Submission (#2412) Approved

The fishing fascination continued across the world of Eyre as the regions crept into the peak of the summer. Even more interesting, it seemed, were the sudden discoveries of new aquatic life yet unseen by anyone in all of recorded history. Lobsters with glowing fungi growing on their backs, iridescent koi in a rainbow of colors… even frogs that could fly! Halcyon wasn’t one for marine biology; she can recall the kinds she’d seen in books and some of the fish that live in the ponds of Faerindell, but she knew very little about most of the animals from other regions.

Yet she still wondered how there could possibly be so many creatures in the world that hadn’t already been found. Sure every corner and crevice in Eyre had been scouted, explored, and mapped in all the centuries elnin have lived here… right?

After her outing in Ealei, her travels have led her to Silveil, the land of eternal night and everlasting parties. She could see the appeal in the flickering neon lights and loud nightlife even if she herself rarely ever managed to stay up past bedtime. She yawned as she walked through the crowded city streets, eyes flitting from face to face and sign to sign as she briefly wondered what it would be like to live here. 

As much fun as the downtown district seemed, she had her sights set beyond the city’s main borders. The trip to the renowned “Starlake” was ethereal in its own way, different from the glamorous allure of Silveil City proper, but beautiful all the same. She couldn’t possibly miss a chance to see it for herself first-hand while she was in the region, and the path through the forest was filled with luminescent flora that lit the way without the need for lamps. Mushrooms bigger than her entire body bathed her fur in an eerie, yet somehow calming glow. It was almost as if she never stepped foot away from the bright lights of the city she just left behind.

When she arrived at her destination, there was already a decent crowd gathered around the bank of the large body of water known as the Starlake. The excited chatter and the odd glow coming from that direction distracted her from her original mission and lured her to join the growing group of city-dwellers and tourists alike. She was thankfully small enough to make her way to the front without much fuss, and once she finally reached the edge of the water, she saw...

Glowing jellyfish! 

Floating orbs with long, winding tendrils flowing majestically under the water. She’d heard rumors of this lake and its mysterious lights rising from the water’s depths, so initially she assumed these creatures were what caused that phenomenon. The surprised and somewhat baffled words of those around her as they gazed upon the translucent cephalopods, however, spoke otherwise. Voices of “I’ve never seen these before!” and “Where did they come from?” cut amidst the din of buzzing conversation. 

They were glowing a bright, fluorescent blue that mesmerized her along with the others that gazed into the water. At least, they had been blue a moment ago- now they were purple! Not only did these jellyfish glow, but they appeared to change color, as well! The large smack of jellyfish changed color in synchronization, without so much as half a second’s delay in difference. She wondered if it were some sort of mental link? Or just a biological clock that each individual had set to the same time? Whatever the cause, she spent much longer than she intended just staring into the lake and watching the mysterious creatures cycle through the rainbow.