Ryan awoke gently.  The first thing his sleepy brain noticed was how the cough had mysteriously stopped, the mere memory of it sending shivers through his spine.  His skin felt warm rushes of air pervading his body that smelt sweet with a fragrance of wine.  The feeling was good and soft.  He then felt the unstable surface on which he stood curled up in foetal position.  It was odd, warm, soft and firm at once; like nothing he had ever encountered.  He felt a hole behind his back and the mattress was pitching now and then.  “Could it be a boat? “

Just as he realized his whole body was naked and questioned where such a strong odour of wine could come from and envelop him entirely, he opened his eyes.  He was astounded when he saw the two massive trunks half as large as he was long that were supporting him.  He was lying between them, half of his body resting on some flabby material connecting the trunks to their bases.  He emitted a horrified hiccup when his eyes turned left and met an immense hole.  The void stretched to what seemed like a hundred meters to the ground.  “Wait...this is the paved stone of the temple? What on earth is happening to me?” All those thoughts and many others rushed into his quickly spinning mind.  He started squirming to reverse the position of his body.   

All of a sudden, a brutal whiff of wine-scenting air assaulted his nostrils.  At the same time, his head almost exploded as his ears picked up a tremendous resounding signal.  He put his hands over them in a panicked, frantic movement and recognized, albeit loudly, what most likely resembled a soft feminine laughter.  His whole body trembling, he shifted position and faced the skies on his knees.  What he then saw would be forever engraved in his memory.

Two massive roller coasters of ebony smooth hair pointed towards him in two gracefully curled locks remembering huge haystacks seen from the front.  Between them stood the largest human face Ryan had ever seen.  Fierce, huge and beautiful was that feminine visage with its freckles spread widely and cutely on angular cheeks around two massive blue eyeballs that looked slyly at his tiny body. The woman was no other than Salierna herself and he was sitting in the palm of her hand, near her middle and ring fingers.

-You are finally awoken, puny one.  I was beginning to entertain the possibility of blowing and sending you flying to those stars you seek so much.  I hope you aren’t too cozy in here, because I might have much better for you in reserve.  Are you even listening to me, “Seeker of Stars”?

She emphasized those last words with a sarcastic tone.  That pulled Ryan out of his musings, so dumbfounded he was at all that new surreal environment.  His poor tiny ears had accustomed to the powerful waves of sound violating them.

-How...Why... What happened? Salierna, how is that you are so gigantic, or am I small? What happened? How is it even possible? What happened?

The words escaped his lips at great speed and were barely audible to the imposing woman figure up above.  He felt himself rising up at astounding celerity as she lifted her hand.  He was humbled by how such a simple movement of her was capable of causing such tremor in his tiny world.   

-Not so important anymore are you, am I right?

-What are you talking about? Why aren’t you answering me? Where are we precisely, how did you find me, what happened to me by the five abysses!

-Oh...harsh words now.  Impressive how fright can change people...especially when they are doomed.

-Doomed? What!? Please speak and make sense, Salierna! By the moon will I wake up from this dream any soon?

-You are not dreaming, my cute little priest.  You have been cursed by one of the most dreaded invocations of the old times. 

-But how, by who...and why?

-Questions...questions...

She lifted him at around two inches from her mouth which was a little less than four meters to Ryan’s diminished world.  Her massive lips were of crimson colour and he could see all the tiny details of its surface impossible to perceive at normal height.  It was no time to remember his anatomy classes though as a horrid idea came to his already highly solicited mind: those gargantuan lips were actually more than large enough to accommodate his whole body and engulf its light mass as if it were a tiny appetizer.

-Why are you staring at my mouth with such concern, cutie.  I am not going to eat you up, although you do seem like a tasty little treat. 

She winked at him and smirked widely.  Ryan was impressed at how malleable those huge red tools were, how simple their mechanics were to the titanic girl.  A tiny part of her body that dwarfed him like that was intimidating to say the least.  However he spoke confidently.

-I am not sure to appreciate the tone you are using with me, Salierna.  I feel like you are underestimating the predicament in which I currently am and I am beginning to consider that you are somehow linked to it.

-A wise and acute deduction, cutie.  Even at a microscopic size your brain is still amazing!

Her lips met together.  Ryan was still unused to those powerful abrupt movements.  She blew in his direction: powerful gusts of air menaced to make him tumble and fall in the large crevices between her trunk-like fingers.  She wore a satisfied smile.

-My body is not your property, woman.  You should better remember your place in this cult before angering the over father and I. 

-I am afraid none of both is in a position to stop me.  One being oblivious to this little drama and the other...well...

-So what do you expect from me, defiler?

-You will learn respect, bug!

She tightened her grip around his waist.  The pain was unbearable.  A terrified yelp exited his tortured chest as she nearly crushed him to paste.  Tears were flowing out of her eyes.

-You and your unstoppable success...you shadow everyone and dare to steal what isn’t yours!

-My personality and my skills are but a gift from the moon to serve us all and bring us to higher states of consciousness!  What have I stolen!?

-Here you go again with your senseless hypocritical babblings! You have stolen the dearest thing to me and that I will never forget nor forgive!

-What...what did I steal exactly...You have authority and respect over all the vestals and...

Her wet eyes met his own in an almost surreal slowness.

-Evelyn.

She instinctively relaxed the muscles of her forearm as the girl’s name was uttered.  Her huge magnificent visage tumbled near her opened palm, sending a short rain of oversized tears on her tiny guest.  The skin of the hand quickly got slippery and Ryan had to use all his agility to remain still and avoid a fatal fall.

-Yes...I loved her, love her and always will.

-I...never meant to offend anybody in any way whatsoever...I...I am wordless.

-It is too late...

-What do you mean?

-Arthurus told me there was no remedy to this curse.  I...I’m sorry.

- You can’t be serious...And you were in league with him? I always thought we admired each other genuinely.

-Forever young, forever naive. Do I seem ironic anymore? No...Ryan...Your affliction has only begun.  I have come to make a deal with you.  There exists a way to reverse the curse although the means are far beyond the powers and components of this temple.

-If there is a way, you must tell me!

-The recipe lies within the Vault of Secrets, out of our reach.  Arthurus defected our little coup and is now in the same condition.

-Such a shame that you had to resort to such vile treachery...

-The purpose was to ensure you would vanish forever but now that I have you in my palm, vulnerable and all, I...I just don’t know what to do.

-What about that deal you mentioned earlier?

-I cannot afford to unveil what I have done with you to the cult...but I can still help you regain your normal height.  If...and only if... you renounce to your love forever and take an oath never to directly address to Evelyn again.

-Those are words, my lady, that you shall never hear escaping the fence of my teeth.

Her tone became harsh.  She spoke frantically.

-Then so be it.  This has gone too far already.  There is no going back for me, no backing off.  No compassion.  You are as you are and will remain so forever.

-Then you give me little choice.  As your superior in the Cult of the Moon I order you to release me immediately from your grip and bring me to...

Before he could finish his sentence, Salierna carelessly tilted her palm and dropped him screaming into her dark green toga, directly towards her mountainous breast.