Characters: Joan, Vic, Eric, Cain, ???
Location: The borderline of Ellewyn and Kaligar, in the Enchanted Forest
Time: Day 4 - 3:31 PM
The blue ninja studied the Men in her hand. “So, what will it be? Are you going to tell me what I want to hear?”
“You’re putting us in an impossible position,” Vic said. “If we say Joan was telling the truth, you’ll kill all of us. If we tell you something else, you’ll kill her and turn us into slaves for your princess. Essentially, you want us to decide between death and slavery. Joan doesn’t have a chance either way.”
“I’m crying on the inside.”
“Let’s duel this bitch,” Cain said, reaching for his axe. “The four of us can take her!”
The blue ninja flicked Cain’s head, knocking him down. “Shut up, dwarf. You’re pathetically small, even for a Man. I could crush you with one finger.” To show that she was serious, she curled her ring finger and pressed it against Cain’s chest. He squirmed under her flesh.
Eric nocked his bow and aimed for the ninja’s eye. “You’re not a very nice person.”
“Why are you all so angry? I’m offering you the chance to save your lives. As Men, I thought you would be thankful.”
“You want us to betray Joan,” Vic said.
“I want you to tell me the truth! I want to know what she was doing with a Forsaken and the three of you.”
“…What she said was the truth. We are her slaves.”
Cain stopped squirming. Eric lowered his bow. Both of them stared at Vic, who must have lost his mind. He had sentenced them all to death.
The blue ninja stared at him too. Then the corner of her lip rose into a smirk and she released her hold on Cain. “…Very well. I believe you.”
“Y-you do?”
“I’ve never seen a Man so willing to die for his mistress. She must really have you whipped.” She ran her hand through Joan’s hair and wrapped her fingers around a handful of chocolate-colored strands. Then, as if she was plucking weeds from the dirt, she yanked Joan to her feet.
“Here are your slaves,” the ninja said, plopping the Men into Joan’s hand. “Next time you better have them branded. We’ve had a lot of Man-smugglers around these parts lately.”
“T-thank you…” Joan said, a bit taken back. “B-but I thought you were going to kill all of us.”
She shrugged. “I was. But now I know you were telling the truth. Men may be stupid creatures, but they’re not going back up a stranger at the cost of their own lives. Either these Men fear you or adore you. I don’t care which it is. Their relationship with you is enough proof for me.”
“But you killed Raven…”
“A Forsaken. Her death was necessary.”
“I… I didn’t know…”
The blue ninja combed back her hair. “Deceitful bastards, all of them. She probably gave you these Men to earn your trust. Who knows what kind of evil plans she had in store for you. It’s sickening to think about.”
Joan swallowed hard and tried not to think about it. The Men squirmed about in her hand, but she held them tightly against her chest, afraid to let them go. She was afraid of everything now. She just wanted to go home.
“…A-am I free to go now?” she asked.
“So soon? We haven’t even had time for proper introductions.”
“Really, that’s okay… I just want to go…”
She extended her hand. “I am Lynne of the Blades of Kaligar.”
“…Joan. I don’t have a title and I don’t belong anywhere.”
“That is okay. Please, shake my hand.”
Joan looked down. Slowly, she reached out and shook the blue ninja’s hand. To her surprise, the flesh was warm and comforting, but it didn’t make her feel any better.
“You said you were a Provisioner, correct?” Lynne asked.
“Yes…”
“Any good?”
“I can make a few dishes,” Joan said with a smirk.
“Ha! That’s where I like to hear.” She put her arm around Joan and walked with her back to the other ninjas. The forest was dark and shadows whisked across their pale faces, but the ninjas didn’t seem to be bothered. Only Joan. And the Men.
“I know you’re in a rush to get back home,” Lynne said, “but it’s a long walk. We wouldn’t want you to leave on an empty stomach.”
Joan shook her head, but more out of shaking fear than a sign of turning down her offer. “I don’t think I can eat right now… I’ve somehow lost my appetite…” She glimpsed over at Raven’s body and closed her eyes for a moment. “…I’ve really lost my appetite.”
“Well, we haven’t! We want you to cook us up something special. And I can hear your tummy rumbling. I know you’re hungry too.”
Running her hand from her chest to her stomach, Joan stepped back and shook her head again. “Really, I’m not into it right now…”
The Men weren’t very comfortable in this new position and they especially didn’t like hearing the rumbling sounds coming from Joan’s insides. But her fingers were tightening unconsciously and she had no control over herself.
“Come on,” Lynne said, gathering up the cans and pots that had spilled across the forest floor. “I could go for a really big meal. It’s a long walk back for us too.”
Joan knew she didn’t have a choice. She was lucky to still be alive now. Swallowing again, she loosened her grip on the Men and nodded.
“Okay…” she said slowly. “I’ll see what I can cook up. But I really needed to restock in Felwinter and—”
Waving her hand in dismissal, Lynne laughed. “You’re so nervous, Joan. What’s wrong? Do you think we’ll slit your throat if we don’t like your cooking? Is that it?”
“…Maybe…”
“Ha! We don’t do that anymore. We got tired of finding a new chef every day.” She looked at Joan. Her face was hard. “…That was a joke, Joan. You can laugh.”
“I don’t feel like laughing very much…”
“Suit yourself,” Lynne shrugged. She put the cooking supplies into the knapsack and handed it over to Joan. “Go on, take it. We won’t hurt you. We’re as hungry as you. All we ever get to eat is what grows or hops around in this forest. It’ll be nice to have a home-cooked meal for once.”
Reluctantly, Joan swung the knapsack over her shoulder and peeked inside. All her stuff was there. She glanced back up at Lynne and gave her a trying smile.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I guess I’m just…still in shock. I didn’t know Raven was a Forsaken…”
“Honest mistake. I’m just glad we got to you before she did.”
“…Yes… Me too…”
A minute of awkward silence followed. Nobody knew what to say. Then Lynne reached forward, digging around in the knapsack, and pulled out a pan.
“You’ll need this,” she said. “I’ll make the fire.”
Joan took the pan. “Right… Is…is there anything you’re particularly hungry for? I make a good fire beetle stew or perhaps some bat crunchies or murloc…”
“Ugh! None of that. I want something that fights back.”
“…What?”
“Your slaves,” Lynne laughed. “I’m sure they’ll taste good in any dish you want to make.”
“B-but…they’re my slaves…”
“They’re also gifts from a Forsaken. We don’t know where they came from or what their purpose is. They’ll be better off digesting in our stomachs than spreading whatever kind of evil they were meant for. Know what I mean?”
Joan’s mouth hung open. She suddenly turned away and began inhaling the cold, pine needle scent of the forest as sweat trickled down her cheeks. She looked up at the sky, but it was dark and hopeless, and then turned her gaze to her fist. The Men were smushed inside. She gasped, spreading her fingers, and they rolled about in her palm on their last legs. Luckily, none of them had been killed, but they hadn’t overheard the conversation between Joan and Lynne either. They didn’t know what was coming. They didn’t know that Joan had no choice. There was no way out of this one.
Giantess World
