In the woods near Skara Brae, Girl Scout Flora of Baja Girl Scout Troop #1 turned the page of a book, alone in the game den. Edith and Marqi had gone to deliver cookies and someone needed to stay behind and wait for Layla, who was coming late tonight on account of something about Layla’s mom and schoolwork. Editor’s note: the actual story about Layla’s tardiness was a bit more convoluted and also involved three other girls, some boy, shopping in Luna, and a ridiculous dress, but the gist of it centered around a parent and schoolwork.
Flora didn’t mind staying to wait for Layla. She was enjoying her book. Chloe’s Almost Perfect was a series of books about a Magincian girl whose father, a city watchman, tells her that nobody is perfect but that Chloe is almost there. In reality, Chloe was anything but perfect and a bit of an unlucky, uncoordinated girl, but who always tried to be just and kind and stumbled into solutions despite her awkwardness. Flora liked the books, maybe because she felt like she identified with the girl. Or maybe because the girl, klutz and all, always tried hard and had the most magnificent, magical adventures. This volume featured Chloe, her imaginary enchanted fox, and the land of the Gollops.
An urgent rapping at the door interrupted Chloe from picking herself out of a grapejuice creek.
Flora grinned, expecting Layla, and put a marker in the book, setting it to the ground with her blanket. She raced to pull back the door latch, swinging the door wide. Her smile turned to a startled expression when, instead, an older man in a black cloak stood stern and commanding, his eyes reflecting kindness, his breathing heavy.
“Is Edith here?” he asked. When Flora shook her head, he said, “Can you deliver a message to her for me then, little one?” The man’s voice carried an air of urgency.
Flora offered a timid salute, “Yes, sir!“ This sounded so official! A sense of duty immediately filled her.
“We’ve come from a city that has been invaded by bad men. Hired Mercenaries have assaulted those who oppose the Purity League, and we have found a set of instructions that list Girl Scout Troup One as a target.”
Flora suddenly wished someone else was with her. She also suddenly wondered who this man was and why she’d been so hasty to open the door.
“We’re a… target?” She suddenly wished she had Chloe’s Cape of Impervious Reflection.
The man leaned in, gently putting an arm on her shoulder. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Just keep your eyes open, okay? If you see anything strange, send word to the Kingdom of Dawn as fast as you can.”
“We will!” Flora said. “I’m pretty fast! I can beat my brother when we race around town.”
The man smiled, “I have to warn others. If anything happens, stay safe.”
Flora nodded and returned inside, latching the door as soon as it closed. As an afterthought, she grabbed a chair by the checkers board and shoved it under the door handle. Turning back, thoughts raced through her mind, not one of which that she had left a blanket on the floor. Little shoes tangled to send Flora to the ground, scattering checkers with an arm on her way down.
“Butternuts,” Flora cursed as she picked herself up and retrieved scattered checkers. After she put the checkerboard back in place she picked up the blanket and sat back down with Chloe.
…sweet and spit out a mouthful of grape juice. Her hair was going to be unbearably sticky. Hauffe laughed from his boulder, regally perched, tail swinging with amusement. She shot him several direct seconds of her dirtiest look until, for the tiniest of moments, the fox regarded her with a conciliatory expression. The fox’s coat began to emit sparks of light and his tail twitched. Chloe smiled softly at her old friend and nodded a “Thank you,” expecting the fox to weave her a new dress from grass blades or some such.
Instead, a storm cloud materialized above Chloe’s head and she jerked upright as icy water drenched her, washing…
The sound of a moongate opening jerked Flora’s attention again toward the door. This time, Flora didn’t open the door but ran up the stairs to the dining room, where she could peek out the window.
A giant lizard was coming through the moongate. First its bridled head, then a long neck, then the body and a rider! A man armored black came through the gate, twisted rams horns on his helmet and shoulders flanked in the color of blood. He brandished a slim sword from his back and brought his shield up before surveying his surroundings… and spotting the little girl in the second story window!
Flora dropped out of view! Her breath became shallow and fast, and her heart seemed to explode in her chest. Run. Run. Run to Dawn. Run to Dawn as fast as you can! She started to race down the stairs but a quick look out the front window showed the dark rider and wicked lizard had already closed half the distance between the moongate and the Scout Meeting House. She’d never make it outside, and even if she did, there was no way she could outrun that! She decided the best thing to do was to shove furniture against the door and run into the privy to hide. She slid several tables over and ran back to the bathroom, latching the door and covering her eyes. She wasn’t sure exactly how that last part helped, but it sure seemed to!
The front door pounded. Flora whimpered and she could feel tears starting to build up. She wasn’t going to be able to escape, and this bad man would get her.
The door pounded again. She heard shouting. And banging. Had an entire army come to snuff out the Girl Scouts? Who would do this??! What did any of this have to do with her?. She felt like she was about as unlucky as the girl in the book, except she had no magic imaginary fox to rescue her.
The floor screeched as the wood of a chair dug marks into the floorboards. Someone was opening the door! Flora screamed before she could stop herself and undid the latch, changing her mind and deciding to risk a window escape instead. She stopped when she saw who had entered. It wasn’t the man in black, but a young man in gold, with a funny green hat and a lute strapped on his back.
“Are you okay?” he asked her.
Flora was too stunned to answer. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she honestly wasn’t sure how to use her mouth anymore. She squeaked out something that she thought might have been a reply.
“Stay inside!” the man ordered, holding out a commanding palm. “Don’t come out until it’s safe!”
He ran back outside and slammed the door closed. Flora could see through the window that there was a battle outside! Someone had come to defend her! The cloudy, inhuman faces of energy vortexes left no shadows as they past across the window panes but the flashes of flamestrikes and energy bolts lit up the room in bursts of light.
She was going to have to tell Edith! She was going to have to tell Marqi! She was going to have to tell her mom! Oh, gosh, her mom was never going to let her come back to the meeting house again.
Clangs of steel sounded, and men shouted. Flora saw a woman in a lilac beret loose an arrow at a masked man and behind her a figure in blue robes and a flat hat retrieved a bolt from the corpse of a dead lizard. Another dark lizard rider in red had fallen while another in green was being attacked by humans... and gargoyles! The gargoyles had come to her rescue, too!
Flora was terrified, and the tears still leaked, but so many people coming to help her! She picked up her girl scout beginner's bow and her quiver and opened the door, flinging an arrow out at one of the riders. She didn't even notice the masked man lurking in the shadows beside her who grabbed her arm and brought a knife toward her. Flora screamed! She jerked loose and felt her legs on fire.
Run. Run. Run as fast as you can. She darted behind the mercenary ninja and raced around the corner of the house, heart racing. She could feel nothing but the pounding of the earth beneath her feet. She wasn't aware of the gash in her arm. She was sure the ninja was chasing her, but suddenly saw the black-cloaked old man who had come to warn her before, racing toward her, cloak flapping. He rushed past her, intercepting the chasing ninja while Flora turned another corner and disappeared behind the house. All around her battle raged. She lapped the meeting house and ran back inside, slamming the door and propping the chair back up.
Eventually the sounds of battle diminished and the old man in the black cape returned to treat the wound in Flora's arm. The woman in the lilac beret came in to calm her down and wipe the tears from her cheeks. She went outside to look at the moongate. It was unlike any she had seen before!
Girl Scout Flora thanked everyone who came to the defense of the Girl Scouts. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have been rescued, and suddenly she thought about her book. The thing about Chloe is that throughout all of her adventures, Chloe never realizes that it's not her imaginary fox who makes all of the magical things happen. It's actually Chloe, herself, who refuses to believe she is a lot more lucky than she thinks.
...maybe Flora was too.
****************
Girl Scouts Edith, Flora and the parents of all of the scouts wish to extend thanks to all who came to defend Baja Girl Scout Troop #1. The Britannia News Network would also like to give a very special thank you to Girl Scout Flora, whose mother graciously gave us consent to interview, for sharing her harrowing experience with us. We'd also like to thank Flora for turning us on to her wonderful book involving a clumsy little girl. The Britannia News Network will be delivering a free copy of Chloe and the Green Mongbat to Girl Scout Flora as soon as it is released.
Citizens, stay vigilant! The assaults continue on groups who have expressed support for the Gargoyle race.
The assault against CTDM was successfully defended:
As was the assault against M!S:
However, we understand more communities to be under assault every day, including EcZ, while others await pensively, and those who have already been attacked continue watching the strange moongates which remain opened near their doors.
The mercenaries' funding appears unabated....
