Lofty Living

01: The Loft and the Vuln

      It is the day after his eighteenth birthday and Jorund is packing the last of his necessities as he prepares to move out of his mother's house. He runs his fingers through his brown hair, his green eyes full of excitement as he feels that he is ready to strike out on his own. Pulling on the drawstring, closing the bag's opening, he slings his bag over his shoulder and turns around to see his mother standing in the doorway, her eyes full of tears.

     "I am going to miss you so much," she says while stepping forward to hug her only son. Wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder she continues, "Be sure to visit me after you get settled in, okay? You know how I worry about you."

       "Of course I do," Jorund replies, wrapping his free arm around his worried mother so that he can hug her back. "I will be sure to visit you often." The hug lasts for several minutes before it finally ends, allowing Jorund to leave his childhood home behind.

     Walking through town, he is taking in his surroundings. The town of Oakhaven is a quaint town comprised of small homes and several shops, one really had a sense of community here. He can't help but feel saddened that he is leaving his birthplace but he knows that this is how life goes. Approaching the edge of town he keeps his gaze forward, towards his new life. All one has to do is follow the road and they can reach the next town over within several hours. 

     Jorund steps off the road and begins to head for the nearby forest. Cutting through the forest is not the most ideal path to take, but it is the quickest way to the next town over if one knows them. Jorund is very familiar with these woods, having spent many a lazy afternoon exploring them while growing up. Being familiar with many of the paths traveling this route will be very easy for him.

     Memories of his childhood start to flood his mind as he is taking a familiar path. The times he has camped out, hiding from his mother when he was in serious trouble, and even just lazing about when he had nothing better to do with his time. He wishes he could relive those days, even if it was only for a moment; such a thing is impossible. At least he can relive them through his memories.

     As he is walking he can't help but notice that something is off, or rather a lack of something. He has not seen or heard a single trace of any wildlife. The sound of birds chirping, squirrels scurrying through the trees, maybe even a deer. Their absence is unsettling to him and it is a cause for some concern since this means that something has frightened them off. He stops moving to take a good look around, whatever has them spooked must be close.

       Looking towards a clearing he can make out the figure of a woman lying on the ground. Normally this wouldn't be an odd thing to see, but from what he can tell she looks to be huge. "Is she a loft?" He has seen plenty of pictures of these giant women, but to actually see one? Granted, they are a common sight throughout the land and are known to interact and socialize with people.

     Straying from his intended path, Jorund begins to head towards the clearing. He has a strong feeling that she won't be the only loft he will see, but to come across one like this is certainly an opportunity he can't pass up. He knows that a loft can range anywhere between thirty to fifty feet in height, and this one looks to be somewhere in the middle of that height range.  As he gets closer he can see her more clearly through the trees; long black hair, dark-skinned, and a yellow dress with thin straps over her shoulders. His eyes trail down her body, noting that she has no shoes on her feet, a sight that he can't help but admire.

       Getting even closer, he can see something that he had never expected to see. Ropes, pinning her down to the ground. He can't help but be disgusted by the sight, wondering who can do such a thing. He has heard a lot of things about lofts, but not a single thing that could justify binding one. He resolves to undo the ropes that are holding her, only stopping when he hears several voices.