CHAPTER TWO – AWAKENING
Vitani slowly opened her eyes and squinted at the intruding light. She looked around and did not find any familiar surroundings.
"Where am I?" she asked softly.
She tried to remember how she had gotten there, but all that came to her mind was her name and the word 'water'. Vitani looked down and noticed her body was adorned in a silky and flowing blue dress. The smooth feel of the material intimately caressed her skin and made her feel weightless.
Vitani rose to her feet and stumbled on the first couple steps. She observed the unfamiliar terrain. Everything looked really defined, almost as if she could see every molecule that made up the world around her. The land was open and stretched as far as she could see with a few trees places sporadically here and there. In the distance was the outline of a large building.
Maybe someone there can help me, she thought.
Vitani began to walk towards the structure. It was hard to tell how far it really was, but she figured the journey could give her some time to think. As she walked the grass tickled at the soles of her feet and the smell of flowers lightly permeated the air.
After a good amount of steps, a tree rich with apples came into view. They glistened brightly, their red color calling to her. Vitani approached, but then froze when she noticed an odd creature beneath the tree. It was green with a large, bulbous nose and wide eyes. It stood on two feet with what appeared to be shoes covering them.
Vitani laughed lightly at its appearance. The creature also had rather short arms and she wondered how it could possibly harvest the luscious fruit above. It looked up and locked its gaze on an apple a few feet above where it stood. The creature opened its mouth and its tongue stretched the distance. She watched in amazement as the appendage enveloped the fruit and the creature swallowed it whole.
Vitani was perplexed because she had never seen a being act in such a manner. Cautiously, she approached the little green creature. Upon approaching, she accidentally stepped on a fallen branch which cracked loudly. The beast looked up and let out a surprised squeak and looked like it was ready to flee.
Vitani held up her hands. "I'm not here to hurt you," she said gently. "I was wondering if you could help me. See that place in the distance?" She pointed towards the outline. "Could you help me get there?"
The creature squeaked again and nodded before jumping up and speaking. "Yoshi!"
"Yoshi?" Vitani questioned. "Is that your name?" The creature now known as Yoshi nodded and gestured towards its back. "You want me to get on your back?" Yoshi nodded again.
Vitani approached and gently stroked Yoshi's head. She lifted the bottom of her dress to free her legs and carefully seated herself upon its back. "Okay," she said hesitantly. "Please be careful. First time rider." She laughed nervously at the last part.
Yoshi took a few steps to get used to the weight then started into a trot. Vitani squealed and laughed at the new experience as she bounced on Yoshi's back. They began down a well-beaten path at a steady pace and soon came to a river that to Vitani looked impossible to cross.
"So what now?" she asked. Yoshi looked at her and gestured to its back again. "Don't tell me we're going through that!" Yoshi shook his head and crouched down before he leaped across the river in one jump and landed with a soft thud. Vitani looked at him in disbelief of the fact that they had made it in one piece and were not soaked, but then again, she had already witnessed this creature's unusually dexterous tongue. Yoshi squeaked and continued on the path.
The figure of the building approached closer as they journeyed on. The worn grass path had turned to a dirt road. In the distance, more creatures grazed in the distance. They looked just like the one she sat upon, but they varied in color. Amongst them the field was littered with small spotted eggs. She watched as one hatched and another Yoshi joined the pack.
A short brown creature soon stumbled into their path. Its body was almost mushroom shaped with big eyes. Its feet were rather small in comparison to its body and it did not have arms. A pair of fangs protruded from its lips which glistened with saliva. Before Vitani had much of a chance to react, Yoshi stuck out its tongue and swallowed the thing whole. She shrugged and dismissed it.
The path turned to cobblestone as the building finally came into view. Vitani gasped at its enormous size. It wasn't just any building, but a large castle with three large tiers, the middle with a stain glass window that depicted a blonde woman clad in pink holding a rose.
A shadow appeared and cloaked the area. Vitani looked up to see a giant airship hovering above them. Yoshi squeaked nervously and she patted his head. "Come on, let's get inside."
Yoshi quickly carried her up to the elegant doors and Vitani climbed off his back. "Will you stay with me for now?" she asked. Yoshi squeaked as Vitani opened the door and he followed her inside the castle.
