FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A sand vixen strolled happily along the small jungle pathway noting the familiar sets of plants and trees all around her. The vulpine didn't possess a thread of cloth to her name, and that's how she always lived. Rik stopped by a large tree that partially resembled a spiral in shape.

"Hmm." She traced a finger along the bark. It was one of her favorite places to take naps or just relax at. The tree made it all possible by sprouting up sideways from the bottom before curving back up to the sky leaving a large empty seat for someone to sit in. Without hesitation, Rik hopped onto the tree's slick bark free top. She laid back with both of her legs dangling on each side of the tree carefree, and set her hands on her lap. The constant hum from insects created a rhythmic white noise for Rik to take a nap with. The speckled sunlight warmed her creamy white and golden fur splendidly, and the vixen enjoyed it wearing a big grin. Her mind wandered to the other trees that she had climbed to take a nap off the ground, but none were as convenient as this one. It served to as a loft above the ground and at one point, something to talk to. Loneliness had been her toughest foe to conquer, but Otho's unexpected arrival from the sky changed her life in the best possible ways since the unfortunate attack on her village. She loved having someone to be with despite how different and strange that someone was. But she liked him and all of his differences.

He had opened up a lot more since their first peculiar meeting, although he was generally private about concealing his body even while bathing. 'Why does he even wear clothes? They don't do anything.' She sighed unable to understand the raccoon's reasons for hiding something so obvious. There was nothing wrong with his body or his fur pattern that she knew of, and he looked normal when he was at the pond to bathe in. Then again, Rik barely remembered what a male was supposed to like down there. 'So strange.' The vixen summed up with a sigh shifting comfortably on the tree limb. But Otho was great company, and even despite the strange shyness accompanying his clothes, he was open about everything she asked him. It was funny though when she accidentally startled him on more than a few occasions. The tips of her claws brushed over the ground as she stretched her legs hearing a bird chirp melodiously a few branches above her. It reminded her of Otho's adroit hands and how they loosened all the muscles underneath her skin. "How can his hands do that?" She wiggled her creamy tanned toes watching the claws dance on top of them. Curling her legs forward, she grabbed them feeling over the padded sections underneath.

He made it look so easy. She couldn't think of an answer, but smiled knowing that he never refused doing it. Hopping down from the low lying limb, the female leisurely walked back through the jungle to her home where Otho was resting for part of the afternoon.

A raccoon sat down against a tree wearing nothing but socks, shoes, and a torn pair of shorts. Otho sighed in his little shady spot, curling his tail into his lap. After weeks of living in the jungle without a rigid schedule, things weren't so bad without the comforts of home. Otho enjoyed free time to just think since he was usually busy trying to survive with Rik. Her company and expertise were both very worthwhile. Having someone to talk to was a blessing by itself when he was so far away from civilization, and she was always open to talking. The thought of never going home still bothered him, but nowhere near as bad as before. If it did, then Rik was more than glad to talk and console him. One thought, however, didn't leave the raccoon's curious mind.

'Why would an advanced machine be running around in a jungle on an unknown planet?' The only interesting things that had recently happened in the history of his country was a short brutal civil war. It wiped out the last humans over a century ago, and no one to his knowledge ever battled way out here past Florae base where he was stationed at. 'But... If there are robotic soldiers here, then they must be receiving commands from a central source. Which means-' "Oof! Rik?" The raccoon opened his eyes seeing the happy vixen sitting with her paws in his lap. Before he could say anything else, she laid back folding her hands over her belly relaxing. The sand vixen that chased and then rescued him had been overwhelmingly hospitable to him. That fact that she spoke English was the greatest convenience since he had crashed despite how imperfect it was. But with all the talking they did, her speech was steadily improving. Otho tried having her wear his spare flight suit countless times to at least cover herself, but the nude vulpine hated everything about wearing his clothes. Sure they were made for someone a two inches taller, but she practically had a list of complaints at hand if he brought the matter up again. So Otho just got used to the idea of her nudity being with him constantly. "I am not your personal masseuse Rik." He smirked starting to rub her soft right sole anyway.

"Mmmm-masseuse?" The fox hummed delightedly, feeling his thumbs work over the creamy pad-less middle.

"Someone who does this as a means of surviving." He elaborated watching the vixen melt in his hands. Her other paw eagerly pressed and rubbed against the back of his hand wanting its turn as well.

"How can this help someone survive?" She asked before cooing as he skillfully went over a sensitive spot.

"It's very different back at my home to 'survive,' but for you I guess it keeps muscles relaxed." He pressed against her arch faithfully. The sand vixen closed her eyes as he artfully worked, making every discomfort melt away. Her ears listened in on the surroundings sounds contently while Otho's mind was still focused on a few unanswered questions. 'How did a machine like that get here? And Rik's village had access to very modern weapons.'

"You're thinking a lot." Rik noticed his hands slowing their work as he gradually lost focus.

"It's that robotic machine that you killed weeks ago. It shouldn't be here."

"Shouldn't? It is." She stated with a grin as he began working through her toes.

"No, someone else had to build it on this planet or very close to this planet. I'm not a technician, but if we kill one robot without sinking it in a swamp then I might be able to make a radio to contact someone in the area. If you survived that attack when you were twelve, who knows how many others did." Besides, someone had to have a powerful interstellar radio if Rik had a state of the art weapon.

"You think my family might be alive?" She asked hopefully, propping herself up on her elbows.

"It's worth a try, and who knows, maybe I'll find a way to contact mine as well." It was certainly better than hunting and foraging forever until one of them became too old or had a life threatening accident. Otho set the sand vixen's paw aside with a plan in mind, and prepared to stand.

"W-wait." Rik stopped him.

"What?"

"Other paw." She mumbled petting over his hand with her sole. He looked at her paw and then the vixen's expectant grin.

"Alright," he pressed his thumbs into the other one soothingly, "We can get some things ready here before nightfall and go back to my ship tomorrow."

"Mm. Thank you." She relaxed as he continued. Rik would never pass up on the only form of pampering she knew of.

Two figures stalked quietly through the forest floor, leaves crumpling underneath their steps. This section of forest was rarely frequented by either of them due to a potential encounter with murderous machines and its distance from camp. Because of the danger, Rik had her trusted gun in hand. The raccoon and sand vixen made their way northwest where the pilot's old ship rested. It had been over a month since the fateful day he crashed in the exotic jungle, but to Otho it had barely happened a day ago.

"Are we almost there?" Otho asked avoiding a spider web in his path behind Rik. His voice didn't travel far with the plethora of noises the jungle created with its numerous inhabitants, big and small, but it managed to reach his friend.

"Just a little further." She blended through another wall of leaves. Leaves swished and a thin branch creaked as Otho followed less gracefully over the flat terrain. The terrain always proved to remind the pilot just how far away from home he really was. A bright patch of sunlight stung his eyes momentarily as he stepped into the open area. "We're here." Rik stopped in front of him.

"Thank you for the warning Rik." He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the unfiltered light.

"You're welcome." His sarcasm missed her completely. Following her around a bend, they found the ship in pieces where it had crashed. His Toulousian Tailpaw had seen better days. Some exposed parts looked dull and had signs of rust if they weren't already marked with growing vines, moss, or spider webs. Bits of metal and expensive glass scattered in the ground were already being overtaken by mud and grass. An odd sense of nostalgia overcame Otho as they approached the wreckage. Noises from the hangar echoed in his thoughts from whenever he set out, along with technicians working diligently to repair something on a neighboring vessel. 'I guess Colonel Shehu wouldn't pass me for vehicle inspection.'

"So big." Rik stared at the large craft's red and white body, waiting for Otho to take the lead. She didn't like large metal structures for good reason.

"Yeah." He agreed humbly. Although this was tiny compared to larger ranked ships that made up the army's core units. He led her to the closed door whose room remained relatively intact from the emergency landing. Opening the steel door revealed an abandoned room with a few rays of sunlight filtered through the cracks and holes in the ceiling.

"Is it safe?" She peered inside the dimly lit space as Otho entered.

"Yeah, there shouldn't be anything dangerous if the door was closed." He peered around the space where he would normally take a break or eat if he was still in space before deeming safe to proceed. His shoes lightly patted over the metal floor as he looked around. It was eerie stepping into the back room where he had scrounged around for a quick rescue barely one month ago. The panels on the wall were cracked, and plenty of broken stuff was littered towards the door just how he had left it.

"The ground is cold!" Rik shivered and looked down at the panels beneath her bare paws.

"There's no electricity passing underneath to help keep them at room temperature." Otho stated as he dug through a bottom cabinet. "And metal gets kind of cold." He found a small grey book titled "The Most Common Plants to find on an Advanced Planet," and stuffed it into his backpack. 'I'll never know if I need it, but better safe than sorry.' Rik hopped over and sat down on one of the counters while Otho rummaged around looking for anything else that might be useful. The room looked very alien to her. Reds, whites, and greys were the primary colors of nearly every fixture. She rubbed her hand over the counter's oddly flat texture.

'So cold... and smooth.' The sand vixen clacked her claws over the surface only to shudder. Rik was fascinated with the alien design, but didn't like the tiny space it was crammed in. Nothing could beat fresh air with limitless trees to her. Otho continued scrounging in the neighboring cabinets finding a pair of pliers and wire cutters before stuffing them into the backpack as well. "Find everything?" She asked seeing him stand up.

"Hold on. I need to see if there is some reserve power left in the backup tank." He walked to the back and opened a sliding metal panel revealing a small board of switches and other apparatuses. Otho flipped two, but nothing happened. 'Well no power in reserves.' He closed the panel with a metallic click. 'Let's see what else we can find.' Otho went to the bottom cabinet that Rik was sitting on. "Watch your legs." He parted them before sliding the cabinet door open. Otho felt Rik rest her paws on his shoulders, but didn't mind while digging through a box. "There has to be something..." He chucked the box out. A broken battery, oxygen mask, and a random manual were tossed away as well before spotting something that might be of use. "Hello!" Rik heard him speak with surprise.

"Find something?" She peered between her legs as the raccoon's ringed tail danced excitedly. His face had lost all of its excitement as he stood up in front of her wielding a small black hand gun. "Need bigger shooter." She replied patting the barrel of her weapon.

"There's no use anyway. I can't find the ammunition that went with it." Otho pretended to fire the trigger only for an empty click to sound off. "But we still have your gun."

"Find other items?"

"Nothing that works or can do anything." He scuffed the floor with a shoe. That left them with the final piece to making a radio. "Ok... So where can we find one of those giant machines at?"

"Hm. Follow me, but stay quiet." Rik pointed at his shoes suspiciously.

"Yes Rik the quick." He teased the vixen's readiness to leave the ship's room, and followed her outside.

"Don't like your ship." She shivered and shook her body as if it was dripping with water.

***

Rik kept Otho right at her side as they stalked the forest floor. The experienced sand vixen, let alone her raccoon counterpart, rarely traversed this far west into the jungle because of those fiendish machines populating the area. It was starting to feel like a nightmare to Otho, walking around until you find trouble or until trouble finds you.

"Can't we just fire a shot into the air and wait for one to come here?" He asked quietly brushing a branch out of their way.

"No. Wastes a shot." She explained as they crouched behind a few plants low to the ground. The both peered around the area looking for some sign of the giant marauding machine. Although it was tough enough to see past ten meters in most spots.

'I don't know how anyone could see-' Rik abruptly yanked Otho to the ground, giving the raccoon a muzzle full of dirt to bite on. "Ouch! Careful Rik!" He spat out.

"Sh!" Rik hushed him immediately as the subtle sounds came closer. He wiped his face clean and remained low to the ground. His ears dialed in and barely heard a light thumping nearby just beyond the furthest cluster of trees. He held onto the vixen's paw and leg as the robotic steps came closer. "No massage now." She whispered spotting the machine through the trees.

"I'm not-!" He zipped his mouth shut hearing a sapling being snapped in half. Rik aimed and followed its every step staring down the barrel of her gun. 'Oh man.' Otho started shaking as it walked by with plodding metallic steps, leaving large imprints behind in the peaty ground. It remained unaware of their presence as it marched noisily in front of their hiding place. Rik gave no hesitation and fired two shots into the machine's head, sending it to the ground with a loud thump. Otho tightened his grip on Rik's body as it tried to sit up, but the sand vixen fired another round into its head effectively halting the mechanical movements. A moment of silence passed before either of them dared to move. "For a second I thought he wouldn't die." Otho relaxed with a sigh of relief.

"I once thought that too." She sat up brushing a leaf off her ear and straightened her hair. The machine's body was still, but movement caught her trained eye. One of its turret arms slowly aimed at the pair alarming the sand vixen. "Move! Move!" Rik yanked Otho from the ground and sprinted to their right into a cluster of bamboo. The turret sprayed well over a dozen rounds on their old position before firing a larger blast that sent large clumps of dirt into the trees. Rik quickly returned fire and landed a hit on its shoulder and head, blasting a large steel chunk away. A high pitched noise emitted from what was left of the machine's head piece as its arm fell to the ground.

"Careful!" Otho jumped back as Rik shot the head again, effectively silencing it. A thin trail of smoke exited the metal head this time as she cautiously approached it. The sand vixen kept her aim steady and finger resting over the trigger expectantly. "Is it dead?" He questioned, still a good distance from it.

"Yeah." She panted tapping the almost non existent head piece with her rifle's muzzle. "Dead." Otho stayed back, still shaking from the unending adrenaline rush. Hopefully the machine wasn't damaged too much for him to use.

"Ok. I'll be there in a second." He stood up on wobbly legs and carefully approached the large machine. It's box-like main body, thick exterior wires, and turret arms gave him chills despite the heat and humidity.

"It's dead." She reminded him as he hesitated.

"Yeah." Otho knelt beside the large body and placed a hand on its steely exterior. The blasted head revealed the inner workings of a very advanced computer. His eyes lit up finding a not too uncommon inscription along its side. "It's a T-164! A line discontinued over forty years ago! That's ancient!"

"I don't understand." Rik shook her head kneeling beside him. "A line?"

"Where I come from, this hunk of metal is really old. My country found the designs hidden inside a home where a wealthy human lived in a long time ago, except ours were programmed to work in factories making equipment." He checked the insignia below the number confirming his suspicions. A large white H was marked with a triangle and circle inscribed around it. 'But how could a human have made this? They've been wiped out over one hundred and twenty some years ago.' He wondered the impossible scenario.

"Can you talk to someone with it yet?" Rik tapped the giant machine's side curiously creating a quiet booming noise.

"Not yet. I need to rewire a lot here, but I can definitely make a radio to contact someone." He looked at the machine's insides with a smile seeing more than enough parts to work with. Basic technician training was very limited to making things but would easily suffice for creating a communications device. Using a pair of wire cutters and pliers that he brought from his ship, Otho extracted various things from the head that he needed. The machinery was unsettlingly advanced, and possibly on par with his world's technology. Organizing the small pile of items and spare metallic parts, Otho began assembling his radio. Rik remained vigilant by his side before entertaining herself with a butterfly that happened to flutter by.

Well over an hour of intensive work passed with only a break to eat somewhere between. Not having many tools at his disposal made basic tasks tough enough to accomplish, but it was possible. "Ooh. Done!" The raccoon stretched, cracking his back. 'And I didn't need too much either.' He noted the extra wires and parts accumulated around him.

"Done?" Rik repeated sitting beside him. Otho blew cool air on his sore thumbs and gave a nod.

"Everything is in place. Let's hope this works." His face tensed as he reached to turn the device on by connecting two wires. An electric click brought a brilliant smile to his face. "We have a good electrical current!" He triumphantly declared.

"Will it work?" Rik asked. Otho nodded proudly, but now the singular question remained. Could anyone receive a signal?

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" He spoke into the makeshift speaker hearing a strong static in return. Otho was relying heavily on the rare chance that someone else could receive a radio signal, and if everyone was primitive without any technology like Rik then risking their lives would've been wasted. Adjusting it with a fine hand, the static lessened to a workable point that might give them a chance. The raccoon nervously cleared his throat while Rik waited patiently. "Hello? Is anyone there? I am located in a jungle on an unknown planet." He paused looking to his side. "With a friend." The vixen nodded with a grin listening to the funny prickly noise coming from the device. A moment passed before he tried again with a slightly different frequency. "Hello, this is pilot Otho and Rik. Can anyone hear me? We are in a jungle near a swamp." He stopped to take a nervous breath as the static renewed its ominous tone. Otho checked his makeshift device and waited only for an auspicious static to collect in the humid air. "Let's try again in a couple of minutes." He sighed disconnecting the wires. Rik helped the raccoon up and kept him steady until his legs didn't feel like jello anymore.

"Feeling ok?" Rik asked as they walked together. Otho didn't say anything as they widely circled the area. "You need some rest." Rik suggested noting the raccoon's silence.

"No." He paused to stretch his legs. "Just tense. I mean hopefully contacting someone here to get back home is exciting. Besides, I haven't sat down this much in ages."

"Don't work too hard." She grabbed his hand as they continued walking.

"This is the one time where you don't need to worry about me." He reassured her rounding a tree. The sand vixen gave her usual cheery smile in reply. "Second try." He took a seat beside Rik with the makeshift radio in front of them. He connected both wires and the static returned to prickle their ears. Otho cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Hello. This is pilot Otho and Rik. We are in a jungle with unknown coordinates." He stated as the static resumed. Crackling seconds ticked without a response. "Hello. This is pilot Otho, can anyone hear me?" The same lonely static permeated the air through the normal humid jungle buzz. Otho bit his lip wearily feeling the last hope of returning home slip through his fingers. A warm pad helped retain his confidence. He looked down and found that Rik was holding his hand for support. She gave him a smile to try again. "This is pilot Otho speaking. I am with my friend Rik in a jungle and we need to contact someone." Nothing in response again. Otho checked this radio's construction before trying one last time. "Is anyone there?" A tense waning minute drew out leaving the raccoon doubtful, but not overwhelmingly disappointed.

"Maybe someone can't hear you." She guessed only for him to shake his head. All their hard work had been thrown away after nearly being killed on his decision.

"Sorry Rik. I thought-"

"Wait... Pilot?" A voice spoke through the crackle trying to pronounce the second word. Otho's eyes widened as if a ghost had emerged from the makeshift radio. The static however made the message tough to hear.

"Yes! I'm a pilot! Is someone listening to me?" His hands clutched the delicate machine as he bent over nearly touching the speaker part with his ear.

"Yes. Is this really someone talking to me?" The fuzzy voice replied after a second. It sounded deeper than a typical female's voice.

"Yes! Yes! Please do not cut off your communications board!" He emphatically replied looking around, as if the person answering was nearby. Rik wasn't sure what to make of the talking box, but listened intently seeing her Otho's ecstatic reaction. So many questions raced through Otho's mind that he wasn't sure which to ask first.

"Who is this?" The voice abruptly returned.

"We are two survivors! Where are you? Where are you receiving this signal?!"

"I'm at my home." There was a pause as others voices could be hear in the background. "Well, all of us are home."

"Where is your home?"

"We're in a jungle-"

"What landmarks distinguish it?" Otho interrupted the voice.

"Uh... There is a plateau, hills, and a cave some distance away from us." The latter two wouldn't be very good indicators for Otho and Rik to use as guide marks for traveling.

"Do you know where a plateau of land is Rik?" He eagerly inquired motioning his hands to display its landscape to her.

"Uh huh. That way." She pointed southeast.

"Yes! We are northwest of that landmark." He immediately answered into the speaker.

"Ok. Go south until you reach a river and cross it before going to far downstream where it's wide. Follow from the other side to its first bend northwards. After you reach the first bend, turn southeast and walk that way. Then you will finally reach our home." The male voice concluded only for a heavy wave of static to interrupt them. Looking up, the sky was darker. A rumble of thunder indicated that rain was on its way. Feeling their time shorten, Otho had to finish their talk.

"Ok, there's a thunderstorm almost here. Expect a raccoon and a sand vixen to show up in a day or two."

"Ok. We will watch." The voice crackled before Otho undid the primary wires. The jungle's noises quickly returned to their ears. The raccoon's muzzle twitched as an overly radiant smile overcame him with a flood of euphoria.

"Yes! I knew we could find someone!" He jumped up with his hands in the air. 'They talked more sophisticated than Rik. That means they'll have fresh water, bathrooms, and a bed!' Otho nearly fainted at the thought. 'Then I'll be home in no time!'

"Thank you!" She squealed hugging him while he was still jumping. He didn't even hesitate to hug back despite the lack of barriers between them. His confidence was surging by the time they stood still, and it felt great to share the moment with Rik.

"Aright, we should pack up and get ready to leave in case another one finds us." He waited for Rik to undo her half of the hug first.

"Or if it rains." The sky crackled once more as the storm approached. Otho could hardly sit still for the rest of the evening, and helped Rik with everything right up to when they laid down together to sleep under a tree in the rain. Thoughts of his home in Siena swirled around in his head like a chef stirring a boiling soup. Rik had to tell him to calm down twice before they finally fell asleep.

The following morning was already typically humid and warm for the climate, perfect weather for Otho and Rik to set out. Otho stood by the edge of the clearing waiting for Rik to finish cleaning her rifle. "Have everything that you need?" He asked pointing to his backpack. She had already stuffed her smooth stone, knife, bow, and a dozen or so arrows inside, although the top part poked out noticeably. Besides that were the remainder of Otho's belongings and some food they had packed.

"Yes. You?" The sand vixen held up her rifle happily.

"I think I have everything I'll need as well." He felt the modest weight his bag held with everything in it, although it wasn't much to begin with. Fruits and nuts were nice things to keep for whenever they were hungry.

"Why not bring radio?"

"It won't work without a power source, and the other person must have one if he could receive my message." She didn't quite understand, but nodded regardless. "Let's start walking then."

"Bye home!" Rik waved to the fire pit and clearing. Otho looked back for a final time as well knowing that their footsteps wouldn't be coming back to the place he called home for the past month. The same isolated area that Rik had called home for a decade! The first part was easy enough where even Otho could've led Rik through the jungle. The land was almost perfectly flat with only gnarled tree roots to impede their footsteps, and Rik had shown him paths that she used frequently over the month. Bamboo, leaves, mud, bushes, vines, and creeks were all traversed without trouble by the duo while traveling southward. Plenty of wildlife was seen along their path, but none of it was made of metal trying to kill them. After two or so hours of walking south, Rik stopped by a medium sized tree. "Can you climb up and see where we are?" Rik asked scratching her cheeks.

"Sure I'll check." He gave Rik the backpack. She put it on and watched him clamor up the first few branches. "You're lucky I'm not afraid of heights." He called down to her brushing branches out of his way.

"Please look!" She asked when he reached the top. Lowering a branch, the raccoon was given a good view of the surrounding jungle. As far as his eyes could see were green treetops encasing the entire landscape. He was panting when he had a good look around the area.

'Too bad hot air rises.' Otho leaned on the branch and fanned his mid section from the stuffy heat. His pants may have been very short, but they still trapped the thick air inside against his fur. "Okay, I can see the plateau and we are near the river down that way." He pointed to both spots.

"Go to river first, then follow it." Rik reminded him as he made his way down the tree.

"I wish that last creek we passed was it." Otho jumped down and patted his body free of dirt.

"You silly." She grinned shaking her head. "Keep walking now."

"Please lead the way." He motioned for the experienced sand vixen to go first. She eagerly led him through the jungle into uncharted territory. They remained on guard, but it didn't take them long to hear the sound of rushing water. Both hurried ahead through the thick undergrowth to find the source. Jumping out of a few bushes, their eyes were blessed with the sight of rushing water. "This is the river!" Otho triumphantly declared causing a few birds to fly away from the water's edge before them. The rushing bubbling dark water flowed east, the direction they needed to be going in now.

"We need to cross the water." Rik reminded him.

"How can we cross it?" He bit his lip trying to think of a solution. The river was probably fifteen or so meters across at least with plenty of rocks seen and unseen in the rushing water. The sand vixen walked upstream a little bit before coming up with an idea of her own.

"We can cross here." She pointed at a calmer spot in the river. "Wade to other side."

"Good thinking Rik." It would certainly be better to cross before the river widened anymore. He slipped out of his socks and shoes, and tossed them into the backpack. Rik didn't waste time and made her way down the embankment where she made an abrupt splash into the river.

"Cold! Cold! Cold!" The vixen splashed over to the other side. Otho shivered stepping into the cooler water not too far behind. It was a relief from the heat, but the river was still pretty chilly. The raccoon slowly waded up to thigh high water by the time Rik was shaking her legs dry on top of the opposing embankment. Water rushed by downstream, tugging his body as he held steady from the cool rush. He carefully edged his way closer using his legs and feet to detect under the fast flowing murky water.

'Just a little further.' He passed midway without a problem. Taking a fast step, his heel abruptly slid on an unseen slick stone. Before Otho knew it, he slipped and fell into the river. Cool water rushed around his head as he regained his bearings among the dark rocks. "Gah! My uniform!" He immediately sprung up and shouted before clamoring up the mossy embankment. Rik helped him up where the raccoon collapsed on all fours coughing up water.

"Ok?" Rik urgently asked kneeling beside him. He nodded starting to breath more than cough.

"Yeah... Yeah I'll be fine. Just shaken up some." He reassured her taking a minute to collect himself before standing. "This is bad." He looked down at his dripping body with his clothes plastered to his skin and fur.

"Are you hurt?" Rik checked from what she could see.

"I don't think so." The raccoon shook some droplets off. "Shaken up, but I'm soaked now." He was very thankful for at least taking off his shoes and socks before crossing.

"Take your clothes off." Rik said as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Take them off! Then I'll be naked!" He shook his legs and arms from the uncomfortable wetness. "I have to wear something."

"You get sick if you do!" She looked very concerned. "Need to dry out." The sand vixen was right. Staying wet like this would lead to plenty of problems down the path so to speak. Otho shifted uncomfortably knowing that he couldn't stall forever, and conceded.

"Ok! Just don't laugh at me." He whined tugging the wet pants off first. His black and grey fur was matted down from the fabric and water after he handed the short pants to Rik. 'Ok.' He took a uneasy breath staring at his grey and white undergarments. Rik impatiently waited as his hands gripped the hem of his underwear. With a less than graceful move, Otho tugged the fabric off and stepped out of it leaving himself as naked as his companion.

"You are wet." Rik pointed out looking over his dripping form. The raccoon's cheeks burned from embarrassment as he stood dumbly with the uniform's white underwear in his hand. The sand vixen's quick hand snatched away the waterlogged cloth and attached it to the side of the backpack. "There. Dry while walking." She put the backpack on as the two garments hung safely from their perch. "Let's go." The sand vixen turned around and began marching through the jungle once more with a less than enthusiastic Otho behind her.

"Wait! Slow down!" He hurried up only to grimace feeling everything bounce freely between his legs. 'Yikes.' He kept pace with Rik but gave himself enough distance to avoid her tail or a sudden stop.

"How long do we follow the river?" Rik asked looking back. Otho covered between his legs automatically with a hand and scolded his nervousness.

"Until the first bend northward." He sheepishly replied keeping his hands away from his body. Rik nodded and stayed within sight of the river, continuing along its course while her raccoon companion mustered along behind. Otho could feel everything practically jiggling with each step he took, and his self consciousness didn't help their travel. Anything could've brushed against the sand vixen's body and she wouldn't mind, but if a leaf touched Otho's knee his skin and fur would jump. He clamored over a large tree's roots and followed Rik's path ahead of him. A glimpse of her tail slipped around a tree as she stayed parallel to the river. 'Man she is fast.' He glanced to is right only to freeze and look back. It was only a stone, but the odd white color stood out so boldly from the greens and browns of the forest. The stone was smooth in appearance and its edges were sharp as if it had been cut recently into the perfect rectangle that it was. Above all else, it didn't belong here. He took a curious step towards it.

"Otho!" Rik called from somewhere ahead.

"I'm here!" He turned to answer before looking back at the seemingly misplaced object. It couldn't be way out in the jungle by accident.

"Otho?" Rik asked appearing from around a tree.

"Oh... The-" His voice trailed realizing that they would be wasting time over a random stone cut object.

"Why stop?" She couldn't see what he was looking at. "What is it?"

"No-nothing." He walked up to her. "Let's keep going."

"I found food ahead."

"You did?" Otho weaved around a few trees beside her.

"See?" She pointed to a small patch of dark green leafed plants.

"We still have plenty packed with us."

"Stop and eat anyway." She shook her head. Otho didn't complain because walking through the hot jungle all day was tiring.

"Yeah. That's our best option for now." He knelt by a plant and began picking a few of the red berries. "What are these called anyway?"

"Strawberries. I like them." Rik popped one into her mouth.

'Mm, not bad.' He liked the red berry's taste and quickly devoured a few more. Rik ate her fill and began smoothing out her fur that had dried out messily while they had walked.

'She is beautiful.' Otho watched the vixen "groom" over her fur diligently out of the corner of his eye. The creamy white and sandy light brown fur ruffled like a miniature wave before settling perfectly in its normal pattern. His fur was mostly dry as well, but it didn't require the brushing that hers did. The raccoon continued to eat and watch, glad that nothing else came out to look at her. Both enjoyed their time to relax.

"Move soon?" Rik asked stretching past her paws.

"Yeah. We don't need to fall behind." He helped her up and brushed the leaves off the vulpine's legs. "Although I wouldn't mind watching you groom your pretty fur again." He admitted jokingly.

"You see my fur all day." She cutely stuck her tongue out at him.

"But it's still pretty to see." He nudged her side. Her white tipped tail flicked up in reply.

After another hour of hiking through the jungle, the raccoon and sand vixen reached their final landmark. Relief washed over the raccoon like a refreshing cool breeze.

"We're almost there." He couldn't hide a smile and took a few steps to the southeast except Rik didn't follow.

"Sleep here." The sand vixen shook her head at him.

"But we're so close! All we need to do is go southeast for a while."

"Don't meet strangers at dark." Rik told Otho the old tribal saying. With the sunset almost gone, their daylight was very limited. "We can rest here instead of walking into trees." It was a good flat spot where the sun could actually reach the ground, and nighttime travel was impossible.

"What should we do now then?"

"Get some wood for fire." She set the backpack down in the patch of sunlight and laid the damp garments on top of it. Gathering sticks and other pieces of wood proved to keep the raccoon's mind focused and oblivious to his nudity alongside Rik's.

'This piece looks good.' He scooped up another into his arms. A forest like this would be filled with excess wood. The raccoon kept himself busy with the task at hand, but the clean cut stone only added to the mystery of this unique planet. "Machines meant to fight, cut stones, and radios. This is something else." He talked to himself wanting an answer. He came back and found Rik shaving off a stick with her knife into the center of their temporary fire pit. "I found plenty of wood." He set the small pile down.

"Thanks! Hold these together for me." Rik motioned at the small pile of shavings. The raccoon stooped over and kept them in a loose nest while she used her smooth stone and knife to make a lasting spark. Her hand flicked skillfully scraping the metal at a particular angle like an art form. "Don't let your sheath get too close." She chuckled seeing his malehood hanging freely between his legs over a few sticks.

'Right when I started to forget about that.' His black ears pinned back self consciously. A spark finally yielded as a thin trail of smoke twisted into the air.

"Thank you." She watched the spark morph as a flame grew in its place. Crackling was quickly added to the plethora of noises as the sand vixen fed the fire. Otho made himself comfortable on the ground while Rik tended to other things. She dug in the backpack and tossed him a mango while he silently sat back from the fire. The raccoon ate without so much as a word being spoken. "We're doing well for one day." She mentioned. Otho didn't reply vocally, but instead chose to nod. "Everything alright?" Rik asked chewing through a second pear before tossing the core aside.

"Yeah..." He watched her sit down in front of him. "I'm not not wet anymore." He set the remaining seed of his mango aside.

"Yes. Everything fine and dry on you." Rik smiled seeing that her plan worked out perfectly. Otho did notice that the humidity and heat wasn't bothering him as much without the censoring fabric on him. Besides, he was dry now. She sat down in front of him nonchalantly, oblivious that his throat felt like a whole apple was stuck inside. "S-so you don't care if I'm... naked," his voice exaggerated slightly, "like this."

"Why? Is it a problem?" She asked curiously and leaned forward. It was tough for Otho to adjust to something practically taboo in his society, but Rik was lenient about everything.

"Um." He stalled, aimlessly combing over his leg. "I guess not." His voice barely rose past a whisper.

"You look good." She mentioned making the redness return to his cheeks with vengeance.

"I do?" The raccoon looked up at her.

"Mhm." Rik nodded with her usual cheery grin.

"Thanks." A tiny grin appeared on his muzzle. Looking over his body, Otho did feel more physically fit than his time as a pilot, and Rik knew it too. Being crammed on a spacecraft for over one month at any given time could limit one's physical activities quite a bit. Rik finished eating and checked on his clothes. She ran her hands over the strangely knitted garments finding them free of water, and completely wearable for the particular raccoon.

"Clothes dry." Rik announced, this time sitting down next to him.

"I'll... get them later." He quietly answered.

"Feels better without them right?"

"Eh." Otho shrugged, not giving a direct answer. It actually did feel better.

"Ok." She wrapped her arm around to his shoulder and extended her feet to the fire. Rik knew he was uncomfortable, but she couldn't figure out why it had something to do with his clothes getting wet and being forgone. So the vixen decided to keep him close company, but not to press the troubling issue any further nor ask him for a massage. Otho watched the low flames flicker and crackle randomly with her.

"It is nice out." Otho commented on the early night. The forest was alive with the subtle different sounds of nocturnal creatures, and the heat wasn't burdensome in any way.

"Mhm." Her left paw leaned over and starting rubbing over his right paw. Otho liked the comforting intimacy. "I like this."

"I used to stare outside into the night when I was little. The stars were beautiful, but I was mortified about what was hidden in the shadows."

"Was anything there?"

"No. I was mostly my imagination from stories by grandfather and uncle told me. They're kind of ridiculous now that I think about them.

"I remember playing in the dark. It's fun."

"How did you not get lost in all of this?"

"An adult would watch us until we were tired from running into each other."

"A little you sounds like a handful." Otho could easily imagine the little sand vixen running around for hours getting herself into so much trouble. Rik chuckled thinking of a few fond memories that came to mind.

"Who do you think we will find?" She stopped rubbing her paw over his.

"I'm not very sure. I think they will have some technology like me if they could talk to us using a radio system.

"Maybe my parents?" She hoped.

"I hope so." Her kept Rik's thoughtful optimism afloat, although in all likelihood the chances of that being true were slim. Machines destroying her village and who knows how many others didn't make for a safe environment to live in. "I hope so." He softly repeated. The two watched the fire contently alongside one another for a while. It was a serene moment.

"It's dark. Sleep now?" Rik nudged his shoulder seeing the raccoon beginning to nod off.

"Yeah. I'll join you in a few minutes." He yawned feeling her arm leave his side. The sand vixen lingered a moment longer before laying on her side next to him. Otho continued to watch the flames and the edges of the jungle that he could see, but sleep beckoned him too. His clothes remained on his backpack, dry and wearable, but for some nagging reason he wanted to wait. He looked back down at Rik beside him and made up his mind.

'Just relax Otho.' He told himself laying down behind her. The sand vixen's tail flicked over her waist and out of his way for him. Scooting up, he pressed his front completely against her back. The raccoon nervously swallowed feeling his male parts up against the bottom of her rear, but didn't retract his movements. Her body heat could be felt more directly now. 'No fabric this time. That's all.' He calmed himself the best he could by breathing slowly and listening to the infinite songs that the wildlife they were immersed in orchestrated. The sand vixen barely noticed his movements as she went into a light stage of sleep. Otho hugged the vixen close and silently thanked everything around him for having Rik with him since day one.

Rik yawned feeling the morning sun's golden rays warming her fur. Otho's arms were wrapped over her front; she could hear him softly breathing despite the chatter of the jungle; and her paws were tangled with his. It was the sand vixen's favorite way to wake up, together with him. She quietly murred and remained still to enjoy the moment a little longer. He was pressed up against her back as usual, but an odd pressure could be felt between her legs. Rik would've normally gone back to sleep or waited for Otho to wake up, but this sensation felt different than any other. Curiosity nagging at her conscience, she peeked down her front passed their tangled arms. The vixen's brow arched suspiciously seeing a red tapered organ nestled against her nether lips between her cream furred thighs. It was definitely her companion's male bits, but outside of its sheath. She lifted her leg to see better and looked at his rigid length with intrigue. It throbbed strongly against her nether lips as if it planned on pushing her, and if she moved her hips it would've be inside. Rik wasn't old enough to be told about mating before her village was attacked, which didn't help explain why it was so engorged now compared to any other time.

'Why does his body do that?' Rik could not think of a time when this had happened before, even when she was little. Unable to think of an answer, she laid her leg back down and accidentally squeezed the male organ. 'Oops.' But to her surprise, Otho sleepily moaned behind her. The vixen was very perplexed now. The moan was like one of hers when he massaged an achy pad, but different in tone. 'Still sleeping?' She wondered after he failed to wake up. Looking back at the male organ, nothing happened for a minute. The vulpine watched it slowly shrink before remaining at a less prominent size. Rik's curiosity faded and her attention shifted to the sound of the river past the smoldering fire. Plenty of birds were probably washing their feathers in a calm spot by the water's edge. A frog would jump from the mud and splash into the water, scaring them away.

'Oh! We need to hurry up!' Rik remembered about meeting with the voice on Otho's radio. "Otho. Otho, wake up." She held his arms and nudged his front. "We have to find people." The raccoon yawned only to feel something below. Stirring from his pleasant slumber Otho gazed down and suddenly realized that he was sporting a hard on between Rik's upper thighs.

'What the-!' Otho quickly lifted her leg and rolled over. Rik looked back finding him sitting up and facing away from her.

"Alright?" Rik stood up, unable to see his front.

"Yeah." He gave an inward sigh seeing his organ fully retract from the momentary panic. "Just waking up." Otho stood in a stretch. "Are my clothes still hanging?"

"Yes. Both here." Rik tossed them over for the raccoon to put on.

"Back to normal." He quickly slipped them on. 'How in the world did I wake up like that!?' The raccoon was bewildered at the position he woke up in. Luckily for him Rik chose not to talk about it as they packed up. After a quick bite to eat they continued their journey through the forest passing through the dense vegetation, ready to meet whoever answered their message.

Chapter Five Border Forts

"Uh oh." Otho looked at the wall of ivy blocking their path. They had walked for a few hours in the correct direction through the thick humid jungle at a well set pace only to run into this odd obstacle. The raccoon felt a leaf only to knit his brow in confusion. "Why is it growing this way Rik?" He looked down each end only to be blocked by a tree or low branch.

"I am not sure." She felt the leaves for herself, unable to produce an answer. "Go around it?" Stumped, Otho looked around and nodded in agreement.

"I guess so." He followed her to the right. 'First robots, cut stones, and now walls of ivy?' The raccoon furrowed his brow unable to come up with a reasonable answer as they turned a corner cautiously. Rik kept her weapon steady and ready to shoot if they did run into another hunk of metal. The ivy barrier was fairly long which only added to its mysterious placement. Otho stared at the green leaves he passed by only to suddenly bump into Rik. "Ah! Sorry." He stepped back. "Why did you stop walking?"

"This." She pointed to an opening in the wall that reminded the raccoon of a doorway. Both peered in carefully finding an open room of sorts without a roof. The "room" was created out of thick walls of ivy growing on interconnected sticks creating a secluded area with two more open doorways leading further into the structure like a maze. There was a large wooden bowl probably to wash one's hands or face, or possibly collect rainwater in over a wooden shelf made of sticks. Other than that, a few spears, and an empty basket, there wasn't anything else in the empty space. "Go in?" Rik whispered nudging him. He looked over the room a second time before nodding.

"Hello. Is anybody home?" Otho called as they cautiously stepped inside. His hand rested on her shoulder as they paused hearing something in a back room. "Hello?" He repeated stepping behind Rik.

"We're coming." A voice replied startling the pair. Three figures walked into the room; a tigress, female raccoon, and a male coyote. To his surprise, they didn't posses one decent article of clothing despite everything else they had amassed. Sure the elaborate home was a step above Rik, but it surprised him nonetheless to see both sexes revealed from paws up. Although it made some sense when one wanted to avoid a heatstroke, especially in this climate! The tall tigress was marked with plenty of silver ticked fur, and her breasts had a noticeable sag on her chest hinting at her old age. She did have long beautiful brown hair with braids that extended down to her tail base. The petite female raccoon was maybe a few years older than him with a normal grey and black pattern, albeit with some browns. She had a similar hairstyle to Rik's with the black fluff being mostly disorganized. Finally, the coyote was primarily grey and tan furred in a typical pattern along his sides and front leaving a lighter black on his tail, inner thighs, and paws. He had a lean build from working in the challenging environment his whole life, but what struck Otho as odd was a copper ring resting around the base of his grey sheath. Everyone stared at the opposite party without saying anything, but Rik made the first move as usual.

"Hello!" She set her weapon down and gave an amiable hug to the female raccoon.

"It's nice to meet you." She returned the friendly gesture.

"I suppose you two are the ones who talked to us a few days ago." The coyote approached Otho.

"That would be us." To the raccoon's surprise the coyote hugged him rather than some other form of greeting. Rik hugged the tigress, but the feline only stared intently at Rik before a look of realization overcame her face. "You're Rik! Reza and Sahir's daughter!" The older tigress exclaimed recognizing the vulpine.

"You know my mom?" The sand fox's ears excitedly perked up.

"Oh My goodness! I was a friend of hers from a neighboring village. You were so little when I last saw you as a tiny kit!" The feline's aged eyes sparkled with memories. "My goodness you've grown up by yourself." She trailed a hand from the sand vixen's shoulder to her leg. Rik giggled from the curious hand.

"I don't remember many people. Who are you?"

"You probably can't remember me or Sarnoff," she pointed over to the coyote, "but we were from the same village your parents visited when you weren't even able to walk around yet."

"That was forever ago." The coyote remembered. "A bee stung me that day..."

"Oh! I'm Lilly, this is Sarnoff, and Teresa." The tigress gave an introduction.

"I'm Otho, and I guess you three already know Rik." He introduced themselves in turn as Rik hugged the coyote.

"It's great to meet someone new in so long." The tigress purred with a warm smile. "You can set your bag down." Lilly helped ease the equipment off Otho's shoulders.

"Thanks."

"You're very welcome. You two must have traveled far to get here." Lilly hugged him.

"Almost two days." Rik happily replied that the trip was complete.

"It was a long hike if you think about it." Otho grinned pulling a leaf out of his grey neck fur. "Rik lived beyond the plateau for quite some time, but I guess the river was a barrier."

"We never went north for much of anything because of the river or a possible machine."

"Machines are here too?" Rik frowned wanting to think that they were all behind her now.

"They used to be everywhere, but we haven't seen one roaming around to kill us in months."

"What about other villages?" Otho asked only to receive a solemn look as he hugged the female raccoon in greeting.

"All of the ones that we knew of were destroyed." Teresa quietly answered.

"Most of the survivors from the jungle villages scattered out everywhere only to be hunted down." Sarnoff added. "Lilly and I have lived here since the attack about a decade ago, and Teresa found us eight years ago. It's a miracle that we're all together now."

"Where are you from?" Otho asked the female raccoon.

"A different village to the northeast. It was also destroyed from those machines almost ten years ago."

"Rik told me that she was only ten when the attack on her village occurred, and she never found anyone since then except for me. I was at least hoping there would be a few still around." Otho explained as Rik sulkily nodded.

"Same here, except we haven't found anybody." Rik's smile lessened considerably hearing the dreaded news. "It's just us three."

"The most that we have found are a few random things here and there. I'll show you around while we talk." Sarnoff offered. The coyote walked through an opening in the ivy wall followed by both raccoons.

"You three can go. I'd like to talk with Rik for a while." Lilly stated leading the sand vixen towards a different "room."

"Ok. We won't go far!" He walked into another room before stopping. "Hmm... Where to begin?" Sarnoff chuckled nervously.

"The thing that talked to us." Teresa whispered to him.

"Oh yeah! Can you explain this thing you spoke through?" The coyote walked over to a wooden shelf made of joined sticks and picked up a small device no bigger than a small watermelon. Alongside it were pieces of wire, bullets, and tiny metal parts that probably belonged to a destroyed machine.

"Yes! That's a communication device, this type is better known as a radio though." The machine was partially rusted, painted in white, and had a triangular piece on top to help receive frequencies. 'It's a fairly old sun powered radio... Not capable of reaching my base though.' Otho deduced looking over the machine's small exterior.

"How can your voice go into it?" Sarnoff lifted it up and looked over the advanced hardware.

"It's not easy to explain but if another radio sends an anonymous signal, all the others will turn on and receive it."

"Turn on?" Sarnoff gave Otho the device.

"Here. I'll show you." He held it and pressed two spots on the panel. The panel's screen lit up with green lights. A straight line then appeared up at the top showing zero frequencies within its radius of detection. "This line shows different transmission signals that it can send or receive, and if you have one then you simply talk to transfer your voice."

"That's incredible! We were terrified hearing the static, but we listened to you calling for help before finally talking back."

"I'm glad that you did respond." He turned it off before handing it back to Sarnoff. "Rik and I would've given up if you hadn't said anything."

"Bit of luck I guess." Sarnoff smiled.

"So how big is this place anyway?"

"Not very big when you think about it. Let's go outside the wall where I can show you."

"How have we not been able to contact you guys before?"

"I guess you two just got lucky." He scratched his neck going past the open doorway. "I had no idea that thing could transfer a voice at all."

"Any other form of communications that you three have?"

"You mean the speaking box? No, and here I thought it was just a nice decoration." He stopped by a tree. "Then again, anything that doesn't move feels like a decoration."

"The wall looks endless from here." Otho looked as far as he could without some greenery blocking his view.

"It actually extends from that corner to the one over there." Sarnoff leaned forward to see better. "We made the wall high enough so that the machines couldn't see us."

"So Lilly and you lived here for the past ten years with the wall for protection?"

"For the most part yes. Lilly and I lived in the same village prior to the attack, and we found each other around here a few days later while hiding from those machines. Although this used to be a large clearing with some shade."

"Then how did you three have time to build all of this?" Otho looked at the home from the outside. The large wall of ivy was maybe two and a half meters tall and impossible to see through.

"Teresa wasn't with us then, but after a year's worth of constantly running and hiding in the jungle from those giant metal monsters Lilly and I figured out how to avoid them entirely. Since they never attacked plants, unlike houses and people, we built a few wooden posts and connected them together. After that we moved a bunch of ivy and mosses here to grow over the wood. We could hide here without worry."

"So your home kind of acts like a fort." Otho liked the idea.

"Yeah, like a border fort." Sarnoff agreed.

'Fort!' That reminded Otho of the strange stone in the jungle that they passed up river. "Do you three have any white stone around here? Specifically any that are cut squarely."

"A square stone?" Sarnoff rubbed his ear tip in thought. "Not unless a rock was already square, but I have never seen one that's perfectly white."

"Neither have I." Teresa shook her head.

"Oh. Well it looked out of place in the jungle so I thought it had something to do with the machines everywhere."

"Since we are talking about out of place, you need to tell me what those are." Sarnoff pointed at Otho's short pants. "They look so strange, but neat." He observed the faded and somewhat dirty red and white.

"Oh, these used to be a long pair of pants that Rik cut short."

"But why do you where them? Don't they feel funny around your sheath and legs?"

'How do I explain clothing?' He quickly thought of an answer. "Well I wear them so nothing can get on me there like poison ivy or a thorn bush."

"Huh. Luckily we haven't had a problem like that." He shrugged.

"So why do you have a ring around there?" Otho glanced between the canine's legs.

"Oh this?" He held his sheath up to show the copper ring better. "It's my father's wedding ring that I found after my village was destroyed, and I wear it to show my marriage to Lilly."

"Doesn't it cut off blood flow?" He winced causing Teresa to giggle.

"Not at all. It fits perfectly without squeezing or sliding off. Now in Teresa's village, males and females would wear matching rings like this on their finger instead to show their marriage."

"So each tribe had a different way of showing one's marriage?"

"Correct. Finger, wrist, ankle, tail, ear, or sheath depending on your village in the jungle so long as the ring is made of metal."

Meanwhile, Rik and Lilly were sitting in a more private area where the trees and small brush created a small alcove like room with the wall of ivy. The tigress and sand vixen talked about their memories within their respective villages from what they could recall. Rik sat on a bench made from split logs while Lilly sat behind her on the edge of a hammock leisurely braiding the vixen's hair as they talked.

"Goodness you remind me of your mother so much Rik. Your light fur color, hair, ears, and muzzle look identical to Reza's. But your blue eyes are your father's without a doubt."

"Did you know them very well?"

"I was a friend of your mother's, but I didn't know your father Sahir very well. He tended to go out and hunt when visiting. We mostly talked about things going on in other villages, joked, or played a few games to pass the time."

"Oh." Rik sighed. She wished that she could've remembered her parents that well. Rik suddenly giggled feeling Lilly's hand run down her rib cage before returning to her hair.

"Don't feel so depressed about something no one could've prevented. Even though your parents and I haven't talked since it was too late, I'm certain that they are both watching over you now."

"Really?" Rik's giggly smile faded.

"Mmhm. Just as Sarnoff's, Teresa's, and mine do. They would be proud to know you are alive and well." A tiny curling smile grew on the sand vixen's lips with optimism.

"Thanks."

"No problem." She happily replied returning to the vixen's hair.

"Do you look like your parents?" Rik asked curiously.

"For the most part yes, although my brown hair is an oddity." Lilly continued combing through Rik's. "Normally it matches a dominant fur color like my mother's if there is any at all. Then again females are the ones who usually have hair."

"I like your hair. It's long and brown." Rik peeked behind at the tigress.

"Yours may be shorter, but it is still very pretty." Lilly finished a braid. "And if you let your hair grow long you can let it all hang over your front." She showed Rik.

"I can't see your front anymore." Rik looked at the brown veil that went down to the feline's groin.

"I'm a brown tiger now." They both chuckled before Lilly moved her hair back. "Every female in my village wanted the length of hair they didn't have. Short for long, or long for short. It was always amusing."

"Can you braid a piece or two like yours?" She asked admiring Lilly's hair. The tigress's braids were fairly thin but very pretty.

"Of course!" Lilly unraveled the last one she leisurely made. Her hands went to work and picked out a small portion no wider than her little finger. Fingers and strands twirled alike as the feline created a twin pair on each side. "There. Two on each side okay?"

"Yes!" Rik felt over the two strands that reached her shoulders while her new friend ran a hand through the rest of her hair. "Thank you."

"I should be thanking you. I haven't enjoyed talking to a stranger in so long. It reminds me of all the good memories I experienced." Lilly paused and rested her hands on the sand vixen's shoulders. Rik hummed a murr of approval as Lilly looked over the sand vixen's body. The younger vulpine's muzzle wasn't adorned with a single silver strand, her bosom was firmly displayed with youth, and the always cheery smile didn't hide any wrinkles beneath her vibrant fur. "I can't help but notice how young and beautiful you are." Nostalgia permeated through the tigress as her hands trailed down to Rik's arms that lacked any excessive fat like her own. Many of her friends from the villages she knew of were Rik's age when those machines slaughtered everybody. 'Youthful.' She thought reaching around and rested a hand on the sand vixen's left breast and groped the firm tissue lightly. Her chest once felt like that a long time ago. "So vibrant and healthy. Otho and you could be raising a family now."

"A family?" Rik questioned with a bubbly giggle as the hand traveled down to her tummy, rubbing in tiny circles.

"Oh only if villages existed again! From what I see you have a vibrant fertile body, and you have no malice towards anything. Perfect traits for motherhood!"

"But you don't have any children."

"That is true. Me and Sarnoff used to mate all the time but we never wanted kids without a village to grow up in, even after Teresa found us. Now we mate less often with the influence of age."

"Mate?" Rik didn't know much about that word due to her isolation.

"Oh! You never were taught because of your young age." Lilly's ears sheepishly flattened back at the embarrassment. "I guess that's something best left to you and Otho then. He cares for you and I know it will grow the more you two are together as it did for me and Sarnoff." That much was true, the vixen had become very attached to her unlikely friend. Rik didn't say anything at first and focused on Lilly's hand in her hair and the one rubbing her tummy. It was almost as soothing as Otho's hands on her paws.

"How old are you and the others Lilly?" She asked staring at the ivy wall in front of her.

"I know Sarnoff is thirty one." She stroked Rik's hair in thought. "Teresa is twenty eight, and I'm an old forty." She replied as if the words were heavy on the tongue.

"You're not old." Rik protested turning halfway to face the tigress. "You look young."

"I wish I could persuade myself to think that." She looked down at her front with a smirk. Rik's brow knit itself into a curious knot as she reached out and placed her hand on the tigress's chest. The white bosom felt less dense despite being larger, and didn't cup as neatly as Rik's did, but it didn't feel bad. Her other hand joined as she trailed lower. There was less muscle and more fat along the feline's tummy, and even her legs, but the white and striped fur was silky smooth to the touch.

"Your body feels different, but not old." Rik summed up her thoughts feeling over the feline's midsection once more. "Your fur is nice and soft too."

"Thank you, but I look very old." Lilly ran both her hands down her front with a light sigh. "It has slowly changed over the years."

"You're beautiful, not old." Rik lightly groped the tigress's breast as she had done to hers in admiration. "Your hair is too." She reached over and brushed her fingers through the fine brown strands. The feline's ears flattened as a smile sprouted on her lips.

"I think you will age better than me." She watched Rik feel over her breasts curiously. "I was a wet nurse for two friends, but yours are petite so they won't weigh down on you."

"How do they age? Overnight?" Rik didn't know her own feminine anatomy very well.

"I can show you." Lilly stood up. "Teaching is something I can do." The tigress declared sitting beside Rik. "Sit still with a straight back." They lined up shoulder to shoulder, and breasts to breast the best they could. Rik couldn't help but chuckle at how strange they looked together, but was eager to learn. "Ok I was taught this way when I was a little younger than you. You see how yours bud outward like a large peach? They don't need something to support them." She placed her hand palm up and placed it under the cusp of the young vixen's breast. "Now mine," she demonstrated with her other hand, "need to be pushed up." The tigress's hand lifted up the fatty tissue until it was level with Rik's.

"But why?" She asked as Lilly's hands returned to her lap.

"Gravity, that tugging force that keeps you on the ground, will always pull down. Overtime this will pull more and lose its original globular shape. Running, nursing, and jumping a lot adds to this pull as well, like so." She shook her chest to show how little firm support her breasts had. Otho had told Rik about gravity and his ship once, but now it made a lot more sense.

"Oh." Rik understood and felt how firm her own were in perspective. Both of their ears perked up hearing chatter nearby.

"Ah, the others are back. Let's help with cooking up something. It's time to eat." They both stood up and left the room.

"Thank you for explaining all of that. Only Otho teaches me now." And the raccoon wasn't exactly keen on teaching about the body.

"You're very welcome!" The tigress led her into a wider room with a fire pit and seats made of cut logs. The others walked through an opposite entrance chatting like old friends. "Enjoy your walk?" Lilly placed her hands on her hips.

"I'd say so." Sarnoff replied happily. "But we're getting hungry for something to eat."

"Follow me then." The tigress led them to the bench seats around the nicely sized fire pit in the center about waist high. Three large skinned guineas hung on a stick by pieces of string waiting to be cooked. "I'm glad we found those three birds just before you two showed up. The least we can do for your troubles is make something good to eat." Lilly quickly went to work lighting the fire.

"Thanks. We appreciate it." Otho said as they took a seat on the split logs. It was much like a primitive version of a military mess hall.

"We can eat something while the big meal cooks." Sarnoff pulled a small tier of bananas out of a bowl and passed them around.

"Thanks." Otho pulled one off and passed it over to Rik where she did the same. "I like the new braids Rik."

"Lilly made them." The sand fox held them out to be seen better.

"You have very beautiful hair, that's why the braids look nice." Lilly crouched in front of the cooking birds with something in her hands.

"What are you doing?" Rik watched the tigress grind up something using a pestle and mortar.

"These are peppercorns. They taste nice if you grind them up and add them to food." Lilly demonstrated sprinkling the spice over the roasting birds.

"I'll second that." Sarnoff raised his hand with a now empty banana peel. The peel was tossed into the crackling orange flames and was soon joined by a few others as the poultry above cooked. Lilly kept a watchful eye while talking. "If I knew how to make a flute then now would be a perfect time to play it." Sarnoff held his hands out as if to play one right at that moment.

"You never played the flute very well." Lilly's ears flattened against her skull on impulse.

"Says you." He smirked.

"The only thing you were really good at was that game everyone played as a kid where you would throw small sticks into the fire to see if any would stand straight up."

"The adults liked it because we tended to the fire." He tossed a stick at the fire and nearly hit one of their birds.

"Careful." Teresa chided him.

"They smell tasty." Rik wiggled her nose and licked her lips in anticipation.

"Dinner is almost done." Lilly checked each one closely.

"Are you saying that I'm not a good hunter?"

"Yes." She plainly replied.

"Mmph!" He playfully frowned as the fire crackled noisily.

"Done! Eat as much as you want." Lilly moved the cooked birds away from the fire to cool. Hot pieces were gradually picked off, and to Otho's surprise the pepper did make the poultry taste a lot better.

"Have any of you three seen a different radio or a communication tower around here?" Otho asked. The three tribals looked at him dumbly before shaking their heads.

"What exactly do you mean by radio tower?" Sarnoff asked. "Is it like the one in the other room?"

"Usually it's a large metal structure with a series of panels and it works like the radio."

"We haven't seen anything like that here."

"I don't think anyone asked yet, but where exactly are you from Otho?" Lilly wondered. "All this radio talk is tough to understand."

"Let's see... I'm from a place called Leuctra that's far far away from this planet."

"Planet?" Teresa and the others looked at him funny.

"Like a star in the sky." Rik pointed up trying to help explain.

"Anyway, the ship I used to travel from there crashed here-"

"The ship is bigger than this whole ivy house." Rik gestured with her hands to gauge its impressive size. Everyone ate while Otho told of his home planet and many others that used similar technology with the aid of Rik's limited humorous demonstrations to try and put it all in perspective. The fire crackled noisily along with many other forest noises when he finally finished explaining.

"That's a lot to take in." Teresa broke the silence.

"It sounds like a dream."

"It really feels like one now, but that's how everyone I knew lived and I need to speak with them again."

"We hope you find a way to talk to them. You're so far away."

"Thanks. I hope so too." Otho was very grateful for their hospitality. "Do you mind if we stay overnight to rest? We'll leave whenever you want us to." Otho noted how low the sun was.

"Oh not at all! Stay as long as you wish. We never have visitors that aren't made of metal and armed." The coyote readily exclaimed. "We can help and give you plenty of resources. There's nothing but desert out east."

"Just desert?" Rik frowned sadly. A desert meant no trees or jungle to walk in.

"There are other small scattered settlements I've heard of and wells if you keep going east past where the trees end. Although the desert is very different compared to here."

"What kind of wells and settlements are you talking about?"

"From what I heard years ago in my village they're used by desert travelers. I don't know who would be traveling way out there, much less live there, but people are out there."

"Machines out there?" Rik was afraid that the metal monsters would always be near.

"No idea, but we can talk about this more tomorrow." Lilly offered standing with a stretch. "I need to take in everything you told me, and it's getting dark fast." She noted the setting sun that couldn't be seen through the thick understory and canopy.

"We have plenty of hammocks to sleep on whether it rains or not. I'll show you." Sarnoff stood up and walked them into a different room where an extra hammock was set up with an overhanging of palm trees to act as a scenic roof to deter rain.

"Can Otho and I sleep together on it?" Rik asked feeling the odd mesh of rope.

"Yep. Each one can hold a lot, so you don't need to worry about anything breaking.

"Thank you." They both thanked Sarnoff.

"Sure. Have a good night's sleep." He left them alone for the night.

"Tricky." Rik tried sitting on the strange fixture and held the sides as it rocked.

"I'll hold it." Otho kept the simple bed steady as she made herself comfortable sitting on the edge.

"Thanks." She whispered.

"I'll get our stuff and bring it in here. Sit tight." Otho left the room while there was still some dim light to see by in the sky. It didn't take the raccoon a minute to come back with full arms, but he was surprised to find Rik still sitting on the hammock's edge staring between her sandy paws at the ground. "Are you alright Rik?" He set their equipment under the leafy roof.

"I guessed no one else was alive. Not even my parents." She replied quietly with a passing shake of her head. It was certainly impossible for someone else to be hiding in the jungle given the circumstances. "We're the last five in the whole jungle." Her voice sounded miserable.

"What do you want to do?" He knelt before the sand fox holding her hand. "I don't want to drag you through a desert if you want to stay here."

"No." Her grip returned clutching the raccoon's hand. "Not leaving you. I would miss you." Her blue eyes surprised him.

"But they know your parents and come from villages like yours. They will be like a family to you."

"You're my family now."

"Uh, I am?" He clarified as she nodded.

"Mmhm. Not lose you." She wiped her eyes with a shoulder apiece, fearful to let his hand go at the moment. Otho stared at her almost in disbelief. Sure he was the first person that the sand vixen had seen in ten years, but in a month she cared for him so much?

"Do you want me to sit beside you?" She immediately nodded.

"But... What about journal?" Rik asked. It was Otho's nightly ritual before lying down to sleep with her.

"It's too dark for me too see what I'm writing, and I can write down something tomorrow of you want."

"I thought you said I ask too much about what you write?"

"I secretly enjoy it." He smirked standing back up. Rik scooted over so he could sit beside her, and the hammock only noisily tensed holding the new weight.

"No you don't. Always hiding it." She bumped his shoulder as he chuckled. They leaned subtly on each other and quietly enjoyed the early nighttime sounds. It was hard to distinguish any difference between the daytime theme, but Rik knew the slight changes instantly. The tiny sprinkles of the inky starred sky above provided little bits of light above to gaze at in wonder. For Rik it was something to wonder about, and Otho a reminder of why they left Rik's camp to start this journey in the first place.

"Want to sleep?"

"Yes." She let Otho go back first and lay down to steady the shaky bed before joining him in their usual front to back position. Otho was a lot less apprehensive with his pants on this time.

"What did Lilly talk about with you?" He wrapped his arms around her and snuggled close.

"Village life from what we remembered, and our bodies. I liked talking to her a lot." Rik sighed contently being with Otho.

"Your bodies?"

"Mmhm. Lilly told me about braiding hair to how her breasts aged."

"That's... Interesting."

"Why are Lilly's larger than mine." The vixen pondered the difference looking at her chest not covered by Otho's arm.

"Yours are probably a 34B or 36B, and she's likely a D. It depends on the rib cage too." He couldn't believe that he was talking about bust sizes to a female without the risk of being slapped.

'That must mean big and small.' The sand vixen guessed. His measurement only further bewildered Rik on how to properly compare them, but sleepiness took over her first curiosity with a yawn.

"It's nothing to worry about though. They depend on the female." Rik nodded, but wanted to know something before she fell asleep.

"Can I ask you a question?" She halfway turned her head back.

"Sure."

"Why are you afraid of not wearing anything? You're always nervous when you have to."

"I'm not used to it." He admitted in an exhale holding her close. His nose hid behind her neck and into the light brown fur.

"You wear them all the time?" She questioned. "How?"

"That's how my society works, and that part is the opposite of yours."

"Get too hot."

"It's fairly cold where I'm from, and many of the places that I have been to." He explained. Rik could only imagine a place that was in a constant state of nighttime.

"What about bathing in a pond or river? They would get wet too."

"That's one of the few times where they would be taken off, only if no one was around or else it would be extremely embarrassing." A quiet silence passed as they both thought. Despite the awkward talk, he remained close to her securely. The closeness of sleeping with Rik was growing on him like a daily ritual to be performed. "But I'm adjusting. I was able to do it in front of you." Otho quietly added.

"Mmhm." She nodded with closed eyes. "Look better without them." She made his ears swivel back with an unseen blush on his cheeks.

"Goodnight Rik." He buried his nose into her shoulder and neck fur, filling his olfactory with her scent.

"Goodnight Otho." She smiled cherishing the intimate touch.

The ropes stretched noisily as Otho rolled his neck waking up. Countless insects, birds, and other creatures could be heard all around the raccoon signing their morning songs blended together in the warm air. The cloudy sky bided on a rain shower soon. He smiled and tried moving closer to Rik only to feel an emptiness beside him. Blinking his eyes open revealed that the sand vixen was nowhere to be seen.

'Where are you?' It wasn't like her to wake up without him whether it was a full nights sleep or an afternoon nap. "Where's Rik?" He spotted the coyote walking by the entryway and rolled out of the hammock.

"She went hunting with her bow." He stopped and poked his head into the room. "Have a good sleep?"

"Yes. I didn't think a hammock could be is comfortable to sleep on." Then again, the raccoon had slept on nothing but the ground for a month.

"They are much better than using the ground or a tree when it rains. Come over and eat a piece of fruit to start the morning." He suggested before leaving. Otho walked through the ivy doorway to where the fire pit was. Lilly was already sitting on a bench, helping herself to a banana.

"Morning." The older tigress greeted Otho before stretching. "Hungry?"

"Yes." He picked out a ripened banana from its bunch and sat down on a separate bench. "Oh hey. You and Rik talked a lot while I was with Teresa and Sarnoff."

"I didn't mean to separate you two, but I wanted to chat about village life and anything else that can I remember at her age."

"That's fine. She really enjoyed it from what I understand."

"Good. Teresa and I already picked a bunch of strawberries in a patch nearby if you want some." Lilly watched him toss the peel into the fire where hers rested. "So where do you think that radio to contact your home will be located?"

"Good question, but if there are settlements in the desert then that won't be a bad place to look."

"Yeah. You have to be crafty to live in a pit of sand your whole life." She nodded. "Craftier than us when the radio first talked to us." The feline chuckled. "Our eyes were larger than our palms as we shivered in the opposite corner."

"That explains why nobody returned my message." His ears swiveled hearing someone step into the room. "Morning Rik." Otho waved seeing the sand vixen sit on the bench beside him, and she waved back. Her vulpine eyes looked slightly puffy and red rather than the usual clear light blue. "Hey you look like you've been hunting all night." Otho noted her stressed appearance. The fox gave a cute shake of her head. He grinned only to feel a droplet of water hit his ear.

"It's about to rain. Follow me!" Sarnoff called through the doorway and led them out of the ivy maze towards a large tree close by. Large drops started spattering on the leaves when the four sat down by the trunk's base. Teresa bolted out of the home and joined them as the rain quickly became a downpour. "Wet Teresa?" Sarnoff joked as the female raccoon sat beside him. She grumbled something that made Sarnoff laugh, but Otho couldn't hear due to a loud rumble of thunder.

"Are the rains ever light in the jungle?" Otho could barely see ahead through the thundering raindrops.

"They have always been this way. I remember a bunch of my friends and I had a favorite tree to hide under if we were caught by surprise." Sarnoff smiled feeling over the tree bark.

"We never did build a real hut with a roof because it would stick out so noticeably." Lilly elaborated to herself. Otho looked to his right feeling Rik lean on his side and shoulder. "Feeling better?" He asked hugging her body with an arm. She nodded with a grin and nuzzled her cheek into his shoulder. "See anything to aim at for a meal?" Otho inquired the vixen's sleepy expression.

"No. I went out and found a tree to sit in."

"You did?" Otho received a nod.

"To think. I want to leave soon." She whispered closing her eyes.

"Alright. We can go when the rain stops." He held her close as she took a nap beside him.

"Everything ok?" Lilly whispered.

"Yes. She didn't sleep well last night." He watched his friend hopefully dreaming of good things.

"We might be reminding Rik of her old home in the wrong way. It's not your fault." The tigress looked at the pair fondly.

"What do you mean wrong way?"

"Meeting us might have been too sudden. She hasn't dwelled on the fact that we're the only five in this huge jungle." Otho felt a touch of guilt at Lilly's explanation. He offered the innocent vixen a chance at finding her parents.

"She wants to leave when the rain passes." He nodded.

"We'll get you two a few things ready then." Lilly grinned. "It's the least we can do."

***

"What is that?" Otho stared at the object in Lilly's hands.

"It's a water pouch. You'll need plenty of water out there in the desert." She handed him the large disc shaped bag.

"Just don't mind the mud on my paws from getting it filled." Sarnoff joked wiping off hunks of mud with a stick.

"And we smoked some meat for you." Teresa held a bowl full of meat strips. "Since we had a lot left over from last night.

"So much." Rik noted the supplies they were given as Otho worked on fitting it all properly within his backpack.

"You'll need everything you can get before reaching all that sand." Lilly hugged the vixen.

"Granted we don't throw the backpack around like a ball everything should stay in place." Otho carefully put the straps over his shoulders only to be hugged by the friendly tigress. After a round of hugs, Rik and Otho started their journey that would lead them out of the jungle and into a desert.

"Good luck!" They cheered the pair on.

"Thank you for all of your help!" Otho and Rik waved before turning east. The flat land of the jungle always made travel less intimidating than what Otho thought it would be. A creek was always nearby for water, and best of all with their stocked food supply, they wouldn't need to stop and hunt for a meal anytime soon. Towards the late evening they met their first permanent breaks between the sun and trees as the canopy ceased to exist. Their jungle environment was quickly changing.

"The sun feels nice doesn't it Rik?" Otho stood in the strong sunbeam and closed his eyes. "Rik?" He asked turning back. The sand vixen was looking out towards the setting sun with an uncharacteristic frown over her muzzle. Her eyes closed as he approached.

"I don't remember their faces anymore." She whispered staring into the far reaching horizon. Her parents and past were like a blurry film with roaming voices who had no owners. Rik opened her eyes feeling his arms curl around her body in a hug.

"Even if they aren't here any longer, I'll do everything I can to help you." She turned around and returned the embrace.

"Thanks Otho." Her face buried itself into his shoulder.

"We'll take it slow through the last parts of the jungle. Your smile helps me through this more than you think." He felt her chest breathing against his own.

"The jungle thinned out fast." Otho remarked as they walked through a tall patch of sparse grass. It took three days for them to actually see a field of grass that was actually part of a quick transition from rainforest to desert. 'And the heat is getting worse.' He noted the sun wasn't blocked by trees or rolling clouds anymore. In fact, there were hardly any trees or clouds to be seen anymore. Sand became fairly common with parched dusty earth. A small shrub was increasingly rare to come across, or any vegetation for that matter. "I think this is our first sand dune." He climbed up behind Rik.

"It's a lot." Rik murmured.

"A lot of what?" Otho asked only to reach the top and stare. "Wow." He whispered looking out into the endless sea of sand stretched out before them.

"Don't stand. Let's go!" Rik slid down the small hill, tongue lolling out carefree.

"Wait for me!" Otho quickly followed her to the bottom where they walked into the new landscape.

The further they trekked through the sand, the hotter the environment seemed to become. Only a rare gust of wind made the heat vanish for a moments notice. Otho made use of his white flight suit and fashioned it into a turban the best he could despite Rik heckling him over how funny it looked. However, the vixen wasn't immune to the sun's immortal rays either.

"Ugh. Gun hot." She stuffed the weapon into the backpack on Otho's shoulders before it could burn her hands. But the heat found many ways of annoying the fox. They were walking on caked dirt that probably hadn't seen water in months, and the soil wasn't exactly cool. "Ow! Ow! This is hot!" Rik hopped around her raccoon companion. It was amusing at first, but he knew the surface was probably burning her pads.

"Hold on I'll carry you until we reach more sand." Otho held out his arms before the vixen jumped into them, almost sending them both to the ground. "You're a little heavy." He held the nude fem as she panted in relief.

"Can you rub my paw pads when we stop? They feel burnt." She whined flexing them to cool off faster.

"Let's just focus on getting somewhere first." He grunted holding her up. Rik stopped mumbling at the subtle promise and remained quiet resting her head on Otho's shoulder. The raccoon continued their path of travel with his gaze fixed above her. Where they were going to end up was a mystery to him as well as her, but if wells and settlements existed out here then hope still existed for being able to make it home. The blinding light and the unbearable heat made their travel arduous compared to their first day leaving Rik's home. Otho had never been so thankful to see the sun sink below the horizon after hours of walking. The next words the sand vixen said came as an answered prayer from the divine.

"Stop here." She pointed at the shady side of a dune. Otho didn't bother to ask questions and slid down the hill of sand a few feet out of the sun's rays. Rik promptly joined him with a little more grace and set the backpack down

'She's practically built for this type of climate.' He noted that the sand vixen dealing very well with the blazing heat.

"Eat or rest?" She asked.

"Let's eat first." He said with a grateful sigh of relief. A handful of dried meat and two bananas apiece sufficed with a small consumption of water. The last thing that they needed was to run out of something this far into the desert. "Ok let me see your paws." Otho tossed a banana peel aside and folded his legs together. She gratefully set her paws in the raccoon's lap. He picked both up and took a close look at her sand covered pads. "Thankfully they're aren't burnt." He shook his head thankfully and wiped the granules off. Rik gave a pleasant sigh feeling him begin to massage one.

"It is hot." She relaxed laying back into the shaded dune as his thumbs glided over her soles. They needed something to help protect her paws in case she ended up burning them. He stopped rubbing coming up with an idea. Otho dug in the backpack and pulled out the cut bottoms of his uniform pants. Rik watched him wrap the older white fabric around both paws. She frowned feeling him tie each one separately.

"This should help your pads from the hot dry ground and the sand." Otho patted the covered paws.

"Clothes feel awful." Her ears went back in discomfort. The fabric felt constricting on her to say the least.

"I promise we won't be stuck in the sand forever, and I'll make it up to you." He offered patting them. Her little happy grin returned as he sat down beside her. "Let's get some sleep before the unbearable heat returns." Rik nodded in agreement and closed her eyes feeling his arm shuffle through the sand under her neck to drape over her shoulder.

"Night." The sand vixen closed her eyes.

The sand and rocky surface seemed to be endless whenever they were at a high point. Days stretched in length with the striking heat making their time in the jungle seem carefree. Seven days under the uncensored sun felt like a month, but the two companions continued nonetheless. However, at night everything cooled down like back at the jungle. Rik and Otho had to sleep huddled up against one another to stay warm only to burn in the daytime.

'Citrus and lemonade.' Two glasses clinked in the raccoon's mind. Otho had trouble lifting images and thoughts of pools and expensive bar drinks from his head. He wasn't a drinker in the slightest, but anything that pertained to a cooler environment. But this was a strange environment. What struck him as odd was the constant occurrence of scrap metal half buried in the sand. They were odd pieces in shape or appearance. Some had blurred remnants of paint, rusted ends, or twisted mangled bodies. Their use while operable remained a mystery to the raccoon, but he hoped it had nothing to do with the machine monsters back in the jungle. At the very least they gave some scenery to the otherwise repetitive sand dunes and hard rocky surfaces.

"I don't know if this is worse than wearing my entire flight suit the jungle." Otho sputtered adjusting his turban.

"You said that twice today." Rik noted his repetitive talking while walking in her makeshift legging shoes.

"The heat gets to me." He trudged alongside his friend, panting with an open mouth. They chose not to take a break during noon since yesterday to cover more ground be a use the thought of running out of water was a huge possible risk. Rotating who wore the backpack helped ease one of the burdens but step by step, shuffling through the ocean of sand, they trudged forward. "Ooh. Dragonfly." Rik pointed at the insect zipping around them.

"I hope the little fella is heading out to drink some water." Otho watched as it zoomed ahead of them. "We're pretty much out." The sand vixen nodded and strode ahead with her friend. 'But we can't turn back now.' He solemnly reminded himself. Rik had already helped him up twice after falling down part of a sand dune earlier in the morning. A small object ahead in the distance caught the raccoon's eye. "Please tell me you can see that thing ahead." Otho held his hand up to better shield his eyes.

"Yeah, but I don't know what it is." She squinted ahead over the heated sand.

'At least it isn't a mirage.' The raccoon thought as they slowly approached. A small structure was made out with its increasingly visible details. It was taller than them with some sort of top, but a a dark spot around it didn't make sense with the cloudless sky in view. That is, until they had an instant moment of realization.

"Shade!" They exclaimed in unison and hurried to the source. It was a well with a large roof over the top creating a large area of shade in the hostile environment for them to rest in.

"What is it exactly?" Rik panted with her tongue lolling out.

"A well. There's water at the bottom." He quickly explained as they neared it.

"Wow! We can cool off!" The sand vixen skidded to a halt noticing that he was no longer beside her. "What's wrong?" She turned around seeing him nervously gripping the hem of his shorts. His ears pinned back as he glanced at the sandy ground.

"It-It's hot." He trailed off and looked away as he slid his shorts and underwear off in front of Rik. She nodded deciding not to press him further and looked at the well with a relieved smile. The shaded sand felt cool beneath her pads as she walked happily to the source of water. The grey and brown stones were neatly constructed with a cement in a typical circular shape with a pulley system for gathering water in a small bucket. Above was a large conical roof that gradually smoothed outward providing their much needed shelter from the sun.

"Ugh!" Rik curled around the cooler stone well wall. It felt like soothing ice against her overheated body.

"That sums up my thoughts of this place." Otho tossed his clothes aside and joined her. The stones did feel nice and cold against his back. The shaded sand was even cool against his fur.

"Burning dry hot." She murmured not even bothering to organize her words properly.

"Yeah." He mumbled with a sigh. The raccoon looked at the sweltering desert ahead, thankful that they were able to find this place. His eyes blinked making out a small wooden sign nearby stuck in a small mound of sand. The English written on the sign was almost illegible, but he could make out "Am'Caizha" in faded red ink. "I'm surprised that anyone here writes, and in the desert of all places."

"What?" Rik flicked a triangular ear.

"There's a sign out there." He barely lifted his finger to point and closed his eyes. "It doesn't make sense though."

"It's too hot to look at." She mumbled and kept her eyes closed.

"I thought the jungle was hot like this when I first met you, but now the jungle is perfect temperature to me."

"Uh huh. This is a burning hot." She missed the jungle in every way compared to this climate.

"I guess we should wait here until we think of something." Otho laid down beside Rik against the cooler stone. 'We can get water later anyway.' He thought seeing no rush to prolong a much needed nap. The vixen rolled over and accidentally nudged his side with her heels. "I'll massage you after I take a nap." He pet a paw and set both in his lap. The raccoon was too tired for once to care about massaging them on his lap, and easily fell asleep in their haven of shade outside the scorching heat.