Chapter 5
Meo spied something out of the corner of her eye. Its form emerging from the shadows, its slender physique stepping calmly out of the obscurity like a whisper of light. A solitary spectre of goodness glowing amidst the dark, warding off their harbinger of doom like a guardian angel sent forth from above to deliver them from the jaws of death.
Positioning herself immediately in front of the children, the stranger barred the way. Her eyes fixed and foreboding, her face calm and unflinching. The creature stepped back, its eyes cautious, wary and irritable, testing the air with its nose. The stranger was considerably smaller and slighter of frame, yet she stood her ground admirably with a kind of self assurance, not entirely befitting her situation. Oozing confidence she glared back, quietly defiant. Something ineffable, something you can’t quite put your finger on held the monster back. Her aura gave off a powerful warning... Don’t mess with me. Unsure how to respond, the creature flinched, hesitated for a moment, growled and then retreated, disappearing into the shadows to nurse its broken wing, probably already mourning the loss of its food.
“It’s okay. You can open your eyes now.” said the stranger, her voice sweet and melodic, filling her young audience with a sense of gladness and relief.
The
children opened their eyes to
find themselves
confronted by an attractive, pretty young lady of about twenty years
of age with long,
radiant blonde hair, as bright as the sun and the face of an angel.
She wore
a tight fitting,
long sleeved top, cut off at the waist to
reveal her belly button, below
which she wore
a long, pale cream skirt, covering
both her feet. Around her neck was
a necklace with a
triangular pendant made out
of gold. She
had long, pointy ears like an elf and a roundish pink and white cap,
shaped a like a doughnut or a Russian
fur hat, into which
her head fitted
snugly. Her
eyes were pale white and ghoulish with no pupils to speak of,
suggesting
she were blind,
although her body
language spoke
otherwise. She had a pleasant,
easy going manner,
almost magical
in fact and
the children looked at her in awe like moth’s
being drawn to
a flame.
“Who are you?” asked Amanie, almost at a loss for words, her eyes wet and full of amazement, as her lungs heaved up and down.
“That's a good question my little cherry blossom. I suppose it depends on who you are. But if it’s my name you’re after, well then it’s Nala.”
“I, I’m Amanie.” wheezed Amanie, staring at Nala with a blank, almost stupid expression on her face, her mouth gaping open like a hungry clam.
“Amanie... what a beautiful name… well it’s a pleasure to meet you Amanie… and what about your furry little companion? She’s very cute.”
“Her name’s Tidimew.” replied Amanie, smiling faintly.
“And how about you? asked Nala, addressing the funny yellow figure at her side.
“My name’s Botog.”
“Well how nice, now we all know each others names. I guess that just leaves your furry little friend over there then, doesn't it?
“Oh that’s Meo.” said Amanie.
“Well Meo, how about you pop on over and make yourself better acquainted. It’d be rude not to say hello.”
Meo sheepishly stepped out from the tree she was hiding behind and made her way over, struck by how beautiful the stranger was.
“Hi.” she said, looking up at their guardian angel in awe, taken aback at the whiteness of her eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Meo. I’m Nala.”
“Are you blind?” asked Meo, who wasn't one to be bashful for very long.
“Not at all, I can see perfectly well my dear. I was merely born this way. I like to think the whiteness of my eyes reflects the purity of my soul and helps make me.... me.
“They’re kind of ghoulish if you ask me, but the rest of you is very pretty, just like a princess.”
“Meo shut up! What’s wrong with you??? I’m sorry. Meo isn’t exactly one to think before she speaks.” Amanie explained in between breaths.
“Oh it’s quite alright. Besides how could I be offended by someone who just told me I look like a princess?”
“Even so, she really shouldn’t just blurt things out like that. It isn’t proper.”
“Really it’s perfectly okay. Although I’m glad to see you’re a young lady with a firm grasp of social etiquette.”
Amanie’s face lit up with a smile upon hearing that her behaviour met with the beautiful strangers approval, happy to bask in the countenance of one whose appearance seemed so divine.
“I forgot to thank you earlier for saving our lives by the way. We’re very grateful.” wheezed Amanie, doing so as courteously as she could.
“You’re most welcome. But then I could hardly stand by and let that thing eat you, now could I? What would people say?”
“No I suppose not. Although I’m sure a lot of people would have. How on Irth did you make that monster leave us alone? It was much bigger than you.”
“I’m not really sure I should say. It’s kind of a secret actually.”
“Please we wont tell anyone, will we?” said Amanie.
“No I really shouldn’t, like I said it’s a secret.”
“Please you can trust us. We won’t tell anyone, I swear.” promised Amanie.
“I don’t know.”
“Pleeeaaaasssse.” begged Amanie and Meo together, pleading with her to reconsider.
“Okay, okay, if you insist. I’m wearing a protective amulet. Here see.” Nala held out her amulet for all to see.“It’s a special amulet that wards off evil and helps keep me safe from monsters like her.”
“Wow! Where did you get it?”
“I erm.... got it from my mother. She gave it to me for protection. One can't be too careful under the circumstances.”
“Wow! You’re so lucky. I wish I had a mother. Your mum must be so cool.”
Nala smiled sweetly.
“I’m sure she’d have been very glad to hear you say that.”
“Does she live in the Dark Forest too?”
“No I’m afraid not. My mother died many years ago.”
“Oh! I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It's okay, that’s just how things are.” Nala smiled resignedly. “But pray do tell what brought four such innocent young pups to a place like this? You stick out like a sore thumb.”
“We’re looking for the magic fairy ring.” answered Meo.
“Meo! What did I say about blurting things out.” frowned Amanie, clenching her jaw.
“Why? What does it matter? I wasn’t being rude was I?”
“That’s not the point.” mumbled Amanie.
“Oh don't worry your secrets safe with me. Besides I may be of some assistance.”
“Sorry please don’t be offended. I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t trying to imply that you couldn’t be trusted or anything.” apologised Amanie, hoping she hadn’t upset her. She had just saved them after all.
“Assistance!” exclaimed Meo. “You mean you can help us?”
“Do you know where it is?” asked Amanie, suddenly realising what Nala had said.
“Indeed. I can show you if you like. It’ll involve a little walking though.”
“Really! You know where it is! And you can show us!” Amanie almost squealed. “We don’t mind walking. We just need to catch our breath that's all.”
“Yeah I don’t know what’s wrong with me? I’ve never run out of breath this quickly before.” said Meo, still panting.
“It’s the forest my dear. You’re standing beneath a cluster of Pollinda trees. Their leaves give off a residue which makes it hard to breath. The forest’s full of them.”
“Pollinda trees. Yeah I’ve heard of them.”
“Me too. I didn’t know they made it hard to breathe though.” said Amanie. “I thought they just kept out all the sunshine.”
“They cover everything in darkness and drown anything that lies beneath. There are only three other kinds of plant that grow here, in this part of the forest at least. The vines that climb the trees, frog moss and the leafless brambles, which live off the Irth. Nothing else but toadstools, as far as the eye can see.”
“Don’t forget lava weed and devil lilies.”
“You'll have to go much further to find anything like that I'm afraid.”
“How on Irth does anything live here?” asked Amanie, shaking her head in disbelief, her eyes scanning the purple leaved vines creeping into the ashen trunks like a web of veins feeding the abyss, their florescent blue flowers peeping out of the darkness like alien stars glinting in the shadows.
“You get used to it. Besides some creatures are naturally less susceptible to it than others. Evolution is a weird and wonderful thing in the hands of a god like Jupinda.”
“Can’t argue with that.” agreed Meo.
“You’ll be fine, just as long as you don’t over exert yourselves. Anyway we should get a move on. You four made a lot of noise getting here and there are much bigger, nastier things than her lurking in the Dark Forest.”
“What!!! Bigger than her! But she was gigantic.” said Meo.
“Miouuu!” whimpered Tidimew.
Botog dared not utter another word, lest anything else heard them.
“Do you think anything else will attack us now that you’re here then?” asked Amanie.
“I doubt it. Better not tempt fate though. You can’t be too careful in a place like this. Nasty things lurk in the shadows and prey on the unsuspecting.”
“But you have the amulet, nothing can hurt you.”
“Still one shouldn’t tempt fate.”
“No, I suppose not.” said Amanie.
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