Chapter 20 - The Continental Snake, Black Panther and Fluffy Bunny

Third Person's POV (Ken 4yrs. and 8 months old)

The three turned abruptly at the sudden action and found themselves trembling under the gaze of the giant bird, what seemed like an intimidating stare turned to a soft look as the massive bird lowered its head and lightly pushed the three children with its head, making the three relax their tensed shoulders and watched with a small smile at the bird.

Seeing as the three children didn't understand what the bird meant to them, it pushed harder, not making the children fall, but making them stumble upon the path created by the flock of birds,

Ken, who was the one pushed further into the path, looked at the bird then back to the path, then back to the bird then back to the path, but lingering on the path, until it realized what the bird meant, sprouting a wide smile,

He turned towards his two companions, held their hand each, and then tugging them to following him up the path, and soon after the three were walking side by side up the path created by the flock of birds going into the forest, deep into the forest.

The Lion that had followed them walked to the giant bird’s side and sat, both looked at each for a moment and proceeded to stare at the backs of the three children. Coming to a conclusion that the three are in good hands.

As the children Trek the last line of the path created by the birds, they found themselves surrounded by lush bushes and tall trees, and in front of them looks to be a wall of a cliff, when Wilbert looked back at their path, they couldn't find the birds that made a path for them anymore,

He said this to his other two comrades and they looked back only to confirm that the birds really are gone out of sight, but they didn't falter in the least, for they still had to continue on with their journey.

To pass the Northern Forest, fulfill their mission and return to their families, after wiping aside the tall grass in front of them, the three find themselves facing the wall of the cliff from the place the birds path ended, and as just as they thought, this place seemed to be a dead end.

Something from the corner of their peripheral vision, they could see a hole, driven by curiosity, they each individually walked towards the hole that they are seeing, but caught themselves before they could ever enter it and looked back at one another.

"Guys, where are you going?" asked Ken heading left.

"Umm into a hole?" said Wilbert heading forward.

"Me too." seconded by Celine heading right.

"But... you're going the wrong direction." Exclaimed Ken, and that's when it click, that they have to go their separate ways, they don't know how or why, but they have this feeling that this is what they should do at the moment, and regroup later after this, so they each nodded their heads at one another and a silent agreement that they would be back for each other.

And so they each walked to the hole that only they can see, the hole Ken is walking to is on the left and at the ground, but upon close inspection, he concluded that it was a cave, similar to Wilbert's and Celine's hole, they also concluded that it was a cave.

The cave Wilbert was walking to, was in front of him at the base of the wall, while Celine's was at the right, also at the base of the wall but farther from Wilbert's, they steeled themselves, and took the step towards the cave that chose them.

-Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Northern Forest-

"Coralia, where do you think those caves are heading to?" asked Lyn. Curious as she has never seen this part of the Northern Forest before.

"The domain of the forest, it's like the base city of this forest, and the caves are the path to that city, but the caves also serve a purpose, they are entries to each houses the Northern Forest have, and it has over 34 houses, which resides on these caves,

Therefore we call them by house and each house is named after the magical beast that resides within, and they are magical yes, for they only appear to those whomever they chose to appear to, sometimes we classify them as seemingly harmless, and others, very dangerous." explained Coralia.

"Can you please explain to us what you meant with 'Seemingly Harmless and Very Dangerous'?" asked Erick.

"Well, to put it on simple words, 'Seemingly Harmless' is where you are able to travel within without putting your life in danger, while 'Very Dangerous' is where you can get killed with a single strike." explained bluntly by Trunk,

Coralia can't help but glare at him, making trunk raise his shoulders in a 'What's the matter with my explanation' look, making Coralia sigh, and decided to take a look at the expression of the parents,

Seeing them calm and collected, Coralia, can't help but conclude, that they won't be able to keep that facade for long, if they ever hear of the bad news, and she's not saying it's bad, because it is truly bad.

"Oh, so what do you think the caves our children went into?" asked Lorna.

The two Deers looked at one another, and sighed before Trunk said.

"Very Dangerous."

Dread, worry, anxiousness, fear, and distress, filled the parents, for they did not thought that their child would be able to lure a cave, that may or may not kill them inside, and because of those thoughts, the parents can't help, but be frantic, paranoid, and everything in between.

One such parent, who is not paranoid or frantic or everything in between, but curious, curious as to what type of cave their children had gone in to.

"What are the names of the cave our children had entered?" asked Vin, ever so curious for he has not only entered the Northern Forest in the past, he had also entered one of this magical caves.

"Your child, Celine if I'm not wrong, entered the cave of the 'Black Panther', a master manipulator of shadow magic/shadow arts, and is our renowned assassin in the Northern Forest,

The child named Wilbert, entered the cave of the 'Fluffy Bunny' our master caretaker, and mother hen of all the creatures inside the forest, a master of deception, and holy magic,

While the child named Ken, who I remember is ecstatic about anything magical, entered the cave of the 'Continental Snake', the monarch of all beast that both live in habits of land and water,

A master spell caster, and brute, perfectly combining the concept of 'brain and brawn', which is rather iconic." explained Trunk, exuding pride for the beats he mentioned.

He wanted to explain more and make these humans before him gawk at the powers these beasts possessed but got interrupted by Coralia by saying.

"I think that would be enough explaining for the mean time, for I do not know if they will still be able to process what you had said, and besides look, they look close to passing out, well except for our dear Vin, who is barely keeping himself, upright."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" said Trunk.

"Let's let them rest for a bit, I fear if we explain further it may take a toll on them, and they will need to reserve their energy for what we will be witnessing later." said Coralia urging the humans to take a rest.

"Agreed." said Trunk, glancing over at these parents before him, and sympathizing with what they are feeling, because him and Coralia may not have had family of their own, but they were able to watch other families go under the same situation before, and thus they know what it's like when one of them may disappear, never to be seen again, to be felt again, to be hugged again.

Alfred took out a parchment of paper on one of his pockets, read the contents briefly then placed it inside again, he looked at his wife wearing a worried expression, he sighed then returned his gaze on the magic circle revealing his son.

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