Our arrival at Summit Wings occurs by three in the evening. The winter breeze covers the land. At first, the only sounds I can hear are many different rivers and waterfalls. I peer out the window and behold a city of golden buildings in the evening sun. The tallest of the building as a clock face on it. I can faintly spy in the distance many different animals flying out of the place. I fiddle with my coat in wonder as we pass by the main gates. It is a vast town. Much bigger than any I have witness in my travels in Gaia. Summit Wings is full of overwhelmingly beautiful buildings. The carriage bumps along a coddle pathway. I can spy down the street many people of different races about the busy walkways. I near an intermingling of languages of people battering, laughing, singing, and buzzing about. The sounds of dogs and cats pops up in the city. A flock of sheep and a sheepherder hurries by our window as the carriage slows down even further.

Down a few more streets and some more twists, the carriage finally comes to a complete stop. We are outside of a two story house with a garden in front and a lovely fence. Taka gets down and help Kenta jump down. The brilliant red fox opens the door for his lover. Kin gets down and smiles, "Welcome to our humble townhome. The temple is not far from here. You will be there in a few minutes. Why not stay for a late lunch?"

"Oh please! Please stay!" Kenta begs.

"We would be delighted to have you both!" Taka beams.

"Alright!" I smile as Kenta's adorable face.

"Great!" Kin beams, "I will take the carriage to our business and be back in a few."

"Very well . . . Just let me say hello to Pan first, then I will be back," Meo states.

"Ah, okay. We ought to be back just in time to have a late lunch together!" Kin smiles.

Meo points to the home, "Did you two recently move to the city? I thought you had settled in the Swamplands?"

"Ah, we moved here after we got Kenta. He is a bright boy. He should be brought up in a place with good schools. The Swamplands were good, but you know. Merpeople's education cannot be the capitals!" Taka pats the boy on the head.

"I see," Meo smiles.

"Oh good schools are always important for youths! I think children should receive early education as to increase their passion for learning at an early age!" I smartly beam.

"I wouldn't be long!" Kin calls as get back on the carriage. He rides off down the street.

Meo picks up her small bag, "Tank, wait for me here. I would be longer than half an hour."

"Okay," I grin. I am starving. I have no clue how everyone else is not jumping over each other to get food. I won't argue so long as I am feed. I mean the morning feast was alright. But I could really use something. I am freezing here in the cold.

Meo walks off to the temple. I turn to Taka and Kenta. The two are cheerful as they lead me into their townhome. Taka holds the door open for Kenta and I. As I enter the glimmering golden hometown, I come to a warm and welcoming place. There is a simple living room with plenty of bookshelves with books. A few number of paintings cover the walls. The images are mostly of landscapes. Here and there I can spot small paintings of Kenta or Taka. A spiral staircase leads upstairs to move books and rooms further down. I look around the living room with the number of wooden chairs place near the fireplace. The brightly lit fireplace is very welcoming. The logs are brightly lit up with flames and a stack of wood sits beside it. Attending the fireplace is an unusual young woman.

She is wearing several layers blue and white of kimonos. Her hair is a blueish emerald with a murky green eyes. Her hair is braided loosely behind her. The young woman's hair pin of a blue flower is well suited to her beauty. She wears a pair of blue bracelets around her wrists with some type of writing on them. The most striking feature is her azure skin tone with small scale on her face. She is nothing like any of the creatures I have meet. Around her neck by a red string sits a small bottle of remarkable container of silver substance. The young woman hums happily to herself as she looks over to Taka and Kenta. Her smiles dazzles them as she raises to hug Kenta and she gives Taka a head nod. Her murky green eyes turn to me. I bow to her quickly as I spot her eyes sparking with joy.

She speaks. Her voice of a sweet sing song nature. The young woman says, "Welcome to our home. My name is Astrid Yukimura-Minamoto. I am pleased to have you in our home."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Blue Tank," I greet her, "Although, I am mostly known as Blue by everyone else. You can call me Tank. Either or. . . But I really do like Tank."

"Well, I would recommend Blue," Kenta beams, "You sound cooler."

"Kenta, Daddy said his name is Blue," Taka frowns. He smiles, "But if you are saying your name is Tank. Tank it is."

"Astrid, would you like some help preparing lunch for the family and our guests?" Taka offers.

"Yes, I could use a second set of hands. How about you little brother?" Astrid kneels down and pats his head.

"Yes, sister! I will come and help you!" Kenta grabs her hand and off they go elsewhere.

I look over at the fireplace mantle. There is a lovely family portrait of Taka, Kenta, Astrid, and Kin. They are all smiling together. I study it as Taka places his hand on my shoulder. I see him motion to a chair. I sit as Taka finds a pipe as smokes it. He seats himself in his chair. He proudly he states, "Kin and I am do not have a traditional family like many clans and tribes. But we are glad to have our children and each other. Astrid is a brilliant young merperson. She is still studying the trade routes. Her hopes for reopening the ocean trade are vast. It really has been a long time since any of the merpeople left the Swamplands. I am sure she will do it!"

"How long old are Kenta and Astrid?" I ask politely.

"Kenta, we adopted from a war torn tribe. The boy didn't have anywhere to go. So we took him in when he was a baby. It was the right thing to do. . . If I would have to guess I would say he is eight years old," Taka smiles, "Astrid has just turned fifteen. Both smart children!"

I nod again.

Taka chuckles, "See all of those books. They are Kin's and the children's! They are all bookworms. Astrid loves trade. Kenta is into healing. Kin Riv loves musical history. He plays rather well. Although, I am clearly biased."

I smile. I nod some more as Taka keeps talking. It goes long for a long while. I nod some more. I keep nodding until my head feels like it is going to fall off.

"Please tell me about your family. Do you really plan to have children with Seer Hotaru Meo?"

"Ummm. . ." I am taken aback. I fidget in my chair for a moment. I mummer about my nuclear family. I avoid the subject of my children with Meo.

"I see. I see," Taka puffs on his pipe, "If you have a chance, I would recommend several journeys. That is if you have the time as well. Hahah! Kin did not reveal the super important mission of yours. But I can give you some information."

"Yes?"

"You ought to travel to the Swamplands. I know everyone doesn't like them because they are near the Empire's land. They also think merpeople are snobby and hard to read. But trust me. They are no worse than elves. Plus their singing is delightful!" Taka pauses to check a pocket watch. He looks around really quick, "Even more special are the Nomads of the Sands! Kin and I have been there once! It is happening place! Unlike anything anyone has ever seen."

"Wait, the Nomads-"

Kenta comes running back to us. He excitedly says, "Lunch is ready Papa!"

"Right, my boy!" Taka stands up and pat his head.

Kenta points to the pipe, "Papa, you know that Daddy doesn't like your smoking."

"What Daddy Kin does not know does not hurt him!" Taka winks and puts out the pipe.

Taka smiles to me as we leave the living room and go to the dining room. Large windows of daylight pouring in helps frame the area. A view of the garden and the street is outside. I catch the quick motion among the rooftops. A quick flash of white. I can only guess that is Yuki. The dining room has a long wooden table with several chairs. The children has gone about setting the table with white blows of soup and cups. A teapot rests in the middle of the table with a larger dish of soup. It is all fresh and piping hot. A nice loaf of bread sits on a tray to be sliced up. A container of butter rest next to the loaf of bread. The scent of the bread and soup makes my mouth water.

Astrid pulls out a chair for Kenta and the kid fox rushes to his spot. He giggles as Astrid sits beside him. Kin enters the hall with Meo beside him. They are muttering with their personal conversion. Meo faces us and spots Astrid. The seer rushes over to the young woman and cheerfully gives her a hug. Meo booms, "Astrid! It is so good to see you again! How have you been? Have your fathers been treating you well? And look how healthy you are now! I thought surely you would have been at the Military School for your classes!"

"I have the day off from study since Taka and Kin were away from the household. My fathers thought it best I stood here to watch over the business," Astrid smiles.

Everyone sits down. I am seated next to Meo, Astrid, and Kenta. On the opposite side of the table sits Kin and Taka. The two adult foxes lead us in a prayer to the goddess Toph and Lord of All. Meo stares of them as they get near the words of thanks to the Lord of All. The two foxes grin and simply end the prayer there. Everyone begins to consume their servings. Astrid goes about serving tea to everyone at the table.

"Is this fish soup? It is tasty!" I say. Then I greedily eat my first blow.

Astrid grins, "Yes, it is. Did you know thanks to expand trade and harsher winters in the past that the Law of Kin has been more relaxed in the capital? Merpeople of the Swampland always have had respect for wild beasts. But the value of plants is greater in value of our breast kin. Merpeople have gained an understanding with beasts that our survival is dependent on the beasts. The beasts need the Merpeople to tend to the water gardens. It has been that way since the Empire has been poisoning the waterways. Now trade of meats for other goods has become important for the economics of the Swamplands to provide better seeds for the water gardens. After all, the water gardens act as a filter for the rest of the waterways. It keeps down the poisonous amounts of pollution from human waste."