The night of the attack had been dark and stormy. Rain poured down hard on the town of Caydence. The bolts of lightning added to the horrific sight of the people who fought for their lives that night. Staysia remembered the four flashes that haunted her memory.
The lightening had struck when a man held her mother’s throat. Another flash when her father dashed toward the man to save his wife. As Staysia prepared her sword and rushed through the dark to besiege the attacker the lightning flashed through the sky, letting her know it was too late. When the lightning flashed the fourth time, Staysia was looking down at her mother and father as they lay lifeless on the ground.
The men; not fit to be called warriors, had entrenched their way into Caydence, beleaguering the innocent people and victimizing them on the basis of a false accusation of petty thievery. More than fifty people were slain that night.
Staysia had found the man’s tooth lying beside her mother. Her father must have struck him in the darkness and Staysia knew it had to be a sign for her to avenge the killer.
Her parents were the only two people she had left in her life, now she had no one; no one except for her unicorn named Isis. She spoke to the unicorn often and always knew she was listening, though she couldn’t talk back to Staysia. She was a great listener and her best friend.
The people of Caydence had turned on their very neighbors since the attack. They were trying to get some kind of revenge themselves. They blamed one another for stealing from the people of Gnome Hills instead of getting vengeance for the murders that took place that night. Maybe they were afraid, maybe they had all gone mad.
Maybe Staysia had gone mad too, she wasn’t a killer. She wasn’t a warrior or a swordsperson. She was a girl who had lost everything she had.
Staysia cleared her throat and tried to clear her mind. She didn’t want to think of her parents’ voices, their warmth, their life or their death.
She filled her lungs with fresh air and ran her fingers through Isis’s mane. Isis neighed and stood on her hind legs, kicking her hooves in the air. “Easy now, Isis! What is it girl?” Staysia asked her. Isis turned and swung her head around in the direction of the Troll Bridge. “Oh no ya don’t! We are going this way.” Staysia gently turned Isis’s head in the opposite direction.
Isis put her head down and walked slowly in the direction she was told. Staysia looked over her shoulder at the bridge one last time and then faced forward.
A Day owl’s eyes beamed from the interior of a Snow tree. Snow trees blossomed with fluffy white flowers that stayed abloom all year long. The tree bark looked like icicles that glistened in the sunlight.
Day owls were white and were prone to camouflaging themselves inside the trees of white. Staysia just loved owls. They were certainly different than other birds; certainly a special kind of bird. At least they were to Staysia, who loved most animals, some more than others. “Who, who,” said the owl. “Hello Owl,” said Staysia.
There were numerous Golden trees ahead of Staysia on the road. Golden trees had dark brown trunks and leaves of gold. They weren’t any taller or wider than most trees, but the golden leaves certainly made them stand out from most trees, and most of all, they were the trees that led to the Grandfather Tree.
The Grandfather Tree was where the fairies lived. She was excited to visit the fairies. She had never been to their home before.
She recalled a nursery rhyme her mother would tell her at bedtime. This is what her mother had said: “Through the Forest, just passed the Troll Bridge is where the tiny fairies live. Tis true they say ya get what ya give. Give to the Mother of the Fairies a fresh red rose. Hold it there just under her nose. The Mother of the Fairies will give you a sprinkle of red fairy dust, and when she does, put it in a tiny vial and wear it ‘round your neck. For the purity of the rose will guide you for always. So when you see the trees of gold, do go beyond them to the Grandfather Tree of old. Hold a tiny Fairy Princess in your hand—the sweetest and truest of all the land.”
Staysia turned as something sparkled behind her just beneath the Snow tree where the owl was perched. A rose of red grew from the ground. Fairy dust swirled around it as it sprouted.
The leaves folded over and as they did she heard tiny bells. The same sound that the wind chimes that belonged to her mother played. But it couldn’t be—the wind chimes were still there on her porch back home. Staysia slid down Isis and dropped onto the ground.
She walked towards the rose, watching it grow and bloom, petal by petal. When it stood to be a beautiful ripe rose, she knelt on the ground and plucked the flower. When she did, it turned black and shriveled up in her hand. A thorn from the stem pricked her finger before dropping to the ground and decaying right before her.
The owl spread its magnificently large wings and flew high into the sky. The sky blackened. The trees of gold lost all of their color turning black as the night. The leaves fell to the ground.
Staysia walked backwards and stood beside Isis. She turned in a circle, looking all around her and up at the sky. She noticed the stars twinkling boldly in the sky. A single star shot across the sky and onto the ground, then another and another.
Her face filled with terror. She realized all of the stars were falling onto the cold ground. A star landed in front of her and left a large imprint in the dirt then sizzled and evaporated. Staysia found herself dodging the fiery embers that fell from the sky.
When they stopped falling, an ashen face appeared in the darkness becoming the only thing Staysia could see.
Morbid and hollow-eyed, mouth tight lipped and round, allowing a serpents tongue to thrust in and out of its black lips. It had beastly, flaring nostrils and horns that jutted out each side of its god-awful pale gray, wrinkled and hairy head.
Isis kicked her hooves in the air and neighed loudly. The sound echoed throughout the now black forest. Staysia waited for her to finish and wrapped her arms around the unicorn’s neck. She gently kissed her nose and moved her attention to the hellish animal-like face.
“What is it that you want?” she asked in terror.
“Mortal girl!” the male voice of the morbid head that floated in nothingness replied. “Will you ever be anything but a poor mortal soul? Lost and confused, desperate and alone, as you wander the hills and roads, mountains and caves. As you search for a man who will put you in your grave alongside your father and mother. I have been watching you. You left a young man back at Troll Bridge. Ha! Ha! Good choice my dear, he was a murderer. That is why he was hurled off the bridge. The fools who threw him should have made sure he was dead before throwing him off for you to rescue. A swift hit on the head doesn’t always do the trick. Oh, I have seen it done and done right.”
“Again, what is it that you want?” she asked.
“I need something from you, something that was left behind by your father,”
“What could you possibly want of my father’s?”
“It is a map leading to the Sea Child.”
“What is the Sea Child?”
“A child who holds the key to immortality. Find the map and bring it to me. If you do, I will grant you immortality. If you do not, you will be buried beneath the earth next to your parents,” he warned.
“Is that so? You already have immortality. I am sure that for whatever reason it is you want this map it is not for good. I will not get it for you!”
“As you wish, you may be forgetting something, Staysia.”
“What is that?” she asked.
“You cannot seek your vengeance from the grave! Ha! Ha! Ha!” His evil cackle echoed and soon faded away along with his face.
The sun appeared and the colors returned to the scenery. The Golden trees were in full color. The brightness of the morning had returned.
Staysia ran her hand over Isis and looked left and right. She pushed down gently on Isis’s head and mounted her once again.
She thought about what had happened in her head; but didn’t show her concern. Not even in front of her unicorn.
Staysia was a very strong-minded woman, strong-willed and determined. Whatever was to come would be played out as it was brought on.
She believed in living for the day. Living one day at a time was something her parents had instilled in her. So as for today, she would go beneath the trees on to the Grandfather Tree.
Her brows furrowed as she slowly looked over her shoulder, remembering the rose. There it was—there under the tree. Even the owl was in his place like before. She pressed her lips together and turned Isis around to head for the rose once again.
When she was closer, she slid off of Isis and plucked the rose. No darkness; no evil. She placed the rose in Isis’s mane and mounted her again, heading under the tree canopy.
The golden leaves fluttered as she rode beneath them. She rode up and down the hillocks until the road stopped and became a large field of colorful flowers. The Grandfather Tree stood in the center of the field. Staysia leaned in close to Isis’s ear. “There it is, Isis. The Grandfather Tree! Isn’t it lovely?” She clicked her tongue and Isis galloped to the humongous tree.
A small, red, wooden door stood at the entrance. She knocked on the door and smiled back at Isis eagerly awaiting an answer.
A tiny fairy opened a small window on the door. Staysia stood on her tiptoes and got a closer look. The fairy’s blue eyes widened. She flew backwards and forward again. She stared at Staysia. Staysia smiled. The fairy carefully smiled back at her and opened the panel that was between them.
“Welcome to the Grandfather Tree. May I help you please?” asked the fairy in a chipmunkish voice.
Staysia smiled and fidgeted her hands. She rocked from her toes to her heels and back to her toes. She looked back at Isis and smiled.
“Welcome to the Grandfather Tree. May I help you please?” the fairy asked sharply.
Staysia quickly turned her head and gave her attention to the fairy. “I am Staysia, it is so nice to meet you miss.” She bowed and stuck her finger through the window for a handshake. The fairy flew backwards again, avoiding the offer. Staysia bit her lip. “Um, may I come in, please?”
The fairy placed her index finger on her cheek and crossed her other arm across her chest. “What brings you here?”
“I need to get to the other side of the Grandfather Tree. I have to be somewhere,” Staysia explained.
“You do know that there is another way to get to the other side, don’t you?” asked the fairy.
“Yes I do, it’s just that I-I have a rose for the Mother and I have always wanted to see inside your home. My mother told me about it as a child. I would consider it an honor if you let me inside.” Staysia smiled and moved her eyes across what she could see of the interior of the home.
The fairy looked down at each of Staysia’s hands. “I do not see a rose.”
Staysia hurried over to Isis and went back to the door to show it to the fairy. “I see.” The fairy twisted her lips to one side and rubbed her chin. “I must speak to someone about this, I will be back.”
“Okay, I will be right here waiting.” Staysia said hopefully. She heard footsteps and huffing and puffing behind her. She turned to find a tired Gabriel hunched over with both of his hands on his knees. He waved briefly and put his hands back on his knees.
“Gabriel?” Staysia said in shock.
He waved his hand in the air again. “Staysia,” he said breathlessly.
“Why are you here? I asked you not to come,” she said firmly.
“I-I I really wanted to help you along the way!” he said as he stood straight and faced her.
“I do not need any help! I do not want any help!” she said as she folded her arms across her chest.
“Please! I mean you no harm!” he promised.
Jasper appeared behind him, climbing up a hillock, followed by the creeper. He was talking to his self and waving his hands in the air angrily.
“What is this?” Staysia asked Gabriel.
“Ah yes! Jasper is going to teach the creeper a lesson, isn’t it great?”
“N-No, it is not great!” She stared at them coming up the hill and said nothing more.
“May we please accompany you?” Gabriel knelt in front of her with his hands together in a beckon for her approval.
Just then the door to the Grandfather Tree opened. “Get up! Get up!” Staysia ordered Gabriel before smiling at the fairy as if Gabriel wasn’t there at all. He quickly came to his feet and faced the door with Staysia. Jasper and the creeper were behind them now. Staysia waited worriedly for the fairy, knowing Gabriel, Jasper, and the creeper made for quite a rough looking crowd.
Staysia took a better look at the fairy. She was just entirely gorgeous; eyes of ocean blue, hair of shining embers. She had a pony tail at the top of her head, but her hair intertwined with curled vines and hung down on each side of her face. She wore an array of purple flowers, dark and light shades alike. Rounded and pointed petals draped down her tiny body.
Her shoes were made of honey comb. Her skin glittered with fairy dust. She held a wand with an emerald at the tip. Her wings were extravagantly large, but not too big. They were of shades pink and purple, shiny and pointed at the ends, rounded at the bottom.
Staysia smiled wide as the fairy eyeballed her companions. “Oh they—” she began.
“Gabriel!” the fairy exclaimed.
“Wait a minute, you know him?” Staysia asked in disbelief.
Gabriel held out his hand, and the fairy flew into it, and gazed up at him. “Of course I know him! He is the greatest wild beast tamer ever!” She looked down at the creeper, hands on her hips.
“Ah yes, meet Jasper! I am trying to teach him a little beast taming while we are traveling.” Gabriel said.
“Hello Jasper!” the fairy said. Jasper didn’t say hello to her, he just stared at his feet, grumbled, and kicked a rock that was on the ground. Staysia was embarrassed by his rude behavior and glared at Gabriel. After all, he was the one who had not only followed her, but brought Jasper along with him.
Jasper’s reaction didn’t seem to bother Gabriel too much. He swallowed hard in reaction to Staysia’s glare; but waved if off and began speaking to the fairy. “Nice to see you again, Lilliana. My friends and I need to get to the other side of the tree. You don’t mind letting us in for a bit, do you?”
“I already asked her that!” Staysia said, slightly embarrassed.
“It’s quite alright,” said Lilliana. “You are all welcome in our home to meet the princess.”
“Really?” Staysia smiled and clasped her hands together.
Lilliana tugged on Isis’s mane and said, “Allow me to get an escort for this stunning beast.”
“What are you going to do with Isis?” Staysia asked.
“No worries, she and the creeper will be awaiting you and your friends on the other side.”
Lilliana whistled and three male fairy escorts dressed in tuxedos made from tree bark flew quickly around the tree and took Isis with them to the other side. Lilliana flew around in a circle and headed through the door. She stopped and waved Staysia, Gabriel and Jasper inside.
The inside of the Grandfather Tree was exquisite indeed. The walls were covered in flowers and honeysuckles. The fairies used the honeysuckles for telephones as they grew in oodles just beside the separate fairy rooms that were balconies twelve stories high on each side of a translucent, winding staircase that stood in the center of the large room. The staircase led to the tip top of the tree where sun light gleamed throughout the enormous home.
Two fairies stood at the bottom of the staircase, whispering to one another and smiling at Staysia. One of them fluttered off of the step momentarily and waved.
She bowed and held out her dress. “Welcome,” she told Staysia. Staysia gracefully paid her a curtsy, and turned her attention back to the beautiful house. She ogled at everything, trying to take it all in at once. She made a circle as she stared up at the tiny rooms, and waved at the fairies that waved at her.
There was a glistenin
g stream that flowed through the center of the room. It became two separate streams as it formed a circle around the staircase. A fairy child fluttered her wings and hopped from one side of the stream to the next, bagging butterflies.
When this little fairy met eyes with Staysia, she shyly hid herself behind a tree and watched her by peeking on one side of it. Staysia waved and smiled, causing the child to hide her face again, before slowly peeking at her a second time.
Staysia giggled and nudged Gabriel without thought, and pointed to the child. Gabriel smiled, not just in acknowledging the child, but because Staysia had acknowledged him in a friendly way. To his dismay, she realized what she had done and haughtily whipped her head around and stuck her nose in the air. Gabriel’s shoulders dropped when she did.
On one side of the staircase was a room with a set of closed, long, red drapes. Staysia’s curiosity got the best of her as she let the others walk ahead of her and stopped to take a peek inside. It was a theatre. Hundreds of fairies sat in front of a stage.
On the stage, there was a play in progress. Two fairies rode upon grasshoppers to a lake where they drew some water and hurried to take it to a heavy set fairy with a crown who sat on a throne eating frog legs. She began shouting obscenities at the two fairies that poured water down her large legs and began bathing her with flower petals. The audience laughed.
Staysia covered her mouth and laughed with them. She suddenly felt a tug on her hand. She turned to find it was Gabriel. She took one last look and followed him.
“C’mon,” he told her.
“I’m coming.” She threw her hands up and followed behind him.
A fairy with long black hair wearing Glitter petals whispered in Lilliana’s ear.
After Lilliana whispered back, two more fairies helped in ringing bells that were aligned in groups of four that trailed up the stairway on each side.
The bells were made of morning glories. Ringing the bells consisted of sending two humming birds, one to each side, up the stairway just under the bells.
Immortal Page 2
