Silverwood

The giant's library

Our journey continues. Our? Me and my new travel companion. It is better to have someone rather than be alone. He is cute. He plays around me and that entertains me. And the journey became bearable. My water that I filled in the bottle given by Mina is over now. I am thirsty. The magical animal playing around me is a kid, or I can say a cub or puppy or calf or fawn. Oh, so confusing. So because of his age, he is no danger to me. His animal instincts help me find a fresh water source, too. Like that, we moved forward. 

"Hey don't go far away. I am tired." I say to the animal.

"Gerrrr!" It seems like a tiger's roar. 

I am scared to death. Where is he? I can not leave him here. But I can't stay here either. I looked around. 

"Where are you, buddy?"

I am shivering out of fear. I am all prepared to run now. The sound comes closer. Closer. My legs are trembling. The bush shakes. A tiger appears. It was about 50 centimeters in height. Was bigger than a cub but somewhat smaller than the adult. My heart rate reached its highest speed. I stepped back and leaned on a tree. It steps forward. I watched a glimpse of his limbs. There was my handkerchief.

"Hey!" I yelled.

He rolled over.

I took a breath of relief. 

"Not funny, okay." 

He began to play around. But what if the hankey goes off? How can I identify him? Moreover, how can I call him? 

"I should give you a name buddy."

"What should I call you?"

He is staring at me with his mesmerizing eyes. 

"Can you just change over. It is still scary."

He changed into a leopard. 

"Seriously! You love the cat look that much?"

Oh, something strikes my head.

"Cat look. Hehe, funny."

"So you are a teenager. What about Tintin? I can call you that."

Oh, he bade a crazy noise. Like he is going to puke. 

"You don't like it. Don't you?"

"Meow!"

"Hm, in Aladin, Jasmine had a tiger named Raja. What about that?"

He turned his face away.

We are walking, but I am full of thought for a suitable name for him. Many thoughts came. Some were good, some were totally weird. I was never a pet person. But I knew some who was a dog lover. The strange thing is that they used to give their dogs the name Tiger. How can a dog be a tiger? I was used to wondering about that. But now I got the answer. 

He is jumping around. Full of energy. And naughty. He shouldn't have scared me like that. Sweet and tangy, too. 

"Plum!"

Listening to that, he stopped and gazing at me.

"You like it, buddy?" I pamper him.

"Woof" He turned into a dog and showed his admiration towards me. 

He definitely likes it. We walked around and I found the river too. Following that river, we moved ahead. I have my cell phone and the power bank too. So on the way, I took Plum's video while training him.

"Plum! Cow"

"Moo"

"Cool."

"Now a sheep."

"Baa!"

He is amazing. He transformed as per my orders.

"Pig"

"Oink oink!"

I laugh a lot. 

"Plum turn into a.......donkey."

"Hee-haw!"

"Wow. You are superb buddy."

Soon we reached the giant's valley. According to the map we were right there but all I could see the never-ending long trees. With the vast trunks of it. 

Huge, literally. The giant has giant trees as well. According to the map, I am at the right place, but what now? Plum got missing.

"Plum? Boy, where are you? Plum!"

"Meow!"

"Where are...."

I am astonished. The tree has a stair too. There is something up there. 

"Meow!"

"Okay, buddy. Let's rock." 

We are climbing up. I don't even know that I am climbing the correct one or not. Or have to go back and try another tree. Let's hope for the best. 

On the way up, I saw the place from the high. The more we are climbing up the tinier, the huts are looking. The mountain looked like a tiny pawn on the chessboard. I am exhausted. Plum's energy drains out. 

 "Come on, buddy."

I carried him all the way up since then. My enthusiasm kept boosting me. I am all drenched with my own sweat. 

I am almost there. I can tell that because I reached the clouds. I guess it will be just above the clouds. But can not pretend the cloud thickness. 

I am sweating, panting, shivering. But I get going. The cloud covering portion is hard to clear. It is impossible to see. Just with the assumption, I get up. Some more struggles, but ends soon. Above the clouds, the view is amazing. Beautiful as heaven. Though I have never seen heaven, the portrayal of it can resemble. 

Clouds do look pretty from the airplane. But it looks way more prettier when the tree's crown merging from it can be viewed. Plum got excited seeing that. Clouds were all white and the tree's huge crown having houses in it looked like a fairy tale came to life. Oh, sorry. It indeed came to life. 

I see an unusual visual. Plants grown in the clouds. Saw some peoples with beautiful colors wings cultivating the plants. They must be the fairies. They are sprinkling some dust over the plants. I see that they wave their hands to do magic spells. One hand moving while another holding a stone. Hum it is a sapphire. A crystal. 

I continued. At the top, there we got a door. I am scared to knock. I gathered my courage and gave a knock.

"Who is there?" With the deepest voice that came from inside, the whole branch got shaken up. 

 It scared me as well as plum. 

"It's okay buddy." I pat him. 

The door opens. A giant figure appears. I am not even his knee. He is looking for the one who knocked but he couldn't find anyone because I am down there where he isn't looking at all. My voice even couldn't reach him. I tried my best to catch his attention. But nothing worked. 

"Stupid kids. Next time you come I'll rip you off." He says and turns to get inside. 

I could do nothing more to fetch his attention.

"Woof!"

"Hmm!" He heard it.

"Woof!"

He turns.

"Good boy. Keep it up." 

"Woof!"

"From where a..." He looked down. "Oh, look who is with this adorable creature. Welcome to Silverwood little human."

I gasp. How did he know that?. 

"Get in."

I stepped into his house. It was huge. Obviously, it was according to him. I have to run to cop up with him. His one step is like my ten or more. He bent and stretched his arm towards me. He lifted me and Plum too. And made us sat on a comfortable seat. 

"How did you...." I was asking him, but he says.

"Wait!"

He went inside another room. I observe around. There were lots of books. Furniture that is big in size. He returns back with a hearing aid. 

"Now tell me human."His voice seems pleasant now.

"How did you know that I am a human?"

"Oh come on. No wizard can do such a powerful spell that can fool a giant. Tell me, how did you come here."

"That is what I want to know. I am here to meet the Gyan. The librarian to get that answer. Are you the one?"

"Oh, no, child. I am not him. But I can take you to him."

"Will you? Thank you."

He smiles and gets inside again. This time he brought a plate that was big enough for me but the appetizer plate for the giant, and it had jelly in it. 

"Have it. I made it from fresh juice." Then he handed water as well. 

He gave Plum some leaves. Plum turns into a goat and munch it down. After having a meal, we are ready to meet Gyan. 

The giant shows his palm, and we hopped on it. He gets out of his house and walked to the edge. Now what? It was a dead end. There is a gap between two trees and no way is visible. He took a step and I and gaping the depth to the ground. 

He placed his feet in the air, and a blue translucent light appears. 

"There is a path." 

"Obviously. What you think we go that down to meet our friends?" 

Actually, I am out of thoughts. Expect the unexpected. That's my motto now. 

He walks on the translucent path, and we are enjoying the ride sitting on his palm. It's hard to stand stably over here. This giant is lovable to others. All greet him well. Girl's gaze can tell they adore him. 

We crossed so many houses. One fairy was crossing.

"Hey, fairy shu shu..." Unlike wizards, this giant wasn't fond of the fairies. 

I prefer not to ask that question. But I am curious why.

"These fairies are trouble makers. To grow the currency leaves, they always disturb our way. The whole world is there why they want to cultivate the plant near our valley. Go away." He seems very frustrated. 

"They are carrying out a business here in our place." Yes too much frustrated. 

We reached an old tree. A tree without leaves. He knocks on the door. An old guy opened the door. Old because he had wrinkles. White hair and beard. No mustache. But on the contrary, he was fit as a not-so-old guy. I don't know about their age counting. But in my opinion, he has the look of someone of his seventies but the body health of someone in his forties. 

"Gyan!" He says with excitement.

"Hey, long time no see." 

They hugged. And we survived an earthquake. 

"What's brings you here?"

"They are searching for you." He showed us to him.

"A human?"

Great. What's the use of the transformation potion when everyone is recognizing me. I examined myself in a doubt that I forgot the drink the potion on time or not.

"Get in" Gyan wasn't that casual as the other guy. He seems a little worried.

He must be a serious guy. 

"So, little human. I see you made friends here. Do you like in here?" Gyan says.

"It is a good place, but. I want to go home."

"Sure you did. Would you mind?" Gyan asked the other guy to put us down and get inside. 

I see they are not that good people. In Gyan's library, there are lots of cages having birds captured in them. I walked near one of the cages.

"Oh no. Don't go there. They are dangerous." Gyan warned me.

Okay, what danger it can occur. Turn into an eagle or what can it do more. 

"Aren't they cute?" I say.

"Don't fall into their illusion. These cuties are monsters." 

Monsters. Hmm, they are a bit furious. Maybe because they are in the cage. I never liked the concept of keeping birds in the cage. They are travelers. They should be set free. Free to fly anywhere. But here I can not do anything. 

The other guy brought a book. And dusted it. That dust became my sand storm. 

"Oh oh oh..." I cough so does plum. 

"Hmm, human from earth."

The guy lifted me up to the table. I get on the book. It was written in English. 

"Last time a human came, our life turns up and down. Let see what will happen now?"

"No one knows. Just we know that we were living a peaceful and harmonious life before."

"And now?" 

"Now...."

"Oh I got it." The guy interrupted Gyan. 

"What did you get."

"How humans get here?"

"Let me see."

Both are reading the book. Please at least tell me something. 

"Wow. Human, it is your lucky day. We got the right book and right chapter, right on time. Ha ha ha."