Following the village chief's instructions, they made their way to a hill at the foot of which they found a wide opening. Its top seemed low for a creature thrice the height of a man, but perhaps deceptively so as the ground sloped downward towards it. Baxter took the lead, the younger soldiers following behind. A coppery smell of blood reached their noses as they neared the cave. "D-do you think they already came here?" Art asked. "Maybe the cyclops is dead, or it killed them and they're dead."
"It could just be an animal it's eating," Patrick replied. They heard a loud groan from ahead. "That's probably it." Heavy footsteps boomed closer. Something like a brawny one-eyed man almost twenty feet tall emerged into the light, ducking slightly to get through the entrance. From one sinewy hand dangled the upper half of a deer, and blood and gore stained its face around the mouth. Its other hand held a crude axe, the head a sharp slab of stone tied to a tree limb.
"That is disgusting," Robbie said.
Meg shrugged. "It's just eating like we do. It'd be more disturbing if that was a human." She had to admit the deer's glazed eyes were a bit unsettling, though. An image of her and Patrick taking down the giant flashed through her mind, as they had slain their share of similar beings with Gavin before. The world sure had changed, for them to be protecting it now.
Baxter stepped forward, speaking unrecognizable words to the cyclops which stared warily at them. It issued similar noises in response, and they went back and forth. Baxter began to look flustered, and Meg noticed him repeating what sounded like the same thing multiple times. It seemed maybe he didn't know enough of the monstrous language to communicate all that well, and the cyclops too waved its arms around faster as if getting agitated. She moved her hand closer to her hilt. They might have to fight after all, if it grew violent...
The cyclops turned and ambled back into the cave. "What happened?" Christopher asked. "Did you come to an understanding with it?"
Baxter exhaled with apparent relief. "Yes. It was touch and go there, but it seems not so suspicious of us as to insist on fighting."
"But I gather it isn't too convinced we're here to help?" Meg concluded.
"No. As long as it doesn't attack us it's fine. Although I suppose we won't be rewarded with its gratitude."
They camped out there in front of the cavern, waiting for those who sought its life. The veterans took their leave, saying they would be hiding nearby in case their aid was needed. Night fell without anybody arriving, so they unfolded their bedrolls and slept until sunrise. Early the next morning, they saw a quartet of armed people approach over a nearby rise—three men and a woman, all dirty with war paint over grim countenances. The woman and two of the men were lean and hard, though one of those men stood much taller than the other; the last man hulking with a massive chest. Each wore patchwork armor of leather and metal pieces and carried cruel looking weapons, decorated with extra spikes and barbs. Art and Robbie already looked on the verge of panic, and even Christopher's taut face showed visible fright. Joshua watched them with eerie calmness, which caused her greater concern.
"They make more convincing monster hunters than us," Patrick said.
"They look more convincing," Meg corrected. "It's yet to be seen if they are."
Spotting them, the wild-haired woman pointed her spear with a ring of spikes behind the head their way. "Who the hell are you kids? Don't tell me you were sent by the government to stop us."
"If you guessed that much, you probably know why too. What reason do you have to kill the cyclops? Is somebody paying you to?"
The shorter of the lean men, whose thick sword sported saw-like teeth on the back edge, shook his head. "That would hardly be strong enough motivation for us to defy Aerilea's law. Monsters wiped out our clan, so now we go around slaying any we find in return."
"And you think that's the way?" Patrick asked. "Wait—where are you from, since most people in Plasbias don't use the term clan?"
"We are from Severil, which I trust you understand the implications of." A kingdom where every man served in the military and many women did too, Severil was known for raising the fiercest warriors on the continent. "Step aside, if you know what's good for you."
Meg stood her ground with the others, and the hunters stopped a few strides in front of them. The largest of the men with a giant spiked hammer sneered. "Are you children serious? We'd cut you down like dogs."
"Do we look like we're joking? Just because Severil is known for strong warriors, doesn't mean there are none from anywhere else who can stand up to them. But we don't want to fight you. I and Patrick"—she indicated him beside her—"were monster hunters too, though we didn't do it for revenge. Now that the five nations are trying to make peace with the monsters however, why would you want to obstruct that? It's not like every monster you kill was involved in the massacre of your clan, I'd think. Don't you realize if the effort towards peace isn't successful, more innocent people will probably suffer as you did?"
"What reason is there to trust these monsters? If they are intelligent enough to broker a truce, why would they not be intelligent enough to fake that truce until we let our guards down?"
"Erm, well..."
Christopher chimed in. "Even if you suspect them of hiding their true motives, how does mere suspicion warrant killing one of them that is currently behaving peacefully? That doesn't sound like justice to me."
"Enough chatter!" the woman spat. "We are hardly obliged to listen to you kids. This is your last warning, get out of the way or you may not walk away with your lives."
"What's the plan?" Christopher asked.
This wasn't good. Patrick was the only one here she trusted to fight somewhat on par with her. While Christopher had good training, it likely wouldn't close the gap against those with much more experience and savvy that came with it, and the others' competence was even more questionable. While they had the numbers advantage, she feared it wouldn't count for much, and calling for the veterans' help would likely get their mission deemed a failure. Then she got an idea.
"You may be vengeance seekers," she said, "but I assume you're still proud warriors too. I don't want unnecessary bloodshed, which will happen on both sides if we all fight it out. How about this? Each group picks one representative to settle this. If your champion wins, we'll step aside and you can take the cyclops' head. But if ours does, you agree to leave it be."
"Are we really going to let them kill it if we lose?" Christopher whispered. She didn't answer, but figured they might call for their backup in that case. Let's see how things went first, though.
The warrior with the saw-toothed sword smiled at her. "That is quite the bold proposal from a bunch of toddlers. We accept! Stefan, would you like to do the honors?"
The tall man stepped forth. The poleaxe he held looked quite similar to Patrick's, only much larger and with an extra blade attached to the butt. "So which of these trembling lads will you choose to break against me?"
Meg walked to meet him in the space between their parties, making him do a double take. "Do I look like a trembling lad?"
He snickered. "Not that I mean any offense to actually credible lady warriors, like my cousin Beryl here, but you are tiny! Send someone else, how am I to take you seriously when I could just step on you?"
"If you were a real warrior, you would know there's more to combat than appearances. You face Diamond Fang Meg, slayer of scores of monsters." She feared Patrick would point out her real nickname and undermine her, but to his credit he didn't.
"Diamond Fang? A lofty moniker indeed! Let us see if you live up to it." He came forward swinging his poleaxe. She dodged and slashed at his middle. He jumped back sucking in his stomach, retaliated with a downward chop she sidestepped. She tried to dart in, but he backpedaled jabbing with his weapon to keep her back. His range promised to give her some trouble, but she wouldn't be deterred. She'd beaten plenty of things bigger than herself after all. They traded many blows, her usually more aggressive as she tried to limit the distance between them, him more defensive in attempting to use his reach advantage. After an exchange where she got in close and managed to cut his arm before he knocked her back with a punch, he said, "You really are good. Still, if you're the one who stepped up, does that mean you're the only one among your friends who's any good?"
Shit. Patrick was good too, but... "I hope you're not thinking of backing out of our deal," she snarled, wiping blood from her nose and blinking as though more hurt than she was.
"Of course not. It won't matter anyway, when you lose." He went at her hard, trying to take advantage of her apparent grogginess. She gasped while his blade grazed her shoulder and reeled away. He chased after her, poleaxe sweeping around towards her neck. Meg ducked under and shot in, driving into his legs. Her momentum lifted him off the ground and carried him a couple steps forward before she dropped him hard. His back came down on a lumpy rock and he cried out, arching his spine with features contorted in agony.
"Wow, she slammed him!" Robbie said, voice awed in contrast to his earlier skepticism towards her.
Patrick's response made her cringe inwardly. "Mouse does have a nasty power double." He just couldn't resist, could he...
"Her nickname is actually Mouse?" Christopher asked. "That's hilarious when she always tries to act so big, much more fitting than that Diamond Fang nonsense she made up."
She bared her teeth. "It's Diamond Fang now." She heard the scrape of blades being drawn, glanced back to see Joshua run forward with twin knives in hand. She hadn't even known he favored such weapons... he lunged, plunging them down at the defenseless Stefan.
Meg caught him by one of the forearms and jerked him back. "What on earth are you doing?"
"They are criminals who we cannot allow to go free! We should make sure this one is down for good, then imprison the rest."
He had a point in that the hunters would likely just seek targets elsewhere if not taken in, but trying to capture them would be risky and in any case went beyond their assigned task. His eagerness to kill her already defeated foe also put a bad taste in her mouth. Still holding onto his arm, she squeezed tightly and said in a low voice, "Stand down. If our superiors feel it necessary to deal with them further, I'm sure they'll handle it." She released him and Joshua reluctantly sheathed his knives.
Putting the tip of her sword to Stefan's throat, she looked to his allies who stared in disbelief. "As for you, I am the victor. Will you honor our agreement, or do I have to defeat a couple more of you?"
"That is very impressive, I admit," the woman Beryl said. "Release him and we will be on our way then, Diamond Mouse." She didn't sound pleased, though.
She backed off, still flustered over Patrick's slip of the tongue, and waited for Stefan to get up. He didn't, just writhing around some more now that her blade didn't restrict him from moving. The saw-sword wielder tipped his head at her. "I am grateful to you for sparing my cousin's life. I assure you we will keep our word."
"I hope too that you'll think about giving peace with the monsters a chance, like I gave one to you. Since you know, we could easily take the lot of you prisoner if we wanted to." Still a stretch even six on three, given she didn't know how good her opponent's partners were compared to him, but she figured the bluff wasn't too outlandish. Stefan's hulking comrade came forward to help him up, and half carrying him the hunters retreated up the slope and out of sight.
Meg inspected her shoulder, which stung and bled mildly but didn't seem too bad. "I guess this mission was a success... although somebody will need to have a talk with Joshua. I'm probably not the one to do it, not being mature enough." The boy looked away, holding his silence.
"Not that I agree with what he tried to do," Christopher asked, "but might they not just come back for the cyclops after we leave?"
Patrick shook his head. "I got the sense they were sincere. If nothing else, their pride would probably make them feel bad about having to go back on their word to a midget."
"Dammit, stop that," Meg said. "I wonder if we'll even have to update Baxter on what happened, or if he's been spying on us this whole time and knows already. Lieutenant, you can come out now!"
Baxter and the other veterans appeared from behind a mound they must've hidden behind. He gazed towards Joshua, but didn't say anything to him. She assumed their talk would be had in private. "Interesting way to handle it, doing all the work and not letting the boys get in on it."
She laughed nervously. "I thought it might be too risky to let everyone fight seeing how seasoned those warriors looked. At least we all got a taste of what it feels like to face peril, and will hopefully be more prepared for it next time."
"Fair enough. I'll go inform the cyclops the situation has been resolved, and hope it believes me enough to feel amiable." He disappeared inside.
After a short time, Robbie said humorously, "Wow, Joshua is still rubbing his forearm. You sure are strong, Mouse. How do you do it?"
"I'm well conditioned. But I really would prefer you forget about hearing that nickname..." They waited a while for Baxter to return, and she grew worried. "I wonder what's taking so long. Should we check?"
"I don't know," Art said. "If all of us enter the cyclops' lair at once, it might get agitated."
"All right, I'll go by myself." She walked forward, only to shortly find Patrick at her side. "Not afraid of the monster?" she asked with a smile.
"If it proves hostile, we'll just beat it up as usual. In all seriousness, I don't want you to face the danger by yourself like that."
They entered the cavern, finding it went deeper than expected. Before the light diminished so much they would have to light torches, though, they spotted what appeared to be the rear of it. Baxter stood facing the back wall, but of the cyclops they saw no sign. "What's going on?" Then Meg spotted the hole he gazed down at, surprisingly large given that it had escaped her notice initially in the dimness. "Is the cyclops down there?"
The lieutenant bit his lip. "I would guess so, but... this hole is rather fresh, dust still drifting down from it. It's likely the floor just broke, and our giant friend fell down there."
"That's an unexpected complication," Patrick said. "What will we do, are we going down there?"
Meg replied, "Considering we came to protect the cyclops, even if it was originally from the hunters, I'd assume we should check to see that it's okay."
"I wonder if it is okay. I can't see it or the bottom, the hole could be pretty deep."
"Since we don't hear it, it's likely to be unconscious... or worse. Not being able to see the bottom might just be because it's dark, though. We should lower one of us down with a torch and see what we find."
Due to her light weight, Meg ended up being the one selected to take the lead. Hanging from a rope held by the men, she descended into a larger chamber under the one the cyclops had made its home. The creature lay unmoving on its side dozens of feet below. "I see it!" she called.
"Is it alive?" Baxter asked.
"I can't tell yet. Wait, I think I can see it breathing... don't know how hurt it is, though. How will we get it back up if it survives?"
"Lots of rope?" Patrick suggested. "You could also see if there's another way out."
Nearing the bottom, she looked around. Her eyes widened as she saw something the likes of which she never had before. "Pat, gods, you have to see this!"
"Have to see what?"
What she regarded resembled a wide-bladed sword which tapered downward, only far larger than any that should have existed, its tip stuck into the rocky floor while its pommel almost brushed the ceiling. It probably stood ten times her height, and more than twice that of even the mammoth cyclops. "It looks like a giant sword... but I have no idea what could possibly wield it."
"How giant is giant?"
"At least fifty feet, and that's if there's not much more tip below the ground."
"This sounds like something I should see too," Baxter said. "Wait there, I will get the others to hold the ropes for us."
Meg stood waiting, then heard a shifting noise. She gazed from the sword back towards the cyclops, which started to move. "Uh, are you alright?"
"Who are you talking to," Patrick asked, "what's going on?"
"The cyclops looks like it's waking up..." It raised itself to all fours, coughing painfully. She wondered if it had hurt its ribs in the fall, and what other damage it'd sustained. At least it was alive, and didn't have such a bad head injury as to keep it unconscious. It glanced her way, then stood seeming to ignore her while it turned towards the sword-shaped object. "Maybe you shouldn't move yet," she said as it limped past, wishing she could make it understand.
It almost fell as it reached the sword, put a hand out against the blade to hold itself upright. The sword hummed as it blazed with blue light, making Meg put a hand up to shield her eyes. What the hell? The cyclops moaned, with pain or confusion or both she couldn't tell. "What's going on down there?!" Patrick yelled in an anxious tone.
"I don't know! It touched the sword, and now it's... reacting."
"The sword or the cyclops?"
"Both, I guess?"
The glow faded from the blade, and it stopped humming. The cyclops sagged forward, leaning on it for support. Meg let out a sigh of relief. Then it growled. Its head swung around, fixing narrowed eyes on her, and it stomped forward.
"Meg, what's happening now?"
"I'm not sure." She backed up, reaching for her hilt. "I know this is supposed to be a friendly cyclops, but it doesn't seem too friendly now..." It broke into a run, booming footfalls resounding in her ears. "Oh, shit!"
Closing in, the cyclops hammered a fist down. She jumped aside, but then it swung its arm sideways and swatted her hard. Meg flew back across the chamber, crashed against the far wall. Pain shot through her back. She fell out of the impression her body had made and flopped facedown. As she looked up dazedly, she saw it lift its crude axe off the floor. Touching the sword seemed to have maddened it. Damn, were Baxter and the others still not back? She had no idea what took so long. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she shoved herself to her feet.
"I don't want to kill you," she murmured at the uncomprehending beast. "But if you don't stop, I might have no choice." It charged her, the axe whooshing at her from the side. She rolled under and came up with a stab into its knee. The cyclops groaned, tried to snatch her up with its empty hand and failed as she dove away. It hobbled after her, but took a cut up its wrist while she dodged its chop. It roared and went berserk, swinging madly. She backpedaled not wanting to face its blows head on, but was forced to block one and knocked back. Her fingers stung from the impact as she skidded to a stop. Maybe she should be a little more offensive. She drew her sword back...
"What are you doing?" Patrick asked, and she realized she had ended up right under the hole so he could see her.
"Fighting, obviously."
"But we aren't supposed to kill it."
"I know that! But I'm getting hurt and beat up. I doubt you can pull me up fast enough with the rope, and if I don't fight back I might..." The cyclops struck at her and she leapt away again, out of Patrick's sight.
"Can't you maybe stun it so you can escape?"
She evaded more attacks, got in a poke to the bottom of its axe hand which had it shrinking back. "Stun it? I'd have trouble even reaching its head. Wait, do you have anything up there you could throw down at it?"
"Um..." She imagined him looking around. "I see a big rock I might be able to move—not sure it wouldn't kill it, though."
The cyclops advanced again. "Well if you don't try, I'll probably have to kill it for sure. So..."
"Alright!" Meg danced around the creature while getting in more minor cuts. It landed a kick to her chest that hurled her grimacing to her side and might've cracked ribs. She was about to ask Patrick how much longer he would take when he shouted down, "Ready! Lure it below me!"
Not the most confounding task with how aggressive it was being. Lurching upright, she retreated under and past the hole. As the cyclops followed, a stone almost as big as Patrick himself plummeted down onto its head. It pitched forward onto its belly like a puppet with its strings cut, out cold. She ran to the rope. "Now hurry and pull me up."
A short time later, she emerged from the hole. Not a moment too soon, as the cyclops stirred and bellowed its impotent rage at her from below. "At least I got more than my share of workouts for today," she said, sitting down.
Patrick stretched his arms and back. "Me too. That boulder wasn't easy to lift."
After a minute, they saw Baxter and the others walking from the entrance towards them. "What the hell took so long?" Meg demanded.
Art hung his head while the lieutenant said, "I was trying to convince a certain person to stand firm in the face of fear like a soldier often must. Wait, did something happen? You look hurt, and both of you are soaked with sweat."
"The cyclops went berserk." She recounted all that had occurred, then finished with, "I don't suppose we'll be going back down there just yet."
"No, of course not. The situation will have to be assessed, and preparation done first. What you describe sounds like nothing I've ever heard of, though... I'm uncertain we are equipped to handle it."
By we, she wasn't sure if he meant the fort, the military or Plasbias as a whole. Some exotic magic—she assumed it was magic—like that which affected the cyclops seemed more like something Ostuh or Aerilea would have the capability to deal with. Though she hadn't been as scared as most would be against the giant, having braved mortal peril many times before, it concerned her to imagine the sword-like object's influence might not stay limited to here. If it should somehow drive more monsters mad...
"So now what," she asked, "back to town?"
Baxter gazed towards the hole from which the cyclops' sounds of anger still rose and sighed. "I suppose there is nothing else to do. At least we can report to them the creature is alive, if not necessarily well."
They departed from the cave, mostly everybody looking relieved to go. On the way Baxter took Joshua aside at one point, no doubt to lecture him on the rashness of his behavior towards Stefan. Afterward, the lieutenant came to Meg and Patrick's side. "You two performed admirably back there."
Meg felt quite sore, but put on a carefree grin. "Naturally. We're used to this kind of thing."
"Still, I'm impressed you found a way out without taking the cyclops' life as you're used to."
"Maybe we're becoming pacifists in our old age," Patrick said.
She raised her brow. "I wouldn't go quite that far..."
Baxter smiled. "I should probably give you a reward for your deeds today. I'm not sure what yet, though."
"By the way, are you or anybody going to do something about those hunters?"
"You mean as in imprison them? After your moving display, I think we'll give it some time and see if you did enough to convince them to change their ways."
Back in Bergin, the recruits waited outside while he told the chief what happened. Though the plan had been for them to report the results of their mission themselves, Baxter figured he would be better off explaining the complications that had arisen. "You said there was an enormous sword under the cave?" Art asked Meg in a small voice. "What do you think it belonged to?"
"I don't know if it actually was a sword, or just something that looked like one. It could just be some device or sculpture designed in a sword's image. But if it actually was used as a weapon... whatever wielded it would have to be bigger than any creature we've seen before."
Robbie spoke. "It's said the Father of All Monsters, the monster god Saint General Julianna defeated some years ago, was the size of a mountain. While that's bigger than would be needed to wield the blade you saw, maybe it could belong to another, smaller god."
She touched her chin. "That would help explain the mysterious power that came from it. Whether or not you're right, I hope it won't cause more trouble than it already has."
"I should train more with you," Christopher said. "No doubt such a strong partner would help me improve."
"You're pretty good yourself already. We can practice together when I have time, but I'd think others could use my tutelage more than you." He frowned as if dissatisfied, but didn't argue.
Baxter exited the chief's house and informed them they were ready to head to base. Joshua remained silent as before, and Meg wondered if he had learned something or would continue to be a liability. When they got back to the fort, after Baxter briefed Taryn on their trip, Meg and Patrick were called into the captain's office.
"I hear you acquitted yourselves well," the tall woman said, standing with arms crossed behind her desk. "You demonstrated praiseworthy fighting skills, as well as your ability to adapt under unforeseen circumstances." The corners of her mouth dipped. "However, did you forget your task was to be done as a team? How does it benefit your comrades to have them take a back seat while you shoulder everyone's duties yourselves?"
Patrick replied in a sheepish tone, "I, ah, only participated in the second part which happened unexpectedly. When we initially confronted the hunters, Meg acted alone, challenging them to send a representative to duel her while keeping the rest of us out of the action."
Meg elbowed him. "Pat! You're not helping."
"And you think that's better?" Taryn asked. "Soldiers must rely on teamwork, not be glory-hogging heroes seeking only to bolster their own image."
"That wasn't it." She tried to keep her voice as steady and convincing as possible. "I feared the others would be in too much danger battling against experienced foes, so I tried to minimize that."
After a moment, Taryn said, "I'm inclined to believe you. Still, what you did goes against the idea of building a relationship of mutual dependence as you were meant to. I'll overlook it this time, since it does sound like your companions might have been in over their heads, but can I trust you to keep that in mind next time around?"
She'd thought they had been placed in the group just in case their greater experience might be needed, but supposed she should've at least given them a chance to do more. "Yes, we'll certainly do so."
When they returned to their usual table in the dining hall, they found that Dennis had drifted away probably to sit with others more interested in reminiscing about mundane country life with him. Meanwhile Joel, a skilled archer and wood carving enthusiast had joined Rich and Saul, along with a bright-eyed boy named Don who liked to sing and write songs. He especially favored patriotic ones, celebrating the rich history of Plasbias and glorious deeds of its heroes such as its famed Hawk King—which seemed somewhat underwhelming compared to the legends of other lands like Severil and Aerilea. Meg wondered if everyone's sleeping arrangements were still the same, or some had switched positions to be closer to new friends. She hoped nobody had tried to claim her and Patrick's spot while they were gone. Saul proposed to draw the story of their adventure away from the fort, and they happily accepted though she expected the art would be more amusing than impressive.
A few days after their return, they learned a traveling salesman would soon visit with an assortment of wares ranging from clothing and tools to spices and rare liquors. Taryn informed the soldiers they were free to buy whatever they wished that they could afford, using what they had been paid so far or any funds they'd brought with them. On their way to meet him by the gate, Meg and Patrick were approached by Baxter. "I told the merchant to give a healthy discount to the heroes of the hour. I'll be covering the difference, so I hope I can trust you not to abuse my generosity by spending too extravagantly."
"Thanks, Lieutenant!" Meg said. "And we aren't used to being big spenders anyway, so you don't have to worry about that."
They went to the large wagon and poked around its crates of goods along with the rest of the soldiers, squeezing into the crowd. Patrick picked out a shiny new pot to replace their old and dented one, having been inspired by Baxter to take interest in improving his cooking skills. Meg would like to cook better too, but didn't feel the need to acquire more cookware when he already had for them to share. She browsed the consumables, but then figured she should save her money for something she could enjoy for longer. The meager selection of weapons didn't appeal to her, and she moved on to the garments. She inspected a number of articles, then a few in particular caught her eye.
"Wow, Pat, those are nice! What do you think?"
He followed her gaze, and before taking them in fully asked, "Shoes?"
"Not just any shoes," she beamed, picking a pair up to show him the bottoms. "Check out this elevation!"
Patrick stared dubiously. "Are you serious? With heels like that, you'd basically be standing on your tiptoes all the time. I'm not sure if you could even walk. Plus the sole on those is insanely thick too, so it'd be more like you're standing on tiptoes... with a brick under your toes."
"So what, they still look good."
"You mean they'd make you look tall... or almost as tall as me, which still isn't really tall."
She scoffed. "Not tall for a boy maybe, but it'd be a more than respectable height for a girl."
"That's all you care about, isn't it." He exhaled. "Go ahead if you're sure, but don't complain to me when you realize you can't stand them anymore."
#
Later that week, Taryn took Meg aside before lunchtime for a talk. "Your performance has declined dramatically," the captain said. "Must you insist on wearing those things all the time?"
"What do you mean declined dramatically? It's not like I've lost any sparring match or anything, so I don't see what basis you have for saying that."
"You might be able to compensate enough with your skill and physicality to retain an advantage over those less talented, but you look ridiculous tottering around like that and it severely hampers your execution of techniques. How do you expect anyone to learn from your example like that?"
She scratched her head. "Uh, well... my techniques can't be that off, if I'm still keeping up and winning. I think you're just envious because you're so tall, you can't wear such elegant heels without looking like even more of an awkward giant."
"I wouldn't like such impractical footwear even if I was your height." Taryn grinned as if a funny thought came to mind. "Although, at my size there is an added consideration that they would probably break if I tried to make just about any brisk movements."
"I think you underestimate the sturdiness of well-made shoes."
"And I think you overestimate those glorified stilts made for no purpose aside from vanity. Why, I bet even tiny you could easily break them if you didn't work so hard to keep them intact."
Meg snorted. "That's not true! I don't have to 'work' to preserve them at all." Thinking to prove it, she did a backflip. As she came down on her heels, she heard a heart-wrenching snap. She fell and landed on her butt, moisture in her eyes as she realized Taryn had just been proven right and herself wrong.
"I guess that settles that," the giantess said, and strode away.
She picked her broken heels off the ground, cradling them to her chest. "I'll just glue them back on, you'll see... I swear I will..."