The Green Guardian

Chapter 1: The Fairy and the Basilisk

"Nice to meet you, Sam." Autumn hugged her basket to her chest. She missed being a kid. Sam had no idea how lucky he was.

***

As a precaution, Sam kept the pebble in his hand. The forest grew even more beautiful the further he trekked. He walked through meadows of pink, yellow, and purple flowers and lime-green grass. His head overflowed with the plants' enchanting scents. Little by little, he started to see berry bushes. Most were clumped together in rows. Before Sam knew it, berries surrounded him in all compass directions. He passed a hill to reach them. There was an opening in the treetops above, so speckles of sunshine bounced off each bush.

The trees stared him down.

Sam stepped into a circle of berries and took off his bag. He set it down next to his ankle and placed the pebble on top of it. He went to every bush. Each one had different-colored berries. Sam tried as many as he could. Just like Autumn said, they were delicious. Not only that, but the berries were magic. They gave the eater a temporary magical power.

Sam popped a pink, banana-shaped one in his mouth. It tasted like freshly picked strawberries. "That was epic!" he said.

Curious birds and squirrels watched him from their branches.

The little boy reached for another berry, but he gasped when a gale appeared under him. Like a cannonball shot from a cannon, it threw him into the sky. "Whoa!" Sam said. Before he knew it, he floated over the whole forest. His eyes caught a cluster of treehouses further away. That was Paperblank Village. The houses ranged in size from small, medium, and tall. The afternoon sun glistened over each house's leafed roof. It made for quite an enthralling picture.

Sam was beyond amazed. He studied the blanket of trees under him and grinned a stupid grin. Only a little bit later, the gale escorted him back down to the same berry patch. He landed gently and instantly tried another one. It was purple with black seeds. Its shape was that of a raspberry. The sweet yet sour taste melted on his tongue. Excited, Sam clapped his hands together. Right when he did, he turned invisible. "Whoa, this is sick!" he said. "I love these berries!"

The animals seemed to laugh. A few squirrels rolled around on their backs, and the birds hid behind their wings.

Except, the fun didn't last for long. Something startled the forest creatures. The squirrels made haste to hide in knotholes, and the birds disappeared behind leaves. They sensed danger. No one was safe, not even the mysterious visitor.

Sam reappeared as his normal self, and he groaned. "Aw, I liked being invisible."

Rustling came from some bushes outside his circle. Just hearing it, Sam instantly lost his smile. "Who's there?" He quickly picked up his bag and the pebble. The young boy pushed through the berry patch he had been playing in and tiptoed toward the noisy plants. Before he could even say, "Nay," the world crashed on his shoulders.

An enormous shadow rose out of the bushes, engulfing Sam in an extended shadow that stretched across the area. Familiar red eyes bore into his soul.

The serpent had to be at least twenty feet long. It looked like a cobra, but horns stuck up on its head. Its body was brown and covered in rough scales and spikes. It also had two tails. Each was long and built to squeeze the life out of prey. A cloud of smoke was visible deep in its throat.

Before Sam could scream, before Sam could run, a seven-foot-tall man ambushed him. He looked like a hunter–a hunter with one dead eye. His top was a little big for him, but his stretchy, black pants and fingerless gloves were just right. His muscles were big enough for a superhuman. He thrusted his hands around Sam's neck and slammed him up against a tree. "Where's Euphorbia?" the man spat in his booming voice.