Chapter 7 is here, though a bit late. Hope everyone likes it.
The Boy's Story Chapter 7: In the Materiwood
Having lost the judges, Cala jumped down from his tree perch to have a look around. He sat down and thought to himself.
'Okay, I'm in the Materiwood south of the castle. For now I'm safe, but that may not last too long. I have with me a map I stole from the palace. I need to get this to the underground resistance HQ ASAP. The Koringwood is east from here, so if I'm going to warn them in time, I'd better start walking.'
And walk he did. The Materiwood was vast, with winding paths and many mazes. For many an hour Cala walked east, having no idea how long the Materiwood would extend. He finally stopped to rest at a clearing.
'Man, what a long walk,' he thought. Cala went to take a drink from a nearby stream when something caught his eye.
A small, glowing orb lit up the clump of trees in front of him. He wandered over and touched the orb. It reared back, then flew off in the opposite direction. Cala decided to follow it.
It led Cala through a great part of the forest for a long while. It even brought him to the clearing again several times, only to continue to run. It always stayed one step ahead of him.
Finally it led Cala to a tunnel that went beneath a large oak tree, where it fizzled out and disappeared. If looked it had wanted him to enter the tunnel. It was very dark, as well as long and winding. But finally Cala reached the end.
In the subterranean grotto, a shining, beautiful fairy resting on a large flower greeting Cala. "Hello, Cala," the fairy spoke. "I am Mati, fairy queen of the forest."
"How do you know my name?" asked Cala.
"I knew you as soon as one of my fairies led you to my lair," replied Mati. "I also know what you want."
"Really. And what might that be?"
"You seek a way to return home, to the world you know. Am I correct?" Mati asked Cala.
"Yeah, that's right," he told her. "Do you know of a way to get me home?"
"There are magical crystals in this world," she began. "Five of them to be exact. They are kept secret by the palace. Only the queen, prince, and judgemaster have knowledge of the crystals.
"The crystals are what binds our reality together. As long as the crystals exist, then this Ivalice will exist. The only way to restore things to their proper place is to destroy each and every crystal."
"That doesn't sound too hard," said Cala.
"Oh, but it is," Mati replied. First you have to find them, and the rift to the crystals opens and closes at random times. Then there are the legendary guards of the crystals, the Totema."
"Totema?" Cala asked.
"The Totema are legendary and ferocious beasts. Each race of Ivalice made one to guard a crystal long, long ago. So long ago that no one even remembers the construction of such beasts. The Totema will guard the crystal at any cost."
"I see," said Cala. "Can you tell me where I can find these crystals?"
"I can not," she told him. "The knowledge has faded from my mind many an eon ago. But I can give you this." Mati moved towards Cala and made several elaborate marks on his left hand.
"This marks you as a friend of the fairies," Mati told him. "Whenever you find a fairy, you have found an ally with this mark. Also, the mark will glow brightly whenever you are near one of the crystals."
Just then a blinding flash of light engulfed Cala instantly. The last words he heard were, "Good luck."
The next thing he knew, he was standing outside the underground headquarters with a map in his pocket and a mark on his left hand.
That ought to do it for Chapter 7. I don't know about you, but I like here this story is going. Please review and check back next Saturday (or Sunday) for Chapter 8.