There was a beautiful feather that floated down upon the head of a Nixie. He relaxed in the shores of the Blackwater Grund. He extended his webbed fingers towards the feather, fascinated by its vibrant colors.
"It's called a Gilfeather," a voice said.
The Nixie threw himself back towards the water. He hissed at the man, making his fins stand on end.
"I'm not here to hurt you," the man backed down. He sat against the ground, making himself small. He opened his hands in his lap.
The Nixie clicked at him.
"The Gilfeather comes from the Gilawala bird," the man explained. "They're gorgeous. Only the male birds have feathers."
The faery man caught the Gilfeather. He extended it to the Nixie. Cautiously, the Nixie took the feather from his hand. He admired it.
The Nixie extended the feather back to the man. The faery man took it, tickling the Nixie's wrist with it. The Nixie let out a laugh.
"So we share humors," the man smiled. "Might I interest you in food?"
The faery man extended something colorful in the Nixie's direction. He took it, unsure of what it was. The man put one in his mouth. The Nixie did the same.
He was delighted at how sweet the treat was. It tasted of berries they harvested from the forest. He jumped, astounded.
The Nixie slowly sat next to the man, who continued to offer the Nixie things. The Nixie took them with stride.
"I want to know you," the faery man set aside his treats. "I would like to make a deal with you."
The Nixie clicked in response.
"I will come visit again," the faery man said. "I would like you to come see me."
The faery man returned. He started to teach the Nixie things. He taught the Nixie to loosen his tongue. He started to sow words in the Nixie's mind.
"Do you have a name?" The faery man asked.
The Nixie clicked out his name.
"I will call you March," the man nodded. "After the month of Monarch. March Gilfeather."
"M-March," the Nixie said.
"Excellent!" The faery man praised him.
Thus all Nixies were branded with the last name Gilfeather. Such is the same with Nymphs bearing the last name of Crystal. Kelpies are designated Murk. Nereiads are Libro. Mermaids are Scalia. Selkies are given the title of Fuß.
March grew to like the faery man. The faery man taught March Common. Slowly, March learned the words to communicate what he needed. He helped create the designations for our races.
The water fae in the Blackwater Grund opposed the faery man. Many warned March to stay as far away from him as possible. The council attempted to meet a few times to ban the faery man from the Blackwater Grund. March would manage to teach his Brothers and Sisters what he learned, creating a fascination with the faeries and their language.
Water fae are fairly touchy creatures, used to nudity and physical closeness. March was not phased when the faery man touched him, though the man was hesitant when March did the same. One day, the faery man offered March a necklace.
"I have been studying this technique for some time," the faery man explained. "It's what brought me down here in the first place. This magic may help your fae be able to hide among the faeries."
When the man set the necklace on March's shoulders, he filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling. When he looked at his hands, they appeared like the faery man's hands. He ran to the water. He looked like a faery. He had his own wings. March laughed and screeched about this change.
March shared it like a trick with his fae. They wanted stones for themselves, the ability to blend in with the faeries. The council decided to allow March to continue meeting with the faery man as long as they were also given the gifts he provided.
March also got the chance to teach the faery man about water fae culture. As they learned the family unit, March grew confused.
"Brother," he pointed to the photo the faery man he had brought.
"Yes," the faery man nodded. "Do you have brothers?"
"I do," March shook his head. "All of the men are my brothers."
"How do you mean? Brothers come from the same parents."
"I had two brothers born from the same parents, but we call all water fae brother."
"So you have blood brothers and adopted brothers."
"Same with women. They are all sisters."
The faery man noted this, as with faeries, there was no such comradery. To this day, we continue the tradition of adopting those we love and care about as family.
It took the faery man some time to return on his verbal contract with the water fae. He continued to have March try on stones in different jewelry, stones charmed with different looks, and stones in different shapes. Each time, the magic held. The faery man was very proud of his work. Although the water fae were too scared to bring their disguises onto land, they coveted the stones and the clothes given to them by the faery man.
March continued to work with the faery man. He bridged the gap between our cultures. Without the faery man, water fae would have been left feral and alone. Known as killers from the deep, as they are on the planet Caliope.
March sensed no wrong with the faery man. It is this bond of trust that has given us an upper hand over other types of fae. Without the studies of the faery man, we would have never breached the dry land. We have him to thank.
Though, it is a shame we don't know the name of the faery man. It was lost to waves of history, lost in the cycles of fae. No one knows his true identity. Therefore we celebrate March, who was brave enough to bridge the gap between our cultures.
Excerpt from the Tiriade.
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