The Curse of Thorns

CHAPTER NINE

The next morning, Briar and Leon woke up before sunrise. With weary, yet resolute steps, they walked for hours searching for the fairy village. As time ticked away, Briar's anxiety grew, fearing that they might lose yet another precious day.

Suddenly, Leon halted in his tracks, his gaze fixed ahead. "I think that's the village," he said, pointing towards a cluster of colorful cottages nestled among the trees.

Briar felt a wave of relief wash over her, her heart lifting with renewed hope. "Really," she said.

Leon carefully folded the map and placed it in his pocket with a triumphant smile. "See, I told you. We will find it today," he said as they headed towards the village.

The fairy village greeted them with a scene of enchanting beauty. Colorful cottages with hay roofs dotted the landscape, some built on the ground while others perched gracefully atop tree branches. Floating wooden staircases zigzagged around the trees, joining one cottage to another, forming a complex canopy of staircases overhead. The intricate architecture of the village took Briar's breath away.

Fairies flitted about the village. Their graceful movements and tinkling laughter filled the air with magic. Some were huddled together, engaged in conversation, while others danced through the sky, their delicate wings shimmering in the sunlight. Briar's heart swelled with joy at the sight of the bustling village.

The fairies resembled humans in appearance, but their ethereal beauty set them apart. Their skin had a flawless, marble-like texture, glowing with an otherworldly radiance. Their eyes came to a range of captivating colors. And each fairy had their wings neatly tucked behind their back. Some fairies sported delicate antlers, while others had majestic horns or whimsical antennas sprouting from their heads.

Briar and Leon walked up to the nearest cottage where a fairy was singing and watering the flower bushes in her small garden.

"Hello," Briar said, her voice gentle as she smiled at the fairy.

The fairy turned to them, her huge violet eyes widening in alarm. In an instant, she let out a piercing shriek, "SPIES, SPIES!"

The sound seemed to set off a chain reaction. Within seconds, the entire village gathered around Briar and Leon, their voices rising in alarm and accusation.

"Are they humans?" one voice cried out.

"How did humans find us?" another exclaimed.

"Human in our village. A terrible sign," murmured a worried fairy.

"They are the spies of the fairy queen!" accused another.

"Inform Viatrix!" shouted someone else.

"Alert the fairy army!" chimed in another voice. Panic rippled through the crowd like wildfire.

"Excuse me," Briar attempted to speak, but her words were drowned out by the clamor of the fairies as they scattered, fleeing from her as though she were a fearsome dragon about to breathe fire upon them.

Soon, what had been a peaceful village descended into chaos. Fairies darted into their homes, slamming doors shut behind them. The scene reminded Briar of her town when the thorn monster attacked.

Briar felt a mixture of confusion and frustration. Why were the fairies reacting as if she were some kind of monster? All she had done was utter a simple greeting. Briar sighed. "Seriously, all I did was say 'hello'"

"Maybe 'hello' is a triggering word here," Leon said, shaking his head.

"How dare you set your smelly feet in our land?" thundered a voice. "You filthy humans!"