

# NinRai

MissAdventures For Two

By Evelin A. Hope

Copyright 2019 Evelin A. Hope

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All characters and events described in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

## MissAdventures

Foreword

Episode 00 – The Neverending Tale

Episode 01 – The Boy & The Rabbit

Episode 02 – The Journey To Phantasia

Episode 03 – The Postal Goofing

Episode 04 – The Caper Time

Episode 05 – The Girl Who Leapt Through Heart

Episode 06 – To The Dessert and Beyond

Episode 07 – It's Show Time

Episode 08 – Aba Bila & Rorty Rascals

Episode 09 – One Peace

Episode 10 – Blasting Off Again

Episode 00.B – To Be Continued...

Omake

Easter Eggs

Deleted Scenes

Original Headlines

Glossary

Map of Waslan City

The Road to NinRai and I

Credits

NinRai 2 – Face Stealer

##  Foreword

Thank you for opening this book. I hope you'll be able to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

You may notice some typos or strange phrasings. I'm aware there will be a mistake or dozen of them across this book, but some are intended as a part of a joke or Easter Egg.

How many hidden treasures will you be able to spot?

E.A. Hope

##  Episode 00

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

The Neverending

Tale

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

Snow fell above the lush forest, dressing everything around a wooden cottage in white. Smoke floated toward the sky from the chimney, melting any frozen tear trying to land on the wide roof. The setting sun hid behind the thick clouds that were promising a thick blanket on the ground.

Inside the cottage, an old man sat in a rocking chair next to a small fireplace. While stroking his long beard, his gentle eyes, hidden beneath fluffy eyebrows, glanced at the small group of children as they sat on a warm rug near the fireplace. The flames flickered with a quiet sputtering, accompanied by spectacle of moving shadows.

Big cuckoo-clock ticked seconds away as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, making the space for moon and stars to shine. The children shifted on their spots, and the covers around them rustled.

The old man took out his pipe, and as he puffed, smoke drifted toward the wooden ceiling. One child with cat ears tugged at the patchwork blanket over his lap. A small smile crept onto the man's face as he caressed the child's hair, making the boy purr.

"I know," the man said. "I promised you a bedtime story."

"Yay!" cheered a four-year-old girl with cat eyes and fangs. Her short whiskers twitched as her pink nose sucked in the aroma of burning wood. Her tiny fists tightened, crumpling the blanket over her legs, and her tail tapped the ground.

The old man's chest rumbled as he laughed, for the children's smiles filled him with energy. _Their puppy eyes would move a mountain,_ he thought. Once he calmed himself, he stroked his beard. "Very well."

The group widened their eyes and twitched their cat ears, moving forward to not miss a single word. A short log in the fireplace crackled, and the flames towered higher for a second, casting a soft glow on the group. None of them were human like he was. Every child had something cat-like to them. From ears and fur to yellow eyes with slit pupils, but none were fully feline.

The old man puffed from his pipe before starting to tell a story, "In a faraway land, called... how did it go again?" He tilted his head backward like it could help him to remember. "Well, it doesn't matter now. Spring came, bringing new beginnings and a story for everybody..."

##  Episode 01

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

The Boy

&

The Rabbit

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

In a faraway land behind three towering mountains and two wavering rivers, a young man strolled on a dirt path. Calling him a man might be exaggerating. Actually, he was half a pipsqueak. After all, he was barely fourteen at that time.

His steps were full of energy as if nothing in the world mattered to him. The falling edge of his wide straw hat, sando-gasa, shielded his eyes, blocking his vision. The gentle wind fluttered with his cape, but not even the strongest gust could steal it as a big, red umbrella, a wagasa, held it in place.

The boy jerked his body from almost tripping over a stone. However, he refused to lift his straw hat. He adjusted his dirty, short kimono, its end crumpled and torn in places. Its true-color had faded into tones of gray years ago.

His brownish pants, a hakama, weren't any better—decorated by many patches of red, green, and blue. His straw sandals, waraji, were the only decent part of his attire, keeping his feet protected from the cobbled paths.

A squirrel watched him from the tree, twitching its ears to catch even the faintest glimpse of danger. It jumped into the green crown, rustling the leaves as three bandits blocked the young lad's path.

"If you value your life, hand over your belongings!" shouted the messiest one. Stains from saliva, dirt, and undefined substances splattered across his whole clothes. However, that was nothing compared to birds making a toilet spot on his head.

The boy lifted his hat with a thumb, revealing half-lidded, red eyes that studied the robbers.

Their gaunt figures wore dirtier clothes than the boy had. Their hands held rusty katanas that could hardly cut cheese, much less bones. There was no doubt about it as he'd met traditional street vermin. The boy sighed.

"All you beef?" asked the thief with missing teeth.

The boy didn't understand what he said, but given the thief's knitted leftovers of eyebrows, it wasn't about steaks. His rusty cogwheels moved, spinning half of the turn per minute.

Did he ask me if I'm deaf?

"Maybe he needs some motivation," the middle one, who seemed to have the biggest vocabulary of all of them, said. He poked the boy between the ribs. When the desired reaction didn't come, he pushed the hat off with a swing of his weapon.

The boy's eyes blinked, and his nose wrinkled. A quiet hiss escaped his lips as the hat hung by its strap. The sun's rays fell on his messy white hair, making it sparkle, and in the middle sat a bun.

"Are you scared now, poor thing?" The middle bandit grinned, showing a glimpse of his yellow teeth.

The white bun twitched, bristling into a bigger ball. The bandits' eyes darted on it. Was that bun possessed? Their mouths dropped open as a long ear bolted upward. It twinged, and another ear followed. The bun enlarged, and a smaller ball protruded from under it. The bandits tilted their heads as their eyes widened, and a silent 'huh' escaped their lips.

Small red eyes squinted, but the sunshine forced them to close. A fluffy paw appeared from under its frame and moved across the animal's face. The small creature yawned, stretching its body. The long incisors made sure to remind everybody a cute appearance could be deceiving. The pink muzzle wrinkled upon the horrid odor from the men.

"A bunny?" they chorused.

"Ninja!" The rabbit's eyes shot open as the animal shrieked the last syllable, and it was gone in a flash.

A sharp wind arose, dancing around the bandits. The cut grass swirled, mixing with dust, forcing the man to step back.

The boy smirked, a mischievous spark danced inside his eyes. Here we go again. The Carrot Slash.

The rabbit backflipped and landed on its hind legs. It held a long pipe, kiseru, in its right paw, and a carrot with its skin scraped off in the other.

At that moment, the bandit's torn clothes burst into shreds except for their underwear. The gentle breeze nipped their bodies, causing them to hug themselves.

The middle robber growled, and with slight hesitation, raised his sword. The rabbit jumped, burrowing its hind leg in the bandit's face, sending him flying. His companions didn't repeat the same mistake and retreated, grabbing their fallen fellow.

The small rodent looked at his companion, lifting one eyebrow. The boy waved his head sideways as he measured the sandglass he carried. "Ts-ts, five seconds. You are turning into a roll."

"I was sleepy, and they weren't worth the effort," protested the rabbit. He took out a small bag from his fur and put it over his back, returning the scraped carrot inside.

"Whatever you say, bunny." The boy grinned.

The rabbit bristled, stomping his left hind leg. "I'm not a little fluffy bunny! I'm a rabbit!"

"Hai, hai," the boy agreed with a wide smirk. He loved to tease his animal friend. Usually, his partner was calm and level-headed, but this word could turn him into a fighting machine in a millisecond. "Whatever you say, Mr. Arubi." The boy cupped his hands and bowed deeply.

The rabbit jumped on his head. "Let's head to the city, or we won't get there before lunch, Kairo," he mumbled, taking a puff off his long pipe kiseru.

Kairo resumed his stroll, stepping over the remnants of the bandits' attire. They passed through the forest, plucking the berries growing from the bushes. Both their mouths turned purple, but they didn't care.

The ever-present breeze followed them all the way, bringing scents of all kinds of flowers, both stinking and aromatic alike. The forest whispered the tales that only trees could remember and understand. When Kairo swallowed the last fruit, a small, scaly creature flew above their heads.

"Was that a petite dragon?" he asked, licking his lips.

"Quite possibly," Arubi replied. "They are in 'the top five pets'." The rabbit rolled his head since his eyes were too small to convey the motion. "The city must be close."

"Perfect. Time to meet that guy!" Kairo rubbed the purple juice into his overused handkerchief and dashed forward, his steps kicking up clouds of dust from the road.

"Great," his rabbit partner mumbled.

"Why so broody?" The boy looked up through his fringe.

"You know how it ended up last time, don't you?" Arubi knocked on Kairo's head.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Don't be so pessimistic."

"I'm a realist."

"Hai, hai."

The young lad quickened his strides. They couldn't postpone their quest any longer. Time was against them, as the gong for lunchtime roared from inside of them.

After five rainy nights, three escapes from angry debt collectors, four dine-and-dash schemes, and stealing tiny pouches from bandits they had beaten on their way, they had Waslan City at the edge of Sahagobi Desert in front of them.

Its borders overflowed with many cities and smaller settlements, and each offered one uniqueness after another. This city belonged to the 'Top Ten Biggest Cities'. The houses were mostly made of white stone with tiled roofs. However, it wasn't hard to find districts with completely different architecture and stench.

The Red District was famous for its red lampions, roofs, and fields of the spiciest pepper. Another called China Street offered shops selling china kitchenware made for the most special occasions. For some reason, most of their customers came from Boots Country.

Kairo leaned his head back, staring at the big emblem above the enormous gate decorated with four animals: a kitten, a worm, a sparrow, and a skunk. Arubi pulled Kairo's hair to change his trajectory as the boy almost collided with a Camtaur—

### ¯\\_(^_^)_/¯

"A Camtaur?" a girl with cat ears poking through her long hair interrupted the flow of the story.

The boy sitting beside her nudged the girl. "Shh!"

The old man giggled while putting his pipe on the small table. "They are hot-headed creatures with a body of camel and torso of a human with great pride in their bottoms. The better shape, the bigger the chance they have to find a date." His hands made a rough shape of a heart in the air.

"Ehh... that sounds weird," voiced another child with slit pupils.

"It may," the old man agreed, "but touch them, and their long tail will slap you. And that's the best scenario."

"What's the worst one?" the tallest kid shouted from behind the group.

"You'll get to know their farts first-nose!" The old man laughed at his small joke while every child plugged their noses and mouths; those with cat ears flopped them.

The man waited for the kids to compose themselves before he continued his bedtime story.

### ¯\\_(^_^)_/¯

Kairo moved his attention to his front, minimizing the chance of getting into trouble with any other Atrop race. The gate led to a market district, but first, they had to cross a street full of workshops.

Kairo held his breath next to the leather workshops; the stench of lime milk suffocated him. No one knew why Sharigos had started a tanning business here, and much less why at the border of a desert. But despite all odds, they prospered well.

However, merchants and door-to-door salesmen with aroma lamps and nose-plugs made a killing in the adjacent areas as the wind was mostly in their favor.

"Did we have to go through this part?" The rabbit sneezed.

"Unless you wanted to waste three hours going around." The boy spat out, sucking the fresh dose of air. "Or you prefer working a night shift."

"Fine." Arubi plopped down. "Just walk faster next time."

"Hai, hai."

They now needed to cross the marketplace to get closer to the city center where their final destination lay. Kairo's eyebrow twitched, for he hated walking through marts, especially if they called themselves MartHell™. No law could protect anybody from a splurge of wallets, trampled shoes, or loss of common sense.

A large, marble gate with the slogan "Buy now! Not later!" on a rusty, iron plate marked the entrance to the market. On both sides, stood a sloth guard. One would think security should employ faster creatures. However, it worked as people loved to take expensive photos next to them or betting who can make them laugh in less than half of an hour.

If the previous area assaulted his nose, this one did its best in turning him deaf.

"Buy fresh, rotten apples!"

"The fresh fish make sad eyes on you! Don't overlook them!"

"Get the latest winter coats!"

"Get ancient pans! Hot from the factory!"

Kairo covered his ears. His partner wasn't any better as he rolled his ears since his paws were too small to block them.

Groups of people dashed from one stand to another, grabbing the best deals. Arubi navigated him through the never-ending story of supply and demand by pulling Kairo's hair.

"Ouch!" the boy hissed. "Not so strong! I'm not cooking, you know?"

Arubi snickered. "Hey, at least I'm not pulling your leg."

Kairo widened his steps and checked his legs if they weren't tangled in threads. After three paces, Arubi pulled him back into the middle of the street, away from a sale on empty sandglasses.

The small, wooden buildings covered by sale banners, hanging lanterns under clay roofs with curved corners, or advertisements for paid samples of general fruit bordered the main street.

At the corners, food and snacks sellers had their stalls. Anybody could afford the noodle soup without noodles. Rice Cakes with gravel promised an exclusively rocky taste. And Candy Bubbles burst before you could taste them.

Arubi scratched behind his rolled ear. How people could buy something so useless was beyond him. Kairo increased his pace with his hands folded inside of his kimono over his chest. The word 'Sale' or 'Limited Offer' always awoke an unhealthy itching in his fingers.

Kairo headed forward until he got closer to the border. His nostrils widened as he inhaled a delicious aroma, licking the escaping saliva. Arubi spread his ears, and his muzzle twitched as his sensitive nose gobbled the smells. His small body followed his nose, leaning forward.

This place turned into heaven or hell, depending on the state of one's stomach. The Rest-Stops District was the second most crowded place in Waslan City.

The various restaurants, snack bars, cafes, or portable stalls offered meals from the entire world. Anybody could pick anything, and many dishes were to die for, some literally. Kairo stopped in front of a Grill Bar, letting his eyes dig into the freshly roasted Otnak Chickens.

Without warning, Kairo's head turned a rabbit weight lighter.

##  Episode 02

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

The Journey

To Phantasia

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

Kairo growled, and his hand swished through the air, snatching the rodent. "No, you won't!" he hissed, bringing his companion closer.

"But! But!" The small fluff ball thrashed from his grip. "That veggie looks so good!" Arubi's ears dropped, and his limbs folded, creating the ultimate ball of cuteness.

"No!" Kairo slumped Arubi on his head before he succumbed to the rabbit's puppy eyes trick. "You know we don't have money for this now."

"Can't we get one?" the rabbit murmured, wiping a stray tear. "Just one small radish?"

Kairo had scratched his companion behind his ears. "Don't worry, we'll return after we finished our job."

Kairo couldn't blame Arubi, for even his stomach rumbled, and the fried chicken's aroma would haunt him for the rest of the day. They strolled one food stall after another, envying the people with money until Kairo almost hit a big sign titled 'End of the line.' He lifted an eyebrow and puckered his lips, scanning it.

"Yeah, sure," he mumbled. No stupid sign could stop him. He looked in front of himself. A long line of people twisted out like strudel before him. "But what is on the other side? Do you think we reached the center?" Kairo looked up.

"Let me check!" Arubi jumped from one head to another, annoying dozens of people.

They turned back one by one, growling and mumbling their complaints.

"Hey, keep your pet on a leash!" shouted a Hippochonder woman in a tight tank top.

"No skipping the line!" another person added.

The boy only gave them my eye gesture. "Your problem that you can't deploy the scout."

Both of them snorted, and grumpy murmurs spread among the waiting customers, but nobody dared to teach the naughty boy a lesson. Everybody would love to move forward.

Kairo folded his arms and tapped his fingers, waiting. After a minute, his partner returned the same way, only irritating the people he missed before.

"So?" Kairo lifted his eyebrow and gestured Arubi with his hand to talk when the rabbit stood on the sign. "Are we there yet?"

"T-Tea!" Arubi gulped for air. "It's that tea!"

Kairo almost tapped on his forehead, when the rusty gears in his brain moved. "Do you mean tea like in Serpin's Tea?"

The rabbit nodded, and Kairo's jaw almost dislocated itself.

This snake-like race of Serpins made the most delicious, hot drinks. Their sensitive tongues picked up the smallest change in the taste or temperature, allowing them to choose the best tea leaves and seasoning to mix their beverages. Every Serpin's tea shop guaranteed to have a continuous line.

They gulped their saliva, but they had to continue. As they walked around the line, Arubi stood up, watching a Serpin waitress placing the order with her tail. Despite the lack of limbs, she put everything down without spilling a single drop of tea.

A few streets later, they entered the residential area where most people lived or offered inns. Arubi's sensitive ears picked a clamor, and he pulled Kairo's hair. "Hey, something is happening in that direction."

"Let's check it out!" He dashed into a sidewalk, jumping over heaps of well-hidden trash bins.

Soon they found out a group of people shouting and whistling. The boy's elbows helped him push through the crowd. Kairo stopped at the edge of a ring with a big smile, but that soon faded away.

In front of him stood two tall posts connected with a rope, and a cat rope-dancer jumped into the air, doing a somersault. The dancer's translucent overshirt with a sparkling design fluttered behind her, revealing her legs in purpure harem trousers. The crowd gasped. Some even covered their mouths to catch the silent shouts that escaped through the gaps between teeth.

So it's just comedians, huh? It wasn't a battle ring where he would grab quick pocket money as he hoped.

The feline woman with lavender-blue fur opened her small umbrella and landed with bare feet on the rope with no problems. Toward the audience, she sent a little kiss, and the crowd whistled and clapped.

Kairo crossed his arms, a smirk plastered across his face. Well, well, a Feline girl. Guess there's a circus in the city. Figures they would have somebody from Feline Tribe. Her crystal, yellow eyes landed on him, and she winked. The boy jerked his head, his eyebrows shooting up. A light tint of red colored his cheeks.

This girl belonged to Konketsu, a mix between a human and Atrop. She shared with them the overall body shape, facial features along with short whiskers, and her hands had paw pads but were human-shaped. It might be accurate to call her a three-quarter-breed as the cat's bloodline was strong in her.

"Wanna check this out?" the boy asked.

"Why not? Maybe you can learn something about elegance." Arubi smirked as Kairo snorted.

The cat girl's long earrings tinkled with each step. A white, translucent silk veil with the sparkling design connected a golden collar to similar bracelets on her wrists.

She let her purpure umbrella fall on the ground, and without warning, she jumped into the air, spinning. She spread her arms at the peak of her trajectory, slowing her body. The silk around her arms expanded, mimicking the shape of wings, and her lavender fur sparkled under the sunshine.

"Whoa!"

"Amazing!"

"Bravo!"

"Marry me!"

People shouted and whistled, clapping like thousands of moths flew around them. Kairo rubbed under his nose. That girl knows how to use her features to make the audience go wild. No wonder so many coins lay on the ground.

When the rope-dancer landed on the other side, Kairo picked the only bigger coin he had in his bag and flipped it toward the cat girl. While hungry, he understood circus folks worked hard to earn their income.

Using her white-tipped tail as if it was another arm, she grabbed the coin with ease. This small trick earned her another round of whistles and shouts.

She moved her attention to Kairo and smirked. Kissing the coin, she pushed it behind a thick purple cloth around her white, fluffy chest, blowing a kiss at the end. Heat flushed into Kairo's cheeks for the second time. She's such a tease!

Arubi patted him, and the boy growled. The cons of having a long-time partner were the inability to hide embarrassing moments from them.

The three-quarters-cat girl walked away, blowing kisses around herself. Once the place cleared, a tall man with pointy ears pierced by many earrings entered the ring. His light, long hair brushed into a ponytail glittered beneath the sun, creating a small light show, but Kairo's eyes were on his hands; four in fact.

Who's this guy? He rubbed his chin. He wasn't sure if he'd heard about this race, but he wasn't alone. His rabbit buddy would have a hard time finding somebody without a dropped jaw.

The man held a cintera—a musical instrument that mixed a harp and a guitar. With his lower pair of hands, he adjusted his vest full of embroidering flowers of every color and simple brownish pants before he sat cross-legged.

Nearby, a strange-looking Centaur with white hair walked in complete silence. Okay, the ankle bells were chiming. His serene face was like on the ban-list of all Centaurs since they were short-tempered and prone to drunk-fights. The sun made his whole body sparkle.

Centaurs were in all shades of brown or gray, but never white. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the dancer from hooves to tips of horse ears. At the edge of his consciousness, he registered his partner chewed the scraped carrot he used in the last scuffle with bandits. Some creatures were just that lucky that their weapons doubled for snacks.

Kairo's frown turned into a side-way smug smile when he spotted a small curved horn on the man's forehead, partly hidden in his hair.

"Unitaur," he whispered, and Arubi stopped nibbling the stems. Kairo fished his small pocket encyclopedia. There might be something about sub-species of Centaurs. Here—Kairo caught his chin—Unitaurs are small subspecies of Centaurs. According to legends, they are offspring of Moon Mule and Snow Donkey.

The last time he checked, neither mules nor donkeys walked with such elegance; even the small sketch showed proud half-horse. He returned the book. Some stories were just plain weird.

The Unitaur, wearing transparent silk adorned with red camellias, moved in harmony with the quiet music that unfolded around them. The dancer's veil fluttered as his hands and hooves circled. The musician's fingers danced across the strings with elegance and preciousness, he could keep his eyes closed.

Both travelers checked the sand under his hooves, but he didn't kick up any grains. That's how light his steps were. If the previous show made people hold their breath, this one soothed their souls.

Arubi pulled Kairo's hair. It was time to go. Kairo placed a coin in the sand to not break their concentration and pushed through the crowd to continue their journey.

"So... where is it?" The boy stood on his toes, trying to see over the streams of people. It proved to be fruitless since almost everybody was taller than him, except for Dwarfs, who could stroll between his legs. Asking them where their caps were would cause a sharp kick in the shin. What idiot would wear something so soft when they lived twenty thousand leagues under the hard rock? They never left their homes without safety helmets with attached shades strapped under their chins.

Kairo let them be, not replying to their mumbling, as they pushed him aside. They had a temper equal to their height, and the morning moroseness stayed with them till bedtime. Arubi pulled Kairo's hair, gesturing him to go left.

The young man stopped at the next corner, letting a wagon with big wheels pulled by sagots cross. Those animals were as big as a pony with strong hind legs and heavy hooves. Their heads resembled capybara with long ears glued to it, and their personality and essential intelligence were of a guinea-pig. One of them squealed, proving their guinea pig's lineage.

Arubi's nose wrinkled, and his head moved up and down as his mouth twitched until he sneezed from the lifted dust and cleaned his muzzle. Kairo hissed. He liked his hair messy but not this way messy.

On their way, they passed family stores filled with freshly made antiquities, week-old pastry, holed socks perfect for anybody with long toenails, and a minimalist fashion store. Kairo lifted his eyebrow as wearing only swimming slippers in the desert was stupid, but people still bought it. Another crowd of people in front of him caught his attention, so he pushed through the masses without thinking.

Not again! Why can't people gather only in front of big buildings? A quick snort escaped his nose as he crossed his arms until Arubi pulled his hair. "I know," the boy growled as he rolled his eyes, "I should have paid attention and not made a snap judgment."

The rabbit patted him, and an angry vein popped behind Kairo's eyes. If his partner had ever obtained a certificate, it'd be in pawsome teasing. Kairo redirected his attention in front of himself.

The people observed the Dark Elf, who seemed to finish his performance given he had received applause. Well, saying this fella wasn't interesting would be an understatement. He presented an embodiment of a perfect figure, and this race wasn't hungry for blood or spreading darkness. They preferred good wine, tight spandex, and sappy romance books for long evenings.

Their most noticeable trait was the two-toned hair that a few races possessed. The upper part of their golden locks turned pitch black around the waist. Nobody understood why it behaved that way, but it was no wonder many of them worked as models for fashion magazines.

Whatever. The boy shrugged his shoulders and released a snort through his nose.

Kairo wanted to leave when the dark-skinned elf turned around, and their eyes met. It was like something clicked between them. The boy's red eyes stared into the golden ones as if they had known each other for years. At that moment, Kairo thought this guy would tease him if they were blood brothers. The elf must have felt his emotion since he grinned widely. Kairo stuck out his tongue.

Arubi rolled his head. "Kids."

The boy tried to leave, but a furred, lynx-sized ball jumped at the elf's shoulder, showing its mane and backward curved horns. Arubi perked his ears; this animal was a hunter, and rabbits were on its daily menu. Kairo didn't notice his partner's bristled fur or chattering incisors since the boy opened his portable encyclopedia.

Ah, here it's. Kairo stopped. Raon, huh?

He eyed the bluish creature that jumped into the air, showing the strength in its thin, hind legs. The front ones were much thicker, meant to deliver destructive blows. When the raon landed, it stayed on its front legs, walking in a circle. This animal inhabited deep forests and could create a strong bond with its owner, turning into a loyal guardian.

"Hey," whispered the rabbit as he pulled Kairo's hair, "let's go."

"I know," the boy mumbled and flipped another coin into the air.

A small green bird with three long tail feathers with yellow zebra-styled tips caught it and landed on elf's stretched hand. The Dark Elf nodded at the boy, thanking him for the money. Kairo turned away, not wanting to drag himself into the performance. They were late by now, but in a sense, it didn't matter.

They crossed a few streets before they stood in front of the office Hell opened in the world of the living. The only place where you could spend hours of endless waiting and lose your sanity at the same time and no resistance could help you; the post office.

The goal of their journey.

##  Episode 03

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

The Postal

Goofing

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

The building towered above everything and everyone like a sore thumb. The patches of different sizes interrupted the wooden walls. The biggest one had to be left by an angry Elepmoth, majestic but clumsy descendants of Mammoths.

It seemed like the architecture tried to retain something from every period it had been through, creating a patchwork of wonders. The rectangular, oval, hexagonal, tall, slim, arched, and broken windows didn't help to convey this was serious business. Especially if the vagabond clowns advertised their party pooper services on old papers hanging from rusty eaves.

Stone gargoyles sat on a balustrade, and the pillars of Ionic, Corinthian, and Tuscan style supported the overhanging roof, and the climbing roses with poison ivy held them in one piece.

The incessant chirping and annoying cries proved that the skylights on the mansard roof turned into homes for the pigeons, crows, and kiwis. Only once in a while, an ostrich took refuge inside as the other birds started to charge them for leaving a white mess under the skylights.

A gong rang from the third tower, signaling another fruitless hour. A cloud of shadows flew from the skylights, covering the scorching sun for a few seconds. Kairo lifted his head, his red eyes trailing toward the Post Office Logo on the gable with no accident. It was famous for the spot-on resemblance of the services; a big bag with a hole, losing letters.

_How could anyone be so eager to come here, wasting half of their lives in_ endless lines? Kairo shivered as his body reacted to that silent whispering. He slipped through the crowd, reading the board next to the door aloud, "Oversea Post Service?"

That made no sense indeed; in fact, it was completely, senselessly nonsensical. This city lay at the edge of the largest desert with no lake, let alone an ocean.

Nevertheless, people waited in a long line, handing letters enclosed in bottles to a postman, who looked resembled a humanoid fish with a dragonfly's wings and thin limbs. One pair of his hands moisturized his skin, and the other tucked the bottles inside a special bag with pockets for only one flask. Kairo and Arubi shook their heads, puzzled by such a crazy idea.

"Are you new in the city?" a jolly man in his forties asked them. Both of them nodded, checking the man with raised eyebrows. "This desk opened here half a year ago, but there's no better way to send letters to your family behind the big puddle. Do you have somebody like that?"

They shook their heads instead, too speechless to muster a few words.

"Me neither!" The man burst into laughter, holding his big belly with his hands. "But it's such an awesome feeling to do so!" He quickened his steps, giving the Fishman his bottle while his other hand wiped small tears out of his eyes.

Once the strange postman tucked the last bottle into the backpack, his dragonfly's wings buzzed, raising big clouds of dust as he soared toward the sky.

"Wow!" Kairo shouted, holding the rabbit before he flew away with half of his scalp. "What a start!" He kept observing the flying postman before he entered the main building, not paying any attention to the people getting off the ground.

Getting inside wasn't that easy since people went out and in, pushing each other. Still, Kairo had no problem, as he'd found a nice place on the top of a huge backpack.

Kairo rolled his eyes toward the high ceiling of this colossal room. The vaulted ceiling depicted the history of the Postal Post Business in the colorful frescos. It began with the dream of a young man. Everybody taunted him for losing letters from the alphabet when he wrote. So, he established a delivery service where people would turn into losers, losing the letters they had sent.

"Dagnabbit!"

Kairo's ears twitched as the curse dragged his eyes down to a man near his hitched-ride who was blowing at his toes.

"I told you this Post Office is in tip-toe shape." Giggled an eight-eyed Incestit next to the cursing Konketsu man with fox ears.

"One more joke, and I'll bite you!" barked the fox.

"I'm not that puny."

The fox Konketsu shrieked, and his friend put his free pair of hands in front of himself, saying, "At least you didn't step into a magical circle."

"What?"

"Don't tell me you have never heard about the demon who manifested in the middle of this very building!" The Insectit spread his arms, but the other only shrugged his hairy shoulders. "Then be glad for your throbbing thumb. Before this Post Office went postal, magicians drew circles on the floor."

The Konketsu looked down, but he only saw sticking nails, a layer of dust, and a dark stain of dubious origin. "So what? It's just a doodle."

"Doodles, noodles, buddy. Circles have strict rules. If you miss some, you can create mayhem." All of his eyes narrowed. "Like that time."

The fox gulped. His friend gave him shivers. "What happened?"

"It was during such a hot summer day that chickens laid hard-boiled eggs."

Yummy. Kairo licked his lips. Perfect service.

"The post was full just like now, everybody waited, minding their own business." Insectit's face darkened as he continued in a low growl, "Then suddenly, the smoke rose to the ceiling, and people rushed away from the demonic creature that appeared there in a bathtub."

"A bathtub?" The fox blinked.

"Yes! The red demon was in the middle of bathing with a big brush over his buttock, covered in bubbles!" The Insectit threw his arms up. "The demon turned purple as his shriek emptied the building and shattered the glass!"

"Zip it!"

His friend giggled. "I heard the demon was so ashamed, he opened a flower shop named Flowey."

Kairo hissed as Arubi pulled his hair. "Less slaking, more watching."

"Tell that to sloths!" the boy mumbled, scratching the sore place.

Arubi stood on his hind legs, looking pass Camtaurs, tall hats, or storks arriving through roof windows, bringing crying balls. The storks had the best delivery policy; no receipt, no complaint. Misdeliveries weren't rare. Arubi's ears spread, avoiding close contact with an unpredictable, small hand dangling from the bag flying over his head.

Kairo smirked. "Whats ap? Don't you like the present?"

Arubi smacked his giggling partner, but that only ticked the rabbit more. He took out his carrots and turned the boy's head into a drum set.

The boy shivered as the laugh threatened to overtake his body. "Are you Easter Bunny's son or what?"

Arubi puffed and huffed. "I'm not a bu—"

"I see it! I see it! It's all within my reach!" Kairo pointed toward a desk hidden in a corner.

The vibrant shout woke up Arubi from his rising frenzy. "Did you just steal lyrics?"

But Kairo ignored the note, and jumped across the river of bodies, avoiding thick wooden beams until he reached an empty area.

Behind the wooden counter sat a figure, reading newspapers. Kairo didn't hesitate to snatch the daily press. The papers belonged to an old goat with a long beard, wearing a tuxedo and tie. The goat's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped as the news of his disappeared story hit his brain. He stared down at the grinning face.

"Kairo, moo-e-e!" he called, and his eyebrows raised. "Have-e not seen you for a long time-e."

"Yo, how it's going, Old Goat?" The boy waved his hand, putting the newspapers on the other end of the stand. Arubi jumped on the counter, took out his pipe kiseru, and decided to relax.

"Normal, normal." The Old Goat leaned back in his chair. "An angry customer here-e and there-e, five-e bombs delivered, three-e set off earlier, eight boxes of delicate-e porcelain ended in shards." He started to stroke his bread with his fingers with hoof-like nails. "And yes, in the-e last week, we-e discovered roughly one-e hundred letters over fifty years old, moo-e-e." He ended the small list of his daily business with his signature sound-line.

This old goat was a nice guy based on his relaxed posture and eyes full of love, and he was. No matter how many people complained to him, he stayed calm and reassured the customer, everything would be fine, even if the same mistake happened for the tenth time in a row.

After a while, people stopped complaining and sent a dozen copies of the same letter, hoping at least one would reach its destination, hence why he could read newspapers the whole day.

"Do you have it?" Kairo asked, leaning over the desk. His eyes turned big like a child awaiting a gift.

A glint appeared in the goat's eyes, and a wide smirk plastered across his face. "I doo-e-e." He reached below the counter and put a magazine on the tabletop.

Kairo snatched it, spreading it, while the rabbit moved closer. This glossy held important information for bounty hunters, which they happened to be. The front page of Hunter's Beat always had the hottest babes from their ranks and a big interview the bounty hunter of the month.

The boy had to stop at the horoscope section as Arubi jumped on the pages and refused to budge until he knew what fate had in store for him.

Kairo always found it ironic how his partner was born in the rabbit's year. With a sigh, he read his column as well. As usual, he received a warning to avoid snap judgments, think more about his plans, and shun anybody born in the year of the rabbit. For a strange reason, the rabbits and cats, which Kairo was born under, were unable to get along. Kairo disagreed.

Firstly, there never was a year of the cat.

Secondly, he was fine with his partner.

He read the horoscope out of boredom, and with each reading, he was sure only stupid people believe it. No magazine could predict somebody else's future.

The person behind the horoscope just nailed it in a few cases. Like when he ran into Camtaur, the horoscope warned him "to watch where winds blow". The accident in a library, where he buried himself under heavy literature, wasn't a literal definition of "a grave beyond words". It was the librarian who almost killed him.

Kairo disliked them since they spoke in riddles, but the last part of his horoscope ticked him off when it claimed a cat would steal his lips. What nonsense.

The next pages contained recipes for various occasions, tricks on how to track somebody on thin ice, how to write a dynamic monologue, and the interview advertised on the cover. Kairo skipped them until he got to the last third. That's where the real Hunter's Beat started.

It comprised wanted posters and basic info of criminals ranked from A to F. The lowest class had to settle with a postage-stamp-sized space, but everybody in A-class had their own page. Some of the A-Class criminals even accepted fanarts and letters from supporters. Surprisingly, some of them had no problem in responding, but the much smaller group hadn't the foggiest idea about grammar, not to mention how to hold a pen.

"The-e A-Class again, moo-e-e?" Old Goat inquired. "Can not you take-e B-ee or C-ee from time-e to time-o-o?" He coughed at the end, messing up his sound-line.

"Nah, too boring, too peasy," Kairo replied, but he didn't pay his goat friend any attention. His red eyes glued to the text, reading all the information he needed, which meant checking the bounty. Everything else was secondary. "What about this one, Arubi?" He tapped the page.

The rabbit nodded. "Yup, this one will do."

Kairo ripped the page with a big grin, folded it, and put it in his pocket. He left the rest on the desk, and Arubi jumped on his favorite place among his lush, white hair. "Thanks for the help." Kairo waved at the goat, leaping to cross the mass of people.

"Not so fast!" Old Goat grabbed a Super Rod from under his desk. The bamboo pole with purple end swirled through the air, and the hook pierced Kairo's kimono. "I have got you now!" The goat reeled them back.

Kairo's body lurched, flipping Arubi forward since he refused to land in the hot pot belonging to a tengu wearing a red mask with a long nose. Their bodies yanked back, leaving the disappointing tengu in front of them.

"Whats ap?" Kairo asked as the goat turned him, and Arubi climbed back.

"You see-e, young man." The goat stroked his beard once more. "You still owe-e me-e a huge-e sum of money."

"Oh, come on." The boy made sad puppy eyes, but that seemed impossible for people born in the cat's year as it never worked on Old Goat.

"No, come-e on, moo-o," Old Goat spoke in a strange dialect. "You are-e already fourteen,"—The goat man closed his eyes and nodded— "You should start to act like-e a proper young ma—a-a-a-" he stuttered as he opened them. Face to face with a big pufferfish. "Where-e?" Old Goat looked past it, watching as Kairo crushed five fancy hats, two expensive hairdos, and left a mark on a noisy baldy.

"Got places to go!" Kairo stepped on the head of a robust man holding a big package. "Can't stick around!" The boy and his rabbit were out of the door with one big jump.

Old Goat returned his Super Rod under his desk. "The young ones never know how to enjoy a piece-e of peace-e." He leaned back to his chair, continuing to read where he left off. "Hmm, my beard is tingling. Guess it's time-e to change-e an occupation." He silently giggled. "I have-e heard there-e is one-e particular cabbage-e merchant over the-e desert, moo-e-e."

### ¯\\_(^_^)_/¯

Kairo and Arubi visited a tea house ran by kangaroos Atrops. They sat in front of the shop, relaxing in the shade cast by an overhanging roof. The young boy played with the liquid, swirling it in the simple cup.

His eyes trailed down to his sandals. The straps weakened, and the sole wasn't as sturdy as it used to be. Sheesh, no wonder my feet hurts. Gotta steal fast new ones. Kairo was about to take the last sip of his drink when Arubi landed on his head. The boy's teeth dug into the wooden cup, smashing it out of his fingers. The last drops of the tea splattered all over the cobblestone path.

He wanted to scold his partner when he spotted a small raon with a long drop of saliva hanging from its mouth. A wide grin spread across the boy's face, and Kairo pointed at the furball on top of his head. The raon wagged its tail and jumped around, expecting a tasty meal with its tongue out before a voice called the small lion back.

"I hope my companion didn't bother you," said the Dark Elf they saw before visiting the post office as he approached them. The raon ran behind its master with sparks in its eyes. There was still time to get the rabbit for dinner.

"Not one bit," Kairo assured him, gaining a kick from Arubi.

The Dark Elf nodded but stayed. "My apology, but do you happen to be bounty hunters?" The raon moved from behind its master, circling the boy.

Kairo tilted his head. Interesting. Nobody asked them like this. Most people wanted to know if they had enough money for their wares.

The elf noticed his lifted eyebrow. "My apology." He slightly bowed. "We Dark Elves can feel if the other person is a hunter or not."

"Yes, we are," mumbled Kairo, sensing his partner shifted on his head to see the animal hunter.

The raon jumped in the air, only for Arubi to smack the small lion in the next second. The young bounty hunter gestured to leave the duo alone, and so Arubi bored himself with the dumb raon that kept using the same trick.

"I have a job for you," the Dark Elf stated, amused by the rabbit's strength.

"Too bad, we are already on a case." Kairo showed him the wanted poster. Most of the time, it wasn't wise to reveal who your target was in a case somebody wanted to snatch it, but the boy didn't care. Where was fun without a little competition? The more heads he could beat, the more money bags ended in his pockets.

The Dark Elf's eyes widened, and Kairo's eyebrow twitched under the frown. Then again, showing it to the potential partner of said criminal might spoil the whole hunt. His hand reached back to grab the handle of his trusted umbrella.

Yet, the elf's words surprised him. "The Great Creator is with me! This man robbed my Great Master!" Tears spurted from his sparkling eyes.

Kairo's eyes sparkled with the vision of a double paycheck. His hand slipped behind his partner's back, scratching him. Arubi glanced at the elf, letting the beaten raon rest. This prey defined every law of nature, and the hunter learned it the hard way with a few punchlines at the top.

"Tell us more," Kairo encouraged him to continue. His face muscles had a hard time suppressing his grin creeping on his face.

"Yes!" The elf picked up his poor raon. "This dirty rascal robbed my Great Master of his most valuable treasure of invaluable value."

Arubi was sure there was way too much value put on that treasure. His sensitive ears detected a silent giggle inside of the snort Kairo used to mask his excitement.

"Alright, take us to your leader." The boy stood up. The Dark Elf once more bowed before they set out to meet his Great Master.

##  Episode 04

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

The Caper

Time

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

The trailers belonging to the circus folks stood outside of the city in a big circle. The jugglers in rainbow clothes rehearsed their performance while their animals ran around them; the funniest one was a dogpig. Their bodies were round like pigs' ones, but their heads and limbs were like dogs. They remained playful puppies even in adulthood, but they hated getting dirty and avoided mud puddles like the plague. When angered, they could knock down three times heavier opponents.

Dromedaurs nibbled small patches of grass around the city. They resembled ancient camels, but a trio of humps rose from their backs, and their noses were long and flexible as an elephant trunk. They were most famous for their thick pelt, allowing it to absorb heat or cold and emit it for a few hours.

Kairo stopped to check on a small firawa balancing on a big ball on its hind legs. Flames flickered from its big, rectangular ears and wagging tail. The firawa reminded him of a fennec-like creature anybody could stuff into their bag. However, its bark could shatter glass and drive zombies back to their graves, and its sneeze often sprayed the ground with wet ash.

Arubi scanned the other side, finding the fruit a clown juggled worth stealing. The oranges sparkled, and the kiwi's fluffy peel would make perfect material for a pouch.

But of course, not as fluffy as him.

Kairo observed his surroundings until his foot stepped into something soft. His body froze, and his eyes traced down to the immediate area of his right sole. Arubi peeked too, and his body shivered with a chuckle. Rumbling, Kairo rubbed his straw sandal against a patch of grass when he jerked his head back.

What the? Ignoring the weight on his head, he shifted to one side. Is somebody after me? It wasn't impossible. He had a lot of enemies and unpaid bills around the continent. Could somebody send an assassin after me?

Kairo's eyes narrowed as his brain ran a mental check. The boy never remembered his enemies' faces or names for more than a moment. He shrugged. No need to make a molehill out of a mountain. He pivoted around, and a thud sounded from behind him.

Arubi looked up, his teeth chattering; the sudden movement caught him off guard. His fuzzy tail cushioned the fall, but dust and sand found its way to his fur. Years of trained moves freed Arubi's coat of the sand's terror. Once done, he climbed up, noticing his partner holding his chin and staring at the ground. Only a tinkle of coins could wake him from this trance. However, the rabbit would roll his head if he knew it was because his partner messed up an idiom.

Kairo soon threw the nagging feeling into his mind's trash bin and hurried to the Dark Elf. At the edge of his peripheral vision, the young bounty hunter spotted a sharp movement. So, somebody is after me. Let's see if they'll move first.

"Please, wait here, I shall inform the Great Master of your arrival." The elf bowed, set the raon down, and entered the most colorful trailer in the circle's head.

The boy nodded and searched for the potential attacker, but he only saw the small lion hiding behind the big wheel out of Arubi's pawreach of his partner. Arubi wasn't interested, as he helped to detect this strange enemy.

However, even his long ears couldn't pick up any strange noise. There was only a silent melody, kids playing around the fireplace, dromedaurs feasting on the scarce patches of grass, and the regular sounds of wind releasing process.

So Arubi tried using his sense of smell, but it proved to be fruitless as well. He only reminded himself they hadn't had a decent meal since the morning. A delicious aroma lured him to dive into a big pot of meatless stew. An old woman in ragged clothes and bony hands winked at him, inviting him into her oven. Arubi turned away.

Kairo stared at the red-roofed trailers with various patches. The blue walls appeared better, but the posters advertising their group covered the peeling plaster. The big brown wheels were in good shape as they carried the whole troupe forward.

Kairo's eyes narrowed as he focused on a yellow ball with a crescent moon over it. The picture was on every wagon between small windows set in an orange frame. Above bright green doors hung a sign, telling who it belonged to. A sign labeling "Big Boss" hung above a bright green door, but others had only a picture.

The young bounty hunter yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. He only wiped the tears pushed from his eyes. His mind turned so sluggish, he didn't try to imagine who lived in the trailer with a ball of wool.

Arubi's ears twitched as the door leading to "Big Boss" opened, and the Dark Elf emerged first, followed by a round man with a round face. Kairo tightened his jaw to not drop it. If this man started to roll, it would be hard to stop him.

The Principal's face was hidden behind a massive, white mustache with the tips pointing upward. They either defied gravity, or he used a lot of wax every morning. Arubi squinted, trying to find the man's eyes, but they were so small he couldn't tell if he was sleeping or awake.

With each step, his body bounced, creating colorful explosions. His dress would put a rainbow to shame, and it masked any stains with a full range of patterns. The murder of a fashion aesthetician happened at the moment one's eyes fell on the big, sweet pink ribbon around the Principal's belt tied upfront.

The boy swallowed the bitter laugh that tried to escape. Arubi's ears flopped, and he puffed his kiseru to mask his dropped jaw. Well, in his case, it would be cute.

The Principal moved his big hands behind his back and spoke, "Hmm... hum... Ehm hmmm... ohmahn eh... eh." The big mustache wiggled with each sound.

Arubi's ears perked, but no matter how much he tried, he didn't understand a word the Principal muttered.

Kairo shot his eyes toward the elf, who cleared his throat. "Allow me to translate... 'I, Principal Ehm, am honored by your presence.'"

"Hum, huam... hiah em on an." His arms spread above his head, and the man stood on his toes for a moment.

" _Your arrival is a sign from the Heavens."_ The elf did the same gesture.

The duo nodded, unable to add anything else.

"Tahů Toh, a um." Principal Ehm cupped his hands, turned around, and bowed toward the north. This gesture exposed his bottom panorama to the bounty hunters. Their eyes locked on the big patch with a teddy bear occupying the whole back part of his trousers.

" _Be blessed, Great Toh, a um."_ The Dark Elf was unfazed by Kairo's twitching in the left part of his face, as he assumed the same pose.

The round man pivoted back, continuing, "Him oh oh uf uóf tohah ehn óuf." A tear flowed from his little eye. His shivering hands grasped the psychedelic pattern on his chest.

" _Please, hear out my plea."_ The elf mimicked the gesture like it helped him to translate. He even bit his lip to force a tear slip over his cheek.

"Guh jik hum ham omh ohho oh." The Great Master hid his face in his palms.

" _An evil bandit has stolen my greatest treasure."_ A quiet whimper escaped through the elf's fingers.

"Ahůůů ach oh ohům!" The Great Master pivoted like a ballerina before he stopped with spread legs, placing his clenched fists akimbo with a broad smile plastered across his face.

" _Retrieve it, and a great reward shall be bestowed upon you!"_

Kairo's eyes sparkled, his fingers twitching, for he loved to earn extra money, no matter what way it came. Time to get filthy rich. "So, what does the treasure look like? Can you tell me what's inside too?"

"Houm to a ehuh mohut. Horuh das not engli áuh gfthgks. Gettero fuj achjo this oh uch tůj." The Principal tapped on his face.

" _It's hidden in a wooden box with my seal. And countless generations collected this treasure. Gold can't measure its value."_

"What seal--?" Kairo paused his question as his eyes fell on the absurd mustache. His head tilted until he spotted the cunning resemblance to the symbol on the trailer walls. Kairo's red eyes narrowed, and his face darkened. "Okay, no prob," he said, dragging out the first word. As the Principal's body shook, the bounty hunter bit his tongue. "I mean I was-"

"Ughaah!" Principal Ehm jolted forward and enveloped the boy in a bear hug. The stream of tears from his small eyes would put the greatest waterfall at shame.

Poor Arubi slid down, hanging on the sando-gasa as the Great Master was jerking with Kairo left and right. The boy gasped, unable to breathe without excessive effort. Once the Great Master let go, Kairo's face turned green, and his ribs screamed for personal space. The air never tasted so good, even if it smelled after an old man's odor.

Arubi climbed back to the top of the boy's head. Kairo snatched his hat sando-gasa by the string and massaged his neck, then he rested his hands on his knees. He took a few deep breaths, as his heart swallowed the fresh blood and pumped it into his limbs on the double. After a few minutes, he had the confidence to stand up.

Arubi's ears twitched, and the rodent spotted the unitaur dancer moving closer with his partner. The dancer's royal blue eyes sparkled with concern and doubt.

"Can we ask a child to go on such a dangerous quest?" His melodic voice could smooth the hardest rock.

Arubi spread over the white hair, turning into a pancake. That voice calmed his nerves.

Kairo massaged his arms, glancing at the musician with his hands crossed. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened as he exchanged a look with the young bounty hunter.

Kairo snorted. "I'm more than enough to handle one bandit."

"You heard him," Arubi ensured them. "He's better than he looks."

"Gee, thanks," the boy mumbled. What a way to give him credibility. He moved his hand forward, and the Principal accepted it. Kairo turned around half-way. "Well, we'll be on our wa—!"

Something wrapped around his chest as it dashed away, pushing the air from his lungs. The boy's eyes shot open. There was nothing he could do once his legs stopped feeling the ground. Only dust remained where they stood. A shiver ran upon Kairo's back as a purplish blur dragged his body, and Arubi whacking his face wasn't helping this situation.

_Let's see how you like this!_ Kairo lifted his arm against the whistling wind, intending to bury his elbow into the attacker's skull.

They stopped, and the kinetic energy threw them forward. Kairo's body rolled a few paces, losing his partner. The boy dug his fingers into the sand, leaving marks. He scanned the surroundings with his right hand on the handle of his umbrella.

The shadows of a tall cactus forest towered above them. The figure in front of him stood covered by the lifted sand. A stray ray from the sun fell into Kairo's eyes, and he narrowed them. The figure moved forward, leaving the dust.

"You are—!" Kairo gasped.

##  Episode 05

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

The Girl Who Leapt

Through Heart

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

Kairo's eyes focused on the figure before him. "You are that cat Konketsu!" he gasped, and a small ball of saliva slid down his throat, and that tingling feeling got stronger.

The young girl wiggled as though she needed to visit the toilet. Her golden eyes flickered around, and her head occasionally peeked out from between her shoulders with her hands behind her. The soft fur on her face turned crimson like a beetroot.

Arubi sneezed and shook his body, cleaning himself in the most rabbit way possible. The sand in his hair kept tickling him.

The boy stood up, letting his umbrella go, but the muscles in his body remained tense. Can this girl be a full package? He eyed her. Despite her athletic build, she wouldn't withstand sharp blows. I hate beating girls. Kairo groaned. "Um," he started, as her fur bristled. "Is everything okay?"

The redness in her face deepened. Kairo sighed, his eyebrows knitted, and moved forward. Only a few steps divided him from the cat girl when she pushed her hands forward.

"P-Please, ac-accept this-s," she stuttered with her eyes lowered to the ground.

Kairo examined the small package with squinted eyes. The content wrapped in a big, red shawl with fringes seemed innocent. Kairo's face furrowed as the tingling got stronger, reminding him of the Great Bell at noon. Pandora opened a box, right? Not a shawl.

He took it from the acrobat's hands and touched her fingers, making her arms lurch behind her back. She tucked her head between her shoulders, as her red ears flopped. Her tail turned into a twisted mess that kept tangling and untangling in an infinite loop.

Without paying her attention, Kairo unraveled the hidden object. The sun must have played tricks on him since the item shone once the last layer vanished. The boy shut his eyes as his face scowled, and heat spread through his fingers. Definitely a shawl!

The light subdued after a short while, but it took him a few seconds before he dared to peek from beyond his eyelids. Kairo's face froze as he glanced at the hand-knitted socks of seven colors with neon green dots with a fluffy, sweet pink hem lay inside.

"I put my heart into them," the Konketsu girl warbled, her hands pressing against her chest, and her fidgeting transferred to her fingers. With that speed she played with them, she could rival a senior ninja.

"Ah," Kairo muttered, unable to make a word, much less a sentence.

The Konketsu's eyes filled with hearts, covering her mouth with balled fists as her tail wagged. The sense of immediate danger grew stronger, and the bell in Kairo's head announced five seconds after twelve.

"Why don't you stay with us?" Her body jolted with the question as the words spurted from her muzzle. "We could be a couple on our show, performing awesome tricks!"

Kairo forced a smile as his lips twitched. Her words engulfed his mind in pink fluffiness, wool balls, and furry pillows. He wore a cute suit with wide hems, and an awkward smile accompanied his waving hand.

"Please, forget this stupid mission!" She grabbed his hand, pressing it against her soft chest. A slight blush found its way on Kairo's cheeks. "Stay with me! Be my partner! When I first set my eyes on you, I knew you were my chosen one. My heart turned hot like a forgotten teapot on a stove."

Her gentle voice tempted Kairo into saying yes, but he bit his tongue to remain silent.

She let him go, turned around, and walked a few paces before the sun disappeared. Only cones of light engulfed their bodies. The sakura petals floated through the air with silent music in the background.

"Oh, I'm an unlucky girl!" she moaned, putting the back of her hand on her forehead. "I have always dreamed about my Prince Charming, but am I ready to be his faithful wife?" She fell on all fours. "Fate is so cruel! It brought us together and tears us apart in the next moment!"

Kairo's cape fluttered in the breeze, and his white bangs hid his red eyes. While tucking the socks inside of his kimono, the electricity swirling in his body energized his brain into overdrive.

"No man," he said, and her wavering, cat eyes turned toward him. "No man who can't fulfill their promise deserves to hold you in his arms!" He tightened his left fist and placed it over his right shoulder. "I have already given my word to the Principal. I can not abandon it, for it would disgrace you!"

The Konketsu sat up, her hands covered her shivering lips, and tears poured from her eyes. Her destined love cared for her so much. "You are a noble soul."

Kairo sauntered, and a cone of light followed his every step. He stopped in front of her, slouched, and offered her his hand. She accepted it with tears sparkling in her eyes, standing with his help.

"I'm sorry." His whisper kissed her twitching ears. "I have to fulfill my promise first."

She clasped her hands over her chest. Her heart fluttered with sadness and happiness at the same time. "You are so brave."

"Do not fret, I shall return." He took a step back, and with his clenched fist on his chest, he bowed. "I shall go now. My manly pride is calling me." He made his way past her.

"Be safe, my Donut."

Arubi, who watched the whole time, caught up to Kairo and leaped to his head. The rabbit then peeked over his shoulder and saw the cat girl waving them goodbye with a silk handkerchief. They left the cactus forest.

The sun hadn't set yet. The black walls which stagehands from the troupe erected blocked it. Two of them were responsible for the lights, and the unitaur with his partner made sure the music and sakura petals were in perfect sync. None of their eyes remained dry. This was the purest display of love they have witnessed and helped to stage from the backstage.

Arubi would have a cheeky note or two with Kairo, but the over-sweetness didn't allow him to say anything salty. When the circle of trailers was far behind them, Kairo covered his mouth as though he was about to barf. His legs weren't moving at the speed of sound, but they still carried him fast forward. Arubi clenched all of his paws to prevent his stomach from bouncing more than he liked.

Only a stream of dust and cussing citizens remained behind dashing Kairo. After running from uptown to downtown and back, the boy burst open the door of the nearest pub.

Arubi caught a glimpse of a tattered wanted poster bearing 'Bewear Mama Bear' with a fated picture of a pinkish bear with white ears. Under it sat a group of the dumbest of the dumb thieves who dared to steal a lollipop from a bear-cub when mama-bear was close to give them a bear hug. Given those men's mouses, their latest heist had to involve pandas who loved to decorate other people's face with black eyes.

Kairo slammed his hand against the counter, and Arubi translated his order, "Gracious Lady, pronto!"

The traditional misshaped bar turtle moved fast to make the drink in the time limit. The atmosphere turned so thick it could be served as a dessert. Everybody stared at the bar turtle and the boy. When the shooter with red liquid was put on the counter, Kairo swallowed it without hesitation.

Everyone's eyes were on Kairo's throat, gulping in unison. The young hunter's cheeks inflated and from his ears burst dark smoke. His body collapsed on the desk, mumbling, "Pur... ged..." With the last syllable, his eyes closed.

A few men crossed in front of them the wrong way, but their gesture was sincere. Gracious Lady, also known as the Last Angel, was a drink only for the one who lost life's meaning in that star. A mere drop of this mixture of the spiciest and hottest ingredients could awake a dormant volcano.

The Guild of Suiciders attempted to add this drink to their official program, but this plan backfired when the building caught fire, sending half of the committee to a hospital.

The next attempt happened a few years later by a Neo-Suiciders Group. This time their plan ended with a considerable group of unsatisfied customers. The original mixture required expensive ingredients, and nobody could afford to buy, so the Neo Group bought cheaper variants, but those often caused stomach problems at the worst.

The bandits in the pub reconciled with the fact they had to take care of the poor boy's belongings when Kairo awoke. His narrowed eyes pierced the bar turtle, who sweated despite lacking that body function.

Kairo growled, "You watered it." He snorted with the last word, put the loose change on the bar desk, and left with Arubi on his head. Outside Kairo aired out his tongue, and a thin stream of smoke escaped from his mouth.

"Love sweet Love, huh?" Arubi teased him.

"Shut up!" his partner scolded. "No way I'm returning here for her."

"But you've sworn on your manly pride." Arubi smirked, dragging the last two words.

"Just to get away from her." Kairo pulled out the poster from his pocket, checking it once more. "We are off this city once we get our paycheck."

Their target was Goro the Dessert Thief. The red ogre Oni posed on the picture, flexing his muscles, and his smile reminded Kairo of toothpaste ads. He'd gathered around himself a group of unintelligent minions since not many thieves finished basic school, much less attended it.

Arubi's left ear twitched. Something was funny about this poster, but he couldn't put his paw on it.

Kairo grinned, for big groups meant more treasures to fill his pockets. Their headquarters lay in this desert, and if this magazine was accurate, it wasn't far from their current location.

Since traveling through the wastelands was tricky, they headed to a rental store to purchase one desert raccoon called araguma. There wasn't a better animal to fasten if you didn't count prehistorical camels and horses. The golden age of transportation ended when one radioactive sandstorm granted them superior intelligence, and they refused to pull vehicles.

Kairo leaned his head back to read the wooden sign hanging under a wooden gate. "Dental Core?" he murmured, quite sure somebody needed to check their spelling abilities. His eyes scanned the immediate surroundings; no one was there apart from a little guy standing in the porch's shade of a wooden building.

The boy headed there while Arubi jumped off Kairo, sure the sand still hid among his fine fur. He hopped across space between a barn where the animals stayed over the night next to the main office and fence around the herd of aragumas.

The ninja rabbit jumped at the thick pole and started with a much-needed cleansing. The araguma's droopy eyes didn't bother to check the newcomer. They slinked or stood in one place, staring into the distance. There was no feed in the manger, so they had no reason to get active.

Once finished cleaning, Arubi checked the animals while Kairo bargained with the owner. They were as big as teenage rhinoceros with a large, striped tail covered by tough fur at the end, earning them their nickname, Desert Raccoon.

Their beige fur helped them to hide from predators, and hard and widened paws made sure they wouldn't sink into the sand. They weren't the fastest, but their ability to navigate in sandstorms saved many lives. Their wide ears played a big part in that, protecting their whole muzzles to keep sand out during windy weather.

"Come on!" Kairo shouted, turning Arubi's attention to himself.

"I won't go any lower," the gnome replied. He had tons of wrinkles under his goggles. There wasn't a gnome that wouldn't wear them or didn't stand in an awkward position with knees bent, pointing in opposite directions.

The boy stared into his eyes that covered almost half of the gnome's face, but the old man remained unfazed. His race was famous for their toughness, pointy ears, a tool belt, and undeniable ability to break the unbreakable.

Once, rich people held big tournaments where companies presented their ultimate machines. The gnomes were the judges, and no machine survived their special skills. Many factories and companies went bankrupt as their champions failed. A lot of gnomes turned rich from winning the bets, but that lasted only for a short time since every match concluded the same way.

"It's still too much for a tiny trailer," Kairo tried to argue.

"That's the price. Take or leave. Your pick," the gnome deadpanned.

Kairo sighed through his nose, and a low noise rumbled in his throat. "Fine." The bounty hunter took a small pouch from his wide sleeve and paid. Arubi's ears twitched, but he didn't say a word.

"It was my pleasure to do business with you." The gnome rubbed his hands and went to prepare the trailer.

"Hai, hai," Kairo mumbled and headed away to wait with his partner for their transport.

The shop owner needed only ten minutes to fasten the animal into a two-wheeled trailer with a canvas roof.

"Please, return it in the next rental shop."

Kairo nodded and flicked the reins to control the araguma. The desert raccoon murmured and headed forward. The wind ruffled their hair, and neither of them had any idea what the next stop would bring them.

##  Episode 06

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

To The Dessert

And Beyond

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

When they left the city in the dust, Arubi asked, "Where did you get the money?" His partner didn't have such a bag when they arrived.

"I borrowed it."

"From who?" The rabbit lifted his left eyebrow.

"A good friend of mine."

Arubi sighed, for only one person he called "a good friend": The Old Goat, and by "borrowed" he meant "without permission".

"Don't be so pessimistic," Kairo said, reading the answer in Arubi's crossed paws. "Soon, we'll be filthy rich." He winked.

"More like filthy from the sand," the rabbit murmured and shook off the dust from his fur.

"Aren't you a sissy?"

"I wanna see you trying to look decent when you are all white. I have a delicate fur, you know!" His fur-fect fur of the finest quality needed proper care. "I'm not some wild hare!"

Kairo giggled, for he loved to tease his friend. He flicked with the reins, telling the desert raccoon to quicken its pace, which didn't happen as this one was lazier.

### ¯\\_(^_^)_/¯

Far away from them was a prominent, tall structure, reaching to the sky where the fearsome Bandit Goro lived. On the tip in the round tower, sat a dog, missing his head fur based on his tightened bandanna.

He watched the endless horizon with half-lidded eyes. How dull, he thought. Nothing interesting ever happens here. He scratched his bottom. We had only ten bounty hunters, three door-to-door salesmen offering anti-flood insurance, and a group of three girl scouts selling robo-cookies this month.

The dog stretched his body using the downward dog position he excelled in. At least we had an international tournament in hopscotch for elders. That was fun. He remained in the yoga position for a few moments before he sighed and looked through his kaleidoscope. It had two stones inside, but nothing could lift his mood more than the repeated patterns. He winked and squinted as it seemed something clouded his vision of the perfect boredom.

He put the kaleidoscope away and used the plain telescope. Huh? Was the desert always so small? He pondered for a few moments before he noticed he watched through the wrong end. Clouds of sand rose above the monotonous horizon.

He murmured, "Not another idiot." He turned around, lifted the lid of a long tube, and barked, "Hey, Boss, we have the usual!"

"What usual?" a voice echoed back.

"The usual-usual."

A grumble reached his floppy ears, and the pipe-line became silent. Several long minutes later, the Big Boss Goro entered the scene with a bang. His head hit the low ceiling of the connecting passage. He rubbed the sore place, climbing the ladder.

"Hey, Boss, this story is PG-13, so don't start cursing."

"Sheesh, freaking Association of Twelve Fathers," Goro mumbled and took the telescope to check on the situation. No matter how much the red ogre Oni with two small horns stared, he couldn't see the sand clouds.

"Boss." The thief tugged at the tiger skin Goro wore around his extra-wide waist. "It's that way." The dog pointed his hand at the horizon.

"I know!" Goro barked with purpleness on his cheeks. "I checked if you were paying attention!" This time he verified somebody was coming. "Good!" He grinned and returned the telescope, turning away. "Time to call Feeble Boys into action!" He dived into the corridor, meeting the edge of the opening.

The dog thief shook his head. Only thanks to barely audible curses, this story could remain PG-13.

### ¯\\_(^_^)_/¯

"Their lair should be deep into the desert behind the third L-shaped dune on your right," Arubi informed, sitting in the trailer behind Kairo.

"How did you figure that one?" The boy peeked over his right shoulder.

Arubi lowered the book he read. "In The Bounty Hunter's Guide to Space." He returned the book into his sack.

"By the way,"—Kairo turned to face the sandy road—"what do you have in that bag anyway?" He had the feeling a magician could jump out any second now.

"Ah, the usual." The rabbit laid down. "Carrots, leeks, kiseru, teddy bear, nightcap, a rabbit's foot—"

"Rabbit's foot?" Kairo barked. "Don't you have your own?" His eyes widened as he pivoted around.

Arubi jerked his body to sit up. "But I need these; I can't hang them on the door or have them in my pockets!" He threw his paws into the air.

Kairo's eyebrow twitched, but he turned around, facing the sandy terrain. Another uneventful hour went by until they spotted the tip of the bandit's lair, reaching for the sky.

Arubi spurted, sitting next to Kairo. "Go to the left!"

"What for? It's in front of us!" Kairo frowned.

"Because—!"

Their vehicle jerked, and Kairo fell, landing on araguma's thick butt. His partner fell flat on his face.

"What happened?" Kairo lifted his upper body, feeling the soft fur beneath him.

"The reason to turn left!" Arubi barked, stomping with his leg. "This is a quicksand!"

Kairo's eyes almost fell out of sockets as his brain processed the information. "Oh, crap!" He dug his heels into the raccoon's tail. "We have to get... out?" His head tilted to the side as his voice died out.

The desert raccoon purred as it burrowed its head into the liquid sand. Kairo leaned more to the side, stretching his neck to the maximum. In a flash, a thick tail whipped him, sending him into the wagon together with his partner.

The animal took out a bathroom brush, scratching its whole body.

Arubi jabbed Kairo's left shoulder. "You see," he hissed behind his chattering teeth. "The desert raccoons love to bathe in quicksand. We won't get it out for hours!"

"Fine!" Kairo snarled. "Where's the problem? It's close anyway."

He got up, dusting his butt. Then he used his wagasa umbrella to fetch his hat that landed in the sand. When he got ready, he spared one more look at the raccoon. The answer to how it got out of the harness eluded him, but if it could perform water ballet in the quicksand, anything was possible.

His partner sat on his usual place on his head, and the boy opened the umbrella to make a shadow, letting his straw hat lay on his back. Kairo didn't doubt they would reach the lair in less than ten or fifteen minutes, even if they would stop for a pee break.

The badlands were famous for mirages of wells or oases. One travel agency tried to make money from taking people to witness it, but finding the right spot for sightseeing proved problematic, and it required for the tourist to be dehydrated.

It went south when people complained about the too hot weather, wrong shapes of dunes, or sand between one's toes. One tourist-pedant wrote a complaint based on the improper size of the sand grains.

Kairo would be happy for a fake well as that would be better than a mirage of the distance.

"Are we there yet?" Arubi asked, sprawled on Kairo's head.

"Argh! You are asking for the fifth time already!"

"Seventh time!"

"Whatever!" the boy barked. "Who could think their lair is that big!" He put the umbrella away, tilting his head back. Kairo wiped the sweat from his forehead when he heard shouting.

"Fresh lemonade! Ice! Cold! Lemonade!"

Arubi's ears twitched, and they glanced toward a small stall in the lair's shadow, offering drinks. It belonged to a jackal with an eye-patch over his left eye.

As they came closer, they noticed his dirty clothes that remembered better times in the last millennium. Holes and patches littered the tablecloth, and one corner was missing. The table wasn't any better, with two of its legs supported by magazines. Without a doubt, this shop had five black stars in rankings from all customers.

"Dear travelers," the jackal welcomed them, rubbing his paws. "Is the thirst haunting you? Do you hanker after a drink?" He spread his arms to show his hardly washed glasses full of yellowish liquid. "You are at the right place! Everything is made from fresh Ersatz goods!"

"Fresh ones?" Kairo lifted his eyebrow.

"Yes, yes!" The jackal nodded, his ears flopping back and forth. "No freezing, no added water, no food additives, no intermediate goods, and no repacking! All the Ersatz goods are freshly made to be served just on time!"

Arubi's sense tingled, warning him something wasn't right. His paws became too tired from doing nothing, he couldn't point at what it was.

Kairo was suspicious about the quality, but his dry throat convinced him. "Fine, I'll take one glass."

"That'll be twenty gold coins." The jackal beamed.

"That's a robbery!" the boy hollered, throwing his arms in the air.

A sinister gleam sparkled in the jackal's eye. "You are standing in front of the thievish lair with the thievish shop with thievish prices! What have you expected? A tiny umbrella at the top?"

Kairo's eyes twitched. This guy had some nerves, and his laughter was a pain to listen to.

"But since you are here..." The shop owner reached inside of his big sack under the table. "What about one freshly cut head?" he howled and jumped into the air.

Kairo snorted, stepped back, and a well-aimed kick made the thief a few teeth lighter. His body flew far into the desert. The boy counted three somersaults before the jackal face planted in the dune. It wasn't his personal record, but it felt awesome to be in good condition.

"Mom told me to never believe in frisbees." He dusted his palms.

Arubi only shook his head, shooing his tingling sense. Once more and his ears would start ringing.

Kairo took one glass and sipped the contents, but spat it out. "Bleh, it's disgusting!" He wiped his mouth. "He was right. This is the thievish shop." He put the glass back and continued along the wall to find the entrance. A duo of guards waited for him, standing next to a big door.

"That wasn't nice!" a half-stark guard said.

"Our friend only tried to keep our traditions alive! How could you be so cruel?" a half-bald guard added. They looked like street dogs, but they actually were street mutts. Their furs were felted, needing hours of grooming along with patches for their shorts.

"Oops," Kairo only cheeped, scratching on his cheek. "It's a reflex. My bad."

"Apology accepted." The half-stark guard nodded. "It's our own custom, and we strive to spread it around the world."

The half-bald guard added, "We want to be the most original Band of Bandits under The Moon."

"You meant under The Sun, right?" Arubi asked, getting ahead of his tingling sensation.

Kairo wagged his index finger with a side smirk. "Non, non, my dear friend, criminals work only during the night."

"Oui, oui, finally, we have here an educated civilian." The half-bald guard had a tear in his eye.

The other rubbed his hands. "Let's get to the formalities, shall we?"

They nodded at each other.

The right one spread his arms. "If you value your things..." He moved the left one toward Kairo.

"... give us your life!" finished the other with spread legs.

The silence was deafening, but it might have been the ringing in Arubi's ears. The rabbit face-paw himself. This was just one of those days.

"Excuse me," Kairo said in a hushed voice. "I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but that didn't sound quite right." The guards looked at each other, scratching the other's fleas.

"Huh? Really?" They tilted their heads. It made puppies cute; they looked stupid.

"Did we skip something?" The half-stark guard took out a small note from his holey pocket. The bandits squinted, trying to read the text. It took them a while to realize neither of them knew how to read.

Kairo cleared his throat. "Let me show you." The boy took a deep breath and shouted, "If we value our lives, let's step away!" He smiled like a Cheshire cat.

The guards blinked and hid behind a curtain to hold a special meeting. The cover moved as they gestured their ideas. Before they finished, Kairo took three snoozes.

"Are you making fun of us?" the half-bald guard shouted, waking up the napping boy.

"Do you know who we are?" Clouds of steam escaped from their ears.

"Useless Character A and B," Arubi answered as he peeked into the script he snatched from the writer. He sighed and let the writer take it back to prevent any more spoilers.

The guards froze on the spot, and then they hugged each other, crying a river. "Mom told us we'll never make it far!" Their heartbreaking cry scared vultures miles away. "Mommy!" they shouted in unison, running into the desert.

"Now, that was scary," mumbled Kairo, shivering.

Arubi's ears flopped. His young eyes weren't ready and rubbed them, getting out the sand. Yeah, he really needed to buy a cucumber to place slices on his eyes later.

Kairo kicked the door open, and a loud echo returned many times. The courtyard's furthest side hid in shadows, and tunnels ran along its sides. Large containers stood at the opposite end behind a very thick pipe that seemed to go through the whole building.

Kairo scanned the opening before he put hands in pockets and moved forward. His steps created a silent reverberation, and his eyes glanced movements in the shadows. A sideways smirk appeared on the boy's face. The best part was about to begin.

The door closed with a roar.

##  Episode 07

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

It's Show Time

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

A small boy sneezed, startling everybody around him. His cat ears swayed as others bristled, and all eyes darted in his direction.

"What gives?" the girl sitting next to him nagged. "How can you sneeze at a time like this?" Her hands squished the blanket, covering her legs.

"Something tickled me," he whispered, searching his pants for a handkerchief with his four arms.

The four-year-old girl pressed her ears against her head as the boy sniveled. She growled low, showing razor teeth with tiny mandibles in the corners.

The older boy snorted. "Here, use mine." He handed his handkerchief. The small boy accepted it and blew his nose loudly.

The old man watched in complete silence. Nobody had noticed how his body jerked or how he gasped for air. The boy couldn't time it any better.

"Grandpa, please, continue your story," asked the four-arm boy once he returned the soaked and sticky handkerchief.

"Of course," the old man agreed, masking his shock with a puff from his pipe. "As I was saying..."

### ¯\\_(^_^)_/¯

Kairo winced, for he never liked this cliché from horror stories. Any loud sound in silence roared, especially the one from inside you. He hated when his stomach rumbled, or when he released winds in a small space. Arubi always kicked him out if he was around.

"Is that central heating?" the boy asked, pointing at the massive, central pipe with many smaller ones.

"More like central cooling."

"Gyahaha!"

A loud guffaw echoed from above, and the bounty hunter assumed a fighting stance, prepared to deflect the first attack.

"Welcome— Guh, koof..."

The dramatic effect disappeared with the wind, just like the anticipation in Kairo's body. His hands limped with his bent back.

After a minute of muffled sounds and coughing, the voice continued, "We-el >koff< come!" A big ogre Oni descended on a platform from the ceiling. He huffed and puffed as he spun a wheel. "Huff, finally." He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I should get hamsters for this," he mumbled, straightening his back with a snap.

Kairo's eyes narrowed with his mouth hanging. The Oni's waist had extra tires that the tiger skin could snap at any moment. The bandit flexed his muscles in an impressive gesture, but the mass only wobbled. His thick leg stomped the railing, giving his unpolished toenails all the spotlight nobody asked for. He wiggled his thick eyebrows as if he was flirting. The picture in the magazine had to be made centuries ago, or the artist was blind.

"Welcome to your last sto-o-op!" Goro stuttered, his leg slipping down the railing.

Trying to look cool when the gravity wasn't in his favor was a bad idea. He recovered his posture with sweat over his forehead. The boy slumped his shoulders, ignoring the fact that bandits surrounded them. Dogs and wolves were the most common, but it would be unfair to mistake them with underdogs and werewolves since the latter didn't have fleas.

"So, what do you say, squirt?" Goro asked as if he hadn't messed up his entrance.

Kairo checked his non-existing wristwatch and answered, "Too bad, but according to my schedule, I must accompany you to your date tonight."

"My ad in the dating tabloid worked?" The Oni's voice boomed, vibrating with every bandit that had too much free space in their skulls.

"Totally!" The boy showed him a raised thumb. "A big fight broke around your ad, but only one could win."

The bandits shouted their congratulation or whistled; some even took off their pants to use them as flags, but thankfully, they were in back rows.

Goro pulled his moving platform up with great enthusiasm and speed. The duo stood there, waiting for the next few seconds to tick away. Soon, a row of bandits blew away as their leader rushed through the crowd.

The Oni's head shone with an overdose of grease. Pink ribbons with green polka-dots were tangled into his eyebrows and around small horns. His dark red jacket was decent, accenting with his tie. He switched his tiger skin for trunks decorated with tiny tiger heads.

Kairo's mouth twitched. What a surprise. This may be easy for once.

"Who's my beloved?" the Oni asked. "Tell me! Exaggerate! Gloat! Daydream!" he encouraged him, begging like a small child.

The bounty hunter took Goro's elbow, guiding him out of the building. The door opened, basking them in sunlight. Their skins turned goldish, and confetti rained on them. Rows of bandits stood on both sides, waving at them.

"More beautiful beauty would be impossible to find in this roundworld," Kairo sweet-talked Goro. "Many hours went into warming--I mean, turning her hot."

The ogre played with his tie. "Do you think she'll like me? Am I too bald?"

The boy winked. "I can tell you it makes you one smexy bomb."

Goro peeped as his face gained purple shade. His smile turned wavy, and his hands couldn't stop playing with his tie, ripping it.

Arubi checked on the situation behind them. The bandits blocked the door, waving at their boss with clean handkerchiefs. They were never washed or used since most of them had sleeves. After all, it was a science-proven those were handier. The rabbit only tapped at his forehead. What a bunch of weirdos.

Kairo, meanwhile, continued his little speech, "You are her type. Her warde--I mean, her guardian recommended you for your flawless reputation."

The ogre couldn't contain his excitement, as he slapped the boy on the back, slamming him into the sand. "You don't say!"

Kairo spat out the sand. Arubi clutched his paws, stopping his muzzle from touching the sand at the last millimeter. There were perks in having claws. Well, his partner would differ, but his complaint was nothing that couldn't be scratched.

Goro's excitement lasted for a few seconds as his eyes fell on a paper on the ground. "What's this?" He picked it.

Kairo's mouth widened as he turned around on all fours. His hands left no pocket unturned, but the wanted poster was gone. The ogre's face darkened under his frown. Kairo's gulp accompanied Arubi's sigh.

"So you are a Bounty Hunter..." Goro muttered.

"Let's not resort to violence," the boy reasoned with a sheepish smile as he stood up. Goro grabbed Kairo's shirt, and before the bounty hunter could say, "Oh, crab!" his body crashed into bandits standing in the door. Several bandits got injured, but there was no damage to the property.

Kairo massaged his shoulder as the central pipe stopped his abrupt return. He gritted his teeth, keeping his hardly polite thanks mumbled. "Come on. Why can't it go easy for once?" he complained, watching the leader dashing back.

"Don't you know the main precept of every strategist?" Arubi asked as he narrowed his fur.

"Which one?"

"When a battle starts, throw away the plans and improvise." The rabbit put his arms akimbo.

"How can I improvise when I already was?" he barked, tossing his arm into the air.

"Exceptio regulum probat."

"Don't start Latin with me." Kairo crossed his arms, tapping his fingers.

"So you thought—huff," Goro said with ragged breath, reaching the door and pointing at them. "You can outsmart the Great Goro?"

"It's rude to point at others," Arubi rebuked.

Steam poured from the lard on the ogre's head. "Get them!"

The bandits launched at the duo, from the agile lizard soldiers and the good old jackals to a bunch of vultures starting air raids. A heavy ax wielded by a polar bear cut the floor between the hunters, and the mass of bodies divided into two streams, each pursuing one hunter.

Kairo hissed as he and Arubi separated, but he had no time to worry. He ducked, avoiding a blade, as any cut in his already damaged clothes resulted in buying new patches. Earning money was already hard. He had no need to spend it on never-ending repairs.

A quick jab and kick made a small path for the boy, but it didn't last long as the stench of unwashed bodies filled it. Just what he needed: a reminder he'd taken the last bath two months ago.

Time to go higher! He jumped on one jackal's face, propelling himself into the air. A swishing from behind warned him in time to lean away from the vulture aiming for his head. Instead, his hat turned one-quarter lighter, falling down. Dang! Stealing a new hat is hard! What if it turned his bottom fat?

The bandits didn't care for his worries as they slashed their swords, cutting themselves. Only a few lucky fools grazed Kairo's trousers, and the latest winner got a heavy blow from the boy's wagasa umbrella.

It moved in his hands with ease like it wasn't made of solid iron, sending every target to a dreamland. His weapon offered him a mix of defense and offense, but the vultures proved to be a pain in butt.

They zinged from all sides, crash landing into the mass below him. "Come on!" He held his breath as the boar he jumped at, collapsed due to vulture ramming those around him. The compact mass thankfully provided a new footing, and the bounty hunter leaped.

As he pivoted in the air, he noticed Goro seemed to be drowning in the mass of his minions. Three bandits made their colleagues lighter to quicken their movements. A group in the corner chatted, and if there weren't a duo playing rock-scissors-paper, Kairo would return his diploma from his correspondent course 'How to turn filthy rich in less than eighty minutes.'.

He jumped over the last row of the mass. The bandits pivoted, following him like his shadow. Kairo half-way turned, pointing toward the big door. "Ha!" he shouted, and all the heads looked that way.

There was nothing. As they turned back, Kairo was also gone, his strides echoing from the corridor. The bandits howled, and they dashed forward, blocking the entrance.

Meanwhile, Kairo smiled. Two zero for me. Infinite pipes framed the ceiling with wires sticking out here and there, dangling down like seaweed. The boy followed the corridor, his eyes surveying for a hint of nearby treasure. His arms zinged, knocking down bandits who caught up to him without Kairo noticing.

He turned a corner or two before he reached an open area, and as he closed into the center, he slowed down. Big tanks next to each other stood around the room, each with a control panel hidden in a thick layer of dust.

Kairo wasn't an example of tidiness, but even he would consider calling a cleaning commando at this state. Among the number of thick pipes, wheels, measuring devices, and panels, appeared an increasing number of yelling bandits. Kairo smirked, grabbed his umbrella, and one swing sent the first row down.

The next group wasn't smart or fast on catching the hard-hitting hints, and they followed the first group's example. As Kairo retracted his weapon, a wide grin spread across his face.

However, his smirk jinxed his winning streak. A one-eyed goose pulled his cape, catching him off-guard. "Whoa—!" the boy shouted, his hands searching for something to grab on until he crashed on the metal floor.

The brief moment allowed the rest of the bandits to circle him, their weapons stabbing the floor he rolled over. The cape turned into shreds, and Kairo threw the rest on the floor, his teeth showing.

"Jerks!" he shouted, waving his wagasa as he sent bodies into the air. Within a minute, he cleared the area around himself. The last thief fell on the ground, his teeth spreading around him. With renewed confidence, Kairo grinned.

"Who's next?" He beckoned them with a taunting gesture. The way his wagasa rested on his shoulder suggested he only played with them. "Don't be shy." His ears twitched, and he assumed a less relaxed pose. The ground sent out a vibration in his direction. He looked over his shoulder. "Oh, crab."

##  Episode 08

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

Aba Bila

&

Rorty Rascals

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

Arubi defeated most of his pursuers before he reached a small control room. He grabbed the microphone staff from the main panel, slashing it at the first bandit. With no other free dart, he resorted to throwing baby carrots, leaving small tears in his eyes. He had reserved a sweet spot for them in his stomach.

A foolish bear spread his arms, holding mauls, leaving his stomach exposed. Arubi snapped and dived into the bandit's stomach, hind legs first. The bear collapsed, blocking the door for a few seconds.

The rabbit scanned the spacious hangar under the overhanging control room through a glass wall until he found a large propeller embedded into the front wall.

"Let's have bunn—" A beetroot zinged into the lizard's jaw, silencing him. The other members of the group pushed forward, stepping on the gecko's tail. The poor—literally and emotionally speaking—fella, rammed his head into the ceiling, turning himself tail-less.

"Got you!" a dog-vixen snapped, thrusting forward his rusty dagger.

Arubi pivoted, grabbed the bandit by his wrist, and used him like a hammer, shattering the glass panels. The pieces flew, raining like diamonds, but a loud thud overshadowed the creaking symphony of landing glass.

The dog-vixen lifted his head, and Arubi stomped on his stomach, knocking the bandit's lights out for good. His hind legs propelled him into the air, away from the shards on the floor.

The ninja spared the remaining bandits a quick look. _This should give me a few minutes to—_ His ears twitched. A rumbling of unwashed feet got closer with each heartbeat. "Classic. Can't have a spare moment to iron out my fluffiness." He licked his paw and adjusted the fur between his ears.

Just because he'd gotten approached by men hungry for grilled rabbit, didn't mean he couldn't look presentable. The mix of wolves, reptiles, two pandas, and mutts panted as their hands shook, holding the rusty weapons.

Arubi didn't bother to pay them much attention as they were busy arguing how many points a circle has. The ninja's trained eyes counted five, dim crystals behind bars around the big propeller. The rest of the equipment was ordinary, from dirty panels, ropes, chains, a bucket in the corner with a WC tag above it, machines used for moving boxes, to a crane over his head.

A big puff escaped the rabbit's muzzle as he took a much-needed break. His eyes trailed the walls, spotting a broken pathway. Arubi nibbled on his kiseru.

"W'o wa'ts bun'y din'er?" asked one thief when they assumed a multi-angle-like formation. The rabbit's ears twitched, and he returned his pipe into the bag and took out leeks.

"Huh?" voiced another thief with a long face made from ninety percent by his dropped jaw. That was easy, as he was Serpin.

"Ninja!" Arubi leaped, his paws swishing in the air, and the daredevil ended up with an A on his chest.

The bandit's shocked body tumbled, his eyes filling with stars. He'd never gotten such a high mark. An awkward silence spread among the rest until they stormed at the ninja, roaring.

Arubi smirked. "Ninja!" His leek swords slashed across their chests, embedding them with sleek decorations. One by one, they fell in the same heap. Once the last bandit assumed his place, Arubi checked his paw-dy work with a critical eye. Nothing beats a neat triangle. He shoved them back into his wonder bag and turned to search for his partner.

In the middle of his fourth step, Arubi's ears flopped with swaying his body. He didn't need to perk his ears to sense a stomping group of vermin closing upon him. It's one of those days...

He pivoted to face a horde ranging about thirty members, and Arubi wasn't in the mood to sweat. He reached inside of his bag, taking out a small cannon he pumped; its hose led back into the bag.

"Get him!" shouted the leading bandit who appointed himself into a leadership position. Nobody from the group complained as they were short of breath until a red projectile zinged through the air, splattering against the bandit's face. Soon the whole group saw red.

The massacre by ToMaGun (Tomatoes Machine Gun™) had begun.

Chaos spread among them in less than three seconds as the tomato bullets splatted them with its gooey insides. The bandits fell on their muzzles, kicking each other with perfect swings, and a few made somersaults worth of medals; their landing mats were of a different opinion.

A small puff of smoke left Arubi's kiseru. The bandits did an excellent job knocking each out. After ten more puffs, a small group of lucky winners stepped outside of the red field of juiciness. With their heads filled with madness, only a rabbit feast could vanquish their thirst.

Arubi zigzagged among them, luring them into the tomato field. The jackal cleaved the ground with a heavy ax, missing the nimble target. The rabbit smirked and jumped on jackal's face, using it as a platform. His hind legs propelled him toward the hanging bridge.

"Don't be a chick!"

"Yeah, fight like a hare..." The bear trailed off. "I mean, a man..."

Arubi didn't wait for them to come into agreement. He took out zucchini and threw it. The swirling circle silenced their debate in a jiffy. The rabbit raised his paw and caught his boomerang. It returned halfway peeled and with three teeth attached.

### ¯\\_(^_^)_/¯

The horde of centaurs was hot on Kairo's tail with pointy lances in their hands. The boy's clothes learned they were much better with their weapons than the rest of the bandits as holes embed the patched patches.

Kairo could only defend himself among the sea of fallen bandits. His umbrella rung against two spears, blocking them. The bounty hunter showed his teeth from under a deep frown, and his knees bent under the weight.

The third Centaur aimed at his head from the right. Kairo leaped back and let the tips clash and tangle. One heartbeat resonated in the boy's chest before he dashed back into action.

He grasped his wagasa with both hands, clenching the handle in unison with his bared teeth. The sharp tip whistled through the air, and the dull side of the umbrella dug into the ribs of Centaur on Kairo's left. Snapping bones muffled the curses from his throat and his companion, who turned into a landing mat.

Kairo had no time to celebrate, as he leaped back, avoiding a spear. The weapon pierced the ground, cracks running from the hole as a spiderweb. His red eyes shot toward the centaur, pulling his weapon back. The bounty hunter pivoted with his umbrella attached to his back, dashing into the nearest corridor.

Dang! I must get away from them! Kairo hoped to find a suitable escape rope in a bin. He sprinted around every corner he came across, but luck was in a sassy mood, and another Centaur joined the chase.

"Just what I need," he hissed through his revealed teeth, looking over his shoulder. He turned his attention back to the path in front of him. He gasped, digging his heels into the ground.

His legs squeaked, sliding the floor while his hands turned into windmills to slow down. His crazy ride came to an end with his nose two inches in front of the wall.

That was good.

The wall was dirty.

He tap-danced, trying to cool his heels and wake up his stiff legs while he turned to face the Centaurs. All three fitted in the corridor with their spears ready to turn him into a skewer.

Dang. Kairo wiped his sweaty hands into his hakama. Kairo wished they stopped grinning. It reminded him of the last time he brushed his teeth, and it wasn't in the previous three months.

If the middle Centaur cared for dental hygiene, he was more than happy to solve this problem for the boy as his spear stabbed forward with surprising speed.

Kairo sidestepped to the left. The rusty edge didn't touch him, going through his clothes, yet his heart skipped a beat. His red eyes widened, and his lungs struggled to inhale.

As the weapon retracted, it ripped through the hand-made socks Kairo received from the Konketsu girl. The wool turned dirty as it touched the ground.

A haze enveloped the young hunter's mind, as the Centaurs turned into smudged figures. How could this happen? His heart thudded faster and faster, kicking the blood into his popped-up veins. Smirks appeared on the bandit's faces. Their victim was powerless, too deep in shock to defend himself.

Kairo's fingers twitched before he balled his fists, tightening them with each heartbeat. "You..." he mumbled with his head hung low.

The middle Centaur tilted his head with a big smirk. He was in a good mood, letting Kairo have his last words.

"Do you have any idea..." The young bounty hunter brought his clenched fists higher.

The left Centaur scratched behind his unwashed ear. He wasn't sure if he ever had had any idea.

Kairo's head snapped up with tears spurting from his red eyes, and the floor beneath tasted water for the first time in a century. "... for how much I could sell it, you stupid Mules!" A loud snort escaped with the last curse that happened to be the worst word to be used in the presence of a Centaur.

Their twisted faces turned deep red, and untranslatable curses soared from their throats. The middle Centaur dashed first, his weapon thrusting forward.

Kairo bent down, and with a long stride, he got in front of the front legs. The spear dug deep in the wall, getting stuck. Before the Centaur freed his weapon, the boy swung on his back, ripping a few horsehairs.

The Centaur yelped, standing on his hind legs. His head banged against the low ceiling, knocking himself unconscious. Kairo didn't stop here, as the Centaur behind the first one tasted his sole on his face with a loud crunch.

The Centaur dropped his weapon and covered his face to stop the bleeding. Kairo moved away, as the last Centaur let his spear be and jabbed, but he only punched the air.

The bleeding centaur crashed into his partner, and Kairo used this commotion for his not-so-grand escape. It didn't take even ten strides, and an echo of horseshoes reached the boy's ears before he turned a corner.

The furious centaur followed, but that proved to be his mistake as his body crashed into a group of bandits. Their bodies tangled with painful cries disturbed by juicy cursing.

"Sheesh, keep this PG-13. That's our main demographic," Kairo muttered, hanging from the ceiling pipe like a spider-boy as he continued forward. This incident didn't bother the end of the bandit's strudel, so their weapons aimed high.

Kairo let go of the pipe, turned in mid-air, landed on his hands, and kicked back. Deep and multiple "ugh" sounds ensured him of the high score. Once his legs touched the ground, he sprinted away. He had lost too much time here, and he didn't need another group wheezing behind him.

"Prepare to meat your bloom!"

Kairo rolled his eyes. Let me guess, I forgot to mention in front too, right? He stopped, and his eyes darted at the end of a narrower corridor. Only twenty meters lay between him and the group of thieves with a grizzly bear leader standing behind them. The grizzly would look credible if he didn't wear the T-shirt with a daisy and text, "I love my ex-crement".

Actually, in a sense, it was making sense, but it wasn't appealing to Kairo's senses. Did he just lose his senses by saying three times "a sense" in one sensible sentence? Is the time for ads already? I think I need to pee, Kairo thought, confused by what his mind sensed.

"Get him, chicks!" shouted the leader, and the flock of roosters dashed forward. No time to think. It was time to come to one's senses and do what Kairo did the best.

He took a deep breath. "Tame..." He reached for his umbrella. The thieves were ten meters away. "Amen..." He widened his posture, aligning the wagasa with his waist. His other hand supported it from below. Three roosters stubbed their talons. Kairo felt their pain. It pained him that he couldn't beat them in their best condition. "Ha!" His wagasa shot forward, sending numerous bubbles their way from its tip.

"Cleaner danger!" the bandits shouted in unison and retreated as one mind and body.

It was creepy to see them cooperate so flawlessly. Like they were part of a bee-mind or something, but Kairo had nothing to complain about. He'd never met a bandit with passion for bathing, and this tactic never failed to amaze him.

"Banzai!" the bear yelled once he was alone. His roar vibrated within the empty corridor, and the gust of wind burst the bubbles. His fur bristled with anger and heavy wheezing.

Kairo smirked, and added his own battle cry. "Panzai!"

"Banzai!" he howled, vibrating with the pipes above them.

Kairo ran to him, and the bear did the same until they met in the middle. "Panzai!"

The bear's face turned crimson, and the boy lowered his body to avoid a shower of saliva into his face. "Banzai!" Once the bear caught his breath, Kairo jumped, flapping with his hands.

"Panzai!" The bounty hunter touched the ground after a few long seconds.

The bear's face put the color crimson to shame as a loud growl escaped through his bared fangs. Kairo's hair fluttered as the bandit sucked the air. The bear's chest could burst any second, but he kept going. In one motion, he slashed his body forward.

"Banz—!"

A swift kick in the jaw paralyzed him. The bear's body collapsed on the floor with a big brain-shake. Kairo smirked, rubbing his nose from below with his index finger. "When I say Panzai, I mean Panzai, kapish?" He snickered and ran forward. He needed to snatch a big treasure.

### ¯\\_(^_^)_/¯

Meanwhile, his partner Arubi hid inside of an air vent. The bandits kept running below him, but he was safe. Well, at least from them, but he hated the stale air. It stunk how stinky it was there.

Thankfully, he'd bought the gas mask in the garage sale. Now it came handy. And speaking of hands, he made sure to watch where he laid his paws; he already passed an old handkerchief, gooey stuff under layers of dust, forgotten screws, gnawed cables, and a cult of cockroaches worshiping a cane of The Star Cosmos. It used to be a very popular pop soda until its production stopped when people complained about no pop-sound upon opening as the advertisement promised.

He changed his calculated course, when lights from behind one corner, caught his attention. What's that? He carefully approached it since the lights at the end of the tunnel could be misleading. At first, only his ear peeked out, and then he glanced behind the curve.

There was an Insect Disco Show. Arubi's eyes moved from one jitterbugging bug to another, and it bugged him. A pair of centipedes rolled on the ground in a bizarre ball of legs. Untangling them would take hours.

Arubi's ears twitched as loud cheers drowned the music, reducing it into a murmur. His head shot there, glancing a roly-poly bug playing ninepins with its own body.

The next ring showed a muscular ladybug wrestling a potato bug. Both ladies grimaced at each other, breaking from one lock after another. The crowd around them shouted and whistled.

The cue to leave came in the form of drunken dung beetles that mistook the poor rabbit for a barfing nook. Arubi hissed, dashing in the blink of an eye and didn't stop until he'd turned the tenth corner. With this, his carefully planned plan shattered, not to mention that stuff on his paws would take kilos of bathing salts to get rid of.

"Dang it," he cursed, waving with his paws.

The paths looked the same, so finding any landmark was impossible if one didn't count tiny graffiti made by bugs. Arubi's tiny nose wrinkled. Something is rotten in the ventilation. Before he could consider his next step, the ground moved under him. He glanced at the grille; it was missing.

Gravitation took its sweet time to pull him back. Maybe it was because he was trying to learn how to fly. Not even his fluffy tail could cushion the hard landing. Arubi rubbed the sore place on his back. His ears twitched, noting of the people behind him.

"A bunny?" asked one thief.

Arubi's eye sparkled, and the gas mask hit the offender right between the eye and eyepatch. Wild cries filled the corridor; most came from the bandits as they turned into wall decorations.

##  Episode 09

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

One Peace

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

Meanwhile, Kairo was getting bored. Till now, the brawls excited him, but the serious lack of a challenge rested on his soft shoulders.

He peeked into one corridor. Steel pipes ran below the ceiling everywhere he looked. Each door he tried creaked under his push, revealing the same interior: a single bed or bunk with a small nightstand next to it. The wardrobe hiding in a corner could fit only a few sets of clothes.

"Where's that danged fourth treasure?" he muttered when he left the room tagged 9¾.

His red eyes glanced at an average rat, running away from him, which was a good sign; the abnormal ones would have him for a snack. After this uneventful meeting, he crossed about ten poodles.

When his yawn reached its fullest peak, moving lights on his left caught his attention. He stepped back and peeked into an unusual clean corridor. It was a short one, and colorful lights flashed from around the corner at its end.

He arched his eyebrow. What do we have here? Electricity shot through his fingers. Either his instinct told him something was there, or it was just a draft giving him creeps.

Once around the corner, he shut his eyes. "What's that?" He moved his hands in front of them, spreading his fingers. He squinted through the gaps, eyeing the neon lights. "And I thought Lost Vegan had awful decoration. This takes the pie."

He lowered his hands, getting used to the eye-stabbing show. After a few more seconds of staring, he noticed the lights formed words:

No-mum fone.

My broom!

Trash fill ozone.

I hafe bat in hand. Whack u?

I shoes door sellers from tree meters and seniors at thrashole!

Your life inpudance izn't thud good!

He snickered. The last ones are good. I guess somebody had a hard childhood, he thought, sarcasm spicing his statement. Finally, a place worthy of his time. He grabbed the doorknob, turning the handle. With the next step, he buried his face into the metal plate.

A tear escaped from his eyes as he unglued his face. His nose turned red, or maybe it was because of the embarrassment. Silent curses escaped through his fingers, and he pushed forward, but the door refused to budge. He barked and slammed it with his whole body. A shy creak told him he'd managed to open the door by a millimeter. "Let it... go!" he gasped as he pushed harder until he created a gap.

Kairo slipped through it into a dark room. "Oh, crab!" He lifted his left leg, and something mucked back on the floor. He wiggled with his toes, smearing that personal-space-invading substance over his waraji sandal. "Just great," he muttered through gritted teeth.

The thin ray of light from behind him wasn't enough to illuminate the room. With a great self-convincing and a reminder of the significant award, his hand trailed the wall around the door frame, searching for a switch.

He touched nothing suspicious and pressed the button without getting electrocuted. The light from above threw strange shadows around him. He snapped his head up. Under the light bulb hanged a damaged plastic moon. Half of it seemed to be destroyed, creating an illusion of an open mouth with fangs.

He let out a sigh. "Stupid shadow game," he muttered and looked around. "At least I know why I couldn't open the door." The space behind it overflew with heaps of trash that merged to create mountains of rubbish. He squinted, checking the tallest peak. "Is that a tiny flag?"

He dismissed it with a lifted eyebrow. No way The Borrowers lived here. He shrugged his shoulders and exhaled, rolling his baggy sleeves, holding them up with a strap. Finding proof each room could fit more trash than was its capacity wasn't in his schedule. "The first place that looks promising, and I have to dig through this." His eyes traveled from one heap to another.

Time to work, and pray nothing mutated over time. He first picked up an unmoving can, or it slept too deep to notice Kairo's rough hand. Then again, the moonlight couldn't reach here, so no object could come to life. When he touched a small box that shot open, he slammed his body against the wall.

"W-W-W—" His lungs stopped inhaling, leaving him with a hanging jaw and widened eyes. The jack-in-the-box's smile turned into a smirk.

Kairo growled, once he returned to his original spot, he kicked the toy away. He slouched and dug in the hill where he found various items from old magazines for Thirteen Minus, unwashed underwear, odd pair of holey socks, an empty bottle with a letter attached to the opening to one slipper with daisies all over the bunny shape.

He growled and threw it at the heap behind him. It made little difference, considering the trash only moved from one corner to the other. His left hand grabbed another item for inspection. It was soft but not gooey. It was a rare occurrence when his stomach didn't try to leave him. In the last minutes, he'd grabbed too many things of dubious consistency.

"A teddy?"

It wasn't spared from the teeth of time, but in this case, the boy would say; a knife of time. The filling leaked from an awkward place. He tossed it away, moving the garbage until he excavated a big, oval container. "What's this?" He inspected it with narrow eyes, putting the paper shield he'd found to good use.

The black-and-yellow tape sealed the lid, and on its body was one window, showing a jar filled with some oval pieces. Kairo read the text written in a black marker, "Oh-no cheese." He poked the container with long salami, which might not be the wisest choice either as the stick was green.

Since even the tenth nudge didn't cause an explosion, Kairo left the safety of the paper shield and touched the vessel with his hands. This could be the treasure he'd been searching for.

"It appears treasured," Kairo assumed, earning a facepalm from his inner self.

A treasure wasn't precious for being missed but for its tremendous value. And speaking of value, Kairo's red eyes glimpsed a small tag on the lid of the jar. He squinted his eyes, reading the smudged text, "Twenty sick czar coals."

He threw it away. If the treasure wasn't accompanied by six nulls, he couldn't be bothered with it. He glanced over the heaps. "How am I going to finish this with enough sanity left?" He stood up with the highest peak towering two heads above him. "Let see the situation from a new perspective."

He checked the ground beneath him before he stood on his hands. Everything turned upside down. Watching from the top of the heap would leave him downside up.

He rolled his eyes as the fleeting moment of utter stupidity washed over him. This mission seriously creeped his brain out. He surveyed the room before his brain could complain about a rush of blood.

"Ah-ha!" he shrieked, standing up. A glint of light flashed in the corner, and he dashed around the garbage and stopped in his tracks with his mouth agape.

The first thing that struck him was the absolute absence of trash and dirt. No spider webs hung in the corner or below the small table. The pocket-sized chest sparkled, shining like a halo in this corner of trash.

Kairo sneaked forward and examined the chest made of redwood with gold plates around its edges for an extra sturdy frame. He picked it, and his thumb traced the seal on its lid, a circle with a mustache.

"This is it!" he gushed with happiness. Electricity ran through his body, curling him. His head snapped back, but he was alone. He smirked and tried lifting the lid. It wasn't locked. "What treasure do you hide?"

His fantasies ran wild from a big, black pearl to a golden ring or a red emerald. Drops of sweat poured from his forehead as he revealed the content.

His face turned sour, and the sound of an epic croaking resonated in his ears. The chest contained paperclips. His eyes twitched as he tilted his head to the right. His brain announced a strike. This wasn't a sanity safe working environment. It wasn't getting paid enough for such a stressful job.

Kairo picked the one at the top. A tag hung from it. "The First Series..." he mumbled the tiny text. He stared at it, but the other labels weren't any better.

The fifth bankrupt anniversary

The Founding of Papersnip, Incomprehensible Company

First Crimson Variant

Dud No. 42

He put the neon pink paperclip with lime-green dots back and shut the lid. With a big frown, he thrust the chest into his kimono. Time to leave this place for good.

That was easier said than done, given the blockade in front of the door he created. He bared his teeth and pulled until he could squeeze through the gap.

##  Episode 10

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

Blasting Off Again

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

Arubi ran through another corridor that led him into a big, round hall. As he entered, his friend dashed from the opposing passage. Together, they stopped their stride in front of a huge terminal around a wide column.

It comprised several floors connected with a ladder. Red buttons lit the panels around the central pillar, ready to be smashed, and it would be really a let down if one wasn't the Doom Day's Device launcher. Along the center ran cables, smaller pipes, and tubes, reaching to the ceiling. Apart from it, the balls of dust all over the room formed independent countries and cults.

The leader of the bandits, Goro, stood at the top floor. Kairo rubbed under his nose with a confident smirk like some blue pincushion. "Give it up, Fatman!" he shouted.

"This isn't over yet!" the bandit yelled and dug his left leg into the railing, bending it. A mass of bodies sprinted out from behind the main pipe. "One hundred gold coins to anybody who brings me his hand." His minions, while brainless, looked confused. "I mean, head! Head!" he barked, purple in the face, showering the bandits below with his saliva drops.

Kairo placed his hand on his chest and sighed. What a scare. Broad guys aren't my type. As the flood of bandits ran at them, the boy asked his partner, "Is he pulling them from a magic hat?"

"What am I? Alec Azam?"

Kairo would argue, but a more important matter hit his brain. Blood rushed into his body as his fists balled. A bear bandit lifted an ax to slash the boy. Kairo's eyes sparkled, and wide-sweep with his umbrella tripped the enemy.

"My head!" he barked as he kicked the next attacker. "Isn't..." He sprung into the air and let the groups under him clash. "That..." He landed on a heap of painful cries, leaping higher. His wagasa swirled through the air, slamming the free space among the bandits, sending a shockwave that knocked most of the bandits. "Cheap!" The boy's hair fluttered.

"Ninja~!" Arubi and his trusted pair of carrots took care of a good bunch while providing the rabbit with a tasty snack. Most of his victims ended up in somersaults, but some didn't go with the flow and face-planted themselves.

While the duo busied themselves with beating their path through, Goro was yelping and jerking in place of his unconscious comrades. His big hands came in handy when he needed to cover his eyes to not witness painful downfalls. After this fight, he'd have to do the paperwork to write off many of his dumb— ehm, valuable employees.

Despite the vast number of enemies, the bounty hunters finished their daily routine within ten minutes. Kairo rubbed the sweat from his forehead while Arubi nibbled on the green tops of carrots.

"I sure hope he doesn't have more of them in his sleeves!" huffed the boy despite the ogre having no sleeves. Before his partner could answer, the jumping, jerking, yelping Goro fencing with his arms brought their attention. His face twisted, darkening his features, and many uncomprehending syllables escaped through his bared teeth.

"Is he using some long-forgotten ritual to call dark forces?" the rabbit asked, munching his carrot like a popcorn.

"No way."

"Why not?" Arubi's long ear twitched. "This looks like an ancient ritual to me."

"You can't remember or find something that's forgotten. It can't remain forgotten if you have found it." Kairo pointed with his thumb toward the ogre whose face turned purple. "It's a recently found ancient ritual."

Arubi's ears folded, and his eyes narrowed. Kairo had no appreciation for history.

Goro calmed down, putting his left leg over the right knee. Both his hands were holding it, and he blew on his toes. "I stubbed my little toe." Both bounty hunters collapsed on the floor.

"Enough of this!" shouted Kairo, jumping on his feet. The boy dashed toward the hugest terminal, springing into the air. He swirled his wagasa above his head with both arms before he slammed the spot where Goro stood. The ogre avoided the hit by rolling away.

The impact created a hollow in the panel. Kairo retracted his weapon as sparks danced around the opening, and the whole column started to light up a floor-by-floor. Cold sweat covered the young bounty hunter as a sense of great danger washed over him.

The entire room shook when a mechanical voice announced, "T-Thank you... oosing... travel agen... Please, fasten... belts..."

"What's this?" Kairo shouted, holding onto the nearest panel as the building leaned backward.

"I have no-no idea!" yelled the ogre, grasping the railing with his whole body.

A villain on batteries! Great! Kairo snorted as his partner slid down the floor despite the All-Paw-Drive. The boy jumped on the unstable floor. At the same moment, the whole building jerked, and he flipped on his face. With his red face, he slid to the nearest round window. He grabbed the frame and almost bit his tongue as the floor did another acrobatic trick under his feet.

"What's that?" he barked as he glimpsed of the outside world. Kairo had to press his face against the glass, as he couldn't believe it. "This place is moving! Is this... a desert cruiser?" He always thought they were all sold into the iron industry by metal diggers fifty years ago, but he couldn't deny the iron giant that sailed forward, leaving clouds of sand behind. "Arubi! We have to stop this!"

The rabbit pulled a grappling hook made of bananas from his bag and tossed it toward Kairo. The boy caught it and pulled his partner up.

"I may know how!" the rabbit noted once he latched on Kairo's shoulder. "I saw a big propeller with crystals around it!"

"Okay!"

Together, they dashed across the jerking floor that leveled itself, so gravitation didn't try to lead them astray. Kairo with Arubi rushed around groups of thieves; some individuals jumped off the windows with parachutes on their backs. The rat ones preferred their tea party at five. No wonder they were missing during fights. With everybody else leaving the vessel, they reached the big hall with the motor of the ship, where the propeller whistled and hummed. One blade sent rays of sparks—a sign of defectiveness.

Kairo growled. This thing was huge. "Those jewels must be its power source!" He looked at his rabbit partner, and with a nod, they jumped into action.

The constant waves of sparks made their job annoying, but it wasn't a big problem. Kairo smashed the crystal in the left corner and avoided the rain of sparkles. He didn't need to catch fire; he was hot stuff.

Explosions caught Kairo's attention, showing that Arubi threw a pumpkin bomb at the top tier. The boy spread his umbrella to block the falling remains. His second gem was embedded in its socket with a metallic grid and glass under it protecting the main body.

"Like that will stop me!" He slashed his weapon across, bending the metal bars, and the third hit sent them flying. The glass case resisted Kairo's stabs until spiderweb spread over it. The next impact shattered the pulsating gem. Kairo watched it slowly die. Arubi, meanwhile, slashed his own crystal into pieces, and the shards rained on the boy.

"Dang it!" he hissed, rubbing them out.

He looked up, stepping aside from his spot. Arubi was in the middle of a jump, attaching a small mandarin on the crystal's surface. The rabbit retreated as the blast shattered the last power source into smithereens. With a few leaps, he stopped next to Kairo, and both observed their handy work.

"It's not slowing down!" Kairo snarled, biting his lip.

"We have inertia," Arubi reminded him, "the ship will stop on its own."

"That's good to know." He folded his arms.

Both of them bristled as the mechanical voice spoke once more, "...ext stop..."—The voice jammed for a moment—"... in five minutes. Please, gather..."

Both bounty hunters turned blue.

"Oh, crab!" the boy shouted, and Arubi latched on his shoulder.

They, or more precisely, Kairo dashed toward the nose of the cruiser. He busted the door open as he bolted through, and the lurching of the ship almost threw him over the railing.

"The city!" they yelled in unison as the boy caught his balance.

The evening and a front collision were upon it.

"We have to change the course! Now!" Kairo shouted.

Arubi jumped down and threw ten pumpkin bombs in front of the moving giant. The metal mass vibrated, and it perhaps moved an inch, but the collision was inevitable. The next batch of watermelon variants followed, but not even they helped.

"Don't you have anything better?" the boy snapped, sweeping with his arms. The city got closer by each second.

"Just a sec!" Arubi searched his sack for something more powerful. His ears twitched as his paws found a small strawberry.

"Seriously?" Kairo's eyes narrowed when he saw how Arubi raised it above his head in a victoriously. His partner smirked and opened his muzzle to explain when the ogre jumped at them.

"I got you now!" Goro clutched Kairo in the bear hug, crushing his bones. The Oni turned around, and the boy's leg kicked Arubi. The small berry fell out of his paw, landing off the ship's nose.

Goro's triumphant smirk lasted only for two and half of seconds as the tiny bomb exploded, lifting the ship in the air. The shockwave pushed it out of the way and tilted it.

The leader of the bandits let go of the boy, and his gaping mouth and wide eyes reflected his immediate concerns about his own safety.

Kairo wasn't any better. He caught his rabbit partner by his ears at the last moment, but his free hand missed the railing. They glanced at how the ground got farther and farther away.

The fact Goro was in the air with them didn't make either feel better about their airborne situation. If nothing else, the gravitation pulled fat Goro into its hug sooner. The landing was barely worthy of a point, but the triple somersault earned him nine points.

The sand wave washed over him as it consumed the buildings in its way. Goro barely kept his head above the layer of sand, with dust clouds around him.

His heart threatened to jump out of his chest. He couldn't believe his own eyes he'd met them! The Legendary Duo all villains, criminals, and thugs spoke in whispers.

With a trembling voice and tearing eyes, he mumbled, "It's them! The Greenest Ninja... and the Samurai with the red umbrella!"

Kairo coughed, wiping the sand from his clothes with his hand as the other held his backside. It was anything but a soft landing, but at least nobody saw him. His ego remained intact.

"The Albinos!" Goro yelled before he lost consciousness.

Kairo had a sheepish smile. "Yup, that's us. Want an autograph?"

His partner shook off most of the sand, but his fur was full of it. Before he could calculate how many baths he'd need, his partner yelled, "Zombies!" Kairo kicked in the air to free his leg from the sudden grasp, before he jumped on his legs, getting further from his spot

More hands emerged from the sand, and the rabbit hopped on Kairo's head away from the prying fingers. Soon, whole bodies followed, but they weren't zombies; just angry citizens.

Kairo smiled widely. "Howdy? What lovely weather we have? Do you think the mushrooms will grow?"

"The Albinos, huh?" asked one man with a sharp twitch in his eyes, gripping an ax.

The boy stepped back. "I'd love to chat, but I... got the laundry to do." He pointed over his shoulder, the sheepish smile still plastered on his face.

"This is your doing!" shouted a woman with a frying pan.

"Let's not get too hasty here." He put hands in front of him in a calmly and to keep his distance from them. More people had risen from the sand, and it didn't seem they were eager to invite him for a coffee break. "I'm sure there are many young bandits who can help you clean."

Arubi made the saddest rabbits eyes he could with his ears drooping, but he scanned the area around, searching for an escape path.

"Hmmm!" a familiar voice called them.

They glanced to the left, as Principal Ehm ran toward them. Actually, it was less running and more bouncing like a ball.

"My Donut!" shrieked the cat ropewalker, running with her open arms. Her eyes sparkled with hearts.

"Retreat!" Kairo yelled and dashed away in the blink of an eye. Arubi latched his paws into his scalp to not fall.

"Catch them!" Half of the furious crowd shouted.

"Lynch them!" the other half yelled.

"Uuum!" Principal Ehm hummed.

Kairo took the small chest out of his pocket, jumped into the air, pivoting and threw the treasure box at the Principal. The chest hit the round man in the forehead in the middle of his bouncing. The box opened, showering Principal Ehm with paperclips.

"Unuad!" he shouted as his body rolled, knocking down the civilians.

"Hey!" another familiar voice called the duo but with no malicious intent. "Need a ride-e?" Old Goat caught up to them, driving a desert raccoon's trailer.

Arubi didn't wait and jumped inside. Kairo grabbed the edge of the cart. "Thanks!"

"It is one-e hundred of golden coins per mile, moo-e-e-e!" He laughed.

Kairo let go as the ridiculous price bewildered him. More sand invaded his hakama pants, but he didn't care. With the crowd refusing to give up the chase, he quickened his pace and caught up to the trailer. "Can't I get a child discount?"

The Old goat smirked. "That is ninety-nine-e gold coins."

"That's still expensive!" the boy argued.

"Then you can"—Old Goat looked over his shoulder—"ride-e with her."

Kairo needed only a glance to change his mind. A dashing araguma with a wildcat rider burst through the crowd. "My Donut!" the Konketsu girl yelled, her voice piercing the air.

"Fine!" Kairo threw his hands into the air and jumped inside of the cart. "Just step on it!"

"With pleasure-e!" Old Goat intonated, and the cart moved faster.

Kairo watched the crowd until only the floating dust remained above the horizon. He slid down the seat, allowing his body to relax, but his peace of mind lasted only for a few minutes.

"My Donut! I'm coming!" Her shriek would make even baldy bristle.

A peek over the edge told the boy the cat ropewalker refused to give up. A bathing sponge attached to a stick gave the araguma extra motivation to move forward.

"She's getting closer!" The boy grabbed Old Goat's shoulder, shaking him.

"Can not be-e helped"— The Old Goat nodded—"She-e is faster."

"We have to toss something out!" Kairo searched the small space for any worthless item. A sparkle appeared in Old Goat's eye, and with a quick push, he kicked Kairo off the cart. "Hey!"

"I'm coming, my Donut!"

"Oh, no, no!" he barked as a shiver ran down his spine and dashed after the cart.

##  Episode 00.B

♫~~~~~~~~~~~~~♫

To Be Continued...

♫~~~~~~~~~♫

"... and if she hasn't caught up to him, she's pursuing him till this day," the grandpa finished his bedtime story, but the children had fallen asleep. The flames in the fireplace dimmed, their light casting shallow shadows. He giggled. "Should I be flattered or offended." He let out a small puff of smoke.

He took a deep breath, stretching his body. A few joints crunched, but that was alright as he was well-baked. He moved the blanket over his legs away, and his eyes glimpsed hand-made, warm socks of seven colors.

"Oh, Donut," an old cat woman called him. His red eyes trailed her buxom figure. Even if her curves weren't as visible as in her younger days, she was the most beautiful wife under the sun. "Did you tell them that old story?" She put a tray with hot tea and a sandwich on the small table next to her husband.

"You know how they begged for weeks." A wide smile plastered across his face. He took her hand and kissed it, his long beard tingled her.

A slight blush tinted her fur. Despite the wrinkles, her face shone with a smile. She picked the smallest girl and took her to the bed.

Kairo helped to carry the children into their beds, and after that, he went back to sit and enjoy the sandwich. His wife soon joined him, and they held hands. "So, what adventure should I tell them tomorrow?"

"I'm sure they'll love it anyhow." She rested her head on his shoulder. The snow behind the window covered the whole land.

### ###

##  Omake

###  Easter Eggs

Hello, how was the Easter Egg hunt? Did you find any hidden secrets? I made sure to hide many small eggs and references. There are some I'm not even aware of. I'll list only Easter Eggs inside of titles, the name of the story, and the main duo names.

The Book's title:

  * NinRai

    * Nin = Is the first syllable from Ninja.

    * Rai = Is the last syllable from Samurai.

  * MissAdventures For Two

    * It's a word play on Misadventures and Miss.

Episode's names:

  * Episode 00 – The Neverending Tale

    * It's a direct reference to The Neverending Story written by Michael Ende.

  * Episode 01 – The Boy & The Rabbit

    * The name of a painting by Henry Raeburn.

  * Episode 02 – The Journey To Phantasia

    * Phantasia refers to Walt Disney Production movie Fantasia (1940).

    * The phrasing reflects word-to-word translation of Spirited Away (2001, Studio Ghibli) as it was used in the Czech dabbing (The Journey to Fantasia).

  * Episode 03 – The Postal Goofing

    * It refers to the book Going Postal, a novel written by Terry Pratchett.

  * Episode 04 – The Caper Time

    * It's a reference to Adventure Time TV series (2010) created by Pendleton Ward.

  * Episode 05 – The Girl Who Leapt Through Heart

    * Refers to a movie The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) produced by Madhouse.

  * Episode 06 – To the Dessert And Beyond

    * Is a reference to Buzz's one-line from Toy Story movies (Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios, 1995) and a word play on "desert".

  * Episode 07 – It's Show Time

    * It refers to one of phrases used by Kaito Kid (Magic Kaito, 1988) by Gosho Aoyama.

  * Episode 08 – Aba Bila & Rorty Rascals

    * It's a word play on a classical tale from 1001 Arabian Nights named Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves.

  * Episode 09 – One Peace

    * It's a reference to manga series One Piece (1997) by Eiichiro Oda.

  * Episode 10 – Blasting Off Again

    * It's a quote coming from Pokemon TV Series (The Pokémon Company, Satoshi Tajiri, 1997) said by Team Rocket.

  * To Be Continued...

    * Don't we just hate this phrase at the end of a thrilling episode?

Characters' names:

  * Kairo – Comes from Akairo (赤色), meaning Red Color in Japanese. When I established Arubi's name, I didn't want for both starting on an "A". But I liked how this name sounded, so I took out the "A".

  * Arubi – His name is based on a Japanese word Arubino (アルビノ) which means Albino.

###  Deleted scenes

During the writing process, I kept changing the story a bit by bit, until I decided to remove some scenes from the narration. Most of them came out as dragging and description-based. While I removed them, I still liked them enough to include them in a bonus section.

Those scenes aren't fully edited, so there might appear some mistakes as they were put aside after removing and may not be listed in chronological order.

Episode 01 – The Boy & The Rabbit + Episode 02 – The Journey To Phantasia

The first meeting with Konketsu before the feline ropewalker.

Kairo's eyes fell on a small, civet child with a tilted head that sucked its thumb that came to his field of vision. The boy pointed at his partner with a wide grin. The child's eyes shot open, and saliva escaped from its wide mouth. The boy squatted, and the kid immediately patted Arubi.

The rabbit made sure to dug his claw into the boy's hair, but Kairo hardly noticed as he watched the kid. He knew something was off with its body since it wasn't fully covered by a beige fur. While the kid had ears, tail, and facial features of civet people, its hands were free of any paws pads.

It was like its Atrop blood was weaker. That could mean only one thing; it was Konketsu, bearing the blood of Human and Atrop. Their bodies shared traits from both races, but the animal ears or tails could easily mislead others.

The youngster called Arubi a bunny, but the rabbit kept his temper in check. He couldn't turn into berserk in front of an innocent kid. He was glad when the kid's parents came and picked up the child, heading home from the marketplace. Arubi plopped down, feeling tired as Kaito walked forward.

During exploring the Waslan City.

1) But, he only saw a rare presence of Gray People which the race of mice liked to call themselves. They were quite small too. The tallest members had at most four feet and three inches including their big, round ears.

2) Kairo heard a few words between a human like him barging with a cat farmer. This Atrops surprisingly weren't at war with Gray People, and it wasn't rare to see them have a friendly chat over the tea.

During exploring the Waslan City – Merchant's district.

1) Some vendors had a flower pot next to their shops, and not just one bloomed with flowers corresponding with merchant's clothes. It was funny seeing a man in pink dress with purple zebra stripes.

2) Since they didn't try to sell him any suspicious ware, he moved forward, finally reaching wider street. Here the houses weren't hidden behind banners, and the merchants were less aggressive. They would still shout-out their merchandise but weren't that loud.

3) For a moment, the young man felt like he was in meat grinder as a tourist group of seniors decided to walk over him.

He survived thanks to the big capacity of his lungs and thin body, otherwise, he would end up as unlucky Hippochonder, who was pushed forward by them. Kairo wiped the sweat on his forehead.

The second paragraph about dwarfs.

There floated around a rumor about what was under it. Some people claimed what went into their long beards was taken from their hair. How else would one explain why only the young Dwarfs with barely any stubble had problems to strap their helmets on their lush hair?

Episode 03 – The Postal Goofing

During the opening scene with Post Office's history.

After the establishment of the main office, his business quickly grew, and new offices popped up like mushrooms after rain.

Old scene with summoned devil.

It happened many centuries ago, but Postal Post's main building was still in tip-toe shape. Walking barefoot could prove fatal as several nails refused to sink into the wood floor. The everlasting mass of people made it impossible for the cleaning service to enter. Many undiscovered secrets lay buried in the layers of dust. There circulated a story about one person who had awoken an ancient devil at a very awkward time.

The magician who created the circle forgot to set a time stamp for the summoning. The devil covered by bubbles with a swimming cap appeared as it stood in a bathtub with a bathing brush over his buttock. His high-pitched scream emptied the whole post office in a minute and shattered the windows. That poor devil quit his job after this embarrassing experience and started a flower shop called Flowey.

During and before the Tea House scene

... visited vegetable stall. The rabbit needed to refill his sack of wonders. White radishes looked delicious, and the leek was in top condition too. Broccoli caught Arubi's attention, so he spent fifteen minutes examining it.

Kairo yawned, once his partner started to look for vegetable, it was always a long wait. And they say girls take forever to pick clothes. The boy directed his eyes to the busy street where women wore colorful kimonos with hair ornaments of various shapes in their over-complicated buns. A group of children played with tops known as beigoma at the corner of a bigger shop.

The boy would check their game, but he felt a tug on his shirt. Arubi finished shopping sooner than Kairo would suspect and needed his partner to pay. Kairo sighed, and put into the stretched hand almost everything they had.

Episode 05 – The Girl Who Leapt Through Heart

During the pub scene.

One group was especially daring. The bandages around them could talk for centuries about their wacky adventures. However, their bodies were stiffed from the gypsum, so they had to leave the classical pub fight to the younger generation.

###  Original Headlines

In the original script, I had picture-headlines, but I was unable to format them for an e-book. I don't want them to turn into a lost media, so I'll include them here as a bonus. I hope you will enjoy them and be able to see them.

###  Glossary

Araguma – Animals nicknamed Desert Raccoons for their thick tails. Their big ears cover their face in sands storms. They are docile, and only full manger makes them move fast.

Atrops – A general term for anthropomorphic beings.

Camtaurs – A sub-species of Centaurs. They have two humps, where they gather water. They are proud of their bottoms, and offenders end in a lot of pain.

Centaurs – The biggest group from all Taurs. They don't talk much, are prone to drunk fights and short-tempered.

Cintera – A musical instrument resembling a harp and guitar mixed together.

Dark Elves – A race of Elves with a sweet spot for sappy romance books, red wine, and spandex.

Dogpig – A mix of a pig and dog. They are friendly and loyal with lovable nature.

Dromedaur – Animals similar to camels. They have three humps, long and flexible trunk, and special fur that protects them from heat and cold.

Feline Tribe – A sub-species of Atrops. They have strong cat features and abilities.

Firawa – A small, fire fennec-like creature with flaming tail and ears. Its cry can drive zombies back to graves.

Hai – It means "yes".

Hakama – Wide trousers.

Hippochonder – A hippopotamus-like Atrop race with many members often reserving a session with their doctors every week.

Katana – A sword with one edge and a slightly curved blade.

Kimono – A traditional Japanese garment with various lengths and patterns.

Kiseru – A long pipe with a small bowl made of metal.

Konketsu – People with Atrop and human parents.

Oni – A humanoid ogre with red skin. They have small horns on their head and wear tiger skin as a skirt.

Raon – A lion-like creature with blue fur and curved horns. They are skilled hunters, and they can be tamed.

Sagots – A working animal with a bottomless stomach. They have a calm nature and are often pulling carts.

Sahagobi – One of the biggest deserts.

Sando-gasa – Wide straw hat used in Asian countries.

Serpins – A snake race capable of making the best teas ever. They have no limbs.

Sharigo – A shark-like Atrops working as tanners.

Tengu – A humanoid being with a red long-nosed mask. They can fly and cause big winds.

Unitaur – A sub-species of Centaurs with a small horn on their forehead. They have white to silver hair, are docile in nature, and loves music and dancing.

Wagasa – A big, red umbrella used by Kairo as a weapon and protection from sun or rain.

Waraji – Straw sandals. They are cheap but can break easily.

Waslan – The city inside of this story. Its most notable districts are Craftsmen, MartHell™, and Rest-Stops. The Post Office is one of its most important buildings.

###  Map of Waslan City

##  The Road To NinRai and I

In one word — Bumpy.

A long time ago, when I was still in middle school, I started writing in my mother language. During that time, I had some longer books and many one-shots. It was fun, and I had regular readers. It was all I needed. The fact they enjoyed my silly stories and terrible grammar was enough.

I was approached by a fellow user who asked me to write a short fantasy story for their summer camp. I was thrilled to do so. It had been the biggest honor I received so far. I started to draft my story immediately, but it took me a few days to come up with the base idea.

The first version was a lot different from the final script you had a chance to read. The story was more action and dialogue-driven, but the duo was already bounty hunters and trouble magnets. It already had the intro of the story about half-pipsqueak and the trio of vermin.

There was a scene in a pub that introduced more about them in a dialogue of a few men. The Post Office also didn't exist here, but they still fought with a band of thieves. The Panzai scene also found its foundation in the first draft. From this draft, I used the summoning incident that occurred during the final action scene. This first draft had around 1.700 words.

The foundation of their characters remained mostly the same. However, for the sake of jokes, I had to change some of them and the names of my heroes too.

In the original script, Arubi disliked the word "hare" and was called "Us" from "Usagi". But that would look weird in the English version, so I came up with Arubi.

The small change happened with Kairo's name too. I originally called him "Akari", which also has "red color" as a meaning.

The title of this story didn't change much too. It used to be "Nin-muraj" and then "Ninja-burai" as a working title. "Burai" because "samurai" used to be written as "saburai" (侍).

This Czech version went through an editing process as well as I uploaded a longer version that I used as a base for the English version. It had about 8.000 words, and almost all scenes made their way into this novella.

Of course, something changed, especially my writing style, and so everything expanded and shifted until NinRai reached almost 24.000 words.

I'm still amazed by how much this story and I have grown together, and I'm just happy you could enjoy this story as well.

E. A. Hope

PS. Who can spot one more Easter Egg?

##  Credits

Pictures: pixabay.com (Free for Commercial Use License)

Fonts: 1001fonts.com (Free for Commercial Use License)

Frame in titles – GDJ

Episode 00 – 200degrees

Episode 01 – Alexandra_Koch

Episode 02 & 04 & 07 & 08 & 10 & 00.B – OpenClipart-Vectors

Episode 03 – naobim

Episode 05 – Annalise1988

Episode 06 – kreatikar

Episode 09 – geralt

Cover:

Red Umbrella – DeltaWorks

Fire ring – Geralt

Textures: Shameersrk

Fonts:

Titles: RhubarbPie

Cover: Arizonia

Map and compass:

Generated by using Medieval Fantasy City Generator and Compass Rose Generator (<https://watabou.itch.io/>)

##  NinRai 2 – Face Stealer

The duo's misadventures aren't ending any time soon!

Genres: Action, adventure, fantasy (original world), comedy

Summary (WIP): Kairo had faced many obstacles from closed inns to last-minute dine-and-dash escapades, but this time he may come face to face with his ugliest nemesis. Kairo never cared for his face, but he may lose it literally (figures, this is a book ¯\\_(^_^)_/¯)

Publishing: TBA

Rating: PG13 (very light swearing, some fighting)

