《IN EMPIRE AND SOUL》 Flotsam A surprise arrival on the eastern shore. Unseen and unheard by all but squawking seagulls, a bipedal creature trotted from receding waters. It raised its head and scanned the beach; empty, quiet, and unmanned. He took his first step on alien land, graced by a freshly birthed day. A smile found itself on the creature¡¯s beak. He puffed his chest and let out a laugh. He finally completed the first phase, but he didn¡¯t let himself celebrate long. He wasn¡¯t here to kill time. ¡°Huh?¡± Time passed swiftly. Long ago did his feet leave the sands, now the sun hovered above the town¡¯s head. The creature burst through a wooden door, finding himself in a busy shop. A shopkeeper immediately tended to the noise but shrugged his shoulders at the creature¡¯s appearance. Very few paid heed, granting him inquisitive gazes at most. ¡°Who¡¯s the boss around here,¡± the creature asked. And then all their heads turned towards him. ¡°Oh, it can talk? This one talks!?¡± ¡°Awesome! I never thought I¡¯d see one who could talk.¡± The creature wasn¡¯t met with scorn but with awe and worship. He smirked, chuckling to himself and soaking in the praise, but it soon became overwhelming. He raised a flipper and commanded them to cease. Some listened, some merely toned it down, and that was enough to satisfy him. However, his inquiry went unanswered, so he took a few steps to the largest figure there and shouted. ¡°Are you the boss?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± It was a hulking man, but hardly taller than the rest. Despite this, the creature had to tilt his head all the way up to meet his gaze. ¡°You¡¯re looking for the boss? They¡¯ll be right behind the counter to help you, sir.¡± ¡°Ah-Ha! But of course! Thank you, stranger. This deed won¡¯t go unremembered.¡± ¡°S-Sure.¡± The man gently waved at him. The creature turned around, flippers to his body, and looked for this ¡®counter¡¯ thing the man spoke of. He found it only because he noticed a duo of people behind an obstruction. He shuffled to the obstruction¨C fortunately transparent ¨Cand hollered for the attention of the people behind them. ¡°You, human!¡± ¡°Ah, yes. How can I help you, Wise Familiar?¡± ¡°--?¡± He cranked his head at that title but didn¡¯t question its meaning. ¡°Yes, I hope you may have some information I¡¯m searching for.¡± ¡°Information,¡± the shop owner mused while poking their chin, ¡°well I don¡¯t know what a flower shop will do for you, but I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡± ¡°Excellent, I ask of nothing else. Now!¡± He pointed a flipper at the owner, building the question as it left his beak. ¡°Tell me, purveyor of botanic novelties, where may I find a Soul Emperor?¡± ¡°...Bwuahahaha!¡± It was not just the mouth of the owner who chattered with laughter, but nearly every customer who spied the shelves. The creature looked around with a raise of the eye, beyond bewildered at the sight. Their chortles weren¡¯t mocking, but amused. ¡°What? Why laugh you all? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Well, Wise Familiar, if it¡¯s a Soul Emperor you¡¯re looking for, then it definitely won¡¯t be here!¡± ¡°...¡± He thought deeply to himself as he tapped his head with his flipper. Of course, naturally, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy. But something was amiss; a premonition within him told him it wasn¡¯t time to go. ¡°Then maybe, where may I find one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have an answer. They¡¯re an elusive bunch. But y¡¯know, people have been trying to trace them for so long that¡­ maybe you¡¯ll find a clue elsewhere.¡± ¡°Excellent. I thank you for your cooperation.¡± ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t you want to know¨C¡± And then out the shop he went. Not a creature of architecture, he had a difficult time discerning one building from another, let alone snuffing out their purposes from looks. The streets were subject to his infinite scrutiny, but the people were different. They bowed and waved at him, despite never even exchanging glances. It smelled fishy to the creature, and he knew all too well what a fishy smell entailed. But of course, he realized, that he shouldn¡¯t have left that store so soon. ¡°But it is no matter!¡± Yes, it wasn¡¯t. He yelled so while thrusting a flipper to the sky, gathering a mutiny of shocked and pleasant looks. ¡°For, quite simply,¡± he continued, slapping his belly with the other flipper, ¡°all I must do, is repeat the process.¡± And the creature did. He entered the nearest building¨C he tried to, at least, but there was a door made of steel, and he hadn¡¯t the biology to for such an advanced apparatus. But that was no matter! He moved to a different building¨C oh, another silver door. ¡°How odd. Is it perhaps poor fortune?¡± He smirked. Yes, of course, poor fortune. He puffed his chest at his genius but was forced to deflate it fast. The next building didn¡¯t have a blockade, but the person within it couldn¡¯t offer the creature his desired service. ¡°But it is no matter!¡± Had he tried to keep count of that phrase¡¯s utterance, he¡¯d have gone mad. And it was no secret that, just maybe, it was a matter. The sun circled the sky and now set on the opposite horizon. It was one he couldn¡¯t see, for a mountain obstructed it. But such a fact didn¡¯t rob the fluorescent, sparkling hues of their viscera. ¡°But I have no time for such trite!¡± Night would fall soon, and sleep wouldn¡¯t come without a proper answer. The strategy of running through buildings like a checklist was too inefficient and tiring, so the creature conjured a new course of action: he¡¯d be targeting odd buildings rather than all buildings. Of course, determining what was odd or usual was difficult for a foreigner such as him. Yet, at the same time, some infrastructure was so outlandish that familiarity became nothing more than a needless luxury. He pointed his flipper at the first building that caught his eye. It was up the road, conspicuous in its location but not in its details. If the creature had to make a guess, he couldn¡¯t, because he wasn¡¯t a human. But if he had to, he¡¯d say it was a place of business. ¡°Indeed. It must be so.¡± And that declaration was all he needed to move to the destination. He found himself before its double doors, boasting a clean and hardened surface, unlike any wooden door in the city. He put both his flippers forward, and¨C ¡°Woah woah woah! Now where did all this ruckus come from?¡± His sense of urgency vanished upon entering. As expected, the interior wasn¡¯t a lavish foyer, but a still posh, yet endearing room. There were men and women yelling and laughing with each other. ¡°Eh? The hell¡¯s a penguin doin¡¯ over here?¡± A single fellow noticed the creature''s entry, identifying him with a title or name he hadn''t heard before. He pointed his flipper at the man and spoke. ¡°You! What''s a penguin?¡± The man snapped his fingers and let out an ¡°ahh.¡± ¡°I see. I was wondering why you looked so unusual. Well, Wise Familiar, a penguin is what us humans call animals of your likeness. Please, don''t let me bother you; enjoy your time at the Inferno Bar.¡± ¡°I see. Very well, I shall do just that.¡± The man bowed with elegance, though that elegance was canceled by his dropping towel. The creature veered his attention to the atmosphere of the room. Loud and rowdy, but not chaotic. He noticed a couple of humans on top of circular chairs¨C stools if he recalled correctly. He approached them as they were beside yet another ¡°counter.¡± He reckoned his desired information would be found there. The creature struggled but lifted himself well enough to stand on the stool. There were two men beside him. One had a great, disheveled beard and damaged skin, but a stern look that complimented his features. The man on his right, however, was entirely cloaked. The creature thought of asking that man first, but he stopped just short of placing a flipper on him. Sighing, he shook his head with understanding. Though, considering the odd universal reverence he¡¯d been receiving, maybe the man wouldn''t mind. He didn''t linger on those thoughts, immediately pivoting to the man on his left. With a pointed flipper, he raised his voice. ¡°You there, human!¡± ¡°Oh, a talking Familiar. How can I help you, little guy?¡± The veins in his head pushed against his feathered skin, but he proceeded without raising a fuss. ¡°I was only wondering if you may possess¡­ information.¡± ¡°Information? Sure thing, but first, how about a drink?¡± He tilted his head as the man called over a ¡°bartender.¡± He was given a small glass cup that was quickly filled with a strange liquid. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Just some whiskey. What, you haven''t seen alcohol before, Wise Familiar?¡± ¡°Ah, alcohol. Your offer is appreciated, but I have no need for such beverages.¡± ¡°You sure? It won''t hurt you, and it''ll be lots of fun.¡± The creature pushed the drink towards the man with his flipper. He sighed leaving the glass full as he spoke. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, letting out a satisfied breath, ¡°what''re you wondering about?¡± ¡°Know you of where I may find a Soul Emperor?¡± The man¡¯s eager countenance sunk at the question. The creature patiently awaited a response, but the man just wiggled his glass, letting the liquid splash against the rim. ¡°That''s a damn fine question, Wise Familiar. But, before I answer: which one are you looking for?¡± ¡°It matters not to me. So long as I may meet one, that is all I care for.¡± ¡°I see, I see. Then, I just have one more question for ya.¡± He put the glass down and straightened his posture. His head turned to face the wall before him, granting no eye contact during the inquiry. His gargantuan coat rustled with his movements, and he placed his arms off the countertop while giving the creature a sidelong look. ¡°What business do you have with them?¡± With his flippers pushed against his oblique muscles, he bestowed a candid answer. ¡°I wish to kill one, and claim the title for myself¨C¡± It was a bolt of a movement, telegraphed by the jerk of the man''s hands. At the very instant the creature put his period, a gigantic claw erupted from nothingness, gliding around the man and soaring to his beak. The creature was startled, but his surprise waned as he shook off the rust. It had been quite some time since an assault from a beast traveled his way. He let a sigh loose in his lobe and raised his flippers to intercept¨C **CLANG** But to his genuine shock, his movements were rendered null. The beast¡¯s claw didn''t halt before him because of his ability, but from being caught on a small blade. An arm hovered over him. The creature turned his head to see his defender. ¡°What a shame. Couldn¡¯t even sip my cider.¡± It was the cloaked man to his right. The sound of tumbling furniture blasted the creature''s ears. The bearded man made a messy attempt to step away from the cloaked one. He glared at him with malicious eyes, but confusion was betwixt his retinas. ¡°What the hell? Didn''t you hear that Familiar? What are you doing, defending an Accursed?¡± ¡°Killing a Soul Emperor? Yeah, I heard him loud and clear. So hear me now, Snatcher Jack.¡± He brandished his knife to the man, pulling back his baggy hood. ¡°If you want to burn this one, then you''ll have to kill me first.¡± ¡°...Who the hell even are you!?¡± The bearded man grew agitated. Another beast claw appeared from thin air, but its ubiety didn''t end at a single limb. A gigantic, burly, and chubby beast of fierce mein erupted from the blue. The creature shuddered for a brief moment because he recognized that for. far too well. The only difference was the change from white to grey fur, with golden tufts lining the body from eyes to back. The Beast charged at the cloaked man with a reckless tackle. It''s speed requited its bulbous form. Nevertheless, the cloaked man evaded with ease by jumping on top of the counter. He ran across it, whizzing by the creature and leaping at Snatcher Jack. Jack stepped away from the attack, but he was a hefty being himself. The cloaked man quickly followed with a thrust of his blade, but Jack blocked the attack with his forearm. A ringing clang came from their contact. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°--A guard?¡± The cloaked man quickly dashed to the side, avoiding an attempted sucker punch from the beast. The beast snapped at him with its jaws but narrowly missed his body. However, Snatcher Jack wasn''t the slightest disgruntled at its whiffed attacks. The creature soon understood why, because the beast quickly pivoted to attacking him. He didn''t have the cloaked man to help him that time, but that didn''t matter. The creature raised his flippers to the sky, and in that moment the beast¡¯s charge slowed to a crawl. The attack wasn''t negatable, but it didn''t have to be. The beast¡¯s face lost its savagery as the change of tempo computed. But by the time it realized to retreat¨C **SMASH** The creature smacked its face with his flipper, sending the hulking beast rolling across the floor. The creature looked up from its body at the patrons of the establishment¨C at least, what should have been the patrons. Save a few frozen souls, the area was vacated. It dawned only now, the sudden silence of the zone. ¡°Odd. Are humans not adjusted to beastly combat?¡± *click.* ¡°Huh?¡± The creature turned his head in response to the click. His eyes met with a cylinder of metal, attached to a strange frame the bartender held. He didn''t know what the device was, but shivers shot through his nerves regardless. And he was right to fear it¨C **BANG** The thunderous sound made his head spin, but the creature didn''t whimper in pain like he expected. In fact, he wasn''t even on the stool, but on the floor instead. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Get the hell up! He has a gun!¡± It was the cloaked man. He picked up the creature and ran across the room, sprinting for the exit. But he couldn''t finish the race in one fell swoop. He stopped at a table, chucked the creature to the other side, and flipped it over. ¡°GET THE HELL OUT OF MY BAR!¡± **BANG** Another boom rang through the room. The creature hid behind the table, gazing at the man with a conflicted look. He, on the other hand, was bewildered. ¡°I didn''t feel a bullet¨C¡± ¡°You,¡± the creature yelled whilst pointing his fin, ¡°what is that device? Why did you tackle me? Was it to save me?¡± The man gazed at him with abject dejection but tidied his look with a waving hand. ¡°Not now. You and I are in a life-or-death scenario.¡± He peered over the table, quickly ducking as a ¡°bullet¡± whizzed by his face. ¡°Nonsense. I could never die from these hooligans.¡± ¡°Well¡­ you did give that bear a nasty smack. Snatcher and his Familiar are behind another table. Once I get rid of the sharpshooter, how about you do it again?¡± ¡°Hahaha! No.¡± He prolonged his lower jaw and narrowed his eyes. The question he meant to ask, what the hell the creature meant, was obvious enough, but the creature hesitated with his reply. ¡°...My business with that beast is finished.¡± ¡°You don''t have a damn choice in the¨C¡± **BANG** The table recoiled after the noise, causing the man to push against the force. Splinters of wood burst from the other side. A hole the size of an eyeball was cleanly, or rather messily, carved into the appliance. ¡°That device attacks rather slowly.¡± The man shook his head, ¡°he just isn''t shooting it fast. You oughta be grateful. Even for you, it''d hurt like hell and send you flying.¡± **BANG** ¡°CHRIST! RELAX, MAN!¡± ¡°I don''t see any moving! If you two need to quarrel, do it somewhere else!¡± ¡°...Just one small, problem, man.¡± ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª
The cloaked man peered over the edge of the table, catching a decent gander at Snatcher Jack. He was hiding behind a table opposite the room. He had retracted his Familiar, but the bear¡¯s claw still hovered around him, poised to strike at any moment. ¡°If I make a move, then he does.¡± He chipped the tip of a nail with his teeth. He lowered his head and stared at the ground, running through his choices. Two options came to mind, and though one was easier than the other, it would be a bigger pain to deal with the outcomes. He looked at the Familiar, seemingly unbothered by the situation, but his lack of movement spoke to his awareness. He figured that the Familiar couldn''t move very quickly¨C he was a penguin, after all. ¡°Hey, how much do you weigh?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The penguin tilted his head. ¡°How would I know? Does it matter? Do I look heavy to you?¡± ¡°I guess not, but all it takes is a couple of pounds, y''know.¡± ¡°...Are you planning on capturing me¨C¡± **BANG** ¡°That''s your final warning!¡± The man clicked his tongue and took a breath. He looked at the Familiar. He noticed his face was contorting, ever so slightly. Whether that was from the gunshot or the man''s plan, he couldn''t tell. He clicked his tongue and pinched his nose, preparing to spill a concept even he had gripes with. ¡°I¡¯ll run an idea by you.¡± ¡°...¡± The penguin eyed the exit. He didn''t have an arguing attitude, but his inner conflict was clear. Still, the man heard an answer he could rock with. ¡°Very well. You did assist me, so I shall listen.¡± ¡°Run to the exit. The bartender won''t shoot you if you''re leaving, and if that fatass decides to make a move, he''ll be gunned down.¡± ¡°Hmm. And what of you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He opened his cloak and reached into its pockets. Out came a device much like what the bartender held; a pump-action shotgun. Only, its barrel was cut short. ¡°I''ve got something that''ll make the job easier¨C¡± ¡°Why in all that is holy didn''t you use that sooner!?¡± ¡°Shh! Just go! Go!¡± If the penguin had a human¡¯s face, there would be an ugly, yet irritated grimace. But to the man¡¯s luck, the penguin complied. He waddled to the exit as quickly as his webbed feet could take him. ¡°That''s one. And what of the others?¡± The penguin reached the door, but he didn''t open it quite yet. He glanced once more at the man, who gave him a thumbs-up and an assertive nod. He could tell the penguin didn''t get it. But nevertheless, he opened the door. Once he saw the thing leave, the man made his move. He sprung from his spot right into the bartender¡¯s vision. He was successfully startled but recomposed himself, then lost his focus again when he noticed the man¡¯s gun. ¡°Moron.¡± The man didn''t have a standoff with the bartender, nor did the man ever pull the trigger. Rather, the man raised the iron sights to his face. ¡°Hah!¡± And then threw the gun directly at the bartender. The barrel of the gun landed square on the bartender''s nose. He flinched and took a few steps back, clutching his face at where it landed. The man struck amidst his disorder. He kicked the bartender to the ground and snatched the shotgun as he landed. Immediately, he turned around and¨C **BANG** That shot didn''t send it flying, but it still stopped the bear in its tracks. ¡°See? This one has bullets!¡± He cocked back the forearm and fired the gun again. That round made the bear roll over in pain. ¡°--Huh?¡± And then, it vanished. He couldn''t pinpoint why until he heard heavy footsteps. He lifted his head to peer at the exit, catching Snatcher Jack mid-flight. ¡°Bastard!¡± He raised the iron sights again and pulled the trigger. But, of course¨C ¡°Empty! Ack, fuck you, man!¡± Saying his laments to a missed end, he tossed the gun aside and broke into pursuit. Now, despite his frustrations, he wasn''t terribly upset at the circumstances. Certainly, Snatcher Jack would be able to catch up to the penguin eventually, but he was no world-class athlete. When the man burst through the bar¡¯s doors, he expected to see that fatso a nary ten feet away from him. The fatso was rather 30 feet away and on top of that even bigger bear of his. ¡°God, damn it!¡± He watched the bear run for a moment, clasping his head and rubbing it furiously. He was just a man; no matter what, that bear would catch up before he did. That penguin looked powerful, but against a Familiar with a Charmer, it was unlikely he''d see the next morning. ¡°Guess I should just cut my losses. Damn it, and I really wanted to¨C ow!¡± Suddenly, he felt a hard object dink his head. He clutched the spot and looked around, but failed to find where the rock came from. That was until he saw an unmistakable figure jump from the bushes. ¡°Your expression is pictorial. Are you shocked to see me?¡± ¡°...Alright, punk. Yeah, I am.¡± He walked over to the penguin and raised his hand. The penguin looked at it inquisitively. ¡°Come on, you don''t even know what a high-five is,¡± he asked, slumping his hand back to his side. ¡°I do not, but I reserve no doubts that it is irrelevant.¡± ¡°If you say so. Come on, let¡¯s get moving.¡± The man took half a dozen steps from the penguin, then looked back to see it hadn''t covered a fifth of the distance. He pinched his nose and muttered ¡°right¡± before picking him up and wrapping him around his arm. ¡°Hey! What is the meaning of this!?¡± ¡°You''re too slow, man. We need to get a move on; Snatcher Jack isn''t out of mind just yet.¡± As he said that, he swiveled his head to look behind him. The Familiar wiggled in his grasp but lacked the strength to break free. ¡°Oh- this is ridiculous! Put me down this instant! I didn''t consent to your abduction! You and I have much to discuss before I go anywhere with you¨C why are you running!?¡± His face was a stronghold, letting not a single hint of thought or feeling seep through the cracks. The penguin, bewildered, looked around to see what could''ve thrown him into such a state. It became obvious enough when he looked behind. He quit his wiggling that was just slowing the man down, opting for a more encouraging approach. ¡°Faster, you mongrel! Are your lengthy legs so pathetic!?¡± ¡°Shut up or I''ll throw you at them!¡± His insolence enraged the penguin, but he knew he was in no position to negotiate. In fact, assuming anger would be antithetical to his desires. But doing nothing still frustrated him, so he played the only role he possibly could. ¡°The Beast is gaining on you!¡± ¡°I''m already¨C at maximum sprint¨C dipshit,¡± he yelled between heavy breaths. The creature immediately understood the implications; all they were doing was delaying the inevitable. He wasn''t so crafty that he could make use of the borrowed time, nor did he have a tool to slow the pursuer. With that in mind, ¡°Release me!¡± ¡°--At him!? You actually want me to throw you!?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The man clicked his tongue, but the penguin saw trace hints of a smirk on his face. The man swiftly turned around while sliding against the pavement, lifting the creature and tossing him as hard as he could manage. Snatcher and his bear hesitated their approach if only because of surprise, but that curt break in momentum was all he needed. Because, with both flippers on his sides, the penguin flew like an arrow into Snatcher Jack. ¡°Ahck¡± Snatcher was dismounted. His plummet to the floor was unceremonious. The man didn''t have time to appreciate his fine aim, because the biggest threat was still standing. He took a gander at the penguin, who had just dislodged his beak. He was laying down a barrage of blows on Snatcher, leaving him incapacitated, but it was a vulnerable position at best. The beast quickly realized what had gone awry and turned to face the perpetrator, growling in tonal depths that shuddered bones. ¨CThe man couldn''t kill the Familiar, nor could he inflict any meaningful wounds. At most, he''d be a nuisance, and since this Familiar was so massive, he''d be about as threatening as a horsefly. But he didn''t have to threaten or hurt the beast to get it to go away. For the second time, he broke into a full sprint, whizzing by the beast who hadn''t a chance to accrue velocity. He brandished his butterfly knife and spun it like a toy. ¡°Heads up!¡± The penguin heard the call-out clearly, hopping off Snatcher and tagging in the man. He snatched Jack by the collar and dragged him as much as he could a man his size. He spun around and fell to the ground, skating a few meters, and pulling the knife up to his throat. The both of them faced the bear. It didn''t hold contentions, but the knife dug an inch for every one it moved. ¡°--Stop! Recall!¡± The bear¡¯s attack vanished with its visage; its golden strands fluttered against the breeze, like paper in its fluctuations, dispelling no serenity until the very tip warped in on itself. The Familiar was tucked. ¡°Haaaa¡­ phew.¡± The man let out an exhausted sigh, but he didn''t allow his grip to slack. He couldn''t see Snatcher¡¯s face, but the fumes of his rage painted a perfect sneer. ¡°So, will you kill me?¡± ¡°No, not unless you move. But, I will make you promise me something.¡± ¡°As if I''d¨C¡± The knife dug in just one, tiny, bit, closer. ¡°Ack! Fine, fine!¡± ¡°Great. I want you to forget about me, and about that penguin, alright?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Alright?¡± There was further silence. The man''s egging wasn''t reaping a reply, but he felt no inclination to subsidize his threat. The penguin inched closer to the two while Snatcher continued his obvious mulling. ¡°Did you see the way I flew? Oh, and how I held that furious beast back? My magnificence must have dazzled it!¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, sure. Anyhow, what do you reckon we do with him, little guy?¡± A vein burst within his head, a response to the man¡¯s dismissal, but it quickly grew in size when his words registered. ¡°I will not tolerate such trifling referrals. One more mistake will land a flipper through your chest.¡° ¡°Jesus, where''s your gratitude? And why are you so uptight? I didn''t even say anything.¡± The penguin rolled his eyes, deciding that answering his first question was better than arguing. ¡°Ugh, allow me.¡± He stepped closer to Snatcher. He put his flippers together and dragged them to the side, shaking them like he was ready to release a pair of dice. ¡°I can promise to forget you, but if I see you again¡­¡± ¡°--I get that. You have a grudge, don¡¯t you?¡± As he had no pair of dice¨C ¡°I don¡¯t blame you one bit.¡± He released instead a brutal swing. Colliding with Snatcher¡¯s cheek, the force was so great that the man flew a foot as well. If the penguin had smacked him the other way, there was no doubt Snatcher¡¯s head would''ve glided right through his knife. He was happy not to see a fountain of blood on the street, but at the same time, he was not happy about being jerked so suddenly. ¡°Where the hell did you store all that power? I don''t see any muscles on you!¡± ¡°Fool, I have no need for muscles. It is all an effect of my imperium.¡± The man stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants and coat. ¡°You need to be knocked down a peg. For someone your size, that''s saying something.¡± He peered over to the body of Snatcher, needing to squint his eyes to see him well. The darkening evening didn''t help matters either, but he could see that mountainous fat of his move, so he was alive. ¡°Maybe I should call a doctor. Oh, but then they''d see my fingerprints, wouldn''t they?¡± ¡°What are you babbling about?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing. Never mind what I said, you and I have some business together.¡± ¡°...That we do.¡± The penguin straightened his posture. Sudden anticipation must''ve gotten to him, thought the man, but he could tell the Familiar was getting impatient. How would he feel if he was picked up all of a sudden? He¡¯d be embarrassed maybe, but not spiteful and bitter like the penguin. He quickly shook his head to escape his toyish self-distractions. The suspense was starting to get to him. But first¨C ¡°How about we exchange names,¡± he asked, raising his hand yet again. ¡°Names? Frivolous, there is more pressing¨C¡± One gander at the man¡¯s sunken face said enough, how much of a washout he thought the creature was. He found himself wanting to retaliate, but among other things, was too tired to raise his voice. ¡°Your proposal ought to be generational. You may call me Pendgy.¡± ¡°The name¡¯s Vin. It''s a pleasure.¡± The two shook, one hand to one flipper. It was a preliminary rite, a soft induction into their propitious partnership. Bargain 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¨C¡± he heaved the body to get over a rock ¡°¨Cyou¡¯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¨C ¡°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¨C 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¨C 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¨C 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! ¨C ¨C ¨C ¡°--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¨C ¡°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¨C to his embarrassment ¨Cunable 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.¡± ¨C ¨C ¨C 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¨C¡± *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¨C¡± *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¨C¡± ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m talking. I¨C¡± 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¨C? 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¨C 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¨C¡± ¡°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¨C ¡°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¨C ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bed too?¡± ¡°Me? Ah, well¨C¡± 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¨C he didn¡¯t think the penguin would assassinate him, after all ¨Cbut either way, falling asleep last undid the tiny knots in his stomach. ¨C ¨C ¨C **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. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°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¨C!¡± ¡°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¨C will never¨C 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¨C 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¨C¡± 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¨C¡± ¡°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¨C¡± 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. ¨C ¨C ¨C 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¨C ¡°You oughta watch your language, you¨C¡± ¡°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¨C trying to make me¨C a goddamn stool to sit on¨C 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¨C 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¨C¡± **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¨C ¡°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¨C¡± 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¨C 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¨C 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¨C 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¨C 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¨C 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¨C **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¨C 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¨C¡± ¡°--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¨C¡± 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¨C 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¨C¡± ¡°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. No Rider ¡°...Now then,¡± Using his hand as a visor, Vin scanned the surrounding trees, looking for something that didn¡¯t require much effort to find. Regardless, he was not one to let the simplicity of a task lower his guard; whether it be a trick of the light or a lazy eye, there was always a chance of slipping up. However, there was a point where he had to call it off in irritation, and that point came in ten seconds. At that moment, no word rang louder in Vin¡¯s head than ¡°skank.¡± Despite the Familiar¡¯s words, the sizable bird was nowhere to be seen. Vin stomped the ground with a quashed grunt, holding the urge to make a noisier scene. ¡°Come on, Pendgy, let''s get the hell out of here.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The Penguin stared at Vin incredulously¨C or was that astonishment not from disbelief? ¡°What for? We''ve yet to gather our intel, yet you want to depart?¡± ¡°We''re not going to get that intel, dude. You heard what he said: he''d be right there after the job is done. But take a good look around, and you''ll see the problem. The Owl bailed on us, man.¡± He clicked his tongue and stuck his hands in his pockets, pushing his pointy chin out. ¡°Let''s just leave before we look like fools.¡± ¡°No, I will not do that.¡± Vin shot Pendgy a mixed glare, asking ¡°why¡± under a grimace. To his surprise, the penguin replied, lifting his flipper to point. When Vin turned to see where to, he released a silent yelp. ¡°Ah, wowie, you two did it. You have my thanks, hoho.¡± The Owl¡¯s claws reached his unextended chin.He looked at the corpse of the boar with narrowed eyes and a goofy grin, but Vin didn''t care to admire that. He shook his head to calm himself down. ¡°Hey,¡± he yelled, snapping his fingers, ¡°why didn¡¯t you¨C gak, nevermind. Don¡¯t you have something to give?¡± The owl perked up muttering ¡°Of course,¡± but still looked upset. ¡°So soon? My, you have such little patience.¡± ¡°Put a lid on it, I''m just a guy with purpose. Now fess up, and stop trying to probe me.¡± ¡°Ahh, oh well, if you insist. I''ll tell you.¡± The owl motioned Vin to lean in with his claw, which warranted a stink eye from the man but got his compliance nevertheless. Pendgy, however, who was passively listening by the boar¡¯s body, turned to the two amid their conversation. ¡°Hey!¡± But by the time he called out, the owl finished relaying information. He waddled up to Vin with an irritated face, which the man noticed. ¡°It¡¯s just directions, I¡¯ll tell you on the way.¡± His summary was rather unsatisfying, and though Vin shared in Pendgy¡¯s disappointment, he still had an accomplished smirk on his face. Vin walked past the penguin, clearly intending to go deeper into the woods. ¡°And no goodbye either?¡± Vin turned to the owl with a twitching eye. ¡°Why do you need one? Our business is done.¡± ¡°Why, it''s simple courtesy. I thought you humans revered Familiars, hoho.¡± ¡°...Are you upset?¡± The owl scratched his chin with that same happy face as before. ¡°No no, I''m rather amused. It makes all the more sense why you and that penguin aren''t contracted.¡± Vin looked ruffled by that statement but was robbed by Pendgy to express it. ¡°Any more insolent language and you''ll make an enemy out of me.¡± In reply to Pendgy¡¯s growly threat, the owl merely sighed. ¡°Emperor, you lousy birds are a handful. And now one of you are a Familiar? I merely hope you¡¯re an outlier.¡± Pendgy didn''t move or speak, didn''t peep, or even gave an irate glare. He gazed at the owl with silence. Accompanied by a whistle of the wind, the owl¡¯s feathers began to rise. And then, the penguin took one little step forward, the malice in his form finally breaking through the dam. A malice that was quickly stuffed by the penguin being picked up. ¡°Alright, let''s calm down now.¡± ¡°You! Release me! Let me at that cowardly long-neck!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got my own gripes, but we gotta be civil here¡­¡± The penguin wriggled and rolled in Vin¡¯s grasp, which barely held him back. Vin looked at the owl with a sorry expression, as if embarrassed on Pendgy¡¯s behalf. Once the penguin¡¯s tantrum lost its energy, Vin set him down. Pendgy had let out his anger by then, but still shot the owl a threatening look. The penguin went to move, but this time, it was Vin who lagged behind. ¡°Thank you for the boat,¡± Vin said. The owl replied with a gracious smirk and waved him away with a nod. The owl turned and walked away, leaving the penguin and man behind. ¡°Come now,¡± Pendgy said, ¡°We must make haste, and truthfully, I want to get away from that beast.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it, what''d he do to you?¡± The two walked a distance, just far enough for Pendgy to call ¡°comfortable.¡± ¡°Snow Owls have never been friends of mine.¡± ¨C ¨C ¨C Amidst the conversation between Vin and the owl, Pendgy took care to tend to his grievances. There was something amiss from that entire fight that the penguin couldn''t simply ignore, and that preternatural feature came from the enemy he helped slay. He waddled up to the boar with a scrutinizing eye, scanning the fresh corpse from top to bottom for any peculiarities. He found none, but his nose kept telling him this creature was a Familiar, and the senses in his bones held similar assertions. There was a reason he was duped, undeniably¨C there was no chance his intuition was incorrect. Since his eyes failed to find the folly, he kneeled and used his flipper. Sifting through viscera wasn¡¯t his idea of time well-spent, and it wasn¡¯t as if its insides smelled less organic, but regardless, he did so. However, the sight of a sublime creature such as himself, rummaging organs as if he were a scavenger, was not a look he could tolerate adorning. ¡°Phoo. Then it¡¯s to remain a mystery.¡± He stopped and stood on his feet, ready to move and return to Vin¡¯s tiresome sitch. Yet, right as he turned his head, his eyes caught a glimmer of something unusual. He quickly jerked his neck back to the body, leaning into what he had seen: a purple liquid seeping from the head. Pendgy had bled before, but the blood of Familiars was invisible to retinas. Pendgy had seen blood before, but every creature, save unsavory insects, bled the same, crimson red. That liquid couldn¡¯t be blood; it was an entirely foreign leakage. And indeed, as the penguin went to investigate, the potency of that deceptive smell was the strongest. ¡°I see now,¡± Pendgy said, scooping a sample and then shaking it away, ¡°that must be why you¡¯re so overgrown.¡± He turned around to attend to Vin and the owl, making a careful note of the matter in his mind. ¨C ¨C ¨C Vin was shocked to see his festering doubts proven wrong. The boat the owl spoke of was indeed on the opposite shore. Now, getting there was a hassle, and the shore was too rocky to comfortably navigate, and once Vin saw the boat up close, its small size, wooden construction, and shoddy condition upset him¨C no, really, that owl deserved a harder time. And then there was another gripe: Pendy convinced him to lend his head as a chair again. But that arrangement lasted only until they reached the boat. ¡°How did that beast get his claws on this?¡± ¡°I don''t think he did. It looks like it washed up on shore one day.¡± Vin, having said that, began to wonder how it managed to stay here the whole time. He inspected the area around the ship and noticed it was caught on a rock. ¡°Well then. Do you have a pole, Pendgy?¡± ¡°Of course not, what kind of question is that?¡± ¡°You never know, man.¡± Vin had no intention of going back into the woods either, so he used the next best available tool: his arms. The boat had a hard time budging, and Vin¡¯s face turned so red and puffed it looked like it would explode, but the man eventually dislodged it. Only, right as he did, the boat began to slide into the water. Vin reacted immediately with a vault into the deck, which he was a little proud of, though it was snuffed once he realized he was there alone. ¡°Hey! Sorry man, let me just park this thing somewhere!¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Pendgy only huffed in response. Vin watched in dumbstruck awe, and in chastising epiphany, as Pendgy merely walked into the water. The penguin submerged and popped up right beside the boat. Vin said with a shrug, ¡°I forgot.¡± And having done that, he had no room to wipe the smirk on Pendgy''s face. Vin chose to ignore it, reaching into his coat and finding his sack. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°Take a guess. Out here in the wild, no map in hand, it''d be hard to navigate, right?¡± ¡°Hmm. Perhaps, but the great orange star in the sky is plenty for that.¡± ¡°Huh? And who taught you that trick?¡± The penguin crossed his arms, self-amused. ¡°Myself, of course. I noticed the motion during one of my various, exhilarating, challenging adventures.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Well, it''s not a bad one, but it''s season-dependent, and it doesn¡¯t tell you everything, which is why¨C¡± Vin paused to reach into his bag, pulling out an apparatus foreign to the penguin. ¡°I''ve got one of these.¡± He showed, with great enthusiasm, a metallic, circular thingamajig. Vin didn''t identify its name, but he insisted it would be a life-saving tool. Pendgy decided to trust the man''s assertions, following the boat as he rowed it into the ocean. ¨C Rowing? Indeed, Vin had no other choice but to row, because the boat was bereft of a sail. He had to rely on nothing but the impulse of his muscles, and though he was a seasoned veteran of hard work, never skipping his daily exercise routine, the particular motion demanded by the oar was a shortcoming in his array. Thus, at the present moment, he wasn¡¯t rowing his boat, but gently fondling his muscles and groaning. ¡°What¡¯s with you? This is your second reprieve; do you wish to shave more time away?¡± Pendgy¡¯s feathered head appeared close to the troubled Vin. He looked at the sleazy thing with mild scorn, all too angry at how easily his bobbing head followed him. ¡°You¨C were made for this, I wasn¡¯t. I¡¯m just a guy, I can¡¯t even swim, I don¡¯t even¨C like water.¡± ¡°Then, praytell, how did you wind up on that island?¡± ¡°...Boat.¡± Wiping the sweat off his brow, Vin returned to an upright position, stingily ready to grab the oar again. ¡°It''s absurd, really. For every second you lay your hand off the oar, you spend three using it to fix your course. Why didn''t you ignore that feathered fiend and purchase one with a sail?¡± ¡°Because I''m poor. Why do you think I haven''t put food in my mouth all day?¡± Pendgy slowly nodded, flipping through his memories to realize that, indeed, Vin hadn''t eaten anything. There was no telling when his last meal was, either, but regardless, the penguin was impressed by his tenacity. So much so, that he thought of an awesome arrangement. ¡°It seems my talents are in demand.¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? Your prattling just makes this harder.¡± ¡°Oh, hush! You''ll sincerely regret it this time if you don¡¯t.¡± Vin rolled his eyes and looked forward, complying with his verbal silence. Pendgy sunk under the water again, swimming to the back of the boat and popping up. Placing two flippers on the back, he said, ¡°are you ready?¡± ¡°For what¨C UAAHHWUA!¡± Pendgy used his body as a motor, propelling the boat at speeds so swift and sudden Vin nearly toppled over. However, after the first shock, the man had an excited grin. ¡°Woo! Right on! Go! Go!¡± His cheers, though barely heard, compelled Pendgy to exert even more. Faster the boat went, faster and faster and faster as the penguin¡¯s flippers and webbed feet pushed to strength impossible results. Faster faster faster and faster and faster and slower and, slower? ¡°Eh?¡± The descent in velocity didn''t happen so abruptly, but it was still a jarring shift. Vin looked back at the penguin seeing that he was no longer touching the boat, rather ten feet away and on his back. ¡°Huaa¡­ hueauiaaa!¡± Even from that distance, he sounded right beside his ear. ¡°Are you wheezing?¡± Vin grabbed the oar and awkwardly turned the boat, rowing up to Pendgy. He looked at the penguin with a raised eyebrow, and when their eyes met, the penguin raised a flipper before Vin could say a word. ¡°It would¡­ seem that¡­ the cargo¡­ was too¡­ heavy¡­¡± ¡°Haha, alright man.¡± Vin couldn''t get upset at the penguin, he did a damn good job saving time. It wouldn''t be fair to just leave him while waiting for a recovery, nor did he think Pendgy would want that anyway, so Vin snagged the penguin¨C nearly falling into the water ¨Cand placed him inside the boat.¡± ¡°Good job, but you''re too much of a show-off.¡± Pendgy¡¯s neck was flung back and limp, letting his fleeting vision embrace the open sky. ¡°Impossible. There''s never enough glamor, for a being who deserves it all.¡± ¡°Sure. Quiet down now, I''ll do my part.¡± And Vin turned around, following the compass as he shoved the oar forward. ¨C ¨C ¨C His eyes dithered to open. Any little peek Pendgy took brutally blinded him, as the sun was right over the boat. Pendgy could''ve turned on his side, but he was zen and lethargic¨C he dared not to break his peace just to watch a dull blue ocean. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± But the continuation of that peace, sadly rested on more than just himself. With a groan, Pendgy raised his neck and glared at Vin, who was looking at the horizons while rowing. ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°About eight minutes.¡± ¡°Unbelievable, I loitered for that long?¡± Pendgy sat upright, wanting to get on his feet right away, but feeling a sudden soreness in his feet, he found that difficult. The penguin clicked his tongue and glared at the man, who looked to and fro with increasingly perplexed faces. ¡°Humor me, I cannot bear to stay idle for so long.¡± ¡°I''m not sure¨C if I can crack a good joke right now. I don''t even know what makes you laugh.¡± ¡°Hmm. Very well, then tell me a story.¡± ¡°A story? You serious?¡± Pendgy crossed his flippers and nodded. Vin, still looking ahead, scrunched his eyes and rummaged through the various tales he''d heard in his life. ¡°Do you know the one about the bear and the mouse?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Sweet. There''s two different societies in¨C¡± ¡°Utterly tedious. Nevermind.¡± Vin paused his rowing for a moment, ground his teeth just enough for a squeak, but did no other motions. Refuting the words of that penguin was like pushing fat underwater. ¡°A tale isn''t quite what I need. No. I need another measure to appease my torment.¡± ¡°Torment? Relax, or is your workout soreness that bad?¡± ¡°Hmph! This is more than a mere workout soreness! I pushed myself much too hard. I believe I pulled a muscle.¡± ¡°...I promise, you''d be a lot noisier if that were true.¡± Vin took a momentary rest from rowing, shaking his arm and soothing his shoulders. Pendgy looked at him with unusual and unwelcome intensity, which prompted a tilt of Vin¡¯s head. ¡°You''re looking at me like I''m a zoo animal.¡± ¡°You must admit, you creatures are utterly bizarre. Your bipedalism is unusual, your arms can handle and create countless tools, and you are too sociable for your own good.¡± ¡°...I''m no champion of humanity, but too sociable?¡± ¡°Yes. You all are far too comfortable with us Familiars.¡± Vin, realizing he had a false idea of ¡®sociable¡¯, perked his ears at the mention. Pendgy struggled to get on his feet, and though he failed, he climbed to a more elevated position. ¡°You told that owl something I couldn''t just forget, that you were already contracted before coming to me.¡± ¡°I see. I should''ve known you would''ve asked.¡± Vin dragged his palm across his face, looking at Pendgy with a prepared expression. ¡°So what, you want to know why?¡± ¡°Precisely. It is a mystery to me, why you were so insistent when you already had the means to vanquish that Soul Emperor.¡± Vin had a conflicted look. He slowly continued his rowing, gazing into nothing while prancing in his head. ¡°I''m guessing that you''ve never contracted yourself, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯d never stoop to that.¡± ¡°¨CThen how do you stay energized?¡± Pendgy looked at Vin as if he asked an idiotic question¨C no, even more, as it demanded Vin to think and answer himself. But he couldn''t answer. ¡°Come on, just tell me.¡± ¡°Why, I eat! Like all beings that breathe and move, I eat! I ate a fish in the water but a moment ago.¡± ¡°...Of course. How simple.¡± Vin had a satisfied smile, even if it came from a place of not knowing. ¡°¡®Suppose your attitude isn¡¯t the only thing unusual about you. You know what normally happens?¡± Pendgy shook his head no. ¡°...Think of Snatcher Jack. That man has all that fat for a reason. It isn''t there because he eats too much¨C though, he probably does, but not out of gluttony. No, that guy does it for the bear.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°In that way, he''s a lot smarter than me, and a lot better at finding reasonable Familiars.¡± ¡°You''re speaking too roundabout.¡± Letting out an irritated sigh, Vin continued with his verbose storytelling anyway. ¡°When a person and a familiar contract, there''s, of course, an agreement. One party, the human, can use the Familiar¡¯s power, or call on the Familiar, to the extent and frequency determined by the agreement.¡± ¡°Well of course, how else could that giant man call out the beast so often?¡± ¡°Right. But, the other party, the Familiar¡­ well, it takes.¡± Pendgy raised his eyebrow, wondering if Vin preemptively cut his sentence. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Every use of power, every Calling from the Void, every second it fights alongside, the Familiar takes. It takes and takes and takes, and sometimes not so much, and other times¡­¡± Vin rubbed his chin. There was, a slight terror in his eyes, but the man''s countenance maintained most of its typical demeanor. Pendgy found that odd. ¡°I''ve seen people before, offer their limbs for a burst of power.¡± ¡°Absurd.¡± ¡°That was¨C¡± Pendgy stood up, crossing his flippers and glaring at Vin. ¡°You mean to tell me humans so desperate exist? That they''d sacrifice their limbs?¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Pendgy was surprised by his agreement, expecting to enter yet another squabble. ¡°How could you be happy with that, losing so much of yourself? It¡¯s insanity to me. I don¡¯t care for what they say. all of it is insanity.¡± Vin was fiddling with the fingers of a single hand, staring at it with a slack jaw and twitching lips that struggled to conjoin to speak. ¡°Me? If I had the choice, then¡­¡± Pendgy caught an ephemeral glimmer, one that arose as the man lifted his head to the sky. It was a momentary struggle, a sudden shadow on the iris, but it felt too familiar in his eyes. ¡°Well, then I¡¯d rather not take the plunge at all. Especially if I don¡¯t need to.¡± He grabbed the oar again, continuing with his usual rows with a groove he hadn¡¯t before. ¡°Just me and myself. You¡¯d know all about that, wouldn¡¯t you, man?¡± ¡°...No. I don¡¯t believe I do. And your attempt to garner my sympathy was pathetic.¡± ¡°--That doesn¡¯t matter. Forget all about that and take a look behind you/¡± Following the line drawn by his pointing finger, Pendgy turned his head to behold the sight. He had to squint his eye to shield himself from the sun, but the shape that surfaced from the horizon was unmistakable. A bulge stood atop the endless waters in a blue, grainy hue. ¨C ¨C ¨C ¡°Here, why here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s coastguards, you idiot! If we pull up to the dock just like that, we¡¯ll be arrested on the spot!¡± Nodding along to his logic, Pendgy turned to scout the new land. The two were at a sandy beach that didn¡¯t extend too far, as a large cobbled wall stood but forty feet away. ¡°Now can you¨C help me drag this boat?¡± ¡°Me? Engage in such menial labor? Tell me you jest.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You pose a great argument. Very well.¡± And so, Pendgy waddled to the other end of the boat, helping Vin lift and tuck it away. It was hard to find a place to properly hide it, and even if he found one, it¡¯d be an utter pain to transport it so far. But it didn¡¯t seem like this part of the beach got much traction, and if all went right, then they¡¯d be back to the boat by the end of the day. ¡°And, here!¡± Sticking it behind an obtuse boulder, Vin wiped the sweat off his brow and turned. He and Pendgy quickly moved to leave the beach, finding a set of stairs that led them to a road. Once Vin and Pendgy traveled enough ground without getting hounded down, Vin was able to catch his breath. ¡°So,¡± Pendgy began, ¡°what is our purpose here?¡± ¡°Right now, it¡¯s to get some food.¡± Pendgy nodded in agreement. The thought of having given him a fish earlier crossed his mind, but having not acted on it, he knew how dumb it would be to voice it. The two traveled around town, discreetly strolling on the street. Pendgy immediately noticed the difference between this island and the last one; the roads were occupied by odd, loud, and swift machines. He noticed that they weren¡¯t too common, so people still used the road frequently. Even then, they didn¡¯t reach speeds that anyone was uncomfortable being around, but the combination of their bulk and velocity still required special designation. ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°Hmm? What are you talking about?¡± Pendgy pointed to a passing vehicle. ¡°Oh, those? They¡¯re called cars. It¡¯s a new invention, but still pretty dandy, right?¡± ¡°Strange¡­ I¡¯ve seen my fair share of ingenuity, but how could something like that be built?¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s impressive? I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t seen a train then, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Pendgy was greatly irritated by his know-it-all attitude, which Vin caught onto fast, but didn¡¯t give up the chance to exploit. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll see them when you see them. Or if. It isn¡¯t guaranteed, after all.¡± ¡°If they truly are as grand as you make them to be, then I will force you to show me. I don¡¯t enjoy your needless dangling.¡± ¡°Never mind that, we¡¯re here.¡± Raising his head along with Vin, Pendgy eyed a peculiar sign latched onto a building. He couldn¡¯t read the inscriptions plastered onto it, but he could tell from its excessive stylization that it was some form of attraction. And, judging from the look on Vin¡¯s face, Pendgy knew exactly what it was. ¡°A restaurant?¡± ¡°More or less. Come on now, let¡¯s eat!¡± Pendy followed Vin in with hesitant steps, eyeing the man as if another brain had entered his body. ¡°But I thought you had no currency.¡± And all of a sudden, the grin on Vin¡¯s face was wiped clean off. The man turned around and squatted to Pendgy¡¯s level, having a sweaty but self-assured face. ¡°Say, Pendgy, do you know what dine and dashing is?¡± ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right. You aren¡¯t savvy with human slang, are you?¡± Vin said so while stroking his chin. He looked over his shoulder then leaned in to whisper to Pendgy. ¡°It''s pretty simple: we eat, and then we leave without paying the bill.¡± ¡°You mean to enact thievery¨C ack!¡± As Pendgy let out a mortified yell, Vin snapped his beak shut with his hands. He looked around with nervous laughter, smiling and waving any onlookers away. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Vin yelled so in a raspy whisper, which gave Pendgy enough of a hint. Still, even when muffled, he wouldn''t let up. ¡°What is wrong with me, you say? You mean to rope mineself into a fiasco of petty stealing, then grow furious when I take grievance!?¡± ¡°...Somehow, I took you as the type to not care.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Crossing his flippers, Pendgy turned away from Vin, mumbling. ¡°I¡¯ve heard many say that the harsh Arctic has no place for principles. But you and I are not in the Arctic! And you, aren''t you a human? Have you no shame, stealing from your fellow man?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Pendgy looked at him with a sneer of surprise, which Vin cared little for. The man stood up straight and adjusted his coat, turning to venture further into the restaurant. ¡°Well, if you''re too worried about looking lame, you can sit this out. It''s not like you''re on an empty stomach.¡± ¡°You¨C¡± It was embarrassing that Vin had hit the nail, but he hardly made it budge. ¡°This is not for optics. Odious trog.¡± But Vin didn''t care for Pendgy¡¯s chastising. He was finally presented with a hearty meal, and he wouldn''t dare pass the chance to take it now. He was taken to a booth, given a menu, and set his mind on an order the very minute he looked at it. ¡°Will that be all?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Of course. That will be 7.89.¡± ¡°...¡± The waitress held her hand out. Vin looked at it with a chuckle. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The flowing water toppled into itself, soothing the bones with its noise. Its tranquil timbre was only helped by the glorious marble statue from where the water poured. A depiction of an unusual horse, with its front legs kicked up from the ground, was titled No Rider by the plaque nearby. The fountain was a majestic sight, right in the middle of the town square, and the present seat for both Pendgy and Vin. The latter couldn''t hear the water over the noise of his grumbling stomach. ¡°You''ve been wearing that face for far too long.¡± ¡°Yeah, same to you.¡± Vin rested his cheek on his fist with a mean so grumpy the air around him turned purple, while Pendgy had a green grin. ¡°So, please enlighten me, thief, what do we do now?¡± ¡°Well, I''d like to try again elsewhere, but¡­¡± Vin didn''t really have a ¡®but.¡¯ The only things preventing another attempt was his clueless of the area, and the shame he was forced to bear¨C though he wouldn''t admit it. Instead, Vin looked around the town. Horses were a common theme, he noticed. A few winged ones¨C undeniably Familiars ¨Chad already flown over his head several times. Though cars were present, most of the cargo and personage were carried by stallions, and even taxi services worked with their steeds. ¡°Attention! Don''t you dare drift away in your mind!¡± ¡°J-Jesus, fine.¡± Vin thought back to the present. He regretted throwing away his dingy gun because he was sure he could''ve at least pawned it for a meal. Regardless, it was no time for regrets. It was time for planning. ¡°...You see those food stands?¡± Immediately, Pendgy lifted his fin like a sign, riling a great deal of confusion from the man. ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°If you even attempt to steal within my presence again, then I shall beat you into the wall.¡± Vin didn''t find the energy to protest, because ultimately, Pendgy had a point. It wasn''t as if the man wanted to steal, but easy theft was simply more preferable to the alternative. Sadly, that alternative looked to be the only way forward. ¡°I suppose, then, it''s time you and I look for a job.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Here was the situation, as Vin kindly explained to Pendgy: Neither of the two had certification, connection, or concrete ways to prove their skill. Any job with delayed pay would be a no-go, as this island was ultimately a pit stop in their journey. Vin didn''t specialize in any form of labor outside of hunting, but this island seemed to have no demand for that line of work. Pendgy, being a talking Familiar, could win favor among potential employers, and Vin urged him to exploit it as much as possible. That being said, the two walked around the district, offering their labor to anyone who needed it. They were being turned down at every chance, which irritated the penguin, but Vin seemed overall unbothered. And so, Pendgy asked¨C ¡°Why are you so calm?¡± ¡°Hmm? Well, I don''t have the energy to get angry.¡± ¡°I¡¯d believe you ordinarily, but I suspect you''re withholding the truth this time.¡± The man let out a groan at Pendgy''s nosy sleuthing. ¡°You caught me. I''m just glad I''m not running into any¡­ fishy guys, let''s say.¡± ¡°I''m not sure I follow.¡± They walked in silence for a moment. ¡°You and I are strangers whose only value lies in the grease of their elbow, Pendgy.¡± ¡°So what? Heavy lifting is a valuable asset; why else would these horses be here?¡± ¡°I¨C that''s not the point! The point is that some sleazebag will probably just dupe us the moment we shake hands.¡± Vin was adamant on his point, but Pendgy glared at him with suspicion at best. ¡°That''s why, whoever it is we talk to, they''re someone who has to be desperate.¡± ¡°Very fascinating.¡± ¡°What? It just makes sense. They''re the least likely to do wrong on a deal, that''s all.¡± Pendgy tapped his chin, agreeing with the logic of the man, though still fuzzy on how it originated. With this new perspective in mind, the penguin carefully eyed his surroundings. ¡°Desperate, such as them?¡± Vin followed the trajectory of his flipper, using his hand as a visor, spotting a couple who were looking at their carriage with alarm. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, nice find! Just like them.¡± And so, the two plodded to the worrying couple. Vin adjusted his jacket and propped up his hair. When they arrived, the couple eyed them with asking eyes, which Vin took the liberty of replying to. Beginning by clearing his throat, ¡°I see that something is troubling you two. Is there perhaps any way we can help?¡± ¡°Oh, oh thank you,¡± began the man, ¡°we were so worried, we were just about to make a police report!¡± ¡°A¡­ police report?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± began the woman, ¡°my husband and I were gone for a moment, and then the m-mule vanished when we returned! Goodness, could you please help us?¡± This wasn''t a turn that Vin expected, but it was also one he had no gripes with welcoming. He glanced at Pendgy, who gave an affirming glance back. ¡°Very well, we will look for your missing mule.¡± ¡°Thank you! O-Oh, and how could we repay you?¡± Vin rubbed his hands together, as the time to haggle harked itself. ¡°Please, make an offer, anything that seems reasonable.¡± ¡°Alright, does 500 sound good?¡± Vin let out a breathless wheeze, struggling to compose himself. ¡°Y-Yes, more than good! Would you like to make payment now or later?¡± The man wiped the sweat off his brow, taking a moment to think before answering. ¡°Later, if you wouldn''t mind.¡± ¡°I wouldn''t,¡± he said listlessly, upset he couldn¡¯t take the money right away, ¡°It''s only fair. We''ll take care of it right away, sir!¡± Vin ushered Pendgy away from the group with a giddy smirk on his face. The penguin had difficulty justifying his following steps. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Of course, in his enthusiasm, Vin neglected to gather the most important thing: information. He had to backpedal to speak to the couple, but once he got what he needed, he was scouting like a hawk. ¡°What should I be looking for?¡± ¡°A mule, like the guy said. Brown in fur, a bit stupid-looking, not as big as the horses, all that. Apparently, it already had some luggage with it.¡± ¡°Stupid-looking? That hardly narrows it down.¡± ¡°Then focus on the other details. That should make it easier.¡± True as that may be, ultimately, they still had to find it in a town full of horses. It wasn''t as if the mule had wandered far away¨C the couple lost it barely ten minutes ago, after all ¨Cbut the problem still remained, that he couldn''t have known which direction it went. Fortunately for Vin, mules weren''t so smart, so he just went the way the carriage pointed and hoped for the best. ¡°Five hundred, the man said. Five hundred in your currency; just how much is that?¡± ¡°Haha, you have no idea. I could feed myself for a month with that.¡± ¡°Hmm. So they were humans of great wealth, were they?¡± ¡°Probably. But, maybe not. Maybe they just really wanted the help, so they give a quote that would make anyone who looks as grubby as me drool.¡± Pendgy looked up and down at the man. He didn''t notice before, but the man¡¯s clothes were dirty, and his hair, though still stubbornly stylized, was a tad more unkempt than expected. ¡°When was the last time you bathed?¡± ¡°...Does a swim in the ocean count?¡± Pendgy wanted to refute that but realized he was in no position to do so. ¡°That¡¯s beside the point¡­ we¡¯re probably not going to get such an easy profit elsewhere, so you and I oughta do a good job for this one. Keep your eyes peeled, man.¡± ¡°I am not the one here who is struggling with hunger.¡± ¡°Ugh. Then, do it for the money. We could probably get a train ride with that cash.¡± Immediately, Pendgy used his flipper-like as a visor and scanned the area with mechanical precision. Vin enthusiastically copied his companion, casing the surroundings for that creature. Unfortunately, after an hour of scouting, the two turned up empty-handed and empty-muled. ¡°Phaaa¡­ what the hell? How big is this place?¡± ¡°You monkey! I told you we should¡¯ve turned around long ago!¡± Pendgy¡¯s chirping criticisms bombarded Vin as he had a hand on the wall, catching his breath. It was a difficult thing to ignore with so much attention on working his lungs, but he still brushed the penguin off with mumbling lips. ¡°Whatever, man. The mule¡¯s just cloaked, that¡¯s why we didn¡¯t find him.¡± ¡°Your excuses fall with a possum¡¯s grace; come.¡± Pendgy, contrarily unbothered by all the walking, motioned Vin to follow him. However, the penguin didn¡¯t move with the man¡¯s legs, and once he arrived by his side, he realized what Pendgy was insinuating. And so, a moment later, the penguin found himself on the man¡¯s head yet again. ¡°Excellent. Now I needn¡¯t try to peer over all these idiot heads.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re enjoying yourself. Real happy.¡± Pendgy took Vin¡¯s word in earnest, which made the man groan. He continued looking around, likely not to spot anything Pendgy couldn¡¯t, but as an insurance policy. However, instead of finding his target, he found that many, many bystander eyes were glancing at the two. He challenged a few with gross faces, but for the most part, found himself overwhelmed. ¡°We look ridiculous, man.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Anyone who¡¯d critique this ingenious arrangement is a fool who can only see the world from their eyes.¡± ¡°...Right. They¡¯re not looking at you, are they?¡± Vin decidedly ignored the oncoming looks. They were here for a purpose, after all, and if anyone had a problem with that, they could screw themselves. Eventually, Vin didn¡¯t even notice their gazes. It returned to business as usual, but Vin made sure to take more curves and turns than before. It was important to cover new ground, after all. And Vin¡¯s methodology worked, because a few minutes later, Pendgy let out a gasp. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°Well, human, I believe I have found our target!¡± Pendgy fiercely pointed to it, but as Vin couldn¡¯t see it, he tapped on the penguin¡¯s chest. ¡°Oh, just go to where I¡¯m pointing!¡± Muttering curses under his breath, Vin did just that, weaving and zigzagging past the crowd. He had to run for a suspiciously long amount of time, but once he reached the minute mark, Pendgy quickly tapped his forehead. ¡°Gah? What?¡± ¡°Slow down. The mule is not alone.¡± Vin blindly blinked for a moment as the words hit his ears, now understanding the situation more deeply. The problem was evident; the mule didn¡¯t leave because it was wayward. Vin slowed his steps considerably, and though he wished to lower the penguin as well, he acted as his essential eyes for the operation. Pendgy slowly guided him to the group of thieves, leading the man to the sidewalk. He saw the group, a duo of heavily clothed men holding the mule by a rope. It was impossible to notice any other details through the crowd. At that point, Vin grabbed Pendgy by the side and lowered him without a fuss, the penguin reading the room. As the two inched closer, the men retreated to a nearby alleyway, which made the man smirk. He shared a glance with the penguin. The two knew a shining freebie when they saw it. Vin wasted no time spying. He stood in the alleyway and looked at the two men, who were conversing amongst themselves. As the man walked towards him, they noticed the sounds of his footsteps. They turned their heads, revealing their obscured faces. ¡°Huh? Who are¨C¡± Vin tossed a sucker punch at the man on the left, hitting him with enough force to fly him away. **SMASH** The other man was too stunned by the ambush to react to Vin¡¯s fist. He was struck hard enough to crash into the wall, dinking his head as it rebounded. Vin cracked his knuckles, patting himself for a job well done. Pendgy waddled over to him with a flipper to his chin, one that Vin was forced to notice. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m having doubts. Is that mule truly our target? It looks a little¡­ daft.¡± As he said this, the mule took a few steps to sniff him. Pendgy had a scowl on his face, but held the need to slap it silly. The mule raised its head after, letting out a toothy yawn as it explored the alleyway. ¡°The mule is stupid. Duh. But the physical description fits perfectly.¡± ¡°I suppose. Intelligence is no use to a beast of burden, is it?¡± ¡°No, I guess¨C¡± Vin slit his speech the second he started, turning with jumpy movement and narrowly dodging the overhead swing of an axe. The tool collided with a thud and a chip, forcing Pendgy to sidestep the flying piece of concrete it shot. Vin retaliated immediately, delivering a cleated kick to the guts of the crook, who lurched and spat. Vin took an extended gander at the man, who while clutching his stomach began to rise, and thought it fitting to give him another one in the face, disarming him. However, right after the kick was swung, the other man snuck up from behind and wrapped his neck in a lock. It wasn''t a stable lock¨C in fact, Vin could still breathe just fine ¨Cso he punched the man and stabbed his belly with his shoulder. He gripped his stomach and descended to his knees like a leaf in the wind, though fell with nary half the grace. Vin hit his palms against one another, checking his neck and back for any injuries. A lack of spikes of pain told him his body was still in good health, and he was rather surprised to find no knife sticking out of him. Regardless, he turned away from the groaning, aggrieved men to Pendgy, who looked at him with approving nods. ¡°Excellent work. I hadn''t even a need to interrupt.¡± ¡°I''ve been in my fair share of tussles before. Though I gotta admit, these guys were just weak.¡± Cracking his neck, Vin moved to face the rest of the alley. ¡°Now then, let''s deliver this mule¡­ back¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What''s the matter?¡± Pendgy turned to face the same sight, and immediately, he found the reason for his depressing decrescendo. The mule they just had a scuffle over was nowhere to be seen. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Vin quickly snatched Pendgy, planting him on his hand and holding him steady, whizzing past pedestrians and objects alike. ¡°Any sign?¡± It was strange that he had to resort to this. He walked out of the alley the moment he finished his fight, but the mule already vanished into the wind. He couldn''t have gone far¨C it was impossible for the mule to have gone far. So why was he running with such urgency? ¡°No spotting yet. I suggest we turn the other way.¡± ¡°Right. Good idea!¡± He spun on his foot and continued his navigation, all the while humoring his humming mind. Was it the couple? That couldn''t be it; their tears were touching, but sophistry like that couldn''t break into Vin¡¯s feelings. Was it his frustration? That had to be it¨C but it reeked of an unfinished story, a portrait in jigsaw with the corners cleanly cut. Then what was that missing piece? ¡°¨C!¡± Of course, what else could it have been? ¡°When I find that thing, I''ll make a meal out of it myself!¡± The mule wasn''t an objective, it was an obstacle. As long as this upright penguin tailed him where he traced, catching that damn mule was the only way to a filled stomach. And once he fille He ran with fury, but it swilled and stole the zeal in his legs. He could feel an incoming collapse, a kind cold greeting from the concrete floor¨C any result of a malfunction, imminent and worrying. ¡°Nothing. The mule is nowhere to be seen.¡± And in that pursuit, he stopped his wasteful expenditure, turned to the nearest face that didn''t deter, and spoke. ¡°Sorry, but have you seen a wayward mule anywhere? About this big, and without company?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh yeah, I did.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª His clothes were doused. It was such a potent stench, Vin had to pinch his own nose. He was no stranger to exercise, nor to sweat, but these drippings were laced with something unfamiliar. ¡°Are you certain that you''ve gone for a swim recently?¡± ¡°...Well, shit. Fine, I''ll hit the beach once this is over with.¡± Vin put Pendgy¡¯s remarks aside and faced the situation. Before him rested a tall fence on the edge of town, barring entry to a bushy forest. The man, however, said that there was a fence gate not too far from here, unless he was lying. ¡°Not a slim chance he was lying either¡­ then again, he didn''t look like he was. Gah, whatever.¡± Setting the man¡¯s confusing kindness aside, Vin followed the fence with his steps. Pendgy, still resting on his head, stood upright with crossed arms, peering into the wooded area. ¡°That mule has an adventurous spirit. It''s rather astonishing.¡± ¡°Astonishing? You''re joking, right? The animal is just being a pain in the ass. You can tell the owners didn''t train it well.¡± ¡°You''re not incorrect. The beast is unschooled and unfettered. To have slipped away like so; it was bound to happen.¡± ¡°...¡± Vin walked in momentary silence. When he eventually found what looked to be open doors, he perked up and jogged to it, smiling to himself. ¡°Do you think the mule forced these open?¡± ¡°Huh? Of course not! Look, there''s a drop rod and everything.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ correct.¡± Vin passed through the gate and onto the trail. At the very least, it seemed that the search wouldn''t take long. The foliage really was thick; not even a wild animal would have a fun time passing through. All the while, though, Pendgy kept musing. ¡°Have you ever had a pet?¡± ¡°Odd. Where''s this coming from?¡± ¡°Must you always question one¡¯s intentions? Think no further. Just answer.¡± ¡°...Yes. I had a dog when I was a kid.¡± ¡°Ah, fitting. Even the frosty wolves from my homeland found themselves coddling to man. What breed?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± The noise of conversation was broken by snapping leaves. Though Vin couldn¡¯t see it, Pendgy looked ready to break his skull. ¡°Very well,¡± he continued, ¡°that aside, I always saw a look in their eyes. A look I find many casting unto a being so glorious as me.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? What was it?¡± ¡°...¡± He paused to think, tapping his beak with a flipper. ¡°Scorn.¡± Vin looked up at the penguin momentarily. ¡°Yes. Scorn from many, envy from others, and admiration from a few. Even my brainless brethren, the ones without speech, always looked through loathing eyes.¡± ¡°Maybe you''re the reason why.¡± ¡°Haha! Fool. No, don''t be so naive. I''ve traded words with riffraff less times than fingers are on your hands.¡± For whatever reason, Vin found the penguin¡¯s words irritating. ¡°What''s your big point, Pendgy?¡± ¡°I''ve seen wolves look with those eyes before, and humans were the target.¡± ¡°Ah. I see. So you think that mule just hates the couple?¡± ¡°It''s a possibility. After all, I''ve yet to see them together.¡± ¡°Hmph. It''s not my business anyway. I''m just here for the money.¡± ¡°So even if the mule professed so, you''d drag him back to the owners?¡± Vin stopped moving. The penguin looked down, confused until his eyes matched what Vin¡¯s were seeing. ¡°Finally,¡± he muttered. The two came at a fork. To the left was the trail, but on the right, behind bristles and brands, was an open grassy area. And even behind that cover, Vin could see that stupid mule. He set the penguin down and stretched his fingers. ¡°Wait here,¡± he muttered as if Pendgy even had an interest. He passed through the bushes and stood before it. A morphing expression was on his face. ¡°There you are, you bastard. Do you have any idea what hurdles you made me go through?¡± Of course, being a mule, it did not reply. But it didn''t even move to the noise. Vin¡¯s words had bounced right off, leaving the man more frustrated than before. ¡°Oh ho ho, I won''t be so merciful to you, you know.¡± He walked forward to the mule¡¯s side, staring at it with what should have been a scorching lour. But still, the mule didn''t react. Its head was tilted to the skies, watching them like an appointed guard. ¡°What are you¨C¡± And when Vin¡¯s gaze shifted to match the mule¡¯s, he felt his words slip from his mouth. ¡°...¡± The sky was clear that day. Few clouds paraded themselves, but despite that, the sun didn''t shine so harshly. That clarity made it a pleasant day for sightseeing, and up in that sky, two winged horses circled themselves, birds in a game of ball. Vin¡¯s legs lost their welly, but he didn¡¯t collapse. He took a gentle seat on the grass, joining the mule, watching the two pegasi dance and parade. They were enchanting. He wasn¡¯t one for sightseeing, but these two beings, so distant in reach and stature, were enough to snatch his attention. It was almost impossible for him to take his eyes off. Almost impossible to not scan their features, to note and scribe their every movement. ¡°...¡± But ultimately, he had to stop. He turned his head to the mule. But he didn¡¯t stop at its face; it¡¯s whole body was fettered with bags, ropes, saddles and all. ¡°Would someone look at you?¡± The mule still ignored him, but now it was impossible for that to vex. ¡°For a moment, I thought you were just a delinquent. Funny, seeing how you weren¡¯t taken by your will. But I can tell you don¡¯t mind. You¡¯re a crafty thing; striking at the stroke.¡± Vin stood up, taking another gander at the pegasi. ¡°What, do you want to join them?¡± The mule tilted its head then, just enough to know Vin had gotten its attention. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. You don¡¯t have wings. You have too many clothes. You have too much luggage. You¡¯re not smart enough to talk to a familiar, so you can¡¯t contract with one. You¡¯re no genius; you can¡¯t build a rocket. You¡¯re no dragon, you can¡¯t fly. You¡¯re no star, you can¡¯t soar. You¡¯re no God, either. My my, what can you do?¡± Vin took a step forward, making the mule turn its head all the way. Vin took a moment before speaking, furrowing his brows as he saw the reins around his head. ¡°Indeed. Just what can you do.¡± He put his hand on the thing¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t stroke it, or pet it, or even twitch once it landed. Vin closed his eyes and tapped the ground with his foot. He hummed and bit his lip. ¡°Neither you nor I, are anything so special, are we? We can¡¯t grow wings. We can¡¯t just fly away; that¡¯d be ridiculous. You and I can¡¯t be a pegasus. You and I can¡¯t be a fairy tale. No, too many people try to be.¡± Vin paused for a moment, turning his eyes up and letting out a groan. ¡°Tch. Damn that penguin, he¡¯s already brainwashing me.¡± He took his hand off the mule and grabbed the rein, tugging once, then again when the mule didn¡¯t stand. Once the beast was on its leg, Vin smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. But, I¡¯m not wrong. You have a role, and I don¡¯t mean in the grand scheme. So come on. I need my lunch money.¡± He turned around, tugging on the mule so it would follow. ¡°And more importantly, you have parents who¡¯re missing your company.¡± ¡ª------------------------------ When Vin¡¯s hands found their way to the stack, he couldn¡¯t stop them from going through the cash. Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty¨C goodness, it was impossible. Vin¡¯s eyes were country-wide; he looked like a drooling child. The couple were hugging the mule behind him, sobbing and showering it in affection. The mule, Pendgy noted, didn¡¯t look very pleased, but didn¡¯t look upset either. He struggled to call it contentment, but it was a fairer look than most he¡¯d seen. Eventually, the two parties stopped being so absorbed, facing each other. Vin faced them first, and in a moment, his giddy look was shot down. The woman still hugged the mule, her cheeks damp from her tears, while the man walked up to Vin and held his hands. ¡°Thank you so much. Thank you, truly. We don¡¯t know what we would¡¯ve done without you.¡± ¡°...Yeah. Of course.¡± The man wiped his tears and turned back to the mule. Vin looked at him with a mean look, though knowing the man, it could¡¯ve meant many things. He glanced at the stack of his money, then another again the couple, then again at his money, before turning his back and clasping his head. ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re having doubts.¡± ¡°Oh, you, shut up. You have no part in this.¡± ¡°Really? That woman tried to hug me earlier.¡± ¡°Yeah, and you almost ruined my chances by smacking her away. Now shut up.¡± The one gripe Pendgy had with his existence, was that he lacked the ability to read minds. His intuition was razor sharp, and he could typically deduce one¡¯s thoughts from movement alone, but it was instances like this, where a man who clearly didn¡¯t want someone peering into them, closed all their windows, that made him wish for it. He found Vin infuriating, so he returned to gazing at the couple as the rowdy streets lost their charm long ago. Though eventually, he found the couple boring as well. Then Vin turned around. He had a fountain of sweat pouring down his face, and his mien was no better off, but there was a unique impetus driving his movement. Pendgy¡¯s eyes perked. An amused smile found itself on his beak. ¡°Sir, here.¡± Because in one of Vin¡¯s hands, were five of the twenty-five bills he had received. ¡°H-Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Please, take this back.¡± The man stood up with a confused expression. Vin pushed the bills onto him, but he quickly pushed them back. ¡°N-No, please, I insist! You¡¯ve done an excellent job, really! If we called the police, it might¡¯ve taken days, or even a week before¨C¡± But Vin cut his claptrap short by pushing the bills yet again. ¡°And I insist to you. Just take them, man.¡± At that point, the man found it impossible to argue. He took the bills and Vin turned around, waltzing away from the scene. Though, he turned his head back one last time before leaving. ¡°Oh yeah, and go wander around with that mule more often. He has an explorer¡¯s spirit, I tell you.¡± The couple took a curious gander at their pet, then another at the fleeing Vin, with that ill-tempered penguin by his side. They waved at him, though he couldn¡¯t see it, and he didn¡¯t wave back. But somehow, the couple felt that he did. And now that Pendgy and Vin were alone, the man propped up one bill with a giggle. ¡°Hungry? How about we go for some seafood?¡± ¡°At the very least, your appetite is in good taste.¡± ¡°Alright, now what¡¯s bothering you?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. I¡¯m quite the opposite of bothered.¡± The two walked around. Vin spied the area for a restaurant. ¡°Only five,¡± Pendgy said. ¡°Only? Ha! You have no idea what one hundred bucks can buy, do you? Frankly, I shouldn¡¯t have given them anything back.¡± ¡°And yet, you did.¡± He glared at the penguin, but quickly rescinded it with a shrug of his shoulders. ¡°What can I say? Their goodwill won me over. 500 was just too much for such an easy job.¡± ¡°...Pfft, hahaha!¡± Pendgy then burst into a raging fit of laughter. Vin glared at him with a raised eyebrow, more perturbed than curious or annoyed. ¡°Oh, is that what you think? Then so be it! So be it! Maybe you aren¡¯t such a swine after all!¡± Bars and Girls In the corridors where synapses pulsed, she stopped to witness its lustrous architecture. A marriage of sounds and pictures, each merging detail impossible to decipher with the naked eye. This one segment captivated her particularly; what a fine distraction it proved to be. ¡°¨CMonae! There¡¯s two gentlemen at the front!¡± And immediately, she was evicted from the grounds. ¡°Ah, yes! I''ll be right there!¡± A barmaid, standing at an unusual height for her sex, ran with a broom in hand behind the counter. Two men, giddy and giggling, waltzed towards the stools, sitting beside each other with corrosive laughter. ¡°Hello! How may I help you?¡± Monae asked the two gentlemen, hoping to catch their attention, but neither budged. Why were they here, she wondered under a nervous smile, when they were clearly already drunk? The two men eventually noticed the silent barista. One of them slapped their hand on the countertop, giving a slurred request. She had a notepad and pen, but Monae couldn''t write it down, so she spoke. ¡°C-Can you repeat that? I couldn''t hear you.¡± The man twitched his eyebrow. He made his request, slower this time, which Monae could still not understand. However, the look on that man''s face warned of escalating tensions. Thus, despite the empty page, she turned around and grabbed a bottle. She''d seen these customers before. They weren''t uncommon faces, but that didn''t mean she knew them. She didn''t know much about anyone, really. Nobody pegged her as a conversationalist. Most people came here for whiskey. Others came for beer. Tequila was a popular choice amongst the louder folk, but these two men looked reserved. She knew Adletcat was all the rage, but she always found it funny smelling, so she elected against it. Ultimately, doing her best to decipher the man¡¯s grumbles, she thought ale would do the trick. She got a bottle and poured each man a shot, smoothly sliding it towards them. The men, still entrenched in their talk, didn''t even notice the drink. Monae sighed and picked up her broom, leaving the counter to sweep. Right as she passed through the swinging door, her manager walked up, a face as stern as steel. ¡°Heh? Did you serve them?¡± ¡°Yes sir. They, seem a bit troubled.¡± ¡°Yeah. Keep an eye on ¡®em. Don''t want ¡®em thrashing the place.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The manager returned to the back while Monae continued with her duties. She let out a lengthy sigh, thankful for zero reprimands. For a moment, things ran well. Though their cluttering gibber jabber annoyed her, eventually, it became the perfect white noise. Menial distractions were the lifeblood of her waking moments. That was until it became more than menial. ¡°Eh? The fuck?¡± In the first legible sentence she heard, the man yelled with an offended tone. She looked up and saw him lifting the glass, looking at it as if it were exotic, then promptly smashing it on the counter. The man stood up from his stool and eyed Monae. His friend held onto one of his hands, enough to hold him back, but that didn''t stop the ensuing onslaught. ¡°Were you¨C huck ¨Cthe one who served this?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sorry, did I¨C¡± ¡°This ain''t, fuckin whiskey! I asked for whiskey! The hell are you giving me ale for? Are you trying to play me for a damn fool!?¡± The man tried to take a few steps ahead, still held back by the chains of his friend. Monae looked at them with a sweaty face, unsure of what to do. ¡°U-Uh, I''m sorry, I didn''t hear¨C¡± ¡°Buuuullshit! I said it twice! Twice, damn it!¡± The man flung his free fists forward, trying to land a swing on Monae. She was clearly out of range, and in attempting to reach her, the man almost toppled his friend with him. But, even at such a range, even with a shackle on the aggressor, she couldn''t find it in her to speak back. And so, she held the broom, letting out a tired, pained sigh, and planted her forehead on the hilt. ¡°What''s going on here!?¡± The manager barged in, a natural occurrence following the commotion, and saw the sight of the belligerent man. He heard his violent professions, heard to whom they were directed to, and shifted his gaze to her. His poisoned glare conveyed it all. But first, of course, he had to take care of the problem. ¡°Get the hell out,¡± he yelled, eclipsing the rancor of the man. The two tipsy pests stood there, dumbfounded from his volume, until his ragged finger pointed to the exit. The angry man snarled, nearly lunged at the manager, but his friend stopped him with an arm around his neck. ¡°Let''s go,¡± he muttered, and the two waddled away with the manager trailing them. For their disturbance, they only got a warning. The manager slammed the doors and stayed, as if in thought, or maybe irritation, or recuperation. The bar, empty again, found silence floating in its air, still and murky as it was. She looked to her feet and continued with her sweeping, but she wasn''t afforded such an easy escape. ¡°That was our only customer so far. We''ve already been open for a few hours. Nights aren''t so busy anymore, and the two didn''t even pay off the drink.¡± ¡°...¡± The man turned around and pinched his nose. Monae continued sweeping as he spoke. ¡°Don''t you have anything to say?¡± ¡°...I couldn''t hear him, he was slurring his¨C¡± ¡°You should''ve just asked what he was saying! What''s worse, talking to a retarded alcoholic or making him mad he isn''t getting his drink!?¡± Monae didn''t respond, nor did she look up at him. The man let out a laborious sigh, clasping his head with his hands. ¡°Jesus. Jesus, lady, do you have any idea what situation you''re in? If we don¡¯t get customenrs¨C¡± ¡°I-I know. We''ll be in a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°You''re lucky they didn''t break anything. You''re too damn lucky.¡± The manager put his hands in his pocket and trodded to the back. He stopped short of exiting the room, waiting until Monae continued her work. ¡°Tonight, you''ll be making another delivery. I''ll hand you the address soon. Alright?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Alright?¡± ¡°Yeah. I''ll get it done, sir.¡± ¡°Good. The roof over your head depends on it.¡± ¡°I know. Thank you.¡± The manager then made his exit, and in the quiet room, Monae paraded in her mind. It wasn''t the first time she had such an incident, far from it. She discovered a lot about herself working this job. She was clumsy, or maybe she was a terrible talker. ¡°...¡± The veins in her arms pushed against her skin. The broom nearly snapped under the pressure. Again, she almost compromised herself. Her manager was far too kind. She soothed her temples and let out a sigh. She would''ve taken a drink herself if it wasn''t merchandise. Having a gun pointed at your head would often make it ache. Once the sweeping was done, she waited by the counter, eyeing the motionless door. Her manager swung by later and told her she was on break. She could hardly use it to get around. She wasn''t known in the town, after all. Or liked. But another moment of this stuffy air would''ve driven her insane. Since alcohol wasn''t an option, she relied on her typical alternative. She left the bar and moved no further past the building parameters. Against the wall, gazing at a listless sky, taking out a pack of cigarettes by routine. Her body lost the strength to lean, so she sunk to the ground like an aging rose. Head between her knees, arms on top of her caps, she wondered what would be in store for her next. Would she err yet again and finally be evicted, or would she¨C ¡°YOU!¡± An unusual voice sprung from her front, causing her to jolt with a yelp. Her startled expression eased when she saw who spoke, and quickly morphed into one of confusion. A¡­ penguin? ¡°You¡­ you reek.¡± ¡°I¨C Wha?¡± Her cheeks turned rosy from shame. How could she possibly smell? Her hygiene was pristine! ¡°Your smell is strong, pungent, unusual. No human would have it, no human could have it.¡± This penguin, who tapped his beak as he spoke, immediately revealed himself to her. This was a verbal Familiar, one with a strong nose and a snoopy attitude. She thought to stop him, but couldn''t. Looking left and right, nobody was in range of hearing him. ¡°The scent that floats your form¡­ ah, even your eyes reveal as much. Their pupils are slits, not round.¡± But if he kept going on like this¨C ¡°W-Wait, don''t say it out loud!¡± ¡°So indeed, you are keeping it a secret. But why?¡± The penguin leaned forward, squinting his eyes to scan her face. She backed her head up until it hit the wall. ¡°It¡¯s remarkable. The first of your kind I ever did meet, and you show yourself to be so meek? No, forgive me, remarkable? It¡¯s rather pathetic.¡± ¡°...Uh.¡± ¡°I refuse to let you act this way. Stand proud, coward! You market yourself to be so feeble!? Hide behind scales, not skin, you¨C Mph!¡± The babbling penguin was abruptly interrupted by the clasping hand of a pointy-chinned man. He held his grip tight under the penguin¡¯s flailing, holding him at his side like a duffel bag. ¡°Excuse my partner, miss. He can be a bit of a challenge sometimes.¡± ¡°I¡­ N-No worries!¡± The man tipped a hat of air and made his exit. Monae watched him move far away before she sighed, thankful that her secret hadn¡¯t been so suddenly spilled. As for the man, once a minute of walking had come and gone, he released the penguin and stared at it with crossed arms. ¡°Christ, man. I lose track of you for one second, and you go around harassing people?¡± ¡°Harassment? Lavish imbecile! I was doing that fiend a favor! Goodness, I can¡¯t stand cowards like her.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Pendgy waved his comments away with a sneer. ¡°Forget it. You¡¯ve upset me too much for an answer.¡± ¡°Puah, so be it. I¡¯ll keep up our search.¡± ¡°Our search? You¡¯re only doing this for yourself.¡± Pendy looked down at Vin from his head, who took a few dozen steps before making any reply. ¡°You¡¯re real sure of yourself, Pendgy. It¡¯s pissing me off. Do you have any idea what you and I need to kill a Soul Emperor?¡± Pendgy didn¡¯t respond, which only strengthened the bulge of Vin¡¯s veins. ¡°Whatever it is, we don¡¯t have it. You and I need to train, simple as that. I¡¯m nowhere near the level to fight a Soul Emperor, and you¡¯d be crazy to think you aren¡¯t either. ¡°I am near the level to fight a Soul Emperor. Please, all I need is just to find one.¡± Vin rolled his eyes and spun his brain, but he knew better than to respond in irritation. By now, he figured out how to play this penguin¡¯s ridiculous games, though it took great restraint to abide by their rules. ¡°Why not extend your lead, Mr. Penguin? You wouldn¡¯t settle for just a close victory, surely? ¡°Of course not. If it isn¡¯t an onslaught, then it may as well be meaningless. I never stated I wouldn¡¯t be participating.¡± And yet, it seemed that Vin could never win. ¡°You¡¯ve been prattling about drilling, but have yet to tell me how we would do so. Go on, elucidate me.¡± ¡°I was explaining it to you, but you¨C nevermind. We¡¯re going to take up hunting missions.¡± Pendgy raised an eyebrow. ¡°What, taking down stray pigs and wolves? You jest.¡± ¡°No, not animals. We¡¯ll be hunting Familiars. Accursed, specifically.¡± Perking at the familiar term, Pendgy began running scenarios in his head. ¡°Are they really so prevalent?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. Prevalent enough that I can make a living. It¡¯s the one thing I¡¯m good at.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± As Vin scouted the surroundings, Pendgy struggled to put two and two together. ¡°I work in teams. I¡¯m good at pinning them down, but I¡¯ve never dealt the killing blows.¡± ¡°Ah, of course. That was obvious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m real lucky; since you¡¯re not a person, I won¡¯t need to split the profits.¡± Finishing his explanation, Vin continued to scour the environment. Pendgy lost track of time long before the man found his target, and he was sure to let him know when he did. ¡°There we are!¡± However, Pendgy had to admit his expectations were lamentably high. Vin didn¡¯t locate a building, or a sophisticated station that advertised its services. No, Vin¡¯s smile and merry attitude based themselves on a derelict job board. Even then, the man looked more happy once seeing its state. ¡°Neat, they¡¯re usually way worse.¡± ¡°Goodness, what kind of raffish job do you work?¡± ¡°I think your standards are too demanding.¡± ¡°How rich.¡± Rolling his eyes, Vin ignored the penguin¡¯s pestering and scanned the board for any work. It was filled to the brim with assignments, far more than he expected. He wondered if he wound up in the wrong place but the header spelled ¡°ACURSED HUNTER¡± as clearly as it could. It must¡¯ve just been an unfortunate town. ¡°Though it¡¯s missing one ¡®c¡¯... Alright, let¡¯s take this one.¡± He tore a page off with a high number. The contract was splotched with needless formalities, with the only important details at the bottom: the target, the pay, the location, and the address of the receiver. The job itself was posted by the city¨C odd, Vin thought, as citizens were more than happy to pay for such services. But he didn¡¯t question it past that. There must''ve either been a shortage of hunters, or a surplus of Accursed. Either way, the job was taken. A stray footnote instructed to visit the town hall before departing, and since Vin had no interest in getting cheated, he made sure to march over there with as stern a face he could muster. ¡°You seem enthusiastic,¡± Pendgy exclaimed, breaking Vin¡¯s focus, ¡°I''ve never seen you so eager to earn a dollar.¡± ¡°You''ve only seen me try doing so once. Besides, I know this profession in and out. I can tell when people try to pull fast ones on me.¡± ¡°Hmph. And here I thought this was merely for training. You are an ignoble hypocrite.¡± ¡°Hey! A hypocrite? What am I backpedaling on?¡± ¡°...Fair. Though your attitude infuriates me.¡± Vin looked up at him, tapping his head with a finger, "Money''s the blood of the human world.¡± The rest of the trip happened in silence. Upon his arrival, Vin noticed the destitute state of the building. Not so much due to a lack of care, but due to the very framework and outline of the structure. He had difficulty even putting his foot in, afraid of being caught up in its inevitable collapse. But alas, it had to be done. Once he entered he went to the nearest available counter, slamming the contract on the table. ¡°Hi. It said to consult the town hall. Here I am.¡± The lady, busy with paperwork, looked up from her duties with a surprised expression. She took a moment to gather herself, fixing her glasses. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Y-You''re here for a hunter job?¡± ¡°Sure am. Can I go do it?¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­ sorry, I just don''t recognize you. Are you new?¡± ¡°Yeah, I got on this island very recently.¡± ¡°Is that your Familiar, up on your head?¡± Vin looked up to a cross-armed Pendgy, who somehow didn''t hit himself on the doorframe whilst entering. ¡°Forget about that. Am I good for the job?¡± ¡°Well, uhm¡­ since you''re new, you must not be with the law. Do you have a license?¡± ¡°¨C? A license? Oh, God damn it.¡± It was just his luck that this town would require that. ¡°And I guess hunting Accursed without one is illegal?¡± ¡°I¡­ yes, it is against city law here.¡± ¡°Well, that''s unfortunate. I don''t have a license, and even if I did, it wouldn''t be one you''d accept.¡± Still, despite these concessions, Vin didn''t turn to exit. The man¡¯s lips curved up, subtly so that the woman didn''t notice. ¡°I can direct you to another office, you could get a¨C¡± ¡°I don''t have time for that, and I bet your small town doesn''t either.¡± She slightly cocked her head, looking at the man with hesitation. ¡°I''ll strike a deal with you, or whoever your boss is. There are dozens of untaken jobs on the board out there; I know your city is short-staffed, desperate. You need hands that can handle the havoc.¡± No interruption. Vin continued. ¡°I¡¯ll take the job at 80, even 70 percent, as long as I get immunity. I don''t need all the money, but I still want a cut. It''d only be fair. I''ll do the rest of the proceedings as listed. Deal?¡± ¡°...¡± The woman pinched her temples and gave Vin a frustrated look. She gazed at him with contesting eyes, putting him through a trial of sincerity. Eventually, she sighed. ¡°I''ll talk to the mayor about it. Please wait here.¡± The lady left her desk to enter another room, and Vin stood with his back perched against the wall, desiring retribution with his smug whistles. ¡°The architecture of this place is fascinating,¡± Pendgy started, ¡°my head pushed through a handle by your mere movement.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It isn''t the only building of its kind. Many others are shoddily made. Why is that, I wonder?¡± ¡°Who knows, they could be incompetent.¡± ¡°And yet they choose to create rather than refine their skills? I don¡¯t like these humans.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like any humans.¡± ¡°Ha! Indeed.¡± The lady knocked on the glass to get Vin¡¯s attention. He turned and saw a man beside her, taking glances with lowered lenses. ¡°You¡¯re not bullshitting us, are you?¡± Vin raised his hands and tilted his head. ¡°I''ve got nothing to hide. I mean it. My offers on the table.¡± ¡°...Seventy-percent.¡± ¡°Works for me.¡± The man pinched his nose, clearly laboring the thought. ¡°Fine. Here, take this map. It lists all sectors the posting names.¡± Vin grabbed the offered map and gandered it before tucking it away. ¡°The day¡¯s still new. I''ll get it done before the evening.¡± Though he cast a doubtful look, the manager was relieved by Vin¡¯s assurance. He left the building and opened the map, taking his feet to his destination. ¨C ¨C ¨C Mystique and magnetism, imbibed by the woods. Whatever land or location, the forest is where all Accursed and their hunters met; out to the races, inching every sliver of blood they could draw from their pray. Did Accursed ever eat their failed killers, like hunters did to theirs? Vin had yet to see a hunter¡¯s corpse. Of course, he¡¯d never make one of himself. ¡°There''s great pressure beneath your skin. Don''t tell me you''re feeling frightened?¡± Vin found a kind of sanctity in the hunt. A special relationship between Accursed and their hunters, where the former would let them go by their peace until the strike of the fatal bell. But Pendgy''s manners didn''t fit into this mold. He waddled too proudly, too loudly, demanding the very sun direct all its beams unto his ¡®divine¡¯ form. There were many things Vin could tolerate, but this penguin constantly tested his limits. ¡°Why are you so snoopy? Are you upset I put you down from my head?¡± ¡°Hardly. I''m merely tired of your sluggish approach.¡± Vin moved from his barked cover, scouting the woods before continuing. ¡°Look at yourself. Absurd. Too prim, too excessive, too unwarranted. You remind me of a child playing with their siblings.¡± ¡°If that was the case, then I''d be bleeding on the ground. This isn''t a game, though. Our lives are at stake here, and we have much to gain for doing good.¡± ¡°Our lives aren''t at stake. You wouldn''t be in such a profession if you didn''t have a high rate of success.¡± ¡°The complacent can never conquer.¡± That comment bulged a vein in Pendgy¡¯s head, but the penguin found it senseless to argue. To his chagrin, he let Vin scamper to the woods like a tiger in pursuit. The man took so long that Pendgy¡¯s waddling was enough to catch up. ¡°Do you see anything?¡± ¡°You? Asking me? Aren''t you an expert scout?¡± ¡°Shut up. Do you see anything?¡± Rolling his eyes, ¡°No, I''ve yet to spot a beast. These woods are too thin for me to miss one, so do not doubt my capabilities for a moment.¡± ¡°I wasn''t doubting you, Jesus. What about the map?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh yes.¡± Its complete lack of weight made Pendgy forget he was even carrying it. He took the map by his side and opened it up, squinting his eyes. ¡°I cannot read this.¡± ¡°Huh? But you said you could.¡± ¡°...A mere miscalculation. Rather, it''s the Russian dialect that I''m familiar with.¡± Vin clicked his tongue with a chuckling exhale. ¡°You would know Russian, snow lover. Here, give it.¡± Vin snatched it from Pendgy''s flippers. He took a quick glance and pointed at their course. Though still overly cautious, Vin caught on that the complete silence meant nothing could be nearby. The target was explicitly described as gargantuan, after all, so unless it was a relative standard, he''d find it before it would find him. Pendgy didn''t see it that way, though. ¡°At last, you''ve come to your senses. You need only to put more spunk in your posture.¡± *You truly only march to your drum, don''t you?¡± ¡°I''m not sure what you mean. Is that really so wrong?¡± Vin didn''t need to even put a finger on his chin to answer. ¡°Of course. You have no sense of propriety; it''s either your way or no way, or if it''s not your way, you''ll torture the other party to get it damn near close.¡± ¡°Hah! And you think thats a criticism? Fool, my way is always the right way.¡± There was no verbal response from Vin, just a deep grimace and a focused face. ¡°I¡¯d kill all people who think like you, if I could.¡± ¡°I''d like to see you try killing me. That would make for an exciting evening.¡± ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯m not a caveman.¡± The two traversed in silence momentarily. ¡°I''ll give you one thing, though: nobody killed a Soul Emperor by being sneaky. Just don''t you dare make a ruckus.¡± Vin could feel the beam of Pendgy¡¯s smirk behind him. He didn''t turn to look. But Vin had a perfect, rational retaliation. As he was lagging behind, he picked Pendgy up and held him by his side. And so they went for the next hour, occasionally stopping for rest or checks, creeping closer to their destination. Vin kept his ears perked, but still, failed to hear any rustling or movement. Pendgy''s snoring was an undeniable hurdle, but he had quickly grown accustomed. They moved and moved and moved, and at some point, Vin found it difficult to keep his senses sharp. Until¨C ¡°--Did you hear that?¡± ¡°--Huah? For what reason do you wake me?¡± Shaking the penguin like a rattle, Vin borrowed his ears for confirmation. He cupped one of his own, listening with bated breath. When a dozen seconds passed with silence, he sighed in disappointment, giving Pendgy a glare of matching animosity. ¡°You have such little consideration for slumbering giants.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you managed to stay asleep so long. Forgive me, though, and carry on with your¨C¡± **CRASH** That time, even with their drowsy selves, the noise was heard loud and clear. Vin immediately took cover behind a tree, spectating from the sides to pinpoint the noise¡¯s origin. His immediate scan had no results, so he swiftly moved between cover, recycling the motions until he stumbled on a result. He heard distant rustling, faint in volume but grand in its vibrations. Its intensity grew until it suddenly started slowing down. By then, Vin identified the cause of the booming. ¡°We found our target, Pendgy. Ready to pull your weight?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing so for my entire time with you. Don¡¯t make light of me.¡± Happy with his response, Vin turned the corner and scanned the environs. Not too distant, what was roughly thirty meters away, was what looked to be an overgrown coyote, limping to a stop to lay and pant. Its backside faced the duo, diagonal¨C a blatant blindspot to exploit. Vin took out his knife, spinning it into an unsheathed blade, and prowled toward his target. The coyote¡¯s rumbling panting grew louder, the air around it so steamz it made Vin sweat from his pores. The beast¡¯s body discharged overwhelming heat; clearly, it had just ran a marathon. And from his furtive position, Vin was compelled to ask: Just why was it in that state in the first place? **THUD** Soon, Vin found his answer. From a literal blindside, a staggering stone soared toward his target, making a fragging impact that sent the beast rolling. Vin had to take cover from the debris, narrowly avoiding a chipped arm from a swift duck. ¡°Goodness! What was that!?¡± Pendgy voiced his disbelief before Vin could catch his bearings. The man quickly got to his feet with his arms in a fighting pose, eyeing the catastrophe that had just unfolded. The Coyote was badly injured¨C one of its legs were clearly broken ¨Cbut still, the beast had strength to snarl and snap. It ran toward a target Vin couldn¡¯t see, though another mysterious object quickly impeded its barrage. Or rather, an animal. A gigantic beetle emerged from the trees, and though it was half its size, it tustled with the coyote like its opponent was a puppy. The beast was quickly flipped onto its back, but the beetle didn¡¯t continue fighting despite its advantage. Rather, a new beast, a wolf around the size of a car, swapped places, ripping at the coyote¡¯s neck until the grass was stained red. Meanwhile, the beetle kept it pinned, and the duo continued their cooperation until the coyote stopped twitching. The whole ordeal lasted two minutes. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Pendgy and Vin exchanged looks, the former looking disappointed, while the latter was shocked. However, as the situation wrapped itself around Vin¡¯s head, he quickly realized what had transpired. And having done that, his shock morphed into a bulging vein. ¡°Those are Familiars. Someone just took our game.¡± Indeed, not long after the kill was confirmed, a quartet of jacketed men emerged from the woods, admiring their success. Vin began to strut toward them, and his scrunching footsteps caught the attention of their tallest. The man¡¯s jacket was smaller than the rest, but his curly hair, lavish shirt and baggy jeans indicated a differentiator from the crowd. If he didn¡¯t look so shaggy, Vin would¡¯ve had no trouble calling him the leader. Though, of course, since hunters weren¡¯t known for their fashion, he would be spot-on to make that call. The giant wolf, wearing streams of cloth that rolled in the air, hopped beside the man. He wore a concerned look, though Vin couldn¡¯t pinpoint the reason why. He approached Vin with a casual gait, speaking as he moved. ¡°Hey! What are you doing here? I thought these woods were restricted, haha!¡± His demeanor disgusted Vin. It was rehearsed, propped up for unexpected audiences. He dealt with many hunters like that, and he even thought of training himself before. Finding bystanders during such dangerous battles necessitated a disarming attitude. However, that kind of front only served to put Vin more on edge, and once the jacketed man realized that, he changed his mannerism immediately. ¡°Say, that penguin beside you¨C you¡¯re a hunter too, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°This one is sharp. Your colleague, human?¡± ¡°Gah? And he can talk!?¡± Vin lightly kicked Pendgy in the shin, and though it infuriated him, it sent a clear signal to shut up. Vin took a few steps forward, walking ahead of the man and toward the corpse, Pendgy in tow. The jacketed man followed too, but with a hesitant strut, unsure of Vin¡¯s intentions. Once the man made it a few feet behind Vin, he began to speak. ¡°That was quick work,¡± he said, hiding his face, ¡°you took him down the minute I saw him.¡± ¡°Why, thank you. It''s difficult work, what we hunters do, so having a team helps ease the load.¡± ¡°Tell me about it. My name is Vin. Yours?¡± Vin swerved his torso to face the man, extending his left arm for a shake. He took it after a moment of contemplation. ¡°Rocky. Nice to meet you.¡± Though Rocky took the hand with a gleaming smile, Vin felt the young sweat on his palm. His shake was solid, but too jittery to call firm. It was a short exchange yet enough had happened for Vin to draw good conclusions. He turned back to the body of the coyote and sighed. ¡°I guess you''ll be hauling this back to the town.¡± ¡°Correct. Peter¡¯s beetle makes cargo a walk in the park, so we should have it back by an hour. Impressive, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Impressive indeed. Well, if you have it under control, then I''ll take my leave.¡± Vin turned around, hands firmly embedded into his coats pockets. Right as he moved past Rocky, he gave him another glance. ¡°Do you guys meet up anywhere regularly? I was just wondering, in case either of us need back up.¡± There was a shift in his eyes when Vin made that suggestion. ¡°Don''t worry, we¡¯re perfectly capable of handling things by ourselves.¡± Vin made a performative frown. ¡°Won''t tell me even if it''s just to chat?¡± Rocky sighed and rubbed his hair, tussling with an idea before ultimately complying. ¡°Well, if you need to know, there''s a bar in the town we like to go to. It''s usually empty, and we don''t really have a schedule, so-¡± ¡°Don''t worry,¡± he spoke with a light chuckle, ¡°I''ll find a way. That''s just what we hunters do, isn''t it?¡± ¡°...Sure.¡± Vin walked away while waving, and Pendgy, who was kicking his nose up, soon waddled as well. Rocky glared at the departing Vin for a moment before calmly returning to the task at hand. The four jacketed men combined their efforts to lift the coyote¨C a feat so great, Vin could hear it from his distance. But he paid little attention to the business of the hunters. He dug deeper into his coat pocket and pulled out a paper; his contract. ¨C ¨C ¨C Vin kept a firm gaze on that paper for what felt like the entire walk back. By then, he had already entertained his suspicion, promoting it to a mast of doubt by which to think. Vin had grown so engrossed, that he forgot about his partner, who he noted as being unusually nondisruptive. He turned to the penguin and immediately had a light heart attack. It wasn''t so much because of Pendgy''s state, but because he was only a few meters behind. After noticing the result of what could only be atypical speed¨C or maybe the kind of belly sliding penguins always did in those photographs ¨Che saw the penguin to be deep in thought. Vin found it only right to be his cutter. ¡°You look stressed from all your thinking. What''s on your mind?¡± ¡°Oh, me? No, I''m not thinking. Or rather, every attempt thus far to place a thought on the podium, ended in dissatisfaction in their brevity. I''m not thinking so much as I am pondering.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I''m sure you noticed it as well. Despite your face, you aren''t an oaf.¡± ¡°Do you mean the four guys?¡± ¡°No, I speak of that overgrown coyote.¡± The mention of the Accursed grabbed Vin''s attention. He didn''t notice anything strange with it, but Pendgy was, admittedly, possessing a hawkish eye. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a beast of its size. It hadn''t intimidated me, but my surprise was unsuppressed. Why was a beast of such great proportions here?¡± ¡°¨C? Really? The size wasn''t that surprising. I''ve seen several Accursed bigger than that.¡± ¡°No, you fool, you fail to see my point. Those woods couldn''t have possibly supported such a beast. None of the wild life I''ve seen, predator or prey, could satiate it.¡± Vin flicked his finger against his chin, mulling over Pendgy''s words. ¡°You make a point. Hardly any Accursed find themselves contracting with people, and that one definitely didn¡¯t. It was completely wild, like you.¡± ¡°But unlike me, a couple stray fish couldn''t possibly satisfy it. Unless it was a bizarre aberration that fed on something like trees. But it didn''t have the teeth for that.¡± ¡°So you think it''s invasive? Not impossible, the phenomenon isn¡¯t unrecorded.¡± ¡°Perhaps, or maybe its Ascension was spontaneous. Either way, it''s awfully lucky that it was exterminated quickly. It might''ve died a dog''s death otherwise.¡± ¡°I never would''ve expected that from you,¡± said Vin, which prompted a rancorous glare from the penguin, ¡°but since you''ve mentioned luck¡­ I do agree that it''s quite a convenient situation. A little too convenient.¡± ¡°I see. Well, tell me, what''s your hunch?¡± ¡°I''ll tell you soon. First, we have a place to visit.¡± ¨C ¨C ¨C Knock knock knock, returned the door, as Vin banged his knuckles against its wooden body. What am I doing, he thought, for this wasn''t a private room. Vin opened the entrance to the building, finding it empty and unmanned, save a single woman behind a counter whose head was glued to it. She clearly wasn''t conscious, and truthfully, Vin had no interest in waking her. No thanks to his abject disappointment at seeing the empty contents of the room. Nevertheless, he took a seat and rested his cheek on his fist. Pendgy stood on the cushion across from him. ¡°Well, we''re here now. Spit it. And what''s with that glum look on your face?¡± Vin tapped his fingers on the table, annoyed at Pendgy''s justified pestering. He let out a sigh, taking one last look around the area before speaking. ¡°I was hoping we''d catch those thugs here, see if they were up to anything. I doubt it, though. That woman wouldn''t just be sleeping if that was the case.¡± Vin switched the fist his cheek rested. ¡°I guess they just like this place.¡± ¡°You are blabbering aplenty, but spitting nothing but drivel.¡± ¡°C''mon, you always have a good read on people. I''m suspicious of those guys we ran into. I think it might be subterfuge.¡± Pendgy made circles with his fin to urge Vin to continue. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the conclusive evidence; it was the sheet he took from the board that morning. ¡°I double checked the board before we got here, and unless those hooligans have wheels for legs, there''s no way they could''ve gotten there before us. This was the only listing on that board. Nothing else even mentioned a Coyote.¡± ¡°I see your destination. The groundwork for a conspiracy is indeed present.¡± ¡°They have some kind of insider knowledge. Something backing them in their hunts. At best, a tipper, at worst, a supplier. Either way, it''s pissing me off.¡± Pendgy began to cackle. ¡°Hah! I never expected envy to suit you!¡± ¡°--!? Piss off! I''m not jealous, I''m indignant. Not just for myself, but the plight on the profession these bastards are.¡± ¡°Oh, really? What makes you so sure of their guilt? What if it''s just a coincidence?¡± ¡°...¡± To his surprise, Pendgy had mentioned a factor Vin failed to consider. The man looked blankly for a moment, and then another, struggling to make a response. ¡°It''s just not likely. Too many things are fishy for¨C¡± ¡°The only fishy thing is your possession of the contract, and their lack of it. But think for a moment, fool; that Coyote was gargantuan, big enough that it would catch the attention of any astute individual, let alone four.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­ but it just doesn''t add up¡­¡± Pendgy slammed the table with his fins, forcing Vin''s attention as he stood atop it. ¡°Enough of this. Even if you''re correct, I have no interest in going in your tow yet again while you have piddling infighting with your peers. We are not here for you to feel vindicated!¡± Pendgy pointed a flipper at Vin, shutting his curtailed reply. ¡°We''re here to sharpen our skills, to improve our combat expertise, to take down a foe far greater than a handful of low-lifes! You love to preach about mutual exchange; how does a stubborn pursuit against alleged crooks fit that criteria?¡± ¡°...¡± Vin made stutters and quiet gasps, but no concrete word came from his mouth. Eventually, he clicked his tongue and looked away. ¡°Precisely. Now, let''s make haste! This joint¡¯s downtrodden architecture is peeving me.¡± Pendgy hopped off of the table, leading the charge to the exit. Vin stuck his hands in his pocket and followed, refusing to lift his head to look at that bastard. The day had grown old, but hunting wasn''t out of the question. A chase at night could''ve been exactly what Vin needed; those thugs wouldn''t shave precious sleep for their scheme now, would they? Though, considering the entirety of today''s happening, maybe shaving sleep wasn''t in anyone''s best interest. ¨C ¨C ¨C In the corridors where synapses pulsed, a twirling haze paraded on the premises. It had intruded long ago, to the point where its sole resident couldn''t remember a day without it. Only her immediate surroundings in sight, she ventured through it whilst clutching her shoulders, shielding her chest from forces unseen. But one day, behind the wanderer of the fog, a hapless daisy bloomed in the hall. Its scent was extraordinary, oppressive, adamant, so fierce in its prying that the fumes caressed the hairs in her nostrils. She didn''t see what encircled it, or even the stem of that pungent flower; its white petals glowed to pierce the mist. Where had that flower sprung, on what soil did it grow, to where it could resist this noxious embrace? She moved toward it, to pluck it, to see if she could borrow some of that radiance. Keep it within her clutch, within reach of her body, to where she could see it and let it keep her safe. Right as she extended her hand, deep into the purple haze to bridge the gap, right as its soft lighted touched her shriveling fingers¨C ¡°¨CMonae! Up, up!¡± ¡°...Wuah?¡± She was shaken out from the premises, the culprit a man whose face she''d grown too complacent seeing. After a rub of her eyes and a yawn with a stretch, the state of affairs had reentered her mind. ¡°Oh, hey Mike. Is it already time?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah, but that doesn''t matter¨C you were sleeping on the job!¡± ¡°I¡­ uhm¡­¡± She had retort. She nervously chuckled while scratching her chin. ¡°You¡¯re lucky nobody came in. Only expected that Tuesdays would be so empty. Well, who cares, here.¡± Mike handed her a slip of paper. Its contents were entirely within her expectations; a target in the woods, though this time, it was of a more formidable size. ¡°Aww, you''re making me kill this?¡± The illustration was that of a squirrel. She knew it was just a drawing, but the artist made it too convincing. ¡°You know it''s not me getting these for you.¡± Monae¡¯s elated face deflated at his comment. ¡°Yeah. I know.¡± ¡°The good news is that it isn''t too late, and the target isn''t too strong, just fast. You''ll have plenty of time for bed.¡± ¡°I''ll get it done quick then. Bye-bye.¡± She squished the paper and stuffed it in her pocket, taking off her apron. She didn''t have a particular set of clothes for this, but her loaned shirt and pants were sturdy, so they''d survive the bout. She didn''t want to look pretty doing this anyway. My Boot on a Stake ¡°...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¨C ¡°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¨C 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¨C *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¨C 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¨C **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¨C what are you doing?¡± Pendgy stopped his speech upon hearing a thud. He turned to look at Vin¨C 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¨C¡± ¡°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¨C 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¨C 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¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C **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¨C ¡°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¨C 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¨C but are you even capable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s charging again!¡± ¡°No matter. You¡¯ve rejected my mercy all the same.¡± ¡°It¡¯s jumping!¡± ¨CPendgy 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¨C 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¨C¡± **SMASH** ¨CThe 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¨C probably with fear ¨Cwatching what must¡¯ve been Pendgy¡¯s pristine profile¨C **SMASH** ¨CHe 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¨C 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¨C 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¨C¡± ¡°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. ¨C ¨C ¨C 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¨C¡± ¡°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¨C ¡°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¨C¡± ¡°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¨C 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¨C a bizarre choice of clothing, he noted ¨Cand 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¨C 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¨C¡± ¡°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. ¨C ¨C ¨C 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¨C 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. ¨CNicely 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¨C¡± 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.¡± ¨C ¨C ¨C ¡°...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¨C ¡°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¨C¡± ¡°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¨C 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¨C¡± ¡°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¨C 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?¡±