Lamia watched with wonder as the slime and water went spewing into the air. That was incredible! Was there a vent on its back that allowed it to do such things? She didn't mind when much of it splattered onto her. She dipped herself back into the water to get off the slime but she didn't really mind.

She wanted to try speaking, though, since it saddened her that her own echoing voice was little more then a hiss in the air. She opened her mouth again and let out another rasping sound before trying to replicate one of the words that Phlegethon had used. She played with the shape of her mouth, the tones of her voice, the way her tongue was positioned and how the air came out until she finally managed to say her first word, although it was distorted and strange. "Wwwaaaawwwteeeer."

That was totally correct.

Pleased with herself, she followed the slime beast back into the water. It wanted to talk about Tenzin and she was perfectly happy to tell it about the phoenix. Tenzin is a big bird. He lives under a bunch of ice and water. He taught me about the caves and about my magic. He gave me lessons in the dangers I'll face and how to breath above water. I don't know why I would have done without him guiding me.

Lamia did not at all know about the Children's mistrust for the Elders. If she did, perhaps she would not have told Phlegethon so much about Tenzin. But her ignorance allowed her to continue speaking. Tenzin is an Elder, he told me. He said there are twelve Elders from the beginning of the world. I didn't know there was a beginning or that you could even live so long. He is in the cold-water-cave Pisces where I hatched.
Her tail twisted with pride and she held herself in the water more strongly. He called me a child of Pisces! I don't know what that means but it sounds cool!

Lamia frowned now, her bulbous eyes twitching with confusion. What was there to be wary about Tenzin? He was nice. He'd told her about the caves. And she had assumed that the other Elders were just as helpful. After all, they had been alive for centuries so surely they would have learned to be nice. "That is strange. Tenzin is trustworthy. He is gentle and kind. I asked him who the other eleven were but he did not say. Maybe some of them are bad and others are good." Lamia was sure that the world worked this way - there were bad things and there were good things. What could even be in between those two extremes?

Her tail twitched again and she crossed her arms across her chest. Would they hurt me if I mentioned? Would they try to force me out of the water? Would they eat me? The last thought scared her a little. She had seen creatures eating fish before. She had eaten fish herself. Phlegethon, whom she now realized was not, in fact, an Elder, was definitely big enough to eat her but it chose not to. But what if there were other "rot children" that had a taste for fish?

Lamia twitched in the water, suddenly nervous again. The more and more she learned about the surface world the less she liked it. She liked Tenzin, he was a nice Elder but here there were Bad Elders and betrayers and people that did not trust the Elders and would not like her if she said she did trust them. She didn't like that. She didn't like that they would keep things from her. She rather things be truthful and honest. She loathed the thought that many people kept things behind masks and lies. Cetus seemed like a very less welcoming place.

And if I speak to them they will tell me lies and leave me in the dark because of who I have spoken to. Who I have judged worthy of trust. That does not seem right to me. Why can they not simply be truthful. Why so much secrecy?