Treading lightly through the blue-tinged grass, he stopped when a lake wide and calm like a perfect mirror came into view. Slipping off his boots, he took a deep breath before falling in. As the waters of the lake embraced him, he opened his eyes. It had been years, decades since he had been in Vila Lake. It was a wonder how time could fly. Drifting down, he saw the city down below. With his boots in hand, he allowed himself to continue sinking downward. It was so easy to swim here, for both merfolk and land-dwellers alike. Sirens with their gossamer fins and shining scales darted to and fro, exchanging greetings with him as they swam past. He remembered some of them: Margaret, Meridia, Darya–to name a few. Entering through the side gate carved from mother-of-pearl, he came up from a small pool onto the smooth stone floor. He spent the next hours reconnecting with old faces and learning new ones. Not many visitors came by lately as the witches and forest enchantments made finding the lake more challenging. One of his old friends Jacintha was there to welcome him. 

"Gerard, good to see you again. Did you lose your way through the trees? I haven't spoken with you in ages." They embraced, a rare show of familiarity and friendliness from the nokken. The siren had known him before he had begun living on land, back when he was young and alone. Jasumin used to be more lively in the past, before most of the water nymphs and merfolk left for new waters. "It seems time has washed away my memories of the area. I don't remember the witches having their huts so close to the lake's outskirts." He looked to the side apprehensively, at which Jacintha reassured him: "She isn't here today, relax. You'd notice if it wasn't so quiet around here. We have quite a bit of catching up to do. Have a seat, I'll bring you some mint and lemon tea." When it was time to part, she handed him a small parcel wrapped in a piece of silk. Inside was a beautiful pin, made with silver set with pearls and crystal. It was perfect as a lapel pin, or as a decorated clasp. The time he had spent felt so short today.

Back on the lake's surface, he floated on his back looking up at the sky through Feeorin's enchanted haze. Basked in an eternal twilight and phosphorescent blue, the magic f the fey was strong. The air here was soothing, like a calming stupor in comparison to Jasumin's idyllic fields of gold. Turning over, he looked down into Lake Vila's depths trying to make out the outline of the sirens' city. If he could, he would stay here for a decade or two. Eventually he would have to return across the turbulent Nyella to the Highland estate he called home, but that could wait. The nokken wanted to steep himself like a satchel of tea in a kettle of cold water. Closing his eyes it was as if all his worries were drifting away. From above, it looked like a body was bobbing up and down on the lake surface. Not that it would be out of place here, where almost everything could and would kill you.

It was sorta fun acting like she had no way of protecting her. Wild white hair flew everywhere as she trampled the blue forest floor. The sunlight that peeked through gave her dark skin a gleaming look like glitter almost. Her wings made colorful pictures on the floor as sunlight filtered through them. She gave heavily elevated breaths to simulate that she was scared.

The towering humans, of average size she noted, were chasing after her. “Come here you bitch we’re going to sell ya wings for money.” Fairy hunters were common in Feeorin. They thought they knew the forest. They thought they were prepared for the creatures that lurked. They had no idea that fairy wings cost so much because it was so dangerous.

Violet eyes looked back and she imitated fear. “No, please not my wings! They are precious to me!” Such a good actress. “Please! I’ll do anyt– What?” She came to a grinding halt as she saw a body in a river.

“Are you daft you dumb fairy you can–” They began to scream now as they were stuck in a vortex of wind.

“Hush, stupid filthy forest stompers. You know… There are easier ways to kill yourself in Feeorin,” it was more of an amused jest as she summoned a broom and lightly poked at the man in the water. “You must be enchant blooded if you can sit there like that.” She finally got enough of the screaming and released the men. “I’m done with you… No longer are you amusing… Please be gone your screams are agitating my poor ears.” Her elvish ears twitched lightly at the new found silence.

“We’re not going to leave until we get yo—”

There was energy built up in the broom and she was fast as she hit all three men with enormous strength. “That’s a record!” she watched as the men flew up into the trees. "NOW GET OFF MY TREES FILTHY HUMANS! Ya dirty up everything you touch." The broom disappeared and she put her hands delicately on her hips. She was wearing a soft purple dress with gold details, definitely nobility from the looks of it. There were large and small purple roses and lilies that were intertwined up and down her hair.

Gerard was in his swimming costume, and at first he thought a particularly cheeky siren had tried poking him with a reed before swimming off. Eventually the peaceful stillness he was enjoying had been disturbed and he rolled over to see who had prodded him so. He poured water out of his ears as he swore he heard the sound of screaming on the wind. There was a girl standing there, hands on her hips. She seemed like someone who lived here, from her head to her feet. The delicate wings were a dead giveaway. A long silence followed until he looked at her quizzically. "…Did you just poke me in the back?" His waterlogged hair clung to the sides of his head like damp sea grass. His nicer clothes were stowed in a concealed cache partially buried in the ground under a bush, a little secret he had found back when he first came to visit Vila. 

Now right-side up, he crossed his arms while holding onto his boots. He wasn't too concerned; they were the pair he used when working in the vineyard. The couldn't be more of opposites appearance-wise. The girl was petite with silvery hair, rich dark complexion, and flowers adorned her long tresses. The nokken's short black locks, lighter skin, swimmer's build, and black swim suit made him the one who stood out more. Having soaked enough, he came up out of the water and began meticulously wringing out his hair. Turning his boots upside down he shook out the remainder of the lake water that didn't run out earlier. As he did so, he was trying to figure her out. Using a bit of hydromancy, he removed the excess moisture from his boots and flicked the water back into the lake. He began drying off his swim suit next.

"Where is that noise coming from? I could've sworn there was shouting." Were the witches starting a catfight again? It wouldn't be a surprise if that was it. 

Talise stared at the man for a long time. It was obvious he was an older soul, it was his eyes that spoke to her. Whether that meant just as a personality type or if he really was older she didn’t know but she gave him a smile the best she could. “Would you rather I poked you in the crack your mama gave you? Not that I mind, of course, it would be unfitting of a lady but if it made you more comfortable…” She made a face that she was just joking.

She stood there in silence and fluttered her wings when she was bored. However, she was patient as she waited for him to speak first after their initial encounter. “Fairy hunters. They were here killing our young and taking their wings for mages in Iria again. I made sure they got the message that they were allowed here anymore.” Her voice had a lot of threat to it as she looked back at the trees. “I’ll kill them if they do it again, I don’t give second threats.”

Just a moment more and she pushed herself a bit closer to the taller man, quite taller actually he had over a head on her now. “My name is Talise. You must be of the magical sort being able not to drown like that. I’ve seen many your kind in my centuries of life.” She was being kind for now, she was tired that could be seen from her eyes. She had used up a lot of magic making sure to hide young ones as she ran.

“I don’t know if they will come back but I was able to hide the Fir Family from them… They live in the trees as tiny sylphs. They would have been easy pickings for such greedy humans… Would you help me keep watch over them? Humans shouldn’t come here… They are destructive and rude.”

"…Touché." Admittedly, he wasn't expecting her to make that kind of remark. Her frank yet saucy retort was refreshing, and it was enough to make him crack a smirk. She had a touch of mettle in her, he liked that in people. She then went on to explain what the sounds he had heard were. Fairy hunters. He wasn't particularly familiar with them, due to spending most of his time on the coasts. He himself had no wings and looked no different from a human otherwise. These hunters were no better than the average slavers or cutthroats, like the fishers who caught sharks only for their fins. The heartless brutes! Even as dangerous sharks were, did they ever know what happened when they threw the still-breathing, bleeding bodies into the water? They either bled to death, or were eaten alive by their own kin.

"Heartless monsters. No better than common murderers." Gerard set his lips into a hard line, arms crossed. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Talise. You are quite observant. Indeed, it as you say. I am Gerard di Vervaine, however just 'Gerard' will do." He went over to the cache box to retrieve his clothes, and began putting on his fitted trousers and shirt. Straightening the collar, smoothing out the wrinkles, and having his shirt fully buttoned; he then put on his black overcoat. Dress shirt aside, he was wearing all black. The embroidery on the cuffs and lapels were simple but elegant. Nothing too ostentatious. It was clear she must had been using whatever means she could to draw the hunters' attention away from the other fairies. It took more than just cleverness and tenacity to pull off such a feat. 

He nodded a yes when Talise asked him to keep the family of sylphs safe. "You needn't ask again. Of course I'd be more than willing to. It doesn't matter why they are here, kidnapping and brutality have no place here. And I certainly won't stand for letting a group of armed brutes harass those simply living their lives." The last notes of his words bore the sting of spite. People like them wouldn't just stop at ripping off wings. If the forest and witches didn't stop them, they'd move onto ravage Vila. For all of Feeorin's dangers, they were the land's form of self-defense. And if the hunters chose to return, he would make an example out of them.

“Please, the pleasure is all mine. I wish it was under better circumstances.” She offered a sad smile to him as they talked about the state of affairs in Feeorin. “You have to be observant to live a long time. The dumb die young.” There was grim chuckle from her lips. “I suppose since you gave me your full name I shall give you mine, Talise Rose. Beautiful Water is the meaning of my name.” She gave him a graceful little bow.

“My father died to fairy hunters centuries ago, he put me in a tree where someone came and saved me. I know what it's like for the little sylphs to be scared.” She made her way to a tall tree. “It’s alright now you know.”

Talise held out her arms and three very small sylph children came out. “Miss Talise we’re really scared.”

“Yeah, they were going to kill us weren’t they,” they were filled with sniffles and tears. For once Talise’s rather stoic face softened and she pulled them up so she could kiss each of their heads. “You are alright. Mr. Gerard and I are going to take care of you until we get to your parents… You have nothing more to fear.” The three little sylphs looked over at Gerard and nodded before they buried themselves into Talise’s rather modest bust.

“They are very young, they got separated from their parents when the hunters came.” Talise blew a bit of wind down at the triplets and looked back up at Gerard. “They can’t hear us now. I worry that their parents are already gone… We should make haste to see if they are alright… If not, I will have to find a foster family to take them. They are too young to be off on their own…”

He kept quiet, allowing his silence to be his agreement. It was difficult for him to do otherwise; he had never known what it was like. To be frank, he wasn't even sure if he had a childhood. All he could remember when he reached as far back as he could, was swimming in the ocean around the northwest side of the Baltil Mountains. No memories of family, no memories of home. He didn't even know when he had been born, or who had borne him. He swam in the currents, living life no different from the fish in the sea until he eventually made his way to Jasumin Lake. From there he had met the water nymphs and merfolk who became the closest thing to a 'family' he would have. His memories were clearer from that point forward. Gerard watched as Talise comforted the little sylph children. He did his best to smile as she reassured them. 

Soon enough the subject was moved to finding the children's parents. "Let's go. Do you know where they might be? At best I can track the hunters by sound, but unless I know the tone and pitch of the sylphs' voices I fear there's not much more I can do outside of normally searching." It was frustrating how limited his ability to help seemed. If it had been another, they could perhaps use dowsing or other means of precise location. With the number of magical creatures in the forest, it would be difficult to narrow things down. The exception were the hunters, as they were the only thing causing discord in an otherwise cohesive harmony. Seeing the little ones looking expectantly at him, he couldn't show any sign of unease or uncertainty. He put on a brave face. Bluffing was almost second nature for someone who had to rely on words and persuasion.

Almost mother like was her hold onto the tiny children in her arms. Her violet eyes had turned to a soft purple, almost like the edges of an iris’s petal. It was almost odd walking at Gerard’s side, she was used to the fair folk here but she was reminded of just how small she was whenever she went home or even met someone like him. Her white hair swayed as she walked and she used some of her loose curls to entertain the small children she held. “No, I am afraid that I came across the children after they had been split up.”

Tilting her head she thought about it. “We could start at where I found them… Maybe there was a point of separation near by. Please do not beat yourself up too much if this becomes a long normal search. I understand what it's like to not be able to figure this out… My sense of smell is more heightened than most and I would be able to find them if only I had met them beforehand.” She offered a solemn smile before looking back down at the tiny sylph who were blissfully unaware.

Getting back to the point where she had found the tiny beings she showed him the bush they had been in. “It’s a nettle bush but they were small enough and smart enough not to get hurt in it. I would bet that their parents aren’t much bigger than I am or even smaller.” One of the sylph children had wrapped herself up in Talise’s hair and fallen asleep like it was a blanket. “They have no idea…” The words left her lips as her eyes stayed glued to the children now. “How lucky they were… and the impending heartache if we cannot find their parents.”

Her lip twitched a bit down into a frown. “I was lucky because my mother is not from Feeorin. They will not be so lucky if the worst is to be found.” She felt so bad for them as her eyes turned back up to Gerard. “The scent of the hunters is all over, I bet I could follow it to where their parents might have been… If they got away we can at least get to the end of the trail.”

It must have been obvious that he was upset, as Talise was quick to address his concerns. But thankfully Talise did have a few starting points from which they could begin their search. It was a long walk when she stopped at a large nettle bush. With their size, it was lucky of them to have hidden here. But if Talise hadn't been there and the hunters had, he doubted the bush's thorns would have deterred them. The sylph children were asleep and resting so peacefully that it lit a fire in his heart when he thought of how anyone could bring themselves to hurt them. If their search wasn't successful, they would have to face the hard truth. It wasn't fair, the little ones didn't deserve to suffer like this.

There were no obvious signs of where any larger sylphs might be. Slowly breathing in to calm himself, when Talise offered to track them by scent he agreed. "Yes, let us do that. In a situation like this they would naturally want to be as far away as possible to avoid being spotted." He drew a compact, dark dagger with a purple hilt from his overcoat. Looking to Talise he explained. "–In case if we should run into said hunters on our way there." There were children present, he reminded himself. He had to keep himself together. Feeorin was filled with poisonous plants and potential hiding places, but a slash from a blade or flicker of flame would render that natural defense useless. Focusing his ears he listened for anything out of the ordinary. Running, sounds of a struggle, shouts, anything that might clue him in on the hunters or other fairies.

Towering over Talise, he placed his hands behind his ears as he did so. What was that adage again? 'Hope for the best and prepare for the worst', was what he was thinking of. For the time being, they would keep their hopes up unless it was disproved. He wasn't sure if they would even find the parents, but he wanted to be wrong. When he could find nothing, he looked down at the petite fairy. "I will follow after you."
'

The little half fairy could tell she brought at least some comfort to Gerard. She could read people rather easily, at least thanks to her age and how many people she had met over her lifespan. She was so dead set on saving those children and hopefully finding their parents, she could tell that Gerard was too. They needed to find their parents alive.

“I imagine that they would have gone as far away as they possibly could from the children in hopes to keep the children safe.” That was what a good parent would do, that was what her father had done. She looked at the purple dagger and nodded a bit. “That is a good idea, as long as I am holding them like this I can’t use any magic.” She could fly away and get them cover but she imagined the hunters would have something to bring her down without a problem. “Flying will be useless if they have crossbows…” She mused to Gerard.

Talise nodded towards Gerard as she took him deeper into the jungles of Feeorin. She pointed her nose to the wind and beckoned him to follow her. After a while, they came across a tiny trail of blood. “This is fresh and fey blood.” She wrinkled her nose a bit. “The good thing is… That it is still fresh so there is a chance they are still around here somewhere. Let’s try and follow it, see if we can’t find at least something. I am worried now more than I was before.”

Her eyes were sad now as she held the children closer to her. “If we are lucky they are just wing poachers. If we can find the bodies, I know healing magic. They won’t have much of a life but at least they will live and the children will have their parents.” It was what she hoped for in the deepest pits of her heart.