Bon Voyage! Volume 1: The Beginning

Chapter 16: Heartfelt Memories

Axel stared at Samantha's face and he looked out in the distance too. A yellow troll came out of hiding from her pink flower home and walked down a long branch and sat on the edge. "I remember my mom came here with me. She gave me my first gift." Samantha said, crying. "What was it?" Axel asked. Samantha opened her pearl. A light came from it and she pulled out a baby's rattle, her baby's rattle. "This was my mom's first gift to me and she said that it was magic. I have been put on a path to restore magic here." "But magic is already here. I can use my powers just fine." Axel said, as he made a flower and gave it to Samantha. "Thanks, but that's not what my mom meant when she gave this job to me. The magic you're using is good but soon, very soon, magic here will weaken and everything magical will die." "So, the elves-." "Will die, yes. After the spark has deteriorated, everything magical will perish." Stella Troll gasped and that blew her cover. "Why, hello there." Axel said, placing his hand on the branch and the yellow troll walked on it and he lowered it down to his chest.

"It's ok, you don't have to be scared." Axel said to Stella Troll. "Is it true? Will every magical creature die?" Stella Troll asked in a high pitch voice, still frightened. "In a manner of speaking, yes. But not any day soon." Samantha said. "My name is Samantha, what's yours?" "Stella Troll." "Well, it's nice to meet you, Stella Troll." Axel said. "I've met you before, well, younger you." Stella Troll said, walking closer down Axel's palm. "You were just a baby then but I knew your mother." "You did? When?" Samantha asked, eager. "1953." "But, that's impossible. If it was 1953 when Samantha was a baby, wouldn't you be a lot older?" Axel asked.

"Yes, I would have but I-." Samantha was ashamed to tell Axel this way but she had to tell him. It was the least she could do. "You deserve to know my past." Samantha said as she looked over at Axel. Axel was ready to listen. "I didn't always have the purist magic like my mom; I was an ordinary magic wielder but on one day, my mom and I met two strangers I never met before; Serenity and Emmett. I have no idea where they are or if they are still around anymore, I was five. She gave me this pearl necklace." Samantha said and pulled up her necklace and showed the pearl as it shimmered.

"My mom was only trying to protect me because there were people, bad people, who only acted on vengeance from the Eastern King's Court. They wanted me dead because the King knew that I had magic and that I was special. If it wasn't for my mother, I wouldn't have made it out alive." Samantha started getting emotional so a tear fell down her cheek. "What happened, then?" Axel wanted to know. "After the brief battle against the king's men, me, my mom, and my older sister Indigo left the cottage behind and we wandered through the forest to find a hidden world full of darkness and my memories were the only residents. My past, present, and future. It was called The Dream Realm. Floating orbs of gold glowing light surrounded us and they showed me what had past and what was yet to come. At first, I was astounded at the sight then I got scared to see my childhood nightmare. My sister Indigo got a little jealous knowing only my memories were in the space we were in. When we exited the room full of my memories, there was an obstacle on the way back. A rose maze that was guarded by a talking tree stump who used to be a man at first until he made a wrong wish and he got cursed for all eternity."

"When my mom, Indigo, and I entered the rose maze, we were surrounded by roses of different fragrances and colors. There was a cherry tree in the corner and butterflies that flew amongst other creatures who lived in the maze. My mom chanted a spell and a map flew into her hand. Apparently, there were three sections in the maze to get out but we had to make a wish at the wishing well; otherwise, we wouldn't get home. Me, my mom, and Indigo talked while we walked through the maze and it was owned by The Queen of Hearts herself." "Wait really?" Axel asked. "Yes." Samantha said, while Stella Troll sat on the edge of Axel's palm, next to his thumb.