Deposited on the riverbank

Darkness. Cold, offset by a deep residual glow. And an odd feeling of…heaviness.

Lux floats on the edge of consciousness; not comfortable, yet moving is the last thing she wants to do. But now there’s – ow – the odd feeling that someone very small is – ow – jumping up and down on her chest…

Her eyes flutter open. Staring up, first at all, at the fog-shrouded sky; then, as she tilts her head, taking in her surroundings. On a sandy beach, by the river – yes, she remembers the river. Trees, mist, yes, as expected. She’s naked, as she’s sadly come to expect. And the weight on her chest is—

Ow. Minn’s small feet dig into her. Craning her head up, Lux can only stare for a moment in muzzy disbelief at the sight of the sprite, wings fluttering for extra height before using her tits as a trampoline. Something in the corner of her vision seems a little off, but she can’t quite focus at this angle…

“Time to wake up!” Minn sings. “Time to wake up!”

Lux’s sure-to-be-snappy comeback comes out as a wet gurgle. A moment of panic as she remembers more about what happened. To Minn’s startled protest, she rolls over and lifts herself up on unsteady hands, river-water already beginning to spill out of her mouth.

It takes effort, less than pleasant effort, to heave it all out – every last drop – before she can truly fill her lungs with sweet, sweet air again. How long she had before the creepy gnome’s potion would have worn off, she’ll never know.

She props herself up on her elbows as she gasps for breath, waiting for the world to stop spinning around her. The quiet sound of the river chortles by, while Minn flits about overhead, impatient.

Finally, Lux feels ready to stand. As she does so, she realises what it was that caught her eye before. Looking down, she can now see that her left breast bears a pattern of tiny purple spots, the mark of the nereid’s venomous sting. Lucky she didn’t get hit with a bigger dose, indeed. She touches the area gingerly, finding it sensitive, but not painful.

She sits down on the grassy bank, mind still catching up with events. Strange sensations tingle through her. She feels almost as if she’s been washed from the inside out. Maybe the only way she’d ever get clean after the…the mite-related events that she can’t bring herself to fully confront just yet.

On the outside, meanwhile, her wet body is now well and truly coated with gritty sand. She groans as she picks a meagre few grains from her cleavage, before standing and staggering down to the water to try and clean herself off. Forget about it – splash as she might, there’s way too much to get without soap. Glumly she meanders back to her sitting spot to take stock.

“So now what,” she mutters. “Did the river bitch say anything about where this way out of the Valley is?”

“Nope,” Minn says cheerfully.

“You didn’t ask, did you.”

“Didn’t even cross my mind!”

“Great.” Lux rubs her head. “All right. First things first. I need – clothes, warmth, somewhere to rest…”

“Well, there’s a house over there.”

Lux follows where Minn is pointing. Eyes narrowing in increasing disbelief at the sight…