When Charles woke up the next morning, he was hoping to see a large Maxine lying next to him. Much to his disappointment, he could still see that she was small and there was a chance that she was smaller than she was the previous night. Not surprisingly though, she was still asleep, and it seemed unlikely that she was going to wake up any time soon.

The others around him were beginning to stir as they had slept without incident. Although Taiyun had experienced a terrible dream that he didn't want to speak about. Now he more or less just wanted to forget about it and finish off this journey of his. Returning home was something that he was looking forward to, even if there was a chance that it could lead to his doom.

It took a short amount of time for everyone to collect their bearings enough to be able to continue on with the last leg of their trip. Like the day before, Maxine wasn't waking up any time soon and so, Charles was more than prepared to carry her on his back again. His worry for her was steadily increasing every single hour. He knew that she was growing weaker, and it would not be long until her body simply gave out on her.

Despite this worry, he continued to walk with the others as they inched closer and closer towards the coast. The sight of the ocean was just over the horizon for them, and it did have a calming effect on them. Not only did it mean that they were close to their destination, but also simply being near the ocean relaxed them.

In a way, it made them feel that their problems were small and insignificant in comparison to the vastness of the ocean. There were still places in the world that no one had ever seen, lands that could contain many weird and wonderful creatures. To many, the ocean was a vast expanse that was begging to be explored.

Their ultimate destination was a small port that wasn't too far away from where they were walking. A shipped was docked there as well as a small crew who would take Asla back to her home and hopefully to help liberate it from the lords who had betrayed her father and taken the throne for themselves.

To Maxine and Charles, it would be the end of their journey with them as they didn't intend to sail with them. Their tasks were complete, although Charles did consider going with them, simply so that he could help them. Although he wasn't sure what he would be able to do to help since he would be in a foreign country and unable to speak the language.

During the walk, Maxine just continued to sleep, and it was likely that a hurricane could blast through and she would still sleep through it. The fact that she was sleeping so much was still worrying as it was a clear indication to them that she was still becoming weaker and that she might slip away soon enough. There was always a chance that she would simply never wake up again.

"If you don't mind me asking," said Charles as he continued to walk. By now, they were very close to the coastline, and it looked as though they were merely a few minutes away from it. "But how far is it to this ship that is waiting for you?"

"Probably around another three hours," replied Asla. "If my memory serves, it's a few miles to the north of here and then we'll likely won't see each other again after this." The thought was disappointing for her as she had enjoyed Charles's company and she felt that he would have a place in her kingdom.

"Indeed, it's a little hard to believe. It feels so long ago that we spoke in that tavern, and we agreed to accompany you. Guess we have both gained and lost things that are precious to us along the way."

Asla fell silent for a moment as she thought about Jinshu. It brought her great shame that he hadn't survived their journey. He was a man that she had known for many years and had always been loyal to both her and her father. To know that his final resting place was in a land that was thousands of miles from his home too was upsetting. The man had paid the ultimate sacrifice in order to ensure that she could survive.

As she walked, she also glanced over to the still sleeping Maxine. She was riding on Charles's back and was still sound asleep. It seemed to Asla that the former giantess too would meet the same fate as Jinshu. Someone else who had to die in order to ensure that the foreign princess could find her way back home.

While thinking about all of this, Asla took no joy in it whatsoever in the knowledge of what had happened. If she could, she would swap her place with either Maxine or Jinshu. That way, she knew that they would have long lives ahead of them. Rather than one being on the verge of being snuffed and another extinguished already.

Charles too couldn't help but feel worried as well. One thing that he was considering was how they would go back to Miralton and retrieve Maxine's pawned armour. The problem with this was that he doubted that Maxine would survive that long. He could see her growing weaker every hour and he thought that she would be lucky to see another morning.

The rest of the walk went in relative silence as the group still kept their eye out for anyone who looked to be a threat. In a way, they thought that they might be passed the point where it was likely that they could be struck by an assassin. They were simply too close to their destination, but then again it would give them a false sense of security. Thus, making it more likely that they would have their guards down. Because of this, it was decided that they should stay on their toes as best as they could.

It didn't take them too long to actually reach the ocean and once this had been completed, they began the trek north. It was one that shouldn't take them too long to complete and with the ocean on their one side, they knew that they didn't have to expect an attack from there. Because of this, they mostly kept their eye on their more exposed positions.

As they walked, they began to see something ahead of them. It looked to be a small port town that had seen better days. The main port on this side of the Angleland was roughly a hundred miles to the south. There were many smaller ports scattered across the East Coast and the one just ahead seemed to be such a port.

It was likely only fish that would be brought in through this port with the occasional ships that sailed out to the lands far to the east. Such a ship was hopefully waiting for Asla in order to take her home. To them it had been a long time coming but their destination was more or less in touching distance to them.

As they approached, Maxine began to open her eyes as she finally started to wake up. More than twelve hours after she had fallen asleep. Even though she had slept for a long time, she still felt very tired, almost as if she could back to sleep. The idea of walking was completely out of the question for her as her body felt very weak. To the point that she could hardly move it.

Her shoes had slipped off of her feet and Charles hadn't noticed. This left her completely barefoot but this seemed to be something that she didn't need to worry about. Instead, it was likely that she wouldn't live long enough to need shoes again and this was a fact that wasn't lost on her. She could still speak but her weakened state meant that long conversations were more or less impossible.

There was one thing that Charles was hoping, even though it was something that he felt was a longshot to say the least. That one of the people that they were going to meet up with knew how to counteract the poison that Maxine had been exposed to. If there was, then it would mean her life was spared, but if not then she was in more trouble than even he could help her out with.

Thankfully, the weather seemed to be pleasant as there was no threat of rain. It was very warm but not too bad for them to walk in since the cool breeze did help prevent them from overheating. The smell of the sea air also had a relaxing sensation for them as they continued on with what was left of their journey.

During this entire time, Maxine was still being carried by Charles and she couldn't help but feel guilty about this. As far as she was concerned, at this moment in time, she was only a burden to him. He was literally carrying her on his back and she thought that he was better off if he simply let her be. She wanted to still help, but even she could see what her limitations are and thought that it was better off if he simply left her on the side of the road to die.

Normally, she would fight this with all of her might. But instead, she was tired and simply wanted to rest. She knew by this point that if she were to sleep again that it was unlikely that she would ever wake up again. She was even struggling to hold onto him as it was only his arms holding onto his legs that she was staying on his back.

Not long afterwards, they finally arrived at the port town and to them, there wasn't too much to see. There were things that were expected in a town that was right on the coastline and not too much more than that. For sailors, there were a few taverns and even a couple of places where they could find some pleasurable company. But there wasn't too much that could interest the group.

Instead, they just simply made their way to the docks themselves as they could see a few ships were waiting there. Most were small fishing ships that were privately owned and most of them had only recently come back to port and were not meant for long journeys. There were also a couple of larger ships that looked as though they were built for transporting cargo across fairly long distances.

None of the ships there looked as though they were from the lands that Asla had originated from but this was no entirely unexpected. In order to ensure that their presence wasn't noticed, it was likely that a ship built in Angleland was being used. That way, it could blend in and not raise much suspicion from the locals.

Now that they had arrived, the next task was finding which ship was the one who would be taking Asla, Taiyun and Jaxin back home. One way that they could find out was by using a code phrase that they had been given. Whichever ship responded to it was the one that would take them home.

Another method of finding the right ship was to try and discover the one that was being crewed by people from Asla's nation. Since they physically looked different to the people of Angleland, they would be quite easy to spot. But there was a chance that there could be others here who were not related to transporting them back. It wasn't terribly uncommon for people from Asla's nation to trade at the ports of Angleland so that too was something that they had to take into consideration.

Eventually, there was one ship that did stick out as far as the group was concerned. It was a fairly small ship that was capable of transporting a few people across the ocean, but it also seemed to be crewed by people who were not from Angleland and instead were from Asla's nation. Many of the crew seemed to be sitting around and not doing much as it looked as though they were simply waiting. What exactly they were waiting for was unknown to the group, but it was likely that it was for them.

Charles did watch as he Taiyun approached the ship's first mate who seemed to be loading a small amount of cargo onto the ship. He seemed to be the only person who was doing anything that was practical. When the bodyguard arrived just in front of the first mate, Charles was waiting to hear what would be said.

Unfortunately for him, the pair spoke in their native language which meant he had no idea what they were saying. Asla did stand by him and informed her friend that Taiyun was asking the first mate what seemed to be a standard question. Depending on how the latter answered it would allow them to know whether the ship was there to take them back home. The wording had to be precise or else they would have to continue walking.

The question was simply about the weather, and it was answered with the response that they had been waiting to hear. This was a relief to both Asla and Taiyun as it meant that their journey was finally coming to an end. It had taken a lot longer than expected and had taken some detours but not at least, it seemed to be over.

The conversation between Taiyun and the First Mate continued as Asla was kind enough to translate it for Charles. Without her, he would have no idea what was being said but as far as he was concerned, everything seemed to be going fine. He was just glad that the last part of their journey had gone without incident.

Maxine was hearing what was being said but she didn't really respond to any of it. She was still tired and was barely registering the world around her. Although she was no longer sleeping, she was too weak to properly do anything for herself and simply allowed herself to be carried. The fact that they had even reached their destination was lost on her as she simply continued to become weaker.

One thing that Taiyun was asked was about the whereabouts of Jinshu. That was when he informed the First Mate that the now deceased bodyguard had fallen while protecting Asla. He was also questioned about the reason why Jaxin was with the group. This did seem to cause Taiyun some annoyance as he explained that the former assassin was working alongside them for a price.

Finally, the question came about Maxine and Charles and the First Mate used a word to describe them that Asla didn't translate. It was a term that she thought was best not for them to know and she was sure to have a word with the First Mate about it once they had sailed out to sea.

There was something that Charles needed to do and he quickly began to step forward towards the First Mate. He was still speaking to Taiyun and normally, he would simply wait until they had finished their conversation. But to him, time was very short as he knew that Maxine didn't have much time left. A part of him was worried that she could slip away at any minute.

"Excuse my rudeness but I am in desperate need of help," said Charles as he looked over to the First Mate. "My friend here is dying from a poison that originates from your land. Do you or any of your crewmates know how to cure it. Please, she doesn't have too much time left." He wasn't sure if the First Mate even understood him, but if he didn't he hoped that Taiyun would translate for him.

The First Mate looked at him with some confusion and at first it seemed as though he didn't understand what had been said to him. This did make Charles feel as though he had just wasted his breath. It also made him think that the small woman clinging to his back was now doomed to die.

"What poison was it?" asked the First Mate. His accent was thick and it made him a little hard for him to understand him. But for Charles it was a much needed step forward in this small quest of his.

"I believe you call it the Fatal Frog," replied Charles with some hope.

"The fatal frog?" There was surprise in his voice upon hearing what the local had said. "When was she exposed?"

"Around a week ago." Upon hearing this, he did lose a small amount of hope that he had and feared what could happen next.

"A week? Is she still alive?" Charles nodded at him and this made the First Mate look at him with even more surprise. "How? Anyone who gets exposed to that poison dies immediately. The fact that your friend is alive is nothing short of a miracle. If I were you, I would just make her comfortable. There's nothing that can be done for her."

"There has to be, you gotta know someone who can…" He felt a slight squeeze on his shoulder, and this caused him to turn and look at Maxine. She was still on his back and didn't look to be any better than she was before. Dark lines were appearing under her eyes and although she could barely keep them open, he noticed that she was shaking her head slightly at him.

Despite her condition and weakness, she was still aware enough to know what was happening around her and she didn't want to see her friend smashing his head against a wall in the hopes of saving her. By now, she had accepted her fate and just wanted to find somewhere where she could die in peace.

"Ok, I see," said Charles as he turned his attention back to the First Mate. "Thank you anyway."

"I'm sorry Charles," stated Asla who stepped up to him. She knew that it had been a longshot but hadn't wanted to say it aloud. Giving Charles some hope was better than giving him none at all. "You've done all that you can."

"Y-Yeah you're right." By now, even he was accepting that there was no chance of him being able to save Maxine and that he should begin preparing for her burial. He even thought about taking her back to her home in Morgan, but he knew by the time he got there that there wouldn't be much left of her. "I just wish there were something I could do for her. Something to make her normal again."

"I know that you do, but sometimes in life. There are things that you simply cannot overcome. Sadly, this is amongst those moments in life where you try your best and yet you cannot change the outcome. My companions and I greatly appreciate everything that she has done for us. If you would like it, I am willing to stay here and make her feel comfortable until she finally passes." She knew that from Maxine's declining condition that she wouldn't last more than a day. It would be a miracle if she woke up the next morning as she would likely pass away in her sleep.

"But princess," stated Taiyun. There was some distress in his voice as he thought that this wasn't a wise idea. "We need to leave as soon as possible so that we can return home. We cannot waste any more of our time here."

"This woman has sacrificed everything for us, the least we can do is make her final moments as comfortable as possible."

Taiyun didn't agree with this in the slightest, but since he was loyal to her, he knew that he couldn't disagree. All he could do was grunt with annoyance for a moment as he watched Asla turn back to the first mate. She began to ask him if there was a bed that they could use for Maxine.

Several minutes later, the small woman found herself lying in a bed upon the ship. In particular, it wasn't used by the general crew since they more or less slept in hammocks. Instead, this was the First Mate's bed which was much more like a traditional bed and was what was needed in this situation.

As expected, Charles remained by her side as he did everything that he could in order to help her. He made sure that she was warm in the bed and that she was as comfortable as possible. She was awake but could barely do anything in order to help herself. He even helped feed her since she was too weak to lift her arms.

To some of the crew, it seemed pointless feeding someone who was on the verge of dying. The food could have been used for someone who was clearly not dying but this was still something that Asla wanted. Since she was royalty, no one on the shop could deny her and so let the food be used on Maxine.

Charles did as much as he could and even considered continuing with Maxine's reading lessons since he knew that she enjoyed them. But he could see that it was pointless as she was struggling to keep her eyes open and she could barely move. This was disheartening for him and he just hoped that her passing would be peaceful.

After a short amount of time, there was a knocking on the door to the room where Maxine was resting in. Quickly Charles looked towards the door and he watched as it opened. He expected to see Asla or one of the members of crew. However, instead it was Jaxin who stepped into the room. This was very unexpected as Charles was concerned since Jaxin hadn't shown much concern towards Maxine.

He remembered how the pair had first met and that Jaxin had seemed to be quite happy when Maxine had become smaller. This was somewhat natural since the latter had overpowered him earlier in her larger size and he had showed some genuine fear towards her. That fear had shrunk away along with her but he was likely still saddened to see her dying like this.

"How is she doing?" asked Jaxin as he completely stepped into the room. There was concern in his voice as he seemed to be genuinely concerned about her.

"Not good I'm afraid," replied Charles as he glanced back over to Maxine. She was still lying in the bed and had barely moved since she had been placed within. "She's getting weaker with every passing minute. I'm afraid that she's not going to last much longer." He gave a small sigh of defeat. "If only there was something that I could do to make her better again. Guess at this point in time, it's just wishful thinking."

"You've done all that you can, there isn't much that you can do for her now. Sometimes, there are things that are simply out of your power."

"I know, I know. But that doesn't meant that I have to like it." There was a growling noise that originated from Charles. However, it wasn't him trying to intimidate Jaxin in a childish way. Instead, it was his stomach which was a clear indication that he was hungry.

"When did you last eat?"

"I-I admit that it's been a while, but I can't really think about eating when Maxine is like this." He had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that did make him feel sick but he also had to admit to himself that he was hungry.

"You're not going to do you or her any favours by starving yourself. Just go and get yourself something to eat, even if it isn't much and I'll stop here and watch over her while you're gone. Just ask one of the crewmembers and they'll make sure that you get some much needed food.

"I-I…" He wanted to say no but he was hungry and he was also feeling weak. "You're right, I do need to eat. Just please, make sure that she's comfortable and has everything that she needs. I will try not to be long."

"Of course, she's perfectly safe with me."

Although it as still against his better judgement, he did step out of the room so that he could get himself some food. Jaxin remained behind and looked over to the dying woman. It was hard for him to believe that when they first met, she had been a nine-foot powerhouse who could have broke him in two. Now she was weak and was no threat to anyone. This caused him to smile as he looked at her and contemplated how the tables had turned.