A few hours went by, the sun was starting to set, having dried her tears long ago.
Wherever the soldier came from must either be a long distance (or long distance for ... er... thumb people?), or maybe they weren't planning to return.
While thankful for no longer being baked in the burning daylight, Alyssa was now starting to get cold.
The temperature of wherever she was was tropical, but with the evening came a cold breeze and the tide came in, washing up against her side.
Then came the good news.
The crashing of the inch "high" waves on the coast was loosening the pins holding the ropes down.
A few minutes in, she could move her hand up and down.
A few moments later, she had managed to pry loose her entire right arm.
After that, it didn't take too long for Alyssa to free herself entirely, moving inland a little, she sat down to catch her breath.
"WHOO!" she cheered, happy to be free and moving again.
She was about to stand up and move inland, when she noticed she wasn't alone anymore, shifting around, she faced her company.
The soldier from before was back. Now riding a teeny tiny horse. And he was not alone.
With him was a big (in numbers) army, looking a lot like the drawings from the Roman empire from the history books.
All the soldiers, having seen the "giant" free herself from their best bindings, were obviously nervous and a little scared, some squadrons slowly backing up, even.
They were armed, but didn't look like they were expecting a fight.
Even in the diminishing light and size difference, Alyssa could see the soldier form before was just as afraid, but instead goaded his horse to move in closer.
He stopped only an couple of inches near her thigh.
Alyssa thought the soldier was being brave for getting so close, then thought about how this inches would be a couple of yards for the tiny soldier, who, from his point of view, might be keeping his distance.
He spoke up.
"MONSTER!" he was yelling. Despite the size difference, Alyssa could hear him just fine. He didn't sound loud or intimidating, but it was like someone yelling through a phone; just not necessary.
"My name is Alyssa." She corrected him, causing the thumbling to recoil a little. "And you don't need to yell."
The tiny soldier hesitated. No longer shouting, but still talking loudly, he continued, a little intimidated by Alyssa, but carrying himself proudly.
"A- Alyssa. The Imperial family has granted you an audience; a chance to explain yourself an- and prove you mean no harm to the Empire of Lilliput!"
Alyssa thought about it. It wasn't like she knew where she was. And even if she did, she couldn't just swim across the ocean to get home.
She was also thirsty, cold, and tired.
"Show me the way, bring me to your leader." she answered.
The soldier was quiet, surprised the monster would agree that easy. She heard some murmuring in the army.
"All right... F-follow us..." the soldier guided the horse around, and hesitantly signaled Alyssa to follow.
As the girl stood up to her full height, she saw some horses run wild and soldiers panic. This got worse when she actually started walking.
While she felt bad, she did think it funny that she, a nine year old girl who was a little short for her age, was that scary to them.
What Alyssa didn't expect, was the soldier stopping by some encampment less than a couple of yards, to Alyssa, inland.
She could see some wooden towers on wheels with seemingly improvised cranes built on top. Were they planning on carrying her?
Most of the tents, small and smaller, were plain and boring, and as Alyssa approached, soldiers and poorer dressed others (servants?) came looking outside, only to panic at the giant approaching their camp.
Among the few wooden buildings, Alyssa saw somethings she recognized: water towers.
Still parched, Alyssa put up a little jog, unwittingly causing major tremors for the tiny army around her, and picked them up, one by one pulling off the roof like it was a lid and downing the ounce-fulls of water.
Feeling a little better, Alyssa returned her attention on the camp. By this point, people were panicking and running around.
A number of soldiers had started pointing crossbow-like siege weapons at her, the soldier from before actually trying to talk them down.
In the center of the camp, Alyssa could see a larger, fancy, purple tent.
Outside of the purple tent, there was what looked like a family in fancy clothes, surrounded by soldiers in black, decorated armor.
She assumed this was the imperial family the soldier had talked about, and decided to move closer and introduce herself.
Alyssa tiptoed through the widest of the narrow pathways of the camp, apologizing to the tiny people for the inconvenience, which traded a lot of the blind panic for uneasiness and mild confusion.
Eventually, miraculously having managed to not wreck anything, she squatted down, waved and introduced herself.
"Hi there, I'm Alyssa! Nice to meet you!" it was a little rude to speak to royalty like that, but they were just so non-threatening, she only realized when they fell silent.
"Hi, I'm Caelia." A girl of about 15, a princess, Alyssa assumed, spoke back, waving at the giant, together with who she figured was her brother, about 10, "I'm Paulus." he said. Neither sounded scared, which was a welcome change.
The two averted their eyes, however, when the fancy dressed middle aged man, presumably their father, turned to them, not amused.
"CAIUS!" the man then yelled.
The soldier who had so far spoken and escorted Alyssa approached, took his helm in one hand, and knelt down in front of the man. "Yes, my liege."
"Why is it here!" (it?!) the emperor spoke. "Why is it free?!"
"The ocean herself loosened the bindings, lord Drusus. By the time we got close, the giant had already cast off her bonds." the soldier answered, head still down. "But she agreed an to audience with your highness."
The emperor sighed in frustration, took a deep breath and resumed.
"Dismissed, Caius. But this rests on you." the soldier nodded (impressive, with his had already hanging low), turned around, stood up and walked away.
"You there, giant!" the emperor had turned (up) to Alyssa. "I am Drusus Aelius Donicus, grand commander of the legion, and emperor of Lilliput." the emperor didn't seem scared either, and seemed to try and intimidate Alyssa instead. "These are my children, Caelia, my first born, and Paulus, heir to the throne." both smiled and waved at Alyssa when mentioned, their father too distracted to reprimand them this time "And my wife, empress Aemilia Dolabella, fairest in all the lands!" the little emperor had stuck out his chest in an attempt to look bigger. "I rule the land before you, and command all it's people. My word is law."
By now, Alyssa was trying hard not to laugh at the display of power by a person no bigger than her thumb, but her efforts were too obvious to the tiny people below, to the point that the imperial family (barring the increasingly angry emperor), many of the imperial guards, and most soldiers had started laughing themselves, even if quietly, in fear of their emperor.
"Now you explain yourself." he finished, face red with indignation.
Taking a little time to calm down and not burst into laughter, Alyssa told her story, trying to dumb it down a little, since the tiny people didn't seem to have electricity or anything; her family, the ship, the storm, trying to help her mother, getting caught in the waves, and washing up here, in Lilliput.
By the time she was done, it was properly dark, the tiny lamps and torches of the Lilliputians not doing a whole lot for Alyssa, though without the ocean wind she wasn't that cold. Maybe she could ask the Lilliputians to make her some clothes... She was also starting to get hungry, which could be a bigger problem.
She had sat down cross legged, some tents had to be moved just for that, more were being removed still.
From the corner of her eyes, she could see squares of cloth, actually empty tents, being put down to make a bed, and some more being sown together to make a simple blanket.
It was getting late. Unwillingly, she yawned.
"Well then-" "Can we stop?" Alyssa cut off the emperor, who was at a loss for words by someone who dared talking back to him.
"It's getting dark, we'll talk tomorrow." she wasn't trying to sound intimidating, but to the Lilliputians this must've been less a suggestions, more a command.
"It is getting rather late, dear." This was the first time Alyssa heard the empress speak. She sounded disinterested. At everything.
The emperor mumbled something, but apparently he agreed, as the site started to clear out.
A large number of what Alyssa started to suspect were slaves moved closer and handed her the improvised blanket, quickly retreating after she accepted it.
Looking at what was going to be her bed for tonight, the tiny folk did seem very industrious. Maybe they really could make her some clothes.
A basic dress shouldn't be that difficult, she thought to herself. Or at least something more covering than her swimwear.
She nestled in, as gentle as possible. She felt some of the ground give as she lied down, and even in the dim light she could see some of her foot prints from earlier, and her butt print from sitting down, telling the story. She really was a giant around here.
She crawled under the "covers". They weren't that warm, but they were really soft to her, despite being fairly course cloth for the Lilliputians.
The ground giving under her like a mattress, and the sheet surprisingly comfortable, all she missed was a pillow...
Alyssa couldn't sleep, though. She was exhausted, but not tired; she'd been lying down all day by now.
Someone else couldn't sleep, either.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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