“There was an elven village, known as The Root Village, located in an oak grove.
The ancestors of the elven believed that oak trees could connect generations, so they regarded this place as their root, and named the village “Root Village”.
Every elven family lived in one of the oak trees, as they were as tiny as mushrooms. Wonderfully, they were born to have magical abilities. Is that amazing?
They loved Root Village and their lives there. That was the reason sunny smiles were always hanging on their faces. Would you like to visit them? I believe they will greet you with open hands, joyfully with twinkling eyes.”
Emi got up very early today and finished breakfast quickly. Because she had received a letter from Grandpa Matthew, she knew he would be back today. Grandpa Matthew said he would take her and her good friends, Daisy and Chilli, on an adventure. But he, as always, would keep the place a secret, not telling them in advance where they were going. He hoped the adventure would be a mystery gift for them.
Grandpa Matthew and Grandma Anna loved to travel, so they often visited different places. Since Grandma Anna passed away ten years ago, Grandpa Matthew has travelled around the world more frequently. But he occasionally returned to visit Emi and her family. He loved to take Emi to explore different places to gain new experiences and happy memories.
Emi, Daisy and Chilli all liked to travel with Grandpa Matthew, especially Chilli, because he hoped to travel around like Grandpa Matthew when he grew up. So, they couldn’t wait for the journey. Like flying birds, they all rushed from their home to the “Oak House”, the house of Archmagician Matthew.
Grandpa Matthew is also known as Archmagician Matthew, since he is the most powerful magician in Root Village. All magicians can draw magic circles from the ground to increase mana and summon magical animals. Still, archmagicians can also draw magic circles from water and air, as well as summon stronger magical animals. Moreover, when Archmagician Matthew was young, he bravely used magic to repel a huge harpy eagle. Therefore, everyone deeply respected him.
Even so, Archmagician Matthew, just like his heroic story, was mysterious and fascinating to the villagers. It was because many people had rarely met him or had never met him. However, for Emi and her friends, Archmagician Matthew was a very kind grandfather whom Daisy and Chilli called Grandpa Matthew, not Archmagician Matthew. Whenever they meet Grandpa Matthew, they will run forward to hug him enthusiastically.
Today at the “Oak House”, they were hugging Grandpa Matthew tightly, since they hadn’t seen each other for eight months. The children longed for Grandpa Matthew very much!
Grandpa Matthew stretched out his hands to hug them as well and said with joy:
“Emi, Daisy and Chilli, you have all grown up a lot! Have you encountered anything wonderful recently?”
Chilli was the first to share how his wooden sword was lost and recovered. Daisy said that she saw a black deer one day, and Emi said:
“I dreamed that I ate my mother’s strawberry tart, and that day’s afternoon tea was really strawberry tart! It’s a wonderful coincidence like seeing the rainbow!”
“Really? Then my Emi seems to have foresight!” said Grandpa Matthew happily.
“But only once!” Emi pouted.
Daisy’s eyes sparkled: “Grandpa Matthew, does precognitive magic really exist?”
Grandpa Matthew thought for a while and replied, “I don’t know, probably? There are still many unknown and unexplored aspects in the world.”
Emi’s eyes widened, and she said, “Dad also seems to have the ability to foresee.
He is always ready for us when my mother and I need anything!”
Chilli said curiously: “Could it be that Mr Fuller can foresee?”
Mr Fuller was Emi’s father, because their surname was Fuller, so everyone called him Mr Fuller.
“That’s the ability to be a husband and father!” Grandpa Matthew smiled and touched the heads of Emi and Chilli.
Chilli thought for a moment and said, “Okay, I have an idea, let’s see if I have any foresight magic! Let me guess where Grandpa Matthew is taking us today.” Chilli said confidently: “We are going to an island!”
Grandpa Matthew laughed: “Then, let Holly answer for us! Come, sit on Holly’s back! Time to go!”
Holly was Grandpa Matthew’s magical animal, a robin. Grandpa Matthew loved the orange-red feathers on Holly’s chest. Because she was a magical animal, Holly could grow bigger and shrink. Its magical ability is teleportation. Just sit on Holly’s back, and she can take you to a very distant place in a second.
Grandpa Matthew, Emi, Daisy, and Chilli were all sent to a cave by Holly in the blink of an eye. It was a deep cave, so dark that you couldn’t see anything, not even your own palms. Emi, Daisy, and Chilli suddenly arrived in this black hole-like darkness. They couldn’t see each other, but they were not afraid. They trust Grandpa Matthew. In the meantime, Grandpa Matthew quickly jumped off Holly and conjured a magic wand. He tapped the ground lightly three times with his magic wand, and the cave immediately turned into a colourful wonderland.
Grandpa Matthew conjured up magical, glowing fluorite that came in blue, purple, green, and yellow. They were beautifully scattered on the ground, stone walls, and on the cave roof. They emitted a faint light continuously due to Grandpa Matthew’s magic. The cave, which was originally dark, is now flashing with stunning scenery.
Because of the pretty light, they saw the beauty of the cave. There were many pointed pillars around them, even on the top of the cave. There were also downward-pointed pillars that appeared to be suspended.
The pillars were formed of water droplets containing open substances. They slowly dripped from the top of the head. After an unknown number of years, the small water droplets accumulated and solidified into the spired column below. The water droplets continued to drip slowly, and the small pillar below gradually grew taller.
Again, after an unknown number of years, the small pillar would become a large pillar. There were some pillars, which are also combined with the pillars above to form a large pillar connecting the ground and the cave roof.
Now, many of these spired stone pillars were illuminated by colourful light. In front of them is a lake, reflecting the charming colours. Emi and the others also jumped off Holly’s back. They were all fascinated by the gorgeous scenery, with a feeling that was sweetly touching like honey.
Holly had shrunk and landed on Grandpa Matthew’s shoulder. Then, Grandpa Matthew led the kids to the lake, where a small boat was prepared. After they got into the boat, Grandpa Matthew introduced them:
“This is the stalactite cave. Anna and I liked to come here. Once, Anna sang, and it was our precious moment!” Grandpa Matthew said nostalgically.
At this time, Chilli suddenly stood up on the boat and said, “Then I will try singing too! It’s great to be able to sing on such a wonderful lake!”
Chilli loved rivers, seas and lakes, in short, where there was water. Therefore, he was now overjoyed.
Chilli took a deep breath, and when he was about to show his singing voice, Grandpa Matthew said, “Sit down, please, Chilli. It’s dangerous to stand up on the boat!”
Chilli looked at Grandpa Matthew, walked up to him cheerfully, and said, “Take it easy, don’t be afraid.”
Grandpa Matthew became even more nervous when he saw Chilli approaching, because the boat swayed with Chilli’s steps. Grandpa Matthew said anxiously, “Sit down! Chilli!”
Burst!
Chilli suddenly fell into the lake!
Everyone was shocked, but Daisy calmed down first and said:
“Don’t be afraid, Chilli knows how to swim!”
So, Grandpa Matthew, Emi, and Daisy shouted to the lake: “Chilli, swim up.”
Grandpa Matthew was ready to pick up Chilli, but none of them saw him, only the water waves rippling quietly.
Unable to wait, Grandpa Matthew jumped into the lake without saying a word to look for Chilli. Emi and Daisy waited anxiously on the boat. Have Emi and Daisy really been waiting for a long time, or just because they are too anxious? It seemed to them that Grandpa Matthew and Chilli had disappeared for a long time.
Looking at the calm lake, Emi’s eyes began to burst into tears. Daisy didn’t know what to do. What of the magic can be used to help find them? Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of any magic she could use, so she could only hold Emi’s hand and call out to Grandpa Matthew and Chilli helplessly. Emi also called out with her loudest voice, but what her wet eyes saw was that the lake was still quietly calm.
“Chilli!”
“Grandpa Matthew!”
“Chilli, Grandpa Matthew!”
Is it a dream? Emi and Daisy suddenly saw a white dragon flying out of the lake.
They wiped their eyes, trying to see the dragon clearly.
Its body is light pinkish-white, and its shape is as small and curved as a snake’s. But it has two pairs of feet and a short, flat tail. Moreover, A pair of red coral-like things had grown on both sides of the head.
Huh? What about the eyes? Its eyes are as thin as two lines, and you won’t seem to see it looking at you.
Emi and Daisy surprisingly saw that on the back of the white dragon was Grandpa Matthew and Chilli!
Chilli was waving to them joyfully:
“Hi, Emi, Daisy, come up!”
The white dragon flew towards Emi and Daisy. They knew that it would not hurt them because Chilli told them to sit on it. They successfully jumped on the back of the white dragon, as Chilli said.
This is amazing. Just when Daisy wanted to ask about the white dragon, Grandpa Matthew said first:
“Come on, let’s go on a new journey!”
While Grandpa Matthew was speaking, the white dragon had already flown towards the lake. At the same time, a transparent bubble enveloped them, so they could breathe in the water.
Emi and Daisy saw a strange and beautiful world in the lake, which shocked their hearts even more than the stalactite cave on the shore.
This water world is a reflection of the stalactite cave, but it seems to have no end. In other words, the cave roof looks like too far away to touch, as far away as the boundless night sky. The stalactites here also shine with colourful light, but not by fluorite. They emitted brilliant light by themselves, twinkling like shining stars.
Because this was a water world, as the white dragon “flew” that brought the flow of water, the stalactite pillars seemed to be swaying from side to side. Emi thought that they were dancing and greeting them. Around them, there were different types of swimming fish. They had different colours, sizes and shapes, and they were all swimming freely.
“It’s as beautiful as a rainbow!” said Emi with joy.
“Yes, gorgeous and fantastic!” Daisy couldn’t help but say with delight as well.
Grandpa Matthew also smiled happily. He said, “This is the magical world of Olm, he is my friend and Anna!”
“Olm?” Daisy and Emi said in unison.
“It’s him!” Chilli patted the white dragon on the back and introduced it to Emi and Daisy,
“He is Mr Olm. When I fell into the lake, I couldn’t swim up because my left foot cramped. Then Mr Olm appeared. He wrapped me in magic bubbles that allowed me to breathe. Later, Grandpa Matthew came too, and he had a pleasant conversation with Mr Olm……”
Before Chilli finished speaking, Daisy asked: “A pleasant conversation? Can Mr Olm talk?”
Chilli kept nodding, “He can talk, but he only talks to Grandpa Matthew.”
Grandpa Matthew smiled and said, “That’s because he’s shy. Anna and I have been here several times before. We became friends, so he’s willing to talk to me.”
Grandpa Matthew was still laughing happily, but Emi frowned, crossed her hands over her chest, and said:
“Grandpa, had you forgotten about us while talking to your friends? We were very worried about you!”
Grandpa Matthew was most afraid of making Emi angry, so he panicked and apologised like a child:
“I’m so sorry, Sweetheart! There won’t be a next time!”
Emi smiled sweetly at Grandpa Matthew: “It’s okay! I forgive you!”
Mr Olm was not a white dragon, but a cave salamander. Salamanders are creatures that grow in caves. Because they have not been exposed to sunlight for a long time, they cannot see.
Grandpa Matthew said that Mr Olm was a hundred-year-old magical animal, the elder of the elders! He originally had a name, but he forgot it, so Grandpa Matthew called him Mr Olm. Although Mr Olm couldn’t see, he knew that the colourful world would bring happiness. He wanted the fish to be happy, and he also wanted Grandpa Matthew and the others to enjoy this wonderful water world, so he used magic to make this place fantastic.
Emi was very moved after hearing this. She smiled with gentleness and stroked Mr Olm’s back:
“You’re so sweet, Mr Olm. We’re very grateful to you. Thank you for giving us such a memorable experience.”
Chilli and Daisy also said in unison: “Thank you very much, Mr Olm!”
“You’re welcome!” Mr Olm finally spoke.
“Mr Olm has spoken to us, so we are friends now!” Chilli was so happy that he wanted to stand up, but he didn’t dare to do silly things again. It was better to sit properly.
Mr Olm just laughed and continued to lead them on a tour of this magical water world.
The twinkling stalactites became brighter and brighter, and they seemed to faintly hear a song. The singing voice gradually became clearer, very soft and beautiful. But they only heard a few words. After a moment, the singing gradually weakened, then disappeared.
“It’s Anna’s singing.” Grandpa Matthew warmly said, “Olm remembers her singing. He wants to touch my soul.”
Since Emi was a little child, she had known Grandma Anna liked to sing. However, this was the first time she heard Grandma Anna’s voice, because Grandma Anna had passed away before Emi was born.
She hugged Grandpa Matthew and said, “Grandma Anna’s voice is very much like Aunt Christal. Her singing is so pleasant to hear!”
Grandpa Matthew laughed: “Hahaha! It’s the daughter who looks like her mother, so we have to say Christal’s singing is very similar to Anna’s!”
They all laughed. Mr Olm laughed too, and he continued to take them to travel this water world. Even so, the happy time seems to be particularly short. The “Journey of Magical Water World” ends in no time.
Mr Olm sent them back to shore, said goodbye, and returned to the lake without looking back at them. He must still be a little shy, right?
After saying goodbye to Mr Olm, they returned to The Oak House. Surprisingly, their parents, as well as Daisy’s sister Cassia, had all prepared food and drinks waiting for them. Meanwhile, they were planning a reunion party to welcome Grandpa Matthew as well.
Everyone was delighted and talked about their adventure experience during the party.
“I got an idea, why don’t we conjure up a magical world too?” Chilli said excitedly.
“That’s great! But how do we do that?” Emi thought hard and said, “Dad, can you do it?”
Mr Fuller thought for a while and replied, “We can do it if we all do it together.”
Emi jumped up in surprise: “Really?”
“Yes, let’s sing Grandma Anna’s song together.” Mr Fuller said.
After hearing this suggestion, everyone readily agreed. Mrs Glimmer, Daisy’s mother, immediately took out the ocarina she carried with her all the time. She played the song and everyone sang with joy:
“Clear is the sky, gentle the breeze, Little robin in the trees.
Chirping her song, leaves rustle along, Little robin, sing your song.
Golden sun, dusty paths, and the river’s flow,
Stars and moon, mountains deep,
Watch o’er me, while I sleep.”
Their singing was like magic. It made them feel that Grandma Anna was right there gathering with them closely.
The reunion party was absolutely wonderful and amazing for Grandpa Matthew. It’s a moment filled with love and joy. In Emi’s words, it was “as beautiful as a rainbow.”