Miracle

Pt. 17

And now here they were, in the middle of the night, walking through the woods with the full moon glowing high in the sky. Alex led the way, a ball of glowing energy in one hand lighting the path, the other linked with Lily's.

"So this is where the witches live, huh? Why would they want to live all the way out here?" Lily asked, looking around at the creepy, ominous trees as they walked.

"Out here, they have a village where they can fully be themselves, use their magic freely without having to worry. And not just witches and warlocks live there; many magical creatures do," Alex informed Lily.

They walked up to a huge tree, and he looked at it intently. Lily nodded, but a brow rose. How was it possible for them to live out here peacefully without ever being noticed?

Letting go of Lily's hand for a second, he held his hand up, placing it on the bark. A small, intricate carving glowed brightly on the tree bark before it split apart into a doorway. "They put a magical enchantment on this tree. Only magical creatures can enter. There are trees all through the woods; you just need to be able to find one," he explained.

Lily looked past him into the tree. Inside, she saw a wooden stairway leading down. As she stepped inside, the bark behind them closed. The walls were illuminated by the glow of floating lanterns; she reached out her hand, lightly pushing them out of the way. As they finally made their way down the winding staircase, they reached a big red door with swirls and spirals carved into it, and a gold handle in the middle. She could faintly hear noise behind it.

She reached out her hand, grabbing the handle. "Knock three times," Alex said, letting Lily take the lead. She knocked the heavy handle three times before letting it go. Taking a step back, the door slowly slid open. Her jaw dropped. Alex laughed, leading her inside. "Welcome, Lily, to Nearon Village!" Alex exclaimed, but Lily couldn't take her eyes off the bustling little village, with its quaint wooden buildings lining the paths.

Even though the area was enclosed, there seemed to be some type of spell making it appear as though they were outside. Looking up, she could see twinkling stars and different constellations; the sky inside this tree was an exact replica of the real sky outside. Lily could swear she could also feel the gentle night breeze in the air.
Witches, ogres, elves, and many other creatures walked around on the green grassy paths, talking, laughing, and enjoying their lives without a care in the world. She watched as a beautiful fairy with long, light blue hair walked across the street, twinkling blue wings on her back.

At the entrance of the doorway sat an ogre, strumming a little wooden guitar as he leaned back in his chair against the wall. He noticed her looking and smiled up at her. "Yeah, welcome," he rumbled. She smiled, nodding at him.
Alex took her hand, leading her down one of the paths. She saw the fairy again, standing in front of a garden, a mist of water coming out of her palms.

They made their way over to her. Alex waved his hand with a smile on his face. "Hello again, River," he said, greeting his old friend. She turned, seeing him, and smiled. Then she lifted her hand, unintentionally spraying him with water. Putting her hand over her mouth, she gasped, "Hello again, Alexander! I'm so... so sorry about that!"
He brushed the water off his shirt. Lily softly laughed behind her hand as she stood beside him. "No... no, it's okay, River. But hey, listen, I need your help."
River didn't really listen to him as she looked over at Lily.

"Oh my, you brought a human with you! It's so nice to meet you! I'm River. I'm a water fairy and an old friend of this guy. What's your name? You're so pretty! I lo..." River went on, smiling ear to ear, so excited to meet Lily. Being a fairy, she'd never met a human before. With the way she looked, she stood out amongst humans, so she spent most of her time here in Nearon Village.

Alexander sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he watched them. River had always been... kind of air-headed, but she was always a nice um woman, her heart always in the right place. He would always tell her that her name was just like her mind: it flowed, never stopping, always moving.
He gently tapped her on the shoulder. "Umm, River?"

She glanced over at him, crossing her arms. "Alexander, it's very rude to interrupt conversations," she chided. Lily couldn't help but laugh at his facial reaction. She could tell she and River would get along well; she had such a carefree spirit.

"River, who is the most powerful witch in this town? I need a little help for my friend Lily," he pressed.
River scratched her light blue hair, tilting her head to the side. "Lily... who's Lily?" Lily put her hand to her chest, trying to hide the smile on her lips. "I'm Lily." River made an 'O' shape with her lips while nodding. "Oooh, okay! Well, the strongest witch in this village isn't even a witch, he's a warlock."
Alex lightly grabbed her shoulder, shaking her slightly. "Where is he, River?"

As he shook her, her blue hair flew all over the place. When he finally stopped, she blew it out of her eyes. "I'll lead the way! Follow me... follow the River!" she said, letting out a little laugh as she flew her way down the path.
Alex sighed, rubbing his hands down his face, before grabbing one of Lily's hands, struggling to keep up with River's fast pace.

(Mia note: I have been so into working on this story lately)