Welcome to Whymsyfall, young one. How was your journey?" the voice echoed.
Thaddeus, looking around for the source, asked, "Who are you? Show yourself."
With a shimmer of magical, glittering light, a figure appeared. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Faela, the queen of pixies. It's nice to meet you, young one."
"Now, girls, come out; we have our visitor here," Faela called out.
Suddenly, pixies emerged, flying joyously around the garden.
"Wow, so beautiful," Thaddeus exclaimed, awe-struck. But then a thought struck him. "Why does it seem you know me? Why aren't you surprised to see a human in your land?"
Faela laughed. "Oh, young one, you are indeed curious. I expected you would ask that. Now come, I'll show you something."
They walked together until they arrived at a magically glowing tree.
Looking at the tree with wonder, Thaddeus ventured another question. "Ahh, Faela, may I ask, am I dead? Is this the great tree? Are all of you here to guide my soul?"
Faela replied with a hearty laugh. "Hahahaha, you sure are funny, young one. This is the Twinklebark tree. It gives life to us pixies; we are born from it and it bestows our powers. As the queen, I am bound to protect it."
"I receive visions from the tree, and it foretold your arrival. A long time ago, it showed me that a young man loved by his kingdom would seek our help. The tree instructed me to aid and guide this young man, urging the pixie clan to follow him. When I received this vision, I was concerned. We pixies don't usually take sides, but it seemed there was trouble brewing for the first time. So I waited for you, prayed for more visions, but none came. It was the last vision I received, and I worried that if we ignored the tree's prophecy, Whymsfall might suffer. So we waited for your coming. May I know your name?" Faela asked.
Thaddeus responded, "I am Thaddeus Velmont."
"Now, Sir Thaddeus Velmont," Faela announced, "I, Faela, queen of the pixie clan, will now give you my blessing. As the Twinklebark has blessed me, we will aid you in whatever journey you have. In the name of the Great Tree Lanen!"
The jubilant cheers of the pixies filled the air of Whymsyfall, their radiant wings flickering like a multitude of living lanterns.
Amidst the festivities of Whymsyfall, with pixies dancing in the air like living embers, Thaddeus stood aside, lost in thought. Noticing his distant gaze, Faela approached him, her voice gentle against the laughter and music of the night.
"You seem burdened, Sir Thaddeus. What weighs upon your heart?" she inquired.
The concern in her voice coaxed the truth from Thaddeus. "The vampires of Eldenwood spread fear and darkness. I could not bear the suffering of my people, so I sought guidance from the Great Tree. And in my slumber, I was granted a vision a place beyond the Sierra Mountains, in a valley hidden from the eyes of the unwary."
"So I journeyed toward that valley, seeking hope," Thaddeus continued. "At first, I thought the Great Tree directed me to find weapons, but perhaps it guided me to find something else... maybe a companion."
Faela's laughter rippled through the air. "A weapon, you say? HAHAHA. Come, I shall show you the might that we pixies possess."
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a shout. "Hey! Can you keep it down? Don't you know that I'm trying to sleep?"
A creature, grumbling and rubbing sleep from its eyes, emerged into the open. "Oh, what a sleep. Hey, Faela, what's with all the noise?" It took to the air, fluttering over the celebration, eyes wide with curiosity.
"What's all this then? What's the occasion?" the creature inquired as she drew near Faela, then stopped short upon seeing the boy.
"Who is this, Faela? And what is a human doing here in our land?"
Faela chuckled. "HAHAHAHA, you're always so out of the loop. This here is Thaddeus. He is our king," she explained with a smile. "He's the one chosen by the Twinklebark tree. Now, show some respect."
The creature scoffed, "Blah, blah, blah, a king, you say? I don't take orders, especially not from a human. HAHAAHAHA, you do amuse me, Faela."
Faela turned to Thaddeus with a gentle smile. "My apologies, Sir Thaddeus. This one here has quite the attitude. Her name is Lacy, the youngest of our Pixie clan."
Lacy finished her recount with a wry smile, "And that's how I met Sir Thaddeus," she declared to Aran, who listened intently to the tale.
"Oh, so that's how," Aran mused, then a thought struck him, and he leaned forward. "Wait, wait, wait, what did you say about Faela mentioning something you pixies are capable of?"
Lacy laughed, "HAHAHA, you sure are different from Thaddeus; you don't have much patience, do you? Just wait here, boy. Let me finish up, then you can have a good night's sleep," she teased.
"Meh, okay, okay, just... could you keep it down?" Aran grumbled.
Lacy tossed her hands up in exasperation. "What is it with you? You ask for stories, then you want silence. Seriously..."
Their banter was cut short by a sudden, loud noise echoing through the space.
"Hey, Lacy, I told you to stop the racket! Don't you ever listen?" Aran exclaimed, looking around. "Wait, are you the one making that noise?"
"No, I'm not the one... Oh wait, wait, wait!" Lacy's expression shifted as a memory hit her. "Are your parents around here?"
"Yeah, why? They're the ones you clashed with earlier," Aran said with a slight smirk.
Lacy's eyes widened. "Oh, wait, did one of them wander into the manor's underground?"
Aran shrugged, "Robert said he was looking for a place to set up for his woodcrafts. Said he'd carve my face what a joke."
"I'm asking if he went to the manor's underground, Aran," Lacy pressed, her tone growing serious.
"Ahh, I don't know, maybe he is. What's in the underground? Can Robert even go there? Huh?" Aran's confusion was evident.
At that very moment, the manor was shaken by a tremendous roar, which was followed by a terrified shout.
"What the heck Aran, the doors to the chambers have been opened! Zander wakes up!"
"Who is this Zander you speak of?" Aran inquired while wearing a look of bewilderment and concern on his face.