The Anti-Fairy Tales The Beanstalk And The Giant Arc Part One

 The Giant's Land

Pheoshan, Prince Cpalphyre and Phryedoor had been traveling for a month without any more interruptions. She had thought about Prince Rice and Livea. She wondered if they were alright and if she had made the right choice to leave them. Obviously she knew that this was the right thing to do for the world, but was this right for her? She wished that she could say yes to that but she just did not know. So she pushed the thoughts aside.

She looked at the high and bright sun. She could tell that the days were getting hotter and hotter and longer and longer. They were leaving the rest of spring behind and entering the center of summer. This was what she was looking forward to, after all, this would be the first summer she would spend awake. Also it would mean that there would be no more cold nights.

Thinking about it, she just could not believe she had spent most of her life from infancy, asleep and as a host to the Demon King Wolfox. Yet she found it even more unbelievable that she had been without knowing anything about it. Then only for the short time she was awake she was forced back to sleep for another year. Then to wake in the autumn. 

She remembered when winter came and she had to fight the son of the White Demon then, shortly after being banished, going on to fight that very same demon. Only to be captured by a group of demons and almost tricked into becoming a bride to a Demon Prince. 

Then to see the display of Wolfox's true power as he destroyed Glahod which still shook her. She knew that one day she would have to fight him but since that day she just could not see herself winning. After all, how could she possibly win against something like that? No he was just too powerful and she doubted that she could ever reach that type of power.

Yet then she and Prince Coalphyre were captured by the Sweet Demon, a time of which he was clearly still paying for as his cheeks were still too chubby despite how long they had traveled or trained. They were hit looking good and then she remembered how she was able to use the power of Wolfox and a smaller version of his weapon. 

She had thought about many of these things when she needed the loo. She quickly did her business and cleaned her hands. She looked back to see a cloaked man behind her. She could see nothing of his face and yet she could see the tips of his hair which was the colour of royal purple garnet.

"May I join you?" He purred.

"Urm, sure?" She said, keeping up her guard.

He then sat on a log beside her. He crossed his legs.

"Tell me, is it true that you can kill demons?"

"Yes. I have killed some."

He raised a pale slender but masculine hand to his chin. Yet all she could look at was his claw-like nails that were sharp enough to cut flesh easily. In fact she wondered how they did not cut into his chin.

He smirked as he licked his lip slowly. 

She suddenly felt slightly exposed, almost as if she was naked and defenceless. She could feel the eyes behind the hood were looking at her with a predatorial glance. She felt uncomfortable like she was being exposed in a crowd. She did not like feeling this sudden sense of irrational vulnerability.

His mouth opened for a moment. He then chucked clappeed.

"Congratulations! You should be proud. No one ordinary can do that. So whatever happens, be proud of that." He purred, gesturing at her. "So don't let anyone take that away from you."

"Who are you and will you quit looking at me like that?" She snapped.

His lips curled down.

"Like what?" He sang.

"Like you're undressing me with your eyes. I'm fourteen to fifteen at least."

"You can sense that? Are you sure you're human?" He purred.

"Yes and wanna punch?"

He chuckled.

"Maybe!" He sang.

"What do you want?"

His smile became playful and almost relaxed.

"Oh? Can't I have an idle chit chat?" He asked, his head cocked to the left.

At this she just glared at him. She knew that if she stayed here any longer, she would punch him. She didn't even care who he was. He could be a Prince but she did not care.

His smile rested.

"Oh well! I just wanted to give you a gift. Here!" He purred, tossing her a small sack the colour of his hair and held an emerald and amber pattern. "I also wanted to say well done too."

She rolled her eyes as she opened the sack. She frowned seeing a group of beans.

"Beans?" She questioned

She looked up and spotted that the man had vanished! She frowned as she looked around. She shook her head.

What was that all about?

"Pheoshan. Who was that?" Phyredoor asked.

"Don't know. Didn't give a name."

"What did he give you?"

"Just a bunch of beans."

"I don't think that you should eat them. I heard on the ship that there was a man going around giving gifts to people to test their greatness."

"What for?"

"Who knows."

She nodded as they rejoined Prince Coalphyre. They all sat down at the base of a low cliff. She leaned back against the rock. She then felt tired and put an arm under her head.

"Anyway,  I think that I will call it for the night." She said, yawning. "We will talk tomorrow. My mind will be able to take it then."

"Yeah. I think I will too." Coalphyre yawned.

He was soon asleep. Phyredoor also fell asleep.

As they slept the beans grew out of the sack. Their stems wrapped themselves around Pheoshan as the roots dug deep into the ground. The stalks became thicker and thicker and became stronger and stronger. The beanstalk grew higher and higher. The stalks wrapped around and around her body and she became firmly held in place on top of the plant. She rose higher and higher. Her body left the ground and soon left the land behind. She still was being carried higher and higher by the beanstalk. Soon she was being lifted above the clouds. Above her was a giant island in the sky. The beanstalk grew and placed her on the edge of the island. It pushed her on and once she was safely laid down the beanstalk receded and shrank down further and further and further.

The following morning, she woke up. She looked around to see that the clouds were closer than the day before. She looked to her left to see that there was a sea of clouds! Which she knew that she was not in the position to see the night before. She also noticed that she was in a flatter place than the night before. 

Hold on? Have I moved?

Her mind became alert the moment that she realized that she was not in the same place as she was the night before. She quickly sat up and looked around.

What? Where am I? How did I even get here? What's going on?

Wait, where's Coalphyre and Phyredoor?

Her mind was racing as she looked around.

Well I will not get any answers if I stay here.

She climbed to her feet and walked around. She first walked to the edge of the island. Only to see that it was somehow suspended in the air!

How is that even possible? I'm pretty certain that the laws of physics would dictate that this island should fall out of the sky and crash into the ground below.  Except that's assuming that this world has the same laws as the Dream Hell that I grew up in. But still I'm not learning anything useful here.

She looked back at the island ahead. She saw that the tree trunks were as thick as three houses and as high as a skyscraper. The leaves were the size of a large bedroom and the branches were as long as a long street.

Wow! That's high!

She then walked on and she noticed that as she came to the grass it was as high of a tall man. with each blade as thick as a set of double doors. She would have thought that it was in dire need of a trim yet she could tell that this was no ordinary grass.

She continued and walked on and on. She wondered if there was any life here other than plant life. This was soon put to rest when she came to the edge of a cliff. There she saw that there was a small village at the bottom. Yet ahead at the far end of the village was a mansion, overlooking the rest of the village.

Right. I think that's a good start.

But what if the people there don't speak the same language as I do?

Well I guess that I will have to find a way around the language barrier. 

Right.

She then looked down and was relieved to see that there was not a gap. Which meant that this was all part of the same large island. So she sat down and slid to the edge and lowered her legs. Once they had rested upon a firm piece of rock she started to climb down. She lowered herself down further and further until her whole body was now pressed against the cliff face. She could feel the drag on the muscles as gravity tried to pull her away from the cliff. She then slowly climbed down, pressing on each ledge and rock that stuck out. Testing its stability before putting her whole weight upon it. 

She looked down to see that her black glass slippers had changed their shape. They had become flatter and the heels and front had all spikes in them, which made it easier for her to grip the rock as she climbed down.

Cool.

She climbed down further and further and further. She climbed for an hour and still she was barely half way down! She continued to climb even when her arms and legs were aching. She climbed lower and lower and part of her wondered if this was a good idea but also knew that she was too low to turn back. So she climbed on and she started to feel the aching become more and more painful. She could see that there arms and legs had started to shake as she climbed on. Yet she knew that she could not stop and give herself a break or she would not get anywhere and worse, she would run the risk of falling. So she pushed herself on and on. 

After three hours, she was able to finally reach the bottom. She felt her body collapse and her arms and legs painfully cramp up. She panted and panted as she gave herself a break, knowing that her body had earnt it. However she knew that she had no choice, but to let her body rest as it got over the cramps and wait for her body to stop shaking like a leaf.

Once she was able to regain her strength and had fully rested, she climbed back into her feet. She walked to the village to see that the buildings were the the size of a mansion! With each window the size of a house! The door was the size of one and a half houses stacked upon each other! 

Just what is this place? A giant land? Why is everything so masive? Hold on, do giants exist? Well this would be where they would live if they did. 

Never mind, I have to find out what's going on.

So she knocked upon the nearest door that she came to.

Then the door opened to reveal that giants did exist. 

The giant was the size of a house and a tall man. She had long messy blond locks that were tied back by a large black ribbon. With a long green dress that hid the feet, with a silver rope around the waist. She had perch skin with striking blue eyes and thick lips,giving her the look of a fish. 

"Hello human. What doth thou want with me?"

"How did I get here?"

"Did you receive a bean?"

"Yes, several!"

"Then that is how thee cometh here."

"And how do I get back?"

"Engleman will know. He cometh and goeth to human kingdoms as he please. Although he doth usually goeth for slaves."

She nodded.

"And where does Engleman live?"

"The Giacouse Estate."

"So he's called Engleman Giacouse?'

"Yes."

"And will he give me the way home if I ask?"

"No. He will not."

She then closed the door before she could ask anymore questions. Knowing that she was not going to get anymore from the giantess, looked at the mansion. She knew that she needed more information and she knew that she also needed to sleep as well. She then returned to the base of the cliff to sleep.