Better the (apparent) devil known than unknown...

They eventually decide that they are at greater risk from the merchant's employer and agree to go back.

Why? In the end it came down to the merchant (who's YET to be named) rather flimsy lie seems real enough to the young female giants. After all, they saw his form shift and twist in front of their very eyes. Saw the ram horns grow out of his forehead AND the process did NOT sound at all pleasant. In other words, they know well enough that the process occurring to the merchant is real enough, even IF they are mistaken in believing the same should befall them.

The merchant's a crafty one, even when panicked. Besides, panicked or not his tale did seem to have more than a bit of truth to it.

Including it explaining just how the female Frost Giants (with Braveheart following all the way) managed to get OUT of the mage's place. In retrospect, it had seemed more than a bit odd on how things had gone down. Magical symbols drawn on doors that had been inert while the young giants had bashed their way INTO the mage's house (and OVER the human guards in their way) had been aglow. To what end, they had not been exactly sure what they had been for but surely nothing good. At first, they had worried a bit that those symbols had been meant to keep them INSIDE (in whatever form the mage had chosen for them) IF they should awaken before the bonding of their hearts to the mage could take place.

. . .

That was a wild guess, anyway. Honestly, they had no real knowledge on how the magic users outside of their tribal shaman would go about things. Just made sense to do it that way. After all, even the densest of Hill Giants know to corral their livestock, else it would go awanderin'.

Well, seeing no other realistic ways out they'd gone through the door and PRAYED for the best. AS it was, besides a little bit of tingling as they touched the door (with Braveheart right ON them), nothing happened.

The hope is that Braveheart IS the mage, somehow transformed, and that his presence will prevent anything . . . unwanted from occuring.

They say as much, telling the merchant that he IS coming along with them in this misadventure. If the girls are going to fry, then he's going to as well here!

"As it stands we are going to get the item you hired us to get and nothinig more," Hilda states, looking down at the goat man. "Gods only knows we're going to be pushing our luck as it stands with just that. Looting the house on top of everything else is NOT what we're gonna do for you."

"And I do hope you know that we'll be asking for a bit of a bonus for the risks involved," Gilda says softy, fingering her ax meaningfully. "Least you can do after this mess you tossed us and yourself into, right?"

"Juuust as long as I get back to normal," the merchant bleets.

IF I feel like it, the dragon snickers to herself, liking this worm squirm.

As sone as said they then soften their expressions somewhat, seeing the understandable fear in the man/goat man's eyes. While having little respect for those not of the giant kind, by Jove they have SOME empathy for the man who apparently had this happen to all of them unknowningly.

In other words, they can see that this is as much a surprise to him as them...

1. "What do they call you human?" Gilda asks, shaking her head slightly. "If we are to die I would at least like to know who I'm dieing with here."

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