Chapter 3: The Cryll Valley

A Chapter by JLit

Landing on the top of the hill gave us a view of a beautiful forest beneath. There was no snow, and the green and rose leafs were shining in the bright rising sun.

“Thank you, my friend!” said Ehram, bowing to the coachman who was about to leave.

Aro nodded, glancing in my direction, “I hope he is what you hoped for, my friend.” The horses straighten their wings and rose to the skies, taking the forest dweller with them.

“I thought the Gathering took place in a valley…” I said, confused by the green treetops below.

“You are right,” said the wizard, following the riverbed path descending to the foot of the hill. I followed him quickly. As we reached the bottom, I saw a small meadow, clearly not big enough for the event I was described.

“Only a few men could fit here,” I stated the obvious.

Smiling, the wizard muttered something under his breath.

“Welcome to the Cryll Valley, Charles Whimpton!”

My vision got blurry as the meadow started stretching. Within moments, it was so large it seemed to continue forever. Behind us two marble columns grew right out of the ground, and the iron gates unwrapped and closed the gap between them. Hundreds of colorful tents appeared in the fields in front of the gates, all the way to the Great Lake on the horizon. Above the roofs, dynasty flags proudly displayed generations of wizards and their powers. Loud joyful music was coming from the ships cruising the crystal waters of the Lake. Their sails sparkled in the bright morning sun like diamonds.

Among the tents, tall as pine trees, Giants were setting up large rainbow pavilions that would soon serve refreshments and condiments.

“You are out of danger here,” said Ehram. “I have to leave you to inform the Council we have arrived. But I will give you a guide.”

He waved to someone in the distance, and shortly after I saw a hummingbird approach us. When the bird got closer, I realized that I was looking at a real fairy, dressed in a rosy translucent dress, rapidly flapping her golden shimmering wings.

“This is Miss Miya,” Ehram introduced the fairy to me. “She is the head of the guides.”

“Good morning!” the little creature welcomed me in a high-pitched voice. “Please, follow me as we walk through many interesting parts of the valley. But be cautious - although the Giants are very careful, it is better not to place yourself under their feet.”

Although I desperately wanted to talk to Ehram about why the spell was cast on me, I realized it had to wait. I followed the fairy into the picturesque Cryll Valley, surrounded by the oak trees. The anticipation of the coming spring was in the air, and the excitement was growing all around. Miss Miya pointed in the distance, and sounding like a real tour guide, pronounced, “To your right you will see Elizabeth’s red tent, and a colorful rainbow beside it. Anyone who steps inside the rainbow will see the world as the fairies see it. Thousands of flowers and butterflies will surround you, and the most enchanting music will fill your heart!” I almost made a turn towards the rainbow, but my tiny guide kept moving forward.

“To your left we see Gideon playing his magical violin.”

I saw the man she referred to, but heard no sound coming from his instrument.

“You can only hear the music if you are in the same mood as Wizard Gideon himself,” Miss Miya answered my unspoken question. She gracefully bowed to the wizard, and he waived in return.

“Our next stop is the Dinning Pavilion. Ehram suggested that you eat as much as you can for this day is going to be long.”

We walked inside a large tent with a sign “EAT HERE”. I stopped by the entrance, not willing to believe my eyes. A huge boar, wearing an apron and a chef’s hat, was standing in the middle of the tent. Several smaller pigs were running around him, carrying out his orders. The aroma was absolutely delicious, and my mouth watered.

The boar turned to us, and yelled, “Ah! Come in, come in! You are our first customers!”

He turned to a passing by piglet, “You. Get a table ready. Put two plates and silverware, and this time don’t forget the napkins!”

The piglet rushed to the set of shelves housing clean plates, grabbed two, and immediately dropped one of them, breaking it into small pieces.

“Not to worry, little one!” said Miss Miya, flying over to the little guy whose eyes filled with tears. She circled the broken plate several times, covering it with her gold dust, and the pieces moved towards each other, and re-attached themselves. The plate rose up in the air, and landed on a cart going to the dishwasher.

The piglet smiled through his watery eyes, and happily ran away to prepare a table for us.

“Thank you, Miss…?” said the Boar who observed the whole scene.

“Miss Miya,” my guide introduced herself. “And this here is Sir Charles Whimpton, a human historian who will be writing the Chronicles of Lukzor.”

“You are The Chosen One!” exclaimed the Boar. “It is an honor to finally meet you! My name is Dominique, and I would like to prepare something special for my special guests!” He turned around, and ran into the kitchen. I heard screeching behind the closed kitchen doors, as Dominique ruled his pot and pan kingdom.

I sat down in a soft chair at a table, and sipped the ice cold drink that one of the waiters brought out. My thirst was quenched almost immediately, and I felt peaceful and relaxed. Miss Miya, who landed on the top of the table across from me, was drinking hot chocolate from a tiny cup.

“The mixture in your glass will calm your nerves,” she said to me. “It is made out of the Quil flower that has tranquil properties.”

Soon, Chef Dominique brought out his famous dish, a seaweed crêpe with lemon mousse. I have to admit that it did not sound nor look appetizing, but I had no choice but to try it. As soon as I put the food on the tip of my tongue, something wonderful happened – it tasted heavenly, and melted like ice-cream. Dominique was so pleased to see my reaction that he danced and swirled, and clapped.

We soon left the Dinning Pavilion, full, calm, and happy, with the entire chef’s entourage waiving good bye to us.

We approached the center of the valley, occupied by a large pile of dry branches, when Miss Miya explained in a melodious voice:

“This is a magical bonfire. You can fit hundreds of men around it, and everyone can see everyone else as if they were sitting next to each other.”

Intrigued, I tried to walk around the seemingly small fire pit. The more I walked, the wider it grew. Before long, seeing no end in sight and giving up, I sat down on a log, not far from where I started. Miss Miya landed next to me, smiling.

“There are a lot of spells around us,” she said, “The Cryll Valley is a forest, but today the Forest Dwellers asked the oak trees to move to make room for the tents.”

In a distance, I saw a lonely young oak tree trying to dig its roots out of the ground. Stumbling, the tree finally succeeded, and ran to the valley bank.

“There is a stream flowing through the Cryll Valley, and it is being moved as well,” Miss Miya pointed to the group of children by the riverbed. They were slowly walking towards the Great Lake, holding the head of the ringing stream above their heads. The stream’s tale followed behind, changing its path with every step and splashing the water droplets all around.

“A spell of silence was placed on all the forest creatures today, so you can only hear the wizards’ tales,” she continued listing the magical powers around us. “But the most powerful spell was placed on the Supremacy of Time.” Seeing my surprised expression, she explained, “Tonight will be the longest night of the year. The Time will stand still until those who wish had a chance to speak.”

The night finally fell on the Cryll Valley. The wizards were situating themselves around the fire, speaking in soft voices, not rushing, but not lingering. Tiny shimmering fairies provided enough light to show everyone to their places. Miss Miya took me to a carved bench covered with plush pillows and throws. A transparent net hung around it to protect its occupant from the night creatures. Mine was the only seat with an ivory table, with sheets of white parchment and a collection of fine feather pens, waiting for me to use them.

“Are you The Chosen One?” I heard someone say.

Looking down, I saw several blue-haired gnomes rushing between the benches serving pialas with aroma teas. One of them stopped before me, studying me with an amazed expression in his round blue eyes – he had never seen a human before.

“I guess,” I nodded.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said, offering me a piala. “If you need anything, call me. My name is Skitt.” Skitt’s surprisingly large serving tray contained all different sizes of drinking vessels – from miniscule cups for fairies to huge, the size of my head, jars for Giants.

“Although I would imagine a person with your powers does not need anything!” he added with a wink.

I took a piala, and the gnome rushed away, disappearing behind the bench.

“Ehram will be sitting next to you,” Miss Miya reported, “do not be hesitant to ask him anything.”

I looked to my right, hoping to ask Ehram the question that was bothering me for the whole day - why was I placed under the spell - but saw the old wizard getting ready to speak.

“Friends,” Ehram rose up from his seat, fondling with his long white beard, “Welcome! Today will be a life-changing day for all of us, as we reveal our secrets and share our knowledge. Today is the annual gathering of Lukzor’s most powerful and influential creatures. We know that wizards of the South brought the stories of combat, courage, and fearlessness, and the wizards of the North will speak of love, kindness and compassion. Let us put our disagreements aside and learn from each other. I would also like to inform you that Lukzor’s new historian, Sir Charles Whimpton, stands ready to narrate the chronicles.”

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