Trisha
I don’t know what to think. A mushroom that can make me the same size as a fairy? Does such a thing exist this deep in the woods?
“Why is the garden out here?” I ask. “And not inside the magic barrier?”
“Wait until you see it,” is all Selvanar says as we trek through the trees.
Before long, though, I understand what he means. Up ahead there’s a meadow, and in it, a wild, overflowing garden. It’s brilliant, beautiful, incredible. A little burbling creek runs alongside the garden, and it is possibly the most pristine place I’ve ever seen.
When I approach, Selvanar guides me toward a pathway that is otherwise hidden by the overflowing plants. I’m much too large for the path, though, so I still run into things. I apologize to every plant I bump into as I go by.
Then we reach a tree stump, and on it are growing dozens of tiny brown mushrooms. They don’t look remarkable to me except for the white spots, but Selvanar holds up a hand to stop me when we reach them.
“Here they are,” he says. “They taste terrible, but they will work.”
“How do you know? Is this something you do often, turning people into fairies?”
Selvanar snorts. “We have no interest in humans visiting us. These mushrooms do not have the same effect on fairies. It’s mere nutrition for us.”
Hmm. I guess I can accept that.
Bending down, I pick a mushroom and then clean off the surface in the creek. Once it looks clean of debris, I hold it up to my lips.
“Just eat the whole thing?” I ask uncertainly.
Selvanar crosses his arms. “The whole thing.”
Sighing, I open my mouth and bite down. The mushroom tastes absolutely terrible, like wet dirt and sweaty feet mixed together with a spongy texture.
It’s the worst food I’ve ever eaten, and yet I take another bite, then a third, until the whole little mushroom is gone and I feel like I might throw it back up.
I stand straight, trying to keep my roiling stomach down, and pick up the purse. But nothing happens.
“How long does it take?” I ask.
“Your body must begin to digest it. We ought to hurry now to the barrier.”
Right. I grab the purse and hustle back the way we came. When we’ve returned to our original spot, I notice that my foot feels… strange. When I look down, I find it’s simply vanished inside my shoe.
“Oh my god!” I reach down, panicking. “Where’s my foot?!”
Before I can get far, though, my hand vanishes. Wait—no, it’s not gone. It’s just… very small.
“Why is only my hand small?” I wail.
“Trisha!” Selvanar calls out from inside the purse on the forest floor. “This is normal. Just wait.”
I try not to panic as the ground rushes up to me. I scream, but I don’t fall forward in the dirt.
No, I’m just much closer to it now. But I’m stuck in something and can’t move.
That’s when I realize I’m tangled up in a massive shirt—my shirt—and I’m completely naked.
“Ahh!” I cover myself, though Selvanar has already seen me without clothes in the shower before. “My clothes didn’t shrink, too?”
He cocks his head. “Why would they? Only your natural body responds to the mushroom.”
I approach him where he sits inside my purse. It’s much farther to go than it would be were I full sized, but when I get there…
Wow. Even covered in hives, Selvanar is beautiful. I can get a closer look at him now, and he grins and holds out a hand.
“Welcome to my world,” he says.
I help him climb out of the purse, and he leans against me so I can help him walk. He’s much, much heavier now than he was before, that’s for sure.
Around us, the air shimmers. It feels like I’m trying to pass through a wall of milk. I gasp, freezing in place.
“Keep going,” Selvanar whispers to me, and I remember that he’s there and this is probably normal. So I keep on through the thick air, until at last, we emerge on the other side.
And what I see takes me utterly by surprise.
It’s so bright, vibrant green and neon blue and even some neon pink thrown in for good measure.
The colors are all cast by glowing mushrooms, which light up the path.
This appears to be merely the ground trail, while all the activity is happening on the platforms up above.
There are fairies everywhere. They bustle about on their dragonfly wings, flitting from one platform up in the trees to the next, stopping occasionally in the air to chat.
Vines hang from the platforms, covered in lovely purple, pink, and white flowers.
I’ve never seen anything like it—not on Earth, at least.
“Is this an alien planet?” I whisper to Selvanar.
He chuckles weakly. “No. We have merely created something else here, inside the barrier. Everything in the hive has magic in it.”
I keep that in mind as we wade deeper. At last, someone notices us walking along the forest floor, and eagerly comes buzzing down. This fairy, too, is naked, with big, bountiful breasts, broad hips, and pink-hued skin. It has the same metallic sheen as Selvanar’s.
“My king!” the fairy says as she lands in front of us. “What has happened to you, Your Majesty?” She looks me over, expression suspicious. “And who is this?”
Selvanar tugs me closer. “This is Trisha. She was the one who brought me home. I need to see Calda right away.”
The fairy takes in Selvanar’s state, his skin angry and red, and nods before flitting off. In the meantime, other fairies have taken notice of us and start touching down all around. They come in a wide variety of colors, all with that same glittery sheen.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?” one asks.
“Oh my, who is that with the king? Is that a human?” another says.
I want to cover my face and hide, and I do my best to keep one hand over my breasts, but I know I’m not doing much to hide my nakedness. Besides, I am literally surrounded by other naked fairies.
The pink fairy from before returns not long after with two others, who appear to be carrying a stretcher made of leaves and twigs. Paying me no mind, other fairies gather around to help lift Selvanar off his feet and lay him on the stretcher.
Then, they rise off the ground, all their wings flapping at once.
“Selvanar?” I call out, watching him leave me. “Where are they taking you?”
“To see the healer.” He beckons someone closer. “Bring her, too. I want her with me.”
The fairy he’s just commanded, a big one with bright orange skin, approaches me. I squeal as he picks me up off my feet, and then jumps into the air, carrying me after Selvanar’s stretcher and into the sky.