Empty Lots Full of Hope
The lot to which Ali brought Haldir was, perhaps, an unlikely place to start the saving of the world. The neighborhood was clearly in decline, abandoned factories rising ghostlike in every direction. The few bits of green showing were weeds poking through cracks in the sidewalks. The only open space on the street, filling most of a block, was surrounded by a chain-link fence, posted with the appropriate warnings about construction-site safety and the necessity of wearing hard-hats, all of which Ali ignored when she unlocked the gate and ushered Haldir through.
The ground was uneven, but clear of debris, and seems to have been given a great deal of attention lately. The dusty, long-neglected soil has been mixed with healthier things again and again, and was already beginning to show a few signs of life here and there. Circles and lines have been scratched in the ground that were sometimes highlighted by the dark stains of blood and other libations poured, and there was a faint echo of magic still in the area.
Locking the gate again behind them, Ali took a moment to touch the seed in her pocket, then turned to look at her companion. "I know it doesn't look like much now, but it'll be beautiful soon."
The ground was uneven, but clear of debris, and seems to have been given a great deal of attention lately. The dusty, long-neglected soil has been mixed with healthier things again and again, and was already beginning to show a few signs of life here and there. Circles and lines have been scratched in the ground that were sometimes highlighted by the dark stains of blood and other libations poured, and there was a faint echo of magic still in the area.
Locking the gate again behind them, Ali took a moment to touch the seed in her pocket, then turned to look at her companion. "I know it doesn't look like much now, but it'll be beautiful soon."