Warrior of the Moon

28

It was dark by the time the nymphs' third fight of the day began.

Serena prayed to the heavens that all was going according to plan to the north as she ran from Lilia's Basin to the town of Timbercress which, she heard, likely did not have a fighter amongst it. The Fae of Timbercress tended to keep to themselves, enjoying the serenity of the nature around them and the quiet life they shared with their neighbors. That was what the thetus of the Basin, Flora, told her anyway, as she begged her queen to save those people who so often came to bless her lake. It turned out the Fae and their cousins could care for each other, after all.

Behind her were Will and Hammel, of course, seeing as they could not take part in the nature magic she had ordered farther north. She supposed they could send out their own powers to assist the nymphs, but it was not necessary, and she doubted they would leave her side to do so anyway. However, she had ordered Nahla to stay in the Basin. Nahla's powers were stronger than most of the water nymphs', and they would be little good in Timbercress.

She had brought Xyris and Melitae along with her as well. Xyris, because she did not want him leaving her side just yet, in case he suddenly went sprinting off to another town that needed immediate saving. Melitae, because the girl had insisted on coming along in some capacity, and Serena figured she would be of more use helping to evacuate the town than she would be staying hidden in a forest.

When they reached it, Serena discovered it was hardly a town at all; more of a grouping of fifty cottages or so. It looked like it would be a happy place in the sunshine, with a lake glistening in the distance and everybody out on the worn dirt paths exchanging their hellos to each other as they went about whatever business they did here. Flora had told her that it was a community of Fae families. There were many children here. And after seeing Arrowmere, there was nothing that would stop Serena from saving them.

She ran right into the center of the town, as best as she could figure. She knew that the Infernals were closing in on this town, and that every second she hesitated was a second another one of her nymphs could potentially die at an Infernal's hand. Or another second closer to her Fae being slaughtered again.

"Are you ready?" she asked Will, and he just nodded curtly. She nodded back and took a deep breath, closing her eyes to concentrate. Her magic was alive, making sure that she was kept aware of her surroundings in case the Infernals got too close.

"People of Timbercress," she stated softly then, and Will repeated her call, sending his voice out over all of the wooden houses and their likely sleeping residents.

"I am the Warrior of the Moon, and I come to save you from the darkness that is on its way," Serena went on, and again, Will repeated her words to the town.

Light started flickering in windows, and a few doors were pushed open, bleary-eyed Fae stepping out into the grass and looking for the cause of the disturbance. Serena commanded Will to repeat everything again now that they were awakening, and slowly, a small crowd started forming around them, mainly of the mature male Fae that must be the heads of the households.

"What is on its way, General?" one of them asked. "Should we all be taking up arms?"

Serena shook her head and whispered to Will, "Tell them that an army is just miles away from them. Tell them that they must evacuate their homes and come with us now if they hope to stand any chance of surviving. Tell them that I - that you - will take care of them."

Upon hearing those words, there was what seemed to be an impromptu town meeting, where the men all gathered into a huddle and muttered amongst themselves. Serena heard bits and pieces, but she was soon impatient. They did not seem to understand the severity of the situation at hand.