Kiri-Kiri

Spring arrives, and brings with it warmth and new life. No longer forced to stay in the insulated Squirrel Nation homes to stay warm, the possibilities of travel and exploration return.

And so does a sense of wanderlust for a little magpie and their friends. Trading stories throughout Winter had helped to pass the time, but now it was time to leave the Nation. Kiri-Kiri, Missile, and Brockleforth head off to see new sights.

Spring: The Carnival

The felled wheel, once standing tall and mighty above the other structures of the Carnival, now lies on its side. A group of animals are discussing working to raise it once again, as a centrepiece for future Carnival celebrations, though they seem uncertain of how to go about doing this.

Missile looks at the other structures, twisting metal soaring through the air, in wonder. He starts to climb one of the supporting beams, asking Kiri and Brockleforth to join him. The badger decides to stay on the ground, watching as the magpie and the eagle race over the snaking forms, high above the Carnival.

They take some time to pause, back on the ground, and listen to the stories being passed around. Theories about the purposes of the ruins that fill this border-place between City and Forest. While they’re not quite trinkets, it’s clear these structures have stories to tell.

Summer: The White Jungle

Through the ruins of the City Centre, the trio come to the White Jungle. A labyrinth of pathways and interconnected rooms, each looking similar and yet different.

It is an odd place. It is an open space, and many animals have come here to run around, and yet it is enclosed by walls and a roof above. There is a group of youths hanging out, looking around the different rooms, talking about… decorating? One of them, a coyote named Rex, is suggesting plans for how to renovate one of the abandoned spaces into a community area for many animals to come together and hang out, and the other two, Axel and Morty, are adding to those ideas. They have a pile of trinkets, taken from the rooms of the White Jungle, and offer one to Kiri-Kiri.

There is a bit of panic as Missile becomes separated from the group and cannot be found for a while, but after enough time (and some shouting through the Jungle’s halls), the trio are reunited. They carry on to their next destination.

Autumn: The Plains

The golden grasses of the Plains spread wide, the horizon occasionally broken by one of the Rust Trees sticking up from the ground.

Even as a chilling wind cuts across the land, there are many animals here, making use of the open space to run around and play with friends and family. The Autumn sun beams down upon the land, bringing with it a warmth that combats the cold breeze.

Kiri, Missile, and Brockleforth head over the Plains and come to an old building. The Behemoth Twins inside stand mighty above the ground, and many animals are here discussing the year gone by and their plans for Winter, all while enjoying a satisfying scratch on the great metal beasts.

Early Winter: The Shore

The Lake’s surface is still, a vast change from the Spirit that breached it the Winter before. Despite the coming cold, there is still a lot of activity here, with the penguins gathered on the Shore. They offer for Kiri, Missile, and Brockleforth to join their huddle for a while to get out of the cold.

Kiri and the Empress have a conversation about rocks and trinkets. In some ways, the collectibles are similar and yet in others they are different. Missile takes some time to paddle in the Shallows, sharing stories with the younger penguins. Brockleforth stays at the water’s edge, watching his friends, but staying silent himself.

Eventually, the time comes for them to move on to their final destination.

Winter: Back to the Squirrel Nation

And at the end of the year, the three of them return to the Squirrel Nation to stay warm during Winter, sharing their stories with the other animals gathered there, waiting for the warmth of Spring to bring new adventures once again.

The view from the top of the Grey Trees is magnificent. The Summer sun shines down upon the City, reflecting off the glass of other buildings, causing them to appear as though they’re sparkling. Kiri-Kiri and Missile take some time to pause and reflect on how they got here.

The climb was not easy. Footholds were hard to find, the high winds constantly threatened to blow the pair from where they stood, and some brief periods of rain made the climb even more difficult.

At one point, a particularly strong gust of wind knocked Kiri from the ledge upon which they were standing. Try as they might to glide to safety, the gales made it hard to manoeuvre in the air.

Seeing his friend in danger, Missile leapt from the side of the Grey Tree, spread his wings wide, and, for the first time since he crash-landed in the Deep-Woods, he flew. They soared down beneath Kiri, catching it on their back, and the two of them returned to the point from which they had fallen.

It took a while for them to recover from this incident, but they decided to keep going.

And the view from the top was certainly worth the struggle and strife they put into it.