the Forest of Emmitaenu

Dragonfly Wings

"So how did you and Jade meet?" Lara asked after eating the fruit. Like a magician finding a quarter behind your ear, Zeftx produced another baby papaya and handed it to her. She smiled and bit into it, savoring the peach tasting flavor.

"Well, seven years ago the demons went to war with the witches," Zeftx began, watching closely for her reaction to the word demon. This time she didn't even blink and so he continued on. "I was young, only twelve years old and my parents didn't want me involved but the demonic populous would have forced me into battle anyway. As it were, my parents didn't want anything to do with the war but demonic decree was forcing them and there was no way they could avoid it. So, for my sake they wandered around the vast forest of Emmitaenu until they found a traveling nomad woman to watch over me and keep me hidden and safe."

"The nomad was Jade, she was still in her prime enjoying her freedom, but she had a kind heart and was willing to help. She took me in and cared for me like I was family. She taught me many new things, sharing her knowledge with me, which probably make me the only demon who can identify hundreds of herbs and spices, tell you their symbolic properties, and use them to their best advantages. The tea you are drinking now is made with herbs to calm and comfort," Zeftx explained. "Jade made it for all of us. She and I already had ours."

Lara stared into her mug and nodded. Yes, she had felt immediately comforted as soon as she had sipped the brew. It was amazing how Jade used the herbs to her advantage, which sounded kind of witchy when she thought about it. Zeftx story was also amazing but sad at the same time. Lara wanted to ask so many questions but she was afraid they were too personal. She wondered where his parents were now, who won the war, and what started it in the first place?  And how were nomads different from witches if they both brewed potions? Perhaps she was getting ahead of herself.

Looking back up at Zeftx, she saw him staring out the window into the trees. His eyes lit up and he mouthed the word 'look'. She followed his gaze out the window where she spotted a tiny boy carrying a bow and arrow who appeared to be seven or eight years old. To Lara he looked just like a young Robin Hood. She smiled. After the little boy had passed she looked back at Zeftx.

"That was a cupid," he told her. "They search the forest for hermits to strike with those charmed arrows. Each one looks like a small boy or girl but they are really hundreds of years old."

"That's amazing!" Lara exclaimed, her eyes dazzling. This forest seemed full of magical creatures she'd only dreamed of. Not only were there cupids... but there were gargoyles as well. She shuddered remembering the gargoyles from the night before. Lara couldn't imagine anything else in her entire lifetime that could compare to the fear she experienced then.

Zeftx noticed her shuddering and offered more tea to help her relax. She shook her head in refusal. He hesitated before taking her empty mug to wash at the sink. Lara stayed seated in her chair and went back to looking out the window. Just a few feet away from the wall she could see Jades oven surrounded by stones as big as books. The oven itself was beige in color, very natural and neutral looking, smoothly shaped into a dome like figure. The face of the structure had a square opening carved out of it so that a fire could be lit and contained inside making up a very basic and effective oven for cooking or baking.

Lara's attention was diverted by the glinting of the sun as it bounced off the wings of two tiny beings flying past. Fairies, Lara thought in awe. They fluttered their shimmering dragonfly shaped wings and whizzed around in playful circles with one chasing the other. Lara watched them in fascination, they looked just like sparkling miniature people with brilliantly conspicuous orange hair and bold freckles specked all over their tiny faces. Lara immediately thought of her friend Eli who had been a carrot top his whole life. The resemblance was impossible to ignore.

She didn't realize that they had seen her too until both came flying up to the window and landed neatly on the windowsill. They were so amazing to look at, the female fairy was dressed in what looked like little flower petals looped together and sewn in place using the veins from a blade of grass. It made such a pretty little dress that Lara blushed after staring at her so long. The fairy girl didn't seem to mind at all. She twirled agilely on the edge of the sill without slipping, displaying her dress to Lara proudly.

The male fairy was bare-chested but his trousers looked like they were made out of green flower buds stitched together in the same way. On both of their feet were wooly white stockings that came as high as mid calf. The image of dandelion seeds being blown through the air attached to fluffy white stems flitted across Lara's mind and suddenly she wished she could ask if they had used them to make their leggings. As hard as she looked Lara just couldn't tell for sure.

Completely unafraid they pressed their faces against the glass and looked back at her. When Lara smiled they did too and waved their arms in big enthusiastic arcs. Lara giggled and waved back slowly. They seemed satisfied with the short interlude and took off, lunging into the air and flying out of sight. Lara watched them go, still staring out the window into the world of Emmitaenu as she silently mused over everything she was learning.