Tales from Terrestria Chapter 4: The Farm Boy, the Beanstalk and the Giants

Chapter 4: The Farm Boy, the Beanstalk 

and the Giants

 

            Once upon a time, there was a young man who was a peasant and took care of his widowed mother. His father had tragically died thanks to a work accident when he was young, forcing the young man to work at both the farm and the town in order to help his mother who was his only living family member. While he certainly didn’t mind the work and was happy to live in a town that was relatively peaceful, a small part of him was unsure as to whether this was something he wanted to do forever. A part of him yearned for adventure and a chance to broaden his horizons but he couldn’t do that without leaving his mother behind for he was too loyal and devoted to ever think of abandoning her. Even if they weren’t poor due to being farmers and very much integral to the town’s economy, they couldn’t exactly leave per say due to not having enough funds for traveling. Not even traveling to other places to expand their business would help since all they had was a cow to help with dairy and grazing. Nonetheless, the young man still yearned for adventure and a chance to explore parts of Terrestria someday and perhaps carve his own legacy as a hero while he was at it.

            “Jack!” his mother shouted, snapping him out of his daydream as he sat on a rock staring at the sky. “I need you to go to town again!”

            “Okay mom!” the young man now called Jack shouted as he got up from his rock seat and ran back to the house where his mother was. The moment arrived at the front door where his mother was waiting for him, he smiled and gave a small salute in front of her, making her grin in amusement. “I’m here. What do you need me to do in town this time?”

            “I need you to deliver the milk barrels again with Willow,” Jack’s mother said as she pointed at the cow nearby. “They should be cooled by now and fresh enough to sell again.”

            “Okay, I’ll grab Willow and get the wagon set up,” Jack replied as he ran to the barn where the cow in question was. Willow was a relatively mellow bovine with a smooth cream colored coat on her, short, white horns, large brown spots around her body and big brown eyes that had a gentle look in them. Despite not being able to talk due to being, well, a cow, Jack often found himself confiding in her about his personal feelings especially regarding his dreams of becoming an adventurer or a traveler someday. Even if she wasn’t a human or related to him or his mother, they still considered the cow a part of their family due to her gentle and docile personality. It also made traveling to the nearby town a lot easier as she was approachable and obedient enough to help Jack get the cart to the nearby town.

            He quickly found Willow standing near their barn as usual, chewing a cud of grass from grazing earlier. Jack grinned before lightly patting her cheek before letting her out.

            “Hey girl,” Jack greeted as he gently coaxed her away from the barn with her following him obediently. “It’s that time again. Gotta get the milk delivered to the town again.”

            The cow gave a casual moo in response, causing him to chuckle before attaching her body to the cart before heading to the storage area of the barn where the milk barrels were placed and loading the cart with them. They had been sitting in the storage for a couple of days to keep cool and fresh after Jack and his mother milked Willow before being placed in barrels for safe-keeping. If the milk DID spoil, they would regrettably have to throw it out and milk Willow once again, leaving some very unsatisfied and upset customers who needed their milk for business. As a result, they couldn’t afford to waste anymore time giving the fresh and cooled milk to the townsfolk that needed it for nourishment or cooking. As soon as Jack strapped Willow to the cart, he waved goodbye to his mom before walking the path towards the town near their home with Jack continuing to daydream about his future.

            I wonder what it would be like? Jack thought to himself with curiosity and excitement. Fighting bad guys, exploring dangerous or forbidden lands, meeting new and exotic creatures or even people. It would be so much fun! I’ve only ever known this routine in being a farm boy. Harvesting the crops, milk the cow, deliver supplies to the town. Same old stuff every single day. It gets boring to be honest. I hope I get to have an adventure of my own someday. I don’t want to be stuck doing this old song and dance all the time. I’d probably die of boredom if I did.

            “Hey you!” a hostile voice shouted, snapping Jack out of his daydream once again to his frustration.

            “Aw come on,” Jack groaned as he turned to the sight of the voice only to see a gang of shady looking people surrounding him. He grew a bit wary especially when Willow showed signs of fear and hostility from their presence alone. “Um, hello? Do you guys need anything?”

            “You really don’t know, kiddo?” one of the shady looking people sneered. “We’d tell you but we’re on a tight schedule. Just give us the cow and milk and maybe we won’t kill you.”

            “What? NO! YOU CAN’T TAKE WILLOW!” Jack shouted as he stood in front of the cow protectively. “Over my dead body!”

            “Sounds like a plan then,” the first man said as he pulled out a knife. “We tried to warn you.”

            Oh man, this is NOT how I wanted my life story to go! Jack thought to himself in a panic as he saw the bandits start to get closer and closer. Damn it! I should have brought a weapon at least! Maybe a kitchen knife or even my rake! What am I gonna do? Theos please help me!

            Suddenly, before anyone could do anything, plant tendrils suddenly sprouted from the ground and entangled the bandits before leaving them trapped on the ground. The fact that they had accidentally dropped their weapons with the plants having moved them further away made it more difficult for them to free themselves. Even more shocking was the fact that the tendrils wrapped themselves around the gang before pinning them to the nearest trees and tightening around their limbs so they couldn’t escape. Since it was a big tree and there were only about 4 of the gang members present, it wasn’t too hard for them to get tied up as the tree trunk provided a lot of room for them to be trapped in. Jack and even Willow could only stare in shock over the sight of the events that just occurred, with Jack not having to lift a finger when it came to fighting those hoodlums. He could only blink in surprise over what just happened and stare dumbfounded as he tried to find an explanation over what he had witnessed.

            “Um… what just happened?” he finally asked after remaining silent for a few seconds.

            “I believe I can answer that question,” another male voice answered, only this one was more gentle if older compared to the bandits’ tone. Jack turned to see the source of the voice being an old man with pale skin, an eyepatch and a dark cloak that covered part of his face. Something about the old man made him more mysterious but at the same time conveyed a sense of knowledge and wisdom that he must have garnered throughout his long life. While a small part of Jack was intimidated by the old man due to the aura he seemed to emanate around him, at the same time he felt a certain amount of respect towards him that he couldn’t put his finger on.

            “Are you the one who did all of that?” Jack asked, pointing at the now tied up bandits who were struggling to escape. The old man grinned before chuckling as he came closer to the youth.

            “You are correct,” the old man confirmed with a nod. “I noticed that things were getting ugly and had to step in especially since you had no weapons on you nor any means of fighting back even without them.”

            “I would have tried!” Jack insisted with a blush, causing the old man to chuckle again.

            “I’m sure you would have,” he agreed. “But you would have been seriously hurt if not killed if you did. I have seen what happens when those who have no idea how to fight back and it usually ends with them being either injured or dead. If you are going to fight back against an enemy, especially one who has many allies on their side, you will need to be more cautious. Be more careful and use your wits rather than simply relying on weapons or others to do your fighting for you.”

            “Wow… thanks,” Jack replied as he took in the words of the mysterious old man. “I never knew that until now. Then again there’s a lot I don’t know about the world as a whole as I’ve only ever lived here my entire life.”

            “Is that so?” the old man asked in slight amusement. “So you wish to travel the world and explore more of it? Going on adventures and the like?”

            “Yeah! How did you know?” Jack asked in surprise. “Wait, can you read minds too?”

            “Not exactly,” the old man answered with a chuckle. “I could tell just by looking at your face. I was once like that when I was your age too. Ah how time flies.”

            “HEY! LET US GO!” one of the bandits shouted in anger. “YOU’RE GONNA BE SORRY FOR ATTACKING US!”

            “That’s rich coming from the guys who threatened to kill me and tried to steal my cow,” Jack stated in a sarcastic tone, prompting the bandit to give a nasty glare in his direction.

            “One second,” the old man said as he approached the bandit who kept cursing at him and Jack before placing a finger on his forehead and uttering a single word. “Sleep.” Before he knew it, he and his cronies suddenly fell limp much to Jack’s surprise.

            “Woah! What did you do to them?” he asked.

            “I merely put them to sleep,” the old man revealed with a grin. “You’d be surprised by how often it works, especially on the weak minded. I’ve been trying to catch these fools for a while now due to the trouble they’ve been causing for other towns which I believe includes yours. Rest assured, you will never have to deal with them again.”

            “Thanks,” Jack said before remembering something. “Oh shoot! I forgot! I’m supposed to be delivering the milk to the townsfolk! Sorry! I gotta go! Thanks again mister…”

            “Gautr,” the old man said. “My name is Gautr. It’s nice to meet you.”

            “Nice to meet you too,” Jack said as he gave a smile and a nod while getting the cart ready to move again. “The name’s Jack. Thanks for the assist! See ya!”

            “I believe we will,” the old man said, smiling with a mysterious glow in his eyes. “We will meet again very soon.”

            As for what Jack did for the rest of the day, he was able to deliver the milk supplies with no further issues with Willow by his side. Even so, he couldn’t help but ponder on who the mysterious Gautr was and his true intentions for helping him. While he certainly could believe that the man was after those bandits given what they nearly did to him and Willow earlier, a small part of him had an inkling that the man was friendly towards him for different reasons. Just who was he exactly? Jack thought to himself as he handed out the milk and received the money from his customers. He’s definitely an Essence user that’s for sure but is he a good one or a bad one? I’ve heard stories about the bad ones and how they abused their abilities to hurt people, especially if they were of Fae origins, but is he one of them? Could he have perpetrated that attack as a way of earning my trust? Or was it a test of some kind and I failed? I don’t think I’ll ever know. I doubt I’ll ever see him again nor will I find out who he really is besides his name. Of course, the moment Jack said that, he was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice.

            “Excuse me, do you have any more milk to spare?”

            “Sure, I’ll get some for you right… now?” Jack began only to stop mid-sentence when he saw just WHO was speaking to him. He nearly dropped the milk jug he had in his hand the moment he made eye contact with the old man from before with said old man still smiling in a rather mysterious manner. Jack could only gulp nervously as he gave the milk to the man who gently took it from his grasp before handing him the money.

“Thank you Jack,” Gautr said as he accepted the milk. “I told you we'd meet again, didn't I?”

“Yeah you did,” Jack said as he laughed nervously. “You didn't stalk me or something did you?”

“I wouldn't say I stalked you,” Gautr assured the young man. “I did in fact need milk to drink for my bones to remain strong after all. Maybe after you're done we can chat for a bit, if you will.”

“I'll consider it,” Jack replied in an unsure tone. “But I can only talk for a bit since I have to get home before the Sun goes down.”

“That’s fine by me,” the old man assured him. “I can wait. Meet me at that oak tree once you’re done, that is if you wish to continue speaking with me.” As he said this, he walked away with the milk in hand and sat at the aforementioned tree which was in the town square. It was an old tree that was said to have been planted by the town’s founders many years ago as part of their legacy. The tree was even given a nickname by the townsfolk known as “Old Man Oak” due to how old it was compared to most of the people living there. The fact that there’s an actual old man sitting under it drinking milk makes the name even more fitting now, Jack thought to himself in amusement before going back to selling milk. Even so, he couldn’t shake off the fact that the old man was following him and smiling like had found a prize within him for whatever reason. What DOES he want with me? he pondered to himself with increasing suspicion. Do I have something that he wants? I’m not anyone special. Wait a minute.. is this one of those chances that I’ve been waiting for? The kind that will make my dreams come true? I gotta know for sure! Hopefully it’s not a sham or anything. After a hard day’s work at the town square selling milk to the folks while also making sure Willow was well fed, Jack decided to finally meet up with Gautr who was still under the tree waiting for him. The fact that he seemingly did not move from his spot for the entire day despite it being evening surprised the young man even more.

“Hey!” Jack greeted as he ran to meet up with him. “Sorry for the wait. It got really busy near the end with so many people needing milk. It was mostly for the kids, cheesemakers and bakers who needed it.”

“That is fine,” Gautr assured Jack. “I can understand how busy you are. You and your mother must be quite the busy workers to help provide for the town.”

“Yeah you can say that,” Jack agreed before realizing what he just said. “Wait a minute… how do you know my mother? How much do you know about us?”

“I know many things, my boy,” Gautr revealed in a mysterious tone. “I know about how you wish to go on your own journey across the world, exploring new places and meeting new people instead of simply staying here. I do not need to be a mind reader to know that. Am I correct in that?”

“Yes you are,” Jack admitted with shame. “It’s not that I hate it here. Far from it actually. It’s just…. I’ve done this routine so many times in all my years of living that it’s become rinse and repeat at this point. Sow the seeds, graze the crops, harvest the wheat, milk the cow, preserve said milk, sell our goods to the people. Same old, same old. While I don’t mind doing it often, I find it to be kinda boring after doing it for so long.” The young man found himself pacing about as he explained his personal feelings on his life and his need for a change with the old man continuing to listen on.

“Makes sense,” Gautr said in sympathy. “Doing the same thing over and over again does get pretty boring over time. I can understand why you would want a different change of pace in life, correct?”

“Yes you’d be correct,” Jack agreed. “I want to experience something bigger and more exciting in my life, not menial tasks that get handed to me in town or even on the farm. I want adventure in the great wide somewhere within Terrestria.”

“So you have a bit of wanderlust within you,” Gautr commented. “Then I believe I can help you with your problem.”

“You do?” Jack asked in surprise and intrigue but not before getting worried. “Wait a minute, this isn’t the part where you kidnap me and sell to some creep in another kingdom right? Because I REALLY don’t want that kind of adventure.”

The old man responded with a sudden scowl that managed to scare Jack for a brief moment before calming down a few seconds later.

“Rest assured I would NEVER do such a horrendous thing,” Gautr assured him. “I have seen too many vile people who have done exactly that and I hunt down anyone who would dare to do such a thing. No, what I seek is… a successor.”

“A successor?” Jack asked, curiosity piqued even more. “For what?”

“Someone who I entrust with my Essence,” Gautr continued. “I am very old, my boy. Much older than you think. It is only due to the Essence I was born with and gained over the years that I have been able to live very long. Long enough to meet you and know about your existence. I came here because I saw you in my visions and how you hold a great role in saving Terrestria. Not just you, but many others who you will encounter throughout your journey in the future. For a great evil arising. One that will plague this world and cause great calamity if nothing is to be done about it. And it is one of the many forms of evil that will threaten the world like it did in the past centuries ago. THAT is why I am here. To offer you that chance to fulfill your destiny if you are willing to take it.”

Jack was stunned to hear this and left completely speechless after hearing the words of the mysterious man sitting before him. He had known that the world could be dangerous at times, given what occurred with the bandits earlier, but the fact that it was in danger and he was destined to help save it was even more shocking for him. Oh my gosh, something bad is going to happen to Terrestria? And I’m destined to save it with other people like me? I don’t know what to say! It sounds too good to be true but at the same time Gautr sounds very serious about what he is saying. Should I accept it? What if it’s too much for me? What should I do?

“I know this is a lot to take in,” Gautr said sympathetically. “But I would not be saying this to you if I didn’t see you in my visions. But I truly believe you have what it takes to fulfill your destiny. Perhaps speaking to your mother about this will ease your worries if you don’t mind.”

“Yes, we should tell my mother about this,” Jack agreed. “If anyone deserves to know about this, she does. But I gotta warn you. She’s very protective of me and probably won’t let me go if she were to find out the dangers that came with your vision.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised given how much she cares about you,” Gautr assured the young man as he got back on his feet. “Now then, shall we head back to your home?”

Sure,” Jack said as he guided Gautr to the area where he put Willow and the now empty cart. “Willow! Come on girl, we gotta get back home or else mom will get worried.”

Willow mooed as usual before getting ready to start the cart. Jack got in the rider's seat while getting ready to leave but not before turning to Gautr and patting on the empty space next to him.

“Hop in,” Jack encouraged. “It wouldn't be right to force you to walk all the way to my home.”

“How kind of you,” Gautr said as he sat next to Jack. “Makes you even more worthy of being my successor.”

“I guess so,” Jack said with a light blush. “I mean, I’m just a simple farmboy and nothing more. I’m not special in any way no matter how hard I try.”

“Maybe to you, but I believe you’ll find yourself being surprised by what you can do in the future,” Gautr assured Jack.

The 2 of them continued to make light conversation on the way back with Jack finding himself liking the old man if not learning to trust him the more he spoke. He was entranced by the many adventures the old man went on in the past even if the events seemed a bit embellished at times, at least in Jack’s personal opinion. Even so, the more he heard about Gautr’s stories, the more his wish to travel and have adventures of his own grew. By the time they arrived at Jack’s home, the young farmboy was excited to tell his mother about Gautr but of course he had to make sure to put Willow back in the barn to sleep.

“Goodnight Willow,” Jack said as he gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “Sweet dreams.”

Once that was done, he met up with Gautr and knocked on the door to the house before waiting for his mother to open it for them so he could properly introduce him to her.

“I hope my mother is willing to believe you regarding this whole thing,” Jack said in a hopeful yet scared tone right before the door finally opened. There standing before the 2 of them was a middle-aged woman who wore the usual peasant clothes and had a white headcovering on her that barely hid her forehead. Gautr couldn’t help but notice that Jack had a striking resemblance with the woman who was no doubt his birth mother as they both shared the same dirty blonde hair, fair skin and freckles with their eye colors and genders being the one thing that they didn’t have in common. Judging from her frown, Gautr could only guess that she was worried about her son which was understandable since he was her son and any sane parent would be concerned for their child especially if they were out of the house for too long.

“JACK! THERE YOU ARE!” Jack’s mother cried out as she hugged her son, carrying his whole body in the process and muffling him into her neck. “Thank goodness you’re safe! I was so worried about you! You came home much later than I thought!”

“Hey mom,” Jack greeted with a slightly embarrassed smile as he accepted the hug and returned it in kind. “I brought home a guest who wants to talk to you about something important.”

“Really?” Jack’s mother asked with curiosity in her tone as she set her son back down and noticed Gautr’s presence. “And may I ask who you are, good sir?”

“My name is Gautr, milady,” Gautr introduced himself with a respectful bow. “I am but a humble man who wishes to train your son in the art of Essence and mentor him on what is to come.”

“Essence?” Jack’s mother asked in shock before turning both ways to make sure nobody else was around. Seeing that it was getting dark and wanting to take this conversation inside their home. “I believe it’s best that you come inside. Would you like some bread and milk?”

“Yes please,” Gautr said with a nod as he stepped inside along with Jack. “Thank you for having me, miss.”

“Oh please call me Geneva,” the woman now known as Geneva insisted as she let both men in and prepared the food and drinks.

Once everyone got settled down at the dining room table, Jack and Gautr were able to explain how they met with the incident involving those bandits. The moment they told her about them and what they tried to do to Willow, Geneva became horrified and furious while swearing to kill them if she ever saw them. She only calmed down once Gautr explained that he handed the bandits over to the authorities so they wouldn’t bring harm to anyone ever again. This was enough to make her both relieved and incredibly grateful towards the old man for saving her son and Willow which made it easier for her to trust the old man. Eventually they got to the point regarding Gautr’s interest in Jack and the supposed great evil that was arising. This greatly concerned Geneva and Jack himself as they heard more details regarding the prophecy Gautr spoke of and how it involved Jack becoming Gautr’s new successor when it came to his Essence.

“So you’re saying something really bad is about to happen and my son is destined to fight against this particular threat which involves a group that is threatening to destroy all of Terrestria?” Geneva asked with concern.

“Not just him,” Gautr corrected. “There are others that I have seen in my visions who have also been deemed worthy of taking on the roles of heroes who will help save Terrestria in the long run.”

“But he’s only 16!” Jack’s mother stated. “He’s FAR too young for that kind of adventure let alone one that involves fighting evildoers!”

“Mother, I'm not a baby anymore,” Jack insisted. “Besides you know how much I’ve longed to go on adventures like the heroes of old and the adventurers at the Adventurers Guild do in Flamme City. This could be my one chance to see the rest of the world and do something meaningful in my life for once!”

“Even so, most of those adventures get you killed if not severely wounded and you know how worried I get whenever you injure yourself like that one time with the well and you fell on your head down the hill. Ever since your father died I made a personal vow to protect you and make sure you stay safe here in the farm if not within Grazie Village. I don’t want you to throw your life away so recklessly and at such a young age too just because you wanted to go on an adventure.”

“But if I don’t do something, no one else will be able to deal with the threat that’s going to affect Terrestria,” Jack pleaded. “Sure there may be others who can become heroes without me but after hearing about the situation at hand and how I have a chance to do something about it, I can’t just ignore it while it’s happening. I appreciate you watching over me and making sure I grow up safe and sound but at the same time I don’t want to be stuck here for the rest of my life doing nothing but farm chores especially if there is danger lurking about. I want to do what I can to help others outside of the village even if it means leaving the farm and heading out with Gautr.”

“I just…. I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Geneva replied. “You are still my son and so young too. Not to mention this whole talk about you becoming an Essence user despite the prejudice most Essence users get nowadays…. I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you.”

“Do not worry,” Gautr assured the young man’s mother. “I shall do my best to protect him and take care of him as we go on this journey together, that is if you permit us to do so.”

“I…. I still don’t know if this is a good idea,” Geneva stated. “You are still very young and the idea of you going out into the world is something that I knew would come but I assumed it would happen when you were just a little bit older. I just… I just need some time to think about it.” As soon as she said this, she got up from her seat and went to the other room but not before turning to Gautr. “You can stay here for the night if you’d like. We have a spare room in our home for you that you can stay in if that’s what you wish.”

“That’s fine by me,” Gautr assured the woman. “I know this may be a difficult decision for you to make especially if it involves your son but do try to take this into consideration. I wouldn’t be coming here to meet him if I didn’t think he had what it takes to become my successor and help people in the world. We need more people willing to become heroes especially in this day and age.”

“I guess so,” Geneva said despite her unsure tone. “Jack, do you mind taking him to the spare room?”

“Sure mom,” Jack agreed as he got up from his seat and prepared to bring the old man to said room. “It’s this way. Goodnight mom.”

“Goodnight Jack,” Geneva replied. “And goodnight to you too, Mr. Gautr.”

“Goodnight miss,” Gautr said with a nod. “I will leave you to think about my proposal for the time being.”

“I will try,” Geneva replied as she prepared to go to bed, leaving Jack to guide Gautr to the spare room which not only had its own bed but also a small desk and a small oil lamp on top.

“Here we are,” Jack said as he gestured to the room in question. “I know it isn’t much and forgive us if it’s a bit too dusty for your taste but it is the best one we could provide for any guests that come our way which isn’t much now that I think about it.”

“It is fine,” Gautr assured the young man as he slid inside his bed. “I used to stay inside tents and huts that were way smaller than this back in the day.”

“Really?” Jack asked with intrigue. “What kind of adventures did you go on in the past?”

“Many kinds in fact,” Gautr explained in a nostalgic tone. “Me and my old teammates, we discovered new lands, new realms and met many strange and fascinating entities along the way. We fought monsters and demons as well as evildoers who threatened the world back in the day. It was glorious as it was dangerous.”

“Sounds awesome,” Jack said in an impressed tone. “You must have a lot of experience in adventuring and battling, especially with your Essence abilities.”

“Indeed I do,” Gautr confirmed. “I will admit however, it was NOT easy doing so. I faced many terrible events that forced me to see both the good and bad in people. Some of them included my friends.”

“Is that right?” Jack asked with concern. “What were they like if you don't mind me asking? Your friends I mean?” Gautr gave a rather haunted if somber expression before continuing his story.

“The first one I had was technically my brother or rather my adopted brother. He was always a trickster and loved playing pranks. But over time…. Things changed between us and we didn't exactly stay friends forever. I won't tell you the full details now since you are not ready for them but let's just say that things got very complicated if not bad between us.”

“Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear that,” Jack uttered in sympathy.

“As for my other friend, she was like a sister to me and very much a feisty one too. But over time our feelings for one another grew more than simply just being friends.”

“That's nice,” Jack commented with a smile. Even if he wasn't one for romance or love stories, he still respected other people's love lives especially if they were happy ones too. “Where is she now? Is she still with you?”

“No,” Gautr revealed in a somber tone. “She died many years ago in a battle that decided the fate of the world. If she does exist, it's only within my mind. My memories if you will.”

“Oh my goodness I'm so sorry. I had no idea!” Jack apologized. “Then again I know how you feel. As my mom mentioned earlier, I lost my father thanks to a work accident when I was only 4 years old. I was too young to understand it at first especially since I was confused over what happened to him until my mother was forced to explain that he wouldn't be coming home anymore. Ever since then, I had to help my mother out with most of the work and business since I was the only family member she had left. As much as I would love to help you and become your successor regarding the usage of Essence, I fear that if I leave the farm and my mother, it may cause her to become very lonely and burdened with more chores to do on her own.”

“I see,” Gautr said in sympathy. “I understand that you wish to help your mother with whatever chores she may need. If it makes you feel better and will give your mother some peace of mind, I can stay here and assist you in these chores while also teaching you in the meantime.”

“Really?” Jack asked with hope and excitement. “That means I’ll be able to kick butt and be a cool hero like you?” The old man chuckled a bit before nodding in amusement and agreement.

“Of course. In fact, how about I give you some of my Essence now for the time being?” Gautr suggested, causing Jack to gasp in shock and surprise. Me!? Becoming an actual Essence user?! For REAL?! he thought to himself in surprise.

“I… I’d be honored!” Jack said in awe. “But I don’t know if I’m ready to receive such power just yet. I don’t even know how to wield Essence even if it was given to me.”

“Rest assured I will do my best to train you to your abilities,” Gautr assured the young man. “Besides, it will only be a small portion to see how well you react to it and whether you can use it for good instead of evil.”

“Of course I’d use it for good!” Jack insisted. “I would never even dream of using it for evil or to harm others without reason.”

“That I am glad to hear,” Gautr stated with a smile before putting on a more serious expression. “Now Jack, I ask that you extend your hand to me. Either one is fine.”

“Okay,” Jack agreed as he did just that. Using his right hand, he slowly and nervously held onto Gautr’s hand which he couldn’t help but notice as feeling rather rough and full of what appeared to be faded scars. I wonder what he went through to experience such injuries? he asked himself with concern. Once he clasped his hand around Gautr’s, the old man closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. The moment he did, Jack was entranced by how bright and shining they were especially with the greenish-yellowish glow they emanated which quickly spread to the rest of his face and body. The young man also noticed how quickly the radiating energy seemed to spread from the old man’s arm to his own and felt himself surging with a mysterious power that he couldn’t quite describe. After a few minutes had passed, Jack felt the energy dim down a bit with the glow also dimming as well. The farm boy blinked for a few seconds before looking around to see if anything else changed. “What just happened?”

“That, my boy, was the process of transferring Essence from one person to another,” Gautr explained. “It is a process as old as time and considered very sacred too. The Fae were said to hold this type of ritual very seriously with many ancient civilizations also deeming it to be sacred as well. No one should ever abuse Essence let alone take it from someone else without their consent. It is to be shared among friends and family along with those in need as Theos intended.”

“I see,” Jack commented in amazement. “I feel different. But a good kind of different. Like I’m a lot stronger than before.”

“That may be my Essence taking effect as we speak,” Gautr revealed. “I am pleased to see that your body is reacting well to it. There are times when Essence won’t always be easily accepted by new users if they are transferred from one person to another.”

“Is that so? Well at least I’m lucky to have accepted it then,” Jack commented as he flexed his fingers and wrists. “So when can we start training then?”

“We can start tomorrow,” Gautr assured. “But for now. We should go to bed and rest since we’ll no doubt be having a busy day ahead of us.”

“Right gotcha,” Jack agreed even if he was too excited to sleep at the moment. “Still thank you for giving me this special chance. I promise I won’t disappoint you.”

“I know you won’t,” Gautr agreed before yawning as he settled into his bed. “Goodnight Jack. I shall see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight Mr. Gautr,” Jack replied as he left the spare room and headed to his own room. Of course the moment he got into his own bed, he found it harder to sleep than before as he was still too excited to use his newfound Essence abilities. Oh man, I wonder what he’s gonna teach me tomorrow? Jack wondered hopefully. Maybe how to use vines like the ones he made to trap those bandits? Or perhaps it’s a super secret technique only he knows since I’m gonna be fighting bad guys according to him. I just hope I can live up to his expectations and prove my worth along with going on the adventures that I wanted. Either way, I can’t wait to use my powers and see what I can do. I can even get the chores done quicker with my new powers if possible. But… just to be sure. When no one was looking, Jack stared out of his window with the full moon shining down upon him along with some twinkling stars glimmering in the dark blue sky. As he continued to look outside of his window, he suddenly came up with an idea. It was a crazy idea but an idea nonetheless and one that he wished to do if it would allow him to test out his powers. What if I tried… growing something myself? Jack thought to himself. I think I planted some broad beans around the house. Maybe if I use my Essence abilities to grow them faster, it could be proof that my abilities ARE useful and can even prove to my mother that Essence isn’t so bad after all. Okay, here goes nothing. Once he made up his mind, he got out of his bed once more and stood before the window sill. He then rubbed his hands together in preparation before extending his hands and spreading his arms far out so he could focus his powers.

“Okay Jack you can do this,” Jack assured himself as he prepared to use his Essence abilities for the first time. “If you can grow these beans in just a few seconds, you can prove to mom that you are capable of using Essence for good reasons which can help both the farm and Gautr. How hard can it be?”

Of course what he failed to realize was that while he did have access to Essence, he didn’t know how to properly control it which he would find out the hard way.

“As your wielder I command you to grow these beans right now!” Jack ordered in a somewhat dramatic tone while making sure to keep quiet enough to not wake up his mother or Gautr. At first nothing happened. Or at least that’s what it seemed. When Jack looked around he noticed that nothing had happened and became disappointed before flopping back down in his bed. “Oh well. Guess it didn’t work out for me after all. Maybe I’ll ask the old man why my powers aren’t working tomorroOOOOHHH!!!!”

Before anyone else knew what was happening, the young man felt the house suddenly shake and tremble with a loud rumble. It was enough to cause some of the furniture to topple over if not shake violently. A few seconds later, Geneva and Gautr entered his room with expressions of shock and bewilderment on their faces.

“What's going on?! Jack! Are you okay?!” the poor woman asked with fear and concern in her tone.

“Mom! I can explain!” Jack shouted as he tried in vain to explain what had occurred.

“Jack, did you use the Essence that I gave you earlier?” Gautr asked with suspicion in his tone.

“You WHAT?!” Geneva shouted in shock over the old man’s question.

Jack could only grin sheepishly as he tried to explain what really happened. But before he could utter a single word, the group found themselves falling to the ground thanks to something pushing the house from beneath.

“What was that?!” Geneva demanded as she struggled to get back on her feet.

“I don't know! Let me check!” Jack shouted as he crawled to the window only to widen his eyes at the sight in front of him. “Oh no….”

As it turns out, the force that was currently pushing the house upwards was caused by none other than the beans that he attempted to grow using his Essence earlier. Not just that, the plot of land that they owned along with the farm near their house were also being brought up with them thanks to the effects of Jack’s Essence. Guess my attempts at growing the beans DID work after all, Jack thought to himself in both pride and worry as he realized just what he had done. A little TOO well in fact.

“Jack? What's going on out there?!” Geneva demanded as she tried not to panic. Jack could only chuckle nervously knowing that she wasn't going to take his answer well either way.

“Okay don't get mad but I may have tried to grow the broad beans that I had planted earlier to prove that Essence can be useful around the farm. I also may have overdone it by complete accident,” Jack revealed as quickly and concisely as he could, bracing himself for the inevitable lecture he was about to receive from his mother. However, before she could say anything, Gautr widened his remaining eye in worry as he grabbed the 2 farmers and brought them to the ground.

“LOOK OUT!” he shouted as he extended his right hand to use more of his Essence. This time however it emanated a golden color and appeared as a hovering ball of light before getting bigger. As for WHY he did it, the answer was quickly shown in the form of a loud crumbling sound which came from outside and right above their ceiling.

“Oh no. Are we about to crash into something in the sky?” Geneva asked with fear.

“I hope not,” Jack said with worry in his tone.

“Do not worry, I'll keep you both safe!” Gautr assured them both as he focused his energy and strength into creating what was now clearly a barrier that would shield their house along with them and presumably the entire farm land they owned. However, because the force of the barrier hit something pretty hard and Gautr was clearly struggling to maintain it without exhausting himself, the 2 farmers still found themselves having to hold onto the ground for dear life. Eventually, whatever they hit broke thanks to the barrier if the sounds of crumbling and breaking were of any indication. Unfortunately, when Jack tried to get back up to see what was happening outside, despite the warnings of Gautr and Geneva, the force of the impact caused him to once again fall over. This time he hit his head against his personal desk that he had in his room. It was enough to make his eyesight blurry and feel dizzy before eventually passing out. The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was the sight of his mother coming to check on him and asking if he was alright. After that, everything blacked out…..

The next morning, Jack woke up with a slight concussion around his head. As he slowly turned his head to see where he was, he saw that he was laying on something wooden despite the blanket and pillow underneath him. When he looked on his left, he saw his mother lying next to him in her own bed but she had yet to wake up like he did. He could only hope that she was okay and wouldn’t get angry at him for the whole mess earlier. Strangely enough, Gautr was nowhere to be found which made Jack wonder where he was. Even so, he wasn’t one to sit still and wait as he was curious to see what happened while he was out but before he could get up from his spot, a feminine voice called out to him.

“Oh you’re awake!” the female voice said, prompting him to turn in the direction of said voice.

Now Jack didn’t mean to stare let alone drop his jaw in surprise but the appearance of the young woman standing before him prompted him to do so, mainly because she looked more like a walking statue than a person. Upon closer inspection however, Jack noticed that she had something attached to her back and was surprised to see that it was a large harp of all things, strings and all. At first he thought it was part of her outfit but when he noticed how her skin, hair and dress were of the same golden shade as the harp, he realized that it was literally part of her body and not some extravagant costume at all. This prompted many questions in his mind with one of them being whether she was an Essence user who chose to take on such a unique appearance or not. Noticing that he wasn’t responding, the harp girl became concerned and waved her golden hand across the boy’s face.

“Um… hello? Are you alright?” the harp girl asked, causing Jack to finally snap out of his stupor and give a proper response.

“Huh? Oh sorry sorry. Guess I’m still trying to process what I’m seeing at the moment,” Jack replied bashfully. “My name is Jack by the way. What’s yours?”

“My name is Ella,” the harp girl, now called Ella, introduced herself. “And don’t worry about names, I already know about yours. Old man Gautr told me and my parents about you and your mother.”

“Speaking of Gautr, where is he?” Jack asked as he continued to look around and get a better look at his surroundings. To his shock, he realized now that he was in a giant KITCHEN of all places if the cupboards, large utensils, giant plates and bowls were of any indication. Now that he thought about it, he was pretty high up from the ground as he looked closer to the edge and quickly realized that he was on a giant wooden table too.

“Oh him? He’s currently outside of the house trying to fix the area that your giant beanstalk crashed into,” Ella revealed. “You made quite the ruckus last night with your newfound Essence abilities which is understandable. Nobody gets it right on the first try so we’re not mad at you for it.”

“Ooh right,” Jack replied in embarrassment as the full details of last night occurred. “Listen, I am SO sorry about what happened. I had no idea somebody was living up here and didn’t mean to grow the beanstalk so quickly. I only just received my Essence the other night and wanted to test it out. I didn’t think my powers would cause plants to grow THAT quickly”

“It’s fine,” Ella assured him with a handwave. “The damage wasn’t too bad anyways even if it was enough to wake my parents. Imagine their surprise when they saw a small farm appear right outside their house.”

“Is that so?” Jack asked with intrigue. “And who exactly are your parents? Are they around here somewhere?”

“I’ll call them right now and let them know you’re awake,” Ella said before turning her head to the large entryway just across from the table. “Mother! Father! One of the humans is awake!”

At first nothing seemed to happen which made Jack wonder if her parents could even hear her when all of a sudden, loud booming footsteps were heard which alarmed the young farm boy for a brief moment. He held onto his blanket with one hand as he continued sitting on the ground while gripping onto the wooden surface as hard as he could in order to keep his balance. Surprisingly, despite wobbling a bit, Ella continued to stand perfectly still and didn’t look like she would topple over any moment despite the large vibrations that occurred thanks to the footsteps. She also seemed eager to see the source of the loud footprints which made Jack feel less tense but still remained cautious just in case whoever was heading their way wasn’t so friendly. Soon, Ella’s parents finally showed up and this time Jack REALLY dropped his jaw and stared in shock over what he was seeing. He had heard tales of giants before at least according to the stories some of the townsfolk told, especially the older members, with Gautr having mentioned encountering giants back in the day. But seeing them in person was enough to make Jack both frightened and amazed. He knew he would be in for a wild ride the moment he accepted Gautr’s proposal but nothing could have prepared him to see not 1 but 2 giants heading his way.

The 1st giant was a large man with a rather rotund appearance especially around his belly but had reddish auburn hair while the 2nd giant (or giantess if you want to be technical) who had what appeared to be milky white if not silver hair. They both wore what appeared to be farming clothes, not unlike the ones that Jack and his mother wore, but the one thing that made them stand out was their grey and blue skin which no human was ever shown having unless they had body paint or tattoos on their skin. While the sight of them made him a tad bit unnerved, with their large size and rumbling footprints not helping either, he continued to stay strong and tried not to show any fear despite his heartbeat growing faster the more they approached. Once they stood right before him and the table he and his mother were on, the male giant bent down a bit to get a closer look at the tiny humans before him, his large blue eye inspecting and analyzing every inch of the young man. After a few seconds of silent inspection, the giant man smiled before stepping back and speaking in a booming tone that nearly shook everything around Jack.

“Well, I can definitely see the Essence is growing strong within this young lad,” the giant spoke. “I must say, you gave us quite the shock last night with the beanstalk you grew.”

“I’m sorry!” Jack apologized in a shaky and fearful way despite his best attempts to not show how scared he was inside. “I didn’t mean to damage your home, I swear!”

“Oh don’t worry about it,” the giantess assured the young man in a kind tone. “We’re not mad at you or anything.”

“Wait, you’re not?” Jack asked in confusion.

“Of course not,” the giant replied in an amused tone. “Far from it, my boy. We were surprised for sure but we’re not mad. It also helps that the damage was less severe than it seemed.”

“Oh thank goodness,” Jack said as he breathed a sigh of relief. “Even so, I feel really guilty about what happened last night. I can help with fixing the damage if you want.”

“No need,” the giant said. “Gautr is already fixing it as we speak and should be done by now. And don’t worry about that cow of yours, she’s perfectly fine if just a bit rattled.”

“Right, I was going to ask about Willow,” Jack commented. “There is 1 thing I want to know for sure. Are you actually-”

“GIANTS!”

Jack was startled by the sound of his mother’s voice finishing his question before him and yelped as she immediately grabbed Jack and wrapped her arms around him protectively as she could. While she didn’t have a weapon or tool on her that would provide some form of defense against what she assumed were threats to her and her son’s safety, she was not going down without a fight and glared at the giants defiantly.

“WHO ARE YOU?!” she demanded in a terrified tone. “HAVE YOU COME HERE TO EAT US?! IS THAT WHY YOU PUT US IN YOUR KITCHEN?!” This, of course, prompted the giant couple to stare at the mother… before laughing uproariously whereas Ella pouted at the idea of her parents ever eating anyone let alone humans if the crossing of her arms were of any indication. Geneva could only look on in confusion and fear over why the giants were laughing until Jack spoke up in a hushed tone.

“Mom, it's okay,” he assured her. “I don't think they're going to eat us.”

“Rest assured, miss,” Ella said in a more deadpan tone than usual. “My parents will NOT be eating you or your son. If they did, they would have eaten ME the moment they first saw me.”

“Oh I see, thank you,” Geneva said in a grateful tone until she realized who she was speaking to and widened her eyes once more upon seeing Ella's metallic appearance. “What in the world?! Who are you?!”

“Oh boy,” Jack grumbled as he remembered that his mother was left out of the loop regarding the whole Essence issue. The fact the first thing she woke up to see were 2 giants and a talking harp of all things probably didn't help either.

“Well, well, isn't this quite the scene I'm walking into?” Gautr’s voice called out as he hovered above the ground using his remaining Essence which shocked Jack and Geneva the moment they saw him approach. “I finish repairing parts of the land that got damaged by the beanstalk only to walk in on someone screaming. Then again, I've experienced weirder.”

“Gautr, good to see you're doing alright,” the male giant said. “How was everything out there? All good?”

“Everything should be all fixed now, Cawrmadog, ” Gautr replied with a thumbs up. “The hole in the ground was a lot easier to patch up thanks to the clouds and shouldn’t be too noticeable.”

“That’s good to hear,” the giantess said in relief. “Can’t risk anyone accidentally falling through or getting their foot stuck in it now can we?”

“Um can anyone explain to me what is going on here?” Geneva asked as she tried not to panic. “Wait a minute, you mentioned that you gave my son that ‘Essence’ stuff he mentioned. What was that about, huh?”

“Perhaps it’s best that we sit down and talk,” Gautr said as he attempted to ease the worries of the mother.

“Would you like some tea while we’re at it?” the giantess kindly offered.

“I… um… I don’t know if we should..” Geneva replied, unsure of whether to trust the giants or not. Jack placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before speaking up so she didn’t worry herself sick.

“Mom, it’s okay,” he assured the frightened woman. “I don’t think they’re going to hurt us. If Gautr trusts them then maybe we should too. Besides, we’re in their home now and it would be rude to simply dismiss their hospitality like you said.”

Seeing that he had a point (even if it involved him throwing her own words back at her), Geneva looked back at her son then at Gautr and finally at the giants plus the talking harp which she still wasn’t sure what to make of before breathing a sigh in defeat.

“Alright,” she said as she resigned herself to whatever fate was in store for her. “What kind of tea do you have?”

Pretty soon, the giants moved about the kitchen area with the male giant, now called “Cawrmadog”, bringing out a wooden table set that could hold approximately 5-10 people but it was small enough for Geneva, Jack and Gautr to sit at. The fact that he even had a table for them at all and one that could be placed on the giant table they were currently standing on made it both ironic and humorous in a way. As for his wife, she brought out a large tray with cups and a teapot on it that would have been more suitable for the giant table but not the tiny table her husband brought out. What surprised Jack and Geneva the most was the fact that the 2 giants suddenly shrunk to human size (even if they were still pretty tall compared to the humans present) along with the tea seat the giantess brought out. As for Ella, she found herself being carried by the now smaller Cawrmadog due to her lacking any legs which would have allowed her to move. Jack couldn’t help but feel pity for her as she was still a sentient harp who could only remain immobile due to the strings on her back with her arms and face being the only parts of her that could move. As the 2 families plus Gautr took their seats on the human sized table, while still being on the giant table at the same time, the now shrunken giantess handed Geneva a cup of tea for her to drink from to which the woman politely accepted despite still being frazzled by what was going on.

“Here you go,” the giantess said in a gentle and reassuring tone. “Have some barley tea. It should soothe your nerves.”

“Thank you,” Geneva said as she took a light sip so as to not burn her tongue. “I just realized something. I never asked for your name or even the names of your husband and… daughter I presume?”

“Oh right how rude of us,” the giantess replied in surprise. “My name is Fabiana and as you already know, this is my husband Cawrmadog and our adopted daughter Ella. It is nice to meet you even if your first impressions of us weren’t that good.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Jack replied with a grin. “The name’s Jack and this is my mother Geneva. As for Gautr, I assume you already know him so you probably won’t need introductions for him. Isn’t that right, mom?”

“Right,” Geneva said, now feeling embarrassed by her earlier fear of the giants after seeing how friendly they were. “Even so, I must ask… what is this place?”

“If you’re talking about the building you are in specifically, this is our house,” Cawrmadog explained. “But if you’re referring to the area our house is in, then allow me to explain that you are in the land of the sky giants, Brobdingnag.”

“Brobdingnag?” Jack asked in confusion. “Never heard of it up until now.”

“I guess it’s because it’s so high up in the sky that almost nobody on the mainland has been able to visit this place,” Fabiana theorized. “In fact, the only ones who have visited were animals that could fly, Fae Folk and Essence using humans.”

“Is that so?” Jack asked with intrigue. “This world is so much bigger than I imagined.”

“I thought the exact same thing when I ended up here,” Ella agreed with a giggle.

“Say, how DID you end up here with the giants?” Jack asked with curiosity in his tone. “And how did you get that harp shaped body of yours? Is that your Essence or something?”

The moment he asked this, Ella became visibly uncomfortable if the grimacing expression she had on her face was any indication. Seeing this made Jack instantly regretful especially when his mother, Gautr and the giant couple gave him silent expressions of disapproval. He could only smack himself in the forehead, metaphorically speaking, after realizing that he had unwittingly touched upon a sore subject of hers without intending to.

“I-I’m sorry!” Jack quickly apologized. “I didn’t mean to be rude!”

“No it’s fine,” Ella assured him despite her somber tone. “To answer your question, I wasn’t always like this. I was an ordinary human girl and raised in the kingdom of D’Ardenaux and lived with my sister as well as the royal family. In fact, I was engaged to one of the princes before… I was cursed.” Hearing this made both Jack and Geneva gasp in shock and horror with Gautr wincing the moment he heard this. They had heard tales of people being subjected to curses in the many folk tales or even oral stories told to them by others in the past. Some were cursed by Essence users, the Fae Folk or even in some cases from divine judgements sent by Theos Himself. The worst kinds of curses that were to happen to anyone, however, were the kinds cast by demons or anyone who practiced the forbidden art of Magick. Magick was considered a corrupted form of Essence said to have been created by Diabolos the Evil One who would often use it as a way to either torment his victims or worse, taint their souls and minds to the point of tarnishing their spirits and even their bodies.

“Wait, so your harp-like appearance was caused by a curse?” Jack asked with worry. “By WHO? Who would do something so heinous?”

“Um Jack dear,” Fabian interrupted. “I don’t think that may be the best question to ask her given how… sensitive she is about her curse.”

“Agreed,” Geneva said in agreement as she placed her hand on her son’s shoulders. “We mustn’t be rude now since we’re still guests here.”

“Right, sorry,” Jack apologized, feeling even more guilty and ashamed of himself.

“It’s fine,” Ella assured the young man. “You didn’t mean any harm in it since you were just curious. Then again, mom and dad were quite curious to hear my story when I first arrived here thanks to my curse.”

“Yes, it was quite surprising to see a small talking harp suddenly appear in Brobdingnag,” Cawrmadog recalled. “It was quite the interesting incident we had that day, especially since the other giants didn’t know what to make of it. Of course, we allowed her to stay especially when she told us about the curse she was subjected to and assisted her as best as we could. We even gave her some of our Essence since we considered her family but only after she accepted our offer.”

“About that,” Geneva spoke up as she gave a rather stern look at Gautr. “My son told me that you gave him some of that Essence stuff the previous night. What was that about?”

“Oh so it was YOUR Essence he had?” Cawrmadog exclaimed in surprise. “I was wondering why it seemed so familiar.”

“Yes it was my Essence that I gave to Jack,” Gautr admitted. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you earlier since I only gave a small portion of it to the young man so I could properly train him afterwards. Just to let you know, I did not give it to him on a whim nor did I force him to receive it since sharing Essence is a very serious act that is considered sacred among those who have it.”

“That is very true,” Fabiana confirmed with a nod. “Sharing Essence is considered an important act even among the Fae. We don’t share it with others nor give it to them unless it is absolutely necessary or you trust someone with it. Sometimes it is even used to save a person’s life but even then that is only under extreme circumstances.”

“But why my son?” Geneva asked. “I know you want him to be your successor and all that but he’s still too young for something like an adventure across the world. Not to mention that prophecy you mentioned which happened to involve him…. I don’t know if my heart can take it.”

“Mom, don't blame Gautr for this,” Jack pleaded. “I was the one who CHOSE to accept his Essence and I wanted to use the Essence I gained from Gautr to help out on the farm since it was a plant based kind and felt that it can be great for growing more crops.”

“Even so, I can’t help but worry about you,” Geneva pointed out. “Plus we’re high up in the sky and have no way to get back home, let alone the town.”

“I could bring you back home,” Cawrmadog offered, surprising the farmer family once more. “The beanstalk that your son grew last night? It’s still there even if the hole in the ground has been covered up. I can carry your home and barn back onto the ground with my size though I’ll need your help to do so.”

“How can we help?” Jack asked with curiosity and eagerness.

“Um, you really don’t need to,” Geneva assured the giant.

“Mom, he’s offering to help us,” Jack insisted. “Besides, we need to find a way to get back to the mainland. It's not like we can carry the barn ourselves back down the beanstalk.”

“He has a point you know,” Gautr agreed. “I also wish to help out with getting you guys back down since this whole mess was partially my fault as well.”

“Yes it is,” Geneva agreed in a rather blunt tone. “Well, since you kindly offered to help us get back home, I guess we have no choice but to accept.”

“Thank you,” Cawrmadog said as he got up from his seat and quickly jumped off the giant table before regrowing back into his original size. He then turned to the now small group before extending his large hands towards them. “Come on, let’s get you back home.” Jack and Gautr were more eager to climb onto the giant’s hand though Geneva was more reluctant due to her fears and distrust towards the giant. Seeing her discomfort, Fabiana (who was still human sized) and Ella approached the farm woman gently so they could comfort her in their own way.

“It’s alright,” Fabiana assured Geneva. “My husband won’t hurt you nor will he hurt your son.”

“Yes, please trust him,” Ella pleaded. “He is a good man and would never hurt anyone willingly or without reason.” Hearing their sincere tones and seeing how Jack wasn’t even scared of the giant despite his youth, though that could have been chalked up to Jack being rather reckless and adventurous for his age, Geneva decided to trust in the giantess and her daughter before stepping onto the giant’s hand. The minute she did, she found herself being carried away on his hand and watching as the scenery moved about very quickly due to the giant’s walking speed being faster than a human’s. The momentum and height made her feel a bit shaky to the point of falling to her feet whereas Jack had to hold onto Gautr for support.

“Woah, we’re so high up!” Jack exclaimed as he saw the giant take them out of the house and towards the area where the beanstalk was. As for what the outside area looked like, it resembled any other rural area that was prominent in Terrestria such as having trees, flowers and lots of grass which wouldn’t have been too out of place if not for the fact that said greenery was a lot bigger than the usual flora that was around the mainland. Not to mention there was a distinct humidity in the air with clouds being more prominent around the grounds of Brobdingnag thus proving that they were indeed somewhere in the skies. Once they arrived at the beanstalk, which was currently sticking out of the ground, Jack and his mother also saw their farm right next to the beanstalk with the cow Hazel standing about and eating some grass and hay.

“Willow! Oh thank goodness you’re okay!” Jack shouted in relief as he ran to hug the dairy cow the moment the giant set them all down.

“I made sure to feed her and calm her down after the farm ended up in Brobdingnag,” Gautr revealed as he too patted the cow.

“Is that so?” Geneva asked in surprise. “How thoughtful of you. I suppose I should thank you for that. Now, how exactly are we going to get back down? The hole has been covered by those blocks surrounding the beanstalk.”

“Allow me to handle it,” Cawrmadog assured her as he stretched out both hands and caused the seemingly covered ground to expand to the point where it became as big as the giant himself. Jack and Geneva widened their eyes in shock though Gautr wasn’t too surprised since he was an Essence user himself and was used to this sort of thing by now. Once he did, he gestured to the farm with his large index finger before speaking up.

“I'll need to carry that plot of land down with me back onto the ground with one of my hands,” Cawrmadog explained. “However, in order to carry you guys down with me we need the help of our pet goose, Aurum.”

“Aurum? Who's Aurum?” Jack asked only for the giant to give a whistle through his fingers which immediately summoned a large bird that was quickly heading their way. What caught their attention was the fact that said goose was not only huge but also covered in shiny golden feathers that sparkled in the sunlight. As she flew closer to the farming family, she landed right in front of them and honked like any ordinary goose would. Cawrmadog patted the bird’s head in an affectionate manner before nudging his head towards her.

“Hop on, she won't bite,” the giant assured them.

“Aw cool! Thanks!” Jack said as he rode on the large goose.

“I don't think this is a good idea,” Geneva said as she was still very reluctant to accept the increasingly fantastical series of events that were happening today.

“Well, it's either that or you stay in the farm with the cow while being carried by Cawrmadog over here. It's your choice,” Gautr pointed out. Seeing that she had very little options and wanted to go back to the mainland as quickly as she could, Geneva sighed as she too got on the goose after Jack with Gautr sitting behind her just in case things got messy. Once they were all settled, Cawrmadog made sure to check on everyone before bending down and grabbing a portion of the land that Jack and Geneva's home was in.

“Hey, what are you doing?!” Geneva shouted in shock and fear.

“Well I need to carry the entire thing in my hand somehow,” Cawrmadog explained. “This just so happened to be the easier method for me. Don't worry, I'll be extra careful not to drop it.”

“Just be careful!” Jack warned. “Willow's still there! Hang in there girl! We'll meet up with you on the mainland!” Willow mooed in worry as she tried to keep herself standing when the giant continued to carry the large plot of land that belonged to Jack’s family. Geneva couldn’t decide whether to keep watching the giant climb down the beanstalk or cover her eyes due to them still being very high up in the sky. Jack on the other hand continued to stare in amazement over how wondrous the sky looked when being taken from a bird’s eye view as some would say. Seeing Brobdingnag from below made the experience even more riveting for Jack as he saw that the realm of the sky giants was both made from land and clouds which shouldn’t be possible yet it was. He could only chalk it up to it having something to do with the natural Essence that flowed about in the world according to Gautr. There is so much that I don’t know about in this world, Jack thought to himself in amazement. Gautr glanced at the young man who could only look on at the scenery around him with amazement and grinned in amusement.

“Enjoying yourself there?” Gautr asked in amusement to which Jack responded by nodding.

“I sure am,” Jack replied with both awe and excitement. “This is probably the most exciting thing I’ve ever experienced in my life thus far.”

“I can see why,” Gautr chuckled in amusement. “Many have yet to experience the joys of flight let alone being in the air and can only do so if riding on beasts such as these or even using their own Essence.”

“Wow,” Jack said in amazement. “You think you can teach me how to do that too?”

“Of course. But only if your mother is willing to allow it since it is ultimately up to her,” Gautr pointed out while turning to face the woman in question. Geneva, who had been listening to their conversation, still looked unsure due to her fears and struggles to accept the drastic changes happening in her life.

“We’ll… talk more about this once we get to the mainland,” Geneva replied before turning to face the giant carrying the farm. “Try not to tilt the whole thing! You’ll cause it to fall off the piece of land you’re holding!”

“Got it!” Cawrmadog shouted as he made sure to keep the farmland balanced as he got closer to the ground. Of course, what nobody expected to see on the ground was the crowd of people surrounding the beanstalk in shock and awe. Nobody seemed to notice the giant coming down the tall plant which worried Jack and the others as they knew that the moment they saw Cawrmadog coming down, the crowd would erupt into a panic and potentially attack him.

“Oh shoot, we need to get down there and warn everybody to get out of the way!” Jack exclaimed in a panic.

“Aurum! Can you fly us down there before Cawrmadog does?” Gautr asked the giant goose to which she honked in response and flew downwards in a speed that was enough to make everyone’s hair fly backwards and their mouths breathe some air into their cheeks. The sudden reappearance of the farmer family surprised the crowd of townsfolk with the mayor (who happened to be present for the occasion) being the most taken aback by the sight of them riding on a giant goose.

“Good heavens! There you are!” the mayor shouted. “We were wondering where you had gone after hearing the commotion last night. Are you and your mother alright?”

“We’re fine thank you,” Jack assured the mayor and everyone who was present. “But you might wanna stay away from the beanstalk. Maybe about a few miles away in fact.”

“Really why?” the mayor asked with concern.

“Because a giant is literally climbing down the plant as we speak and is about to land any minute,” Jack revealed nervously, causing all of the chatter to come to a halt.

“I’m sorry, WHAT did you just say?” the mayor asked in confusion only to be interrupted by the sounds of something coming from the sky. That was when everyone finally noticed Cawrmadog appearing from the skies and with the farm in one hand while the other one was grabbing onto the beanstalk’s vines and stem. As expected, the people’s reactions ranged from shock to outright fear with some immediately running away under the belief that the giant was going to attack them. One person tried shooting at him using firearms they had on them just in case, with Jack immediately trying to stop them.

“NO! DON’T SHOOT! HE’S NOT GONNA HURT ANYONE!” Jack shouted as he grabbed one of the rifles and pushed it away from the giant.

“Peace everyone!” Gautr pleaded as he too tried to stop the townsfolk from hurting Cawrmadog even if their attacks would have done jack squat against someone of his size. “He is merely bringing down the farm that was displaced in the skies!”

“The farm? THAT’S where it went?” one peasant asked in bafflement at Gautr’s claims.

“Yes it’s true!” Geneva insisted. “The only reason why he’s coming down the beanstalk is because he’s carrying our farm as we speak and if we attack him, he’ll drop it on us or worse fall down and crush us by accident!”

“How do you know he can be trusted let alone safe to be around?” a peasant woman asked with fear and distrust in her tone.

“Because we met him and his wife along with his daughter,” Jack explained. “They were nothing but considerate and hospitable towards us despite the beanstalk causing damage to their land in the skies. Not once did they consider harming us nor did they try to eat us like the stories would claim. As a matter of fact, I intend to apologize for misjudging them the moment he comes down.”

“Speaking of which, he’s right above us!” another town member shouted as he pointed at Cawrmadog who was, like he said, right above them and perhaps an inch away from stepping onto the ground.

“CLEAR THE WAY!” Jack shouted to which everyone did, including the giant goose who immediately waddled away from the beanstalk. Once everyone got as far away from the beanstalk, Cawrmadog took one look at the ground and carefully placed his foot down as gently as he could. Even so, it made a noticeable thumping sound and caused some of the dirt to fly in everyone’s faces as Jack and his mother found out firsthand. Some coughed out the dirt that flew into their mouths while others covered their faces and nearly fell backwards when the giant stepped down from the beanstalk while continuing to hold onto the farmland.

“Hello everyone!” He greeted everyone with a wave. “Don’t mind me, I’m just gonna put this back down! Geneva, where do you want me to put it?”

“Just put it right next to the beanstalk!” Geneva shouted. “Be careful though! Our cow is still there and so is our house!”

“Will do!” Cawrmadog replied as he gently placed the farmland onto the ground to the surprise and intrigue of everyone watching. Though he had to be extra careful due to his strength easily crushing anything in his grasp and how fragile the farm was even with the plot of land underneath serving as its base, he was able to successfully place the farm back onto the ground beside the beanstalk like Geneva asked. Even if it wasn’t in its original spot due to the beanstalk causing it to get uprooted by Jack’s Essence, neither Jack nor Geneva minded since he did his best to help them. Once that was over, Cawrmadog wiped the sweat off his brow with his arm before turning to the crowd below him. “Is this good enough?”

“Yes, that's fine! Thank you!” Geneva shouted in gratitude. Cawrmadog grinned before noticing that the others were still intimidated by his large size and shrunk down in order to ease their worries. “It’s alright. I come in peace and don’t wish to harm anyone.”

“Who are you? Where did you even come from?” the mayor asked the giant now in his smaller form.

“I am Cawrmadog,” the giant introduced himself. “I come from the land of Brobdingnag, land of the sky giants. I came down here to help Jack and his family get their farm back to the surface after the beanstalk pushed it upwards towards our home.”

“But how did that beanstalk grow so big and tall? Come to think of it, how did it grow so quickly?” the mayor asked, causing Jack to become sheepish and raise his hand before speaking up.

“Okay, THAT I can explain,” Jack said in a sheepish tone. As he and Gautr explained what had happened the previous night, everyone was stunned. While he and his mother were fortunate to live in a town that didn’t hate nor fear Essence users so much, the worried if not slightly judgemental looks they received from the townsfolk over Jack’s mishap with his Essence didn’t make them feel any better. Even so, the mayor was quite reasonable and accepting of this unexpected phenomenon especially when he took note of the beanstalk itself.

“That is quite the interesting tale you have told us,” the mayor said after listening to the whole story in silence. “Though what you did was quite reckless and could have caused a lot of trouble for the town or even your home, I can tell that it was an accident on your part and you didn't mean to cause any harm. But I am curious as to how we can establish a proper relationship with the giants of Brobdingnag now that we know of their existence and live right underneath them.”

“I can take you to our home and introduce you and your people to the King and Queen of the sky giants in order to establish a proper alliance if you will. But first, I need to go back home and report this to them as soon as possible.” Cawrmadog suggested to which the mayor was quite eager to accept.

“Very well then,” the mayor agreed with a grin. “I look forward to meeting with your rulers so we can discuss our potential partnership.”

“Thank you,” Cawrmadog replied before turning to Jack, Geneva and Gautr. “It was a pleasure meeting you. Know that you and your loved ones are always welcome to visit our home in Brobdingnag. Come on Aurum. Let’s go back home,” After he said this, he started to climb back up the beanstalk with everyone continuing to watch him go back home with some onlookers still a bit nervous as to whether he was going to make it back up or not. Aurum the golden goose followed him up the beanstalk, flapping her wings and honking the entire time.

“Thanks for the assist!” Jack said as he waved at the giant who disappeared into the clouds above. “Well, guess we’re finally home now. We should probably check on Willow and the inside of the house to see if anything is in need of fixing.”

“Before we do, I would like to have a word with you. Both of you actually,” Geneva said in a stern tone, causing Jack to realize that he wasn’t out of the woods just yet. Even Gautr looked rather worried over what exactly she had planned for both him and Jack despite being older and technically more powerful than her. Before she went inside, she turned to the rest of the townsfolk who were still present for the incident that occurred. “Everyone, I appreciate you coming here to check on us and to witness this… unique experience like we did but I believe that will be all for today. If I need any assistance from you, I’ll be sure to give you a call.” The people understood with some nodding in acceptance as they all gradually left the area though some still had more questions which they planned on asking later on. Once they all left the scene, the 3 decided to go back inside the house but not before checking on Willow who was thankfully still alive but quite rattled after that experience. Jack made a mental note to feed her lots of food when he got the chance before going inside the house with his mother and Gautr. The interior was, as expected, quite messy with some of the furniture being out of place while the utensils, cups and tableware were scattered to and fro on the ground. Though cleaning this place up would be a headache for Geneva, she decided to deal with it later since she wished to focus on speaking with her son and Gautr about the events that occurred today. They arrived at the dining room area and sat on the chairs which were fortunately left intact and still standing along with the table despite how messy the transportation was. Geneva could only give the 2 men stern looks which made both of them visibly uncomfortable by her staring at them. Jack, in particular, was the most nervous as he knew that his mother was definitely going to scold him for his reckless usage of Essence even if his intentions were good.

 “Before you say anything,” Gautr spoke up. “I wish to apologize for the whole mess that occurred earlier and for not informing you that I gave your son some of my Essence. Just to be clear, I fully intended to train him how to use it properly but did not expect him to use it so soon.”

“No it was MY fault!” Jack insisted. “I was the one who tried to grow the beans outside our home because I thought it would help out with the farm. Yes, Gautr was the one who gave me his Essence in order to do so but it was MY decision and my responsibility to take. Gautr had nothing to do with the beanstalk growing out of control! Please don’t blame him for this mess! It was all me!”

“Jack,” Geneva said in a stern tone, causing Jack to shut his mouth in fear. “While I am annoyed by how you did something this reckless behind my back and without Gautr’s permission, I can tell that you didn’t mean to cause any harm to either of us or to the farm. And since Gautr gave you his Essence willingly and as a sign of trust, I can’t exactly force you to give it back to him if that’s even possible. Nevertheless, the fact that you were willing to take responsibility instead of blaming Gautr or trying to hide the damage your powers caused is commendable. It also helps that neither of us got truly hurt and we did in a sense make some new friends while we were at it.”

“So… you’re not mad?” Jack asked hopefully.

“Oh no, I’m still mad especially with what we have to clean up today,” Geneva stated in a blunt tone, causing Jack to deflate. “But at the same time I finally see that you are not the little boy that I used to coddle anymore especially after your father died. While I had hoped that you would stay on the farm with me and grow up without getting into any trouble, I realize that forcing you to do so wouldn't make you happy would it?”

“No… to be honest I've never really felt that happy being a simple farmhand,” Jack admitted sadly. “Don't get me wrong, I DO love you and enjoy working on the farm especially with Willow but doing so for the rest of my life isn't something I want to do. Plus as Gautr said, there are threats happening in the world and who's to say that they won't be coming here as well? I know it sounds selfish of me to leave so suddenly but I didn't accept Gautr’s proposal on a whim. I did this because I WANT to help out with whatever is going on and perhaps broaden my horizons if you will. If you want me to stay here that's fine. It's ultimately up to you since you're my mother and the one who raised me ever since dad died.” Hearing her son's earnest words and willingness to hear out her reasons instead of simply acting rebellious and refusing to listen to her words touched her. It also helped that he was serious about this and said all of this from the goodness of his heart instead of being all willy-nilly like most teenagers his age would be in his position. After pondering over the decision she promised to give earlier, Geneva took a deep breath before speaking up once more.

“Although a small part of me will always be worried about you and wish for you to be safe here with me, I will allow you to train under Gautr when it comes to your Essence abilities and eventual journey across Terrestria.”

“Really?!” Jack asked with excitement and joy, standing up from his chair in the process.

“BUT,” Geneva added. “Only under the condition that I get to watch your training and make sure you are doing okay. I want to see proof that you are taking this seriously and not doing this because it's entertaining for you.”

“I understand,” Jack replied in agreement. “I'll do whatever it takes to make you proud. Same for you, Gautr. I won't let you down.”

“I know you won't,” Gautr assured the young man with a warm smile. “However, I believe we should clean this place up first before we start any training.”

“Yes you do,” Geneva said as she got up from her seat. “I want this place neat, tidy and spotless by the time night comes. Also as additional punishment, your chores have been doubled for the month.”

“Aw come on!” Jack groaned as he realized just how many chores he had to do before he could fully train with his mentor. Gautr laughed goodnaturedly at this but not before patting the young man's back.

“Don't worry lad,” he assured him. “I heard that chores actually help strengthen the body as well as the mind of youngsters and could very well help you when it comes to our training sessions.”

This cheered Jack up a bit after he took in his mentor's words. Given how long lived and awesome he was, if his combat skills were of any indication, the farm boy trusted the old man's words before getting up as well.

“Alright then,” Jack replied before taking a good look at the mess around them and punching his fist against his palm. “Let's DO this!”

 

7 months later…

 

Several months had passed ever since Jack and his mother as well as Willow the cow decided to stay in contact with the giant couple and the talking harp Ella living in Brobdingnag. As expected, Jack continued to do his chores (despite how exhausting they were) while also training with Gautr under his mother's supervision. As Gautr mentioned before, the young farm boy had a surprising affinity for Essence despite technically not being born with it and having it handed to him by someone else. In a few weeks, Jack was not only able to grow and manipulate plant life just like Gautr but he also learned how to fight. Granted, it was mainly in self-defense but still, it did allow him to stay fit and be more aware of his surroundings compared to before. He also learned how to fly or at least hover in the air a bit as he had yet to fully master such a skill like Gautr did. As for Geneva, she found herself benefiting from these turns of events a lot more than she expected as the beanstalk itself provided lots of nutritious and delicious runner beans (since that was the plant the family had grown in hopes of continuing their business). It also helped that the beanstalk became something of a growing tourist attraction which provided the farm with lots of customers who often came to them rather than the other way around. As a result, the family found themselves becoming quite popular along with serving as official ambassadors for the humans living in the mainland and the giants of Brobdingnag thanks to the mayor succeeding in his wish to get to know the giant rulers of Brobdingnag. The King and Queen of Brobdingnag were surprisingly willing to have a meeting with the mayor after Cawrmadog and Fabiana along with Ella spoke to them about the giant beanstalk incident and became friends with the mayor who suggested that they form an alliance. The alliance was settled with help from Gautr who made sure things ran smoothly due to him having experience with the Fae, with giants being his specialty. Jack and Ella continued to keep in contact with one another as he got to visit her thanks to either riding on Aurum the golden goose or using his new flying Essence due to him wanting to know more about her. Of course, things were strictly platonic between them as Jack saw her as the big sister he never got to have due to being a single child all his life with Ella seeing him as a younger brother. It got to the point where she eventually told him about her tragic past and how she went from a hopeful girl who was about to get married to the love of her life to a talking inanimate object.

As it turns out, she was once born into nobility back in the kingdom of D’Ardenaux to loving parents who held the titles of duke and duchess respectively. When they both tragically died, her stepmother and stepsisters were the only family she had left and she was forced to live with them even after most of them made their disdain towards her very clear. Her stepmother, in particular, was exceptionally cruel and sought to abuse her at every moment she had due to her resenting the fact that her new husband already had a child and gave some of the family fortune to Ella. The fact that her eldest daughter was just as abusive to Ella and treated her like garbage to the point of placing her in an attic to sleep after taking her original bedroom made it worse. Even worse, the stepmother and stepsister spent what was left of the inheritance money on useless junk and making themselves more beautiful while selling their servants into slavery when the money inevitably ran out. This in turn led to Ella being used as a servant girl for them to use as a way to torment and being given a rather cruel nickname by them as a sign of how little they cared for her. Fortunately, her 2nd oldest stepsister was kinder to Ella due to her birth mother favoring the eldest daughter over her along with being appalled by their horrid treatment towards the young woman. It also helped that Ella had a pet cat who was later revealed to be her fairy godmother and part of the Fae Folk though she was a type of Fae known as a cait-sith. Even better, her second stepsister and cat often filled in for her chores when the rest of the stepfamily wasn’t looking which Ella greatly appreciated given how exhausted she was from the stepmother and older stepsister’s unreasonable demands. They were the only forms of support Ella had in her miserable life even if it did get slightly better thanks to Ella befriending the princess of D’Ardeneaux and her 6 older brothers, with the eldest brother falling in love with her. As for how Ella met the eldest prince, they happened to meet each other when Ella was spending time with the princess and invited her to the royal ball they were preparing for. In fact, said royal ball would be occurring for the next 6 nights due to those days representing the birthdays of the 6 princes and even having their own festivals and themes to go with them for each night. Unfortunately, when her stepmother and oldest stepsister found out, not only did they ban Ella from attending but they also forced her to clean up the house under the threat of death if not enslavement to an even more cruel noble like they did to the other servants. Fortunately, with help from her kinder stepsister and the cait-sith fairy godmother, they disguised her with a new appearance in order to visit the prince and see him without getting caught. The looks of the stepmother and oldest stepsister seething in fury and jealousy over the disguised Ella dancing and conversing with the prince was both satisfying and hilarious. However, things became tense when Ella was eventually caught after she accidentally lost her slippers (which was enchanted to fit her and her only) and the crueller stepfamily members finally discovered what she had been up to. While they couldn't figure out how she managed to disguise herself, as Ella refused to tell them anything, they did lock her up in the attic and planned to sell her into slavery while taking her place as the royal family's favorites. Of course, their attempts to fit the shoe onto their feet failed miserably as not only did the shoe reject them but the stepmother and oldest stepsister resorted to chopping parts of their feet off into in order to fit the shoe on them to no avail. It also didn't help that neither the prince nor his siblings and guards fell for their tricks while also becoming infuriated with them when the kinder stepsister revealed the truth after having refused to try the slipper on herself earlier despite the stepmother's insistence. They were put on trial for their abuse towards Ella, selling innocent people into slavery since slavery was explicitly illegal in the kingdom of D’Ardenaux and many other crimes that cost them everything. Ella was finally vindicated with her good stepsister and cait-sith fairy godmother also being rewarded by staying with Ella after she was restored to her rightful title as duchess while the rest of her wicked stepfamily were banished from the kingdom forever and even lost their eyes in the process. After several months of courting, she and the eldest prince were about to be married until an evil witch coven invaded the kingdom and attacked them in order to become its new rulers. 2 of the witches cursed both Ella and her fiance while also cursing her good stepsister, her fairy godmother and the rest of the royal family in the process. Said curse also sent Ella far away from her home and to the land of Brobdingnag where Cawrmadog and Fabiana found her before taking her in as one of their own. As for why Ella never left to find her lover and family, it was because the curse made it difficult to move and her adoptive parents wanted to protect her from being harmed by the witch coven should they discover where she was. It took years for her to move again let alone use her size shifting Essence given to her by her adoptive father along with recovering from the trauma of her past.

After hearing this story, Jack felt nothing but sympathy for Ella while feeling a burning sense of rage towards the witches and stepfamily for hurting her. He was tempted to track them all down and beat them to a pulp if not kill them but he knew that he wasn't ready to face such dangerous people just yet. Even so, he made it his goal to restore Ella to her original self and reunite her with her loved ones wherever they were. The moment Gautr found out what happened to her and how she wished to be human again along with reuniting with her loved ones, he made a proposal that shocked everyone. He suggested that Ella also accompany him and Jack in taking down the witches’ coven whose actions have been negatively affecting different parts of Terrestria. Like Geneva, Cawrmadog and Fabiana were understandably worried and concerned over whether doing so was a good idea given how traumatic her first experience with the witches were. It took a lot of convincing on Ella’s part and how she was ready to face the ones who ruined her life for them to allow her to accompany Jack and Gautr but only under the condition that Aurum the golden goose accompanied them for safety. She accepted those terms and pretty soon, she, Jack and Gautr with the addition of Aurum found themselves preparing to leave. The 4 found themselves standing in front of the farm with Geneva, the mayor, the rest of the townsfolk and even Cawrmadog and Fabiana in their smaller forms being present. Jack felt nervous about finally leaving the farm and going on his first adventure but was still determined to help Gautr and Ella hence why he had to stay strong and not look like he was going to back out after months of training. Even so, that didn’t stop him from hugging his mother and kissing her goodbye even with her tears staining her cheeks.

“I’m going to miss you, my son,” Geneva wept as she embraced her son one last time. “I packed everything that you will need for your journey. I even put in some extra beans from the beanstalk just in case.”

“Thank you mother,” Jack thanked in response as he gave her one last kiss goodbye.

            “Take care of him for me. Please,” Geneva asked Gautr who stood next to her son.

            “I swear, I will do everything in my honor to protect him,” Gautr assured the farm woman.

            “Make sure our dear Ella is also safe,” Cawrmadog pleaded as he began to weep tears of sadness over seeing her leave. “We wish to see her again once this is over and get the chance to talk with her whenever we get the chance.”

            “Don’t forget to write or give us some kind of message to let us know you’re okay!” Fabiana told Ella after hugging her one last time.

            “I won’t,” Ella assured her mother and mother with a bittersweet smile on her face. “I promise!”

“Well, looks like this is where my first adventure will begin,” Jack said to himself as he, Gautr and Ella prepared to ride on the golden goose together. Though Ella could not sit beside either of them due to her stiff body making it difficult for her to seat herself properly, she was content being held in Jack’s hands as a result of her size shifting Essence making her lighter and smaller than before. With the goose about to take off, Jack, Gautr and Ella waved goodbye to the giant couple, the townsfolk and his mother with them doing the same in return.

            “Goodbye guys!” Ella shouted as loudly as she could while waving at the giants. “I’ll miss you!”

            “We’ll miss you too, dearie,” Fabiana said with tears in her eyes. “Don’t be afraid to contact us for help should you need it!”

            “We’ll do it!” Jack assured the giantess.

        “Be sure to tell us about the great adventures you’ve been going on while you’re at it!” Cawrmadog shouted through his hands.

            “Be careful you 2!” Geneva shouted. “Promise me you’ll come back safely!”

            “Don’t worry mom! We will!” Jack assured his mother as the goose began to fly off. “Onwards! To the rest of Terrestria!”

            And so, Jack, Ella and the golden goose began their grand adventure with the Old Man across Terrestria to find a cure for her cursed state and save the land from the forces of evil. Will they succeed? Will they fail? Who knows? The only way anyone would know was to continue reading the story and find out what happens next.