Vann flexed his arms, glad to see that his muscles had
drifted back to him overnight, along with the rest of his size. He’d donned his
ceremonial white outfit, and with his staff in hand he was waiting with Tyra by
the town’s gate, his pair of holy books touched under his satchel.
Are you watching Zenovia? He wondered, I’m about
to go on my first quest!
No, I’m not watching, I’ll pop in when you’re doing
something interesting, she replied, also don’t bother me early in the
mornings unless you’re about to die or something, specifically dying in a way I
wouldn’t approve of.
He frowned, that you… wouldn’t approve of?
Well, I wouldn’t want my champion dying choking on a
chicken bone or falling over a cliff or something, she said, now if
you’re tiny and about to get stepped on or slide down a woman’s throat on the
other hand… well I’ll probably let that happen.
Good to know, he thought with a chuckle, I’ll try
not to bother you too much, when this is over, I should have the gold to at
least get your temple gates fixed.
I’ve been enjoying watching you so far, the goddess
replied in an amused tone, your friend is right, it’s a nice change of pace
having a champion so eager to make me happy…
With that her presence was gone, leaving Vann alone with his
thoughts again. Tyra was playfully swinging her sword through the air next to
him, sighing at the returned weight as she sheathed it.
“Hey Vann,” she said, a small grin coming over her features,
“Eletha does have a point… you don’t really need your muscles, if you
think about it, we could just go a little ways into the woods there and-“
“No,” he laughed, “I’d like to be able to walk on my own two
legs, thanks.”
“Vann’s right,” Eletha said, meeting them with a pack over
her shoulder, “there will be plenty of time to carry him later…” she seemed to
sniff the air, and then grinned, “Good to see your magic is almost back after
our little match the other day, Tyra must have enjoyed herself.”
“I have enough that I should be able to stay full size, for
a little while at least,” he said with a smile.
“Let’s hope it stays that way until we reach Enid’s lair,”
Chadwick said, joining them. “She’s supposed to live beyond that mountain ridge
over there,” he pointed to a large pair of imposing peaks, capped with snow and
spotted with tall green pines. “Probably at least a few days journey.”
“Do you know exactly where she lives?” Vann asked
uncertainly.
Chadwick shrugged his shoulders and smiled, “of course not,
but once we start poking things usually lead us in the right direction.”
I don’t know about that, Vann thought, but then
again… these three are more experienced than I am.
Oh, don’t worry Vann, Zenovia said, the gods
usually help adventurers find their way!
Can I count on you for that? He thought, a little
amused. Silence.
He sighed, “I’ll follow your lead then, I’m no good in the
forest.”
“Don’t eat any strange mushrooms,” Chadwick said with a
smirk directed at Eletha. Tyra laughed too, and the elf burned with
embarrassment as they started walking.
“What?” Vann asked Tyra, leaning in close.
“The elf mistook a common edible mushroom for one that has…
interesting mental effects,” Tyra giggled, “she was dancing around naked and
proclaiming her love for the Elven moon goddess for a day.”
“Elves are just more in touch with nature!” Eletha shouted,
overhearing the exchange.
“Some elves, sure,” Chadwick teased, “then there are elves
who can’t see dinner being prepared.”
“J-Just because I don’t want to see you butcher some poor
rabbit-“ Eletha began.
“And yet you eat the poor rabbit just the same,” Tyra
smirked.
“Should I just let my strength waste away?” Eletha protested.
“Where did you think meat comes from?” Vann asked, a small
smile forming on his face, “are the elven kingdoms vegetarian?”
“Well, no,” Eletha admitted, her cheeks red, “but we don’t
see the meat slaughtered at market!” The three humans sniggered at her cross
expression. She fumed, “I’m sorry if civilization and its concepts of propriety
evade humans!”
“Elves don’t even know about germ theory,” Chadwick said
with a laugh.
This time it was Eletha and Tyra’s turn to groan, “What’s
germ theory?” Vann asked uncertainly.
“Chadwick believes in some Dwarven nonsense that disease is
caused by animals too small to see which attack our bodies,” Eletha laughed,
“as though such small beings could harm something so many times their size!
Ignore him Vann, it’s the rantings of a madman.”
“There are many types of germs,” Chadwick protested, “and
they cause disease!” He looked to Vann, “if you take a wound, rub it with
highly distilled spirits! It will sting, but-“
“It’ll hurt like hell and that dwarf selling those
‘antiseptics’ will make more money,” Tyra said. “Rub dirt in it, like our
forefathers did!”
“Milk and honey,” Eletha growled, looking askew at the human,
“the bounty of nature will help the body heal.”
“I’ll stick with magic,” Vann said, letting a blue spark
trace up his fingertip.
“Chadwick just thinks the dwarf likes him,” Tyra teased,
“the way he goes to her shop, spending money on antiseptics, and vitamins, and
all that other hokum, it’s no wonder!”
“I-I just think she’s very knowledgeable!” Chadwick said,
and for the first time since Vann had known the knight, his cheeks went red.
“She has so many interesting mechanical contraptions-“
“Don’t let the dwarves lure you in with their clocks and
gears,” Eletha warned, “Rumana in particular has no idea what she’s doing,
don’t get in anything she builds Chadwick!”
The debate continued as they made their way further into the
mountains. Vann interjected a few times, joining in the conversation and
laughing with the others. It was nice to feel like part of the group, even
Eletha seemed to slowly be accepting him.
It was hours later when Chadwick held up a hand, brining
them to a halt in the middle of a path he’d been blazing through the undergrowth,
“we’re being watched,” he hissed. He drew his sword, as did Tyra, and Eletha
and Vann scurried in close to the two, hands raised.
There was a plodding sound, like a wet rag on tile, and a
moment later the brush ahead of them curved to reveal a mottled grey trunk,
with a pair of bulbous arms, yellow chitinous claws at the end as the mushroom
creature screeched angrily at them.
“Myconids!” Chadwick shouted.
The forest rustled, and the creatures began appearing from
all sides. Vann’s heart raced as he realized they were surrounded a fireball
appeared in his hand, but Eletha grabbed his wrist.
“Don’t! If you burn them, you’ll create a toxic cloud!” She
glanced at Tyra, who was slashing wildly at one, the deep sopping cuts in the
creature not seeming to slow it down. “Don’t let any of that gunk get on you!”
No burning, and no cutting… Vann thought, frowning.
He raised his hand, willing the air around one of the creatures to cool, he
muttered a few lines of a spell he’d read about, and then snapped his fingers
dramatically. There was a cracking sound as it ground to a halt, frozen sold as
every bit of heat was drawn away. It stumbled forward, shattering.
“Clever,” Eletha said with a grin. She turned and began her
own freezing spell, bringing the creatures down one after another as Tyra and
Chadwick forced them away from the two spellcasters. Vann felt a triumphant
glow in his chest as the last of the creatures shattered to pieces, the thawing
chunks of it’s body littering the forest floor.
“Everyone okay?” Tyra shouted.
“One of them got me,” Chadwick growled, pulling back his
punctured sleeve and showing a wound, rapidly turning purple at the edges.
“Shit,” Vann muttered, “let me try to heal it-“
“Do you know how to heal poisons?” Eletha asked, crossing
her arms. Vann noticed uncomfortably that she now stood a head taller than him,
the result of his wild use of magic during the battle. The elf noticed too, and
smirked, “hallucinogens in particular are tricky, most healers advise you just
keep the victim alive until they pass, unless you really know what you’re
doing. I’m not specialized in healing, and you’ve only been using magic a few
days. I think Chadwick’s just going to have to tough this one out.”
“Myconid venom is fairly harmless,” the knight said, sweat
pooling on his forehead as he blinked, “in the long run... It does incapacitate
one for some hours. For now, I need a place to lay down…”
…
They found a clearing and made camp, pitching tents and
gathering materials for a fire. Tyra had laid Chadwick’s bedroll out for him,
and the three of them had helped position the knight in a comfortable spot
while the hallucinations began.
“And then a big squid attacked!” Chadwick said, pupils
dilated as he gave a small smile.
“Oh gods, is he telling the story about the elves from
beyond the world again?” Eletha chuckled.
“Outer space he calls it,” Tyra muttered, rolling her eyes.
Seeing Vann’s curious look she smiled, “Chadwick’s been hit with myconid venom
before, a few times actually. He tells some… outlandish stories while that
stuff clears his system.”
“This time the elves are green, rather than blue,” Eletha
said with a smirk. Her gaze drifted over to Vann, still only up to her shoulder
in height, and a different type of smile drifted over her features, “come on
Vann, there’s a river a little way from here, let’s bring our friend some fresh
water.”
He gulped, and Tyra scowled, “Eletha,” she warned in a low
voice, “don’t do anything I’ll make you regret.”
“Relax, Vann and I will be just fine,” she said with a grin.
Tyra shot a look at Vann, and he sighed and rolled his eyes,
“we’ll be fine,” he assured her.
He followed the elf through what looked like a small game
trail, leading down a slope and towards a bubbling creek that looked maybe
waist deep. It was a few minutes away from the camp, and Eletha glanced over
her shoulder, seeming to check that they were alone.
I’m going to have to deal with her one way or another, Vann
thought to himself, gods help me…
Hmm… Zenovia said in his mind, okay!
Vann cried out in surprise as his skintight white clothing
seemed to slip itself off him. Eletha whipped around, her eyes wide with shock
as she saw his clothing neatly fold itself on a nearby rock, leaving him
shivering in the mountain air and desperately covering his privates with his
hands.
Eletha’s cheeks went red for a moment, then she giggled, a
hand over her mouth, “Vann,” she said in a teasing voice, “is there a reason
why you’re naked?”
He scowled, “Let’s just say my goddess works in mysterious
ways.”
“How odd,” Eletha said, strutting towards him slowly, “that
she’d strip you naked near me…” Eletha bit her lip, flicking his nose slightly
with her finger as she loomed over him. “I think she’s trying to tell you
something…”
Yeah Vann, how much clearer can I be? Zenovia
chuckled. There was a puff of smoke overhead, and something fell from the
treetops. Unconsciously Eletha lifted her hand up to catch it, her eyebrow
raising as she realized just what had apparently manifested from thin air.
“Is this… a riding crop?” Eletha giggled, slapping the
leather end into her open palm playfully.
“So it would seem,” Vann muttered in a defeated tone. He
felt the buzz of magic being given to him, and his embarrassment caused him to
drift just a little lower, putting him eye level with Eletha’s breasts instead
of her shoulder.
“I’m really glad you mustered up the courage to come out
here with me Vann,” Eletha said with a smile, slapping her new riding crop into
her palm in a slow rhythm, “I really feel like you and I need to… clear the
air.”
He gulped, looking up at the elf who now towered over him,
“Uhh… okay?”
Eletha hummed a moment, the smirk on her face disappearing
as she thought, “What’s it going to take for you to make me huge?” she asked
finally.
He blinked, “That’s what you wanted to come out here
and talk about?” he asked incredulously, “no apology for the years of bullying,
no attempt to be friends now?”
“I am attempting to be friends now!” Eletha said, her
face red, “look at how friendly I’m being!” she slapped the riding crop into
her palm again for emphasis.
“You just want me to cast that growth spell on you for some
reason!” he exclaimed, almost forgetting that he was naked and shivering in
front of her, “you can’t just be nice to someone because you want something,
that’s not how friendships work!”
Eletha looked like she was about to say something, then
paused, “Fine…” she growled, “maybe… I will start by saying I’m sorry about all
the teasing.”
“Really?” Vann asked skeptically.
“I mean… yeah,” she muttered, clearly fighting to find the
words, “you turned out to be more impressive than I thought, okay?”
He sighed, he wasn’t quite happy with that, but… it was
something, for now anyway.
Eletha licked her lips, looking over his nude form, “So…
Vann, you’re a little low on magic after the fight, and your goddess is very
clearly sending some… omens.” She grinned, “mind if I… help you out?”
That she was giving him a choice, he thought anyway, was
more than he’d expected. He considered it…
Oh, come on Vann, let the poor girl play! Zenovia
practically whined.
“Sure,” he said, chuckling internally, “wouldn’t be a good
idea to go into the next fight without filling back up, right?”
Eletha grinned, and her eyes widened excitedly, “Stand up
straight, and stop covering yourself, hands at your sides!” she barked. The
magical aura around Vann meant that he didn’t even have the ability to question
her orders, instantly standing up straight and letting her see everything. She
giggled, kneeling down for a closer look. He started as her hand reached out,
gently wrapping around his erection as she explored it. Where Tyra’s hands were
rough and calloused Eletha’s were smooth, soft even, and he fought a grunt of
pleasure as she played with him.
“You know, there’s a sort of rumor in Elven kingdoms that
humans are big down here,” she giggled, “another one of those myths I guess.” Vann
shrank slightly from the taunt, and Eletha squeezed him playfully before releasing
his erection, standing up. She glanced around the riverbank, spotting a grassy
outcropping above the waterline. She snapped her fingers, giving him a come-hither
motion as she sauntered over to it.
“So do you want to-“ Vann began, but Eletha held up a hand.
“Speak only when spoken to, human!” she barked, struggling
to keep from laughing. Vann tried to reply, but found he couldn’t, and he
sighed, bound to her orders. He watched as she slowly hooked her thumbs around
her green pants, drawing them down over her pert bottom and exposing her pale
skin. She turned on cheek towards Vann and rubbed it playfully. “Kiss it,” she
breathed in a low voice.
Vann leaned forward, planting a quick peck on the elf,
getting a quick whiff of the mix of the floral perfume she wore and the sweat
on her skin as a result of a day of walking through the mountains. He grunted
as her hand gripped the back of his head, almost its size in his shrunken
state, and held him forcefully there as Eletha growled lustfully.
“Do you like kissing Elven ass human?” she laughed, savoring
the moment, “tell me you love it!”
“I love it!” he shouted, muffled as she ground him into it
again.
Vann felt Zenovia’s magic rapidly flowing into him as his
height dwindled further, and a moment later he was standing face to cheek with
the ass he’d been forced to kiss. Eletha licked her lips eagerly, pulling her
underwear down and letting the strong smell of her pussy waft over him.
“You are just the perfect height,” she growled, stepping out
of her panties and lifting her shirt. It joined her pants on the ground, and a
moment later there was a *click* as she unclasped her bra, tossing it to the
pooled garments.
The perfect height for what? He was answered a moment
later as the elf, now double his height, roughly forced his face into her
glistening crotch. He quickly started licking at her, causing her to moan and grip
his hair, pulling slightly and guiding him up and down.
He felt the increasing rush of magical energy, and he stood
on his tiptoes, trying his best to keep contact with her as his size dwindled,
every lick of his tongue and moan of pleasure seemed to sweep a little bit of
his size away. He grunted with exertion as his feet nearly left the ground, and
then sighed with relief as the elf sat upon the grass, laying back and forcing
him down to continue his work.
*Slap* he yelped in surprise as he realized Eletha had the
riding crop in her hand, “Faster!” she squealed, bringing it down on his back
again. He gulped and kept eating her, the crop hadn’t really hurt, or left a mark,
but the quick sting of surprise was enough to let him know he should speed up.
*Slap* he picked up speed as she did it again, a sadistic giggle echoing from
beyond the massive pillars her legs were becoming as he shrank.
“Yes! Come on human, faster! I want that face of yours soaked!”
He was already there, and her pussy juices had soaked his
hair, matting it and washing his senses with her strong musky smell. He leaned
further in, gulping in a gasp of air as he realized her quivering womanhood was
rapidly growing too big for him. He gritted his teeth, reaching out with his
hands to touch a clitoris that was now the size of a watermelon.
“Mmff…” Eletha bit her lip, savoring the sensation. Her hand
came up from behind him like a wall, and he had time for one last gasp of
surprise as she roughly forced him in with a wet squishing sound. He slid
through her entrance easily, swallowed up as he kept shrinking, the magic
ritual empowering him even as Zenovia’s blessing robbed him of his size and
strength.
Eletha’s eyes shot open, and she gave one final moan as she
spasmed in pleasure, collapsing into the grass in a heap. She panted a moment,
enjoying the squirming sensation of Vann fighting helplessly inside her most
intimate place.
That was… intoxicating… she thought with a small
smile. She lay on her back, looking up at the early evening sky for a moment.
She glanced at the riding crop in her hand, an apparently gift from Vann’s
goddess. I hope she got what she wanted out of that.
Vann sputtered, coated in the elf’s cum as he slipped out of
her opening, flopping down to the grass that now towered around him. Eletha
grunted as he left her, and a moment later she was sitting up, looming over him
as she regarded Vann’s tiny form, no larger than her big toe.
“Go ahead and talk again, if you want,” she said with a smug
grin.
“I-I’m feeling pretty charged up,” Vann said, holding a hand
in front of himself and watching a blue spark race up his finger.
“Good,” Eletha said with a pleasant smile, “you know they
say that the juices from an elf’s womanhood have a revitalizing effect that
will make human skin glow, and give you extra vitality if consumed.”
Vann blinked, feeling the slimy mixture coating every inch
of him, “really?”
Eletha giggled, “it’s not true, but it lures plenty of humans
across the border to investigate for themselves. We elves all know to compliment
a human’s skin after they… well, you know, it helps keep the legend alive.”
She stood up, towering over him as she stepped back into her
underwear, slowly getting dressed in front of the naked and soaked Vann. He
watched her impressive form lumber over him, and he cleared his throat as she
finished adjusting her green shirt.
She looked down at him with a frown, “Yes Vann? Can I help
you with something?”
“Well, since you sent me down to a few inches tall, a lift
back to the camp would be nice,” he said, “but uh…” he looked down at his own
erection, then up to her expectantly.
Eletha raised an eyebrow, realizing the question, “Oh no
Vann, I’m done, thanks…” she giggled at his shocked expression, and he started
as another wave of magical energy flooded into him.
So her leaving me out to dry is a ritual too? He
wondered.
Yes, and you should be thankful you got the opportunity
to taste her! Zenovia said with a happy sigh, that was wonderful by the
way!
“Hmm… I suppose I am being a little unfair,” the elf mused,
“I’ll tell you what, when we’re turning in for the night, you can come and ask
me nicely for my panties.” She giggled at his shocked expression, “you can hold
them to your face and take care of yourself before bed.”
He balked, There is no way I’m going to beg her to-
Oh you are ABSOLUTELY doing that, Zenovia
laughed.
Vann just sighed, and a moment later his champion outfit,
now perfectly sized to his tiny form, swept through the air and wrapped around
him.
Eletha leaned down, plucking him up with her thumb and
forefinger, “Come along Vann,” she said, slinging a water canteen over her
shoulder, “let’s get back to camp.” He watched as she brought him to the low
cut neck of her shirt, gently pushing him down into the waiting valley of her
cleavage. He protested feebly as her finger pressed him down, burying him
between the mounds of pale flesh as he slipped from view.
…
Chadwick had finally passed into a peaceful slumber, the
final stage of the Myconid poison as it purged from his system. Tyra had built
a small fire, keeping an eye on her friend as she waited for her other two
companions to return. She scowled as she saw the elf returning alone.
“Where’s Vann?” she asked.
“Absorbing some magic,” Eletha said smugly. She reached into
her cleavage and withdrew the bug sized Vann, with a smirk she placed him in
Tyra’s outstretched hand. “He should be good to go for our next encounter,”
Eletha said, clearly pleased with herself. With one final wink at the tiny man,
she sauntered off towards her tent, humming an elven tune under her breath.
“Did she treat you okay?” Tyra asked suspiciously.
“Well enough,” Vann said with a shrug. “She really wants
me to use that growth spell on her.”
“Well, make her work for it,” Tyra laughed.
…
Vann apparently had the favor of his goddess, because it
only took him a few hours before he found himself at his normal size, slowly
returning to normal as the sun set. Tyra had prepared them a stew of potatoes
and beef, with some seasonings that gave the whole thing a savory flair. Vann
leaned against a log, Tyra next to him, as the two of them held bowls of soup,
occasionally glancing up at the stars as the fire danced.
“Well, is adventuring what you hoped?” Tyra asked with a
smile.
“That and more,” Vann said, looking at the endless expanse
of sky.
“I’m glad you’re taking to the lifestyle,” Chadwick
chuckled, stirring his own soup bowl idly as he watched the fire flicker. “It
took me some getting used to…”
“You were rich, weren’t you?” Tyra asked.
“Yes,” Chadwick muttered, rolling his eyes, “I was rich, I
had a man who prepared me breakfast and ironed my clothing every morning before
I woke up… living out here was something of a shock at first.”
“So, why’d you give all that up?” Vann asked curiously.
Chadwick shrugged, “same reason you spent every day for
years in our town library, looking for a way to harness magic, if you feel the call,
you can’t just ignore it.”
Eletha stepped into the firelight, clearing her throat, her
face slightly red, “Vann, I… I took the liberty of carving some runes into your
staff.” She hefted it over her shoulder and lowered it down to him. He took it
gingerly, feeling the smooth symbols and lettering the elf had carved up and
down the handle.
“Oh, thanks,” he said cautiously.
“They should prevent it from leaving your hand if an enemy
tries to use telekinesis to pull it from you,” Eletha explained, “I… I just
wanted to make sure you were protected, for the party’s sake.”
“For the party’s sake,” Tyra echoed, raising an eyebrow as
she put an arm around Vann. “Right…” she smirked. For her part the elf just
huffed and rolled her eyes, stomping over to the other side of the fire to get
her own bowl of soup.
“You know,” Chadwick said, looking up at the moon, “Rumana
says that it might be possible to fly to the moon someday-“
Tyra and Eletha groaned, “that dwarf fills your head with
the strangest nonsense,” Eletha mocked, “watch out for the tiny animals too
small to see, don’t smoke tobacco, it’s bad for you!”
“How’s she going to get to the moon?” Tyra laughed, “flap
her arms?”
“Well, it works well enough for the birds, doesn’t it?”
Chadwick protested.
“I need to meet this Rumana,” Vann chuckled, “she sounds
interesting, if nothing else.”
“She’s so smart Vann, it’s fantastic to hear her talk about…
well anything really!” Chadwick said excitedly.
Vann nodded, a small smile crossing his face, the other
two are right, he’s smitten.
The conversation drifted to other matters, discussing the
next day’s path, potential tactics for when they encountered Enid, and
speculation on other town gossip. Finally, Chadwick yawned, getting up to turn
in and pouring a bucket of water over their fire.
Vann got up, ready to go to sleep himself, then frowned,
realizing there were only three tents.
“Come on,” Tyra said with a smile, leading him towards hers,
“you’re bunking with me.”
“Sounds good,” he said, returning her grin. He stopped, then
sighed, “Hold on…”
He trudged through their camp, the smoldering coals of the
fire providing a small amount of light to compliment the full moon. Eletha’s
tent was between Chadwick’s and theirs, and judging by the small glow of
candlelight the elf hadn’t gone to sleep yet. He pulled her tent flap aside,
and she looked up from the spellbook she was studying. She blinked curiously,
then gave him a smug grin.
“Hi Vann, are you here to… ask for something?” she giggled.
He sighed, “may I please borrow your panties?”
Eletha bit her lip, trying to keep from bursting out in laughter
as she reached her hand down into her bedroll. There was swish of fabric as she
slid them off, and a moment later the white cotton underwear was dangling from
her fingers, with a playful toss she hurtled them through the air, and Vann
grunted as the fabric made contact with his face. Her panties had a fragrent
musk to them, a mix of her sweat from the full day of hiking in the mountains,
and the hint of her pleasure that he had brought about earlier.
“Now what do you say?” Eletha teased.
“Thank you,” he sighed, turning to leave.
“Don’t get any… goo, on them,” Eletha giggled behind him as
he left.
He rolled his eyes, are you watching? He thought to
the goddess.
Yes, I’m very pleased, Zenovia giggled, and a moment
later he felt a burst of magic, thankfully she didn’t even shrink him this
time, now be sure to follow her instructions with those…
He entered the tent, seeing Tyra had laid out his bedroll
next to hers, “Hey,” he said hesitantly, embarrassed, “Uhmm… Tyra, can I have a
moment alone in the tent?”
“If you’ve got to whack off just lay down and do it,” she
muttered, “you think I didn’t know when you did it at the cabin?” her eyes
opened, and she sat up, seeing the white pair of panties, a grin cracked her
tired features, “are those Eletha’s?”
“Yes,” he admitted with a sigh, “I’m… I’m going to… pleasure
myself to them.” he scowled at her giggling expression, “look, it was the elf’s
idea, and the goddess really liked it, okay?”
“The goddess, right,” Tyra laughed, “okay, go for it, I’m
going to watch.”
He gaped at her, “you can’t be serious?”
“Do you want me to call you names while you do it? That
probably gets her off too, right?” Tyra propped her head on her arms
expectantly, waiting for the show to start.
Vann just rolled his eyes, bringing Eletha’s underwear up to
his nose and taking a whiff. Slowly he reached his free hand into his pants,
beginning to complete another of his goddess’s tasks while Tyra and Zenovia
looked on.