Chapter 3 (part six)

Before the white feathered dragon could respond, another voice interrupted them both. It wasn’t all that loud, but it was audible enough for them to make it out, “What are you doing here!?!”

They both looked around. They saw nothing but the mist and bits of vegetation. Within a few minutes; something whizzed by Tempest’s head and bounced off the now recognizable gravestone. He became alert as he tried to find out what it was. However, before he got the chance another zoomed near the underside of one of Glory’s wings. Both of their attentions had been heightened as they no longer searched for what swept by them, but where they were coming from. They seemed to look wide-eyed in the same direction as the same voice called out to them, “Right here! You filthy human!”

A small four inch object flew a few feet in front of them. When they focused in on it, they could see it in more detail. It was a very small woman with a bow and arrow equivalent to her size. She wore an outfit similar to a green sweater and lighter green sweatpants. Even more is that there were two blurs, one positioned on either side around her back and shoulders, which could suggest rapid and simultaneously flapping wings. She was readying another arrow. They looked so tiny and harmless. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. As soon as she released the arrow into the air it suddenly grew in size. Right between the duo’s heads.

“Get out! Get out! Get out!” The little fairy screamed in her pipsqueak voice. Angrily, she began to draw her bow again. This time, however, White Glory preempted her. She launched herself from Tempest’s shoulder and lunged forward. Ready to catch the fairy in her jaws. The tiny woman dodged her, but dropped her arrow in the process. Tempest took advantage of the situation and swatted at her with his hand. “Ow!” She exclaimed as she went crashing into a tuft of long grass. She was a little shook up, but she managed to lift her head out of the grass to yell at them, “ What’d you do that for?”

“You attacked us first.” Tempest remarked as he towered over her like a concrete skyscraper.

The little woman skewed her face in argument, “Of course I did! You’re trespassing!”

“Actually we’re just passing through.” He knelt down towards her offering his hand for her to climb on.

She turned her head to refuse the offer, “Yeah right! People rarely step foot in this forest. Even if they do, they don’t usually make it this far.”

“Even if they do..” He repeated and pointed at the gravestone, “Would they end up like that?”

“That…” The tiny one trailed of for a moment and then her face blurred with anger, “That’s none of your business! Pesky humans! Always sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong! You.. You… You’re gonna pay for this!”

With that she lept up, letting her little wings carry her up. She reached into a bag at her hip. White Glory was flying around while this mini conversation was being held. She took notice of the fairy’s movements and dived forward just as the little one was about to toss the bag’s contents.

Tempest didn’t realized what happened at first. All he remembers was the fairy rising up and then a white blur in front of him. Not too soon after there was a mushroom floating in front of him. It had a golden top and a white stalk. It fell with a slight thud on the ground between the two. The fairy’s angry face didn’t waiver, “Argh! Stupid dragon!! Shouldn’t have gotten in the way!”

He quickly grabbed her. “What did you do?” He furiously asked.

“I was aiming for you, you numbskull. It’s not my fault that white pest got in my way.”

“What did you do!” He demanded this time, squeezing her slightly.

“Ack!” She exclaimed in a grunted voice, “Okay okay! I sprinkled some of my fairy dust on her. It has random effects. Apparently it decided to turn her into a mushroom.”

“Change her back”

“I can’t. I don’t have the ingredients with me.”

“Change her back!” He squeezed a little harder this time.

“Okay!” She belted out, “I have to go to my village first! The elder there can restore her. However, they don’t take to kindly to trespassers, let alone humans.”

He loosened his grip a bit, “Please. Please, take me there.”

“Are you going to let me go?”

“And risk you flying off? No.”

A great, but tiny sigh arose from her chest. “I guess I’ll have to show you the way then. Behind the gravestone is a thicket. Go straight through there, to the right thirty paces, and past the crooked owl in a purple tree. The owl might call out or may even attack. He’s pretty old and senile, so it can vary. Nonetheless, he’s gonna let the rest of them know we’re here. Then it should be pretty self explanatory from then on out.”

“Okay..” He responded obeying, “if you’re lying to me, then I might as well as take something as reassurance. How about these..” He stripped her of her bow, quiver, and bag. He placed them lightly into his own bag. Then he grabbed Glory mushroom and gently placed her inside as well. He then lifted the fairy so that they were eye level. “What is your name, anyways.”

The little winged woman grunted a bit as if she didn’t want to tell him, but had no choice. “It’s Flora. Can we get going now? My wings are a bit cramped.”

He nodded in return and then followed the path she explained to him.