The next morning turned out to be pleasant. I hunted down the people in the village only a few woman and small children were left. The rest seemed to be young men, all soldiers who had been smart enough or cowardly enough to avoid me last night.

I grabbed the woman and children and munched them down while swallowing a few of the men and dropping the rest in a sack for later. Then I walked around the wreckage of the village, removing the barriers I had erected around the town that stopped any would be escapees. Then I started back the way I came, walking cautiously until I encountered the last few men in the hunting party that had clued me in on this village.

Along the way I enjoyed my surroundings. I found several beautiful panoramic shots. I am a bit of a naturalists and wiled away a good bit of the afternoon watching the local wildlife. The area was rich in biodiversity.

 The men in the pouch in my backpack did not suffer any loss with me for the rest of the day as I forged on fresh fruit that my scanner told me was safe. Its not healthy to eat too many men.

When I came across the remains of the hunting party that had first put me onto the existence of the village, they still appeared depressed due to the loss of their comrades. I spied them moping around their campfire as dusk settled in. The scanner translated their language into something sensible.

“…to loose them. I don’t know how I will explain his loss to my sister in law.”

“We know, we know. Your sorry little sister in law lost both her husband and her son to that giantess. Do you think I am happy they died? They were both my friends.”

“Gentlemen we must put aside this horrible event! Dwelling upon our friend’s misfortune is not going to bring them back. We will meet them in the afterlife someday.”

 I decided that they would reunite with their comrades sooner then they thought. With a shiver of anticipation of the hunt, I had laid my backpack aside and was preparing to creep towards them when something happened. Another man entered the campsite.

“Hello and bright greetings to you all,” said the new man with a brown skirt about his waist. He was young and had a bow and spear as weapons.

“Greetings and fair travels,” was the half hearted response from my prey.

It didn’t matter. Another man in the camp was another man in my belly. I prepared to strike.

“Wait just a second you’re a Loc’ta! I recognize your accent and tattoos! Prepare to die, fiend!” shouted one of the hunting party. Suddenly there was a scuffle. The newcomer took up his spear and ran it through the first person to approach him and just like that, one of my snacks was ruined.

The odds were now three to one and the man from Loc’ta ran, as I was pleased to see, towards where I hid. Two hunters were at his heals. He rounded the corner of thick brush and came face to face with me, kneeling but still my form must have been colossal to him. He stopped and stared.  Just then the two hunters rounded the bend. I smiled down at all of them as the two hunters screamed and ran back the way they had come. I reached over and grabbed them, the Loc’ta man below my naked belly as I went to hands and knees grabbing the two hunters.

I didn’t wait long. With a brief wink to let them know I recognized them, I tossed them down the hatch.  The wiggling sensation that moved from my throat down my chest and into my belly almost made me shiver with delight. Sitting back on my feet, I smiled down at the little Loc’ta escapee. He was a cute little fellow. Suddenly there was a sharp pain in my ankle. I looked down and saw the third member of the hunting party sticking me in the foot with a spear. That wasn’t nice. I grabbed him and licked his face.

With my free hand I pressed a button on my scanner to allow my words to be translated into his language for him.

“You’re going to pay for that my brave little hunter.”

The man was trembeling with fear now.

“Bye, bye now.” I told him before I opened my mouth wide and took my time getting him there so he could appreciate the view as best he could in the darkness.

When I had swallowed I looked for the Loc’ta man. I was quite surprised to find that he had not run away as I devoured his enemies. He was standing where I had left him looking at me with disbelief. His eyes went from my belly to my face to my belly. Then he looked up at me and bowed from the waste.

“Thank you for saving me Lady,” he said, my scanner translating for us. Then he walked towards my ankle. Bowing again he said;

“I will remove the spear from you foot Lady. I mean to heal you.”

Placing both hands on the weapon, he pulled and dislodged it with only slight discomfort to me. I opened my pack and got out some disinfectant cream.

“You have devoured enemies of my tribe,” said the man. I looked closer at him and decided he was about nineteen or twenty.

“They were very tasty,” I said. I was about to add, “And I bet you will be too…” when he cut me off.

“Lady, for saving my life I owe you a debt.”

“You will repay me.” I said. I had often spoken with men whom I had purchased in the store before I consumed them. It was diverting to play with you food.  This was another bad habit from childhood presenting itself. It’s true what they say about old habits; you can’t break them. The snack before me however, did not know his fate.

My belly growled, in anticipation of receiving the young lad or in the digestion of the hunting party, I uncertain as to which.

“They are a jealous tribe. They betrayed us generations ago. We were at war with them long ago but now our tribes are in a truce,” said the man.

I picked up my pack and showed him the inside of my little bag containing the last warriors.

“I already had a run in with them,” I told him, keeping my activities of the previous night a secret.

“You are their enemy as well! That makes us friends! If you will agree to it, I will travel with you to my village where we will celebrate our new friendship.”

“All you have to do is tell me the way.” I said, giving him my best smile. Another village! I could hardly wait.