Sunlight rippled gently through the deep green leaves of the Felaryan forest, seeping through the canopy in peaceful rays to cast clear blotches on the ground and undergrowth. Birds chirruped somewhere in the distance. A summer breeze rustled through the high branches, warm air caressing the bare skin of the being who slithered over damp earth; it had recently been raining. The scene was, at first glance, serene - deceptively so. You could appreciate the majestic, ancient yet living beauty of su

STORY 11 - part 1



The dark-haired man, blue eyes wide, ill-shaven after too many days spent wandering through a lethal jungle, screamed and thrashed desperately as he slid, soaked with saliva, into Crisis' warm and eager gullet. Her throat muscles pulled him in, gulping him down, a tasty morsel of food like so many others who had gone before. The man continued to scream and struggle as he plummetted down the naga's oesophagus, trying desperately to grab on to the hot, moist, pulsating sur

STORY 11 - part 2



“I'm home!” The sky had turned dark by the time Milly returned, and the sounds of the jungle at night, haunting, had seeped into the large hut, maintaining the humans' fear on a constant high. The strange hooting of unseen birds, unhuman laughter echoing from the distance, and hints of faraway screams kept them on edge. Only sheer tiredness helped to erode a little of their terror… until Milly walked in, and their fear escalated once more.


The gia

Story 12


“Ley'ies and gernts, wilcome ta Felarya Express, flight oh-thirteen. Please strep y'silves in, n'prepayure f'tekoff.”


Pal Sebrit's unique accent, accompanying his gruff but friendly voice, filled the large passenger area of the blocky, dull grey but inwardly comfortable tee-tee-seven model zippo express worldskimmer, as the ugly but fast vessel was officially known. Thirty-nine daring passengers dutifully buckled their seatbelts, in a chorus of clicks, strapping th

Felaryan flashes

Breakfast - Vuni's story


The clouds of thunder rumbled ominously high up in the dark skies above the jungles of Felarya, a sure sign of an imminent storm. It was a hot night, moist, almost sweltering, and very dark. Creatures small and large, sentient or driven primarily by instinct, scrambled for cover - or, if they happened to prefer the wet, looked up into the thick grey clouds and awaited a downpour. In the Jewel River, a young mermaid emerged from the water, took a pe

STORY 16



Many years ago…


A light rain pattered through the canopy of the Felaryan jungle's tall trees, dripping off thick green leaves towards the damp ground far below. From beneath a pile of autumn leaves, stacked against the trunk of a fallen tree, a slug girl emerged cautiously, and slithered out in search of food for her children. Nearby, in a small clearing, a giant naga curled her tail protectively round her eggs, rearranging a cover of large leaves to shield them from

Story 18



Seven months ago…


“And so, ladies and gentlemen, the sedimentary botanical and geological evidence clearly points to the presence of water in the Aguamar Plains no later than four million years ago, the river probably having dried up three point eight million years ago. With this established, we'll be considering a further expedition to locate conclusive signs of a dried riverbed, and hopefully even the source of the river.”


Professor Raina Sangh's vo

Lost in Felarya


Chapter One: Destination



She ran.


She ran faster than she could ever remember running before. Her partly torn skirt caught on brambles, holding her back, and she lurched on desperately, legs and heart pumping in a blind rush. That which pursued her was the stuff of nightmares. She did not ordinarily have bad dreams, but this place was like a constant, horrible dream leaked into the waking world. And if she did not get away, she knew exactly what it would do to her

Lost in Felarya


Chapter Two: On the run



Previously, on Lost in Felarya:


= = = = =

“Ah, mais c'est pas vrai!” He sounded tense, a little stressed. His voice bore a thick African accent. He was a tall man, dark-skinned, broad shouldered, perhaps very slightly overweight. Although Gwynn could not see his face, his surprisingly soft voice belied his heavy build. Looking down quickly at his brownish passport as he picked it up, she saw the words `R�publique du Congo'.

Lost in Felarya


Chapter Three: A land unknown



Previously, on Lost in Felarya:


= = = = =

A murmur roiled through the crowd.


“Well, where were we just before the crash?” the woman asked impatiently. “Surely you know that.”


“Yes.” The man's calm sounded strangely artificial. “We were above open water. No land in sight.”


Another murmur, a loud one, passing among the survivors. Majed frowned, trying to puzzle out the impo

Lost in Felarya


Chapter Four: On a mission



Previously, on Lost in Felarya:


= = = = =

From up ahead came the pilot's voice.


“All right, everyone. We stop here, for now. You can stop and rest. When you are all ready, we will be crossing the river.”


“Crossing it how?” That came from Cin, the pretty American girl with the cinnamon hair, standing beside Oscar.


“I suppose we can build a bridge,” another woman said. An Asian lady in he

Story 20



Ethil saDares loTavan -Ethil of the Dares family and Tavan clan, in the Mukuen tribe- felt simultaneously nervous and excited. Excited, because he was about to accompany a clan elder out onto the lake for the first time. Nervous, for exactly the same reason.


The Mukuen were tomthumbs, tiny humanoid beings just three inches tall on average. Tomthumbs were scattered throughout Felarya, and had developed a variety of cultures and ways of life; the Mukuen happened to live on the

Milly

race�: giantess

home area : north-west of Ur-Sagol, south-east of Felarya's main beach

appearance : from the first story in which she appears: “The gigantic woman looked entirely human -in her late twenties, perhaps-, from her thick, glossy, long dark hair all the way down to her bare toes. Her smooth skin was the colour of milky coffee, her build slender, slim and healthy, barely concealed by light clothing […]. She had a pretty smile, and there was little doubt the men

Felaryan flashes


At the bottom of the food chain - Tina and Joanna's story



It had been raining that night in Felarya, a heavy downpour which had kept most of the forest's residents sheltering as best they could. Beings who relied on their sense of sight, smell or hearing to avoid predators knew better then to venture out into the rain, where all their senses would be dampened, and where the wet ground would slow their escape. The rain also hampered the predators themselves, making it

STORY 23 - part 1



The Felarya Museum in Arlinic had opened half an hour earlier, and early morning visitors were strolling through its exhibit rooms, commenting amongst themselves on the rare treasures and curious artifacts, looking suitably impressed. Dazzled as they were by exquisitely carved, fine metal helmets and cups of sparkling stone, they paid little or no attention to a young woman crossing the rooms with barely a glance at these wonders. Fairly tall, her neat blond hair cut sho

Story 24



Tina, the slender tomthumb, her short-cut, ruffled blond hair giving her feminine features a slightly tomboyish appearance, walked towards Milly's cabin with a slight spring in her step. She had a smallish bag filled with herbs slung over her shoulder. She had been humming to herself cheerfully, but had stopped when she noticed a human standing just outside the immense door to the giantess' simple wooden home.


Her curiosity piqued, the tiny woman began walking towards him. T

Lost in Felarya


Chapter Five: The leader



Previously, on Lost in Felarya:


= = = = =

Rajan Dyab -once pilot for an international airline, now entrusted with the survival of his plane's passenger and crew survivors- stood on what might once have been a stone stage, in what might have been a theatre. […]


“Ladies, gentlemen.” Rarely had he had to speak so much English. He decided it was good practice. “Yes, I know, we are in… how you say? Situatio

Lost in Felarya


Chapter Six: Irr�parable



Previously, on Lost in Felarya:


= = = = =

[Gwynn] turned her head, the cushion slipping as she did so, and looked at the young man in the seat beside hers. He was young -in his early twenties, she guessed-, and not unattractive, with fairly pale skin, very dark hair, and reasonably handsome, clean-shaven features. He looked French, she thought. […] Unlike her, he had managed to sleep, although she was not certain it was doing him m

STORY 25



“Come on, open up. Open that lovely mouth.”


Tishayee giggled, and opened her mouth with a playful `Aaaaah…', leaning back against the tree and looking up into her boyfriend's face. She was a young neko, slender and pretty, her light clothing matching the colours of the forest, and contrasting with her short, purple hair, ears and tail. Her blue eyes were tinged with a hint of violet, warm and shining with happiness. Larin, her boyfriend, smiled at her lovi

STORY 26



The glow of a bright morning bathed the trees of Bulvon Wood, drawing some of its bolder creatures into the open to sunbathe. The sunlight filtered between the outer roots of a large tree, down into the burrow of a young sluggirl. She was awake, her senses alert to the outside world, and in no hurry to venture out of her hiding. She was a pretty young lady, with a slender, feminine figure, and a delicate, attractive face, bright with the energy of her youth. Her blond hair was ra

STORY 27



Faren Garic had never wished to be a soldier. But then, he had had little choice. Conscription was compulsory in Tshurad, and he had been enrolled for military service upon attaining adulthood. It had been just his bad luck to be posted on a remote, wild and untamed world, known to locals as Felarya. Tshuradian soldiers, however, had soon nicknamed it mo Aqued Sharmim - the Hungry World.


Tshurad's involvment on Felarya remained limited. There was no permanent Tshuradian base

Lost in Felarya


Chapter Seven: The price of a story



Previously, on Lost in Felarya:


= = = = =

“You bitches!” one of the men in Milly's right hand, beside Gwynn, screamed. “You're monsters!”


“Now, now,” Milly chided, looking just slightly hurt. “There's no need to be rude. It's not nice. We're not rude to you, are we?”


“You're eating us!” Gwynn pointed out, incredulous. “That's worse than rude!”

STORY 28



Tan adjusted his grip on the wooden scaffolding, and helped ease a long tube of carved shranja carefully into place. Further along this level of the scaffolding, one of his fellow builders gave him the thumbs up, and he smiled. The lianno was shaping up quite nicely. It would be another success - a source of pride for the entire community, albeit ephemeral.


Tan was a tomthumb, of the Alsumi tribe. Just seven centimetres tall, he had very dark hair, kept fairly short, a fit,

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, t

Beauty of the snow - Yshwi's story


Frost Peak. Far from the warm, verdant jungle teeming with life, the mountain towered into the cold, upper reaches of the skies, inhospitable and forbidding. The hot, gentle breeze which whispered through the leaves of the forest gave way, up in the mountain, to an icy gale, sweeping the frozen, rocky ground with a permanent roar, whipping round the snow which fell, uninterrupted, from the cold blue sky. Close to the summit, no plants grew. Nothing could wi

STORY 31



Milly's bare feet padded soundlessly over the damp forest ground, as she made her way between the trees towards a familiar destination. She had left her hut as soon as the rain had stopped. It was only a short walk, and she hoped it would help her clear her mind. Her lovely young face was troubled, her brown eyes reflecting the worry which weighed upon her mind. She had talked to Tina, several times over the past few days, but she felt a fresh perspective would help.


She ha

Lost in Felarya


Chapter Eight: The sorcerer's way



Previously, on Lost in Felarya:


= = = = =

There was a commotion close by, interrupting them. Shouts, from amidst the crowd. A voice, yelling, in a language Majed did not understand. Other voices, yelling back. He exchanged a glance with Laila, motioned for her to stay where she was, with the old man, then ran towards the scene of the shouting. He pushed through the crowd. In its centre, a clearing had been formed, in which a wild

Lost in Felarya


Chapter Nine: The real world



Previously, on Lost in Felarya:


= = = = =

Majed […] mulled it over for a while.


“I wonder if he's married,” he said at last. “Or a widower. And why he was travelling at all, at his age.”


“I don't think he's married.” Laila smiled. “But you are. Why weren't you travelling with your wife?” Majed looked at her, sharply, startled. Her eyes widened a little at the expression

STORY 33



It was still dark. The soft, pastel glow of dawn was spreading smoothly over the forest, dispelling the faint chill which lingered on from the night. A hint of that glow crept into a burrow nestled between the roots of a thick tree, and Vuni, resting on the earth within, watched the faint light bathe the faces of her loved ones. Beside her, Tiasha lay on her side, facing her, fast asleep. Her long, ginger hair fell atumble over her soft, lovely face; her gentle lips were parted,

STORY 34



The little dridder scuttled over the worn paving stones of the empty street, between the crumbling ruins of long-abandoned buildings. The fresh scent of running water drifted on the faintest of breezes, and as she turned into a sidestreet of the dead city, the river came into view. She paused, cautiously, testing the way ahead with her senses. She felt no immediate threat, and, reassured, hurried forward, chitinous legs clicking on the uneven stone.


Although she was a giant d

STORY 35



Milly was not a happy giantess. Not at that particular moment, anyway. Kneeling behind a clump of large, tall bushes, she gazed longingly at what might have been her breakfast.


It was early morning still, the dew on the tall, green grass evaporating in a thin haze as the sun's warmth gradually permeated the forest ground, and caressed her cheeks. It brought her little comfort. Her stomach ached with hunger, and that ache glinted dangerously in her dark brown eyes, fixed on t

STORY 37



It was dark. Completely dark. And hot, the temperature rising rapidly around him, sweat beading on his forehead. He wiped at it with a damp hand. The ground was damp, too, warm and squishy flesh, as was the wall he leaned into, shivering in the dark. From time to time, he heard groans and growls, echoing up from deeper within the naga's digestive system. From her intestine, which would be the next stage of his journey. And, always, the steady thump-thump, thump-thump of her heart

STORY 33 - part 2



Previously


“This place…” Vuni hesitated. She was almost afraid to ask. But if she was ever to get home, she needed to know. She looked into Bajen's brown eyes, anxious. “Where am I?”


“This?” He swept his arm round, and she nodded. “Oh, this is Okhlee. It's quite a small village, but-”


“No, I mean… I mean, more generally,” she pressed. “What… Well, what world is this?&rdquo

STORY 33 - part 3



Vuni was woken at dawn by a gentle shaking of her shoulder. Her eyes opened instantly, and in the half-light she looked up into Bajen's face. For a brief moment, she was disoriented, unfamiliar sights and scents flooding her senses, then she remembered where she was. The comfort of sleep fled her, the harsh reality of her situation reimposing itself on her conscious mind.


“Good morning,” Bajen greeted her in a whisper. “If you still want to help in

STORY 39



The early morning sun shone bright through a thin layer of clouds drifting idly in the skies of Felarya. Herded by a gentle wind towards the distant moutains, they sprinkled a light drizzle of rain over the lush, verdant forest. Droplets splattered on the ground, and were soaked into the earth, moistening it. That moisture was then sucked in thirtstily by plants and trees of unimaginably varied sizes. Trickling into cupped leaves close to ground level, the rain also quenched the

STORY 41



The young neko swung herself gracefully down from one branch of the tree onto a lower, thicker one. She crouched, her senses alert, sniffing the fresh midday air. It was a cooler day than usual, but not cold, and the pleasant caress of the sun warmed her face. Her striking, greenish yellow eyes swept slowly over the underbrush some distance below, seeking movement. She pushed back a strand of her mid-length hair which had partly covered her left eye. She was rather proud of her h

STORY 42



Selima woke up dead.


Not that she immediately realised, of course. She knew she was awake, but she did not know she was dead.


She was feeling lightheaded, a little disoriented. She could see the sunlight pouring through the canopy of the trees, forming patterns of light and shadow on the grassy forest ground. And yet she experienced a strange chill, as though the sun's warmth were illusory, or a cool, strong breeze were negating its effects. But no breeze seemed to touch

STORY 43



The bright, blazing afternoon sun cast its glow through the haze of permanent industrial smog, a thin blur weighing on the air. Outside the city, perhaps, were lush fields of dazzling flowers, soaking in the sun, unburdened by the haze. Just like he had seen in that discarded child's book he had found once in a broken-down trash remover. But `outside the city' was a long way away, if it even existed. His own world did not extend beyond the smog.


The eight year-old human boy

STORY 44


Tan whistled a low, cheerful tune to himself as walked down one of the numerous passageways criss-crossing the the Alsumi tribe's vast underground home. Well, vast from a tomthumb's perspective in any case. Tan stood just seven centimetres tall, a little above average for his people.


The passageway had been dug into the earth generations ago, and strengthened with wooden panelling, which they regularly renovated. This particular one led away from some of the communal areas where

STORY 45



It was snowing over Ur-Sagol.


That in itself was an unusual occurrence. The dead city's climate was far too warm, and steady throughout the year, to allow for freezing or snow. These happened much further south, on the frigid slopes of mountains untravelled by most of Ur-Sagol's residents. The snow was, in fact, not a natural event. Far above ground, the dark sky blanketing the ruins, swirling with thick snowflakes, had appeared quite suddenly, drawn into Felarya from an ent

STORY 33 - part 4



Previously


The first rays of the sun found the little slug girl lying stretched out over her comfortable bed covers, on a carpeted stone floor, hugging a pillow to her face, while Bajen slept snugly in a bed nearby. The sun's rays did not wake her, however; nor did the massive door, when it opened without a creak. The silent breathing of their quiet visitor did not rouse her. She woke only, with a start, when her sensitive nose picked up the scent of danger.A giant pr

STORY 47



“High up in the drakewillow tree…” Tayene chanted in a pleasant hum, sitting on a branch and reaching for the fruit attached to a higher one. Stradled further along the same branch, Isham smiled, picking another dragonapple himself. Tayene looked over at him.


“What are you smiling about?” she asked with a little laugh. “Is my singing that bad?”


“On the contrary.” Isham's smile broadened. “It's very melodiou

STORY 48 - part 1



The hot sun pounded down on Tolmeshal forest, its light and warmth nourishing countless forms of plantlife in the thick, verdant jungle. Green leaves of all shades and sizes turned to the bright, cloudless sky and soaked in nature's nourishment. Close to the ground, the air was humid, the heat building up steadily. It was not yet uncomfortable, but as midday edged into early afternoon, many of the jungle's denizens began to consider the merits of a post-prandial nap in on

STORY 48 - part 2



Two days had passed since Milly's decision had been announced to the tribe, and the discussion had been muted to some extent. He still felt occasional eyes glaring into his beck, when he walked down passageways or worked in the communal fields. He knew not everyone was going to accept Calina's continued presence so close to their home. It was a natural, perhaps even healthy fear. They did not know her, nor did they want to. They knew only what she could do. And what she

STORY 50


Joanna Milder did not know she was tiny. Smallness was a relative concept, and the entire world of which she was aware seemed fitted to her size. `Tall' meant the slender, twenty-five centimetre-high trees which lined the street close to her parents' home. `High' meant the opaque dome which covered her world, up above. There was, after all, nothing higher.


Nor was she aware of being food. She had no predators, in this enclosed environment which seemed quite natural to her. The

Felarya Park


The slug girl had no name. At least, none that she was aware of. She had probably been given one by her mother, many years ago, but she was not aware of having had a mother. She was about as far from her birthplace as it was possible to be, but she was not aware of that, either. Her own origins were not something she had been encouraged to think about.For that matter, she had not been encouraged to think about anything.Which was a shame, really, because she possessed a certain n

Ghern Marresh strolled idly down the wide pathway between the cages of the park. Although he had been hearing about it for a while, this was his first visit, and he found himself more impressed than he had expected to be. He could only imagine the amount of time and effort which had gone into its construction. The world these creatures had come from was shrounded in sinister mystery, which served to titillate the park's visitors. Large signs beside the cages informed them that these giant, hybri

Story 52


214 years ago



Morning rose, slowly, over the vast plains known as the Mist Ocean. The name was both misleading and strangely accurate. The area was not an ocean, although the air was saturated with damp, which seeped into the ground, and the roar which filled the air evoked the crashing of unseen, nonexistent waves. The ground was solid, for the most part, and fertile, covered in a vast expanse of gigantic grasses, rippling green blades towering over two metres tall. To a hu

STORY 53



The struggle for land between the ruins of Ur-Sagol and the vast surrounding jungle was, very slowly, being won by the jungle. Grasses and bushes and small trees had, over the centuries, sunk their roots deeper and deeper into the wrecked urban landscape, sprouting in the cracks between cobblestones, pushing at the stone walls, creeping into long-abandoned houses. But giant trees had seemed reluctant to advance into the realm left vacant by humans - to spread their seed into this