Immortal (3 page)

A small, red, wooden door stood at the entrance. She knocked on the door and smiled back at Isis eagerly awaiting an answer.

A tiny fairy opened a small window on the door. Staysia stood on her tiptoes and got a closer look. The fairy’s blue eyes widened. She flew backwards and forward again. She stared at Staysia. Staysia smiled. The fairy carefully smiled back at her and opened the panel that was between them.

“Welcome to the Grandfather Tree. May I help you please?” asked the fairy in a chipmunkish voice.

Staysia smiled and fidgeted her hands. She rocked from her toes to her heels and back to her toes. She looked back at Isis and smiled.

“Welcome to the Grandfather Tree. May I help you please?” the fairy asked sharply.

Staysia quickly turned her head and gave her attention to the fairy. “I am Staysia, it is so nice to meet you miss.” She bowed and stuck her finger through the window for a handshake. The fairy flew backwards again, avoiding the offer. Staysia bit her lip. “Um, may I come in, please?”

The fairy placed her index finger on her cheek and crossed her other arm across her chest. “What brings you here?”

“I need to get to the other side of the Grandfather Tree. I have to be somewhere,” Staysia explained.

“You do know that there is another way to get to the other side, don’t you?” asked the fairy.

“Yes I do, it’s just that I-I have a rose for the Mother and I have always wanted to see inside your home. My mother told me about it as a child. I would consider it an honor if you let me inside.” Staysia smiled and moved her eyes across what she could see of the interior of the home.

The fairy looked down at each of Staysia’s hands. “I do not see a rose.”

Staysia hurried over to Isis and went back to the door to show it to the fairy. “I see.” The fairy twisted her lips to one side and rubbed her chin. “I must speak to someone about this, I will be back.”

“Okay, I will be right here waiting.” Staysia said hopefully. She heard footsteps and huffing and puffing behind her. She turned to find a tired Gabriel hunched over with both of his hands on his knees. He waved briefly and put his hands back on his knees.

“Gabriel?” Staysia said in shock.

He waved his hand in the air again. “Staysia,” he said breathlessly.

“Why are you here? I asked you not to come,” she said firmly.

“I-I I really wanted to help you along the way!” he said as he stood straight and faced her.

“I do not need any help! I do not want any help!” she said as she folded her arms across her chest.

“Please! I mean you no harm!” he promised.

Jasper appeared behind him, climbing up a hillock, followed by the creeper. He was talking to his self and waving his hands in the air angrily.

“What is this?” Staysia asked Gabriel.

“Ah yes! Jasper is going to teach the creeper a lesson, isn’t it great?”

“N-No, it is
not
great
!” She stared at them coming up the hill and said nothing more.

“May we please accompany you?” Gabriel knelt in front of her with his hands together in a beckon for her approval.

 Just then the door to the Grandfather Tree opened. “Get up! Get up!” Staysia ordered Gabriel before smiling at the fairy as if Gabriel wasn’t there at all. He quickly came to his feet and faced the door with Staysia. Jasper and the creeper were behind them now. Staysia waited worriedly for the fairy, knowing Gabriel, Jasper, and the creeper made for quite a rough looking crowd.

Staysia took a better look at the fairy. She was just entirely gorgeous; eyes of ocean blue, hair of shining embers. She had a pony tail at the top of her head, but her hair intertwined with curled vines and hung down on each side of her face. She wore an array of purple flowers, dark and light shades alike. Rounded and pointed petals draped down her tiny body.
 

Her shoes were made of honey comb. Her skin glittered with fairy dust. She held a wand with an emerald at the tip. Her wings were extravagantly large, but not too big. They were of shades pink and purple, shiny and pointed at the ends, rounded at the bottom.

Staysia smiled wide as the fairy eyeballed her companions. “Oh they—” she began.

“Gabriel!” the fairy exclaimed.

“Wait a minute, you know
him
?” Staysia asked in disbelief.

Gabriel held out his hand, and the fairy flew into it, and gazed up at him. “Of course I know him! He is the greatest wild beast tamer ever!” She looked down at the creeper, hands on her hips.

“Ah yes, meet Jasper! I am trying to teach him a little beast taming while we are traveling.” Gabriel said.

“Hello Jasper!” the fairy said. Jasper didn’t say hello to her, he just stared at his feet, grumbled, and kicked a rock that was on the ground. Staysia was embarrassed by his rude behavior and glared at Gabriel. After all,
he
was the one who had not only followed her, but brought Jasper along with him.

Jasper’s reaction didn’t seem to bother Gabriel too much. He swallowed hard in reaction to Staysia’s glare; but waved if off and began speaking to the fairy. “Nice to see you again, Lilliana. My friends and I need to get to the other side of the tree. You don’t mind letting us in for a bit, do you?”

“I already asked her that!” Staysia said, slightly embarrassed.

“It’s quite alright,” said Lilliana. “You are all welcome in our home to meet the princess.”

“Really?” Staysia smiled and clasped her hands together.

Lilliana tugged on Isis’s mane and said, “Allow me to get an escort for this stunning beast.”

“What are you going to do with Isis?” Staysia asked.

“No worries, she and the creeper will be awaiting you and your friends on the other side.”
   

Lilliana whistled and three male fairy escorts dressed in tuxedos made from tree bark flew quickly around the tree and took Isis with them to the other side. Lilliana flew around in a circle and headed through the door. She stopped and waved Staysia, Gabriel and Jasper inside.

The inside of the Grandfather Tree was exquisite indeed. The walls were covered in flowers and honeysuckles. The fairies used the honeysuckles for telephones as they grew in oodles just beside the separate fairy rooms that were balconies twelve stories high on each side of a translucent, winding staircase that stood in the center of the large room. The staircase led to the tip top of the tree where sun light gleamed throughout the enormous home.

Two fairies stood at the bottom of the staircase, whispering to one another and smiling at Staysia. One of them fluttered off of the step momentarily and waved.

She bowed and held out her dress. “Welcome,” she told Staysia. Staysia gracefully paid her a curtsy, and turned her attention back to the beautiful house. She ogled at everything, trying to take it all in at once. She made a circle as she stared up at the tiny rooms, and waved at the fairies that waved at her.

There was a glistening stream that flowed through the center of the room. It became two separate streams as it formed a circle around the staircase. A fairy child fluttered her wings and hopped from one side of the stream to the next, bagging butterflies.

When this little fairy met eyes with Staysia, she shyly hid herself behind a tree and watched her by peeking on one side of it. Staysia waved and smiled, causing the child to hide her face again, before slowly peeking at her a second time.

Staysia giggled and nudged Gabriel without thought, and pointed to the child. Gabriel smiled, not just in acknowledging the child, but because Staysia had acknowledged him in a friendly way. To his dismay, she realized what she had done and haughtily whipped her head around and stuck her nose in the air. Gabriel’s shoulders dropped when she did.

On one side of the staircase was a room with a set of closed, long, red drapes. Staysia’s curiosity got the best of her as she let the others walk ahead of her and stopped to take a peek inside. It was a theatre. Hundreds of fairies sat in front of a stage.

On the stage, there was a play in progress. Two fairies rode upon grasshoppers to a lake where they drew some water and hurried to take it to a heavy set fairy with a crown who sat on a throne eating frog legs. She began shouting obscenities at the two fairies that poured water down her large legs and began bathing her with flower petals. The audience laughed.

Staysia covered her mouth and laughed with them. She suddenly felt a tug on her hand. She turned to find it was Gabriel. She took one last look and followed him.

“C’mon,” he told her.

“I’m coming.” She threw her hands up and followed behind him.

A fairy with long black hair wearing Glitter petals whispered in Lilliana’s ear.
  

After Lilliana whispered back, two more fairies helped in ringing bells that were aligned in groups of four that trailed up the stairway on each side.

The bells were made of morning glories. Ringing the bells consisted of sending two humming birds, one to each side, up the stairway just under the bells.

Their tails would gently brush against the bells causing them to ring. First, a deep dong that got lighter with each bell, and the tone started all over again with each group of four.

DONG
,
DONG
,
DONG
,
DONG
.

DONG
,
DONG
,
DONG
,
DONG
.

It was time to meet the Fairy Princess and the Mother of the Fairies. Staysia, Gabriel and Jasper followed Lilliana up the winding staircase. Staysia was beside herself as she climbed the stairs.

Joyful memories of her mother filled her heart and magic filled her mind. She watched the fairies at work in their bedrooms, making clothes, playing games with their children and cooking food. Laughter and sweet aroma filled the air.

Gabriel looked back and smiled briefly at Staysia. She looked at the step in front of her to avoid him. She wasn’t sure just what she would do with Gabriel and Jasper.

She had to admit to herself at that moment that the thought of the dark face she had encountered earlier was quite frightening. One thing she was sure, she must have a long conversation with Gabriel. She had to find out just who he really was.

When they arrived at the top, Staysia could feel the warm sun on her face. It gave her a sense of peace. She knew she was only minutes away from meeting the Fairy Princess.

There was a tunnel to her right and a tunnel to her left. Staysia looked both ways before realizing Lilliana was already leading Gabriel and Jasper inside the one to her right.

The tunnels were of translucent like the staircase. Not dark, but dimmed. On the walls of each side there were tiny lamps with teardrop shaped crystals. The floor tiles were triangular shaped, upside down and upright, side by side.

Two male fairies came into vision, portrayed as guards on each side of the doors. They looked Staysia and her companions over before opening the doors, and nodding each of them with approval as they entered.

There was a long aisle. If you guessed red carpet led to the princess’s throne, you are right. It wasn’t just the Princess. The King sat at her right and the Queen sat at her left.

Gabriel cleared his throat. “What are we doing here?” he whispered to Staysia. Staysia glared at him and hushed him. She held the rose tightly in her hand. When they made their way before the thrones, Staysia bowed. Gabriel and Jasper did the same. Then, she spoke.

“Your Majesty, I have traveled from Caydence to give the Mother a rose.” She held the rose out in front of her.

“I thought you were going to battle with the one who killed your parents,” Jasper blurted. Staysia looked at him in shock and Gabriel thumped the back of his head without the royals noticing. “Ouch!” said Jasper as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Ah yes, a gorgeous red rose it is indeed,” said the Fairy Princess. Staysia walked closer to give it to her and bowed before her again. “You are seeking vengeance fair child? Who is it that has struck your parents to their death?” the Princess asked.

“I do not know but I have his tooth!” She pulled the tooth from her bag and showed it to the Princess.

“How will you know? There are many men with missing teeth.”

“I will just know.” Staysia put her head down.

“I cannot blame you. He will take innocent lives again and again until his death,” the Princess said. Staysia nodded her head.
  

“You came to me for protection, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I have. Can you give it to me?”

“Through the Forest, just passed the Troll Bridge is where the tiny fairies live. Tis true they say ya get what ya give. Give to the Mother of the Fairies a fresh red rose. Hold it there just under her nose. The Mother of the Fairies will give you a sprinkle of red fairy dust, and when she does, put it in a tiny vial and wear it ‘round your neck. For the purity of the rose will guide you for always. So when you see the trees of gold, do go beyond them to the Grandfather Tree of old. Hold a tiny fairy princess in your hand, the sweetest and truest of all the land.”