A month passed by, each day filled with training, no duties, no cleaning, just training with no break in between. At least until the Summer Solstice festival.
Early that morning, Kensun awoke Tumnus with a pair of fishing poles in hand. Despite the season, the air was crisp and chilly that but was nothing a warm red scarf and bonding time with dad couldn't fix.
"So, how's training coming along?" Kensun asked as the lures of their fishing poles bobbed lazily in the waters of the pond along the Trail.
"Fine." Tumnus replied. Truthfully, he longed for something more and his face showed it.
"What's on your mind, Son?"
"Well, it's just that," Tumnus began. "When do I start… real training?"
"Real training?"
"You know, real training, the fighting, kicking and punching, when can I start all that?"
"Do you feel that you're ready?" asked Kensun seriously.
"Oh yes, I've been here long enough." Tumnus replied. "I've been working non-stop for ages now and I truly feel-"
He caught an eyeful of his father's fist approaching then felt pain as it collided into his forehead just above his sellion. Tears of shock and pain began to pool around his eyelids.
"Wh-why did you do that?" he choked as he struggled to hold back his tears.
"You're not ready." Kensun replied simply. "Oop! I got one!" he said as a fish snagged his lure.
"You've got one, alright." Tumnus replied cheekily. Kensun just stopped and stared at him for a moment.
"You're just like your mother." He chuckled, ruffling the young Faun's hair.
The festivities began after the sun was a little ways over the horizon. The grounds were a little crowded due to the Centaur clan that had settled there but everyone's presence there were warmly welcomed and appreciated.
Tumnus used this time to spend with his old friends. They looked so different compared to a few years ago. Especially Keiyoko, who fawned over Tumnus' now beefy, muscle-toned form. Every now and again, she would link her arm into his arm, making him blush each time.
He felt sheepish when Rikki laughed and made fun them, even more so when he sang the "Kissing Song" in a loud obnoxious voice.
Vernal, on the other hand, treated him with cold indifference and hardly paid any attention to them at all.
As Rikki ran off to eat, Tumnus and Keiyoko walked along the shore of the beach. She asked him many questions about what he did inside the compound. He liked the way she stared into his eyes as she listened intently; he felt compelled to explain in detail. She laughed when he told about the bags of flour and when he fell into the pond. Tumnus never really spoke of his mistakes to anyone before, let alone laugh about them. He preferred to learn and move on, but with Keiyoko he felt comfortable. He liked making her laugh.
As they stood next to a patch of grass he spotted a flower he had never seen before. There was only one. Four long white petals curved back elegantly and were speckled with streaks of blue and purple. He plucked it and took in the sweet scent.
He looked at Keiyoko as she stared across the ocean, the Sun turning her warm brown eyes almost golden. He handed her the flower. It was Keiyoko's turn to blush as she gently took it from his fingers.
She slowly in haled its essence then, without warning, leaned in and gave the young Faun a small peck on the cheek.
Keiyoko shyly turned away to admire her gift as Tumnus touched his fingers to his cheek in a daze, a smile spreading across his face.
A sudden massive shove to his backside caused him to sprawl into the waters of the shoreline. His nostrils burned as salt water snorted forth the orifices. Coughing, he angrily stood to see Vernal standing on the patch of grass. That did it! Vernal had not even uttered a single hello to him and now this? He rushed out of the waters toward his friend-turned-rival.
"What's your problem?!" he yelled, shoving Vernal with all the force he had causing the Faun to trip backwards over a rock.
Not saying a word, Vernal jumped up and lunged at him and they wound up in a short-lived tussle that had to be broke up by a few adult Fauns nearby.
"So young and already they're being so aggressive toward one another," Kiyo said to Kensun and Gojyo as they observed the well-controlled chaos from a distance.
"And over a Doe, no less," said Kensun with a broad smile, "brings back memories."
"Good times, good times." Gojyo said to him. He and his Older Brother shared a knowing laugh.
"Oh dear," said a female Centaur, pointing to a group of even smaller kids playing by the tree line. "They really shouldn't be playing over there in that direction."
"Why not?" asked Gojyo.
"The signs are ominous today." She replied. "The interpretations were mixed but our calculations predicted that no child should play in the direction of the North-West, at least until the sun sets."
The Fauns glanced at each other.
"I'm sure they'll be fine." Said Kiyo, "Look, my son and his friend are heading toward them now."
After everything had calmed down, Keiyoko led Tumnus to a group of littler Fauns
"Hi, Yoko!" said the smallest of the kids, bounding up to her.
"What are you doing, Taro?" she asked him.
"Nuffing," he pouted. "The bigger kids won't let me play with them."
"Aw, well, we'll play with you, right Tumnus?" Keiyoko said.
"…Sure."
They sat amongst the trees as Taro gathered sticks and rocks for he wanted to build a miniature village. They enjoyed doing this for a while. As Tumnus and Keiyoko worked on Lichi-Won's teahouse, the littlest Faun merrily gathered more sticks, rocks, and shells.
Suddenly, he began to scream and dropping everything in his little arms, he rushed back to Keiyoko and Tumnus.
"Yoko! Nusnus! Yoko! Nusnus!" he cried.
"What's wrong?" said Keiyoko in alarm.
"There's a big, fat worm with eyes and it won't let me go past!"
Tumnus and Keiyoko looked at each other in disbelief and dashed in the direction he showed them. They took in the sight of what he saw.
"Taro, that's a slug!" Keiyoko laughed.
Sure enough, leaving a long trail of slime in its wake was a very large dark green slug with its four fleshy eyes protruding forth. They laughed heartily until their sides ached.
"Oh, boy." Tumnus sighed as he leaned against a branch causing it to bend slightly. "That was a good one."
He heard a single hiss and felt searing mind-numbing pain as something pierced into his chest. Horrified, he looked down to see a snake dangling from his flesh. Keiyoko screamed, a horrible sound, as he wrenched its mouth off his chest and threw the creature from him.
His limbs went limp and he fell heavily to the ground.
