“Matt, uh, does your family know where you are?” Noi stared at the human, on the bird who’d landed in his hand. “Matt?”
“Let me go!” Matt screamed. Noi’s ears rang with the sound of Matt’s voice. “I have a family! My wife! My baby!”
“Matthew! It’s alright!” The god beside Noi shouted, concern lacing in his words. Noi wished he could’ve covered his ears. “Kako’s not here! I will protect you! I will always protect you!”
Then he shrank. The god became the size of a human, standing on Noi’s palm, climbing onto Matt’s bird. Noi pulled his hand closer to his face, Matt’s bird whistled.
“Is everything okay?” Noi asked.
“Noi, I don’t think this conversation is meant for us.” Lani spoke. Noi turned his head ever so slightly.
“They’re in my hand. I’m allowed to be worried about them.” Noi watched as Isthmus hugged Matt. “Your family, Matt. You need to go back to them. Everyone needs to return to their families.” Noi looked at the tiny village near his feet. No one had noticed him yet.
“No. Nobody’s family knows where they are. Mine doesn’t.” Matt stared up at Noi.
“I’m sorry.” Noi muttered. “I’m so sorry…they don’t know. I…I’ll take you back. I’ll take all of you back. To your families. We can fix this. I’ll go down there. I’ll bring you back.”
“They won’t trust you. They don’t trust giants.” Matt said, his voice soft.
“Then why haven’t they noticed me yet?” Noi looked to the ground. His feet were larger than the tiny houses and huts that lined the ground.
“We’re used to ‘earthquakes’; the passing of giants. Especially since Isthmus stays around here-”
“I also keep it quiet. I keep it safe.” Isthmus’s horror mask stared up at Noi. “I’m protecting them…from you.”
“But I’m not a danger.” Noi shifted on his feet. He wasn’t dangerous. He wasn’t a danger.
“They don’t know that.” Matt pulled the reins of his bird. “We were all kidnapped. By a giant, so we’re not really that trusting of giants.”
“Let me speak to them first. Isthmus…I need you to, like, not protect us right now.”
“No.” Isthmus jumped from Noi’s hand, returning to his normal stature.
“Isthmus! I need you to do this! Please?”
“My job is to protect, Matt. I’m protecting them from fear.”
“I thought your job was to protect the woods.” Noi could feel Lani move across his shoulder. “I believe that’s what you said.”
“I…I am a god, you mortal! I….FINE!” Isthmus’s horror mask shifted to an even more terrible look. Noi stared at his feet. Isthmus spoke in the language of the gods, it made Noi’s ears ring.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Repeated screaming pounded against Noi’s eardrums. Noi’s hands flew up to his ears, Matt and his bird flew from his hand.
“-and this is why I didn’t-”
“Oh my MORTALS! WOULD YOU STOP SCREAMING?!” Isthmus’s voice made Noi want to cry.
“Hello!” Matt shouted. “Friends! This giant is Noi! He means no harm!”
“He…means no harm?!” Someone shouted. People began exiting their homes. Noi took a step back.
“Noi, could you put me down?” Lani leaned against Noi’s neck, still shivering. She was thankful for his warmth, but she needed to speak with humans.
“Oh, of course.” Noi’s voice rumbled against Lani. It was comforting. The hand above Lani moved down and pressed against Noi’s shoulder and neck. Lani wandered forward, climbing onto Noi’s hand. It wasn’t as warm as his neck, but still nice.
“Thank you.” Lani murmured as Noi’s hand moved down. Lani looked at Noi’s thumb, a line, the size of Lani, ran across it. That was new.
“Were you kidnapped by that one?!” A lady in a torn dress glanced up at Noi. “It’s very big.”
“No. Noi did not kidnap me.” Lani looked up at Noi. A nervous expression plastered on his face.
“Matt says we can trust him…and Lord Isthmus hasn’t harmed him yet.” The lady stared up. “I guess it’s okay.”
“Okay, mortals. This guy, Noi, wants to help you.” Lord Isthmus’s hollow eyes stared down from beneath his horror mask. Lani shuddered, from both the cold and fear.
“Alright, whaddya think you can help us with, giant?!” A woman shouted. Poor Noi and his sensitive ears.
“Your families.” Noi’s knee’s bent and his torso fell. He landed on the ground. Lani wobbled. “I want to bring you back home. Your families probably miss you.”
The voices began overlapping. Lani looked around. Then she stared up at Noi. He was so kind.
“Please, quiet down.” Noi frowned, wincing.
“What?” Was a repeated word between the other humans.
“He has good/sensitive ears.” Lani spoke loudly, not yelling nor shouting, just loud speaking.
“My plan is to bring you back to the human lands. To your families.” One of Noi’s giant hands landed on the ground. “I want you to know that you can trust me. Alright?”
“Please trust him.” Lani sighed. “He just wants to bring you home. He’s a good guy, okay?”
“Not everyone wants to go back.” Isthmus loomed over the crowd. His wooden mask even scarier from below. “Mmmm. I won’t name names. But they are pleading to me. They know it. I’ll still be here, for those of you who want to stay.”
Lani could understand not wanting to return home, she’d been friends with Jay long enough.
“I’m not sure this is such a good idea now.” The lady in the torn dress stood next to Lani on Noi’s hand. “I’m remembering things I didn’t want to remember. Being in the hand of a giant.”
“It’s okay. Noi’s not a bad giant…not a bad person. He’s not a bad person.” Lani looked up at Noi’s nervous face. There were enough humans to fit in both of his hands. They were tightly huddled up to, especially because of the cold. It was so much warmer against Noi’s neck. Lani wished she could be up there again. Matt’s extra coat also helped, but Noi was warmer.
“I need to get down the beanstalk. The thing is…I can’t get down there with you in my hands. I don’t have anything to-”
“I’ll take care of that.” Isthmus appeared behind Noi, which made the giant flinch and move his hands closer to his chest. The lady in the dress grabbed at Lani’s arm. Her left arm. Lani clenched her other fist.
“Sorry! Uh, Isthmus, sir, what do you mean by that?” Noi turned around, seemingly paying more attention to Lord Isthmus than the humans. Lani carefully pushed the lady’s hand off her.
“Here.” A leather satchel appeared in the god’s hand. Does he want us in there? “Put them in here. And humans, don’t worry, it’s bigger on the inside. You won’t be able to tell that you’re in a purse.”
Well that’s dehumanizing. Lani thought. Insensitive.
“I’m sorry.” Noi’s eyes looked down from the edge of the purse. “There’s just so many of you, sorry.”
Then it went dark and became shaky.
“What?” Lani looked around, and she could tell that everyone was looking at her.
“This is your fault!” Someone screamed.
“This is a trap isn’t it?!”
“What, no! Noi is a good guy! This is just the easiest way to get us down the beanstalk!” Lani was knocked over from something in the outside world. Noi must’ve begun climbing. She was slammed into the inside of the satchel. “Ow!”
“See?!” Someone beside her slammed against her. “It’s a trick!”
“It’s not! This is just what happens in situations like this!” Lani pushed the person off of him then pushed herself from the edge of the purse.
(Also, by the way the satchel is soundproof so Noi can’t hear this happening. And also, Matt stayed with Isthmus, because he is gay for him.)
“And what would you know about bad giants?! You weren’t grabbed and kidnapped by Kako-”
“I was grabbed! My dads were kidnapped by Kako! I had to save the queens’ heroes from him! I stabbed his head! Noi here, Noi fought her! I’m like ninety percent sure he’s dead now! But for a fact, his memory is gone! I don’t need you telling me stuff, I get it! Maybe not to your extent, but I get it, okay?! I am Lani Jack, daughter of Roy and Riley Jack! I am a hero of the queens! I may only be 19 years old, but I am trying to help you! Noi is trying to help you! I understand that it’s hard for you to trust him, it was hard for me too!”
“What…?” Lani knew the people were staring at her. She didn’t care, she was beginning to get annoyed.
“I understand, okay?!” Lani sighed. There was no point in being mad. “I just want to bring you to your families. So you can see them again, okay?”
“Now please, relax. And don’t mind the fact that the world is shaking.”
“What the hell was that?!” Someone shouted as Lani, along with the other humans, was launched up and slammed into the inside of the purse. Noi must’ve gotten down to the human lands.
“Noi! Hello?!” Lani shouted up, directed towards Noi. She was confused on how he didn’t mind their yelling. “NOI?!” Lani screamed louder.
No reaction from the outside.
What the heck?! Lani couldn’t get a grip on whatever fabric the inside of the satchel was made of, so she couldn’t climb up and out. She felt a sudden sense of dread, like she was trapped. It was probably fine. She was fine. It was fine.
Then, light shone in. Relieve sifted through her mind.
“Okay, we’re here.” Noi’s kind eyes peered in. “I’m gonna turn this sideways, because it’s easier for you to leave that way. Well, without us having to grab you.”
“That would be good for everyone.” Lani gave him a small smile. Suddenly, the world tipped, causing everyone to fall. Including Lani. “Ow.”
“Crap! Are you guys okay?!” Noi’s face blocked the opening, a worried look in his large eyes.
“Yeah! We’re fine!” Lani spoke for everyone, she knew everyone was fine. Nobody was hurt, it was not a big fall.
“See? Everyone’s out, we’re good.” Lani gave an annoyed grin to the crowd around her. She stared up at Noi, his giant legs rising so far up. His head was so high. How did he even care about the humans? They were so small compared to him. Noi shifted, his body looming over everyone. His hand lowered, then he lifted the purse to his face. He seemed to be looking inside.
“Good.” Noi slung the satchel over his shoulder.
“Where’s Isthmus?” Lani looked around, how could you lose a giant god?
“AHHHH, WHAT THE FU-” Everyone looked up from the voice. Isthmus was falling from the sky. What is he doing? Except he was a little bit bigger than human sized.
“Lord Isthmus!” Noi’s hands stretched out, blocking Isthmus’s form.
Noi made sure Isthmus landed in his hands. If he didn’t…Noi didn’t want to think about that.
“Are you okay?” Noi brought the god closer to his face. Isthmus was holding a human, Matt, close to his chest.
“Y-Yes. I am perfectly fine.” Isthmus quickly stood up and looked away from Noi. Matt was about the size of Isthmus’s chest. “I’m a god, okay, mortal? I’m fine.”
Noi looked to the ground. The small crowd of humans were all staring up at him.
“Are you afraid of heights?” Noi asked very quietly. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with being afraid of heights. Astraea was afraid of heights.
“No!” Isthmus screamed, his horror mask shifted, Noi shuddered. But yes. Noi. You mortal. I do not like heights.
Are you speaking in my mind? Noi stared down at the small god.
Yes. Now, you never saw this. Only Matt knows.
“I have an idea.” Lani was craning her neck more than Noi thought was comfortable. Noi kneeled, putting his knees on the grass. He made sure to give his attention to her. “If everyone’s comfortable with it, Noi could ask everyone where they lived and take them there.”
No. I am not okay with that. Noi stared down.
Noi brought his hands to his ears. Humans are so loud.
“Listen, listen, listen, all you mortals can’t keep fearing Noi!” Isthmus walked around the crowd. “I hate to admit it, but Noi is not bad! And I need you to trust him because we don’t have a teleporting wizard with us.”
“That is oddly specific.” Noi murmured, Isthmus must’ve been speaking of Jay. Isthmus horror mask stared up at Noi.
“And why can’t you teleport us?” One of the humans asked. “You’re a god-”
“I don’t bend myself to such lowly beings.” Annoyance and something god-ish dripped through Lord Isthmus’s words. “I may be helpful, but I don’t like mortals. Humans. Giants. Vampires. Other stupid creatures.”
Jay, who was still in court, fidgeted in boredom and annoyance. He counted as a witness, so he was stuck.
“-not allowed! Jay?!” Jay had dissociated quite some time ago, and had not really paid attention to the surrounding, muffled, conversation. But he knew his name. Sadly, it was yelled by Mr. Annoying Man, Maverick. Not one of the lovely queens.
“Hmm?” Jay sighed. “What?”
Luckily for Jay, Maverick liked yelling loudly. “Tell her majesty-”
“I’m not lying to the queens.” Jay pushed himself from his chair. “I’m pretty sure you’ve done nothing but that, being sexist, vandalizing: recruiting a ton of men to cut down a beanstalk that does not belong to you. And being afraid of my dear friend, Noi. And also just being blatantly rude to him.”
“Well, what should his sentence be (btw, I ain’t using modern stuff, I’m making stuff up)?” Queen Katelyn walked along the ground. She seemed so much braver when Noi wasn’t around. Wow, people could be very afraid of Noi. Interesting. Jay himself considered the giant a friend, he didn’t know if the same could be said for Noi. Noi didn’t seem like he thought of Jay as a friend, but Jay did not care.
“He should have jail time, as for the other men…Jay?! Could you track them down?!” Queen Katrine said with a smile.
“I can track them. I actually know where they are already. They’re near my house, in a cabin. I could take us there.” Jay yawned. Maybe no teleportation, he was tired.
‘Thank you.’ Queen Katelyn signed. Jay gave a smile, it wasn’t real. Jay was annoyed and tired and ready to go home and sleep. It was hard for him to keep up his cheerful personality and do magic. Yes, he liked daring stuff, and he was not extremely depressed or anything, but he was tired and done for the day.
“I’ll put a capture spell on them for the night and deal with it in the morning.” Jay still wore a grin. He truly did not want to do any more magic today, but it was his job.
“Thank you, so very much, Jay!” Queen Katrine hugged Jay.
“You’re welcome, ma’am.” Jay muttered.
Jay slunked into the chair by the window. He had a headache from casting the capture spell. He felt small vibrations in the ground and looked out the window, it was around noon, but it was slightly dark. There he was, Noi, standing tall. What was he doing down here? Was Lani with him? Jay couldn’t hear what Noi was saying. He was too tired to care. It was time for a midday nap. Who knew this court service would go overnight?
“So, that’s, like, 32 people reunited with their families.” And surprisingly, they’re all still alive. Lani held onto Noi’s shirt as he walked. Matt stood beside her, because Isthmus had left (weirdly taking control of the situation and bringing everyone else home). “Matt?”
“Oh. Well…” Matt motioned her closer. Lani moved closer, she was on Noi’s shoulder, so if Matt tried to do anything, she was safe. “I just don’t want Noi to hear.” (Who’s gonna tell him?)
“Riiiiight.” Lani paused. “Don’t you want to get home?”
“My wife…I’m more so worried about her. And my daughter, my baby…”
“I can still hear you.” Noi’s voice rumbled. “I don’t try to be scary. It’s you who makes yourselves afraid of me.”
“We don’t try!” Matt became annoyed. Lani sighed. “It’s only natural!”
“Too loud.” Lani murmured. Poor Noi.
“I just want to go home, okay?”
“And I will bring you home. If you would just tell me where-”
“Right here! We lived deep in the woods.” Matt pointed towards the woods, past Maverick’s cabin. Lani could see above the trees on Noi’s shoulder, yet she could just barely see the small form of a house in the centre of the forest.
“I can’t go that deep into the woods without breaking trees.” Noi's head moved. “I can’t even take you home. You and Lani have to go alone. You don’t even have to worry about your wife being afraid of me. Be safe Lani.” Lani stared at Noi’s jaw. Suddenly, his hand hovered over the two.
Then it went dark. Matt and Lani were moved to the ground. To do something alone.
Back to old hero work for Lani.
Only having a second with her.
Yaaaaaay! I can write (I actually don't like this chapter very much, I don't like the end) something! more isthmus being a bitch!!
