* Check for word in Glossary
Packed, dressed and ready for adventure were the four cousins that day - except Raju. " Oh, what a glorious morning! "exclaimed Gowri. And indeed it was. The three of them decided to step outside to bask in the sunshine for awhile.
They stared in wonder at the flock of birds who were flying across the sky, and Deva was trying to figure out patterns and figures out of the fluffy clouds (which I am sure is a pastime of many of us, ) while waiting for Raju. Aisha marvelled at at the dew- kissed grass and saw a colony of ants working together to build a nest. Gowri just closed her eyes, sat down , and inhaled deeply, enjoying the cool breeze.
Meanwhile, Raju was busy stuffing his face with breakfast for he had slept late last night and promptly overslept. The impatient Deva, started poking around in the soil only to be told off by Aisha for 'destroying periyamma's* garden' apparently.
Finally finished, Raju came out and before he could feel the breeze, everyone else pushed him in , eager to start exploring. They rushed to the girls' room and pushed on the wall with all their might. Before you could say ' Delicious chicken briyani * ' ,they were in the magical place already.
They were pleasantly surprised to find it extremely hot there, although it had been snowing the day before. They went in further and soon took off all their layers of clothes until they were left with just their shirts and pants only. Beads of sweat trickled down their faces but nobody complained. It was a silent trip, occasionally broken with the cries of " Look, there's a squirrel! " or " Awww....what a cute rabbit! " and soon everyone was talking at once.
They reached a forest, and everyone grew quiet. You know the feeling when you know that something more superior than you is towering above you, and with a majestic forest in front of them, the children were spellbound.
After a while, Gowri asked what everyone was thinking." Should we go in? " she asked. Aisha and Raju nodded their heads. " Yes, let's go. " they answered. Gowri agreed. Deva was stammering, " Um....I suppose we could..,if we have to ..should we...eat? " he asked ,trying to change the subject. " No way ! " came the reply of Aisha. " You just had breakfast! " she exclaimed. " Oh do stop bickering ,you two. " Gowri tried to make peace. Upon hearing this, Raju added, " Let's go in! " and went in without waiting for replies. The others stood, unsure of what they'd find. But eventually, everyone- including Deva, found themselves walking in.
Thick mist covered the forest, and the equally thick silence hung in the air. Deva shuddered. ' What a dark place' he thought. " I feel so dreary and sad. " he said to the others. The others felt the same. Unlike earlier, there was no animals, no weird plants or anything for a matter of fact. 'What a desolate area' thought Gowri. And indeed it was, but let's not go into the details.Fortunately, they spotted a bright light shining its way through the dark forest.
It turned into a sizzling ball of energy - that could actually be seen. It fizzled and sparkled, causing everyone to take a step back except for Deva, who looked like he wanted to run away. " What is that thing?" asked Aisha, puzzled. " I'm not sure. But I think that we should just stay close and trust in this land- wherever we are. " suggested Raju. " After all, there must be a reason why it brought us here. " he added.
" G-g-g-good id-d-dea. " stammered Deva, looking pale. Gowri and Aisha agreed. Raju was the oldest, and he was sensible, unlike somebody. The ball of energy started getting brighter and brighter every second, making them all shield their eyes. When it reached its peak of brightness, it turned into a person with a "poof! ".
Deva was the first to open his eyes. " Aahhh! " he screamed. " Who are you? " he asked, slowly. " Good day, kind people. " said the person, unalarmed. ( He had gotten used to people having that reaction.) " I am a wizard. An excellent one, if I do say so myself. I am The Great Wizard Neil, but you may call me Neil for short. " he introduced himself, bowing gracefully. " Wow. " said Aisha. " I can't believe this. " she said. " Neither can I , " said Gowri." so, you are a real wizard?" she confirmed. " where are we? " asked Raju.
" Yes, I am. The wand, the pointy hat, really, can't you guess? " replied the wizard, offended. " How old are you? 100? " asked Deva, who taught that this wizard was like the old wizards in the movies. "No, no, I am just 20 years young." Neil chuckled. " I am here to find 4 children, 2 girls, 2 boys, cousins, who will be the Kings and Queens of this majestic land, Maromir. said Neil.
The others smiled. Aisha was puzzled. ' Is it us? ' she wondered. Gowri smiled at her. Raju rolled his eyes, impatiently looking at Aisha. Deva gave a long sigh. Finally, Aisha understood. " Oh, is it us? " she asked Neil. " Of course! Can you see any other people here?" exclaimed Neil." We need to move, time is running out. Chalo, chalo*, let's go!" he called.
Excellent piece of work!! I am looking forward to the next part!!!
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