>_< 0_0

Chapter Twenty-Five I was scheming how to land quietly back in the Pen, but it turned-out I didn’t have to. Cinder was waiting for me. When she saw me, her face looked up into mine, eyes twinkling with excitement. That excitement turned to disappointment when I shrugged at her empty-handed. Crestfallen, she reached-up and let me fall into her arms. “No bwanket?” she whispered. “None,” I replied. “No spare ones, anyway.” She hugged me tightly as a girl finding her stuffed animal would. I’d have patted her back to let me go, were I not pinned to her chest with my toes dangling by her knees. I opted for patting her stomach with an awkward twist of the wrist instead. “It’s alright,” I spoke into her chest. “We can try again some other day.” “Tomorrow?” “Later. Too risky to try so soon.” In truth, I needed time to process what I’d seen. Even as Cinder carried me to her pile of sleeping friends so we could cuddle against one another, I could hardly acknowledge them – not even Aniya. Aniya seemed unbothered by my silence. She merely sidled-up to me as we nested into the nook of Cinder’s thigh, like always. A brief, squinting look at me with a finger to her lips was all the conversation she gave me, but I knew her meaning instantly: we could discuss what I found later. For now, sleep beckoned. Days passed and there were no chances to go creeping at night. I needed Cinder’s cooperation to get through the hole in the Pin’s ceiling, but every night she’d gather all her friends and sleep. I needed her alone and away from prying ears to ask for her assistance, and such moments in the Starter Resort were rare indeed. What wasn’t rare, however, were the endless, fattening meals. Hashbrowns and bacon, hush puppies and sugared dates, buttered corn, buttered biscuits, and buttered everything – the food never stopped. Every meal, my belly was stuffed to the brim, only to be stuffed and stuffed again before I even had a chance to digest, and as I gorged and feasted, the pounds began to pile-on. With every passing day, I could feel my pigskin growing tighter. Enchanted, skintight leathers were beginning to rub and groan, and as I glanced about, I could see I wasn’t the only one. The rushed, skittish steps of the forty-nine starters had begun to creak ominously, fabric straining to contain blossoming bosoms, budding lovehandles, thickening thighs, and bulging bellies. I wasn’t immune; these fifteen extra pounds on me had gathered into my breasts, thighs, and ass, padding them like a layer of warm cotton, squishing and squeezing with every step and every breath… It was too much – it was all too much! I felt bloated and fat and wanted nothing more than to throw my plate across the room and start jogging – and yet here I was, sitting in the chow hall on a glass bench letting some air-brained high-elf feed me extra samplings! “Eat up, Zaiva; don’t quit now…” I glanced-up from my plate with a full mouth to find Seerah offering a forkful of food. “It’s a dumpling,” Seerah said. “One of your favourites.” I chewed furiously to free my mouth enough to give my reply: “Can’t… too much…” “You can do it, Zaiva!” Seerah said encouragingly. “You ate half my dumplings last time we had some.” “No, seriously,” I leaned-back with a groan echoed by the seams around my waist. “My stomach stings every time I breathe too – hey!” “Try this,” Aniya dumped a large wad of something red. “It’s cranberry. You’ll love it.” “Ugh…” I winced. “Not you too…” “Also, you gotta eat fast before your stomach knows it’s full. That’s a little trick I learned from Gnobbo.” “Gnobbo?” I shot her a judging look. “First of all, Gnobbo’s barely gained a single pound, and second, how exactly did you learn anything from her? that little mutt still pretends she doesn’t speak Common.” “Shh…” Aniya gently lay her hand against my thigh. “Orc is coming. Less talking, more eating.” We fell silent and turned to our plates while the orc slowly paced past us. She prowled the corridor below, eying our haunches through the glass benches. I could see her staring at me from the corner of my eye, feel her judging the breadth of my hips, and all I could do about it was eat. All this eating… it sickened me, and not because the food wasn’t delicious, nor even that I didn’t want to eat it, but rather because I knew what it was doing to me. That purple juice… the chef’s so-called secret ingredient… how much of it was in the food we were eating? How much of the stuff had been milked from Jessicuh’s teats? Perhaps she was still there in the kitchen even now, bulbous and immobile, leaking and moaning as every meal was prepared. It was almost enough to make me lose my appetite… I wish it was, but its effects had already manifested within me. A feast which once would have satiated my hunger for a day was now barely enough to last till next meal. Even now, I could hear an ominous rumbling. Was it coming from my stomach, or someone else’s? “Zaiva,” Seerah nudged me with a smile. “Say ‘ahh.’” “Really?” I gave her a disdainful look. “It’s good for you. Now say ‘ahh.’ Ahhh…” Rip. “Ahh!” Seerah dropped her fork, Aniya coughed and hacked to herself, and I turned and looked at the far table – as did every pair of eyes in the room. At last – at long last – someone had ripped out of their pigskin, and I didn’t have to look long to find who it was. It was Pixie. The sudden tear that had opened at the seam under her right arm had shocked her so much, she’d risen from her seat and was now hunched over the table. Wide-eyed and breathing heavily, she remained for a moment, gathering her wits. “I-it’s happening!” she said. “I can feel – ooh…” Awestruck, we watched as Pixie’s pigskin began to rip and tear in more places – the other underarm seam, behind her back, and straight down her belly. Her back arched as her stuffed stomach burst through. Smooth, pink flesh bulged from every opening, finally free of constraints. At last, there was a reaction from the sword-sworn. “Bursting, bursting, bursting!” one of the orcs yelled loud yet calmly. Every orc from every corner rushed immediately towards Pixie, gathering around her yet leaving her untouched. “Do not touch her!” the kilted-orc warned. “Let her pigskin to its work.” Transfixed, all of us watched as Pixie groaned and twisted as her pigskin began to shift and change.

Chapter Twenty-Four I quickly ducked for cover before I could be spotted by Jessicuh’s captors, but I didn’t run – not yet. Nothing I’d seen was anything close to what I expected, and I feared my figure’s survival depended on seeing more. So it was that I stayed by the window, flattened against the wall and perfectly still, listening with my long, elven ears pricked and twitching. “I said listen heah!” Jessicuh yelled. “There’s a peepin’ perp in that there window! Youse got to – ahh!” Jessicuh’s protesting was cut short by some of the loudest, most dramatic ripping and tearing I’d ever heard. I didn’t have to look to know what it was: Jessicuhs body was swelling its way out of her pigskin, and it sounded like every seam was coming undone at once. “You can’t distract us so easily, pig,” I heard the orc chef smack something soft. “There’s no one else here – just us. Now why don’t you lay back and relax as you feel yourself grow into a juicy ball?” Juicy ball? I couldn’t resist taking a look, but I wasn’t stupid. If I looked through the window, all it would take was one stray look and I’d be discovered, which was precisely why I was slowly creeping to the next window – behind Jessicuh where she wouldn’t see me. In the meantime, Jessicuh was livid. “How’n hells are yo doin’ this to me? I’m like some kitchen sponge!” “I woudn’t say that,” said the chef. “I’d describe you as… a plum.” “W-whatcha doin’ with that bucket? What’s in there?” “Time to get watered, plum…” I peeked through the second window just in time to see the chef dunk the bucket right over Jessicuh’s head. Water poured over her swollen, purple body, yet merely trickled down her legs. I realized with a jolt that her body was absorbing so fast, she was visibly growing before my eyes. “Vul…” I muttered breathlessly to myself. “She’s swelling up…” A tub of purple juice and a bucket of water had transformed the former drill master into a heavy, wobbling parody of herself. Her pale, lean figure, already teasing the edge of chubbiness, had ballooned into a pear-shaped human plum. The water and juices swirling within her rested heavily just below her waistline, visibly sloshing from belly to buttocks, back and forth, like wine in a drinking sack. “Another bucket?” Jessicuh eyed the chef warily, who did indeed have a second one handy. “Enough already! I’m already out the pigskin! Jus’ lemme go!” “Forgotten already, have you?” the chef chuckled. “There is a secret ingredient for making my secret ingredient. Would you like to guess what it is? I’ll give you a hint…” The orcish chef freed one hand and teased a bare, purple nipple on Jessicuh’s chest. To Jessicuh’s horror (and mine), purple juice came squirting-out like milk from a dairy cow. “No…” Jessicuh whispered. “That’s right, my ripening plum,” the chef took hold of her bucket with both hands and raised it high. “Prepare to be juiced.” “No! Fuckin’ hell!” Jessicuh’s voice warbled beneath the bubbling froth that was dunked over her head. Her body soaked it all instantly, her ass jutting outwards so violently, she nearly fell backwards. She was nearly twice her old size now, growing ever-rounder and more reminiscent of a ripening fruit. And all of a sudden, I couldn’t bear to watch anymore. My belly was groaning with hunger even now, and I knew why. Given time, I’d be digesting food tainted by that cursed juice, and worst of all, seeing how that juice was made didn’t even make me lose my appetite. Disgusted, I tore my gaze from the surreal sight and made my way back home to the Pen. My appetite for food may have been bigger than ever, but my appetite for espionage was thoroughly extinguished. I needed time to digest the knowledge I’d gained tonight.

Chapter Twenty-Three Tonight was the night. Tonight I would corner Cinder and coax her into my escape plan before she got half-buried with girls trying to keep warm. I saw her now, stooped before the firepit just as we were locked-in the Pen. To my surprise, Cinder looked directly at me before I even made a move. It was as if we were fated to talk to one another! I took my first tentative step toward her… only to be interrupted by the low rumbling of my belly. I paused to look at it in spite of myself. It was still stuffed with dinner, and yet I found myself wishing for more. My appetite was growing. Right. Enough procrastinating. I took another step… “So are we still doing firewatch?” I turned to find Special One standing by the firepit. She suddenly noticed everyone watching her and kicked a charred log further into the flames so she had somewhere else to look. “I mean…” she shrugged nervously. “Not that Jessicuh’s gone, we don’t have to do it.” “Um…” Cinder spoke-up for the first time in days. “If the fiur goes out, it will get too couwld.” “If it gets too cold, someone can just get up and fetch a new log,” Special One replied. “It doesn’t have to be hard.” “I’d rawthur keep the fiurwatch just in case.” “So that means you wanna do the first watch?” Cinder paused thoughtfully. “I suppose…” Perfect. Keeping Cinder out of the tangle of bodies would fit right into my plan. Now then, all I had to do was talk to her and – “Zaiva?” Vul take them all! Who was it this time? Once again, I turned to face my distraction head-on. “Seerah,” I did my best to mask my frustration. “What’s wrong?” The elf blushed and crossed one leg over the other as she looked-up into my eyes. “I um… have something for you.” As I watched her reach under the collar of her neck, my frustration gave way to surprise as she withdrew a crushed, dried Farmer’s Mane – the very same I’d lost to inspection earlier that day. “I picked it up before we went to chow,” she explained. “I heard what you said about it and… I’ve seen how my friend Aniya looks at you…” “She does a lot more than look at me,” I replied as I plucked the flower from her grasp and put it back in my own collar. “I just think… you and Aniya… what you have together is so sweet.” “Thanks. Well, I was about to talk to Cinder so… goodnight.” “Zaiva?” I groaned. “What? Can’t we talk tomorrow?” “No! I mean… this is important.” “Alright then. Spit it out.” “Can you eat next to me from now on?” “…why?” “Well… I really, really want you to be with us in the harem and… well, there’s no nice way to put it. You’ve not been eating enough, so I want to feed you.” Another growl of my stomach betrayed my hunger and I felt myself blush. “You want to feed me?” the very notion was so strange to me I said it again. “You want to feed me?” “Yes,” she gained confidence. “Very much so! I’ve already gained fifteen pounds myself, so I can let you eat some of my food.” “You have?” I eyed her thoughtfully. “That’s nearly twice my gain, yet you’re much shorter than me. Are you sure you gained that much? You look much the same.” “That’s because this pigskin is so tight,” she reached behind her head to put her body on display. “And I can feel it growing tighter, especially around my breasts. Also, when we climb stairs, my thighs strain and creak with every step. I’ll certainly burst my pigskin any day now, so I can afford to feed you. Will you let me?” I stood there, mulling her proposition. A part of me knew it was wise to accept just in case tonight’s excursion proved unfruitful, but another part of me didn’t take her proposal seriously if my plan was to escape with my figure (mostly) intact anyway. Well then… if I did escape, what was the harm in agreeing with Seerah? “Of course,” I patted her shoulder. “You can feed me all you want and we’ll live in paradise together.” Seerah swooped under my arm and embraced me tightly. “Oh, thank you,” her voice was muffled the way she buried her head in my chest. “You’re a good person. We’ll be alright if we stay together.” “Thanks,” I patted her back and fidgeted uncomfortably. “I can feel that fat on your chest you were talking about.” I was hinting for her to let go, but instead he squeezed me even tighter. “You’ll sleep with us? We can cuddle while we wait for Cinder to finish with the fire.” “Of course. Now let me go so I can talk to her.” At last, Seerah released me, giving me a warm, broad smile before heading toward Aniya and Gnobbo. Right. No more distractions. I closed the distance between myself and Cinder, readying to do my most important act since entering the Starter Resort. The half-giantess was crouched before the stack of logs, carefully looking for the largest, hottest-burning one. I lay my hand against her, rubbing gently to gain her attention. “Hey Cinder,” I was as casual and non-threatening as possible. “Browsing tinder?” “Hullo,” she said quietly. “It’s a lil difficuwlt to choose one.” “Any choice is better than none.” “I guess…” “Well, when you’re finished, go ahead and wake me up. I’ll go after you.” “Thank you, Deep Puwrple.” When Cinder came nudging me awake, we were the only ones awake. I smiled warmly; it was exactly as I’d planned. “How was it?” I asked. “You pick the right log?” Cinder shrugged. “It wasn’t as wourm as I’d hoped.” “Figures,” I stretched long and hard, managing to crack at least two joints. “Logs, am I right? Never as warm or long as you hope.” “I just want to be wourm again.” Now was my chance. “What if I could do that for you?” “You could?” “Yes. You just need a blanket. If I can get outside, I can bring one. All you need to do is toss me through that hole in the roof there,” I pointed towards the hole where smoke was billowing. “Oh…” Cinder was visibly anxious, fidgeting and playing with her fingers. “Awr you suwre that’s a smawrt idea? What wiwll happun when the bwanket is discovoured?” “They won’t,” I replied quickly. “We’ll hide it behind the log pile every morning.” “But what if we run out of logs? They huven’t given us new ones.” “Then we burn the blanket. Easy fix.” “I’m not so suwre…” “You want to be warm, right? Then let me help you.” “Well… awlright.” Moments later, Cinder had me in her arms and gently boosted me through the ceiling to freedom. It was cold outside in the mountain air. I hadn’t realized how well-insulated the Pen truly was, but it was too late for second thoughts. “Right,” I cracked my knuckles and stretched my arms high overhead. “Time to return to form.” With that, I began running across the rooftop, looking for a way down. The chill air that threatened to reduce me to shivering was now refreshing as my blood warmed and pumped through my limbs. It had been far too long since I’d used my skills like this, and I began feeling like myself again. But then again… something was off. As I ran across the clay rooftop with all the grace of a prowling panther, I could sense the extra weight in my steps. I felt the slight jiggle in my quads, and the subtle jostling of my chest. I felt it all, but did my best to ignore it. I may be a bit larger than before, and perhaps the tone of my abs had faded, but I was still one of the most dangerous assassins who ever lived. I was still Zaiva. All that mattered now was gathering intel, finding the Sultan’s whereabouts, and escaping. If I could escape tonight, so much the better. As I found a low ledge to get off the roof, my stomach rumbled. Perhaps I could also find food as well… but just a snack… a small portion to stave my hunger. I began wandering the empty paths through the central courtyard where we’d stripped our clothes and ran to the “showers” that first fateful night. The Starter Resort was larger than I thought, and was sealed from the outside like some monastery or fortress… or prison. There were no signs of an exit anywhere – not even a window. Even the roof offered no escape, for it was too high to leap from. But there was, however, one exit I knew of: that first chamber we’d entered – that first damned chamber where we’d stuffed ourselves on grits half the night – surely that would be a way out. I couldn’t resist. I had to find that way out even if I learned nothing else tonight. I entered the chamber… and stared in awe at an empty room. Torches lit on either side of the wall behind me flickered and bathed a barren floor in a dull, orange glow. Nothing remained of what had given me so much grief – save for the double-doors framed with the words “servitude makes you free” that I sought. I crept my way to the exit, a sense of foreboding keeping me from going any further. Foreboding gave way to disappointment when I was close enough to see the door’s handles chained and locked. I was no locksmith; there had been plenty of opportunities to learn lockpicking at the fortress headquarters, but I hadn’t seen the point when it was easier to find the keys. It seemed I’d have to find them once again. The moment I turned to leave, I froze, chills running down my spine. I’d forgotten about the massive image of Sultan Ibrahim’s face on the wall. That face – that bearded, unreadable, soulless face—loomed high overhead like some unworldly being indifferent to the life beneath it. The bright-crimson paint that formed his features seemed to glow and waver in the torchlight as if alive – and for a moment, I thought he was. It. It was just a painting. A ghostly image meant to inspire a sense of awe and remind those who gazed upon it that we all belonged to one man – that no matter how free we felt, someone was always watching, poised to take it all away at the slightest whim… A sudden cry brought me back to my senses. It had come from the door beneath the image – from deeper inside the compound. I gave one last look at the red, bearded face before re-entering the courtyard. “I can’t wait to kill you for all the trouble you’ve given me,” I said. The wailing voice was faint, but with no other noises, it was easy to follow. It was coming from the far side of the starter resort, closer to the over-hanging cliff. The resort was already built into the mountainside, but here it began climbing upwards, one structure nearly stacked on another, ever more steeply till they were carved into the very rock itself. I had no doubt these were the living quarters for the orcs – and as I stared upwards at them, the cry echoed from within them once more. Cautiously, I was getting closer to whoever it was. A small part of me knew it could only be a distraction from my goals, yet still I persisted. I could hear other voices now: cruel, taunting voices that could only be sword-sworn orcs. A resounding spank of an open palm against skin betrayed their exact location. There: an open window glowing yellow in the night. I rushed towards it, peeking past its lower frame. An overwhelming smell of grease and fried meat wafted into my nostrils before I even glimpsed within. It was the kitchen, its walls stuffed to the brim with ropes of sausage, clusters of garlic, baskets of eggs, cheese wheels, fruits, vegetables, and assortments of foods and spices beyond my reckoning – and there, lying in a tub filled with purple juice and surrounded by orcs – was Jessicuh. “I said, let go of me, ya heah?” she thrashed and squirmed in the juice, but in vain, for her arms were firmly held. “I’s told y’all to get me outta this here pigskin, not dip me in… don’t do that. I see’s you sneakin’ behind me! If you – ow!” “Hold still,” the orc swatting her ass gave her cheeks a rough rubbing. “Be a good pig and stop squealing.” “What! I ain’t no pig! I am a staff sergeant!” “Exactly.” “And you are jus’ a cook! I’s seen you servin’ slop e’ry meal – ouch!” “Now if you’d shut your trap for two breaths, you’d know why you’re in the tub.” “Ahm all ears Miss Baker Lady.” “You say you want out of the pigskin? Well… there’s only one way to do it.” Jessicuh’s eyes widened. “Aint no way… aint no gods-damned way you put me in here to stuff me! You tryin’ to get me all marinated an’ shit?” “Oh no, ‘staff-sergeant.’ We’re not going to stuff you. We’re going to soak you.” “What in tarnation…” “You see the juice you’re wallowing-in? You feel it soaking you from head to toe? Seeping through your skin? Well, that’s what you could call… my secret ingredient.” “Secret ingredient!? You tellin’ me you’re fixin’ to eat me?” “I could stop talking and let you find out. No? No squeals? Very well… this juice is indeed special – magically so. It’s effects are twofold: first, it stretches the body – a very useful trait for fattening pigs. Second, it enhances the appetite. Perhaps you’ve noticed a rise in hunger yourself – even before you stole some growth potion.” “Gods… you’ve been feeding this to us…” “Every meal. For weeks, I have been supplementing your meals with my secret ingredient, stretching your stomachs and appetites slowly yet surely. But now my supply is dangerously-low. That’s where you come in. You’re going to absorb it all, then we’ll fill you with water, and then? Then comes the fun part.” “You caint be serious! There jus’ aint no way! Yer pullin’ my leg! Hazing is what it is!” “My dear staff sergeant, your face is already purple.” As I watched from my hiding spot at the window sill, I realized with mounting curiosity and horror that Jessicuh’s body had absorbed so much juice that her entire body was purple – and there was still gallons more to go. With a wince and an ominous sound of straining fabric, Jessicuh’s attitude shifted from defiance to terror. “What’s happening to me?” she asked with mounting desperation. Slowly, then with mounting speed, Jessicuh’s belly began to swell. And then she spotted me. “There!” she cried. “There’s a girl in the window! A peepin’ perp!”

Chapter Twenty-Two It wasn’t until the afternoon that trouble finally found me. I was in the rice paddy again, filling buckets of fresh water from the cascading waterfalls and handing them away to be poured over the crops when the cry I’d been dreading finally came. “Deep Purple!” the kilted-orc belted my nickname as if summoning a demon. “Where you at?” “Deep Purple!” everyone cried. There was no escape. “Here!” I cried. “Get our ass to the waterwheel right now! Jessicuh! Where you at?” “Jessicuh!” came the rallying cry. Jessicuh emerged from behind an olive tree, leaping and jumping her way toward us. “Yes ma’am! Yes starters! Carry on starters!” she was using her stupid drill voice. “Starter Jessicuh reportin’ as ordered!” The kilted-orc looked about as annoyed as I felt as she held the half-emptied ** that started this mess. “You recognize this?” she sneered. “It’s a **?” I asked. “And what’s wrong with it?” I recognized the verbal trap instantly. The kilted-orc knew we were involved with the missing growth potion, so denying our recognition of that fact would inadvertently acknowledge guilt. I had to confess. “It’s half-empty,” I admitted. “Half empty!” the kilted-orc nodded. “So you know why! You got five heartbeats to tell me where it is – no chance to lie; we know you two were the only ones left alone with the growth potion.” “It was her!” Jessicuh pointed at my face. “Deep Purple’s the culprit! I’s tried stoppin’ her, but Deep Purple, she said she’d tell e’rybody it was me! She did it cause she caint eat worth a damn!” “Is that so?” the kilted-orc was dangerously quiet as she bit her lip with her chipped tusk. “No,” I grumbled. “Jus’ look at her!” Jessicuh barged ahead before I had a chance to speak for myself. “All skin an’ bone; nary a pound gained at all!” she prodded my side for emphasis (and I wished I were as thin as she claimed). “Of course she’d resort to cheatin’! Why, if you ask me, it’s about time she get kicked-out. Once a street urchin, always a street urchin!” I could just about strangle the lying bitch on the spot, but I held my ground. In fact, I didn’t even speak. There was something about the kilted-orc’s demeanour that gave me pause. Eye’s half-lidded and jaw clenching left and right, she seemed to be mulling the situation – until Jessicuh’s belly groaned long and loud. As one, we all stared down at Jessicuh’s bloated midsection. Round and decadently-soft, her belly bulged with food in the front and fat on the sides. Such had she greedily-feasted on others’ food, it was the first belly among us that was noticeably bottomless even now just after lunch. Almost instinctively, Jessicuh sucked-in, but that proved to be a mistake. Not only was it too late to hide her remarkable gain, merely trying to was all the proof the kilted-orc needed. Slowly, she broke into a grin so wide I didn’t think it was possible, and I knew Jessicuh was doomed. “Wellllll,” the kilted-orc slowly turned to address the whole Farm, words dripping with happiness. “Seems like some growth potion went missing… guess we’ll have to go find it! Everyone say ‘thank you, Jessicuh!’” “Thank you, Jessicuh,” everyone was wary now. Jessicuh’s problem had just become everyone’s. “Now then… everyone come pick-up a **! Come on over and pick one. Now hold them high over your heads! Turn them upside down! They will be dripping on your heads. Oh, what’s this? No growth potion? Everyone pick-up some more pots! Shake ‘em up! Shake ‘em! Looks like it’s not in the pots! Now everyone line-up single-file! Oh, we’ll find that growth potion…” Everyone was visibly frustrated. This “search” for the growth potion seemed pointless, and I knew that in a way it was. This was all a sick game to the kilted-orc, meant to grind Jessicuh down and inspire hatred of her. the only question was what would get Jessicuh to confess? “Standby to get your collars checked,” the kilted-orc said pleasantly. Gods damn-it! I still had a flower in my collar! Aniya spotted me from the far end of formation and shot me a worried look. Would the orcs realize what we were up to? The orcs began walking down the line, tugging collars and fishing ‘round them with their fingers. There was a surprising amount of contraband, from spoons to scraps of paper. Even Gnobbo managed to hide several peanuts in her collar... And then it was my turn. Some orc surprised me by coming from behind. The little Farmer’s Mane was in her grasp in no time. She stood before me, holding the half-crushed flower between thumb and forefinger, the whites of her eyes contrasting with her dull, green skin shaded under her braided hair. “What’s this?” she waved it in front of my nose. “A flower… it’s for my love,” I replied slowly. “Lover, huh? Can’t wait to meet her,” the orc crushed the flower in her fist and stomped it into the dirt. “I’ll let her know.” Once the collars were checked, the kilted-orc stood upon the stump by the waterwheel and checked her nails. “You starters are disgusting, do you understand? Absolute trash in your pigskins – and we still haven’t found that growth potion yet. Everyone on your knees! I want every blade of grass checked for growth potion! Who knows? It’ll be found some way or other. Any day now…” We’d barely begun before Victoria snapped. “Ugh… come on, Jessicuh! Just admit it already!” “Yeah, Jessicuh!” Pixie chimed-in. “We know it was you!” Jessicuh didn’t look at them, but stared defiantly onwards regardless. “I didn’t do nothin.’” “Just admit it already!” shouted another. “Come on, Jessicuh!” “Say it already!” “Gnobbo hate Jessicuh! Hate!” “Stop!” the kilted-orc ordered. “Everyone on their feet. Now… since we’re in such a good mood today, I’ll use my quiet voice… who thinks Jessicuh drank some? Raise your hands.” I was the first to raise my hand, but I was not the last. Seerah joined me, followed by Aniya. One by one, every girl raised their hand (in Gnobbo’s case, both hands, plus jumping for emphasis). The last to do so was Cinder, who didn’t seem to be sure what we were doing. The kilted-orc looked at the forest of hands, turned to Jessicuh, and smiled again. “See Jessicuh? Look what all your friends think.” “I aint done nothin’ wrong,” she said quietly, the fire in her voice all but extinguished. “Is that right? Nothing wrong? No sip-sip?” “Nothin.’” “Not a drop?” Jessicuh shook her head. “Well, you don’t say! Because it just so happens that my sword-sworn friend here watched you drink it.” Jessicuh’s eyes widened. For the first time, she was feeling true fear. “That… that aint right… se left us alone for so long!” “Wrong,” the kilted-orc said firmly. “She pretended to because we knew you’d try to steal from us, you stupid fop.” “Why? Why would she do that?” “Because we’re sword-sworn!” she barked. “We’ve fought halfway through this desert and back again! Weve smoked dwarven mines and burned elven treehouses, and all the while, we put up with selfish, greedy, lazy sergeants like you. You whipped our kind till our backs got checkered like quilts, and now you think you’re gonna live in paradise? Well, you’re gonna learn today!” The kilted-orc slowly stepped behind Jessicuh and gently pointed her toward the rest of us. “Now look your friends in the eyes and ask them if you can stay.” Jessicuh’s face was a blank slate. I’d seen that look before: she wasn’t just embarrassed; she was in complete denial. Her whole world was crashing down around her and she hadn’t the strength to acknowledge it. Seeing her like this had me practically squirming with delight; this was as satisfying as the most bone-cracking stretch! “Say it!” the kilted-orc screamed in her ear. “Say: ‘let me stay!’” With a faltering breath, Jessicuh yelled with no trace of her drill accent: “Let me stay… jus’… let me stay!” “Starters!” the kilted-orc addressed us with greater force than Jessicuh ever could. “What is your reply?” “Get out!” Pixie shouted. “You need to go!” Seerah added. “Go!” Gnobbo shook her fist. “Go out!” “Get out!” “Get out!” “Get out!” Just as the chant gained momentum, the kilted-orc halted it with a raised hand. “Looks like you’re gone,” she said with a smile. “I’d tell you to pack your bags, but you don’t have anything – not your pride, not your integrity, not even your honour.” Stunned, Jessicuh remained petrified in place until two orcs grabbed her by the armpits and dragged her away. “Good riddance,” Victoria said as Jessicuh was carried around a corner out of sight. “There’ll be more food for the rest of us.” Meanwhile, my cold, calculating assassin’s mind noted my rival’s elimination with apt satisfaction. “One down,” I muttered. “Four to go.”

Chapter Twenty-One “Seriously?” Aniya fidgeted in my grasp. “For real?” “It’s the only way,” I replied flatly. “Either she throws us out of here, or we’re stuck here on our asses.” “Our ever-fattening asses,” Aniya replied with a playful fondling of my cheeks. “Stay focused,” I smacked her ass in return. “Girl, it’s a pipe dream. What could you possibly do to convince her to go along with that?” “Oh, I know exactly how to do that,” I said mysteriously. “What I don’t know is how to ask her without waking those two,” I tilted my head towards Seerah and Gnobbo (both snoring away with their heads on Cinder’s plump breasts). “See?” Aniya said. “Pipe dream.” “Either way, you owe me after that flower I pulled for you. I missed lunch for that.” “Alright sure,” she sighed, but in a pleasant, almost romantic way. “Let’s drop the question on her when we can get her alone. In the meantime, I dunno about you, but I’m getting pretty tired. Why don’t you take me to bed?” “I guess we should sleep on it,” I stifled a yawn. ‘Let’s sleep on Cinder’s thighs again.” “Can you carry me?” I froze. What kind of question was that? Our false relationship was an effective cover, but this seemed unnecessary. Was someone watching us? I glanced left and right, but no eyes were on me – no eyes except Aniya’s bemused almonds twinkling in the firelight. Aniya took hold of my head once more and gave me a kiss. As she wrapped her lips against mine, so too did her legs wrap around my waist. “Alright,” I conceded as soon as the kiss was over. “Better hold on tight. You’re getting heavy.” Aniya didn’t reply with words, but with a squeeze of her thighs against my middle. As I crept towards Cinder, the sleepy dark elf lay her head against my chest and closed her eyes – and she stayed there the rest of the night. The seventh day. It had been four days since I’d planned to recruit Cinder into my scheme, and yet I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her. by coincidence, we hadn’t been eating or working together. Worse, she was never alone. When she wasn’t surrounded by friends, she was surrounded by sleepers cuddling her all night. Every night, more girls took the chance at snuggling close to her, adding themselves to the human blanket keeping the fire giant warm. It seemed the half-giantess had become the most popular girl in the group without even trying – which wouldn’t be a problem if it didn’t make her nigh untouchable! Now it had been a week of nonstop eating and I was getting… anxious. I was in the weighing room now, waiting for my turn to see how much I’d gained. One by one, the girls around me sat on the wing end of the scale while Cinder stacked coloured balls on the other end until – with a slow creak – the scale would click into balance and their gain recorded. A girl called “Special One” was awaiting just such a fate now… “Two pounds!” the kilted-orc announced for the scribe to record. She shot the girl a look as she jumped off the scale. “You’re slowing-down, Special One. Is something wrong with my chow?” “Uh…” Special One had what could only be described as a bovine stare, and she was giving it now. “Stop taking your sweet ass time! Next!” It was Jessicuh’s turn, and she made it known by bumping me aside with her hip. “Step aside, hun,” she said. “Lemme show you how it’s done… Starter Jessicuh is ready to be weighed!” I held my tongue, but seethed internally nonetheless. Jessicuh had changed in more ways than one since she’d drank the growth potion. Ever since that day, she’d been starving for food. Every meal, she’d ravenously shove every bite of food into her mouth and then proceed to filch from every plate around her. her days as a role-model and leader were done, replaced by a selfish race to pack on pounds and satiate her bottomless pit of a stomach. As the former drill master eased her haunches onto the swing, the fabric of her pigskin groaned like ropes on a sailboat. The flesh o her thighs had grown plush, and spread an extra inch or two in the seat. There was also a notable bulge in her stomach, though I figured that to be more from her exaggerated posture than any actual gain. As Cinder piled pound balls into the scale, Jessicuh caught my eye and smiled knowingly. I could only scowl in return. “Three pounds,” the kilted-orc said without yelling. It was the closest thing to a compliment she’d ever given. Jessicuh knew better than to speak, but she stared me down and sauntered-off to the side with a smack of her hip. Weigh-ins continued, and the closer it came time for me, the greater my anxiety. I didn’t need to weigh myself to know it was too much… and yet too little. Too much because I was losing my figure; too little because I wasn’t keeping pace to graduate with the others. Every way my thoughts turned, doubts and contradictions lay like traps. There was no escape. And suddenly it was my turn. I stepped forward and proclaimed myself: “Starter Deep Purple is ready to be weighed!” All eyes were on me now, including my own. I could see the extra squish of my thighs spread across the seat, as well as the way my breasts had rounded and bugun to grow closer to each other. It was too much… and yet, was it enough? Click. “One pound!” the kilted-orc proclaimed. “Every time! Just skating your way out the door, huh? Next!” One pound. One measly pound gained for a total of eight. At this rate, I was gaining at half the speed of others my height. The sporadic punishments I’ accrued were eating into my eating time, and even without them, I was still a slow eater. I just couldn’t chew fast enough before others poached my plate for food! I stepped off the scale and stood against the wall with the others, lost in thought. I needed to push myself… and yet, I was in shock at the speed I was growing. It was all so exhausting. My only hope was to escape the Pen. It wasn’t about intel anymore – hells, it wasn’t even about escaping – it was about regaining a sense of control over my life. “Hey Zaiva?” I stood-up from my work on the Farm and popped my back. We were carefully pouring growth potion all over the crops today and the pots got heavy quickly. Still, some felt the need to talk and apparently this time it was Victoria who wanted to disturb my peace. “What is it Victoria?” “You used my full name,” she said with wonder. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. What do you want? Spit it out.” “Well… I was wondering why you wanted to join the harem?” I didn’t answer right away. An orc just beyond the field was too close for comfort, so I stepped forward and poured slightly more. It also happened to be a question I didn’t want to answer. Victoria, however, was in a talkative mood and spoke before I had a chance to: “I joined for vengeance.” I nearly spilled half my **. “What? You? Oh, I need to hear this.” “It’s simple, really,” Victoria’s voice was silky-smooth, a semblance of her old confidence returning to her. “Once upon a time, there was a prince who was vacationing in the place I lived in. he was such a sight – an absolute dream – well, naturally I had my eyes on him every day and schemed to make him mine. Yet now matter what I tried, he never even looked at me. Can you believe it? The nerve of that man! I even had my best friend invite everyone in the palace to my summer solstice party and he didn’t even bother to ask for an invitation himself!” “So you didn’t invite him yourself?” “Didn’t have to. Everyone else in the palace came. Who would snub the daughter of a royal stablemaster? We have the finest horses in all the land – practically bred a new breed of them.” “Maybe the prince is an ass man.” “A what?” “Donkeys. Maybe he prefers donkeys.” “Well,” Victoria sniffed. “He should’ve said something to me sooner, because now it’s too late. I’ll join the harem and become the Sultan’s favourite. That will show him.” “That’s…” I was going to say how stupid I thought her scheme was, but Aniya came up from behind and chimed-in. “Wait, wait… hold up,” Aniya’s long ears twitched curiously. “Vicky, that’s lowkey brilliant. You couldn’t get the prince so you’re gonna plough his dad.” The ramifications slowly hit me. A smile crossed my face. Aniya started giggling. “Oh no, you rejected me,” Aniya mimicked Victoria’s posh accent. “Well, I ploughed your daddy last night.” Vicky started snickering as well, almost to the point I was worried we’d get blasted by the orcs. “Hey step-son,” Aniya snickered. “Step-mommy wants her wine – and scrub your room.” I couldn’t hold back anymore! Once my mouth opened, the laughter wouldn’t stop. Now the three of us were lost in laughter, desperately trying and failing to keep ourselves quiet. It had been too long since I’d felt this good! How long, exactly? When was the last time I’d laughed? “Stop!” We froze instantly like deer hearing a snapped twig. I looked up from my work to search for the orc who would punish us, steeling myself for yet another missed meal. But there was no orc. The disturbance had come from the next field over. “Empty?” an orc waved a ** in a girl’s face. “What do you mean it’s empty? You got half a field left!” “It’s not my fault!” the girl wilted before the orc’s furious gaze. “It was only half-full when I got it…” “Where did you grab this?” the orc shoved the ** in her face. “I-I don’t know! I… I…” “Eyeballs. You’re coming with me…” As the girl was half-chased to some unknown fate, my wits returned to me. It seemed the half-empty ** Jesssicuh had left behind had finally been discovered. No doubt a thorough investigation would begin. How thorough? Would they trace it back to me and Jessicuh? If they did, she would try to frame me… “So anyway,” Victoria whispered. “You still haven’t answered my question, Zaiva.” Thoughts interrupted, I turned my attention back to her. “What question?” “About why you want to join the harem, of course.” “Oh. That… you know, free food, a roof over my head and whatever. Basic stuff.” “And what about you, dark elf? Aniya, was it?” Aniya nodded. “Same as Zaiva, actually. Joined for the free food, stayed for the buns.” “Buns?” “Yes,” Aniya chuckled. “Zaiva’s buns.” “Oh. I see.” “I could hold them all day.” “Well, you certainly hold them all night.” “True. I like to think myself an aspiring baker.” “Because you knead the dough?” “And it’s rising-up…” I stomped my foot. “Enough. Let’s focus on not getting in trouble, for once.” Sweet silence abounded once again, but I feared trouble was coming for me no matter what.

I do TONS of writing -- not just FA stuff, but all kinds of writing. I draw too! It's just that my writing is more popular, so I focus on that instead. If you're interested in what kind of stuff I draw, check out "Shivaakaid" on Tik Tok. I also have a few skits on there too, I guess.

-be me -scrolling celebrity page - “ooh Zendaya is on page one! Is my dream of Thicc Zendaya coming true at last? Have my years of daydreams of a plus-size Spider-Man girlfriend going to make an appearance in the third… third Spider-Man movie!? Is she a PEAR I MUST KNOW — - me now: 😑

Chapter Twenty For a moment, I was speechless. Jessicuh stared back at me, cradling the large ** of growth potion like a pet cat, thrumming her fingers impatiently. But I snapped out of it with a light chuckle and shake of my head. “You can’t be serious,” I said. “First we’re fighting and now you want to share growth potion? It doesn’t add-up. You’re trying to trick me.” “You callin’ me a liar?” Jessicuh pulled the stopper from the **. “Aint gonna lie, I’s fixin’ to grow fat an’ happy, an’ this be how I’m gonna do it. No one will notice if we skim a lil off the top…” “If they do,” I smirked. “I could just tell them what you did.” “That’s where yer mistaken,” she smirked back. “Cause if they notice anything,’ I’ll tell them you took it. Who’s e’ryone gonna believe? A war vet? Or your purple ass?” “So you’re not trying to frame me,” I muttered. “You’re blackmailing me.” “Are you in or out already?” With time running-out and the missing orc overdue to return, I discreetly nodded my head in approval. Jessicuh didn’t hesitate, lifting the heavy ** to her lips with both arms. She drank greedily, and the contents splashed and dribbled down her chin. All the while, she was looking at me, staring defiantly as she gulped and guzzled. Only when I was beginning to fear she was drinking too much for me to pilfer some did she stop. I reached for the growth potion… and she smiled knowingly as she stoppered the ** and set it aside the others. Damn Jessicuh! She wanted me to beg, that dotard countryside hick! Well, I wouldn’t give-in. I could pick the potion up and drink it all on my own – No. I nearly fell for the ruse, but Jessicuh’s rush to act busy tipped me off: the orc was back. She’d emerged from some bush, adjusting her belt after what I could only assume was a gratuitously-long piss break. With such eyes on me, I had no choice but to stoop low to the soil and resume seeding, empty-handed and empty-bellied. I was hungrier than ever, and my stomach growled and churned. Just across from me, Jessicuh’s own stomach began doing the same. I didn’t have a chance to talk to Aniya until we were back in the Pen. Night had fallen, but there was no storm this time; only a cool mountain breeze that whistled softly against the hole in the ceiling and made the fire glow and crackle. It almost felt normal again in the Pen, save for one detail: that sleepless, stormy night when some of us shared our bodies for warmth had irrevocably changed some of us. That intimacy had broken barriers between us that could not easily be discarded, and now – as we settled-in for the night – some of us settled into each other. It happened without question. Seerah and Gnobbo crawled into Cinder’s mighty, open arms and buried themselves into her bosom. They weren’t alone in their search for intimate comfort either. Off in the corner, I spotted Pixie and “Stupid One” hugging each other, and in yet another corner, two elven girls were holding hands. Aniya and I would soon be joining them, but first came a bit of business disguised as pleasure. As the steady hum of gossip became a steady drone of snores, I took my secret agent/lover to the wall, picked her up, and pinned her there for a very personal discussion. “So how do you feel?” I asked to ease the tension between us. “Ehh…” she cocked her head. “Sleepy.” “Then let’s make this quick,” I reached for my collar and gave it a tug to reveal the little yellow flower pressed against my neck. “I got you a present…” To my surprise, Aniya slapped my hand off my collar. “Ouch,” I struggled to keep my bearing. “You’re feisty today.” “Don’t touch it,” she warned me with a finger to my lips. “If the juices on our fingertips come together, we could be starstruck lovers before we know it.” “… so that’s what ‘starstruck’ means,” I stared at my still-stinging hand and wiped it on my pigskin as a precaution. “Hey, it might not happen, but it never hurts to be too careful.” “Regardless, we got flowers. Now what?” As I spoke, some girl walked past us, fetching a log to begin her firewatch shift. Aniya eyed her casually yet warily before gently gripping either side of my head and whispering into my face. “Now we keep them. Keep my flower close to you, always, and think of me when you remember it’s pressed to your neck,” she kissed me, but glanced sideways to make sure the potential eavesdropper was moving away. “When the time comes, we’ll grind them into powder and keep it in vials for when the time is right.” “Quite a long-term plan,” I replied with a snatch between her legs to keep dominance in the conversation. “It will take forever to reach the Sultan, and that’s assuming we both graduate.” “Don’t worry about graduating,” she stroked my (still growling) belly. “I believe in you.” “How about a plan B?” I pressed into her, trapping her hand between our slight bulges. “Like what?” “You already know. Breaking out of here and finding a shortcut to our target. I don’t know about you, but I’m not getting fat if I can help it.” “I mean…” Aniya shrugged and thoughtfully fondled my middle. “… how do we get out? The door’s locked from outside, which means the only way out is the hole in the ceiling. How do you plan on getting out that way? Stacking logs” “No,” I lied. “That would be foolish. I’ve got a better idea. Been thinking about it for days.” “What?” “You see…” I hoisted her higher against the wall, putting her chest in my face and letting her see over my head. “… we’re too short to reach the ceiling and too weak to throw each other up there – but there might be someone who is and can.” With my chin perched on her sternum, I watched as she turned her head and eyed the corner where Cinder the Half-Giantess was slumbering.

And she has to grow faster and not skip meals

Chapter Nineteen I needed sleep. I yearned for sleep… but how could I over such a ruckus? The sword-sworn orcs were chasing the starters round the firepit. Round and round they went, sometimes clockwise, sometimes counterclockwise, and sometimes back and forth. At least they couldn’t find me hidden in Cinder’s lap with Aniya on top of me… but it was getting real hard hiding my stuffed gut from them. If I could just keep sucking-in, no one would know… no one would ever know… The door burst open and my eyes opened with a flash. I felt Aniya and Cinder stir and flex against my body as I held my head. So it seemed I’d been dreaming of trying to fall asleep – the worst form of nightmare. “Up!” orcs screamed and scuffed their boots against the soggy ash. “Get up!” “Get in line!” the kilted-orc strode into our midst. “You’re getting weighed!” Day three of my tormented stay in the Starter Resort began with a terrible surprise: in just a day, I’d gained another pound for a total of three. Worse… I was hungry. It wasn’t bad enough that I was rapidly gaining weight; what’s worse was I wasn’t gaining fast enough. Other starters had put on more this weigh-in than they had in the last, no doubt doubling-down on food with the threat of expulsion over their heads. Our time in the Starter Resort had suddenly become a race – and I was losing. The mood at breakfast was different than before. The girls around me seemed hungrier, more ravenous. They tore through their food like wolves, gorging themselves as quick as they could. I should’ve known they would delve to such beastly, gluttonous urges – and I definitely should’ve expected what they’d do if they finished their plates before me. “Hey!” I slapped at a hand that filched a sausage from my plate. Too late. The thief shoved my sausage into her mouth – and she was none other than the girl I’d stolen a sausage from last breakfast! “Sorry Purp,” she muffled between bites. “You owe me one…” Perhaps I’d let that slide, but as I turned back to my plate, I found two more thieves filching my food! “Bitch,” I stabbed my fork at one of the hands and missed. “Eat faster, Deep Purp,” the girl replied. “Yeah, try to keep up,” said the second. This was it: my breaking point. Hands shaking, blood boiling, I pounced upon the nearest thief. “By the gods, I will eat your ass for that!” I cried. “Stop!” I froze, hand over a woman’s mouth and squeezing her cheeks. I felt her swallow my precious food as she slowly raised her eyes toward the orc looming somewhere behind my back. “So you’re an ass eater, huh?” I heard the orc ask just behind my ear. Was that what I said? I felt my face betray me by blushing-hot. “No, ma’am!” I yelled. “Oh, so you lied, then? So fuck me, right?” An idea struck me: if I could get in trouble on purpose, then… yes! It just might work! “Yes ma’am!” I shouted as defiantly as possible. Someone at the table dropped her fork. Another choked and pounded her chest. “Holy shit,” someone else muttered. Meanwhile, I was calm again. All was according to my whims again. “All of you off the bench right now – all four of you!” the orc yelled. “Everyone next to the ass licker gets some! That’s right! You’re going to the Trough!” I could barely restrain myself from grinning with joy as we hustled our way to our “punishment.” Now, I would eat my fill and then some. If I made a habit of this, I’d be ripping free of my pigskin in no time. There’d be no chance of me dropping out! The Trough was empty. I stared at the dirty, half-greased walls that should have been full to the brim with slop and couldn’t believe my eyes. What was I looking at? A wad of rags splashing wetly in the Trough snapped me out of my funk. I looked-up to find the starters staring at the orc. She had that ominously evil smile that hinted at our impending fates. “I thought we’d be eating,” I said. “Oh, you thought!” the orc snapped. “Like you disgusting starters didn’t eat every scrap of left-overs! Well, you gonna learn today! Pick up a rag and start wiping! That’s right; you’re cleaning your mess till I get tired.” Dejected, I plucked a rag, got on my knees, and began scrubbing with only four bitter girls for company. My belly was already growling with hunger. By the time we were back at the Farm, I was on my knees once again. This time we were replanting the fields we’d harvested for growth potion ingredients. It was gruelling, backbreaking work since we weren’t given shovels, which is precisely why I was moving as slowly as possible. I was in the brownshade patch on my hands and knees. Last night’s rain was still fresh on the ground, and the stripped soil had turned to filthy mud that squelched with every slightest move. Hands filled with unplanted seeds, my long ears twitched as they located the heavy, booted footsteps of the only orc watching the field: just behind me, moving clockwise around the mud rather than through it. Good. That meant I could hold still and take a breather so long as I pointed myself away from the patch’s centre with my back to everyone. “Deep Purple…” Of course, there were always snitches. “I’s talkin’ to you, booty-licker. Hey. Hey. Deep Purple...” I finally answered. “Quiet, Jess – else you get us in trouble.” “Tha’s what youse doin’ with all that procrastination an’ loiterin,’” she hissed as quietly and passionately as possible. “Plant. Yer. Seeds.” “Or what?” “I’ll plant this here fist up yer…” her voice faded as the orc began circling past. Only now did I begin planting again. Sweet, blissful silence – if only for a time. It would give me time to plan my next move… which would be what, exactly? Escape? That was the ultimate plan, but I couldn’t just run, no matter how tempting it was. Even if I did escape the Harem Resort now, there was only one road down the mountains and it would be trivial for them to catch me again. No… plans for escaping would have to wait, which meant I might as well pick some flowers for Aniya. I shifted myself slightly and slowed my seeding speed so I could look around myself. Farmer’s Mane… yellow flower… grows in clumps… damn it, I was an assassin, not a gardener! It’s not like there were many weeds left after three days of working in the Farm… Yet as I was giving-up my search, I spotted a tuft of dirty yellow swinging in the breeze – there, between the waterwheel and the grinder, a single solitary flower grew from a heavily-abused tuft of grass. No doubt it had survived weeding by being away from prying eyes, albeit barely. Now then… how was I to get over there and not get caught? It’s not like I could just get up and walk… “Hey you,” Jess was apparently crawling closer. “Hurry up. You’re in the way now.” Suddenly, I knew just what to do. Jessicuh was just behind me now, planting seeds between my ankles. I sprang the first step of my plan into action – I leaned back and hit Jess in the face with my ass. “What you doing back there?” I smirked and gave my ass a little wiggle against her face. Jessicuh screamed – that is, she tried to, but all that came out was muffled words. Not satisfied, I leaned further back, pressing deeper into her stupid face and began sitting down. “My ‘doo!” she gasped desperately for air. “You messin’ with my hair! Why you –” She slapped my ass with a smack so powerful, it echoed through the mountains. I saw everyone stop and stare at us, and then I felt Jessicuh’s hands wrap around my waist. She was going to attempt to throw me – how cute. Now, it was time for stage two of my plan. “Oh no! My seeds!” I yelled with just a hint of sarcasm as I tossed the seeds towards the flower I desired. “Help! She’s trying to eat my ass!” “Stop!” the orc was upon us. “Get off her face right now! No, get off her – get off fuck-damnit!” It was impressive that this wrathful orc could inspire so much fear without even laying a finger on us. Even my heart was pounding as the two of us scrambled to our feet. I noted that the rest of the starters were now busy at work, to avoid being involved as much as possible – fewer witnesses to my impending crime. “Did I say look at me?” the orc yelled. “Look away from me right now.” “She jumped me!” Jessicuh pointed at me. “Did I fucking ask? Nobody cares! Eyeballs! Look at me – look at me! You two are picking every last seed off that dirt – and then you’ll be planting alone! That’s right! You’re skipping lunch. Gonna learn today.” Heads hanging, Jessicuh and I made our way to my spilled seeds, got on our hands and knees, and began painstakingly plucking them one at a time – and the moment I was sure no one was looking, the single, half-stomped Farmer’s Mane was plucked and tucked into my collar. Jessicuh was furious. Absolutely livid. So much so that as the two of us planted the brownshade seeds, she was still ranting at me. “I swear by all the gods an’ goddesses, if I flunk this here Harem Resort, I’m takin’ you with me,” she stabbed the soil with a single fingertip and dropped yet another seed before shoving the dirt closed again. “You know…” I said thoughtfully. “I’d be more frightened of you, but it’s hard to take you seriously with your hair all flat like that.” It was true and Jessicuh knew it. She glowered at me as she leaned over her work; the plume of her blonde hair that had once been so straight and proud was now crooked ludicrously sideways. I stared back at her, matching her simmering rage with bemusement. I noticed, then, that the single, solitary orc tasked with watching us had stepped away out of sight. “She’s gone,” I said softly. “Say what now?” Jessicuh blinked. “We’re alone,” I slowly broke a wide, evil smile. “That means we can finish what we started. So, what’s that you said about dropping-out?” “Aint no chance,” she straightened-up to her feet and flicked her hands free of mud. “you think too small, Deep Purple – you gotta think big to get big is what I’m talkin’ about.” “Thinking about what, now?” I asked as she walked off the brownshade patch. “I don’t follow you.” “I’m talkin’ ‘bout getting’ big,” Jessicuh replied. As I watched with growing horror and curiosity, Jessicuh approached the rows of pots holding growth potion, hoisted one to her chest, and stared defiantly back at me. “What you say? How’s about a lil’ pick-me-up? That orc’s comin’ ‘round any moment now. Better think fast, Purp. You in… or out?”

My name on here is based on the two faces I was making at every forum on here when I discovered Curvage.

*enlarges image *image cuts-off two thirds of the way down 😑 why must Curvage tease me this way so much 😩

She’s fun to write about cause she gets tons of character development

No, it’s p0t 😑 this happens time to time

Chapter Eighteen Tragedy struck us that afternoon as we made the finishing touches on the growth potion, and it struck with a flash of white. I looked up from the wooden tray we were stirring the ingredients in and eyed the cragged peaks of the horizon. A mighty cloud loomed impossibly high, its underbelly black and misty as it swallowed one mountain after another in fog. A dull, droning roar of thunder rolled through the heavens like a chariot wheel – a thunderstorm. Judging from the cool, damp breeze in my face, it was fast approaching. We were now racing to finish before the storm hit us. The ground ingredients had been poured into a vast wooden tray filled knee-deep with water. Starters ringed the tray with short sticks, churning the leafy residue as shorter starters like Gnobbo stomped through the thick of it. The only ones who seemed unbothered were the sword-sworn orcs, who looked over our work with all the patience of vultures. Even when the call was finally made to stop churning, there was still work to be done. Now we were given clay pots and made to scoop the tray dry. By the time we’d got to fixing stoppers into the pots, rain was beginning to wet the dirt and the smell of damp soil came wafting-in. a grey sheet of heavy rain was halfway across the valley to us. “Get online with a **; do it now: move!” the kilted-orc ordered. We scrambled into a line facing her, the oncoming storm behind us blowing at our backs. My ** was heavy in my hands and the size of a goose. From my limited experience with potions, I knew this was a crude excuse for one. A skilled alchemist could concentrate all this into a vial no bigger than a finger. This stuff was so diluted, the grounds were still visibly swirling within. Still, I sniffed with satisfaction and disguised it with a grunt and readjustment of my grip. Not bad for my first attempt at the craft… “Sound off!” the kilted-orc knife-handed at the left of the line. “Just like we practiced – go!” “One, ma’am!” said the first girl as she raised her **. “Two, ma’am!” said the second girl, doing likewise. “Three, ma’am!” “Four, ma’am!” “Five, ma’am!” “Six, ma’am!” A sudden pause. I and everyone else turned to find who’d halted the count. Oh, gods above and below – it was Gnobbo. “Scream it!” the kilted-orc looked ready to punt the mutt off the mountain. Gnobbo grunted to raise her **. “Uhnf… seven, ma’am!” The count continued. In the end, there were fifty pots – and several more yet to be counted. “Put the pots in the corner and grab more; do it now: move!” A sigh of relief as everyone let their arms down and set the weighty pots into a nook by the grinder. The rest of the pots were grabbed by two thirds of us, leaving the last third empty-handed. “Stand in that corner right now!” the kilted-orc halted the empty-handed ones with a raised hand. “The rest of you sound off!” By now, the wall of rain was upon us and it was a torrent. Lightning spidered across the mountain above us and the thunder nearly forced a recount. At last, the final ** was raised and counted. “Good evening ma’am!” the last girl had to scream over the sound of torrenting rain. “These starters report eighty-six pots of growth potion properly secured and accounted for!” “Get those pots in the corner! You’re going to the Pen!” The orcs didn’t even bother to try lighting the firepit when we were locked away in the Pen for the night. The thunderstorm may have been brief, but drizzle was still shimmering through the hole in the ceiling – down upon a charred, moistened husk of a log buried in muddy ash. “Welp,” Jessicuh thoughtfully rolled her tongue over her lower row of teeth. “so much fer firewatch.” “Now what?” Victoria plopped before the barren firepit. “I’m all soaked to my bones!” “Seems to me they be testin’ our patience – tryin’ to see if’n some of us throw in the towel, so to speak,” Victoria mulled. “A towel would be real nice,” I grumbled. “So that’s it?” Victoria moaned. “We’re just supposed to lie in this mud and… what, ‘tough it out?’” “Eyup,” Jessicuh said somberly. “’If it aint rainin’ we aint trainin’ – as you say.” “I don’t need training,” Victoria whined. “I need a fire. I need warm clothes and a bed. Look at this! This whole floor is just mud! It’s inhumane! I can’t sleep like this – no one can!” A collective silence feel upon us as we stared at the wet firepit like it were a deceased friend. For once, no one had a solution. Even Jessicuh seemed crestfallen. The drizzle kept falling into the Pen, shimmering in moonlight through a hole in the clouds. Slowly, one by one, we lay on the floor, suffering silently, shivering, and wishing for sleep to overcome us. The wind was howling. It had been howling for ages, eons, countless precious moments meant for sleep, and yet sleep never came to me. I stirred restlessly on the floor, away from a puddle under my left thigh I could no longer ignore. Just in front of me was the curve of another girl’s hip, and as I settled into my new position, the hip lifted and flexed restlessly – that girl couldn’t sleep either. Somewhere from the other side of the Pen, someone sniffled. “So is everyone else awake, or just me?” Pixie’s voice cut through the silence like a knife. A collective groan echoed against the wall, mixed with one or two hollow chuckles. “Please, let me sleep…” Victoria moaned with her mouth against the floor. “There’s no use tryin’ in this wind,” Jessicuh sighed. “Aint no way how.” “It’s cowld…” Cinder whispered. “I’m cowld…” All bantering ceased as Cinder sniffed and whimpered to herself. I turned to get a better look. There she was against the wall, legs tucked close with her arms folded around them. Such a pathetic, pitiful sight, but what could be done? I was cold too. We were all too cold to sleep. Such thoughts were on my mind when I saw someone get up and tip-toe her way over the other girls to reach the timid fire giantess. It was difficult to see her face in the moonlight, but I recognized her voice in a heartbeat: it was Seerah. “Shh…” she reached for the half-giantess’s great calf and touched it gently. “Let me…” Whatever else she whispered was lost in the wind, but as I watched, Cinder uncrossed her arms and parted her legs ever so slightly – just enough for Seerah to slip between them for a moment, she vanished from sight, swallowed between the mighty tree-like legs of the half-giantess, but as I watched, she emerged again, climbing onto Cinder’s torso and wrapping her arms across it in a wide hug. Cinder did likewise, curling herself around the high elf like she were a stuffed bear. For a moment, nothing happened. I could sense the unease in the room – that hesitant uncertainty of dull-witted common folk when confronted with something new. I half-expected someone to say something. “Let us sleep,” “you’re too loud,” or any other excuse to bring their world back to normal. Instead, everyone watched the shivering pair in tormented silence. Then there was a sudden scurrying across the floor. Someone grunted when hit by the cat-size creature as it rushed as fast as two tiny legs could carry it towards the two embracing sleepers. It was Gnobbo – of course it was her. No doubt she was jealous of the attention Cinder was getting. I suddenly realized they’d always been close together, that gnome-goblin and half-giantess. Was it true friendship or was Gnobbo merely keeping close to someone useful to her? In any case, she leapt upon the two girls, climbed to Cinder’s crossed-arms, and pounded on them till Cinder opened them for her. The tiny gnome-goblin burrowed deep into the half-giantess’s cleavage, balled herself as small as she could, and closed her eyes. As I watched the developing situation, the girl behind me eased herself to her feet and lay her hand over my arm. “Come, Zaiv,” she traced her hand down my arm to my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Come…” It was Aniya. Of course! I’d forgotten she was sleeping next to me as she had the night before. She was tugging me to my feet now, her teeth glowing faintly as she smiled in the moonlight. I hesitated at first. Did she really mean to do what I suspected? But I relented and let her raise me to my feet. The wind was howling and the floor was damp. This was the smart thing to do. Aniya guided me by the hand like a peasant-woman to a riverbank for a picnic – but this was no picnic. We were in front of Cinder’s legs now. I could see Seera looking at us from between them. Before I could make my own move, Aniya stroked Cinder’s leg and gave it a squeeze. The legs opened… and together, Aniya and I wedged ourselves in. I found myself leaning back against Cinder’s thigh. Aniya was across from me doing likewise staring deep into my eyes. Her pupils were barely visible, reduced to a pair of twinkling lights, and her dark skin’s outline shone silver like the slimmest crescent of the Moon. I stared into her black outline, as if I were searching it for answers. “Ease back,” Aniya whispered so softly, I wasn’t sure she said it aloud. All I knew for certain was I could feel her hand splayed against my breasts, nudging me softly back – back into the nook of skin where Cinder’s thigh met her hip – the softest corner. When I finally settled into my new, cushioned spot, Aniya pulled away. I was confused… until I felt her between my legs. One hand gripped my left thigh, followed by the other hand on my right. They squeezed, testing their grip before rubbing their way to my waist, my belly my breasts… she was climbing me. Aniya pulled herself upwards, her body slithering its way over my body. When my chin felt her curled hair, she sighed and shook her head softly to bury it as deep into my chest as it could. “You kept me warm,” her hands found the subtle swell of my belly and dug their way around it to bury themselves between the small of my back and Cinder’s thigh. “Now I’ll keep you warm…” Odd. I was no stranger to intimate touch, having spent years honing my skills at wrestling, but there was something about the way Aniya was holding me that made me suspect she had feelings for me. Romantic feelings? Erotic, even? Ah, certainly not! It was all an elaborate ruse to disguise our true, professional relationship with an intimate one. Clever girl. She nearly fooled me as well. It seemed this agent truly did “have her ways” as she put it. So I lay there, wedged firmly between a soft and a softer place, and let the rise and fall of Aniya’s chest lull me to sleep.

Chapter Seventeen The sun dawned over the mountains and we were awoken for our second full day as starters. Once again, the orcs stormed our pen, once again we were herded our way to the weighing room, and once again, my stomach was strangely empty. Where had it all gone? Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before I found out. We were being weighed now, one after the other. Dread simmered into my conscious thoughts as I watched progressively taller and heavier starters ease themselves onto the scale. Like a judge passing her sentence, the kilted-orc yelled everyone’s added weight to be written by a scribe. “Gnobbo: no gain!” “Aniya: one pound!” “Seerah: one pound!” Now that simmering dread boiled within me and I felt my head grow light and dizzy. I didn’t want to know how much I’d gained – I didn’t want to gain at all – yet there were fewer and fewer girls ahead of me in line. The kilted-orc was staring at me like a wolf stalking a juicy, stray sheep. “Say it, Deep Purple,” her eyes were alight with malice and anticipation. “Starter Deep Purple is ready to be measured!” “Get on!” I sat myself on the swing, feeling the scale creak towards balance. Cinder began loading coloured marbles into the other end one by one, until – Click. “Deep Purple: two pounds!” Blood drained from my face as I got to my feet again. Two pounds… two pounds. All within a day and night cycle! How was this even possible? I was suddenly self-conscious of my body, wondering where the two extra pounds were hiding on my body. Did my pigskin feel tighter anywhere? I found myself sucking-in my stomach. In any case, none of that mattered. Breakfast followed soon-after, and the thrice-daily ritual of stuffing ourselves with as much food as possible began in earnest. Sweet, sumptuous food… There were new delicacies to try this time, though it seemed I was the only one eager to taste them. Pork sausages, sirloin steak, and eggs graced my plate, and before I was done being served, gravy, mashed potatoes, and corn buried them all in a steaming pile of alluring aromas. I noted that my plate was more heavily-loaded than the others around me – no doubt because I was taller than them. If I could keep myself from being sent to the trough again, I’d be able to… savour my breakfast, for once. Bite by bite, I dug my way towards the bottom of my plate, hardly daring to look anywhere but down. What few glimpses I did see were that of a madhouse. It wasn’t enough that we were eating; the sword-sworn orcs were everywhere, storming down the aisles below us, yelling at starters through the glass tables and benches, and chasing girls out of the chow hall to the trough. Their victims were picked from their seats left and right, and each suffered a different accusation: talking, looking-around, not eating fast enough… it only inspired me to eat faster… until my plate was clean. I stared at my plate, dumbfounded. Somehow, I’d pushed myself so hard, I’d finished before anyone else at my table. How? I wasn’t even that hungry before! I towered with my fork, scooping air from the plate again and again. What now? Suddenly, a passing orc was glaring at me through the glass table. “you better start eating!” she pointed at me with all fingers straightened into a blade. I dared not hold still any longer! I looked about the room, desperate to find someone – anyone – who needed help with their food. But how was I supposed to ask them if we weren’t allowed to speak? There was no time to lose! I spotted the most loaded plate within arm’s reach, stabbed a sausage off it, and shoved it in my mouth. “Hey!” its owner protested. “You… you little…” Chewing furiously, I shot her a warning look with a finger to my mashing lips. She faltered immediately. But the time I returned my attention to my plate, the orc had moved on. Crisis averted. After we dropped-off our empty plates for washing, we lined-up and readied ourselves to be taken to the Farm, and all the while, I was fondling my belly. Once again, I was stuffed to the very brim, and without a doubt more than ever. Was it my imagination or was my breathing stiff and faltering? My belly was a subtle dome of food between my hands, rounded in all directions, but bulging especially from the top… A small pair of brown hands snaked their way around my waist and cupped my own. I flinched, only to bite my tongue and stiffen as I realized it could only be one person. “Hey,” Aniya’s breasts pressed under my shoulder blades and her stuffed belly fit itself into the small of my back. “We still on for what we talked about?” “Get off,” I slapped her hands away. “They’ll see you.” “Little yellow flowers,” she whispered as quietly as she could. “Long as fingers. Grow in clumps. Those are the ones I love.” Frustrated, I bumped her away from me with my ass just hard enough so we wouldn’t cause a scene and get in trouble. “Eyeballs.” Gods damn it; we were in trouble anyway! An orc-woman was breathing down my neck, eyes kindled with malice. “You must think this is a game, right? Good! Get out of the line right now –” “Stop.” All froze as the kilted-orc stared down at us from the front of the line. “Everyone back in my line right now!” she ordered. Aniya and I raced for the safety of the herd, but even then, the orc was looming close behind. I could feel her breath in my ear as I stared stolidly ahead. “You owe me, Deep Purple,” she said into my ear. “And you, too, dark one. I’ll get mine.” With her threat lingering in my mind, the line began to walk, and I followed it blindly, burying my gaze into the back of the woman’s head directly in front of me. There was something different this time. We’d reached the Farm, yet we were still fixed in line. We stood there, shifting our feet for what felt like an age. I couldn’t see any orcs in my peripheral vision, which ironically gave me an idea of what they were up to: somewhere out of sight they were talking with each other, plotting some new torment for us. And then, the kilted-orc’s voice from my right side: “School-circle on me!” The line broke instantly and silently. A tense uncertainty hung in the air, with none daring to disturb the tranquil calm we’d been blessed with. The kilted-orc was in front of the waterwheel with a pile of empty sacks at her feet. For the first time, she was sitting-down, throned on a broad stump. “Cross-legs on the dirt; do it now: move,” her voice was firm but not yelling. It was almost surreal how calm it was. “Stay in the back, giant one,” she shot Cinder a look. “Yes, ma’am,” Cinder mumbled as she awkwardly wedged herself into the back row. As she settled-in, Gnobbo sprang from the crowd and pounded her tiny fists against Cinder’s front until the half-giantess scooped her up and perched the little mutt onto her shoulder. “Aight, eyeballs,” the kilted-orc crossed her arms. “We’ve done enough gardening, you understand? Now we get you started on some alchemy, so standby for some knowledge – do you understand?” “Yes,” the half-circle of starters responded. “Tight… eyeballs: look at these sacks right now,” she kicked one just hard enough to spill some green leaves that made my eyes water. “This farm is growing too slow,” the kilted-orc said as she grabbed a handful of leaves as roughly as possible. “So! Today we’re picking mint, then some mustard seed and brownshade, and then we’re gonna make some growth potion for the rest of the farm, you understand? Now eyeballs: you’re picking these plants clean. Don’t worry; you’ll be seeding the fields again later. You’ll put the plants in these sacks – one sack for every team of four – and you’ll take them to this waterwheel. Now ears – do not drop any mint outside the mint patch. Or do. You’ll be picking them fuckers out the ground for weeks if you do… what? Fucking spit it out Pixie! All heads turned to Pixie, who stood awkwardly in our midst. “S-starter Pixie requests permission to ask a question!” she flexed her fingers at her sides nervously ash she waited, only proceeding when the kilted-orc gestured in her direction. “Uh… so if we can make a growth potion, I was wondering whey we don’t take it ourselves instead of… instead of farming with it…” “Ears,” the kilted-orc was sneering now. “None of you gets a drop of growth potion, you understand? Each of you skinny hogs is eating damn near four pounds a day – that’s two hundred pounds of food all day every day. If we feed you growth potion, it won’t do shit unless we feed you more than that, and feed’s fucking expensive, you understand? You might have noticed there’s a famine this year. Some of you are here because there was nothing to eat out there – that’s right. We know who you are. “So ears: what’s gonna happen is some of you won’t make it. To get out of here, you need to outgrow your pigskins. The last five who haven’t ripped free of them don’t get to graduate the starter resort. You’re gonna earn that growth potion by proving you can eat.” A nervous rustling stirred through the crowd, and the kilted-orc smiled wickedly with her one-tusked mouth. “I suggest you start stuffing your faces if you didn’t gain nothing.” Gnobbo stifled a yelp. Meanwhile, the half-giantess she was perched upon raised a hand in question. “Uh… Cinder – Stawtur Cinder wequests permission to ask a qwestion…” “What?” “Wewl, the suits are rawthur stwetchy, and I was wondering how much we’d have to gain? And awlso we’re different shapes and sizes…” “Ears: the pigskins are enchanted, you understand? No one knows how much you need to gain, but when you do, your pigskins will burst – so eat up. Stuff your faces. Now, are there more questions, or do we wanna push?” “Push!” Jessicuh said loudly. “Tight. Eyeballs: once you have the sacks ready, you feed the leaves into the waterwheel’s grinder here…” The harvest of mint, mustard, and brownshade carried-on through the morning. Mint was a surprising challenge, for as I picked it with my team, my eyes watered immediately. Worse, I was with Victoria again. The only saving grace was we finished our mint harvest early and got tasked to grinding leaves at the waterwheel, which meant less bending-over and walking. Unfortunately, this meant more time for gossip. “I think I’m getting fat,” Victoria probed her full stomach with her index finger. “Am I getting fat? What do you think, Zaiva? Zaiva? Am I getting fat?” “Usually, I’d just ignore you, but since this is the first time you’ve used my name, I’ll tell you… no.” “I feel huge, though,” she adjusted herself on the stump we were sitting-on and leaned-back. “So round and – oof.” A third girl – a human blonde who’d apparently been nicknamed “Stupid One” had poked Victoria hard enough to make her suck-in. “That’s just breakfast,” she teased. “Well, I hope I’m fattening-up,” Victoria pouted. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I can’t wait to get fat and burst out of this outfit.” “And I can’t believe you haven’t quit yet,” I smirked. “But seriously, can you help with the grinding?” “Uh? Manners, beggar! I almost considered you half decent just now… in any case, I’ll be sure to burst before you do – if you do, that is.” I was tempted to argue, but held my tongue. Purposely gaining weight was still not something I was comfortable with, though it seemed ever more likely. Those two spare pounds of fat were somewhere inside me, hidden yet growing… “So how many pounds have you gained, Zaiva?” Victoria prodded, sensing weakness. “Two, was it? I gained two as well, except I’m much smaller than you – that’s how I know you don’t have what it takes.” “Just keep grinding, will you?” I snapped. The task continued, with our team grinding away at the other teams hauling mustard and brownshade one sack at a time. I almost regretted shutting Victoria up, for I now had to wade through my thoughts and doubts in silence undistracted. Was I doomed to feed and gorge myself till I was literally bursting at the seams? I still meant to escape, but the more passionate I was to do so, the more impossible it seemed. Such thoughts were spinning uselessly in my head when Aniya came by helping her team haul a loaded sack of mustard seed. For a moment – as she bent down to drop the sack at my feet – our eyes met, and she gave me a faint yet warm smile, shaking her head. No words were spoken, but I knew the meaning: no chance for plucking Farmer’s Mane today. Better luck tomorrow.

Chapter Sixteen For once, I followed another starter’s lead an let Aniya walk ahead of me. I was speechless. Aniya! That stunted, unassuming dark elf had been an agent of the Scorpion Order all along! A multitude of questions spun through my head, stirred by curiosity and paranoia. Why were two of us sent on this mission? Did the Director doubt my skills? Ded he… distrust me? It was not uncommon for government officials to be shadowed by novice Scorpion agents to ensure loyalty, so it wasn’t far-fetched for me to suffer the same scrutiny – but if that were the case, why was she confronting me here? We were approaching the door’s corner now; hopefully I’d have answers soon. “Lean against the wall,” Aniya whispered as she gently took hold of my wrists. “Whisper sweet nothings sin my ear. If anyone’s listening, we’re just making out…” I was too shocked to resist. This skinny little girl was nudging my back into the wall! I could feel her breasts pressing just below mine and her leg cock seductively between my thighs. Yet I could do nothing to stop her! I needed answers, and I had to admit her ply was clever. Still, it was I who spoke first. “What are you doing?” Then, rephrasing myself: “What are you doing here?” “Sorry ‘bout not telling you sooner,” she whispered as her hands drifted to my waist. “I was gonna tell you last night, but… I sorta got carriage sickness. That’s my bad.” She squeezed my sides and I gasped, nearly slapping her away. “Shh…” her fingers spidered their way to my blated belly and stroked it. “What? You never suspected a thing? Wasn’t it a little weird that the carriage you hitched a ride with was coming from the direction of our fortress headquarters?” “Wait,” I grabbed one of her hands before it could tease my breast. “Does that mean Seerah is also one of us?” “Naw, I just hitched a ride with the first carriage I saw, same as you. Our elf friend loves to talk, so it was real easy listening to her life’s story and just playing along. By the time you came, I was just another elf-girl from The Rez.” With one question answered, I felt my confidence rising again, and I expressed it in the only way could: I groped the upstart’s bony ass and gave it a squeeze so hard I lifted her face towards mine. “And how exactly did you know who I was?” I squeezed her ass again to make her open her mouth in shock. “What blew my cover?” She seized back control of the conversation by gripping my head and swallowing my mouth with a passionate kiss. I shuddered and flinched at the feel of her tongue reaching for mine, and when I pulled away, I found her looking deep into my eyes. “You’re kidding, right?” she stroked her thumb against my cheek “You’re Zaiva – the most legendary assassin ever. I’m a huge fan, by the way. When I found out we’d be working together, I could barely sleep I was so excited.” “About that,” I tapped her chest thoughtfully, right where her cleavage would be if she were properly-fed. “When you say ‘work together,’ what exactly do you mean by that? You’re clearly not an assassin.” “Yeah, I’m a little small for an assassin,” Aniya suddenly wrapped one leg around my waist followed by the other. Now she was closer than ever, eyes level with mine. “But I have my ways. Oh, before I forget, what’s your plan?” “Breaking out of here and finding the Sultan. What else?” “Uh, the Sultan’s not here? This is just a starter resort – one of several, apparently.” “I know that,” I blushed as I felt her thighs squeeze me. “But we won’t be Starters forever. There’s got to be some sort of way to find what the next location is – a map, a letter…” Aniya silenced me with another long kiss. “Wanna hear my Plan B?” I snaked my arms beneath her hips and cradled her with my fingers gripping her inner thighs. “Not really.” “Well, we’re kinda stuck in this Pen till morning, so we might as well.” “Sure,” I sighed long and deep, feeling her slight weight leaning against me. She smiled as she reached for her collar and withdrew yet another half-crushed mushroom. “Recognize this?” “That snack you plucked from the rice paddy? What about it?” “Well,” she beamed. “This is White Flattop.” “Tasty treat,” I sniffed. “What of it?” “Wait, you eat these? Uh, well… more importantly, if this gets mixed with a certain flower, it becomes a deadly poison.” “Really?” I cocked an eyebrow – only to be interrupted by another kiss. “That flower is called Farmer’s Mane – a yellow flower ‘bout as big as a long finger. Grows in clumps all over. Very common. All we need to do is find some and hide it in your collar for later.” “My collar?” I groped Aniya’s breast with one hand and let my other grip her thigh. “Yeah, I can’t hide both together. Just letting the two touch is enough to stop your heart in moments. So! Recap: you get Farmer’s Mane, I get White Flattop, we keep them handy until we meet the Sultan, and then we touch him in the same spot and bam. No blood, no mess, no evidence – and no one will ever even know. Perfect plan.” “Not quite,” I prodded Aniya’s distended gut. “We’d get fat waiting for a chance to see him.” Aniya chuckled. “Yea, we’re gonna get fat.” “Doesn’t that bother you?” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “Sorta? But being expected to eat instead of running around working all day is kinda fun. Like, you feel that?” she took hold of my hand and guided it to her rump. “Feel that bone? I’m wondering what it would feel like with some meat – mmph!” Hand clasped to her mouth, I squeezed her rump as hard as I could and leaned close: “If we didn’t need to stay quiet, I’d spank your ass for making me go through this charade. In spite of herself, Aniya grinned under my palm. She was still smiling as she peeled it away. “So what do you think? Maybe you find a way out of this pen for a bit of sneaking, but in the meantime… wanna pick some flowers with me tomorrow?” I thoughtfully caressed the bone in her cheek before making my reply: “It’s a date.” “Aight,” she smiled and untangled herself from my body. “I’m gonna get some beauty sleep. Good luck with firewatch – keep my warm.” Aniya lay herself by the dwindling fire and fell asleep within moments. It was then that I realized she was next in line for firewatch – and that she’d inadvertently placed herself too close to the firepit for me to even think of stacking logs to the hole in the ceiling. By the time I woke her again, I’d wasted another night. Worse, I was severely fatigued. I drifted asleep with Aniya crouched before the fire, staring at her ass. Her bony, stupid ass… Ass…

Chapter Fifteen Lunch was much the same, though there was more types of food to… not enjoy – there was too much of it to enjoy – but perhaps “savour” was a better description. There was beef, pork, chicken, and fish to choose from, beans mashed potatoes, yams, and a great multitude of food I barely recognized. Did it matter what it was called? I was eating it all before I could learn what it was, and the worst part of it was I didn’t need anyone to tell me to. This starter resort had forced me to discover another side of myself that I wasn’t sure I liked: I loved food – no, I craved it. I loved spices and peppers, I loved cheeses, sausages, all the vegetables and fruits. Foods made famous by orcs, from humans, halflings, high and dark elves, I loved every morsel I could fit into my mouth! That was a problem. I loved food too much. I thought I’d never have room for lunch after my stuffing punishment, and yet it seemed working in the rice paddy gave me quite an appetite. I caught myself daydreaming of lunch, imagining what new wondrous tastes would grace my palate. By the time lunch finally graced my lips, I was hungry enough to clean my plate to the last crumb. So it was that I finished my lunch early. Others were struggling, not savouring the taste of their meals as I did. Dare I help them? No… I shouldn’t. I’d come here to assassinate the sultan, not gorge myself like a cow. If I wasn’t careful, I’d begin softening- before I even spotted my target. My pigskin was already tight around the middle from eating so much all day. I needed to escape this place, not embrace it! Still… while I was trapped here amidst such bountiful feasts, I might as well savour every bite. Nothing else in this place was enjoyable – no, savoured. I wasn’t enjoying it… Work on the “farm” continued immediately after lunch, and I was not lucky enough to be tasked to the rice paddy again. Instead, I was deemed tall enough to be assigned to care for a massive avocado tree. None of its fruits were close to ripe, and all the weeds had been plucked in the morning, so we resorted to gruelling busywork on its irrigation ditches. There were multiple wooden slabs that could slide into the ditches to control the waterflow, and the grooves they fit into were constantly filling with mud, sand, and pebbles. It was up to us to find and clean these out, and I devoted myself to the task – else I be asked with pruning the tree, which would mean Cinder would be holding me by the waist and raising me into the highest branches – as if I would let anyone carry me! Dinner provided yet more wonders to us, and not a moment too soon! Even before the sun began to set behind the mountains, my stomach was betraying me with pangs of hunger. It was as if it were empty again, but I knew better. I’d never eaten so much in my life, and there was so much food still sitting in my stomach, it was making my pigskin tight in the back. Adding dinner to the mix was only making it tighter. By the time I’d cleaned my plate, I felt like a stuffed boar – the red apple I ate last only reinforced the image. As I followed the group back to the Pen, I couldn’t help but arch my back and hold my stomach in a desperate attempt to make room. This couldn’t continue! It had barely been a fully day and I was already walking like a woman in her second term! At this rate, I’d be… no. Never! Tonight I would make my move. Tonight I would escape the Pen and find the sultan. The moment the orcs sparked the firepit and locked us in, a collective moan carried through the Pen like a herd of cows in a barn. “I can’t put up with this much longer,” Pixie leaned against the wall beside a mosaic of flowing honey and rubbed her full belly. “How are we supposed to keep going like this? I feel like a -- urp – like a horse.” “Don’t say that,” Seerah came to her side and gave her a hug. “We get free food, a free room, and get to live on a beautiful mountaintop – and that’s not so bad, is it?” “Well, that’s mighty kind words,” Jessicuh interrupted. “But we’ve an important matter to discuss – that be firewatch not watching the damn fire.” “You and your damn firewatch,” I grumbled as loudly as possible. Jessicuh slowly turned her head to face me, practically bursting with hate – exactly as I’d intended. “Now see here,” she jabbed her finger into my chest (to no effect). “I started things right with last night’s firewatch. Fire was sizzlin,’ wood was cracklin,’ and everyone’s toes were toasty, but I caint help but notice we was cold as fuck by the time we woke – so who was it? Which one of y’all let the fire out? Nobody? Looks like all fingers point back to you, Deep Purple. That means another round of firewatch for you – and if the fire’s dead come mornin,’ we’ll know it was you.” Exactly as planned! I’d just secured a free wake-up call I could use to break my way out of the Pen alone and unbothered! All I had to do now was pretend I didn’t want it. “Please, Jess, is this really necessary?” I lay it on thick. “I swear it wasn’t my fault…” “That’s Staff Sergeant Jessicuh to you!” she jabbed me again. “Say ‘yes, Staff Sergeant Jessicuh.’” I drew the line there; no need to grovel. “First of all, you’re not a staff sergeant anymore Jess. Secon, you’re not a sword-sworn, so stop acting like one.” “Oh, you done-goofed now. Jus’ fer that, you get double shift tonight.” “Whatever,” I sighed (with satisfaction, not exhaustion as others would assume). “So, what… you want me to wake the same person as before? We’ll all just do double-shifts?” “Oh, don’t you worry ‘bout that. You’ll be sleeping over yonder with the other two elves.” “You mean Seerah and Aniya?” “Jus’ take a seat between ‘em and stand the fuck by. I’ll fix you yet.” I stared down at her, blood boiling in my veins in spite of myself. Jessicuh’s behaviour was typical of non-commissioned officers I’d met, but unlike before, I had no reputation to flex on her. She didn’t know I was a deadly assassin of the Scorpion Order. To her, I was a drow drifter – penniless, undisciplined, and a pushover. I could give her a tast of my true power… it would be all to easy to grab hold of her arm as she jabbed her finger into me, put her in an armlock and humiliate her in front of everyone, but… not today. “I said sit next to your elf friends! Git!” she barked impatiently. “It’s alright, Zaiva,” Seerah coaxed me with open arms. “come sleep next to us.” With that, I looked down and away from Jessicuh’s eyes and made my way to Seerah’s open arms. “Wake up, sleepyhead.” My eyes opened to find Serah looking down at me, smiling. “Please don’t call me that,” I grumbled. “I’m sorry, Zaiva. I just miss you. It’s only been a day, but it feels like ages since we talked.” “Now is not the time,” I winced as I lifted myself to a sitting position. “All this lack of sleep is catching-up to me.” Seerah’s eyes drifted downwards before meeting mine again. “I could do another round of firewatch if you want…” “That’s alright. I actually like firewatch. Gives me time to myself.” “Um… would you like some company?” I nearly showed my irritation with a frown, but stopped myself. I needed to make sure no one witnessed my escape attempt, not to mention I found Seerah’s optimism strangely annoying. I’d need to try a more clever way to lull her to sleep. And so, with a heavy sigh, I lay my hand on her shoulder and let half my mouth stretch back in a ghost of a smile. “Now, now, we can’t be having that,” I told her softly. “I need you to be ready for tomorrow, so lay back and close your eyes while I tend the fire. Alright?” “Yes,” Seerah breathed deeply and stared into my eyes without blinking. “I’ll do my best – but Zaiva?” “What?” I asked. Seerah hugged me tight – so tight I felt her chest heave with a sigh. “Promise me you’ll join the harem with us. Promise me you’ll stay.” My eyes were soulless, sleep-deprived husks as I stared down at her head buried in my chest. I wrapped a single arm around her. “I promise. Now promise me you’ll sleep now.” “I promise,” she squeezed me one last time and lay against the floor. Alone at last, I sighed and fetched new wood from the wall for the fire, noting absent-mindedly that a third of the woodpile seemed to have been burned already. Could I use the wood to escape the hole in the roof? Perhaps if I stacked them vertically like a long pyramid… in any case, I’d have to try tonight before the wood was gone. Gently, I lay the log in my arms atop the firepit and watched sparks float toward the stars. Damn that high elf! I’d have to be sure she was fast asleep before proceeding. I looked about the room, looking for a space to pile the logs and only finding a tangle of sleeping bodies – no, hold on… one of the girls was awake! Vul take her, who was this? As I watched the unwelcome distraction to my plans rise, the glow of the firelight caught her face in flickering orange: Aniya. I cursed to myself. My conversation with her friend had probably woken her early. “Go to bed,” I whispered. “It’s not your turn yet.” “Hey,” she whispered back. To my mounting annoyance, she rose to her feet and began stepping over bodies to reach me. “No, seriously,” I frowned. “You should sl –” She held a finger to her lips. “Let’s step into that corner by the door. We need to talk.” I froze in shock. A small tattoo was imprinted on the side of her finger. I could only see the side of it, but I didn’t need to see the rest to recognize the symbol: a red star in a white shield with a scorpion’s tail crowning the top. Aniya was an agent of the Scorpion Order.

Chapter Fourteen “Hello,” Cinder muttered down at me as I slipped back into line. I stared back at her, which meant I had to crane my neck upwards and look behind myself. “My name is Zaiva,” I told her bitterly, only because she was the only one who would listen. “Zaiva,” she mulled the sound of the word as she spoke. “I had to eat youwr food. Ahm sowry.” “Don’t,” I replied, more in warning not to draw orcish attention than to be friendly. “Whut was it like in thewre? Did you have a chance to eat sum bweakfast?” Instead of replying, I pointed at my full belly with my still-greasy fingers. “Oh…” was all she said. “Out the doors; do it now: move!” the kilted-orc called from somewhere ahead in line. The chow hall doors opened and we began walking our way outside. I couldn’t help but notice the taut roundness of the other starters’ bellies, and more than one of them was groaning. I, myself, was so stuffed, my only desire was to lay down and sleep. A sense of dread suddenly threatened to overcome me. I’d just eaten enough food for a whole day – no, two days – and it had only been one meal. There were two more meals for the day! How was I expected to eat more? And where exactly were we going? Another chow hall? If I had to eat one more bit, I’d burst. We were passing the buildings one after the other, tracing the starter resort’s walled perimeter following another cliffside dirt path. The valley beyond yawned wide, the river below trailing away between the mountains out of sight. I found myself staring at the sight, overtaken by its beauty – and implications. This was the first time I’d seen the valley in daylight, and I could see now that not only were we high in the secluded mountains, but we were also hemmed-in on all sides. Escaping the resort – if that’s what it came to – would be no easy task. The mountain loomed high overhead – so close, parts of the resort were beneath its craggy overhangs, and the other side was a straight drop. It seemed there was only one way in and out: the winding road snaking its way up the mountain range. I’d have to inspect that road later, but for now, there were more pressing matters – particularly around my midsection… Yet another corner was turned and the dirt path opened into a wide, terraced outcropping of farms and orchards. Multiple waterfalls poured from overhead like that sweet-smelling liquid over those unleavened cakes I never had a chance to eat this morning. The water pooled at the summit of the terraces, where it nourished what I could only assume was rice. From there, it spread through an intricate web of irrigation channels, trickling over one terrace after another. The water fed rows of multiple crops, several berry bushes, and even a few fruiting trees before pooling again at the bottom and filtering through a waterwheel and pouring over the cliff’s edge again. “It’s so beauwtifuwl…” Cinder said breathlessly. “Could this be the harem?” I heard someone whisper. “No, it can’t be…” “The misty aiwr feewls nice on my skin,” Cinder cupped her face with both hands for emphasis. With the group buzzing with wonder and anticipation, the kilted-orc mounted the highest terrace and glared down at us. “Eyeballs!” she yelled. All whispers died-down to silence. Only the roar of falling water interrupted her. “This is my far, you understand?” she twisted her boot against a stray nettle growing on the dirt wall ringing the rice paddy behind her. “We’d have you stuffing your faces day and night if we could, but since you’re all some weak pea-stomached little starters, we’ll have to get creative to keep you useful, you understand? Say ‘yes’ right now.” “Yes!” came the reply. “Now your’e going to be split into working parties, you understand? Each one of you handles a different art of the farm – and you better not stop working till lunch. You don’t want to be going back into the chow hall without a big appetite. Now get in line and standby for your tasks; do it now: move!” I struggled to contain my joy when I was tasked with the rice paddies. Finally! A chance to wash the grime off my face and hands! Even better, the rice paddies were on the top terrace directly-fed by the waterfalls, which meant not only did the orcs not want to wade-in after us, they also couldn’t hear us talking. Unfortunately, that last part was the less enjoyable part of the rice paddy task: the other girls were annoying and wouldn’t stop complaining. Worse, they were people I wasn’t fond of: Aniya and Victoria. “What even is the point of all this?” Victoria hunched low with her hands in the water, searching for weeds. “How are we expected to gain weight while toiling away in the muck?” “Tell me about it,” replied Aniya. “And how exactly is this supposed to help us be worthy harem girls?” Victoria waded irritably through the reeds of rice, making waves that hindered my view of the bottom and violated my personal space. “This is peasant labour! Wholly undignified!” “I dunno,” Aniya leaned-back to pop her spine and glanced thoughtfully upwards. “Maybe this crop is what we’ll be eating later?” “Impossible,” Victoria tossed a wet 🌿 to the dirt barrier. “Look around a little – carefully, so the orcs don’t see you: these plants have nothing to do with what we’ve been eating – and besides, most of it isn’t even food! I don’t even recognize half of it. It’s complete and utter madness!” “So quit,” I replied. “Victoria gasped. “Excuse you? Me? Quit?” “What? You tried already.” “Nah, you don’t have to quit,” Aniya said. “At least stick around a few days to see what happens. Besides, last night when we were punished because you tried to quit and ate grits was brutal. I probably gained, like, half a pound that night,” she patted her stuffed gut for emphasis. “Well, don’t you worry about that,” Victoria sniffed. “I won’t quit no matter what happens. I am royalty, you know.” “You’re looking a little thin for royalty,” I smirked. “Haha, good one,” Aniya giggled. Victoria puffed indignantly, ready to blow hot air and tell me off, but before she could so much as open her mouth, she was interrupted by a muddy splash. “Oh, hey Gnobbo,” Aniya glanced behind herself to make eye contact with the intruder. “Ugh, what is she doing here?” Victoria wiped a piece of mud off her left breast. “Go away, you wretched thing – shoo!” Gnobbo stared at us from the dirt barrier, her whole lower half caked in mud. “Hate!” he pointed at Victoria with a quivering finger. “Don’t you point at me,” Victoria splashed water into the gnome-goblin’s face. “Shoo!” To my surprise, Gnobbo stood her ground, though she squirmed at the touch of water and made a face. “No wet!” she shook her little fist. “Gnobbo hate! Hate!” Suddenly, an orc-woman was upon her. “Shut your disgusting mouth! Shut it!” “Waugh!” Gnobbo clapped her hands over her mouth. “You’re a dirt-stomper! That’s all you’re good for if you keep pretending you’re stupid. Any day now, Gnobbo! Pitter-pat, motherfucker! Pitter-pat!” With that, Gnobbo stomped her way down the dirt barrier with the orc hounding just behind. Meanwhile, I and the others feigned working till we were sure they were gone. “Dirt-stomper?” Aniya asked with bemusement. “What’s that job even for?” “It’s for nothing – that’s what it’s for,” Victoria huffed. “It’s a stupid, useless job meant to grind us down and make us feel worthless – that’s what all this work is really for.” “I’m sure there’s a reason for it,” Aniya replied. “How ‘bout you, Zaiva? What do you think the dirt-stomping’s good for?” I leaned-back to crack my spine and allowed myself a smirk. “Discipline.” Victoria was not impressed by my answer. “Tch! What would a beggar know about discipline?” “I mean, she does have a point,” Aniya said thoughtfully. “That goes for you as well!” Victoria snapped. “You’re one to talk after what you did.” “Uh, I dunno what you’re talking about…” “I just saw you steal something and slip it down your collar!” “Huh? Naw, girl, you’re seeing things.” “Show me, then! Come here and let me take a peek…” “Whoa, hey, wait! Hold up! You’re crazy! Zaiva! Help me out here and tell her she’s crazy. She’s gonna… she’s touching me!” “You two better shut it before we get in trouble,” I warned with a low hiss. But Victoria paid no heed to my words. She was upon the diminutive dark elf now, her arms wrapped about her shoulders like two pythons as she fished around her collar with two fingers. “Quit it!” Aniya yelled. “A moment…” Victoria squeezed harder, frowning and fully-focused on her task. “Ah! Here it is! It’s a… huh…” The three of us stared at the object she held between her thumb and forefinger: a tiny, half-crushed mushroom. “Mushroom?” Victoria sneered. “Mushroom?” “Looks like dark elves and drow enjoy the same snacks,” I rolled my eyes. “Well? Is our princess’s curiosity satisfied?” Victoria was not satisfied. “All this nonsense for one measly mushroom?” she tossed it over her shoulder. “How atrocious!” The mushroom fell away beyond the rice paddy – and landed at an orc-woman’s feet who hadn’t been there three heartbeats ago. “Eyeballs, you!” the orc stormed into the water after Victoria and Aniya (who were now hugging each other in fright)). “So I see you wanna play games, right?” “No, it’s not like that!” Victoria pleaded. “We were only –” “Did I ask!? Get our of the water right now! That’s right. You’re with me now… you’re gonna stuff your faces till I feel full…” Victoria moaned, Aniya slipped and fell in the mud, but as for me? I didn’t care, for while the two of them had struggled, I’d casually positioned myself behind a small waterfall. By the time I’d spotted the orc-woman approaching, I was working safely out of sight. Fools! Did they think I’d involve myself in their horseplay? I was an assassin of the Order of the Scorpion! If anyone knew how to blend and vanish into the shadows, it was me. Loud, clumsy morons! They deserved to be punished! For once, victory was mine. Smiling, I stooped lower and dipped my hands into the frothing water beside the waterfall, enjoying the feel of churning pebbles against my fingertips. Now I could tend the rice paddy in peace – at least, until lunch.

Curvage is a lot bigger than it was five years ago. It's a good thing, but it also means the front page isn't what it used to be. It used to be useful for finding hot threads and scrolling for interesting status posts. With so many posts, it is now literally scrolling faster than you can read it (refresh the front page and you will see). This means you have to actively search for what you want instead of finding it there. If there were some way to change the front page to make it suggest content like YouTube, it would fix almost everything (well... the way YouTube used to work is what i mean... that site's disfunctional at this point)

Chapter Thirteen We were taken to a different room once again – a large hall with plaster walls, wooden beams, and a terracotta roof. It was a simple setup, with four rows of tables flanked on one side with a fifth, save for some few, significant details: the tables and benches were placed on raised platforms, and they were made entirely of glass. I could hardly believe my eyes. Glass? They expected us to eat on glass? But my heart knew why even before my head did: the orcs would be watching us from the aisles below. Not one spilled morsel would go unnoticed – not even a crumb. There would be no chance of discarding food even if I needed to. “Get your chow; do it now: move!” the kilted-orc herded us in. “You will clean-off your plates.” I found myself following the other girls in a line past that perpendicular table. Orcs were waiting there with loaded pots and trays of food. My stomach churned. I was hungry, but I longed for the cave diet I’d eaten my whole life. Well, as long as it was grits again, I’d be able to wolf it down… Alas, no. Distinctly-human food was being dumped on my plate one entrée at a time. I recognized some of it from my time living on the surface: strips of bacon, sausage patty, a biscuit dipped in disgusting-looking gravy, boiled eggs, and unleavened cakes covered with some thick, brown liquid I’d never seen. I wrinkled my nose. They were serving us abominations to eat. I’d not dared touch a single one of these items in my life, much less consume them. “Sit down and eat!” a passing orc yelled into my ear. “You’re done with pleases and thank-you’s.” I sat on a glass bench and felt my leather pigskin rub against it as I scooted in place. Cinder followed closely-behind, along with some tall elves. I mentally rejoiced at the sight of them – what luck! I was eating with girls who could finish their plates! No more refusing extra servings from little gnome-goblins. I could eat my single plate of food in peace. Through the glass table, an orc was staring-up at me from the aisle below and between the legs of some dark elf. “If you don’t start stuffing your face right now…” she shook her finger at me through the glass. I needed no further encouragement. It was time to try human food. Might as well try what looked like the easiest to scarf-down. I chose a strip of bacon… I nearly gasped and felt my breath stiffen. My whole body was rigid as I clenched and released my hands again and again. It was delicious – the best food I had ever tasted! How could I have no inkling of this heavenly delicacy for so long? Curse my weak drow nose for failing to pick up the scent! One by one, the crispy bacon crunched its way past my maw. I actually had to pace myself – it was absolutely divine! If only there were more… but the sausage patty would have to do. It was cut rom the same animal, wasn’t it? Another explosion of flavour and texture hit my tongue! How was it even possible to experience so much joy from something so simple? “Ugh…” the dark elf across from me groaned. “I can’t believe how bad they botched this bacon.” “It’s rawthur wrubbery,” Cinder said thoughtfully between bites. “Right?” the dark elf shook her head. “Who taught these orcs how to cook?” Blasphemy! Utmost slander! How could they utter such lies? This was by far the greatest meal I’d ever had in my life! Not even the graduation ceremony’s feast at my old training academy compared to this. It was good that I only had one plate, else I grow fat – well… grow faster… “What level of hell were these eggs boiled?” asked the spoiled dark elf. She looked expectantly at Cinder, expecting confirmation, but when only with silence, she spoke again. “I don’t think they’re even chicken eggs. Little, brown devil eggs…” “Eyeballs.” The dark elves’s glutes rubbed loudly against the glass bench as an orc shook her finger at her from behind. “No, I said ‘eyeballs,’” she repeated. “That means look at me when I’m talking to you! Get off your ass and bring your fork – yeah, that’s right. You’re coming with me.” The look on that dumb dark elf’s face was priceless. I couldn’t help but snicker as she stared at me with horror, as if she expected me to save her – ha! As if I’d lift a finger for her. It made me chuckle seeing her hurrying down the aisle with an orc on her tail. Now I could eat my breakfast in peace… “… what’s so funny?” an ominously husky voice whispered in my ear. “I said what’s so funny? You staring at that dark elf means you miss her, right?” Gods and goddesses above and below! Some orc-woman was hounding me, wasn’t she? What did she want? “Answer the question, Deep Purple!” her scream was so loud, I caught the whole tables’ attention. “What’s so funny? You think this is a game?” Fuck. “No,” I said. “Scream it!” Vul take her. “No!” “Good. Get off your ass and follow your friend. You’re getting seconds.” Seconds? What sort of mad game was this? I got to my feet and followed after the dark elf. I spotted Victoria staring at me from the next table, smirking before returning her attention to her plate. If only she were the one caught and not me. I was taken to a smaller room. There were no glass tables or benches here, just a trough filled with something vaguely edible. The dark elf was already next to it, cornered by the orc. “So you like eggs, is that right?” the dark elf’s orc asked. “No…” she moaned. “Good. On your knees! You can eat hog-feed till you change your mind.” I felt a kick against my shin – I had my own orc to worry about. “On your knees, you,” she said. “Get next to your dark elf friend. Let’s see how funny you think this is.” “Eat!” said the other orc. “Don’t stop! Eat!” Curse my luck. The dark elf had brought a fork, but not me. I had no choice but to put my hands into the “hog-fee” and eat it by the handful. And what was this hog-fee? I stared at the chopped bits in my palm and recognized potato and carrot slices. What meat did I see floating in there? It didn’t matter. I took a bite… for once, not delicious. Flavourful and filling, yes, but not much more. The chunks were hot on my tongue and the broth was thick, yet it was bearable. If only flavour was all I had to worry about… “I’ve changed my mind!” cried the dark elf. “I like eggs! I want to eat eggs!” “The only thing I should be hearing is chewing and **!” the orc replied. So it went. On and on we chewed our way through the indignity. For the first time since I’d nearly drowned assassinating a siren, I let myself go internal – turning my attention away from the mad world and into the safe, secluded space that was my mind. The sound of the orcs faded into background noise like mating calls in the desert night or birds in the mountains – barely perceptible; hardly worth noting. Even the mess my hands had become was trivial. All that mattered scooping, feeding, and staring down into the trough. It felt like ages since I’d begun eating. The only measure of time was the arrival of more victims. I dared not look at them, but they flanked either side of me, some eating with utensils, others by hand, and still others with their mouths like animals. I couldn’t think about it… I refused to dwell upon the details… but reality found a way of creeping back in… My belly. It was beginning to press against my pigskin. I could feel it filling-up, my midsection growing tight against the leathers. I was nearing fullness now, and when that happened, that then? Were we expected to empty this trough? No! I couldn’t think about it! I had to stay internal… The dark elf, however, did not go internal. That damned dark elf was practically whimpering as she experienced every detail with vivid, traumatic clarity, and the sound of her voice was pulling me out of my vibe. “Please…” she begged. “What? What did you say?” the orc standing behind her was livid. “Pl –” “Never say that word! Never!” “I want to eat the eggs! I want them!” “Oh, is that right? You don’t act like you do. There’s a whole lot of hog-feed left. Eat up – eat! Hurry up! Waiting on you!” With that, a fork fell into the hog-feed in front of my face. The dark elf had dropped it and dunked her head into the trough. I grit my teeth and chewed-on… I had to ignore everything… it would all pass like a storm… Time passed, but for how long I had no idea. I couldn’t ignore how full my belly was getting anymore. The pigskin was as tight as ever, and it wouldn’t be long before I could no longer eat. I felt my hand scrape the bottom of the trough… “Stop!” I froze, as did everyone. There were six of us, faces dribbling and fingers dripping. “Disgusting!” shouted the first orc. “Get out of my face and get back in the chow hall!” We ran like frightened cattle. I suppressed a belch and suddenly realized how full I truly was. Did they expect us to finish our plates now? I belched again and wiped my mouth. Suddenly, the orc who had dragged me into this mess made eye contact with me, smiling maliciously. “So that’s what’s so funny, Deep Purple!” she bellowed cruel laughter. By the time we returned to the chow hall, the rest of the girls had cleaned their plates and were lined-up to leave, waiting for us. Someone had eaten my plate – and somehow, a small part of me wished they hadn’t.

Chapter Twelve We were taken to a new section of the resort. This one was a corner room with open, arched windows overlooking a straight drop to the valley below. A massive set of scales hung from the ceiling, its two halves swaying slightly in the breeze: the one on the left a bronze bowl, and on the right a worn, leather swing. “Now ears!” the kilted-orc told us as we crowded-in. “Small Starters in the front, bit Starters in the back – and when you come up, you walk to this corner here,” she slapped the brick arch at the corner of the room pointed towards the valley. “When you get here, sy ‘Starter such-and-such is ready to be measured.’ Like so: c’mere you. What’s your name?” She was pointing at Aniya. The emaciated dark elf was slightly surprised to be the centre of attention, but she stepped forward and gave her best effort. “Uh…” she spoke quietly. “Aniya is ready to be – I mean Starter Aniya is ready to be measured.” “Eyeballs,” the kilted-orc glared directly at her. “Stand against that corner – put your face into it! Now, I take hold of your head and paint a red line over it and label the line with your name, understand? When I say: ‘Starter such-and-such feet and inches,’ you step away and approach the scales. So here we go: Starter Aniya! Five-foot-three inches!” Aniya emerged from the corner, revealing a red line where her height had been marked. She was facing us now, hesitantly standing before the swing-end of the scales. “Now ears!” the kilted-orc gripped the swing-end by the rope. “You sit on the swing, you understand? No part of you touches the ground. You stay in until your weight is declared. Like so: get in the swing, dark one!” Aniya did so, struggling to tuck her legs to keep from touching the floor. As she fidgeted, the kilted-orc grabbed two bystanders. “Grab that sack from by the wall and start filling the bowl-end with pound marbles.” The two girls struggled to pull and drag the sack to the scale, but when they loosened its rope, we could see why: it was stuffed full of smooth, coloured marbles of various sizes. “Get that fifty-pounder in the bowl right now,” the kilted-orc pointed at the largest marble – a red, half-foot-wide monstrosity. The two girls pawed and heaved at the marble, but in vain. One of them glanced in the kilted-orc’s direction, eyes pleading for mercy – a grievous mistake. “All of you better find a way to get that thing in the bowl before I say ‘zero.’ You got thirty, twenty-nine-twenty-eight-twe’y-se’en-twe’y-six…” The whole front of the line rushed to their aid, the memory of last night’s stuffing fresh in their minds. Alas, they were the smallest girls and they only managed to spill half the sack. “…leventennineightse’ensixfifourthreetwone-zero! Zero!” A deathly silence filled the room as we awaited our punishment. “Why do I have pound marbles all over my floor? Get that fifty-pounder into the bowl! You got thirty-twe’y-nine-twe’y-eight-twe’y-se’en…” The desperate struggle began again, but this time we all crowded closer. Dread crept into my mood: there was no way this was helping… “Cinder!” Seelah cried from the crowd’s midst. “Cinder, save us!” From the very back of the crowd, Cinder answered the call with thunderous footsteps. Girls tripped to make way for her as she approached the mess of marbles, plucked the fifty-pounder, and set it into the bowl with a dull clunk. “Sixteenfifteenfourteenthirteen – zero!” the kilted-orc stopped her countdown early. “Everyone line-up to get measured – not you, giant one. You’re lifting marbles from now on… drop two twenty-pounders in the bowl right now.” There was no countdown this time, but we all held our breath as Cinder palmed two yellow marbles and dropped them into the bowl. As the bowl sank under the marbles’ weight, Aniya rose with a steady creak. She was nearly level with the bowl now. A blue five-pounder was added, followed by a small, black one-pounder, and another, until… Click. Something in the top of the scale set into place. Aniya wobbled, but remained steady. The scale was perfectly-balanced. “Ninety-eight pounds!” said the kilted-orc as another orc wrote the numbers down. “Get off my scale, dark one. Sit against the wall! You’re done. Next!” So it went. I saw now that weighing the shortest first meant Cinder only had to lift a few marbles at a time. One by one, I watched as each girl was weighed and measured. Some girls were shy and timid, others defiantly-quick, but all of them did what they were told. With nothing better to do, I took particular interest in girls I knew. Seerah was the first of the high elves to go, her willowy frame measuring 5’5” and weighing a mere 110 pounds. The next I recognized was Pixie, who – after trying and failing to use her real name – was a 5’6” and 123 pounds. Victoria was likewise 5’6”, but weighed 127, which – judging from her silent gasp – was a tad more than she expected. Jessicuh was the last of the human girls, having placed herself in the back of the line on account of her tall plume of hair, but was, in reality, a mere 5’5.” Her toned, firmly-muscled body, however, was a solid 155 pounds. Girls across the room hummed with awe and respect, but I could only sneer – as if her ego needed any more encouragement! Very few of us were left now – just Cinder, some stray, unusually-tall elves, and myself. In spite of everything, I found myself growing anxious. Why? There was nothing about my body I was ashamed of, and yet… I lay a hand over my empty stomach. Soon it would be found and full, and every day I wasted here, it would grow rounder and fuller-still. My strength would be weighted-down with useless fat, my skills and athleticism softening into corpulent decadence. When – no, if – my body continued down this path, the scorpion-assassin would be buried beneath the harem-heifer, and there would be no distinguishing me from the others. Everything I was proud of would be stripped away. I could never willingly let myself go like that. I would find a quick way out of this cultish hazing festival, else I resort to a long, humiliating dietary routine. Wait… where was Gnobbo? “Get up here, purple one,” the kilted-orc was suddenly in my face. “Deep Purple!” Jessicuh heckled from the far wall amidst a light chorus of giggles. I took a step forward… “Scream it!” the kilted-orc’s spit stung inside my ear. “Scream the ditty!” Fuck. “Starter Zaiva is ready to be measured!” I blurted. “No, you’re too slow to be called that. Do it again.” My fists were so tight, I thought my nails would draw blood. “Starter Deep Purple is ready to be measured.” “Scream! Scream it!” “Starter Deep Purple is ready to be measured!” I yelled. “Now get in the corner!” I stood in the corner, feeling the red line being drawn over my head. “Six-foot-eight!” I got in the bowl before any more mockery could take place. I was tall and my long legs brushed the floor, but there was enough counterweight to get me creaking safely upwards. Cinder began packing marbles in one by one. I caught myself holding my breath. Click. “One hundred eighty-two!” came the final verdict. It was over. I was almost relieved as I stepped out of the swing – until a distinct, unmistakable squeal sounded from beyond the door. Every one of the girls groaned. The orcs had found Gnobbo. She was carried inside by a disgruntled orc, swinging and thrashing by the scruff of her neck. “Caught her taking a wee where she don’t belong,” the orc tossed her before the kilted-orc. “Never leave without permission!” the kilted-orc yelled down at her. “When you need to go, never go alone! Now stand-up and scream the ditty!” Gnobbo sprang to her feet and balled her fists with all her might. “Ditty!” “No, say ‘Starter such-and-such is ready to be measured!’ Scream it!” Gnobbo quivered and trembled as furiously as the world’s smallest dog before attempting to speak again: “… Gnobbo!” Now the kilted-orc was dangerously quiet. “Oh, so you wanna play games, right?” “No! No games!” “Good… everyone say ‘thank you Gnobbo!’” “Thank you Gnobbo,” everyone groaned. “Looks like grits is back on the menu girls!” Gnobbo stomped her feet and hopped with utmost passion as if willing herself to squeeze-out the magic words that would save us, until: “Waah, Starter-Gnobbo-is-ready-to-be-measured!” Everyone froze – including Gnobbo, who looked as if she’d made the worst mistake in her life. Perhaps she had… “Ohh, so you do talk,” the kilted-orc planted both her legs on either side of Gnobbo and leered down at her. “Good… get your face in the corner. We’re gonna have fun. I’ll get mine.” With that, the gnome-goblin was thoroughly-tamed. She hid herself in the corner as fast as she could. The measurement was ass small as her guilt was insurmountable: a measly 2’1.” Her weight was likewise: 24 pounds. By the time she was done, she was barely brave enough to sit with us. If only Gnobbo was our only problem! Once everyone else had been weighed, there remained one more: Cinder. Worse, she wouldn’t be able to lad the pound marbles… “You better get good at lifting marbles real quick,” the kilted-orc said as Cinder eased her ungainly body into the swing. “We’ll keep doing this till I get tired…” “I gots this!” Jessicuh sprang to her feet. “E’eryone stand back! Let th’ muscle handle this – Deep Purple! C’mere an’ gimme a hand!” Damn her! I couldn’t refuse with everyone watching. Muttering curses, I went to Jessicuh’s aid and began lifting fifty-pounders. We moved them with ease. Slowly, steadily, Cinder began to rise, until – Click. “Two hundred seventy-six!” the kilted-orc shouted. “Those are starter numbers, you understand? Got to get those up! Everyone get outside right now! It’s time for breakfast.”

Chapter Eleven “Is she gone?” Victoria asked no one in particular. “Are they all really gone? Oh, I thought it would never end!” “Yeah, me neither,” the girl named Pixie replied. “What with you having us eat your grits.” “What?” Victoria’s open mouth was a perfect circle. “Why you… you’re one to talk! You nearly got us eating even more…” “And y’all ‘bout to cost us sleeptime,” said a firm voice. I turned towards the voice, finding the crowds parting to reveal a tall, firmly-muscled blonde with her arms folded. I squinted suspiciously at her, somehow distrusting her. Was it the accent or the way she had her hair shaved and shaped into what looked like a knight’s helmet-plume? Either way, I hated her too. “Now youse a-listen heeah,” she wagged her head like a parrot. “The name’s Jessicuh and I’m thinkin’ that youse thinkin’ it’d be awful nice to get some sleep about now, but I reckon we should set-up a firewatch so as we don’t freeze near to death…” As I listened, I noticed all attention was upon this insufferably stupid-sounding woman. She may look like a peacock, but she sounded like a rooster – there was a certain confidence in her demeanour that made her sound like an expert – not to me, of course, but to everyone else. I decided to test her bearing to see just how confident she truly was. With any luck, she’d quail before me. “Firewatch?” I asked her as defiantly as possible. “Yes, indeed,” she nodded so hard her hair shook like ruffled feathers. “We’s be needin’ a firewatch ‘round heeah. Them sword-sworn orcish gals, they’s a lockin’ us in no mind, so we need a gal up-in to ensure the flames be nice an’ toasty.” “Good idea!” Seelah said (unhelpfully). “You sure sound like you’ve done this before.” “That I have!” Jessicuh’s hair-plume quivered with pride. “I happen to be a drill-sergeant staff sergeant. Been whippin’ the ranks into shape since I could ride a horse – and you’re rather bright for noticin.’ For that, youse got the night off.” “Hang on. Stop,” I held my hand out. “Who are you to try giving us orders? I’ve had enough of that for one day.” “Now don’ you be worryin’ your head ‘bout that. Someone’s gotta make the tough choices and it’s gotta be Drill-Master-Staff-Sergeant Jessicuh – that be common sense. Also – and this-uns for all y’all – I’m well-versed in orcish tactics and strategic-strategems. Been drilling the bitches an’ sons-of-bitches for years. You listen to me an’ I guarantee we’ll get through this here Starter Resort smooth as butta. An’ now, seein’ as we agree on things, let’s get this here firewatch started! Y’see how we’s already circled ‘round the fire, right? All y’all hold each other’s hands real quick.” Victoria sighed and brushed-off the girls that tried to hold her hand. “Is this really necessary?” “For once, I agree with Vicky,” I chimed-in. “Why are we holding hands of all things?” “Git to hand-holdin’ and you’ll see,” Jessicuh snapped. “Now, is that everyone? Giantess-type! Stoop-down a lil’ so’s that goblin-midget can reach. Yea, jus’ so. There! Ya see? Everyone’s in the circle. Now y’all look to yer left: that’s whose wakin’ you up when it’s your turn. An’ to the right: that’s who you wake up when yer done. Easy day!” “I notice you’re not in the circle,” I said with a slight smile. Jessicuh slowly turned to face me. “Weeellllll, lookee here… we’s got ourselves a volunteer! Naturally, I’m takin’ the first shift, but seein’ youse so eager-like, I’m finna nudgin’ you awake for second shift. So how’s that, dark elf? Yer kind like the dark, seein’ as yer seein’ good at night.” “I’m a drow,” I replied bitterly. “You know… purple skin? Live underground?” “Deep Purple!” Jessicuh spread her arms in mockery. To my chagrin, others laughed at the low blow. “And my name’s Zaiva,” I added, though it seemed no one heard or cared. “We’s all getting’ nicknames sooner or later, Deep Purple, so what’s all the fuss about? Now then, do anybody here disagree with me and this here schedule?” “I do,” I replied. Someone pointed at me. “She didn’t help us eat our grits! Look at her gut – it’s barely bulging at all!” “That’s a lie,” I snapped. “Yeah, she wouldn’t help me either,” said another. “Or the gnome-goblin.” “Drow!” Gnobbo pointed at me with a shaking fingertip. “Drow purple!” Jessicuh nodded and folded her arms. “Looks like you’ve made some friends, Deep Purple.” “Whatever,” I replied back, feeling my skin bristle under fifty pairs of eyes. “Easy day! Now, goodnight y’all! See ya in the mornin’ – ‘cept for you, Deep Purple. You get a nap and standby for further instructions.” As certain as sunrise, I woke on the floor with Jessicuh jabbing my side with her foot. “Wakey, wakey,” she grinned down at me. “Y’got yer beauty sleep?” “Don’t do that again,” I muttered with a slow, stretching yawn. Jessicuh was unfazed by my remark. She merely pointed at the flames in the middle of the room licking against a fresh log. “Jus’ dropped a fat log on there,” she said. “All’s you gotta do is waitin’ for it to simmer down an’ put another log on – that’s how y’know when to wake the next one.” “Sure,” I rose to a sitting position and nudged the log to make sparks float through the hole in the roof and past the stars – and Jessicuh’s stupid hair-plume. “You can sleep now.” “Don’ be getting’ an bright ideas, Deep Purple,” she leaned over me. “I know yer type when I sees it.” “Oh really?” I replied, more tired than bemused. “Trouble is what you is,” she persisted. “Always takin’ an’ never givin’ back. Y’ don’ care ‘bout the rest of us, do you?” “That’s true. I don’t.” “Well, rest assured, I know ‘xactly how to deal with yer kind…” “Just go to bed already,” I snapped. “I’ll be watchin’ you…” With that, Jessicuh made her way to the wall, sat under a mosaic of dripping, golden honeycombs, adjusted her hair a bit, and shut her eyes. For several long, uncounted moments, I eyed the presumptive woman sleeping soundly against the wall. It would be easy to kill her now; a light press against the throat followed by a squeeze… but no. I had a mission, and I could do nothing to jeopardize it, no matter how annoying she could be. In any case, getting firewatch on the first night worked to my advantage. Now was my chance to scan the Starter-Pen, discover weaknesses in its structure, and find a way out. Once I did that, the Resort would be my oyster to scout and scour as I pleased. With such thoughts, I looked again upon Jessicuh’s mouth-breathing face and smiled. Foolish fop! A one-woman firewatch? No witnesses? I couldn’t ask for more. Now I rose to my feet and made my way to the door, being careful to step over the sleeping bodies. It was a wooden door – aspen. Iron hinges fixed with three nails each. When it opened, it would swing into the Pen. No knob or handle. I peered closely at all these details while ignoring the feeling of my belly pressing against my pigskin as I leaned down. I might be able to loosen the hinges over several nights, but I didn’t want to wait so long. This damned belly would start growing long before I got out that way. No, there had to be a faster way. The open ceiling? I walked up to the fire and looked straight up into the night sky. Perhaps I could exit that way by stacking logs under myself? Perhaps, but it was too risky. The stack of logs would certainly tumble and wake the girls. I needed a way to exit and enter without others knowing. But… I was too tired to think of any other options tonight. That log in the fire had cracked and blackened to a crisp. It should be fine waking the next shift a little early. Who was it again? That girl with the bobbed hair… “Hey,” I nudged her. Thank Vul! It seemed she was already awake. No doubt sleeping on the floor took getting used to. “You ready?” She nodded. “Just put a log on there when it needs one, then you can wake the next shift. Got it? I’m going to bed.” “Bed” for me was apparently a bare patch of ground just beyond the warmth of the flames, for all the good spots had been taken. I set myself down and shut my eyes, willing myself to drift into sleep. Was I even asleep? Or was I dreaming that my eyes were closed? The door slammed open. “Up! Wake up!” orcs stormed the pen and began screaming into girls’ ears “Get up right now! No, get up right now!” I glanced at the fire as I got to my feet and noticed it had become a flickering pile of white ash. Huh. So much for firewatch… I also noticed the front of my pigskin was a little loose, with creases and folds over the stomach. The other girls looked much the same. It seemed our grits had finally digested. Last to enter the Pen was the kilted-orc herself, who looked at us standing and shivering in place. “Get outside and form a line,” she said. “It’s time for your first weigh-in.”

Chapter Ten “Hey.” I turned and found Seerah had snuck-up on me, a hand hesitantly reaching for my shoulder. I looked at her silently, unwilling to draw more attention to us. “Um…” she glanced sideways. “Are you alright? These clothes… I’m not so sure they’re normal…” “Eyeballs!” The cavern went silent. The kilted-orc was standing upon a raised stone in the back of the cavern, staring-down at us with her arms folded. “School-circle on me,” she pointed at her feet. “Cross-legs, do it now: move.” I followed the mad rush to be near her. The rest of the orcs were herding us from behind as always, yet there was something different about this time – less screaming. I chose not to question it; the chaos would probably begin again in earnest. We began sitting on the slightly-damp cave floor. I didn’t want to be front-and-centre, so I let several others push ahead of me. Unfortunately, this meant Seelah had enough time to find me and grab my hand. “Come on,” she whispered eagerly while tugging Aniya along with her other hand. I eyed Aniya the dark elf for the first time since she’d puked in Del Nazzour’s central plaza. She was as sickly as ever, though it seemed it was now from overeating rather than sleeping drug overdose. She was groaning while holding her stuffed belly, which looked far larger on her emaciated frame than it did on most of us. Without a doubt, the girl had been naïve and eaten more than her share as well. In any case, Seelah had to help ease her down to the ground like some kind of midwife. While I was distracted by the sight of the two elves, something nudged me in the back. I twisted round to Cinder hunched just behind and above me. Gnobbo was hiding in a corner of her lap, staring at me. Was she… challenging me? It seemed she held a grudge. I glared back and sniffed hard enough to make her flinch to assert dominance, but turned to face the front before I got in trouble. “Now ears,” the kilted-orc stared down at us. “When I say ‘ears,’ you listen to me, you understand? Say yes right now.” “Yes!” came the ready reply. “Now ears! You’re wearing what’s called the ‘pigskin,’ you understand? The pigskins are enchanted to fit like a glove for whoever wears them. You notice they’re tight to the body and you can’t get them loose? Don’t even try. There’s no way to take the pigskins off. Only way you’re getting-out is to rip your way out. Don’t even think about trying now; none of you stick-figured starters is strong enough. You’ll need to eat your way out. Even in spite of the potential trouble that could happen, several girls couldn’t help but gasp. I myself hazarded a casual glance down at my bloated belly and lay a hand on its taut surface. Damn pigskin! I needed to be in peak condition for my mission to succeed and here I was expected to burst out of my own seams? Now I had an enchanted bodysuit to escape as well as a harem! “Um… excuse me?” A girl rose from the front row. It was Victoria, no doubt ready with another dumb outcry. The kilted-orc’s tongue clicked against the stub of her broken tusk. “Vicky,” the name was a curse in her mouth. “Stand up and say ‘Starter Vicky requests permission to ask a question.’” “Ahem…” Victoria got to her feet, accidentally ramming the girl behind her with her haunches on the way up. “Starter… Starter Vicky… requests permission to –” “What?” the kilted-orc let her displeasure be well-known. “Um… well, if we can’t take these off, how are we expected to relieve ourselves? And what if the suit –” “Pigskin. It’s called a pigskin!” “… what if it gets too tight for us to breathe?” “Aight, ears. Look with your eyeballs and think with your head. You got two laces to part on your pigskins. One for the pisser, one for the shitter, you understand? Sit down Vickie! Sit down while I’m talking! And if you’re worried ‘bout breathing? Don’t. Just don’t. the pigskins are enchanted, you understand? When you outgrow them, they will split where they need to and you’ll drag your disgusting bodies out of them like little butterflies from a cocoon. These pigskins have been used by starters for years. Now… who else has questions? When questions are over, we put you to sleep.” The word “sleep” silenced the group more thoroughly than the most dogged yelling. None dared even breathe too hard, else we lose a precious second of sleep. “Good,” the kilted-orc grinned. “Stand up! Run back through the showers, do-it-now-move!” We were back in the Starter Resort in no time, the faint hope of sleep putting a spring in our step. There was some resistance from Gnobbo as we passed under the “Shower,” but Cinder had no trouble dragging her through. Now we were in a square room with colourful mosaics of harvested crops and sliced meats lining the walls – but there were no beds or furniture of any kind to be found. Only a fireplace in the middle of the room and a row of wood along the wall adorned the otherwise empty space. Worse, there was a square hole in the ceiling. I could see stars overhead once again… “Eyeballs,” the kilted-orc scowled from before the fireplace. “You’re getting a fire lit for the night, you understand? I don’t care if it goes out. If you freeze, that’s your problem. Say yes right now.” “Yes!” “Good. Bring the torch!” An orc-woman entered, wielding a lit torch that she smashed into the fireplace like a club. Sparks flew and girls flinched, but the campfire was lit. Warmth began seeping into the air. “Welcome to the Starter-Pen,” the kilted-orc’s green face glowed from the flickering-orange light. “When we shut this door, none of you can get out till we get you. Understand?” “Yes!” “Good. Sleep!” With that, the orcs filed-out of the room and shut the door, leaving us alone to mull over our thoughts.

Chapter Nine The cavern beyond the waterfall was larger than I expected with wide, sweeping walls lit with mounted torches leading deeper into the cavern as it inclined upwards out of the pool and towards some sort of outcropping. The cavern’s walls rose steeply like a temple’s, vanishing dimly into an arching ceiling just beyond the torchlight. A truly spectacular sight – so much so that I forgot to move. “Get out of that water, you!” the orc’s voice echoed as she waited with some sort of clothing in her hands. I began to wade my way out of the pool. It seemed I was one of the first to pass under the waterfall, so there was no way to escape the orcs’ attention. I’d have to hustle more than was comfortable. So I emerged from the water, my purple skin shimmering-wet in the torchlight. Drops glistened and sparkled as they traced the curves of my breasts and belly before dripping away past the tips of my nipples and loins. My body felt heavy as the water withdrew its support. No sooner had my feet stopped upon the cool, flat slab of rock ringing the pool, the orc tossed the clothing into my face. “Clothes on the body,” she snapped. “Don’t bother drying-off.” I inspected the clothing more closely. It was a bodysuit made of smooth fabric warm to the touch. I didn’t recognize the make of it. Was there anything quite like this in the world? But there was no time to hesitate. The rest of the girls were scrambling through the waterfall and were now pushing each other to get ashore. I quickly found a nearby rock and took a seat before someone else claimed it. Now to fit into the bodysuit… I held it before my face for a second, closer look. There was lace criss-crossing over the loins and more over the ass, but besides those, there was no obvious way to put them on. Was I expected to squeeze through the collar? A bout of screaming from the other side of the cavern drew my attention towards the main body of the crowd being harassed to get their bodysuits on. I spotted Seerah and Aniya together, rushing to stuff their legs through the collars of their bodysuits. There was no way they were going to fit – there was no way any of us would… Suddenly, an orc was upon me. “Stop taking your sweet ass time!” she was so close, he spittle was flying into my ear. “Shove your disgusting legs into the clothes right now!” There was no time to lose. I shoved my legs into the collar one after the other. I could hardly believe it, but the fabric was stretching to make room for me. Elastic fabric! Such a rare material! That could only mean one thing: the bodysuits were enchanted. Yes indeed, they were very elastic. I spotted Cinder struggling to squeeze into a bodysuit no bigger than mine and she was miraculously succeeding. As for me, there was plenty of stretching to be done. The bodysuit slipped past my firm thighs and hips with little difficult, but as I pulled it up my torso, it was clear it was tailored for someone at least three heads shorter than myself. The fabric was pressing tightly against my crotch now, digging mercilessly tighter the harder I pulled. Even the cheeks of my ass weren’t spared the indignity of being pulled mercilessly upward. Worse, I suddenly noticed there were no leg holes for my feet, which only meant the tugging sensation would only become worse. “Slip into the suit, big one!” an orc harassed Cinder as she hunched over her tiny bodysuit. “I can’t, she replied sadly. “It’s too smaull…” “Squeeze!” the orc was screaming so hard, her voice was cracking. “Stuff your stupid legs in and squeeze! Squeeze!” More orcs stormed about the struggling half-giantess as I looked upon the pitiful scene, screaming and pointing at her to make her move. Classic mob attack. I quickly looked-away and redoubled my efforts before I suffered the same fate. I was nearly finished now as I pulled the fabric over the ample, double-handful lumps on my chest. Just needed my arms slipped-in now. First the left… then the right… and – Snip. My neck! I couldn’t help but yelp as the bodysuit suddenly cinched-tight against it. I didn’t even have time to reach for the collar before I felt the rest of the bodysuit mould and press itself against my body, tightening here, loosening there, and becoming like a second skin. I gasped as the fabric wrapped itself around my breasts, and stared in disbelief as it cradled their bulk and pushed them upwards. By the time id fit my fingers under the collar, the bodysuit had fit itself snuggly against every inch of me like a boa constrictor. My fingers tugged at the collar but found no give. The bodysuit wasn’t elastic anymore and I was trapped. We would all be trapped. One by one, I saw the girls twitch and squeal as their bodysuits cinched-tight against their skins. Breasts perked and cheeks popped all about the cavern, and more than one girl reached anxiously for her neck just as I had. The most spectacular sight of all was Cinder, who – after great effort – had managed to stretch her bodysuit onto her mighty frame. Her bodysuit began to loosen, defying all logic and reason as it grew to accommodate its new parameters. Just when I thought the chaos would stop for a time, a deafening shriek sounded from within the waterfall. I turned to look and spotted the silhouettes of two orc-women in the water, one holding a suspiciously-small humanoid and the other jabbing her hand at it, fingers straight as a blade. “Nobody cares, Gnobbo!” she yelled. “Nobody cares!” “Eee!” Gnobbo thrashed her little arms. “Eee!” “Drown!” the first orc tossed Gnobbo through the waterfall. The little menace screamed like a particularly-large cricket before plunging headfirst into the pool. She emerged gagging and paddling to shore. “Get her dressed right now!” the kilted-orc folded her arms. “Or we play fuck-fuck games again.” Multiple girls waded back into the water to fetch Gnobbo, but their efforts were in vain until Cinder reached across them all and plucked her out with a thumb and finger. “Hould stiull,” Cinder told her. There was no need: Gnobbo was completely, utterly awestruck in the hold of the half-giantess. She stared silently – almost longfully – into Cinder’s eyes without uttering so much as a peep – even as she was slipped into a bodysuit held open by two girls. Alas, the silence did not last. No sooner had the bodysuit’s collar touch the nape of Gnobbo’s neck, it began to close-down on her like a vice. Gnobbo thrashed and twisted, but all her struggles were fore naught. The bodysuit sealed itself against her skin with snip – and with that, the last of us was bound to this new life of service to the Sultan.