Prinny's Felarya Stories

(Editing out the horribly, horribly outdated introduction )

This post should remain reasonably up-to-date, with links to all my Felarya stories, as well as actually posting them further down, so I don't feel bad about periodically bumping. I have no issues with criticism; please let me know what you think, if you take the time to read any of them.

Leg Envy
Introduction to the character Mina. Follows her exploits during one eventful day, wherein she tries to eat a fisherman, looks at clouds, gets hugged by a dryad, and encounters some very unlucky explorers before all is said and done. Fairly voreish towards the end.

Wet Shadows
On a dark and stormy night(heh), two adventurers attempt to locate and recover a valuable artifact, but as usual in Felarya, things don't go exactly as planned. Gets pretty vorish as well by the end.

Jewel River Blues: part 1
Mina returns, this time doing some fishing, and having a conversation with a Harpy, which leads her into more trouble. Not much vore this time, since most of that will take place in the second half.

Jewel River Blues part 2
Second half of the Jewel River Blues set. Mina has further adventures, involving a Harpy, Chlaena, a pacifistic Water Elemental, hydromancy, and quite a bit of vore. Much better than the first half, in my opinion, with a relatively fast pace and decent action.

Dryads Like Chocolate
A couple of explorers set out to bribe some information out of a dryad... using a giant chocolate bar. More action-oriented, with some vore at the end.

Presence of Mind
A peaceful conversation between a couple of dryads turns dangerous, when a very competent group of humans with unclear goals sets thier sights on one of the pair.

Ripples of Memory
A vegetarian water elemental guards a displaced sailing ship through its perilous journey toward safety.

Trails and Tribulations
A lone, stranded individual makes her way through Bulvon Wood in search of civilization, and instead discovers an unusual ally. Not to mention just how deadly Felarya can be.

When You Can't Eat Em'...
The stranded elementalist Rachel and the Tomthumb Nene return for a continuation of the story line in Trails and Tribulations, with a standoff, nekos, elves and more than a touch of danger.

A Spider's Parler
Rachel and Nene get up to even more danger in the Bulvon Wood, when a Dridder shows up with less than friendly intentions. A fair amount of vore in this one.

Finders Keepers: Part 1 and Part 2
A quest for treasure takes a Rosic neko, a mermaid, a noblewoman, and a necromancer into deadly peril on the Felaryan high seas.

The Seeking and the Sought
In this set-up chapter featuring characters from Wet Shadows and Dryad's Like Chocolate, I reintroduce the principle characters and set the stage for things to come. Not as boring as it sounds!

Conflict of Intrests
A semi-short stand alone about angelic and demonic Psycopomps in a little disagreement about the soul of a not-quite-dead-yet individual. Mostly humor.

Really a great story !
Nice to see you writting again ;p

I think you did an excellent job at describing and capturing the feel of Felarya. Somehow it was very easy to visualize

And I loved this secene with the little dryad. I smiled at her hungry innocence
I laughed at the quote :
"The enormous predator turned her eyes back to Sheena, wearing a reproachful expression, as though trying to lie your way out of being eaten alive was extremely rude."

XD

So far, so good. Cannot tell you anything to improve upon it.

The next part is now up:
Jewel River Blues: part 1

Figured I'd just bump this, since I've posted two stories since the last bump.

Second half of the Jewel River Blues set. Mina has further adventures, involving a Harpy, Chlaena, a pacifistic Water Elemental, hydromancy, and quite a bit of vore. Much better than the first half, in my opinion, with a relatively fast pace and decent action.
Jewel River Blues part 2

A couple of explorers set out to bribe some information out of a dryad... using a giant chocolate bar. More action-oriented, with some vore at the end.
Dryads Like Chocolate

Another story's up, for those interested. Thought I'd risk looking like a pimp and go ahead and bump this.

Trails and Tribulations
A lone, stranded individual makes her way through Bulvon Wood in search of civilization, and instead discovers an unusual ally. Not to mention just how deadly Felarya can be.

Very nice I like it

Because I crave attention, I'm gonna bump this once again. I'm also going to start copying my stories into this thread in addition to at DA, in the hopes of eking out a little more feedback/exposure, and to make these bumps seem a touch less gratuitous.

Up to date links to DA will still be in the 1st message.


Presence of Mind

Slow, even breaths. If she moved too much, there was a good chance she would die.

Hazel hated Kensha Beasts. The large, furry, intimidating creatures would not be able to discern her from the surrounding trees, so long as she remained still, but she suspected they wouldn't hesitate to attack a dryad, if discovered. Especially a smallish, unimpressive one like her. Though young, she was technically an adult in years, but had never quite put on the size and height of a full-grown dryad. Slender and spry, her dark greenish hair short and bobbed, she at least had good natural camouflage, even her skin being unevenly colored in light and dark greens.

As always, the Kenshas snuffled about for a while, even pawing at the earth inquisitively a little, before finally moving on. She waited a good, long while before relaxing, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Are they gone, dear?" a gentle voice rang in Hazel's head.

"Yeah. I really don't like those things..."

"I've never met anyone who does, to be honest. Be grateful we can just stay still, and they go away. Not everyone has such an easy time with them," Holly chided affectionately. She was one of the few dryads Hazel was completely comfortable linking with, since she never pressed, or became impatient with Hazel's... unusual idiosyncrasies.

"I guess... So, has anything interesting happened to you lately?"

"Yes, actually. I recently came into possession of a human-manufactured drink, something called 'chocolate syrup', they said. I'm rather looking forward to trying it," Holly sounded quite pleased about it, though Hazel hoped she wouldn't want to 'share'.

"How did you get it?" Hazel thought to her friend, hopeful she could steer the conversation.

"Well, humans can be quite reasonable, if you have something they want. They'll trade all sorts of lovely things for a bit of information."

"Is that safe? I mean, what if... what if they come back later, and try to... burn you down or something?"

"Mostly they seem to know better, but it has happened a few times. Fortunately I have ways of defending myself, and I usually get a lovely snack for the inconvenience."

"You're braver than me. I would never let a human see my location, and then let it go..."

"And well you shouldn't," Holly returned with sudden firmness, "because I am taking an unnecessary risk. But, well, we all have our little vices. I simply can't resist some of the foods they make."

"I think I'd rather just eat the humans, myself."

Holly seemed to laugh lightly, "That's certainly one way to go. But once you've tasted chocolate, you might change your mind. Of course, it doesn't produce any of those lovely wiggles, but the flavor is to die for," the elder dryad seemed to grow thoughtful for a moment, "I don't suppose you would like to share?"

Hazel winced at the conversation's turn, "No, thank you. I mean, that's very nice, but no."

"Dear, it's been how many years now? I know what happened hurt you, but you can't go on like this," Holly's thoughts were gentle, but Hazel felt only irritation and hurt.

"What is so wrong with just sharing thoughts?" the younger dryad blurted, reflexively pulling her senses back a little further, muffling Holly's presence, "I mean... I-I mean you're the only one who doesn't think I'm odd... damaged, because I won't get any closer. Everyone is always nice, but I know I make them uncomfortable..."

"I rather think it's they who are making you uncomfortable, though it's quite unintentional." Holly returned softly, a hint of sadness in her thoughts, "but you need to get past this. Dryads, by our very nature, cannot go out in search of experiences, instead we must wait for them to come to us. But in return we are gifted with the wonderful ability to share those experiences with each other. By cutting yourself off from this, you're missing out on a great deal that life has to offer."

"You don't understand. I was right there, right with her when she… when she burned. I felt her die... You can't imagine what that's like..."

"No, I can't. And it's a terrible tragedy that you can; entirely unfair. But the world is not always fair, and you have to do your best regardless of what comes your way. I fear what will become of you if you continue to withdraw like this."

"I… I know. But I don't… I don't think I'm ready. Thank you for putting up with me, I know it must be frustrating."

"Don't be silly, I just want to see you happy again."

"I'm not unhappy. I do kinda wish Selphy would bring me another batch of shrunken humans though..."

"Hmm, well, you know how forgetful she can be. I'll remind her next time I see her."

"So, you still haven't told me about how you got that 'chocolate' thing. What did the humans want in return?"

"I-just a moment, please. There's... hold on," Holly's thoughts sounded slightly alarmed, which made Hazel's whole body grow tense with concern. She'd never known Holly to be anything but steady and serene.

Seconds ticked by, as the darkness of twilight deepened in the surrounding forest, and Hazel's unease grew more acute by the moment. She couldn't tell much about what Holly was doing without deepening their link, unless Holly specifically thought in her 'direction'. And she was beginning to consider pressing just a little deeper, to see what was going on.

"Hazel?" Holly's 'voice' was thin with barely suppressed anxiety, an emotion she had never before displayed in their conversations.

"Y-yes? Are you okay? What's going on?"

"I'm alright, but... I can't seem to reach anyone but you. It's like I'm being blocked by something, it's... unnerving. Don't... don't break our link, please. I'm not sure I could reestablish it," she was trying hard to sound calm, but Hazel could tell she was very disturbed.

"But you're not hurt?"

"No. I don't feel anything overtly wrong with me, but nothing like this has ever happened before."

"Hmmm, your thoughts do feel fainter than usual, but I can still hear you okay."

"Yes, we were linked what whatever happened... happened, so perhaps-wait. There's something here."

"Who? Are you in danger? Do you need help?"

"No time to explain. I need to concentrate, so please be silent for now. And... please don't break this link," Holly's thoughts now held a bit of steely resolve in addition to the apprehension.

"Okay..." once again, Hazel stood silently in the omnipresent darkness, heart racing, feeling profoundly helpless and at a loss for what to do. Very nearly as helpless as when her best friend Poppy, the last individual who she had shared more than thoughts with, died.

What if something happened to Holly, while they were linked, even so lightly? Her heart sped up even more, and her breathing became uneven at the thought. It was horribly, horribly selfish to even think about, and she felt sick with guilt, but she couldn't go through that again. Couldn't watch another friend die, even if it would be more distantly this time... but she couldn't just abandon her, either.

"Hazel, I need you to listen very carefully," Holly's thoughts came across tense, and slightly distracted.

"I don't-"

"Listen! It's a group of humans. At least five, probably more I don't see. Very quick. Well armed. They're the ones who've cut me off from the network... poured something into the soil in a circle around me, I think. They threatened to burn the whole area down if I didn't show myself... so I have."

"No! How are-"

"Shh. I'm not sure what they want yet, but I'm quite certain I have to be alive to give it to them. They don't know I have an active link, they think I'm completely cut off, helpless. I'll try to stall them, but if I fight back alone... I'm not sure that will end well, in this case. I need you to send for help, but make sure to relay the fact that this is not some careless group of fairy hunters. They should be approached cautiously."

"B-but I've never even uprooted myself! And I'd never get there in-"

"No, I need you to relay the message. We just have to hope there's a dryad within shouting distance of a fairy or someone willing to help, and not too far away."

"Okay, I'll do my best, but this is really scary..."

"Yes it is. Hmh, I think they're getting suspicious, I need to give them my full attention. Stay calm, and relay the message, alright?" Holly replied, her thoughts only betraying a tinge of worry.

"I can't believe this is happening... oh... please don't die..."

"Don't worry, I didn't get to be this age on luck alone: I still have a few tricks to my name yet."

Hazel didn't waste any more time. She reached out her senses, seeking the nearest dryad who was not Holly, linking with Talith, who seemed to be chatting sleepily with someone. Hazel didn't observe any of the usual etiquette, instead going with the mental equivalent of just barging in on her.

"Holly's in trouble and there's a big group of humans that I don't know what they're after but they cut her off from the network somehow and now we need somebody to help her!!"

"Muh? What...? Who... izat' you Hazel?"

"And, and she said they're really dangerous, too!"

"Slow down. I can't understand what you're talking about. Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No, Holly is! There's a group of humans threatening her or something, and they somehow cut her off from the network, and she needs somebody to come help! Oh! And she said there were at least five of them, probably more."

Talith suddenly sounded much more alert. "Whoa, are you sure about that? Sounds serious."

"It is serious! Please, is there anyone mobile nearby?"

"Yeah, I was talking with her just a second ago. Should I send her over there?"

"Yes!! But, but tell her to be careful. Anyone who can scare Holly must be pretty scary."

A few seconds passed in silence between them, as Talith presumably spoke with her friend. "Okay, she says she's going to grab a friend first, just to be safe. She says they'll be over there as soon as they can."

"Thank you, I don't know what I would have done if there hadn't been anyone around."

"Kept looking. You said she was cut off from the network? I'm gonna try to reach her anyway..." Seconds passed as Talith presumably tried to reach Holly, before finally giving up. "Wow, okay, I didn't really believe it but... it's like she's just not there. Hey, how did you even find out about this?"

"We're linked right now. Whatever happened, it seems to only prevent her from making new links, doesn't beak an existing one."

"Alright... well, tell her to hang in there, help is on the way."

"Okay, thanks for everything."

Hazel pulled away from Talith, returning her attention Holly, about whom she could discern... absolutely nothing.

"Holly...?" Hazel sent, "are you still okay? Help is coming." In response she got a single not-quite-word, the mental equivalent of Holly holding up a hand to request silence. And so in silence she stood, surrounded by darkness and chirping insects, no clue what was happening, anxiety filling her with nervous energy that had nowhere to go.

The tense dryad closed her eyes after a while, edging her senses closer to Holly bit by bit, until she could actually catch wisps of her surface thoughts, and thus her conversation with the humans. It wasn't really spying, since Holly knew she was there, and Hazel was getting desperate for anything she could pay attention to.

"...can kill me if you want, but I can't do this any faster..." Hazel tensed at the mention of killing, but Holly didn't sound like she was in mortal peril just yet. She seemed to be concentrating on something intently, even when she wasn't speaking, and another long silence followed.

The human spoke again, evident from the ripple of irritation and hint of genuine fear that Holly felt. Hazel was distantly aware she was getting surface emotions from Holly now too, in addition to thoughts.

"...I'm sorry, it doesn't work that way. We communicate over great distance; there is never any need for a dryad to know the exact location of another of our kind..." The human seemed to respond to this in a threatening manner, judging by the reply.

"...No, I do not want that. I have done all I can to acquiesce to your demands because I don't want that, but what you ask is not possible in this time-frame..." The human then did something that caused Holly to cringe in pain, and Hazel felt her restrain the urge to retaliate with considerable effort.

"...that is not necessary. I'm doing the best I can, you will simply have to be patient..." The human responded with something, but Holly evidently didn't think it was worth replying to, as she returned to her silent concentration.

Hazel's hands covered her mouth, though she didn't know exactly when they had got there. This was far, far worse than she had envisioned. Holly seemed genuinely afraid, and those humans were hurting her, who knew how, or how badly. She felt sick with worry, and there was not a thing she could do but wait.

And wait she did. Hours slowly passed, no one saying a word, Holly concentrating on whatever she was doing, and Hazel just waiting, through the most unbearably tense, helpless time of her life. Insects chirped, and the stars slowly crawled across the night sky, but nothing else changed for what felt like a thousand lifetimes. Finally, Holly spoke.

"Hazel, can you still hear me?" The young dryad started at her friend's voice, which was disturbingly faint, but still clear.

"Yes, I-I can hear you. Are... are you dying...?"

"No, but I'm afraid I have to break our link now."

"Why?"

"Because my 'captors' have instructed me to uproot myself, and I'm nearing the point where there won't be enough of me in the soil to speak with you."

"I don't understand, why would they...?"

"I am unsure, but I assume they wish to take me somewhere. Hopefully I will not have to find out the details. Now, whatever happens, remember that I care deeply about you, and that I'll always be proud of you," Hazel felt tears forming in her eyes, and Holly's thoughts were thick with suppressed emotion. Then, for just a moment, she pushed past Hazel's comfort zone, enveloping her in a warm, gentle feeling, the dryad equivalent of a hug. "Goodbye."

And then she was gone.

======================================================

The preceding hours had been among the more miserable of Hazel's young life. The silence that had followed losing contact with Holly had been the second most unbearable she had endured, and no pertinent information had been forthcoming from anyone else.

Eventually she just withdrew her senses completely from the network, not especially wanting to share her grief and worry with anyone, or hear the hollow words of consolation when the inevitable news came.

Trying fitfully to sleep, Hazel felt like her stomach had been tied in knots, and did her very best to not think about anything at all. For a while she drifted in and out, half-asleep dreams plagued with visions of Holly set ablaze, or other, more abstract and yet somehow more horrible things done to her. Soon it became difficult to separate dream-Holly from herself, which oddly made the nightmares slightly less horrifying. Eventually, the welcome blanket of deep, oblivious sleep found her, promising a respite from reality, if only a brief one.

...

Hazel! Wake your lazy self up!" Irritation and confusion welled up in equal parts, as Hazel drug herself out of what had finally become a sound sleep. At first she couldn't quite remember why it had been so hard getting to sleep, but then it all came back in a rush. Her heart shifted into overdrive, hammering in her chest almost painfully, as she rubbed her blurry eyes to take a better look at who had woken her.

"You up?" the fairy asked a little more gently, stepping forward.

"Selphy?"

"Yep, that's my name." Selphy giggled for some reason, "I'm here about that whole fiasco with Holly yesterday. Man, who would have thought a group of humans could be such a pain!"

"Is... is she dead?"

"Wha? No, no she's fine, silly. Dead, honestly. She was right, you really were worried. We would have just had another dryad give you the news, but somebody wasn't accepting messages, apparently."

"Err, sorry. I was just... um... Sorry."

"No harm done. I tell ya' though, it's a good thing Izzelette brought me along, cause' those humans were nuts!" Selphy's eyes seemed to light up.

"What?"

"It was actually kind of awesome in retrospect. The second they noticed us (which was way sooner that I expected!) they just went crazy! Izzy and I were zipping around, trying the shrink them, but they must've been related to Tonorions or something, cause' it only worked on a few of em'. They were shooting arrows and ice spells, and all kinds of crazy stuff at us, and Izzy's wing got hurt! But then Holly jumped in, set the roots and vines after em' with her magic! But then they just went berserk, and started setting fire to everything, and shooting these little things that exploded when..." Selphy trailed off upon noticing Hazel's horrified expression.

"Umm, actually, Holly made me swear not to worry you with the details... Sooo, in the end everyone was fine, but most of the humans got away, too. Barely a snack for all that trouble. Holly decided it was time she relocated for obvious reasons, so Izzelette got stuck with the most boring job ever: dryad escort mission! You really do move amazingly slowly, even after uprooting yourselves."

"But everyone's okay?"

"Yep, thanks to you. Holly said if you hadn't been there, things might have had a much less happy ending. Speaking of which, these are for you, courtesy of Holly, and reduced to your preferred size by yours truly!" Selphy held up her characteristic cage of woven branches, wherein two very alarmed humans looked out fearfully at Hazel.

"Are you sure I should have them? I mean, I didn't really do anything..."

"Positive. Holly said it's been too long since you've had something nutritious to eat, and I agree; so we saved these two for you." Taking a closer look, Hazel noted that both humans were female, and also seemed to be lacking the usual coverings humans wore.

"Holly stripped em' earlier," Selphy said in reply to Hazel's questioning look, "since they were so well-armed, she wanted to make sure they didn't have any more sneaky tricks."

"Wait! We weren't even trying to kill her! This-this is all a big misunderstanding!" One of the humans cried imploringly, eyes wide.

"Oh, I think I understand your place on the food-chain pretty well," Hazel replied absently, rather more interested in how they would taste, than their intentions. The human grew a bit paler, and took a step back in her confined space.

"Also, Holly wanted me to give you this, and said to say that she 'was going to get to share it with you after all', or something." Selphy held out a little wooden... thingy, in which some sort of thick, mud-colored substance was held. While it didn't look all that appetizing, the smell was quite enticing.

"Is this that... chocolate thing she told me about?"

"Sure is. Holly gave us all some, and it goes great with humans, so feel free to give em' a little dip." The humans let out audible gasps at the proclamation, and Selphy held the cage up at face-level, winking at them, "Don't make those faces, you two! You get the rare privilege of being made extra-tasty: not every human is so lucky."

"L-lucky?! Are you insane? Or just sadistic? This is murder! You're monsters!"

Selphy rolled her eyes, "Mmh, looks like they're getting all uppity. Which isn't that surprising, considering what trouble they were. Not so tough now, though. Here you go." The exuberant fairy proceeded to hand the cage and container of chocolate to Hazel happily."

"Thank you. You sure you don't want one?"

"Nah, I get humans pretty often, and you almost never do. Help yourself." Selphy then looked around inquisitively, "Ohh, I like the way those branches over there look... I've never seen a tree like that before. I wonder if I could..." Without a lick of warning, the fairy zipped off out of Hazel's line-of-sight, intent on her incomprehensible goal. She'd be back for the cage eventually, (probably) but when Selphy got distracted, it was usually for a while.

For a moment Hazel was stuck with the conundrum of how to get the cage open, and a human out, without dropping her chocolate or risking them escaping. But after a bit of near-juggling, and setting the cage on the ground, she sorted it out.

The tiny creature wriggled enticingly in her hand; it had an athletic build, with short, dark hair and skin that was a pretty light-brownish color. And judging by her struggling, would be very pleasant in Hazel's belly.

"Nooo, nonono, this can't be happening! We planned it all out so well, spent years setting everything up! It can't just end like this!" Ignoring its incomprehensible babbling, the dryad took her human between two fingers, gradually lowering it feet-first into the chocolate. The tiny treat wiggled and kicked, splashing about in the syrupy substance for a few seconds before Hazel retrieved her.

The little human looked rather amusing all sputtering and covered in chocolate, but Hazel didn't admire her handiwork for long, instead opting to find out how it tasted. Feeling in the mood to relax and take her time, Hazel planted a slow, firm lick across the human's front side, eliciting a series of frantic little whimpers from her. The human's flavor was all one could ask for; a light, sweet, aromatic taste, complimented perfectly by the chocolate, which added its own rich, complex note.

"Ohhh, you do go well with chocolate, don't you?" Hazel murmured happily, already opening her mouth for another taste.

"No! This is insanity! Cruel and unusual! I want my lawyer! I wannnmmph!" the dryad interrupted by closing her mouth over the human's front half, sucking gently as the delicious creature wiggled against her tongue. Another little sigh escaped her, when the flavor bloomed wonderfully onto her pallet, she closed her eyes, slurping up her meal, mouth almost acting of its own accord.

Once fully situated on Hazel's very pleased tongue, the human squirmed energetically, movements only helping to spread her flavor throughout the dryad's mouth. Running her tongue gently over the smooth, shifting form of her treat, Hazel savored the feeling for several long, luxurious moments, before finally ending it with a satisfying swallow. The wriggling lump traveled down her throat slowly, settling into her stomach in that oh-so-pleasurable way. As she had hoped, the human continued to move and struggle about in her belly with much vigor, yet another sigh of happiness escaping her lips in response.

"Mmmm, so good," Hazel licked her lips slowly, enjoying the after-taste until it faded completely. Then, she opened her eyes, focusing them intently upon the remaining caged human.

"Okay, th-that was fair. She deserved that. But I swear I didn't even know what was going on! I was just following orders!"

"Orders?" Hazel queried, feeling mildly puzzled, "Oh! That's right, you were part of that group that went after Holly, right? I nearly forgot."

"Forgot?! B-b-but then why...?"

"Mmh, I don't really care one way or the other, so long as Holly is okay. You're just food, after all. Getting mad would be kinda silly." Deciding she wasn't especially interested in this conversation, Hazel reached down and snared the remaining human in her free hand. Compared to the other human she was light of hair and complexion, and seemed a bit more slender and less muscular.

"Alright: chocolate time for you."

"No! Don't you dare p-pgphagk!!" The human made exceedingly silly sounds as Hazel drizzled the tantalizing chocolate over her head, squirming like mad, which only served to make her seem all the more edible. The dryad giggled a little to herself, bringing the chocolate-soaked treat up to her face, licking her lips in anticipation. ...but, the human did seem pretty miserable all covered chocolate, and Hazel felt the tiniest little pang of guilt in response.

"Umm, thank you for being so delicious and nourishing, I really appreciate it," the dryad said finally, immediately feeling much better about the whole thing. The gesture seemed very appropriate; after all, humans were a source of great nutrition, pleasure and satisfaction. Credit where credit was due.

"You're thanking me? Before you kill me via digestion? Th-this is insane. This whole damn world is insane!" Feeling pleased with herself, Hazel opened her mouth wide, the human squeaked and kicked wildly in response, flinging minute droplets of chocolate to land on the predator's tongue, wetting her appetite. Hazel extended said tongue, using it to guide the human's little flailing legs into her mouth, enjoying the way the chocolate/human flavor filed her mouth.

She sucked slowly, attempting to take her time, but before Hazel knew it, she was gently pushing the human's head between her lips with a forefinger, her cries muffled but her squirming now all the more acute. And pleasant. This human had a more strong, deep flavor than the previous, and while the chocolate didn't compliment her quite as well, she was still easily the second-most delicious thing Hazel had ever tasted.

This one lingered in her mouth far longer than the first, shifting around and filling the dryad's senses with that bliss-inducing flavor. With an almost regretful swallow, Hazel sent the second and final human on her way, squirming as she went, down her throat and then finally into her eagerly waiting stomach. The constant movements of the two occupants quickly blended together into a single, pleasant whole, the warm contentment spreading out from Hazel's belly to encompass her entire being. Nothing felt quite so good as squirming food in one's stomach.

"Mmmm, I'll have to thank Holly when I talk to her next," the young dryad murmured to herself, licking the chocolate off her fingers happily, as sleepy satisfaction settled over her like a warm summer rain. Her stomach gurgled loudly as though in agreement, followed by a sharp increase in the volume and urgency of the yells and wriggles therein. She giggled slightly, giving her belly an affectionate pat.

She spent a few minutes lazily polishing off the rest of the chocolate, basking in the profound pleasure of the squirmy, wiggly movements in her middle, and rich flavor in her mouth. Once finished, Hazel carefully set the container down next to the cage, stifling a yawn. A good meal seemed to always make her sleepy, for whatever reason, and so she decided on a quick nap. Just while she waited for Selphy to come back for her cage and chocolate-holder thingy.

Drifting off into a light sleep, she decided that the day had somewhat redeemed itself, despite the hours of worry, anxiety and nightmares. Little did she know, her day had been overall perfectly pleasant compared to the experience of the two individuals she was currently digesting. But extrospection is a rare thing indeed in Felarya.

I say it again but I really loved that story
you did a great job at building the tension, and conveying Hazel's feeling in front of that threat ^^ Then on the second part, that vore scene was great X3

Quite an interesting story, with some surprisingly tense moments. I think you really demonstrated just how vulnerable a dryad can really be; they can't run from anything that could harm them.

PrinnyDood wrote:

Little did she know, her day had been overall perfectly pleasant compared to the experience of the two individuals she was currently digesting. But extrospection is a rare thing indeed in Felarya.

Seeing as they are inside her, wouldn't that be "introspection"?

Karbo wrote:

I say it again but I really loved that story
you did a great job at building the tension, and conveying Hazel's feeling in front of that threat ^^ Then on the second part, that vore scene was great X3

Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it so well, I'm reasonably proud of how it came out, actually. It's not really that easy to make what essentially amounts to a extended conversation between two dryads tense and interesting. I suppose it might have gotten a bit more notice if I hadn't released it right around the 'jolly season', though. XD

Oldman40k2003 wrote:

Quite an interesting story, with some surprisingly tense moments. I think you really demonstrated just how vulnerable a dryad can really be; they can't run from anything that could harm them.

Thank you! And yes, if someone has her location and a good idea of her potential reach, most dryads are virtually helpless, without some sort of magic or other. Even then, standing fixed to a single spot is not a great position to be in during a conflict.

Oldman40k2003 wrote:

Seeing as they are inside her, wouldn't that be "introspection"?

Hahah! Yes, from a certain perspective, I suppose it rather would.

My group contest entry, which lost due to the completely unfair situation wherein a much better story was entered into the same contest.

Ripples of Memory

They stared at each other, bobbing torso-deep in the choppy waters, as rays of light from the rising sun turned the sky above a light pink. The Selachi had a sleek and muscular build, short, messy jet-black hair, the intimidating array of teeth and claws the shark-like predators were infamous for on full display. She held herself with confidence but not overt hostility, as though she were the baddest thing to swim the waters and knew it, but had nothing to prove. Which was probably not far from the truth.

"I have no interest in an altercation. You are far from your home here in these waters, it would be in both our interests to go our separate ways peacefully. I must ask that you stop following us." Nerissa kept her voice even, non-confrontational.

"I don't care about hyu. But I tink maybe dot ship of yours has some humans in it? I'd like to take a shot at it, if hyu don't mind?" Her tone seemed an odd combination of threatening and playful, her accent exotic and quite thick. Then again, having to talk over two rows of large, razor-sharp teeth probably wasn't that easy.

"That will not be possible. The people in this vessel are under my protection. There is nothing for you here."

"Hyu look pritty soft to me. Veak, not much fight in hyu. If hyu know vot's goot for hyu, maybe hyu jusht go avay. No shame in dot."

"No, I will not, neither am I intimidated by you. I am not afraid to resort to physical violence, if you leave me no choice."

The Selachi laughed, though it was not especially derisive. "Vell, maybe I jusht take a couple of leetle bites then, see if hyu change hyu mind?" She approached slowly, swimming in a lazy zig-zag pattern, flexing her wickedly clawed hands. Nerissa braced herself, and the aquatic apex-predator lunged at her in a sudden rush, cutting through the water like a spear.

She caught both outstretched hands by the wrists, keeping those claws away from her body, but the sheer power of the charge forced her back, the Selachi taking this opportunity to strike in under her guard, biting into Nerissa's torso. Each tooth razor-sharp and serrated, the elemental held in a cry of pain as they pierced her, retaliating by bringing a knee up into the aggressor's neck, followed by a sharp elbow down onto her temple.

Grunting, the Selachi released her hold and pulled back, taking a swipe with one of her clawed hands. Nerissa caught her by the wrist, twisting, manipulating the joint to get her into a position where subdual would be possible. Her opponent growled in frustration, thrashing and working her tail. Sheer, superior brute force allowed her to quickly rip away from Nerissa, taking some distance before slowing to a stop.

"Ha! Hyu are much queeker than hyu look! Maybe this vill be fun after all." The Selachi rolled her head back and forth, as though stretching. Then she grinned, displaying her impressive collection of rather pointy teeth. Nerissa was not going to be able to hold back...

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Four days earlier...

The sky after a storm was always especially beautiful, in her mind, and today was no exception. A setting sun served to further enhance the scenery, gorgeous splashes of orange and yellow painting the wispy clouds that lingered in the wake of their more aggressive brethren. All was silent, save for the rhythmic splashes of waves against the mighty ship's hull at her back, and the creaking as it rocked in the water. A peaceful, almost sleepy scene, but Nerissa would not be sleeping. Not for quite a while, if all went well.

Even amongst the other mighty giants of Felarya, Nerissa was unusual. Humanoid in shape, without any of the usual deviations, she stood considerably taller than the average giantess, her unclothed skin an iridescent bluish color, which could be seen as slightly translucent by those who closely observed. Though she was not a being of flesh and blood, her features were an almost perfect recreation of such, with the exception of her hair, which she could never get to look quite right. She had never encountered another of her kind, though she had been told they existed.

Currently, Nerissa swam alongside an unusually large ship, the occupants of which she had taken it upon herself to see to safety. The captain and crew clearly did not trust her, were quite reasonably afraid of her, but after repelling a Chlaena on their behalf, they had reluctantly allowed her to guide them to civilization. The Shard River would be the quickest route, and they would most likely be in its waters by nightfall.

The protection of the weak, helpless or (in this case) simply unfortunate was often a thankless and even lonely task, and though she had not chosen that life thinking it would be fun or easy, the isolation still weighed on her from time to time, even after so many years. Though the little humans often moved around on the upper deck, performing their tasks with efficiency, repairing the damage her altercation with the Chlaena had wrought, none had approached her in the four days since. Seemingly going out of their way to avoid the area near where she floated alongside them, in fact.

Still, the peace and quiet was relaxing, and Nerissa allowed itself to drift into a meditative mindset, senses stretching out to the surrounding water, such that nothing could approach without her knowledge. All was calm in the smooth, endless waters, nothing that could pose a threat to the ship within range of her senses.

Time crept by slowly, the rippling waters soon bathed in silvery moonlight, all the while Nerissa patiently followed alongside the ship. Her thoughts drifted freely, touching upon events of her recent and more distant past, a depressing majority of which were painful to recall. Her closest friend from long ago, eyes full of tears and mouth bleeding from a wound Nerissa herself had inflicted. Another friend, this one human and more recent, a frown glued to her tiny face as they debated morality late one night. An enraged Dridder driving a spear through midsection, the disbelief naked on her face when Nerissa did not fall. A blonde woman on a beach, wispy hair trailing in the sea breeze, wholly innocent and free of malice, and yet...

Nerissa snapped herself away from the reverie, unwilling to tread that all-too-familiar mental road again. It did no one any good, only causing herself unnecessary pain. While she had once indulged in such self-flagellation frequently, she had since grown past it. Mostly.

It was well past midnight when a sound roused her attention. A door, opening and closing, followed by light footsteps behind her on the deck of the ship. Ships require constant maintenance and oversight, doubly so after the damage her fight with the Chlaena had caused, thus Nerissa ignored the late-night visitor, as they had so far ignored her, returning her attention to the surrounding waters. The ship itself was a truly magnificent vessel, well over double her height in length, and no doubt weighing several times what she did. Its armament was considerable; guns, arrows, harpoons and even cannons in ample supply, though perhaps not quite enough to repel a persistent predator. And so she remained to ensure no more innocent lives were lost.

The tiny steps seemed to approach, stopping at the railing directly behind her. Surprised and somewhat curious, the elemental turned and rose up a bit in the water, her eyes resting upon a slight young woman, dark of hair and pale of skin, wearing a silky dark blue robe. She gasped, eyes going wide in something between fear and awe, hands covering her mouth. Nerissa felt a sudden rush of affection for the tiny creature.

"It's alright, you need not be afraid. You came out to have a look at me, I assume?"

"O-oh my gods... Are you a goddess? I-I mean, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be f-forward. You're just so beautiful." Nerissa felt a sudden stab of pain in her chest, the emotion so acute and unexpected she found herself blinking away tears. Those words... So like ones spoken to her long ago, words that still haunted her dreams on especially bad nights.

"I'm sorry! I didn't... I didn't mean to offend you!" the human said worriedly, stepping forward with what must have been considerable bravery.

"No... Forgive me, you have not. You just reminded me of someone for a moment. As you probably know, my name is Nerissa. It is a pleasure to meet you. And in answer to your question, I am a water elemental, not a goddess."

"Oh, umm... I'm Petra. If you don't mind, what is a water elemental? I'm a disciple of an order who seek to read and better understand the element of water, but I've never heard of anything like you." The human seemed to have gotten over her initial fear, eyes now shining with curiosity, which made Nerissa smile despite herself.

"As I understand it, I am a type of spirit, this body you see before you is comprised completely out of magically animate water."

"How is that possible? You look so real, so organic..."

"It is a very complex system, every bit as sophisticated as your body, though it relies far more on magical energy than chemical. It can even be destroyed by sufficient trauma, though I have the luxury of being able to construct a new one if it happens. That process can take weeks however, and is very uncomfortable."

"That's amazing! ...May I touch you? I mean, I can 'read' water; where it's been, things that have happened in and around it, and I'm curious. The water here is really hard to read, but I'm starting to get the hang of it." Petra stepped right up to the railing bravely, though it was clear she was still somewhat intimidated.

"I would prefer... If you did not. I'm sorry, but I have born witness to many things that I would prefer not be dredged up, and in all likelihood you would sleep better not knowing about."

"Oh," Petra looked away uncomfortably, "I'm sorry, I suppose it would kinda be an invasion of privacy. It's really that dangerous here though, huh?"

"It is, but I will see to it you are not harmed."

"Speaking of which, why did that octopus monster attack us? I wasn't above when it happened, but they say it talked, that it seemed intelligent..." the girl appeared keen on changing the subject, but Nerissa winced. She never enjoyed the inevitable 'food chain' talk with newcomers.

"For food," the giantess paused, searching for a way to explain that wouldn't frighten her too badly, but as always coming up short, "humans are considered a... 'Delicacy' of sorts, by many here. But it is not out of malice; they see you as nothing more than food, and will act accordingly."

The human looked distinctly alarmed, swallowing nervously, "Seriously? How widespread is it? The belief that we're... Food, I mean?"

"Among those of my size scale? Almost universal. I have never encountered another who understood as I do, though I'm sure they must exist. That is why it is very important that I get you all to Negav. Humans control that area; you'll be safe there."

"Oh! That reminds me why I came out here." Petra's brows suddenly wrinkled with worry, "I wanted to ask you if you saw a couple of little boats before you found us? With people wearing robes like mine? They sneaked off the ship before things went all crazy, but they haven't come back..." The human looked so worried, wringing her hands, a hint of fragile hope in her dark, earnest eyes. It always pained Nerissa to extinguish such hope, but lies would not help anyone.

"I'm sorry, but I did not. And after four days out there, it is very unlikely they are still alive."

"How can you be so sure!? They... They even had a water witch with them, maybe they... T-they got to land, o-or..." The human did not seem to be taking it well, shoulders hunched and breathing uneven.

"The land is very nearly as dangerous as the water in Felarya. The odds of survival without intimate knowledge of the area are minuscule. I'm sorry."

"I s-see. I've... I have to go. Thank you." Petra did not look all that thankful as she turned away, robe swirling around her, retreating back below deck in a rush.

Nerissa stared wistfully at the spot Petra had been for several minutes, before sinking back down into the water with a melancholy sigh. Her first real conversation in months, and it ended with her partner leaving in tears. Perhaps solitude was simply her destiny.

Rather than brood, or dwell on her lack of social skills, she closed her eyes and attempted to meditate, a technique one of her few (and now semi-estranged) human friends had taught her long ago. Normally it helped her focus, set aside her emotions and enhanced her ability to 'feel' the water around her, and all within it by association. But this particular night that calm state of mind was unusually elusive.

Her mind returned to its maudlin wondering, her early life in particular. Unlike most everyone she had met, Nerissa had no parents. Had never really even been 'born', in the traditional sense. Her earliest clear memory was of simply waking up in the sea, everything before that vague and abstract, like a dream. Had she been forged into existence by some mighty mage, who hadn't bothered to introduce her(or him)self? Or had she spent eons wondering as a primal, animalistic spirit, until passing through a portal by chance, the plentiful ambient magic of Felarya gifting her with self-awareness? She would likely never know.

And it didn't matter, truthfully. One's origins were far less important than what they did in the present, as someone wise had once told her: "We are our actions. Not where we come from, who our parents were, what we say, or even the thoughts we think on a day-to-day basis. Our actions, above all else, define us."

This was truth, as far as Nerissa was concerned. But unfortunately, her actions from the earlier half of her life were so drastically divorced from her more recent philosophy, she often wondered what, on the whole, her definition would be. Voracious, merciless predator, or gentle, stalwart protector? Maybe both. Or neither.

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Present...

Nerissa could withstand a lot more punishment that one might assume by looking at her, but the growing collection of scrapes, cuts, and lacerations were beginning to take their toll. She could only repair her body so quickly; there were limits, even immersed in water. And doubly so when engaged in brutal melee with one of Felarya's most dangerous predators.

The Selachi drove in fast, utilizing her superior swimming speed, slamming into Nerissa and snaring hold of her arm, sinking her teeth into the limb in a flash. The elemental was ready, jabbing her opponent in the face once, twice, three times, following up with a full-force kick to her midsection. The wild-haired giantess reeled, pulling back once more, but not before tearing a mouthful of Nerissa's 'flesh' free from her arm.

It hurt, and for a moment she feared the damage was enough her whole arm might lose cohesion, but a few moments of steely concentration stopped the damage from spreading. It would take hours to repair completely, but in the meantime the limb would retain most of its functionality.

The toothy giantess bit down on the chunk of Nerissa she had extracted, which just dissolved into the water from whence it came. She made a face, "I Svear, hyu're the blandest-tasting ting I've ever bit. Vat are hyu made off?"

"I am the very embodiment of the waters. You may be strong and fast, but I can do this forever," Nerissa lied smoothly, "You will eventually tire. I will not."

"Hmph. Hyu've been getting veaker and slower since ve started, so I tink hyu'll tire out just fine. Unlees hyu vant to give up now? Last chance."

"No."

"Fine vith me," The shark-like predator smirked, and then charged with a growl, dipping down at the last second, going under Nerissa's preemptive attack and charging back up from almost directly beneath her. She crashed through the elemental's last-ditch guard easily, tail still working to push her up and back through the water. Clawed hands took hold of her shoulders, digging in, jaws poised to clamp down on her neck. Nerissa pitched her head forward, slamming her forehead into the creature's mouth in retaliation, causing her to grunt in pain and relax her hold slightly... Just enough.

Nerissa wrenched herself free, those talons slicing into her once more as she pulled away, aiming a clumsy parting shot at the Selachi's head, which was easily dodged. The pointy giantess did something with her mouth, and then spit out a smaller tooth, now looking distinctly aggravated.

"Okay, dat's eet. Now I'm not havink fun anymore. I tried being nice; hyu just knock out my teeth. No more nice."

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One day earlier...

Three days since her conversation with the human Petra, and the sun was merrily radiating its warmth across the land and water, only the occasional cloud to break up the bright afternoon. The opening stages of the trek through the Shard River were well underway, but Nerissa was having a hard time staying focused. She was hungry. And not the dull, ignorable background hunger that had been with her to some degree for the past several decades. No, this was far more urgent, and unless she found a solution, she might do something in a moment of weakness she would regret later.

She had always preferred the ocean to rivers. The sea was so pure and endless, saturated with energy quite similar to what made up her true form; just basking in it was nearly all the nourishment she required. While rivers, or worse the land, always sapped her energy comparatively fast.

Gazing down through the crystal clear waters at the riverbed absently, Nerissa watched her own shadow and that of the ship creeping slowly across the aquatic terrain. The shifting dark spots rippled over rocks and plants and schools of fish, even a big, shelled snail-like creature nearly as large as herself. Nothing she could in good conscience eat, however.

Eventually they passed over an area dense in a variety of plant she had long ago become very familiar with; long, red-and-green mottled stems swaying gracefully in the current, they varied in thickness quite a bit, but the largest were nearly the diameter of her pinky finger. And most important, they were edible.

Unable to let the opportunity pass, Nerissa made the snap decision to risk briefly leaving her post beside the ship, slipping beneath the waves and swimming down to the riverbed. She gathered the plants efficiently, snapping them of at the base, being sure to give anything hiding amongst them time to relocate lest they be caught up and eaten by accident.

Once she had accrued a couple of handfuls, the elemental gave them one last shake to ensure there were no stowaways, and then began her ascend back up. She soon broke the surface, her upper half returning to the world of air and sunlight, quickly scanning the area for trouble. Nothing seemed to have happened in her absence, so with a sigh or relief, she turned her attention to the edibles in her hands.

"O-oh thank goodness you're back! I was afraid you left because of me, and..." A familiar female voice broke in, brittle with concern.

"Don't be silly, I was just gathering something to eat." Nerissa returned gently, turning to face her tiny visitor. Petra was wearing the same garb of blue silk as before, standing on her tip toes leaning on the railing. She looked far more composed than when Nerissa had last seen her.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense... We talked about offering you something to eat, but our stores are kind of low at the moment, and even a snack for you would be a pretty big dent in them..."

"I understand completely. I can go a long time without nourishment, and can gather my own when necessary. I... I am sorry if I offended you earlier."

"No!" Petra looked almost panic stricken, "Don't be sorry! You were just being honest, and I didn't want it to be true." She looked down, "You've already done so much for us out here, I'm sorry I ran off. It was rude."

Nerissa was overwhelmed with the desire to hug her, but given the impossibility of such an act, and the fact that picking her up would probably terrify the poor thing, she restrained herself. "Think nothing of it. It was a perfectly normal reaction to a sad situation."

"Ohh, it's not even that. I mean... This isn't the safest line of work I'm in; I've seen people die before. I only joined the crew a couple of months ago... 'pay off your debts in a single year, you won't even be near any fighting, safest way to go' they said. Now I'm the senior water sage here." She made a face, "It's just... I was so close to going with them. It's kind of crazy to think that if I hadn't gotten cold feet, I'd be out there right now."

"You should be grateful you were wise enough to reconsider. It almost certainly saved your life," Nerissa relaxed a little, since Petra seemed to be holding her composure. She raised a strand of the gathered vegetable matter to her lips, slurping it up with some satisfaction. The taste was mild and slightly sweet; far from a culinary sensation, but perfectly nourishing, which was what mattered. Petra gave her an odd look, as she consumed another.

"Uhhh, you don't... Chew?"

"I do, if something is too large to swallow. This ribbon grass is not."

"Ooh-kay. That's your call, I suppose. So, how is it?"

"Acceptably nutritious, I suppose. Would you like to try some?"

"Um! Okay, I mean, it's not poisonous to humans or anything, right?"

"I assure you it is perfectly safe. Though the humans who I've seen consume it seemed to prefer it cooked, and I must admit the aroma was superior." Nerissa broke off an especially tiny section from her bundle, laying it carefully into the human's hands. It was still about the diameter of her arms, and she staggered comically for a moment.

"Wow, uhh, thank you. I think I'll take it back and have the chef do something with it though. It's a little too big for me to eat right here." She looked down at the length of vegetable matter dubiously.

"That might be the best approach. I must admit I am constantly amazed by the wonders you humans can create, even with the barest of resources. Culinary and otherwise."

"Ohh, that's nice of you to say. I suppose it comes from having such comparatively tiny hands." The human returned lightly, though Nerissa wasn't quite sure if she was teasing or not. And in truth, didn't much care. She was just grateful for the company.

Several hours passed in semi-idle chatter, Nerissa learning numerous trivial but interesting facts about where Petra came from. As always she spoke little of herself, preferring instead to let her partner lead the conversation, or barring that, talk in general terms about the wonders and dangers of her own homeland of Felarya.

Eventually, Petra had to leave, as the sun began to set and paint the sky in its gorgeous hues. Feeling relaxed and something very close to contentment, Nerissa settled back down into the water, both her stomach and longing for company reasonably satisfied. The desire to sleep was also strong, especially after so many days without it, but she resisted, instead closing her eyes and going through her meditation routines.

Maybe, just this once, she could have a peaceful, amicable trip, without it degenerating into violence or philosophical debates.

...

It was the deepest, darkest part of the night, just before dawn would begin to lighten the sky, when Nerissa heard the familiar sound of a door opening and tiny feet making their way across the deck. Not wanting to be presumptuous, she maintained her position low in the water. It might not even be her, after all.

"Hey, Nerissa? Are you awake?" Petra's voice confirmed the elemental's hope, and she rose up with a smile.

"Yes. If I slept, I imagine I would get left behind."

"Oh, that makes sense. Wait, just how long has it been since you last slept?"

"A little over a week, I suppose," At Petra's horrified expression, Nerissa continued, "Don't worry, it is not as essential for me. Given a sufficient supply of food, I would barely need to sleep at all."

"Wow, you can't die, and you don't need to sleep. You're starting to make me kind of jealous. I suppose you elementals don't age, either?" Petra said playfully, setting some kind of bucket down beside her.

"I do not, but it is not something you need be jealous of, at least here."

"Oh, I suppose now you're gonna tell me how eternal youth is some sort of curse, huh?" The human placed her fists upon her hips in mock-seriousness, though her smile gave her away.

"No, it is of course a wonderful gift. But it is one shared equally by all who live in Felarya."

"...Wait, what now?" She blinked in confusion.

"Those who live here do not age past their peak physical years. In the case of humans that is around their middle twenties, I believe." Nerissa smiled at the incredulous expression glued to her tiny face. She enjoyed giving this particular explanation a great deal.

"I... What? You're kidding! I mean, it only applies to people who were born here, or something, right?"

"No. In Felarya, you will not die of disease or old age. Though if you are thinking of staying here indefinitely, you should remember how dangerous this place is. Many come here for eternal life, only to meet their end before reaching 30."

"I... Um. And no disease either, huh...? That must be pretty... Neat..." She looked a little wobbly, like she might faint. It wasn't a completely uncommon reaction from newcomers, either. Apparently old age and disease were considerable issues elsewhere.

"Mmm, careful now. If you fall overboard you'll ruin your clothes," The water elemental reached out with one hand, steadying the diminutive female with a single finger.

"No, I-I'm okay. I just... That's... Wow! Eternal life, huh? That's certainly something to think about. And you don't need to drink a magic potion or steal the souls of virgins or anything?"

"Haha, no, nothing like that. It is a completely natural aspect of living here. Many who come by accident end up staying for that very reason, in spite of the dangers.

"Wow..." Petra remained nearly speechless, leaning unabashedly on Nerissa's finger. She could never get over how endearing and adorable the tiny things were, when one stopped to look at them.

"What is that I smell?" the giantess asked after a moment, as a faint, but very pleasant scent made itself known.

"What is...? Oh! Oh that's right, I actually came out here to bring you something." Petra perked up, gesturing to the forgotten bucket she had brought. "The chef made it from that vegetable you gave me, I thought I'd bring you some. You know, since you only got to eat it raw. The chef said it wasn't good for anything besides grating into a salad until you cook it."

"Well, perhaps he simply wasn't hungry enough," Nerissa said lightly, though she nonetheless looked down curiously at the bucket. Some sort of stew, and the aroma was admittedly rather enticing. "It does not contain meat, does it?" the elemental asked somewhat uncomfortably after a moment.

"Nope, I kinda got the feeling you were a vegetarian, so I asked him not to. I know it's not much for you, but at least this way you can get a taste." the human backed up from the container slightly. Nerissa didn't hesitate, reaching down and carefully grasping the tiny vessel between two fingers. She upended the contents onto her tongue, just barely enough to sample the flavor. The chef knew what he was doing, Nerissa quickly decided, as the combination of herbs and seasonings complemented the comparatively single-note vegetable quite well. And after a moment, it was gone. Not even enough for a real swallow.

"That was lovely. Thank you very much."

"Oh, I didn't do anything. The Chef even said that once we get to Negav, if you can bring him the ingredients, he'll 'whip up enough stew to feed a hundred giants,'" Petra deepened her voice in what was clearly an affectionate mimicry of the Chef.

"Tell them that he's very kind, but I won't be able to enter Negav with you."

"What? Why not? I'm sure they'd understand that you're friendly, we could even vouch for you!"

"That is unlikely, I'm afraid. And moreover, there is a magical field around the city, which repels anything above a certain size. I will be able to guide you to relative safety, but you will all have to make the final leg of the journey without me."

"...Ohh. I... I'm sorry. That seems so unfair to you."

"It is for the best, I believe. Even if I could enter, I don't imagine I would be able to move around there without damaging things. You humans always get so upset when your things get broken." Nerissa tried to keep her voice light, joking, but Petra seemed genuinely pained at the knowledge they would be parting ways.

"Maybe, I could visit you, or..."

"No. Please to not. I have enjoyed your company greatly in these past days, but as you know, venturing into the wilds without years of training or a guide is incredibly dangerous. It is dangerous even with those things."

The human swallowed, looking down, "I know. I just... It just seems so wrong that you have to be out here in the wilderness all alone. And I can tell you're lonely, don't try to hide it!"

"I am not-" Nerissa paused, as something entered her zone of awareness. Something large. "Get back below. Off the deck."

"What? I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No, we're being followed. If this turns into a fight, you don't want to be on the deck when it happens. I'll try to keep this away from the ship if I can, but you'll be safer down below. Now hurry. Everything will be fine, I promise."

"What? I don't see-"

"No time, they're advancing quickly. Get below now!" Nerissa raised her voice for the first time in their conversations, feeling a pang of guilt when Petra cringed in response. But it was for her own protection. With luck it would just be a mermaid or something, curious about the ship. She could probably just intimidate them into backing down.

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Neither combatant had spoken in some time. Both knew there was no point, and that the energy was better reserved for the actual conflict.

There seemed no end to the Selachi's endurance; the blows were nearly 5 to 1 in Nerissa's favor, and yet she was the one on the brink of collapse. Her opponent seemed winded and bruised, but otherwise quite capable of continuing as long as it took. She was also getting wise to Nerissa's tricks; anticipating the moves and techniques that allowed the elemental to outmaneuver the physically superior Selachi. Not good.

The carnivorous predator charged forward once again, Nerissa aiming a preemptive kick at her head. She dodged, biting down on her thigh savagely in reprisal. The blue-skinned giantess twisted in the water, moving to strike her opponent in the face, but was too slow; The Selachi released her prematurely, once again dodging and then surging up right into her face.

The deadly predator grabbed her by both wrists, sharp, steely fingers digging into her flesh. She continued her charge, pushing Nerissa backwards through the water rapidly, until she felt herself strike something solid with crushing force. The hull of the ship, she realized in a daze. There was a shriek, and she also realized someone had been knocked overboard in the impact... Just before the Selachi pushed forward the last few vital inches, and bit into her neck.

Razor-sharp teeth pierced her, digging in savagely. She thrashed, but what little strength remained was bleeding away; she couldn't break free. She was going to lose. It would take weeks to recover her body, and by then, it would all be over. She'd probably never even know what happened... Who survived, if anyone. The Selachi growled, biting down harder... Cementing her victory. Then she made an odd, muffled mewling noise, and released her hold.

"Vat the hell?" She seemed to twitch, swatting at a hail of arrows and harpoons which rained down on her from the ship's deck. She covered her eyes and growled, the tiny weapons doing little harm, when they even broke her skin at all. Nerissa tried to capitalize on the moment of distraction, but her attack was battered aside easily, the Selachi grabbing her by the throat and forcing her down.

"Ha! You tink hyur leetle barbs scare me? I don't-hnnn!" the shark-creature exhaled as a fiery, comet-like projection streaked from the deck of the ship towards her face. It was not small, and moved very fast, hitting her square in the forehead before she could move to dodge. And then exploded into a brilliant halo of flames.

"Ghaa! Oww! Ahgh!" the Selachi yowled, rubbing her eyes in pain and thrashing about in the water. The injury would be superficial, but she was briefly blind, and had released Nerissa completely.

Nerissa moved with as much grace and fluidity as she could manage in her weakened state, darting in and getting behind the momentarily defenseless giantess. She wrapped one arm around her throat, forming a triangle, applying pressure to both sides of her neck. The effect was immediate and dramatic; the Selachi yelped, gasping as the effects of the hold set in. She thrashed, tried to tear at Nerissa's arm with her claws, but her strength was already leaving her. She made a few, panicked little sounds of protest, but muscles and teeth were useless when the arteries that brought oxygen to your brain were restricted. Soon she went limp, but Nerissa maintained her grip for a few heartbeats more to ensure she wasn't faking, and then released her.

"Rest now." As her vanquished foe lay motionless in the water, Nerissa paused a moment to re-center herself. Her body was at the very brink of collapse, and even after focusing on her numerous injuries to prevent them from spreading, she could maintain herself only by the barest of margins. But it was enough.

"Umm, c-could you help me up, please?" The voice was familiar, female, and thin with panic.

"Oh!" Eyes snapping open, Nerissa remembered the overboard human, turning and scooping her up out of the dangerous waters automatically.

"Ohhh, oh my. Are you okay?" Petra was looking unusually pale and waterlogged, staring up from the palm of Nerissa's hand.

"Yes, I am. But I believe I told you to go below."

"And I did! And then I came back out, and you were fighting that... thing, and then the ship went all topsy-turvy, and I fell out! Gods, it was so scary, I thought I was going to die!" She was breathing fast, unevenly, eyes wide with near-panic.

"It's alright now; you're safe. Let's get you back aboard, hmm?"

"Okay... that sounds good." Petra looked ready to faint, so she carefully placed the human back on her ship, where a sizable crowd had gathered, including the Captain. himself. A tall, wiry man in his middle 40s, impressively dressed, with short, vivid red hair.

"Thank you for the assistance once again, milady. And for returning our water sage; we've had a hard time keeping them on board, of late," the man said evenly, as a shivering Petra was wrapped in a blanket and led away.

"And thank you for your intervention; I was not aware you were a sorcerer," Nerissa returned with a tired smile, noting the smoke rising from the man's charred gloves.

"We all have a past. But right now I have to get things under control." With a nod he turned away, and was soon barking orders to the various humans skittering about the deck in a disarray. Nerissa had one last thing she needed to do as well, she realized.

Sinking back into the water to her neck, she seized the motionless form of the Selachi, pulling her down beneath the waves, dragging her along, in search of a suitable place. The hunt didn't last long; a large patch of willowy water-grass, tall enough to conceal the Selachi's form. Nerissa approached quickly, taking her limp burden and settling her down into the aquatic foliage such that she was nearly invisible from a distance. Good enough.

"Normally I would watch over you until you wake up, but there are others who need my protection more; this will have to do. But I imagine there are few who would deliberately wake a sleeping Selachi in any case." Nerissa lingered a few moments, not for the first time wishing she could be in two places at once, and then departed, returning to the vessel under her guardianship.

====================================

Nerissa floated along beside the ship patiently, calm but alert, her injuries from the previous day having mostly been repaired, ready to once again guard against any threat. It was never easy, and often lonely, but it was the life she had chosen, for better or worse. And on this particular day, she felt a certain degree of satisfaction and pride in that choice.

A door opened at her back, and small, familiar footsteps approached. She held her breath, hoping it would be her...

"Umm. Hey there, Nerissa. I'm sure it gets pretty lonely out here, and I don't have much to do as a navigator, since we already know where we're going... So, I was wondering if you might like some company?"

"Yes, I would like that very much."

I already said that on DA but whatever XP
this is a great piece, very nicely written that develop a lot Nerissa. And I really like how you handled the different tones here, it made the reading all the more captivating. Great job !

Karbo wrote:

I already said that on DA but whatever XP
this is a great piece, very nicely written that develop a lot Nerissa. And I really like how you handled the different tones here, it made the reading all the more captivating. Great job !

Hmm, don't know how I missed this. Anyway, thanks once again.

So, storytime! Here we have the continuation of Rachel and Nene's crazy adventures in the Bulvon Wood, complete with nekos and an awesome/cruel cliffhanger! You should probably read Trails and Tribulations before this one, but I try to keep my stories reasonably standalone compliant, so it's your call.


When You Can't Eat Em'...

The hideous, inhuman creature raised its grotesquely mangled head, bearing down on Rachel Gyfford with malevolent purpose. The worm she had killed was back, and apparently it wanted revenge. Somehow still alive despite the horrific damage she had inflicted on it days earlier, the creature squeezed in through the only entrance to the little cave in which Rachel has been sleeping moments before, cutting off any hope of escape. It closed in with agonizingly slow movements, and her frantic, frazzled mind couldn't seem to remember how to summon her magic to ward it off.

Nene, the tiny humanoid she had been traveling with, was saying something, something she knew was important somehow, but it was too faint to make out, and she couldn't find the miniature woman no matter where she looked. She couldn't leave without her, she knew, her search for the tiny creature growing ever more frantic, despite the fact there was no way out.

Then, everything grew fuzzy, and Rachel became vaguely aware that she was waking up. But the sound of voices did not diminish. They were real. Tearing her eyes open, she blinked awake. Someone was talking near her hiding place. At least two someones, in fact.

"...sick of moving along the ground..."

"...can't climb... ...them too Kemsiyet... ...scout a path they can travel..."

"...don't have to like it..."

"...You remember... ...just one elf... ...be able to buy..."

"...Ha!... ...for the right price... ...need it to survive..."

"...in luxury for quite a while..."

"...a whole mess of tinies..."

"...don't remind me..."

Unable to make heads or tails of what little she could catch, Rachel crept up to the entrance, noting it was now full day outside. She spotted a pair of humanoid figures, talking in hushed voices only a few paces away. Mind still hazy from sleep, she decided that revealing herself to these people was by far the smartest course, lest they move on and she be unable to find them again.

"Hey, are you from this area? I could really use some directions," the fair-haired human said, trying to keep the grogginess out of her voice and stepping out of the tree-crevice, holding her hands up, palms out, in a sign of peace. Both figures jumped several inches into the air in surprise, backpedaling and drawing weapons. Not the most friendly response.

Both were female, and possessed distinctive, pointed, almost feline ears, as well as noticeably sharper canine teeth and... tails? One held a wicked-looking curved sword, while the other a medium crossbow. They both wore... minimal clothing, boots plus just enough to carry their tools and weapons, in fact.

"Don't move! Who the hell are you, and what are you doing sneaking around?" the one holding the sword demanded sharply. She was the taller of the two, with short, dusty-red hair, and she seemed to be the one in charge.

"Calm down. I was asleep in a hole back there until a second ago. I'm not looking for a fight." Both women visibly relaxed, lowering their weapons a touch.

"Alright, but that still doesn't explain what you're doing out here alone. If you are alone."

"I'm kind of stranded, actually. I doubt you'd even believe what all has happened to me since I landed in this hell-h... Er, forest."

"Lemee' guess; you were going along minding your own business, when something weird and sparkly happened, you ended up in this jungle, and then something very large with a deceptively pretty face tried to eat you?"

"Damn close. How the hell did...?"

"Welcome to Felarya," the woman with the sword said, sheathing her weapon and stepping forward. "You're lucky to have survived overnight out here in the Bulvon Wood, especially by yourself. My name is Maple, and I'm in charge here."

"Nice to meet you Maple. My name is Rachel Gyfford, and I'm seriously hoping there's some kind of civilization nearby."

"Well, not nearby. You'll probably want to get to Negav, though that's a ways south, and you'd need to cross the Shard River to get there. We've got some business east of here, but we'll be heading back there eventually.

The sense of relief was palpable for Rachel with the confirmation of a city within traveling distance, and perhaps directions. "Thank the Naiads! Now, I don't suppose you might be willing to help me out?"

"There are no handouts in Felarya, but if you've got anything valuable, we might-" Maple stopped mid-sentence, her eyes drawn to the wiggling motion in Rachel's pocket.

"Mmh... What's, what's all this noise...?" Nene, apparently still half-asleep, peeked her head out to see what was going on. Then she shrieked in abject terror, as Maple blurred unexpectedly into motion. In the next instant, she was dangling between two of the feline woman's fingers.

"Yoink. Huh, I didn't know you'd brought a snack. Not exactly valuable, but it's a good start."

"What the hell!? Give her back!"

"Oh come on, have a heart. A few days ago we found a whole colony, but I didn't get a single one," Maple sighed with irritation, "and now I've got the worst craving for these." As though this statement somehow excused her, the scantly clad female then proceeded to drop Nene into her mouth.

"Noo! Help, please!!" in a flash, only her head and an arm remained outside Maple's mouth, the tiny woman's eyes wide, terrified and pleading.

Rachel's choice was clear. The smart thing to do by far was nothing. These two were armed, clearly knowledgeable about the area, and willing to negotiate. There was no way Nene could hope to be the help that ingratiating herself with these people would be. In trying to help her, she would likely as not end up getting them both stranded alone in the forest again, with slim to no chances of reaching this 'Negav' alive. But in spite of all that, her choice was crystal clear.

"I wouldn't do that. You're giving her back one way or another, and if you swallow, you're really not going to enjoy that process." She didn't raise her voice, but her tone carried an undercurrent of lethal hostility. Maple's eyebrows raised noticeably, though it seemed to be more in surprise than fear. Unfortunately, Rachel was not naturally a very intimidating person, barely topping five feet, with a slim, curvy figure and delicate facial features more suited to sweet-walking than giving threats.

"Don't make threats you can't back up, lady. Calm down, there's no reason for you to die out here," the one with the crossbow broke in, hoisting her weapon. Rachel clenched her jaw. Things were going just as bad as expected, and likely to get worse fast. So she began to call the water up to do a very specific trick, attempting to keep her hand-motions subtle enough that they wouldn't notice. She could feel the ground under her growing dry and crunchy, as she commandeered every last drop of ambient moisture.

"Die?" Rachel forced a disdainful laugh, "I've been out here for days, and I've had to kill half the things that've attacked me!" which was technically true, "you think you scare me? Unless one of you is some kind of giant monster in disguise, I'm not worried. Spit her out." the last part was half-bluff. Unless the pair of them were incompetent or fought stupidly (especially with that crossbow), they probably had decent odds of killing her. However, when the huge, reptilian head made of water reared up right next to Maple, to nearly double her height, seemingly rising straight out of the ground, it strengthened the bluff considerably.

"What the hell? Are you doing this?" Crossbow-Girl gawked, not exactly panicking, but now unsure where to point her weapon.

"Spit her out. Now." Everyone froze. Even Nene stopped her squirming, staring wide-eyed, in an odd mirror if Maple's own expression. The two of them would have been comical, under other circumstances. Seconds ticked by in silence, as the strain of just holding so much water in such an elaborate shape began to make Rachel perspire.

"For the love of hell Maple, just give her back her damn pet! This is stupid, a snack is not worth fighting some otherworldly sorceress over!" Crossbow-Girl finally broke in, shattering the standoff.

"Mlah. Fine, talk about overreacting. Here." Maple spat Nene out into her hand rather forcefully, walked over in an effected attempt at being casual, and deposited her in Rachel's hand. The tiny female didn't waste a second, and in a display of impressive agility ran right up Rachel's arm, leaving little sticky footprints, and dove into her pocket without a sound, where she could be felt breathing hard.

"Okay, call the dragon-thing off," Maple said through gritted teeth.

"Good judgment." Rachel relaxed her concentration, suppressing a sigh of relief, her water-dragon dissolving back into the liquid from whence it came. It was funny; the spell was a damn training excercise, designed to be taxing, not useful. Anyone who had trained under Master Demona would have laughed, but those ignorant to its function always found it deathly intimidating.

"I'm sure you understand, but I'm not sure we want someone as clearly... Unstable as you out here traveling with us," Maple said, once she had backed off to a safe distance.

"Your call," Rachel said through gritted teeth. She had expected this, but it still made her stomach sink to see it playing out exactly as predicted.

"Maple, a word?" Crossbow-Girl said in a hushed voice, grabbing her superior by the arm.

"What is it Wista?" The conversation that followed was hushed, and Rachel had to strain her ears to hear anything at all.

"...if she's really... ...could help us in..."

"...threatened me... ...not stable..."

"...you were trying to eat... ...how emotional... ...just because they talk..."

"...over one tomthumb... ...you think she'll do... ...hand those elves...?"

"...or Kemsiyet will get... ...think she could kill a...?"

"...of course not... ...this blows up in our faces...

"...You always do..."

Nothing especially telling other than a reference to elves, and someone named Kemsiyet. Not that Rachel expected anything regarding this group to be of much consequence to her, in the long run. But then, to her surprise, Maple turned to face her, sporting a forced smile.

"Well, we've decided to let you come along with us after all, assuming you're willing to lend us your talents should the need arise, and there are no more outbursts?"

"Sound fair, so long as everyone keeps their hands out of my pockets from now on." Rachel felt an odd combination of relief and uncertainty when Maple nodded curtly in assent. She needed the help desperately, but it would feel very odd associating with these cannibalistic cat-ear women. And did it even count as cannibalism, given that Nene was clearly a drastically different creature, at least if one counted size?

Didn't matter. All that mattered was that her bluff had worked so well they wanted her on their side even more than they were afraid of her. Which definitely said something about how dangerous this 'Felarya' was. But then, she already had a pretty good idea of just how dangerous a place it could be. Probably.

====================================================

The previous morning and afternoon had proved remarkably enlightening. Rachel had learned that the two women with the cat-ears were of a human-like race know as 'nekos', that Nene was supposedly a 'tomthumb', and that nekos generally felt there was nothing wrong with eating tomthumbs, despite how obviously (to Rachel, at least) intelligent they were. She had also learned that the pair she'd encountered had actually been out scouting, and were part of a larger group, who they intended to reconnect with soon.

While Maple had been pretty frosty towards her so far, the crossbow-girl, who's name was Wista, had proved quite personable, and the pair chatted, albeit a little uneasily, as they moved.

"I know Maple can be a bit... Rough around the edges, but she really wasn't trying to offend you," Wista ventured, looking a little embarrassed.

"I'm not sure 'offended' is the exact word..."

"You know, one of my friends had this little pet bird, don't know the species, that she loved to death. Whenever anybody so much as joked about eating it, she got all upset. So... I kinda get it," the brown-haired woman smiled encouragingly.

"Thats... Reassuring. I think."

"Has she come out again, yet?"

"No. Not that I can really blame her. Your friend tried to eat her the last time she did that," truthfully, Rachel was a little worried despite herself, since Nene had indeed not spoken or moved much in the pocket she hid in, since her 'encounter' many hours ago.

"Well, I'm sure she'll forget all about it by tomorrow, anyway," Wista replied with irritating nonchalance.

"Anyway, what're you doing out in this deadly wilderness, if you know where a nice, safe city is, hm?" the blonde human asked pointedly, intent on changing the subject. Wista, for her part, looked a little uneasy with the question. Which only made Rachel more curious.

"Well, everyone's gotta make a living, you know? We were bringing some... Goods up to a business partner of ours who lives in Ur-Sagol, but we made a detour here to help some people out, after we saw the 'distress flare'." She rolled her eyes and chuckled, as though part of some private joke.

"Who...?"

"They're not with this group, the two of us went to scout a path they could travel. Normally we'd move in the trees exclusively, but they can't, so we have to come down to floor-level a lot," Wista made a little annoyed face, clearly not happy about the fact.

"So, is Ur-Sagol a city?" Rachel asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"It was," Wista said matter-of-factly, "but it's not much safer than the jungle now. A giant ruin, with all manner of creepy-crawlies lurking about."

"And your 'partner' lives there?"

"Yeah, but we won't be going in, just meeting her on the outskirts. We'll still be close enough for a good look: it's pretty impressive, even ruined."

"And after that, we'll be going to this Negav?"

"Mmm hmmm," Wista lowered her voice and leaned in, "listen, just remember-"

"Cut the chatter," Maple interrupted, raising her hand and calling a halt to the party, "this is where we're supposed to link up with the others. They don't seem to be here now, so we're going to settle down and wait. And keep the smalltalk to a minimum, Wista. This is the jungle, not Nekomura," Wista looked suitably ashamed at the rebuke, though Rachel was just alloyed.

The time that followed was a combination of tense and boring, though as a pirate, not a sensation Rachel was unfamiliar with. Irritatingly, the two nekos had insisted on spending this time well above the forest floor, disappearing into the trees such the she would never have known they were there. As a terribly incompetent climber, Rachel was forced to stay below. Alone. Or rather, nearly alone, as a slight movement in her pocket reminded her.

"Are they... Gone?" Nene's timid, muffled voice issued from the pocket.

"Yeah, at least until their friends get here. Don't worry, I think they're all too afraid of me now to even look at you cross. You alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you. You were amazing back there..." More movement from the pocket, and then the tiny woman's face, framed in her mouse-brown hair, peeked out, looking up a her.

"Don't mention it. I still can't believe she tried to eat you though."

"I can. That's how giants like them always are; they try to eat us, and we run. If they catch us, we die. Thank you so much for rescuing me," she said solemnly, looking rather misty-eyed about the event.

"Doesn't seem like a very fair system to me..." Rachel muttered. Nene then pressed herself against the inside wall of the pocket and spread her arms out, confusing her larger companion. Only a second later did she recognize it as both the most ineffective and endearing attempt at a hug she had ever born witness to.

"Ohhh, hehe, none of that mushy stuff..." feeling touched and a little embarrassed, but unsure of how to reciprocate, Rachel held up a hand to her pocket, in the closest facsimile of a hug she could manage.

"Thank you," Nene repeated, increasing Rachel's awkwardness to barely tolerable levels.

"...Hey, do all 'giants' have those weird cat-ears?" Rachel asked after a moment.

"No... But now that you mention it, all the ones I've seen chase us have." Nene gasped suddenly, "is that why you're so nice?! Your ears are just like mine, so maybe, maybe you're just like a really big tomthumb!"

"I dunno, but where I come from I've never seen anyone with ears like that, or anyone who'd think it was alright to eat miniature people, so maybe there is a connection."

"I hope so. I'd like to live somewhere where giants didn't try to eat me," the tiny female murmured. A week previously, Rachel would have found the comment comically preposterous, but in light of recent events found herself quite able to relate.

"Anyway, I had no idea you were so agile," Rachel said, changing the subject, "I never would have expected you could run up my arm like that."

"Oh, that was nothing. I'm not even a forager or anything. There were people in my clan who could run right up your leg and be on your head before you knew it."

Nene didn't seem overly distressed by the reference to her old home, so Rachel decided to pursue the line of conversation, "that's pretty impressive. So, what did you do?"

"Oh, I just made things. You know, like this covering I wear," the diminutive woman indicated the little leaf-smock she wore, which seemed to have suffered some damage while inside Maple's mouth. Then she put on a bashful expression, "nothing as elaborate or impressive as what you wear though. I'm not even sure what this is made of..." she poked at the material of the pocket wistfully.

"It's actually very impressive, with only leaves to work with. With the right materials, I'm sure you could-"

"They're here," Maple's voice said into Rachel's ear unexpectedly, "you and your pet should come along," Rachel jerked about in surprise, Nene vanishing back into her little sanctuary with a rustle of fabric.

"Gha! It's rude to sneak up on people, you know," the startled human said sharply, turning to face the grinning neko, failing to cover her embarrassment. Maple now wore a large and somewhat bulky something on her back, all dark, intricately-shaped metal, and looked rather more confident for its presence.

"You did the same to me when we first met, remember? A good surprise every now and then keeps you on your toes," she nonetheless backed off a bit. "but like I said, we've linked up with the others, and you should come along. We're heading straight to Ur-Sagol from here."

"I suppose the reason you didn't take me to the real rendezvous point was so you could all discuss whether to leave me out here or not, hmm? Guess it's my lucky day."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now; follow. And try not to lag too far behind."

For all of trying to eat tiny people, Maple certainly knew her way around a forest, Rachel had to admit. She moved effortlessly through the waterlogged vegetation, never losing balance or even slowing noticeably when the going got tough. Annoyingly, she was even slowing her pace for Rachel's benefit, quite obviously, as she kept looking over her shoulder and looking irritated, as the human struggled to keep up.

About the time Rachel was beginning to wonder if the neko was just leading her around in circles for kicks, they did indeed meet up with the others. Besides Maple and Wista, there were four more of the cat-eared women, and not entirely to her surprise, a pair of elves, bringing the total headcount to nine (plus Nene). These elves looked very out of place in the jungle, almost breathtakingly beautiful, both wearing elaborate (and now somewhat soggy) dresses, along with carefully maintained, almost pouty little frowns. They did not, however, show any indication being afraid or worried; only annoyed.

Wista waved when they got back, but everyone else was either all business or haughty disdain, "those two are the ones I told you about. With the flare-gun. We agreed to escort them somewhere safer in return for some of the jewelry they have. After we're done at Ur-Sagol, of course," Wista said conversationally, once everyone had gotten moving again.

"That's very chivalrous of you. Hey, is it safe to be moving around in a group this big? I mean, aren't we kind of a big target here, collectively?"

"Kinda, yeah. Normally, we'd travel via the trees in pairs, but those elves can't climb worth a damn, so we're kinda stuck down here. Lucky for you though; we never would have crossed paths otherwise. I'm kinda glad we have you and your dragon-thingy along for the ride though, honestly."

"Yeah, well just don't expect me to do all the work if things get hairy. Even I have my limits."

"Hmh, don't worry, we can handle ourselves; we don't expect you to fight a naga or anything. With the intimidation factor of Maple's grenade-launcher, and your dragon for the smaller mindless stuff, we should be fine." Rachel actually found herself feeling a little guilty misrepresenting herself so deeply, especially given how open and friendly Wista was being. Hopefully the deception (exaggeration, really) wouldn't come back to bite her in the rear later. Or just swallow her whole.

Rachel had never seen an elf up close, where she was from they were so reclusive some didn't believe in them at all. So it was with some curiosity that she sidled up to the pair, smiling a little nervously, "So, how did you two end up here?"

"Esmerelda believed we should 'take a look' on the other side of a shimmering disturbance we found in the garden," the one who had spoken sighed with dainty exasperation in the direction of her companion. "Now as a result, I am tired, hungry, surrounded by yokels, and worst of all my dress is absolutely ruined!" She sighed again, as though listing the sins of some vile criminal.

"And you were the one who suggested we go 'just a little further' once on the other side. I wanted to go back, Selendia," Esmerelda returned with equal displeasure, maintaining her perfectly manufactured little frown throughout, "and my dress has fared little better than yours, in case you require reminding."

"Well, at least you're-" Rachel began.

"Human," Selendia interrupted imperiously, "you seem slightly less brutish than these... cat-creatures. Who would you say is correct? Myself or her?"

"Ummm..." Rachel found herself regretting the decision to approach them. Wista grinned at her impishly from safety, showing her sharp canines, clearly happy to not be Rachel. It was going to be a long trip.

====================================================

It was starting to grow dark, and Rachel absently wondered when, or even if, the nekos would be stopping for the night.

She had finally extricated herself from the elves and the ever-so-polite venom being exchanged between them, while Maple had pulled Wista up to the front, where they couldn't talk, probably out of spite. Even Nene seemed to be getting restless, squirming around her little sanctuary semi-frequently. Moving through the jungle at twilight was not at all her idea of a good time. Maple also hadn't sent scouts out in some time, which only made her more nervous.

The first sign of trouble came when Maple raised a hand silently, bringing the party to an abrupt stop. The elves whispered to each other loudly, probably still arguing, but nothing else was audible, aside from the constant chirp of insects and frogs. Maple's feline ears twitched, and she stooped down to examine the ground, and then quickly rose, speaking to Wista in a hushed voice. Wista, for her part, looked distinctly shaken.

"What's going on?" Rachel whispered to the neko nearest her, nerves on edge.

"Shhh." was the irritated reply. Then, A new voice spoke up, from behind and above them.

"What-Oh! Well, well, well. What have we here, hmmm?" The elves squeaked girlishly, while everyone whirled to the source of the voice, praying it wasn't what they knew it probably was. Still a good distance away, the form was obscured by foliage and the waning light, but was clearly gigantic and distinctly feminine, at least from the waist up. The lower body was insectoid, dark and shiny, with many legs, very similar to that of an impossibly huge spider. Rachel did not feel preemptive in jumping to the conclusion that this creature was not going to be friendly.

How the hells did stuff like this keep happening to her?

My entry into the latest Felarya Group writing contest. I totally won this time!
Disclaimer: This is a long one, and there's vore in it, so be advised.
(I know there's a huge delay between this and it going up at DA, but re-doing the formatting for the forum is tedious, and I've been short on time)

Finders Keepers

The blue woman and giant skeleton were late. Hours late, which in Felarya is never a promising sign. But Lisali waited just the same, not yet willing to give up on her very first real expedition. Well, technically second, if she counted her test. Her thoughts drifted back to those tense moments only months ago, singing her heart out even as it thundered in her chest, legs shaking the whole while. The look of approval on the mermaid Ehwea's giant face, and the wash of relief in knowing she would live to see the day's end. Later, the congratulations of her friends and family...

The neko stood in the soft sand of the Torpaline coast, the hot sun welcome on her back and shoulders. The Topazial sea stretched out forever in front of her, the cerulean of the sky and the deep aqua of the water seeming to envelop the whole world in blinding blue. The boat she would soon be sailing on shifted in the distance, its silhouette an oddly-shaped slash of blackness in that world of blue. She closed her eyes, letting the rhythmic crash of waves, the cry of distant sea-birds and the ever present winds fill her ears. There was nothing quite like the beach.

She took a deep, luxurious breath, drinking in the scent of saltwater... Seaweed... Odor of some dead crustacean baking in the hot sun... And something strangely tantalizing, almost too faint to detect. Her eyes snapped open, feline ears twitching, and sniffed the air again, this time more carefully. No mistake. A little smile formed at the though of a pleasant distraction while she waited, her sharp eyes scanning the area for the source of the scent.

A large, gnarled piece of driftwood, lurking just barely inside the shade of the tree line, caught her attention. A tiny movement, almost completely hidden in shadow. Lisali's tail twitched of its own accord as she stared unblinking and motionless at the spot, tension and excitement filling her lithe young body. She began to creep, body low, each movement slow and smooth, towards her target. Closer... Closer, heart racing with anticipation, her sharp ears finally picking up faint whispers.

"Gotcha!" With a thrill of adrenaline, Lisali launched herself at the pockmarked chunk of wood, landing on it with all four limbs. As she hoped, her prey was too startled to react intelligently, instead running out in a blind panic. Bolted out right under her nose, to her delight, and she pounced immediately. Leaves and bits of sand scattered as she threw her whole body to the lunge, and was rewarded with a high-pitched squeak and the feel of her hand closing around something soft and wriggly. They had at least been smart enough to go in separate directions, the neko noted as she righted herself in a smooth motion, but the other had apparently thought running out into the open sand of the beach was a good idea.

With a throaty little sound of pleasure, the neko sprang off after her next target, ignoring the protests of the one already clutched in her hand. The tiny fleeing onto the beach quickly realized its error, minuscule head whipping around in frantic search for a hiding place that wasn't there. Nothing but flat, white sand and open sea ahead, and Lisali between it and the trees.

"Unless you're a very good swimmer, I think you're in trouble, teeny-tiny," Lisali said, a hint of mischievousness in her voice. The tomthumb turned to look up at her, wide-eyed panic written all over her tiny features.

"Oh no, nonono," the delicious creature whimpered, backing away, eyes flitting between Lisali and the 'captive' in her hand.

"You give up, or you gonna give me a chase?" the neko asked, her tail lashing back and forth. The tiny paused for a single breath, and then broke into a sprint. Lisali pursued, kicking up sand as she dashed to close the distance while still blocking entry into the trees. The tomthumb was much slower in an actual race, but was able to change direction very fast owing to her tiny mass. She played this single advantage to the hilt, running in quick, unpredictable zigzagging bursts.

Lisali made several false-lunges, some missing by mere inches, but always managed to interpose herself between the fleeing creature and the comparative safety of the tree-line. The contest was exhilarating, but ended when the tomthumb made a mistake, zigging when she should have zagged, and ended up running straight into the neko's diving pounce.

"Ohh, that was fun! You're quick; if I hadn't caught you out on the beach, you'd have gotten away for sure," the neko said between heavy breaths, a bit of perspiration glistening on her lightly-tanned skin. Her dark brown hair was also a touch damp with sweat, and sand had gotten all over her simple leather tunic and shorts, but it wasn't like she was going out on a date or anything. She rolled over onto her back happily, bringing her catch in for a closer look.

Both tomthumbs were female, the quicker one slumped over and panting heavily, while the other was still squirming with some vigor. This made the decision of which to have first easy. "Okay, since you were such a good playmate, I'll save you for last," Lisali said amiably to the worn-out tiny. Predictably, this sent the other into a bout of frantic writhing and shouting.

"Noo, wait! No, I don't wanna go first! Please, let go!" The miniscule creature wore no clothes, and her pretty auobern hair flipped this way and that as she wiggled with amusing vigor. Lisali turned her upside down, dangling her by her feet. Mouth watering with anticipation, she opened wide, lowering the feisty thing in slowly, resisting the urge to gulp it down all at once. With a little pur of pleasure, the neko closed her lips around the succulent, squirming form, the heavenly flavor spreading across her pallet as the tiny struggled on her tongue.

"Mmmmm..." Tiny feet protruded from between her soft lips for a second, vanishing with an efficient slurp, her tongue shifting and moving to fully relish the experience. The tomthumb had a delicate, subtle flavor, at once both sweet and salty, perhaps owing to her seaside habitat. Once she had tasted to her contentment, she put an end to the 'struggle' with a satisfying swallow. The soft, warm little creature slid smoothly down her throat, squirming all the way, providing a vivid reminder of why the delicious things were so very worth the effort to hunt out.

A few moments passed with Lisali just enjoying herself, eyes closed, the relaxing sensation of her latest snack moving energetically inside her. Finally she opened her sharp green eyes, focusing them on her second treat. The tiny in question reacted with a little gasp, and some renewed moving.

"Your turn," the neko informed lightly, giving the creature a couple of gentle licks, her food shoving at the tongue with miniscule arms and making little sniffling noises. Just as she was about to get to the good part, a female voice from behind interrupted, startling her quite badly.

"What are you...?"

With a jerk, Lisali was on her feet, ready to fight, run, or sing. None of which turned out to be necessary. Her gaze fell upon a tall, voluptuous, regal-looking woman with light blue skin, an expression somewhere between disgust and disbelief on her sharply beautiful face. Vullinah Zevrili: the off-worlder who had hired her.

"Err... Um, right! You're here! I was beginning to get worried," Lisali said, blushing crimson, remembering just how uncomfortable some humans were with the idea of tinies as food. Best not to get into some silly ethical debate with her employer. Setting her remaining treat down and watching it scurry away with a pang of regret, the neko straightened up, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. "I was just... Uhhh... Anyway, I'm glad you made it here alright!"

Standing adjacent to the blue woman was the odd man who had been with her before. He wore expensive-looking (but gaudy) black and red robes, and strange tattoos covered his bald head. His dark eyes narrowed as he peered at Lisali. "I read about this world, and I warned you it was overrun with freaks and monsters. I'm caught one time with a courtesan who's even a little undead and I never live it down, while these cannibalistic-"

"That is quite enough, Edmyre," the blue woman interrupted with a raised hand, "I'm not interested in her dietary habits: only her musical aptitude." Vullinah raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at the neko. "You are by far the best singer I have ever heard, but you are certain the creatures here will care?"

"Y-yes, of course! I may be young, but I'm very talented, even for a Rosic. Obviously some animals might still be a problem, but anything with even the tiniest appreciation for music won't be a threat to us," Lisali returned with confidence. "This is proof that I survived an encounter with a great predator using nothing but my musical ability; I've passed the test of adulthood required by my people." There was considerable pride in Lisali's voice as she indicated the beautiful, greenish lock of hair hanging from her belt.

"Very well. Your life rides on it as much as ours, after all," the woman said, giving the neko a polite nod. Lisali felt distinctly under-dressed and unimpressive next to the blue woman. Vullinah was clearly human, putting aside the blue thing, and wore a (inexplicably low-cut) tunic of some navy-blue, silken material, adorned with intricate lacy ornamentation, along with skin-tight leather pants, and elbow-length gloves. She wore a beautiful golden circlet atop her crown of midnight black hair, which was currently tied back in a prim little bun.

Lisali was about to say something, when she noticed the skeleton coming into view. It was a strange creature, its lanky frame topping nine feet, made up of contrasting sections of bleached white bone and tightly wrapped black leather. It was only vaguely humanoid, limbs far too long, bones of various creatures obviously used in the construction, and possessed of a third, asymmetrical arm. It was hauling a medium-sized canoe along in its magically animate grip, no sound coming from it besides the occasional click of dried bones or creak of leather. If she hadn't in the past been face-to-face with creatures that could literally shatter it with a single finger, she probably would have found it rather imposing, too.

The undead construct did make an excellent beast of burden though, carrying the little boat into the water efficiently, that creepy, frozen smile immovably affixed to its fleshless face. Soon, the three of them were clambering into the boat, which the skeleton then proceeded to drag out to sea, the water lapping at its unnatural frame.

"Ummm, I'm not sure that thing'll fit in here with us, and I'm doubting it can swim, so..." Lisali broke in, watching as the skeleton towed them out toward the bigger boat, water already up to its bony chest.

"Don't fret, he's impervious even to saltwater; he'll just walk along the bottom, and then climb up the anchor's line," the necromancer said offhandedly.

"Uhh, you do know necromancy doesn't work here, right? I mean, anything created off-world should be fine, but..."

"Bah! You're talking about those zombie-obsessed incompetents eh? Well, I wouldn't be caught dead raising those worthless, flesh-eating sacks of rot out here if I could. My creations take months of careful, subtle work in my lab back home. Necromancy is an art! Why, this beast could do more damage than a hundred 'zombies' in half the time. He's fast, tough, efficient, stronger than-"

"Yes, yes I believe we all get the point," Vullinah interrupted. "Your skills are highly valuable, but the ranting is unnecessary and gives me a headache." The man stopped talking, but looked neither intimidated nor angry about the rebuke, as though this exchange was a common one between them.

A few moments of silence passed, and then there was a small splash, a new female voice breaking in, "Uggh! Damn that thing is creepy. I hadn't gotten a good look at it before, but... Wow!" Lisali jumped, turning to see a human-looking (and human-sized) head and pair of shoulders bobbing in the water next to their boat. Her skin was pale, long blonde hair splayed out in the water around her, a friendly, albeit mischievous expression on her delicate face.

"Oh! A mermaid!" Lisali said, immediately feeling a bit stupid at her obvious statement.

"Oh! A neko!" the mermaid said back in obvious mimicry, sticking out her tongue. She turned her attention to the other two; "You guys said you'd be hiring a Rosic, this her?"

"Yes," Vullinah returned, "Raninna, this is Lisali. Lisali; Raninna."

"Nice to meet you. I suppose you're some kind of guide?" the neko asked.

"Sure am! And call me Nina. This lady here wants to get her hands on some ascarlin, and I'm going to lead her to some. For a price of course. I'm planning a trip to Ryzelm’oire, and I'd like something to barter with while I'm there."

Feeling a bit relieved to have another Felaryan native to talk to, Lisali scooted over to where Nina floated along with the boat, and asked the obvious question, her tone curious. "Why haven't you gotten it yourself? You know, to keep it all?"

"Mmph. Believe me, I would have. But it's sealed in some kind of... Thingy. And I can't do a thing with it. To be honest, I have doubts about you all being able to get it out either, but I was hired to show the way there, not open it," Nina replied with a slight frown.

"Do not fear; you will receive your reward regardless; bringing it back is our concern," Vullinah said, expressing no worry on her features. "Ah, here we are. Time to come aboard."

The boat itself was impressive enough, not huge, but pretty big for a sail-boat, and very streamlined. The deck was built from some shiny, polished wood, with a large sail and enough room for the lot of them. Quite startlingly, the sail itself was pink, though Lisali knew better than to comment. It was probably going to be a long trip with relatively close quarters.

==========================================

Several days on the open ocean, and so far things were going smoothly enough; no encounters with anything dangerous, and the strange skeleton seemed capable of running the entire boat by itself, leaving the crew little to do, aside from Nina's navigation duties. Both Vullinah and her necromancer had quarters below deck, and spent much of their time there, while Lisali was left only a hammock above to rest in. In truth, the neko rather enjoyed the opportunity to just laze about and nap all day, even neglecting her usual singing regimen somewhat in favor of relaxation.

Currently, Lisali lay splayed out bonelessly in her hammock, swaying gently in the breeze, staring up at the innumerable stars in the night sky. The air was clean and cool, crisp with the refreshing scents of the sea. Almost all was quiet, only the lap of water against the hull, and the infrequent movements of the undead deckhand broke the silence. Her stomach growled, breaking the peaceful scene, reminding that not everything was so pleasant. The food was singularly awful; she had not been a fan of pickled vegetables even at the outset; now she considered them works of pure evil. She was almost to the point where she'd give an arm for a wriggly little neera or tomthumb, or even just something made of real meat. Hell, even real, fresh vegetables would have been preferable.

The neko yawned hugely, ignoring her belly for the moment, turning over in the hope of some sleep. A light, gentle noise caught her attention however, rousing her from drowsiness, and causing her to sit up, ears perked. Someone was singing. Only it wasn't coming from below deck, but off to the side. Which meant...

Hopping up and padding in silence to the edge overlooking the water, Lisali spied the mermaid Nina bobbing in the sea, hands clasped in front of her unclothed chest, singing. The song was unfamiliar to her, the tune itself very pretty, seemingly telling the tale of a brave mermaid who overcame great hardships and suffering to be reunited with her love. Not exactly an original story, but beautifully woven together with the melody, such that it conveyed the heartache, apprehension, and ultimately triumph, in a sweet and fitting manner.

Once the last lilting notes had drifted away into the moonlit ocean, Lisali spoke, "That was lovely! I've never heard that one."

"Ah!" The mermaid started, looking up. "Oh, the neko. I'm sorry, did I wake you up? I'm just practicing a little here..."

"Nah, I couldn't really sleep. I'd like to give that song a try though. Could you sing it again from the beginning?"

Nina looked pleased, and sported a wide grin. "Sure! I'm glad you like it." The mermaid enthusiastically renewed her singing, and though her control seemed to suffer a bit under the added stress of a audience, she did reasonably well.

"Okay, I think I've got it now. Let's see..." Lisali took a deep breath, closed her eyes and relaxed, letting herself be swept into the song. She unconsciously smoothed out all the minor (and not-so-minor) errors Nina had made, even improvising additional trills and flourishes where it seemed appropriate, her sweet, crystal-clear voice rising and falling with the tempo, letting each note reach its fullest potential before moving to the next. The ending especially needed some embellishments, and since this wasn't even really a rehearsal, she let herself experiment freely. By the time she finished, the neko was quite sure that with practice, she could do the tune justice.

Once she opened her eyes, she immediately noted awe, and a hint of naked envy painted in the mermaid's features. "That was amazing! How...? I'd heard the Rosic were good, but..."

"Until you can make a giant predator change her mind about eating you with nothing but song, there's room for improvement," Lisali said, trying unsuccessfully to keep the pride out of her tone.

"Huh, fair enough. So. You think I could get that good, maybe?"

"Well, you've got a fantastic voice and lots of raw talent, so I think most of all you just need to practice more. Ideally with a teacher."

"I don't have a teacher, but I practice almost every day! I mean, singing above-water is lots different from what I'm used to, but I'd really like to be able to do performances... Ya'know: trade music for things from you land-folks someday." Nina sounded a little defensive, perhaps at being critiqued by a non-mermaid. Lisali got the distinct impression she had expected to be her equal or better in skill.

"Well, you're off to a good start..." Lisali said noncommittally, biting back the remark on the tip of her tongue. Almost every day didn't seem like something to be especially proud of. She herself had put in hours of practice daily since she could stand, and in the months leading up to her test, eight or ten hours had not been uncommon. In some cases she'd only stopped when her voice gave out completely.

Nina put on a pouty expression, "Ugh, don't patronize me. I'm just not used to being shown up by you land-people..."

"Well, don't let it get you down. When a young Rosic comes of age, he or she seeks out a predator, and attempts to convince her to not eat them with music. That's a pretty strong motivation, and not everybody comes back."

"Seriously? Wow, that's kinda harsh."

"It was pretty scary, but it works. So; I'm not doing anything tonight; you want a couple of pointers?"

Nina seemed to consider this for some time, curiosity warring with pride, until she finally rolled her eyes and nodded in assent. "Sure. Why not. The net-thingy under the boat they have me sleeping in is horribly uncomfortable, so I'm in no rush anyways."

With a nod of her own, Lisali settled into a semi-comfortable spot on her stomach, hands folded under her chin, looking down at the mermaid. Only then did she realize that she had never actually instructed anyone before. There had always been far more skilled teachers at the village than her. With this new-found sense of nervousness, the young Rosic gulped inwardly, resolving to make as little a fool of herself as possible.

================================================

The passage of time is an odd thing on a ship. Lisali couldn't remember exactly how long they had been sailing, but is seemed like quite a while. Over a week already? Perhaps. Vullinah would certainly know, but she wasn't the sociable type. The neko resolved to ask her later anyway, but for the moment hopped out of her hammock to do some stretches.

Yawning, she lifted her arms over her head, arching her back, shifting around and loosening her stiff muscles. The warm sun paired with the cool sea breeze felt lovely, and it was with a somewhat lazy disposition that she sauntered up to the front of the boat. She gave the skeleton, standing motionless as it silently steered the ship, I wide berth.

The early morning sky over the Topazial sea was especially breathtaking that particular morning. Splashes of orange and red mingled on the horizon, painted across the sky in every direction, no land visible in any direction. The sheer enormity of it struck her once again, even after being out so long; even a giant was barely a speck in this endless blue field of gentle waves. The thought was both scary and inspiring, the emotions evoked producing that unique tickle on the tip of her tongue, which meant there might be a song idea in there somewhere.

Just as the beginnings of something began to form in her mind, there was a splash, and a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Ooo, I've got one: this ship is run by a skeleton crew!" Nina tittered, flopping over onto her back in the water below, the azure scales on her tail glittering as she worked lazily to keep pace with the ship.

"Ugh, that's horrible. How could you do something like that to me this early...?" Lisali said, placing a hand on her head in mock-exasperation. The two hadn't exactly 'bonded', but the mermaid was friendly and pleasant enough company, if a bit on the ditzy side.

"I'm bored! Bor-bor-ored! I've never been stuck clinging to the bottom of some boat so long before. There's nothing to do."

"I thought you were supposed to be the guide here."

"I am, and let me check... Ah! We're still going the right way. Yay! Whatever shall I do with the rest of my day now that that chore is taken care of." Nina began doing frustrated laps around the boat, slapping her tail on the water each time she passed, proving that perhaps cabin fever was not restricted to individuals in actual cabins.

"How close do you think we're getting?"

"Mmh, well over halfway for sure. Grah, this is the worst! That boat is so slow; I can't wait to get this over with and get to Ryzelm’oire where things'll be interesting."

"Rylem... Relmo... Whatever. It that some undersea mermaid city?"

"Nope! Chlaena actually. I've only been once before, but it's awesome! Lots of markets and stores, people to meet; things to do wherever you go. Best of all, no one is allowed to eat anyone else within the city, or else the chlaenas will stab em' full of holes. Getting into the city itself is a little scary though; lots of big predators like to wait outside to snack on anyone trying to get in or out. Wish the chlaena would just run em' off. It'd probably improve business, but they don't for whatever reason. I'm to fast for them anyway though." Nina seemed pretty enthusiastic about the topic, rolling around it the water and gesturing frequently.

"Okay, wow. Who knew there was so much going on below the water."

"Hee! I was kinda surprised when I first learned you land-people have cities and stuff above the water. Do you have any idea how heavy everything is up there? And it falls so fast; what if some piece of building or something fell on you?"

"I'd probably be crushed. It does happen from time to time, especially during construction."

"You're all crazy, I say. Mad as rabid arthronodes. Ohh, here's one: that Vullinah lady acts like some sort of blue-blooded royalty, hahah." Nina giggled for a bit longer than seemed appropriate, making Lisali wonder if the trip wasn't wearing on her mental stability.

"Mmh, the skeleton joke was better... What is up with her skin though? At first I thought maybe she'd eaten some carinra leaves by accident, but it would've worn off by now."

"I am royalty, actually," Vullinah's voice broke in from behind, startling the other two, "though somewhat disenfranchised at the moment. And my skin pigmentation, if you must know, is the result of a simple magical procedure, intended to make my standing easily identifiable." Several long moments of awkward silence followed her arrival.

"Oh... uh, haha. You can't dock my pay for sass, can you?" Nina finally asked, hiding everything but her face beneath the water.

"So long as you guide us to the dreamstone, you will be paid."

"Whew," the mermaid replied, "in that case, you might aught to consider taking the stick out sometime." With that, she vanished back into the dark blue water with a little 'plop'.

Lisali paused, staring out at the gorgeous sky and sea in somewhat uncomfortable silence. Finally, curiosity got the better of her. "Umm, not to be nosy, but if you're some kind of Princess or something, why are you out treasure hunting?"

"I was destined for the throne, but the succession ritual on my homeworld is an archaic one. Any son or daughter of the royal family, after the current ruler dies, may take the throne provided they can defeat all challengers it single combat."

"You fight your siblings for the throne?"

"Not to the death, but yes. I chose to study how to be a skilled and effective ruler, as opposed to combat, assuming my stupid, impudent whelp of a sister would abdicate to me. She has changed her mind, and is also a very talented sorceress. I know my limitations, and I cannot win in an even contest. Access to wealth is... Limited until a new ruler is chosen, and my valuables seem to be worth considerably less in this world. I need dreamstone, to set into my staff, if I am to win. Unfortunately, everything I have access to is insufficient to purchase even a tiny shard. That's why I am 'treasure hunting'."

"Oh." More awkward silence followed, the cool sea breeze ruffling Lisali's short brown hair. "Well, I certainly hope everything works out, and... Whoa!" The neko musician stopped mid-sentence, pointing up as a shadow passed over the boat, silhouetted in front of the sun. A huge, bulky yet compact body, with massive membranous wings stretching out on either side. There was no flapping as the creature glided on past them, somehow every bit at home in the air as a fish in the sea.

"What is that?"

"No idea. Glad it didn't stick around though; you never know what's going to appreciate music, and what's going to be blind, deaf and hungry." She winced at the memory of that little crisis.

"Well, if there was no risk, I suppose someone would have been here before us," the human said reasonably.

Then, Nina popped back out of the water, her features stretched thin with obvious fear. "Ohhh man. Ohmanohmanohman! Heads up! Hang on!" she said ominously, and then vanished below once again.

"What the hells?" Lisali asked the shifting water, getting no reply. Then, the whole boat rocked, shifting and creaking as though something large had just brushed against it. Something had. A long, snakelike form slithered through the water below the boat, most of its body obscured, and then vanished with a ripple into the depths. All was silent.

"Is it...?" the human woman trailed off. Lisali didn't get to answer, as something hit the boat, hard. Vullinah dropped to her knees, while the neko managed to remain standing. The necromancer's angry voice could be heard saying something below, while Lisali backpedaled, bracing herself on the mast.

Edmyre burst onto the scene, just as another, even harder blow literally rocked the boat. He stumbled, while Vullinah dropped almost to her stomach, letting out an characteristically girlish shriek.

"What's doing that?!" the bald man yelled, the skeleton moving to his side automatically. Lisali was not altogether reassured by its presence.

"I'm not sure! A gulper eel, maybe, or-" she didn't finish, as another massive impact caused the vessel to sway, the effect accompanied by a tremendous splash. The neko songstress pivoted in time to see the giant, fish-like head emerge from the water, flopping down on the side of the ship with an ugly 'crunch'. Most of its elongated body remained in the water, but the most dangerous part was now sharing the deck with them. Sounds of cracking and splintering wood filled the air, and the boat tilted under the weight. The aquatic monster opened its mouth, giving the whole crew a grim look into its cavernous maw.

"Someone do something! Eeeeeh!!" Vullinah cried in terror, as the ship's angle of tilt increased sharply, and she began sliding down towards the beast's open mouth. Lisali hugged close to the reassuring presence of the mast, and attempted to sing a few verses, in the hopes that it might lull the beast. It ignored her music, and indeed she was unsure if it had proper ears at all.

Unperturbed, the bald necromancer spoke a series of sharp, incomprehensible words, and the skeleton flung itself into the fray with startling agility. It landed between Vullinah and the beast, balancing easily on the uneven deck, a couple of short-handled axes and a long, barbed harpoon clutched in its three bony hands. It set to task immediately, hacking away with fast, efficient, almost mechanical strikes. The fish-monster quickly took notice, snapping blindly at its foe and shaking its head. The undead dodged fluidly, resuming its assault in an instant, cleaving noticeable chunks out of the beast. Frustrated and in pain, the aquatic predator made one last slam against the deck, and then retreated into the sea with a mighty splash.

The ship was still rocking badly, and the deck slick with seawater, but Vullinah managed to get back to her feet, looking rather a paler shade of blue than usual. "I-is it gone?" she said, voice unsteady.

"Doubt it," Edmyre replied, seemingly less shaken by the attack, "and worse, we may have just lost our guide. You'd better get below."

"Mermaids are quick, and she saw it coming, warned us even. I'd be surprised if she didn't get away," Lisali said, as the rattled noble brushed past her on the way below deck. The neko felt a brief pang of envy, wishing she could follow, but she hadn't been hired to cower from danger. She'd been hired to sing at it. Even if it was a giant fish with no appreciation for her talents.

Without a word, Edmyre took hold of a sturdy chain, one end secured the mast, and attached it to the skeleton's midsection.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Getting him tethered. He doesn't float; if he goes overboard, he's lost to us," the man replied simply.

"Are you crazy?! If something eats it, we'll be dragged-"

"Ha! Anything that puts a creation of mine in its mouth will soon regret it!" Edmyre replied. Not native, Lisali had to remind herself.

"No, you don't understand! Gulper eels are not the biggest things out here! We go dangling it in the water, who knows what'll take a bite!!" The necromancer opened his mouth to reply, but then another blow struck the vessel, this one so violent it set a barrel, broken from its bindings at some point, to rolling. As though guided by some malicious force, it rolled right into the man, knocking the legs out from under him. As the boat listed under the assault, gravity did the rest, sliding him right over the edge and into the ocean.

"Noo! Damn!" Rushing to the edge, where the railing was crushed off by the creature's previous attack, Lisali saw the last thing she wanted; swirling water, the eel's body moving fluidly beneath the surface, and no sign whatsoever of Edmyre.

Then, as though to prove things can always get worse, the skeleton lept past her, diving into the water, driving its harpoon into the aquatic predator's passing body. The undead was pulled along with the beast as it dove deeper, the attached chain writhing across the deck as though alive, as more and more slack was eaten up. Very very bad.

With a wordless cry of dismay, the neko lunged for where the chain was affixed to the mast. It went taut a split second before her hands touched it, the whole boat listing sideways in the water. It wasn't big enough to just drag them around wholesale, but... The tension on the chain became erratic and violent, pulling in sharp jerks and scraping along the sides, tearing more of the railing off. Lisali had to retreat to the bow of the ship for fear of getting her legs cut out from under her. She drew her knife; not much of a weapon, but it might make her go down a little less smoothly at least, if it came to that.

Whatever was going on underwater soon reached its climax, the chain thrashing wildly and pulling for several seconds, then going completely limp. The neko stood, body tensed, ears folded flat against her head as the seconds ticked by. Nothing happened. Lisali did not move. What felt like an eternity of near-silence passed before Vullinah's timid voice broke in.

"What's going on? What has happened?" She sounded a touch more calm, but did not come out.

"I think it's safe, but Edmyre..." Lisali replied. She put her knife away, and edged up to where the chain lay. She gave it a tug, and was surprised to find it did not withdraw easily; still attached to something heavy. She was more surprised when something tugged back. A series of even pulls, in fact, as though something were climbing up. This estimation proved accurate, when the skeleton hauled itself up onto the deck, water streaming off its unnatural form. It still held its two axes, but the harpoon was gone. And no sign of Edmyre.

Vullinah crept up beside the neko, staring at the waterlogged undead monster. "Um, can you control it without him?" Lisali asked softly.

"Yes. But... Damn." She sighed. "I had hoped we would see this through without any deaths. Is Raninna alive at least? Without her, this was all for nothing."

A familiar splash from below answered her question. "I'm fine, everyone! Everybody okay up there? That thing was a real jerk, but it sure left in a big hurry just now."

"No, Edmyre fell overboard, and I think it got him," Lisali said, going up to the edge, Nina bobbing in the water like always.

"Oh... That sucks. I checked the hull for damage, and no big holes; everything still seems to be seaworthy. Are we gonna keep going, or..."

"We will not turn back. We've already come this far, and while I have lost a valued servant, we are not crippled by his loss." The blue woman seemed to have regained her composure, already looking over the ship's damage imperiously.

Lisali caught herself briefly thinking that things were sure to improve from here, and mentally slapped herself. This was Felarya; things could always get worse.

(Spliced into two posts becasue it's so darn long the forum complained at me XD)

With the crew now reduced to three (four if you counted the skeleton) the previous days had felt more sedated and morbid. Lisali honestly hadn't been all that attached to the man, but his death had certainly dampened the atmosphere. Vullinah seemed more sullen and determined than ever, while at least Nina was her usual bubbly self. Lisali did what she always did when things were depressing or unpleasant; nap.

It was during one of those naps that Nina's voice intruded on her dreamless slumber. "Hey!! Wake up you lazy barnacle! We're here! This is totally the place!"

"Wha?" The neko hopped out of her comfortable hammock, stretching for a moment and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Fortunately she had never been a heavy sleeper. Then she took a look at their surroundings.

The sea was misty, wisps trailing across the surface of the water like ghostly spirits. This reduced line of sight considerably, and clouds covered the early evening sun as well, producing an unusually oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere. The water's surface too, was strange, littered with thick tangles of some bizarre, dark green floating plant life. Some even looked dense enough to stand on, though she wasn't inclined to test that impression.

"Okay, this is different." Lisali said, looking the area over.

Vullinah was also up and about, uneasy tension evident in her body language. "I do not like this place. It's impossible to see anything," she said, dark eyes peering at the uninviting area.

"No, that's a verygood thing, actually," Nina spoke up, resting her hands against the side of the boat. "The open sea has no cover, no places to hide unless you go down to the bottom. We may not be able to see far here, but that applies to anything large and hungry as well. And this is where I found it."

"The dreamstone?"

"Uh huh," the mermaid said simply. "Should be right around here... Ohh! There it is! Look!" Nina pointed enthusiastically, and Lisali had to do a double take when she followed the mermaid's line of vision.

A strange stone structure rose like an obelisk from the dark waters. The size of a small building, it was rectangular in shape and definitely not natural, its surfaces black, smooth and polished, tapering to a point about 10 feet above the water. Cut clean though the structure was a hallway of some sort, passing fully to the other side. Nothing was apparent in that plain black hall, except for a pedestal at the middle point, a small glass globe fitted atop it. This 'building' was also... Bobbing in the water ever-so-slightly, meaning it did not connect to the seafloor. It was floating somehow.

"What the hell is that?"

"No clue. But there's a good-sized chunk of ascarlin under that glass there, or a really great imitation. But who would go to all trouble of putting some glass reproduction out here in the middle of nowhere?"

The ship slowly edged up to the foreboding structure, passing through the tangles of floating seaweed with some difficulty, until they pulled up alongside. With this closer look, Lisali could see that even the pedestal was made of the same shiny black, featureless material.

"Lisali. You will go in and see if it is safe. Retrieve the dreamstone if you can, and report back."

"Wh-what? Wait a second, wouldn't the skeleton be better for that? I mean, I'm here to sing, not-"

"Your services are not vital unless the worst occurs. I know nothing of sailing; if the construct is destroyed, it will be extremely difficult to return to land, and Nina is needed to guide us back. You are by far the most expendable person here," Vullinah said. There was no venom in her words, and perhaps even a hint of sympathy in the corners of her eyes.

"Ouch. Okay, fine," the neko said with a wry frown. She had to admit (to herself, at least) that she hadn't done much so far besides sleep and eat rations.

"Don't worry, I crawled around in there when I first found it, and nothing blew up, or tried to poison me or crush me or whatever," Nina said with a little wink. "the glass, or whatever it is, covering the ascarlin seemed pretty indestructible though. I even hit it with a rock!"

Sighing, Lisali hopped down into the hallway, her shoes clacking upon the hard, smooth surface of the structure, echoes reverberating throughout the passage. Nothing tried to kill her. Tension filling her lithe frame as she stalked up to the pedestal inch by inch, her trepidation growing with each step. When she finally reached her goal, the young Rosic looked down through the glass covering, at the stone within. Lisali had never seen ascarlin in person before. The stone itself was a beautiful teal-blue, with rich red veins of lusterious color running throughout, almost seeming to pulse with some hidden power. It was about the size of her thumb, and probably the most valuable thing she would ever touch in her lifetime. Assuming she could get it out; the glass seemed to fuse directly into the pedestal, leaving no clear way to reach the prize.

She drew out her knife, and tried to wedge the point into the seam where the glass met the black material, but made no progress. Eventually, frustration got the better of her, and she flipped her knife over, striking the hilt on the glass, hard. This resulted in a muted 'plong' sound, and no visible damage to the 'glass'. Which didn't seem to be glass at all. Thwarted, she looked around for some mechanism, or release. Her eyes met only with smooth blackness, and she reached out to run her hands along the surface. It felt almost like polished stone, and was oddly warm to the touch.

The neko relaxed a touch, as still nothing manifested to assault her, searching the floor and ceiling for clues. Eventually, her fingers brushed against what appeared to be a seam of some sort. It blended so perfectly with the substance of the wall it was near invisible, even in front of her nose. Tracing it with her fingertips, it became apparent it was some sort of door, but one with no hinges or knob she could identify. No way to open it, if indeed she was correct about it being a door at all.

Eventually Lisali had her fill of tense, fruitless poking around, and she turned on her heel, retreating back towards the others a bit faster than she'd left. Once she reached the edge, she looked up at the ship, wondering if she could get back in without getting wet. Then, everything went mad.

The dark water roiled for a moment, and a titanic entity burst forth from below, sending a salty spray out in every direction. Writhing tentacles, each thicker than the ship's mast, rose up from nowhere and took hold of the vessel, drawing it in, while a huge, curious female face peered down upon them. Black hair, short and unruly, framed her features, dark eyes large and sparkling with interest. Water rolled off her pale, naked skin, and a gleeful grin formed as she spied Vullinah on the deck. "Hello, lunch!"

Then the first wave hit Lisali. Water displaced by giantess's body had produced an impressive set of waves, which in turn smashed into the structure and sent water rushing into the hallway. The ice-cold liquid struck her like a moving wall, smashing the breath from her lungs, and forcing her backwards down the passage. Her eyes and nose burned with the sudden application of saltwater, limbs flailing for purchase where none existed. Then as the wave fell, its motion reversed, sending the water rushing back out, and Lisali tumbling helplessly along with it.

The whole world was topsy-turvy, and for a few moments the neko didn't realize she had been deposited into the sea. She got back to the surface in a moment, coughing and sputtering, terror and adrenaline pumping through her in equal parts. Everything was going wrong, and each moment she wasn't singing brought them all closer to death. The boat was right above her, firmly held in the chlaena's arms. In a frantic, last-ditch effort, she drew a deep breath, ready to perform right there in the ocean if necessary. And then a wave struck her full in the face, causing her to inhale small but painful quantities of sea-water.

There was a shriek above her, but she couldn't get her voice to work, choking helplessly, and the waves kept washing over her head. Panic was threatening to take over, and the enormous, shifting tentacle-silhouettes in the endless blue below did little to calm her. She could swim away and hide, leaving Vullinah to her fate... But dying of dehydration on some floating rock was probably even worse than getting digested. No real choice.

Lisali swam up quickly and gripped the ladder built into the side of the boat, scrambling up and half-flopping back onto the deck, gasping. The giant already had Vullinah in one hand, her shrill cries growing more desperate by the second.

The skeleton, armed with its signature axes, then launched itself at the chlaena's face. She pulled her head back, eyebrows raised in surprise, snatching the undead assailant out of the air with a tentacle at the last second. "Wha...? I've never seen anything like you before," she said, snapping the chain that tethered it to the boat easily, and peering curiously at the construct. It then proceeded to hack viciously at the rubbery flesh that restrained it, eliciting a squeak of pain, as the weapons actually managed to inflict small cuts.

There was still time. Lisali stood on shaking legs, drawing a deep breath, and started to sing. And then immediately stopped, as her lungs spasmed, another coughing fit overtaking her, eyes watering as she struggled to breathe.

"Ow! No slashy! That kinda hurts," the chlaena chided, plucking the axes from the skeleton's hands and discarding them... And then she licked it. By her expression, she was not enamored of the flavor. "Ghaah! Blech! That's the worst thing ever!" The giant even coughed a bit in displeasure, tossing the undead creature away like a bad nut. It made a sad splash as it hit the water, sinking like a stone. "Well, not every new taste is a good one, I guess. You sure look yummy though."

"No! No don't you dare! Please wait, I-eeeek!!" the human royal cried out, as she was stuffed into the chlaena's mouth unceremoniously. Only one leg remained outside, protruding from between those huge, smiling lips. The chlaena made a very pleased humming noise, and began to slurp Vullinah's leg up like a blue noodle.

Depending upon how playful the chlaena was feeling, Lisali knew she had somewhere between a few seconds and perhaps a minute to rescue her employer. One more try. Another deep inhalation. The first notes flowed easily off her tongue, despite a lingering tightness in her lungs. Lisali could have nearly cried with relief, as she pushed forward into a tranquil, calming tune, the first thing that came to her. Her lilting voice rose above the general din of commotion, all other sound seeming to slow and withdraw in reverence to her voice. Everything but the music and the thundering of her own heart faded into the background, as she let her whole being surrender into the joyous act of bringing something truly beautiful into the world.

Still, it was far from her best performance; indeed, one of her weakest and most rushed in recent memory, but it was all she had at the moment. The chlaena paused her savoring of the unlucky Vullinah, one boot still wiggling between her lips, opening her eyes and focusing her terrifying attention entirely on Lisali. Her throat seized up under that alien gaze, and the song abruptly ended.

The blue and white marbled coloration on the chlaena's octopus half shifted through a series of vivid colors. "Oh my! That was beautiful! How do you sing like that?" the chlaena 'said', the fact her mouth was still full of wriggling Vullinah drawing attention to the unique way she communicated; via shifting her own color patterns.

"I-I practiced a lot," Lisali managed, her whole body shaking, from equal amounts cold and fear. She realized just how different this was from performing for the mermaid Ehwea during her test; she understood about the Rosic, and everyone knew she was fair; she wouldn't eat those who were good enough. But here... There was no guarantee she would behave the same way, and further, chlaena were not know for being predictable creatures to begin with.

"Well, you're amazing! Could you sing some more maybe? Before I eat you?" the nameless chlaena asked with cheer, one of her tentacles sweeping out and plucking Lisali from the deck lightning quick, the appendage feeling tactile and rubbery against her skin, restraining her with no hope of physical resistance. She was elevated to face level, where she could hear the muffled shrieks of her hapless employer. The chlaena smiled, and sucked Vullinah's foot into her mouth.

Lisali had never been more terrified in her life, but knew not to squirm, and somehow still found her voice. "W-wait! Wait, please don't eat us! W-wouldn't it be a shame to waste a source of such pretty music? I-I mean, if you eat us, that's en-enjoyable, but then we're gone. But if you keep us around, wouldn't that be more fun in the long term?"

The chlaena seemed to give this some thought, sucking absently on poor Vullinah throughout her deliberation, like she was a hard candy. Finally her distant eyes snapped back into focus, indicating she had come to her conclusion. Lisali held her breath.

"I think you're right, actually. You're pretty insightful for a yummy little treat." With that, the chlaena opened her mouth and plucked Vullinah out, holding her upside down by one foot. She was sticky, disheveled and very unhappy-looking, but otherwise unharmed. "You taste like blue!" the predator added helpfully.

Upon being lowered back to the deck, Vullinah just sat there, breathing hard and wide-eyed. Lisali, now feeling a little more confident, spoke up, "Okay, thank you. Uhh, my name is Lisali, and she's Vullinah."

"Hello! I'm Chintipni!" the invertebrate huntress informed. Now that Lisali had a less panicked view of her, she was actually a good bit smaller than Ehwea had been. Clearly an adult from her figure, and still big enough to eat them all with room to spare, yet the fact was somehow nonetheless comforting. "What're you doing out here, anyway?" the giantess tilted her head to the side.

"W-we are in search of dreamstone, your grace," Vullinah managed, still not standing, and clearly not sure how to address Chintipni.

"Haha, I can be pretty graceful, I guess," the chlaena mused, waving her tentacles randomly in the air, and shimmying her hips back and forth in a strange little quasi-dance. This had the side effect of making Lisali quite dizzy, as she was waved back and forth in the chlaena's rubbery grip.

"P-p-please, s-stop that! Gha..."

"Oops, hehe. Sorry," Chintipni didn't look or sound the least bit sorry, but nonetheless returned Lisali to the boat unharmed, where she struggled to remain standing as the world spun around her. "So, what's a dreamstone?"

"A very valuable gem," Vullinah said, standing and looking up at the gigantic creature with some small dignity. Which was an impressive feat itself, considering her clothes and hair were all askew, and she was covered in chlaena saliva.

"Actually... We know where some is, but we can't recover it. It's in the middle of that wierd structure there. Could you maybe...?" Lisali didn't want to push her luck, but if the chlaena was friendly...

"Oh, alright. Lemme' see!" Without hesitation, Chintipni took hold of the structure (which looked a great deal smaller contrasted against her) and pushed one of her octopus arms into the comparatively small opening. It didn't look like it would fit, but the limb squashed and compressed down with ease, the chlaena wearing an oddly cute look of concentration on her face, pink tongue just visible at the corner of her mouth. "Hmmm... Got it!" With a little whoop of victory, she withdrew her arm, the entire pedestal in her grip, broken off at the bottom.

"Be careful! Don't drop it!" Vullinah said, as the predator peered at the prize closely.

"Mmmm. It's so tiny... Pretty though!" she said, but then seemed to lose interest, tossing the priceless treasure down at Vullinah's feet carelessly. Then the black floating structure began to sink. All three of them stared, as it gradually dipped below the waves, and then at last vanished completely. "Uh oh. Did I break it?" Chintipni asked with a sheepish look.

"It does not matter, we have what we came for." Vullinah said, turning away and taking the pedestal into her arms. It looked heavy.

"Oooo, could you sing another song now, please? You have such a wonderful voice," the chlaena asked with enthusiasm, her previous embarrassment forgotten.

"Of course, anything in particular-"

"No," Vullinah broke in. "Not yet, anyway. First you have to escort us safely back to the Torpaline coast. Then and only then, can you hear more music."

"What? But that's so far away!" Chintipni pouted, while Lisali felt distinctly uncomfortable with this tactic. Strong-arming giant predators was not something she had much experience with, and this one was as capricious a being as she'd met. But not presenting a united front might make things even worse, so she rolled with it.

"Please?" Lisali added, "it's so dangerous out on the sea for us, we could really use the protection."

"Well, I'm headed back to the Jewel River soon anyway, so it's not that far out of my way..." the chlaena said, looking thoughtful, "Okay, I guess that's fair. But I get this thingy too!" Without further deliberation, she reached out and tore the pink sail from the mast, bits of broken riggings raining down on the human and neko below. Chintipni happily folded the cloth over and wrapped it around her head in a bizarre mimicry of a bandanna. The effect was oddly flattering on her. "Awesome," she said with apparent satisfaction, observing her reflection in the water.

"Umm, hey, is it safe? She all lulled or whatever?" Nina, about whom Lisali had completely forgotten, spoke up. She had also positioned herself such that the ship was between her and the unpredictable giant predator.

"Ohh, a mermaid!"

"No! Don't eat her, she's part of our group."

"Really?" A heavy sigh from Chintipni. "Okay. I guess..." She gave Nina a longing look. The mermaid responded by sticking her tongue out at the giantess.

"Can we now depart? I am eager to return home, and without our sail, I believe you will need to tow us..." Vullinah said. "And I am in need of a change of clothes," she added, looking down at herself.

And with that, they began what would no doubt be a tense, uneasy return trip, Chintipni dragging them along with one hand, humming cheerfully to herself, their sail wrapped around her head.

Unless you were actively being digested, things could always, (and often did), get worse in Felarya. But Lisali got the distinct impression this trip was rather unlikely to get much odder from here out.

================================================

It was the end of the second day of being towed through the Topazial sea by a chlaena who was wearing their sail as a bandana. Moonlight rippled across the water like living quicksilver, bathing the giantess in its soft glow, making her appear mysterious and graceful. Such impressions never survived beyond her opening her mouth, however.

"...shot these weird arrows at me, and some lighteningy stuff, so then I went and tipped the whole boat over! They didn't like that, and they were wiggling around in the water like crazy!" Chintipni narrated with enthusiasm, eyes glittering. "I don't think I'd ever eaten so many in a row before then, but I managed to get em' all down. I nearly slept the whole day after."

"That is... that is rather horrifying." Vullinah said, looking more than a touch uneasy.

"No, silly! It was delicious! But you tasted better than any of those ones, hahaha." she giggled cutely, but continued to watch the human with an expression Lisali was somewhat familiar with. Best not leave them alone with each other.

"I have to admit, I'm pretty tired of this boat," Lisali said conversationally. "I can't wait to get back onto solid ground, a real bed... Deciding how to spent all the money you promised me." She grinned at the human.

"Yes, I must admit, you certainly earned your pay and more," Vullinah said, her expression wry.

"When we get to the coast, maybe you could all sing together? I once listened to a group of mermaids singing together, and it was just heavenly." the giantess interjected, adjusting her new bandana.

"Together? No, no I've never been much of a singer, I rather think I'd drag the whole performance down. Wait, you thought..." Vullinah trailed off, her expression darkening, body going tense in discomfort.

"Wait... what?" Chintipni frowned for a moment in thought, and then burst into a fit of giggles. "Ohh, haha, I'm so stupid! I thought you were all happy singing treats! But it's just the one with the cute tail, right?" She reached down and patted Lisali on the head gently with one finger, making her stagger.

Everything was deathly still and quiet for a moment, and Lisali's brain worked in slow-motion to process this new development, and all the implications. Until Nina broke the silence, her tone oblivious to the tension. "Yeah, I wish I could sing like her. Apparently the Rosic are-"

"Shut up! Shut up you freakish half-fish bimbo! She-ulllahh!" Vullinah's sudden venom was cut short as the chlaena wrapped one of her agile octopus arms around her, lifting her to face level in a blink.

"You shouldn't call names. It's not nice!" Chintipni said, her voice filled with the usual unnerving cheer. Then, Nina made an abortive little squeak, vanishing under the water with a 'glub'. The mermaid reappeared a few seconds later, dangling by her tail from another of the chlaena's prehensile arms, water rolling off her naked, upside-down body.

"What the hell? Let me down!" The mermaid's eyes grew wider as she seemed to process her position. "Uhh, please?"

"You should really apologize," the smiling giantess said with a nod to Vullinah, bringing both smaller individuals closer together so they faced each other.

"Oh... uhh, yes. I-I'm very sorry for... that."

"Apology accepted!" Nina said quickly, "Please, can you put me down now?"

"Isn't that so much better?" Chintipni said warmly, clasping her human hands in front of her chest and signing in happiness. "Okay, now in you go!" Without any further warning, she proceeded to push Nina into her mouth. The mermaid squeaked, her cry cut off as huge lips sealed around her middle. Her pretty blue fish tail dangled outside, flopping and twitching wildly. One could almost imagine it was a normal fish being eaten, rather than a person. She sucked, slowly drawing the rest of Nina in, the frantic shrieks from within growing ever more desperate.

"Wait! Wait, stop it! You can't just-" Lisali broke off, wincing as the chlaena swallowed. Nina's outline rippled down her throat with grim finality.

"Ahh," Chintipni released a little sigh of happiness, and only then seemed to notice Lisali's protests. "Umm, I can't do what now?" Her attention was only half-there, and even as she spoke, she raised the struggling Vullinah to her lips.

"Stop eating my crew!"

"Mmh, just a minute; I'm eating," the aquatic giantess replied absently, her eyes fixed on the human in her grip. Vullinah yelled something inarticulate, but the predator wasn't paying attention. With a little lick, she scooped the human's legs up into her mouth, sucking gently.

"No! Get off me, you monster!" Chintipni seemed unmoved by Vullinah's command/plea, slurping her up little by little, taking far more time than she had with the mermaid. Lisali did the only thing she knew; started to sing.

A sweet, cheery melody rose from her lungs, sweeping through the night air like a cool breeze, seeming to bring the whole world into crisper focus. But this time Chintipni seemed unmoved. Except that wasn't right; indeed, the aquatic predator closed her eyes and hummed with pleasure as the music met her ears, even swaying in place a little with the rhythm. What she didn't do was stop eating Vullinah, continuing to draw the frantic human in, until her head finally vanished with a slurp of that huge pink tongue. She sucked slowly on the being in her mouth, a look of near ecstasy painted on her pretty face. A audible gulp soon followed, and she let out a sigh of satisfaction once the woman had finished sliding down her throat. At that point, Lisali let her singing trail off.

Chintipni smacked her lips, looking perfectly blissful. For a moment it seemed she had forgotten about Lisali entirely, but then her attention drifted back to the ship and its single occupant. The neko couldn't help but cringe. "Ahhh. That was wonderful! I've never gotten to eat to music before; it was just lovely." She sighed again, a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Are you going to eat me, too?" Lisali asked, managing to keep the waver out of her voice. Her heart was racing, and she was nearly dizzy with fear, but had long ago resolved not to cry or beg when her time came. But now looking the possibility in the face, she wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to hold to that.

"Huh? No. At least, I don't think so? You are the singing one right? I'm pretty sure, you just sang a second ago... Didn't you?" The chlaena looked mildly confused, staring down at her stomach in contemplation. The sounds made by her digestive system gearing up were unsettling, to say the least. While the faint, distressed voices from within sounded rather more than unsettled.

"Yes! Yes, I'm definitely the singing one!" the Rosic half-pleaded, in a mixture of relief and fear. It seemed Chintipni hadn't changed her mind, she'd just realized the other two weren't Rosic-level musicians, and thus viable food in her eyes. They hadn't even known they'd been inadvertently deceiving her, until it was too late.

"Oh good. Sometimes when I'm hungry I kinda lose control and just eat whatever, even when it's not a good idea, haha," the chlaena admitted cheerfully, with no indication she understood how nervous such a declaration might make Lisali. "Like this one time, back in the Jewel River, there was this great big translucent girl, and she said 'put her down or I'll be violent', but I didn't. And then she was. It kinda hurt."

"...Oh."

"Could I maybe have just one more song before we get to the coast?"

"Um, I'm a little tired... Maybe tomorrow?"

"Alright, that sounds great! I'm feeling pretty sleepy now anyway." Without warning, the predator leaned down, bringing her lips toward the neko. In that second, Lisali was sure she had changed her mind after all, but instead of enveloping her, those lips kissed her gently on the head, an action that nearly knocked her over. Chintipni smiled softly. "You are just the cutest thing in the world."

"Th-thanks."

"Mmmh, 'night." With that, the giantess settled down into the water, her massive, kraken-like tentacles wrapping around the boat, as she brought the vessel close to her chest... Almost like she was cuddling it. Creaks and groans issued from the ship under the strain of her protective embrace. She yawned. "Mmmh, don't worry. I promise you'll be safe with me," Chintipni said, voice soft and sleepy. "Unless something big enough to eat me comes along; then you're on your own," she added, her inflection retaining its usual cheerfulness. With a contented sigh, she closed her eyes, leaving Lisali to her thoughts in the silvery moonlight.

Not exactly the best situation in the world, but the loud gurgling noises issuing from the chlaena's stomach reminded her she had probably gotten off lightly, in the grand scheme of things. So far. Nonetheless, she opted to retire below, as opposed to her hammock, not keen to spend the night listening to the others being digested. She'd barely spoken to Vullinah, but Nina's unexpected death had left her rather sad. They hadn't been 'close' by any stretch of the imagination, but in the quiet, private darkness of the cabin, she found herself blinking away a few unbidden tears on her behalf. Still, getting angry at the predator wouldn't help anything; it was just how they were.

One thing was certain though; she would not be going adventuring again for a very, very long time. If ever. A life of lazy comfort singing songs for some rich bored person Nekomura, or even starting a career in Negav as a professional musician, sounded quite pleasant at the moment. And the fact she was now sole owner of a thumb-sized piece of ascarlin certainly helped her feel better about the whole ordeal, and would provide a fantastic nest egg for her future.

Assuming she made it home alive at all, of course. Little is ever certain in Felarya, least of all its seas.

A semi-short one, setting up for a larger storyline, bringing together a couple of characters from my previous stories for a new adventure. If you like ninjas and/or archaeologists, read on!!


The Seeking and the Sought

Tension filled the small room of her apartment like thick smoke, and Naora stood motionless, facing her enemy with steely determination. Beads of sweat clung to her lithe body, and left her black, shoulder-length hair limp. Clad in only her paper-thin nightgown, she was not dressed for a showdown. Weeks of fruitless attempts to circumvent a violent conclusion had left her short on both money and patience. There would be no more attempts at finesse or compromise. No mercy.

She drew her precious blade, Xemri'angi (which apparently translated roughly to 'sword-that-strikes-only-once-per-year-but-may-pierce-the-flesh-of-a-god') and held the slender, shining length of enchanted steel aloft. Her opponent remained unmoved, little indeed could repel the blade's full wrath. She would not fail.

Naora swung her weapon down in a full two-handed arc, compelling it to unleash all its might in this single stroke. The blade met its mark in a flash of steel and a loud 'clang', the shock of impact reverberating painfully through her hands and arms. She immediately stooped down to examine her target for damage.

"Not a scratch? Not a goddamn scratch?!" Naora seethed through gritted teeth. The small, ornate box just sat there, sealed and unmoving, as it had throughout her numerous attempts to open it. Its material was pure black, laced with intricate green runes. There was no key-hole, no moving parts, and nothing any of the mages she trusted could solve. She had nearly died twice to recover it, and now she couldn't get the damn thing open. She lifted it in one hand, and hurled it against the wall violently, where it stuck, little bits of plaster crumbling to the floor in its wake. It remained undamaged, of course.

By all rights it should have worked. She wanted to try again, for a more vulnerable spot, but as its name implied, Xemri'angi's cutting enchantment, while extremely potent, had a very limited use, and the sword would requite time to recharge. Luckily, at some point prior to her acquiring it, the hilt had been fitted with a tiny fragment of Ascarlin, and thus required only a single day to recharge.

But it should have worked. Channeling all its energy into a single strike should have been able to cut nearly anything, if only a little. Naora had even carved NAGAS SUCK (very lightly) onto the shell of a wild noghdong when initially testing the blade. She could wait a day and try again, but knew it would be a waste of time.

This all but proved the box was of Ur-Sagol origin, as she had suspected; very little else could explain its outrageous durability. And there had to be a trick to unlocking it. But the only one who might know was its former owner. And getting her to talk would be a trick and a half.

But the one thing everyone who knew Naora agreed upon, was that she was full of tricks.

=====================================

The smell of smoke, alcohol, roasted meat, and unwashed bodies permeated the dense air in equal portions, making the woman's eyes water. The Dridder's Web would not have been her first choice of a place to get a drink . . . or do anything, really. There was a neko singing off-key in the background, and playing a lute only marginally better, proving she did not have even the most tenuous relation to the Rosic tribe. She was quite attractive and wore little clothing, however, which probably redeemed her in the eyes of the clientele.

Picking her way timidly between tables occupied by dangerous-looking people, scanning each for her target, Milara Dantious reached the bar with some trepidation. Thinking of perhaps questioning the bartender, she spotted sitting not four feet away, her target. Or someone who fit the description, at least. She was tall and lean, wearing loose non-descript clothing, her medium-length black hair tied back in a small pony-tail.

"Naora?" Milara asked, tapping the women on the shoulder lightly. The dangerous woman spun in her seat, causing Milara to nearly shriek in fright. Except, she was smiling. And looking a little flushed, too.

"Yes?" Naora replied cheerfully and a little too loudly, "You want something specific, or just for me to buy you a drink?" She was holding a rather large bottle of something that had to be alcoholic.

"Uhh, actually I was-"

"What's your name, since you seem to know mine?"

"Oh. Um, I'm Milara Dantious, but everyone just calls me Laura." Feeling a touch less threatened, Laura took a seat next to the semi-inebriated woman.

"Okay Laura, have a chocolate naga." Naora proceed to shove a large peace of . . . naga-shaped chocolate into her hands. "I'm going on an expedition later this week, you see, so until then I'm going to enjoy every last skevol to my name!"

"I'm glad I caught you, then. I actually wanted to ask you about something."

"Why? Thinking of getting into the 'adventuring' game? Looking for some tips from a pro?" Naora proceeded to savagely bite the head off of her own naga-shaped candy, and then looked down at it thoughtfully as she chewed. "If only it were that easy, eh?" she said after swallowing, giggling a bit to herself.

"Uhh, huh. Do . . . do they sell that candy here?" Laura asked, unable to stifle her curiosity about the apparent contradiction of a seedy bar selling naga-candies.

"No, but I like my alcohol with sugar, so I brought em'. And everybody here knows better than to give me crap about it." Naora lifted an eyebrow. "Was that what you wanted to ask?"

"No, nono, I actually heard you came into possession of something valuable recently."

Naora's smile vanished in an instant, her eyes going hard and narrowing. "Where did you hear that?"

"Umm, f-from a dryad, actually. It's a long story . . ."

"A dryad."

"Yes," Laura rushed, feeling rather uncomfortable under Naora's now-steely gaze. "We traded for some information, about the location of a very valuable artifact. She seemed to think someone going by your name might have recovered it first."

Naora made an odd, unreadable expression. "Did she say what happened to my partner, Sheena?"

"She seemed pretty sure only one of you survived." Laura swallowed, averting her eyes.

There was a heavy sign. "After all this time, I shouldn't be surprised. Thanks for the confirmation, I guess. The artifact is mine now though, so what do you want?"

"I'm an archaeological specialist, and research suggests that the artifact might be some kind of unique dimensional device. I was hoping to get to study it . . ."

Naora made a derisive sound. "Figures."

"It's supposed to be from the Ur-Sagol era!" Laura said earnestly, ignoring the quip. "Imagine what we could learn . . . and I've got a buyer lined up for after I've examined it."

"Ah, not completely without some healthy self-interest? Good for you, but I've got bad news: the box I found is sealed and pretty much indestructible. And mine, now."

"Well, maybe we could split the reward then? You did recover it after all, but I went to a lot of work to find a buyer, and-"

"No. I went through hell for this thing, and nobody's going to pay full price for a damn 'mystery box', no matter what they suspect is in it. None of the mages I trust could crack it, and I'm not entrusting it to someone who might screw me over."

"What good is it to you, then?"

Naora smiled a wicked little smile. "Well, I'm leading a salvage expedition to Ur-Sagol this week, and that also happens to be the area where the box's previous owner lives. I'm hoping she can be . . . persuaded to explain how to open it."

"Wow, you're going to Ur-Sagol? I've always wanted to go . . ."

"Really? My group is actually short an expert." Naora gave Laura an appraising look, and seemed to come to some conclusion. "We were just gonna grab what looked salable, but a little expertise might be a good call. The pay would be crap, but I can offer you 20% of anything valuable you identify? And the trip, at least, is a lot safer than you're used to, I imagine." She smirked at that last comment.

"Hm, a few of my colleges who might be interested too."

"That's fine, but you're splitting your fee with anyone you bring, and no more than four, alright?"

"Four? No no, two at the most. Hey, is the rest of your group here too?"

"No, they're all at the Hero's Inn. I never could stand that place, with all the sentimental crap that goes on. It's where we'll be meeting up day after tomorrow, though. So if you want in, don't be late."

Despite her standing resolution to never leave Negav again, this opportunity seemed too good to pass up. Ur-Sagol! Getting to see it in person had been one of her dreams since she was a teenager. And after the horrible misfortune suffered during her last expedition, surely this one had to go better? Being in a dryad's mouth had been easily the most traumatic experience of Laura's life, even though the dryad is question had apologized afterwards.

==============================================

Dawn had not yet broken, though it would soon, the dark blue of the night sky outside her apartment window growing paler with each passing minute. Sitting on the floor, legs folded under her, Naora closed her eyes and took a series of deep breaths, centering herself, letting all the nervous tension, all the emotions and uncertainties . . . everything, just flow away like water. When her eyes opened, she was calm, poised and steady. It was all still there, of course, hiding just under the surface, but the tension felt more like excitement now, ready to fill her body with productive energy at the slightest notice.

A tiny smile played at her lips. For all the danger and death, the countless downsides . . . even the loss of Sheena, she couldn't help but love it. The mystery, the beauty . . . the sheer, insane thrill of defying the deadliest dangers on the deadliest of worlds. Felarya was her home, and she had survived everything it had thrown at her. She had long since learned to keep such feelings to herself in public however, lest she be judged a starry-eyed rookie destined to fill some monster's belly.

She stood, naked except for the slip she always wore under her suit. She retrieved her light chest-plate from its place, the polished Battal Oak wood smooth under her fingers, scarred and pockmarked in several places where it had saved her life. Tying and tightening the straps until it fit snugly, the familiar feel of the custom fitted armor was deeply comforting, almost like the embrace of an old friend. She continued, attaching more thin plates to her shins and forearms, where protection is most vital. She did a few stretches and a quick handstand to ensure everything was placed correctly, the added weight noticeable but not at all debilitating, just how she wanted it. Protection is worthless at the cost of to much mobility.

Moving on, Naora unfolded her black form-fitting bodysuit, slipping it on with practiced ease, the fabric hugging her body, tight enough to avoid getting snagged, but still provide full freedom of movement. Her boots came next, simple and sturdy, fitted with tiny cleats on the bottom for additional traction. Then the gloves, and her signature wrist-compartments that held tiny bombs, which could produce blinding flashes of light, or release a cloud of powerful irritant, depending on the variety.

Next came her belt, where she attached her several knives, and a few pouches containing more bombs. A vishmitali for tight situations, and finally her precious sword Xemri'angi strapped to her back. Then, last but most important, she retrieved her most valuable possession of all from its hidden compartment in the floor. She stared at the beautiful, perfectly preserved spiral seashell, traced with intricate blue runes. It had been some time since she had last looked at it, and a wave of nostalgic emotion came over her unbidden, dozens of vivid memories bubbling to the surface, many terrifying, or joyious, some even heartrending.

"I wonder if you miss me as much as I do you . . ." she whispered to the empty room, and then stuffed the shell into a belt-pouch. The sun was nearly up; it was time to go.

==============================================

A thick mist still hung heavily in the chill morning air, blanketing everything in a hazy blur, and giving a bluish, dreamlike tint to the green foliage around them. Though the plant-life was thin and almost tame, at least compared to the 'true' wilds, due to the proximity to civilization, in was nonetheless quite intimidating to a pair of archeologists almost completely untrained in survival.

As the walls of Negav receded gradually at her back, already little more than a huge, dark silhouette in the half-light, Laura found her nerves on edge. Just because nothing truly lethal could get at them, didn't mean they were totally safe. Bandits, or even smaller predators might be lurking. Though they were probably safe enough where they were; not much in those categories was brave or stupid enough to cause trouble so close to the Hero's Inn. Adventurers, in general, loved pummeling thugs and/or beasts, and many of them were even good at it.

She and her companion were outfitted with a full assortment of explorer-gear, sturdy tanned jackets and pants with numerous pockets housing various tools both mundane and magical. Both carried a backpack containing the heavier necessities, and Laura had her distinctive tinted goggles pushed up into her short brownish hair. She had never encountered a situation where she needed to wear them over her eyes, but their presence was strangely comforting, nonetheless.

"Laura, are you sure we're still in range of the Eye? Because I wear if-"

"Yes, Cellia, I am sure. How long do you think an inn would last out here unprotected? Just . . . all this mist is making it hard to navigate," Laura said a little more sharply than intended. Cellia had been the only one of her colleges interested in a last-minute expedition to Ur-Sagol with a bunch of shadowy, dangerous free-lancers who might just murder and rob them, or worse, use them as bait . . . and now that she thought, maybe this whole thing had been a bad idea. To late to turn back now though, at least with her dignity intact.

"And you're sure we're going the right direction? Have you even been out here before?"

"Yes, I have! Once. The Inn of Heroes should be right around here, I'm sure we'd be able to see it already if not for this damn fog."

"You don't suppose a north-eastern wind blew it in? You know, from the Misty Glade...?"

Laura swallowed at the thought. What if it had? And what if the mist interfered with the Isolon Eye, reducing its range, even by a little. Even now, they might be . . .

"I doubt it. And even if so, the trip drained it of any unique properties, as far as I can tell," a startlingly new, female voice said from a little to their left, the source invisible in the fog. "Of course, it did make a couple of tasty little humans wander foolishly out of the Isolon Eye's range! Mwhahaha!"

"Nooo! Oh gods I knew it!!" Cellia shrieked, tripping over her own feet in panic, crashing to the ground, her glasses tumbling into her lap, while Laura's heart almost stopped. Not only was she about to die horribly, but die in the most embarrassing way imaginable; getting lost on the way to the Hero's Inn. She should have never left Negav.

"Whoa, calm down! I was kidding! Man you two are jumpy," the mystery voice said bemusedly, as a very human-looking, very normal-sized woman revealed herself. She had longish brown hair, and wore a distinctive, frilly white corset-like garment, which seemed cut to accentuate her . . . considerable assets more then be functional. She was also grinning ear-to-ear, indicating she felt no remorse for her deception. "A little tip: real monsters rarely laugh evilly right before attacking."

"That was not funny!" Cellia said from the ground, somewhat tearfully, her light teal hair disheveled.

"No, it was hilarious. Anyway, I'm Mae. I assume you two are the last-minute additions Naora mentioned?" This Mae woman didn't seem intent on devouring and/or robbing them, and she knew Naora. Probably safe.

"That's us. I'm Milara Dantious, and this is Cellia Wrathclerk."

"Good good! Follow me, the Hero's Inn is just a little ways from here. Don't stray though, because the Eye's influence is quite weak here. No giant nagas, but smaller stuff could be lurking out there."

"I'm aware of how the Eye works: I've lived in Negav all my life," Laura returned dryly, deciding she wasn't likely to get on well with this lady.

"A native, huh? Well, this'll be my fourth trip out into the Felaryan wilderness, but I'm actually pretty famous back on my home world. Figured I might find a real challenge here. And, ya'know, the immortality part sounded pretty sweet, too."

"Yeah, we do get a lot of visitors . . ." Laura returned, tone neutral, biting back comments about where most of those visitors ended up. Of course, if Mae had really been out three times, she was probably at least competent. "So, what are you doing out here alone? Shouldn't you be back at the Inn?"

"Yeah, the Inn is crazy-crowded right now; apparently a bunch of stranded, off-world sailors got here last night, totally new to Felarya, so it's a bit of a madhouse in there. Figured I'd get some air, and go trolling for arboreal frogs while I'm at it. I heard a couple of people disappeared around here day-before-yesterday, and they figured one or two must have moved in recently. Offered a decent bounty for proof of killing em'."

"You do know how big those things can get, right?"

"Oh yeah, I exploded one last time I was out. Stupid things try to eat anything moving you put in front of them. Splat. Gulp. Pop! Dead frog."

"That . . . works?"

"You know it! Poor Tristan got covered in frog guts though, hehe."

The trip was a short one indeed, less than a minute, before they reached their destination. The Inn of Heroes, an impressive and welcoming structure, was built right into the side of a huge boulder, which was actually the smaller of two huge rocks, the larger housing the Tomb of Unknown Adventurers. Sealed long ago, the Tomb itself was little more than a white entrance, intricate reliefs engraved around it, its true origin a much-debated mystery in academic circles.

"Here we are!" Mae said brightly, gesturing at the building. "I'm gonna go let everyone know the team is assembled. You two wanna come in and have a 'last drink'? Ya'know, since we all might get devoured, and whatnot?" Mae laughed lightly, and Laura downgraded her assessment of the woman; she was not taking this close to seriously enough.

"Hell yes. Maybe two drinks!" Cellia said quickly, before turning to Laura. "You coming?"

"You two go ahead, I'll catch up in a second."

"Suit yourself," Mae said, shrugging. "Just don't wander off."

The pair entered the inn, sounds of music and cheerful voices escaping for a moment before the door closed behind them. Once alone, Laura made her way over to the second, larger boulder, fishing in her pocked for the marker she'd brought. The boulder's grainy, uneven surface was covered in names, written in all sizes, colors and languages, each one representing some unfortunate soul who would not be returning from the deadly wilds of Felarya. It wasn't even like she'd known Estelle very well, or at all, outside of work. And her botched attempt to kill that dryad had almost gotten Laura killed, too. But it still felt like the right thing to do.

Running her hand over the surface as she circled the morbid monument, trying not to imagine a future where someone was writing her name down, Laura was surprised to see a dark silhouette come into view. A woman was standing, just staring at the rock, a marker held loosely in one hand. Laura approached, against her better judgment, until the woman noticed, head snapping in her direction. It was Naora.

"Oh, Naora! What are you doing out here . . . ?" Laura asked, immediately realizing what a stupid question it was.

"Who-oh. You. It's none of your business. And I hired you to do a job, not ask questions. Now quit wandering around and get back to the inn, before you get yourself killed." Naora was now dressed in a sleek black form-fitting body suit, an array of dangerious-looking items strapped to her belt, and a sheathed sword on her back. She looked a hell of a lot scarier then she had back at the bar.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just . . ." the archaeologist mumbled, taken aback at the cold, sharp way she'd been addressed. Naora was clearly more friendly drunk.

The black-clad woman seemed about to continue the berating, when her eyes came to rest on the marker in Laura's hand, and she had the decency to look a bit ashamed. "Oh. Right . . . sorry."

"That's okay. You and . . . uhh, Sheena were close?" Laura ventured, not sure herself why she was prying.

"Yes. I've been putting this off, sort of hoping she'd just come back, but with what you said yesterday, I guess it's time for some closure." Naora scribbled the name, her handwriting fast and jagged. "I knew she wasn't quite . . . cautious enough for this line of work, but I thought I'd be able to . . . mmh, doesn't matter now."

"We met Mae on the way here," Laura said, feeling the need for a change of subject. Naora seemed grateful.

"Ha, that must have been fun. Don't be fooled, she may not be the smartest, and definitely lacks restraint, but she's a real magical powerhouse. I once saw her knock a freaking Tonorion around with that weird magic style of hers. Was a pretty small one, but still."

"Aren't those pretty much immune to magic?"

"No, just very resistant. Not sure if she was bypassing it somehow, or just overpowering it. The Fist'll end up trying to recruit her sooner or later, no question. If she can take to the training, she'll be wearing those white robes before you know it."

"Well, I guess I feel safer knowing you have such a good team."

"To be honest, it's not exactly my dream team. But I'm short on funds . . . which is to say I'm deep in debt, and I need this payoff," Naora said ruefully.

"Oh eat me! That's reassuring. Why the hell didn't you tell me that before?"

"Figured you knew. I mean, I'd never accept some newcomer at the last minute without at least a touch of desperation. Assumed you were feeling the pinch a little yourself."

"We're going to die out there, aren't we?" Laura asked, only half-jokingly.

"If you wanna chicken out, there's still time, you know. And if all else fails, remember that Ellion is a lonely, lonely man. A couple of winks, and he'll carry you back to Negav by himself for the slim chance at some action." With a smirk, she vanished back in the direction of the Inn, leaving Laura befuddled and feeling she'd missed some inside joke.

Shaking her head, she turned back to the boulder. "Alright Estelle, it's not much, but it's all I've got," she said to herself, lifting her pen and writing out the name as clearly as she could on the uneven stone. A bit more morbid of a start to her second expedition that she'd wanted, but oddly fitting, too.

=======================

Credits:

Silent-Eric for the Tomb of Unknown Adventurers, Inn of Heroes, and brief Rosic Neko reference

Jaette troll for vishmitali

Karbo for Felarya

If I missed any, apologies and feel free to let me know!

Another story for the forum. Continues the adventures of Nene the tomthumb, and Rachel the hydromancer pirate as they traverse of the dangers of the Felaryan jungle. In contrast to my previous vore-free story, this one has quite a bit. If that offends/irritates/invokes unreasonably violent impulses in you, please step away from the digital text.

This one picks up after an inexcusable cliffhanger ending, so you probably ought to at least read the previous one (When You Can't Eat Em') in the series first.

A Spider's Parler

Rachel didn't dare breath. The waterlogged forest seemed to have gone deathly silent, and she felt she could almost hear the individual drops of water rolling off leaves and striking the ground in the twilight-cloaked foliage around them. The gigantic woman with the spider's lower body approached, movements slow but measured, somewhere between leisurely and cautious. None of the nekos ran, and Rachel resisted her own urge to bolt off into the surrounding web-filled forest.

The giantess kept her distance, stopping well out of striking range, but a slow, very predatory smile graced her lips as she tilted her head to one side, long, feathery silver hair framing her face. Her complexion was an odd but flattering light blue/grey color, and her figure was slim but womanly, her considerable chest standing out in particular. She was quite beautiful it truth, at least until one's gaze reached her waist, and the lovey (albeit giant) female form gave way to that of a nightmarishly oversized arachnid, all shiny black carapace and inhuman legs.

After a pregnant silence, she spoke: "Hello there, little ones. I must admit you've rather caught me by surprise. What brings you to Isuvi's neck of the woods this evening, hmm?" she said, voice like silk, dark blue eyes darting to and fro, focusing upon each of the comparatively tiny beings in turn.

Maple moved up front, the neko stopping once she was between everyone and the giant spider/woman/thing. "Just passing through; we're not looking for trouble. I think we'd both be better off not bothering each other." Maple's voice was steady, but it didn't take a mind-reader to tell she was intimidated, and Rachel couldn't really blame her in that regard.

The giantesses smile faltered for a fraction of a second as she focused upon Maple, and the large, arcane-looking weapon on her back. "Hmhmh, is that so? Well, you're certainly not bothering me. In fact I'm very pleased to have so many . . . visitors," Isuvi almost purred, licking her lips ever-so-slightly.

"I don't suppose you could take her? Ya'know, make your water-dragon-thing about . . . fifty times bigger?" Wista whispered, the neko suddenly right next to Rachel.

"No! I'm not sure I could hurt her, even if she didn't fight back."

"Well, I suggest you learn to climb quick then, if this goes bad. The whole area is probably laced with webs, but they'll be worst a ground level." Wista looked away without further explanation, eying a nearby tree, body language tense. Rachel did not feel reassured.

"Okay," Maple said after a long, uncomfortable silence, "just back off, slowly, so we can leave the way we came. . . you wouldn't want me to mess up that pretty face of yours." The neko proceeded to remove the weapon from her back, pointing it in Isuvi's general direction. Isuvi made a hissing sound with her teeth, but held her ground.

"You come tromping through my home unannounced, and now you make threats? How rude." The female creature crossed her arms over her bosom, creating a literal mountain of cleavage, and put on an offended expression.

Maple paused, and Rachel thought she could hear the woman swallow. "Okay, fair enough . . . maybe we could make a deal then?"

"A deal?" the spider-women mimed, tilting her head and now looking more amused than annoyed.

"Yes! We could give you a gift, in exchange for safe passage? That way everybody's happy."

"A gift, hmm? Well, what did you have in mind?"

Maple was ready for this question, answering quickly; "How does a couple of elves sound? I've heard they're especially delicious!"

The spider-woman's eyes lit up with pleasure. "Oh! You certainly seem to know the way to a lady's heart. I must admit I'm rather partial to elves."

"Take two, they're small!" Quick as lightning, Maple grabbed the two very surprised elves, who had up to that point been clutching each other and staring at Isuvi, dragging them forward towards the giantess.

"What the hell is she doing!?" Rachel hissed at Wista, unsure how to react.

"Shut up and pray this works! Dridders are fast, and this area has gotta be webbed to hell and back. If she goes after us, it'll be very bad, especially for those of us who can't climb. Those elves are food however this goes down, but maybe we, and you, can get out of this alive."

Before the unlucky elves could think to resist, they had been hauled into the predator's reach, their long elaborate pastel-colored gowns still looking patently out of place in the woods. And reach she did; pale hand a blur, she scooped them both up with frightening ease, Maple darting clear at the last second.

"Eeeek! Put me down this instant, you . . . you hideous thing!" one of the elves shrieked, Rachel wasn't sure which one. She felt rather bad for them, but not nearly bad enough to throw away her own life in a doomed rescue attempt.

"Aren't you just a treat?" The huge creature said playfully, dangling one of the unlucky elves upside-down, treating her to a close-up view of the predator's open mouth. Even in her position, she seemed more concerned with preventing her skirt from inverting, than the hungry cavern before her.

"Stop! Let me down you freakish monstrosity! H-help!!" The elf wailed as she was lowered ever-so-slowly into that huge mouth, her wiggling growing more frantic by the second as her plight became clear. Then, Isuvi's lips began to close, again with deliberate slowness, until they finally sealed together in a pleased little smirk. Only a pair of legs extended from between, kicking like mad, but that too was put to an end with a audible slurp.

"Mmmmmh." With every trace of the unlucky elf now gone, the giant predator hummed, the sound of her approval mixed with the muffled, increasingly frantic cries of panic emanating from within. She didn't stay there long, as a loud swallow soon followed, a visible bulge rippling down the predator's throat, marking her grim fate.

"You . . . ate her . . . ? You ate her!! You beastly thing! This is crazy! Let -umph- go!!" the remaining elf cried out, wiggling as the huge female's deadly attention focused upon her, licking her lips in a slow, almost sensual manner.

"And she was delicious," the giant predator murmured. "but don't worry, you'll be together in just a moment." Isuvi gave a soft little sigh of happiness, elevating her next victim to face level. Rachel was horrified at the proceedings, but somehow couldn't turn away, as the dridder raised her prey up, opening her mouth and tilting her head back eagerly.

"Nononono!! This is not w-Aieeeee!" There was a wet 'plop' as elf number two made contact with the giant, glistening tongue, where she floundered helplessly for several long seconds. She did finally recover herself, and made a wet, flailing attempt to jump free, but was soundly thwarted when the lips came together, meeting at about her waist. She shrieked again, green eyes the size of dinner plates, as an irresistible suction was applied to her body, drawing her back toward her doom with each second.

She beat uselessly at the huge lips trapping her, the only thing she could reach, but then Isuvi's tongue slithered out and under her, curling back around too cover her face and head.

"Mmmph!" The doomed elf made one last inarticulate squeal, before the massive tongue slurped her up with a moist sound. She stayed in Insuvi's mouth a little longer than the last, her muffled cries continuing unabated, until she too became a wiggling bulge sliding down the dridder's throat.

"Ahhh, perfectly delicious, I must admit," Isuvi said, voice soft with pleasure. "Perhaps it would be alright if I just let the rest of you go."

"Good call. Nobody likes an impact-grenade to the face, I guess," Maple responded with some relief, lowering her weapon slightly. Then, the spider-giantess made a flicking motion toward her, and the neko squeaked in a very undignified manner as her weapon seemed to leap from her grasp.

"Yes, I've learned your weapons can be quite . . . annoying. Difficult to work around, sometimes," Isuvi said, voice playful, now holding the comparatively tiny weapon on the end of a silken thread. She looked at it for a half-second, before rapidly encasing it in a cocoon of silk, and then stuck it to the underside of a nearby branch. "Now as I was saying, while elves are delicious, I've always found that they rarely wiggle with as much . . . feistiness as I like." The spider-woman took several rapid steps forward, legs working in perfect unison, and then leaned down, until her face was nearly level with Maple.

"Well, I guess ev-everyone has their preferences . . ."

"Indeed. I've always felt that nekos provide a much more satisfying postprandial experience, and the sort who jump directly to threatening me in my own home, doubly so. So, I'm having a rather hard time thinking of any reason why I shouldn't just have the rest of you, too." Isuvi smiled once again, amusement clear on her features. A heavy silence stretched out between them, only broken by the chirp of night insects and the faint sounds of the elves in Isuvi's stomach.

"Ummm, what's going on out there?" a very small voice inquired from within Rachel's pocket.

"Run!!" Maple cried, almost as though in reply, and then everything descended into chaos. Wista launched herself at a nearby tree, latching on and shimmying up with fluid ease. The others followed suit, scattering as the dridder lept into motion, snatching Maple right out of the air as she tried to ascend into the branches. Her inhuman legs were a dark, perfectly synchronized blur, moving her through the uneven terrain with impossible agility.

Rachel was very close to evicting Nene from her pocket, in the hopes that the tiny humanoid, at least, might go unnoticed and uneaten. Except, Isuvi's attention seemed fully focused on scanning the trees, well above ground level, as she hunted out the fleeing nekos. Ignoring the ground, and Rachel, completely.

Maybe she had a shot after all.

====================================================

It was completely unfair; just a few moments of carelessness! She never should have gone through this area without scouting it first. But with that damn human sorceress humiliating her, and those insufferable elves and their petty bickering . . . she had been a little too eager to reach Kemsiyet, make the exchange, and be done with it. Passed up perfectly good places to hide for the night, so they could go 'just a little' further. Stupid, stupid, stupid!!

Not that regrets did any good, suspended upside-down far above the earth, a single line of dridder web wound about her legs. At least she'd been 'saved for last'. Not that she had given up just yet, but the odds did look bad.

Feeling ever more dizzy from the unnatural position, Maple took several deep breaths, before once again curling herself into a quasi-situp, desperately trying to free her legs from the sticky, impossibly strong thread. If she could untangle from it, maybe she could use it to swing, or climb, or something. Abdominal muscles crying out in pain, once again she made no progress, finally falling back to dangle in defeat, breathing hard.

"Damn . . . it." Maple took a few moments to rest, letting her arms hang limply above (below?) her head, trying not to dwell on the specifics of what was in store for her if she couldn't escape. She tried not to listen either, as one after another the members of her team cried out invisibly in the twilight-shrouded forest, each time silenced abruptly, sometimes even close enough that she could hear the swallow that came a moment after. Soon enough it would be her turn.

"No!" In a final act of desperation, Maple drew her sword, the simple enchantment on it perhaps enough the cleave the thread. The ground was marshy and soft, and there looked to be some fairly thick, smaller vegetation below her . . . she might survive. It was a better chance than waiting and hoping the dridder would let her go, at least.

Maple took a few more deep breaths, said a prayer, and swung with all her strength at the thread. Except the sword wouldn't move.

"Wha..?" the upside-down neko yelped as the weapon was tugged from her grip, leaving her to sway for a few moments. As she slowly spun in place, Isuvi came into view. She was holding Maple's sword between two fingers. And another neko, Nikka, in her other hand. And a pair of legs were protruding from between her lips, kicking rather wildly. She winked.

"Arggh! When Kemsiyet finds out about this, she'll come down here and tear your damn legs off! One at a time!" Maple spat, though the predator was unmoved. She did however, slurp up the legs (and their unlucky owner) like wiggling pasta noodles, humming softly and closing her eyes as she savored the experience. A horribly audible swallow came a few moments later, marking yet another doom.

"Kemsiyet, you say? Who might that be?" the dridder asked finally, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"An ally of ours, a sphinx! But, if . . . if you let me go, I could convince her to overlook what you've done so far."

Isuvi laughed, a smooth sound filled with unaffected mirth. "Might you now? You are a deliciously cheeky little thing, aren't you? I know I said you'd be last, but I'm not sure I can resist at this rate."

Maple could only stare helplessly at the dridder, hoping a gigantic rock would fall from the sky, crushing her into a greasy paste. Maybe she aught to have joined that stupid 'Klonk' cult after all, like her idiot brother.

The dridder turned her attention to the neko already in her hand, "But I suppose I should finish you up first, at least."

"Noo! No, W-wait, you've already eaten so much, sh-shouldn't you be watching your waist-line?" Nikka squirmed about, shoving at Isuvi's immovable fingers without effect.

"Thank you for the concern, but I have an excellent metabolism. I can eat as much as I like, and still maintain my girlish figure."

"No! No, I knew this was a stupid idea, I want a-" Nikka cried out as she was shoved into Isuvi's mouth, limbs flailing in panic. A quick slurp, and only her head plus a single arm remained on the outside world, eyes squeezed shut against the inevitable. Again, Isuvi did not dawdle too long, savoring the squirming neko for a few disturbing moments, before a wet swallow sealed her fate, too.

"Ahhh. I must thank you for a positively delightful evening. As always, you nekos wiggle in such a wonderfully satisfying way. So full of vim and vigor." She patted her stomach in playful affection. "But I really am getting rather full, so . . .perhaps I should watch my neko intake a little better. . ."

"R-really?"

"Of course not, I'm just teasing. There's always room for one more."

"I-I really hope you die horribly . . . someday soon. . ."

"Oh hush. Now then, ti-higk!" Isuvi hiccuped rather loudly, interrupting herself.

"My. Excu-hik!" Again, the dridder failed to finish her sentence, this time her upper body jerking slightly with the contraction, a blush creeping into her cheeks. She held up one finger, as though requesting Maple to wait, and then took a deep breath, holding it. With no option but to obey, the neko hung there in near-silence, deciding that this was easily the most awkward moment of her life. Only 'near-silence', because she was suspended uncomfortably close to the predator's visibly full belly, from which loud gurgling sounds, mixed with muffled, plaintive cries for help could be heard. A morbid preview, of sorts, of what was in store for her therein.

All to soon, the svelte predator exhaled, taking her breaths carefully for the next few seconds after, wary of a relapse. When all seemed well (for her), she returned her attention to Maple.

"Excuse me; that always happens when I eat too fast. So embarrassing!" She smirked. ". . . but I guess you won't be gossiping about it anytime soon, will you?"

Maple trembled as Isuvi took the thread holding her in hand, dangling her at face-level for a while, smiling her little smile, watching the swaying neko intently.

"Ahh, the last one. Let's see if your flavor is equal to your sassiness, shall we?" The dridder opened wide, and Maple stared at the cavernous, saliva-filled mouth before her. She wouldn't be getting away this time, it seemed.

She was lowered slowly into the humid orifice, squirming as panic and denial kicked in. The neko reached out with her hands, desperately, shocked when she actually caught hold of something; the dridder's white, shiny front teeth. She clung, irrationally, as the dridder gave the thread of webbing more and more slack, until she finally just let go, leaving Maple hanging precariously over the void of her throat, gripping the hard, slippery teeth with all her might.

"Noo!" Her nonspecific cry of denial notwithstanding, Maple could do little but cling and hope for a miracle. Instead, she felt the tip of Isuvi's hot, moist tongue slide, ever-so-gently, across the backs of her legs, over her posterior, where it then lightly poked the small of her back, causing her to sway in place. It was all obviously a playful little game to the dridder, but she still whimpered and clutched her life-line all the harder as the tongue slithered up her back, curling around so the tip pressed down on top of her head.

But she didn't fall. Instead, gravity seemed to change direction as Isuvi returned her head to its neutral position, leaving Maple laying face-up on the shifting organ. Then, she was bathed in utter darkness as the mouth closed around her. She writhed, shifting in the hot, sticky, saliva-filled darkness, inarticulate sounds of protest escaping her as the tongue proceeded to begin tasting her in earnest.

"N-ngha! Nyaa!" There was no escape, not even a sliver of a chance of rescue now, but Maple struggled just the same. Squirmed, even when the tongue pushed her back toward the throat, and the slippery tissue of Isuvi's esophagus took irresistible hold of her hapless form, squeezing her ever downwards, wriggling throughout the terrifying, claustrophobic trip.

When she finally did fall the short distance into the dridder's stomach, she found it to be already quite crowded.

====================================================

There was no way out. Maple's troupe had gotten into this hellish section of forest safely, which meant there had to be a way out, but Rachel simply could not find it. Everywhere she turned, huge, barely visible webbing was stretched between trees, or even spread across areas of the forest floor. She had to move with care; horribly, agonizingly slowly, picking her way through the brush, lest she be caught up in one. But the sound of that spider-woman feasting on the nekos, sometimes behind her, other times directly ahead or even above them in the trees, set her teeth on edge and her heart racing.

"We have to hurry!" the tiny voice from her pocket informed her unhelpfully, for the third time.

"I know that," Rachel said through gritted teeth, once again coming to a full stop, her face mere inches from another deadly web. A dead-end. Again.

"Arrgh! There's no way out!" The prospect of using her magic to try and smash her way through (noise be damned) looking better all the time, Rachel was startled by a soft voice from above her.

"Help me . . . please help . . ." Jumping in surprise, she looked up to see Wista, looking close to tears, suspended in a web some 20 feet above the ground.

"Wista, you're alive?"

"Come on, we don't have time for this," Nene said decisively, head peeking out of the pocket, looking up at the snared neko.

"Don't listen to that damn thing! Please, can't you do something?" Wista half-whispered, looking quite tangled. The web was adhered all over her body and clothes, rendering her mostly immobile. Rachel was unsure of the best way to help, even if she stayed to do so.

"I can't even reach you up there, are you sure you can't break loose?"

"Yes!" Wista whimpered, straining against the web weakly, "I can't even move my arms . . ."

"Please, come on! Who cares if she gets eaten? We have to go!" Nene seemed almost offended at the thought of stopping to rescue Wista.

"Tell your pet to be quiet! I-"

"Both of you, shut the hell up!" Rachel cut in with a harsh whisper. Nene's eyes widened in something not unlike fear, and she dove back into the pocket a second later. She felt vaguely guilty, but didn't have time to think on it.

After a long silence, Wista spoke up again, somewhat subdued. "Please, can't you use your magic to tear me down, or, or something?"

". . . I can try, but this is probably going to hurt."

"Compared to being digested alive, I think I can take it."

"You asked for it." The fact that this was also probably going to make a lot of noise, and thus potentially get them all digested running through her head, the water witch nonetheless marshaled her power, pulling water from the soaked ground, directing a thick rope of it to snake up into the trees, and wrap around Wista's midsection. The webbed neko visibly cringed as the animate liquid pulled with measured but considerable force; Rachel had no time to be gentle.

At first, there was no progress; the webbing stretched and warped, but always snapped back when Rachel paused to rest. Wista didn't seem to be fairing nearly as well, eyes squeezed shut, her breathing ragged, though whether it was in fear or pain was unclear. After three such fruitless attempts, she paused to catch her breath and take stock.

"Alright, I'm gonna try one more time, but if this doesn't work, I . . . can't stay here any longer."

"Okay, don't hold anything back. Thank you for trying, whatever happens . . ."

"Brace yourself." This time, she threw everything she had into it, tapping out her magical reserves and pulling with one sudden, violent jerk. There was a muted whimper of pain, followed by a tearing sound, and Wista pulled free of the webbing all at once, hurdling almost straight down. Fortunately, Rachel had the presence of mind to reshape the water into something resembling a cushion, catching the flailing neko with a second to spare.

Wista bounced off the rubbery oblong blob of magicked water, landing with a 'thud' face down on the ground a moment later. Rachel was relieved to note the tearing sound had apparently come from Wista's clothes being left behind in the web, rather than anything less . . . replaceable. The neko was now very nearly nude, but seemed to be alright otherwise.

"Haha, thank you!" Back on her feet in an instant, Wista lunged at Rachel, kissing her on the lips briefly but unabashedly. "You're my hero."

"Err, yeah, but we still have to get out of here," Rachel returned, backing up, the prospect of being caught and eaten rather effectively distracting her from the embarrassment of being kissed by a naked woman.

"Yeah . . . actually, do you hear that?"

"What?"

"Exactly. Nothing but the normal sounds the forest. Which means that glutton either got full and wandered off, or she's spotted us, and is just about to strike. In which case we're screwed whatever we do." Both individuals looked about nervously, Wista's ears twitching, and even Nene poked her head out to look. But nothing happened. Just the omnipresent chirping of insects, frogs and other night-creatures. No attack.

"Wow, okay . . . I think we just dodged the naga on this one. Now all we need to do is get out of here without getting stuck. Uhh, again."

"Naga?"

"You don't want to know. Okay, I'll see if I can scout a way out of this mess that you can travel. Wait here."

"Hold on!"

"Don't worry, I'll be careful, I won't get trapped again. Nekos have way better night-vision than you humans; I should be able to pick out a workable path now that I'm not fleeing in panic." Without waiting for a reply, Wista launched herself at a nearby tree, latching on and shimmying up with ease. Another instant, and she vanished into the shadowy branches and foliage above them.

"I really hope she didn't just abandon us," Rachel said to nobody in particular, feelings of unease and isolation already creeping up her spine.

"She probably did," Nene replied after a long silence, her tiny voice holding a hint of reproach in it.

"Look, I'm-"

"Psst! C'mon, I found a way through!" a very familiar voice broke in from above, startling them both. Looking up at the source, she could barely see Wista's siloette standing on a massive branch above their heads.

"Damn, that was fast. How-"

"Shht, keep the talking to a minimum, her lair's really close by. But I gathered some little nuts, I'll stay just ahead of you, and drop them down so you can follow."

"Thank you . . ."

"Hey, I owe you one. Now get moving." The neko's silhouette vanished back up into the trees, and sure enough, a few moments later a little nut tumbled down just ahead of then. With nothing better to do, Rachel walked forward until she was standing on top of it. A tiny pause, and another fell to the ground, marking their path. Maybe they would live after all.

====================================================

Eyes half-lidded in contentment, Isuvi swallowed, yet another little neko sliding smoothly down her throat, squirming and struggling every inch of the way. Its pleasant mass soon settled into her happy stomach, where her meal still writhed with delightful vigor. With a yawn and a stretch, the satiated dridder decided the evening had been one of the most pleasant in recent memory. Her tongue roamed the inside of her mouth, seeking out every last trace of that luscious flavor, as the lovely motions in her belly continued unabated.

Despite the luxury of a (relatively) easy meal, she had kept track during her feast, and was aware that a couple more yet remained. She paused in consideration, weighing the pleasure of a wriggly desert, against the bother of hunting them out. The growing sense of laziness that came with a full belly soon made her decision. Had she been able to sense things touching her webs, as her old ex-lover had, it would have been an easy decision, but alas, of all the clever tricks he had imparted, that one had always eluded her. Better to relax and enjoy the evening, than spoil it rooting out a paltry straggler or two, especially when she was already quite satisfied. They had almost certainly stumbled into her webs, and might even still be there come morning.

With pleasant thoughts of a neko breakfast playing through her mind, the dridder moved through the forest at a leisurely pace, soon reaching the section of woods where she usually slept. Every inch of ground and even the trees were covered in her webbing, giving the area a white, ghostly atmosphere, and ensuring little besides her could navigate without great difficulty.

Settling down happily, she took a few moments to get comfortable, relaxing into the blissful postprandial contentment with a soft, feminine sigh. The tiny creatures in her belly continued to wriggle in that oh-so-pleasant way, every bit as feisty as she'd hoped, and she resisted the urge to close her eyes and sleep, intent on savoring the experience a little longer. But the warm satisfaction produced by the constant motions of her feast soon proved too alluring. She felt her consciousness gradually begin to drift, even as a loud gurgle, followed by a ripple of renewed squirming and yelping, indicated her stomach had begun its happy work in earnest.

Of course, the unlucky residents of that stomach probably would not have categorized the ensuing digestion as 'happy' in any way, though as it happened, Isuvi was not especially aware of or interested in their opinions on the matter.

====================================================

It seemed like hours passed in that dark, nightmarish forest, following the path of fallen nuts like in some fairytale, ducking under roots the size of houses, up across lower branches that at first seemed part of the forest floor. But Wista lead them through areas they could navigate without fault, and they did not encounter another web. As they went Rachel could almost feel the distance between them and that evil spider creature growing.

Eventually there was a rustle above them, and Wista hopped down to their level in a series of agile jumps, landing just a few feet away. "Okay, I think we're safe now. Well, from that dridder anyway; this is still the Felaryan wilderness."

"Now what?"

Wista looked a little uneasy, "Well, dawn is probably only a few hours away, so probably no sleep tonight. Our best bet long-term is the Great Dimensional Gate near Ur-Sagol, which is just about due East from here. It can connect to any active portal. So, first question; are there any standing portals you know of where you come from?"

"Standing portal? Great Dimensional Gate? Umm . . ."

"Crap. Okay, so: Maple hired a mage back in Nekomura to open a portal there at a specific time, so we wouldn't have to use a public gate in Negav, and get . . . arrested."

"Arrested? Just who the hell are you?"

"Ummm, it's not important, but-" Wista trailed off, but Rachel wasn't having any of it.

"No. The truth, now." The water witch did her best to be threatening, despite the fact Wista was easily a head taller than her, and her physical superior in just about every way. The neko flinched a little, no doubt more intimidated by Rachel's magic than anything else.

. . . Okay, fine. Let's just say that even if we hadn't met the dridder, those elves would've ended up in pretty much the same situation, only we'd have gotten some money out of it. And with, ya'know, fewer of us joining them." Wista looked a little ashamed, though it seemed rather inadequate for someone who had essentially just admitted to feeding people to monsters for profit. "It was originally Maple's idea, I was really never that into it, but the pay was so good . . ."

"I . . . okay, I suppose I'm not in much position to choose my allies."

Wista looked relieved. "But here's the problem: I'm not sure you can move fast enough to get there in time if things get dicey. If we miss the window, the mage will assume everyone died, and I'll be stuck in a really bad place. Even after what you did back there . . . I'm sorry, but I can't get caught, and we'll never make it back to Nekomura on foot alone. I'm gonna have to go ahead; I can't go at your pace."

"What!? You've gotta be kidding, I-"

"Shh, keep your voice down! Look, if nothing slows you down, you'll get there in time no sweat, but I can't waste time now, on the hope that nothing goes wrong later. I'll wait at the gate for you until the last possible second, you have my word. Even if you don't make it in time, the area around the gate is safer than most, and there's enough traffic you should be able to hitch a ride with somebody-"

"No, I'm not-"

"You're a badass sorceress, anything that could get you I'd be useless against anyway. Remember, due East! I'll see you and your little pet there, no problem!" Wista then proceeded to vanish once more into the trees with little more than a rustle of leaves and flicker of shadow. Then, Rachel was alone once more.

"Damn."

"I told you. You shouldn't trust a giant." Nene said at last, poking her head out of her pocket, reminding Rachel she was not completely alone after all.

"Hey, we got out of that spider's den, and we know which way we're going. That's a lot better than nothing."

"I guess . . ."

"Hey, I'm sorry . . . about yelling at you earlier. I usually have a hard time getting people to take me seriously, at least without resorting to violence, so . . ."

"Well, I think you're very serious," the miniscule woman said, voice unreadable.

"I don't really cut a very imposing figure you see; barely over five feet tall, I'm pretty much a featherweight in any kind of physical confrontation."

"Hmm, I guess you are a little smaller than the other giants, but you're all in the same size-category from my perspective; a million times bigger than me," Nene said, looking up at Rachel from the pocket, her expression somewhere between amused and inquisitive.

"Huh, I suppose that's a good point. It must be pretty scary having someone a thousand times your size snapping at you."

"That's okay. Umm, I was wondering . . ."

"Yeah?"

"Am I? Your pet, I mean. I suppose I don't really have much say anyway, and I've never felt this safe in my life, but she kept calling me that, and . . ."

Rachel let out a small laugh, the first one in what seemed like years. "You shouldn't believe everything giantesses say. They're a voracious, untrustworthy lot."

"You're a giantess, Rachel." The tiny woman looked up with mock-irritation, but the relief was obvious on her features.

"No, I'm just a very tall tomthumb, apparently, and that means you and I need to stick together."

================================

Credit to: JohnDoe for reference to the hilariously off-beat Klonk cult, Ravana3k & French-snack for tomthumbs, and of course Karbo himself for Felarya in general.

If I missed any, apologies in advance!

As always, comments, be they critical, thoughtful, or mindlessly adoring, are welcome.

Darn! Not keeping up with this post properly . . . not that very many people read these here anyway though. I'll put one up now, and then the next one when I have more time (reformatting for the forum takes forever)

Another contest entry. This time I lost to the mighty Archvile, and there's no shame in that. So yeah, a story about angelic and demonic Psycopomps having a little disagreement. Mostly humorous.

Credit where credit is due: TheQuantumMechanic & Anime-Junkie for their work on Heaven and Hell, Jaette-troll for Imoreith Tundra-related stuff, and of course Karbo for Felarya itself. Hope I didn't miss any!


Conflict of Interests

The whole universe seemed to shift, twist and bend, even constant forces like gravity and atmospheric pressure rippling in fluctuation. With a violent 'pop', and a static-like tingle across her flesh, Emephira finished manifesting, popping her ears and feeling the sensation of dry, freezing air stinging her bare skin. Despite the inhospitable climate, before doing anything else she looked herself over anxiously; no matter how she knew the manifestation process was harmless, she had not yet quite grown fully comfortable with it, and the irrational fear that she might end up with her parts in the wrong places or something was foremost in mind.

Her smooth, healthy pink skin was suitably flawless and unharmed, nothing out of place from her dainty toes to the tips of her slender fingers, aside from the profusion of cold-induced goosebumps. The immaculate white of her beautiful, feathered wings was similarly untouched. Letting out a private little sign of relief, Emephira turned her attention to the surrounding area, since one could never be sure what was lurking around on a material plane.

Blue and white dominated the landscape. Felarya was known for its dense, verdant jungles, but the plane was not bereft of other climates. The ground was frozen solid, only sparse clumps of grass and shrubbery surviving in the brutal cold, leaves seemingly bleached white by the frost that clung to them. Cruel winds howled across the icy landscape, whipping up tiny bits of ice into uneven sheets of frozen fog, obscuring vision. A massive grouping of stones towered near to where she stood, icicles hanging from every perch. The wind also sounded . . . wrong, somehow, and even the sky was strange; no sun was visible, and bizarre angular patterns of light could be seen in the dim illumination, giving the area an eerie, unearthly atmosphere . . . even for an entity comprised partly of energy as Emephira was.

Despite the strangeness it was rather strikingly beautiful, she had to admit, but for all the natural majesty, it was clearly a harsh, inhospitable land, in contrast to the gentle, ordered gardens from her home. But she was not here for sightseeing in any case, and had a job to do.

Nothing dangerous seemed to be nearby, aside from the weather itself, which meant the first order of business was to get her defenses up. Contrary to what many mortals believed, a Psycopomp (or angel of death, or soul-reaper, or whatever term they preferred) was neither intangible nor indestructible, and in fact rather low on the angelic (or demonic) chain of command. Destruction on a foreign plane would (almost) never be lethal, but getting shunted back home to reform made it rather difficult to perform one's duties in a timely manner, not to mention being horribly embarrassing. And this frozen tundra, while definitely no hell, looked like an easy place indeed to have one's physical form destroyed.

Emephira focused her senses, calling upon the spell that most in her line of work knew some variation of, weaving a magical field around her body which would protect her from the elements, and bend light, ensuring that she was (mostly) invisible to the living, and would appear as the culturally appropriate angel-of-death figure when observed by a soul. Once done, she cinched the spell into place, feeling it settle comfortably against her body, a small sigh of relief escaping her as the cold was banished from her person. The cost of sustaining the effect was a small strain, but trivial compared to the effort of simply maintaining her form on a foreign world. But however new to the soul-collecting field she was, her training had included a great deal of practice in enduring extended sojourns into physical realms, so there was no immediate rush.

With a delicate little hop, Emephira propelled herself into the air, wings fighting with the violent winds for a few moments, before feeling out the best way to maneuver through them. Working to achieve some altitude, she stretched out her senses, seeking the familiar feel of a soul attuned to positive energy. The background 'noise' produced by the extremely magical nature of Felarya made it a bit hard to focus, but she soon picked out the signature of a rather powerful soul. It was distant, and oddly 'fuzzy' compared to the ones who resided in her home, but still unmistakable.

Hopeful that she might get through her time in Felarya without an embarrassing 'death', she angled her wings, and made off towards the soul at a brisk pace. The unpredictable winds made the going tough, but she was a strong, sure flyer, and that coupled with her invisibility allowed her to traverse the bleached tundra with little worry.

================================

The first sign she was nearing her quarry was a trail of dark red, almost black splotches frozen onto the otherwise ghostly terrain. Blood. The angel swooped down, landing lightly next to the grim evidence, unsure how recent it was. But even as she watched, the never-ending onslaught of wind-born frost gradually covered the dark spots with white; within an hour the evidence would be completely gone. The body, at least, had to be close by.

The trail of blood made her course easy and clear, flying low over the frosted earth in search of the source. After a time, she was lead to another of those strange rock formations, the frozen stone towering over her like some petrified god. The trail circled the obelisk for a short ways, before leading to a great deal more blood, and a couple of bodies. Not human, the corpses were of some snow-white reptilian animals, sporting sharp teeth and vicious talons. Thier makeup was quite alien, but the large gaping holes in the bodies left little doubt regarding the cause of death. Some sort of conflict had clearly taken place, but the angel hurried on, following the blood.

The trail soon lead to a wide opening in the pillar of stone. Uneven, seemingly a natural occurrence of the way the stones piled together, but also quite deep, and Emephira had little interest in further sightseeing in this frozen wasteland, plunging ahead in her mission.

The still, dead air of the cave was somehow even more unsettling than the winds outside, and some strange illumination was further evidence of an intelligent being having passed through. Thin plastic cylinders were wedged into cracks in the walls at even intervals, eerie green light emanating from them. There was nothing magical about the strange light sources, however bizarre they looked, so the angel pressed on with growing trepidation. The blood trail here was quite fresh, but Emephira no longer needed it, as she was close enough to feel out the soul clearly. It wasn't exactly the most good or pure soul, she noted with a bit of disappointment . . . in fact, far from it. But neither was it particularly corrupt; and by her assessment noticeably closer to light than dark, though definitely somewhere on the 'grey' spectrum. Which only meant it was all the more important to bring home; a truly good soul would almost always find its way to Heaven (eventually), but borderline cases were fair game for both Heaven and Hell, and this one had a pretty strong aura, even if it was more gray than light. The only problem being; the soul's body was still very much alive.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, Emephira spied the human in question; wrapped in layers of thick white and grey furs, face covered in a hood, it was impossible to even determine gender. He or she was huddled up in a sitting position against the far wall, facing the entrance, holding some sort of large firearm over their knees. A crude bandage was wrapped tightly around one leg, red soaking through and having pooled on the ground. It also clearly had some kind of magical obfuscation, or else she would have know it was alive from the beginning.

Despite the unexpected turn, Emephira felt a surge of sympathy and concern for the being, but it was generally against the rules for a Psycopomp to interfere or be seen in any significant way, which was part of the reason she was out in this desolate wilderness. New Psycopomps were often sent to places where screwing up and being discovered by the living was unlikely to have any serious repercussions.

Still invisible, Emephira found herself in the awkward position of standing around waiting for the human to die, since his/her prospects as a member of the living did not look all that good. She withdrew to the cave entrance, trying to stay quiet as possible, not fully confident in her camouflage spell at such close quarters. The pressure from the material plane trying to push her out was starting to grow uncomfortable too, and she found herself silently wishing the human would just hurry up and expire, while feeling rather guilty about the selfish desire. Then, she felt a presence, quite close, seemingly pop into existence.

" . . . Huh?" A new, female voice asked, from less than a dozen yards away. Emephira whipped about, startled, eyes picking up a silhouette in the freezing expanse outside the cave, her other senses zeroing in on a unpleasantly negative aura, its owner unquestionably nonhuman.

"A demon!" she half-gasped, a shiver of revulsion running down her spine.

"Gha! An angel! I'm just a Psycopomp, don't-" the demon squeaked in a surprisingly nonthreatening tone, breaking off mid-sentence. She seemed frozen for a moment, hands raised defensively over her face, before relaxing a little, arms dropping to her sides. She was as nude as Emephira, her skin a darkish blue color, and two long, slender horns curved from her crown of pitch black hair. She lacked any sort of wings, and a prehensile, barbed tail hung behind her, shifting and curling in nervous motions. "Um. Judging by that lame camouflage spell, I guess you're here for the same job I am. I'm not in the mood for a fight, and there's really no reason to, so. . ."

"It's not lame . . ." Emephira managed, at a loss for anything else to say. The demon's suggestion was uncharacteristically reasonable though, and she couldn't think of any reason to argue. "I guess you're right . . ."

"Good." The demon paused a moment to put on her 'angel of death' spell, though she didn't seem to bother with any kind of invisibility or protection from the elements. "Now just stay out of my way. There's a soul in that cave there, and I don't want to stay here longer than I have to."

"What!? No, no that one's mine. It's more light than dark anyway, what do you want with it?"

The demon paused for a moment, as though concentrating, and then smirked. "No, you're wrong. It definitely leans to the corrupt side. Now just move . . ."

Emephira set her jaw, retreating a little ways into the cave and spreading her wings, taking up a defensive stance. "No. You're just lying! Go away and I won't have to hurt you."

"Ha! Whatever. Out of my way, love freak," the demon said without remorse, walking right up to Emephira and shoving her. Never having dealt with any sort of physical confrontation before in her life, the angel squeaked and stumbled back.

"Ow! Hey, at least put on some kind of protection or concealment-"

"There's nobody here but you, me, and the soul, and my great grandmother is an ice succubus, so this weather is nothing to me!"

"Aren't you a little short for a succubus?"

"Well . . . you know. Technically my great aunt. Twice removed. By marriage. But whatever! I'm still from Acheron, so I don't mind the cold." The not-even-remotely-an-ice-succubus 'humphed', pushing past into the cave before Emephira could remember why it would be a bad idea. A pair of yelps followed, and a new voice shouted something threatening. The angel briefly considered just abandoning the whole thing right there; return home and let the demon and the dying human sort themselves out. But no. She had a job to do.

Creeping in, Emephira could see the human on its feet, pointing that gun at the rather shocked and embarrassed-looking demon, her disguise not tuned to work on the living. The hood was back, revealing the human as female, she had dark, short hair, her face weathered and a bit rough, perhaps making her look older than she was, features hard and not at all friendly. Her figure was impossible to tell under all her gear, but she was probably in pretty good shape given where she was trudging around. Emephira had to remind herself this human wasn't having a good day either, with her impending death and all.

Emephira edged to the side of the standoff, staying away from where the weapon was pointed, before speaking in a clear, helpful voice. "She's a demon. She wants to take your soul back to hell; you should shoot her." The human jumped a foot in the air in surprise, and then proceeded to point her weapon in Emephira's general direction, and fire. The angel covered her head and cried out, the shot echoing violently in the confined space. Having fallen into a sitting position, she had somehow also avoided being shot. Invisibility has its benefits.

"No! Please don't shoot me!" After a moment of hesitation, she allowed the invisibility component of her concealment spell to fall away, exposing her natural form to a living human for the first time ever. She tried a friendly smile. "See? I'm just here for your soul." The reassuring statement did not have the desired effect, the human narrowing her eyes and tightening her grip on the weapon.

"My soul, huh?" she growled. "You'll have to rip it off my cold, lifeless corpse, you . . . whatever the hell you two are."

"That's pretty much the idea. Though 'rip' isn't quite right. The soul comes loose pretty much by itself after death . . . without some serious necromantic intervention, anyway." The demon said, somehow casual. Maybe she didn't care as much about the embarrassment of getting blasted back home. But the human looked ready to shoot, and her weapon was currently pointing that Emephira.

"Look, this is all getting completely out of hand! You're not even supposed to see us until you're dead." The flustered angel paused, watching as the human became even more suspicious and aggressive at her statement. "Um! No, that came out wrong! We're not supposed to interfere with the living at all, but when you die of natural causes, we come. But because of that concealment magic you're using, I thought you were already dead, and . . ." Getting very close to crying in shame, the angel instead took a deep breath, and reordered her thoughts. "I'm Emephira, and I'm supposed to guide good souls to heaven . . . without getting shot at or into fights with demons."

"Oh perfect! We're doing introductions now?" The demon rolled her eyes in disgust and sat down with a huff. "Ugh, this can't really get any more botched, I guess. I knew there was something off about this one, didn't think it'd be still alive though. Well, I'm Calypsotie, and I live in hell. It's nicer than you've probably heard."

"So you two are . . . what? Manifestations of my good and evil impulses?" The human backed away a bit, keeping her gun aimed at the air between angel and demon.

"Ha! Sure, why not!? Except she's useless and annoying, while I'm interesting and helpful," Calypsotie said, apparently amused by the premise.

"Not much point shooting a hallucination, I suppose," the human said, wincing as she returned to a sitting position, though her gun remained pointed in the general direction of the pair.

"No. We're not hallucinations or anything, we're very real, and your soul's in very real danger so long as she's here!"

"Oh really? Tell me; how can you be so sure little-miss-lovey isn't the danger? She even admitted she wants your soul." The demon smirked.

"You admitted you're from hell!" Emephira turned to the human, who was looking rather annoyed by this point. "Please; she'll take your soul back to hell if she has her way. I'm not sure I can beat her by myself . . . but if you just shoot her, when you die, it'll be just me."

"When I die?"

"Uhh, well . . . you know. You're pretty hurt, and it's cold and dangerous out here . . . it seems pretty probable." The angel tried to smile reassuringly. "It's not the worst thing that can happen."

"For someone who claims to be 'good', she sure is advocating violence against me, and hoping you die." Calypsotie interjected.

"It's not like that!" The angel turned and pointed at Calypsotie accusingly. "She's pure evil, and they'll feed you to a succubus in hell . . . or, or something else awful!"

"Oh, 'pure evil', am I? Couldn't be 'partly evil', or even 'mostly evil', eh? No no, surely not; we've only just met, but this angel can tell I'm comprised completely of 'evil'. Whatever that even means."

Emephira was frustrated to the point her voice was growing a touch shrill. "She's trying to confuse you! But the fact is, she's from hell, and wants to take you back with her!"

"And? Two thirds of what you 'people' say about my home is propaganda anyway. Sure, hell might not be the nicest place for damned, but 'heaven' is worse. Nothing but non-stop tentacle rape 24/7." The demon was grinning ear-to-ear now.

"Wh-what!? That's a horrible lie!" Emephira, half-shouted, appalled. "There are no tentacles at all! Er, well, I mean, we don't arbitrarily bar chlaena from getting in, but they're certainly not allowed to-"

"Yeah. Sure sure; stick with the party line. Heaven is still a nasty place."

"Will you two shut up!" the human growled through clenched teeth. Emephira did not feel she was winning her over.

"She's lying." Emephira continued, but in a more subdued tone of voice. "Heaven is wonderful; everything is always calm and peaceful; none of this running about and trying to kill each other than happens elsewhere. . . . at least where I live."

"Ugh. That sounds even worse. I'd rather be eaten by a succubus and be done with it than spend an eternity bored out of my mind." Calypsotie added with infuriating casualness.

"Noo! That's not what I meant! It's not boring or anything . . . just, not a constant brutal struggle for survival."

"Ha! You wouldn't know 'brutal' if it came up and swallowed you in one gulp." Calypsotie huffed with disdain, but the angel could only smile at the misstep.

". . . So you're saying that life is pretty rough in hell, even for a demon?"

The blue-skinned demon looked a touch taken aback by the turn of conversation. "Er, not exactly, I just-"

"My. I imagine it's got to be far, far worse on the poor souls you drag back there. I wouldn't know, since I've been so sheltered by the tranquil luxuries of heaven. Where I'm from. Where I'll be taking her . . . if she just shoots you!" She pointed at the demon for emphasis, hoping to see her form exploded by gunshot in the next moment. No shot was fired, to her disappointment.

The human broke in before a slightly flustered Calypsotie could retort. "Just to be honest; at this point, I'm either shooting you both, or neither. Don't trust either of you freaky hallucinations as far as I could pole-vault with you. This stupid little debate is kinda entertaining though, so if you wanna just keep going at it, be my guests." Her voice was a tiny bit slurred, and her face pale, but she was holding up surprisingly well given the amount of blood-loss.

Emephira couldn't help but feel rather insulted, folding her arms over her chest, and wrapping her wings around herself in a manner her friends often referred to as her 'sulking mode'. Calypsotie just rolled her eyes again, and said; "Oh sure. You're stranded and injured alone in this arctic wilderness, but we're the stupid ones. At least this little twit is trying to perform a useful service for her people."

"Huh, at least the blue one's got some spine. Kind of a bitch, though. Not that I'm one to judge."

"Since I guess we're stuck here until you . . . er, stuck here for a while; why are you in Felarya, anyway? It's not the most hospitable place, for humans especially." Emephira asked, doing her very best not to look sulky.

The human paused for a second, as though considering her answer. Finally she spoke: "There's a plague going back on my homeworld. Really nasty, necromantic stuff; people who die of it get back up the next day, and then shamble around trying to infect others. Healers and doctors can't seem to do a damn thing about it. I was on a team sent here to see if we could bring back some of that supposed healing mojo the soil here has. Got ambushed by a bunch of those lizard things while we were trying to dig the frozen ground . . . and I ended up separated."

Emephira couldn't help but smile. "Oh! That's so noble! Braving danger and risking everything to help your people." She gave the demon a severe look.

"Ha. Nah, I'm just a mercenary. The police and regular army pretty much fell to pieces trying to evacuate civilians and keep the dead in check, but my group was smart enough to hole up where it was safe."

"Oh . . ."

"By the time what was left of the ruling body realized that we'd need to go off-world for a cure, they didn't have enough manpower for the expedition. So they pretty much promised us the world in exchange for lending our support to this one mission. Plus, if the world really did end, we'd die too."

"That's . . . somewhat less noble."

"That's what I said. To be honest, I was actually thinking about ditching and seeing if I could make it here, but all this ice is worse than the damn zombies. Not to mention those freaky snow lizards."

"Nothing wrong with some good old fashioned self-interest. Keeps the universe running." Calypsotie said with a little smile.

"I'm . . . oh damn . . ." the human said, her voice sounding rather woozy. She leaned back, resting her head against the uneven stone behind her, eyes closed and breathing hard.

"Sooo . . ." Emephira said too the evil creature across from her, as the human slipped quietly into unconsciousness.

"First one to snag the soul when she dies gets it?" Calypsotie suggested after a moment. Despite her reservations, Emephira couldn't think of anything better.

"Okay."

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Unconsciousness crawled away from Talmira like a carpet of beetles, bizarre dreams of little angel and devil puppets dancing about and mocking one another blurring in her mind. She could almost still hear them:

"Even though I wasted my time here, I'm glad you're going to live . . . but remember: your soul is a pretty even split between light and dark right now. But if you live a principled life upholding the ideals you believe in, when you do die, they won't want you in hell, and maybe we'll meet again!" One seemed to say.

"I'm not that glad. But here's a rebuttal anyway: maybe we're both just hallucinations brought on by blood loss, and this spiritual stuff is all garbage. Instead of wasting your fleeting life doing 'good', wring as much enjoyment as you can out of it before the end, and the consequences be damned," the other replied, her voice seeming distant. Then a third sound broke in; the familiar and welcome one of a snowmobile idling nearby.

Her eyes snapped open, full consciousness hitting her like a bucket of freezing water. Her grip tightened on her weapon, and she half-expected the strange creatures to still be there . . . but not a trace of them remained. Nearly dying could do odd things to the mind, she told herself.

Feeling too relieved to worry over her recent hallucinogenic episode, Talmira pushed herself to her feet and took a few steps toward the cave entrance, ignoring the searing pain in her leg. She could already see someone wearing the same uniform as her, clearly silhouetted against the opening.

"Hey! Mira! Is that you? You alive?" The familiar, gravelly voice of her partner was music to her ears. Seeing her injury, he didn't wait for a response, putting one of her arms of his shoulder and leading her out. She didn't resist, but couldn't stop thinking about how vivid, how utterly real the devil and angel creatures had seemed. It was only as she was being strapped into the snowmobile, a flask of some hot liquid shoved into her hands, that she noticed a footprint, mostly filled in by the perpetually falling snow, but still clear. Human in shape and size, but bare.

She didn't say anything or point it out as the vehicle roared to life and started speeding through the endless fields of white, but what she had seen kept playing through her mind. Not a lot of people she knew went barefoot in this weather . . . maybe the occasional good deed wouldn't hurt after all.