STORY 29

Jissy slept. Curled up atop one of the Giant Tree's gigantic branches, she looked peaceful, serene. But hers was not a peaceful sleep. The sunlight's glow, illuminating the horizon, warmed her bare skin and dispelled the dreams which had plagued her night. The light glistened over the sweat on her skin, the product of her nightmares.

Her sleep had been troubled for several nights now. Ever since she had been turned into a human by that mage, who had left her in the jungle, to be eaten by the first passing predator. She had narrowly avoided being devoured by Katrika, and had taken refuge here, at the Giant Tree, where Crisis and Anna kept away the predators. As long as she remained here, she was relatively safe… except at night, when her unspoken fears about the future welled up, haunting her.

She stirred, and opened her eyes, shivering a little. She stretched her limbs -those unfamiliar legs- and rolled from her side onto her back, gazing up at the leaves as she yawned. From the corner of her eyes, she saw someone approach, walking along the branch, and she sat up quickly. Her momentary alarm faded, replaced with a warm smile.

“Roshan!” she exclaimed, delighted and relieved. She tried to get up, her new human legs still clumsy and uncooperative. Roshan reached her and, returning her smile, held out his hand, helping her to her feet. She leaned into her human friend as she tried to find her balance, and hugged him tight. “Roshan…” she whispered, in a voice heavy with emotion.

“Jissy,” he whispered back, gently. He, too, was clearly moved. “How are you, kid?”

“Small.” She kept her arms wrapped round him, her head against his shoulder, and did not look at him. “Fragile.”

“Never fragile,” Roshan whispered, encouragingly, and hugged her even closer. Her large bare breasts pressed tight against his chest, her crotch close to his, but there was nothing sexual in their embrace. Their hug was one of warmth, caring and support. “My Jissy's never been fragile.” He ran his hand gently through her long ginger hair, and kissed her forehead.

“Yes I am.” She pulled back a little, her hands still gripping his arms to steady herself, not trusting her legs. “Oh, Roshan, I've never seen you so big… He made my tiny.”

“He made you…”

“…human.”

“Yes.” He looked into her troubled blue eyes. “But it's all right.”

“No, it's not all right,” she disagreed, shaking her head. “You know as well as I do this is no place for humans. What am I supposed to do, like this?”

“I'll look after you.” His voice was solemn, sincere, and caring. She smiled, softly, grateful but not reassured.

“Roshan, I've been looking after you. We can't survive here on our own, as we are.” Her eyes explored his, a slightly deeper, solemn blue. “I'm glad you're here. With me. You're safer here.”

He nodded. “Anna and Crisis will keep us safe.”

Jissy gave a little smile. “Crisis probably wants to eat you.”

“But she won't.” He paused. “By the way, Anna's got you some fruit for breakfast.”

Jissy was a little surprised. “She's not usually up this early. But then, you're up early too. How long have you been here?”

“Since last night.” Roshan picked some fruit out of a bag and handed it to her. “Crisis brought me here. I can tell you, I was nervous when she picked me up! I must have arrived not long after you fell asleep.”

Jissy smiled faintly, lowering her gaze to look at the fruit in her hand, without immediately eating it. “So you watched me sleep,” she said, gently.

“For a while.” There was a moment's pause. This was a little awkward, perhaps, for both of them. They had never been able to stand face to face on the same level and look each other in the eyes before. Jissy, the giant naga, had always towered over her only human friend. Her former carer, the man who had saved her from captivity, who had accompanied her back to her own world, where he had become her protégé. Now this. She had been shrunk to his size - made human. Perhaps she wondered what he was thinking, feeling. He was not certain himself. “Who's that over there?” he asked, to break the silence, and nodded towards a young woman still sleeping at the junction between the huge branch and the tree trunk. Jissy followed his gaze mechanically, although she knew what she would see. Unlike Jissy, the woman was fully clothed, though her clothes were beginning to look the worse for wear. Her long, black hair partly obscured a pretty, sun-tanned face.

“Oh, that's Niree,” Jissy said. “She's human.”

“Keeping her for breakfast, for when you get back to your own size?” Roshan joked, with a distinct note of curiosity in his voice. Jissy grinned, displaying her clean white teeth.

“Maybe. No, she kind of got dragged into this by accident. She helped me explain to Anna and Crisis who I am. I've been… asking Crisis not to eat her. For now.” She shrugged. “I'm not sure what to do with her, really.” She paused. “When I look at her, my mouth waters, and I wish I could eat her. But I can't.” She sighed. “She looks so tasty, but I'm too small…”

Roshan gave her a sympathetic smile, and a gentle squeeze on her forearm as she held his arms for continued support. “Is she nice?”

“Nice? Oh, yes. She's friendly enough. She's jittery, though. I think she's trying to be friends with me, but she's still a bit scared of me.” Jissy looked over at her. “I'm all she's got right now…” she added, contemplative.

“Are you feeling sympathy for a human?” Roshan asked, pleasantly surprised. Jissy shrugged.

“I still see her as something I'd like to eat. But right now she and I have… similar problems. So yes, I suppose I do feel a bit sorry for her.”

“Good,” Roshan said, simply. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek, while she held his arms. “You're a good person, Jissy.” The former naga blushed, beneath her light freckles, and released his arms, finding her own balance on her new human feet. Roshan glanced down at her bare legs. Those were going to take some getting used to… for both of them. He hesitated, then asked:

“How are you getting used to your legs?”

She sighed. “I'm not, really. I keep tripping over myself. Getting up and down is… well, not easy. I don't know how you manage, with two legs to coordinate all the time. That's probably why humans never manage to run away from me. It's impossible to move quickly on these things.”

Roshan gave a faint smile.

“Kid, the reason why humans couldn't run away from you is because they're… they were much smaller than you. If you had a tail now, you'd probably be no faster than a slug girl.”

Jissy smiled, a little awkwardly.

“I suppose you're right.” She seemed lost in thought for a moment, then sighed wistfully. “I always thought human legs were wriggly and fun to slurp up. I never realised having them was such an… inconvenience!”

“Eugh.” The groan came from Niree, and they both turned to see the human sitting up, grimacing and rubbing the shoulder she had been resting on. She was looking at them reproachfully. “That's not the kind of thing I like to hear when I wake up.” She stared at Roshan. “Please tell me you're not a naga too.”

Roshan smiled, amused. Despite her bleary-eyed sleepy look, and her obvious irritation, Niree was an attractive woman. Much younger than he was, of course, but it did not prevent him from appreciating her beauty. He rarely had the opportunity to see human women who did not immediately disappear down Jissy's gullet. She had a nice voice, too.

“No, I've always been human,” he assured her. “Jissy and I are old friends.”

“I'm not old,” Jissy protested, with a mock pout. “And neither are you, really,” she added as an afterthought. He preferred to consider himself `middle-aged'… and ignore the first hints of grey in his reddish-blond hair and beard. “Niree, this is Roshan.”

“Oh. Right.” Niree stood, straightening her sleep-ruffled hair as best she could with her hands. “Jissy's told me about you.” She gave a pleasant smile, and walked up to him, holding out her hand. “Pleased to meet you. I'm Niree. Don't shake too hard, please; my arms are a bit sore from sleeping on hard wood.”

Roshan laughed, and shook her hand with exagerated gentleness. He was beginning to like her already.

“You've been looking after Jissy, then,” he said, casting an amused glance at his friend. Niree shrugged.

“I don't think she needs much looking after. I'm just trying to stay out of the way of the giant snake women. The pink-haired one is all right, but the blonde keeps giving me that hungry look.” She grimaced. “You're used to being around nagas, then?”

He nodded. He realised her question made him feel a little uncomfortable. He had never had the opportunity to talk to a human about his situation, and it felt suddenly rather strange. Without quite knowing why, he changed the subject.

“There's fruit for breakfast.” He handed her the bag.

“Thanks.” Niree took it, and ran her hand through her untidy hair. “I don't suppose there's much chance for a shower, but breakfast is a start.” She gave him a slight, friendly smile, and walked past him. Jissy followed her with her eyes, and Roshan saw her lick her lips. He shook his head, quietly.

“Sorry,” Jissy whispered, and smiled. “But it's not my fault she looks so delicious.”

“Stop thinking with your stomach. And have some fruit, instead.” He gave her a fond, caring smile. “It's good to be with you, kid.”

Jissy gave him a warm smile, and kissed him gently on the cheek. “You're my lifeline…” she whispered, somewhat to his surprise. He put his arms round her, just as gently.

“I'll stay with you,” he whispered back. “I promise.”

“I know,” she said, her voice warm and grateful. She stepped back, smiling, and nodded past him. He turned, following her gaze, and saw a young human woman with long brown hair approaching along the branch. “I don't think you've met Léa, have you?”

“No, I haven't.” Another attractive young woman. That made three on the branch here with him. He felt rather lucky. Despite the fact that one of those women was like a daughter to him, and was a former naga who was hoping to eat another of the young women… while Léa, from what he'd heard of her, would probably watch on unperturbed.

Felarya was a strange place.

“Hi,” Léa greeted him casually. “You must be Roshan.” She did not seem particularly interested in the middle-aged, bearded, somewhat scruffy man, as she turned to Jissy. “Crisis asks, would you like to go hunting with her?”

Jissy's face brightened. “Oh… Yes, I'd like that! Thanks!” She looked at Roshan. “Are you ok staying here?”

He nodded, and gave her a warm smile. “I'll be fine. You go and have fun!”

Jissy grinned, and gave him a quick hug, before following Léa along the branch. Roshan watched them leave, for a moment… and tried not to gaze at Jissy's naked, rather shapely bottom. It was distinctly attractive, but rather out of place; she was not supposed to have a human backside. He shook his head, with a deep sense of sympathy for her. He hoped there would be some way to restore her to her proper self, although he could not see how that might be possible. She was right; she was not safe, being so small. He turned, and looked over at Niree, the only person still on the branch with him. While the others were out hunting, he would no doubt be spending quite a bit of time with her. The prospect was not unappealing.

It had been far too long since he had socialised with a human woman.

He walked up to her, and sat down opposite her with a friendly, just slightly awkward smile. She returned the smile, while she chewed a mouthful of fruit. She swallowed, and wiped her lips.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey, yourself,” he replied politely, and picked a fruit from the bag.

“Where's Jissy gone?”

“To find food.” He looked at the fruit in his hand. Niree grimaced. She knew exactly what type of breakfast Jissy would be looking for. There was a moment's silence. They looked at each other. Niree squirmed a little.

“So, um…”

“Yes?”

“You and Jissy.” Her dark green eyes looked into his blue ones. “What's the story?” She bit into her fruit once more.

“Hasn't she told you?”

“Mmph.” Niree chewed quickly, and swallowed. “Only the basics. You cared for her when she was a slave, and you helped her escape. You saved her, she said.”

Roshan nodded, his expression serious. “Some bastard had her locked up in one room, day and night. For… I don't know how many years. She was kidnapped when she was a baby, and grew up in captivity.” His voice hardened. “She was a slave. Less than that, even. Dressed in luxurious clothes, but treated like… like a freak. Something that her owner could show off to jealous business partners. By which I mean criminals. She was less than a person to them. I was the only one who… who looked at her and saw a young woman. Trapped, and bored to tears, and going crazy in that room. She was… God, I felt so sorry for her. She was smart, and kind, and she just needed someone to talk to. Someone who cared. A friend.”

Niree nodded, her pretty face just as serious. “She didn't tell me the details… It must have been dreadful.”

“She doesn't like to talk about it. She's left all that behind her now. We both have. It's a whole different world away… We're never going back.”

“She was from here, originally?”

He nodded. “She was born here. I think she was only a few days old when they took her. She has a brother and sister, you know; they hadn't even hatched when she was kidnapped. She must have been a tiny little thing. Bastards.” He shook his head. “I found out she was from Felarya, and how to get her back here. So we escaped.”

Niree chewed and swallowed some more fruit, listening to his every word. “Did you know it would be dangerous here?”

“Sort of.” He shrugged. “Not really. I knew almost nothing about this place. But Jissy protected me. I looked after her, for years, on my world, and now she looks after me, on hers. At least, she did, until…” He trailed off. “It feels weird, you know, seeing her like this.”

“I'm sure it must do…” Niree agreed, thoughtfully. She wiped her juice-stained hands on a leaf. “What does she look like, as a naga?” she asked, curious.

Roshan smiled. “Pretty much the same. But a lot bigger. She has a green tail. Dark green, but lighter on the underbelly. With blue patterns. Dark blue, on her scales… It's quite pretty.”

Niree absorbed that, and was quiet for a moment. Eventually, she shook her head. “I can picture that, I think… I'm not sure I'd like to see it for real, though.”

“Oh, Jissy's a lovely girl. She wouldn't look scary, you know.”

“Well, just the fact she'd be big. And that she likes to eat humans,” Niree remarked dryly.

“She wouldn't eat you,” Roshan assured her. “She likes you.”

The young woman wrinkled her nose a bit, and did not appear convinced. “I'm a bit worried at the way she looks at me, sometimes…” She paused. “Does she eat many humans?”

“Uhm…” Roshan unfolded his legs, and adjusted his sitting position to a more comfortable one. “Well, uh… yes, actually.”

“How many?” Niree asked, troubled.

Roshan grimaced. “Several a day,” he answered, with some reluctance. “If she can get hold of them.”

Niree stared at him. “Several people… every day?” When he did not reply, she pressed on: “Where do they come from? What are they doing here?”

“Humans come to Felarya for lots of reasons.” He was clearly uncomfortable with this conversation. “A lot of them are just lost, like you.”

“And they end up in Jissy's stomach,” Niree said, her voice hard. “Doesn't that bother you?”

Roshan sighed, pulled his legs in, and stood. Niree hesitated, then stood to face him.

“Yes, of course it bothers me,” he said, after a long moment's silence. “But it's not that simple!”

“Oh?” Her tone was dubious, harsh, matched by the look in her eyes.

“You don't know her,” Roshan retorted, rather snappily. “She's a sweet kid. You don't know-”

“You make her sound like a child. She's not a `kid'. She's a grown woman. Who chooses to eat people.”

“And you make her sound like… like, I don't know, but she's not a bad person! Listen, you just don't know her. You haven't… You don't know what she's been through. How she thinks. How she feels. You've never comforted her when she cries, or… or made her laugh, or listened to her comfort you, and just… been grateful for her friendship. She's special, to me anyway, and I don't… Look, if you're going to judge her, why are you staying here with her?”

He had become quite agitated. Niree watched him, and shook her head just a little. She gave a wry smile.

“You may not have realised, but this is the safest place for me right now. I have nowhere else to go.” She paused. “You love her,” she remarked.

“Yes, of course I love her,” Roshan snapped, and then stopped. “No, not like that! Not what you're thinking. I love her… She's like my daughter. I have no children of my own. I've been looking after her for… It feels like forever.” His voice softened, heavy with feelings. “I care about her, just… so much. I don't think you can understand. She just… She's my little Jissy. I'd let her do anything.”

“`Little',” Niree repeated, and gave another wry smile. Her expression was not unkind, however. Roshan heard a brief laugh escape him.

“Yes… My `little' Jissy. Silly, isn't it? I'm just tiny, next to her, or I used to be. But to me, she's…” He paused, looking for the right words. “She's still that fragile girl I cared for, and rescued from a horrible place. She was vulnerable, and strong at the same time. Stronger than she realised. She needed someone…” He trailed off. “It was impossible not to care. Not to love her.”

“Even though she eats people. Even though she's eaten… thousands of innocent people.”

“Yes, damnit! Despite everything. There's nothing bad in her. Nothing. She's the sweetest…”

Gently, Niree reached out, and put her hand on his forearm. It was soft, and warm, and gentle. She looked into his eyes. “It's ok…” she said.

Roshan stopped. He breathed in, deeply, exhaled a long sigh, and nodded.

“I'm sorry. You're right. I know how it must seem to you. It's just…”

“It's ok,” Niree said again, gently. “It's all right. Really.”

Roshan gulped, and nodded again. For several seconds, they merely looked at each other, the first hint of understanding passing -uncertain still, but trusting- between their eyes.

“You know,” he told her at last, “there are humans who'd like to kill predators like her. They come here, onto the nagas' territory, to try and murder them. They think it's all logical, too. Kill a giant naga, and you stop her from eating… all those thousands of innocent people you mention. One life. Against thousands. It's…” A moistness welled up in his eyes, and he blinked against the sting of unexpected tears. “It's not like that, you see. It only works if you don't… know them. But the thought of anyone harming Jissy, for any reason… God, Niree, she's so… She and I…”

“I know.” The harshness was gone from Niree's voice. The look on her face was gentle. “Don't get yourself worked up. Nobody's going to harm Jissy.”

“They already have,” he whispered, and sat down, his legs weak. Niree sat beside him. Softly, after a moment's hesitation, she put an arm round him.

“She's become human. That doesn't mean she's been harmed. It just means she's… like us.”

Roshan gazed out over the forest, the treetops stretching before them from the huge branch of the giant tree. Birds flitted above the leaves. The feel of Niree's slender arm was warm, comforting. He lowered his eyes, shaking his head. When Niree spoke, her voice was a soft whisper.

“You can protect her again now.”

* * *

“So, you've got two humans,” Crisis said, lightly, as she slithered between the trees, her senses on alert for potential prey. Jissy sat on her shoulder, as steadily as she could, looking round at the forest sights. Trapped in a human body, she lacked her naga senses. She felt she had lost most of her sense of smell, and the world around her simply did not feel the same. She was not aware of it as much as she should be, no longer atuned to its every detail. Human natural senses were simply not adapted to survival in this environment.

“Just one,” she corrected her. “Just Roshan. He's my…” She paused. “Well, he's pretty much my everything, really. I suppose `friend' about covers it, but not quite. He's more than that.”

“I was thinking of the other one. The woman.” Crisis turned her head a little to glance at her, and smiled.

“Oh, that one.” Jissy shrugged. “That's just a human.”

“She's not your friend?”

“Not really. She happened to be in the same place as me when Katrika caught me.”

Crisis looked surprised. “Why didn't you let Katrika eat her, then?”

Jissy opened her mouth to answer… then stopped, as no obvious reply came to mind. She frowned, thought about it, then eventually shrugged.

“I don't know. Oh, wait, I do. I didn't want it to seem odd. Katrika thought I was human, and a human wouldn't have let her eat another human. I suppose. I don't know, really.”

Crisis giggled. “No, you sound a bit confused,” she agreed. She paused, to sniff the air, and changed direction a little. “Maybe you're keeping her for later.”

“For when I'm back to my own size?”

“Mm-hm.”

“If I ever do get back to my own size.”

“Oh, I'm sure you will,” Crisis said cheerfully. “Things usually work themselves out.” She smiled. “If you decide you don't want to eat her, can I have her?”

“Sure,” Jissy said, with a little shrug, almost without thinking. She was a little distracted by the fact she was actually sitting on Crisis' shoulder, on the lovely naga's warm warm, bare flesh. She had always had something of a crush on Crisis, and she felt pleasantly troubled by her current position. Being this small was scary, yes, but she rather enjoyed riding on her attractive friend. She looked ahead. “Where are we going?”

“You can't smell them?”

She held back a sigh. “No. I've got a human sense of smell now. It's like having a permanently blocked nose.”

Crisis grinned. “Humans. Not far from here. About five or six of them.” She looked at her, and Jissy gazed admiringly into her pretty,… gigantic face. “I'll just go and have breakfast,” Crisis said cheerily, “then we'll find you something nice to eat.”

* * *

Jissy had returned to the tree with a cute little bulge in her tummy, filled with three struggling tomthumbs. She was too small to eat humans, but tinies were now just the right size, and she was developing quite a taste for them.

She had spent much of the day playing games such as pebble draughts with Roshan, Crisis -keen to discover any new games-, Léa, and Niree, who tried to ignore the occasional rumbles from the two predators' stomachs. Roshan was not surprised at Niree's discomfort. The giant, friendly naga lay on her belly in the company of eight humans - five in her stomach, and three outside. It was going to take Niree some getting used to.

Roshan glanced at the dark-haired young woman now and then. She was clearly tense. And she stayed close to him, as though not trusting any of the three women. It was fairly obvious she did not like Léa. But then, Léa was not exactly warming up to her. Perhaps Léa saw her only as future naga-food. At one point, after a lot of fidgeting, Niree stood, walked a few steps away, then returned almost immediately. There was nowhere for her to go. She was safest here - in the company of a giant naga who was digesting other humans. No wonder she looked tense. Roshan talked to her, his tone calm and friendly, doing his best to help her relax. But this was simply not her world. She could not be at ease here.

That evening, Niree kept pretty much to herself, while Roshan spent his time with Jissy. His former protégée ate a couple of squirming neeras -provided by Crisis- for her dinner, then sat beside Roshan at the point where a large branch connected with the massive trunk of the giant tree. Together, they watched the sun set over the forest. Jissy snuggled up close to him, and he put his arm round her. She relaxed into the warm care of his presence. They said very little.

As the sky darkened, they lay down to rest, bathed in the warm night air. Without a word, Jissy lay her head on his chest, draped her arm around him, and cuddled up to him. Roshan smiled, softly. He ran his fingers very gently through her ginger hair.

“We're going to be all right, kid,” he said at last, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Niree. The latter had settled down close by, and seemed to be asleep.

“I know,” Jissy whispered back. She slipped her hand into his, quite naturally, and breathed out a soft, deep sigh. “We can't stay here forever, you know.”

“You mean, here with Crisis?”

She nodded. The motion of her head caressed his chest; her hair tickled his skin. He had taken off his top, wearing only his trousers, while Jissy of course was still naked. Her full breasts pressed against his bare skin. Yet their gentle embrace was one of friendship, trust, mutual caring. There was something beautifully innocent about it, which left a warm glow in his heart. He hugged her gently, holding her close.

“Does Milly know what's happened? Perhaps we could stay with her.”

“With Milly?” She looked up at him, turning her head, and again her soft hair tickled his bare chest. She smiled a little, her face bathed in faint moonlight. “Yes. I suppose we'd be all right there.”

“Of course. We'll be fine.” Roshan smiled reassuringly. He lifted her hand slowly to his lips, and kissed it, looking into her eyes. “And whatever happens, I'll still be here.”

Jissy smiled, gratefully, and exhaled a little sigh. She shifted, making herself more comfortable, and stretched out those strange legs she still could not get used to.

“I'm scared, Roshan,” she admitted in a whisper. “A little bit. I don't like being like this.”

“I know…” Softly, he stroked her forehead, brushing her hair back, and held her worried gaze. “But it'll be all right.”

She smiled, again, as best she could, and nodded. Gently, very softly, she stroked his bare chest, and closed her eyes, snuggling up to him as close as she could. Roshan shifted his arm round her, holding her. She was still holding his hand, and she drifted peacefully into sleep. He watched her, listening to her breathing, as clouds passed lazily before the moon, and the air grew rapidly darker. She was lovely, lovely beyond words, as she lay here in his arms, and his heart swelled with emotion.

“I love you,” he whispered, very softly. “Sleep well, my little Jissy.”

She sighed, sounding content, the warmth of her body pressing against his own. Roshan smiled, and closed his eyes too.

He was asleep within minutes.

* * *

The warmth of the late morning sun bathed Roshan's face, a gentle breeze teasing his hair, and eventually stirred him into the waking world. He opened his eyes, grunting sleepily, and gazed up at the immense branches and leaves stretching high above. He rubbed his eyes, and, with a yawn, sat up.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Jissy's voice was warm, followed by a giggle of amusement. Roshan blinked, then stared at her as his mind caught up with what he was seeing.

Partly curled up on the gigantic branch, resting her chin on her hands, and smiling at him broadly, Jissy was back to her own size - a naga once more. Surprise soon gave way to a look of joy on Roshan's face, and they grinned at each other. He got to his feet… a little too quickly, his limbs numb from sleep. Gently, Jissy reached out and steadied him with her fingers. He leaned into her giant hand, gazing into her happy face.

“How…?” he asked.

“If you didn't sleep in all the time, you'd have seen it all.” She grinned. “I was woken by Ajab and Temi. They fixed me.” The delighted grin seemed fixed to her face. “I don't know how, but… They put their heads together, Ajab made me drink something, Temi used some sort of magic… and here I am.” She ran her free hand over her tail, clearly overjoyed at having it back. It looked just as it always had done.

“Oh… Jissy!” Roshan's grin rivalled hers. As best he could, he hugged her hand. “I'm really happy! It must be a huge relief.”

“Yep,” she beamed at him. “I just hope I stay this way now.”

“No reason for you not to.” He smiled. His eyes were shining, gently. He had rarely felt so happy for her. He looked round. “It must have been a bit of a shock for Niree… Seeing you so big all of a sudden. You'll have to try not to scare her.”

“Oh… That's not a problem,” she told him casually. “I let Crisis eat her.”

Roshan's smile froze, instantly, and vanished. He stared at her, shocked.

“You didn't. Tell me you didn't.” She gazed back at him with mild, puzzled concern. His face turned pale. “Oh my god, you did.”

“Well…” Jissy shrugged. She seemed a little embarassed, as though she had not expected him to react this way. “I would have eaten her myself, but… I don't know, it didn't feel right, somehow. So I let Crisis have her.” She gave an awkward smile. “Don't look at me like that, Roshan. You've gone all pale.”

“You let Crisis… eat her,” he repeated, in a stunned whisper. His legs felt suddenly weak, and he sat down, clumsily. “My god, Jissy… I didn't think you would.”

“Well, what?” The girl he cared about so deeply looked genuinely confused, and a little hurt. “She was only a human. Crisis was hungry, it was time for a morning snack…”

“Stop it,” Roshan whispered, stricken. “She…” He felt himself trembling. “She actually has eaten her?”

“Yes…” Jissy lay down, flat on her belly, to bring her face closer to his level. She gazed at him with deep-felt concern. “You're upset. I'm sorry! I didn't… I didn't think you'd mind.”

“Not mind?” Roshan repeated, in a small voice.

“You never seem to mind. When I eat humans.” She shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “I didn't realise she was special.”

“Oh…” A bare whisper. At that moment, he could think of nothing else to say.

“Oh, Roshan, I'm really sorry!” Jissy picked him up, gently, straightened up, and brought him closer to her face. Her kind, deep blue eyes shimmered with emotion. “I just didn't know you cared about her.” He shook his head, a little dazed, and she went on: “I'll make it up to you. I don't know how, but I will. Did you care about her a lot? I didn't… I didn't think. I'm really, really, really sorry! I'll… I'll find you another one!”

He reacted at that, as though pricked, his head snapping up to stare at her.

“What?” he said, sharply.

Jissy blushed. She realised that had been the wrong thing to say. In her haste to apologise, she had spoken without thinking.

“No, I mean…” she babbled. “I know, she was… irreplacable… right? Is that it? I'm…” She cringed, and trailed off. “I'm sorry,” she said again, with a sigh.

Roshan groaned, and rubbed at the stubble on his cheek. Jissy was so desperate to apologise, he found it almost impossible to be angry. And he did not want to spoil her happiness at having her own body back. He sighed, in turn, and shook his head.

“Is Crisis still here?”

“She should be.” At least that was a question she could answer without saying something wrong. She jumped at the opportunity to fix things up… as best she could. “Unless she's just gone hunting now.”

“Right.” Roshan gave his beloved friend a hard look. “Take me down. Out of the tree.”

“No problem,” she said hastily, and began to make her way down, carrying him in her hand.

“How long ago did it happen?”

“Well, just…” Jissy gave him a look of surprise. “Oh, of course, you were asleep! It was just a moment ago. Just a few minutes before you woke up.” She smiled, a little shyly. “I've only had my body back for a few minutes. I came straight to you, so you'd see me when you woke up.”

Roshan stared at her, again. A mix of feelings -surprise, cold anxiety, a flash of hope- filled him all at once.

“You mean…” He stopped. “Take me to Crisis, now!”

* * *

They found Crisis resting at the foot of the giant tree, a hand on her tummy as it produced wet gurgling sounds, beginning to digest Niree. The giant blond naga was a little perplexed when a contrite Jissy asked her to throw up her latest snack, but it seemed to be important to the ginger-haired naga, so she heaved the human back out with a retching, squelching sound. Freed from Crisis' stomach, placed on the ground, Niree teetered, tripped over her own, shaking legs, and collapsed, crying with mixed shock and relief. Her clothes were a mess, but the acid burns on her skin were still minor. Roshan hurried to kneel beside her. She was shivering hard, breathing with difficulty, but very much alive.

Behind him, he heard Crisis whisper to Jissy, confused: “I thought you said she was just a human?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, and exhaled a deep, shuddering sigh of relief.

Temi and Ajab were able to heal the young woman's burns, and, as soon as she was able to walk, Roshan led her out of sight of the predators. He sat her down at the foot of a tree, and sat beside her. She leaned into him, much as Jissy had the previous evening, and shivered. For a while, neither of them spoke.

“I'm sorry,” he said at last, simply.

“You…s-s…” Her voice was trembling, broken by gasps of painful breath.

“Stupid?” he suggested, gently. “Yes, I was.”

“…s-saved my life,” she stammered, and burst into tears, burying her face against his chest. “I thought I was dead…” she cried, barely audible. He put his arms round her, and winced with discomfort.

“It was my fault. I should have made it clear to Jissy that you weren't for eating. Somehow, I… I just assumed she'd realise. That she wouldn't want you to be hurt.” He grimaced, gripped by a deep sense of guilt. “Sometimes, I forget that she's really a naga.” He spoke the words with difficulty. He felt equally bad at not having prevented this, and at admitting Jissy's nature now. “Maybe I humanise her too much.”

Niree did not reply. She held on to him, crying hard, her entire body shaking with sobs, and he held her to him, soothing her softly.

“We'll get you to Negav,” he promised, in a whisper. “It's no place for you here.”

It was the place for him, though, he thought sombrely. By Jissy's side. The only place for him.

He was not like Niree. And he was not like Jissy. Yet he felt drawn to both, in different ways. Not so much because they were attractive women, as because they represented the two sides of his world. He was a human, of Felarya. He loved a naga, more than he would ever love any human. He looked up, his expression grave, and saw Jissy looking at him, from the shadow of the trees.

He smiled at her, faintly, and she smiled back, an awkward smile of mixed embarassment and relief. His smile told her that he was not angry. He loved her, still - a feeling stronger than anything. His heart beat with a warm, deep sense of caring, as he looked at her, even now. My Jissy… He adored her. He always would.

As he comforted Niree, sobbing in his arms, his gaze met Jissy's, and held it, for a long while. The deep, intense blue of her eyes reflected the guilt in his own, along with feelings that, to some extent, remained indecipherable.

She smiled, quietly, and slithered back into the shadows. Niree, who had not seen her, sniffled, whimpering. Roshan held her close.

“It's going to be all right,” he whispered, and let the words hang for a while in the warm forest air.

THE END