Post by merc369 on May 17, 2009 12:07:31 GMT -5
Ch. 1
I live in a rough place. The kind of place where if you’re not on the top of your game, you’re dead. The deserts of Calavia are an unforgiving and brutal place. Humans struggle to survive, and not just against the elements. There are things that lurk in the shadows of the frigid nights that could eat an entire village clean. During the days we must fight the hot sun and sandstorms, and in the night we must prepare for attacks from the darkness and keep warm, or freeze to death.
As a small boy I was taught to fear things that were larger than me, as they would just as soon eat me as crush me to death. Threats could hide in a number of places: under the ground, flying through the skies, under the depths of what small water sources we have, or right at home on land. This is why I found it so strange to meet the newest addition to my family. Normally, my family consists of my father, my mother, and me. My father was a gruff man, and although he could treat us rather rough at times, I knew he cared for my mother and me. My mother worked the farms on the rare occasions we actually had crops, as rain was sparse in these parts. I did the menial tasks: dishes, trash, and those types of things. But the day I met our new family member, I had a new task- and it was probably the most important.
Kat wasn’t your normal person. In fact, she wasn’t even human. From what I could gather at the time, Kat had been the perpetrator in a rather serious crime and was to be put to death. My father, in one of his rare acts of kindness, offered to take her in on probation. I hadn’t yet seen her, and was told she would be arriving to our modest home soon.
The day finally came, and though I’d thought I’d prepared myself for her, I was taken completely off guard by her appearance. I’d imagined her arriving completely free- instead she was chained; with good reason. Kat stood over nine feet tall, her feline like ears scraping the ceiling. Her golden eyes scanned about the room, stopping and staring into each of us; my father, my mother, and finally me. She seemed to look into me the longest- perhaps because of my child like innocence at the time. Kat’s tail flicked at the air at times, moving as if simply for the sake of movement. The most striking of her appearance however was the large collar around her- heavy on her. My father stressed the point, “You are never to remove it- ever. Although you’re my son, the punishment for removing the collar is to be hung until death. So please, don’t remove it boy.”
And that was the start of an unusual friendship with Kat. For the first several weeks, my feline friend spent most of her time out in the dead patch of land we called a backyard, moping around. My first attempts at communicating with her failed miserably; my perky hellos answered with a hiss or a curt “leave me alone”. Many times I’d ask my father to allow her inside with us, but he always told me we had to wait; to see if she could be trusted. Alas, I spent my first weeks with Kat feeling quite upset about it.
Finally, I had success. I approached her in the back and called as kindly as I could, “Kat, it’s time to eat, do you want to come inside today? It’s your favorite; I got some fish from the stream…” Of course I didn’t expect her to respond, but much to my surprise she did; progress at last! Granted, at first she gave me a very displeased look, and pouted. “Please don’t be like this, come on…please.”
“Fine…just take this off of me.” She muttered it so low I strained to hear, but there it was- human-feline interaction! Of course she was referring to the chain- a thick heavy thing making sure she stayed put. Kat sat crouched and low to the ground, facing away from me. I approached her slowly, and unhooked the massive chain. For a moment she ignored me, and I extended my hand for her to pull up with. This time however she simply got up by herself, brushing past me. It didn’t diminish my good mood however; I’d made a great success in getting her to speak with me. I ran to catch up with her, and noticed how my head barely came above her waist.
Reaching the house, she had to duck down to fit through the door. As usual, father has started eating before us, taking prime pieces for himself. I offered Kat a chair, but she declined- already able to reach the table even while sitting on the floor. Watching her eat the fish was a strange sight indeed, as she didn’t use eating utensils. She merely tore the fish apart with her razor sharp claws, wolfing it down. She licked her fingers and stood quickly, and you could see it startle my parents. Father stood, “Boy, I’m headed out, clean up for me.” With that he pushed the chair in and headed out with Mother, leaving me alone with Kat.
I began to pick up the plates, and looked towards her as she stood there watching me curiously, “Could you get the wash bucket?” At my first request she stood there, but then acted to get the bucket. Kat followed me outside, to where I wiped the food scraps onto the rough desert sand. “Kat, can you fill it too? Thanks.” Begrudgingly, Kat proceeded to the well and filled the bucket. Without me asking she began to help me wipe the plates clean. As she washed, her tail flicked curiously, sometimes brushing against me. We finished cleaning, and normally I’d leave Kat to her own devices. Today however, I posed the question, “Would you like to come to the woods with me?” She seemed to ponder it for a while, before looking at me and nodding.
Her tail wrapped around my wrist as she headed off, awkwardly dragging me behind her. I jogged until I had caught up, and walked along side her down the long dirt road. We’d walked for a while before seeing the tops of dead trees on the horizon. I remember this as a peaceful moment with Kat, “You know, you’re pretty when you’re not telling me to leave you alone.” I laughed as I spoke to her, and was surprised to see her face lighten up a little.
“You’re just saying that- expecting me to follow you like a lost kitten.” She continued walking, though a smile is stuck on her face; another success.
“Of course not!” I stammer, “Besides, if you wanted to leave, you could do it fairly easily- but I’m glad you’re not.” With my last statement she seemed to be almost happy, and with great strength lifted me into the air and cradled me against her.
“You know, you’re a lot like the kittens back home,” she laughs lightly, and walks for awhile holding me. Finally, we reached the edge of the dead forest, and she lightly set me down; heading for the trees to use as a scratching post. It was funny to watch her go at that tree, digging into it with her claws. When Kat dropped her rough exterior she could be quite comical and cute. I approached her as she scratched, looking around the forest.
Something quite dark caught my eye, and at the time it gripped me with fear, gripped me like an iron claw. In the distance, not far away, a group of villainous looking men marched towards us. Raiders weren’t uncommon in these parts, though none had ever chosen to pilfer my village. I looked to Kat, scratching away on her tree, with a great sense of urgency. Their weapons shone bright, nearly blinding me, and they’re torches lit up the darkening sky as the sun set.
“Kat! Look!” I called to her, hoping she’d actually care. “We need to get back to the village, and warn everyone!!” She didn’t budge from her tree; looking at me and then the raiders, before going back to scratch. “Please!” My cries must have awakened something in her, because Kat stopped her scratch and quickly approached me- and by her eyes I knew she had a plan.
“Look, I don’t care about your village. They have imprisoned me and chained me. But I’ll help you- not for your village, but for you. You’re my little kitten- and I won’t let them hurt you.” Yet another aspect of Kat was revealed. Had she been keeping tabs on me the entire time she had lived with us- without my notice? I noticed her eyes change from her cool, cold tone to a warm and loving one. She whisked me up once more without strain; sitting me on her back. “Grip me tight,” was all Kat muttered to me before breaking into a sprint.
Clutching her as if my life depended on it (which, at the speeds we were going it probably did) I began to realize something. The raiders were getting closer, the village shrinking into the horizon. “Kat!? What are you doing??” I shrieked into her ear. It was us two against thirty! I didn’t even know how to fight!
“You don’t need to do anything, except remove this collar when I tell you to!” She spoke without a hint of strain in her voice.
I was startled at her request- remove the collar? “Remove it?? I can’t!” Despite my protest Kat continued to charge the raiders, who presently were unaware of our approach.
“And why not? Don’t you want to save your village?” Kat looked over her shoulder and stared me in the eyes. Of course I knew she was right. Kat knew what the collar did- I did not. However, if she said it was necessary to save the town, then it probably was. And besides, would they hang me for helping set in motion a plan to save us all?
“You’re right…just tell me when to remove it.” I gripped her tighter from the fear of what was to come. Combat- true combat. I’d seen before how Kat ripped into her food, but would it be different with real combatants? And a scarier thought still- Kat wanted to fight. When the collar was off, what would happen? Could Kat be stopped again? Would she betray me? I didn’t have much time to answer my questions before Kat slung me over her shoulder and set me down, demanding I remove the collar. I heard the thumping of boots against dusty road growing louder, and saw Kat kneel before me so I could reach. The collar, though heavy, had a delicate lock system that would be impossible for her larger paws to remove it. My small fingers easily navigated the mechanism and the collar fell into my hands.
I took several quick steps back. Did the collar limit her strength perhaps? I had my question quickly answered- yes, at least, in a way. I witnessed one of the most terrifying things I’d ever seen, as Kat rocketed toward the sky, growing taller and taller. When she finally stopped growing a few moments later, Kat must have been over 100 feet tall! I now realized the importance of the collar in my hand. Kat was a member of one of the most brutal and feared races in all of Calavia! No, possibly all of Tensesta! In Calavia these giant felines were known for raiding towns and eating the people they found. Some made deals with villages, protection for food. There were the rare stories of the kind Byltra, giant felines who would protect and care for us tiny humans. A new question formed in my mind. What kind of Byltra was Kat?
The raiders by now had noticed the hulking giant Kat. Perhaps they had not heard the tales surrounding the Byltra, or perhaps they were merely stupid, I did not know. Regardless, they made the poor decision to charge at Kat, while shouting obscenities no less.
Kat merely laughed as the tiny steel weapons bounced off of her thick skin. She actually seemed to be enjoying it! With amazing speed her paw came down, snatching up several raiders at once. Their faces switched from rage to fear as they were lifted up into the sky over Kat’s open mouth. I could hear distant pleas of “let us down!!” and “don’t eat me!!!” but Kat seemed impassive. Finally her fingers pulled away from the tiny raiders and they dropped into her mouth, where Kat proceeded to swallow them.
The enemy paused, taking a collective gasp at Kat’s actions. Kat took this opportunity to smash several of the bandits under her massive foot, while picking up more and swallowing them. Only a few remained, and their courage was drained. A man whom I guessed was their leader, dropped his sword and kneeled down submissively. The others soon followed suit, dropping their weapons and getting on the ground. Little did they realize how much they’d regret that decision. Kat appeared for a moment as if she was going to let them go free, but then grabbed them up in her paws and put the men into her mouth one at a time. Finally, after sloshing them around for a bit, she swallowed them down and patted her belly.
I slowly backed away, having gained a new fear and respect for Kat. She scanned for any people she may have missed, and then turned her attention towards me. Her paw came for me next, though in a slow and gentle manner. “I hope that didn’t traumatize you too much. But it had to be done. Now let’s take you ho-” she stopped speaking abruptly and looked back towards my village. Because I was held in her hand, I couldn’t turn to see what caught her attention. “I’m sorry my kit- I can’t take you home.” She moved the hand holding me around so I could see. My village was up in smoke. Fire licked the sky, with black plumes wafting away. The bandits have been known to flank villages before- to attack from all sides. How lucky for my village that the first time we’re ever attacked it’d be by multiple groups.
I called to the giant holding me, “Please! We have to save them!” But Kat spun around and began to walk away. “Kat! Please!”
“Why? Save the same people who would execute me, shrink me, and make me a pet to you? I’m leaving- and I’m bringing you with. You’ve kind in the months I live here, and I’m not going to condemn you.” Kat held me close, and I began to weep. She gave me a moment to wipe my eyes before putting me to her mouth. She carried me like a cat would a kitten, by the nape. Kat turned and sprinted away on all fours, and we disappeared into the sunset.
Ch.2
Kat finally came to stop, sitting down Indian style in the desert sand with her tail curled around her legs. She curled her paw around me and took me from her mouth, rubbing my head thoughtfully as the sun finally set behind us. She’d carried me in her mouth for several hours, running at a breakneck pace the entire time. I allowed her to hold me without any resistance as she sat. I stole a glance up at her when her finger passed over my head for the umpteenth time. Kat seemed to have calmed down since her battle with the raiders, but no matter, she still terrified me. While before I had merely thought she was a disgruntled, slightly above average-height feline, now I realized she was a hundred foot tall, vindictive feline, who controlled my fate.
I finally mustered the courage to speak to my giant savior. “Um, Kat…” I began, rather timidly, as the image of her eating and smashing the raiders came to the forefront of my mind. “What are you going to do with me?” I said, finally mustering the courage to turn and look up at her. Kat smiled softly and returned my gaze. Where earlier her eyes had held an indefinite rage, now they seemed filled with an almost motherly love.
Kat tightened her grip around me and lied down, moving me to the crook of her arm against her massive breast. “I was wondering when you’d ask.” She murmured, absentmindedly rubbing me- it felt wonderful. “I’m sure you’re terrified right now…sorry if I scared you earlier. It’s weird though…” Kat said, dropping off as she prepared to voice her thoughts. I looked up to her curiously, unsure of what to think of her at this point. Before when she had technically been my family’s property, she treated me indifferently. But when we were alone she seemed to be nice, as if maybe she liked me even. I paid attention to her as she resumed speaking to me. “It’s weird because…realistically I should probably just eat you. That’s the kind of relationship that our two species share. But…at that same time, I’m not really sure about my feelings towards you.” She looked down at me a moment before laughing and poking me in the belly. Kat went on to continue. “Don’t get funny ideas about what that means. I’m just saying, you were actually trying to be nice to me. I feel like I at least owe that back to you. You gave me my freedom, and I think you deserve at least a chance in this world.” Kat sighed and rolled over onto her back slowly, shifting me up to the top of her chest so she could see me. “Most of the places in this ‘Calavia’ as you call it; they’re meant for giants and giantesses such as myself. You couldn’t exist at your size, unless of course you were a slave or a pet. But…again, I think you deserve a shot. You remind me a lot of a kit, as I’ve said before. Perhaps it’s just my maternal instinct to want to protect you…I don’t know.” She said, closing her eyes.
I could tell she had a heavy weight on her mind as she continued to pet me. I snuggled up in her hand, partly because it was cold here in the desert, as the day gave way to the frigid nights. But also because she sounded genuinely concerned for me, and I felt safe with her massive form. I didn’t really know how to respond to Kat’s words, so I tried to find something to change the subject to. My stomach did it for me, letting out a growl. “Um, Kat…we don’t have any food…” I mumbled softly, looking up to her. Kat sat up slightly and peered down at me with a sigh.
“I have to do everything for my little kit, don’t I?” She asked, depositing me on the ground with a pat on the head. “I’ll go get something then…look, do you see the little stream right there?” Kat pointed her long furred arm a short distance away. I turned, and instead of seeing a small stream, I saw a full blown river. To her of course, it’d be miniscule. I nodded. “Why don’t you clean up? Frankly, you smell awful.” Kat smirked down at me, and I shook my head in disbelief before chuckling. “Just stay put and I’ll be right back, my kit.” She turned and bounded away, her giant footfalls causing small tremors.
I turned back to the river and dropped in after undressing. I just laid there, partially submerged, processing today’s events. This river must have been on top of a natural hot spot- the murky water was almost warm, compared to the cold breeze of sunset. I’d have to think of some response for when Kat got back, I’m sure she expected me to say something. Then I realized exactly what I would say. Speak of the Devil, just then I heard those familiar tremors as the giantess beauty Kat returned. “Hello Ka-“ I started to say, but she cut me short as her thumb and forefinger plucked me out of the water. I frantically flailed and attempted to cover myself, but much to my dismay, failed miserably.
Kat gazed at my tiny wiggling form before depositing me in her lap, still naked. “Don’t be so embarrassed about nudity. Hasn’t it occurred to you yet that I too am naked? I just have some fluff covering.” I had noticed, yes. But I wasn’t going to tell her that. “I actually set you there so you could dry off on my fur- you need to stay warm out here or risk freezing to death. And you don’t have a natural layer of fur, so I’m just trying to help you out, kit.” She leaned over to see me past her breasts and gave my head a pat. “Now, I’m guessing I need to cook this right? Humans can’t eat raw meat?”
“No, we’ll get sick.” I said, blushing ever redder at being knee-deep in crotch fuzz. I just realized how quickly and vastly things had changed between us. Just today I’d asked her to help me clean dishes- now she was feeding me and keeping me from freezing. “Um, Kat?”
Kat murred and looked down as she cut open the ox with a claw. “Yes?”
“Thanks.” I said back to her, lying back, uncaring about being naked. “You didn’t have to do this for me- I’m really grateful.” I realized again, at that moment that our destinies were inexplicably linked. I hoped down from her legs and got dressed, fumbling in my pocket for a match. “Here, I can cook it.” I gathered a few tumbleweeds and in a matter of moments had a miniscule fire going. The meat was lowered down to me on a talon, and I grabbed it off and started to cook it, in a rather crude fashion. “So...why were you so reluctant to talk to me for so long? You said your first words to me…well, today honestly.”
Kat laid down, curling around me, her tail still behaving seemingly of its own accord. “That was probably not the wisest choice on my part.” She said with a mouthful of ox. She swallowed and patted her belly, sending a shiver down my spine. Kat still had the raiders from before in there. “I chose to ignore you mostly because of my prejudice towards you little humans. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t listening. In fact, I’d say I like you more because of it- despite how I treated you, you continued to try and be my friend. On that same note, it’s a little intimidating to be at the total mercy of someone…but unlike your parents, you didn’t abuse that power.” She rubbed my back with a finger as I chewed. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you sooner.”
At that point I started to choke up. Not on the food either. I hadn’t realized she’d felt that way at all. I turned and slowly walked over to her now massive face and gave her cheek a hug. In that moment, something unsaid passed between Kat and I. She began to purr, scooping me off the ground and wrapping her massive arms around me protectively. I was smothered against her soft breasts, but at the same time, I didn’t feel any arousal. Merely a content feeling of peace, love, and safety emanating from Kat’s body and directed at me. Finally I started to cry, ever so softly into her long fur. It finally occurred to me that in all my years living with mother and father, I’d never felt this type of peace and love before. It seemed, perhaps, that I was merely a tool used to care for the house and do the chores. Kat seemed to genuinely care about me.
“Aww, my little kit, it’s alright. Really, I’m here.” She cooed, her long, slender fingers gently sliding down my back. I wiped my eyes on her breast and looked up into her large yellow eyes, looking down at me with compassion. “We need to get moving; soon it will be below zero. And don’t think I’m going to let you freeze to death.” Kat said, rather fiercely at the thought of harm coming to me. She was right- it was already cold enough as it was. I curled up in the crook of her arm, finding myself suddenly very tired.
Kat stood and put the puny fire out with her toe, not even feeling the tiny flames before they were smothered to death. She sniffed the air and turned, though in the darkness I couldn’t tell which direction. “The city is this way.” She commented, starting to walk briskly towards it.
“Kat,” I said, slowly falling asleep. “When we get close, I need to put the collar back on you…” It came out rather nervously- she despised the collar. “Otherwise everyone will panic- before you, no one has ever seen a friendly giant.” I patted her softly, trying to show it was alright.
I felt her laugh and morph it into a purr. “You know, I’m really not as friendly as you think. I like you, but as for the rest of the humans…well, I still more or less view them as food. I’m…I’m sorry if that scares you, but I feel I have to be honest with my kit.” My feline friend hugged me tightly, though of course not enough to hurt. I ran her statement through my head a few more times. And honestly, I didn’t care. All that mattered was that she liked me. For now, Kat was the only one I had. As long as she liked me, it was all that mattered. Besides, I wasn’t feeling too kindly towards my own race- you didn’t see the Byltra going around and murdering each other, in fact, they even worked together from what I’ve been told.
I shook my head. “It doesn’t bother me at all…” I informed her, my voice dropping off as I nearly entered sleep. I looked up past her breast to see a large smile on her face, shining bright despite the darkness.
Kat walked for quite some time, before nudging me awake to inform me we were within sight distance of the city. “I know…the collar…” she mumbled, setting me on the ground and leaning down to my level so I could put it on her. Kat quickly shrank back to nine feet, and in the short time I wasn’t against her fur, I quickly became cold. Kat smiled at me and scooped me up, holding me against her warm soft body, before continuing into the city. “Here, we’ll just stay at this inn…” She murmured to me, entering a building.
I put my legs down and walked to the counter. I had just enough money in my pockets to pay for a single bed room. I took Kat’s hand and led her back, hearing jeers from the inn keeper: “Going to sex up your slave eh?” I shook my head and hugged Kat tightly- feeling her body tremble and quake with anger. “Kat don’t listen, it’s ok…” I said softly, entering the room. “Kat, you can have the bed. I’ll just lie on the floor.” I grinned at her and laid at the foot of the bed, despite a faint protest from her.
I felt two furry paws on me and I was lifted up and onto the bed. “We can share it, my kit.” She whispered softly into my ear, curling around me and pulling the covers up. “Good night…” She gave me a goodnight kiss, which I returned.
“Good night Kat.” I replied, finally drifting off to a pained sleep.
It was sometime later I was awoken, though not by Kat’s gentle paws. Two large burly hands grabbed me roughly and hoisted me into the air. “Kat!” I tried to yell, but another hand clamped down on my mouth, and it only came out as a muffled scream. I kicked and struggled to no avail.
I was carried downstairs and then out into the dark streets, where a faint breeze tossed a few pieces of paper around like a little tornado. My large captor- or possibly captors- tossed me into a cage attached to a team of horses and locked it tight. Free now to exercise my voice, I cried out once more for my sole friend and savior. “Kat!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, so that even those in the heavens could hear. I turned and saw that there were indeed two men who had captured me. They padlocked the cage and mounted the horses. Finally, I heard a shriek that could turn your blood to stone. I then proceeded to hear several loud crashes, and the door to the inn went sailing across the street, shattering upon impact with the opposite building. The horses started at a full sprint, just as Kat’s enraged form emerged from the doorframe of the inn. Her eyes seemed to be glowing almost, as I could see them clearly in the dark night. The feline turned and ran full-tilt towards me and the cart, and I was screaming for her to save me. But though she was keeping pace, she was not getting any closer. The horses combined might was enough to keep a good space between them and Kat.
I saw the pain in her eyes as the gap grew between us grew. I couldn’t blame her- she’d been running for quite a distance. I reached a hand through the bars, as if that would be enough. I heard her call out to me: “I’ll find you! I promise!” Before she collapsed in a panting heap in the middle of the desert.
I hung my head, wiping my eyes. “I know you will, Kat. I know you will.”
Ch.3
I’d lost count of the days, sitting against the damp stone wall of my cell. The rags that had at one point in time been my clothes were loosely draped over my body, hanging in tatters: merely physical memories of what had been. I looked through the bars of my cell in anger and contempt, so much so it radiated off my rather small form- the bastards that had imprisoned me weren’t keen on regular feeding. I’d learned from bits and pieces of conversations I’d heard that the Raiders were not Raiders so much as Slavers. And me, being ‘the one that got away’, was unacceptable for their reputation. I let my head hang with a sigh, wiping my hair from my eyes. I hadn’t had a hair cut the entire time I’d been here, and the whole thing was quite cumbersome, long strands clouding my vision and itching, scratching. Truly enough to drive one insane in and of itself.
On the bright side, I’d had a lot of time to think. I realized I had clung to Kat in an unnaturally short amount of time, and having so much time on my hands, I was free to ask why. I suppose to an extent I’d liked her from the start- she was a clean slate to be friendly towards, and all of the feelings I hadn’t received from my parents I could at least hope to receive from her. That, coupled with the immediate shock of attack, plus her sudden show of compassion, was I suppose some sort of emotional superglue. And that brought me back to square one- I missed her. Plain and simply, I missed being in her presence.
Which was why it was even more imperative I gain my freedom. During the brief interludes of ‘free’ time, I’d focused conditioning myself. I’d made sure to keep my fingernails at a fairly long length as well, seeing as I had no weapon of any sort. All it would take would be a second of carelessness, a second of wandering thoughts, and I’d be gone from this place. I noticed I’d become fairly proficient at seeing in the dark as well, which made sense considering how much time I spent in this cellar full of cages. Yes, it seemed I was finally prepared to make my first, and last, attempt at escape.
After several more hours of waiting, the time had finally arrived. Horace, a particularly unintelligent slaver, had come down to dish out the slop they sadistically called food. When he came near, I stood at the edge of my universe, hands around the bars. I smirked, “Horace, look….what the hell’s that!?” I screamed, pointing and gasping. When the dumb brute turned, I struck, arms wrapping around his head, one hand to cover his mouth and the other to end him. I realized why I hadn’t done this sooner- it wasn’t particularly hard, Horace was the weakest of the bunch and stupid to boot, no, it was the fact that they had to push me so far as to consider striking out and ending a life. But, as Kat had done before, I defended myself- a necessary evil. Horace struggled in my arms, banging against the bars as my claw-like finger nails dug into his jugular, tearing and rending the flesh. Other than faint groans from Horace, all was silent, as if the entire world had stopped to view this one first act that destroyed my innocence. And then next came the quiet pitter-patter of blood spraying from his neck, before turning into a gushing river as I pulled the rest of the way through.
I let my arms loosen and Horace slumped against the bars, to stupid to try and get help. I bend down and slipped the key ring off his belt. Victory at last. I found the key I needed and fit it into the lock, turning it ever so satisfyingly, taking solace in the soothing sound of each tumbler falling. The cage door opened with a light squeal, and for the first time I found myself unable to know what to do next. There it was- freedom. The door was open. But it was such a monumental weight that it overpowered me. And that was my undoing.
I blinked to find another pair of eyes staring back at me from across the room, where the sunlight bled through the cracked door. “My god…you killed Horace!” the body attached to the eyes shrieked, followed by the hiss of a blade being drawn. I quickly stooped down and drew Horace’s dagger, a funny and cruel thought going through my mind. The dagger was probably the only thing the fool could be trusted with- if he should stab himself it wouldn’t cut very deep into his shapely, rotund body. I shook my head and raised the dagger, watching the man across from me very carefully.
It all happened very fast- he stood for but a moment before charging, his long sword held high above him, and I jumped, rolling forward with the dagger pointed at his exposed gut. With my jump and his sprint, the distance between us closed very rapidly. I felt my dagger connect, though it’s effects drastically reduced by his thick leather armor. I looked up to see him unfazed, before the butt of his sword hit me in the back of the head.
“Can’t damage the property too badly…” I heard him cackle with a voice like gravel, before kneeing me in the gut. I staggered backward, still clutching the dagger. “Fuck!” I growled through my teeth, rubbing the back of my head while I had a spare moment. The slaver laughed, to which I leapt again, finally getting a good blow, a crescent red line appearing along the left side of his face. He recovered quickly, feinting with the blade and tripping me with his foot. The dagger went sliding across the slick stone floor, and my vision blurred.
His large boots thumped over to where I laid, “Might have to sell you to the Arena, you’re a feisty little snot. And thanks for getting rid of Horace, he’s been a pain in the arse for months.” I tried to get up and deliver another blow, before receiving a kick to the face. “Have a nice nap.” I heard, followed by more sinister cackling as I passed out.
I awoke a fair while later, or at least, I presume I did. My dirty tunic had a long red smear down the front, dry to the touch. And looking in the reflection of my water bowl, I found my face had a large amount of dried blood covering it as well. My nose was bent at a rather awkward angle, and very tentatively I wrapped my hand around it, straightening it to the correct position with a cry of pain. Turning, Horace’s blood sat in a sickening puddle, partway inside my cell.
Poor Horace. What had come over me? It had seemed so easy at first- he was defenseless. And that was key. I had only been able to do it because my safety when dealing with Horace was guaranteed. But with the other slaver, whom I know recall to be Randolph, that all fell away- my hands no match for the heavy iron sword he wielded. And again, like a weak child, I cried. What had I done? I looked at my bloodied hands as tears fell onto them. Horace had not been the one to cast an offense against me- nay, he was so dumb to the point that he probably didn’t understand the concept of slavery. And I killed him. I resolve, now, not to do such an act again. I’ve made it this far waiting for Kat- one who is prepared to kill- and I can continue to wait. I can feel her drawing ever nearer…
Several weeks past, during which I didn’t lash out at any of my captors. I had realized that what separated me from them was my innocence- rather what was left of it. Despite my meager height, I would not stoop to their emotional level. I prayed for Horace- that he would forgive my offense and enjoy his place in the heavens. I had probably matured more in my time here than if I’d been free for five more years.
After several hours’ hard work plowing the slavers’ fields at their camp, I was led back down into my cell. I sat down and laid my head back, letting sweat drip off of me. I heard what sounded like a guard swear, followed by a clang of metal. I was at full attention, listening intently. In the moments that followed I heard a fleshy crunch and gurgling, and then what sounded like perhaps someone had been launched into the wooden outhouse- based on the cracking wood and screams.
“Kill her!” Someone up top shrieked, who began another sentence and was quickly silenced. I squeaked and jumped backwards as Randolph came careening down the stairs into the cellar where the other slaves and myself were. Randolph was slumped upside down against the far wall, and I noted his neck was twisted awkwardly.
I breathed, the only sound I could make, as a soft patter matched the silhouette of feet coming down the stairs. Finally the person stepped into view, the silhouette dropping away.
“Matthew.” Was the only word I heard as a furry paw reached forth and gripped the cell door, shearing it away and sending it across the room.
“K…Kat…” I stammered, stepping forward and wrapping my arms around her waist, burying my head into her soft stomach. “I missed you…so much…” I sputtered, trying to hold back a flood of emotions. Her arms wrapped around my small frame and hefted me into the air against her.
“And I missed you, my little kit. I’m sorry…sorry it took as long as it did. I did my best.” She said, nuzzling my face and smothering me with licks.
I just beamed widely, “I knew you’d come! I never gave up hope, Kat. Never.” I gave her a kiss back and she ruffled my hair, “Can we leave this dreadful place?”
She nodded solemnly, “Yes, my kit, we’ll leave. There’s a place not far away I was able to spend time at, we can recuperate there. I know I said it, kit, but…I missed you.” Kat gave me another lick and headed up the stairs. About partway up I felt a large paw cast over my face, “Don’t look.” But indeed, I had caught a glimpse of the carnage. Kat had fought a very long battle indeed- I had only heard the tail end of it. Bodies were strewn about the land for quite a ways. The grass had been dyed red by all the bloodshed, and nary was a building left standing. Garden tools had become lethal weapons, a rake for instance pinning a slaver to a tree.
I curled into Kat’s soft torso and tried to relax- I was home, and I was safe. “Oh wait!” I exclaimed, reaching a hand up to find that, yes, it was still there. “You’ve been trapped in your small body for so long, I’m sure you’re dying to get big again!” I pulled the wretched collar off and squeaked as she shot towards the sky. I slipped from her arm and slid down the crevice between her two mighty breasts, lodged, and rather comfortably too.
Kat bellowed a laugh and pat my head, “Thank you, my kit. It’s good to be back- I’m gigantic, my kit is with me, and all’s right with the world!” I nodded in agreement, stretching out with a lazy yawn. “Come; let’s find a quiet spot- we have a lot to talk about!” She jogged for a while, quite to my amusement, before sitting town under a great oak tree. Judging by its size, it must have been thousands of years old, as it dwarfed even the mighty Kat!
Kat sprawled out, massaging me gently with her thumb and forefinger. “Firstly, my little friend, you need a hair cut…” She giggled and scooped me out of her cleavage, bringing me up to her face. “Now, don’t move- I won’t harm you.” That made me more than a little nervous, but I had to put my trust in her- she’d cared for me this far. She raised her little finger; claw extended, and gently traced a line through my locks. Grinning, Kat gave me a minute shake and the long lengths of my hair fell to the grass down below. She readjusted me so I was sitting in her soft palm, towering columns that I knew to be her fingers surrounding me. “Much better! Wouldn’t you agree?”
I nodded once more, “Yeah, the bangs were annoying- constantly getting my eyes. Thanks Kat!” I lay down in her palm, looking up at her wonderful face above me.
“No problem, little kit! Now…” Kat smiled wryly, rubbing my belly with a finger, “I know it’s not your fault, but you smell bad…but I don’t see any water around here so…” She extended the ‘so’ into a long majestic note, smiling widely as her eyes looked into mine. “I’ll just have to give you a traditional feline bath!”
I giggled, “What does that entail, exactly?” I asked, my mind escaping me. I’ve seen cats before- surely I realized!
Kat smirked and started to pull my shirt off, “Have to get my little kit undressed!” She squealed happily, pinning me firmly but gently between her fingers and undressing me.
“Kat…let’s not do anything rash…” I said, containing my excitement and embarrassment. It’d been an eternity since I could just lay back and relax with stupid antics! I didn’t even mind that I was naked- it was a nice change of pace from the seriousness of my life, which I would have to deal with later of course.
“Oh I won’t…” Kat giggled, lifting me to her mouth and beginning to lick at me. “Have to get you completely clean, you know! Have to get all the spots…in between…” I squeaked as her tongue found all my ‘secret’ spots and passed over them.
After my bath, Kat sat me back down between her breasts and gently held me there. I sighed contentedly, watching the sun pass over head through the leaves of the tree and the clouds, Kat’s fur rustling softly in the soothing winds. “Kat…it’s beautiful, you know? A wonderful vista, after weeks in a cellar. I wouldn’t give this up for anything.” I whispered, closing my eyes and basking in Kat’s warmth.
Kat purred, and I felt her tail explore me briefly before returning to whatever it was doing previously. “I wouldn’t either my kit, I wouldn’t either.”
Ch.4
I awoke with a tired yawn, having slept the entire day away curled up on Kat’s warm, soft body. The twin suns’ bright rays descended on us in early morning; the only sound was Kat’s light breathing as she slumbered on. I rolled over on her breast and watched the small flowers sway peacefully in the wind, along with Kat’s fur. Kat was beautiful- even in her sleep she mewed peacefully, her tail swaying and ever moving, her nose twitching at times. Her paw came up, feeling my movements and patted me lightly, pressing me into her soft breast flesh.
“Savor the moment, kit…this is the first morning we’ve been together in a long time…let’s sleep a while longer…” She said softly, purring. How could I resist? I nodded and curled up, massaging her gently. Kat moaned ever so slightly and carefully rolled over to her side, still holding me against her. “You know, kit, you’ve been calling me Kat for quite a while now. I think you’ve earned the right to know my real name.” She said, cracking a smile and stroking me with her other paw.
I felt a little saddened by this, in an abstract way at least. During our first adventure before, I hadn’t had the respect to help her shed her last remaining reminders of servitude by learning her true name. I was also very excited on the other hand, that she felt ready to share more personal things with me. “I hope I didn’t offend you by calling you Kat for so long. If I did, please accept my apology…So, what’s your real name then? I’m really curious now!” I laughed, rolling over under her paw to see her face better.
The person I previously knew as Kat smiled and gazed upon me for a moment. She then chuckled with a small purr, “It’s a bit of a mouthful…my name is Tillirajah. But you can just call me Tillie for short.” Tillie smiled and ruffled my hair.
I gave under her finger rubbing me and snuggled into her long strands of fur, grabbing handfuls of the soft stuff and sprawling out. “Tillirajah…Tillirajah…” I murmured, practicing the pronunciation of it; testing the feel of the name rolling across my tongue. “That’s a pretty name. It has an exotic feel to it, Tillie.” She giggled and shook her head, giving me a giant bear hug, almost smothering me with her bust.
“You’re cute, you know that?” Tillie said, looking down at my head- the sole part of my body sticking out from in between her breasts. I blushed with a nervous little smile.
“Glad you think so, getting on your bad side would be absolutely terrifying.” I gave a little nervous laugh before continuing. “I’m glad we’re friends.” I saw Tillie’s worried look turn back into a wide, toothy smile.
“Me too, kit.” I felt a paw wrap around me as Tillie lifted me into the air gently to her mouth, where she proceeded to give me a big lick, which I surmised to be her feline version of a kiss. I giggled and gave the tip of her giant pink nose my own little kiss.
“Tillie…is there anywhere out there for us?” I asked, leaning on the end of her muzzle. “I mean, the Byltra either eat humans or force us into servitude, while humans try either killing the Byltra or enslaving them…why can’t we just be friends and live in peace?” I asked, feeling my happy peaceful mood being replaced by one of urgency and sadness.
Tillie looked at me sympathetically, stroking my back with a soft finger. “I know it’s hard…but…” Tillie seemed to be at a loss of words, unable to console me. Her eyes were downcast, until they raised and looked into mine. “Perhaps…I’ve heard legends, of a new world of sorts. Across the water, a kingdom where humans and Byltra do coexist…maybe, just maybe, they’re not legends after all? If we could find a way to get across the water, we could go there.” She exclaimed, becoming quite excited at the prospects of us being together, safely. “I have some mermaid friends down south, if there truly is another world across the sea, they’d be the ones to know about it. If it’s alright with you, I think we should go south together.” Tillie seemed to have an air of knowing what needed to be done, and I nodded and agreed wholeheartedly.
I looked into her bright shining eyes, “I trust you. You’ve protected me and been kind to me as long as we’ve been together…I’d be happy to go with you, south or otherwise.” I happily rubbed that big pink nose of hers, feeling quite at ease now. “So, what’s our first course of action, Tillie?”
Tillie took me off her muzzle and transferred me into her paw. She sat up, resting her back against the tree, where she proceeded to become lost in deep thought. To say what we were going to do, and to actually do it were two different beasts entirely. “Well…” she started, formulating her thoughts into a coherent sentence, “If we are leaving for good, I’d like to say goodbye to my own family.” Tillie winced; bringing up the whole family issue and what had become of mine. Though, I’d quite gotten over family matters since my incarceration and recalling that my family life had indeed been awful. I cracked a smile, showing Tillie it was quite alright, and she continued. “That, and I’ve been missing for quite a while too, not your fault of course. I don’t know how my mother will react to you…so…” She seemed to need to prepare herself for her next words. “It’s not uncommon for one of my people to keep a um….a pet. It would only be a ruse of course, just while we’re there…do…do you mind?” Tillie finally asked, timidly and nervous, which in itself was ironic. She was a hundred times my size and could easily force me to do what she wished, which made it even sweeter that she was putting her and me on an equal level.
That was a lot to take in. She wanted me to be a pet. No, I corrected myself. Tillie wanted me to pretend to be a pet. I also had to consider that she had been my family’s true pet- not just pretend. Not to mention that Tillie has been my protector for quite some time now. I had to return her faith with my own. I nodded firmly, “I’ll be your pet Tillie. Just…keep me safe.”
Tillie stood up and sat me on her shoulder, patting me. “I promise to always take care of you- I won’t let anything bad befall you.” She said fiercely, with resolve in her voice. “But don’t worry about it yet, we have a bit of a journey ahead of us before we reach my hometown. Until that time though, we’ve got much to share we each other…Kit, would you like to hear a story?”
I nodded eagerly, “You seem like you’d know a lot of interesting things, Tillie.” I hugged onto her neck tightly, buried under her human like mane of hair, along with her thick tufts of soft fur.
Tillie smiled, those big white fangs glistening in the morning suns. “It’s actually the tale of how I came to be in your possession, for that short, torturous period that led to this period of happiness…with you.” Now I was most definitely intrigued. So this would be the most immediate history of Tillie. And perhaps I’d find that the crime, if it had even been one, had not deserved the punishment of shrinking and enslavement. But, had she been truly innocent or not over-punished for what she did, then we’d never have met. And that- that would truly be a crime.
These thoughts swirled in my mind as I sat on her shoulder attentively, waiting for her story to begin. Tillie giggled lightheartedly and cleared her throat.
“It started up in the north, near a city that was small, relative to my normal height anyways. The city, Gandalfr, was a terribly derelict place. Though I suppose by human standards an advanced place, it was absolutely filled with scum. Brothels on every street, peddlers selling stolen wares, and buildings on the verge of crumbling apart. Of course, like most big cities, there were segregated districts for humans and giants.” Tillie chuckled, giving me a pat with the tip of her finger. “What’s that look about?”
She must have been referring to the look of surprise I had plastered to my face when she mentioned that humans and giants lived in the same city, albeit segregated. “Sorry, I just never thought humans and giants actually lived together- other than you and me of course.” I said, grinning up at her.
“Oh, my little kit!” Tillie purred and stroked me gently down the back, giving me a lick while nuzzling. “Now, back to the story little kit.” Tillie cleared her throat once more and licked at her chops, the giant pink muscle causing her now wet facial fur to shine in the sun- it made me chuckle a bit.
“As I was saying kit, the city was basically the bottom of the world. I was searching- am searching- for a naga named Pristole, but better known as Pixie. She’s a legendary thief, to say the least.” I heard Tillie give a sigh and then chuckle under her breath. “I didn’t even know it the whole time we were friends. I suppose kit, that I was just another chance to get rich for her.” Seeing my confused look, Tillie giggled and stroked me with a finger, walking under a shady spot as the suns were at their highest now.
“I suppose I should explain how I met her first, yes? My mother is very sick you see. It’s a very rare disease, something I’d never seen before. She assured me she would recover, and told me not to go waste my life on something as ‘foolish’ as looking for a cure. But, surely you understand, she is my mother! I couldn’t back down from searching. I’d spent literally twenty years searching before finally coming across it. It wasn’t much- a small glass vial filled with luminescent blue liquid. I would have returned home straight away, but my searching had lead me to the edge of Calavia- thousands of miles from home.” Tillie seemed to have saddened during the telling of her story- I could certainly understand why, even if I had no first hand experience with caring for my parents. Tillie sniffled and cleared her throat, continuing. “While camping outside in the frozen wastes to the North, I found a naga freezing to death. They’re cold-blooded, as you know. It was obvious I had to try and help her. And that was when I met Pixie.
“After warming her up and carrying her two-hundred foot long self back into warmer territory, we’d really started to bond. We were travel partners, and took care of each other.” Tillie stopped and composed herself before cracking a smile. “I recall one time on the road a rather vicious harpy had snatched me up for food- Pristole had been napping in a tree and snapped its neck with her tail.” Tillie shook her head laughing before resuming her tale. “One night she caught me playing with the flask, examining the liquid inside. I told her when she asked that it was a very valuable potion said to cure any disease. Like I said, for all I knew, Pristole and I were the best of friends.” It was easy to see where this was going. “Well, to say I was surprised the next morning would be an understatement. My bag was gone, my diary was gone, everything. Everything was gone. I didn’t even care so much about that- it was the vial. She had stolen my most precious possession.” Tillie sighed again, this time wiping her eyes.
“Tillie you can stop, I don’t want you to be upset!” I cried, clinging to her furry neck and rubbing it gently.
Tillie shook her head and patted me, “You’re such a sweet kit, but I need to get this off my chest- I’ve never told anyone. That…and I don’t want you to think of me as a criminal. Hopefully my story will show you I was wrongfully imprisoned.” Tillie cracked a small smile and tickled my belly.
“It wasn’t until I’d arrived into a major city and asked about Pristole that I’d learned she was a con artist of the most skillful variety. She had been pulling those scams off for years. I was merely her latest victim. After searching for another several years, I’d finally heard she was in Gandalfr. And this was what I was saying earlier- I had arrived at Gandalfr, frantically searching for anymore leads on Pristole’s location. I had heard she’d been terrorizing a local human village actually, and headed towards there. She was in fact, terrorizing a human town, and when I attempted to fight her, I fear I did more damage to the town than if I’d left her be. I was subdued by a garrison of human troops, and then sent to your village as a captive…I hope now you understand why I was so upset when we first met…I was fuming over what had happened to me I suppose. But…I’m- if it hadn’t…” Tillie smiled and scooped me off her shoulder into her big paw, clutching me gently and purring, “If all that hadn’t happened…then I suppose I wouldn’t have ever met you, now would I?”
I blushed as her purring increased in volume. My lumbering friend settled down under a tree as darkness began to fall and my lone shiver was quickly silenced as Tillie brought me to her chest in an embrace. I blushed even more- her purring was getting even louder! It was a soothing sound, that lulled me into relaxation but…I suppose I just didn’t know I meant this much to her. Did she know she meant just as much if not more so to me?
Tillie finally took a pause from purring to lay down on her side, curled into a cute little ball, with me at the center. “It’s getting dark kit…I think we should rest for the night…thanks for listening to my story.” I giggled to feel her wet nose nuzzling into me, her tongue close behind; her saliva warm. Within minutes I was giving my big feline companion a belly rub, though it was difficult. I hoped she didn’t attract any attention with all that purring though. “Kit…go down a bit lower won’t you?” She cooed, sprawled out and kicking a leg- more dog like than cat like.
“Sure thi-“ I started, before falling into a fuzzy pit. “Tillie?” I called, trying to climb out but finding it impossible. I heard loud snickering from high above, and her face appeared in the sky.
Tillie stuck her tongue out with a laugh. “Kit, you fell in my belly button!” She said, laughing as she plucked me out gently. I shivered again in the brief moment I was away from her fur. “It’s getting even colder…come on, we need to stop playing and get some rest…we can continue our shenanigans in the morning, don’t you worry.” She said, giving me a final lick before re-curling up with me against her chest.
I live in a rough place. The kind of place where if you’re not on the top of your game, you’re dead. The deserts of Calavia are an unforgiving and brutal place. Humans struggle to survive, and not just against the elements. There are things that lurk in the shadows of the frigid nights that could eat an entire village clean. During the days we must fight the hot sun and sandstorms, and in the night we must prepare for attacks from the darkness and keep warm, or freeze to death.
As a small boy I was taught to fear things that were larger than me, as they would just as soon eat me as crush me to death. Threats could hide in a number of places: under the ground, flying through the skies, under the depths of what small water sources we have, or right at home on land. This is why I found it so strange to meet the newest addition to my family. Normally, my family consists of my father, my mother, and me. My father was a gruff man, and although he could treat us rather rough at times, I knew he cared for my mother and me. My mother worked the farms on the rare occasions we actually had crops, as rain was sparse in these parts. I did the menial tasks: dishes, trash, and those types of things. But the day I met our new family member, I had a new task- and it was probably the most important.
Kat wasn’t your normal person. In fact, she wasn’t even human. From what I could gather at the time, Kat had been the perpetrator in a rather serious crime and was to be put to death. My father, in one of his rare acts of kindness, offered to take her in on probation. I hadn’t yet seen her, and was told she would be arriving to our modest home soon.
The day finally came, and though I’d thought I’d prepared myself for her, I was taken completely off guard by her appearance. I’d imagined her arriving completely free- instead she was chained; with good reason. Kat stood over nine feet tall, her feline like ears scraping the ceiling. Her golden eyes scanned about the room, stopping and staring into each of us; my father, my mother, and finally me. She seemed to look into me the longest- perhaps because of my child like innocence at the time. Kat’s tail flicked at the air at times, moving as if simply for the sake of movement. The most striking of her appearance however was the large collar around her- heavy on her. My father stressed the point, “You are never to remove it- ever. Although you’re my son, the punishment for removing the collar is to be hung until death. So please, don’t remove it boy.”
And that was the start of an unusual friendship with Kat. For the first several weeks, my feline friend spent most of her time out in the dead patch of land we called a backyard, moping around. My first attempts at communicating with her failed miserably; my perky hellos answered with a hiss or a curt “leave me alone”. Many times I’d ask my father to allow her inside with us, but he always told me we had to wait; to see if she could be trusted. Alas, I spent my first weeks with Kat feeling quite upset about it.
Finally, I had success. I approached her in the back and called as kindly as I could, “Kat, it’s time to eat, do you want to come inside today? It’s your favorite; I got some fish from the stream…” Of course I didn’t expect her to respond, but much to my surprise she did; progress at last! Granted, at first she gave me a very displeased look, and pouted. “Please don’t be like this, come on…please.”
“Fine…just take this off of me.” She muttered it so low I strained to hear, but there it was- human-feline interaction! Of course she was referring to the chain- a thick heavy thing making sure she stayed put. Kat sat crouched and low to the ground, facing away from me. I approached her slowly, and unhooked the massive chain. For a moment she ignored me, and I extended my hand for her to pull up with. This time however she simply got up by herself, brushing past me. It didn’t diminish my good mood however; I’d made a great success in getting her to speak with me. I ran to catch up with her, and noticed how my head barely came above her waist.
Reaching the house, she had to duck down to fit through the door. As usual, father has started eating before us, taking prime pieces for himself. I offered Kat a chair, but she declined- already able to reach the table even while sitting on the floor. Watching her eat the fish was a strange sight indeed, as she didn’t use eating utensils. She merely tore the fish apart with her razor sharp claws, wolfing it down. She licked her fingers and stood quickly, and you could see it startle my parents. Father stood, “Boy, I’m headed out, clean up for me.” With that he pushed the chair in and headed out with Mother, leaving me alone with Kat.
I began to pick up the plates, and looked towards her as she stood there watching me curiously, “Could you get the wash bucket?” At my first request she stood there, but then acted to get the bucket. Kat followed me outside, to where I wiped the food scraps onto the rough desert sand. “Kat, can you fill it too? Thanks.” Begrudgingly, Kat proceeded to the well and filled the bucket. Without me asking she began to help me wipe the plates clean. As she washed, her tail flicked curiously, sometimes brushing against me. We finished cleaning, and normally I’d leave Kat to her own devices. Today however, I posed the question, “Would you like to come to the woods with me?” She seemed to ponder it for a while, before looking at me and nodding.
Her tail wrapped around my wrist as she headed off, awkwardly dragging me behind her. I jogged until I had caught up, and walked along side her down the long dirt road. We’d walked for a while before seeing the tops of dead trees on the horizon. I remember this as a peaceful moment with Kat, “You know, you’re pretty when you’re not telling me to leave you alone.” I laughed as I spoke to her, and was surprised to see her face lighten up a little.
“You’re just saying that- expecting me to follow you like a lost kitten.” She continued walking, though a smile is stuck on her face; another success.
“Of course not!” I stammer, “Besides, if you wanted to leave, you could do it fairly easily- but I’m glad you’re not.” With my last statement she seemed to be almost happy, and with great strength lifted me into the air and cradled me against her.
“You know, you’re a lot like the kittens back home,” she laughs lightly, and walks for awhile holding me. Finally, we reached the edge of the dead forest, and she lightly set me down; heading for the trees to use as a scratching post. It was funny to watch her go at that tree, digging into it with her claws. When Kat dropped her rough exterior she could be quite comical and cute. I approached her as she scratched, looking around the forest.
Something quite dark caught my eye, and at the time it gripped me with fear, gripped me like an iron claw. In the distance, not far away, a group of villainous looking men marched towards us. Raiders weren’t uncommon in these parts, though none had ever chosen to pilfer my village. I looked to Kat, scratching away on her tree, with a great sense of urgency. Their weapons shone bright, nearly blinding me, and they’re torches lit up the darkening sky as the sun set.
“Kat! Look!” I called to her, hoping she’d actually care. “We need to get back to the village, and warn everyone!!” She didn’t budge from her tree; looking at me and then the raiders, before going back to scratch. “Please!” My cries must have awakened something in her, because Kat stopped her scratch and quickly approached me- and by her eyes I knew she had a plan.
“Look, I don’t care about your village. They have imprisoned me and chained me. But I’ll help you- not for your village, but for you. You’re my little kitten- and I won’t let them hurt you.” Yet another aspect of Kat was revealed. Had she been keeping tabs on me the entire time she had lived with us- without my notice? I noticed her eyes change from her cool, cold tone to a warm and loving one. She whisked me up once more without strain; sitting me on her back. “Grip me tight,” was all Kat muttered to me before breaking into a sprint.
Clutching her as if my life depended on it (which, at the speeds we were going it probably did) I began to realize something. The raiders were getting closer, the village shrinking into the horizon. “Kat!? What are you doing??” I shrieked into her ear. It was us two against thirty! I didn’t even know how to fight!
“You don’t need to do anything, except remove this collar when I tell you to!” She spoke without a hint of strain in her voice.
I was startled at her request- remove the collar? “Remove it?? I can’t!” Despite my protest Kat continued to charge the raiders, who presently were unaware of our approach.
“And why not? Don’t you want to save your village?” Kat looked over her shoulder and stared me in the eyes. Of course I knew she was right. Kat knew what the collar did- I did not. However, if she said it was necessary to save the town, then it probably was. And besides, would they hang me for helping set in motion a plan to save us all?
“You’re right…just tell me when to remove it.” I gripped her tighter from the fear of what was to come. Combat- true combat. I’d seen before how Kat ripped into her food, but would it be different with real combatants? And a scarier thought still- Kat wanted to fight. When the collar was off, what would happen? Could Kat be stopped again? Would she betray me? I didn’t have much time to answer my questions before Kat slung me over her shoulder and set me down, demanding I remove the collar. I heard the thumping of boots against dusty road growing louder, and saw Kat kneel before me so I could reach. The collar, though heavy, had a delicate lock system that would be impossible for her larger paws to remove it. My small fingers easily navigated the mechanism and the collar fell into my hands.
I took several quick steps back. Did the collar limit her strength perhaps? I had my question quickly answered- yes, at least, in a way. I witnessed one of the most terrifying things I’d ever seen, as Kat rocketed toward the sky, growing taller and taller. When she finally stopped growing a few moments later, Kat must have been over 100 feet tall! I now realized the importance of the collar in my hand. Kat was a member of one of the most brutal and feared races in all of Calavia! No, possibly all of Tensesta! In Calavia these giant felines were known for raiding towns and eating the people they found. Some made deals with villages, protection for food. There were the rare stories of the kind Byltra, giant felines who would protect and care for us tiny humans. A new question formed in my mind. What kind of Byltra was Kat?
The raiders by now had noticed the hulking giant Kat. Perhaps they had not heard the tales surrounding the Byltra, or perhaps they were merely stupid, I did not know. Regardless, they made the poor decision to charge at Kat, while shouting obscenities no less.
Kat merely laughed as the tiny steel weapons bounced off of her thick skin. She actually seemed to be enjoying it! With amazing speed her paw came down, snatching up several raiders at once. Their faces switched from rage to fear as they were lifted up into the sky over Kat’s open mouth. I could hear distant pleas of “let us down!!” and “don’t eat me!!!” but Kat seemed impassive. Finally her fingers pulled away from the tiny raiders and they dropped into her mouth, where Kat proceeded to swallow them.
The enemy paused, taking a collective gasp at Kat’s actions. Kat took this opportunity to smash several of the bandits under her massive foot, while picking up more and swallowing them. Only a few remained, and their courage was drained. A man whom I guessed was their leader, dropped his sword and kneeled down submissively. The others soon followed suit, dropping their weapons and getting on the ground. Little did they realize how much they’d regret that decision. Kat appeared for a moment as if she was going to let them go free, but then grabbed them up in her paws and put the men into her mouth one at a time. Finally, after sloshing them around for a bit, she swallowed them down and patted her belly.
I slowly backed away, having gained a new fear and respect for Kat. She scanned for any people she may have missed, and then turned her attention towards me. Her paw came for me next, though in a slow and gentle manner. “I hope that didn’t traumatize you too much. But it had to be done. Now let’s take you ho-” she stopped speaking abruptly and looked back towards my village. Because I was held in her hand, I couldn’t turn to see what caught her attention. “I’m sorry my kit- I can’t take you home.” She moved the hand holding me around so I could see. My village was up in smoke. Fire licked the sky, with black plumes wafting away. The bandits have been known to flank villages before- to attack from all sides. How lucky for my village that the first time we’re ever attacked it’d be by multiple groups.
I called to the giant holding me, “Please! We have to save them!” But Kat spun around and began to walk away. “Kat! Please!”
“Why? Save the same people who would execute me, shrink me, and make me a pet to you? I’m leaving- and I’m bringing you with. You’ve kind in the months I live here, and I’m not going to condemn you.” Kat held me close, and I began to weep. She gave me a moment to wipe my eyes before putting me to her mouth. She carried me like a cat would a kitten, by the nape. Kat turned and sprinted away on all fours, and we disappeared into the sunset.
Ch.2
Kat finally came to stop, sitting down Indian style in the desert sand with her tail curled around her legs. She curled her paw around me and took me from her mouth, rubbing my head thoughtfully as the sun finally set behind us. She’d carried me in her mouth for several hours, running at a breakneck pace the entire time. I allowed her to hold me without any resistance as she sat. I stole a glance up at her when her finger passed over my head for the umpteenth time. Kat seemed to have calmed down since her battle with the raiders, but no matter, she still terrified me. While before I had merely thought she was a disgruntled, slightly above average-height feline, now I realized she was a hundred foot tall, vindictive feline, who controlled my fate.
I finally mustered the courage to speak to my giant savior. “Um, Kat…” I began, rather timidly, as the image of her eating and smashing the raiders came to the forefront of my mind. “What are you going to do with me?” I said, finally mustering the courage to turn and look up at her. Kat smiled softly and returned my gaze. Where earlier her eyes had held an indefinite rage, now they seemed filled with an almost motherly love.
Kat tightened her grip around me and lied down, moving me to the crook of her arm against her massive breast. “I was wondering when you’d ask.” She murmured, absentmindedly rubbing me- it felt wonderful. “I’m sure you’re terrified right now…sorry if I scared you earlier. It’s weird though…” Kat said, dropping off as she prepared to voice her thoughts. I looked up to her curiously, unsure of what to think of her at this point. Before when she had technically been my family’s property, she treated me indifferently. But when we were alone she seemed to be nice, as if maybe she liked me even. I paid attention to her as she resumed speaking to me. “It’s weird because…realistically I should probably just eat you. That’s the kind of relationship that our two species share. But…at that same time, I’m not really sure about my feelings towards you.” She looked down at me a moment before laughing and poking me in the belly. Kat went on to continue. “Don’t get funny ideas about what that means. I’m just saying, you were actually trying to be nice to me. I feel like I at least owe that back to you. You gave me my freedom, and I think you deserve at least a chance in this world.” Kat sighed and rolled over onto her back slowly, shifting me up to the top of her chest so she could see me. “Most of the places in this ‘Calavia’ as you call it; they’re meant for giants and giantesses such as myself. You couldn’t exist at your size, unless of course you were a slave or a pet. But…again, I think you deserve a shot. You remind me a lot of a kit, as I’ve said before. Perhaps it’s just my maternal instinct to want to protect you…I don’t know.” She said, closing her eyes.
I could tell she had a heavy weight on her mind as she continued to pet me. I snuggled up in her hand, partly because it was cold here in the desert, as the day gave way to the frigid nights. But also because she sounded genuinely concerned for me, and I felt safe with her massive form. I didn’t really know how to respond to Kat’s words, so I tried to find something to change the subject to. My stomach did it for me, letting out a growl. “Um, Kat…we don’t have any food…” I mumbled softly, looking up to her. Kat sat up slightly and peered down at me with a sigh.
“I have to do everything for my little kit, don’t I?” She asked, depositing me on the ground with a pat on the head. “I’ll go get something then…look, do you see the little stream right there?” Kat pointed her long furred arm a short distance away. I turned, and instead of seeing a small stream, I saw a full blown river. To her of course, it’d be miniscule. I nodded. “Why don’t you clean up? Frankly, you smell awful.” Kat smirked down at me, and I shook my head in disbelief before chuckling. “Just stay put and I’ll be right back, my kit.” She turned and bounded away, her giant footfalls causing small tremors.
I turned back to the river and dropped in after undressing. I just laid there, partially submerged, processing today’s events. This river must have been on top of a natural hot spot- the murky water was almost warm, compared to the cold breeze of sunset. I’d have to think of some response for when Kat got back, I’m sure she expected me to say something. Then I realized exactly what I would say. Speak of the Devil, just then I heard those familiar tremors as the giantess beauty Kat returned. “Hello Ka-“ I started to say, but she cut me short as her thumb and forefinger plucked me out of the water. I frantically flailed and attempted to cover myself, but much to my dismay, failed miserably.
Kat gazed at my tiny wiggling form before depositing me in her lap, still naked. “Don’t be so embarrassed about nudity. Hasn’t it occurred to you yet that I too am naked? I just have some fluff covering.” I had noticed, yes. But I wasn’t going to tell her that. “I actually set you there so you could dry off on my fur- you need to stay warm out here or risk freezing to death. And you don’t have a natural layer of fur, so I’m just trying to help you out, kit.” She leaned over to see me past her breasts and gave my head a pat. “Now, I’m guessing I need to cook this right? Humans can’t eat raw meat?”
“No, we’ll get sick.” I said, blushing ever redder at being knee-deep in crotch fuzz. I just realized how quickly and vastly things had changed between us. Just today I’d asked her to help me clean dishes- now she was feeding me and keeping me from freezing. “Um, Kat?”
Kat murred and looked down as she cut open the ox with a claw. “Yes?”
“Thanks.” I said back to her, lying back, uncaring about being naked. “You didn’t have to do this for me- I’m really grateful.” I realized again, at that moment that our destinies were inexplicably linked. I hoped down from her legs and got dressed, fumbling in my pocket for a match. “Here, I can cook it.” I gathered a few tumbleweeds and in a matter of moments had a miniscule fire going. The meat was lowered down to me on a talon, and I grabbed it off and started to cook it, in a rather crude fashion. “So...why were you so reluctant to talk to me for so long? You said your first words to me…well, today honestly.”
Kat laid down, curling around me, her tail still behaving seemingly of its own accord. “That was probably not the wisest choice on my part.” She said with a mouthful of ox. She swallowed and patted her belly, sending a shiver down my spine. Kat still had the raiders from before in there. “I chose to ignore you mostly because of my prejudice towards you little humans. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t listening. In fact, I’d say I like you more because of it- despite how I treated you, you continued to try and be my friend. On that same note, it’s a little intimidating to be at the total mercy of someone…but unlike your parents, you didn’t abuse that power.” She rubbed my back with a finger as I chewed. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you sooner.”
At that point I started to choke up. Not on the food either. I hadn’t realized she’d felt that way at all. I turned and slowly walked over to her now massive face and gave her cheek a hug. In that moment, something unsaid passed between Kat and I. She began to purr, scooping me off the ground and wrapping her massive arms around me protectively. I was smothered against her soft breasts, but at the same time, I didn’t feel any arousal. Merely a content feeling of peace, love, and safety emanating from Kat’s body and directed at me. Finally I started to cry, ever so softly into her long fur. It finally occurred to me that in all my years living with mother and father, I’d never felt this type of peace and love before. It seemed, perhaps, that I was merely a tool used to care for the house and do the chores. Kat seemed to genuinely care about me.
“Aww, my little kit, it’s alright. Really, I’m here.” She cooed, her long, slender fingers gently sliding down my back. I wiped my eyes on her breast and looked up into her large yellow eyes, looking down at me with compassion. “We need to get moving; soon it will be below zero. And don’t think I’m going to let you freeze to death.” Kat said, rather fiercely at the thought of harm coming to me. She was right- it was already cold enough as it was. I curled up in the crook of her arm, finding myself suddenly very tired.
Kat stood and put the puny fire out with her toe, not even feeling the tiny flames before they were smothered to death. She sniffed the air and turned, though in the darkness I couldn’t tell which direction. “The city is this way.” She commented, starting to walk briskly towards it.
“Kat,” I said, slowly falling asleep. “When we get close, I need to put the collar back on you…” It came out rather nervously- she despised the collar. “Otherwise everyone will panic- before you, no one has ever seen a friendly giant.” I patted her softly, trying to show it was alright.
I felt her laugh and morph it into a purr. “You know, I’m really not as friendly as you think. I like you, but as for the rest of the humans…well, I still more or less view them as food. I’m…I’m sorry if that scares you, but I feel I have to be honest with my kit.” My feline friend hugged me tightly, though of course not enough to hurt. I ran her statement through my head a few more times. And honestly, I didn’t care. All that mattered was that she liked me. For now, Kat was the only one I had. As long as she liked me, it was all that mattered. Besides, I wasn’t feeling too kindly towards my own race- you didn’t see the Byltra going around and murdering each other, in fact, they even worked together from what I’ve been told.
I shook my head. “It doesn’t bother me at all…” I informed her, my voice dropping off as I nearly entered sleep. I looked up past her breast to see a large smile on her face, shining bright despite the darkness.
Kat walked for quite some time, before nudging me awake to inform me we were within sight distance of the city. “I know…the collar…” she mumbled, setting me on the ground and leaning down to my level so I could put it on her. Kat quickly shrank back to nine feet, and in the short time I wasn’t against her fur, I quickly became cold. Kat smiled at me and scooped me up, holding me against her warm soft body, before continuing into the city. “Here, we’ll just stay at this inn…” She murmured to me, entering a building.
I put my legs down and walked to the counter. I had just enough money in my pockets to pay for a single bed room. I took Kat’s hand and led her back, hearing jeers from the inn keeper: “Going to sex up your slave eh?” I shook my head and hugged Kat tightly- feeling her body tremble and quake with anger. “Kat don’t listen, it’s ok…” I said softly, entering the room. “Kat, you can have the bed. I’ll just lie on the floor.” I grinned at her and laid at the foot of the bed, despite a faint protest from her.
I felt two furry paws on me and I was lifted up and onto the bed. “We can share it, my kit.” She whispered softly into my ear, curling around me and pulling the covers up. “Good night…” She gave me a goodnight kiss, which I returned.
“Good night Kat.” I replied, finally drifting off to a pained sleep.
It was sometime later I was awoken, though not by Kat’s gentle paws. Two large burly hands grabbed me roughly and hoisted me into the air. “Kat!” I tried to yell, but another hand clamped down on my mouth, and it only came out as a muffled scream. I kicked and struggled to no avail.
I was carried downstairs and then out into the dark streets, where a faint breeze tossed a few pieces of paper around like a little tornado. My large captor- or possibly captors- tossed me into a cage attached to a team of horses and locked it tight. Free now to exercise my voice, I cried out once more for my sole friend and savior. “Kat!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, so that even those in the heavens could hear. I turned and saw that there were indeed two men who had captured me. They padlocked the cage and mounted the horses. Finally, I heard a shriek that could turn your blood to stone. I then proceeded to hear several loud crashes, and the door to the inn went sailing across the street, shattering upon impact with the opposite building. The horses started at a full sprint, just as Kat’s enraged form emerged from the doorframe of the inn. Her eyes seemed to be glowing almost, as I could see them clearly in the dark night. The feline turned and ran full-tilt towards me and the cart, and I was screaming for her to save me. But though she was keeping pace, she was not getting any closer. The horses combined might was enough to keep a good space between them and Kat.
I saw the pain in her eyes as the gap grew between us grew. I couldn’t blame her- she’d been running for quite a distance. I reached a hand through the bars, as if that would be enough. I heard her call out to me: “I’ll find you! I promise!” Before she collapsed in a panting heap in the middle of the desert.
I hung my head, wiping my eyes. “I know you will, Kat. I know you will.”
Ch.3
I’d lost count of the days, sitting against the damp stone wall of my cell. The rags that had at one point in time been my clothes were loosely draped over my body, hanging in tatters: merely physical memories of what had been. I looked through the bars of my cell in anger and contempt, so much so it radiated off my rather small form- the bastards that had imprisoned me weren’t keen on regular feeding. I’d learned from bits and pieces of conversations I’d heard that the Raiders were not Raiders so much as Slavers. And me, being ‘the one that got away’, was unacceptable for their reputation. I let my head hang with a sigh, wiping my hair from my eyes. I hadn’t had a hair cut the entire time I’d been here, and the whole thing was quite cumbersome, long strands clouding my vision and itching, scratching. Truly enough to drive one insane in and of itself.
On the bright side, I’d had a lot of time to think. I realized I had clung to Kat in an unnaturally short amount of time, and having so much time on my hands, I was free to ask why. I suppose to an extent I’d liked her from the start- she was a clean slate to be friendly towards, and all of the feelings I hadn’t received from my parents I could at least hope to receive from her. That, coupled with the immediate shock of attack, plus her sudden show of compassion, was I suppose some sort of emotional superglue. And that brought me back to square one- I missed her. Plain and simply, I missed being in her presence.
Which was why it was even more imperative I gain my freedom. During the brief interludes of ‘free’ time, I’d focused conditioning myself. I’d made sure to keep my fingernails at a fairly long length as well, seeing as I had no weapon of any sort. All it would take would be a second of carelessness, a second of wandering thoughts, and I’d be gone from this place. I noticed I’d become fairly proficient at seeing in the dark as well, which made sense considering how much time I spent in this cellar full of cages. Yes, it seemed I was finally prepared to make my first, and last, attempt at escape.
After several more hours of waiting, the time had finally arrived. Horace, a particularly unintelligent slaver, had come down to dish out the slop they sadistically called food. When he came near, I stood at the edge of my universe, hands around the bars. I smirked, “Horace, look….what the hell’s that!?” I screamed, pointing and gasping. When the dumb brute turned, I struck, arms wrapping around his head, one hand to cover his mouth and the other to end him. I realized why I hadn’t done this sooner- it wasn’t particularly hard, Horace was the weakest of the bunch and stupid to boot, no, it was the fact that they had to push me so far as to consider striking out and ending a life. But, as Kat had done before, I defended myself- a necessary evil. Horace struggled in my arms, banging against the bars as my claw-like finger nails dug into his jugular, tearing and rending the flesh. Other than faint groans from Horace, all was silent, as if the entire world had stopped to view this one first act that destroyed my innocence. And then next came the quiet pitter-patter of blood spraying from his neck, before turning into a gushing river as I pulled the rest of the way through.
I let my arms loosen and Horace slumped against the bars, to stupid to try and get help. I bend down and slipped the key ring off his belt. Victory at last. I found the key I needed and fit it into the lock, turning it ever so satisfyingly, taking solace in the soothing sound of each tumbler falling. The cage door opened with a light squeal, and for the first time I found myself unable to know what to do next. There it was- freedom. The door was open. But it was such a monumental weight that it overpowered me. And that was my undoing.
I blinked to find another pair of eyes staring back at me from across the room, where the sunlight bled through the cracked door. “My god…you killed Horace!” the body attached to the eyes shrieked, followed by the hiss of a blade being drawn. I quickly stooped down and drew Horace’s dagger, a funny and cruel thought going through my mind. The dagger was probably the only thing the fool could be trusted with- if he should stab himself it wouldn’t cut very deep into his shapely, rotund body. I shook my head and raised the dagger, watching the man across from me very carefully.
It all happened very fast- he stood for but a moment before charging, his long sword held high above him, and I jumped, rolling forward with the dagger pointed at his exposed gut. With my jump and his sprint, the distance between us closed very rapidly. I felt my dagger connect, though it’s effects drastically reduced by his thick leather armor. I looked up to see him unfazed, before the butt of his sword hit me in the back of the head.
“Can’t damage the property too badly…” I heard him cackle with a voice like gravel, before kneeing me in the gut. I staggered backward, still clutching the dagger. “Fuck!” I growled through my teeth, rubbing the back of my head while I had a spare moment. The slaver laughed, to which I leapt again, finally getting a good blow, a crescent red line appearing along the left side of his face. He recovered quickly, feinting with the blade and tripping me with his foot. The dagger went sliding across the slick stone floor, and my vision blurred.
His large boots thumped over to where I laid, “Might have to sell you to the Arena, you’re a feisty little snot. And thanks for getting rid of Horace, he’s been a pain in the arse for months.” I tried to get up and deliver another blow, before receiving a kick to the face. “Have a nice nap.” I heard, followed by more sinister cackling as I passed out.
I awoke a fair while later, or at least, I presume I did. My dirty tunic had a long red smear down the front, dry to the touch. And looking in the reflection of my water bowl, I found my face had a large amount of dried blood covering it as well. My nose was bent at a rather awkward angle, and very tentatively I wrapped my hand around it, straightening it to the correct position with a cry of pain. Turning, Horace’s blood sat in a sickening puddle, partway inside my cell.
Poor Horace. What had come over me? It had seemed so easy at first- he was defenseless. And that was key. I had only been able to do it because my safety when dealing with Horace was guaranteed. But with the other slaver, whom I know recall to be Randolph, that all fell away- my hands no match for the heavy iron sword he wielded. And again, like a weak child, I cried. What had I done? I looked at my bloodied hands as tears fell onto them. Horace had not been the one to cast an offense against me- nay, he was so dumb to the point that he probably didn’t understand the concept of slavery. And I killed him. I resolve, now, not to do such an act again. I’ve made it this far waiting for Kat- one who is prepared to kill- and I can continue to wait. I can feel her drawing ever nearer…
Several weeks past, during which I didn’t lash out at any of my captors. I had realized that what separated me from them was my innocence- rather what was left of it. Despite my meager height, I would not stoop to their emotional level. I prayed for Horace- that he would forgive my offense and enjoy his place in the heavens. I had probably matured more in my time here than if I’d been free for five more years.
After several hours’ hard work plowing the slavers’ fields at their camp, I was led back down into my cell. I sat down and laid my head back, letting sweat drip off of me. I heard what sounded like a guard swear, followed by a clang of metal. I was at full attention, listening intently. In the moments that followed I heard a fleshy crunch and gurgling, and then what sounded like perhaps someone had been launched into the wooden outhouse- based on the cracking wood and screams.
“Kill her!” Someone up top shrieked, who began another sentence and was quickly silenced. I squeaked and jumped backwards as Randolph came careening down the stairs into the cellar where the other slaves and myself were. Randolph was slumped upside down against the far wall, and I noted his neck was twisted awkwardly.
I breathed, the only sound I could make, as a soft patter matched the silhouette of feet coming down the stairs. Finally the person stepped into view, the silhouette dropping away.
“Matthew.” Was the only word I heard as a furry paw reached forth and gripped the cell door, shearing it away and sending it across the room.
“K…Kat…” I stammered, stepping forward and wrapping my arms around her waist, burying my head into her soft stomach. “I missed you…so much…” I sputtered, trying to hold back a flood of emotions. Her arms wrapped around my small frame and hefted me into the air against her.
“And I missed you, my little kit. I’m sorry…sorry it took as long as it did. I did my best.” She said, nuzzling my face and smothering me with licks.
I just beamed widely, “I knew you’d come! I never gave up hope, Kat. Never.” I gave her a kiss back and she ruffled my hair, “Can we leave this dreadful place?”
She nodded solemnly, “Yes, my kit, we’ll leave. There’s a place not far away I was able to spend time at, we can recuperate there. I know I said it, kit, but…I missed you.” Kat gave me another lick and headed up the stairs. About partway up I felt a large paw cast over my face, “Don’t look.” But indeed, I had caught a glimpse of the carnage. Kat had fought a very long battle indeed- I had only heard the tail end of it. Bodies were strewn about the land for quite a ways. The grass had been dyed red by all the bloodshed, and nary was a building left standing. Garden tools had become lethal weapons, a rake for instance pinning a slaver to a tree.
I curled into Kat’s soft torso and tried to relax- I was home, and I was safe. “Oh wait!” I exclaimed, reaching a hand up to find that, yes, it was still there. “You’ve been trapped in your small body for so long, I’m sure you’re dying to get big again!” I pulled the wretched collar off and squeaked as she shot towards the sky. I slipped from her arm and slid down the crevice between her two mighty breasts, lodged, and rather comfortably too.
Kat bellowed a laugh and pat my head, “Thank you, my kit. It’s good to be back- I’m gigantic, my kit is with me, and all’s right with the world!” I nodded in agreement, stretching out with a lazy yawn. “Come; let’s find a quiet spot- we have a lot to talk about!” She jogged for a while, quite to my amusement, before sitting town under a great oak tree. Judging by its size, it must have been thousands of years old, as it dwarfed even the mighty Kat!
Kat sprawled out, massaging me gently with her thumb and forefinger. “Firstly, my little friend, you need a hair cut…” She giggled and scooped me out of her cleavage, bringing me up to her face. “Now, don’t move- I won’t harm you.” That made me more than a little nervous, but I had to put my trust in her- she’d cared for me this far. She raised her little finger; claw extended, and gently traced a line through my locks. Grinning, Kat gave me a minute shake and the long lengths of my hair fell to the grass down below. She readjusted me so I was sitting in her soft palm, towering columns that I knew to be her fingers surrounding me. “Much better! Wouldn’t you agree?”
I nodded once more, “Yeah, the bangs were annoying- constantly getting my eyes. Thanks Kat!” I lay down in her palm, looking up at her wonderful face above me.
“No problem, little kit! Now…” Kat smiled wryly, rubbing my belly with a finger, “I know it’s not your fault, but you smell bad…but I don’t see any water around here so…” She extended the ‘so’ into a long majestic note, smiling widely as her eyes looked into mine. “I’ll just have to give you a traditional feline bath!”
I giggled, “What does that entail, exactly?” I asked, my mind escaping me. I’ve seen cats before- surely I realized!
Kat smirked and started to pull my shirt off, “Have to get my little kit undressed!” She squealed happily, pinning me firmly but gently between her fingers and undressing me.
“Kat…let’s not do anything rash…” I said, containing my excitement and embarrassment. It’d been an eternity since I could just lay back and relax with stupid antics! I didn’t even mind that I was naked- it was a nice change of pace from the seriousness of my life, which I would have to deal with later of course.
“Oh I won’t…” Kat giggled, lifting me to her mouth and beginning to lick at me. “Have to get you completely clean, you know! Have to get all the spots…in between…” I squeaked as her tongue found all my ‘secret’ spots and passed over them.
After my bath, Kat sat me back down between her breasts and gently held me there. I sighed contentedly, watching the sun pass over head through the leaves of the tree and the clouds, Kat’s fur rustling softly in the soothing winds. “Kat…it’s beautiful, you know? A wonderful vista, after weeks in a cellar. I wouldn’t give this up for anything.” I whispered, closing my eyes and basking in Kat’s warmth.
Kat purred, and I felt her tail explore me briefly before returning to whatever it was doing previously. “I wouldn’t either my kit, I wouldn’t either.”
Ch.4
I awoke with a tired yawn, having slept the entire day away curled up on Kat’s warm, soft body. The twin suns’ bright rays descended on us in early morning; the only sound was Kat’s light breathing as she slumbered on. I rolled over on her breast and watched the small flowers sway peacefully in the wind, along with Kat’s fur. Kat was beautiful- even in her sleep she mewed peacefully, her tail swaying and ever moving, her nose twitching at times. Her paw came up, feeling my movements and patted me lightly, pressing me into her soft breast flesh.
“Savor the moment, kit…this is the first morning we’ve been together in a long time…let’s sleep a while longer…” She said softly, purring. How could I resist? I nodded and curled up, massaging her gently. Kat moaned ever so slightly and carefully rolled over to her side, still holding me against her. “You know, kit, you’ve been calling me Kat for quite a while now. I think you’ve earned the right to know my real name.” She said, cracking a smile and stroking me with her other paw.
I felt a little saddened by this, in an abstract way at least. During our first adventure before, I hadn’t had the respect to help her shed her last remaining reminders of servitude by learning her true name. I was also very excited on the other hand, that she felt ready to share more personal things with me. “I hope I didn’t offend you by calling you Kat for so long. If I did, please accept my apology…So, what’s your real name then? I’m really curious now!” I laughed, rolling over under her paw to see her face better.
The person I previously knew as Kat smiled and gazed upon me for a moment. She then chuckled with a small purr, “It’s a bit of a mouthful…my name is Tillirajah. But you can just call me Tillie for short.” Tillie smiled and ruffled my hair.
I gave under her finger rubbing me and snuggled into her long strands of fur, grabbing handfuls of the soft stuff and sprawling out. “Tillirajah…Tillirajah…” I murmured, practicing the pronunciation of it; testing the feel of the name rolling across my tongue. “That’s a pretty name. It has an exotic feel to it, Tillie.” She giggled and shook her head, giving me a giant bear hug, almost smothering me with her bust.
“You’re cute, you know that?” Tillie said, looking down at my head- the sole part of my body sticking out from in between her breasts. I blushed with a nervous little smile.
“Glad you think so, getting on your bad side would be absolutely terrifying.” I gave a little nervous laugh before continuing. “I’m glad we’re friends.” I saw Tillie’s worried look turn back into a wide, toothy smile.
“Me too, kit.” I felt a paw wrap around me as Tillie lifted me into the air gently to her mouth, where she proceeded to give me a big lick, which I surmised to be her feline version of a kiss. I giggled and gave the tip of her giant pink nose my own little kiss.
“Tillie…is there anywhere out there for us?” I asked, leaning on the end of her muzzle. “I mean, the Byltra either eat humans or force us into servitude, while humans try either killing the Byltra or enslaving them…why can’t we just be friends and live in peace?” I asked, feeling my happy peaceful mood being replaced by one of urgency and sadness.
Tillie looked at me sympathetically, stroking my back with a soft finger. “I know it’s hard…but…” Tillie seemed to be at a loss of words, unable to console me. Her eyes were downcast, until they raised and looked into mine. “Perhaps…I’ve heard legends, of a new world of sorts. Across the water, a kingdom where humans and Byltra do coexist…maybe, just maybe, they’re not legends after all? If we could find a way to get across the water, we could go there.” She exclaimed, becoming quite excited at the prospects of us being together, safely. “I have some mermaid friends down south, if there truly is another world across the sea, they’d be the ones to know about it. If it’s alright with you, I think we should go south together.” Tillie seemed to have an air of knowing what needed to be done, and I nodded and agreed wholeheartedly.
I looked into her bright shining eyes, “I trust you. You’ve protected me and been kind to me as long as we’ve been together…I’d be happy to go with you, south or otherwise.” I happily rubbed that big pink nose of hers, feeling quite at ease now. “So, what’s our first course of action, Tillie?”
Tillie took me off her muzzle and transferred me into her paw. She sat up, resting her back against the tree, where she proceeded to become lost in deep thought. To say what we were going to do, and to actually do it were two different beasts entirely. “Well…” she started, formulating her thoughts into a coherent sentence, “If we are leaving for good, I’d like to say goodbye to my own family.” Tillie winced; bringing up the whole family issue and what had become of mine. Though, I’d quite gotten over family matters since my incarceration and recalling that my family life had indeed been awful. I cracked a smile, showing Tillie it was quite alright, and she continued. “That, and I’ve been missing for quite a while too, not your fault of course. I don’t know how my mother will react to you…so…” She seemed to need to prepare herself for her next words. “It’s not uncommon for one of my people to keep a um….a pet. It would only be a ruse of course, just while we’re there…do…do you mind?” Tillie finally asked, timidly and nervous, which in itself was ironic. She was a hundred times my size and could easily force me to do what she wished, which made it even sweeter that she was putting her and me on an equal level.
That was a lot to take in. She wanted me to be a pet. No, I corrected myself. Tillie wanted me to pretend to be a pet. I also had to consider that she had been my family’s true pet- not just pretend. Not to mention that Tillie has been my protector for quite some time now. I had to return her faith with my own. I nodded firmly, “I’ll be your pet Tillie. Just…keep me safe.”
Tillie stood up and sat me on her shoulder, patting me. “I promise to always take care of you- I won’t let anything bad befall you.” She said fiercely, with resolve in her voice. “But don’t worry about it yet, we have a bit of a journey ahead of us before we reach my hometown. Until that time though, we’ve got much to share we each other…Kit, would you like to hear a story?”
I nodded eagerly, “You seem like you’d know a lot of interesting things, Tillie.” I hugged onto her neck tightly, buried under her human like mane of hair, along with her thick tufts of soft fur.
Tillie smiled, those big white fangs glistening in the morning suns. “It’s actually the tale of how I came to be in your possession, for that short, torturous period that led to this period of happiness…with you.” Now I was most definitely intrigued. So this would be the most immediate history of Tillie. And perhaps I’d find that the crime, if it had even been one, had not deserved the punishment of shrinking and enslavement. But, had she been truly innocent or not over-punished for what she did, then we’d never have met. And that- that would truly be a crime.
These thoughts swirled in my mind as I sat on her shoulder attentively, waiting for her story to begin. Tillie giggled lightheartedly and cleared her throat.
“It started up in the north, near a city that was small, relative to my normal height anyways. The city, Gandalfr, was a terribly derelict place. Though I suppose by human standards an advanced place, it was absolutely filled with scum. Brothels on every street, peddlers selling stolen wares, and buildings on the verge of crumbling apart. Of course, like most big cities, there were segregated districts for humans and giants.” Tillie chuckled, giving me a pat with the tip of her finger. “What’s that look about?”
She must have been referring to the look of surprise I had plastered to my face when she mentioned that humans and giants lived in the same city, albeit segregated. “Sorry, I just never thought humans and giants actually lived together- other than you and me of course.” I said, grinning up at her.
“Oh, my little kit!” Tillie purred and stroked me gently down the back, giving me a lick while nuzzling. “Now, back to the story little kit.” Tillie cleared her throat once more and licked at her chops, the giant pink muscle causing her now wet facial fur to shine in the sun- it made me chuckle a bit.
“As I was saying kit, the city was basically the bottom of the world. I was searching- am searching- for a naga named Pristole, but better known as Pixie. She’s a legendary thief, to say the least.” I heard Tillie give a sigh and then chuckle under her breath. “I didn’t even know it the whole time we were friends. I suppose kit, that I was just another chance to get rich for her.” Seeing my confused look, Tillie giggled and stroked me with a finger, walking under a shady spot as the suns were at their highest now.
“I suppose I should explain how I met her first, yes? My mother is very sick you see. It’s a very rare disease, something I’d never seen before. She assured me she would recover, and told me not to go waste my life on something as ‘foolish’ as looking for a cure. But, surely you understand, she is my mother! I couldn’t back down from searching. I’d spent literally twenty years searching before finally coming across it. It wasn’t much- a small glass vial filled with luminescent blue liquid. I would have returned home straight away, but my searching had lead me to the edge of Calavia- thousands of miles from home.” Tillie seemed to have saddened during the telling of her story- I could certainly understand why, even if I had no first hand experience with caring for my parents. Tillie sniffled and cleared her throat, continuing. “While camping outside in the frozen wastes to the North, I found a naga freezing to death. They’re cold-blooded, as you know. It was obvious I had to try and help her. And that was when I met Pixie.
“After warming her up and carrying her two-hundred foot long self back into warmer territory, we’d really started to bond. We were travel partners, and took care of each other.” Tillie stopped and composed herself before cracking a smile. “I recall one time on the road a rather vicious harpy had snatched me up for food- Pristole had been napping in a tree and snapped its neck with her tail.” Tillie shook her head laughing before resuming her tale. “One night she caught me playing with the flask, examining the liquid inside. I told her when she asked that it was a very valuable potion said to cure any disease. Like I said, for all I knew, Pristole and I were the best of friends.” It was easy to see where this was going. “Well, to say I was surprised the next morning would be an understatement. My bag was gone, my diary was gone, everything. Everything was gone. I didn’t even care so much about that- it was the vial. She had stolen my most precious possession.” Tillie sighed again, this time wiping her eyes.
“Tillie you can stop, I don’t want you to be upset!” I cried, clinging to her furry neck and rubbing it gently.
Tillie shook her head and patted me, “You’re such a sweet kit, but I need to get this off my chest- I’ve never told anyone. That…and I don’t want you to think of me as a criminal. Hopefully my story will show you I was wrongfully imprisoned.” Tillie cracked a small smile and tickled my belly.
“It wasn’t until I’d arrived into a major city and asked about Pristole that I’d learned she was a con artist of the most skillful variety. She had been pulling those scams off for years. I was merely her latest victim. After searching for another several years, I’d finally heard she was in Gandalfr. And this was what I was saying earlier- I had arrived at Gandalfr, frantically searching for anymore leads on Pristole’s location. I had heard she’d been terrorizing a local human village actually, and headed towards there. She was in fact, terrorizing a human town, and when I attempted to fight her, I fear I did more damage to the town than if I’d left her be. I was subdued by a garrison of human troops, and then sent to your village as a captive…I hope now you understand why I was so upset when we first met…I was fuming over what had happened to me I suppose. But…I’m- if it hadn’t…” Tillie smiled and scooped me off her shoulder into her big paw, clutching me gently and purring, “If all that hadn’t happened…then I suppose I wouldn’t have ever met you, now would I?”
I blushed as her purring increased in volume. My lumbering friend settled down under a tree as darkness began to fall and my lone shiver was quickly silenced as Tillie brought me to her chest in an embrace. I blushed even more- her purring was getting even louder! It was a soothing sound, that lulled me into relaxation but…I suppose I just didn’t know I meant this much to her. Did she know she meant just as much if not more so to me?
Tillie finally took a pause from purring to lay down on her side, curled into a cute little ball, with me at the center. “It’s getting dark kit…I think we should rest for the night…thanks for listening to my story.” I giggled to feel her wet nose nuzzling into me, her tongue close behind; her saliva warm. Within minutes I was giving my big feline companion a belly rub, though it was difficult. I hoped she didn’t attract any attention with all that purring though. “Kit…go down a bit lower won’t you?” She cooed, sprawled out and kicking a leg- more dog like than cat like.
“Sure thi-“ I started, before falling into a fuzzy pit. “Tillie?” I called, trying to climb out but finding it impossible. I heard loud snickering from high above, and her face appeared in the sky.
Tillie stuck her tongue out with a laugh. “Kit, you fell in my belly button!” She said, laughing as she plucked me out gently. I shivered again in the brief moment I was away from her fur. “It’s getting even colder…come on, we need to stop playing and get some rest…we can continue our shenanigans in the morning, don’t you worry.” She said, giving me a final lick before re-curling up with me against her chest.
Tis Amaya from everywhere! *flails* x3 
