Chapter 2: The Gift From A Fairy

Malik continued his journey, he was somewhat tired since he couldn't seem to sleep last night. He had difficulty sleeping before, but last night he didn't sleep at all, and that was unusual. While walking through the forest he moved normally but cautiously, the forest is the most dangerous place when you're not paying attention. Bandits, dire wolves, or even goblins could jump out anytime and steal your stuff, or kill then steal your stuff.

Malik had been in an altercation with a group of goblins before, this time was not too long ago. He was on his normal walk towards his mysterious destination when he heard a rustle in some bushes to the side of him, he had continued walking as if he didn't hear anything, but he did and made sure to secretly pay attention to his surroundings, now more than he was before. He could sense something was following him, but he didn't know what, or if there were multiple. He began going over his knowledge of the forest in his head, he knew that bandits would sneak through the bushes waiting for the right time to jump out and steal your stuff, dire wolves were just aggressive so they would just kill you, and goblins wanted anything shiney and expensive.

Now for one of the dumbest species in the world, goblins sure did know for one how to tell if a material was fake or not, such as gold, and well they knew what the value of stuff like that was in the first place. That would surprise a lot of people. Malik had continued walking, and just as he looked ahead for a quick second he heard the quick rustle of the bushes and BOOM, he was surrounded by goblins. His heart began beating faster, he tried to stay calm, but he never actually fought anyone before, much less goblins. He looked around counting, one, two, three, four. There were six goblins in total, and he knew for a fact that he couldn't take them on by himself.

Just as the goblins rushed to attack him and he raised his hands to protect his face, there was a flash that blinded the goblins, but engulfed Malik. After standing there protecting his face, but nothing happening, and the realization of the missing goblin noises arising he removed his hands and looked around. He didn't know where he was, but he did know he wasn't in the same place anymore, he looked around surveying his surroundings. It was dark like a cave, but had glowing rocks all over to give light. Malik stood there in silence until he heard a soft voice, "Hello there, are you okay?" a small and squeaky female voice rang through the cave. He flinched a little and began looking around frantically, "What are you doing?" the voice asked, "I'm right behind you.", Malik jumped around looking behind him.

Malik jumped back when he came face to face with a tiny human that had wings, or furthermore, a fairy. "Ohh, no need to be scared..." the fairy spoke, "After all I did just save your life, you should be thanking me." she smirked. Malik stared at the fairy calming himself, "Who are you?" he asked, "My name is Celeste, the fairy that protects this forest." she answered. He stared at her questioningly, "The fairy that protects this forest?" he asked, "So we're still in the same place I was a minute ago?" he continued asking. "Yes my dear, we are still in The Forest of Many." Celeste answered.

Malik had been talking to Celeste for about maybe a half-hour now, and he honestly just wanted to leave, he had somewhere to be by nightfall, and he was already wasting time before he was ambushed by a group of goblins and saved by a fairy. He stood there, bored and uninterested in what Celeste was saying, she had noticed and went silent. "If i'm boring you then I should send you back to where you were." she exclaimed. Malik jumped up, "Wait no, you can't those goblins will kill me." he complained, "Well, I have things to do anyway, so to help you once again I will give you this..." Celeste raised her tiny fairy hands. There were earrings floating in the palm of her hand that were surrounded by some magical light.

"What is it?" Malik asked, "A gift, something that will help you along your journey." Celeste explained. "What do they do?" he asked, "I will not say, but just know they will be very helpful to you." she answered. He stood there staring at the tiny fairies' gift, he contemplated accepting the gift, soon enough he took the earrings and put them on. Once he did the same light engulfed him once again, "BYE!!!" Celeste beamed with happiness as Malik was teleported back to the forest. When he arrived the goblins weren't there anymore, and the moon sat in the sky happy and shining bright as ever.

As he stood there staring at the moon he took a deep breath inhaling the fresh night air. It was a little cold but with the clothes he had on it didn't bother him, he looked forward, down the path he was on, and as he lifted his foot to start walking he was hit with something that almost stopped his heart.

Malik suddenly heard the rushing of a small waterfall, but it was so loud you'd think he was in the water. He then smelt food that smelt so close, but when he looked in the direction and somehow saw adventurers cooking dinner miles away his eyes opened wide. He could taste the food in the air, and it felt as if he were eating it. "What's going on?" he asked no one in particular. His senses were extremely heightened, but why? he wondered, how? Suddenly the voice of the fairy rang in his ears. "they will be very helpful to you." he remembered Celeste saying. He softly touched one of the earrings, he made a small, barely visible smile. The gift from the fairy turned out to be very useful after all.