Eva remembers the depth of the ocean. The top from the bottom had always seemed so far away. She loved exploring the open-wide spaces of the waters. It was always her and the ocean. There was no one else—no rules or principles of life that held you down.

The memory of living alone feels like almost many lifetimes ago now. Eva doesn’t know what her life would be like if she had not met Adria. Meeting her adoptive mother had changed every aspect of the life she knew and was living. Learning that there was more of nereids like her, shocked her, but she was more than ever excited.

Looking back now, Eva isn’t certain what she would do if she found out later there was others like her. When she was younger it had been easier to follow Adria to the tropical island she has now. If she hadn’t met Adria, then she would not be calling Ischia her home. Aeolus wouldn’t have even been born perhaps. The idea of not being a mother now was rather startling to her. She loved looking after and loving her little sea serpent boy.

Her life was simple still, and for that she continues to be grateful for. Every day she gets to wake up in a beautiful place, see her precious little boy’s smile, and someone who loves her as much as her birth mother might have loved her if she had not died on the bone-bleached beach.

Eva follows along the familiar path of the beach. She regards the dark clouds on the horizon. If the wind blew in the right direction the nereid knew the day would be a bit more usual. Storms often came and gone in Ischia, but often they were rare during this time of year. Eva, however, wouldn’t have mind a little storm today.

Continuing along the path of the beach, her warm orange-gold gaze lands upon the horse with a fin mane and tai. A curious gleam sparkles in her eye as she studies the stranger for a moment. She had never met this resident before, or perhaps a visiting stranger. Intrigued by the fin mare, Eva closes the distance between them.

“Looks like we might have a storm today,” she greets with the stranger with a warm and welcoming tone. “I’m Eva. I don’t think we have met.” A soft smile touches her lips gently. “Welcome to Ischia. Are you new or just visiting?” She asks with a gentle tilt of her purple head to the right.

Eva

“A pleasure to meet you @[Aquaria],” she addresses warmly back in greeting.

Eva considers the pale and gold dappled mare for a moment. It was not every day that Eva met another on their little island. Her warm gaze traces along the edges and crevices of the mare. It is the fin mane and tail that keeps her attention most as she studies the mare during the short time. Eva has met all sorts of different sea creatures since she came to Ischia. It would certainly not be out of place for her to find something new and unique about this new sea horse named Aquaria.

She was similar in some ways as the other sea horse. Eva had been blessed by the ocean when she was pulled in by the current near the bone-stained beach. It was that day that had changed everything for her. Perhaps forever altering the very life she should have had. But Eva doesn’t think much of that day she was birthed. It was simply a blur and hidden in the very black crevices of her mind. She only recalls warm days and the ocean being her domain before meeting Adria and coming to Ischia.

Her curiosity deepens as the pale and golden nereid mentions helping her big sister. “You must be Adria’s sister then!” Quick excitement fills the tone of her voice. She recalls Adria telling her that she was not the only nereid. In fact, some of her own family were nereids too. “She told me many moons ago that she had a family.” Her eyes grow warmer as she holds the gaze of Aquaria.

The gentle breeze is no longer warm, but rather colder than before. Eva notes that the storm was being directed towards their way as she glances towards horizon where the grey clouds were. Slowly the storm was rolling in. The smell of rain was just on the tip of her nose as she inhaled the air around her.

Eva focuses back onto the mare when she asks where she goes when storms like this come. “I’ve lived here for some time now. Adria found me when I was about a year old and invited me to come to Ischia.” She smiles thoughtfully at recalling the memory. “She has become my mother in many ways if not.”

Her attentions move to the darkening sea that Aquaria mentioned. “I usually go inland if the storm gets too bad. However, it usually rains a bit here every few days. Mostly the morning time it is like this, but we do have a few tropical storms in the springtime.” Eva didn’t mind the rain at all. She liked watching the storm from the shoreline. It reminded her more of the open ocean. If it gotten too bad out there, she ended up staying under the water. But it was harsh storms that taught her how to swim and manipulate the water.

Eva