to strike me down now you will anger the gods and if history has taught us anything it is that a mortal must never offend a god. I have won the freedom of myself and my companion, bring me back our personal effects and we will leave you in peace."

"You claim that the gods gave you the wisdom to spare our champion but it is in fact your cowardice," replied the Priest who wanted to keep the ancient rules of the trial by combat intact.

"The gods control everything in our lives. They also influenced my decision to keep him alive, killing him will not change anything. The bottom line is that I won the trial and this is the will of the gods. This is something that no one here can deny, do you want to take the chance of offending the gods by killing me now?"

Once again there was silence as Sir Tucker waited for the priest to make his decision. He knew that in the next few moments he would either be walking away with his life intact or would be killed where he stood. He hoped that he had given a convincing argument but with people like this clan he just didn't know how things would go.

"Your words have sense young knight," said the Priest. "Although I do not like to admit it your victory this night was the will of the gods and for us to go back on them will bring us dire consequences. You and your companion are free to leave along with all of the belongings that we confiscated. Be on your way before I change my mind."

"I thank you for seeing sense," replied Sir Tucker who felt that a small amount of courtesy was needed.

Kermit felt very relieved as he felt the ropes tying him up be cut away. As soon as his hands were free he began to rub them as they had been rubbed quite badly by the ropes. He did get back up to his full height and he didn't want to admit just how scared he had been. He had even been close to having an accident but thankfully he had been able to keep it in and save his dignity.

Sir Tucker and Kermit only had to wait a short while for their possessions to be returned to them. Sir Tucker didn't waste any time in putting his armour back on and attaching his sword and shield back to his person. He was a little surprised to not be given the map to the treasure that he had focused this section of his life on. It took him a moment to realise that it was Jessica who was in possession of the map. Kermit was given his pouch of gold back but before they could leave he counted it to make sure that each coin was still there. To his relief none of the clan had stolen any of his money and he attached it to his belt much like it had before they were captured.

The redness of the fire could still be seen behind the two men as it continued to flicker. A few of the clan members were worried now since they didn't have a sacrifice now. It was only a few hours before dawn and they felt that without a sacrifice their clan would come to an abrupt end.

Sir Tucker was still very anxious as he thought that at any moment they could be attacked by one of the clan members. His words may have swayed them for now but he knew that if he and Kermit didn't make themselves scarce quickly they could change their minds. The two men just walked away at a steady pace. They didn't care if they were going in the right direction to Kermit's home, just as long as they were getting further away from the clan and closer to safety.

One thing that Sir Tucker did do as they walked was keep his hand on Juggernaut just in case they were attacked. He would be able to draw his sword and take down his attacker before they had a chance to cause any damage. He was constantly listening out for anyone approaching but thankfully they seemed to be staying put. They didn't wish to upset the gods which was something that a mortal always did.

The brush with danger was all that Sir Tucker needed to regain a small amount of his confidence. He had been able to get himself and Kermit out of danger and he hadn't even needed Jessica's help. He knew that if she had been there she would have just grown in size and carried them away. By resolving the conflict by himself he thought that he had taken a great step to becoming a true knight. His confidence made him feel that there was no situation that he couldn't handle.

"I give you my thanks good sir," said Kermit as they continued to walk. They weren't even sure which direction that they were going, just as long as each step took them closer and closer to safety. "I was sure that we were done for."

"With someone like me by your side did you really have any doubts?" replied Sir Tucker with confidence in his voice. The truth was that inside he was shaking like a leaf but he couldn't allow Kermit to know this.

"It seems I made the right decision hiring you. If it had been one of those thugs they would have surely left me to die. I owe you more than I could ever repay you."

"The money that we agreed to will more than suffice." He knew that most people would have asked for more after such an experience but he decided to stick to the original agreement that they had.

"You are truly a man in a million good sir. It seems that fate has drawn us together." He smiled as he knew that he was truly safe as long as Sir Tucker remained by his side from now until their journey's end.

"As I said to those people it was the will of the gods that I won that trial. It is the same with our meeting. It was the will of the gods that we met and when I return you back to your home we will have to part ways."

"That will be a shame, you're an extraordinary man and it will sadden me to see you leave. I could use a man with your talents as protection more often."

"Well that is true but I have somewhere else to be. Like I said before I have a friend waiting for me. I can't keep her waiting, we have a lot to discuss and to tell you the truth I don't know exactly what will happen."

"For your sake I hope that the best outcome occurs. After this night I believe that you deserve some happiness. Whatever problems that you have with your lady friend I'm sure that you can iron it out."

"Hopefully because to tell you the truth I couldn't really imagine my life without her. I've known her for as long as I remember and if I lost her I don't know what I would do. She's always been there for me through thick and thin."

They continued to walk but a sound made Sir Tucker stop in his tracks. He had been hearing some sounds ever since they left the clan and now that he had heard them louder he knew for certain that they were being followed. Rather than running away he told Kermit to walk ahead as he turned and drew out Juggernaut. The night was still quite bright thanks to the full moon and it would make fighting for his life. He wanted to make sure that Kermit was a safe distance away before he made his next move.

"Come on out I know that you're there," said Sir Tucker as he kept a tight hold on his sword and shield. He only had to wait a few seconds before he saw three men step out of the bushes. Each of them were fairly well built and were carrying swords that had been taken from fallen warriors. Each of them wore wolf pelts and it was obvious that they were there for a fight. He looked at all three of them and he could tell from their stances that they were not properly trained with their swords. "Go back to your family, I won the trial and thus are free. Killing me now will only damn you."

"You won no trial," replied one of the three men. "You didn't finish your opponent so the trial never ended. By leaving you have only confirmed your guilt, for that you are to come with us and be sacrificed as the gods decree." There was a mutter of agreement between him and the other men. Sir Tucker could see that the odds were against him but there was something that he felt in his bones. He thought that these men were not here under order but rather acted independently.

"I'm not going anywhere with you and if you try and fight me I will defend myself with deadly force if need be."

No more words were muttered by the men as the first one lunged towards Sir Tucker and tried to slash him with the sword. Thankfully the young knight was able to block the attack with some ease but rather than striking he just pushed him back with his shield. The other two men began to encircle Sir Tucker as they hoped to use their advanced numbers to overwhelm him.

Sir Tucker was a capable man but he wasn't able to keep his eye on all three of them at the same time. He was constantly having to watch them but whenever he had sight on one the other two would be in his blind spots. However this wasn't a situation that he hadn't been trained against. He simply remembered what Sir Thomas had taught him years ago, one thing that he had made important was to make sure that he was constantly on the move so that he was harder to hit.

Sir Tucker began to move backwards and was constantly looking out for anyone who got too close to him. He could see the three of them moving towards him and it would be difficult to fend all three of them off at the same time. His shield would help but it seemed that this situation as suited more for speed rather than strength.

One of the men just happened to get too close to Sir Tucker and he tried to fend him off with Juggernaut. At that very moment the second man went to slash him but once again he was able to get his shield up just in time. The third man lunged to stab Sir Tucker a few seconds later but the young knight darted back out of the way. It caused the third man to almost slash one of his own comrades. It had been a close shave for them but Sir Tucker knew that running wasn't an option as they would just pursue him. He needed to make sure that they didn't follow and if that meant that he had to kill them he would be prepared to step that line with a small amount of hesitation.

Unlike during the trial by combat Sir Tucker was fighting against fit and armed opponents where Ronan had been defeated and defenceless. If any of these men were to fall Sir Tucker's honour would remain and if anything it would truly make him a knight. However he wouldn't step across the line if he saw a way to keep them alive, like his best friend he would take no pleasure in killing someone.

With the three men now standing right next to one another Sir Tucker saw himself a chance to gain the upper hand. He slashed at the man that was furthest to the right and was actually able to cause some damage. Rather than aiming for a vital part instead he aimed for the leg which he was able to strike with some ease. It was only a slash but it was still enough to cause his attacker to fall to the ground. His sword was dropped and Sir Tucker kicked it away so that it couldn't be used.

Sir Tucker had just made the odds that much better for himself with now he only had two men to worry about. He could see that the downed man was crawling away and he knew that he didn't have to worry about him anymore. However the odds were still against him but he felt that his chances of victory had increased significantly.

"I'm giving you one more chance," said Sir Tucker as he felt that there was still a chance that they would back down. "Take your friend away and I promise that I won't follow. You will be left in peace."

"As long as you still our work will not be done," replied one of the men who seemed to be defiant.

"You are on a fool's errand and it might just cost you your life. I don't want to hurt you but it doesn't mean that I won't."

Rather than staying on the defence Sir Tucker decided to attack. This was because it was the last thing that the men were expecting. He went to slash them high and as one of the men held his sword up to block the attack it was exactly what Sir Tucker had wanted. With the sword arm up the man had no protection so Sir Tucker thrusted his shield right into the face of the man. He felt the impact and it had also knocked out a few of the man's teeth and quickly he dropped his sword and clutched his face.

This only left one man left as his two co-attackers were on the ground in agony. He could see that his sword was shaking as he was nervous. A few moments he had been very confident but that confidence was now gone as he thought that his life was soon coming to an end. Despite the odds he still couldn't back down as he felt that he was in the right. He thought that the gods were on his side and that by backing down he would be damning himself and his clan.

"You are completely outmatched," said Sir Tucker as he thought that his attacker might see sense. "Please just back down and you won't be harmed."

"No the gods are by my side and I will not fail," replied the man who despite the odds still wanted to fight.

"There is no dishonour from backing down from this situation. Just look at yourself, you can barely hold your sword. Many in my position would have just ended you where you stand but I am letting you walk away. I beg of you to take my offer."

"Never!"

He went to slash Sir Tucker but his strike was more out of anger rather than any skill. The young knight was able to sidestep it and he struck him in the back of the head with his shield. This caused the man to fall unconscious almost immediately and he was out for the count. All three of Sir Tucker's attackers were down and although they had been injured they would recover.

Sir Tucker sheathed his sword and headed back in the direction that he had been walking before. He knew that Kermit wouldn't be too far ahead of him and it would likely only be a short walk until he reached him. He just wanted to forget about this night and just get Kermit back to his home safely. It had been a learning curve for him as he had gotten himself out of a very dangerous situation without Jessica's help. It had given him a confidence boost but he would have been very appreciative. He also did wonder how she was doing but he didn't worry about her safety. She was bigger than most problems that would bother an average person.

Sir Tucker did walk at a quickened pace until he was finally able to catch up with Kermit. The older man had not been able to get far and when he had heard someone coming he had gone into a state of panic. When he looked he was more than relieved to see that it was Sir Tucker and not one of the clan members. He had too many frights this night and he was surprised that he hadn't had a heart attack already. He was breathing quite deeply as he had been walking as quickly as his body could carry him.

"Oh thank the gods it's you Sir Tucker," said Kermit who had much relief in his voice as he thought that his life had been saved again. "I began to fear that our pursuers had gotten the better of you."

"They were unskilled and frightened," replied Sir Tucker. "They were beaten before they even decided to follow us."

"I hope you finished them off the better. The less of those people the better for us." There was still the slightest hint of fear in his voice but he knew that the worst danger was now behind them.

"No I let them live, they were defeated and I thought that a tough lesson for them was in order."

"But they could still follow us." He became more afraid with each passing moment. "You should have finished them."

"Believe me they won't be hurting us any time soon. Now we still have some ways to go before you're home so I suggest we keep going and hope that we can be there by dawn. I don't know about you but I think walking the rest of the night is our best plan."

"As do I but I'm afraid to say that we seemed to have gotten a little turned around upon our escape. I'm not sure that were even heading in the right direction."

"Then we should try and find some kind of familiar landmark so that you can determine which way we should go. Unfortunately since this is my first time in these parts you will have to lead me the right way."

Kermit began to look around but he couldn't see anything that seemed to be familiar. This was a really worrying thing for him. He was almost in a completely panicked state and was even on the verge of wetting himself. The night had been one shock after another and he just couldn't seem to take any more. But there was one thing above all else that Sir Tucker realised. That was that the pair were lost and that they were not completely out of danger. Other clan members might be following them and unlike the three that Sir Tucker had fought the others might be more competent with a sword. It was up to him and him alone to get them out of this predicament but the last thing he wanted to do was to panic or else all would be lost.

Jessica was awoken by a few rays of sunlight which bombarded her room. She had not had a very comfortable sleep thanks to the lack of room that she had. Nonetheless she was just happy to have a roof over her head. She sat up on the bed and began to stretch herself, she remembered what happened the previous night. Carefully she stood up but she did remember about how low the ceiling was so she ensured that she didn't hit her head again. It had happened so often that she was surprised that she hadn't received any long term damage from the constant head strikes.

No sooner had she stood up she heard a loud knocking on her door. She opened it and saw Brian standing there. Unlike the night before he wasn't carrying his crossbow and he still looked fatigued but not to the point where he seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep. He stood proud and he looked up at the towering figure that was Jessica. He showed no signs of intimidation and she did consider squatting down but she thought it would be demeaning to someone like him.

"Can I help you?" asked Jessica. She still wanted to be polite as she was a guest in his home.

"Yes," replied Brian. He still had a frustrated tone to his voice but it definitely was not as aggressive as it was the night before. "It's time to get out into the fields and get to work. If you want breakfast than you're just going to have to wait. There's no food until we have a decent amount of work completed."

"That's fine." It was something that she had been used to when she had been growing up on her own farm. It was a great way to motivate the worker into completing their tasks so that they could get the much deserved food.

"And that guy from last night better be here or else it'll be your head that rolls." It was obvious that he was still upset about the night before and he was dealing with it the only way that he knew how. "I expect you outside in five minutes, don't be late."

He then turned and walked away while Jessica just stood there for a moment. To call Brian the politest man in Angleland would be an obvious lie but she still wanted to do what he told her. She just hoped that he wouldn't be terrified by her gigantism.

A few minutes passed and Jessica stepped outside where she was bathed with bright sunlight that almost blinded her. It was a very warm day but there were a few clouds in the sky, she suspected that it might rain later. She saw Brian already outside and she saw him trying to herd some sheep into a nearby pen. Unfortunately he wasn't having much luck with it and he was about to lose his patience.

Jessica stepped towards him and at first he didn't notice her. He was too focused on trying to regain control of the herd. At this point he wasn't having much success and this made her cautious as she approached him. It was not until he noticed her large shadow that he turned and looked at her.

"It's about time that you got here," said Brian.

"Well there was a couple of things that I needed to do before I came here," replied Jessica. "Looks like you're having some difficulties."

"These fucking sheep are a pain in the ass. I'm trying to get them to their pen and they won't listen to instructions."

"May I have a go, one of the things I specialised in at my farm was moving the animals from one place to the other."

"You can give it a try but I don't think you'll get all that far, if I couldn't do it I doubt that you could."

"Oh you'd be surprised. The only thing I need to tell you is that what you see might be a little scary so please don't freak out."

"Girl I have seen things that would cause a man to shit enough bricks to build a castle. Believe me there is nothing that you could do to scare me."

"Ok then but don't say I didn't warn you."

Jessica took a deep breath and concentrated on making herself her normal size again. It was easy for her to do this as her body rocketed up into the air. Brian took a few steps back in surprise and even dropped his tool. This was one of the last things that he had expected to see was her to suddenly grow like that. She did squat down and looked down at Brian who now seemed a lot smaller than he was before. Just seeing her like this made Brian feel guilty about the things that he had been saying to her. He could see that she was more than powerful enough to destroy everything he held dear if she chose to.

"Y-you're..." said Brian as he was struggling to get the words out of his mouth. It was simply all he could muster.

"Very pretty I know but just tell me where you want your sheep." Brian didn't say anything and just pointed towards a pen that was a short distance away. "Thanks, I'll get them in there in a moment."

Over the next few minutes Jessica picked up each of the sheep one by one and placed them in the pen. Many of them had tried to run from her but running away from her had never worked for a sheep and it didn't work then either. She would always give them a small stroke on the head to make sure that they were calm before she placed them in the pen. Her gentle touch seemed to calm the animals and they even liked the softness of her hand.

It took almost no time at all for Jessica to place the sheep inside of their new pen and Brian had just stood there and watched in amazement. He saw her walking towards him and with each step she took she made herself smaller until she was back down to her minimum height. She smiled down at him and he still looked at her with surprise.

"That job's done and dusted," said Jessica as she wiped her hands. There were small bits of wool which fell but she hardly noticed. "So what's next?" She saw Brian stuttering and she began to fear that she might have scared him more than she had expected. "Brian are you alright?"

"Y-yeah I'm fine," replied Brian. "It's just that this whole giant thing with you is difficult for me to wrap my head around."

"Don't worry about it, all you need to know is that I can use my size to make most farm work surprisingly easy. Now is there anything else you want me to do or can we have some breakfast."

"I-I think breakfast is a good idea."

"Great because between you and me I could eat an entire herd of cows." She saw Brian looking at her nervously. "I'm only having a laugh with you, although I am really hungry right now."

"Let's see what the wife has cooked up for us."

Inside the kitchen of the farm house Wanda was making the finishing touches to breakfast. Despite the fact that she was heavily pregnant she was still doing all the work that she did before her pregnancy. There was no doubt that it had become harder for her but she couldn't stop as she knew that Brian and Jessica were busy at work. She hadn't seen Jessica grow to her normal size so she was oblivious to what had taken place outside. She just carried on with her work and even hummed to herself as she cooked.

Once or twice she could feel the baby kicking inside of her and she placed her hand on her swollen belly. She smiled as she could imagine the joy that she would feel once her baby was born. She was still thinking of names that she and Brian could use to name it. One name that she thought of was Brendon if she had a boy. It was a nice name that she had liked for some time but convincing Brian was going to be a different story. However she knew that she could convince him.

No sooner had she put the finishing touches to the breakfast both Jessica and Brian entered the kitchen. Brian was still in some disbelief over what had happened but he was warmed by the friendly smile of his wife. She was just putting the breakfasts on the table just as they entered. They hadn't been as long as she had expected but this was not that big of a deal in her eyes.

"Hi there," said Wanda. "You're just in time, now why don't you take a seat and dig in." There was an aura of gentleness in her voice which made Brian feel more at ease. He could see now more than ever why he married her.

"Great," replied Jessica. "I'm starving."

All three of them sat down and Jessica began to eat her breakfast with some haste. She had been treated to a cooked breakfast which included sausages, bacon, beans, toast, egg and a side of black pudding. They were delicious and each mouthful that she had made her feel like she was dining with a lord. She could tell that Wanda was a marvellous cook and she didn't keep this to herself.

"Oh my this is really good," said Jessica.

"Thank you," replied Wanda who had just finished her mouthful. "It means a lot to hear it from you. I hear it all the time from Brian but to hear it from someone like you must mean I'm doing something right."

"You'll have to show me how you do it." She gave a nervous chuckle. "Cooking isn't something I'm particularly good at."

"Well if you happen to stick around for a while I'd be more than happy to show you." She knew that Brian might not like it but she owned this house just as much as he did and thus she had a decent say.

"I wish I could but as I said before there is somewhere I have to be in a couple of days. Thank you very much for the offer."

"You're welcome." She then looked over to Brian who for the moment hadn't said a word to her. "Brian I heard some noises last night, was everything alright?"

"Yes dear everything is fine," replied Brian. "We just had an unwanted guest who more than learned his lesson. It is nothing for you to be concerned about." He didn't want to add any stress to his wife. He wanted her to stay as healthy as possible since she would need all of her strength when the baby came.

"Ok then." She knew that he meant that there had been an intruder who tried to steal from them. "Well I hope that you taught them a lesson."

"I certainly did, in fact he should be back later to work off the debt that he owes to us." He knew that it was unlikely to happen but he still gave it some consideration. "Now shall we continue eating before our food goes cold?"

The trio continued to eat and in almost no time at all she had completely finished what had been on her plate. She would have asked for more but she felt that it would have been rude to ask so she was satisfied for now. Brian was not too far away from finishing although Wanda did have quite a bit left. It seemed that her eyes had been bigger than her belly this time although the baby she was carrying didn't help things.

No sooner had Brian finished eating his breakfast he heard a knock on the door. He carefully walked towards it and he made sure that his crossbow was close to the door. He wanted to ensure that he was able to grab it and fire it if the situation called for it. He just opened the door and at the slightest hint of danger he would shoot whoever might be on the other side. Much to his surprise it was Jimmy who actually kept his word which was the most surprising of all.

"So you came," said Brian. He was still thinking that at any moment he would need to use his crossbow. "I must admit that I didn't expect to ever see you again." He was just waiting to see what happened next before he reacted. At this moment in time he was expecting the worse.

"I-I don't want any trouble," replied Jimmy who was still terrified of Brian but especially Jessica. He couldn't see her but he knew that she was there. "I just came here to work off my debt and then I'll be on my way."

"Sounds reasonable but believe me if I catch you even looking at me the wrong way all bets will be off."

"I understand good sir." He was trying to be as nice to Brian as he could be. He was still terrified and he was beginning to think that coming back here was not the best idea that he ever had.

"Good now meet me around the back for your first day of work." He then slammed the door shut and he made his way to the back of the house. He walked passed the two women and he told Jessica that it was time to go out and continue their work. He was still a little intimidated of Jessica but he still kept his cool and made himself composed. He would not allow anyone to see any kind of weakness from him.

Moments later all three of them were outside while Wanda remained inside to clean up from breakfast. He handed Jimmy a shovel and demanded that he clean out the barn, it was one of the dirtiest jobs on the farm and he found it a fitting punishment for the events of the previous night.

Jessica on the other hand was given a much easier task. Now that Brian knew about her abilities he wanted to use them as productively as he could. He commanded her to move a large stack of hay which would have been very difficult for anyone to do alone. She was more than happy to do this as she grew to her normal size and began to move the hay one after the other.

Jimmy was inside of the barn so he didn't see her at her normal size. If he had he probably would have run to the hills. Instead she just carried on with her work and to her doing jobs like this made her feel like she was home. For at least this short amount of time she could forget her worries and just focus on the task at hand.

At one point Jessica was told to move a scarecrow and when she did she noticed that the clothing that it wore was similar to that of Sir Tucker before they had left Morgan. Having the scarecrow in her hand made her think about her friend and she did feel a little guilty about what had happened between them. She hoped that they could patch things up when they met again, their friendship was something too precious to be lost over something that seemed to be so trivial.

Just as Jimmy finished his work in the barn Jessica had shrunk herself back down to her minimum size and was already working on another task. She was milking some cows and although she was not as experienced with the job in comparison to others she still did it nonetheless. She remembered when she first started milking cows when she had just received her dress. Within weeks of starting that particular job sores and bumps began to appear on her hands. She had come down with cowpox but it wasn't a disease that she needed to fear and once she recovered from it she didn't have to worry about catching it again.

Brian was watching both Jessica and Jimmy as they worked but he was getting on with his own work. He was having to decide which pigs he needed to sell, he didn't want to get rid of any that hadn't fully grown. The heavier the pig the more that he would get paid for them so taking advantage of their growth was key.

There was one particular hog who was the largest that Brian owned but as also the most ill-tempered. On more than one occasion it had tried to bite him with limited success. However due to the pig's size he would bring a lot of much needed gold into the household and he would be glad to see it gone.

Suddenly he heard a scream from the farmhouse and he instantly recognised it as that of Wanda's. Everything he had been doing was suddenly dropped and he ran towards the house as quickly as he could. Unfortunately due to his short legs this wasn't a very fast speed but it was still a much quicker pace than normal.

As soon as he reached the house he quickly went inside like a man gone mad and he went to where his wife was. He found her on the ground and not too far from her was a large puddle of what seemed to be water. He didn't need to be a genius to realise what was happening, he could see the distress in Wanda's face and his heart raced increased.

"Honey?" asked Brian as he was almost completely lost for words. His life was going to change in the next few minutes.

"Brian it's coming," replied Wanda with much pain in her voice. Tears were rolling down her cheeks but these were a combination of both pain and joy.

"By the gods, just stay there one moment."

Brian quickly made his way outside but he had no clue about what he was going to do. He knew that this moment was coming but now it was here he didn't know how to react, his first child was just about to be born and he was terrified. He could see both Jessica and Jimmy still working hard and he shouted at them with such force that even Jessica was startled by his voice.

Quickly both of them made their way over to Brian and they could see that he was in a state of panic. For Jessica this was a surprise as she had only seen him as the serious man who had reluctantly allowed her to stay. Instead he seemed to be more panicked then when Jimmy was the previous night. She had no idea what was going on as neither she nor Jimmy had heard Wanda scream.

"Hey what's the matter?" asked Jimmy who was feeling a little confident now that Brian seemed to be less threatening.

"It's the wife," replied Brian. There was a lot of panic in his voice as things were going much faster than he would have liked. "The baby's coming."

"Oh my," said Jessica as she covered her mouth with her hands. "What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know, I don't know." His mind was in too much of a panicked state to think properly.

"Didn't you and your wife make a plan for this kind of situation?" She found it odd that such an important upcoming event in the lives of the couple had not been properly planned out.

"The baby's coming early. We still had a few weeks but now there's no time to make any plans. Whether we like it or not the baby is coming right now."

There was nothing to be accomplished by staying outside so the trio made their way back to the house. This was the first time that they saw Wanda since her water's broke and it was not a very comfortable thing to see. The first thing that was decided was that Wanda to be moved back to her bed where she would at least be comfortable.

This task fell to Jessica who even at her smallest size was more than strong enough to carefully lift the petite Wanda. She carefully took her into her bedroom and placed her on the bed. Wanda was still in agony and Jessica felt helpless, she was the tallest and strongest person in the house but she couldn't help Wanda. It made her feel like she was just some big dumb brute who was useless. The only thing she could think about doing was trying to comfort Wanda during this stressful period.

"Is there a healer nearby?" asked Jessica as she looked over to Brian. She knew that healers were also trained to deliver babies and were often the go to people in situations like this. Unfortunately from the look of his face this wasn't the case.

"No the nearest one is a half day's walk from here," replied Brian. "We'll never get him here in time."

"Yes we might." She knew that she was going to have to do something drastic in order to ensure that Wanda and the unborn baby made it. "Which direction is it to the Healer?" She could see that Brian was beginning to realise what she was planning.

"It's over the hills in that direction." He pointed in the direction where the Healer was located. Although they were inside she could knew what he meant. "There's a small village called Piggott, you can't miss it."

"Great then I'll go and bring the healer here. You pair do whatever you can to comfort her until I return." She could see just how panicked Brian was, she felt that she needed to do something to reassure him. "I promise I'll bring the Healer here as fast as I can but for now all you can do is be there for your wife in her time of need. She'll make it through and soon you will have your own little bundle of joy to make your family complete."

Brian was speechless and he could help but shed a few tears. He was very worried about his wife as he had lost his own mother through childbirth. He didn't wish to see his wife die in the same manner. He held onto the hand of Wanda and just tried to comfort her in the best way that he could.

Without wasting another moment Jessica stepped outside of the farmhouse and quickly grew up to her full size. She looked in the direction that Brian had pointed out and she could see the hills that he mentioned. From her vantage point she couldn't see the village that he had mentioned but if it was indeed half a day's walk for a normal person she didn't expect to see it yet.

Jessica began to move in the direction that was pointed out as quickly as she could but in her dress she couldn't run all that fast. Instead she had to walk at a very steady pace but even at this speed it wouldn't take her long to traverse the distance that was needed. Normally on a journey such as this she would take in the area surrounding her but she didn't have time to do this and she knew that not one but two lives were probably depending on her.

When she had seen the hills from a distance she hadn't thought much of them but when she reached them she noticed that they were taller than she expected. They were easily as tall as her if not taller and there was no clear way of being able to traverse around them. There were gaps between the hills where a normal person could have made their way through but at her size this was impossible. She did consider shrinking down but it would still take too long for her to get through.

In the end Jessica knew that she had no choice but to climb over them. This was going to be difficult for her but with what was at stake she was more than willing to take the risk. She knew that every moment counted and she didn't want to be the one who had to tell Brian that his wife died because she wasted time.

Jessica dug her fingers into the side of the hill and lifted herself up as best as she could. Unfortunately climbing was one thing that she wasn't particularly good at. Due to her size she had been used to being bigger than whatever obstacle faced her. However this time was different however since she was facing something that was in fact larger than her. It had been a very stressful twenty four hours for her and it seemed that this only seemed to make things worse for her.

It had only just gotten to midday so she at least knew that she would have sunlight for the next several hours. Right now that was the only comfort she could take as she climbed up the hill and eventually reached the top. She started to dart across the tops of the hills at a surprisingly fast pace but suddenly she slipped on one of the hills and it sent her tumbling down to the ground. As she fell she could feel much pain and she even heard a loud snap.

Sir Tucker and Kermit were still trying to find the right path once again. They had gotten themselves turned around upon escaping from the clan but there was one thing that they did have on their side. The world around them was getting brighter with every passing minute as dawn was fast approaching. The sunlight would be very helpful towards their efforts and at least then they wouldn't have to worry about people trying to get the jump on them. It was always a possibility but much less likely than night.

Both men were incredibly tired after what they had been through and both would have loved nothing more than to just lie down on the ground and fall asleep right where they stood. It still wasn't safe however and both men preferred to keep moving even though they didn't know whether they were going in the right direction or not.

Eventually both men had to give into fatigue as they sat down on a fallen tree to get some much needed rest. Sir Tucker didn't think that he had ever been this tired before but it was certainly the longest he had gone without any real sleep. His head still hurt after being knocked out twice but other than that he was still in good health. Kermit on the other hand was having a more difficult time. He was not as physically fit as Sir Tucker and it seemed that his age was beginning to get the better of him.

"My bones are aching," said Kermit after a few moments of sitting down. Taking the weight off of his feet was pure bliss for him. "I don't think I'll be able to trek like this for too much longer."

"You've done well this night," replied Sir Tucker. He felt that a small compliment might make Kermit feel a little better about everything that had happened. "But until you're back home I wouldn't call this trip done." The area around them was much brighter than it had been but the sun had yet to rise. "Now that it's brighter do you recognise anything around here?"

"No it all just looks like the same forest." He was disappointed in himself as he thought that all he was doing was slowing them down. "I wish that I could be more helpful but the truth is I have no idea where we are."

"Well one way that we can figure out our direction is the sun. When it finally rises we'll know that that direction is east. It might not be much but it'll be a start nonetheless." He didn't think that it would be much help but it was still better than being completely in the dark.

"Maybe we could get some kind of high elevation so that I can possibly see the right direction." Sir Tucker thought that it was funny since Jessica could have easily solved this problem for them but she wasn't here so it was up to him.

"That is an idea but the question would be where? A very tall tree is an obvious answer but it would have to be you who climbed it. I have no idea what I'm looking for and if you pardon my bluntness you're in no condition to be climbing any trees."

"I fear that you're right in that regard. These bones aren't quite what they used to be." In his youth he would climb all day long but those days were long behind him. "Did you have any other suggestions?"

"Well we could use a hill of some kind. Just as long as it's tall enough for us to see for several miles."

"You mean like that one over there?" He pointed towards a hill that was a short distance away from them and it looked to be ideal for their plan.

"Yes that one will do." He rubbed his hands in excitement. "Shall we get going or do you want to rest a little longer?"

"We'll rest, after everything that we've been through a nice rest will give us the energy we need to scale that hill. To tell you the truth I could fall asleep right now if I could find a comfortable place to lay my head."

"Yeah me too." He could remember the nights when he and Jessica would share a bed and he would feel her warm arms embracing him and hugging him during her sleep. From time to time he would look up to her face and see that she was smiling. He hadn't brought it up to her yet but it was just something that he enjoyed.

"But to tell you the truth I can't wait to lay down with the wife again. That is unless she's decided to swap me for a younger model." He began to laugh as this had only been a joke on his part. He knew that his wife loved him no matter what. "And hopefully after all this is done you can see your lady friend as well."

"Yeah that would be nice, although we do have a lot to talk about and I don't really know what'll happen in the end."

"I think I know, you'll iron out whatever's been bothering the both of you and then you'll move passed it."

"I hope so, I really do." He really didn't know what was going to happen between himself and Jessica when they next met. He did hope that Kermit was right but between then and now anything could happen.

The two men rested for a short while so that they could recover enough of their energy to make it up to the hill. Both could have fallen asleep but with unknown dangers around them neither of them would risk it.

Eventually both men got up from their log and made their way towards the hill. There were no trees growing on the side of the hill but there was a single tree located right at the top. A dirty mind could imagine what the hill somewhat looked like but the thought hadn't crossed the minds of the two men as they prepared for the climb.

Carefully with each step they began to make it up to the hill but they had to be cautious. If either man fell they could receive a serious injury or worse. Kermit was especially at risk due to his advanced age. If he did receive an injury that prevented him from walking Sir Tucker didn't think that he would have the strength to carry him.

As they made the climb Sir Tucker remained behind Kermit so that he could catch him if he accidentally fell down to the ground. This safety net so to speak was great for Kermit who felt a lot safer knowing that Sir Tucker was there to help him. Once or twice the old man did began to fall back but with Sir Tucker there to keep him balanced Kermit didn't fall but instead continued his way up higher and higher.

After a few minutes the two eventually reached the top of the hill and the view that they could see was simply spectacular. For Kermit he had rarely seen such a view where he could see for miles upon miles in every direction. For Sir Tucker he had seen views like this plenty of times before when he sat on Jessica's shoulder. However this time he didn't have any of her hair wrapped around him for his own protection.

"Isn't this incredible?" asked Kermit. He looked around in amazement. "I only wish there was a way that I could immortalise what I'm seeing right now."

"If all wishes came true then there would be no point in living," replied Sir Tucker. He was anxious to get going in the right direction once again. "Now do you see anything that looks familiar from up here?"

"Let me take a look." He began to look around in every direction. Each time he stared in amazement at the view and he still couldn't believe what he was seeing. However he did know what was important as he tried to find anything that looked remotely familiar to him. This was a little odd for him since he would never have seen that particular landmark from this vantage point.

After roughly a minute of looking around Kermit saw what seemed to be a building a few miles away. It wasn't his home but definitely something that he recognised, it was taller than most of the trees and it was a marble white. A look of relief appeared on his face as he realised what the building was.

"Hey Sir Tucker," said Kermit with some glee in his voice. "I think I just found it." He almost couldn't contain his excitement as he had actually found something very familiar to him.

"Great what is it?"

"I see a temple just over there." He pointed towards the temple and when Sir Tucker looked towards it he could clearly see it. "That's not too far from where I live, I can't believe it but we're on the right track."

"Ok now we're getting somewhere, we'll travel there and then we'll make our way to your home from there."

For both men they had reason to be happy as their longer than expected journey was actually close to coming to an end. They both carefully made their way down the hill and they seemed to have an easier time going down it rather than getting up. It only took them a few seconds to get down the hill and they made their way towards the temple. It was still around a mile or two from where they had been but it was certainly a positive start.

The next phase of their journey was uneventful as they made their way towards the temple. It took them around half an hour to get there and they were more than happy to see a place where they knew that they were safe.

From up close Sir Tucker saw that the temple was larger than he had expected. The sun shone on the white marble and it only elevated the beauty of it. There was no doubt that whoever had built this temple had taken great care and although it was old it still looked like it had just been built.

At first Sir Tucker wanted to move on so that he could return Kermit to his home but the older man didn't want to leave yet. He thought that their success had been due to the gods favouring them and leaving a temple without praying to them would be a sign of disrespect. Sir Tucker had no choice but to agree as he didn't wish for the gods to turn a blind eye to him.

The two men stepped into the temple and what Sir Tucker saw did surprise him. If he had thought that the outside was beautiful it was nothing in comparison to the inside. The coloured windows of the temple made the sun shine a wide variety of colours but this was only the tip of the iceberg. Gold like chandeliers were attached to the ceiling and there were great rows of benches for people to sit down upon.

All around the room there were statues of the various gods in the religion of Angleland. There were so many that some struggled to remember them all but the priest who resided at the temple knew the names of each god and goddess. They were assisted by others who called themselves the Chosen Ones. These people were not those who thought that they had great destinies but rather had devoted their lives to the faith and thus had been chosen to be given responsibilities that many people could not handle.

Chosen Ones were permitted to be married but only to other Chosen Ones as they would not hinder them in their duties. The Priest who called the temple their home were the only ones who were not allowed to marry. They would remain at their temples until the day that they died unless something of religious importance took them elsewhere.

Kermit went to pray at a particular statue while Sir Tucker began to look around at the other statues. He eventually came to one that seemed to be familiar to him, it was a marble statue of a woman but there was something in her face that made him feel like he had seen her before. It was not from another statue but rather that he had seen her in real life. He couldn't put his finger on it.

He stared at it for several moments before he felt a tap on his shoulder. He didn't respond at first but then he felt someone place their hand on his shoulder. He didn't have time to turn around before he heard someone whispering in his ear.

"Yeah she's pretty but you have to admit that I'm prettier," said a hauntingly familiar voice. Sir Tucker quickly turned around and he saw Gwen standing right behind him. She had increased her height to the point where she was a few inches taller than him. He had no idea that she had been with him the entire time. "Hi handsome."

"You?" replied Sir Tucker with much confusion in his voice. "What do you want with me now?" He wanted to be angry but he knew that if he showed her any kind of aggression she would kill him.

"Well who did you expect?" She giggled and it almost made her seem like she was just any other woman. She seemed to have ignored his question and only responded to his first statement. "I've gotta say that now that you're a knight it definitely makes you a little more respectable."

"You almost ruined the relationship that I had with Jessica." Despite the anger that he felt he couldn't bring it to the surface. He just saw her standing over him and he couldn't help but feel nervous. Where he knew that Jessica would never hurt him when it came to Gwen she would kill him and not even give it a second thought.

"Who?" She paused for a moment. "Oh yeah that mortal who is trying to do her best impression of me. What about her?"

"Jessica and I were starting to make our relationship more than just friends and you decided to come along and ruin that. You made me have sex with you so that you would help clear Jessica's name."

"Oh so I did." She giggled again as if what had happened hadn't really been that big of a deal. "It's hard to remember every encounter I have with mortals. I've met so many over the years it's easy to lose track."

"It was your fault that we broke up. I was incredibly lucky that she still wanted to be friends but it could have gone a lot worse."

"And where is your so called friend now? If memory serves you and her had a little falling out and for that you can't blame me. Nor can you blame me for her finding out about our little bit of fun together. I wasn't the one who told her about it, to tell you the truth if I was in her shoes I probably would have crushed you where you stood."

"I expect that she was tempted." He couldn't help but see some truth in her words where it hadn't been Gwen who told Jessica. It had been him and although it caused him and Jessica much hassle he still felt that he had done the best thing. "All you've brought to me is misery and fear."

"You call that misery?" She laughed again but this time it was more of a mocking laugh. "Believe me mortal you don't know what true misery is. If you've seen the things I've seen then you would go back on those words."

"Why are you even here?" He knew that he wouldn't get any answers out of her and to prevent him from losing his temper he decided to start another line of questioning that might get some answers.

"Well since we're in a temple I thought I'd check out my statue. I've got to admit that whoever sculpted me did do a half decent job but there are a few mistakes. Plus I just wanted to talk to you. Maybe we can find a quiet spot so that we can have a little fun together." She licked her lips with what seemed to be an abnormally small tongue.

"No, you're unbelievable." He was beginning to become angry again and he was beginning to lose control of her anger.

"Oh shame, I knew it was a long shot and although I could force you to do whatever I want to tell you the truth I've kinda taken a liking to you." She shrank herself so that she was a head shorter than Sir Tucker. "I've seen mortals do many things over the years but nothing quite like you. Even someone of my level has to have a shred of respect for that." Sir Tucker didn't know if she was being genuine or if she was just telling another of her lies. Either way he was cautious.

"Did your respect stop you from ruining my life?"

"Oh come on you still can't be upset over that. You can't really blame me for that, do you know how many lives the gods have ruined over their time? Some of them deserved it there's no doubt about it but a few of them I think was just for fun. I don't know how those assholes think."

"That still doesn't excuse what you did."

Before he could speak further he saw one of the Chosen Ones approach them and she hadn't seen Gwen changing size. She thought that they were just having some lover's dispute and that Gwen had merely spoken blasphemy. She was robed from head to toe in a pristine white robe. Only her face was uncovered and she looked to be well beyond seventy. However her face did seem welcoming to Sir Tucker although Gwen was indifferent to her, she slowly approached them.

"You mustn't speak such things in the house of the gods," said the Chosen One. "Their ways may be more than we can understand but we must pay them our respects nonetheless." She then made a hand gesture which was to respect the gods.

"Oh I understand their ways," replied Gwen with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "In fact that I was just admiring the statue of myself here. I must admit that the nose is a little off but other than that the stonemason got it right."

"Declaring yourself as a goddess is a horrific crime." She almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had seen a couple of heretics every now and again but no one who actually declared themselves a god. "Rescind those words or else the gods will see fit to punish your misdeed."

"You mortals are so funny." She began to grow in size and Sir Tucker took a few steps away from her. The Chosen One looked up in disbelief as Gwen grew up to ten feet in height and although she considered growing larger she decided not to. The woman before her was someone who had dedicated their lives to the gods and in a small way to her as well. "I am Gwen Mistress Of Size, the demi-goddess who has come down to your mortal realm." She also did consider growing until she burst out of the building out of the temple but she knew how the other gods would react. She might have been very powerful but in comparison to them she was nothing more than a table knife trying to cut down a mighty redwood tree. "You may bow and beg my forgiveness."

The Chosen One was completely awestruck with what she saw. She dropped down to her knees and began to beg Gwen for her forgiveness. The Chosen One couldn't believe that she was actually face to face with an actual goddess. But her current outcry seemed to attract the attentions of others around them. Even Kermit could see what was taking place and he too was awestruck.

Gwen seemed to love the attention that she was getting from the people. This was one of the reasons why she loved her status. People would bow to her once they realised just who she was, even the greatest kings of Angleland bowed to the gods. Although she wasn't a full goddess she was still the closest thing that these people would see one considering how the actual gods never travelled to the mortal realm.

Sir Tucker didn't know what to do in this situation. He would have liked to have slipped away but he could see that Kermit was amongst the people who were bowing to Gwen. He even considered bowing himself since if he didn't she would take this as an offence and harm him. This time he wouldn't have Jessica there to try and stop her but even if she were here her powers were child's play in comparison to Gwen. Once again he would have to rely on his brains rather than brawn.

Gwen turned to Sir Tucker and saw that he wasn't bowing. Rather than taking offense to it she thought that it was funny that he didn't do it. She completely took her focus on the people bowing to her and instead looked at Sir Tucker. She was now having to look down at him and she couldn't help but laugh at him. She could see just how nervous he was and she even thought that it would be funny to use this against him.

"You don't seem to be bowing like the others," said Gwen as she took a step towards him. He did consider placing his hand on Juggernaut but it would be completely futile so he just stood there. "I can say that you're either the bravest mortal that I've ever met or the stupidest."

"I am neither," replied Sir Tucker as he tried to think of a way that he could resolve the situation without things escalating out of control. "I am merely just a mortal who stands in awe of you. Every time I see you I am taken aback by not only the power that you possess but of your beauty as well."

"Oh please stop." Rather than this being a command it was more like she was absorbing the compliments and it as just inflating her ego.

"We mortals are not fit to be in your presence. You are so far beyond us that we cannot comprehend the majesty that is you." He could see Gwen's ego being inflated even more with every syllable that he spoke.

However Gwen wasn't that stupid. She could see clearly what he was doing but rather than calling him out on it she instead went to play along with it. She thought that it would be more fun that way.

"Ok good sir knight maybe if you are in such awe of me right now why don't you come here and kiss me?" asked Gwen knowing what had happened the last time they had any kind of intimacy. She saw the colour fade from Sir Tucker's face and this brought her some amount of joy.

"I cannot, my lips are not worthy of your tender skin." He tried to play it off as something that she would want to hear but instead he saw her kneel down to his level. She could have very easily shrunk herself but she wanted to remain the bigger one. "It would be much below your notice."

"Well good sir knight I've been watching you for some time and I know that you're worthy. Besides you have my notice now."

Sir Tucker was in an uncomfortable position. He knew that he couldn't refuse her but Jessica did flash into his head. He knew that this time Gwen only demanded a kiss but he knew that she could easily change her mind and make him do something that was more extreme.

"But I..." Sir Tucker also knew that if he refused she could take her anger out on the innocent people around them.

"Oh there is no way of getting out of this one. Just a little kiss will do and in return everyone here will receive my blessings. You will be a hero once again in their eyes and tell me what do you have to lose?"

"The woman I love most in the world."

"Who just happens to not be here." She smiled down at him. "Besides one little kiss can't hurt and what she doesn't know can't hurt her."

Sir Tucker began to think about the situation. If he did kiss Gwen he would be going back on Jessica to a certain degree. However this was merely a kiss rather than having full intercourse. Also right now Sir Tucker and Jessica were not a couple and it wasn't uncommon for a married man to kiss another woman if there was no kind of love and passion behind it. He was between a rock and a hard place since if he didn't kiss her there was no telling just what she would do.

Sir Tucker watched as Gwen lowered her head to his level and all he did was give a sigh and give her a slight kiss on the cheek. He felt that her skin and flesh were very soft and had some warmth to it. However there was also some coldness that he could also feel which made him feel uneasy.

Gwen lifted her head back up as soon as he was done and she stood back up to her full height. The others around them were still in awe and many couldn't believe that a mortal had been allowed to kiss a goddess. It had been told that if a mortal touched a god they would have an influx of enlightenment which would be too much for a mortal mind to cope with. They would end up as nothing more than vegetables afterwards. Gwen was only a demi-goddess rather than a full-fledged god and seemed to be the only reason why Sir Tucker wasn't a gibbering wreck.

"See now that wasn't too hard now was it?" asked Gwen with a smile on her face. She took more satisfaction out of this than she had expected.

"Are you satisfied now?" replied Sir Tucker who still wasn't happy with what he had done. The only comfort that he took was the fact that it was only a small kiss rather than sexual intercourse.

"Indeed I am." She giggled like a school girl who had just learned a juicy secret about a friend. "You are certainly brave sir knight and hopefully we'll see each other again pretty soon." She turned to the people who were already bowing down to her. They looked up at her as she smiled down to them. "And for everyone present thanks to the actions of this brave knight each of you have received my blessings. May they bring you fortune in the near future."

Gwen then clapped her hands creating a blinding flash of light. In the instant of the light she was able to shrink herself to microscopic size and once again attach herself to the body of Sir Tucker without him even realising it. To everyone else it looked as if she had somehow teleported away. Sir Tucker hoped that it would be the last that he ever saw of her but he doubted it very much.

Also the truth of Gwen's blessings were nothing more than her words. Since she wasn't a full goddess so she couldn't give anyone a blessing that would make the slightest hint of difference. She knew this and had done it anyway just for another reason to feel superior to the mortals around them.

When Gwen had disappeared many of the people who had been bowing took a moment or two to get back up. Kermit in particular had a couple of problems and so did some of the older Chosen Ones. Many of them felt that their life was complete now that they had a real goddess in their presence. Sir Tucker was the only one who truly knew that they were lucky that she was in a good mood.

Many of the people began to make their way to Sir Tucker since he had been the one who had kissed Gwen. In their eyes he was the most blessed out of them all and there would likely be stories of this day that would be told for more than a thousand years. However the only person Sir Tucker was concerned about was Kermit who was also walking towards him. Sir Tucker made the rest of the distance and grabbed him by the arm. Before any of the people could ask him anything he pulled Kermit outside so that they could continue on with their journey.

Kermit was asking Sir Tucker a lot of questions which he didn't want to answer. The only answer Sir Tucker wanted from Kermit was which direction they were supposed to be heading. Kermit did point it out and without wasting anymore time he and Sir Tucker walked in that direction. Thankfully there was a path which would help them considerably, for Sir Tucker all he wanted to do was return Kermit home, receive his payment and then go back to Jessica and try and iron out their problems. He could only hope that he was successful in his attempts.

Some miles away Jessica was beginning to get back to her feet after her tumble down the large hill. Even though she had been at her full size it didn't prevent her from falling and she could tell that she had picked up some kind of injury.

Jessica panted as she slowly rose up ad she had to use a nearby hill to help keep her balance. She had heard a cracking sound as she fell and she soon discovered that this was her left arm. She could feel a searing pain from her arm and she discovered that she couldn't move it, she didn't need to be a healer to know that her arm was broken. She also had a couple of bruises on her legs from where she had fallen.

Rather than thinking about her own injuries she couldn't help but think about Wanda who was going through one of the most special but yet painful moments of her life. She knew that she had to get a healer to them so that the baby could be delivered safely and both mother and child would live.

With almost no choice in the matter Jessica continued on but this time she squeezed her gigantic body through the spaces between the hills. She knew that she could shrink herself but she still figured that it would be faster if she moved through the hills at her maximum size.

Eventually after much effort Jessica was able to get through the hills but several times she had brushed her broken arm against the hills and this had caused her pain. It was the first time she had ever suffered a broken bone. However this did make her remember something from her own past.

When Sir Tucker had been a child he had once broken his arm after falling out of a tree and although the local healer had been able to plaster his arm up it had been Jessica who had made sure that he stayed safe. Even with his broken arm Sir Tucker had tried to climb other trees but whenever he had tried she would always gently grab him and bring him safely to the ground. She would also act as a nurse of sorts to him when he had needed help, his family had been there for him as well but his older brothers had even mocked him over it. For these insults Sir Tucker's father would give his older sons a clout around the ear for their troubles. Once or twice she had thought about giving them her own clout on the ear but of course hers would be much more painful. However she didn't stoop to their level and she just did what she could to care for Sir Tucker.

As Jessica walked forwards she wondered what Sir Tucker would do for her if he saw her arm was broken. She had no doubt that despite everything between them that he would comfort her as best as he could. He would stop at nothing to find a healer for her and ensure that her recovery was as fast as possible. She would love him for every moment that he did this and she missed him more than she could admit. There had been long periods of time that they wouldn't see each other, normally these would be when he was out on an errand for his family's blacksmith business. However this time she thought that they might never see each other again. A fate that she never wished upon herself and was just another reason why she wanted to meet up with him when they agreed to.

Jessica walked on but she discovered that she had hurt her leg more than she had originally thought. It wasn't as bad as her arm but it was still enough to prevent her from walking at full pace. That would mean more time was lost and she knew that every second that was wasted put Wanda and her soon to be born child at even greater risk. It was the only thing that was keeping her going.

On more than one occasion she was spotted by people who would either look at her in utter disbelief or begin to run in terror. She paid these people no mind as she continued on, she could still hear them and one even called her a monster. There would have been nothing more than to prove that person wrong but now was not the time nor the place. She was beginning to see a town coming into view and she knew that it was the one that she had been travelling to. She still couldn't move any faster than she was already moving and she just hoped that her appearance wouldn't scare the healer.

Despite the fact that Jessica could see her goal she still couldn't make herself move any faster. To her it was almost embarrassing but with everything that was at stake she couldn't allow herself to let anything get in her way. No matter how much pain she felt she still walked on and all she hoped was that she could return to the expectant parents before it was too late.

After several more minutes Jessica did reach the town but unlike other times when she entered towns she didn't shrink herself. She remained at her full size and as expected her sudden appearance had panicked many of the townspeople. The majority of them stayed indoors but numerous men remained outside. This was a garrison of soldiers who also acted as the town's lawmen. Each of them were trained to deal with pretty normal things such as public disturbances and some were even able to execute a person. A towering giantess was something that they had never been trained for but they were still ready to defend their town with their lives if need be.

Jessica looked down and saw a few of these soldiers who had decided to form themselves into a line. The outer soldiers were all armed with bows and arrows while towards the centre they were swords and shields. She knew that she could take them down without much trouble, even with her injuries but it simply wasn't her way. She did stop herself several metres short of them and she waited for them to make the next move.

"Monster leave this town now or else we will have no choice but to destroy you," said one of the Soldiers who seemed to be the leader of this group. Each of the soldiers were wearing near identical armour and for the moment Jessica couldn't tell exactly which one was talking to her.

"For starters I'm not a monster," replied Jessica who seemed to be quite annoyed about them labelling her a monster. "I'm a person just like the rest of you." She still sounded annoyed but it was more centred around her arm which was still in a large amount of pain. "All I want is the town healer and I'll be on my way. I'll return him as soon as I can but I don't have a lot of time."

"A likely lie form a behemoth. We will not be relinquishing our healer so leave now while you still can."

"I'm not leaving here without the healer." It seemed that her stubbornness was beginning to get the better of her. It seemed that resolving this situation peacefully seemed to be more out of reach than the sun itself. "The last thing I want to do is hurt any of you but there are lives at stake right now."

"Like I said before you're not taking the healer. We've warned you monster, you've left us no choice but to defend ourselves." He lifted his arm up and for the first time Jessica realised which one of the soldiers were actually talking to her. He was quite a tall figure but with his armour there was no way of knowing what he looked like. "Men on my command, ready, aim."

"Wait!" shouted a voice. This had caught Jessica by surprise as she had expected to be bombarded with arrows.

Everyone looked to where the voice had come from and they saw an old man walking towards them. He wore a black garb and the hair that he had left was completely white. It even seemed like he had trouble moving around but she noticed that he didn't seem to be afraid of her.

"Return to your home sir," said the Lead Soldier who turned to look at him. He knew exactly who this man was and for the moment was keeping it a secret from Jessica. "This monster won't be hurting anyone."

"But I heard her call for me," replied the man. "I wish to see what she wants from my services."

"I have come here looking for you," answered Jessica as she squatted down. She could still feel the pain in her legs as she squatted but in her mind it wasn't important. "I'm sorry to have caused all this trouble but I must insist that you come with me. A friend of mine has gone into labour and if you're not there to help deliver the baby I fear that both she and the baby might die."

"Your situation does sound important but how do I know that you can be trusted? We have never met before and if you don't mind my saying that the reaction of the town guard has made me cautious."

"I understand but we don't have time to waste." She thought for a moment before coming up with an idea that she hoped would ensure his co-operation. "You are familiar with a farmer of short stature named Brian and his expectant wife Wanda?"

"Yes, they have come a few times to see me over the last few years." He wasn't sure how Jessica could have known the couple unless what he suspected might actually be true. "Is it she who is in labour?"

"Yes she is the one." She then lowered her right hand onto the ground. "I promise I'll return you here as soon as I can but please can you come with me."

"Very well my very tall friend, you've convinced me of your honesty." The soldiers who were only a short distance away from her began to lower their arms. Although they were not particularly happy with it they could only respect the Healer's decision to go with her. At least then she would be leaving them much quicker.

The Healer with a small amount of reluctance did step onto Jessica's hand. She then lifted him up before standing back up to her full height. She winced in pain but she placed him on her shoulder before wrapping him with some of her hair for his own safety. Without giving much of a thought for the soldiers she began to walk out of the town and back towards the farmhouse. She had already taken longer than she would have liked but she knew that she didn't have long.

Unfortunately before she could actually leave the town the Healer reminded her that he hadn't gotten what he had needed so they had to make a short detour to his home before they could head out to the farmhouse. One thing that the Healer had noticed was that Jessica was only using her right arm. For now he said nothing about it as she walked as quickly as she could.

After several minutes the town was almost out of sight and Jessica still carried on with the Healer on her shoulder. He was holding onto a leather bag which contained many tools that he needed to help people. He was enjoying the view that he was seeing, like most people he had never seen the world from such a height. However Jessica wasn't really talking to him as she mainly concentrated on where she was going. He did see her wince every now and again and this did cause him some concern.

"You're hurt aren't you?" asked the Healer with a voice that showed that he was concerned about her.

"It's not important right now. There's an entire family waiting for me to get you to the farmhouse."

"That's all well and good but you can't ignore the fact that you're injured. From the movements I've seen of you I can tell that your left arm is broken and you most likely have some bruising on your legs. Your legs will heal in a relatively short time but your arm is another matter entirely. If you're not treated soon it will not heal properly and worse you might get an infection."

"You can look at my arm later but Wanda is the important one right now. As soon as I know that she and her baby are safe then I'll worry about myself."

"Ignoring injuries will only lead you to more trouble. However under the circumstances I do understand your motivation."

Jessica kept moving as fast as she could but eventually she came back to the dreaded hills. What happened last time was still fresh in her mind and she carefully tried to move between the hills like she did before. The gaps were tight for someone of her stature and a few times she brushed against her broken arm. The Healer saw each time she winched and he couldn't imagine the pain that she was in.

At one point Jessica's broken arm struck one of the hills with some force and the pain that she felt was unbearable. She let out a blood curdling scream that could be heard for miles in every direction. The Healer had to cover his ears in hopes that her scream wouldn't deafen him. She immediately help onto her broken arm in an attempt to try and null the pain but it did little to help.

The Healer insisted that Jessica stop so that he could try and help her but she refused. She was still fixated on getting him back to the farmhouse. She could imagine that Wanda was in much worse pain. She could see her face in her mind and she could only imagine what she was going through.

After much effort Jessica was eventually able to get through the hills without breaking any more of her bones. This was a relief and just a couple of miles away she could see the farmhouse. Everything seemed to be quiet but this was expected from this distance. Rather than wasting any more time she made her way towards the farmhouse. It was at a slower pace than when she left but she still thought that there was time.

Much to Jessica's relief it only took her a few minutes to make up the rest of the distance and she was right outside of the farmhouse. She unwrapped the hair from the Healer and then lowered him down to the ground right outside of the door. She watched as he raced inside and then she began to concentrate on shrinking herself.

Pain once again shot right through Jessica's arm as she shrank and she tried to keep her mouth shut. The last thing she wanted was to scream like that again and she even had to fight back the tears. Thankfully before long she was back down to being eight feet tall and she staggered into the house once again.

The sight she saw was one of utter chaos as the Healer was tending to Wanda who was still in labour. Brian was holding her hand as he tried to comfort his wife as best as he could but there wasn't much that he could do. Jimmy was doing what he could to help as he was bringing Wanda some water.

Jessica wanted to help but all she could do was slump down on a nearby chair so that she could try and regain some of her energy. She heard the chair creak under her weight, she didn't need to be reminded about the fact that even though she was at her smallest size she was still very heavy. She was not overweight for her body type but unfortunately normal things like chairs were usually ill suited for her.

She also knew that there was nothing more that she could do for the couple. She had done everything that she could and now only had to wait to see what happened. She hoped that her efforts had been worth it. All she could hear was the screams of Wanda who was in a lot of pain with the Healer giving her support. Brian's voice could be heard from time to time but he was remaining quiet.

After what seemed to be an eternity for Jessica she began to hear a baby crying and this made her bring tears into her eyes. Normally she would never like to hear a baby cry but under this circumstance it was one of the most beautiful things that she had ever heard. It meant that a new person had been brought into the world.

It took some effort for Jessica to get out of the chair and enter the room where Wanda was lying. She could see a tiny baby in the arms of his mother, the baby was wrapped in a blanket and she could also see something that she never thought that she would see. Brian was actually crying, after the tough man persona that Brian had demonstrated it almost seemed inhuman to see him cry.

Rather than going inside Jessica remained where she was as she didn't think it was the best time to see the new parents. The baby was born now but they were likely not entirely out of danger just yet. She thought that her place was to be there and she just waited for news. It almost seemed strange to her that despite all the strange things that had happened like having her mind taken over by Lord Nostory or being imprisoned for a murder that she didn't commit. It was this point on this quest where she was the most worried, she thought it might have been some kind of maternal instinct.

After several minutes the door to the bedroom opened and Jessica saw the Healer walk out. His gloved hands were covered with fluid and some of it had even gone onto his clothes. Rather than standing up Jessica remained where she sat. Not just because of her injuries but also because she didn't seem to be so tall. The Healer was very surprised with one thing however, that was Jessica at a smaller size. He had only seen her at her full size, seeing her small enough to fit into a house had caught him by surprise but he could see the concerned look on her face.

"How are they?" asked Jessica as she looked up to the Healer. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

"T-they're fine," replied the Healer. He still couldn't get over seeing Jessica so small but he put that into the back of his mind for the time being. "The baby was delivered successfully and from what I can gather both mother and baby are in good health."

"That's such a relief to hear." Her mood instantly changed from one of panic to one of joy. It made her feel that every injury that she had suffered from was all worth it just to know that Wanda and her child were safe. She went to move but she felt the pain of her arm and instantly it made her remain exactly where she was. She tried to hide her pain but the Healer could see it as clear as day.

"Now that Wanda and her son are healthy it's time that I took a look at your injuries. If you don't mind I would like to take a look at your arm."

"Yeah sure." She thought that she would only have to keep it were it was but for the Healer this wasn't enough.

"I'm going to have to see your arm outside of your clothing so that I can have a really good look and deduce the exact extent of your injuries."

Jessica was reluctant to do so. At first she tried to roll up her sleeve but unfortunately it couldn't go high enough. In the end she began to undo her dress with her good hand and with great difficult and pain was able to take it out. For a brief moment her left breast was completely exposed but she kept the rest of her dress up and she used it to cover her breast. The Healer had helped her with this but he was too much of a gentleman to make her keep her breast unclothed. He had also seen plenty of naked people over his time as a healer so seeing Jessica's breast was practically nothing new to him.

The Healer began to properly examine her arm and he didn't really like what he was seeing. He could see all the bruising on it and from the pain that Jessica was in h could tell that something was definitely broken. Before the examination he had taken off his gloves but he did go into his bag.

Quickly he began to wrap what seemed to be a bandage over Jessica's entire arm but rather that it being dry it felt very wet. He also made sure that her arm remained in the right position until it was completely wrapped up. It felt strange on her skin and it sent a shiver running down her spine.

"That should do it," said the Healer. "Keep your arm in that position until it is completely dry. Keep it in that cast for six weeks before you either go and see me or another Healer to have it removed."

"Thanks," replied Jessica although she could still feel some pain. "You don't mind just helping me put it back into my sleeve?"

"I doubt that you will be able to put your arm in the sleeve. With the cast on it'll be too big for your sleeve."

"Don't worry about it, my dress can stretch itself to whatever size it needs to be." It was the same thing that happened whenever she grew or shrank in size. No matter how big she grew the dress would always fit her.

"Hmm that is very interested." He thought for a few moments and since he had seen her both at her largest and smallest sizes he could see how this could be true. It was beyond his understanding although he did suspect magic was involved.

The cast around Jessica's arm did dry very quickly and within a few minutes it was dry enough for her to put through her sleeve. It was quite a pain for them to put the arm in the sleeve but as the Healer pulled on the dress he was amazed to see it stretching and he thought that if he just ran with it still in his hand it would just continue stretching further and further until he was too tired to go any further.

Eventually Jessica was able to put her casted arm into the sleeve and she could see the fabric stretching to accommodate her now wider arm. It slid in as if it were a hand putting on a glove and before the Healer finished he did help her lace the back of her dress up again. It was almost impossible for her to do with one hand.

The Healer also took a look at Jessica's bruised legs and he deduced that the injuries to them were not as extensive as the one to her arm. They would heal by themselves over time and didn't really need any treatment.

There was one problem that Jessica did realise, with the cast on she wouldn't be able to change size with it. Her arm would break out of the cast before it was fully healed and this would only cause more problems. It almost seemed alien to her that she was now forced to be at a smaller size for what would be several weeks. This also meant that she wouldn't be able to keep her promise to the Healer by returning him home as quickly as she originally stated she would.

Just as Jessica was given the all clear Jimmy stepped out of the room. He looked over to her and she stood up. She could guess what he was going to say but she allowed him to speak before she did anything else.

"Is everything alright?" asked the Healer as he thought that he was on the verge of being called back inside.

"Yes everything is fine," replied Jimmy. If anything the terror that he had felt over the last couple of hours was worse than the fear he had felt the previous night when he had been in Jessica's hand. "Brian and his wife just want to say a few words to Jessica." The danger was over and he was beginning to relax. Despite his shady background he didn't like to see people die, especially babies.

Jessica took her cue as she stepped into the room. She ducked her head to get under the doorframe and she remembered to not entirely stand up straight. She saw Wanda lying in bed with her new-born baby son in her arms. He was wrapped in a blanket and although he had been crying he was now calm and was just enjoying being in his mother's arms. Brian was sitting on a chair right next to his wife and son and he was more or less moved to tears. He was a tough and proud man but this was enough to make him drop all of it and just be happy for his wife.

"Jessica," said Brian as he looked up to her. She was speechless as she looked at the new family. "Words can't describe the gratitude that my wife and I have for you. Without you things could have gotten a lot worse but thanks to you I still have my wife and now I have my son as well."

"It was nothing really," replied Jessica as she tried to hide the fact that her arm had been broken. "You were the ones who originally showed me kindness by allowing me to stay under your roof. It was the least that I could do for you."

"Nonsense, you've done more than we could ever wish to repay. Our home is your home now, if you wish to stay you may for as long as you need and you won't have to work it off like before."

"That's very nice but it won't be necessary, as I said before there is someone that I need to meet up soon." She looked down at the baby and she thought that it was the most adorable thing in the world. She crouched down to take a better look at it but she didn't try to touch it. She was just waiting for the day when she had her own children. She could definitely tell that the baby looked like his father. "What's his name?"

"We're calling him Albert and if you don't mind we want Jesse to be his middle name," answered Wanda as she was still cuddling her new son. The process of childbirth had sapped all the energy from her body but she still had the strength to cuddle her son. This was a day that she certainly would never forget.

"Nothing would bring me greater joy." She could do nothing but smile as she felt that everything that she had just been through had been completely worth it to see this family happy.

In her mind Jessica began to picture herself in Wanda's position with Sir Tucker taking the role of Brian. She would be cuddling the baby that she and Sir Tucker had made together and it would make her truly happy. She couldn't help but be sad by what had happened between them and she knew that she would be much happier with him in her life rather than if he were removed.

Jessica kept going over the fact that Sir Tucker had sex with Gwen when she had been incarcerated for murder. She had been angry over what had happened, however she was understanding why he had done it. She was also feeling that the fact that he had told her was probably one of the bravest and most adult things that he had ever done. He had faced someone who he knew could crush him where he stood and told her about what he had done. He could have kept the secret to the grave and she would have been none the wiser but he had decided to tell her.

She missed Sir Tucker more than she could possibly express into words and the thought that there was even a chance that they couldn't be together broke her heart. She decided that when they met again she would give him the biggest hug ever.

There was one other thing that Jessica was very worried about, she wondered if Sir Tucker could forgive her for what she had done to him. He had told her on more than one occasion that he could look out for himself but she had not given him the chance. There was a small chance that he could have completed the Third Trial by himself but she hadn't given him the opportunity. When she had knocked him out she hadn't just hurt him physically but also in his heart where it had truly hurt the most. If the roles were reversed she wasn't sure if she could forgive such a thing.

Jessica could only hope that when she met up with Sir Tucker once again that the issues between them had been ironed out. She didn't want to take the long trek back to Morgan alone, she wanted to have him sitting on her shoulder like usual and she hoped that she would also be carrying Three Man's Treasure. However only time would tell whether this would come to fruition.

Many miles away Sir Tucker was continuing to trek on the pathway with Kermit. He had a rather forgettable time with the fact that the previous night he had fought for the lives of both of them. Just a few minutes before he had encountered Gwen once again and she had forced him to give her a kiss, he knew what kind of damage she could have done if given a chance to do so. He had no idea that the demi-goddess was still on his person but just happened to be so small that she was impossible to see.

One thing that Sir Tucker could take comfort in was the fact that he knew they were on the right path. Kermit was positive that they were going the right way since he had trekked on this path many times. He was just glad to still had his throat after everything that had happened to them. He thought that he that fate had brought him to Sir Tucker as not many knights could have brought him this far.

"How much further is it to your home from here?" asked Sir Tucker who was unbelievably tired at this point in time.

"It is only a few hours until we get there," replied Kermit who to him this felt like they were on the home stretch.

"Great the sooner we get you home safe and sound the sooner that I can sit down and actually relax for a while." This was one of the longest periods that he hadn't had a proper rest. That was unless the times that he was unconscious counted as rest, he was still hurting from those times.

"When we reach my home you can rest for as long as you want. In fact you could be my personal escort if I can get the coin of course."

"No that's fine, as I said I have a friend to meet although I will rest at your place for a while. I think I might have a few blisters from all of this walking."

"Well I am surprised that you don't have a horse since most knights travel by horse. May I ask how you are able to travel great distances without one?"

"My friend helped me a lot in that department." He didn't want to go into too many details just in case Kermit became scared. "But anyway hopefully this last leg of our journey will be uneventful."

"Don't say that." There was a slight hint of fear in Kermit's voice. "You might very well jinx us with words like that."

"I don't believe in such superstition." This was true but just to be on the safe side he decided not to speak of it any further. "When we return to your home could you be able to give me a little bit of food. If you want to deduce some gold from my fee for it I'll more than understand."

"My good sir you've earned every piece of gold and more. I'd be more than happy to give you all the food that you could want."

"A simple meal would more than suffice and a place where I can comfortably sleep for a while."

"Nothing would bring me greater joy than to give to you want you've certainly earned on this day."

Sir Tucker and Kermit continued to walk down the pathway and Sir Tucker didn't want to admit just how much his feet were hurting him. He had been used to Jessica carrying him long distances but now that he was walking such a distance by himself was more tiring than he imagined. He began to feel sorry for Jessica when she trekked many, many miles in a single day. She was certainly a much better long distance traveller than he was and when they met again he would tell her exactly that.

Eventually they came to a small stream which had an old bridge to cross it. It looked to have been constructed some time ago and from the looks of it the bridge didn't look to be all that safe. Time had taken its toll on it and it looked as if it could collapse at any moment if one were to step on it.

"I think that it's best that we walk across this one at a time," said Sir Tucker as he thought that the bridge was very unsafe.

"I think you might be right my good sir," replied Kermit. "Allow me to go first, if it can support my weight it should be safe for you."

"If that is what you wish then be my guest."

Kermit almost instantly began to regret his decision as he began to walk across the bridge. He could hear it creaking with every step he took and he was afraid that it would collapse under his weight. Sweat was begin to run down his forehead as he walked and he could feel his heartbeat in his chest. If he were to fall in he would certainly drown as he had never learned how to swim.

Each step that Kermit took seemed to be like a mile but eventually he felt his feet touch down on the bank at the other side. He gave a sigh of relief as he looked over at Sir Tucker. He thought that since the bridge had been able to take his weight that it should be able to do the same for Sir Tucker.

"Ok your turn," shouted Kermit so that he could clearly be heard.

Sir Tucker slowly began to walk across the bridge and he felt pretty confident that he would cross it safely. Instead he could hear the bridge creaking once again but this time it seemed to be louder than it had been before. It made him think about moving a little faster so that he could get to the other side in better time. It was not the first time that he had been on a bridge that collapsed below him.

Fresh in the mind of Sir Tucker he could remember near the end of the second trial when he was carrying the dying Jessica across a bridge over a seemingly bottomless pit. The bridge had given way and he had grabbed the side of the pit but he had one arm grabbing Jessica to prevent her from falling. In the end he had chosen to stay with her rather than letting her go and pulling himself to safety.

As he thought about the previous bridge it took his mind off the current one that he was walking and he took each step with care and before he knew it he had safely reached the other side safely. He had not been as relieved as Kermit but he could still give a small sigh when he reached the other side.

After everything that had happened to them Sir Tucker had expected the bridge to collapse underneath them as practically everything that had happened to them had seemingly just been out to slow them down. He was glad to see that such a setback had not taken place. It made him feel like things were beginning to go their way. It was definitely a change of pace from everything else that had taken place.

The path continued ahead of the pair and they walked down it. Unfortunately it was not at the fastest pace possible but after everything that they had been through they were still travelling faster than they expected. If either man said that they weren't tired they would be lying. Sir Tucker didn't think that he had ever felt so tired and the first thing he wanted to do was just to lie down and get some much needed sleep.

The next couple of hours just rolled by and they were relatively uneventful until Kermit saw something that made his face light up. Just a short distance from the path both men could see a small stone house with a wooden roof. Kermit was more than happy to see that this house was his own and after everything the two men had just been through they had finally made it back home.

Kermit couldn't help but laugh with joy as he finally saw that their eventful journey had finally come to an end. This brought him ore joy than he could possibly imagine and he even ran towards it as if he were still a young man. This was a great relief for Sir Tucker since it meant three things to him. These were gold, food and a much needed rest. He did pick up his pace but he surprisingly couldn't keep up with Kermit who was gaining more and more distance by every passing moment.

The morning hadn't even come to an end at this point so Sir Tucker still thought that he could enjoy some much deserved breakfast. He was much hungrier than he would have been if he had even a single opportunity to eat after setting off on this small journey. He did feel like he was on the verge of collapse.

After a few addition seconds Sir Tucker also reached the house and saw that Kermit had already gone inside. Sir Tucker followed suit and could see that Kermit was calling out for his wife. He gathered that her name was Martha but much to Kermit's surprise there seemed to be no answer. However there was a strange odour in the house that just didn't seem to be right.

Kermit quickly went to the bedroom which he shared with his wife. There they found her in bed however it was not the sight that either man wanted to see. Martha lying there was not the odd thing, she looked to be a relatively old woman with flowing red hair but her skin seemed to be completely white. She wasn't moving or for the fact of it she didn't even seem to be breathing.

Frantically Kermit tried to wake his wife up but with no apparent luck. When he had touched her skin he could feel that it was cold to the touch. This was when he realised that his wife had passed on, in the space of a couple of minutes Kermit had gone from feeling extreme joy to that of extreme sorrow.

Sir Tucker didn't need to be a healer to know that Martha was dead and for the first few moments said nothing. He could see tears begin to roll down the cheeks of Kermit as he frantically tried to revive his wife. Sir Tucker took a few steps towards him and he too felt much sorrow for Kermit.

"Quickly we have to take her to a healer," said Kermit. He thought that there was still a chance that she could be saved. "If we hurry then we can save her and then we can tell her about our adventure." There wasn't much confidence in his voice and Sir Tucker knew that he was the one who would have to break the truth to him.

"I'm sorry my friend but she's gone," replied Sir Tucker with a quiet tone. He didn't want to have to tell him the truth but he felt like there was no other choice.

"No you're lying." There was a hint of anger in his voice as he spoke. "There has to be something that we can do for her."

"I would do anything I could to save her but that time has passed. Even if we took her to a healer there would be nothing that could be done. I know that it is hard to accept but your wife has gone to the next plain."

"That's not true. Please there has to be something." His voice had changed from anger to one of complete sorrow.

"There is nothing. I am truly sorry."

With that Kermit burst into tears and although he would not normally allow people to see him like this his soul was crushed to the point that he didn't care. Sir Tucker was the only one there to comfort him. At this point gold was not what was important but instead comforting a man after he had just lost the most important thing in the world to him. His life would never be the same again.

A couple of hours later Martha had been buried just outside of the house and an acorn had been planted at the head of the grave. This was so one day that a mighty oak tree would grow there and be a constant reminder of her. Sir Tucker had been the one who had dug the grave but it had been Kermit who had placed her in there. He had dressed his wife in her finest clothing and even given her one last kiss before both men buried her. It was not a duty that Sir Tucker would have liked to have done but he had carried it out anyway for the man that he now called a friend.

When Martha was completely buried both men stood near the grave and looked down at it. Kermit was still very tearful and Sir Tucker kept his head down in respect. He had not known the woman but he could see just how much she had meant to Kermit. His life was changed now and he didn't know what the future was going to hold for him now that the love of his life was gone.

"Martha was a good woman," said Kermit who felt that he needed to say a few words although Sir Tucker was the only one there to hear them. "No she was a great woman who gave me many years of great happiness, she was too good for the likes of me and now the gods have seen fit to take her from me. Although she might be gone from this plain her spirit and memory will live on from now until the end of time. She worked hard throughout her life and has more than earned her rest. Goodbye Martha, my love, my everything. May your rest be peaceful forever."

With that there was silence from the two men who paid their respects to Martha. Sir Tucker couldn't help but think about Jessica. He wasn't sure what he would do if he were to lose her. Throughout his life she had always supported him no matter what mad scheme. She had even been there when he had gotten over his head, he could still remember some of the older kids picking on him but Jessica was there to scare them half to death. Since that day none of the other kids even considered picking on him. Even now she had come onto this quest purely for him, she didn't have much interest for the treasure, she had just wanted to be with him and make sure that he was safe. Even if he became the greatest knight in all of Angleland he knew that she would still do everything that she could to ensure his safety. She was a good person with a heart bigger than her shoe size.

"Those wolf people should have sacrificed me," said Kermit. He was still in despair and he didn't take his eyes off of Martha's grave. "At least then Martha and I would have been together on the next plain. The gods are truly cruel to allow me to survive such an experience and yet take my wife from me."

"The gods may be cruel and I would be lying if I said I knew what they were thinking but there must be a reason for it," replied Sir Tucker. He looked over to Kermit who was still looking at the grave.

"And what reason might that be good sir knight?"

"I don't know and I can't really guess but it must have been something of great importance for you. Whatever it may be I'm sure that it is for the better. Of course nothing can replace the relationship that you had with your wife but there must be some deeper meaning for all of this to happen."

"Whatever it may be it still wasn't worth the taking of my wife. Maybe one day I will forget about her, maybe one day soon I might join her. Whichever way you look at it the truth is plain and simple, I am still alive and my wife is not."

They both became silent again and after several minutes it was Sir Tucker who indicated that they had to move. Kermit couldn't spend the rest of his life standing by his wife's grave no matter how much he wanted to. Instead they went back into the house and Sir Tucker was able to find some food for them to eat. It wasn't the cooked meal that they had been hoping for but it was still something to satisfy their hunger. Kermit wasn't particularly hungry after everything that had just happened. He was silent throughout but he did allow Sir Tucker to eat his fill.

After everything that had happened to Sir Tucker after he had last eaten he was extremely hungry. He tried to hide his exact hunger from Kermit in fear that it might upset the older man. It was also nice for Sir Tucker to be able to sit down and relax for a short while, he had felt like he was on the verge of collapse but he would have liked for this to have all happened on better circumstances.

"If you require me to stay here with you then I will," said Sir Tucker who thought that Kermit might need him. After everything that the older man had been through Sir Tucker thought that he might need company.

"No you have your own matters to attend to," replied Kermit. There was still much sorrow in his voice. "Besides you remaining here won't bring Martha back, all I'll be doing is keeping you here longer than you should."

"If that is what you wish then I will leave when I am ready. All I request is time to properly rest after our journey. I think you likely need to rest as well, you're not doing any favours for anyone if you're overly tired."

"I suspect that you're right there but I doubt that I'll ever truly be rested again. But if you need to sleep there is a guest room where you may rest. It might not be much but it is better than sleeping on the ground."

"Thank you, the bed will be more than suffice."

The pair finished what they were eating and they could tell just how fatigued they were. At this point Sir Tucker was struggling to stay awake and simply just wanted to sleep forever. Kermit took much longer to finish what he was eating but for now he didn't feel much like sleeping. Sir Tucker respected the older man's decision and instead moved to guest room where he would be sleeping.

When Sir Tucker entered the guest room he discovered that it wasn't as bare as he had expected. There was a decent sized bed along with a small table and even a mirror on one of the walls. It was better than most inns that he had stayed in and it only made the matter of sleeping that much more enticing.

Carefully Sir Tucker took his armour off and placed it down on the ground. Even though he was only wearing light armour it still made him feel lighter when he had finally taken it off. He also placed Juggernaut on the ground but he still kept it near his bed just in case of anything. After everything that had happened during his quest he didn't want to be left vulnerable.

As soon as his head touched down on the pillow and he had covered himself with the blanket sleep came very quickly for him. It took less than a minute for him to fall into a deep and much deserved sleep. His thoughts drifted away from the real world and instead began to focus on things that were abstract. He did wonder how Jessica was but that thought drifted until he was thinking about riding a mighty horse which could breathe fire through its nostrils and had a long forked tongue.

After many hours of sleeping Sir Tucker finally woke up to find that it was late evening. Despite how late it was to him it was like it was first thing in the morning. He stretched his body and then climbed out of bed.

Before even putting his armour back on he decided to go and check on Kermit. Instead of finding the older man in bed he was still sitting in the chair where Sir Tucker had last seen him. He suspected that Kermit had gone to bed and woken up again in-between when Sir Tucker had been sleeping.

"I would say good morning but it's not exactly morning," said Sir Tucker who could see Kermit. However when he looked at the face of Kermit he could tell that the older man hadn't gone to sleep at all. "By the gods man have you been sitting here ever since I went to bed?" It almost seemed like Kermit was a zombie.

"Hello good sir," replied Kermit. His speech was much slower than it had been before and Sir Tucker could see just how tired he was.

"This isn't very good, you need to go to bed right now and hopefully you'll be well rested by the morning."

"I know I know, it's just that I really didn't feel like sleeping. Although I do think it is past time I slept."

"As do I, you're not doing yourself any favours right now. Please just go back to sleep and then you'll be able to think straight."

"Y-you're right there."

These were the only words that he could muster and in the end Sir Tucker had to help him out of his chair and help walk him to his room. There he lay down on his bed and fell asleep almost instantly, however he felt that there were a few things that he needed to say before going to sleep. Sir Tucker was standing over him and he was preparing to leave so that he could meet up with Jessica once again.

The sheets to the bed had been changed since Martha had died on them and they were going to be washed in the near future. Kermit was uncomfortable sleeping in the same place where his wife had died but fatigue was getting too much for him and he was on the verge of falling asleep.

"Thank you for everything good sir," said Kermit as he lay down on the bed. "I know that you'll be having to leave before I awake and for that I don't blame you. You told me that you had a special lady friend that you had to meet with. Cherish every moment that you have with her because she could be taken from you at any time. The gods work in ways beyond our comprehension. On the table in the other room I have left a small pouch which has the payment for your services. I thank you for everything that you've done and all I can do is wish you the best of luck for you."

"As do I for you," replied Sir Tucker. "We might have started out our journey as acquaintances but I would like to think that we finished it as friends. I am truly sorry that you lost your wife and I do hope beyond hope that you will find peace in the near future." He held out his hand so that Kermit could shake it. "Goodbye Kermit."

"Goodbye Sir Tucker, may your journey ahead be far less eventful than your journey here before."

The pair shook hands one more time before Sir Tucker turned around and left the room. He closed the door behind him and he wasn't sure exactly how Kermit would be without his wife. He thought that the older man would be very upset about it for a while but eventually he would recover and move on with his life. He didn't think that Martha would have wanted him to stay sad.

Before leaving the house Sir Tucker did pick up the gold that Kermit had left him inside a pouch. It felt heavier than he had expected and he could only guess that Kermit had given him a little extra after everything that had happened.

If Sir Tucker had been a dishonourable man he would have begun looting on his way out just so he could make a little more money. However that was not the man that he was and just quietly left. Such a thing would lower his honour and make him more of a thief rather than a knight of the realm.

As he walked outside he could see the spot where Martha had been buried. He stood by it for a few moments to pay his respects before walking on. He did hope that he could find his way back to the town where he had met Kermit and then eventually reach the spot where he planned to meet up with Jessica.

It was late evening and it was very close to being night once again. However he didn't want to wait around since after sleeping most of the day he was too awake to get any sleep and he was constantly on his guard. The last thing he wanted was another surprise attack, he was sick of those by now.

Eventually night came but since it was still almost a full moon there was still plenty of light that helped him to see. He was expecting more of the cult to try and kidnap him once again but he didn't think that they would be so foolish. He had convinced them that it was the will of the gods that allowed him to win his trial by combat and contradicting that would bring down the wrath of the gods.

Thankfully this time for Sir Tucker there was a clear path for him to take. He didn't have to go near the old bridge or the temple. It was a long road but after having a much needed rest he felt that he could easily walk the distance. He would have preferred to have been carried across the distance but alas this was something that he couldn't do.

As the hours passed Sir Tucker continued to walk and there seemed to be nothing that really struck him as being odd. It was longer than he had originally expected but nothing to really exhaust him. If anything after everything that he had been through a walk was just what he needed to clear his head.

Eventually Sir Tucker neared the spot where he and Kermit had been abducted and he kept a tight grip on Juggernaut throughout. At the slightest hint of a disturbance he would go slashing anything that moved. He would have been lying if he said that he wasn't nervous, it was his nervousness that kept him sharp and ready to react within a moment's notice. He didn't want to go through another trial by combat.

Each step that he took he listened out to anything that could indicate danger. It wasn't long before he noticed that he was at the exact spot where he and Kermit had been abducted. To look at it there didn't seem to be any signs that anything had even happened. It just looked as plain and boring as the rest of the road and it made Sir Tucker think of how such an event could happen practically anywhere.

Sir Tucker stepped away from the particular spot and just kept on walking. He was beginning to get tired after such a walk. More than once he wanted to sit down for a few minutes and get some rest but he preferred to continue on. The inn was not far and now he had enough gold to easily buy himself some warm food and nice drink of ale to wash it all down with.

The thought of having some warm food was almost torture to Sir Tucker. He still remembered when he and Jessica had been in Morgan and she had finished off the seafood challenge. She had easily eaten enough to fill three men and yet she had even commented that she still had room for more.

This made Sir Tucker think more about Jessica, he wondered what she was doing and if she had calmed down enough for them both to talk like rational adults. The last thing in the world that he wanted to do was to lose her but if she couldn't allow him to face his own problems rather than trying to protect him from everything then he wasn't sure just how they would go on. He understood that she only wanted to see him safe but he felt that he didn't need her help with everything that came his way. It was like in Lake Town when he had been battling the man who had insulted Jessica the previous night. He had the fight well under control until she had stepped in and ended it. Her heart was in the right place but he still felt that her help was not needed.

This entire short journey had just reassured Sir Tucker that he was able to do things for himself. With Jessica always there to help him the knowledge that he had been able to get himself out of deadly situations was more for his own mentality. This showed him that he truly had been capable and now that he had the honour of being a knight only furthered his acknowledgment.

Eventually he saw the lights of the village only a couple of short miles away and he would eventually find the Lone Hill Inn. By now the darkness of night was beginning to subside and soon it would be dawn. This only made his determination to get there that much more but he did realise that he had a full day before having to return to Jessica by the deadline. This gave him plenty of time to have a little fun around the village before he had to return. He was just glad that things finally seemed to be going his way.

At the farmhouse Jessica was just waking up to the sunrise. The previous night had not been a very comfortable sleep in the slightest. With her broken arm now in a cast it was difficult for her to sleep, the fact that the bed was too small for her eight foot plus frame didn't make things any better.

The atmosphere inside the farmhouse had completely changed. Wanda was still very fatigued after giving birth to her son. Brian had been doing everything for her to try and make things easier. Unfortunately for him one of these jobs was to look after his new son Albert while his wife rested. Being a farmer had come natural to him but becoming a father was something else entirely.

Jimmy had been allowed to leave thanks to his help during Wanda's childbirth. He had done everything that he could have done and for this reason Brian decided that his debt had been repaid in full. He swore that he would never steal again and something inside Jessica made her feel like he was telling the truth.

The Healer had left earlier that morning but since Jessica was now unable to take him back Brian had lent him one of his horses that he promised to give back to him once Brian went to the town again. Unfortunately Jessica had broken her promise about returning him as soon as she could but the Healer had not minded. Her safety and health along with that of Albert was his main concern.

As Jessica got out of the bed one thing that she noticed was that she was hungry. With everything that was happening she had not eaten since breakfast the previous day and she could feel her stomach rumbling. She was just thankful that no one was around to hear it as she found it embarrassing. In her mind it wasn't very lady like to have her stomach growling like that.

When she stepped out of the room she could see Brian in the kitchen trying to give Albert some milk. The tiny baby was drinking it and Jessica couldn't help but think that it was a lovely sight. Albert was indeed a small baby as both his parents we well below average height and she knew that he wasn't likely to grow very tall. If she could donate some of her height to his overall height she would in a heartbeat.

"Hi there Brian," said Jessica as she stepped towards him. Brian was sitting down in a chair and Albert was resting in his arm.

"Oh hey there Jessica," replied Brian. He yawned and it was obvious that he too hadn't had that much sleep. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not really. This arm's already giving me a headache and yet I've still gotta wear it for another six weeks."

"The time will soon pass. I still remember the day that I was told that Wanda was pregnant. That soon passed and now I have Albert with me."

"How is he anyway?" She squatted down so that she had a good look at Brian and Albert. She could still see the baby drinking the milk which had come from his own mother who was sleeping in another room.

"Albert's fine for now, the Healer examined him and has determined that for now he's perfectly healthy. He told us that if we start seeing problems that we should contact him as soon as possible."

"Well let's just hope it doesn't come to that." She took a closer look at Albert and something inside of her seemed to click. She thought that it might have been some kind of maternal instinct. "And you certainly are the most adorable baby that I've ever seen aren't you." Obviously Albert didn't respond but she just smiled at him as he was still grasping the concept of life."

"Do you really have to leave? I could certainly use a woman of your talents in the fields and you would be a good influence on the boy."

"I would like to but I have other responsibilities. I have a friend that I need to meet back up with. We had a falling out and we decided that we needed to have a cool down period before we spoke again."

"That's too bad." By then Albert had finished his milk and Brian was rubbing his back so that he could get him to burp. "This person do they mean a lot to you?"

"Yes, more than I could possibly imagine."

"In that case things should work out for you and your friend. If you are as important to your friend whatever grievance you have between you I have no doubt that you will sort it out. The relationship between myself and Wanda hasn't always been smooth sailing but we were able to work passed them and it made us grow closer."

"Thank you for that advice." She smiled at him. "But growing is certainly something I really don't want to do and yet I seem to be doing it every day." Both of them laughed a little and it was the first time that she had seen him laugh.

"I suppose I should have used a better phrase. Believe me I know what it is like to be on the other end of that." Just then both of him heard a relatively quiet burp and Jessica couldn't help but find that adorable. "Do you want to hold him for a moment?"

"I don't know whether I should." She was a little nervous with the thought of holding something that was so small and yet so important.

"You should do. I think it is important that you hold him at least once before you left. He might not see you ever again."

"Ok then but I'll be really careful, I promise." It had taken her a few moments to make this decision but she did sit herself down on the ground. Even sitting down on the floor she was still taller than Brian as he was sitting on the chair. She got her good arm into a decent position before allowing Brian to place the tiny baby in her arm.

Jessica could feel Albert in her arm and when she looked down at him she could see the baby had gone to sleep. She could barely feel his weight and she couldn't believe how small he looked in her arm. It almost seemed like she was holding a doll rather than an actual baby and she was overcome with joy. This was the first time she had ever handled a new born baby and she couldn't wait for the day that she had her own.

Brian stood close to her just in case Albert slipped out of arm. Normally she would have been able sort the problem herself but with her left arm in the cast she couldn't move it. She did look down at Albert and slowly she rocked him in her arm.

"Aren't you just the cutest thing that I've ever seen," said Jessica in a relatively high pitch voice. "I know that you won't probably remember me but I'm sure going to remember you. You have a very strong father and a good natured mother so I'm sure the future is going to be bright for you."

Jessica kept Albert in her arm for another couple of minutes before returning him to his father. Every movement that she made was with great care as she knew that she was very big and strong. What would be just a minor movement for her could cause a lot of damage to the baby. The last thing that she wanted to do was to hurt him, it would make her feel like she was truly a monster.

Thankfully everything went without a hitch as she passed Albert back to Brian. By then he was fast asleep and Jessica felt honoured to have held what Brian and Wanda now valued the most. She knew that he was in more than capable hands with parents like them. She could only hope that she could be a good parent when the time came.

"So since you're not going to be stopping with us when were you planning on leaving?" asked Brian. He wasn't trying to indicate that he wanted her gone but that he was just curious.

"It'll have to be soon. With my arm in this cast I can't grow to my actual size. I'm going to have to make the entire journey at this size, it'll be something I've never done before. I fear that it will take me a lot longer than I would like."

"How long do you think it'll take you?"

"Well when I was my normal size it took me a couple of hours to reach here, at my current size I don't know exactly how long it'll take me. Maybe a day or so, I don't really know. When I was walking I really wasn't paying attention."

"In that case you'd better be off as soon as you can if you want to meet him in time. But of course you can help yourself to some much needed food before you go."

"Thank you, I'd really appreciate that."

Over the course of the next several minutes Jessica began to make herself some breakfast from the food that was around the kitchen. She made sure to only eat enough to keep her going, she knew that the family didn't have much food so she only took what she needed and nothing more. She even prepared some food for Brian because she thought that he would be hungry as well.

Nothing that Jessica made was cooked since she wasn't very good at cooking and with her arm in the cast it would only make things more difficult. She was able to prepare a little something for herself and Brian. It was mainly made up of fruit but it would be enough to satisfy them both.

Brian was thankful for the food and Jessica just ate away at her own food. She didn't realise just how hungry she was until she began to eat. She felt like she could eat for an entire family but instead she was only eating enough to satisfy a normal person. It didn't take her long to finish it off and although she had more than enough room for more she felt that it was best to stop at this point.

When Jessica had finished she did do a bit of cleaning up but she realised that it was time for her to leave. A part of her had wanted to stay and just live the rest of her life in the farmhouse but she had a friend to return to. She knew that she had other responsibilities that she had to attend to.

Reluctantly Jessica said her goodbyes to Brian and Albert. She did give the baby a little kiss on his forehead before leaving. She had also wanted to say goodbye to Wanda but she was still fast asleep in her bedroom, she told Brian to say goodbye for her and to thank her for everything.

With that Jessica ducked out through the front door and looked out towards the horizon. Before leaving she had made sure that she had picked something up of great value. This was the map that was leading her and Sir Tucker to Three Man's Treasure, if she left that behind they wouldn't be going anywhere.

With each step Jessica took the farmhouse behind her began to shrink smaller and smaller into the distance. It would not be long before it was completely out of sight and it would be very unlikely that she would ever see it again. She wouldn't forget about what happened there, although her broken arm and bruises would remind her for the near future. She still ached a little from her bruises but it wasn't as bad as it had been the previous day, unfortunately her arm still hurt.

There were some clouds in the sky that seemed to indicate that it would be raining soon. This was the last thing that she wanted, so far on this quest she had been pretty lucky when it came to rain but it seemed that soon her luck would be running out. Despite how rain might have been essential for life she still found it annoying.

For now the rain was still remaining in the clouds and she hoped that she would find a suitable place for shelter before it all came down. On her original trek she had not noticed anything that would have been a shelter but it was because she wasn't really concentrating on her surroundings. Instead she had been angry and for that moment it had consumed her enough for her to be careless.

Jessica continued to walk but once again she was finding it difficult to walk such a long distance at her current size. She was beginning to see how normal people had to travel, more than ever she wished that she could grow but right now she knew that it would cause her more harm than good.

Once or twice she almost tripped up which would have made things even more difficult. She didn't want to suffer any more broken bones, the arm was bad enough but if she broke her leg there would be no one around to help her. She would be at the mercy of the elements and it would likely be the death of her.

Suddenly Jessica felt something wet on her head. It only lasted for a moment but a few seconds later she felt it again. She continued to feel it happening over and over again and she soon realised that it was beginning to rain. It wasn't just a light shower but instead a torrential downpour that could make a person completely soaked within a few seconds.

Quickly she began to look around for some form of shelter. Her salvation looked to be a cave that was a short distance away from her. She didn't care what was inside, all she cared about was the fact that she was going to be dry. The rain was coming down faster than she would have liked.

The ground beneath her feet was beginning to turn into mud and this only made things that much more difficult for her. Not only did she have to get to the cave quickly but also to make sure that she didn't slip over. This was a task which was far easier said than done as the field around her turned into a mud pool.

After much effort Jessica did eventually reach the cave and thankfully for her she was now sheltered. She gave a sigh of relief but now she had to dry herself off using only one arm, her dress was soaked and it only made her feel cold. She would have liked nothing more than to take off her dress so that she could dry it off but she knew what would happen if she did. For now she would have to remain cold.

Now Jessica had to go through the boring game of waiting for the rain to subside. It was something that she didn't particularly want to do but she knew that there was no other choice. All she could do was wait but she did try to think of something to help pass the time and make her forget about what was happening. She did worry that she might miss her deadline and Sir Tucker would think that she didn't care. One thing that she did take comfort with was the fact that she could sit down and catch her breath. She felt that she had walked a lot but the distance she had actually travelled was much lower than she would have liked.

After several minutes Jessica was lost in a world of her own as she thought about numerous things in her life. Not only was she thinking about Sir Tucker but she also thought about her family back in Morgan. She thought about how they were coping without her helping out on the farm. She did also think that they were probably worried about her since she was their only child and had gone through a lot with her. She just wanted to bring some treasure back to them so that they could live the rest of their lives without having to work another day on the farm.

Jessica's concentration was broken when she began to hear a growling noise. Quickly she stood up and found herself face to face with a large bear. Only too late did she realise that this cave was its home. She watched as it stood up on its hind legs and roared at her, it was still slightly shorter than her as it stood up but it wasn't any less intimidating. It was surprised to see a human that was taller than it but all it wanted was either her out of its cave or its next meal.

Again this was a situation where Jessica's size changing would have come in handy but unfortunately she couldn't grow so she had to try and deal with the situation with her current size. She needed to be very careful as she didn't want to risk receiving a serious injury, she couldn't fight it and she knew that if she ran she would be caught quite quickly. She just thought that there was some way that she could calm the beast without having to resort to violence.

"Easy there I'm not going to hurt you," said Jessica as she held up her hand. She made sure that there was still some distance between her and the bear. She could hear it growling at her. "I know this is your home but I just wanted to stay dry." It continued to growl and she did consider running but it would only catch her. "As soon as it stops raining I'm going to leave you be."

It seemed almost pointless trying to reason with a wild animal. It seemed like it was likely that she was going to be hurt. However she had been around animals long enough to know how to deal with them. More than once a farm animal panicked and she was able to calm it down. Back then she could grow in size while for now that option wasn't available to her. She just stood strong and took a step towards it.

"Please just be calm," continued Jessica. By now she was close enough for it to bite her hand but she still remained calm. Fear would only made the situation worse. "You don't have to be afraid."

Jessica's large hand came into contact with the bear and rather than hitting it she began to stroke it. She knew that at any moment it might try to bite her but the growling seemed to subside. The bear even went back to all fours and Jessica knelt down and continued to stroke it. She smiled down at it and she thought that it wasn't as aggressive as people would make them out to be. Of course there had been people who had been mauled by a bear but Jessica didn't seem to be one.

"You're not so bad are you," said Jessica as she sat down. The bear seemed to enjoy being stroked and it didn't have any intention to harm her. It just sat itself down right next to her and looked at the rain outside. It had never seen anyone the size of her but it could see that she truly didn't want to hurt her. "I see that you're not that big of a fan of rain, can't say that I blame you."

Jessica remained where she was for the next couple of hours as the rain continued. The bear stayed right by its side and she talked to it throughout that time. Of course the bear had no idea what she was talking and couldn't properly respond but it just liked to have a bit of company. Also she was stroking it just in the right spot to keep it calm.

She was telling the bear about practically everything that had happened since she had left Morgan including when she was held against her will at July and when she was placed on trial at Royal City. In a way she was trying to make sense of everything that had happened since it had taken place over a short amount of time. She felt that she had experienced more than anyone could hope for a single lifetime and yet this had all taken place over the course of a couple of months.

Eventually the rain did subside and Jessica decided that it was best for her to carry. However the bear seemed to be saddened about her leaving but she just gave it another stroke before leaving. Being able to talk to it in the manner that she did had made her feel better and although it couldn't respond to her she had liked the fact that someone had been there to listen to her.

Jessica continued her journey but where it had been solid ground that she had been walking on now it had turned into a mud bath. Each step she took was difficult for her and her weight only made her feet sink deeper into the mud. The special shoes that she was wearing were getting particularly muddy and she didn't want to lose them. She had no other shoes that would grow with her.

However the sun had come out and Jessica could see a rainbow in the sky. To her this was a sign of good luck and it did give her something. It showed her that after something as chaotic as a downpour could eventually turn into something as beautiful as a rainbow. Once when she had been younger she had tried to chase a rainbow so that she could reach the end of it. As most would expect no matter how far she went she couldn't reach the end of the rainbow. It had always seemed to be that goal which was just out of reach which felt like quite a lot of things in her life.

The hours went by as Jessica continued to walk and she was finding it easier to walk through the mud. She was getting more used to the terrain and with the warm sun out it was beginning to make the mud dry up. Before long it would be dry once again but for the time being she was having to continue her trek.

Once or twice she could actually see one of her gigantic footprints in the ground from the other day. She looked at it and she was somewhat amazed by its size, it almost felt funny to her that she was able to create a footprint of that size. She thought that someone could easily build themselves a house on the footprint and probably live comfortable. It was also an indication that she was going the right way.

At another of her gigantic footprints she could see that some of the rainwater had settled into it creating a small pool. With the heat of the sun Jessica could just about see some steam as the pool was evaporating. It was just a little something else that she felt that she could tell Sir Tucker when they met up again. He would probably find it funny and it would be one of those little things in life.

Jessica continued to walk and before long she realised that it was reaching dusk. Before long it would be night and after almost a full day of walking she was beginning to feel tired. She had been following her gigantic footprints and she knew that she couldn't be too far away from where she planned to meet up with Sir Tucker.

With the sun going down the heat that was evaporating the rain water went away and although most of the rain had dried up some of it still remained. This made the ground a little muddier than normal but nothing that caused her too much concern. She was also hungry as she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Walking that distance had really tired her out and her body demanded much more food than the average person. She thought that if she didn't get any food the next day she might not make it.

Jessica soon found a large tree for her to sleep under. If it decided to rain again it would shield her from most of the rainwater but some would still trickle through. As she lay down she felt that the ground was not as comfortable as she would have liked. It definitely wasn't like she was lying in a bed but one advantage that she did have was the fact that she didn't have to worry about being confined. She could stretch out as much as she wanted and didn't have to worry about falling out or hitting a wall.

She knew that on the morrow she would be meeting up with Sir Tucker again and she was excited to say the least. She did wonder what he had been up to while they had been separated, she thought that he had some kind of mundane experience which was him just drinking in an inn somewhere. She did hope that he was safe and would return to her in one piece.

Jessica's view of the stars was blocked by the canopy of leaves above her but she imagined that there were shooting stars flying above her. She wondered if she would ever grow big enough to reach them. She doubted it but she thought that her body would likely give it a good effort.

Eventually fatigue did take its toll on her and she found it difficult to keep her eyes open. As the world around her faded to darkness she couldn't help but think about the family at the farmhouse. She thought about what might have happened if she hadn't turned up on their doorstep. It was likely that Albert would have still been born but she doubted it would have gone as smoothly and there was a chance that something terrible might have happened. She might have suffered a broken arm but things could have gone a lot worse for all those involved. She wondered if she would ever see them again, although she doubted it she thought that it would be nice if she saw them again at some point in their lives. Maybe by then she would have children of her own.

Sir Tucker was sitting in the inn and he was drinking some much needed ale and eating a nice warm meal. He was having to use up some gold that he had earned to pay for all of this but he didn't mind. He had more than enough gold to spare and after everything that had happened he thought that he earned all of this. Each bite he took was like a breath of fresh air to him as he began to eat away.

The others in the inn let him be and just went away on their own business. Some were just talking amongst themselves while others were playing games where the winners might just walk away substantially richer. He could even hear some of the people there singing to one another in their drunken happiness. They were far from the best singers in Angleland but Sir Tucker was able to phase them out, it would take a few drinks for this to be possible but he could still do it easily enough.

One thing that Sir Tucker did keep in mind was to make sure that he didn't overspend his money. He was no fool and he kept an eye out on just how much he was spending, the last thing he wanted to do was to give away the money that he had just earned. Then he would truly be a fool.

There was one thing that did catch Sir Tucker's attention, he could overhear some people on the table right next to him. They were telling stories to one another and one in particular seemed to sound familiar. It was about a giant woman being spotted in various places over Angleland. They described her as being tall enough to reach the clouds and powerful enough to move mountains. She was described as being a horrible monster who could crush a man as easily as she could draw breath. He heard them saying that hundreds of men had died trying to kill her but none had succeeded.

Sir Tucker found this story to be ridiculous. He knew that they were talking about Jessica but almost everything they were saying about her was pure fiction. He thought that she would be horrified by what she was hearing if they were there but rather than making a scene of it he just let it slide.

If he had picked up a fuss then things might have gone very badly for him. For starters there were four of them where he was only one and from the looks of them they knew how to handle a sword. He was confident that he might have taken one or two down by himself but the truth was that he couldn't beat all four of them. Plus senseless violence wasn't something that he liked to see never mind instigate it.

Sir Tucker just wondered if there were any stories about Jessica that painted her in a positive light. He had seen her do more good than he ever could and if just one of these stories stated this he would be happy. He did wonder how she was getting on but he thought that she was more than capable of looking after herself.

After a while of being in the inn Sir Tucker took a walk around the village to see if there was anything going on. Sitting in the inn all day did get pretty boring and he wanted to see if there was anything interesting happening. Such a place as this was surely to have something that might be worth noticing. However a small sleepy village would not be too farfetched for him to believe.

The weather outside was overcast but he took little notice of this as he continued to move through the village. All he could really see was people just going about their daily business and practically none of them took much notice of him. There were a few people selling some things on the street but none of them were selling anything that he really wanted. If anything it seemed that the village wasn't really that interesting at all. In a way that was a good thing because it meant that there wasn't going to be any nasty surprises. He had enough of those to last him a good long while. Now all he really needed to do was wait a little longer before setting off to meet Jessica again.

One thing that Sir Tucker did notice while walking through the village was that there were a few people who were playing a game which involved kicking a ball through what seemed to be a goal. It was supposedly a new sport which was beginning to take route in Angleland, it looked to be quite fun but rather than taking part he just sat on the side lines and watched like many other people.

From what Sir Tucker could see there were two teams who were split into five each. They were playing the newly invented game and while he was watching he was trying to work out just what the rules were. The first one that he noticed was that only two particular people were allowed to handle the ball while the rest of them could only kick it. Even then the people who were allowed to pick up the ball could only do this in a certain area of the field. When the ball was kicked into the goal the team would gain a point and it was obvious that the team with the most points won the match.

Rather than being a competitive match it was more like a bit of fun between all involved. This did make things a little more enjoyable for everyone watching since the teams were having fun more than anything else. There was even another man in the game who wasn't playing for either team. He was just there so that he could make sure that everyone was sticking to the rules.

Everyone cheered with each goal that was scored and Sir Tucker couldn't help but cheer despite who had scored it. Eventually however the game was stopped and although everyone had lost count with what the scores were since it had all been for fun no one really seemed to mind.

With the game now over Sir Tucker took his leave and made his way back to the inn. He did wonder if there was anything going on and as soon as he entered he saw two men having a drinking contest. One man was a very large muscular man who looked to be able to drink an entire ocean. The other was a slender man who looked like a small gust of wind would have been able to push him over. If anything this looked to be a no contest between the two but Sir Tucker overheard just how much both men had drunk. For someone the size of the slim man he would have been knocked out by the alcohol by now but he was still sitting there drinking each drink as they came.

On the other hand the larger man seemed to be having more difficulty holding his drink. He looked over at the slimmer man and he couldn't believe that he was still going. He would have called afoul long before now if he hadn't been certain that they were drinking the same ale. Both of their drinks were being poured from the same jug and while the larger man was struggling the slimmer man drank it as if it were water. Neither seemed to be backing down any time soon.

The people watching were already taking bets on who would win. At first the larger man was the odds on favourite but as people could see that the slimmer man was taking an advantage many of the bets were turning to him. Rather than having an aggressive stance or even a drunken one the slimmer man remained calm and collective. He thanked the innkeeper for each cup of ale that was poured before drinking its entire contents. He would have to wait for his opponent to finish his drink before another one could be poured.

Eventually the larger man finally had one drink too many and collapsed onto the table. There was a loud cheer from the crowd along with some disbelief when the slimmer man was declared the victor. Once again rather than outright celebrating the slimmer man took it in his stride and thanked everyone for watching.

Sir Tucker saw that the slimmer man didn't seem to look like the norm in Angleland. He was a relatively short man with a shaven head and he wore a yellow robe with simple sandals. Other than that he seemed to carry no other possessions besides a small pouch of gold which was tied to his belt. His face also seemed to be quite strange in comparison to that of the average man in Angleland. His face was not of anyone that he had ever seen and his skin was slightly darker than the average man.

Eventually Sir Tucker asked one of the people in the inn who this slim man was. He stated that the slim man's name was too difficult to pronounce and that he was from a land far away from Angleland. He had travelled here over a long period of time but he had not stated what his intentions were. He had been mocked by the bigger man but rather than resorting to violence they had engaged in a drinking contest that Sir Tucker had just witnessed. Other than that little else was known about the man.

Before Sir Tucker could take another good look at the slimmer man he had already paid for his drinks and left. It was a very odd occurrence but rather than finding out exactly who this man was he decided to just allow him to go by his business. Sir Tucker felt that he couldn't gain anything through meeting him and that the man most likely just wanted to be left by himself and to go on with his business unimpeded.

Instead Sir Tucker just bought another ale, it was beginning to get late and on the morrow he would go and meet up with Jessica again. He did consider booking a room but he wanted to keep as much of his money as he could since he didn't know how long it would be before he had anymore. Of course he was expecting to become the richest man in Angleland very soon but for the time being he had to watch his money.

Instead he decided to sleep near a hedge just outside of the village. It wasn't the most comfortable of places to sleep but at least sleeping there it was free. He just looked up at the stars and thought of Jessica. He wondered how she was doing and he didn't realise that she too was sleeping under a plant. Where he was sleeping under a hedge she was still sleeping under a tree. He had no idea of her injuries and the fact that for the next several weeks she couldn't grow.

Instead Sir Tucker slowly drifted off to sleep and he was in a land of nothingness until he woke up the next morning. The sun was shining bright and it was very warm, much warmer than he had anticipated. It also took him a few moments to realise that this was the day that he was to meet up with Jessica again.

Before heading out to where he had agreed to meet her he decided to go back into the village so that he could find some much needed supplies such as food and water. It wasn't too hard to find what he was looking for and he made sure not to spend too much. He only purchased the basics and nothing more.

With his much needed supplies Sir Tucker began to walk towards where he had agreed to meet with Jessica. This was just outside of the entrance to the third trial and to him it felt like a long time has passed since they had completed it. A lot had happened for both of them and it almost seemed like a lifetime ago. Both had been involved in life and death situations which had changed them both.

Some miles away Jessica was also waking up but her arm still ached and it was just another reminder of her broken arm. The first thing that she felt was hunger but rather than give into it she knew that she had to keep going. She knew that there was still a bit of a distance for her to go before reaching the meeting point.

Unfortunately Jessica's back was also aching after sleeping on the ground. She tried to stretch herself to make it feel better but unfortunately it wasn't working very well for her. She would just have to deal with it for now.

One thing that she was glad about was the weather which was also very warm. There wasn't a cloud in the sky so another rain shower was unlikely. If she had gotten caught again she didn't know if she would have been able to find anywhere that she could have used as a shelter. She had been able to calm one bear but if she had run into another she didn't think that her luck would have been able to hold. It was just something that she would have to keep in mind, she had been lucky for now.

Jessica continued her walk and thankfully for her the giant size footprints were still in the ground. It might take some time before they were filled but for the moment they were a great marker. She knew that as long as she followed them she would reach the meeting point and finally see Sir Tucker once again.

The anger and frustration that she had felt towards him after their argument seemed to have dissipated by now. All she wanted to do was to meet up with him and just hug him dearly, he meant more to her than life itself and she just wanted to put their disagreements behind them. She didn't realise just how much he truly meant to her before this little separation of theirs. She also knew that what Sir Tucker had said was true, if they had continued to speak to each other when they were both angry it would have led them to say things that they would later on regret. At least now when they met again she felt that they could speak to one another as rational human beings.

One thing that Jessica could hear was the birds singing to one another in the nearby trees. It was a pleasant sound to her and it made her think about whenever birds would land on her when she was at her normal size. When she was that big the birds looked no bigger than insects to her. She would never force them off of her unless thought that it might cause her to lose concentration.

Right now she really wished that she grow to her normal size just so her trip would be much shorter. It was one of the few times that she actually liked being big but she was torn between the two sizes. When she was at her smallest she might be at least two feet taller than the average man but at least she could do more normal things such as being able to go inside a building or eat a relatively normal meal. At her full size she might look like a monster but she had found many advantages to the size. Above all else her full size was her true height as the gods had dictated, when she shrank she felt like she was hiding her true self.

Jessica was lost in her thoughts and wasn't really concentrating on where she was going. Because of this she almost walked into a tree, she was just able to stop herself before she actually impacted it. If she had of struck the tree she wouldn't have hurt herself that much but she would have been embarrassed more than anything else. She was just glad that no one was around to see what had taken place. If she did she probably would have blushed until she was completely red.

After a few more hours of walking Jessica felt fatigued again but she knew that she wasn't far from the meeting point. She could almost see it from where she was although it was still a few miles away. She knew that Sir Tucker would be surprised to see her walking towards him at this size. He would have thought that she would be her normal size to cover more ground, she would tell him about her cast a little later after their first greetings to one another. She thought that he might have had a boring time without her, she had no idea about the hardship that he had been through during their separation.

On the flip side Sir Tucker had no idea about what had happened to Jessica. He had nearly completed his own walk to the meeting point and like Jessica he had slept quite rough that night. However he was more used to sleeping on the ground than her so to him it wasn't that big of a deal.

He did eat a little food to get him up and going before he started his walk. He did check his person just to make sure that he still had all his personal effects. The last thing that he wanted was to have been robbed during the night. Thankfully everything was in order so he could go on his journey unimpeded.

One thing that Sir Tucker did miss about Jessica was the fact that she could carry him to wherever they needed to go. It certainly made walking from one place to another much faster and he didn't even need to walk anywhere. Plus the view that he could see from her shoulder was more than anyone could ever hope to see. It was something that he missed but the knowledge that Jessica was there was what made those kind of moments truly special to the both of them.

Unlike Jessica Sir Tucker's walk to the meeting place was not as far. He would make it within a good hour or so. He did look out to see if he could see her as he walked, at her full size she could be seen from quite a distance. At least then he would know that she wasn't far from him.

Eventually Sir Tucker reached the meeting point and he saw that Jessica wasn't there yet. Rather than getting worried he just sat there and began to wait. Since he didn't know how long he would have to wait he decided to practice some more of his swordplay. There was no one around to be a sparring partner or anything that he could strike so he decided to use his imagination instead. He kept a firm grip on Juggernaut along with his sword as he pretended to fight against another opponent.

Not only did Sir Tucker practice his strikes but he also wanted to practice with his blocking. He pretend that his opponent was striking him so he would lift up his shield as if he were blocking the attack. He remembered the stance that he had to make to ensure that most of his body was being blocked by the shield.

As he practiced time around him seemed to slip by as he wasn't paying attention to just how long he was practicing for. He had been at it for a couple of hours before he heard something that caught him by surprise. It was someone calling his name and when he turned he saw Jessica standing a short distance from him. Both of them stood there in silence for a few moments until Sir Tucker put his sword and shield away.

Before another word was spoken the pair walked towards one another and they each found themselves embracing the other in a hug. They had only been apart for three days but it had felt like it had been years. Unfortunately they had to break off the hug when Jessica gave a small cry of pain from her arm.

"Are you alright?" asked Sir Tucker with a lot of concern in his voice. It was rare that he heard Jessica in agony.

"I'll be fine," replied Jessica as she tried to downplay just how much the hug had hurt her arm. "Is everything alright with you? I was worried about you." This time it was her turn to show concern.

"There was no need for that." He gave her a confident smile and placed his hands on his hips. "I'm a knight of the realm now, I can look after myself although your assistance would have been greatly appreciated a few times."

"Why what happened?"

"I'll explain later, there's a village not too far away from here that we can have a proper talk. Besides you look pretty hungry and a nice warm meal is just what you need." He smiled at her again but this time it was one that showed compassion.

"That sounds lovely and I have a lot to tell you as well. But can I have a rest first, I've walked a very long way." She was very tired and one of the last things that she wanted was to go on another long walk

"Yeah sure and as soon as you're rested you can grow and then we'd get to the village in no time." He had no idea about her injury and just assumed that she could still grow. With how they had met up he thought that their relationship had repaired to the point where she would carry him.

"Actually that's something I can't do for a while." There was disappointment in her voice as she couldn't be her true self. "For now don't ask me why, like you I'll explain everything when we get to that inn later. I've had quite an eventful time while we've been apart and it has really taken a lot out of me."

"Ok that's fine." He did become concerned but he would allow her to tell him in her own time.

Jessica sat herself down on the ground and allowed herself to rest before having to walk again. She knew that she couldn't rest for that long as once again it was getting late and darkness would cover the land before long. She did feel happy however as she was with Sir Tucker once again, she thought that he looked stronger than he had done before and even a little more confident.

Sir Tucker sat down besides his friend and he remained on her right side. He did begin to hear a loud growling sound, this wasn't a dangerous animal that was stalking them but instead was Jessica's stomach. She was hungrier than she would have liked to have admitted but she kept it to herself. Sir Tucker on the other hand knew that she was hungry so he gave her a couple of apples that he had bought in the village. Jessica thanked him before eating the apples.

As soon as Jessica began to eat the apples she discovered that she couldn't stop and after very few bites both apples had been consumed. They were not enough to satisfy her hunger but it was enough to make her a feel a little less hungry than before. It would take a lot of food to satisfy her but the gesture that Sir Tucker was more appreciated than he realised. She could see that he did truly care about her.

Before standing back up using her good arm picked out the map that she had kept in her dress. It had been right on her back and this had allowed her to have the use of her arm without worry about carrying the map. Without reluctance she passed it over to Sir Tucker who was more than happy to receive it. The first thing that he did was unfold it so that he could see the location of Three Man's Treasure. Previously he had not had an opportunity to look at it but now that he could see it he truly felt that he was one step closer to achieving their quest.

Eventually Jessica had rested as much as she wanted and the pair began the walk to the village. Sir Tucker still didn't know why she just didn't grow and make the trip much shorter but if she told that she couldn't he had no choice but to believe her. It was an inconvenience to him but he knew that he would know all when they sat down at the inn and ate together once again.

Sir Tucker was thinking about what he was going to say to her. He was going to tell her about the triumph that he experienced fighting a man much larger than him in unarmed combat. There was also the sadness of when he had reached Kermit's home to find that the older man's wife had died shortly before. His thoughts were with Kermit and he just hoped that things would turn out for the best for him. Kermit had suffered a great loss but his life wasn't over, he still had much to live for and he needed to realise this before he could properly move on.

As they walked Sir Tucker and Jessica did have a little small talk and she mentioned how she was almost soaked through thanks to the rain that had happened the previous day. At that time Sir Tucker had been inside and thus well sheltered from any rain unlike his best friend who had stayed in a cave.

Sir Tucker did mention about the slim man that he had seen winning the drinking contest. It was not so much that he had won but the fact that the slim man looked completely different to anyone that he had seen before. He knew of other lands far away with people and culture that people of Angleland would see as being odd. Jessica did think that if she had faced him in a drinking contest that she would have won, her size gave her great metabolism when it came to drinking.

After a couple of hours of walking they eventually saw the village a short distance away and for both it was a relief. Jessica had burned off all the energy that she had gained through eating the apples. She was now very hungry again and she was looking forward to a nice warm meal that Sir Tucker had promised to her.

Sir Tucker took Jessica to the inn and as she entered a few people turned their heads when they saw the very tall woman entering. It looked a little funny seeing a woman tower over a knight by around two feet. They ignored the stares and just went to the innkeeper to order some food. Jessica would have liked to have ordered something small but her hunger demanded that she eat something more substantial. Eventually she did order enough to easily feed three people but Sir Tucker didn't mind this. He still had more than enough money to cover the cost.

As soon as the food was ordered they sat themselves down at a table. The stool that Jessica sat on creaked under her weight but for the time being it held her weight. Now that they were at the inn they felt that they could talk to one another about what had happened while they had been apart from each other. They hadn't fully decided whether to remain together for the quest but at least now they could talk to one another. Their anger had completely subsided so now they could be more rational.

"Now that we're here shall we start discussing some important business," said Sir Tucker. He had placed his sword on the ground so that he could sit more comfortably. "I will allow you to start."

"Thank you," replied Jessica. She gave a sigh as she prepared for what she was about to say. "We've known each other for many years and I think it is as impossible for me to think of how my life would be without you as you think about a life without me. On this quest we have seen and experienced things that many people can only dream about. Unfortunately along the way we have encountered some problems. We have both been very angry at each other but what we have is more important than that." She gave a sigh as she continued on with what she was saying. "When you had sex with Gwen I won't lie when I tell you that I felt betrayed. I was the one who was supposed to be your first but yet your first turned out to be some demi-goddess who has an attitude problem. However why you did it is something I can't help but feel was honourable. You thought that you would lose me forever and only by doing what you did you thought that you would save me. Better still you told me about what had happened, most men would have kept it to themselves but you actually told me despite the fact that I had the power to easily crush you. That was something that took true courage and I forgive you for what you did and I really hope that we can move forwards from that. However the blame for what happened between us is my own fault as much as yours, numerous times you have told me that you can look out for yourself and yet I've stepped in and took care of things for you. Believe me your safety was all that I was concerned with but now I can see that you're no longer the boy who used to play with sticks. You're a full-fledged knight who has more than earned his title. I see now that you no longer need my full protection but that doesn't mean that I won't be there to help you along the way. You are more than a capable man but there are times when even the most capable people need help from their friends from time to time. I know what I did to you was wrong when I knocked you out but believe me I had the best of intentions and your anger towards me was just. I now ask, no I beg for your forgiveness. I was wrong to do what I did and I can only hope that you forgive me for my deeds."

Sir Tucker sat there for a few moments and allowed everything that Jessica had just said to him to sink in. She had just poured her heart to him and he could see that she was truly sorry for what she had done. Also the fact that she had forgiven him was a huge relief for him. He too had been sorry for what he had done and now he was seeing that she was looking passed it. He went to say what he wanted to say but he saw the innkeeper approaching them with the food that they had just ordered. This broke his train of thought as both of their hunger began to win out.

Practically before the plate was even on the table Jessica began to eat what was in front of her. She had wanted to hear if Sir Tucker would forgive her for what she had done in the past but right now both of them were very hungry and the food before them was too delicious to allow to sit there. Jessica in particular was very hungry as her size and ongoing growth spurt made her burn calories faster than a normal person. It was said that a man could survive without food for weeks but she thought that she could only last a few days. She just hoped that no one was watching on as she ate.

Sir Tucker paid no mind to this and just ate what was in front of him. His food was less substantial than that of his much taller friend but it would still be enough to easily fill him up. He knew that if he had anything left over Jessica would be more than happy to eat it for him. He just ate and watched as Jessica ate her own. Despite her great hunger she didn't eat like a pig, instead she was still very placid in her eating although she did eat quicker than Sir Tucker had expected. At her rate she would be finished well before he had finished but that was something that he didn't mind. It was just another reminder of what made her different to other women. The fact that she could only use one of her arms didn't seem to slow her down as she adapted to this and just carried on eating.

Within minutes Jessica had completely devoured all the food that had been in front of her. She had easily eaten enough to satisfy the hunger of at least two fully grown men. Finally she felt like she had been filled and she could relax. She did feel like she had room for more but she instead felt that she had enough for now.

Rather than talking again Jessica just calmly waiting for Sir Tucker to finish his own food. He was quite hungry himself and it wasn't long after Jessica had finished before Sir Tucker finished as well. He was a lot more filled than she was and the meal had just been what both of them had needed. Sir Tucker did take a long drink from his ale while Jessica swilled her food down with a large flagon of water. It was around a litre full and she was able to drink it in one go without spilling a single drop.

"Has your stomach been satisfied now?" asked Sir Tucker as he looked at her while she placed her flagon on the table.

"Just about," replied Jessica. She had to keep back a large belch that she could feel. The last thing she wanted to do was let out an almighty belch in a crowded inn. She would die of embarrassment. "For now." She smiled at him and she felt that the bridges between them were already being mended. She didn't know to what extent but she could tell that things were better already.

"I've been thinking about what you said." He saw Jessica's expression change from one of happiness to seriousness. She waited with every passing moment to hear what he was saying. "I won't lie that you hurt me the other day. It was more my pride than physical but still I did feel betrayed by you for what you had done. I know that you had the best intentions and to see that you are truly remorseful allows me to see that there is something that can be built upon. I betrayed you too but you have forgiven me for what I did and I can see no reason why I can't forgive you." He saw her smiling again and this made him feel happier than he had anticipated.

"Thank you Tucker." She continued to smile but this time a few tears ran down her face. "That means a lot to me."

"And you mean a lot to me. You're the only one who believed that my dream could come true. You gave me the confidence to become a knight and hopefully soon the richest man in Angleland. Many would call me crazy for having a friend as tall as you but the truth is that you are someone who I look up to in both senses of the word."

Jessica was very touched by his words and if she could she would grab him and embrace him in the biggest hug that she could. However she stopped herself since they were in a public place and her arm also prevented her from doing this. She just knew that she would have to do it later.

"I'm glad you feel like that," said Jessica as she kept her emotions bottled up for the time being. "A life without you is a lot worse than a life with you. I hope that we can move on from here to something better."

"I do too." He gave her a smile he seemed to be glad that things were working out between them. After everything that had happened to both of them they were just happy with what they had. "Now that all that is out of the way would you mind telling me what you were up to during our time apart."

"Well it was certainly eventful." She began to explain about everything that had happened to her over the last few days. She mentioned about Brian and Wanda at the farmhouse and the whole business with Wanda going into labour. One thing that she did reluctantly have to admit was the fact that she had broken her arm and the cast that she was wearing prevented her from growing to her regular size. Now it made sense to Sir Tucker but he was somewhat upset to hear about this.

"So let me get this straight since you're wearing that cast you can't grow to full size?" asked Sir Tucker as he took a sip out of his ale.

"Yeah that's right," replied Jessica with a small amount of sorrow in her voice. To her it felt like she was prevented from being her true self.

"And how long do you have to keep that thing on for?"

"Around six weeks, then we have to visit a healer to take it off."

"Well that'll certainly make this quest longer. I hate to admit it but I think that we should stop for now and wait for your arm to heal. Just because we've passed the three trials doesn't mean we're completely out of the woods just yet. Your size might just be the only thing that will be the difference between success and failure. Also I can't consciously allow you to keep going when I know that you have a serious injury."

"I'll be fine, I can still go on."

"I know that you mean well Jessica but I really think that it's a bad idea. If you keep going with your arm in the way that it is you won't be helping anyone. I know that you might not want to hear it but it is for the best."

Jessica wanted to argue the point but she couldn't help but think that Sir Tucker was right. She was in no condition to be going on any kind of quest, her arm still ached and questing would only aggravate her injury. She could only sigh and admit defeat as she saw no other way around it.

"Ok so what do you suggest that we do?" asked Jessica as she wanted to know just what he was thinking.

"We can start making our way to the actual location of Three Man's Treasure but rather than going straight away we'll wait at a nearby village or town until your arm has healed. Then we go to get the treasure and become richer than even the King of Angleland. Then we retire and live the rest of our lives without needing to lift a finger."

"Sounds fair but the trek will be much further without my size."

"I know but the longer we're close to the treasure the better that we can prepare. Maybe buy ourselves some mules to carry our riches back to Morgan. Your size will prevent anyone from trying to steal from us. I tell you nothing can go wrong."

"If I've learned anything from life it is that anything can go wrong at any time. We can make our way there but if you don't want me to hurt myself any further we'll have to be careful and try not to do anything that could make my injuries worse."

"You don't have to worry about that. I can protect you from anything that comes our way. With a quick slash from Juggernaut or a block my shield no one will be able to hurt you. You have my word as a knight of Angleland and above all as your best friend that I will protect you from harm."

"I'm touched." She smiled at him again and she was curious to know what had happened to him while they had been apart. She had told him everything that had happened to her and now it was his turn. "What happened to you the last few days anyway? I bet it was quite boring."

"Oh no in fact it was anything but." He began to explain about how he had met with Kermit and how they had been captured by a cult who had wanted to sacrifice them. It had only been Sir Tucker's skills that had saved them both. He went on until he mentioned about arriving at Kermit's home and finding his wife dead. He did keep out the part about how he had seen Gwen once again. He didn't know how Jessica would react upon hearing her name after everything that had happened.

"That's so sad," said Jessica after hearing about the death of Kermit's wife. Sir Tucker had told her how much Kermit had loved his wife and how upset he was when he found her dead in her bed.

"I know but it just goes to show that the gods can take life just as easily as they give them. I just hope that he can recover."

"Well we can always pay him a visit at some point." Her optimism was enlightening as even though she didn't know Kermit she wanted to know whether he was alright. "I think we might owe it to him."

"Yeah but not for now. It is still too early for him to be seeing anyone. There are some things that a man can have help for but there are others that he can only do for himself. He lost the most important person in his life and that is something that can't be recovered so quickly. He needs some time to himself for now."

"I-I understand." She still felt sad about what had happened but she was still impressed with what Sir Tucker had been able to do while they had been apart. He had defeated a man much larger than him in unarmed combat. She didn't think that such a feat was possible and she could tell that he was telling the truth. He might have been exaggerating a little but it was mostly true. In a situation like that she would have stepped in so that she could ensure his safety. However he had been able to deal with it himself and for that she was very impressed. "Was that bloke you fought actually seven feet tall? Or did he have a growth spurt between when you first saw him and when you came here?"

"Ok maybe he wasn't that tall but he was still a lot bigger than me." He seemed to want to pander his ego again. "He could have been ten feet tall if it made any difference. I could have still taken him down right there and then."

"Really Tucker?" She raised her eyebrow as she found his statement a little unbelievable. "That sounds a little like a tall story and believe me I know a thing or two about tall stories." She would have crossed her arms if she had been able to.

"Ok maybe not but you get my point." He didn't want to admit just how close he was to losing the fight but he didn't want to worry her. If he remained confident then he thought that she wouldn't have to worry. "Don't forget I am a knight of the realm now, the usual riff raff is no longer a problem for me."

"That might be true Sir Tucker." She had put an emphasis on the word Sir. "But it always pays to have someone watching your back." She felt her stomach as she was still a little hungry. "I wonder if this place serves anything sweet. I might have eaten enough for two but there's still plenty of room."

"I doubt it but I'm sure that I can find out." He knew that Jessica needed a lot of food to function properly and he thought that allowing her to starve would only take her arm longer to heal. He had noticed that she did look a little taller than when they had first set off from Morgan. He was sure that she had been around eight feet tall when they had left but now she did look a little taller.

Unfortunately after a quick investigation Sir Tucker discovered that the inn didn't sell anything sweet. That was the kind of thing that high borns were used to so a regular inn didn't stock anything like that. Jessica was a little disappointed but she didn't mind too much. She had eaten enough to keep her going and that would do for the time being. She had already gotten what she had wanted the most and she was very satisfied, she had felt some sadness but now it had been lifted.

It began to get late and Sir Tucker thought that it was best for them to hire a room for the night. Jessica was more than happy about this as she remembered the uncomfortable sleep that she had the previous night. Her back still ached from it so lying in a nice soft bed was more than welcome. Sir Tucker was willing to sleep on the floor so that his larger friend had comfort.

The pair went up to the room and although Jessica had to duck to get through the door she discovered that she could stand up straight inside. There was only around an inch or two of clearance between her head and the ceiling but it was more than enough for what she needed. It was just about right for her and when she looked at the bed she could see that it was a double bed. This gave most of the room that she wanted but length wise it was still too short for her.

Despite this Jessica carefully lay herself onto the bed and she found it to be very comfortable. She saw Sir Tucker taking off his armour, Juggernaut and his shield as he prepared to lie on the ground. Unfortunately there wasn't a spare blanket for him to use so it seemed like he would be cold for the night.

Rather than allowing him to suffer Jessica requested that he came into bed with her. He was a little afraid that he would accidentally hurt her arm but she still thought that it was better for him to be with her rather than on the floor. Seeing Sir Tucker suffer was something that she didn't particularly like seeing.

Carefully Sir Tucker climbed into the bed right next to Jessica she was curled up so that her entire body could fit onto the bed. She lay on her right side so that her broken arm was only in contact with the bed. It was still sore but she was able to keep the pain at bay by keeping her mind off of it. Sir Tucker was a very good distraction for her and she felt very happy to have him close to her now.

"Are you comfortable?" asked Jessica. The pillow that her head lay on was not the most comfortable but it would do for now.

"Yes I am thank you but it is you that I'm more concerned about," replied Sir Tucker as he looked at his very tall friend. With them both lying down he didn't have to look up at her to talk to her.

"Don't worry about me I'm perfectly comfortable right where I am," replied Jessica. She would have liked to have brought him closer to her but her injuries prevented her from doing this. "You have to admit that this is a lot better than sleeping on the hard and cold floor isn't it."

"Yeah I guess you're right there." They both laughed a little at one another for a few moments before both of them found themselves gazing into the eyes of the other. Sir Tucker found himself lost in Jessica's hazel eyes as she was lost in his brown eyes. They didn't notice time slipping by them and after around a minute they stopped. "Goodnight Jessica." He was about to close his eyes but he felt Jessica's warm lips touch his forehead for a moment before going back.

"Goodnight Tucker." Her voice sounded very sweet and she was just glad that they were back together after their disagreement. Her kiss was one of pure happiness and although it was brief the effects were all the same.

"Night Jessica." That was all that he could reply and both of them closed their eyes as they tried to get to sleep.

Jessica found sleep much faster than Sir Tucker and she dreamt about adventure and romance. She would love the day when she could be held in the arms of another. She had heard so many stories about a princess who would dance with their prince at the end and he would hold her in his arms. This was something that she would never experience as she was too big for any man to hold. She remembered when Sir Tucker tried to carry her and it had not gone well.

Sir Tucker on the other hand remained awake as he was finding some difficulty getting back to sleep. He was thinking a lot about the treasure but he was also happy to be back with Jessica. He could feel her body heat and it gave him a sense of safety and happiness that he had missed when they were apart. However eventually his eyelids became too heavy for him to keep open as he drifted to sleep.

The next morning Sir Tucker awoke to find that Jessica was still asleep. This time however he didn't find himself in her arms so he began to get out of bed and when he stood up began to stretch himself. Everything he did was in complete silence so that he didn't wake up his very tall friend.

Before putting his armour back on he decided to count how much money he had left. Unfortunately it was a little less than he would have liked but he still thought that it would be enough to last them for a while. When he looked at Jessica she was still sound asleep and he thought that nothing he could do would be able to wake her up. He had learned long ago that when Jessica was in a deep sleep it was almost impossible to wake her. Even if a stampede of wild animals ran right passed her she would have no idea.

Instead of waking her Sir Tucker went downstairs to the inn so that he could purchase some breakfast. He was allowed to take it up to his room and he got himself a relatively small cooked breakfast while Jessica's was much larger. He thought that when she awoke that she would still be very hungry.

Carefully Sir Tucker made his way back to the room and only when Jessica began to smell the food did she open her eyes. With some difficulty she sat up from the bed and looked over at him as he walked towards her with the large plate of food in his hand. Her stomach began to growl again as it was hungry despite all she had eaten the previous night. She had a smile on her face as he stepped towards her.

"Here's something I didn't ever expect to see," said Jessica with some excitement. "Breakfast in bed is something that a girl of my stature never really expects. But of course it is much appreciated."

"Well I thought that you would like some breakfast this morning," replied Sir Tucker as he placed the plate on her lap. There was a lot of food on there and it had cost him more than double the normal price but he only cared that it filled his friend. The breakfast consisted of sausage, bacon, eggs, beans, black pudding and some tomato. "And besides girls need their food."

"This girl has grown too much." She didn't take any offense with what he had said as there was no malice in his words. "But she does appreciate the breakfast and will make sure that her friend is rewarded."

"I think he'd like that very much."

Jessica didn't waste any time in beginning to eat her food. She was not as hungry as the night before but she still appreciated what she had. Sir Tucker did help her cut her food since at this moment in time her one arm was practically useless to her. She appreciated this a lot and she couldn't wait for her arm to heal. She felt like a part of her was missing with her arm inside of the cast.

The food was giving her the strength that she needed to be able to go on and it was just a treat for her taste buds. All the food had been freshly made and this was something that she didn't entirely expect from a normal inn. Either Sir Tucker had paid more than usual for it or they had just gotten lucky.

Once again it didn't take long for Jessica to finish her breakfast and she felt satisfied from it. Sir Tucker finished a couple of minutes later and he too was enjoying what he was eating. He wished that he could eat food like this every day, he knew that he could once he found Three Man's Treasure he could eat like a king.

There was one thing that he did consider was that after gaining such wealth would he become bored. He was not the same man who had left Morgan, he had seen things that people could only imagine and he had become a knight of the realm. If he did gain these riches everything else in life would be handed to him and he wouldn't have a challenge anymore. He could afford the best swords and armour that money could buy but there wouldn't be that much point in him using it.

"Hey Earth to Tucker," said Jessica which snapped him out from his little daydream. She was even waving her very large hand in his face.

"W-what?" replied Sir Tucker in confusion.

"You were a million miles away there." She chuckled a little. "I thought you might have lost your mind."

"No but many would say I lost my mind some time ago."

"What were you thinking about?"

"N-nothing really." He wanted to keep these thoughts to himself as he thought that she would want to continue on regardless. Despite his doubts he still wanted to go on regardless, they had come too far to turn back now.

"Oh come on you can tell me." There was a hint of playfulness in her voice as she sat up from the bed. He looked up at her and watched as she bent down to his level. "Nothing you could say to me is embarrassing."

"Well I was just thinking about how nice your hair is." He remembered how women liked to be complimented on their hair and he hoped that Jessica wouldn't be any different. The next thing he knew she used her good arm to draw him into her and gave him a big hug. "That means a lot to me."

"You're welcome." He was amazed that even though she was only using her one arm she was still strong enough to keep the hug going. He would have tried to pull away but she was still too strong and he was enjoying it. The hug broke off a few moments later and she stood back up to her full height.

"So what do we now?"

"Well I thought that we could go into the village and pick up some supplies for the trip ahead. Our trek will be slower than normal but we should be able to reach the outside of Three Man's Treasure location in a couple of weeks. Then we'll stay at a nearby settlement until your arm heals and then we'll go and make our fortune. Maybe we could pick up some coin along the way. I have a fair few with me but not enough to last us six weeks I'm afraid. Maybe we can find another rogue and bring him to the authorities."

"Or maybe you could allow me to bed a few men. I know that some men like their women big." She saw as Sir Tucker gave her a very surprised luck. She then laughed loudly and smiled. "I'm only joking, I wouldn't stoop so low to do that. Besides I'm saving myself for the right man." Which she hoped would be the man standing in front of her. In her eyes he truly was a great man and even if they weren't able to get the treasure she would still think that he was the greatest knight to ever live.

By the next day the village was slowly shrinking behind the pair as they walked away from it. They were carrying some food that they had bought while they were there and it was a little heavier than they had expected. Jessica could still remember when she had been in the market. She had seen most of the people staring at her when they had walked passed and one of the store owners even made a comment that she had found hurtful. Rather than striking the offender she had just walked away.

Sir Tucker had been vigilante at the market as well as he thought that someone might try and steal his money from him. It had happened to him before and it was an experience that he wasn't keen on repeating. At least with staying by Jessica her size was intimidating for most people and they tended to stay away.

The food they picked up included some fruit and some salted meat. The meat wouldn't taste particularly nice but it would last them a while and Jessica promised that she wouldn't eat as much as usual. They didn't know how long it would take them to reach civilisation again on their trek to Three Man's Treasure so the food was going to have to last them a while. They did have the option of picking fruit along the way.

Unfortunately the weather didn't look like it was going to be nice for long. Although the sun was shining there were plenty of black clouds in the sky which was clear that it was going to rain very soon. They wanted to make as much progress as they could before the rain came down upon them.

Much to Sir Tucker's annoyance they were not travelling as fast as he would have liked. Unfortunately due to Jessica's injury she still couldn't grow in size so she couldn't carry him and walk in minutes what would take a man a day. Her health was his concern however and he didn't want to do anything that could seriously jeopardise her health. He was acting as her protector which she appreciated. For her it was nice knowing that there was someone looking out for her for once.

After a few hours of walking the pair eventually came to a wooded area. Rather than going through it they thought that it was best to go around but as they walked they began to hear something coming from inside. At first it wasn't intelligible but after a few moments Jessica could tell that it was someone calling out for help. Sir Tucker couldn't really hear it and he wanted to continue on but Jessica wouldn't let him. She refused to leave someone in danger and he knew that he couldn't change her mind.

With some reluctance Sir Tucker went inside of the forest with Jessica closely behind him. The canopy of the forest was very thick so it was hard for him to see, the light from the sun was struggling to get through and gave the forest a dark and eerie appearance. Sir Tucker was not intimidated at all, he thought that he could deal with anything that came their way.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Sir Tucker as he took a few steps forwards. He knew that they were famous last words but he still spoke them anyway. He felt that the situation at hand called for it.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," replied Jessica. She was still listening out for the cries for help. She couldn't hear it very well but she could still hear it. "There's someone who's depending on us."

"I think we should be cautious, there's no telling just what could be here. It's so dark that we might not see danger until it is too late."

"There's nothing that she be able to trouble us. You're a mighty knight and although I might be stuck at this size for now I'm still stronger than a normal person. They wouldn't stand a chance against us."

"Right now I wish that I had your confidence." Juggernaut was in his hand as he was waiting to strike it against anything that he viewed as a threat. Just because he was being vigilante didn't mean that he could panic.

Slowly but surely the pair made their way towards where they could hear the calls for help. It seemed like the call of a child and with each step they took it sounded like the voice was getting louder. Eventually they got close enough for Jessica to shout out towards the child. There was no response besides the words help me over and over again. This made Sir Tucker suspicious as he thought that this might be some kind of trap. However he couldn't turn back without Jessica who he knew wouldn't leave until she knew that the child was fine. She had scared a few in the past with her size and she didn't wish that to happen to any other child even though in her case it had been unintentional.

Besides the calls for help Sir Tucker was listening for anything else that should give them some concern. This whole situation seemed to be very suspicious, they had been walking quite deep into the forest and so far they hadn't seen this child who was still calling out for help. Jessica seemed to be blinded by her desire to help people in need that she wasn't seeing the suspicious things taking place around her. That's what she had Sir Tucker for who was constantly looking around.

One thing that they didn't notice however was that there was a blowpipe sticking out from one of the bushes. They were waiting for the time to be just right when they quickly blew on the pipe and this shot forwards a dart that went flying through the air. The dart struck Jessica in her good arm but to her it was no more than a bee sting. It did cause her a bit of pain but she began to feel her body becoming a little heavier.

This was when Sir Tucker decided to turn around and just as he did another dart came towards him but this one struck his shield. This had not gone unnoticed as he saw the dart landing on the ground by his feet. This was his first indication that they were under attack but he didn't notice another dart come from behind and strike him in the neck. Unfortunately that section was unarmoured and he felt his body becoming heavier and his vision was beginning to blur. It was only a few moments after that before his head went crashing into the ground along with the rest of his body.

"Tucker!" shouted Jessica as she realised what was happening. She too was under the influence of the drug that had knocked Sir Tucker out but she was able to shake it off much easier than him.

Unfortunately for Jessica she felt another sting as another dart pierced her skin and injected her with the drug. This only made her slower but she still tried to tend to Sir Tucker as quickly as possible. She knew that they were under attack but her main concern was her best friend. She felt another dart strike her but this time it was on her cast so it deflected away from her.

Their attackers were surprised with what was happening, the darts that they had fired were strong enough to knock a man out in seconds. Jessica had received two already and was still on her feet. They fired more darts at her and three additional darts found their target. With five darts in her now Jessica was more than slow, she was feeling lightheaded and she felt that she could collapse at any moment. However instead of falling she just kept went to tend to Sir Tucker instead.

She didn't realise that she had enough of the drug in her system to kill a bear and it was only her size and strength that had prevented her from falling. This however was nullified when a sixth and final dart went into her back. Finally her body had absorbed too much of the drug to keep her conscious and she felt the world around her go black. She fell and hit the ground hard. Thankfully there were no injuries but the last thing she saw were some feet coming closer to her. She could see two pairs coming towards her but she couldn't do anything to stop them as everything around her faded away.

When Jessica woke up she felt very sick. There was one part of her body that ached her more than her arm and that was her head. She slowly began to sit herself up but as she did she felt her breakfast coming back up and she vomited the contents of her stomach right on the ground. The smell of it wasn't too pleasant and she noticed that her body was still feeling very heavy. Her vision had yet to fully come back but she tried to get back up to her feet but for the time being that was impossible.

As her vision began to return to her she noticed that she was still lying in the forest. However she could tell that she had moved from where she had fallen. She could see that she was relatively close to a small stream that flowed inside the forest but that wasn't the most distressing thing for her. What she was afraid to see was the fact that her best friend was nowhere in sight.

More than once Jessica tried to call out for him but she had no voice to do this. The drug that was in her system still had a tight grip around her and prevented her from doing almost anything. However her metabolism was burning through it much faster than a normal person but the sheer quantity inside of her made it difficult for her to move.

Suddenly she began to hear a couple of voices around her and for the moment she couldn't hear exactly what they were saying but she thought that they sounded surprised. She suspected that they were surprised by the sheer fact that she was awake. They knew how many darts she had taken and the fact that she was even awake so quickly after taking so much of the drug.

Cautiously one of the men began to step towards her in order to inspect her condition. Unfortunately he came too close and she was able grab him by the ankle and easily pull him down to the ground. She began to get herself back up but she felt a strong strike to her back. She didn't feel much pain but that was thanks to the drug. She couldn't properly see the men around her but she didn't need her sight to be completely there in order to protect herself from danger.

Instinctively Jessica began to grow but quickly she felt her arm squeezing in the cast as it refused to grow with the rest of her body. This caused her pain and quickly she shrank herself back down to normal. Since her size increase had only been a few inches before she was forced to shrink no one had actually noticed.

"W-where is he?" asked Jessica in a relatively quiet voice. This was all that she could muster out for the time being but she was close from being finished. She found herself being given the strength to get back up to her feet.

The two men around her took a step back when they saw her at her full height. They had seen her from a distance but seeing her up close like this was something else entirely. They were very intimidated to look up to a woman who stood at over eight feet in height. They had heard about a giant woman recently but they thought that it was a stupid story purely to entertain people.

Rather than being struck in the back again this time Jessica was struck in the back of her knee that made her fall down in a heap. She was able to pick herself up a little but the two men were in a state of panic. They had used all their darts knocking her out the first time and they didn't have any left to try and knock her out now. One of the men tried to kick her in the face as she was down. Unfortunately for him she grabbed his ankle and was able to throw him to one side.

By this point self-preservation was all that was on Jessica's mind but the more she fought the more of the drug burned out from her body. Her sight was returning more and more and she could see that these men. They were both much shorter than she had expected and much skinnier.

They looked to be quite malnourished and it was obvious that their tactics were not with overpowering people but instead to simply take them down quickly and stealthfully with their weapons. However Jessica seemed to be stronger than they had originally anticipated as she was overpowering whatever they threw at her.

With what strength that she had she picked up one man by his neck and brought him up to her level. She didn't squeeze his neck so that he was able to talk to her. He seemed to be scared enough and people being afraid of her always made her sad. However she was still annoyed and wanted answers.

"Where is he?" asked Jessica in a somewhat aggressive voice. Her anger seemed to be bubbling over.

"Who?" replied the man. He was trying to play dumb but she wasn't in the mood for his games. He felt her grip around his neck tighten and it almost seemed like she could snap it with ease.

"Don't play games with me. Tell me where my friend is right now!" The last word that she had muttered was much more like a shout. Despite the fact that she was a gentle person she thought by using her size to intimidate was better than using her strength to hurt him. She had no intention of causing him any real harm but her mood wasn't the greatest and something bad would happen.

"Oh him, I don't know." There was some nervousness in his voice as he was beginning to struggle to breathe.

"You're lying to me. If there's one thing that I hate its people that lie to me." Rather than increasing the grip of her hand she stared him in the eyes and it only increased his fear. "Tell me where he is now or else I won't be held responsible for my actions."

"Seriously I don't know where he is. He was taken away before we could get to you and I don't know where he is."

"Who took him?" She could tell that he probably wasn't lying and that probably scared her more than the man was at this moment in time.

"The scavengers dragged him away, if I were you I would forget about him for your own sake. We were just going to rob you, they however would do much worse than steal your belongings."

"Which way did they go?"

"That way." He pointed in a particular direction that led further into the forest. The next thing he felt was the ground beneath him as Jessica released her grip and allowed him to fall to the ground. He quickly staggered up to his feet and he was easily a good two and a half feet shorter than her.

"Now you and your friend get out of my sight right now and if I ever see you again I won't be so nice."

The second man had gotten back up to his feet and they both began to run as far away from as they could. She gave a sigh of relief as she saw them leaving and when she looked in the direction that they had pointed out she began to wonder. She thought that the man might have been lying to her but it was a risk she was going to have to take anyway. She didn't want to lose him so soon after they had come together again.

Jessica's first step was a rocky one as the drug was still being burned out of her system. She felt that her legs were very wobbly and they seemed like they would give out on her at any moment. It was a scary thought for that to happen but she pushed on nonetheless with Sir Tucker's life being on the line.

She was still recovering however as her head still ached and every now and again the world around her felt like it was spinning. Whatever she had been drugged with was powerful and it was a miracle that she was on her feet so quickly. She did feel guilty about what had happened since it was her decision to go inside the forest but she couldn't dwell on this now. She accepted that she could feel guilty afterwards but until then she had to keep her head in the game and find Sir Tucker before it was too late. She thought that these Scavengers might scavenge more than people's belongings.

As Jessica continued to walk she thought that she was getting her strength back as the drug continued to wear off on her. Fortunately it didn't seem like it would be long until she was back to full strength but she was still light on her feet. She staggered every now and again and she had to use a tree from time to time to support herself. If she had anything left in her stomach she would have brought it back up.

The drug that she had been injected with was originally from a flower that grew inside of the forest. Quite a lot of healers would use it to help put people to sleep when they were going through certain healing sessions. It was also used by hunters who wished to bring their prey in alive but large doses of it would be enough to kill a person. For that reason only people with significant training with it were allowed to use it.

Jessica's body was fighting the drug as best as it could but it was still taking time for it to completely burn out of her. Her metabolism was unlike anyone else's in Angleland and it was one reason why she could never get drunk no matter how much she drank. It also prevented her from receiving most illnesses although it didn't help her too much when it came to physical injuries. The best that her metabolism could do was prevent her wounds from being infected. This was not thanks to her size but rather the potion that had been used on her as a baby to save her life.

She could still hear the birds singing in the trees but she couldn't see them when she looked up. She couldn't even tell what time of day it was or even how long she had been asleep for, this only added to her frustration. More than once she was tempted to just grow and have her arm break out of the cast but she knew that it would only cause her more harm than good and she just continued on.

One thing that she did notice on the ground were footprints and she saw this as a positive sign. She hoped that they would lead her to Sir Tucker so that she would be able to rescue him, she knew that she had let him deal with his own defence but she felt that this was a different circumstance altogether. He had been knocked out just like her and she believed that he was defenceless.

"Come on Jessica just keep going," said Jessica to herself as she felt like she was going to collapse a couple of times. "If you fall now Tucker is as good as bed, that's if it's not already too late."

Suddenly Jessica saw someone walking towards her. At first she thought that it was one of the Scavengers who had taken Sir Tucker. She was ready for a fight but her body wasn't, she was still feeling the effects of the drug. She was more likely to fall over than actually be able to hit anyone. She was just too stubborn to admit that she was in no shape to be fighting anybody.

As the figure claim closer Jessica began to pick up speed as she wanted to face this figure as soon as possible. But as she got closer she began to see that the figure was none other than Sir Tucker. At first she believed that her eyes were playing tricks on her but as they came closer she realised that it was actually him. She was completely speechless but she did hear him call out of her name.

"Tucker is that you?" asked Jessica as she was still unsure with what she was seeing. Her head was still all over the place.

"Yeah I'm here," replied Sir Tucker as he approached her. She almost fell but he was able to grab her and help support her before she went down to the ground. This was a great effort for him but using all his strength to keep her upright. "I thought I might be looking for you for a while but I see that luck was on my side."

"Thank the gods I found you." She smiled at him and she was beginning to support her own weight. "But what happened to you? I heard that the Scavengers had dragged you away. I was worried about you."

"I told you that you didn't need to worry about me." He smiled at her although he wasn't as steady as he would have liked. Just like Jessica he was still fighting the effects of the drug but he hadn't be exposed to as much as her so he was having an easier time. "I can take care of myself."

"But how did you escape?" She was still in disbelief and she thought that he must have had a harrowing story to go with this escape.

"Escape? What are you talking about?"

"I was told that you got taken by the Scavengers."

"And who told you a crazy thing like that? I just woke up and tried to find you. There were no scavengers or anything like that. I was just lucky to find you so quickly."

"What?" She began to feel a small amount of anger inside of her as she realised that the two men had indeed lied to her and like a fool she had fallen for it. They had simply told her that Sir Tucker was in danger just so that they could get away from her. She guessed that they must have had to work together to carry her away so they had simply left Sir Tucker where he had lay. "If I get my hands on that pair I swear..." She couldn't really finish off her sentence as she was just annoyed and she didn't want to do anything that she might regret. However she was happy to see that Sir Tucker was fine.

"They're gone now and that's what's important. We're together once again and nothing else really matters."

"Y-you're right." She gave a sigh as she calmed herself down. She didn't need to become so angry over what had happened. She didn't like to think what might have happened if she hadn't of woken up so quickly. One thing was for sure was that if she saw them again they would soon regret it. "We're both safe but did you find out who was calling for help?" She still thought about the child's voice they had heard before.

"No I didn't but I'm pretty sure that it stopped shortly after we were attacked, most likely it is some kind of trap that we fell for."

"Fooled again." She gave a sigh as she was disappointed with herself for falling for another trick. She began to think that she wasn't as intelligent as she had thought. She was going down the lines of the classical stereotype of a really big and strong person who wasn't very intelligent.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. You did what you thought was right and in my book that's always a good thing."

"Thanks Tucker." She was able to stand properly under her own strength. "You always seem to know the right thing to say to make me feel better." She gave him a smile and she was tempted to hug him but she didn't want to collapse on him.

"Well they don't call me Sir Tucker the Compassionate for nothing." He struck another of his poses which he only ever seemed to do for her.

"They don't call you that." She chuckled as she knew that he was trying to be like a classical knight from fantastical tales.

"They might do one day. Or maybe they'll call me by another name like Sir Tucker the Brave or Sir Tucker the Mighty. Just as long as it's not something like Sir Tucker the Flamboyant or Sir Tucker the Slow." He began to shudder for a moment. "None of those names would do."

"Very well my brave knight." She then chuckled even more and he could see that his efforts to make her feel better had actually succeeded. This made him feel happy and it was just another moment that the pair had together. "If you wouldn't mind may I bestow you your title."

"Nothing would give me greater joy my lady." He bowed to her as if she were a high born lady. To him she was a lady in every sense of the word.

"In that case I dub thee Sir Tucker the Constant." She smiled at him and he lifted his head up and looked at him with some confusion.

"The Constant?" He was very confused with the title that she had given him. To him it didn't make a lot of sense but he knew that his friend would explain to him why she had named him that,

"Of course because you've been a constant in my life. You were always there for me and you've always made me feel better about myself. Plus I don't think any other knight has that name."

"Well I do admit that it is unique." He stood back up to his full height. Even so he was only at her chest which was a better view than he would admit. "Very well my lady from this day I will be Sir Tucker the Constant, knight of the realm and personal friend to Jessica the Kind." He held out his hand to her, he made sure that it was his left hand so that her right hand could grab it. "May I lead you out of this forest so that we may continue on with our quest? Between you and me I've had enough of it for one day."

"Nothing would bring me more joy good sir knight."

Gently Jessica gabbed onto Sir Tucker's hand and although it was much larger than his and it was not lady like to have larger hands than a man. However this meant nothing to the pair as they began to walk away. It was like they had been back at Morgan where Sir Tucker would pretend to be a knight and Jessica be a lady who needed help. However this was not a game as they were both adults and Sir Tucker had truly become a knight. Jessica might not have been a lady but she still needed help and her best friend was the only one who could help her.

The pair just continued their walk through the forest and they knew that each step they took brought them closer and closer to the end of their quest and hopefully to the wealth and glory that they had been seeking.

A few days later both Jessica and Sir Tucker entered the city of Featherstone after a very long walk. Both of them were more than happy to be in a city again, especially Jessica who was looking forward to being able to sleep on a bed rather than the ground. Her back was killing her and all she wanted to do was rest.

Featherstone was amongst one of the oldest cities of Angleland but its size was nothing to be impressed about. Most of the buildings had been constructed hundreds of years ago but the largest building in the city was the castle. It was larger than most castles in Angleland and had been the seat of the O'Hare family ever since the city was first founded. However the once numerous family had been reduced down to one. The last remaining member of the family was a young woman named Jennifer O'Hare who was now the lady of Featherstone and thus was the most powerful woman in the city. Despite her age she was very intelligent and more than capable of overseeing the city.

On more than one occasion numerous men had thought that she was unfit to rule since she was a woman but for those men she gave them a choice. They would either lose their tongue or their manhood. A surprising amount of these men chose to lose their penis rather than their tongue, Lady Jennifer was more than happy to fulfil their decision.

She was also known to be quite tough with criminals as they faced harsher sentences for their crimes in Featherstone in comparison to other places in Angleland but she wasn't completely heartless in that department.

Featherstone was also known for its mines that lay outside of the city which provided the kingdom with plenty of iron. Each of these mines were owned by Lady Jennifer and had brought her a considerable income since iron was a metal that was always needed in the Kingdom. She may not have been as wealthy of Lord Nostory but she still had a fair amount of gold to her name.

The first place that Jessica and Sir Tucker visited was a local inn so that they could rest and eat some much needed warm food. After they had exhausted their own food supply they had been eating berries and Sir Tucker had even been able to catch a rabbit which they soon cooked and ate.

Rather than buying enough to fill her completely Jessica decided to have a smaller meal which was still considered to be a full meal for a normal person. They didn't know how long their money would last and they would have to be careful with what they were spending. For the next few weeks they didn't know how they would earn more money. Sir Tucker still considered performing some bounty hunting since he had seen a few wanted posters since he had entered the city.

The inn itself was a small establishment and could only hold around a dozen people at a time. It was even named the Crimson Dwarf which seemed like an appropriate name but Jessica thought that if Brian had been there he would not have liked it. Its small size was also a problem for her as the ceiling was too low for her to stand up properly and she was afraid that if she stretched her arm that she would hit someone by accident. However things were a little better when she sat down, at least then she wouldn't have to worry about hitting her head on anything.

For a few moment Sir Tucker was at the bar ordering the food while Jessica sat down at the table and waited. He was going through what they both wanted to the innkeeper. He was writing it down but he could see the armour that Sir Tucker was wearing and the Juggernaut by his side. There was something that he would have to tell the young knight that might end up with him getting into trouble.

"Are you a knight?" asked the Innkeeper who was an old man who still had a full head of white hair and a large belly. "Or are you some adventurer who wants to try and live out the stories?"

"No I am a knight," replied Sir Tucker with some pride in his voice. "I am Sir Tucker Martel the Constant."

"The what?" He seemed to be very confused with why any knight would want to call himself something like that.

"Never mind." Sir Tucker seemed a little annoyed that the Innkeeper hadn't really taken him seriously. He still wouldn't discard the title purely because it was Jessica who had given it to him. "Why do you ask anyway?"

"I can tell from your accents that you're not from these parts, you're probably not aware of the fact that there is a law in this city. Any knight who enters has to present themselves to her ladyship. I advise you to have an audience with her before long. She hears things and word will eventually reach her. It is much better for you to go to her rather than her dogs." He was not talking about literal dogs but the men who made up Lady O'Hare's personal guard. Each one was a skilled swordsman and also completely loyal to her. They would gladly lay down their lives to protect her ladyship.

"Hmm interesting." He did consider that the innkeeper could be lying to him but he was willing to take the chance. If it were true then he would only be following the law and if it were false the worst thing that would happen was that he would be turned away. "Thanks for telling me."

"You're welcome, I'll have your food out before you know it."

Sir Tucker turned around and sat down at the table that Jessica was sitting down at. It was a low table and she was struggling to keep her knees underneath. Long legs were normally desired in a woman but they certainly had their downsides. It was just another reminder to her that she was living in a world that was too small for her. She did look forward to being able to buy larger furniture when they found the treasure. She was glad to see that Sir Tucker was back but she just wanted to be in a place that had more space for someone of her extreme stature.

"Hey Jessica I just heard something that we have to deal with," said Sir Tucker as he sat himself down on a seat. He did notice that the table was low but it wasn't enough to cause him that much discomfort. "Turns out there's a law here which means I have to present myself to the Lady of the city."

"Not another Lord." She gave a sigh as memories of Lord Nostory were still very much present in her mind. "Do we really have to go?"

"I do at least since I'm a knight but you can stay here if you want to. Hopefully I won't be that long."

"No thanks, I'm not staying here any longer than I need to be." She was tempted to just flip over the table so that she could have the leg room that she desperately wanted. "I swear I feel like I'm going to burst out of this place."

"Hopefully it won't have to come to that. Besides think about the halls where Lords and Ladies hold their meetings. High ceilings and normally plenty of room, in fact you could probably grow to your normal size and still have plenty of headroom."

"I seriously doubt that."

"Plus this isn't a lord that we're seeing. It's a lady and if I remember correctly it is Lady O'Hare who is the lady of the city."

"How do you know that?" There had been no mention of her as of yet and she just wondered how her friend could know such information.

"Well my family bought iron from this city and it was her signature that was on the paperwork. That is recently of course, before then it was her Lord Father but since his passing she is the one calling the shots."

"Have you heard anything about her?" She wanted to know if she was likely to meet a noble Lord like Lord Howlet or another wicked Lord like Lord Nostory.

"Not really, she only came to power fairly recently but I did hear that she lost her husband not so long ago so if we're in her presence we better not mention anything like that. The last thing we want is the wrath of a Lady."

Just as they had finished their conversation the food that they had ordered was placed down right in front of them. Before he started Sir Tucker helped Jessica cut up her food so it was easier for her to eat. Her broken arm was really annoying her and she felt that she was more of a liability for him rather than a help for him. She just wanted to recover quickly so that she could take the cast off.

After eating their food the pair washed it down with a large drink before they set off for the castle. They hadn't been told that was where Lady O'Hare but they knew that it was the most likely for her to be. As they went through the city they saw the citizens going about their daily business although a few of them did turn to look at Jessica. She was used to this by now so she paid it no mind.

Eventually they reached the castle doors and there they saw three heavily armoured men standing right outside of it. They seemed to be laughing and joking amongst one another, due to their armour their faces were obscured. Sir Tucker and Jessica couldn't see their faces and were a little nervous as they approached. One wrong move could lead them both into a lot of trouble.

As soon as the guards saw the pair their jokes completely faded away and they turned to them. Each placed a hand on their swords just in case things became violent as they saw that Sir Tucker was armed. They were amazed by Jessica but this was of no real importance to them.

"Halt," said one of the guards. He had figured that the pair were close enough. "State your business."

"We have been informed that there is a law in your lovely city that all knights have to present themselves to her ladyship. Of course I may have been misinformed and if that is the case my friend and I will take our leave."

"You have heard true but I didn't take you as a knight. Tell me who knighted you and the reason for it."

"I was knighted by Lord Tyrone of Indigon for competing in a tournament and showing great skill and chivalry. My name is Sir Tucker the Constant of Morgan. My friend beside me is Miss Jessica Snape who is my companion."

"Your words seem to have a ring of truth behind it." There was a pause for a moment as he began to think. "You may see her ladyship but your weapons will be confiscated and if her ladyship discovers that you have been untruthful the punishment for such a crime is not light."

"In that case I have nothing to worry about. Every word I told you is the truth and if you need to ask Lord Howlet himself I'm sure that he is more than happy to oblige." He smiled as he was confident that everything was in order.

"Very well sir."

Another of the guards opened the door and the third guard began to lead them inside. The door was smaller than normal and Jessica had to really duck down to get through. However on the other side she was more than happy to see high ceilings which allowed her to stand at her full height without fear of hitting her head on the ceiling. This was just one thing that she was happy about.

They were led down a long hallway where there were numerous doors that led into different rooms but these were simply ignored as they continued to be led. Eventually they came to two more guards who took away Juggernaut and Sir Tucker's shield. He was willing to give them up just to show that he meant no harm and he was assured that once his audience with Lady O'Hare was over they would be returned to him.

Eventually the pair reached a great hall which did look magnificent. It didn't seem to be as grand as the one that they had seen in Indigon but it was definitely a sight to behold nonetheless. The ceiling was well over thirty feet high and the walls were decorated with coats of arms and tapestries depicting various members of the O'Hare over the last several hundred years.

Near the far end of the hall was a chair that looked almost fit for a king and above it sat a sigil of a unicorn rearing on its hind legs on a green background. This was the sigil the O'Hare family and it commanded some respect from everyone. The chair was made out of pure oak and although it was hundreds of years old it still looked fairly new. A lot of time and effort had gone into maintaining it over the years.

Both Sir Tucker and Jessica remained by the door until another door on the fair side of the hall opened. A few guards walked inside first followed by a woman who wore a bright blue gown. She was a tall woman with long red hair and some freckles on her face. She had piercing green eyes and ruby red lips. She was one of the most beautiful women that Sir Tucker had ever seen and with grace she stepped towards the seat and sat herself down upon it. A few more guards had followed behind her as she had entered the hall and each of them took specific positions in the hall in order to properly protect their lady. As she was sitting in her seat she truly looked the part of a high born lady and she did look young. Many hoped that her looks would remain with her throughout her lifetime.

"Presenting Lady Jennifer of House O'Hare, the Lady of Featherstone and Matriarch to its citizens," shouted a man who had an impressive voice. His clothing was much brighter than the armour of the guards standing near him. "My Lady a knight from yonder has arrived to present himself to you."

"Step forward good knight," stated Lady O'Hare. Sir Tucker then began to walk towards her. Jessica remained where she was and she watched as he kept walking until he was around ten feet away from her.

"Greetings my Lady," replied Sir Tucker. He bowed to her and he had been practicing such a thing with Jessica. However if he did anything wrong this time rather than getting a friendly laugh he might lose something precious to him. "My name is Sir Tucker Martel the Constant and I am from the town of Morgan which lies some distance to the west of here. It is nowhere near as grand as your lovely city."

"I doubt that it would be good sir. Although I am not overly familiar with your home I do recognise the name. Some of my mined iron has worked its way to that place." He was surprised that she had even heard of Morgan. It wasn't a place which was famous for anything in particular.

"My family and I have most likely handled the iron. I am a fully trained blacksmith along with the rest of my family."

"A blacksmith who has become a knight?" She chuckled a little and he couldn't help if she was being nice or condescending. "Now that is something that would make a great folk tale." She looked behind Sir Tucker and she could see Jessica standing near the door. She could tell that she was tall but not immediately from where she was standing. "And I see that you have brought a friend along with you."

"Yes she is a very good friend of mine."

"Step forward girl." Jessica was a little dumbstruck for a moment she did slowly approach Sir Tucker and with each step she took Lady O'Hare could see just how tall she actually was. The high born lady looked up in amazement at her and she couldn't help but break a smile and her perfect white teeth could be seen. "My they certainly grow them tall where you're from. May I ask how tall are you?"

"When I left Morgan I was eight feet tall my lady," replied Jessica who remained respectful. "But I suspect that I might have grown a couple of inches since then." From the tone of her voice she sounded embarrassed about it. She didn't normally like to be asked how tall she was but she couldn't turn down the request of a high born.

"It wouldn't be surprising." She then stood up from her chair which was surprising for all of those attending. She stepped towards Jessica and she looked right up at her and began to chuckle. "Tell me your name my dear."

"My name is Miss Jessica Snape my lady." She wasn't sure whether she should bow slightly to show respect.

"Miss Snape, I am an inch shy of being six feet tall and I very rarely have to look up to another woman. But with you I feel like a disobedient child having to stand before a parent or a teacher." She found this to be very funny but Jessica could see that there was no malice behind her humour. She looked around her to see another guard who was standing some distance away. "Sir Edward."

"Yes my lady," replied the guard. He hadn't been expected to be called upon at any point during this audience.

"Step forward please." Without question Sir Edward did as he was told and stepped forward towards the trio. Sir Tucker could see that this guard was very tall, the armour that he was wearing also made him seem very muscular but he knew that it was most likely just the armour. He eventually came close to Jessica and Lady O'Hare raised her hand to indicate that she wanted him to stop. He was right next to Jessica who continued to tower above him considerably. Like Lady O'Hare before him he felt very small in comparison to her. "Please tell me how tall you are Sir Edward."

"I am six foot eight my lady." He was definitely the tallest man that was employed by Lady O'Hare but he didn't even come up to Jessica's shoulder. Lady O'Hare once again found it very humorous.

"I can see that you're not lying Miss Snape. You look to be around a foot and a half taller than my tallest knight. I can see this becoming another folk tale one day about the maiden that is taller than the tallest man in Angleland. That's certainly a tale that I would like to hear." She chuckled again before instructing Sir Edward to return to his position, she then walked back to her seat and sat down. "Now that I've had my fun I'd like to thank you both for coming to see me. In fact I've had a problem of sorts that requires the touch of a knight or two."

"What problem is that my Lady?" asked Sir Tucker. He hadn't expected to receive any assignments. He just hoped that it wasn't anything that he was uncomfortable doing. However he didn't think that he could refuse.

"One of my mines a little to the north of here has been overrun with wolves. The miners who work there refuse to go inside until they're dealt with. I'm losing a lot of gold every day that the mine is closed and that's gold that I prefer to have in my pocket. Go to the mine and deal with the problem and I promise you that you will be compensated for your efforts. You will be doing me and those miners a tremendous favour if you were able to rid the mine of the wolves."

"I will attempt what you have asked my lady." He wasn't sure exactly how many wolves he would be facing but he was confident that he would be successful.

"Very good Sir Tucker, I wish you all the luck in the world. Return to me once the deed is done" Sir Tucker bowed to her and so did Jessica. The pair were just about to leave but they were caught by a nasty surprise. "Miss Snape I didn't give you leave." Quickly both of them turned around and Sir Tucker's heartbeat quickened as he was unsure just what was happening. "Miss Snape I would like you to remain here while your friend is performing this little task for me."

"But my lady, my friend needs me," replied Jessica who tried to sound as respectful as possible.

"I doubt that very much." She smiled again although Sir Tucker and Jessica didn't know whether they should be worried or not. "Your friend looks to be a very capable man and besides a mine full of wolves is no place for a maiden no matter how short or tall they may be."

"If that is your wish then so shall it be." She did bow a little to Lady O'Hare as a sign of respect. She couldn't say no to her and she felt that there wasn't much choice in the matter. Sir Tucker looked up to her and nodded at her, whether this would be a mistake was something that only time would tell.

"Splendid and just so the good sir is not alone I'll send one of my own knights to accompany him. Sir Robert!" One particular knight stepped forward. He sounded quite old and he was smaller than Sir Tucker. "Would you be so kind to accompany Sir Tucker on his task?"

"It would be an honour my lady," replied Sir Robert. Sir Tucker couldn't see what he looked like underneath the armour but just from his voice he could tell that he was old and when he bowed to Lady O'Hare he was very slow and it seemed like it had taken a lot of effort out of him.

"Very good and besides Miss Snape you fascinate me. I can more or less guarantee that there isn't another maiden in Angleland like you. You shouldn't be alone anyway and it gives me a chance to interact with another maiden. The gods have only placed men in my courts and there are some things that their ears aren't quite tuned to."

"As you wish my Lady."

"Good now Sir Robert and Sir Tucker. Return to me once you have made sure that the problem has been dealt with. I assure you that upon your return you will both be greatly rewarded."

Both Sir Tucker and Sir Robert bowed to Lady O'Hare and made their way out. Sir Tucker was reluctant to leave Jessica there but if he tried to take her by force it would only end in his death and likely Jessica's as well. All he could do for the time being was to trust Lady O'Hare's word. The last experience he had with a Lord had gone very well and he hoped that this would be the same as well.

Jessica looked as Sir Tucker walked out of the hall. She didn't see some servants place a stool right next to Lady O'Hare's chair. It was a small stool that was probably stronger than it looked. Lady O'Hare instructed Jessica to sit beside her and reluctantly the very tall girl did as she was told. She looked at the stool and carefully sat down upon it, she could hear it creaking very loudly as it bore her weight however she was afraid that it would buckle at any moment.

Even sitting down on her stool Jessica seemed like a giant and if anything Lady O'Hare saw this as being very humorous. She had always been used to being the tall one, especially around other women but when it came to Jessica she felt very small. It was a feeling that she hadn't experienced for many years. She also liked the fact that Jessica had been respectful towards her which was something that she sometimes found hard in people that lords and ladies considered to be peasants.

"Are you well Miss Snape?" asked Lady O'Hare. From the tone of her voice it seemed like she was genuine with her question.

"I am thank you my lady," replied Jessica. She did feel a little hungry despite the fact that she had eaten recently.

"If there is anything you need refreshment wise I can have one of my servants fetch it for you."

"Well I am a little hungry my lady." There was a small amount of embarrassment in her words.

"You don't need to worry about being modest. When you're hungry the only thing you should do is eat." Quickly she signalled one of her servants over to her. He was a young man who didn't look any older than sixteen. Lady O'Hare instructed him to bring her some food for both herself and Jessica. Quickly the man went away to go and do what his Lady had just commanded.

Before any food could be brought to them suddenly two guards came in and they dragged a man along with them. This man had worn clothes that indicated to both of the women that he was only a peasant. He was very slim and it definitely looked like he hadn't bathed for some time. His sudden appearance had caught Jessica by surprise but she didn't say a word as things progressed.

"My lady," said one of the Guards. His voice was strong and he looked to have a big build underneath his armour. "This man has been caught stealing and he has been brought here for your judgement."

"Very well good sir," replied Lady O'Hare. Quickly she turned to Jessica and gave her a smile. "You're lucky, you're about to see how justice works in my city." She then looked over to the guards and she indicated that she wanted the man to be brought forward. The guards responded by picking him up and bringing him closer to her so that she could get a real look of him. She didn't recognise him as she didn't expect that she would. "I don't recognise you, that might work in your favour."

Jessica remained where she sat and she really didn't know what to do in this situation. She wanted more than anything to go with Sir Tucker and make sure that he was alright but unfortunately she couldn't. He was on his own but she thought that he was capable of looking out for himself. He had proved that to her but it didn't mean that she wouldn't worry about him.

However she still wasn't sure whether she should be worried about Lady O'Hare. So far she had seemed nice but Jessica knew that it could change in an instant. Physically Lady O'Hare was nowhere near as powerful as Jessica but politically they were worlds apart. She still didn't know whether Lady O'Hare was being nice to her or if she was keeping her there as some kind of game. For now all she could do was sit and watch as Lady O'Hare judged this man for the crime that he had committed. She thought that Sir Tucker was able to deal with a few wolves.

Meanwhile Sir Tucker was just making his way out of Featherstone through the north side. He wasn't alone as he had Sir Robert was accompanying him although for the moment he hadn't seen his face yet. The more that they walked the more that Sir Tucker could tell that Sir Robert was struggling to move. The older knight was walking at a slower pace than he younger counterpart, if anything Sir Tucker was slowing his own pace just so that Sir Robert could keep up with him.

One thing that Sir Tucker was thankful for was the fact that he had received Juggernaut and his shield once again. He felt almost naked travelling without them but now that he had them back he felt complete again. He took a look at the sword and shield that Sir Robert was carrying and there didn't seem to be anything special about them. They would do against a peasant but a fully trained knight would be able to smash right through them. It was lucky for him that they were facing wolves rather than knights.

"May I ask you a question sir?" asked Sir Tucker who felt that he should be respectful to the older knight. His body might not be what it used to be but there was no doubt that he had experience on his side.

"Ask away young'n," replied Sir Robert. His voice still sounded old but there was some kindness behind them.

"Thank you, I was just wondering how you came to be in service of the Lady. I'm sure that it is an intriguing tale."

"Well it is a tale but not one that is terribly exciting I'm afraid." He cleared his throat and to do this he needed to lift up his visor. This was when Sir Tucker saw his face for the first time. All that could be seen was a wrinkled old face and a thick white moustache. "I served under her grandfather when I was a young man. When he passed on I then served her father and now that he has passed on as well I am now in her service."

"You've stuck with the same family for three generations?"

"Indeed I have, I pledged my services to the O'Hare family and I intend to serve them until I am released of my vows honourably or the breath leaves my body. I take it that you have only received you knighthood recently."

"Yes I only received it a couple of weeks ago when my friend and I were in Indigon. Lord Tyrone knighted me himself."

"Impressive and pray I ask why you were knighted. I've known people get knighted for a number of reasons, some of them are for the noblest of reasons and others are nothing more than for bargaining."

"I took part in a tournament at Indigon and Lord Tyrone Howlet was impressed with my skills and passion so he knighted me in front of his honoured guests."

"Then I congratulate you on your accomplishments. Most people think that to be a knight you just need to know how to swing a sword but there is much more to it than that. If it were that easy ever man, woman and child who thought that they could fight could be called a knight. Out of curiosity did you win that tournament?"

"Unfortunately no I didn't, I got through the elimination round and even my first one on one match. But unfortunately I was defeated by Lord Tyrone's heir."

"A shame that is but unfortunately even knights have to suffer defeats from time to time. From each defeat he learns and improves his skills or else he will be repeating the same mistake over and over again."

Their conversation was taking their mind off the walk and they were making a surprising amount of progress. It probably wouldn't be long before they reached the mine, they would have to be careful as wolves were not safe creatures. If the pack attacked them at once it might be too much for them to withstand.

Eventually they came across the mine that was in question. It was a fairly small mine that looked to be abandoned. It was eerie seeing it there with no workers at all. However it was expected to be more or less empty since the wolves had taken up residence there. They would have their work cut out for them trying to get rid of them. It would certainly not be a simple challenge.

The first thing that Sir Tucker did was to grab a nearby torch and light it up. Unfortunately humans were not gifted when it came to seeing in the dark so this torch would be their source of light through this challenge. Sir Robert showed no fear as he stepped inside of the mine just behind Sir Tucker. He had been through a lot over his long life and a pack of wolves weren't enough to scare him.

Carefully they stepped through the mine and they constantly listened out for anything that they considered to be dangerous. The howling of a wolf was one such indicator and Sir Tucker couldn't help but think of when he and his friend Kermit had been taken prisoner by people who dressed as wolves. It was different now that he was going to go up against the real thing.

They also had to look out for anything else that could be a hazard. If Sir Tucker tripped and fell he doubted that Sir Robert would be able to carry him to safety. Also if he suffered any other serious injuries he didn't think that he would be able to get to help in time. However it was not the first time that he had fought in such a small space. He remembered the first two trials however this time he needed one hand to hold onto the torch.

"What was that?" whispered Sir Robert as he thought he had heard something. He quickly tried to look in that direction but he couldn't see what could have caused the noise. It did make him on edge.

"I didn't hear anything," replied Sir Tucker who also whispered. He too began to look around but he also couldn't anything.

"I swear that I heard something." The Old man seemed to be absolutely convinced that he had heard something.

"Maybe it was just the wind. Any way let's keep going or else we'll never be done." He and Sir Robert kept their swords in their hands just in case there was some kind of surprise attack on them.

It wasn't long before they heard a loud growling sound. They knew that they had most likely found what they were looking for. Sir Tucker lifted his torch up as he expected to see wolves in front of him. He did see a wolf but this one was much larger than he had expected. It was roughly as tall as a man with brown fur and terrifying yellow eyes. Its teeth looked sharp enough to crush steel and the pair knew that they had run into something that they might not be prepared for.

Oblivious to what was happening Jessica was still sitting by Lady O'Hare who was listening to what her guards were telling her. They had brought forward a man who had been caught stealing, he had been stealing food from the market and had been doing it for some time before he had eventually been caught. He had now been brought before Lady O'Hare so that he could face her judgement.

"And that is the whole story my Lady," said the Guard. "This thief has stolen from the good people of the city for too long. His life is now in your hands."

"Before we go any further the defendant may speak," replied Lady O'Hare. "It would be unfair otherwise."

"Thank you my lady," said the Man. He was respectful as well since his fate was entirely up to her. "I know what I did was wrong but I had no choice, I had a family to feed and I prefer to steal for a living rather than watching them starve. If you had children who depended on you for their very survival you would do all you could wouldn't you? I am at your mercy but I feel like I did what was best."

"You make an interesting point." She smiled a little and then looked over to Jessica who was sitting at her right. "And what do you suggest should be done with him?" This caught everyone by surprise but no one was more surprised than Jessica herself.

"I um," replied Jessica as she found herself in a position that she hadn't expected to find herself. She had felt sorry for the man as she could see that he only stole to support himself and his family. He had meant no harm to those that he stole from but she still had to be careful with what she said. "I think we should show him mercy, he did what he did purely for his loved ones. Is that really wrong?"

"There is a reason why we have laws though. If we were to waver them then anarchy would prevail. Besides there is no guarantee that he is even telling the truth, I've known men to sell their own mothers if it meant that they got away with their crimes. Maybe the only thing that he was sorry about was the fact that he got caught. Do you still believe that we should be merciful?"

Jessica looked at the man again and she couldn't see a confident thief but instead a broken man. If she were in his shoes she didn't think that she would have done much different but she still had to be careful. She still didn't know how Lady O'Hare might react to her comments.

"I still think that we should be merciful," said Jessica who felt that she was doing the right thing.

"Very well," replied Lady O'Hare. She then looked over to the thief again. "Today is you're lucky day, normally I would have either taken your hand or your manhood but today you will lose neither. Instead you will work in one of the iron mines for thirty days without pay. If you turn out to be good at the work you might very well continue there with a paid salary. However if not then you will find yourself on the street again."

"Thank you my lady," said the Thief in response. He couldn't believe his luck as he knew that he had just been saved from losing a vital part of his body. It was much more of a relief to him.

"Don't thank me, thank my very tall friend sitting next to me. It is her mercy which has saved you for now but I must warn you. If I discover that you have been stealing again you will lose both your hand and your manhood. Now leave my sight before I change my mind and call for Sir Timothy."

The Thief bowed to say thank you as he was taken away by a couple of guards. Lady O'Hare gave a sigh as she could relax herself. She knew that when it came to dealing with her citizens she had to be stern and show that she was more than capable of judging as any man.

Due to the fact that she was a woman when she first came to power no one had really taken her that seriously. She had to prove that she was capable of being the head of a city like Featherstone. It had progressed steadily throughout the time of the O'Hares and if anything it was prospering more since she had become the Lady. However she did have one more additional weight on her shoulders. She was the last person to bore the O'Hare name and unless she married soon and could produce some heirs her family would go extinct and its legacy would extinguished.

"That was interesting now wasn't it?" asked Lady O'Hare as she turned her attentions back to Jessica. She was still sitting on her stool but she feared that it could collapse at any moment.

"It was my lady," replied Jessica who still remained respectful. "I'm glad that you showed that man mercy."

"It was your mercy that saved him not mine but now he knows that if he is caught again he will not be so lucky." She stood up from her seat and it was the only time when she was taller than her. "Please walk with me."

"As you wish."

Jessica also stood up from her stool and began to follow Lady O'Hare. They walked side by side but only a few steps behind them were a couple of guards. It had been decreed some time ago that she would always be protected by at least two guards at all times. They would stand outside of her bed chambers as she slept and would accompany her everywhere she went. The men guarding her would change once every few hours and quite a lot of time for them it was boring work. However it ensure that their lady was safe the guards would do practically anything.

Eventually they found themselves walking down one of the many hallways in the castle. On the walls Jessica could see various tapestries which depicted many members of the O'Hare family and also beautiful scenery. She had no idea where she was going but she still did as she was commanded.

"So tell me a little more about yourself Miss Snape," said Lady O'Hare who seemed to genuinely want to know. "A big girl like you must have an interesting story to tell." She smiled up at her and Jessica did feel a little safer.

"There isn't much to tell my lady," replied Jessica. It was funny to see them together as Lady O'Hare had said before that she made her look so small in comparison even though Lady O'Hare was a tall woman herself. "My family are farmers and until I came along nothing really interesting happened."

"Tell me how you got so tall? Whatever they're feeding you should be given to every dwarf in Angleland."

"When I was but a new born babe I was dying, eventually I was given an elixir that cured me of my condition but as a side effect it made me grow abnormally tall and I'm still growing." She didn't tell her about the fact that she could willingly make herself into a full blown giantess. At this moment in time she couldn't do it and for that reason she decided to keep that information to herself.

"Interesting, I might have accidentally taken a sip of that elixir myself but it might be because the O'Hares are known to be quite tall. It was said that my grandfather was six and a half feet tall even my own mother was around an inch shorter than I. However due to my height in the past I had a couple of wedding proposals from Lord Nostory down in the Summer Lands."

"Lord Nostory?" His name sent a shiver down her spine and the slightest hint of rage. She had to be careful not to accidentally increase her size. However her anxiety was detected by Lady O'Hare.

"Are you alright Miss Snape?"

"Y-yeah I'm fine." She took a couple of deep breaths and was able to calm herself down. The last thing she wanted to do was to grow out of her cast and make her injuries that much worse.

"Good, yeah he proposed to be a couple of times but both times I declined. He wanted me to go to him in July but my father told me that an O'Hare must always be in Featherstone so if I am to marry a man they would remain here. Plus there is the fact that any child I have will hold the O'Hare name no matter what the law said. They don't have to take the father's name, the mother's name is just as good if you ask me."

"If that is what you wish my lady."

"And what about your friend, I've seen how you looked at each other and that is something that goes far beyond friendship."

"He..." She couldn't think of what words to say next. She felt that the situation was complicated. Although they were friends again and all had been forgiven about their past deeds there was still some things that were up in the air. "He's a friend, we were almost more than that but something happened between us. One day we may be together again but right now we're just friends."

"I wouldn't wait around if I were you. No offense but you most likely don't have many men who are willing to marry someone of your stature. I know that most men don't like to be with maidens that they have to look up to. Besides Sir Tucker is quite a looker." She began to smile at Jessica. "If he were not of such a low birth I would consider making him my husband but alas it would have been something that wouldn't have gone down very well. If I were you I would marry him as soon as possible, a handsome man like that won't be single forever." She laughed but Jessica was a little nervous. She didn't really like what she was saying as they were hard truths.

"I will take your advice in accordance my lady." This was all that she could really say as she remembered to be respectful. If Lady O'Hare wanted to she could take Jessica's head before Sir Tucker returned and even then it wouldn't make a difference.

"Oh I forgot that you're hungry." To her it was like she had just remembered where she had left a set of keys. "Let's make our way to the kitchen so my cooks can cook you up something nice."

This sounded nice to Jessica and she continued to follow Lady O'Hare. The sound of food sounded pretty good to her and she could feel her stomach rumbling. She had noticed that she was eating more than she normally did and this was always bad news to her. It meant that she was likely having another growth spurt which was something that she really didn't want to think about. Life was difficult enough for her but growing any taller would only make her life that much more difficult. Unfortunately the elixir that had given her, her size was still in full effect.

Meanwhile the situation was very different for Sir Tucker and Sir Robert. They were face to face with a wolf who was much larger than they had expected. It could see them clearly in the dark and it seemed to have no fear of them at all. The two knights held their swords which gleamed in the torchlight. However they found themselves having to step back as the giant wolf stepped forward.

Sir Tucker didn't want to admit that he was scared. He had never seen such a creature before and this time he didn't have Jessica to defend him. He was on his own as he didn't think that he could rely too much on Sir Robert. Both men just looked at the wolf as it continued to walk towards them.

"What the hell is that?" asked Sir Tucker as he was desperate to get some answers from the older knight.

"I believe that is a great wolf," replied Sir Robert who like Sir Tucker was also quite scared with the situation. "I thought they were extinct."

"Apparently not." The wolf growled at them as it saw them as intruders that needed to be exterminated.

Suddenly it tried to slash Sir Tucker with its long claws but he was just able to raise his shield in time. If he had been any slower the claws might have been able to penetrate his light armour. However Sir Tucker didn't take any comfort in the knowledge that he had just saved himself.

Now the knights had to decide whether to stay and fight under the command of Lady O'Hare or to turn back and return without success. They knew that it meant that their honour would take a beating. However many men would prefer to lose some of their honour rather than their life. They saw the wolf continue to move towards them and this was when Sir Tucker did what he thought was best.

"Sir Robert get around behind it," said Sir Tucker as he was trying to think of a strategy. "It can't fight on two fronts."

Rather than responding with words Sir Robert made his way around the wolf but it was difficult since there wasn't too much room for him to move around. He also needed to be quick but unfortunately speed was something that had left his body many years ago. Despite this he still moved as fast as he could and the wolf saw him. It would have attacked the older knight but Sir Tucker launched a dummy attack to draw its attention. The wolf took the bait and tried to fend Sir Tucker off.

Thanks to the distraction Sir Robert was able to get behind the large wolf and slashed at its back leg. This caused the wolf to howl in pain and it turned its head towards him. Sir Tucker then ran towards the wolf and stabbed it right in the eye. The wolf cried out for the last time as Juggernaut had gone deep into its skull and it fell on the ground. It remained motionless and both knights began to take deep breaths.

"I guess they're back to being extinct," said Sir Tucker. He was still taking deep breaths as he was regaining his composure. "A shame to kill such a beast but it didn't really leave us that much of a choice."

"We could take this back with us as a trophy but I doubt we have the combined strength to pull off such a feat," replied Sir Robert. He had done his job but he still wanted to make his lady happy.

"I think we can still bring back the head." He knew that if Jessica had of been there she would have been upset with killing it, especially due to the fact that it was possibly the last of its kind. But he doubted that he and Sir Robert would have likely been killed. "Lady O'Hare can have it stuff and mounted if she likes."

"Indeed and if you wouldn't mind, I'll do the honours."

Sir Tucker didn't really want to do the deed himself so he was more than happy to watch Sir Robert do it instead. However before the older knight could cut off the head they began to hear more noises. They soon saw another set of large eyes in front of them and when Sir Tucker turned around he saw that there was another set behind them. It was his worst nightmare as both their escapes had been blocked off.

Both knights had hoped that there had only been one but unfortunately there were more than one of these Great Wolves and neither of them were happy to see them. The knights had killed a member of their pack and now they wanted revenge. It only made the situation that much more terrifying for them.

"I hope you have some kind of plan young sir," said Sir Robert as he couldn't see anyway out for either of them.

"I have an idea but most likely we won't survive," replied Sir Tucker. He laughed nervously for a few moments. "Unless of course you have a plan."

"I've got nothing, I guess the only thing to do is to go out in a blaze of glory and with our honour intact."

"Don't count us out just yet." He was still trying to think of a way out but unfortunately their options were extremely limited. The two Great Wolves were creeping closer towards them and time had more or less ran out for them.

"If we don't make it out it has been an honour fighting besides you no matter how brief our time together has been."

It was the first Great Wolf who made the first move by attempting to slash at Sir Robert. It struck its mark but the older knight was wearing heavy armour and this allowed him to withstand the slash. There was an ear wrenching sound as the claws came into contact with the metal and scrapped along. The armour wasn't undamaged as the claw marks were there for all to see. If the wolf struck in the same spot again it would most likely crack through the armour to the unguarded flesh below. A blow like that would more than certain kill the older knight before he could see a healer.

There was one opening that Sir Tucker did notice but it seemed to be a difficult one to get through. He could see a space between the legs of the Great Wolves and there was already a lot of risk with his idea. However with how the situation was deteriorating he needed to try something soon.

"How agile are you old man?" asked Sir Tucker. He didn't even turn to look at the old man as he stayed focused on the wolf ahead of him.

"I'm still as agile as the next man," replied Sir Robert who still focused on the wolf ahead of him.

"Good then follow my lead."

With that Sir Tucker ran forward and dived under the legs of the Great Wolf. He was able to catch the wolf by surprise and only a second later Sir Robert was behind him. Both knights were able to get through the legs of the wolf before it had even had a chance to react. Both knights quickly got back up to their feet but rather than fighting on they knew that they needed to retreat and quickly. The task was too much for the pair to handle and they needed reinforcements.

Both knights ran as quickly as they legs could carry them towards the exit of the mine. They had dropped the torch during the escape so now they were running in darkness but they just hoped that they didn't trip up on anything. They could hear the wolves right behind them and if they fell back they would certainly be killed. Sir Robert was still moving quickly even for his age and if Sir Tucker could see him he would be impressed. Even though he was wearing heavy armour he was still keeping up with the younger night.

After a few heart pounding moments both knights could see daylight ahead of them. They felt that they were close to victory but suddenly Sir Robert tripped over a large rock that had been concealed in the darkness.

Sir Tucker turned to look at the older knight but before he could do anything to help he saw Sir Robert be driven back into the darkness and he began to scream in agony. The fear over swept Sir Tucker as he soon heard cracking noises that was the breaking of bones and Sir Robert's cries of pain suddenly and eerily ceased.

Sir Tucker could only continue on as fast as his legs could carry him towards what he hoped to be the safety of sunlight. He didn't look back as he ran and within seconds he was out of the mine but instead of stopping he continued to run back towards Featherstone. He didn't want to report failure back to Lady O'Hare. He didn't know how she would react, especially with the additional fact that she had just lost one of her most loyal knights.

One thing that Sir Tucker did consider was leaving and not going back to Featherstone but he refused to leave Jessica behind. No matter what he would have to return and face the music, he could only hope that Lady O'Hare showed him mercy. He prayed to the gods but there was one particular demi-goddess who was listening.

Oblivious to what had just happened Lady O'Hare along with Jessica had reached the kitchen. The taller of the two women could smell the food that was being prepared there and it only made her feel hungrier. It hadn't been too long since she last ate but right now it felt like it had been a week.

The inside of the kitchen had a couple of members of staff who were preparing dinner for all those in the castle. This not just include Lady O'Hare but the rest of her knights as well and any other servants that she had. They were all very well fed and none of them could ever say that they went through their work hungry.

The staff in the kitchen at first didn't notice the two women enter but it wasn't until one briefly looked behind them and saw her. They both realised that she was there and quickly turned to her. They both gave her a little bow to show respect to her but they were surprised to see Jessica whose head was only inches away from the ceiling. They would have stared in amazement but instead their attention was squarely on Lady O'Hare as they waited for her command.

"My Lady," said the cook. She was a relatively short fat woman who Jessica thought probably ate more than she cooked. "Is there something that you require?" She remained respectful throughout.

"Yes as you can see my very tall friend here is hungry so would you be so kind as to cook her up something quickly?" replied Lady O'Hare in a pleasant manner. "Nothing too fancy please."

"As you wish." She then looked up and up to Jessica who felt even taller in comparison to the short woman. "Is there anything you had in mind?"

"No anything will do really," replied Jessica in a relatively quiet voice. The truth was that she would eat more or less anything within reason.

Jessica only had to wait a few minutes before the cook was able to make some soup for her. She sat down at a large nearby table and began to eat it. The soup was nice and warm and with each mouthful she took she could tell that it was a vegetable soup. Also she didn't have to worry about using both her hands to eat it. Only her right hand was needed as she continued to eat.

The bowl was only of normal size so it didn't take too long for her to finish it off and she was almost too embarrassed to ask for more. One thing that she hadn't noticed was that Lady O'Hare had left as she had been told that she needed another audience. For the moment she hadn't been told who was coming or what it was about. All she knew was that it was of some importance.

When Lady O'Hare eventually reached her seat there was a man already standing there awaiting her. He was wearing clothing that was made her see that he was a rich man, his clothing was worth more than a peasant's house. He also had a gold ring on each of his fingers and a large gold necklace around his neck. Each time he moved the necklace would swing and make a rattling sound. She found it a wonder that he was even able to keep his head up.

The man was quite handsome with coloured skin and short black hair. He would seem to be a decent catch for any woman Lady O'Hare didn't seem to be very satisfied. He had a flashy appearance but to her it would mean more if he wanted to make her his wife. She did have a thing for not wanting to marry a man who wore more gold than her.

"Greetings my Lady," said the Man. He bowed to her as he showed her his respect towards her. "I have come a very long way to speak with you today."

"I'm touched but I don't think you made that journey just to tell me that," replied Lady O'Hare. She remained in her seat and she stared at him, she didn't know who he was so for now she was willing to listen to him.

"Indeed you are right." He stood back up to his full height and looked over to her. "I am here to represent Lord Nostory, he has admired you from afar and wishes to make you his bride."

"As I already told him in my messages that I'm not interested. A simple message through raven would have been suffice."

"This time however he thought that you would appreciate it more if he sent someone in person instead. That is where I come in my Lady, he has sent me all this way purely to ask for your hand in marriage. He has also instructed me to give you a gift that he hoped would woo you." Near the back of the room was another man who wore more common clothing. After a clicking of the fingers the man approached with a small box. He opened it up right in front of Lady O'Hare. She could see what seemed to be silver ring with a fairly large jewel on its centrepiece. "This is a gift to you my dear."

"A silver ring?" She didn't seem to be all that impressed with it and she even considered throwing it back in his face.

"No my Lady the ring is made out of platinum, the rarest and most valuable metal in all the world. Lord Nostory presents it to you as a gift and he hopes that now you will consider his proposal."

"A flattering gift I must say." She took the box from the hand of the servant who then began to back away. "Go back to your Lord and tell him that I will consider his proposal. I will send a raven when I have made my decision."

"Thank you my lady and with that I shall return to July and inform Lord Nostory at once." He then bowed once more to Lady O'Hare before standing back up and confidently walking out of the door.

With the messenger gone Lady O'Hare gave out a sigh before trying the ring on. She was surprised to find that it fitted her long slender finger perfectly. She thought that it looked nice and as she took a closer look at it she began to tell that it wasn't silver. It was more of a paler colour and platinum seemed to be the most reasonable guess. She thought that it looked very pretty and she couldn't imagine how much it was worth.

Suddenly the door at the end of the hall swung open and Lady O'Hare saw Sir Tucker approaching. He had been disarmed before he had entered but she could see that there was something wrong. It was at that moment that Jessica also entered the hall from the kitchen and she was surprised to see him. However from the way that he looked and how he was walking she could tell that there was something wrong.

Quickly Jessica rushed to his side and she could see what seemed to be a small amount of blood on his back and she began to fear the worse. However she could see that he was uninjured but still relatively muddy. He didn't mutter a word before he came before Lady O'Hare. She took her focus off of her ring and actually looked at him as he approached her, she could see that he was out of breath as if he had just run the entire distance from the mine back to castle.

"Ah Sir Tucker I expect that your task was a success," said Lady O'Hare who expected to hear good news.

"No my lady," replied Sir Tucker who went down to one knee. He felt ashamed to be back but he knew that he had no other choice. "The task was too great for me to complete, the wolves still inhabit the mine."

"That is very disappointing and where is Sir Robert?"

"Dead I'm afraid my lady." He could see a streak of anger flush through her face and he began to think that he shouldn't have returned. "The mine is not occupied by normal wolves but great wolves. Sir Robert and I were able to take down one of them but we were ambushed by more. I was just able to escape with my life but Sir Robert was not so fortunate. I came here straight away to report back to you." He remained in silence as he looked at Lady O'Hare, he had no idea what she was going to do but he could see some rage bubbling under her skin. He began to think that he was going to be severely punished for failing the task and for the death of Sir Robert.

"Sir Robert was one of my oldest and most loyal friends," said Lady O'Hare. "If what you're saying is true then you were both over your heads, however if you're lying to me then you will suffer my full fury. Until that can be determined you are here by confined to a small house just outside of the castle. You will be able to do practically anything you want there except leave. If you are indeed telling me the truth then you will be released soon. However if you're lying to me your head will be on a spike outside of the castle." She then nodded to a couple of the guards who grabbed Sir Tucker by the arms. "Take him away and send a team to the mine immediately. I want to know exactly what's going on and how Sir Robert died, have Sir Laurence on standby."

"Please have mercy my Lady," asked Jessica who felt that an injustice was taking place. She completely believed Sir Tucker's story and she thought that he was being punished for no good reason.

"Believe me my very tall friend I am being merciful. Many other Lords would have taken his head off right now but I first want the truth before taking any action. You on the other hand will remain here by my side. Like your friend you are to remain in the castle until the truth can be determined. Either way you will be leaving here afterwards but whether it is with or without your friend is yet to be determined."

Sir Tucker was taken away and he didn't really fight it. He had been telling the truth and he thought that his innocence would be proved very soon. The only thing that made him sad was the fact that he was being split from Jessica once again and he could see that it was hurting her more than it was hurting him.

However rather than outright thinking that Sir Tucker was lying Lady O'Hare was still cautious. Rather than sending a small group to investigate the mine she thought that it was best to send a much larger group. If the mine had been taken over by Great Wolves then that would mean trouble for herself. Like others before her she had thought that they had died out but it seems that it wasn't the case.

Lady O'Hare also instructed that there had to be guards outside of the house where Sir Tucker was being held at all times. There would also be a couple of guards around Jessica while she was at the castle. At this moment in time she was more or less a glorified hostage in a situation that she hadn't imagined that she would get herself in. However she wasn't in any immediate danger unless she tried something foolish.

A couple of minutes later Sir Tucker was taken to the house where he would be kept for a short amount of time. It was a single storey house with one large room that had a bed, a small kitchen and a sitting area but little else. It was obvious to him that he had not been the only one who had stayed there. Numerous others had over the years but to Sir Tucker their fates were unknown. Some had been let go when they were determined to be innocent but he feared that many of them had met with the chopping block after they had left there. This thought sent a shiver down his spine.

All Sir Tucker could do was sit down on one of the chairs and wait to see what happened. He knew that he was innocent but he had a feeling that things might not go his way and he would be dubbed a liar. Normally it wouldn't be too much of a problem but since it would involve him losing his head he seriously hoped that things would work out his way which had happened over the course of the quest.

One thing Sir Tucker could normally count on was Jessica rescuing him if he got into really big trouble. However with her cast on her arm she couldn't grow so it meant that she couldn't rescue him in the traditional manner. However he did think that she would grow if his life depended on it. He really hoped that it wouldn't come to that but he could see it happening at some point.

One thing that was pretty annoying for Sir Tucker was the fact that there was no source of entertainment for him. He would be very bored while he was staying there and he could see that it was like he was in a prison cell again. He thought that this was definitely better than the cell that he was placed in while he was at July.

Inside the castle Jessica was very nervous about everything that had happened. She wanted her best friend to be safe but she felt useless. Her cast was now annoying her more than ever as she just wanted to grow and break him out. However this might cause more harm than good so for now she had no choice but to play along so to speak.

Jessica remained seated by the side of Lady O'Hare's seat as she had to judge on another matter. This time however rather than dealing with a thief she was having to deal with two farmers over a land dispute. There was a small patch of land between their properties that each declared to belong to them. The ground itself was not the best and almost useless for actual farm work but it seemed to be the principle of the matter that the farmers were arguing about.

Each farmer claimed that they owned that land and would be able to do what they pleased with it. Lady O'Hare reminded them that she was the one who actually owned all the land in Featherstone and the surrounding area. For their ignorance she didn't award either of them the land and instead commissioned it to be a garden that she could visit whenever she pleased.

Both farmers were a little unhappy with the settlement but since the other wouldn't be getting the land either they were at least happy about that. Lady O'Hare didn't particularly like dealing with that dispute, one reason why she decided to give the land to herself was because the farmers had been quite rude to her. If they had been nicer she might have been swung to award one over the other.

Jessica remained where she was sitting and hadn't muttered a single word throughout the entire hearing. She didn't think that she could say anything on the matter that would have made that much of a difference. She thought that if she stayed quiet not many people would really take notice of her.

Lady O'Hare was just about to take a break and have something to eat but before she could she was told that there was another hearing that she needed to attend. When she had become the Lady of Featherstone she had promised her citizens that if they needed to have an audience with her she would fulfil their request.

This time however she saw a little old woman entering the hall. She walked slowly and looked to be in her eighties at least. Her clothing looked ripped as if she had been wearing them for countless years. Slowly she moved towards Lady O'Hare and despite her age was still able to bow to her unaided.

"Greetings my lady," said the old woman. "Thank you for allowing me to speak with you." Her voice sounded cackled and it was like she was struggling to speak.

"As a citizen of Featherstone I have more than enough time to hear your problems," replied Lady O'Hare. "Now tell me why you have come to me this day."

"My late husband wished for me to come to you upon his death. Unfortunately for myself he died a short time ago and has instructed me to come and see you. He knew your Lord Grandfather many years ago and he wished me to bring this to you." She went into her pocket and picked out what seemed to be a small piece of cloth. She opened it up and revealed a beautiful gold ring. "Your Lord Grandfather gave it to my husband and now upon his death I return it to you, just as he wished."

"Thank you very much." She took the ring out of the old woman's hand and took a look at it. The ring was very well made and it was obvious that it was worth a lot of money. "I will treasure it. I suppose you wish for a reward for this."

"That is not necessary my Lady. I was only returning to you what rightfully belonged to you." She bowed and even Lady O'Hare was surprised that the old woman had returned the ring but had wanted nothing in return.

"But your kind deed will not go unrewarded. My coin master will give you sufficient amount of gold for your trouble and honesty."

"If that is what the lady wishes then so be it."

She bowed once again to Lady O'Hare before being led away by a few of the guards. Lady O'Hare didn't expect to receive two rings like this and although the platinum one was worth more the gold one was the one that she favoured. It belonged to her family and although she didn't know why her grandfather would give it away she was happy to see it retuned to where she felt it should be.

Jessica remained where she sat but she looked over to Lady O'Hare. A part of her was scared to talk to her but she had done nothing threatening so far. However this might all change soon, she had already sent a search party to the mine in hopes of discovering the truth. They were now just waiting for the party to return.

"My Lady may I ask a question?" asked Jessica who had a lot of caution in her voice as she spoke.

"Yes what is it?" replied Lady O'Hare who turned on her chair to look at Jessica. Once again her expression and tone of voice didn't make her seem threatening. "Is it about your friend?"

"Yes it is my Lady. I would like to ask why you decided to lock him up? I swear to you he is telling the truth."

"You might know him maiden but I don't. If I were to believe everyone who came in here I would think that money grew on trees and people could breathe under water." Jessica could see sense in her words. "The truth of the matter is until I get to the bottom of what happened I can't determine my next course of action yet. To tell you the truth I do hope that your friend is lying."

"Why would you hope for that?" She was completely taken by surprise with Lady O'Hare's comment. She couldn't think of why anyone would want to go through with that unless they were bloodthirsty.

"It is simple really, if your friend is lying to me it is just a simple case of my executioner taking off his head and the matter is done with. If he is telling the truth however that means that I have a bigger problem to deal with. As you can imagine I would prefer to have a smaller problem rather than a bigger one but of course I cannot execute your friend if what he says is true. If you are so confident that he is telling the truth then you and he have nothing to worry about."

"But for argument sake if he was lying could you spare his life? He means a great deal to me and I don't want to see him killed."

"I'm afraid not, if he is lying it means that he murdered one of my most loyal knights and then lied about it right to my face. Such an act only has one punishment, anything less would make me look weak in front of my citizens. If they think that they can get away with murder like that then anarchy might break out in Featherstone. No, my family have spent too long maintaining order in this city."

"What would happen to me if he is found guilty?"

"You will be let go and you can go back to where ever you came from. Although I wouldn't permit your presence in this city ever again. I would even allow you to take your friend's body home for a decent burial but that is all that concerns me in the matter. Does that sound fair to you?"

"Y-yes it does." She really didn't know what to say as she could see that she couldn't save Sir Tucker like she would have wanted. This was one of the times that she wished that they had just stayed in Morgan and forgotten about this whole quest. She knew that they would have been a lot safer but what they had experienced was nothing short of breath taking. Of course there had been lows during the quest but there had been unquestionable highs to go along with it. "I will pray to the gods that the truth will be unearthed and my friend can go free."

"We'll see what happens."

By then it was beginning to get late and Lady O'Hare was tired. She was prepared to have her supper and then retire to her bedchambers. Jessica was permitted to have some supper as well and she would be sleeping in her own room. Guards would be posted outside of her door so that she couldn't escape. She couldn't forget that she was technically a prisoner in the castle, it was a much nicer prison than most people had experienced but a prison nonetheless. She could never forget that.

Inside his own glorified prison Sir Tucker was lying down on the bed and looking up at the ceiling. He had taken his armour off and he was bored, there wasn't much for him to do besides just staying there and getting some rest. He thought that it would have been better if there had been someone there for him to talk to. Unfortunately this wasn't the case and he was forced to wait there until he was either found to be telling the truth or actually lying. He knew what the truth was but he hoped that Lady O'Hare would discover this soon enough. If not his life was at an end.

One thing that Sir Tucker could be thankful for was the fact that he was being fed. He wasn't given the usual slop that prisoners would have but instead a dish that even he could call a decent meal. This told him that he wasn't like other prisoners and it did give him some hope for his freedom. Right now he had eaten his fill and was just waiting until he could be released.

"What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" asked an eerily familiar voice. Sir Tucker quickly sat up and he could see Gwen standing there. Suddenly he began to feel that the situation was going to take a sharp and sudden turn to the worse. He didn't know just what was going to happen.

"H-How did you get in here?" replied Sir Tucker with much surprise and some fear in his voice. It seemed that whenever Gwen popped up something terrible would happen to him or Jessica.

"Hello Mistress of Size here." She crossed her arms and smiled. "Do you really think that a wooden door and two guards can stop me from getting inside?" She took a few steps towards the bed and sat down next to Sir Tucker.

"What do you want? Are you here to try and take advantage of me or try to use me for some kind of desire for you?" He could only imagine what kind of plan she had in mind for him tonight."

"Most of the time I'd say you're right. But not this time. Instead I just want to talk." Her voice was very non-threatening and this caught Sir Tucker by surprise more than anything else.

"Wait you just want to talk?" To him this statement was almost as alien as a mole growing wings and flying through the air.

"Sure, of course I want to have sex and see mortals clamber over themselves to impress me but this time I just want to talk and nothing more. You have my word."

"Last time you promised me something you went back on it." That memory was still fresh in his mind. It almost got Jessica executed for a crime she didn't commit.

"You can trust me or not but you're still stuck in here whether you like it or not." By then she was sitting on the bed right next to him. He was a little uncomfortable sitting next to her but so far she hadn't done anything threatening. "So you and your friend have made up now, how quaint."

"You're the reason why it happened in the first place." There was still a small amount of anger in his voice but he had to be careful. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her angry.

"I would tell you that I'm sorry but you both know that I'd be lying. Besides you have to admit that you enjoyed it. I don't think your lady friend had ever gone that far with you before." Her smugness was really brushing on Sir Tucker but he made sure to keep his emotions in check. "But of course you can't see her since you're stuck in here and I'm actually not to blame this time." She chuckled a little. "You have to find that at least a little fun."

"I seemed to have lost my sense of humour."

"Oh don't be like that." She put her arms around him but it wasn't a loving embrace but really just so she could get closer. "Maybe there's something I can do to cheer you up. We can even go another round if you want."

"No that is the last thing I want." He only just realised what he had done when he refused her. He remembered how quick Gwen was to anger but somewhat to his surprise she remained placid.

"So why are you even here anyway?" She had seen everything that had taken place but she wanted to pretend that she hadn't. She wanted to hear from him before she made her next move Sir Tucker began to explain what happened and his words were completely true. After he finished he waited for Gwen to say something. He had humoured her in an attempt to keep her from harming him. "So that's the whole story then? This Lady O'Hare sounds like quite a handful." She then licked her lips.

"Yeah she's very stern but fair as well. She does have Jessica with her but I don't think that she would harm her."

"I don't think any mortal could really harm Jessica. But I think I might just pay this Lady O'Hare a visit." She quickly got up to her feet and began to walk towards the door. Sir Tucker quickly stood up and realised what was happening.

"Wait what are you doing?" He was more surprised than anything else as he had no idea just what Gwen was up to.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough." She didn't look at him as she continued to walk towards the door.

Before Sir Tucker could say another word Gwen had begun to shrink herself until she was small enough to fit under the door. Sir Tucker couldn't do anything and in the end all he could do was sit down on the bed and wait for Gwen to return. He could only imagine what she was going to do.

Gwen continued to walk and when she had gotten under the door she could see the guards outside. She did increase her size a little but in the darkness they couldn't really see her, especially since she was only a couple of inches tall. It was only after she had gotten herself inside the castle did she finally grow to around six feet in height.

She had once visited this castle shortly after it was built but a few things had changed over the centuries. Despite all that time she still remembered it quite clearly and she began to walk through. It was completely dark but she could still easily see where she was going and she headed straight towards the chambers of Lady O'Hare.

Gwen could remember where the master bedroom was in the castle and she figured that was where Lady O'Hare was staying. She did consider looking for Jessica but she didn't really think it was worth her time. She did see her as a mortal who was trying to imitate her in a way and she was somewhat flattered by this. However she wasn't going out of her way to find her.

After a couple of minutes Gwen found herself outside of the bedroom of Lady O'Hare but there had been two guards there. Both of them had tried to stop her with no success whatsoever. She had grown to around eight feet and through one of the guards across the hallway. The second guard had tried to attack her with his sword but it shattered when it came into contact with her. This greatly annoyed her more than anything else as she found it unforgivable for a mortal to try and attack her. She grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off of his feet. Before he could say another word she slightly flicked her wrist and this caused the guard's neck to snap like a twig. She then allowed his lifeless body to drop down on the floor and she looked at him with disgust.

With the guards taken care of Gwen shrank herself down to around five and a half feet before opening the door and walking into the bedchamber. There she saw that the room was still lit by candles and she saw Lady O'Hare sitting down at a small desk which had some of her beauty items. She had been brushing her long red hair and she turned quite slowly to look at Gwen.

There was one thing that Gwen did notice and that was the fact Lady O'Hare remained calm and didn't even look surprised by what was happening. She remained exactly where she was as Gwen stepped inside.

"You seem strangely calm," said Gwen as she crossed her arms. "I was expecting you to begin to call your guards."

"I could do but we both know that is pointless," replied Lady O'Hare who remained exactly where she was seated.

"Then you know who I am?" This caught Gwen somewhat by surprise as most times she met a mortal they wouldn't know who she was.

"Of course I do. I was told by my father of how the founder of our house was a very short man and you made him grow until he was six and a half feet tall. It was supposed to be where my family gets its tallness from."

"Indeed it is but I am surprised that you even recognise me."

"There is a tapestry with your face on it and I have heard stories about you all my life. To tell you the truth I was expecting someone taller."

"Oh that's not a problem." As she spoke she began to grow until her head was pushing against the ceiling. This made her over eight foot in height and even with this growth spurt Lady O'Hare remained calm. "Is this more of what you were expecting?"

"You could say that." It was only then that she stood up, she could see that Gwen was taller than Jessica but still she remained calm. "Now would you tell me why you have decided to come here?"
"Do I really need to answer that? I go where I want and when I want. But I'm guessing that you want a better explanation than that."

"That would be nice and I suspect that you killed the guards who were stationed outside of my room."

"One I know is dead for sure, the other could be but I never checked." She spoke as if it wasn't that big of a deal. She had murdered someone and she played it off if she had done something as simple as walking out of a room.

"Then you can at least tell me why you're here." She was angry by what had happened but she couldn't seem too upset as she knew that it wouldn't make her situation any better for her.

"I just really came here for fun. I was beginning to hear a lot about you and at first I thought it was your ancestor but then I remembered that you mortals can't live that long. Information like that sometimes slips my mind." She giggled as if it was a fact that could be easily forgotten. "Anyway I just wanted to see if you were really all that or just an upstart. I thought you were the kind of girl who ruled over this town like some kind of goddess, just like me." She did shrink herself slightly so that she was a little more comfortable. However she still towered above the tall Lady O'Hare.

"I am no goddess, I am just trying to govern my city to the best of my abilities and ensure that my citizens have a decent quality of life. It is what most lords strive to be during their reign."

"Come on if you wanted to you could command all of these people to worship you and build shrines to you."

"I could but then the gods would be angry at me. I might have a statue built of myself sometime in the future but right now there are more important things that my taxes go to." She was still having to look up at Gwen and she began to get a neck strain. She had been looking up at Jessica most of the day and now that she was having to do it again was an annoyance to her.

"How boring and besides the gods wouldn't give a flying fuck. They have more important things to worry about then some mortal trying to be a goddess. Believe me you wouldn't be the first but I've never seen the gods give a shit about it. If anything they have a good laugh about it."

"But still I know that I'm no goddess, just a lady who is trying to do her best for her people. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I would find that acceptable but there is something that I'm wondering. Why haven't you had sex yet?"

"That is a very personal question." There was the slightest hint of anger in her voice but once again she kept herself composed. "If you must know I plan to have sex when I marry and right now I have no plans of getting married."

"In that case I can be your first." There was a small reaction from Lady O'Hare and Gwen shrank herself down until they were at eye level with one another. "Don't tell you've never thought about it. It's not because you haven't found the right man yet, it's because you don't like men in general do you?"

"N-not in the way that my father would have approved of." The truth of the matter was that she had always liked women. Even when she was younger she had started a relationship with one of the maids at the castle that were around her age. Unfortunately her Lord Father discovered the relationship and was able to end it before he felt that it had gone too far. The maid in question was removed from the castle and Lord O'Hare attempted to find a husband for his wayward daughter with no luck. He had died before he could discover a suitable match.

"See, I can do you a deal if you want, you and I can have our little moment tonight and in exchange I can give you something to make it worthwhile." She had an idea of what it could be and it was something that she thought would be fun for Lady O'Hare. "I have a few ideas what you might want."

"Like what exactly?"

"You could be fed up of being a tall girl so I could shrink you down to average, or maybe you want to be even taller. There's a mortal girl who I've given a never ending growth spurt, she might still be short now but give it a while and you'll see just how tall she'll become. Or maybe you want bigger breasts, anything like that I could do for you. Or perhaps it is longer legs that you wish."

"I can come up with something but I prefer to tell you after the deed is done. Do we have a deal?"

"Oh sure we do." Gwen was more than happy for this, she didn't know what Lady O'Hare actually wanted but she felt that she could wait for it. "But I do have something fun in mind for us."

With that Gwen placed her hand on Lady O'Hare's shoulder and quickly the tall girl began to shrink. The clothes that she was wearing began to fall off of her body as she continued to shrink smaller and smaller. Eventually Lady O'Hare was picked up by Gwen as she still shrank and the world around her seemed to be gigantic. Lady O'Hare would have been lying if she said that she wasn't scared.

After a few seconds Lady O'Hare was only two inches tall and standing on the palm of Gwen's hand. Gwen now seemed to be a towering giantess in comparison to the tiny woman. However Lady O'Hare didn't seem to be too impressed with what was happening and she looked up at her.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Lady O'Hare. Despite her anger she made sure that she didn't sound too displeased or else Gwen just might decide to shrink her down to nothingness. She had heard that Gwen had done such an act before and wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

"Oh this, it's just a little something to make things more interested. You should be happy, you'll be the first human to explore my nether-regions. You should be happy, but right now I just need to get myself ready."

This was simple for Gwen who simply undid her toga and allowed it to fall to the ground. She then climbed onto the master bed and lay down on her back. She then placed the still tiny Lady O'Hare right in front of her vagina. To the tiny woman it looked like a giant cave that was waiting to be explored.

Lady O'Hare felt Gwen's finger begin to push her slightly and the politically powerful woman began to climb inside Gwen's vagina. It felt warm but as she climbed inside she saw that it was quite dark. It was hard for her to see where she was going as she continued to crawl further and further inside. Eventually her entire body was inside of Gwen's vagina but she had no sense of direction.

Suddenly the inside of Gwen's vagina began to light up which seemed to be convenient for Lady O'Hare as she continued to crawl through. She could hear the giant woman groaning in pleasure. This place seemed alien to Lady O'Hare however as she continued her trip, she could feel the warmth all around her.

One thing that Lady O'Hare had wanted was to be inside another woman's vagina but this wasn't exactly what she had in mind. However she couldn't help but feel turned on as she continued her trip. She was still doing something that no other human had ever done but Gwen was feeling wave after wave of pleasure. She might have been a demi-goddess but even she was struggling to keep herself composed.

Eventually Lady O'Hare reached Gwen's womb and she found it hard to believe that a demi-goddess who even have such a thing. It just made her see that she indeed was capable of having children. However it now seemed that it was Lady O'Hare who was the one who was like a child being carried in the womb by her mother.

Gwen could feel wave after wave of pleasure overtake her as she could feel the tiny Lady O'Hare moving around inside of her. It almost made her feel giddy as she curled up her toes and allowed the pleasure to wave through her body continuously. She forgot almost everything else and focused purely on the pleasure that she was experiencing.

Lady O'Hare wasn't really feeling that much pleasure as she was inside Gwen's womb. It was definitely an experience but she wasn't feeling the same kind of pleasure that the demi-goddess was. She had expected to be able to hear or feel some kind of heartbeat while inside of Gwen but she didn't feel anything. It was almost like the demi-goddess didn't even have a heart.

Suddenly Lady O'Hare began to feel an odd sensation through her body. For a few moments she didn't know what it was but moments later she discovered that she was growing. Very soon her head was pushing against the Gwen's flesh and she tried to make her way out through the way that she came in but she was already too big to get through. She was trapped inside of the womb.

Lady O'Hare's size increased rapidly and before long she was had completely filled the womb and she continued to grow. Her body began to press upwards and it was causing Gwen's belly to expand as if she were pregnant. At first the demi-goddess didn't really notice but before long it looked as if she were carrying a baby that was close to being born. However this wasn't Lady O'Hare's full size so thus she continued to grow rapidly. It seemed like nothing would stop it.

Gwen's belly continued to expand as Lady O'Hare continued to grow inside of her. It was very uncomfortable for the Lady as her body continued to grow. She was in a foetal position just so she took up all the space that she could. However she was still growing and she would have thought that Gwen's belly would have exploded by now. Instead it stood firm and just continued to stretch as Lady O'Hare continued to grow.

"Wow that was amazing," said Gwen. She gave a sigh as she felt that she was satisfied. "I hope that it was as enjoyable for you as it was for me." She looked over to her belly and she saw how expanded it was. This had caught her by surprise but by then Lady O'Hare had stopped growing and was now back to her normal size. It looked funny to see such a large belly and Gwen even began to laugh at herself. "Oh silly me I got carried away again. Are you still alive in there?"

"Yes I am," replied Lady O'Hare in what seemed to be a muffled voice. There was also some panic in her voice as she didn't know what was going to happen to her. "Get me out of here!"

"I suppose I should, even a demi-goddess has to think about their figure." She knew that this wasn't anything she needed to worry about since she could control every aspect of her body's size meaning she could be literally any figure that she wanted.

Rather than shrinking Lady O'Hare Gwen instead began to expand her birth canal. To the woman inside of the womb it was an amazing sight to see as Gwen's once small birth canal grew right in front of her.

As it grew Lady O'Hare began to move through it as it continued to expand. She didn't care that it was a tight squeeze. All she wanted to do was to get out as soon as she could. Such an experience was remarkable but also one that she wanted to end quickly. She felt very claustrophobic and just wanted to be in fresh air as soon as she could.

Eventually the birth canal was large enough for Lady O'Hare to crawl though easily and before long she found herself back on her bed after successfully crawling out. She began to take deep breaths as Gwen sat up from the bed and smiled at her. There was Gwen's liquids on Lady O'Hare's body and she could feel the warmth from them. Words couldn't describe how glad she was to be out of there.

"Now that was fun," said Gwen. She was even shrinking her vagina back to its normal size. "I've been inside other people like that but that's the first I've ever had something inside of me. Did you want to do it again because if you are I certainly am?" There was a smile on her face as she was still coming down from the high that she was experiencing. She knew it was something that she would never feel in the plain of the Gods.

"No thank you, one time is enough," replied Lady O'Hare who had gotten back up to her feet. She needed to be bathed before she could even consider going back to bed. "And I really hope that you're done now."

"For now I am." She would have wanted to go again but she had been satisfied for now. She had her eyes on another prize which she was saving for last.

"And why did you expand me while I was inside of you?" She was annoyed by this although she didn't show it.

"I'm sorry when I really get in the mood like that I can sometimes let myself get carried away." She acted as if it was no big deal although on more than one occasion it had led to the death of a person. "But now I suppose I should take my leave, you're a very busy woman and even you need your sleep."

Gwen stood up off the bed and went to walk out of the room. Before she could she felt a hand on her arm however rather than it being a firm grab it felt a lot gentler. She turned and saw Lady O'Hare who was using one of her sheets to cover up her nudity. She was nervous as she didn't know how Gwen would react.

"Wait you said that you would fulfil a request for me," said Lady O'Hare who didn't want to go through an experience like she had just felt without some kind of reward. "You made me a promise."

"That I did," replied Gwen who was surprisingly willing to listen. "Now tell me what it is before I change my mind." Rather than speaking outright Lady O'Hare whispered something inside of Gwen's ear. She listened and then looked surprised at her. "Is that what you really want?"

"Yes it is if you would be so kind."

"Very well." She took a couple of steps back and began to concentrate. Lady O'Hare could only watch as Gwen's eyes began to glow and the glow was transferring into her hands. Then it looked as if her skin was stretching from the palm of her hands. They went up by a couple of inches and they seemed to be forming into the shape of small bottles. There were four of these shapes on her hands and the skin broke away from them revealing four glass bottles of different colour. Each one was a different colour and contained a liquid inside of them. "There we go, just as you wanted and the effects will only last a full day. Plus they are now fused with the slightest fraction of my power. Because of this when the bottles empty they will refill by themselves so you have an unlimited amount of them."

"Thank you very much." She took the bottles out of Gwen's hands and it took a small amount of force to remove them from Gwen's skin and she looked at them. "But which one is which?"

"I thought that it would be more fun for you to find out for yourself. Now I bid you farewell and maybe one day I just might return."

Lady O'Hare didn't say another word as Gwen walked away. The demi-goddess walked passed the lifeless body of the guard that she had killed and she could see the other beginning to move around. She was surprised to see that he had survived and rather than bothering to check whether he was alright she just kept walking on.

Eventually Gwen found herself outside of the castle again and she began to shrink herself down as she approached the house that Sir Tucker was being held in. She shrank to the point that she could slip under the door undetected. She then casually walked inside and grew again until she was around five and a half feet tall.

Sir Tucker was still sitting exactly where he had when she had left and he was surprised to see her return. He did notice her enter and he had purposely stayed up since he didn't want to be asleep when she returned. He had no idea what she would have done but the truth was there wasn't much he could have done to stop her.

"You're back," said Sir Tucker. He tried to sound pleased to see her although this wasn't the case.

"Indeed I am and I had a lot of fun," replied Gwen with happiness in her voice. Sir Tucker shuddered to think of what she considered to be fun. "Now that we have some time together maybe we could have a little fun."

"I'm sorry Gwen but I'm really tired." He tried to pass this off in hopes that it would make her change her mind. "I've been chased by Great Wolves and been locked up again in the space of a single day. You can forgive me for being a little tired."

"Oh I forget that you mortals need to rest. I'm surprised you're even able to do anything productive when you have to sleep all the time. Think of how much you could achieve if you didn't have to sleep."

"I can imagine but if you don't mind I really need to get some sleep. By tomorrow I'm going to know whether I'm going to be released or executed. You can imagine what that does to a man's mind."

"If you're worried about that I can very easily get you out of here. The only reason I'm even in here is because I choose to be. I could allow you to escape and then you could go wherever you want to go. You could adventure for your entire life or maybe you can serve a Lord like you've always wanted as one of his most trusted knights."

"Despite how tempting that sounds I am not leaving here without Jessica. Her life is worth more to me than my own."

"I don't see why you're so attached to her." To Gwen this was a whole mystery to her, she had never been attached to anyone thus whenever she had sorted someone it had always been a means to an end.

"Simple, because she's my best friend and I would do anything for her and she would do anything for me."

"That's one thing I don't get. Why would you do something like that and not expect something in return?"

"For someone who is so advanced you sure have a lot to learn. Unlike you we mortals we don't live forever, we have to make the most of the time that we have and part of that is developing relationships with one another. You might think that it means nothing but to us it is everything."

"Well you learn something new every day." She chuckled to herself as if what she had just heard was somewhat comical and not really to be taken seriously. "Since you're so tired I think I'll take my leave."

"All I ask is that you think about what I said."

"Yeah sure I will." She smiled at him as she readied herself for what was to happen. "I'll see you again at some point, that I can promise."

Before Sir Tucker could say another word Gwen clapped her hands creating a bright flash of light. This blinded him for a moment and she quickly shrank herself and jumped onto his armour. She then shrank herself further until she was too small to be seen. It was only then that his eyesight recovered and he couldn't see her anywhere. He didn't like to think that Gwen would be seeing him again and he could only imagine what kind of mischief she had in mind for him.

Right now all Sir Tucker could do was lie in bed and go to sleep. He hoped that everything would be alright in the morning. However there was a nagging thought in his mind that this wouldn't be the case. Although things had always seemed to have worked out for the best this time felt different however. He thought that he might very well be found guilty and swiftly executed.

If that were to happen he thought about Jessica. He knew about how sad she would be if he were to die. He meant everything to her and a life without him was probably too much for her to bear. He feared that she would go on some kind of rampage although this wasn't the same sweet woman that he had known for many years.

These thoughts dwelled with him as he slowly drifted off to sleep. He didn't realise that Jessica was still away in the castle. She couldn't get herself to sleep as she too worried about what was going to happen the next day. It didn't help that her bed was too small for her even though it was built to be comfortable for a person who was six and a half feet tall. Much like everyone else in the castle she was oblivious to what Gwen had done that night, if she had known it would have given her more reason to worry.

Another reason for her discomfort was the fact that her arm was itchy and she couldn't reach the itch under her cast. It was close to driving her mad and she was very tempted to just rip of the cast and get to the itch. However she knew what would happen if she did this and she preferred to endure rather than risking serious injury. She did slowly drop off to sleep and she didn't know that there was a big day ahead for both herself and Sir Tucker.

When morning broke Sir Tucker was awoken by two guards who entered the house. They were not as aggressive as he had expected but he was summoned to return to Lady O'Hare. They did give him a little bit of time to get himself washed and changed before he went to see her.

Sir Tucker put on his armour which he had cleaned during his time in the cell. It had been something that had helped him pass the time. He also wanted to make himself look presentable to Lady O'Hare and he was looking forward to seeing Jessica again. He had been worried about her but he still feared for himself as well.

Before long he was escorted out of the house and into the hall of the castle. There Lady O'Hare was waiting, she was sitting on her great seat with Jessica sitting down on a smaller one right next to her. She would have loved to have done nothing more than to get up and hug her friend but this was something that she couldn't do.

Lady O'Hare had been thinking about what had happened the previous night. Her fallen guard had been taken away so that his family could give him a proper burial and the guard who had been knocked out was being treated by the local healer. She had not reported the death of her guard as she didn't want to send panic throughout the castle. There was nothing that she could do to avenge his death.

Instead she focused on the here and now as she saw Sir Tucker being escorted in by the guards. She had specifically told them not to be rough with him since he was not an official prisoner. She still classed him as a guest and thus should be treated like one to a certain degree.

"Sir Tucker approach!" commanded Lady O'Hare. He did as he was told and walked forward until he was a few short metres away. There he stopped, dropped down to one knee and bowed his head to her.

"My Lady," replied Sir Tucker as he remembered to respect those of a higher birth than himself.

"My search party returned before dawn with news from the mine that you and Sir Robert visited. It seems that you were indeed telling me the truth, they were able to recover what was left of my former knight and actually had a run-in with a couple of Great Wolves. Thankfully they were able to retreat without suffering any serious injury. Because of this you are now able to leave if you so wish or you could chose to stay and complete the mission which I originally set out for you. I will not force you to stay if you don't wish it but it would be something that I would like.

"I thank you my lady and I thank the Gods for allowing you to see the truth." He stood back up to his full height but he still bowed his head. "I knight is known by his successes and failures. I do not wish to be known as a knight who failed so against my better judgement I will return to the mines and finish off the job." This caught Jessica by surprise who would have thought that her friend would have chosen to leave. "However it is not a task that I can perform alone. I require the assistance of your most capable knights."

"Done, you will be accompanied by five of my most experienced knights. Plan and rest up for the day as on the morrow you will leave at first light. Hopefully since you will be more prepared this time hopefully your mission will be a success."

"It shall be, my Lady but before I leave there is one thing that I must request."

"And what would that be good sir knight?"

"I wish to have a private talk to my good friend Jessica Snape. Would the Lady be so kind to grant my wish?"

"Indeed she is. You may speak with your friend as much as you please but you must stay focused on the task at hand. I don't plan on having to bury either you or any of my knights. Your sword and shield will be returned to you on the morrow, I will pray that the Gods make your strikes true and strong."

A few minutes later Sir Tucker and Jessica found themselves in a small room inside the castle. The first thing they did was hug each other and even though she had a broken arm she still had a very strong hug. They acted like they hadn't seen each other for some time but it had only been the previous day. They had worried about each other and now that they were together it seemed like there was relief for them both.

The only thing that Jessica didn't like about the room was the fact that it was a little too small for her. The ceiling was just about high enough for her to stand up in but there wasn't much room for her to move about. There was also items that she would have called rubbish all around them. It was not her most ideal of meeting places but she was just glad to be alone with her best friend.

"They didn't hurt you did they?" asked Jessica. She placed her hand on his cheek although it was large enough to cover his entire face. He could feel the warmth of her long slender fingers and he could see the concern on her face.

"No they didn't," replied Sir Tucker. He would have reached to Jessica's face but she was just out of reach for him. "Lady O'Hare didn't mistreat you did she?" He showed his own concern for her which touched her.

"No I was treated with respect. I'm just so glad that you won't be punished but I'm still worried about you going back to that mine. I really should go with you to make sure that you're safe."

"Believe me there is nothing more I would want than you to come with me but the truth of the matter is that you can't. With your arm you can't help me and there isn't all that much room for you to grow in the mines anyway. You're better off here since something happened last night."

"What happened?" She began to become nervous as she feared that something terrible had happened.

"Gwen paid me another visit last night and then she went into the castle to see Lady O'Hare. I feared that something might have happened to her Ladyship but this morning she seems to be perfectly fine. However when it comes to Gwen I fear that she's done something, I need you to stay here and keep an eye out on things. If things start to go downhill I'm depending on you to keep Lady O'Hare safe. She might have her knights but they can't protect her against someone like Gwen. You're the only person who remotely stands a chance at whatever shenanigans that Gwen has orchestrated."

"O-Ok." She could see that Sir Tucker was giving her a very important task. However she knew that if she went up against Gwen she stood very little chance. It was almost like comparing a mountain to a molehill. "I'll try my best Tucker for you." She smiled down at him although she was nervous.

"And I believe that you can more than handle the task. I've seen you do things that people could only dream of. You could do practically anything that you set your mind too, believe me I know."

"Thanks and if you don't mind can we get out of this room now? I feel like I'm going to explode out of it?" This caused him to chuckle a little at his friend who towered above him by around two feet.

"Of course, besides I need to prepare myself for tomorrow. At least this time I'll be a lot more prepared."

Jessica really didn't want him to go on this mission but she knew that he had to. Sir Tucker was a knight now and certain things were expected of him. She felt that he was lucky to have survived but she knew that he was going in much more prepared than last time and that he would have plenty of experienced knights accompanying him. She still feared that he would be harmed but she knew that he was capable of looking after himself.

The pair stepped out of the room and there was a guard standing not too far away from the door. He looked at them as if they had just spent the time inside kissing one another passionately. Jessica glared over at him and quickly he looked the other way, he didn't want to make her angry.

The pair then walked away and they went back to the hall where Lady O'Hare was attending to more business. She was having to tend to another quarrel between two citizens, this time one had provided a service but the customer was not happy and refused to pay them. It was something that Lady O'Hare heard often and she ruled over it as well as she could. With the information that she was given she awarded the customer and sent them both on their way and she gave a sigh.

After this was done Lady O'Hare called forth four maidens who were in her service. These were all young and beautiful women who she would have a keen eye on. She kept her homosexuality secret from her subjects since they would not approve, it was difficult enough staying in power as a woman but as a homosexual woman was something that she thought was impossible.

Within moments the four women came forward. One had short brown hair and a slim figure, the second had long red hair and was around an inch shorter than her ladyship, the third had mid-length raven black hair with piercing green eyes. The last was a short woman with long fair hair. Each were wearing identical brown dresses which they had been given when they had started their jobs in the castle. Each of them were loyal to Lady O'Hare and a couple of them even had sexual encounters with her. However each of them kept quiet about it as they knew what would happen if they told anyone.

After the maidens arrived a servant brought a tray that had the four bottles that Lady O'Hare had received the previous night. There were small teaspoons by each of the bottles and at that moment in time no one knew anything about them. To them it seemed that the bottles were just filled up with water. They had no idea what was in store for them within a very short amount of time.

"I thank you each for coming on such short notice," said Lady O'Hare. "Each of you have been very loyal to me and my family, now there is one favour that I ask all four of you. Inside these bottles are potions created by an extremely powerful person. Each will have a temporary effect on your body but I promise you that none of them are fatal." She didn't know this for sure but she knew that there was a chance that one of the maidens would say no, she didn't think any of them were fatal though. "You will each be greatly rewarded for your participation and this moment might be remembered by all who attend on this very day. If you want to leave now I will not stop you." There was a few moments that everyone expected at least one of the maidens to walk away. Instead they all remained where they were standing. "Good, Charlotte you can go first."

The raven haired maiden stepped forward and picked up one of the bottles as well as a teaspoon. She poured some of the contents of the bottle onto the spoon before placing it back down. She was still a little nervous but she soon she swallowed the potion and then took a step back.

Lady O'Hare waited in anticipation as everyone else didn't know exactly what was happening. They heard Charlotte cough a little and she felt an odd sensation shoot right through her body. She had never felt such a sensation before and she was surprised to see everything around her seemingly shrink.

Much to the surprise of everyone there they saw Charlotte beginning to grow. There were some shrieks of surprise from people and even Charlotte looked at herself as she grew taller and taller in front of everyone. There was a sense of fear that she was experiencing but also a sense of wonder.

There was something about her growth that Jessica noticed was different in comparison to her own. When she enlarged herself her body would grow in proportion, this was not the case however, instead she grew taller but not bigger. Her body was stretching up at an incredible rate, her body was in fact elongating. This caught people by surprise as they saw her elongate as if she was being pulled by an invisible hand.

There was silence from everyone as the maiden continued to grow. To Sir Tucker this was one of the most abnormal things that he had ever seen, he had seen Jessica grow so many times that he had long lost count but seeing this maiden grow was unnerving. He saw her stretching up and her body becoming incredibly long and yet remaining incredibly skinny at the same time.

The growth continued until the maiden reached an incredible height of fifteen feet but she still looked abnormal. All of her limbs had remained the same width but their length was almost insane for a normal person to think about. It was almost insane for Sir Tucker and Jessica to think about. They could only watch what happened and just hope that things didn't get out of hand.

"Hmm that was interesting," said Lady O'Hare as she found herself looking up to the now fifteen foot maiden. The maiden herself was looking at her hands and the rest of her body. All seemed too long for her to really comprehend. "Charlotte can you tell me what it is like to be that tall?"

"I-I," replied Charlotte. She was completely lost for words, everything that had happened to her had been completely unexpected. More than ever her mind was trying to comprehend what had just happened. Unfortunately it was doing a very good job of this and she was in almost a state of panic since most people now only reached her mid-thigh.

"You can tell me later, right now I wish to know what the other potions are capable of. Let's sample the next one, Amanda let's see what it does."

The red haired maiden stepped forward, to her this wasn't a game anymore but instead a very serious situation. She did consider turning around and running away but she knew what would happen if she defied Lady O'Hare. Unfortunately all she could really do was take a teaspoon of the second potion and drink it down. She just hoped that she wouldn't end up like Charlotte.

Suddenly Amanda began to feel an odd sensation throughout her body. Like Charlotte before her she felt very odd and once again she began to see the world shrinking around her. She looked at her hands and expected to see them either begin to grow or elongate, however they seemed to remain the same. She looked at the rest of her upper body and saw that she was remaining the same size. Her body was rising higher and higher in the air and after a few moments she realised why.

When she looked down at her legs she discovered that they were growing longer. The rest of her body was remaining the same but her legs were growing longer with each passing second which was surprising for everyone. Even Jessica was surprised, she had been used to being big but never had she grown like that. Her body had always grown in proportion with one another but Amanda's legs continued to grow longer.

Eventually the poor maiden was at eye level with the equally tall Charlotte but she kept going up, her legs were continuing to lengthen at an impossible rate. It was only when her head touched the ceiling of the hall did she finally stop growing. By then she was twice the height of Charlotte but almost all of her height was in her legs which were almost thirty feet long.

Once again it was one of the oddest sights that had ever been witnessed by those present. Even Sir Tucker thought that things were going too far but he still felt that there was nothing that he could do to stop this. If he tried anything he would be swamped by guards immediately. He had only just gotten into Lady O'Hare's good books again and didn't want to do anything that would lead him into trouble again.

"Are you alright up there Amanda?" asked Lady O'Hare as she looked up at the now thirty foot tall woman. It was perhaps the oddest thing that she ever saw, she was looking up at a woman with impossibly long legs but a tiny body in comparison. It almost seemed like something that would be heard in a children's story.

"W-what," replied Amanda who heard Lady O'Hare say something but she couldn't hear her that well from where she was. She like Charlotte was terrified but still responded to her ladyship nonetheless.

"I said are you alright up there!" She raised her voice so that the freakish woman could hear her. She still remained where she was seated however as she didn't want to stand up for Amanda.

"Please my lady get me down from here," replied Amanda. She wasn't demanding this but instead it seemed like she was pleading for her life. There were some tears rolling down her face and they made the long trip down to the ground below.

"There's nothing I can do but don't fear you won't remain like that forever. The effects only last a full day so this time tomorrow you will be back to your normal self, that is unless I command you to take another dose."

"Please don't my lady." There was much fear in her voice, she wanted to bend down but feared that it might cause her to fall over.

"That all depends of course." The chances were that Amanda was not going to be forced to have another dose. However Lady O'Hare didn't want to make it seem like she was taking orders from a maiden. Instead she wanted to know what the other two potions did, with the first two she had expected some kind of change of size but not in the manner that she was expecting. "Caroline it's your turn now."

The short woman with fair hair stepped forward and if she had scared when she had seen Charlotte change she was now even more terrified after seeing what happened to Amanda. It was no lie that Caroline had sometimes thought about what it would have been like if she were taller. However now it seemed like it was going to happen but not in the way that she had imagined.

Reluctantly she poured a teaspoon of the third potion and she drank it like she had been commanded. Now everyone waited to see what happened, Lady O'Hare was the one most eager to see while it was probably Sir Tucker and Jessica who was the most terrified besides Caroline herself. She could feel the same odd feeling that the previous two women felt and it scared her more than anything.

Soon enough she felt herself beginning to change and this could be seen by everyone else inside of the hall. It was obvious to everyone there that Caroline's muscles were growing, at first the change was barely noticeable but after a few moments it was plain for everyone there to see.

Caroline's muscles bulged greatly and it was also causing her to grow taller so that her body could accommodate for the larger muscles. She continued to grow but what was surprising was the fact that like Charlotte her clothes were growing along with her. But this didn't stop her muscles from continually swelling, she looked almost ridiculous to see this once petite woman become a tower of pure muscle.

Jessica watched in horror and more than ever she considered putting an end to what she was seeing. However with the cast still on her arm she was limited to this size and she wasn't strong enough to break through all of the guards. She could only watch as Caroline continued to grow and it was almost unthinkable just how large the poor woman's muscles had grown in such a short amount of time.

Suddenly everyone inside the hall heard what seemed to be an explosion but this was not from some outside force. The explosion had originated from Caroline except she still looked to be the tower of muscle that she had become. She easily reached ten feet tall with biceps were larger than a fully grown man.

Only moments after everyone could see another change in Caroline. Her growth had stopped and now the opposite was occurring to her. The muscles that she had just gained were retreating back into her body and shrivelled back down to what she had been before. Her epic muscles had only lasted for a few moments before they were gone seemingly for good much to Lady O'Hare's disappointment.

However when Caroline reached her normal size she didn't stop shrinking. Much to everyone's surprise she carried on shrinking and quickly. No one was more panicked than Caroline who could see the world growing around her. There were also gasps from those who were watching.

Caroline continued to shrink further and further while everyone was powerless but to watch as the helpless woman continued to shrink. Many feared that she would shrink until she disappeared. However this wasn't the case as she stopped shrinking when she was around two inches in height.

Lady O'Hare finally got up from her seat and walked over to Caroline. She bent down and picked up the tiny woman who seemed to be terrified. Never had Lady O'Hare felt so big as she did at that moment in time.

"Well that was unexpected," said Lady O'Hare. She examined the tiny woman who seemed to be in a hysterical state. "Here I thought that we had some kind of muscle potion but instead it is a deceiving shrinking potion."

Lady O'Hare poked the tiny woman. This caused Caroline some pain and suddenly there was another explosion from her body. Lady O'Hare shielded her face for a moment but the explosion was nothing, when it was done she saw Caroline shrinking again. This once again caught her by surprise as she saw Caroline shrinking further. The shrinking continued until the tiny woman was a measly half an inch in height.

There were a few moments as Lady O'Hare began to think. She wanted to test something out as she gave Caroline a small flick. This caused the tiny woman more pain and once again there was another explosion. This time Lady O'Hare didn't shield herself and she watched the tiny woman shrink even further.

It was one of the most amazing sights that Lady O'Hare had ever seen as she watched Caroline stop shrinking. By then she was only a speck on her hand, she was able to move Caroline onto her fingertip and she brought her right up to her eye. She could just about make out the tiny figure of Caroline who was still in a state of panic.

For the tiny woman she could see what seemed to be an eye that was as big as a large hill and she was trying not to trip onto ridges in the ground. These ridges were merely the grooves that made up Lady O'Hare's fingerprints. If she hadn't been panicking before Caroline certainly was now.

"Now that was really unexpected," said Lady O'Hare as she continued to look at the near microscopic Caroline on her fingertip. She then looked over to another maiden who was standing not too far away. "Maven!" The maiden slowly approached her and she didn't know exactly what to do. "Be sure to keep Caroline safe until the effects wear off and whatever you do don't hurt her. That will only cause her to shrink even further, one more shrink spurt and we won't be able to see her anymore." Carefully she placed Caroline in the hand of Maven who took one small bow to her ladyship before backing away. Lady O'Hare then looked back at the other maidens in front of her. She could still clearly see the super stretched Charlotte and the incredibly long legged Amanda. There was still the normal looking maiden there and she decided to smile. "We know what three of them do, now let's find out what the last potion does."

Sir Tucker and Jessica still couldn't believe what was taking place. They had just watched three women change size in very unpleasant ways and unimaginable ways. Now they saw that there was one potion left which Lady O'Hare was very willing to find out its effects. She did feel some sympathy towards the women but she couldn't help but feel excited as well. Each of the potions had come as a surprise to her, since they came from Gwen she knew that they would change the size of a person she hadn't expected the size changing in the manner that she had just witnessed.

The final maiden was almost too scared to drink the last potion. From what she had seen she didn't want to think about what would happen to her. She had seen Charlotte's body stretch, Amanda's legs extend and finally Caroline go from being unthinkably muscular to so small that she could hardly been seen. She was very nervous although like Lady O'Hare there was the slightest hint of excitement.

"Tamara may you do the honours?" asked Lady O'Hare as she looked at the maiden. She was eager to see what happened next.

With reluctance Tamara drank a teaspoon of the fourth potion and everyone waited to see how she would change. It only took a few moments for her to feel the odd sensation throughout her body just like her colleagues before her. The sensation began to move down and eventually it stayed in her feet.

This was when Tamara saw that her feet were growing. At first it was slow but soon sped up and this was noticed by everyone else. Her feet began to grow until they seemed to be larger than her own body. They were roughly eight feet in length and it looked very abnormal to see a normal size woman with such large feet.

However this didn't last as Tamara saw that her hands were growing as well. She was beginning to panic and she wanted to lift her hand up and watch them grow but they became too heavy for her still normal arms to lift and instead they just fell to the ground. They continued to grow until they were in proportion to her feet.

Next Tamara felt her arms extended as they grew in size. She found herself lifted off the ground by her extending arms and for all those watching they could do nothing but witness what was taking place. They saw her arms continuing to extend as they sent her body further up into the air.

Eventually Tamara's arms did stop growing but there was more to come as she felt her legs begin to grow as well. They extended towards the ground but unlike Amanda before her Tamara's legs were growing in proportion rather than just lengthening. They continued to extend until her gigantic feet touched the ground and even then they continued until her hands were finally lifted off the ground.

Next was Tamara's torso that grew and the people watching gasped as they watched her continually grow. From what she was seeing Jessica wondered if she could grow like that if she really wanted to. Every other time her body had completely grown in proportion but she had never thought about selectively increasing the size of one part rather than her entire body. She thought about giving it a try once her cast was removed.

Eventually Tamara's torso did stop growing and she was taller than Charlotte but shorter than Amanda. There was one thing that was very abnormal about Tamara's gigantic body and that was the fact that while it was enormous her head remained the same size. It was almost too funny to comprehend to some of the people.

This didn't last long as Tamara finally felt her head beginning to grow. She had felt that she was going to suffocate as her tiny head wasn't able to draw in the oxygen that she needed. However with her head growing she felt herself being able to breathe in more and more vital oxygen. It continued to grow until again it was in proportion to the rest of her body. By then she realised that she was now a giantess in the more traditional sense in comparison to Charlotte who was looking up at her and Amanda who still towered over everyone. She looked down and she was in disbelief how small everything looked now, she feared that if she moved she would hurt someone.

"Now that was a very entertaining," said Lady O'Hare as she saw that Tamara had stopped growing. "Maybe we should give you another dose just to see how big you can become." She saw the terror in Tamara's face and she began to laugh. "Don't worry I wouldn't do that, besides if we gave you another dose you'd go through the roof and I think my grandfather wouldn't have been happy about that." She then looked over to another couple of maidens that stood nearby. "Ensure that the potions get labelled so we know which one is which and ensure that these ladies are taken care of until the effects wear off."

This would be very difficult but not an impossible task. For Charlotte and Amanda they could still just about get out of the hall as their growths had ensured that they could still squeeze through the door. However for Tamara it was a completely different story, since she had grown in the more traditional sense she couldn't fit through any of the doors. She was stuck in the hall until the potion wore off which wasn't until that time the next day. Like it or not she was stuck.

Jessica couldn't help but feel sympathy towards the gigantic Tamara, she could see her sadness and she had felt the same on more than one occasion due to her size. There were times when she was younger when Sir Tucker wasn't around, she would become upset and cry. She knew that Tamara was feeling the same so she felt that she needed to give her some words of comfort.

Eventually the hall was practically empty as everyone had gone off to do their duties. Sir Tucker wasn't present either as he was discussing some matters with his fellow knights. They were planning their strategy for evicting the great wolves from the mine so that the precious iron ore could be mined.

Tamara was sitting down on the ground and leaning against a wall. A few servants were bringing food out to her but it didn't make her feel any better. She wouldn't feel better until she shrank back down to normal. She was so caught up in her own sorrow that she didn't notice the eight foot Jessica approaching her. From Tamara's vantage point she seemed just as small as everyone else. Jessica knew that she needed to be very careful, the giant woman was in a very delicate state.

"Hey there," said Jessica with a smile on her face and she waved at Tamara. The giant woman looked down at her and she didn't really pay that much attention to her. "I thought we could have a quick chat."

"I don't feel like talking," replied Tamara. She picked up a bowl filled with fruit and ate them very quickly.

"Maybe not but I thought that it would make you feel better. You might not believe me when I tell you but I know exactly how it feels."

"No you don't. What are you like seven feet tall?"

"Eight feet."

"Whatever, you're eight feet tall. You're not a full blown giant like me, how could you possibly understand what it is like?" Her words were harsh but Jessica took no offense to them. She knew that Tamara was emotionally unbalanced at that moment in time so she could forgive her.

"Believe me I do." She gave a small sigh. "You see me at eight feet tall now but this isn't my true size. This dress is allowing me to stay at this size and normally I could just grow but I have this damn cast on my arm." She knocked her knuckle on the cast to show that it was there beneath her sleeve. "Have you heard about the giant woman whose been wandering Angleland recently?"

"I had heard something but I just thought it was some kind of children's tale." Her words were much softer than they had been. She didn't know it but Jessica was already distracting her from the situation.

"No believe me it's real. Let's just say I was taller than you are now when I was like five years old and I just continued to grow on from there. If it wasn't for this dress I'm wearing right now I would be too big to fit in this hall. All you need to remember is that this isn't the end of your life. To tell you the truth this isn't too much of a big deal, you heard her Ladyship the effects are only temporary. Before long you'll be back down to your normal size and all of this will just be a memory."

"Maybe but like it or not I'm stuck in here and to tell you the truth I'm not particularly fond of small spaces. To tell you the truth I would have preferred to have shrunk rather than grown, at least then I wouldn't have to worry about being in a small space." She began to think for a moment as she continued to look at Jessica. "If you really are a giant why not stay your size all the time? I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to be this big at all. It's really scary to be this high up."

"I admit that I do stay at this size most of the time but to tell you truth I like being a giant and try to be my full size as often as I can. At this size I feel like I'm hiding my true self, believe me if I could I would be my full size all the time like before I got this dress but you know how impractical it is. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't be scared of your size but instead embrace it, if you let it get to you then you have already lost, just remember that it isn't the size of a person that makes a monster, it is what inside that makes them that way. I hope that it makes you feel a little better."

"Thank you for your words." She then lowered her finger down to Jessica. "I do appreciate it." Jessica then grabbed onto the finger and shook the giant woman's hand. It felt strange to her since normally the scales would be reversed for her in such a situation. "When your cast is off I want to see you at your full size."

"And I would be more than happy to show you. Although for obvious reasons I wouldn't do it in this hall." This caused Tamara to laugh and Jessica could see that she had really cheered the giant woman up. She could still remember her own days of sadness of when she was large and it had turned her into the woman that she was today. "Just stay positive and this entire thing will go a lot more smoothly. All you need to remember is that you're experiencing something that only a handful of people have ever experienced. Some might say that they survived a great battle but you can say that you've been a giant and there isn't much they can say about that."

Meanwhile in another room Sir Tucker was with the other knights that were going to storm the mine the next morning. There were roughly half a dozen of them and each of them were more experienced than him. To them he was like someone who had just become a lord where they had been lords for many years. Despite his knighthood there was still more that he needed to learn.

The knight leading the discussion was an accomplished knight named Sir Harold Green who was a man in his forties. Like most of the knights there he had been serving House O'Hare for a number of years and was devoutly loyal to them. He had been upset to see that there was now only one O'Hare left but the family was not extinct yet. He still thought that Lady O'Hare could breed an heir before it was too late, she just needed the right man to help her along the way.

On the table in front of them was a map which was of Featherstone and the area around it which included the mines. Sir Harold pointed out the mine in question and the six knights were trying to formulate the best plan of action. Going in blindly would be suicide and after what had happened to Sir Robert none of them there wanted to suffer the same fate. However the task wouldn't be easy. Great wolves were notoriously tough to kill and with an unknown number of them they had to be careful.

They almost seemed to be arguing amongst themselves about the best course of action. A couple of them wanted to just storm the mine and kill any great wolf that they came across. However it would likely lead to the deaths of a few of the knights which was something that they weren't willing to do if it was easily avoidable.

Eventually a knight named Sir Alan Malcolm came up with the suggestion of luring the wolves out of the mine and then setting up an ambush. It did eliminate one problem that the knights had. They knew that inside the mines there wasn't enough room to use their numbers effectively. At least by being out in the open they would be able to use their abilities to their peak and hopefully the wolves would fall. However the wolves would also be able to move more freely but it still felt like an advantage to the knights.

After a few more minutes of discussion the knights decided that bringing the wolves out of the mine was the best way to deal with them and if any of the wolves fled then it meant that they were out of the mine and thus it could be back into use within a couple of days. However it was still risky, it was not the safest plan in the world but to the knights it was best one that they had.

There was one additional problem that the knights had now and that was how to draw them out of the mine. The wolves had been there for some time and it would take a lot for them to come out. It was Sir Tucker who brought forward the idea of baiting them out, he knew that there was mostly likely a butcher in Featherstone and that they would supply some meat for a price. However it was likely that Lady O'Hare would demand the meat and maybe compensate the butcher later.

With the plan more or less decided there were some details that needed to be ironed out which included ironing out some of the finer details which needed to be discussed. Each knight had a specific role during this operation. Unfortunately for Sir Tucker is role was to place the bait and then fight if it were needed. It was not really the role that he would have wanted but he accepted that it was one that needed to be done.

After the meeting was complete he went to go and find Jessica. He wished to be with her and he had been told everything that he needed for the next morning. Eventually he was surprised to find her talking to the still enlarged Tamara. Unlike most people who walked passed her he didn't look up in amazement. Being around Jessica at her full size made seeing another giant woman not that big of a deal.

Rather than disturbing them straight away Sir Tucker stood there and watched the two women talking to one another. By now they had moved from talking about size and instead they were talking about Featherstone. Since Tamara had been living there all of her life she knew much about it. Jessica listened intensely as the information that Tamara was giving her was interesting.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you ladies but Jessica I thought I could have a quick word with you if that was alright?" asked Sir Tucker as he looked at Jessica and then looked up to the face of Tamara that was high above them.

"That should be fine good sir," replied Jessica but before she could even think about leaving she looked up at Tamara. "You don't mind do you?"

"No that's fine," answered Tamara who was going to be sad to see Jessica leaving. Their conversation had made her feel happy despite what had happened to her.

"Great, I promise I'll be back shortly." She smiled at Tamara to try and show that she really was coming back.

"Ok, I'll still be here." She gave Jessica a nervous smile. "It's not like I can go anywhere right now."

Jessica did feel a little guilty for leaving but she knew that Sir Tucker wouldn't have called her away if it wasn't important. As Tamara said she wouldn't be going anywhere while she was gone. She only needed to walk a short distance before they reached a spot which they thought that they wouldn't be disturbed. They were constantly on the lookout for anyone who could overhear them.

"As you can imagine I wasn't impressed by what happened earlier," said Sir Tucker. He looked up to his towering friend and he was glad that the muscles in his neck had gotten used to looking up by now. "I can think of only one place where Lady O'Hare could have gotten those potions from."

"And where's that?" replied Jessica She wasn't catching on as quickly as she would have liked.

"Gwen must have created them. She's the only one with such power and I'm afraid she might pop up again at some point." This made Jessica's heart sink as she knew that Gwen always spelt trouble. Although she hadn't seen the demi-goddess since the trial just the mention of her name made her shudder.

"Don't say that, I would die a happy woman if I never saw her again. She almost got me executed."

"Believe me you don't need to tell me but I have the sneaking feeling that she has been following us. While we were apart she appeared before me again. Don't worry nothing happened." He knew that this wasn't entirely true and he hoped that Jessica would buy it. For now it seemed to work. "But if she does pop up again I think that we would both going to be in trouble."

"I can't imagine what she could do. Is there any way that we could..." Quickly she grabbed Sir Tucker and bent down. She placed her large lips on his and began to kiss him. He had no idea what was happening but he began to enjoy it and he just let her be in control of the situation.

What Sir Tucker couldn't see was a couple of guards walking passed. They quickly glanced at the couple but they didn't really pay much attention and just carried on walking. Jessica watched as they walked away and she broke the kiss and stood up to her full height. Sir Tucker was speechless for a moment and he was just glad that she couldn't see that he had an erection.

"Sorry about that," said Jessica. She had enjoyed it more than she would admit and it had even caused her to grow by a couple of inches. This made the space around her cast that much smaller and discomforting. It wasn't going to break but she would have to shrink herself soon. "As I was saying is there any way that we could spot her?" He looked down at Sir Tucker and saw that he was beginning to stutter. His mind was replaying the kiss over and over again and everything else seemed to be a blur. Jessica gave a sigh as she gave a slight slap on the cheek to bring him back to reality.

"W-What?" replied Sir Tucker who seemed to snap out of his little daydream. He looked up again at her and he didn't even realise that he was having to look a little more up at her than before.

"I said is there any way that we can spot Gwen?" She did regret what she had done a little but something deep inside of her didn't.

"I-I don't know. She can literally be any size that she wants, for all we know she might be right here right now but she's so small that we can't see her." He didn't know how true his words were. "Even if we could somehow spot her what do you think we could do to stop her? She is a goddess and we're just mortals, what kind of a chance could we possibly have against her. It is like a pebble trying to destroy a mountain?"

"There has to be something." But nothing was coming to her mind. She knew that Gwen could kill them both with incredible ease and then probably just carry on as if nothing had happened.

"We could just pray to the gods that she doesn't pop up again. To tell you the truth there is nothing more we can do in that kind of situation." Normally he would have some kind of solution to most situations but not this time. He truly felt that there was nothing else that could be done.

This made Jessica feel a little down and she also felt nervous as well. Contemplating the actions of a god was something that was impossible to predict. All she could do was hug Sir Tucker and even with her broken arm she still held him tightly. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so scared. She made sure that he was in no discomfort at all and he did feel safe in her arms. He had always looked up to her as a protector but now he could protect himself but he still appreciated the hug.

Eventually Jessica broke off the hug and continued to look down at her best friend. There was one thing that she wanted to discuss with him before she returned to Tamara it was something that had been eating away at her since that morning and she felt that it was worth talking about.

"I don't want you to go to that mine again," said Jessica. She would have liked to have done nothing more than to keep him in her arms. However she knew that he would react negatively to this.

"I admit I'm a little nervous going there again but believe me this time we are much more prepared. I know what I'm going up against and rather than being teamed up with an aging knight I have five well trained and capable knights. I should be fine Jessica, you shouldn't have to worry."

"But I do worry about you. Whenever you go off and do these kind of tasks I'm always afraid that you might not come back. I don't know what I would do with my life if you were gone from it."

"You know by now Jessica that I am a capable knight. I earned this knighthood and I've been proving it ever since. I appreciate that you're concerned for me but I assure you that I'll come back to you in one piece. Then after your arm is healed we can go and retrieve our fortune but there is one thing that I have been wondering. That is exactly how are we going to carry all of our treasure back to Morgan? Your size will of course be an asset but even so you can only carry so much. I was considering asking Lady O'Hare for assistance in this matter but I just want to see how this all plays out first. With what has just happened I'm not sure that she is entirely trustworthy."

"She's been true to her word so far." Despite this she knew not to entirely trust all Lords and Ladies. She still remembered Lord Nostory, just the thought of him made her skin crawl and she dreaded to think what would have happened to her if she hadn't broken free of his control. "As you said we should wait a little longer before going forward with asking for her assistance. We don't even know exactly how much treasure there is yet."

"Don't you remember the old tales? There is enough treasure there to make us richer than even the King. Even if we have to share some of it with Lady O'Hare we'll still be set up for life." He was still confident about the riches that he and Jessica were going to receive very soon. To him her arm couldn't heal quick enough, as soon as that cast was off they would be off to Three Man's Treasure and bask in his newfound wealth.

"But still I don't think that we should go headstrong. There's even a chance that there is no treasure there at all."

"Well there has to be. We wouldn't have gone through all these trials and hardships if there was nothing at the end of the tunnel. That would just be fate having some kind of cruel joke on us."

"Hopefully not." She like Sir Tucker hoped that there was indeed a lot of treasure. Even though she was smaller than she had been before the cost of living for someone of her height wasn't cheap.

Sir Tucker also wanted to talk about the kiss that they had just had. He knew it was just so they didn't attract any unwanted attention towards themselves but he had still enjoyed it immensely. However he thought that bringing up the subject at that moment in time might not have been the best course of action. The warmth and softness of her lips was something that he was going to remember for a long time.

When the conversation ended Sir Tucker made his way back to the other knights so that they could iron out a few minor details of the plan while Jessica returned to Tamara. Like she had expected the giantess hadn't moved from where she was sitting and had been happy to see the return of the tall woman.

Elsewhere Lady O'Hare was in the process of getting each of the potion bottles labelled. Rather than writing down what each potion did instead they were numbered, this was so that it was easier to read for everyone but they had to keep a mental note of what each of the potions did. She also began to think about their uses, although the first and second potions were not very useful she thought that she could use the other two.

If she ever wanted to be a full blown giantess she would drink from the fourth potion and if she wanted to punish an enemy than the third potion would be in order. The first two she thought would be used more for fun than anything else. Now that she knew what each of them did she wanted to drink a small amount of each and experience the effects of them for a day.

However she knew that it wasn't very lady like behaviour and she still had a reputation to keep. She felt a small amount of sympathy towards the maidens who had tested the potions for her but with the effects only lasting a day she didn't have to worry about their lives in the long term.

She was in a small room which was practically off limits to everyone one else in the castle. This was where she could get away from the stresses of being a lady and just relax without anyone waiting for her. She kept items in this room such as the potions and a few helmets from famous warriors from days gone by. There were other items of interest in there as well and numerous candles to light up the room.

Much to her annoyance Lady O'Hare heard the door knocking and she got up to answer it. She told her staff to not disturb her when she was inside. When she reached the door rather than seeing one of her knights instead she saw what seemed to be a young man who looked to be no older than fourteen. He held a piece of paper in his hand which he quickly passed to Lady O'Hare she had told him off for disturbing her at first but when she saw the seal on the paper she knew that it was important enough to warrant her attention.

Quickly Lady O'Hare closed the door and opened up the letter and began to read its contents. It was not good news for her and she placed the letter near one of her candles. As she hoped the paper began to burn and she dropped it on the ground so that it could burn itself out. Unfortunately for her now she would have to do something that she had hoped not to do but now her hand had been forced.

The next morning Sir Tucker was awoken just before dawn. He had been sleeping in the same bed with Jessica again and he found himself stuck in her arms. She had been holding him tightly and with some amount of difficulty he was able to wrestle himself free without the need to wake the sleeping giantess. Slowly he got out of the bed and although he was tired he knew that there was much he needed to do. Carefully he put his light armour on and tied his sword and shield to his body.

Before leaving the room he took one look at the sleeping Jessica. She seemed to be very peaceful and he almost felt bad for having to leave her. He quietly walked towards her and gave her a kiss on her forehead before disembarking. He didn't see the small smile appear on her face after the kiss.

Moments later Sir Tucker found himself just outside of the castle where most of the other knights were waiting for him. Much to his annoyance he could see that it was pouring it down with rain, he had prayed for decent weather but it seemed like they wouldn't be getting it on that morning.

The knights waited for a few more minutes until their final member arrived. With all six of them there now they were ready to make the trip over to the mine to deal with the problem at hand. However there was one complication that they hadn't really counted for and that was the fact that they would be travelling on horseback. Sir Tucker had never ridden a horse, it was Jessica who had been carrying him around from place to place and although he had ridden carriages pulled by horses this wasn't the same.

This unfortunately led to a small amount of ridicule from his fellow knights who thought that it was odd to have a knight who didn't know how to ride a horse. However one of the knights did offer to take him on his own horse. It would make the horse slower since it was carrying two knights but he thought that it would be up to the task.

With each of the knights on their horses they began the trek towards the mine in question. They could see no sun rising as the rainclouds covered the entire sky and poured down on top of them. If any of them hadn't bathed before leaving they would certainly be cleaned now from all the rain. It made it hard to see as well since the wind was blowing towards them and making the rainwater go into their eyes. Constantly the knights had to wipe their eyes of rainwater, this was more of an annoyance for them rather than a setback as each of them were still more than capable despite the weather.

Eventually after a few minutes of riding the group reached the mine and they began to spread out just like they had planned. However Sir Tucker had a very special role that he needed to fulfil. The knights had brought a large slab of raw meat that they had gotten from one of the butchers. It was tied to a rope and then left at the entrance to mine, he kept a hold of the rope and now simply played the waiting game. Each knight remained silent as each of them waited for a great wolf to appear.

Rather than speaking the knights communicated with each other with simple hand gestures. Sir Tucker probably had the most dangerous job out of all them but he was still some distance from the mine, his gaze did not leave the entrance as he looked for any sign of movement from within. All he could see was darkness and although he would probably see more if he took a closer look he was as close as he wished to be. He could still remember what happened the last time he had been there. The sound of Sir Robert dying was something that he would probably never forget.

After close to half an hour of waiting Sir Tucker saw what seemed to be a large snout peeping out from the entrance. It moved down to the slab of meat and began to sniff at it. He decided to pull the rope to bring the meat further out into the open. As was predicted the great wolf followed it as it wanted its free meal. It came out into the open and for many of the knights it was the first time that they had ever seen a great wolf in the open. Its fur was silver and it stood taller than any of the knights present. For the moment it was fixated on the knights and hadn't really taken much notice of anything around it. This would prove to be a fatal mistake.

With one subtle gesture a crossbow bolt fired from nearby and struck the wolf right in the neck. It began to choke as the bolt had struck its windpipe and it couldn't breathe. In its weakened state two of the other knights charged towards it and stabbed it repeatedly until it fell. The attack was so quick that the great wolf didn't have time to properly react before it died. Sir Tucker did feel some sympathy towards it but he and the other knights still had a job to do

Only part of the job had been completed as they knew that there was at the very least one more great wolf remaining and until they removed it the mine would be unsuitable for miners to work. Instead of going in straight away the knights prepared the trap once again and with some difficulty even moved the dead body of the wolf that they had already killed. However after an hour it was obvious that the other great wolves were going to fall for the trick. However this had been predicted and already they had made preparations.

The knights had brought some torches which they had been keeping dry from the rain. They simply went inside the entrance of the mine which was still being lit up by daylight and one by one each of the torches were lit up. This gave them the light that they needed and they could hear the growling of a wolf.

Rather than panicking the knights remembered their training and kept themselves composed. Two knights formed at the front of the group and kept their shields high so that they would be of some protection for the rest of them. The two knights behind them held long spears that could easily jab at a great wolf from a distance. The two at the back provided protection from the rear in case they were attacked from behind.

Sir Tucker was unfortunate enough to be in the front row with his shield held up high. He was partnered with another knight named Sir Arthur the Large. Sir Tucker had found this nickname to be unusual since Sir Arthur was only an average sized man. However he was told that Sir Arthur was large where it counted, this immediately made Sir Tucker regret his question.

Carefully the group of knights made their way inside of the mine and each step was taken with great care. Once or twice they even stopped because they thought that they were about to be attacked. However both times had been false alarms and they continued on, each of them wanted to get out alive and in one piece so they were sticking to the formation to ensure their survival.

Unfortunately Sir Tucker felt something underneath his foot. He took a look down and saw that it was a bone, he couldn't tell whether it was an animal bone or that of a human. Either way he didn't want to know. This is one of those instances he thought that ignorance was indeed bliss.

Not a single unnecessary sound was made between the knights as they continued their way through the mine. It seemed like their journey was drawing to an end but they didn't know whether this was going to be a good thing was yet to be determined. Although they wanted to find the great wolves a part of them hoped that they would find nothing. Facing such creatures was perilous in any situation.

Just ahead Sir Tucker saw something twinkling in the torch light. He soon realised that it was none other than the eyes of a great wolf. Quickly he signalled the other knights and the formation came to a halt. There were a few seconds of silence as they waited for the great wolf to make the next move.

Rather than backing down the great wolf began to edge closer towards them. The shields and spears were front and centre in order to both attack the great wolf but also defend the knights from harm. It seemed that the atmosphere inside of the mine could be cut with a knife.

The knights edged closer and the great wolf responded by slashing at them. The shields being held by Sir Tucker and Sir Arthur stayed strong. They successfully deflected the slash and the two knights behind them responded with strong spear thrusts that seemed to hit their mark.

However the blows only wounded the great wolf rather than outright killing it. It began to back away but rather than chasing after it the knights remained in formation and kept walking forward at a steady pace. If any of them broke from their formation it could mean the death of all of them. Only cool heads would prevail in this situation as they kept going in hopes of a victory.

Back at the castle in Featherstone Jessica began to wake up from her deep and much needed sleep. The first thing that she noticed was the fact that Sir Tucker was not in bed, this disappointed her a little but she knew that he had to go on his important assignment. However seeing him whenever she woke up always made her feel like she was going to have a good day.

Slowly Jessica stood up from the bed and ducked her head under some of the beams in the ceiling and moved towards a wash basin and mirror that was close by. Unfortunately it was made for someone of a normal stature so she had to go down to her knees to be able to use it properly. Like almost every morning she would have to wash herself decently while still wearing the dress. However after all of these years this was a skill that she had mastered as she washed herself thoroughly. One thing that she didn't need to worry about her dress was cleaning it. Dirt didn't seem to last very long on the dress and any odour that was there would dissipate immediately. She put it down to the magic of the dress that she had always felt was truly a gift ever since she received it.

After washing Jessica's next goal was eating a decent sized breakfast. This had never been the easiest task for her due to her size but she felt quite lucky today since she and Sir Tucker were still guests for Lady O'Hare. She just stepped out of her room and saw some people going around doing their normal duties. A couple took a few moments to look up at her but then they would go back to their own work.

Eventually Jessica found herself in the kitchen where some of the cooks were already preparing breakfast. However most of their efforts were going to making food for the maidens who had sampled the potions. Tamara in particular was very hungry and unfortunately she had not yet returned to her former size. This would not be for another couple of hours at least but it couldn't come soon enough for Caroline who was still near microscopic in size, Thankfully for her she hadn't experienced any more pain after being handled by Lady O'Hare which meant she was still at the same size. One more impact would likely cause her to shrink so small that she would be invisible to the human eye. She would enter a world where monsters truly dwelt and her life expectancy would only be in seconds rather than years.

There was enough for Jessica to eat a light breakfast which did take the edge off of her hunger. However curiosity got the better of her as she walked towards where Tamara was located. As expected the giant women was still in the hall and had barely moved from where she was sitting. There were servants who were bringing her food but she ate it almost as fast as they could bring it.

It only took Tamara a few moments to realise that Jessica was even there. She smiled and waved at Jessica as the tall woman approached. She felt that Jessica had truly been a friend to her during this hard time. She even stopped eating so that she could properly talk to her new friend.

"Hey there Jessica," said Tamara. For Jessica it still seemed odd having to look up to someone like Tamara. She was always used to the scales being the other way around. However it was nice to feel small for a change.

"Hey Tamara," replied Jessica as she looked up at the giantess. "I see that you're still being fed well."

"Yeah her ladyship commanded that I remain well fed until I shrink back down to normal. She might be very stern at times but deep down I know that she's nice. If I knew I would be treated like this I would have drunk more of the potion." She laughed at herself over this and Jessica did eventually join in. But this was only to comfort the giant woman rather than finding it funny. "If you were bigger than this most of your life just how did your parents feed you?"

"I grew up on a farm so we grew our own food. My size did help us harvest the food faster but since I got my dress living on the farm became much easier. I could grow when work needed to be done and shrink when it was time to eat. Of course I wish I could shrink smaller than eight feet but it was a lot better than the alternative." There was one other question that Tamara wanted to ask and that was how she used to go to the toilet but she felt that this was a question better left unasked.

"It has been nice being big for a while but to tell you the truth I can't wait to shrink back down to normal. This hall might be grand but it is far from the most comfortable place to sleep in Angleland." This did cause both women to giggle to one another but before she could say another word she felt a strange sensation throughout her body. She looked down at Jessica who did have a somewhat concerned look on her face. "I-I think it's about to happen." It was definitely a familiar feeling that she had the previous day.

Jessica wanted to talk but before she could say another word she saw Tamara's head suddenly shrink. It happened in almost an instant as one moment her head seemed to be proportional to the rest of her body and a moment later it was back down to its original size. Jessica even felt like she needed to take a step back.

Next Tamara's torso began to shrink except it was at a slightly slower pace than when her head shrank. Jessica could clearly see the torso shrinking until once again it was down to its original size. Next was her legs which seemed to retreat back into her body. This was a bit of a disappointment for Tamara since she liked having long legs but she didn't want to be on the same level as Amanda's but just a bit longer than normal.

Tamara's arms also began to retract as they shrank back to their normal size. Jessica could see that what she was witnessing was almost identical to what had happened the previous day except in reverse. But now Tamara was able to stand up although she still had impossibly large feet for her body. However this didn't last long as her feet also began to shrink and within moments they were back to their original size.

Tamara was glad to be her normal size again and she looked up at Jessica and for the first time she realised just how tall she was. When she had been a giantess Jessica had seemed bigger than everyone else but it was only now did she fully comprehend just how much taller Jessica was. Tamara only stood around five and a half feet tall which meant that there was more than a two and a half foot height difference between the two women. Never had she felt so small in her life.

"There we go," said Jessica with a smile on her face. She was genuinely glad to see Tamara small again. "You're back to your normal size."

"Mostly," replied Tamara as she looked down and slightly lifted up one of her feet. "I swear that my feet were not this big before."

"I'm sure that it's all in your mind. Now since you're normal why don't you give me a tour of the castle, I tried to look around myself but I got lost a couple of times." She continued to grin as she made this little joke. For Tamara it was just a little something to make her feel better as she willingly agreed to Jessica's request.

Meanwhile back inside of the mine the knights were still moving forwards as they were cornering the great wolf. They couldn't see it properly but they still felt that the situation was under their control. Once or twice they tried to jab the wolf with a spear but it had not been successful.

Sir Tucker held his shield firmly as every now and again he would have to block a slash from the great wolf. It was a strong beast but his own strength had kept his shield from faltering. He along with the other knights remained in silence but instead worked together a single unit. It would be impressive for others to see a group of knights working together in such a way. However they were not patting themselves on the back just yet. There was still a lot of work that they needed to do first.

Unfortunately one of the knights at the rear saw that there was another great wolf who was behind them. Since the knights were now facing two wolves, one from the front and the other from the rear they stopped in their tracks. Their tactics transformed from one of offense to defence instead. One spear holding knight turned around so that his spear was pointing at the rear of the group.

The task at hand had become more difficult but not impossible for them to overcome. For a knight such as Sir Tucker he saw this as a decent chance to prove his worth and show that he had earned his knighthood. More than ever he would have liked to have lunged forward and struck the great wolf ahead of him but instead he stayed in his formation and stood by just as he had been instructed.

The two great wolves who now saw that they were at an advantage began to step closer to the knights who stood their ground. Spear jabs would be thrusted if any of them got too close to them. Unfortunately this wouldn't be enough for the knights to win victory on this day so they had to take some drastic measures.

In two teams of three the knights rushed at the great wolves and they were able to stab the wolves with the spears. The spears had gone in quite deeply but not too deep that they couldn't be pulled out with ease. Before the great wolves could react to the attack the knights had already retreated back into their formation which continued to protect them from serious harm.

The attack was not enough for the wolves to fall so a second rush was in order. Sir Tucker waited for the signal to quickly move forward with his shield still held up. As he rushed forward he felt a sharp blow to his shield which caused him to stagger back for a moment. He recovered quickly however as he brought his shield back up in order to protect the spear wielding knight.

Another spear jab went into the great wolf and it gave a howl of pain as it bled. The wound was grave and slowly it fell to the ground and died where it had once stood. With it now dead the other knights retreated back and this time they could concentrate on the great wolf that was behind them. It had withstood the first two attacks but now it had two spears facing it this time.

Although Sir Tucker would have liked to have been involved his view was still fixed on the group's front. The last thing they wanted was some kind of surprise attack. It would rip them to shreds and he would feel that it was his fault. He also considered what Jessica might do if he were to die on this mission. She would likely be absolutely devastated by his passing and he didn't know how she would cope without him.

The only sound from a knight that could be heard was the voice of Sir Timothy who unfortunately was unlucky enough to have the great wolf slash at his arm. The wound was not fatal but it caused him some pain and would need to be treated as soon as they returned to Featherstone. He also had to move his shield from his much favoured right arm to his left arm. His cry had only lasted for a moment before he regained his composure and stayed in formation.

The knights still had the advantage as they moved towards the Great Wolf at a steady pace. Sir Tucker was able to keep up even though he was more or less having to walk backwards just so that he could keep his eyes fixated on the other side of the mine shaft. However the unit soon stopped and he heard the spears being thrusted forwards repeatedly and the howls of pain before there was a sudden thud and silence. He didn't need to be intelligent to know that the great wolf was dead.

However their work was not done yet. There was still plenty more of the mine to explore and there could be more great wolves inside. Slowly but surely the unit continued to move through the mine, each of them looked out for any kind of danger that might be lurking around the corner.

For the next couple of hours the knights explored the cave thoroughly but there were no sign of additional great wolves. It was then that they decided to leave and report their success back to Lady O'Hare. Each of them made their way back out of the mine and back into natural light. However the rain hadn't changed at all as it was still raining heavily. The horses that had been waiting were completely soaked and all they wanted to do was get back into the dry as soon as possible.

With their mission a success the knights mounted their horses and rode away back to Featherstone. Sir Tucker was able to get one of the knights to give him a ride back as well. The walk would have been long and with the rain it would have made it very uncomfortable for him as well. After travelling so long while being carried by a giantess had become his preferred form of travel.

The knights were happy with themselves after a job well done but Sir Timothy was still in some pain. He had tried to dress his wound but he still needed to see a healer before the wound became infected. If that were to happen he would likely lose his arm or worse, his life. He preferred to keep both his life and his arm intact and afterwards he would probably scold himself for not being careful enough.

After a few minutes of riding Featherstone came into view but the rain in their eyes was an annoyance for them. They had gotten away with some nice weather for a while so the rain was more or less expected. They were just glad that they didn't get as much rain as the Wetlands.

The Wetlands were quite far to the north and as the name suggested was one of the wettest places in Angleland. The amount of rain there was almost legendary and it was rumoured that it rained there every day although this was likely not the case. It was ruled by the Drinkwater family almost as long as recorded history and was even the source of the great River White which practically cut the entire kingdom in half.

However Sir Tucker's mind was not on the Wetlands but rather getting back into the castle and having a warm meal with Jessica sitting beside him. He did consider taking a bath but his hunger outweighed his need to bathe. He also knew that Jessica would likely give him an enormous hug, one so strong that he wouldn't have a chance to break out of it but instead just wait until she was done.

Sir Tucker almost expected there to be some kind of fanfare as they returned to Featherstone with their mission being a success. However as they rode inside there was no one there to give them praise for their achievement. Everyone had enough sense to stay indoors and out of the rain. Even if it were a bright and sunny day they probably would have still gone about their business rather than seeing to the knights' return.

It was only a couple more minutes after this that they eventually reached the castle and the horses were tended to by the stable boys. The horses were eager to get out of the rain and there were plenty of oats for them for them to eat as they watched the knights make their way inside of the castle. Each one was soaked through and one of them had even started sneezing as if he had caught a cold.

Almost as soon as Sir Tucker entered the castle he could see Jessica waiting there for him. She would have loved to pick him up and give him a big hug but she didn't want to make him look less like a man in front of the other knights. She was stronger than the average man but seeing a knight picked up by a woman was not something that was the norm. However if it were behind closed doors it would be a different story.

"Thank the gods that you're alright," said Jessica as she took a quick look over him. She couldn't see any injuries on his person. This was a great relief for her as she had started to fear the worst.

"Did you expect anything less from me?" replied Sir Tucker who acted like it wasn't that big of a deal. However when it came to Jessica everything was a big deal. "I am Sir Tucker the Constant if you remember."

"I certainly do good sir." She smiled down at him and although she knew that he was a capable knight now she knew that she would never stop worrying about him. Whenever he would go off on dangerous missions she would always worry about his safety. It was just something inside of her that prevented her from feeling relaxed about it. "Was it a difficult task?"

"Nah it was easy." He knew that it had been a somewhat difficult task but he just didn't want to worry his friend. "Those great wolves didn't stand a chance against six well trained knights working in unison. I even considered bringing one of the wolves back so that you could have a pelt."

"Oh." Her smile disappeared and she crossed her arms. She looked down at him and gave him a disappointed look. "You shouldn't really brag about things like that. They might have been animals and I know you had to remove them by any means necessary but you still shouldn't say things like that." She had never liked harming animals, even ones that were considered to be dangerous.

Before they could speak more a man walked passed who also carried a sigil of House O'Hare. He began to shout that all persons inside the castle were to travel to the hall since Lady O'Hare had an important announcement to make. This was for everyone ranging from the most glorious of knights all the way down to the lowest servant. Tardiness wasn't going to be acceptable.

Sir Tucker and Jessica had no idea what was happening but they did as they were told. They quickly made their way to the hall where they saw several other people waiting. However before anything happened they had to wait for everyone else to get there. This was only for a few minutes but eventually when everyone else was there they felt that the proceedings could begin. However there was one person who was missing, this was Lady O'Hare herself who remained absent.

However after a few moments Lady O'Hare did enter the hall however rather than wearing a nice dress instead she was in a full suit of armour that had been tailor made for her. She also wore a cape that had her family's sigil on but she didn't have her helmet on. She also carried her family's sword and she refused to have anyone else carry it. Her father had wanted it to go to a male heir but since he never had one it had gone to her and she would keep it until the end of her days.

Rather than sitting down on her seat she remained standing so that everyone could see her. She had butterflies in her stomach but she still stood strong in front of everyone and she knew that her words would be of great importance. It would determine the fate of not just the O'Hare name but for everyone who lived and worked in Featherstone for generations to come.

The silence that had fallen over the hall was almost absolute. Not a single sound could be heard as everyone waited eagerly for Lady O'Hare to speak. Her appearance had taken many by surprise but it demanded respect from all. Gone was the beauty that many had been expecting and she was replaced by a woman who seemed to be stepping into a war. There was much confusion but still not a word was spoken.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," said Lady O'Hare in a voice that was loud enough for everyone to hear. "On this day I bring you news that I did not wish to bring to you. As many of you know there are lands to the south of here that is rich in iron ore which have belonged to my family for years beyond count. What many of you might not know is that that Lord Sherringham of Willenhall claimed that those lands belonged to him, unfortunately the King in his infinite wisdom has decided to give those lands to Lord Sherringham. This is something that simply cannot be allowed. The O'Hares have owned that land longer than written history and I will be damned if I allow Lord Sherringham to take what rightful belongs to my family. The ore from that land can fund a better quality of life for all in my land and create jobs for those who need them."

For Sir Trucker this was not the news that he would have liked to have heard. From the sounds of it a war was about to begin and he felt that he and Jessica would be caught in the middle of it again. However there was a lot of chatter between everyone in the hall as they were coming to terms with what they had just been told. Sir Tucker felt that it was an opportunity to have a word with his friend.

"This doesn't look good Jessica," said Sir Tucker quietly as he looked up at Jessica. She was close to him so he didn't really have to grab her attention. "I have a feeling that this isn't going to go well."

"Can we do anything to stop this?" replied Jessica who disliked the idea that there might be a war coming.

"I think not, this seems to be out of our hands." He wanted to continue on but there was a loud banging sound which was a clear indication that silence was in order. Everyone looked back at Lady O'Hare who still had more to say.

"Believe me war was the last thing I would have wanted and my father taught me that diplomacy was the way. However this time diplomacy has failed and war is the only solution to this dispute. Many of you will call this as acting against the wishes of the King but I care not for his words. Call be a traitor, call me a rebel but the truth of the matter is that what rightfully belongs to my family is being taken away and I will not stand by and do nothing to stop it. Already I have called for my bannermen and soon we will have the army that we need to defend this land from those thieves and ensure that it remains exactly where it should be. For those of you who wish to leave no one will stop you however those that stay will be forever known as my most loyal of allies. Those who choose to leave may do but know that they will never be welcome again in Featherstone or any other land that is under my rule." She remained confident as she knew that if she showed any kind of weakness then she would lose everything that she had built."

Slowly a few people began to leave the hall as they wanted no part in this war. Sir Tucker began to think and he knew that if he left he would lose access to the location of Three Man's Treasure. There was a chance that he would be able to sneak in and retrieve the treasure but it was too great of a risk.

However as a fully anointed knight Sir Tucker knew that he would be forced to join the army and most likely placed on the front line. He had always thought about fighting on the battlefield but it had happened much sooner than he had expected. He also wouldn't have wanted Jessica to be anywhere near him but he feared that she would be drawn into it as well. He knew that she was a good person and he feared that war might corrupt her in some way and she would no longer the woman that he knew.

Over the course of the next few days a few thousand soldiers arrived to Featherstone. Most of them were camped just outside of the city but their commanders were inside speaking to Lady O'Hare herself. She was going over battle plans with them and she knew that it was going to be a difficult task. The Sherringhams had the crown on their side in this dispute so would likely receive some aid from them.

However she felt that superior tactics would win them the day. Already she was formulating the best strategy for the battle and she even considered marching her army on until she reached Willenhall. At first many of the commanders hadn't taken her seriously due to the fact that she was a woman but her battle sense and keen intellect put them in their place. Even though she was a young woman she spoke with the confidence and precision of a high lord. One even thought to question her credibility as a competent leader, this was met with a harsh threat to remove his head from the rest of his body. The commander kept quiet and reserved after this.

Already Lady O'Hare had sent out scout parties to spy on how many the Sherringhams would have in their army. She hoped that they wouldn't have an army and that they could be taken by surprise. However she knew that it was foolish to hope for such a thing since Lord Sherringham would not be such a fool. Despite her intelligence she knew not to underestimate the intelligence of her enemies. Such an action always led to trouble but she was still confident of victory.

There was one thing that Lady O'Hare was a little disappointed with and that was the fact that a few of the Lords had refused her call. One such Lord was Lord Tyrone Howlet who had plenty of men and was located not far from Featherstone. However since he had blood ties with the Royal Family he couldn't support someone who was actively going against the word of the king.

Since Sir Tucker was just a knight he had no part in these battle discussions but he was still within Featherstone. However they had been evicted from the castle since it was to house more important people. Lady O'Hare did allow them to stay in a large house nearby along with some other knights who were deemed too low to stay at the castle during this period of unrest.

Jessica wasn't allowed to stay in the house with the knights though. She remained in the castle and for now was helping the servants in the castle. It was a way for her to pay for herself and Sir Tucker's stay in the city. It would also keep her close to Lady O'Hare who still seemed to be amused by her size. Although she had seen three other women grow taller than Jessica she felt that she was naturally tall and thus a wonder of Angleland. Jessica had not told her about the potion that had saved her life as a baby but gave her this enormous body instead. Nor did she tell her about the fact that her full height was around one hundred and twenty feet. She felt that this was information that was best to keep out of Lady O'Hare's reach.

Jessica's arm was still in a cast but she knew that it wouldn't be long until her arm was fully healed and it could be removed. It was a great annoyance and she would have loved nothing more than to smash the cast off of her arm. Then she would be free to change size like she did before and be her truth self. Being this size for so long had made her feel a little antsy and she just wanted it off.

Jessica was walking through the corridors as she made her way to the main hall. That was where Lady O'Hare was located as she was still discussing her plans to the other commanders. As she entered she saw that Lady O'Hare was not in her seat but instead she and the other commanders were standing around a large table which had a map of the lands that were being disputed. There were many empty cups around the table that needed to be filled with water. Some of the commanders would have liked to have wine in their cups but Lady O'Hare wouldn't allow it. She wanted everyone to be at the top of their game and wine would only make things worse.

As Jessica poured water into their cups she could hear a few of them commenting over her height. It was something that she had gotten used to but she did feel one of them slap her buttocks. She would have loved nothing more than to strike him back but she knew that it would only lead her to trouble so she allowed it to slide for now. However she did look at the person responsible, he was a fairly old man with most of his teeth missing. She would remember his face and show him the error of his ways later.

Some of the other commanders who were there didn't seem to respect Lady O'Hare that much due to the fact that she was a woman. She had confronted this problem on more than one occasion since becoming the Lady of Featherstone and she would prove to her male counterparts that she was as competent if not more than those who were discussing at her table.

One of the commanders even outright told her that she was incompetent to lead such a force. In response Lady O'Hare had ordered his tongue be ripped out by hot pincers but just before the sentence was carried out she had decided to show a small amount of leniency. She had seen him begging to her not to go through with it and when he saw the hot pincers he had actually wetted himself. However by letting him off the hook she had not done it out of mercy, she had used him as an example to those who thought that she couldn't lead since she was a woman. The commander had been humiliated by his peers but he kept his tongue, she still had some use for him.

Jessica couldn't really hear what was being said as she made her way back to the kitchen. She hadn't been forced to be a cupbearer but she was beginning to regret her choice. However there was one good thing that had come from all of this and that was that she was able to work with Tamara again. The other maidens who had been victims of the potions were also working hard. Like Tamara they had all returned to normal soon after.

One thing that Jessica excelled in was her strength. There were a few times when there were objects that needed to be moved. It was a job that would take two people to achieve however when Jessica attempted them she was able to do it by herself. Even with her left arm still in its cast she was still able to outmuscle everyone else.

However she didn't do this to show off but simply to get the job done. To her the job was much like when she was back on her farm. She did miss her family and she wondered how they were doing without her being there to help. They were probably worried sick about their only child going out on such a dangerous quest, they had even tried to convince her not to go but she had wanted to simply to look out for Sir Tucker.

At the beginning of the quest she knew that Sir Tucker needed her protection but now she wasn't so sure. He had proved himself on numerous occasions that he was capable of looking after himself. However she knew that one day he would run into a situation that he wasn't capable of getting out of. That would be where she would step in to help him get himself out of trouble.

She also knew that he would always protect her in whatever way he could. He couldn't protect her physically but he could mentally. She didn't know what her life would be like without him, she could still remember playing all the games with him when they had been children.

One thing that her mind had drifted to was the kiss that they had experienced the week before. It had simply been a distraction but she had enjoyed it more than she would say. She would have loved nothing more than to carry him off to a bedroom and allowed him into her private parts. However she had kept herself composed and she still believed that they shouldn't have sex before they were married.

Inside the house Sir Tucker was sitting down and having a drink with the other knights. Some of the knights he already knew thanks to the fact that they had served together while taking out the great wolves. The other knights he had not met and some of them looked down at him. This was due to the fact that they were from prestigious families while he admitted that his family were blacksmiths. To them it was unusual for someone of a low birth rank to become a knight but it wasn't unheard of.

Despite the fact that they were likely going to war soon the knights were actually relaxed. They played card games with one another and told stories about past glories and women that they had bedded. When they asked Sir Tucker about the women that he had bedded he normally stayed silent and when they asked about women he was seeing he would only respond that his friend was someone that he could really look up to.

However during the games there was a dispute that broke out between two knights over a card game. One accused the other of cheating and it turned into a heated argument between the two. Eventually even swords were drawn and this was when the other knights decided to step in to make sure that it did escalate further.

Eventually it was decided that there would be a dual between the pair and the winner would be in the right. Normally a contest like this would be to the death but since Lady O'Hare wanted as many able knights as she could it was decided that tournament swords would be used. It would also be under tournament rules and would take place outside. It was raining slightly but still the duel went on regardless.

Sir Tucker was amongst the knights watching and in the rain he saw them square off against one another. There were a few heated words between them before the contest began and it continued on as they fought. One particular knight had even be nominated to be the judge of the contest which he was more than happy to do. Just as long as it meant that this matter would be put behind them. The other knights just wanted to see a good fight and already some were betting between one another.

The sound of sword striking shield was heard along with the cries of excitement from the other knights. Some were even cheering on each knight while Sir Tucker remained neutral in the contest and just watched like most of the others. He didn't know who either knight was and he hadn't witness the event that had caused the argument.

The contest continued on until eventually the accuser won the contest when he had been judged to have made a fatal blow. There was some disappointment from some of the knights as they were not too happy with the results. Whether they liked it or not the winner was decided and the contest was over.

Because the accused knight had lost he was forced to pay the victor and admit that he had been cheating in the game. Whether this was true or not didn't matter, the fact was that there was a winner and in the rules of the contest the winner was always in the right since the gods had sided with them.

With the contest over everyone else went back into the house to continue their socialising. Sir Tucker took a moment to look at the castle and think about Jessica before he too stepped back inside and out of the rain. The mood inside had calmed down now that the contest was over.

Sir Tucker sat down at a table and had a drink of ale to try and get himself ready for whatever might happen next. He expected some Lord to come by at any moment and tell them that it was time for them to march out. The thought of fighting in a battle was both exciting and terrifying for him. He had a real chance of glory but there was also a good chance that he would be killed as well. Some of the most famous and prestigious knights in history had fallen in the battlefield. Their moment of glory had gone hand in hand with their doom. Sir Tucker wanted the first part of that but the second part was something that he wasn't keen on doing.

One thing that was also on Sir Tucker's mind was the treasure that he felt was really close to becoming his. He only needed to wait until Jessica's arm healed properly before he could finally move on and claim it. He was still thinking about what he was going to do with all of that gold. He thought about buying a lord out of their land and then becoming a lord himself or maybe even buying one of the islands in the Prime Islands and setting up his own kingdom. One thing he knew was that he would never have to work again and the rest of his life would be in rest and relaxation.

After a short while Sir Tucker sat in at a small table with three other knights and they were talking to one another. Like Sir Tucker none of them were of particular noble birth so they felt that they were on the same level as one another.

Each of them had a large cup of ale and they were drinking it while they spoke. One knight was called Sir Gareth Garfield whose family had been carpenters until he had proven his worth and become a knight. The second was Sir Henry Stuart who had been more of a sparring partner for in-training knights before he too showed his worth. The final knight was Sir Roderick Martin who had actually paid a minor Lord to give him a knighthood. Although he was skilled with a blade he would not have become a knight without the bribe to let him become one. It was not the most honourable way to earn a knighthood but it had been enough to get the job done.

Each of the knights spoke about the ladies that were waiting for them upon their return. Sir Roderick and Sir Gareth both had wives at home while Sir Henry had someone that he had a keen eye on. Eventually the question was pointed at Sir Tucker who just had enough time to take a drink from his ale.

"So come on tell us," said Sir Gareth who seemed to be a little impatient with the young knight.

"Well there is someone who I would like to make mine," replied Sir Tucker as he struggled to pick the right words.

"So what is she like?" replied Sir Henry. "Is she a pretty one or does she have a face only a mother could love?"

"No she is very beautiful and tall, very, very tall. With hazel eyes that a man could lose himself in and with lowing locks of brown hair. Her lips are warm and yet soft to the touch." This caused the knights to giggle a little to one another which made Sir Tucker stop speaking for a moment.

"You don't need to become a poet on us." He laughed as he took a sip of his ale. "How tall is she anyway because once I met a maiden who was so tall that she had to duck under door frames. She was probably one of the ugliest women I've ever seen here and she had a voice that sounded like a man's."

"Are you sure that it wasn't a man in a dress?" replied Sir Roderick. "There are a few of those around."

"No believe me she was a woman, sadly she isn't with us any longer. Found out that not too long ago she died. No one really knows how, she just went to sleep and didn't wake up. That was a shame though because she was only young. Does your lady friend have to duck to get through doors?" He doubted that she would since this other woman had been the tallest woman he had ever seen.

"Yes she does need to duck through doors," replied Sir Tucker. What Sir Roderick had just said was somewhat worrying for Sir Tucker because he had always thought about Jessica's health even though there wasn't really anything for him to be concerned about. "In fact if she was here with us right now her head might hit the ceiling." This made Sir Gareth almost choke on his ale.

"Impossible," replied Sir Gareth as he regained his composure. "No maiden is that tall, are you sure?"

"Oh believe me I'm sure. She hit her head against the ceiling too many times for me to not think she was that tall." He left out the fact that she could grow even taller than that, for now it wasn't important.

There was a silence that fell across the table as the three other knights registered what they had just been told. They wanted to believe that Sir Tucker was just telling a tall tale but from the tone of his voice and his mannerisms they could tell that he was telling the truth. They never imagined seeing a woman who was that tall but if they were inside the castle they would have seen her working away.

"How do you expect to reach up and kiss such a maiden?" asked Sir Henry who was still in some disbelief.

"She bends down and kisses me." Rather than being in wonder the knights instead seemed to laugh at what he had just said. It was like he had just told them some kind of humorous joke.

"A maiden should never have to bend down to kiss a knight. It is why he should only be with maidens who are shorter than they are. A knight ducking down to kiss a maiden is perfectly normal but the other way around is just not right."

Sir Tucker did feel a little embarrassed but also a little angry with what was being said. He didn't care how much Jessica towered above him, she was still his best friend and he wouldn't think anything less of her or himself. He just let the knights have their laugh until they changed the subject and instead talked about the opponents they had fought during one on one contests.

This was where Sir Tucker did excel since he had been in a few one on one contests and had done surprisingly well in all of them. Sir Roderick mentioned how he had taken down some knight during a trial by combat. He described the ease of the contest and how his opponent had been quick to die. He felt no guilt over it though because it showed that his side of the argument had been the just side in the eyes of the gods.

Elsewhere Lady O'Hare had finished with her commanders and she was just about to relax for a moment until her scout party returned. The news that they had was not to her liking, it seemed that Lord Sherringham had also amassed his own army and was willing to fight to keep the mines that the King had decided was his.

Despite the news this was something that wasn't entirely unexpected. She would have thought much less of him if he had just given up the lands so quickly. She even saw this as her way of showing that she was the right leader for Featherstone and that her father would be proud if he were still alive to see this.

Lady O'Hare was inside her chambers and on a nearby table the four potions were still there. She looked at them for a moment and she thought that potion number four would be useful to her in battle. Potion number three would be useful if she was able to give it to her enemy stealthfully.

However such a thing would be a last resort. She had seen what had happened to the other maidens and she was cautious with them. They were extremely effective and too much of any of them would only spell trouble. Instead she decided to use them if all her other options had been exhausted.

On her wall was another tapestry but this one depicted herself with her late mother and father. She was only depicted as a young child in the tapestry but she still looked at it closely. She especially looked at her father and she wished that he was there to guide her, he had died young and she had inherited his lands and titles much younger than she would have liked to have been. She missed him every day but wishing he was there to guide her wouldn't help her. The truth of the matter was that he wasn't there for her now no matter how much she would have wanted it the other way. She and only her could steer Featherstone into a better tomorrow.

However with the information that she had just been given she knew that she had to do something to ensure her victory. She decided that her army would be fully mobilized and ready to move by dawn. She had one of the messengers tell each of the commanding officers and she began to look at the map that was going to be the battle field. This would be her first real battle and her first true chance to shine.

One advantage that she did have was the fact that her troops would have the high ground. The battlefield would be on a hill and she didn't wish for her troops to push forward any further than they needed to be. Her only objective was to secure the lands that were at the centre of the dispute and not any further. It would lead her troops into enemy territory and technically she would be invading another Lord's land.

However for the eve of battle it was normally customary for soldiers and commanders to have a night with a woman just in case they didn't make it out the next day. Lady O'Hare commanded a particular maiden named Emily to enter her chamber. This maiden was quite short, she only just about grew over five feet in height and she had raven black hair and the most beautiful face that Lady O'Hare had ever seen. She also had very large breasts which was one of the reasons why Lady O'Hare had taken such a liking to her.

"You summoned me my Lady?" asked Emily as she carefully entered the room. She knew that not many were allowed inside.

"Yes tomorrow I go to battle and I need something to ease my mind," replied Lady O'Hare. "I thought that you might help."

"I think that there is something that I could do." She turned to make sure that the door was closed before allowing her dress to drop onto the floor revealing her naked body. It was a magnificent sight for Lady O'Hare to see. She stood up from where she was sitting and stepped towards the naked woman.

"That would do very nicely." There was a smile on her face when she reached Emily. However she turned her back to the shorter woman but there was a good reason for this. "Do you mind if you undo my dress. I can't seem to do it myself." She was more than capable of doing it herself but it was a form of foreplay between the two women that they had done numerous times before.

"Of course my lady. Nothing would give me greater joy." She then pulled on the laces keeping up Lady O'Hare's dress. When they were undone the dress fell to the ground and the taller woman turned to her. Lady O'Hare had freckles on her body and it only added to her overall beauty. "Would you like me to take the lead tonight or would you prefer if you do the honours."

"I'll let you lead tonight. But be gentle with me, I had a rough time during my last sex session."

"As you wish my lady."

The two women moved to the bed and both were soon lost in pure bliss. Outside of this room Lady O'Hare was considered to be a very independent and capable woman. However inside of the room she was at the mercy of Emily who was below her in both height and social standings. This short woman could make her feel so many different feelings that she couldn't fully comprehend what she was feeling. All she knew was that she was happy but she knew that soon she would have to go back to reality.

It was before dawn and all the knights in the building were fast asleep. Many of them had gotten drunk the night before and they had also been enjoying some pleasurable company. However all were rudely awaken when a loud ringing noise caught them all by surprise. One or two of them even fell onto the floor from where they were sleeping and it had caused them a small amount of pain.

The ringing noise had originated from a bell that was being carried by Lord George Hastings. He was a minor Lord that had become one of the commanding officers of Lady O'Hare's army. He wasn't too pleased to be serving under a woman but he his family had sworn allegiance to the O'Hares many years ago and he was honour bound to follow them. He could see that she was more competent than many would have expected and he followed each of her commands.

Lord Hastings was not alone as he had a few other knights helping him with the task. It took less than a minute for everyone inside of the building to be awake. Many of them were unhappy with the rude awakening and were going to shout at the ones responsible. However when they saw Lord Hastings they all stood down.

Lord Hastings was a relatively tall man with a round belly and a thick red beard. Despite the fact that he looked fat he was easily one of the strongest men in Angleland. There were tales that he had never been defeated in a test of strength and that he had even been able stop a charging bull simply by standing his ground. All tales aside he was a sight to behold and he looked even larger thanks to the armour that he was wearing. The armoured covered everything from the neck down, he was in his forties but he still seemed capable enough to take down any opponent.

Within minutes each of the knights were standing outside. The sky was overcast and the sun had yet to rise, most of the knights would have loved nothing more than to have climbed back into bed but that time had passed. Even Sir Tucker was tired and he still hadn't wrapped his head around exactly what was happening.

"Alright you sorry lot!" shouted Lord Hastings. His voice was booming and could easily be heard by them. "Lady O'Hare has decided to move her army to the battlefield as soon as possible. You will all join the other soldiers on the outskirts of this fine city and march to the lands that rightfully belongs to her Ladyship. If I find that any of you are lagging behind I will personally stomp on your balls so hard that your voice will forever sound like that of a maiden!" He heard someone sniggering and this quickly caught his attention. He began to look around in an effort to find the culprit. "Who was that?" His voice was still loud and aggressive. He knew that he was talking to full-fledged knights but this didn't matter to him as he saw them as being below him.

At one point Lord Hastings even came right into Sir Tucker's face. He couldn't help but feel intimidated and it reminded him of a stern father who was about to punish his unruly son. He stared at Sir Tucker for a few moments before moving on. He wanted to punish the one who had sniggered but he didn't have the time. If the knights were not with the rest of the army soon Lady O'Hare would be upset with him. Instead he commanded them to make their way to the rest of the army and desertion would be punished by a swift execution. If there was one thing that Lord Hastings hated it was betrayal and he saw desertion as the ultimate betrayal a soldier could do.

Quickly the knights made their way through the deserted streets. There was no one around save for themselves. Sir Tucker did turn to look at the castle and he did consider going inside to say his farewell to Jessica but he knew that it could be taken as an act of desertion so instead he continued on.

The clouds above were not white clouds but instead were black. It looked as there was going to be some kind of storm heading their way and having rainfall on a battlefield could prove disastrous. Knights would get stuck in the mud thanks to their heavy armour and it would allow them to become easy targets. All they could do was pray to the gods that the weather would not get any worse.

However before Sir Tucker could even leave Featherstone he was called over to a nearby blacksmith by one of the commanding officers. As it turned out Lady O'Hare had determined that any knight who wore light armour had to have it replaced by heavy armour for the battle. Because of this Sir Tucker had a special suit of heavy armour made for him which he was more or less forced to put on.

To him it was very odd having this armour on since it felt heavy on him. Once or twice he had worn heavy armour but never for extended periods of time and more importantly he had never fought in such armour. He would have liked to have had some time to practice but with the battle so close this would be impossible.

However Sir Tucker did look like a knight which would be most associated in stories of old. In his full armour which included a helmet he looked the part of a brave knight who would save the princess in whatever danger she had found herself in. He wondered what Jessica would think if she saw him in the armour, he wasn't even sure that she would be able to recognise him. If he were to see her while wearing the armour he thought about pretending to be someone else before showing who he truly was.

Sir Tucker didn't have time to ponder this as he was hurried to the other soldiers that were all waiting. He was amazed at the sight of the army as he had never seen a real army like this before. They were mainly built up of peasants who had been trained with a weapon but there were numerous knights in there as well. The training that the peasants had been through had been extensive and they would be capable of defending themselves in battle and effectively following orders.

Much to most people's surprise they saw that Lady O'Hare was accompanying the army as well. She had decided that she wasn't going to be a leader that sat comfortably in a castle while her army fought for her. Like before she was also in heavy armour but unlike the soldiers she was on horseback. The horse had been her companion for many years and she considered it to be like a member of her own family rather than just an animal. She wouldn't have liked to have taken it to war but there was no other horse she trusted.

Now the army had the unenviable task of marching to the lands that were being disputed by Lady O'Hare and Lord Sherrigham. It was some miles and it was expected to take a full day before they even got there. For Sir Tucker this was worse than usual since his armour would make him tire out quicker. It made him wish that he had spent more time walking long distances during this quest rather than having Jessica carry him around. For now all he could do was endure.

Back in Featherstone Jessica was waking up and starting her day. She bathed herself thoroughly without the need to take off her dress. She did look at her cast and she knew that it wasn't long before she would have it removed and she could once again grow to her normal size.

One thing that Jessica wanted to do that morning was see Sir Tucker since they had not been able to see each other the previous day. However she was very sad to learn that he had left with the army a few hours before. This made her feel very anxious as she thought that she would never see him again. If she had time to have seen him one more time before he had gone off to war she thought that she would have given him a big kiss and make him promise that he would come back to her. Unfortunately there had been no opportunity to do this and thus all she could do was wait for his return.

Jessica did have a couple of tasks to complete around the castle. There were several large bags of wheat which were being brought into the castle's large pantry. The bags were extremely heavy and required two people to move them. However Jessica was easily able to move them by herself.

If both of Jessica's arms were fully healed it would be possible that she would have been able to take two bags of wheat with her at one time but unfortunately for now she could not. Even so many of the servants were amazed by her feats of strength but for her it was nothing that she wasn't already used to. She had done such jobs when she had been home at the farm. However rather than just being bags of wheat she had to move animals as well and equipment.

Jessica didn't really take any notice to those around her and just went on with her job. She was trying to keep her mind focused on the work rather than thinking about what could happen to Sir Tucker. She didn't need to be a genius to know that the battlefield was an extremely dangerous place and the countless people who had died on them. She just kept thinking to herself that Sir Tucker would return to her in one piece and then they could go and receive their treasure.

One person that Jessica did notice was Tamara who was working in the kitchens. Her body seemed to have had no ill effect of being at a giant size like that for an extended period of time. She also noticed a few of the other maidens who had been test subjects for her ladyship. Each of them were their original size and were more than glad about this. None of them had wanted to repeat the experience.

Eventually Tamara was able to wave over Jessica as they walked down a particularly long corridor. Jessica was carrying another bag of wheat but she was beginning to get tired of the constant carrying around. She had decided that she would take a quick rest after she had finished taking this bag. At first she hadn't noticed Tamara but when she heard her name called she realised what was happening. She was happy to see Tamara who picked up her pace so that she could catch up with the very tall girl. She felt very small in comparison to her.

"Hey Jessica wait up," said Tamara as she just about caught up with the much taller Jessica. "My legs aren't as long as they used to be." She was having to walk at a quicker pace just to keep up with her. "Is everything alright?"

"Not really," replied Jessica who continued to carry the bag of wheat. If she gave it to Tamara it would likely crush the poor girl.

"Why what's the matter?"

"My friend went off to war today and I fear that he won't come back alive. Worse still he didn't come to me to say goodbye. He just up and went without even giving a thought about how I would feel."

"Do you think that maybe he couldn't tell you. Believe me I would want nothing more than to think that he would have done everything to see you but sometimes that's just not possible. I'm sure that he's thinking about you right now."

"I hope so too but still I worry that he is marching to his doom. Can you think of any battles where there were no casualties because I certainly can't."

"All you can do is pray to the gods for his safe return besides I'm pretty sure that he and the rest of the army will be victorious. I remember hearing her ladyship saying that she had some tricks up her sleeve. I don't know exactly what she's planning but I'm sure it'll benefit the troops."

"Maybe but I should still be there looking over him. When I'm at my full size practically nothing can stop me." She wanted to believe that she was invincible but she knew that wasn't the case. If she were t face an entire army she knew that she won't last very long but she would have plenty of fight in her.

"I'm sorry I keep forgetting that you can grow even larger, although I haven't seen you do it yet."

"Believe when this damn cast is off my arm I can show you just how large I can become. I could probably be taller than this castle."

"Really? Oh I forgot to ask, how did you break your arm in the first place?"

"I fell over a hill."

"Yeah right..." She thought that Jessica was joking but when she saw the look that the taller woman was giving her she could see that she was serious. "Oh my, you're serious. You can become that big?"

"Not in the way that you imagine but yeah pretty big." Eventually they came to a fork in the corridor. Jessica's duties would take her one way while Tamara's would take her another route. "I'll see you later."

"Ok if you need to talk you know where I'll be."

The two women parted ways and Jessica just continued on with her work. She walked by a few people and she saw them briefly looking at her before she walked by. She would ignore them and just keep her mind focused on the job at hand. However she was finding this more and more difficult.

Miles away Sir Tucker was still marching with the rest of the army. Unfortunately the weather had turned against them as it began to rain. It wasn't too heavy and was more of an annoyance rather than anything else. There had been some talk between the soldiers as they marched and a few of them were mentioning about a secret weapon which was located at the back of the army.

The secret weapon was being pulled by horses which each pulled a weapon. There was roughly two dozen of these so call secret weapons and only a handful of soldiers had been specially trained to operate them. No one could really imagine what this weapon is but Lady O'Hare said that it was something that would revolutionise warfare.

For now Sir Tucker was just left to his own imagination as he continued to walk but eventually they were permitted to rest and some food was passed around to the various soldiers. A tent was erected for Lady O'Hare and the other commanding officers so that they didn't have to be in the rain. They could dine there in peace and also continue to go over strategy amongst one another.

Lady O'Hare was confident of victory because of her secret weapon and the fact that the battle would be on a hill. The high ground would give them a clear advantage over Lord Sherringham's army but she didn't think that he would be foolish enough to try and attack her while she had the high ground. However she already had an idea of how she could still deliver a decisive blow. She had plenty of archers in her body but she felt that she had something more effective than archers.

She could already taste victory but she knew by allowing this to go any further she might be encouraging the wrath of the king. He had decreed that the land belonged to Lord Sherringham but she would fight for them nonetheless. If the King did send his own army to try and defeat hers she still thought that she would be victorious. However all of this depended first on victory against the Sherringhams.

The group had received news from their scouts. They had counted the Sherringams at five thousand strong while their army counted around seven. The armies were small but if worse came to worse she would recruit more men and with additional time she thought that she would be able to get the numbers needed to fight a larger army. Her army did have a numbers advantage but she wanted to save as many of her troops as she could. She considered just pounding the other army into submission.

The other soldiers didn't have the same mentality as their ladyship. They just wanted to get the battle done with so that they could go back home to their families and loved ones. The last thing they were considering was continually fighting one battle after another. It wasn't something that they were really considering and instead they just concentrated on the here and now.

Sir Tucker was sitting down on the wet ground and eating some bread that had been handed to him. The bread was not the best that he had tasted but it would do for now, it did remind him a little of Jessica's cooking as she tried her best but the gods had not blessed her with the talents of cooking.

He looked and he could see some of the other soldiers laughing and joking amongst themselves. Some of them saw the battle as more of a game than anything else, they wanted glory and a decent story to tell their grandchildren many years from now. However Sir Tucker was not so joyful in the idea of battle, he just hoped that they could achieve victory with minimum casualties.

Eventually the army was commanded to continue moving forwards much to their annoyance. Nevertheless they each got up from where they were sitting and continued walking. Some of them had felt that they hadn't been given long enough to sufficiently rest but none of them had taken this issue up with Lady O'Hare. They all knew what would happen if they did so they just did as they were told and kept moving.

At the back of the army Lady O'Hare was riding her noble steed and she was happy with the army that she had amassed. However her joy was broken when one of her commanding officers, rode up beside her. He was Lord Alan Spice who was middle-aged and had been involved in a battle or two himself. However they had been for the king against bandits and raiders, never had he done anything like this and although he didn't want to admit it he was getting cold feet.

"My Lady may I have a word?" asked Lord Spice as he arrived at Lady O'Hare's side. If they stood right next to one another she would have been around an inch taller than him but there seemed to be no difference at this moment.

"What is on your mind Lord Spice?" replied Lady O'Hare as she didn't even look at him as she spoke.

"Do you really think that this is a good idea? They're just a few mines and the wealth that would be lost is not that big of a deal. You will still make a decent amount of gold from the iron that you sell."

"Gold is not the point of this." Her words were still stern and although gold did have some importance it was only secondary. "The point is that lands that rightfully belong to my family is being stolen."

"Will you not reconsider?"

"Until those lands belong to my family again I will not reconsider. I don't care if the king sends his entire army, I will fight every last one of them until my last breath. For every one of our soldiers that fall in battle we will destroy ten of theirs."

"I-I..." He tried to say something that he hope would make her reconsider but he could see that nothing he said would change her mind. All he could do was give her a little bow and ride away from her.

Lady O'Hare continued to focus forward as they were getting closer to the disputed mines. From the information that she had been given she was confident that they would reach their destination before the Sherringham army so they would have some time to place defences and gain a larger advantage.

Just ahead of her were numerous horses which were pulling the secret weapons that had been in development. She couldn't wait to unleash them on the battle field and she would view the destruction and devastation they would cause. Even a castle wall could be destroyed with this weapon and she could only imagine what it could do to a man in armour. She doubted anyone could survive being struck by it.

For many more hours the army marched as the rain continued to come down. It never truly poured down but it was still causing a few problems from the army. The wet mud caused a few of them to get stuck for a moment before they could free themselves. Many of them had wet feet and they felt cold with the wind blowing in their faces. Even though it was still spring the weather was cool and to many of the soldiers it almost felt like it was winter weather. At least they didn't have to worry about snow since that would be practically disastrous for them.

Just as night began to fall the army was called to a halt. Thankfully for them they had reached their destination and so they began to make camp. Unlike when they had stopped for a rest enough tents were being raised to house all the soldiers. However the tents were very basic and didn't have much to offer except some shelter and resistance from the wind. The best tents were reserved for the high borns. No matter how much some disagreed with this it was the way it always had been.

Eventually the rain and wind died down and some of them even went as far as to try and cook some of the rations that they had been given. They were even lucky enough to receive some meat along with their rations which were being cooked over many fires that they had built themselves.

Some of the knights even sat in the nearby mines to eat although since night had fallen it was very hard to see. Nevertheless there was still some joy between the soldiers as they prepared for the upcoming battle. From the information that they had been given it seemed like they were certain for victory.

In the distance some of the lookouts could see the distinct light of torches in the distance. It seemed like the Sherringham army had finally arrived. However there was something that caused them some worry, there were a lot more torchlights than they had originally thought and within a few minutes they realised that the information that they had been brought was incorrect.

Before the scouts had reported that the Sherringham army was only made up of a few thousand. However now it seemed like their numbers were triple that of Lady O'Hare's army. Almost immediately one of the scouts had gone to report this to her ladyship who was just preparing for bed. However when the news reached her she saw fit to look for herself, much to her horror she could see that what she had been told was no mistake. In the darkness she could see the torchlight of the opposing army.

However she could also hear the opposing army hurling insults at her forces. There were even some insults directed to her personally. She was not amused by these comments and she would have wanted her troops to have attacked immediately. However she knew that her men were tired and fighting at night was not the most sound of strategies. Instead she knew that the battle would start in the morning but before then it seemed like there was a lot of planning to do.

Word also began to reach the other soldiers and their morale began to take a dive. Their confidence seemed to evaporate in an instant, their thoughts of an impending victory instead went to one of impending doom. There were even talks between a few of the soldiers about deserting, it would be dishonourable and lead to their executions but they at least would like a little longer than if they stayed.

However some of the commanding officers caught wind of these plans and put an end to them before anyone even attempted to leave. They were reminded of their duty and the fact that they were going to be fighting defensively. They were also reminded that the greater numbers didn't always win battles.

One thing that Lady O'Hare's forces still had going for them was the fact that they had the high ground. Even so the odds of victory seemed to be low and even Lady O'Hare was contemplating allowing the Sherringhams to have the land. However these thoughts were dashed when she thought about her family. In her mind these lands rightfully belonged to them and that only an O'Hare can lay claim to them.

Upon the morning one rider from each army rode out to the middle ground which separated both armies. These riders were not random people but the leaders of the armies. Lady O'Hare rode out and she could a horse carrying Lord Sherringham riding towards her. Like her he was in full armour but neither of them were carrying weapons. It was an offense to the Gods to try and strike down an enemy when they had come simply to talk. Both of their armies stayed put and at no point did any of them attempt to march forward without some kind of command from their Lord or Lady.

Lord Sherringham looked to be quite a tall man but his actual appearance was protected by the armour that he wore. However when he did reach Lady O'Hare he took off his helmet so that she could see that it was him and not some kind of decoy. He was a man in his fifties with short black hair that began to turn grey. He had some stubble on his face indicating that it had been a few days since he had last shaved.

"Greetings my Lady," said Lord Sherringham as he stopped his horse. Lady O'Hare wasn't wearing her helmet either so he could see that it was clearly her.

"My Lord," replied Lady Sherringham who felt that it was best to reply in the same manner that he had addressed her.

"It's not really a nice day to have a battle. I think your soldiers would prefer to be inside and trying to find gold at the bottom of an ale mug."

"My soldiers will leave but only when you rescind your claim to this land. You know that this land has belonged to my family for centuries."

"You know that won't happen. The King has stated that this land belongs to my family. I implore you to see reason here my Lady. You are going against the words of your king and your forces are significantly outnumbered. Do you think your soldiers are willing die for a worthless cause?"

"They will fight to the last man if need be. My men are better equipped than yours and we have the high ground. I am giving you this last chance to stand down before we do something that we will later regret."

"It seems that we have come to an impasse my Lady. All I can say that I hope that you survive the battle."

"As do I my Lord. I will see you again once this battle has ended."

With that both returned to their armies and it seemed more than ever that the battle was going to go ahead. However many feared that they would not survive and already many had started praying to the Gods. They hoped that their prayers would be answered or the Gods might have turned their backs on them.

The two armies stood exactly where they were and they waited for the other to make the first move. The sky was overcast and it seemed like it would rain at any moment, but even if it were glorious sunshine it wouldn't make the grounds any less seem like it was going to be a killing field.

Under the command of Lord Hastings Sir Tucker found himself in the second row of the vanguard. It was not his preferred position as he knew that not many would normally survive the vanguard. However he stood firm and he just waited for the next command like everyone else in the army.

Since neither army had taken the initiative Lady O'Hare decided that she would make the first move. She commanded her secret weapons be brought to the front of the soldiers. It took a few minutes for such an action to successfully take place. Half a dozen of these secret weapons were pulled up by the horses but they were still covered up in large pieces of cloth. It was only when specially trained soldiers pulled them off that anyone could see what they actually were.

These secret weapons were large metal objects with wheels. Each was extremely heavy but it looked to be a long tube with a hole at one end and a fuse at another. The trained soldiers placed gunpowder into the bottom of the weapon and then with some effort slide a large metal sphere into the weapon as well.

When commanded these soldiers lit the fuse and within seconds these spheres fired at an unbelievable speed towards Lord Sherringham's forces. There was a loud bang when the spheres were fired but they were nothing in comparison to what the soldiers felt that found themselves in the path of these spheres.

The soldiers stood little chance as the spheres caused severe blunt force trauma too their bodies and their deathly cries rang throughout the entire battlefield. Such a weapon had never been seen in Angleland before and Lady O'Hare had felt it fit to name these weapons Cannons.

The shock of Lord Sherringham's army was almost absolute as they couldn't believe what they had just seen. In the blink of an eye they had lost around a dozen and a half soldiers with just one attack from these cannons. It was almost like Lady O'Hare had created a weapon that was could even make the gods shudder.

However Lord Sherringham's forces recovered from their shock and although they had lost some of their men it was practically nothing in comparison to how many remained. They were ordered to charge and the soldiers did what they were commanded. Soon the battlefield rung out with the sound of thousands of men charging towards their enemies.

Lady O'Hare's forces remained strong and the cannons were able to fire another wave at the opposing army. They were able to take some more down before the cannons were commanded to be brought back so that they didn't fall into enemy hands. It was now up to the front rows to defend their position.

Quickly Lady O'Hare's soldiers brought their shields up in front of them as to defend themselves from the attack. Many were scared but they still held and Sir Tucker was amongst these men. He knew that he was going to leave this battle either with glory all around him or his cold corpse in the mud.

There was an almighty bang as the swords and shields of the opposing forces met and the cries of pain and death could be heard. However Lady O'Hare's forces were not moving back as they had the high ground. It was much easier to keep their opponents at bay and the bodies began to pile up.

For Sir Tucker the soldier in front of him was cut down. He quickly moved forwards to take his place and he saw an enemy lunge towards him with his sword. Sir Tucker was able to block the strike and quickly he responded with a stab right into his enemy's gut. The man cried out in pain before falling to the ground and he was completely motionless as life faded from his body.

After such an act Sir Tucker felt a little odd. This was the first man that he had killed and most knights would tell fascinating stories about their first kill. They made it sound like it was a glorious act that was worth remembering. For Sir Tucker it wasn't what he had expected, he could hear the dead man release his bowels and the smell that came after was not pleasant. It was something that was left out of the songs and tales but the pride that many would expect just wasn't there for him. If anything he felt bad about the soldier that he had just killed, everything that he had done up to this point mattered no more. This soldier could have been someone's husband or father. His family probably depended on him to bring them income to live on.

However before Sir Tucker could finish thinking another solider came straight towards him and quickly he lifted his shield to block the blow. Rather than stabbing the soldier he pushed him back. However this was only a temporary solution as the two more soldiers darted forwards. Sir Tucker had to defend himself to the best of his ability and it seemed like he would have more than one kill today much to his disappointment.

The rest of the line seemed to be holding up against the oncoming wave after wave of attacks from Lord Sherringham's army. They had to make their way up the hill towards Lady O'Hare's army and it was almost too easy to keep them from climbing any higher. Gravity did most of the work for them when a simple knock would send them tumbling down even further.

Towards the back of Lady O'Hare's army she had hundreds of archers and she gave them the command to fire a volley of arrows at the opposing army. Each archer fired an arrow into the air that went over the heads of their own soldiers and then fell down onto the opposing soldiers at the bottom of the hill. Numerous were taken down by these arrows although some were able to get their shields up in time to block the arrows. Those that were not fortunate enough were either wounded or worse.

The battle seemed to be going one way as Lord Sherringham had lost numerous men while Lady O'Hare's losses had been minimal. Lord Sherringham could see that if this kept up he would surely lose the battle. However he was not willing to admit defeat yet, he still had a few ideas in mind.

Like Lady O'Hare he had also brought his own weapons to the battlefield beyond swords and shields. He had a team of archers but he couldn't risk using them in case they took down their own men by mistake. Instead he had brought a few catapults with him that were ready to fire. He had around four of them and while three of them carried large rocks while the final one held a couple of barrels of hay that had been set alight.

On Lord Sherringham's command these catapults were fired and they had more than enough power in them to make the distance to the top of the hill where Lady O'Hare's army was located. Sir Tucker saw one of the large rocks fly over his head and land on a couple of soldiers behind him. He could hear the awful sound of bones being crushed as the large boulder like rocks came down on the soldiers. They stood little change and he was just glad that their ends had been quick.

Lady O'Hare was not happy with what she had seen. Contrary to what many believed she didn't want to see her soldiers getting harmed and she wanted to bring back as many as she could. She commanded her archers to fire another volley of arrows at Lord Sherringham's forces. She also wanted to use the cannons again but she was waiting for the right opportunity when it didn't put her own forces at risk.

Many would have commanded their forces to charge but not Lady O'Hare. Defence was her main concern and as long as her forces had the high ground she thought that she couldn't lose. She would just have to wear down Lord Sherringham's army until she could finally make them surrender.

Sir Tucker was still in the thick of the mayhem and he was having to fend himself from wave after wave of enemies who came lunging at him as if they had gone berserk. His shield was taking a real pounding and it was beginning to hurt his arm. More than once he slashed at his enemies more as a way of making them back off rather than trying to cause them serious harm.

However a couple of times he did have to thrust Juggernaut right into the chest of his enemy. This was normally a fatal blow but before he could check he would have to be fending off someone else. There was only one word that he could describe the battle and that was chaos.

Eventually he did feel something wet strike his body. It was small at first but a couple of moments later he felt more of it and he realised that it had begun to rain. However rather than it just being a drizzle it became a torrential downpour. The rain made it hard to see properly and any fire based weapons were more or less useless.

Also moving around became incredibly difficult as the mud just absorbed the water and became incredibly slippery. One soldier was even unfortunate enough to slip over in the mud and before he could pick himself back up he was stabbed in the chest by an enemy and died where he fell.

However the rain actually proved to be an advantage to Lady O'Hare as it meant that Lord Sherringham's army couldn't make their way up the hill. The mud had become far too slippery for anyone to even hope to get up. This gave Lady O'Hare's forces a respite but they still didn't have much defence against the catapults that were still throwing large boulders up the hill.

Lady O'Hare commanded her cannons to be brought to the front again and they fired towards the opposing army. However rather than targeting the soldiers they instead fired at the catapults. The cannons were much quicker to reload and fire in comparison to the catapults and they had better aim. The first wave of firing was able to take down half of the catapults while the final ones were destroyed in subsequent waves.

Lord Sherringham could now see that he was at a disadvantage. His catapults had been destroyed and none of his men had a decent foothold on top of the hill. His soldiers that had reached the top of the hill had either been killed for forced to retreat. To him a neither army had really moved from their original positions but all that was different was the fact that both had lost valuable men.

With the action of the battle being suspended it allowed Sir Tucker and several of the other soldiers to take a deep breath. The wounded were being tended to and any injured enemy soldier was either taken prisoner or killed if their injuries were too severe. Their losses had been low in comparison to that of Lord Sherringham's army. Their forces were still fresh and there was a distinct feeling that victory was almost assured.

However Lady O'Hare wouldn't allow herself or anyone else to get overconfident. She knew that overconfidence led to arrogance which then led to mistakes being made. The last thing she wanted to do was to throw away a victory due to overconfidence.

One thing that she did think about was ordering her men to charge but she still didn't want to give up the high ground. She also knew about the condition of the hill slope and she definitely thought it was wise to have her forces remain where they were. For the moment it seemed like the battle was going to be a stalemate.

The rain continued to pour heavily and the battlefield continued to turn into a mud bath. It was becoming very difficult to even light a foot out of the mud and it seemed like it was going to be impossible for anyone to really move around properly. Any truly wise leader would have ended the battle right there and then but neither wanted to admit defeat since they knew what they would lose.

The distance however helped Lady O'Hare more than Lord Sherringham as she commanded her cannons to be reloaded. She figured that she could either pound the other army into submission or force them to make an unwise move. Either way she saw that she had a definite advantage.

However it was difficult to move the cannons into position thanks to the mud that everyone was practically now swimming in. Unfortunately one of the cannons did get stuck in the mud and couldn't be moved into position. Despite this setback Lady O'Hare still felt that she had what she needed.

Repeatedly the cannons fired at the opposing army and each shot killed at least one opposing soldier. It was causing a small state of panic within Lord Sherringham's forces but he did command for a volley of arrows. However this was not very successful as Lady O'Hare's forces still had the high ground and many of the soldiers were able to raise their shields up before arrows impacted.

Sir Tucker was using his shield to protect himself and he didn't notice that there was another soldier right next to him doing the same thing. It wasn't worth noticing for him until the other soldier signalled him. This was the only time when Sir Tucker could really acknowledge that he was there.

"How many have you got?" asked the soldier. He was a young man who looked to be younger than Sir Tucker. It was surprising for him that the soldier would even try to talk to him during this time.

"How many what?" replied Sir Tucker as the arrows still rained down. He could hear a few of them deflecting off his shield. He shuddered to think exactly how many were currently coming down on them.

"Kills have you got? I've got four so far and before this battle is done I'm going to have at least ten more."

"This is neither the time or the place for such a question. If you haven't noticed we're still in a battle and it could very easily turn. Concentrate on the task at hand and maybe you'll survive this."

"Yeah right we've got them beat." Unfortunately he wasn't concentrating on what he was doing and because of this he didn't properly protect himself from an arrow that came down and struck him right in the leg. He gave out a cry of pain as he felt it pierce the light armour that he was wearing and go into his flesh. Quickly he dropped his shield and fell to the ground. His screams only lasted for a few moments as more arrows came down upon him. One went straight into his eye and that was the end of him.

Sir Tucker looked at the body for a moment and it made him realise that just one moment of relaxation in battle could lead to death. For this reason he knew that he needed to focus on the task at hand or else he would end up like the soldier.

The rain still came down hard and it became harder to light the fuse for the cannons. The rain would put it out before they could be fired and for those operating the cannons it was annoying for them. However for Lady O'Hare it was a bigger problem, if she couldn't use the cannons then she would be losing one of her main advantages on the battlefield. However she still thought that it wouldn't be decisive.

Eventually Lord Hastings made his way towards Lady O'Hare. She was at the back of the army but she had a clear view of what was going on. She was getting wet but she didn't care as long as she could see what was taking place. She also had a couple of her most dedicated knights watching over her. She didn't notice Lord Hastings arrival for a few moments but she did appreciate him being there.

"My Lady what are your commands?" asked Lord Hastings. "If we keep this up no one will win today."

"You're right," replied Lady O'Hare. She didn't want to admit it but she couldn't see the battle ending well for either army at this point in time. She thought that Lord Sherringham was going to have some form of reinforcements on their way. For her this was all that she had and if she lost this army she would lose these lands and maybe worse. "How many have we lost so far?"

"I've counted around two hundred now my lady but I could be mistaken. Lord Sherringham's forces have lost more but they can afford to lose some men. Do you have any plans my Lady?"

"Yes I have one but it'll be risky." She gave a sigh. "If I am to fall in battle you will be the Lord of Featherstone. I beg of you to keep the memory of my family intact for future generations to cherish.

"My Lady?" He was confused by her request, he already had his own seat but he was afraid that she might be going on some kind of suicide mission. He watched as she climbed down off of her horse and picked up a small vial from a pouch. She almost slipped over in the mud but she kept her balance with grace.

Carefully she made her way towards the front of the army. Many of her soldiers stepped aside to allow her to pass. Many of them said 'My Lady' as she went on by and she was courteous enough to acknowledge them. It took her a few minutes to reach the front of the army and she was thankful that there had been no volley of arrows as she had travelled. Although she knew that her soldiers would protect her nonetheless if she had needed it. There was an unusual calm in the air.

When Lady O'Hare looked over at the opposing army she could still see that despite their losses they still had her forces decently outnumbered. She held onto the vial in her hand and she thought that there was one more opportunity for peace before she did what she felt that she needed to do.

"Lord Sherringham withdraw your forces right now or else I will have no choice but to destroy your forces," shouted Lady O'Hare. She hoped that it would reach the ears of Lord Sherringham but she found this to be unlikely. All she heard from response was a laugh from many of his soldiers.

Now she could see that there truly was no peaceful end to this battle and she took a deep breath. She uncorked the vial and drank most of its contents before placing the vial in her pocket again. No one noticed the vial fill up almost as soon as she had finished drinking it, she had not wanted to use it but now she felt no choice.

Lady O'Hare felt the odd sensation run throughout her body and she could see that her feet were beginning to expand. This was exactly what she had expected and now she just waited for the full effects of the potion to take effect.

Much like Tamara before her Lady O'Hare grew in sections as first her feet grew, then her hands, then her arms, then her legs, then her torso and finishing off with her head. Unlike Tamara however Lady O'Hare was much bigger since she had drank more of the potion. She stood as tall as Jessica at her full size and she could enlarge herself even further if she needed to.

The sight of the now gigantic Lady O'Hare was more than a little intimidating for Lord Sherringham's forces. A wave of both surprise and terror overtook them as they could now see that there was a very large and annoyed giantess looking down upon them. Even her own forces were somewhat intimidated by seeing their commander-in-chief grow to such a height. Many of them were just thankful that she was on their side.

For Sir Tucker his fears seemed to be realised. He had hoped that Lady O'Hare wouldn't use the potion but it looked like he was wrong. He had no idea what this would mean now for him but he knew that it wasn't going to go down well. He could only hope that chaos didn't ensue from this event.

What was surprising to most was the fact that Lady O'Hare's armour had grown alongside her. The sword that she was carrying had also grown with her along with any other items that she had in her possession before she had grown. She was truly a sight to behold by all on the battlefield.

For the first few moments Lady O'Hare was having to adjust to the fact that she had gone from being almost six feet tall to well over a hundred in the space of a few seconds. She couldn't get over the fact that everything looked so small now. He mighty army that was in front of her didn't look to be as intimidating as it had just a few moments before. She could see that they were afraid of her and this was exactly what she wanted.

"Charge!" shouted Lady O'Hare and she began to run down the hill as fast as her extremely long legs could carry her. At her size the mud didn't seem to be a problem, she felt more powerful than she ever had before.

As she ran towards Lord Sherringham's forces she could hear her own troops behind her but they didn't have a hope of keeping up with her. She also heard someone in Lord Sherringham's army shout the word 'fire'. This was soon followed another volley of arrows that were directed straight at Lady O'Hare herself. She was a large enough target for the archers but much to their horror their arrows did no damage to her at all. Her armour was more than strong enough to deflect the arrows. The only part of her body which was not protected was her face but none of the arrows reached high enough to strike it. Even if they did strike they wouldn't have done much damage unless one had gone into her eye. However all this did was annoy her.

Within moments she reached where the army was stationed and many of the soldiers were met with a strong kick that sent them flying into the air. This caused panic throughout the ranks as they saw the mighty giantess attacking them. Some of them tried to defend themselves by striking at her feet and ankles but again their swords couldn't penetrate the armour that she was wearing. For their efforts most of them were struck by her gigantic foot and were either killed or badly injured.

It took a few seconds for the rest of Lady O'Hare's army to make their way down the hill and engage the other soldiers that were right in front of them. Lady O'Hare was watching where she put her feet and she ensured that she didn't accidentally crush any of her own men. She just casually walked towards the back of the army where she knew Lord Sherringham was located. She was walking through the army and many soldiers tried to get out of the way when her feet came down. However some were not lucky enough and found themselves crushed under her giant armoured foot.

Eventually she could see Lord Sherringham on his horse and he looked awestruck at her. This only lasted for a few moments as he turned his horse and went to retreat but before he could Lady O'Hare picked him off his horse and lifted him into the air. Although he was terrified he didn't show it. Instead he seemed to remain calm even though he thought that this was going to be the last few moments of his life.

"Lord Sherringham," said Lady O'Hare. Despite the fact that she had her enemy in her hand she did remain calm as well. "Funny you don't seem to be as big as I remembered. Funny isn't it."

"Indeed it is," replied Lord Sherringham who thought that humouring her was needed for that statement.

"I think that you know where this is going. This battle is over, these lands belong to me and my family and if you don't agree then we can see if you can survive such a fall as this. Contrary to what you think I don't want to see you hurt but I am willing to if I have to. Now surrender and the rest of your army can return to Willenhall in one piece. Refuse and I will ensure that your army and your keep are destroyed. To tell you the truth from my prospective it seems like an easy choice."

"You make it sound easy."

"That's because it is. Surrender and leave defeated but alive. Keep fighting and you'll be defeated anyway but you'll be dead. The choice is yours."

Lady O'Hare couldn't get over how small Lord Sherringham seemed in her hand. She knew that she could easily drop him to his death and then crush the rest of his army. However she still wanted to end this battle without any further bloodshed. She watched as he made up her mind and he looked in her gigantic green eyes. At this size her freckles were more obvious for him to see.

"After much consideration I have decided that it I will surrender my forces," said Lord Sherringham with some reluctance in his voice. However with everything he had been facing he felt that he was making the right choice. You have won this day my lady."

"I thank you for seeing reason my Lord. Despite your defeat this day I do not wish any ill will on you. You and your army will be allowed to return home but these lands belong to me and my family until the end of days." She then turned to see the carnage that was taking place all around her. She needed this to stop as soon as possible to ensure the most amount of survivors. "Everybody listen up!" Her voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone. "Lord Sherringham has surrendered, all of his men are to lay down your arms right now or else you will answer to me! All of you are permitted to return home but your swords will remain where you drop them. You may remove your dead and wounded, my men will not stop you. There is no shame in defeat this day, you were defeated before you started. At least now you can return to your loved ones and tell them the tales of this day."

One by one Lord Sherringham's men dropped their swords as they could see that they couldn't win. Their commander had surrendered so there was no need to fight anymore. Lady O'Hare's men began to cheer as they had just won a decisive and impressive battle. They had lost a few men along the way but with victory assured they could stop fighting and acknowledge their victory.

Sir Tucker didn't celebrate with his comrades. He knew that although they had been victorious today that things might be very different. They had gone against the word of the King and he might come for their heads. He planned to get as far away from Featherstone as he could with Jessica before the King decided what to do. But he also considered what the King could do? He was looking up at the gigantic Lady O'Hare who still held the seemingly tiny Lord Sherringham in her hand. He was in no real danger but he didn't know if anyone could harm her and if she ran into trouble she could just make herself even bigger. This scared him more than anything else, at least with Jessica he knew that she had a big heart but he wasn't so sure about Lady O'Hare. She had shown to be a capable leader but he didn't know what would happen if she was face someone like the King of Angleland. If such a confrontation were to take place he hoped that he wouldn't be there to witness it. Instead he would be living a better life as the richest man in Angleland.

With victory achieved on the battlefield Lady O'Hare's troops made their way back to Featherstone. Lord Sherringham's forces had done the same, they were defeated but alive. However they had lost all of their swords which had been picked up by Lady O'Hare's forces upon her command. Many were still celebrating their victory and it was obvious that there was going to be a large celebration upon their return.

Lady O'Hare still stood as tall as Jessica at her full height and she was finding the trek back to Featherstone much shorter than she had thought previously. However she needed to slow her pace so that her army could keep up with her. She also made sure that she didn't step on anyone. She had been gigantic for a couple of hours but she wouldn't return to normal until the following day. She could hear a couple of people trying to talk to her but right now they were below her notice.

One thing that she did notice was the fact that the rain had stopped much to her joy. She didn't want to walk in the rain, her gigantic metal glad feet were already sinking into the ground with each step she took. She also felt that she had overdone it a little, she thought that she had made herself too big. If she had been half of her size she thought that the results would have been the same, now she knew that she was stuck like this until the potion worked its way out of her system.

Sir Tucker walked along with the army but he still was not in a celebratory mood. He had killed during the battle and he felt terrible about what he had done. Although it had been in the heat of battle he had still thought that it was murder. Everyone else would say that he had done a good job, practically every knight in history had taken the life of another at some point. However it was still not like the stories that he had heard or the songs that had been sung. It left him with an empty feeling inside which he hoped would go away one day, however when he closed his eyes he could see the soldier falling at his sword. He also saw the soldier that had fallen in the rain of arrows right next to him. He had not been prepared for such a sight and it would most likely haunt him until the end of his days.

"Something on your mind good sir?" asked a female voice from above. Sir Tucker looked up and expected to see Jessica at her full size but it was Lady O'Hare. She was walking very closely by him but there was no danger of him stepping on him or anyone. "You seem to have a lot on your mind."

"That I do my lady," replied Sir Tucker. He was amazed that she was even able to notice him amongst the rest of the army. He was walking right on the edge of the army but still he was impressed.

"May I pick you up, it is awkward speaking to you like."

"If you wish my Lady." Before he could say another word he felt a giant hand come down and grab him. It didn't feel as soft as Jessica's but that mainly because it was still armoured. He felt himself be taken off his feet and he saw some of the other soldiers looking up as he was brought up into the air.

"That's better, it seems that my fortune has turned around since you and your friend arrived at Featherstone. Maybe I should keep you around as good luck charms." She chuckled a little but with her dimensions increased it was more obvious than she had intended.

"I appreciate the offer my lady but when my friend has healed we plan to leave Featherstone, we are on a journey that is close to its end."

"Very well, I could just make you stay but then what kind of person would I be?" It was true that even at her normal size she still had more than enough power to keep him and Jessica in Featherstone as long as she wished. But it seemed that she hadn't allowed such a thing to go to her head.

"There is one thing I want to request if you would be so kind."

"And what might that be?" She was curious to see what he could ask her, she didn't feel that he was owed any favours but she wanted to humour him.

"I request that you allow me to borrow some horses and carts. My friend and I are planning to move a lot of objects and with your help we can achieve this. I promise you that you will be compensated for you generosity."

"Oh and exactly what is it that you're planning to move using horses and carts hmm?" She looked down at Sir Tucker in her hand. She couldn't help but think about what would happen if she dropped him. Such a thing had been impossible for her a few short hours ago but now she felt like the world was at her feet. This was thanks to her size and the fact that she had just won a major battle.

"Err." He didn't want to tell her about the treasure in case she thought about claiming it for herself. He had to think of a way that he could still get what he wanted without the need to tell her.

"Whatever it is as long as it is not my precious iron ore I'll allow you to borrow a few of my horses and carriages. However it will put you in my debt which gold might very well appease me."

"Thank you my Lady." This was exactly what he wanted to hear. If it was merely gold that he wanted he knew that very soon he would have more than enough of the stuff to pay her back handsomely.

"You're welcome, however if you don't mind for now I'll carry you until the army stops to rest. I don't know why but it's just fun being able to carry a man as small as you in my hand. You don't mind do you?"

"If it is what her ladyship wishes I cannot stop her." He was more than used to being carried around by a giant woman. He didn't want to tell her about Jessica's abilities but it did make him familiar with the situation.

Lady O'Hare liked the fact that Sir Tucker had agreed and that he was still being courteous to her despite her size. She thought that he would be afraid of her but she was glad that this wasn't the case. She did like him since he had done everything that she had asked of him and for now had not asked anything in return. His offer had not been cashing in a favour but instead asking a favour of her.

It was a few more hours before the army could stop and rest. By that time it was beginning to grow dark so it was decided that they were to camp for the night and then make the rest of the journey the next morning. This was when Sir Tucker was finally placed on the ground next to the other knights.

There was a small celebration between the soldiers who still had enough energy to celebrate. They talked amongst themselves and there was a lot of laughter between them, unfortunately for them there was no ale to go along with their celebrations. Instead they would have to stay sober until they reached Featherstone. Then they could drink all the ale that they wanted, there was some food distributed between the soldiers. It wasn't much but it would be enough for them to keep going.

Lady O'Hare sat down on the ground and she could see her army. She was happy to see that they were in good spirits, she did feel hungry but she didn't allow herself to eat. It would take away the food that she needed for her men and she didn't think that it would be fair on them. However she knew that it wouldn't be that long before she returned to her normal size. She did look at her hands a few times as she still couldn't believe that she was this size. She was even surprised with the fact that her armour and other personal effects had grown along with her. This had been a welcome surprise since she didn't want to be walking around without any clothes on.

"Are you well my Lady?" asked a voice. Lady O'Hare looked down and she could see Lord Hastings standing right next to where she was sitting.

"I am my Lord," replied Lady O'Hare. She couldn't get over the fact that this normally quite large man seemed so small in comparison to her. "Is there something that you wish to speak to me about or is that all?"

"No my Lady there is more."

"Then please don't keep me waiting my Lord."

"I just wanted to know if you it was really wise using the potion in the manner than you did? Maybe there could have been another way."

"I'm sure that there was my Lord but they would have cost more lives." She had been given a large barrel of water not too long ago and she took a sip out of the barrel. "By increasing my own size I was able to get to Lord Sherringham and force him to surrender with minimum casualties. All you need to think about is that we won and the majority of our army is still intact. We fought well today and you can be happy with the fact that your men fought bravely. I may even allow you to ask a favour of me."

"Well there is one thing I wish. If you would be so kind may I have a single kiss off of your lips?" He paused for a moment as he thought about the best way that he could word his next statement. "I have been an ally to your family for many years and I hoped that it would earn me just one kiss from you my Lady. I have stood by your side, even when many were calling for a man to be in your seat rather than yourself. I saw that you would become a fine and competent leader as I have seen today."

"Your flattery is most appreciated my Lord. Yes you certainly have earned a kiss from my lips but that will be as far as it goes."

"That is all I wish my Lady. I still have my wife."

With that Lord Hastings felt Lady O'Hare's hand grab him gently and lift him up into the air. Unlike Sir Tucker before him he wasn't very used to such a thing happening to him and he was feeling somewhat nervous. However this all changed when he felt Lady O'Hare's warm soft lips. His whole body was encompassed by these lips and it almost seemed unreal to him. However the experience only lasted for a few seconds before Lady O'Hare broke off the kiss and looked at him once again.

"You loyalty and services to me has been rewarded," said Lady O'Hare. She had not enjoyed it as much as she would have liked. Her thoughts drifted to Emily who was still at Featherstone. On more than one occasion she wanted to make their relationship publicly known but there were two major barriers preventing her from doing this. The first that many folks, especially Lords didn't look too kindly on homosexuality. Many didn't accept it amongst their citizens so a fellow high born would not fly well with them. The second was because of Emily's low birth, as Lady O'Hare was a lady she was expected to marry someone of equal or similar rank. Emily was the daughter of a prostitute and she didn't know who her father was. But her mother had taught her the tricks of the trade and it was what had helped her pleasure Lady O'Hare in the bedroom. One thing that she knew for sure was that when they returned to Featherstone that she would be paying her lover a visit. "Is there anything else that you need my Lord?" She looked at Lord Hastings who was still standing in the palm of her hand.

"No that is all My Lady." He bowed his head to her as a sign of respect that he had for the towering Lady.

"Now see to your men, they should be having fun with their commanding officer." She carefully placed him back down on the ground. She watched as he walked away and she had her mind on other things once again. She did consider the consequences on the battle but the most important thing to her was that the lands in dispute now belonged to her once again. It also allowed others to see that she was willing to fight for what she believed to be hers. She had sent a strong and powerful message to all of those who believed her to be incompetent due to the fact that she was a woman.

The army rested until the sun began to rise once again. They began to stir and after a spot of light breakfast they continued on their way to Featherstone. Lady O'Hare had yet to shrink back to her original size and she accidentally scared a couple of the horses as she rose up in the morning. However she would calm them down with a kind hand and a few much deserved apples.

Sir Tucker had not slept that well the previous night. His mind had wondered to the events of the previous day and it still made him feel sick. He also felt somewhat vulnerable, his best friend was not at his side and he couldn't help but feel a little low because of this. There was a giant woman not too far away from him but it wasn't the same as having the presence of his towering yet still gentle best friend. He did wonder how she was and if she was worried about him, he knew her very well and he thought that she was most likely worrying. He could remember when he went for his first delivery to Flea Bay, she had been worried that he would be harmed by bandits. When she saw him returning she didn't wait for him to enter the village. Instead she had grown to her normal size and picked him up along with the horse and cart. She had then gave him a big kiss to welcome him back and she had been more than happy to see him unharmed.

He thought that if she were like that when he returned from his first routine trip to Flea Bay what would she be like if came back from his first battle. He could only imagine and the thought of her was making him forget about the battle the previous day. There was no songs going to be sung about his actions or the fact that he felt like he had lost a small piece of himself in the battle. Instead all the tales would tell how Lady O'Hare turned into a mountainous woman and ended the battle there and then. In a way it was the way that he would have liked.

For the next few hours the army continued to march and it was Lady O'Hare who was the first to notice Featherstone appearing over the horizon. Her newfound height had given her this advantage at least. She was glad to see her home once again because a small part of her had actually been afraid that she would never see it again. She knew what the price of defeat was on the battlefield.

As they came closer everyone could hear some horns being blown which was welcoming their arrival. The army even quickened their pace so that they could return as quickly as they could. Many of them wanted to drink the local taverns dry of their ale. Others simply wanted to return to their loved ones. A few of them even wanted to find some women of the night to perform a few services for them. Many of them even cheered loudly as they approached Featherstone and it allowed the citizens to know that victory had been achieved.

However as they walked closer there was something that Lady O'Hare realised and that was that she was too big for her settlement. She thought that if she walked the streets there would be a good chance that she would accidentally destroy some of the homes there or even crush a few of her citizens. This was not what she wanted and she decided that she would wait outside until the potion wore off.

The rest of the army didn't have this problem as many of them marched into the city with many people lining the streets to welcome them back. Some of the women even kissed the soldiers as they walked by and there was a fanfare from the citizens. It gave them great pride to see their army returning victorious. They had no idea the scale of the battle that had taken place the previous day.

A few of the citizens even went out of the city to see Lady O'Hare who was sitting down just outside of the city limits. She had been brought her own barrel of ale which she had begun to drink. However much like Jessica her new giant metabolism didn't allow her to become intoxicated. Instead she just drunk it to quench her thirst.

The citizens that could see her marvelled over the sheer size of her. They had never seen anyone as large as her and it was unlikely that they would ever again. She didn't mind the attention since it wouldn't last too long.

Despite her size Lady O'Hare didn't give any of them a reason to be afraid of her. A few of the children were even picked up by her so that they could see across the distance like her. For each of them she only picked them up for a few seconds before placing them on the ground once again. She took great care of them since they were children and citizens of Featherstone. She also wanted to enjoy the experience before she shrank back down to her original size.

A few knights were allowed back into the castle. Lady O'Hare had sent a messenger to tell the staff inside to start preparing for a feast. One of the knights allowed inside was Sir Tucker and more or less as soon as he entered he began to look for Jessica. The task became more difficult than he expected, he didn't think it would be that hard to find a woman who was just over eight feet in height but this was not the case.

It took Sir Tucker almost half an hour before he spotted his best friend helping some other serving women dry some clothes off. For the first few moments she didn't notice him as her mind was focused on the task at hand. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that she turned and saw him. In a matter of moments her mind shifted from the job to that of Sir Tucker. Her eyes began to well up.

Before Sir Tucker could say another word he felt himself get picked up by Jessica and embraced in a deep and heartfelt hug. She knew that there were other people watching but she didn't care. She had been worried sick about him and she feared that she would never see him again. She planted her large lips on his cheek and kissed him for a few moments before she stopped.

"You had me so worried," said Jessica. She still held him in the air and Sir Tucker was impressed given her injury. She didn't even be affected by the fact that he was still wearing heavy armour. "Are you hurt?"

"N-No I'm fine," replied Sir Tucker. He was still feeling a little down from the battle but he didn't want to worry her about it. She seemed happy enough just to see him in one piece. "Err did you miss me?"

"Of course I did silly." There were still some tears in her eyes but she was able to crack a smile. "I don't care how accomplished you become as a knight I'll always worry about you." She knew that he might like her saying that but the truth of the matter was that he liked it. He liked the thought of her still caring about his safety even if he became invincible. It was just the kind of person she was.

"That great and all but you could put me down now if you want."

"I would but I don't want to right now." Her smile didn't fade as she gave him one more kiss. When she was done she gently placed him down on the ground. Once again he was having to look up at her, people were staring at them but they didn't care. Such a reaction was practically what they were expecting. She took a better look at him now that she could and she could see that he was quite muddy. "Oh you're all dirty, you need to take that armour off right now so I can clean it."

"Yeah I'll that in a minute, but not here of course." He thought the other women might appreciate seeing him without clothing or armour but he didn't think that Jessica would be that impressed.

"Of course, may I show you somewhere good Sir Knight?"

"Nothing would bring me more joy."

Sir Tucker felt Jessica's enormous hand grasp around his own hand. She smiled down at him before she began to lead him away. She knew that she was leaving the job that she had been working on but she was sure that the other serving girls could pick up the slack for her. She had more important things to worry about.

Within minutes Jessica and Sir Tucker found themselves in another room. It was a small room that did make her feel a little claustrophic and the ceiling was too low for her to stand up to her full height. However she didn't really care as there was a chair inside for her to sit down on. She could hear it groan as she sat down upon it which was an unwelcome reminder of her weight. She knew that she wasn't fat but her size made her much heavier than an average person.

With some care she helped Sir Tucker take off his heavy armour. He couldn't do it by himself and one by one each piece of his armour was taken off his body and placed on the ground besides him. He was still quite quiet as he could feel her long slender fingers reaching into the gaps in his armour in order to take it off. She took great care so that she could successfully take off the armour and not get her fingers trapped. However she could sense that there was something wrong with him. Again it was mostly thanks to the bond that they shared, she could feel something in her mind telling her that he was not entirely happy at that moment in time.

"What's wrong Tucker?" asked Jessica as she continued to help take his armour off of his body.

"It's nothing really," replied Sir Tucker as he didn't really want to go through the details with her.

"You know that you can't lie to me. I know that something's bothering you and I'm not going to stop until I know what it is. You might think I'm being nosey but you know that I'm just concerned about you."

"I-um." He wanted to say nothing but he knew that she wouldn't quit. He gave a sigh as he decided that it was best to tell her. "I killed during the battle and I saw people around me dying."

"Oh I see." She was quiet for a moment as she thought about what he was saying. If he had killed in cold blood she would be very upset with him right now but since it was the heat of battle the circumstances were completely different. "It must not have been a very comfortable thing to see and do."

"No it wasn't. I know that knights are supposed to kill people in battle but it doesn't make it any easier. The songs leave out the part where they shit themselves right when they die." He gave another sigh as the memories replayed in his head.

"How many did you kill?"

"Three or four. I don't like to think about it."

"You don't have to be sorry for that Tucker. You were a knight in the middle of a battle, it might not have been the most glorious thing in the world but if someone came running towards you with a sword you're not expected to stand there and do nothing. If you hadn't done what you did you wouldn't be standing here right now in front of me and you know how upset that would make me." By then she had successfully removed his breast plate and it dropped on the ground right next to her large feet. "I know that it must have been difficult for you and I don't expect you to feel good about it any time soon but you did what you had to do. You had two choices what to do at this exact moment in time, you could have killed someone and be able to stand here with me as I take off your armour. Or you could have not killed them and be killed yourself. Right now you would be lying in the mud somewhere being eaten by the birds. If I were you I know what I would prefer."

"I know." He went to look away from her for a moment but he felt her larger hand gently grab his chin and she turned his head to look at her again.

"Look at me Tucker. You did what you needed to do so you have no reason to be sorry. People die in battles, if they didn't it wouldn't really be a battle." He could feel the warmth and softness of her fingers. "You didn't do a bad thing."

"Then why do I feel like I did?"

"Because you're a good man Sir Tucker Martel. You are probably the most compassionate man that I've ever met. When we were young you were the only child that would play with me, all the other children called me names and yet you stood up for me. Am I surprised that you're saddened by what you did on the battlefield, no I am not. It's because I know that it is the man that you are and the very reason that you're my best friend." By this time the last of his armour had fallen off and she could see him in his linen underclothing. At this point he didn't look that much of a knight. "Did that make you feel any better?"

"A little."

"Well just think about the fact that when we find the treasure we'll be the richest people in Angleland. Then you won't have to worry about going into battle or anything like that. All your worries will melt away and you can live a life of pleasure." She stood up to her full height and she was careful not to hit her head on the ceiling. "And you will always have me at your side."

Before Sir Tucker could say anything he felt her bend down and hug him. When she hugged him he felt a sense of warmth and safety in her arms. He just closed his eyes and embraced his arms around the much larger woman. The hug lasted for close to a minute and she probably enjoyed it more than he did. She had been worried about him but seeing him back here safe made her feel happy.

Just so that she didn't loom over him she carefully sat down on the chair again when she was done. However this time the chair couldn't support her weight and she fell to the ground. There was a loud thud as she hit the ground and quickly Sir Tucker came to his aid. He tried to bring her back up to her feet but she was too heavy for him. It wasn't until she picked herself up that she was finally able to get back to her feet. She brushed the dust off of her dress and carefully she rose up to her full height.

"Jessica are you alright?" asked Sir Tucker with some concern in his voice. He thought that she might have hurt herself. She still had her broken arm and he didn't want to see her receive any more injuries.

"Yeah I'm fine," replied Jessica as she continued to brush the dust off of her dress. She turned for a moment and looked at the chair which was now in more pieces than she cared to count. "It's just another reminder that I'm living in a world that is too small for me." She turned back to him and she broke a smile. "Remind me that when we're rich to buy a chair for someone of my stature."

"Ok I'll try."

Even Sir Tucker was able to break a smile as he looked up at his friend. She had just suffered a minor accident but yet had taken it in her stride and just laughed it off. He felt lucky to have someone like her in his life and he knew that as soon as she recovered they could continue on to the treasure and become richer than either one of them could truly imagine.

A couple of weeks passed and there had been celebrations at Featherstone for the victory on the battlefield. There had been some celebrations on the streets and a grand feast had taken place. However all that time had passed and now life returned to the city much like it had before the battle.

However there had been one good change for Jessica. Her arm had healed to the point that she could have her cast removed. It was Lady O'Hare's own personal healer who had removed the cast much to Jessica's joy. With the cast off her arm did feel a lot lighter than it had before. She was also somewhat disgusted to find some dead skin from where her cast had been. However this was a problem that was easily sorted thanks to a quick bath although she did only clean her arm.

Both Sir Tucker and Jessica found themselves standing before Lady O'Hare once again. She was on her seat but there was an aura of confidence around her. It had been there ever since she had returned from the battle. Thankfully for everyone the effects of the potion had worn off and she was back down to her normal size. Some people even claimed that she was slightly taller than her but while she was sitting down it was impossible for either one of them to tell.

"Are you sure that you have to leave?" asked Lady O'Hare. "I could do with a man of your skill at my side and a maiden of your stature reminds me that there's always a bigger person out there."

"Indeed we must my Lady," replied Sir Tucker with respect to Lady O'Hare. "We are almost at the end of our journey and we wish to return to our families. We have missed them dearly during the months of our travel."

"I understand good sir. Family is always important and also I believe that you wanted to make a deal with myself?"

"Indeed my lady."

"And do you agree to my terms?"

"Yes my lady, I will send the gold over to you once the job is completed. You have my word as a knight of the realm."

"I believe you. All I can do is honour my side of the agreement and wish you both the best of luck. You are always welcome here and you will both be known as allies to House O'Hare from this day until the end of time."

Both Sir Tucker and Jessica bowed to Lady O'Hare before turning around and leaving the hall. It felt a little odd for them to be leaving, it had been their home for the last few weeks and they would have a lot of memories. However a part of them was glad to be going since it meant that they could finish off their quest and then return home with all the riches that went along with it.

Just outside of the city there was a horse and carriage waiting for the pair. The carriage was not really for people to ride but for transporting cargo. It was a little smaller than Sir Tucker had hoped for but he thought that it would do. He also thought that if he needed more he could simply return here and ask Lady O'Hare for more. He would give her gold for her kindness.

Eventually the pair with their horse and carriage were far away from Featherstone for Jessica to grow to her full height. Her rapid change of size did catch the horse by surprise and began to panic but a few strokes from Jessica's finger soon put its fears to rest. However she was more than overjoyed to be back to her normal size. Being shrunk like that for such a long period of time had been an asset for her but without the ability to grow to her normal size she felt like she was hiding herself. Now that she could grow back to her normal size she felt complete again.

For Sir Tucker it was also a welcome sight to seeing his friend at such a size. He felt like she was her again. Plus she was the only giant woman that he ever wanted to see. He could see how she was walking around with a smile on her face, her greater height just seemed to go so well with her.

"Ah back to being large and in charge," said Jessica almost as soon as she had grown to her full size. She dropped down to her knees and looked down at both Sir Tucker and the horse standing by him. There was a small rumble as she impacted the ground but it was nothing more than that. "Wow did you pair drink a shrinking potion or something because you're looking so tiny."

"Very funny Jessica," replied Sir Tucker as he looked up at his best friend. He was allowing her to have her fun since she had been small for so long. Before he could say anything else he felt her long slender fingers wrap around him and she carefully lifted him up in the air. She brought him close to her eye and he could see his own reflection in her hazel eye. "Jessica what are you doing?"

"I'm just checking if you're still as cute at this size as when I was smaller. If anything you're even cuter." She then placed him on her shoulder and wrapped a few strands of her hair around him for protection. No sooner had she done this she squatted down and picked up the horse and cart. The horse was still calm when she held onto it and she was surprised with just how calm it actually was. She just felt that she had the golden touch when it came to dealing with animals. "Ok good sir which way are we going?"

"That way." He pointed to a direction that was just to the left of the gentle giantess. "The treasure is that way."

"Ok, hold on because this is the final leg of our quest. Hopefully it won't be a bumpy ride for either of you."

"I doubt it will. You always seem to be able to make any journey go smoothly, now onto wealth and glory!"

With that Jessica began to walk in the direction that Sir Tucker had pointed out. She still loved seeing the world from this perspective. It reminded her of the person that she was and not the smaller woman that she could be. She always felt like she was hiding when she was small and not expressing her true self. She knew that her true self was scary for most people but they would learn that she wouldn't hurt them. She just hoped that one day she could remain at this size and not have to worry about people being afraid of her. She did take some comfort in knowing that the man on her shoulder would never be scared of her thanks to the bond that they shared.

Sir Tucker was very excited about finding the treasure. Although the wealth that he would gain was one of the leading factors for the quest there were other reasons. His sense of adventure had been there as well and also a chance to show to everyone in Morgan that he was a better man than they had given him credit for.

On the quest he and Jessica had experienced things that they thought that they never would. They had met a colourful cast of characters as well as being in a few life and death situations. However it all seemed to be coming ahead as they edged closer and closer to their final destination.

There was at least one thing that he was bringing back to Morgan that he could be proud of and that was the fact that he was now officially Sir Tucker Martel. The knighthood would definitely bring respect to both him and the family name. It was not often that someone from such low birth could rise to become a knight. It was just something else that made the journey that much more memorable.

Eventually Jessica needed to stop for a rest and she noticed that she was right next to a fairly large lake. It had been some time since she last bathed properly so she took off her dress and shoes and then allowed herself to step into the water. It was much colder than she would have liked but she had been used to bathing in cold water. She could feel the fish swimming around her legs as she sat down in the water.

Sir Tucker could see Jessica from where he was standing and she didn't mind him seeing her naked body. They had seen each other without their clothes numerous times so it wasn't that big of a deal for either of them. Sir Tucker however did feel his crotch becoming stiff as he could see the water dripping on Jessica's naked body. He was just glad that the clothing that he was wearing helped to hide his erection.

After Jessica had finished bathing she allowed the warm sun to dry the water off of her skin. The process did take several minutes but it did allow Sir Tucker to see his friend standing there with no clothes on.

Once she was dry she put her dress back on along with her shoes before allowing herself to continue. She lifted up Sir Tucker and the horse along with the carriage and she continued to walk. Sir Tucker was constantly looking at the map and making sure that they were on the right track.

"How much further is it?" asked Jessica as she continued to walk. She felt refreshed after her bath but she did feel like she wasn't making that much progress. The area around her hadn't seemed to have changed for miles.

"Another few hours and then we should be there," replied Sir Tucker who was still sitting on her shoulder. It was by far the best way to travel. "Might very well be nightfall before we arrive."

"Well I'll tell you one thing I won't miss from this quest and that's all the walking." She gave a sigh. "I know that allowing me to carry you everywhere is faster but my feet are definitely feeling the effects."

"Maybe there's something that I can do about that."

"Oh do tell." He then turned to her and began to whisper in her ear. Her expression changed from one of curiosity to that of delight. After he had finished speaking she turned and looked at him. "Now that sounds like a good idea. I'm just going to need a minute to get myself ready."

With that Jessica stopped where she was and placed both Sir Tucker and the horse on the ground. No sooner had she done this she shrank herself down to her smallest size. After that she climbed onto the back of the carriage and removed both of her shoes revealing her bare feet for Sir Tucker to see. Quickly he took off his gloves and began to massage her right foot. It seemed larger than he was expecting but then again everything with Jessica was large so her feet were no different.

Jessica could feel Sir Tucker's fingers massaging her feet and she couldn't help but feel good. They had been aching since they had been walking all day but now she could feel the achiness melting away. She could feel how careful he was and she could feel a wave of pleasure coming across her. She didn't notice any change but Sir Tucker did when her foot became suddenly larger. It was not much of a change but he definitely felt her foot expand while he was massaging it.

"Are you alright there Jessica?" asked Sir Tucker right after he had felt her foot growing for a moment.

"Yeah why do you ask?" replied Jessica who was still lying down on the cart. She hadn't noticed any difference.

"Well your foot suddenly grew larger." He knew that sometimes she would let herself go and allow herself to grow. It was normally under times of extreme joy and it seemed to have happened again.

"Oh sorry." She then shrank herself by a couple of inches and Sir Tucker could feel her foot shrinking back down to its smallest size. "Sometimes I just lose myself and certain things can happen."

"Yeah I know. I still remember that little house that we built." When they had been younger and not too long after receiving her dress the pair had built their own little house. It was a construction to marvel about but rather one that was built within a bush. It had some straw for a roof and some sticks that held it up.

The house had taken a couple of hours to build and they both sat inside with one another. Sir Tucker had hugged her and it had made her feel very happy. Unfortunately it also made her lose her concentration and she grew until her head popped up through the roof of the house that they had built.

Almost instantly she had felt guilty about it but Sir Tucker had forgiven her almost as soon as it had happened. However it had been a reminder to her that although she had been given this gift that she had to be careful. Since then she had better attempted to keep herself in check so that she didn't accidentally grow out of a real building. It hadn't happened yet but it didn't mean that she didn't have to be careful.

"Yes I remember Tucker," said Jessica. She was still sitting on the cart just as Sir Tucker finished massaging her foot. When he was done he picked up her very large shoe and placed it back on her foot. He thought that if a cobbler charged by the shoe at a flat rate they would lose a lot of money on her. He did go to get up as he expected Jessica to continue walking, except he saw her waving her other foot. "Excuse me good sir but you've only completed half of your task. As you can see the gods deemed it wise enough to gift me with another foot."

"Indeed they did," replied Sir Tucker. He held onto the other foot that Jessica was holding up. With some care he took off her large shoe and he began to massage the foot. With all the walking Jessica had done he had expected to feel some kind of blister or something like that but instead all he could feel was her warm and soft skin. He tried to find some kind of imperfection but he could find nothing. He had even expected to smell some kind of stench but again there was nothing.

Once again Jessica enjoyed what she could feel and she just lay back and let Sir Tucker do what he needed to do. This time she was keeping herself in check so that she didn't have any unexpected growth spurts. However it didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy the experience. She could feel his fingers on the soles of her feet and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath just to keep a hold of herself.

"Please don't stop Tucker," said Jessica as she continued to feel the joy of having her feet massaged.

"Well my hands are getting tired," replied Sir Tucker who was beginning to feel a little tired. If it was a normal woman's foot than he wouldn't be having that much of a problem, however since it was someone of Jessica's stature it meant that there was a lot more effort that had to go into it.

"I don't care, just keep going." She knew that it sounded like she was being unfair but she was thoroughly enjoying what was happening.

Sir Tucker continued for several minutes but eventually he did have to stop simply because he was too tired to keep going. Jessica put her own shoe back on and she looked at Sir Tucker who was moving his fingers in an effort to try and bring the feeling back into them. He watched as she sat up from the cart and got back up to her feet. She had a large grin on her face as she looked down at him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and for a moment he didn't look up at her.

"You know you should quit being a knight and become a foot masseuse," said Jessica. "You really seem to know how to hit the right spot."

"I would do but then I don't think that you'd find it special," replied Sir Tucker as he finally looked up at his much taller best friend.

"True, in that case you shouldn't do that to any other woman until you find the one for you." She smiled down at him as she watched him put his gloves back on. The massage had been just what she needed and she felt that she could easily walk another hundred miles if need be. However this was not needed as they were not too far away from where the treasure was located.

After Jessica made sure that her shoes were on properly she grew to her normal size and picked up both Sir Tucker and the horse and carriage. The beast didn't seem to be afraid of her anymore and she felt that it was a good thing.

One thing that they all noticed was that it was beginning to get late. It was approaching evening and Sir Tucker wanted to get to the treasure before nightfall. However he didn't plan to go in straight away. Instead he wanted to go in the morning after they were both well rested. He didn't know what kind of dangers that they would be facing and if they went in tired it could lead to their downfall. Instead he wanted both himself and Jessica to be well rested before they even considered going inside.

Jessica continued to walk across the terrain and she was being careful with how she was walking. The terrain was quite hilly and she didn't want to trip over again. It would most likely cause the death of Sir Tucker and she didn't want that to happen. There was also the fact that she could injure herself again. She didn't want her arm to be in a cast again so soon after it being taken off.

There was one thing that Jessica did notice and that was the sunset. It was a beautiful crimson red colour and seemed like a burning ball in the sky. She was tempted to try and grab it but she knew that it was impossible. Instead she chose to admire its beauty for as long as it was in the sky.

"Can you see it Tucker?" asked Jessica. She didn't really look at Tucker and he didn't notice anything at first since he was still looking at the map. He looked at her for a moment but he couldn't see what she was talking about.

"See what?" replied Sir Tucker. He couldn't see anything that he thought was particularly interesting.

"That sunset over there." She pointed over to the sunset and Sir Tucker was just about able to see it. "Don't you think it looks beautiful?"

"Yes it does my dear." He didn't think much of it but he agreed with her just to make her happy. "Did you want to make a wish?"

"Those are shooting stars silly but I'll make a wish anyway." She took a deep breath. "I wish that both of our lives will be filled with good fortune from this day until our last. And maybe some gold wouldn't hurt."

"Oh you don't have to worry about that. This time tomorrow we'll have so much gold that we won't even know what to do with it. We could even make a house made entirely out of gold."

"That would be nice but I would prefer just a normal house really. Well one with much higher door frames and ceilings. You may think ducking under doorways and hitting your head on the ceiling is fun but believe me it's not."

"You could have a house built for when you're this size. Then you won't ever have to worry about hitting your head on anything."

"Hopefully you're right but still if I had a giant house like that then no one would want to come and visit." She didn't want to admit that she was still growing, normally women of her age would have stopped by now. She didn't know whether it was going to stop soon or if she would just keep growing. She had noticed it on the quest as well, at her smallest size she thought that she had grown by an inch or two over the course of the quest. Sir Tucker hadn't noticed since from his perspective she was still the same as she had been before they had left. But to her she had noticed, it was just another reminder that she wasn't like everyone else and it did upset her a little.

Once or twice she did think about what would happen if she never stopped growing. The dress that she was wearing was shrinking her but she shuddered to think what would happen if even at her minimum size she was still fifteen feet tall. She did eventually think that she would become too big for people and she would have to go and live off on her own for their protection.

On more than one occasion she did think about trying to find a way to remove the magic that gave her the enormous size that she was now accustomed to. However she knew that without the magic the illness that was killing her as a child would kill her as soon as the magic was removed. She still remembered what happened during the second trial and she didn't think that this would be any different. It was a difficult thought for her as she knew that she could either live a life as what many would consider to be a freak or die as a normal woman.

"Are you alright there Jessica?" asked Sir Tucker as he looked to his friend. "You kind of gone silent on me there."

"Y-yeah I'm fine," replied Jessica as she snapped back to reality. "Sorry I sort of zoned out a bit there."

"I thought you had since you stepped on a deer."

"Wait what?" Quickly she stopped and checked under her foot. She expected to see some kind of evidence that she had stepped on a deer. However there was none and this confused her for a moment.

"Got ya." He then began to laugh and this annoyed her a little. Using her free hand she placed her index finger on his mouth.

"Very funny Tucker. Now you know that this means war don't you. However I'm not going to get you right away. No you're expecting it, I'm going to wait until you let your guard down and then I'll strike." She then removed her finger from Sir Tucker's mouth and she knew that she had him where she wanted. She wouldn't do anything too cruel but some form of revenge was in order.

After another couple of hours of walking the sun finally set and darkness had overcome the land. However the moon was pretty full that night and they were still able to see pretty well. Sir Tucker continued to look at the map until he told Jessica to stop walking, he could see something that had picked up his interest. He began to look at the area and then he looked on the map and suddenly he realised that they had arrived.

There wasn't much to be seen for now but he definitely knew that he was in the right place. The markings on the map was evident of this and he knew the distance was right, a huge smile appeared on his face as he declared that they had arrived to Jessica. For her this was a welcome relief for her as once again she was getting tired from all the walking that she had been doing.

However as they planned rather than going in and finding the treasure straight away the pair were going to rest for the night and then enter during the morning. There was a cool breeze which did make the area a little chilly. It did make them feel a little cold but it was no worse than what they had endured in the past.

Jessica shrank to her smallest size so that they could have a bite to eat. Before leaving Featherstone they had stocked up on some much needed food, they had also remembered the food for the horse since they didn't want it to go hungry as well. They didn't make a fire so they just ate their food cold. Thankfully it wasn't food that needed to be cooked so they didn't have to worry about cooking it. After her walk Jessica was particularly hungry and she began to eat what she needed.

Normally when she was in public she didn't like to show herself eating a lot of food but since it was only Sir Tucker she didn't have to worry about what other people thought. Instead she just ate what she needed. Sir Tucker ate his fill as well and a couple of times he did look at Jessica as he ate. He couldn't help but be amazed just by how much she could put away. On the quest a couple of times he had even seen her drink enough ale to knock a full grown man unconscious. The most impressive thing about it was even though she had drunk a lot she was still completely sober.

"Have you had enough yet?" asked Sir Tucker as he saw her just finishing off her food. She probably only had a couple of mouthfuls left.

"One moment," replied Jessica. She placed the last bit of her food in her mouth and then swallowed it after a few moments of chewing. "Yeah I'm done now."

"Just think about it Jessica, this time in half a day we'll be rich. No more having to work or anything like that. It'll be nothing but a life of luxury for us from here on out. I'm even going to buy a suit of armour made out of pure gold."

"Won't that be a little heavy for you?"

"I'll worry about that so don't you worry your pretty little head." This got a small amount of laughter from his best friend.

"Sir Tucker Martel I am many things but there is nothing about me that is little." She then held up her hand. "My hand is bigger than your head and my arms are longer than your legs. So do you think that there is anything about me that is little?"

"Well there is your sense of direction."

"Hey." She placed her hands on her hips and pretended to be more annoyed than she actually was. "It was one time."

"Nah it was more than that." He then lifted his own hand and extended all four of his fingers and his thumb. "It was at least five I'm sure of it."

Jessica laughed for a moment before standing up to her full height. She towered above her best friend and he slowly rose to his full height as well. Before he could do anything else though he felt himself get taken off his feet as Jessica embraced him in a bear hug. However it was not painful for him as she only used enough strength to keep him there. He was in no discomfort.

"It's rude to tell a woman that she has no sense of direction," said Jessica as she continued to hold him.

"I would do if I didn't know your only weakness," replied Sir Tucker. One of his arms were free and he used it to tickle Jessica's neck. She began to laugh and it caused her to drop him down to her feet. He continued to tickle her and he brought the towering figure down to her knees very quickly.

"No damn you good sir knight." She didn't mind all of this since she found it to be fun and she had to admit that Sir Tucker had gotten her into a tight spot.

"Admit defeat and I'll stop."

"Ok, you win."

With that Sir Tucker stopped tickling his friend and she did laugh for a moment afterwards before getting herself re-composed. It had been fun for the both of them and he watched as she stood back up again. However he also watched her lean down and give him a small kiss on his cheek. She smiled at him before rising back up, they looked at each other for a few moments and it seemed that time itself had stopped for them.

The next morning Sir Tucker was the first to wake up as he anticipated the events of the day. He was so close to completing the quest that he could practically taste the gold in his mouth. He was practically counting down the minutes from when he and Jessica would go from peasants to being the richest people in Angleland.

However one thing that Sir Tucker noticed was that he could barely move. This was because once again he was in the arms of Jessica who was still fast asleep. It happened so regularly that he wasn't even surprised anymore. He didn't try to break out of her grip because he knew that it was impossible. Even in her sleep she was still too strong for him and all he could do was wait for her to wake up.

It took roughly an hour for Jessica to wake up and she let out the biggest yawn that Sir Tucker had ever seen. It was only then that she let go of him and then sat up. She stretched her incredibly long arms and then she looked at him with a smile on her face, it had been a nice thing to wake up to.

"Morning sleepy head," said Jessica after she had finished stretching. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

"Well I didn't sleep too much last night," replied Sir Tucker. "I know it sounds childish but I was very excited for today and I just couldn't really sleep." He smiled up at her. "You understand don't you?"

"I guess." She didn't want to admit that she was a little excited as well. Despite her excitement she had slept like a log the previous night and she had been happy to have her comfort object while she had been sleeping. "But I don't know about you but I'm starving again, did you want some breakfast before we set off?"

"F-Fine." He didn't particularly want to but he knew that if they skipped out on it that they might not have the energy that they needed for the final leg of the quest. Also he knew that when Jessica was hungry almost nothing could stop her.

For the next several minutes the pair prepared some food that they had brought and ate it relatively quickly. Sir Tucker just wanted to be done with it as soon as he could just so that they could achieve what they had been desiring for some time. He did have to wait for Jessica to finish off hers but she didn't take too long.

When Jessica was finished she was able to keep a burp down and she stood up to her full height. Even though he had seen it countless times seeing her standing up like that always seemed to take his breath away. It was just another reminder to him that his best friend was not like other women. She was up and raring to go and her own excitement did make her grow a little but not enough for Sir Tucker to notice.

When they were both ready they made their way towards what seemed to be a fairly large hill that was a short distance away. They brought the horse and cart along with them just so that it could be closer to the entrance. That way they wouldn't have to travel far to place the treasure in the cart.

Sir Tucker looked at the map closely and he could see some writing appear on it. There seemed to be quite clear instructions on how to find the entrance to the treasure's location. All that needed to be done was to find a trio of trees that were of different species growing right next to each other. It seemed a little odd to have such a clear message but neither of them were complaining about it.

It didn't take long for them to find these trees which included an oak tree, birch tree and an apple tree. It was very unusual to find these three trees growing right next to each other, however it was the clue that they had been looking for. It meant that the entrance was practically right next to where they were.

Eventually when Jessica placed her foot down on a small patch of ground near the trees she was surprised to hear that it was hollow. Sir Tucker investigated and discovered a thick slab of stone that was covering a large hole. It was too heavy for him to move but it was not for Jessica who easily picked up the slab and placed it to one side. An increase of size was needed but as soon as it was moved she quickly shrank back down to her smallest size once again.

It was then that the pair saw what seemed to be the entrance that they had been looking for. They could clearly see a stone staircase that could take them all the way down. Sir Tucker took the lead and Jessica followed behind him but as they went down they began to find themselves once again in darkness. It didn't take long for everything to be pitch black and both took great care in how they walked. If either of them tripped over it could cause them a lot of problems.

Eventually they reached the bottom of the staircase but there was still no light to be seen. Sir Tucker felt Jessica's large hand hold onto his shoulder just so that she didn't lose him. Neither of them could see a thing and there was a small amount of fear that both of them felt as they continued to walk.

"Are you still with me?" asked Sir Tucker. He could feel her hand but he wanted to be sure that it was her. He didn't want to imagine what else could be lurking there in the dark amongst them.

"Yeah I'm still here," replied Jessica. Her voice came from directly behind and above him. "Hopefully it won't be..." Suddenly there was a thud and this was followed by a small shout of pain from her.

"Jessica what is it?" He was afraid in case something terrible had just happened to his best friend.

"I hit my head on something." She then used her free hand to touch what she had just struck her head on. It seemed to be some kind of doorway and as she had expected it wasn't made for someone of her stature to walk through comfortably. "There's some kind of doorway here I'm sure of it."

"Great then we're going in the right direction." He had already stepped through the doorway and since he had gone through comfortably he hadn't noticed in the dark. "Are you alright anyway?"

"My head's ringing a little but I should be fine." Could still feel some pain and she knew that she was going to have a bruise after this was all said and done. "Well with my height you would have thought that I'd be used to this by now."

"Well I don't think that we have too much further to go. I can practically taste that gold now, just you wait."

"Somehow I still think that we're way off."

"Oh ye of little faith." It was around this time that he noticed something at the end of the corridor that they were going down. It was a small amount of light and it was exactly what he and Jessica had been hoping to see. "Look do you see that over there?"

"I would if I could see where you're pointing."

"That light right ahead of us can you see it?"

"Yeah I can see it." It took her a few moments to see it properly and she thought that it was definitely the way forward. However with such a vast amount of treasure only a short distance away she did consider that there could be some kind of danger that went along with it.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"I wouldn't be too hasty Tucker." Her hand firmly grabbed his shoulder and it prevented him from moving too quickly. "I still think that we should be careful, who knows what could be there."

"Easy, lots and lots of treasure." He slightly rubbed his hands as he knew that they were within touching distance of their goal.

"There could still be traps down here. We might have completed the three trials but that doesn't mean that it's going to be easy."

"Of course it is, why would anyone..." Just then he almost fell down what seemed to be a large hole. In the darkness neither of them could see it and he would have fallen but Jessica still had her hand on his shoulder. When she had felt him fall forwards she naturally tightened her grip around his shoulder to prevent him from falling. It might very well have just saved his life.

"What happened there Tucker?" There was a small amount of panic in her voice as she thought that they were in serious danger.

"I don't know. I almost fell down something." He placed his foot forward and there was definitely a hole. "Thanks for the save."

"No problem." She did smile but it was so dark that he wasn't able to see her. "How deep is it?"

"From the looks of this very deep." He had a small piece of metal in his pocket from their trip to Featherstone. He dropped it down the hole and the waited for the sound of it striking the ground. It did but not after several seconds of silence. "Very deep."

"Is there any way around it?"

"Maybe, just give me one moment." Carefully he moved to the far side where the wall was located. He then faced his back to the wall and carefully shuffled along. He was expecting to find the hole once again but this time it seemed that he was getting across without falling down it. He soon realised that he had discovered a way to get around it. "Jessica, I found a way. Lean against the wall and then shuffle along."

Jessica did what she was told as she leaned against the same wall as Sir Tucker and began to shuffle along. She was a little nervous but she did what he had told her and it didn't take her long to catch up with him. He had eventually stopped when he was sure that they had cleared the hole.

No sooner had both of them cleared the hole the tunnel lit up as if it were magic. Unfortunately for the first few moments this blinded them as their eyes had adjusted to the darkness and now that everything was bright again it was too much for them to see. It took several moments for their eyes to finally adjust to the light.

When their blindness finally subsided they could both see that the hole behind them was actually quite small. It was just large enough for someone like Sir Tucker to fall down but it was too small for Jessica. They took the sudden appearance of light as a good sign that they were getting closer to the treasure.

"Great we can see again," said Sir Tucker. He was still a little dazed but he could see clearly once again.

"And I can stand up with confidence," replied Jessica. She had noticed that the ceiling was just high enough for her to stand up straight. "For a moment there I thought that we would never find our way."

"Well when you have someone like me you'll never lose your way." He heard her chuckle for a moment but he also took the map out of his satchel. He unravelled it and began to see if there were any more clues. He did see some writing appear on it and he began to read it. Jessica did look over his shoulder but unfortunately she wasn't very good at reading. "Seems that we're almost there. According to this there's a wall that we'll encounter but by inserting the map into the slot we should be able to get through."

"That's helpful, if we had known this location and had this map could we have just skipped the trials?"

"I doubt it, maybe it somehow knows that the trials were completed. I doubt that it would just accept any poor sod with the map."

"I hope that you're right."

The pair continued on but now it was much safer simply with the fact that they could see where they were going. However although Sir Tucker was feeling confident Jessica wanted to remain vigilante. There was still the chance that there was some kind of booby trap but so far everything had gone well.

At one point they did come to a wooden gate but it was no problem that couldn't be solved easily. However that did change when they reached what seemed to be a dead end. The wall was very thick and Jessica didn't have enough room to grow large enough to break it down. But they figured that this was the moment that they needed to use the map to get through to the other side.

Carefully Sir Tucker placed the map in a small hole inside of the wall. He watched as it began to glow for a few moments and then much to his surprise the map disappeared from view. They had no idea what had happened to it but it was obvious to them that it would no longer be any help for them.

Suddenly the wall began to open up much to their relief and within seconds it was wide enough for them to step through. They soon found themselves in a fairly large room which had higher ceilings and some writing on the wall. It didn't seem large enough to be a treasure room but it was still larger than the tunnel that they had just moved through.

"Is this it?" asked Sir Tucker as he began to look around. He was hoping that this wouldn't be the end of their quest.

"I don't know," replied Jessica. She began to look around and in the corner she could see what seemed to be a small pool of water. She didn't think too much of it but she began to see some of the water rising from the pool. "Tucker watch out!"

Sir Tucker looked to where Jessica had just pointed and he could see what she had just seen. There was water rising from the pool and it was landing on the ground right next to it. It began to form a humanoid figure and by this point Sir Tucker had even drawn out Juggernaut as he was ready for a fight.

Within seconds the water had formed into a humanoid figure along with what seemed to be its own sword. However it was not yet finished, it began to cool itself down and the water began to turn into ice. This caused its body to become solid and icicles grew out from its body. It was even able to form a face that was not helpful on the eyes.

"Jessica I've got this one," said Sir Tucker as he also held onto his shield. He had no idea whether he was going to be victorious or cut down in seconds.

"O-Ok," replied Jessica. She wanted to step in front and take out this creature herself but she respected his wishes. She had seen him become a competent knight over the course of the quest and she thought that he could do this himself. "Just be careful alright." She did feel that she still needed to show concern.

"Relax, I'm on this."

With that Sir Tucker stepped forward and he had his sword and shield well in hand. Although he seemed to be overly confident he was in fact eyeing up his opponent. It was definitely like nothing that he had fought before but he still felt that he would be able to win through his skill. He did wonder if Jessica would remain on the side lines, she was staying there for now but if the duel went against him she would most likely step in before he was seriously injured.

It was the creature that took the first strike as it went for a strong slash towards Sir Tucker's face. However his shield came up just in time to block it but it had caught him somewhat by surprise. It caused some pain to his arm but it would not be enough to put him out of action for the fight. He did respond with his own slash that cut through the ice of the creature's arm and severed it completely.

To Sir Tucker he felt that victory was now assured, but much to his horror he saw the creature beginning to regrow the arm that it had just lost. The severed arm on the ground had melted away and within seconds the new one had finished growing. It was almost like Sir Tucker had done absolutely nothing.

Jessica looked on in fright as well as she too had seen what had just happened. She became worried as she could see that the battle would be much more difficult than either of them had originally anticipated. It almost seemed impossible to defeat an opponent who could practically recover from any injury.

Before Sir Tucker could say anything to Jessica he was attacked once again by the creature. He was able to block the strike and respond with his own slash. However this too was blocked by the creature's ice sword. There was a high pitch ring as the metal came into contact with the hard ice.

Sir Tucker kicked the creature in the midsection sending it back for a moment. This created a small amount of space between himself and the creature. He took the opportunity to run at it like a charging bull. His shield was right in front of him as he rammed the creature into the wall with great force.

Such a blow would have been enough to knock any man out but the creature remained on its feet although there was a loud cracking sound.

Before the creature could recover from such an attack Sir Tucker used Juggernaut to chop off its head with one mighty swing. As its head bounced off the ground Sir Tucker backed away for a moment and he hoped that he had done enough to secure victory. Under normal circumstances a decapitation was enough to kill practically anything. Much to his horror he could see that it was beginning to regrow its head. Both he and Jessica gasped with surprise as they watched it's head growing back.

Rather than waiting around Sir Tucker struck again and chopped off its head as it was still growing back. He began to strike at various other points on the creature's body as was trying to put it down once and for all. He wasn't even aiming for any particular area but rather just trying to make sure that the creature didn't get back up.

After around a minute of this flurry of attacks Sir Tucker had tired himself out and he thought that he had done enough to secure victory. There was nothing left of the creature except for a few blocks of ice on the ground and some water. He began to take some deep breaths as he tried to recover.

"Is it over?" asked Jessica who still watched from the far end. She had not interfered just like he had requested.

"I hope so," replied Sir Tucker as he quickly looked over to Jessica. However when he looked back at what remained of the creature he could see it reforming once again. "Crap it's coming back."

Both of them were powerless but to watch as the creature reformed once again. Within seconds it was back to the way it had been before and it didn't seem to have taken any damage whatsoever. This made both Sir Tucker and Jessica become very nervous as they could see that this was not going to be an easy fight.

Sir Tucker had done everything that he could to defeat this creature but nothing had worked. He considered allowing Jessica a chance to fight but he didn't think that it would be a good idea. There wasn't enough room for her to reach a decent size and she wouldn't be able to grow large enough to survive a stab wound to the chest. He could see that Jessica was about to step forward in order to fight.

"Jess stay back," said Sir Tucker. From the tone of his voice Jessica could tell that he wasn't playing around.

"But I can help," replied Jessica. She still thought that her size was the key to victory in this battle.

"No Jessica, the last thing I want is for you to get hurt." He turned his head to her briefly so that he could see her. "Don't worry I have this one, I promise."

Jessica wanted to say something in response but the truth was that there was nothing that she could say. Instead she just nodded and took a step back. She might not like it but she had to let Sir Tucker do this by himself. She felt powerless to do anything but to watch, however seeing him fight was a sight to behold for her. All she could do was pray to the gods that his sword would find the mark.

Sir Tucker continued to battle against the creature and although he was blocking all the creature's attacks he could feel himself becoming more and more tired. His attacks were having no effect on it as it was more or less instantly recovering from any wounds that it received.

He began to see that he couldn't defeat it through traditional means. Much like the guardian in the second trial he thought that there was some kind of hidden trick to defeating the creature. He would briefly look at the walls around the room in order to see if there were any clues. He didn't have time to look at them as he was constantly having to fend off attack after attack. However he was not helpless, he did turn his head towards Jessica for a brief moment or two.

"Jessica there is something that you could do for me," said Sir Tucker as he blocked another blow. His attention was on the creature once again but he thought that he could still speak to his friend at the same time.

"What is it?" replied Jessica who expected him to ask her to fight the creature for him. Already she had grown around half a foot in anticipation.

"I need you to check the walls to see if there's anything that can stop this thing." He slashed once again but the creature blocked it easily. He was very tired and he didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

"But I'm not very good at reading."

"Don't worry about it, I know that you can do it. Besides I think it's mainly pictures anyway." He blocked another attack and he could feel his arm becoming numb. "I don't know how long I can keep this up."

Jessica quickly got to work and she couldn't see much on the wall directly behind her. It was featureless and showed nothing of interest. Quickly she began to move around to look at the other walls in hopes of finding something, however the more that she searched the more she thought that there was nothing. She knew that Sir Tucker couldn't last much longer and depended on her.

Eventually Jessica did notice a stone on the wall that seemed out of place. Instinctively she pushed it and she looked over to the creature, she hoped that it would have done something to help but for the moment nothing seemed to have happened. However Sir Tucker was able to slice off its arm, it didn't seem like much at first but they noticed that the creature didn't regrow it like before.

Sir Tucker saw his opportunity and sliced off the creature's other arm and then it's legs. After it was down on the ground he chopped off its head once again and he watched it roll along the floor. It melted away much like before but instead of reforming it began to move back towards the pool from where it had come and it seemed to be gone for good. This was a huge relief for both of them.

"W-we did it," said Sir Tucker. Fatigue began to get the better of him and he almost fell but Jessica was quick to keep him on his feet. Even with all of his equipment on he still didn't seem all that heavy to her. He looked up at her as she showed a concern look on her face. "Thanks Jessica, I couldn't of done that without you." He watched as she began to smile down at him.

"Don't worry about it, you would have done the same thing for me." She could see just how tired he was and she was tempted to just pick him up and carry him but she thought that he wouldn't want her to do that.

"Come on Jess, we're almost there now."

No sooner had he said this the wall opposite them began to open up. It was a clear indication that they had completed the challenge and thus were allowed to continue on. Sir Tucker felt that they were within touching distance of the treasure and that it would only be a couple of minutes until he was blinded by gold.

Sir Tucker couldn't walk by himself for a short while so Jessica supported him as he walked. They found themselves going down another tunnel which thankfully was already lit up for them.

Each step that they took seemed to bring them closer and closer to their goal. Jessica didn't seem to be as excited as Sir Tucker. In a way her own quest had come to an end, in her mind the gold had never been important but instead just to make sure that her friend had gotten through safely. Since their quest was close to an end all that she needed to do was to make sure that he and whatever gold they found made it back safely.

"Thank you Jessica," said Sir Tucker as they walked through the corridor. There didn't seem to be any traps but it didn't mean that they could let their guard down.

"For what?" replied Jessica.

"For everything, I wouldn't have been able to get here by myself. I probably would have failed some time ago."

"Don't worry about it, I told you when we first started that I wasn't going to let you go by yourself. At least now we're almost at the end of this quest and then we can make our way back home."

"Yes with hopefully several tons of gold along with us."

Eventually they came to another wall but unlike before they could clearly see a switch on the wall right next to it. On the wall was written the words 'Riches Of The Ages, Enter If You Must.' This was a clear indication that this was the treasure chamber and just the sheer sight of it gave Sir Tucker a second wind. He quickly walked towards it and he looked at it for a few moments.

The writing itself seemed to be written in gold and this was just another indication that the treasure was inside. Without any hesitation he pressed the switch on the wall, at first nothing seemed to happen but slowly they began to hear a grinding noise. His excitement grew as the grinding became louder.

Eventually the door itself began to rise and both Sir Tucker and Jessica waited to see the treasure on the other side.

To Sir Tucker each moment seemed to be a lifetime as he and Jessica watched the wall continue to rise. They had been through so much on this quest and it seemed like there were only a few moments away from gaining the treasure that they deserved. They couldn't see much inside of the chamber as the wall continued to rise. The process seemed to be painfully slow.

Sir Tucker didn't care to wait as he darted under the wall and went inside of the chamber. Jessica would have followed but she was too big to get underneath straight away. Instead she had to wait until it was high enough for her to duck under. She would be lying if she said that she didn't want the treasure. However she was thinking more of how it could help her parents rather than herself. They had sacrificed so much to raise her and she wanted to give them something back for all of their hard work.

When both of them was inside of the chamber they saw it begin to light up. Sir Tucker expected to be blinded by gold. He was expecting it to be completely filled with valuable treasure. However the chamber seemed to be much emptier than he had expected, frantically he began to look around in hopes that the treasure was just outside of his cone of vision. However while he looked around he still couldn't see anything but an empty chamber and his giant best friend.

"Well where is it?" asked Sir Tucker. The waves of disappointment striking his body was almost too much for him to take. "It has to be around here somewhere." He moved his foot and he felt something strike it. He looked down and saw a small pouch, quickly he crouched down and picked it up. Quickly he opened it up and much to his and Jessica's delight there was gold inside of it. There were numerous gold coins inside which looked to be fairly valuable but the haul was nowhere near as much as they had expected. "Is this it? Where's the rest of it?"

"Maybe it's below us," replied Jessica. This was more out of trying to make him feel better rather than an actual suggestion.

"You're right." He quickly turned to look at her. "Quickly grow and smash a hole into the chamber below."

"I'll try but I don't think that I have the space to grow that big." The chamber had a relatively low ceiling and she didn't think that she could grow any more than twelve feet. Although this was quite big it wasn't big enough for her to stomp a hole into the ground. However she realised something else, the fact was that the floor below them seemed to be solid. If there was a chamber below them it was very deep and there seemed to be no way to get inside even if there was one.

"We have to do something this can't be it. We couldn't have gone all this way just for this small bag of gold!" He was trying to make the situation not as bad as it seemed. He thought that there was more somewhere, they just needed to find it. He felt Jessica's large hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her.

"There is nothing else Tucker." She knew that these were not the words that he would want to hear but she thought that it was better than giving him a pipedream. "All the treasure that's in this chamber is in your hand."

"But there has to be more." He was having to fight back his own tears. He wanted to believe that there was more somewhere but these beliefs were fading with each passing moment. "We have to try."

"I'm sorry Tucker but there's no point. Even if were to stay in this chamber for the rest of our lives we would still find nothing. I know how much this meant to you but you have to face the facts. That pouch is all the treasure that was here ad no amount of wishing or wanting will ever change that."

"But it was supposed to be a treasure that would make one richer than a king. Even a peasant can obtain a bag of gold."

"Maybe it was worth a lot more when it was left here." She knew that over the years the price of gold had gone up and down several times. In her mind this was a possibility no matter how soul crushing it was for Sir Tucker.

"No it can't be. There has to be more." He was having to fight back his own tears, he didn't think that it would be good for him to cry. He felt that it would make himself seem weaker for doing such a thing.

"Come on Tucker, there's nothing else here. We have to go back home now, we have some gold, let's just be happy about this."

"I-I-I."

No other words could be muttered at that moment in time. He was completely speechless as Jessica began to lead him out of the chamber. He was more like a zombie rather than a person and it was upsetting for Jessica to see this. Her friend wasn't the confident man she knew and loved but instead a shell of a man. She knew how much he had looked forward to acquiring the treasure but it seems that the glory had been snatched away from him. Of course they had found the treasure but the sheer disappointment of the scale had more or less broken him as a man.

The pair made their way back through the tunnel and up the stairs that they had previously travelled through. It only took them a few minutes until they reached the surface once again. The sun was shining on their faces again and for Jessica it was a welcome relief but not for Sir Tucker. He had come to the realisation that the wealth that he had been hoping for was nothing more than a dream.

The horse and carriage was still there but the load had been a lot less than they had expected. Instead it seemed like they were going to have to return the horse to Lady O'Hare. The large amount of gold that they had promised her for her help seemed to now be nothing more than a few coins.

Before they moved anywhere the pair did have something to eat and although Sir Tucker wasn't feeling very hungry Jessica made him eat in order to keep up his strength. None of them noticed however that an incredibly tiny Gwen had jumped off of Sir Tucker's armour. She comfortably landed on the ground and no sooner did she do this she began to increase her size. Within seconds she was six feet tall and clearly visible to both Sir Tucker and Jessica who quickly rose to their feet. She was smiling at them but rather than smiling back both of them were afraid. They knew the power that she wielded and the fact that she was so reckless with them.

"Wow what a let-down," said Gwen with the smile still on her face. "You go all this way and it turns out that the treasure was just a small bag of gold. Well really I should have told you from the beginning."

"You knew all along?" replied Sur Tucker who couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why didn't you tell us?" He was angry but he was keeping his anger in check so not to invoke her wrath.

"Because it was so much more entertaining for you to make it all the way here. If I had told you when we first met then it would have been so boring. Besides I like to see mortals think that they're going to have their dreams granted but instead have it taken away from them. But still you have to admit that it has been fun."

"For you maybe but what about us? You never cared about what happened to us at all did you?"

"Of course not your mortals, what is there to care about? You live for a short amount of time and when you're dead no one will remember you. Of course a few will for a while but when they're gone your name will be lost to history and it will be like you never existed in the first place."

"That's cruel even for you."

"But it is true. For example tell me about the man who lived in the farm around twenty miles from here two hundred years ago." It was obvious that neither Sir Tucker nor Jessica didn't know who he was. "Don't worry everyone else has forgotten about him, now shall we get down to business? Since I've been tagging along on your quest I have seen all of your intimate moments together and I have to admit that it was a good laugh."

"Wait how did you see us?" He felt that this was a little stupid to ask a demi-goddess such a question.

"Well you've been carrying me around ever since we first met." She smiled at him and she began to extend her neck so that she literally wrap her head around him. It made her neck and head seem almost like a snake. "I've been hitching a ride on your armour and you didn't even realise." She giggled for a few moments. "I was so small that your mortal eyes couldn't even see me, it's funny if you ask me."

"It is not to us." He saw her neck slowly contracting and it was a very eerie seen for both him and Jessica to see. For now she had remained silent for now. "You had no right to do what you did."

"I'm a demi-goddess I have every right to do what I please. Speaking of which I bet you're really disappointed by the fact that you didn't find the riches that you wanted. Maybe I can show you a different kind of buried treasure." She gave him an evil smile. "I think you know what I mean."

"Yes I do and the answer is no. You took advantage of me in a difficult situation and that is something that is extremely cruel. I don't care what you do to me but I am never going with you again."

"Oh is that a fact?" She then grew in size until she was around ten feet tall. This made her larger than both. "I don't think you're in any position to talk back to me like that." She went to step forward but Jessica quickly grew to her normal size and slammed her foot in front of Sir Tucker. It was in Gwen's way and she looked up at her.

"Leave my friend alone!" demanded Jessica. Rather than the soft and gentle voice that Sir Tucker was used to he could tell that it was very stern and angry. He knew that his gigantic best friend meant business.

"How cute the mortal thinks that she can play a goddess." With that Gwen continued to grow and she stopped when she was around eye level with Jessica. "Let's see if you can take a punch like a goddess."

Before Jessica could say anything she felt the sharp pain of Gwen's fist striking her. To the demi-goddess it wasn't anything more than a light tap but to Jessica it was like she had just been smashed in the face by a huge boulder. The blow caused her to fall back and when she fell to the ground there was a large shudder that shook through the ground. Luckily she had not fallen onto Sir Tucker and thus he was safe for the briefest of moments but he looked at his best friend who lay only a few metres away from him.

Sir Tucker then looked towards Gwen and he already saw that she was lying on the ground and looking at him. She had not bothered to shrink herself as she remained gigantic. He considered drawing out Juggernaut but he thought that there was no point in it since it would have no effect on her.

"Well that was somewhat entertaining," said Gwen. "I wondered if she would fall harder because you know the saying. That girl definitely doesn't know how to take a punch now does she?"

"You're a monster," replied Sir Tucker who was worried that the blow had been enough to kill Jessica. She had barely moved since the strike and it seemed like she was drifting out of consciousness.

"Hey you could hurt my feelings saying something like that." Her expression changed to that of what seemed to be disappointment. "And you know what happen if you hurt my feelings."

Sir Tucker turned around and tried to run. However Gwen just extended her arm and grabbed him with ease. She laughed as she began to stand up to her full height. He was used to being this high up but he was still terrified. He knew that his moment of glory had now completely turned sour. He could see into her huge cold eyes and he did believe that this would be his last day on Earth.

"What are you going to do with me?" asked Sir Tucker who felt powerless in the hands on this giantess. He wanted to struggle but he knew just how futile that would actually be. His only hope was that she show some kind of mercy.

"You know I'm not too sure yet. I should make you pay for your friend's defiance but the fact is that you're the best fuck I've had since I came down here. I might just keep you around until I get bored of course. After I don't know." The evil smile appeared on her face again and Sir Tucker was truly terrified.

Jessica however was not unconscious but she was coming too. The blow had stunned her for a moment but she could see what was happening. A streak of anger shot through her body as she saw that her best friend was in trouble. She knew that she wasn't supposed to step in but she knew that this situation was different. Sir Tucker needed her help and she would do anything she could for him.

Slowly Jessica began to rise back up to her feet but she felt an odd sensation running through her body. It was almost like nothing that she had ever felt in her life and she saw the world around her growing smaller once again. However this came as a shock to her as she was already at her normal size.

Despite this Jessica could feel her body growing, she was growing beyond her normal size and she was becoming what she truly felt to be gigantic. She could see every part of her body expanding and until this moment she thought that this had been impossible. Never had she grown passed her normal size but now it seemed to be happening and there was nothing that she could do to stop it.

Within a few moments Jessica found herself at least twice her normal height. This put her at a little over two hundred and fifty feet in height and she was amazed by what she was seeing. The world looked a little more alien to her but she could still see Gwen with Sir Tucker in her hand. She knew what she needed to do but she just hoped that it wouldn't lead to both the deaths of herself and Sir Tucker.

"Hey!" shouted Jessica at the top of her lungs. Both Gwen and Sir Tucker looked up at her and they were amazed to see that she had grown even larger. None were more surprised than Sir Tucker. "Leave my friend alone!" With that she punched Gwen as hard as she could, the demi goddess had not expected it and it had even caused her to throw Sir Tucker in the air. However rather than falling to the ground Jessica's soft hand caught him before he could reach the ground. Her hand was much bigger than he remembered and he looked at the even more gigantic face of his best friend. He saw her looking down at him and he still couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"J-Jessica you're huge!" shouted Sir Tucker who thought that he needed to so that she could hear him.

"I know Tucker and you don't need to shout," replied Jessica calmly. "I can still hear you perfectly well."

"But how did this even happen? You've never grown like this before." He was truly worried that this could end up doing more damage to her than she realised. He was still in amazement over what had just happened.

"I don't know but all that's important is that you're in my hand and not hers." Her body did feel heavier than usual but she still remained standing. She could also still feel some pain in her face from where she was struck.

"How dare you!" shouted Gwen. She was getting back up to her feet but as she did she began to grow again. "You dare strike me you pathetic mortal!" By then she had reached Jessica's increased height but she kept on growing. "You have just sealed your fate along with every other mortal in this world!" Her words were filled with such hate that it almost seemed like she was going to destroy everything. Jessica was now only knee height in comparison to Gwen. She even took a step back as she watched the demi goddess continue to grow. "I will destroy every single mortal starting with you!"

By now she was easily one and a half thousand feet tall and she lifted her foot and brought it above Jessica. She then slammed it down but Jessica was able to roll out of the way just in time. If anything this just annoyed Gwen even more as she could see that Jessica had gotten out of the way.

Her threat to destroy every person in the world was not an idle threat. Jessica's defiance and the fact that she had struck him and opened a floodgate of hatred that would not dissipate until every mortal paid the price. It seemed like the days of mankind were up and they would likely go out with a whimper.

However before Gwen could try and stomp on Jessica again there was a blinding light that caught everyone by surprise. Even Gwen had to cover her eyes as all three of them found themselves bathed in a bright and glorious light. It lasted for several seconds and when it finally subsided it took a few moments for Sir Tucker and Jessica's vision to return.

When their vision did return they saw a woman who was hovering in the air. She was glowing and just seemed to be radiant in every way. Her hair was completely white and her private parts seemed to be covered by the light. She wore no clothes and even her eyes glowed. Since she was floating in the air Sir Tucker and Jessica couldn't tell what size she was but they knew that they were witnessing something remarkable. For Sir Tucker however there was something about her that caught his eye. It was almost like he had seen her somewhere else before.

"Go away!" demanded Gwen. However rather than speaking in the common tongue she was instead speaking a language that Sir Tucker and Jessica couldn't understand. They had an idea what was happening but they were too awe struck to fully realise what was happening at that moment in time. "This has nothing to do with you!"

"You think that you can demand me!" replied the woman. She seemed to be speaking the same language that Gwen was speaking. "I and my brothers and sisters have been watching you since you came down to Earth and we are far from happy with what you have been doing."

"I don't care what you and your family think. I have been doing what I've wanted and there is nothing wrong with playing with mortals. You and your pathetic family have been doing it since the beginning of time."

"Not in this way, we are gods to the mortals and they should respect us out of love more than fear. Your actions have disrupted that flow and directly interacting with mortals is looked down upon. Even you should know this and yet you've been going around killing and fucking as many mortals as you could. You are a shame to my family and any other being with our blood."

"What are you going to do send me back? You know I'll just come down again when I want and there isn't anything you can do about that."

"No you are no longer welcome, you want to have fun with the mortals well you can stay with them." She then lifted her hand up and it began to glow the same colour that radiated from her body. Gwen began to glow as well and it almost seemed like some kind of energy was being sucked out of her body. No sooner had she started this Gwen found herself shrinking in size, the process was happening really quickly. In a matter of seconds the literal mountain of a woman found herself at a height of five foot five. This was amazing for Sir Tucker and Jessica to see but for the moment they had stayed quiet about the whole thing. No sooner had the process been completed Gwen tried to increase her size but with no effect whatsoever.

"Y-You took my ability to control my size." There was a small amount of panic in her voice as she realised that her powers were gone.

"No I did something much more significant than that. You are only a demi-goddess so I thought that I would take away the goddess part of you. From this day forward you are a mortal. You will live like a mortal, eat like a mortal and eventually die as a mortal. No longer will you be amongst us."

"You can't do this to me!" Tears were rolling down her eyes as she realised that she had truly lost a part of herself. The very thing that made her who she was had now been stripped away from her completely.

"I can and I just did." She began to glow again and even though Sir Tucker and Jessica were right behind her she took no notice of them whatsoever. To her they weren't even there. "Goodbye, we will not meet again."

"No come back!"

But it was too late the Goddess had already disappeared leaving Gwen in an utter state of shock. She broke down and began to sob her heart out, her worst nightmare had come to fruition as she was now a mortal. She had no special abilities and her life now had an end where it had no before. In her eyes she was doomed, it might not have taken place today or even twenty years from then. But she was still doomed.

Sir Tucker and Jessica were trying to put into words what they had just seen but they found it impossible to do so. They had just witnessed something that no living person in Angleland had ever seen. They didn't know whether to feel blessed or in some way cursed by what they had just seen. In the end it was Jessica who broke the silence but it was not to comment on what had happened.

"Tucker I feel odd," said Jessica. There was a small amount of fear in her voice and no sooner did she say this she suddenly shrank by around forty feet. This put her down to a little over two hundred feet but this only lasted a moment as she had another shrink spurt. This one put her down to a hundred and seventy five feet.

Jessica decided that it was best for her to place Sir Tucker back on the ground but the shrink spurts continued. She could feel her body becoming smaller with each spurt and within a minute she was down to her minimum height. Both of them thought that she was going to stop but she had another shrink spurt which put her in the mid six foot region. It was then that they realised that she was shrinking smaller than normal.

Both of them almost went into a state of panic as Jessica continued to shrink. Her next spurt put her at eye level with Sir Tucker and then the next made him tower above her. The spurts were happening faster as the once gigantic woman began to dwindle away in front of her best friend. It continued on for a few more seconds as her height went from being feet down to mere inches.

When she was small enough Sir Tucker picked her up and he watched as she continued to shrink. Both of them feared that she would keep shrinking until she disappeared but to both of their relief Jessica did stop shrinking. But by then the mighty giantess had been reduced to a mere inch and a half in height.

It seemed like an eternity since either Sir Tucker or Jessica had spoken a word. For the first time ever Jessica was looking at a seemingly gigantic Sir Tucker. However she knew that he was normal size and it was her that was actually tiny. In the space of a minute she had gone from being over two hundred feet in height to only around an inch and a half. To her the scales had been completely reversed, normally she was used to being the gigantic person who many feared for the wrong reasons. Now she was the small one and afraid of the world around her. For her entire life she had been big but now she was small and this scared her more than she liked to admit.

There was one thing that Jessica did take some comfort in and that was the fact that she was in the hand of Sir Tucker. She knew that he wouldn't be harmed and that he would do anything he could to help and protect her. She was definitely at a very fragile stage and she feared that she might not survive it.

Sir Tucker also felt like the scales had been reversed. He had gotten so used to looking up at Jessica that he thought that it was the way of the world. Now that he was looking down at her and she seemed so small it was like she was a toy for a child. He couldn't feel the weight in his hand and he wondered if this was how she felt when she was lifting people at her normal size.

"J-Jessica," said Sir Tucker. This was all he could say as he looked down at Jessica who seemed to be in a state of panic. "W-What happened?"

"I don't know," replied Jessica. She was looking at her hands and she was still trying to comprehend what had just happened to her. She even looked at her body and she could see that it was all in proportion but just at a shrunken state.

"Y-you're tiny."

"You don't need to remind me." She crossed her arms but she seemed to be more upset than angry. "When I grew passed my normal size I must have done something and it caused me to become... well this."

"Maybe if you take off your dress you'll grow back to normal." He knew that this would still be gigantic but it would be better than her being this tiny. She didn't even answer him and she just took off her dress. It dropped down to the ground and she was standing in his hand completely naked. He did like what he was seeing but he kept his thoughts to himself. But the results were less than enthusiastic as Jessica remained the same size. She looked up at him and there were tears rolling down her face.

"It's not working, I'm still tiny." She looked down and placed her face in her hands. She continued to cry and she didn't even care that she was naked. She sat down and she seemed to be inconsolable. It was until Sir Tucker's gigantic finger came down to her than she actually acknowledged the world around her.

"Please don't cry Jessica. You know that I don't like seeing you upset."

"Can you make me big again but at least large enough to live a normal life?" She knew that he couldn't but she needed to vent out some of her sadness and frustration. She saw him looking down at her and he had a concerned face.

"No I can't but this isn't the end. Maybe your body just went passed its limits so to speak. This happens because your body basically needs to rest, hopefully you'll grow back to your former size."

"Y-you really think so?" She had wiped away some of her tears from her face. It was a small ray of hope in what seemed to be a dire situation.

"I'm sure of it. It might take a while but I'm sure that you'll be growing before you know it. I can't have a friend that I look up to if she's not taller than me." He smiled at her in the hopes that this would cheer her up. She was wiping the tears off of her cheek and she looked up at him.

"Well for now I guess that I can look up for you." She tried to smile as well but her sadness prevented her from doing this.

"Oh boo hoo to you!" said a voice. This was when Sir Tucker turned around and both her and Jessica could see Gwen standing not too far away from them. After everything that had happened they had forgotten about her. For a moment they were afraid as she walked towards them. "You might be small but I've become insignificant." She was just as sad as Jessica but she was more filled with rage than anything else.

"Gwen you're still here?" replied Sir Tucker with surprise. He was hoping that he wouldn't have to deal with her again.

"Of course I am, but your situation is nowhere near as dire as mine. I've come from being a demi-goddess all the way down to a pitiful mortal." She looked at her hands for a moment ad she began to truly grasp the fact that she could now be killed. "And it is all your fault!" Her words were very stern and angry. She seemed to be taking all of her frustration out on the pair.

"Don't get pinning any of this on us Gwen." He was standing firm and he knew that she couldn't crush him like she could have earlier. Jessica remained in his hand and she seemed to like the fact that he was standing up to Gwen. However for the moment she kept quiet, although Gwen didn't have the power that she once had she was still much larger and stronger than her. "How exactly was that person who stripped your powers?" He had gathered that her powers were gone simply from the fact that she mentioned she was mortal now.

"How quaint of you." However she found this more annoying than cute. "That person that you mentioned is no mere mortal but one of the gods that you worship. She thought it would be so fun to take away my powers and leave me in this pathetic form."

"I think I might have seen her somewhere before."

"What? Where?" She quickly marched to Sir Tucker and got very close to his face. "Where did you see her before? Tell me right now before I..."

"Before you what?" There was a slight amount of aggression in his voice. He had been afraid of her for too long and now that she was a normal she couldn't make demands of him. "If you haven't noticed that you're not exactly in a position to threaten anybody." He took a step back and looked down at Jessica in his hand. "Are you alright?" She nodded back at him and she didn't want to admit that she was afraid. The world seemed a much more terrifying place at her size. He then looked back up so that he could see Gwen. "I'm not going to tell you anything until you at least apologise."

"I will destroy everything you hold dear. I will ensure that your family name ends on this day." She was blowing hot air more than anything else, a few minutes ago she would have been able to perform such a task but now she simply didn't have the power to do such a dreaded thing.

"Apologise!" He was putting his foot down on the situation. He knew that forcing her to apologise was probably more humiliating than he couldn't imagine for her. Even Jessica was sternly looking at her.

Gwen grumbled for a moment and she couldn't believe what had happened. Everything that she thought made her better than mortals had all been removed and now she was just like everyone else. She crossed her arms and looked at the pair for a moment, she wanted to kill them but in this weak body of hers she wouldn't be able to do this. Jessica wasn't the problem but she knew that Sir Tucker was a skilled swordsman. She had gotten the best view in the world as she had literally been attached to his armour. She had been somewhat impressed but until now she had never really appreciated it.

In the end Gwen crossed her arms and she knew that she would have to admit defeat. She could see that Sir Tucker was sticking to his principle and that he wouldn't be telling her anything unless he apologised. She was tempted to grab Jessica and take her hostage but it was too risky. There was also the fact that she could be killed now and that terrified her more than anything else.

"Ok I'm sorry," said Gwen. To her this was the most embarrassing thing that she had ever done but if it meant taking a step towards regaining what she had lost she was more than willing to do it.

"Now that's better," replied Sir Tucker. He could tell that she wasn't being entirely genuine but it was probably going to be the best that he would get. "So you want me to tell you where I saw the goddess?"

"Yes I do, tell me right now."

"That didn't sound very nice. Besides you forgot to say the magic word."

"What there are spells to go along with this? You never demonstrated any kind of magic on this quest."

"I meant please."

"Please?" This word seemed to be alien to her. She had heard it a few times but she didn't know exactly what it meant. "So if I say this word you'll magically tell me what I want to know?"

"It's nothing to do with magic. It's all about being nice, if you ask me if I can please tell you where I saw the goddess I might tell you."

"I don't see much point but if it gets the job done it seems I don't have a choice." She took a deep breath and she couldn't believe that she now had to breathe in order to survive. "Please tell me where you saw her."

"You're improving." He thought for a moment and he wondered if telling her was the best course of action. He didn't see much harm in telling her since he didn't think that it was real. "Well when Jessica and I had a falling out I ate a mushroom which made me see things that didn't make sense. Near the end of my little trip I saw the goddess who took your powers away from you. I was even able to speak to her."

"Oh she's always doing something like that." There seemed to be some annoyance in her voice. "She likes to directly speak to mortals when they're not sound of mind. It really gets on my nerves. What did she say to you?"

"She said that I had something very precious and that I should never lost it." He then looked down at Jessica again. He knew that she was the precious item that the goddess had spoken of and he hoped to never lose her.

"That's it?" She was hoping that the goddess would have mentioned something that was much more substantial. Unfortunately at this point it seemed like Sir Tucker's information had been useless. However there was one little detail that she did want to know. "What mushroom did you eat?"

"I don't remember. It was one I just found on the ground and it made me go on that little trip."

"Ah useless!" She seemed to be angry again but she was more annoyed than anything else. "I'll find it myself." She began to walk away and she didn't take much notice of the pair. She was determined to get her demi-goddess status back no matter the cost. She also knew that she only had around fifty years to do this before she died of old age. For a mortal this was a long time but to her it was like a fraction of a second. She had lived for countless years before this and she saw that her own death was creeping closer with each passing second. She could feel her body aging and there was nothing that she could do to stop it. This terrified her more than anything else.

"Wait!" Sir Tucker brought his hand forward towards her but already she was walking away. It seemed like Gwen wanted nothing to do with them and she began what was going to be a long search for the mushroom that she was so desperate for. He looked down at Jessica in his hand and she seemed to be less upset than she was before. She wasn't happy by any means but she was at least not crying anymore. "Do you think we should go and stop her?" He knew that even after everything that she had done Gwen might still need their help in some way.

"No," replied Jessica. She crossed her arms and looked towards where Gwen was walking off to. "She'll tire herself out before long and then she'll probably want help from us. But whether we give it to her is another matter entirely."

"That doesn't sound much like you."

"Well after everything she's done I can't help but want to see her face some punishment. I nearly lost my head because of her."

"But do you really want her to eat a poisonous mushroom?"

"I guess not." She gave a sigh. "Ok we'll go and get her back but I have a feeling that we'll regret this."

Quickly Sir Tucker moved towards Gwen. She was not out of sight yet and there was something else that he noticed as well. The horse and cart that they had brought from Featherstone was still there. Despite everything that had happened it still remained where they had left it and this was a welcome relief for them. It meant that they still had some means of travelling long distances without the need to walk.

After a few minutes they did eventually catch up with Gwen. She was looking around on the ground in search for any kind of mushroom. Unfortunately for her she couldn't find any and her search was more out of desperation rather than anything else. When Sir Tucker saw her crawling around on the ground in search of the mushrooms he couldn't help but feel some sympathy towards her. She had once been what many would consider a majestic being but now she had been reduced to this.

"You're not going to make any progress like that Gwen," said Sir Tucker when he approached her. She didn't even bother looking towards him as she continued her search anyway.

"I don't care," replied Gwen. "All that matters is I find the mushroom so that I can see her again." She didn't bother trying to say the goddess's name since she had lost her powers she couldn't speak her name anymore.

"You're going to be here for years doing that. Jessica and I are going back to Featherstone, we can give you a ride there and maybe there's someone who can point you in the right direction. Plus you'll have somewhere to sleep."

"Sleep?" She was confused for a moment and then she realised what he was talking about. "You mean that thing that you do every night where just lie down and close your eyes for several minutes?"

"Yeah that's it. Now that you're mortal you'll be doing the same thing every single day. Plus you're going to need to eat and drink like the rest of us. If you stay out here you'll starve to death, if you come with us there might be some help for you."

"I suppose you have a point there." She was going to call Sir Tucker a mortal again but since she was a mortal herself now it would be ill fitting. She did stand up and look towards Sir Tucker and Jessica. "Very well you can take me back to Featherstone but if you're not going to help me with my search then our paths will divide once we have reached our destination."

"Nothing would bring me greater joy." He and Jessica would definitely be happy if they never saw Gwen again after the trip.

A few minutes later the trio found themselves on the cart and the horse was pulling it away. Gwen sat on the left of Sir Tucker while Jessica sat on his right shoulder. She wanted to be as far away from Gwen as she could. She also felt a little unsafe on Sir Tucker's shoulder, when it had been the other way around she had always tied some of her hair around him so that he in a sense had a safety rope. Unfortunately for her Sir Tucker's hair was too short for her to wrap around herself. Instead she just kept a firm grip on him and she hoped that he wouldn't make any movements that could cause her to fall.

Sir Tucker had more than enough skill to drive the cart. He had done this numerous times when he had been delivering various items from his family's blacksmith. To him it reminded him of home which he had missed more than he would like to admit. Unfortunately he wouldn't be returning with the treasure that he had been hoping for. In his mind he would at least return as a knight.

Three Man's Treasure was strapped to his belt and it jingled every time he moved his leg. The treasure definitely was much smaller than he expected. He hoped that there was some kind of hidden value to them but he thought that they would most likely just regular gold coins.

Jessica was still taking in the world around her. For as far as she could remember she had always felt that the world was too small for her. Now she felt that it was too big and she couldn't help but feel a little scared. She still feared that she would never grow and even if she did that something might happen to her before she grew back to her normal size. She even remembered the feeling of when she had gone beyond her normal size. Her body had felt heavier but she also felt more powerful than she had before. Punching Gwen had even caused her more joy than she would admit although she did nearly break her hand in the process.

Jessica was even uncomfortable with the knowledge that Gwen was sitting not too far away from her. After everything that had happened she still didn't trust the former demi-goddess. She had caused the pair nothing but trouble since they had first met her and she just wanted to be rid of her. She normally never liked to think that she didn't want to see someone ever again but for people like her she was willing to make an exception.

"I don't like this," said Jessica. She was too small to reach Sir Tucker's ear but her voice was quite enough so that Gwen couldn't hear her.

"What don't you like?" replied Sir Tucker. His voice was no more than a whisper and it was clearly heard by Jessica but not by Gwen.

"I don't like her being with us. I have a terrible feeling that she's going to try and harm us in some way."

"You've seen her now she's powerless. Besides when we reach Featherstone we'll never have to see her again."

"But until then I'm still worried. I'm not big enough to protect you anymore, I don't know if I ever will."

"I've told you time and time again that I am more than capable of looking after myself. Plus without her powers Gwen is just a normal maiden. You don't have to worry about her, I'll protect you from her and I'll ensure that nothing else hurts you. I swear on my honour as a knight."

"Thanks I appreciate that." She still didn't feel entirely safe but she knew that with Sir Tucker protecting her that she didn't have to worry too much about her safety. However the world was a very scary place where even a common insect now looked to be a threat to her. She remembered wishing that she could be small but this was far smaller than she would have liked and now she just wanted to regain her former stature. She didn't even mind if she grew up to her normal size and had no means of shrinking smaller. She felt that it would be better than this.

For the next several hours the trio travelled in silence until night finally fell upon them. In his experience Sir Tucker knew that it was too dangerous for the horse to travel at night so they stopped for the night. Each of them were hungry so a quick supper was in order, they still had plenty of food left and although they were eating for three it was more like they were eating for just two. Sir Tucker did make sure that the horse was properly fed and had some water.

Within minutes a fire was started and Sir Tucker began to cook. Jessica was too small to cook and even when she had been larger cooking was not her greatest talent. Gwen on the other hand didn't know how to cook. She never had any need to and until today she never truly had a need to eat. She had eaten in the past but never because her body had actually needed it.

As usual Jessica remained close to Sir Tucker. She didn't want him to leave her alone at any point with Gwen. Neither of them trusted her and Jessica still felt fragile at her size, however she did find an upside to being so tiny. When she was given some food it looked gigantic in comparison to her. Normally when she ate she was afraid of not eating her fill, on numerous occasions she had eaten all of her food and still felt hungry. This time it didn't seem like it was going to be a problem.

Gwen sat opposite Sir Tucker and Jessica. She had hardly said a word and she just ate what was in front of her. For the first time ever she actually felt hungry and after being told that food would satisfy this hunger she wanted to eat as much as she could. She did almost burn her mouth after trying to put the food in her mouth without blowing it. Again for the first time she had felt something that was hot and she was able to feel pain which had caught her completely by surprise.

Gwen couldn't fathom how a person was having to live like this. The constant need for food and the fact that there were so many different things that she needed to do every day. She had to constantly remember that she needed to breathe and she was beginning to feel tired for the first time ever as well. Before things such as fatigue, hunger, thirst and many other human aspects had been completely alien to her. Now she was having to feel them every moment of every day.

"How do you deal with all of this?" asked Gwen as she looked over to Sir Tucker. This was the first words that she had said to either of them since they had begun their trip back to Featherstone.

"Deal with what?" replied Sir Tucker with some confusion. He had been eating his foot and Jessica was sitting on his knee. She had a small piece of food which was almost as large as she was.

"With everything. I've experienced numerous things for the first time today and I didn't like any of it. It's enough to drive me insane and yet you mortals live like this every single day. How do you deal with all of it?"

"It might seem like a lot for you now but believe me you'll get used to it. Before long you'll love being a mortal."

"There's nothing to love about being a mortal." There was a tear rolling down her face as she felt how hopeless the situation was. "You're born, grow old and then you die, what kind of life is that when it isn't infinite?"

"Well since we live such short lives it allows us to appreciate everything more since we don't last forever."

"But you're going to die? How do you go through life knowing that one day you're just going to drop dead?"

"It is something that people don't tend to think about. If you constantly think about dying it'll lead to an early grave."

This was not a satisfactory answer for Gwen and she just ate along with Sir Tucker and Jessica. Eventually the food was eaten and it was time for everyone to get some much needed sleep. In the past Sir Tucker was used to sleeping in Jessica's hand or hair to keep himself warm. This time Jessica was sleeping in his hand to stay warm. At her size the world did seem scary but it was at least a little safer that she was with him.

Gwen couldn't sleep for a while. It was something that she had never done before and she gazed up at the night's sky. She could see all the stars above her and she knew that the Gods were watching her and most likely laughing at her as well. She found this to be incredibly annoying but now she had no way of getting to them. She was stuck in the mortal realm and without her powers and immortality she truly felt like she was nothing. However eventually fatigue did get the better of her and she closed her eyes and finally fell asleep.

Everyone was up relatively early the next morning and Jessica claimed that she had grown the previous night. Sir Tucker didn't think that she had despite her claims, he thought that if she had grown it was so small that he didn't notice it. It would be her first step to regaining her former size.

Gwen was less than happy to be waking up. She had been dreaming for the first time and she much preferred her dream world over reality. There she still had her powers but in reality she was stuck in the weak form that she had been cursed to. This continued to annoy her to no end.

After a quick breakfast the trio were on their way again and within a few hours of riding Featherstone could finally be seen over the horizon. For all three of them it was a relief and Sir Tucker in particular was glad. He hoped that this visit wouldn't end in the disappointment that he felt after finding the treasure.

With each step the horse took towards Featherstone the city seemed to grow larger. For Gwen she just wanted to get off and find someone who could tell her about mushrooms, she felt that the sooner she found what she was looking for the sooner that she could regain her immortality and powers. She looked at Sir Tucker and Jessica but she knew that she couldn't harm them. She did blame them for what had happened but she simply didn't have the strength anymore.

Slowly the horse pulled the cart into Featherstone, as expected it looked no different from when they had left. There were still a few people who were celebrating the battle that had taken place but most had gone back to their work. There was no fanfare of their arrival or any kind of celebration. To everyone they were just weary travellers that were looking for a place to stay for the night. However they had tasks that they needed to complete and all three of them hoped that they would leave Featherstone happier. However if life had taught them anything it was that things don't always turn out the way that people want and quite a lot of time reality is much more complicated than fantasy.

No sooner had the horse and cart gotten into Featherstone Gwen jumped off and went on her own way. She didn't thank Sir Tucker or Jessica for their help and instead went on her own search for someone who knew about mushrooms. Rather than going to get her back the pair decided that they would leave her be. They had helped her out enough in their minds and they allowed her to go on her way. They just hoped that their paths would never cross again, they did hope that she would learn her lesson but a part of them felt that she would never learn to be truly human.

Rather than making their way to an inn Sir Tucker and Jessica knew that they had to visit Lady O'Hare once again. They had an arrangement with her and if they were to not hold up their part of the deal they might very well run into a lot of trouble over it. Although the treasure had not been what they had been hoping for they still needed to see Lady O'Hare so they could explain what happened. The last thing they wanted was to have prices on their heads for disobeying a Lady.

As they approached Lady O'Hare's castle they saw a few of the knights which they had met before. A few of them even waved at Sir Tucker as they went by, none of them had noticed the still tiny Jessica on his shoulder. She was too small for them to notice and most of them did wonder where Sir Tucker's very tall maiden had gone. Most had been awestruck by her height and now that they couldn't see her with him they assumed that she had simply been left somewhere else.

Just outside of the main entrance to the castle Sir Tucker was once again stopped. Before he could enter he was stripped of his weapons and the guards were surprised to see the tiny Jessica. They had never seen such a thing and some of them even thought that she was a child's plaything at first. When they saw her move and speak they realised that she was actually alive. This was something that they had never expected, but all things considering they did let them both pass.

Once again the pair found Lady O'Hare sitting on her seat in the great hall. She was expecting to see Sir Tucker and Jessica walk in together but she was surprised to only see Sir Tucker at first. She seemed happy to see him because she had hoped that he would have a large chunk of treasure for her.

"Ah Sir Tucker I've been expecting you," said Lady O'Hare. She remained where she was sitting and she did smile at them. "I trust that the final leg of your quest has gone well for the both of us."

"Unfortunately it has not my lady," replied Sir Tucker. He knew that lying would be pointless at this moment in time. "The treasure that I had been seeking was sadly nothing more than a bag of gold." He took it out of his pocket and lifted it up so that she could see it. "This is all that my friend and I have to show for all the hard work that we put into finding it my Lady."

"And where is your friend? Has she decided to wait outside while we discuss matters? Or is she far from here?"

"Neither my lady." Carefully he placed the gold back in his pocket and then took Jessica off of his shoulder. Once again he lifted her up so that Lady O'Hare could see her, she was quite surprised to see a woman who had seemed so tall now look so small. "There was an incident yesterday and as you can see it has caused my friend to shrink below her normal size and thus leaving her like this."

"Bring her closer good sir. I wish to take a closer look at her." Sir Tucker was reluctant but he did step forward and brought Jessica closer so that Lady O'Hare had a clear view of the tiny woman. Like everyone else she was surprised to see Jessica at such a small size but she also found it somewhat funny. "Last I saw of you there were many calling you the tallest maiden in Angleland. Now you are definitely the smallest."

"Maybe the world has grown and I was simply left behind," replied Jessica. She wasn't happy that her lack of size was being commented. Rather than offending Lady O'Hare the larger woman began to laugh.

"That might very well be true. I could allow you to drink potion number four, that might return you to a more conventional size but the effects would only be temporary. We could try if you wish."

"I um..." Jessica began to think about it for a moment. She was tempted to accept Lady O'Hare's offer and use the potion to enlarge herself. However the effects would only last twenty four hours and if she wanted to remain at that size she would be stuck there for however long it took her to regain her size. She wanted to return home as soon as she could and this was what made her mind up. "Thank you my Lady but I'd rather decline, Sir Tucker and I wish to return to our families. We have not seen them for months and we wish to truly rest after our long journey."

"Very well little one. You may return home if you wish or you can stay here in Featherstone. Sir Tucker can have a spot with my personal guard and I can find plenty of work for you once you regain your size."

Rather than answering straight away Sir Tucker and Jessica quietly began to discuss the offer between one another. It was a tempting offer to say the least but they still chose return back to Morgan. It might not be the most ideal place to live but it was home to them and that was all that mattered.

"We thank you my lady for your offer," answered Sir Tucker. "But respectfully we must decline, Morgan is our home and while Featherstone is a very nice place Morgan is where we belong."

"Very well, although I am disappointed to hear that I respect your decision," replied Lady O'Hare. "Maybe our paths will cross again one day but until then I can do nothing more than wish you both luck."

"There is one other thing I must ask my lady."

"And what is that good sir knight."

"The horse that you so generously allowed us to borrow, I would like to keep it in exchange for whatever gold you feel is a fair price." He placed Jessica back onto his shoulder and then took the pouch of gold from his pocket once again. "We do not have much but we need a horse."

"Put your gold away good sir. You may keep the horse on the condition that when I summon you from Morgan that you come as soon as you can. I might need men like you in the future."

"I accept your terms my lady. I look forward to the day that we meet again." He would have given Lady O'Hare a bow but with Jessica on his shoulder he didn't want her to fall to the ground.

"As do I good sir. Farewell and may the gods smile upon you."

With that Sir Tucker turned and walked out of the great hall. The meeting had gone better than he had expected. Not only did he have a free horse but he also got to keep all the treasure that he had found. Unfortunately it wasn't that much but it was still better than nothing in his eyes.

Jessica remained on his shoulder and she kept a firm grip in order to keep herself from falling. She still couldn't get over how big everything was in comparison to her now and she hoped that she would grow back to normal as soon as she could. The last thing she wanted was to be this size for the rest of her life. At least when she had been big she had been able to protect herself but at this size she feared that a mere insect would be able to cause her serious harm. However the fact that they were returning back to Morgan did make her feel somewhat better. She wished to see her parents and she would probably give them a very big hug when she saw them next.

Sir Tucker and Jessica didn't leave Featherstone straight away. They used some of the gold that they had acquired to buy more food and they even stayed at an inn for the night so that they could have a comfortable seat. Jessica had to sleep on the table near the bed as Sir Tucker didn't want to sleep with her. He feared that he would roll over and accidentally crush his now tiny friend. She understood this and although she was given a blanket to keep herself warm it was not the most comfortable sleep for her.

Jessica was the first to wake up the next morning and once again she was sure that she had grown once again. She definitely felt taller than she did the previous day and this made her feel pretty happy inside, to her it meant that she was growing and soon she would be large enough to travel without the aid of Sir Tucker. She couldn't wait to be tall once again but from how fast she was growing it seemed that it would be a while before she was back to normal.

Even this time Sir Tucker thought that Jessica had grown, however to him the change still wasn't that much. It was only by a fraction of an inch but it was a start at least. She still had another ninety six inches before she was back up to what she considered to be her minimum height and another one thousand, four hundred and eighty eight inches until she was back up to her normal size.

One thing that the pair did fear that before they left Featherstone that they would run into Gwen again. They still had not seen her since they had entered the city and if things went their way it would remain that way. They had helped her as much as they wanted and now they were going to leave her to her own devices. They did wonder if Gwen would learn any lessons from her time as a mortal or if she would remain the way she was now until the day she eventually died.

This particular day didn't look to be too bright and there was the threat of rain in the air. Because of this Sir Tucker bought a hooded clock that would keep himself and Jessica dry, to her raindrops were more like someone constantly throwing a bucket of water over her. Plus the cloak would provide her with some warmth.

After both of them confirmed that they had everything they needed they climbed onto the horse and cart and began the long trek back home to Morgan. Sir Tucker was more disappointed than he would have liked to admit. Returning home without the treasure that he had believed he thought that he was going to be the laughing stock of the town. However there was one thing on his mind, when he had left he had simply known as a peasant blacksmith named Mr Tucker Martel. Now he was Sir Tucker Martel, a full-fledged and honoured knight of the realm. That was something that no one else in Morgan had and unlike many high-borns who were given the title he had earned it with his own blood, sweat and tears.

A few times while Sir Tucker was driving the cart he would see Jessica helping herself to some food. He would playfully tell her to stop and she would simply tell him that she was a growing girl and she needed all the food that she could. She believed that if she ate regularly it would make her grow faster. However she didn't want to grow in the wrong areas, such a thing would be somewhat embarrassing and she knew that it was much harder to lose it than gain it.

Several days passed on their return trip and Sir Tucker could definitely tell that Jessica was growing. Her height had increased from an inch and a half to a little under two and a half inches. This was not much of a height increase but proportionately this was a huge step in the right direction.

A few of the peasants that they went by couldn't believe the sight of the tiny woman riding with the knight. She would wave at them and this would freak them out somewhat. She couldn't help but find this humorous as she was just having a little fun with them. It was a little weird in her mind for people to be freaking out over her lack of size rather than her gigantism.

Eventually the pair did stop at an inn so that they could have a comfortable night's sleep. Jessica in particular was tired as her ongoing growth spurts had made her tired. She retired to the room early while Sir Tucker remained in the tavern and began to drink quite heavily. The ale to him began to flow like water as he drank one draft after another. He was beginning lose focus as the effects of the ale began to overcome him.

Sir Tucker sat at his own table and he continued to drink. He was still keeping a good eye on the gold but with Jessica being at such a small size feeding her had become incredibly cheap so he felt that he had some gold to spare.

Eventually he saw a man sit down at the table. He sat right across from Sir Tucker and at first he didn't really focus that much on the man. Instead he just drank more of his ale and allowed it to get the better of him. He did have some sense left inside of him but he was definitely not as cautious as he normally would be.

"This table is occupied," said Sir Tucker. He was beginning to slur his words somewhat but he still had enough sense to know what he was talking about. "There are other tables that you can sit down at."

"That there is," replied the man. Sir Tucker looked up and saw that it was the same robed man that he had seen some time ago. It had been just outside of July after he and Jessica had escaped the clutches of Lord Nostory. He looked identical to how he looked the last time Sir Tucker had seen him. "But I would prefer to sit here."

"It's you." There was some surprise in his voice and he became much more alert than he had been just a few moments ago. "I remember you."

"And I remember you Sir Tucker Martel. Much has changed since last we met in a similar establishment."

"But who are you? You tell me to give up on my quest and then walk out without saying another word. Now you appear like this right out of the blue. There's more to you than just some monk."

"I'll leave that to you to decide Sir Tucker Martel. I know that you're questioning whether I'm real or just some kind of figment of your drunken imagination. I could tell you the truth but such information is not important. There is much that you and I must discuss before you can move ahead."

"And what would that be? The fact that I wasted my time on this quest? All I got out of it was a small bag of gold. I could have worked at my family's blacksmith and earned more money than this."

"Maybe you are right there Sir Tucker but sometimes a man finds more treasure in the world around him instead of what he can count in a pouch of gold. I foresaw such disappointed and decided to warn you but it seems that you didn't heed my advice. You didn't get the treasure that you desired but there were plenty of other items of great value that you obtained instead. I think that you know what I'm talking about."

"If you're going to talk about my knighthood I already know. Unfortunately unless I'm in the services of a lord I don't get any money for my title. I would have probably earned more if my parents just added three more letters to my name at birth. Everyone is going to laugh at me when I return home."

"I don't think they will. They have much more important things to worry about than laughing at someone. You have also achieved more than most of them could possibly imagine."

"I wanted to return with more gold than the King, I wanted to live the rest of my life in comfort while I had servants at my beck and call. I just wanted to have an easy life like the Lords and Ladies."

"Do you truly think that their lives are any easier than that of a peasants? The life of one is not necessarily easier than the other. There are plenty of Lords and Ladies who wish that they had the life of a peasant. You should be thankful for what you have, do not forget what happened to Nathan."

"Do not speak of Nathan!" Nathan had been Sir Tucker's younger brother who had sadly died as an infant.

"But you understand what I am saying. Rather than wanting what others have you should be thankful for what you already have. That is the message that I leave you here this day and now I must bid you farewell. We will not meet again Sir Tucker Martel." With that the cloaked man stood up from the table and walked away. Sir Tucker watched as he left the inn and he still wasn't sure whether he had just spoken to a person or if it had all been in his head.

Either way Sir Tucker knew that the best thing that he could do was to go back up to the room and sleep off what he had been drinking. He still had a long way to travel and already he had drunk enough for one night. No one else in the inn really noticed him as he made his way up the stairs and into the room that he was sharing with Jessica.

As Sir Tucker entered the room he saw a tiny Jessica fast asleep in her makeshift bed. She didn't notice him entering the room as she continued to sleep. He began to take off his armour and place it on the floor next to the bed. It only took him a few seconds for him to take it all off and then he looked over to Jessica.

Carefully Sir Tucker made his way over to her and gave her a light kiss on her tiny head. He was careful not to wake her up and he felt that it was something that she deserved. However he did see something odd occurring. No sooner had he kissed her he saw her tiny body beginning to quiver and seconds later her body suddenly grew. She had grown an entire inch and this made her fifty percent taller than she had been before the kiss.

Jessica remained asleep and Sir Tucker wasn't sure about what he had seen. Instead of thinking about it he just made his way to the much larger bed and lay down. No sooner had he done this he began to drift off to sleep. The drink had done its work as he was going to sleep like a log that night.

The next morning Sir Tucker was awoken by what seemed to be a scream of excitement. His head was throbbing from the night before and slowly he began to sit up from his bed. The first thing that he noticed was the fact that he needed to relieve himself. However he also saw Jessica on the table near him. She seemed to be overjoyed and she looked directly at him.

"Tucker you're awake!" said Jessica who didn't hid just how happy she was feeling at that moment in time.

"W-what is it Jessica?" replied Sir Tucker. He didn't want to tell her how much he had drunk last night and he just wanted to know what was making her happy enough to wake him up.

"Haven't you noticed?" She stood there allowing Sir Tucker to see her body. "I'm taller than I was last night and not just a little taller." She placed her hand just under her breasts to indicate how tall she was the night before. "Last night I was this tall and this morning I'm like this. I'll be back to being big in no time."

"Great and now if you don't mind I want to have a few more hours before we make our way out of here." He placed his head back on his pillow and he tried to get back to sleep but now he was too awake to achieve such a task. Jessica also had a problem since she was stuck on the table until Sir Tucker could take her off. All she could do was sit down and wait for him, she didn't want to wake him again.

Jessica was still more than thrilled with her growth spurt that night. She thought that at that rate of growth she would be back to being large within a few weeks. She hated being small and she couldn't wait to be big. She was going to carry Sir Tucker wherever he needed to go and she would most likely spend time at her normal size as well.

One thing that Jessica did have going for her was the fact that there was some food on the table. She didn't have to wait for Sir Tucker for that so she made her way to the food and began to eat. It looked smaller than it had the night before but this was just another reminder that she was growing. Normally for her that would be a problem but in this situation it couldn't have made her happier.

A couple of hours later Sir Tucker finally came around and although he was still feeling the effects of the alcohol he knew that he couldn't lie in bed all day. There was still a long way that they needed to go before they returned home. Slowly he got out of the bed and looked down at Jessica who now had a full belly after everything that she had eaten. She looked up at him and seemed happy to see that he was awake now.

"Now you're awake sleepy head," said Jessica as she could see Sir Tucker staggering a little. Almost instantly she knew what had happened. "How much did you drink last night Tucker?"

"I admit that it was a fair amount but I assure you that I'm fine," replied Sir Tucker. He had a headache but he tried to make it seem like it wasn't too big of a deal. He also couldn't believe that he was being told off by a woman who was only a fraction of his own size. "Besides it's been a while since I last had a real drink."

"I know but you know that I worry about you. Just promise me that you won't drink heavily until we return home."

"Ok I promise." The truth of the matter was that with the way he felt that he didn't want to drink for a good long while at least. "Now did you want me to take you off of that table or is there something that you need to do on there."

"No can you pick me up please." She still wasn't entirely used to the fact that Sir Tucker was now the big one and that she was tiny. She waited for him to place his hand down near her so that she could jump onto it. He then lifted her up to his level and she could see his seemingly enlarged face. She had to constantly remind herself about the fact that everything was normal size and she was just the one who shrank. "I still can't get over the fact that you're so big."

"Hey it's not me that's grown, it's you that's shrunk. But don't worry you'll be back to towering above me before you know it."

"Thanks Tucker. You always seem to know the best things to say." She stepped forwards and kissed him on the lips. Her own lips were so small that he could barely feel it. However no sooner had she done this she felt a shiver run down her spine, then much to her surprise and that of Sir Tucker they watched as she sprouted another inch and a half. They were both completely speechless after what had just happened and there was several seconds before either of them could even speak. "W-what just happened?"

"I think that you grew." He had seen it the previous night but he thought that it had been in his head more than anything else. "I do have a theory if you don't mind me trying it out." He watched her shake her head and he gently kissed her. This time she was expecting it and she felt also felt the same shiver down her spine. Before both of them could say a word she had another two inch growth spurt that brought her up to seven inches in height. This still made her very small but considerably larger than she was just the previous day. "I think we might have solved the problem."

"I grew again." She looked at herself and she even pinched herself to see if she was dreaming. She felt a small amount of pain which made her truly realise that she was indeed awake. "Whenever we kiss it seems to make me grow." In a way to her this was the best way that she could grow. It was certainly less embarrassing than other reasons for her to grow taller.

"Looks like it. I wonder why that is." He had a pretty good idea why but for the moment he didn't want to say anything.

"I think I might know but I think you know what I'm going to ask you." She took a deep breath. "Can you kiss me until I'm big again?" The thought of it actually excited her and the growing part was only a secondary reason.

"I guess I could. You are a maiden in need and it is my duty as a knight to help you." He was putting on this bravado to try and hide his nervousness. He had kissed Jessica numerous times before but this seemed to be different.

Carefully Sir Tucker raised Jessica to his lips and kissed her. He felt her become heavier in his hand as she had another growth spurt. The pair continued to kiss and each moment of kissing made Jessica grow larger and larger. Within a minute or so she became too big for him to keep in his hand so he had to place her down on the ground and the pair continued to kiss.

However the kissing had changed from that of friendship to lovers kissing. Sir Tucker could feel Jessica's tongue in his mouth and although it seemed quite small it was constantly getting larger. He didn't want to think just how tall she was now but she wasn't average height yet. He felt her arms wrap around him and his arms eventually found his way around hers. He could feel her growing with every kiss that they had and he thought that it wouldn't be long before she was back to her old size.

After a few minutes the pair stopped kissing for a moment and Sir Tucker could see that Jessica was now at eye level with him. They looked into each other's eyes and before they knew it they were kissing once more. Sir Tucker could feel Jessica growing and she was leaning more towards him. Unfortunately her weigh was too much for him to keep standing and he fell back.

Even when they both hit the ground they continued to kiss. They were lost in each other's passion and it felt like nothing could spoil their moment. However Sir Tucker could see Jessica continuing to grow and he began to worry that the floor might go from underneath them.

Eventually they did stop kissing and Sir Tucker seemed to be quite small in comparison to Jessica now. To them both it seemed like she was back up to her minimum height, there was a smile on both of their faces but when Jessica began to stand up her head hit the ceiling much sooner than she had expected.

It was only at that moment that they realised that Jessica was now ten feet tall. She looked at the door that was practically right next to her and she thought that she might be too big to squeeze out now. She looked down at Sir Tucker who was also getting back up to his feet and he was looking up at her with some surprise. He was used to seeing her taller than him but not this tall in an enclosed space.

"I think that we overdid it a little there," said Sir Tucker. These were the only words that he could mutter.

"You think?" replied Jessica. She was having to bend over much more than normal and it was extremely uncomfortable for her. She had greatly enjoyed what was happening but now she was wishing that they had done it outside. "I don't think I can even get out through the door."

"Sure you can. You might need to do a little twisting and turning but you'll get through there easily." He didn't think that it would be that easy but he was almost certain that she would be able to do it.

For the next several minutes Jessica tried to squeeze herself through the door. Unfortunately it was a smaller door than the norm and this only added to her annoyance. Her body was bigger than she was used to when she was inside and it was difficult to squeeze her frame through it. She was of average build for a woman but this seemed to be working against her, she was twisting her body in ways that she didn't think was possible. She could also feel Sir Tucker pushing her as he was trying to help her out.

Eventually their efforts did bear fruit as Jessica was squeezed through the door. It took her a minute or two to catch her breath. Sir Tucker was glad to see that she was out but now they had the relatively difficult task of getting Jessica down the stairs. The ceiling above it was too low and she was having to bend down once again in order to get herself down the stairs. However if she leaned too far forwards she would likely fall down them and seriously injure herself.

There were a few people in the inn who could see what was happening and rather than helping simply stared at the sight that they were seeing. They had never seen a woman of Jessica's stature and it was almost like they were seeing something out of a folk tale rather than real life.

Jessica chose to ignore these people as she carefully made her way down the stairs. She felt her head scrapping along the ceiling but eventually she did find her way down to the bottom of the stairs. She then looked forward and saw another door that she needed to fit through in order to get outside.

One thing that did seem to be on Jessica's side was the fact that this door looked slightly larger than the one that she had squeezed through a minute or two before. It seemed like the task wasn't going to be too difficult but it still was going to be a chore for her. It was just another reminder that she should have kissed Sir Tucker outside before she grew this large. She was also thankful that she had stopped kissing him when she did or else getting through the door would be impossible.

Jessica began to squeeze herself through the front door and as expected it was much easier than the previous door. Sir Tucker didn't even need to help her as she forced her body through the door and then she stood back up. This time she didn't have to worry about low ceilings and she could see the sky above her.

"Oh it's good to be out of there," said Jessica as she finally stood to her full height. "And good to be big again." She looked down at Sir Tucker who was just walking out through the door as well. He was looking up to her once again and to both of them it just seemed right to them. "Thank you Tucker, you don't know how much this means to me." It was true that although she was sometimes depressed because she was so big she was however much more depressed when she was small.

"Don't mention it," replied Sir Tucker who could see that Jessica was much happier now that she was big again. "I much prefer having to look up at you, having you in my hand like that was weird."

"Soon you can be in my hand again." She smiled down at him and she knelt down so that she was down to his level. "I don't know about you but what we just did, it just felt right. It might sound stupid but..." She couldn't really finish her sentence as she didn't know exactly how she could explain it.

"It's alright Jessica you don't need to explain." He gave her a kiss on her lips and this caused her to grow by another foot.

"Well I'm not quite up to my normal size yet so shall we go again until I am?" She hoped that he would say yes because the feeling that she felt when they kissed was more than anything that she had ever felt before.

Sir Tucker didn't even answer as he placed his lips on Jessica's once again. He felt Jessica's large hands gently grab onto his sides. He felt himself get lifted off the ground as Jessica stood up once again. At no time did he feel like he was in any kind of danger as he was perfectly safe in her hands. He did feel her hands growing as they continued to kiss. There was also a reaction in his own body as he felt his manhood becoming erect and he was just glad that Jessica couldn't see it.

Eventually Sir Tucker seemingly became too small for Jessica to hold in both hands so she switched to the one had. He stood in her hand and he could feel her lips growing as it covered his face. At first her lips only covered a small part of his face but soon it covered almost its entirety and he was struggling to breathe. However the raw pleasure that both he and Jessica was feeling overcame any discomfort that they had.

After another couple of minutes of kissing the pair eventually broke off the kiss and Jessica began to look around her. Instinctively she knew that she was back up to her normal size, her happiness cause her to twirl her body for a moment. She looked at Sir Tucker in her hand and he seemed to be the right size to her now. She was glad that she was back to normal and she just wanted to put her recent adventure in size behind her.

"There we go," said Jessica as she looked at Sir Tucker. "It's nice to be my normal size once again. I missed it more than I could have imagined." She stretched her index finger over to him and gently patted him on the head. "And I have you to thank for that my special little guy."

"You're welcome you big friendly giantess." After he spoke he could hear her giggling and it seemed to be louder than it normally should have but that was thanks to her size returning to her.

"Hey I'm not that big." She then looked at her butt for a moment and then looked back at Sir Tucker. "Well my butt isn't that big in comparison to the rest of my body." This was more out of a joke than seriousness. It seemed like the two were playing a game with one another which seemed to be just like them. "I really appreciate what you've done for me today Tucker."

"Well that's what best friends are for. But there is something that I did want to ask of you my dear."

"And what is that?" She practically knew what he was going to ask but she allowed him to ask her anyway.

"I know that we have been friends for a very long time and after the second trial we were briefly together. I know that it didn't go that well but this time we don't have a demi-goddess around to cock things up. Do you want to try again, you know being something more than friends because to tell you the truth there's no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with." There was no answer from Jessica for a few moments and at first he thought that she was going to say no. However her giant finger came down and placed itself right under his chin.

"I feel the same way Tucker. Like you said before things didn't go so well but this time I really think they will. Unlike practically every man I've ever met you've never treated me as anything less than a human being. If I were to be with any other man you would be the measuring stick. However why would I want to settle with another man when I can have the measuring stick himself. If things go well between us maybe we can be together forever. Besides having a knight of the realm as a husband isn't too shabby for the daughter of a farmer."

They soon began to kiss again but this time Jessica didn't grow. She was back to her normal size so it didn't increase any further. It only lasted a few seconds before it broke off once again. Sir Tucker saw Jessica's lips and he could see every small detail in them. He couldn't help but admire them. They were like nothing else in Angleland and now he knew that they belonged to him just as he belonged to her.

There were some people who had seen Jessica at her normal size and decided to give her a wide birth. They were afraid of her even though there was nothing for them to be worried about. However she didn't notice them and just continued to look at Sir Tucker who was still in her hand. He could feel her heart beating through his boots and in a way it made him feel more connected to her.

They smiled at one another for a moment before Jessica placed Sir Tucker down on the ground and she quickly began to shrink herself. They were both glad to see that with her normal size restored that she could now shrink herself back down again. It only took her a few moments to shrink down to a couple of inches above eight feet in height. To the both of them it seems like they were back to normal. However the relationship between them was much more than normal.

Despite the speed advantages of Jessica just carrying them the entire way back to Morgan they decided to let the horse take them there instead. It gave them more time to themselves and it made them think more about their new relationship, there was plenty of time for them to talk about it all.

A fortnight passed and after much travelling the village of Morgan could be seen over the horizon. This mixed both Sir Tucker and Jessica with mixed emotions, their long journey was close to an end but they knew that they would be returning to a town that had never truly treated them with respect. Despite this Morgan was their home and like it or not this was the only home that they had. Their families were there and they knew that at least they would welcome them.

Rather than Jessica strolling into the village at her full size they both decided that they should travel into Morgan on the horse and carriage. They hoped that it wouldn't draw too much attention to themselves. Sir Tucker knew that many of the villagers would be asking him where the treasure was. Most of them would probably be mocking him as they would see that he had failed.

It was late afternoon before they finally made it into Morgan, for the moment no one really looked at them as they went by. Both of them kept their heads down and after a few minutes they found themselves outside of the Snape farm. Sir Tucker gave her a little kiss and promised that he would see her in the morning. She didn't want to be apart from him but they both had a few errands to run before they could see each other once again.

Carefully Jessica walked up to the door and knocked it. A few moments later she saw her mother open the door and the much smaller woman looked up in delight to see that her only daughter had returned safely. She had not seen her for several months, but instead of speaking both women began to cry and they hugged each other. It was touching to see mother and daughter reunited and the love between the two of them was obvious for everyone to see. It was almost like she had never left at all.

Eventually Jessica's father also came to the door and he too was overjoyed to see his daughter once again. He had worried about her more than her mother but he was filled with such pride at seeing his daughter again. They had truly missed her and the farm had not been the same without her.

As expected she was welcomed inside of the house and throughout the day and into the knight she told her parents exactly what had happened during her quest with Sir Tucker. She went through all of the ups and downs that took place. Her parents listened intensely and they couldn't believe everything that had happened. Her adventure had been more eventful and dangerous than they could have imagined.

Not far away Sir Tucker too returned to his family's blacksmith shack. There he found his brothers hard at work while his sister was going through the finances of the business. Each of them were happy to see that he had returned but in particular he wanted to speak to his father. He was pointed towards the family home where he found his father in his chair and smoking a long pipe.

Sir Tucker's father was a well built man despite his age and he had his profession as a blacksmith to thank for that. His hair was going grey but he remained clean shaven, in the face he looked much like Sir Tucker but he looked older and there was grey stubble on his face. The seat that he was sitting in was wooden and relatively uncomfortable but it was still his and no one else's. He looked over to his son as he walked through the door and was actually surprised to see him. He was relieved to see that he was still in one piece but he didn't show it.

"Father," said Sir Tucker as he entered the room. He felt like bowing but this wasn't a lord or lady but a simple peasant. He did bow his head to show some respect to his father. "As you can see I have returned from my quest."

"I see and what of these untold riches that you were off to find," replied his Father who looked over to him. He didn't think that his son would succeed so he wasn't surprised to not see any treasure.

"The riches were not as valuable as the tales had stated. But I do return a changed man from when I left."

"Changed in what way exactly?"

"I am no longer merely Tucker Martel but I have been officially dubbed as Sir Tucker Martel of Morgan. I was knighted by Lord Tyrone Howlet of Indigon a couple of months ago."

"That is interesting but tell me son does this new title bring you any more coin into your pockets."

"N-No it does not." He was beginning to become worried that his father wouldn't be too happy about everything that was happening.

"I didn't think so, your title might bring you some honour but it does nothing to ensure your financial security. You were on a fool's errand from the start and you would have earned more coin and respect simply by staying here and carrying out your work just like I and your brothers have been doing since you left."

"But father I am a knight now. I'm the first in our family to reach such a status." He hoped that this would convince his father that he had done well be instead he saw him shake his head.

"That might be true but it doesn't change the fact that you would have been better off staying here and forgetting about this adventure. You have had your fun going out and being a knight but that adventure has ended. Now you have work to do and I expect you to pick up where you left off. Forget about any more adventures, you are a blacksmith through and through just like your brothers, me, my father and his father before him."

Sir Tucker tried to find words to try and explain to his father how becoming a knight was the best thing that had ever happened to him but all he could do was silently agree with him. Like it or not this old man was his father and he had to respect his wishes no matter how much he might not agree with them. He was beginning to think that he would have been better off staying at the forge and just working throughout the time. At least then he would have benefitting his family.

Rather than being filled with pride Sir Tucker instead felt some disgust over what had happened. He had expected his father to be pleased about his knighthood but it seemed that it wasn't the case. He couldn't help but feel a little sad and that his title meant nothing, he had a fancy name now but he was still a blacksmith regardless.

Despite all of this he still had the memories of his quest and those would never leave him. He had experienced things that normal people could only dream about. If he was given the choice he would probably do it all over again, even if he knew that the treasure that he was seeking was not worth as much as he had previously thought. He thought that at least until the end of his days that he would be called Sir Tucker Martel. No one else in his family could make such a claim.

Sir Tucker began to take off his armour for what he felt was going to be the last time. He didn't think that he would ever get the opportunity to wear it again. His duties to his family seemed to be more important than any kind of adventure. Everything that had happened would simply become a memory for him. But if the calling came he would pick up his sword again and show everyone why he was knighted in the first place.

At Jessica's home after she had finished telling her parents about what had happened she found herself in her old room. Her parents had left it exactly how it was when she left and she loved the fact that she now had a bed that was large enough for her to lie down comfortably. She didn't realise how much she had missed it until she lay down in it. Her head was right at the top of the bed and her feet were just able to stay on the end of the bed. It just made her feel glad to be home.

One thing that Jessica did do was to see just how much she had grown while she had been away. On the morning that she left to join Sir Tucker's quest she had left a mark on her wall where she had measured her height. She took a pencil and stood up straight with her back against the wall. She then marked right on the top of her head and when she was done she stepped away. It was then that she saw that she had indeed grown since she had left Morgan, she estimated that there was around two inches or maybe more. Three inches seemed too much of a change but for once she did like the fact that she was growing. She knew that Sir Tucker liked it and she was enjoying it now as well.

Jessica also began to meet up with some of the farm animals that she had not seen since she left. Most of them recognised her almost instantly and she stroked each of them with a firm but soft hand. She even saw that one of the animals had been able to get out of his pen but she just grew in size and carefully picked it up so that she could put it back. It was only a minor use of her size but it was a welcome relief. She felt at ease doing this and it seemed like she wouldn't mind doing this for the rest of her life.

One thing that she had kept from her parents was the fact that she and Sir Tucker had become more than friends. She thought that they would be more than happy about this but for the moment she was keeping it to herself. Instead she was just enjoying being home and she even looked at the evening sky. She forgot how beautiful it was there but she did wish that Sir Tucker was there to enjoy it with her. However she thought that it was best to see him the following day. He still had a lot that he needed to do and she considered that he might be sick of seeing her although she didn't think that this was the case.

By the next day Sir Tucker once again woke up early to start his work at the forge. He already found his brothers and his father there working away. They had received a large order and so were having to work extra hard to be able to make what they needed in time. Sir Tucker was directed to his old station and he began the work.

As Sir Tucker hammered away at the red hot metal he couldn't help but feel that this wasn't right for him. He felt that his calling was that of a knight and that he would prefer to be swinging a sword rather than making them. Never had he put his heart and soul into a weapon like he had with Juggernaut. He didn't care what his father said, that sword would remain with him until the day that he died.

Sir Tucker did wonder what Jessica was doing and he longed to be with her again. He imagined himself lying in her hand and just having her warm, soft flesh all around him and it gave him the feeling of safety and comfort. He was so used to waking up with her by his side and that morning had been odd to him.

"Keep your eye on what you're doing," said Sir Tucker's father as he went to check on his son. He could see that Sir Tucker wasn't entirely focused and he knew that could be very dangerous in a forge.

"Sorry dad my mind was elsewhere," replied Sir Tucker. Rather than wearing his armour he was just wearing his ordinary peasants clothing.

"You were thinking about that quest of yours weren't you well for your own sake forget about it. If you don't focus you could burn yourself or smash your fingers with your hammer."

"I know, I'm just a little rusty that's all." He was just trying to play off that it wasn't that big of a deal. He continued to hammer down on the hot metal so that it could be shaped into a sword. He imagined himself using the sword on a strawman target but for now it would just have to stay within his mind.

"You better get your head out of the clouds before you really hurt yourself. I'll check on you again later and if I don't think that you're pulling your weight you're not having any lunch later."

Sir Tucker didn't say a word as he continued on his work. Blacksmithing was definitely something that he had not missed while he had been away and he was tempted to go on another quest just to get away from it. However without any reason for a quest it was pointless going.

Jessica had woken up around the same time as Sir Tucker so that she too could begin her work. She had numerous jobs to do around the farm and her gigantism was much needed, one of the particular jobs that needed to be done was fixing a hole in the roof of the barn. Without her help her father hadn't been able to repair it but now that she was back it was easy for her to grow tall enough to fix the damage.

A few of the villagers had noticed that she was back and none of them really interacted with her. They just went along their business as she continued with her work, she did have to be careful that she didn't accidentally damage the barn even more but she knew exactly how much strength was needed. If there was one thing that she had learned over her years was just how strong she was.

While Jessica was working her mind did drift to how Brian and Wanda were doing with their baby son. She was looking forward to the day when she had her own baby that she could raise with love. She wondered that if she did have a child whether they would inherit her size or be much smaller like their father.

"Jessica!" shouted a voice. It took a moment for Jessica to hear it and she looked down to see her father. She turned to him and she began to shrink herself down so that he didn't have to look up at her. "I wanted to have a quick word with you."

"Sure," replied Jessica. By that time she was down to her minimum size, she looked down at her father who looked like a child in comparison to his towering daughter. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk to you about how you and Tucker are now in a relationship. Before you ask I saw how you talked about him and that expression on your face. You can't hide it from me or your mother."

"Oh." She felt a little bad for not telling them straight away but she felt that it wasn't entirely necessary for the time being. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, I wanted to wait for the right time."

"That's alright sweetie and you know that I want you to be with the right man. I feel that he might be the right man for you but do you think he'll treat you right?" He had known Sir Tucker for some years but he was still concerned for his daughter. She was his only child and thus cared deeply for her.

"Yes dad I do. After everything that we've been through together I can't imagine another man that I would rather be with. He's brave, kind and he always seems to know just how to cheer me up when I'm feeling down. He has been my friend for as long as I can remember and this next step to me only feels natural. I was hoping that you and mom would understand that."

"That we do, however do you think that his dreams are the best thing for you to be focusing your life on. Your quest didn't go as well as he had hoped and I fear that he might lead you astray."

"You don't have to worry about that Dad. We know what we want in life and he is more than willing to hang up his sword if it means spending the rest of his life with me. I love him Dad and nothing that can be said will ever change that. All we can do together is try to be happy and maybe even start a family."

"If you think that it is for the best then your mother and I can do nothing but help to support your decision. One day this farm will belong to you and I'm hoping to see plenty of grandchildren running around here one day."

Jessica bent down and gave her father a hug. To anyone looking from the outside in they would think that this was strange but for the Snape family this was the norm and always had been for them.

Hours later Sir Tucker was finally able to go around to the Snape farm to see his love. Jessica was thrilled to see him and she soon picked him up and gave him a kiss. This only lasted a few seconds before she finally put him back down again. It was evening and the sun was beginning to set but the pair did find themselves a place to sit which was on a large log and it gave them both a great view of the sunset. It was a very beautiful sight and bother of them took in the view.

"Tucker I want to ask you something," said Jessica as she turned her head to look at Sir Tucker. Even sitting down she was more than a head and shoulders above him. "And I want you to be truthful."

"Ask away," replied Sir Tucker. He was wondering what she was going to ask and he just waited to hear it.

"If you had a choice between our love and the treasure that you thought that you were going to find which would you have picked?"

"That's an easy one. Our love is something that is real where the treasure had been nothing more than a fantasy."

"So what are we going to do now? We're back here, our lives aren't that much different and the treasure that we were hoping for doesn't exist."

"I don't know really, take each day as it comes and hopefully one day our luck will turn. Maybe I'll come into the service of a Lord and you will be able to live your life in a castle and our children will be happy."

"That would be nice." She looked down at him and smiled for a moment. She had her arm around him and he was leaning into her body.

"Did you want to go inside now?"

"No let's just enjoy the sunset for a little longer."

"As you wish."

Sir Tucker and Jessica continued to sit on the log and they stared at the sunset. It was one of the most beautiful things that they had ever seen and they did think about their quest and the adventure that they had. Of course there was disappointment but overall it was one of the best things that had happened to it. There were plenty of times when it could have been a lot better but they didn't mind this. They had each other and it seemed like nothing would break the bond that they shared.