Dawn in the feline kingdom brought a strange silence after last night's feast. However, we still had one last task to take care of.
—"My head hurts…" Maya muttered, adjusting her sword at her waist.
—"I don't know why you drank so much last night knowing we'd be helping Ragan with something today," I scolded her for her hangover.
Ragan was waiting for us at the main gate, accompanied by a pair of warriors.
—"Ready, everyone?" he said with energy. It surprised me how lively he was after last night's celebration. "You see, some mountain boars have been destroying crops. Before you leave, we'd like you to help drive them away. I must stay here for some pending matters, but my warriors will go with you."
Noko seemed cheerful.
—"Ah, that's a piece of cake-nya!"
The road to the outskirts was calm, with green fields stretching across the horizon. When we arrived, we found a group of farmers worriedly standing by a half-destroyed corral.
—"They came last night while we were celebrating, and didn't leave until they'd ravaged half the field," one of them explained.
Maya unsheathed her sword.
—"We'll take care of them."
We waited for a while as we planned how to drive them off. Before long, they finally appeared: large, hairy, with tusks like blades. They were fast too, but with our coordination we managed to control them without harming them.
Noko fired arrows to block their paths, Zara cast small shocks to push them back, and Maya and I handled driving them back into the forest.
In less than an hour, the problem was solved.
On the way back to the kingdom, the warriors wouldn't stop praising how well we did. They highlighted our coordination and skills.
When we arrived, Ragan greeted us firmly but cheerfully. After hearing his warriors recount how we handled ourselves, he broke into a broad smile and spoke in a solemn voice:
—"Ren, Maya, Zara, and my dear Noko, you have proven your strength by completing the task. The fact that you did not harm the boars shows that you do not fight with cruelty. That speaks very well of you. You have my full approval as a group."
Noko smiled brightly.
—"Then… does that mean it's okay for me to keep traveling with them-nya?"
Ragan looked at her for a moment, then nodded.
—"Yes. I cannot hold you back if your place is out there. Besides, you have excellent friends. Remember that you will always have a home here."
—"I know, Dad," Noko replied in a softer tone than usual.
With this small task Ragan gave us, we had completed everything we needed to do in the feline kingdom. We were ready to depart, but they asked us to first stop by the main gate of the palace.
When we arrived, much of the clan had gathered to see us off: warriors, merchants, children, and elders all wished us a safe journey. Ragan approached me and gave me a firm handshake.
—"Ren Mizuno… take care of my daughter."
—"I will," I replied sincerely.
Maya and Zara exchanged glances as they smiled.
As we left the kingdom, Noko waved her hand while we followed the road. Her tail swayed side to side without stopping.
The journey continued, and I couldn't help but think that, little by little, we were becoming a more solid and united party.