"Bai, did you learn the Star's name?" Lingling asked without stopping.
"No, should I have?" I asked curiously.
"No. It did not matter, let's go" she said increasing the pace.
Following Lingling we left the Star Lake crossing a portal "Where are we going, Lingling?" I asked without stopping.
"We are traveling towards the Flowery Garden, another one of the 5 Death Areas" Lingling answered.
"Why? Star Lake with its calm and full of vitality environment should be the best to train. I know that a change of the surrounding may help but it will be better to wait until I stabilize my intent"
Lingling stopped and turned to me "Your actual Life Intent is focused on healing if you take your time to stabilize it would be extremely difficult for you to understand the other properties of Life. In the Flowery Garden, you should be able to quickly learn about support"
"Support?"
She nodded "With your comprehension on Life, the best outcome would be to make your Protection Intent support the Healing, now you should learn Life supporting Protection"
"Wait a moment" I stopped her "Did you already know about this previously?"
She blushed a little and looked down "Yes. I was the one who decided this order"
I was in shock due to the new findings, Lingling was guiding me in my own way without any notice from me. Thinking it now (Life as support would have been a lot easier as my Protection was stronger. At the same time, this would mean that learning Healing would have been even more difficult after the support. First Healing and then Support would make the start more difficult, but the overall time would be lower)
"Lingling" she lifted her face a little scared. I smiled at her "Thanks". I already could sense where the Flowery Garden was situated so I advanced her who was still shocked. "Let's go!"
Lingling quickly recuperated from her stupor and followed me, taking the guiding position again.
As we went nearer the Flowery Garden the vegetation started to increase in size, becoming a lot leafier, the trees and plants were so huge that covered all the sky, making it seem like it became night. We continue walking until we were stopped by a kind of a wall made of what it resembled a root with thorns.
Lingling approached the wall "Where was the entrance?" She mumbled. She started walking along the wall, suddenly, stopping "Here" She then hold some roots and started moving them showing a path behind them "Come" Lingling entered the path.
I followed her. The path was 2 meters wide and it was surrounded by the thorny roots, it seemed more of a cave if not for the occasional movement of some roots.
After walking over a kilometer, light could finally be seen showing the exit of the path. Leaving the path I closed my eyes, momentarily blinded by the sunlight. Recuperating my sight I was shocked due to the scenery.
It was a great change from the path here. While the path was gloomy this place couldn't be more warm and lively. It was a hill, all along it full of flowers, there were a lot of different types, all of them carefully positioned to not create a chaotic contrast of colors. It seemed a perfect colorful garden created with extreme attention and carefulness, the little insects and birds flying around only made the picture better. Most of the flowers I couldn't even recognize, but I could even see some that were considered a treasure.
We climbed up the little hill, as we climbed the flowers became less but their vitality aura exploded, easily seen that they were more precious. As we were near the top the only that persisted was the common Blue-Silver Grass, without any flower around, this Blue-Silver Grass couldn't be compared to a normal one, I could sense powerful power from them and I was sure that it has sentinence.
Reaching the top we found what it seemed a bud, with red and violet petals forming it. Lingling extended her hands, a green glow from them. Like reacting to it, the bud started opening letting us see a cute little girl.
The girl seemed to be 13 years old, with a delicate, smooth, pink skin. She had short curly black hair adorned by a red rose on her left said, her red jewelry eyes shined with mischief. Her chest was covered by a black thorny vine that hid her little mounts. The petals that formed the bud, rearranged themselves forming a skirt around her. For her legs, it couldn't be seen as her lower half was rooted, hidden in the ground.
The girl yawned and stretched her arms "A good sleep" her voice was melodic and high pitched voice, only strengthening her cute picture. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Lingling, her eyes wide open glinting in happiness, a smile appearing at her lips. She extended her arm and moved to Lingling who had knelt receiving her with a hug. The movement was strange, she continued rotted at the ground, so it would be more of a crawl, however, she didn't make any sound nor any trace was left behind her.
"Lili! Mei missed you" said the girl rubbing Lingling's chest while Lingling reciprocated the hug with a warm smile "I also missed you, Mei, but it was only 8 days since we met before"
After 30 seconds, the girl broke the hug. She looked around, turning to Xiao Wu and me, finally recognize our presence. She glanced at us with a wary and contempt and spatted "Who are they?"
"Mei, don't be mad" Lingling reprimanded the girl "It seems that introductions must be made" Lingling signaled to us "Mei, this are my friends, Xiao Wu and Ning Bai"
She didn't stop her glancing "You are that human" she grumbled.
Lingling signaled the girl "She is Mei Ji, she is the Queen of the Flowery Garden"
"No way!" shouted Xiao Wu shocked "I don't sense any strength from her, how can be this little g-" Before she could finish 4 roots shot from the ground and grappled around Xiao Wu immobilizing her. The tips of the roots were very sharp and pointed at Xiao Wu's neck.
All of this happened in a blink of an eye, impossible for me to even react. I looked shocked at Bi Mei's strength, her face was a furious one, she had her right arm lifted her palm opened "How you dare, dirty rabbit?!" Mei shouted madly "To disrespect the great Mei. The most beautiful and strong flower, the Red-Violet Rose!" She started closing her right hand, the sharp roots coming closer to Xiao Wu's neck.
"Humm!" Lingling coughed "Mei, you would never harm my friend, no?" Mei slowly turned to Lingling, her furious face changed to a scared one looking at Lingling who had a smile at her face, that seemed all except a smile, it was a little scary "If that happens I would never come again to meet you, Mei"
Tears started falling from Mei's eyes "N-no, no! Of course not, how could Mei harm your friends" she waved her hand and the roots returned underground "It was only a joke. Please forgive Mei"
Lingling patted Mei's head "That was what I thought"
I stood there immobile seeing what happened, cold sweet over my body (The girl is strong and temperamental enough to sweep all of us if she is pissed. Luckily, it seems that Lingling had under control)
"Continuing with the presentation" Lingling continued, "Mei Ji" signaling Mei ", "Xiao Wu" signaling Xiao Wu, "Ning Bai" signaling me. "Clap!" she clapped her hand "I expect all to be friends"
Mei nodded quickly. She returned to a wary face looking at us Mei approached me "Not only a rabbit dirt Mei's garden, for even permit a human" she sighed and got nearer and said in low voice only for me to listen "If it weren't for Lili, Mei would have killed you without even being able to step here" she threatening me, with the combination of her face and voice it wasn't very intimidating, but knowing her power I was sure that she was telling the truth.
Then, Mei started sniffing all around my body, smelling me. She lifted her head looking at my eyes "You have a fresh aura. If it weren't for that rot, Mei would even like it"
"I already explained his circumstances, Mei. Make an exemption" Lingling requested.
"This didn't change his roots, even only a little of taint would rot the flower later" She said "But as Lingling's friend I would accept this request, but he must leave after"
"Of course" Lingling smiled "Thanks, Mei, you are the best". Mei hummed puffing her chest.
Mei put her hand at the ground "Yohop!" she pushed a little causing her lower half to be uprooted. showing her slender and bare legs. Under her had appeared a hole, it was strange that the hole was 2 meters of diameter, a lot more than Mei, and it couldn't be seen how profound it was. Mei glanced at me before jumping to the hole.
"It is completely safe, go" Lingling said jumping to the hole.
Xiao Wu and I looked it other and shrugged our shoulders, deciding to jump to the hole. It was a peculiar sensation, I was falling, but it was a controlled one, falling slowly. After 10 meters the hole opened to a big cavern illuminated by pink and red lights, caused by roots on the walls.
Arriving at the ground, grass cushioned our fall, not taking any damage from it. I looked around, the ground was soft and rich, ideal for plants to grow, strangely there weren't any all around the cavern, only roots at the walls and at the center of it stood Lingling Mei surrounding a little flower that seemed a dark rose.
"Welcome to the core of the Flowery Garden" Lingling said.