The three of them looked shocked at the idea that the gemstones were actually crystallized blood of intelligent beings. The Elder chuckles at their reaction and pulls out a pouch that was tucked into his loin cloth. “It is a way that we can continue to connect to those we loved that came before us, or that we loved greatly; this has my mate's life stone inside it. I carry it so that a part of her can comfort me when I have a hard time with her loss, the others in the village help as well. However she impressed upon me that she felt that I could help our people leave at least an impression for all time even if we as a species were doomed to die.”

The Elder brightened a bit and a female figure clad in red purple and green appeared next to him, As a memory inside a memory I cannot pass much information onto you young ones. However I recall having a fevered dream of my mate teaching some strange children about our people before we all perished, please listen well to all the village has to say to you. I made a point to memorize this statement for your benefit before I died so I might help you understand. Then the female faded out again, and the Elder wiped another tear from his eyes, “I didn't know she had known that much; but now I know I did do what she had hoped I could do for our people. Our people can sometimes have a gift of what you call fore sight, but it is extremely rare. So rare that in all of our history my mate included there was only three, each time the person appeared when a great cataclysm was going to occur. It appears it did not go into affect on her in time to be of use to our people, but it will help with the memory of our people.”

Morgane was thoughtful for a moment then asked, “was she garbed that way because when she had died she had been pregnant? I have not see any of your people wearing greens and white and we already know they refer to our age and to an extent our gender.” The three Apsaras nod at the question and the Elder continues, “yes when a female becomes pregnant she wears garments that also have the color green in them and the male wears white in his. We have a method that tells what the gender is once the female is halfway through gestation and then the shade on the garments are altered to denote that.”

The Elder then gets a more serious look on his face, “I imagine you are wondering how with a population remaining we still had no children?” The three of the children nod Dylan looking introspective again, “simply the mutation of the illness removed our ability to have the females go 'in season'. We never discovered what it was in our make up that enabled us to reproduce, and at the point my mate had died less and less females came into 'season'. By the time the ones now living here were old enough to have children the change was permanent. Our drive to survive was still there, but biologically we were unable to continue as a species. Now you wonder how much of a difference between my age and the oldest of the others is? Simple, about two centuries, some of the more remote villages were able to reproduce for a good amount of time. Then the illness did manage to spread to their villages as well, while we all survived the plague we are no longer viable.”

Morgane felt horrible for what happened to Aqua's people, it had to be a trying time to wait for the rest of your people to die off while having the drive to survive. Aqua's former mate looks at Morgane, “now we need to discuss you child. The more pressing problem first I believe, you cannot let that human boy beat you in that fight he so desperately wishes for you to have with him. You cannot allow that life stone to leave your possession,” Morgane stilled forgetting that the pommel of her sword was made out of the same materiel as the “Star of the Sea”. She wholly agreed with his statement though, she could not let that sad excuse for a man beat her and take the sword from her. Those stones must not get into the hands of the surfacers, who knows what they might do to them.

Aqua's former mate nods at Morgane's realization, “yes that is exactly why that human must not be allowed to beat you. As technically the 'life' energy we imbue the 'gems' with is still a form of energy, an energy that far surpasses anything human technology can produce. One of the 'gems' the size of a grain of sand could power the whole of the Earth for a century, without it's necessary recovery period. The energy never really goes away, alright that is inaccurate; if the 'gem' ever turns black you have 'killed' it.” The male looked uncomfortable explaining that piece of information, and Morgane understood why. If the 'gems' were a piece of a person's essence, to drain the 'gem' completely it would be a second 'death'; which to Morgane was a horrible thought.

The male the continued, “as they contain energy; we would like your permission to help prevent you from tiring during your match. I know this might be unpleasant to you but we are merely thinking of the harm to..” Aqua then speaks up, “to me; harm done to me. The stone in your sword contains mostly my essance since it was mined from a group of fused stones, there is some of a great many people; but it is mostly me. We moved about inside the fused stones when they went to mine for a stone for you so that I could commune directly with you.” Morgane blinks at the revelation as her hand goes to where her sword would normally be then sighs deeply and answers. “I appreciate what you are asking, however it would not be the right thing to do to have an unfair advantage when the whole point of this 'match' is to show that the idiot male isn't what he says he is. Before you say, 'who would know'; I would and I won't tarnish my own honor. I will defeat him, and I will do so in a fair and just manner.”

Aqua's former mate looks deflated compared to before when he was upset over their garments, as if he decided it wasn't worth the argument. The Elder chuckled, “I did tell you based on what she informed us about Morgane that it would not be permitted. However Morgane, we reserve the right to do something if the human puts your life in danger. We see you as the leader of your group, even though Triton is technically the most intelligent of your age group you are far more practical. Practicality and intelligence is much better in a leader than just intelligence, as you can see the most intelligent outcome and decide if in reality it would work or not. A person who is very intelligent won't necessarily be able to do so.”