Despite the fact that the water didn't move as much as Mira's did, Attie felt proud that she was able to move the water at all. This meant that the magic was possible for somebody like herself! The little girl began to demonstrate her magic while providing instruction. At first Attie didn't understand but after listening further, she began to realize that the child was trying to get her to grasp that feeling she had from earlier. By quietly watching Mira, she began to understand little by little of how to do it for herself. If she tried to copy everything Mira was doing then she wouldn't be able to do it. But taking advice and seeing what the child was doing would help her get started. This may or may not have been the lesson the little girl was trying to teach, as Attie couldn't understand a word that she was saying, but it was what Attie took from it. She watched as the girl twirled with her orb which put a smile on Attie's face. 

Going up to the puddle again, she closed her eyes and began to focus on the water. Instead of holding out her hands like earlier, she cupped her hands and dipped into the water. Her mind focused entirely on the water in front of her and the waves in the distance. Small droplets of water began to rise in front of her as she began to think about Mira and the water. Her hands had a slight blue glow about them as the drops of water began to collect into one large water drop. Suddenly, the water formed into a figure of a tiny monkey. Attie opened her eyes to see the small water monkey figure floating in mid-air. A smile spread across her face as she realized that she had finally done it. She had used water magic! It wasn't exactly the same as Mira's but Attie was fine with that. Jumping to her feet, she ran over to Mira and attempted to hug the little girl. 

"We did it!" She exclaimed with joy, "I can use water magic!"

Mira threw up her hands and exclaimed in celebration alongside the older girl, hugging back when Attie hugged her. When she was put down, she tucked her orb under her arm and gave her new friend an applause of approval. "¡Lo hiciste bien!" She then motioned to the hairpin, asking for it to be returned. The little girl had completed her task in teaching Attie how to grasp the use of hydromancy. Now that Attie understood how it worked, she no longer needed the pin. The rest would come with repeated practice and time. Attie was already showing great promise by being able to manipulate shapes. The child then stopped and tilted her head, as if listening for something. Holding her orb tight, she was looking around for the source of the sound. It sounded like someone was coming and Mira was trying to find a place to hide. From past experiences, she knew not to let unfamiliar people see her orb right away. Many things tried to take it from her because it was so large and shiny, then she had to fight to get it back. "¡Esconder! ¡Estan viniendo!" 

Finding a small hollow beneath the large exposed roots of a tropical tree, she stuffed her orb in before crawling inside. A five-year-old child didn't need much space to disappear from sight. Peering out from her hidey hole, she was looking at Attie as if telling her she should hide too. The voices were coming closer and their steps were quickly approaching. The thinning jungle meant there were less places to take cover unless you carefully concealed your presence. A group of bird-like people armed with spears and ranged weapons were passing through. They spoke among themselves in their native tongue, coming off as trills and high notes like the birds they so resembled. Their feet were taloned, their hands were hidden by their robes. These were the Anlo-Ewe, or harpies as those from the Sister Continents called them. Sharing physical similarities with birds of prey, they were nomadic and traveled around Onnen according to seasonal changes. 

The group was a small band, likely hunters or scouts for the tribe. As Mira had no knowledge of their language, she couldn't understand what they were saying. They appeared to be searching for something judging by their interactions with each other and overall body language. Occasionally they would beat at the remaining undergrowth with their spears.

Excitement glistened in her eyes as she watched the little girl applauding. When the girl asked for her pin back, Attie reached into her own hair to remove the pin and handed it back to the child. She knew that the hairpin must have helped her in some way, perhaps it made her water abilities stronger. The second that she handed the hairpin back, the little water monkey creation had turned back into regular water in the puddle. Attie walked over to the puddle to touch the water as though she couldn't quite believe that it was real yet. Suddenly, she heard the sound of Mira trying to find a place to hide. Trusting her new friends' instincts, she too found a place to hide. The forest had been decaying and as a result, a couple of trees had fallen over. The ground underneath those trees were bumpy which made the trees have spaces underneath them that a person could hide in. Her instincts kicked in as she slid underneath the trees and covered the openings with dried brown bushes and tall grasses. 

Her body remained still and barely a sound came out of her mouth. It reminded her of the days when she was young and her bear mother was busy hunting. As a young child she had to hide, seeing as how small and weak she was. A little human girl had no claws or sharp teeth to defend herself and even if she did, they would be too small to do any real damage. In the present, it was harder for her to move seeing as everything was a tight fit and one wrong movement could reveal her hiding place. She remained still but kept an eye on the group of bird-like people as they seemed to be passing through. They were talking to themselves in their native tongues which Attie couldn't understand. What she did understand was a bit of their situation. Plants and living beings everywhere were struggling and that fact might be able to keep both her and Mira out of trouble, if they could play their cards right….

The harpies were getting closer, thrashing the plants to see if they could flush something out. They were almost by Attie and Mira's hiding spots when one of the scouts let out a cry. The others turned and there were sounds of a struggle. More Anlo-Ewe joined the current group with three faces familiar to Attie in tow: the ones who threw her in the ocean not long ago. They were tied up with spearmen flanking them on both sides. It appeared the harpies had found what they were searching for, and though the two current concealed weren't able to understand, the hunters had been on the trail of thieves in the area. Attempts by the prisoners to bargain with their captors failed, while panicked shouts and cries were fading away as they were dragged back to the harpy camp to face their fate. The moment of danger had passed finally. Slowly creeping out, Mira listened for a while before slowly standing up. Floating lightly, she came back down to nod at Attie to confirm they were really gone. It looked like their peaceful time here on the island had come to an end. However getting off the island wouldn't be easy, not without knowledge of the nearest landmasses close to where they were. They had a couple of choices: take their chances with the harpies for help, or find an alternative way out. With life struggling around as is, the resources that this place had to offer would dwindle. Fortunately Mira didn't necessarily need food, not that she herself knew. "¿Ahora que?" Came the little girl's question. What now? Even Mira's flying had its limits and carrying Attie wasn't a very safe idea.

She kept silent as the harpies began to get closer to both of their hiding spots when one of the scouts let out a signal of some sort. Although unable to see anything due to the dried grass and tight space, she could hear the sounds of fighting. The Anlo-Ewe gathered together around their captured prisoners, the same three who had attempted to drown Attie. Normally Attie would have attempted to figure out why the criminals had tried to kill her but that was if it was a hit and run situation. Those three had taken time out of their day to drown her and used chains to do it! These criminals had full intent of murder and were not just after her stuff which made Attie have little reason to try to figure out who they were. Whatever happened next, they had brought it upon themselves and it was none of Attie's business.

Soon the danger faded away as they were dragged off to wherever the Anlo-Ewe lived. Mira came out of her hiding place and walked over to where Attie was hiding to confirm that they were gone which Attie appreciated since it was difficult for her to see much. Using her hands, she dug around the trees a bit to make it easier to escape from underneath the trees. Pushing herself out, she stood up and began to brush the dirt off of her clothes. Their next step was to find a way off this island. 

"Well, lets see." She began, "The people who we just hid from didn't seem to be bad. They had captured the three who'd tied me up in the chains in the first place. But I don't think going in without bringing something would be a good idea. A peace offering of some sort."

Her eyes wandered around the rain forest. Despite the thinning leaves, the rain forest was still filled with alive plants that might be able to help them. Attie sat on the ground and thought for a little while. What was the one thing that any tribe or civilization would accept as a present? An idea popped into her mind as she stood up and began sniffing the air. Her senses became heightened as she freed her bottled up instincts. In the distance, she could smell the scent of some sort of food and a tree. It wasn't a meat but a plant of some sort. 

"I can smell something in the distance." Attie began to explain, "Perhaps if we gather up some food and offer it to the tribe, they'll be more friendly to use and might even help us to get off this island. What do you think?"

The little girl thought about it, then nodded in agreement. People liked being given gifts, and they were happier when it was something they wanted. She watched Attie search for a particular thing in the trees, wondering what her friend had found. Since for Mira eating and breathing was not necessary she didn't know much about food in the wild. All she understood was that some things tasted bad and some tasted good. Orb in her arms, she floated up to trail after Attie, looking through the leaves and shrugging her shoulders. There wasn't anything that she could see that looked tasty. Mira drifted about aimlessly waiting for her friend to come across something. The branches were clear enough to find spots to sit without worry of finding a snake disguising itself as a vine. Even the vines were withered into dry, stiff ropes.

There were no bugs, no birds, much less big animals like monkeys. The hidden beach was probably the most vibrant spot they'd seen so far on the island. So where did the bird-people come from? Shielding her eyes, Mira squinted as she looked up at the clouds. She didn't see anything that would tell her. Flying here would take a long time, and when she rose higher into the air she didn't see any boats. Puffing her cheeks in a pout she came back down, disappointed. When she thought Attie had discovered food, she was quick to hover above to see what they would be bringing to the bird-people with sticks.

After receiving the child's agreement, Attie turned towards the direction of the particular tree with food. She realized that she would need her natural senses to be able to get to the prize. Closing her eyes, Attie began to let her natural instincts overwhelm her senses. The nails on her hands grew longer and sharper as they formed into claws. Teeth residing in her mouth morphed into sharp fangs as claws formed on her feet. Even her hair became ragged and wild. She walked backwards for a few paces before leaping forwards, using her arms as legs, she leaped from the ground and latched herself to the trunk of a tree. Pulling herself up the tree, she got to a sturdy branch and began jumping from branch to branch until she reached the particular tree she was after.

She stopped before going to the tree, a thought hit her mind. Why hadn't this food been taken? Her answer came when a green snake began slithering up the trunk of the tree. It had been waiting for an animal to be lured to its doom. Attie had little time to think or to figure out an alternative plan, her instincts drove her to attack the snake without a second thought. Leaping towards the snake with her claws open, she dug into the creature and began ripping it apart. The snake had been focused on climbing upwards so when it felt the pain, it had less time to react but it still attempted to strike Attie with its fangs. It missed Attie and struck a branch instead. Attie took her chance and knocked the snake off the tree, watching the wounded creature fall to the jungle floor below. Her wild eyes turned to the avocados hanging from the tree above. Climbing up, she took as many as she could and dumped them in her bag. She had managed to gather twelve slightly wrinkled avocados and began to return to where she had last seen Mira. 

"Mira? I found the food?" Attie called. 

Her claws shrunk back into nails and her wild appearance melted away, revealing a regular Attie. 

She looked up at the sound of Attie's voice. Floating over, she peered at the bag the older girl had. She motioned as if wanting to look inside to see what had been found. At the sight of the avocados the little girl's face became a puzzled frown. Having never seen them before, Mira thought they looked like weird wrinkly rocks with blackish skins. They didn't look very tasty. "¿Qué es esto?" She pointed, confused. Turning the avocado this way and that, she eventually gave up trying to figure it out and returned it to the others. Mira wasn't sure if the bird-people would like these leathery skinned things, but if Attie brought them then that meant they could be eaten. Her gaze went to Attie expectantly, to confirm if she thought they were ready to go see the bird men with their prepared gift. "¿Vamonos?" The path to the Anlo-Ewe camp took time to find and follow their trail, which was made easier thanks to Attie's skills and Mira's higher vantage point. Eventually they came upon a mid-sized settlement of tents in the shadow of cliffs.

The tents were made of cloth and hides, strung together with fibrous ropes and seasoned wooden poles for support. As fitting the aquiline tribe's nomadic lifestyle, these dwellings were made to be easy to pack up when it was time to move. There were large cages of poles and vines lashed together to hold captives or live prey near the camp center and the border was well-guarded by sentries on the trees. Before the two girls even caught sight of the camp they were spotted and a shrill cry pierced the air from varying directions. The warriors were the first to meet them, spears and bows at the ready. At the sound Mira tried to hide her orb beneath her dress, stuffing it behind her back out of fear that it would be taken. Without any bags or a cloak to hide it, this was the best she could do. The Anlo-Ewe sentries approached, speaking in an firm tone in their native tongue. When there was no response, they changed to the common tongue the three beastly scoundrels who robbed Attie had used.

"Who are you and for what reason have you come here?" A male with golden hawk-like eyes and dark feathers around his head questioned. The others around him had feather coloration similar to various birds of prey.

The avocados and their wrinkly skins did not seem appealing to anybody who didn't know what it was. Attie had only seen the vegetable once before but even if she had never seen it, she could smell what was underneath the skin. Even if the taste wasn't the best, food was food, especially considering the situation with all the plants dying. Noticing Mira's skepticism towards the food, Attie merely smiled and picked up her bag. 

"Sometimes the outside is deceiving." Attie stated, "Trust me on this one." 

Attie walked with Mira through the jungle with the gifts in her bag. If she had a basket or a fancy bowl then she would have decorated to make it look nicer, but Attie did not have those things. The path towards the Anlo-Ewe camp was challenging to follow but both managed to keep on track with Mila's high point of view and Attie's advanced senses. Soon they both found the medium amount of unique tents hidden underneath the cliff's shadow. Before they could even see the camp properly, the sound of a shrilling cry rang through the air from all directions. Warriors appeared seemingly out of nowhere with their spears and bows pointed in their direction. Attie placed herself in front of Mira in a protective stance as she didn't want the child to be hurt, even if she was extremely powerful. 

"We are travelers who've come to find our ways back home." She explained carefully, "And we have a gift to show that we are not a threat. May I give it to you?"

The Anlo-Ewe sentries talked among themselves in their original language and nodded to each other, seemingly in agreement. One of the sentries turned to Attie to receive the gift but she noticed the cautious attitude that they all held. Carefully opening the bag and gathering the avocados, she placed them on the ground in front of the sentries then backed up so that he could take it. The sentry went over to inspect the food, upon realizing what it was he quickly gathered them all up and nodded to the others. 

"We caught thieves who look like you." One of the other sentries said. 

"They are not our friends." Attie replied, "In fact they stole from me and attempted to have me drowned. I was lucky to escape. If you don't believe me, check their bags. You'll find 20 silver pieces and two sets of rations."

The majority of the Anlo-Ewe seemed convinced but a few were still visibly nervous about bringing outsiders in. Yet they all talked with each other and appeared to have agreed to let Mira and Attie come in. Even if the Anlo-Ewe were cautious, even they couldn't be as heartless as to let a stranger and a child die for little reason other than fear. The weapons lowered as they were allowed to walk with the Anlo-Ewe. 

Mira decided to go along with Attie on this, despite still having doubts. The little girl nodded, and followed as they soon came face-to-face with the 'bird people'. Her body tensed at the sharp noise, and shuffled closer to her friend when many of them came out with pointy sticks and bent sticks tied with a string. They spoke in two ways–one way Mira understood, but then they would make bird sounds to each other. As most people didn't understand her when she spoke up, Mira let the older girl handle speaking. She gave them the bag of tough-skinned food carefully, and the bird-men checked it. When they took it, bag and all, Mira guessed that they did believe it was acceptable as food. One of the other bird-men said they caught thieves who looked like them, which Mira didn't understand. There weren't two Atties, or another of her. Or were there? Continuing to listen, Attie told them they were wrong. They didn't steal anything and the people who did steal from the bird-men were not their friends. In the explanation, the little girl heard those same people the bird-people wanted to punish had taken things from Attie and even tried to drown her. 

As Mira was not like most children, she didn't fully understand the meaning of 'drowning'. She knew what it meant to get hurt, but death was still too early for her to grasp. When people said 'drown', she associated it with when things that could not breathe in water were unable to swim up and started to sink. She also believed that when things that could not breathe out of water were taken out, they would 'drown' in air. The bird-men continued to talk to each other, then they decided to allow them both to go with them inside their camp. Keeping quiet and holding her orb so it wouldn't slip out from her dress, Mira walked along. If she was scared, she could still fly up but she would have to worry about the pointed sticks. Her worry was soon replaced by curiosity as she saw so many bird-people coming and going from big cloth buildings. There were ones who weren't holding sticks, ones making things, ones making food, and even small bird-people her size. In the center was the cage where the three captured thieves had been held, which was empty at the moment. Fortunately Mira was too young to understand what their absence meant.

The majority of the Anlo-Ewe guards took their leave, with four remaining behind to both escort and keep watch over the two strangers. "You say you want to leave the island, correct?" One aquiline male with copper-brown feathers confirmed. "The tribe elders may know how to assist you, but that will depend on where you say your home is." The taller, gold-eyed and ash-feathered one in the group gave a short explanation. "Our tribe comes along the changing winds throughout the seasons to roost. This particular island is easy for us to reach by flying, and that is how we leave. However, if you wish to leave without wings it will be much more difficult. The sea is wide between the coast here and the Efé Mountains south. You will not be able to make a boat big enough to cross now. How did you manage to come here without a flying beast?"