Waroda

"Harry, Harry ,where are you, this kid always pulls something when we do this ." exclaimed marry an average height, skinny women with black hair braided with fragments of gray, her eyes seemed to mirror the blue color of the sky, as her chest was pounding she tried to locate her son who was nowhere to be seen, “come on honey he can’t go far ,he must like the open space ,it’s good that he is exploring “said the cheerful sound of her husband a tall and well-built man holding a box full of their kitchen ware and gazing at his wife through his glasses trying to read her impressions as she looked scared for her only son, “here is my little trouble maker ,where did you run off to? ,huh” John told his son who was running down the stairs from what seemed a house escapade  and  trying to hand him a small box of old tools, “nowhere, I was in looking at the house ,I don’t like it here dad can’t we go back to Boston ,that’s our home not here ,i miss all my friend that i had to leave . “said Harry with a grim face looking at his feet trying to escape his father eyes ,Harry was a young ten year old kid his hair was long enough to allow his neck to appear ,he looked skinnier than his mother but normal for his age ,”now, now Harry you know that’s over ,we talked about this we need to move on and this place is huge ,you can’t possibly hate it ,you will get used to Lorton just be patient ” ,these words were nothing but sounds to Harry for he never liked moving around the country dozens of times always changing friends and homes because of his father work ,something a young kid would never understand.

The house was Victorian era designed with many alterations done by the residents of this old Virginia town, the five acres around it made a vast space to any activity, the family quickly settled in although Harry was never keen on the place he liked the spacious identity of the house ,but that changed after a week when all the playing and wondering around seemed boring, his father was constantly at work and his mother changed her job to be able to stay and work from home and this meant no time for her son, some neighbors came to meet the family but none seemed to have children the age of Harry which made him more upset and feeling alone ,although he would return to school after a month the time left felt as an eternity to him so he was constantly asking his mother for an escape , “can we go to town mom, I’m feeling bored here “,”just a second sweetie ,I’m talking to someone “yelled the mother from the other room while covering the other end of the phone she was holding, after a while she came and sat next to him and said “Harry you know we can’t go the car is at the shop and I will have it back next week , your father took you to town only two days ago” but he was grumpy as always which made convincing him a very dull and hard work ,”OK then ,can I go alone ,I’m old enough ,right“ harry expressed angrily but his mother’s No came as instantly as he finished his sentence making him storm out of the house and run to the woods backing their farm, after his anger drained out Harry started walking slowly and looking for a sitting place among the trees , time passed while he searched and searched until an empty space among all the green was revealed and he could see a pond at the center of this space, at the middle stood a tall tree leafless and old very much different than the rest ,he approached it amazed of the seen for he taught he never saw it before or did he just miss it ,the pond was circled with all  kinds of flowers and plants as if a wall circling a castle but for a small stone trail that led to the tree and disappeared at its feet.

Harry walked toward the tree not caring for the feeling of water slipping between his toes and into his shoes ,then hi stopped at the feet of the tree admiring it’s form ,when his eyes spilled all over the trunk ,after a while a very odd letter carved on the tree that resembled a leaf was visible in a very tiny place were the tree seemed to bend , he touched the symbol to feel it and in a jolt he felt his body heat rise quickly and his brain shutting down only to hear himself yell ”Mom,Dad,Mo…” before his words were heard to anyone ,he fell to the ground motionless.

he slept for hours dreaming until he sensed a hand touching him but it felt woody and hard like no hand he was used to ,so he started opening his eyes expecting the sealing of his room and the face of his mother above him ,this was far from the truth for what stood next to him was not his mother but a being never seen before, his body was treelike with green veins resembling cords holding his parts together ,his face was human shaped covered not in skin but wood his eyes mouth ears and nose were normal but twigs covered most of his parts , his hair was in leafs instead of fibers, “did i scare you young one ,I mean you no harm, please try to get up I will help you  move “ but Harry like always ignored his words and started screaming and crying “I want to go back, I want to go home ,please let me go “for this felt very much real and what he saw was present and not a fog of his mind making, the being stayed back and told Harry “no, no one will harm you here ,it has been centuries since your kind visited the city of Waroda,the city of flowers, come everyone is dying to see you ,I’m Rihhan by the way nice to meet you“ ,Harry felt a bit of calmness from the words of Rihhan and started getting up to walk with him while keeping distance and caution at hand, “nice to meet you too” muttered Harry .

The two were in a round room ,the floor and the sealing were made of wood, the bed was a giant blue leaf seated on hundreds of long braided twigs ,he walked out of the room toward the light of the door ,but while exiting the room with Rihhan Harry couldn’t believe what he saw, a giant City as long as he can see filled with houses resembling Hazelnut shells placed one on top of the other all around on what seemed as walls with no edges soaring higher than anyone can see, bridges were crossing from side to side as webs connecting the hole city , “where I’m ?,I never seen this place  before and why is everything built like plant’s? “ wondered Harry in many questions to his companion ,”Harry we are inside a tree the oldest in this Land ,all you see is in this hollow is covered and protected by the mother tree, the symbol you touched is what transported you here and can only appear to a human the tree chooses “explained Rihhan, this news was as unbelievable as it was exciting to Harry ,he was wondering more and more about this truth he is witnessing ,”the mother tree you said ,what is that?” ,”well the tree is the source of life to all the residents of Waroda and the outside world ,many try to learn its secrets but most of the secrets are not yet revealed “explained Rihhan ,the two arrived at a gathering in the city ,all the creatures resembled Rihhan but in all kinds and shapes of other plants, everyone was looking at Harry and muttering for all what he heard was their squeaking sounds .

The middle of the road framed by these creatures was blocked by a giant squirrel that a guard was riding ,”the king request the presence of this human Rihhan ”told the rider with a very serious and ordering voice, both Harry and his companion followed the trail of the squirrel mounted with belts and saddles, the large door standing in front of them meant they arrived at the king house they entered a hall full of plant looking creatures but with more distinct features for everyone had a ribbon with a symbol but the most distinct was the king wearing a golden crown in the shape of twigs and a ribbon with what harry recognized as the symbol carved on the tree also the reason he is seeing all these things, “welcome human to our city and to my house ,I’m King Tiib ruler of Waroda and these are my lords each heads a tribe in this city “said the king walking toward Harry and pointing at the guests of the house ,”thank you sir I’m Harry ,but why is all this going on ,I don’t understand, “voiced harry in fear ,for he was more in mystery than he woke up a while ago.

The guests looked at him with wonder but non said a word until the king put his hand around Harry’s back and started guiding him toward a vast room ,they sat at a table spurting from the ground as a tree, the two sat in silence while Rihhan stood watching from afar then the king said “Harry you know why you are here?” but to Harry’s amazement this was impossible to answer ,so he tried to say something but no words could describe this mysterious question “I really don’t now sir ,I don’t even know how I got here ,I think it’s the symbol but I can’t figure how “expressed Harry, “you were brought here by magic ,the tree can produce rare and powerful magic”, harry couldn’t believe and yelled” Magic, magic how is that possible? “,”it’s true Harry only few human saw this city and learned about its magic ,for every century the tree withers and starts to die only to give birth to a new and young one ,but this can only happen if a human cares for it and follows the instruction left by past humans and kings”, harry started to follow the picture the king was trying to build and said ”Mr Tiib,is this task specially chosen for me and how long must I care for the tree” ,”yes this task was destined for you and only you and it would be very hard ,for you must nourish the new tree until it can live on its own depending on itself “explained the king trying to convince Harry, “I ‘think I would be glad to help you ,but how can I come to this place often to learn ”, “thank you harry this is very kind of you, this city is your home as long as you please ,the tree will allow you in since it did the first time just touching it will bring you here ,but beware the tree will not allow you in if you share the secret of its existence for only you can see and find it”, Harry was glad for this chance and couldn’t hold himself ,the king and his retainers walked harry around the city to know it and it's people for the better time of his stay ,after long he was guided toward a room where stood a tree the same as the one he saw before he came here and in it was the  same symbol which meant this was his way back ,he turned and said his good byes to the Waroda king and people and pressed his hand on the carving just to start feeling his body heat and his thought slipping away to wake up at the screams of his mother and father yelling in search of him in the forest, after a short time his parents were beside him hugging and kissing their son, his father picked him up while his mother was crying “I’m sorry baby, I’m so sorry I ‘will never yell at you again”, his father was walking toward the house with harry in his hands then said “Harry if you want us to leave we will my boy but never do this, me and your mother almost died of fear searching for you ,don’t disappear till the night on us again” ,Harry picked his dizzy head from his father’s shoulder slowly and in a most unbelievable way said ”dad, mom i'm sorry for this,but i think I never want to leave this place again we are finally home”, all of them laughed of amazement and lead their way home holding each other under the cover of many trees that only Harry know their secrets.