Clover of the Moons

Five

The pattern of breakdowns lasted nightly. But the next night was the eclipse of the moons. It was a very special event.

Ali decided she had to do something to celebrate. She decided moping around her house wouldn't do anything. So she took the next day to pack a back and set off for the Moon Nymph village at dusk.

She walked through a thick forest, watching the moons slightly converge. She remembered the correct term, thanks to her mother. Most called it the Shower Of Sparks. Her family however used the more scientific term: The Moon Convergence.

The Moon Convergence was very important to Moon Nymphs. When the sparks from the moons would rain down, they would grow into Moon Nymphs. It had been eons since the Moon Convergence, and it was no wonder the Moon Nymphs were all presumed dead.

Before her mother left, Ali's mother had told her about finding the village in case of an emergency. Ali had never gone out of fear of discovery and of course the overwhelming grief. But she had no family or home left at the Leprechaun Village road.

The small seeming bag was very light on her back, despite the entire house's interior being in it. The key to her bag was that it had its own almost dimension to it, where anything could be stored and never be found.

Ali was careful to not be spotted, despite the natural blue glow growing as she approached the village. She had covered herself in multiple herb pulps to mask the light, but her origins would be overpowering. She only hoped no Leprechauns would spot her. But she had distanced herself a decent distance, so she should have been fine.

Key words, should have.

Ali let the back hang loose on her back as she walked, her vision adapting to the darkness. She walked silently, not even the herbs in her pockets making noise. She had rubbed reincree onto her hands to they would harden like clay and be harder to damage. She would wash it off in the lake of the village.

A twig snapped under her feet. She paused, glancing around before taking another step. She paused to inhale the air and sensed a disturbance.

Whipping out a flaming stick of tirc, Ali spun around, face first into someone as tall as her, seemingly cloaked. She only saw the bright smoke of a sparkenflug stem. "You... you know about sparkenflug?"

The figure uncloaked, emerging in a dark shawl and hat, lined with the same herb patch that Ali had hidden on her hat. Their pale fingers were lined with cannore, and Ali guessed the person could see her exactly. Her cover had been blown even before she had made it to the village.

"Of course, you've seen me now. Just turn me in. Might earn you a pretty penny, lots of gold." Ali tried to keep her voice from shaking without much success.

"But why would I do that? Then I wouldn't be able to join you on your journey to the village." The figure removed her hood, revealing shimmering silver hair spilling over her shoulders. Her under eyes were dotted with reincree, an accent showing a Moon Mage.

Ali gasped, lowering her stick. "You're a Mage?"

"And you're the hybrid," the figure nodded. "I'm Sylvia by the way.  Noctis warmed me about your arrival. Enki forbid you didn't arrive any later. You would have missed the Moon Convergence."

"Y-you knew my mother?"

Sylvia tied her hair back with a vine. "Of course. I was the one who helped her escape to the next village when Viri's kind raged war." She blew hair from her face. "Good for nothing Leprechauns, not like anyone would want their gold anyways."

Ali almost laughed. "I didn't know I was told to other Moon Nymphs." She places the stick back in her bag, cracking her joints as she twisted her arm around her neck and unzipped the bag. "I guess this will be a lot easier."