Massive and Miniature

Bestla's large foot clamped on the side of the mountain. Or, more specifically, ice.

Her heel slide as her toes tried to grab purchase on the high peak. She brought a sizeable hand to her face to wipe the mini-icicles from her long eyelashes. Once she saw the smooth side of the alp, she pierced her little piggies through the ice, finally grabbing hold of the mountain.

Bestla's right hand began to grow numb on the jutting ridge, so she switched to her left and tucked her right into a pocket of fur.

Fur on my hands would make things much easier. She thought.

Nevertheless, Bestla persevered, only stopping to switch hands, until she reached the summit. She crouched on the top, wiped the icicles clouding her vision, took a breath, and opened her eyes.

And there it was. Green. Her search was over and she would finally see things other than white on white on blue. She unfolded her long legs, slid down the large mountain on her fluffy butt and bounded to edge of the snow, where white met green.

She tentatively raised a foot over the other side. Feeling coldness on her feet her entire life, she expected cold. Her big toe brushed the grass and- Warmth.

Bestla no longer had to think, picture, or wish for the comfy temperature and fresh air of the North world, where fairies and elves reside, because she was here.

She put her whole foot down and let her entire foot rest on the warm grass. Bestla let herself feel the entirety of this moment before bringing her other foot on the other side.

Simply put, it felt absolutely stupendous.

She put her hands on the ground and wiggled them from side to side. Bestla laughed.

She turned to the South world, where ogres and Frost Giants like herself lived, and where it was only frost and snow and ice and mountains, and mentally said goodbye. She may not miss it, but the place where she was born at least deserves a proper goodbye.

I'm free! Bestla chuckled to herself as she turned back to the North. I did it.

Then she ran. She ran and felt the soft green brush her feet every time. It might be the most joyous thing she's ever done. She sprinted until she reached a small hill that outlooked a large range of the verdant North. She took in the vibrant golden marigolds, the varying sizes of the green hills, the hot sun that she probably shouldn't have looked right at, and the- the-

What is that? Bestla squinted at the intense mash of colors taking up a strip of the blue sky. It made a wide arc and touched down on the far east. It wasn't quite as brilliant as the bright heat of the sun, but it was still amazing.

So she followed it.

Bestla bounded in the direction of the mash of colors. But she noticed that it looked farther now. Bestla wanted to see this mash of colors close-up today.

She ran faster.

This cycle continued and Bestla ran faster and faster until she was running as fast as she could and it seemed the fusion of colors was running away from her.

Bestla is stubborn. It's how she ended up as the First Frost Giant(ess) In Centuries To Venture Into The South. And it's how she kept up her sprint even when the steady puff of breath turned into a low whistle. Even when the sky turned dark and-

No, Bestla thought, That's a swan!

It was too cold for birds to survive in the North so this was her first time seeing one. You could say the same for the bird.

Hansse the swan is a mail carrier. She works for the BMCN (The Bird Mail Carriers of the North) and she is stellar at her job. Hansse has lived in the South her whole life, and has only heard legends about the mean frost giants who liked to feast on swans (specifically). Maybe that was just fiction from some swan who had a grudge against a frost giant a few centuries ago. But she didn't want to take her chances. She veered to the left around it, causing her chest to open and a brown package to scoot to the edge. Shoot! Hansse thought. She willed it to go back in the box. It did not. In fact, it fell and clocked the staring giant right on the head. The hulking animal dropped with a resounding thud that Hansse could feel in her bones. No doubt others felt it too. But it looked like the giant was knocked out cold. Maybe she could retrieve the box and not have an undelivered package to begin her list of faults at the BMCN? She summoned her courage and began to descend. The giant growled in it's sleep.

Hansse went on to her next delivery.

Bestla woke with a very painful headache. All she remembers is a brown box flying towards her face. Speaking of which, that brown box is next to her face.

She sits up with a groan and hesitantly picks up the box.

The box is really heavy. Bestla can see why it might've knocked her out. She shakes it and a yelp sounds inside.

Wait. A yelp?

She stares at the mysterious package wrapped in brown paper with tiny holes along the edges...

And unwraps it.

Even more suspiciously so, theres another box inside the the first one. And another. And another. Bestla goes through five boxes and finally opens one with brown inside- and sees a tiny boy, around her age, with vibrant red hair and vibrant green clothes.

She has no idea what this creature is, or where it came from. And she is certainly shocked to see it.

"Well you're not a centaur." It says in a surprisingly deep voice.

Bestla screams.

Still shaking, Hansse continued on her route, hoping someone else would find the giant and report it. But a few minutes later, she heard a loud roar. No doubt it's angry and coming to kill me! Hansse thought. She debated continuing on and letting it be someone else's problem like before, but in the end she put her selfish needs for no responsibilities aside and went to the nearest patrol post.

"Hiya Anss!" said Maral the swan, who knows her from regularly ordering packages, if not only only to see her face.

Hansse lands beside him on the stone wall and pants from exhaustion. She flapped as hard and as fast as she could, determined to get that horrid frost giant back in it's place before sunset.

"What's wrong?" Maral questions. He knows she never pants on her job, setting a nice pace for her self.

But this time was different. Hansse's lungs are on fire, and the last thing she should try to do is talk. Still, she tries to squeeze some words out.

"North... giant... box... roar... kill..."

"I can't understand you Anss. Here, have some of my water. Freshwater. I know you can't stand salt."

She nods in thanks, and the leader of the group comes over at the ruckus.

"Wha she doin here?" The Captain says. Hailing from the East Coves, Captain Elvet inherited the islands sarcastic nature, great leadership skills, and drawling accent.

"An- ahem, Hansse, was trying to tell me something. I assume it's important if she came over in such a spooked way."

By now Hansse had caught her breath and was ready to talk. And she told them what might be the most important moment of the century.

When she ended her tale, plenty had gathered round, sharing horrid looks.

"Call all the patrols this side of the North Hills" Elvet snarled in the direction that Hansse came from. "Tell them to bring their weapons."

"No, I'm not a human carrot. Why would you even ask that? I am a leprechaun. Say it with me, Le- PREE- kan."

"Lepreekan." Bestla muttered, then said it again. "Lepreekan."

Bolan the Lepreekan had spent the last 5 minutes explaining his daunting tail. Which happened to be him being exiled from his home kingdom for constructive criticism ("You would think the King and Queen would love some pointers on how they rule, seeing as how they rule is terrible. Unpleasurable folks, all of them.") and had ventured land to land, making his way in the world, however illegal it may be. That was, before he was caught and sold to a centaur as a "pet" ("He has a whole collection of the species he thinks are 'uncivilized'. He keeps them as pets. Could you imagine me? Sitting in a little box? "Who's that?" "Oh that's just Mr. Centaur's little pet". ") He was traveling there when Bestla knocked out, and that's how they ended up in this situation.

Despite being knocked out, Bestla was glad that she had met him. This was the first North being she had met since being here. And maybe he knew the secret of the colors.

"Excuse me Mr. Bolan? Do you know the way to the mash of colors up there?" Bestla pointed towards the strip that arced from West to East. Bolan's eyes widened immediately.

"No, no, no hon'. Only leprechauns can venture there. If any other creature tries, they die, get badly injured, or get declared wildly insane."

"Why?" Bestla inquires, still clueless to how the warmer world works.

"You see, Bessy, the rainbow over there belongs to us leprechauns, you can only go if a leprechaun registered in the kingdom lets you come. I, as of now, am not a leprechaun registered in the kingdom, seeing as I - to put it lightly - was kicked out. I could still go and not get hurt, but I would be arrested on the spot."

"Oh." Bestla let go of her hopes, deflated.

Bolan changed the subject.

"Alright, Ms. Frost Giantess. I told you my story, now you tell me yours."

She gave him a glare as cold as the South weather. "I got sick of the cold weather and went on a very long and tiring journey to get here. That's it."

The red-head stared at her for a long moment, studying Bestla as if he could read her thoughts.

She truly hoped he couldn't, for if he could, he would know the great treason she committed, the guilt of her selfishness weighing her down.

At last Bolan clapped, snapping Bestla out of her trance. "I'll make you a deal Ess, I'll give you three-fifths of the gold I have... if you take me into the South."

Bestla's face drops from when it lit up when he mentioned gold.

"I- I can't do that."

"Why not?" The tiny man questions.

"I just can't. I can"t go back there."

"I don't see a reason why you can't back to the land you were born in?"

"You don't understan Bolan, I did something bad. And by coming here, in my world, I would ultimately deserve to die."

Bolan shuts up at that.

"Fine. I propose another deal. I'll enlist the help of a friend to get you to the rainbow."

Bestla sucks in breath, waiting for the price of this endeavor. She lets out that breath after her new leprechaun friends says nothing.

"The catch?"

"There is none. I'll gladly do this for a friend."

She narrows her eyes before slowly reaching out her hand. But before she can take, the ground rumbles.

They both look around, and that's when they see it.

Warriors of every species, coming form the North and South.

Heading for them.

The frost giant leader from the South yells at Bestla.

"Princess Bestla Isa Verglas. Get your butt back here. Queen's orders." Bestla goes still with fear at the sight of her mother.

"Princess?- Never mind that. Change of plans." Bolan snaps his fingers. Bestla glimpses the vibrant colors of the rainbow.

Then the world goes black.