Chapter 14: Chapter 13: Celestine

The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was turning a dark hazy orange. The grove soon became dark and the only thing illuminating it was the crystal pond and the glowing crystal that fed it.

The deer were still quite drunk, but it seemed like they were sobering up a bit to listen to the yearly forecast by Celestine.

According to Naru’s mother the yearly forecast was usually pretty light and contained simple things like “take better care of yourself”, or “the winter will be cold” this year.

Still, Naru wanted to see the being that was called “celestine” The existence of a goddess was something she wanted to see firsthand.

The deer were all congregated around the grove some of them were in their deer form and others were in their human form. Although, the vast majority of the deer ate the feast in their human forms the number of deer who preferred to walk around as a human or as a deer was an even 50/50 split.

Naru was sitting with her family she and her mother were in their deer forms and Whitehorn was in his human form. Luckily for Naru and her mother had stopped licking her. Naru and her family sat rather close to the crystal since Whitehorn was the one who would greet Celestine.

The deer were oddly respectful of her, and there was very little sound.

Soon, Naru saw a silvery beam of light coming from the sky and falling to ground.

It blinded her for a moment and once she regained her vision a beautiful woman was standing in the spot where the light had touched.

The woman had silvery pale hair and light skin. She had ethereal features that made her look more like a statue carved from a solid piece of marble than a human. Rather, her entire form felt artificial.

She gave a gentle smile to the deer. The crystal behind her seemed to glow in response.

Naru’s father walked forward.

“Lady Celestine we are ready to hear the yearly forecast.” He said respectfully looking down and kneeling.

Celestine spoke. Her voice sounded bell-like and echoed across the grove.

“There will be a great danger”

Whitehorn stiffened.

“Excuse me?”

She gave a concerned expression her face twisting into one of worry

“I can’t say too much… Please be careful my children…”

Her figure faded as her voice seemed to leave the grove.

Whitehorn stood there astounded.

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[That wasn’t very light at all] Naru thought glumly.

** ** **

The very next day a curious development happened.

Whitehorn forbid the deer from leaving the grove and began to set up patrols. For the lighthearted deer this was something they were not used to but they understood the gravity of the situation.

Celestine would not say such things without a purpose and the deer trusted her. She was the one who filled the crystals after all.

Naru’s life didn’t change much but she was practicing her magic more frequently. It would do her good to learn and develop it further for the purpose of self defense.

The patrols that went around the perimeter of the grove was made of the strongest deer in the village. Naru regularly saw Trunk and Vine walking around in their deers forms making sure there was nothing suspicious happening.

[He really is overprotective] Naru couldn’t help but feel that the patrols were unnecessary. The crystal was protecting them after all.

Still the days bled together with an uneasy peace.

The deer were on guard but with nothing to go off based on Celestine’s forecast they were left to twiddle their thumbs and be safe.

It had reached a month before odd occurrence began to happen. The grove had become quiet. Not in the sense that the deer were quiet. Rather, it was more like the sound outside the grove had ceased.

It was a jarring change. Naru was used to hearing the trilling of birds and the sounds of rustling animals in the forest. It was earie.

The deer grew even more fearful and soon they were even beginning to volunteer to patrol.

The sound of felling trees grew closer day by day and Naru was beginning to wonder why hunter and lumber cutters were coming so close.

She began to see humans at the edge of the grove. Still, the barrier held, and the deer would cast magic to make them retreat.

[it feels like we’re under siege] Naru realized.

It wasn’t long before the deer had learned.

They were surrounded.