Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up abruptly. Piper gazed at her surroundings; she was in an unfamiliar bedroom, sunlight spilled through the windows, and her body ached from exhaustion.
She found her sword and backpack lying on a chair. Piper hurriedly grabbed them, relieved that everything in her bag was still intact. She rose to her feet and stepped out.
As she walked out into the corridor, she felt a wave of nausea. "Where am I?" She murmured.
Climbing down the stairs, she studied the quaint living room; no one seemed to be home.
"Had a good night's rest?" A voice asked.
Piper froze, craning her head to see Aria holding a tray with a steamy bowl on it.
"Aria?" Piper flashed a smile and moved quickly.
Aria swished her hand, and the tray levitated mid-air as she swooped Piper into a hug.
"Hello, lass," Aria spoke softly. "You've certainly changed."
Piper shut her eyes; it felt comforting. She stepped back. "It's so good to see you again. I thought you died."
"Nearly," Aria informed. "Not without a cost."
As they stepped back, Piper noticed Aria was missing an arm beneath her sleeve. She felt a pang of hurt. Desperia must have cut her arm in the first battle.
"It's alright, I'm getting used to it." Aria said softly.
Piper bowed her head low.
"Here," Aria held the bowl out to Piper. "Thankfully, Simon dispelled the poison; the medicine will help you recover."
Piper sniffed the hot brown liquid and took a sip; she grimaced at the taste and then drained it all. She wiped her lips with her arm and felt stronger.
"Thank you." Piper said with gratitude.
Aria opened her lips to speak.
"I'm glad you're alive, but I need to move on." Piper interrupted.
Aria pushed her tongue into her cheek. "Why don't you step outside with me for a moment? Can you manage?" stretching her hand towards the kitchen direction.
Piper glanced at the front door, then back to Aria, and gave a nod. She followed Aria out the back door.
Piper discovered a few small houses in two neat rows; a man was chopping wood, little kids were chasing each other, and one was a fairy soaring a foot off the ground.
She saw a man sitting on a rocking chair; he had bandages covering an angle of his face.
"What is this place?" Piper asked.
"It used to be my backyard," Aria revealed. "We had to make do with the available land and built makeshift shelters."
They climbed on a porch, and Aria unlocked the door. Piper surveyed the room, where beds lined the walls. Some patients were missing limbs; others had severe injuries, including a wounded wing. Three nurses attended to them.
Piper frowned at the sight of Simon sitting in the bay. He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment.
She saw a little girl, no more than ten, lying unconscious. Her skin was pale and covered in bruises, and Piper's heart clenched. Simon held the little girl's hand. She wasn't breathing.
"What happened to her?" Piper asked.
"An attack in her village by Nxyians." Aria explained. "Her parents succumbed to the attack."
Piper gripped her fists tightly.
The youngest of the nurses, a girl with pale pink hair, likely in her late teens, placed a palm on Simon's shoulder. He stood. The nurse gently lifted the bedcovers over the child's head.
"She was stronger than I imagined." Aria murmured.
Piper turned away and stormed out of the med bay. Aria was right behind her. "Why did you bring me here?"
Aria explained, "To show you there's work to be done."
Piper began to attach her sword to her hip. "I'm not a damn nurse."
"Piper, you have a role to play in fighting this war." Aria said firmly.
Piper unzipped her backpack to search for her compass. She pulled it out and tapped on the glass. The blue circle hologram flickered on, but the map began to malfunction. She tapped it twice; it had no effect.
"The barrier spell prevents holographic maps from working here." Simon spoke.
Piper studied Simon critically before searching her bag for a paper map. She placed it on the ground.
"Where are we? I need to get out of here." Piper demanded.
Aria crouched in front of Piper. "You know Curtis Stellan? He worked with Simon to help find the prison camp Desperia sends people to."
Piper trailed her fingers on the map, pretending not to listen.
"The plan was he would get captured; I don't know why he went off the rails and pissed the Monsters off." Simon explained with a strain in his voice. "I should have never let him do that protest."
Piper gazed up at Simon with a dead tone. "Would now be the time to tell you Curtis barely knows how infiltration works? He failed basic spycraft and stealth; he did that to himself."
Simon lifted a brow. "You weren't perfect either, but you seem to have managed to survive this past year."
"If you're suicidal, don't expect me to join you." Piper said. "There are thousands of Knights who can take up the work."
"All the knights are either displaced or in hiding." Simon glared at her. "Did you see the patients in the med bay? That was the last squad to go on the offensive."
Piper shrugged. "So much for being the greatest warriors in the universe."
The teenage nurse with bright pink hair scoffed, with arms folded. "Are you being serious right now? You're so quick to discredit them while being a coward."
Piper rose to her feet and gave her a once-over. "Sorry, I didn't really see you before; now that I do, all that cotton candy hair hurts my eyes."
The nurse appeared confused for a moment.
"Who are you again?" Piper asked drily. The nurse appeared to be insulted by the question.
Aria, previously silent, spoke up. "This is Lady Raina Moon of Primrose Valley in the Fairy Kingdom. A few months after the war began, she arrived here and has been helping the wounded."
So that's why she looked familiar.
"We already met, once." Raina reminded Piper.
Piper rolled her eyes. She scanned the white uniform and almost worn shoes the nurse wore. "Did we? Because I barely recognize you outside the glamour and vanity, Moon."
Raina grunted angrily and stepped forward. "I don't like the way you speak, Terran; it doesn't matter if we're at war. You would do well to show some respect."
Piper's lips quirked, and her hand went to the hilt of her sword. "You deserve neither my respect nor attention. Call me Terran again, and you'll regret it."
Piper didn't miss seeing Raina's hand twitch at her side either. Raina flashed her a glare.
"Enough," Aria stepped between them. "We have pressing matters to discuss."
Simon placed a calm hand on Raina's shoulder, and she brushed it off.
"Leave me out of it." Piper told Aria firmly, picked up her map, and started to walk away.
"Piper, I know you've been trying to open up a portal. We saw the incantation note and portal points," Aria said. "Well, I'm sorry to say all connections to Earth cut off the moment Desperia took over. Believe me."
Piper turned to look at the woman before her.
"We tried to go there," Aria whispered in defeat.