20 Tour

  Laurel enthusiastically pulls the hand of Elanor right towards a paling Mellisa. "This girl," Mellisa groans, "Young lady! Have you already forgotten last time you ran off?"

  Laurel wilts as she sees her angry mom. "But mom," she whines, "I made a new friend! She's super fast and has pretty clothes," Laurel says while waving her hand as if to present how great her find is.

  Elanor smiles at the protective mom. "I don't mean any offense. I don't mean any harm."

  Mellisa gives a half-smile, not wanting to offend. "It's not you. It's just that this girl doesn't seem to learn," She laments.

  Seeing the women talking peacefully, the others in the village come over. Gregory steps out with a big smile. "Good day, miss. we're happy to be graced by someone of your status," he says while bowing deeply. "May I inquire as to your purpose for traveling to this place in the middle of nowhere?" Gregory inquires nervously without coming out of his bow.

  "I won't hold anything back. I came here to attempt to retrieve the treasure on the hill." The fairy states as she looks towards the hill. Some of the villagers gasp with worry in their eyes. "NO! You said you weren't bad. You lied," Laurel screams while taking a fighting pose.

  Mellisa covers her daughter's mouth as her face turns grim. 'How did she raise such a willful daughter,' Mellisa chastises herself. "Please, she's just a child and doesn't know the ways of the world."

  Elanor's heart sinks. Sighing, she shakes her head, "It's unfortunate." Elanor holds out her hand to the girl, a bright smile on her face. "Since you're so against it, I'll forget the treasure, okay?" Laurel's eyes are full of conflict. Elanor laughs, "It really is just a small game. As you said, if I'm evil, the bull would've driven me off, right?"

  Laurel nods as if she finally realizes the truth and grabs hold of Elanor's hand. "Come on, let me show you the gardens. The vegetables grow huge!" The girl ecstatically moves on to the next exciting thing.

  Gregory stops the energetic girl patting her head. He says, "Now, Laurel, your friend has traveled a long way. I'm sure she doesn't want to be dragged all over creation."

  However, Elanor shakes her head with a laugh that stirs the hearts of men and women alike. "No, It's fine! If I can spend time with such a cutie, I wouldn't mind traveling anywhere."

  "If you say so. Still, I feel bad that we have so little to offer you. At least let us set up a banquet for you! We don't have much here, but as Laurel said, we have some of the best vegetables you will ever eat." He gloats while messing Laurel's hair.

  Laurel puffs her cheeks and glares at the shaggy old man. "Stop it! You're ruining my hair," Laurel complains while yanking once again on Eleanor's hand. "Let's go before we catch the old!" Everyone begins to laugh at Laurel's antics, causing her to fume even more.

  Elanor nods to Gregory and Mellisa. "If your willing to host me, it would be rude for me not to attend." She waves at the crowd as she allows Laurel to drag her off.

  After a short walk, Laurel and Elanor reach a garden. "Look! isn't it amazing?" Laurel asks proudly while pointing to the plants. "I help water them," she brags. The vegetables are twice their average size.

  "That's great. I've never seen normal vegetables grow so big. Did you guys find some special strain of vegetables?" Elanor asks with feigned interest as she squats down near a large squash.

  Laurel shakes her head fiercely, causing her hair to fly all over. "No, it's like magic everything grows fast and big here." She then flings her arms up while jumping showing how large everything grows.

  Elanor pauses her hand on the squash. She then glances at the hill. She is shocked this whole area is like a cultivation room back at her sect. This kind of atmosphere is scarce on a planet like this. "This is truly a blessed land," Elanor says while looking at the girl with a bright smile.

  Laurel points over to an open field and says, "Oh, and over there is where Franklin practices. He says he's strong, but Anna had to save us! That's his mom. She is really hurt. It was super scary." Then looking at the hill, her eyes turned bright. "But our guardian spirit saved Anna. Everyone thought she would die. But then up on the hill, she was saved with a bang!"

  Elanor scratches her head. "Wow, your Guardian Spirit must be powerful!" The Fairy placates the young girl. Still, she can't help but glance incredulously at the hill. She remembers she felt two senses earlier. Elanor wonders, 'Was it the other hidden presence that healed the woman? A demonic beast is unlikely to be capable of such a feat.' But no matter how she looks at it, she can't find the hidden presence.

  "Come and look at our house! I found pretty flowers yesterday," Laurel exclaims as she skips towards one of the shacks nearby. It has a flower that almost glows with vitality in a wooden flower pot. Elanor shakes her head with a slight smile, thinking, 'what a vibrant girl.' Elanor joins Laurel in front of the small home.

  "It's charming." Elanor nods as she bends to smell the flower. The flowers are shaped like little bells. When one observes them, they give the illusion that the flower will ring with a gentle breeze.

  The girl thrusts out her chest proudly. "Yeah, I found it when I was helping get water," then Laurel points to the home as she continues, "this is where me and mom live!"

  Elanor nods and pats Laurel's head. She replies, "It's a very nice little home."

  "Yup, we all built it together." However, Laurel's eyes start to turn red. "It's not; sniff; it's not as nice as our old home. It had a window, where we had flowers and the; sniff; Little birdies nested there and; and my dolly is gone. Sniff; My, my friends are all gone. Daddy, Daddy, disappeared," Laurel mumbles with tears in her eyes. As she's about to break, she bites her lip. She wipes away her tears and smiles sweetly at Elanor.

  Elanor feels her heart twitch as she sees the girl doing her best. Elanor can't help herself and quickly collected the girl into her bosom. "That's the way!" she comforts. Laurel grips tightly onto the fabric of her new friend as her knuckles going white.

  Gregory sighs as his face droops. He tells all the adults that are scrambling to cook, "We must make sure that from now on, these kids live a happy life." He then whispers to Arron, "If this goes well, we might gain a strong supporter. With her, on our side, the Red River Empire will think twice before coming here."

  Franklin clenches his fist and continues to carry water from the well. "You should bring that young lass up the hill," Franklin hears his teacher say in his head. He drops the bucket in shock. This is the first time he'd heard this voice while not sleeping.

  "Come on, I thought you were training!" one of the women chides the boy. "Sorry," Franklin says sheepishly. "It's fine," the woman sighs while waving away the clumsy boy. "Just go get another bucket of water."

  "Um, Sorry, I have something else to do!" Franklin shouts as he runs away. "You!" The woman curses. 'What is that boy up to?'