Ireland

Dara guided Jaejoong as they flew above the forest. But she stopped giving directions upon noticing the changes below them.

"That's Agrasig forest!" she frowned. "They have turned it into a park!" she was aghast. "The Glessdale River’s clear water is now brown and muddy!" she said with distaste.

Jaejoong tried to distract her from the state of Agrasig forest. He feared she would do something to the people responsible to the changes in the forest.

"Are we still far from the Baville's home?"

"Just follow Flessdale River upstream and we will soon reach Daub forest." She turned her eyes away from Agrasig forest.

When they reached Daub forest, they discovered that like Agrasig forest it had also suffered from human incursion. A mining company was in full operation in the middle of the forest while on its eastern side, a logging company was busy chopping down the age-old trees.

Bodhran falls, the home of the Bavilles was located between the two companies. The waterfalls' once pristine waters were now murky brown in color. Its once powerful waters now trickled down from a twenty-foot drop nature-made cliff.

"The Bavilles are fresh water fairies," said Dara as they landed on the bank near the waterfall. "The moment their waterfalls become contaminated with pollution, most of them become sterile. Children born from those who were able to give birth often die after being born."

"Where are they?" Jaejoong asked as he scanned their surroundings. It was nighttime, but the place was bathed by the light of a half-moon. Even without the light, Jaejoong could still see through the darkness. But all he could see were several large water lilies leaves floating on the water beneath the waterfall.

Dara pointed her finger to a white flower bud rising among the water lilies. It was faintly glowing. Looking closer, Jaejoong saw five silver glowing fish in the water near the flower bud. They were jumping and swimming around the flower bud. Whenever they dove back down the water, their bodies became translucent, almost invisible to ordinary eyes. These were probably the Bavilles.

The flower bud slowly began to open. Something shiny resembling a tiny raindrop was inside it.

"That's the baby," whispered Dara as she sat herself by the edge of the water. "The Bavilles would usually throw water into the flower so that the baby would fall to the water and join them. Once the baby enters the water, he would start assuming the shape of a Baville and swim immediately. But the Bavilles are afraid to do that now. In the past, all their newborns that fell into the water immediately died. Instead of gaining the form of a Baville, their bodies dissolved into the water." She turned to him; there was concern in her eyes, but Jaejoong also saw hope. "You need to help the baby, Jaejoong."

"How?"

"Catch him in your palm. Touch him."

Jaejoong waded into the chest-deep water and reached out to the newly-opened flower. He slightly tipped one of the flower's petals, and let the small raindrop fall on his cupped hand.

"Are you really sure this is a Baville? This looks like just an ordinary water droplet." Jaejoong couldn't even see any sign of life from the droplet.

"That's a Baville!" Dara insisted.

"What's next?"

"How long did you carry me in my sarcophagus?"

"Almost an hour."

"Since my body is larger than that baby, maybe five minutes would be enough for him to absorb your aura from your hand. After five minutes, put him gently into the water. If he dissolves, it means we have failed. But if he starts swimming and glowing, then you have saved him."

Jaejoong felt the eyes of all the Bavilles on him. They were putting all their hopes in his hand, literally. And he knew he would be responsible for the death or the survival of the newborn Baville.

After five minutes, he gently put his hand containing the young Baville into the water. He was hardly breathing as the droplet was covered by water. Dara and the Elders assumed he had the power to help the young ones of the Siesmyres to become immune from pollution, but he himself wasn't sure of that. He was born and trained how to fight and kill, never to give hope and life to a dying race.

"Please live," Dara murmured.

And then, Jaejoong felt something in his submerged hand. Movement! The light of the moon couldn't pass through the murky waters. But Jaejoong's eyes capable of seeing in the dark, saw that the movement was coming from the droplet! It had also begun to change form until it resembled a tiny version of the adult Bavilles! It began swimming out of his palm.

The small Baville swam toward the five Bavilles who began celebrating by jumping out of the water. The young Baville had survived! Jaejoong managed to give it immunity!

He found himself smiling and feeling elated. He was still not sure how he was able to make the baby immune or for that matter survive. But he was happy for the Bavilles.

"I think, you have become a Siesmyre godfather," Dara said, smiling.

He turned to look at her. Her face glowed with happiness making her even more beautiful! In the light of the moon, her skin didn't even look green; she looked more like her human form.

"You have given us hope for our future," said a man's low voice.

When Jaejoong turned to the owner of the voice, he found himself looking directly into the glass-like eyes of one of the adult Bavilles. He was the biggest and probably the leader of this group. Only his tail was submerged while the rest of his body seemed to stand above the water.

"Thank you," the Baville continued before making a slight bow.

Jaejoong found himself bowing in return. It seemed to be the proper way to answer the leader of the Bavilles.

Dara gave a proper welcome to the young newborn by lightly touching it, almost like she was giving it a blessing. She congratulated everyone before bidding goodbye to the Bavilles.

They left the waterfall and began their flight home. A thought suddenly crossed Jaejoong's mind. He stopped in mid-flight.

"Wait, if you are going to make me hold and touch every newborn Siesmyre to make them immune, this would become a full-time job!"

"Don't worry; we are not lik