Nixie's pink fin glittred in the light rays that moved through her bedroom under water, her dark brown hair flowed arround her face, it was then that she saw the time on her coral clock in her room, it was past 5:30, she was late for work, again. Nixie swam as fast as she could out of her underwater home and to the surface of the ocean. As her elegant face apeard above the blue waves she took a deep breath, her boss wasnt too harsh on her, but she had been late for the past several days and this might be the last straw.

Nixie swam to the beach, the moon was begining to make its apperance, the sun was dipping into the sea, ready to sleep. As she pulled her body onto the sand she lay their for a moment and let the cool air dry her fin. The cool air moved over her scales like a snake, and soon her fin broke in two, and two long and lean legs lay where the fin had been. Nixie stood up and very hurridly put on a very soaked dress.

Nixie ran across the beach, she left foot prints in the light sand, a signal that one of her kind, a shapshifter mermaid had been their, footprints either coming into the surf and none coming out or vice versa.

Soon she had reached the dock, she ran to the dock and across deck to a bar and pub called bar-nu-en. She pushed the door open, inside it wasnt busy, only about 2 people, quiet like normal, she saw her boss behind the counter scowling.

"I am soo sorry, I didnt mean to be late, but I didnt realize the time." She said ready to serve and take orders.
"The important thing is that your here, now get to work." Her boss said, he continued to stay behind the counter counting gold coins.
"Thank you." She said before starting her job taking orders.

Just as the sun could no longer be seen in the night sky a single boat began it's approach to the beach before it. A lone figure was standing upon the front of the boat. There weren't many other people upon it as it seemed to glide across the ocean with ease. The man dressed in a large black cloak with red swirling clouds was keeping his eyes on the land ahead of him. Resting upon his head was a straw hat with many strings dangling from it hiding most of his face.

Having been a marked man in so many other countries he wasn't sure if news of his exploits had reached this new land as of yet. As the sea air continued to bring the small ship to it's destination Nicko took his eyes off the beach for the first time to look upon a badly drawn map. The land of Arda was large, much larger then any other land he had been too. It would make it much easier for him to go about noticed.

It was at that time that the boat finally touched land with the sandy beach. As he slowly walked off the boat he let go of the map which blew away in the sea breeze. He no longer had need of a poorly drawn map. Noticing a building upon a dock not too far away he began slowly walk towards it.

He had only taken a few steps when he stopped abruptly. Looking to the ground a little ways away he could see footprints that had been left upon the beach. The odd thing was that the prints were going from the water to the dock. There were no prints coming from the dock to the waters. This told him that whoever had made these footprints had come from the water as well. He had not seen any other boats so he only assumed that it was some sort of sea creature. Not knowing of what he would find upon the docks he once again continued his walk towards it.

Now off the sandy beach and standing upon the dock he was now standing in front of the door to what appeared the be a bar. Though he didn't need anything to eat or drink at the moment perhaps he would be able to get information from the people within the place. Opening to door he noticed only a few people within. They glanced at him for a moment but when they were sure there was nothing interesting about the man they went back to their drinks. Taking a closer look he noticed two drinking, a woman who seemed to be the one taking orders. And the owner behind the counter. Until he knew how he wanted to get the information he would wait. Taking a seat in the corner away from the others he began to think about the pest way to get the information. The information he wanted was of the land itself, how dangerous was it. Were there any people of interest in these lands, people of great power he would have to be on the lookout for.

The door opened and a new costomer walked in, nixie brought out the drinks of the orders she had already taken, set them down with a smile and moved gracefully to the new comer. Nixie smiled and stood infront of the man hands on her hips, her dark brown hair lightly falling over her shoulders.

"What can I get for ya?" She said happily tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

The man looked as if he were forign to this place, he looked slightly lost and maybe a little confused, she just remembered of a boat that was scedualed to come and drop stop here. She wondered silently to herself if he had been to this realm before.

She could feel her boss's eyes on her back as she stood wating for him to order, her boss wasnt always the happiest person ever, but that didnt really matter, aslong as she got the order.

Nicko hadn't sat there that long when the woman he had seen before came to him. As she stood before him he made no movement or showed any signs that he had noticed her. It was when she spoke that he finally looked up directly into her eyes. And for a moment his blood red eyes with three black swirls could be seen. "What can I get for ya?" she had asked.

He pondered the question for a few moments and then realized that this was as good a time as any. As he looked her over once more he noticed that he dress was slightly damp. He wasn't sure why but he guessed that she was the one that had came from the ocean. As she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear he spoke, "Information...On the land...and the people." he stated in a low emotionless tone. He wasn't sure what information he would be able to get but since he had none what so ever any information he could get would be useful.

Nixie perked an eye brow for a moment, his eyes were blood red, her initail guess was a vampire, but she dismised her suspicions and smiled. "Thier are several different species, several different places, all with different traits, I could not begin to name them all." She said simply enough. "Though thier is a war on now, so be careful not to offend anyone. its a war between light and darkness, most pubs or bars support light." She said giving him a bit of advice. "And I would suggest a whisky." She said.

Nixie still felt his questions odd, though this confiermed her thought that he was new to the realm, he had allot to learn of the customs, the people, the enimys, the rivalrys, it would be an adventure for him for sure.

Nicko once again looked away from the woman as he listened to her words. From what she said this was a much larger land then he had thought before. He would have to kill the man who had drawn that map if he ran into him once more for it gave no information on the size of the land mass. She had also said a war was going on between two sides. The light and the dark, he wasn't surprised. There always seemed to be a war or some conflict between the light and the dark. Though he was that of the dark it didn't bother him at all that he was within a place that supported the light, she had also suggested a whisky. He wasn't much for drinking but he showed no signs of his dislike for alcohol.

Thinking he could perhaps get more information out of her he replied to her first question again, "Water..." When she returned he would once again press her for more answers. And perhaps bring up his own suspicions about where she had come from.

Nixie smiled. "You got it." Nixie left and made her way to the bar, she picked up a glass and poured some ice cold,pure water in the glass, and turned to walk back. This man is fairly quiet, and obvoiusly new. She walked over to his table and put the glass down. She wanted to be back in the water, in the cool current. The bright blue highlights of her hair fell into her face and she quickly pulled it up into a poney tail.

"Anything else I can get you?" She asked hands on hips, ready if he ordred something stronger.

The woman had responded with a "You got it" As the woman returned with his water he took the time to take a few sips out of it. As the woman stood there with her hands on her hips she seemed to be waiting for something. It was soon after that she spoke again, "Anything else I can get you?"

Nicko already knew what information he wanted more then anything else but it wasn't the type of thing one would ask and not raise a few eyebrows. And he hoped to stay hidden for a while longer in this land. Still wanting information however he settled for another less important question. "Perhaps you could go into more detail about the people of this land, who are the strongest this land has to offer?" he asked. Though this wasn't the most important question it was pretty close. He needed information of the strengths of the people in this land. He didn't want to go into a battle without knowing how strong his opponent would be.

"I dont think I am the one to talk to." She said, she really had no idea who was the most powerfull in the realm, she had yet to meet everyone and every speices, so she wouldnt know. "The most threatining however, are those who have no problem killing, and they are feared, so I suppose in some way you could say it would be those people who are the most powerfull. As for myself, I'm nothing but a mermaid who works as a barmaid." She said, she needed the money so she could get all the things she needed, and everything she wanted, money was a necisity in amost every realm.

When she spoke he learned that she didn't really know who were the strongest in this realm. True the people who had no problems with killing, like himself would be stronger then most. But there was more to it then just the will to kill. Skill, intelligence, and experience. Either way he knew he would no longer be able to get any information out of her if she didn't have it to begin with. Leaving his water where it sat on the table, half finished he began to make his way to the door. He doubted that any of the others could give him the information he needed. He did however confirm the fact that she had come from the sea. Thought that information was meaningless, it was good to know that he hadn't lost his touch from the long voyage to get to this land by boat.