Little Alzar led us to the first tree that didn't resemble the others. Its smooth thick trunk shot up into the sky. Soft pink leaves swayed to the soft melody of the wind.
"Wow, it's beautiful," I cooed.
Sabastian groaned. "Great, it took us to a freaking tree."
Angel examined the area. "It's not just a tree. This is a Pink Crossing Tree. It's normally grown in the land of the fairies. Mostly because its powers can only be utilized by that specified species. This was not here before."
More strange occurrences.
"What is it doing here?" I questioned.
'He gave it to us,' Little Alzar's voice returned in my head.
A picture of Brucie flashed across my brain. It couldn't be mistaken. His pointed ears and charming smile would single him out in any crowd.
A clip played when Brucie planted the tree. Bellamy had a ward up. Ethan and Jason were on the lookout. The girls were petting the Alzars.
They were in this forest. That should not have come as a surprise. Those boys were trouble makers. Still, this place was dangerous. No kid should be lurking around here.
'Come,' Little Alzar called.
He strode past me and the tree swallowed him with a soft gulping sound. We tailed him and were engulfed in the tree. On the other side, pink petals rained from the treetop. A path led to a large house. The shimmering blue hot spring before we got to the house called to me. Fruit trees ranging from apples to oranges to grapes laid out on the other side of the path.
"Where are we?" I glanced up but was met by petals.
"Inside the tree," Angel answered. "This tree has a variety of functions. Its popular ability enables the fairies to cross over to other places using this tree. Hence, it's named Pink Crossing."
I wouldn't mind having such a tree in my backyard. It would give it a new scenery and I could have a place to escape to, inside it. It would be a heaven on earth situation.
'Mom and I stayed here,' Little Alzar filled me in. 'They would visit when they can and bring us treats and tend to the tree.'
We stroll down the path to the house. Little Alzar opened the door and let us into a neat little setup.
I couldn't picture the boys doing all this. Ethan acted all macho. Jason was no different. Brucie might have grown the plants and decorated the landscape outside. But the house was a whole different ordeal. Amanda must have persuaded them to do it. She and the other two girls.
'The rooms are upstairs,' Little Alzar dashed up the stairs.
I followed him. The others remained downstairs, scanning the area.
Little Alzar gave me a mini-tour. He showed me his room which was packed with toys found on earth. They could not be from anyone other than the three boys. Brucie lived in Fairyland. He wouldn't have access to these things.
A mini-kitchen, a small library, a playroom, six bedrooms, a dining room, and the living room made up the rest of the house. I noticed Little Alzar never touched one of the rooms. I figured it belonged to his mother.
Little Alzar excused himself and went back to his room. I met up with everyone in the living room.
"I guess we can spend the night here," Angel murmured deep in thought.
Sabastian stretched out his limbs on the couch. "Yeah, we are staying here. A nice comfy bed and we don't have to worry about anything lurking in the shadows. I say this is a win. We should be able to travel with the tree everywhere. It would be sweet."
Angel did not join in on his gushing. Two lines pinched between her brows. The other guys never noticed her worrying face.
"What's for dinner?" Sabastian whispered with his eyes closed.
It took Angel too seconds too long to answer. "We still have more fish."
"I can't eat any more of that stuff," he whined. "We have been eating that thing for too long. I need something else."
"We have food here," Little Alzar commented.
He was now a boy wrapped in a pants and shirt. In this form, he didn't look older than nine, ten.
The muscles in Angel's forehead tightened. "How are you like this? Alzars aren't shapeshifters."
Little Alzar raked a hand through his shoulder-length blue hair, combing it back. "That's what you think."
He didn't elaborate but kept walking down the stairs and detoured to the kitchen. I followed him. After all, I was the designated chef on this trip.
"We have meat," Little Alzar lifted a section of the counter in the kitchen to reveal the refrigerator.
Several packages of beef, chicken, and fish were all stocked into the fridge. All things found on earth.
"We will have to pick the vegetables and herbs outside," Little Alzar went on.
He opened another cabinet to display the dry goods. The pots and utensils were in drawers and other cupboards.
"Where did you get all these things? How are you even operating the refrigerator?" I fished out a package of the chicken and another of beef.
There were light switches, a refrigerator, and even a game player in his room. No electrical wire or sockets were insight.
He pulled himself up on the countertop. "Magic. The tree's core is attached to the magical realm. It uses the magic there to grow. Mom just used the magic the tree drew to operate everything here. It was his idea but Mom had the power to do it."
I rested the items in two basins. "I'm guessing the 'he' you are referring to is Brucie."
He nodded. "Yep. I can tell you met him."
"How?"
He jumped from the counter and grabbed two buckets from the bottom cabinet. "One is for water and the other is for the vegetables and herbs."
We exited the kitchen through a side door and strolled to the front of the house to the trees. Behind the fruit trees was a well.
Little Alzar rested one of the buckets on the ground under a shaved bamboo. He turned a wheel and water poured into the bucket from the bamboo attached to the well. It was like a pipe but made with bamboo. A nice creation.
Little Alzar released the wheel and pointed to my hand. "He marked you."
It took me a while to remember the question I had asked. I stared at my hand. It was void of any mark but the memory of the burnt sensation when Brucie rubbed his thumb on my hand floated in my head. He said I could reach out to him if in need. I found it hilarious at the time.
Little Alzar lifted the bucket as if it weighed nothing. "He told us you were coming. I'm glad we met."
Me too.
Brucie was one mysterious boy. I did hope he took care of himself. He and the others shouldn't be in this forest. They could get themselves killed.
Little Alzar and I made a quick stop at the vegetable garden. A variety of herbs was laid out for me to choose from.
'She was right, you know.' It came as a surprise that I would hear Little Alzar's voice in my head when he was next to me.
I never questioned it and listened.
'Alzars are not shapeshifters.' He exposed a pendant around his neck. 'The Supreme God gave this to Mom. It helps her to blend in down here. She had to do so to complete her mission.' He pushed back the necklace inside his shirt. 'She died before she got answers. Now it's up to me to complete it for her.'
It was a heavy burden to bear. He was just a child. Children should be allowed to be children. They should not be dragged into their parent's drama. It was too much for a youngster.
I plucked up cabbages. "If there is anything I can do to help, let me know."
He smiled at me. It brought out his youth.
We went back to gathering the ingredients. He didn't fill me in on what his mother's mission was in such a realm and how they met Brucie. I never pried. If he wanted me to know, he would have said it.
The others were still in the living room when we got back to the house. Sabastian and the bandit were chatting. Angel was in the corner with a notebook in hand. They looked at home.
This place was nice. I wouldn't mind having a place like this. If we couldn't enter Destiny Peak, we could return here and live with Little Alzar. We could be a family.
I cleaned the meat. "What is your real name?"
He chopped the herbs into smaller pieces. "I don't have one."
That sucked.
"I'll call you Little Alzar."
I was already calling him that, anyway.
He scrunched his nose. "I won't be little forever. In fact, it takes three months for an Alzar to grow into an adult. I have two months and two weeks left to be an adult. What are you going to call me then? Adult Alzar."
Smartass.
So, it took him a short time to grow. I still had some time to come up with a name.
"When we get to the bridge, we will cross it. For now, you are my Little Alzar."