In the Heart of Chant Forest
In the heart of Chant Forest lived a boy named Tharlorwyn.
He had been there for as long as he could remember.
He watched the wind whisper through the trees.
He listened to the rivers hum lullabies.
He explored the forest paths—but never saw anyone like himself.
Nothing in the forest seemed to share his race.
Still, Tharlor wasn't alone.
In Chant Forest, everything could speak.
Some trees could even walk!
Tharlor had four special friends: Tree, Eagle, Cheetah, and Hippo.
Each morning, they gathered fruits together.
They laughed, they ate, and then they searched.
They searched for something Tharlor couldn't name—
A place… a people… a piece of truth.
They searched for where he truly belonged.
A Fateful Morning
One morning, Tree, Eagle, Cheetah, and Hippo were still asleep
when Tharlor's voice broke the silence of dawn.
He stood tall on a stone, singing to the wind:
"It hasn't been long since I started searching,
It hasn't been long since I started looking,
It hasn't been long since I started wandering...
But deep inside, I know—I wasn't meant to wander.
Why am I searching for someone who isn't searching for me?
Why am I looking for someone who isn't looking for me?
Why have I made myself a wanderer?
My friends were pulled into this journey with me,
But being born in a magical forest is not a sin.
I think I'm beginning to understand…
I'll be fine. I'll find my way.
Where do I belong? The answer is clear.
Right here—with my friends.
No more searching.
Tree—your mom is my mom.
Eagle—your dad is my dad.
Cheetah—we are children of Chant Forest.
Hippo—please, let's be brothers."
Voices of the Forest
When his friends heard Tharlor's song, joy filled their hearts.
One by one, they raised their voices and stepped forward.
Cheetah bounded up first:
"Don't forget—I've got your back, brother!
Wherever you go, I go too!
Fast as light, you complete our forest.
The forest is you—and you are the forest!
If you ever leave, it might fade away.
Stay with me—being your friend makes my day.
And I'm proud to call you my friend."
Hippo bellowed joyfully from the riverbank:
"Where do you want to venture? Land or water?
What kind of song do you want me to sing from my hippo back?
Want to meet my homies—the seven-colored fish?
It would be my honor... because you are my friend!"
Then all of them lifted their voices in harmony:
"My friend! You are our friend!"
A Warning from the Skies
Suddenly, Eagle swooped down from above.
He circled, wings spread wide, and called out:
"A horse is coming!"
"It pulls a carriage… straight toward our forest!"
"There might be someone in distress!"
"We must see what's inside the box!"
"There's a man in the forest!"