Chapter 21

          Nixie is a really amazing fairy and friend, don’t get me wrong, though she is definitely a hand full and quite strong for someone her size.  We bolted down the halls, past the balcony, and rode the ivy banister the whole way down the oak stairs. 

“Talk about fast travel huh?” Nixie asked me panting.

“Y-yeah, that was fun!” I laughed behind trying to catch my breath.

“Glad you enjoyed it, because that was just the beginning of what we have to do in order to get to my home!” Nixie smirked before dragging me again.  This time we went out of the tree and into the bustling crowd of people surrounding Gwen’s tree.

          There were several odd looking ‘people’ scrambling to get from one part of Nocotee to the other.  I began to observe what they all looked like as well.  There were women wearing skirts made out of leaves, vine corsets, and vibrantly colored flowers for hair on the tops of their heads.  There were men who were wearing suits made out of pieces pinecone, pine needle hats, and some had sap on their feet in which some were dragging leaves around if you know what I mean.  There were also little children running and frolicking through the midst of the commotion who wore leaf tunics and had flower buds for hair. 

          I quickly felt like a sore thumb as I noticed all the odd looks these people like things were giving me.

“Nixie, umm, how long exactly until we get to your home?” I whispered.

“It’ll be a while, which is why we have some fun along the way!” she replied with a wide smile upon her small thin lips.  I nodded as Nixie continued to drag me out of the midst of the craziness in front of Gwen’s tree.  After a half an hour fight to get through the crowd we arrived at a small stream where it was just me, Nixie, and the water.  Before I even dared to ask Nixie how we were going to get across I looked up to see her already flying up a tree.

“Nixie! What are you doing?” I yelled up to her.

“You’ll see! Climb the tree and meet me at the top!” She called back.  I sighed before gripping onto a piece of bark as I pulled myself up and began climbing the massive oak tree.