A group of college friends find a travel agency that offers them a very unique vacation package. Soon they find themselves in a world of fantasy, with bodies that are not their own. That's when the adventure really begins. This story was originally written and posted in 2001.

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Part 1 of 10

A dented old Ford Explorer pulled up alongside the curb, barely stopping before the doors started to open up. Several seconds later, all five of the college students inside were standing around on the sidewalk, staring at the building in front of them.

The front of the building had glass windows, with a large sign that simply said 'Travel Agency' above them. Pictures of famous cities, landmarks and exotic locations filled the windows, along with several advertisements.

"This had better be worth it," grumbled Cal Turner, a large stocky man, who happened to be the owner and driver of the Explorer. "I coulda been out practicing for tomorrows game."

With a chuckle, another boy exclaimed, "Easy man, I just figured that we should check this out."

Eddie Miller grinned around at the group of friends. He was several inches shorter than Cal's 6 foot 3, and somewhat thinner. And while Cal fell into the category of a jock, Eddie preferred to play drums with his band rather than involve himself in any form of athletics.

"Why's that Eddie?" asked Mickey Randall, the slender brunette who was standing next to him. Mickey put her hand on Eddie's arm, then glared at Cal in defense of her boyfriend. "You said something about our vacation."

At that, the final two members of the group nodded, staring at the front of the travel agency in curiosity, obviously wondering why their friend had brought them there.

Adam Straesser frowned thoughtfully and ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. After a quick glance at both Cal and Eddie, both of whom were taller than his 5 foot 10, he turned his attention back to the window, noticing that there were two large advertisements.

One of the signs read 'Today only, all travel packages are 50% off.' The other sign read 'Ask about our unique destination package.'

"Define unique." Adam mumbled rather quietly, deciding that it could mean almost anything. However, the discount sounded promising.

At that, the last member of the group, Danielle Stevenson enthusiastically responded, "That means it's a one of a kind." Then she grinned proudly at her boyfriend Cal.

Adam grinned, trying not to laugh as he looked at Danielle. There were times, such as at the moment, where he couldn't help but think how much she resembled the dumb blonde stereotype. She was gorgeous, had a somewhat bubbly personality and was a little ditzy at times. The only thing missing was that she should have been a cheerleader. However, Adam suspected that she wasn't really as dense as she seemed, but that wouldn't be difficult.

For a moment, Adam turned and glanced around at his friends from school. Mickey was wearing a long skirt, as she frequently did. She was almost the exact opposite of Danielle, being a short haired brunette and somewhat sensible. Then again, he knew that he would probably be described as being the opposite of Cal, being somewhat quiet and thoughtful whereas the larger boy was confident, outgoing and even a bit pushy. Still, in spite of their many differences, they all managed to remain friends.

At this, Eddie gestured to the advertisement on the window, "I saw this when I came past here earlier today." Then he shrugged, "I figured that since we'd been talking about doing something together for our vacation next week..."

"We can go on a trip!" Danielle burst out excitedly.

Cal glared at her, "Can it." Then he gave Eddie a glare, "And you drug us down here for this?"

"Can it," Mickey told Cal with a wry grin, "We're here so we might as well check it out."

"Might as well," Adam agreed, peering inside the window and seeing the counter in the back with someone working behind it.

After another minute of talking, they all agreed to at least check it out and started going inside, Eddie in front with Cal following up from behind, grumbling under his breath.

Just as they got inside, the man behind the counter called out to an elderly couple who were heading towards the door, "I hope that you enjoy your trip to Florida."

As the group lined up by the counter, the middle aged man behind it gave them a steady look. He had black hair, peppered with gray but white at the temples. And then there was the partial beard with the cheeks being shave, which gave him something of a dignified look.

"Hello," the man greeted, giving them each a smile, "What can I do for you?"

"We saw your discount sign outside," Cal answered, almost as if he was the one who'd thought of it. "And we were just wondering what kinda stuff you had available."

"And not too expensive," Mickey added. "We're all pretty much on a tight budget."

The man behind the counter nodded, thoughtfully before answering, "We have a wide variety of travel packages available, including some for those on a more modest budget." Then he pulled out a binder and set it down on the counter, opening it up to show pictures of numerous places.

"What about that unique destination package?" Adam asked, remembering the sign outside.

Suddenly the man's eyes seemed to gleam. Without a word, he closed the binder and moved it off to the side, smiling as he crossed his hands on the counter instead.

"This is a small travel agency," the man stated proudly, "so to compete with some of the larger firms, I...we have to offer something special." His eyes gleamed again as he added, "Something...unique."

Cal snorted, obviously losing patience, but Danielle and Eddie were staring in fascination. Adam looked over at Mickey, who seemed a little impatient but was at least paying attention, before looking back at the man himself.

"We offer a destination," the man stated proudly, "that no other travel agency in the world can give you."

"Where is that?" Mickey asked quietly.

Again the man smiled faintly, "A place that you would not believe possible." At this, his tone changed slightly, becoming just a little more serious but no less passionate. "Imagine if you will..." he started, immediately drawing all of them in, "that there is another world...not quite parallel to this one, but close. Another world, where creatures of magic and myth exist. Where wonders that are beyond your imagining are taken for granted."

"Oh..."Adam whispered, drawn in by the man's almost hypnotic voice.

Then the man slowly walked around the counter and came up to them, standing there in front of the group and giving each of them a more careful look before continuing. "Yes, this is a vacation unlike any that you've ever had before. And it is only available through us...for a modest price."

"What a load of shit..." Cal started, grabbing Danielle by the arm and snapping, "Come on. We're going."

"But..." Danielle started to protest, looking back at the rest of the group.

"Wait!" the man announced, "I am most sincere."

At that, Eddie looked at the man, "Look mister..."

The man smiled faintly at that. "My name is somewhat difficult to pronounce, so why don't you just use...G for short." Then he chuckled, "You can call me Mr. G."

"Mr. G," Adam muttered, staring at the man and half wondering why he was still there. Sure, the guy sounded like he was starting to tell a fairy tale, but he seemed pretty sincere.

With a faint frown, Mr. G announced, "Of course I can't expect you to believe something so drastically different from your upbringing by my word alone. That is why I am willing to give you a brief demonstration to prove that magic does exist." He paused a moment before adding, "It is just greatly weakened in this world."

Even Cal paused at that, his own curiosity hooked. Mr. G slowly walked to the end of the counter and pulled a glass ball off of a small stand. He held it out for each to inspect, then winked.

"Observe," Mr. G stated, suddenly pulling his hand away. However, the glass ball remained where it was, floating in midair, almost as if held by a pair of invisible hands. "Now you may inspect it to verify that there is indeed nothing holding it."

Mickey let out a low whistle. "What are you, some sort of magician?"

Mr. G gave a faint bow, "Something of that nature, though not the type you suspect."

Slowly they each touched the glass ball, surprised that it didn't have any give. It just remained where it was, frozen in mid air.

"There's nothing holding it," Danielle gasped after running her hands over the entire thing.

"I can't budge this fucker," Cal muttered, obviously frustrated.

Adam bent over and frowned. "Maybe some sort of magnetic field..." However, even as he suggested it, he doubted that it could be that.

"Perhaps," Mr. G stated, "But perhaps not."

And with that, the glass ball suddenly shattered into a thousand pieces, all of them hovering in the air for a moment before falling to the ground...and vanishing. Then, Mr. G held out his hand, and to the amazement of the group, a glass ball identical to the one that had just vanished suddenly appeared. Without a word, Mr. G set the ball back into the stand on the counter.

"Is that proof enough?" Mr. G asked with a smile.

Mickey grabbed hold of Eddie's hand, nodding, "Yeah." Her voice shook just a little.

Even Cal nodded, looking somewhat embarrassed, then muttered something under his breath, not taking his eyes from the ground.

"Excuse me?" Mr. G asked, "I couldn't make that out." Then he added, "I'm afraid that I am no mind reader so if you want something, you have to ask."

Cal grunted then gave Mr. G. a steady look. "I said tell me...us more."

At that, Mr. G's expression grew serious once again. "This opportunity is not offered to everyone and we reserve the right to refuse service or cancel a vacation package without refund if the traveler is a threat to the occupants of this other world."

"Sounds fair," Mickey muttered, "I guess."

With that said, Mr. G continued, "However, it is worth the cost as you will not only witness a new world, but see it from another's eyes."

"What...what do you mean?" Adam asked, feeling just a little nervous about it all. He didn't doubt the man about the world...at least too much. After all, Mr. G was extremely convincing. Adam just wasn't sure that it was a good idea to go.

For a moment, Mr. G just looked thoughtful before explaining, "I am afraid that it is...extremely difficult..." He paused, seeming satisfied with that choice of words, "to transfer any matter at all between worlds. Nearly impossible with such an amount. At least for now."

"For now?" Eddie asked, his eyes gleaming faintly in curiosity.

However, Mr. G just waved him off and continued, "Transfer of essences is quite possible though." He paused and gave them each a look. "To go there, we would exchange your essences...your souls with those of others in that world who agree to it."

The group was all silent, each one staring at Mr. G in disbelief. Finally, it was Eddie who blurted out, "No fucking way."

Not seeming to be bothered by that, Mr. G nodded faintly. "Yes, though precautions are taken on both ends to ensure the health and safety of the owners bodies during the exchange."

Adam was somewhat skeptical, not to mention unnerved by the thought of being in someone else's body. It seemed...freaky.

"Let's see..." Cal mused, mostly to himself, "What do I want to look like...?"

"I'm afraid that it does not work that way," Mr. G stated, his voice suddenly going cold. We do not just grab those who fit our client's criteria. Instead, we must work with those who volunteer on the other side...whomever they may be." He gave a faint snort before adding, "We still have to locate enough volunteers to accommodate your entire group...if you decide to purchase the special package that is."

Danielle grinned brightly and stepped forward. "That sounds wild." She turned and grabbed at Cal's arm, "Let's do it."

"Sounds cool to me," Eddie piped in eagerly. "I mean, even Limp Bizkit can't compete with something like this."

Mickey nodded, "I'm in." There was a faint smile on her lips.

After gulping and looking around at the others, Adam nodded faintly. He loved stories about fantasy and stuff, so the opportunity to actually see real magic was too tempting to resist. Even if his better sense told him that it was a bad idea. "Me too," he finally whispered.

The last was Cal, whom the others were all looking at expectantly. He stood there, his arms crossed, a half smug look on his face as he realized that he could veto the entire trip if he wanted to. However, after a few seconds of thought, he gulped, realizing that if he did that, it would make him look like a chicken shit. There was no way that he was gonna do that.

"Why the hell not?" Cal finally muttered. "Might even be fun." However, he kind of doubted it.

However, after everyone agreed, Adam realized something and hesitantly asked, "Um...how much would this cost?" He resisted the impulse to reach back and pat his wallet, reminding himself that he had to be careful with what he spent.

The others snapped out of their thoughts, Mickey being a little frustrated at having forgotten that herself, while Danielle didn't bother to worry about it, knowing that these things usually worked out.

"A very practical question," Mr. G commented, once again moving behind the counter and pulling out a binder. "How long do you wish to be on vacation, and when would you like to depart?"

"Next week," Eddie grinned. "Maybe Saturday."

"For..." Carl added, "four days."

"Maybe five," Mickey added, "If we can afford it."

"That is very doable," Mr. G told them, writing something down on paper. "If it was any sooner, I don't know that I would have been able to locate enough volunteers for you all." Then he paused, "And the length of time is no problem whatsoever. However, if you had asked for a month..."

"Like we can afford that," Danielle exclaimed.

Mr. G nodded. "No, what I meant was that we are unable to provide vacation packages there for more than 30 days. That is the maximum length of time that the magics being used will allow before automatically reversing."

"Oh..." Adam whispered, wondering how the magic stuff really worked. However, with a single glance at the man behind the counter, he decided that it would probably be better not to ask, though he was definitely curious.

With that, Mr. G careful finished scrawling something into his sheet of paper before turning it and showing it to the group gathered before him. They all stared at it, though Mickey let out a faint whistle.

"That is the price for a five person package," Mr. G stated in a businesslike tone, "for five days, with both group discount and the special discount for today." Then he joked, "I can guarantee that you shall not find this vacation elsewhere for less."

After taking a deep breath, Adam decided that it was definitely cheap for something of that nature. It was probably even cheaper than the more normal trips that they could get elsewhere.

"Group huddle," Eddie muttered.

At the call for a group huddle, the group got close together and quickly started talking, trying to decide. As soon as they'd verified that they could indeed afford the trip, it only took a minute more to reach a consensus and let Mr. G know.

"Good," Mr. G smiled, "Then return here Saturday morning. You can provide payment at that time."

With that, the group started for the door, each of them lost in their own thoughts but wondering just what it was that they'd gotten themselves involved in.

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It was Saturday morning, though barely that. The sun was up and noon was not far off, though that hadn't bothered Danielle who'd taken her time and slowed them down.

"I hope we're not late," Adam announced as they started for the door to the Travel Agency.

"How can we be late dickweed?" Cal joked, "He never told us what time to show."

"He does have a point," Mickey admitted, apparently not too pleased to agree with Cal.

Eddie just snorted, "On his head." That earned a quick glare from Cal, though nothing more as they went inside.

They immediately noticed Mr. G, standing behind the counter and typing something into his computer. He looked up at their entrance and gave a faint smile.

"I had feared that you had changed your minds," Mr. G commented, turning back to his computer to finish whatever he was doing.

"Here's my check," Eddie said, slowly setting it on the counter and muttering, "Took me a couple gigs to make that."

After everyone had paid, with Cal having had to borrow some from Adam to cover both his and Danielle's, Mr. G put the payments into a drawer and typed something into the computer. A moment later, he handed them receipts.

"Now come this way," Mr. G instructed, gesturing for them to follow him through a door into the back.

The room looked like it had been just another large office or storage room, but all of the furniture was gone. There was nothing in the room, except for some sort of bluish powder that was sprinkled on the carpet in the shape of a large circle.

"Preparations have already been made," Mr. G told them gently, "Just stand in the circle and I will take care of everything."

Adam gulped and glanced over at Mr. G, noticing for the first time that he was holding some sort of staff that was nearly as tall as he was, carved from some dark wood.

"I don't know about this," Danielle whispered. "I'm kind of nervous." She grabbed hold f Cal's arm and he just grinned broadly, puffing himself up a little.

"You shall return to this world and your own bodies in five days time," Mr. G told them seriously. "The volunteers on the other side will take good care of them. I will make sure of that."

"What kind of volunteers?" Eddie asked nervously, glancing around, obviously having second thoughts.

After hesitating for a moment, Mr. G admitted, "I am sorry to say that I can not determine which host body any of you will posses. I can only assure you that they are all in good health."

"Can't determine?" Cal gasped, his eyes going wide. "What the hell do you mean?"

"It is a five for five exchange," Mr. G told them firmly, his tone causing Cal to step back. "However, do not look upon that as a problem...but instead, as an opportunity." He smiled at that.

"Sounds...interesting," Adam whispered to Eddie, who nodded his head in agreement, grinning faintly. Probably from the way Mr. G had handled Cal.

"When you arrive at your destination," Mr. G stated, "you shall be met by a guide who will accompany you and keep you from harm."

"Keep us from harm?" Danielle repeated, looking a little nervous. "Does that mean it's dangerous?"

"Everything worthwhile has it's risks," Mr. G told them gently, "Especially that which is unfamiliar. Even an act as simple as crossing the street provides danger." At that point, everyone started to get worried, but Mr. G quickly assured them with a faint chuckle, "But that is precisely why we provide a local guide. Do not fret. Enjoy the experience."

Then with that, Mr. G raised the staff in his hands, held it there for a moment before he brought it down, smacking the edge of the circle on the floor. There was a spark where it hit, then a sudden explosion of blue light and a tearing at their very beings.

The Travel Agency
part 2 of 10
By Morpheus

Adam blinked, realizing with some confusion that he was on the ground...on rocks and grass. For a minute he just remained where he was, trying to regain his senses, vaguely aware that there was some sort of twisting confusion just a few seconds earlier, though he couldn't quite recall anything of that. Only of Mr. G swinging that staff.

After taking several deep breaths, Adam sat up, immediately realizing that his entire body felt wrong. That it felt strange, though not too strange. And at the same time, he was amazed to see the small grassy field that surrounded him...and the thick wall of trees just a short distance away.

A single thought ran through Adam's mind in amazement, "It worked."

Then with a nervous gulp, Adam slowly started to look down at himself, knowing without a doubt that he'd be in someone else's body...just like Mr. G had said. However, as soon as he took a good look at himself, it was all that he could do to keep from screaming.

"I'm...I'm..." Adam gasped, grabbing at his chest, "I'm a girl."

For a moment, he just remained frozen in startled realization, not having expected that surprise. However, his curiosity quickly got the best of him and he jumped the rest of the way to his feet, then looked down more carefully.

His body was slender, but definitely female. A quick pat to the emptiness between his legs verified that. A perky pair of breasts pushed out from his chest, their shape clearly visible through the green shirt that he was wearing, not to mention from the faint cleavage left visible.

Adam quickly glanced over the green and brown clothes he was wearing, seeing that they seemed to be some sort of shirt and pants, though they were very light and comfortable. He was also wearing a pair of comfortable boots, and a belt with some several pouches on it, a dagger and even a short slender sword, that he decided not to mess with at the moment.

"Weird," Adam whispered, staring at the pale skin of his slender arms. The only thing that covered them were a pair of wrist bands. His new hands were very feminine...and dainty.

Feeling more curious than anything else at the moment, Adam reached back for his hair, finding that it was all in some sort of braid going down his back. And once he'd pulled the end of the braid into view, he was somewhat surprised to see that the hair was all silvery white.

After letting go of his hair, Adam slowly reached to his face, running his delicate fingers over it and trying to make out what he looked like. He wasn't sure, though he did notice that eyebrows were a little high and there was the fact that his ears were a little longer than normal and pointed.

Shaking his head in amazement, Adam slowly started to look around himself again, deciding that he had better find the others. If he could even recognize them that was. However, it only took a moment before he saw something just a short distance off in the clearing...then started towards it.

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"Oh, my head," Eddie muttered, slowly climbing to his feet, "That was wild." Then he paused, realizing that his voice sounded different. Very different. It only took him a moment more before he grinned, remembering that he'd be borrowing someone else's body.

With that, Eddie looked down at himself and gasped in amazement. His whole body was huge, bulging with muscles. Eddie couldn't resist flexing his bicep, smiling at the rock solid muscle that appeared.

After a quick look over, Eddie noticed that he was wearing a pair of what appeared to be brown leather pants and boots, with little else. Just a big sword strapped across his back. His chest was bare...and covered with dark brown hair, while his skin was a little darker than his own...obviously well tanned.

"Fuckin awesome, " Eddie laughed, "I'm Conan."

Suddenly Eddie heard a noise coming from just a few feet away. He snapped around, surprised to see a woman....no, he corrected himself, it was something else. The creature staggered to its feet, letting Eddie get a good look while it wobbled a little, looking almost drunk.

"Holy shit," Eddie whispered, his eyes going wide.

From the waist up, the creature was a woman...a very athletic looking woman, with large round tits and blonde hair that ran down her back. However, from below the waist, she...it...was a horse. A large brown horse. The word 'centaur' jumped to mind, with no doubt that this was exactly what Eddie was looking at.

"Where...where am I?" the centaur girl asked, looking around with wide eyed surprise. She still staggered a bit, "I feel strange..."

Then the centaur girl noticed Eddie and staggered back, nearly tripping over her own legs before somehow managing to regain her balance. She stared at Eddie in shock, amazement...and fear.

"Who are you...?" the centaur demanded.

Eddie nervously took a step back, gasping, "My name's Eddie..."

With a look of surprise, the centaur gasped, "Eddie? You look..."

"But who...?" Eddie started, frowning in confusion before realizing that this had to be one of his friends.

"It's me...Michelle," the centaur said, adding, "Mickey."

Mickey stared at Eddie for a moment before gulping and looking down, obviously surprised at the sight of herself. "I've got horse on me..." Then shaking her head, she muttered, "I am a horse." She experimentally lifted one leg, then another, carefully stepping around and trying to get used to having four legs.

"Are you OK?" Eddie asked hesitantly, moving closer to get a better look at Mickey. He was just a little surprised to realize that Mickey was a little taller than him. "Weird."

"No shit," Mickey muttered, "But at least I've caught my balance." She took several experimental steps, then grinned as she started to run just a little, stopping in front of Eddie again with an excited grin. "This is definitely...interesting."

Eddie nodded, then glanced around, "Maybe we should try finding the others."

Mickey quickly agreed, and after a minute, they decided to head towards a large dark shape further down in the clearing. It would make a good landmark for everyone to meet at.

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With a groan, Cal slowly stood up, using a large boulder beside him for balance. All he could think of for a moment was the strange churning after Mr. G had done that thing. He couldn't help but compare the feeling to being on a roller coaster. A really BIG roller coaster.

"Oh man," Cal grunted, turning his head slightly and then freezing as he noticed his hand upon the boulder. For a moment, all he could do was stare, too confused to make any sense of it. Then he finally blurted out, "What the hell?"

Cal stepped backwards, pulling his hand away from the rock, staring at it in stunned silence. The other hand was quickly raised beside it so that he could compare them, finding that they were extremely close. Everything about them was wrong...from their size, shape...to even their color.

His fingers were a little long and thin looking, not to mention delicate and feminine. The effect stretched up his arms, both of which were thin and almost without any muscle. It struck him immediately that they looked more like a girls arms than a guys, though he was even more struck by the fact that his skin was blue.

"I'm blue?" Cal asked uncertainly, looking down at himself and suddenly freezing, his eyes going wide in horror as he took in the full view of his body. "NO WAY!"

A single glance was all that was required for Cal to see what was undoubtedly a woman's body. The fact that he was completely naked left nothing to the imagination. His sexy, blue skinned body was exposed to full view, from the firm round breasts to the smooth and hairless vagina.

"I've got tits," Cal gasped stupidly. "I've got a fucking pussy." Then he clenched his fists, growling, "When I get my hands on that bastard..."

However, before Cal could finish that though, there was a sudden rumbling, then the ground shook, knocking him back to his knees. Then, something massive smashed into the ground a short distance away, nearly knocking Cal back though he instinctively jumped to avoid it.

"What the hell is that?" a loud voice demanded, startling Cal, though not nearly as much as realizing how high he'd just jumped.

But before Cal had even started to come back down, he was suddenly surrounded by something massive, something that lifted him up even higher into the air, finally stopping before he was able to see what had him.

"Oh shit..." Cal gasped, horrified to find himself face to face with a giant. Then he realized that it was the giant's hand that was holding him. "Let me GO!"

The giant gave a look of surprise and opened his hand a little, "What the hell."

Then, Cal heard another voice, this time a woman's. He snapped around, seeing another giant, this one extremely strange looking. She bent down and gave Cal an odd look that made him want to cringe, though he fought back the urge and clenched his fists to fight, not knowing what good it would do.

"I think it's a pixie," the giantess said slowly, then her eyes went wide. "Oh dear..."

"What?" the giant asked, turning towards her.

She just bent down and gave Cal a closer look, "It's me...Mickey."

Cal froze upon hearing that, then he stared at her in shock. "Mickey?" Cal yelled, "That can't be...you're huge..."

"That's Eddie," Mickey gestured to the giant who was holding Cal, grinning faintly as she added, "And we're not huge. You're like...tiny."

"Tiny...?" Cal repeated in confusion, glancing down at himself and frowning even more intensely than before.

"And look at those wings..." Eddie announced.

Cal nearly choked. "I've got wings?" He glanced back, half surprised to see that there was something behind him. And with just a stretch of his muscles, he could even make them open up and move. They looked sort of like blue transparent dragonfly wings. "No fucking way..."

Eddie held Cal up so that Cal could get a better look. Cal just looked around, shocked to realize that Eddie and Mickey had been right. They weren't huge...he was tiny. He couldn't be more than 6 inches tall, though it was hard to tell. He certainly felt normal sized...at least until he saw them.

"Great," Cal spat, "That ass hole turning me into a fucking fairy."

At that, Eddie laughed. "I always thought you were gay."

Cal glared at him, though didn't say anything.

"We were heading over there," Mickey told Cal, gesturing towards what looked like a large rock, "Maybe we can find the others there."

"Whatever," Cal snorted, sitting down and crossing his arms, glaring first at himself and then his friends. "I just want to get back to normal."

"Five days," Eddie chuckled. "Five days."

Then with that, they started towards the rock again, with Cal glaring silently and determined to remain that way the entire way.

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After Adam had nearly reached the large rock formation that he'd seen from a distance, he spotted two more figures heading his way. One of them looked like a guy with reddish brown hair, though the other one seemed to be a centaur. Adam would have immediately discounted that if Mr. G hadn't specifically mentioned that creatures of myth and legend lived there. Feeling a little uncertain, he remained where he was, hoping that they might be a couple of his friends.

"I wish he would have told us what to expect," Adam muttered, glancing down at himself again with a frown. He had to admit though, that he didn't feel bad. In fact, he felt very healthy. Just...strange. "I don't like surprises." At least not ones like that.

It didn't take long before the man and centaur had made it to where Adam was, both looking a little hesitant. They stopped and stared at Adam cautiously, just as he stared back, ready to run if they made any kind of threatening move. He couldn't help but wondering where the tour guide was at, if they actually had one.

"Danielle?" the big guy asked Adam cautiously.

Adam gulped in embarrassment, shaking his head. "Um...I'm Adam."

"ADAM?" the big guy gasped in surprise. "You too?" At Adam's look of confusion, he held his hands out, revealing a tiny looking blue girl sitting in them. She even had bluish wings and dark blue hair, though she looked pissed. Adam stared at her for a moment in surprise, even more so when he continued, "Cal got turned into a girl too."

"Cal?" Adam nearly choked, not sure what to do when the tiny pixie nodded her...his head. "I guess I'm lucky then," Adam admitted, relieved that at least he wasn't the size of a bug.

With that, the big guy and centaur woman revealed that they were Eddie and Mickey, though Adam had already started to suspect that with the way they were acting. He was relieved to have found them, though couldn't help wondering where Danielle was at...and being a little worried.

Almost as if sensing what Adam was thinking, Eddie yelled out, "Danielle!" He repeated it several more times.

Just then, Adam jumped back as he heard something strange, glancing around, "What was that?"

"What was what?" Eddie demanded, staring at Adam in confusion.

"Didn't you hear that?" Adam asked, gulping as he heard a rumbling again. "There it is again."

Eddie shook his head, "Nope."

Then, almost as if on cue, the large rock such a short distance away moved, changing position slightly before stretching out, revealing what it was that they'd mistake for a rock.

"Oh shit..." Eddie gasped, taking several steps back and reaching for the sword on his back, even though he had no idea how to use it.

What appeared to be a rock spread its wings slightly and lifted its neck, revealing a dark red creature, the likes none of them ever wished to face. As it opened its mouth, rows of massive teeth were revealed, just before it moved one of it's legs, the long claws digging faintly into the ground.

One word was all that Adam was able to choke out through his fear, "Dragon..."

"It's a monster!" Eddie half yelled.

Suddenly the dragon snapped it's head around, and with a loud roar, demanded, "WHERE?"

For a moment, Adam just stared at the dragon, surprised to not only hear it talk, but sounding afraid as well. And the way it shook his it's head... With a sinking feeling, Adam muttered, "Oh my..."

"What do you mean?" Mickey demanded, sounding nervous as well.

Adam just gave his friends a look, then turned back the dragon, calling out, "Hi Danielle."

"Hi," the dragon called back, it's voice sounding surprisingly cheerful for a roar. It started to take a step forward before suddenly freezing and looking down at itself with a look of surprise that didn't belong on a dragon. "What happened to me?"

Cal coughed, "Oh shit." Then he cried out, "No fucking way. It's not fair. She gets to be a dragon and I have to be a damn Barbie doll."

Eddie and Mickey exchanged glanced for a moment before Eddie suddenly burst out laughing. Mickey just shook her head, looking faintly amused before she started towards Danielle to help her adjust.

"It's just for five days," Eddie announced, almost as if to remind himself as much as everyone else. However, that didn't seem to satisfy Cal, nor Danielle who was still somewhat confused.

After several minutes, Danielle had calmed down and sat next to the others, towering over them and making them nervous, even though they knew who it was.

"This is weird," Danielle giggled, the sound rumbling oddly from the dragon's throat, sounding more ominous than cute as it did in her own body. "I'm like...huge."

"And a lizard," Eddie chimed in, knowing that Danielle wasn't particularly fond of reptiles.

Danielle gasped at that, "Oooh, gross." She bent her head over and stared at herself, making Eddie chuckle. "I feel really weird," Danielle commented, adding, "And you all look so small."

"Like I needed the reminder," Cal grumbled from where he sat on the ground.

At that, Danielle bent her massive head down for a better look, almost laughing as she "I can't believe how small you are honey. I can barely see you." She paused for a moment before adding, "And you're so CUTE."

That just set Cal off into a series of curses, which only made everyone else burst out laughing.

Suddenly Adam froze, frowning as he looked around, sure that he'd heard something. "Shhh," he whispered, about to ask if anyone else had hear it.

But before Adam could form the question, the source of the sound appeared. A short and very stocky man who couldn't have been more than 4 feet tall stood there. The strange figure had a bushy reddish beard and was dressed in reddish-brown clothes with what appeared to be chain mail around his shoulders. A faded brown leather cap was settled over his head and a large double edged ax hung loosely from his belt, ready for use.

"Greetings," the stocky little man started in a rough gravely voice, "I be Grestick..." He paused, giving a grunt and a weak half hearted smile, "And I be your guide."

The Travel Agency
part 3 of 10
By Morpheus

The group of friends remained sitting where they were in the middle of a large clearing, all still in shock from not only seeing each other in strange new bodies, but themselves as well. Adding to the shock was the fact that a stranger, a short and stocky man had snuck up alongside them.

"I be Grestick," the newcomer repeated with a grumble, giving each of the vacationers a steady look.

"What...what...?" Eddie gasped in surprise.

Grestick snorted, "I be a dwarf." He gestured to Mickey and stated, "She be a centaur," then to Cal, "A pixie." Pointing up at Danielle, he spat, "Dragon," then to Adam he said, "An elf," and finally he nodded at Eddie and said, "And that body be human."

"I thought this place had like...magic creatures," Danielle grumbled, her dragon's voice adding an odd contrast to her usually way of speaking. "I didn't think that there would be any humans."

"They be here," Grestick mumbled, "But they be not many."

"Why the hell didn't you make me a human?" Cal demanded, his tiny voice not managing to sound as intimidating as he would have liked.

With a scowl, Grestick looked down at Cal, obviously annoyed. "My boss used what was available," he stated. "Magic can do much...but not everything." He snorted at that, "Or so's I hear."

"Your boss?" Mickey asked thoughtfully. "You did say you were our guide, but I'm still a little confused." She looked around, then down at herself with a faint chuckle. "First..." she started, "Are we going to be like this for our whole time?"

Grestick nodded, "Aye. For five days ye be in those bodies, then ye return to yer own." Then, he chuckled, "But till that time, I be yer guide and keep ye safe."

Adam just looked at the others, chuckling faintly to himself as he took another long look at his body. "So I'm an elf. Funny," he joked, "I don't feel like helping Santa make toys."

Eddie laughed lightly while Mickey and Danielle just grinned, though it was difficult to tell in Danielle's case.

"Now then," Grestick stated, "I should tell ye that the boss has done what he could to protect ye here." He gestured to himself with a thick thumb, then around him, "An this area be mainly safe."

"Mainly safe?" Adam repeated with a groan. "Exactly how safe is that?"

Grestick shrugged, then reached behind him for a large cloth bag, setting in on the ground in front of him before opening it up and pulling out the contents. They were several metallic looking bands which he started to hand out.

"Put these on yer wrists," Grestick directed. "They be a badge of protection so most others won't mess with ye without cause." He paused for a moment before adding, "Mark ye as under protection of me boss they do."

"Oh," Adam whispered, wondering who Grestick's boss was and why he had such influence.

It was Mickey who asked the question that Adam, as well as the others were wondering. "Who is your boss...and why is his protection so important?"

Instead of being offended as Adam had half expected, Grestick chuckled. "He be a mage who found the way across worlds." Grestick gave them each a grin, adding, "Now he be the only one who can cross worlds, and be the one who sent you."

"What?" Cal demanded, jumping up and putting his hands on his hips glaring at the dwarf.

Danielle let out a gasp, followed by a faint puff of smoke and flame from her huge jaws. She bent over Grestick, overshadowing them all with her massive size. "You mean Mr. G?"

Grestick just nodded, not saying a word.

"But why these things?" Adam asked, holding up his bracelet. "I mean, if he's in our world..."

"You be not the only ones wishing to explore a new world," Grestick chuckled, a faint gleam in his eyes.

Adam gulped, having the feeling that there was more going on there than Grestick was saying. And after sharing a look with Mickey, he knew that he wasn't the only one. However, he couldn't quite place his finger on exactly what that was.

Then, Grestick added, "And none who wish to do so will cross him or allow harm to those he protects."

"Sounds like a major dude," Eddie muttered nervously.

Mickey just stood up, standing there on her four legs and stretching her muscular arms above her. She gave her hands a look, then bent over to look at her backside, a thoughtful expression on her face. Then she gave a similar look to Danielle.

"I was wondering," Mickey started slowly, bending down a little to look at the dwarf but still keeping herself positioned so that she would likely still be intimidating. "How come I'm able to walk like this when I've never had four legs before." She gave a faintly embarrassed look. "Same with Danielle."

With another shrug, Grestick answered, "Because me boss cast spells on yer bodies to help ye use them. Just as he made it so Frrraaargh could speak."

"Fr...Fr..." Cal started, unable to finish repeating what Grestick had said. "What the hell is that?"

"It be yon dragon's name." Grestick snorted, gesturing at Danielle. "He even fed yesterday so ye won't need to eat till after yer gone home."

"HE?" Danielle spat out after a moment of just standing there, staring down at herself in horror. "You mean I'm a GUY dragon?" At Grestick's amused nod, she screamed, though it came out as a horrifying roar instead, causing the rest to instinctively shudder in fear.

To everyone's amazement, a burst of flame shot out of Danielle's mouth, fortunately going into the air rather than down towards them. She jumped back, her massive wings spreading out as if she were about to take flight, though she never left the ground.

"Calm down," Mickey yelled at Danielle, "You're gonna hurt someone."

"Me for instance," Eddie muttered under his breath.

Once Danielle calmed down, with a few more words from Mickey, she sat down, somehow managing to look emberassed.

"Sorry," she whimpered, sounding apologetic.

"It's all right," Mickey told her gently, hesitating a moment before putting her hand on Danielle's scaly hide. "Just try not to freak out anymore, OK? I mean, you've got to learn your own strength." She and Danielle both chuckled at that, though weakly.

"Glad that's over with," Mickey muttered.

"Besides," Adam exclaimed, looking down at himself for a moment and giving a wry grin, "You're not the only one to get an instant sex change."

Then they all glanced at Cal who sat on the ground near a rock, curled up and shaking, obviously still in shock. He slowly uncurled and stood up, looking around with a nervous expression, then up at Danielle with one much worse.

Cal took a deep breath, hating the sight of everyone towering over him like giants, making him feel like some kind of bug. And Danielle... He shuddered at the sight of her...of the monster she'd become. It wasn't fair. She was big and strong, while he... He hated being small. Being helpless.

For a moment, Cal just looked around at the others, then he grimaced, standing up with his arms crossed in front of him, hating the breasts that got in the way. Hating the feel of his entire body and wondering how he could ever have possibly agreed to the trip. The only consolation in his mind was that it was only for several days. Only until he returned.

Finally looking at the bracelet that the giant dwarf had put in front of him, Cal demanded, "How the hell am I supposed to wear that?" He snorted, "That's twice as big as I am."

With a snort of impatience, the dwarf told Cal, "Touch it."

Cal gave him an odd look but reached out to touch the bracelet. As soon as his skin had done so, the bracelet started to shrink...and melt. Cal tried to jump back, but the bracelet, or what had been the bracelet, quickly flowed around him, forming a belt around his waist.

"What the fuck?" Cal demanded, grabbing at the belt and trying to yank it off, though it refused to budge.

"It'll leave as soon as you do," Grestick chuckled. "Now for the rest of ye."

Adam stared at his bracelet for a moment before slowly reaching over for it. To his relief, it didn't act anything like Cal's. A moment later, Adam had slipped it over his slender hands and watched in amazement as the bracelet closed tightly around his wrist, over the bracelet that had already been there.

"I don't know about this?" Eddie muttered, eyeing his skeptically. "Isn't this like wearing a dog collar or something?"

"Just shut up and put it on," Mickey sighed, slipping her own over her wrist as she said so. A moment later, Eddie had done the same, sticking his tongue out as Mickey added, "What a baby."

Finally, Danielle bent down and squinted, "Kinda hard to see." She scowled and then slowly reached forward with one of her massive front feet, poking at the tiny object in front of her with a single claw. "A little cute though..."

As soon as the dragon claw touched the bracelet, it reacted in a similar manner to Cal's. However, the bracelet seemed to grow as it melted, flowing up a startled Danielle's front let and wrapping around her neck. A moment later, it had taken form again as a necklace, much to her delight.

"How's it look?" Danielle gushed, causing Eddie, Adam and Mickey to all burst out laughing from the sight of an effeminate dragon. Even their guide chuckled in amusement, though Danielle didn't seem to notice.

"Well then," Grestick grunted, getting back to his feet and giving them all a look, "Lets be going."

"Go?" Adam asked, "Where are we going?" He looked around, not seeing anything anywhere around but trees...and some mountains in the distance.

"Yeah," Danielle burst out, "Where's our hotel?"

Without a word, Grestick started walking towards the edge of the clearing, leaving no doubt that they were to either follow...or be left behind. After several quick glances, the group quickly started after Grestick, with Cal riding on the horse part of Mickey's back.

As they started down a trail, Adam couldn't resist glancing down at himself and wondering what he'd look like naked. He blushed at the thought, then chuckled as he thought about the situation. There was one thing that he was certain of...this was going to be a vacation unlike any that he'd even imagined. He just wondered what surprises were going to come up next.

--------------------

Danielle grunted as she pushed a tree over so that she could get past, no longer feeling quite as amazed at how easily she could do it now that she'd removed over a dozen of them. Still, she couldn't help feeling some amazement, especially when she thought about the fact that even Cal couldn't do anything like that...and that was in his own body.

They had been walking along the trail for over an hour, finding that there were a number of places were it got too tight for Danielle's massive body to make it through, so she had to force her way. The others all watched her removing the obstacles with mixed and varied emotions, though most were impressed.

"I thought that we were coming here to see the sights," Eddie complained, "Not to go on some nature walk."

"I'm tired of all this walking," Cal added to the complaints. "Besides, I'm hungry."

Mickey snorted, "How can you be tired of walking when all you've done is ride on my back?"

At that, Grestick finally held out a hand, gesturing for them to stop. He turned to Cal and said, "Aye, I forget that yer kind need ta eat frequently." With that, he pulled out what looked like a small plum and handed it to the tiny jock.

Without a word, Cal grabbed the fruit, which seemed the about the size of a grapefruit, then took a hesitant bite. It was sweet and juicy...delicious. He took several more bites before he finally stopped and looked around in embarrassment.

"Not bad," Cal exclaimed, "but I'd rather have a steak."

Grestick just gave a faint smile. "Aye, but yer new kind do not eat meat. It would only make ye ill."

"WHAT?" Cal gasped, "You mean I'm a vegetarian?" That almost seemed as shocking as his sex change, though his emotions quickly turned to anger when the others started laughing. "What's so funny?"

At this, Danielle changed the subject by exclaiming, "I thought that we were supposed to see lotsa stuff. But all we've seen are trees and this trail."

"She's got a point," Eddie grinned.

Mickey just grinned back, "Yeah, on her head."

"Ye be making too much noise and scaring all the animals away," Grestick told Danielle. "But we be getting to some good sights soon." He grinned proudly, "You have me word on it."

Adam frowned and turned his attention away from the dwarf, giving another look at the trees. Sure, that was the only scenery that they'd really seen, but they were definitely interesting. At least in the fact that there were all sorts of trees that he didn't recognize.

Then Adam noticed something from the corner of his eye and snapped his head around, just in time to see a tiny person...who looked a lot like Cal, flying away into the bushes. She or he had been a different color, looking a bit more human, but there was a definite resemblance.

"I don't think we're that alone," Adam told the others, though none of them seemed to understand what he meant. With a shrug, he decided to just keep watching...hoping that he could see more of the local wildlife.

"We be there soon," Grestick told them all, gesturing to follow as he once again started down the trail.

The group followed behind Grestick, though it didn't take long before Eddie started grinning. Then, he blurted out, "Are we there yet?"

Grestick's response was a calm, "Not yet."

Eddie didn't even wait fifteen minutes before repeating, "Are we there yet?"

"No," Grestick snorted.

Adam and Mickey exchanged looks and tried not to snicker.

This continued as they walked along the trail, with Eddie occasionally repeating the question, getting a curt, "No!" from their guide every time, much to the other's growing amusement.

Finally, Mickey couldn't resist getting in on the act, "I've got to go to the bathroom..."

However, Grestick didn't even slow down or pause as he answered, "Then go."

"Might work better if someone without a horses ass said that," Adam whispered to her, grinning in spite of himself. Then he slapped her along her horses side and chuckled.

"Might be right," Mickey agreed with a grin.

Suddenly Danielle got into the act, blurting out, "I've got to go to the bathroom..."

Grestick suddenly stopped and snapped around, a look of horror on his face. "Over there!" he directed, gesturing to the trees, away from the group.

However, when Danielle just stood there, feeling embarrassed and confused since she didn't actually have to go, Grestick just snorted and started marching again, cursing under his breath in a language that none of them understood.

It didn't take too long though before Eddie decided to start the game up again. He gave Mickey and Adam a wink, then in a whined, "Are we there yet?"

To their surprise, Grestick looked back with a grin, "Aye."

"Really?" Eddie gasped in delight.

But Grestick just shook his head, "No." He chuckled as he turned back around, "It be close though. Very close."

Eddie just shook his head, grinning at himself.

Just several minutes later, Grestick pushed some bushes aside and announced, "Here be your first sight."

Adam stepped through the brush and froze, his eyes going wide as he took in the sights that were spread out before him. The huge open area with massive rocky hills just a short distance away. A massive waterfall could be seen pouring from over a cliff, going down and vanishing from sight.

"Oh shit," Adam whispered, stepping forward and realizing that there was another cliff going down, just a short distance ahead of them. The waterfall had to end there...some distance below them, just as it started in the rocky hills some distance above them. "Amazing."

However, the terrain wasn't what truly drew Adam's amazement, though it was certainly a part of it. Up on the rocky mountain, he could see what seemed to be some sort of castle...right in the middle of the river...in the middle of the waterfall. The water flowed all around it, cascading down in a single stream.

"Look at that thing!" Eddie gasped from beside Adam.

Danielle's voice rumbled, "Look....there's a castle in the water."

"Duh," Cal snorted, muttering, "Looks like her brain didn't get any bigger." However, Danielle didn't seem to hear the last.

"Aye," Grestick chuckled, "That be where we stay tonight." He looked around at the amazed group and added, "It be even better from up high."

Suddenly Danielle burst out, "Look!" Her voice rumbled and they turned to see her gesturing with her clawed front lets, "There!"

It took Adam just a moment to see what Danielle had been so excited for and he couldn't resist gasping in amazement. His eyes went even wider than before as he noticed several white horselike creatures moving about some distance away. However, there was no mistaking the long horns that jutted out from their foreheads.

"Unicorns..." Mickey whispered in near awe.

"Now THIS is getting interesting," Eddie exclaimed with a grin. "Maybe even worth the walk."

Cal snorted, "Let's just hurry up already." However, no one really paid him any attention

Adam just nodded stupidly, not taking his eyes off of the horselike creatures in the distance. It wasn't until Grestick started walking again several minutes later that Adam finally shook himself out of it and started following once again.

The group continued walking towards the rocky hill and up the gentle side, almost totally silent as they each absorbed the incredible scenery around them, and the fantastic creatures that wandered about in the distance. It didn't take them very long before they reached their goal.

The group stood silently, staring at the river that flowed past, seeming before the falls, almost as if being a large pond or small lake. And there, at the edge was the fantastic castle that they'd seen from below, sitting in the middle of the rivers flow, though a number of rocks jutting up seemed to form an almost natural bridge to it.

"Cool," Danielle gasped.

"Aye," Grestick nodded, then gave her another, more thoughtful look. "But I fear that ye be too big to enter." He sounded somewhat apologetic as he explained, "It be not designed for dragons so ye'll need to wait outside."

"But..." Danielle started to protest.

Mickey trotted towards her and looked up, "Hey, it won't be that bad. I mean, it'll be like camping out and I don't think that ANYTHING will want to mess with you." She finished it off with a grin.

"Aye," Grestick added, "That be truth. Few creatures with any sense...and even most without will avoid bothering a dragon."

Danielle just looked around nervously, almost looking afraid. Suddenly Cal burst out, "You'll be fine," though he had to yell to make his tiny voice heard. "We'll all be close by in case you need us."

"You...you promise?" Danielle pressed hopefully.

Cal gulped in obvious embarrassment, especially realizing the situation. "Yeah. I promise."

That seemed to satisfy Danielle as she sat down and let out a sigh, "I guess I can watch the unicorns and stuff."

"Well then," Eddie exclaimed impatiently, "Let's get the show on the road."

Adam nodded in complete agreement, though he did spare Danielle a comforting smile as they all started across the rock formation bridge. "See you in a few."

A few minutes later, they'd gone through an arched doorway and stood inside of the small castle. The first thing that was noticeable was that it was a somewhat large room, with 3 arched doors on the opposite end, plus several stairways going both upward and down. And finally, in the middle of the room was a fountain with three streams of water pouring into a pool around the base.

Just as they got closer to the water, Cal blurted out from Mickey's back, "Holy shit! Take a look at that."

"What?" both Mickey and Eddie demanded at once, looking around at the walls and trying to figure out what excited Cal so much.

Suddenly Adam let out a gasp of surprise, realizing what it was. "The...the water," Adam whispered, gesturing towards the fountain. "It's...it's going up."

The water spraying in the fountain was flowing...almost as if it were in reverse. It poured from the large pool around the base...and flowed up towards the top before vanishing inside the openings.

"Wow." Eddie muttered.

Mickey just grinned and tried to act unsurprised. "Interesting."

Grestick just nodded and patted the fountain. "Aye, it be interesting." He grinned as he added, "And I be showing ye something else before I be taking ye to your rooms."

With that, Grestick took them through the center door in the back, stepping out into some sort of balcony. It was long, but only stuck out about 8 feet. Then once they were all there, the dwarf gestured for them to take a better look out.

"Oh man," Eddie muttered, stepping back.

From the balcony, they could look down, seeing the waterfall merge beneath them and crashing into the river far...far below. Nearly everything was visible from there, including the large forest that they'd already traveled through.

"Great view," Mickey grinned, glancing at Eddie and teasing, "What's the matter? You afraid of heights?"

"Course not," he protested, though he didn't sound quite so convincing.

"Seems to go...forever," Cal whispered after taking a peak over the edge.

Adam just nodded and stared out in amazement, feeling just a tiny bit nervous about how high up they were, but impressed nonetheless. The view was incredible, better than he'd ever seen before.

"Wish I had my camera," Adam mused, getting quick agreement from the others.

"Now to be showing ye to yer rooms for the night," Grestick told them. "Then ye can look around as ye please." Then with that he started off again, leaving the others to follow.

The Travel Agency
part 4 of 10
By Morpheus

Adam sighed and sat down on the bed, giving another long look at the room he'd been given. It wasn't very big, though it would certainly be a good place to spend the night, though perhaps a little drafty. The walls were made of stone and the window only had a shutter to keep the cold air out.

For a moment, Adam thought back to the last few hours, ever since they'd come to the small castle in the river. After they'd been shown their rooms, they were taken out for another look around, spending some time just watching the unicorns in the distance. Then there was the dinner, though where Grestick had gotten it, Adam didn't have any idea. Still, it was delicious, even if he couldn't tell what half the stuff he ate was.

"Poor Cal," Adam muttered, wishing that his friend would lighten up a bit and try to enjoy himself. Sure, he knew that he wouldn't like to be stuck so small himself, but just about all Cal had done since they'd arrived was pout.

Then, Adam slowly looked down at himself again, gulping nervously as he eyed his chest. "Oh boy," he whispered.

He remained where he sat for a moment before slowly getting to his feet, his eyes lingering on his chest for a minute longer. Then, a slight, though embarrassed smile began to form as he thought taking a look at his borrowed body. He'd nearly been dying of curiosity ever since he'd found himself in it.

"Let's see..." Adam muttered, fumbling around and trying to figure out how to get the clothes off. It didn't take long and soon everything was being dropped onto the bed, quickly leaving him there naked.

Adam just gasped as he stared at himself, at the slender, pale skinned body that was revealed beneath the clothes. There wasn't even a single hair beneath his neck either, much to Adam's amazement. His body was definitely female, with somewhat small but very perky breasts.

"Awesome," Adam whispered, slowly running his hands over the smooth skin. "I certainly wouldn't mind getting to know her better."

Then he blushed at that, feeling just a little guilty for taking advantage of the girls body while he was in it. Still, that didn't stop him from examining it a little more closely.

After a minute, Adam looked up and noticed something gleaming faintly from the wall. Curious, he stood up for a better look and then paused, realizing that it was a mirror. That just made him more eager to see it.

"Oh...wow," Adam whispered as he finally saw his reflection, saw the face that he'd been wearing for a large part of the day. It was...beautiful.

The woman in the mirror was exotic looking, of that there was no doubt. Her features were fine and slender, with slightly high eyebrows. She had long silvery white hair and larger than normal eyes that were green, flecked with silver.

"I wonder who you are, elf girl..." Adam whispered to himself.

A few minutes later, Adam slowly pulled himself away from the mirror and stared at the setting sun out the window. It looked absolutely amazing, bringing a smile to his face. Mr. G had been right when he'd said that there would be incredible sights to see.

Then, as Adam reached down for his clothes, he decided that it was about time for him to hit the bathroom. He chuckled as he thought about the one that Grestick had shown him. To his...and everyone else's surprise, it hadn't been just a bucket like they'd half expected. Instead, it was remarkably close to a modern bathroom.

"This is some vacation," Adam chuckled, wondering what was next. What unimaginable sights he would see before it was over. "I can't wait."

--------------------

Mickey frowned as she looked around the small room that the tiny man had led her to. "It sure ain't the Ritz," she muttered, deciding that the room wasn't bad...but after seeing the outside of the place, she'd expected something just a little...grander.

Then Mickey carefully stepped around, grimacing as her huge backside bumped up against the table, knocking several small items to the floor. She glared back at herself, having gotten used to walking with four legs rather quickly, though not of gauging the new dimensions of her body.

After a moment of looking around, something dawned on Mickey. She snorted, "Where the hell am I going to sleep?"

It was obvious that she wasn't going to fit onto that bed, not with her lower half at least. And of course there were no signs of a bed big enough to hold her larger body.

"Great," she muttered, "Just great."

However, a moment later, Mickey couldn't resist smiling as she looked down at herself, at least a little. Her body was lithe and athletic, or at least her human half was. She even had washboard abs, which she'd never had before. There was a faint stirring of pride at that, as unreasonable as it was since it wasn't even her body.

"It could definitely be worse," Mickey admitted, deciding that she could remain like that if it was only for a few days.

Then her thoughts turned to the others. She chuckled at Cal's predicament, enjoying the sight of him being cut down to size. Adam had been taking it in stride, which almost disappointed her since she would have liked to have seen him squirm more. And unfortunately, Eddie had been turned into a big muscular stud and had been getting just a little smug. She knew that she was going to have to keep that attitude in check.

"Poor Danielle," Mickey sighed, hoping that her friend could handle being stuck as that horrible monster. "I hope she doesn't fall on me." She shuddered at that, knowing how clumsy Danielle could get sometimes.

A moment later, she noticed a small mirror hanging from the wall, smiling slightly as she started towards it, eager to see her borrowed face.

And just before Mickey looked into her reflection, something suddenly came to her. "Don't horses sleep standing up?"

--------------------

"Oh yeah!" Eddie grinned, flexing one of his large biceps and grinning proudly. "What I wouldn't give for rocks like that back home."

Eddie had been standing naked in his room, admiring his well built new body, especially the muscles. However, he did feel a little disappointed to find that his borrowed equipment wasn't really any bigger than his own. After all, with muscles like that, he figured that everything else should be big too.

"Definitely cool," Eddie mused, finally ending his posing and just staring at his reflection in the mirror he'd found. His face was rugged and masculine, though not exactly handsome. "Wonder who he is?"

With that, Eddie turned toward the pile of clothes on the floor and the large sword that was leaned up against the bed. A grin broke out on his face as he reached for it, unable to resist the temptation offered by the new toy.

Then, as Eddie exclaimed in a bad accent, "I'll be back...," he knew that he was going to have a blast.

--------------------

Danielle let out a lonely sigh as she stared across the water to the small castle her friends were all in. She'd been staring at it for some time, taking only a few glanced over the cliff to the wilds below...where the unicorns were no longer even in view.

As it grew dark, Danielle looked towards the building that housed her friends again, grunting before she sat up slightly and gave herself another look, scowling as she did so.

"I'm a monster," Danielle whined, just before glancing around nervously. "Is there anybody out there?" she asked quietly.

However, when there was no answer, she set her head down on the ground, wishing desperately that she'd been changed into someone pretty like Adam, instead of a big ugly lizard. But worse than that was the knowledge that she was alone...sitting outside, without even a bed, surrounded by who knew what. Thoughts of what might be out around her kept running through her head, each one filling her even more with dread.

"I wanna go home," Danielle cried out, wishing that Cal was there at the same time.

For a moment, Danielle just remained where she was, motionless as she was lost in her thoughts. She hated being out in the woods, definitely preferring to be shopping at a mall instead. When she'd first come there, she'd been expecting to live in a castle and being treated like a princess. But instead...

She let out a snort, amused as a tiny puff of smoke and flame flickered from her nostrils. Then, after amusing herself for several more minutes, purposely trying to blow out smoke, Danielle sighed again.

Finally, Danielle closed her eyes and started to slowly drift to sleep, comforted by the thought of how she was going to demand a refund once she got back.

--------------------

Cal bolted upright as a chill ran down his spine, about the same time as his stomach rumbled...again. He groaned and looked over at the small bowl of fruit that Grestick had left for him, though at the moment it looked a little more like a hot tub full of fruit.

"Damn it," Cal grumbled reaching over for something that looked like a yellow grape, though was...or at least seemed to be the size of a grapefruit instead. "I'd kill for a steak."

However, as Cal stood there, staring at the nameless fruit in his hands, he knew that it was still very tasty. After all, he'd already eaten several of them during the day...among other things. He frowned at the thought rubbing at his stomach for a moment before taking a bite out of it.

After several bites, Cal looked back at the bowl of fruit, wondering how much of it he'd eat before morning. It amazed him just how much he'd eaten since being changed. Almost every time that he blinked he was getting hungry again and was sure that he'd already eaten nearly his own bodyweight.

Several minutes later, Cal paused to look around his room again. Or at least the top drawer of a dresser that was serving as his room for the night. It wasn't very big at all, however, it was more than large enough for him now.

"Damn it," Cal grumbled, glaring down at himself again, for what had to be the thousandth time.

His whole body was the same shade of blue, very slender and very sexy. He hated it. Or at least he hated being inside of it, knowing at the same time that he'd get an instant hard-on if he ever saw a girl that looked like that. Even with the blue skin.

With that, Cal stumbled over to the far corner of the dresser drawer, pausing in front of the hand mirror that was laying down. He hesitated for a moment before slowly stepping onto the glass surface, then standing there, staring down at himself and starting to get a little turned on, then getting mad himself for doing so.

Cal slowly bent down to get a closer look at his face, glaring at the pretty blue girl with the pointed ears that stared back. Her eyes were a little larger than normal and extremely dark, almost black. She had long wavy dark blue hair that was several shades darker than her skin. And then there were the two small antennae that came out of her forehead, almost invisible as they seemed to mesh with the hair so well.

"Fucking cock tease," Cal grumbled, standing straight again and flexing his wings. It felt good to do so, but he quickly relaxed them and let them settle back down again. At least that way he didn't notice them as much. "I don't even have any fucking clothes."

Cal snorted and then stamped his foot into the glass, not even having enough force to crack it however. That just frustrated Cal even more, reminding him how small and helpless he was. How he wasn't even strong enough to break a mirror.

With a stream of profanities, Cal stormed back across the dresser drawer and threw himself onto the small pillow that was to serve as his bed. He barely even thought about it as he slowly curled up into the fetal position, shaking slightly in fear...and at the same time...refusing to admit that it was fear. Even to himself.

Suddenly there was a chill down his spine again, making Cal feel extremely nervous. Extremely uncomfortable. He had a feeling that someone was watching him, that something was wrong. However, he knew that there was no one there and quickly decided that it was just his imagination.

"I'll kick all their asses when I'm back to normal," Cal whispered to himself. "I will."

--------------------

The world was strange and shifted, filled with swirling dreams that left little trace of their passage. However, something from outside intruded...slipped past all defenses. Suddenly Adam snapped wide awake.

"What...?" Adam mumbled as he sat up, hearing something from outside, though unable to make out what. Only that it sounded...scary.

Adam nervously looked around, then climbed from his bed, uncertain of what was going on and growing even more nervous because of that. He spotted the slender sword that had been with his new body, leaned up against the wall. And with a quick motion, he grabbed it, holding it tight, though he had little idea of how to use it beyond what he'd seen in movies.

"Um...," Adam asked hesitantly, "Grestick?" However, there was no answer, only more of the scratching noises from somewhere outside the room.

Adam gulped and nervously set the sword on the bed, keeping it within easy reach as he slowly started to put his clothes on again. If there was something happening, he didn't want to be caught undressed, though at the same time, he strongly suspected that it was just his nerves at being in such a strange new place. And in a strange new body.

"Better safe than sorry," Adam quietly muttered to himself, repeating one of his mom's favorite sayings.

A minute later, Adam nearly had all of his clothes back on when suddenly something burst through the window, landing on the floor a few feet from him with a thump...and a snarl.

"What the hell?" Adam gasped, grabbing clumsily for the sword and stepping backwards, holding it tightly as if it was some talisman of protection.

The creature slowly turned and faced Adam, giving him a clear view of it's face. The creature was shaped something like a cross between a human and a gorilla, with an oversized upper body. However, beneath the shredded rags that it was wearing, Adam could see that it wasn't hairy like an ape. Instead, it had what looked like rough gray skin.

It's face was roughly human, though bald and slightly extended as if with a snout. A moment later, the creature gave a snarl, revealing a mouth of both sharp and broken looking teeth.

"Oh shit..." Adam whispered, beginning to shake in terror where he stood. Then he noticed the short spear in the creatures hands and nearly shit himself.

Suddenly the door flew open, and before Adam was even aware what had happened, a short stocky figure flashed through it...and straight at the creature. A second later, there was a glint of metal...a scream of pain, then silence.

Adam stepped back, holding the sword in front of him uncomfortably, staring in shock at the headless gray creature that was laying on the floor. Standing above the corpse...was an ax...with green blood dripping from the edges. However, the person holding the ax was familiar.

"Grestick..." Adam gasped in relief, nearly emptying his stomach as he stared back at the horrible looking creature...or what was left of it.

"Hobgoblin," the dwarf snorted, rubbing his ax onto the bed spread, "Nasty creatures they be."

Gulping, Adam forced his eyes away from the hobgoblin and back at Grestick, who was giving him an intense look. "What's going on?"

"Glad ye be unharmed," Grestick exclaimed, then spat, "Be under attack we are." And with that, he ran back through the door, yelling for everyone to get up.

Adam only hesitated a moment before rushing after Grestick, deciding that whatever was going on...he wanted to stick close to the dwarf.

--------------------

Cal woke to the sound of screaming and jumped up, immediately clenching his fists and getting ready to fight...though he quickly remembered his current condition and let out a stream of curses instead.

"Keep it quiet!" Cal yelled out, "I'm trying to sleep!"

Just then, there was a loud growl coming a short distance away, a growl that sent shivers down Cal's spine.

"What the hells's going on?" he demanded, his voice cracking with nervousness though he fought to hide it.

For an answer, Cal heard another growl, just before a huge face appeared above him, looking down into the drawer. It was massive...and hideous, with big yellow eyes, a squat nose and a wide mouth that stuck out a bit.

Cal just stood there froze, staring in horror at the hideous face, then letting out a scream as a monstrous hand reached down for him. He was filled with terror and an overwhelming need to escape. Then, without conscious thought, Cal jumped into the air.

"Oh shit," Cal gasped in horror, shocked to realize that he was still going up, until he was just above the creature's head. "I am so fucked..."

For a moment, Cal just hovered where he was, realizing for the first time that he wasn't falling back down. His wings were beating furiously, seemingly of their own mind, and he was just hovering there. But as soon as the creature reached for him again, he instinctively shot away from it.

"I'm...flying." he gasped, glancing back, horrified to see that the creature was stomping after him. "Oh shit..."

Cal didn't bother dwelling on his suddenly being able to fly, instead just taking advantage of it to fly away from that creature as fast as he could. For the next several minutes, he just flew around the larger room he was in, trying to keep above the creatures head as it jumped for him, barely managing to do so.

The creature just grunted and snorted as it leapt around, tearing half of the room apart before Cal noticed that the door was cracked open...and shot towards the opening as fast as he could. A second later, he was outside the room, but unfortunately...so was the monster.

Cal gave it a terrified look and tried to go even faster, feeling almost as if the entire Chicago Bears team were trying to sac him.

Suddenly, Cal heard screams, grunts and smashing up ahead. And though he was strongly tempted to turn around, a single glance at the creature charging behind him convinced him to continue on. And then, just as he turned the corner to where the noise was coming from, Cal let out a gasp.

There was a mass of action as Grestick, Adam, Eddie and Mickey were all there fighting against a half dozen more of those creatures. The dwarf kept swinging his ax, though most of the creatures were managing to stay out of reach, with Grestick being even further limited by the closeness of the others.

"Watch out!" Adam screamed, charging towards one of the creatures who was about to stab Eddie in the back with a spear, his own slender sword held straight out, almost as if was a spear itself. Then with a sickening sound, Adam's sword went straight into the creatures back. It staggered for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

"Oh shit...," Eddie gasped, turning around and giving Adam a look of surprise. "Um...thanks man."

With a faint nod, Adam just stood over the creature, a horrible expression on his pretty face. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Cal's own attacker came barreling around the corner at that moment, growling viscously. "HELP!" Cal cried out as loud as he could, flying towards the others and hoping that they could hear him.

"What...?" Adam gasped, turning and looking straight at Cal with a look of surprise. "You're...you're flying."

"Look out!" Eddie yelled out, charging at the creature who'd been chasing Cal, swinging that big broadsword, though not very well. His clumsy attack missed the creature, hitting the ground next to it instead. "SHIT!"

Then, without a word, Grestick lashed out with his ax again, grunting as the blade cut deep into the creatures shoulder, sending it to the ground in a green bloody mess. "Fight them!" Grestick yelled, "May the flame burn them."

Mickey yelled out in a near panic, "Get away!" With that, she lashed out with her front feet, hitting one of the gray creatures in the head with her hooves and knocking him backwards. He only rolled around on the ground, not getting back up.

Cal stared at the fighting in horror, terrified of the sight and knowing that there was absolutely nothing that he could do. Not like that. If he was back in his real body... He clenched his fists, growling in helpless frustration.

As Cal watched, Eddie got lucky with one of his slashes, catching one of the creatures in the thigh, dropping it to it's knees long enough for Grestick to finish it off. At the same time, Mickey had picked up one of the dead creatures spears...and with a look of distaste...and desperation...she plunged it into another one of the creatures.

Within several more minutes, the fighting was over and they all stood there, surrounded by the dead gray creatures, much to Cal's relief. All of them looked tired, though splattered with green ooze.

"What the hell were those things?" Eddie demanded, more than a trace of panic beginning to form on his face. "I thought we were supposed to be safe?"

"Yeah," Mickey snapped furiously, clutching the dripping spear tightly...then dropping it in disgust as she realized what she held. "You said that THESE," she gestured to her wrist band, "would keep us safe."

"Yeah," Cal demanded, hiding his fear and trying to show that he wasn't a helpless coward...that he was still large and in charge. "You'd better tell us what's going on."

Grestick looked around at the dead bodies with a deep scowl. "Hobgoblins," he snorted, "Horrid creatures."

Adam stood where he was, shaking slightly before asking, "Why...why did those...those THINGS come after us?" He gave Grestick a suspicious look, a look which the others quickly adopted as well.

Wiping his ax on one of the bodies, Grestick looked up and answered, "I said that most not bother ye with the bands...but not all." He took a deep breath, calming down some as he looked at the others. "My boss be only one with secret to world travel, an some other mages be jealous of that."

"Oh..." Mickey muttered, looking around nervously...almost in a paranoid way.

"I suspect that someone be after you to discover that secret," Grestick snorted. "Hadn't planned on that." He gave them each an apologetic look. "I be sorry that your visit be troubled." Then in a gruffer and more serious voice, he ordered, "Get yer weapons. We be leaving."

Cal looked around the endless halls around him, wondering if that was such a good idea. After all, they were in a castle now, and if those things attacked again... He definitely didn't want to be out in the open.

"Why can't we just lock the gates and stay here?" Cal demanded, however, Grestick didn't bother answering him, much to his frustration. "Damn."

Adam grimaced and slowly pulled his sword out of one creature, looking as if he was about to empty his stomach, though somehow he managed not to. Eddie gave a smug look as he put his big broadsword away, while Mickey just crossed her arms in front of her, refusing to even look at one of the spears.

Several minutes later, they were heading out of the castle, with Grestick urging them to hurry. "They might be sending more," he told them steadily.

"Let's get Danielle and get out of here," Mickey muttered, gesturing to the large lump that was a sleeping dragon on the other side of the river.

Then, just as they left the rock bridge and were back on the main river, a howling cry filled the night, sending chills down everyone's spines.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Eddie muttered, glancing around nervously.

It was Adam who looked up and screamed exclaimed, "OH SHIT!"

"What?" Cal demanded, looking up and then gasping as he saw more of those creatures coming towards them...but ones with huge leathery wings. "OH SHIT!" he repeated.

And just as Grestick raised his ax, the new creatures were swooping down on them in a flurry. Several of them landed, and all at once, the creatures all attacked viciously.

"Blast ye!" Grestick screamed, swinging his ax viciously, catching one of the winged creatures in the side and knocking it to the ground.

However, before Grestick could take out another one of the creatures, two of them dove at him, throwing a large net that completely covered the dwarf. Grestick cursed and fought, but only entangled himself more.

"They've got me!" Eddie screamed out, lashing out wildly with his large sword, though to no effect as he too was hit with a net.

Adam let out a howl and charged at one of the creatures on the ground, while Call yelled out, "RUN!"

Mickey however was howling out as loudly as she could, "Danielle! HELP!"

Cal gasped out, not sure to be horrified or relieved as the massive dragon bulk began to stir. He couldn't be saved by Danielle... There was no way that he could be saved by his girlfriend.

"Oh God!" Mickey cried out, just as she too was suddenly covered with a net, "Get out of here," she screamed out to Adam and Cal, "RUN!"

Just then, even more of the creatures dropped out of the sky, right on top of Danielle. Cal just stared in horror as she started to look around in panic, screaming, "WHAT'S GOING ON?" Her rumbling dragon voice filled his ears.

Then, as Danielle started to scream, "Get off me!" she fumbled about clumsily, easily throwing creatures about with her massive paws. However, more seemed to come, darting at her with spears and nets, determined to take her...dead or alive.

"RUN!" Cal screamed at Danielle in panic, filled with terror as he instinctively started after her as fast as he could.

Before Cal could get close, Danielle was completely swarmed with the creatures, yelling and screaming as she slapped at them, crushing one after another, obviously panicking as she repeated, "Get them off me, get them off me." It was the same way she'd reacted when around bugs.

Cal suddenly remembered Adam and tore his eyes from Danielle, just for a moment, just long enough to look back at his other friend. He saw that Adam was lashing out with his sword, trying to cut at Grestick's net, however there were too many creatures swarming around their trapped friends, driving Adam backwards.

Suddenly two of the creatures dove straight at Adam, though Adam managed to avoid them...and the net that they'd tried throwing. However, that didn't stop them from trying again, though Adam ran as fast as he could to avoid them, straight towards the treeline a short distance away. And to Cal's relief, Adam vanished into the trees...but the creatures were still following.

"Damn," Cal spat, turning his full attention back to Danielle, noticing that in her struggling, she'd moved closer to the cliff.

Then, filled with a near paralyzing fear of the creatures that surrounded Danielle, Cal just froze there motionless for a moment, wondering if he should help her...if he even could help her. However, he couldn't help thinking that there was nothing that he could do. That he was to small and weak.

Just then, Danielle lashed out at one of the flying creatures, and to Cal's complete horror, toppled right over the edge of the massive cliff.

"DANIELLE!" Cal screamed out, his heard dropping as he watched her vanish from sight. And with a howl, he charged straight at the creatures, no longer thinking, just reacting as he always did when furious...by attacking.

However, just as Cal neared the creatures, one of them dropped directly in front of him, lashing out with the back of it's arm. Suddenly Cal's world was filled with pain as he flew backwards, smashing into the ground.

With his last bleary eyed gasp, Cal whispered, "Danielle...," just before everything went dark.

--------------------

Adam ran as hard as he could, dodging thick tree branches and springing over logs. His heart raced frantically, making him thankful for the first time that he wasn't in his own body since there was no way that he could have kept going so fast for so long.

And at the same time, Adam couldn't help thinking of his friends...the ones he'd abandoned, wrapped up in those damn nets. He was bursting with guilt and anger at himself for running...but he didn't have a choice. It was those damn creatures...the rejects from the Wizard of Oz. He silently cursed them under his breath, not daring to waste the effort to utter the venomous words aloud.

"Oh shit..." Adam gasped, hearing the creatures chasing behind him...feeling them behind hi. He couldn't resist glancing over his shoulder as he ran, horrified to see that he was right. Glimpses of them were visible from behind him.

Just then, Adam's foot caught a large tree root while he wasn't paying full attention to where he was going, sending him sprawling to the ground. He quickly jumped back to his feet, but it was too late, he'd given them a chance to catch up.

The creatures charged at Adam, their large toothy mouths open and snarling, their hands clutching nasty looking spears. He let out a scream as he lashed out with the sword that he'd barely been aware of still holding. However, it was clumsy and weak, making him desperately wish that he knew how to actually use it.

"Damn vacation," he snarled.

Suddenly Adam screamed in pain as one of their spears was thrust into his thigh, filling his entire body with a burning agony. It took all of his strength to lash out again, pushing the sword straight into the throat of the creature who'd hurt him. A second later, the creature fell backwards, the sword still in it's neck.

Adam turned, his eyes going wide as he stared at the final creature, knowing that it was over. He was going to die in an alien world...by some alien monster...in an alien body. If it wasn't so damn terrifying, he would have thought it ridiculous.

Then without warning, the creature staggered backwards, standing there for just a moment before collapsing to the ground. And sticking out from it's gore filled eye socket was the shaft of an arrow.

"What...?" Adam gasped, turning around only to gasp again as he saw a shadowy figure slowly step into view.

The newcomer looked slender but was dressed almost entirely in green, with a hood that covered the face in shadows. However, what drew Adam's full attention, even drawing it away from the pain in his thigh...was the fact that the figure had the bow in hand, already notched with another arrow...pointed straight at him.

The Travel Agency
part 5 of 10
By Morpheus

Adam gulped, his eyes not moving from the green cloaked figure in front of him, specifically from the drawn bow and arrow that the person was holding, aimed straight at him. He instinctively tried to step backwards, the sudden pain in his thigh reminding him that he was still hurt and there was no way that he was going to run from this threat.

"Damn...," Adam whispered, shaking in terror where he stood, silently hoping that at least his friends could get away.

Then, the figure released the arrow, not even giving Adam enough time to close his eyes, though to his complete shock, there was a howling scream from behind him. Snapping around, wincing from the pain in his thigh at the same time, he gasped in horror to see another one of the gray skinned creatures laying on the ground, howling as he struggled with an arrow through its eye. But it only struggled for a few more seconds before collapsing motionless.

"Wha...?" Adam started, turning back to the figure in the green cloak, feeling completely confuses.

With that, the green clad figure dropped the bow, reaching up one hand to pull back the cloaks hood, revealing its...her face to full view. She was beautiful...with pale skin and silvery white hair that was pulled back into a pony tail.

And before Adam had any idea of what was coming, the strange woman threw herself at him, exclaiming, "Niella!" For a moment, Adam braced himself for his attack, then froze in shock as he realized that she was actually hugging him.

After several seconds, the strange elf woman, for Adam was sure that was what she was, having seen a very similar looking woman the last time he'd looked into a mirror, pulled away. She stood back and gave Adam an pleasant smile.

Still feeling unsure of what was going on, Adam nervously gasped out, "Um...thank you." He just silently hoped that she wasn't going to kill him still.

The elf woman laughed, her voice sounding incredibly smooth and melodious. "I finally found you Niella," she told Adam. "Though I had feared to never free you from those creatures." She shuddered, "Especially with a dragon guarding their castle."

"Huh...?" Adam blinked, feeling just a little more confused.

"But when you escaped them during that attack," the elf woman finished, "I knew that it was my chance." She paused and looked apologetic, quickly adding, "I just wish I had found you before they caught you...and that I hadn't been hunting when the attack occurred."

Adam just stared at her, wondering what she was talking about, then suddenly it dawned on him. She thought that he was...whomever it was who's body he was using.

"I..." Adam gulped, "I don't think that I'm who you think I am."

The woman just stared at Adam in surprise, then concern. "Are you all right Niella?" she asked cautiously, "Are you under some spell?"

Shaking his head weakly, Adam's mind raced, half relieved that she'd saved him and half afraid that she'd hurt him when she realized that he wasn't who she thought. Still, he knew that he had to tell her. There was no other way that he could just pretend.

With a gulp, Adam held out his wrist, showing her the bracelet that Grestick had given him. He hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath before blurting out, "My name is Adam Straesser." Pausing for just a second, Adam finished, "I'm from another world and..."

Adam's rescuer just stood there for a moment, her eyes looking first at the bracelet and then Adam with some confusion, locking again on the bracelet. Finally, she stepped back with a look of stunned disbelief.

"It...it can not be..." the woman gasped, glaring at Adam furiously. "I had heard about the gray one's otherworldly visitors...about going there..." She shook her head, stepping back again, her eyes beginning to glare. "Return Niella to me!"

"What?" Adam gasped, staring at her and feeling nervous. "I...I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" she demanded, a sharp edge to her voice. And before Adam even realized it, she had a dagger in her hand and pressed up tightly against Adam's throat. For a moment, Adam was terrified that she was going to cut his throat, then her expression wavered and she slowly pulled the dagger back, cursing, "Burn it. I can not harm Niella's body."

As soon as the woman had stepped back, Adam rubbed at his throat and winced, thankful that she hadn't gone any further. "I..." Adam started nervously, "I don't know this...Niella." He took a deep breath again and tried explaining, "The guy where I come from just said that I'd be trading places with someone from this place..." he gestured around him, frowning in embarrassment as he added, "I didn't know I'd end up like this." Then he gestured down at himself.

For a moment, the woman just stared at Adam, her expression grim. Then she looked at the bracelet on his wrist again and muttered something that Adam didn't recognize. Or at least he didn't understand the words...but there was no mistaking that it was profanity of some sort.

"Aye," the woman sighed, slowly putting away her dagger, "I know that the gray one only takes those who wish it." She sounded as if she hated to admit that, but continued on, "Niella had said she was curious about this other world...but she never..." The woman glared back at Adam for a moment before finishing, "She should have told me."

Adam just nodded quietly, guessing from the elf woman's expression that she really had been worried about this Niella person. And apparently still was.

"We'll be trading back in a few more days," Adam explained, then looked up at the dark night sky and frowned, unable to help but think that his friends were still in trouble. Then he grimaced and grabbed his leg, no longer feeling quite as distracted from the pain. "Damn..."

"You are hurt," the woman whispered, obviously worried about her friend's body more than him. However, a moment later, she gently told me, "Sit still and I shall tend that for you."

For a moment, Adam just stared at her, then slowly sat onto the forest floor with a grunt of pain. Neither said a word as the elf woman bent over and carefully examined the deep spear gash, then began to reach into a pouch on her side for materials.

Finally, the woman prodded quietly, "You said that your name is Adam?" When he nodded, she mused, "An odd name for a woman."

Adam nearly choked at that, feeling horribly embarrassed. "But I'm a guy..." She gave him a surprised look but didn't say anything, so Adam quickly asked, "What's your name?"

After nearly a minute, she quietly responded, "Altera. I am called Altera of Clan Dnae."

"Nice to meet y..." Adam started as he held out his hand nervously, finishing with a loud, "OUCH!"

Wincing from the pain in his leg, Adam glanced away from Altera and to the surrounding trees, then to the dead creatures which were so very close. He gulped, too vividly remembering the sight of them swarming over his friends and himself...and that they had his friends.

"Oh God," Adam winced, not from the slowly easing pain in his leg, but from the pain in his heart instead. The very thought of his friends, probably dead by now sent chills down his spine. And an intense agony through his soul. At the moment, he was still in shock, but knew that he was already on the verge of losing it. "Why did we come...?" he asked himself, his voice filled with pain.

Suddenly Adam felt a cool hand on his leg and turned to see Altera staring him straight in the face, a concerned look on her face. "Those were your friends at the castle..." she stated quietly, looking a little sympathetic.

Adam nodded with a quiet, "Yeah..."

Altera shook her head faintly, "There is nothing that we can do for them." Then, in a firmer voice, she said, "I shall not let you stress Niella's body further. It needs rest...as do you. Sleep."

"But I'm not tir..." Adam started. However, before he could finish it, Altera blew some sort of dust into his face that made him want to sneeze...but only for a moment. Everything quickly slipped away into darkness.

--------------------

Danielle frantic, terrified to have woken up to find herself being covered by a dozen small monsters with wings, all attacking her. All screaming, biting and stabbing with their small spears. With barely a thought, she started to lash out in a panic, almost mindlessly, using her arms, legs and even tail in her desperate attempt to defend herself.

All the tiny spears felt almost as if she'd fallen into sticker bushes, making her lash out even more viciously. And even as she fought, she was aware of someone calling her name, though she couldn't quite make out where from. Not that she could spare the attention.

Then, before Danielle had even realized what had happened, she was pushed up against the edge of the cliff...and over it. She let out a scream of absolute terror, her eyes going wide as she saw the ground so far beneath rushing up to meet her. There was no doubt in her mind that her heart was going to explode from terror before she even hit.

"NOOO!" Danielle screamed out in vain, closing her eyes tightly and refusing to look anymore.

However, after a minute without the impact that she had expected, Danielle cautiously opened her eyes and looked down, gasping at the sight of trees quickly moving by. Her eyes shot wide and she snapped her head around, staring back at the two large wings on her back that were spread open wide, holding her still in the air.

"I'm...I'm flying...," Danielle gasped in shock.

Danielle stared back at her monstrous body, then moved her long neck to look back at the ground, moving so far below. Her heart nearly jumped into her throat, with her not being sure whether to be terrified or relieved. Fortunately though, her body seemed to know what it was doing, even if she did not.

"Wow..." Danielle whispered, "This is totally freaky." Then she let out a nervous giggle.

After soaring for several minutes, unsure of what she was doing and how to control where she was going, Danielle realized that she was slowly going lower, closer and closer to the trees. Soon they were just beneath her, making her extremely nervous.

Then, Danielle finally flapped her massive wings, trying to go higher. However, she realized in horror that she was too late, just as she collided with the top of a tree that was taller than the rest, losing control and crashing through the branches.

As Danielle smashed through the trees, she cried out, "Help!" But there was no help...and a moment later, she smashed through to the ground, impacting with a painful boom.

For a moment, Danielle remained where she was, completely shocked and confused, one of her wings hurting intensely. Then, she tried to force herself to sit up, crying out from the pain, terrified even more than when the monsters were attacking her.

"Cal!" she cried out in desperation, wishing that he was there to protect and make her feel safe, just as he always did. However, the sinking in her hear and the memory of those monsters made her gulp, fearing the worst. For Cal and the rest of her friends. And with that, she collapsed back to the ground, bursting into tears.

--------------------

It was the bright sunlight in his eyes that finally woke Cal up. At first, he remained where he was, feeling as if every fiber of his body was completely bruised. Then he slowly sat up, grunting as he did so.

"Shit...," Cal whispered, looking down at himself with a grimace and then looking around, his heart jumping as he remembered the night before. "Danielle..."

Cal jumped to his feet, wincing as he did so, then staggering slightly and having to use a rock to keep his balance. He stared towards the cliff, shaking as he did so. Then he turned and looked back towards the castle...and the area where he'd seen the others all tangled up in nets. There was no sign of them that he could make out, only a few large lumps that looked like the bodies of several monsters.

"I can do this," Cal told himself, struggling to stand on his own. It wasn't any worse than the time he had to play in a game with his ankle all fucked up. At least that was what he told himself as he slowly started staggering towards the cliff which seemed so far away.

After several minutes, Cal paused and looked back, flickering his wings as he finally remembered that he had them. And feeling a little embarrassed at not having thought of it before, Cal started to flap them and quickly moved up off of the ground, deciding that flying would have to be a lot quicker than walking.

"Oh shit..." Cal muttered, the sight of the ground looming far below him, though in truth it was no more than a few feet. "I...I can do this."

It only took Cal a few minutes to reach the edge of the cliff, then he landed, hesitating for another minute before he could finally bring himself to look over. He gulped, then slowly peaked over the edge, dreading what he expected to see but knowing that he had to face it.

Cal stared over the edge, looking intently at everything that was below them, on either the next area or the further down area where the river fell into. However, there was no sign of Danielle that he could see, not even directly below the place she'd fallen from. All he was able to do was stare down for some time, not sure what to feel.

"Where is she?" Cal finally asked himself, however there were no answers.

He remained where he was for some time before turning around, scanning the ground where Danielle had fought the monsters, but seeing no clues. Only lots of scuff marks and several broken spears. Nothing as to where she...or her body might be.

"They..." Cal gulped weakly, "They took her body." Just like they'd taken the rest of his friends. He shuddered at that, feeling horrified at the thought, though that gave him no idea where they'd gone. There was little doubt in his mind that the only reason they'd missed him was because he was so small, they probably couldn't see him. "Damn!"

For some time, Cal just stood where he was, shaking with a mixture of rage and terror. He looked around, realizing how incredibly alone he was, with everyone else gone...to who knew where.

"But what can I do?" he demanded furiously, screaming to the sky, then he looked down at his sexy looking blue body and shuddered. How could he possibly do anything at all as a little blue girl? He hadn't even been able to help at all the night before. "What can I do?" he cried out, tears beginning to pour down his face as he shook in frustration.

Cal stopped crying after some time, wiping the tears from his eyes and grimacing, remembering that real men don't cry. He grimaced at that thought, wanting to cry more, though he somehow managed not to. There was no doubt that he wasn't able to do much, if anything, but he had to try something. He just had to.

"I've got to find them," he whispered quietly, silently adding, "If they're alive." He tried not to think about that possibility.

However, as Cal's stomach rumbled from hunger, he knew that before he could do anything else, he was going to have to find breakfast.

--------------------

The walls were cold gray stone, the same as they had been for the last several hours. Mickey grimaced and slowly turned away from them, at least as much as she was able, already tired of looking at the walls that surrounded her. There wasn't even a door to break the monotony, just a large round room, with walls, floor and ceiling, all composed of dull gray rock.

Mickey looked around the room, staring at the small glass balls on the walls that gave off faint light, though not much. Then she looked over at Eddie and Grestick, both of whom were leaning up against the wall a short distance away.

"Damn," Mickey snarled, hitting the wall beside her with a fist, "Where the hell's the door?"

She glared at the walls, still not seeing any sign of either door or window, though they had searched for some time after finding themselves within the room. But even after careful looking, none of them had been able to find anything that stuck out or hinted at being a hidden door.

Then she looked over at Grestick and demanded, "How'd they get us in here?"

The dwarf looked up, still scowling. "I be wondering that meself."

Mickey just muttered, "Shit," wishing that she could remember more. The last thing that she...or the others could remember before waking up in that prison, was being tangled up in nets. Watching Adam running off with those monsters chasing him and Danielle fighting those beasties before she fell over the cliff.

A surge of pain shot through Mickey's heart and she slowly sat down on the cold floors, unable to help but think of her missing friends. She and Eddie might be prisoners, but the others... Mickey was desperately afraid that they were all dead, especially since none of them were locked up too.

Eddie just sat there, staring silently at the floor, just as he had been for some time. Mickey watched him for a moment, knowing that he was worried about the others too. He'd barely said a word, which wasn't like him at all.

Then, Mickey slowly got back up and moved closer to Eddie, her hooves clumping against the hard stone with each step, sounding alien to her ears. She looked down at herself, at her athletic new body, hating the fact that as strong as she now was...she was helpless to do anything. She was locked away for some reason she didn't understand, while her friends were missing...perhaps dead.

"Oh Eddie," Mickey cried, tears beginning to run down her cheeks as she lowered her body again next to his, "I'm scared."

Eddie finally looked up from the floor and stared at Mickey, his eyes red and puffy. As he slowly took her hand in his, he whispered, "Me too. Me too."

With that, Mickey and Eddie hugged each other for what comfort they could while Grestick looked on silently. It was all that they could do for now.

The Travel Agency
part 6 of 10
By Morpheus

The soft chirping of birds and the faint wind between the trees were the sounds that greeted Adam as he slowly awoke, finding himself laying on something soft and damp. He remained where he was for a minute as he scrambled to remember the events before.

Suddenly a soft woman's voice announced, "I see that you are awake."

Adam slowly sat up, feeling apprehensive. Then, he stared at the elf woman...Altera for a minute before slowly looking down at himself, uncomfortable to see that he still had the body of a woman. Finally, he looked around him, startled to realize that he didn't recognize where he was at. There were no signs of the winged monsters.

"I moved us to a safer place while you slept," Altera said, crouching down near Adam, "How does your leg feel?"

The question caught Adam by surprise, as did the concern that he saw flicker through her eyes. He gulped and slowly patted his leg, realizing that it didn't really hurt anymore. It just stung a little.

"Better," Adam whispered, knowing that his legs should have been aching like hell from the gash.

Altera nodded faintly and stood up, wrapping her green cloak closer against her. "That is good."

Adam sighed and stood up, wincing just slightly from his leg, though not much. He silently accepted what looked like a purple apple and an oatmeal cookie from Altera and gulped them down, then headed behind a tree to relieve himself. By the time he was done, Adam truly missed the comfort of the castle's bathroom.

Once Adam was finished, he stared at Altera uncomfortably, unable to miss the way that she'd been watching him as well. Then he looked down at himself, at his female body, deciding that he'd probably made the biggest mistake of his life when he'd agreed to the vacation. Being a girl elf wasn't so bad...but his friends...

Finally, Adam quietly started, "My friends..." he choked, fighting back tears as he finished, "I have to go back." He looked around the forest, seeing no sign of which way to go. With a sigh, he turned back to Altera.

For a moment, Altera just looked at Adam with a thoughtful look before responding, "They are probably already dead." She said it calmly, as if it meant nothing to her at all.

That was something that Adam feared as well, though he glared at Altera, "I have to see for myself. I won't believe it until I see them."

"Hobgoblins," she said after a few minutes, nearly spitting the word out. "Horrid beasts." Altera stared at Adam for a moment, looking somewhat annoyed, "But they rarely come out in the daylight. It should be safe to look for your friend's bodies."

Adam grimaced but slowly nodded, knowing that it was the best that he could hope for at the moment. And with that, Altera started walking through the bushes, with Adam following close behind.

It took nearly an hour before they left the trees and stepped into sight of the castle. Adam just stopped where he was and looked around nervously, barely aware that Altera was standing beside him with an arrow notched into her bow. He gulped and then slowly started forward, both eager for and dreading any answers he might find.

"Oh God," Adam whispered upon seeing several motionless bodies.

"Which god is that?" Altera asked from beside him, sounding curious.

Adam just gave her a quick glance before rushing to the bodies, relieved to see that they were just more of those gray skinned monsters. Hobgoblins. He shuddered at the sight, relieved to realize that none of the bodies were from his friends.

"They're not here," he whispered, feeling relieved and worried at the same time. He looked at Altera, asking, "Any ideas?"

For a moment, Altera just looked around, finally answering with, "Tell me what happened during the attack." Once Adam had done so, she nodded, "Nets mean that they meant to take you all alive."

"Alive..." Adam whispered, sighing in relief. That at least was a great weight off of his shoulders. "But where are they?"

Altera just shook her head, "We should depart."

Adam just stared at her for a moment while she slowly started back to the wooded area, knowing that she knew more than she was saying. She was hiding something, and it was something that he needed to know.

"Where are they?" he asked again, this time with an edge to his voice, beginning to get angry. "You know something, so tell me."

"Quiet!" Altera snapped angrily, glaring at Adam, "You dare speak like that to me, you body thief?"

"Body thief?" Adam growled back, "Didn't you say that she willingly traded her body?"

Altera just glared back at Adam, looking as if she might kill him if he wasn't in her friend's body. One hand held her empty bow tight, while the other one rested on the dagger at her belt, looking as if she was about to pull it at any moment.

"I want Niella back," Altera snarled in a low tone, "And I will not allow you to risk her body with this."

"With what?" Adam spat back, stepping forward and clenching his fists. She knew something about his friends and he was determined to find out what...even if he had to pry it from her. "What aren't you telling me?"

For several minutes, they both remained where they were, silently glaring at each other. Finally, Adam spoke again, this time pleading, "They're my friends. I want them back safely just as much as you want this Niella woman." He stared her straight in the eyes, relaxing some as he added, "Please help me."

Altera remained where she was but slowly relaxed, her hand coming away from her dagger. "I..." she looked down, her expression almost unreadable though Adam thought that he saw a flash of worry and guilt. "All right. I will tell you what I know, but it will not do you any good."

Adam nodded quietly, hoping...praying that it was something that she could use. "Just tell me." His voice shook slightly.

"You were attacked by hobgoblins," Alter said quietly, "Your friends taken by them." She looked down, adding, "That can only mean the Queen of the Night."

"Queen of the Night?" Adam repeated, still feeling confused. "Who is that?"

"She's a powerful mage," Alter answered, staring at Adam. "She must have taken your friends as leverage against the Gray One. Or..." she sighed, "to learn his secrets."

For nearly a minute, Adam just stared at her before finally muttering, "Queen of the Night? Gray One? Don't these people have real names?"

Altera gave a faint smile, "Aye, but mages are secretive and rarely give their true names as they fear it would give others power over them. Instead they are often known by title."

"And..." Adam gulped, having a bad feeling about his friends, especially considering the woman's name. "And...where would this Queen of the Night have them?"

Again, Altera hesitated before answering. "She would likely hold them at her castle." Then she looked at Adam with an apologetic expression, "I fear that there is nothing that can be done to free them. And if you tried...you would only get Niella's body killed."

Those words ran straight through Adam. He knew that they were true, that there was little that he could do. But still, he looked up, knowing that he had to do something. Anything.

"I..." Adam gulped, not completely sure of why himself as he stared at Altera, trying to make her understand. "I have to try something." he told her quietly. "They're my friends."

Altera's eyes stared back at Adam, filled with sympathy. "But Niella..." she started.

"They came after me before," Adam reminded her, "so they might come after me again." Then, Adam went on, "I'm going to try helping them no matter what," his voice was low but firm, filled with determination. "I can either try it on my own and probably get in trouble...or you can help me and at least keep this body safe." Adam gestured down at himself, not taking his eyes from Altera.

"I'll..." Altera whispered, grabbing for her knife, her eyes filled with confusion. "I'll stop you."

"How?" Adam asked back, trying to sound confident though feeling terrified. He wasn't at all used to being so forceful, preferring to just avoid notice and let things blow over. "Stab me? You'd probably hurt this body even more."

The elf woman just glared at Adam for a minute before spitting out, "Burn it!" She relaxed and reluctantly admitted, "You are right." She sounded as though she absolutely hated to admit it. "The Queen of the Night may still be after you, and the last place she would think to look is close to her own lair."

"Then you'll take me?" Adam asked, trying to keep the relief and eagerness out of his voice.

Altera just nodded, "Aye. I like it not, but I will aid you."

Adam finally smiled, though it was still weak. "Thank you."

With a snort, Altera said, "Do not thank me until we get to her lair. I make no promises after that."

Suddenly a voice cried out, "Then let's get going!"

"What?" Adam jumped, looking around frantically.

Altera's dagger was already in her hand as she snapped around, looking for the source of the voice.

Then there was a laugh, "Up here."

Adam slowly looked up, his eyes going wide in relief as he saw the tiny blue woman who was hovering there with rapidly beating wings. "Cal!"

"Glad to see you too," Cal grinned, landing on Adam's shoulder, then looking at Altera. "Hey babe, I'm Cal." He puffed himself up, trying to look macho but failing miserably in his tiny female body.

Altera just giggled faintly, "I would guess that this is one of your friends." At Adam's nod, Altera mused, "This should be interesting at least."

"Then let's get going," Cal urged, "I'm gonna kick this Queen's ass."

With that, Adam and Altera looked at each other, sharing a look of amusement and struggling to keep from laughing aloud. Neither said a word however as they slowly started towards the trail that they had followed up to the top of the cliffs just the day before.

--------------------

With a grunt, Eddie slowly stood up, glaring at the cold hard floor and wondering how he was supposed to possibly sleep on that. He'd already been trying for some time, to little use. However, a single glance revealed that neither Grestick or Mickey were having that problem.

"Damn it," he muttered quietly, trying not to think about the others.

He closed his eyes though as the images came unbidden, filling his thoughts with the images of Danielle falling over the cliff or Adam running into the woods with those two creatures chasing him. And there was no telling what had happened to Cal, though Eddie didn't think that he had much chance of still being alive either.

When he opened his eyes again, Eddie took one more look around the prison cell, scowling first at the walls, then down at his muscular arms. What was the use of being big and strong if it didn't do any good. If all he could do was sit around inside some hell hole, waiting for who knew what. The thought of what made him shudder.

"We've got to get out of here," Eddie muttered, remembering the words from some old song, "If it's the last thing we ever do." However, he was deathly afraid that it would be.

They'd been locked inside the prison for some time, though Eddie had no way of telling just how long. There hadn't been any sign of a door, window, food or even whoever was holding them there. Somehow, the lack of kidnappers only made him feel worse...more apprehensive.

Eddie shook his head, whispering, "Fear of the unknown is worse than fear of the familiar." It was a cardinal rule of good horror movies as far as Eddie was concerned, but unfortunately, he hated to realize that it seemed to be a rule of real life as well. "Or fantasy," he muttered, glancing down at himself and then the centaur just a short distance away.

Then suddenly, a new sound filled the emptiness of the quiet cell. It was a squeaking, coming from above, immediately drawing Eddie's eyes upwards, towards the center of the round room.

"Oh..." he gulped, shocked to see the round center stone in the ceiling beginning to move...to slowly come down. "Mickey...," he started hesitantly, then a little louder, "Short guy...um...Grestick!"

"Huh," Mickey mumbled as she woke up, looking around, "What...?" Then she froze, her own eyes moving towards the descending stone with an "Oh..."

A moment later, Eddie gulped, seeing the stone hanging in mid-air as it slowly came down, revealing a pair of legs on top of it. Someone was using the thing like an elevator to come down.

Grestick just stood up, reaching to his side for the ax that was no longer there and scowling. He held a finger before his lips to indicate that they should remain quiet, then slowly started towards the elevator. However, before he got more than a few yards away, he stopped with a grunt and pushed against the air as if there was some sort of wall there.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Eddie muttered, earning a glare from both Mickey and Grestick.

A few seconds later, the stone platform hit the floor and finally stopped, while the figure that stood on top of it remained there for a moment, slowly looking around the cell...looking at them. She had dark gray, nearly black skin, with long silvery white hair and somewhat pointed ears. Her body was covered with black leather, though she had a silver metal belt that was decorated with skulls, and a silver tiara on her forehead. And finally, her face was beautiful, but decorated with a cruel expression.

"A dark elf..." Grestick exclaimed in surprise, his hand reaching for the missing ax at his waist again, not taking his eyes from her.

"What's that?" Mickey asked, then a moment later added, "Oh, sort of like a black person."

However, instead of answering Mickey, Grestick just stood there, staring at the dark skinned woman with an expression that seemed to grow more nervous. "I know who you be," he stated, his voice sounding tense but in control. "Ye must be Queen of the Night."

For a moment, the woman just stared at Grestick with a cruel, amused expression before finally responding, "Yes...I am." Her voice was smooth and sexy, but very firm.

"Queen of what?" Eddie blurted out, feeling a bit confuses. A single look at Mickey revealed that he wasn't the only one.

"She be a mage," Grestick muttered, glaring at the woman, "An after me boss's secrets."

"Correct," the Queen of the Night commented, stepping off the platform, however, Grestick quickly showed that the invisible wall was still in place. "That saves explanation." She slowly came toward them, just to the edge of the invisible wall and staring across at Grestick with an arrogant expression. "Now give me that which I require."

"But we don't know anything," Mickey protested.

Eddie just remained where he was, staring at the strange woman...specifically, her rather generous breasts. He couldn't help wondering what they'd look like beneath those clothes...and if her nipples were gray too.

"How does he cross worlds?" she demanded, glaring at them each in turn. "I must know...and you WILL tell me."

Grestick just glared at her, his arms crossed in front of him. Mickey looked over at Eddie and then paused, glaring at him when she saw the way he was watching the Queen.

"Hey moron!" Mickey snapped, getting Eddie's attention back, "You do know that she's the bad guy, don't you?"

Eddie quickly shifted his eyes back and forth between the Queen of the Night and Mickey, silently trying to decide which one would be the worst to have pissed off at him. It didn't take long before he decided on Mickey...without a doubt.

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking down in embarrassment and asking, "Why you doing this to us? We didn't do anything to you." He looked at the Queen again, this time feeling a mixture of nervousness and annoyance, "I mean, we're just fucking tourists."

The Queen sighed, "That is not acceptable."

Then, with an annoyed expression, Queen of the Night muttered something under her breath, gesturing at Eddie. He suddenly found himself froze, unable to move, though he struggled to do just that.

"Eddie!" Mickey cried out.

Grestick snarled, "Leave him be!" He ran towards Eddie but stopped short just several feet away, again as if hitting an invisible wall. Then he glared at the Queen and spat, "Crevitz!"

The Queen frowned and muttered, "Such language." Then she shook her head, adding, "But what else can one expect from a dwarf." She said 'dwarf' as if describing something disgusting.

Then, she turned and started walking towards Eddie, through where the invisible wall supposedly ended, though neither Mickey or Grestick were still able to get close. Instead, it was as if she just moved the invisible wall, making sure to keep it between them. But not between her and Eddie as she was quickly standing in front of him and putting her hand on his chest.

"So big," she mused, "So strong."

Eddie just shook where he was, half afraid that he was going to cum in his pants right there with the dark skinned woman running a hand over his chest. Her nails tickled faintly, though she then started reaching for his wrist...specifically the wrist band.

"This has his markings," the Queen of the Night mused, rubbing at the wrist band. "This must be the talisman which he uses to bind you here."

"What...?" Eddie started, still unable to move, to resist at all while she removed the band from his arm.

Then, with a satisfied smirk, the Queen of the Night held the wrist band up, exclaiming, "I am sure that this should teach me that which I desire to know."

And as the dark elf started towards the platform in the middle of the room again, Mickey blurted out, "You've got what you wanted. Please let us go."

However, she didn't answer until she was standing on her stone platform and starting to rise again. "I think not," she finally answered, just before vanishing back into the ceiling.

"Damn!" Eddie exclaimed, grasping at his wrist, now able to move once again.

Mickey slowly moved to directly under where the stone platform had gone back into the ceiling, finding nothing to block her movement anymore. Then she gave Grestick a glare while going to close to Eddie and giving him a nervous hug.

"Thanks," Eddie whispered, kissing Mickey and feeling somewhat odd about it as she didn't look anything like the Mickey that he knew.

Finally, Mickey looked at her own wrist band and then at Grestick, demanding, "I thought you said these things would keep us safe."

"From most," Grestick answered grimly, "Though not from all." He gave them both a steady look, his eyes twinkling slightly. "The token she took will not give her the answers she seeks...but it will keep her busy for now."

Eddie and Mickey gave each other a faint smile, knowing that it wasn't much, but at least it was something. Perhaps it might even be good luck, though there was little hope of that.

The Travel Agency
part 7 of 10
By Morpheus

The thunderous roar of the river filled the ears of those who walked along it, looking deep within the waters and the trees that lined the distant short. Adam remained silent as he followed behind Altera, barely aware of Cal flying over their heads as he stared into the water, then across it.

"Looks nasty," Adam muttered, deciding that the rapids were a little harsh right about there. "Maybe we should go down a little further,"

Altera turned and gave him a steady look before adjusting the quiver of arrows on her back. "We cross here," she told Adam, turning towards the river and gesturing, "These rocks will give us all a clear path across."

Adam just looked at the river again, scowling as he stared at the rocks that pushed out from the water. The river crashed around them, making itself even more violent. And ironically, it was those very rocks that might get them across...if they were able to successfully jump from one to another. It was that which made Adam nervous.

Though he was still worried, Adam just shrugged, muttering, "You're the guide."

"No problem for me," Cal laughed, "I'll race you..." Then with that, Cal started flying across the river.

For a moment, Altera watched him then looked back at Adam before impatiently calling, "Follow me," just before jumping to the first rock.

After Altera had made it to the third rock, Adam took a deep breath, glanced into the water and jumped to the first one himself. He staggered slightly on the rock, somehow managing to keep his balance, to keep from falling into the swirling water around him. A single glance at the violent water, smashing against other rocks further down told him that falling in would NOT be a good idea.

"This is not good," Adam mumbled, reminding himself that this was a bad idea. But Altera said that they needed to cross the river and she wanted to do it there.

When they were both about halfway across, Cal cheerfully yelled across, "Last one here is a rotten egg." Of course he was already on the far shore.

Altera looked up and glared at him, "Quiet little one," then she looked back at Adam, "Hurry up or we shall never get across."

With a snort, Adam just nodded, carefully hopping to another rock, quickly trying to keep his balance once he landed. It was made more difficult as the rock was damp on top. Still, he managed, as he had with each rock before.

"Halfway there," Adam told himself nervously, gulping as he muttered, "You can do it."

Then, Altera leapt to the next rock, though this time her foot slipped. Before Adam realized what had happened, there was a splash...and Altera was being pushed down river. And all he could do was watch in horror as she scrambled to keep control...and slammed into a large rock.

"Altera!" Adam screamed out in shock, seeing that she wasn't fighting the water anymore. Without conscious thought, he jumped in to the water himself, silently praying that he knew what he was doing.

The water pulled Adam under, though he could feel himself being drawn down river. He grimaced and caught the bottom with his feet, pushing himself back to the surface again, just in time to see a rock coming towards him.

Cal's voice cried out, "Adam!" However, Adam paid it little attention, instead grabbing hold of the rock and pushing himself off to the side, managing to avoid a painful impact.

Suddenly Adam saw her again, the silvery hair sparkling in the water, the rest of her body barely visible at all as the water pushed her towards another large rock. Adam was horrified to realize that she was face down, knowing that he had to do something. Somehow.

Though he was completely terrified, Adam used one of the rocks to push himself towards Altera, swimming with the current to get towards her more quickly. He desperately hoped that it would work, being faintly relieved when he caught her body a moment later.

"Alt..." Adam started, before a wave hit him in the face.

Grabbing her body, Adam tried to pull her head up and out of the water, while at the same time keeping track of the rocks. He grimaced as he saw more nasty looking ones ahead, doubting that he'd be able to avoid them while pulling her. He had to let her go.

"No..." He cried out, holding Altera tighter, refusing to just abandon her when every ounce of his common sense told her do to just that.

Adam was barely aware of what he was doing, reacting out of desperation and instinct. And as the rocks came closer, he throw out his legs on the bottom, trying to drag them...to use them as an anchor. It slowed them down some...but not enough. A moment later, Adam was slammed against the rock, taking most of the impact as he still held Altera.

With a grimace, Adam held onto his consciousness, throwing his feet down and keeping himself pinned against the rock. The force of the water pushed him into it, threatening to tear him loose and throw him down the river again at the same time.

"Oh God..." Adam cried out, holding Altera up and slowly lifting her body onto the rock.

To Adam's relief, Altera started to move on her own again, even helping to pull herself onto the rock. Still, he had to do most of the work, while still holding his own position. Then, once most of her body was on the rock, enough to keep the water from pulling her back in and away, Adam turned his full attention back to himself.

Since there wasn't enough room on that rock for another person, Adam grimaced, took a deep breath and frantically looked for another rock. One that was close enough to use. He was relieved to see one just a short distance away...all he'd have to do was fight the water for just a little more.

"Cold..." he whispered, not sure if he was going to be able to make it. He was already so cold and tired, not to mention hurting from the impacts and the remaining wound in his thigh. "Gotta..."

It took some effort, but Adam managed to keep himself anchored with both feet into the river bottom...and both hands on the rock. He stretched out, then shifted grasped the other rock, holding tight while he fought for the energy to continue. Finally though, he pulled himself up, out of the water and onto the rock.

"I..." Adam gasped tiredly, "made it." He looked over at the next rock, letting out a sigh of relief that Altera was safe too.

For nearly a minute, Adam remained where he was, glancing around and being startled to realize that while they'd been drifting, they'd gotten a little closer to the other side. And with the river turning slightly...his mind started racing as he looked at the rocks, a slow smile beginning to form. Perhaps they weren't trapped in the middle of the river.

"Altera!" Adam called out, letting out a sigh of relief when she slowly sat up some and turned her head to look at him. There was a gash above her eyebrow, with blood dripping down. She looked confused for a moment, though her eyes regained their focus.

"Yes..." Altera responded slowly, sitting up more and then taking a look at their situation.

Adam gestured to the rock next to her, and then to the relatively calm space behind it. There was the end of a log...with the other end going to the shore. It might not be extremely easy, but Adam knew that they could make it to shore that way.

For a moment, Altera just looked where Adam gestured, then slowly nodded before grunting, then moving towards it. Adam waited a few seconds, then started working his way towards it as well.

Several minutes later, Adam pulled himself up the log and onto shore, gladly taking the hand that Altera offered to help him the rest of the way out of the water. Then, almost the instant he was out of the water, he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Suddenly Cal appeared over Adam's head, staring down nervously, "You all right man?" He almost looked afraid.

Adam grunted and sat up, shivering from cold but nodding, "I'm fine." He glanced to Altera, "You?"

Altera just sat there with an odd expression on her face, staring into the water without saying anything. She finally nodded her head and got back to her feet.

"Glad to see it," Cal exclaimed, then in a shaky voice, he added, "I wanted to help..." He shook his head, his voice filled with shame, "I'm sorry."

"There wasn't anything you could do..." Adam told Cal comfortingly.

However, Cal just responded, "That was the problem. I couldn't do anything." He spat out, "I'm fucking useless."

"But..." Adam started, however Cal had already darted off, vanishing into the trees. Adam just stood there, staring at the trees in surprise. "Cal...?"

Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Altera standing there. "Your friend will return when she is ready."

"He..." Adam mumbled.

However, Altera continued without indicating that she'd heard, "We should get dry before we become ill." Then she gestured to the sky and added, "And the sun will soon be setting as well, making this more urgent."

Several minutes later, Altera had started setting up a small fire just inside the trees, leaving Adam to collect the wood. And as cold as he was, getting the fire going was becoming more and more of a priority with every second.

"Damn I'm c...c...cold," Adam mumbled, setting the firewood down and desperately wishing that he had some spare clothes. He was shivering badly, hating being cold and wet.

Altera already had the fire going, and was adding a little more wood, nodding faintly at Adam when he put the last of the wood to the side. "That should be enough," she told him quietly, then stood up and slowly began to undress.

For a moment, Adam just choked, unable to do anything but stare at Altera while she stripped out of her clothes, setting them onto some rocks she'd placed by the fire. Her body awesome, being slender but extremely attractive.

"Oh my..." Adam whispered to himself, knowing that if he still had his cock, it would definitely be hard by now.

Altera finally turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "You should remove your wet clothes as well. That will allow you to warm up more quickly."

Adam hesitated for a moment, still staring at Altera and wondering if she had any modestly whatsoever. It certainly didn't seem that way since she was standing in front of him completely naked, and not seeming the least bit uncomfortable with that.

With a nod, Adam finally started to take off his own wet clothes, surprised to realize that it was actually working. The warmth from the fire was definitely feeling a lot nicer without the soaked material in the way. But he was still cold and soaked to the bone.

"Damn," Adam muttered, standing up and looking down at himself, staring at the naked woman's body. Even though it didn't feel quite so alien anymore, it still shocked him to see himself that way. "Weird."

Then, Adam suddenly blushed when he realized that Altera was watching him as well, an odd expression on her face. She noticed him looking back at her and quickly bent down, unrolling a blanket that she'd had tied to her back.

"It is wet," Altera told Adam, "but it will help warm us."

Adam just gave the dull gray blanket a skeptical look, still shivering as he did so. "Us?"

She nodded and stepped next to Adam, throwing the both of them, adding, "We can warm each other with the heat from our bodies."

For a moment, Adam just stood there in shock, unsure of what to do with Alter being pressed up so close to him. And naked at that. However, when she slowly started to sit down again in front of the fire, he hesitated only a moment before sitting down close to her as well, making sure that the blanket covered him too.

Neither said a word as they sat there, pressed up close to each other in front of the fire, soaking up all the warmth that they could. To Adam's surprise, it was working and he was no longer feeling quite as cold. It was beginning to even get just a little bit comfortable. Comfortable enough so that Altera's close proximity began to excite several thoughts other than that of just staying warm.

Finally, exhaustion overtook Adam and he slowly drifted off to sleep, still cuddled up next to Altera. His last thoughts while starting into the fire, were of worry for his friends.

--------------------

The sky was dark, though filled with strange noises. Noises that made Cal extremely uncomfortable since he did not know where they were, nor what they might mean to him at his current size. He pushed himself just a little further against the tree branch that he was nestled into and stared up at the crescent moon.

"Damn," he whispered, pausing to look down at himself again. At his sexy blue body. He cringed at the sight, even as he delighted in the appearance of sexy female flesh. "I can't believe this shit."

Cal took a deep breath and tore his eyes away from his body, just long enough to glare at the flickering light between the trees. The light of a fire, where he knew Adam and that elf girl were at. For a moment, he considered going down there as well...for the comfort of the fire as well as the company. However, he glared stubbornly, knowing that he didn't deserve that.

"I'm useless...," Cal whispered to himself, unable to stop repeating the incident at the river over and over in his mind. First he'd lost Danielle because he was too small to do anything, and now he nearly lost Adam. All he'd been able to do was fly there and watch helplessly. "Fucking useless..."

For several minutes, Cal remained where he was, staring at the flickering light before slowly turning his attention back to himself, to his strange blue skin. It looked so smooth...so soft and feminine. So sexy.

Cal slowly put a hand onto his breasts, thinking that they looked like an ordinary woman's breasts, except for being blue. He wasn't sure how that made him feel since he was filled with confusion, disgust and excitement, all at once. Though he hated being stuck as a barbie sized girl...he couldn't help but getting just a little turned on at the same time.

With a quiet gulp, Cal looked up at the moon again, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Oh Danielle...," he uttered quietly, feeling guilty at the way he'd treated her sometimes. Though he hadn't told her, he really did care for her a lot. More than he'd even realized before now. Perhaps...Cal was startled to realize that just perhaps...he might even love her. "I'm sorry..."

And though Cal was still overwhelmed by sadness, he attempted to distract himself by looking at himself again. Forcing himself to look closer rather than turning away as he was tempted to. He slowly ran his hands over his body, finally settling with one hand on one of his breasts while the other between his legs...feeling what was no longer there. Feeling the soft sensitive thing that had replaced them.

It was while still in that position that Cal finally slipped into the comforting darkness of sleep. His cheeks were yet glistening with the tiny wet jewels that laid bare his shame and sadness.

--------------------

Mickey looked down at the sleeping figures of Eddie and Grestick, then slowly paced around their cell for what had to be the hundredth time at least. Of course, there was no change, nor had she expected there to be any. Still, the movement itself was comforting in a way.

"How long...?" Mickey asked quietly, staring up at the center of the room, at the platform that the Queen of the Night had used to see them earlier. How long she wondered, had they been trapped in the room...and how long they would remain that way. There was nothing to tell them, not even the sunlight.

She continued to stare at the platform for several minutes, wondering if perhaps there was some way to get it down...to open the door. They'd all tried for nearly an hour once the Queen of the Night had gone back up, but it had been useless. They weren't able to even touch the circle, much less move it. But still, she couldn't help wondering.

Turning back towards the other two, Mickey frowned more deeply, absently tapping one of her front legs. "How can they sleep so easily?"

With a sigh, Mickey couldn't blame them, especially since Grestick had muttered something about conserving their strength. She knew that she should probably do the same herself, but she just couldn't quite bring herself to do so.

"Who is she?" Mickey whispered, looking up at the elevator platform again wondering about the Queen of the Night.

Finally, Mickey turned her attention to the 3 plates that were sitting on the floor. Plates that had been piled with food just a short while earlier, appearing suddenly just beneath the platform. It had been the second time that day that food had been delivered since the Queen of the Night had made her appearance.

"Strange," she mused as she thought about the food. Not that they'd been fed, but what the food was. It wasn't the bread and water that Mickey would have expected given the dungeon surroundings, but instead, it was delicious food. Food that could have almost come straight out of some gourmet restaurant back home.

Then with a glance to the bracelet that remained on her hand, she gulped and hoped that their situation wouldn't get any worse. So far they hadn't been tortured, just locked up. But when the Queen of the Night was done examining Eddie's bracelet and realized that it didn't have anything to do with the spell... Mickey didn't want to think about how much worse things could get.

"Be patient," Mickey reminded herself, repeating the words that Grestick had told her some time earlier, "Save your strength." Then she snorted, adding, "Easier said than done."

Mickey stared at Eddie for a minute before slowly looking down at her own horselike body with a sigh. It was definitely interesting being a centaur, though frustrating as well. She looked back at Eddie again, thinking that it wasn't fair that he was so hot in his new body...and she wasn't in any position to do anything about it. And not just because they were prisoners either.

"Easier said than done," she reminded herself, slowly lowering her body next to Eddie's and trying not to wake him. She might not have any idea what time it was, but her biological clock was telling her that it was time for bed. With that, she curled up for what she hoped would be a peaceful sleep.

The Travel Agency
part 8 of 10
By Morpheus

It was mid day and the sun was out, making Adam a little uncomfortable from the heat. However, he didn't let that slow him down as he walked along with Altera, just as they had been doing for several hours. And to Adam's great relief, they were traveling away from the river. He didn't think that he was ready to handle another incident.

Adam glanced up at Cal, who'd reappeared earlier that morning while he and Altera had been eating breakfast, though he'd been oddly silent since them. That was somewhat unusual from the normally cocky jock that Adam knew.

Then Adam turned his attention to Altera, watching the elf in silence as they continued walking, thinking about that morning. About how surprising it had been to wake up naked and cuddled up next to her in the blanket. He'd nearly choked at first, then couldn't stop blushing for some time...if a blush showed up on his pale skin that was.

As he thought about it, Adam blushed again, remembering what had happened when Altera had woken up as well. She'd stared at him for a few seconds with a strange expression, then she'd bent forward and surprised him with a kiss on his lips, quietly saying, "Thank you," when she was done.

Almost immediately afterwards, Altera climbed out of the blanket and started putting on her clothes, with Adam doing likewise. His clothes had definitely dried out a lot from the fire, though they were still somewhat damp in spots, but Altera had assured him that they would dry out with movement and the sun. She'd quickly been proven right as well.

The rest of the morning passed pretty quickly, with Altera finding several plants and birds eggs for breakfast. It wasn't Frosted Flakes, but it was definitely welcomed by his stomach. And after Cal had rejoined them, they started traveling again.

Suddenly Adam heard something in the distance, some sort of banging of what sounded like metal against metal. He froze, cocked his head slightly and listened, not sure how far away the sounds were, nor much else.

"Did you hear that?" Adam blurted out.

"Hear what?" Cal asked, lowering down to Adam's eye level.

After Adam heard it again, Altera nodded, "Yes, I hear it." She was scowling slightly as she looked off into the distance. "I do not like this."

Adam looked around, faintly hearing the noise again and then glancing to Cal, who still said that he didn't hear anything. It wasn't until Adam glanced back to Altera and saw her ears that he started to wonder if perhaps he had better hearing in his borrowed body. It did make sense when he thought about the other times he'd heard things before anyone else.

A moment later, Altera gave him an odd look that Adam couldn't quite make out, then she started off again, leaving him and Cal to follow. However, Adam couldn't help but notice that they'd changed direction just slightly...and were moving towards where the noise had to be coming from.

They continued in that direction for some time, with the sounds becoming clearer and clearer to Adam. Even Cal was able to hear them, the loud banging of metal against metal. The sounds just made Adam more nervous, especially when Altera became even more grim and silent, refusing to answer any questions.

Then finally, Adam stepped out of the trees behind Altera and stared into a large clearing. No, Adam corrected as he looked down, a crater. It was a large crater, with several buildings scattered throughout it. There were numerous caves into the walls of the crater, as well as several buildings propped up against the walls...quite possibly hiding yet more caves.

The buildings were mostly made of wood and what seemed to be leathers, though there were a couple that had large amounts of rock in them as well. Especially the three larger ones, each having a chimney sticking up with smoke coming from them.

"Wow...," Adam whispered.

And at the same time that Adam saw the buildings, he noticed the people. A couple dozen very short and stocky people, all moving about inside the crater. People, mostly men though a few women, all who held a resemblance to Grestick.

"Dwarves," Altera stated quietly, her voice filled with distaste.

Cal landed next to them, staring down into the crater himself and asking, "What are they doing."

"It's a dwarf village," Altera answered, turning towards Adam, "Of miners and smiths." She gestured back to the crater, "The miners find and unearth metals, while the smiths forge them."

Adam stared at the larger buildings again, realizing that these were where the blacksmiths did their work and probably stored it as well. It was a strange and amazing sight, one that Adam never would have expected to see just a few days earlier.

"You don't like dwarves," Adam commented quietly, unable to miss the tone of Altera's voice.

She just scowled, stating, "They're dirty, living in holes underground, like animals." Then she gave a slight shudder.

That didn't really seem like too much of a reason, though Adam didn't press the issue. Instead, he asked, "What are we going to do?"

Altera stood up, answering, "Go around them."

With a nod, Adam stood back up as well, giving another long look into the crater and then freezing as he noticed something else. He hadn't noticed it before since it was mostly hidden by one of the large buildings from his previous angle, but there was a large dark red creature crouching in the middle of the crater.

Altera frowned slightly and looked where Adam was staring, whispering, "A dragon."

"Oh man...," Adam whispered, staring intently at the creature, noticing for the first time that it had chains wrapped around its legs and neck.

"How the hell did they catch something THAT big?" Cal asked, not taking his eyes from the crater.

Adam wondered exactly the same thing himself, as well as what they wanted something like that for. He shuddered, wondering if it might be like how some people liked to keep alligators as pets or something.

"A dragon's flame would be valuable to them," Altera told Adam and Cal. "It would heat their metal in ways far beyond that of a normal forge, allowing a smith to work it in ways they would not be able to otherwise." She paused for a moment before adding, "Dragonfired metals...especially weapons, have great value for trade."

Then, just as they were starting to back into the trees again, several dwarves started poking at the dragon with spears, though it jumped back...or at least tried to though the chains wouldn't let it.

Suddenly, the dragon roared out, "NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Altera snapped around in shock, gasping, "A dragon that speaks?"

"What?" Cal demanded, staring at Altera and then the dragon.

"Dragon's do not speak...," Altera exclaimed in confusion.

Then at once, Adam and Cal stared at each other with their mouths open in surprise. And almost as one, they blurted out, "Danielle!"

For a moment, Adam and Cal just stared at each other, then they quickly moved into a position where they could see her even better. And to their horror, they saw the dwarves poke at her again, until she bowed her head and blew out a large stream of fire, straight onto a large anvil and fire that was set up next to the building. Then one of the dwarves jumped forward and started pounding on some metal on the anvil with a hammer.

"Holy shit," Cal blurted out, "That's Danielle!"

"What?" Altera asked, looking confused, "You know that dragon?" She gave Adam a strange look, as if trying to gauge his sanity and finding it lacking.

"She's...," Adam gulped, quickly glancing towards her and finishing, "a friend."

Cal just whispered, "She's alive..."

Then Altera's eyes narrowed and she whispered, "The dragon at the castle..." Then she stared straight into Adam's eyes, asking, "She came here with you?" And at Adam's nod, Altera exclaimed, "Burn it."

"We've got to get her out of there," Cal growled, his tone and expression leaving no doubt that this was not debatable. Adam nodded agreement, looking back at Altera.

She shook her head, "No," she told them reluctantly, "there is nothing we can do." Then she gestured to the crater, stating, "They outnumber us, by several handfuls to two."

"Three!" Cal corrected, trying not to think about the fear that filled him.

Adam stared at Danielle, hating the very sight of her being trapped down there, treated like that by those dwarves. It was more than enough to make him angry, but he knew that Altera was right.

"Maybe we can talk to them...," he started.

However, before Adam had even been able to finish, Altera cut him off. "They would not willingly let their prize escape. He is far too valuable to them."

"She," Cal corrected in annoyance.

"Still...," Altera mused, "a dragon would certainly be a valuable ally against the one who has your other friends." She paused at that and scowled, "If ANY dragon can be trusted." She earned a glare at that from both Adam and Cal.

Shaking his head, Adam stated, "We can't just leave her. We have to do something."

Altera looked into the crater again, her expression slowly turning thoughtful. She finally responded, "There is no need." At Adam and Cal's wondering looks, she continued, "He...she, and your other friends will return to your world when your time is up, will they not. It would be far saver to leave her for now."

"NO!" Cal blurted out, "No fucking way!" He crossed his arms and glared up at Altera with enough force that she actually took a step back, "I ain't gonna leave her."

"Me neither," Adam added, hating the thought of Danielle having to go through that treatment any longer than absolutely necessary. That only reminded him of the others as well...that they could easily be going through the same kind of stuff...or worse. "She's our friend," he said more quietly.

For a minute, Altera just silently stared at them both as if they were foolish, then she slowly nodded. "A direct attack will not work...but perhaps stealth."

"Stealth?" Cal asked, sounding as if he was trying to figure out what the word meant when he gasped, "Oh, I get it."

"Sneak past them and undo her chains," Altera confirmed, not sounding too hopeful. "But still..."

Suddenly Cal blurted out, "I'll do it."

Adam quickly turned to stare at Cal, "But..."

However, Cal just glared at him, snarling, "I said that I'd do it." His tone made it clear that he would accept no argument.

Altera gave him a surprised look, then nodded faintly. "Perhaps...," Then she asked, "You know what to do?"

Cal just snorted, "Duh. I sneak past the defensive line and run towards the endzone."

At Altera's completely confused look, Adam couldn't resist chuckling. However, before he could even think of anything to say, even to wish Cal luck, his now tiny friend had already gone into the crater.

--------------------

Taking a deep breath, Cal crouched behind a large rock, forcing himself to remain still until one of the giant dwarves passed by him. He smiled faintly at the irony of dwarves being giants, but at the moment, everyone was a giant to him. And at the moment, he was actually glad...or at least glad that it made him easier to hide.

"C'mon," Cal muttered impatiently, quickly glancing back to the top of the crater and then deeper in, towards where Danielle was chained. The sight made him grimace in determination, knowing that it was impossible...but that he had to do it. "Bastards."

Once the dwarf had passed on, Cal took to the air again and flew straight towards Danielle, keeping himself high enough so that none of the dwarves would be too likely to notice him unless they looked up.

"Just like sacking a quarterback," Cal told himself, not sure if it was, but feeling comforted by the comparison.

After several more minutes of careful dodging, Cal arrived at the large building, carefully landing on the roof and looking around. Below him, he could see all the dwarves that were walking around, most looking as if they were busy or at least had a destination to get to.

Cal remained where he was and watched his surroundings, fighting the urge to just forget all caution and charge in like he usually did. However, he reminded himself that now was not the time to show off...to prove how brave he was. Not when Danielle would pay the price if he failed.

"Think it through, make a plan," Cal muttered, repeating the words his coach often said before a game, "then act on it." They had always been just words before, but for the first time, Cal was taking them to heart.

Once Cal was sure that it was safe, he dropped down and quickly flew towards Danielle, landing just on top of her head and feeling nervous. Every fiber in his being seemed to tell him that it was stupid to get that close to a dragon...even if it was really just Danielle.

"Danielle?" Cal whispered, trying to get her attention. When there was no response, he tried again, louder.

This time, Danielle's head raised up and she started to look around, nearly dislodging Cal, though he managed to keep his place. "Huh...?" she grumbled in a rough voice that would have scared Cal to the bone if he hadn't known that it was really her inside.

"Danielle," Cal exclaimed, flying to where she could get a look at him, "It's me. Cal."

"Cal?" Danielle gasped in surprise, staring at him as if she was imagining things. "Is that really you?" She blinked her massive eyes several times, "Ohmygod... You're Alive!"

Cal glanced around nervously, "Shhhh. Don't let them hear you." Once Danielle had nodded, he asked, "What the hell happened to you?" He shuddered, remembering the sight of her falling over the cliff.

"I flew!" Danielle gasped, her voice a little too loud, earning another 'shhhh' from Cal. Then she looked down, muttering, "But I crashed and got hurt." Her voice sounded as though she was pouting.

"Are you OK?" Cal asked her, worried that she might be hurt. He looked at her, but her body was too big to see all at once from where he was at.

"I got hurt," Danielle whimpered, sounding odd in her dragon's voice. "I hurt my wing when I hit the trees." She paused for a moment, then quietly added, "Then, a little later, these guys jumped outta nowhere and kidnapped me."

Cal just whispered, "Oh...," not sure what he could say to make things better.

"But it doesn't hurt anymore," Danielle told Cal, a little more brightly. "Except when those jerks keep poking me to make me blow on their fire." Her voice was tinged with anger.

With a nervous gulp, Cal glanced around, exclaiming, "I'll get you out of here." Then he flew over to look at the chains that held her, each one thicker than his own waist. He stared at them in confusion, not knowing if there was anything he could do about them. "Somehow," he muttered.

Then Cal noticed the locks that held the chains. They were huge, far too big for him to do any damage to. He kicked at the one around Danielle's nest as hard as he could, screaming frantically but doing no harm to the lock at all. Finally, he stopped and glared at the lock in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Danielle asked, sounding worried.

"I can't break the damn thing," Cal admitted bitterly. Maybe if he was still in his hold body, though he quickly realized that even then he wouldn't have had the strength to do something like that.

Danielle was silent for a minute before finally suggesting, "Why dontcha use the key?"

"The key?" Cal repeated stupidly, surprised that he hadn't thought of it himself. "Yeah, but where is it?"

With a shrug, Danielle responded, "I don't know." She looked around, "I think one of those guys has it."

Taking a deep breath, Cal looked around at the dwarves within view, scowling. "But which one?"

Again, Danielle shrugged, "No idea. They all look alike to me."

Cal swore for a minute, realizing that he was going to have to find some way to check every single one of the dwarves. And then, once he found the one with the key, he'd have to find some way to take the guy out so that he could get it.

"Sorta like David and Goliath," Cal muttered, remembering the story from somewhere or another. The problem was, he didn't think that he could take any of them.

Then, as Cal looked around him, determined to take them all down if he had to, another idea occurred to him. He turned and looked back at the lock for a moment before slowly getting closer.

"What are ya doing?" Danielle asked nervously, "I think they might be coming back to have me breath on the fire again."

Without bothering to answer, Cal bent over and looked at the keyhole for the lock, amazed at just how big it was. He shook his head, then slowly stuck his arm inside, slowly feeling around. After feeling around for a minute, Cal was surprised when something pushed it with a click. Suddenly the lock popped open.

"I...I did it," Cal gasped, staring at the opened lock in amazement.

Then, without another word, Cal rushed to the next lock, reaching around inside that one until it too popped open. It was much quicker than the first. He repeated this again with the next several locks until they were all undone.

"They're here..." Danielle gasped, just as Cal finished with the last lock.

"Then RUN!" Cal yelled.

Danielle didn't hesitate before doing just that, her massive body lumbering as she charged towards the crater's edge as fast as she could. The dwarves started yelling and screaming, already rushing to stop her, though Cal didn't think that there was too much they could do at the moment.

"NO!," Cal yelled, "This way!" He pointed to the side where Adam and that elf chick were waiting. It took another couple yells, but Danielle finally heard and changed direction.

They were just about at the edge of the crater, when Danielle turned around, glaring at the small group of dwarves that were chasing her, all of them heavily armed. "Leave me alone!" she screamed furiously. And with that, she let out a massive blast of flame from her mouth.

"Holy shit!" Cal gasped, watching the dwarves all turn and run as fast as they could. He certainly didn't blame them in the least.

A moment later, two figures stepped out into view, gesturing for Cal and Danielle to hurry up. Danielle stared at them for a moment in surprise, recognizing Adam but not the other one...who looked an awful lot like he did. And that one had a bow in her hand with an arrow in it.

"Who...?" Danielle started.

Adam shook his head, "Later." However, he grinned, "Glad to have you back." Then he grinned at Cal, "You did it." He was obviously a little surprised at that.

Cal grinned a little smugly, "Of course."

"Let's get going," Altera suggested, "Before they come back."

The others all nodded, taking a quick glance at the dwarves in sight and deciding that it would definitely be a good idea.

And as they started back into the trees with Danielle still a little confused, Altera shook her head and muttered, "Who ever heard of rescuing a dragon."

--------------------

The dark stone walls were beginning to get old, filling the dungeon cell with an air of depression that sunk straight through all three of the prisoners. They remained close to each other, passing the time by asking Grestick as much as they could, fully aware that things could get even worse at any minute. It was a distraction that they each welcomed.

Grestick sat back against the wall with a thoughtful look on his face, taking a slow puff from the pipe that the Queen of the Night had somehow missed...or simply decided was not worth the effort of removing. Slow swirls of smoke swirled above the dwarf's head.

"The two worlds are like rivers...," Grestick responded slowly, responding to one of Mickey's questions about the alternate worlds. "They each flow towards the ocean."

Eddie scowled, "Like rivers? That don't make any sense?"

"Quiet," Mickey whispered, elbowing Eddie.

Grestick however didn't seem to notice the interruption, instead taking another slow puff on his pipe. "They be running beside each other," Grestick mused, "slowly drifting further apart as they travel the miles...and the centuries. But...," he added, giving Mickey and Eddie each a direct look, "Then they be moving closer to each other. Till eventually they run side by side...even touching in places."

"Touching in places...," Mickey mused, staring at Grestick thoughtfully.

"Aye," he responded. "The worlds grow closer, till they someday touch each other. Then travel between them be easy as stepping tween rooms." He shrugged and took another puff from his pipe, blowing out a smoke ring above him before finishing in a serious tone, "An that time be coming closer."

Mickey stared at him for a long minute before asking, "Coming closer?"

With a nod, Grestick answered, "Aye. Travel tween the worlds will grow easier till they finally touch and be nearly as one."

"Sounds freaky," Eddie finally said, frowning. "Can't anyone stop this?"

Grestick shook his head no, "It be as natural as rain an happened many times before. Eventually the worlds be separating again and repeating the cycle."

"How soon?" Mickey demanded nervously, definitely not liking the idea of her world merging with one that had dragons and creatures like the hobgoblins. After finally getting over the childish fear of monsters under the bed, the last thing that she wanted was to have them become real.

Shrugging, Grestick answered, "I be not knowing that, only that it be years and years away."

That was something of a relief, though Mickey still didn't like the idea, nor did Eddie who crossed his arms scowled. "That sucks."

"I...I don't think that people are going to like that," Mickey said as cautiously as she could, not wanting to insult Grestick. "I mean, most people don't believe that anything dwarves or elves exist, much less dragons and mages."

At that, Grestick's eyes seemed to sparkle and he even smiled, "Aye, an that be why me boss be doing this." He chuckled faintly, though it sounded a little forced. "He be introducing the worlds back to each other. We be learning about your machines, and you about magic."

"Damn..." Eddie gasped, staring at Grestick and realizing for the first time that the Travel Agency wasn't there to give them vacations.

Mickey nodded with a faint frown, having suspected since they arrived that there was more going on than they knew. But this...this was much more than she had expected.

"So," she started, "Mr. G is letting people get used to the idea slowly..."

"To keep chaos from happening when they merge," Grestick finished.

"Whoa," Eddie muttered shaking his head in disbelief. "This is heavy."

Grestick frowned in confusion at that, "What be heavy?" Eddie chuckled at that while Mickey just smiled.

Suddenly they heard a low rumbling sound that made all three immediately go silent, then look at the ceiling in the middle of the prison cell. The stone platform was slowly coming down, already revealing that there was someone standing on it. There was little doubt in any of their minds as to who that someone was.

Several seconds later, the stone elevator had descended enough to reveal the Queen of the Night, dressed all in black but with some silvery metal trim. Her expression was one of anger and her hand firmly clutched something...the wrist band that she'd taken from Eddie.

As soon as the platform had settled on the ground, Eddie took a step forward and called out, "Hey queenie, it's good to see ya again.

"What?" the Queen of the Night blurted out, looking shocked, then even more furious than before. "How dare you call me queenie. I am Queen of the Night."

"Maybe you should wear something a little more see through though," Eddie suggested with a look of faked innocence, "I mean, you did say that you were Queen of the Nighties."

Mickey tried to keep from laughing at the look on the dark elf's face, and the way that Eddie was purposely goading her. It was things like that which had drawn her to Eddie in the first place.

For a moment, the Queen of the Night seemed totally flustered and confused, then she burst out, "ENOUGH!" That was enough to cause Eddie to take a step back nervously, and Mickey to gulp, hoping that Eddie hadn't pushed her too far.

The Queen glared at them each, then stepped forward, holding the wrist band out and spitting, "This was useless." She slammed it onto the ground, glaring straight at Eddie. "Tell me what you know about the magics used to bring you here."

"We don't know anything..." Mickey started.

However, the Queen of the Night turned and snapped at her, "Silence. I did not ask you."

With that, Mickey was surprised to find that though she was still opening her mouth, no sound was coming out. It was as if she was suddenly mute.

"Now," the Queen of the Night looked back at Eddie with a faint, almost cruel smile. "You will answer my questions truthfully...whether you wish to or not." She paused for a moment before demanding, "Tell me everything that you know!"

Eddie gulped nervously, asking, "Everything?"

"From the beginning," she threatened coldly.

At that Mickey could almost detect a faint flickering smile on Eddie's face before he started, "I was born on October third and my mom said that I was a real pain coming out. I guess she was in labor for a long time and all, and still kinda holds it against me. Then..."

By this point, the Queen of the Night was beginning to get angry again, clenching her fists. "Tell me about your coming here!"

Eddie gave her an innocent look and told her, "But you said to start at the beginning..."

Then, with a howl of frustration, she snapped around and started towards the platform again, yelling, "We will continue!"

And without hesitating, Eddie blurted out, "Come back again y'hear." He chuckled as he added, "You aren't bad to look at."

Mickey just stared at Eddie, shaking her head and chuckling before rushing over to give him a kiss. She just had to be careful not to step on his feet with her hooves, though Eddie obviously wasn't worried about that as he kissed back, just as passionately.

"Ahem," Grestick interrupted. As soon as they turned to face his scowling face, he announced, "You may have chased her off with yer tongue...but I don't doubt that we will all pay for it."

They both stared at Grestick, their enthusiasm over the minor victory quickly fading. And with a simultaneous sigh, Mickey and Eddie stepped away, staring up at the raised platform and knowing that Grestick was right. The worst was yet to come.

The Travel Agency
part 9 of 10
By Morpheus

Everything was dark, hidden by the cloud of night and Adam couldn't see far into the trees that surrounded him. It created an ominous feeling, though at the moment, Adam was grateful for the darkness as he had just finished relieving himself behind a large tree.

For several minutes, Adam didn't bother putting his clothes all the way back on, instead pulling them open just a little more and letting his hands slowly roam over his soft smooth skin. He gulped at the sensations, especially of his feminine hands against his breasts, amazed at how strange...but nice it all felt.

Adam quickly glanced around the tree and towards the fire that was barely visible, seeing that Altera was still sitting there. He let out a sigh, then returned to his slow exploration, wishing that he'd actually had more time to look at his borrowed. But as it was, everything had been so rushed since he'd arrived that he'd barely had much chance at all. Only the brief periods of solitude when he was relieving himself.

"Strange...," Adam whispered, putting his clothes the rest of the way back up, embarrassed at his actions and somewhat afraid that Altera might get suspicious if he didn't get back to the fire quickly.

Once Adam's clothes were all the way back on, he stood there for another minute, staring at the small mounds on his chest and shaking his head. He pulled his eyes up and looked out and around him, at the dark woods that were everywhere.

As Adam stared at the trees, he shivered, not having the slightest idea of what was hiding in the dark, just out of sight. It wasn't like the safety of camping when he was a child, when there were roads and camp sites available scattered about. This was an alien world, one that was filled with monsters of all sorts. Dragons and goblins seemed to be around every corner.

"The woods are scary...dark, and deep...," Adam whispered, purposely misquoting Robert Frost. Then, he gulped, staring into the darkness and thinking about the others, about Mickey and Eddie. Who knew what horrors they were facing. "But I have promises to keep," he continued quietly, nearly choking as he finished, "and miles to go before I sleep."

But soon it would be over...one way or another. Altera had said that they'd be arriving at their destination the next day. A destination that Adam still had mixed feelings about.

After taking a deep breath and staring into the darkness for another few seconds, Adam turned and went back to the fire. He glanced first at Altera, who was still staring into the fire and then a short distance away where he could still see the massive bulk of a dragon. Danielle and Cal were sitting off on their own and talking, just as they had since they'd made camp for the night.

Adam sat down on the ground and stared into the fire as well, until he looked up at Altera and noticed that she was looking at him strangely...just as she had several other times during the day. She quickly averted her eyes, looking slightly embarrassed.

Neither said a word for several minutes, though Altera finally broke the silence. "Adam..." she said carefully, as if not wanting to mispronounce his name.

"Yeah," Adam responded, looking at Altera.

She hesitated for a moment before slowly starting, "I...I wish you had not risked Niella's body." Then she looked down for a second and added, "But...but I am thankful that you saved me." At that, Altera smiled nervously at Adam.

Adam gulped and nodded, "It...it was no problem." He was a little embarrassed about the incident, barely able to bring himself to look Altera in the eyes.

The next several seconds were filled with an uncomfortable silence before Altera broke it with, "It was for me. I would have died..." She stared at Adam whispering, "You wear Niella's body, but your own spirit shines through. It is easy to forget that it is her face that I stare into at times."

Not sure what else to say, Adam whispered, "Um...thanks."

Then Altera stood up and stretched. Adam was unable to take his eyes off of her as she did so, marveling at how lithe and sexy she looked. How...exotic. The sight was nearly enough to make him drool, even though she was fully clothes and shaped little like the overdeveloped strippers he usually fantasized about.

Without a word, just a sly smile, Altera moved over and slowly sat beside Adam. She leaned up against him, staring him straight in the eyes for several seconds, a strange expression on her face. One that made Adam's nipples immediately go hard while his crotch grew moist.

Finally, Altera whispered, "Tell me of your world."

Adam gulped, staring back at her and feeling as if his heart was caught in his throat. Then, he slowly nodded, licking his lips and staring into her brilliant eyes. At the moment, they seemed to even outshine the fire. And with that, he slowly started to tell her about the world he'd come from.

--------------------

The sky was overcast, tinged with the gray of clouds, though there was little immediate threat of rain. A faint wind blew through the nearby trees, moving the ferns and almost creating the illusion that they were moving themselves, reaching for some unnamed goal.

And on top of a ridge that overlooked the swamp below, several figures hid among the ferns, bent down and staring. Adam and Altera were side by side, with Cal sitting on Adam's shoulder and Danielle remaining further back, keeping out of sight. They silently stared at their goal.

"This is it," Altera said, fear creeping into her voice. She gestured at the swamp, specifically, the dark and evil looking fortress that sat at the edge of the swamp. "The lair of the Queen of the Night."

"Looks...scary," Cal admitted nervously. "Like something out of a horror movie."

Altera gave Cal a blank look, having little idea of what he was talking about. "Hobgoblins live in swamps," she told them quietly, "among other things."

"And they're in there?" Adam asked nervously, gesturing towards the grim looking structure. All that was clearly visible of it were the dark stone walls that surrounded it, with what seemed to be a massive tower sprouting up from the center. "Mickey and Eddie?"

"I do not know for certain," Altera admitted reluctantly, giving Adam an apologetic look. "But this is the Queen's lair and the only place I could think that she'd hold them..." she quietly added, "if they still live."

That was the last thing that Cal or Adam wanted to hear, though Altera quickly assured them that they probably were. But even then, they could tell that she wasn't completely sure of it.

"It's all we've got," Adam told Cal weakly, then looked to Altera. "Maybe we can talk to her."

Altera just stared at him as if he'd suggested trying to talk a hungry shark from eating them. She shook her head, though she smiled just a little bit.

Adam stared back at her, unable to help but think about the night before. They hadn't done anything except talk, but still, it had felt more intimate than any of the dates he'd ever been on. Then he shook his head, staring back at the fortress and trying to get his mind back on what they were doing. His friends were counting on him.

"What about...those THINGS?" Cal asked nervously, looking around as if he expected one to jump out at him any second.

"Most likely asleep," Altera told them with a faint smile, "Hobgoblins sleep during the day. In fact..." she suddenly looked a little brighter, "Most of the Queen of the Night's servants should be."

"Hence her name?" Adam asked.

Altera nodded, "It should improve our chances of sneaking in and freeing your friends." Then she added, "And of course having a dragon should as well."

Cal stared at her for a moment and blurted, "I thought you were just going to show us where it was?" He looked a little suspicious.

She glared at him, then looked at Adam, smiling just a little bit. "I decided that you would be more likely to succeed with my help."

"Oh...," Adam sighed in relief, feeling a lot more confident already.

However, Altera quickly announced, "I have to make sure that Niella's body is not harmed." But with the gleam in her eye, Adam couldn't help wondering if there might be something else as well.

"Are you sure that we can't reason with her?" Adam asked nervously, not liking the idea of trying to invade some evil sorceresses castle. Especially when she had lots of those gray hobgoblin things and who knew what else. It was like something out of a cheap fantasy story.

Altera just shook her head faintly, then responded, "She is weakest in daylight...so now is the best time." Then, after nervously staring at each other for a moment, Cal and Adam nodded.

"Then lets go get Danielle," Cal said, glaring down at the fortress and then crossing his tiny arms, "It's time to kick some ass."

A short while later, they'd descended down the ravine and made it to the fortress without incident, or even a glimpse of one a hobgoblin or anything else. They stood in front of the fortress gate, which looked like a massive open monster skull. And in the center of the skull gateway, was a heavy looking wooden door.

"This was much easier than I expected," Altera said, glancing about nervously, her notched bow ready. "Even for the daylight." Then her eyes narrowed dangerously, "Far too easy."

"Maybe...," Danielle said slowly, "Maybe all the dangerous stuff is inside." She looked around nervously, "Like the security system in my parents house."

Altera nodded faintly, "You are probably correct. But I still fear an ambush." With that, she once again looked around nervously, especially at the swamp that surrounded them. "Still, I would not attempt this without the aid of a dragon." She looked up at Danielle with a mixed expression of relief and suspicion.

Adam just stared silently up at the huge gate. It had to be at least 3 times as tall as he was, and just as thoroughly intimidating as the rest of the dark...evil looking fortress. For a brief moment, a thought passed through his head. A reminder that it would only be one more day until they changed back to their real world. To their real bodies. It would probably be easier to wait until then.

However, Adam was immediately filled with shame for even considering such a thing. There was no telling what might be happening to his friends. Every second could count. No, waiting was not an option.

Finally, Adam asked, "How do we get in?" And with a wry smile, he asked, "Knock?"

Then to Adam's surprise, Cal suggested, "I could fly over the wall and try unlocking it."

Adam just stared at his tiny friend, blinking in surprise. That suggestion was not at all like the Cal he knew. The one who'd insist that they just charge straight in.

But before Adam could think of any kind of responded, there was a sudden loud booming. He jumped and snapped around, grabbing at Niella's sword, knowing that they were under attack. However, as soon as he saw what was causing the noise, his eyes shot wide open.

"Danielle!" Adam gasped, surprised to see her battering at the door with her massive claws.

"Break!" Danielle roared, hitting at the heavy wooden door again, then yet again. "I said BREAK damn you!"

Altera stared at the massive dragon in surprise, though not nearly so much as Cal and Adam. They were both completely amazed to see Danielle being so forceful...so destructive, even if it was just against a door. It was so...unlike her. Then again, Adam reminded himself, she did have the power of a dragon.

After a massive burst of flame at the door, Danielle roared furiously and lashed at it again. This time, there was no longer any resistance and the door exploded inward, still smoldering.

"It's open," Danielle giggled, sounding ridiculous coming from a dragon.

Altera just stood there, staring at Danielle with her mouth open and a look of complete confusion. Finally Adam put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Come on, before they realize what hit them."

With a nod, they burst through the gate, ready to face the horde of hobgoblins and whatever else would be waiting for them. Danielle roared, charging straight ahead, flames flickering faintly from her mouth. Altera's bow was fully drawn, ready to shoot at an instants notice.

As soon as they were inside, Adam slowly staggered to a stop and frantically looked around the huge courtyard, his eyes wide in shock and amazement. The others stopped similarly, looking around with equal surprise.

"W...what?" Cal gasped from above Adam's shoulder.

Adam just gulped and stared at the courtyard which was absolutely nothing like the outside of the fortress. Nothing at all. The whole courtyard floor was made of a smooth white marble, as to his amazement...were the very fortress walls that had been a dark granite on the other side.

With a single look, Adam took in the light colored courtyard, noticing several statues and then the tower that had been dark and forbearing from beyond...but now seemed to be made of the same type of marble as everything else, looking graceful and smooth rather than ominous.

Suddenly Danielle blurted out, "Look at the pretty flowers."

There was no way that Adam could miss the flowers. The courtyard had several flower beds within sight, mostly around the fortress walls, with masses of roses and flowery vines around the base of the tower. All of it was a complete shock to him, being nothing like the Frankensteins castle he'd expected.

All of this was taken in several seconds before Cal blurted out, "Look!" He flew ahead, pointing frantically at one of the flower beds.

It took only a moment for Adam to see what had excited Cal, then he gasped at the sight of a woman, who'd obviously been in the middle of tending her flowers when they burst in. She was a tall and very beautiful blonde, wearing a long green dress. After taking one look at them, she gasped with an expression of fear, nervously starting away.

Without a word, Altera darted for the woman, and though the woman started to run, it did little good as Altera caught up with her. Several seconds later, Altera had grabbed the blonde, holding her knife to the woman's throat, a determined look on her face.

"Where is your mistress?" Altera demanded of the woman.

The others rushed to where Altera had her prisoner, stopping far enough back to give her room. However, the blonde just stared up at Danielle in horror, shaking visibly, more from the dragon than the knife at her throat.

Altera just continued, "Where are the people from the other world being held?"

The blonde woman just stood there for a moment, her eyes darting around fearfully. "In...in the dungeon," she answered nervously.

Adam glanced around nervously, seeing that Danielle seemed more interested in looking at a rose bush with silvery flowers than in their prisoner. Cal however, hovered in the air, glaring at her suspiciously. But when Adam stared at her, he noticed that her ears were normal.

"You're human," he stated, half in surprise. The only human that he'd seen in that world so far had been Eddie.

The girl just nodded weakly, "Yes..."

"Take us to the dungeon," Altera growled threateningly, causing the blonde to just gulp visibly.

Just then, Danielle turned her attention back and asked, "What about that Queen?"

"Yes," Altera started, obviously realizing that they'd nearly forgotten about the Queen of the Night. That was something that none of them wanted to do, not knowing how powerful she was. Then she demanded, "Where is your mistress. Where is the Queen of the Night?"

For a moment, the blonde woman just remained frozen, her eyes locked on Danielle. Then as Altera's dagger pressed into her throat, she gasped, "Th...that's me."

"Huh?" Cal blurted out.

Altera's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What?"

Then, with a little more confidence in her voice, the blonde repeated, "That's me." She took a deep breath and announced, "I'm the Queen of the Night."

Altera was so surprised that she let go and the blonde pulled herself away, looking embarrassed, as well as still afraid. She looked as if she was about to run, however a single glance up at Danielle changed her mind.

"Everyone knows that the Queen of the Night is a dark elf," Altera spat, glaring at the blonde.

Again, the blonde looked down in embarrassment, then up at Danielle nervously. Finally, she shuddered, then gestured with her hand, muttering something faintly under her breath and touched a bracelet on her wrist. There was a glimmer around her that suddenly expanded until a moment later, the beautiful blonde was gone. Standing in her place was a completely different woman. One with dark gray skin, long white hair and clothes that were all black.

"Holy shit!" Cal gasped. Adam just nodded, equally amazed and not sure what he could possibly say.

Danielle whispered, "Cool. I wish I could change clothes that quick." She seemed to have almost forgotten that at the moment, no clothes would fit her anyway.

"Illusion," Altera stated, suddenly sheathing her knife and aiming her bow at the queen in what seemed to be a single fluid motion.

For a moment, the dark queen glared at them, her eyes seeming to be planning some evil mischief. However, a moment later, she shimmered and was once again the beautiful human blonde.

"P...please," she blurted out nervously, her eyes darting from Altera's bow to Danielle's massive jaw, "Don't hurt me. I'll take you to the dungeon."

"You'd better do that!" Cal threatened, though the blonde didn't seem to pay him any attention.

Adam just glanced around nervously, feeling extremely uncertain. This was nothing like what he'd expected, nor was the Queen of the Night. If she really was the queen, he added silently, still not really sure.

"What about your army?" Adam demanded, half expecting the horde of gray monsters to jump out and attack them again.

She hung her head, looking even more embarrassed. "In the swamp," she answered quietly, "Asleep."

"Oh," Cal took up Adam's point, "And you're sure they're not hiding around here to attack us instead?"

At this, the blonde glared at them all, showing the first spark of fire since they'd caught her. "Would you want hobgoblins in YOUR home?"

"She has a point," Adam admitted. Even Altera nodded reluctant agreement.

"Where are your defenses?" Altera asked, more curiosity than demand. "We nearly walked in without effort."

Again, the blonde snorted, "I didn't think anyone would break a dragon to knock down the gate." Then she added, "No one's ever come here before..." Her voice shook faintly, "Everyone else had always been too afraid to come here."

Suddenly it all made sense to Adam. The Queen of the Night was just as much a front as the castle itself. Dark and fearsome on the outside, much less so on the inside. It was all an act...camouflage...something to scare any possible danger away.

Altera frowned and lowered her bow, though she still kept it ready enough to use in case she needed to. Adam suspected that it wouldn't be necessary, though his own hand strayed towards Niella's sword...just in case.

"Now take us to our friends," Cal demanded.

After a look up at Danielle, the supposed queen nodded and started towards the tower. Danielle was reluctantly forced to remain outside due to her massive size, but the others went in, following close behind the blonde.

Soon, they were standing in a room, with intricate stone patters running around the floor. In the very center was a dark circle, which the blonde stepped inside and gestured for the others. "They are below."

"I don't trust this...," Altera whispered in Adam's ear.

Adam nodded faintly, not sure he trusted the blonde either, especially since he had no idea why she wanted them in the circle. He gestured for Cal to come closer, then whispered, "Maybe you should stay around here in case things don't work out."

Cal glared at him, then spat, "You don't need to protect me. I can still take care of myself." There was a faint quaver in his voice, as well as determination.

Shaking his head, Adam quickly explained, "No...in case we need help."

That pacified Cal who nodded, giving a thumbs up before darting off to the side, just as Adam and Altera stepped into the stone circle with the blonde. Altera glanced at Cal then gave Adam a curious look, but he just nodded. A moment later, they were both startled when the stone circle started go down.

"What magic is this?" Altera gasped.

"It's an elevator...," Adam mused in surprise, putting one hand on Altera's arm to help her remain calm.

As soon as they reached the bottom, Adam looked around, seeing that it was a dark stone room that matched the outside of the castle far more than anything else he'd seen inside. However, it wasn't quite as bad a dungeon as he would have expected. No rats, bones, torture equipment or even shackles on the walls. Instead, it was surprisingly clean.

Suddenly Adam heard his name called from behind. He snapped around, grinning at the sight of Eddie and Mickey, just a short distance away. Grestick was standing just behind them, looking as if he was ready to charge the enemy.

"Is that you?" Eddie gasped in amazement. "I thought you were like...gone."

Adam shook his head, grinning in spite of himself. Then he glanced at the blonde, losing his frown somewhat. "Glad you guys are all right," he told them, staring at both Mickey and Eddie, relieved to see that they didn't seem to be hurt at all. "Danielle and Cal are outside."

Mickey smiled, then her eyes narrowed as she looked at Altera and the blonde. "Who are they?"

"Later," Adam muttered, "Let's get out of here first."

"Aye," Grestick agreed, nodding his head, "It be a good idea to leave before the Queen returns." Adam and Altera glanced at the blonde, but neither said a word.

Several minutes later, they were all out of the dungeon cell, though it had taken two trips due to Mickey's lower half being so large. Cal grinned at Eddie and Mickey once they were up, saying a brief, 'hi' to Grestick as they started for the tower exit.

Once they were outside and back with Danielle, Mickey stopped and stared at Altera and the blonde for a moment before blurting, "Who are they?" She looked towards Grestick to see if he could provide an answer.

"Aye," the dwarf grunted, "Who are ye?''

"I am Altera of Clan Dnae," Altera exclaimed proudly, glaring at the blonde with her hand resting on her dagger.

Adam quickly told them, "She's a friend. She saved my life."

Altera bowed her head slightly, smiling faintly as she responded quietly, "Yes, but you saved mine as well."

"And THIS," Cal said, gesturing at the blonde..."is the Queen. Or at least she claims to be."

Mickey and Eddie nearly choked before Mickey responded, "No fucking way. We saw her, and trust me...this ain't her."

"Show them," Adam told the queen firmly, gesturing at Danielle.

After taking a look up at Danielle, the queen nodded faintly and repeated her actions earlier, once again shimmering and turning into the wicked looking dark elf that they'd seen earlier. Mickey and Eddie both gasped at that while Grestick grimaced and started forward, obviously intending something physical.

"Stop," Adam told him, feeling rather uncomfortable to be in that position. "We've already caught her." Then he turned to the Queen of the Night and demanded, "But what the hell is going on?"

Mickey clenched her fists and took a step forward, spitting, "Bitch!"

With that, the queen took a step back and shimmered again, returning to her previous blonde appearance, much to Grestick's surprise. "She be not what she seems," he muttered thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Adam blurted out, "I think that she's just been trying to scare people away."

The Queen of the Night stared at the ground shamefully as she quietly said, "I...I'm sorry."

Eddie just stared at her with his mouth open, exclaiming, "No fucking way! I though she was supposed to be some hot shot evil sorceress..."

Danielle giggled, "We just walked in." Cal nodded agreement.

Looking embarrassed, the queen said, "I have a strong talent with creatures of the night...but they aren't any use during the day." Then she frowned, "I am a mage, and a strong one...at least at night, but..." she gulped in embarrassment, "I don't like having to fight." And from the way she looked at Danielle, they knew that she especially didn't have much confidence against dragons.

"Then why the hell did you kidnap us?" Mickey demanded, her hands at her hips, glaring at the half cringing blonde.

For a moment, the queen just stood there, then she glanced up at Danielle and gulped. "I..." she looked up, having faint tears in her eyes. "I wanted...needed to see this other world. I wanted to see the place where hobgoblins don't exist...where everything is different." There was a faint air of amazement and longing in her voice.

Then she looked at Mickey and Eddie, saying, "I'm...I'm sorry. I just wanted to get the spell to go there. I didn't want to hurt anyone."

Adam just stared at her in surprise. "Why didn't you volunteer like..." he gestured around at himself and his friends, "these people."

The queen stared at him for a moment as if he was stupid. "The Gray One would not do that for a rival mage." She sounded sad as she said, "Especially not one with a reputation like mine."

Again, they all stared silently at the Queen of the Night, who looked anything but regal and frightening. She looked sincere, even tugging slightly at Adam's heart, though he couldn't give too much sympathy for someone who'd attacked him and kidnapped his friends.

"Well..." Mickey muttered, more to herself than anyone, "she didn't do anything to hurt us in there..."

Eddie snorted at that, a grin forming on his face as he exclaimed, "Only jail I've ever been in where they served steak." He licked his lips, obviously remembering the delicious meals that they'd been given.

Grestick just glared at the queen for a minute in silence, then grumbled under his breath. Finally, he snorted, "I don't think me boss will give ye the spell..." Grestick paused for a second and patted the side of his belt where the ax was absent, "but...but me thinks that he'd make a deal to send ye there."

The queen's eyes went wide with surprised delight. "Really?" she gasped excitedly. "You mean it?" And when Grestick nodded, she blurted out, "YES!"

As the Queen of the Night nearly danced around in joy, Altera looked at Adam and smiled faintly. "This is not what I had expected."

"Me neither," Adam responded with a grin.

Grestick turned to Eddie and Mickey, muttering, "Ye return home tomorrow..."

Suddenly the blonde stopped and looked around at them with wide eyed interest. "You can stay here," she blurted out. Then she glanced at Grestick and looked embarrassed as she continued, "Let me try to make it up to you. There are nice rooms in the tower you can sleep in and I'll even cook."

With the glance that she gave towards Grestick, it was obvious that at least part of her motivation was trying to get on his good side...and that of his boss. And what better way to do that than to treat their customers nicely.

Eddie just looked around with a grin and licked his lips, obviously thinking about the meals. "Sounds tasty." Then he looked at Grestick, "I just don't know if I want to hike all over again."

"Me neither," Danielle exclaimed, bending down to sniff at one of the flower bushes that sprouted along the tower wall. "They're beautiful..."

Cal snorted, "I don't like it."

Adam gulped and looked around, especially at Altera. "It might be...interesting," he said slowly, not wanting to do anymore hiking himself. He'd had more than enough of that since the supposed vacation had started. "At least it looks nice up hear."

After looking thoughtful for a minute, Mickey nodded, "Why not?" She glanced at the blonde suspiciously but decided that the queen would be on her best behavior if she wanted to keep Grestick happy and see their world.

Finally, Grestick nodded, "If that be what ye wish." Then he gave a smile, "Now ye can enjoy yerselves some."

Then, the queen smiled at them all, even forcing a smile at Danielle before she started towards the tower again, gesturing for them to come and see their rooms.

For a moment, Adam remained behind, staring at Altera. "I...thanks," he told her, feeling a little sad that she was probably going to be leaving now.

However, Altera held a finger up to his lips, "Shhhh," Then she put a hand on his arm and half pulled him towards the tower door with the others, "I want to see this tower as well..."

The Travel Agency
part 10 of 10
By Morpheus

Adam let out a deep contented sigh as he leaned back in the large bed, briefly scanning the bedroom that the queen had put him in. It was even larger and more comfortable than the one in the fortress that Grestick had taken them to. And best of all, it had a private bath tub...which Adam had thoroughly enjoyed using. After traveling for several days, he'd felt pretty dirty and didn't think that anything could be more enjoyable than the warm bath water.

"Nice..." Adam half purred, shifting position on his bed, wondering if he should go back into the tub. However, a single glance down at his naked body convinced him otherwise. This was the first time that he'd had a chance to really be by himself since he'd come to that world. "Very nice."

As he sat there, Adam thought about how the queen had definitely been as good as her word. She'd treated them all excellently and fed him the tastiest dinner that he could ever remember eating. Everybody had been enjoying themselves since then, even Grestick, though Adam doubted that he'd admit it.

Then, as Adam's hands slowly started to roam over his smooth and sexy body, he couldn't help thinking about Altera. She'd stuck quite close to him until he'd gone in for his bath, but was now probably down the hall in the room that the queen had given her.

"So beautiful...," Adam whispered as he stared at himself, not sure if he meant himself...or Altera. Either way, he was beginning to get turned on. His nipples were growing hard while his feminine crotch was quickly getting moist. "Oh my..."

Adam continued to slowly explore his body for the next several minutes, amazed at just how different it was...and how much he'd already gotten used to it in the time he'd been there. It had only been a few days...but he wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as he had been at first. In fact, most of the time he was barely aware how strange his body was to him.

Then, Adam sighed and slowly sat up on his bed, deciding that he should probably go and check on the others. On Danielle at least since she was outside in what seemed to be almost a barn, though he suspected that Cal might already be there.

A minute later, Adam had put on a soft robe that had been provided and was just starting towards the door when someone started knocking on it. He frowned, feeling rather nervous as a fleeting thought shot through his mind. That perhaps it might be one of those hobgoblin monsters...

However, when Adam opened the door, he gasped, "Altera."

Altera stepped in without invitation, smiling at Adam and commenting, "This is a most unusual mage. I had never expected the Queen of the Night to be human...and such a nice host."

"I know," Adam agreed, sitting down on his bed while Altera slowly sat down on the wooden chair next to it.

"Your friends are rather...interesting," Altera told Adam slowly, "Though I do not think that the dwarf likes me." From the tone of her voice, Adam suspected that she didn't give a damn what Grestick thought.

"Grestick's just our guide," he told her.

"Still," Altera continued softly, "the others...the ones from your world have been pleasant enough."

Adam just stared at her for a few seconds, then quietly asked, "What's Niella like?"

Altera's expression flickered a little and she stared at him silently. Finally, she answered, her voice rather soft. "She is brave...fearless...and far too curious for her own good." Then she smiled, adding, "I do miss her company."

Feeling ashamed, Adam hung his head down, "Oh." At least Altera's friend would be back the next day.

Then to Adam's surprise, Altera put her hand on his cheek and raised his face. "I miss her...but I am not impatient for her return."

Adam blinked at that, fully aware of just how close Altera was to him. "Oh," he repeated again, not sure what else to say.

"I have never met anyone quite like you before," Altera whispered, bending even closer to Adam. "The way you jumped into the river..." She paused for a moment, "I am not pleased at the way you have risked Niella's body...but I can not be unhappy either. I thank you greatly."

For a moment, Adam sat there frozen, Altera's lips just an inch away from his ear. He could smell her sweet scent, feeling her breath upon his cheek. Then, as she slowly licked at his ear, Adam realized that she was hitting on him.

"You..." he stared at her in confusion, wondering if she was a lesbian, or just bisexual. Then it dawned on him. He still looked like Niella...her 'friend'. "Are you and Niella...?"

Altera backed away just a little, though only a foot. She stared at Adam with a strange expression on her face, one of desire and amusement.

"Bedmates?" she asked softly. Then she smiled, "On occasion." Altera's eyes sparkled as she moved slowly closer to Adam again, putting one hand on his naked shoulder and sliding down his robe. "It is not her body that I desire...it is you. That which is inside."

Then, Altera pushed her lips into Adam's, giving him a passionate kiss. Without any further hesitation, he kissed back, wanting her more than he'd ever wanted any woman. And with that, they spread out on top of the bed, beginning a night of long and passionate lovemaking.

--------------------

The tiny blue pixie sat atop of a brick that jutted out slightly from the wall, staring intently at the massive creature sprawled out before her. A creature that could have filled children's nightmares, many times over. However, it was laying there peacefully.

"I don't like being a big ugly lizard," Danielle complained, scratching at the ground absently with one of her massive claws. "I feel so ugly."

Cal nodded, "It's only temporary," he reminded her gently, chuckling as he added, "You think I like being a barbie doll with wings?"

Danielle giggled faintly at that, grinning at Cal. "Probably, you pervert."

That just made Cal chuckle weakly. He slowly stood up and flew over, landing on top of Danielle's head. He was nearly lost in the field of scales, but remained where he was, gently petting her...feeling as though he was petting a rock.

"You'll be back to your beautiful self tomorrow babe," Cal told her gently, then jokingly pointed out, "But at the moment, you're stronger than I'll ever be. Enjoy it while you can."

Nodding slightly, which threatened to dislodge Cal, Danielle giggled, "I'll try. But I still don't like being so big and clumsy. I just don't like it."

"I know," Cal sighed, "I know."

They were both silent for several minutes before Cal stated, "Everything will be all right honey. Trust me."

"I do," Danielle responded quietly, sounding remarkably gentle for a dragon, "I do."

With that, Danielle lowered her head and slowly closed her eyes. "G'night," Cal whispered, curling up on top of Danielle's snout to go to sleep, not even considering the bed and room that the queen had given him. He was more than comfortable where he was.

"G'night...." Danielle whispered before she slowly drifted off to sleep.

--------------------

The courtyard was filled with silence, in spite of the fact that the Queen of the Night and all of her guests currently stood gathered there. They looked at each other, then the sun, knowing that their time was limited. Very limited.

"Only a little longer," Eddie muttered, then vocalized the question that each of the vacationers was thinking. "When exactly do we go home?"

"Soon," Grestick answered gruffly.

Adam gulped, staring silently at Altera for a moment. She was watching him as well wit an unreadable expression. He couldn't help thinking about the night before...about how great it had been. Somehow, Adam knew that he was going to miss her once he was gone.

Then he looked at the Queen of the Night, who was still looking rather cheerful, though with the occasional nervous glance towards Danielle. She'd been very kind to them all, at least since Grestick had told her that his boss might make a deal with her.

Suddenly Danielle blurted out, "I'm hungry." She sounded just a little whiny as she said it, but quickly followed up with, "I'm hungry enough to eat a horse."

At that comment, everyone took several steps away from her, giving her nervous looks. Such a comment coming from a dragon was nothing to be taken lightly. Not when it was very likely to be literal.

"I have a goat for the dragon when you switch back," the queen quickly assured Danielle, not taking her eyes from the dragon. "Just wait a little longer." She glanced at Grestick to confirm that.

"Man," Eddie muttered, flexing one of his massive biceps, "I'm gonna miss these cannons."

With a snicker, Mickey quickly added, "Me too."

"I can't wait to get back to normal," Cal muttered, hovering in mid-air with his arms crossed. Somehow he'd even found some clothes to fit himself during their stay, though it was likely that the owner of that body would not keep them. "I'm tired of being a damn pip-squeak."

Adam glanced back at Altera, who moved closer to him and put a hand on his arm. "I will miss you Adam of clan Straesser." Then she smiled, just a little sadly. "It was a great honor to have met you."

Gulping, Adam answered honestly, "I'll miss you too." He gave her a hug, then a passionate kiss, not caring that the others were staring at them.

Just then, Grestick exclaimed, "It be time!"

Adam jumped back slightly, still staring at Altera. "Good bye."

Then the tingling hit Adam, just as he turned and looked around, stopping as he saw the queen, watching with a slightly strange expression.

"Time to fly," Eddie called out cheerfully.

Grestick just smiled faintly, then gave a nod as if to say 'goodbye.'

Still seeing the queen from the corner of his eye, even as he stared at Altera, a thought suddenly ran through Adam's head. What if that was the disguise? If the friendly blonde was the real camouflage that hid her true nature? What if everything had been planned? However, Adam didn't have time to worry about it any more as everything vanished in a flash of blue.

--------------------

Adam looked around, letting out a sigh of relief as he recognized the office of the travel agency. And scattered around the room were the others, all standing there was amazed looks on their eyes as they stared down at themselves, as well as relief.

"Thank God," Cal exclaimed with a grin, standing out and flexing his bicep. "I'm ME again."

Danielle grabbed at her breasts and then beamed, "I'm not an ugly lizard anymore." She grinned brightly, then giggled faintly as she started to dance around.

"Man," Eddie muttered, flexing his own arm and sighing, "I'm gonna miss those muscles."

Mickey grinned, putting an arm around Eddie's shoulder and adding, "Me too."

With a nod, Adam looked down at his flat chest...relieved to be back to normal but feeling just a tiny bit odd after having gotten used to being a girl. Of course he knew that it would pass in just a little while, but it was still interesting to return to his own body that way.

Then Mickey slowly walked around the room with an odd look on her face. When Eddie asked what she was doing, she grinned at him, "Just getting used to having two legs again."

Suddenly they heard a cough and turned to see Mr. G stepping into the room. He gave them each an intent look and nodded, "I am glad that you have all returned safely."

"What the hell was that?" Cal demanded, "I mean, we coulda been killed."

Mr. G nodded again, looking rather embarrassed. "I greatly apologize for that unforeseen incident," he told them all gently, "And I will reimburse half of your travel fee for the inconvenience."

Mickey's eyes narrowed, "Gee, shouldn't we get it all back?"

With a snort, Mr. G said, "What happened was out of my control and I do have expenses for these travel arrangements."

"Half is great," Eddie burst out. Adam nodded agreement.

"I'm not an ugly lizard anymore," Danielle sang out, grabbing hold of Cal's arm.

Cal just smiled faintly, "You sure ain't."

"Again," Mr. G apologized gently, "I am greatly sorry for the trouble you were put in." With that, he went behind the main counter and quickly did some scribbling. A moment later, he handed them each a check for half of their money back.

As Adam accepted his refund, he smiled weakly, "Thanks." Cal wasn't quite so polite and just snorted.

"And to give you assurance," Mr. G told them, "I made sure that the visitors borrowing your own bodies remained out of trouble."

That was a bit of a relief, though Adam didn't want to think about what someone else had done in his body. Especially not when he thought about what he'd done in Niella's. He wasn't even sure if Niella had been the one using his body or not.

Then, Mr. G held something out, "Please take one of our cards in case you would be interested in our travel services again." He smiled faintly as he added, "We do offer less...exotic vacation packages and I hope that you will not hold what happened against us."

"No thanks," Cal responded, taking a step back.

Adam took a card, as did Mickey and Eddie, to at least be polite. Then Adam looked down at the business card, seeing that it simply said 'Travel Agency' in gold metallic lettering, with a phone number typed below it in the same gold lettering. There was no mention of either address or Mr. G's name.

A moment later, Mickey asked, "How come you don't have your address on here?"

With a sigh, Mr. G answered, "I am afraid that we will be moving to a new location next week. Due to..." he smiled faintly, "leasing difficulties, we never stay in one location for more than a month."

Mickey just gave an, "Oh."

With that, Cal suggested, "Let's get going. I want to see if anyone fucked with my room." At that, he started for the exit.

"Good bye," Mr. G called out, "And I hope that you all have a pleasant day."

Just as Adam stepped through the door himself, he took one more glance back at Mr. G and suddenly realized something. If they couldn't bodies between the worlds...only souls, then that meant... With a gulp, Adam quickly hurried after his friends, wondering what Mr. G REALLY looked like.

--------------------

It had been a week since returning from the other world...since returning to his own body, then to his own small apartment just off of the school's campus. Adam sat in that apartment, silently staring at the TV, not noticing what was on. Instead, his thoughts were filled with something else.

Adam let out a sigh, not taking his eyes from the screen. All he could think about was the strange world that he'd gone to with his friends. Or specifically, someone he'd met in that world. Altera. It had been just a little over a week since he'd seen her, but instead of thinking about her less like he'd expected, he'd only started thinking about her even more.

"Oh man," Adam sighed, closing his eyes, picturing her fine elven features clearly in his mind. Oh how he missed her, surprising himself by just how much. "I've got to get over this."

With that, Adam thought about the others. About how they'd been since returning. Danielle and Cal were closer than ever before, making Adam just a bit envious of them. And they even seemed the better for the experience. Danielle was just a little bit more self-confident, refusing to let herself be pushed around. Cal on the other hand, though as macho as ever, was actually a bit nicer to other people, at least those smaller than him. And to Adam's surprise, Cal was actually thinking things through a little more rather than solving everything physically.

Mickey and Eddie however barely showed any differences at all. They were still together and acting like they always had, though Eddie had suggested changing his band's name to the Hobgoblins, saying that it had a bit more of an edge. It was a suggestion that Mickey kept trying to talk him out of, saying that she'd had enough of hobgoblins.

As for himself, Adam just hadn't been able to get back into the swing of things. He couldn't stop thinking about the 'vacation'. About her. Then, as he about Altera some more, he frowned, suddenly wondering if maybe...maybe he might be in love with her. The idea seemed almost preposterous. After all, she was an elf from another dimension, whom he'd only known for several days. But still, his thoughts and heart kept dragging back towards the time that he'd spent with her.

"No way," Adam told himself emphatically, though it lacked the conviction his voice tried to put in it.

Just then, there was a loud knocking from the door, giving Adam a welcome distraction from his thoughts. With a sigh, he got up and hurried to answer it.

Adam opened the door and saw that there was a woman standing there. A very pretty brunette whom he remembered seeing around campus once or twice, though only faintly. Still, he didn't even know her name, much less why she would be at his door.

"Hello?" Adam started, frowning curiously.

The brunette glanced around nervously, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Are you Adam?" she asked hesitantly.

"Um....yeah," Adam responded slowly.

"Adam of clan Straesser?" she pushed.

Adam just responded with a confused, "Huh?"

Then without warning, the brunette threw herself at Adam, nearly knocking him off of his feet as her arms locked around him and she started kissing him. She pulled herself back and laughed at the look on Adam's face, exclaiming, "It's me...Altera."

Blinking for a moment, Adam stared at the brunette, nearly gasping in disbelief. "Altera?" When she nodded, he just stared, "Www...how...?"

Altera just grinned, "After talking to Niella...and thinking about you...I had to come." Then she said, "The Gray One let me trade bodies with this one." With that she lifted her arms and twirled around, showing her borrowed body off to Adam. "Do you like it?"

Still staring, Adam nodded, "Um...yeah." He looked right into her eyes, seeing the same sparkle that he saw inside Altera's. There was no doubt that it was her in there.

"To tell you the truth," Altera told him, patting at her chest, which was fuller than her real one, "It is a little strange being a human. But interesting."

Adam just smiled broadly as it began to sink in that she really was there. That Altera had actually come to see him. "How long are you here for?" he asked excitedly, not taking his eyes from her, half afraid that she might suddenly vanish.

Altera just grinned, the expression being familiar, even with her borrowed face. "Fifteen days," she half purred, "And I want to spend it all with you."

All at once, a hundred thoughts and emotions clashed within Adam. Incredible relief and excitement dominated, but there was also the fear and nervousness. The knowledge that long distance relationships usually didn't work...and how could one get more long distance than other dimensions.

However, as Adam and Altera grabbed each other into a passionate embrace, his fears and doubts were quickly forgotten. Instead, he just kissed her with everything that he had, feeling more alive than he would have imagined. And when they finally pulled away from each other, both grinning, Adam knew the answer to his previous question. He did indeed love her.

Unfortunately, he immediately remembered that her trip was only temporary. That she was only there for two weeks. Still, he wasn't going to let that interfere with how he felt.

"I..." Adam started, "I think I..."

"Shhh," Altera put a finger to his lips, quietly saying, "Me too." Then she gave him another kiss.

A minute later, they started towards Adam's bed in the corner, neither needing to say a word to express the emotions that they both felt. There was no doubt that they were going to milk their limited time together for everything that they could.

And just as they reached the bed, Adam happened to notice the business card that was laying on the his nightstand. The words 'Travel Agency' stuck out visibly in the gold lettering. With a smile, Adam tore his eyes from the card and stared at the woman he loved, deciding that he was going to be doing a LOT more business with the Travel Agency.

THE END

After going to the Travel Agency, a young man soon finds himself in way over his head. This story was originally written and posted in 2001

Part 1 of 2
By Morpheus

The sidewalk was covered with small puddles, each slowly getting larger as the rain continued to fall. I stopped, standing in a somewhat large puddle, scowling a little as I looked up at the office in front of me, then down at the business card in my hand.

Gold letters adorned the business card, standing out clearly from the white background. They read simply 'Travel Agency' with a phone number below it. The card had been given to me the day before by my friend Dave who'd told me that it was the most amazing vacation that he'd ever been on. However, he wouldn't tell me anymore, other than to check it out for myself. So there I was.

"The Travel Agency," I read from painted sign on the window.

I didn't hesitate a moment more before going inside, more eager to get out of the rain than to see what they had to offer. After all, I didn't have a lot of money available at the moment, but Dave had gotten my curiosity up.

The office was decorated with posters of exotic destinations, looking pretty much like I'd imagined a travel agency would look. And behind the counter, there was a girl who looked about the same age as me...19. She had short brunette hair, dark mascara and a gold stud through her nose. Though she didn't exactly look my type, she was still rather cute. Then I noticed her name tag which read 'Ms. G'.

"Hello," the girl, Ms. G said with a smile, "How may I help you? Is there anything specific that you're looking for Mr...?"

"Um..." I looked at the posters behind her, then quickly told her, "Taylor. Taylor Green. I'm just looking around." After she smiled patiently, I added, "A friend of mine told me to check this place out."

"Feel free to look," she responded, gesturing around. "We have a large variety of vacation packages available."

I took another look around and let out a sigh, deciding that I could definitely use a vacation. "I'm afraid that I don't have enough for any of these places," I told her, gesturing around with a frown, "I hate crowded airports and especially with the cost of airfare..."

Ms. G brightened up immediately, a slight gleam coming to her eyes. "I understand completely," she told me, "However, we do have a special package that doesn't require any airline travel...and is quite inexpensive."

"Oh..." I started, wondering what that could be.

"We can do a three day trip to a highly exotic location," she suggested, "for under $100." Then she smiled, her eyes seeming to draw me in, telling me how sincere she was. "I can guarantee that you would see sights that you've never imagined."

My interest was immediately sparked, though I was still somewhat skeptical. That was actually within my price range...though just barely. Then I had another thought which sent a chill down my spine. "Just no cruises. I..." I gulped, paling slightly, "I don't know how to swim." Of course that wasn't surprising considering that I was afraid of the water, though I didn't want to admit it to her.

"All right," she agreed with a smile, "When would you like to leave?"

I took one glance out the window and stared at the rain, thinking about my shitty job. "Immediately?" I asked rather hopefully, knowing of course that this was impossible.

Ms. G nodded, frowning just slightly. "That is rather short notice..." However, to my surprise, she told me, "Wait here for a moment and I'll go see if anyone is available."

"Anyone?" I asked in confusion.

She just chuckled faintly, "You would be changing places with someone interested in coming here."

I nodded at that, realizing that it had to be some sort of foreign exchange program or something like that, though I was still rather confused as to how they'd send me to an exotic location in that time without going by plane. Then it dawned on me. It had to be some sort of town nearby or big theme park type deal. Now things were making a little more sense.

Ms. G had gone into a door behind the counter and was gone for several minutes before she came back. "I have located a volunteer who's available." There was something in her tone though, almost as if she was hiding something.

"Really?" I asked, still a little surprised. "You mean I can actually start this thing today?"

"Of course," she responded. "I'm sure that you'll be fascinated by our...special destination. It is a land of magic that is filled with creatures from mythology."

I nodded at that, thinking that a fairy tale theme park might be interesting if nothing else. "Ok," I told her with another nod, "Sounds cool."

She brightened at that, letting out a slight sigh of relief. "You have no idea how rare it is for someone not to question that." But before I could ask what she meant, she quickly told me in an apologetic tone, "I have to tell you that there will be lots of water there." Just as I started to get nervous, she added, "But I can assure you that there is absolutely no chance of your drowning."

There was something about her that soothed my worries, letting me know that she was completely sincere. I felt a lot better, deciding that I could avoid the water rides if they were more than a couple feet deep. That wasn't going to be any problem.

"Very well then," Ms. G told me with a smile, putting a hand on the register to give me a hint. As soon as I'd written a check and handed it over, she gestured to the room in the back, telling me, "Come this way Taylor."

After I'd followed her into the other room, I paused and looked around, surprised to see what was basically a large supply room, with several filing cabinets and shelves full of printer paper, staplers and cleaning supplies. However, what really caught my attention was the fact that there was some sort of blue powder spread out onto the carpet in the shape of a circle.

"Just stand inside and I'll send you on your way," she instructed me, reaching for some sort of wooden staff that was against the wall. As I stood inside the circle, half humoring her and half wondering what the hell was going on, she smiled and told me, "I am working on a way to simplify the process, but for now..." And with that, she slammed the staff down at the edge of the circle of powder.

Suddenly there was a flash of blue light...and reality dropped away.

--------------------

When I regained my senses, I immediately realized that I was in water...floating on the surface and surrounded by it for nearly as far as I could see. At first I was shocked and confused, then my thoughts were suddenly filled with horror and panic.

"No..." I cried out, frantically splashing around, terrified that I was going to drown.

I scrambled helplessly, trying to stay on the surface, however I had no idea of what I was doing and quickly went under. As the water covered my head, I closed my eyes in absolute terror, knowing that I was going to die. The water was finally going to claim me...just as I always knew it would.

Memories flashed through my mind from when I was 6 years old and fell into a swimming pool, as I lost my breath and nearly drowned. I would have died that day if someone nearby hadn't pulled me out in time...if they didn't know CPR. Ever since then, I'd always been terrified of the water, knowing that some day it would finish the job...that water would kill me.

As I sunk, deeper into the water, I forced my eyes open, trying to frantically scrambled to the surface...somehow. However, I was shocked to find that not only didn't the water sting my eyes at all...but it felt fine. And I was even more shocked to see the long blue strands of hair around me.

In a panic, I gasped for breath, still going for the surface...then being completely confused by the realization that I could breath. I froze at that, taking several fearful breaths, suddenly realizing that I was already dead. I had to be. It had to be too late since I couldn't be breathing under water...and I was.

I didn't know how long I remained there in shock before I finally starting working towards the surface again, frustrated that my legs didn't seem to be working right for some reason. Still, I didn't let that stop me from my desperate attempt to get out of the horrible water.

A minute later, I was at the surface, scrambling madly to stay afloat and somehow managing to do so...though just barely. I was still in a near panic when I noticed something floating a short distance away...a large chunk of wood. Somehow, though I wasn't sure exactly how, I made my way to it and grabbed onto it for all I was worth.

"I'm gonna die," I cried, terrified of the water that was everywhere around me, "But I'm already dead..." I was confused and still in shock, trying to make some sort of sense out of what was going on but unable to.

I closed my eyes tightly and grasped the log for all I was worth, not sure how long I remained like that. All I could do was cringe deeply inside, too shocked too do anything else.

Suddenly I heard something from above me, though it took me a moment to realize that someone was calling my name. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked up, gasping as I saw the source of the sound.

There was something hovering in the air in front of me, looking a lot like a human girl...at least in shape, though she was only about 6 inches tall. Her hair was pure white, with a lock of black hanging down from in front. Her skin was a pale color, though there were a number of pure black zebra stripes on her...but not a scrap of clothes. However, as strange as all that was, there were also the facts that she was hovering in mid-air, supported by a pair of dragonfly like wings that were buzzing around on her back.

"Um...Taylor?" the tiny woman asked, looking rather worried.

I stared at her for a moment in confusion. "I'm dreaming," I whispered, my mind taken off of the water surrounding me for a moment. "What are you?"

"I'm a pixie," the tiny woman exclaimed, "My name is Aelaeryn and the Gray One...Ms. G sent me to help answer any questions." Then she quickly added, "There wasn't any time to get you a real guide."

"P...pixie," I whispered in quiet disbelief.

She just nodded her head, looking at me curiously. "Are you all right?"

That suddenly reminded me of my position and I clutched the log even tighter, whimpering, "Please help me. I don't wanna drown."

Aelaeryn just stared at me for a moment before blurting out, "You can't drown silly. You're a mermaid."

As confused as I was before, her comments only made her worse. However, they sent a faint chill down my spine as I had already noticed a number of things that were wrong. I'd just been too focused on escaping the water to put any thought into them.

Then I slowly looked at my arms for the first time, noticing that they weren't my arms. They were slender, hairless and smooth. Very feminine looking. And then I saw my fingers, gasping at the sight of the skin flaps between them. They were webbed.

"Oh God...," I squeaked out, slowly looking down at the rest of my body, still holding on tightly to the log.

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head at the sight of boobs hanging off of my chest. There was absolutely no doubt at all as to what they were. Round, firm and shapely breasts. Just like on a woman. Below that, I could see part of a woman's waist before the rest disappeared below the water. However, I did notice something bluish. And as I lifted my legs, or at least tried to, I saw the end of what looked like a fish tail rise from the water. It was blue, with shimmery blue scales, at least what little I could see. That was more than enough to shock me even further.

"I...I...I'm a fish...?" I gasped, letting my tail slip back into the water. "And a girl..." I wasn't sure which shocked me more.

The tiny pixie girl giggled, "No...you're a mermaid."

"This can't be happening," I blurted out, "Mermaids don't exist. How did I get here? Where am I?" I looked around frantically, panic beginning to return, "What did she try doing to me?"

Aelaeryn just stared at me for a moment with her mouth open, "You...you really don't know?" She shook her head, gasping, "I thought you were supposed to have been told..."

I gulped, "Told what?"

"That you're in another world...another dimension." Aelaeryn moved down closer to my face, "You traded bodies with a mermaid, not she's in your body...in your world, while you are here in hers. The Gra...Ms. G will make sure that she doesn't get into any trouble," Aelaeryn assured me.

However, that wasn't my greatest fear at the moment. I was surrounded by water and in the body of some fish. That made absolutely no sense to me, though I was trying to gain some kind of handle on it. Still, I was on the verge of freaking out.

"Just relax and try to enjoy the new experience," the pixie girl told me gently, "It's only for awhile and I'm sure that you'll have fun." Then she gestured down to my arm, adding, "Normally we'd give you something to let people know that you're a visitor...but we didn't get much notice."

"Um...OK," I squeaked out, still clutching the log tightly.

Aelaeryn quickly added," But don't worry. The only ones out here are other merfolk and I don't think that they'll do anything."

I nodded nervously, not sure that I liked the idea of fish people around...maybe coming up from underneath me. The theme music from Jaws ran through my mind as well, pushing me even closer to panic than I was, though I somehow managed to keep from crossing over.

A moment later, Aelaeryn looked around and apologized, "I have to be going. But I will come back when I can and try to answer any more questions that you have." And with that, she suddenly flew straight up into the air, quickly vanishing from my sight.

"Wait!" I called out, a little too late, "Please help me. Get me out the water!" I was nearly at tears, especially when there was no answer. And not having any options, I just clutched the log with renewed desperation.

I remained where I was, helplessly clutching at the log for a very long time, too terrified of the water around me to think clearly. And then there was the confusion as I tried to make sense of my predicament...realizing that my vacation wasn't going to be the theme park that I'd imagined. Eventually though, weariness overcame me and I drifted off to sleep.

Some time later, I slowly woke up, groggily realizing that I wasn't clutching the log. Then my eyes snapped wide open in horror when I saw that I was completely underwater, panic beginning to surface again. In a panic, I started to frantically look around, not even sure which way the surface was...at least until I saw ocean floor below me...getting closer.

Then suddenly it hit me, nearly shocking me as I realized that I was breathing under water again. I'd almost forgotten about doing it earlier, pushing away the middle of my panic. Then I took a slow breath, more than half afraid that I was still going to drown, but feeling incredibly relieved when I didn't. I felt perfectly fine.

Once it sank in that I wasn't going to drown, I started to calm down some, losing some of the panic and terror. However, once I slowly sank to the ocean floor, I remained where I was, looking around somewhat nervously, but no longer with the absolute certainly that I was going to die.

"I'm alive," I whispered, or at least tried to since it was hard speaking with water down my throat.

I waited a few more minutes until I'd calmed down more, then slowly looked down at myself, curiosity beginning to replace the fear. That pixie girl...Aelaeryn had said that I was a mermaid. And with a single look, I saw that she was correct.

All that I could do for several minutes was stare down at myself in amazement...at the...my breasts and the mermaid tail that began at my hips. It was all shimmery blue scales, looking oddly beautiful. But other than that, everything above my waist seemed to look like a human woman, at least as much as I could tell.

I slowly ran my hands over my breasts, amazed at how strange it was to have them on my chest. But of course that was nothing compared to the fish tail. I wiggled it experimentally, totally in awe at the strangeness. It was sort of like having both of my legs fused together, but different as well. The tail was a lot more flexible than that would have been.

After a few minutes, I had lost almost all of my fear, being too caught up in examining my body. I found that my hair was long...and blue. That much was noticeable when it waved in the water around me. Then I also noticed that not only were my fingers webbed, but I had slight fins on the back of my forearms...and a patch of blue scales on each shoulder.

"Weird," I thought to myself, finally turning my attention to my surroundings.

As I stared at the ocean bottom, another thought occurred to me. I was in the ocean...but not cold in the least. I felt perfectly comfortable...and I could see without any problems either. Both I knew should have been impossible were I still a normal human, which only served to emphasize that I wasn't. At least not at the moment.

Then I remembered what the pixie had said. That I'd just traded places with the mermaid until my vacation was up. It was a very calming thought, making me almost smile slightly in the relief that it was temporary. Everything might have been strange...hell, even impossible, but I wasn't one to question my own senses. And if I was dreaming or delusional, I figured that I might as well go along with it anyway.

I wasn't sure how long I remained sitting where I was, just staring at the fish that swam by in amazement. They were beautiful, with more types than I ever would have imagined possible. Who would have known what I had missed by avoiding water so much. I hadn't even been to an aquarium since before the accident, which I was beginning to regret.

Then, with growing curiosity, I decided that it was time to explore my surroundings a bit more. And with a nervous smile, I pushed myself off of the floor and started swimming, or at least trying to since I'd never done so before. It was especially difficult because I didn't have my legs and wasn't familiar with the new tail...but it didn't take me too long before I started to get the hang of it.

--------------------

It had been quite a few hours since I'd suddenly found myself thrust into the body of a mermaid, and I had already spent much of that time swimming around the bottom of the ocean, something that would have been completely unimaginable just a short time earlier. And in spite of my earlier terror, the ocean was fascinating. It was almost like looking around an alien landscape.

At the moment, I was swimming some distance above the ocean floor, feeling almost as though I was flying. It was a strange sensation, one which I'd missed since I'd always avoided water. Then again, I'd always had good reason. One which being able to breathe underwater had taken care of.

Suddenly I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, something big. I snapped around, horrified to see a huge shark, twice as long as I was, slowly moving in my direction, though fortunately not directly at me. Still, my heart nearly jumped into my throat as I remained frozen in terror, all of my fears about the water suddenly crashing back in on me.

And then, as if sensing my fears, the shark seemed to notice me and changed direction, just enough to be aiming straight at me. I remained frozen for another few seconds before my survival instincts finally kicked in and I started swimming away as fast as I possibly could.

I let out a scream, though it sounded nothing like a normal human scream. However, I didn't really think about it as I gave another burst of speed with everything that I had. A quick glance back only revealed that the shark was speeding up.

The ground came up quick and just as I passed over a huge rock formation, I noticed something on the ocean floor...a ship. A sunken ship. My eyes bulged in surprised, but I started towards the ship as fast as I could, hoping that I could hide inside.

Glancing back again, I was horrified to have the shark right on my tail...literally. I barely managed to roll out of the way in time, watching as the shark shot past me, then slowly started turning around for another pass. However, by this time, I was right at the edge of the ship, not sparing any time as I looked for a hole in the side...but to my horror, seeing none.

Another look up only showed that the shark was coming my way again. I gulped at that, looking around frantically for something that I could use. Then I noticed it, my eyes locking on something that was jammed straight into the ship’s deck. It was rusty...but it was unmistakably a sword.

"Gotcha," I growled, or at least tried to, grabbing the sword and yanking, pulling it out of the wood and waving it in front of me, having to use my tail to keep balance in the water as the weight tried to pull me down.

And when the shark finally came at me again, I was prepared. I stabbed at the shark with the sword, which went into its side. The creature immediately turned away and left, a stream of red coming from where the sword had gone in.

I just stared at the sword in amazement, then at the shark, realizing how lucky I really was. Jaws certainly wouldn't have turned tail and fled like that after such a small poke. Then I just guessed that the shark wasn't really all that hungry. Probably just looking for a snack rather than a meal. Either way, I was just glad that it was gone.

Then, I looked at the sunken ship, beginning to get curious about it. And with a faint smile, I decided to explore it a little more. It didn't take me long to find the stairs that led below deck, and I slowly made my way down there, feeling much more cautious than before because of my run in with the shark.

After I had finished looking through most of the ship, I was feeling somewhat disappointed. There was no sign of a sunken treasure like I'd half suspected, just garbage that had been destroyed by the ocean. And of course the small fish that darted around inside.

When I found what was obviously the captain’s cabin, I was somewhat disappointed there as well. It didn't look anywhere near as fancy as the old pirate movies had made out, and I doubted that it did even before the ship sank. And again, there was no sign of a treasure.

Eventually, I grew bored of the ship and started off exploring again, this time being a lot more careful about my surroundings. I kept shuddering at the thought of another shark coming after me, or something even worse.

I continued exploring the ocean floor for awhile, hoping that I could find something else like the sunken ship. However, I didn't have any luck in that, though I did see a number of strange fish swimming by.

Then the sun started going down, with the faint like coming from above getting weaker and weaker. I could still see without all of the light, but I still started getting nervous, wondering for the first time where I was going to spend the night. Of course the obvious answer dawned on me...the ship.

After returning to the sunken ship, I carefully looked around the captain’s cabin again to make sure that there wasn't anything else in there waiting for me, and once I'd done that, I used some of the debris to block all of the openings. I didn't know if it served any real purpose, but it certainly made me feel more secure.

Curling up on the floor, I glanced at the remnants of the bed, wishing that the mattress was still there, but that didn't do me any good at the moment. So with a yawn, I closed my eyes, falling asleep faster than I would have expected.

-------------------

The next morning, I spent some time just staring at myself in amazement, examining my body in even more detail than I had the day before. It was strange, especially since it took me several minutes to figure out how my current body went to the bathroom, among other things.

There was one small slit in my crotch, covered with a scaly flap that completely hid it. And inside, the slit was extremely sensitive, leaving little doubt that this was her...my vagina. The thought was strange, though not nearly as strange as I would have imagined after having a tail. And of course, there was a similar flap and hole on my back side, which served for...waste release.

However, at about the same time, my stomach started telling me that it was time for breakfast. But unfortunately, I wasn't really sure what mermaids ate, which left me with a bit of a problem. One which I decided to leave for the moment, hoping that I could get that pixie girl to help with.

With that, I left the safety of the ship, heading for the surface this time instead of the ocean floor. It was rather boring at the surface, at least at first. Not long after getting there, I found a number of dolphins swimming around, playing with each other. Somehow, I ended up playing with them, which was a rather unique experience.

After a couple hours, I left the dolphins and started back towards the ocean floor, smiling faintly at the irony of the situation. There I was, a lifelong aquaphobic, and now I was a mermaid swimming in the middle of the ocean without any land in sight. Life was definitely strange.

I was just about at the ocean floor again when I noticed something moving a short distance away. And as I slowly started towards it, drawn by curiosity, I was startled once I was finally able to make out exactly what it was that I saw. A mermaid.

My eyes widened and I gulped nervously, slowly starting towards her. As far as I could tell, she looked a lot like I did, with bluish scales and hair, though she was too far away to make out her face and I had yet to really see my own. The sight of a real mermaid...another mermaid was amazing. I just had to get a better look.

A minute later, I was almost at her, when she turned and stared straight at me. There was a look of curiosity on her face and she suddenly squealed something, sounding almost like some sort of song. It was beautiful. Then she came closer, almost face to face with me, singing to me again with a frustrated look on her face.

Suddenly there was another mermaid...and a merman. Two more quickly appeared as well until I was nearly surrounded. All of them were keeping their distance a little and singing, though I was beginning to realize that it wasn't just singing. They were talking. And though I still couldn't understand what they were saying, it was beginning to make a little more sense to me.

Then without warning, all of the merfolk turned and swam away from me extremely fast. I started to follow, but one of the mermen threw something at me, something that looked like a black ball...which suddenly exploded into a thick black cloud.

I couldn't see in the cloud and my eyes started stinging. There was a nasty taste in my mouth and an uncomfortable tightness in my lungs. With a grimace, I swam away from the nasty black cloud, rubbing at my eyes and cringing at the horrible taste.

By the time it faded a few minutes later, there was no sign of the merfolk. They'd all used that stuff to get away from me. Like an octopus’s ink, I realized, not to mention tear gas. Of course the stuff would be great to escape threats, though I certainly didn't consider myself in that category. But they obviously did.

With a number of silent curses, I started swimming away, wondering why they'd run from me. Wondering if there really were that many other mermaids and the like around that area. It was definitely something new to consider since there was so much about them that I didn't know, even if I was temporarily wearing one of their bodies.

About half an hour after my run in with the mermaids, I was floating on the surface, finally seeing what looked like land in the distance, though it was still a long distance away. I was still trying to make up my mind about whether to go and check it out or not.

Then I noticed her, still a short distance off but heading towards me. It took me another minute to be sure, but once I was, I called out, "Aelaeryn!"

A minute later, the tiny pixie woman was hovering in the air above me. "Hello Taylor." She bowed her head slightly, "You look as though you have been adapting rather well." Once I agreed that I had, she continued, "I fear that by the time we are able to supply you with a guide who can be of use under the water, your vacation will be up." The she let out a faint laugh.

"Look," I started, gesturing down, "I ran into a bunch of mermaids earlier and they started singing then ran away from me."

Aelaeryn quickly verified my guess that they were trying to talk to me, finishing with, "They realized that you were not one of them and left." She paused for a moment before adding, "Many merfolk are skittish and nervous around strangers."

"Too bad," I whispered, "I really would have liked to see more of them up close. To learn what they're really like."

She looked thoughtful, then slowly told me, "I am not positive, but I have been told that there is a mermaid city nearby." And as my eyes went wider with interest, she gestured to one side, "A short distance in that direction. I believe that this is where your host body comes from."

"Um...thanks," I finally responded, staring intently in the direction that Aelaeryn had pointed. I was about ready to explode with curiosity.

Aelaeryn nodded, "Should you need anything else, I will attempt to be here to answer your questions."

I nodded back, then dove under the water, swimming quickly in the direction that she had indicated. The idea of a mermaid city filled my head with fantasies about what it had to be like, making me think about the one in Disney's Little Mermaid. However, I had a strong feeling that it was going to be interesting of nothing else.

It didn't take me long before I started to notice things changing on the ocean bottom. Specifically, there were fields of some sort of kelp growing up, looking like it was part of some farmer's field instead of growing wild. There were numerous patches like that, as well as several more areas that seemed to have countless numbers of shellfish.

Suddenly I saw a school of fish swimming by a short distance away, followed by a merman who was armed with a spear...and a dolphin. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was some sort of shepard tending his flock, and the dolphin was like his sheep dog.

I just shook my head, then continued swimming towards the city, even more eager to see it than before. There was no doubt that I was getting closer, not with all of the signs around. There were even some literal ones, glowing symbols painted onto rocks on the surface, though I couldn't make any sense of them.

On the way, I encountered several more of the merfolk, though none of them really tried talking to me, probably assuming that I belonged there. Then again, they all went by on their own business, several of them talking to each other. I just listened in closely, their singing making even more sense than before, though I still couldn't quite understand what they were saying. It was like the meaning was just out of reach.

The Travel Agency: Another Tail
part 2 of 2
By Morpheus

Then I finally saw it. The mermaid city, if it could really be called a city since it was certainly smaller than any city that I'd ever seen before. Still, my first sight of it was amazing, seeing the rounded towers and buildings that comprised it. Many of them looked shiny, almost as if they were covered with mother of pearl, while at the same time, there were numerous patches of barnacles.

After staying back and staring for a few minutes, I slowly made my way into the city, gawking at the buildings, most of them rounded, looking as if they might have been a bubbles sunken into the ground or piled and melted on top of each other. There were numerous round entrances, making each bubble look almost like a cave.

There were patches of a glowing green algae along the bottoms of many of the bubble houses, along with symbols carved into some of them. I could even see some glowing from within many of the rounded buildings that I passed by, revealing that there was algae within as well.

Everywhere I looked, I could see merfolk swimming along, attending to various things. I noticed children playing tag, adults talking and arguing. There was one mermaid swimming past with red scales and hair, another with purple scales and blonde hair. I even saw one girl who had pale skin, with silvery white hair and scales. An albino. However, most of the merfolk that I saw were various shades of green and blue.

While I was swimming through the city, watching and listening to everything, I paid particular attention to the singing. It didn't take long before I was actually making sense of what was being said, hearing bits of gossip and other talk.

After I had looked around for awhile, I figured that there couldn't be much more than a hundred merfolk in the city at best. Closer to a small town in the real world, the one I'd come from. But here, I had nothing to reference it to. It could have been the biggest city in that whole world for all I knew.

I was so caught up in watching the city, that I hadn't noticed someone coming up behind me. Not until I felt a hand against my tail, causing me to gasp out in surprise, quickly swirling around in the water to get a better look.

Then I froze, staring at a mermaid whose human half looked to be no more than 16. She had a dark blue tail, even darker than my own, with raven black hair, all except for a dark blue streak that ran down the center.

"Greetings strange one," the mermaid sang to me.

I just stared at her for a moment, understanding what she said, even if it was in that singing language, but not sure exactly how to respond. Then I decided to at least try, and sang out, "Hello..." To my surprise...and relief, it was a lot easier than I had feared.

The mermaid stared at me oddly, her hair floating around in the water like a halo. "I am..." the she let out a strange musical bit which I guessed was her name, though it was rather difficult to translate. I just decided to refer to think of her as Streak because of the streak in her hair.

Feeling nervous, I sang back, "My name is Taylor," though I wasn't sure how well she could understand my name since it was so different from the melody that was hers.

"The Gray One's emissary...the insect woman has asked me to guide you through our city during your trip," Streak sang. She looked at me with obvious curiosity. "You do not look like an outsider...except for your confusion."

With a nervous smile, I responded, "I don't normally look like this." I gestured down at myself adding, "It's a borrowed body."

She nodded at that, her expression indicating that she already knew that much. "Come," Streak indicated, "I will show you where you may bed while you are here." Then she added, "Though I supposed that it will only be for one night."

I followed behind her, listening intently as she started gesturing at things and telling me what they were. Most of them broke down to the library, market and other shops. It was interesting, though there was one thing that was of more interest.

"Um...I'm getting pretty hunger," I started, "and..." When she turned and looked at me, I flushed in embarrassment, blurting out, "What do you...I mean we eat?"

Streak just laughed, shaking her head in obvious amusement at my complete ignorance of even the simplest things in her culture. "Come, strange one," she laughed, "I shall take you to eat."

Several minutes later, Streak had taken me into one of the largest of the bubble houses and handed me what appeared to be an oyster the size of a dinner plate, and a handful of seaweed. It was gross and disgusting, but as I watched, she broke open a similar oyster and gulped down the contents. I thought that I was going to be sick.

"Gross..." I whispered, staring at the 'food' that she'd given me, half suspecting that it was some sort of a trick. However, as I thought about it, I realized that it did make sense. It wasn't like her people could really use a fire to cook their food while underwater. And unfortunately, I couldn't just refuse to eat. I was far too hungry for that. "Well here goes nothing..."

After taking a deep breath, I copied Streak, eating both the oyster and the seaweed. It was strange since my mind was completely disgusted...while my body said that it was just food. Good food at that. I wasn't sure how to deal with the mixed messages, so decided not to think about it.

Streak seemed somewhat amused by my reactions, which actually relieved me since I'd been half afraid that she would have been offended instead. After eating, she continued leading the way to where I was supposed to sleep.

It didn't take long at all before Streak had brought me to one of the round bumps in the massive mound in the center, showing me inside. It was covered with the same mother of pearl as on the outside, along with some of the glowing algae. There were several clay pots and things lining the walls along the floor, and in the center of the floor there was a big indentation, filled with what looked like more seaweed.

"This is where the owner of that body sleeps," Streak told me, gesturing to the pile of seaweed.

I grimaced, "That doesn't look too comfortable."

"And where do your people sleep?" Streak asked me, this time sounding as if she was nearly offended.

"In beds," I answered, letting out a sigh, or as much as I could underwater. I remained where I was, absently flicking my tail back and forth.

After this, Streak and I remained just outside the cramped sleeping quarters and talked, though I could tell she was just a little reluctant. I did find out that she had been promised a trip into my world in exchange for being my guide. Either way, she at least seemed determined to do the job and watch over me for the rest of my time there. Even if it had already been half used up.

Streak told me something about her people and their society, which drew my complete interest. It turned out that they were free spirits who often left their cities for weeks or even months at a time to wander the oceans and travel. And they seemed to have little government, with most of their cities being operated something akin to communes, though she did indicate that there were other cities and other clans further off who did things differently.

For my part, I told Streak a little about my world, though she seemed somewhat skeptical with what I told her. In the end, I decided that she would probably be that way until she saw things for herself. I couldn't blame her either. After all, I knew that I would have been more than a little skeptical if anyone had told me about her world.

It was several hours after we'd eaten, and Streak had started showing me around the city again, this time in a little more detail. We had just left an armory building, which was filled with spears and shields made of some sort of shell. Suddenly I saw it, a bubble coming towards me...with something inside.

Once the air bubble was closer, I could finally recognize the tiny figure inside of it. "Aelaeryn!"

The tiny pixie was inside an air bubble, tightly clutching what looked like a glowing green marble. She looked at Streak, then me, frowning intently.

"Greetings Taylor," she started, her voice low and sounding pained. She looked down, staring at the marble in her hands and not me. "I come with grave news."

"Insect girl..." Streak greeted, sounding rather suspicious. "The Gray One has not denounced our bargain....?"

Aelaeryn nodded her head, finally looking up at me, though her eyes. "I have very grave news for you Taylor. Perhaps..." She took a deep breath, then rubbed at the marble, "I will let her tell you..."

Suddenly air bubble that Aelaeryn was inside of started to cloud over, then I could see another image, a ghost image along the surface. It was almost like a crystal ball with the image of Ms. G's face appearing in it, staring at me with a grim expression.

"As Aelaeryn has told you," Ms. G stated quietly, "I have grave news for you Mr. Green."

"Wh...what's this?" I gasped, staring at the image projected on the surface of Aelaeryn's air bubble. "What's wrong?" I was getting a VERY bad feeling with the way they were both acting. I glanced at Streak who just looked curious, though not too worried.

A moment later, Ms. G continued, "There has been an accident..." She paused again before blurting out, "The one who was borrowing your body ignored warnings and ran into the middle of a busy street."

My eyes bulged at the sound of that while a horrible sinking feeling started in my stomach. "W...what...?"

"I am afraid...," Ms. G looked down in great embarrassment, "Your body has died. She was hit by a car and died almost instantly, before I was able to intervene and save her." I just stared at Ms. G in shock while she sadly finished, "I am deeply sorry."

From beside me, I heard Streak gasp, "Oh dear..." However, I barely paid her any attention, too shocked to do anything but remain frozen.

Ms. G quickly went on, "We take great precautions against this sort of accident...but in no matter what precautions that are taken...some accidents are bound to occur." She stared at me from the bubble, quietly explaining, "This is the first time we have had this particular situation though."

"SITUATION!" I scream frantically, "I...I'm dead!"

"Only your body," Ms. G corrected, trying to soothe me down. "That broke the timed ending of the spell. I am afraid that you will have to remain in your current body until we find an available one in your own world."

Streak stared at me, sympathy clearly visible in her eyes. "At least you are in one of my people's bodies," she tried to console me, giving little doubt that she thought it was something of an upgrade. Almost as if I should be grateful. Then her eyes widened and she gasped, "But..." she let out a quick melodic tune that I recognized as a name, "is dead."

"A...a friend of yours...?" I asked shakily, staring down at myself with renewed horror. At the breasts pushing out from my chest and the blue scaled tail that was so clearly visible on my lower half.

"I did not know her well," Streak admitted, still sounding a little sad. Then she turned to Aelaeryn...or at least her bubble which held Ms. G's face. "What of our deal...?"

Ms. G blinked in surprise. "Of course I shall uphold my part," she assured Streak, "as long as you continue to uphold yours. Guide Taylor for as long as he is there."

Streak gasped, suddenly realizing that her task could very well take a LOT longer than she'd expected. She glared at me quickly, almost as if it was my fault, as if I was some sort of burden, though she quickly covered it up and nodded agreement.

"But...but..." I muttered in stunned confusion, "My home..."

"I will do everything that I can do return you to your world as soon as possible," Ms. G assured me gently, something in her voice calming me down. She sounded so sincere that I had no doubt that she would do as she said. "I apologize once again," she told me sadly, "It was beyond our control, though we are doing everything possible to rectify this as much as possible."

All I could do was nod my head slightly, a cold chill running up my spine as I realized that my whole life had suddenly changed beyond anything that I could have imagined. I was dead, or at least my body was. That was effectively the same thing since I certainly couldn't go back to my old life. I might not have had a great job, close family or even many friends...but it had been my life and I wanted it back.

With that, Ms. G stated, "Please take care...and so long for now." Then Aelaeryn's bubble suddenly cleared up.

Aelaeryn stared at me sympathetically, "I'm really sorry." She sighed and rubbed at her glowing green marble. "I do not like this environment," she confided, looking around nervously. "My kind are meant for the air...not the water."

"I...I understand completely," I answered slowly, wishing that I'd stayed on land where I belonged. I'd always known that the water would kill me...but I hadn't expected it to be anything like that.

"My air is fading as well," Aelaeryn apologized, "I must be going." Then she said, "Good bye Taylor," and quickly starting going straight up...towards the surface.

I remained where I was for several minutes, slowly realizing that there had been more than a few merfolk watching our exchange. However, most of them quickly hurried off again as soon as the pixie was gone, leaving just me and Streak, who wasn't very talkative at the moment. Then again, neither was I.

Then, I finally told Streak, "I don't feel like sight-seeing anymore." That was an understatement.

With a silent nod, my reluctant guide showed me back to my sleeping hole. Once within, I curled up in the seaweed, not even thinking about how gross that would have been normally. All I was able to do was think about what had suddenly happened and worry about what was yet to come.

--------------------

It was two days after Ms. G had given me the bad news, a day after I should have gone home. During that time, I had done little save hide in the tiny cave, wallowing in self-pity and thinking about my plight. Wondering in silent desperation what my future would hold.

Streak stuck her head inside the cramped room I was resting in, a stern expression on her face as she glared at me. "Time for mourning should be at an end," she stated. "You yet live, be thankful for that."

I sat up, blinking at the strands of blue hair that floated into view, coming from my own head. Then I stared at Streak, frowning at the look on her face. As much as I hated it, she did have a point. It was one that I'd reminded myself of already, but for some reason, it did seem to mean more coming from someone else.

"Morning," I stated, not feeling too much improved by Streak's 'pep talk'.

"While in the city," Streak told me gently, her expression softening, "It is our custom to give one day out of three to the city. Come...today we work."

I hesitated for a moment, then let out a sigh, deciding that maybe it would be a distraction. And with that, I followed Streak out, feeling curious as she let me out to the edge of the city and towards the farms I'd seen on the outside.

"We collect the shells," Streak told me, pointing to an oyster patch, "and bring them to the store room for common eating." Then she showed me some of the larger oysters...and how to tell when they were ripe for picking.

I spent most of the day working with Streak, collecting oysters and seaweed, then hauling them back to the city and one of the storage rooms. There were a few other merfolk doing likewise, though not many. However, I did see a few more tending the oysters and seaweed patches, encouraging them to grow.

As we worked, I paid close attention, asking questions about the other merfolk that I saw working at various tasks. Streak answered my questions, though I could tell that she was halfway amused by my ignorance, and halfway annoyed.

Some merfolk were traveling around with spears, just as I'd seen some around the city itself. They were the guards, ready just in case any sharks or other dangerous predators showed up. The shepards herded their fish while others worked performed upkeep on some of the round clustered buildings that composed the city. There were only maybe several dozen merfolk at work in total, but it seemed to be enough. It was a system that they'd obviously worked with for some time.

The work didn't distract me as much as I'd hoped since it was not difficult, but it did so enough. Enough to take the edge off of things at least and to let me relax some. It also let me learn quite a bit more about the merfolk and how they lived, which was very interesting.

And when the work was done, Streak and I returned to the city, watched some children with trained fish...and ate a large dinner. I was tired when I finally went to bed, but oddly enough, feeling a little better.

--------------------

I was wrapped in a world of silence, comforted by the warm blanket of sleep. Dreams filtered through my head, though none of them remained longer than a brief moment. Then something tickled the inside of my mind, a sweet and melodious sensation that brought my dreams to full excitement.

Suddenly I awoke from the middle of a wet dream...literally, blinking as the melody that had filled my head continued to fill my ears. It was calling to me, calling to me as it had in the dreams.

Though I was confused, I slowly slid out of my sleeping hole, looking around and listening to the music. The music that was calling to me, filling my body with... With what, I wasn't sure.

I followed the call into the sky...the water above the city, pausing for a moment as I stared at a sight unlike any that I'd ever seen...or even imagined. A sight that filled me with complete awe...as well as other emotions that seemed to overwhelm me.

There were merfolk...lots and lots of merfolk, all swimming around in circles, with more of them coming up from the city to join the...dance. Each of them was glowing, painted with decorations and what looked like war paint, with what seemed to be that glowing algae that was all over. And they were singing. The sound that had awoken me...had called for me, it was coming from them.

Without consciously thinking about it, I started moving up towards the dancing merfolk, unable to deny the calling that I felt...the urge to join them. I had no idea what was going on, or why I felt like I did. I just knew that there was this...irresistible need.

Suddenly there was another mermaid beside me, though I didn't know if she'd just got there or had been there for a little longer. It took me a moment to realize that it was Streak since she had glowing stripes painted along her face...and her breasts. She stared at me for just a second with a strange expression.

"What's going on...?" I asked in a daze, barely able to focus on her at all.

Without a word, Streak lifted her hand which was holding a blob of the algae. Then she silently reached out and smeared some along my face, catching me by surprise. However, I didn't resist as she smeared more on my face, then down on my breasts, forming some sort of decorative design. All of this was done in a matter of seconds.

As soon as she'd finished, Streak quickly shot off to join the others in whatever was going on. I only hesitated a moment more before the call grew too much to resist. A moment later, I was in the middle of the dance of merfolk...instinctively adding my own voice to the song.

I swirled around, caught in the activity that surrounded me...that filled me. Then, as I caught sight of some merfolk pairing off, I suddenly realized that it wasn't a dance that I was in the middle of...it was an orgy.

Though I was somewhat surprised at the realization, I was so caught up in it...in the song that filled my very being, at the overwhelming instinct to continue that I didn't...couldn't pull away. The emotions that burned through me were deep, powerful and primal. I could barely even bring myself to consider it.

Then, before I was even aware of it, there was a merman right up in my face. And there was little thought in my reaction, only instinct...and the song. I was pressed up against him, just as a flap in his groin area pushed out of the way and a penis emerged. A moment later, he was pressed firmly against me...and inside of me.

I had no idea how long we remained locked together, especially since time seemed to have lost all meaning. However, we eventually broke apart, almost as if on a single thought, then we both drifted away from each other, with me still being highly dazed.

Afterwards, I somehow made my way back into the sleeping hole, curled up into the seaweed and fell into a deep sleep almost at once.

--------------------

I was still in shock from what I'd done the night before, hardly able to believe that I could have been involved in something like that. Something so...primal that it had overwhelmed my conscious mind, almost forcing me to join the others.

Was that what being part of a riot was like? Being so overwhelmed by the primal emotions that you lose all control of yourself, existing only as part of the group? It was scary, very scary at how easily I'd been pulled in.

"What have I done?" I cried out quietly, doing so in the song that I'd already grown used to.

I closed my eyes, rubbing absently at my crotch, covered by the scaly flap. I'd...I'd actually had sex with a man...with a fish. That was something I'd never expected...nor imagined I could do. And worse yet, I wasn't nearly as horrified at it as I should have been.

There was no doubt that it was the song that had driven me to it. I wasn't responsible. It was the song. And of course there were the mermaid hormones and instincts that it had probably latched onto. I wasn't myself during the...dance, which made it much easier to accept.

Looking down at myself, I frowned, "What's one more freaky thing after all this?"

Just then, Streak showed up, staring at me intently for a moment before saying "I had not thought you would remain long enough for the calling."

I just nodded, at least having a name for that strange ritual from the night before. "It was...strange," I answered quietly.

She just remained silent for a few more seconds before finally announcing, "You are with child."

"What?" I gasped, staring at her in confusion and shock.

Before I could even ask her how she could know something like that, Streak told me, "Your eyes have changed color. That is a sure sign."

That was more than a little shocking and all I could do was stare at her in silence, not doubting that she was correct. It seemed impossible, but if anyone should know her people's strange biology, it would be her.

"Just one more freaky thing," I reminded myself.

I looked down at my stomach and frowned, then stared back at Streak, noticing for the first time that her eyes had changed color as well. It looked like I wasn't the only one who'd gotten knocked up the night before.

"When will it end?" I whispered. As weird as everything had been since I first met Ms. G, it had only gotten weirder and weirder. "When will it end?"

---------------------

It had been several days since the calling, as Streak had called it, and I was still feeling somewhat confused. Even with the song and hormones, I had yet to totally accept my actions...my complete lack of self-control. It was as if I had become an animal that night...a spawning fish.

I patted at my stomach for a moment, frowning as I did so. Streak said that I was pregnant, and I had no reason's to doubt her, as strange as that was. However, I didn't feel any different at all, which made it a little hard to take seriously. It just didn't feel real yet.

To my surprise, Streak had started acting a little more friendly towards me, no longer calling me the 'strange one'. Obviously it was because I'd undergone the calling, which I suspected made her think of me more as one of her own people. However, she was still obviously not pleased at having to remain my guide, for who knew how long.

That only changed the direction of my thoughts. I stared out across the merfolk city. It was certainly interesting, filled with strange creatures and customs. However, it wasn't home. It wasn't the world that I knew, filled with noisy cars and humans.

At that moment, I knew that I could never go home again, at least not back to the way it had been. I was dead. My body was gone, as were my job and family. That left me with little back in the real world, yet I still wanted to go back there. That was the place where I belonged. As fascinating as the underwater kingdom was...it wasn't home.

"There's no place like home," I muttered, glancing down at my blue scaly tail and realizing that even if I did have a pair of ruby slippers, I still didn't have anything to put them on.

I remained where I was, still watching the scenery, and the merfolk darting about their business. It only made me miss my own world even more. That might have been a great place to visit, but I didn't want to live there. They didn't even have TV, movies or good music.

Then, almost on cue, I noticed a bubble coming towards me, a bubble that I almost immediately recognized as holding Aelaeryn. She came within range, surrounded by the same air bubble as before, still clutching the glowing green marble and looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Greetings Taylor," she said, stopping just in front of me.

"It's the insect girl," Streak's voice came from behind me. And before I could even turn around, Streak swam past, then circled around to the other side, staring at Aelaeryn for a moment.

Aelaeryn nodded faintly at Streak before turning her full attention to me. "We have news for you." Her voice sounded somewhat sad.

"News...?" I asked nervously, flickering my tail slightly. The last time that she'd brought news, it was that my body was dead. I just hoped that it was better this time.

"Just a moment," Aelaeryn told me with a faint smile. "I must contact the Gray One first."

A moment later, the surface of Aelaeryn's bubble had clouded over again, with the image of Ms. G appearing.

I gulped nervously. "Um...hi." I squeaked.

"Hello again," Ms. G started quietly. "As promised, I have found a way to return you to your own world."

That brightened me up and I gasped, "How?"

Ms. G's face nodded slightly. "Another visitor ignored warnings from the guide...and attempted to pet a griffin." Ms. G shuddered slightly. "It was quite...unpleasant."

My eyes went wide in horror, "Oh God. What the hell kind of business do you run? First me, then this other person..."

At that, Ms. G looked hurt, and I felt just a little bad about that...but not much. "Such accidents are exceptionally rare," she told me finally, "especially occurring so close to each other. However, both were caused by...carelessness on the parts of those wearing the bodies. There was little that we could do for either case."

I just nodded, still not feeling great about it, but at least relieved that I could go home. "All right," I whispered.

"You do understand that we can only return you to your own world," Ms. G asked gently, "not your old life?"

With a faint nod, I tried to keep the pain away. There was no point in crying about losing my life, I told myself, though I didn't really believe it. Still, at least I was still alive, which was something.

"How soon?" I asked quietly, glancing at Streak who was watching with fascination.

"Immediately if you are ready," Ms. G answered.

"And..." I looked down at myself with a frown, feeling incredibly embarrassed. "Um," I blushed, "Will being...pregnant effect this?"

Ms. G looked a little surprised but shook her head. "No...it will not." She sighed, "The other visitor is desperate to return to his home world. If becoming a pregnant mermaid is the only way...he will adapt."

I gulped, glancing over at Streak who was watching curiously, with a faint smile. I suspected that she was just glad to get rid of me...and her guide duties. Then she frowned suddenly, probably realizing that she'd get stuck playing guide to the new person in that body as well.

"I guess this is goodbye," I told Streak, holding out my hand. She just looked at it curiously, obviously not having heard the custom of shaking hands. With a sigh, I pulled my hand back, "Thank you for all of your help."

"It was...interesting," Streak responded, smiling at me. Then to my surprise, she threw her arms around me in a hug. Once she was done, she told me, "Now go...but do not forget me."

I looked back at the bubble, this time not at Ms. G, but Aelaeryn who was inside of it. "Thanks," I told the pixie. Then I looked back at Ms. G, "I'm ready."

A moment later, everything suddenly exploded into blue...then reality dropped away.

--------------------

I was suddenly standing in the middle of a room, one which I immediately recognized as the back room of the Travel Agency. Ms. G was even standing a short distance away, holding a wooden staff in her hands.

"Oh God..." I squeaked, speaking English again rather than the merfolk singing.

Then, I collapsed to the ground, my legs feeling rubbery, strange after having a tail instead for a week. I remained on the floor for a moment, wiggling my toes and amazed that I had toes again. It was wonderful.

A moment later, I got back to my feet, still feeling a little unbalanced on my legs, but quickly getting used to having them. And as I looked down to get a good look at myself, I gasped, seeing a pair of breasts pushing out from my chest.

"Not again...," I gasped, my eyes going wide in shock as I realized that Ms. G had put me in the body of a woman. A body that I was supposed to spend the rest of my life again. "You turned me into a girl," I glared at her.

Ms. G nodded, "It was the only body available."

I grimaced, glaring down at my body, not pleased but realizing that I'd better get used to it. Then again, at least I was human again, and back in my own world. I'd adapted to being a mermaid so it couldn't be nearly as difficult to adapt to being a girl. And after having a pair of tits for the past week, I barely noticed the weight from the smaller ones that I now possessed.

Looking back at Ms. G, I decided that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to complain too much either. She could have just left me where I was, and if she got mad, she might even turn me into a frog or something. At least I was back.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly looked around the storage room, noticing that the circle that I was still standing in wasn't the same one that I had gone through before. It was a circle of silvery powder, with intricate triangles and symbols all around it. There were even several symbols and smaller circles on the outside of it.

"Why's everything so different this time?" I asked Ms. G curiously, slowly stepping out of the circle.

Ms. G stared back, looking exhausted though it was the first time that I noticed it. Then I saw her eyes staring back at me. They seemed...old. Her body only looked like late teens or early twenties, but the eyes looked...much, much older.

"That is because I had to use a different spell than before," Ms. G finally answered, stifling a yawn as she set the staff against the wall.

I blinked, "Why was that?"

She was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful, as if trying to organize her thoughts. "The spell that I use for my vacationers is difficult and complex, but it only allows exchanges for no more than a month at the most before reversing." Ms. G paused for a second, then continued, "I could not use that on you and my other customer as you both would have returned to your previous bodies."

For a moment, I just stared at her, realizing that this wouldn't have been a good thing.

"So, due to your unique situations," Ms. G told me, "I had to create a completely new spell. It was very difficult to do so." She paused again, letting what she said soak in before continuing, "This one is highly complex and requires a great deal more energy to perform. I had to grab the shattered remnants of your original spells and cross them together, tricking the magics into thinking that I was returning you to your original bodies, making it permanent."

"Oh," I answered slowly, not completely sure of what Ms. G had just told me, though getting the basic idea.

Ms. G smiled weakly, "It was extremely difficult to perform...and exhausting."

I just nodded and looked around nervously before going into the main office with Ms. G. With a glance down at myself, I frowned, wondering who I was now. What I really looked like. All I could tell was that I was a slender white girl, probably around 5 foot 5 from my comparison with Ms. G.

Ms. G went behind the counter and told me, "Just a minute."

Several minutes later, she handed me a paper bag, stating, "This is a full refund...plus something extra for your difficulties. Once again, I apologize for these events."

I glanced inside the bag and my eyes went wide as I saw several stacks of bills, held together with rubber bands. And though I didn't take the time to count it, I couldn't help noticing that the tops of the stacks were hundreds. If all of those were hundreds, there was a hell of a lot of money in that bag. I later learned that it was half a million.

With a gulp, I looked back at Ms. G, who still looked apologetic...and tired. She handed me a business card...identical to the one that I'd originally been given. Without a word, accepted it, still trying to think of what to say about the money. It was probably just to keep me from suing them, but somehow, I doubted that a lawsuit would go very far against a company that could do what this one did.

"And don't forget your purse," she told me, gesturing to a black purse on the end of the counter.

After picking up the purse, I gulped, looking back at her. "Um...thank you."

With that, I quickly left the Travel Agency, nearly shaking as I did so. I barely glanced back, half afraid that the place would just vanish, though it was still there.

As I walked down the sidewalk, having no idea of where I was going, I finally stopped realizing that the answers to some of my questions were right in front of me. Or right on the side of me, I corrected, reaching into the purse and pulling out the wallet.

A moment later, I stared at the driver’s license, gasping, "I'm only 17?" I blinked at that in surprise, and then read off my name, "Carrie Louise Adams." I was 5 foot 5 and brunette, with only shoulder length hair. "At least it's not blue," I muttered, wiggling my toes again to verify that they were still there.

Then, I found the student ID card which said that Carrie...I was a senior at Redrock High School. The same school that I'd just graduated from two years earlier. I frowned at that, definitely not liking the idea of going back, but knowing that I'd need a diploma if I wanted to do anything afterwards. At least the school wouldn't be too tough since I already knew it and the teachers.

A moment later, I started towards the bus station, deciding that I really should get 'home', or at least to the address on my driver’s license. I knew that there were going to be quite a few things to learn and get used to, and that was the place I was going to have to start.

And as I started, I couldn't help thinking about Streak and the mermaid city. About all of the incredible things that I'd seen down there. It had been amazing and I knew that I would definitely miss it, though I was still glad to be back in my own world.

"Who would have thought it," I mused quietly, surprised to find myself missing the one thing that I'd been afraid of more than anything else. Water.

With a smile, I decided that I didn't have to lose the water for good. There was no reason at all that I couldn't learn to scuba dive. The thought didn't send shivers of panic up my spine as it would have before, but excitement instead. I guessed that I was finally over my aquaphobia.

"I wonder if there are any spots on the school swim team," I mused to myself, deciding to live in the present, not the past.

At that, I held up the business card that Ms. G had given me, realizing that they actually had done something good for me, even if it wasn't intentional. Still....I had absolutely no intention of trusting my life to them again. With that thought, I opened my fingers, letting the card fall to the ground while I continued walking away.

THE END

A young man goes to the Travel Agency for vacation and trades places with a woman from a fantasy world, giving both a of them a whole new perspective on things. This story was originally written and posted in 2001

--------------------

Quinn stood silently, staring at the office in front of him. The windows
were all covered with pictures of exotic destinations and foreign
cities, all appropriate since it was a travel agency. There seemed to be
no name for it though, just The Travel Agency, painted on the window in
clear view.

"So many places..." Quinn whispered to himself, the first words that he
had spoken all day. Then again, what was the use of talking if there was
no one besides himself to hear.

For a moment Quinn just stared at the ground, frowning to himself.
Somehow he knew that he could go to every place that they offered, but
nothing would really change. He'd come back, back to the same empty
apartment, to the same meaningless job. Nothing ever changed.

At 25 Quinn had many regrets. Sometimes it seemed as that those were all
that he had. And unfortunately, those times seemed to be growing more
frequent. It was because of that, because he needed a change of scenery,
even a temporary one, that he was there.

Then Quinn looked back at the door and slowly started towards it,
feeling rather nervous, and even excited. It wasn't the first time that
he'd come there. He had been there just several days earlier, noticing
it while walking past. However it wasn't the discovery of the Travel
Agency, which Quinn remembered most clearly, it was what had happened
once he had gone inside.

Quinn remembered the strange man that was inside, the man who'd
introduced himself as Mr. G. The man who had offered Quinn a chance to
travel to some place different, some place magical. Mr. G had even shown
him something amazing, making a crystal ball float in the air. That had
been all the proof that Quinn had needed, and minutes later, he had
signed up for one of those trips. For one of the 'special' vacation
packages. That was why he had returned.

"I hope I'm not too early," Quinn muttered, glancing down at his cheap
watch before stepping inside.

A moment later Quinn looked around the office, seeing an overweight and
balding man behind the counter, while a teenage black boy was sitting in
a chair off to the side. Quinn only recognized one of the two... the man
behind the counter. It was Mr. G.

"I'm here for my trip," Quinn told the man behind the counter, feeling
nervous as he did so.

Mr. G looked up and smiled. "Good. I have everything ready."

"What do I have to do?" Quinn asked quietly.

"I shall take care of everything," Mr. G told him patiently. "Once you
arrive in the other world, you will inhabit someone else's body for the
two weeks that you are there. A guide will be provided for you, just as
he is for your exchange." With that Mr. G gestured to the black teen,
who nodded faintly.

With that Mr. G gestured for Quinn to follow him, then went into door in
the back. A minute later Quinn stood inside the other room, looking
around in surprise. There was some sort of powder sprinkled on the
floor, in the shape of a large circle.

"Stand within," Mr. G instructed. As soon as Quinn had done so, feeling
a little ridiculous, Mr. G continued, "and I hope that you enjoy your
vacation."

Suddenly Mr. G slammed a wooden staff into the ground at the edge of the
circle and everything exploded into blue light. Reality dropped away
from Quinn, as did all of his senses.

Quinn had no idea how long he was out since there was no point of
reference. It could easily have been the tiniest fraction of a second...
or even months. The timeless limbo quickly ended though and his senses
suddenly returned.

At first Quinn remained where he was, lying on the ground, aware of the
sunlight on his skin, of birds chirping in the distance and the light
touch of a breeze against his skin. Then there were the strange
sensations coming from his own body, the ones that made him hesitate
before opening his eyes and facing whatever... or whoever he had become.

Frowning slightly Quinn stood up and looked around, noticing that he was
in a grassy clearing, though there were lots of trees all around it, as
well as enormous mountains a short distance away. After looking around
he realized that he was in a large valley between the mountains.

Then Quinn finally looked down at himself, surprised at what he saw. His
chest... his chest was pushing out into what were obviously a pair of
women's breasts, covered by a somewhat ragged green shirt. He blinked
several times, then continued looking himself over, seeing that his
whole body was dressed in green and brown cloth, as well as lots of
brown leather, all of which covered his body up fairly well. However a
nervous pat at his crotch revealed that the familiar organ was missing.

With a cautious pat at his breasts, Quinn mused, "Interesting." He
certainly hadn't expected to be turned into a woman, though he knew that
he shouldn't have been too surprised. With a wry smile he muttered, "I
suppose that two weeks won't hurt."

Quinn patted at his shirt and pants, then looked at the bare skin on
sleeveless arms. The arms were both well toned, with a light tan that
revealed that they had spent a bit of time in the sun. There were even
several slight scars, though the arms were still definitely those of a
woman.

Turning his attention to the hands Quinn held them up in front of him
and stared curiously. They were definitely feminine hands with nails
that were longer than his own had been, though without a trace of
polish. And when he looked at the palms of his hands he found that they
were a little callused, obviously not the hands of some pampered
princess.

Once he was done examining his hands, Quinn reached behind him and felt
the hair that went down to his shoulder blades. Then pulling some of it
into view, he saw that it was a very dark brown. A moment later he ran
his hands over his face, not finding anything that felt strange... other
than that it was obviously the face of a woman.

Quinn frowned for a moment, not because he was obviously in the body of
a woman, but because he'd expected to trade bodies with someone a little
more... exotic. After all, Mr. G had said that most of the people around
there were mythological creatures, though he had admitted that there
were a number of humans as well.

After a moment Quinn stood where he was, taking a long look at his
surroundings and frowning as he did so. Something didn't look quite
right, though he couldn't place exactly what that was. Or was that many
small somethings? Then again, he reminded himself, he wasn't in his own
world anymore either.

With that Quinn started to slowly walk around the grassy area that he
was in, unable to shake the nagging feeling that there was something
really wrong with his environment. However he put that out of his mind
as he looked around.

Then Quinn noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and snapped
around, startled to see a figure moving towards him, having come out of
the trees. As it got closer, he could see that it was a woman, or at
least looked like a woman.

She was dressed in reddish-brown clothes and tanned leather, with
shoulder length light brown hair and appeared to be in her late teens or
early twenties, though Quinn couldn't quite be sure. And then he noticed
the weapon that was strapped on her back, which he thought was better
than pointed at him. It was a crossbow.

However there was one thing about the strange woman... or whatever she
was, that really caught Quinn's attention. Her size. The woman didn't
even come up to his waist. In fact it looked like she only came up to
his mid thigh or so.

"Greetings," the tiny woman called out, holding up hand, "I am Chiandra
Treebrook."

Quinn stared down at her, amazed at how small she was. Then he shook it
off, feeling a little embarrassed. "Hi," he answered slowly, "my name's
Quinn."

The woman... Chiandra smiled broadly, "Welcome to our world," she
beamed, "I am to be your guide."

Not sure of what else to say, Quinn nodded, "Thank you."

"Here," Chiandra said, pulling something out of her leather bag and
holding it up, "put this on."

It took Quinn a moment to realize that it was a bracelet or arm bracer
of some sort. With a frown he crouched down; both to be on a more equal
position with Chiandra and so that he could take the arm bracer. As soon
as he'd accepted it, he frowned.

"This isn't going to fit me," Quinn told her gently.

Chiandra just smiled, "I was told that it adjusts to the size of
whomever wears it. It is a symbol that you are a visitor so that others
will not trouble you." Then she added, almost as an afterthought, "Or at
least most others, for as long as you don't trouble them."

Quinn nodded silently, though he stared at the bracelet skeptically
before he tried putting it on. Almost immediately the metal seemed to
melt... flowing up his hand and wrapping around his wrist. When it
solidified again, it was in the shape of a bracelet, much wider around
than it had been so that it would fit his wrist, but much shorter as
well. Instead of covering half his forearm as it looked like it was
designed to for someone of her size, it fit more like a wristwatch.

"It fits," Quinn muttered in surprise.

The tiny woman just laughed at that, then gestured, "Come with me. I
will take you to the village and a place where you may stay while you
are here."

Quinn nodded and followed behind the tiny woman, who seemed rather
cheerful. She even hummed as they walked along, with her moving at a
rapid pace so that Quinn didn't feel as though he was standing still.

Finally, after watching Chiandra for a little while, Quinn just had to
ask the question, "What are you anyway? I mean, what species?"

Chiandra paused and looked up at him with a proud smile, "I'm a human."

"Human?" Quinn choked out in disbelief. "That's impossible. You can't be
a human, you're so small..."

Chiandra just laughed at that, obviously very amused. "I'm not small,"
she finally answered, "you're just very large." Then Chiandra grinned
broadly, "You are a giant after all. Or is that giantess..."

For a moment Quinn just stared at Chiandra in disbelief, then slowly
started to look around him again. This time, he was able to realize what
was wrong with his surroundings. They were too small. The trees didn't
look as large as he thought they should, and the grass all looked so
much smaller than was normal.

Finally, Quinn just shook his head in amazement, "A giantess..." That
was going to take some getting used to.

---

There had been a flash of blue, followed by a confusion that overwhelmed
all senses. At least those were the last things that Kestra remembered
as she slowly came to in a strange place.

Kestra slowly stood up, blinking as she looked around at the flat walls
on all sides, then the fat man just a short distance away, holding a
wooden staff in his hands. It only took a moment for her to recognize
the staff as that of a mage.

"You are a mage," Kestra said slowly, surprised by the sound of her own
voice.

Looking down she blinked, startled to see that she appeared to be in the
body of a man. A thin man at that, wearing strange clothes unlike any
that she'd ever seen.

"Welcome to this world," the fat man greeted her with a smile, "you may
call me Mr. G while here."

"You are the Gray One," Kestra exclaimed in realization. He just nodded
faintly. "And you are my size..."

Kestra moved closer to him, realizing that he was perhaps just a tiny
bit taller than she was. That was a strange occurrence as she rarely
encountered anyone that was even close to her size unless they were of
her own people. And even then, she rarely encountered another one of her
kind.

Mr. G smiled faintly, "Of course. Your host body is that of a human, as
is my own."

"Oh," Kestra responded, feeling a little surprised, though she quickly
reminded herself that she had expected as much since the Gray One's
messenger had told her a little of what to expect. She took another look
around the room she was inside before asking, "How soon may I explore
this world?"

"Immediately," Mr. G answered, gesturing for her to follow him through a
door. A moment later she was inside another strange room where Mr. G
stated, "Here is your guide."

With that Kestra noticed a strange creature stand up. He was just a
little shorter than her and looked completely human except that his skin
was a very dark brown. She had heard of humans with darker skin, but
never one of that shade. Then again, she was no expert on humans either,
usually preferring to avoid their kind.

"Hey," the dark skinned stranger said, "the name's Sam." He held out his
hand.

"Kestra," she responded slowly.

Kestra wasn't sure why he was holding out her hand, then he let out a
sigh and grabbed her own hand in his and held it for a moment. "We call
it shaking hands," Sam told her. Then Sam continued, "Nice name, but it
might attract a little less notice if I called you something like Kenny
or... Kester while you're here. That sounds a bit more like a guy's
name."

"Sam will show you around while you are here," Mr. G told Kestra gently.
"I hope that you enjoy your time here, but please remember, there are a
great many dangers here that you are not used to. Sam will keep you
advised of those."

With a faint snort Kestra didn't bother to pay any attention to Mr. G's
warning, doubting that there was anything short of a dragon for her to
be worried about. Instead, she looked at the door, impatient to get
going and see the strange new world.

A minute later Kestra followed Sam out the door, barely noticing Mr. G
shaking his head sadly behind them.

As soon as they were outside Kestra looked around in amazement, unable
to believe the amount of buildings and stone that were within sight. And
the people. The people surprised her the most, all of them being
somewhat close to her own size. And none of them... not a single person
was staring at her in horror or running away screaming.

Sam just grinned, "C'mon man, I'll take you on a bit of a tour before we
get to where your host lives. Then" he winked at her, "We'll really do
all the sights."

However Kestra just stared around her in amazement, still in shock by
the human's reactions. By the fact that none of them seemed to be giving
her a second look. By the fact that there were so many of them, all the
same size as her. It was almost overwhelming.

"You all right?" Sam asked, sounding just a little concerned.

Kestra nodded faintly, gulping as she looked up at the buildings, the
stone buildings that seemed to stretch up to the very sky itself. She'd
never imagined that any construction could possibly be so... enormous.
Between that and the dozens of people within sight who were her own
size, she was beginning to feel something that she'd never felt in her
entire life. She was beginning to feel... small.

"I am... fine," Kestra assured Sam with a grunt, regaining her composure
and adding, "everything is so different... So strange..."

Sam just laughed at that, slapping Kestra on the back and catching her
by surprise when he did so. "Man, you have no idea." Then with a grin,
he added, "I think a taxi ride is in order."

Then still feeling somewhat in awe, Kestra followed behind her guide,
not sure what a taxi was, but eager to find just what other wonders that
strange world possessed.

---

Quinn sat on the hay covered ground with his legs crossed, hunched over
a little so that his head did not hit the rafters of the barn that he
was within. Chiandra stood several feet away, looking up at him with a
smile, though she did look just a little awed.

"I'm not used to being around giants," Chiandra answered when Quinn
asked her about it.

"But I'm not really a giant," Quinn told her, still not sure that he
believed it himself. He sure didn't feel any different, at least other
than being in the body of a woman. That was strange enough, but to be
about 18 feet tall on top of that...

Chiandra nodded, "Perhaps not inside, though your body most assuredly
is." Then she gestured at the barn around them, smiling, "I have
prepared my uncle's barn for your use as long as you are here." After
pausing a moment, Chiandra added, "I fear that it is all that you would
fit inside."

"It's all right," Quinn sighed, glancing at the make shift bed. "Just
not quite what I'm used to." He sighed, beginning to regret his decision
to come, though it had to be better than staying home.

Just a short while ago they had come to a large farming area and
Chiandra had led him straight into the large barn that was away from any
other construction. He was surprised to find that it had been set up
inside much like a bedroom, though without any of the modern
conveniences he was used to.

"The owner of that body lives in the mountains," Chiandra told me, "and
I am sure that her home might be better suited. However," she grinned,
"her home is rather out of the way."

Quinn just nodded, feeling rather strange as he looked down on the tiny
Chiandra, still having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that
she was the normal sized one. Or at least she claimed she was, and with
everything else he'd seen, he was inclined to believe her.

Then Chiandra announced, "I'll go and gather some food for our meal and
will be back in awhile." With that she grinned and winked at Quinn, just
before vanishing out the barn door.

For a minute Quinn just remained frozen where he was, staring both at
the door and then down at himself. He frowned for a moment, then with
one more glance at the barn door, he started to take off his clothes,
dying to know what he looked like without them.

"It's my body now," he told himself to cover his embarrassment, "at
least for the next two weeks."

It didn't take Quinn very long before he was naked and staring at
himself in amazement. His body was definitely all woman, much to his
mixed feelings. Most of his skin wasn't tanned quite like his arms,
though his body was all firm and shapely, almost athletic from the well-
toned muscle.

Quinn slowly ran his hands over his smooth skin and his breasts, which
looked like they were around a C up. However he couldn't be certain,
especially since he knew that his whole size made normal measurements
difficult. Then he finally looked between his legs, seeing that even
that was all feminine.

After he had finished looking himself over, Quinn reluctantly started
putting his clothes back on, deciding that he didn't want to get caught
with his pants down... literally. He wanted to be fully dressed when
Chiandra came back.

There was one thing that Quinn had learned from his self-exploration
though, and that was other than size, his body appeared to be entirely
human. But then again, he reminded himself that he had only been able to
see his outside, and had no idea what kind of organs there might be
inside of himself.

Chiandra came back some time later, making enough noise so that Quinn
was well aware of her presence before she came in through the barn door.
Then she handed Quinn a large burlap sack that contained his dinner of
six large steaks, 3 large baked potatoes and some sort of yellowish
apple-like fruits. And it still only looked like a somewhat small meal.

While Quinn ate, Chiandra talked almost non-stop, seeming to grin the
entire time. Quinn just frowned slightly and ate, knowing that such a
cheerful optimist would normally annoy him, but somehow Chiandra
actually seemed to lighten the mood.

"So," Quinn's guide asked cheerfully, "what are you really like? I mean,
what do you look like in your world?"

Quinn was just a little embarrassed to admit, "I'm a guy. A man."

"I figured that," Chiandra responded, "I mean, from the way you grabbed
at yourself after coming here." She grinned again, taking a bite out of
one of the yellow apples that she'd brought with her.

It was relatively silent for the next several minutes before Chiandra
asked, "Do you have a family name, or is one name all that your people
use?" She looked sincerely curious as she stared up at Quinn.

For a moment Quinn just sat there, not sure exactly how to respond, or
even if he should. Finally though the sincere look on Chiandra's face
convinced him to tell her. He just hoped that she wouldn't laugh.

"Quinn is my last name," he told her with a slightly frown. "My full
name is Boliver Wendell Quinn." He winced as he said it, remembering how
much shit he used to get back in school because of his name. "I prefer
to just be called Quinn."

Chiandra just nodded, "Then Quinn it is."

Once Quinn had finished eating Chiandra announced, "If you are ready, we
can go into the town so I can show you where it's at."

Quinn thought about it for a moment, not sure that he wanted to be
around a lot of people but he nodded agreement. After all, he decided,
he was on his vacation so he might as well see the sights.

And as they were getting up to leave, Chiandra looked back at him with a
nervous expression, "I have to warn you," she started slowly, "they
might not take to you well in the village. We don't get many giants
around and don't really get along with them." Then Chiandra quickly
assured Quinn, "But I've already warned them that you aren't a real
giant and the Gray One's bracelet will make them leave you alone."

Then Quinn thought he heard a faint, "I hope," though he wasn't sure.

"What..." Quinn asked, but Chiandra was already out the door.

A minute later Quinn was outside of the barn and noticed Chiandra
sitting a short distance away, on top of a spotted gray horse. She waved
at Quinn to follow then started off in a trot. He hesitated only a
moment before shrugging and following after her.

Chiandra led Quinn past some large farmed fields and areas with sheep,
goats and cows roaming around inside. However she made sure to keep him
out of the way as they followed a dirt road, if it could even be called
that.

It didn't take long before Chiandra announced, "We're here," though
Quinn didn't need her to tell him that.

Just a short distance in front of them Quinn saw a walled town, with
wooden walls that reached up to Quinn's breasts. There were even people
standing atop the walls, armed with what looked like crossbows. And
then, Quinn could see the houses and buildings within, though without
much detail from that distance.

As they got a little closer, Quinn was startled to realize that the
people outside the walls all stared at him in horror... then ran as fast
as they could. Some darting for the rapidly closing village gate, while
others just ran away from him. Then he noticed that the guards were
aiming their crossbows at him.

"What's going on?" Quinn gasped in surprise at their reaction.

Chiandra just scowled for the first time since Quinn had met her some
hours earlier. "Stay here," she told him firmly, "I'll deal with this."
And with that Chiandra rode ahead, stopping just a short distance from
the now closed gate.

"Stand back!" one man dressed in brown leathers called from the top of
the wall, "We will deal with this monster."

Quinn just stared at him in shock, not sure how come he was being called
a monster. However he didn't take his eyes off of all the weapons that
were aimed at him, perhaps a dozen sets of crossbows or bows and arrows.
He wasn't sure to be frightened at the weapons... or amused. Being as
small as they were, they just didn't really look like anything more than
toys.

"She is with me!" Chiandra called out, sounding pissed. "You were told
that a visitor from the other world would be coming in the body of a
giant. Now put down those weapons you idiots, and open these gates."

There was complete silence from the gate for several minutes while
several of the armed people atop it talked with others below and out of
sight. Finally, one of them yelled out, "Come closer giant... and keep
your hands up. Show the Gray One's token."

Quinn did as the armed man said, feeling extremely nervous as he held
out the arm with the bracelet on it. They continued to stare at Quinn
for a minute, as well as at Chiandra. He could see fear cross several of
the men's faces, though the one who had yelled the instructions seemed
stern and self-controlled.

"I'm not here to cause any trouble," Quinn announced nervously. "My name
is Quinn."

"I told you," Chiandra yelled, "she's safe, now open these gates Orwen."

With that the stern man whom Chiandra had yelled to... Orwen called out,
"You may be a visitor, but you are still a giant as far as I am
concerned, and I do not trust you. But since you are a visitor, we will
let you inside."

Quinn let out a sigh of relief, but then Orwen continued, "But remember,
should it become necessary, we can defend ourselves. We have poisoned
crossbow bolts."

Then as the gates started to open, Chiandra gave Quinn a quick grin,
then gestured for him to follow.

As Quinn walked past Orwen at the gates, he actually looked Orwen
straight in the face, since the man was using the wall for height. He
nodded at Orwen and gave a weak smile, only getting a stern...
suspicious glare back.

"Don't worry," Chiandra told Quinn, "I'm sure that they'll get used to
you." However her tone betrayed her own doubts.

Quinn just paused and looked around the village nervously, seeing that
there were a number of stone and wooden buildings, some of them being
two or even three stories tall, though only a very few. Then there were
the people, most of them quickly dodging out of view or closing
shutters.

With a sigh Quinn just shook his head while Chiandra yelled out,
"Cowards. She's not going to hurt you." Then Chiandra turned to Quinn
with an apologetic, "You are the first giant that most of us have seen
and we've heard bad stories about giants."

Frowning slightly Quinn nodded, "I understand."

Chiandra didn't waste much time though before she tied her horse up and
started walking down the sidewalk, pointing things out to Quinn. "That's
the inn," she told him, "and the there's the smithy..."

While they went on their tour of the village Quinn stared at everything
around him in amazement, surprised at the way people were terrified of
him when he hadn't done anything. Most of the people quickly disappeared
from view or stared at him from the safety of a window, though there
were still some who were brave enough to at least remain in sight.
Either that, he realized, or drunk.

Everything looked almost as if it came straight out of the middle ages,
though there were discrepancies. At least, he was sure, against the real
middle ages. Some of the clothes were strange, as was some of the
architecture. He even noticed several horses that were of slightly...
odd colors. One that looked like a zebra and one that was a dark shade
of green. But still, the village was definitely primitive compared to
modern standards.

"Interesting," Quinn mused, paying special attention to where he
stepped.

After a short while Quinn paused, noticing a little girl who was around
5 or so, standing off to the side playing. He slowly bent down and
smiled at her gently, pleased when she started to give a weak return
smile.

Suddenly a woman came out of nowhere, giving Quinn a nervous look before
exclaiming, "Come on Gwenneth, it's time for dinner." It sounded just a
little forced though and she quickly pulled the girl through a door.

Chiandra gave Quinn another apologetic look, but that didn't make him
feel too much better. He'd taken the vacation to get away from his life
where he felt like an outsider, only to become one even more extremely.
With a sigh he slumped over, feeling extremely small and insignificant
yet again.

The rest of the tour through the town wasn't quite as exciting, though
Chiandra certainly tried to make it so. When they finally finished and
almost immediately left town, at Quinn's insistence, he was greatly
relieved, though seriously afraid that his decision to come had been a
big mistake. Yet one more in what seemed almost like an endless line of
them.

---

Kestra let out a sigh as she stared from the window, still in awe of
everything beyond it. She had been there in the human's home for a short
while, left there by Sam after they had looked around the city for most
of the day.

Shaking her head Kestra could barely believe the immense size of the
human city, never before having imagined such buildings. Such towers
that reached up to the very clouds, and so many of them as well. There
was no doubt that such a city could only have been built using the most
powerful of magics, even if Sam had told her otherwise.

Then there were the people. Kestra had seen humans everywhere; more
humans than she ever would have believed existed. She suspected that
every human in that strange world lived right there in that city.

And what was the strangest thing, at least as far as Kestra was
concerned, was that she was around so many humans, and none of them paid
her any attention. None of them ran away screaming or charged at her in
an attack. They reacted as if she was no different than they were, which
was a strange... almost comforting experience.

"So many my own size," Kestra mused, staring out the window again at the
people below, all of them looking tiny again from her height. However
she knew that none of them were. They were all just as tall as she
was...as strange as that seemed. "And none of them were affright..."

Kestra slowly turned from the window and looked around the home of the
one whose body she was using. Apparently, the Gray One... Mr. G had
offered to set her up in an inn, but the one who's body she was in had
allowed her to use his own domicile instead.

"Such luxury..." Kestra whispered, staring at the strange furniture,
which was obviously of the highest quality. Such soft chairs and items
which were made of materials that she didn't recognize.

Then Kestra remembered Sam's earlier comments that even he didn't live
in such a slum... whatever that was, making her wonder if all the
wealthy human merchant's lived in such wondrous slums.

However Kestra wasn't completely sure that she liked the idea of so many
clustered together so tightly. Though the idea was fascinating,
everything did look a little constricted and she couldn't even see any
forests or mountains from the streets.

After a minute of slowly looking around her host's home, Kestra looked
out the window yet again, this time staring at the strange metal carts
that were all over the streets below. Cars were what Sam called them and
she smiled as she remembered her ride in what he called a taxi. It had
been extremely interesting, making her wonder what kind of magic powered
them.

Finally, Kestra looked down at herself, "And I be in the body of a man."

She paused at that, not sure exactly what kind of a man he was though.
He was thin and without the muscles that would mark a warrior, or even a
farmer. And his hands were almost without calluses, indicating that he
did little labor. Obviously a wealthy merchant or some sort of lord
then.

Kestra looked down at herself in curiosity, then started to tear off her
strange clothes, deciding that it was time to examine her borrowed body
in more detail. Within moments, the clothes were all shed and she stood
there naked, a little disappointed with her borrowed body.

"Strange," Kestra mused as she carefully examined the new male organ
between her legs. It was not quite what she would have expected, though
certainly not uncomfortable. "Strange indeed."

Once Kestra had finished examining her borrowed body, she frowned and
looked around, "Now where is the chamber pot..." Then she remembered the
small room, which served that purpose. "What luxury to have such an
outhouse within his own home..."

Kestra quickly relieved herself, even remembering to pull the little
knob that Sam had pointed out. Then she watched in amazement as the
water in the strange chamberpot swirled around then vanished, only to be
replaced yet again by itself. Such a use of magic amazed her just as
much as the toilet itself.

A minute later Kestra stopped and stared at the bed, again amazed at how
soft it was. There was little doubt that the humans of this world knew
how to live in luxury, bringing a smile to her lips.

Then Kestra remembered that Sam had said they were going out again early
the next day to play tourist... whatever that was. He was even going to
take her to see a movie and a baseball game, whatever those were as
well.

"Perhaps it is time to sleep," Kestra half grunted, still staring at the
comfortable looking bed.

And with that the former giantess grinned to herself, eager for the next
day to begin. She couldn't wait to see what other wonders that strange
and magical new world had to offer. On her first day, she'd already seen
more than she could have imagined and knew that there were countless
more to discover.

---

The morning air was chill and filled with scents that Quinn wasn't
familiar with. Scents that didn't come from the city, but from the
countryside... from natural things. Even the sounds of birds and insects
served to tell him that the countryside was exactly where he was.

With a grunt Quinn stood up straight, stretching the kinks out of his
muscles and wishing that he'd had a real bed to sleep in. Of course the
one that he'd had was very good under the circumstances, probably better
than he should have expected, but still, it didn't compare to a nice
mattress.

Quinn took a deep breath and then slowly looked down at himself, giving
a wry smile as he thought about the day before. About waking up an 18
foot tall woman, his tour of the town and then the walk around the
surrounding farms afterwards before returning to the barn for dinner and
bed.

"And what comes next..." Quinn mused.

Suddenly Quinn heard, "I can answer that."

He turned around, then looked at the ground, letting out a sigh of
relief when he saw that it was Chiandra. "Morning," Quinn grunted.

Chiandra just nodded and tossed a burlap sack to his feet. "Breakfast,"
she explained with a grin.

A minute later Quinn had opened the bag and pulled out several loafs of
bread and a chunk of dried, salted meat. And without his having to say
anything, Chiandra patted a small barrel that was hung from the side of
her horse, which he quickly learned was filled with wine.

While Quinn silently ate his breakfast, Chiandra watched in fascination.
"Incredible," she exclaimed. Then after Quinn gave her a curious look,
she explained, "The amount that you eat. That was enough to fill a whole
family for a day."

Quinn took another look down at what was left of his breakfast, feeling
just a tiny bit guilty. It didn't seem like much to him, but he reminded
himself that at his current size, he had to eat a lot.

"No wonder you guys don't like giants," Quinn slowly responded, "they'd
eat everything in sight."

Chiandra just nodded faintly, quietly admitting, "Yeah, they do. But
fortunately there aren't many of them around." She gave Quinn a quick
look, almost as if assuring herself that he hadn't been insulted.

After a minute, Quinn asked, "Can you tell me about these giants? I
mean, what you know..."

"Of course," Chiandra responded, then looked up at Quinn thoughtfully.
"Like I said, there aren't many of them. And giants don't get along too
much with others of their kind I guess, because you almost never hear of
several of them living together."

Quinn nodded, "Okay..." listening in complete fascination. He was
incredibly curious about what kind of a creature he had become. Though
he knew that he looked like a human, except for size that was, the
reactions in the town reminded him that he wasn't. At least in body, or
at least not as far as they were concerned. "And what else?"

"Giants do not get along with most other races," Chiandra said slowly,
"They take what they want from those who are smaller and weaker. From
those who can't defend themselves." Then she puffed up, looking proud,
"But we can take care of ourselves."

"I see," Quinn muttered, "they bully people." Chiandra just nodded at
that.

"Or at least most of the ones I've heard about," Chiandra admitted, "but
probably not all."

After a moment of thoughtful silence, Chiandra continued, "I'm no
expert, but I heard that giants live around 200 years... and they never
stop growing. I have heard tales that the oldest giants can reach 50
feet tall."

For some time Quinn remained where he was, looking down at himself and
absorbing that information. It was obvious that he was not one of the
older giants, though that much was all that he knew for certain.

Finally, once Quinn had completely finished his breakfast, Chiandra
grinned. "Since you want to know more about giants...why don't we go and
find the home of the one whose body you wear."

It didn't take more than a few seconds before Quinn nodded agreement. He
was curious to see what kind of place an 18 foot tall woman would live
in. Somehow, he suspected that it was going to be a very interesting
day.

---

Quinn paused and looked down from the edge of the mountain, staring at
the forest and valley that were spread out below him. At the moment he
was standing above the far end of the valley, on the opposite end from
the town. And though the town was out of his view, some of the farm
fields were visible.

It was late afternoon and Quinn was beginning to feel a bit tired. He
and Chiandra had been traveling for most of the day, towards a
destination that she seemed to know... or at least have a general idea
of.

"What a view," Chiandra exclaimed, breathing deeply and obviously a lot
more tired than Quinn was, though she seemed capable of continuing on.
"I think that we should be there soon."

With a nod, Quinn took another look at the valley, then turned to
continue around the mountain. He hoped that Chiandra was right about
being almost there, more for her sake than his own, though he was tired
of walking.

Suddenly Chiandra yelled out, "Get down! Hide!"

Quinn snapped around, seeing nothing odd, "Why... what's wrong?"

Chiandra was already crouched down next to a large boulder, gesturing
for Quinn to get down as well. He frowned, wondering what was going on,
but the look of fear on her face was enough to convince him that she was
indeed serious. And With that he crouched down as well, hiding behind a
larger rock as best he could.

Then Chiandra finally pointed up... towards something in the sky in the
distance. Something that was obviously large and could have an airplane
if there had been any in that world.

"A dragon," Chiandra explained, not taking her eyes from the image
above. "I don't want it to see us... and you are kind of hard to miss."

Quinn nodded, crouching down even further and silently cursing his size
as it make him much easier to see. He did so even more when the dragon
flew a little closer, and a little lower, enough so that he could
actually make out its shape a little better. It actually was a dragon.

"Oh shit..." Quinn whispered, his heart beginning to beat rapidly as the
reptilian creature came even closer, flying over the mountain. "It's
gonna see us..."

"Shhhhh," Chiandra admonished him, a finger to her lips.

Then suddenly the dragon dove down, and Quinn gasped in horror at the
thought that it was coming towards him. But it hit the mountain a
distance away, vanishing from view for a few seconds... then returning
to the air with something held in its claws. Not a something, Quinn was
startled to realize, but a bear.

A minute later the dragon had flown off with its prize, while Quinn let
out a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure that he wanted to meet a real
dragon, even if he was a giantess at the moment.

"One of the few things that eat giants," Chiandra commented with a wry
expression.

With a nervous nod, Quinn muttered, "Then I'm glad that I didn't see it
any closer."

"Well," Chiandra asked with a grin, "shall we continue?"

Quinn didn't need to be asked twice and a moment later they were back on
their way up the mountain.

---

Kestra said goodbye to her dark skinned guide at the beginning of the
building her host lived in. She shook her head, looking up and still
marveling that humans could have built such a wondrous structure. It
amazed her just how much she was learning of their ingenuity since
coming on her travels.

"Remember," Sam told her seriously, "you can't tell people where you're
from. Most people around here wouldn't believe you and would think that
you're insane. That could cause problems for your exchange when he gets
back."

With a snort Kestra didn't see why she should do anything... or keep
from saying anything just to make things easier for someone else.
However with the serious expression on Sam's face, she sighed and nodded
her agreement. It wasn't like it was any human's business where she was
from.

"See ya then," Sam called out, "I'll be back tomorrow morning and I'll
show you around some more." And with that Sam hurried away, leaving
Kestra there alone.

She looked up at the stairway and then started for it, carefully
remembering where her host's home was within the strange building.
Without Sam to help her the final bit, she had to rely on her own memory
of such... and she hoped that it was accurate.

It didn't take long for Kestra to reach the right floor, and she was
feeling a little bit tired by the time she had done so.

"Why would humans wish to climb so high just to sleep?" Kestra asked
herself with amusement, then grinned as she remembered that her own home
was near the top of a mountain. Then again, that was entirely different.
"Such strange creatures."

Just as Kestra had started down the hall, towards the inviting room at
the other end, a door opened up off to the side, revealing a room that
wasn't much larger than a closet. And with that a woman stepped out of
the strange small room... only moments before the doors shut again on
their own.

"Such a strange use of magic," Kestra mused in fascination. It was
definitely a very interesting world that she found herself in. Not at
all like she would have imagined.

"Hi," the woman greeted with a grin. She was thin and rather attractive,
with blonde hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. "You look like
you're in a good mood for once."

Kestra blinked at that in confusion, "For once?"

The blonde woman just laughed, "Well, whenever I see you in the halls
you usually have such a depressed and gloomy expression."

"Oh," Kestra sighed, realizing that the woman must mean the person whose
body she was wearing. "I'm... I'm on vacation."

"I'm Jennifer," the blonde introduced herself with a pleasant smile,
holding out her hand.

Kestra wasn't sure how to respond, so took her cue from the blonde and
held out her own hand. "Kestr..." she started to say, then paused,
realizing that she should probably give her hosts name. Then again, she
didn't even know what it was.

"Kester..." Jennifer mused, "that's an interesting name."

With a nod, Kestra responded, "So is Jennifer." She'd never heard that
name before.

Jennifer gave her an odd look, then started grinning, "Okay smartass."

At this point, Kestra felt a little confused and uncertain. She wasn't
used to dealing with others, at least not with others that were the same
size as her. And nearly everyone else always ran away, leaving her with
little experience at such conversation or the nuances.

"Well," Jennifer grinned, "I know it's usually the guy who asks this,
but would you be interested in going out for a drink say... tomorrow
night?"

For a moment Kestra stared at Jennifer in surprise, not having expected
a question like that.

"You don't have to if you don't want," Jennifer blurted out, obviously a
little disappointed by Kestra's hesitation.

"Oh no," Kestra quickly responded, "I would like to. You just caught me
by surprise." She blinked, deciding that at least it was bound to be
interesting. And of course, who knew what she'd learn about the silly...
and confusing humans.

With a broad grin Jennifer exclaimed, "Great. Is seven okay?" When
Kestra nodded agreement, she apologized, "Sorry, I've got to get going
now, but I'll see you tomorrow." And with that she waved towards Kestra
while hurrying through one of the doors in the hallway.

After Jennifer was gone Kestra just shook her head, grinning at the
strangeness of these humans. She was especially amused by that curious
blonde, never before having had someone come up to her and immediately
treat her as if she were a friend. Wanting to spend more time with her
like that. In fact, the closest she'd ever come was when she'd met Sam
just the day before.

Finally Kestra just shrugged and continued towards her host's apartment,
deciding that she'd have plenty of time to figure out humans during the
rest of her vacation.

---

The sun was still up in the sky, but there was little doubt that it
would not remain so for much longer, not with how quickly the sun was
sinking. Within just a short while, perhaps even an hour, Quinn decided,
the sun would sink behind the horizon and the night would begin.

"I didn't think it would take so long to get here," Chiandra apologized,
looking especially guilty. "I guess it would have taken you a lot less
time if you knew where you were going."

Quinn knew that what Chiandra had said was true, but that didn't really
bother him. He was just amazed that they made it at all. Chiandra had
definitely slowed him down, moving so slow and having to rest so
frequently, or at least she would have if he'd been in a hurry or she
hadn't been the guide. But At the moment he didn't even care that he'd
had to help her over a few obstacles that were nothing to him, but too
large for her to overcome.

With that Quinn just looked at their destination, a large cabin that was
made of stone and wood, leaning up against a huge rocky outcropping. It
was a pretty level area, just at the treeline and where the mountain
started becoming little more than jagged stone. Everything in the
flattened area though was covered with grass, brush and wildflowers.

"So this is where she lived..." Chiandra whispered, looking around
nervously, almost as if expecting some other giant to jump out and
threaten to gobble her up.

On a sudden whim Quinn exclaimed, "Fee fi fo fum..." Then he paused,
looking around and wondering if there might be some sort of beanstalk
nearby, though there was nothing of that nature within view.

Quinn then turned his attention to the house in front of them, if it
could be called that. It was a small looking cottage that was made of
stones and wood. And from the size of the door, there was little doubt
that it had to be the house of the giantess whose body he was in.

They quickly hurried to the door that looked just a tiny bit small to
Quinn since he would have to duck just a little to get inside, however
it was enormous compared to Chiandra. Still, she threw her shoulders and
started to push at the door, while Quinn knocked on it instead.

When Chiandra gave Quinn a questioning look, he shrugged, "What if she
has a boyfriend or something?"

He definitely didn't like the idea of just barging in on someone that
way, but then again, he wasn't sure how comfortable he was with walking
in anyway. Still, he wanted to know more about whoever's body he was
within. And after a minute with no answer, Quinn pushed the door open
and stepped inside, nearly falling over as his foot went down further
than he expected.

Quinn just scowled as he realized that the floor was sunk down about a
bit further than the surrounding ground, and there were was a bit of a
step at the door. But once Quinn had noticed that, he looked around the
rest of the cottage, feeling more disappointed than anything else.

"What a dump," he sneered. "This is even smaller than my apartment." And
as far as Quinn was concerned, that was quite a task.

It was a small, cramped one bedroom place, with a cheap looking bed in
one corner, a small stone fireplace in the other, a cramped table and
not much else. It was just a little smaller than just his old bedroom.
Or at least it seemed that way because of his size, though in truth it
was somewhat larger.

Chiandra said nothing as she slowly moved around the room, poking at
several piles of furs and small ragged blankets, then looking at what
looked like dried meat hanging from the ceiling... as well as dirty
clothes. Quinn just cringed at the sight of it, though still feeling
fascinated in spite of that.

"Doesn't seem worth the climb," Chiandra finally said, sounding
disappointed as well. At Quinn's questioning look down at her, she
shrugged, admitting in embarrassment, "I thought giants lived in
castles."

"Sounds good in fairy tales," Quinn muttered grimly, having learned a
long time ago that real life just didn't work out that way. In real
life, there were no happily ever afters.

Chiandra just stared up at Quinn with an expression of confusion. "I
didn't think that fairies had tails..."

Without a word Quinn sat down on the bed and stared out the still open
door and the narrow slits in the wall that served to let light in. He
patted the mattress absently, deciding that it was definitely softer
than what he'd slept on in the barn, but not quite as soft as the well
worn mattress in his apartment.

"It's getting dark out," Quinn stated unnecessarily, frowning grimly.

Chiandra just nodded, "We'll have to stay here for the night. It's
wouldn't be safe going down the mountain in the dark."

Quinn didn't bother to argue, knowing that she had a point. And at least
the bed would be a bit more comfortable than the one in the barn. But
With that he stood up and started for the door, saying, "I want to look
around outside a little more."

A minute later Quinn looked around the cleared and somewhat flat area of
the mountain that the giantess lived on, noticing several patches of
what could only be described as gardens. Gardens filled with some sort
of giant pumpkins and other plants that Chiandra identified as
'lorkins', which she described as an edible root that was something like
a potato or a turnip.

Then Quinn moved to the edge of the flat area, on the other side from
where they'd come up a short while earlier. He looked down at the grass
covered slope that went quite a distance before ending in trees. However
what drew his attention the most were all the sheep that were in that
area, grazing on the grass.

"I guess we know what she eats," Quinn told Chiandra who'd come up
beside him.

After a few more minutes of looking around they silently returned to the
cottage where Chiandra promptly started a fire. She looked around,
specifically up at the ceiling and grinned.

"If you get me some of that food," Chiandra told Quinn pleasantly while
she lit a candle, "I can get dinner started."

Quinn frowned and did as Chiandra had asked, pulling a piece of the
dried meat off of a hook on the ceiling and handing it to her. After a
brief examination she threw it into a pot above the fire and rushed out
for some pumpkin and lorkin to make a stew with.

"What kind of a stew has pumpkin in it?" Quinn grumbled, deciding that
he'd better not let Chiandra hear him complain. At the moment he was
hungry enough to eat it anyway.

Then while Chiandra was still out, Quinn turned and started looking
around the tiny cottage again, pausing when he noticed something against
the wall. It was a mirror, a bit dusty and with a crack in one corner.
For someone like Chiandra, it would have been near full sized, but for
Quinn it was much smaller than that.

For a moment Quinn just stared at the mirror before his curiosity
finally got the better of him. He still had no idea what he actually
looked like, at least not his face, and this was his chance to find out.
With that Quinn pulled the mirror from the wall and positioned it, as
well as himself, to catch the best light from the candles. It was still
a little dim, but there was enough light for him to see the mirror's
reflection.

It was the face of an attractive... though not gorgeous woman, framed by
dark brown hair. She could have been anywhere between 25 and 30... or at
least that was how she looked, and though she was very pretty, she could
never pass for a model. Her features were too strong for that.

"And now I know," Quinn muttered, carefully setting the mirror back on
the wall where he'd found it.

Quinn's thoughts then turned to dinner, filling him with mixed emotions.
On one hand, he wasn't quite sure that he was ready for a pumpkin and
turnip stew, but on the other hand, his stomach didn't really care. It
just wanted something to fill it. In the end, it was his stomach which
won.

---

Quinn frowned thoughtfully as he walked slowly so as not to leave
Chiandra behind. They had just reached the base of the mountain and
reentered the valley, having gotten up at first light and beginning the
trip back as soon as they had finished with breakfast.

"What are you thinking about?" Chiandra asked, having been fairly quiet
for most of the morning.

After glancing down at her, then back up at the mountain, Quinn
answered, "Just wishing that I'd brought the mattress." Quinn didn't
relish the idea of sleeping on the lumpy bed in the barn after sleeping
on that wool filled mattress the night before.

Chiandra grinned up at Quinn, "I don't blame you. We don't really have
much for those of your size."

Several minutes later, Quinn absently asked, "So what else is on our
schedule?" He paused, not bothering to look down at Chiandra, "I mean,
for my tour..."

"I was thinking the crystal lake tomorrow," Chiandra answered after a
moment. "Then there's some ruins on one of the other mountains from a
floating castle that crashed several centuries ago. There's also the
griffin hatchlings on a few of the mountains... as long as we keep a
distance that is," she added.

"Sounds... interesting," Quinn mused, still frowning slightly.

The fantasy world wasn't quite what he was expecting, though he hadn't
been quite sure what he'd been expecting. Just something... different.
All he knew was that even with Chiandra providing all the sight seeing
and distractions, he still felt... empty. The same as he always did.

Suddenly Chiandra cried out, "Smoke!"

Quinn turned around and looked behind him and then down at Chiandra,
frowning, "What?" She just stared straight ahead with a look of dread on
her face. Without a word, she pointed down the valley to where lots of
smoke was billowing into the air. It took a moment for Quinn to realize
that it was coming from the direction of the town. "What..."

"Something's wrong!" Chiandra yelled out, "I've got to get back." And
With that she took of running as fast as she could, while Quinn just
stood there For a minute watching her.

After taking several steps behind Chiandra Quinn paused and looked at
the smoke filling the sky again, frowning as he did so. There was no
telling what it was, though Quinn suspected that it was probably one of
the farmers doing a bonfire or something to clear land. However with a
quick glance at Chiandra, there was no doubt that she thought it was
urgent.

With a, "Damn," Quinn hurried forward, easily catching up with Chiandra,
not completely sure what he was doing. "Here," he growled, "it'll take
you forever that way." And with that Quinn picked Chiandra up as easily
as if she were a child.

"What are you..." Chiandra yelled furiously, but Quinn just shifted her
position for better balance and held her tight, then started running
himself.

Snorting, Quinn grumbled, "I can get us there faster."

Chiandra yelled and demanded to be put back down for several minutes,
until she realized just how much ground they were covering with Quinn's
longer strides. Afterwards she just went silent and held on tight, only
occasionally speaking and then just urging Quinn to go even faster.

Quinn was somewhat surprised by just how quickly he was moving,
especially considering that he was carrying Chiandra at the same time.
He was just as surprised by the fact that he wasn't getting tired
either, realizing that his borrowed body was in a lot better shape than
his own, and with a lot more endurance.

As they got closer to the town, Quinn's doubts about the smoke being
anything serious began to quickly fade. Especially as they reached the
edge of a farm... where the crops were horribly trampled and a cottage
was little more than a smoldering ruin.

A cold chill began to run down Quinn's spine, but before he could stop
as every instinct was telling him to, Chiandra urged him to hurry up.

"My uncle..." Chiandra cried out, "the town..." With that Quinn just
pushed himself faster, in spite of the knot in his stomach.

Several minutes later the smoke was billowing thicker, and noise was
starting to fill the air. Screams, growls, yells and clanks of metal.
There were sounds that sent chills through Quinn along with sounds that
he had no reference to.

With a gulp Quinn muttered, "Oh shit," knowing that they were getting
really close. Far too close for his comfort. But with the way Chiandra
was clutching him, almost desperate to get there, he couldn't stop.

Then Quinn past a patch of trees and came into sight of the town. He
paused, gasping at the sight of the wooden walls, covered with flame in
one section. Without even thinking about it, he stopped running, staring
not at the walls... but at everything outside of them.

"What the fuck...?" Quinn squeaked, dropping Chiandra to the ground. All
he could do was stare at everything going on.

The town gate was bent and cracked, serving little purpose as it was
bent inward, leaving a large enough gap for anyone to run through.
Several people lined the walls, armed with a variety of weapons, mostly
crossbows. All of which was aimed at the mass of horror that was lined
up outside the town.

All Quinn could do was stare in horror at the several dozen... creatures
that were outside the walls, obviously attempting to get inside the
town... while at the same time fighting a number of humans were armed
with everything from swords to pitchforks. It was a fight... a battle.

Each of the creatures had slimy looking green skin and were roughly
human in shape, though their faces looked hideous. They were all about
half as tall as Quinn, making them around 9 feet tall, towering over all
the humans they fought. All of the monstrous looking creatures were
dressed in scraps of clothes and armor. Some of them had dented and
battered shields with different symbols, though all of them were armed.
There were swords, axes, spears and clubs... as well as things that
Quinn didn't recognize.

"Trolls..." Chiandra gasped, her voice filled with loathing. "Troll
bandits." With that she fired a shot from her crossbow, causing the
nearest troll to bend over with a bolt in its ass. However after a howl
of rage, it turned and glared at Chiandra... then up at Quinn with a
look of surprise. "Brakka!" Chiandra spat in what was obviously some
sort of profanity.

Quinn was confused, then horrified as several of the creatures... trolls
charged straight at him. They were only half his own size, but they were
heavily armed and he had no doubt that those weapons could easily hurt
him... or worse.

Chiandra frantically struggled to reload her crossbow in time, but it
was obvious that she wasn't going to succeed. A moment later the trolls
were all over them and Quinn howled in fear, kicking at them with his
feet and relieved when one of the ugly creatures flew backwards.

"Whatthefuckisthis?" Quinn blurted out, his eyes wide as he looked at
the small army of ugly green midgets that were starting to really take
notice of him. At least half a dozen of them were coming straight at
them.

A moment later Quinn knocked another one of the trolls back, keeping him
from taking Chiandra's head with a nasty looking ax. However before he
could get the next one, Quinn felt a burning pain in his thigh and
screamed in pain as he instinctively knocked the troll with the sword
away from him. Two more took its place within seconds.

"Look out!" Chiandra cried out, firing another crossbow bolt, this time
catching a troll right between the eyes. It fell over and she screamed
out, "Brakka!" again, using her crossbow to like a club on another
troll.

Though Quinn was shocked... and terrified, he was also beginning to get
pissed. His leg was hurting like hell and the freaky trolls were still
coming after him. He managed to kick several more of them away, but that
didn't stop another sword from catching his leg or a spear from catching
his side. It hurt... but not enough to keep him from knocking the trolls
away.

Still Quinn looked around frantically, knowing that he couldn't keep
them back much longer. He'd been lucky so far, but there were far too
many of them and unlike him... they were all carrying weapons.

Suddenly a voice yelled out, "Kill the foul bandits!" Quinn looked over
at a pair of humans who were coming towards them, one holding a sword
while the other just had a pitchfork. "Chiandra," one of them called
out.

Just then Quinn realized who it was. The one with the sword who was
yelling was Orwen, the same guy Quinn had met when he first came to the
city.

Then Quinn glanced at the man beside Orwen, an older man with a white
beard who was using his pitchfork as though it were a deadly weapon. He
had a grim expression as he pushed with his pitchfork, only to have it
finally knocked aside.

"Orwen!" Chiandra yelled out. "Uncle..."

A moment later Orwen and the man whom Quinn realized was Chiandra's
uncle were next to him... or more precisely, next to Chiandra. They
didn't seem to give him more than a glance before lashing out almost
uselessly against another troll.

With that one of the trolls, a big nasty one with a spear charged
straight at them, the point aimed straight at the now unarmed old man.
Quinn's heart nearly froze, and without thinking about it, stepped
forward and kicked the troll in the stomach, sending it to the ground in
a howl of pain, just as its spear almost hit Chiandra's uncle.

Chiandra's uncle gave Quinn a quick look of surprise, then his
expression went grim again as he picked up the fallen troll's spear to
replace his pitch fork with.

At the same time Orwen snarled, "Run for the walls!" He wasted no time
in yanking Chiandra and her uncle, then charging straight towards the
city gate, trying to avoid the trolls as they did so. There was no
glance spared for Quinn, who kicked at another troll that started after
them, his heart racing like never before.

When they were nearly at the gates, several crossbow bolts and arrows
flew down to give them cover, though they seemed to do little if any
damage to the trolls that they hit. It did serve to keep them back
though... making them hesitate for several seconds.

"Oh shit..." Quinn gasped, looking around at the dead bodies...almost
all human. Even the injured trolls were getting up and coming towards
the gates still, all looking vicious and evil. "Oh shit..." And all of
them armed.

Quinn grabbed his side, which was bleeding and hurting like hell, then
looking around frantically as he realized that there was nothing he
could do against them. They might be munchkins compared to him now, but
they were all armed and all that he had were his hands and feet. He'd
been lucky so far, even with the few injuries he'd received, but there
was little doubt that it would only get worse.

Frantically looking around for a weapon, Quinn's eyes fell on the broken
gate next to him, gasping as an idea suddenly came to him. With a grim
expression and a grunt of pain, he grabbed at one of the broken logs
that comprised the gate and pulled it loose, holding it firmly in his
hands.

"Batter up..." Quinn growled, swinging the log with all he had.

A moment later Quinn was almost shocked to feel an impact, hear a
sickening thud and then see a troll flying backwards with half of its
head caved in. For a moment he just stood there, frozen as a wave of
disgust started to rise. He couldn't believe that he'd just killed
something.

"Get them!" Chiandra's voice yelled out from behind Quinn, shaking him
out of his shock in time for him to realize that though the trolls were
looking a little shaken and wary, they were still coming towards him.

Quinn took several more swings, keeping the trolls back but not hitting
any more of them. Not until he jumped forwards and caught one of them in
the side, sending him flying to the ground.

With a grimace, Quinn yelled, "Fore..."

After several more swings and several more injured trolls, they group of
bandits started to back off, clustering together and chattering in some
growling language that Quinn couldn't quite make out. They were glaring
at him furiously, their attention diverted from the town walls as they'd
obviously found a new target to work on. And this time they seemed
intent on doing it together.

"Oh shit," Quinn whispered again, clutching the log tighter, "I hate
teamwork..." He spat the last; sick of the word his boss loved to use
when he really meant the employees had to work overtime to make him more
money.

And almost as if on cue the trolls all started towards Quinn again, this
time in mass and quickly surrounding him. With a grimace, he swung
several more times, but while he went after one troll, another one
charged him from behind, catching him in the ass with some sort of
spear. It hurt like hell, making Quinn scream and nearly drop the log.
Nearly.

Suddenly the troll with the spear fell to the ground with an arrow in
its eye, while the other trolls slowly took a step back, especially once
Quinn howled and jumped at them, swinging the log and catching several
of them at once. Then as they started to back away further, obviously
reconsidering their tactics, he threw the log at them, grinning as
another fell to the ground, though it quickly got back to its feet.
Still, its arm was bent at a horrible angle and hanging limp, so Quinn
knew that he'd done some damage.

"Come here you fucking midgets!" Quinn yelled out furiously, now more
pissed than scared. He grabbed at a large rock that was next to the town
wall and with a grunt lifted it off the ground. "Catch this you
fuckers..." And with that he threw the rock, not hitting any of the
trolls and falling several feet short of the closest.

However Quinn's attack with the rock seemed to be the breaking point and
the group of trolls turned and started running away, obviously desperate
to get away from the one who was causing all the injuries. After he'd
watched for a minute and was sure that they were going, Quinn let out a
sigh of relief and clutched his aching side.

"They're gone," Chiandra called out excitedly, "we won..."

"No!" Orwen cried out, just as several screams came from inside the
town. "Some got inside." With that he turned and ran through the cracked
gate, limping as he did so.

Quinn hesitated only a moment before grimacing and following after, not
sure what he could do or if he'd just get in the way, but he wanted to
get rid of the ugly creatures that had hurt him. He followed after Orwen
and Chiandra, as well as the screams. It didn't take long before they
came on a group of 3 more trolls.

The three trolls were carrying weapons like all the others, as well as
having bags slung over their backs. Quinn noticed food coming from a
tear in one while a gleam of metal shone from the top. He grimaced at
them even deeper, realizing that they were thieves of some sort.

Suddenly Orwen cried out, "Hold. Look, they have a child..."

Quinn's eyes bulged as he noticed that one of the trolls was indeed
holding a child. He was clutching a little girl tightly in one hand,
sneering as he raised an ax head to her throat. He glared at everyone
around him, as if daring anyone to take a step closer. There was no
mistaking his threat... the little girl was his hostage.

"Brakka..." Quinn whispered, repeating the profanity that he'd heard
Chiandra use. He gulped even more when he recognized the little girl
that they were holding. It was the same girl that he'd seen the last
time he was in town. Gwenneth, he believed her name was. "Not good..."

For a moment they all stood there in near silence while the troll held
out its ax, red blood dripping along the blade. Human blood, Quinn knew,
since he'd seen that the trolls bled green. Then it put the blade back
towards the girls neck and started edging away, counting on the girl to
keep him and his friends safe.

With an evil sounding laugh one of the other trolls grinned and held up
something for everyone to see. Quinn's blood suddenly ran cold as he
realized what it was. It was a human head. And worse... the head of
another little girl.

Everyone went dead quiet at that though they grew even more tensed.
Still no one moved for fear of having Gwenneth getting killed as well.
The trolls just laughed at their victory and started moving away,
holding their hostage close.

Suddenly a woman, whom Quinn had seen before, ran into the street
screaming, "Gwenneth!" Her voice was filled with panic as she saw her
daughter held by the monster.

At that moment the troll with the ax was distracted and stumbled over a
rock in the street, loosening his grasp on the little girl. And all at
once Gwenneth hit the ground and started to roll several feet away.

Without even thinking about what he was doing, only reacting out of his
fury at seeing the little girl held like that, Quinn threw himself at
them, landing just above Gwenneth and protecting her body with his own,
even as he felt an ax cut into his back.

"QUINN!" Chiandra's voice screamed out, though all he could do was curl
up and protect the little girl, ignoring the pain in his back.

Then with a grunt of intense pain Quinn picked up Gwenneth and stood up,
holding her firmly out of reach of the trolls. All three of them were
lashing out wildly with their weapons against the humans who were
charging them, to little effect. Two of the trolls fell right before
Quinn's eyes, though the third broke free and ran. It was the one with
the ax.

"Bastard!" Quinn screamed, carefully setting Gwenneth down and then
running at the troll who'd somehow managed to avoid or knock aside the
humans who were after it. And with a single movement he swung his foot,
catching the creature between its legs and sending it flying up into the
air... where it promptly smashed into the wall of a building.

For a moment Quinn just stood there, glaring at the troll who'd fallen
back to the ground, fighting back the urge to stomp on the ugly thing.
However the troll made no move to get up. Instead it remained frozen and
motionless... its head bent at an odd angle.

"Dead," someone finally announced, though Quinn couldn't see who.

With that Quinn dropped to his knees, aching from every inch of his body
and tired beyond belief. He looked down, staring at the pool of red that
was starting to form around him, vaguely aware of the relief he felt at
seeing that his own blood was still red, as well as the very shock at
seeing it.

Then Chiandra was standing there with a worried expression on her face,
though Quinn wasn't quite sure where she'd come from. Everything was
starting to seem foggy, even as people started to step into the streets
and surround him.

"Quinn..." Chiandra asked, the worry evident in her voice.

For a moment Quinn just stared at there, feeling little but agony and
tiredness. Then with at that moment everything started to spin and Quinn
collapsed the rest of the way to the ground, not even aware of his face
splattering into the blood soaked street.

---

Kestra was standing in the middle of her host's home, with her guide Sam
just a few feet away. She frowned as she looked down at her clothing,
not sure if it was the right thing to wear... or even why she had to
wear it, though Sam had assured her several times that it was
appropriate for a first date.

"Man you move quick," Sam grinned, giving Kestra a wink. "Just here and
you're already lining the babes up."

"I do not understand," Kestra told him, tugging at her clothes. "We are
just going out for a meal and drink." Then she grinned, "That is
something I can not do in my own world, so I wish to experience it."

Sam just winked, "Just don't experience too much alright?" He paused a
moment and in a more serious tone reminded Kestra, "Mr. G can take care
of most troubles and make people forget if things get too hectic, but
you still don't wanna be raising no hell."

Kestra just snorted at that, knowing that she was going to do what she
wanted to. She had never before had the opportunity to experience such
interaction with humans... or even others of her own kind, and she was
more than a little curious about how it worked. Still she decided that
perhaps a touch of caution was in order.

"And remember," Sam told her, "you can't be telling no one where you're
from since they'd just think you were nuts. We're trying to fix that
though."

"Of course," Kestra sighed, wondering if all humans had such a weak
grasp on reality that they refused to believe truth when told.

And with that Kestra nodded goodbye to Sam and left the apartment,
heading straight for the one down the hall where her 'date' lived. She
quickly ran things through in her mind at the same time, remembering
what Sam had told her about money, driver's licenses, appropriate
behavior and how to use a taxi. Then she grinned, confident that she was
ready for anything that could occur.

After Kestra knocked on the door, only waiting a few seconds before it
opened and revealed Jennifer. She stood there was a smile, dressed
rather nicely in the strange clothes that the humans liked to wear. It
was some sort of short dress that revealed her knees and lower legs.

"Hi," Jennifer grinned, "I'm really glad that you came." She paused for
a moment, adding, "I was half afraid that you wouldn't."

"I would not have missed it," Kestra responded with a smile of her own.

With that she stepped out of the doorway, locking it behind her. Then
she asked, "I know a very nice club just down the street..." Jennifer
started, tugging on Kestra slightly as she began to move down the hall.
"They have the greatest sandwiches..."

Several minutes later they were both sitting in the club with Kestra
looking around nervously, not used to being surrounded with so many
others of her own size. However Jennifer was rather pleasant to be with,
and seemed very kind. Kestra was extremely pleased that she'd agreed to
come.

"And what is this called again?" Kestra asked, taking a hesitant bite of
the food that Jennifer had recommended. She thought that Jennifer had
called it a sand witch, but she wasn't completely sure.

Jennifer just chuckled, "A BLT silly. Have you been hiding out in the
woods all of your life or something?" She smiled, showing that she was
merely teasing.

Kestra just nodded, "Something like that."

With that Kestra took a long drink of her beer, looking around the club
curiously. It was interesting to see so many humans relaxing and having
a good time, even putting her into a very pleasant mood. Of course, she
smiled, knowing that beer helped. It was much better than the barrels of
ale that she'd once... taken from some merchants.

"What are you thinking?" Jennifer asked After a moment looking genuinely
interested.

Kestra just stared at her for a few seconds before answering, "I was
just remembering..." she paused for a moment, smiling faintly as she
answered, "a story."

Jennifer grinned, "Oh. I like stories. Tell me."

Shrugging Kestra started, "It was about a giantess who lived in a land
very far away. One day she was walking along, hunting a griffin for her
dinner, when she ran across a group of traveling merchants."

At this Jennifer stared at Kestra in fascination, "Oh..." she
encouraged, "and then what happened?"

Kestra smiled as she remembered the incident, finding it much easier to
do in hindsight. Then she continued, taking her time as she told of how
'the giantess' stole most of the contents of their wagons... which
consisted of several barrels of ale, as well as some foodstuffs. Then
she want into great detail of how she'd gotten drunk from one of the
barrels.

"A drunk giantess..." somebody exclaimed with a chuckle, startling
Kestra as she realized that there were several other people standing
around her and Jennifer's table. They were all listening to her.
Jennifer glared at the man who'd made the comment, and then urged Kestra
to continue.

Taking a long drink from her beer Kestra eyed the people around her
table before she decided that she might as well continue. She continued
with the story for several minutes, then cringed at the memory as she
added, "And I... she was somewhat surprised when the mice she picked up
and started to pet... turned out to be VERY angry skunks."

There was a series of laughter around the table, drawing Kestra's
attention back and realizing that her audience had grown. It seemed as
if half the club was gathered around and listening to her, which made
her feel rather... odd. She wasn't used to that sort of attention and
decided that she rather liked it.

"I guess the moral of the story is never get a giantess drunk," some
tall blonde guy grinned, shaking his head in obvious amusement.

At this Kestra blushed slightly, then debated with herself about whether
or not to tell the rest. It was the attention from her audience that
convinced her to continue, regardless of how embarrassing the incident
had been.

"But there is more," Kestra announced, causing everyone to suddenly go
quiet and pay close attention. "After she'd sobered up... with a giant
sized hangover, it took her two whole weeks to clean the stench off
completely."

Jennifer grinned, her eyes sparkling, "I'd imagine."

Kestra just nodded, taking a drink of beer before continuing, "It was a
month later when the giantess decided to try some more of the ale,
However when she opened the next barrel, she should have read the
label." Everyone started at Kestra as she winced, "Had she done so
before drinking a good deal of it, she would have realized that it was
not full of ale... but of a grom nut oil."

At that Kestra had to pause and explain a little of what a grom nut was,
and that grom nut oil was used by many to help when sharpening their
weapons. Then she cringed, knowing that they were going to love the next
part... as mush as she had hated it.

"And the giantess soon found that the oil had an... unpleasant effect,"
Kestra told them, slowly looking around and keeping a straight face as
she explained, "it causes the runs if consumed, and she had consumed
enough to effect half a village." Again the room broke out laughing,
especially once Kestra told them about the sheer amounts she had lost
uncontrollably, though she did exaggerate some.

By the time Kestra was finished nearly everyone in the club was close by
and listening. Jennifer was just smiling in obvious amusement while
someone bought Kestra another beer and set it in front of her. She was a
little surprised by that, but wasn't about to turn it down.

"Got anymore?" Someone called out from the back, though Kestra couldn't
see who it was.

"Yes," Jennifer smiled, winking at Kestra, "got any more?"

Kestra took a deep breath, not sure of what she'd gotten herself into.
However since she was enjoying herself immensely, she took a deep drink
from her new beer and announced, "Ever heard the one about the dragon
and the dwarf?" It was an old story that her father had once told her
when she was but a child.

"Is it funny?" a girl up front asked, winking at Kestra.

With a slight frown, Kestra answered, "It's a love story." And then she
started the second of what was to be a series of stories to a totally
entranced audience.

---

Quinn awoke suddenly to the feeling of something cold and wet on his
face. He bolted upright, wincing faintly from aches and pains that
covered his body. And almost immediately he remembered the trolls...the
midget monster's who'd attacked.

"Damn..." Quinn grumbled, sitting the rest of the way up looking around
in confusion, realizing that he was lying down in the middle of the
street.

Suddenly Chiandra's voice asked, "Are you all right?"

Turning his head Quinn saw her standing a short distance away with a
look of relief on her face. There were several other people standing
around as well, including Orwen, Chiandra's uncle and others whom he
didn't recognize.

"I... I think so," Quinn finally answered, patting at his side and then
looking down, surprised to see that there was only a very faint scar.
"What..." he started, clearly remembering getting injured. In fact he
still felt a little bit of the pain, though it seemed only a dull ache
rather than the sharp pain he remembered.

At that Orwen stepped forward with a grim expression on his face. Quinn
didn't miss the crossbow that was strapped to his back, nor the sword
that was hanging from his belt. He stared at Quinn silently for a moment
before finally speaking. "I... I thank you for helping us with the
bandits." Quinn was a little startled at that, even more so when Orwen
gave him a faint smile.

"Um... no problem," Quinn responded slowly, then looked at Chiandra
curiously. "I thought I was hurt..."

Chiandra moved next to Quinn and put a hand on his leg. "You were." Then
she turned her head and gestured to another man who was standing there.
He looked to be in his mid thirties, with black hair and a leather bag
held in his hands. "But Crosh helped you get better. He's a healer."

"A healer?" Quinn repeated, guessing that it was something like a
primitive doctor. Then again he ran a finger over the very fine scar,
knowing that no doctor could fix things like that.

"Yes ma'am," the healer...Crosh answered, bowing his head slightly.
"They say that you are a... visitor." He gave Quinn an odd, curious look
at that.

Chiandra broke in, "Healers are low powered mages who heal the sick and
injured." She gestured at Crosh again, adding, "Crosh healed all of your
wounds." Crosh gave another faint bow at that... and an embarrassed
look.

Quinn was a little startled at that, and relieved when he thought about
how much those cuts had hurt. All that he felt now was a shadow of that
pain, and a bunch of aching muscles. "Thanks," he told Crosh with
genuine gratitude.

"T'was nothing," Crosh muttered quietly, looking embarrassed.

Then Quinn looked around, startled to realize that there were a number
of people close by, all watching him. A number of them wore bandages and
looked injured or at least tired, though quite a few of those were
smiling or looking satisfied.

Suddenly the crowd surprised Quinn even more by bursting into cheers.
All he could do was look around in confusion, half expecting some sort
of trap or cruel track. However they showed no sign of that, only of
excitement.

Noticing Quinn's confusion Chiandra exclaimed, "You drove the trolls
away and saved the town. They... we are all grateful."

Quinn was too startled by that pronouncement to speak. All he could do
was stare at all the people around him with his mouth open. Just a short
while earlier they'd wanted to hide from him, but now they were actually
cheering him.

Just as Quinn started to regain his composure a woman whom he'd seen
before stepped out in front of him, gently pushing a little girl in
front of her. It took him a moment to recognize the girl as Gwenneth,
and the woman as her mother.

"Thank you," the mother blurted out, "thank you, oh so much for saving
my Gwenneth..." There were tears in her eyes at that.

Gwenneth smiled up at Quinn shyly, waving her hand before disappearing
behind her mother's leg. He couldn't resist smiling back.

"I... I don't know what to say," Quinn finally said, still feeling a
little confused.

Chiandra's uncle grinned and stepped forward, "Y've already met me
niece," he gestured to her, adding, "and me barn."

Quinn nodded, "Thanks for letting me sleep there."

"It be me pleasure," Chiandra's uncle chuckled, "not like I use that one
much. But how do you feel?"

Quinn was silent for a moment, thinking about all of his sore muscles.
However when he answered, he only said, "Hungry."

A minute later Quinn found a large amount of food placed in front of
him. With a quick... and heartfelt thanks, he started in, eager to fill
his... giant appetite. Still, as hungry as he was, he felt a little
uncomfortable eating in front of so many people... but he didn't let
that stop him.

---

There was a loud burst of yelling that snapped Kestra out of her sleep,
making her instantly gasp and clutch her head, half sure that it was
going to explode. She closed her eyes, remembering the sensation very
clearly and cursing whatever God had created such a thing as a hangover.

With a wince Kestra slowly sat up in bed, trying to make sure her head
didn't fall... or that she didn't empty her stomach. At the moment both
seemed like definite possibilities. It was made even worse by the sound
that she could hear a short distance away, the sound of people arguing
outside the room, though fortunately going further away.

"Bright Drestas..." Kestra swore, hoping that the Goddess of light and
healing would take pity on her.

Then as Kestra slowly looked for the edge of the bed, she paused,
noticing for the first time that there was something in it with her. No,
she corrected herself... someone.

Kestra gasped, "Who..." just as she recognized Jennifer's face. Her eyes
went wide at that, then even more so when she remembered the night
before. "No..."

Though her head pounded from the effort, Kestra remembered the
drinking... the storytelling... the attention... and the drinking. Her
stomach heaved at the thought and she closed her eyes for a moment, only
vaguely remembering that she had gone home with Jennifer afterwards and
they had...

"Oh my..." Kestra squeaked out, unable to believe that she'd actually
done THAT with another woman... and a human woman at that.

Then Kestra climbed out of the bed, feeling too sick to think too much
about the night before. At the moment she had far more urgent business,
such as relieving herself and getting the room to stop spinning. She was
extremely thankful for the convenience of the other room's magical
chamber pot.

When Kestra came out several minutes later, she was startled to find
herself staring at Jennifer, who was standing in the middle of the room,
wearing a white robe and looking somewhat ill herself. For a moment both
of them stood there, staring at each other in uncomfortable silence.

Finally Jennifer gave a weak smile and announced, "I'll get breakfast."
And with that she went into the kitchen, not saying a word as she went
about her preparations.

Breakfast was a silent affair with neither Kestra nor Jennifer saying
anything and only occasionally giving each other quick, embarrassed
glances. It was obvious that Jennifer was somewhat uncomfortable with
the previous night's activities as well.

Afterwards Kestra quickly finished putting her clothes on and said
goodbye to Jennifer. It was a quick and uncomfortable goodbye on both of
their parts, with little sentimentality as Kestra left Jennifer's
apartment and rushed down the hall back to her host's.

Once safely inside Kestra let out a sigh, not at all delighted by the
irony of the situation. Her current hangover started off with her
telling the story about he last time she had gotten that drunk. It
should have served as a warning, and she knew that she should have
learned her lesson.

"Perhaps this time I'll learn my lesson," Kestra mumbled, half doubting
it already.

And as she stripped off her clothes again, grimacing from the receding
but still present headache, she decided that it wasn't going to be a
good day to go sight seeing. Not a good day at all.

---

With a faint grunt Quinn tried to ignore the aches from his muscles,
forcing himself to hold the wooden gate absolutely steady while several
of the townspeople scrambled to finish repairs. Quinn had been helping
with repairs to the gate for awhile and hoped that they would be done
soon. His arms were getting tired of holding it up.

"How much longer?" Quinn asked with a grimace.

"Only a minute," Chiandra's uncle responded, not even looking at Quinn
as he struggled with some sort of hinge. Then he called out, "Lift her a
little more on the far side." After Quinn had done as he asked,
Chiandra's uncle did something else to the hinge, though Quinn couldn't
quite make it out from where he was at.

Just then Chiandra gasped, "Amazing." She stood there and stared up at
Quinn and then the several people working on the gate, shaking her head
faintly.

"There," Chiandra's uncle told Quinn, "that should do it. Let her loose
so we can see if she's balanced."

Quinn nodded and slowly pulled his arms from the gate, relieved when it
didn't fall down. He took a step back and watched as several men slowly
pushed it open, then closed again. They nodded at each other and
repeated the process several times, even bolting and unbolting it.

Finally Chiandra's uncle called for them to stop, looking satisfied.
"Thank ye for yer help," he told Quinn. "Ye made me job easier."

Then another of the gate workers laughed, "And quicker." He gave Quinn a
nervous, yet also grateful expression. "It woulda taken two days ta fix
the gate insteada two hours." With that he shook his head and hurried
off.

Quinn just blushed, feeling a little uncertain of the thanks. It was
extremely rare that anyone had ever thanked him and actually meant it.
But he could tell that these people did.

"No problem," Quinn answered with a grin, feeling rather pleased with
himself.

Once everyone else had wandered off to work on other repairs and clean
up to the town, Quinn rubbed at his arms, still smiling faintly. He was
sore and tired, but still, he felt better than he had in a long time.

"You know," Chiandra said, tugging on Quinn's leg for attention, "you
don't have to help fix the town. You should just relax and enjoy your
vacation." She gave a forced smile, though it didn't fool Quinn at all.
It was obvious that the attack had gotten to her.

Quinn nodded, slowly dropping down to his knees so that he could look at
Chiandra from a little closer to her own height. "I know," he muttered
quietly, absently glancing around. Then he caught sight of a dead troll
being hauled off in a cart by several people and frowned.

Chiandra asked, "Something wrong?"

"Yeah," Quinn responded slowly, frowning thoughtfully, "I thought you
guys had poison arrows and stuff."

"Some," she answered, looking a little tired herself. "Why?"

"Then how come you didn't use them on those... things?" Quinn pointed at
the dead troll with a look of disgust, remembering how he'd seen several
of them hit with arrows and crossbow bolts but barely seeming to notice.

Chiandra just stared at Quinn as if he had asked a stupid question.
"They're trolls," she said impatiently, as if that was answer enough.

"What..." Quinn started, shaking his head and wondering what that had to
do with it.

After a moment Chiandra seemed to remember that Quinn wouldn't know
about her world and let out a sigh. Then as if explaining to a child,
she said, "Poison doesn't work on trolls. At least not any poisons I
ever heard of."

With that Quinn nodded in understanding and slowly stood up, grunting
from the aches in his muscles. He took a look around the town, or at
least what he could see of it, frowning. The damage that the trolls has
caused were pretty obvious, especially the burned out section of wall.

Quinn barely heard Chiandra suggest, "If we like, we can go back to the
barn and get dinner."

Instead Quinn stared further down the town wall, hearing the noise that
was coming from the burned out section. He was amazed at these people,
at how quickly they'd started putting things back together after the
attack, carrying on as if it was commonplace.

Then as he looked down at himself, remembering the amount of food that
he'd been eating, he felt just a tiny bit guilty. And as he thought
about it, he knew that he would feel even guiltier if he just went back
to the barn while everyone in the town was busy working.

"I..." Quinn was half surprised at himself when he told Chiandra, "I
think I'll see if I help out here a little more first." And with that he
started towards the destroyed section of wall.

---

Kestra leaned back and stared in fascination at the magic box that Sam
had called a television. Like most of the human magics that she'd seen,
it filled her with questions, and wonder. Such as how they could afford
to expend so much magic on everything.

"Plays in a box," she mused, shaking her head in amusement.

Then Kestra took a bit of the cold delicious food that Sam had brought
her, calling it I scream... or something like that. Whatever it was
called, it was very tasty. He definitely knew how to be a good guide,
even if he had only been over there for a short while earlier before
leaving her to spend most of the day alone by her own request. She
smiled at that, knowing that misery loves company... but only when the
other person is equally miserable.

Standing up Kestra looked out the window, still amazed that even at
night the human city was kept lighted. Kept lighted and very active. It
was almost as though the people in the city never slept, something that
she had seen quite well while out the night before.

Kestra sighed slightly at the memory of the night before, not sure what
she should think of it. Some of her memories weren't that clear,
especially between the point where she started telling her stories and
waking up next to Jennifer, but she could remember enough. And she could
remember that she had enjoyed it... as strange as the experience had
been.

Several minutes later Kestra was startled by the sound of a knocking on
the door. She went to answer it, sure that it was Sam, but surprised
when the open door revealed another face instead. Jennifer's.

"Mind if I come in?" Jennifer asked, looking extremely nervous.

"Oh," Kestra blinked, recovering from the surprise and stepping out of
the way, "of course."

Jennifer looked embraced as she stared at Kestra, "About last night..."

"It was..." Kestra started, not exactly sure how to word it.
"Unexpected." That was putting it mildly she thought wryly.

Jennifer nodded at that, "Yes... and I thought that we should have a
talk." Then she up a bottle and gave Kestra a wry smile, "I thought a
little hair of the dog might help."

"Hair of the dog?" Kestra repeated in confusion.

"You know," Jennifer added, this time with a more genuine smile, "of the
dog who bit you."

That only confused Kestra more. She didn't remember getting bit by any
dog the night before, but there were a lot of things that were blurry.
And she could see no reason to have any hair from it, but she didn't say
anything.

With that Jennifer made a pair of glasses appear and started to fill
them, explaining, "Just a little wine."

After Kestra had accepted a glass and taken a careful sip, she invited
Jennifer to sit down, deciding that it would probably be more
comfortable. She gave herself a wry smile at that, already feeling
somewhat uncomfortable with Jennifer from after the night before.

"I don't usually drink so much," Jennifer said after a minute.

"Me neither," Kestra answered, adding, "I've had a few too many
surprises when I do."

"And I don't usually go to bed with someone that quickly either,"
Jennifer added, blushing as she did so. "I can't say it was entirely the
beer though." After a moment more of silence, she blurted out, "I didn't
want to let our sleeping together ruin any chance we might have."

Kestra blinked at that, "Oh..." She wasn't sure what to say about that.

However she didn't have to say anything as Jennifer quickly announced,
"I enjoyed spending time with you last night and thought that we might
do so again." She grinned in embarrassment, adding, "But without all the
alcohol."

"I enjoyed your company as well," Kestra admitted honestly. It had been
interesting to actually sit down and talk to someone without them
running away in fear.

They talked for several minutes while slowly sipping at the wine,
neither drinking too much. The conversation remained mute while Kestra
and Jennifer danced around the subject of their sleeping together and
tried to get past the discomfort.

Once they had both settled down, Jennifer told Kestra, "I loved those
stories you were telling last night. Wherever did you come up with
those?"

Kestra grinned, "Here and there." There was no way that Jennifer would
believe the truth, at least if Sam was right, which she was beginning to
suspect he was.

"Well you ought to consider getting them published," Jennifer told her,
sounding sincere. Kestra just nodded at that, feeling rather pleased at
the compliment. "You're quite a storyteller and you almost make it seem
as though you'd actually seen that stuff."

"Thank you," Kestra said with a smile.

Then Jennifer abruptly changed subjects, "So, Kester is kind of an
unusual name."

Kestra gulped at that, suddenly feeling just a tiny bit nervous, though
she pushed that away, chiding herself for the emotion. What cause was
there to be nervous of a human, especially when they were just talking?

"It is not my real name," Kestra responded slowly, "it is just what
others call me."

"A nickname," Jennifer nodded. "So what's your real name then?" She
looked at Kestra curiously.

With a shrug, Kestra answered, "I don't remember." Sam had told her the
name of her host, though she didn't remember it at the moment.

"Oooh," Jennifer gave an exaggerated wince and look of sympathy, "that
bad eh?"

A moment later they refilled their glasses and Kestra announced, "A
toast." She had seen the custom on the television and rather liked it,
"To spending time with others."

"An odd toast," Jennifer mused, adding, "to good conversation with
interesting people." They clinked their glasses at that and each took a
sip.

After several more hours of talking Jennifer excused herself, saying
that it was time to return home. "I prefer to take things slowly,"
Jennifer told Kestra as she got to the door, causing them both to smile
as they thought about how late that statement was.

"I will look forward to seeing you again," Kestra told her honestly,
half surprised at how much she meant it. It was strange for her since
she was definitely not used to being around others. At least not in such
a pleasant manner.

With that Jennifer leaned forward and gave Kestra a kiss on the cheek,
then stood back again and winked. "To remember me by," she told him,
just before she left.

For a minute Kestra just stood there, unsure of her own emotions. Unsure
of the strange things that she was feeling. Not only did she enjoy
Jennifer's company, but she was eager for more of it. That was very
unusual for one such as herself who was used to being alone... and
preferred it that way. At least she thought that she had, but now she
wasn't so sure.

***

The shimmery water was chilled, but not quite so much as Quinn would
have expected. Closing his eyes, he smiled and let out a contented sigh,
wishing that he had a nice hot bath, but deciding that at the moment a
soak in the lake was nearly as good.

It was several days since the incident with the Trolls, and Quinn was
amazed at just how much attitudes around the town had changed towards
him. At first even while he helped with repairing the walls, most of the
townspeople had still been suspicious of him. But that didn't last long
and now they came out smiling at him, treating him as if he were a
friend, not a monster who might tear down their town at any moment.

With that Quinn splashed his hands along the lake surface, smiling as he
thought about that morning. The people in the town had been so nice to
him since that he felt that he had to do something for them... or at
least something more. Even if it was something small for him. That was
why he'd spent most of the morning helping the farmers... finding that
he could do a lot more work than several of their horses together.

"Nice," Quinn muttered, "but I'm still not much of a drafthorse." Still,
he smiled, feeling pleased that he'd been able to be helpful... and
actually appreciated.

Quinn nodded towards Chiandra on the shore then took another look around
himself, absently scuffling his feet along the sandy lake bottom. He was
still amazed at what his guide had called the Golden Lake. The name was
very appropriate as the water actually looked like liquid gold from a
distance, though Quinn couldn't quite figure out why.

Shaking his head, Quinn splashed in the water a little, "So strange...
so beautiful."

For a moment he remained where he was, taking turns looking between the
golden lake and his own body... or at least what he could see through
the water. The sight of breasts on his chest... as well as their feel
was still very strange... and though he was reluctant to admit it... a
little erotic as well.

Then Quinn started back for shore, grinning as he stepped out of the
water and towered over Chiandra... completely naked. Water dripped from
his body, especially from the tips of his massive mammaries. It was
strange for him to think that each was even bigger than his head
was...had been in his own body.

He'd felt a twinge of embarrassment when he first undressed to get in
the water, but after he reminded himself that they were both girls at
the moment... he realized that it wasn't even his own body so there was
nothing to be modest about. And of course Chiandra didn't seem to care
one way or the other, which settled Quinn's mind further.

"The water is nice," Quinn told Chiandra, "you should have come in."

"No thanks," Chiandra grinned, "I do not know how to... swim."

Quinn blinked at that in surprise, wondering how anyone could live so
close to such a nice lake and still not know how to swim. "I'll teach
you," Quinn told her after a minute.

Chiandra looked a little embarrassed, "Thank you. I will gladly
accept... but not this day. I promised uncle that I would help him with
supper."

Feeling a little disappointed at that, Quinn nodded, "All right. Just
let me get dressed."

With that he started for his clothes, wishing that he actually had a
towel large enough for his body. Unfortunately though there didn't seem
to be anything around so he had to let the sun dry him... and get into
his clothes while still wet.

Once Quinn had finished getting his clothes back on, he grinned down at
Chiandra, "Want a piggy back ride?" He couldn't help asking since she
looked as small as a child to him.

Chiandra just looked a little confused at that. "Piggy back?" She shook
her head, "I will be riding horse back." Then she called, "Carrot..."
attracting her horses attention.

A minute later they started back towards the town, with Quinn looking
down in amusement. It still amazed him that a horse looked closer to the
size of a large dog, and that an adult human only looked about the same
size as a little kid. He didn't think that he could ever get used to
something like that, but at least it was interesting.

"Better than boredom," he muttered to himself. "A hell of a lot better."

It didn't take long before they got past the trees into the part of the
valley where the farmers were working the field. And even from a
distance Quinn could see a group of men gathered around with several
horses, though he couldn't make out what they were doing until he and
Chiandra got closer.

"Tis the giant..." one of the men called out once Quinn was close enough
to see them all. He looked up at Quinn nervously, though he made no move
to run.

Then another of the man nodded, "T'was my sisters child that ye saved,"
He smiled, "Ye have me thanks." The other three men all relaxed at that.

"What is going on?" Chiandra asked curiously.

Quinn just stared into the large hole that the men were standing in
front of, seeing a large rock in the middle of it. A moment later the
men confirmed that they were trying to remove it, already having tried
with heavy ropes, several chains and a pair of horses.

"Maybe I can help," Quinn offered, bending down for a better look.

The man who claimed that Gwenneth was his niece grinned, "T'would be
greatly appreciated."

With that Quinn climbed into the hole that the men had dug around the
rock and grimaced, beginning to question if he could move it. From that
position, it was a lot bigger than it looked from above. Still, he tried
to lift rock... the small boulder, to push it up the side of the hole.
And though the rock moved several inches, it quickly became obvious to
Quinn that he wasn't going to succeed.

"Damn!" he spat, "That bastard is heavy."

"Mayhap if you lift along with the horses?" one of the other men
suggested, acting almost as though Quinn was one of his normal co-
workers.

"Good idea," Quinn agreed.

However even after the horses and all the men pulled on the chains while
Quinn struggled with the rock, it only moved several more inches,
showing no sign of actually coming out of the hole. After attempting
that for over half an hour, they gave up in disgust.

"Tis too large," one of the men grumbled, "even for one of your size."

Chiandra suddenly exclaimed, "Uncle is waiting... I have to get back."
She turned to Quinn, an expectant look on her face.

However he just glared at the rock, beginning to hate it. "You go
ahead," he told her, "I can catch up when we're done here."

Chiandra seemed a little surprised at that, "Are you sure?" Then she
asked, "Do you know the way back..."

Quinn just nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Still Chiandra didn't seem convinced. At least not at first though
several minutes she was on her way again while Quinn remained behind
staring at the boulder in determination.

Finally, Quinn shook his head, "I think we're going about this all
wrong." At the questioning looks, he said, "Work smarter, not harder."

"What mean ye?" Gwenneth's uncle asked.

Quinn wasn't completely sure of that himself. At least not yet. "Do you
have any dynamite or explosives?" At their blank looks, he muttered,
"Guess not." And the rock did look too sturdy to break up into smaller
bits very easily. Not without some good tools that he didn't see around.
"Maybe dig a ramp or use a lever..."

After several more seconds, something suddenly dawned on Quinn. "You
guys want to clear this out so you can plant... whatever." At their
nods, and expressions that hinted that they thought the question stupid,
Quinn asked, "How deep do you guys need to dig... or whatever?"

"A good foot or two," Gwenneth's uncle answered after a moment
scratching his scraggly beard.

"Okay..." Quinn mused; staring at the rock in the hole, seeing that at
least six inches of it was above the ground. Suddenly he announced,
"I've got it. Why try lifting the rock and fighting gravity when we can
use it instead?"

One of the men, a balding man with a brown beard, demanded, "What do ye
speak of?" He scratched his head as he looked up at Quinn in confusion.

After bending over a little so that he could see past his breasts, Quinn
nodded down towards the man, trying to consider how to explain it. He
absently twirled one of his fingers through his hair before suddenly
grinning.

"Look," Quinn grinned, "it's like this..."

Even before Quinn had finished with the exploration, the men all nodded
and grinned to each other, quickly picking up their shovels and picks.
Within moments they were all in the bottom of the pit, working at the
ground. Quinn... who had no tools of his own, quickly bent down to help
them make the hole even bigger with his bare hands.

It didn't take long before they'd excavated the hole where Quinn wanted
to his satisfaction, especially with his large hands pulling the dirt
away just as quickly as the workers dug it loose. Then he gestured for
the others to clear the hole while he moved to the other side and pushed
at the large rock once again.

"C'mon," Quinn grunted.

Then Quinn grinned in satisfaction as the rock moved, slowly at first,
then quickly as it started to topple. A moment later there was a
crashing sound as the rock fell sideways into the deeper hole that they
had dug next to it, leaving a clear two feet between the highest point
of the rock and the ground level.

"She did it!" the balding man gasped in awe.

"We did it," Quinn corrected with a grin, knowing that they still had to
fill the hole back in with the remaining dirt. He started that off by
pushing a large amount in with his foot.

Gwenneth's uncle just chuckled as he reached for his shovel, "Not only
strong... but clever as well." The other men echoed their agreement as
they went back to work, making Quinn blush at the comments, but feel
extremely pleased.

Once they had finished Quinn said goodbye and started on his way back to
the barn, feeling not only incredibly satisfied, but very hungry as
well. He absently rubbed his stomach, jokingly thinking that he was
hungry enough to eat a horse... until he laughed, realizing that he
actually could.

---

Kestra stared intently at the green table in front of her, trying to
determine her next move. With a scowl she took a drink of beer, then
glanced over at her guide Sam, determined to beat him at the game that
he called pool. At least this time.

"Well," Sam grinned, "you going man or what?"

With a snort Kestra snapped, "In a moment." She still had to figure out
how to get that tiny red ball into one of the holes using the stick he'd
given her. It was definitely a challenging game and she had yet to beat
Sam... but she wasn't going to rest until she did. "I think I have
it..."

And with that Kestra took her shot, missing the target hole by several
inches and knocking one of Sam's balls closer to a hole in the process.

"You're getting better," Sam grinned, bending over and taking a shot,
easily knocking his target ball into the hole. "You just need a little
practice."

Kestra just nodded, not feeling much better. It had been several hours
since Sam had brought her to the bar and introduced her to pool. It was
interesting since she was not used to competing against others in such a
way, and rather amusing. And though she had been enjoying herself, there
was no doubt that it would have been far more enjoyable had she been
winning.

"Ten bucks says he misses the next shot," one of the guys standing
nearby said aloud, earning a glare from Kestra. He just laughed at that,
"Hey man, I was just kidding."

"Hey," Sam added with a grin of his own, "I'll take you up on that bet."

There were several chuckles around the table but Kestra tried to put
them out of her mind and focus at the task at hand. There were definite
downsides to being around people she decided, though she smiled faintly
at the thought, knowing that sometime challenges could prove the most
interesting. And With that she took her shot, grinning triumphantly as
the ball she was aiming for went in.

"Damn," Sam grumbled, handing some money to the other guy, "you choose
now to get better." Kestra just grinned smugly at that.

By the time Sam had finished winning that game and they were firmly in
the middle of another, they were talking quite cheerfully with the
gambler, whose name Kestra learned was Mitch, as well as several of
Mitch's friends at the next table. Kestra was somewhat curious as to
their boisterous attitudes, but suspected that much of it was due to the
beer.

"So," Mitch asked, glancing over at Kestra and Sam, "who do you think'll
win tomorrow?"

"Win?" Kestra asked, wondering what he meant.

"You know," Mitch added, "the Giants or the Bears?"

Kestra just stared at Mitch as though he were stupid. "Giants of
course," she halfway spat, wondering how anyone could ask such a stupid
question. Then she added with a smirk, "Giants always win."

Mitch shook his head, giving a mock disappointed look, "A Giants fan."
Then he grinned and asked, "Care to make a bet?"

Sam grinned at that, "Sure thing." Then he grinned at Kestra, "Wanna
come back here tomorrow night for the game?"

She shook her head, wondering what kind of a game they could have
between bears and giants... especially when she didn't think that giants
even existed there. And since humans weren't supposed to believe her
kind even existed, she was even more confused by the question and
decided to ask Sam about it later.

"No..." she finally told Sam, glancing at Mitch and his friends, "I have
other plans."

Sam just nodded, looking at Kestra with a slightly worried expression.
However he didn't say anything, just gesturing for her to get back to
the game.

A minute later Kestra excused herself to go to the bathroom, reminding
herself to use the one for men. Sam had made that very clear earlier,
though it amused her that humans actually had separate places for men
and women to relieve themselves. It was just another curiosity about
their behavior that she had to add to the rest.

Once she had finished relieving herself, Kestra started back towards the
pool table, absently thinking how strange it was to urinate that way.
Even after several days as a man, it still startled her when she did
that.

Suddenly Kestra felt as though she ran into a wall and staggered back,
startled to see a man in front of her. An extremely large man who was
over a head taller than her, bulging with muscles and looking extremely
mean.

"What the fuck?" the man growled. "What the hell do you think you're
doing?"

Kestra just stared up in surprise, her mouth hanging open as she stared
at the largest person she'd ever seen. Or at least he seemed that way,
making her feel tiny in comparison. She was NOT used to being smaller
than others or in the weaker position. Then she gulped as she felt an
emotion that she had not felt in a VERY long time. Not since she'd run
into that dragon years ago. It was fear.

With a snarl, the man grunted, "Keep the hell outta my way." And with
that he shoved Kestra, not even using his full strength, as she sprawled
backwards and into the nearby wall.

Kestra got to her feet, clenching her hands angrily, not sure whether
she was angry at the huge man or herself for being afraid. She shook
slightly, still unnerved by the sudden realization of how small and
helpless she now was. No longer was she the imposing figure that people
ran from... at least not at the moment. And that meant that she could be
hurt. Was that was how the people always felt when they ran...

Then with a deep breath, and a more sober state, Kestra started back
towards Sam and the pool table, having gained a lot to think about.

---

There was a slight breeze that blew by; just enough to take the edge
from the sun's warmth and make the grass nearby dance lightly. The scent
of roasting pies and breads were carried upon the breeze, as well as
strong hints of smoke from a fire. And then there were the sounds of
children playing close by, all of which made Quinn feel quite relaxed
and carefree.

At the moment Quinn was sitting on the grass just a short distance from
the town walls, enjoying his vacation. Enjoying the fact that he didn't
have to work, though he certainly didn't mind helping like he had with
the rock just the day before.

Then he shifted position slightly to get a better look at the children
who were chasing each other around in some variation of tag, laughing
and giggling as they did so. After several minutes the kids stopped
their game and started to slowly move toward Quinn, looking at him
curiously. It was only then that he realized that one of them was that
little girl Gwenneth.

"Wow," a ragamuffin boy who looked around 10 exclaimed when he got
closer to Quinn, "look how big she is." Still he made no effort to move
any closer, only glancing at the other children with him. None of them
seemed inclined to get any closer, not within arms reach, which made
Quinn smile faintly.

Suddenly Gwenneth ran forward and giggled, "Hi big lady." She looked up
at Quinn with a pair of wide brown eyes that somehow reminded him of a
puppy's.

"Hello," Quinn smiled back gently, bending down a little so that he was
a little closer to her level. "How are you today Gwenn?"

Gwenneth brightened at that. "Fine." Then she grinned back at her
friends and bragged, "She knows my name." A moment later she ran towards
Quinn and surprised him by throwing her arms around his leg and giving
it a hug.

Quinn wasn't sure how to react to Gwenneth's hug, so he just gave her a
gentle pat on the back. And as he did so, Quinn noticed that the other
kids were coming closer, seeing that he wasn't going to hurt them.

Then the oldest one, the 10 year old who'd first commented about his
size, looked up at Quinn with an expression of mixed awe and
curiosity... as well as defiance. "My daddy says that you ate one of the
mean trolls."

Nearly choking at that, Quinn responded with a grin, "No, I don't eat
trolls." And then with a wink to show that he was joking, he added,
"Just naughty children."

The kids all giggled at that, none of them taking him seriously. Instead
they came even closer and started to hesitantly started to touch him. It
was almost as if they were daring each other, trying to prove how brave
they were. But none of them seemed afraid of Quinn, especially after
several minutes.

"How did you get so big?" one girl asked in awe.

"Did you really fight all of those trolls?" one of the boys asked.

Then a 7 year old girl with reddish hair in pigtails exclaimed, "I bet
you're really, really strong."

All of the others nodded at that, all except for the oldest boy who
retorted, "I bet my daddy's stronger than her. After all, she's just a
girl."

Quinn nearly laughed at that. "Just a girl..." he repeated, looking down
at himself and staring at his breasts. "I guess you're right." It still
amazed him at that. "But can your daddy do THIS?"

And with that Quinn reached over and picked up a large rock that was
nearly as big as Gwenneth was. All of the kids stared at that, even more
so when he easily tossed it to the side. Then they burst into excited
chatter, most of which he couldn't quite make out.

Suddenly the pig-tailed girl demanded, "Pick me up."

"No... me," another burst out excitedly.

"I don't know..." Quinn started, then shook his head. "Why not."

A moment later Quinn gently picked up the pig-tailed girl and lifted her
into the air, smiling as she giggled and gasped in excitement. Then he
stood up, lifting her even higher into the air, much to her delight...
as well as the others below.

"My turn..." they each cried out when Quinn set the girl back down.

Quinn carefully lifted the next, giving them each a turn but being
extremely careful with them as he did so. They were so small that it
took almost no effort to do so, which only impressed them even more.

"And this is called an airplane ride..." Quinn started, holding one and
moving her around in the air. "Hang on..."

Once Quinn had finished with the rides and sat back down, he quickly
found himself in the role of a jungle gym as the children started to
climb on him. He laughed, amazed at just how amusing it was just to play
with little kids.

Then Quinn heard another laugh... an adult laugh. He looked over and
blushed in embarrassment to see Chiandra standing there with her arms
crossed and a bit of a smirk on her face.

"You seem to get along with them rather well," she commented.

"Yeah," Quinn admitted with a grin, "they do look up to me."

Chiandra just shook her head at that, making Quinn grin even more. It
appeared that the power of bad puns transcended dimensions.

"So what's up?" Quinn asked, beginning to move the kids off of him.

"No need for that," Chiandra gestured for Quinn to remain where he was.
"I was just checking on how you where." She looked back towards the wall
and nodded towards someone there, then told Quinn, "You can stay here
and keep the kids occupied. I have something that I need to take care
of."

Quinn shrugged, shifting one of the kids and smiling, "Sure." He had
absolutely no problem playing baby-sitter, especially since he was
having the time of his life. "See you later then."

And then Chiandra said a quick, "See you later," as she hurried off back
towards the town gate and the several people standing there.

However Quinn barely noticed Chiandra leaving as one of the kids tugged
on his hair, demanding that he return all his attention towards them.
With an exaggerated sigh Quinn did just that, amused at the fact that HE
was actually having fun playing with kids.

---

The sound of music could be heard in the distance, the same strange sort
of music that Kestra had heard a number of times since coming to that
world. Music that was wild and filled strange sounds. And though the
music was interesting, some of it even hypnotic, Kestra was unable to
find most of what she'd heard very enjoyable. And At the moment it was
an annoyance that she was trying to ignore.

Kestra glanced over at Jennifer and smiled as they walked down the hall
of the apartment building, having just returned from dinner and
entertainment... what Sam had called a date. In fact, they had spent
most of the day together, having gone to the zoo earlier, and then to
dinner and dancing, with Kestra thoroughly enjoying all of it.

"Such strange creatures," Kestra commented casually as they reached the
door to Jennifer's apartment.

"Oh," Jennifer responded, smiling at Kestra as she asked, "what ones?"

With shrug, Kestra answered, "Humans."

Jennifer just laughed, "C'mon, I know you were interested in the zoo.
You acted like you've never heard of an elephant before."

Kestra didn't bother answering that, only smiling instead. It had been
the first time that she'd ever heard of such a creature, or that giraffe
thing. In fact, there were a great number of strange creatures that
Jennifer had shown her at the zoo, which she had never seen or heard of
before. But at the same time, Kestra couldn't resist smiling, relieved
that at least some of the animals were ones she knew of, such as the
bears. Even if some of them were white.

Just as the door opened Jennifer smiled at Kestra and asked, "Do you
want to come in for a nightcap?"

Though she wasn't completely sure what a nightcap was, Kestra nodded
agreement. She'd already had such an enjoyable time with Jennifer that
she was reluctant for it to end just yet. It was so rare that she was
able to spend time with someone, to just talk and be comfortable with
each other. It was very rare indeed for any giant to enjoy
companionship, especially with ones of equal size.

"Yes," Kestra said with a smile, "I would enjoy that." That seemed to be
just what Jennifer wanted to hear.

Several minutes later, they were inside and Kestra was sitting down on
Jennifer's couch while she put her coat away and went to the kitchen.
She came back out a moment later and handed Kestra a glass of what
appeared to be wine, but as Kestra took a sip, she was startled to
realize that it was some sort of juice.

"Grape juice," Jennifer said quietly, sitting down very close to Kestra
and taking a sip from her own glass. And as she put her hand on Kestra's
thigh, she looked nervous for a moment. But just for a moment. "I didn't
want... I don't want either of us to blame the alcohol this time."

Kestra just stared at Jennifer for a moment in surprise, realizing what
her friend was saying. She blinked, realizing for the first time that
her heart was racing. That her breathing was a little choked. And of
course that there was a pressure from her crotch, from her new equipment
threatening to burst out of her pants.

"I understand," Kestra said quietly, setting her glass down and staring
Jennifer straight in the eyes. She couldn't help noticing that Jennifer
had very beautiful eyes.

Then Jennifer blushed, "Thank you," making Kestra realize that she'd
said that thought out loud, embarrassing her as well.

As Jennifer pushed herself even closer to Kestra, making her breath felt
on Kestra's cheek, Kestra realized that her body was reacting even more.
She was slightly confused by the strange sensations running through her
body... and her heart. There was no doubt that her body was excited by
Jennifer's presence... to a great deal.

For a moment Kestra just stared at Jennifer's eyes... and then down at
her breasts. They were nice and shapely, though smaller than her own...
than the ones from her real body. However even though she had seen her
own breasts countless times, these ones seemed almost hypnotic in the
way that they drew Kestra's attention.

"Oh," Kestra whispered quietly, slowly bending forward until her lips
were just inches from Jennifer's. She could feel Jennifer's breath on
her lips... could smell the sweet perfume and scent of a woman. "Yes..."

With that Kestra pushed her lips forward and completed the contact,
starting what was to be a long and passionate kiss. Kestra put her arms
around Jennifer who grabbed her back and they held each other for some
time in a deep kiss.

Finally they broke apart and Kestra stared at Jennifer with a feeling of
wonder. Wonder at the emotions that she was feeling for a woman when she
knew that they were supposed to be reserved for her mate... for a male
giant. Wonder at the fact that she desired something that she knew she
should not. And wonder that the feelings were obviously returned.

Kestra hesitated only a moment under all these considerations, thinking
about all the reasons she should not... could not do anything with
Jennifer... at least not again. However after only a few seconds, they
were all thrown away as she reached forward for another kiss. This time,
knowing without a doubt that it was going to lead to something much...
much more intimate.

Several minutes later Kestra's prediction was proven correct as they
moved to the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes strewn on the floor
behind them. Neither of them said a word, not... until Jennifer started
screaming out, "Kester..."

Some time afterwards Kestra lay motionlessly in the bed, feeling the
presence of Jennifer beside her. The presence of her friend... her
lover. And it felt oddly comforting, bringing a gentle smile to Kestra's
face. And as she slowly drifted off to sleep, she didn't feel any guilt
at all from what they had done, only a deep contentment.

---

It was beginning to get late by the time Quinn returned to the barn. He
frowned slightly, wishing that he could have caught up to Chiandra
before going to bed, but whatever it was that she was busy with had
taken the rest of the day. It was a little disappointing, but Quinn knew
that he'd see her the next day.

"I wonder what she has planned for tomorrow," Quinn mused absently,
pausing a moment to think about it. There was no telling where Chiandra
would take him or what she would show him. He'd already seen more than
he could have imagined possible on his vacation and knew without a doubt
that there was plenty more to see. "Should be interesting at least."

Then Quinn thought about what had happened earlier during that day,
smiling at the memory. Who ever would have thought that he would have
been a baby-sitter for a whole town, at least for one day. And what was
more, he had enjoyed it, liking the way those kids had actually wanted
to play with him. It had actually made him feel wanted... needed.

Shaking his head slightly Quinn sighed, "A first time for everything."

After a moment Quinn opened the barn door and crouched down to enter,
stopping in surprise when he saw that there were already people in the
barn... lots of them. And Chiandra stood in front, with Orwen, her uncle
and several others standing nearby, including Crosh and Gwenneth's
mother.

"Surprise!" Chiandra called out with a mischievous expression.

Quinn gasped, "What..." in confusion, definitely surprised.

"I thought you might be," Chiandra commented with a grin.

Then Orwen took a step forward, bowing his head slightly and looking
embarrassed. "I come to apologize for my earlier mistrust. You have done
nothing but good for us since you came to visit."

"Thanks," Quinn responded, feeling a little startled, "but I think I can
understand why..."

With that Chiandra grinned as she announced, "Well, the reason we're
here is that everyone appreciated your helping out so much." There were
several comments around the barn at that, mentioning the rock, the
trolls and even his playing with the kids.

"Ye've been a good guest," Chiandra's uncle commented, "and even though
ye got a short time left, we thought ye might like it bein more cozy."

Chiandra grinned up at Quinn, then gave a glance at her uncle before
gesturing behind her. At that several of the men in the back pulled a
tarp off of the 'bed' that Quinn had been using, revealing a new
mattress beneath.

"We know you're not going to be here much longer," Chiandra quickly told
Quinn, "but we thought that you might sleep a little better in that time
if you had a more comfortable mattress." She grinned. "I know that you
complained about the other one a few times, so some of us got together
and made a new one for you."

Quinn just stared at the mattress in shock, then at Chiandra, something
catching in his throat. Feeling nervous, he moved over to the new
mattress and gently put his hand on it, pushing down. It felt so soft
compared to the previous one. Almost just like a real mattress.

"Oh my..." Quinn whispered, slowly turning from the mattress and looking
around at the people in the barn.

"I think that she likes it," Orwen told Chiandra quietly.

"Our mattress makers aren't used to making anything that big," Chiandra
said apologetically, "I hope it's soft enough."

All Quinn could do was nod his head, still in a complete daze. There was
little doubt that there was a lot of effort put into the mattress... and
the sturdy bed frame that seemed to come with it. They had actually done
all that...j ust for him. It was shocking...almost beyond belief.

"You guys did that for me..." Quinn gasped quietly.

No one had ever done anything like that for Quinn in his entire life, at
least not as long as he could remember. He'd never had anyone go through
that kind of trouble, go through that kind of effort to try making him
happy. Not even for Christmas when he was a kid.

"Quinn..." Chiandra asked carefully, looking worried. "Are you all
right?"

For a moment he just stared at her and then the smiling people around
him, people who had previously looked at him as though he were some sort
of monster but now were all smiling, looking at him as if he were one of
them. As if he were a friend or member of their family.

"I... I..." Quinn's voice was shaky as he collapsed to the ground, "I've
never been better."

With that Quinn smiled at them all, feeling overwhelmed by the surprise
of it all. "Thank you," he finally said, his voice so quiet that most of
them had to strain to hear it, "thank you so much."

However it wasn't just for the bed and mattress that Quinn was thanking
them. Instead it was for something far more important. It was for the
reason that they'd given them to him. For what they symbolized. And then
all Quinn could think to do was reach out and grab a surprised Chiandra
in a hug... tears of joy streaming down his cheeks.

***

Quinn sat up in his bed with a smile, patting it gently and fighting the
urge to go back to sleep. It had been the best night's sleep that he'd
had in a long time, longer than he could remember. The new mattress was
even better than the one up in the giant's house, as well as the one
back in his own apartment. However he knew that it had been more than
just the mattress.

"Let's see," Quinn mused, looking down at his naked body with a wry
grin. It was still a little odd to see a woman's body whenever he looked
down, but not nearly as strange as it had been. "Yep, they're still
there."

With that Quinn ran a hand over his breasts, smiling faintly as he did
so. It was almost erotic to touch his own breasts, then he changed his
mind and decided that there was no 'almost' to it. It was erotic, and
enough to get him a little turned on. However he decided that he didn't
have time for that now, no matter how much he might be tempted.

Several minutes later Quinn had dressed and left the barn, still smiling
to himself as he thought about the night before. Not about the sleep,
but about the part. About the people gathering to give him something
that they'd gone through so much effort to make. And just for him.

"For me," Quinn whispered, shaking his head in disbelief.

He stood outside the barn for several minutes, doing nothing except
slowly looking around and breathing in the fresh air. For a moment he
considered waiting around for Chiandra, knowing that she would come by
sooner or later. After all she had mentioned wanting to take Quinn up to
see where a flock of golden geese supposedly nested. However Quinn
decided against waiting, at least for now. And with that he started off
towards the town.

While he was walking Quinn noticed a group of men in the distance,
though what they were up to he couldn't make out. Then he curiously
started towards them, absently wondering if maybe they were just trying
to get out another rock. He smiled at that, flexing one of his arms and
deciding that if they were, he might be of some help. In an odd way, he
almost hoped that they were.

But as Quinn got closer to the group, he could make out several things.
That there were five of them, that they seemed to be armed with
spears... and that there was something else that they were circling...
and backing away from.

"Holy shit," Quinn gasped, as he got even closer, drawing the attention
of the men as he stared at the thing they were facing.

The creature was larger, though not quite the size of a horse, having a
catlike body. Closer to the body of a lion, with a tannish color.
However the front legs were scaled and clawed, while a pair of feathery
wings sprouted from its shoulders. And even stranger than that was the
creature's head, which looked very birdlike... and extremely pissed. As
he saw it, one word sprang to mind... griffin.

"Careful," Orwen growled out. It wasn't until then that Quinn realized
that he was one of the group. He barely gave a glance back at Quinn as
he warned, "The griffin is injured... making it more dangerous."

Quinn nodded, even though they couldn't see it. Then he noticed the wing
which was bent slightly... and the streak of blood down it's side, not
to mention what seemed to be a nasty gash the blood was coming from.

"It be lookin ta cause trouble," one of the men growled back as
explanation, "Caught er startin for town."

Orwen moved forward slightly, holding his spear out as if to push the
griffin back. It just let out a cry that sounded unlike anything Quinn
had ever heard. It was sort of a cross between a growl and a bird's cry.
Then it lashed out with its claws, knocking the spear out of Orwen's
hands and causing him to jump back.

"Something injured it," Orwen growled, glancing at Quinn again, "and now
it is in a spiteful mood, ready to attack anyone it happens across. It
must be slain before it hurts anyone."

Quinn just stared at the creature nervously, thinking that in spite of
its small size, at least compared to him, its claws and beak still
looked rather nasty. "Slay it?" he repeated slowly, actually feeling a
little sympathetic to the griffin. After all, it was hurt and probably
pretty scared as well.

One of the other men snorted sarcastically, "Less ye have a better
idea."

Almost as if on cue the griffin lashed out forward with its claws,
though the men's spears pushed it back again. It let out another howl
while crouching down, looking as though it were about to pounce. The men
all grimaced and shifted positions, trying to find a way forward though
the creature seemed wary and good at avoiding their spears.

Then Quinn frowned, "I think I just might."

And before anyone could say anything, Quinn lunged forward and grabbed
hold of the griffin by the scruff of its neck, pulling it back. Wings
flapped uselessly against his arm while he snaked his other hand
underneath and latched it around the claws.

"I've got it," Quinn grunted, picking the griffin up and holding it just
like he had the neighbor's cat when he was a kid. A cat that absolutely
loved to scratch and bite, making him learn very quickly how to hold it
to avoid all of those. "Just like a big old puddy tat."

"Brakka..." Orwen gasped, staring up at Quinn with a look of shock on
his face.

"She caught the flamin beastie..." another of the men gasped.

Orwen shook his head, smiling faintly though he tried unsuccessfully to
hide it. "Impressive," he admitted, "but what are you going to do with
it since you seem to have little inclination to slay it?"

Quinn just grinned, holding the griffin firmly, "We have Crosh heal it,
then we let it go. Since it won't be hurt anymore, it won't have any
reason to stick around and will fly off." He grinned proudly.
"Everyone's happy and there's no need to kill it."

Orwen just shook his head faintly, as if thinking that Quinn was doing
something foolish but unwilling to say so. At the same time he seemed
vaguely amused by Quinn's unique method of handling the griffin and was
humoring him.

Just as they started on their way to find Crosh, Orwen looked around,
with one of the other men asking, "What's wrong?"

"Something injured the griffin," Orwen told them all with a grim
expression, "and I would like to know what... and if it presents a
danger." That was a chilling thought, especially with the griffin blood
dripping down Quinn's arm.

Several minutes later Orwen called for a stop, holding up his arm and
pointing. "Look!" Quinn looked to where Orwen was pointing... and
running towards, finally seeing what Orwen had noticed, just as the man
yelled, "Trolls."

Some distance away were a group of trolls; only 3 of them, but all of
them were armed. They looked like some of the same troll bandits who'd
attacked the town earlier, and nasty looking at that.

"They must have been what hurt the griffin," one of the men growled,
chasing after Orwen, along with the others.

Quinn just stood where he was for a few seconds clutching the still
struggling griffin, undecided about what to do. Then he grimaced and ran
after them, still clutching the griffin. However as soon as he got
closer to the trolls, they stared at him with expressions of horror.

"The trolls are afraid of her," Orwen gasped, sounding as though he were
talking to himself.

"I be glad she be on our side," one of the other men chuckled, "I not be
wantin an angry giantess after me. Specially not after what she did ta
their friends."

At that Quinn stepped forward, moving closer to the trolls, still
holding the griffin so that he couldn't really use his hands. However
either they didn't realize that or thought he was going to throw the
griffin at them, because the moment Quinn started towards them, the
trolls all screamed out something in a language he couldn't understand.
However the tone... and their expressions were unquestionably ones of
terror... and panic.

"Come to da... mommy," Quinn grinned, glaring at the ugly creatures.

That seemed to be the final straw, because at that very moment the
trolls all turned and ran, two of them even dropping their weapons. They
screamed in panic as they bolted off as if the very demons from hell
were after them, though Quinn and all of the men remained where they
were, staring at the fleeing trolls in amazement.

After a minute Orwen commented, "Somehow... I suspect that we shall
never see them in this valley again."

"I spect yer right," chuckled one of his friends.

Then Orwen looked up at Quinn with a broad grin, gently putting one of
his hands on Quinn's leg, "Very well done lady Quinn. And without even
loosening the griffin." He shook his head at that. "You are as
compassionate as you are strong and beautiful."

Though he wasn't quite sure why, Quinn blushed at the compliment.

"Now let's hurry and get this beastie to the healer," Orwen told Quinn
with a gentle smile. And with that he started off, leaving Quinn and the
others to follow.

---

It was late in the morning as Kestra sat in a chair by the window,
staring out of it thoughtfully. The people below went about their
business, looking even smaller than they had from her real body. Even
the cars moving around looked small from that height, like the toys she
had seen in the stores Sam had taken her through. However it was not the
scene below her that really occupied her thoughts, but the previous
night's events.

Kestra slowly turned away from the window, staring again, as she had
done several dozen times, at the sleeping body that occupied the bed.
The very same bed that she had woken up from herself just a short while
earlier, and the very same bed that she had shared with Jennifer.

With a faint, almost imperceptible shake of her head, Kestra whispered,
"Unbelievable."

Still, as she stared at Jennifer's still sleeping body, Kestra smiled,
almost dreamily as she thought about the day before. She still found it
hard to believe that it had happened, that she'd actually slept with
Jennifer again, and this time without the excuse of being drunk. And
even though it left her a little uncertain, Kestra didn't regret it.

For a moment Kestra was tempted to wake Jennifer up, smiling as she
thought of an interesting... and enjoyable way to do so. However she
kept that impulse in check, satisfying herself with just watching her
friend... her lover.

As Kestra thought about the previous day's events, she smiled
pleasantly, feeling a warmth inside. Feeling oddly enough... whole.
Almost as though she had been missing something her entire life and had
never even noticed it. Not until she happened to find what that
something was. A something that she still wasn't sure what it was.

"Jennifer," Kestra whispered, realizing that the woman in the bed held
the answer.

Kestra stared at Jennifer in the bed again, licking her lips faintly,
amused by the reaction of her new anatomy. And even more so, the strange
feelings that she felt inside when she not only looked at Jennifer, but
thought about her. About the time that they'd spent together the day
before and all the things that they had don, and not just in the bed. In
fact, every moment of the day before, from their dinner to their quiet
conversations made Kestra smile at the memory. She could barely wait to
be with Jennifer again, even with Jennifer being right there only
several feet away. And this wasn't the first time. She'd felt that way
for several days, though she didn't quite realize it until just that
moment. It was a strange feeling, not to mention a warm one.

"Is... is that love?" Kestra questioned herself, suddenly feeling a lot
less comfortable. Was she really falling in love with Jennifer... with
another woman? With a human woman at that? "This... this can not be..."

Then Kestra slowly moved forward, bending over the still sleeping
Jennifer and staring at her even more intently, filled with mixed
emotions. She was eager to wake Jennifer up and talk to her again, but
at the same time, Kestra felt reluctant to disturb her. To wake her from
the peaceful expression that adorned her face.

With a faint sigh, Kestra got up and left the bedroom, going to the
living room where she paced back and forth, trying to make sense of her
own thoughts and emotions. She wasn't at all used to feeling uncertain,
to feeling something so strongly for another person. Then again, she
reminded herself that she wasn't even used to being near other people.

Kestra paled as realization dawned. "Is that it?" she asked herself
weakly.

For nearly her whole life, Kestra had been alone. And that she realized
was what was missing... people. She'd spent her life alone... and
lonely, without anyone to be near. Without anyone to care for. And now,
for perhaps the first time since she was a child, she didn't feel alone.
That hole in her life was filled.

"People..." she whispered, her eyes going wide as she corrected herself,
"Friends..."

That was what she had been missing, she knew, friends. Now she not only
had Jennifer, who made her smile at the very thought, as well as Sam and
all of the people at the bar who'd listened to her stories. All of them
made her feel better, more alive than she had before. They made her feel
as though she was actually worth something, that she was wanted and
perhaps even needed. That there was actually someone besides herself to
care whether she lived or died, or even how she felt.

"Friends," Kestra whispered, the single word holding a world of emotion.

For some time, Kestra remained standing where she was, smiling as she
thought about how happy she had been since coming to that world. Since
befriending Sam and more importantly, since meeting Jennifer. However
that reminded her that her trip was temporary... and almost over. There
were only several more days left with Jennifer.

"No..." Kestra choked, feeling as though her heart were about to break.
Just thinking about not seeing her again made Kestra feel lonely and
unhappy. She didn't want to think of that... of going back to living
alone on her mountain, scaring everyone else away with the very sight of
her.

Kestra turned to the window with a scowl, lost in her own thoughts once
again as she stared out at the street below. This time However her
thoughts were not as pleasant as before. They were filled with worry,
regret and the horrible knowledge that the surprising happiness she'd
found would soon be gone.

Finally, after several more minutes, Kestra exclaimed "NO!" Her hands
were clenched into fists as she turned around in determination, knowing
what she had to do.

Several minutes later Kestra was dressed again and standing in front of
Jennifer's bed, staring down at her sleeping body... at her beautiful
face. There was little doubt in Kestra's mind that the feelings she felt
for Jennifer were returned. She KNEW that Jennifer cared for her...
loved her as well.

Kestra took a deep breath as she looked down at herself, at her flat
chest and male body. It wasn't at all like her real body, but she was
beginning to get comfortable in it. More than that though, it was the
body that Jennifer knew.

Then almost as if hearing her name thought, Jennifer's eyes fluttered
open and she slowly looked up at Kestra. "Morning..." Jennifer said
sleepily, a dreamy smile on her lips. "Last night was wonderful."

"For me too," Kestra answered honestly, bending over and saying, "there
is something that I have to do. I'll be back later."

Jennifer looked a little curious but she didn't say anything. And when
Kestra bent over and gave her a kiss, Jennifer just smiled more. "Hurry
back love."

"I will," Kestra promised gently.

With that Kestra stared for the door, filled with determination as well
as the unfamiliar uncertainty. All she knew for a fact was that she
couldn't just throw away the only true happiness that she'd ever felt
and that there was only one person who could help her to keep it... the
very same person who'd given her the opportunity in the first place.

A short while later Kestra stood in a familiar office, not bothering to
look at the fascinating pictures that covered all of the walls. Instead,
her attention was on the fat man who stood a short distance in front of
her with a scowl. It was a man whom she knew was more than he appeared.
He was the Gray One, or as he requested he be called in that world, Mr.
G.

"No," Mr. G exclaimed vehemently, "I can not do what you ask."

Kestra just stared at him in disappointment, then demanded, "Why not?
Why can't I remain in this world? In this body?"

"No one has ever asked such a thing," Mr. G spat, "and more importantly,
I will not play any part in stealing the life and body of a customer."
He glared at her, obviously taking great effort to keep himself under
control.

"But I do not wish to go back!" Kestra snarled, slamming her fist on the
counter to intimidate him, frowning when it didn't seem to faze him in
the slightest.

"The arrangement was for you to come here for two weeks and observe this
world," Mr. G stated, "just as it was for your host. And I intend to
honor the arrangement."

Feeling extremely frustrated, Kestra pleaded, "But I can't go back..."
Tears were beginning to form in her eyes, though she neither noticed or
cared.

For a moment Mr. G just stared at her, then his expression softened
slightly, "The spell I used for the exchange is only temporary in
nature. It can not be made to go longer than a month, and it has already
been cast."

"There must be a way," Kestra urged him, "you're the Gray One. Surely
you could make an exchange permanent."

Mr. G sighed, looking thoughtful for a moment, almost as if it were an
interesting puzzle or a challenge, "Perhaps I could find a way." However
Kestra's rising hopes were quickly dashed as he continued, "But as I
said, I would not do such to one unwilling."

They both stared at each other for a moment, with Kestra feeling
frustrated, disappointed and at the same time, determined. There had to
be a way that she could stay with Jennifer... and even Sam. That she
could keep her friends. Perhaps... perhaps she could get them to go to
her world. Surely that would be possible.

Then as Kestra thought about what Mr. G had just said, she hesitantly
asked, "Couldn't you at least ASK him?" She looked at the mage
hopefully.

Finally Mr. G let out an exasperated sigh, and to Kestra's great
delight, gave a faint nod.

---

It was several hours later when Quinn returned to the barn to meet up
with Chiandra. He was feeling rather pleased as he leaned up against the
side of the barn, staring at the mountains in the distance, or
specifically the small moving dots that he knew were griffins. One of
them might even have been the one from that morning.

As he'd expected, as soon as Crosh had finished healing the griffin, it
had taken off without so much as a backwards look. Orwen at least seemed
relieved at that, or at least by the fact that he wouldn't have to fight
it. Crosh just seemed a little confused as to why Quinn had bothered to
have a griffin healed in the first place, but he'd quickly and willingly
done the job.

"Not bad for a day's work," Quinn mused, rubbing at his arm where the
griffin had scratched him earlier. Of course Crosh had healed the
injury, not even leaving a scar, but Quinn remembered it.

Suddenly Quinn felt something in the air, like static electricity that
was making the hairs on his neck stand up. A second later there was
glowing ball of light in front of him, hovering in the air. Then it
quickly changed colors, revealing something within... a face. A face
that she recognized as well.

"Mr. G," Quinn gasped.

Mr. G's imaged nodded faintly from in the ball, "Greetings Quinn. How
has your vacation been so far?"

After hesitating a moment, Quinn answered slowly, "Interesting. VERY
interesting."

"That is good to hear," Mr. G responded, looking a little... off. As if
there were something wrong. Quinn wasn't sure that he liked that.

Quinn gulped, feeling just a little self-conscious as Mr. G was seeing
him in the body of a woman. It bother him when people who'd never seen
the real him looked at him, but somehow the idea of someone who knew the
real him seeing him like that seemed more... threatening...
embarrassing.

"The reason that I contacted you," Mr. G stated calmly, "is that there
is someone who wanted to talk to you about something. Remember..." he
stared at Quinn intently from the glowing ball, his eyes seeming to say
'trust me', "nothing happens without your willing consent."

"Um..." Quinn responded nervously, feeling even more apprehensive,
"okay."

A moment later Mr. G's face was replaced by another, one which looked
vaguely familiar though Quinn couldn't quite place it. Then he gasped as
it suddenly dawned on him. It was the same face that he saw in the
mirror every morning, or at least had before he'd started his vacation.

The face... Quinn's face stared back at him silently, with an odd
expression. Neither of them said a word for nearly a minute, both filled
with the sense of strangeness.

"Do I truly look like that?" the other face asked, almost to himself.
Then he blinked and his expression became entirely serious. "My name is
Kestra... and the Gray One tells me that you are Quinn."

With a nod, Quinn responded, "Yes."

Kestra gave a faint smile, then looked back to something that Quinn
couldn't see from the sphere. He (or was that really she?) looked at
Quinn with an odd expression, "I have greatly enjoyed living in this
world during our exchange." Kestra paused, asking, "What are your
thoughts of the exchange?"

Quinn blinked, answering slowly, "It's... interesting." Then he smiled
in embarrassment, admitting, "I've enjoyed it so far, though it's not
quite what I expected."

Her eyes seemed to peer into him at that, with something in them that he
couldn't quite make out. Finally, she slowly asked, "Would you be
interested in making the exchange permanent?"

That was about the last thing that Quinn had expected to hear and all he
could do was stare into his own face... or Kestra's for the moment, too
stunned to say anything.

"The Gray One says that he should be able to do it," Kestra continued,
her voice filled with emotion, "but he'll only do it IF you agree." She
looked at Quinn through the sphere, her expression hopeful... almost
pleading.

"Oh..." Quinn finally gasped out, his mind whirling in confusion.

Then Mr. G's face returned to the sphere, with an apologetic expression.
"She insisted that I allow her to talk to you about this," he told
Quinn. "I've worked out how the spell can be done, though it is not
easy. Not easy at all."

However Quinn barely paid any attention to Mr. G, his thoughts still
locked on what Kestra had asked of him. He could scarcely believe it,
shocked that she could just throw away her own body and life that
easily. And more than that, that she could want HIS.

"You've got to be kidding," Quinn squeaked out, seeing that Kestra had
returned to the sphere.

For a moment Quinn continued to stare at her in disbelief, then he
suddenly froze, unable to help but think about her offer. About his
staying there for the rest of his life.

Quinn blinked, taking a deep breath as he thought about how he felt with
her keeping his life... and the fact that he was surprised she would
want it. It wasn't quite until that moment that he realized that he
wasn't even sure that HE wanted it. After all, what was there for him to
go back to. A cramped apartment and a shitty job? There weren't even any
friends or family for him there.

"But here..." he whispered, his thoughts turning to Chiandra, Orwen and
all of the people of the town.

Quinn smiled faintly as he thought about all of the people... and how
nice they'd been to him. About the bed they'd given him and the way the
children laughed around him. He had friends there... people who actually
cared for him. For the first time in a very long time, he felt... happy.
And perhaps for the first time ever... he truly felt wanted... needed.
He felt as though he actually belonged.

As Quinn thought about it, he was startled to realize that it felt like
he'd finally found something that he'd been missing his whole life. As
though a missing piece of himself was now present, though that didn't
really make much sense to him. But that was without a doubt exactly how
he felt.

"For my whole life," Quinn whispered, more to himself than to Kestra,
"I've been alone."

It wasn't until he said it that he realized just how true it had been.
Even surrounded by others, he'd always felt alone. Had always felt as
though there was no one that actually cared whether he existed or not.
There was no purpose to his life, no meaning. Nothing that he did had
any meaning or effect. Nothing. It had been as if he existed, but never
lived. But not during the past week and a half. Not since he'd begun his
vacation.

Taking a deep breath, Quinn looked up and into Kestra's eyes... seeing a
reflection of his own emotions deep within. For a moment all he did was
stare in silence, his mind already made up.

Just then Quinn heard something and turned, seeing that it was only
Chiandra coming towards him on her horse. He stared at her for a moment,
then glanced back at Kester, slowly beginning to grin. Slowly beginning
to feel more confident.

"Chiandra," Quinn called out as she got closer, "How would you feel
about my sticking around a little longer?"

"Longer?" Chiandra repeated, blinking in confusion as she glanced up at
Quinn and then at the glowing ball in front of him, "How much longer?"

Quinn just grinned, at Kestra and then Chiandra. "Oh... how about
forever?"

Chiandra looked surprised at that, and somewhat confused. "There is
little that I would like better," she told Quinn, "but why?"

However Quinn didn't answer. Instead he just turned his attention to the
sphere in front of him and nodded his acceptance to Kestra, both of them
grinning in satisfaction. There was little doubt in either mind that
they had just made the best decision of their entire lives.

---

The sweet smell of bacon filled the air, as did the sizzling sound that
came from the kitchen. Kestra... now calling himself Kester, sat by the
window, smiling at the thought of Jennifer in the other room, making
them both breakfast. He could barely wait to taste it, and even more, to
taste her again.

It had been over a month since Kester had changed places with Quinn
permanently, and he didn't regret it in the slightest. In fact, the only
thing that he regretted in the slightest was that he didn't have a
chance to get to know the one he had traded places with. Still that was
nothing compared to what he had gained in his new life.

Kester smiled as he remembered the day they had made the exchange
permanent. It was the very same day that it was supposed to have ended,
that he was supposed to have returned to his own world and his own body.

He remembered returning to the Gray One's shop, where he stood inside a
circle painted upon the floor, surrounded by intricate symbols and
designs. And then everything had exploded in a blue flash of light, the
same as the one that had brought him into his current world. But instead
of taking him back as it was supposed to have, Mr. G's spells had
altered the effects. Instead, when the flash had gone, Kester remained
where he was, in permanent possession of his new human male body.

"Breakfast is almost ready honey," Jennifer said, peaking her head
around the corner and blowing Kester a kiss.

"Thank you," Kester told her with a smile, feeling as though he were the
luckiest man alive.

Kester shook his head faintly, still having a hard time believing that
he could be so happy and loved. Those were things that had once seemed
completely impossible for a giantess, things that were beyond her grasp.
But not beyond his.

No longer was Kester alone, nor would he ever be again. He had friends
now, friends such as Sam and a few others that he'd made. One of whom
had heard his stories about the other world and arranged for him to get
a book deal to write those stories down so that others could see them as
well.

And best of all, Kester knew that in several months things would get
even better. In several months, he and Jennifer were to be wed. The day
she'd accepted his proposal had made him happier than he would have
imagined, and that was only the beginning. Sam was going to be his best
man and even the Gray One had agreed to come.

"Yes," Kester sighed in contentment, deciding that there were some
dreams too large for even a giantess to dream... but not for a man, and
a very lucky man at that.

---

The sky was clear, giving clear view of the massive blanket of stars
that spread overhead. There was not a single cloud to obscure the view,
nor even overly bright light from the moon. It was the type of scenery
that Quinn knew was impossible to find in the other world, and certainly
not near the city.

"So beautiful," Quinn whispered, staring up at the night sky with a
smile.

Then Quinn slowly looked down at herself, staring at feminine shape of
her chest with a feeling of amusement. Sometimes it seemed that it had
been far longer than a month since she had gained it permanently, and
sometimes far less. Still, as she gently touched her breasts through her
shirt, she knew that they were hers, even feeling comforted by that
fact.

Just a short time earlier she had been a depressed man with nowhere to
go and no one to care for him. He had been depressed and lonely, and now
she realized, quite possibly on the road to a self inflicted death. But
at moments like the current one, life seemed so long ago and so far
away.

Quinn smiled even more as she thought about how much her life had
changed. No longer was she alone, no longer was she useless and
unwanted. Instead, she had lots of friends and knew that she made a
difference.

In the past month she had stopped a band of human bandits from attacking
the town, chased off an angry bear and saved a young boy from drowning
in the Golden Lake. And of course he had been effectively deputized,
finding herself Orwen's partner in protecting the town and the people of
the valley from danger. It was a job that she loved doing, though
certainly not her only one.

Quinn had become a favorite of the children, not only because she would
play with them, but because of the stories she sometimes told of her own
world. And of course the adults were pleased at her baby-sitting,
knowing that the children would be safe.

And of course there were all the odd jobs that Quinn did, helping farm
fields, build houses, remove rocks and just about anything else that
people needed help doing. Not only that, but they frequently asked her
advice on things as well, somehow deciding that she had a lot of wisdom
to offer, though she wasn't quite as sure of that herself. She felt more
than happy to give a hand, earning even more friends in the process and
making herself feel even happier.

Then when she had started building herself a house of her own close by,
just above Golden Lake, she had been delighted when nearly everyone
around town had offered to help in some way or another. Those offers had
even brought tears of joy to her eyes, while her house quickly took on
shape and would soon be finished. There was even room for a garden and a
nearby hill for Kestra's old goats to roam.

With a sigh Quinn whispered, "I have a home."

A moment later she turned to the direction of Chiandra's home and
smiled, then towards the town, though she couldn't see either from where
she was at.

"I'm wanted," Quinn mused to herself dreamily, happy that she finally
belonged somewhere. That she finally made a difference. That she was no
longer alone or lonely.

And as she thought about that, Quinn's thoughts turned to Orwen. They
had been working closely together since she had decided to stay, and had
spent a great deal of time with each other, getting to know each other
rather well. And to her surprise, she found that she liked him... more
than she was sure she should.

Quinn looked down at her womanly body again and sighed, still not
completely sure about the new way she had been looking at Orwen. She
didn't know if it was her new hormones, but she knew that she was
definitely attracted to him... even with him not only being a man, but
only a third of her height. And it wasn't just physical. But what was
more, she strongly suspected that the attraction was mutual, though
neither had spoken of it. At least not yet.

"But it's only a matter of time," Quinn finished her thoughts aloud,
though also wondering about the logistics of such a relationship.

However Quinn leaned back and stared at the stars again, deciding to
deal with that when the time came. At the moment she enjoyed her
friendship with Orwen as well as everyone else. At the moment she felt
happy... more so than she ever would have imagined possible. And she
felt complete, as if she was finally whole.

"Yes," Quinn whispered, closing her eyes and laying down to sleep
beneath the stars, confident in the knowledge that no one or anything
would mess with one of her size. Her life as a man had been small and
meaningless, but her new life as a giantess was beyond incredible and
without a doubt... larger than life.

THE END

A college student is feeling heartbroken and depressed but is then offered a free vacation, a vacation to a world unlike any he had ever imagined. This story was originally written and posted in 2003.

Part 1 of 3

Letting out a long sigh, I leaned back in my chair, turning my attention away from the small pile of homework that I'd been doing for my classes. Or at least trying to do. Actually, I hadn't really put very much effort into it, even though I'd been staring at it for nearly an hour.

"Let's see what's on," I mumbled, glancing through the TV guide but not seeing much there that caught my interest either.

Finally, I just remained where I was, not feeling motivated enough to actually do my work or much of anything else. All in all, I was feeling pretty listless. Apathetic and almost lifeless. Hell, I hadn't felt like doing much of anything in nearly a month.

Unfortunately, that turned my thoughts to her. To Melissa. The woman whom I desperately wished I had never met, and was eternally grateful that I had. She was the love of my life...or had been.

When I met Melissa, less than two months ago, it had almost been love at first sight. As beautiful as she was, it wasn't until I looked her in the eyes that it had really hit me. There had been something inside of them...something brilliant. Something which drew me in. Melissa had been full of life, funloving and mischievous. And after knowing her for a short time, I was even thinking about proposing to her.

Then one day...she left. Only 3 weeks after I had first met her, she disappeared from her hotel without a trace, not even bothering to tell me good-bye. It had been maddening. At first I was worried that something had happened to her, but then I realized the truth. She just didn't want to be with me anymore and didn't have the courage to tell me to my face.

Just then, my thoughts were interrupted by roommate Ian coming back home. He was a tall guy, 6 foot 2, being 3 inches taller than me but a bit thinner. Where he had the height advantage on me, I had a bit more muscle than him, even if it was lean muscle rather than bulk.

"I grabbed the mail," Ian commented, digging through the small stack in his hand, muttering, "Mine...bill...yours..." Then he handed me several envelopes saying, "These are for you..." Ian set another envelope down on the table in a spot that was our designated 'common bill' area, taking another couple of envelopes with him as he went to his bedroom.

Of the mail that Ian had given me, one of them was a statement from my bank. However, the second one looked like it was just junk mail, being from some travel agency. Though my first thought was to toss it like I usually did to junk mail, something kept me from doing so. Perhaps it was the fact that the envelope seemed to be a higher quality than is usually used for that kind of thing, and maybe the names and addresses were done in gold ink.

"Chad Nellis," I read my name, writing in fancy gold writing off the envelope. That was me all right. Chad Nellis, 20 year old college student. "Pretty fancy for junk mail."

Inside of the envelope was a letter on equally expensive looking paper. That aroused my curiosity even more, and that was before I even read it.

"Dear Mr. Nellis," I started, quickly running through the whole thing. Then I had to reread it, especially the part that stated, "You have been selected to receive a week long, completely free, special vacation package as part of a special promotion..." It went on to give assurances that it was completely free and there weren't any hidden costs for me. All I had to do was go to the company's office at the address provided. And it was signed, "Mr. G."

After I had read through it several more times, I said, "Cool," not sure that there wasn't some sort of strings attached. You're not supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth, but if it's been trained to turn around and bite you...

I still thought that it was probably some sort of gimmick, but when I told Ian about it later, he told me, "Go man. Forget about whatserface for awhile, get your ass out of this apartment and go have some fun. At least check it out. I mean, what can it hurt? Besides, you need a vacation."

For the next two days, I thought about the offer, and about what my roommate had said. It sounded too good to be true, which worried me. After all, it if sounds too good to be true, it probably is. However, as Ian kept pointing out, you never knew until you checked it out.

"But I don't even know where it's a vacation to," I would argue, though Ian kept pointing out that maybe they would give me a choice of vacation spots. After all, I wouldn't know until I talked to them.

Finally, I gave in and agreed to at least go to the company and talk with them. That was partly due to Ian's constant pushing though also partly because of my growing curiosity about the offer. Ian was right...I did need a vacation, and how could you beat a free one?

So, when I found myself in front of the Travel Agency, I felt somewhat nervous but was determined not to get caught up by some silly con if they should try and pull one. But at the same time, I was feeling pretty hopeful and more optimistic than I would care to admit.

Once I had stepped inside, I paused to take a slow look around. It looked pretty much like a travel agency should, with posters of various foreign locations decorating the walls. There was only one desk in the room, and behind it sat a somewhat overweight man with thinning black hair and a thick mustache.

"May I help you?" the man behind the desk stood up and asked with a pleasant smile.

"Um...I think so," I told him cautiously, holding out the letter that I'd been sent, "I got this letter about some kind of free trip..."

"Oh, you must be Mr. Nellis," he said, not even bothering to look at the letter though he held out his hand for me to shake. "You may call me Mr. G."

I shook his hand, realizing that he was the guy who'd sent me the letter. "Nice to meet you."

Mr. G just smiled pleasantly, though at the same time he gave me a careful looking over. He must have decided that I was all right though because he seemed a little pleased.

"I am happy that you decided to come," he told me as he sat down behind the desk again. "I assume that you wish to know more about the special vacation package that you were offered." At my nod, he smiled more, his eyes seeming to twinkle slightly. "Good."

"Good?" I repeated, feeling a bit unsure.

"Yes, good," he nodded. "I know that it may be hard to believe that you are being offered a free vacation package, though I assure you that the offer is entirely genuine." For some reason, I believed him. He radiated an aura of sincerity. "This is a small business," he continued, "and can not afford much in the way of advertising. We rely mostly on word of mouth to attract customers and thought that offering a free promotional vacation might help with that. If you enjoy the trip, you may come back, and even more importantly, tell your friends."

That all sounded pretty reasonable to me, and I didn't doubt that this guy was telling me the truth. With most of my doubts being removed, I was starting to feel a bit more excited about the prospect of a free trip.

"So," I asked, trying not to sound pushy, "What kind of trip is this?"

"A very special trip," Mr. G told me quietly, his seeming to gleam. Then his expression turned more serious. "What I offer is a completely unique travel destination, to a place that no other travel agency on this world can provide access to."

"Unique," I repeated, suddenly feeling unsure. "Just what do you mean by...unique?" That word didn't conjure images of a beach paradise when related to a travel agency.

"What I mean by unique," he said slowly, staring straight at me, "is that it is unlike any place you have ever been. It is a place that you have only seen in your imagination, a place where the laws of magic hold sway and creatures of fantasy...unicorns, dragons and their ilk run free. But make no mistake..." His eyes seemed to bore straight into me, "it is every bit as real as this one."

Though what Mr. G was saying sounded absolutely nuts, something about him seemed so...sincere. And even though it was against everything that I knew to be real, for some reason, I actually started to believe him.

"You see," Mr. G started, gesturing to a gold metal ball that was sitting on his desk. An instant later, it actually lifted off the desk by about a foot and hovered there. "Magic does exist." I started at it in amazement, running my hand under and around it to verify that there was nothing holding it. And there didn't seem to be anything with magnets holding it up either.

"I will provide both transportation and a guide," Mr. G continued while I staring at the floating ball, "Physical transportation between the worlds is not yet possible, so it is merely the mind and soul that make the journey. And this can only be done if there are willing people on both sides to make this temporary exchange." Then he smiled pleasantly, "There is already a volunteer host awaiting you."

For a moment, I just stared at Mr. G, then said, "Wow...this sounds so incredible."

"You are not the first person to travel there," he chuckled, "In fact, most of my customers who do so are quite satisfied with the experience. It is a chance to see things that you never could otherwise...to broaden your perceptions and experiences. That is why I prefer to usually deal only with those who are open minded enough to appreciate the differences."

In spite of myself, this was really beginning to sound interesting. The thought of actually going to a world with magic and other fantasy stuff was...amazing. I'd played D&D once or twice, but was never really into it like some friends of mine. But still, I could definitely see the appeal of something like that.

"How soon could I go?" I asked quietly, not realizing it until that very moment that I'd already made up my mind. How could I possibly turn down a once in a lifetime opportunity like that?

Mr. G seemed pleased at that and his smile broadened. "Actually, you could leave immediately if you so wished. As I said, there is already a volunteer host waiting for you, and I fear that if kept waiting too long, she may become impatient."

"Immediately," I repeated, nodding my head, feeling somewhat dazed by this whole situation. "Yeah...that sounds good..."

"Then come this way," Mr. G told me as he got up and moved to a door in the back of the room. "Please excuse the mess but I have been working on improving the spell to make it more efficient..."

The room was mostly empty, except for shelves and boxes lining one of the walls. The thing that caught my attention though was the big chalk circle in the middle of the floor, and the strange symbols all around it. Mr. G told me to stand in the circle, then he picked up some sort of wooden staff that was leaning against the wall.

"Farewell for now," Mr. G told me with an amused smile, "and enjoy yourself."

Then while he was muttering something under his breath in a language that I didn't recognize, I remembered him saying something about my host...then wondering, did he say 'she'? But before I could think any further, Mr. G tapped the staff against the chalk circle. Suddenly, everything exploded into a flash of blue light and a wave of dizziness, just before the whole world dropped away from around me.

When my senses returned, I was immediately aware that something was VERY different. My whole body was assaulted with strange sensations, feelings that told me that it was definitely not my normal body at all. Obviously, I was in a host body like Mr. G had said.

"Wow," I gasped, stunned with amazement.

After taking a deep breath, I glanced around, seeing that I seemed to be in some sort of thick forest or jungle. But the trees were HUGE. Larger than any I'd ever heard of, except perhaps for those giant redwoods. In fact, it took me a moment longer to sink in that I was actually sitting on base of a tree branch, a branch that had to be at least 15 feet wide.

But as curious as I was about my surroundings, I was a hell of a lot more curious about my borrowed body. And with that, I slowly looked down at myself, trying to brace myself for anything. However, I still wasn't prepared for what I saw.

The first thing that I noticed was that my skin was green. However, as strange as that was, it was by far the least drastic surprise. The other thing I couldn't help noticing was the breasts on my chest...just like a girls. And with a single glance between my legs, it was instantly obvious that they weren't the only thing I had like a girls. In fact, my whole body was that of a girl. A green skinned girl, but a girl nonetheless.

Those observations were easy to make as I wasn't wearing a scrap of clothing. In fact, the only thing that could even be considered to come close were a small gold metal bracelet on my left wrist and what seemed to be a necklace made with twine and shiny stones.

Feeling a bit stunned, I slowly stood up, fully aware of just how strange my body felt. But at the same time, I felt sort of light and graceful. The differences were rather obvious, but perhaps not as extreme as they could have been. Nor were they painful or even extremely uncomfortable. Just...different. Too many differences to take in all at once.

A moment later, I took another, more careful look at my body, taking in all of the details that I'd missed at first glance. My body looked very feminine, and I had very pert breasts that were neither too large nor too small. Then I also noticed that my skin tone was a little more varied than I had first thought. My skin was all green, but I also seemed to have several stripes on me that were a darker green than the rest.

"Oh man," I gasped, just trying to absorb that this was in fact real.

Suddenly, a girl's voice called out, "You're here... You actually came..."

I looked up and was stunned at the sight of a green skinned girl flying in the air above me, using what appeared to be something like dragonfly wings...but not quite. She had green skin, without the stripes that mine possessed, and green hair that had a lock of white hanging down the front. The girl's body was shaped very much like my own and she had a very cute face, though her ears were obviously pointed.

As the girl landed on the branch in front of me, I got an even better look at her face. Her eyes were larger than a normal person's, and they were violet.

"You're here," she exclaimed excitedly, staring at me with a strange expression. Then she smiled broadly and announced, "You must be Chad." She barely waited for me to nod before rushing out, "I am Maella...your guide."

"Um...," I stammered, holding out my hand, "Hi." Then hoping that I wasn't rude, I couldn't resist staring at her wings, which were now folded back, "What are you?"

Instead of being offended like I had been afraid of, Maella grinned proudly, "I'm a ......" The word was a strange half humming, half singing sound that didn't make any sense. Then she added, "Most beings call us pixies."

"Like Tinkerbell," I exclaimed.

Maella just blinked, "Who?"

"Nevermind," I told her. Then I exclaimed, "Wow. I never thought I'd ever meet a pixie." I didn't mention that until that moment, I'd never believed in them either.

That just made Maella giggle for some reason, then she blurted out, "You're not just meeting one. Right now...you are one."

For a moment, I just stared at her, then realized that it made sense. I mean, we seemed to have the same basic skin color and the same size, which if I remembered right, Pixies were small. But still, the very thought was...incredible.

Then I quickly looked back and was stunned to see that I had a pair of wings on my back as well. I stretched them out experimentally, delighted when they opened up. And though they didn't seem as sensitive as my normal skin, I could actually feel them back there. In a way, it felt just a little bit like growing an extra pair of arms or something.

While I was playing with my new wings, Maella continued, "My friend Trikka really wanted to see your world so offered her body to the Gray One for one of his visitors."

"The Gray One?" I blinked, turning my attention back to my guide.

"The sorcerer who sent you here, silly," Maella smiled. "You have his mark of protection," she gestured to the bracelet, "Most intelligent beings who see it will leave you alone for fear of angering him." Then she sighed, "But many beings are too big to see it on us or too careless to bother looking."

"Okay," I responded, still not sure that I understood, except that this Gray One was probably the same Mr. G who was at the Travel Agency. After all, he was the one who sent me here.

Just then, Maella's expression turned much more serious. "The Gray One's mark will offer some protection...but do not rely on it. There are many dangers in this world that you may not recognize, so stay near me so I can help you avoid them." I just nodded at that.

My cute pixie guide abruptly changed topics, excitedly giggling, "What should I show you first?" Her wings were flickering as she thought aloud. Then she brightened even more, "The village..."

"Village?" I repeated.

"But first a stop for pikka berries," Maella added with a grin. "That's where Trikka and I were going when you came..."

"Okay," I nodded, looking around and then nervously asking, "But how do I climb down...?" I nervously looked around the tree I was in, then over the edge. The ground seemed an impossibly long distance away. I definitely wouldn't want to face that kind of fall.

"We fly, silly," Maella giggled, then quickly moved next to me and gave my wings a gentle tug. I hadn't even thought about those things. When I started to protest that I didn't know how to fly, she just grinned, "It's easy. Like this..." And with that, she shot up into the air several feet...or at least what looked like several feet. "See..."

"I don't know," I gulped, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the idea. Flying on a plane was one thing, but actually doing it with wings of my own, borrowed though they may be, was something else entirely. "I mean, how..."

"Look," Maella told me, her tone going into an almost lecturing mode, "Trikka's body is good at flying. How do you think she got up here?"

With that, Maella started to explain how she flew, though she was having a hard time of it. It was obvious that it was something that she just did...not that she really thought about. Sort of walking I guess. It was perfectly natural, the easiest thing in the word. But try explaining how to do it to someone... Fortunately, she got her point across very well, and there seemed to be some build in reflexes that came with my host body.

"Like this?" I laughed in delight as I managed to lift off of the tree branch and hover just a little bit above it. Though I wasn't really flying as of yet, the feeling of doing just what little I was doing was somewhat incredible.

Maella grinned at me, "Yeah. But can ya do this?" She suddenly shot up into the air and did a loop-de-loop, then a spiraling dive, ending with her pulling up abruptly just in front of me again.

"Um...no," I admitted, my eyes wide in amazement. "That was...awesome."

She seemed pleased by that, then abruptly tapped my shoulder and announced, "Tag," just before shooting into the air.

"Hey," I protested, then grinned in spite of myself and decided to go after her.

I flew into the air myself, though far slower than Maella and infinitely clumsier. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be much different than just hovering there. In fact, it was a lot easier to control where I was going than I would have thought.

"Come and get me," she called out with a giggle.

Of course I did my best to do just that, though Maella was a whole lot better at the whole flying thing than I was, though I was definitely improving. She would call out suggestions as she kept out of my reach, delighting in the game of tag as I got better and better at it. In fact, the closer I got to her, the more she seemed to enjoy it.

I was completely lost in the game, and the unparalleled thrill that came with it. Every moment was bursting with excitement, excitement and an incredible sense of freedom that came with being able to fly. I lost all track of time as I chased after Maella, getting closer and closer but not quite getting close enough.

Finally, I caught up with Maella, though I knew that it was only because she let me. I think that she just wanted to trade places in the game, because she obviously enjoyed chasing after me as well, though she was careful not to actually catch me for awhile. I had to admit though that I was getting good enough that I thought I might actually be able to evade her for awhile for real.

"Alright," Maella called out as she landed on a large rock on the ground, "We're here. Pikka berries..."

She pointed to a strange looking plant that had a bunch of vines wrapping around the rock and a nearbye tree. It looked like sort of a cross between a blackberry bush and ivy, though it was incredibly huge. There were berries growing off of it as well, each of them looking something like cherries, except for being blue...and the size of grapefruit.

"Pikka berries," Maella grinned as she pulled one off the vine then sat down on the rock, gesturing for me to join her. "We can have a picnic."

While I sat down next to her, Maella rubbed at the berry as if wiping it clean, then she bit right into it. She wiped a bit of bluish juices from her mouth and handed me the grapefruit sized berry.

I just stared at the berry in my hands, feeling a bit unsure of the unfamiliar food, though Maella seemed to enjoy it.

"Try it," Maella urged me, "It's good." Then she grinned mischievously, "Sorry about my manners, but pixies don't use forks..."

I just grinned back at that before taking a bit. Maella was right...the pikka berry was good. Real good. The taste wasn't quite like anything that I had ever had before, though the closest I could think of was grape soda. But even that didn't quite explain the sweet taste.

We continued our little 'picnic' on the rock, passing the berry back and forth with each of us taking turns eating from it. It was definitely an unusual lunch, though oddly enough, quite an enjoyable one. Especially with Maella for company. Soon the berry was gone though and it was time to go, though Maella grabbed two more berries, asking me to take two as well before we left.

I had no idea where we were flying to this time, though Maella seemed pretty pleased to be taking me there. We flew between the massive trees, each seemingly larger than a skyscraper. In the distance, I could see bird, though none of them up close.

Suddenly, Maella landed on a tree branch, gesturing for me to join her. She grinned as she pointed down towards the forest floor, and it was only then that I noticed them. A group of giants walking a short distance away. They were each unbelievably huge, and all dressed rather oddly, sort of like medieval clothes. Then again, I guessed that might be sort of normal in that place.

"Giants," I gasped at the sight of them.

Maella giggled from beside me. "No silly. They're humans."

I just stared at her, my mouth open slightly in disbelief. "But they're so huge..."

That just made her giggle again. "I know. All humans are really big. But now you're more normal sized."

"Okay," I nodded slowly. I'd realized already that I was pretty small compared to normal, though it hadn't just sunk in until then just how small. Seeing those people made me suddenly feel positively tiny in comparison.

"Careful," Maella warned me, staring intently at the people walking below, her expression now serious. "Bratcha!" Though I didn't recognize the word, she said it like she was swearing. "They'e got a cage..," Maella told me, glaring at them furiously, then turning to me, "They're pixie hunters."

I gave her a look of surprise. "Pixie hunters?" Then I asked, "Why would anyone want to hunt you?"

"Us," she reminded me with a wry smile. "Right now, you're a pixie too."

Then she scowled, explaining, "Some humans catch us and sell us to other humans to keep in cages." She looked horrified at that, not to mention angry. "They call us pets..." Suddenly she snapped around and looked at me with mixed suspicion and nervousness, "You wouldn't do that...would you?" She looked unsure, almost tearful. It didn't seem to be fear of me though...but something else.

"Of course not," I told her quickly, not mentioning that I hadn't even believed in pixies until I'd met her.

Just by looking at her and seeing how pretty she was, I could see why people might be interested in keeping pixies as pets. But if they were all as smart as her, wouldn't that be the same thing as slavery? Keeping an intelligent being locked up and treated as property was just wrong. Suddenly, I was glaring at them as well, filled with disgust at people who would go around kidnapping people like Maella.

"Bastards," I spat, "I'd never do anything like that. Never!"

Then without warning, Maella threw her arms around me. "Thank you," she blurted out tearfully, "I knew you were a good human."

I really didn't know what to say to that so just hugged her back. And damn, it was definitely exciting, especially since she was not only quite pretty, but because we were both completely naked as well. It had been quite easy to forget that fact since she didn't seem to even notice it, and actually treated it as perfectly normal. Then again, I guessed that for her it probably was.

Finally, I gulped, "I think their cage is empty." I hadn't seen anything in it.

"Good!" Maella firmly announced, glaring at the people once again as they were now moving out of our sight.

We waited on the tree branch for another minute before taking off again. This time though, Maella was much more subdued, much quieter. I guess that those pixie hunters really got to her.

By the time we got to the pond, Maella seemed almost back to her previously cheerful self. And if she hadn't been by then, a single look at the pond probably would have shocked her out of it. It was a gorgeous, with a small waterfall feeding into it. A number of rocks were sticking out from the water, providing stepping stones and places to sit. And of course, there was something of a rainbow scattered above the pond, courtesy of sunlight reflecting off of the mist that the waterfall kicked up.

"Wow," I gasped as we landed on a moss covered rock in the middle. "This is incredible."

Maella just grinned at me, then carefully placed her pikka berries on the rock before diving into the water. I waited just a few seconds longer, then decided to follow her lead. The water was just a tiny bit chilled but felt refreshing as I dove in.

"Gotcha," Maella's voice called out as I surfaced, only to be hit in the face with a splash of water.

I just laughed, "Hey," and splashed back, starting what turned out to be a rather lengthy water fight and then game of tag.

We had quite a bit of fun playing around at the spring, and just enjoying the water. It was absolutely incredible, and not just the place either. There was something about Maella...something that made me happier than I had been in weeks. And after even such a short time, I had no doubt that this was the best vacation that I'd ever had.

After what had to be several hours of playing around the spring, Maella thought that it was time to be moving on again. I was almost sorry to grab the pikka berries and go. However, I suspected that whatever she was going to show me next was going to be just as good, if not better.

Travel Agency: Free Vacation
part 2 of 3
By Morpheus

A short while after leaving the spring, I was completely stunned as we first came into view of what was obviously our destination. Unable to help myself, I gasped at the sight of pixies...dozens of them at least, flying all over the place.

"This is our...village," Maella announced from beside me.

It was only then that I looked beyond the pixies and saw what she was referring to. Buildings...sort of, build all along the sides of a huge tree...and several trees nearby. They hung along the trunk, along branches. They were all rounded, made of what looked like a pale gray, almost white ceramic, though wood, straw and leaves were also obviously used in many of them. Ropes and rope bridges hung between a number of the strange building as well.

"Holy shit," I whispered as I looked around, seeing the pixie village spread out before me.

And with a closer look, I could see several holes and openings into the trees themselves, as if they'd been tunneled into, though these seemed to be much less prominent than the buildings and ropes on them. Suddenly, I was reminded of the Ewok village in Return of the Jedi, though this wasn't quite the same.

As I looked at the pixies, I saw that just about all of them had green skin...or at least mostly green skin. The hair colors however seemed a bit more varied, with a number of them having it shades of green, though I also saw several others, such as a blonde and one with violet hair.

Maella seemed rather proud as she flew me slowly around the village, pausing at a huge platform that jutted out from the tree to leave 3 of our 4 pikka berries there. She explained that it was a community table, where any pixie who was hungry could stop by and grab something to eat without having to go searching for food.

"Sort of a food bank," I commented aloud, earning a blank look from Maella.

We continued on our tour, this time descending to ground level, where I was startled to find a number of different berry bushes and strange flowers scattered about, and obviously being tended for by the pixies.

Then hidden in a clearing between the bushes was a farmed area, being worked by pixies. I saw one squirrel working away at the ground, helping at the farm as though it was a horse or ox, and another squirrel with a harness and bag of food on it's back, running up a tree with a pixie to help guide it.

Suddenly, something dawned on me. "They're all girls," I told Maella, realizing that I hadn't seen any boys.

"Our kind have few males," Maella explained to me. "There are five living in our village." Then she grinned, "I think it is strange...but interesting how your kind have so many of them."

That explained a few things, though I couldn't help thinking how lucky those few guys actually were. Five guys and a whole village of women. They had to be the luckiest guys in the world. But then again, knowing how women could be...they could have been the unluckiest guys at the same time.

After this, Maella headed back upwards, back to where the real village was. I just stared in awe at everything, thinking at how camouflaged it was from the ground as well. You could have walked right past it and not seen a thing, unless you happened to look up. And even then, from a distance it could possibly be mistaken for a bunch of tree fungus or something.

"Bet those hunters would have a hard time finding this place," I commented. Maella just nodded, her expression fairly serious, making me realize that this was probably the point.

When we got back to the tree level where the village was, something caught my eye that suddenly made me gasp in surprise and then blush. A pair of female pixies were spread out on some ledge, having sex with each other. And there was a similar scene on top of one of the rounded buildings, just a short distance away.

The sight of two lesbian couples making out in public was surprising, but what surprised me even more was that Maella obviously noticed at least one of them and didn't even give them a second look. Neither did any of the other pixies that were flying past the lovers. Apparently...that kind of thing was considered pretty normal among the pixies.

Maella took me to one of those strange rounded buildings that came straight off of the trunk of the tree, pausing just below it, making sure that I was there. Then she went up, going inside the building through a hole in the bottom. I hesitated only moment before following after her.

Once I was inside, I took a quick look around, seeing that we were in a single room. The entire floor was covered with a thick layer of bird feathers and what looked like animal fur. All except for the hole we'd come in through, and Maella immediately covered that up with some sort of plate or cork made of the same ceramic as the building walls.

"This is my home," Maella proudly announced as she set the remaining pikka berry in the corner, along with what looked like a giant acorn and some sort of greenish fruit thing. Then she suddenly looked nervous, "I know it's not what you're used to..."

"It's...nice," I told her, thinking that it was definitely small compared to what I was used to. In fact, it was just a bit smaller than my bedroom alone. "It's cozy."

Maella smiled a little at that, looking pleased though slightly embarrassed at the same time. "Thank you," she told me nervously, her eyes watching me as if to see my reaction.

I looked around again, this time a little more slowly. The only light was coming from two windows, if they could really be called windows since I couldn't really see out of them. It was sort of like two solid pieces of stained glass that served to let yellowish light in but little else. Then I suddenly wondered if they might actually be pieces of amber.

Turning my attention away from the windows, I saw that in the one corner, as well as several pieces of food, there was a small container that seemed to be filled with water. There were a few decorations on the walls, as well as what seemed to be finger paintings. A thought occurred to me that there was no sign of a dresser or bed, but then I realized that without clothes, there wouldn't be any need for closets or dressers. And as for a bed...the entire floor was probably the bed.

"This place is interesting," I told Maella honestly, "So much different from what I'm used to. Kind of hard to believe that you actually have your house in a tree." Then I couldn't resist laughing, "You live in a tree house."

"What's wrong with that?" Maella asked, looking slightly offended.

"Nothing," I assured her with a grin, "Nothing at all."

We sat in her home for a little while and talked, when Maella abruptly announced, "Oh...I just thought of something." She grinned and opened her doorway back up before calling, "Follow me," and slipping out through it.

"Okay," I muttered as I did as she asked, dropping down through the hole and then flying after her.

This time, Maella led me to a neighboring tree and a one of the buildings that was much larger than the rest. It even had a balcony on it, where we landed and then walked through an almost normal doorway. The room inside was much larger than Maella's home, and without all of the feathers and stuff all over the floor.

"We keep things in here for all to use," Maella told me, gesturing around the room.

In one corner where there seemed to be a number of pixie sized spears leaning up against the wall, as well as some shields that seemed to be made out of pinecone scales. There were other things around as well, many of them I didn't recognize.

"Over here," Maella told me with a giggle, tugging slightly on my arm. "C'mon..."

I moved to where she wanted, then stopped at the sight of a mirror leaning up against the wall. More accurately, it looked like just a shard of mirror, but a shard that was twice my current height.

"I thought you might want to see yourself," she winked at me, "now that you're in Trikka's body."

"Yeah," I whispered, moving closer to the mirror, "Good idea..."

Stopping in front of the mirror shard, all I could do was stare with my mouth open. I already knew what I looked like...or at least had a pretty good idea after my quick self-examination and seeing all of those other pixies flying around. But this definitely gave me a whole better view of what I looked like at the moment.

Of course, there was the sexy little body with the perky breasts. There was the green skin with the dark green stripes. And there was even the glimmery wings on my back. All of which looked very similar to the other pixies that I'd seen.

"Wow," I whispered.

My face was very cute and had many of the same features as Maella...including the large eyes. I had pointed ears too. But where her hair was green except for the one bit of white at the front, mine green with streaks of dark green running through it, giving it a striped appearance that matched my skin.

"What do you think?" Maella asked from beside me, looking as though she was about to giggle.

"I'm...she's pretty," I told her honesty. "It's hard to believe that I'm actually borrowing someone else's body. Especially a little green faerie girl."

"Is there something wrong with being a little green faerie girl?" Maella demanded. I wasn't completely sure whether she was offended or just teasing me. At least not until she started to grin.

Suddenly, Maella asked, "How do you like this world so far?" There was something in her expression as she asked it...something...hopeful.

"It's great," I responded honestly, "Really interesting."

"Really?" she grinned in delight, then jumped back and spun around in a pirouette, doing so with incredible grace.

I watched Maella spin in a sort of dance in fascination, hardly able to believe how smooth and graceful she was. But then she abruptly broke out of it, launching herself in my direction with a giggle. I caught her in my arms, and we both fell to our knees laughing.

"That was incredible," I started, then looked her in the eyes.

For a brief moment, the world seemed to freeze around me as I was lost inside of those gorgeous violet eyes. An in an instant, I see that they were filled to the brim with life and spark of mischief. And there was something else...something that seemed incredibly familiar.

A second later, where I recognized that special spark from slipped from my lips in a whisper, "Melissa..."

Maella's eyes shot wide at that and she gasped, "You..." She pulled back slightly and gulped, "You know me..."

All I could do was stare at her in shock. "Melissa?" It wasn't possible.

"You do know me," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

Then she abruptly threw her arms around me, just as quickly jumping back and spinning into another pirouette. I suddenly remembered seeing Melissa trying to do something like that once, though she wasn't nearly as graceful and tripped over her own feet.

"Oh my God," I gasped out as I stared at her. "This can't be..."

Maella had stopped her pirouette and stood there, looking extremely nervous. Her eyes were wide but she seemed somewhat shaky, giving the impression that she was a convict standing before a judge and awaiting sentence.

For a second, I just stood there, staring at her with my mouth open and trying to absorb what was going on. As I did so, realized why I'd developed such a quick rapport with her. Why there had been such a feeling of familiarity. So many of Maella's movements and gestures were Melissa's

"You really are Melissa," I slowly announced, staring at her in amazement and confusion. "Then you're really here on vacation too?"

"No," Maella shook her head slightly, still looking nervous. She took a deep breath, "This is me." She gestured down at herself, "The REAL me."

"The real...?" I started.

She just nodded, her eyes filled with tears, "Yeah. I...I wanted to see your world, so I offered myself as a host for one of the Gray One's visitors. Trikka acted as her guide..."

"Then Stephanie..," I whispered, remembering the pretty blonde girl that I'd seen around campus who was always hanging around with Melissa.

"My guide," she confirmed. Then she added, "The Gray One said I should use the name Melissa...because it is a name of your world but close to my own..."

I was still in shock at this revelation, that the girl of my dreams, the girl I'd fallen in love with and had then had my heart broken by...was a pixie. A 6 inch tall girl from another dimension.

"I had not known I would meet one such as you," Maella exclaimed tearfully. "I didn't know that I could. I wanted to tell you...I wanted to tell you so badly, but the Gray One said that I should not. That the people of your world would not believe it. Stephanie said so too..." She paused for a moment, the tears coming a little more freely. "I did not know how to tell you when my time was up...and was afraid of what you would say. So I said nothing...and now wish that I had."

"My God...," I whispered, my emotions all a mass of chaos. I felt happy...yet angry at the same time. Conflicting feelings ran through me, leaving me unsure of what I felt...except stunned.

Maella stared at me, her eyes wide, "Ever since I returned from your world...I have not been able to stop thinking about you. I wanted to see you again. I wanted you to see me...the real me. To see my world as I have seen yours. So...so I asked the Gray One to bring you here." Maella bowed her head, staring at the floor and finished, "Please don't be angry with me. I...I love you."

As much as I was already in shock, those words stunned me even more. They were words that I had never expected to hear on my free vacation...words that I had never expected to hear from a 6 inch tall green girl.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly reached for Maella's cheek, gently lifting her face up to look at me again. I ran my finger over her tear covered cheek, then rubbed the tears between my fingers. They didn't feel normal tears. Instead, they felt more oily. But I didn't waste time thinking about her tears, instead, I gently held her face staring deep into her eyes.

"I..," I didn't know what to say. Tears were coming down my cheeks now and my heart was racing. "I love you too," finally came out. Then I gulped, realizing that I meant it.

With that, we stared at each other for a second before throwing our arms around each other in a tight embrace. Tears were coming down my cheeks just as freely as they were hers, though I think that they were tears of joy. They had to be because I'd never felt happier in my life. I had no idea how long we remained that way before we finally pulled back a little then started to kiss. And her lips tasted as sweet as honey.

Eventually, we were just sitting on the floor, holding hands and talking. I didn't really know when we made the transition from kissing to doing that, but it didn't really matter. We were together. Maella told me about herself, about her real self. I could sense the relief that she felt at not having to hide anything from me anymore.

"And after I came back," Maella continued, "and told Trikka about your world, she wanted to see it too." She giggled, "She liked the idea of trading places with you for awhile."

"Well I hope she has fun," I told her, though silently hoped that she didn't have too much fun. After all, that was my body she was using.

"Stephanie said that when she came here and visited," she told me almost as an afterthought, "that she got to be an elf. I wonder what being an elf would be like." Then Maella looked at me, "Probably a lot like being a human. And that was pretty fun."

I just grinned at that, then abruptly asked, "I just thought... Should I call you Maella or Melissa?"

"Maella is my name," she reminded me, then smiled, looking a little embarrassed before adding, "But you can call me Melissa if you want."

"Well, Melissa is nice," I told her, "but Maella is such a beautiful name..."

She seemed pretty pleased by the compliment, then to my surprise, nearly jumped right on top of me, giving me a passionate kiss. However, while her lips were pressed against mine, her hands were busy massaging my breasts, causing me to gasp...or at least I would have if my mouth hadn't been full.

As pleasant as the kiss was, the sensations from my incredibly sensitive new breasts knocked even that out of the water. I'd never felt anything as good as that, except when she moved one of her hands between my legs and started to play with my new equipment down there. That was almost more than I could bear, causing me to cry out from the intense pleasure.

"Mae...lla...," I gasped once I had my mouth free.

However, she put a finger on my lips, them moved her mouth to a lower...and even more sensitive spot. I didn't know exactly what she was doing, but it felt unlike anything I had ever felt before in my life...that I had ever even imagined feeling. And when I finally came, the orgasm was like an explosion of pure heaven.

"Oh God," I gasped weakly, opening my eyes a minute later, not even having been aware that I'd closed them until that moment. I was startled to see that there was a greenish glow...and even more surprised to realize that it was coming from ME. From my very skin. "I'm glowing," I whispered, still in a complete daze.

Maella giggled, "Yeah... We pixies do that." Then she kissed my nipples gently before asking, "Are you ready for more?"

"Oh ye...no," I whispered, catching her by surprise as I slowly sat up. Then I grinned, "First it's your turn."

She giggled at that, "Oh goody..."

With that, I moved onto Maella, trying my very best to do the same thing to her that she had done to me. I was sure that I wasn't nearly as deft at it and was fairly clumsy in comparison, but I certainly tried. And from the noises she was making and the way she suddenly started glowing as well, I had a pretty good idea that I'd done it right.

We continued like that for some time, though I had no idea just how long, taking turns going at each other, even doing each other at the same time. It was absolutely incredible, and almost as though I had an inexhaustible supply of sexual energy. Eventually though, it did wear out, leaving me and Maella both glowing brightly, laying together in puddle of our own juices.

A sudden thought occurred to me. Or at least a curiosity, which I knew that I would never have the answer to. What I had just experienced had been absolutely incredible, though I couldn't help wondering if it was that way for real women. For human women. Or if pixies were just so much more responsive for humans.

And as we cuddled together, I was vaguely aware of pixies coming into the room and walking past. Though I felt faintly embarrassed, I was feeling too content to do anything about it. Of course, it helped that they didn't bother to even give us a second look, or that Maella didn't seem bothered by their presence.

After we had rested there for awhile, Maella untangled herself and stood up, grabbing me by the arm and grinning, "C'mon Chad..." She was still glowing, as was I, though not nearly as strong as a short time earlier.

"Do I have to?" I teased, already getting to my feet and then following her to the small next that she called home.

Once we were inside, I was rather surprised to see Maella rubbing at her still wet crotch and thighs, then smearing her juices on the wall. Then without a word, she started to rub at mine, earning a faint protest...though it did feel rather good. However, this wasn't too sexual as she was mostly gathering up my juices, then smearing those on the wall as well.

"What the...?" I started, though Maella just shrugged, not offering me an explanation.

Instead, she giggled, then tapped me, "Tag," just before diving out the exit.

"Hey," I called out, wondering where she was going this time. However, I suspected that the only way to find out was to follow her and see. Then again, that would probably be half the fun.

This time, our game of tag merely ran around the village, ending a short time later at a part of it that I hadn't seen before. It was another one of their ceramic buildings, built high up...near the highest point of the village and around the entire tree. Several branches were helping to support it.

"What's this?" I asked as we landed, seeing that it had a number openings all the way around it. In fact, it seemed to be nearly as much patio as fully enclosed building. And I could see several other pixies flying around it, both entering and leaving.

"C'mon," Maella said as she landed on a ledge by one opening, gesturing for me to follow her lead.

A moment later, I had landed myself and stepped inside, startled to see a pool of water. No...a trench of water...a ring that encircled the entire width of the tree. Or at least the width that was available at that height. And from two other pixies that I could see in the water taking a bath, it was immediately obvious what this place was for.

"Wow," I whispered, amazed that they had such a unique public bath house. And up in a tree no less. "It's a giant bird bath..."

I looked up at the roof, then had to take a second look. From the slightly concave shape...and the openings, I could see that it collected rainwater like a funnel and deposited it all directly into the trench. I was definitely impressed.

"This is great," I told Maella, "Though I'm not used to taking a bath with other people..." Then again, I glanced down at myself and frowned slightly, I wasn't used to running around in public completely naked either, but I'd been doing that all day.

"Your places of cleaning are so...," Maella struggled for the right word, "Small. There is no room to enjoy it...to share company with others."

I couldn't really argue with that, even if I normally didn't care about there not being enough room to comfortably share. And looking at Maella, I could definitely see at least one good reason to have a bathroom large enough to share.

As I slipped into the trench, I found that it was just a little deeper than the tub at my own home...at least comparatively. And of course, it was more than 3 times as wide and a hundred times as long. I could see to other pixies taking baths as well, and that was before Maella even climbed in with me. Who knew how many more might be in the ringed trench, around the tree and out of my sigh?

After Maella climbed in beside me, our shared bath proved to be a rather long one. We washed each other up using some sort of moss, then played around for some time, splashing each other, talking and then kissing, though it didn't go any further than that this time. Before very long, I was definitely thinking about getting a larger tub...maybe something in the line of a jacuzzi.

"Hey Brissanna," Maella waved to one pixie who had just come into the building.

She was green skinned like nearly every other pixie that I'd seen in the village, though hers seemed just a shade lighter than most. The new pixie...Brissanna's hair was shoulder length and violet, and when she looked at us, I could see that her eyes were a brilliant green.

"Hello," Brissanna greeted Maella, coming closer to us.

Maella grinned at her, then grabbed my arm, "I want you to meet my friend..."

Brissanna looked slightly confused, "But I already know Trikka." She said it as though reminding a child of something obvious.

With a giggle, Maella held my arm up, pointing at the bracelet that was still on my wrist. "Not Trikka. This is Chad."

"A visitor," she whispered, staring at me in amazement. "The Gray One sent another to our village..." Then she moved closer, looking at me as if trying to see what I really looked like, not just how I appeared at the moment. "Are you really a human?"

"Guilty as charged," I told her, feeling a little uncertain. I had just realized that she was the first pixie that I'd actually talked to other than Maella.

"Humans are bad," Brissanna said uncertainly, looking at me with an expression that contained both curiosity and nervousness.

"Not Chad," Maella protested, clutching me tighter and giving her friend a look as if daring her to argue. "I met some real nice humans while in there world..."

Brissanna looked as if she was going to argue, but instead said, "Hunters are bad."

Maella just nodded complete agreement with that. And from what she'd told me earlier, I had to agree as well. At least about what they were doing. Maella and Brissanna talked for several minutes, with the other pixie being rather curious about me, before she went her own way and left us to finish with our baths.

When we were finally done and ready to leave, I discovered that pixies don't use towels. Instead, they just flew away wet, usually to either lay out in the sun or let the air itself dry them off. It was a lot slower than I was used to, though Maella seemed satisfied with it.

After this, we went to yet another common area, this one more of a dining room. A number of pixies scattered around, eating a variety of nuts and berries, though there seemed little order in how they did it. No well set tables, kitchen utensils or anything else, just a large bowl...bucket of food in the center that they each helped themselves from.

I helped myself to something that looked like a blackberry, but was nearly the size of my fist, as well as something that Maella called a tracht. It was a hard, red fruit about the size of a golf ball that tasted almost spicy. And it was definitely different than anything that I'd ever eaten before.

While I was having dinner, Maella introduced me to several of her friends, though I had a hard time remembering all of their names at once. One of them seemed almost hostile to me when she found out I was really a human, though she remained polite for Maella's sake. The others were a bit more excited about that aspect, though they were all rather curious.

"We don't see many humans who aren't hunters," Maella explained to me afterwards, "And you're only the second visitor from your world to come to our village."

A short while later, the sun had set and we made our way back to Maella's nest. But as we flew there, I couldn't help seeing glowing figures moving about in the darkness. In a strange way, it was almost like watching human sized fireflies. Actually, pixie sized ones. I couldn't help blushing a little bit as I suddenly realized exactly why they were glowing too. Especially since I could actually see one couple still having sex as we flew past.
"Strange," I whispered as I thought about the pixies I'd met.

The ones I had met had mostly been nice, but they were a bit strange as well, including Maella. None of them seemed to have the least problem with going around completely naked, lesbianism or even having sex in public. I guessed that was just their nature...that they were just uninhibited. And though their culture was a bit odd, there was something refreshing about it as well.

And then, once I had gone inside of Maella's next, I finally discovered exactly why Maella had smeared our juices on the wall. The wall had a faint green glow where she had run her hands, and there were even fainter glowing traces spread about the other surfaces. Not only did the pixies glow after having sex...but so did their juices. And apparently, those very juices made for great night lights.

"Wow," I muttered as I stared at glowing the wall, "Talk about an afterglow... I guess it saves on electricity." Not that I'd seen any sign of electricity or power around the village.

Once we had settled in, Maella hesitantly asked me, "Do...do you like my home?" There was something in her eyes, a desperate hope.

"Very much," I told her, which brought a gleam of happiness to her eyes.

Some time later, Maella and I were cuddled up next to each other, half buried in the soft bedding of fur and feathers that was spread over the floor. And as we drifted off to sleep, we both continued to glow from our latest round of sex.

Travel Agency
part 3 of 3
By Morpheus

When I woke up the next morning, I was half surprised to find that it hadn't just been a dream. That I really had gone to another world...that I really had become a pixie...and that I really had found Melissa again, even if in a different form. That last especially had filled me with a sense of relief.

I was also pleasantly surprised to realize just how warm and comfortable I had been during the night. Apparently, the pixie houses and their bedding were simple...but made for great insulation and protection from the elements.

After a quick breakfast of nuts and berries, Maella showed me around for a little while...then put me to work. It was certainly not what I expected from my vacation, but with Maella, I didn't mind helping out. Especially when she explained that it was part of their custom.

Maella and I spent most of the day helping a young pixie named Byra to build her own nest. There were several other pixies helping as well, one of them with a squirrel that brought bags of clay as well as other supplies up to us. We worked to anchor the new construction into the tree and slowly build it up until it looked much like any of the other homes in the village.

Helping to build the home took a bit of effort, though I felt rather proud once we were done for the day. I had learned a great deal about how the pixies made their buildings, and about the pixies themselves. It had been hard work, but I was thankful that Maella had given me the chance to do it.

Later that night, Maella explained that once the building set, which would take several days, other pixies would come to help finish it. I didn't know exactly what that entailed, but apparently it was something like buffing everything to make sure that it was smooth and shiny like ceramic. Then, Brya would decorate the walls and collect her own bedding to finish it.

--------------------

The next day was my third day in that world, and by late morning, Maella and I were wandering the giants forests, seeing the sights and playing a game of tag. It appeared that tag was one of the pixies favorite pastimes...along with sex. Well, and some sort of strange sport that seemed to be equally parts, dance, football and tag.

"Look," Maella abruptly called out as she settled down onto a branch. As I landed beside her, she pointed down, "There..."

I looked where she pointed and saw a group of three people moving along the forest floor. They all looked like giants to me, though I didn't forget for a moment that I was just the tiny one. This time, what surprised me wasn't there awesome size...though that was impressive, but the fact that they didn't look human.

One of them was a woman dressed in strange black leather and chain mail, who looked fairly human except that she had pointed ears, dark gray skin and pure white hair. The second of the group looked a lot more human, though like the first, his ears were pointed and his features were a bit too fine. In fact, other than skin and hair color, he looked quite a bit like her.

Then there was the third member of that group. A member who was most obviously not a human. He was a lot taller than the other two...even huge compared to them. He was bulky, and looked extremely strong and brutish, with skin had a faint but sickly shade of green to it.

"What are they?" I asked after watching them for a minute.

"An ogre," Maella told me, not needing to point out which one that was, "an elf and a dark elf." I could have guessed the elf on my own. Then she added, "Such a strange group... Those kind do not often mix..."

I looked a little more, then saw something that explained that. "Look at their wrists," I told Maella, pointing though it was completely unnecessary. The ogre and the dark elf each had golden bracelets on their wrists, very similar to the one that I wore on my own.

After a moment, Maella gasped, "Oh...they are the Gray One's visitors too..."

"And the elf has to be their guide," I thought aloud, earning a faint nod from Maella.

We followed behind them as they walked through the forest, though being as high up as we were and hidden by the branches, they never saw us. Then again, I don't think that they looked up either, so that was sure to have helped.

Finally, Maella giggled, giving me a mischievous look, "Let's have some fun with them."

"What do you have in mind?" I asked curiously.

Maella didn't answer, other than to give me a broad grin before suddenly diving down at the group. Before they realized she was even there, Maella had grabbed hold of the dark elf's hair and gave it a swift tug, immediately shooting straight back into the air again.

"What the fuck?" the dark elf demanded, grabbing at her hair though Maella was already gone. "Something pulled my hair."

Not needing any more prompting than that, I dove down and joined Maella, giving a swift tug of the ogre's hair, and then getting to safety. He grumbled and swatted at the air, and I couldn't resist giggling as I came up beside Maella.

"Ouch," the ogre grumbled.

Then, the elf looked up, pointing straight at us and spitting, "Pixies." Then he looked at the two he was guiding and added, "Harmless tricksters." However, he didn't look pleased to see us.

"Um...I don't think we're welcome anymore," I told Maella.

"Then lets us give them a farewell present," she giggled back, daring off to a nearby tree and pulling off something that looked like an acorn, which she immediately proceeded to drop on the elf from above.

While the elf was cursing, I copied her actions, calling out, "Bombs away..." However, my acorn missed by a good several feet.

After this, Maella and I followed them for a short while longer, mostly staying out of sight, before we finally decided that we'd had enough of that game and left them. What we'd done wasn't particularly nice, but I had to admit that it was rather fun. And no one got hurt.

It took me a little longer to realize exactly why Maella...and I got such a charge out of teasing them. That probably had something to do with the fact that they were so much larger than us, and that being able to mess with them that way and get away with it gave us a feeling of power.

"A super Napoleon complex?" I mused to myself, wondering if it just might be the pixies way of overcompensating for their lack of size. Then again, it just might be because it was fun.

A short while later, Maella had taken me to a rock on top of a cliff...a rock that gave an unbelievable view of everything for miles and miles. The scenery was incredible and the view breathtaking. However, there was something else as well. Some distance away, I could see a castle...and a mass of buildings spread out around it.

"A human town," Maella told me when I asked her about it. "That is where the hunters go..."

Though I was curious about the castle and town around it, I knew that at the moment it might not be the greatest idea to go and check it out. Sure, Maella had assured me that most of the people would leave me alone if they saw the Gray One's bracelet on my wrist, but it would be foolish to rely on that when it was so small that it would be easily overlooked by a normal sized human. Not to mention, I wasn't completely convinced that anyone would really care about my being under his protection anyway.

We remained where we were for some time, even having a bit of a picnic there. Eventually though, Maella and I moved on, stopping at the springs from the first day for a little longer before going back to the village for the night.

--------------------

The next day, Maella and I were once again flying around the forest, this time heading to some sort of ancient ruins that she wanted to show me. Apparently, it was the remains of some temple, destroyed long ago. Maella didn't even know who had created it, though she said that the pixies often played there.

"You'll love it," Maella grinned. "And daisha berries grow all over the place..."

I didn't even bother asking what a daisha berry was, though I was sure that they were pretty tasty. Maella seemed to have a pretty good knack of finding the tasty fruits, berries and nuts. But then again, since that seemed to be all that pixies ate, that wasn't surprising. And though I didn't tell her, I was getting a little tired of the vegetarian diet, thinking that a nice steak would have been heavenly.

When we arrived at the ruins, I was pretty impressed at the place. The word 'ruins' was definitely accurate, as the whole place was badly shattered. Part of the shattered stone building remained, as did parts of pillars and statues. What was there was covered with moss and vines.

"And to think," I said as I landed on top of a pillar, "I could have been in class instead."

I paused at that, realizing that I was missing out on more than just a couple of my classes and that I would have to work hard to catch up once I got back. However, my vacation was definitely worth it. I couldn't believe how many new things I was seeing, and best of all, I was with Maella.

"I wonder what Ian would think of this place," I mused, glancing over at Maella, and silently adding "and her." I tried picturing the look on his face when he saw Maella and the other pixies, but just couldn't imagine it.

While I was lost in thought, Maella was wandering about, picking berries. I could even hear her singing to herself, though the words she used made no sense to me all. But still, I rather enjoyed the sound of it...of her sweet voice. It suited her even better than Melissa's had.

Suddenly, I heard a scream coming from Maella's direction...and in her voice.

"Maella," I called out, instantly jumping to my feet and starting to run. She screamed again, and only then did I remember that I could fly, having almost forgotten that in my urgency.

A second later, I saw it...a giant. No...he was human. He just looked like a giant to me. The man was absolutely huge, which was no surprise considering my current tiny size. Then again, he was large the other way too, being somewhat overweight. His reddish hair and beard were both long and unkempt, as were his clothes. I could smell him from where I was at.

However, my attention wasn't on the man quite so much as the net that he was holding in his hand. More specifically though, was the fact that Maella was trapped within, struggling and screaming for help.

"Only one of them bugs around here," the big guy grumbled in disgust.

"Too bad," another man's voice came from the side. "There's usually a bunch of them when we find them here..."

Just then, I saw the second man. He was a lot thinner than the first, being almost scrawny. He was also clean shaven...sort of. His stubble looked as though it hadn't seen a razor in several days.

"Hunters," I spat, suddenly understanding the pixies hatred for them a whole lot better.

For a moment, I just remained where I was, staring at Maella as the bigger of the two put her inside of what looked like a birdcage. My heart raced and I clenched my fists, knowing that I had to help her...somehow. However, it was also extremely obvious that I was no match for either of them. They were way to big...way too powerful.

"Oh shit," I gasped, tears staring to fill my eyes. I had to do something. I had to.

Then with a grimace of determination, I flew straight towards the cage, determined to tear that door open with my bare hands if I had to. Maella was inside, struggling at the bars to no effect, but paused to look up at me.

"Chad!" she cried out, fearfully looking up at the hunters, then me, "Get out of here..."

"Look," the thinner hunter exclaimed, "Another one..."

"FLY," Maella insisted in a near panic, "GO!"

"No," I protested, but then had to take off again to avoid the large hand that had been coming towards me. "I can't leave you..."

"Get her," the larger hunter bellowed, "We'll double our catch..."

This time, the big man threw a net at me, though I saw it in his hands soon enough to dodge out of the way, using a broken pillar as a shield. However, once the net he'd tossed had missed, I came back out, once again going straight for the net. I knew that it wasn't a good idea, at least in my head, though my heart didn't give me any other choice.

"Please Chad," Maella called out to me as I got closer, "I don't want you to get caught too..."

Once again they tried grabbing at me, though I was able to avoid it. The hunters might have been unimaginably large, but they seemed rather slow and clumsy to me at the moment. It was all that I needed to give me the advantage. At least that was what I told myself.

However, after several attempts to get closer to Maella, the hunters were beginning to get frustrated at me and were cursing violently. But suddenly, one of them actually caught me with one of their hands, getting me from behind when I hadn't seen it coming. Before I even knew what was happening, I was thrown violently through the air, crashing into a mass of bushes.

"You idiot," the larger man growled, "we can't sell it if it's broken..."

"Oh God," I grimaced, crouching down in the bushes and whimpering in pain. It felt like my entire body was bruised from the impact.

After a moment though, I forced myself to move, to hurry off to the side as fast as my aching body would move, knowing that they would try to find me. I was more than half tempted to let them, that way at least I'd be with Maella. However, I held together long enough to climb down into a hole where they hopefully wouldn't be able to find me.

"Frazza droppings," the bigger man cursed after they'd both been searching for me for several minutes, "Can't find it anywhere."

"S'not my fault," the thinner one complained.

I remained motionless, catching my breath and hoping that they wouldn't be able to find me. And even more, I was hoping...even praying that they didn't hurt Maella. I didn't think that I could live with myself if anything happened to her.

Finally, the hunters gave up and left...though unfortunately, they took Maella with them. I remained where I was in my safe nitch, crying in frustration. I'd tried...I'd tried but hadn't been able to save Maella. I'd barely been able to even save myself.

"Get ahold of yourself," I muttered, forcing myself back to my feet. I ached like hell, but I could still move. "Let's see..." I checked myself, seeing that nothing seemed to be broken. Even my wings were working fine.

Once I was sure that I was able, I stood there for a moment, my hand's clenched in determination. I might have gotten away, but there was no way in hell that I was just going to forget about Maella. None. So with that, I slowly came out of my hiding place, then took back to the air.

It wasn't very difficult for me to find the hunters, especially since they were still cursing loudly at losing me. But once I found them, this time I decided that I would have to be patient. Though it burned me up to think about Maella being a prisoner any longer than necessary, I knew that I would have to wait for my chance.

For some time, I followed the two hunters, careful to keep my distance and stay out of sight. My whole body was still hurting, though I didn't let that slow me down. I couldn't. Eventually though, my persistence paid off because they arrived at a large building and went inside.

"It's huge," I told myself as I stared at the building, knowing that it was only my own perspective that made it seem so.

After waiting for a few more minutes, I carefully made my way closer, stopping at the front door which was still cracked open. I hesitated a few more seconds, feeling terrified but determined as I slowly peaked around the corner.

"Holy shit," I whispered, suddenly feeling like Jack at the top of the beanstalk.

Making my way inside, I took a look around, seeing that it was a cabin with several rooms. The main room was the one I was standing in, though I could get a glimpse of the others and realized that they had to be a storage room and a bedroom.

However, what immediately drew my attention was the large bird cage on top of the table. A cage that had several pixies fluttering about inside of it...including Maella. Then I quickly looked at the men, seeing that the thinner one had gone into one of the other rooms, while the larger one was trying to start a fire in the fireplace.

"I can't believe you lost that one," the fat guy grumbled.

The thinner hunter just snorted, "We still have these others,"

Deciding that it was still too dangerous to do anything, I flew to the rafters and sat there, watching the hunters and listening to them talk.

"Fat lot of good you did," I glared at the bracelet, which was supposed to have helped protect me.

As I sat there for several hours, I heard them talk about how they were going to sell the pixies at the castle...and about how having pixies as pets was the latest fashion among the wealthy nobles. It seemed pretty disgusting to me, trying to own another person like that...even if they were only 6 inches tall.

Then I grew even angrier as the fat man said, "I heard of a sorcerer down in Treefork who's lookin to buy soma these bugs. I guess he needs soma their wings for some kinda spell or somethin..."

It was all I could do to keep from flying down there and hitting him, though I somehow managed to keep from doing anything foolish. Instead, I waited. I waited until the two hunters had eaten their dinners...and then waited some more until they settled down for bed.

Eventually, I whispered, "Finally..." With that, I made my move, flying down to the cage that held Maella and 3 other pixies inside. And to my surprise, one of them was a guy, the first male pixie that I'd actually seen. However, I didn't have time to waste thinking about that and quietly called, "Maella..."

"Chad," she gasped in surprise, her expression going from one of delight to one of worry in just an instant. "They'll catch you too..."

I just held my finger to my lips and shushed her, going to work on the latch that held the cage shut. Fortunately, it wasn't very complicated or even difficult to undo...unless you happened to be inside of the cage. Within half a minute, I had managed to get open, gesturing for the pixies to come out.

"We're free," one of the girls gasped in delight, though Maella quickly clapped a hand over the girl's mouth.

But then, just as we were getting ready to leave, a voice roared out, "The bugs...they're gettin away!" I hadn't noticed that the fat guy hadn't fallen asleep yet. It was a mistake that could very well be my last.

"RUN," I shouted to the others as the fat man jumped out of bed and rushed towards us, "I mean fly..."

"Damn bugs," he howled, with the thinner hunter getting out of his bed to join in. "Come back here..."

"You...you," Maella hovered in the air, shaking her hand, "You shithead!"

"What's a shithead?" the male pixie asked from the side, looking confused.

Maella just glanced at me, then muttered, "Something from Chad's world..." However, her explanation was cut short as the fat hunter grabbed a net off of the wall and started swinging it.

"Fucking bastard," I snarled, holding my arm up to show the bracelet, "Doesn't this thing mean anything to you?" Apparently it didn't because he didn't even hesitate to throw the net, though Maella yanked me out of the way.

"I wish I was big enough to punch them," Maella told me, obviously extremely angry. Not that I blamed her in the least since she'd been the one stuck in the cage.

Suddenly I saw something in the corner, next to a pile of tattered clothes and leathers. Without hesitation, I dove down for it, grabbing a large metal spike that looked as though they might have used it as some sort of sewing needle, or at least to punch holes in the leather. But for me it was large enough to actually use as a spear. And there were several more of them laying around on the floor. With a grimace, I picked up several more then flew back towards the others.

"Here," I handed one of the spikes to Maella, "Use this if they get too close..."

Maella just gave me a mischievous grin, though her eyes held more anger than amusement. And it was immediately obvious that she wasn't about to wait for them to come to her.

"Oh shit," I muttered, quickly shoving several spears into the hands of the male pixie, then diving after Maella as she charged the thin hunter from above.

The hunter let out a large yelp of pain as Maella's spear went deep into his shoulder. Then she was gone, out of his reach before he could even get closer. A second later, the other pixies decided to join in as well and started to attack, jabbing at the hunters with their spears before flying back out of reach.

"That'll teach you," Maella exclaimed in delight.

"Leave us alone," another pixie called out angrily.

I joined in for a few pokes, though didn't have nearly the enthusiasm as the others. Within a few minutes, the two hunters ran from their own home, howling in pain from the dozens of stings that these 'bugs' had given them. Droplets of blood marked where each of the spears had gone into their flesh. And as they clumsily ran into the trees and out of sight, I had a feeling that they'd probably think twice before hunting pixies again.

"Thank you," Maella exclaimed, hitting me with a hug so hard and fast that it was nearly as though she tackled me. "Thank you for saving me..." Her eyes were filled with tears.

"Me too," one of the females repeated, then was echoed yet again by the other female and the male.

But just a moment after the round of thanks, Maella suggested that we get out of there and back to the village...just in case the hunters come back. We all nodded agreement, then began the journey back to the village, using the moon to light the dark night.

--------------------

The next day, the village held a celebration...a feast in honor of our success in not only escaping the hunters, but in actually fighting back. Apparently, there had been very few attempts to do that before, and none of them really very successful. We were all hailed as heroes because of that, and to my surprise, me especially.

"Enjoy it," Maella laughed as she danced around, "Have fun..." That certainly wasn't difficult to do.

Food was piled up everywhere, with countless variety of fruits, berries and nuts, as well as things that I couldn't quite identify. And for the first time since my arrival, I actually saw meat. Though I wasn't completely positive, I think that it was roasted mouse, cooked over a spit. Apparently, eating meat of any sort was an extreme rarity for the pixies, and then only on the most special of occasions. I didn't have the heart to tell them that it was too tough.

Sweet smells weren't the only thing that filled the air. The whole village was bursting with life, with music from instruments that were barely recognizable if at all, and beautiful singing, most of which had no words.

And then of course, there was the dancing. There were pixies dancing all over the place, even in mid-air. It was an incredible sight, though my greatest admiration was reserved for one pixie in specific. Maella. She flew about in the air, her every motion filled with such fluid grace that it left me in awe. And though I tried my best, I was sure that my own attempts fell far short of her glorious movements.

Throughout the event, countless pixies came up to see me, to see the human in pixie form. And to see the person who had helped save some of their fellow villagers. It was a bit overwhelming for me, as well as somewhat embarrassing. I didn't know how to deal with all that attention, which seemed to amuse Maella even more.

What amused me though, was that Maella would come up and hold onto my arm, giving a look at some of the others as if to say, "Mine." I suspected that she was a little jealous of all the other pixies that started flirting with me, even the guys. However, she was the only one that I had eyes for.

Eventually things started to wind down a little, with a number of pixies disappearing in pairs...and even groups. I strongly suspected that there were going to be a whole lot of well lit nests that night. In fact, I was looking forward to helping Maella light up hers once again.

Suddenly, a hush started to fall on the pixies around me, and I looked over to see a pixie walking towards me. She was a little taller than most of the pixies that I'd met, and she moved confidently. This new pixie had long, silvery hair with strands of what appeared to be gold thread woven in as decoration. And there was something about her face...and her eyes.

"That's Ralla Dae," Maella whispered into my staring at the slowly approaching pixie. There was a tone of admiration in her voice, which was somewhat explained by her next words. "She is an elder...the oldest and wisest of our village..."

Ralla Dae paused in front of me, silently looking me over. Her face was definitely mature, with a few wrinkles, though she didn't really look all that old. At least not until I looked into her eyes. Then I could feel her age, just as I had felt Maella...

"You are the visitor," Ralla Dae quietly announced, looking down at the Gray One's bracelet on my wrist.

"Her...his name," Maella corrected herself, "is Chad." She held onto my arm, but whether to offer me protection or comfort, I did not know. Nor was I positive that this was for me.

The elder pixie just nodded faintly at this, looking me in the eyes as if to judge me by them. "You followed hunters," she said, then mumbled, "How foolish..."

I just stood there, staring back at her. She might well have thought that I was foolish, but I didn't particularly care. The only thing that had mattered to me was getting Maella to safety, and I didn't regret that for an instant.

"But you saved my little sisters...when you are not of our kind..." She looked at me curiously, then at Maella, smiling as she did so. Finally, she looked back at me, looking quite happy, "You are welcome here always...sister."

And with that, Ralla Dae surprised me by gently grabbing my head in her hands and kissing me on the cheek. She paused briefly, to smile at me and then Maella, before slowly turning to walk away. Other pixies made room for her to pass. It took several more minutes before I realized that I'd just been made into an honorary pixie.

"Wow," Maella gasped from beside me, "She likes you." Then she almost smugly added before giving me a kiss, "I knew she would."

The rest of the party was a blur after this, especially since Maella and I followed the examples of so many other pixies and started off to her nest for a nice, long session of lovemaking. I knew that she would have been quite happy to do it right there in the middle of the crowd, but even though I'd loosened up quite a bit during my time with the pixies, I still wasn't that uninhibited.

Eventually, Maella and I drifted off into an exhausted...and very content sleep, wrapped tightly about each other and surrounded by two bright glows that had merged to be as one.

--------------------

My few remaining days in that magical world were like a magnificent dream, making a conflict out of time itself. Those days seemed to go on forever, with every instant with Maella an eternity of heaven, yet at the same time, it passed far too quickly. And almost before I had realized it, the time had come to wake from that dream.

At the moment, I was standing on the edge of a balcony in the pixie village, looking out at the amazing sights before me. In the past week, I had grown to admire the pixie people. They were passionate and funloving, yet as their village proved, rather practical when the need arose as well. And of course, they were Maella's people.

"I wish you did not have to go," she said from beside me, pouting slightly as she leaned up next to me. "I wish you could stay longer..."

"Me too," I whispered back, thinking about how great it would be to remain with her.

However, I knew that it wouldn't be possible. Even if there was some way for me to stay there, I couldn't just abandon my life. I couldn't leave my family without even saying good-bye and explaining what was going on. And I couldn't just forget about college and all of the work that I'd already invested. As much as I longed to stay, I knew that I had to go back.

Giving a long sigh, Maella said, "I wish that the Gray One's trades could last longer than a moon...a month,"

All I could do was nod at that, fighting the tears that were on the verge of coming. Though my week long vacation was over, I did not want to go home. At least not yet. But wanting something wasn't the same as getting it.

With that, Maella and I silently embraced into long hug and then longer kiss. I could feel her nipples pressing into mine, making me get excited. That was a sensation that I had grown to enjoy during my time with her and would miss, though not nearly so much as Maella herself. At least this time, I told myself, she didn't just vanish from my life without warning. This time, I knew what was going to happen. But that didn't make it any easier to say good-bye.

"Promise that you'll come to me again," Maella pleaded, tears in her eyes.

I stared deep into her eyes, unable to keep the tears back any longer. "Of course," I whispered, "I don't to lose you again..."

"I'll come see you too," she insisted firmly, pulling back and crossing her arms, "I know the Gray One will help." Then she looked thoughtful, "I think Trikka might want to go back to your world...and if not, there are lots of others here who would.... Maybe even one of the males..."

"That might be fun," I told her, wondering what it would be like to be a male pixie. Being a female once was certainly a wild experience.

"And Stephanie said that she wants to come back here," Maella continued even more excitedly, grinning as she abruptly asked, "Would you like me as a blonde human?"

"I'd love you as anything," I told her honestly, giving her another kiss.

Just then, I felt it. A faint tingling on my bracelet. It was time. "It's happening," I announced sadly, staring at Maella teary eyed. "I'm going home."

The last thing that I heard before the world vanished in a swirl of blue light was, "I will see you again soon..."

After a moment of dizziness, I was suddenly standing somewhere else...and immediately aware that I was back inside of my own body. For a few seconds, I just remained motionless, absorbing the familiar sensations as they came back to me. It felt almost strange to be myself once again, even after such a short period as a week. And I sort of missed having a pair wings on my back.

"I'm home," I whispered without much enthusiasm.

With that, I took a look around the same room that Mr. G had used to send me to that other world. The room where I had begun my free vacation from. A vacation, like he had promised, that was unlike any other. I had taken a vacation not only from my home, but from my very self.

When I left the room a minute later and stepped back into the main Travel Agency office, I saw Mr. G sitting behind the desk and talking to a young couple, trying to convince them to try the 'special package'. He just looked up at me and smiled, though he was too busy to talk. But that was all right with me. So only a nod at him, and a smile of thanks, I picked up one of his business cards off the corner of the desk and left.

I paused once I was outside of the building, taking a look around at my own world, then looking down at the business card in my hand. It merely said 'Travel Agency' in gold letters, with a phone number. Simple, but elegant. And I suddenly had a feeling that I was going to be using it again before too long.

"What a vacation," I exclaimed aloud, realizing how much better I felt than before I'd left. Before, I had been depressed and alone. But now...now I knew that Melissa...Maella was still there. That she still loved me.

I felt incredible as I thought about that fact. And I knew without a doubt that we would be seeing each other again. That not even the fact that we were different species...or that we lived in separate worlds would stop us. Mr. G...or the Gray One as Maella called him would help us see each other again. It would be difficult... Long distance relationships usually were, and this was longer than any that I'd ever heard of.

However, I loved Maella with all of my heart, just as I knew that she loved me. There was no doubt in my mind that Maella was absolutely worth it. And maybe one day...one day we would find a way to be together permanently.

THE END