Mila's World, Chapter 7 (Patreon)

Enjoy, everyone! I've attached a pdf of the full story up to this point, for easy reading! Also, Reus Village, The Brat, and East of Eve on the way this coming week! <3

Chapter 7Adam still felt a bit light-headed standing there in front of these two towering women. It had just dawned on him that he was now standing below the barmaid Mantissa’s bust. How short had he become!? And, thanks to the gupta spell, would it get any worse?? Adam was lost in anxious thought as both Mila and Mantissa were leaning down towards him, to try and get his attention. Their large, buxom cleavages spilled out of their tops as they bent down. Mila was becoming slightly worried at his lack of response.Uh…Adam?....Hello?!” She clapped her huge hands once in his face to get his attention. Adam’s last thought before being interrupted was comparing Mantissa’s cup size to Mila's. Sure, Mila was powerfully built, but the barmaid was still actually a bit thicker, and her boobs were even bigger.“Awww, poor thing's all spell-knackered," Mantissa chuckled gently, recognizing the signs in Adam's face. “Here, little guy, just...just come up here with me for a second.”She reached for Adam, giving Mila a brief, searching glance first, wordlessly asking if it was okay for her to pick him up. Mila nodded down at her, feeling a strange pleasure that Mantissa thought it was important for her to give permission first. If the barmaid had just bent down and picked him up without asking, Mila already knew that she would have felt a bit protective, especially considering what had just happened. But this way, Mantissa was being respectful, both of her and of Adam, and so Mila had gladly consented.The barmaid swiftly picked Adam up, and he could feel the pressure of her big breasts pressing and squishing up against his little body. Her strong arm supported him underneath, and he could feel his legs wrapping around the thick, vigorous swerve of her hips. Even though Mila was clearly much taller and bigger, this maid was absolutely STACKED...and, compared to Adam, she was positively gigantic.“Let’s go around back here…” Mantissa muttered, carrying Adam in the crook of her arm around to all the various multi-colored bottles behind the bar, “And hmmm…let's see, gave you that first tincture, kind of helped...but we need something a little stronger...hmmm...yes...yes.....Mugwort Firesnap Bourbon! Exactly what I was looking for – here, Adam, take a quick shot of that! That’ll sure wake you up!”She handed Adam a shotglass of jet-black liquid. He was still feeling woozy, but he had the presence of mind to look over at Mila, who was now leaning on the bar with her forearms, nodding at him, smiling and encouraging him to drink it. Adam couldn’t help but ogle Mila's huge cleavage for a few seconds before snapping back to reality and tried to take the glass from the barmaid’s hand.“Th-thank you…” Adam managed to say, smiling sheepishly up at Mantissa before taking the shot and downing it, coughing and sputtering afterward as the barmaid gently patted him on the back, before handing him back to Mila. Once again, Adam wasn’t able to avoid noticing the maid's cleavage, bouncing and jiggling with her movements as she laughed.“That does the trick, huh?” Mantissa chuckled at him, and Adam nodded as he felt the liquid permeating through his body, warming him down to his toes and helping to dispel the woozy fog that had been floating around in his brain since the gupta spell. He started feeling much more like himself...though, of course, 7 inches smaller.“Mmmm okay, okay, excellent,” Mantissa said, rubbing her hands together before casting her glance out at the street. Then, suddenly, a plangent tolling echoed throughout the streets...the sound of the monastery bells. After they struck three times, silence reigned, and the barmaid turned to Mila and Adam, her face suddenly serious.“Okay,” she said quietly, putting on her cloak, “Let's get the two of you safe and sound.”The sun had truly set now, dipping completely below the rolling hills of the horizon, and the town was quickly becoming shrouded in the deepening darkness of night. Anyone who had been in the street minutes before had gone inside, immediately responding to the loud tolling of the monastery bells. Clearly, it was well-understood that the streets were no place to be after dark. However, just as the streets became deserted under the nightfall, two figures, one tall, and one VERY tall, slipped out of the back door of the Fiery Pearl and slinked through the winding alleyways, making sure to keep close up to the building walls so their movements would be disguised. If one had looked even closer...very close...they might have noticed that there were actually THREE figures...but one was decidedly smaller and shorter than the others, and was being carried by the largest of the other two. They paused every once in a while, responding to the sound of guptagati hisses around corners. They obviously did not want to be found.“Careful now…” Mantissa whispered, as she led Mila and Adam through the back alleys that she knew so well, “Keep close to the wall, Mila....the guptas are everywhere...do exactly as I do…”Mila nodded seriously, hugging Adam close to her breast as she moved stealthily after Mantissa through the deepening shadows. She knew that she should have felt nervous at the obvious danger they were in, but, strangely, she felt more excited than nervous. She was holding Adam close to her, with her big arm wrapped tightly around his body. He was shielded completely from view, since he was hiding under the great dark cloak Mila had wrapped around her body. Mantissa had found the cloak in the back storeroom of the pub...a cloak that had likely belonged to some giant who had come through years before...and it had turned out that it was perfect for Mila, especially for disguising her body in the shadows. After a few more twists and turns, Mantissa pointed silently to the building across the street, an ancient-looking, solid stone structure with a bell tower and huge, iron-bolted wooden doors.“That's it…” she whispered up to Mila, “The Monastery...here, follow me – we can’t go in through the front...the guptas will see us....we’ll go in through the secret back door. The sisters will ask me for a password. Come on, now’s our chance, let’s go, before more guptas come out on the street. Look, there they are now!”She pointed, and Mila saw a group of three guptagatis coming down the street, past the monastery, with long spears on their shoulders, looking every bit as tall, curvy, graceful, and imposing as they had in the pub. But Mila wasn't afraid of them; if anything, she had to hold herself back from fighting them again, after what they had done to Adam. But she knew that wasn’t a fight to have now, and she watched them stride gracefully by, clenching her jaw. A minute later, she was following Mantissa through another back alley, around to the secret back end of the monastery. Mila actually had to duck her head to avoid some clotheslines that hung from the close-quarter houses that lined the narrow street. Finally, after another minute of sneaking, they were there. A tall black door rose up high above them, almost invisible in the wall, except that Mila saw warm, homely light shining out from beneath it. Mantissa knocked seven times, in a strange, distinct cadence, and a moment later, a full, female voice issued out from behind the door:“Password?”“Mahābhāga,” came Mantissa’s response in a low, mysterious drawl. Almost instantly, the door began to open.Mila hugged Adam tightly to her.“You okay?” she whispered sweetly, “We're almost there…”All the danger and the covert sneaking around had helped Adam get some semblance of his old self back, and he smiled back at her, even managing to playfully chide her: “Yes Mila...and, uh…I think you can put me down now…”Mila chuckled softly at Adam, privately reminding herself not to condescend to him just because he was so small compared to her as she set him down in front of her, though taking care, in the process, to glance behind her to ensure that they weren’t about to be jumped. Meanwhile, Mantissa was tapping her foot as the huge black door continued to open slowly."You know,” Mila grinned down at Adam, “I wasn’t carrying you because you were helpless – I was carrying you because we had to move quickly through the alleyways...and your little legs just wouldn’t be able to move fast enough to keep up with us!”She bent down and tapped him lovingly on the nose. “And you have to remember, it’s YOU they’re after...and I’m not gonna let them get you!”Adam had only been kidding around a bit, injecting a little moment of levity into a serious situation, but he knew that Mila was right. He was well aware that, in the coming days, he would have to get used to swallowing his pride. Finally the big, heavy door to the monastery cellar opened, revealing a warm, fragrant room filled with the cluttering sounds of cupboard doors and the clatterings of plates and glasses. A series of tall, elegant figures moved about…the monks…and Adam noticed with surprise that they were all tall, buxom women, dressed in form-fitting white robes. With their kind faces and caring eyes, they appeared to be the opposite of the hateful, hissing guptas. Elwyn, the head priestess of the monks, approached Mantissa, and spoke in a breathy, angelic voice, her eyes traveling slowly over the new travelers:“Mantissa! What brings you this night? We were just finishing dinner…surely you are not out of food again?”Mila and Adam both noticed that Mantissa didn't relax completely until the dull, thudding sound of the monastery door sounded out behind her, while two tall, buxom monks immediately secured its series of iron locks. There was no question that, barring a full-army assault or a dragon or something, nothing was going to get through that door...certainly none of those guptagatis.As Elwyn approached, Mantissa had put her hands on her thick hips, sarcastically swaying back and forth as she smirked up at Elwyn. The barmaid was tall for a woman, but Elwyn was taller still...nearly 7’0!“Noooo, not out of food, Elwyn,” Mantissa chuckled, shaking her head, “You know as well as any that I've got enough in my larder to outlast another plague...I’ll be damned if I’m getting caught with my knickers down like last time. But no, tonight I’m here on different business.”She gestured to Mila and Adam.“This...this is Mila...and Adam, her companion. They were set upon by two guptas in the pub just an hour ago – the Queen already knows Adam’s here...and she’s trying to capture him, I don’t know why…”Elwyn had started whispering to her other monks in some strange language, their voices mingling together musically as they whispered. Mila again felt like everything about them (minus their height and buxom, curvy bodies) was the opposite of the guptagatis – while the guptas had raspy voices, and had a vicious intensity to their looks, the monks had soft, dulcet, euphonious voices, and their faces and general appearance were soft, gentle, and gorgeous, a homely kind of attractiveness, rather than the aggressive allure of the guptas.“We know why, Mantissa,” Elwyn spoke plainly, walking up to Mila and Adam, and fixing them both with her kind eye, one after the other, “But the “why” is not important for tonight. Welcome, both of you – within these walls you will be completely safe. Fear no nightly noises! You may hear things out on the street, but as long as you stay here, you have the protection of our sanctuary.“Thank you so much for hosting us, uhm...Elwyn,” Mila said, almost feeling awkward at first in the face of this beautiful, authoritative figure, even though Mila was a foot taller. She put her hand on Adam’s shoulder, marveling privately at how small he felt. “It’s been...quite the day for the two of us...right, Adam?”Adam felt a bit tongue-tied, lost in a forest of towering women. It wasn’t like him to act so cowed, but this fantasy world he and Mila had found themselves in…well…it was almost like their “real-world” roles had been completely reversed. Now SHE was the dominant one, the one who spoke first, and HE was the submissive one…the one who nervously held himself back.“W-Well it er.... it certainly has Mila…” he managed to reply, “I, uh…I haven’t been that afraid in a long time...but they didn't get me!” A strange energy coursed through him, and he remembered the special book he had been carrying. Something in his mind was telling him to reveal it…whispering that the monks would know what it was.“And they certainly didn't get this book!” he added, whipping it out from behind his tunic. As soon as he did, the monks’ eyes lit up in wonder. They began to crowd around him, swamping Adam beneath their bountiful, curvy bosoms. Mila pulled Adam towards her hips, her protective nature kicking in.“Hey, what's going on here?” she said abruptly, feeling a bit irritated. Didn’t the monks realize how big they seemed to him!? “You’re crowding him!”It was true that Adam was getting a bit claustrophobic. But the women’s hands were gentle as they caressed down his chest and over the book, muttering to themselves in those strange, throaty whispers in their mysterious language.“Girls!” piped up Elwyn, “Back! Control yourselves!”The monks immediately backed away sheepishly, gathering themselves behind Elwyn in a row as she approached Adam. From his perspective, her face was becoming obstructed by her impressive chest.“I’m truly sorry for that, sweetie,” she said softly down to Adam, glancing back up in apology to Mila before her eyes settled once more on the book. “You’ll have to forgive their excitement... it’s just that it’s rare that such a celestial artifact comes into our presence.”“A…celestial artifact!?” Adam asked blankly, staring at the book he was holding. He was glad that he had followed his intuition and pulled it out.Elywyn nodded, her gentle countenance briefly hardened with a kind of awestruck seriousness.“What you hold in your hands, Adam…that book right there…could alter the very balance of power in this world,” she declared, running a long finger along the front cover. “The very fabric of reality is at its mercy. It’s especially clear to me why the Queen seeks you so intensely. You can threaten her power…and she must not find you.”Adam and Mila both blinked, amazed at what they were hearing, and turned, Adam up and Mila down, to look at each other. Their faces both communicated the same thing: ‘Seriously!? This is nuts!’Meanwhile, Mantissa, who had been standing back a bit, joined the line of monks behind Elwyn, looking just as astonished and intrigued as the rest of them. It suddenly occurred to Adam that he had never seen so many thick, curvy, sexy women all in one place at the same time...and all of them were looking straight at him! Part of him felt a little swell of pride as he held the book, since it was now clear how important he was. But, at the same time, he felt almost overwhelmed by the size of all these women. Mantissa, Elywyn, and all the monks...they were all so curvy, so tall...so HUGE! He could barely even see their faces, thanks to the enormous, weighty protrusions of their breasts, and he had to adjust his head sideways at various intervals just to make eye contact with them all.The thoughtful, profound silence among the monks deepened, and Adam felt himself get nervous again. Out of sheer instinct, he backed up slightly, straight into the thick, powerful pillar of Mila’s thigh. He felt her huge, warm hand on his shoulder again, lightly caressing him reassuringly, as if she sensed how overwhelmed he was, and was telling him, ‘Shhhh, shhhh, it’ll be okay…’Adam swallowed and looked up at her, but, again, since he was so close to her, he couldn’t even see her face. All he could see was the powerful curve of her hip at his eye-level, and, far above him, the dark ceiling of her huge breasts. Adam felt something stirring within him...and between his legs as well. There was no question that Mila was a looker in this knockout body of hers, but he hadn’t felt this kind of powerful, physical reaction to her...until now.“Oh that's quite alright,” Mila laughed amiably at Elwyn, still massaging Adam’s shoulder and the back of his neck, her hand being so big that she could do them both at the same time, “I don’t blame you all for wanting to get your hands on him...haha...he’s a real cutie, isn’t he?”She laughed again, taking a step back so that she could actually see Adam’s face, and he blinked back at her, a bit embarrassed. She felt like all of this was good – they could all use a bit of levity in the midst of all this serious stuff.“Awww, I’m just having a little fun, Adam,” Mila chuckled, “I mean, you ARE a cutie, I hope you don’t mind me saying.”Mantissa was nodding along with Elwyn and the rest of the monks, all of them apparently welcoming Mila’s frivolity.“I mean, she’s right, you are…” Mantissa said to Adam, shrugging her shoulders, “There’s no denying that.”Adam blushed at the compliments, even as he felt some kind of resistance within him. He wasn’t just “cute!” He...he could be a warrior! A fighter! He knew that this was a world of intrigue and adventure, and he wanted to be able to pull his weight, so to speak, even though he actually didn’t weigh that much, now that he thought about it.“Well anyway,” Mila continued, smiling affectionately down at him before addressing the monks, “We already knew that book was special…so can we sleep here tonight safely? Even with the Queen knowing Adam has the book?”Elywn nodded confidently.“Oh yes, Mila,” she replied, “As I said, you two have the power of sanctuary protection within these walls. The guptas...the Queen...they cannot get at you, even with their power and magic.”She walked over to the stone walls and touched them with her hand. Adam saw that she wore a shining opal ring on her middle finger, which glittered impressively in the candlelight.“There are powerful, ancient enchantments on these walls,” she explained, “That were put here by the First Mother, centuries ago. Nothing in this kingdom can get at you while you are here.”Elwyn paused, taking a deep breath as she appeared to gather herself.“Now, as to what you both will do...regarding quests...and earning money, and other worldly things...those are issues to be dealt with in the morning. For tonight, relax! Rest! And I imagine you are both hungry, after all you’ve been through today?”“Oh my goodness...are we EVER!” laughed Mila, realizing how famished she was, before looking down almost apologetically at Adam. “I...I mean...at least....I am,” she added, “I’m STARVING, actually. What about it, Adam? Wanna go for some food?”She was feeling elated that they were in such a safe spot, and thankful for Mantissa’s help in getting them there. But, more than anything else, Mila was feeling more and more confident in herself – she hoped she wasn’t seeming like too “big” of a presence for Adam, since she knew that he was still rather overwhelmed with everything. And he was so small…soooo, so tiny…Elwyn bent down, her breasts bouncing from her sudden motion as she placed a large, comforting hand on Adam’s shoulder. Clearly, the priestess had realized how overwhelmed Adam was, and wanted to offer her support, while also impressing on him how important he was in the grand scheme of things.“I know this is all quite a lot for you to take in all at once, Adam,” she said kindly, “Your friend here is fortunate that she has the tools to take on this world, but all of her effort will be for naught if we lose you. Despite your stature, you DO have power, though it may not seem so now. Now…I will give you this one piece of advice for now...Trust your friend. I can tell that she is a mighty warrior, and will carry you through hell and back on her shoulders if she has to.”“O-Okay,” Adam replied, glancing up at Mila and smiling, and she beamed down at him, nodding in silent, determined agreement.“Now please enjoy a meal with us,” Elywn continued gladly, gesturing for them to come farther into the room, “We have been blessed with a bountiful harvest this year.”Despite the obvious gravity of his and Mila’s situation, Adam felt comforted and reassured. It certainly helped that what lay in front of him could only be described as a kind of paradise, a sanctuary: a warm, cozy, fortified monastery, with many beautiful women all fawning over him and his magical book. Adam suddenly felt a pang of hunger grow in his stomach as everyone took a seat at the table before them. The table itself was clearly built for larger people, so Adam was having trouble getting onto the long oak bench.“Need a hand?” came Mantissa’s voice from beside him. Mila had sat down and was already tucking into a mountain of food, her insatiable hunger momentarily overriding her protective instincts. Adam blushed slightly as he looked up at Mantissa offering her hand. Briefly, his depth perceptions went all haywire in his brain, and the thought flashed through his mind that Mantissa was actually...small. But he quickly realized that he was having this feeling because he was comparing her not to himself, but rather to the immense amazon beside him.He glanced over at Mila, and could do nothing but look on in amazement as she dispatched serving after serving of all the delicious food the monks were serving up to her.‘She’s so huge,’ he thought to himself, positively in awe, ‘Everyone else is so big compared to me...but Mila...she’s in a league of her own...it’s not even close.’He managed to shake off his thoughts, though, as he smiled up at Mantissa, gladly accepting her hand. Part of him didn’t want to accept the help, but he was afraid that he’d look even more ridiculous if he refused her hand and then was unable to actually get up on the bench. Mantissa’s hand closed around his, and he felt her callused palm, which, despite its roughness, still looked quite feminine...and she pulled him up easily onto the bench, laughing at how easy it was, her big breasts shaking with her mirth as she patted him on the back.“You sure are light, Adam!” she teased, taking her hand and testing his upper arm, then his forearm, then his ribs, then his thigh for size. It was clear that she was teasing him, and her playful touch made Adam giggle and jump in his seat on the bench.“No wonder Mila insisted on carrying you when we were sneaking through the streets,” Mantissa grinned down at him, again testing his thigh for size, wrapping her hand more than halfway around it easily. “You’re not just short, Adam...you’re sooooo liiiiittle!”Adam squirmed a bit at her touch. Normally, Mila would have stepped in to protectively swat Mantissa’s hand away, but she was still too busy eating to notice what was going on.“Aww, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to embarrass you,” Mantissa chuckled, recognizing his brief discomfort, “It’s just...wow. I don’t see someone like you every day, you know! But anyway, tuck in – there’s your dinner – goodness knows you’ve earned it today!”She pointed at a plate of steaming, delicious food that the monks had just placed down in front of him. He glanced over at Mila, who was currently going through what looked like her 10th helping.“Oh my god, Adam!” she laughed happily, her mouth full, “You've GOT to try this...sooooo good!”It was just then that Adam realized he had a new and embarrassing problem. True, he was now safely sitting on the long wooden bench, but the table was too tall! He could try to eat his food sitting down, but his chin only came up to the edge of the table – he would look silly trying to reach everything from all the way down there.‘Well...only one solution,’ he thought, his mind managing to cut through to the obvious choice he had to make. He rose up from his sitting position and stood on the bench, trying as hard as he could to reach the food Mila was raving so much about. What looked like a massive goose, even larger than Adam, was sitting in the center of the table. Everything looked positively delicious, and piping hot. In addition to the savory main course, there were steaming potatoes, glazed carrots, seasoned snow peas, baked cauliflower, fragrant cabbage stew, and bowls of pitted cherries and sugar-dusted raspberries. Adam was thankful that Elwyn and Mantissa had served him up a plate, since, even with him standing on the bench like he was now, there would have been no hope of him being able to reach anything. His stomach growled, and he dug in, savoring all the delicious flavors, and feeling, for the moment at least, like the luckiest man in the world.Mila looked on, now that she was able to actually glance up from her own plate. She had downed enough food to take a break for a moment, and watched with considerable amusement as Elywn and Mantissa helped serve up Adam’s food. Once again, she felt a kind of slow, creeping warmth in between her legs as she observed what was happening. Before, as a more insecure young woman, she might have felt overly protective of Adam in this situation, or even jealous that he was getting this kind of attention from Mantissa and Elwyn. But she wasn’t feeling that way right now...not at all. She was just enjoying watching him make do with his diminished stature, and even though she felt a slight, throbbing sink in her heart from what the guptagati had done to him, she felt a new sense of warmth and intimacy toward him, coupled with a strong desire to protect him. They were safe here tonight. And she would make sure that he felt safe when they went up to sleep. But for now…she glanced at her plate, which Elywn had piled high yet again with more food.“You read my mind!” laughed Mila, and turned back to eat with renewed vigor. Her huge body needed fuel, and she wasn’t going to hold back.Half an hour later, Adam was almost out of breath from the amount of food he had eaten. Well, at least…it had seemed like a lot to him. He felt a little embarrassed at how small of a dent he had left in the pile of food that Mantissa and Elywn had served him. He glanced over at Mila, who finally looked like she had had enough to eat, as she leaned back on the oak bench, wiping her mouth with a white napkin the monks had provided them . It was incredible how good she looked to Adam, even though she was just sitting there after a huge meal. Her huge, voluptuous body completely filled the bench, with her big ass even hanging off the back, since it was only built for the monks, and not for an 8’0 amazon of a woman like her. As she turned to Adam, her eyes twinkling happily, he detected something in them...a kind of gentle warmth...that was mixed with something else, something almost...sensual. He felt himself almost getting aroused, but he kept himself in check, since he didn’t want to embarrass himself around Mila, or all these tall, gorgeous women.“Well…” Mila smiled, putting down her napkin, “You look pretty exhausted...eaten all you could for tonight? Or did you stop eating a while ago just to watch me and Mantissa stuff our faces? Big girls have to eat, you know!”As she spoke these teasing words, Mila lifted her arms up and flexed them playfully at Adam, noticing how his eyes bugged out in response to her muscles...to her size. Once again, she felt a strange stirring within herself, a kind of longing for him, that was very different from the longing she had experienced before, back in the “real” world. This time, her desire was coming from somewhere else, somewhere more dominant and in control. She didn’t want to impress Adam and woo him in the same way as before – no, now, she wanted to protect him, to reassure him, to make sure that he knew that he was safe with her, and that she was going to do everything in her power to keep him out of harm’s way. And, strangely to Mila, she realized that this newfound tenderness for Adam was making her MORE, rather than LESS attracted to him. She just wanted to feel his little body, to cuddle him, to massage him...to compare herself to him and giggle at the massive difference.As he smiled back at Mila, Adam couldn’t help but feel, despite his outward grin, that he just didn’t measure up to her. She had probably just eaten his entire body weight in food three or four times over, and wasn’t even a bit bloated! He suddenly felt Mantissa’s huge hand rubbing the top of his head. Clearly, the barmaid was already comfortable enough around him and Mila to touch him so casually.“You eaten about as much as that little belly can hold?” she teased, smirking up at Mila, who evidently found the barmaid’s teasing quite humorous.Adam could only manage a nervous chuckle, staring up at the enormous barmaid as he scratched the back of his head.“Y-Yeah, I…I think so,” he replied, trying not to stare too hard at the enormous protrusion of her bodice, “I tried my best, but…yeah, I don’t think I was ever going to finish all that.”Mantissa hummed out pleasantly, lowered herself down, and, much to Adam’s surprise, she actually gave him a kiss right on the top of his head. In doing so, she essentially displayed the complete fruits of her chest directly in front of Adam's eyeline...and as she kissed him, she leaned slightly forward, smushing her breasts straight into his face.“Hey Mantissa!” called Mila humorously from the table. She was fine with the barmaid’s show of affection, but she was still going to playfully stake out her claim all the same, “Be careful, he’s delicate! Your breasts are each a whole lot bigger than his head, you know!”Mantissa laughed as she straightened back up, cupping her breasts underneath her hands as she bounced them down at Adam, winking.“Heh, you're right,” she chuckled, “He really is a delicate little thing, isn’t he? I’m sorry, Mila, I'm not trying to compete with you or anything...he’s so cute I just couldn’t help myself!”“Hey, look, I totally understand,” laughed Mila, “And YOU think he’s small...just imagine how he looks to ME!!All the women laughed pleasantly, but even as she laughed, it occurred to Mila that Mantissa had just implied something – that she and Adam were somehow a “couple,” whether romantic or not, Mila wasn’t sure of the implication. All she knew was that the barmaid had taken the pains to make sure that Mila knew that she, Mantissa, wasn’t trying to get between her and Adam.‘Is this what everyone thinks?’ Mila thought to herself, as the monks began to clear the plates from the table, ‘Do they think that we’re...together!?’She reminded herself not to get too ahead of things, but, as she smiled down at Adam, she could definitely feel some kind of new connection between them.“All right!” Elwyn suddenly spoke out, clapping her hands, “I trust that the two of you have gotten enough to eat? I’m not talking about you, Mantissa – everyone here knows that you can ALWAYS eat more…”The monks all giggled to themselves, and Mantissa feigned indignation as she huffed at Elwyn and put her hands on her hips.“So if you two are satiated and comfortable,” Elwyn continued to Mila and Adam, “Then I’ll be happy to escort you up to your lodgings, where you can sleep the night away peacefully, without any fear of danger or intrusion.”With a large, satisfied smile spreading across her face, Mila looked down to Adam and said, in a gentle tone, “Here, take my hand, let’s go get some rest, okay?Adam suddenly felt just how tired he was, but when he and Mila’s eyes met just now, he almost felt his heart beginning to melt. What was happening!? It suddenly seemed to him that everything had become very clear. She truly, truly cared for him…LOVED him. She always put him first; she was always there for him. And he…he really did love her too! How could he not have seen it before!? She had always given him such tender care and support, especially once the two of them had been thrust into this crazy new world, with all of its bizarre difficulties and dangers. And the way she had just dispatched those two guptas!?Adam felt something click into place in his mind as she took his hand – Mila wasn’t just taking his hand. She was taking his heart. They both got off the bench together, with her carefully helping him down, and the next thing Adam knew, Mila was standing before him in all her eight feet of glorious, feminine sensuousness. She was an absolute goddess in his eyes. Wondering if she could read his mind, Adam reached his hand up high above his head, and Mila caught his small hand in the far-larger softness of her own as she led him slowly after Elwyn, with Adam struggling to keep up with his little legs as they progressed through the monastery's many twists and turns, going up to the secret attic storeroom where they would sleep.Elwyn moved with an easy, confident grace that communicated, in wordless majesty, the fact that she was the head of this monastery. All the monks had a gentle lightness to their gestures, despite their tall, curvy bodies, but Elwyn’s movements were lighter still, with an ethereal, almost gossamer delicacy that belied the fact that she was the tallest, thickest, and curviest of all the monks.But even still, Mila was the only one who had to duck her head as they went through the ancient, arched stone doorways.“This monastery is quite ancient, as you can no doubt surmise,” Elwyn was saying as she led the way. “Centuries in the past, it was established by the legendary Head Mother, whom we all still revere...watch your head there Mila...and ever since its establishment, no matter what wars ravaged the land, or what plagues wrought their foulness amongst the villages, or what ferocious beasts came from distant territories to terrorize our people, this monastery has always stood firm, untouched by the adversity of the outside world. That is why the Queen can never enter here – there are powerful enchantments in these stone walls that keep her and her accursed guptagatis out.”They had reached a huge, bolted door, the entrance into the monastery attic, at the top of a winding, narrow staircase. Mila was actually a bit uncomfortable, as she had to literally squeeze her body up the winding passageway, leading Adam by the hand...but her discomfort was outweighed by the enjoyment she took in squeezing herself through the spaces in front of Adam. Somehow, she knew that he enjoyed watching that.“Now before I leave you two," Elwyn spoke, turning to face them in front of the door, “There’s something important that I need to give you.”She reached into her dress and, when she pulled out her hand, Mila and Adam could see that she was holding a glittering pink gemstone that was attached to a golden necklace. The two of them instantly saw that this was a trinket of enormous power – they could almost feel the energy emanating from it.“This,” declared Elwyn in a hushed, meaningful voice, “Is a Rune Gem...here Mila, it’s for you to wear, since it’s obviously too big for Adam. Whenever you both venture outside the monastery, it is VERY important that you keep this on, Mila, since it will allow the both of you to walk the village and the countryside freely, invisible to the guptagatis. I’m sure you both know that you cannot stay here permanently, since you’ve clearly been brought into this world for a purpose, and have many tasks to fulfill. But know that our monastery is always here as a place of rest, recuperation, and safety for both of you.”She handed the Rune Gem necklace to Mila, who immediately put it around her neck. It fit perfectly.“Thank you so much, Elwyn,” Mila declared graciously, taking both the monk’s hands and squeezing them earnestly. “Truly...Adam and I...we can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us.”“Y-Yes...yes, thank you, Elwyn!” piped up Adam, feeling like he should speak up as well, even though he immediately noticed how small and high-pitched his voice sounded next to Mila’s. But even still, he was beginning not to mind those kind of things.“Mmmm, very well,” smiled Elwyn, “I’ll leave you two alone here, then...rest well for tomorrow!”And here, she put both hands on the door, leaned in, and whispered something...something in a strange, arcane language...and then the huge, thick iron bolts of the attic door suddenly unlatched, and the door swung slowly open. Both Mila and Adam immediately smelled the pleasing aroma of dried spices.“Make yourselves at home,” Elwyn said kindly, gesturing with her hand, “You’ll find a very comfortable, down feather bed that is large enough to accommodate both of you at once. And as I said, no matter what noises you may hear tonight outside, fear nothing. You are safe here.”