Talos looked completely confused, "Fairy? Are you sure? We don't see anything, or hear anything, girlie. Are you sure, you have breathed in some strange fumes?"

"I'm not imagining things," Serna protested to both Willow and Talos, "There is a fairy right in front of me."

Willow dropped down to one knee and looked Serna in the eye, "I believe you. Point to the space which the fairy is occupying."

The Shield Maiden pointed to an empty space before her and Willow did his best to stare into that space. His goal was simple. To use his Elven eyes and ears to pierce whatever veil or glamour stood before him.

**************

Lazheros walked over to a barrel near the parrot on the railing. He sat down so that he was eye to eye with Serna. "Everything, child. The way you act out with sarcasm and defiance. Alyson only wished to know you better and you became defensive and adamant about what you felt was right."

"I did that because I believed what Lady Alyson was doing to Willow was wrong," Serna confessed, "She hurt Willow! She stuck a fork in his heart and twisted it around until it made him sad. I was hurt by what she did to him. If you love someone, truly love someone, you should not treat them like they are rubbish in the street."

Lazheros sighed heavily, "Do not judge someone unless you've known them for most of your life, child. The circumstance of how they met was far different than yours. All living creatures crave companionship from someone. She isn't perfect and neither are you."

"Yes, sir." Serna replied humbly.

Serna started to get hopeful, "I mean, unless you know where they are. Or where you could find them?"

The Bronze Man closed his eyes and concentrated letting his mind reach out into the ether to find no trace of the wolfen sisters. "I am sorry, child. They are beyond my sight. However, I can tell you that they are still in the Realm. Where I do not know."

A wave of disappointment swept over Serna as she realized that she would not be reunited with her sisters anytime soon.

Right on Que the parrot squawked, "DISTURBER OF--!!"

The Bronze Man turned suddenly, eyes flashed open with a glare so fierce, the parrot soiled itself. "ACKK!"

"No! Don't hurt it!" Serna ran between The Bronze Man and the parrot in an attempt to protect the poor bird, "It's only repeating what it has heard. It's just a parrot. Don't hurt it for being what it is."

The Bronze Man relaxed his gaze and now focused on the shield maiden, "Hurt it? No, child. It is simply doing its duty," Seeing the bird side step further away from him on the railing, "but it needs to work on its timing."

"It's not perfect," Serna protested, "Just leave it be."

The fairy giggled, "Silly parrot. Please don't upset the Bronze Man....ooooooooooooo!"

The parrot bobbed its head in protest to the fairy's mockery. "ARCKK!"

"Before you met your friends, did you have any of your own age to mingle with? You seem like you'd rather grow up, find someone to love, and settle down when your adventuring days are over." The Bronze Man had observed the reaction between the ranger and the girl. He viewed her as a friend only, she viewed him as something much more.

"Not many," Serna admitted reluctantly, "I used to play jacks with a few of the other servant girls when I had the time in between my duties. But we were just playmates. They were not my sisters or anything like that."

"People don't necessarily have to be related to be friends. There are plenty of children here in Asylum, some are orphans but most have at least one parent to go home to." The Bronze Man produced an image of the gardens near the temple of Bahamut. There were children ranging from five years to their late teens playing all sorts of games. Jacks, hide and seek, tag, or simply just hanging out with each other for company. Regardless of background or status, it was the one place in Asylum that brought them all together and it helped by letting the adults sell their wares in peace.

The Shield Maiden smiled, "Yes! There is someone that I would like to settle down with. It's Willow! He's strong, handsome, brave, honest, true, kind and noble. He's everything that I could ever want in a mate. Once I reach my eighteenth winter, I shall claim him if he will have me."

"And have you asked him or told him of this? He is a prince in exile. Royal blood. Granted you were raised in and around the court of Deeping Dale but that was nobility. The royal court is a gilded cage of politics, lack of freedom, and great danger." Lazheros asked the shield maiden standing back up, "Enjoy life, defend if need be but do not rush into a relationship that you just do not fully understand."

"No, I have not," Serna replied, "I want to take my time and grow our relationship. And I do enjoy my life. I do enjoy helping people and saving them."

"Caliaphy, you may stay with Serna if you wish. After all, you did ask to meet someone new." The Bronze Man started to fade from view as time was catching up.

"OH! Thank you! Thank you very much!" The fairy flew up and kissed the cheek of the Bronze Man before he disappeared again. "Serna, only you can see me but all you have to do is ask me and I will reveal myself to your friend there if that's okay with you?"

"Please!" Serna begged, "Please reveal yourself to him. I don't want him or any of my friends to think I'm stark raving mad."

"Teehehehee! Okay!" The fairy giggled when time caught up and everything and everyone was moving again.

************

Talos gasped at Serna's new friend, "By the seven heavens! A fairy here? In the city? Wait a second, what just happened? The Ancient Tree is on far north eastern side of Asylum?"

Caliaphy giggled again, "A wrinkle in time happened silly human. Oh my a true elf. Here? Oh cool!"

"It was really The Bronze Man," Serna explained.

"Hello!" Willow smiled, "Who might you be? And where do you hail from?"