The jungle smelled of rain and sun-warmed leaves. Shafts of afternoon light slipped through the tall trees, painting the path in flickers of gold and green. Birds called to one another, and somewhere far off a stream hummed like soft music.
Ansh crouched low behind a bush, his eyes narrowed in fierce concentration. Just ahead, a plump grey rabbit nibbled at a patch of clover, its ears twitching with every sound.
"Shhh…" he whispered over his shoulder. "One… perfect… pounce."
Ashwini peered from behind a tree trunk, her braid brushing her shoulder. "Ansh, you're going to scare it away."
"I won't," he mouthed. "I'm a jungle cat."
Vijay stood with his arms crossed, trying to look uninterested though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You're about as quiet as a thunderstorm."
"Thunderstorms are powerful," Ansh said proudly, still crouched. "Watch and learn."
Daav fluttered down from a low branch and landed on Vijay's shoulder, giving a soft chirp that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
Ansh edged forward, careful step after careful step. The rabbit flicked an ear but kept chewing.
Almost there. Almost—
A dry twig cracked beneath his boot.
The rabbit's head shot up.
"Now!" Ansh lunged.
The rabbit sprang straight into the air and bolted like a streak of smoke.
"Hey!" Ansh shouted, scrambling after it. "Come back, I just want to talk!"
The forest erupted into chaos.
The rabbit zigzagged through the undergrowth. Ansh tore after it, ducking under branches, leaping over roots. Daav launched into the air with an excited cry, wings flaring as he gave chase from above.
Ashwini groaned but broke into a run, skirts swishing. "Ansh, you'll hurt yourself!"
"Slow down!" Vijay called, but his own feet were already pounding the earth.
The rabbit darted around a fallen log. Ansh tried to jump it, misjudged the height, and tumbled head over heels into a bed of ferns. Leaves flew like startled birds.
Ashwini skidded to a stop, laughing despite herself. "Graceful as ever!"
"I'm fine!" Ansh popped up, twigs sticking from his hair. "It's all part of the plan!"
The rabbit shot across a shallow stream.
Ansh charged after it without thinking. Water splashed high as he landed, soaking his boots and trousers. "Ha! Got you this—"
His foot slid on a slick rock and he went down with a mighty splash.
Daav wheeled overhead, shrieking with delight.
Ashwini bent double, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "You look like a drowned squirrel!"
Vijay finally caught up, shaking his head with a grin. "A thunderstorm, huh?"
Ansh clambered upright, dripping from head to toe, but his eyes still shone with determination. "That rabbit is fast. But not faster than me!"
The chase resumed.
The rabbit darted into a thicket of tall grass, vanishing in an instant.
Ansh crouched low, trying to listen. His wet clothes clung to his skin, but he ignored them. Daav hovered above, eyes scanning.
A faint rustle to the left.
Ansh signaled with a finger to his lips. Ashwini and Vijay slowed their breathing, watching.
Suddenly the rabbit burst from the grass in a blur of grey.
"Go!" Ansh shouted.
All three kids sprang after it together this time.
Ashwini used a quick twist of her life magic, coaxing a fallen branch to slide aside and clear their path. Vijay summoned a light breeze to push the grass back, giving them a clear view.
The rabbit darted toward a small hollow beneath an old tree.
Ansh leapt, arms outstretched—
And landed flat on his stomach as the rabbit zipped safely into the hollow, tail flicking like a tiny flag of victory.
For a moment there was silence except for Ansh's ragged breathing.
Then Ashwini giggled. Vijay chuckled. Daav chirped a note that sounded suspiciously like applause.
Ansh rolled onto his back, arms spread wide. "Okay," he admitted, panting, "the rabbit wins."
They flopped down together beneath the great tree. Sunlight danced through the leaves, warming their damp clothes.
Ashwini lay on her side, still smiling. "I haven't run like that in forever."
"Neither have I," Vijay said, leaning against the trunk. "My legs feel like jelly."
Daav settled on Ansh's chest, feathers bright as embers.
Ansh poked the bird lightly. "Traitor. You didn't help at all."
Daav chirped indignantly and nipped at his finger—gently, like a playful scold.
Ansh laughed, the sound echoing through the quiet forest. "Fine, fine. Maybe it's better we didn't catch it. Wouldn't be fun to trap something that fast."
Ashwini looked up through the canopy, her expression thoughtful. "It's free. That's how it should be."
Vijay nodded. "Besides, we had more fun chasing it than we would've catching it."
Ansh grinned, stretching his arms behind his head. "Exactly. Best game ever."
They rested there for a long while, listening to the forest breathe—the chirp of insects, the distant call of a bird, the soft rustle of wind through high branches.
For once there was no training, no danger, no mysterious teachers or dark strangers. Just three friends, a mischievous firebird, and a rabbit clever enough to win.
The journey would call them forward soon enough. But for this golden afternoon, laughter and the memory of a wild chase were more than enough.