⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The sun was just reaching its highest peak in the sky, soft white clouds floating past lazily. In the distance, Aiden could see the earth and brick walls of The Petite Nest, vines and wildflowers competing to claim the small tavern for nature. As he came closer, he saw that there was no sign of the tall Meadow Elf waiting outside. Shrugging his shoulders, he figured the only other option was for him to be inside. Gathering up his courage, he knocked on the heavy wooden door.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Barely a moment later, the door swung open, and the same fairy from the other night stood staring up at him, scanning every last inch of his form. With a nervous smile, he brushed his pale blue hair aside and gestured toward his pointed ears as he had done before, hoping the bouncer might remember. All he wanted at that time was to get inside and sit down, considering the weight of the overfilled satchel slung across his shoulder.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀After a few more seconds of awkward silence, the bouncer stepped out of the way. "Welcome back," he said rather unenthusiastically. "Oh, and your friend is over there. He told me to let you know." The small fairy nodded his head in the direction of a round table in the far corner of the room. Sitting there was Terrence, his hands folded in front of him and his eye on the floor.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Thank you," Aiden replied as he made his way over the the back end of the bar. Drawn out of whatever temporary trance he was in, Terrence glanced up and noticed the half-nymph coming his way. With a friendly smile on his face, he waved enthusiastically and patted the seat next to him with an outstretched hand.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Glad you made it alright!" the Meadow Elf chuckled as Aiden plopped down onto the wooden stool next to him, letting out a sigh of relief.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Same t-to you," Aiden breathed, tugging at his satchel strap. "And I'm glad to be sitting d-down," he added with a laugh.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, that bag of yours looks a bit on the heavy side. What all did you bring? Your whole house?" Terrence questioned jokingly.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rolling his eye at him, Aiden responded, "Actually, I pretty much just brought some clothes and my j-journal. You know, for r-research purposes and all. Can't forget that."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ooo," the elf muttered, his eye lighting up with interest. "That's honestly so cool, that you log everything you find out. See, with my flowers, I kind of just have to remember how to care for each of them. I just commit it to memory, never write anything down. That's probably not such a good idea now that I think about it..." His voice trailing off, he shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, I can always try to keep a journal in the future, right?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Heh, yeah. I'm sure you'll f-find it especially helpful on super stressful days. It'll remind you not to water your plants with nectar."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀With a blank look on his face, Terrence responded, "You know, I've actually done that before one time." Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, he explained, "It was when I first hit the right age to drink nectar, actually. I guess I took it a little overboard and was too tipsy to notice." Shaking his head, he laughed at himself for a moment. "I remember pretty clearly, those plants looked more alive than I'd ever seen them just for that night, and when I woke up in the morning, they were all shriveled up!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, goodness." Aiden tried to hold back his laughter, but the moment the Meadow Elf cracked up, so did he. They were sitting there cackling for nearly a minute, and by the time they stopped, they both had to catch their breaths. Aiden had even started to cry from laughing too hard. "So," the half-nymph started, wiping a tear from his eye, "w-what did you pack for the trip?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Glancing at the large brown sack sitting in front of his feet, Terrence shrugged his shoulders. "Same thing as you, just about. I've got some clothes, some stuff to cook with since I wasn't sure if you had any experience or not, some money just in case, and a few other things."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Looking from the bag, which was nearly as big as he was, back to the Meadow Elf, Aiden thought, 'I would propose to you right now if I had the guts...and a ring.' Trying his best not to blush, he cleared his throat. "Wow, you're really p-prepared for this, aren't you?" Smiling shyly, he added, "And you were right to assume that I c-can't cook, haha. So thank you for thinking about that while y-you were packing. You have genuinely saved m-my life."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's my pleasure," said Terrence, a warm smile on his face. Glancing curiously around the room, he quieted his voice before he said anything else. "Anyway, considering we've both checked off what we have in our bags, I think it's safe to say we can head out soon and search for any information on where to find a Hippocampus. What do you say?" The courageous, adventurous look on his face was absolutely intoxicating.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I s-say...let's get going!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Wonderful!" With that, Terrence practically shot up off of the bar stool, grabbing his bag and flinging it over his shoulder. He waited patiently as Aiden carefully slipped off of his own chair and pushed it under the table so no one would run into it. Then the two of them made their way out into the bright afternoon sunlight.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Terrence absentmindedly hurried ahead while the half-nymph struggled with the heavy satchel digging into his skin. Though it took a few moments, the elf finally noticed that Aiden was lagging behind and turned back, slowing the pace and walking right beside him. Letting out a pained groan, Aiden tugged at the satchel strap, stubbornly trying to find a more comfortable position for it across his arm. Unfortunately, no matter what method he tried, its grip only got tighter and rubbed at his sensitive skin even more relentlessly.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Watching with a concerned look on his face, Terrence held out his hand and offered to carry both of their bags. "It'd be no problem, really. I'd just rather you not keep hurting yourself, trying to carry all that weight."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Sighing in defeat, Aiden nodded his head. "Okay, as much as I'd h-hate for you to end up hurting yourself with my stuff, I'd hate that less than s-seeing you worried about me." Slipping the satchel over his head and off of his shoulder, he handed it to Terrence, who flung it over his own head.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"See? No problem at all!" Smiling brightly, the Meadow Elf led the way into town. It was a fairly small village, which meant everyone knew each other. In fact, just two minutes after reaching the road through the middle of numerous homes and shops, nearly five elves waved in Terrence's direction. He always called back with a cheerful greeting, or a quick "How's the family been lately?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Soon, a little tent shop came into view, the midnight blue and lilac fabric sparkling in the sunlight. A sign hung above the door in the shape of a crescent moon, a single jewel that represented a star reflecting every single color imaginable. A young Night Elf, maybe fourteen years of age, stood in front of the doorway, their arms crossed over their chest. When their icy blue gaze landed upon Terrence, a smile grew on their lips. Beckoning him over, they headed into the tent.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Looking at the tall Meadow Elf with a curious eye, Aiden tilted his head. The question went unspoken, but it was clear what he was trying to ask.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you. Sorry about that. We just need to make a quick stop here so I can pick something up! I'm kind of an insomniac, and it takes me a really long time to get to sleep. Even then, it's not guaranteed I'll rest easy. Vivien there is from the Somnum tribe up in the mountains. They specialize in making remedies for people who have trouble sleeping like me!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"That's really sweet," Aiden muttered, looking through the tent flap with an eager eye. "I'm glad they're around so you don't have to deal with minimal sleep every night."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nodding his head, Terrence chuckled happily. "Me too, bud, me too." Leading the way, he stepped inside the large tent. Inside, the fabric twinkled like millions of tiny stars in the faint golden light coming from a row of candles on the table in the center of the room. The table was covered in a dark blue cloth that mapped all of the constellations in the night sky, each one sewn from a pearlescent thread. Scattered across the table were numerous berries, leaves, and flowers, causing the air in the tent to smell strongly of lavender and chamomile. Suddenly, Vivien appeared from around the corner, a shiny blue bottle in their hands. A gentle smile on their face, they handed it to Terrence and gave him a quick hug.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Thank you so much, Vien. You're truly a lifesaver." Carefully wrapping the bottle with a bundle of his clothes, Terrence set it inside his bag before looking back at the young Night Elf. "And hey, you wouldn't happen to know any Ocean or Oasis Elves who search for rare marine life, would ya? I mean, I know how you like to get your name out there and make new friends."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rubbing their chin in thought for a moment, Vivien walked back and forth through the tent. Then, their icy eyes lit up as they lifted a finger into the air.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Ah, you do? That's great news! You were pretty much the only person I could think to check with."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rolling their eyes playfully at him, the Night Elf began to give Terrence the directions to find their friend in sign language. Aiden stood in the corner and watched as the two of them went back and forth, asking questions and clarifying certain issues.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"So then, that's an Ocean Elf just down the street past the old hickory tree? And they should know where we can find a Hippocampus?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Vivien nodded their head, smiled in Aiden's direction, and gave Terrence a final hug while forming the words "Good luck" with their delicate lips.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Chuckling, a bit overwhelmed, the tall Meadow Elf gave them a friendly pat on the back and headed over to where Aiden stood, still silently watching with keen interest. "Ready to go?" asked Terrence, readjusting the satchel strap over his shoulder.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nodding, the half-nymph replied, "Ready as I'll e-ever be." Once again, they made their way outside into the blinding afternoon sunlight. Searching for something to talk about, Aiden played with the flowing cerulean fabric of the shawl over his shoulders, wracking his brain. "Hm...So, I take it you and Vivien h-have known each other for a long time?" He looked up at Terrence, a curious look in his eye. He may not have shown it on the outside, but he admired how thoughtful the elf was. He wondered if there was a single person on earth that man wouldn't set everything else aside just to lend a hand to. The elf had already helped him out plenty — he brought him out of the cold and made him comfortable in his own home, he cooked him breakfast, he talked with him when no one else would, he agreed to help him find an elusive magical creature, and he carried his bag for him.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Smiling sweetly, Terrence shrugged his shoulders. "It's actually only been about five months since Vivien showed up in town. I don't know how much you know about elf traditions, but in a lot of tribes, the young are sent out into the world to discover their true calling once they reach the age of fourteen. Vien was practically all alone in a strange new village far from their home. I remembered feeling the same way when I first came out here, so I made a promise that I would be there for them. You know, to help them settle down and feel comfortable. In the end, it benefitted both of us — I helped 'em meet new people and gain some more business, and I don't have to deal with insomnia as much as I did before they arrived."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"That's so s-sweet of you, Terrence." Aiden already knew the man was practically a saint, but he didn't realize he was that heavenly.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Heh, it's no big deal, really. I'm just doing what I can to help the kid out."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀For a while, things were strangely quiet as the two of them continued to travel down the cobblestone streets. There weren't any more crowds jumbled in front of the shops, nor were there any other people going in the direction opposite of them. The whole forest seemed to be asleep until they came upon an old hickory tree, stretching high into the sky. There were hundreds of birds resting their wings on the numerous branches, it seemed, all of them whistling sweetly to form one hypnotizing melody.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Wow," breathed Terrence, staring up through the thick foliage. "I don't think I've ever seen this many birds in my entire life." Glancing back down to the road ahead of them, he continued, "Vivien said this is where we turn right, and then the house is straight down the path. Shouldn't be too long before we get there."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Tensing up slightly, Aiden nodded his head. "Oh g-goodness. I've never m-met an Ocean Elf. What if I say something or do s-something that upsets them? I'm terrible at making g-good impressions, and I'm so awkward w-with meeting new people. What if I—"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Aiden, you will be fine! Ocean Elves are generally really nice people! There's hardly a thing you could do to upset one of them! Besides," Terrence laughed, lightly hitting the half-nymph on the shoulder, "you did a pretty alright job meeting me for the first time, yeah?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Blushing lightly, Aiden shrugged his shoulders. "I g-guess so...but I had an advantage that time."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh yeah? And what advantage was that?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"The person I was meeting was too drunk to care about what I said...and what he said."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Gasping incredulously, Terrence broke into a fit of laughter. "Alright, alright, fair enough. You got me."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wide smiles on both of their faces, they continued down the street for a few minutes, admiring the beautiful forest scenery. The tall Meadow Elf would occasionally point out certain plants to the half-nymph, explaining how to care for them or where else they could be found growing. Aiden listened intently all the while, his ocean blue eye sparkling with interest. Soon enough, the road came to an end in front of a pale brick house. The windows were made of stained glass in hundreds of shades of turquoise, cyan, and sapphire. Sensing the half-nymph's returning tension, Terrence gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Taking in a quick breath, he knocked on the white wooden door.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀For a moment, not a single sound came from inside the small home. Then, just as the two of them were about to give up and walk away, they heard rustling and grumbling through the door. Not a second later, a woman in her late twenties opened the door, a confused look on her face.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Can I...help you two?" she asked, brushing a strand of her sandy brown hair behind her long ears.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Uh, hi! I'd hate to be a bother, but my friend Aiden here is hoping to find some information on how he might find a Hippocampus." He gestured towards the half-nymph, who smiled shyly and waved. "Vivien from the Dream Tent told me you might be able to help us."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Studying them curiously, she squinted her mint green eyes. "Alright, come on in." Turning and heading back inside, she motioned for them to follow behind her. She led them into a large living room, a few chairs made of bamboo gathered around a low table, seashells and pearly dishes adorning the surface. "Sit wherever you'd like. Oh, and I'm Lynn, just so you know."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Very nice to meet you, Lynn. My name's Terrence, and I've already introduced Aiden." Letting out a sigh, the Meadow Elf plopped down into one of the wooden chairs, followed by the half-nymph.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"So, you say you're both trying to find a Hippocampus, is that right?" The two of them nodded in unison. "Alright. Sure, I can help. But first, do you have anything to jot some stuff down? It's truthfully quite a lot to remember."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"O-Oh, yeah! Terrence, would you be a dear and grab my j-journal from out of my satchel? And one of my feather quills? And the ink b-bottle?" Quick as a whip, the Meadow Elf opened the bag and pulled out the large book, a quill, and the small jar of thick, blank ink. Handing it to Aiden, he looked back to Lynn with a mesmerized expression.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Okay, so...I'm sure you both know the tales of Hippocampus scales and their magical abilities, and I'd assume that's at least part of the reason why you're searching for one. Well, I'm happy to inform you that that is indeed true. Another rumor that's true? That they try their best not to show themselves to people like you and me. That's why you've got to know how to call one."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Call one?" Aiden interrupted, tilting his head. "I n-never knew you could call one."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, yeah," replied Lynn, nodding her head. "You simply need to do three things. You need to gather a daylily, a conch shell, and one item you hold near and dear to your heart." As she continued to explain everything, Aiden took meticulous notes in his journal, scribbling out some words and revising them over and over. "Also, the vast majority of them tend to inhabit the waters of the southern seas. It's much warmer there. If you've got all that down, I have complete faith that you can find one no problem." She smiled confidently at the both of them, tucking another stray strand of hair behind her ear.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Thank you so much for the helpful information, Lynn. If there's anything we could do to repay you in some way, just let us know." Terrence stood up from his comfortable seat and fumbled with his flowy clothing for a moment, looking at the Ocean Elf with an expecting expression.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Raising an eyebrow, a grin spread across her face. "Funny you should mention it. I've got just the thing." Beckoning for him to follow her, she stood and made her way into a small bedroom, just about every piece of furniture inside painted a shade of blue. Leading him over to a little workbench, she pointed to a cactus plant that had not yet flowered. "I got this prickly darling a few months ago from an Oasis Elf in a neighboring town, but I never bothered to check with her about the proper care for a midnight cactus. Considering you're a Meadow Elf, and I'd assume a knowledgeable gardener, I'd like to ask if you know anything about their proper care."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Chuckling lightly, Terrence nodded his head. "Oh, that I can do no problem. Hey Aiden, mind if I borrow a tiny bit of paper from your journal?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Shaking his head, the half-nymph replied, "No, no, n-not at all! Here you go..." Tearing a tiny piece off of the corner of the last page in the book, he handed it to the tall elf, as well as the feather quill and ink pot.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Leaning over the desk, Terrence began to scribble some notes down onto the slip of paper. "Alright, so, midnight cacti only need to be watered about once every two weeks, and instead of needing sunlight to grow, they need about four to six hours of moonlight as often as possible. That of course depends on the weather or the phase the moon is in at the time, so don't worry if you can't get any light on some days. Then of course, you just make sure the soil is healthy and clean."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Watching him write from over his shoulder, Lynn nodded her head, a thoughtful look on her face. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Moonlight for a midnight cactus. Wonder why I didn't think of that." Chuckling, she murmured, "Well, it wouldn't be the first dumb mistake I've ever made."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Straightening up again, Terrence handed the small slip of paper to her, replying, "We've all been there." Nodding in thanks, he gave the feather quill and ink pot back to Aiden, who set it gently in his bag in the living room. By the time he returned to the bedroom, the two elves had struck up a friendly conversation.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"So, Vivien sent you here? How are they doing?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, really good! They've made a lot more friends and got a lot more customers! You know, I'm really proud at how far they've come. Really warms my heart."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Heh, yeah. Let me tell you something, I left my tribe when I was only twelve. I was such a stubborn kid and I just wanted to get out into the world and start searching for those magical sea monsters. Big mistake. I nearly got eaten maybe a dozen times the first few months. Of course I can't say I didn't enjoy it a tad, being a bit of an adrenaline junkie."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I can definitely see you as an adrenaline junkie. Still, I'm not sure I can say I would enjoy nearly being eaten,"  he laughed.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀As the two of them continued to chat, Aiden glanced curiously around the comfortable bedroom. The walls were hand painted with murals of all sorts of fish and colorful seashells, forming a wonderful ocean environment indoors. Across the room on a small table, he noticed a sparkling glass bowl with something moving around on the inside. Curiously, he inched his way over to that corner of the room and peeked through the glass. Swimming around in the bowl was a gorgeous betta fish, its scales ranging in color from cream to turquoise to sky blue.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh, I see you've found Celeste over there," Lynn called, noticing the half-nymph hovering over the small tank.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Jumping back slightly, Aiden whipped around and looked at her with a terrified look on his face. "O-Oh, was I not s-supposed to bother her? I'm s-so sorry, I wasn't aware..." He was startled when the Ocean Elf just broke into a fit of laughter. His expression turning from horror to confusion, he awaited an explanation.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh deary, I'm sorry if I frightened you! I don't mind at all if you admire my betta. I know she absolutely adores it!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"O-Oh..." His pale face going red, he wished he could just vanish and go back home at that moment. Noticing his discomfort, Terrence walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder, smiling apologetically.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're perfectly fine, Aiden. I quite frankly love it when anyone takes an interest in my fish." Beaming, Lynn slowly made her way over to join the two of them by the glass bowl. Pointing a finger at the small fish swimming through the clear blue water, she stated, "She's one of my favorites. See, she's got an opaque color that just reminds me of the sea. It's absolutely perfect for when I'm missing the sand and salt water."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Turning back towards the tank, Aiden studied the pastel colors of the betta fish. Raising his eyebrows in wonder, he muttered, "You're right. Her tail d-definitely reminds me of the waves."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Watching with a bright gleam in his eye, Terrence felt happy for the half-nymph. Although he walked into the house terribly intimidated by the Ocean Elf, he seemed to be getting much more comfortable talking with her now. He hated the thought of causing him stress, bringing him into a complete stranger's house to ask for such help, but now that Aiden was growing more relaxed, the Meadow Elf's worries were dissipating.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "Alright, well it's been a real pleasure meeting you, Lynn!" Gently nudging Aiden with his elbow, Terrence continued, "If you're ready to head out now, we could start our search for at least two of those three things we need to call the Hippocampus to us. The daylily should be no problem to find, the conch shell might cause a bit more trouble, and as for the third item...well, I guess we'll see once we get there, right? That's what makes it an adventure."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Nodding his head, Aiden gave Lynn a pleasant smile. "Guess that m-means he wants us to get going. It was really n-nice talking to you." A little embarrassed, he muttered, "Sorry I got really f-freaked out, though. I'm not the best with meeting new p-people. A-Anyway, if you ever want to talk again, I'd love to stop by!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "Oh, yes yes, please do come by again! I'd love to hear about your journey and whether or not you find a Hippocampus!" With a wink, she added, "And I'd like to hear what you did with that magic scale."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Grabbing both of their bags off of the living room floor and throwing them over his shoulders, Terrence held the door open as Aiden made his way outside, thanking Lynn a second time for giving them so much useful information.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "Good luck, you two! I wish you the best!"  she called as the Meadow Elf followed his friend back into the hot afternoon sun. The door shut behind them with a soft click.