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deepseaorchid · 5 months

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Stay With Me - Sejanus Plinth x GN!Reader

Summary: An eventless walk to your mentorship duties at the arena ends in catastrophe. When the rebel bombs in the arena severely injure you, you find your legs trapped under rubble. Fortunately, your sweet friend Sejanus Plinth arrives to help you and carry you to safety. Emotions are high between you and Sejanus, resulting in a teary-eyed confession from him that provides you with an answer to a mystery that has occupied your thoughts for months.

Pairing: Sejanus Plinth x Gender-neutral! Reader

Warnings: Romance / Comfort / Fluff / Angst / Hurt / Blood / Brief graphic violence / Canon deaths / Slight canon deviation for plot purposes / Injury / Angst with a happy ending

Word Count: 4.9k

A/N: This was a request from @flutteringphalanges

Thank you so much for requesting! I had a lot of fun with this. I really hope you like reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The pink morning sun shone through the curtains of your bedroom window. You woke up before your alarm, not that you managed to sleep much last night anyway. The events of this week plagued your thoughts too much to sleep easy. On the day prior to the Hunger Games, the mentors were required to show their tributes around the arena, where all but one will die. A lump formed in your throat. You were mentoring the District 6 tribute, Ginnee. She wasn’t a fighter, none of them were. They were children.

Ginnee was a nice girl, and you like to think that if the circumstances were different, maybe you could have had a chance at being her friend. You had almost no hope she would survive the games, which made seeing her difficult. What do you say to someone who you know will likely not live to the end of the week?

You pull back the feathery covers of your bed and put your feet on the cold floor, stretching your back. You lean to the side, pulling open the crystal knob on the ornate bedside table. Your cold feet tap on the floor as you reach into the draw. Within the small table held a collection of love notes with smudged, blocky handwriting. You pick one up, turning it over in your hands. You’d read each letter a thousand times over now. They were sappy and saccharine sweet. They spoke of kissing cherry lips so gentle and a burning desire to hold you forever. It was silly and poetic but it kept you going on hard days like this. It showed you someone was looking after you, even though they wouldn’t say who they were. The only indication of the sender was a squiggle at the bottom of each note.

You stand up, putting all the letters away but one and moving towards the large wooden armoire. You open the door, pulling out the same scarlet uniform you wore every day. You grimace at the colour. You used to like it, but now the colour reminded you of blood. Blood you would inevitably see tomorrow. You tuck the love letter inside the breast pocket of the uniform.

The radio in the living room crackles softly, and a gentle tune begins playing, drifting down the hall. Your father was awake. You dress quickly and fix your hair, finishing getting ready for the day. Walking down the hall, you spot your father in the dimly-lit kitchen cooking breakfast. Following the war, you had to lay off your poor cook, unable to afford him anymore. Your father took up cooking and while his dishes were experimental at best, you appreciated the effort.

“Hey Bud!” Your father chirps, he looks up only momentarily from the cast iron skillet. You smiled at the nickname he had used for you since childhood. You walk up to him, glancing over his shoulder to see what he’s making. Eggs again. The yellow, runny mess dances around the pan as your father stirs lazily.

“Want some?” He asks, holding the pan up to your nose. You do your best not to grimace.

“No thanks, I’m walking to school with Sejanus,” you sigh. Your father seems displeased with that answer, his silver eyebrows furrowing slightly.

“Is that the Plinth boy upstairs?” He asks. You roll your eyes. No matter how often you brought Sejanus over to study or just to hang out, your father seemed to forget who he was. You couldn’t decide if he was messing with you, or if he simply did not care enough about Sejanus to learn his name.

You mumble an agreement. Your father shrugs his shoulders.

“Have fun, I suppose. You really should eat something. I made these with you in mind,” he says, pointing to the yellow slop in the pan.

“I can tell.” You chuckle quietly. Your father feigned a look of shock. “I am trying!” He gasps, he clearly had much more energy than you had this morning. You probably might have eaten the eggs if it were not for the knot forming in your stomach over your task as mentors today. It was a solemn event, and for some reason, it felt inappropriate to be eating breakfast when your tribute would likely have nothing today.

You glance at the grandfather clock pushed against the wall. 6:50am. It was probably time to head out soon. You quietly excuse yourself, saying goodbye to your father on your way out of the heavy black front door. You walk down the hallway of the apartment building. Once grand and elegant, the pinnacle of Capitol sophistication, the building now stood in a state of disrepair. Hallway lights flickered and blinked, and a suspicious mould had begun forming around parts of the ceiling. You push the white button for the elevator. After releasing it, the button pops off and clatters to the floor. You sigh, leaning your head against the elevator wall. You hate it here.

The rickety elevator pinged, announcing its arrival. The golden gates open with a metallic rattle.

“One of those mornings, huh?” Your friend’s voice rang out. Sejanus stands with his back to the far wall, a smirk on his face that did not reach his eyes. You step in beside him. You knew that the Hunger Games were tough on him. You had no clue how he was managing even a half-smile for you at this time.

What started as simply work partners for a project in an earlier year had evolved into a quiet friendship between yourself and the District boy. You would occasionally meet in the lobby of your apartment building to go on runs through the Capitol. You were each other’s first choice for everything. School projects, lunches, a shoulder to cry on, you both had an unspoken and quiet trust in one another. It was not a particularly showy friendship, but he was your friend nonetheless. A friend who made your heart beat just a little faster.

“You know it,” you sigh in response. You reach out and rub his arm as a comforting gesture. The elevator lurches forward as it begins its descent to the ground floor.

You study his face. Sejanus’s jaw is locked in place, eyes hard and skimming the passing floors in front of you. He was vocal about his dislike for the Hunger Games, and you understood where he was coming from. Had the hands of fate played differently, it could have been him at the reaping every year.

He swallows hard. “How’s Ginnee?” He asks, turning his head to you.

“She’s about as well as you can imagine,” you say, averting your gaze. The guilt you felt over the situation hung thick over you like a cloud.

“Figures,” Sejanus mutters before the elevator pinged again, stopping at the ground floor. You step out of the elevator first, striding across the marble floors over to the large glass doors of the apartment lobby. The bellhop hadn’t made it through the war. Sejanus took his job over for a moment, rushing ahead of you to hold the door. You muster a small smile for him in return.

The walks to the Academy were usually calm. The morning traffic would just be getting going. Shops with faded displays would open their doors to customers - not that there were many anymore, and you and Sejanus would go over the material for the day’s classes.

This was not the usual chatty, happy morning you had grown accustomed to. Both of you had no real desire to talk, opting to walk shoulder-to-shoulder instead. Your steps fall in sync and your breath hitches in your throat, terrified of what was to come with your tributes. Maybe it was just the city smog, but your breathing became shallow and you find yourself gasping against the wind.

Sejanus picks up on this and wordlessly wraps an arm around your shoulder. He pulls you into his chest, squeezing tight. You glance down at his large hand on your shoulder.

“It’ll be fine,” he mutters against your hair. His words feel forced, things wouldn’t be fine. Nothing about this was alright. But it was all he could manage at this time. You close your eyes and try to just focus on your breathing and Sejanus’s arms around your shoulders.. Things would get better one day. ‘It’s like ripping a bandage off,’ you think to yourself.

‘Once it’s done, it’s done.’

…

“Enjoy the show!” The turnstile chimes. A lump forms in your throat. Ginnee’s lip trembles, tears welling in her eyes.

“Enjoy the show!” In front of you, Sejanus turns around, meeting your gaze. He offers you a tight-lipped smile. You couldn’t bring yourself to smile back. You swallow hard.

“Enjoy the show!” You and your tribute walk through the gate. The grating voice continues to chime as you enter the arena. You look up, glancing around. The dome covering the arena hangs above you, letting in a small amount of natural light. You examine the pedestals where the tributes would stand before the games started. The walls were entirely smooth, impossible for a person to climb. You begin to sweat. Your main strategy was to tell Ginnee to hide during the initial bloodbath, and then pick off the stragglers. You hoped this would be enough to bring her to victory, but your heart sinks seeing that there isn’t even a place to hide.

You glance back over your shoulder towards Sejanus. Marcus is walking as far away from him as possible, Sejanus trailing after him, trying to get his attention. You turn back to Ginnee, who is observing the walls, craning her neck for a better angle. You call her name to get her attention.

“Ginnee, c’mere for a second,” you say, trying to formulate a new plan with her. She takes a few steps forward. Within an instant, the wall behind her explodes and a devastating BANG fills your ears. You’re knocked over from the force of the impact, flying several feet before sliding and rolling. The only thing you hear is ringing. You cover your ears, locking your arms in front of your eyes. The ringing doesn’t stop as more dirt and smoke kick up. Your head spins. Where’s Ginnee? Where’s Sejanus? You scream, hoping someone, anyone will hear you. The ringing begins to subside. You glance around. Your dull screams mix in with that of others. Someone near you is crying. Ginnee? You reach out, trying to find someone amidst the smoke. There’s blood on your hand. Who’s blood? Yours? You try pulling yourself forward on your stomach. Pain shoots through your body and you almost pass out. You cry out in agony and turn around. A huge slab of concrete from the wall had fallen on top of your legs, crushing them.

You reach down and try to get purchase of the slab with your fingertips. The mixture of sweat and blood on your hands makes it impossible to grab. Your hands kept slipping, slicing your palms and fingers deeper.

Another explosion went off at the far end of the arena. You see a figure - a boy, fly back. His body slams against a pile of debris with a sickening crunch, and he lays limp on the floor like a ragdoll.

You scream in horror, trying harder to lift the rubble off your legs. You alternate between lifting with the palms of your hands, and trying to grip with your fingers. Nothing worked. You yell in frustration, your palms sliding off the rubble and tears completely blurring your vision. You should have had your father’s disgusting, runny eggs this morning. You should have reread the love note. There was so much you should have done differently.

“Help me!” You scream as loud as your lungs will let you, the sound reverberating in your brain.

You keep pushing, changing tactics to slide out underneath it.

A rough hand wraps around yours pushing up with you. Your head snaps up. Covered in ash, dust and blood is Sejanus. He bites his lip in concentration and strain, a deep frown etched on his face as he pushes. Gradually, the concrete begins to lift.

“I need you to run,” Sejanus yells over the sound of gunfire. The Peacekeepers had entered the arena, opening fire at tributes attempting to escape.

“I can’t!” You sob, grabbing your legs and trying to move them out. Sejanus bites his lip again, drawing blood. He looks up.

“I’m going to let go on the count of three,” Sejanus gasps.

“What? No! Please don’t leave me!” You beg. Sejanus lifts higher.

“One, two,” he starts. Another explosion. You cover your ears and brace for impact.

“Three!” He yells. Before you have time to react, Sejanus shoots behind you and hooks his hands under your armpits. Your body slides back as he practically throws you out of harm’s way.

Sejanus had lifted the slab of rubble you were trapped under upright, helping you escape. It wobbles back and forth, shedding grey rocks as it tilts. Gravity quickly causes it to lean forward again, slamming back down onto where you just were. The impact kicks up a cloud of dust around you. Grit and dirt enter your eyes and you cough hard. Two large hands reach around your body. Sejanus wraps one hand around your shoulders, pulling you close to his chest, and reaches the other under your legs. You scream at his touch, white-hot pain shooting through you.

“I know, I know,” Sejanus says, voice shaking. “But we’ll get you to a hospital, alright?” He gasps. Your head lolls back, fading in and out of consciousness from the pain. Sejanus hoists you higher in his arms, tilting your head onto his shoulder.

“Hey, hey, stay with me here,” he pats your arm hard, leaning into you as he stands. He touches his cheek to your forehead.

“Please,” he chokes out. Your eyes roll around in your head trying to focus on your surroundings.

“Is it bad?” You moan against his skin, gritting your teeth. “My leg?” You cough. You feel Sejanus tilt his head to look.

“No. It’s fine, you’re fine.” He breathes. You feel yourself getting jostled. The agony that courses through you from the sudden movement is unlike anything you felt before. You can’t even scream, your vision immediately fades to black.

…

The linen surrounding you smells stale. Hushed whispers bounce around you. You crack your eyes open. You need a moment to let your eyes adjust. As shapes came into focus, you see a row of neatly-made beds to your left lined up one by one. There is an arched doorway, with people dressed in white clothes and strange hats scurrying to and fro.

To your right, a pale blue partition. A pair of boots sticks out from the side, resting on the bed. Who was that? You look down. Your feet are encased in thick white bandages. You try to wiggle your toes. Nothing. Your eyes trail up to the figure perched at the side of your bed. Sejanus held a ceramic bowl filled with clean water. In his hands, a wet rag dabbing carefully at some wounds on your fingertips.

“Hey,” you croak out. His head snaps towards you.

“Oh my god you’re awake,” He cries out. His eyes were red and puffy, like he’d been crying for hours. You try to reach up to him, but he catches your hand in his, clasping it firmly.

“How long was I out?” You ask, rubbing your eyes with your free hand. “About 12 hours,” he whispers, voice shaking. You study his face. Dirt and grime are still smeared across his face, whereas the exposed parts of your skin are clean, small bandages covering all your cuts. His injuries remain untreated. Had he been caring for you all this time?

“You’re hurt,” you say flatly.

“M’fine,” Sejanus smiles, eyes welling up. “I was looking after you,” He forces a laugh, looking away. You hold your breath. He stares fixed at the peeling wall in front of you, shoulders and head turned to you. You reach a shaky bandaged hand out and rest your fingertips atop his. His head snaps back, looking down at your hands together. A tear falls onto the back of your hand, splashing your knuckles. That’s why he turned away from you. You pull your hand out from under his and try lifting it up to wipe his tears. He catches your hand midair, gently pushing it aside.

“I should be the one comforting you,” he chokes out. Your eyebrows furrow. Classic Sejanus, always putting you before himself, even when he shouldn’t. You squeeze his hand hard. He bites his lip and looks down, inhaling sharply.

“Marcus escaped.”

“What?” You try to sit up. Sejanus places a hand on your shoulder, gently easing you back into the pillow of the hospital bed.

“He has a better chance out there in the Capitol than he does in the arena.” There is a twinge of anger behind his words.

“They’re still holding the Games?” You raise your voice, shocked. Sejanus only nods. Your stomach knots with anxiety. There was a pregnant pause.

“And Ginnee?” You ask after a moment. Sejanus hesitates.

“There was a parade,” he speaks slowly. “And they brought out the dead tributes on the backs of horses…” You gasp at the implication, covering your mouth with your hand. “What was left of them, at least,” He finishes. You feel sick. You must have looked sick too, because Sejanus calls a nurse for a bucket.

“I’m fine, I’ll be okay,” You say, holding your hand up to the nurse. She struts off out of sight again. You pull your forearm back for support as you try maneuvering yourself upright. This time, Sejanus didn’t stop you, moving his hand behind your back and holding your outstretched hand to pull you up. He doesn’t remove his hand from your back after sitting up, opting to rub gentle circles into the small of your back. You lean your head onto his shoulder, letting your eyes glaze over. All that for nothing. It was better her death was quick than drawn out in the Games. She didn’t suffer.

You point a shaky finger at your legs wrapped up in two neat white casts. Your toes poke out from underneath the bandages.

“Still got them, huh?” You exhale softly as a sort of half-laugh. Sejanus lets out a low chuckle.

“Yeah. They’re pretty broken though. You’ll be in a wheelchair for a while.” He glances down at you. You lift your head off his shoulder, gazing up at him. His eyes flick towards your legs, not meeting your gaze.

“Actually, in the arena…” he hesitates. “In the arena, you asked if your legs were alright when I got you out of the rubble.” You nod your head slowly at his words, recalling that moment before you lost consciousness.

“And I lied. They looked really bad. I didn’t want to scare you, so I lied and said you were fine. I could see the bone though,” his voice is little more than a whisper, lip quivering slightly. You grimace at the gruesome mental image. You feel Sejanus’s shoulders shake, and just like that he’s crying again. You wrap your arms around his shoulders, running your fingers through his soft brown hair. You feel his body tense up momentarily, before relaxing into your touch. You don’t know what to say, so you choose silence. He sobs quietly into your neck, tears wetting the collar of your hospital gown. You just keep ghosting your nails over his scalp to calm him.

“I thought you were dead,” he chokes out against your neck. “I thought you died in my arms.”

You squeeze him tighter at this admission.

“I’m not going anywhere,” You whisper in his ear. He squeezes you back, not as hard as you did. It was as though he was afraid of breaking you even more.

Sejanus pulls back from your embrace, wiping his tears off his cheeks with his hands. His gentle brown eyes are bloodshot.

“I’m sorry,” he sniffles. He stares down at his knee for a moment. You tilt your head, trying to get a better look at his face. You have never seen him like this before.

Before you can ask him what was on his mind, he reaches over behind you to the stand beside the hospital bed. You hear metal clinking and something shuffling, before he sits in front of you again.

“Here’s some of your stuff,” He says in a hushed voice, placing the items softly in your hand. He runs his large hand through his curls.

“I thought maybe you’d want it back. When the doctor gave back your uniform, I took the stuff out of your pockets. I didn’t mean to snoop, I’m-”

“Thank you.” You gaze into Sejanus’s eyes, interrupting him. He glances down, shying away from your words. You comb over the items in the palm of your hand. Your small gold watch’s face is cracked, but the seconds hand still ticks. You could get that fixed.

There’s the small teddy bear keychain - the one Sejanus bought for you on the way back from a study session.

“It reminds me of you,” he had smiled at you on that warm, sunny day. You kept it in your pocket ever since that day. Now, it is missing an ear, covered in dirt. Your eyes well up with tears.

You pick up another item. The matching friendship bracelet you made with Lysistrata Vickers when you were 12 years old is broken. The pink thread holding it together had snapped in two parts and some of the beads were missing. “B-st Frien—” it reads now. Had you been standing any closer to Ginnee, you would have met the same fate as her, scattered across that arena in several pieces.

You’re crying now, you wipe your cheeks frantically, trying not to show it. You catch Sejanus staring at the wall across from you, pretending not to notice your tears. You silently thank him for allowing you to have a moment to gather yourself.

The last item is a tattered piece of lined paper. You unfold it with shaking hands. It’s smeared with your blood, and is torn in different parts. Some of the words are missing, but the messy, blocky scrawl instantly brings a wave of peace over you. You read what you can, holding the paper together in some parts.

You smiled at me today,

My head spins as if I’m drunk when you look my way

Your sweet lips - the word is smudged with blood, you can’t make it out.

I dream of kissing your soft cheeks

I know you don’t think of me that way

But I can’t help but wonder what your hand feels - the paper is torn

For now, I’ll hold my own hand and pretend it's you,

And my broken heart will - the mangled paper cut off the rest of the words.

There were supposed to be an additional four lines to the note, you remember that much. The bottom of the paper is mangled and tattered, the words lost in the explosion. The contents of the love letter were terrible, truthfully. Barely even poetry. But someone loved you, someone thought about you enough to write consistently, and they tried. That was good enough for you. You close your eyes, allowing yourself to cry as you kiss the paper lightly.

“I don’t even remember what it said,” you laugh through tears. Sejanus’s head turns towards you.

“Can I see?” He asks. You hesitate for a moment. You never told him about the letters you’d been receiving. You figure it couldn’t hurt to show him. Gingerly, you hand the letter over with shaking hands. Sejanus skims the contents.

“And my broken heart will always love you. I’d follow you to the ends of the earth if you let me. We could build a house by the sea together. You have my whole heart, and I hope one day I’ll have yours.” He finishes, receiting from memory and choking slightly. The memory of the letter comes crashing over you.

“How did you-” You stop mid-sentence. Oh.

Sejanus stares wordlessly at you, lip quivering. A tear rolled down his cheek before he buries his head in his hands and sobs. You quickly lean forward and wrap your hand around his strong arm, stroking it gently.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Sejanus repeats over and over through tears. You reach up and pull his hands from his face. His tears had mixed with the dirt still caked on his cheeks.

“Why are you sorry?” You ask gently, trying to meet his eyes. He averts his gaze.

“M’sorry you found out this way,” he hiccups. “I didn’t want you to know until I was ready. It was supposed to be special. I was going to bring you flowers,” he says, wiping his red eyes.

You feel your stomach drop a little. You barely even had time to process the fact that you now knew who wrote the dozen letters stacked in your bedside table at home. And finding out it was your sweet friend? You’re torn between feeling elated and heartbroken for him.

Not wanting him to take your silence as rejection, you lift up a bandaged and bruised hand and touch his chin, gently turning his head towards you. The low light from the hospital wing casts a shadow over the right side of his face. He looks incredible. Your heart hammers in your chest. You study his face for a second, an unreadable expression across his soft features. Quickly, you lean forward on the bed and kiss his soft cheek. You press your lips against his soft skin long and hard, trying to put months-worth of unspoken feelings into one kiss.

You pull back. His mouth hangs slightly agape and his bloodshot eyes glaze over.

“I read those letters every night before bed,” you whisper. “I always carry one with me. Now you know what my lips feel like against your cheek,” you giggle softly, referencing the letter. His big dark eyes twinkle a little and he laughs.

Your eyes flick down towards his lips for a moment. Sejanus swallows hard.

“Can I kiss you properly?” Sejanus asks quietly, his voice barely audible. You hum a response in agreement. He tilts his head slightly and leans forward. The casts wrapped around your legs prevent you from moving any further, but he meets you all the way. His lips ghost yours gingerly, before meeting fully. Just like that, the pain in your legs and the hospital scene melts away entirely, and all you can focus on is Sejanus. His lips are slightly chapped, scratching yours lightly. He kisses you hungrily, wrapping an arm firmly around your waist and pulling you in closer.

Your hand trails up his chest and finds a home in the crook of his neck, stroking lightly. He tilts his head, meshing his lips with yours. His tongue swipes across your bottom lip. You gasp, your open mouth allowing him entry. He deepens the kiss, reaching a hand up to stroke your face. You squeeze the back of his neck gently, continuously running your fingers through his hair. Your lips are numb as he kisses you hungrily. He exhales, pulling back from you slowly.

You touch your nose against his, rubbing softly.

“So, does this mean you like me back?” Sejanus breathes. You giggle against his mouth, pulling him in by the shirt collar.

“Yes Sejanus, I thought it was obvious.” You smile. He pecks your lips, letting out a low hum. He presses his lips against yours harder and harder with every additional kiss.

The click of heels against marble floors interrupts you both. You hesitantly pull back from Sejanus and crane your neck. Peering over his shoulder, you watch your father stride through the tall arches of the hospital, trailing behind a nurse. He pauses upon seeing you.

“You’re awake!” He calls with outstretched arms. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” His tone is playful.

You laugh, shaking your head and embrace your father as he walks up to you. Sejanus shuffles out of the way. Your father hugs you tightly, squeezing your shoulders. He pulls back, turning to Sejanus.

“And you must be Sejanus, my future son-in-law! Thank you for helping,” your father beamed. His tone was still as teasing as ever, but laced with sincerity. Both you and Sejanus blush a deep red at his words. Sejanus looks down at his hands, wearing a grin that meets his ears.

“I just did what I could,” he says quietly.

“Nonsense, my boy! We must have you over for dinner soon. I’ll be in debt to you for as long as I live,” your father’s voice shakes slightly. Sejanus smiles softly, saying nothing, only nodding.

Sejanus and your father help you gather your belongings, easing you into a wheelchair and leading you out of the hospital to a waiting car. Sejanus helps maneuver your legs into the black vehicle safely and sits beside you on the red leather seats. Little star-like lights twinkled above on the ceiling, and your father enters the front to sit by the driver. The car slowly pulls out of the hospital parking lot, driving past high-rise buildings and sparkling city lights in the night. Sejanus’s warm hand wraps around yours. He leans his head closer to you, his dark brown curls tickling your skin.

“I’m happy you’re here with me,” he whispers.

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rachey899 · 1 month

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Lightning Ridge - Part One

A young Shifter wanders into a town crawling with hunters, Hendrix plans on laying low but when he catches wind of one particular hunter who is after the same Shifter that he’s been tracking himself, his curiosity gets the better of him. Offering to join the man on his quest he can only hope he can track down the dangerous shifter, saving the lives of innocents all the while keeping his secret hidden.

TW: mentions of murder/eating people, giant spiders, some swearing, mentions of death, mentions of drug use

G/t Shifter story, the idea came from a prompt I read a while back by @maplesyrupandgt. I’ve just come back to writing after recovering from an injury to my writing hand of all things, but I’m back and posting short stories and prompts to get me back in the swing of things. This will be a Four Part Story so keep an eye out for more to come!

Approx 3.2k words

Part One - Here

Part Two

The rain beat down hard on my shoulders and I knew I’d have to stop for the night, my eyes had caught sight of distant light coming from this direction and I had hoped to stumble across a small village in search for cheap accommodation. What I didn’t expect to find however was currently staring at my face menacingly, urging me to turn around and go back the way I’d come.

A sign was posted a few yards from the small village, and it read:

‘GIANT’S BEWARE’

And Another:

‘GIANT SLAYERS WITHIN’

The signs were large enough that any shifter would be able to read it in their Giant forms, what was unnecessary was the graphic image of a shifter having its head cut off by a human that was scrawled under the blocky letters above it.

“Charming” I said to myself.

It was known among shifters that most humans didn’t know that ‘Giants’ as they called us, were not in fact Giant’s at all but a special kind of shape shifter that could grow into their large forms at will, or sometimes against their will. For that reason, I deemed it safe to enter, no one here would know what I was, I’d just have to keep a low profile as always.

My boots trudged heavily through the muddy streets until I found a tavern, the sign out the front told me that there was availability inside, perfect. I pushed open the double wooden doors and was greeted with a waft of warm thick air filled with music, laughter and the smell of smoke and whiskey.

I inhaled deeply, soaking in the pleasant sensations, I’d get a drink once I’d secured a room for the night. I found a coat hanger near the entryway and placed my wet jacket onto it along with my fedora, feeling somewhat warmer and dryer I headed straight for the bar with my best panty dropping grin.

“A straight whisky darlin if you don’t mind?” I asked the young barmaid from behind the counter, she gave me a playful wink while pouring a fresh glass without even looking at it. She slid it across the polished counter to me and leaned over.

“What’s a pretty face like you doing here?” she asked, flicking her long black hair over her shoulder.

“Just passing through” I said casually. “I was hoping I might find some accommodations hereabouts.”

“Well, you need look no further, we have a few spare rooms tonight, just a single?” She asked hopefully, she briefly glanced around to see if I had come in with anyone else.

“Yeah, just a single.”

She handed me a piece of parchment to sign, a guest log, I scribbled a fake name in as I usually did and handed it back to her along with a generous payment, she gave me a set of keys and then asked. “Where are you headed to?”

“Oh no where in particular, I enjoy exploring, I’m a bit of a nomad.” I shrugged, taking another heavy slog of my drink. “Might head toward Lightening Ridge tomorrow.” I said offhandedly.

The man beside me at the bar, scoffed, I hadn’t even noticed him sit down until now, the barmaid and I both looked at him curiously, waiting for an explanation.

“You haven’t heard the rumors?” He asked, looking at us incredulously, his dark hair and darker complexion gave off a mysterious air in the already dim lighting of the tavern, his shaggy hair keeping his face in the shadows expertly.

“That’s Giant territory up that way.” He explained, turning to address us properly.

“Is that so?” I asked, I hadn’t heard of any territory being claimed as ‘Giants Territory’ ever, most of the time shifters mainly lived amongst humans. Of course, there were the rare kind who took advantage of their sheer strength and sought to harm and press their power over others.

One shifter in particular I could think of, we’d crossed paths a few times, I had actually been tracking him for a long time after hearing the first reports of a Giant terrorizing villages. I’d found him about a year ago, warning him of others who were hunting him, I tried to get through to him with reason, but he wasn’t interested in hearing any of it, in fact he very nearly killed me.

I’d kept my distance then but continued to track him for a short while until I lost his trail. It had been months since I’d had any firm leads and I wondered if my instinct taking me this far East had finally paid off. Perhaps he had taken over Lightening Ridge claiming it to be his own.

“What makes you think it’s Giant Territory?” I pressed further.

The young man finished off his drink and indicated that he would like another.

“I’ve been assigned to hunt a Giant living in that area, he’s set up camp there for a while now, many have gone in, but none have ever returned.” he said forebodingly wiggling his fingers for emphasis.

I shivered but not because of the stupid theatrics the man was displaying, but because in all likelihood Blade was killing if not eating the men who had entered ‘His’ Territory and the thought turned my gut to ice.

“Perhaps I could assist you.” I said resolve set, I was sure this was the shifter I’d been after, and I wasn’t going to let him get away again, especially knowing he was now murdering civilians.

The young man laughed loudly but I kept my expression neutral, and his laughter died down to a look of pure disbelief.

“You’re not joking? Are you?” He asked and I shook my head, he gave a heavy sigh. “Look I appreciate the offer, but I generally work alone, besides I don’t wanna get distracted looking after you when I’m trying to slay the beast.” He explained, all good points.

“I’m a hunter as well.” I lied. “I actually know of the beast your after, been on his tail for months, I think I could prove useful.”

He gave me a skeptical look; I was sure he was going to turn me down again and then I’d move to plan B which would be tailing this man in order to find Blade, but he held out a hand instead.

“You don’t get in my way.” He said sternly. “When we find the beast, it’s every man for himself, I wont risk my neck to save your ass if you do something stupid, you hear?”

I couldn’t help the smile edging onto my face, and I grasped his hand.

“Deal.” I said, so much for keeping a low profile.

“The names Ryder, I’ll meet you down here an hour before sunrise.” He said stiffly before rising from his chair, intending to head in for the night.

“Hendrix.” I answered honestly. “I’ll be here.” He gave me a curt nod before heading up the stairs to the Tavern’s rooms.

“Boy you do have a death wish.” The barmaid was shaking her head whilst cleaning a glass. I gave her a small shrug before heading up the stairs myself, and I wondered if the barmaid had noted that the name I put on the guest log, was not the name I’d given to Ryder. I supposed it didn’t matter, in all likely hood we’d leave before anyone else arose the next morning and I’d never see her again.

With that I hunkered down onto the small cot within my room and urged my racing thoughts to quieten, though regardless of my efforts my excitement at having finally got a lead was too much to give me a good night’s sleep and morning came all too quickly.

I rolled out of bed and stretched my aching limbs, sleeping on a different surface every night didn’t bode well for my back. I wandered to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face briefly glancing my disheveled appearance in the mirror. Ryder had been right to worry that I wouldn’t be useful in a fight, where he was toned, I was more malnourished with my poor muscles trying desperately to make themselves known.

My dark blue eyes popped against my freckle-stained face where my cheek and jaw bones jutted out. I wasn’t much of a fighter, more a survivalist, but I had been training since my last meeting with Blade and I was confident I’d be able to take him this time.

I brushed my fingers through my shoulder length sandy blonde hair and pushed away from the sink, I’d guessed it was about an hour before sunrise now and if I didn’t get a move on, Ryder would likely leave without me. I slung my satchel containing my meager belongings across my chest and headed down the stairs.

“Ah there he is, I was thinking you might have come to your senses overnight.” Ryder joked, putting on his own hat and jacket, ready to head out the door.

“Not a chance.” I smiled, and followed him outside, the air was fresh and held the sharp bite of winter closing in, I longed to be back inside the warm tavern, but I also wasn’t about to pass up this opportunity, especially if I could put an end to Blade’s rampage once and for all.

It was bad enough that he was putting the identity of our kind at risk but using his power to harm others was something I just couldn’t stand for.

I followed Ryder as we headed further east, following signs for Lightening Ridge, it was approximately 200kml away from SheerWood, the village we had just come from, and would be about a three or four day walk with minimal stops.

“So, tell me a bit about yourself Hendrix.” Ryder asked, the sun was beginning to rise, and we had walked in mostly comfortable silence until that point, I had gathered that he preferred not to grow attached to his travelling companion in case he died once we faced the shifter, his question caught me off guard.

“There’s not much to tell really.” I shrugged, preparing to spin off the usual story I give people. “I’m a nomad, I travel all over, got no family to hold me down so I’m just out exploring really.”

“Bullshit, you’ve been tailing a Giant for peats sake, there is more to you than just drifting with the wind.”

I bit my lip, I hadn’t really thought that one through, I’d forgotten that I’d told him I was a hunter back in the tavern.

“Well, you know I pick up a few hunting jobs here and there as a travel through, no big story, sorry to disappoint.” I covered quickly, it wasn’t an unheard-of story and totally credible if I do say so myself.

He didn’t seem convinced, but he also didn’t seem frustrated at all, like he understood that not everything was okay to be shared with a total stranger.

“Well, I suppose I’m much the same as you, grew up in a small town and as soon as I was able, I up and left, took up hunting jobs and make my living that way, I must say it’s not a bad way to see the country.” He glanced at the surrounding forest appreciatively.

“Do you have any family?” I asked trying to continue to keep the topic on him.

“Yeah, but I haven’t seen them in years, they live way out west in the desert, my mum, dad and sister, as far as I know Kailani is still there tending to the farm with them, farm life just wasn’t for me you know?”

I nodded, the lifestyle had never interested me either, come to think of it I wasn’t really sure what kind of lifestyle called to me. I supposed travelling and exploring the country was okay, but the thought of settling down somewhere was intriguing, even if it was an impossibility for me.

“What’s Kailani like?” I asked, my mind wandered to my own little sister, she’d been only five years old when I left home, when my abilities had made themselves known.

“She’s kind.” He said wistfully. “She was always very reserved, especially around our parents, she was never shy about giving me a hard time though.” He chuckled at a memory playing over in his mind. “Last I heard she was seeing a fella, she’d make a good wife, I just hope she’s happy.”

“I suppose that’s all any of us can ask for.” I said quietly, hoping the same was true about Ella.

A twig snapped to our left and we both paused, Ryder held up a scarred hand indicating for me to keep quiet. I scanned the area, but I couldn’t see much of anything off the trail, the forest on either side of us was dense with underbrush.

After a few moments I was going to tap Ryder on the shoulder and suggest we keep going, it was probably just an animal skirting too close to the trails, that’s when we heard a soft hiss disturb the silence around us. And that was all the warning we got before the large Arachnid made itself known, its many eyes flickering like embers in the dense forest and its large hairy legs moving faster than they should have been able to.

“Duck!” Ryder shouted, I was going to question why I would do such a thing, and to instead suggest we run but I crouched low to the ground anyway and narrowly missed a projectile of sticky silk that was shot toward us. Ryder had rolled out of the way and brandished his sword, crouching in a fighting stance and ready to leap at the thing.

I dug in my pockets for my dagger, and then realized it was woefully too small to fight a creature this large. Of course, normally when I encountered giant spiders in the forest, I was much bigger and would simply crush the creature with the heel of my boot, I’d never thought I needed a larger weapon when I was usually the largest creature around.

Of course I couldn’t grow right now, not with a hunter standing right there, I rolled as the creature made a move toward me and I narrowly avoided one of its sharp claw-like legs from spearing me through the middle. I watched as Ryder pounced on top of the thing, using his sword to strike at the Arachnids thick exoskeleton.

The spider seemed to pay him not mind, not finding his efforts of any concern at all and instead kept on moving toward me, the spider positioned itself over me and spat more sticky silk covering my left hand and pinning it to the ground. My breath hitched and I felt myself expand a few inches, breaking my hand free of the sticky substance.

I focused on stopping the growing energy within my body, reining it in for now. I wasn’t about to die at the mercy of an insect.

The spiders’ pincers sliced awfully close to my neck, and I jerked my body upwards pushing the heels of my boots into the spider’s face.

With only a second to make the most of my distraction I backpaddled on my hands and knees crawling under the spider and then out into the open. I dug in my bag frantically and pulled out what I hoped might do the trick, tearing off a part of my sleeve, I picked up a stick nearby and wrapped my shirt around it.

The spider had its eyes on me again and let out another hiss, I doused the cloth in whiskey and then struck a match, creating a large fire stick that I brandished at the spider. It threw its body backwards showing off its front legs in a display of aggression and in doing so threw Ryder from its back, he landed in a heap dropping his sword a short distance away from him.

With the flaming stick in one hand, I inched closer to Ryder’s sword, causing the spider to back up further.

“Ryder!” I shouted kicking the sword toward him, he got the hint grasped the sword and then stood directly underneath the beast. I backed up and as the spider came down Ryder expertly placed the sword between the spider’s thorax and abdomen and then it went limp, its body falling heavily on top of Ryder.

I concentrated and allowed myself to grow only a little, just enough so that I would be strong enough to push the beast off of Ryder, with a grunt of effort I rolled the spider off of him. Ryder lay there breathing heavily, his whole body covered in unidentifiable spider guck, I focused on my own breathing shrinking down to an acceptable height though my body protested.

“You look like hell.” I stated, holding out a hand for him. He grasped it with a slimy hand of his own and I cringed a little at the sickening feeling.

“I’d look a lot worse if it hadn’t of been for you.” He said completely awe struck, he walked over to reclaim his sword from the spider’s belly and then looked over at me, his hazel eyes flashing.

“That was some quick thinking back there.” He said, voice still laced with amazement. “I mean, after seeing you brandish a dagger of all things, I had my doubts, but… that was something else.”

I brushed it off, throwing the fire stick on the ground and stamping it out before putting my matches and flask back into my satchel.

“I work well under pressure.” I shrugged, and his eyebrows reached the sky.

“I’ll say.” He said clapping me on the back. “In any case, well done lad.”

I chuckled nervously and followed him as we continued down the trail. Thankful that I had made it out of my first encounter with an aggressive creature and lived to tell the tale, secret still intact.

“Ha, that’s funny…” He started, looking me up and down as I caught up walking briskly beside him.

“What’s funny? That I’ve only got a dagger to defend myself with? Yeah I know the truth is I lost-“

“No, not that.” He cut me off. “I just could have sworn I was taller than you.”

PART TWO

#gt #gianttiny #giant/tiny #g/t #giant #tiny #size shifter #sizedifference #gtangst #HendrixRyder #ShifterHendrix

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