“...Haaah.”


    Few things looked better than crackling tobacco under a glistening moon. The cigar’s flames snubbed the surrounding darkness, and all else was handsomely lit by the skies.


    “Lucky day. I won''t have to squint as much.”


    “Your incessant lying is infuriating.”


    But Pendy didn''t have the faculties to admire such gracious nature. Of course, he''d rather keep nagging Vin about semantic nitpicks.


    “I''m not lying. What''s so unbelievable about having a good vision?”


    “You humans are not nocturnal, so I would naturally notice your falsehoods when you speak them. You cannot see in this darkness; do not insist on your dishonesty.”


    The bite of Pendgy’s word lost strength the further he prattled. Vin still paid attention, but their meaning didn’t log. The penguin interpreted it very differently, though, and the hints of a smirk quickly shifted Vin’s demeanor.


    “Like anything in life, it’s a skill you need to train.”


    “Train? You ‘trained’ to have the eyes of an owl? Comical. Training can’t surpass your coded limitations. What are you talking about?”


    “You aren’t wrong, it can’t let me break them. But it’s good enough to make it work.”


    The two walked in silence as Pendgy mulled the man’s words.


    “I don’t understand.”


    “If you had an arm with fingers and told me how many you were holding, even from this range, I couldn’t tell you. I’ll admit that you’re half-right; the best I can make out are general shapes.”


    “If that is the case, then I am entirely right.”


    “Not quite,” he said with a wagging finger, “because general shapes are all I need.”


    Pendgy looked with a raised eyebrow, which Vin moved to quash.


    “There’s no need for the finer details. All that matters is that I can see what I’m fighting and where it’s moving its body. If my eyes aren’t enough, then my ears are plenty. If my ears are plugged, then my nose will do the work. If I lose my sense of smell, then the hairs on my arms will tell me where they’re moving.”


    He took a short stop by a tree, feeling around for a safe lean on the bark.


    “I know what you’re thinking: ‘Oh, but that’s plain cheating, isn’t it?’ I don’t care if you think it’s cheating, because what matters at the end of the day is a result. And I can tell you, I’ve caught more daunting game on far darker nights.”


    Vin looked at Pendgy with a flashy smile, and though it was dazzling, it couldn’t lighten up the place. So Pendgy, who he could tell wasn’t even looking at him, continued with his pompous waddling undeterred.


    “What, don’t you have anything to say?”


    “I realize now that it’s a useless discussion. If you can properly circumvent your eyesight, then issue a retort with a severed head, not your words.”


    “Then you’re only making it easier.”


    “Hmph, as if. You’ve finally given me a reason to doubt you; that is no light burden to bear.”


    As mammoth as Pendgy made his words, Vin took it as little more than his weird mannerisms. The two continued traversing the woods in silence with Vin keeping a sharp ear for sudden rustling.


    The night’s beauty inevitably intruded on his focus. He had to admit that it was terribly quiet. The leaves that his boots crunched couldn’t help ease the tension. The chance for a surprise monster put him on edge, but the drone of the woods had never been so soothing. Vin felt right at home, alone with his musings.


    His senses, however, never lagged. Pendgy’s accompaniment ceased playing, so Vin turned his head to where he last heard it.


    “Why’d you stop moving?”


    “Silence.”


    Vin could only see the tilt of his head. Nothing about it disclosed his intentions, so again he called out.


    “Hey, what’s the hold-up?”


    “Silence! Imbecile!”


    Vin threw up a pair of aggravated arms, darting his head as if the forest had an answer to this foolishness.


    “Nevermind. It isn’t my ear that’s being tickled.”


    “What, do you smell something?”


    “Precisely. Here. Quick, quick!”


    Vin waddled over to the penguin, who motioned to be picked up. Once he was at Vin’s side, he pointed someplace to the left.


    “I smell something over there, and it isn’t like the rest.”


    “...Are you secretly a dog?”


    “Don’t be absurd! Move!”


    Though Vin donned the apathy Pendgy wore before, his movements were energized. He raced through the woods, raising zeal with each new plot of dirt he tread. Pendgy’s egging convinced Vin to release the brakes until that same pointed fin ordered him to stop.


    “Here. The stench is growing unbearable.”


    Tapping Vin’s back, the man set the penguin down, who wandered around and investigated the surroundings. His immediate size-up found no target, but a new direction met the feathers of his fin.


    “Don’t rush. It is near.”


    The penguin allayed Vin’s senses. He gathered his bearings and went on high alert, crouching low near a thicket of thorns. After shutting his eyes, pinching his nose, and cusping his ear, a foreign sound entered his canals.


    “There!”


    He jolted to his feet, leaving craters in the ground while entering a dash. He sank down to scoop Pendgy up and weaved between the oncoming trees. Left right, left right, his only guidance, the compass of the clangor. The noise grew louder as he ran, and Pendgy’s breaths entered his mouth more frequently than his nostrils.


    “We found it.”


    Amidst all the trunks and brambles, a wholly different figure stood among them. Vin set the penguin down and stubbed the fire in his cigar, throwing it by the waste side. The shrill of the knife marked the beginning of the hunt. Vin cocked a leg back, bent his other knee, and raised the strain on his eyes–


    “Hold on.”


    But his preparations were smothered by the penguin.


    “What? What now!?”


    He tiled his neck again, jouncing his beak twice to get a whiff of the air.


    “Something else is coming. It isn’t alone.”


    “Huh?”


    But Pendgy’s discovery had to be put aside, for the immediate danger had noticed them. The beast got on all fours, snarling at the man.


    A snarl. Behavior that wasn’t probable from the target.


    “Don’t tell me it’s the wrong one.”


    He quickly took out his match box and started a fire to flick away. The trajectory was just right, but the stick was swiped clean out the air. The beast hissed again and didn’t stay still after its threat.


    “--I’ll just pick up a new page if I have to!”


    The cloaked Accursed lunged at the sound of its challenger. Vin gripped his knife with both hands, brandishing it while standing near the ground. It was for naught, however.


    **SMASH**


    A sudden force struck the target from the side. For a moment, Vin thought that prick from before showed up again, but upon seeing the pin-like shape of the penguin, he discarded his worries.


    He did, however, lose sight of the target. The only clue of its whereabouts came with the sound of tumbling trees.


    “How hard did you hit it?”


    “Enough to where it''s dead, I''m sure.”


    Vin squinted his eyes at the debris.


    “No, it''s getting back up.”


    “Impossible,” he gasped, “That frail thing?”


    “It clearly isn''t– shit!”


    The beast moved as if it hadn’t been hit at all. It lunged forward and swiped at Vin, who acted quick enough to avoid a torn jacket. But of course, the beast didn’t let up. It kept patting at Vin, almost like an angry cat, but its agility lessened as it continued its attacks. As easy as dodging was, Vin couldn’t keep moving back, otherwise–


    *THUD*


    “Again!?”


    He dropped to the ground and rolled to the side, evading a shared fate with the tree. He got to his feet, expecting an immediate follow-up but didn’t notice it move. It was swinging its head furiously, but despite that, Vin could still see his twitching nose.


    Its gaze snapped towards the man and another barrage began. That is, if Vin hadn’t acted.


    Amid its inspection, when the beast lost track of Vin, it faced a sudden force square at its nostrils. It was blunt with a sharp tint, and as the head of the creature moved to the bash of Vin’s shoulder, he threw his other fist clean into its eye.


    The creature released a rattling screech, stunning Vin for a moment, but not enough to cease his movements. Ringing ears and a spinning head were no stopgaps to a cornered target. He tightened the grip around his knife and thrust it into the shape. He didn’t know where it struck, how close it was to the vitals, or if the knife even reached muscle. It was irritating, but he recognized his position; it hardly mattered when he could just take it out and do it again.


    Vin’s repeating jabs ran for a swift six rounds before it retaliated. The beast threw a desperate claw at the man, but its speed and poor coordination made for a pitifully easy evasion. He stepped to the side and continued his barrage, weakening it, pelting it with unbearable pain.


    “--Huh?”


    But something wasn’t right. The screams were expected, the attacks were foreseen, and its shrinking spirit and sapping strength were par for the course. But Vin’s razor-sharp focus was interrupted as he yanked his knife out for the thirteenth time. It didn’t return just the blade, but reaped a liquid, one that splattered all over his arms.


    “...”


    It was only for a second, but Vin caught a whiff of its pungent, metallic waft.


    “Blood– GACK!”


    And that single second was enough for the beast to strike. It didn’t claw at it, but instead used its legs. Despite its quadrupedal nature, the legs had enough strength to send the man soaring.


    Being in a forest, his flight didn’t stop with a cushy end.


    “Hrk!”


    His back struck the hardest trunk in the woods. His plummet to the ground was brusque and dismal. The man rolled to his belly, rubbing his spine with cautious tension.


    “...God, damn it.”


    He clicked his tongue and began a tedious motion to return to his legs, only harder now that his muscles felt chained. Sadly, his opponent didn’t care if his spine was hurt. The sound of its pitter-patter raced toward Vin’s location.


    “God, damn it!”


    Gritting his teeth, he slammed his chest and rose to his feet, facing the beast with as sinister a mean he could muster. But of course, in this smothering darkness, a stinky musk would’ve served better than a scary face. Vin braced himself for a tussle, gripping his knife–


    **SLAM**


    Immediately, all his preparations were rendered for naught. It took a moment for his eyes to capture the scene, but after hearing the mumblings of a familiar voice, his muscles began to relax.


    “Hah, good one, Pendgy!”


    “But of course. It was difficult to get in position– what are you doing?”


    Pendgy stopped his speech upon hearing a thud. He turned to look at Vin– or where he would be if he was still on his feet.


    “...I hit my back pretty hard. Just, give me a second, I’ll be with you in a moment.”


    “Oh! Perhaps I thought too highly of–”


    “Shut up! Look ahead!”


    Pendgy did as he was commanded, but made no effort to take the next step. The beast was rushing towards the two, cloaked in a blackness that Pendgy couldn’t see. Vin, legs melting just to move an inch, used the only thing left within his arsenal.


    “Duck! DUCK!”


    The cadence of his yell peeled the skin from the trees, but more importantly, pushed Pendgy to act. The penguin flopped to the ground with flippers over his neck, sparing his feathers from falling into ribbons. Vin didn’t give another command, because Vin didn’t need to. A moment later, Pendgy jolted upright and sent a curled fist with him, striking the beast underneath its face. The strike wasn’t even a fraction as powerful as the lead, so the beast stayed, but there was a boon to facing an immobile target.


    The second strike could come that much sooner.


    Though Vin’s vision was obstructed, he was starstruck by the penguin’s display. Pendgy struck the beast with blunt flippers that revolved like a windmill, but not an iota of strength was sacrificed. Each hit knocked the beast back a step or two, a pace Pendgy could easily match, and with the repeated barrage the Accursed had no chance to fight back. Each smack came with a meaty thud, like crunching bone though it clearly couldn’t, shaking Vin’s head and choking his retinas. Despite the ludicrous display, the man kept tabs on the beast, finding a good opportunity for input when Pendgy paused to waggle his fins.


    “Left!”


    The beast acted opportunistically with a pounce but remained unmatched to Vin’s perception. The penguin registered the command instantly, blocking the strike– no, stopping it amid its momentum, then striking back with a knelling slap.


    The creature moved considerably from its spot, but not far enough before it could gather itself– though Pendgy, for whatever reason, stopped moving.


    “What are you doing? It’s right there!”


    “I know! I could smell it, but its treacherous fur clings to my nostrils!”


    Vin’s paralysis extended beyond his body. His mind failed to pair with reality, a gaffe that went too long the moment it came. Once he recaptured his bearings, he formed a funnel around his lips.


    “Jump! Right!”


    Fortunate that his ears weren’t similarly clogged, Pendgy responded immediately to Vin’s voice. His legs, however, weren’t meant for leaping. Rather than dodging the blast, Pendgy put up his flippers and stopped it in its tracks.


    The gesture caught Vin off guard, but after seeing the immediate payback, he adjusted. The counterstrike hit hard enough to hold the monster off, giving the penguin a window to speak.


    “I’m not as nimble as you, human! Tell me his whereabouts, and I’ll respond with my own merits!”


    Vin stuck the stem of his index finger between his teeth, clamping hard with eyes just as shut. After breaking the skin, he opened his eyes and grabbed onto the tree, doing what he could to return to stability.


    Though, as he rose upright, he caught a glimmer in the corner of his eye–


    –


    –


    –


    **SMASH**


    Pendgy wasn’t averse to thoughts concerning himself. It was a common occurrence in his day-to-day life, but these thoughts weren’t only inflationary. Sometimes they concerned themselves with his prospects, other times with his attitude, but often did it lurch into territory of himself.


    He was a great creature, miraculous in all aspects befitting and atypical of his form. However, Pendgy was no shapeshifter. Pendgy couldn’t grow wings on his back or wheels on his feet.


    Pendgy was great, but he wasn’t perfect. And he’d be a fool to think otherwise.


    **SMASH**


    He couldn’t admit it, but the present situation nurtured endless frustrations. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was fighting blindfolded, because the good-for-nothing moon couldn’t spare even a juvenile light. Pendgy’s eyesight was one of his very few weaknesses. It wasn’t as if a pair of special lenses would bring light to black, nor did Pendgy want a special lens to do that for him.


    And as for his nose? He was too embarrassed to even think of it.


    **SMASH**


    Still, that rendered Pendgy the furthest thing from helpless. He, like Vin, had a plethora of back-up, an army of sensors to serve him in his conquests. He wasn’t taking blind swings into the darkness, no; the vibrations that returned his strikes were the only necessary equation.


    That latest one advised a step forward.


    **SMASH**


    “--Oh?”


    That one varied drastically. His curled flipper met obstruction when its speed broke. His blitzing mind offered the reality his vision couldn’t; his strike was blocked.


    “Duck!”


    He wished the man had more exact suggestions. Nevertheless, Pendgy shrunk his neck, feeling the fur of the beast whizz by his. He could tell from the direction that it was coming from the other hand, and he now noticed the first had been freed from his pressure. He heard the rustling of grass ahead, but couldn’t call the direction of attack. He raised his fins forward while keeping his neck retracted–


    “It’s charging!”


    The skin around his eyes spread at the call, and yet he smirked, smirked as well as a beak would let him, and endured the head-first bash with an iron will.


    He skidded into the ground, raising a molehill’s worth of dirt that stopped his transit. He snapped his flippers apart, dazing the beast long enough for him to wind up another hit.


    **SMASH**


    And hit it did. It was a loose connection with almost zero resistance at the point of impact. Coupled with the following noise, the beast undoubtedly rolled away.


    Pendgy’s smirk morphed into an impossible smile. He lowered his fins and stuck them by his side, puffing his chest with imperial glory.


    “Look at yourself– no, you needn’t. You feel it in your splintering bones, your falling fur, your racing heart. Even in the darkness, you’re no match for me.”


    Panting and rustling came from the savage. He took a step forward, pointing a flipper at the helpless thing.


    “Forget the names these humans give you. You’re a Familiar. The structure of your mind may predate the Woolly, but you must understand what I’m saying, correct?”


    The beast’s rustling paused, bringing great satisfaction to the penguin.


    “Kneel. Kneel before your Emperor. Cease your vandalism, your heresy, and become subject to the king of the ages.”


    Silence stood to answer, but Pendgy felt something was awry. This feeling, like his words had reached the ears of a toddler.


    The rustling transformed into stomping. Pendgy sighed and raised his fins.


    “You’ve made your choice– but are you even capable?”


    “It’s charging again!”


    “No matter. You’ve rejected my mercy all the same.”


    “It’s jumping!”


    –Pendgy wasn’t averse to thoughts concerning himself. At the present moment especially, thoughts of glamor festered his mind. The sky might’ve been black, but the eyes of history were always watching. There was no moment he could waste if that moment could strike awe.


    **SMASH**


    But now he wondered, what was so glamorous about this?


    The beast lunged at the penguin, trying to capture him with an almighty pounce. It veiled itself masterfully, coming almost silently, but the thing was too big for its own good.


    The whistles of the wind gave it away. Pendgy didn’t strike back, rather, he matched the paws with his flippers, twirling them around a finger each, and slammed the beast as he fell on his back.


    He jolted upright, turning to the beast, which he could sense convulsing from this distance. It made him grimace.


    “This is bullying. Pathetic.”


    He was as disappointed in himself as he was disgusted in the beast– incorrect, his disappointment didn’t even reach a tenth. Nevertheless, Pendgy turned his back to the monster, tapping his chin as he waddled away.


    “Did you get it?”


    “Hmm? Oh, yes, I did. Your support is much obliged.”


    “Support? I didn’t do squat!”


    The penguin turned his head in the direction of the voice, still deep in thought. He was in an episode of reflection, entirely immersed in the playground in his head. As he did so, that same smirk returned to his face. It was another scratchless victory.


    But something soon came to break that immersion. In the corner of his eye, an orange hue crept into his view. His head jolted toward its source, eyeing a floating light that swayed in the midst.


    “Huh? Is that–”


    **SMASH**


    –The sad truth was that, no matter what Pendgy did, he was imperfect. No matter what he thought of his opponents, no matter what his brilliant cognition relayed into the world, he wasn’t saved from fallibility.


    As he flew across the woods, landing right into a tree, what hurt the most was not the aching of his body, but the shame that burned his soul.


    He should’ve been more crass, more certain, more cruel. What was he thinking, letting up for even a second? That monster’s head should’ve been crushed the moment the opportunity came. What was he doing, showing that weakness?


    Useless. Useless. This thinking, this mode was useless. No, the moment needed something bigger, something stronger, something, something more.


    “...You. You. You! YOU!”


    His tempered tone turned gruesome and guttural.


    “You lay your hands on me, defiling my perfect form with your wretched touch! Hideous, odious, you, you lecherous brute!”


    That was more like it.


    “Come at me again! Come, and let me snap your limbs so they face the other way!”


    That was far, far better. This attitude suited his skills best, didn’t it? A great being exuding great malice was only fitting. Pendgy raised his curled fists again, taking loud, shuttering stomps toward his adversary. Slowly, he crept to his opponent, who was paralyzed– probably with fear –watching what must’ve been Pendgy’s pristine profile–


    **SMASH**


    –He soon discovered what rested in the edges of his vision. The light from before stormed into his view, blasting the Accursed away to take its place. Of course, it wasn’t the light itself that did it. Pendgy couldn’t see who was holding it, only that it was human.


    “Y-You! Identify yourself! You dare intervene?”


    But the light ignored him. Shameless, utter ignorance. It didn’t have him as a target to shine. It was occupied with the scum, bashing and bruising it in intervals of two, until the stench of its innards coated the air. Pendgy walked forward, toward where the beast first stood, and bumped into another figure as he did.


    “Careful,” started Vin, who had his hand on the penguin “You really might make me trip.”


    “...”


    “I don’t know who this prick is, but they just stole our kill.”


    Pendgy didn’t have an earful to give him. He couldn’t grasp why. He instead looked towards the light, Vin joining him in his survey. The mushy sounds of force against flesh were losing their coherence. These were noises unlike Pendgy anything had heard.


    “I realized something while fighting that Accursed.”


    “I believe we’ve reached the same conclusion.”


    That thing that was their enemy, no creature of magic and mystique could produce those noises. It wasn’t an animal, nor a Familiar. It was an aberrant mutation, a tumor of life that broke from its host. It was one he failed to kill.


    Pendy had seen one of those kinds before. But he didn’t think to mention it– Pendgy didn’t think he could. At that moment, Pendy hadn’t a floating thought or restless word. He was as still as a statue.


    How could that be? After how he fired himself up, how could he be so… numb?


    “The beating’s lost its energy. C’mon.”


    “...”


    “Pendgy?”


    “I have no desire for either option. To interrogate the bearer of the light, or to leave our query in their hands. I’m satisfied either way.


    “Huh? You sounded ready to tear the world apart earlier.”


    “I was. But not anymore. No, not anymore.”


    The penguin lowered its knees just enough for him to safely plop onto the ground.


    “There was no silver lining to this fight. I lost my temper, and my victory was stolen. I was made a fool. It was all for naught.”


    “...What a drag.”


    Vin sighed and rubbed his temples. By then, the beating had stopped, but the panting from the aggressor was nearly twice as loud.


    “I’m gonna give that guy a piece of my mind, and if he attacks me all of a sudden, I expect you to help me.”


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


    “What, can’t you fend for yourself?”


    “I’m barely standing. I think I need a massage, or a chiropractor. Maybe another good smack will put me together again. You know a thing or two about that, don’t you?”


    Pendgy looked up at the voice, raising an eyebrow at the man’s request.


    “Strange, and here I thought you’d like the idea of hitting me.”


    “...You are a bastard.”


    Pendgy knew what this man was doing. He wasn’t clever or sly, not enough to outwit him– no, not enough to outwit Pendgy, the great Pendgy. A human’s shrewdness paled in comparison to his.


    But for once, he had no issue playing along. He was happy to oblige. Pendgy slowly got to his feet, and though he couldn’t puff his chest like before, his flippers still rested on his sides.


    “You are correct, I fancy the idea. Just tell me where to strike and I’ll fix you in an instant!”


    “You have one fickle mood… why do you sound so enthusiastic?


    “Well, for one, you made the offer.”


    “Uh, let’s do it later. We have someone to address first.”


    Pendgy was prepared to go on a bubbly tirade, but the man brought up a great point. He wore a more serious expression and followed Vin, who was sticking his chin out, towards the light. The person holding the lantern turned around hearing their footsteps, and once Vin was sure he caught their attention, he began to speak.


    “Alright, I’ve got a lot of questions. Who the hell are you, and what are you doing crashing into other people’s business?”


    He said so while pointing his finger. Pendgy could only see this because the light was near. The person holding the lantern had it just low enough to hide their face; a face whose lips must’ve been kaput.


    “Hello,” said Vin, snapping his fingers, “do you have anything to say?”


    “Are you certain that you want to agitate this one? You saw what became of that beast, didn’t you?”


    “Tch, shut up! The last thing I need is for some stranger to take the credit!”


    “And I thought we were here just for training.”


    Vin rolled his eyes away from the penguin and back onto the person of interest. Said person was quiet as a doll. Vin couldn’t even allow a vein to bulge, lest his spine whip the reins.


    “Are you mute or something? Hello!?”


    Right as Vin was about to take a step and threaten a move, the person spoke.


    “I-I heard all that noise, and thought I should step in. I didn’t mean to interrupt, really.”


    That soft voice was just like any other woman’s to the man, but to Pendgy, it rang a mountainous bell. He always tended to register persons and creatures of interest, doing good to remember any identifiable features. That voice matched a profile, but whose? Whose?


    Well, the woman finally raised her lamp, and when Vin and Pendgy looked at her face, all three of them blurted in surprise.


    “Hey, you’re that girl from earlier!”


    “W-Wait, you’re–”


    “You! You’re that cowardly fiend who was crying in the town! Ha, and here I thought you were forever streetbound!”


    It was clear who was most enthusiastic.


    –


    –


    –


    Before any conversation began, Vin moved to the side of the beast, beckoning the girl to provide a light. As he was still recovering from his injury, he couldn’t just crouch down to lop the things head. The girl, however, had another proposal, but asked Vin to turn away.


    The ripping sounded like an apple being prised, though accompanied by the typical splashes of liquid. With the head extracted, and the beast surely dead, she sat by the man and placed down her lantern. Fortunately, it wasn’t bright enough to lighten Vin’s standing hair. Pendgy joined the two shortly after, electing to stand upright, looking down at the woman. She and the penguin had an exchange of gazes that ended with the latter’s nod. Something was communicated, though Vin couldn’t guess what.


    “Enough with your silence; introduce yourself”


    “Right! W-Where are my manners? My name is Monae. I’m, sorry that I barged in so suddenly, again–”


    “I’m Vin.”


    The man’s voice fortunately didn’t reflect his unease, as it was delivered with a gruff bite. Monae’s expression wavered at Vin’s grimace, but still, she spoke.


    “I guess since its dead, we can go–


    “Hold it!”


    The penguin raised a fin, stopping the woman mid-sentence.


    “I am Pendgy, and I will undeniably be your future king. You may continue.”


    “...Now that it’s dead, we can go back home and–”


    “Hold on, not so fast.”


    Vin raised his palm while clutching his chin, closing his eyes to engage in thinking. It didn’t take long before the words came to him.


    “You’ve made shit needlessly complicated, Monae. We’ve done most of the work, but you dealt the killing blow.”


    “And I did not require your help, mind you.”


    “Right. I don’t doubt that my partner here could’ve handled it… but…”


    Vin sighed and furrowed his brows.


    “First things first, I need to ask: why the hell are you out here?”


    From her general demeanor, handling an interrogation was the last of Monae’s capabilities. Vin could gather much from her face– her mannerisms, her feelings, her temperament. She was nervous, almost ashamed, but there was great peace within her eyes, and far too much freedom in her movement.


    All of these factors led to a simple conclusion: if she were to lie, even a toddler could spot it.


    “I… I was just walking around. See, I like to take a stroll in the evening, a-and when I heard all that noise, I had to go see what was… why are you staring at me like that!?”


    If looks could kill, Vin’s eyes would’ve bored holes through her. She grew flustered and defensive, scooting away while putting a hand over her chest. Vin knew it was going to be easy, but this easy?


    “Wrong. You were here with a purpose, it’s written all over your face.”


    Vin took his hand off his chin and cracked his neck.


    “I suggest you answer honestly. I’ve already had to deal with these conspiratorial goons earlier, and some of my rage is still lingering.”


    “I… you did?”


    Vin’s eyebrow raised from her response. She noticed it and quickly corrected herself.


    “N-Nevermind, you got me! I’m not a random bystander, I’m a registered hunter.”


    To prove her claim, she slid her hand into the pocket of her apron– a bizarre choice of clothing, he noted –and took out an ID to prove it. Vin grabbed it to inspect, but Vin had no idea what a legitimate license from this place looked like, so he quickly returned it.


    “I guess, but how did you get the job?”


    “Huh? Well, I saw a listing on the Post-it board– Oh, you must be a hunter too, right?”


    And again, to prove her claim, she reached into a different pocket to take a ripped page out. Vin scratched his head, because while it seemed legitimate, he didn’t see a second posting on the board.


    Did she take the job before me? If that’s the case, then Jesus Christ, she’s slow.


    Vin looked up from the paper, up to a Monae who was fiddling with her fingers with a nervous smile. Something about that exterior just pissed Vin off, even though he knew it wasn’t an act.


    “Fine, I’m convinced,” he said, returning the page, “though I’m not sure why you even humored me if you were legit.”


    “Well, if I didn’t, then you’d be even more upset, right? S-So, when did you start hunting? I’m quite–”


    “Hold it. Let''s talk business. There’s something important we need to discuss.”


    Vin’s tone lost its animus, but was still mature. Monae, though still aloof, also acted accordingly. Her face was deflated, but understanding.


    “Make an offer, and I’ll make mine. Pendgy will be our arbiter.”


    “Eh? I didn’t consent to this.”


    Vin shot him a glare. The penguin rolled his eyes.


    “Can you make an offer first? I’m not very good with money.”


    Vin wished he could say ‘that’s the point’ out loud, but he kept his better judgment. Still, she put the man in a workable position. Vin decided to do it, since she seemed easy to persuade.


    “Sixty-forty, with us getting the sixty share.”


    “...Really?”


    Vin couldn’t tell if that came from surprise or a pique.


    “Yeah. I won’t go any lower; again, we did most of the work.”


    “No no, I know. Honestly, I was thinking of only taking a quarter…”


    Vin’s body recoiled from the psychic damage.


    “What? Is that so strange?”


    “You weren’t lying about being bad with money. I’d give you advice if I knew it could help you.”


    “Hey! You don’t have to rub it in my face!”


    Vin merely shrugged.


    “Fine then. Is that our deal? You only take a quarter?”


    “Well… hold on, now I’m thinking twice!”


    The man clicked his tongue and flicked his head. He let his guard down too carelessly.


    Monae’s gaze was fixed on the lantern, acting as a conduit for her thoughts. From Vin’s perspective, she didn’t seem capable of thinking financially. Maybe it was like the way newbies wrestled and tortured ideas, or maybe it was a tedious dance between second, third, and continuous guesses. Her face didn’t suggest that, though, and neither did her initial thinking.


    Money wasn’t on this woman’s mind.


    After a minute of thinking, even a soft smile appeared on her face, one she elected to cover with her fingers.


    “Yeah. Yeah, I’m happy with that.”


    She put a hand out, a simple offer to seal the agreement. Vin took a look at Pendgy, from whom he was expecting dogged observation. The penguin’s head was slumped and snoring.


    Vin rubbed his temples with closed eyes


    “I guess we don’t need an arbiter for an agreement like this, do we?”


    before grabbing her hand with a firm shake. Too firm, frankly. Too firm.


    –


    –


    –


    Vin, who now carried the lantern, led the fray away from the woods. Monae was holding the head of the beast by her side, and Pendgy was straggling like always. The arrangement was practical, but Vin hated the silence that it carried.


    Vin could just talk to Pendgy, but at the moment, Vin didn’t want to. It wasn’t because Pendgy had offended him, shockingly, but because a sudden new audience had no business with their usual discussions. On that note, Monae herself looked troubled enough. Whether she was a bubbling kettle or just deep in thought, he didn’t know.


    But, Vin did owe her for carrying the cargo. At the very least, he could humor her questions.


    “Earlier, you asked me something.”


    “Huh? You remembered that? Wow.”


    Vin raised a challenging eyebrow to the tone of her voice. She quickly corrected herself.


    “I asked when you started hunting. I was making small talk. But don’t get me wrong, I am curious! I haven’t met that many hunters before, hehe.”


    Having heard her clarification, Vin felt compelled to shift the topic.


    “Oh, so you’re new? What’s your familiar?”


    “W-Weren’t you going to talk about yourself, eh!?”


    Vin formed a slight scowl at her rebuttal. He didn’t get away with it.


    “No, you asked me to talk about myself, and I soon realized that I didn''t want to. Ask me something else instead.”


    “E-Eh? But why not? I only asked you when, didn''t I? Not for your whole story or anything.”


    Vin’s face contorted as a guttural “ugh” left his mouth.


    “No, that''s even worse.”


    “...You''re confusing me, it''s hurting my head.”


    Vin sighed and closed his eyes, bobbing his head to and fro while thinking of a response.


    "It''s because giving gossipers piecemeal facts,” he started, “is only gonna give them the leeway to mutate it into whatever faux truth they want to.”


    “I… wha?”


    “Here, let me demonstrate: ‘What’s this? Vin started hunting a year ago? He must be a total pushover! What''s this? He started as a teen? Hah, he must have a screw loose! Must''ve been forced by his dad, must''ve just done it because he was broke!’”


    “I… that''s not fair, I wouldn''t do that!”


    “Really? Would you swear it under oath?”


    “Yes, I would!”


    “And how am I supposed to know you''re the oath-honoring type?”


    Monae recoiled in a soft shock, but soon reentered with a composed face.


    “That''s dumb.”


    “Uh-huh,” he muttered, returning his face forward.


    “It''s dumb, but I think I get it.”


    Vin’s eyes darted to the side she was at.


    “You know, there are a few things I can''t tell people either.”


    “You''re mistaken– it''s not that I can''t, it''s that I don''t want to.”


    She pouted with narrowed eyes, muttering under her breath.


    “Isn''t that the same thing?”


    “What?”


    “Forget it! Forget it.”


    The group continued their travels under the heavy weight of silence. Momentarily, that was.


    “You still owe telling me something.”


    “You’re right. Shoot and I''ll answer if I want.”


    Monae used her free hand to clasp her chin, staring at the ground as she considered her words.


    “Well, why do you like hunting?”


    “Why do I like it?”


    Vin took a couple more steps before stopping clean. He tilted his head to the sky, viewing but not seeing it. The sudden halt made Monae tap the ground with her feet, a few beads of sweat dripping down her brow, looking at Pendgy, hoping for a willing distraction.


    –Nicely done, but don''t forget: you''re not here to give them difficult deaths.


    “It''s sacred.”


    “Huh? Sacred?”


    “You heard me,” he said, continuing his walk.


    “I… I see. Are you gonna elaborate?”


    “Nope. What about you? Why do you like to hunt?”


    “Eh? Now you''re asking me? Well…”


    Though she sounded miffed at Vin’s shifting the focus, she pondered over his question nevertheless. Unsurprisingly, an answer didn’t come quickly, but Vin had a feeling that whatever left her mouth wouldn’t be a letdown.


    “I don’t.”


    Indeed, that was the last thing he expected.


    “Why not? Don’t tell me you’re doing it for the money.”


    “Well, not exactly. I-It’s a bit complicated, and I don’t wanna bore you or anything. That’s my answer, though; I don’t like it at all.”


    Vin narrowed his eyes and pushed his lower lip against his upper.


    “Really? You were beating down the Accursed real willingly earlier.”


    “T-That doesn’t mean I enjoyed it! I just did it so it wouldn’t get back up!”


    “Uh-huh.”


    “Ugh, why do you sound like you don’t believe me?”


    Monae closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. A miniature storm was brewing over her head, but it quickly subsided once she eased her face.


    “Well, it wouldn’t be fair if I got so mad. You did so much for me today, anyway.”


    The skin around Vin’s eyes slowly closed as he motioned to scratch his head. Monae didn’t continue speaking, and Vin had little interest in asking. He picked up his pace as the trio continued their escapade, reaching ever closer to their destination.


    However, before Vin let his legs locomote themselves, he took another glance at his mates. His brows pushed against his hair when he saw the penguin.


    He was waddling, but not like usual. Each stride was exaggerated, tilting his body left and right with each step. The result looked frankly ridiculous, and he was breathing like a hog amid a marathon, but the effect was undeniable. The penguin moved far, far faster.


    “Hey, what are you–”


    Right as Vin began the question, the three pieces formed a full photo. Pendgy saw the man’s notice and quickly ushered a statement of his own.


    “Don’t you dare.”


    “Ha, don’t worry. I had no idea I was such a good influence.”


    –


    –


    –


    “...Nintey, hundred. Huh, something’s off.”


    Vin flipped the bills back to the beginning, starting his count yet again. It yielded the same result. Ordinarily, Vin would’ve thrown the cash on the ground in outrage, crying to the ears of the night about how yet another dishonest owl swindled him out of his rightful earnings. However, that wasn’t the case for a very good reason.


    “What’s the matter this time, human?”


    “I think Monae cheaped herself out. I have more bills than I’m supposed to.”


    “Oh? And you aren’t celebrating? Color me surprised.”


    “Asshole. Doing bad on deals isn’t part of my motto.”


    Pendgy rolled his eyes. Vin didn’t care for his disbelief as he had a problem to solve. He walked over to Monae, who was standing a few meters ahead, yawning as she glossed over her clothes.


    “Hey, I think you gave me too much.”


    “Huh?”


    Monae lightly jumped at the man’s intrusion. When the question got through her skull, she opened her mouth with a drawn “uhhh.”


    “Are you sure? 300 of 400 is seventy-five, right?”


    “...”


    Perhaps the night was getting to him, or maybe the hit to his back sent collateral to his brain. Regardless, Vin forgot that Monae’s license earned her a bigger pie than his.


    “Nevermind, I got it right.”


    Monae, looking pleased, gave the man a small thumbs up, which he ineptly returned. He turned around to walk back to the penguin, counting the bills again to counter drowsy judgment. As he did, the smile on Monae’s face weakened.


    “Uh, hold on, are you going already?”


    Vin stopped and turned his head.


    “Yeah. Our business is done here, right?”


    “It is, but, well…”


    “What?”


    Scratching her chin, Monae turned her other cheek. It wasn’t a dismissive gesture so much as it was a tactic to hide her thinking face. Scrambling, tumbling, failing to clutch the buttery words as they entered her grasp.


    “Alright lady, just spit it out.”


    “F-Fine. You see, I work at a bar…”


    “Ah, drinks, then? Hmm.”


    Vin closed his eyes and wrestled with the thought. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but it’s been a good week since the last time he opened a bottle. It wouldn’t hurt to indulge himself.


    Of course, whether or not the idea tickled his fancy was fairly irrelevant in the face of the question itself.


    “What’s sparking this on?”


    The wrinkles of his face were all laced with doubt. Monae’s eyes couldn’t catch the creases, but the tone of Vin’s voice revealed well enough.


    “I’m just inviting you! There’s no need to be nervous.”


    “Nervous? I’m just asking.”


    “Ugh. Are you coming or not?”


    It seemed that all her eagerness washed away, yet she was insistent.


    “Please,” she asked, putting her hands on her hips, “I have no other way to kill the evening.”


    Vin looked at Pendgy, trying to gauge his thoughts, but the penguin was about ten feet away from the two, staring at the sky.


    “...Can’t you just go to bed early?”


    “I’ve been doing that my whole time here, and it blows! C’mon, can’t you just humor me? A girl needs a change of pace from time to time.”


    “Okay, I’ll go I’ll go, Jesus.”


    Hoping to shut down the whining, Vin did what he could to placate her. She seemed somewhat happy about it but still held residual annoyance.


    Vin wasn’t worried about that, though. Rather, he was still hogged by the initial question: what business did she have with her? It would be delusional of Vin to think she wanted to attack him, so naturally, he didn’t think that. She seemed too earnest when she made that deal, so he doubted that she would try to haggle the money back.


    Or… would she? During that moment, Vin was all too enthusiastic to accept such a lopsided deal. He thought that Monae was just an easy target, someone who didn’t know how the world ran, an easy payout. But maybe Vin had the wrong impression; some people held expert poker faces, after all, and there was no way someone that capable of culling an Accursed was just a novice–


    “Hello? Vin?”


    Broken from his trance by the snap of a finger, Vin became aware of his surroundings. He twisted his head around, finding an arrangement of buildings on a vaguely familiar street.


    “Focus, human. Look at where we are.”


    Vin looked at the building ahead of them. Indeed, by every metric available, from the flashy sign to the stylized architecture, this building housed a pub. But that isn’t what Pendgy meant.


    This was the very same bar that the two were at earlier.


    “...This is–”


    “Come on you two, let’s hurry! I don’t wanna stay up all night!”


    However, Monae’s constant egging robbed Vin of a chance to speculate. She opened the doors up, and as if commanded by instinct, he crossed the threshold. Pendgy and Vin stood by the entrance, both observing the same destitute interior.


    Vin eyed Monae as she went behind the counter. She moved with bubbly energy, grabbing three glasses and placing them on the counter with icy smoothness. During her avid preparations, Pendgy and Vin eyed each other, communicating through their gazes. Vin had the urge to rub his vindicated suspicion all over that snarky penguin’s face. However, a safe bet had yet to present itself.


    Still, a licensed hunter calling these walls home, what else could justify his vigilance?


    Monae finished choosing a bottle and poured out a comfortable serving in each of the cups. Vin slowly approached the counter, taking a seat by the stool while Pendgy hopped on the one beside him.


    “So,” she began, “I forgot to ask what you guys like, so I just grabbed some tequila. I hope you don’t mind.”


    “Well, I don’t mind, but I don’t know if Pendgy likes it.”


    “I do not indulge in alcohol. Here, you may have my glass.”


    Pendgy slid the glass towards Monae, who looked at it with a careless shrug. She took the glass and immediately took a sip, surprising but pleasing the penguin. He looked at Vin with an assuring nod, which the man didn’t understand until he flicked his head to the glass.


    “Haaa! Are you sure you don’t want some, Pendgy?”


    “I’m certain. And no, it isn’t because I ‘can’t handle my alcohol,’ I just find the taste repulsive.”


    “Aw, that just means you don’t have the pallet for it! Are you sure? Really sure?”


    Pendgy nodded at her while Vin observed. Unless the alcohol acted at lightning speeds, Monae’s demeanor had an inexplicable shift. She lost her stutter, moved without tension, smiled like strings pulled her lips. Pendy and the woman entered a soft state of banter while Vin sat there, glass in hand.


    …I don’t get it. Why did she invite us?


    “And what about you, human?”


    “Huh? What about me?”


    “Oh, we were talking about our favorite drinks. Not necessarily alcohol, just something to gulp down. What’s yours?”


    “Favorite… I guess mine would be apple cider.”


    “Huh? Why didn’t you tell me, then? Hold on, let me pour you another glass.”


    Monae moved graciously to the shelves, humming a short tune as she took another bottle.


    “...”


    It was very clear to Vin, that no matter what the circumstances suggested, this person wasn’t a crook. Pendgy was convinced long before him, that much obvious– for once, he failed a exchange of silent messages. He was telling Vin to relax the whole time, wasn’t he?


    “Here.”


    “Sure,” he said, picking it up and putting it to his lips “Oh, hold on, how much is a glass?”


    Monae tilted her head.


    “What do you mean? Are you asking about your tab?”


    “Yeah, I am.”


    “Ha, don’t worry about that, silly. It’s all on the house.”


    “--!? What?”


    Monae continued humming her tune, pouring a glass of cider herself.


    “What? Why? Why are you giving us, giving us free alcohol?”


    Her humming came to a gradual stop. She didn’t look offended or annoyed by his question, just confused. Despite that, her efforts to answer were honest.


    “Because I want to.”


    “Huh? N-No, that can’t be right. What’s your actual reason?”


    She let out a tired sigh.


    “Fine. Remember when I told you that I hate hunting? The fact that you two did most of the dirty work meant a lot.”


    She took a sip from her glass, letting out a refreshed sigh.


    “But you and I already had an agreement, we settled that back in the woods. I already paid my dues, and you did yours. Our deal was made and honored, you don’t–”


    “Oh come on, can’t you just learn to accept a gift?”


    Monae, one arm resting on the counter, put her chin on her hand, closing her eyes while continuing her tune. The alcohol had to have been kicking in already, or, or something, because it clearly– this, this clearly wasn’t right, this wasn’t reality.


    “...”


    Vin looked down at his full cup in despair.


    “You know, I’m really happy you even came along. I don’t have many friends, and I don’t know many people at all. My boss is a nice guy, but he’s always busy, and he’s a little too, well, cautious, I guess.”


    Vin clutched his head and stared at the glass. Surely, if he just didn’t drink from this, then there wouldn’t be a problem. There would be no keys to daggle over him.


    “This is something I haven’t experienced in a long time. Being together with, with people who don’t hate me, or don’t want me dead. You and Pendgy, I think you’re really cool. So if you’re worried about owing me a debt, then just consider it settled!”


    “...No. No, that would be lying then, wouldn’t it?”


    Though Vin’s head was slumped down, he could feel the change in Monae’s look.


    “If you want to look at it that way, fine. I think you’re just being too stingy. From the bottom of my heart, I meant what I said. Thank you.”


    “...”


    Vin gazed further into the glass. The bubbling yellow liquid that it housed, the foaming smell it exuded. It was alluring and sweet, but not too sweet, not too tempting. It wasn’t a honeyed cheese behind a snapping bar or a sweet secretion in the maw of a shrub. Honest. It was an honest shot of apple cider.


    Vin hadn’t had one of those in a long time.


    The drink shook between his fingers, making waves as it collided with the container. Every fiber in his arms told him to pour it, to discard this obvious, this, this clearly, conspicuous, braindead trap. He had to, under any circumstance, get rid of it.


    His body instructed it. His trusty, hardened, reliable body. And so he obliged.


    “...Ay, nice! Took you long enough. So, Vin, do you want a second cup?”