Stretch. Stretch.
Hikari holds up the triangle in her hand.
She pulls it in both directions.
A smile on her face.
"Synthetic fibres from the workshops of Moradale. It's used in the moving parts of zeppelins. Should be able to withstand your sudden movements. I think it's as absorbent as cotton, but it can still absorb some sweat."
Hikari places it over her hip. It fits nicely.
"It's fine."
"I'm glad you like it. I even bought a few extra pieces. We can loosen it if you grow any bigger."
Hikari places her new saddle flat on the ground.
She placed both feet into the hoops, bent over and pulled it up.
It felt a bit like plastic.
"I know it's not as comfortable as the pair I presented you with in Escher. That one is made from nature grown fibres from the Herdial capital. It truly is a miracle city. Strong, absorbent and gentle on the skin. It even has great mana properties."
Hikari walks around in it.
She was only in her exercise tops.
Short sleeved. Her abdominal muscles exposed.
Her lady watches in silence.
Hikari returned to her wardrobe area where Ria was standing.
The full length of her thighs.
Her lady's face turns red.
"My lady?"
Ria was startled.
"Oh.. um.. The raid is starting proper. That's why we have to stay in the estate area now. The main force has reached the border of the swamps. The last barrier to Carla. There wasn't much resistance since you had already cleared out the hives in the area."
Hikari twists and turns her body.
One foot in front of the other. Hand slightly raised like she would hold her sword.
Her form is good.
Her saddle adjusts to her stance.
"It's nice."
Hikari stops.
She stood towering over Ria.
Her lady swallows and watches her.
Thud.
The giantess takes a step forward.
Gently.
Placing her feet down as softly as she could.
She leaned forward.
Her lady was covered by her shadow.
"Yes."
Ria flinched.
"Oh, right. That package should have arrived from Herdial."
"Hm?"
"I'm sure you'll like it."
A voice came from outside.
"Package for Hikari!"
It was the stable hands.
"Bring it in."
The stable hands pushed in a large crate on a wheel barrow.
They turned their heads.
Muscular thighs. A triangle. More muscles above. Loose tops. Shoulders and biceps.
Blood burst out of their noses.
The maids came in to drag them back out.
"What is it?"
Hikari gripped the box with one hand.
She bent down and placed it between herself and Ria.
The symbol of the Liforia guild.
Donk. With a finger, she flipped over the lid.
"This is.."
She looked down at the contents.
"It arrived just in time. You'll be going down to the depths of Carla soon. A raid like this is likely to last at least two or three weeks. Even as a backline support, you will be staying down there for long periods. I thought this would be very helpful."
Hikari stared hard at the opened box, her eyes fixated in the center.
"What is it?"
She picked up one of the objects and pinched it between her fingers.
It was a bottle full of liquid that she could not recognize.
"Extract from the Gurdel plant. It's known to have mana suppressive properties. It also reduces the physical strength of warriors but greatly improves their stamina and stability. Many use them to offset the nasty side effects of certain black market potions. I heard from Ella that you have absorbed a bit too much mana from the wyvern peaks. This is the exact opposite of what you want when delving into the mist."
"Less mana?"
"Yes. It's quite well documented by the many who had attempted to brace its Eldritch effects. Mages can't fight down there. Mana suits are unreliable. Especially for our flames, the back burn would paralyze our hands after just a few casts or worse."
"I see."
Hikari pops open the lid.
"One bottle every day. Small doses. Well small for you that is. It usually does not come in such large bottles. I'm sure the customs officer in Herdial would have been quite confused when he inspected the package."
Hikari drank its contents.
The taste was nasty. But it did not burn.
She stood up.
"I don't feel anything."
"Of course not. Not yet anyways. Stick to the prescription. Just do your usual exercises and you'll feel better."
Hikari begins warming up, swinging her arms in a turning motion.
"I know the package is not what you were hoping for. But the pair that got its front stolen in escher is still under repairs. It needs to wait for the right materials to become available so I don't know when it'll be done. When it is, I wouldn't have it come by courier service. After that night in Escher, who knows what kind of creepy perverts are lurking in the shadows."
Ria takes out a vial and drinks its contents.
"Besides, the Herdial customs office always inspects goods beyond a certain value. I can't stand the thought of having your giant saddle on full display in the custom office in front of a bunch of men. Who knows what would happen."
Ria stands up. She turned to face Hikari.
"Now, I have some training to do as well. I need some help."
Then she walks towards the giantess.
"My lady."
Hikari's curious eyes.
"Don't worry. I've been drinking some of that elixir too. It boosts mana defense allowing me to withstand stronger concentrations of mana. It's a good way to improve one's mana abilities."
Ria got closer and closer to Hikari's leg.
The giant knight's mana pierces her skin.
"Mmm."
She forces down her vomit.
Her legs trembled. She wobbles.
But she was able to stand.
Hikari's lower leg was right in front of her.
She reaches out her arm.
Cough!
She couldn't breathe.
Her vision was blurring
She places her arms around her neck.
Cough! Cough!
Suddenly, the suffocating presence dissipated.
Hikari pulls her foot away.
Ria catches her breath.
She was still rather dizzy.
She rested on the ground.
Her vision was blurry.
But she got up.
A pair of grey cotton socks filled her field of view.
Hikari stands above her doing bicep curls with her heavy sword.
Her socks holds in her mana.
"Are you alright?"
Ria took a moment to stabilize her breathing.
"Yes, phew. That was intense. I thought I had done enough training. Guess I'm still not there yet."
"My feet."
"Mmm… Yes, of course. It has to support your weight and move you around at high speeds. I had thought it would be a good way to improve my resistance, but I guess it's still too much for me at the moment."
"My lady wants to train?"
"Yes. The initial ranking duels are not far away. Possibly the next thing we need to do once we settle the raid. You're probably rather unconcerned, but I certainly am. And that reminds me, our report cards for the initial assessments just came back."
Ria takes a piece of paper from her backpack.
Ria RazenHeir
Physique 11, Mana 24, Defense 10
Hikari of RazenHeir
Physique 500, Mana 500, Defense 500
"The maximum measurable values they can give you. You truly are something else. My numbers are so tiny compared to yours."
Ria blushes.
Hikari giggles.
"My lady's physique's low."
"Yes.. that's likely the same problem you are facing now. Your body is a vessel for your mana. If your mana is too high compared to your physique, it can cause issues. So I need to-"
With a wave of Hikari's hand, the crate of elixirs floated up onto her wardrobe.
"My lady likes making me strong?"
Hikari looms over Ria.
Her lady swallows.
"Mmm… yes…."
"Look up."
Ria fliches.
She lifts her head.
Loose cotton tops.
Biceps curling a sword heavier than a cannon.
"Does my lady want to get stronger?"
"Oh… I'll never be as strong as you. I will never be stronger than even one of your toes…"
Hikari giggles.
She switches her sword to her other arm and curls.
"Our schedule?"
"We're free until lunch. After which, we'll set off for the forward post. I need you to pull the delivery convoy. Just some supplies for the troops but we lack the horses to pull them. After which, we would start moving to the forward post ourselves."
"Crawl."
Ria dropped to her hands and knees and crawled towards Hikari' feet.
She watched as Hikari lifted her ankles and turned them towards her, pivoting on the bores of her foot.
She catches a glimpse of the rough grey sock bottoms under the giantess's ankles.
"Crawl."
Her arms and legs start moving.
The giant sock in front of her swings away.
"Crawl."
She crawls after it.
Before she could cover half the distance, it swung away again.
"Crawl."
Another stride.
Ria crawls.
She covered half the length of Hikari's chambers.
Hikari turns.
The toe part of her sock facing Ria.
Ria closes in.
"Look up."
Ria stops.
She lifted her chin but could see only up to Hikari's knee.
"Squat."
Ria was already panting.
But the crawling length of Hikari's room was not enough to make her short of breath yet.
She got up, getting a full view of Hikari.
"Squat."
She bent her knee, feeling the burn in her thighs.
Squat. Squat.
"Do you like the view?"
Hikari stood before her as she did her squats.
Muscular thighs. Triangle. More muscles. Loose tops draped over voluptuous spheres.
Biceps curling a giant sword that was clearly too light.
"Yes…! You look stunning Hikari… your body is too-"
"Squat."
"Mmmm…."
Squat. Squat. Ria feels the burn.
Her legs started wobbling.
Squat. Her legs bent, but they wouldn't carry her back up.
She fell on her behind.
"Crawl."
Ria flinched.
Ignoring the pain, she got back onto her hands and knees.
She was still struggling with Hikari's training but at least this was not the first time.
"Crawl."
Thud.
She catches a glimpse of Hikari's sock bottom as it moves two strides away.
She crawls after her.
Her knee pads and gloves keep her crawling.
The back of her leg burns from the squats.
"My lady's coming to the front?"
Stride. Stride.
"Yes… I won't be joining down in the depths. Huff* Huff* I'll be at either the forward post or Carla once we capture it."
"Crawl."
Hikari was already on the other side of the chambers.
Ria crawls towards her as fast as she can.
"Oh? My lady's keeping up with my feet better."
"Mmmm… thank you for the … compliment huff* huff*."
"Crawl."
Ria crawls.
"It's all thanks to your … huff* huff* training …"
"Look up."
Back to squats.
Her eyes lifted up.
Muscular legs. Triangle. Steel hard abdominal muscles.
Her legs are wobbling but down she went.
They were burning.
"Look down."
Stride. Stride.
Ria crawls.
They are back to their starting point.
"Closer."
Ria looks up.
She couldn't see beyond the knee socks.
"Look down."
Hikari's socks. Fresh white cotton.
The grey bottoms were made from a different fabric to withstand her with.
She crawled closer.
Her nose tinged.
"Closer."
Badum. Badum. Badum. Her heart pounded.
"Press your nose."
"Mmmm…!"
With a sudden leap, she pressed her face onto the area just above the toe section.
The scent fills her nostrils as she catches her breath.
"How's the smell?"
"Mmm… it smells so good… you haven't started your workout proper… sniff* … but it's already a little sweaty … "
"When I start my workout?"
"Ooh….! Then it will become too much for me… sniff*... you are so strong Hikari… even the smell of your feet is more powerful than me…"
Booming giggles from above.
"How's your reward?"
"My reward you say? Sniff* … It's wonderful … your feet smell so divine … oh … may I ask what made you offer your undeserving lady such a gift?"
"You improved."
"Ah… I see… "
Ria presses her lips.
"Hikari is concerned with me… my knight wants me to improve… kiss*... I'll train my hardest from now on…"
Booming giggles.
"The raid?"
"Yes… once the raid begins… we might be able to train together until it ends… so…"
Booming giggles.
The huge toes wriggled, knocking against Ria's chest.
"Sorry."
"Oh… of course it's not your fault… "
Ria leans down and presses her lips against the toe section.
"kiss* … your lady is just too weak …"
Booming giggles.
A smile looming above.
"Other foot."