The Wonderful Wood

The Lunar Locket

"How long have you been searching for me?" asked Ethan as he took his mother's hand.

"Ever since you were lost. It is nearly twelve years now," she said, gently squeezing her hand. "I would like to take you to my palace, your home."

"Yes, I would love to come! But we are on a mission!" said Ethan looking at Drizzlemister and Diana. Then he told everything that had happened since the dragon had come out of the notebook.

She listened carefully. Then she nodded her head and said, "yes, you should finish what you started, you have my blessings. Here, take this," she said, taking a silver sting from her hand and tying it on his hand.

"Now, wherever you go, I will be able to find you!" said the moon maiden smiling. "Farewell, son, I know you are in good hands."

Then she walked back into the lake and raised her hand, and a cloud descended from the sky and engulfed her and floated upwards and drifted into the sky.

Ethan watched as the cloud floated off into the distance. He touched the silver string. It glittered in the moonlight. He felt tired as they went back to the camp. He fell asleep as soon as he got to his tent.

Then he suddenly woke up feeling something against his leg. He sat up and looked around. Then he felt something vibrating inside his pocket. He put his hand inside and found that it was the locket. He took it out. It was glowing gold. "Open the locket!" said a voice from inside.

Ethan opened the locket, and inside was the woman he had seen in the mirror at the Honey-bee inn."

 "I came to talk to you, just to warn you. You will face great perils once you enter the wood. Be on your guard because you will be facing magical and non-magical creatures."

"Is it the wizard's doing?" asked Ethan, remembering the wizard from the village.

"Yes. It is. The wizard has friends and allies everywhere. The wood is where most of them live. If they know you are against him, they will try to stop you and do whatever it takes to stop you."

"I will tell Drizzlemister about it. I think he can handle it," said Ethan, remembering how Drizzlemister dealt with all the threats they faced so far.

"I would also like to congratulate you on becoming the monarch of the Marsh kingdom," she said smiling. "Would you like to learn some magic?"

"Yes. I would love to," said Ethan, remembering how he had seen Drizzlemister and Diana do magic. "Do you think I can?"

"Of course you can. Only true magical beings can communicate with the departed."

"Alright. Let's do this," said Ethan making up his mind. "What do I need to do?"

"First, take out the ring you have with you," said the maiden in the locket.

"Yes. I will," said Ethan and fished in his pocket and found the ring he had got and the village of Honeycomb.

"Remember that you can use the ring as a channel to direct your powers," said the maiden. Now slip on your ring."

Ethan slipped it on. "Now what?" he asked, looking at the ring on his finger.

"The first lesson is to slide off your ring without touching it," said the maiden in the locket.

"Ok, let's try it," said Ethan, looking at the ring.

"Ok, now concentrate on the ring," said the maiden in the locket.

"Yes, I am. I'm only thinking about it."

"Now. picture it that it is sliding in your mind."

"Yes. Alright."

Instantly the ring began to slide on his finger. It slid on to the edge of his finger. "Now what?" he asked as the ring reached the tip of his finger.

"Now imagine it slipping off your finger and staying suspended in the air!"

"Ok, here goes," said Ethan closing his eyes and picturing the ring floating in mid-air.

"Good, keep practising this, and you will get faster and better at it.

"Alright, let me try it all over again," said Ethan and pictures the ring slipping off his finger and floating in mid-air. When he opened his eyes, sure enough, the ring was floating in mid-air!"

"This is so cool," said Ethan looking at the ring suspended in mid-air as if someone was dangling it by an invisible string.

"Now, try to move the ring back and forth."

Ethan imagined the ring moving backwards and forwards, and the ring moved so.

"This is even cooler. Shall I try to move it in circles?" asked Ethan giggling.

'Yes, you may practice moving it however you like!"

"Ok, all right," said Ethan and imagined the ring shooting high up into the air and falling back down and hovering just a few feet above the ground. The ring moved just as he thought.

"Excellent, you are a fast learner, bravo!' said the lady clapping her hands.

"Thank you," said Ethan as he imagined the ring slipping back to his finger. He yawned. "I feel sleepy," he said, yawning.

"Yes. I think my time is up too. The sun will be coming up soon. You best catch a shut-eye before it does. I wish you could luck, Ethan!"

"Thank you, Miss...you never told me your name!" he said, realising it for the first time.

"In life, I was known as Kia. In death, names don't make a difference!"

"I'll call you Miss Kia nevertheless," said Ethan bowing.

"It has been a pleasure teaching you!" said Kia, and her images faded off.

"It has been mine learning," said Ethan as he shut the pendant.

"It has been mine learning," said Ethan as he shut the pendant. He put the pendant inside his pocket.

He looked up at the sky. The sky was beginning to turn pale. The stars were fading, and he went into the tent and lay down on his sleeping bag. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep. He dreamed of the moon maiden his mother. He wondered when he would see her again.