Mila's World, Chapter 5 (Patreon)

Chapter 5

“All I’m saying,” stressed Mila, as she patiently waited for Adam to catch up to her, “Is it really, really isn’t a big deal to me, just to…you know…carry the knapsack for a while.  That book must feel really heavy to you after a while.”

“No, no,” grunted Adam through a smile as he stared up at his 8-foot companion, “I’m…I’m fine.  I’ve got this.  Heheh, I mean, you were the one who did everything to find the key in the first place, and –”

“Not true!” cut in Mila, pointing down at him.  “You basically solved that riddle single-handedly!  All I did was…uhh…lift you up into the tree.”

She paused, not quite knowing why she felt self-conscious as Adam finally caught up with her.  Maybe the memory of just how easy it had been to lift him up made her feel…well, she didn’t really understand how it made her feel.  On one hand, it made her feel awkward and ugly, thinking how gigantic she must seem to him, but on the other hand, she couldn’t deny that there was something a little enjoyable – even thrilling – about being so big and strong.  Crushing that apple in her hand without even trying had been…pretty cool.  And now that they were walking across the vast, expansive field, toward the town, Mila had to admit that it paid to have big legs and a long stride.  Adam already looked winded.

“We both…we…both…solved the riddle,” breathed Adam, bending down to put his hands on his knees and catch his breath.  “And anyway, I…whew…uhm…we…what was I saying?”

“You were saying,” declared Mila, feeling a sudden hot rush of confidence, “How right I was about you needing a break from carrying the knapsack.  Now here – hand that to me!”

She reached down an outsutplayed hand in front of Adam, flexing her fingers in and out, in and out, indicating that Adam should go ahead and do as she asked.  He remained bent forward, his hands on his knees, for a few more moments, staring at the huge hand gesturing in front of him.  He seemed almost confused…transfixed by its size.  But then he rolled his eyes, sighed, and straightened up as he took the knapsack off his back and handed it to Mila.  Her eyes sparkled as she accepted it with two fingers, twirling it around a couple times playfully before rising back up to her full height.  Again, Adam seemed momentarily spellbound by her size, her height, and the ease with which she had whisked away the heavy load using just two fingers.  But it only lasted a few moments, and the next second he was smiling up at her in admiration.

“You know, I don’t even see why I was freaked out here,” he chuckled, “Having someone like you next to me.  Anyone who tries to mess with me for being short and small…uhhh…”

“I’ll squish them!” Mila laughed, miming the action with a squeeze of her hand.  The two of them kept laughing for a few moments, until gradually their mirth died back down, and they remembered the task at hand.

“So…speaking of which…” Adam began, as they resumed walking toward the town (he had to walk a lot faster than Mila to keep up), “Do we know, like…who lives in the town, anyway?”

“I have no idea,” replied Mila.  She had threaded the knapsack up her arm, and it sat on her shoulder, looking comically small, except for the large book-shaped bulge inside.  Adam had safely stashed the key away in his pocket for safekeeping.  “But I think that you were right about the key…you know…”

“About the odds being that it unlocks something in the town?” Adam replied.  “Yeah, that just seemed like the most logical next step, right?  He took out the golden key and turned it around and around in his hands, analyzing it as he walked.  “It’s really old and clunky…probably unlocks something big.  Or something with a big lock, at least.”

He looked up and was surprised to see that Mila had already gotten way out ahead of him again, and, half-a-minute later, when he finally caught up, he was breathing hard again.  Mila had turned around, noticing him getting red in the face.

“Oh!  Adam, I’m…I’m sorry!” she exclaimed, stopping completely and bending down toward him.  “I was going too fast again!  I really need to slow down and take it more at your pace!”

“No, no, you…whooo, you’re…uhmm…you’re fine,” breathed Adam, trying to hide the grimace on his face.  “Heheh, it looks like my soccer stamina didn’t really transfer into this world.”

“That’s so unfair to you!” Mila exclaimed indignantly.  “All that training, only to be out of breath now because I’m a big, hulking giantess who won’t slow down for you!”

“Mila, you’re not…hulking,” corrected Adam, standing up as he continued to catch his breath.  “You look amazing, actually, you know?”

Mila blinked and opened her mouth slightly, then closed it again.  She hadn’t expected that kind of compliment, especially considering that she didn’t FEEL amazing in this huge body…except of course that little electrical excitement she had been feeling about how nice it was to be strong.  But with Adam coming straight out and saying that she looked amazing, well…it felt lovely to hear.

“Thankssss,” was all she could say, quietly, as she bent down towards him.  She stood crouching there, watching Adam breathing hard, and then, suddenly, she had a wonderful idea.

“Hey!” she cried happily, “I know!  Why don’t I just carry you on my back the rest of the way!?”

Adam’s head snapped up to her, and for a moment he felt his breath catch in his chest.  She just looked so…huge…bending down towards him like that.  But the sweetness in her face, and the bright joy flashing from her smile, both worked to undermine the intimidation he felt.  For the first time, he felt himself really take in how nice she looked.  He had already complimented her before, but he was actually realizing how apt his compliment had been.  Still, though…what she had just proposed…there was just no way…

“Well?” asked Mila eagerly, “How about it??”  She brought her face even closer down towards his, to the point where Adam unconsciously backed up a couple paces.  She looked amazing, yes…but her looming posture had really started to make him feel a little too tiny for his own comfort.

“Uh, n-no, heheh…no, it’s…it’s okay,” Adam stammered, holding his hands up as he smiled appreciatively, “But I think…uh, I think I’m gonna be alright.”

“Oh whaaaat?  But you’re so tired!” Mila protested.  She straightened back up to her full height and gestured at him.  “And look!  You’re out of breath.  We’ve still got a little ways to go until we get to the town.  Awwww, and your face is all red too.  Adam, come on, it’ll be so easy for me…easier for us both, really.  Here, let me help you.”

She stepped forward, rapidly closing the gap in between them, and reached down again.  Before he could react, Adam felt her huge hand wrapping all the way around his bicep.  For a split-second, he registered the warm strength and force of her hand against his body, and he felt a kind of electric thrill jolt through him.  This huge giantess, this powerful entity overwhelming him like this…was Mila.

But just as quickly, he felt the automatic repelling force of his own instincts, and he was staggering back away from her.

“No!  Mila!  I…I really am okay!”  He heard his own voice in his ears, and it sounded a little louder and higher-pitched than he had intended.  At the same time, he saw her brow furrow as he felt the sudden loosening  of her huge hand on his arm.  She looked confused, puzzled, almost hurt, and he immediately felt a need to lighten his reaction.  He spread his hands out and started laughing.

“Hahaha I–I mean…thanks, Mila…really, I appreciate it, but…” – and here he thought quickly for a moment before continuing – “But how am I gonna get used to being, uh, you know…small in this world, if you…if you’re always, uhm…doing things for me?”

Mila had straightened up again, with her head tilted to the side.  She seemed to be weighing  what Adam was saying, studying him closely.  He did kind of have a point, and even though she thought his face was a little too red, and that he was a little out of breath, did that really mean that she could just swoop in and carry him!?  She inwardly began to chastise herself, but managed to stop fairly quickly when she reminded herself that her intentions had been pure – she wasn’t trying to manipulate him in any way; she just wanted to help him!

“Are you really sure you’re ok?” she asked one last time.  She blinked and couldn’t help but smile a little.  He just looked so cute down there, and his eagerness to remain independent had the paradoxical effect of making him even cuter.

“Totally!” Adam nodded confidently.

“Because if you, like, pass out from exhaustion,” Mila declared, her smile widening, “Then I WILL carry you, and you won’t be able to stop me then.”

“Ha!  It’s a deal,” Adam laughed.  Moments later, the two of them resumed their journey towards the town, with Mila privately reminding herself to take smaller, slower steps.

A little while later, they finally reached the town.  The two of them surveyed it, both feeling a little nervous and a little wary.  Neither of them really knew what to expect, but as soon as they came to the first street, they felt like they were somewhere familiar.  The town had an old-medieval feel to it.  The streets were unpaved, and a little muddy from the recent rain.  Slightly-crooked two and three-story shops lined both sides of the streets, made of dark wood, with thatched roofs.  Straight forward, in the distance, toward the middle of the town, they saw the turrets of the castle, and the bell tower of the monastery nearby.  They lowered their eyes back to the street.  Gently-swinging signs hanging from the storefronts advertised their wares: blacksmith, wheelwright, gemstones, apothecary, armory, an inn, and a sign for something called “The Fiery Pearl.”

“What do you think that is?” asked Mila in a low voice, pointing to the last sign.

“It’s probably a tavern, right?” Adam replied.  “Sounds a lot like one, anyway, doesn’t it?”

“Ohhh!  Yes, I think you’re right!” Mila exclaimed.  Both of them hardly realized that they were standing much closer to one another, speaking barely above a whisper.

The reason why was because they weren’t alone.  A number of other people were walking up and down the street, many of them moving slowly, all of them wearing characteristic medieval-style clothing, with the men in stockings or tunics, and the women in gowns, many of them with wimples to cover their hair.  A few more mysterious figures were completely hooded, moving slowly along the walkways.  It wasn’t a doleful town, but it was not particularly bright and vibrant either.  There was plenty of activity; people moved about with purpose.  But there seemed to be something intangible hanging over them all, some sort of invisible power or presence, that prompted everyone to caution.  This was a town with secrets.

But what Mila and Adam noticed most of all was the fact that, left and right, people were staring at them.  This was another reason why they had moved closer together.  People’s glances weren’t harsh or threatening, but even still, it wasn’t exactly comfortable for either of them to be stared at by a street full of strangers in this peculiar new world.  Mila put her hand gently on Adam’s shoulder as they continued to walk through the town, and this time, he didn’t protest.  She hardly even realized she had done it.  She just didn’t like the way people were staring at him; she had even caught a few people pointing and snickering under their breath, and it made her feel mad, and aggressively protective of him.

“So I guess I’m thinking,” Adam muttered quietly up to Mila, “That maybe we should…I don’t know…try the tavern first?”

“Huh?” asked Mila, blinking down at him as she snapped away her eyes from a group of hooded older men who had been leering across the lane at them.  “What was that?”

“The Fiery Pearl,” Adam said, pointing to the tavern.  “I think we should probably try there first, you know?  Look around…see if we can get some information?”

“Yeah…uh, yeah, good idea,” nodded Mila.  She was looking back at those men, and this time, she didn’t hesitate to shoot them a hard, defiant look, like she was daring them to say something.  These men might have been a lot bigger than Adam, but SHE was a lot bigger than THEM.

“E-Everything alright, Mila?” asked Adam, as they crossed the muddy street towards the tavern.

“Fine…everything’s fine,” Mila replied, trying to sound casual.  “Just…not sure how much I like this place so far.  Everyone’s looking at us.”

“Probably because, uhm, heheh, you know…we’re a bit of an odd couple,” chuckled Adam.

“Well they should know not to stare,” Mila said firmly, tightening her big hand on Adam’s shoulder.  She had felt a little painful throb inside her in response to Adam’s words, but she knew he hadn’t meant it as anything more than a little humorous observation…and she was surprised how quickly the throb dissipated inside her.  Maybe it was something in the damp, heavy air of this new place, but whatever it was, Mila was feeling a bit more energy than usual.

They walked into The Fiery Pearl (with Mila having to duck her head as they entered), and, for a moment, both of them stood on the inside threshold of the entrance, taking in the scene.  Adam had been right – it was a tavern, with almost all of the archetypical trappings that the two of them would have expected from a medieval-style pub.  The light was low, and there was a dank, heavy smell that permeated the entire establishment, which was really just one big rectangular room, with a central bar, surrounding tables, and booths that lined the dark-bricked walls.  Large chandeliers of wax candles burned bright enough to give the place at least some light, and with the candles dripping their white wax occasionally down onto the wooden tables, or the dark, heavily-worn stone floor.  All around, shadowy figures sat, many of them hunched over large mugs of frothing beer or cider.  A few indistinct groups appeared to be huddled in a couple of the corner booths, conversing in hushed voices.  Far from being a loud, lively tavern, filled with music and raucous laughter, this was an enigmatic establishment, a place where people came to discuss secrets in low voices, or to relieve themselves after long, arduous hours of traveling on the road.

“Guess we should…go up to the bar,” whispered Adam.

“Mhmm,” nodded Mila.  She placed her hand against the upper half of Adam’s back as she took the lead, stepping forward towards the circular bar in the middle of the room.  A large, tall blond woman with bare arms looked up at them from behind the counter.  She was in the process of cleaning out a large beer glass with a rag, and, as they approached, Mila saw that she was actually quite pretty.  Her blond hair was done up in two pigtails, giving her a kind of confident “tomboyish” look.  To Mila, this barmaid actually looked rather small, but to Adam, she looked positively huge…not as huge as Mila, of course, but at least a good 6 feet tall.

“Well hello there,” the woman said in a hearty, full-throated voice, her eyes dancing humorously up and down, sizing them both up,  “Now how can I help you?”

Mila had a brief moment of hesitation – she wasn’t at all used to taking the lead in any kind of situation, let alone a strange and mysterious medieval fantasy world that she and Adam had been suddenly thrust into.  But then something seemed to click in her brain, and she reminded herself that the barmaid’s head only came up to around the middle of her breasts.  What was she doing, hesitating around someone so small?  If anyone should be intimidated in this situation, Mila reasoned, it should be the barmaid, and not her.

“We’re travelers from…from a distant land,” Mila began, pausing at first with uncertainty, but then straightening herself up to her full height as she registered how deep and powerful her voice sounded compared to the barmaid.  “And we’d like some refreshment after a long journey, along with news of the comings and goings of this town.  We don’t actually know where we are.”

“Well certainly, madam,” nodded the barmaid, smiling warmly as her eyes remained averted upward, studying Mila with undisguised admiration.  “Any warrior of the elven clans is welcome here, especially one so clearly accomplished as you!”

“Much appreciated,” grinned Mila, deciding to ignore the fact that she had no clue what the barmaid was talking about.  She sat herself down on a worn, round wooden stool at the bar, and, without even thinking, reached down and hoisted Adam up onto a stool of his own.  Mila couldn’t help but smile a little at how tiny Adam looked on his stool – its wooden circumference spanned widely out on all sides of his small butt, to the point where he almost looked like a child sitting in an adult’s seat.  From his perspective, after recovering from the surprise of Mila helping him up, Adam wasn’t able to avoid noticing how Mila’s huge ass hung off her stool, almost making half of it disappear entirely.  He looked down at how much room there was on his own stool, and felt a flash of helpless inferiority, mixed with something else…something strange in his mind, that tickled his thoughts with intrigue, and even excitement.

But this all went through his brain in a flash, and he didn’t have much time to dwell on it, because now, the barmaid was looking squarely at him, her head inclined down, and her green eyes twinkling amusedly.

“And who is this?” asked the barmaid, to Mila (even though her eyes stayed fixed on Adam), “Your page?

Adam felt Mila’s huge hand against his back, covering nearly half of its entire length and width.  He felt curiously intimidated by this green-eyed barmaid (who looked rather built and strong herself), but this simple touch from Mila was more than enough to dispel any fear.  He felt completely protected.

“Yes…yes this is my page,” Mila replied, a little shortly.  She didn’t exactly like how this woman was grinning at Adam.

“Hmmm, interesting,” murmured the barmaid, putting the empty beer glass down and leaning on both of her well-developed forearms as she continued studying Adam, “You don’t really see such…small pages…especially those who belong to elfin warriors of such stature, haha.”  She inclined her head sideways, and her mouth spread into a playful smile.  “He’s so tiiiiiny, madam!  Look at those little arms, haha!  How in seven heavens does he carry your sword and spear?  He must be very strong indeed!”

Adam immediately felt the embarrassed hot red rush into his face, and he was immediately aware of Mila’s giant hand pressing tighter into his back, to the point where she was unconsciously forcing him to lean forward on his stool.

“Our refreshments, please,” Mila declared, without even thinking.  She almost felt like the voice that came out of her mouth was spoken by someone else, someone with a lot more confidence than she actually had.  But it was indeed her voice, and somehow, she had managed to respond to the barmaid’s teasing inquiries with a firm, authoritative tone that didn’t overly betray how irritated she was.  More and more, she didn’t appreciate the kind of condescending attention Adam was getting.  Compared to this woman, he was a little shrimp, and Mila wasn’t going to let her even think about getting close to him.

“Of course, of course, my apologies, ohtacára,” responded the barmaid deferentially, nodding quickly and bowing her head.  “It’s just my custom to engage new guests, especially considering…” and here, the barmaid lowered her voice and glanced quickly around the tavern, like she was making sure she wasn’t being overheard.  Mila and Adam both leaned forward towards her, intrigued.

“Especially considering all the guptagul who have been slinking through here recently,” the barmaid finished, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Guptagul?” asked Adam.  “What…what are those?”

The barmaid stared at him carefully; a strange expression had alighted on her face.  It seemed to suggest, on one hand, that she couldn’t believe Adam didn’t know what the term meant.  And on the other hand, her expression had an edge to it, a suspicious slant, like she was considering perhaps that this was all some sort of trap.

“We only just arrived here,” Mila added mildly, leaning forward and folding her own bare arms up against the wooden bar.  “So we’re not familiar with your terms and titles here.”  Again, she felt a need to assert herself, and she felt an odd delight, glancing down and seeing how big her arms looked compared to the solidly-built barmaid’s.

‘Geez…I’m huge!’ Mila thought to herself, again feeling a pleasant shiver of electricity run down her spine as she took in how gigantic she was compared to everything around her.  With a throb of pity, she saw that Adam wasn’t even close to being able to lean his arms on the bar, which was almost even with his shoulders.

“I…well yes, I see that, ohtacára” the barmaid replied, suddenly a bit puzzled, “But…hmmm, you must have come from faaaaar, far away, beyond the Mirror Sea, if you don’t know about the…”

But here, she saw that Mila was staring hard at her and stopped, blushing a little.  And then, with a toss of her blond hair, she was light and playful again, a smile gracing her pretty face.

“But never mind, never mind!” the barmaid laughed pleasantly.  “Not my place to question strangers, especially not a regal ohtacára like yourself, miss….?”

“Mila,” came the reply, and she put her hand around Adam’s shoulder, squeezing it tenderly.  To Adam, he felt the warmth of her hand and lower arm press gently into the entirety of his lower back, and his eyelids fluttered involuntarily.  Her touch, and the weight of her hand, felt so nice, and amazingly reassuring.

“And this is Adam, my…page, and my companion,” Mila finished, feeling like she needed to add that last little bit to keep Adam from feeling too humiliated.

“Mantissa is my name!” chirped the barmaid, curtseying grandly behind the counter, evidently enjoying herself.  “And it’s my pleasure to serve you both!  Haha, I hope you’ll forgive my questions before, madam, I really meant no harm.”

“Aw, it’s…it’s fine,” replied Mila, waving her hand dismissively as she smiled.  Mantissa seemed so friendly, and looked so fresh, that Mila felt a little bad for having been cold to her before.  But she reminded herself that she owed it to herself and Adam to be on the lookout.  They still had no idea where they were.

“Now then!” Mantissa trilled, “What’ll it be then?  A hearty mug of firedraught for the elven warrior, and a little shot of pink urchin-squeeze for the page, perhaps?”

A little while later, Mila was halfway through her mug of firedraught, feeling noticeably more relaxed and lighter on her stool.  She peered down into the bright red swirling mixture, which tasted like spicy cinnamon, and warmed her all the way down to her toes.  Adam, for his part, was taking his shot of pink urchin-squeeze slowly, and had only managed a few sips so far.  He had about one-fortieth the alcohol content in his drink that Mila had in hers, but the metabolizing power difference in their bodies was obvious.  Even after one sip of the fizzy, pleasantly tangy drink, the tavern had started to go a little wobbly, and he had to slow down.

“Haha awwww, the page…I mean, Adam, can’t hold his urchin!” teased Mantissa, sticking her tongue into the inside of her cheek as she continued cleaning glasses behind the bar.  Mila wasn’t even annoyed by Mantissa anymore (perhaps thanks to the warming effects of the firedraught), and she simply sat there, her big arms folded in front of her large mug, smiling tenderly down at Adam as he grinned back at her sheepishly, his eyes going a bit sideways from the effects of his drink.  He looked so cute.

“So…Mila,” Adam ventured in a low voice, a few minutes later, after he had recovered himself a bit, “Maybe we should take another look at the book, you know…now that we’re here.”

“Mmm, yes, okay,” Mila nodded, reaching back into her knapsack and taking the book out.  Adam couldn’t help but be amazed – Mila could effortlessly hold the huge book in one hand!  But quickly he was joining her in focusing hard on the second page, which she had opened to.  He had to kneel up on his stool to see it.  The blank parchment page stared back at them, unhelpful.

“Huh,” Adam mused a few seconds later, fingering the golden key that was hidden away in his pocket, “I guess maybe we just…uhh…wait for it to…to say something?”

“Yeah…maybe,” murmured Mila.  She had noticed that, as soon as she got out the book, Mantissa’s head had jerked up from the other side of the bar.  The barmaid had been assisting other customers, but the book had clearly caught her eye.  A minute later, she had worked her way back around to them, clearly trying to act as if nothing was amiss.  But both Mila and Adam could immediately tell that something intense was going on with her.

“Is that….?” Mantissa asked in a hushed whisper, leaning close into them, “Is that one of the twelve Anandas!?”  She had gone quite pale, and her eyes were wide, and getting wider.  Both Adam and Mila looked at her blankly, having no idea how to respond.

“Who…who are you!?” Mantissa asked suddenly, still in a hushed whisper, as her brilliant green eyes darted back and forth between Mila and Adam.  She didn’t seem upset or accusatory – instead, to the immense disquiet of them both, Mantissa seemed afraid.

Suddenly, a quick series of purple sparks flashed across the middle of the blank page.  All three of them started, surprised by the sudden sight and sound.  It was finished as soon as it started, leaving a slight burning smell in the air.  But that wasn’t what they were all looking at now.  There were words on the page now, in raw, harshly-dashed calligraphy that was different from the smooth strokes of the letters before:

“They’re coming.  Close me.”

They all read the words, but no one did anything.  Both Mila and Adam registered that the book was talking to them, but neither of them had moved yet.

The purple sparks flashed again, even quicker, leaving one more word below:

“NOW”

Without thinking, Mila shot her hand over to the heavy cover and slammed the book closed, the wind from the pages making Adam’s eyes blink.  At the same time, Mantissa’s eyes had turned to the doorway of the tavern, and she went even paler still, her eyes wide with a new kind of fear.

“Oh heavens above,” she breathed, and thrust her head down, whispering quickly, “Don’t turn around, act normal…two guptagul just walked in.”