Butler pulled over immediately.
"What is it?" asked Artemis, adjusting his fairy helmet to the anti- shield filter. Then he saw what Holly saw.
Holly opened the door and jumped out of the car. She ran to the tree. Bound to the tree was Commander Root. Weak from the sun's light on him all day he hung there limply. Even Butler saw; now Root's magic had completely run out and he was fully visible.
"Commander! Commander, are you okay? Speak to me!"
Root managed a slight groan, he thought he was delirious. "It can't be you, Holly, I'm dead."
"You're not dead, Commander, but you will be if we don't get you help now." She spoke into her helmet. "Foaly! I found him. Root's been out in the sun all day. He's completely drained. He needs help." She switched channels before Foaly could respond. "Trouble! Where are you? I found Root and he needs back up. We're on the side of the road and he has no magic left. Respond."
"I'll be there in a minute, Holly. I'm on my way. How bad off is he?"
Holly thought Heal! And sent blue magic scurrying down her fingers and into Root. He had rope burns at his wrists and he was weak. "He's pretty bad. Not dead though. I'm healing him now."
"Good. I see the Mud Man's car. I'm approaching now."
"Butler, give me one of your knives."
Butler obliged and handed one over.
Holly proceeded to cut Root loose from the tree. She eased him on to the ground. Unzipping her tunic slightly she pulled out a chain around her neck, on it was a golden book, the fairy Bible, and a small vial of earth. She ripped the vial off the chain and broke it on the ground. She placed the acorn in Root's hand and made him dig into the ground and bury the acorn. She stepped back as the magic flew back to Root from the ground. The fairy ritual to renew magic demanded an acorn from an ancient oak near the bend in a river be buried far from where it was found. Foaly and Holly had come up with a sealed acorn unit for emergencies. The Council hadn't approved but Holly knew it was useful and used it anyway.
Trouble landed near Holly, Root, Butler, and Artemis. "Is he any better?"
"His powers are being restored, give him a minute. It's been a long day for him."
Suddenly Root shot up, his eyes wide. "What's going on? When I get my hands on that goblin I'm going to." He rang an invisible neck. Then he noticed his company. "What's going on?"
Artemis was the first to reply. "You were near death and Captain Short just saved your life."
Holly heard Foaly's voice inside her helmet. "Tell Julius it's nice to see he's back to his old cheerful self."
Holly grinned, "Commander, Foaly says it's nice to see you back to your old self."
Root grunted.
"Did I mention he called you 'Julius'?"
"Tell that horse he's gonna get it when I get back underground." Only perhaps four fairies alive were allowed to call Root by his first name.
"Will do, Commander."
"Now, what's with the Mud-I mean humans?"
"Well, sir, if it weren't for them none of us would be here."
"Explain, Captain Short. We're burning moonlight."
Butler stepped in, "Commander, there's a truck coming down the road. Best we all get in the car and continue the discussion there. The windows are tinted, no one can see in."
"Right, soldier."
Artemis went to the front seat while Butler assisted the fairies into getting in the backseat.
"Continue, Captain."
"When you failed to show up in the office and they placed Trouble in charge, I knew something was wrong. I came above ground to search for you and Aquarius."
"Without orders?"
"Yessir," Holly looked at her feet.
"But I'm grateful. Continue."
"I found-"
"I came without orders, too," Trouble interrupted
Root looked at the young officer, "Kelp, they put you in charge and you up and leave without orders? Disgraceful. Continue, please, Captain Short."
"I found the humans loitering around E1."
Butler was quick to come to Artemis's defense and interjected, "We were there because a certain Mulch Diggums broke into Fowl Manor.
"What is it?" asked Artemis, adjusting his fairy helmet to the anti- shield filter. Then he saw what Holly saw.
Holly opened the door and jumped out of the car. She ran to the tree. Bound to the tree was Commander Root. Weak from the sun's light on him all day he hung there limply. Even Butler saw; now Root's magic had completely run out and he was fully visible.
"Commander! Commander, are you okay? Speak to me!"
Root managed a slight groan, he thought he was delirious. "It can't be you, Holly, I'm dead."
"You're not dead, Commander, but you will be if we don't get you help now." She spoke into her helmet. "Foaly! I found him. Root's been out in the sun all day. He's completely drained. He needs help." She switched channels before Foaly could respond. "Trouble! Where are you? I found Root and he needs back up. We're on the side of the road and he has no magic left. Respond."
"I'll be there in a minute, Holly. I'm on my way. How bad off is he?"
Holly thought Heal! And sent blue magic scurrying down her fingers and into Root. He had rope burns at his wrists and he was weak. "He's pretty bad. Not dead though. I'm healing him now."
"Good. I see the Mud Man's car. I'm approaching now."
"Butler, give me one of your knives."
Butler obliged and handed one over.
Holly proceeded to cut Root loose from the tree. She eased him on to the ground. Unzipping her tunic slightly she pulled out a chain around her neck, on it was a golden book, the fairy Bible, and a small vial of earth. She ripped the vial off the chain and broke it on the ground. She placed the acorn in Root's hand and made him dig into the ground and bury the acorn. She stepped back as the magic flew back to Root from the ground. The fairy ritual to renew magic demanded an acorn from an ancient oak near the bend in a river be buried far from where it was found. Foaly and Holly had come up with a sealed acorn unit for emergencies. The Council hadn't approved but Holly knew it was useful and used it anyway.
Trouble landed near Holly, Root, Butler, and Artemis. "Is he any better?"
"His powers are being restored, give him a minute. It's been a long day for him."
Suddenly Root shot up, his eyes wide. "What's going on? When I get my hands on that goblin I'm going to." He rang an invisible neck. Then he noticed his company. "What's going on?"
Artemis was the first to reply. "You were near death and Captain Short just saved your life."
Holly heard Foaly's voice inside her helmet. "Tell Julius it's nice to see he's back to his old cheerful self."
Holly grinned, "Commander, Foaly says it's nice to see you back to your old self."
Root grunted.
"Did I mention he called you 'Julius'?"
"Tell that horse he's gonna get it when I get back underground." Only perhaps four fairies alive were allowed to call Root by his first name.
"Will do, Commander."
"Now, what's with the Mud-I mean humans?"
"Well, sir, if it weren't for them none of us would be here."
"Explain, Captain Short. We're burning moonlight."
Butler stepped in, "Commander, there's a truck coming down the road. Best we all get in the car and continue the discussion there. The windows are tinted, no one can see in."
"Right, soldier."
Artemis went to the front seat while Butler assisted the fairies into getting in the backseat.
"Continue, Captain."
"When you failed to show up in the office and they placed Trouble in charge, I knew something was wrong. I came above ground to search for you and Aquarius."
"Without orders?"
"Yessir," Holly looked at her feet.
"But I'm grateful. Continue."
"I found-"
"I came without orders, too," Trouble interrupted
Root looked at the young officer, "Kelp, they put you in charge and you up and leave without orders? Disgraceful. Continue, please, Captain Short."
"I found the humans loitering around E1."
Butler was quick to come to Artemis's defense and interjected, "We were there because a certain Mulch Diggums broke into Fowl Manor.
