"She awakes! Send for Calli," a sweet voice called. Lita turned to find a boy, perhaps 13 years old, kneeling beside her in white robes.
"Get her yourself, Gany," an older boy responded, "I have some questions for the priestess so scram." He stood against a wall in orange ceremonial robes wrapped with a black sash. The younger boy sighed, bowed to Lita, then stood, and walked out of the room. Lita watched him with dull understanding.
"First of all, we're the remains of your order," the older boy answered, "I'm Io, third of the order. Do you understand?" He paused while Lita shook her head.
"Of course she doesn't understand you, Io," a firm voice snapped from the door way. Lita looked to the door way and saw a young woman clad in midnight blue robes. She held a golden staff in her folded arms. She walked over and knelt before Lita, laid her staff beside her, and bowed low. "Priestess, forgive us for not coming sooner. I fear now may be too late but we have to get you off the planet."
"Huh?" Lita stared for a moment. After a moment, she straightened, "Why should we leave?"
Io crouched in front of Lita, smiled and looked into her eyes, "Because a cloud is coming to suck this planet dry. The entire planet and everything on it will be so much more than dead." He nodded to confirm his words.
"You're scaring her, Io," the young woman shook her head. She turned back to Lita, "Forgive Io, he can be dramatic but he's not wrong."
"We've beat evil before," Lita answered, "We can do it again."
"Evil wouldn't be a problem," Io replied, "But this isn't evil, so to speak." Lita drew back for a moment and Io shook his head. He held out a bit of wood in his palm and it burst into flames, "This flame is consuming this wood. The flame doesn't hate the wood, that's just the function of the flame. And it won't stop until the wood is spent then it moves on to another object it doesn't hate. What's coming isn't evil either. Do you understand?"
"So, this thing is fire?" Lita asked, "Then we must estinguish it. There are many happy people on this planet, happy animals too, and they are worth fighting for. I won't abandon them. The scouts are powerful and we will fight together."
"And die together," Io grumbled as he bowed and left.
The young woman watched him go then turned to Lita, "Are you sure? You can't turn back later." Lita nodded and the young woman smiled, "Then we will stay too and fight with you. I'm Cally, you met Io, I think you saw Gany too, and I haven't seen Euro around today. Take us to these freinds of yours."
Lita nodded and went out the door. They were somewhere in the forest, Lita recognized some trees, but she couldn't remember a building in this forest. Io joined them outside and the other boy in white robes, Lita figured it was Gany. Another young woman, Cally's age, walked into the clearing holding a black mass in her arms.
"Cally, is this the preistess?" She askedreplied as the black mass lept to the ground. Lita recognized Luna quickly and Luna scampered into Lita's arms. Luna shivered so hard Lita could barely hold her.