So what happened next?
Lee went exploring in the woodland to see if the tales were real. Before she had even passed the edge of the forest, she heard voices.
– Sister, have you seen what people have done to the Grove and the Enchanted Glade?!
– And our wonderful School? Where will we teach young dryads now?…
Two young women, their long robes resembling the hue of autumn leaves, emerged from the shadows cast by the trees. “How could anyone really be comfortable walking through the forest in a dress?” Lee was perplexed.
The girls were strikingly identical to one another, with one notable exception. Their hair colours were completely different; one had dazzling copper locks and the other an incredible shade of purple. It was obvious that something was bothering the girls.
– As soon as the protective magic weakened, people entered our lands. They will pay for it!
– Mori, but our forest appeared out of nowhere. Of course they became interested.
– And now, because of these creatures, the magic of the forest is weakening! Let’s cast a spell on them… Wait, who’s that over there?
– My name is Lee. I am very interested in this forest. I want to study it.
– Hello, said the copper-haired girl. I’m Rovana, and this is my sister Morea. We are dryads and protectors of this forest.
– Why are you being so nice to her? She wants to explore the forest? Great! Let’s show her the mountains of empty bottles in the Magic Grove…
– But…
– …and a pile of trash next to the scorched earth at the Enchanted Glade. I think they call it “cultural recreation.”
– There is no excuse for this, but it can be fixed! Not all people are careless about nature!
The tranquility of the Forest dwellers is disrupted. There is danger looming over the start of the new academic year at Dryad School. It is essential to restore the Forest. Nonetheless, Morea intends to exact vengeance on the people before anything else.
– Are we just going to walk through the forest and pick up trash?! No, people need to be punished, and I will do it! Hard times call for hard measures. I’m leaving and I will do things my way!
Rovana led Lee deeper into the Enchanted Forest.
Perfumes from decaying leaves wafted through the atmosphere. A rainbow of copper and gold hues glimmered through the trees. Underfoot, the rustling sound of fallen leaves could be heard. As the sun filtered through the treetops, it cast a golden light that resembled flames flickering across the earth. Here, every tree held its own little universe, its own set of mysteries. Moss draped itself like satin around the oak tree trunks. Bent beneath the weight of their golden ornaments, the birches bowed like airborne ballerinas. The firs stayed still, like sentinels, their foliage holding firm even in the dead of winter.
The woodland was devoid of sound, with the sole sound being the rustle of leaves.
– What beauty… Time seems to have stopped here.
– And so it was. But then people came with their transparent boxes and rustling bags. And now technical progress looks at us from under every bush. And here is the Enchanted Glade. Well, or rather, what is left of it. Here the young dryads learned to use magic.
– Wow! Then let’s get it in order!
En route to providing a home and classroom for the fledgling dryads, Lee and Rovana repaired the Enchanted Glade, Magic Grove, School, and Dryad Houses as they ventured more into the forest.
Magic permeates every corner of the Enchanted Forest. It permeates the earth, the air, and the plants. Or rather, it permeated. Eventually, the enchanted plants died out because their power had faded. To bring them back to life and fill the grove with fragrance again, magical elixirs were needed.
– A magic elixir, you say? In our world, all sorts of fertilizers are usually used to improve plant growth.
– Yes, artificial improvers, from which the same artificial plants grow, producing tasteless fruits. No wonder your trees take so long to grow! There is nothing alive in them!
– What do you mean, take so long to grow? Isn’t that the case in your forest? All the trees around us look very old. It must have taken them hundreds of years to grow like that.
– What are you saying! The lands of the dryads are a special place. Here, a century-old oak tree can grow in a week! Let’s bring magic back to the forest, and in a week it will once again be full of magical plants and bright colors!
It only took a small amount of the enchanted elixir to transform a lifeless shrub into a flourishing plant. A myriad of vibrant plants began to populate the woodlands adjacent to Lee and Rovana as time went on. These included purple bushes adorned with brilliant pink blossoms, blue mushrooms towering above the ground, scarlet crystals of an enigmatic mineral, and raspberry trees illuminated by a halo of hidden yellow lights.
A peculiar noise in the vicinity abruptly piqued Rovana’s interest.
– It can’t be, it’s Mori, entangled in vines! How strange! Mori, what happened to you?!
– When I let my anger take over, the magic turned against me. My vines pinned me to the ground, and I had time to think about everything. Now I understand: anger destroys everything in its path. And I will not give in to it again!
– We are so glad that you are back with us! We have almost managed to restore the forest. There is very little left, but we can’t do it without you!
Quick changes occurred in the woodland when the final magical plant, empowered by the elixir, reawakened its life-giving powers.
In a moment, birdsong and other mysterious sounds began to fill the air. The shifting of shadows and enigmatic figures made every nook and cranny feel more alive than before. The smell of decaying leaves mixed with the aroma of magical flowers, creating a unique bouquet. Lee felt as though new dimensions of this enchanted realm were revealed with every stride she took. As she braced herself to confront something remarkable, her heart rate increased. She really did not wish to depart from this location! The joy on the sisters’ faces, though, brought her the greatest joy.
– Just a little more, and the School will open its doors to young dryads again! Lee, thanks to you, a new generation of dryads will learn the wisdom of nature. From now on and forever, you are a friend of our people!
– We taught people to take care of nature! And thanks to this, people and dryads can peacefully coexist. Thank you, friends!
