As the sun started to set, the forest floor filled with twisting shadows. Darius moved ahead. Focused. Barely a sound as he walked.

Behind him, Lyra skipped along, humming a happy tune. “Isn’t this fun?” she asked, spinning around. “We’re about to catch another MagicBeast! This is going to be awesome!”

“Yeah, awesome if you mean painful,” Zane grumbled, yanking his sleeves free from yet another branch. He glared at it, offended. “Who needs a relaxing walk when we can do this ‘stealth’ thing instead?” He even made air quotes, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Up ahead, LoreKeeper floated along. It turned back to Zane. “Adventure, Zane, is just another word for opportunity,” she said, spinning in the air with flair. “And tonight, you’re all stars. Though, some stars are dimmer than others.”

Zane rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. If you need shades, let me know.” He stomped forward, done with LoreKeeper’s pep talk.

A soft whirring sound cut through the quiet forest. It was a strange noise that seemed to vibrate through the air.

Darius’s hand shot up. “There,” he whispered, pointing through a gap in the trees. “It’s close.”

The group moved forward slowly. Except for Zane, who mostly stumbled, muttering about spiders and how “this better not be poison ivy.”

The whirring got louder, turning into a hum that made the ground seem to vibrate.

And then they saw it.

The TimberTail. Fluffy squirrel. Brown fur. And it was really going to town on a small tree. Its bushy tail glowed and buzzed like a tiny chainsaw.

image [https://i.imgur.com/rWbS91c.png]

The tree cracked and fell, and the TimberTail quickly started cleaning it up. It stacked the logs into a perfect pile. What a tidy little creature.

“Whoa!” Zane’s jaw dropped. “It’s like a neat-freak with a saw tail. I think I’m scared and impressed all at once.”

“It’s adorable!” Lyra said. “Like a tiny lumberjack!” She leaned forward, clearly wanting to keep it as a pet.

Darius didn’t blink. “Stay focused. We need to be ready for anything.” He sounded like a teacher trying to keep the class on track.

LoreKeeper floated closer, glowing even brighter. “Now’s your chance, Darius. Throw the CaptureCube and let the magic do its thing.”

Darius looked at the CaptureCube in his hand. His fingers tightened around it.

He looked at the TimberTail again. So focused. Determined.

“No,” Darius said, putting the cube away. “I challenge it to a duel.”

Zane’s eyebrows shot up. “A what?!” He pointed at the TimberTail. “You’re gonna fight that thing? It’s a plush toy!”

Lyra clapped her hands together. “This is gonna be good! Darius versus the TimberTail! High drama! High stakes! My money’s on Darius, of course.” She nudged Zane, who still looked doubtful.

Darius stepped into the clearing, drawing his sword smoothly. The blade shone in the fading light. “TimberTail, I challenge you to a duel. Show me your strength.”

The TimberTail paused. Looked up from its neat pile of logs.

Everything went silent. Nothing moved.

Then the TimberTail’s eyes narrowed. Its tail lit up even brighter, buzzing like a saw. “Tiiimber... Taaaail...” it chirped, accepting the challenge. It planted its tiny feet, ready to fight.

Zane crossed his arms, grinning. “Oh wow, he’s serious. We’re actually doing this.” He exchanged a look with Lyra, who was practically bouncing.

Darius studied the TimberTail. It stepped forward, tail twitching.

“Hey, what’s the holdup?” Zane called. “Having second thoughts about turning a stuffed toy into shish kebab?”

Darius paused. “You’re right. This isn’t fair.” He put his sword away and pulled out a small dagger. “I’ll use this.”

The TimberTail perked up. “Timber! Timber!” It charged, tail glowing.

Darius sidestepped. Smooth. Calm. Each strike blocked. He wasn’t attacking. Just testing TimberTail’s strength.

“It’s like watching someone try to swat a fly with a spoon!” Lyra laughed.

Zane was getting into it too. “This isn’t fair! You should switch hands or something!”

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Darius switched the dagger to his left hand.

The TimberTail charged again.

Darius moved. Graceful. Effortless.

The TimberTail kept swinging.

But Darius was a ghost. Never where it aimed.

Zane doubled over with laughter. “What’s next? Hopping on one foot?”

Darius didn’t hesitate. He lifted one foot off the ground. “Very well,” he said, balancing on one leg.

The TimberTail paused. Confused.

Lyra wiped tears from her eyes. “Oh come on, what’s next? Blindfolded?”

Darius nodded. Tore a strip from his cloak. Covered his eyes. “Now, TimberTail, let us continue.”

The TimberTail squeaked even louder. Lashed out.

Darius dodged everything. No effort.

“Alright, now he’s just showing off!” Zane said.

The TimberTail was mad now. Tail buzzing louder. One last charge.

Darius didn’t flinch. Balanced. Calm. He twisted. Dodged. Smooth flip. Landed behind it. Quiet. Precise. He tapped it’s head with his dagger’s handle.

The TimberTail stopped. Tail dimmed. “Timber... Tail...” It sounded almost embarrassed.

Darius took off his blindfold and stood on both feet again. He bowed to the TimberTail. “You fought bravely.”

Lyra was on the ground laughing. “Darius, I had no idea you were such a show-off! That was amazing!”

Zane shook his head. “I thought we’d be here all night watching him duel every squirrel and pebble in this forest. But I gotta admit, that was pretty impressive.”

Darius pulled out the CaptureCube. Threw it forward. Burst of light. The runes spun around TimberTail. Flash. It was pulled into the cube. The forest went quiet.

“And the crowd goes wild!” Lyra cheered. “A duel and a capture! Darius, you really outdid yourself!”

“Not every day you see a guy duel a squirrel,” Zane added, shaking his head. “But hey, now we’ve got a cute saw buddy. That’s gotta be useful.”

Darius picked up the CaptureCube and let TimberTail out immediately.

It reappeared, blinking. “TimberTail?” it squeaked, looking at Darius with a new respect.

LoreKeeper spun in the air, glowing brightly. “Alright, let’s see what our new friend can do!” It scanned TimberTail, magical symbols glowing around it. “First, Tail Saw, great for cutting down trees! Second, Timber Sense, for finding small trees like pines. We’ve got ourselves a natural lumberjack here!”

Lyra’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, this is awesome! Our very own tree expert! Gathering wood just got way easier.” She patted TimberTail, which chirped happily.

“A forest helper that can chop down trees and sniff out the best ones?” Zane grinned. “Sounds useful to me. Let’s put this little guy to work.”

Darius nodded, his usual serious look softening just a bit. “Indeed. TimberTail will be a good ally.”

TimberTail squeaked, looking proud. It flicked its tail and stood up straight, like it knew it had earned its place.

LoreKeeper floated higher. “Well, folks, looks like you’ve got a new recruit. Shall we head back to camp?”

With their new fluffy friend in tow, the group turned back towards camp. The forest seemed to relax around them, almost like it enjoyed the show.

TimberTail trotted next to Darius, its tail flicking with pride.

“Hey, TimberTail!” Lyra called, tossing a flower crown onto its head. “You’re the Forest King now!”

TimberTail chirped happily. Darius gave it a nod, and even Zane cracked a smile.

“Alright Forest King, lead us back home,” Zane said, “ And avoid the poison ivy, okay?”

With that, they marched on. A team of misfits led by a glowing squirrel, ready for chaos, adventure, and maybe a little bit of magic.

----------------------------------------

Bonus Blooper!

Just as Darius slipped the CaptureCube into his pocket, the air sparkled.

A serious-looking officer appeared out of a portal. She was holding a clipboard and tapping her pen impatiently. "Hey! Do you have a permit for that TimberTail?"

Darius blinked, gripping the CaptureCube tighter. "A... permit?"

The officer sighed like she had explained this a million times. "Yes, a permit. You can't just walk into the woods and start capturing TimberTails. They're 'community forest friends.' You need paperwork."

Zane's jaw dropped. "Wait. Are you saying we need permission to catch a magical squirrel with a buzz-saw tail?"

"Absolutely," the officer said, as if it was the most normal thing ever. "There are steps. Procedures. Forms. Did you fill out Form 8C—Request to Engage in Wildlife Duels?"

Lyra's eyes lit up, clearly interested. "There's a form for dueling squirrels? You're joking!"

"Not joking," the officer replied, totally serious. "We're cracking down. Too many people think they can just take forest squirrels like they're pets or famous celebrities."

Zane scoffed. "What is this, some kind of 'Free the Squirrels' campaign? They're just squirrels, not woodland celebrities!"

"Tell that to Peanut," the officer shot back.

Darius sighed. "If I need a permit to do the right thing, then give me the form. I shall fill it out."

The officer flipped a page on her clipboard. "Oh, there are a lot of forms. You'll need the Request for Captive Companionship, Squirrel Compliance Training, and, of course, the Forest Pals Pre-Approval Questionnaire."

LoreKeeper floated above the officer's shoulder and chimed in. "Oh honey, Darius has done more for that TimberTail than any of your silly paperwork!"

The officer raised an eyebrow. "The law doesn't care about friendship, Miss Glowstick."

Zane threw his hands up. "So, you're just gonna take TimberTail back because of some old 'Wildlife Adoption Code'?"

"Exactly," the officer said. "Look, I don't make the rules. I just enforce them. TimberTail is a community forest resource, and if every adventurer took one, where would we be?"

Lyra snorted. "It's a squirrel, not some famous public figure! Should we be making fan pages for it now?"

Zane smirked. "Yeah, what's next, the 'People's Squirrel Preservation Society'? Sounds like you're just collecting critters!"

The officer folded her arms. "Laugh all you want, but unauthorized captures are serious. TimberTail stays here."

TimberTail looked back and forth between Darius and the officer, obviously unsure.

Darius lowered his voice and stared at the officer. "This is ridiculous. We have a bond. You cannot just break that with paperwork."

The officer rolled her eyes. "Oh please. If you really cared, you would've filed for a Capture License months ago. That's just the way it works."

LoreKeeper laughed. "Sweetie, these guys barely remember to pack lunch. They have no idea what a Capture License is!"

The officer sighed. "Another tragic case of unprepared adventurers. I'll be taking the TimberTail now." Suddenly, a flash of light shot out from her hand, spiraling toward TimberTail.

The magic hit TimberTail like a lasso, snapping around its waist and pulling it toward her.

"Hey!" Darius reached for TimberTail. But the magic pushed him back, making him stumble as the officer reeled TimberTail in like a caught fish.

"Forest Reclamation Protocol," she announced, barely hiding her grin. "Unauthorized companions are repossessed immediately."

"Repossession?" Lyra shouted. "He's not a squirrel bank loan!"

The officer shrugged, giving the tether one final tug. TimberTail squeaked, giving one last helpless look before being pulled toward the officer and disappearing in a blink.

Zane leaned over to Lyra. "Next time, let's just stick to non-magical squirrels."