Archive of Our Own

“ 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.”