Okay, I just couldn't resist any longer >w<
Username: Howlingtothestars
Name: Hiroyuki (translates to Great Journey)
Gender: female
Story:
The grass covered every piece of fur except for the peak of her back mane, which stuck out from the green like a burnt tree branch. Slowly, the small viscling advanced toward her target, keeping her head low as her tail remained in the air, held stiffly as to avoid moving the grass. As she approached, reddish brown of the goal became visible and she hunched over more, driving her toes into the soft soil beneath her. Her breath came out in slow, strained pants as she tried her hardest to remain unnoticed. Then, in the blink of an eye, her muscles launched into action and she rocketed through the air towards the target before barely missing it and getting a mouthful of mud.
Hiroyuki snarled and spat in frustration before turning to face the target, an old birch stick. "You! You moved! Don't deny it, I saw you!" She snapped up the object in her jaws and shook it violently as if to punish the small stick. Finally, she threw it to the ground and released a feisty huff of air. "And stay there!" Hiroyuki, or Yuki, as she liked to be called, was the currently youngest child of a sweet and gentle couple named Autumn and Vance. Her elder brother Bo, was always open to her and rather peaceful a times. Hiroyuki's family was quiet the peaceful one, excluding her that is. This feisty young Viscet was the eight-ball on a pool table, the woodwind in a brass section, the firefly in the morning. In other words, she was the oddball. She often could be found practicing her hunting tactics with the stick she had named Paul, yelling at Paul, or attempting to roughhouse with Bo. She would often talk to inanimate objects at times, and when asked why, she would simply state that talking to them makes them feel less lonely before carrying on her one-sided conversation.
Hiroyuki turned from Paul the stick and dashed off into the tall grass once more, rushing to a random location before skidding, turning herself to face Paul, and flattening against the ground. Slowly, she began the stalking procedure, lurking closer to the unsuspecting Paul. A soft voice echoed through the wind before reaching Hiroyuki's folded ears, which pricked up in awareness. She hesitated for a moment before rushing foreword, snatching Paul up in her jaws, and sprinting toward her mother, Autumn.
Hiroyuki pranced up to her mother with Paul held proudly in her jaws. As she approached her, Autumn lowered onto all fours to better hear her hyperactive child. Hiroyuki dropped Paul and crouched excitedly, waving her tail in the air. "I almost had him today mom!"
"I bet you did. Was he hiding in mud today?"
Hiroyuki grinned and rubbed a paw against her mud caked cheek. "Nope! He just cheated again. He moved at the last second and made me fall in the mud!" Hiroyuki's green eyes flitted to Paul and she turned sharply, pouncing on him while waving her tail like a cat.
Autumn tilted her head slightly and smiled. "Oh that's sneaky Paul."
"Yeah!" Hiroyuki jumped up and twisted to face her mom, excited by her mothers interest. "I'm going to get him next time though! I promise!"
Autumn smiled at her small child. "I can't wait to hear about it. Now come on, it's time for a bath."
Hiroyuki hissed and turned sharply, scrambling as she attempted to flee only to be plucked from the ground by her mothers gentle arms. She squirmed and thrashed wildly all the way up until she was placed in the cool water of the nearby pond, where she finally calmed and let her mother wash the mud from her soft fur while she strategized how to take down Paul next time.
One Year Later
Hiroyuki lowered clumsily onto all fours and began advancing into position. She was now strong enough to stand shakily on her hindlegs, and, through constant begging, her father Vance had hesitantly agreed to teacher how to hunt large game, advancing from rabbits and squirrels to elk and hogs. Hiroyuki advanced toward the hog at a steady pace, her breath shaking in excitement. Behind her, placed expertly in a tree, Paul watched the scene play out from above, the smooth wood now marred with teeth marks and scratches. Hiroyuki froze five feet from the hog and crouched, feeling her muscles tense as she braced herself for impact. A moment later, she launched toward the hog only to tumble clumsily into the wet soil beside the beast. The hog squealed loudly in surprise and rushed away, leaving Hiroyuki dazed and aggravated. Slowly, she began to rise, but she froze at the sight of a large body rushing at her. The alpha of the hogs rushed towards her, his head lowered and his powerful tusks aimed for her side. Before Hiroyuki could squeak, Vance crashed into the hog, sending both tumbling to the side. Her father kicked away from the beast and skid, crouching and snarling viscously at the beast until it turned away and fled, knowing it was about to enter a fight it could not win.
Vance padded back to his daughter and helped her stand. "You almost had it this time."
"Yeah... Just a little less than how I almost died... Again..." Hiroyuki recalled the failed attempt with the elk. She had fallen in front of it after tripping on a root and almost had her head crushed by the sharp hooves of the beast if it weren't for her father.
"You'll get the hang of it... You just have to keep trying. I know you can do it."
Hiroyuki looked away and pulled her ears back in frustration. "I can't even catch Paul. I have to set traps to catch a rabbit..."
"Hey, now. Where's that feisty spirit at? You can't just give up, that's not the Yuki I know."
Hiroyuki sighed softly and looked at her father. Slowly, a smile grew onto her face and she nodded. "Alright. Let's do this thing!"
"That's my girl!"
Hiroyuki sprinted off after the hogs, barely hearing her father shouting at her about stealth as she burst into the small clearing that the beast had gathered in, only to turn and sprint the other way as the alpha charged at her. Vance laughed as his daughter passed him while repeatedly saying "nope" even after the hog has returned to his group.
Six Months Later
Hiroyuki jogged through the forest, her ears pricked as high as they could go and her senses on high alert. It was early morning and the heat of the midsummer afternoon had not struck the world yet, allowing her to travel freely. After spring had passed, the days seemed to replay constantly in a never ending loop. It had become boring and predictable to Hiroyuki. Each day seemed to leave a heavy, depressing weight on her heart that was best shown through the heavy sighs that escaped her from time to time. Hiroyuki was growing bored of her life, which meant that it was time to find a new adventure.
She jogged past several identical bushes that bore the same color fruit and seemed to move beneath the hot wind in the same exact way. Hiroyuki pulled her gaze from the ground and picked up her pace, accelerating towards nowhere as she desperately tried to break the repetitive rut she had dug herself into at the start of summer. Her legs moved faster and she leaned foreword, throwing her weight ahead as she plowed through the dry, golden grass. There were several times that she stumbled, once where she even fell, but never once did she stop. Her mind was blank, empty of any thoughts that could hold her back or shoved her foreword. All she knew right now, in this moment, was how to run, so that's what she did.
It was midday when she stopped, the heat and exhaustion causing her movements to be sluggish as she trudged through the now rocky terrain. Finally, she stopped entirely and looked around, breathing heavily and shaking slightly. The dense trees were now narrowed down to a few dozen with several crooked stumps jutting from the dry ground. The soil was dried up and cracked beneath her paws like thin ice. Hiroyuki's ears flattened against the back of her head as she realized that she had no idea where she was. She walked in a circle several times, called out to her family, and even tried to follow her scent trail, but it was all in vain. Eventually, she plopped down and curled up on the ground shaking. The heat and exhaustion combined with the misery and fear of her lost state to form a horrible twisted feeling in her heart and gut that made her breath come out in short, jagged wheezes. For the first time in her life, Hiroyuki was genuinely scared.
As she laid on the ground in a shivering lump, she remained oblivious to the small, tawny, fox-like creature that stepped tenderly toward her, it's head tilting from side to side. The small creature stepped around Hiroyuki until it stood in front of her and sat down, three tail swaying hypnotically behind it. Hiroyuki slowly looked at the creature and took it in. A fox-like build with large ears and three tails. Around its neck hung seven red beads with a browned piece of paper hanging from the center bead. Behind the beaded necklace, four gold ribbons rested along the creatures back, running past its tails and hovering just above the ground. Perhaps the most curious part of it, was the fact that she could understand it. "What are you doing, Great Journey?"
Hiroyuki lifted her head slowly. She knew that her name meant Great Journey, but she never really cared for it and no one called her it. "I'm lost. Isn't that obvious?" The misery and fear had twisted to become anger and her words came out sharply, thick with sarcasm and irritation.
The fox flicked its ears and tilted its head down, looking up at her quizzically. "Are you?"
"No, I'm just laying on dead earth because it's fun. Of course I'm lost!"
"No, not lost. You've only begun."
Hiroyuki snarled at the creature and began to advance towards it on all fours until her head was directly above the smaller creature. "Listen up, I'm lost. I don't want to be here and I'm not supposed to be here, so unless you know how to get back to my family, then just go away."
"I do know how."
"Yeah, I tho- wait. You what?" All at once, the sarcasm and anger transformed into relief and her body visibly relaxed. "Oh thank goodness! Please, please show me how to get home!"
The fox blinked at her before standing and padding away. "Come along, Journey."
Hiroyuki followed the small spirit fox eagerly as the two walked away from the forest and trees and further into a barren desert. When Hiroyuki began to catch on to what was going on, she stopped dead and growled at the creature. "You liar."
The spirit fox looked back at her and tilted its head, clearly amused. "Pardon?"
"You said you knew where my family was! You lied to me!"
The fox chuckled lightly, emitting a sound that resembled the soft tinkling of bells. "Oh you poor, gullible creature. If you are going to be so hostile then I won't show you the way."
"You don't know the way!" Hiroyuki snarled and lunged at the creature. Instead of crashing into the spirit fox, she went through it, and watched with horrified eyes as the once beautiful creature burst into black and red smoke that spiraled upward and disappeared into the dark sky.
It was cold, which was odd to Hiroyuki. Averagely she expected summer nights to be just as hot as the days, but here it was cold, freezing even. The darkness that coated the grainy sand was too thick for her to navigate back the way she came, so she laid in the sand and enjoyed the warmth of it as it slowly faded away. It seemed as if everything that lived here was nocturnal. Loud songs from odd creatures rang throughout the air as they awakened for their nightly feast. At one point, a scorpion decided to climb on top of her back, which forced her to her feet with a horrified scream. She pranced about for several moments, stomping her feet and shaking violently as the feeling of the creature haunted her fur even after it had been flung several feet away. She finally stopped with a heavy shudder and looked around. The world was tinted green from the lack of light, but things were still visible from several feet away. She watched as an owl dove down and snatched up a mouse that hopped like a rabbit before arcing up and landing in a dead tree to eat. On the ground, an ant slid into a pit the size of her paw, only to have the ground constantly slip from underneath it until a massive spider sprung from the center of the pit and dragged the smaller insect beneath the sand. Several feet away, an small creature with ears the size of its body slipped out of a hole in the ground and jogged along quietly. It soon spotted a jack rabbit and rushed after it, easily catching the hare and dragging it to the hole where several young ones squeaked in excitement. Hiroyuki struggled to contain a whine as she looked around her. Everything she saw was either killing something or being killed, and the insects of this place seemed to be everywhere.
Hiroyuki's blood ran cold when a constant rattling noise broke out behind her. Slowly, she looked back to view the a spade-headed serpent coiled into a ball with its tail tip raised and shaking. On its back, several dark diamond shapes screamed in warning at Hiroyuki and the word struck her heart and shot fear and adrenalin through her blood. Venomous. Very, very venomous. In the forest, something that was too brightly colored would mean big trouble, but here, it was all in the appearance, and if the head and tail weren't already a warning, then the markings were a siren. Without thinking, Hiroyuki bolted away from the snake and plowed through the desert, leaving the spot of where the spirit fox had left her behind as she sprinted away from everything. The instant her eyes caught sight of another creature, she changed direction to flee from it, forcing her to travel in a frantic zig-zag until finally she came to a mountain range. Relieved, she rushed toward the formations and began to climb, screeching and bolting whenever a creature came into view until she found herself inside of a cave. Her legs trembled and gave out beneath her, and she collided heavily with the hard stone. She laid there panting, unwilling to move or even try to stand. Her heart was still racing when she finally submitted to sleep.
A heavy puff of air blasted against Hiroyuki's face and her eyes flittered open. Hiroyuki's gleaming emerald eyes gazed calmly into the curious, chocolate brown eyes of a small-ish creature with a stocky build, short tail, small, rounded ears, and a large black nose. Better known as a bear cub.
Confused, Hiroyuki raised her head and she looked down at the small creature, which fell back on its rump in a clumsy fashion. Hiroyuki smiled softly at the small creature and stood up before reaching down and picking the bear cub up in her arms, grunting slightly at the mammals weight. The bear cub made several curious noises before arcing its head up and snuffling her chest fur curiously. Hiroyuki smiled and nuzzled the little creature. "Are you lost too?" She tenderly licked the young ones cheek before lifting her head and looking out the cave. "I guess we can be lost together then... Some company is better than none, at least."
She stepped foreword, walking steadily toward the caves exit, when a gruff snarl rippled menacingly behind her. Slowly, Hiroyuki turned her head to stare straight into the eyes of a female grizzly bear, her hackles raised in aggression and her fangs bared as she rose onto her hind legs, towering easily three feet over Hiroyuki's head. Hiroyuki stood frozen with wide, horrified eyes up until a roar broke from the throat of the beast and shattered the air around them. The instant the sound blasted from the beast, Hiroyuki sprinted, still carrying the bear cup in her arms.
Hiroyuki stumbled and hopped past rocks and the jagged terrain of the mountainside, a raging mother bear thundering after her. As she ran, her foot hooked onto a curled rock and sent her tumbling to the ground. From the force of the impact, she dropped the bear cub and the two tumbled several feet before skidding to a stop on the grainy sand at the base of the mountain. Hiroyuki stood slowly, cringing from the several scratches and bruises she received from the tumble, and looked around for the bear cub. Her eyes locked onto the small creature, laying on its side in the hot sand. She sprinted toward it and gathered the cub in her arms before dashing away.
It seemed that the arrival of the sun banished all creatures of the desert. The barren wasteland of sand and cacti seemed to sway from the heat exerted by the sun. The sounds of the furious mother bear were now distant, growing quieter as she ran on. In her arms, the bear cub remained silent and limp, which concerned Hiroyuki greatly. She often slowed her pace to nudge the cub or lick it's warm fur, trying to urge it to awaken, but to no avail. She carried on with her run, sprinting until her legs could no longer preform the task and forced her to walk.
Hiroyuki trudged through the sand, dragging her feet and pulling sand with her. Finally she lowered the bear cub to the ground and fell over beside it, breathing heavily. She watched the small cubs chest slowly rise and fall as it breathed contently through its unconsciousness. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to fall like that..." The bear cub remained silent a motionless except for the rhythmic rise and fall of its chest. "I hope you aren't hurt..." Slowly, Hiroyuki rolled to her stomach and sniffed the cub, gently pressing her nose against its legs and spine to check for any blood or wounds. After finding nothing, she slowly staggered to her hindlegs and scanned the horizon in search of water. "It gets cold at night... And a lot of monsters come out... We can't stay here long, okay?" After failing to see any source of water or shelter, other than the mountains where the furious mother bear lurked, Hiroyuki looked at the bear cub in defeat. "I can't carry you like last time...it wears me out... Come on little guy....please wake up..." Tenderly, she nudged the small creature several times, pleading for it to open its eyes, but the cub remained limp and silent.
Hiroyuki paced around the cub for several minutes, murmuring to herself and talking to nothing in particular. The heat of the desert was starting to get to her and she could feel her mind slowly deteriorating. Finally, she turned sharply to face the cub and slammed her foot down. "Alright, fine! If you won't wake up, and I can't use my arms to carry you, I'll find another way!" She dove onto all fours and began wiggling her nose under the bear cub until it laid on her head. From there, she maneuvered the small animal down her neck until it came to a rest on her shoulders. She then stood slowly, and began to jog about a bit, even shaking once, to make sure that the cub would stay in place. After finding her plan successful, she began jogging off in a new direction. The new placement of the weight was less strain on her, but still made a simple task, such as walking or sniffing the ground, twice as hard. Still, she refused to just abandon the young cub. In her mind, it was just as lost as she was. A child trapped somewhere new by a creature larger than it. In her mind, if she hadn't come along then the young one would have been the larger creatures dinner. In her mind, the fact that she had kidnapped a young bear cub from its mother was as vacant as the corpses that lay half coated in the sand.
Hiroyuki trudged onward, the bear cub swaying limply on her shoulders. Her fiery spirit had dwindled down to no more than a candle flame as the sand had caused her paws to bleed, altered her breathing pattern, lashed at her eyes, and clung to her fur. Her stomach snarled like a rabid wolf, demanding to be fed immediately and twisting and gnashing when it wasn't. The sun was beginning to dip below the flat land ahead creating a halo of purple and gold around the darkening blue sky. The comforting colors unnerved Hiroyuki, as horrifying memories of the monsters she had seen just the night before flashed behind her eyes. She stumbled slightly and began to jog, adrenaline kicking in again at the thought of those monsters that lurked in the shadows. Below her, the sand darkened to a dark ember color as the sun began to throw shadows miles from their hosts. Hiroyuki broke out into a sprint, the bear cub bobbing awkwardly on her shoulders as she ran. She kept running, keeping her eyes away from the ground to avoid sighting any monsters that may be emerging from their dens. Her imagination soared, painting a horrifying image of shadow hands breaking through the ground and reaching up, clawing after her as she ran. Insects burst from every crack and crevice and rushed at her. Above her, an owl swooped from the dark sky, puffs of black and red smoke billowing from each feather as it watched her with burning eyes. The owls mouth opened as it dove toward her, and it stretched forth its talons.
Hiroyuki screamed as her paws collided with water and all at once the images her mind had painted exploded into wispy black smoke. She stood in the middle of the oasis, panting heavily and looking around in confusion. She turned in a circle several times, taking in her surroundings. The sun was gone now, replaced by a moon that peaked over the horizon, a golden hue to its silvery color. Stars speckled the sky and reflected in the cool water creating an odd glowing illusion. Cricket chirps sang through the wind as it moved slowly, gently pushing at the leaves of a tree that grew beside the pond. All at once, the stress and panic that had held Hiroyuki's heart faded away and she felt as though she could finally breath.
Hiroyuki gazed at the water blankly for a moment as her mind slowly processed what she was standing in. When she realized what it was, a massive smile stretched across her face and she began leaping about, splashing the water everywhere in celebration. In her excitement, she failed to notice the bear cub, which had fallen off of her back and into the cool water. An instant later, the creatures fluffy head emerged from the water and it looked around with wide brown eyes. Hiroyuki stopped her excited leaps and looked to the cub. "Look! Water! Actual water!" She playfully flicked her tail and splashed water at the cub, who caught on and began rolling around and swimming in the now muddy water. After rejoicing, the two quickly began to guzzle the clear liquid, relieved to finally have something in their bellies. After they had drank their fill, they climbed out of the water. Hiroyuki curled up around the bear cub, who nestled up happily against her warm stomach. That night, the desert didn't seem so scary.
When Hiroyuki woke up, the first thing she saw was a flock of crows standing beside the small pond. Immediately, her stomach snarled, demanding her to stand up and hunt. Slowly, she stood from her resting place, cautious as to not wake the cub or startle the birds, and crouched down. She eyed the flock quietly while replaying her fathers hunting lesson in her head. She took small, silent steps toward the flock while remaining low to the ground. Several birds paused and cocked their heads at her in confusion, but simply went back to their usual business soon after. When Hiroyuki was a few feet away, she lunged and snatched up a clueless crow in her jaws while the others flew away in a wild flurry of black feathers and loud squawks. Hiroyuki turned around triumphant and smiled as she saw the young cub sitting up, awoken from the noise of the large black birds. She padded up to the cub on all fours and gently placed down the birds body before nudging it toward the smaller creature. Immediately, the cub began to devour the creature ravenously until it was nearly stripped to the bone. As it ate, Hiroyuki studied it, pondering about the cub. "You need a name, don't you?" The cub looked up and licked its lips for a moment before returning to the bird to eat. "Hm... I know! Rocky!" The cub grunted and continued to eat. "No? Muffin? Teacup?" Another mindless grunt echoed from the cubs throat. "Kuhami?" At that, the cubs head shot up and it's ears wiggled slightly. Hiroyuki smiled and waved her tail happily. "Kuhami it is!"
Hiroyuki's blood suddenly ran cold and her fur raised as she sighted something rather large and moving quite fast in the distance. From her position, she could only make out a vague black shape that waved and rippled in the heat as it approached. Slowly, she lowered her forepaws to the ground and twitched her head, gesturing for Kuhami to climb atop her shoulders. The bear cub followed without question and sat between her shoulder blades. Hiroyuki narrowed her eyes slightly at the figure while running over the possibilities in her mind. It could be that large bear from the mountains again, or possibly something worse. Yet, perhaps it was something good...something that could help them... The last thought kept her grounded as the figure approached. No matter what, if there was a chance at getting help to find her way home, she couldn't loose it, so she stood there in grim silence, bracing herself for a fight.
Hiroyuki gazed hard at the figure as it approached, her tail swaying slightly. It was more visible now that it was closer. A tall creature with a tall arcing back and a long, whip-like tail. It was lean and quick on its feet, dashing easily through the rocky terrain and even hopping to the side at times to avoid something. The closer it got, the faster Hiroyuki's heart began to race until, finally, the sun simmered light onto the creature and revealed it. Relief, embarrassment, and anxiousness hit Hiroyuki all at once as she realized it was another Viscet. It had folded ears like most of her family and bore brown, black, and cream colors. Around its neck was a vibrant red cloth folded into a triangle and shifted off to the side. As the Viscet came closer, Hiroyuki began walking toward it to try and meet it faster. When they were a few feet away, the Viscet slowed abruptly to a stop and looked at her with a slightly confused expression. "Hello, is there something you needed? I didn't think anyone else would be out here..." He seemed almost disappointed, as if he was hoping to be alone.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your run...its just...I was wondering if you might be able to help me find my way home?..."
He looked at her with softer eyes now, as though he pitied her. "Maybe. Who do you live with?" He shifted his stance and swept his tail left to right a few times as he studied her. Hiroyuki suddenly felt a little self-conscious as she thought about all the mud and filth that must be stuck to her fur now.
"Vance and Autumn are my parents."
"Vance and Autumn, huh? I don't know them, but I know someone who might. If you want to come with me, I can show you the way."
Hiroyuki's ears pricked up at the last words and the memory of the fox-like creature exploding into smoke struck her mind and filled her with weariness. "Can I do something first?..."
"What is it?"
Without warning, she rushed at him and crashed into the Viscet, sending both tumbling to the ground. The male barked in surprise and quickly stood up. "What was the for?!"
Hiroyuki helped Kuhami climb onto her shoulders before she stood and looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, I had to make sure..."
"Make sure of what?" He rose up and relaxed slightly, though his tail still flicked in irritation.
"There was this fox thing that said it would guide me early, only to abandon me in a puff of smoke..." He didn't respond for a while, which made Hiroyuki suddenly feel rather stupid. "So...lead the way..."
"Alright. Just, not more tackling, okay?"
"Alright. I'll refrain." Hiroyuki smiled playfully at him. "I'm Hiroyuki."
He nodded. "Nice to meet you. I'm Nanook."
It was about a three week trip to the Viscet Nanook had mentioned. Along the way, Hiroyuki had managed to catch a few smaller prey and injure herself in a failed attempt at hunting an elk, which Nanook caught masterfully after her failure. Kuhami had grown to nearly three times his size and was no longer able to ride on Hiroyuki's shoulders, though he often rested his massive head on her when it came time to rest. With help from Nanook, Hiroyuki had managed to teach the bear how to hunt small game and fish, which proved to be rather useful as the energy-filled bear often found joy in hunting large amounts of critters when asked.
When the new pack began to steadily come into view, a rush of relief and curiosity flowed over the three. Nanook entered first to inform the pack of Kuhami to avoid a fight or any arguments. When the signal was given, Hiroyuki hopped the low hedge that marked the border to the central area of the pack. Behind her, Kuhami simply plowed through them without a care, his muscular arms making the task rather easy.
The first thing Hiroyuki saw was a tall grey Viscet with odd golden horns that bore candles. Perhaps it was the horns, or the fact that she was standing closest with a cold stare in her eyes, but something about her unnerved Hiroyuki. Beside the horned Viscet, four others stood quietly. To the left of the horned Viscet, a dark brown and black Viscet with red markings, horns, and small tufts of fur on her elbows and legs stood beside a silvery-white Viscet with red swirled markings that faded to purple and a red scarf-like object around her neck. To the right of the horned Viscet, a dark grey and white Viscet with red swirled markings stood with her ears pricked up and her stub of a tail wiggling slightly. Beside her, Nanook stood awkwardly, glancing between Hiroyuki and the dark brown Viscet with the straight horns. Finally, the dark, straight horned Viscet stepped foreword and spoke up. "Hello, Hiroyuki. My name is Amaris, the leader of this pack. This is Kazim." The white Viscet with the red scarf nodded her head gently. "That's Ahkema." The Viscet with candled horns snorted heavily, still eyeing Hiroyuki. "And that's Xuikcho." The Viscet with the short tail didn't really react when mentioned. Instead, she simply gazed at Hiroyuki with an almost bored expression. "Nanook told us that you were looking for Autumn and Vance? Xuikcho knows Autumn, perhaps she could help."
Hiroyuki stood in awkward silence, uncertain of what to say in response. Finally, the short-tailed Viscet Xuikcho spoke up. "I'll take you back home. It'll be about a three days journey."
Hiroyuki smiled broadly at her. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."
Xuikcho nodded indifferently. "I'll be back in a moment." With that, she turned and jogged off, leaving Hiroyuki behind with the four other Viscets. They stood in awkward silence, Hiroyuki trying to avoid Ahkemas intimidating stare, until Xuikcho came back. "Alright, you ready?" Hiroyuki nodded eagerly and Xuikcho jerked her head slightly. "Cool. Let's go. I'll be back later, guys."
"Stay safe!" The white Viscet with the red scarf stepped foreword slightly with concern in her eyes. In response, Xuikcho gave a brief nod of acknowledgement and rushed towards the hedge, leaping over it with ease. Hiroyuki waved to Nanook before following Xuikcho. Behind them, Kuhami snorted slightly before plowing through the hedge and charging after them, easily catching up with his long, powerful legs.
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