Welcome to Gaia! ::

"I always keep my promises." The male said with quiet dignity, smiling softly as he flicked his tails away from her bats. Grinning he put on a little bit of speed, as they neared a shimmering portal. "Halfway there, Ai." He indicated the portal.

The male chuckled. "Yes. Sorry about that Aiko..." He averted his eyes sheepishly. So he had hoped to keep Aiko to himself for a little longer... perhaps keep his family from seeing what the heart-marked female meant to him... Was there shame in that? A bit perhaps. Still... what was done was done.

"Magical? Yes. Like the one that brought kitsu into the Realms." He hurried to fly beside her, smiling as he gently reached out and took her paw in his own. Violet eyes sparkled kindly at her. "Ready?"

"Then here we go." It was not af rightening trip really, but Talagand could see how it could be a bit of a shock for someone on their first time through. It was a bit disorienting, loosing sight of where you were and not yet seeing where you were going in the glowing magical swirls of the portal. But then you could see it, the green grass cut across by a stone wall. The wall of Gambino. Keeping hold of Aiko's paw, the Seraphim male fluttered his wings faster eager to get through the portal and towards home.

((yes... I totally pulled that out of my... ^_^ ))

Tal chuckled. "As far as we've been able to tell, it's simply the boundary of the lands claimed to be 'ruled' by the Gambino family... or just that family's need to make something big and impressive. Some personalities are like that." He nuzzled Aiko lightly and led her along the wall and to the south-east. "We don't have much connection with the human towns here, really. Some of us more than others. Trelweny has visited the Gambino Mansion in the past however. Before I was born, when there were far less of us than there are now."

They continued down the wall, passing a crumbled hole in the impressive expanse as they went.

"Yes. They can be. And maybe there are more silly humans than otherwise, but I know there are silly kitsu too." His tails flicked behind him thinking about it. "In any species probably."

They reached the end of the wall and could see a great lake spread out before them. "Bass'ken Lake." Talagand informed her, tails wagging. "We'll save a trek around, if you think you have the stamina to fly over." He nodded lightly to the woods on the far side, where a path could just be made out as a gap within the trees. If one looked hard enough over the horizon of water that was. Were they standing, all they would see would be the lake.

He should have expected as much. Laughing Talagand took off after her, skimming to the side so he could watch her 'trail' upon the water. However ti was natural for him to worry about Aiko. As natural as breathing since he found her egg, cold and alone. But you don't have to shelter her. He tried not to.

Reaching the far end of the lake Talagand actually landed. With the new stepables path, he was curious to smell the scent given off by the small white blossoms beneath his paws. Trotting along, he headed onto the path. a faint & delicate aroma puffed from beneath his paws from the flowers underpaw. flowers of every season lined the wagon rutted path -the ruts themselves filled with the white flecked ground cover as well. "Shells... Amaryllis has been busy."

So wonderful... "I should have brought you here a long time ago, Aiko." He trotted casually down the path, pausing sometimes for the different whiffs of the flowers that lined it. "Try to only step on the covering's flowers, little love. Amaryllis does not take well to her other plants being damaged." And the family rouses to her cry almost more than any others. As if because she draws out the protective nature in everyone.

"Well I guess I should listen to you more often." His violet eyes danced. Talagand was sure the female could be trusted with the flowers but it would have been too late for the warning after. And Aiko was so wonderfully playful...

They neared the house and a pair of pink tipped, pink lined ears perked behind some spinach in the side yard, then returned to normal. Then a separate pair of ears -longer & thinner & purely white- popped up, followed by a small round head with small dark eyes. The rabbit 'spotting' Talagand smiled, then nodded a welcome, nudging his ward. "Welcome back, Tal. You've been missed." The cit's head came up slowly, blue within blue eyes blinking softly in her white face above two little green leaf markings upon her cheeks. Then she smiled, light touching her eyes. "Talagand!!"

Amaryllis nearly ran from the side vegetable garden to the front where the roses, phlox, amaryllis, & creeping flowers grew. Then she stopped, wide-eyed seeing the other seraphim before her kitsu 'brother'. The young cait blinked, then smiled softly. Her pink tipped paws damp with earth she placed together in front of her and Amaryllis bowed her little head politely. The action displayed small pink veined faerie wings upon her back. "Sweet water to you, friend of Talagand. Would you be the Aiko of whom he tells us?" Coming up behind Aiko, the harper blushed faintly. "Good to see you both too. Aiko, this is Amaryllis and her familiar, Peter."