Anevay and Elliot were sat by a table, enjoying the breakfast served with care and love. Coffee and tea had also been served along with croissants and jams.112Please respect copyright.PENANA8pTajjHQmO
“Good morning,” said Peita as she joined the couple. “Had a good night last night?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAawCULRN6h9
“We had a splendid night, thank you,” smiled Ane.112Please respect copyright.PENANAnTxOrjD3PH
“What’s that supposed to mean?” grinned Peita.112Please respect copyright.PENANAuQD3lglh7a
“Let your imagination run wild,” said Elliot with a smug smile.112Please respect copyright.PENANAa1bg8polOg
“I won’t do that,” laughed Peita. “Just making sure everybody enjoyed their night.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAmKQH9tW0kN
“Did you?” asked Ane.112Please respect copyright.PENANAYaiF8wqzWN
Peita shrugged. “Fairly,” she said. “Either way… we should go buy some new clothing before we head off to the city of Lily’s York.112Please respect copyright.PENANAFz2dbNBU2U
Only a couple hours later the group had invested in some lightweight clothes, their armoury caught in rings and bracelets. Anevay wore a dark blue halter top with a white corset and the two colours mixing vertically in her skirt. She wore brown boots, the same colour as her belt and arm pieces. Elliot wore a simple, white T-shirt with a pair of grey trousers and tan boots. He had also bought a hooded cloak in a mossy, green colour and a red interior. 112Please respect copyright.PENANApXtL5EhQdA
“You look like average citizens of the Eastern Bay,” noticed Lemennie. “Lookin’ good.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAmP1sg4H6gY
“Thank you!” replied Elliot. “Likewise.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAePLRrevY2C
Lemennie was wearing a rather sophisticated uniform of greens, browns and ocre merged in a simple top, pants and boots. She looked elven, but with her bow and mystical appearance it was only plausible.112Please respect copyright.PENANA3ARoj4XMhd
“You look great, guys,” said Sarkhan. He was mainly looking at Peita, who kept her typical style of Taverness. A grey blouse, a black corset, brown trousers with an intricate belt-pattern, and some thin, black boots. She’d taken off the long, brown sleeves originally attached to the outfit to show off her surprisingly muscular arms. Vastice was wearing a nearly identical outfit, though much simpler and his shirt much whiter. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAmPg4GCP5zI
“I think we are all set,” nodded Jarco. He wore a cream-coloured shirt under long, thin and sleeveless dark green vest with golden lacing, the same gold on his brown boots. Lewir and Jarco had gone to the same shop, because Lewir wore clothes made with the same materials. He wore a cream-coloured shirt as well, but tucked in a pair of brown trousers and hidden under a short, sleeveless button-up vest. He was the only one - along with Bethil - to wear simple shoes rather than the long boots.112Please respect copyright.PENANAPtM3wBq4hb
Bethil, on his turn, had chosen for a crisp, red shirt and some dark trousers with simple, fitting shoes. What else did he need? Nothing. Daphne had told him that red complimented his features, so he went with that colour. Daphne herself had also kept it rather simple, with a short, orange dress under a dark grey bustier and some simple, long, brown boots. 112Please respect copyright.PENANANSxmY9WCmR
Now that they were all ready for the lovely weather of the Eastern Bay, they headed out to the entrance of Lily’s York’s city, where an opened port greeted them and welcomed them inside.112Please respect copyright.PENANAaI7BCDyd5t
They immediately noticed the difference. The same, celestial atmosphere hung in these purple woods as when they first entered the Eastern Bay. Tall trees with pink, blue and purple leaves had grown tall between bushes and patches of flowers. 112Please respect copyright.PENANASE5XvnVLIf
“How big are these woods?” asked Elliot.112Please respect copyright.PENANAIiyh5Ik8R7
“Quite big,” responded Peita. “We should reach the castle by tonight, though.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAJq30PBSQoV
“That is doable,” nodded Anevay. “Let us just not stop for unnecessary matters and get on with this. We truly need answers.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAST0ApETJKh
As they kept walking, the atmosphere slowly changed. It grew into a more… civilised place. 112Please respect copyright.PENANADySulTDUZX
“Are we nearing a town?” asked Bethil, sensing the changes in environment.112Please respect copyright.PENANAmFBl6HDRTO
“We are nearing the tiny village of the fairies and elves,” nodded Vastice. “They are extremely hospitable.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAv8cDpAzhsB
“Should we make a stop there?” frowned Elliot.112Please respect copyright.PENANAm8oaXLsaJs
“I feel like getting to know other cultures is no problem,” Ane spoke. “I think we might regret the decision not to mingle with these two races.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAROuMkBW9ZG
So the group followed their senses, and eventually it led them to a tiny, picturesque village with only a couple houses and a tiny plaza with a large fountain. The group immediately stirred the villagers as they looked up.112Please respect copyright.PENANAAue0BMiRfb
“What do we have here?” said one of the majestic beings who approached them. He was a tall, dark and gorgeous man with a spectacularly bright tattoo across his face that seemed like a Druidic pattern. He had long, sharp ears and a friendly smile.112Please respect copyright.PENANA9mKrDYQWSi
“We are heading to the castle to request help,” said Ane.112Please respect copyright.PENANAOeEBbOUrdj
“To the castle? Who are you?” asked the man.112Please respect copyright.PENANAzJZMwKXLxR
“I am princess Anevay, and these are my comrades.” the princess replied.112Please respect copyright.PENANAxMFzZ2T9XN
“Princess Anevay of the Northern Bay? What a pleasure to meet you!” said the man as he bowed.112Please respect copyright.PENANA37lJrAr6Dc
“No need to bow,” commented Ane awkwardly.112Please respect copyright.PENANA9hCF571uw0
“My name is Bentham,” he said. He had a brown aura, vivid and brilliant. He oozed with kindness and he spoke with sweetness. “I could guide you to the castle. Might bring you some valuable information about the forests of Lily.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAgMAjyY29Ck
Ane turned to her comrades, who agreed that this man alone could not truly harm them, so trusting how would be convenient.112Please respect copyright.PENANAibqnZr6YOA
“We would very much appreciate that, Bentham,” said Ane.112Please respect copyright.PENANAYmGD7lTKIy
“Well… what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” smiled Bentham. He spoke with grace, similar to Jarco, but less butchered by other accents.112Please respect copyright.PENANABpmZDNW08v
“What brings you here?” asked Bentham as he led the group outside the tiny village and through the rows of purple houses.112Please respect copyright.PENANAbrU59Nwn1X
“We are seeking for answers and hope to be able to rescue the world before it is too late,” answered Ane. “My three friends and I are the heroes of the era.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAHtERnW4WGm
“We all felt the change of eras a while back,” nodded Bentham. “I remember that vivid sensation. Truly an honour to meet you all.” He shook everyone’s hand, and he spent just a second too long with Jarco. Only they noticed the moment of connection between the two, and Bentham quickly pulled away;112Please respect copyright.PENANAdgWeD6PwRf
“Tell us about yourself,” said Daphne.112Please respect copyright.PENANA37R2nithC6
“Well, my name is obviously Bentham. I am an Elf of eastern descent, born and raised here! I love to meet new people, as it does get lonely in the village sometimes. I suppose that only helps one to develop on their own, which I did a lot. I taught myself many things, but I feel like the more people I meet, the more I can learn.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAcstTwCVoYT
“Who are some of the people you have met?” asked Jarco.112Please respect copyright.PENANAnAT1jH4mca
“Mainly people that don’t belong here,” said Bentham, and he threw a glare over his shoulder aimed at Jarco, who noticed it and returned the eye contact.112Please respect copyright.PENANAP8nW3fXCS3
Lemennie also picked up on this, but she spoke no words of it. 112Please respect copyright.PENANANBLOiCteqI
The group came across a bunch of gigantic flowers, their petals as large as four of their heads together. The scent was intense and had an exotic touch to it that was both intriguing and addictive.112Please respect copyright.PENANAc2XuZCh4W2
“These are magnoliums,” said Bentham. The large, red and white petals carried bits of golden dust on them, almost as if fairies had been sprinkling glitter on them.112Please respect copyright.PENANAVFvkSFSna5
“The fairies care about these flowers like they’re their own children,” he continued.112Please respect copyright.PENANAgPmVz8BMQd
“Because their children are born in these flowers, right?” asked Vastice.112Please respect copyright.PENANA9R42BH9E0d
“Something like that,” nodded Bentham. “They smell truly great. They say that the flowers’ beauty always rubs off on the fairies.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAABhQULKyya
“I say we rest here for a little while,” suggested Ane. “Just to chat and rest a bit.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAiF81ejA1TB
The others agreed and formed tiny groups where they just talked. Lemennie asked Jarco if they could talk, to which Jarco agreed albeit a tad flustered.112Please respect copyright.PENANAFj7gP5zSms
“Do you and Bentham know each other?” she asked.112Please respect copyright.PENANArPLge40YeW
Jarco hesitated for a second, but that was a second too long.112Please respect copyright.PENANAeuThT6F0D1
“What history do you guys have?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAyq8O0TLLLb
“I do not think that is of any importance or value right now,” said Jarco. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAf88nEhVcQi
“I think everything is of importance right now,” muttered Lemennie, getting closer to Jarco with her arms crossed across her chest. “Do you not belong here? What have you done here?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAimz29xblEt
“Lemennie, I understand your concern -”112Please respect copyright.PENANAaWqvDA4uSh
“I don’t care whether you understand. Don’t we deserve to know why you don’t belong here?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAOmMnmxdLmk
“What is going on here?” asked Elliot, brutally interrupting the intense moment filled with merely tension. 112Please respect copyright.PENANALylNgvna7M
“None of your concern,” said Jarco calmly.112Please respect copyright.PENANAYIlqrl4Ibf
“It is his concern,” spat Lemennie. “Do you realise that you aren’t making this any better for yourself?” 112Please respect copyright.PENANA1IZc6cIYU2
“If it is not our concern, then we should not make a problem out of it,” said Elliot, defending Jarco.112Please respect copyright.PENANA0CxDzWMlsV
“Elliot, you are such a -”112Please respect copyright.PENANABF5S8XRo1w
“Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” 112Please respect copyright.PENANA3NtZfuPrxt
Everybody was shook awake by the unfamiliar voice suddenly ringing through the flower garden.112Please respect copyright.PENANAvtH3LRGUdg
It was a lady with dark, luscious hair framing a beautifully crafted face. She wore a tiara across her forehead and had big, purple eyes. Sharp ears appeared from under her locks of hair, just like the glorious wings on her back growing out of her shoulder blades. Her wings glistened in the light and were grew upwards with pointy ends. Her wings were large and thin and seemed so fragile, yet they perfectly carried all her weight as she descended to land among the fellowship.112Please respect copyright.PENANAopVvAlndMD
“Clyon?” asked Bentham, genuinely surprised.112Please respect copyright.PENANAnORYWRxO6D
“Clyon…?” uttered Jarco, looking at the woman in front of him.112Please respect copyright.PENANAKnOdiPqAlq
“Clyon?!” exclaimed Lemennie, shocked by her appearance.112Please respect copyright.PENANAyXfO3MC84F
Clyon smiled warmly at Bentham, but her face turned ice cold upon seeing Jarco and Lemennie. Jarco and Lemennie glared at each other as well.112Please respect copyright.PENANAvYWLHuhyLU
“Nice to meet you, Clyon,” said Ane, breaking the tension that lingered in the flower garden.112Please respect copyright.PENANAKOXDR1RSOC
“Are you princess Anevay from the Northern Bay?” asked Clyon as she turned to Ane.112Please respect copyright.PENANA0tv98h9OF3
“Yes,” confirmed the princess while she shook Clyon’s hand. 112Please respect copyright.PENANASRDDAqgGCV
“Pleasure to meet you. My name is Clyon, as you might have noticed already… this is my garden, actually. Heard some unusual noises, thought I’d come down to check…”112Please respect copyright.PENANAVKFgI2XGOQ
“Sorry for trespassing,” apologised Daphne instantly.112Please respect copyright.PENANAKFO7MRgsQe
“A one-horned doomed?”112Please respect copyright.PENANA8pHCyEdwEw
Daphne wasn’t taken aback by the brute remark of this unfamiliar woman, and instead she just smiled and spoke: “I prefer a Druid with a scar.”112Please respect copyright.PENANABq4vbwrDKK
“Does sound more epic,” nodded Clyon. “And what an honour to meet a Druid. Now, can I help you?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAuXXvOxL1V5
“We were just heading to the castle,” Ane said. “You know the way?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAzf9DroPM5M
“Of course,” nodded Clyon. “I bet Bentham does as well, though.”112Please respect copyright.PENANA8jfWdmpW8y
“I do, but it is more fun to spend time with foreign races,” said Bentham.112Please respect copyright.PENANA8s0pBer3ei
As they were walking, now with a fairy, Bentham explained that Clyon and Bentham had a friendly relationship because they both lived relatively close and had often met.112Please respect copyright.PENANAAfkRpvR2st
“And what about you two and Clyon?” asked Elliot, turning to Jarco and Lemennie who wore sour, bitter glares.112Please respect copyright.PENANAMNBzUcxb9U
“Do not get cheeky,” scowled Lemennie.112Please respect copyright.PENANAVE7wec9FJ9
“I don’t think they want to explain how we know each other, young one,” said Clyon. “You shall get to know later on. Now is not the time.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAg7BQIJs4kU
And as they walked, they talked. Mainly Clyon and Bentham took the lead like guides giving a bunch of useless information to strangely interested visitors. They talked about the flowers and the trees and the cute rabbits and foxes with golden tails and red fur.112Please respect copyright.PENANAowN5Z9KSl1
“Often times, people tame the foxes. They’re lovely pets,” smiled Clyon.112Please respect copyright.PENANAa5hez3i4Xa
“I can believe that,” replied Bethil. “They look adorable.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAnFx7exI2Gs
“They are adorable,” grinned Ane as she spotted a fox from a distance. She squatted down and tried to attract the fox, who ran away instead.112Please respect copyright.PENANAkk5iechKpi
“Soon we will be reaching the lakes,” said Clyon. “I assure you to be careful… they are deep and can send you right into the merciless ocean that no one has control of.”112Please respect copyright.PENANASFy5beVdgC
“We can swim,” answered Mounty.112Please respect copyright.PENANAkgSTespDCi
“So can sirens,” was Bentham’s reply that silenced the others. Sirens? None of them thought sirens would be here. Mermaids, yes. Sirens? No.112Please respect copyright.PENANAztzVcXJCBV
The further they walked, the more Clyon’s statement seemed true. The environment changed from a wood-dominated piece of nature to one with smaller ponds, fewer trees and more flowers. On the ponds danced little fireflies, creating a harmony of light and layering it over the water. 112Please respect copyright.PENANACSeZ43s5tU
The ponds became larger and larger and soon seemed to have no bottom, thus creating a connection with the other lakes. The group arrived at a huge lake that spread across a huge surface. In the far, far distance, you could make out the silhouette of a castle of some sort. They guessed that was the castle where Ninéya lived, but the lake seemed too big to swim through. A dark, serene and mystical sky hung over the lake and castle.112Please respect copyright.PENANA6kVIJTYV7W
“So how do we get there?” asked Daphne. “It just seems like we have no other choice but to swim now.” 112Please respect copyright.PENANAeL8Dg9YfYW
“I have an idea,” said Clyon. She unfolded her wings and showed off the majestic blues and purples that collided and merged into a beautiful palette of wings. She flew up and then scanned the lake before diving into a certain spot. The group anticipated with held breaths and gasped as a beautiful creature with an incredibly long tail jumped out of the water like a dolphin, only to dive back in. 112Please respect copyright.PENANApW3HtI2mrh
“Was that a mermaid?” asked Mint, fazed by the beauty.112Please respect copyright.PENANAGCpKHDxU4U
Bentham nodded. “I think that is Remna.”112Please respect copyright.PENANACJldRbl5d1
A few minutes later, a head popped up the lake and Clyon broke through the surface, landing next to the fellowship. She wrung out her wet hair and then looked at the curious face in the water.112Please respect copyright.PENANAw2ivADmPi2
“That is Remna, my cousin,” she spoke. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAuPVv2KP7dB
The girl had peach-coloured hair that glowed gold in the water but shone pink outside. She had green eyes with orange specks and pink lips curved into an endearing, irresistible smile. Pointy ears appeared from under her hair. She’d grown a long, green tail; the same green as her eyes. The fins on the back of the tail were orange, like the specks in her irises. Her tail was thin and grew into multiple, flyy fins. She had a fin on her back as well and it made her look like the pure creation of a fish and a person, which she truly was.112Please respect copyright.PENANAG3g6g6BwJa
She had a gentle, brown aura, saw Ane, and she tried to figure out whether she was trustable. There lay an innocent smile resting on Remna’s lips, but it seemed genuine and sincere.112Please respect copyright.PENANAYtpbZHymX9
“Remna, can you bring us to the castle?” asked Clyon. Remna pushed herself off the shore and drifted into the water while she was still eying the travellers.112Please respect copyright.PENANA14KIlSfEbU
“Sure,” she said. She had a mesmerising voice of honey and it seemed to be thick like syrup too. “Who are these people, though?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAPls9cJzMNw
“They’re travellers who wish to visit Ninéya,” Clyon replied.112Please respect copyright.PENANANzxHInNmyV
“Will Ninéya be pleased with this sudden visit?” asked the mermaid. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAoQ1lzG7Xjp
“Ninéya’s never pleased with sudden visits,” shrugged Clyon. “Now, can you help us?”112Please respect copyright.PENANATjWmx3C0f8
“I see a one-horned doomed,” mumbled Remna, ignoring Clyon’s request.112Please respect copyright.PENANAc7D5aKu1Ks
“I see a mermaid with a black eye if she doesn’t answer,” responded Daphne painfully calm. Remna showed off her sparkly teeth as she grinned.112Please respect copyright.PENANAFKFZtoPjzI
“I like her,” she said enthusiastically. She then watched every single comrade one by one, her eyes stopping at Ane who she eyed last.112Please respect copyright.PENANAM8amYkF6WY
“You must be the infamous Anevay we’ve heard about,” Remna said as she swam back to shore, resting her arms on land. 112Please respect copyright.PENANA5vSo6FLZSS
“I suppose I am,” mumbled Ane.112Please respect copyright.PENANAnee59yuSCG
“Well,” replied Remna as she dragged herself out the water. Her hands on land showed the webbing. By the time she had lifted her entire body out of the water, her tail had transformed into a pair of legs. Standing up, she was rather short, but she had a slim figure with voluptuous curves. “Nice to meet you.” She shook Ane’s hand on then stretched her arms as if she had just woken up.112Please respect copyright.PENANAIgKQSyLvAQ
“Care to put on some clothes?” asked Clyon. 112Please respect copyright.PENANA4woFybvVLL
“I am not cold,” said Remna. “We will not start swimming here. I hope none of you are afraid of water.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAwz012CG93t
“I love water,” nodded Bethil.112Please respect copyright.PENANAX6OJn8AA0D
“Fantastic,” beamed Remna. She then started walking to an entire other side of the lake while the others followed her. As they walked around the water, they realised just how big this lake was. The mist that lingered above the surface also gave off an eerie effect, but Remna reassured them that it was just to keep the heat in the water.112Please respect copyright.PENANACD3A6AGk9y
At one point, Remna stopped walking. She stood in front of what seemed like a pair of steps going down the lake. The mermaid looked behind her, to check if everybody had tagged along, and then proceeded to descend the stairs. It was Ane who followed her first after Clyon and Bentham had told her it was okay, and she then set her new shoe in the water. To her surprise, it felt as if a layer of oxygen formed around her boot. The deeper she went, the more she realised that it was actually the case. Behind her walked Elliot, who was amused by this piece of magic just as much. He could breathe without the slightest problem and he enjoyed feeling so free in the water. Remna was swimming alongside Ane, guiding her where to go, and now Ane had the chance to properly look at her tail. It was very long and swift and had beautiful colours and every scale shimmered a different tint of green and orange. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAnauFRcYUdv
“Do I keep going down?” asked Ane.112Please respect copyright.PENANAicKVH6W3LJ
“Where else would you go, darling?” smiled Remna.112Please respect copyright.PENANA6A1Nyy1faO
After reaching the bottom of the lake, they all could admire the true beauty that Lily’s York held. An entire, underwater kingdom had been built, stretching over a giant surface. Castles that seemed impossible to have been constructed without the touch of magic, sea creatures that even most libraries didn’t include in their encyclopaedias, mermaids and nymphs and fairies that mingled and showed off a beauty unheard of. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAXKLiTRbMSx
“How deep down are we?” asked Lewir curiously.112Please respect copyright.PENANA5W0YO6D3F6
“About six hundred metres,” shrugged Remna.112Please respect copyright.PENANAHg7kgau1Gv
“Only six hundred?” gasped Bethil in awe.112Please respect copyright.PENANAi8CVB3z4sU
“Only six hundred,” confirmed Remna with a wink.112Please respect copyright.PENANApelhA8lJdB
“Where do you live? If you wish to share that with us,” asked Ane.112Please respect copyright.PENANAtoLflwhKSV
“Of course I shall share that with you. Besides, Clyon and I will have to make a request at Ninéya’s before you guys can meet her anyway. So, tonight, you shall be staying at my place.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAnJsk6mwIIW
“Do you have enough room for us all?” asked Elliot as he looked around the underwater village. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAelY8zKr6Iw
“Count on it!” smiled Remna. “Should I lead you around the village first?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAMn6P3yAZUc
“That would be nice,” nodded Ane.112Please respect copyright.PENANAjMlE6dQgc9
“It was nice to meet you, guys, but I think I’ll head off back to land,” said Bentham. The group thanked him and greeted him off as Bentham made his way through an oceanic crowd, disappearing out of sight.112Please respect copyright.PENANAq9SYK8LW5n
“The village is as big as the lake,” said Clyon. “You might get lost occasionally.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAgoPI2Qmgoi
“What is the castle of Ninéya built on, though?” asked Mounty.112Please respect copyright.PENANAoIzHq5Noib
“It floats,” grinned Clyon.112Please respect copyright.PENANAQgYOrWtVDW
“That is insane,” exclaimed Ane wide-eyed.112Please respect copyright.PENANAIVBkoAcQCo
“Sure is! Let’s explore the village now,” replied Remna cheerfully.112Please respect copyright.PENANAdwVSStQaMw
The mermaid led them through streets of purple marble, shiny, blue metal and a marketplace where all sorts of creatures were swimming about. The houses reminded them very much of the style on land where the fairies and elves lived, albeit a bit more adapted to the underwater lifestyle. Ane felt surreal, walking over the grey stones beneath her feet, six hundred metres beneath the surface. Never would she have imagined that she would be walking here, just to get answers from some woman named Ninéya. The mermaids looked absolutely stunning, with long tails intertwining and nymphs with exposed bodies walking around like your average citizens at the marketplace on a Monday morning. Their sharp eyes and pointy ears and gills in their necks did set them quite apart, though. Hybrids of seahorses and fish swam around as if they were pets - which they most likely were, and it all created an aquarelle palette of blues and purples and greens and the hint of the wonderful world where water was vital and vivid.112Please respect copyright.PENANA6fuU9DIcNf
They wandered through the streets, greeting the curious villagers kindly. Remna told them that they were all quite excited to see foreigners who breathed on land on a daily basis as well, because they didn’t very often get visitors - especially not ones like these. 112Please respect copyright.PENANA1bxujSGT2P
A few streets later, they arrived at a rather large house. It looked a bit more modern than the others. The frontage was made out of a light-blue limestone with a purple door frame. It was a picturesque image on its own, with its two stories topped with a purple roof.112Please respect copyright.PENANAyFhtT8UsP0
“This looks really cute,” smiled Mint.112Please respect copyright.PENANApJ1PuUZGqv
“Thank you! I actually helped build it,” smiled Remna. She opened the door and as she passed the doorstep, her tail made place for a pair of legs again.112Please respect copyright.PENANAcQYIJWSsYh
The others followed her inside and felt a strange feeling of dryness as they entered the house. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAqBisXVi1Hv
“All the water is kept outside the house?” wondered Elliot aloud as he realised that there was in fact no single speck of water inside Remna’s house.112Please respect copyright.PENANAy23j4VVqoe
“Exactly,” nodded Remna. “Glad you realised. What a sharp one.”112Please respect copyright.PENANADacWSeGwDn
“I try,” shrugged Elliot. Inside Remna’s house, it was cosy and calm. It seemed like your average cottage, truly, with nothing particularly special. On the first floor there was a little living room in one corner, a kitchen on the other and a dining room in the centre, right as you came in. A step of stairs had been placed beside the living room, leading to the top floor with a bedroom and a bathroom and also a tiny reading room that would also serve as an office when necessary. Remna wandered upstairs and came back downstairs with a silk, short dress around her formerly nude body.112Please respect copyright.PENANAn0rKx7wXOU
“I thought mermaids lived in… more watery circumstances,” mentioned Daphne when she took a seat in the living room, in one of the big sofas.112Please respect copyright.PENANAjedfJRNTFT
“Oh, some do. They sleep in huge oyster shells and live in caves. That’s no myth,” answered Remna as she walked to the kitchen. “However, we are not in the ocean. It is but a lake. It’s far more common for us to sleep in normal houses. It saves tons more space.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAUKxsYgdtJr
“I never thought mermaids were used to life on land,” said Sarkhan. “I’ve read many books, but none of them really told me that in lakes, it was more common for you to live like this.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAK3sfhn5Ex2
“It is not uncommon for authors of encyclopaedias to lie about stuff to either keep things secret or to keep people astonished,” answered Peita. “I know for sure that authors do that when they write about Taverness.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAfyvLhN0Lyj
“You looked like someone from Taverness!” smiled Remna when she brought a plate of cups from the kitchen. “With your… cogs, and everything.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAt26CiP0GFS
“You haven’t read much about Taverness, have you?” laughed Vastice.112Please respect copyright.PENANAOCqit7DJaX
“I have read my fair share,” replied Remna with a little smile on her face. “It was mainly Clyon who taught me about life outside of the Eastern Bay.”112Please respect copyright.PENANA935JY7NZqB
“I can feel I didn’t do such a great job,” responded Clyon when she took one of the cups. It was iced tea, peach-flavoured. Remna’s favourite, knew Clyon.112Please respect copyright.PENANAUCdLcLC6ZQ
“People didn’t go great jobs at teaching us about the Eastern Bay,” said Daphne.112Please respect copyright.PENANAm5858rsxyz
“People cannot teach us what they do not know,” replied Elliot.112Please respect copyright.PENANARa65BvKv23
They all nodded affirmatively as they drank.112Please respect copyright.PENANAkzlmXAcbQ2
“So, what is this exactly that you need with Ninéya?” asked Remna curiously as she took place on one of the remaining chairs in a corner of the living room.112Please respect copyright.PENANAmpz1leQco2
“Answers. We have been told that we could find answers here, and also the passage to the core,” replied Ane. The taste of peach filled her mouth and she enjoyed the taste of it, as it was also something she hadn’t tried before.112Please respect copyright.PENANAKgTaAxurSK
“Ninéya can definitely give you many answers…” mumbled Remna thoughtfully whilst sipping her iced tea and glaring at Clyon, who seemed to connect with what was going on in Remna’s mind.112Please respect copyright.PENANAPGqBiT7evr
“What do you need answers for?” asked Clyon, breaking eye contact with Remna.112Please respect copyright.PENANAfm4Y7UAuzA
“Questions on the end of the world,” replied Ane, just realising how insane that sounded. How heavy that sounded. How impossible that sounded. That it came out of a girl’s mouth who hadn’t turned eighteen yet seemed so far-fetched, so highly impossible. What would some teenager clearly not fit for courtly life do at the core of the world, mingling with greater evil than she had ever been exposed to?112Please respect copyright.PENANAzxEJy3WGyS
“Those are no easy questions, princess Anevay,” replied Clyon with care.112Please respect copyright.PENANAfZfjf45oYx
“Give it a shot, though,” said Remna.112Please respect copyright.PENANAis1DEvDzwj
“On a different note,” began Mounty. “Are we sure we’ll have enough space for us all?”112Please respect copyright.PENANA26WSU4Y5Ji
“We do not mind sleeping on the floor,” mentioned Bethil.112Please respect copyright.PENANA0xcOcSiVRM
“I’m glad you’re saying that, pretty one,” said Remna. “I am planning to fill the living room with mattresses, so it would look like a sleepover.” 112Please respect copyright.PENANAuO6KJitTql
“You are with twelve… I can just sleep in Remna’s room. That should definitely work; we have enough space here,” nodded Clyon.112Please respect copyright.PENANAomYN0PNbdH
The group spent the rest of the day exploring the village, visiting the marketplace, mingling with locals and drinking special beers and wines. After diving into the alcohol, Remna and Clyon brought them back to Remna’s house, where they had dinner and then proceeded to prepare the living room.112Please respect copyright.PENANA70qoD7Y46H
Elliot and Ane were lying down, facing one another. Mounty and Mint slept in an embrace of some sort. Daphne and Bethil were also lying next to each other, but less intimate. Lemennie and Vastice had also decided to sleep close to each other, so Sarkhan and Peita found each other again as the lonely ones. Remna and Clyon headed upstairs after mentioning they’d be gone early in the morning to have a talk with Ninéya.112Please respect copyright.PENANAQJ9YYcGwEO
Jarco and Lewir were sat outside Remna’s house, on a little bench most likely for the water fairies and nymphs. They were both searching for a moon, but came to the conclusion that moons simply did not exist anywhere under the water.112Please respect copyright.PENANAkG9ivoSHhE
“So, about the other night…” began Jarco, recalling a moment of only fury and passion. It thrilled both of them and loaded them with a bunch of emotions suffocating them right there, right then.112Please respect copyright.PENANAdfNvPWLxAG
“We went a little ahead of ourselves,” said Lewir, shaking his head as he tried to suppress the feeling of adoration in his chest.112Please respect copyright.PENANA1jWKzHXE1X
“It is complicated, Lewir,” said Jarco. “Especially after meeting Clyon…” 112Please respect copyright.PENANAcYObySQtXU
“You and Clyon have a history, don’t you?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAbuwS9BYs8q
“I know that you have your own history in the Eastern Bay as well.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAnAaImMUq5o
“I think that both of us lost our wives here,” said Lewir, and it hit hard. Jarco nodded and brought the image of Clyon in his mind.112Please respect copyright.PENANAT95CE4SQwz
“Mine turned her back on me,” he said, “and she betrayed me when I needed her.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAo1zC9FXpa7
“Mine was murdered by the woman who can grant Ane answers,” replied Lewir. The two men remained in a cold silence while their feelings did nothing but heat up. The intimacy and trust that grew between the both of them only spilt oil on the flame.112Please respect copyright.PENANA0YmHafEuKL
“I know that you belong here, Jarco,” Lewir continued. “I know that you are no ordinary elf. I can tell. I have lived here quite a long time too.”112Please respect copyright.PENANArLMmbQu1bg
Jarco just nodded. “I was born a fairy. Born and raised here. Grew up with Clyon, and we fell in love like kids fall in love. Then my town turned on me after I was blamed of a crime I never committed. Clyon never supported me, and she threw me away. I was abandoned, and had to leave.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAaj2fsalN7V
“I am sorry to hear that,” answered Lewir quietly while he watched the muscles in Jarco’s face tense as he spoke. “It must feel nostalgic to be here again.”112Please respect copyright.PENANA4PFfRvwWYV
“It is a blessing. A true gift,” agreed Jarco. “What happened with you?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAgy2Yz5RlBX
“She murdered my wife and threw me out. All I want is to avenge my wife,” sighed Lewir. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAvro0sgjWiC
“It is a shame that both the women we loved could not stay in our lives any longer,” sighed Jarco, pushing back tears that welled up.112Please respect copyright.PENANATnjX3Kiyxv
“I am also afraid the man I might love will disappear in front of my eyes again,” Lewir said. Jarco and Lewir faced each other, and they knew they both felt the spark that shot electricity right through their bodies. They were wiser than to respond to it, though, and remained seated next to one another. 112Please respect copyright.PENANAoNiSrU1xEg
“Maybe this is the way that life tells us that we should never count on a good timing,” sighed Jarco with a sad smile on his lips.112Please respect copyright.PENANAXIGXLTaIYG
“Maybe in another life, you and I could be what we were meant to be,” said Lewir as he looked up to the surface, “together.”112Please respect copyright.PENANA3Wfm3Rqmfg
“Maybe you and I are not supposed to be who we were meant to be. Maybe you and I should just enjoy who we are right now.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAKOPowBxEY2
“Maybe.”112Please respect copyright.PENANA9Zm4oe1UkL
And though it felt like a rejection for the possible love that they could both share with each other, Lewir felt glad that he and Jarco shared the same feelings. Yes, it was a bad timing for them, but it was a great timing for everything else. Lewir knew that he mattered less than what his comrades would pursue in the near future; but that didn’t take away the heartbreaking feeling of knowing that maybe, Lewir and Jarco would never get another chance.112Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9hMmSR2YT