Isabelle and her army followed the path that Fae and her fellow conscripts took to get to the fort. At first, the path she and her creatures followed was just through the forest. There wasn’t a road of any kind built all the way to the town. Eventually, they escaped the forest when they found an old dirt road that didn’t receive much foot traffic.Once they reached the heavily trafficked roads, they had to stay off them to avoid people. If they were spotted, it was very likely a local panic would ensue. Or a poor villager would be frightened half to death. That was the last thing Isabelle needed. With her and her creatures' enhanced senses, it was easy to avoid people.
She took her time following Fae in order to be cautious. It didn’t appear as if she had to rush there, which was good considering she had the burden of hiding two thousand of her creatures.
—
Fae stared at the fort in front of her. She made it, with a group of fellow conscripts. Stopping in villages had made the journey take longer than it would have otherwise, but the soldier’s didn’t seem too worried.
She was astounded by the size of the fort. The huge, giant wooden walls made of logs surrounded the entire encampment, which was massive. Two guards stood at the entrance. They were checking every person that went in and out, likely so spies couldn’t slip in. The two soldiers in Fae’s group walked towards them, with the rest of the group following suit behind them. When the guards saw the two creatures, they dropped the conversation they were having with someone who was trying to get in and turned their attention towards them.
“Don’t worry, they’re safe. This girl,” the female soldier pointed to Fae, “trained them.” The nervous guards looked at each other and took a few moments to reply.
“Never seen anything like those things before, but if you say they’re trained then… that should be fine. Just don’t let them cause trouble. What’s your name? Are these some new conscripts?” one of the guards asked.
“Yes, my name’s Julianna Heartgrave. We’re bringing in some conscripts,” she replied. The other guard flipped through some pieces of paper on a board before finding what he was looking for.
“All good,” he said.
“Alright, you can go in,” said the other guard before turning to Fae, “and you keep your… things… in check.” Fae nodded.
Inside the camp, there was lots of activity. Tents were set up in rows and soldiers were training. Everyone seemed to be busy with something. As the group was walking down the worn dirt road, people seemed to be avoiding them. The male soldier noticed this.
Can’t blame them for avoiding us. Two freakishly tall murder monsters will do that, he thought to himself. The group arrived at a far larger tent than the ones outside and went in. Julianna spotted a woman completely engrossed in her task of organizing supplies. The woman’s body was covered in old scars and full of muscle. Fae and her fellow conscripts felt intimated immediately.
“Hey, Rose. We’ve got some new conscripts for you to take care of,” Julianna said to her. Without even turning to look, Rose replied.
“Oh? You’re back already?” she said. Julianna couldn’t hide the befuddlement on her face.
“It’s been weeks…” Julianna said.
“I suppose it has,” Rose said and finally turned to look at them. A look of bewilderment appeared on her face.
“Uhhh, what are those things?” she asked.
“Those are hers,” the male soldier said while pointing to Fae.
“They’re my pets,” Fae explained.
“They’re fucking huge is what they are,” Rose said. Fae awkwardly laughed.
“Yeah, they’re pretty big…” she said.
“They’re as big as a bear. Who, for the record, don’t make good pets,” Rose said before continuing. “So, are they like your guards? I’ll bet they’ll be useful on a battlefield.” The pitch of Rose’s voice gave away her curiosity.
“That’s… a good question. I’ve never really thought about that before. I think they would protect me so yes, in a way they’re like my guards. I don’t think they’ll be on a battlefield, though,” Fae said.
“Why not? They look scary as fuck and could probably shred through armor and flesh like paper with those claws of theirs,” Rose said. Fae looked awkward, unsure of how to respond. “Anyways, let’s get you all set up. Thanks for dropping them off you two, I’ll take care of them from here.”
“No problem. Talk to you later, Rose,” Julianna said as she and her fellow soldier walked away . “Finally,” Fae heard Julianna say under her breath as she left the tent.
“First things first, let’s get you all some tents,” Rose said as she walked over to where the smaller tent materials were stored. “Each of you grab a tent. We’ll get them set up for you.” After all of them grabbed their tent supplies, Rose took them to one of the rows that had some open spots for new tents and helped them get their tents setup. Then, she explained the schedule and how things operated in the camp. Out of the entire group, Fae was the most excited about the training. She couldn’t wait to learn how to use her new sword.
—
It took a few weeks for Isabelle and her creatures to arrive at the army's fort that Fae and her fellow conscripts were training at. Isabelle was already familiar with the fort since she used Bo and Eva to spy on the fort to identify its inner workings, layout, etc. She sat on a boulder, deep in thought within the forest near the encampment. Like flies, her creatures surrounded her, as she tried to solidify a plan. Her goal was to join up with the human army, if possible. She was no fan of her home country and would love to help out. Perhaps it could even be an opportunity to get revenge. But, given her appearance, they’d be more likely to fire an arrow at her than stop for a conversation.
Suddenly, her mind felt one of the creatures calling out to her. She listened to it and turned her head in the direction it was located without a second thought.
Someone’s coming. Someone’s coming, it told her. She shared its vision and saw a young man in a soldier’s uniform. A scout. He was no doubt looking for someone hiding in the forest.
Did they spot me? Isabelle thought to herself, worried. No, if they did it wouldn’t be just a single scout. She told her creatures to back off and keep an eye on the scout, but ensure they don’t get seen. As time passed, more scouts were spotted surveying the forest, so her creatures stayed on high alert and easily evaded detection.
“Hmmmm. What would be the best way to approach this? I want to join them in their fight against the theocracy, but if I just march in with my army of weird creatures they’ll be on high alert immediately. But if I approach the encampment by myself… they might just kill me on the spot for how I look. I mean, I’m not exactly normal. Or human looking, anymore,” she said to the creature nearest to her which craned its head, confused, as it sat on the mossy forest floor.
“Yes yes I see. So you’re saying I should walk up there with just a few of you creatures and ask to speak to the person running things, regardless of the danger?” she unconvincingly said to herself. “Well, with this tall body of mine I’ll be able to get away fairly easily. Plus, you’ll all be waiting for me out here to protect me, in case things go bad. Alright! I'll do that. I wish I had some better clothes, though…" With her plan thought up, Isabelle hopped off the boulder and waded through the forest, approaching the fort on foot. Two of her creatures followed behind her, for protection.
There were many people outside the fort. Though the fort was large, there were a lot of soldiers, and there was simply more space outside of it. Isabelle approached the entrance and felt more and more of their eyes on her. Those standing in her path backed away, giving her space as they locked their eyes on her and stared. It wasn't as if she could blame them, but it made her feel anxious and she almost turned back. In a way, it was funny. She towered over them like a walking monolith. A walking monster.
Time to see this through, she thought as she approached the two guards standing guard at the entrance. The people they were in conversation with got out of the way as Isabelle took their place. The guards clattered in their boots, shaking, looking nervous and bewildered. It was obvious who would win in a fight, and it wasn't the guards. I guess I can't blame them for being scared. I mean, I'm much bigger than them as are my creatures.
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Isabelle looked into both of the guards eyes and spoke in a deep, scratchy voice.
"Hello, my name is Isabelle,” she told them. “I’d like to speak to the one running things around here.”
“H-hold on!” one of the guards said as they left their post. Isabelle stood there until they came back. The guard that was left behind was too scared to look at her directly, but would occasionally glance at her or one of her creatures. The people she passed weren’t so thoughtful and kept staring, discussing among themselves what they thought about Isabelle and her creatures. It was an awkward few minutes.
“Follow me!” the guard said when they returned in a huff. Isabelle complied and followed the guard into the encampment. There were soldiers everywhere and it was extremely busy. Yet, people still had the time to stop and stare when they saw her. All eyes were on her as she strode down the road. Like outside the encampment, not a single person inside of it matched her in height or size, nor her creatures. Everything about her stood out.
They arrived at a large tent which she knew—through her spying—was the commander's tent. The guard escorted her inside with her creatures.
The inside of the commander's tent was elegant and pristine. It was extremely comfortable. Near the center of the tent was a table and a man sitting in a wooden chair.
“Hello there. You’re Isabelle, correct? The guard told me you wanted to speak to me. I’m the commander of this army. Please, have a seat. Honored guests should feel welcome,” the commander said with honeyed words. Isabelle was flustered, this was totally different to how she usually interacted with people. She didn’t look human—correction, she wasn’t human. All she wore were dirty animal furs. Yet, he treated her this kindly.
Either he’s a genuinely kind man or he wants something. Perhaps both, Isabelle thought. Maybe I’m overthinking it.
She took a seat and then answered his question.
“Yes. I, uh, had a proposition for you, commander,” she said.
“Intriguing. I’d be interested in listening to your proposition. Forgive me for being underprepared, usually I don’t receive guests in this manner. But your situation was… unique. Tell me, what exactly are you?” the commander asked.
You don’t seem underprepared, Isabelle thought.
“I’m not exactly sure what I am. But I know you’re in a war and I want to help,” Isabelle said.
“Why would you want to help?” the commander asked.
“Me and the theocracy don’t get along,” Isabelle said.
“What sort of help are you thinking of providing?” the commander asked.
“I can offer you two thousand of these creatures,” she said as she pointed to the creatures standing behind her.
Hmmm. I wonder what else I can get out of this, Isabelle thought.
“I also want recognition of my territory within your country,” Isabelle continued. The commander took a moment before replying.
“I cannot recognize any land claims, that’s beyond my authority. But I can forward the message along and see if it gets approved. However, if you’re willing to offer your aid I would happily take it,” the commander said. “My biggest concern is the safety of my soldiers. Will your creatures be safe around them? How can you command so many? There is a girl in this camp with two of them and that came as a shock. Would you know anything about that?”
“My creatures are perfectly loyal to me. Your soldiers have nothing to fear from them. I command so many because they recognize my authority. I am aware of the girl you speak of, but she doesn't know anything about me,” Isabelle said.
“Alright, then it’s a deal. You can position your army outside the fort, just take care not to let them wander too close to the soldiers for everyone’s safety,” the commander said. “Also, if you’re needing a change of clothes, my servants can help you with that.”
“I… would prefer a change of clothes. These animal skins are not what I’d prefer to be wearing,” Isabelle said.
“Amanda! Sam!” the commander called out. Two people walked into the tent without getting too close to Isabelle’s creatures. “Please help Isabelle here with getting some new clothes.”
“Come with us, please,” Amanda said.
“We’ll help you,” Sam said.
Isabelle got up and began following them with her two creatures right behind her. Right before she exited the tent she heard the commander speak up behind her.
“I’ll be here if you need to speak again,” he said.
Isabelle exited the tent and followed the two servants to another tent. On her way, she sent a command to her army and told them to start moving towards the fort. The two creatures with her waited outside because Isabelle wanted the two servants to feel comfortable in her presence, and she felt two scary creatures lurking over them wouldn’t be very helpful. The inside of that tent was filled with garments of all kinds. The two servants had Isabelle stand in the center of the tent while they took her measurements.
“Wow, you’re quite big. I’ve never met someone with a tail before,” Amanda said.
“It’s, uh, just a part of my body. I can move it around,” Isabelle said as she gave a slight demonstration of flexing and moving her armored tail. Amanda and Sam clapped.
“So cool!” Sam said.
“We’ll have to custom make your clothes, since none of these will fit you,” Amanda explained. Sam pulled out some different clothes.
“What design would you like?” Sam said.
“That one,” Isabelle said as she pointed at one of the options. It was a simple dress, but practical.
“Come back in two days and it’ll be ready to pick up,” Amanda said.
“Okay,” Isabelle said with a smile.
Finally! I’ll have something decent to wear, Isabelle thought as she walked out.
As Isabelle walked out of the camp she felt the eyes of all the soldiers glaring up at her and her creatures. They were intensely focused and kept their eyes on her until she left their sight. It made her anxious but she powered through that feeling. Before she had made it out, she noticed Fae staring at her. Isabelle briefly considered introducing herself but changed her mind when she realized everyone else was still staring at her. Exiting the camp, she made her way to the side of the fort she had come from and awaited her creatures' arrival.
She did not wait long. Once her two thousand creatures made it she had them start constructing her own fort. It’d be a lot better than sleeping outside, particularly when it rained and turned the dirt into mud. Within a few hours, she had a temporary dirt fortification strengthened by the creature's bile. It grossed Isabelle out a little.
Fae was laying in her tent under the darkness of night.
Who was that? she thought, thinking back on the giant person with a tail she had seen walking through camp earlier with two creatures just like hers. Her and those two creatures look eerily similar.
“Apparently she has an army of those creatures, but I don’t know if I can believe it. That’s just a bit too much,” Fae said to herself out loud. “Maybe I should talk to her.” After pondering the question, she decided to go see who the strange woman was. She threw her blankets to the side and left the tent. Bo and Eva were sleeping so she was careful to step lightly to not wake them. She walked through the camp—picking up a lantern on the way—until she made it to the exit and went to where she remembered the other soldiers told her the other army was going to be stationed.
Fae knew she made it when she saw creatures just like Bo and Eva sleeping on the grassy ground. As she got closer, their number only grew bigger. Fae stepped into the mass of sleeping creatures, careful to avoid touching any of them. She kept going until she heard a deep voice call out from the darkness.
“Hello, Fae. Are you looking for me?” the voice said.
“How do you know me?” Fae asked.
“I know you because I’ve been watching you. You’ve done well taking care of Bo and Eva,” the voice said.
“I… I wanted to know what they are,” Fae said into the darkness.
“They’re my children, in a way. Well, in a more literal sense they’re my grandchildren,” Isabelle said.
“Then what are you?” Fae asked. Isabelle laughed before walking out of the darkness and into the flickering light of the lantern, answering her question.
“Well, that’s a good question! I want to say I’m a human like you, but my appearance suggests otherwise. The truth is, I don’t know what I am anymore. But I’m definitely not human,” Isabelle explained to a silent Fae.
“So, you used to be human?” Fae asked.
“I was, yes,” Isabelle said. “Does that shock you?”
“Everything here shocks me,” Fae said and Isabelle smiled.
“You’re a sweet kid. You remind me of my little siblings,” Isabelle said.
“You have siblings?” Fae asked.
“Yes. They’re quite the handful. They all think I’m dead, though. Maybe I am,” Isabelle said.
“I don’t have any brothers or sisters and my parents died. All I have is my uncle,” Fae said. “I’m surprised they think you’re dead. You look alive to me.” Isabelle let out a creepy laugh that showed off her sharp teeth and Fae shrinked back a little.
“It’s not surprising at all. I was quite dead. Burned at the stake, actually. I don’t know if you’ve been burned, but it’s painful,” Isabelle said.
“That’s horrible,” Fae sympathetically replied. “But you’re still here. How did you survive that?”
“I didn’t. I died. But I was reborn into this new body,” Isabelle said.
“That… makes you immortal,” Fae said.
“I’ve thought about that, but no. I’m not immortal. Just very, very hard to permanently kill,” Isabelle said.
“That’s awesome,” Fae said.
“It is pretty cool. Plus, if I had died for real then I wouldn’t be able to get my revenge for what happened to me,” Isabelle replied with a smile.
“I’m not here for any reason like that. I was drafted so I don’t have much choice,” Fae said. Isabelle patted Fae’s head with her giant, menacing hand and thought about telling her she was the real reason she’s here.
“I’m sorry. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe,” Isabelle said to help Fae feel comforted.
“Thank you—actually what’s your name?” Fae asked.
“My name’s Isabelle,” she said while watching Fae’s facial expressions. “You seem surprised. Didn’t think my name would be so normal, did you?”
“I am a little surprised, sorry,” Fae said.
“It’s alright, no need to worry yourself. Now you better get back and get some rest, it’s getting late,” Isabelle said. Fae turned to leave.
“Bye,” she said as she walked away.