Abbernathy and Magick's End |Trilogy Now Complete!

(24) - Celes Nim -

☆

"OH, THIS IS bad, bad, bad." A little sprite, no bigger than a bug, but heaps more annoying, buzzed around her head. "An arrow through its heartstone. It'll die for sure." 

Celes swatted at the creature, but he deftly dodged her attack. "Oh! Did you see that Elm?"  With a huff and a snap of its mandibles, it whizzed past her ears. "Celes tried to kill me." 

She shook her head at the false accusation leveled her way. Though, in truth, it wasn't entirely incorrect. She hadn't wanted to kill him surely, but giving him a quick smack or pinching his wings between her fingertips had crossed her mind during their travels together. 

With peace and quiet so rarely afforded, any cost seemed worth its purchase. 

But knowing how much the little bugbrain meant to Simon, Celes would never act on her impulses, no matter how the sprite thought otherwise. 

"She didn't try to kill you, Leshy." 

Simon finally broke his silence, stalking forward on legs as thick as tree branches. He creaked, his movements slow, and something in Celes's chest tightened. 

Leshy flew over to Simon, perching on the bridge of his wide nose. He crossed all six of his arms. "Did so, Elm." He scowled, his ire aimed at Celes.

Simon reached up and ran a finger over Leshy's head, messing up the sprites already tangled crop of grey hair. His jaws rubbed and clinked together, a pleasant screeching rising from the back of his throat. He closed his eyes contently. 

Celes gave a quick smile, before glancing back down at the ground. A stag was sprawled out, the shaft of an arrow sticking from its chest.  She examined it closely - the dried blood, the singed flesh. 

Dark arrows then, from Evenstar. 

Hit close to the heart, but not quite, at least as far as she could tell. Lucky to be alive, it was.

Its breaths were staggered but steady, its eyes glazed over, but aware. She reached down, and orange flames ignited in its gaze. Careful not to incite further pain, she ran a hand down its head and over its back. 

"I think it'll live. You?"

Simon took a step forward. Moss-like stubble clung to his clenched jawline, his bark-line skin cracking as a frown emerged. His earthen eyes swept over the stag, then settled on Celes's face. "There's a chance." His words were slow and thoughtful, a perfect balance struck between hopeful and practical.

She nodded. "Then we do what we can." She placed both arms under its head, her hands gently cupping the beast's muzzle. It winced, a spurt of blood gushing from its wound.

"The arrow should be removed before we move it."

Simon knelt, his forest-green robes fluttering out behind him. Leshy hopped from his nose to his shoulder, all six of its tiny arms crossed over its abdomen.

"One swift yank ought to do it." From behind his green hair, Simon's eyes glistened. Mist rose around him, the air thick as he summoned the Green. "I'll close the wound with vines, keep the bleeding minimal."

Celes breathed out and nodded. Hand around the shaft, splinters biting into her palms, she pulled. The beast reared, its eyes bulging, saliva dripping down its jaws. The arrow relented and slid out.

Vines rose from the ground, securing themselves over the gash, stemming the flow of blood.

The stag rested its head back on the ground, eyes closed.

Celes fell backward, the arrowhead in her hand black and smoking. She threw it to the ground, where it disappeared into smoke and shadow. "Why in Mother's light, would Evenstar send his army after a stag?"