CH1009 Delair’s Perspective

It was still dark when Delair got up, the early hour something she’d long grown used to and left her eager to start the day, able to return to work after what felt like an overly-extended break.

Sure, it had only really been a few days while her teacher was off focusing on different projects, and sure, it wasn’t like she hadn’t been able to practice a bit on her own, but no matter what she could do by herself at home, the quality of practice wasn’t the same. While she was in the village, she could work on a few different projects and she could help build or repair things for other people as needed too, but all of the best materials and equipment to use were at the shop and while she was home, there were always different things she needed to worry about as well.

From training her plant magic and helping with their grove to helping manage some of the younger children when the older ones and the adults had other work to do, all of it cut into her time to practice.

At least I can get Mora to help out when he’s here, she told herself, enjoying the fact that when her work was put on hold, she’d not only have an extra set of hands to help with whatever chores were placed on her, he also got enough lessons from Ben that when they did have the time, they could work on some different projects together too. He may not have been passionate about it the way she was, but at the very least, the boy seemed to get a bit of enjoyment out of it which was more than enough to make working together on something an activity they could both do.

It had been all the more fun to have him with her while she was properly training under Ben as well, a companion close to her age and knowledge level she could bounce ideas off of and would help with whatever projects she felt like and it left a small pout on her face knowing he wouldn’t be there to drag into work with her that day when she was used to having him around, but she quickly forced it back. Mora left with Thera one or two times a week; that was just life. All it meant was that she’d have to think of something fun for them to try and make when he got back while she focused on starting the day.

With her mother still asleep, that meant Delair was in charge of her own breakfast but there was more than enough fruit on hand from their garden, easy enough to dice up for a snack and she added a sweet sauce they had stored in their cold box, the girl not making anything more complicated when she’d forgotten to ask her mother if any of the other ingredients they had on hand were needed for anything else. Ben always had food with him though, if she needed something a bit more substantial later then she could always just ask and she let herself wonder if he had anything new and interesting stored away in his rings before preparing to get up and go, only stopping as a sound came from outside.

Something she’d normally ignore. Their home was fairly remote, it wasn’t strange for an animal to pass through, but not that time. It didn’t just sound like a single animal out there; she could hear many feet pounding, along with deep snarls that wouldn’t have been enough to wake anyone else up. They were low and dull, and as far as she knew, most other dryads would rise with the sun. The only reason she didn’t was to make it to work on time, leaving her alone to peek out of her window to see what she would find, covering her mouth to keep any sounds from escaping from what she saw.

Deep red scales and violet eyes, both only visible thanks to the few lights the village kept out in case anyone needed to get around in the middle of the night for one reason or another amidst the otherwise dark land, even without having seen them before, Delair knew exactly what they were. Demons. The same monsters killing their way across the world, with at least five of them in the village that she’d immediately seen and more sure to be spread out around it, forcing panic in her that she couldn’t entirely squash as she struggled to figure out what to do.

Mom.

The first answer that came to her head. Her mother was one of their village’s awakened, something they were lucky to have plenty of, even if they lacked variety in what skills they held. Her mother was powerful, all the more so for having her soul modified like so many others across the planet. She’d be able to do something, and with that thought formed, Delair moved as quietly as she could to her room, not wanting anything outside to hear and shaking her mother awake when she found her.

“Mmh, Delair?” Fontesh asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “What is it?”

“There’s demons outside.”

The statement whispered, but it was more than enough to fully wake her, Fontesh shot up for what it meant, not needing to ask more. If her daughter said there were then there was nothing to question, leaving only what to do next.

“Go get Sachel and Ralia and tell them what you told me and then stay on that side of the gate until I come get you. We’ll deal with this.”

Fontesh wasted no time getting up, practically pushing her daughter through while she herself moved through the window to look, Delair not able to see whatever her mother did next. She was right; Sachel was more powerful than anyone else in the village and, unlike the rest of the dryads, she was used to fighting. Having even done so during the first two waves, she was used to killing demons and, wasting no time, Delair rushed through her cousin’s house to her room, finding both her and Ralia only just getting up, getting a surprise look as she did.

“Huh, Delair? What-”

“Demons are attacking the village!” she yelled, the fear of attracting any attention from them now gone after passing through the gate to let her greater fear of anyone in her home being hurt leak out, being more than enough to convey the severity of it as the two moved.

“Stay here,” was all that was said as they ran, not bothering to change, with only Sachel grabbing her staff placed on the wall, her family’s life at stake more urgent to her than what safety armour could provide as they ran out the room and through the gate beyond, leaving Delair alone with her thoughts and panic.