187.
While a lot of events happen in Kita's group, the adventures of Lulu and Darli are still ongoing. Crossing the skies and seas, the two Kings race around the UniPaws. It was a monumental event created by the small Kemis. Padra and Darli won the first race, but Thirdy swore to get their revenge by the following year, brewing a friendly competition between the 2 Kings. After the successful event, Lulu and Darli drop off Pily on the island connected to Euchambersia where the rest are, and their mission to unite the Giant Beasts continues.
Padra and Thirdy make it easier for them to travel and explore the whole UniPaws. On the other hand, Badi maintains peace and order in the Dragons' lair since most of the Giant Beasts are still there. Badi thinks that it's impossible, or at least it will take a lot of time before Padra and Thirdy agree on a suitable habitat for everyone regardless of Lulu and Darli's interference. From now on, The King of the Land is positioned as the mediator between the sea and sky creatures, a much better setup since land Giant Beasts usually just mind their own businesses.
At the beginning of their scouting, Lulu and Darli are optimistic about their mission. They already examined 20 different islands, each with different conditions depending on the environment. Some are mossy, and others are mountain-like, but the problem is none of those have equal water and land ratios. Padra and Thirdy always argue for the sake of their kind, and the only solution is to find a clustered island with enough sea depth plus mountains. It should be a perfect diversity for all Giant Beasts.
Night settles in and they decide to rest on a small island for now. It is the 21st island they examined, adding another rejected island to their list.
"This is way harder than I expected," Darli complained while lying on the grass.
"Good thing we brought our sleeping bags, we can sleep wherever we want!" Lulu responded while preparing their bed.
"Nyu are right, and tomorrow will be different!" Darli cheerfully said.
"I hope so too, but tonight, let's enjoy the night sky," Lulu replied.
The two of them stare at the stars, appreciating the beauty of the cosmos presented to the UniPaws, truly a peaceful nighttime. By the next morning, Lulu and Darli woke up early to start as soon as possible. Since they flew with Padra yesterday, it's Thirdy's turn today, and the search continues. Island after island, with of course casual breaks for mealtime, good thing most of the islands that they have been through have abundant fruits and fish, but still, none of those fit their ideals.
Searching for something that perfectly encapsulates their demands is getting more problematic. It has been a recurring theme for 3 days, Thirdy took charge on their 2nd and 3rd day while Padra took the 1st and the next 2 days. This is the arrangement they agreed on so the two Kings won't fight in terms of direction. Lulu and Darli will ride on who's in charge for that day, and it changes every 2 days.
On their 4th day, Lulu and Darli can no longer tell their location at this point. Both of them are clueless if it's north, east, west, or south. They are now roaming around in an uncharted place that no other Kemis or Beasts have ever reached. They already examined 73 islands in total, and their optimism is diminishing. But when everything seemed hopeless, a paradise welcomed Lulu and Darli. Flying above the clouds, they found an archipelago forming like the shape of a key, and it is almost the same size as Rivarania. The islands are connected by flowing rivers in between. Mountains are scattered around the place, with long flat areas and trees.
"Am I dreaming? Can nyu sla-" Darli was about to request a light slap but Lulu swang her hand with zero hesitation before Darli could even finish her sentence. Darli managed to catch Lulu's hand in mid-air and said, "Woah wait! I'm just kidding!"
"Oh, if nyu say so," Lulu replied as they both laughed, knowing it was just a joke.
Without wasting any second, they flew closely to the archipelago to inspect, starting from the southern part of it. The breeze is refreshing and lots of fruitful trees in sight. There are also small ponds and big rivers which both have schools of fish. Caves connect to the underground and mountains that touch the sky. The more Lulu and Darli look around, the more they are impressed. After all this time, they finally found a place that crossed out their checklist. Padra and Thirdy also took their time to check the place so they could assign certain areas for each King. It was rare for them to be on the same page and this moment is an example of it.
At long last, the search is over. Padra and Thirdy told the small Kemis to wait for them while the Kings gathered the Giant Beasts, it would be faster if they could sprint back without worrying about the passengers. Every Beast Mimi is invited, and they are also allowed to decide whether to stay where they are or migrate to the newly established Kingdom of the Giant Beasts. It took a lot of time and after hours of waiting, a disrupting sound called Lulu and Darli's attention from afar. Hundreds of Giant Beasts are flying and swimming as they approach the island. Every Dragon and Sea creature carries those who can't swim, while the rest of the land-type Giant Beasts trail from behind with Badi. The 3 Kings only took half of their population while the rest stayed in their original habitat to protect it. Eventually, the Giant Beasts landed on their new Kingdom one after the other, and they all immediately marked their area. Everyone was busy settling in, building their nests, and using their resources effectively.
"Wow… this is something else!" Darli mentioned, mesmerized by the event.
"They are just like us," Lulu added.
"Should we name the place?" Darli randomly asked.
"I'm too tired to think of a name. Let's just call it Giant Beasts' Kingdom." Lulu answered without overthinking the name.
"Sounds good to me!" Darli replied as they both just stood there and watched the Giant Beasts.
As the day comes to an end, Lulu and Darli decide to camp at the archipelago for tonight. They are setting a record for the first Kemis to sleep in the Giant Beasts' Kingdom. They are the ones who found this place, so it's fitting for them to experience spending a night in a newly discovered area. The two of them set a camp far from the three Kings to make sure no one would get jealous.
"This was satisfying. I think we finally achieved something that we can be proud of. Something that we did ourselves and not just rely on our friends." Darli started the conversation once more.
"There's nothing wrong in relying on our friends but achieving goals with our own hands is also fulfilling. And I believe we are the only Kemis that can pull this off." Lulu replied as they both giggled.
"I hope we can bring them here. I'm sure they'll drop their jaws." Darli proudly said.
"Maybe after their mission. They are basically trying to save what we have built." Lulu responded.
"It must have been exhausting for them," Darli mentioned.
"True, I hope we all can hang out again like we used to. But that might take a while." Lulu said. The two small Kemis yawned and finally closed their eyes, hoping tomorrow would be different.
When the next day comes, a heavy atmosphere wakes up Lulu and Darli. The skies were violet, and it was the first time they to witnessed such an ominous scenery. Later on, some of the Dragons came back, they were ordered to scout around the UniPaws by Padra. Their report made the Kings worry about the safety of the small Kemis. The three of them decided to halt Lulu and Darli's return, planning to make them stay in the Kingdom in the meantime.
"Padra, what's happening?" Darli worriedly asked. It's the first time they saw the 3 Kings gather in one spot just to talk to them.
"I know nyu guys are just worried about us but can nyu at least tell us what's going on? We cannot just stay here without any explanation," Lulu added.
The 3 Kings are hesitant because they know what Lulu and Darli will do once they tell them the truth. But no matter how hard they try to convince the Kemis, the 3 Kings can't win the argument, forcing them to let Lulu and Darli know about the situation that started at dawn.
"Before the two of you react to what we are going to say, you must think this carefully and digest the whole scenario… Early this morning, a sudden change in the atmosphere happened, creating that violet sky. When our Dragons flew around the UniPaws, they saw hundreds of Kemis losing control and turning violet. There's no clear information on where it came from but it could be contagious. Going back to your home will be extremely dangerous." Padra thoroughly explained.
Lulu and Darli looked at each other, terrified of what they just heard. They have seen what corruption looks like, but none of those were like this. It looks like the catastrophe that the Kemis have been preparing for is happening right now.
End of Chapter 5