Golden roses, turquoise lilies, magenta violets, Sprite-flowers…these and many more exotic, blossoming beauties were displayed in the public gardens of La’marri, near the temple in the center of the town. This garden, with all its lush variety and life, was one of the places that Avari held most dear to her. It was her second personal reverie within the town, the other being the temple.
At that particular moment in her long life, the curious creature was meditating, cross-legged and eyes closed, the pulsing, rhythmic beat of her shimmering, butterfly-like wings keeping her afloat just a few feet above the flowers. She had been breathing in the sublime, therapeutic aromas of the plants below her since dawn of this day, only slightly conscious of the world around, renewing her body and mind in the same fashion that sleep does to a human.
Something out-of-place stirred her from her trance. It was an unusually calm, serene presence. It was close, and had recently entered the town. It couldn’t possibly be human. No mortal produced such a tranquil aura that even Avari, who wasn’t even that well trained in detecting them, could feel its presence like a lighthouse on the ocean at night.
This was very interesting. It had been a few weeks since she’d last had the pleasure of meeting another non-human. Not that she didn’t like humans, but Avari welcomed the occasional anomaly. The Sedoran woman enjoyed a nice change in her routine, once in a while.
Her long, curled chestnut eyelashes flipped up, revealing two lime orbs that quickly searched for the source of this peaceful emanation. Her first instinct was to look across the street at the temple, for that was where most of the non-humans tended to congregate, but that was not where this aura was coming from. Her senses drew her eyes toward the northern gate of the village a few hundred yards behind her. There. She could see a mass of children around an unusually garbed person atop a magnificent gray mare. The rider was the origin of these energies. That had to be it.
As Avari drew moved from her cross-legged position and glided toward the enigma, she discovered that the rider was female. All the better! Avari thought (females were always easier to get a long with) as she neared the woman. Hovering at perhaps 10 feet away from her subject, Avari noted the stranger’s pale skin, intriguing clothing, and gentle demeanor. What an interesting find…
The Sedoran waited for the children to slowly disperse, wide-eyed, as their mothers and fathers called them away from the newcomer from various houses along the street. Ava (as she was called by most of the citizens in La’marri) took this opportunity to draw just a bit closer, flash the stranger a wide, friendly smile, and begin her introduction.
“Greetings! My name is Avari, though most of the citizens of this village call me Ava, and I’m here to welcome you to the town of La’marri, of which you have recently entered, if you were unaware of your current location!� Ava giggled slightly at her own drawn-out sentence, hoping to perhaps get some laughter out of the newcomer.
“Now, I’ve seen many curious beings in my travels, most of which have been right here in La’marri, but I’ve never seen someone like you before, darling.� Ava’s wings fluttered in her excitement.
“Peace and serenity radiate from you. You’re quite refreshing, honestly, for the only thing that radiates from most La’marrians is gas.� Again, Ava giggled, hoping to break the ice with another joke.
“You must tell me,� she continued, warmly, her sincerity very genuine.
“Who are you, and where have you journeyed from, child?�
