House of Winds Epilogue

  EPILOGUE: The Summer Solstice

More than a month had passed since the Great Collective Grounding, and Anemo had succeeded in publishing The Chronicles of Ether Drive. He had even held several book-signing sessions with children who had become, overnight, fervent fans of the writer and the furry inhabitants of the House of Winds.

The evening I am speaking of was no ordinary one; it was the night of the summer solstice, June 21st. The light of the longest day of the year did not yield easily; it refused to make way for the dark, instead dissolving imperceptibly into a violet evening, seemingly woven with magic.

In Anemo’s living room, everyone close to him had gathered: Fleur with her curly tuft of hair, Noel alongside Gill and Jim, Aura and Simoon, Remi Storm, and, of course, Mr. Arbalest—officially known as Archibald Peter Stone. They were all prepared to watch the pilot episode of the animated series already streaming on Netmix. 

The furry residents occupied a place of honor on a large velvet pillow, placed in front of the chairs lined up like in a cinema. Mistral was trembling with excitement; he would have said he was ready for the screening but, as fate would have it, his stomach began a small, unmusical concert.

“Right now? Couldn't you have eaten earlier?” scolded Aeolus, who was tucked away beneath the silk tassels of the pillow.

“Pardonne-moi! It’s not my fault, this isn’t hunger, I swear, it’s le trac—stage fright. Do you think I should seek out a small amuse-bouche, something to distract my emotions?”

“Even the little one is better behaved than you, Mistral!”

 But Mistral no longer heard the mouse; he vanished as if teleported toward the kitchen where, to his great disappointment, the kibble bowls were completely empty. Not a single piece of kibble remained.

“We didn't leave anything!” whispered Sirocco, who had also appeared in the kitchen. “Let’s do our trick!”“What a shame! Mon Dieu, please forgive me, but if I do not ingest something this very moment, no one will be able to watch the film because of my stomach.”

Somewhat shyly, using a single paw, le chat noir nudged the metal bowl across the kitchen tiles, just enough to be heard by the humans. Hearing the noise, Remi—who had just befriended everyone except Mistral—rose from her chair and, in a low voice, offered to save Anemo the trip:

“I’ll go... maybe we’ll bond a little.”

*

The pilot episode had placed smiles on everyone’s faces. Archibald was the first to rise from his chair, which seemed far too small forhis imposing stature, and as he straightened his back, he surveyed all the spectators.

“Well, what do you think? Do you recognize your Anemo in the animated character on the screen? I’m proud of you, Gale!”

“I am proud too, son!” added Simoon. “I await the rest of the series with the eagerness of a child! But... where is Remi?”

The writer’s chair was empty.

“Remi! Remi Storm, are you in the kitchen?” Anemo called out.

A shiver ran through the semi-darkness of the room. The girl seemed to have vanished into thin air. Anemo and his guests began searching the house, then they all went out into the backyard, where Mistral and Sirocco were sitting in the grass like two statues, gazing at the sky.

“Hey, Mistral, have you seen Remi? She came to feed you...”

“Mr. Anemo, your kittens are frightened!” Fleur observed. “Could something have happened to them?”

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a white cat jumped into the middle of the bewildered crowd, accompanied by Skye’s rebuking bark.

“What a beauty! Where did you come from, little snowy one?” The newcomer measured the little girl from head to toe and meowed shyly...