To Make Flowers Grow || L.Clearwater

The First Trial

Friday couldn't have come quick enough.

This was it.

The woods had a dusky blue tint to them as the world bled from day into evening. Sage walked briskly next to her sister, following their mother deep into the forest around Forks.

It wasn't far to the Fae portal from their house, since their house was essentially in the middle of nowhere; it being on the border between the Res and Forks. So, to Sage, an hour hike was doable.

Five hours would be doable, anything would, to be perfectly honest, if it meant she got her wings quicker.

The trees grew taller and their trunks grew wider the deeper they trekked. Some trees were twisted and bent into gnarly silhouettes while the pine trees and redwoods got so wide at the base they momentarily blocked the view.

The forest buzzed and chirped, alive with creatures of the evening hours. Sage smiled as she walked and watched how her breath swirled in the crisp air.

There was an energy here today.

Most of the animals that she spotted were normal human realm animals, such as badgers and foxes. But after a while the Fae creatures started to appear, like Forest spites, Dixie's and some reclusive tree Nymphs.
They too could sense what was happening today, peering closely at the fairies as they walked on.

After all it wasn't everyday a fairy pledged itself to protect a forest.

The large trees broke into an even larger clearing. Large as in, if two football fields were sewn together by magic and time.

On every side, along the edge of the clearing, built up around and within the trees were small buildings. Way stations for fae traveling between realms. It was the place their mother governed and would be the place that Sage and Dahlia inherited.

If they passed the trials that is.

In the centre of this clearing was the portal.
It was like any other Fae portal.

Thirteen mushrooms, no taller than Sage's knee, grew in a perfect circle. Unsuspecting and undoubtedly magical.

Around the portal, stood vigil, waited their family— Their community— from the Fae realm, having traveled through for the trial. There were perhaps around 30 fairies gathered.

Sage spotted her Father as she ventured into the clearing, he stood next to her Grandmother's. Cousins and family friends were all present as well, and each fairy present had their wings on full display. A sea of glittering jewel tones. Blue, Indigo, purple, lilac.

There were no greetings or hugs however, the trial came first.

The blue tint of twilight had faded into an emerald green darkness that clung to the shadows of the trees.

The flickering light from the lighting bugs and their fae counterparts—spritelights—created a twinkling effect across the whole clearing, further picked up by the jewel toned wings causing a shimmering splash of colour amongst the branches.

Ceres stopped around five paces from the Fae portal and turned to face her daughters. As she turned her wings unfurled into this plane of existence, they were long slender things that shinned like a violet stained glass window.

"We gather today to begin the sacred trials as hundreds of fairies before have done." Begun Ceres, her voice strong and proud. "The first trial is.... Growth".

Sage nodded, focused entirely though her heart had begun to pound in her ears like drum beat insistent on underscoring the hum of the forest.

The first trial was always growth, just as the next trial would be connection and the third trial would always be climate magic— in some way. Sage just wanted the trial to begin so it could be over.