Welcome to Gaia! ::

Most of the blue-haired water elves were gathered around the harbour, though there were a few in the city as well. They were the rarest of all elf types in the city, but their unusual hair colour helped to make them quite visible for anyone who was really looking for them.

Most of them were busy mending fishing nets or moving crates, and a few of them were tending wooden spears and weaving thin ropes.


By the time the mers found the water elves, the other large group had arrived at Luk's house. Luk's family was brimming with excitement, to the point where even Jasmine - shy and quiet Jasmine - was bouncing in a manner reminiscent of her younger sisters.

"... after our parents disappeared, I eventually settled out here," Luk was explaining as they made their way up the path towards his house. "And of course I've been gone for a few years, so it's probably all growing over by now."

River and Jess were looking around eagerly, and at Luk's last comment, they exchanged a glance. "It looks to me like someone's been taking very good care of it," Jess commented in accented Common Tongue. It was not his first language, though he was pretty good at speaking it.

He was right, too: the yard was very neatly kept, the branches pruned away from the house, and the ivy that crawled over the walls was of a neat and even thickness.

Luk was as surprised as Jess and River. "Huh ... I wonder who did that," he mused.

Three of the water elves turned from their work and stared at the mers. Their eyes were aqua coloured, and very disconcerting to look at: they were not white behind the irises, but pale blue, almost a misty turquoise. They made no effort to hide their curiosity as they looked at them.

"Settlement?" one of them repeated at last, a tall, slender man with white skin. "I don't believe we know what you're talking about."

"Kilemtor?" suggested another, a young woman whose skin seemed to be the colour of water, a clearish kind of blue.

The third, a man with sharply angled features, clicked his tongue. "That's clear on the other side of the continent," he said softly. "Half a year's journey."



Luk glanced at Lin. "The only one I can think of who might ... well, it's been a long time since anyone's had word ..."

Suddenly he spotted a ring of flowers around some of the trees that had not been there before, and he tilted his head thoughtfully. "Unless ..."

The wrinkles of confusion vanished from the faces of all three water elves' faces, and they smiled.

"Somewhere to stay is much easier," said the woman. She motioned towards the waterfront. "It's free. Go where you wish."

"It sounds like they're looking for a building of some sort," the angular-faced man suggested then. He looked at the three. "A boathouse, if that suits you. They're kept empty at night, aside from the boats; you could sleep in mine, for that matter."



Luk glanced at Lin. "I ... well, I can't be sure. She didn't come with her family to greet us, so I don't know if she would care enough to keep my place up while I was gone."

"Senator Cantor's daughter?" Arthael asked curiously. She hadn't missed the way Luk had been disappointed at someone's absence back when the senator had greeted them.

Luk nodded, then shrugged. "I guess we'll find out eventually. Come on, let's go inside. There's good fresh water to drink in there."

The taller blue-haired man was watching Naida curiously. No one who didn't look like them was ever interested in the water the way she seemed to be.

"Are you looking for something?" he asked her, joining her at the edge of the dock.



The windows of the house were all wide open, which let in a lot of light, and the kitchen was well illuminated. The counter, table and floor were immaculately clean, and there were fresh flowers in a vase in the center of the table.

"Watch, my blanket will be freshly washed, too, at this rate," Luk quipped, heading to a cupboard for some glasses for his guests.

From a door in the corner of the kitchen came a noise, and Luk paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Someone's here ..."

The man chuckled softly. "Well, the fish are not usually this close to land, especially the fast ones. They are further out, at least as far as your ship there." He gestured towards the Zephyr. "If you're looking for a race, though, the water elves are usually eager for challenges. There are some children further up the beach, if you want to talk to them. The rest would all be working at this time."


Luk nodded at Miyuki. He rather agreed, since he knew that it was overall a very safe city, and he could imagine someone entering his house for no other reason.

"Hello," he called out, heading over towards the other room.

Almost immediately, a voice shouted, "Trespassers! Thieves! Get out of here, out right this min-"

A tall woman with dusky skin and long hair the colour of rust had appeared in the doorway, and she had cut herself off when she'd spotted Luk. She stared at him now, her green eyes wide with disbelief.

"You're ... back!" she exclaimed. She darted forward, crossing the space between herself and Luk in a matter of three steps and threw her arms around him ... and burst into tears.

Luk looked to be quite at a loss. "Uh ... Lily ..."

Suddenly the woman pushed herself away from him and slapped him soundly across the face. "Seven years!" she shrieked. "Not so much as a goodbye, I'll be back, nothing! Not a word!"

"Lily-"

"My own father didn't say a word, and he was one of the ones who told you to go! I had to find out from Anatu-"

"Lily-"

"So off you went, gallivanting around the world to who-knows-where and leave me behind to worry about you, having night-terrors that you would disappear like your parents did-"

"LILY!"

The woman, red-faced, stopped shouting and glared at him, tears streaking her cheeks.

Further up the beach, there were three children - two girls and one boy, all about fourteen or fifteen years old - playing together in the surf. The boy had bright blue hair, while both girls had hair that was paler blue in colour, with tinges of what looked like a tealy green. The girls were chasing after the boy, who seemed to be trying to keep something away from them.


The woman blinked and looked at Miyuki as if seeing her for the first time. Her already red face grew redder, and she wiped the tears away with the backs of her hands.

"I'm sorry, no ... forgive me," she murmured, sniffling slightly. "I ... I didn't realize ..."

Luk smiled and moved next to Lily and put one arm around her shoulders. "It's all right. You're right, I should have told you. Though in my defense, I was a bit stunned, and in quite a hurry."

"Perhaps some introductions are in order," Arthael commented softly.

The woman named Lily looked at Arthael when she spoke, and her eyes grew wide. For a moment, speech failed her, and then she turned and looked back up at Luk, who just grinned at her.

As Naida grew closer, the shouts of the children became clearer.

"Give it back!" one of them laughed, making a running leap for the item the boy was holding high above his head.

"Dwr!" the other squealed, sounding more irritated than the other. "Come on, you're going to break it!"

High above his head, the boy was holding a conch shell. Rather than having the usual buffed pearl and peach shine, the shell was a bright blue with a green buff.


At last, Lily seemed to recover her ability to speak. "By all that lives and breathes, you can only be the daughter of Elysia and Leontis ..." she breathed in awe. "What is your name?"

Arthael smiled. "Arthael. And you, clearly, must be Lily, daughter of Senator Cantor."

Lily blushed hotly. "Yes, forgive me. And the rest of you ...?"

Luk chuckled and introduced the others, explaining how they were all related as well.

Andarien remained silent, content to observe, until at last he couldn't contain himself anymore.

"Lily, are you in love with Luk?" he asked bluntly, but sincerely.