Gaia: Bloody Waters

Chapter One

Waking up to a forest full of nature's noises was nothing new to Kimya but the unnatural sounds she heard that morning were nothing short of terrifying. She sprinted softly over a fallen moss covered long, bounded over the crystal clear creek she had slept beside that night, and landed surefooted on the edge of a boulder half hanging over a shear cliff that looked over the valley below. Smoke was pouring its way into the sky and the young elf could see tree after tree being felled. A line of brown nothingness wound its way through the distant forest and emptied out into a muddied open space where tents and makeshift shelters were being erected. It seemed chaos itself was being unleashed into her until now tranquil land.

"Humans?" Kimya whispered to herself. She'd never seen one before but she'd heard enough about them to recognize one when she did. "I've got to tell the others," she whispered again.

Her village, if you could call it that, was a few miles up creek. A well worn trail ran the length of the waterway, used by beast and elf alike, and although she traveled barefoot she traveled swiftly. When she reached her home...