Chapter 11

A few days later, Mina found herself nestled within a saddlebag attached to the side of a colossal palomino. As promised, she and Sapphire were headed for Eulalia’s farm to pay her a visit. Mina had always been frightened of horses, with their intimidating size and clomping, deadly hooves. But from the safety of the bag, she was thankfully shielded from the enormous beast. Though the compartment was much too large for her, it had been filled with soft cloths and rags and even a few of Sapphire’s lacy undergarments. Anything to cushion Mina during the journey.

Despite this precaution, every gallop jostled her about in the recesses of the bag. Her bones were rattled by the impact of the hooves against the ground. Whenever they jumped a small creek or an obstacle, Mina went tumbling through the air to collide with a leathery wall. Riding in the bag was certainly safer than in Sapphire’s pocket, where Mina might get squashed as the woman bounced in the saddle. Still, it was going to be a long ride.

* * * *

In truth, it wasn’t as long as she feared. A journey that had taken Mina and Swiftpaws an entire night only took Sapphire’s horse a few hours. The tiny girl marveled at how much distance big people could cross with ease.

Mina felt the bag dip slightly as Sapphire lowered a booted foot into the stirrup. She heard a dull thump and felt a powerful vibration when the giant woman descended to the ground. Light poured in as Sapphire opened the satchel. Mina took a deep breath of fresh air. The redhead peered inside and smirked when she found her tiny love snuggled in a pair of her silken panties. Sapphire reached into the bag to fish her out.

Mina looked up at her gigantic beloved. She had never seen Sapphire dress so…conservatively. Her wavy red hair was bound up in a bun. Her makeup was minimal and subdued. And she was wearing a long black dress with a high collar and buttons up the front. The tiny girl realized with surprise (and more than a little disappointment) that this was the first time that Sapphire’s mountain-sized breasts were not on display. Her ample bosom was straining against the bodice of the dress but for now, the buttons seemed to be holding.

Eulalia was already waiting for them at the door of the farmhouse. “Mina! You’re home at last!”

Her mother rushed over and snatched the minuscule maiden from Sapphire’s hand. Once again, she held her tightly against her chest in a firm embrace that nearly crushed her tiny daughter. Realizing she was a bit too enthusiastic (and out of practice with handling a two-inch person), Eulalia quickly ended the hug and held Mina in her palm.

“Oh, my little darlin’! It’s so good to have ya here again!” Her giant face dipped down and began to smother Mina with kisses. Humongous pink lips covered Mina’s entire face and torso as Eulalia smooched her again and again. Mina tried to speak between kisses.

“Mama—you’re—going to—ruin my—dress!”

Eulalia’s lips disconnected with a wet smack and Mina fell backwards into her hand. Sure enough, her dress was now soaking wet with spittle. Luckily, there were spare doll clothes in the house.

Sapphire awkwardly cleared her throat and Eulalia turned towards her.

“Oh. It’s, er, nice to see ya again, miss…?”

“They call me Sapphire,” the dancer said. “But my real name is Deirdre.”

Mina peered between Eulalia’s fingers and looked at Sapphire in surprise. Her real name was a secret she shared with very few. Obviously, Saph wanted to make a good impression.

“Charmed,” said Eulalia. “Well, come on in, both of ya. The beef stew’s ready and I’ve got boiled vegetables and a heapin’ helpin’ of mashed potaters!”

Sapphire and Mina exchanged a startled look at this last part. The tiny woman made a mental note to stay as far away from Sapphire’s plate as possible.

* * * *

Mina sat at a little doll table in the center of the human-sized dining table. She picked at the portions on her miniature plate but in truth, she didn’t have much appetite. She was far too nervous to enjoy the meal. She worried about how her mother and Sapphire would react to each other and about certain uncomfortable topics that might arise.

Watching the two giantesses eat was disconcerting as well. It was always an intimidating sight to watch morsels larger than her whole body vanish down someone’s gullet. Mindful of this, Sapphire was taking demure little bites rather than scarfing down her food as she normally would. She had not touched her potatoes.

“Thank ya for keepin’ my baby safe while she’s been away, Deirdre,” Eulalia said. “Although from what I understand, she hasn’t been entirely safe with ya.”

Sapphire blushed in embarrassment. “We did have a…bit of a scare recently.”

“That’s puttin’ it mildly. Ya swallowed her whole!”

“It was an accident, honest!” Sapphire protested. “I would never intentionally hurt Mina! As soon as I realized what had happened, I got her out of there as fast as I could!”

“Out of your belly, ya mean? Where she was nearly digested alive?!”

“Now, Mama…” Mina began.

“I’m so ashamed of what happened,” Sapphire said. “Ya have to believe me, Miss Smallwood, I’ll never be that careless again! Mina’s much too precious to me. I’d do anythin’ to keep her safe!”

Eulalia eyed her thoughtfully. “Well…I s’pose I can’t be too mad at ya. I nearly gobbled Mina up myself once.”

Sapphire’s eyes went wide in astonishment. “What?”

“The poor little dear fell into my porridge one mornin’ and I scooped her right into my mouth. Came this close to swallowin’ her before I felt her squirmin’.”

Mina shivered at the memory of that incident. “Mama, you always told me that being bite-size was one of the dangers I would face,” she said. “Saph—I mean Deirdre and I will both be more careful in the future.”

“I guess that’ll have to be good enough,” Eulalia conceded. She looked Sapphire straight in the eye. “But if ya ever eat my daughter again, I’ll cut her out of your guts myself. We clear, honey?”

Sapphire gulped. “Yes’m,” she muttered.

“Good. Now, there’s somethin’ else I wanted to talk to ya about,” Eulalia proceeded. Mina’s heart began to race as she realized where this was going. “I’ve seen the way ya two look at each other and how ya act when you’re together. You’re…not just roommates, are ya?”

Mina and Sapphire exchanged a panicked look. Sapphire started babbling again.

“Um, well, uh, ya see…”

“No, Mama,” Mina said. “We’re much more than that.”

“I thought so. I remember what young love looks like.” Eulalia gave a heavy sigh. “When I first caught on, I was horrified. Make no mistake, young missies, I don’t approve. You’re invitin’ the wrath of the good Lord with your sinful ways.”

“Mama, you don’t understand!” Mina insisted. She jumped up suddenly, knocking over the doll table in her haste.

“Let me finish, Wilhelmina. I’ve struggled with this for days. While I don’t cotton to what you’re doin’, I can’t just dismiss it. Truth be told, I never thought ya’d find any sort of love. The odds of someone fallin’ for a thumb-sized gal were not good. If ya’ve managed to find a person who truly cares about ya…well, who am I to stand in the way of that?”

Mina blinked in surprise. “You really mean that?”

“I do. I’ll be prayin’ for ya in church every Sunday and hopin’ ya change your mind. But I do mean it,” Eulalia said. “What’d ya think, that I’d disown my only daughter after I’ve only just gotten her back? Never. It may take me some time to…get used to the idea. But I just want ya to be happy, Mina.”

“Oh, thank you, Mama!” Mina scurried across the table and threw herself onto Eulalia’s hand. She wrapped herself around one of the woman’s fingers in a tight embrace. Eulalia lifted her hand and held the finger and its passenger against her cheek. As she did so, Sapphire got up from the table and came around to join the group hug. She enfolded the older woman in her arms and pressed her cheek against Eulalia’s, lightly squeezing Mina between them.

“Yes, thank you…um, Mama,” the redhead added.

Eulalia arched an eyebrow. “Don’t push it, honey.”

* * * *

Trying her best to adjust to the new state of things, Eulalia agreed to let Mina and Sapphire share the guest room. She transferred Mina’s walnut shell bed onto the nightstand in those quarters but gave both women an admonitory look.

“No funny business under my roof, ya hear me? You stay in your walnut, little missy,” Eulalia told her daughter. She next cast her withering gaze on Sapphire. “And you had best not wake up in the middle o’ the night with a cravin’ for walnuts!”

“I d-don’t even like walnuts!” Sapphire stammered.

Once Eulalia had gone to bed and the duo were at last alone, Sapphire and Mina began changing into their night clothes. While Mina’s white gown was modest, the redhead’s conservative attire was gone at last. Sapphire had donned a skimpy black negligee that left little to the imagination. It seemed a size too small, barely covering the tops of her thighs, and had a plunging neckline that showed off her generous assets.

“Ah. There they are,” Mina said, ogling the giant woman’s prodigious chest.

“Who?”

“Never mind, sweetie.”

* * * *

It was well past midnight and the two women were sleeping soundly. Neither was conscious of the mysterious visitors that had alighted on the windowsill. There were several dozen tiny figures, each no more than a few inches tall. Their skin was a coppery red, their hair long and black, and they were clad in the pelts of mice, shrews, ferrets, and other small beasts of the prairie. Many of the little beings clutched tiny spears in their hands or had longbows slung over their shoulders. But the defining traits they all shared were the shimmery, gossamer wings on their backs.

If Opal had been there, her beliefs would have been vindicated. For it seemed that fairies did exist after all.

A tall, broad-shouldered fairy in a feathery headdress and a coat of prairie dog fur stepped forward. He glanced at the bedside table, spotting Mina sleeping in her nutshell.

“Excellent. We’ve found her,” the chief of the tribe said in their native language. “Just as the medicine woman said we would.”

There was a loud snore from the vicinity of the bed. The fairy chief turned and surveyed the huge, sleeping form of Sapphire. He frowned.

“Secure the giantess,” he commanded. “Give her the sleeping potion. We cannot risk her interference.”

Several fairy warriors flew across the room carrying small wooden barrels. Gracefully, they landed upon Sapphire’s face, taking strategic positions on her cheeks and chin. They split into two teams on either side of the large, plush lips, crouching down and prying them carefully apart. As they did so, their comrades poured the contents of the barrels into Sapphire’s mouth. The fairies heard the echoes of mighty gulps as the woman unconsciously swallowed the potion.

They had just finished and were about to take flight when the lips began to open again of their own accord. Sapphire’s mouth spread wide in a snore, causing a sudden rush of air. The fairies felt a powerful wind tug at their hair, garments, and wings and they fought to keep their footing. A poor soul who had been crouched upon her lower lip was drawn forward by the current and was sucked completely into the cavernous mouth. He disappeared with a yelp and the lips slammed shut behind him.

Watching from the windowsill, the chief slapped a hand to his forehead. “Someone get him out of there before she swallows him.”

The teams resumed their duties and once again pulled the lips apart (this time more nervously, fearing they would be next to vanish inside). They argued amongst themselves about who would peer within until the exasperated chief flew over to join them. He roughly shoved one of his braves aside and leaned over the gap. Several feet below, he could see the hapless warrior clinging desperately to Sapphire’s tongue. Below him yawned the black abyss of her throat.

“Well, fly out, you fool!” called the chief.

The fairy brave beat his wings ineffectually. They were already coated in a thick layer of saliva that was weighing them down.

“I—I can’t!” he screamed. His grip loosened and he slid another inch or so down the declining tongue. “Ahhh, help me! She’s going to eat me!!!”

“Oh, for the love of the Great Spirit,” the chief muttered. He spat commands to his troops. “Hold her lips open. You two, lower me inside. The rest of you make yourselves useful and start tying her down.”

The entire tribe had now flown into the room and were gathering around Sapphire’s gargantuan form. It was a warm night and the redhead slept above the covers, leaving her curvaceous figure on full display. From the fairies’ perspective, those curves were a living landscape of rolling hills and valleys. With the power of flight however, the wee warriors had little difficulty in navigating the terrain.

Flitting to and fro over her body, they dragged ropes across her arms, legs, and torso. They used tiny hammers to drive stakes into the mattress, securing the ropes in place. All went smoothly until they attempted to encircle the mountainous peaks of her bosom. That rope fell short of its mark, unable to bind the entirety of that bountiful flesh and still have enough slack to reach the other side. Instead, two fairies took off from either side of Sapphire and met at the summit of her chest to tie their ropes together. They paused for a moment atop those massive hills, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. The fairies peered over the edge and into the deep valley of cleavage below, completely mesmerized. Shaking themselves back to their senses, they resumed their work.

The fairies took no chances and began to bind each dainty finger and toe. This task also proved problematic. The twitch of a muscle momentarily trapped a warrior between two of Sapphire’s toes and he squirmed insistently, trying to break free. His compatriots yanked with all their might on the meaty digits but even these small extremities of the giant woman were stronger than they were. With a Herculean effort, they finally parted them enough for his escape. The fairy crawled away weakly from the massive foot, clutching his aching sides.

Meanwhile, a group of fairies had tied a string around their chief’s waist and lowered him into Sapphire’s maw to rescue the not-so-brave brave. Flapping his wings slowly, the elder fairy attempted to drift carefully downward. It was delicate work, for the other warrior had slid to the very precipice of her gullet. The chief had just reached out a hand to grab him when the dark chasm below began to expand. The dangling uvula tucked up into a chamber above and a rush of air began to sweep past the fairies. Sapphire was snoring again.

“The chief! Save the chief!” the tiny warriors cried. At once, they started tugging on the string and hauling him back up. The brave watched in terror as his lifeline was pulled away.

“Wait! Don’t leave me!!!”

Working fast, the warriors dragged the chief through Sapphire’s lips and retreated from the powerful suction of the snore. The sleeping giantess inhaled deeply, finally dragging the tiny brave into her throat. Sapphire began to gag and cough as his body became wedged in her windpipe. There was another hacking cough, followed by the sound of a tremendous gulp and a faint, fading scream. Still drugged and unconscious, Sapphire swallowed the offending object and moaned contentedly in her sleep.

The chief and his rescue brigade had flown off her face and landed in a heap upon her neck. They felt the titanic throat bob below them like a rolling wave as their friend was consumed whole.

The rest of the tribe stopped what they were doing and stared at the giantess with dread. Many began to shout in alarm or flee from the deadly colossus fearfully.

“Damn it,” the fairy chief swore.

“Shall I fetch the regurgitation potion, sir?” one of the warriors asked.

“Not just yet,” his leader answered. “Let the idiot stew in there for a while. That’ll teach him not to be so careless.”

It was around this time, as dozens of tiny voices were screaming in dismay, that Mina at last began to stir. She sat up in the walnut shell and stared wide-eyed at the sight before her—Sapphire trussed up like a hog-tied calf, her body dotted with miniature winged people.

Mina blinked dumbly. “What in the Sam Hill?”

Once he had composed himself, the chief flittered off Sapphire’s neck and over to the nightstand.

“Hello, young one,” he said in English. “I am Chief Black Vole. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Mina goggled at the tiny man standing before her. He was only a head taller than she was. She couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful, prismatic patterns in his insect-like wings.

“You—you’re a—what are you?” she rasped.

“We have many names,” Black Vole stated. “The Yunwi Tsunsdi. The Spirit People. The Travelers. The Fair Folk. But the original inhabitants of these lands called us the Nunnehi.”

“Nunnehi?” Mina repeated. “That’s what Dancing Storm told me I was!”

“Ah, yes. The wisewoman,” said the chief. “She is known to us. In fact, it was she who sent us to you. She said you had many questions.”

“I do indeed,” Mina said. “For starters, what have you done to my friend?!”

“Merely a precaution. We do not trust the Tall Folk. And with good reason. Even sleeping, this one has proven quite dangerous. Fear not, she will be released when our business is concluded.”

“What business?” asked Mina.

“Providing you with answers,” the fairy chief said. He extended a hand to her. “Come. Walk with me, child.”

To be continued...