Guardian of Kaleidescope

Aurelia stood in the gleaming moonlight as shadows of the trees camouflaged her, she gasped for air, her chest felt tight as it had felt like hours she was running away.

"She must've gone this way," said a voice. Shoot, she had to find a spot to hide and fast, she was tired from running and did not know how much longer her legs could take it. Aurelia crouched down, close the ground and she very carefully moved further into the nearby bushes, she held her panting breath and watched as the group of Black Knights drew closer.

"Come on where are ye?" asked one of the older Black Knights, his voice sounded familiar from the prison, she had just escaped from. Then, from the far east she heard a shout.

"Oi! She must be there! let's go!" shouted the familiar voiced man and they started to head east.

Aurelia watched them disappear into the dark forest; she fell to the forest floor completely exhausted. She felt her body start to lift up as if a bed was being formed around her and that's exactly what was happening, the moss forest floor shifted under her weight creating a bed with a pillow. Aurelia stood up. A soft wind came in and whispered to her.

"Shh...Don't be afraid Aurelia you are a child of the earth," the wind whispered.

"I am what?" she asked the wind, not expecting an answer.

"A child of the earth, you are destined to protect us Aurelia," the wind whispered back.

"How?" she asked and with a great gust the wind was suddenly silenced as if it disappeared deep into the forest.

Questions ran through her head as she came back down to the moss bed that the forest had made for her and laid down. She could not explain it, but she felt comforted and fell asleep.

When Aurelia woke up, she was face-to-face with two large green eyes that belonged to what looked like a very green child, she blinked and realized it was a wood nymph, it giggled and then turned itself into a small tree. What was happening? Were those stories that her grandparents told her true? If wood nymphs existed and other mythical things true? Did that mean that she was supposed to defend the forest? Not just any forest but the Kaleidescope forest of Magia Terra, was she the protector? Sure, magic existed, she had magic, but it explained a lot. Her powers explained everything. Any plant she touched came alive, anything that was green she could make greener. She was meant for this, her parents told her that she was not allowed to see her grandma or grandpa anymore because they were afraid that they would lead her to live a life in the forest. However, if everything they ever told her was true that meant that their little hut was still here in the forest.

Aurelia wandered further in, she had a sense of where she had to go, she couldn't explain it, it was like a force pulling her to go a certain direction. She walked on until she came to a small clearing and sure enough there sat a little cottage it looked to be made of pine trees, moss and spare branches, it was all wrapped up tightly in vines like a present waiting for her to open it, with a gentle swish of her hand the vines unraveled sinking into the earth and revealing a wooden door. Looking around to make sure she was safe, she opened the door. Inside was a small, round wooden table and two chairs made of wicker, a bed in the corner made of leaves beside it was a photograph of her grandparents, they were in front of the house she was in and smiling back at her. Why would her parents not want this life for her? she wondered. They look so happy. Just then a small green fairy appeared in front of her, and the fairy grew until she was the same size as a human.

"Aurelia, so nice to see here," she said, her voice sounded like crystal bells.

"I-I don't understand," Aurelia stuttered.

"You were sent here to protect our forest, your mother was given the same choice and now it is your turn, do you choose to protect this forest?" asked the green talking fairy.

"What happens if I do?" asked Aurelia.

"You will live here, but you cannot go back, the forest will protect you from harm as long as you do the same, do you accept?" asked the fairy.

Aurelia thought about what she had back home, and she had nothing, both her parents were dead, she was just released from a prison or more accurately escaped. Really, she had nothing and here she felt at peace. It made sense.

"I do," she said, and the green fairy touched her lightly on the shoulder and suddenly Aurelia was spinning, and a cloud was transforming around her and once she was back on the ground, she was wearing a green gown of velvet, but it was light and, in her hand, she had a staff and on head she had a crown of flowers.

"Rise Aurelia Guardian of Kaleidescope Forest" said the fairy and Aurelia rose to her feet. After that day the forest felt alive again, birds were nesting in the trees and singing to Aurelia, the squirrels would stop at her feet and rub their fur against her. The trees seemed to be greener, the shrubs started blooming their flowers. Everything was as it should have been. If you listened you could almost hear the sound of music through the trees.

Aurelia loved her new home and she was sworn to protect it until she died of old age. Humans came to her looking for answers very often. Aurelia only knew what the earth knew, but she became very well known through Magia Terra, even king Cyrus himself came looking for help, but more on that later.