Summer Garden

Luna

Luna moved slowly towards the counter, complaining bitterly to herself with a slurred voice. Rendi was a total lightweight, barely downing a bottle of nectar before he passed out, leaving her alone with a very upset little toddler.

It wasn't fair.

At least she still had Claven to drink with, even if the woman was extremely uninhibited. Luna felt the ground hit her face and she swore loudly, curling into a ball and holding her head. "Ashen voidfall fucking starcrossed ur'kan dhark'trou!"

Claven stifled a giggle nearby, and Luna glared at her angrily as she sat up slowly. "I had no idea you could swear in Ork."

Luna stuck out her tongue, and then looked around for what she'd fallen over, "Orks are stupid. Their language is easy. Good for cursing."

She tried to kick the spear lying near the table, and recoiled in horror, grabbing her foot, "What in the ur'hrk?"

Claven stood up, swaying slowly, "Found something more interesting than me?"

Luna rolled her eyes, "The elf's bloody spear. I can't move it."

The red-eyed woman stumbled over, leaning over and grabbing it drunkenly, and before Luna could wince and move out of the way slammed her face into the ground.

Luna burst out laughing as Claven curled into a ball, hissing.

"I think it's magic or something." Luna got out between laughs, "No way we're shifting it."

Claven grinned, looking up at her, "Want to drink on that?"

Luna flipped upright with a movement of her wings, and snagged the bottle off the counter that she'd been going to get in the first place and took a swig, "Move aside little woman."

She braced her wings against the ground, glaring as the black dust began to glow and turn to smoke across her body, and then Luna bared her fangs and pulled against the spear. She felt rather than saw the aura of the staff in front of her bleed out and into the world. She was no longer pulling against an object but the ground itself.

Her face hit the spear violently.

Luna rolled over groaning and touched her forehead gently, looking in surprised pain at the blood, "Ash. Your turn."

Claven took the bottle and drained it, as Luna glared at her. Then the Fae let out an earth-shattering belch, and spread her hands. Between them there was a sprinkling of flickering green and red lights, and the Fae spoke slowly, "Yggr rasin dai sal!"

The spear snapped upright and into her face, knocking the drunk Fae backwards, landing on her bottom. She winced, rolling over, "Ow!"

Luna's jaw dropped, "How the frick did you do that?"

The spear was upright, poised on the tip of the blade, but unmoving. Claven laughed, sitting up, "Elfin magic. I learned a bit a while back. Basic life and blood crap, mixed with words of power. I just figured the spear came from Yggdrasil if it's that stubborn."

Luna laughed, and stood up, wiping her bloody forehead, "Elfin magic. Huh. Didn't think I'd see that crap again after the Gardia Catastrophe."

The door creaked loudly and Luna looked over to see the elf, her ears a bright pink, opening and shutting her hands angrily.

Luna sighed heavily, "Yes, we moved your bloody spear."

"Drunken oaf." The elf hissed, storming over and swinging the spear onto her back, "That's not what I'm pissed about. Gardia. You were there."

Luna felt her sluggish brain responding slowly, awakening deep and shameful memories, whilst reminding her that the woman in front of her was most definitely not drunk. "Uh..."

The elf slapped her, hard. Luna hit the ground on her knees as her forehead hit the ground with a solid and rather painful thwack. She grabbed her head with both hands and kicked rapidly, waiting for the pain to subside. The Fae breathed heavily, "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I fucking killed everyone of you stupid little ageless ur'kan. I'm sorry that none of you gave me an ashen choice!"

The elf spun on her heel and left, her aura a violent mix of death and worse. Luna felt a tinge of regret. Wasn't her fault the elf had decided to have this argument when she couldn't control herself.

Luna lay back on the cold floor, closing her eyes and begging the throbbing in her skull to subside. She felt something warm wrap around her, and she opened her eyes to find Claven snuggled up against her, and apparently already asleep.

The princess peered blearily around the room, and smiled as she saw Astrian snuggled into Rendi, passed out on the couch with phallic emblems inked across his forehead.

She let herself fall, trying to fall into sleep and forget.

A tear slipped down one cheek.