"Come on Kelsey. I still say you should of been kinder to that kid. After all he is new around here." Alexis says as and Kelsey are by the oak tree.
"Kindness doesn't go far out here with Serena around Alexis. You know that." Kelsey says.
"I'm aware but-" Alexis then stops talking as she and Kelsey hear rustling from the bushes and see Craig come walking out.
"It's you again. No trade backs new kid." Kelsey says.
"I'm not here to get my snacks back. I need your help." Craig says.
"What? You have trouble with your shoelaces or something?" Kelsey asks as she picks up one of her books.
"No... no. I'm... I'm on a quest." Craig says.
"Huh?" Kelsey asks.
"What kind of quest?" Alexis asks.
"I'm looking for The Wishmaker." Craig says before Alexis and Kelsey laugh.
"Hey you're funny. I don't like funny people." Kelsey says annoyedly.
"What's so funny?" Craig asks.
"The Wishmaker's a suburban legend. A Creek myth. It's not real." Kelsey says.
"Oh yeah? Then that's this?" Craig asks as he shows Alexis and Kelsey in a drawing in a book.
"Uh Craig that's a drawing of a unicorn with a jetpack." Alexis says.
"Huh? Oh uh...! This." Craig says as he flips the pages and shows a drawing of a map causing Kelsey to gasp.
"Kelsey gasped. Awestruck by the awesome sight. She was typically more eloquent with her awestruck responses. But this map had left her awestruck. It was an actual real-life treasure map. Could this fool be telling the truth?" Kelsey asks.
"Uh..." Craig says as he looks at Alexis as she walks over to him.
"Don't worry she does this all the time. She's basically illustrating her life." Alexis says as she looks at Craig.
"Oh uh thanks Alexia." Craig says.
"It's Alexis." Alexis says.
"Where did you get that?" Kelsey asks as she comes over.
"Doesn't matter. Point is I'm going to look for the Wishmaker and I'm gonna need some protection from the pirates. Will you and your sister join me?" Craig asks.
"What's in it for us?" Kelsey asks cautiously.
"A wish." Craig says as Alexis and Kelsey look at each other and nod.
"All right. But we're gonna need some payment up-front too." Kelsey says.
"Here. Choco-roll." Craig says as he hands Alexis and Kelsey both a choco-roll as Mortimer squawks.
"One for Mortimor too. We're a package deal. The same as me and my sister are." Kelsey says.
"Birds can't eat choco-rolls." Craig says as he scoffs.
"It's the principle of the thing. Okay so let's go over some ground rules. One my sister and I gotta be home by dinner. Two things could get bloody. So if you're squeamish get good at closing your eyes. And there were gonna need some transportation." Kelsey says.
*Timeskip*
"Here you go. One raft." Kit says as she rolls out a baby pool.
"This is a baby pool. Will it even float?" Craig asks.
"Hey supplies are tight with these pirates around. Now are you trading or what?" Kit asks.
"He'll also take some of those sunflower seeds." Kelsey says as Mortimer squawks as Craig grumbles upon giving Kit some choco-rolls.
*Timeskip*
"Okay. This dairy only has half a map. But this kid Hannah has tons of notes. So I think with these I can figure out the rest. I mean I am pretty good with maps if I do say so myself. Do you have to eat that in front of me?" Craig asks as Kelsey is eating a choco-roll loudly
"Mm. Yeah I do." Kelsey says as Alexis finishes blowing up the baby pool.
"Craig, Kelsey it's done." Alexis says.
"Great job Alexis." Craig says as everyone gets into the baby pool and gets moving.
*Timeskip*
"Wow! The Creek is so big." Craig says as Kelsey is steering the raft.
"It is big. That's part of why kids love it here. There's enough room for everyone." Alexis says as she smiles.
"A kid could play here for a hundred afternoons and still see only a fraction of it." Kelsey says before a net stops the group from going any further as the group sees kids on a branch above them.
"None shall pass." A boy says.
"Uh who are you?" Craig asks nervously.
"We are the Wind in the Woods." The boy says.
"The Priests of Plants." A girl says.
"And none shall pass." A boy says.
"Unless you answer a riddle." Another boy says as he holds up a book.
"How many times do we have to tell you? We don't do riddles." The lead boy says angrily.
"We're elves not trolls. Ugh!" The girl says annoyedly.
"Well we're just paddling through so-" Craig then gets cut off by the lead boy.
"Too many children have desecrated our forest. So we swore to protect the plants that cannot protect themselves." The girl says.
"With riddles!" The other boy shouts.
"Do you have an offering?" The lead boy asks.
"Uh no." Craig says.
"Oh. Well then. None shall pass!" The girl says angrily.
"What? Open the gate!" Kelsey shouts angrily.
"Easy Kelsey. I don't think shouting and being violent is gonna get that net open any faster." Alexis says.
"Wait. We'll do the riddle." Craig says determinedly.
"I must sink to rise. I must drown to live. Once I'm grown... I do nothing but give. What am I?" The other boy asks as he reads from his book.
"That's it. I'm taking the book." The lead boy says as he tries to take the other boy's book.
"I'm stumped. You two got anything?" Alexis asks as she looks at Kelsey and Craig.
"I sink to rise. I drown to live?" Craig asks.
"Hm. Yeah that riddle's tough. Almost as tough as that Mithril soccer net of theirs. Well I think we've got a better chance with battle. It's three on two but my sister and I can take em." Kelsey says as Mortimer is eating some seeds.
"Wait! I got it!" Craig says happily.
"No! Give it back!" The other boy shouts as he is still fighting with the lead boy for his book.
"I must sink to rise and I must drown to live. And once I'm grown I do nothing but give. I'm a seed!" Craig says as he throws some seeds to the kids.
"Seeds." The lead boy says as he and the girl catch the seeds.
"To replenish the forest." The girl says.
"You may pass." The boy says as the net is lifted before the group continues on.