It happened when I was only fourteen. My Mama and Papa said we were moving, but they wouldn't tell me how far. I should have realized sooner that we were leaving the country. As it was, I didn't notice until I looked out the window of the airplane and saw for the very first time a country that wasn't my own.

It was the day before we moved, though, that it happened. I wanted to go into those woods one last time. Climb the old spruce whose top peaked out over the other trees. I wanted to watch the sun set from there, my special place of my childhood. It would be my last chance, and I wasn't going to miss it for the world. That tree, those woods, those skies and that air. It's what I grew up with. It was almost to me like a close dear friend that one day will be left behind, but never forgotten. If there was one thing I was certain of, even as a child, it was that I would be buried here once my years had run their course. This was my homeland. My Motherland.

As I had stayed to watch the sunset, it was dark on my way home. Father had always insisted I stay out of the woods at night, but the stars were bright enough that I could see where I was going. I was not about to lose my way in a place so familiar. I know now that it was not my sense of direction which concerned him. He knew of what the woods held.

It began with a snarl, and then a growl. I did not know what kind of animal it was, but something was watching me through the trees. I saw the glowing eyes in the darkness. A wild cat, or a wolf, or even a bear. I wondered, but could not know. When it started to approach me, fear took hold. I turned and fled, like a little girl. I ran, paying no heed to direction or time. That is why, when I finally stopped, I knew not where I was nor how long I had been away from home.

My next step brought me crashing down through the ground, and I could not but scream in fright until I had stopped falling. I hit the ground a tangled mess of cobweb, root, dirt, and long hair. Trying to tidy myself up, I stood and saw the place I was in. It was a large cavern, and in the center sat a pool of clean water. It was swirling mysteriously, but I could see the bottom and so did not fear its depth.

I saw, already in the pool, a young woman sat watching me. She had pale, fair skin and long wavy hair that strangely seemed dark blue in color. Her eyes were bright and shining purple like amethyst, so much that I could tell their color from across the pool. She sat in the water, her shoulders just breaking the surface. I could not see any of her below the water for it was too far, so I kept my distance thinking she had been bathing.

Her hand came up out of the water, beckoning to me along with her soft, clear voice. "Come, child. You are all covered in dirt. Wash yourself."

Against my better judgment, I obeyed. I was filthy at the time, so it seemed sensible to clean myself. I bashfully removed my clothing and slid into the water, hoping the woman had not been looking terribly close. I also hoped my nudity did not offend her, but I did not know how else one bathes.

The water was warm, making me want for a moment never to leave the pool. I splashed some on my face before submerging all the rest of me. I made sure to clean myself as best possible, and took note that the water did not dirty the whole time. The roots and cobwebs seemed to simply melt away, vanishing in the mixture.

I was startled by another voice. A man's voice coming from behind me. "I see you found your way here well enough, child. I shall not linger where I doubt I am wanted, but I trust you'll feel welcome here."

He had a grand voice, like some old man who had yet to lose the strength of his youth but had gained the wisdom one gets from years. Wanting to see what he looked like, I turned my head toward the man, but he had already made his way into a side-tunnel. I spotted a shadow moving through the tunnel away from us. I breathed a sigh of relief that I would not be seen naked by any man.

I had mustered the bravery to ask the woman across from me if they two lived here, and if there were others, when a third voice struck. It was a small voice, almost like a little child's, but it spoke with utmost clarity and charm.

"Lady Dyalgerithal, more tea?"

The woman responded to the voice immediately, her face brightening immensely. "Would you, Issavellarin? That would be quite kind of you."

The child's voice answered just as quick. "I'll tell Norogandrac to start boiling some right away." Suddenly, and without warning, something small and bright was in my face. At first, I thought it was an insect, but just before I could swat it away I saw the tiny face on it's head. It was a little lady, merely six inches tall, with a pair of bright blue glowing butterfly wings holding her aloft. She had a bow in her light blue hair and wore a petite green tunic with a golden sash. The small charming voice came from her mouth. "Will you be having tea too, then?"

I was too stunned by what I was seeing to answer her. Before my eyes, I was seeing something I did not believe could be real. It was a Pixie. I thought perhaps I was hallucinating, that my fall had damaged my head. Or maybe there were some gases in the cavern that were making me see things. I tried to not see it, closing my eyes and opening them again several times, but it would not leave. I looked to the only person who might help me understand what was happening.

The woman smiled knowingly, and then leaned forward and dove under the water. What I saw solidified my belief that I was delusional, for as she kicked off the side of the pool, I knew I saw a large fish's tail breaking the surface. In a flash she was beside me, her arms hauling her up out of the water. A small green wrapping covered her where she needed it on top, but below there was no reason for clothing as her waist gave way to a magnificent tail ending in a beautiful rainbow of scales and bright blue fins.

Her singing voice greeted me again, as if letting me know that this was no dream. "Norogandrac makes the finest tea, little girl. Please, accept it. While it would not offend him if you did not, it would certainly be a loss on your part."

Speechless, I nodded. If tea was to be served, then I would not miss the chance I was being given. I would have tea with a Pixie and a Mermaid. I could do that much. I would be fine, so long as the man did not return.

The Pixie raced off through the air. The water lady beside me smiled down at me, her dark hair drifting into the swirling water. Time passed quickly, looking at her. I didn't notice until the Pixie returned.

"He's finished! Tea for four!" She announced the tea in a triumphant voice, as if it were a victory.

But she held no tea, nor did it seem she even could. The Mermaid beside me seemed unlikely to be able to get very far on her own. I realized who was going to be entering the room and quickly pushed myself further under the rippling water. The footsteps began to echo around the cavern the very next second, but they were not footsteps I was familiar with.

A heavy breathing rumbled out through his nostrils, and sharp claws raked across the floor with every step. His shadow came over me, and I closed my eyes not wanting to see him staring down at me. I was so prepared for everything to take a turn for the worst, sure that some beast was about to eat us, probably the same beast that chased me through the forest.

That same deep, wise old voice spoke from right above me. "Tea for four? Who's thirsty?"

I opened my eyes, letting out a silent gasp. Over me stood what I could only ever describe as a Dragon. It looked exactly as one might expect, its bright orange eyes staring down at me. Its scaled body strong enough to tear open a house. Its large wings folded over its back, except that one of those wings was out in front of it. The claw on the wing clutched the side of a tea tray, four cups sitting innocently side by side.

The Dragon stared into my eyes. "If I frightened you in the woods, I apologize. Please, don't let that encounter stand between you and some refreshing tea."

The Mermaid took one cup, sipping from it daintily. The Pixie picked up another, hoisting it with both hands and carrying it off. The Dragon waited for me to take my cup, so I reached up and took it in hand, bringing it down to the water. The tea smelled delicious, and I could not resist to drink. I spotted the Pixie dunking her head in nearby, slurping up mouth-fulls at a time. The Dragon sat down in the corner, drinking its tea in a way more charming than one could expect from such a beast.

After my first sip of the tea, I could not keep from opening my mouth to speak to the creatures. "Why have you brought me here?"

Pulling her head up from her tea, the Pixie girl laughed. "That's a strange thing to ask of someone who you just dropped in on uninvited."

"Quiet, Issavellarin." The Dragon raised his claw, and she silenced immediately. "I led her here." He looked at me, his eyes piercing my soul. "And the answer to your question is that we have need of your help, dear girl."

The Mermaid lifted her eyes, studying me as she spoke. "So it is her, then? She is the one?"

The Pixie gasped, pressing her hands to the sides of her face. "The fated one?"

The Dragon hollered across the cavern at them. "Silence! Must I reiterate a thousand and one times that there is no such fated one before you two understand? She is the one, the chosen one, only in that I have chosen her. I have chosen this one and no other." He paused, looking to me. "And if she so desires, I can and will choose another. Fate plays no part in the lives of me and my kin, nor will it ever, and I refuse to let it grip the lives of Humans."

I cleared my throat, hoping for a clear answer. "What is it you want from me?"

The Dragon nodded to the Mermaid, and she set her teacup aside before diving into the water. She came up a moment later with a small golden ring. The Dragon plodded over, holding out a larger ring. They waited a few seconds before turning both their heads toward the Pixie. She pulled her head back out of her tea again, looking between them before objecting.

"Maybe we shouldn't show her all of them, you know. What if she takes off with them and doesn't help?"

I shook my head, hoping to reassure them. "I won't, I promise."

"Fine." She flew over, adding a tiny ring of her own, far too small for my fingers, to the other two. "What we want from you..."

The Mermaid continued the answer. "...is for you to help us..."

And the Dragon finished. "...in defending this world from evil." He closed his clawed hand around the large ring, pulling back. "We proudly represent three of the key elements. Traditionally, they are known as Fire." Two jets of flame shot out of his nostrils.

"Water." The Mermaid splashed her tail playfully.

"And Air." The Pixie zipped up towards the top of the cavern, darting among the stalactites. She came back down and quickly seated herself on the Mermaid's shoulder, explaining further. "But more recently things have been shuffled around a lot in the terminology and it would be far better if we just all agreed to call them Sulfur, Hydrogen, and Oxygen."

"Wait." I stopped them, holding up my hands while I tried to remember what I knew about the elements. "So, you're asking me to join you and represent Earth? What would that be? Wait, are we talking about traditional elements or scientific?"

The Dragon turned and lumbered away, grumbling. "So much to say and so little time. We three are representatives of each of our races, but there are far more. Each element from over a hundred known gives rise to one race, and through Phosphorus and Cobalt, Iron and Gold, Lead and Antimony, Neon and Argon, the Human race was given rise from Carbon. You will be like us and represent your element among the others."

The Pixie jumped back into the air. "Your job will be to select other Human girls to protect people from evil. You bring them to us, and we will give them the powers they need in order to fight."

The Mermaid held up a finger, winking at me. "But you must be sure they are worthy of your trust. We cannot go giving this power to people who will misuse it. That is what you must determine. Who is worthy and who is not."

I nodded, sort of understanding them. "And who will we be protecting the world from? Evil creatures like Trolls and Goblins?"

The Pixie shook her head. "I figured she wouldn't understand how evil works."

The Mermaid sighed. "Good and evil, my dear, are decisions everyone makes. I have no doubt you will meet such creatures in battle, and have our kinds aid you along your way, but you must never make an assumption based on the tales told by your kind. They see in black and white what is in truth a full rainbow, for there is nothing in this world or any other that is completely evil."

The Dragon approached again. "Make no mistake, there is great evil in the minds and hearts of Humans. The same can be said for every kind. I will give you warning here and now that we would not be doing this if not for the unrest among our own peoples. They war amongst themselves where your kind cannot see, but it is all too real."

I had forgotten, and only remembered then. I had wanted to help them, to see more creatures of such wonder, but I had to go. "Oh... but I'm leaving here tomorrow morning. I won't be able to help you."

"Do not worry yourself." He rested his head at the edge of the pool. "We can find our own way to you, so long as you come to us. If you are looking for us, you will find us. Go deep into a wood, anywhere in the world, and call our names. We will hear your call, and we will answer."

The Mermaid smirked, introducing herself, though I had already heard their names. "I am the Lady Dyalgerithal."

The Pixie hovered just above the surface of the water. "I am Issavellarin."

The Dragon stood and spread his wings, covering half the cavern. "And I am Norogandrac. For three hundred years almost, I have searched for a pure-hearted child such as yourself so that we may work to bring about peace once more."

Dyalgerithal sank under the surface, her smile widening. "Yes, we all know how long you've been doing this."

I looked to her, suddenly curious and emboldened. "And how old are you? You don't look more than twenty-five years."

I had hoped to be flattering, but she turned red with a blush. "You know little of Merfolk. Issavellarin, do I truly look less than fifty years even?" The Pixie shook her head. "I thought not. No, I was born in this very pool eighty and seven years ago."

Norogandrac snorted. "She finds her age something to be proud of. Something I can relate to, as both our races grow larger with age. You will have to explain some day why so many Humans go to such lengths to seem younger than they are."

Issavellarin interrupted. "But not today. Right now we need to get you home so you don't miss your flight."

I still had one more thing to ask them before they took me home. "How old are you, Issavellarin?"

The color of her wings tinged red for a moment. "Oh, I'm only a few thousand years old." She suddenly flew closer to my face. "Wait, I just realized, we don't know your name!"

I smiled at her and introduced myself. "My name is Lyudmila Pavelevna. I'm fourteen years old. Human years."

Norogandrac coughed. "A year is one rotation of the planet around the sun. That time is no more or less for different races."

Issavellarin interrupted him again. "Yes. Fascinating. Let's get her home."

Without another word, for Issavellarin would shush anyone who tried to speak, I dried off with a towel Norogandrac gave me and put my clothes back on. The two of them led me out of the cavern, leaving the relatively immobile Mermaid there, and out to the edge of the woods where I could see the house. I managed to make my way up to my room and into my bed without anyone noticing. I fell asleep right away, and somehow it never even occurred to me that that might have all been a dream.

So here I am now, with these three.