#oc:kyrie | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

awkwardgtace · 2 years ago

Text

The Boy, The Wolf, and The Fae

I've been working on this for like at least a solid week of actual writing and a while of just in my head. Here's a look at just how Kyrie, a giant among giants, wound up with a wolf who has magic and a curious fae.

This is also very long, like.... 13,000+ words long. I couldn't split it due to the way this is set up though. It's going to be on AO3 too if that's an easier place to read. (I am sorry this did get a little out of hand, admittedly)

AO3 Link

tw: abandonment, fear, mentions of starving. As always lemme know if I miss something.

The Boy, The Wolf, and The Fae

“For giants height was important. The taller someone was, the more important they were. That meant when the tallest giants of a community not only decided to be together, but had a child everyone was excited. The child was born and he was bigger than the other newborns of the time. Praise was offered about how the child would grow up to be as tall as his parents, maybe taller. He’d be important. This only lasted until the child began to age.

The child was growing faster than others. Within a year he was as tall as children two or three times his age. His parents claimed it was fine, their child was just ahead of the curve. People grew nervous, but there wasn’t fear… not yet. It wasn’t until he’d reached three years old an incident occurred. He often played with the children his age, but as he grew so did his strength. He hurt someone, nothing fatal, just a broken arm. It was enough to change the entire community’s view of the strange child.

After that he was kept inside. He often heard his parents arguing about how to deal with him. He learned quickly that he was different, wrong somehow. He was kept locked away for years, the only interaction was his parents. Even then he could feel the distance between himself and the two he wanted to love him. It didn’t help that he continued to grow faster. By six he was the height of a giant about to be taught to hunt.

That year was when his life changed. He ate dinner with his family, once more ignoring the pang of hunger that still sat in him. They sent him to bed, as he aged his parents offered less kindness. No stories or kind actions. He still loved them. That day had been different though. He’d heard talk of a meeting while in his room, all the adults were going. He waited, hoping one of his parents would stay behind. He heard their footsteps leaving the makeshift house and decided to follow.

He snuck out, something he’d done a few times. It didn’t feel like he was as young as they said he was sometimes. He did things he saw others his height doing, he almost hoped he just was aging faster. Then maybe his parents would let him use his voice again. The boy shook off the thought, quickly making his way through their current town. Finding the place of the meeting and feeling fear at the adults all gathered together.

‘Well have things changed with the child?’ the community’s leader asked. The boy had met him a few times, he was the one who decided the boy shouldn’t speak. His parents were the ones who decided it should continue even to them. Don’t bother anyone, even your family.

‘We gave him three times as much as either of us eats and he was still hungry,’ the boy’s mother answered. The boy grabbed his stomach, he knew they gave him more. He thought it was normal. ‘His appetite is growing.’

‘We can’t all continue to take less for one child,’ someone said. The boy didn’t know everyone in their community, but he didn’t like that voice. ‘The other children will suffer if we focus on just your monster.’

‘We know that,’ the boy’s father hissed. ‘We don’t like it either, but we don’t have options. What would you say we feed it instead?’

The boy winced. His father was always angry at him. He’d heard the talks of how he was a monster, that he killed their real child. He just wanted to prove he wasn’t one. He was just a tall giant, like his parents. He’d be good.

‘...we could feed him humans,’ the leader said. The boy covered his mouth to hold in a gag. He’d been told about humans when his parents still told him stories. They were like tiny giants, but they weren’t sure how similar. The little things were dangerous, with enough together they could kill a giant. It’s why when they found one they just dropped it off near humans and walked away.

‘No one’s even considered that option in centuries,’ a new voice said. The boy didn’t like all these people knowing about him when he didn’t know them. ‘It should be safer now, we could do that. No one else is hunting humans anymore.’

‘And what if there aren’t enough humans?’ his mother asked. The boy hoped she would stop this awful thought. Even if they were small they were people. He didn’t want them to try and make him eat people. ‘What happens when one town isn’t enough? When a whole country can’t satisfy him? If we let him eat humans he might turn on our own kind.’

The boy’s world shattered. His parents weren’t defending him. They weren’t confident it was wrong, just scared. He wouldn’t eat people no matter how big he was. All the voices overlapped as they argued. They mentioned elves, wolves, and other creatures, but all of them were people. The meal that had seemed small earlier was on the verge of reappearing.

‘Enough!’ the leader shouted. The boy froze, scared his eavesdropping had been discovered. ‘Clearly we can’t keep the boy, he’s some kind of curse. A beast. We’ll leave him in the barren hunting grounds, tell him it’s where he can hunt to his content. He’ll starve within a year, if we’re lucky his death will help revive that land.’

The boy ran before anyone else spoke. He had to believe his parents would stop it. That they wouldn’t send him to die. He knew about death, it was why they told him he couldn’t play with the others anymore. He could hurt them too badly, could kill them. He wasn’t careful as he ran to the home his family was using. He didn’t have to be, every adult was at the meeting.

When the boy arrived he climbed into his bed and curled up. Surely his parents would save him. Tears fell from his eyes as the words they said played again and again. If they sent him away, maybe it would be because they were right. Maybe he was a monster or a curse…

The next day he was woken by his mother shaking him. She looked happier than he could ever remember seeing her. She pulled him out of bed silently and helped him dress. He was given his father’s clothes, ones still too big for him. The things he overheard sent his heart racing. What was the decision? Was his mother happy because he was staying or because he was leaving?

‘We have a surprise for you,’ she told him. He looked up at her, a bit of hope sneaking into his heart. ‘It’s not too far from here, come on.’

The boy nodded. His mother didn’t hold his hand, but walked away. He followed slowly, leaving the home that he’d visited so many times. No one was out today, but that only happened when they were leaving. The boy grew scared. His mother continued to lead him towards the building the adults met in the night before. When they arrived his father stood alongside the leader of their community. The boy tried to hide behind his mother, but she forcefully pulled herself free.

The boy followed silently after that. There was no discussion as his parents took him out along a path they traveled many times. Halfway through the leader stopped them and directed them in the direction the sun sets. The travel between homes was usually half a day, this time they kept walking long after the sun was right in front of them. They didn’t stop until night had taken over. As they walked the boy was starting to lose his path back. It made tears prick at his eyes, they weren’t going to let him go home ever again.

‘We’ve arrived,’ the leader said. The boy stared at him with wide eyes. The area didn’t look barren like they’d said the night before. There were trees everywhere, at least one lake. The only thing he didn’t see were the animals, but there were four giants here. It made sense animals would be hiding, in the stories that always happened.

‘This is where you stay now,’ the boy’s father started. He jumped to stare at the man. It was the first time the boy noticed the hate in his father’s eyes. ‘It’s your own hunting grounds. This is the best for everyone.’

‘We’ll come to check on you each time we pass through this area,’ his mother said. The boy nodded. The three adults shared a look before turning away. The boy watched, his focus on his parents. They left without a hug, no real goodbye. Just a claim they’d come back to see him. A claim he was sure was a lie.

Long after the three adults were gone from his sight the boy finally moved. Not all of the trees were taller than him, but they were all enough for him to sit and be out of sight. He sat down before curling up on his side. There weren’t many options for where to sleep. With his parents he had a soft place, but here all he had was the ground.

As the boy tried to sleep he made a promise to himself. He wouldn’t be the monster that the others thought he was. He’d find a way to be a hero, like in the stories they used to tell him at night. He’d never eat a person or hurt anyone. He’d protect humans, elves, giants, wolves, and anything he didn’t know about. The boy curled up as small as he could. Someday he’d even go home again and his parents would be proud.

For the next few weeks the boy tried to make himself somewhat of a home. He gathered the tops of trees to make a bed. While he did he kept an eye out for animals, but there weren’t many. He was starting to get worried about finding anything to eat. He had to find something so he never grew desperate. His parents added parts of trees sometimes saying it was important. He could just eat trees alone.

When he felt an ache instead of his usual hunger the boy decided to go searching. He never liked the taste of trees and wanted to avoid it. The boy tried to keep his steps light as he explored further and further from the place he’d been left. After almost a day he found a bunch of animals. His discovery was made even better when he noticed there were tiny houses. He could finally see some of the smaller people he’d been taught about.

The sun had been gone for a while by the time the boy reached the tiny buildings, all that remained outside were some animals he’d never seen before. The boy was careful, taking just a few before leaving. He’d come to visit and watch the tiny beings another day. This continued for weeks. The boy didn’t know how much he should take so he visited weekly, taking a few more each time. He was getting closer to arriving while the sun stayed high, but he was tired most of the time.

The next time the boy went close to the small town the sun had a while before it would set. For the first time the boy got to see humans. They truly were just small versions of giants. He crouched to stay hidden, hopeful he could learn more about them. The humans were all together in the open, some animals like what he’d been eating were gathered too. The boy inched just a little closer, curious about what was happening.

‘We need to find what’s been taking our livestock and stop it,’ someone declared. The boy tilted his head, he’d never heard the term livestock before. He’d help them if he could, start being the hero he wanted to be. The person who spoke moved closer to the creature he recognized.

‘We could just keep them in the barns, or out of sight. They’re only taken at night, right?’ Someone else said. The boy frowned, he was here during the nights and never saw a problem. He looked around, noticing for the first time the animals he’d grown used to seeing were gone. The only ones were in the group of humans.

‘We can’t survive if that doesn’t work!’ The boy had a growing dread that he was the thing they were worried about. ‘There’s no blood or any kind of trail left behind! It could be a giant and once we’re all out of livestock it may come for us.’

The boy’s heart pounded. He was causing trouble, he was making people scared, not saving them. He did his best to sneak away until he could stand again. He scared his family and now he scared humans. The boy paused on his return, noticing the sweet scent of the trees near his head. There were tiny things on them. He wasn’t sure it would help, but he gathered all the tiny sweet smelling things he could find. Then he snuck back to the town, leaving it all in a pile where the humans had been earlier that day.

After that the boy ran back to the bed of leaves he made. He curled up as small as he could and swore he wouldn’t go back. He wouldn’t go near anyone ever again. That way he wouldn’t scare people or make them worry. He would be alone… Monsters belonged alone.

The next two years went by quickly for the boy. As he expected, his parents never once visited in that time. It was probably better that they hadn’t returned. He’d continued to grow taller, filling in the clothes he’d been given. It was slower than it had been with his parents, probably because his food had changed. Most of the time he would knock down a tree and force himself to eat it. He’d grown to hate the color of bark the longer he spent alone.

Sometimes the boy got lucky and he found some of the skittish animals in his territory. He would have to chase them, but usually he managed to get one to eat. If he knew how giants hunted he’d have a better time, but all he knew were stories. The stories had the heroes chasing down villains so he chased down the animals.

One day things were different. He’d found his way to a bit of higher land in his territory as he searched for a better meal. The whole time the boy just hoped he’d find a tree with some sweet smelling things this time. Instead he caught the scent of blood. It wasn’t one he recognized, but it was close to animal blood. He followed it, hoping for some animal that was hurt in its own hunt.

The boy froze when he found the source of the smell. A wolf bigger than any he’d ever seen was limping in his direction. The dark green fur of the giant wolf had blood coating it. The boy knew this was an animal he couldn’t lose. He took a single step towards it and the wolf took off running. The boy followed, determined not to fail.

The wolf was fast despite the limp, of course the boy had less coordination too. He was stuck with trees ranging from half his size to taller while trailing the scent of blood. The wolf could run with ease in the open spaces. The boy managed to never lose sight of it. Smiling when they reached the area that opened to the lower part of his territory. A cliff that would make the wolf stop.

Only the wolf didn’t stop, it kept running and the boy stumbled. That stumble shook the world for the wolf, or at least the boy thought it did. The wolf lost its footing and went sliding off the edge of the cliff. The boy watched with wide eyes as it disappeared over the edge. He felt bad, sending it to die like that. At least he’d won the hunt.

Carefully the boy walked to the edge. He looked over it with no sign of the wolf where he expected. He dropped down, seeing the trees shake from the impact. There was no howl in response, the wolf must have died in the fall. The boy started searching, the dark green coat nowhere to be seen. The only bit of dark green he found was on the head of a man lying on a bit of ground halfway between the ground the boy stood on and where he’d come from.

The boy walked towards the man. He knew this was no human. The man was almost as big as the wolf. Blood was clearly visible on the clothes the man wore and the boy felt bad. He wanted to help, this is where he could prove he was a hero. As the boy reached forward the man sneered and sent a glare into the boy’s eyes.

‘Just get it over with!’ the man yelled. The boy froze, guilt eating at him. He was probably facing someone like the humans who thought the boy would hurt him. ‘You won in your cursed chase so take your prize.’

The boy’s hands fell as the man kept his sneer. The hair almost the same color as the fur he’d been chasing felt like less of a coincidence. The boy took a deep breath, getting a chance to smell the blood of the man in front of him. Only feeling tears prick his eyes when the scent of the wolf’s blood hit him. He hadn’t been chasing a wolf, he was chasing a werewolf.

The boy fell to the ground and started to cry. He had no idea how to properly apologize. All he did was scare another person. Proving to himself again that he was a villain. The wolf’s words died out as the boy continued to cry. He wanted to help, but the wolf would never let him. He had to find a way to get the wolf help.

‘...Hey,’ the wolf said. The boy stared at him, desperate for a way to fix his mistakes. ‘You’re not actually a full grown giant are you?’ The boy shook his head. The wolf let out a heavy sigh. ‘How old are you?’

The boy held up his fingers. The best he could guess was eight, he wasn’t good at telling time. It wasn’t that important with his parents and even less important out here. He just knew the seasons and knew it had been long enough for two years to pass. The wolf let out a groan before climbing to his feet. The boy was tempted to run away, but he didn’t want the wolf to be trapped because of him. The wolf looked around, seeming to set his sights on one of the big bodies of water the boy used for drinking.

‘You out here alone?’ the wolf asked. The nod was slower from the boy this time. Another sigh came from the green haired wolf. ‘Alright, take me over to that lake there. Careful when you grab me, I opened the wound again when I fell.’

The boy brought his shaking hands up around the wolf. He noticed the way the stranger had emphasized fell, almost like he was trying to say it wasn’t the boy’s fault. The boy knew better. He wrapped one hand around the wolf’s legs and the other mostly around his shoulders. The wolf was stiff, but didn’t yell at him. The boy’s steps were slow and careful until he was kneeling in front of the lake and setting the wolf free.

‘We are going to need to find a better way to do that,’ the wolf said as he shook himself. The boy grimaced when the wolf winced. The wolf walked close to the water and stuck his hands into it. The boy found himself leaning forward to see what the wolf was doing. A few seconds later the water glowed a dull green to match the wolf’s hair. Then small things were jumping around in it. ‘Alright, I cast a spell to fill the lake up with fish. Go ahead and reach in to grab what you can. Before you empty it out I can cast the spell again.’

The boy just tilted his head. He didn’t know what a fish was. He was supposed to eat animals smaller than the wolf, but bigger than these things. The wolf shook his head before shoving his own hand into the water. He came out with two moving things in his hand. The boy thought they looked weird. He took a deep breath, shocked by the new smell in the air coming from them.

The wolf grabbed one with his teeth before offering the other to the boy. The boy was shaking as he brought his hand close, jumping when the wolf threw the new creature into the boy’s palm. He curled his fingers over it as the thing stopped moving. The wolf ate the creature looking at the boy and clearly expecting him to do the same.

The boy didn’t want the wolf mad so he did. He lifted his hand up and carefully tilted his palm back. The little thing slipped off his palm and into his mouth. It was salty and strange, but the boy liked it too. He swallowed it without a second of hesitation.

‘That’s a fish. There should be at least one handful for you in the lake right now,’ the wolf said.

A bit shyly, the boy listened. He reached a hand into the usually cold water. Meeting a lot more solid things than normal. He usually tried to avoid those. This time the boy moved his hand around to get all he could before curling his fingers up. He turned his palm towards the sky and watched as water and the little fish fell free. He still had a good amount in his hand. Cupping both hands together the boy dumped his catch into his mouth. As he ate the wolf made the lake glow again and the fish began to jump in the air all over again.

The wolf did this a few more times before asking, ‘Is that good? You still hungry, kid?’

The boy, terrified a yes would make the wolf mad, shook his head no. His stomach disagreed, apparently aware this was his chance to be full for the first time in his life. A grumble echoed in the forest around the boy and the wolf. The wolf’s face changed and the boy pulled his knees close. A glare on the wolf’s face made the boy flinch. Before the boy could move the wolf stuck his hands in the water again and caused the glow a bunch of times in a row.

The boy’s jaw dropped, the fish in the water were packed tightly enough they were barely moving. The wolf stood up straight and folded his arms before facing the boy. The boy knew this was it. The kindness of the stranger would stop, this was a plot to keep him distracted. The wolf wanted to keep the monster from eating him instead.

‘I asked if you were still hungry,’ the wolf said. The voice didn’t hold a growl like the boy expected. It sounded different than any he could remember hearing for a long time. ‘I can do this for a lot longer, we’re getting you fed kid. Understood?’

The boy nodded and reached for the fish again. Once the lake was mostly clear the boy sheepishly nodded when questioned if he was still hungry. The wolf would ask each time and didn’t seem to change at all when the boy admitted yes. Once the boy was finally content the wolf didn’t seem to believe him. The wolf demanded the boy lie on the ground where he walked straight up to the boy’s stomach. The boy jumped when he felt the small hands of the wolf touch him.

‘Alright, I believe you,’ the wolf said.

The boy kept a wide eyed stare on the wolf as he paced. The boy expected the wolf to run off after this, to avoid the monster. Instead the wolf walked around mumbling to himself for a while. Finally the wolf stared into the boy’s eyes with determination. The wolf walked up next to the boy and slowly shifted. The green coat of fur the boy chased had less blood on it now. The wolf curled up next to the boy’s face and closed his eyes. The boy silently cried, the wolf appeared to trust him more than even his own parents had.

‘I’ll be back in a few days. Stay here, you got it?’ the wolf said as dawn broke. The boy blinked away sleep trying to understand the words said. He slowly gathered that the wolf was leaving, but claimed he would return.

A part of the boy wanted to lie and say yes only to run. Another part wanted to say yes then follow behind the wolf. The winning part said yes and meant it. The wolf looked relieved once the boy agreed. All the boy could do was watch as the man became the wolf he hid and ran off. He watched the wolf run off.

Over the next few days the boy did his best not to move. He didn’t break down any trees, he wasn’t hungry. All he did was stare at the water to try and see the fish. They were so small, he didn’t like that. He fell asleep watching them. In his dreams he was bigger, big enough the wolf was as small as the fish. It scared him. He didn’t want to be that big.

Small hands on his face woke him up. His eyes were wide as they adjusted to see the wolf had actually come back. The hands on his face were wiping at the tears he shed in his sleep. The boy started to sit up. The wolf didn’t back away or stop in his attempts to wipe the boy’s tears. Once the boy was out of reach the wolf grumbled. He wasn’t sure if he’d made the wolf mad.

‘You alright kid?’ the wolf asked. The boy nodded as he pushed himself up all the way. In light of his nightmare he was relieved to see the wolf still looking so big next to him. The wolf backed away to stare up at the boy. The wolf shook his head before stepping back to the trees. ‘If you say so… Regardless, I've got something I need you to wrap around your wrist.’

The wolf walked into the trees. When he returned he had a long amount of cloth trailing behind him. The wolf walked right up to the boy’s hand and draped the cloth over his wrist. The boy lifted his hand without thinking, the cloth hung limply in the air. The wolf seemed to glare before waving his hands towards himself. The boy set his hand flat on the ground, his wrist left where the wolf could easily walk around.

‘Ok, you can’t stay out here on your own,’ the wolf said. The boy frowned, he didn’t have a place to go. The wolf wrapped the cloth snugly around the boy’s wrist. ‘I’m going to cast a spell, it’ll make you smaller. Not as small as someone trained could do, but it’ll be enough.’

The boy’s eyes widened, but he nodded quickly. The wolf actually smiled up at the boy. The smaller hands were placed on the cloth and the boy leaned down. The wolf said words he didn’t understand. The cloth glowed a dull green as it started to heat up. The boy wanted to rip it off, but the wolf said it would make him smaller. He wanted that more. He squeezed his eyes shut as the cloth changed to something more solid against his skin. He growled from the pain that started to course through his body.

‘Sorry kid, I know it’s pretty painful the first time. I can’t really bring a giant back to live near humans without them getting nervous and I don’t want to leave you on your own,’ the wolf said. The boy bit his tongue to try and keep his voice quiet as the pain continued. Suddenly his stomach lurched and the small hands started to grow. He managed to open his eyes to see the wolf looking bigger and bigger.

The boy’s world continued to change. He looked around in awe. The trees began to tower over his head. The fish he had tried to see were significantly clearer now. He stared at them until the world stopped growing around him. The wolf’s hand landed on his shoulder and made him jump.

‘Are you alright?’ the wolf asked. The boy looked around again before climbing to his feet. He was almost as big as the wolf, but still shorter. He nodded, wrapping the wolf in a hug. ‘Be careful, if you feel a tingling on your wrist you need to pull back on your strength.’

The boy nodded as he pulled away. Looking up at the wolf the boy found a warm smile. It was strange, he didn’t remember ever seeing a face like that. The wolf put a hand on his head and moved it back and forth. The boy froze, unsure how to respond.

‘I didn’t say you had to let go, just be careful,’ the wolf whispered. The boy nodded, but didn’t hug the wolf again. It didn’t take long for the wolf to take his hand away and start walking away. ‘Well, let’s go. It’s a bit far, but we should get home sometime tomorrow.’

Home. The wolf was taking him home. Giving him a home. The boy was afraid to follow. Afraid the wolf would send him away too. That someone else would call him a monster. The wolf grabbed his hand and pulled the boy from his thoughts. Concern painted the wolf’s face, the grip on the boy’s hand only grew stronger.

‘If you don’t want to come with me,’ the wolf said, ‘you don’t have to. Kid, I don’t like leaving you out here all on your own. I may not know a lot about giants, but I can’t imagine sending an eight year old kid out alone with no shelter is normal. You can come back with me, or I’ll just try to come check up on you as often as I can.’

The boy let the words sink in. The wolf didn’t think he should be alone. That would mean his family, the leader, and the others were wrong. The boy knew he was crying as soon as a large hand touched his face and wiped at his tears. The boy stared into the wolf’s eyes, choosing to trust that he would be safe. The boy squeezed the wolf’s hand, the best way he could think to say yes.

The wolf accepted that. He started to lead the boy away from the place they met. Away from where the boy knew he was left to die. They walked for hours, the wolf had them take breaks often. It was more often than the boy expected, but he accepted it. The sun set while they were walking towards the home the wolf mentioned. The wolf stopped again as the moon was hovering directly above them.

‘We’ll stop for now,’ the wolf said.

The boy nodded, quickly finding a place out of the way to sit down. The wolf growled softly, but the boy just wanted to avoid making him angry. He curled up holding his knees to his chest as the wolf wandered in the dark. The boy didn’t know what was coming. He was scared, scared that the wolf would change his mind. Leave him alone just like his parents. That he was just a problem for others.

The wolf didn’t disappear though. He wandered back out of the dark and made a small pile of wood. The boy grimaced, he didn’t want the wolf to make him eat it. He hated the taste of trees and their color after all this time. If that was the plan the wolf said nothing, only circling the wood with stones. The boy was in awe, he’d never gotten to see stones so small before.

The wolf crouched in front of the pile and said something the boy didn’t understand. The wood burst into a bright light that the boy had never seen before. He moved closer without thinking. Almost like he was possessed, the boy reached towards the orange light. It felt warm. As he brought his hand close, he wondered if it would feel as soft as it looked. Before he touched it the wolf’s hand was wrapped around his wrist tight enough that the boy whimpered.

‘What are you doing?!’ the wolf yelled.

The boy couldn’t make another noise. He just tried to pull his arm back, he’d go away. The anger on the wolf’s face looked terrifying in the strange light. The wolf kept his grip tight. The boy felt that tingle, but didn’t want to hurt the wolf. He wouldn’t be a monster. The wolf let out a long sigh before letting the boy’s wrist go.

‘What were you doing, kid?’ the wolf asked.

The boy didn’t answer.

‘Did you want to get burned?’

The boy tilted his head. He didn’t know what burned was.

‘...Do you even know what this is?’

The boy shook his head. The wolf groaned before mumbling words he heard his parents say when talking about him in the past. It made him shiver. He didn’t want to make the wolf hate him. The wolf grabbed his hand again and held it close to the orange light.

‘This is called fire, it’s bright and warm,’ the wolf explained. The boy stared in awe at the new thing. Fire. ‘It’s dangerous too. If you touch it, it’ll hurt you. Let it touch you too long and it might end your life. Don’t touch fire, ok?’

The boy stared at the orange light. Warm and bright, but deadly. Somehow it felt similar to himself. Slowly he nodded and the wolf let him go. The boy spent time staring at the strange light, feeling a warmth he never felt before. The wolf did things while the boy watched the fire and the boy wanted to watch the wolf, but the fire felt more important. Like if he took his eyes away it would disappear or act out.

The wolf sat down heavily next to him. The boy pulled his legs closer and tried to stay focused on the fire. He wasn’t used to someone being close to him like this. He wasn’t used to a lot of things. The trees towering above him made him feel safe and scared next to the wolf. The wolf let out a small groan before putting his own hands near the fire.

‘So… want to tell me how you wound up out here?’ the wolf asked. The boy shook his head, even if he knew how to say the words he didn’t want to explain. If he said his parents thought he was bad then the wolf might too. ‘Alright, you can tell me when you want to.’

The boy was shocked at the wolf’s calm reaction. His shock grew when the wolf’s arm wrapped around his shoulders. He was warm, the boy felt cared for. They sat like that for a long time before the boy finally yawned. The wolf took that as a sign to get up and start doing things again. He even made the fire go away.

‘We should get some rest,’ the wolf said. The boy nodded, choosing to curl up where he was. The wolf walked around a bit, standing behind the boy. ‘By the way, my name’s Byssal.’

‘...Bizzzalll,’ the boy tried. It was the first time he tried to talk in a long time. The wolf behind him growled and the boy felt scared.

‘Guess we’ll work on speaking first, sound good kid?’ The boy rolled over to stare at the wolf with wide eyes. He nodded, shocked his voice was even wanted. ‘Try saying Byss.’

‘Bizs.’ It sounded closer to what the wolf said, but the boy frowned at his own failing. The wolf didn’t growl though.

‘That works, just call me Byss. You’re the first one to get to give me a nickname so far, hope it makes you happy kid.’

The boy did smile. The wolf’s face changed a bit before the boy moved to face away again. He could only assume the wolf didn’t want the boy to see him. He didn’t hear anything for a bit of time, he worried the wolf was angry. Before the boy could check warm fur pressed against his back. The wolf was even bigger as he curled up around the boy. It kept the boy warm and the wolf was close. He felt safe.

‘Biss.’ The boy tried again. The wolf rubbed the boy with his head and he took it as something good. For the first time since the boy was sent out on his own he felt warm and safe. He didn’t want that to change.

The next day the wolf and the boy walked for a long time again. Finally coming to a large house like the boy saw the humans live in. The wolf walked in, motioning for the boy to follow. The boy didn’t even have to duck to walk in, his parents had to where the giants stayed. He always thought he’d have to no matter where he went. The wolf had the boy keep following him to a place in the back, a separate room. The boy shivered, he didn’t want to be locked inside again.

The wolf pushed open the door and the boy saw a different room. Something that looked soft in the corner and some rectangular thing made of wood. The wolf walked up to the corner thing and sat down. He waved for the boy to copy him. The boy did, shocked by the soft feeling beneath him. He fell back taking in the soft surface.

‘This is your room now. I kept it ready in case other wolves came by. There’s clothes in the dresser,’ the wolf explained.

‘Durezzer?’ the boy tried. The wolf sighed, standing from the soft thing. The boy sat up and watched the wolf pull part of the wooden thing free. Inside was cloth, not just cloth but clothing. The boy climbed to his feet, quickly joining the wolf. The wolf pulled out a new shirt that would hang loosely on the boy.

‘For now we’ll keep your old clothes for when we go back for you to eat. Otherwise you can wear what’s in here. We’ll try seeing if these will grow with you, they should but we’ll play it safe.’ The boy nodded as the wolf talked. He didn’t fully understand, but the wolf wanted him to change clothes and keep the ones his parents gave him that changed size with him. ‘If these don’t grow, I'll get some cloth we can use to patch up your current clothes. We’re not leaving them torn up like now.’

The boy looked down and held the end of his shirt forward to get a look. He never noticed the tears and holes in what he wore. It was enough to keep him warm and alive. The wolf set a hand on the boy’s head again. Another careful back and forth motion before clothes were put in the boy’s hands.

‘Go ahead and change. Don’t touch the thing on your wrist or you’ll grow and I’ll have to fix the house, ok?’ The boy nodded fervently. He would do whatever the wolf told him. The wolf left the room and the boy quickly switched to the new clothes. Then he curled up on the soft thing, taking in the comfort he never had.

That started the boy’s life with the wolf. The wolf spent a lot of time teaching the boy words and helping him to say them right. After a month he could say the wolf’s name correctly, but still called him Byss. The wolf asked pretty often if the boy was hungry and the boy didn’t lie. The first time he said yes was a few months after the wolf brought him home. They made the trek out and the wolf helped the boy catch animals other than fish this time. After the boy was full, they went home again. That was when the boy realized he had a home.

Things with the wolf stayed the same for almost two years. The boy talked and had even met others who weren’t terrified of him. If he had nightmares the wolf would curl up around him to keep him calm. He liked living with the wolf. The only part that made him nervous were the times the wolf came back smelling of blood and death. Sometimes the wolf was even hurt when that happened. The boy was afraid to ask about it, afraid the wolf would send him away if he did. He just stayed up and waited for the wolf those nights.

It was one of those nights things changed again. The wolf was back earlier, his hands close to his chest. He walked right up to the boy, who had been sitting near a table while he waited. The wolf opened his hands to reveal the smallest creature the boy had ever seen. The being terrified him, he could hurt them.

‘This is a fae,’ the wolf said. The boy nodded, but still stared at the wolf in fear. ‘She was hurt when someone tried to capture her. She’s going to stay with us while she gets better. Hold out your hands, I need you to hold her while I get something to treat her burns.’

‘O-ok,’ the boy said.

He held out his hands, they were still smaller than the wolf’s. The fae was dropped on his palms and he found himself leaning forward to stare at her. She had pink wings with some pattern, but the burns made it hard to make out. Her skin was dark brown with a number of pale scars all over. The thing that stood out to him the most was the small up and down of her chest. He almost missed the wolf leaving.

He could hear the wolf in the house making noise, but his eyes never left the fae. She was so small. He kept thinking about how small she’d be to the real him. When her eyes opened he almost screamed, barely keeping himself from throwing his hands into the air. She stared at him with pure white eyes, he couldn’t tell how she felt. The fae started to look around, searching for someone. Maybe the wolf.

She rubbed her eyes before climbing to her feet. The small feet made his palms burn. He noticed how her wings were missing parts when she flexed them. He couldn’t tell what shape the curves that were meant to be there made out. She walked around his palm before meeting his eyes again. The boy wanted to leave. He wasn’t someone safe for the fae.

Thankfully the wolf returned. He had a jar of something he used after touching silver. The wolf sat down across from the boy before putting his own bracelet on. The boy was left towering over the others. The fae didn’t seem to care, hopping off the boy’s hand and walking towards the wolf. The boy took the chance to leave, he didn’t like being around someone so small.

‘Byss?’ she asked. The name leaving the fae made the boy frown. The wolf said that was a special name, but he gave it to a stranger. The boy had gotten too comfortable, he needed to remember the wolf had no reason to care about him. ‘Who was that?’

‘That’s my pup,’ the wolf said, the boy never knew what that meant when the wolf said it.

The boy shut the door to his room before he could hear more. He curled up on his bed and closed his eyes praying for sleep to take him. It wasn’t long until he was jolted awake to the wolf touching his shoulder. The boy stared in fear at the wolf. Positive he’d done something wrong.

‘Kid, what do you know about fae?’ the wolf asked.

‘...They’re small,’ the boy said. The wolf nodded, but didn’t move to leave.

‘Right, they’re also strong with magic. I know you haven’t told me your name, but if she asks for one don’t give her your real one, ok?’

‘Why?’

‘Fae can use our names to do a lot. You gave me a good option calling me Byss all the time. Make sure not to let her know my real name either.’

‘Right.’

The boy agreed and the wolf actually smiled. He rubbed his head again before standing up. The boy watched the wolf leave, a little of his fears pushed aside. He had forgotten about trying to remember his name. The wolf never needed it. His parents never used it. The fae was the first one who might want it and he couldn’t give it to her even if he wanted to. As far as the boy was concerned, he didn’t have a name anymore.

The thought of his name didn’t have a chance to stick in his head. The fae was healing fast, but she kept trying to land on his hands or shoulder. He didn’t want to be close to her, he didn’t want to hurt her. While she was there she did tell him what to call her, Pel. He just nodded when she did, he still didn’t feel safe talking to anyone besides the wolf.

It wasn’t long before the fae appeared tired of waiting for the boy to adjust. She turned herself human size and stood in front of him. He just waited for her to make her attempts to get him to talk for the day. She stood with her hands on her hips as she tried to make him meet her eyes. He just tried to avoid meeting her eyes.

‘You know I’m not going to break,’ the fae said. The boy nodded, but didn’t really pay attention. ‘Byss is bigger than you and he lets me play with his hair or sit on his shoulder. It’s not like you’re a giant and can barely see me.’

The words stung. Without thinking the boy stood and went to find the wolf. He didn’t want to be around the fae. He didn’t want her to learn how wrong she was. He was someone who could barely see her if it wasn’t for the wolf. It wasn’t hard to find him, the boy offered the motion that he’d be going out and made to leave. The fae stood looking a bit stunned by the boy’s actions.

They boy didn’t care, he wanted to remind himself of who he was. He walked out of the house and didn’t stop. He walked for hours until he felt he was far enough away. The boy sat on the ground and spun the strange bracelet on his wrist. He waited another hour before he took in a deep breath. He squeezed the bracelet, the tight feeling sliding off him in waves. The calm feeling it usually gave him fell away as a scream came not far from him.

The boy sought out the noise to see the fae staring at him. He stared at her with wide eyes, unsure what to do. She saw him, she knew what he was. The wolf would be mad. The wolf would send him away. The boy would be all alone again. Tears started to fall from his eyes before he could do anything else. The human form fae quickly disappeared and he knew he was going to be called a monster. He didn’t expect the almost imperceptible weight on his nose. He brought his hands up just as the fae took her human form again.

The weight of a human in his hands felt different. He had only held the wolf like this when they first met. He was too scared to try again. The fae sat on her knees and stared up at him. The boy had no words, he tried not to speak when he was this big. The fae’s hands were on his face wiping at the tears on his cheek. He was frozen, afraid to risk her falling.

‘Guess I walked right into iron again,’ the fae said. The boy scrunched up his face in confusion. ‘I don’t think a giant would hurt me, let alone Byss’s pup. Just thought it would make you feel better if I went near you and you thought of something bigger!’

The boy couldn’t bring himself to speak. The fae moved without his input. She was back on the ground inspecting his bracelet. He wanted to put it back on, be smaller and safer for her. She walked all around it. At times the fae returned to her smaller form and made him nervous. Eventually she stopped and let out a huff before folding her arms.

‘Well, I think I’ll need to go back to my home sooner than I thought. I’ll get some information so we can make this stronger and you can be human sized!’ she announced. The boy quickly grabbed the bracelet, putting it back on before she could say anything. Once he returned to the smaller size her human sized hands grabbed his and pulled him off behind her.

The fae didn’t stop even once as they walked. She was bubbly and talking about things. She said a lot the boy barely understood, but it did make him smile. At one point the fae turned around to face him. He stumbled to avoid walking into her. She smiled at him before continuing her walk. When the two reached the house the wolf was pacing in the open. He was more wolf than human looking.

The fae continued her bubbly talking as though the wolf didn’t seem angry. The boy winced and wanted to pull himself away. He wanted to run. The wolf’s eyes locked onto the boy immediately. The wolf lunged forward pulling the boy’s hand from the fae’s and glaring down at her. The wolf kept the boy safely hidden behind him, it didn’t make sense.

‘Did you give her your name?’ the wolf asked. The fae crossed her arms.

‘I don’t just steal names! What do you take me for? He’s just an overgrown heart,’ she pouted. The wolf looked back at him and the boy shook his head.

‘Why did you follow him?’ The wolf had a growl in his voice and the boy felt… protected. As if the wolf was just trying to keep him safe.

‘He left after I tried to talk to him of course I followed!’ The fae changed to her smaller form floating in front of the wolf. She had a finger pressed into the wolf’s nose. ‘Plus I don’t know who you bought that awful spell from, but I’ll go home get the right one then give him a better disguise.’

‘...I cast the spell.’ The fae brought her hands up to her face and offered a small gasp.

‘Well then you’ll pay me by letting me teach you! I hate seeing poorly done magic.’

‘What do you-’

‘I should go now, just gather more cloth. It should be good for the spell.’

The boy and the wolf could only watch as the fae flew off. The wolf huffed, then turned to face the boy. The wolf started to check that the boy was uninjured and it was shocking. The boy stared at him confused. The wolf even grabbed his wrist and checked the bracelet. The wolf hugged the boy, it felt nice.

‘Guess I was right to trust that fae after all. I can’t say I’d hate it if she comes back with some way to make the spell stronger. You wouldn’t be stuck here,’ the wolf mumbled. The boy couldn’t believe it. He wanted the boy to be outside. To be with others? ‘I guess we’ll wait. You really didn’t give her your name right?’

‘...I don’t have one,’ the boy admitted. The wolf’s hug grew tighter. ‘I… can’t remember what my parents used to call me.’

‘Then I can give you one or you can pick your own.’ The wolf pulled back to look at the boy’s face. He folded his arms and hummed. ‘I met a knight once, he saved me after a run in with some hunters… How about his name, Kyrie?’

The boy rushed to hug the wolf, nodding into his chest. Kyrie. He liked that. He liked having a name. The wolf returned the hug. The boy felt safe, wanted, protected.

The fae even came back. She complained that the wolf hadn’t gathered cloth, but she took care of that. It didn’t take long for her to demand they go somewhere she could properly cast it. The time lined up with the next time he needed to eat. Despite both the boy and wolf protesting, the fae went with them.

She didn’t seem bothered as they walked, flitting between both of them. She asked a lot of questions, most about the boy. He didn’t answer any, but she didn’t care. They continued on their path until the wolf decided it was far enough. The fae flew around, turning to a human form again to angrily glare at the wolf.

‘Where do you sleep during these trips?’ she asked. The boy and wolf shared a look and stared around them. She gasped and stormed up to the wolf. ‘You have him sleeping out in the open?! He’s young, how could you? We’re making a place right now!’ The fae looked around for a few moments. She pointed up. ‘Up there. You two get wood and I’ll make a cabin up there!’

They couldn’t argue before she flew up. The boy took off his bracelet, growing to his full height. The wolf walked away, casting the spell for the fish in the water as the boy grew. Once tall enough the boy started to break apart trees and put them up on the cliff. The fae stood as a human watching as the boy added wood. The wolf howled for him and he knelt down.

“Can you give me a lift up to the cliff?” the wolf asked. The boy was shocked, but did as he asked. The wolf didn’t even flinch as the boy awkwardly held him. He set the wolf down with the fae, the wolf was moving around the wood as the boy watched. He almost felt like this was normal.

‘That should be enough,’ the fae announced.

The wolf growled and the boy nodded. He chose to eat some of the fish. As soon as his hand entered the water he was filled with regret. The boy had a good idea of how small the fae would be. He was distracted by a flash of faint pink near him. When he turned to look back there was a small house like the wolf and the boy lived in. He quickly ate the fish and moved to look at the small house.

The fae was smiling as she looked up at him. The wolf walked out of the house with a look of approval. The boy wanted to see it, but the wolf was squeezing into the house. The boy wouldn’t fit for long. He couldn’t risk it, the wolf even mentioned he’d gotten taller.

‘Ok give me your wrist, Byss wrap the cloth around for me,’ she demanded. The boy and the wolf did as instructed. Once the wolf wrapped the cloth the fae nodded at the work. ‘Put both your hands on the ground around us and add your weight to it as you change ok?’

The boy nodded. He stood up straight and set his hands down. The fae flew up to the cloth on his wrist. He didn’t hear any words before a faint pink glow came from the cloth. It didn’t burn this time. He felt a tightness in his body that started to constrict. The world started to grow. The boy did as he was told, putting his full weight into his hands. The world continued to grow, but he was moving towards the house.

Once his world stopped changing he felt different. The world was even bigger than when the wolf made him small. The fae was her human size and taller than him. The boy jumped to his feet staring up at her. The wolf came closer and towered over the boy by a lot. He hugged the fae first then hugged the wolf. It was nice, the large hands holding him gently. He liked this size.

That was the start of a truly new life. The boy and the wolf made sure the boy was full before they sat in the cabin. They spent years living both in the house near a human village and the cabin in the boy’s territory. During that time the fae decided to teach the boy to read and write. The first thing she’d taught him was his name, a thing she learned on the first night in the cabin she made. The boy almost refused to try again once he carved a poorly shaped K into the table. The fae encouraged him.

‘It’s a symbol of you learning,’ the fae said and gave him a hug. The boy listened and continued to try and learn. The fae even gave the wolf a better bracelet, all three could look human. All his lessons happened in the cabin in his territory though.

The fae improved his territory over the years too. She went around casting spells she gathered on trips to visit her home. They would make the animals and plants grow bigger. They were able to add a protective barrier to keep anything other than giants out. The wolf helped in making the animals more aggressive, something he’d used in the past. It made the trips easier, although the animals growing bigger made the boy nervous.

The parts of the year they were near a human village, the fae dragged the boy out. She thought he should talk to others. The wolf even encouraged it. It wasn’t long before the boy was accepted among the humans too. The only downside was his height. Despite the strength of the fae’s magic, the boy grew as both a human and a giant. He was taller than the fae’s human form long before he would have liked.

The boy started to hide as that happened. He didn’t want to hurt others. On a day the fae and the wolf managed to drag him to see the humans, things changed again. A monster attacked, the boy had no idea what it was. If he hadn’t stepped in someone would have died. The boy protected the village, his wrist burned as he pushed past a human’s strength that day. He protected people. Others saw him as a hero even though a knight arrived and killed the monster.

The man saw promise in the boy and suggested he join the order. All the boy’s dreams could come true. The fae and the wolf worried, but agreed and the boy began to train. The wolf helped him learn to use a sword and the fae to spot magic. The wolf helped the boy stop himself from being too obvious in his differences. Keep his speed down and his strength only enough to be believed as a blessing. Now and then the man who suggested he joined would check in, always happy with the boy’s progress. The boy would be made a knight by his twenty third year. At least… that was the plan.

A few days before the boy was to join the order he fell sick. His body was in enough pain he could barely move. The wolf carried him outside when the boy complained of being too hot. The fae tried magic to heal the boy. Each time she would fail.

‘I can’t heal growing pains. They need to pass on their own,’ she said once. The boy cried when those words broke through his haze. He’d already been double the height of most giants. He didn’t want to get taller. ‘It’ll be alright Kyrie, you’ll be ok soon.’

The boy cried more. The fae said his name when things were serious. The wolf stayed in the open with him. The fae stayed inside looking for ways to help. One morning he woke up and the pain was gone. He thought it was over, that he was safe. Except… the world looked wrong. It was too small for him. He brought his hand up and saw the strange bracelet still on him. There was a noticeable crack in it too.

The boy sat up carefully, his head spinning as he saw the world. His body was tight in a way that hurt. He needed to take off the bracelet, but it wasn’t safe. The boy wouldn’t risk it until He looked around once he was up straight and sought out the wolf and the fae. He found the wolf curled up near him, but too small. Smaller than he should be. Then a scream.

‘Giant!’ a voice shouted. More screams followed. The boy winced, before looking around. He was worried someone would get hurt, it took him too long to realize the screams were at him.

‘In all the realms!’ the wolf shouted. The boy looked down to see the wolf only slightly human with his fur standing on edge. ‘Kyrie, we have to go now! Pel is with me, grab me and run to your hunting grounds!’

The boy didn’t wait, carefully grabbing the partially shifted wolf before climbing to his feet. The boy felt dizzy again, he was too tall. This was too high. More screams, he had to run. He knew almost instinctively where to go. He took a step, more screams. He had to ignore them and run. While he ran a new pain gripped at him. His stomach felt empty, but that didn’t make sense. He’d eaten only a month before.

The boy slowed as the cabin came into view. He looked down to check on the wolf and the fae. Both sat in his hand, the wolf with the fae held close. The boy wanted to say anything, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. He was too big. He tried to keep his steps steady despite a growing fatigue in his limbs. He reached the cabin, setting the two down near it before falling to sit next to the cliff it was on.

The fae and the wolf stared at the boy. He had to pull off the bracelet, it burned him. The boy lifted his tired limbs and ripped it free of his wrist. The bracelet shattered as soon as it left his skin. The burning feeling faded as the world began to shrink. The boy was filled with fear as he grew bigger and bigger until he thankfully stopped. The fae and the wolf were staring at him. Their faces were hard to see, but the boy knew he must be terrifying. That fact was overshadowed by the loud noise his empty stomach made.

‘Guess we should start hunting then,’ the wolf said.

He stepped up the edge of the cliff and looked up at the boy. The boy didn’t want to do this, he didn’t want help. He didn’t want to scare them. Another noise from his stomach proved he’d need the help, it hurt worse than any time he could remember. The boy held his shaking hand up to the edge of the cliff, the wolf climbed on without hesitation.

The boy curled his fingers up, panic hitting him again. The wolf standing on his palm was just taller than his fingers. Humans and fae would be so small. He slowly lowered his hand down, it felt too fast as the wolf grabbed the boy’s fingers to steady himself. Once on the ground the wolf hopped off quickly. The boy didn’t know if it was different, but everything felt different. The wolf shifted fully before running off into the trees.

The boy didn’t wait long to start his own hunting. He shifted carefully, worried he’d hurt the wolf. The boy looked at the lake animals often gathered around, it was empty for now. The boy chose to tap the trees catching the larger fruit. He dumped it into his mouth just before a howl sounded. He moved quickly, knocking down trees to find the wolf.

He found the familiar green fur with blood already coating it. The wolf was fighting a bear that was even bigger than him. The boy acted once the wolf managed to roll the two so the bear was on the bottom. He grabbed the wolf in one hand, quickly grabbing the bear in the other. He pulled them apart with only a little hesitation.

The boy set the wolf down near the cabin once he was free of the bear. The boy tightened his grip on the bear until a crack sounded in the air. He dropped the bear in his mouth as the wolf entered the cabin. The boy waited, nervous about the wolf. Had he hurt the wolf? Did he use too much strength? Before long the wolf came out again with the fae in her human form sitting on his back.

‘Byss is hurt, I can’t heal it,’ the fae said. The boy’s heart nearly stopped; he'd hurt the wolf. The fae slid off as the wolf shifted to be somewhat human again.

‘The bear must have gotten seen by hunters. The blood had silver in it. We have to go get it treated now,’ the wolf said. ‘We’ll go get it treated, you finish eating what you need while we’re gone.’

‘...I should take you,’ the boy whispered.

‘No!’

The wolf’s voice was almost all growl. The boy nodded accepting the decision. He didn’t know if the wolf was hurt, but they were scared. They must be scared. His parents were scared of him, the wolf and the fae had no reason to trust him. Once the wolf and the fae were gone the boy did his best to hunt.

The boy emptied the lakes and tried to catch any animals he could. He ate all the fruit he could find, but there wasn’t enough. He didn’t want to eat more than he already had in front of them. He settled for eating trees again. The time he hunted took days, but eventually he was content enough. He could live with the bit of hunger he still felt.

It took over a week before the wolf and the fae returned. The wolf seemed reluctant to go near the boy, but the fae acted too eager. The boy was reluctant to touch either of them. He didn’t want to hurt the wolf again or remind them of their fear. The fae mentioned the lakes were empty, the wolf said they’d fill them. The boy was gathering the courage to tell them to leave.

‘You’re done eating?’ the wolf asked. The boy nodded. ‘Ok, then we have somewhere to go. It’s best if you carry us where we’re going.’

‘I-’ the boy tried. He couldn’t think of arguments that wouldn’t leave him alone. As much as he hated their fear, he didn’t want to lose them.

‘Oh and don’t worry, I have some special spells so no one will notice you!’ the fae said.

The boy was reluctant, but offered his hand to the wolf and the fae. This time the fae turned small and, shockingly, the boy saw her fly up to rest on the wolf’s head. That made sense. The boy knew the fae would be in danger just in his hands. The boy stood up slowly.

The boy was hit with another wave of dizziness as he took in the small world. Trees a third of his size at best, even smaller at worst. He took a step and the world reacted. It made the boy sick. The wolf let out a noise that took the boy’s attention and pointed in a direction. The boy followed where he was told. The boy tried not to think about the miniscule world around him as he walked.

The wolf and the fae tried to talk to the boy, but he didn’t want to talk. His voice would be too loud. The wolf didn’t stop trying and the fae eventually landed on his fingers. He froze up each time. The fae stopped landing on him after the fifth time he froze up… The boy knew it was best. The wolf offered a few more directions and the boy followed them faithfully. After a long time, long enough the boy wasn’t sure how he walked without stopping, they found trees.

The trees were towering over even the boy. They were endless, the tops so high it looked like they could reach other realms. The fae flew off his hand quickly. The boy crouched until he could set his hand on the ground. He noticed the wolf was still fully human, it wasn’t normal. When the boy was a giant the wolf didn’t usually look human.

‘This is perfect. I can feel how special this is,’ the fae said. The boy was shocked he heard her. The fae landed on the ground next to the wolf before taking her human form. She stared up at the boy, he felt like a monster looking down at them. She cupped her hands around her mouth. ‘You should be able to pull off some of the bark. Kyrie, can you try to pull off enough to be as tall and wide as you are?’

The boy nodded. He stepped closer and dug his fingers into the bark. It seemed like it was responding to him, coming off with the boy barely trying. The amount the fae asked for came off easily. From there the boy stepped back, putting the bark down on the ground. The fae instructed him to pull the bark apart.

First the fae asked for enough to wrap around his leg. He did as she asked, wrapping it from his thigh to his ankle. She approached him, the boy froze as she left his sight. Too many things could go wrong. The bark glowed a faint pink before morphing into something that looked like armor, covering even his foot now. The boy jolted as the world grew around him. It hadn’t changed as much as normal, but a tight feeling took over his body. He was smaller.

The fae directed him again. This time his other leg. The process happened again, bringing him down again. Next the fae told the boy to cover his chest, and the spell morphed it to look like the pieces of armor that would hang off a human’s torso. He was smaller than a normal giant again. The boy just stared down at the wolf and the fae, his sight felt strange. The wolf and fae felt a little less clear.

Finally the fae directed the boy to cover his arms. He did both at once. The fae went to her smaller size before causing the bark to glow pink. It slid down from the boy’s shoulders, the fae already made the other arm glow too. The boy pushed them back up, this time as though he was wearing gauntlets that covered his upper arms. As soon as the boy had locked the arm pieces in place his world started to grow.

The boy’s body jolted. This time he felt like something was pressing down on him. The feeling ebbed away as the boy’s world stopped changing. The fae was in her human form next to him. The boy stood up straight, still towering over her. The wolf towered over the boy at least. The wolf dug his hands into the bark and pulled off a large chunk. He approached the boy slowly holding the strip of bark towards him.

‘Hold still,’ the wolf said. ‘You’ll need a helm for this to be your armor, it won’t take long alright?’

The boy stiffly nodded. The bark was wrapped around his head, the world gone dark. The boy was terrified. This was the perfect chance to defeat the monster he was. The bark glowed pink, almost blinding the boy. He had to close his eyes. In seconds there were soft fingers on his face. The boy opened his eyes. He still towered over her. The boy carefully pulled off the helm, shocked that it looked like the ones he’d been practicing in for years. The wolf set a hand on the boy’s head before moving it back and forth.

‘There, now you can still be a knight. Just don’t take your armor off,’ the wolf said. The boy nodded.

The three made their way home after that. It took weeks, but the boy didn’t want to take off the armor. Not around the wolf and the fae. When they returned the humans of the village were relieved to see the boy. The wolf told a story of the boy helping the three escape a giant. Finding armor as they did. It was easily believed.

The boy got to start a new life again. He was nervous, but being a knight helped him try to be a hero. The wolf and the fae tried to go with him on his trips to hunt again, but the boy knew they were scared. The wolf didn’t shift outside of a full moon for two years. The fae was always with him those nights, like he needed protection. The boy wouldn’t take off his leg pieces if the wolf or fae came along. He ate less than he did before he grew too.

Eventually the boy convinced the wolf and the fae not to go with him anymore. He would take off all his armor and spend the time alone. It took those times for him to adjust to his new height. Now and then the wolf and the fae would work on his armor and the boy would be near them. He started to grow comfortable with them. The boy could manage that when they could stay away from where they had to remember what it took for him to live.

Then the order told the boy that someone would come to meet him. That he’d train her to join the order. The knight arrived with her helm on. The boy was curious for weeks about what she looked like, but he wouldn’t pry. The knight wouldn’t be around for too long. At least that’s what the boy thought, but after a few months he finally saw the knight’s face.”

Kyrie brought his hand up to Melody, she’d been so silent. He ran a finger down her back, smiling when she shuddered. She was so small, but she didn’t run as he told her the story. He didn’t hate his size next to her. He didn’t hate the idea of being a monster for her.

“Then the boy after all this time saw brown eyes and hair, a shade he knew well, with tears streaming down her face. The boy wanted to protect the knight as soon as she faced him. It was the first time in his life he fell in love with the color of tree bark. The knight told the boy she hated killing and the boy promised he wouldn’t kill unless there was no other option. The boy hid the fact that he was already scaring off most things he found before he met her.”

“Kyrie…?” Melody whispered.

“Then the knight let the boy meet her brother. The sorcerer was stern and didn’t seem happy to meet the boy. Things changed over a few years. Then the knight saved an innocent girl, a naga, and her friend, a tiny drider, when they were in danger. The knight tried to hide the naga and the drider from the boy. While she hid them the boy’s armor was loosened by the drider.

“The boy thought his life was over, the knight would hate him. The knight might even reveal him. Instead she came to see him and she gave him a chance. The boy and the knight both had secrets and had fallen in love. Eventually the boy knew he had to show the knight more so he asked her to go with him when he left. The knight agreed, taking a trip with the boy. Again the boy thought things would change-”

“But the knight loved the boy and wasn’t going to let him scare her away,” Melody said. She walked up, placing her hands on Kyrie’s face. The last night before they go back. He couldn’t explain why he had to tell her now, but he knew if he didn’t he never would.

“The knight shocked the boy enough that he wanted to take a chance. That he’d keep taking a chance on the knight, as long as she’d have him.” Melody pressed against him, her arms spread wide.He sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. His tears weren’t going to drench her this time.

“Kyrie… I wish I could have met you sooner.” The words made him jump back. He wasn’t expecting that. “I wish you weren’t always so scared the people around you would leave.”

“I’m not anymore.” His voice was almost too quiet. It felt weird to admit it. “Plenty of chances for Byss and Pel to leave for good and they haven’t. I just try not to scare them anymore. I don’t want to push them.”

“I don’t think you ever did.” Melody stepped back from where she’d been hugging him to stare in his eyes. “Something you said, Pelago just said she couldn’t heal Byssal when she left right?”

“She always said that when it was too much. It wasn’t new.” Kyrie moved to cup his hand around her. He was worried something would take a chance to attack even with the bigger predator sitting so close to her. He couldn’t let Melody get hurt.

“No, she always says she can’t and why.” He furrowed his brows. There wasn’t a difference. “It’s something long before either of us were alive, but she has to do that. She can’t just say she can't, she doesn’t have a choice. The only way she could say that she can’t heal it is if someone told her explicitly to say that.”

“So… Byss told her to say that?” Kyrie felt like his world fell apart, he couldn’t understand why Byss would stop Pel from telling him what was wrong. Unless… unless it was somehow his fault. He’d hurt Byssal back then.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Byssal groaned as Pel cast a few spells on his side. The scars would be gone soon and it would be another bad memory. The pink glow from the smaller woman disappeared. He moved to relax only for Pel to switch to her fae form and curl up next to his neck. He held back laughter as her wings tickled his skin.

“You know he’ll probably tell her his past, the same way you talk about things too,” she said. Byss just huffed. “Frame it like a story to push it away from himself. She’ll notice what you did Byss. She’ll point it out.”

“I didn’t do anything, the girl should keep her mouth shut,” Byssal growled. He knew Pel was right and he hated that fact. The tickling of her wings disappeared as the woman flew up to set her hands on his nose. He had to admit she was cute acting like this at his real height.

“You made me hide your injury Byssal!” He just let out another huff. “‘The girl’ is from my own home. They’ve used me as a warning for generations about the trickery others can use with our names. She’ll know I always have to say what I can’t heal and how to work around it.”

“All we did is hide that pulling the bear off me tore off a chunk of my skin, Pel. If the kid knew I stopped shifting because of a problem we made for him he’d be worse than he is now. He might have run off if we weren’t careful. It’s been years since the shifts were dangerous, the kid doesn’t need to know.”

“And what if he just thinks you’re scared of him. You know how he is, how he was when we came back.”

Byssal turned his head ignoring the grunt from Pel as she caught herself. It didn’t matter, Kyrie was better off thinking that he was scared. Scared could be overcome. He never forgot the way the kid cried when he saw Byssal wasn’t just a normal wolf. He never wanted to see that again. Pel flew up to meet his eyes again. She hovered in front of him, her wings buzzing in a way he always hated.

“He might ask Byss, what are you going to do? If he asks me I’ll have to tell him why I can’t answer. That you ordered me not to. It won’t make things better,” she whispered. Byssal brought his hands up, cupping them around the woman smaller than the joints of his fingers. She fell limply against his palms.

“We’ll deal with it then. The kid has enough on his shoulders, he doesn’t need to worry about times he might have hurt me by accident.” Byssal growled a bit before moving his hand up to his neck. He preferred when Pelago stayed there. She climbed off and curled up against him. This time she kept her wings away from his neck, he hated when she did that. “We’ll tell him we’ve still been going when he gets back. You said the girl would probably mention it, we’ll let him know she wasn’t wrong.”

#Knights nagas and more #gt #giant/tiny #giant tiny #g/t #g/t writing #gt writing #gianttiny #gt community #g/t community #oc:kyrie #oc:melody #oc:byssal #oc:pelago

82 notes · View notes

awkwardgtace · 2 years ago

Text

Statues Aren't Great For Hiding

well anon for day 12 we have that new kind of setting for melody and kyrie. Hope you see this!!

Kyrie is just trying to watch Melody, but things go wrong.

Statues Aren't Great For Hiding

Kyrie had to hurry. Byss and Pel had taken longer than usual to go to bed. All the preparations were done, but they were a bit nervous for the next few days. He had to fake sleeping while they worked, but with how long it took he actually fell asleep. He just had to hope he hadn’t missed too much.

He slid as the opening in the wall came into view. As always he hit the base of one of the statues. It was placed in the perfect spot, it took a while to confirm that his impact could never knock it down. Of course he was a little proud of the times he had to push it back into place.

“Oh, gotta go guys. Finally gonna finish the fight,” the human in the room said. Kyrie poked his head out from behind the statue. He hadn’t been too late, she wasn’t playing the game yet. Kyrie slid to his knees, quickly pulling out his canteen and getting comfortable. “Yeah yeah, tomorrow it’ll be all over the news. ‘Melody failed to finish her game for the tenth time in a week’. Shut up, bye.”

Melody laughed and Kyrie smiled. He loved watching her play games or just talk to the people in the computer. She had some weird habits when she played games lately though. She’d turn around and almost scan the room. More than once he swore her eyes had found him, but she never acted. Each and every time she’d turn back to face her computer and start the game.

This time she hovered with her eyes looking towards him longer before she spun around. He shuffled further behind the statue, but he couldn’t keep himself from staring into her eyes. He’d never thought brown could shine until he saw those eyes. A part of him wanted to talk to her. He knew the rules, the risks, but those eyes always looked kind.

“Damn it,” she growled. The words made him shy away. It reminded him why he couldn’t risk it. She did have an anger, could get loud, her brother would bring up her issues at times. When she would punch walls or throw things. Kyrie had never seen her do the violent things though. “All the work I put in for inventory management earlier is gone. The fuckin save corrupted.”

Melody leaned forward and focused on the screen. Kyrie shuffled back out to use the base of the statue like a seat. From here he could see her scrolling through a list quickly. He didn’t have the best reading skills, but he didn’t think humans could read as fast as the letters changed. Another thing that kept him from taking the risk to meet her like he wanted. She saw things and understood too quickly. She was why Byss and Pel were so nervous. She’d be alone in the house for a few days.

“Mel, I got you something,” the other human’s voice echoed through the house. Kyrie shivered, that one was who would catch them. Melody always acted terrified of bugs that made their way inside, the other one killed them. Her scream would always lead to his appearance and a loud bang of something tiny being squashed. “It’s something you thought you missed out on.”

“Crap,” Melody’s whisper made him jump. She was usually excited when her brother brought her things. It was usually another box of something she’d put up on the shelves he often hid on. The shelf he was currently on…

Melody was up faster than he’d ever seen her move. Usually she had slow movements, like she was trying to make them easy to read. This time she was towering over him before he could even think. The same eyes that he always imagined finding him were staring right at him. No chance of it being a mistake. They were worried, scared, and angry.

Kyrie tried to move, but her hands were already around him. She’d talked about having small hands, but right now he couldn’t believe that at all. He wanted to scream or fight, but soft slender fingers wrapped around him. He curled up as the hand turned into an all encompassing fist. If he stayed standing he’d be taller than her palm, he stretched out just in time to see over her pale skin. He hated that her hands were soft.

Just as the fist became tight enough he couldn’t move the door clicked open. She pulled her hand behind her back and turned. From where he was held he could see the computer and the window. The screens were black and he saw the other twin walk in with a new statue in his hands.

“Cap, what did you find?” she asked. Her voice rolled through him in a way he’d never felt before. He’d never considered her voice deep, but here he could feel the bass.

“That statue of the guy you played in replicant,” Caprice said. Byss and Pel never worried about him. He didn’t care when something didn’t add up, but Melody always did. This was the worst situation for him, in the room with both at once. Melody was holding him in a way that would make it easy to give him to her brother. To have his life crushed because her fear won and he was something small.

“Wait, you got brother nier?”

Kyrie shivered at her excitement. She might forget about him, let him go and he’d fall. She was observant, but clumsy. The fingers around him didn’t move at all. She started to bounce on her feet. Kyrie was terrified.

“Yup, can I add him to your shelf then?” Caprice asked and Kyrie flinched. The man was already grabbing for the statue he’d been hiding behind. There was no way Melody was protecting him… right? She hadn’t grabbed him to hide him, the two always told each other they didn’t keep secrets. She’d show him off right away.

“Please do, right next to the nendroid I got of him,” Melody laughed.

She pulled her hand from behind her back and held it near her chest as Caprice moved closer to the shelves. Kyrie could see the moment Caprice lifted the statue he always hid behind. If he closed his eyes he could see the angry look as the man took care of a pest for his sister. He’d seen it before, the secret acts of pests killed before Melody could be scared.

Kyrie stayed terrified as Caprice easily moved the statue he always hid behind. The one that he’d barely managed to turn by crashing into with his full weight. He knew humans were terrifying. He knew watching Melody during the day was a risk. He never thought he’d be forced to watch this. It was like she wanted him to see what his fate could or would be.

As soon as the new statue was set on the shelf, he was moved again. This time held at Melody’s side. Her fist tightened a little, but Kyrie was too scared to even squeak. Caprice turned around and wrapped Melody in a hug. The hand holding Kyrie was left at her side, but where he was let him see Caprice’s arms right where she’d first been holding him.

Melody just might be protecting him.

“This is great Cap, thank you so much. I thought he’d be impossible to find,” Melody said.

“I owe you something when you keep replacing my binders before even I know I need a new one,” Caprice laughed. They pulled apart and Melody placed both her hands over her heart. The one Kyrie was in was covered by the other, Caprice still couldn’t see him.

“Hey, I’m gonna do anything I can to help my brother feel comfortable. Now leave before I decide that fact stops when you hold up my horror games.”

“I just brought you a statue, you could be nicer.” Kyrie watched as Melody pushed Caprice out.

“Yes and I appreciate you, but you need to leave in less than an hour and I want to finish this today. I already told the others I’m finishing today and they don’t believe me.”

“Well you aren’t going to. You’ll start then decide to play with the figure because you always do.”

“Shut. Now go, and have a fun trip. Make sure to text me when you get there.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Caprice turned and pulled Melody into another hug. Kyrie was squished between them, her soft chest was all he could feel besides her hand. It was sort of nice. “Really Mel, thanks. I’ll tell mom and dad you were sad you couldn’t come along.”

“Thanks Cap.” She pushed him away again and turned Caprice to leave. “Go, you actually wanted to go to the reunion. Enjoy it ok?”

“Alright alright.”

Finally Caprice left and Melody slowly shut the door. Kyrie watched her lock it. It was only then he noticed the way the massive heart beneath him was beating. The panic in it as she turned away from the now locked door. Her steps were deceptively light. She wasn’t a thin human, the other one was. His steps were always so much heavier.

“Ok, that’s handled. No way he knows anything is up,” she mumbled. Kyrie tensed, she talked to herself a lot. That didn’t make this easier. Even if she was hiding him from Caprice she’d kept him in her hand. Tightly trapped and unable to run. It was only then he realized how high he was from the floor, how easy a fall could kill him.

She sat in the chair she used for her computer. He could see the dark screens reflecting her nervous face. It made it clear how little he existed while she held him like this. Her chest was heaving beneath him as she took deep breaths. Each inhale pushed him out and each exhale had him closer to the panicked beat. Slowly the hand around him moved away from her chest.

Melody brought her hand down to the table in front of them. Kyrie had tears in the corners of his eyes. She hadn’t let Caprice see him so maybe she didn’t think he was a pest. Maybe she just thought he was some cool figure? Maybe she’d think he was a dream and let him go? Maybe… he should have listened to Byss and Pel, stop sneaking out to watch her. Stop being curious and daydreaming about if he revealed himself to her.

The fist around him loosened slowly. As soon as her fingers started to become just a cage he fell to his knees. How would he get out of this? How would he tell the others they had to move? How could he even face them if he survived this? Eventually the slender fingers were gone and all he could do was stare up at the shining brown that he was wishing hadn’t seen him all those times he thought they did.

“Are you ok?” she whispered. Kyrie couldn’t make himself talk. Her hands were still close, they could close in on him. Was she going to see him as a pest once she learned anything? “I’m so sorry about that. I knew Cap would go right to the shelf and set it up. I didn’t want him to find you.”

“What?” he breathed. Melody shifted. The brown hair she used to make strange colors rested on the table around him. Her eyes were directly above him, he could touch them.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you well. I-I didn’t hurt you right? Oh man I don’t think I know what to do if I did. Shit, shit, shit.”

“What are you gonna do?” His voice sounded stronger than he felt. Those shining brown eyes had tears pooling at the edge. Her hair smelled nice, like the hall near the bathroom when she showered. He was strangely at ease like this, encompassed and hidden by her. By a human that should terrify him.

“Probably go back to my game so I stop panicking about grabbing you? Unless you leave then probably try to watch some video…”

“Why?”

“You’ve been watching me haven’t you?”

Kyrie scrambled back when she said that. She wasn’t supposed to know. Every time he thought she’d seen him… She had. Now what would happen? He knew she knew, she’d do something to them. That was humans. Even if he didn’t believe she would. Her fingers came near to him again. He was terrified.

“Hey, hey it’s ok. Fuck I messed this whole thing up. I’m so bad at shit like this. Why don’t we try something else?” Melody sat back and changed the way her fingers hovered. One sat just in front of him. “I’m Melody, but maybe you knew that already.”

Kyrie took a deep breath and reached out for her finger. His nails easily dug into her skin, but she didn’t react. “Kyrie…”

“Nice to meet you, officially I guess.”

When she laughed, Kyrie's heart skipped. All this time he had wondered what she’d do. If she’d hurt him or call Caprice to kill him like a spider. They never had mice, but that was mostly because of Pel. She hated dealing with them in the walls, it was ten times worse at their size. He tightened his hold on her finger, using it as leverage to stand again. He felt so small next to her, he was supposed to be tall among borrowers.

“You didn’t hurt me,” he said. A smile was sent his way. A smile that he’d seen so many times, that he dreamed about facing him so many times. That in his worst nightmares smiled at him while Caprice killed him. “Why did you hide me? I thought you two don’t do that.”

“Oh,” she sighed. Her smile changed, softer than before. A warm far off look. “Well, to be honest when I was a kid I used to watch this show with little people your size. They had mouse tails though. I kind of figured if you were real it was the same as the show, I shouldn’t know about you and Caprice shouldn’t either.”

“Humans know about me?”

“No, creatures like you are just stories. A story that’s apparently real, but not one I get to tell.”

“So you… you won’t tell him about us?”

“Us…?” She tilted her head, it was cute, but he realized what he did. He let her know there were more. Kyrie ran, he had to get home. If she decided to change… He shook his head. Byss and Pel had to know. They had to be ready. “Wait!” Her hands slammed down around him. Kyrie couldn’t stop himself from ramming into them. He fell off his feet and looked up at those shing brown eyes.

He shook, the bit of confidence he was gaining died. At the end of the day she was human. She had control in this situation. Except her hands disappeared. She stood up, her full height a terrifying image. She walked away from him. Kyrie could run, get home, tell the others and they could move. Yet he couldn’t make himself leave.

“I shouldn’t have stopped you, I'm sorry,” she said. Her voice carried so easily. He wished his own could do that. “I mean, I’d be terrified if I was that small and someone did that. I just… I’m not going to hurt you or anyone like you.”

She turned around and her eyes were closed. She smiled, but it looked almost empty. There were things she talked about recently. Caprice was going where a lot of humans would be, humans they both knew, but she wasn’t. It was when he talked most often about her throwing things or punching things, when he mentioned their past.

“It’s ok really, I know I can be scary. I can leave the room if you want so you can run without wondering if I watched. Although I always kind of assumed you were coming out of the wall near my shelves,” she laughed again, but it was hollow. There was something that he’d heard faintly. He could barely understand what it meant, that she was a problem in high school. He didn’t really know what that was, but she wasn’t scary.

“I’m not afraid,” he said. Somehow his voice traveled like her own. Just like he wished it could. Her eyes opened wide, the shine he had been enamored by seemed to grow. She started to take a step forward, but hesitated.

“You can stay there while I play today if you want.” It was Kyrie’s turn to be shocked. He had so many questions that he always wanted to ask. Just considering how she knew what the fast moving letters met.

“Really? Won’t I get in the way?”

“How? It’s not like you’ll be sitting on my mouse.”

“You have a mouse?! I’ve never seen it?” Melody walked forward, sitting back in the chair. She leaned forward, a warm smile. She put a finger on the thing she always had her hand on.

“This is called a mouse. It’s not a real one, just because it used to kind of look like one. Mine’s a bit too glowy for that.”

“Can… Can I ask you questions?”

“I mean you kind of are aren’t you?” Kyrie was excited to be what made her laugh. He knew Byss would kill him later, but he liked this. He liked Melody, he’d liked her since they first got here. Even when she screamed in fear at bugs or begged Caprice to kill them. He wasn’t a bug right. “I sort of expect it, go ahead. I might ramble if it’s about the game though.”

“What am I?” It slipped out. He covered his mouth with his hands, he didn’t want to know. The bit of his dreams coming true would fall apart.

“A person? I mean is there a word I should know? That show I talked about said littles, but honestly sounds kind of weird to me. I mean humans don’t call elephants bigs or anything. I guess maybe you’re a brownie? Or some other fairy kind of thing?”

“What happens if I scare you?”

“Uh… you scare me? I’m not sure what you’re getting at.” Melody leaned forward again. Her hair surrounded him. This time he reached out, feeling the soft brown he’d been curious about. He wanted to ask so many things, but what if she decided to hurt him? “I mean Cap just barges into my room sometimes and scares me, I hit him once by accident. That’s kind of all I got.”

Kyrie didn’t know what to say. If she knew what he thought would she be mad? Would she change? At the same time he was scared she’d never hold him again. Her hands were soft and even unsure about what she was doing they made him feel safe. He didn’t want to be afraid of her, to wonder if she’d change. Except what if it was Pel or Byss they were shorter than him. Would it change what she saw…

“Why am I different?” he whispered. Melody leaned even closer. Her breath washed over him. He looked up and touched her face, she shivered. “What if I was the size of some of those bugs?”

“Is that what’s scaring you?” her words were soft, warm. It was all he could think of with her. “You’re not a bug. Even then if a spider could talk I’d be a lot less scared. I could ask it to leave rather than hope it won’t touch me.”

“So it’s because I talk?” Somehow that didn’t help. It made it worse, what if it was Pel and she was frozen. What if it was Byss and he refused?

“Well no, I mean obviously talking helps. I wouldn’t just volunteer to have something killed for no reason. I can ask Cap to stop killing bugs if that’s what worries you. I just have always been anxious about them…” She leaned back a bit. “You’re big for whatever you are, aren’t you?”

Kyrie could only bring himself to nod.

“Looking like a person definitely helps, but honestly I only really scream about spiders and house centipedes cause those things are terrifying. Although, I can be terrifying too. Maybe I’ll just need you to be the one to handle the bugs instead of Cap from now on.” He knew she was joking, but his cheeks flushed a bright red. He kind of liked the idea of protecting her. It helped that her voice was so quiet he knew no one else could have heard it. Not even another borrower.

“Let him go!” Byssal’s voice echoed in the room. Melody pulled back to look around, her eyes locking on the tiny man with green hair. Kyrie didn’t know what would happen next.

“Bye Mel!” Caprice’s voice yelled from somewhere else. This would be the time for her to call for him. To get help to take care of Kyrie, Byss, and Pel. Her hands surrounded him.

“Bye Cap, Have fun lemme know if you get any good gossip!”

Her hands disappeared and he was left in silence. He stumbled a bit away from her to see Byssal standing on the shelf of figures. The one added today made him look even smaller than normal. Melody stood up, the fact he knew she was short for humans made it worse. She walked over to Byssal and leaned close to look at him.

“Ok, I see why you’d be worried,” she said. Then she spun on her heel, marched back to Kyrie and reached for him. He tensed as her fingers grew close so she stopped and set her hand flat instead.

Kyrie could feel Byssal’s gaze. The older man had taught him so much, been almost like a father. Here he was breaking all the rules, talking to a human, going out when she was here alone, and now he was climbing right into her hand. He felt kind of big next to her though. Maybe her hands were small and he’d say it another time.

Melody curled her fingers up around him as soon as he was in her palm. She pulled him up from the table to her chest and honestly he liked it. He liked her powerful heart beating behind him. The soft feeling of her around him. He didn’t want her to put him down ever. He wanted more of this. Sadly she reached the shelf and brought her hand to Byssal.

“I won’t do anything to any of you,” she whispered. He looked back at her smile. “You’re free to tell me if you need anything. And I won’t tell my brother either.”

“She wasn’t keeping me,” Kyrie whispered. Byssal still glared at him. The older man grabbed his arm and dragged Kyrie off the warm palm. Together they disappeared into the wall, looking back he caught a glimpse of her waving. He could see in her eyes she didn’t think they’d meet again.

Byss dragged him through the walls. It would be easy enough to overtake the older man, but Kyrie didn’t want to make him angrier. By the time they reached home he wasn’t sure anything that happened was real. Melody being so kind, hiding him, saying he could protect her from what scared her.

“Kyrie!” Pel’s shout knocked him back to reality. She pulled him into a hug, she was less than half his height. “We were so worried. Why would you go out when you know the girl is the only one here?! She might have seen-”

“She did,” Byss cut her off. “I found him trapped on her desk. She just… gave him to me.”

“I wasn’t trapped!” Kyrie tried. Both his parental figures glared at him. Byss ran a hand down his face and sighed.

“We have a lot to discuss, and decide tonight.”

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melody hadn’t felt great after meeting the tiny people in her home. Caprice wasn’t going to hurt them, but she would still keep quiet. It wasn’t likely they were even still there if the stuff from those old shows related to them at all. It had already been a day she had to get over it. The game she planned to finish sat staring in her face, but she didn’t really want to do it without her little audience.

For about the tenth time in as many minutes she let out a heavy sigh. Closed her games launcher and focused on a movie instead. There were plenty she liked watching, although she was a bit more interested in ones with tiny people which wouldn’t help right now. She had imagined meeting one when she was younger, but she never thought they’d think she’d want them dead.

Melody settled on a silly animated movie she watched a lot. She sat back in her chair and closed her eyes as the opening played. She’d heard it a hundred times, could picture the scenes in her head. It would help her relax at least.

“Isn’t it hard to watch these things like that?” Kyrie’s voice made her jump. She stared down at her desk, shocked to find the tiny man staring up at her. His smile was so wide it made her own face hurt. “You watch this one a lot, why is that? What are they called anyway? Oh… am I still allowed to ask you questions?”

Melody laughed, “It’s not like you got to ask any yesterday. I just like this, it’s called a movie. I closed my eyes because I know it so well… Is this your visit to tell me you’re leaving?”

He walked forward and two other people smaller than him walked out. Kyrie truly was big for his size. Next to him was the green haired one from yesterday, a little more than half Kyrie’s height and a blonde one even smaller. She leaned forward, frowning as the green haired one moved to protect the blonde one.

“You didn’t have to give me more proof,” she whispered. A vain hope it would lighten the tension. “I could already see why you were worried I’d hurt one of you. None of you had to come see me.”

“We’re here to talk with you,” the green haired one came forward. Melody nodded. “Humans like you are dangerous and we shouldn’t trust you. There’s more stories than I could ever tell to explain why talking to you like this is foolish-”

“What he means is we’re willing to take a risk if you’re willing to listen to some rules,” the blonde one cut the green haired man off.

“As long as it’s not killing someone I think I can probably listen.” Kyrie was beaming as he looked at her. No one had ever looked at her like that before, it made her struggle to keep her eyes on him.

“You won’t tell anyone, even the other human you live with, that we’re here. You won’t touch us unless we allow it or it’s to stop another human from seeing us.”

“What if you’re in danger and don’t know it? Like I don’t know a cat’s about to pounce or something?” The three small people shivered, Melody grimaced. It was clear she made a bad choice of example. The blonde stepped forward again.

“Those times are ok too. More so only if it’s an emergency.”

Melody nodded.

“You won’t ask us about what we are or others like us. No stories written about us either. Like the one you brought up, nothing like that.”

“I don’t think I’d be good enough to write about silly adventures you take. A hard hitting drama maybe,” the glares made her joke fall flat in her throat, “sorry it was a joke. Even if I wanted to take that route in my life, you’d have to give me the ok first. So I promise no stories.”

“If we ask for something you get it for us, no questions asked.” The green haired man crossed his arms. Something made her think this was the deal breaker.

“Ok, but if it’s hard to get or like really expensive can I ask in case there’s an alternative?”

“What’s expensive?” Kyrie’s question was almost a welcome interjection. He seemed to trust her at least.

“Like it’s hard for me to get or risky to get kind of things. Like if you ask for a diamond I kind of need to know why before I go and get myself into debt or prison or something.”

“We reserve the right not to answer.”

“Then I reserve the right to say no if it’s something unreasonably hard to get.”

The green haired man stared at her. She wasn’t sure what the next moments were going to lead to. He wasn’t happy with her answer, it was clear. She wasn’t going to promise and break it later. Eventually he sighed and stepped forward. A single miniscule hand was held out to her. She brought her finger and thumb close, carefully pinching it between both.

“Then we’ll be staying. You can call me Byssal,” he huffed. She followed as he moved his tiny arm up and down. When she let go it was hard to believe she hadn’t hurt him.

“I’m Pelago, Pel is just fine though!” the blonde smiled.

“I’m Melody, I hope I can prove you were right to trust me.”

The two turned to leave, she expected Kyrie to do the same. Instead he moved closer to her and sat down right in front of her keyboard. His brazen attitude was amazing. She didn’t know how to treat someone like this, but she liked it. She was careful as she switched from her headset to her speakers. Turning the volume down to protect the small man’s ears.

“Maybe, you can finish that game now?” he asked.

“Let’s finish the fight,” she smiled.

#gt #giant/tiny #giant tiny #g/t #g/t writing #gt writing #gianttiny #gt community #g/t community #oc:melody #oc:kyrie #gt july 2023 #gt july #gt july video games #not sure how this one went #but i liked it so there's that

27 notes · View notes

awkwardgtace · 2 years ago

Text

Past and Resolution

TW: Blood, mentions of merfolk eating each other, abandonment, A look into Kyrie's past, how he reached Byssal and Pelago plus the growths before he became 300+

Poll winner from tumblr and something I've been working on all day cause i am about to lose myself to video game (zelda time!!!)

- perspective shift ----- is time shift

14k words cause I have a problem

ao3 link cause long

Past and Resolution

“Are you excited?” Foam asked. He had a vibrant red tail with eyes the same shade. His claws were dull, a benefit as he wiped away sand seeking out a white fin. The little mer in the sand tried to bury himself deeper. Foam forced out a chuckle before grabbing the end of the hidden tail.

The young mer was pulled into the open. It was clear the white tailed mer had dug it for himself as sand fell from his hands. His white eyes were shining. His hair was odd, a dark black that made the white of his fins look wrong. The face of the now revealed child had a smile, but fear hid behind it.

“Come on runt,” Foam said. “What has you hiding this time? Your scales will change during the night and by morning you’ll finally look like one of us.”

“What if I don’t?” the small white mer asked. Tears floated up from his eyes. Foam offered a tight smile before letting the white mer go.

“That won’t happen. You’ll get your colors and your name tomorrow.” Foam curled his tail into a coil, resting next to a spot of sea moss. He tilted his head and the white mer dashed into the moss bed. It was almost the same as when he’d buried himself in the sand. The kelp and moss hid the white of every fin and scale. Even his ear fins were well hidden.

“What if they don’t have a name for me?” The white mer’s fins folded against his head. He’d heard his parents talk about him. They hated him. Blamed him for the siblings who didn’t hatch. Sometimes they said it was his fault that the entire season had ended with just him being born.

“Of course they do, something like Tide or Wave. Better than Foam,” Foam kept his tight smile. The white mer had a bit of light enter his pure white eyes.

“I like your name though. I want to know what it means!” Foam ran his hand through his hair and bit back a tired sigh. This was taking forever.

“It’s a part of the water near the surface. Kelpie is named after kelp because of her green tail, and Anem because of those weird little fish things that are purple like her tail.” Foam pushed away, a darker look flashing on his face for a few seconds before his smile returned. “You should go to sleep, we’ll even take you hunting tomorrow too.”

The white mer nodded, but didn’t close his eyes. After a few seconds Foam’s fins drooped. He was sick of this. Just because he was the youngest the others left him taking care of the runt. He was probably going to be such a bright color that the runt grew backwards. Getting smaller until he fit in the coral humans liked. That would be a relief. None of this weird pup’s actions would be there to disturb the pod, his family.

“I hope I’m red like you, or pink like mom and dad,” the nameless mer said. Foam offered another tight smile to reassure the runt. Finally the white eyes closed and Foam swam out. He rushed to the others, grumbling about his current job taking care of the runt.

“The runt’s finally asleep?” Kelpie asked. Her tail was a deep green, as were her eyes. Her hair was a lighter shade of green, they all knew it would change in a few years. It didn’t stop her from being almost three times Foam’s size.

“So if he gets smaller we’re just sending him to live with those small mers right?” Anem said. Her violet tail was draped lazily over a stone. Her eyes were hidden from view by the sea blue hair floating around her head. “I hope he’s small like you or mom and dad if he doesn’t start growing smaller. I don’t want the runt following me around.”

“Took forever. He hid in the sand again. It’s annoying. I hope he’s one of those tiny mers. I don’t want him to be my problem anymore,” Foam hissed. His parents had forced the runt on him. Claiming it was better he learned since he’s small. He’d be back with his sister’s children in the future too. Easier for the larger mers to hunt when the young hid. He didn’t mind having that role, but he hated this runt. His parents were going to be smaller than him eventually, it should be their job. Plus it’s their kid.

“Aww Foam, it’s not so bad right?” Kelpie brought her hand near, but her brother slapped it with his tail. She couldn’t hold back her grin, he hated the runt more than any of them. The kid followed him like a lost shark for months. Foam actually growled at her, it just made her laugh. Anem laughed a bit too.

“We should go to bed. Tomorrow’s the first time mom and dad will actually take care of him. If we’re lucky he’s out of all our hair soon. If not it won’t be hard to lose him in a tide… Unless he’s useful.”

The white mer used his hands to keep his tears from floating up. He’d gotten scared, he wanted his brother. Foam hated him just like his sisters… just like his parents. The nameless mer rushed back to his bed of sea moss, opting to dig into the sand nearby instead. He always felt better when it came to hiding in the soft sand. Everywhere else felt too open. His eyes drifted close, his last thought a plea that he’d be a color they all like. That his family could finally love him.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two mers with tails a deep pink like coral approached the spot the nameless mer slept. They had a mixture of worry and annoyance plastered on their faces. They’d let the child pick his name and send him off. He would be a runt, not just a runt, one of the mers even smaller than a human hand. Any mer in their right mind hated caring for those ones. Too easy to hurt, too easy to leave behind, too much of a burden.

The mermaid hung back as the merman swam into the small hollow. Only the two of them and their son Foam could fit. The merman bit back a growl seeing the nameless child had once again hidden in the sand. He carefully dusted at the lump near the bed they had supplied. A hiss mixed with a whimper slipped from the merman’s throat. His mate swam forward releasing a choked sound at the sight herself.

The nameless child’s scales had changed. They weren’t the color of a mer smaller than a human’s hand. Nor the color of his parents. His siblings, all unique in their pod, remained that way. The scales revealed a shade of deep blue. One that promised a mer that belonged in the trenches of the ocean. One that had been rumored to devour its pod in frenzies…

The two rushed to their other children. Something had to be done. They couldn’t send him to the smaller mers. No pod in their right mind would take in a trench mer. At least not around here. They couldn’t keep him, it would mean death for themselves and the three children they’d raised. No… They knew an option. It was an awful one, but it would save their lives and remove the soon to be impossible to ignore burden.

* * *

The nameless mer woke up with a shiver. His tail was open to the cool water, but he knew he’d hidden in the sand. Eyes shooting open the little mer realized his scales must have changed. Foam would have checked on him. He freed himself from the sand and stared at his tail. A brilliant blue that the mer was sure had to be like Anem or Foam’s size. He’d fit in with his family now. He’d be useful too.

The boy shot out of the den he had. The open area his family spent time in was empty. He swam forward hoping for some idea of what was happening. He should be getting his name right? His parents and his siblings should be happy with him. He could be useful… couldn’t he?

“The runt’s a deep sea mer!?” Foam shouted. The nameless mer hid, his scales helped him hide now. He didn’t know what deep sea meant. Could he be bigger than Kelpie? That would be great. He could make her feel safe like the time she growled and scared the shark away.

“I’m not staying if you keep that monster,” Kelpie growled. The young guppy shied away. Kelpie got angry at him a lot, but he wasn’t a problem right?

“Can’t we just drop him with those things and run?” Anem said. He hadn’t heard from his parents yet. Maybe… maybe it was just his brother and sisters.

“I’ve seen those things An, there’s no way we do that and don’t become a meal ourselves.” Kelpie sounded angry. “Maybe… maybe we just handle the runt ourselves. He’s still small enough.”

“No,” it was his dad speaking up. Maybe the little mer could understand now. “We’ll be outcast if we do anything to the only survivor of that season. We need to do something else. There’s that bigger mer who has hunting grounds near here…”

“We could cover his tail to look like the fish in the area, then leave him there. If we use the fish themselves the scent shouldn’t throw off that mer. They’ll eat him,” his mother said.

The nameless mer swam away, burying himself in the sand again. Kelpie would always growl when he got too close, but chased off the sharks that saw him. Anem yelled at him for staring at her tail, but still used her scales to reflect the sun on the roof of his part of the den sometimes. Foam helped him sleep and told him stories. His parents made him his bed and hunted the fish that was best for him to eat. Even if his sisters hunted bigger fish for the others. All he wanted was to be someone his family could want around. If… if his existence was too much for them then he’d do what they wanted.

Eventually the little mer’s parents came to get him. He’d been waiting, but stayed hidden until one of them dusted the sand off his back. He tried to bury his tail deeper, like it would fix him. They grabbed his hand, the nameless child didn’t ask a single question. His parents never liked him talking around them anyway. He jumped when Kelpie’s hands wrapped around him and his parents.

* * *

Kelpie swam fast, her hold firm. She was worried about hurting her parents, not so much the runt. She’d keep her family fed if they lost their place. It didn’t matter to her. The swim at least was short with her guiding it. She let her parents and the runt float in front of her. She paused for a second before dashing forward and clamping her hand shut. She pulled it back, finding enough of the fish that swam around the grounds to camouflage the runt.

“Stay still now,” her mother said. Kelpie watched as her mother and father hid the deep sea blue from sight. They stuck some of the pieces of fish in the runt’s hair too. A part of her felt sorry for him, but not enough to risk her own life. Not enough to risk her pod and her family. Although she winced when her father caked the fish on the runt’s fins. She could just imagine the discomfort.

“Now be good and wait here, we’ll come get you soon. Once we come get you we’ll have your name for you,” her father said. The runt swam off. It was almost like he knew. Once he was far enough away she cupped her parents in her hands and swam off. They’d never deal with the runt again, the last five years will become a bad memory.

* * *

The nameless mer swam out into the open water. He’d wait for the big mer to show up. As he floated there, swarms of fish surrounded him. Their fins tickled his skin. It made him smile, he should be happy today. It was the fifth anniversary of when he hatched. He should have a name and be learning what his role in the pod would be. He should be happy.

The boy cried hidden in the school of fish. He was small enough they managed to pull him along as they swam. He was small. The mers hatched after him were all bigger. Now he was alone, now some giant mer would come along and eat him. At least the fish hid his tears.

The mer had no idea how long he’d been floating. The fish on his scales and fins made them itchy. The fish around him started to swim in all directions. Darkness surrounded him and the fish as they swam. His eyes went wide as he found the massive teeth surrounding the school he was hidden in. They snapped shut with blood floating past the nameless mer and down the giant one’s throat. He tried not to scream as the mer started to chew. He was going to die…

* * *

Byssal froze as something strange touched his tongue. It was coupled with the fish he was currently eating. Something that didn’t belong. He chirped curiously. In the silence of the ocean the smallest sniffle reached his ears. He chirped again, this time a muffled shout came from his closed mouth.

Panic set into his heart. Had he hurt a mer? They had to be small, maybe young. Using his tongue Byssal managed to isolate the strange taste. He pressed the tiny form to the roof of his mouth, swallowing the fish he’d been eating. With his tongue pressed firmly he started on his way home. It was too dangerous for him to attempt to free the mer he’d nearly eaten.

As he swam Byssal kept up soft chirps to try and stem the tears hitting his tongue. It was a futile attempt. When his den came into view Byssal put his all into reaching the entrance. Chirps begging for the one he lived with to come to his aid. Pelago rushed to his face in worry.

“Byssal?” she chirped. He whined, it would be hard to talk. Byssal tried his best to maneuver the mer to a safer spot. “What’s wrong?”

“Small mer,” he mumbled around them. It wasn’t exactly clear, but the look on her face told him enough. She understood. “Pel, will you-”

“Open up!”

* * *

The nameless mer had tried to stay silent, the chirps were too loud for him. When the mer finally opened his jaws the young guppy was terrified. He saw his future already, the way the massive being swallowed fish bigger than him whole. He’d be dead soon enough. The rocking voice around him was too much. He couldn’t make out the words.

Soon a mer with stark white fins appeared at the mouth’s entrance. Her face was covered in pale scares. They stood out on her dark skin along with the bright white of her eyes. He’d heard about mers like her, his family didn’t like them. She swam right into the massive one’s mouth, right up to him.

“Hush guppy, it’s alright,” she whispered. Her voice was so kind. It was different from how his family had always spoken. She wrapped her arms around him and made a face when her hand touched the fish stuck to his tail. “Guess my Byssal is a messy eater? Let’s get out of here.”

The white mer held him close to her chest as she swam out of the massive mouth. The massive teeth snapped shut. The nameless mer shivered from the sound. The one holding him offered kind chirps. It made him chirp back. Immediately he forced the noise to stop, he didn’t want to be yelled at before they killed him. The massive one, Byssal, backed away. The boy looked up seeing a terrifying gaze staring down at him.

“What were you doing out there on your own?” Byssal asked. The boy just offered a chirp. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t exactly want to ask if they would eat him or just kill him. He started to cry again.

“Byss back off you’re scaring him,” the one holding him said. She hugged him tighter, his family never did this. “Guppy, can you tell us your name? We’ll help you get back home.”

The boy chirped. He didn’t have a name. She tightened her hold again, she was a little bigger than his parents. Her hands were as long as him.

“Well you can call me Pelago, or Pel. The grumpfish is Byssal he didn’t mean to scare you,” her voice was soft. He liked it, his family was always harsh when they spoke to him. Even Foam.

The nameless boy whined when the big one came close. He could feel the water pulling him free from the kind arms. He didn’t want to go back to the mouth yet. He wasn’t ready to die. The pull was gone and Byssal let out a small chirp.

“I’ll be back. I’m going to find the kid’s pod. Don’t go too far while I’m gone this time Pel,” Byssal’s voice sounded sort of soft too. The nameless mer forced himself to look into the eyes of the one expected to eat him. The merman looked kind… He sort of hoped they’d just send him off on his own. These two almost made him feel like he belonged.

“Oh please, you’ll worry your tail fin off at this rate Byssal. I am perfectly capable of defending myself, besides last time was just-”

“Just the net of a human boat that almost pulled you on board. Be safe, especially for the kid.”

* * *

Pelago watched as Byssal swam off. The grumpfish was too worried, but he did save her from a lot of close calls. She pulled the guppy tighter against her. He wasn’t talking and he was so small. The little mer must be one of the higher coral ones. She waited a few minutes just holding the little guppy. Tears started to float by her eyes.

“Guppy, it’s ok. Byss will find your pod,” she whispered. The little guppy shook his head.

“They don’t want me,” he said. His voice cracked as he spoke. It was so quiet. She chirped at him. Just something to reassure the little mer. He couldn’t be more than a foot long so far. The poor thing. Mers grew more than this by the time they got their scales… usually.

Pelago moved one of her hands. The slick of dead fish made her grimace. There was a cleaning spot nearby, it wasn’t too far. The poor thing was coated in sour smelling fish, not the ones Byss usually ate. It had her worried. What had he been through? Especially if he thought his family didn’t want him. She looked into his eyes.

“Why don’t we get all that fish off you?” she asked. The young mer paled, but he didn’t object. She held him close to her heart as she started to swim. Once he was cleaned all of this would be clear. Byss could take care of finding the pod he belonged with. Poor thing probably ran off… She hoped he just ran off.

* * *

Byssal swam as fast as he could to reach his hunting ground. The mer was young enough his scent was a mix of his pod. It should be easy enough to find them. They should be relieved to hear the guppy was safe and could come home. He chose to ignore that the coating on the guppy had been dead for a long time.

In his hunting grounds a multitude of scents intermingled. It wasn’t easy to isolate just one. He hoped he’d find something by starting where the guppy was floating. The scent on the mer mixed with long dead fish left him struggling. Byssal froze as he caught a few unusual scents. At least three more mers that were close to what he was looking for. He followed the trail.

Byssal forced himself to swim slowly, he needed time. The words to discuss the guppy were failing him. His thoughts turned dark as the distance from his grounds grew and grew. There was no way for the tiny pup to get to his grounds accidentally. A growl was building in his chest. The true reason a pup coated in dead fish was hidden in his territory started to become clear.

“So are you going to see if the runt’s still alive?” someone said. Byssal narrowed his eyes and his fins folded back against his head. A sneer planted itself on his face as he found a group of mers, all much smaller than him.

“No way,” a green mer said. She was a different shade from himself, she’d never reach his size. The growl in his chest wanted to push itself out. “Mom and dad coated the runt in fish he’ll definitely be eaten. If not by the mer by a shark or something.”

“Stop talking about the runt, he’s not our problem anymore,” a pink merman said. Byssal approached at a slow float. The small group had yet to notice him. He could see the red, violet, and pink tails behind the green one.

“So you left a pup out for me to do your dirty work?” Byssal growled.

The green mer swam in front of the others. It didn’t make a difference, she wasn’t big enough to be a threat. A threatening growl escaped him. He almost swore he could smell the fear on the small pod. The pink mermaid swam up and tried to glare at him. Her shaking fins revealed her fear.

“We don’t know what you’re-” Byssal growled to cut her off the speaking mermaid.

“Why?” he said. She backed away, this time the second biggest mer came forward. Violet scales. The color was rare, but another one that wouldn’t be a threat. He glared down at the pod, they weren’t even worried. They wanted the pup gone.

“If you saw his scales you’d want the same thing!” she said. “Do what you want with the runt we never wanted him anyway. He doesn’t even have a name.”

His next growl was loud enough to echo around them. The violet mer swam back. She didn’t have any bravery behind her attempt. Even the green one’s fins were shaking. It was how she should be. Mers like this made Byssal sick. A part of him wanted to punish them, but he wouldn’t be like that when Pel was waiting… when there was an apparently abandoned guppy involved.

Byssal leaned closer, three of them were bite sized to him. He could easily scare them. Baring his fangs he let out another deep growl. The entire group floated back, but he just moved closer. He let them get a good look at how big he was, how big he would always be next to them. Byssal used his size advantage to grab the smallest one, the red one, and bring him close to his teeth.

“The pup is mine now,” he growled. The little merman had tears float from his eyes. “You go near him, call him a runt, or anything until he’s full grown and I’ll have a fun time seeing what a red or violet tail tastes like.”

Byssal let the red mer go and pulled away from the pod.

“You’ll feel the same way once you see his tail!” the green mer shouted. Byssal glared at the small mers. Another growl followed by a snap of his teeth was his response. No color could make abandoning a guppy a good option. Let alone leaving him hidden so he’d be eaten. Byssal didn’t bother saying anything. He swam off, apparently he and Pel had a pup now.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pelago kept the guppy tucked close to her. He could be lost too easily. The cleaning station came into view and she smiled. A few chirps to let the guppy know it was soon. If she’d ever been coated like this she wouldn’t be able to sit still. The guppy barely moved even as she swam, it scared her. He was too calm, too quiet, for a young mer. She couldn’t wait to see the blue of his scales going by his eyes.

The fish in the station swam away as she approached. It wasn’t uncommon, all the mers scared the smaller fish. She settled down near one of the larger groups. She knew this guppy needed to have a good cleaning by these little helpers. She chirped before finally letting the guppy fall from her arms and land on her curled tail.

The guppy curled up more on her tail. Chirps weren’t enough to convince him to move. She sighed, most mers she met were older than him. Bigger than him. Her hand was as big as him. A sigh escaped her followed by bubbles. That caught the guppy’s attention. His eyes were shining as he watched the bubbles float in the air. It made her laugh.

“I’ll make more bubbles, if you stretch out your tail and fins ok?” she asked. The guppy kept his head down for a bit of time before he looked up with a nod. He stretched his tail out on top of hers, leaning his back against her stomach. Honestly she found the guppy adorable.

Pel did as she promised, blowing bubbles from her gills. The guppy looked happy enough he didn’t even notice the cleaner fish slipping out. He tried to grab the bubbles she made. It made her smile, he was so innocent. The poor thing all alone. Byssal needed to find his pod otherwise they were keeping him. While she blew bubbles she tried to clean his hair with her hands.

The chunks she found hurt her heart. They weren’t like the ones Byss had in his teeth sometimes. The little guppy chirped and leaned into her hands. His head was so small next to her fingers and he was so happy. She tried to ignore the sick feeling growing in her stomach as the long dead fish fell out of her claws. It couldn’t have come from when Byss fed.

She hoped the mer would grow to purr. It seemed to suit him. Slowly she stopped blowing bubbles as the last bits of fish fell from his hair. The guppy’s eyes drooped, he must be tired after today. She ran her fingers through the kelp like strands for a few minutes before reaching towards his fins. The second her claw touched one he folded them back against his head and looked into her eyes with fear.

“Guppy, we have to remove the fish from your fins, doesn’t it feel bad?” she whispered. He looked away from her, his tiny body shaking on her tail.

“You’ll hate me too if you see them,” he whispered. She chirped a few times as she tried to find something to say. How could his fins make her hate him?

“Guppy, why in all the seas would…”

Pelago trailed off as she saw the shining scales where the cleaner fish had been at work. A deep blue she’d seen rarely when she was with her mother. The mer would be large enough to purr. He would wind up even bigger than Byssal. So much made sense as that brilliantly deep blue wormed into her mind. A child punished for stories caused by mistakes of the past… A child like her.

“Oh guppy,” she mumbled. She slid her hands under his arms and lifted him off her tail. He chirped, she could hear the fear in it. She tried to chirp and calm him. Pressing him tightly against her chest she started to pet his head. “You’re going to be amazing when you grow up. So big you can help so many mers. I love the color of your scales.”

“But… the others were mad. My scales-” the guppy started. Pelago pulled him away and held him above her. Tears floating from his eyes.

“Your scales mean you get to be one of the biggest creatures in the ocean. You can travel all the seas and see everything.” She floated up, spinning in a circle with him. “You’ll see wonderful sights and meet hundreds of mers. The others don’t see the beauty behind your scales, but you should. Your scales are a gift, a wonder, something truly amazing.”

The guppy continued to cry, but she could see a difference. The face behind those tears looked hopeful. She pulled him into another tight hug as she let herself fall back to the ground. Instead of putting the young mer down she angled his tail out in the open. The cleaner fish could continue that way. While he cried against her she pulled at the fish on his fins, cleaning off what was too well packed to be a mess from the close call with Byss. She wasn’t sending this guppy back to that pod.

* * *

Byssal swam back slowly. He knew Pel would have taken the young mer to get cleaned up. He couldn’t imagine any color worth torturing a guppy. Abandoning him in the hopes someone ate him. He still wanted to go back and teach them the pain they tried to inflict, but he wasn’t that type of mer. With a pup to raise he never could be.

As their den came into view he caught sight of Pel ducking back in. He hovered outside for a bit. He wanted to give her and the guppy time to settle in. Byssal chirped as he swam close, letting her know it was him. Others still came by sometimes. Oceanid was one thing, but her mother caused the trouble that left Pel struggling. He knew she promised not to cause that pain for her own pups.

When he ducked his head into the den his heart froze. The guppy was curled up in Pelago’s hands. It was hard to believe how small he was. The sweet moment died as he noticed the deep blue tail. He thought the eyes were going to show a mer that would be barely visible when full grown, not a trenches mer. It made him angrier, a growl slipping out of his chest.

“Shush!” Pel whispered. He fought down the growl. She would know it wasn’t towards the kid… he hoped. “He only just fell asleep. Don’t wake him up by growling, he’d probably just cry again.”

“I met his pod Pel,” Byssal whispered. He had to hope his voice wouldn’t wake up the sleeping mer. “They brought him to my grounds after he got his colors.”

“No…”

Byssal nodded, there wasn’t a way to make it sound better. The poor pup’s family sent him to die and none of them felt an ounce of regret. There was more to say, but the tiny tears floating past Pel’s face distracted him. The pup had woken up.

* * *

The nameless mer tried not to cry when the massive mer came back. Hearing he met his family broke the little mer’s strength. Now they’d kill him. Either one could eat him. He was small enough. Although… Pelago said she liked his scales.

“Guppy, did we wake you,” Pelago whispered. He shook his head, but that made her laugh. “You shouldn’t answer if you want us to think you’re sleeping.”

Slowly he uncurled and swam off her hands. Byssal was so big. It would be easy to just disappear behind the giant teeth. The little mer tried to be strong as he stared into those massive green eyes. It would be fine. Whatever they decided he couldn’t get away anyway. Even if he did, no one would be there for him.

The little mer yelped as a finger came up behind him. He was pulled closer to one of the massive green eyes. A claw was placed on his stomach. He couldn’t stop himself from squirming. A chirp echoed in his ears.

“You’ll be bigger than me someday,” Byssal whispered. The little mer chirped in fear. His fins pressed against his head.

“S-so y-you’re g-gonna eat me… right?” he whispered. The hands as big as him surrounded him and Byssal growled. It scared him, he saw his tears start floating in front of him.

“No.” The hands his size pulled him from the finger and claw. He felt safer in her hands.

“Guppy, of course that’s not happening. Even if he wanted to, I’d never let Byssal hurt you.”

Pelago pulled him against her chest again. She was chirping, his family never did this. He screamed as she was pulled by the giant hand. She held him out so Byssal could see him. That face just kept coming closer. The tip of a nose came to rest against him. Just barely avoiding his head.

“You’re in our pod now,” Byssal’s chirps rumbled through the little mer’s scales. “We’re keeping you safe and happy. We’ll give you a name too.”

Pelago squirmed until she freed them both. He felt better when the other one wasn’t so close.

“Guppy!” she shouted. It made him flinch. Kelpie and Anem always shouted at him for annoying them. “You weren’t even given a name?” He shook his head. “Then we need to do that right now… I know the perfect one. Kyrie!”

“Kee ray?” the mer tried to mimic. Byssal huffed, the water flew past them.

“Really Pel? One of the names you heard the humans using?” the little mer actually smiled. The deep voice sounded kind of happy.

“Of course! The human was kind and patient. The perfect thing for a guppy who’s going to grow big enough to make me look like a human!” She pulled the mer from her chest and held him in front of her. She spun in the water so he could see the massive mer behind her. Byssal was starting to look less scary. “Well, what do you think? It’s your name. Do you like Kyrie? Of course we’ll help you learn to say it right guppy. You don’t have to use it either, whatever name you like best.”

The mer stared at them both with wide eyes. He was given a choice. They picked a name just for him, for how they wanted him to be. More tears floated from his eyes as he nodded. He liked his name, he liked having a name. He liked that they wanted to give him one and keep him and just have him there.

“Kyrie it is,” Byssal smiled at him. The little mer… Kyrie… Kyrie felt warm seeing it. “You’re one of us now so you can call me Byss like Pel does.”

Pelago… Pel pulled Kyrie close to her face. “He likes to act like a grumpfish. You’ll learn to read him soon I promise. Welcome home, Kyrie.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyrie had some trouble adjusting over the next few months. He didn’t grow much and the different food made him curious. It was fish like his parents and siblings ate, not ones that were small and shaped with pointy limbs. These fish tasted better, but his parents always said the others were better for him until he was bigger. Plus Byssal never ate when Kyrie and Pelago did. Kyrie was convinced Byssal was waiting for the two to be alone.

Knowing that, Kyrie followed Pelago everywhere. Just like he had with Foam. At night he slept curled up in her arms. She never acted upset by it either. He got to go swimming around with her and learning about magic. She said he wasn’t going to be able to use it, but she’d always help him with hers.

Pel even played with him. Out in the open. He would swim away and hide while she searched for him. At times she’d chirp to find him and he’d chirped back. He loved it, his family never let him play like this. Thinking about them made him cry, but that was happening less often.

One of the times they were playing he learned what others that knew his family thought of him.

“Is that the runt?” a voice said. It felt like the water dropped to freezing once he heard that. They knew Foam and they never liked Kyrie. He hugged his tail as shadows surrounded him. “You ran off as soon as you got your colors huh?”

Kyrie looked up at the mers around him. He was still so small next to them. Kyrie’s fins pressed painfully against his head as the three mers blocked his escapes. Three shades of red in all directions, but up.

“Think you’re better than them now that you’ll be big?” one of them sneered. Kyrie curled in on himself. He didn’t like this. A hand grabbed his arm and forced him to stare up at the three faces glaring down at them.

“Foam’s been getting the blame because of you. All of us are being forced to take care of the new mers so they don’t run off too. We should take you back, show them you ran off all on your own.”

“N-No,” Kyrie whimpered.

The other mers kept talking but he couldn’t understand anymore. He didn’t want to go back. His family would make him leave again, but they wouldn’t send him back here. They didn’t want him to live. The hand on his arm grew tighter. A tail fin smacked against his back making him yelp. Claws dug into his shoulders.

A strange feeling coursed through him. Sort of like when the lights hit the water during a storm. The other mers screamed, but his body was let go. He darted out, terrified of what would happen next. Gentle hands grabbed him. Ones a little smaller than him now, that held him warmly at night. He buried his face in the chest he was held to as a growl came from the mermaid.

“Touch my pup again and you’ll pay,” Pelago growled. Kyrie didn’t bother trying to see how the other three reacted. Pel started to pet his head and he let that take his attention. “It’s ok guppy, they can’t hurt you. Not while I’m here.”

Kyrie chirped. Pelago chirped in response. Confirmation and promises with no words. He felt safe, Foam always let them do whatever they wanted. Pelago held him close, he didn’t even have to ask her to. She didn’t let Byssal come close that night either. Kyrie fell asleep in her arms much earlier than normal, but he preferred it. He liked feeling safe.

That wasn’t the only time the mers from his past arrived. Kyrie was pretty sure Pel never told Byssal. If she did the mers probably would have been eaten, that’s what big mers did. At least that’s what his family acted like they did. That weird feeling came every time she scared them off. They terrified him, but she held him close for the whole day each time.

“Kyrie,” Pelago whispered one morning. He chirped back at her, groaning when she let him fall from her arms. “Stay here, Byss will be back soon. I need to go close to humans for something today. I’ll be back as soon as I can. We can play then.”

Kyrie nodded before burying himself in the sand. The den Byssal and Pelago used had nicer sand than his old one. He smiled to himself, slowly starting to sleep again. As soon as he realized what Pel said he shot up from his cover. He was being left alone… with Byssal. Kyrie darted out. He would catch up to her, it would be fine.

It wasn’t long before he realized she might have been gone longer than a few seconds. He wasn’t sure how to find her… or get home. A tail suddenly slammed into him. He was thrown into another mer who dug his claws into Kyrie’s arms. The three who had been after him were back.

“Hey runt, don’t have your guardian today, do you?” one of them said. Kyrie tried to push himself away, but the hands grabbing him locked his arms to his side. These hands were smaller than Pelago’s, but still most of his size.

“Knew she’d get sick of you eventually. You were always annoying when you followed Foam around,” one of the others said. Kyrie folded his fins against his head. He wanted to get away. The mer holding him pushed him into one of the others.

“You know there were a few places sharks hang around.” Kyrie stared up at the one talking. Sharks were terrifying, they’d eat him in one bite. It was the only idea they had Foam ever stopped. Bringing him to a shark ground… bringing him where he’d die. Pelago wasn’t there, Foam wouldn’t care if he knew… Then Byssal… Byssal would probably eat all of them in one go.

“Go on runt,” The one closest to him pushed him forward. One of the others swam ahead, but he was left with two blocking him in. “Let’s have some fun. See if the sharks care about a mer who’ll hunt them later.”

Kyrie didn’t have a choice, his heart was pounding. No one would save him.

A deep growl that Kyrie swore echoed over the whole ocean came from behind them. He spun around unsure how to feel when he found Byssal floating behind him. Staring down with two red tails poking out of his mouth. The one ahead of him whined, Kyrie had to assume that mer looked back too.

Byssal’s hand moved. Kyrie’s fins folded in on themselves. He wanted this to be over. The hand surrounded him, locking him in a fist. Chirps and tears escaped as he was moved by the massive mer. He was barely even a fingertip. He never would be now that Byssal found him. The next growl let out nearly deafened him.

“Next time you hurt my pod, you’ll get more than a few marks,” Byssal growled. Kyrie curled in on himself in the water of the fist. He heard three sets of terrified chirps. So Byssal didn’t eat them… There was no telling if that was a good or a bad thing.

Byssal chirped as he swam. Kyrie didn’t know what the chirps meant. He wanted to run away, he wanted to feel safe. He wanted Pelago to be home so she could make sure Byssal didn’t eat him. Tears started to float from his eyes, but he failed to catch them. The chirps grew faster and louder. That just made Kyrie more afraid.

Eventually the hand opened. Kyrie expected to see the sharp teeth and hear them snap behind him. That he’d finally be ended because he was alone. Instead he was in the cave the two stayed in. The place they let him stay in. After gathering his courage he looked up at the massive face above him, only seeing worry.

“It’s ok pup, you’re safe now,” Byssal said. Kyrie chirped, the tears were still floating from his eyes. A claw came near him and ran down his back. It made him shudder. “Still scared of me?”

Kyrie barely managed a nod. He was scared. Lying about it didn’t matter.

“I’m not going to hurt you. You’re in our pod. I’ll keep you safe, just like I try to do for Pel.”

Kyrie bit his lip, it hurt. His teeth had gotten sharper recently. It pushed him to stare up at Byssal. The mer looked sad. He didn’t look angry or like he was bothered. It wasn’t how his family looked at him all the time. It felt more like Pelago’s stares.

“...you were gonna eat them,” Kyrie whispered. Byssal sighed, it blew Kyrie back into the fingers cupped around him. He hadn’t even realized the fingers were there.

“No, I scared them. In this pod we don’t eat other mers,” Byssal’s voice was quiet. It was stern, but it made Kyrie believe him. There was no way the words could be a lie. “I’d only do that if the mer left me no choice. It’s what I want you to do too.”

Kyrie nodded. Byssal smiled. It was the first time he felt safe staring up at the other mer. It left him with the confidence to ask another question that had been on his mind.

“...B-Byssal,” he stuttered. Byssal just chirped, a proof that he was focused on Kyrie. “W-why do you get the fish like you and Pelago eat for me? M-my parents said I should eat the ones that have all the pointy edges and stay on the ground. Th-that it was-”

Byssal’s growl cut him off. Kyrie’s fins folded in again. The mer was mad, he was wrong. Now he’d get eaten or killed. Maybe they’d just send him out on his own. That would be worse, the other mers would try to bring him to sharks again.

“Those fish are called starfish by humans,” Byssal said. The growl caked the words. It left Kyrie shaking. “They’re not good for you, might be why you’re still so small. I’ll make sure you’re getting everything you need Kyrie. Even when you’re bigger than me.”

Kyrie let the words sink into his mind. Byssal wanted to take care of him. As long as he was here the mer wanted him safe. It didn’t sound real. The way the mer stared at him before, the careful fingertip on his back, and the soft chirps now made it easier to believe. Kyrie wanted to believe it, he wanted Byssal to like him. He wanted Pelago to like him. He wanted… he wanted to be safe. So… he’d believe them. Even if it meant something bad.

Kyrie slowly met the massive eyes. Byssal didn’t look scary anymore. He looked safe. Kyrie darted up and buried himself in the mer’s hair. Byssal chuckled, chirps mixing with the noise. Kyrie wasn’t forced to leave, he wasn’t yelled at either. Just like how Pelago laughs when he’s buried in the sand. He was… he was accepted.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a year with Pelago and Byssal, Kyrie was happy. Byssal was closer to him now, they played too. The massive mer would chase him and try to grab him. If Byssal caught him Kyrie would have the giant mer’s nose pressed into his chest followed by echoing chirps. It made him laugh, he liked it. Pelago would join in and distract Byssal with spells. Sometimes he caught them both, but that was usually when it was time to go back to the den.

Sleeping at night changed too. Kyrie stayed in Pel’s arms despite being four times the size of when they found him. She didn’t mind. Byssal curled up around them, blocking out the world. It felt like when Kyrie hid in the sand, even better than that. Other times Byssal would hold Pelago and Kyrie on his chest. The chirps while the mer slept mixed with his heartbeat were calming. Foam used to yell at him for trying to sleep close like that. He had to stay in his den.

They told him stories too. Ones about mers with voices that helped others find their perfect partners. He would fall asleep dreaming of the songs leading him to someone who loved him. Promising Byssal and Pelago would stay together too. He wanted a pod that cared about each other forever. He wanted this part of his pod forever.

All of that was probably changing. Byssal and Pelago told him the three had to go see one of their friends. At first Kyrie was excited. Foam, Kelpie, and Anem hated letting their friends see him. It morphed to fear as Byssal grabbed them both to swim faster. He grew terrified as they entered waters so deep he couldn’t see the sand. He wanted to see the sand. They stopped over a crevice that went on forever.

“Marina!” Pelago called out. Kyrie was let free. He was floating, still close to the other two. He yelped as the deep blue beneath them moved. Hair as dark as the water parted to reveal ebony skin and eyes an even darker blue than the hair. He ducked behind Byssal, he’d keep them safe.

“Pel, Byssal? You two are lucky I got your message,” the mer said. Their voice was melodic, but terrifying. Kyrie poked his head out to see her, but hid once her eyes widened. “You two had a pup?!”

“Not exactly,” Byssal laughed. Kyrie whined a bit. Sometimes he forgot he wasn’t their blood. He wanted to be. He wished they were his parents from the start. “We need you to take a look at him.”

“Oh?” The mer was even bigger than Byssal. Not enough that they were dangerous to the massive mer. They brought their face close and Byssal moved. Kyrie was left in the open, tears slipped from his eyes. “Hey guppy, I’m not gonna hurt ya. Pretty small aren’t ya?”

“Marina,” Pelago said. Kyrie whined, but Pelago’s hands grabbing his shoulders helped to calm him. She guided him closer to the massive mer, close enough Kyrie could touch their eye. “Were these your scale colors?”

The massive mer’s eye blinked a few times. Kyrie tried to stay still, but he was fidgeting. They finally pulled away to look down. The huffed growl that left them made Kyrie shake.

“Hmm. It’s close, not quite there though. Anyone would probably think that you’ll be like me,” they grinned at him. “Maybe you’ll be just a bit smaller. Ha!” The shout made him shiver. “I knew that would make ya smile.”

“So he’s not a trench mer?” Kyrie swam closer to Byssal as he spoke. He wouldn’t mind staying smaller than the green mer. Although the words sounded almost sad. Kyrie knew he had to be wrong. “Do you have any idea what type he is? Who’d be able to estimate his size?”

“Nah. The kid’s close enough in colors to one of us it’s hard to tell. Anyone would tell ya he’d be like me. I don’t know anyone who ever had scales that shade. I’d guess he’ll be bigger than most of the other mers. Maybe like me, maybe smaller, but probably bigger than the green grumpfish we have here.”

Their massive hand ruffled Byssal’s hair. Kyrie stared in awe, bigger than Byssal might be ok. Then he could save them too. He could protect them like they protect him. He started chirping and that made Pelago pull him into a hug. Plus if he was just like Marina he wouldn’t be a bad big.

“If ya get worried when ya get bigger guppy come find me, there’s plenty of room in the trench,” Marina smiled. Kyrie nodded at them, but he wouldn’t go there. He didn’t want to leave Byssal and Pelago. He wanted to stay where he felt safe. Where the mers around him always offered warm smiles.

Pelago clapped her hands and smiled at Kyrie, “Go home with Byss for now, ok? I need to talk with Marina a bit longer!”

Kyrie nodded, but Byssal chirped. It was clear the bigger mer didn’t like leaving. A few moments of silence passed as Pelago and Byssal stared at each other. Byssal huffed, but held his hand out for Kyrie to swim closer. The young mer did as expected and swam into the palm offered. The massive fingers curled around him before Byssal swam off.

All he could think about was what would happen next. If being different than they thought would make him be sent away. A few tears and fearful chirps escaped. He didn’t think Byssal would notice, but the hand holding him moved. He was pressed over the heart of the mer a few chirps of reassurance followed the movement. Kyrie pushed into the chest in front of him, desperate for this to last.

“It’s fine, Kyrie,” Byssal whispered. The voice made Kyrie’s body shiver. “Big or small you’ll have us behind you.”

* * *

Pelago watched as her pod left. She had questions that needed answers. Things that Byss would be too defensive to let her ask. She swam up to Marina’s face, their eyes were narrowed. They knew she was going to be asking something that needed the others gone. She folded her arms and stared into the massive eyes.

“Are there bigger mers? Deeper in the water?” she asked. Marina narrowed their eyes. They always said they were the biggest. That they were the biggest any mer could be. Pel was the one who healed them, she knew the truth. A bigger mer’s teeth had been the injury that sent Marina from trenches in search of help.

“Pel, just hope I’m right. Don’t ya want to feel calm?” they asked. It settled the matter for her. This was something they were hiding.

“I’ll feel calm knowing what to expect.” Marina sighed, the bubbles from their sigh hid their face. Pel yelped as their fingers wrapped around her. She was pulled close as the trench mer started swimming.

“I’ll take ya, but don’t hurt that pup. I know ya aren’t the type, but that other one…”

“Byss is more protective than I am of him. We named him Kyrie. I have to know what’s coming. I have to make sure he’s safe.”

“If he goes on a frenzy what will ya do?”

“Stop him without killing him and get what he needs. He may not have started as my guppy, but he’s mine now. Byss thinks the same.”

“All you small mers talk like that, ya don’t know what-”

“We already accepted he might kill us Marina. Byss knows it might be me who dies first if we aren’t prepared. Even if it happens Kyrie will have a home. If we learn now, we can be ready. We can make sure nothing happens.”

“Well… just don’t forget ya can send him to me if he’s too much. Even the ones bigger aren’t that much, maybe a few of you longer than me. They’re not as friendly either.”

“Then it’s good I have you to help me talk to them for my pup.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Years went by and Kyrie grew. Soon enough he was Pel’s size. It made him sad, he missed the days she could hide him from everything. Byssal still dwarfed him, but there was no promise how long that would last. He snuck out more often too. Looking for ways to be useful. To ensure the fact the two took him in was worthwhile. Usually he was told not to do it again, but it didn’t stop him.

Lately his scales itched and his body ached. He’d been hungrier too. He didn’t mention any of it to anyone. He was grateful for what Byssal and Pel gave him. A bit of hunger and some discomfort was easy to handle. Easy enough until the aches started making it hard to swim.

One of the days he couldn’t force himself from the sands of their den Pel got worried. She was swimming all over, but Kyrie just wanted her to stop. He was hungry too, Byssal was probably hunting. His vision was blurry but he managed to follow Pel as she swam.

“Mmm,” he groaned. Words weren’t working. They were hard, but he wanted Pel to come closer. She did, right after he made noise. He was so hungry.

“Oh Kyrie, it’s ok we’ll take care of this,” she soothed.

Her hand on his head was nice, she was colder than him. Instincts were winning against him and he pulled her close, holding her in a tight hug. He just wanted her to be safe when he couldn’t do anything. He wanted Byssal safe too, but he’s too big for now. Pel squirmed, but he tightened the hug he held her in.

“Mine,” he growled. She was his to protect. So was Byssal. Both had to be safe as long as he was alive. Pel froze in his arms, but that wasn’t important. She was safe. His stomach growled, he was so hungry. He’d need Pel to go with him if he wanted food.

“Kyrie, you need to let go,” Pel’s voice wavered. He couldn’t, if he let her go she might get hurt. He needed Byssal, they had to be here. They had to be safe. If Byssal wasn’t back soon he’d take Pel along for something to eat. Another growl from his stomach was followed by a piercing pain. He squeezed Pel, she must have this pain too. “Kyrie!”

“Pel!?” Byssal shouted as he swam in. Kyrie could barely make out where the massive mer ended and the cave began. His vision was so strange, kind of dark. Byssal and Pelago were sort of… glowing? Yeah glowing, like the fish in the darker waters. “Pel are you-”

“He’s just hugging me.” Pel sounded strange. Kyrie chirped in worry. He folded his fins back, she must be in pain. “A bit too tightly to be honest.”

The weird blur that was Byssal came closer. A hand was coming near him. Panic set in his heart, Pel was his. He would keep her safe. Just like Byssal, Byssal was his too. His job, his charges, they were his. He grabbed the claw of the hand as it grew close, a growl slipping out.

“Mine,” his voice sounded strange to him. The scent of the claw reached him, it was his. The one he held and the claw were his, he’d keep them safe. “Both mine. Safe.”

His stomach growled again, but he could ignore that. His lights needed him to keep them safe. This was the best for him to do. He’d survive until the danger passed whether or not he ate. He’d keep them safe. Just like they kept him safe, it was his turn now.

“It’s safe Kyrie,” Pel whispered. Her hand on his arm was nice, cold. The claw in his grip pulled away, but that wasn’t allowed. He tightened his hand. The claw sliced his skin, the scent of his blood blocking others in the water. It made him loosen his hold. Did he really have Byssal and Pel? Were they other mers? Not his?

* * *

Byssal pulled his claw away as Pel squirmed out of Kyrie’s grip. He never sounded like that before. He watched Pel dash around the cave, Kyrie looked empty. Curled up hugging his stomach. Byssal almost forgot the fish he’d gone out to get. He dropped it next to Kyrie, focusing on how the young mer moved.

It wasn’t the frenzy they expected. It wasn’t the anger that Pel was warned could come during a growth. It looked careful, one clawed hand reaching out to pull a fish close. Careful check of its scent before taking a bite. The speed Kyrie devoured the fish was what they expected. It was his size and gone in a few minutes. Byssal narrowed his eyes when the young mer reached for more.

Pelago took the distraction as a chance to use a spell to seal the cuts on Kyrie’s hand. It was strange that he’d be so focused that he let himself get hurt. As though there was no instinct to defend himself from danger. Byssal decided to curl up around the young mer and rest a hand over him. Kyrie wrapped himself around one of Byssal’s fingers instead of eating.

“Mine. Safe,” Kyrie growled. Byssal shook his head.

“I’m safe,” he whispered. Kyrie’s grip loosened. When the young mer looked up, Byssal saw empty eyes. He’d never seen a mer like that. Pel swam close just in time to see them.

“Byss,” she said. He chirped as she slowly swam closer to the pup they’ve been raising. “It’s not like Marina or the others said. This is different… I’m worried.”

Kyrie perked up at her voice and tried to reach her. Byssal curled his fingers around the smaller mer. Luckily he was still the biggest of the three of them. It didn’t stop Kyrie from trying to escape, with a strength that didn’t match his size. Pel swam down to him and placed a hand on his face.

“I’m here, I’m safe,” she said. Kyrie relaxed again. He held his arm around her, but it was gentle this time.

“Safe, kept safe. Always safe,” he said. The empty look disappeared as Kyrie closed his eyes. Nothing would ease the concern that settled on Byssal. If Kyrie got bigger, how far would he go to protect them?

* * *

The next time Kyrie was fully aware of anything he was on Byssal’s chest. The older mer had both arms pinning him. Kyrie started to squirm, normally he wouldn’t mind, but he had to move. Byssal tightened his hold.

“We’re safe, we’re here,” Byssal mumbled. Kyrie chirped back. Of course they were here and safe. He could see Pel’s tail. “She’ll be back soon, just rest.”

“What do you mean?” Kyrie asked. Byssal sat up fast enough Kyrie was thrown forward. It should have been a lot worse, but he finally noticed what happened. He was bigger, a lot bigger. Still smaller than Byssal, but at least four times Pel’s size. He… did he do something bad?

“You’re awake!” Pel shouted as she crashed into his chest. He couldn’t make himself move, Byssal’s eyes were wide. “You grew so much! How are your scales? Does anything hurt? We’ll need you to take it easy for a while. Byss kept bumping into things when he’d first grown so much!”

“I-” Byssal cut him off by placing a hand on his head. It felt weird, Byssal should be so much bigger. Pel should be smaller. He didn’t want this, he didn’t want to be big. What if he hurt them? What if that frenzy he’d heard other mers talk about happened? What if-

“I’m glad you’re awake. In a few days I’ll show you where we usually hunt, we’ll go together now. You’re big enough I can’t hurt you.” There was so much warmth in the words Kyrie started crying. Byssal had always been this figure that could and would hurt him. That put up with him even when they played, even if he was nice. He never thought the reason he couldn’t follow was for his safety. If that was it then…

“Thank you… Byss.” His hair was ruffled again. He looked up and saw one of the smiles Byss always tried to hide. Maybe being big wouldn’t be so bad…

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over the next few years Kyrie’s life did change. He’d go hunting with Byssal a lot. Sometimes on his own too, but Byss made him promise to tell them next time he was hungrier than normal. It took a while to figure out what was normal. Although that was the easy part of how his new size changed his life.

Mers were coming after them more often. Angry that Kyrie wasn’t in the trenches, angry that he was with Byssal and Pelago. He didn’t know what made the two of them specifically so bad, but he didn’t care. Sometimes mers bigger than him and Byssal would attack them. The only option was to kill, it hurt him more than he let Byss know. Pel seemed aware of it.

The days that a fight went bad she’d play with his hair. It reminded him of when they took him in. If it was to protect this life he’d fight and kill anyone he had to. As he started to get bigger there were more mers targeting him alone. Those times he’d say he was hunting when he got home to explain away his lack of hunger. He couldn’t let anyone know how often he’d had to take the life of another mer to protect himself. They might hate him for it.

He just had to rely on the mers focusing on him alone. Also that he wouldn’t be targeted when his limbs grew heavy and his scales itched. Unfortunately he wasn’t that lucky.

A group of mers came after him when he left to hunt. A few were easy enough to scare away. One was bigger than Byssal, he needed his speed to survive. His tail felt like stone as he tried to swim. The massive mer managed to scrape his tail. His blood painted the water red and left him falling to the sand. He barely rolled out of the way before claws slammed into the sand where he’d just been.

“Do you get it now?!” the mer yelled. Kyrie growled. He didn’t get anything. They always tried to chase him to the trenches, he wouldn’t leave. Not when there were people who cared about him. “Leave. You don’t belong in these waters! If you don’t go now I’ll make sure you won’t ever reach your full length. Not with those two raising you.”

“Back off!” Kyrie shouted. The mer growled in response. Kyrie put all the strength he had into a last ditch push from his tail. He slammed into the other mer, biting deep into her side.

She screamed, barely managing to push him away. He fell to the sand again, more of his own blood painting the water. It mixed with hers creating an awful scent. His back hit the sand with enough force he thought something cracked. His vision started to darken.

“Cursed tides!” she shouted. He growled, somehow he’d survive. Another growl from somewhere echoed his own. “I’ll kill you for this!”

He tried to swallow the chunk he’d bitten to make another attack. The taste alone made him sick. He never liked it, but this time it made him gag. As soon as he managed to fight it down, a green blur swam over him. The other mer screamed. Kyrie managed to push himself up just enough to see Byssal taking a chunk out of the mermaid.

The fight was different from the ones he’d been in. Byssal was using strength to win despite his smaller size. He took chunks out of the mers tail, but the mer was scratching Byssal. She took a chunk out of his side, but Byssal used the chance to bite her neck. The dispersing blood turned the water a sickening pinkish red. Byss floated towards him, the older mer covered in blood.

“...Home. Now,” Byss growled.

Kyrie nodded and used the little strength he had to push himself up again. Byss grabbed his arm and the two swam home. The blood left a sickening trail behind them. The heavy feeling in his limbs grew worse, but Byss wasn’t safe. They had to get to Pel so she could heal him. Kyrie forced his pain from his mind. He had to get Byss home. It was Kyrie’s job to protect Byssal. Not this, this shouldn’t have happened.

* * *

Byssal was tired and in a lot of pain. They just had to reach Pel. He’d seen her heal worse injuries, they’d both be fine. He wouldn’t let Kyrie go out hunting alone anymore. This whole time he thought this might be happening, but he had no idea it was this bad. His own vision was going dark as he tried to get them home. This wasn’t good.

Just as his speed started to fall Kyrie’s picked up. He looked back at the younger mer, the empty eyes were back. It had been years since he’d seen them. Kyrie’s speed was more than Byssal had ever seen. The younger mer acted like the injuries he had didn’t exist.

“Kyrie!” he shouted. The empty eyes just stared past him as the younger mer swam forward. It wasn’t long before he was dragging Byssal behind him. “You need to stop!”

“Safe!” Kyrie growled. It was that same odd tone of voice as all those years ago. Byssal accepted it, after last time he knew there was no stopping this.

Byssal started chirping as they neared their den. Pel needed warning, there had been danger. They were hurt. He wasn’t expecting Kyrie to nearly throw him into the den as the younger and still smaller mer sat at the entrance. Pelago’s scream kept him from trying to move towards the mer.

“What happened?!” she whined. He watched the small woman flit around the cave. It was clear how anxious she was, ingredients thrown down constantly. “Byss I don’t know if I can fix this!”

“You’ve fixed worse,” he smiled. A large chunk of his side was gone, he was no fool. That mermaid was just as ready to die as he was. He protected his pup and that was the part he cared about. Pel floated just above him, tears floating from her eyes. “Do your best. I’ll pull through.”

Pelago shook her head as the tears continued to float away. Byss grabbed her with his hand and held her to his chest. If she wouldn’t try he’d at least hold her. He was too afraid to admit how he felt because of something like this, because he could leave her. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t be selfish at the end.

“Take care of him,” he whispered. Pained chirps followed, but he couldn’t look at her anymore. He was distracted by the empty blue eyes staring down at him. Kyrie had left the entrance. “Take care of her, Kyrie. We’re yours right?”

“Mine,” Kyrie mumbled. Byssal’s eyes went wide when his pup went straight to the wound. After all this time did Kyrie finally hit a frenzy?!

“Kyrie don’t!” The kid could have him once he died. Not now, not when Pel would watch Kyrie kill him. The younger mer looked back with that cursed empty gaze. “Tides above listen for once!”

Byssal’s plea landed on deaf fins. If Kyrie was even awake he didn’t care. Byss did what he could to protect Pel from the worst of it. Pulling her from his chest and pushing her into the small hole she used to store rare ingredients. Her claws dug into his skin as she tried to make him let her out. She wasn’t watching him die because they failed to keep their pup fed.

Instead of the pain of teeth, he felt Kyrie taste him. His whole body shuddered at the sensation. This was the only time a mer treated him like this. Byss tried to push Kyrie off him, but the younger mer wouldn’t budge. He felt like he was pushing against a wall of stone. Pel hadn’t stopped trying to force his hand away to get free. Kyrie had to hurry up.

“Stop playing around,” Byss growled. Kyrie didn’t stop tasting him. More growls left his chest as the younger mer floated over him.

“Byss let me out!” Pel’s muffled voice hurt his heart. Kyrie had to make the kill already. It would hurt her, but they knew this could happen.

As time passed Byssal started to feel less pain. The sting of the saltwater on his side faded. He had to be dying, close to the end of his life. Feeling should fade when that happened. Although he felt stronger than before. It wasn’t hard to keep Pel trapped and his breathing grew easier. It was strange.

“Safe,” Kyrie murmured. The younger mer met his eyes, the empty eyes had a look of relief mixed in. Kyrie returned to the entrance and Byss sat up, finally letting Pel out.

“You eel!” she shouted. “I can’t believe you would waste the time we have-”

Her words died, Byss had nothing to say either. His side was back to normal, like the fight never happened. Pel swam to it and ran her hands over the spot that had been missing. New tears floated from her as she inspected what should have been a deadly wound. Byssal stared at Kyrie, something was different with the guppy. Something that no one could help them understand.

“You… Kyrie had been… how?” Pelago whispered. Byss shook his head.

“I have no idea,” he said.

* * *

Kyrie opened his eyes to the cave he’d known for so long. He expected pain, anger, shouts, but that wasn’t happening. There was no pain in his body this time, but there was a weight on his stomach. He sat up a bit, finding Byssal and Pelago curled up on top of him. Pel looked so small and Byss was smaller than him. He grew again, he grew and now he was a monster. With all the care he could manage he slipped the mers who took him in off his stomach.

They barely moved as he did. It made him nervous. If their tails weren’t twitching he’d worry something else happened. Kyrie carefully left their den to swim. He had to think. For once he took the direction Byss and Pel always told him to avoid. It was better if he didn’t go where they could find him. It might be better if he doesn’t ever go back. Byss could have died, he didn’t even know how Pel healed him.

For all he knew they had to stop him from doing something awful. He couldn’t remember anything after Byss started dragging him towards home. Maybe he was too dangerous to live in the shallow waters. It would be better not to put the two in danger anymore. He didn’t want to leave though. Now he was big enough he could probably protect them and himself. He could be helpful, but he had one more time he’d grow. He could-

Kyrie banged his head on a hill of sand in front of him, knocking him from his thoughts. He looked up, freezing when he saw a human face staring down at him. The human girl had brown hair and eyes. It looked like she’d been crying, something in him was desperate to comfort her. He never felt that way before.

“Don’t sing in the water,” she whispered. He didn’t know what she said, Pel used those words sometimes. Maybe she’d help him understand. “Be wary of the monsters in the sea. Except go live in a house on a cliff near the fucking ocean. That makes fucking sense.”

Kyrie forced down chirps of comfort. Humans weren’t supposed to know about him. She looked so alone. There was so much pain in her voice. She was like him. He didn’t know how to explain it, but he knew. He knew she was like him. He wanted to know more about her.

A prick of pain on his tail fin distracted him. He hadn’t noticed his arm starting to reach towards the human girl. Another tug on his tail and he found an angry Byss staring at him. Kyrie didn’t exactly want to leave the human, but he had to. It took a bit of squirming to turn around without disturbing the surface of the water, but once he did, Byss grabbed a strand of his hair and started swimming away. Kyrie followed.

“What in all the seas were you doing!?” Byss growled when they reached their den.

“I-” Kyrie tried. Pel slammed into his cheek making him stop.

“Oh guppy, I thought something happened when we woke up and you were gone!” she said. He didn’t understand.

“He was near that human beach when I found him.” Pel’s dull claws dug into his skin, they didn’t break it. They used to be able to break his skin. Somehow he knew that wouldn’t happen anymore.

“What? Why were you there?” Pel swam back enough he could see her.

“I… I went for a swim and got distracted,” he said. It was mostly the truth.

“Why were you reaching for them?” The growl scared him. Now Byss and Pel would abandon him. They’d send him away like his first pod.

“I wasn’t thinking.” It felt like he was that tiny guppy again. Byss swam closer. Kyrie could see now the older mer was half his size. “I-”

“Be careful next time, humans will have a much easier time hurting you than another mer.”

The care wasn’t what he expected. He’d done something wrong that could have put them all in a lot of trouble. If Byssal hadn’t shown up he might have revealed himself. He knew better. They’d taught him better. Pelago pulled him from his thoughts. Her now miniscule hands wiping at tears he hadn’t noticed started.

“Guppy, what’s wrong?” she whispered. Even now she called him guppy. He was a dozen times bigger than her, twice as big as Byssal. He wasn’t a guppy anymore, he probably…

“I’m too big,” he whispered. His tears went faster, he’d be a danger for them.

“Kyrie,” Byssal said, his voice stern. He’d never heard the older mer sound like that. “I’ve thought the same thing in the past. If you try to leave we’ll go after you. You’re part of our pod, you aren’t too big.”

“But-” A slap from Pel’s tail stopped him.

“Do you want to live in the trenches?” He shook his head, but he was supposed to. Byssal was hurt so badly because of him. He would hurt them someday. “Then don’t worry about how big you are. You have a long time before you’ll grow again. We can find a new den before that. We’re a pod, a family, you didn’t do anything wrong guppy.”

Kyrie cried. Pel and Byss were always there for him. They found him and never once saw a monster. Never once treated him like a burden. If they’d let him he’d stay with them forever. He didn’t want to leave.

“Don’t worry so much,” Byssal’s small hand ruffled his hair. “You’re fine here.”

Kyrie nodded. As long as they’d let him stay he would. They were his family now. He was scared to say it out loud, but that was the truth. His family was this pod and hearing Pel say it, hearing Byssal tell him he could stay… He wanted this to last.

In the following years Kyrie grew more confident. He would go hunting with Byss and spell ingredient searching with Pel. Sometimes he went out alone. When he did he found himself near the human he had seen. He would listen to her talking, at least he thought it was talking. Someday he wanted to understand her, to meet her, but he would never risk Byss and Pel on a human. Not without a good reason… Not unless a siren gave him reason to act on this strange feeling in his heart.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Kyrie!” Byss groaned. “You’ve been hiding in the sand for three days. You need to leave at some point.”

“No,” he said. It had been a few days since Melody found the scale in his teeth. He wanted to be near her, but if he went close they would probably find her. They might hurt her. He was safe, but Melody would have to sing to make them go away. He didn’t want her to have to sing because of him.

“Guppy,” Pelago landed on him. The sand he’d buried himself in was too thick for her to disturb it much. His claws since he finished growing were better about digging through the ground. He could hide in the sand again and leave the cave looking like he’d never been there once he left. “Melody told me she was worried about you. What happened? She just had a violet scale…”

“Wait, violet? Where did she-”

“Hey!” A voice cut Byssal off. Kyrie knew the voice, one he hadn’t heard in a long time. One that terrified him. “Is… Is this where the uh gigantic mer lives?”

Byssal started growling, but Pel swam forward. Kyrie shifted, but stayed hidden under the sand.

“Why are you looking for him?” she asked. Kyrie fought back the chirps of his fear.

“I… look, is he here?” Byssal growled again, but Kyrie moved. It had been enough time… he could face them again… He could see his brother again. The sand cascaded down as he moved. He could see the bright red tail as the clouds of sand dispersed.

“I’m here,” he said. It was hard to talk to them. To say anything when those memories had never left him. Foam swam back, fear in his eyes. Kyrie expected pain from seeing his older brother, but it was… neutral.

“Oh, uh, just I… Th-thanks for uh… healing my sister, she would be dead if you hadn’t, so uh yeah thanks!”

Foam swam off and Kyrie was left behind watching him go. He lowered himself, finding his brother swimming into his sister… Into Kelpie. The two swam off and Kyrie wasn’t hurt. It was fine. Byssal swam up to his face placing a hand on his cheek.

“Are you ok?” he asked. Kyrie nodded. Pel chirped as she swam closer. “You should go see Melody.”

Kyrie agreed and swam off. He… he wanted to tell her it wasn’t bad. That it didn’t hurt. He wanted to hold her close, remind himself that he got everything he wanted. People who loved him and someone he loved.

* * *

“There was no way that monster was the runt!” Anem shouted. Foam swam after her, Kelpie close behind. “You saw how big he was. There’s nothing bigger in the water!”

“It was him, go see for yourself. That mer that threatened us back then was even there!” Kelpie said. Foam didn’t know what to think. The runt was that monster and let them go.

“We should-” Foam was cut off as the massive blue tail passed overhead. He and his siblings stared after the tail. He was the first to follow. Kelpie grabbed him while Anem swam next to her. “Believe us now, An?”

“Where is he going?”

“We’re finding out.”

They swam in silence. It was unbelievable. Kelpie was only half the size of the mer who threatened them. He was half her size, then Anem was only a little smaller than her. How did the runt become… that?! The chirp from in front of them echoed, it had to come from the runt. They found his tail resting on the sand, but his upper body was above the water.

“The surface?” he whispered.

Foam swam ahead of his sisters. He was the bravest of the three despite being the smallest. He poked above the water at the edge of a beach. Splashes sounded behind him as his sisters surfaced too.

Ahead of him the runt had his nose pressed against a heavy set human. Brown hair and eyes, but she wasn’t screaming. There was no fear of the monster against her. How could a human act like that?

“Kyrie, stop,” she laughed.

Foam chirped, Kelpie chirped too. Anem was silent. That wasn’t normal. He turned around finding Anem staring at a mer Kelpie’s size with stark white fins. He had human eyes and hair… It made no sense. He was dangerous, an oceanid that looked human. The mer swam closer glaring down at them.

“Touch her and I’ll be the one you deal with,” he said. His words were human, but somehow they understood.

“W-we were just curious about th-the massive mer,” Foam said. The oceanid nodded, swimming past them and climbing onto the beach.

“Kyrie, give me a lift!” the mer shouted. One of the runt’s impossible hands came close, lifting the white mer without even looking. The mer was placed next to the human who gave him a hug. “Told you he was fine, dork.”

“Cap, don’t be rude! You were worried too. You’d gone looking for-”

“Safe,” the runt said. He nudged both the human and white mer with his nose.

“Let’s leave before he finds us here,” Anem said. Foam didn’t know what to think.

“Yeah… let’s go,” Kelpie said.

His sisters dove under the water. He stayed behind to watch the runt with the other two a bit longer. As he watched, the white mer slowly changed into a human. The runt might have helped, but sending him away was better. If they stayed with someone like him all of them would have lost the lives they had. A part of him was glad the runt had survived and found his own pod. He dove in the water, hopefully he never had to see the runt again.

#gt #giant/tiny #giant tiny #g/t #g/t writing #gt writing #gianttiny #gt community #g/t community #oc:Kyrie #oc:pelago #oc:byssal #more kyrie past #I have no chill

25 notes · View notes