Cy-Toad and her pet army had never left the village that they saved because the villagers kept on doing nothing except shaking their hands or paws, thanking them and telling them how amazing and awesome they were everywhere they went. It did make them feel good about they did for the first hour, but for the last three, it started to get too much and too boring for them, no matter how many times Cy-Toad kept saying, "You're welcome" and "It was nothing."
Cy-Toad and the pets still couldn't leave the village, which they still didn't even know the name of, because they were sitting at the large wooden tables that the villagers had prepared. They were preparing a feast in their honour for saving their lives and what remains of their village. The food that was laid on the tables were mostly fruit and vegetables that they grew themselves and bread they baked themselves and cheese they made among the many other food, which Cy-Toad and the pets had to admit looked and smelt delicious. The pets tried to make a start of eating the food before the villagers, but Cy-Toad ordered them not to. "They went through all this trouble for us, so let's not upset them."
Cy-Toad and the pets even had the privilege of sitting next to the mayor of the village, who was a sheep wearing mayor clothes and a golden mayor chain around his neck. He rose and tapped his glass with his spoon.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he said to the villagers, who looked at him and went quiet. "Thank you. I don't know where these four new heroes came from, but I think you will all agree with me that we are very glad that they came to save our lives and as much of our beloved Forest Village when they did."
Forest Village? Cy-Toad and the pets thought that was a very weird name, if that was even really its proper name.
"So tonight we celebrate the bravery of – Uh…" Then he turned to Cy-Toad and the pets. "May we know your names?"
Cy-Toad realised herself that she and the pets had been in the Forest Village for four hours and they never asked them their names. Of all the time they had been there, she decided that these villagers were the type that were nice, friendly and well-meaning but not the sharpest rocks or the most glistening trees in this forest.
"This is Figaro," Cy-Toad said, picking him up
Figaro meowed in a greeting way and the villagers applauded him.
Then Cy-Toad picked up Fifi. "This is Fifi."
Fifi barked friendly towards the villagers and they applauded her.
"This is Pluto."
Pluto barked friendly towards the villagers and they applauded him. All the pets liked their applause they received.
"And my name is Cy-Toad, Mayor… What's your name?"
"Woolly. Mayor Woolly, at your service, Cy-Toad."
Too obvious for a name, Cy-Toad thought as she shook his hand.
"Now, where was I? Oh, yes." Mayor Woolly raised his glass. "A toast to Cy-Toad, Pluto, Fifi and Figaro."
"Cy-Toad, Pluto, Fifi and Figaro!" the villagers cheered, as they rose and raised their glasses.
"Thanks, everyone," Cy-Toad said. "It's nothing but our job and privilege to help good and kind people such as yourselves. And we want you to know that, if you guys ever get in trouble, you can count on us to help you."
The villagers cheered again. Then everyone sat down and tucked into their food.
"Slow down, guys," Cy-Toad said to the pets. "I know this food is excellent, but remember what I said about not taking too much advantage of our hosts?" After the pets slowed down their eating, she turned to Mayor Woolly. "Excuse me, Mr. Mayor. Before we came to help you today, you seem to have a protector already. Who is it?"
"We know nothing about it at all, except that when it only comes to us when we're under attacked. We don't even what it is, let alone its name, where it lives or what its purpose is."
"How many attacks has your village had?" Cy-Toad asked.
"Well, to my knowledge, quite a few this year," Mayor Woolly said. "Those monsters have been attacking us for a few years, but, when they first started, they attacked us every now and then they started to become more frequent."
"When your village had the first attack, did your friend came to save you guys?"
"Yes. Whenever we were under attack, it always arrived and fought those monsters to protect us with flawless strength and wits, but as time went by, the attacks happened more and more and those monsters got stronger, smarter and harder to fight, while our protector is running out of ideas and losing its strength and struggling to fight them. It's lucky you guys came when you did.
Cy-Toad couldn't argue about the Earth Army monsters. She had fought them and saved people and villagers from them many times in the past, but like this mysterious protector, she was struggling to keep up the good work and she wondered if their leader Lady Brenda was making them more powerful and stronger.
Then Cy-Toad heard barking and meowing. She turned to see neither Pluto, Fifi nor Figaro were at the table. "Excuse me, please, Mr. Mayor," she said to him. "And thanks for the lovely food."
"You're very welcome," Mayor Woolly said, as he waved to her.
Cy-Toad continued to follow the barking and meowing. They were at the edge of the forest. "You guys found, heard or smelt something?"
The pets nodded. Pluto and Fifi sniffed their noses and Figaro pointed out giant footprints on the ground.
Cy-Toad had to admit she was impressed with what they discovered. "Well done, guys," she said. "Let's go." Then they went into the forest.
It didn't take Cy-Toad and the pets long until the dogs stopped smelling and Figaro ran out of giant footprints to follow. They all looked ahead to see a giant, scary-looking cave. Cy-Toad thought it was too obvious, but she changed her mind when she saw the dogs still sniffing at the dark entrance of the cave while looking very scared. Even Figaro was getting very worried.
"We came this far, guys," Cy-Toad told them, as she turned back around and got out two dog leads and a cat lead and collar out of her metal arm. "There's only one way to go and that's forward. Now, come on." Then she turned back around and threw the leads at the pets, who were trying to escape. The cat lead and collar went around Figaro and fitted him like a glove and the dog leads automatically fitted the dogs' collar. The pets gave Cy-Toad an annoyed look, which she expected.
"I know this is scary, guys," she said to them, "and I know you think this is nowhere near to finding your owners, but trust me. The sooner we get these mysteries solved, the quicker we'll find your owners and you'll get back to them. I can't do this task on my own and I really need your help. Are you with me?"
She gave the pets a few seconds before they all decided that they were with her.
"Good. I'm not taking the leads off you, just to help you feel safer, okay?"
The pets didn't really understand that.
"Okay, well, sorry if you don't understand, but time's running out, so come on. Let's get to work. Pluto, Fifi, get sniffing again."
Then the dogs bravely walked ahead and sniff as they headed into the giant, dark cave, followed by Figaro and Cy-Toad.
