Chapter Twelve :

The Faery Village /

At 11 A.M., Dolion and I journeyed farther into the forest behind my house. 

The birds' chirping sounded distorted, a garbled tune that emitted joy and confusion. A few flew out from the muted blue trees, stirring the leaves. The birds themselves were strange colors, striped and spotted, and much larger than regular birds. Their beaks were long, and their eyes, glistening like precious stones, were colored fiery pink. 

We must have walked for about three hours before we came across an entire... City? It was gigantic; filled with cabin-like buildings that had little windows in them, huge multicolored mushrooms and flowers and trees, glowing stones along pathways, butterfly-like creatures and dragonflies that gleamed as they fluttered through the sky, and everything had a rainbow iridescence although it was covered in a rose haze. 

People a little taller than me strode down the pathways, and in and out of buildings. When I looked closer, I saw that they were not little "people." 

They wore beautiful but simple, lengthy, flowing dresses that seemed to be made of silk, most of them had long hair that was interlaced with glowing flowers, and they had these amazing, glittering wings, like a butterfly. Their faces were absolutely gorgeous and yet each one so different, with little noses and long lashes, high cheekbones and defined lips. 

I looked up at Dolion as if to ask, "Should we go in there?" It gave a slight nod of its head, and we proceeded into the village.

None of the faeries bothered to give us even a glance as we wandered through the town, breathing in all the sights as if they were oxygen. A soft melody came from a breathtaking waterfall in the middle of the village, which split into four streams flowing throughout the entire place. The waters sparkled and reflected light from the sapphire sun that now sat in the middle of the sky. Huge lily pads floated in the water pooled below the waterfall, and coral flowers glided about on the water as little glowing butterflies swarmed around them. 

I stopped one of the faeries as he walked by. "Do you know where we could find some information on a prophecy about the otherworlds?" I questioned. He answered without making eye contact. "There's someone in this village, Mirai. She thinks she's some kind of fortune teller, and that she's 'all-knowing,' or wise, but everyone here knows she's full of it. If you want to take a chance with what she says, go ahead." He pointed a finger toward a path that lead to the outer edge of the town. "She lives there, in a tent - you can't miss it." He scoffed and then stalked away. 

I looked up at Dolion again, silently asking what we should do. "I suppose she's worth talking to," It remarked. Its silver eyes looked sharply down the path to where Mirai lived.