Tu-lock spent two and a half days crafting a small dagger from a rock he had found. Another day or so to find a piece of wood good and strong enough to make a spear out of. He would have been able to do it much faster had he been left with a weapon like tradition required. But he made do. Even killing a couple of small rabbits with his bare hands his first night. Tuva would have been proud, he thought as he feasted. But that was the last feast he had in some days.
He had the weapons now.. but nothing to kill. Nothing to eat. As he went deeper and deeper into the woods food was becoming more scarce. But the trees grew thicker and darker in these parts. As the days progressed food was the least of his worries now. For water was becoming harder to find. Some springs had run dry. He was so hungry and thirsty.. he resorted to eating fat bugs when he could find them. The juices within helped the thirst a bit. But not enough. One day, he rested under a brush, when the sound of soft wings flapping caught his ear. He followed his ears, and came across a pair of Fairies trapped in a spider's web. Their glowing, colorful wings flapped wildly as they tried to free themselves. Clearly they were arguing amongst themselves, though he could not hear nor understand them. For fairy speech was unclear to the ears of big folks.
One thing was certain to Tu-lock though.. they did look mighty delicious to his hungry eyes.
His tongue wet his dry lips at the thought.. but then he noticed something… Fear was upon their small faces. He felt so bad and ashamed at what he was thinking.
He took his small makeshift dagger and cut at the web, freeing them. Shaking off the remaining webbing from their wings and bodies they paused momentarily and looked at him.
He kindly smiled and gave them a nod. They exchanged looks and flew off into the sky.
Not too long after. Hungry and thirsty, he wandered, not paying attention to where he was going. He lost his footing and fell down a small hill. Landing on a thick root, he cut himself on the arm. The blood splattered along the root and the root soaked it all up.
He groaned as he got up. The pain from the gash was immense. The pain in his stomach, his dry throat. He missed his mother, his friends. Everything was dark and cold. His heart hurt and he sobbed and cried.
For a long while he sat there and cried. His face drenched in tears. He did not hear the leaves in the trees rustle and move. The vines snap, twist and curl.
Suddenly, things grew still.
“Why do you cry, little one?..” a soft soothing voice says.
His sobbing ceased. His head lifted slowly up from his arms. He looked but no one was there.
His heart pounded in his chest.
“Do not fear..” The voice was even softer now, “I will not harm you, sweet child.” The wood behind him cracked and shifted.
A pair of soft hands gently touched his shoulders and he sprang forward to his feet. His spear in his hands, he wheeled around to face the tree.
But it was no mere tree.
For there was a face within its trunk. A fair, beautiful looking face. Her eyes are an emerald green and her skin a hue of jade. Strange markings decorated her cheekbones and forehead. As she emerged from the trunk, a large crown of wood adorned the top of her head. Strands of rose red hair streamed from beneath it. The leaves of the tree formed a cloak that draped over her shoulders. Panels of wood covered her breasts, as leaves and blooming flowers formed a sheer dress around her waist. Her arms from her elbows to fingertips were seemingly made of wood. With twigs sticking out from here and there.
He stood dumbfounded. She stood tall, almost as tall as the tree itself. Looking down at him, her lips curled into a kindly smile.
“Do I frighten you now, child?” She asked, her voice unearthly soft and soothing. He didn't know what to say. She smirked and kneeled down to one knee. She held out her hand and a ripe apple suddenly grew out of her palm.
“Come, child.. you must be hungry..” She said,
His eyes widened and his stomach grumbled. He swallowed hard and licked his lips.
Her emerald eyes glowed and she presented the apple closer for him to grab. He slowly stepped forward, his hand outstretched for the apple.
She smiles as he reaches closer. He grabs the apple and pulls it from her palm. She lets out a seductive, excited moan. He feasts upon the apple and she grows another from her palm. “Have some more, sweet child..”
She caresses his cheek with her other hand. Drawing him closer as she takes the spear from his hand and tosses it aside without him noticing. Meanwhile vine-like tentacles grow from out her back and snake along the ground. Positioning themselves behind him.
He feasts upon the second apple almost as if, entranced by them and her eyes.
The vines grow needle-like spines from their tips and inch closer to Tu-lock's back. They rear back and lunge forward to pearce him.. but suddenly he is snatched up by strong hands.
She screams an ear piercing cry at this intrusion. Her eyes turn blood red and her face morphs into a fanged demon creature. Once fair skin was now wooden and rough. More vine tentacles emerge from her back as she gives chase.
Tu-lock snaps out of his stupor and sees a fairy, now as large as a person flying him away through the trees.
“You're gonna be ok, kid.. just hang on!” She said, He looks up and sees a golden haired fairy clad in forest green colored Armour. A reef of purple flowers around her head. She had a glow about her. Her colorful wings flapped with great speed.
The Witch's cry startled him, making him look back and he saw the creature giving chase through the trees, swinging from tree to tree with her tentacles. She was quickly gaining on them.
Lashing out with her vines, she knocked them out of the air, sending them crashing. The Fairy grabbed Tu-lock and cradled him close to her to cushion his fall.
They crash through a thicket of bushes into a small clearing.
“You ok?” She asked him. He groaned and nodded. They were surrounded on all sides by thick trees.
The Witch cackled. Her voice is not so soothing anymore. The laughter came from all around them. “Stay behind me and stay close.” The fairy reaches into a small bag on her hip and pulls out a very long and elegant looking spear.
The leaves rustled here and there. The fairy and Tu-lock held their breath with anticipation. They circled around expecting the Witch to attack.. but all was silent and still.
Vines snaked along the grass from behind.
With a whip snap, they sprung and snatched the fairy up by the arms and legs. Forcing her to drop her spear. The Witch descended from the canopy above. A vine presented her with the spear. She grasped it and looked it over fondly. “Pretty.. pretty fairy.. I bet you'll taste just as sweet as you look.” She sneered, as her blood red eyes turned to the fairy. Tossing the spear to the side, she opened her mouth wide as spine-like teeth grew from her jaws.
Just then an arrow zipped past her cheek, splitting the side of her face. She screamed and dropped the Fairy from her grasp.
Another Fairy zoomed in, shooting another arrow at the creature, piercing through her hand. The Fairy had dark red hair underneath a crown of Wood. Her armor is also a wooden color and material. Landing on her feet, she shot another arrow but the creature dodged this one.
“You all right?” She asked the Green, golden haired Fairy. “Yup! You took your sweet time, though!”
“Really, Faye?” The red haired fairy said as she turned to Tu-lock, “Get out of here, Kid! We'll take it from here!”
The Witch pulled out the arrow from her hand and wiped the green blood from the side of her face. Looking at her blood and wounds, she hissed in anger and attacked.
“Raye, look out!” Faye pushed her out of the way and lept to protect Tu-lock from the attack.
“Seriously, Kid.. Run!” Faye told him and pushed him along.
His heart pounding he turned and ran through the bushes. He ran as fast as he could until he heard the Fairies screaming.
He stopped in his tracks and looked back.
His mind raced.
The Witch had the two Fairies in the grasps of her tentacles. Her arms had grown longer and fingers sharp as nails. “Whom shall I feast upon first.. choices.. choices.. sweet choices.. You!.. you wounded me… I will save you for last!...” She turned her attention toward Faye and her mouth once more opened wide and leaned close to Faye's neck ready to chomp down.
The whistle of a spear flying through the air sounded and The Witch was pierced in the side under her ribs.
She wailed in great pain. Dropping the Fairies as she grasped at her side. She looks and finds Tu-lock standing there. Raye rushes to her bow and arrow and fires three arrows at the creature, hitting their marks. The Witch cried out and disappeared into the trees.
“Great job kid..” Said Raye.
“Let's get out of here before she decides to come back!” said Faye. She picked up Tu-lock and they flew off.
After a while, The Fairies came to a stop.
They lead Tu-lock through a set of trees and came upon a curtain of Vines and branches. They looked at each other and then at Tu-lock.
“Outsiders aren't really welcome here, kid.. But.. we think we can make an exception for you.” Raye smirked.
They reached up and pulled apart the curtain and a most spectacular sight graced his eyes.
Streams of rainbow lights flowed from tree to tree and Branch to branch. They sparkled and twinkled like stars. Each stream of light interconnected with each other. Fairies flew all around, some disappeared into the rainbow lights and then would reappear elsewhere. The streams and strings all lead to the center of this mini forest, where a Tall tree was at the center of it all and in the center of that, high up in the branches was a great white star-like formation of great beauty.
It twinkled and sparkled like crystals.
A group of Fairies flew around him and tickled him. One flew close to his nose and flew away. He began to jump and play with them as well.
Faye and Raye watched him as they held hands.
“This is wonderful! What.. What is this place?” He asked.
“Welcome to Sunbeam Hollow!” Said Faye. “The Southernmost extension of The Great Fairy Kingdom!”
“Wow!.. it's.. it's beautiful!” He smiled and then he realized, “You saved me.. Thank you.. uhm..”
“I'm Faye.” Said the golden haired one. “This is Raye..” She gestured to the red haired one, as she removed her Wooden Helmet. “And you are?” Raye asked.
“I am Tu-lock.. of the Oh'ani Tribe.” He saluted with a fist to his chest and a bow of his head.
“Greetings, Tu-lock of the Oh'ani. And Thank You.. for saving us!.. Twice!” Said Raye.
“Twice?!” He questioned.
The two Fairies suddenly shrank into their natural forms and flew close to him and he realized.
“The web! You were the Fairies stuck on the web!?” He says.
They grew back to big size. “Shhh.. Let's not say that too loud..” Said Faye, “Keep that between us.” She winked.
“Oh.” Tu-lock chuckled as he blushed.
“So.. Tu-lock of the Oh'ani.. What's your story?” Raye asked…