The rays of the sun peered through the sky, and when it rose high enough, its light managed to permeate inside the tents that were camped at the edge of the Zenza Forest, at one of the trekking bases of the Rainbow Hills.
A sweet and melodious song of birds, nestled in the forest trees and at the colourful trees of the Rainbow Hills, wished those who were asleep a good morning. And even if some people were a little grumpy at being woken up so early in the morning, just one look outside their tents washed away all their grudges.
It was a morning some had been returning here for years to experience again, and for those who had come here for the first time, there was definitely going to be a second time if life provided them with the opportunity.
The early Atumumn wind was a little chilly in this part of the world, and it was one of the two best times of the year to camp here, which was why dozens of small camps sites could be seen throughout this base, and it was not even the main base of the Rainbow Hills.
Away from the rest of the campsites was a small but colourful campsite, and unlike the rest of the people, everyone was already up and ready for the day.
They were sitting around a bonfire right now as a ridiculously handsome young man prepared breakfast for them.
What was interesting was that despite the mouthwatering smell of their meal, and the presence of people with unreal beauty, no one else even once looked their way.
It was as if this section of the base did not even exist for all the tourists present there.
"Here's your fish, my ladies." Keith picked up the first batch of the cooked fish and served it to the two beautiful twins.
"Thank you!" Both of them said in unison, but soon a round of giggles followed when Kiara lightheartedly complained about not being served first.
"You are not the youngest here." Keith reminded her, and his little sister feigned some hurt and pouted, but then smiled when Amira and Reina offered to share their fish with her.
"I will eat the one I caught." She shook her head and then excitedly looked at the next batch of fish that was being cooked.
All of them had started their trip yesterday morning, and on their way here, they had not forgotten to catch some fish from the stream that dissected the Zenza Forest.
They did not have the fish for dinner because Keith planned on marinating them overnight, and by the looks of it, he did the right thing.
By the time the next batch of the fish was done, the twins had already finished their meal, and their mouths were still salivating in the aftertaste.
It was one of the most fulfilling meals of their lives, and they did not forget to thank their special chef, whom they gave a kiss on his cheeks.
Kiara and Minami were served next, then Iseul and Kashish, and finally Keith and Yingying finished their meal under the hungry eyes of the girls who had already eaten and wanted some more.
However, neither Keith nor Yingying shared their meal with them.
"Mean!" Kiara complained when they both only left clean bones on their plates, and Amira and Reina too put up a pitiful look.
Neither of them was faking it. They truly were very hungry.
"I will serve you something even better in today's supper." He promised them and made them all curious too.
"What?" The twins curiously asked.
"It's a surprise." He said, making them smile.
"Okay!" They did not insist that he reveal it and were now even more excited for the day.
The trek up the hills was a lot of fun for all of them, except that it made the twins a little tired, but all the ladies, except for Minami, were already surprised at the twin's stamina and endurance. After all, unlike them, they were only ordinary mortals, not Aurors.
However, no one raised any questions since it was not something outrageous. And they were mostly busy appreciating the breathtaking views that they passed by.
When they reached the top of the hills, the view was totally worth the wait. And they could even see the vast Zenza Forest stretching to the Orisis Lake and the University Town.
Kiara did not forget to capture everything on the camera, and she even made a video call to the girls back at the Manor, sharing the view with them, and making them burn in a little jealousy.
The day was even better than yesterday, and without stopping for an extended time or even for lunch, they arrived at the top of the Fairy Falls after following the Farsa River.
And when they reached their destination, they were surprised at the festive atmosphere at the Fairy Base.
"What's going on here?" Reina curiously asked, watching hundreds if not thousands of people and the colourful Fairy Base that was decorated with beautiful lamps that were going to be lit up at night.
"Fairy Festival," Keith told them. "It takes place at the beginning of Autumn every year, usually in the last two weeks of September, and this year, it is taking place tonight."
"Oh..."
Keith then informed all of them about the history of the festival, and how the government made arrangements for the natives of these lands, who still lived in their villages on the other side of the Farsa River, to celebrate this festival and even make money out of it.
Tourists were only allowed to watch the traditional dances, try out the delicacies, and shop around the stalls where the villagers sold their handicrafts and clothes that they made. They were not allowed to participate in any of the sacred customs and rituals of the people of these lands and were required to be mindful of their presence and behaviour.
And of course, those tourists who wished to attend this festival were required to pay a very hefty entrance fee, and if it was not for Keith who was using his power, the guards present there would have already approached them to make them buy the tickets or go to the base that was at the foot of the Fairy Falls, which was the second most scenic spot there.
The girls did not ask if they were going to attend the festival or not. Since he had brought them there, it meant that they would be attending it, and as expected, Keith sent Iseul to buy their tickets, as well as a campsite for the night with the most scenic view of this place.
To them, it was not a matter of money, and with the amount that they had just spent, the Village Cheifs would have personally led them to their Campsite if their minds were not being influenced to not look their way.
An hour later, they were all done setting up their camp and now prepared to make their Supper. And it was then that Keith revealed what their meal was going to be.
Out of nowhere, he brought out two large trays where two whole lambs were wrapped up in foil, already emanating a mouthwatering smell.
Iseul and Keith expertly set up the fire and constructed a large spit where the two whole lambs could be roasted together, and then Keith put them up and started working on the soup.
The girls were once again impressed by his skill. It was so evident that he was not doing it for the first time. It was truly a treat to watch him cook, which they all enjoyed a lot.
By the time Supper was finally served, all the girls were salivating, Minami and Yingying included, and once they tasted the meat and the soup, they were left speechless for how tasty it was. The rice that had been cooked inside the lambs had more flavour than any rice they had tasted before, and the meat simply left them yearning for more.
Had someone witnessed the scene, they would have been dismayed at how a group of eight could have finished such a big meal, only leaving clean bones behind, but an Auror's appetite was far greater than that of an Ordinary Mortal's. It was actually very normal, and the girls, except for Amira and Reina, still wanted more.
The festival started as soon as the sky darkened, and now, they could hear the music coming from the main base.
Keith asked the girls to get ready, and after they wiped up their mess, they all left to enjoy the festival and see what it was really about.
The colourful lamps excited them a lot, and the girls were not shy from trying the local delicacies even though they had just had the most fulfilling meal of their lives.
They donned traditional hats and even bought some pretty handicrafts, mostly to show support for the villagers who had worked hard on making them for an entire year.
The most fun part of the festival was the plays and dances performed by the villagers, and they attracted the most crowd as well.
No one was allowed to use cellphones here or film the event, but Kiara took advantage of not having eyes on them as she shared the experience with her sister-wives back home.
"He's here too." Kashish was surprised when they saw Samrath and Samantha at the festival, and interestingly, Sunaina was with them as well, whose presence was weighing heavily on the girl with pigtails, who kept hugging her boyfriend's arm as they looked around the stalls.
Keith looked at the Child of Destiny with a light smile on his lips. His guess had proven right. Samrath had indeed come here this year, which meant that a fortuitous encounter was waiting for him as well.
