Will of Fire (cont.)

Panzela glanced at Rei, a little nervously, but was soon being pulled by Anthony. She shook her head and replaced her uncomfortable expression with a smile, returning her thoughts to Anthony and wherever he was taking them.

 

"See? My excellent smoothness is too much of a match anyone." Rei laughed.

"I'm going to laugh when your 'excellent smoothness' fails out against Megumi." Kairuto remarked.

Rei scoffed. "She is just too much of a-" He cut himself off, realizing he was speaking aloud. "What say we go follow them?"

"Sure. It won't be too bad to waste an hour or so." Kairuto agreed.

Rei jolted himself into the air and glanced around for Anthony, Panzela, and Akito. "Alright, let's have some fun. Too much seriousness'll kill a guy."

"Nah," Kairuto was surprised at the lightness of his tone. "Just you."

 

Panzela looked around, trying to figure out where Anthony was taking them. "Are you sure it has to be a secret?" she asked, smiling.

 

Anthony nodded and kept taking them towards where he wanted to show them. There was a forest near the park and he started to lead them through the trees.

Akito chuckled lightly and glanced around. This place doesn't look too safe... He thought.

 

Panzela was also looking around, testing the air around them. Huh... I guess it feels alright... although- she glanced behind them, feeling someone following them Hm... she quickly looked back ahead, hoping she was just feeling someone going about their own buisness and not someone following.

 

As they continued on, the trees suddenly started to thin until they emerged into a large, open area with a huge, grassy field. The field stretched out wide until it turned to sand, making a small strip of beach that lined a beautiful lake. A few trees surrounded the large, open field and the lake, but it was a pretty open space. Anthony grinned when they got here and stopped, letting go of Akito and Panzela's hands. He looked up to see their reactions.

Akito was stunned. Did he find this place on his own...? He wondered, marveling at the sight of it. It was a truly spectacular place. I didn't even know there was a lake here!

 

Panzela's stood completely still, trying to take it all in. "Wow!" she finally whispered. "This is... beautiful Anthony!"

 

Anthony grinned, pleased by their reactions. "I've been coming here whenever my mom lets me out to go play. Nobody else knows about it, so don't tell!" He signed. "Not even my mom knows... Oh, and that's not all! Come one, I have more to show you!" He started to run in the direction of the beach.

Akito laughed. "Wait up!" He said and ran after him.

 

Rei opened his wings, catching the air and stopping himself. "It's nice." He commented.

"Let's hope we don't drag any fights to it." Kairuto replied.

"I'll try not to." Rei chuckled, beating his wings to gain more altitude.

 

Panzela laughed, dashing off to follow them. "Dang, where did he learn to run so fast?" she asked Akito, catching up to him as they ran.

 

"Who knows?!" Akito asked and grinned, finally catching up to Anthony.

Anthony had stopped after running a bit down the beach. In a tree that was right in the middle of the beach, with no other trees around it. In this tree, there was a rather large treehouse with a rope ladder. It was made out of wood and was divided into three seperate "rooms". However, only two of the three rooms had a roof on them. There were a few cans of paint and some pieces of wood near the base of the tree, though the cans remained unused. Anthony started climbing up the ladder.

Akito was shocked. "He's good with his hands, I gotta give him that..." He said.

 

"Oh my-" Panzela came to a halt, also shocked, as they reached the treehouse. Then she burst out laughing. "What next?" she asked, grinning. "Anthony, did you make this?" she called up to him.

 

Anthony grinned and nodded once he got to the top. "I got some supplies from a really nice guy I met at the park one day. He said he was a carpenter once and could get me some wood and tools to build it. It wasn't easy... But it's alot of fun to play in! What are you guys waiting for?! Come on up!" He signed and grinned.

"What's he saying?" Akito asked.

 

"Looks like they've got a fun filled day ahead of them." Rei declined as he circled.

"But we've got work to do," Kairuto reminded Rei.

"You always have to bring it back to that," Rei sighed but smiled.

 

Panzela turned to Akito and tried to say it all accuratly. "He got the supplies from a nice man he met in the park who claimed to be a carpender and got him the tools and supplies. It wasn't easy but it's fun to play in. And what are we waiting for, come up." she nodded, sure she got everything. "i wonder who that man was..." she couldn't help wondering.

 

Akito nodded. "It's strange... But there are alot of friendly people in this neighborhood..." He said and smiled. He ran over to the treehouse and started climbing up.

Anthony grinned and went to one of the three rooms.

 

"yeah, it's really a nice place." Panzela agreed, following him up. "I can't believe he did all this without anyone knowing!"

 

Rei gave himself a boost ahead with a bit of magic, a few of his feathers falling to the treehouse and ground. "Too much?"

"Barely felt it," Kairuto answered. "I think I'm finally getting used to your magic."

"Only because I know how to use it properly," Rei shook his hair out of his face. "Unlike Megumi."

 

Akito chuckled. "Just how much does he go outside to 'play'?" He asked and grinned.

Anthony had gone through the first room and was sitting in the room past that, where he had laid a mat on the floor. In the room he had gone through, there were board games and other things to do that he had been collecting in his room to put in here. That was one of the rooms that had a roof over it. The one with a mat in it was bare, except for the mat, and had no roof. The last room he had put snack in, such as peanuts and granola bars and other things that wouldn't go bad. "All I have left to do is paint," He signed and grinned. "I don't want to put a roof over this part cuz then it'll be too cramped, dontcha' think? And maybe when it's done, I can tell some of my friends about it so they can come play with me! But I'll blindfold them so that they can't lead anyone else here..." He explained, grinning. One of Rei's feathers landed in the room Anthony was in and he picked it up and looked at it with a confused expression.

 

Panzela sat next to him and tried to get everything he was saying straight so she could translate. When the feathers fell her head immedeitaly snapped to look up. Rei? I guess someone was following us, at least it wasn't someone who wants to hurt us. she looked at Anthony, "Yeah I like it this way, it feels nice and open." she looked over at Akito and quickly summarized what Anthony had explained.