The Tale of the Huntress

9. An Elven Child

The daze left her soon after the adrenaline rush receded. She recognized that the baby in her arms was not her own but already it was too late to leave it. There was a new bond between the pair and for that Armageddon was thankful. His conscience was much more sensitive to life being as he was an Axius that thrived on guiding souls to freedom. Nova held it tightly to her chest before pulling it away to examine the features of the bundled up elf. Wood elves were a species of elf known for dark hair and eyes as well as their special connection to nature. As they inspected the child that they had rescued, it opened its eyes to reveal nearly white irises that still shone with hues of blue. It didn't seem to be blind as its eyes traveled across its foster parent's face. A smile broke out on the child's face making their hearts melt. Nova unwrapped the bundle slightly in order to check the gender and found it to be a girl. Without second thought, a name came to mind and she shared it with Armageddon who purred with his approval.

They made the long trek back to the village with their treasure, the staff, and a new family member. None questioned them when they arrived but stared at the Axius that carried a pack of overflowing goods with greedy eyes. They continued through the village until they reached her home. Once there, Nova left Armageddon in charge of caring for the baby girl before she headed to the town meeting hall to claim her reward. She held the glowing staff out to a higher ranking soldier that sat at a desk with a map stretched before him. His eyes scanned it incredulously before he took it in his own hands with a shudder from the golden warmth that spread from his fingertips down to his soul.

"Did you find anything else...anything more peculiar than this staff?" He pressed on in question. Nova's eyebrows scrunched up as she shook her head.

"Nothing but a few rare stones to be used for jewelry," was her reply. He scowled but nonetheless handed over a large pouch filled with golden pieces. Before she could take them from his grasp he pulled his hand back.

"Tell me the path you took young lady. Trace it on the map," he demanded while shoving a canister of red chalk in her direction. She dipped her pointer finger in the powdery substance and began to explain their journey in as much detail as possible before circling the spot where she recalled the temple being. He nodded to her when she finished and gave Nova the coin. "Thank you for your help Miss."

With that, the emerald eyed woman left content with her new wealth. She stopped by a food stand on her way home to pick up a nice meal for her and Armageddon before also deciding to grab milk for the new baby. It was still strange for her to have a child all of a sudden that depended solely on her as a foster parent. Though after the initial reluctance, she welcomed the little elf with open arms. When she arrived, incessant babbling was coming from behind the front door. Nova stomped inside to catch the attention of whoever was in the shop.

Hashanna and her group of women were cooing over the little girl that was wrapped up in blankets. Armageddon was watching them warily and flexing his claws out of anxiety. The creature was very overprotective especially for the one who was unable to defend herself. As soon as the door shut, Hashanna looked up at Nova walking in and then put her hands to her heart with a large smile.

"You brought home a baby! Where did you travel to?" She shouted waking up the sleeping angel. Much to her relief, she did nothing but pop her eyes open and let out a small yawn. Her lashes fluttered as she blinked to take in each new face that was above her. A few comments were made on her strange white eyes but nothing more. Armageddon's tail began to twitch as he neared the girl possessively and faced the ladies. They backed up from the bundle rapidly, fearful of the babysitter in charge of her safety.

"Where did you get such a doll?"

"Is she yours or did you rescue her?" They berated Nova with questions. After placing her pouch of gold in the drawer of her desk, she returned with a bottle of milk. The questions were ignored for the time being simply because she hadn't the slightest clue on what kind of story to give them.