Welcome to Gaia! ::

As she meditated, the world around her slowly started to fade out.

She found herself flying. She found that she was a great bird, with a great wingspan of gold and red feathers. Her chest was covered in golden red down, and her tail feathers had a pair of very nice peacock trailing blowing in the wind behind her. She felt free.

She was soaring over a grand grassland, full rolling hills covered in tall dry grass. Trees grew here and there.

She saw a path winding it's wayover and between the hills, and she saw someone walking along the path... They were a dot of red in a wide sweeping sea of gold and green...

Likewise Merlin bowed and smiled at them kindly, allowing Aimi to take Rakia from his arms to groom her child. The rest of their visit was filled with reminiscing, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. The scene faded with Merlin waving good bye to his friends as they sailed away on the boat.
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During the night Ratchet shifted uncomfortably clinging more and more to Silvia for protection. Just as he thought the odd dream was over with another randomly appeared afterwards...
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"No no no!!!" Merlin stated with anger to his pupil. "You have to feel the magic in your veins Rakia! Now...concentrate! Put your heart into the spell!"

Merlin and a now teen age kistune were out in the snowy back yard of his tower. He had created snowmen for her to use her magic spells on, and even though she was doing a good job, Rakia was still kind of sloppy. Merlin was a hard, but kind, teacher.

Her parents knew how harsh his training was and how hard of a teacher he was when they asked him to teach one of their children the art of arcane. Still he was proud of Rakia, she was a fast learner and had the drive to keep up with the spry old wizard. Out of all the pupils he had tried to train over the years, she was the only one that stuck by him.

"Yessss! That's it!" he praised. Walking over Merlin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Magic is all about feeling the element. Focus, let the element flow through you. Focus your power on the target." he commanded gently.

Stepping back he watched in surprise as the snowman was suddenly exploded with lightening. Laughing he looked over at his ragged pupil and smiled. "I think it's time for a break. Perhaps some tea and something to eat would suffice? What say you Rakia?" he asked with a smile.

It was amazing how quickly she had grown. Kistune grew fast and already he had felt like she was his adopted grand daughter.

It was a long time after that before they found all they could. The bodies on the shore were so many. Everyone was looking more exhausted by the time they were finished. And the sun was getting low. The current change had helped tremendously.
The crowd of sirens looked at the shore from the sea, waiting. Sybil was on one of the rocks, closest to the shore with her mother watching Rakia and her discuss what was to be done. Rakiahad spoken of a funeral pyre. Something that big could engulf the whole island.

Rakia, who had aided the effort with her magical control over currents, was now standing on the beach, in human form again. Her long nine tails were out; and the fox woman looked nearly heartbroken, while she looked out upon the bodies. She looked like she was about to burst out crying at any moment. But after a long moment she set her face and was stern. Sybil never saw someone look stronger then Rakia at that moment.

Looking to the sirens and the mermen, and to the queen, she spoke.

Who wishes to attend the funeral? She asked. Climb onto the sands and I will make you able to walk on land.

The queen swam forward and dragged herself ashore with no hesitation.

Sirens and mermen alike climbed ashore. Others stayed behind, not sure they wished to attend such a sad event. As Rakia watched them all, she closed her eyes and in a poof of smoke was a fox again. She stepped forward as the sirens crawled up onto the beach.

Thank you. She said, before stepping forward to climb upon the back of the great Pheonix who had landed before her. She climbed carefully and wrapped her arms firmly but gently around the Phoenix's neck.

Closing her eyes, she buried her face into the neck of the great firebird, as if the bird's warm, soft feathers could make the horrible visions go away...

Sybil pulled herself onto the beach with the others. The men that came would dry and return to the way they were but it was a rare gift to be granted legs. She was curious. She nodded to a few behind her when she made eye-contact, but did not speak otherwise.