The quartet spent the next couple of weeks practicing their abilities, and scouting the area near the mountain, usually no more than a couple of kilometers out, for Order activity. The cult was spotted on occasion, but they mostly just seemed to be passing through. And they didn't see any Accursed animals among them. As soon as she was feeling better, Tess began training hard, harder than she'd ever had before. She was being supervised by her mentor, Kagé, who was honestly worried, and a little frightened by her demeanor.
She was training alone. She charged up Amber energy around her paws, creating long orange claws on both, and swiped at a target dummy, slicing it clear in half. She teleported to another, and while still in mid-air, sliced its head off. She warped behind the last one and drove her paw through the back of it, and out of the dummies chest. Seeing this made the tiger spirit uncomfortable.
"I think that's enough training for now, Tess." The tigress stepped out of the ring and took a seat by her teacher. She was breathing heavily. "You've improved. That's good. But you shouldn't overexert yourself like that. Honestly, the way you've been pushing yourself since your previous engagement with the Order, is a little scary."
"My apologies, Kagé. I guess I'm just upset about how it went down. I don't take being overpowered very well. I'm just determined to ensure it never happens again."
"That's not really something that can be guaranteed, Tess. Even the strongest and most experienced of us are beaten from time to time. The best thing to do, when that happens, is to take from that experience, and learn from it." She looked at her mentor for a moment, then closed her eyes and sighed.
After taking a moment to rest, Tess returned to the garden with Kagé to meet the others. Atty and June were sitting next to one another, as usual, and Ariel was relaxing in the pool. "Is everything okay, Tess?" asked Atty. "You've been pretty silent for a while."
"I'm fine. I just needed to blow off steam." She took a seat by the water and made herself comfortable.
"So, what's next for us?" said Ariel.
"I think we've covered just about everything," replied Luverius. "I believe you're all ready to continue this journey without us."
"But do not worry," Aloe chimed in. "Remember that you can always return here to rest, or if you're in need of some guidance."
"So that's it, then? We can go home?" Ariel asked once more, then sighed. "After all of that, I'm pretty eager to return to my shop keeping duties for now. I hope the temp I hired is doing okay."
"It'll be really nice to return just in time for the festival," said Juniper. She then looked at her boyfriend lovingly, and held his paw. "I'm really excited to be spending it with you."
"As am I, Flower," the wolf said as he kissed the vixen on the forehead.
The quartet spent the next couple of hours stocking up on rations and other needed supplies. By the time noon came along, they were finally ready for their trip home. They bid farewell to the spirits. But as they were heading out, Atty felt a nudge on his back leg. He looked behind him and saw his little bilby friend looking up at him sadly. The look was rather adorable, and made him a little sad. Juniper noticed as well.
"Can she not come with us, Atty?"
"I'm not sure."
"The bilbies may be the keepers of the garden," said Luverius, "but they aren't bound to it like we are. This one seems to be bonded to you, Atemis. If you wish to take her with you, it's completely fine." Atty stared at the little marsupial for a moment, then lowered his head to her level.
"Do you want to come along with us?" The bilby hopped a couple of times and spun around with glee. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Well, if she's going to stay with us, she'll need a name," said Ariel. "Any ideas?" They all started thinking, and then Juniper answered.
"What about Cocoa?"
"Cocoa?" Atemis stared at her for a moment.
"Because she is brown and sweet as can be." She looked at the long-eared critter and smiled. Atty looked towards her as well.
"What do you think?" He asked the bilby. She pondered about it for a moment, then nodded and clapped her paws together gleefully. "Then Cocoa it shall be."
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The quartet began their long trip home. The Cocoa was riding comfortably on Atty's back, taking in the scenery, as she had never really been anywhere outside the garden. They stopped at the same rock formation about halfway through the trip to rest. They were enjoying the beauty of autumn. The leaves on all the trees were changing colors as everything was preparing to go to sleep for the winter.
Atty was looking forward to taking part in the autumn festival, which would not only be the first major event he's celebrated since moving into Tranquility, but also the first event he would get to spend with Juniper. Something had come to mind and he had to ask.
"Are there festivals for the other seasons as well?"
"There certainly are," replied Juniper. "But autumn is my favorite season. When the temperature feels just right and all the trees turn into a mixture of red, yellow, and orange. There's nothing quite like it." She looked at him, gave a warm smile, then gently placed her paw on his. "This one is going to be even more special, because I get to spend it with you." She nuzzled him, causing him to blush and wag his tail slowly.
"Get a den, you two," Tess said with annoyance.
"Oh, like you're not the same way with Abigail, Tess," Ariel said with a giggle.
"Of course. But I just prefer this kind of thing to stay behind closed doors. Intimacy is better left as a private thing."
"We'll try to contain ourselves in front of you, if it bothers you that much," Atty assured the tigress.
After about an hour's rest, they continued their way home. The sun was beginning to set as Tranquility's welcome sign finally came into view. As they went into town, they noticed animals were putting up fall decorations all around, including special lanterns that glowed red, yellow, and orange. By the time they all got to the manor, it was dark, with only the lanterns giving off any sort of light, which lit the town up nicely. They were all tired from the trip. Cocoa seemed as though she was about to pass out on Atty's back.
"It's so good to be home," Ariel said with a sigh of relief. "I can't wait to get back to my shop keeping duties."
"And I can't wait to see Abigail," said Tess. "I guess I'll see you later, Atemis. We should resume our guild duties first thing tomorrow."
Atty looked at the tigress and nodded. And so, they all went their separate ways. Atty and June decided to spend a little time at the café to have a drink and chat a bit.
"Only a couple days until the festival starts. I can't wait," the vixen said with glee.
"What sort of activities does the festival offer?"
"Well, there's plenty of food and drink to start. There's also music and games for the locals to enjoy. And at the end of the week, once the sun goes down, we shoot off fireworks to conclude the celebration. Normally I would stick around with Kasha and her siblings. But this year, I have someone special to share it with." The two of them shared a smile as they finished their drinks. Cocoa looked like she was about ready for bed.
The couple went up to their shared dorm and were ready to call it a night. The moon lit up their room just right as they snuggled up in bed. Juniper gave her love a kiss on the cheek as they both closed their eyes and went to sleep, with Atty's bilby companion laying comfortably between his paws.
The next day, Juniper resumed her duties at the clinic while Atty continued with his guild work. In addition to doing stuff around town, he also helped with the festival preparations. At the clinic, Juniper could barely contain her giddiness in front of her adoptive mother. She was working with the mortar and pestle as she hummed cheerfully.
"You seem awfully giddy," Kasha said with a chuckle. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the festival, would it?"
"Well, yes, but there's more to it than that," the fox replied with a gentle back and forth sway of her tail.
"Would it have something to do with that boyfriend of yours?" Juniper's ears folded as she blushed and laughed sheepishly. "This is your first major event together, isn't it? I guess I'll be participating by myself this year." She acted sad, which made Juniper feel bad about it. Then the lemur let out a heartfelt laugh. "I'm just messing with you. I'll be fine. I promise. You and Atty enjoy yourselves." She then gave a sigh. "To be young and in love again. I miss those days."
"You've… been in love before?"
"Only once. But it wasn't meant to be. I believe the Mother had a different path set for me to follow. And I strongly believe that was to care for you. I don't think us running into each other was a coincidence. No, I believe She brought you to me. Being a mother to you was the best experience of my life, and I wouldn't change a thing about it." She held the vixen's head with both hands and looked her in the eyes. "Now you're all grown up, making your own decisions, making memories, having wild and crazy adventures."
"What adventures? I've only ever left Tranquility once."
"Oh, honey, I was referring to you and Atty. Love is in itself a wild and crazy adventure."
The fox chuckled sheepishly and blushed. "Yeah, I suppose it is."
It was getting late. Atty was exhausted from working all day. As he deposited half of his earnings into the deposit box in the main lobby, he was greeted by Jewel, who took note of his lack of energy.
"You look tired, Atty-bear."
"I am. I've been working non-stop all day. I'm ready to call it a night."
"Well, you should get plenty of rest. Tomorrow is a big day," she replied.
"That's right, the festival starts tomorrow, doesn't it?"
The cat nodded, "I hope I'll see you and Juniper there.
"I have no intention of missing it. See you Tom, then, kitten."
"Good night Atty-bear."
Atemis went to his dorm. As he entered he was greeted by Cocoa, and noticed Juniper hadn't come home yet. He was about to collapse from exhaustion, so instead of waiting up for his love, he went straight to bed and made himself comfortable with his bilby friend. About thirty minutes later, Juniper finally came home, and immediately noticed Atty was already asleep. She smiled, and after doing some nighttime rituals, got in bed with him and gave him a kiss on the forehead before falling asleep herself.
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The next morning…
Atty was still sleeping deeply. He was finally awoken by the sweet, angelic sound of Juniper's voice. It sounded like she was singing. There were no words, just a pleasant melody. He lifted his head and yawned while looking around. He saw his love up and about, watering the plants around the dorm. Cocoa was helping her.
He stood up and stretched his body in a downward dog pose, popping his back and joints in a way that gave some relief. He walked up to the vixen, brushed against her side and gave her a smooch on the cheek. "Good morning, Flower."
"Good morning, Atty-bear," she replied with a blush and smile. "Did you sleep well?" The wolf nodded. "Well, today's the day. The festival should be starting soon. We can head out when you're ready." She looked at her bilby assistant. "You can come too, if you'd like." Cocoa nodded happily.
Once Juniper was finished with the morning rituals, the couple went down to the main lobby and headed to the café for a coffee. Once they were perked up and paid the barkeep, they headed out into town. It was quite busy. The town square and lantern posts were decorated with autumn themed decor and red eastern style lanterns. There was a large tent with a table of food served underneath it. There were also lots of activities spread around town, so there was plenty to do. Cocoa ran ahead of them, eager to take part in the event.
"What do you want to do first?" asked Juniper.
"Well, I haven't had any breakfast yet. Maybe I'll get something to eat to get started."
"Sounds good to me," she replied.
They went to the food tent. Thankfully, there wasn't a line and they were able to get something rather quickly. The table was full of food from all the major food groups. After enjoying some of the town's bounty, they decided to partake in some games, including things like horseshoe toss and outdoor bowling. After a few hours, they went back to the food tent for lunch, then took a stroll around town.
Cocoa seemed to have disappeared, likely enjoying herself in the activities. It gave Atemis and Juniper a chance to be alone. They decided to take a break from the festivities and take a walk together in the woods. They went to their favorite spot, the tree they sat under during their first date, and enjoyed the beauty of autumn together.
"So, how are you liking the festival so far?" Juniper asked the wolf.
"I'm having a great time. Especially since I'm taking part in it with you. What about you? Is everything to your liking?"
She nodded. "I'm enjoying myself greatly with you by my side." She brushed up against him, resting her head under his chin. His heart fluttered as his tail wagged with joy.
They stayed there for a couple more hours, enjoying the scenery and each other's company before heading back into town. As they reentered the main plaza, they bumped into a small group of wolves, who appeared to be led by a female. She was black with a white underside, and had blue eyes. She took a look at Atty and smiled.
"You must be Atemis," she said. "I'm Dusk. We've heard of some of your exploits. Your name is carrying a lot of weight, even though you've only been here for a short time." She looked deep into his eyes. "There's also word going around that you're the fabled Bloodwolf. Is that true?"
"It is very true," he answered.
"Interesting. I would enjoy seeing how you perform in battle." She then noticed Juniper, and her smile quickly faded. "Why are you hanging out with her?"
"What do you mean?" Atty replied. Juniper's heart skipped a beat.
"I mean, why are you hanging out with a fox? They're not exactly trustworthy. Don't you think it's preferable to be around your own kind rather than with someone whose kind have a reputation as thieves and dealers? A fox has no place among wolves. They're barely fit to even lick the dirt off our paws."
Hearing this sent a wave of sadness and anxiety in the vixen. Her heart sank, and tears began to form in her brown eyes as her ears folded. She hung her head low, then quickly turned around and ran off without a word. Atty could feel her distress and tried to stop her.
"June, wait! Come back!" His words fell on deaf ears. Juniper continued to run off without looking back with water dripping from her eyes. Atty looked at the female wolf with a feeling of anger covering his face. "What is wrong with you? Why would you say such a thing about someone you barely know?"
She shrugged. "I was only expressing my opinion. It's not my fault she couldn't handle a little criticism."
"There's criticism, and then there's just being cruel," he bared his teeth. "I'll have you know Juniper is the Gaia Fox. She is the sweetest and most compassionate person I've ever met. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body, just a big heart full of love."
Dusk and her small pack were taken by surprise, and were left feeling a little shame for their leader's comment. Atty quickly turned tail and ran in the direction Juniper went, hoping he could catch up to her. The pack was left alone to rethink their view of the world.
