The Golden Forest
The sky is as bright as the sun, perfect for picking herbs that are needed restocking in Athanasia's clinic in the middle of the Golden Forest. Although she has many herbs and plants in the backyard, some rare herbs can only be found deep in the forest.
Though the Golden Forest is dangerous for most people, it is like a normal forest for her as she was born and raised there. The golden forest is full of gold, it lures the greedy ones. The forest's gold is known as the deadliest poison known by mankind.
Athanasia wore her golden robe made from the mist of the forest and her golden threads as she walked out of her home. Animals and some different creatures flocked around her as if they'd been waiting for her to go out.
Joy filled her heart as she saw the animals flocking around her. There were many kinds of animals, some were land animals and there are even a few wild animals. Wild pixies are sprinkling her hair with gold dust as she walks and some even shouted her name 'Athanasia'.
The animals and different creatures are calmer today, just like the forest. A calmer forest is what everyone wants, it eases the danger that everyone feels while living in it.
"Good morning friends!" She greeted the animals happily as she don't have a neighbor to greet them. They are her only neighbor.
"Good morning! Where is Dandelion?!" Said a tiny voice beside her. A pixie with black long hair asked, definitely Flora, the pixie friend of Dandelion. Flora is the calmest among the pixies, she often helps with the plants in front of the clinic.
"Hey, Flora! Dandelion is busy taking care of my sick patient right now." She answered while smiling at her.
Dandelion is a fairy friend of Athanasia, she's almost like a family to her. She grew up with her and they built a small clinic together as a family and as a business partner.
The mist is not that thick today. Wild animals are also calmed and the wind is not strong. This kind of day only happens at least thrice a year in the Golden Forest.
She walked her way down the mountain to get the rare herbs in the river and deep in the forest. When picking herbs, she mostly just stays at this mountain where her house and clinic are located. But if they need a rare herb they mostly gather them at the river or across it.
It is dangerous below as the poisonous golds are everywhere but to help the people and to keep the clinic running, they need the best herbs that can cure the illness that almost everyone who enters their clinic has, the gold's poison.
This mountain is the highest and the only mountain in Golden Forest. The dangerous mists, weather, and the gold's poison usually doesn't reach her home and clinic at the top.
It took her at least two hours to reach the bottom of the mountain with the help of some land animals. Walking would probably result in her traveling half a day just to reach the bottom.
The golden mist is thicker at the river. Athanasia had to squint her eyes because of the brightness that is coming from the mist, trees, and plants that turned gold. Panicking, Athanasia hurriedly grabbed her glasses in her bag to protect her eyes from the brightness. One of the most common gold poisons is the cursed golden eye.
This situation is the one that she hates the most. Being blinded by the brightness of the mist can make you blind for life if you have ordinary eyes, which most people call the cursed golden eye because being blinded by the mist can turn your eyes gold.
Most of the animals didn't follow her to the bottom of the mountain as it is more dangerous there and many predators are waiting for them at the bottom.
Athanasia happily hopped her way to the river because the river is full of Meneyan roots that she needs. The glaring eyes of the wild animals didn't even bother her as she hopped. These wild animals are cowards whenever they face her. They ignore her and usually avoided her. Athanasia didn't even do anything to harm them but they are scared of her.
Athanasia positioned her hand in front of her while facing the river. Focusing, gold threads started to come out of her hands and they reach the Meneyan roots instantly.
Many creatures run away when they saw her. This happens most of the time whenever she uses her powers. The golden threads that are coming from her seem to scare many beasts that are living in the forest.
When she was done collecting the Meneyan roots she used her threads to lift herself to the tree. Athanasia still needs a golden drop to treat her severely injured patient as he has cursed golden eyes.
Golden drops are literal drops coming from the tall trees that have been exposed to the golden mist for decades. It is so rare that it sells for billions outside. It is also the reason why people enter the forest even though it's extremely dangerous.
Athanasia looked for a tree that is the brightest. Trees that had a golden drop are mostly the brightest and the most golden.
Athanasia squinted her eyes while anxiously looking for the golden drop. She held unto the tree branch as she keeps on looking. The golden mist is thicker here and most trees and animals comofludge themselves in the mist.
At a distance, the brightest tree Athanasia has ever seen in her life stood at least 10 meters away from her. The tree is so bright that Athanasia's eyes throb even under her eye protection.
Immediately, Athanasia runs towards the golden tree in rush. Her heart is pounding loudly while running. This is a chance to stock up on the golden drops.
She didn't care about the plants slicing her skin and the beasts that is observing her. She only cared about the tree that is full of golden drops.
"Oh my god," Athanasia mumbled when she reached the golden tree.
The tree is swelling. It's as if it's waiting for someone to help it release the golden drops around it.
It could fill up at least twenty bottles, Athanasia thought.
Athanasia rummaged her bag to look for the bottles that she bought. Feeling disappointed, she took out 10 bottles. She doesn't have enough bottles to get all the golden drops on the tree.
She Hurriedly got up to get the golden drops on the tree. Athanasia opened a bottle and she waited for the golden drop to drop into her bottle. Golden drops are sensitive. To get one, you need to wait for it to drop itself, or else it could self-destruct and ut won't be of use anymore.
Athanasia used her power to hang the bottles under the golden drops. She wraps her threads around the bottles and the tree. She hoped that they will drop into her bottle and not on the ground. It will be a lot of waste if they fell into the ground.
She wasted no time and hurriedly set up her camp on the tree branch where she can rest. Golden drops can take days to drop so she has to wait for a lig time. Setting up the camp on a tree branch is the brightest move if you are in the golden forest. There are fewer wild creatures and there is also less golden mist.
While waiting she took out her diary and pen to write about the brightest tree that she's seen in her life. Writing in her diary also helps her when it comes to the medical field. Whenever she forgot about some herbs or medicine she can just flip around her diary and look for it.
While writing, a black fox approached her. Athanasia was surprised, a black fox is already rare but a fox maintaining its original appearance and not turning gold is rare in this forest where almost everything is gold.
"Hello there," Athanasia whispered.
The fox took a step closer while looking at the bread beside her.
"Do you want it?" She asked.
Athanasia gave a whole bread to the fox. The fox took it and bite it in half. It didn't chew it it is just in its mouth. The fox then looked at her before jumping off the tree.
"Where are you going?!" Athanasia asked.
Worried for the fox, Athanasia jumped and followed it. The fox run to a normal tree and disappeared behind it. The tree is not gold which is unusual as it should have been gold by now.
A black fox and a normal tree, can things get even weirder than this, Athanasia thought.
Even though she was confused, she still followed the fox. She goes around the tree and to her surprise, she fell down a hole that is hidden behind a bush.