The Epic Change (Editing)

Leaf Traveling

Bryanna woke up in the time between the morning and noon. She found some food on a table Nod must have built while she was asleep. She smiled as she ate her breakfast and left her home to explore more of the forest.

She walked in the opposite direction of the kingdom. She lifted giant leaves as she walked. She found a beetle that smiled and waved at her. She waved back and continued walking. As she approached a lake, she saw some flowers walking towards it. Like at the waterfall, they sat beside the water and bathed themselves in it. 

Bryanna tilted her head as the flowers' green colors became brighter and their petals became more lively. They waved at Bryanna and she waved back. 

The small flower child smiled and ran to Bryanna.

"You're not a leafwoman, are you?" The child smiled.

"No, but I live near the leafmen and women." Bryanna stared at the child's petals on his head.

He looked up, cross-eyed, at his petals. "They make you think I'm a girl, huh?"

Bryanna smiled. "Yeah."

The child lightly laughed and looked around. "Are you here by yourself?"

Bryanna nodded.

"Why?"

"I'm new here. I used to be what you guys call a stomper."

"WOAH!" His eyes were wide. "Really?"

"Yeah." Bryanna smiled. "I like looking around and stuff because it's so new to me. That's pretty much why I'm here by myself. I don't have any new friends yet, so I'm exploring the forest on my own."

"I'll go with you." The child grinned, lifting his leafy hand in the air. "I'll be your friend."

"Ok." Bryanna looked at the other flowers near the water. "What about your mom and stuff?"

"Oh." He lowered his head. "I don't have a mom."

"I'm sorry." Bryanna placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's fine." He looked up at Bryanna. "It's not your fault. The boggans just like to destroy anything green."

"They won't hurt you, I promise."

The flower boy placed his and on Bryanna's hand that was on his shoulder. "I know. Let's go explore that forest now."

"Wait. What's your name?"

"Lif."

"Lif, my name's Bryanna."

They smiled at each other as they walked through the grass. Lif showed Bryanna the fun way of traveling on grass. They jumped onto a blade of grass and it would bend as they slid down, then they would jump onto another blade and it would do the same. They had a competition to see who could jump the highest from blade to blade. Bryanna won that competition every time, and Lif only continued to try to improve his efforts.

"Come on, Lif!" Bryanna laughed as she slid into the air. "You're not making winning fun anymore."

Lif laughed lightly as he fell onto the next blade of grass. He reached the same height as Bryanna and he grinned.

Bryanna's eyes grew wide and she tried to slid up higher. She heard a terrifying screech and slid down to the ground. Lif was beside her, staring at her with wide eyes. An arrow landed near Lif's feet and he screamed.

Bryanna quickly pulled him away before the rot could touch him. She looked up at the ten boggans that were circling the air, looking for them. She looked at Lif and lifted a finger to her lips.

"We're going to get out of here and get help," she whispered to Lif.

"Help from where," he whispered.

"The leafmen of course."

Lif nodded and looked back up at the boggans. Bryanna pressed herself to a blade of grass and had Lif do the same. Bryanna watched the boggans and decided when was the best time to go through to another blade.

Bryanna made it through three blades of grass when she heard the boggan speaking to each other. She decided to move another two blades quickly. The grass died behind her and Lif screamed.

She took Lif''s hand and started running as the boggans started shooting. She looked back and saw an arrow coming toward them. She pushed Lif to the side and jumped to the other side. Lif sat up and stared at her behind one of the leaves he landed near.

Bryanna tried to think of what to do next. She knew the boggans didn't know where she and Lif had landed, but she was at the risk of looking out at the boggans because the area was now clearer.

She heard them gibbering again, but then she heard them scream, screech, and hiss. Her eyes widened and reflected Lif's expression. She slowly moved to peek at what was going on.

She saw leaf men on their birds attacking the boggans. One by one they fell by the arrows of the leaf men and Lif's grin grew wider as it happened.

Bryanna watched the fight. She saw a leaf man defeat a boggan and fly down in the dead grass near her. He got off his bird and ran toward her. She blinked and before she knew it Nod's helmet fell off as he embraced her.

He caressed her cheek as if she was fragile. His eyes locked with hers. "Hey there, beautiful. Are you hurt?"

"Um..." Bryanna seemed to be frozen. "No. I'm fine."

Nod grinned and kissed Bryanna, his hand caressing her jawline to the back of her head, cupping it. Bryanna wrapped her arms around Nod as he kissed her again. Her hand was in his hair, slightly raking it as she kissed him.

They smiled with closed eyes as their lips pulled away.

Nod whispered, "you're safe and sound, now."