With the beautiful sunset basking the land with a final coat of golden light, Cayde made his way through the forest, off the usual pathways that his pack would walk on and deeper into the forest. He moved with purpose and his expression showed deep clarity, as if he finally understood something.

Yet, he wasn't walking aimlessly through the forest. He was heading to a certain place nearby. A place where he could reflect and let go of the weight of his self doubt that plagued him for so long.

"Whenever I see you..." A voice echoed in his head.

"You're always helping others..."

"Always smiling."

The voice echoed through his mind as Cayde took those words to heart. While his mother had told him those words, he could almost hear the voices of those close to him saying that same thing in his head, as if they too believed in him, and as if they too wanted him to believe in himself too.

Finally, he stopped, reaching his destination. It was nestled in a clearing within the beautiful forest, and it was very secluded. No pathway led to this specific place, and as a result it wasn't visited often, especially not today with the approaching Kimlascan Festival.

It was a pond, glistening with the rays of sunlight that shimmered along the water. A soft breeze rustled through the surrounding trees and created very small waves and ripples in the water.

Cayde sat at the edge of the pond, admiring it for a while and allowing himself to think and reflect.

For so long, ever since the Kimlascan Pack had been attacked, he masked his doubts behind a sense of hope, and even with the pack reclaiming their home he hadn't been able to get rid of the doubts he had within himself. He masked those doubts behind a wall of constant hope, and as a result he had nearly been blinded by hope itself until Anise had talked some sense into him.

But that doubt always remained nonetheless, and became more apparent once his wall of hope had been taken down. For weeks, he blamed himself for everything that happened. Not being able to save Vande, not being able to protect his pack, not being strong enough to defeat the Wolf of Chaos without Pahanin having to give her life to keep Cayde from being dealt a fatal blow.

Those doubts, those regrets... they weighed down on him and made him forget who he was. Not just the Wolf of Harmony, but a living creature.

"I understand now." Cayde said to himself. Just because he was the Wolf of Harmony didn't mean he was a perfect being, incapable of making mistakes and having flaws. He was a living being, who experienced triumphs and tragedies. Yet he had tried so hard to shoulder the blame of every tragedy, and never seemed to be proud of himself for his triumphs.

It wasn't just doubts that plagued his mind. It was regret as well. He reminisced over simpler times so much that he had nearly let the present slip by. His memories were filled with regrets and the constant wish to turn back time to fix his mistakes and the tragedies he thought he himself had brought upon the land.

But finally he saw through his doubts and regrets, and finally they began to wash away. In recent days, he smiled so much, laughed so hard, and done things he never thought he'd end up doing, like teaching someone how to dance. Yet all these moments, all these memories, all helped Cayde wash those regrets and his self doubt away.

Instead of thinking about how things could have been different, he instead thought about all of the great things that had happened. He thought about how, for a moment, he shied away from his formal way of speaking to tell a cheesy joke. He thought of how hard he laughed at his own joke. He thought of the amused smiles of his friends. He thought about the wolves he helped, the wolves he gave advice to.

And finally, those doubts washed away, and his mind became clear. The wolf that his friends saw in him was finally made whole: a wolf who believed in himself and made the most of each and every moment. A wolf who could understand their flaws and not allow them to take control. A wolf who could help others smile, and be able to smile as well. A wolf who could spread positivity, and remain positive as well.

The doubts, the regrets, they all seemed to fade away, finally fading like a wound healing at last.

Cayde looked at his reflection in the water, and as the last bit of sunlight faded, he gazed at himself once more, and a genuine smile appeared as he looked at himself.

"With that..." Cayde began, "I say goodbye to who I was... who I've been."

As he finished his sentence, he felt a strange, yet peaceful gust of wind blowing throughout the area. He felt a surge of newfound strength, as if his positive emotions had been made physical. Letting go of his doubts had finally, in a way, realigned his soul and allowed the power of Harmony to fully flow through him naturally.

Cayde turned to look at the sky, which had now darkened with the absence of the sun, but was now dotted with thousands upon thousands of beautiful stars. The wind blew through his fur as he gazed at the stars, finally feeling whole again.

He was finally feeling like the Wolf of Harmony again... and most importantly, finally feeling like himself again. Hopeful, kind, selfless, and understanding his flaws, himself, and the world around him. No... he wasn't himself again. He was something more... something better. He was someone new, made whole again, stronger than ever.

Before long, Cayde began to make his way back into the forest, reaching one of the many pathways created by the Kimlascan Pack, and taking that path back towards the central area: where the Kimlascan Festival was being held.

Once he arrived back in the main area where most of the Kimlascan Pack was located, he arrived to find that the festivities had already begun!

The pack had created a wonderful contraption many years ago to symbolize the start of the festival. It was a giant tree trunk, lifted in the air and suspended in midair with the help of very elaborate vines and rocks. With each passing breeze, the hollow tree trunk would blow out hundreds of beautiful flower petals and leaves, creating a wondrous flurry of colors that rained down all across the area. Most importantly, the Mark of Harmony was carved onto the giant tree trunk, and the carved wood was filled with shiny rocks that glimmered in the moonlight.

There were dozens of other smaller contraptions, most of which were smaller versions of the giant tree trunk, all blowing out more beautiful flower petals. Several shiny, polished rocks had also been laid out all around the pathways, which lit up the paths and the surrounding areas as the moon reflected its radiant light off of them.

Cayde's eyes glimmered with wonder as he walked along the central path, walking beneath the giant, suspended tree trunk and seeing all of the flowers blowing out of it. There must have been thousands of flowers in the trunk! More than enough for the festival!

"There he is!" Saint called out, prancing over to Cayde and slapping him on the back, "What's shakin', buddy? Whatcha up to?"

"I just got here, so not much right now?" Cayde looked at him curiously.

"Fair enough! Hey, I was just thinking: back when Old Man Vande was around, do you remember how sick his dance moves were on the night of the festival? Every year, to close out the ceremony, he'd perform this really choreographed dance as a way of channeling everybody's positivity as an offering to Kimlasca! You remember that, don't you?"

"I do! How... spiritually groovy." Cayde noted.

"Oh, man, that guy could DANCE! Looks like the ceremony is gonna end differently this year since nobody can dance as good as him! I think we'll all be able to think of a cool way to close this thing out later!"

"I sure hope so. And no, Saint, before you ask, I'm not dancing!"

"....dang it."

"Well, I think I'm going to take a look around and see what's happening around the pack. I'd like to join in on the festivities wherever I can!" Cayde smiled, "Don't do anything stupid while I'm not around."

"Bah! You know me, I'm always cool." Saint tried to look snazzy, but indeed, he was doing something stupid already.

Cayde chuckled and shook his head before heading out and taking a look around at everything that was happening. There were all kinds of wondrous things happening, and it was understandable too! A night like this only came once a year, and it was a very sacred tradition for the pack!

Cayde noticed that there were some new contraptions he had never seen before, such as a pile of rocks surrounding certain blades of grass, creating a symphony of soft, yet beautiful whistles each time the wind blew. Cayde almost stopped to double check that such a thing was possible as he had certainly never heard of any other place being able to do such a thing, but then again, what packs celebrated sacred festivals?

There were also makeshift instruments of sorts. Hollowed out tree trunks that were carved to act as drums, and hollow tree branches that were turned into makeshift flutes. Most wolves who tried their hand-- their paw-- at playing the flute failed miserably, as such a thing wasn't exactly the most common thing for wolves to do. However, a few very talented wolves seemed to be prodigies at such a thing!

All of these wondrous contraptions and encounters often seemed so unorthodox for a wolf pack, but the Kimlascan Pack was far from average! With unique hierarchies, extremely professional dens and paths, and an ideology of peace and happiness, they certainly were different than most packs in many ways!

After passing the symphonic contraptions, Cayde reached the more serious section of the festival.

While the festival was positioned in the central hub for the pack, the Kimlascan Festival was split into four specific segments: with the first segment being the main entrance of course. The main entrance was where the giant tree trunk was located, blowing a flurry of beautiful flower petals all across the festival grounds.

The second segment was the newly created symphonic section, full of makeshift musical contraptions and other fun things for wolves to enjoy.

The third segment was a more serious section, full of shrines that wolves carefully moved to position them on festival grounds for the night. There were memorials for each previous Master Alpha, stone tablets that had the pack history transcribed onto them, and various other symbolic sculptures created by only the finest and most crafty wolves in the pack. Thank goodness the pack history hadn't been destroyed when the Wolf of Chaos attacked!

The fourth and final segment was dedicated solely to Kimlasca, and the power of Harmony. Here, only a single sculpture resided, but it was the largest of them all. Here, wolves could leave offerings of flowers and leave positive wishes with the shrine. It was a way to pay respects to the first Wolf of Harmony, and the power of Harmony itself that flowed through the world.

For now, Cayde made his way into the third section, admiring all the small shrines and stone tablets. However, he didn't get far into this area before he could hear the sound of several wolves talking in a pattern in the Symphonic Section. Cayde turned around and tilted his head, before his eyes widened at the sight of several wolves practicing the newly famed Lasca-Step. Immediately, Cayde knew exactly who spread the word (and the teachings) of the dance around: Saint!

Cayde merely chuckled to himself and continued onward, taking the time to read the stone tablets telling of the pack history.

~~~

THE KIMLASCAN PACK
Founded by Master Alpha Lazarus at the base of the mountain said to have been the final place Kimlasca touched with his divine power before ascending to the skies above.

~~~

A BRIEF HISTORY
Master Alpha Lazarus arrived at this sacred mountain after a half-decade long pilgrimage to discover more about the power of Harmony. The pack was founded to be a safe haven of peace, stability, and happiness forevermore.

In the final days of the first Master Alpha, the title was given to the son of Lazarus: Alma. For generations, the title of Master Alpha was given to a courageous, capable wolf who had committed his or herself to the peaceful future of the pack.

The Kimlascan Pack began small, but grew to extraordinary size within a few decades. Forever to be known as a pack of peace and happiness, the Kimlascan Pack thrives off of positivity and hope for a continued bright future.

~~~

THE RANK OF MASTER ALPHA
Unlike the average pack, there are several Alpha wolves within the Kimlascan Pack. Decreed by Lazarus, the rank of Master Alpha is not to be meant for superiority over the pack, but rather to lead the rest of the pack to a continued bright future. The rank is given to one wolf at a time, and only after careful consideration from the previous Master Alpha.

~~~

TRIAL OF THE MOUNTAIN
Created by Master Alpha Orelia, this sacred Trial is only embarked on by those who choose to do so. For a wolf to advance to the rank of Alpha, they must complete the Trial of the Mountain: a challenge meant to test the endurance, determination, and willpower of the wolf who takes the challenge. To complete the Trial, one must climb the tallest mountain in the region, and ascend to the peak. It is said that those who reach the mountaintop are gifted with a divine connection with Kimlasca himself.

~~~

IN MEMORY OF EACH MASTER ALPHA
Lazarus, the First
Alma, the Descendant
Sol, the Beacon
Orelia, the Determined
Atlas, the Unwavering
Nyx, the Selfless
Solstice, the Collected
Iris, the Redeemed
Obsola, the Stoic
Caleilas, the Divine

The names went on for quite a while, but Cayde eventually reached the newest addition to the list:

Vandescelda, the Wise

~~~

THE SACRED MOUNTAIN
It is said that the mountain that the Kimlascan Pack resides at the base of is the last place Kimlasca visited before leaving the earth. Seen as a place of peace and Harmony, the Kimlascan Pack has called the mountain home for many generations.

~~~

THE POWER OF HARMONY
Harmony is the culmination of all things positive. Harmony is produced whenever a positive emotion is emitted, such as laughter, love, or joy. The energy is unseeable to the naked eye, much like the air we breathe. However, it is said that the Wolf of Harmony has the power to turn this energy into a physical manifestation and use it to perform wondrous abilities.

~~~

"Reading up on some history?" Anise called out to Cayde as she padded up to him.

"I read them every year, they're always a great reminder of all we know of our pack history." Cayde smiled.

"This is my first Kimlascan Festival! I mean, one year ago from today, while your pack was celebrating the last festival, I was busy telling my family how I wanted to go out and explore the world, and see the world for myself. I left, explored the land, eventually found a den to call home for quite a while! Then you came along and, well, now here we are. I'm getting history lessons, celebrating, and hearing harmonious music-- pun intended-- all in one place!" She explained.

"A lot can happen in a year, hm? For better or worse." Cayde said with a nod, yet he didn't have a regretful tone as he spoke.

"That's very true."

"To build off of that, here's another lesson for you, Anise. Time flies, and life can go very fast. It's important to stop every once in a while and enjoy it, because you're right: one day we can be climbing mountains and the next day we can be losing our home. It's important to look at the tragedies of the past and reflect on them, but never lose sight of the good things in life. Whether that be friends, family, hobbies, places, anything! It can be so easy to forget about all of the good things when the bad things try to weigh us down so often. However, if we can keep the good things in mind, that weight fades away, and we can move forward to even better days!" Cayde chuckled, "At least that's what I try to do now."

"When did you get so philosophical?" Anise asked.

"Well, we ARE in the history section of the festival." Cayde chuckled again.

"You know, something feels different about you since I saw you yesterday... something good," Anise smiled, "I can't quite put my paw on it, but I'm sure I will eventually... anyway, have you seen Saint? I'm looking for him."

"Just follow the loudest voice and you'll find him." Cayde replied with a grin.

She hit Cayde gently, "Very helpful." She said before laughing and making her way back towards the Symphonic Section of the festival.

After that, Cayde once again made his way further through the festival. As he was heading towards the fourth and final section, he heard another familiar voice.

"Woaaah!!" It was the sound of the pup and his friends, who were now gazing at the small shrines and small sculptures in awe. Sculptures of the mountain, sculptures of various events, sculptures of previous Master Alpha's, and much more! They were unsurprisingly amazed, as this was surely their first festival and their first time seeing the sculptures.

Cayde couldn't help but smile once again, realizing how many times he had smiled in a single day. Perhaps it was a new record?

After a few more moments, he moved forward to the fourth and final section: the Spiritual Section. This section housed one sculpture, yet it was the largest one in the entire festival. It was a giant sculpture of Kimlasca, the first Wolf of Harmony. It was created long ago by wolves with remarkable skill and precision. Such a feat was surely one to be celebrated on its own! Surrounding the giant sculpture were countless banquets of flowers that had been placed there by many different wolves as they visited the sculpture to honor the Wolf of Harmony.

As Cayde approached the statue, he felt a sense of serenity and tranquility as he gazed up at the majestic sculpture.

Cayde stood before the statue and read the stone tablet that explained the meaning of the statue.

~~~

KIMLASCA
The first Wolf of Harmony and the physical manifestation of all things positive. Kimlasca watches over the world and guides each future Wolf of Harmony throughout their journey to maintain peace and happiness throughout the land.

~~~

Cayde took a step back to gather several different kinds of flowers. He created a makeshift banquet of flowers and set them down in front of the statue, dipping his head in respect.

"Thank you, Kimlasca." Cayde said softly, closing his eyes as he kept his head dipped down for several seconds. He then lifted his head and took a few steps back before turning back and returning to the previous sections he had gone through earlier.

The next few hours consisted of plenty of laughter, fun times, and happiness all around. Cayde even told more cheesy dad jokes, and even joined in at one point for a Lasca-Step group dance, even if he still questioned how on earth he ended up getting in a scenario where he started dancing again.

As the night went on, the festival slowly began to slow down as the pack grew tired. And so, to wrap up yet another wonderful, positive festival, the pack agreed to close it out with a simple, yet effective howl that echoed all across the land majestically. There were several cheers that followed afterwards, and the positive emotions flowed freely through each and every wolf. The worries of the world seemed to fade and all that mattered was the present. It was a truly wondrous finale to a fantastic and successful festival.

As the cheers began to subside, Cayde took a few moments to say a few final words to the pack before they all called it a night.

The pack crowded together to listen to their Master Alpha give the closing speech to end the festival. Cayde stood before the crowd and gave them all a genuine smile before he began his speech.

"Hello everyone!" Cayde began, "I hope each and every one of you had a fantastic time tonight. This festival only comes once a year, as you know, and it warms my heart to see us all united and hoping for a bright future by continuing our tradition and continuing to spread positivity however we can!"

"I understand that these are uncertain times," Cayde stopped to glance at the shattered mountaintop, "And a lot has happened in recent weeks. Yet here we stand, together and stronger than ever! I am so proud of each and every one of you, and I am so happy to call this pack my home."

"I... unfortunately never gave very many speeches before, so I didn't come with much to say! I know Vandescelda used to perform a fantastic dance to conclude the festival each year, but unfortunately I'm not a very good dancer." Cayde explained. The pack chuckled.

"But I'd like to close out this festival by asking everyone to give one last mighty howl! Let's put all of our positivity, strength, and Harmony into it, and let our howls echo through the land!" He added.

"On the count of three! Ready? One... two... three!" Cayde lifted his head towards the sky and released a majestic, mesmerizing howl. Moments later, the rest of the pack did the same, and their mighty, divine howls echoed for miles all across the land. Once they concluded, Cayde spoke up one last time.

"And that concludes this years Kimlascan Festival!" Cayde cheered, and the pack did the same.

Cayde smiled brightly as the pack radiated with positivity and kindness. He was so happy to see everyone in such good spirits. His smile didn't fade for quite a while.

And in that moment, as the pack cheered and began to disperse...

Cayde had a feeling that everything was going to be alright.