Week 21 - Butterfly Bay

The parakeets whispered about the 'Tinted Barrier Reef' more and more often, their tone filled with obvious longing. The locals used the parakeets for their pranks, so I assumed they intended to tease Undine. Considering her desire to leave her former home behind, I wanted to spare her the prank and decided to move on. This time, the magic waters portal brought us to a place called ‘butterfly bay’. Another place with a name that perfectly describes it! Hundreds of glamorous butterflies fluttered in the air above the bay, and the local merfolk cheerfully treasured each of the tiny jewels. What an amazing and welcoming place! Yet Undine did not seem too happy. What was going on? How could one not adore this stunning place full of sunshine, intense hues and affectionate merfolk? I emphatically demanded answers from my friend. To my surprise, it turned out that she was desperately homesick! The trinket had just been an excuse to return home. And the growing restlessness in the Red Dragon Reef and the parakeet’s longing call - all just reflected Undine’s homesickness. ‘You know, Sally, I guess I understood something. Home is the place that I love to leave, and that I love even more returning to!’ I smiled affectionately at Undine, as we returned to her home.

For more images and stories see @al-ma-48

Week 19 - Red Dragon Reef

I loved chatting with the friendly merfolk and playing with the frogs and their tadpoles. Yet, gradually, Undine's restlessness grew with each passing day. When asked, she shook her head and mumbled about a special trinket left behind. So, before continuing our journey, we briefly returned to the tinted barriers. If I had not known how gloomy she felt there, I could have assumed she enjoyed our brief stopover. Yet, we continued our exploration of the magic water portals and reached the infamous Red Dragon Reef! According to legend, once upon a time, the two most ancient red dragons fought in the air over this part of the ocean for dominance. For several days, the night sky blazed, visible even from islands far away. Finally, the loser crashed into the sea below. Her final fiery roar unfortunately ignited something combustible underneath the seabed. It scorched the dragon from the inside, and keeps burning inside its shell to this day! We can see its light through cracks in the shell, breaking open and creating an explosion of bubbles and light as fire meets water, before closing again. Nevertheless, corals made the outside of the dragon their home, building a new reef and home for a tribe of merfolk. They were strikingly beautiful, yet their temper matched their fiery home.

For more images and stories see @al-ma-48