Narrative

Ivy hesitates before jumping off the police fox which escorted her to the Animal Gnome Village. The city is ash. What hasn’t burned completely is covered in soot. She looks around, trying to find the hospital, and sees a few Waters putting out the remaining flames. There has been a terrible fire, destroying the city and killing dozens, likely the courtesy of the Light Gnomes. Only their fires can level an entire city so quickly. She’s brought back to reality as her best friend and coworker, Rose nudges her toward the screaming Gnomes they’ve come to help. They’re nervous to see the injuries, but they start walking.

For Ivy, only 23 and born after the Light Betrayal, this is her first time seeing the damage up close. She watches police search the scorched buildings, knowing they probably won’t find any bodies to bury.

The hospital is overflowing with patients and many are being treated on the front lawn. Ivy hurries inside, leaving the less critical patients to the hospital’s staff. The hospital is chaotic, filled with screaming and crying. She walks up to a man, frantically filling out paperwork at the front desk. He’s the resident Plant doctor, as distinguished by his tall, dark green hat. Although now with all the commotion, the tip of the hat is falling over, making him look less than distinguished.

“Hi, we’re with the emergency medical division. How can we help?” Ivy asks.

“Thank goodness you’re here,” he says, looking up and adjusting his hat. “Please, come with me.” He starts jogging toward the other end of the hospital, with Rose and Ivy in tow.

At the end of a very busy hallway, the doctor opens a door. Inside lays a child, burned beyond recognition. Ivy walks up to examine it, but can’t see much apart from charred skin and bandages. She looks at the chart.

Dob:		12/10/10		Age:			11 YEARS
A quick look at the monitors indicates her vitals are very critical even with the help of a machine. Ivy turns around to see Rose and the doctor arguing quietly. She guesses Rose doesn’t see the point in trying to help this child, who will most certainly die by tonight.

“Where are her parents?” Ivy asks.

“Right here. She was walking downtown with her mother when the attack began.” the doctor says, tears in his eyes. “H-Her mother died instantly but Swan is still fighting. There must be something you can do.”

Rose looks guilty for picking an argument now.

“I can make her comfortable,” Ivy says sadly. “Let me do something more for her pain but then I must treat other patients.”

The doctor nods reluctantly and Ivy reaches into her fanny pack and pulls out one large bag of assorted seeds. She opens it, holding it up the light, and carefully grabs one small, brown seed from the mix. She puts the bag away and walks to the window sill, where a pot of soil is kept for emergencies. She digs a small hole in the soil with her finger, places the seed inside, and covers it gently. The soil is moist, but she brings the pot to the sink for some extra water, an easy way to expedite the process without tiring herself. Placing the pot back on the window sill, Ivy hovers both her hands over the soil and closes her eyes.

Ivy begins to think hard about growing the plant. She mentally recites in detail how the seed absorbs the water and sunlight to grow. She begins designing an elaborate root system, trying to absorb every bit of water in the pot. Once she senses the plant has broken through the soil, she begins to picture it growing taller, moving her hands as she imagines it. Then forming leaves and flowers. After about 30 seconds in all, Ivy opens her eyes to a fully formed cannabis plant.

She plucks the flower and rolls it in her hands. After years of practice, Ivy is able to prepare the flowers magically, instead of a lengthier physical process. She walks to Swan’s bed and sprinkles the plant over all her injuries. Ivy carefully runs her fingers along Swan’s skin to encourage the medicine to act, whispering a prayer for the girl and her father as she goes. After just a few seconds, Swan’s breathing slows, and her muscles relax.

“I’m sorry, Doctor Farxgn. I really wish there was more I could do” Ivy says in an attempt to console him.

“Please, pray with me before you go. My wife taught me how to reach the Animal God, who might listen to my cries for Swan but I need more voices to reach the Plant God as well.”

Ivy, Rose, and Doctor Farxgn surround the bed and each gently touch Swan with both hands. Ivy and Rose begin the incantation to summon the Plant God’s healing powers while the doctor recites a prayer Ivy doesn’t recognize. After the three had finished speaking, they grew still and silent, waiting anxiously to see if the Gods would respond.

As Rose had predicted, the wounds were too severe and They did not.

“The surrounding rooms have more patients for you to see,” the doctor says after a moment. He sits beside his daughter on the hospital bed and tears flood his eyes. Ivy and Rose exchange a glance and leave the room to, hopefully, save another’s life.

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Ivy spends the rest of the day caring for patients and is able to save most. By her last patient, she’s exhausted. The Animal hospital was not prepared to treat so many burns, and their stockpile of medicinal plants was diminished before she and Rose even arrived. Ivy had to use her magic to grow and prepare plants to treat her, and others’, patients. She was almost out of seeds and didn’t have the energy for spontaneous growth.

“Ow!” her patient complains. Ivy, tired and lost in thought, is not being gentle as she pulls debris out of his wounds.

“I’m sorry, Bug,” Ivy says, “I’ll be more careful. It’s just been quite a long day.”

Bug sighs sadly, “My house was one of the first to catch fire. Luckily I was outside, tending to my firefly terrarium when the beam hit. I lost everything, as did my family living nearby. Now we’re in the shelters until further notice”

“That’s terrible! I don’t mean to be rude- but I don’t know much about a Light’s powers. What do you mean by beam?”

“I didn’t know the full extent of their powers until today. It’s as if a spotlight is turning on and the light is coming toward you. The Lights levitate glass and mirrors into the sky, and together they can create one huge magnifying glass. A beam of sunlight coming through that is deadly. I wasn’t sure how they did it at first, but after the attack, they let the glass rain over the city. That’s how I cut my head.” Bug says, referring to a large gash Ivy had already sewn shut. She’s busy now tending to the burns covering his arms. “I’ve never met a Plant before- how do your powers work?”

Ivy isn’t surprised at the question, many of her earlier patients asked as well. She replies, “I know a hell of a lot about plants, just like you do with animals, though a lot of what I do every day I had to learn. I’ve learned to efficiently grow plants without any materials, but the more I have to work with, the less energy it takes. I definitely couldn’t grow spontaneously now. But, I do happen to have some basic seeds left…”

Ivy pauses in her tending to Bug’s burns and approaches the window sill, where a moist pot of soil sits. Bug is leaning forward so enthusiastically he’s practically falling out of his chair. Ivy reaches into her pack, into the bag of seeds, and feels for one she’s used countless times today. She places the seed in the soil, hovers her hand over it, and closes her eyes. When she opens them, satisfied with the aloe vera she grew, she looks at Bug.

Bug’s mouth is open, and he doesn’t speak. His shock reminds her of the kids she had treated, and performed for, earlier. They didn’t have good control over their powers yet and could be impressed by very basic magic. She’s surprised that Bug is so impressed by her powers, but she doesn’t mind. She smiles at him and reaches for the aloe plant.

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Ivy finishes wrapping Bug’s arms when she hears an announcement.

“All Emergency Response Gnomes please report to the front desk.”

Ivy sighs, wondering when she’ll finally be relieved. She arrives at the front desk, looking around for Rose. Ivy eventually spots her and gets to her side just as someone starts speaking.

“Hi, everyone. My name is Lioness Animales, and I’m the main supervisor of this hospital. Thank you all so much for coming to help us. I have one more favor to ask of you all,” s/he pauses, looking around hesitantly, “We are looking for volunteers to take in some of the Animals while we rebuild our village.”

The room erupted in nervous whispers, particularly from the Plants that live in the outer village, where your specialty determines your citizenship, aside from essential jobs. In the city, where Ivy and Rose live, the 3 specialties are integrated. However, most buildings are built to the preference of one, so one seldom has neighbors that are different. Even apart from housing, there is minimal interaction between the specialties outside of work.

“I understand this is unconventional,” the hospital supervisor continues. “We will also be speaking with the Waters who traveled here today. If anyone is willing to take in just one Animal, it would make a world of difference. If you’re interested, please come speak with me. Otherwise, you’re welcome to return home. Thank you again for all your help.”

Most of the crowd rushes to the door, ready to put this day behind them. Although every visiting Animal is willing to take in a refugee, there are only a handful of gnomes who approach her.

“Why don’t we take one in the spare room?!” Ivy whispers to Rose. “I met a really cool Animal whose home was destroyed in the fire.”

“Alright…” Rose agrees reluctantly. Ivy knows Rose doesn’t like Animals very much, but both of them began healing to help all gnomes. Ivy ignores the uncertainty and walks toward Lioness to volunteer to house Bug.

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The trip to the city is quiet, with the trio drifting in and out of sleep after an exhausting day. The trip home for Ivy and Rose is longer than the trip to the Animal territory. In the midst of chaos, the healers were transported by the police to ensure swift arrival. On the way back, they were forced to take the fox train, the only available transportation so late.

The sun is rising over the city by the time they arrive. The light wakes Ivy and Rose quickly but Bug doesn’t stir until the train bumps to a stop.

“Welcome to Gnome City, Bug,” Ivy says, as she watches Bug’s fascination. His gaze darts all around, trying to take in everything. Ivy follows suit and tries to look at her home with the same astonishment Bug has- that she had when she first moved here from the Plant Village.

She watches the crowd of gnomes move methodically along the sidewalks, each wearing green, blue, or red. Most are wearing a bold, medium shade and the other Plants are wearing near-identical outfits to Ivy and Rose. This particular shade of clothing is awarded after completing your specialty exam. The exam, necessary to apply to jobs, can be awarded at any point after magic develops. Prodigal gnomes have been known to take the exam as young as 14. Typically, like Ivy and Rose, one will study their specialty in detail after finishing school and pass the exam by 20.

In the crowd, the dark colors of the most skilled gnomes stand out and Ivy notices a group of Waters creating a system of sprinklers. A large group of children takes notice and begins playing in the water.

Before gaining their powers, children dress in neutrals. Once a gnome turns AGE, and they begin to display their powers, they get to wear a very light shade of their appropriate color. Ivy despised her mint green wardrobe as a child because her Mom always fussed about the stains.

“Well, I’d better be getting to work,” Rose says, interrupting Ivy’s daydream. “I’ll see you at home.”

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After a few hours of shopping, Ivy is more than ready to get home. Bug should have everything he needs to get settled in the city and it’s been a long couple days for both of them. Ivy leads Bug two blocks from LOCATION, where they finished their shopping, to her apartment building. Once they arrive, Ivy points at a hedge, shaping it into a KEY. As soon as the key is fully formed, a door appears beside it.

“This is a Plant building,” Ivy explains as she opens the door for Bug, “One has to use their powers to form the hedge into a certain shape associated with their room. Rose and I chose a key, which isn’t very creative but we couldn’t agree on anything else. This door leads to our apartment. Vines inside the building move each room to allow such advanced security- one of the advantages of staying with me.”

Ivy and Bug walk through the door and into Ivy’s apartment. It’s a little messy, but nothing too bad. Especially considering the mess was mainly from getting ready in a hurry during the Light attack.

“Your place is amazing,” Bug says, reaching down to touch the floor, made from moss, instead of the fur rugs he must be used to. “I venture you have a favorite flower?” He gestures to the lavender she has hanging above the entry, then to the walls, a matching shade of purple.

“The color and smell of lavender are so peaceful. This entryway always makes me happy to return home.” Ivy replies, looking away embarrassed. “Let me show you to your room.”

Ivy walks down the hallway leading to the guest room and starts to open the door before she realizes Bug’s not behind her anymore. She walks back and looks into the living room to see Bug helping himself to the fruits from her planters in the kitchen. He smiles at her and gives his snack a thumbs up. She’s not upset, but this would take some getting used to. Bug sure is acting like an Animal.

Bug picks a few more, carefully looking for the ripest, and puts them in his pockets.

“I’m not used to having such beautiful fruits available. Are these your plants?” Bug asks. No wonder he was so enthusiastic to come to stay with her, he must have been struggling financially before the attack. Crop availability in the Animal Village has dramatically increased since the AP highway was expanded a few years ago. That, along with the new preservation spells being researched in the City, has made fresh fruit prices lower than ever in Animal Village.

“Considering I can grow mine in seconds, you’re welcome to help yourself,” Ivy tells him. “Now let’s get you settled in. I usually don’t like food in the bedrooms but I’ll make an exception for now.”

Ivy leads Bug to the guest room, a modest space with deep green walls, a small bed, and a wardrobe. On top of the wardrobe sits a planter, a watering can, and a small assortment of seeds. It’s customary to leave some basic seeds for guests, like lavender for scent or sunflowers for a midnight snack. Ivy and Rose enjoy hosting Plants from the village while they visit the city. Both women grew up there and enjoy receiving visitors, from family to colleagues captivated by the research. The villages are well supplied, but typically new research is only done in the city, where progress can be closely monitored and ethics maintained.

“Thank you for helping me. You’ve gone above and beyond your professional duty. I don’t know where I’d be right now without your kindness.” Bug tells her, his face full of emotion that she can’t quite decipher. She’s never been good at understanding Waters or Animals. While all three specialties are fairly similar in the city, there are dramatic differences between the villages which can make communicating difficult.

“Of course. Nobody should have to endure the wrath of the Lights. I’d hoped they were long gone by now. I don’t understand why they’d strike the Animal Village after 100 years of silence. You can stay as long as you need. Maybe you’ll even want to stay in the city!” Ivy replies with a smile.

“From what I’ve seen so far, it’s lovely. Perhaps I will make my future here.” Bug says. He walks to the wardrobe and looks at the assortment of seeds. “I doubt I’ll be using these.”

Ivy laughs, “As you probably guessed, I usually only have Plants over. I didn’t think to get anything to personalize the room while we are out. We can go out again soon. I’ll try to think of some ideas but I’ve never seen an Animal do magic up close. What are your powers? Will you show me?” Ivy asks.

“I’ll… show you in the morning,” Bug replies. “I’m too tired tonight and after all your help, I want to give you a great show.”

“Okay, I’ll let you get some rest. Goodnight, Bug.” Ivy smiles and leaves the room, closing the door softly behind her.

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Over the next few weeks, Ivy and Bug grow closer. Ivy enjoys taking him to explore the city and showing him the magical capabilities of Plants and Waters. Ivy and Bug never run out of things to talk about. They have a lot in common, despite very different upbringings. At least, Ivy assumes they were very different based on Bug’s lack of knowledge about many common things. Bug doesn’t like to talk about his childhood or his family.

Bug’s powers are related to insects, particularly moths and lightning bugs. He’s able to summon them and can instruct them to do basic tasks, but he can’t do very advanced magic. Ivy’s not sure how he passed his exams to wear a similar shade as her. Even though it’s not especially impressive, Ivy loves watching Bug do magic to see how excited and proud he is every time he’s successful. Many of the poorer families in the villages aren’t able to provide their kids with a detailed magic education. Perhaps the testing there isn’t as rigorous as Ivy is used to.

Ivy, with Rose’s help, found Beaux, who is willing to teach Bug some new skills today. Ivy got up early to prepare breakfast and wake up Bug. He’s used to her preparing surprises but today is special and Ivy can hardly contain her excitement.

“Ivy, you’ve been pacing all morning! Just watching you is making me dizzy. Come sit with us and finish breakfast.” Rose calls from the breakfast nook where she’s still eating with Bug.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m just very excited about the plans for today.” Ivy replies and sits down to finish her cup of green tea.

“Care to give me any hints about these plans?” Bug asks, already knowing that Ivy’s lips are sealed.

The trio finishes breakfast and leaves the apartment together. Rose heads to work while Bug and Ivy walk a few blocks to the outskirts of the city before stopping in front of a teepee style house. The house is larger than Ivy was expecting when Beaux first gave her directions.

They’ve never been in this part of the city before, but Bug recognizes the traditional style. These teepees are the most common form of housing in the outer Animal villages. There are many bee hives in the yard, as well as a beautiful flower garden.

“I know how hard you’ve worked on your magic despite having few opportunities,” Ivy says. “So, I asked around to find another insect Gnome, and found one of the best teachers in the City. He agreed to give you a lesson today. If you like it, we can sign you up for a class after. Surprise!”

“Wow…” Bug tries to smile at Ivy but instead looks quite distressed.

“You don’t need to be nervous.” Ivy replies, brushing off his lack of excitement. Bug is probably just intimidated to admit to a powerful Animal that his own magic is not very good. “Let’s go inside.”

Ivy grabs Bug’s hand and leads him to the teepee. She can’t tell if the excitement leading her is for Bug or her own interest to see an Animal’s home for the first time.

Ivy arrives at the front curtain and realizes she doesn’t know how to get Beaux’s attention since there’s no door to knock on.

“Hello?” she calls.

“Ivy? Come around back!!” a man, probably Beaux, yells from the backyard.

Ivy and Bug walk towards the voice until they see an eccentric-looking old man, barefoot and collecting honey from one of his hives.

“You must be Bug,” he says, reaching out his hand to greet Bug but pulling his hand away once he remembers that he’s covered in bees and their sticky byproducts. “I’m just finishing up here. Why don’t you try to move the bees so I can get an idea of your skill. I need them to clear the edges so I can put the lid back on without squishing any.”

Bug hesitates but then holds up his hands. He closes his eyes to concentrate. Ivy and Beaux stare at Bug. Beaux watches his form to provide tips and Ivy with excitement at the thought of seeing even more Animal magic up close. After a few moments, the bees begin to move. Ivy smiles, ready to congratulate Bug on his accomplishment, until she realizes they’re moving due to smoke. She looks over at NAME and her suspicion is confirmed- He’s standing puzzled as there’s no logical reason for the smoke. Although bees can be tamed this way, Animals have their magic instead. Suddenly, Beaux seems to have a realization and pushes Bug away from his hives.

“No Animal I know performs magic like this. Your form is advanced for the low-level tricks you’ve been showing Ivy. Not to mention I control the bees without such harmful means as smoke. You better start talking,” Beaux says, balling his fists. His anger is causing his bees to form a swarm behind him- targeted at Bug.

“I-” Bug stutters, lost for words, “I’m a Light. My real name is Lightening. My father, the Leader of the Lights, sent me here to learn more about the city, and about the advancements the specialties have made since the war. He especially…” Bug turned around, now facing away from Ivy and Beaux. “He especially wanted me to get close to a healer and…”

“And what?!” Ivy furiously shouts at him. She had welcomed this Gnome into her home, and her heart. She couldn’t put how hurt she was by this betrayal into words.

“And bring home some skilled Gnomes so we don’t lose any specialties when they light up all of Zioragn.”