An Unforgettable Summer

Chapter 2: The Forest Of Peace

Askaru and his family have left CiAr for some time now. 
It’s been a very calm flight, but Askaru has been carrying his whole family for a while now. Tayarinne got tired quickly because she’s not used to flying, so Askaru used his paws to grab his queen carefully. Tayarinne has been using her wings to help him a bit and she keeps her rudder down, not wanting to let him carry her whole weight.
Lilikiki, Maine and Tayarinne II are very excited to see new territories and other species. But Maine and Tayarinne II are still too young to fly long distances, so Askaru had to let them rest on his back when they got tired.
“Are you enjoying the flight?” Tayarinne asks her daughters with a smile.
“Are you kidding, mom? It's awesome!” Maine responds excitedly.
“When and where are we going to land?” Lili asks curiously.
“There is a forest not far from here. We should be close by now.” Askaru responds, remembering the last time he was in that forest.
Askaru's life was not easy. Before becoming King of CiAr, Askaru was a traveler, looking for his place in the world. That's why he knows many lands and species.
“I remember that forest.” Tayarinne smiles, remembering the time she lived with Askaru in that forest.
Tayarinne lived alone for a long time, until she met Askaru, with whom she fell in love with. That's why she also has a vast knowledge of the world outside of CiAr.
As Askaru said, it doesn't take long for the family to see the forest.
"Mom! Dad! What place is that?” Taya II asks curiously.
“That, sweetie, is the Forest of Peace.” Her father responds. “It's a place where all animals, preys and predators, live together in peace, without fighting or arguing.”
"So... Is it the same as CiAr?" Lili asks, also curious.
“Not exactly.”
“The Forest of Peace is not like CiAr.” The queen explains. "Here, magic doesn't exist and animals don't live in houses like those in our kingdom."
“In this forest, each animal has its own habitat and some of them have to collect food to feed themselves during the winter, which they call the cold season, because during this time many animals don't leave their habitats.”
“It doesn’t look like a happy place to me.” Lili is now a little worried about the animals her father mentioned.
“Don't worry, girls. This is how the circle of life works for wild animals.” Tayarinne explains.
“It's time to land. Let's go." Askaru says, starting to go down towards the entrance to the forest, still carrying his family, while Lili accompanies him.
Lilikiki lands on the ground. Askaru lands Tayarinne carefully and then he also lands, letting his younger daughters get off his back.
“That was amazing.” Says Maine.
Tayarinne nuzzles her king with a sweet purr. “Thanks for the ride, my king.”
Askaru blushes a bit. “Anytime, my love.”
“I can't wait to meet new animals.” Tayarinne II is excited.
"Come on!" Maine and Taya II start running towards the forest, but Askaru puts himself in front of them, making them stop.
“Not yet, girls.”
"What? Come on, dad!”
“Your father is right.” Says Tayarinne.
“Before we enter the forest, there are a few things you should know.”
“What is it, dad?” Lili asks.
“These animals don't know magic. They're not like us or the other animals in CiAr, like zebraffes or panfoxes. That's why we can't use our magic under any circumstances.”
“Not even for me to beat Maine in a race?” Taya II asks, causing Maine to look at her confused as her parents let out a light laugh.
“Not even for that, Taya.” Tayarinne responds.
"So... they don't know anything about magic?" Lili asks.
“Exactly, sweetie. And that also means we won't be able to fly while we're in this forest.” Askaru explains. "I'm going to hide our wings with magic so we're just like common lions."
“Do you remember those books about my species that I showed you in the castle library?” Tayarinne asks and her daughters nod in agreement. "You have to look like me. Like lionesses."
“I think I can do that.” Lilikiki smiles.
"Yeah. It'll be fun.” Maine agrees.
"I promise I'll be a good lioness, mom." Says Taya II.
“Very well, girls. Are you all ready?” The king asks.
"Yes!" The three daughters respond excitedly.
Askaru uses his tail and with very cautious movements, a white light appears. He points his tail at the three flyonesses and their wings disappear. Then the king uses his still glowing tail and touches one of his wings, making his own wings disappear as well. Finally, it’s Tayarinne’s turn to use her magic to get back to her original form: a lioness.
They all understand and know how to do magic. However, Tayarinne and Askaru don’t share the same kind of magic. Askaru knows a lot about the El’drian magic that he learned in the past, when he used to be the Emperor of El’dra, but not much about the CiArian magic. He’s very powerful, but mostly when he uses the magic he learned from El’dra. However, to completely control that magic, Askaru needs a magic crystal that he keeps hiding from Tayarinne for a reason. Tayarinne doesn’t know much about the El’drian magic, but she’s really good when it’s about CiArian magic. That’s also why Tayarinne and Askaru are probably the most powerful couple in the world, once they can combine their powers. Their daughters are still in the process of learning. That's why whenever it's necessary to use more powerful magic, Askaru or Tayarinne do it.
“Wow.” The girls look at each other and try to touch each other's bodies, trying to feel their wings. However, there is nothing there.
“Did you remove our wings, dad?” Taya II asks, very curious.
“In fact, your wings are still with you. I used a spell of untouchable invisibility. No one can see or touch your wings. Not even you.”
“Wow. I can't wait to learn this magic.” Lilikiki is excited.
“It’ll still take a while before you are ready to learn this spell.”
“Can we go now?” Asks Maine. “I really want to meet new animals.”
“Yes, Maine. We can go now.” Her father answers.
"Yay!" The flyonesses, especially the younger ones, celebrate.
The family walks into the forest, parents leading their daughters. Askaru and Tayarinne know they are going to see old friends again. Lilikiki, Maine and Tayarinne II can't wait to meet the wild animals.
The family walks in the forest for a while, until a male voice speaks behind them. “Askaru? Tayarinne?"
The family turns around and sees an owl landing in front of them.
“Hello, Sova.”
Askaru and Tayarinne recognize the owl.
“What a nice surprise. After so many years...”
“A lot has happened since we left the Forest of Peace.” Says Askaru.
“We are parents now, Sova.” Tayarinne adds.
Sova looks at the three sisters in admiration as they look at him curiously.
"Hello, girls. My name is Sova. I'm an old friend of your parents. What are your names?”
“My name is Lilikiki and these are my sisters Maine and Tayarinne II.” Lili answers with some seriousness.
“He-Hello.” Maine and Taya II are a little nervous.
"Don't worry, girls." Askaru tries to calm his daughters down. “Sova is a very nice and smart old friend.”
“What kind of animal are you?” Maine asks curiously.
“I'm an owl. Did you know that we owls sleep during the day while other animals sleep at night?”
"Really?" Taya II asks, amazed at that information. “And what do you do at night?”
Askaru and Tayarinne watch their daughters talking to the owl. The couple smiles at them as they lean their heads affectionately.
“Well… I like to fly over the forest. At night, everything is quieter and more beautiful. Also, I can get food without being bothered by other animals.”
"Wow..." The sisters are amazed at the owl's way of life.
“Maybe I can tell you about some of my nightly adventures, but…” Sova yawns. “It's already too late for me. I should be asleep by now.”
“Do you think we will see each other again?” Maine asks. The little flyoness wants to know more about owls.
"Of course yes."
“Sova. Is our old cave still empty?” Askaru asks.
“Not many animals like to sleep in caves here in the forest. And those who sleep in caves already have their own. Your cave has not been inhabited since you left.”
“Thanks, Sova.” Tayarinne thanks him.
"You're welcome." The owl yawns again. “Now I think I'm really going to sleep. See you around."
“Sleep well, Sova.” Askaru and Tayarinne smile at their friend.
“See you later, Sova.” The girls also say goodbye to the owl.
Sova flies again and the family watches him for a while.
"Girls. It's time for us to go.”
"Okay, mom."
On the way to the cave, the family sees many animals such as foxes, badgers, deers and many kinds of birds. For the three sisters, this is all new and all animals look interesting.
The family goes to a high place, where they can observe a beautiful green landscape full of trees and a small river crossing the forest. Lilikiki, Tayarinne II and Maine watch the landscape in amazement. There is not a single house like the ones in CiAr and there are no signs of magic. All the way to the cave, they didn't see a single magical creature.
“This place is very different.” Tayarinne II comments.
"I think it's cute." Maine smiles, watching the forest.
"You'll love the forest, you'll see." Says their father.
“Come on, girls. Let's go to our cave.” Their mother calls.
Everyone enters the cave hidden among bushes. It's not very big, but it has enough space for the five of them. In addition, it has a pleasant temperature. However, the girls, especially the younger ones, don't seem too happy with what they see.
"What? Is this where we're going to sleep?" Maine looks around, realizing there are no bedrooms.
“This doesn't even have a kitchen. What are we going to eat?” Tayarinne II doesn't seem to like the cave either.
“I need my privacy. Where is the bathroom?” Lilikiki asks in a serious tone.
“This cave is not like our castle or the houses of our kingdom.” Askaru explains. “Here in the forest, there is no electricity, technology or magic. Animals live with what nature gives them. Forest animals have different ways of life, but they are all important to keep the balance of nature.”
“During the next few days, you will learn what life in the forest is like.” Tayarinne adds. “You may find it difficult at first, but I believe you'll be able to adapt to this way of life, just as your father and I did many years ago.”
“I'm starting to think this trip is going to be boring.” Maine looks bored now.
“Think positive, girls. You will discover new animals and new places. You will learn a lot of new things. Plus, you might even make new friends.” Tayarinne tries to convince her daughters.
The three sisters look at each other, thinking about what their parents just told them. Finally, they show their parents a smile.
"Okay." Says Lilikiki. "We can try."
"You won't regret it, sweeties."
“We're going to sleep together in this cave for the next few days. It's going to be fun, you'll see.” Askaru smiles at his daughters.
"Yeah, yeah. I want to meet other animals.” Tayarinne II is excited.
"Can we go now?" Maine is also excited.
"I don't know. What do you think, my love?”
"Perhaps we can all go for a little family walk, my king."
“You listened to your mother, girls. Let's go for a walk.”
"Yay!" Their daughters celebrate, running out of the cave, while their parents follow them with a sweet smile.
When walking through the forest, there are several animals that greet the family. Some of them already know Askaru and Tayarinne, others are happy to meet that family.
The family is talking to a fox couple, Askaru and Tayarinne’s old friends. The adults talk to each other, while the girls play with the three fox puppies.
“We are happy to hear that you also have children.” Askaru says.
“We are happy for you too.” The male fox smiles.
“Our kids seem to like each other a lot.” Comments the mother fox, watching the pups continue to play with their new friends.
"Yeah. They’re so cute.” Tayarinne smiles proudly, also watching the young ones.
Askaru notices that his friend looks worried about something.
“Is everything okay, Liska?”
"What?" The male fox looks at his friend, trying to look cheerful. “Oh sure. Everything is fine."
“You sure?” Askaru doesn't believe him. "You seem worried about something."
“N-No. Everything is fine." Liska is nervous.
"Dear. Maybe we should tell them.” Liska's mate intervenes.
“Tell us what, Lisky?” Now Tayarinne is worried about the foxes.
“They need to know, Liska.”
“Okay...” Finally Liska decides to talk about what's bothering his family. “Some time ago, a bear named Chamti arrived in our forest and we welcomed him with kindness, as we welcome all our visitors.”
Lisky helps her mate tell the story. “However, Chamti realized that he could take advantage of the other animals' kindness and started asking for food over and over again.”
Lilikiki realizes that something is wrong and, without anyone noticing, she hears what the adults are saying, while her sisters continue to play with the fox pups.
“One day, the animals in the forest started refusing to give him food because he was asking for more than what he needed and there wasn’t much left to feed the other animals.”
“Chamti didn't like to see the other animals standing up to him, so he started threatening them. Now, we all have to give him food, even if that means there won't be much left for us.”
“And if we refuse to give him food, he'll destroy our home or... worse.”
Askaru and Tayarinne are shocked by what the fox couple has just told them.
Lilikiki is also shocked. She tries to get closer to the adults, but she's pushed away by a fox pup. “Got ya! You're it!” Lilikiki looks one last time at the adults, worried, before going back to her sisters and playing with the foxes.
"That's terrible." Says Tayarinne. “Someone should stop that greedy bear.”
“If we do that, he'll destroy our homes.” Lisky is scared.
“The best thing we can do is continue to feed Chamti so he leaves us alone.” Explains Liska.
Askaru just looks at Tayarinne, both worried.
"Well. It was good to see you again. Now we have to go back to our den.” Liska smiles again.
“Boys! Time to go!” Lisky calls their children.
"Oh mooom! Really?" The boys are not happy about having to leave.
"Don't worry. We are staying here for a few days.” Says Maine.
"Yeah! We can play more often.” Tayarinne II adds.
"Sounds great!" Now the boys are excited again.
“If you need anything, talk to us.”
“Thank you, Tayarinne.” Lisky thanks her, before she calls the kids again. “Boys! Let's go!"
All young ones return to their parents.
“See you around, friends.” Liska smiles.
"Bye!" Everyone says goodbye with a smile, the flyon family watching the foxes leave.
"Let's go, girls. Let's go back to our cave. Soon it will be dark.”
"Yes, dad."
The family walks back to the cave. As they walk, Tayarinne and Askaru think about what their friends have told them, trying to figure out a way to stop that bear. Lilikiki realizes that her parents are worried. She knows she shouldn't talk about what she heard now because her sisters can hear and she doesn't want to scare them. But she's going to have to talk to her parents sooner or later.
At night, Askaru and Tayarinne nuzzle their daughters, who are already lying in a cozier place in the cave.
“Goodnight, my beautiful daughters.” Tayarinne kisses their heads affectionately.
"Goodnight, mom. Goodnight, dad." The three sisters are lying next to each other.
Askaru and Tayarinne walk outside the cave to talk without disturbing their daughters.
“We have to do something to stop that bear. He cannot continue to steal food from other animals.” Tayarinne is really worried.
“He's not respecting the law of nature. He doesn't care about anyone else but him. We have to make him see that other animals need food just as much as he does.”
"I have an idea." Lilikiki appears, approaching her parents. She couldn't sleep without talking to them first.
"Lili? You should be sleeping with your sisters.”
"I'm sorry, mom. But... I've heard you talking to the foxes earlier. That bear looks really bad. But maybe you can stop him... using your magic.”
"Lili. You know we can't use magic here in the forest.” Explains Askaru. "It's too risky."
"But daaad..."
“No, Lili. Tomorrow I will talk to Chamti.”
"What?" Taya and Lili are amazed.
“I'm going to talk to him and try to show him how badly he's been acting. Maybe I can change him.”
“And if it doesn't work?” Tayarinne asks.
"If it doesn't work, we'll have to find another way."
"I'll go with you, dad."
“No, Lili. It's very dangerous."
"I'm not scared."
"I know, sweetie. But this is something I have to do by myself.”
“Oh... fine.”
Tayarinne nuzzles her daughter, both purring. “Now go back to your sisters. Your father and I are going to sleep soon.”
“Okay, mom. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, sweetie." The parents smile at their daughter, who goes back inside the cave.
“Our daughter is very brave.” Askaru says.
"Yeah. We raised her very well.” Tayarinne licks her mate's cheek, who blushes slightly.
"Maybe we should go to sleep too."
"I agree."
The two nuzzle each other with love.
"Let's go, my queen."
The couple goes back inside the cave, walking with their tails wrapped.