In one of his trips to Fantasia, Bastian found an island far from the Ivory Tower or the land of the Plains People. He was alone on this journey, except for the luck dragon that he was riding on. Moon Child was to always to stay in the Ivory Tower (a captive of her position), so she was never to join on his adventures. Furthermore, at the moment, his only other friend, Atreyu was back with his people. Atreyu was receiving, as you read this, the ritual of his people that meant he was now a man. There would be no more time for senseless journeys or childish adventures. Atreyu was to marry, create new hunters and hunter bearers, hunt, gather, grow old, and die a death befitting a hunter.
Bastian had come to accept that this is how things worked in certain parts of Fantasy. Though it seemed to coincide with how Earthling areas treated their people. Bastian guessed that, since Fantasia was created of Earthling imagination, as children grew up the reality of their world leaked into their imagination. That was a sad thought to Bastian at times. This world that he loved was caught in a state of limbo. However, as long as the creatures there never understood that then it was not as depressing as it seemed.
The island that Bastian and Falkor had found was beautiful. It had everything kind of physical feature that Bastian could think of. There were rivers, forests, plains, mountains, hills, caverns, waterfalls, cliffs, lakes, vineyards, orchids, valleys, and more in this seemingly small island. From the air, Bastian had saw only a couple of magical creatures on this island. Although it seemed that the main inhabitance all seemed Earth-like.
How was this to be? Fantasia was a world made from human imagination. What kind of child would create an island of Earthly beings? There had to be something different about this place that he just could not see from the air.
"Falkor, where are we?"
"I do not know. I have only been as far as you or Atreyu have taken me."
Bastian decided that he was going to go meet with one of the seemingly Earthling creatures and see if they were what they seemed. Bastian had Falkor land in a clearing in the woods. Bastian climbed down off of Falkor and landed on the greenest grass he had ever seen.
"Falkor, can you find a place to stay? Someplace where you are safe, but you can see or hear me if there is danger?"
"I can fly above and look for a place to stay and you have Auryn. Just make the wish and I will be there."
"That is right. I forget the power I hold."
"It is not just power, Bastian. It is a responsibility."
"Ok, Falkor. I will send for you when I am ready."
Falkor flew off thinking that he should not have mentioned Auryn. When Bastian thought about the power he held he felt like he was invincible and like everyone should bow to his whim. This was not the best way to feel about one's self when meeting beings one knows nothing about. Falkor felt a sense of guilt for reminding Bastian about Auryn.
After Bastian watched Falkor take to the air he began to look around at his surroundings. If not for Falkor reminding him that he had the Auryn in his power, he would have been terrified to start his exploration. Although instead he was quite confident that he could survive the worst that this land had to offer. The, now cocky, little boy started to walk toward a large group of trees. The trees were taller than Falkor was when he stood on his back feet and if ever saw a luck dragon you would understand how tall that was.
There was a seemingly small area between the clearing where Bastian was and the trees that he was trying to reach. However, as Bastian walked he realized that there was far more distance than he thought. As he walked he started to think of his mother and garden that she used to spend hours in. Also, as much as it hurt him, he couldn't help to think of how every Friday after school he would take a handful of her favorite flowers to her grave. As those thoughts faded, Bastian was about to, without ever knowing it, learn one of the secrets of this land.
The first thing he stumbled upon in this place, and I mean stumbled over, was a large square gray rock. The grass felt like soft flower peddles as he fell upon it. The only thing that hurt on him was his right ankle from where it had hit the rock. Bastian could have sworn that the rock had appeared straight out of nowhere. He also thought that so did the field of flowers that now surrounded him.
"What is going on here?... Was this all here moments ago?... I don't believe it was."
Bastian's mind raced with thoughts for a moment, but soon the thoughts subsided and he gave into his surroundings. In his mind now it was as if the garden had always been there. He was at the moment intrigued by the rock that had tripped him. He sat up and rubbed his ankle for a moment and then looked over at the rock. He scooted over to it and removed the brightly colored flowers off the top of it. There were carvings in the rock. Bastian thought that he should understand what the carvings said. However, his mind could not find the meaning of the cravings.
"I know I know these cravings. They spell out something. I know it. If only I could think clearly."
Again, Bastian's mind raced with thoughts for moments and then he looked up. He saw the tall trees and decided (again) for the first time that he had to find what was hiding in those trees.
