Nee'la smiled gently at Remi as they walked. She was very careful to walk in a way which jostled her nephew, Novato whom was sound asleep resting on her back, the least. The sweet child tired out easily, but him being asleep almost made him more endearing to Nee'la - certainly he was less loud with his constant stream of 'did you know'. Remi smiled back at her, reaching out to hold her hand as they walked. The journey the two had taken certainly made them closer with Remi cracking Nee'la's harder exterior and managing to gain a place of affection in her heart.
They had traveled quite far from their starting point at Madame Leora's tavern in Or'sol, but yet they remained in Mireh. Their most recent clue had directed them to The Glittering Lake - a recently discovered phenomenon which it would seem was all anyone in the region could talk about.
The darkness of nightfall was taking over the landscape, however neither Remi nor Nee'la felt the urge to stop and set up camp - the night was cool enough that they could keep walking but not so cool either felt the need to rest and rug up despite their all day travel.

After wandering a little ways, Nee'la tugged on Remi's hand gently, signalling for him to stop. He looked back at her, a questioning hum escaping his mouth.
"Remi... Remi I-" she started, shyly, looking away from him and rubbing her own arm.
"What is it Nee'la?"
"I..." She looked up again but then gasped with her eyes wide "look!" she breathed, almost a whisper.
Remi turned around quickly, just in time to see a large shimmering orb slowly float into the air. Before either could comment further, it had disappeared and popped with a gentle noise.
"What in Ba'av is that...?" Remi started walking towards where the orb had come from.
"Be careful" Nee'la cautioned as she followed a little ways behind, worried about protecting the sleeping Novato from whatever that was.

Remi led Nee'la through the shrubs and over gentle rises as they headed towards the mystery orbs which appeared to slowly rise into the sky before disappearing - the larger ones making soft pop noises. Eventually they came across a clearing which allowed them to peer through to a grand lake which shimmered in the moonlight, large bubbles - the orbs they had previously seen - emerged from the surface and rose to the sky, some reaching magnificent heights before popping.
"Whoa..." escaped Nee'la's mouth as she gawked on in wonder "This... this must be.."
"The Glittering Lake" came a voice to their right, gaining their attention away from the phenomenon before them.
"It certainly lives up to that name" Remi remarked, a gentle smile given to the stranger whom they could see only by the glittering light reflecting off the magnificent pool before them. Nee'la, however, held her breath anxious over yet another stranger appearing out of no where.
"Joan Roan" the friendly Tsabhua approached, reaching out a hand to shake Remi's.
"Remi" he replied, extending his own hand in acceptance of the greeting. "Nee'la and sleeping is Novato" he nodded in their direction.
"Well met." Joan Roan's eyes were somehow warm and comforting despite barely being visible in the dark, their presence strangely comforting and somehow familiar.
"What brings you to the Glittering Lake, besides the fact everyone seems to be talking about it." Remi asked. This questions caused Joan Roan to beam a wide smile and an all too familiar excitement widened his eyes.
"Science!" their voice seemed to boom and echo out over the lake, almost like it was bouncing back at them due to the bubbles.
The noise caused Novato to start stirring, groaning softly as he stretched out on Nee'la's back. She was quick to slide him off and into her arms where she could hold him securely instead of having him fall from height. Nee'la shot a glance at the other two "Do not dare wake him, please. I would like a peaceful night."
Remi and Joan Roan murmured an apology in unison, ears flattening slightly.
"What about yourselves?" Joan Roan asked back at Remi, their voice lowered so as to not disturb the whelp any more.
"Pretty much just the lake itself. Also heard rumors of camps being abandoned around here..." Remi trailed off, suddenly suspicious of the stranger before him as if he had not considered until this moment that there might be foul play.
"Ah yes, I had heard about the alleged dangers of being here. So far I have found two camps that seem to be abandoned. One significantly older than the other..."
"Oh?" Remi tilted his head to one side "Please, do elaborate. No signs of the owners?"
Joan Roan merely shook their head, almost a sadness "No sorry. No one has been to reclaim the camps or their equipment since I have been here."
"Equipment?"
"Yes. It would appear both are research camps - would seem some well funded researchers were here first."
Nee'la chimed in, suddenly filled with dread at having brought her nephew to a dangerous place "have you seen anything suspicious? Possibly signs of a scuffle, attack, distress? Anything?"
Joan Roan shook their head once more, sorrow in their eyes "Nothing. It is almost like they simply vanished."
"Are you not worried about being here then?" She pried further. This earned her a toothy grin from the dark Tsabhua.
"It would not be exciting research if there was no threat!" their eyes almost lit up with a passionate fire "Come, stay with me tonight. We will talk more in the daylight - plenty of time to show you around what I have found."
Remi smiled "Yes, we would appreciate that very much. Thank you for your kind hospitality."
"Oh no worries. It is nice to have company anywho. Gets lonely out on the field, you know?" Joan Roan did not await a response before leading them away to his own camp.
Nee'la leaned in to whisper to Remi as they followed, being careful to not jostle the still sleeping Novato too much. "Are you sure we can trust them?" she asked, worry in her voice.
"No, I am not sure. But I do not think we will get answers another way" Remi replied equally as quiet.