Pendgy had a number of questions daring to be fired, but he was constantly robbed of a chance to shoot them. It did little to calm his chagrin when he had to wait for Vin to drag an overweight unconscious man across the road.
“And remind me… why must we do this?”
“You don''t see why leaving a bleeding guy in the middle of the street is a bad idea?”
He saw very quickly why there were delays.
“I’ll patch him up when we get somewhere hidden.”
“I admire your compassion, but need I remind you that this is the second time you''ve kept me waiting?”
“I get it, I get it. And I''m sorry, Your Majesty, for taking so long, but–” he heaved the body to get over a rock “–you’ll have to give me more time.”
With their business meeting put on hold, Pendgy waddled along the sluggish Vin. They didn''t make conversation, since all Vin could do was slowly drag the man, speaking of not “wanting to worsen the damage” and whatnot.
At some point, Pendgy decided that placating his impatience was more important than giving Vin the utmost focus. But, firing his previous questions would just lead to another rejection. So he modified his strategy–
“Why are you interested in felling a Soul Emperor?”
“...”
The results were immediate.
Vin paused his dragging for a moment, twirling his tongue around in his mouth before conversing.
“It''s a private affair, you know.”
“Ha! Afraid to tell?”
“Afraid? Not quite, it just isn''t your business.”
“Your impression is most mistaken– if you and I desire the same thing, it absolutely is my business.”
“Knowing why isn''t. Stop asking, Pendgy, really.”
Pendgy resigned with a grunt, but Vin had suddenly gotten a chatty attitude.
“What about you? What''s your business?”
“You ask me my reasons without even divulging your own?”
Vin blinked his eyes and stuck his tongue out.
“You… if I had appendages such as yours, oh how I''d strangle you.”
“You aren''t the first person to tell me that.”
They stopped their chatter for a moment. Vin’s unfair question dangled in his mind– admittedly, it was a difficult thing to resist.
He couldn''t miss a chance to fan his flames.
“If you truly must know why, it is for no other reason than the position itself.”
“Huh? Really now?”
If he hadn''t a lying eye, then Vin looked a bit disappointed. Pendgy had no interest in the meaning of that expression.
“Indeed; it is a great thing, to wield the power of such a name. Oh, and how I''d be hailed and venerated throughout the lands! Pendgy the Great, they may call me. Hahaha!”
“...Snatcher might''ve been right to want to kill you.”
“Hmm?”
Pendgy raised an eyebrow at his off-handed comment, which made Vin realize what he had just said.
“Don''t worry, I''m too deep into this to suddenly stab you in the back.”
“Your words don''t reassure me.”
“Huh? But they made you suspicious in the first place? You''re weird– man!”
He heaved Snatcher Jack one last time, looking to his left. For once, he eyed something that wasn''t an immediate piece of a building.
Instead, it was a distant piece of a building, and a path straight towards it.
“Ha! Alright!
–
–
–
“--Cloth?”
“You have no cloth in your bag, imbecile.”
“Huh? I don''t?”
With bloodied and greasy hands, he stepped to Pendgy, who was handling Vin’s supplies. It was a small bag with deceptive volume since being stretchy was its best quality.
“No, dude, it''s right there. See?”
He slowly pointed at a purple handkerchief, so as to not get any of the viscera on his stuff. Pendgy took it out and looked to and away from Vin.
“This is clearly a towel.”
“Dude… ugh! Whatever, just hand it to me.”
Pendgy had a smirk on his beak, making Vin believe he was doing this intentionally. When Vin finished wiping his hands, he took a glance at the dirt on his rag.
“I''ll have to visit a sink anyway. Damn it.”
“Are we done here,” Pendgy asked with a snarling tone. Vin did one last scan of Snatcher''s body, and after seeing the steady rise and fall of his chest–
“Looks like it.”
“Well, I''ll be.”
Wiping his hands one last time, Vin began to exit the alleyway but was stopped by a sudden obstruction. Pendgy raised his flipper as a barricade, which Vin tried to brush aside, but was– to his embarrassment –unable to.
“Can''t the talking wait? We still have to get out, y''know.”
“Then you and I shall converse as we move.”
“Works for me, but then you better keep up.”
Vin eagerly put one leg before another, but his chest was still stopped by the flipper. He gazed at Pendgy with pursed lips.
“I have a better arrangement. It''ll be a perfect compromise, for the both of us.”
–
–
–
Vin learned that day that his unexpected partner didn''t speak trusty words. He held the penguin, not in his arms like a bucket, nor by his side like a sack, nor on his back like a bag, but on the top of his head.
Pendgy’s feet rested on Vin’s shoulders while the penguin sat on his head like a hat. Vin objected at first. He told Pendgy that it was ridiculous, that it wouldn''t work, and most crucially of all, that he''d look like a moron. But Pendgy was as adamant as a badger, and really, he wasn''t too far from looking like one.
“How’s the view up there?”
“Extravagant. The blazing stars have a dazzling luster when I sit upon a human’s head.”
“Prick…”
He lacked a good look at his face, but he could hear from his occasional murmurs that he was all too proud of himself. Vin thought of shaking his head and knocking the penguin off, but he wasn’t sure that’d even work, and he didn’t want to needlessly enrage the Familiar even further.
“Answer my question at last: what business do you have with me?”
“I don’t know, I can’t talk to someone I’m not face-to-face with–”
*SMACK*
“Ah, what the hell!?”
Vin felt a dazing smack on his head, which he quickly rubbed after the matter. He turned his eyes up and saw the penguin’s eyes matching his.
“I''m tiring of your constant stipulations. We are moving, are we not? So speak. The next blow won’t be so merciful.”
“...Fine.”
He had to give Pendgy due credit. The vantage made a difference. The circumstances made it hard to get into a talkative mood, but Vin had a charming tongue to rely on.
“The open profession of your goal, to kill a Soul Emperor, really grabbed my attention. Familiars like that are often called ‘Accursed,’ but not only could you talk, you could speak fluent English–”
*SMACK
“Gack! Again? Dude, cut it out!”
He looked up to a Pendgy with crossed arms. Or flippers.
“Much too slow. Get to the point.”
Vin sighed but gave an offhanded shrug not too long after. That was an attitude he could work with.
“You and I share a goal, as I’m sure you surmised, and simply put, I think you and I can have our goals met with some teamwork.”
“Hmm? And why do you need me? No, rather, why would I need you? Clearly, it’s because I–”
“Shut up, I’m talking. I–”
The third attempted smack was blocked by Vin’s swift wrist, though he had to calm his twitching brow to prevent derailment of his train of thought.
“--have something that you seem to lack: information. I know where to find a Soul Emperor… though it is only one of them, and truth be told, I don’t have an exact location. But I can guide you much better than you can yourself.”
Pendgy, arms crossed, looked over the horizon, to which he couldn’t, because it was suddenly filled with trees. He didn’t acknowledge the change of scenery, rather, granted a response to Vin.
“And why do you need me?”
“Because humans can’t kill Familiars, genius. I need you to do that for me.”
He said it like he was reciting division to a middle-aged man.
“Eh–? Ah, you’re right. Of course, how could I forget?”
“Yeah, how could you, huh?”
Vin continued walking deeper into the woods, and right as Pendgy opened to ask, he spoke again.
“Besides, not many Familiars find themselves wanting to kill a Soul Emperor. And those who do, well…”
“Ah, most sensible. Now please, can you explain to me why I’ve had to duck nearly twelve branches? Why are we in the woods? Is this a form of vengeance?”
The man looked up at him with an ‘eh,’ but then quickly burst into laughter.
“Haha! I didn’t even realize! No, no, I''m not trying to get back at you.”
Pendgy had little qualms believing him, but foolish it was, to think so as he kept having to slap branches away.
“Take a different route!”
“We''re in the woods. I can''t make the trees disappear.”
Met with his logic, Pendgy was still frustrated, needing to repeat himself.
“And why are we here?”
“To rest, of course.”
Vin kept walking as if it was a matter of course. Because, truly, it was. Though the hanging branches and straggling leaves did well to cover the night sky, many stars still pierced the eyes with their light. The moon was full today; otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to see. But a full moon marked more than a path in the dark.
“I suppose. Oddly, I am not tired.”
“That''s because I''m the one who did the moving today. And don''t you think about hitting me– just remind yourself what you''re sitting on again.”
“Hmm… indeed.”
Though he would still enjoy a chance to hit him, he decided to keep that to himself that time.
“Here, I think this is a good spot.”
Pendgy looked at where Vin pointed but saw nothing of note. It was another blotch of grass with sticks, leaves, and roots littering the greenery. But then he noticed that it wasn''t the grass he was pointing at, but the tree beside it.
“Just look at the way those roots curve. They''re like armrests.”
“...”
“What?”
“Put me down, human.”
Vin, still unsure of Pendgy''s whole deal, nevertheless did what he asked. He put his arms on his side and gently lowered him to the ground. Pendgy looked around and asked:
“But where do I sleep?”
“If you want, I can lend you my jacket.”
Vin took it off to drive his offer home, but Pendgy refused with a raised flipper.
“Worry not, my coat of fur is plenty comfortable for the night. In fact, it might be too comforting…”
“Yeah, I was wondering… what are you doing all the way out here? You’re not equipped for moderate weather, are you?”
Vin asked so as he took a seat. Pendgy thought about the question, more over whether he should deny an answer altogether. But Vin''s face was shockingly earnest, and though he didn''t forget his earlier apprehension, Pendgy thought to share.
“I swam here. I''m not familiar with the world, so I surfaced to the first piece of land I saw.”
“Ah, early in your journey then, are you?”
“You may say that, yes. And what of you?”
Vin shook his head from side to side as if racking his mind.
“It''s been in the making for a while. How about that?”
“I see. Well, mine has too, if you choose to phrase it in such a way.”
“Oh, really now?”
Vin, sitting with legs crossed, leaned against the tree with a challenging, smug look. Pendgy scoffed at his attempt to rile.
“Indeed. This has been a plan of mine since my body did draw air.”
“So you came out of the womb wanting to be a Soul Emperor?”
Pendgy answered with a puffed chest.
“But of course. It is my greatest ambition.”
His face was too contorted from his freakish smirk to see the lack of amusement on Vin. The man sighed and shrugged his shoulders, letting the bird take pleasure in his delusions.
“Well, I like your attitude. You don’t seem like a bad man.”
“I am not a man, but you are nevertheless correct. Tell me, Vin, am I your first collaborator?”
The spontaneous “uhh” said everything about the subject.
“I see. Are we two amateurs, then? Wondrous! We shall make–”
“You’re jumping the gun! Honestly, what does it matter? I could''ve been on this hunt for days or years, but you and I will make it work regardless, won''t we?”
Pendgy shot Vin an unamused look of his own.
“You speak no falsehoods, but there is no harm in gauging the difficulty.”
“You say that as if you plan to form a contract.”
There was a pause in Pendgy’s stride, complimented by his blank face. And then–
“Bwahahahaha! Me? Form a contract with a human? Banish the thought! I don''t make myself subservient to you monkeys.”
Vin, raising a hand to his chin, nodded with a sudden revelation.
“You Accursed really are strange.”
“Your insulting labels mean nothing, and you lack the spirit to make them sting. Perhaps it truly is time to rest.”
“Finally. Goodnight, Pendgy. Lord knows you need one.”
The penguin sat down, laying rest to his constantly jittering flippers. He did not progress past sitting down, however, and the lack of a surface to lean on made Vin worry he''d just topple over. Then Vin realized he was not trying to sleep.
“What''s the hold-up?”
“Hmm? Oh, think nothing of it. I''m merely ruminating.”
“Do it in the morning, we''ll be rising real early.”
“The audacity, my thoughts sway like waves against a precipice. Only in the calm embrace of the moon that I may organize my mind.”
“...”
“You… what is your face for?”
Vin had the tips of his index finger and thumb on his temples, pinching and stretching as he looked at Pendgy with a puffy underlip.
“Penguins aren’t nocturnal, are they? Or did you have too much sugar this morning?”
“If I did, I would be dead.”
“Sugar wouldn’t kill a Familiar, y’know… anyway, I really do mean it. You should go to sleep.’
Vin’s words were growing from urging to suspicious. Pendgy raised an eyebrow.
“You are insistent. Is something the matter?”
“N-No,” he said in a rush, “just helping you build good habits.”
“Hmm. Is that so? Well, I trust your intentions.”
“I…”
Vin paused when he heard those words, but he didn’t understand why. He was unfrozen once Pendgy plopped to the ground on his side, his flippers crossed and eyes pointed at the man. He couldn’t see well in the darkness, naturally, but–
“Aren’t you going to bed too?”
“Me? Ah, well–” he paused to let out a yawn, “not yet. Go ahead, I’ll make sure a bear won’t attack us or something.”
Pendgy’s eyes widened for a brief moment.
“A bear…? Are there more?”
“Never mind, man. Just sleep.”
“You only make the task harder!”
With a roll of his eyes, Vin stood up and walked from their campsite. Pendgy’s eyes followed the man, but once he exited his field of view, he laid rest to his eyes.
“...”
Vin stood by a tree, waiting for Pendgy to go to sleep. After a few minutes, he walked up to the penguin and poked him. His limp body didn’t respond, but his vocal cords happily replied with a groan. Vin let out a “phew” and returned to his spot, tightening his jacket and slackening his body.
He didn’t understand why it brought him peace– he didn’t think the penguin would assassinate him, after all –but either way, falling asleep last undid the tiny knots in his stomach.
–
–
–
**SMACK** **SMACK **SMACK**
“Wake up! Rise, rise!”
To be evicted from his gentle dreams by a furious assault from a featherless avian was not a reality Vin wrote as likely, but alas, it was the situation. Despite his frequent releases of “ow” and “stop,” Pendgy didn’t stop slapping him across the cheeks. The penguin was too animated, and Vin’s morning groginess couldn’t hope to match it.
But grogginess was not enough of an impediment. His sequels escalated to fiendish yelps, and once the volume of his voice could beat over that of Pendgy''s slaps, the penguin ceased.
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“Rise, you slothful fool! Don’t you have a Soul Emperor to lead me to?”
“Jeez! So damn eager now, huh!? I didn''t need you to make my whole face red, you ass!”
Vin rubbed his face with both hands, almost whimpering from the pain. He didn''t have a mirror, but the curves he was feeling told of his swollen cheeks. Reactionary tears escaped from his eyes, but he wiped them away and stood up, facing Pendgy.
“I look like a tomato, don''t I!? Don''t you have anything to say?”
The Penguin put his flippers behind himself while puffing his chest. He raised his beak and turned around with a “hmph.”
“Only that my tactics had worked.”
“You–!”
“No matter! We must return to the task at hand,” shouted he while raising a flipper to Vin. The man was robbed of a chance to clobber and squeeze the bastard, leaving his rage rumpty and bubbling.
“Now, lower yourself. I must rest mine bottom on my rightful throne.”
Only to be granted that chance right back. Vin swooped down and snatched the penguin off the ground, holstering his body on top of his shoulder.
“What? What''s the meaning of this? Put me down! Put me down!”
Wriggling and squalling, the penguin threw a tantrum that even disturbed the faceless trees. But it had no effect on Vin. He kept trudging through the woods, keeping his grip and posture with nothing but grit and spite. Eventually, the penguin slowed his struggle, but the heavy panting gave warning to its return. Vin spoke to nip it in the bud.
“Are you done yet?”
“I– will never– rest!”
“Uh-huh. Take your time, little guy.”
“I… I just may!”
After that had come and gone, Vin walked through the woods in a much-appreciated moment of silence. It naturally didn''t last long, as his compatriot was too merry to speak.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To the fabled Soul Emperor, like you asked.”
“Oh please, you know what I meant! What is the immediate destination?”
“Well, if you have to know…”
“Of course I do!”
At the very least, Vin was able to salvage a satisfied smirk.
“I heard talk that there was a Wise Familiar out in the woods, much like yourself– only, they know a thing about the world.”
“Why do you humans constantly refer to me by that moniker?”
Vin shrugged with his right cheek raised, making his contentions evident.
“I don''t know why, but humanity decided to call Familiars who can speak, Wise Familiars. I reckon it''s time for a change of labels, since it clearly isn''t universal.”
A small grunt escaped from the penguin.
“There’s a tingle in my tongue that tells of trashy treatment.”
Motorboating his lips, Vin waved his free wrist dismissively.
“Anyhow, the fact of the matter is that we have someone to look for. I heard it''s a bird, much like yourself, so keep an eye out for the sky.”
“Very well. I shall, only if you put me down.”
“Do you really want to sit on my head that badly? No, dude. You''re staying there.”
Twitching his eye, though Vin couldn''t see, the penguin tried to turn to his back. Having to constantly lift his neck to keep a watchful eye was exhausting even for a creature as great as him.
Time passed slowly and quietly, though Pendgy found the repeated sounds of crunching sticks and leaves rather soothing. His eyes didn''t catch a notable object, seeing odd gray rodents and tiny birds at most.
“I''m tired of your shoulder. Put me down and let me walk.”
The sudden break of the silence made Vin’s response take a moment.
“I have no objections… just don''t slow me down.”
Vin complied, slowly lowering Pendgy to the ground. Once his feet connected with the earth, Pendgy stretched his arms and slapped Vin’s shin. It wasn''t hard to cause damage, but it still made the man yelp.
“Ack! Stop that, you ass!”
“I couldn''t let your egregious trespass go unpunished. Consider yourself lucky, that''s all I did.”
“I’m getting really sick of your shit.”
Pendgy offered no attention to Vin, waddling steadily to wherever. Vin didn''t follow the penguin, and he took notice.
“What''s with you? Why aren''t you moving?”
“You and I need to come to an agreement here.”
Vin squatted down and motioned Pendgy to come over with his finger. The penguin had a raised eyebrow, but seeing that Vin was frustrated, he trusted an argument would ensue.
Very well, he thought, taking steps towards the man. Vin started the conversation with a sigh and a scowl, rubbing his temples to marinate the words.
“I''ve said it before, y''know. You and I share goals, and for what it''s worth, we both know how to kick ass.”
Pendgy nodded along, not understanding the insulations.
“But listen here you,” he stuck out a finger and pressed it against the penguin''s chest, “you''re already making me want to pull my hair out. I can handle nonsense, but if you strike me unprompted again, I''ll throw you at the next big monster we see and tail. Got it?”
Pendgy looked Vin in the eyes. The man couldn''t tell his expression very well, but there had to be a mulling in his mind. The proceeding silence was too thick for an alternative. But unbeknownst to the man, there was a bubbling in the penguin’s chest.
“Very well. If you will no longer offend me.”
“...Huh?”
“Listen to you,” he shouted, mocking Vin’s tone, twirling on his feet and pointing his flippers to the sky, “I shall impart a tale of an old compatriot of mine. A man and servant beloved by me, and one who was indeed my greatest follower.”
Though Pendgy spoke with robust enthusiasm, Vin wasn’t interested in the tale. Nevertheless, he was powerless to stop its recital.
“He was my first follower, a ‘penguein’ as well, as you humans say it, the most loyal member I ever did have. But oh, he wasn''t always so compliant. He was much like yourself, a rowdy sort who whined at walking as he did for food. He was a disobedient man, too, failing to follow my commands and teachings as we ventured through the white landscapes.”
Vin abandoned all attention to the story, but when Pendgy suddenly turned and pointed at him, he was brought back into it.
“But I whipped him into shape! His childishness would serve his doom in that place, so I did my utmost, even if a slap with an arm was the means. You, human, are much the same.”
He stared into the eyes of the Penguin. As the creature finished his tale, his words and implications registered with Vin.
“Aren''t you the one who came to me? Aren''t you the one who raised the hand to shake? Yet you continue to be so insolent? Truly, I''ve been merciful thus far.”
“...Is that the way you see it?”
With flippers crossed, the penguin shook his head up and down. Vin stood up, grinding his teeth together to rein the veins that threatened to burst.
“YOU DIPSHIT, DON''T YOU–”
But right as he began his tirade, a gust of wind blew from above. The two looked to the skies but saw nothing that could''ve been the cause. When the two looked back at each other, they didn''t see their faces. Vin, at least, saw a new face altogether; it was giant and covered in feathers, with red, beady eyes gazing into his skull.
“AHH!”
The sudden change made Vin jump. He raised his arms and entered a stance, but after five seconds of no action from the creature, he tilted his head and let out a “huh?”
After his initial glance, he recognized the face. It was that of an owl’s, though he had never seen one with white feathers before. Pendgy ducked underneath the owl''s head and stood beside Vin, and then the man realized how odd it was that he was able to duck under a head at all. He shifted his gaze to the creature’s neck, following it all the way to its torso, which was posted on a tree nearly fifteen meters away.
“This beast seems slow,” muttered Pendgy, “though I''m thankful it isn''t hostile. Say, is this–”
“Yeah. This is our target.”
Vin sighed and lowered his arms, but before engaging with the owl, he pointed at Pendgy and glared.
“We''ll continue this later, alright?”
“Very well.”
After that declaration, Vin approached the owl head. Its eyes turned from menacing to analytical, which made Vin more uncomfortable than before. Regardless, with his goal in sight, he opened his mouth and spoke.
“Hello there, Wise Familiar. Me and my… well, let''s call him an acquaintance, for now, we''re seeking your assistance.”
“...Hmmm.”
The owl narrowed its eyes and hummed, but raised no objection.
“I see. Good-intentioned human, are you? Assistance, alright. What do you need?”
Vin was surprised at its compliance, stuttering as he shoved out his question.
“White Strix, we''re looking for the location of a particular Soul Emperor. If I recall, he goes by the name, Sabel The Aurora.”
The owl''s eyes suddenly widened. Vin couldn''t gauge the meaning of its reaction, but it was clear that it began to think. It hummed to itself, tilting its head to and fro, and if it had a claw near its chin, it would undeniably be scratching it.
“Information, as expected. I can impart that for you, hoho. But that’s a dangerous piece to be handing to just anyone.”
“I… realize that.”
“I can give it,” continued the owl, “though I have one condition.”
Vin pinched his nose and grumbled something under his breath. Pendy couldn’t hear it, but it was clear that the man had contentions. Nevertheless, Vin motioned to give the condition, since he knew it in his bones it would''ve happened.
“There is a pest running around my woods. A mindless thing, indeed very pitiful….but dangerous nevertheless. I want you to eliminate it.”
Vin looked back at Pendgy, who seemed almost ecstatic about the mission. Still, Vin had to ask:
“What do you want us to kill?”
“You…” the owl paused, doing the same thing with his head as before. He went on for half a minute before replying.
“Humans may know it as a Sus Scrofa.
The owl shook its head up and down as if it had said common knowledge. Vin begged the owl''s attention yet again.
“What the hell is a Sus Scrofa?”
“Eh? You don''t know? Odd, and here I thought you humans liked to eat them…”
Vin looked at Pendgy as if he had an answer to the owl''s conduct, but of course, he didn''t. He was a penguin.
“Colloquially, you call them hogs.”
“Oh,” he uttered, rolling his eyes, “My mistake, we''ll take care of it right away.”
“Really? Why, thank you. Oh! Before you go–”
Vin waited for the owl to retract its ridiculous neck, wasting a good minute of his time. The bird flew off the branch and cleanly landed near the man. He raised his left wing, offering it to Vin for what looked to be a shake.
“Here,” he said, “forge a contract with me. Once the task is done, I''ll be right with you.”
Vin looked at the wing with a blank face. His hesitation confused the owl, who sleazily shifted his gaze to Pendgy.
“Oh, of course, you must be with the penguin. My mistake.”
“Eh,” Pendgy snarled, “you feathered freak, what are you making assumptions for? Nay, I’d never bind to this moron.”
The owl, irritated by but ignoring Pendgy’s goading, wondered what Vin’s reluctance was for. He didn’t relay a snappy refusal, nor did he raise his hand. He just stared and kept staring.
Until, of course, he didn’t.
“Pendgy’s right, I’m not with him. But I still can’t accept your contract, I’m already in one.”
“Oh… very well. Then, I’ll be around.”
“Yeah, you better be.”
Vin turned back with a scowl, looking unconvinced by the owl’s words.. He grazed past Pendgy and ventured into the woods.
“Come on, man,” he started, “let''s get going.”
But Pendgy didn’t follow immediately. He sat on Vin’s words for a moment, and it made him wonder. All he saw in that human were contradictions, and he was only more sure of it now.
“...”
The penguin sighed, frustrated by his secrecy. He’d get an answer sooner or later.
–
–
–
Vin traveled the woods with Pendgy in tow. The former kept a keen eye, while Pendgy stared at the man, conflicted. He was not so daft to realize he had made Vin pissed, but simultaneously, Pendgy wondered how much he should let that impede him. Eventually, his brazen side won over, but he started light in his conversation.
“You did good work. That bird had gotten on my nerves. Why do they even call it wise, when it couldn''t detect your obvious snark?”
Vin didn''t reply or make a gesture, simply, he continued moving along.
“Hey, pay heed to your king. Isn''t it poor manners to ignore someone?”
“Maybe, but manners aren''t on my mind. Now shut up, I''m trying to find this boar.”
Yet again, his dismissal made Pendgy’s eyes twitch, but he swallowed the fumes before an outburst. However–
“You oughta watch your language, you–”
“You sound a lot like a father. Constantly trying to nag on his kid because of this and that. Do I look like a kid to you, Pendgy?”
The penguin was taken by surprise by the sudden question, but he didn''t hesitate to answer.
“Of course not. I would never enlist a child to serve me.”
“Well, you won''t be enlisting this adult either.”
Tilting his head, Pendgy thought about the meaning in Vin’s words but struggled to find it.
“I don''t get it. You needed my help, didn''t you? Are you suggesting… no, don''t tell me.”
Pendgy stomped and stopped his movements. The noise caught Vin’s attention, who looked at Pendgy who raised his flipper with a raised eyebrow of his own.
“You plan to betray me, don''t you?”
“You are a fool. You are a fool, and I should write a comedy of your antics.”
Resisting the need to pinch his nose, Vin voiced his opinion and narrowly avoided another slap from Pendgy’s flippers.
“Hey! I told you to stop that!”
“And I told you to rid yourself of your uncouthness! Why do you insist on making me your enemy!?”
“Your enemy,” Vin yelled while taking a step forward, “when have I ever been your enemy!? I met you by saving your life, and now you think I want to betray you!? What is wrong with you!?”
Pendgy hissed at the man and went in for another swing, but his stubby legs were no match for Vin’s average human ones.
“You keep– trying to make me– a goddamn stool to sit on– cut it out, Christ!”
Vin repeatedly stepped back, avoiding Pendgy''s repeated attacks.
“A stool? You madman, I am giving you the most honorable position! The right-hand man of a future Soul Emperor, of Pendgy the Great– why do you insist on robbing yourself of such an opportunity!?”
“Delusional! I don''t want to be your right-hand, or hell, anyone''s right-hand man! I don''t want to be your servant or a follower who''s too damn scared to say the Emperor ain''t wearing clothes! I want to–”
**THUD**
His retreat was interrupted, or rather, halted by a sudden collision. Pendgy stopped his swings as Vin did his steps, and both turned to look at what the man had crashed into.
Vin expected something typical, like a tree, as that would only make sense when in the middle of a forest. But Vin felt fibers too soft through his jacket to draw that conclusion safely. He narrowed his eyes, but it was a pointless gesture, as the object readily moved, very un-tree-like.
Then, faced with a twitching snout and towering tusks, the object of his collision was made obvious.
“Shit!”
The boar huffed and tackled Vin, narrowly missing him thanks to his quick action. Butt on the ground, Vin took a closer look at the boar, as something was clearly amiss. After all–
“That overgrown thing isn’t an ordinary boar! That’s a damn Familiar!”
That sleazy owl; he should’ve known.
It was not only its width, but its height that was grossly exaggerated. It put even Snatcher’s bear to shame in sheer size while being even taller than Vin to boot. Even with its waning momentum, the boar toppled the tree its sorry head rammed into.
Up on his legs, Vin nabbed his knife and pointed it. In its current form, the knife would hardly cut past the skin, Vin twirled it and pushed a button on the bottom. The length of the blade doubled, but now he lost the ability to spin it.
No matter, stylish tricks weren''t on his mind.
“Foul creature! Have you no regard for the world and its artifacts? You''re damaging my property!”
Vin’s funneled focus on the beast broke from Pendgy''s typical ramblings. He looked at the penguin with a raised eyebrow but quickly caught onto the situation. Pendgy was taunting the beast, because as a Familiar, it could easily understand another.
Whether it be Pendgy’s temperament or the beast''s nature, there was no chance for a truce. So with the hog distracted, Vin rushed forward with his blade.
“I''ll have you realize, foul creature, that I wield the power to bury you so deep, the dirt would go gray from the smoke of the roast! If you–”
And Vin thrust that blade of his, comfortably lacerating and letting loose a hose.
“Haha! Imbecile!”
The hog squealed in retaliation. Vin extracted his weapon as fast as he could but still faced a slam from the legs. It ended as a stomached blow, and Vin looked at the hog with a pained smirk.
“You! Don''t divert from my audience!”
**SLAM**
Following a sudden stagger from the hog, Pendgy raised a fin and slapped the boar away. The creature went flying at speeds no object its size should have, but its glide was stopped by a tree. Pendgy puffed his chest out proudly, and as Vin stepped by his side, he spoke.
“Hell yeah! Do that again!”
Pengy stopped as if suddenly crystallized, his eyes so wide his pupils were nearly invisible.
“I''m afraid that is not possible.”
“What!? Are you serious!? Why not!?”
Pendgy crossed his arms and wrinkled his temples, contemplating to a degree that was rare even for his genius. What would be best, he thought; to lie, or to tell the truth?
The truth might have been righteous, but if he elected not to lie–
Then something greater would be at risk.
Using the same train of thought, he ultimately chose his usual option.
“Because I don''t want to.”
“Oh, come on! What a load of bullshit!”
Vin’s frustrations were forced to languish, for the boar rose to its legs yet again. The wobbles of its legs indicated Pendgy’s effect, and the wound on its side opened even further, but there was a newfound spark within the beast’s eyes.
Vin sighed and brandished his knife, while Pendgy kept his flippers crossed. The boar began to charge, racking momentum as if a brick was on the gas.
“What can you do, then,” asked Vin.
“I assure you, human, that my power doesn''t end at a single blow.”
“Is that so?”
Vin flipped his knife and bit his lip.
“Do you think you can hold it back?”
“You are mad.”
“Fine, I''ll admit, I was reaching.”
“--But.”
Pendgy turned and faced the man, giving a look that Vin dreaded to read.
“Again?”
“What? No, I was thinking of something grander. But for now, scatter!”
Vin did as Pendgy suggested, leaping to his left and leaving the boar’s course of rampage. The boar didn''t move far, drawing a circle and making a turn. It was headed right for Pendgy, who didn''t retaliate but flopped forward.
The penguin’s small size did him great favors, as he avoided the boar perfectly. But as the hog charged over him, he clapped his flippers and caught the tip of its tail.
Like a flag, Pendgy rocked and waved around, but he never let loose of his grip. The boar began to squeak, unable to kick Pendgy off as it ran, so it slowed down. And as its speed lessened, the beast turned his eyes to spot the penguin.
It did not, however, see the penguin. Instead, it saw Vin, who gripped the knife with one hand and had one palm glued to the bottom. He shoved the knife deep into the boar’s body, prompting a shriek that curled his ears. But, even through that discord, Vin heard a passionate yell from behind.
“--Human, heels to the ground!”
As he had been merely running along, Vin was momentarily confused by what Pendgy wanted. But a quick glimpse of his lodged blade helped translate the message.
“You clever little bird!”
And as if he was pulling a rope, he grabbed the knife with both hands and resisted the current.
Pendgy joined the man, planting his webbed feet while still gripping the tail. The effort wasn''t meant to slow the hog down– that would''ve been a ridiculous expectation, and even if they were strong enough to do so, it would''ve only brought them closer to injury.
No, rather, it was meant to use the hog’s speed.
Vin, his human feet unable to push against the dirt hard enough, slid further and further away from the hog’s head, but the grip on Vin’s knife never loosened. He carved a hideous line along the side of the hog, ending only because the blade cut to the back.
Vin fell to the ground like a ragdoll, almost letting his knife fly into distant horizons. He rubbed his back and got on his feet, eyeing the hog to confirm the deed.
With a wound so long and draining, it wasn''t its feet that carried it forward, but leftover momentum that was running its course against the ground. The hog crashed into a tree yet again, but it didn''t budge an inch from the impact.
“Haha! Pudgy wretch, had I not warned you?”
To Vin''s surprise, Pendgy went along with the whole fiasco, letting go of the hog only when it completely stopped. The penguin walked out with triumph bursting through his face, and for once, Vin felt relieved to see him so pompous.
“Ah, human, you handy general! Your tactics are most admirable, and your work with the blade is elite!”
Pendgy shouted as he approached the man, but the compliments went out the ear as fast as they entered. Vin scratched his back as he waited for the penguin to waddle towards him, for which he estimated five minutes. That estimate was given for a smooth proceeding– which did not happen.
The boar, badly cut and struck from constant collisions, was not able to return to a stable bout on its legs. But it still had the strength to flail itself in hops and rolls, which was enough for its purposes.
**SLAM**
“Gahk!”
Pendgy’s back took the brunt of a tackle, sending him flying in Vin’s direction. Staggered by surprise, Vin didn''t make an immediate move to cushion the impact, forcing a reckless heap to snatch the flying penguin. They both landed unceremoniously, with Pendgy and Vin groaning in anguish, but still breathing. Though, Pendgy had a harder time doing so.
“That– swollen infant!”
His rage suppressed by the coping of his injury, Pendgy could only hurl insults as he got his bearings. Vin placed him on the ground and faced the boar, who was rocking back and forth, making small leaps of distance and oozing out streams of blood. Its body was failing; the creature was undeniably dying, all because of a mundane knife.
“Hold on… this thing isn''t a Familiar.”
Pendgy perked his head when Vin made his assessment. He was surprised at first, but it quickly made sense– that creature’s belligerence could only exist if it truly didn''t understand Pendgy.
Though, if that was the case, did that mean Pendgy''s senses betrayed him?
And then, another dot was connected. Both Pendgy and Vin eyed the man’s blade.
“I don''t know how it got so big, but if that''s just an overgrown hog…”
Vin gripped his knife with both hands and charged forth. Not having to worry about a contesting force, all he needed was one burst of movement, one spending of energy from the boar. The boar noticed the man''s approach and lunged forward the furthest yet. Vin raised his arms and stopped his sprint, blocking the beast’s soaring snout handily, and with the pig on the ground.
“Now!”
He thrust his knife right into an eye, and then as the beast squealed, he extracted the blade and did the same for the other. The boar, too weak and injured to thrash around, whined and squealed in resistance. Vin stopped his assault for a moment to gaze at the beast, to gaze at its floundering face that couldn''t make a muscle move and clicked his tongue.
“My bad, man.”
He walked towards it, putting one foot on his snout and hovering his blade right above its forehead. He grasped it tightly with both arms, meeting resistance at first, but quickly breaking through with a snap. With Vin’s blade firmly embedded in its head, the beast stopped its spasms, going immediately limp and quiet.
Vin stepped away from the corpse, cleaning his knife on his forearm and shaking the blood on the ground. He heard the grass rustle behind him, and he turned his head to find Pendgy. The penguin didn''t match Vin’s gaze, he completely ignored him and walked up to the corpse. He tilted his head and bent his body, observing the pig at all angles, as if the giant hole in its forehead wasn''t enough of a marker. But then Pendgy suddenly raised a fin–
**SMACK**
And struck the body square on the nose.
“Dude! Dude, what the hell?”
Disgruntled and noisy, Vin ran up to the bird, holding the urge to punt him. Pendgy looked back, confused.
“What? That thing was acting to kill, and easily would''ve if it had been you he struck.”
“I– that ain''t the point, man! And now you''re trying to call me weak, too?”
Vin dug his face deep into his palm, wishing his nose was sharp enough to cut skin. He stood in that posture for countless seconds, returning to the scene with a sigh.
Vin sat down on the grass and glared. That gaze, demanding to be acknowledged, battered Pendgy with the fever in its eyes.
“What is it, here to chop away at my time with useless–”
“--I''m not gonna be your damn servant, Pendgy.”
Vin adjusted his position, getting on one knee to match Pendgy’s height.
“When you and I shook that hand, that was no waiver to make me your stool. I’m not your servant, I''m not your employee, and I''m sure as hell not your follower. What you and I are–”
With a pointing index finger, he fiercely poked the penguin''s shoulders.
“--are partners. Two parties working towards the same goals, working on the same level. Got it?”
“...”
Despite no answer, Vin continued.
“You''re a clever thing, and not a half-bad fighter, y''know. But I won''t endure any more bullshit just cuz you can throw a punch, alright?”
Vin offered his hand, sticking it out with a shaky form. Pendgy looked at it, crossing his arms, furrowing his near-invisible brows.
“Very well, you''ve made yourself clear.”
The penguin turned around and raised his head to the sky. There was a solemn air to the pose he struck, but Vin was unamused by it, thinking it was the penguin''s way of calling it off. But the penguin kept speaking.
“Don''t lower your hand. I''m merely mulling over your guidelines.”
“Eh. Fine, not like I''m in a hurry.”
Vin rolled his eyes but kept the hand raised, letting the penguin play around with his thoughts.
“...”
“Well?”
“Well. Well, you ask. Well, you are certainly different from other beasts, and the other humans on this island. They looked at me with reverence and submission, and would tell me anything I asked without a lick of hesitation.”
Pendgy steered his head to the left, catching Vin in his left eye.
“You are different to an irritating degree. But I''d be a liar to claim I didn''t hold respect for that; your abilities are rather impressive, after all.”
“Just what does the word respect mean to you?”
Pendgy tilted his head to the sky again.
“Indeed. You are not my follower, nor are you a pawn to do my bidding. And even if I could convince you to be one, you''re too much of a hassle. But I think I see it.”
“Yeah? See what?”
Pendgy lowered his head, pausing.
“The kind of relationship you want, is one where you and I have equal say.”
“...What?”
Pendgy suddenly jolted, but prevented any rasher movements than that. He slowly turned with a lowered head.
“Perhaps, I''m mistaken– no, indeed I am. In this instance, it''s as if you and I are trading. We respect our guidelines, we offer each other our goods, and we grow mutually because of–”
“You''re making my brain twist with needless complications.”
Vin stood up and brushed some debris off his shoulder.
“But, I guess you''re not wrong about mutual growth. Again, we''re collaborators, and collaborators do that. That''s what we''re agreeing on, end of story.”
With that jibber-jabber said, he stuck out his hand, firmly. Pendgy eyed it yet again, and after meeting Vin in the eyes, he raised his flipper.
“Very well,” said the penguin, accepting, “I''ll stop beating you from now on. But I expect a similar courtesy with your words.”
“Alright, alright… unless you deserve it.”
“Eh? What was that!?”
And the two parties, making faces that finally pulled their lips upward, exchanged a brief, powerful, and stern shake.