Chapter 11: Thorn

The forest Was alive with the hum of magic as Andy floated beside Lira, trying to get a feel for his magic. Even now and then, a spark of energy would crackle around him, but nothing stable enough to do anything useful. He stumbled around the forest in a way that would probably make the creatures of the world laugh.

Lira floated next to him, her grin evident despite her intangible form. "you are still as graceful as a sack of potatoes," she teased him, as she drifted lazily

Andy glanced at her with a look of annoyance. "I am trying, okay?" he wobbled as his glowing form wisped upward, his frustration was evident. "I don't even know what I am doing half the time, just trying the things which came to mind."

"clearly," Lira shot back, her was of light teasing. "it it weren't for your accidental windstorms, I would have been more impressed."

Andy pouted, floating a little lower. "you don't have to be so sarcastic all the time, you know." He muttered.

"You would be bored if I weren't here." Lira winked, her ethereal form glowing brighter in the soft sunlight.

The path they were following was through the towering trees, the forest growing denser with each step. It was almost too quiet for comfort. And could feel something…unusual about the surroundings, a very strange sensation, very strange, he didn't know.

"What's that?" Andy asked, peaking around.

Lira was already ahead of him, her head tilted as if listening to something only she could hear. "mm…I don't know, but it probably best if we find it out don't you think?"

Before Andy could respond, a voice suddenly screamed through the trees, so loud it felt like it came from all directions at once.

"WHO DARES TO APPROACH MY DOMAIN?"

Ney froze in mid-air, his tiny glowing body pulsing in surprise. "uh….did you hear that?"

"Who can't hear that loud voice." Lira replied dryly, her voice full of amusement. "welcome to the forest's greatest mystery thorn."

Suddenly, a tree ahead of them seemed to twist and groan as if waking from a long slumber. Its bark shimmered with an iridescent glow, and a pair of beaches twisted down to form a canopy, creating an odd face-like shape in the truck. The voice came again, even louder.

"approach, if you wish. But I warn you, I am not a patient being!" the tree's bark creaked dramatically.

Andy hovered closer, unsure whether this was a prank or something strange. He looked at Lira for answers, but she simply shrugged as if to say, you are the leader you need to find answers.

"well….okay," Andy mumbles, floating a little closer to the talking tree. He tried not to laugh, but it was hard to take something like this seriously.

"ah!" the tree barked, staring at him. "you, the glowing one. You have come for my ancient wisdom, right?"

Andy blinked. "uh, sure? I guess we are here for…wisdom?"

Thorn the tree seemed to sigh, or at least Andy imagined it sighed, as its branches dropped slightly. "Of course you are. All mortals seek wisdom from me, the guardian of these woods."

"Right. Totally," Andy said, still not convinced that the tree was real. "bug, uj…how exactly are you supposed to help me?"

The tree's bark cracked, and it somehow looked both proud and annoyed. "you must prove yourself worth before I impart you with my ancient knowledge. First, you must…take care of my bark!" Thorn bellowed, its voice echoed.

Andy blinked. "you are joking."

"I never joke!" thorns voice booked, and Forest seemed to be shaken in response.

Lira was snickering behind him. "oh, this should be a good one."

"wait, a second," Andy said, hovering to the tree's face, his curiosity piqued. "what do you mean, 'care for your bark?"

Thorn branches creaked as it gestured to itself. "my bark is cracked, my branches tried, and my leaves well they are hardly worth mentioning. Only someone who understands the true meaning of maintenance can earn my wisdom."

Andy stared at the tree. What does the maintenance have to do with wisdom?

Lira hovered in place, holding back her laughter. "you are really lucky. There is nothing Andy does better than making an absolute mess."

"Lira, I am serious!" Andy exclaimed, his face a glowing shade of exasperation. "what am u supposed to do here?"

"First, you must tend to my cracked bark!" Thorn repeated, shaking its branches with evident dramatic fashion. "rub it gently and whisper sweet things to it. Apply the oils of the forest, many you have a little chance to pass the test."

"rub your bark?" Andy asked flatly. He wasn't sure if was being pranked or if this tree was just really strange.

Lira floated closer to him. "well, that sounds ridiculous enough to be real."

With a resigned sigh, Andy drifted over to the tree's side, taking a long breath, and touched the bark, it had a strange texture, it was oddly rough, yet there was soft warmth to it. He hesitated for a moment before pressing his form against it.

"gently, wisp!" thorns voice barked out again, making Andy flinch. "you don't want to make it more words."

"I am trying, and please don't say that much loudly, I can hear you," Andy muttered under his breath, giving the brake the most delicate touch he could manage.

After several awkward moments of Andy fumbling around making the situation worse the tree suddenly let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Well, it is not perfect, but I suppose that will do."

Andy floated away in confusion. "that's it? I passed?"

Thorn branches saved in a dramatic flourish. "you didn't break it. Which shows how good you are and that's an achievement in itself. You may not be the widest creature I have met, but I've seen worse."

Lira was struggling to keep from laughing. "congratulations, now I can ask you to massage me regularly."

Andy groaned. "don't expect much from me."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Lira teased. "we are on the right track now, we can go back to more important matters…like figuring out what to do next."

As they floated away, Andy couldn't help but feel that he was forgetting something, well this world is too strange it has been testing him in the weirdest ways possible. But he had passed for now. Who knows what the next test will be?