Crescent Moon

Beauty and the Weed: Thorn-Ren

Night softly descended upon the Saelen Kingdom as the evening slowly filled with lunar light. As many of the kingdom's inhabitants prepared rest, pixies and fairies offered soft songs and tunes to join the crickets chirping in a nightly, harmonious symphony. For many, the setting of the Firestar meant the time had come for winding down. Yet for others, it was merely the start of their day.

In a small stretch of Saelen rested what was known as Bunda-Bas. Bunda-Bas was a little-known part of Lunaria that could be easily overlooked. To most of the world, it was was simply a bit of land flourishing in lavish stretches of weeds. But to those that knew, those that understood the magic of Bunda-Bas and its secrets, Bunda-Bas was a very small, very magical town.

A town of plant people.

These plants, or weeds if you will, all slept soundly as the day faded into night. While they slept, they appeared to be nothing more than regular weeds planted within the soil. This not only nourished them while they rested, but also it hid them from outsiders who would not know how to treat plant people. It was a secret and protection that allowed the people of Bunda-Bas to live in relatively undisturbed peace.

With nightfall fully cast, the weeds began to stir. Not far from Bunda-Bas, a cluster of such weeds had been forced to hide from wandering bandits. Now safe, leaves unfurled as the plants began to move softly and deliberate. Soon, little hands and feet emerged as dark, glassy eyes surveyed the night for dangers.

The tallest of the weeds, a bit of pigweed known as Pyron stood with his hands on his hips as he looked about the camp of weeds. As the leader of the scouting party, Pyron had objected to every weed under his charge, thinking them all fools. Pyron's thick leaves rippled with frustration as he noticed the milk thistle of the bunch still sleeping. He fought the urge to kick that milk thistle himself, for as leader Pyron had to be above such actions.

With his patience at end, Pyron motioned to the dandelion siblings, Dell and Della, his trusted underlings and the two plants he could mostly tolerate. What they lacked in smarts was made up for in loyalty. The duo looked at Pyron expectantly with curious eyes under tufts of yellow hair. "Thorn-Ren still sleeps. Wake the runt up already," he said, with impatience.

Dell nodded. "Of course," he said.

His sister nodded. "With pleasure," offered Della.

As the two dandelions approached the milk thistle known as Thorn-Ren, the plant began to stir. Uprooting himself, piercing eyes opened to regard the two weeds approaching him. Purple hair pulsed with life as two little hands went upon the little thorn daggers resting on a belt made of grass and vine. Thorn-Ren cocked his little head with amusement and the dandelion siblings halted in their tracks.

Thorn-Ren then spoke. "That would be unwise on your parts," said the little weed casually. "Besides, I was not sleeping, just being prudent and seeing if the bandits were truly gone."

Pyron sneered at the smaller weed. "I am in charge here, you little patch of trouble, and it is I who does the thinking," he snapped.

Thorn-Ren shook his head. "Then we truly are doomed," he countered.

Pyron turned from Thorn-Ren then, disgusted. "I will waste no more time on you, for we must return to Bunda-Bas and report in. The Children of Nibiru are growing increasingly bold with scouts. We must prepare in kind. Obviously, they are planning some sort of offensive," he said.

Thorn-Ren rubbed at his eyes for a moment, clearly frustrated by his commander's words. "Then you are blinded by fear and anger, Pyron. When are you going to learn that the people of Alethia are not our enemies? Sure, they look spooked about something, but it is not us," offered the milk thistle.