Within a full moon cycle of being told, the four contributors had all arrived. Maleo came first. His clear, white wings were much faster than walking, not to mention he could create air currents to push him along at faster speeds. Hawthorn arrived second, only a few days after Maleo. The Celestial Mother stopped by after a quarter moon cycle, with Tellin waiting nearby, to see who had arrived. After supplying both of them with a few fish and pure water, as thanks for coming so swiftly, she left again. Bort appeared last. He had had quite the detour with Pyrope and had gotten very off track. The three waited, living on the coast and barely interacting with each other than a simple greeting when one of the others passed.

Another quarter moon cycle after her first visit, the Celestial Mother and little Tellin came back to the coast.

"Finally, nymph! Why have you brought a child with you?" Hawthorn approached first, kneeling before the people of the sea. Tellin held up a small satchel made of scales and octopus hide.

"I am the medallion bearer for the Nymphs. I am also the one who saw the time-that-is-not-now." She dropped the bag and it fell into the water with a splash. Maleo landed beside Hawthorn, having been flying in coastal air for a bit of fun.

"A child? We have no time for this. Should we not put the medallion together now? How are we supposed to do so, anyway?" He pulled out his own satchel, made of a thin pale blue cloth. He pulled his piece of the medallion out, a thick golden metal in the shape of a triangle with its tip chopped off, and inspected it's harsh edges. "It's very much broken apart."

Hawthorn removed the Elven piece out of the pouch at her hip. "It does seem to be a daunting task. Will it simply click together?" She looked over at the Fairy's piece, comparing the edges. They did seem to be able to fit together. Bort pulled his own piece out and walked over to the others, comparing as well.

"Considering how it was created, it might very well be the case," The Celestial Mother commented. Tellin pulled the medallion out, looking at it closely. It was covered in ornate design that simply cut off at the broken edges.

"It won't work just like that, but I don't know why." Everyone turned to Tellin at her proclamation.

"You have seen it, nymph? And here is not where it happens?" Maleo spoke up again, asking the question on everyone's mind. Tellin furrowed her brow.

"I have not seen it with as much clarity as you're asking for... but our first attempt will show us the folly in why this won't work and that should give us guidance." She held out her own medallion piece and Hawthorn waded into the water to grab it. The nymphs had not pulled themselves onto the sand, as they were unsure if they were going to be needed in the water after this exchange.

The three others huddled together, exchanging places in an attempt to get the medallion to fit together, until it finally did. However, they could immediately see why this was not the finished product.

"There is a fifth piece." Bort spoke up for the first time, causing all eyes to go to him. "We all had a tip missing and when they are put together it's clear. The centerpiece was knocked out first."

"I had always assumed it had broken off after. I mean, the thing is a few thousand summers old," Hawthorn noted and the Celestial Mother nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I too had always assumed that it was simply worn down by years in the ocean." The Celestial Mother replied. Hawthorn waded back out in the water, passing the Nymph's piece back to Tellin.

"So what, there was originally a fifth species with a fifth ability?" Hawthorn looked at the others, wondering if they knew something she didn't. Tellin closed her eyes, focusing. The Celestial Mother put a hand on her shoulder and she opened them again.

"Don't push yourself, Tellin. Allow me to do it." She turned to the others. "Give me a moment to look into the past and see what this means. It will take me a while, as this past is quite long ago." She flipped to float on her back, her eyes wide open. After a few minutes, they slowly lit up with an eerie, pale glow. The four others watched her for a bit, but as the sun began sinking closer to the horizon, they had to set up for the night.

She continued to float for the entirety of the next day, until finally, just as the sun dipped below the ocean again, she spoke and her eyes glowed as fiercely as the moon.

"In the time of the Gods, they saw our small and meager planet with four sentient species. They decided to give us a gift, something the Gods saw fit for the weak creatures. They broke a little medallion into five pieces."

"For the blind nymphs, living deep underwater, they allowed us the control of the water around us and to see the time-that-is-not-now. For the passionate dwarves, fighting and loving stronger than any others, they gave them the ability to channel fire and to heal their wounded. For the nomadic elves, living in the dense forests, they split in two, the men gaining wings and the ability to control the wind and weather. The woman could control the trees and ground around them, along with controlling and communicating with any animal in their midst. For the quiet shapeshifters, who kept away from the others, they gave the power over the soul and the mind, to be able to blend more effectively into whatever they wished."

"Then the Gods left, having had their fun with the creatures of our world." The Celestial Mother's eyes dimmed back to dark, all of the others standing in stunned silence. They had run over once she started talking. Suddenly, they all began talking at once.

"Shapeshifters, what is that?"

"Are you sure that what you saw was real?"

"It can't be accurate, surely we would know about another species."

"Please, quiet down." The Celestial Mother raised her hand and the others slowly quieted. Though none of them understood her position in the Nymphs, they still treated her with the respect of a leader. "Nymph's visions are always true. There must have been a fifth species after the gifting of the medallion. Something must have happened to them..." She trailed off, thinking.

"How are we going to find where the center medallion piece is?" Hawthorn asked, continuing without waiting for an answer. "The shapeshifters could have disappeared anywhere; they're shapeshifters."

Tellin shook her head. "The medallion will be completed. I have seen it," she reiterated. Maleo pursed his lips.

"We are not doubting you, child. However, our next action is uncertain, unless you have something new to contribute about what you have seen." Tellin shook her head at Maleo's words. She had already told everything she remembered and hadn't had any new visions since then.

"Maybe we should look on the other side of the black fire." All eyes turned to Bort after he spoke.

"How can we even get to the other side of the fire? Not to mention, why would they be there?" Hawthorn scowled at Bort, who cowered a bit under her harsh gaze, before straightening back out.

"It makes sense. We would have heard of them if they lived close by, they would be in our records or something..." he petered out, not actually knowing anything about the records that any species kept, including his own. Hawthorn and Maleo's eyes met.

"Fairies keep extensive records, but even we don't have anything from before the split." Hawthorn nodded in agreement. The elves kept very little records, so the likelyhood of them having the information was even less.

"The nymphs have the diaries of some of our previous Celestial Mothers who were alive during the gifting. There was no mention of any species other than the three of yours." The Celestial Mother spoke up again, though she was looking quite tired.

"Perhaps the Dwarf is right..." Hawthorn began pacing on the beach, though not walking very far from the group. "If they lived underwater, the nymphs would know. The fairies roam the skies often enough that they would know any other company up there. Mother and our clans roam the forests thoroughly... The dwarves stay underground though, if they lived underground the dwarves wouldn't have found them, there's too much there to cover," she muttered just loud enough for the others to hear.

"How would we cross the fire, though. From what the Nymphs say, it isn't exactly a simple task of putting out some of it and going through." Bort was already shaking his head before Maleo could finish.

"I've seen it," he announced. Hawthorn stopped in her tracks and turned back to Bort, rushing over to his side.

"When- How? What happened?" She demanded, instantly. Maleo placed a hand on her arm, which she instinctively shrugged off.

"Demanding answers will only delay them. Go on, Dwarf."

"Well..." Bort was a bit hesitant, unsure of what the others will do when they discover he was not meant to be there. "I was not the dwarf sent to come here. To put it plainly, I followed Pyrope, the one sent to this meeting, because I wanted to be the one to be here." He spoke quickly, his words tumbling on top of each other.

"But he had his own plans-- to destroy the black fire by himself. I was following him and had no understanding of where he was headed until I saw it myself and heard the screams that followed it. Pyrope was trying to fight it when I grabbed the medallion and ran... But before I left, I saw what his fire did to it. It cause a gap, just for a moment. The fire filled itself back in quickly, but if we worked at it, we could probably cause a gap for long enough to get through." Bort finished, gasping in air. He had said most of that in one breath. The others were nodding.

"Nymphs, how do you plan to travel?" Maleo turned to the Nymphs, who had floated up to lay in the surf.

"I am small enough and light enough to carry. The Celestial Mother will stay behind, as she is needed in the pod." Tellin said, laying her head down to rest on her arms.

"You expect us to carry you?" Bort asked, looking appalled. Hawthorn moved close to Tellin.

"Allow me to pick you up and test your weight." Tellin flipped her legs up, so that she was lying horizontal to the surf. Hawthorn picked her up princess style, testing her weight in her arms before setting her back down in the surf. "You are not any heavier than a full knapsack, but you will feel heavier over the long journey. I will get you something that you can ride on the back of." She headed to the forest, in search of a rideable creature.

"We should camp for the night, so that we can have a fresh start in the morning," Maleo made the suggestion as he headed back to his previous encampment, a hammock that had a small canopy over it. Bort nodded and headed to his own place, a small bed roll laid on the ground. It was actually a bit softer than what he was used to, the Dwarves prefer stone beds. The Celestial Mother kissed Tellin on her forehead before leaving her and heading back to their home. Tellin swam a bit into the water and curled up on the sand, submerged.

The moon had began to raise when Hawthorn returned, a large buck behind her. With her ability to control animals, she had commanded the buck to follow her and she used her ability again, to make sure the buck would stay nearby overnight. Noticing the others were already asleep, she pulled herself into the crook of a nearby tree and shifted to get comfortable.

Tellin woke before the sun had began to rise. The sky was just beginning to lighten behind the trees. Before doing anything else, she swam around a bit before catching a fish and proceeding to eat it raw underwater before allowing herself to float back up to the surf. Once reaching the shore, she drew herself to her hands and knees and crawled out of the ocean. She wanted to make herself as little of an inconvenience as possible. Maleo stirred and sat up, pulling back the canopy surrounding him.

"You are up very early, child," he commenting, swinging his legs over the hammock. Tellin turned her face up at him.

"Good morning, Fairy. What is your name? I'm Tellin." She sat back on her bottom, pulling her legs up half heartedly crossing them. Maleo pulled a small apple out of the little knapsack he carried.

"I am Maleo, a guard of the King." He bit into the apple before pulling a few berries out and offering them to Tellin, who declined.

"I am not a fan of land food. I have packed a number of snacks in my satchel." As she spoke, Tellin pulled out a small handful of kelp leaves, still wet. Maleo nodded and dropped the berries back in his sack. Slowly, Hawthorn and Bort roused as the sun made an appearance, making their way to where Maleo and Tellin sat.

"What are you names? I'm Tellin." She chirped up to the two of them as they approached.

"I suppose we ought to get to know each other, at least a bit, if we are to go on this trip together. I'm Hawthorn, Elven Princess." Hawthorn responded, stretching out. She eyed the apple that Maleo had, chewing her lip. Maleo sighed, scooping the berries back out of the knapsack and passing them to her. She began eating without any thanks.

"Bort," the dwarf grunted, still not quite used to the schedule of day and night.

"Which direction do we need to head to cross the fire?" Hawthorn asked, sitting next to Tellin and looking up at Bort. He thought for a moment, still in the processes of waking up fully.

"Towards the sun." He pointed to the thick of the forest, where the sun was breaking through. "So long as we stay in that direction, I imagine we'll run into it. It has probably spread closer since I left it as well." He rubbed his face and pulled out a strip of dried fish from his pocket. Since his travels back to the ocean had been following the river, fish was plentiful and it was what he had been eating since leaving Pyrope behind. His hand stopped for a moment, his mind lingering on the dwarf that had most likely died trying to be valiant. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. It didn't matter now.

The three adults packed their knapsacks as Tellin sat, she could sense that the buck that was standing unsteadily on the sand. Hawthorn finished her packing and tossed her knapsack onto her back.

"You will be riding him." She approached Tellin, who jumped at the sudden voice.

"The buck? Is he dangerous?" Hawthorn shook her head, before realising her mistake.

"No. He is completely under my control. He will not do anything unless I tell him to, even at the risk of his own life." Hawthorn's statement made Tellin's stomach a little tense. It was one thing to be a part of the life-cycle, but she felt as though forcing an animal to do something dangerous was cruel. Not wanting to cause a fuss, she did not comment on her feelings. Hawthorn picked Tellin up, carrying her to the buck and placing her on his back. She straddled the creature, his coarse fur scratching at her legs. The other three would walk.

The journey started out simple enough, though silent. None of them were quite comfortable with the others. It was Tellin who broke the tension, as she fell off her buck and cried out in pain. Maleo, who had been flying just above the trees, quickly dropped down next to her, having heard her cry.

"Tellin, are you alright?" He asked and she nodded, rubbing the side of her leg where a red skinned mark contrasted her blue complexion.

"I'm fine." She smiled up at him, sheepishly and he lifted her back onto the buck. Rather than lifting back into the air, he stayed on the ground, walking next to Tellin and keeping a hand on her waist to keep her steady.

"You seem to have taken to the child," Hawthorn commented, casting a glance to Maleo.

"I am a father. It is only reasonable that I know how to care for a child." Maleo replied.

"A father? I thought that Fairies were only male. How do you go about having children?" Bort chimed in, glad that the uneasy silence had passed.

"We have a mating ritual with the Elves. On the summer solstice, we mate and recieve our children from the previous year's mating." Maleo explained.

"Won't some of the kids have not been born yet?" Bort looked confused.

"No, we carry for three seasons and nurse for one." Hawthorn gave clarification this time, she had helped many mothers during their carrying times.

"Our woman carry for a whole season cycle before giving birth. If they mate in the summer, they give birth in the summer." Bort seemed proud. Dwarves didn't use the seasons as Elves and Fairies did, but he knew the basics from his time in school.

"All of those seem like an awfully long time. Nymphs only carry for four moons. I remember when my little brother was born, Mama had to go to the shore and I went with her." Tellin rambled on, before turning her attentions back to Maleo. "What is your child like, Maleo?"

"My Rhea is three summers old. He is a true nightmare." He smiled, contradicting his statement. "My love, Avocet is looking after him while I am here."

"Fairies can have relationships?" The dwarf looked confused again.

"Of course. Elves can too. What, you think just because we cannot have children with each other we abstain from love?" Hawthorn responded sharply, seeming a bit defensive. Bort cowered a bit, apologizing quietly. They walked along in silence for a bit. .

"How old are you Maleo?" Tellin spoke up again, apparently unsatisfied with the quiet.

"Twenty eight summers." Tellin looked at him, her white eyes wide.

"That's not very old at all!" Maleo chuckled and Tellin continued, "How many moons are between each summer?"

Maleo thought for a moment before answering. "Around twelve." Tellin counted on her fingers to figure out how many moons that was, it took her quite a few moments.

Suddenly, she chirped up again. "You're over 200 moons older than me. You are actually quite old." Maleo laughed loudly at that.

"Compared to you, I am quite old." Maleo agreed, patting her waist once before removing his hand. Tellin wobbled a bit, but remained on the buck.

The rest of the day's travel continued with the occasional mention of something that was normal in one culture but completely bizarre in another, such as the fact that Dwarves ate only meat while Fairies lived mostly off of fruit grown on trees, things they could swoop down to harvest. Finally, Hawthorn suggested they camp for the night.

"This seems as good a spot as any. There is very little undergrowth and plenty of trees." She waved her arms about, as though it would assist in convincing the others to camp there. Tellin shifted uncomfortably on the buck. She couldn't sense a water source for her to sleep in, but she was determined to make it work, as the others seemed tired from walking.

Hawthorn looked around, past the area in which she planned for them to set up camp.

"I will hunt some meat for us." She glanced at Tellin, obviously uncomfortable on the buck. Hawthorn assumed Tellin was tired of riding and lifted her down to sit on the ground. Tellin gave her a half-hearted smile and Hawthorn headed into the quickly darkening forest, pulling out her bow and notching an arrow. Tellin was glad to notice that the ground was a bit moist.

Bort gathered some broken branches and set up a fire pyre, clearing out the leaves and propping branches on each other; he stretched his hands out and fire spit from his palms, catching quickly on the kindling he had set up. Tellin inched away from the flame, but stayed close enough to keep warm. Maleo tied his hammock up high off the ground.

"Bort, keep an eye on Tellin. I'm going to gather some fruit." Maleo spread his wings out and fluttered them quickly, lifting himself off the ground and zipping away to find some fruit.

As the others were setting up camp, Hawthorn had begun hunting. From what they had discussed earlier, Hawthorn knew she was hunting for herself, Bort, and Tellin. She figured that Maleo would either have enough food for the night or scavenge some. Leaves rustled to her left and she pulled herself silently into the tree nearest her, stretching her bow out. She could see a small bear ambling around the trees. Slowing her breathing, Hawthorn aimed at the bear's chest. She could have used her sway over nature to kill the bear, but the Elves had always been taught that killing an animal without the use of a weapon was disrespectful to the creature. She released her bow and immediately notched another, in case her aim has been even mildly off. Her aim was true, however, and the bear fell.

"Lucky..." She muttered, jumping down from the tree and going over to her kill. Regardless of her strength and the size of the bear, she wouldn't be able to carry it over her shoulder. She placed her hand on the ground and focused.

Vines sprang from the ground and encircled the dead bear. They wove themselves together to create a large net holding the bear. Hawthorn lifted her hand and the vines immediately stopped growing. She took the arrow she had just notched and used the head to cut the vines from the ground. Using all her strength, she rolled the bear and the net over before grabbing the cut vine ends and collecting them together to pull the weight of the bag over her shoulder. Now able to better transport the bear, she headed back to the camp with her kill dragging behind her.