The festivities continue as the elders share tales of old. The children have juice from the local fruits, while the adults have their own beverages. Even Nova is allowed to partake in the wine after today. The drink in her hands is slightly acidic, clashing with the natural sugars of the berries used. With each sip, there's a slight burn to her throat. It's a bit uncomfortable, and she wants to remember this party in the morning, so Nova sticks with only one cup. Despite the unfamiliar burn of alcohol, it's fascinating and new, and it's refreshing to be seen as an adult. As Nova listens in from behind the crowd, the lesson draws to a close. Everyone's attention is turned to the drums, and the whistle of flutes compliments the beat. Alpheus walks up to Nova, holding a cup in his hand. "So, guess my dear friend here is an adult now, huh?"

"Yup, I sure am. I've got you to thank for that too. Sorry I scared you like that."

"I'll admit, Nova, I was pretty terrified last night. Not as scared as you were at that spider I pranked you with last year though! I never knew you could scream that loud!"

Nova's face flushes at the memory. As brave as she can be with most things, spiders are definitely a weakness of hers. Also heights. Falling to her death would not be a fun way to go. "Oh come on, that thing was HUGE! What if it was poisonous?"

"It was a harmless tarantula."

The two friends laugh at the shared memories, and a group of teens gather around the two sharing local gossip. Musicians play an upbeat tune to fuel the dancing. Everyone joins in, the adults doing so with varying degrees of sobriety. The setting sun dips below the trees, and the world's orange glow darkens and fades to moonlight.

The stars reveal themselves as the cleanup begins. Spilled wine drenches the ground in puddles, and thrown food litters the ground. Woven baskets gather the scraps to dispose of them deeper in the forest. It's nice to know that the local wildlife will take care of the rest.

Many of the partygoers have retreated into their homes, either to rest from the festivities or sleep off hangovers. The sober adults gather water and bread for the less fortunate ones, and Nova joins the cleanup crew along with her parents. Most of the cleaning is complete, when there's suddenly a scream from behind the trees. A woman rushes forward, bolting away from something. She grabs onto Nova's shirt as her knees shake. Her breathing is labored, and her eyes are glazed in fear.

"Nova...There's..There's..."

Nova gently brings the woman to her eye level in an effort to calm her. "Calm down, breathe. Tell me what's wrong. What did you see? Zyphoids? Something bigger?"

"No, invaders!"

Nova looks toward her parents, then to the woman at her feet. She gently lifts the terrified fongoid to her feet. Turning to a nearby table, she grips her new staff leaning on it. She was unarmed during the vision, but now... Time to shape her future.

Charging it to prepare for a fight, she looks back to the woman. The glow of the staff coats Nova's body, reflecting off of her face. "We have to warn the others. Everyone split up and gather them at the temple! Now!"

The markazians and fongoids spread apart, rousing the village from their homes. Distant explosions echo in the forest, and they get closer and closer with each passing second. The commotion is deafening as the villagers mumble to themselves, masking the sound of the imminent danger. Nova positions herself at the base of the temple stairs, addressing the crowd. Or at least, she tries to. They're too busy amongst themselves to notice.

"What is this child doing causing such a scene?"

"Mom, Dad, why are we up so late?"

"Everyone, listen to me!"

"Did that shock yesterday fry her mind?"

"Please, listen!"

"My head's killing me, I'm going back to bed."

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Nova's voice cuts through the crowd as she releases a blast from her weapon into the air, and her blunt tone shocks them to silence.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for being rude, and for waking everyone up, but this is important. Right now, there's an army coming. Soldiers of metal that seek to destroy this village. I need your help to stop it."

One of her old classmates speaks up with a condescending tone. She was always rude to Nova during their schooling, and never had any respect for her. After their lessons were over, they rarely spoke, which suits Nova just fine. "Oh, please, you're just looking for a reason to show off that stick of yours. Give it a rest, the party's over, attention hog."

Nova grits her teeth in frustration, spitting out a response. Her eyes narrow as she stares daggers into the girl, whose name she doesn't bother uttering out loud or even thinking. "Says the one who interrupted me to bring attention to herself."

The bratty teen sits down with a defeated scoff, and Nova continues. "Thank you. Now, can you all hear it in the forest? That's our enemy."

For a moment, the crowd listens in silence as they turn to the forest. Sure enough, there's the soft booming and glow of explosions carving a path straight toward them. The Chief and Priestess Talia stand with Nova, backing her up. "This is not a drill. If you can fight, grab a weapon. The rest bunker down in the temple and seal the door."

The two elders look toward each other in mutual understanding, then to Nova with pride. Looking to the crowd, The Chief taps his staff to the ground. "You have your orders, -neyah-. Now go!"

Everyone splits up, either running for the temple or to the barracks. The Albedo parents race for their own hut, returning with a brown knapsack. At their hips are strange weapons Nova has only ever heard of in their stories. Combusters that are a bit rusty from disuse, but still operational. They run up to Nova, who has joined their small militia. The scent of burnt wood reaches her nostrils. They're close.

"Mom, Dad! What are you doing here? What's in that?"

Corinne holds out the bag towards Nova, who stares at the object. It's clearly filled with something, but what? "Novie, honey, this is for you."

"What? Mom, what's going on?"

"There's no time to explain. In here is our old bank card and your mother's recipe book. You'll need them, and this. " James holds out a key of some sort, which Nova quickly pockets.

"What's it for?"

Corinne holds Nova's shoulders, bringing her gaze to Nova's eyes. "Listen to me carefully. If things go bad, run as far south as possible, okay? Don't look back. Promise me you won't look back."

The forest edge begins to glow, and strange metal creatures burst from the flames like a swarm of tetramites. The minions are of varying shapes and sizes, protecting something that stands at the swarm's core. The fongoid warriors panic at the cloud of enemies as the commander shouts an order. "Stand your ground, everyone! We have to protect the villagers!"

The soldiers settle into a combat stance. Nova turns from them to her parents after Corinne shakes her a bit. "Promise us you'll keep yourself safe."

"I promise, Mom, Dad."

The three markazians break from the family meeting to join the ranks, and Nova puts on the backpack. Dropping into her own stiff posture to aim for the approaching wave of enemies, Nova's face hardens as she charges her staff. The battle for Quantos, for their future, begins now.

The metal army's condensed form slowly floats toward the center of the village. The soldiers fire at the cloud at once, but the energy bolts aren't strong enough. Combuster shots are absorbed by the enemy, doing no damage. The fongoids back off slowly, and the cloud stops at the center of the village. The walls of the cell shift, as if preparing for something. A thick tension fills the air as all parties come to a standstill. A faceless voice gives a clear order with an aggressive shout.

"Annihilate them all, and bring him to me!"

The bubble bursts, and all hell breaks loose. Nova, along with countless others, is thrown backwards by the force of the blast. As her eyes regain their focus, they settle to see the worst. Nova stands to take in the sight. No..no way...this is...