Something new?

Aia was more than happy to spend time with her Uncle Kotori. After letting her parents know where they were going, the pair set off to a place that she'd never seen. Before they even broke through the trees, the girl could smell the sulfur on the air. She could see the steam wafting through the leaves. Excitement thrummed through her as her little legs tried to keep pace beside her much larger uncle.

The trees gave way into a large space of tiered rock. The rocks were natural pools filled with steaming water. Instantly Aia's blue eyes lit up and her tail began to helicopter wildly. "Wooooooooow..." her little voice whispered in awe. As her uncle invited her to check out one of the pools, she nodded excitedly and bounded forward.

Did she know how to swim? The amaranthine child gave her head a little tilt, her lips pursing. "A little bit, Uncle. I'm so small that I float, so if the water moves, then it's hard." But this water wasn't moving. Aia stepped into the warm water, a soft little gasp pulling from her at the temperature. Once all four feet were in, she moved to the edge and proudly sank into the deeper water. Little paws paddled as she swam circles, confident that her uncle would rescue her if she needed.

"Aia Indarra"