Chapter 2

Dad. Who took him? What was worse than a boggin? Was this the new threat that all t he leaf men were looking for?

MK was distracted by the sound of tiny wings and a tapping at her window. She looked up to see a hummingbird with a tiny figure riding upon it. "Ronin!". She opened the window and along with the leaf men leader four other bird riding leaf men soared in,one accompanying the queen."Your majesty?" She slid on a communication helmet.

"Hello MK, sorry about all this."said the Queen." Would you like to grab some personal items before we go?"

MK packed a backpack with bathroom items, a few changes of clothes and a family picture from when she was little and walked back downstairs. "What about Ozzie?" she asked. Ronin twisted his head looking disgustedly at the slobbery mutt, but the Queen smiled and said,"Of course Ozzie is coming too." MK grabbed a bag of dog treats and couple days worth of dog food."Okled, I'm ready."

They walked outside and after a moment , MK felt a force as light as a feather wash over her from head to toe. She opened her eyes and looked up to the now gigantic house and towering steps.

"Welcome back!" said the Queen. MK smiled at her. "Alright,not time for pleasantries, you're with me."Said Ronin and he helped MK saddle the bird."Hold tight." he muttered and they were soaring through the air. She had really missed flying, it was so freeing, thrilling and made her feel lighthearted. She let herself drift back to dreams she had, flying with Nod under a full moon and endless stars, a stolen kiss maybe under a private tree. She stopped daydreaming. "Why didnt Nod come?" she asked Ronin. "Nod was, put on another charge. He wasn't thrilled but it was were he was needed most. He shook his head and then sped up so there wasn't much opportunity for talking.

Soon they landed and dismounted the birds, coming to the base of and enormas( even in stomper height it was huge) oak tree. Ronin and the guards walked Mk and the Queen to the base of the great tree, walked through an arc formed by the trees roots that led underground. ?'This is the heart of the forest, and my home, the underground palace."

The underground place was beautiful, made of the trees roots, it looked like they had grown in the shape of a structure worthy only of fairytales."Magic exsists everywhere in nature, it's not just a coincidence." the queen said smiling at MK. "We're going to the great room to talk to the other leaf men , then I'll show you where you'll be staying, MK." The queen took her hand and led her down a hallway to the right. The hallways were lit with small floating orbs that a sunflower man was tending to. He formed an orb shape in his hands, lifted it up along the wall, the higher it rose, the brighter it shone."Wow!" MK said. The flower man smiled at her,"Everyone serves a purpose,"he said and went on about his job. When they arrived at the great room there was about twelve other leaf men seated around a table,none of them was there were all seated , Ronin started to speak, "MK there's a new threat to the forest. One worse than Mandrake or the boggins. This threat kidnapped your father because he knew so much about our society, which has been hidden to them for some time."

"So they thought my Dad could lead them here?"mk asked

"Yes,"he replied,"we believe if you had been there you would have been taken also." Mk shook her head,"So, they're powerful, they have powers like the queen, power to bring us here." Ronin nodded."This one behind it, is Queen Terras sister. Her twin. We age differently than humans, Terra had been Queen for about 100 human years, we thought her twin had died."

"Wait,"said MK, "I thought the Queens were chosen, not born with powers.

"True,but Queen Terra and Elra were so much alike, two bodies sharing one soul, they were both choosen to rule, but Elra's heart turned cold from power and she tried to kill Terra. Terra was strong enough to defeat her, and banish her from the kingdom, but she didn't have it in her to destroy her sister." Ronin looked down to the table at his folded hands."We've been trying to locate her, but everytime we get close, she slips need to protect you because you know som much about us, she will use it against you. If you're here, you're safe. You have a bigger target on your back since N- ahh since you've actually been among us before. Until we defeat her and find your father you must stay in the city." MK nodded