Gaia stood facing the ocean in the early afternoon. It had taken her about 2 days to reach the sea and she wasn't in a mood for wasting time. Obviously Marina was in one of her 'I'm beautiful so wait for me' moods.
"Marina this isn't funny, hurry up!" a gentle breeze brought to her the smell of the sea, one she hadn't smelled in a long time. Gentle waves touched the shore and left again, gulls flew around the hidden cove. Gentle waterfalls fell from the surrounding cliffs and Gaia waited impatiently in the white sand. "Ok, if that is how you want it fine," she said. Closing her eyes, she pointed her index fingers at the sand below her. Two small vines appeared and grew. Gaia opened her eyes and pointed a finger toward the sea. Obeying her command, both vines slithered toward the sea foam and disappeared under the calm surface. The reaction was almost instantaneous, a violent splash happened in the middle of the bay, a few seconds later a tall, slim figure stepped out of the ocean, the waves moving for her to pass.
She wore a long necklace made out of shell, pearls and metals that reached her waist and a whitish blue skirt that seemed to be made out of the sea foam itself. Her waist long hair immediately dried when her bare feet touched the sand. She had ocean blue eyes and her once blond hair was streaked with blue and sea green highlights. Her skin was tanned and her hair was wavy.
"You didn't have to do that," Marina told her somewhat irritated.
"I've been waiting for the past hour Marina, I don't have all day," she said calmly. She called the vines back with a wave of her hand, and these disappeared under the sand.
"Still...Ok then, what is sooo urgent that you can't wait to tell me?" Marina said impatiently.
"I need you to go get Aysh Ra, we have to talk." the water witch smiled.
"Your joking right? No. Definitely no. She is going to roast me if I drop by for a friendly talk, she's still upset about..."
"Sorry Marina, you'll work it out. There is an underwater entrance and I have to go get Vyndi, I know you won't walk two days into mainland to reach her."
"But...Gaia...I... why?!" she said in a pleading tone.
"Because it's time, and we have to do this fast."
"What! Are you crazy! We don't stand a chance against him yet...and it's still too early..."
"I know, but we have no choice in that matter, and we do have a chance. A slim one, but a chance nonetheless." Gaia looked at her old friend and smiled with the confidence she did not have.
"Marina we have to, you know time ran out the minute that girl walked into my house. We have to help her."
There was a long silence between them. Marina had a doubtful expression on her face when she finally looked at Gaia.
"Fine, guess we should go to him before he comes to us...If I make it back from Aysh Ras' I'll do it."
"Thanks Marina, it'll come out alright, you'll see."
"Why am I not so positive is that aspect? Oh, maybe because I'm going to go now to a fiery paradise where I am not wanted!" she said sarcastically.
"Ah, c'mon, Aysh Ra can't still be that upset about that, and besides she better get over it if we are going to work together. Tell her I sent you."
"Yeah, yeah, easy for you to say." She smiled her good-byes at Gaia and turned to face the ocean where she disappeared in gigantic splash.
"One down, two to go." Gaia said. She returned to her chariot and left the beach heading north.
******
Helen was having the time of her life. Not only was she treated like a princess, but she looked like one also. Her golden hair had been exquisitely braided by the agile hands of the wood nymphs. Her clothing, or at least what was left of it, had been changed and she now wore a silky garment similar to the one Gaia had been wearing days before. She had spent her days looking around the enchanted place and discovering new wonders around each corner. She now sat looking at a waterfall that splashed into a miniature lake inside on of the rooms. 'If only Daniel could see this!' was her constant thought.
Saria, on the other hand, had never been more miserable. She was constantly surrounded by tree fairies, who for some reason, where encouraging her mood greatly. There was nothing she could do but call every game they tried to play a draw because she was heavily out numbered. She ran into the room where Helen was at and hid behind her.
"Please! Tell them to leave me alone!" Saria begged looking up at Helen.
Helen looked in the direction Saria had come in time to see a few dozen greenish lights fly in. Helen personally found them enchanting little people. When not in flight, they looked like miniature humans dressed in fibers. She recognized the intense green glow in the leading fairy.
"Aria, haven't you had enough of torturing poor Saria for one day?" she asked them. All the fairies settled in the ground surrounding where Helen sat.
"She started it, she was the one that called us bark brains!" Aria told her glaring at Saria.
"Oh really," Helen said looking at Saria behind her. "Were you?"
"I was only kidding, they're the squares that can't take a joke," Saria said rapidly.
They all act like a bunch of children, Helen thought, so I'll have to treat them as such.
"Ok then," she said to Saria, "tell them you sorry and don't do it again."
Saria began to glow white and blue. "Fine. I'm sorry ya happy?" she told the tree fairies bluntly.
"Enough for us!" Aria said with a grin on her face. They all then raised into the air and took off.
"You should try to be friends with them rather than insult them, Saria," Helen said watching them leave.
"I know...that's what everyone would want, but it's not that simple."
"Why not?"
"Because we are always competing! It's in our blood, we can't help it. We see each other as competitors rather that friends."
"Why can't you work it out?"
"Why can't you work out your problem with Deones?" Saria asked her, saying that she left the room. Helen thought about it for a long time.
******