Chapter 1

Spinglis da harei. Conference of sprites.

3995 A.C. (After Chaos)

“As you all know, the Middal River suddenly changed directions this yearaleer,” said Nitera, a mild-violet sprite. The clear, crisp ring of her childish voice matched the rising dawn, fitting for a lightling. “We suspectalect the god is up to something.” With her feet clenching a barnacle-covered rock, Nitera swayed like a weed at the center of a miniature archipelago.

The area sparkled with the colors of other sprites. In formality, all of them had metamorphosed to look like different little girls, floating with the wind under their yellow feathers, or shedding dirt on rocks, or poking their scaly blue heads out of the water. Some even grew pink suckers on their backs and anchored themselves to surrounding boulders. Yet to an outsider, they would have all looked like strange little girls gathered around their violet friend.

Nitera’s spindly feet flexed against the round central boulder as she spoke. “The god Ruwin has been traveling upadup and downalown the northern part of the Middal River, on the shores of which sudden fleeting cases of lavishness and hostility have occurred in Holes.” A Hole, in their tongue, referred to human cities.

“Webeedy know that!” shouted an airling from the far back. This induced a small ripple of giggles. They had all received the same message from Mother Earth.

Nitera puffed up her chest. “Well I’m here to discuss somethingading the sprites near the Middal River have discovered.” A random count of colorful heads nodded. Nitera bent down to touch her finger in the black water. “These bouts of greedaneed are like ripplesadimples, but instead of spreading like the ripplesadimples from my fingeralinger, they are shrinking toward a single Hole...” The sprites leaned in their heads. “ Lopus City. It is home to a troubledyobbled old king with two heirs to the throne. There’s a Temple there that worships... usabus.”

“Irooonic,” muttered a nearby illusionling, rolling her little scarlet eyes. Several around her mumbled their agreement. Humans were the children of evil.

“Two of usabus must investigate what Ruwin is doingading,” concluded Nitera, floating off the rock to take a look at everyone. Everyone shrank back and exchanged glances, including the sprites from near the Middal River. “Yesabless,” she agreed, “you’ll risk being hunted, which is whyabye you must disguise yourselves as humans.” This provoked an unhappy chitter-chatter among the others. Sprites did not fear death; they despised it.

A sapphire-blue waterling who had been staring at Nitera’s feet blew into the water, bubbling her words, “I’m b-b-b-boooored...”

Nitera looked down at her and smiled. “Shara! Thanku for volunteering.”

The water sprite shot a wide-eyed look up at Nitera. “No wait—” she said. The other sprites, however, shouted and cheered, “Caboogula, Shara! Caboogula! Caboogula!” Nitera had probably misunderstood.

A few silver sprites pointed at Shara and lifted her out of the water, twirling her in the air. “Butawut! But...” Shara sighed in defeat. Deciding to take it in stride, Shara held her hands over her head and began nodding. The spinning became even more nauseating. “Thanku. Thanku, thanku...” The twirling stopped, and the silver psychics set her on a barnacle-covered bolder, making her wince. “Thanku thanku! I would like to invite Fia to join me on this questabest.”

Floating midair behind them all, a small dandelion-yellow airling squeaked, “What?” She, too, was bombarded with Caboogula’s and carried through the air to the center of the meeting. Taking a furious look at Shara, she crossed her arms and waited for orders.

Shara grinned at her best friend. “I guessabless we’re readysteady. Find outabout what Ruwin is up to, rightabright? Fia, let’s gogo.” She jumped into the water and poked her head above water to look. The yellow airling was still waving goodbye to the dispersing council and listening to Nitera’s whispers in her ear.

Fia’s skin shone a warm dandelion yellow, and she sported a short skirt of straight saffron hair. Mildly shaded like the sun, the hair gleamed when she turned to face Shara. “Guess what! Nitera says I can teach youbulu air sprite tricks, and youbulu can teach me to be a water sprite!”

The waterling pouted. “Can we gogo now please?”

“As long as you learn to be like each other,” said Nitera. And watch outabout for spiesalies.”

This struck an unhappy chord in both Fia and Shara, and they quietly headed south with a murderous faction on their minds.

---

A/N: This is a recut, a fourth version of my prelude to the travels of Morin. Thanks to King Kuranes for encouraging me to continue this prelude!