FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Otho! Otho!" A voice urgently called him. "Wake up!"

"Huh-whuh?" He shook his head and sat up on his elbows feeling someone nudging him. Rik was kneeling beside the tired raccoon moving his body. Her blue eyes wore a concerned expression. "The shade really helped me sleep." He yawned sitting up with a stretch.

"Two are approaching." She peeped above the stone seeing two figures walking towards them. The raccoon dressed himself in a hurry, and nearly fell over shaking sand out of his pants.

"Are they friendly?" He crouched beside her. Rik shrugged as the figures slowly approached. As they neared, Otho could make out that one was a sand vixen like Rik and the other a fennec fox. Both were large chested females too. "They're wearing clothes!" Otho shook Rik's shoulder excitedly.

"So?" She asked as her body was jostled around. "Does that mean they're safe?" She stood up and followed him into the open.

"Yeah we'll be fine."

'I hope you are right.' She thought. They both waved, and luckily the two newcomers waved in return.

"Hello! I'm Otho, and this is Rik." He put an arm around his friend's shoulder as she waved a second time.

"I'm Rain." The sand vixen panted and wiped her hair out of her eyes.

"My name's Ruth." The fennec introduced herself. Everyone turned their attention to Rik only to awkwardly pause and stare.

"It's like I'm looking into a mirror." Rain stood in front of Rik. Otho was surprised too. Both had the same hair and fur color, heck the only differences were their height, hairstyle, bust size, and the absence of any white colored fur on Rik's tail.

"Do you have a twin?" Otho couldn't help but ask only for both sand vixen's to shake their heads.

"Woah. I never expected a Rain look alike in all my life." The fennec chuckled as her companion's sights set on the well. "You two must be from far away. If either of you grew up around the desert then you'd always know to wear clothes despite the heat." As soon as Ruth said that, Rain began shedding her clothes unabashedly while walking up to the water source with an empty canteen.

"Well, at least they actually wear clothes.' Otho thought.

"You're very beautiful." Rik observed her counterpart.

"Me?" She gave a shy smile as Rik nodded. "Aww that's flattering of you to say." Rain pulled up a bucket of water on the rope. She poured some of the water over her head and chest finding immediate relief from the heat. "Ahh. That really hits the spot." She stretched her back and arms graciously in an arc accidentally knocking the bucket. The bucket fell back down unceremoniously and landed with a soothing splash in the water below.

"You always act like such a goof when you find well water." Ruth held back a giggle as her friend oohed and aahed at the cool sensation.

"I don't understand how you don't need to cool off Ruth, but wow it feels great!" The sand fox continued carefully pouring water over her head and neck before shaking her entire body. Droplets sprinkled everywhere before she splashed small amounts over her front.

"Fennecs are built a little better for the heat, but that doesn't mean we can't develop a good thirst."

"Yeah, yeah. If only every stop had a well for the less equipped traveler." Rain sighed contently sprawled out in the shaded sand. Her paws dug into the cool sand and wiggled her toes up from underneath. Ruth leaned against the well and took a refreshing sip from her canteen.

"Did either of you two write Am'Caizha on the sign over there?"

"Write?" Rain questioned looking over at the sign.

"Neither of us wrote on that sign. It's probably been here forever." Ruth removed her sunglasses to clean them.

"You can't write that neat anyway Ruth. Even older foxes in the eastern desert cities and bazaars can write correctly and fluently."

"Well I don't recall yours being much better." She frowned crossing her arms.

"How far away are these eastern desert villages?" Otho asked. If they could read and write fluently, then maybe they would have insight on those machines with human insignias on them.

"Sheesh, that would be a tough journey." Rain interjected while combing through her drying blond hair.

"How long?" Rik inquired. "We're trying to cross the desert to where the other settlements are located. Hopefully in possession of a strong radio device."

"A good ten days by night just to make it to the first well from here." The fennec calculated in her head. The sunglasses balanced on her finger swirled as she spun them.

"Well you two have an even longer way to go for the closest big city. This well doesn't even mark as a halfway point across all this sand to the nearest town or station."

"How did your water hold up?"

"We stored up as much as we could without wasting a drop, and only a small reserve is left." Ruth shook the canteen revealing the bare amount.

"Same here." Otho looked at their scarcely filled water container. "We barely have any leftover."

"It tends to happen way out here." She nodded looking out into the vast expanse of sand. How could one imagine it any other way?

"What's with all the bolts and metal bits?" Otho asked seeing their hand bag filled with the small metal pieces.

"We're traveling further into the desert to meet with a technician that repairs and makes stuff for any buyer. She needs things like this to make whatever is on her mind, so we're looking forward to being paid and some time out of the city. It's noisy and smog really doesn't sit well in my nose."

"Trying to find ruins along the way makes it a little interesting." Her companion added.

"What is a mechanic uh technician doing way out in this end of the desert anyway?"

"Is she a shaman too?" Rik asked making all heads turn towards her cocked to the side. "Storytellers... tend to live lonely." Her ears went back.

"I don't know how the jungle operates, but she is kind of an outcast from most typical desert goers."

"Isn't everyone who travels through the desert?" Otho asked.

"Not us." Rain muttered.

"No, not at all. Usually you'd see a plane or two in the air a day, but this is a bad month to fly with occasional sandstorms across the entire desert region." The fennec explained.

"A plane?" Otho's brows raised suspiciously.

"You know, the small lightweight machines with flapping wings."

"Yes I know! But people here know how to build and fly them?" He clarified. Rik barely had a trace of civilization to her name save for her gun and knife, yet people in a desert could fly without some sort of contact having been made? Not even the other three behind the plateau had something like that.

"Yeah, Kirsch uses an ornithopter the make deliveries. Ornithopters are popular for distant traveling for trade." All this news sounded too good to be true for the raccoon to hear.

"Then why is she an outcast? A technician here with all that metal we saw looks pretty valuable."

"It really is a valuable trade, but she's an orphan." Her voice lowered. "Not just an orphan though. Her parents were a red fox and a lynx." Ruth looked very serious about the matter.

"So? That just means she's a hybrid." Otho summed up.

"Ah! Careful using that word here." Rain hushed him. "It's not acceptable in the desert. There's a strong tradition that you always marry someone of the same species."

"Most will scoff seeing the extra ear tufts, and red fur pattern with spots." Ruth explained loosening up once more. "So just be mindful of her background."

"Ok," Otho nodded, "but what does she do exactly?"

"She runs a delivery system and rather than wait a month or two before she randomly ends up in our town's outer marketplace, we trekked on foot to visit her."

"How long did it take you two to get this far?"

"Twelve days from the last town." They summed up. Rik frowned wondering if her paws would melt from any more contact with heated rocks.

"Sand is too hot." Rik looked out into the endless sea of heat. "I miss normal heat."

"So where are you two from?" Ruth asked the raccoon and sand vixen.

"Jungle." Rik pointed in a general direction of west.

"How did you end up in a jungle? Desert foxes are notable for being in the desert, not a land full of trees."

"Born and lived there." She shrugged.

"Her parents may have come from a village near the desert and migrated west before those metal soldiers rampaged destroying everything a decade later. Otho explained receiving an odd look.

"Metal soldiers?"

"They're a real problem in the jungle."

"Shoot and kill everyone."

"Goodness." Ruth's ears swiveled back. "I can understand why you would want to leave from all of that."

"Yeah." Otho's mind buzzed with all the unanswered questions that he and Rik had come across. "Have you seen any humans here before?"

"A what?" Her muzzle and brow wrinkled.

"They're a touch shorter than us on average. They don't have muzzles or fur-"

"Eww! The last thing I saw without a muzzle was a poor unlucky soul. Leave it at that." She grimaced as if a lemon appeared in her mouth.

"I take it you have no idea what a human is."

"Nope. Let's talk about something else over a decent meal." Ruth pulled a small pouch out of her hand bag.

"Decent meal..." Her friend huffed. "Could you brush my back free of sand first Ruth?" Rain sat up and gave a quick stretch.

"Gimme a sec." The fennec sat behind her. "You shouldn't pour water all over your fur and not expect it to happen."

"Well worth it." She pointed into the air with a satisfied smile as her friend removed the lingering granules.

"Alright, keep the bucket down here and I'll cook." She shooed Rain off. "Here. You'll both like this." Ruth pulled out a small sized pouch. Inside was full of small yellow balls the size of a grain of sand."

"What are they?" Rik cocked her head curiously.

"It's couscous. We'll need to boil some water and then cook it." She motioned for Rain to hurry up and get some from the well. "It's great with dried peaches." The fennec quickly dug up a bagful within her pack.

"How are we going to make a fire out here?" Otho asked scanning the sand devoid of trees or any other fuel.

"Portable oil furnace." Ruth reached back into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a small lamp with a large open area in the middle. "It's very convenient way out here." She turned a knob and flames appeared underneath with a brisk click.

'Crafty fox.' Otho watched Rain pour water into a pot for the fennec.

"Mm. Cool water." Rik drank from the bucket. The meal they ate was basic but very filling and having cool well water was a luxury. Rik talked about her life in the jungle to the others and they explained the cramped, crowded desert cities back east. Much to Otho's disappointment, they didn't know of any radio or messaging device that could a signal a few kilometers over flat land. That made contact back home out of reach.

"Where you two go now?" Rik wiped her mouth and peered forward questioningly.

"Probably head out in a few. If you want, you two can come with us to Kirsch's place. We will leave as soon as we can to make it there by tomorrow around sun high."

"Do you want to travel with them Rik?" He asked simply enough. The sand vixen scrunched her nose cutely in thought before nodding.

"Yes."

"Alright. We have ourselves a little caravan now." Ruth grinned amused. "We should pack up and head then to cover a good amount of ground."

"Already?" Rain complained. "I barely cooled off."

"Hey, you're the one who suggested that we get there early."

'Not as simple as turning on the tap, but doable.' Otho carefully filled tribal canteen and stored it in the backpack.

"Here's an extra shirt Rik." Ruth tossed a white short sleeve to the sand vixen. "You don't want to burn exposed areas more than you have to." She pointed to the sand vixen's chest where her nipples and lower areola remained exposed to the blistering heat.

"Wear it?" She sadly looked at Otho.

"I can't wear it for you, and it's until we reach this technician's house." He comforted her.

"Help me put it on." She nearly whined raising her arms up. Otho slipped it on her easy enough, but the vixen shuddered feeling the fabric over her body.

"We're ready." Otho turned to the foxes while Rik held her arms out as if they were frozen stiff.

"Alright. Let's move out!" Ruth led the way south. The hot sun returned with vengeance as they left their shady oasis.

'I miss it already.' Otho looked back as he descended down a dune.

"Grr." Rik growled fidgeting and pulling at the shirt.

"What's wrong Rik?" He asked seeing the vixen continually scratch over her entire body.

"So itchy!" She growled scratching over her chest and belly especially.

"Don't worry, we'll be there soon enough twin." Rain patted her shoulder in comfort.

"Are those safe to eat?" Otho pointed to a small group of cacti to their right. A plant out here had to store extra water. Ruth flicked up her sunshades as they continued walking. The plants' dull green and red striped appearance reminded him of tropical fruits, tasty ones at that. Rain and Ruth chuckled, nearly snorting at him. "Ok, a simple no would've sufficed." He frowned looking away from the tempting fruit.

"Don't eat those things. You'll dream funny." Ruth grinned resting her shades back over her muzzle.

"And hallucinate." Rain added. "It's like a drug fruit, and there are countless stories of people eating it to stay alive."

"That's when they lose control of themselves." Her fennec counterpart concurred as they traversed over another dune. The sun lazily arced over the sky, and the four travelers.

***

"Let's sleep for the night." Ruth suggested noting how close the sun was to setting.

"Here?" Rik stretched and nearly tore off the shirt as Otho slid the backpack off without any complaints. They walked for hours under a blistering sun, and he didn't want to convince anyone to keep going.

"The sky of course." Rain chuckled setting down her pack before finding a spot in the sand to lie on. Rik's nose twitched not catching the joke.

"Pick a buddy to sleep with. You'll be surprised how cold the sand can get." Ruth set her sunglasses aside before laying down with Rain.

"We figured that one out quickly." Otho and Rik laid down together in their normal position. She grabbed his hand and pulled as if he was a blanket. His palm ultimately ended up sandwiched between her breast and hand. The other hand's fingertips were touching the other breast, but Rik didn't seem to mind at all. 'Kind of intimate.' Otho barely had any wiggle room as a cool wind chilled the raccoon's back.

"Otho. You're shaking." Rik whispered feeling him behind her.

"I am?" He dumbly answered.

"Yes. What's wrong?" Her voice was concerned.

"It's just cold back there." He held her close and buried his nose into her neck fur. The subtle unique scent that was wholly Rik helped comfort him to sleep.

"Stop pulling my tail!" Ruth growled.

"It's stuck under my leg." Her friend shifted around.

"Here. Roll over." They traded positions and faced away from each other.

"Sorry guys." Ruth spoke softly. Otho and Rik only grinned, barely able to hear the argument.

"Did they fall asleep?" Rain asked only for a hand to lightly smack her head.

Otho rested his hands underneath his head wearing a content grin along his muzzle. An ocean wave crashed onto the shore nearby as a gentle cool breeze ruffled his fur. The scenery was gorgeous but his attention was focused on what was in front of him, or rather who was on top of him. Beautiful blue eyes, sandy and cream colored fur, and a damp black nose stared fondly back at him.

"You look great Rik." He cupped her jaw and brushed her cheek fur slowly with his thumb.

"Oh Otho." Rik's dreamy voice poured around him as she kissed his lips. His eyes closed as he kissed back, but his brow wrinkled disdainfully. Instead of a soft pair of supple lips molding against his own, a gritty texture surprised him. The ocean waves and breezes stopped as he kissed feeling more sand. Otho's eyes popped open revealing the back of Rik's head and messy hair. The vixen was still asleep in his arms and the sun was just minutes away from peeping above the desert horizon. Otho brought a hand to the corner of his lips and felt encrusted sand where he had drooled.

'Damn, that was a realistic dream.' He sat up and brushed away the sand from his sides. The desert was pretty scenic without the sun, but the sand always found a way to annoy him. Ruth was already awake beside a still sleeping Rain. She looked over and gave a curt wave. Otho waved back and held up the other half of his last banana to see if she wanted it. She raised her hand and Otho tossed it over. The fennec liked the taste and gave a thumbs up. He looked down hearing Rik rustle in the sand. The vixen rested her hand over his leg and yawned sweetly. Her pretty blue eyes opened up in a warm smile seeing him. "Awake Rik?" Otho smoothed the vixen's sand blonde hair out of her eyes.

"Mmhm." She nuzzled his leg and yawned again. "But you weren't beside me."

"I just woke up early. That's all." He kept the dream out of his thoughts. Rik cutely stuck her tongue at him with a giggle and sat up in a stretch. "Enjoy the banana Ruth?" He watched the fennec devour the last bite with a nod.

"That yellow fruit tastes better than dry oatmeal." Ruth tossed the banana peel aside and jumped up. "Let me get my bag and we can go. Come on sleepy head, you're falling behind for once." Ruth nudged her friend awake.

"Five minutes Ruth." She mumbled grumpily and rolled over.

"Do I have to wear the shirt again?" Rik's ears pinned back as she looked at the menacing white fabric.

"Just for a few more hours Rik, and then you won't have to worry about it."

"Alright." She mustered a grin and retrieved the constricting fabric.

"How much longer do you think we have?" Otho asked slipping the backpack's straps over his shoulders.

"Three to five hours if Rain remembers how to stand up." Ruth looked down at her friend.

"I'm up, I'm up!" She yawned rising to all fours. Everyone shielded themselves as the sand vixen promptly shook her body to rid herself of excess sand.

"Let's go then." Ruth started walking as Rain quickly smoothed out her hair. "I want a real bed to sleep in tonight."

***

Noon could not have come soon enough in the tough heat. "Is that smoke?" Otho looked at the top of the dune they were climbing. The fennec strode ahead to the top.

"Alright! That's her house!" Ruth slid down the sand dune.

"Woohoo! Real shade!" Her companion hurried down after the fennec, followed by Otho and Rik. The raccoon found himself skiing down the sand due to the steep incline, but Rik seemed to enjoy it. The hybrid's home was the first Otho had seen of its kind in well over a month. The walls looked like adobe bricks laid out in a simple rectangle with a roof topping the structure nicely. To Otho's surprise, a wind mill spun leisurely behind the house, and a large barn like building was adjacent to the home. As soon as they reached the bottom, Ruth and Rain threw their shoes over to the side of the house while running so that they were out of sight. Rik followed suit with her shirt after balling it up. Otho approached a little slower wondering what the barn could be used for while the others impatiently waited. One of them knocked on the front door loudly. "Hey Kirsch!" Ruth called out before catching her breath. "Where are you?!"

"Why did they chuck their shoes away?" Otho asked Rik. The sand vixen only shrugged, happy to get rid of her confining shirt.

"Kirsch?!" Rain yelled. The yelling continued for probably another minute before another voice responded.

"I'm working in my hangar!" Everyone turned a head towards the barn sized building. They were greeted with a red fox-lynx hybrid dressed in cargo styled pants with an open green vest revealing a brown top and a lot of white belly fur. Her dazzling cherry fur was dotted with countless black spots. Her hair was fluffed up and out along her head to the back of her neck. It was also the same brilliant cherry red unlike her creamier white hands, feet, and unique facial markings.

'Punk hair? No, it's more of a mane.' Otho guessed to himself at the different design. She wiped her head with a wrench in hand before setting it aside by the large entryway.

"You don't need to yell. I'm not going to be out traveling during this month." Kirsch said approaching them.

'Her eyes are red too!' Otho stared at her.

"I thought you would be tinkering around inside, and we didn't want to be knifed looking for you." Ruth shyly grinned.

"I told you two months ago when I'd come back to the east and run deliveries. You could've easily burned your fur off, or gotten lost in a bad storm."

"Well, we know how much you need these bits and bolts." Ruth tossed the small weighted pouch over. "Especially for fine tuning."

"Ah! Thank you! The sand makes losing these a pain." She pulled one out to examine it closely before popping it back in and giving the bag a shake.

"I remember you talked about building a smaller motor when you were in our town." Rain said. "Is it doing well?" Kirsch shrugged with a light smile.

"Well... My smaller motor design has more holes in it than I expected."

"How are the two new ones you made working out?"

"I work on them but they keep breaking. There are never enough engineers to take care of this old flying scrap."

"Can't be in two places at once?"

"I'd rather be here at home twice as often than I could be." Kirsch sighed turning back towards her house. "Guess I'll have to be hospitable. Let's go inside and cool off." She waved everyone to go in. As soon as Otho walked by her, an arm stuck out halting him. "Lose the shoes though raccoon, and throw them into the sand." She stated quietly with a growl that unnerved the raccoon. He hesitated but reluctantly untied them before taking each off under her serious gaze. The sand felt grainy and warm as he had expected beneath his pads. Otho looked at the military styled shoes as he held the tied laces together. With a shrug he tossed them out into the sand where he could still see them before walking back to Kirsch's door where everyone else was inside.

'Is she strict about tracking sand into her house?' He wondered. "Aah!" Otho jumped back landing on his rear as a bug flew at his face. Kirsch laughed before adjusting the hanging piece of glass.

"I didn't think you were afraid of butterflies." The carnivore hybrid mused to herself. Otho looked up seeing the colorful wings within the translucent preservative glass plates. With a sigh he stood back up and walked inside. A pleasant smell filled his nose. Over to his right, a brick hearth contained a small fire where a kettle slowly cooked what was presumably soup. The kitchen and living room, if it could be called one, were for the most part combined with a small sturdy wooden table in the center of it all. A rather large and exotic chandelier hung over the small kitchen table. Clocks and other gadget items showed mismatched gears all working fluidly. The green and golden chandelier was shaped like a corkscrew drill pointing down and was decorated with dozens of tiny propellers that spun from the slightest breeze. The rest of the space was cluttered with metal scrap and other various things such as gears, small propellers, and wrenches. A large stack of papers and blueprint schematics filled up most of the leftover space, including the whitewashed walls.

"Desert still hot this time of year?" Kirsch joked making Ruth give out a tired sigh. The hybrid grinned at the sarcasm and cleared away some things before taking a seat at the small overcrowded kitchen table.

"Kirsch do you still have that bunk in the back spare room?" She wandered towards the hall with a stretch. "I'm pretty worn out from this two week journey."

"Yeah, it's still there. Just be careful with the stuff already in the room." She replied as the fennec disappeared around the corner. "I've only had guests a few times before, but it's not like anyone ever gives me a heads up." She smiled pressing her foot against the table's edge to tilt the chair back slightly. "So what do you need so badly? Clothes?" She looked at Rik with a curious red eye.

"Believe it or not they're looking for their friends and family." Rain leaned against the counter staring out the circular window. "And Otho is trying to find a way to contact his home."

"I crash landed here over a month ago and then Rik found me." He clarified.

"Like fell off a cliff crash landed?" Kirsch asked wondering how that could occur.

"No, from outside the planet if you can believe that." He made her eyes widen with skepticism. "My ship malfunctioned for reasons I still don't understand and I found myself alive in a swamp without a way of flying back home."

"Hot headed enough to get yourself into trouble? If you have enough money to fly around carefree, can't you just buy yourself back home?" Rik noticed Rain edge away before slipping towards the back hall where Ruth was sleeping.

"Stop acting like I'm rich. The only few things I had ever owned were in that Toulousian Tailpaw. This backpack is all I have left, and most of the stuff inside is Rik's, not mine."

"You strut around in your shoes like a sheik." She crossed her arms.

"Where Otho is from," Rik intervened, "they are very commonplace. Everyone wears them." The hybrid looked surprised to say the least.

"What?! It costs a fortune to have a tanner make one! Let alone two with that kind of thick leather!" She covered her muzzle realizing that the other two had gone in the back to sleep.

"Most of it probably isn't leather." Otho guessed. Kirsch merely shook her head standing up and went over to the hearth.

"Where are you two exactly from?" She asked ladling herself some chunky soup into a bowl.

"From the jungle." Rik pointed in the direction that they came from.

"Everyone's pockets overstuffed with money there?"

"Hardly. No one can live there without constantly looking for food." Otho added.

"Broke but real." Kirsch shrugged balancing her weight in the chair.

"What is all of this?" Rik looked at the hand made chandelier before glancing around the area. The vixen flicked one of the propellers attached to the chandelier, enamored with its simple spin.

"I made that with some spare time, but I originally wanted the spiral to be part of a support cage for an engine part."

"That's pretty unique." The raccoon blew on a mini propeller causing it to spin quickly. Kirsch watched him in amusement.

"I guess I had you all wrong from the start. You're not some rich fluff guy in charge of a guild strolling around my house, although Otho sounds like a rich name."

"It does?" He cocked his head. Valmuth and Tullivitz were two very wealthy families that he knew of in his country, and Otho was plain compared to them.

"Hovno! Too hot." Kirsch fanned her tongue setting the spoon down before blowing cooled air on it profusely. "Have some soup if you like." She ate the first cooled bite. "Be patient for it to cool though."

"Thanks. That would be nice." He admitted.

"Bowls are in that cabinet." She pointed to her right. Otho opened it only to take a step back. Numerous types of knives hung from the top shelf varying in size and shape.

"Any reason for the knives Kirsch?" He asked shakily, quickly grabbing two bowls.

"I'm a bad marksman, and an even worse escape artist." Kirsch made room on the table for them to eat at.

"Really? I mean escaping is just running away."

"It's that bad." She sat back down in her chair and leaned causing it to creak.

"I can teach you." Rik offered taking a seat. "I chased Otho when I first saw him." Kirsch held back a laugh.

"How did you feel about Rik chasing you Otho?"

"Scared to death." He admitted seeing Rik grin at him. "But she was kinder than I first thought." The sand vixen hardly had a bad bone in her body towards others from being so lonely for so long. "So how long have you lived here?" Otho looked around the room. It looked quaint despite the amount of stuff everywhere.

"A couple of years." She said after eating another bite. "It was really run down when I first lived here.

'Too crowded.' Rik thought to herself and the enclosed space. She missed the comforts of her jungle home, especially the freer space. The sand vixen didn't know how to use a spoon and opted for raising the bowl to her muzzle instead. Rik made a noticeable face and grunted.

"What? You don't like it?" Kirsch asked her.

"Spicy!" She coughed out her answer. Rik wiped her front clean from any excess drops.

"Do you normally walk around in your fur like this Rik?"

"Yes." She looked down her front. "Why?"

"Well... You're naked." Kirsch pointed out with her empty spoon.

"Clothes are itchy and annoying." She rubbed her neck.

"It took a while to get accustomed to." Otho admitted.

"Even though you're halfway there." Kirsch noted how little he was wearing. The raccoon ignored her comment.

"What's in your other house?" Rik asked.

"Oh it's not another house, it's my workshop and hangar put under one roof." Rik pushed her chair back only to knock over a small pile of metal behind her.

"Oops." She turned around to fix the pile. Kirsch groaned as the sand vixen's tail whipped around knocking down a few more parts.

"Do you mind if we look around in your workshop?" Otho was curious to see what the inventor may have on hand.

"As long as you don't mind me coming with you." She stood up and led them out the door. The sun had arced in the sky marking the mid evening. It was still hot outside, but at least the sand had a nice golden appearance. "This is where I spend most of my time when I'm not going about to make deliveries." They walked in the shaded enclosure. The makeshift hangar was neater than her house, but not by much. Countless papers, maps, and blueprints were nailed along parts of the walls. Dozens of small parts were organized along one end of a wall near a random crate or two. One large machine rested on the ground in the center, and another was raised up about a meter on a small makeshift platform. An old drum of oil sat behind the raised up machine. What looked like a work station had a disassembled engine with a few tools resting beside it.

"So these are ornithopters?" Rik cocked her head and approached the strange flying contraptions.

"How else could you travel across the desert? Wind runners are far less reliable, and biplanes don't maneuver with good speed among other things." The sand vixen touched a metal wall and giggled pulling her hand back.

"It's cool to the touch!" Rik touched it again out of fascination.

"How could we miss this planet?" Otho looked at the complex machines. Space exploration had been an important field for over three decades, yet they couldn't locate a planet this sophisticated and innovative?

"Were you really joking about crashing on the planet?" Kirsch turned and asked him with a serious tone.

"I wish." He stated with a sigh. It would take a powerful substance to make an ultra realistic dream last this long and complex.

"I haven't encountered a machine that can leave the planet and keep someone alive, but I don't own any history books to say otherwise." She held her chin in thought. "What kind of shape is your plane?"

"Very different," He trailed off feeling the metal side, "because it operates with powerful thrusters, a Ma-Z engine, and a lot of other equipment you don't have."

"Sounds fancy... and expensive."

"I have no idea what the military's budget is, but if I have to pay for damages then I'll be in debt till my muzzle is pure white!" He snickered at the thought of someone towing the destroyed ship back into space while he walked around with a cane. "How long did it take you to build this?"

"A good while with mostly spare parts I guess. It's been a long time." She felt over one of the exposed gears and wiped away some of the dirt. "That's why I'm repairing it before I have to fly again."

"It's very impressive." He remarked looking over the fine details where small gears and rods joined together.

"Thank you." She grinned. "It takes a good arm and a sharp mind to survive out here."

"No kidding." Otho looked around the area. "Do you happen to have any radio systems by chance?" He asked hopefully with all the metal around. It wouldn't be to hard to construct, but powering something that strong would be a heavy challenge.

"Only for short distance, say a few kilometers at the most on flat land and no dunes."

"Oh." His ears folded back in dismay. There wasn't much that he could do then with something that weak. He looked over seeing Rik sit on a crate looking through a stack of papers. "What is all this paper for?" Otho looked around. "All of it can't be designs for machines and parts."

"Some are old transaction trade papers, bills, people, and addresses. I have a few basic maps of seasonal wind patterns and cities in the desert too."

"Maps? Can I see one?" Kirsch dug through a small pile before handing the raccoon.

"Woah! I can read this!" He looked at the paper, and eagerly began scanning it.

"My hand writing isn't that bad." Kirsch mumbled fixing the stack of paper.

'Pilsen... Fergrundo... Ga'Zzom... Agfis.' Were a few names placed next to corresponding black dot that represented cities. 'Salt Oasis,' and 'Thermo Oasis.' Were the only two bodies of water he found on the map east of where the hybrid's house was. The desert proved to be very large leaving most of the map empty. Along the top of the map, a dotted line marked the end of the desert near a mountain range. The underlined word above the dotted line caught his attention.

'Forest... Maybe someone has a radio beacon there or a strong signal device.' They certainly couldn't last very long in this climate without a lot of help. However, being able to fly there would save them weeks of travel! "Is it possible that you can fly us to the forest northeast from here? I'll pay you anything we have." He quickly offered a deal. The two ladies looked surprised to say the least at the sudden gesture.

"Are you kidding me? Flying is dangerous this month! What if a sandstorm happens to pick up?" She ran an uneasy hand through her plumed mane like head fur. "What if I break down or something with all that sand flying around?"

"Please. We can't navigate by ourselves through the entire desert." Otho pleaded.

"No way!" The hybrid worriedly looked at her working ornithopter.

"We were lucky to run into that first well by ourselves." Otho added with concern.

"You've got to be kidding me." Kirsch mumbled looking around her workshop before kicking some sand into the air. "Ugh. Do you at least have something big to trade me?" She asked making Otho's heart leap with optimism. He quickly jumped at her turn of heart.

"What about these?" Otho looked through the backpack retrieving his second flight uniform. The lynx looked them over before she pinched her nose and tossed them back.

"No way, you didn't even wash them. Besides, red and white isn't my taste." Otho set the clothes aside and offered nearly everything else he had only to come up empty handed. Nothing satisfied her, but that was probably expected. Rik and Otho had very little with them when they crosses the desert. 'I wish I had salvaged some parts from my ship.' He dismally thought running out of ideas. However, her eyes were definitely occupied by something of theirs. "I like that gun." She pointed over to the heavy automatic weapon sticking out from their backpack. Otho and Rik's eyes widened fearfully. That was their only protection if they ever ran into another robot, predator, or who knows what.

"Oh. That's actual-" Otho watched astonished as Rik handed over the weapon. She was giving up something for him. Kirsch felt over and scanned every part of the gun half mumbling to herself. He felt a hand gently rest on his shoulder. Looking over, Rik had knelt beside him and looked at him with a sad yet hopeful expression.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." Kirsch summed up her thoughts with a smile. They shook hands. "I'll fly you two tomorrow morning then." She smiled carrying the weapon back to her house. "Granted that there is perfect weather."

"Thank you." He managed to say as Rik shook her hand. Otho followed her to the hangar's entrance. "Do we need to prepare anything for tomorrow?"

"Nope. Just leave the flying to me."

"Ok." He turned around and went back in the hangar.

"Sleep wherever you like, just not on my tools!" She called from outside heading back to the house.

"I have a feeling that she doesn't have much room left inside her home." Otho grinned at Rik only to find that the vixen had taken a seat against a wall by herself. The vulpine body always looked plumper than it really was whenever the vixen sat down and had her legs huddled up to her front. Her arms secured her legs by wrapping around them tightly. The position normally would have reminded him of a pinup portrait, but now it meant unease and concern were plaguing her thoughts. Otho approached and she immediately loosened up putting a leg down . "Rik, you didn't have to trade your gun for a flight across the desert." Otho sat beside her feeling guilty over the whole matter.

"It's ok." She quietly spoke. "I only used it whenever a metal robot was spotted nearby."

"I feel awful because of that." He looked away briefly. "It was yours, not mine. All you have from the jungle are your bow and arrows now." He sighed wearily.

"But..." She leaned against him with a little more pressure. "I still have you from the jungle." Her hand squeezed his as her cheek rested on his shoulder. Otho grinned taking ahold of her hand with a caring squeeze.

"Thanks Rik. Although I wonder if there was something else that we could've traded." Otho stared at one of the flying machines. That thought had certainly been hanging around in his head like most of the large machines did in Kirsch's workshop.

"Hmmm." Rik closed her eyes thinking while enjoying his shoulder as a pillow. "Maybe you could've massaged her paw pads like you do to mine. That would've made her really happy." Otho comically frowned at the idea, and sent a silent thankful prayer that Rik hadn't suggested it earlier.

"Even if she forgave my shoes for that, I don't think giving her paws a rub would've done much to fly us across the desert."

"I would've agreed to it." She grinned before a yawn overtook her. How well the raccoon knew that.

"Let's get some sleep Rik." Otho hugged her side before rubbing the sand vixen's shoulder. "We have a big journey ahead of us tomorrow."

"Can we sleep here? Too crowded in her house."

"Sure we can." He gave her a reassuring squeeze as the sand vixen snuggled close.

Kirsch met the duo early in the morning dressed to fly with durable, yet breathable clothes. The top button on her cream colored shirt was undone allowing the white tuft of fur to spill out nicely. A pair of shorts, green goggles, and a dragonfly shaped pendant on her necklace were also adorned by the fox-lynx hybrid. All without a pair of shoes.

"You two ready to fly?" She asked with a healthy bout of enthusiasm. The pair grinned from the positive dose of optimism and readied themselves.

"Where did Rain and Ruth go?" Otho asked not seeing any of the vixens' stuff around the house.

"They just had to go out for a while before sunrise and woke me up." She grumbled cracking her neck. "But I'm awake now, so you don't have to worry about me falling asleep at the controls."

"Good to hear." Rik stated with some relief. Kirsch walked into the hanger and climbed into the largest one that had a basic camouflage design resembling the desert landscape. She flipped a switch and a small motor came buzzing to life. The wheels on the bottom of the aircraft moved slowly through the sand and dirt outside, leaving a little trail to the northeast. The large wings unfolded before she cut the small motor off and jumped out. The large aircraft sat ready to fly facing the open desert. "It's so big." Rik looked at the machine with a nervous eye. Otho wrapped an arm around her side comfortingly.

"Ok now this might sound crazy, but the ornithopters I have built are only meant for two people, not that I expect a passenger, but I need a spot for my tools and goods if the storage compartment isn't enough." She started scratching the mane on her neck.

"So me and Rik will have to ride together in one seat?" He summed up.

"Well... Yeah." She shyly grinned showing all of her white teeth. Otho didn't exactly look optimistic about the machine compared to what he normally flew in, but if Kirsch did this for a living then it couldn't be too bad.

"Will I fall out?" Rik asked wrapping her tail around her waist.

"Only if you want to jump." Kirsch joked making the sand vixen whine.

"Is there anything dangerous in storage?" Otho asked seeing what looked like a corner of a blanket sticking out of a crack.

"Nah, just a large stack of silk someone wants delivered next month. I don't run gunpowder and fireworks together anymore though. That! Was a wild ride three and a half years ago." She chuckled to herself putting on a leathery brown top vest.

"Why are there skis next the the wheels?" He noted the unique landing system.

"Skis are for landing in sand, especially if it's an emergency landing. There's a switch that deploys or retracts the wheels for harder surfaces." She patted the side of the aircraft. "So if I answered all of your questions we can start flying. I don't want to be in the sky the entire way back in complete darkness." They nodded. Otho lifted Rik up into the rear seat before climbing in himself. The raccoon and fox sat packed together in the comfortable seat and looked around their exterior metallic surroundings.

"I won't let you fall out." Otho chuckled as Rik leaned onto his side the more she stared at the ground.

"Please don't." She kept her fluffy tail wrapped around her waist. Kirsch wasted no time climbing aboard getting the controls ready. "It's going to get loud." She warned bending over to start the main engine.

"I can't believe I'm flying again!" Otho exclaimed with excitement holding Rik tightly as she buried her face safely into his shirt. A loud whirring roar started from the engine before calming down somewhat. The large wings slowly lifted up before going down. Kirsch slipped on a pair of gloves that matched her vest and made herself comfortable in the cockpit.

"Alright let's start flying!" She exclaimed. The engine's noises continued to even out, and she adjusted her green goggles accordingly. Otho watched as the large wings slowly began flapping, but quickly gained speed. The ornithopter began moving a little bit as strong gusts were created causing sand to scatter around in misty waves. Kirsch adjusted a few switches and a lever up front resulting in lift off. Rik watched with widening eyes as the ground became farther away from her. The roar from the wings died down somewhat the higher they ascended. The fox dove down and hid in Otho's lap. He held onto her faithfully. Kirsch unlocked the steering mechanism causing the ornithopter to tilt slightly forward before quickly taking off in a straightened direction. The wind blew furiously from the speed against Otho's face as he raised a hand to see better.

'Wow. We can see everything.' Otho looked around the seemingly endless desert that now resembled a magnificent ocean where dunes became motionless waves. Flying was much closer and personal than orbiting a planet from space. The hybrid's house became smaller and smaller behind them reminding the raccoon of something. "Uh Kirsch?!" He yelled between looking back at the lynx hybrid's home quickly disappearing behind them.

"Yeah?!" She asked glancing back at her passengers.

"I think I forgot my shoes back in the sand!" Otho looked down at his bare furred feet.

"Don't worry, I'll burn them when I fly back!" She smiled before turning around to focus on piloting the large machine once more. Otho sighed sinking back into his seat making sure to keep a strong hold on Rik.

***

The desert passed by quickly along the horizon. Shrubs and tiny trees became more common and soon rivaled the desert for space on the ground. He held a hand up in front of his face to shield himself from the strong gusts, although the erratic wind proved to be a great way to cool off through the heat. Mountaintops could be seen far away in the east creating a scenic picture to stare at.

"Don't you want to look Rik?" Otho bent down and asked the quivering vixen in his lap. "You've been down there for the entire flight." He stroked her back. The vixen shook her head remaining firmly planted in his lap.

"Hey, can you pour this into the first opening towards me? Just make sure to take the cap off." Kirsch handed back a large container with a plastic nozzle sticking out.

"Alright!" He yelled back. Oil came out much to his surprise as it disappeared down the funnel.

"What was it for?" He handed back the now empty container.

"Fuel!"

"Does that mean we're almost there?"

"I just need to find a spot to land in this thickening shrubs." Otho could make out a large amount if green to the horizon. Landing on a few trees was definitely not possible. The ornithopter gradually decreased in altitude noticeably as Kirsch scanned the ground through a small scope. "We'll land down there!" She pointed to a flat section of land before abruptly maneuvering downward. The craft flew with agility and turned quickly to line up with the natural runway.

'It's like a giant bird.' Otho was surprised at how precise the ornithopter could move. The craft bounced as the wheels made contact against the hard surface. Rik squealed opening her eyes seeing the ground just outside her grasp. Their pilot cursed and held onto the controls tightly as it coasted along the uneven dirt. Otho couldn't make out the strange words, but they didn't seem friendly to the bumpy ground. The wings slowed considerably as the wheels finally came to a halt. Rik scrambled out and jumped to the ground immediately after the wings stopped flapping completely. Kirsch turned the noisy engine off. "We made it!" She yelled triumphantly. Otho lost his footing and fell out beside Rik with the backpack on his head. 'That hurt.' He frowned hearing Kirsch busted out laughing while the sand vixen helped him up. Rik gave a squeezing hug to the raccoon and rested her head on his shoulder. The frown quickly left his face in her embrace. "Thank you for holding me Otho."

"You're welcome." He hugged her back as Kirsch jumped down.

"Man that was a long ride." Kirsch stretched her legs, working away any possible cramps. "But no section of desert will stop me." She smoothed out her ruffled fur only for the sand vixen to jump her.

"Thank you Kirsch!" Rik hugged her, and buried her face into the red fox-lynx's shoulder.

"No problem." She nonchalantly patted the vixen's back wearing an amused look. 'Let's not get my cheek fur wet.' Kirsch looked at Otho waiting for the sand fox to pry herself away. He gave Rik's tail a gentle tug making the vixen step back slightly flustered. "Any idea where you're going after here?" Kirsch wondered smoothing over some sand under her heel. Rik looked over at Otho wondering the same question.

"Hmm. Not exactly, but we'll be together through it all the way." He rested a hand on Rik's shoulder. The hybrid nodded with a grin, and glanced back to the desert.

"Well then if you two don't mind, I'll be off. I've never really been one for hiking around forests. There's hardly anything made of metal in them that I can make stuff out of."

"I can't thank you enough Kirsch." Otho held out his hand. Kirsch smiled and gave a firm shake.

"No problem. Stay safe out there, and good luck." She grinned and gave a thumbs up before climbing back into the ornithopter. The loud flapping resumed once more when the engine came to life. They stepped back as sand and dirt flew up around them. Kirsch maneuvered the controls and lifted off from the ground. They both waved at the ornithopter as it circled them once. Kirsch waved before heading back to her home in the distance. The aircraft gradually shrunk in the sky before disappearing into the desert sky.

"Guess I should've brought a back up pair of shoes." He looked down at his bare black furred paws. At least there wasn't anymore sand to burn their paw pads. A hand clasped onto his own. Otho looked over at Rik seeing the vulpine's eyes lit up warmly.

"Should we go explore?" Rik suggested.

"Might as well before the sun gets too low." He nodded, and looked into the forest ahead patting her shoulder. Her body leaned onto his affectionately. 'Hopefully we are getting closer.' A gentle warm breeze ruffled their fur from behind.

Two days had passed since Kirsch had dropped them off in the late afternoon, and the terrain was much more bearable for the duo. A drier forest was quickly replaced by a wetter one that closely resembled Rik's jungle habitat. Wild pigs, deer, and plenty of birds and plenty of insects filled the green forest. The land had plenty of creeks and had gentle sloping hills in an otherwise level terrain. Without too many worries, Otho and Rik followed part of a river north or east depending on its bend.

"The plant life looks similar to your jungle." Otho plucked a leaf off an ivy vine as ey walked, feeling over its plain texture. Although the plants here are less tropical I think.

"Feels... Cooler." She inhaled waving her hand in the air. "Less heat than home."

'Not as tropical then.' Otho thought to himself with a smile. No sweating from the temperature or humidity alone. Although he never had to worry about any of those things at his home or back at the base. "We might be in a temperate rainforest then. Or just a rainforest... Maybe a cloud forest. I never did anything in transecology as a pilot."

"What are you talking about?" She held a low branch back for him to pass.

"It's studying about various climates in various planets." He walked by as the branch thwacked behind him.

"Studying climates?"

"Yeah. Like knowing animals and plants in a certain area." He thought off the top of his head.

"Well... That's periwinkle." She looked over at the pretty purple flowers on the vine like plant. "Some is at the jungle."

"Along with all of the other greenery I assume?" Otho joked.

"If you look hard enough, then yes." She smiled.

"Speaking of looking, where should we stop for the night?"

"So soon?" She asked noting how early in the evening it was.

"Sure. Let's just relax for tomorrow." He suggested strolling behind her.

"We can stop by the river here." Rik set the backpack down next to a tree. "Flat and open to sleep with fire." She reasoned before looking at him with a peculiar smile.

"I guess after all that walking, your paws will be in my hands soon enough." Otho mused seeing her smile openly widen at the thought.

"Can you sit down first?" She asked with her legs eagerly stretched out towards him.

"Gimme a sec." He stretched cracking his back while she made herself comfortable against a tree. Otho being a masseuse was a great bonus for Rik. 'Would it be hand them over, or foot them over?' He mused to himself sitting down by her legs. The vixen didn't waste time and slid her paws into his lap where he took over. Thumbs pressed into her paws making a big smile splay across her muzzle. Pretty soon Rik melted under his touch and lazily watched his hands work as they kneaded her tired pads. The insects weren't too loud, and the birds made pleasant little tunes for them to listen to. No alerts, waking up for a sudden assignment, or reporting back to a cranky superior. In the forest with Rik was slowly becoming a getaway paradise. Otho kept her legs in his lap after he finished massaging, and leisurely felt over the sand vixen's paws with his entire hand. The pads had become really warm from all the attention he gave them, and he enjoyed how his little talent could make her relax. The sand vixen's toes would curl if Otho lost focus and went too light while he watched her and forest around them. "It's beautiful here." She looked up and around as he traced over her soles freely.

"Yeah. I won't mind going through here slowly." He rubbed over and played with one toe at a time. There was plenty of food to find and streams nearly littered the forest floor like leaves did. She giggled feeling him thread his fingers between her toes keeping them spread out on one foot before doing the same to her other one.

"Now you're being silly." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully as he moved her feet left to right while being bound to his hands. Otho made a silly face in return and gradually began rubbing over the top half of her sole with his palm and heel. She hummed contently feeling him knead and lightly grip the top half of her paw despite the new position.

"I think you love having your paws touched no matter what." He grinned enjoying the constant warmth of her main pad. Rik couldn't disagree with that statement and wanted him to continue despite knowing that it wouldn't last forever.

She gave a content hum feeling him set her paws down. "Thank you." She stood up in a long stretch.

"All my pleasure." He stood up with her.

"What should we do now?" She looked over at their backpack propped against the sapling.

"Let's take a quick dip in the river. It's been a while since we've seen a flowing source of water." He suggested gazing at its alluring flow. They were both grateful to be out of the desert and back into a more tropical climate where dehydration didn't pose a real risk. The sand vixen walked down the mossy shore and waded out to a deeper section while Otho quickly shed his clothes behind her.

"Brr!" She shivered slowly submersing herself into the cooler flowing water before standing up again.

"It's not that bad." Otho waded over to her as the vixen found a large smooth boulder to sit on. The water only went up to her belly on the stony perch.

"I'm not used to the cold like you." She mustered a grin trying to warm herself. He ruffled the vixen's damp hair before sitting on the rock beside her.

"Yikes! It is a little chilly!" He shivered from the stone surface and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pressing closely to her. She brought an arm around his side.

"I told you." Rik chuckled and received his body heat graciously. The pair remained snuggled close and stared out into the forest where the river flowed down before disappearing behind a bend into the forest. Miscellaneous insects and birds continued to create a natural symphony for them to privately enjoy. It was beautiful.

"Ah, this is nice." Otho stayed closely nestled to Rik's side.

"Mhm." She agreed, relaxing as the water swept downstream. Otho could feel the vixen's fur tangle lightly with his own from the water's course. Peaceful moments like these made any discomfort drift away for Otho much like the water in the current sweeping downstream. He owed Rik his life for saving him from the robot, starvation; and especially for choosing to travel with him across the desert. Everything about the moment felt great and it didn't recede when they helped wash each other. Otho shivered when they climbed up the rocks to the mossy embankment. They shook as much water out as the could before laying down on the clear spot in the sunlight where trees didn't overcrowd the sky. The rays warmed their bodies splendidly and dried their fur with ease. Otho looked to his left seeing how close they were. On impulse, he reached over and held her creamy furred hand before intertwining their fingers. Rik didn't say anything and gave a reassuring squeeze in return as they silently dried together. "Otho?" She asked turning onto her side to face him.

"Yes?" He rolled over to see her, still holding the sweet vixen's hand.

"What were your parents like?"

"Hmmm... My mom was a raccoon like me but with a lighter grey, and no black socks." Otho pointed to his paws.

"Grey there." Rik brushed a paw over his.

"Yes. She was a little pudgy in the belly too." Otho prodded the vixen's tummy making her giggle. "But she always had plenty of energy to last the entire day including work." The raccoon smiled fondly giving Rik's tummy a few pats. "I was generally afraid of things as a kid, but becoming a pilot helped crack that shell and it was all thanks to her for suggesting the idea."

"What about your dad?" She asked only to receive a neutral look.

"I never knew my dad because he left my mom when she was regnant with me. I guess I look similar to him, but I just want to know why he left my mom. At least you knew your dad for ten years."

"Wow. No dad." Rik couldn't imagine being without him through her whole childhood.

"My maternal grandfather was more of a dad to me. He told me a lot of stories and tales like the one about earth."

"What is earth?"

"It's a planet like this one where all of life originated. It's really hard to imagine a single planet that held all of civilization at one point before it expanded across the galaxy."

"What happened to it?"

"No one really knows. Overtime it faded away in importance before other areas lost contact without having a way to find it again. I am afraid that the whole planet was destroyed in some post apocalyptic catastrophe."

"No brothers?" Rik didn't care for a grand death scenario.

"No. My mom didn't have any spare time from raising me and working. I liked helping her around the house though. It was just her, me, and my grandad for most of the time."

"Same small family for me." She quietly spoke with a little grin. "Do you have same eyes as your mom's?" Her pale blue ones peered at his soft brown ones.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" He blinked.

"They're very beautiful." Rik smiled and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks." He nervously scratched his head as his ears instinctively folded back. "I appreciate it."

"Miss her a lot like I do for my parents?" He nodded in reply.

"I hope she is doing alright. Disappearing wouldn't exactly help her stress."

"She'll be happier than me when she sees you." Her blue eyes shined with optimism.

"You're right." He sighed contently as they silently stared at each other for a minute.

"Want to make a fire and eat?" She asked.

"Sure." He sat up. Rik sat up as well but with a fairly dirty back from laying in the dirt so long. "Wait. There's dirt on your back." He started brushing off the dark specks under her neck.

"Can you get it off?" She tried looking over her shoulder.

"It would be my pleasure." He offered as her tail swished happily. Otho worked down to the base of her tail and even her sides and arms before going back up with an idea in mind. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently began kneading the muscle underneath.

"Ooh." Rik quietly moaned. "That feels nice." She relaxed further into his touch.

"I never practiced what I learned in my physical therapy training course very often, but I remember how to basically work the shoulders. Of course I can massage your paws too." The raccoon continued rubbing away. "Hey I can't finish if you're laying on me." He gave her a quick hug before she stood up.

"Mm. Good, but not better than my paws." She looked down at them.

"You walk on them all day, not your shoulders." He teased standing up beside her.

"I get your back now." She turned him around and brushed his back.

"Thank you." He swished his tail gratefully. She looked over at their backpack.

"Find sticks now for fire."

"Good idea." He looked seeing the sun start to dip below the horizon. It didn't take long for the crackling of flames to be heard as darkness fully set in. The two travelers were sitting beside one another with their paws extended to the fire.

"I should've asked Kirsch if she had any extra slices of bread. I could've showed you what a sandwich was."

"What is a sandwich?" Rik curiously inquired.

"Just imagine your food between two white fluffy clouds and taking a big bite." He closed his eyes.

"Do these clouds rain?" She chuckled imagining a giant watermelon floating in the sky.

"Silly vixen." He took his last bite of the mango and savored its delicious taste. Otho playfully punched her shoulder. Rik laughed and punched his side so hard that he spit up his mouthful of food into the fire.

"Oops. Sorry." She rubbed over the tender spot.

"It's ok. Today was great." Otho cleared his throat and tossed the bulky mango seed into the darkness.

"Mmhm! We had a lot of fun." She cheerily replied. He nodded with a hum but noticed her shift uncomfortably.

"Something wrong?"

"No." Her head shook. "Make rain." She told him getting up before disappearing behind a dark tree. Her tribal phrase meant to 'urinate,' and Otho laid down waiting for her to return. The vixen soon returned and chose to sleep across the fire from him.

"Feeling tired too?" He asked as she laid down across the low fire.

"Yes." She yawned. "Sleep now." They then bid each other goodnight, but Otho found sleep hard to achieve despite how tired he was. The coon felt lonely laying on the ground away from her, and his arms awkwardly laid out in front of his chest with no comfortable place to go. The sand vixen had her back to him and flicked her tail occasionally, indicating that she was still awake.

"Rik?" He whispered propping himself up on an elbow.

"Yeah?" Her head leaned back enough to hear him better.

"Can we... sleep together?"

"Hmm?" She asked unable to hear his quieter voice. A little embarrassed, Otho walked over and laid down behind her. Rik didn't mind at all feeling his front gently press against her back. The vixen's tail found room between his legs as they intertwined with her own. Otho's left arm furrowed under Rik's head acting as a pillow, however, his right arm always had trouble finding a comfortable spot that wasn't her chest. Rik lifted her arm so his could thread through and drape over her front, just under her breasts where they could still be felt. Otho sighed contently with his nose buried in her neck fur. Sleep wasn't too far away this time for the raccoon.

"Goodnight." Rik softly bade him with a grin.

"Goodnight." Otho closed his eyes with a small grin of his own, pleasant dreams already rustling within his mind.

Chapter 8 The Inkasi Free State

Two sets of bare paws walked silently compared to the low drone of insects and other creatures nearby in the forest. However, the further the duo walked, the less noisy the forest became until the low droning noise became hardly noticeable. The sand vixen's ear swiveled uneasily to detect the slightest disturbance.

"Something wrong?" Otho noticed her cheery personality was otherwise unseen. The vixen didn't like the change and slowed down cautiously.

"It's quieter here." Rik scanned the surrounding forest and visible portion of the river.

"It's almost noon, everything is probably just taking a nap." Otho felt an arm hold him back from walking forward. A nearby river could be heard, but little else. The vixen crouched down behind a few plants, and her companion soon followed suit. He knew better than to doubt her expertise that saved his life more than once from a deadly machine. His eyes were untrained compared to hers, but the raccoon scanned the area in front of them hoping to spot something. The forest was every scenic with the part of the river they could see, and Otho hoped that a machine wouldn't show up and ruin it. His ears flicked hearing something first.

'Is that... Singing?' Otho's eyes focused seeing a figure wading across the shallow river with a few dragonflies tagging along with her. A medium pair of off white furry breasts gave away the figure's gender. The beautiful melodious voice was coming from her as she half hummed a song leisurely. 'A genet.' Otho recognized the fur pattern and tail, despite how wet the latter of the two was. The only thing visible she had on was a basic leather skirt held up by leather strings around her waist. She also had a knife sheathed on her side in a simple leather holder. What had his attention the most was the weapon that the female held over her head as she easily waded across the river. It was an automatic rifle similar to the one Rik possessed before they had to trade it to Kirsch and cross the desert. "What should we do Rik?" He leaned over and whispered into the vixen's ear.

"I don't know. Wait." She keenly watched the genet wading closer to shore. They had to be very cautious without having equal firepower although how dangerous could the genet be? She was singing. Something brushed over Otho's hand breaking his concentration.

"Rik, move your tail."

"My tail is over here." She whispered in annoyance keeping a watchful eye on the genet. He frowned and looked over at his hand instead only to see a black spider with a red dot on its back crawl onto his hand.

"Spider!!" Otho jumped out of their hiding spot with a shrill scream shaking his hand as fast as he could. The spider landed unharmed nearby and crawled away while the raccoon danced around like a maniac on hot coals. Otho only stopped when he didn't feel anything on his arm anymore, not even his fur. "Oh... I hate spiders." He breathed heavily feeling his heart rushing adrenalized blood throughout his body. His back made contact with a tree reminding him why they had been hiding in the first place. Spinning around to the river revealed that the genet had disappeared, and to his left, Rik was also gone. 'Uh oh.' The raccoon nervously looked around the mostly silent forest. "Rik?" He called out not hearing a response. 'This is way too familiar.' He clearly recalled running from the vixen after he landed in the swamp, except the water wasn't an obstacle this time. Otho heard movement rustling nearby and walked to his side and looked around trying to find its source. It was a fifty-fifty shot that he might get shot, or hopefully find Rik. He turned as a twig snapped and took a step forward only to jump back seeing a pair of eyes, then land on his rear. The genet was crouched on a log staring at him with her gun in hand.

"P-please don't shoot!" He begged as she stood up and walked towards him. The genet wasn't stocky like Rik, but her hand carried something to be afraid of. The toothlike necklace she wore also sent shivers down his spine.

"Who are you?" She asked firmly, but neutrally. The genet's muscles were tense and looked ready to pounce if something ran awry.

"I-I'm Otho, a-a-and my f-friend... Rik-" The raccoon fearfully looked passed his potential adversaries shoulder seeing Rik slowly approach her while she was distracted. If she jumped, all talking would end to shooting. "Rik stop!" Otho screamed with an outstretched hand standing up. She froze with wide eyes as the genet jumped back and turned around finding the vixen behind her. Her eyes darted between the two and frowned gripping her gun protectively.

"Ok, I want some answers from both of you!"

"We're sorry for bothering you, but if we could just talk this out-"

"We mean no harm." Rik finished their case standing beside him. The genet could clearly see that neither possessed a weapon, and only one of them was clothed by her standards. She frowned thinking carefully.

"What are your names?" She asked.

"I'm Otho."

"Rik." The sand fox gave a quick nervous wave. "You?"

"I'm Topaz." She introduced herself before easing her stance.

"Can we just talk this through?" Otho asked with a pleading tone. The genet's frown softened and turned more curious.

"Can I dry off first?" She looked down at her soaked legs and tail that were already starting to mat together.

"That's a good idea." They both agreed with relief. Topaz led them over to the mossy bank and set her gun to the side. She laid down in a sunny spot and relaxed as the others sat down.

"You two don't look like you're from the northwest." Topaz noted propping her head up with both hands.

"We came to the forests from the desert down south." Otho explained receiving a satisfied grin from Topaz as she finally relaxed enough to close her eyes.

"Sorry for the mix up. I was afraid I'd actually have to shoot you."

"Thank you for not firing." Rik sighed slouching against a tree.

"I'll have to thank Otho and you for not attacking. I only carry that thing for self defense." Otho suddenly felt glad that Rik traded hers to Kirsch back in the desert. Although trying to greet her like a normal person probably would've helped a lot too.

"Are those real teeth?" Rik asked pointing to her necklace.

"Well, not exactly. They're stones that were carved for good luck when I'm outside of the village. Like for hunting and fishing." She took the necklace off and handed it over to the ever curious sand fox. Topaz immediately tried flattening the extra fluffy spot of fur that sprung up where the largest stone had been resting.

"Sorry if we ruined your good luck." Otho apologized scratching the back of his head.

"It's fine. I wasn't really trying to hunt, just exploring around. I should be sorry for walking in unannounced. You two were about to go swim together right?" She looked at Rik, then Otho.

"Swim?" He looked at the water.

"Oh no, I don't wear clothing, only Otho does." Rik explained. "They're very uncomfortable to have." The sand fox recalled how irritating the things were in the desert.

"Hmm. I've never heard of them being uncomfortable, although a skirt like this doesn't touch me very much." Topaz looked at her simple leather garment.

"The jungle is a lot warmer than here." Otho said enjoying the fact that he was not sweating all day like before.

"Both of you traveled from the jungle?" She asked surprised. "Across the desert?"

"Yep!" Rik answered heartily.

"We found each other in a swamp. I guess that's the best way to put it."

"Wow. So where are you two from? If you're traders then you've brought very little to bargain with here."

'How well we know that.' Otho thought to himself.

"We're from the farthest part of the jungle across the desert." Rik explained. "Otho is trying to find a way to contact his home and people. I'm going with him." Otho dug in his backpack and pulled out his journal. He quickly flipped to a map of where they had been. "I'm not the best cartographer, but we've traveled a long way even if my scale is off."

"I didn't know that there was a swamp passed the jungle." She studied the rudimentary map with interest. "There were only rumors of a jungle across the desert."

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you find that gun?" He pointed to the genet's weapon laying beside him.

"Outsiders had them, and they left so many behind."

"Outsiders? And you're from around here correct?"

"Yes, I live around here. My small country had a revolution with those supporting occupying soldiers and those wanting to remain independent. The past two years have essentially been recovery for us after we could oust them." She talked solemnly before her bright smile returned. "But I think letting curious travelers visit would be good for the village, especially ones from so far away."

"Are you sure that it's ok for us to stay in your village?" Otho wasn't going to pass up a generous opportunity like this, but he didn't want to be a burden on anybody. "I mean since we aren't from around here."

"It's fine! We haven't been able to welcome those from far away since the war, as long as neither of you are mercenary soldiers."

"We're not mercenaries." Otho quickly stated.

"He's a pilot and part masseuse." Rik chimed in with a smile making everyone's brows arch.

"Never heard of that. I thought you were a raccoon?" She looked him over.

"N-no Rik, it doesn't work like that. I'm a pilot and a masseuse. That sounds better."

"What is a masseuse?" Topaz asked.

"Anyone who can rub over a sore muscle to make it feel better. That's all." Otho stated flatly. He didn't want to be a spa raccoon slave to Topaz as well as Rik. The sand vixen would be his only exception to that rule.

"So you're a doctor then. The two we have in my village help others feel better."

"I don't know anything about medicine though. It's just to relieve tense muscles."

"As long as you help those who need relaxed muscles." Topaz rolled onto her front to dry the rest of her fur. She did have a point.

"I guess that makes me your personal doctor Rik." Otho looked at the sand vixen enjoying the sun herself.

"Mm. I like that." She smiled peeking down at her feet, flexing them. The next few minutes passed slowly in flow with the river until the genet cracked her back standing up. "Ah. I think I'm ready to go." Topaz fluffed her fur giving a good stretch before putting her skirt piece back on.

"So we just follow you?"

"Sure, we'll go to my village and then I'll introduce you both to a few elders to see if you two can stay."

"Sounds good." Rik and Otho smiled at each other. With that in mind, they followed the genet back along the pathway leading northward. Once again, luck was on their side with the generous help of a complete stranger.

"How many villages are inside the Inkasi Free State?"

"Around two dozen I think." She gazed up at the canopy to think. "There's my village along with Laepa, Huzuni, Kelwo, Jie, to name a few. They're all populated with genets and civets."

"That's a lot compared to the jungle or desert." Otho remarked jumping over a log that was lying in the curvy pathway.

"When I was little I remember a lot of travelers and traders from the desert, but over the past decade or so I have hardly seen anyone from there. I can't figure it out."

"We're pretty confident that those machines had something to do with that." Otho frowned knowing how much damage they had done to Rik and the others in the jungle.

"They can only be taken down with a big shooter like yours." Rik pointed at the genet's rifle.

"What big machine? I've never heard of that she looked over at both of them.

"You haven't seen a large robot before?" Rik asked.

"No. What is a robot?"

"The giant metal people that shoot at you."

"Giant metal?" Topaz wrinkled her nose in disbelief.

"I know it sounds strange," Otho tried helping her understand, "but they're a huge problem across the desert that we're glad you've never run into." The genet didn't reply and continued leading them along the thin trail through the lush forest. Eventually she slowed down.

"We're here." Topaz stopped and parted a small branch in front of their view. "This is Luo, where I have lived my whole life." Otho and Rik peered through the foliage down to a large village filled with huts and homes of various sizes partially obscured in areas with more colored plant life.

"So many homes." Rik observed all she could see.

"How many genets and civets live here Topaz?"

"Quite a few." She said before allowing the branch to obscure their view. "I actually don't know the total number."

"It's the largest village I've seen so far."

"There are other larger communities to the north where the revolution didn't affect as many." Topaz explained walking over to their right. "Let's slip by my place before I introduce you two. I need to dress more appropriately for far away visitors and home in general." She said before leading them down a thin trail on the hill. The village was strangely quiet other than a few voices and noises being heard.

"Why is it so quiet for such a large village?" Rik asked keeping her ears fully erect.

"It's common to take an afternoon nap after lunch." She replied leading them along the more open pathway. They walked on a bridge over a small stream before coming to the first houses. It was hard for Otho to imagine that the village was under occupation from outsiders two years ago. The whole place reminded him of an isolated paradise in the forest, and it wasn't primitive like Rik's home. Most of the buildings were basic in size and structure, elevated a foot or two from the ground with a sufficient earthen base. The houses themselves were made primarily, if not entirely, made of wood interlocked together to create a stable structure. The roofs were covered with something that resembled thatch for aesthetics rather than keeping rain out. Even small grooves were carved into the wood to act as gutters and drainage. The moss, small grasses, and flowers added to the beautiful appearance too. Topaz quickly led them up a few steps into one of the deeply brown colored house. This one was rectangular in design like most of the others around it, and most impressive to Otho, it had a sliding door made of wood. "This is my house." Topaz allowed them inside. "I don't know what they look like in the desert or jungle, but this is pretty typical of Luo."

"Thanks for letting us come in." Rik looked around the unique and very homely space.

"No problem!" Topaz said unfastening her knife before hanging it on her wall where other items rested. Otho was too busy taking in the fascinating architecture of the genet's home to be courteous. The house itself was narrow in a rectangular shape from front to back. One wall divided half of the space into a front room and what he guessed to be a back room for sleeping. The color of the wood was much lighter on the inside which probably meant that a natural residue was applied on the outside to prevent rotting or water damage.

'How does light get in here?' Otho looked up seeing a system of maneuverable shutters at the top of the walls that allowed plenty of light in. "That's really amazing."

"Aww, don't flatter me. All other homes have them."

"You have a lot of necklaces, and bracelets." Rik observed a few pegs on her wall where dozens of them hung. Stones, precious gems, feathers, and possibly carved bones adorned many.

"Genets love jewelry and so do civets." Topaz stated merrily. She undid the small gold and red feather earring she already had on, and set it on an empty peg. Topaz quickly did the same with her toothy necklace.

"Are there a lot of differences between genets and civets that we should know about?" Otho questioned. Standing out too much in an entire village could be really bad for socializing to say the least.

"Oh yeah, that would be a good thing to explain." She placed her hands on her hips and tapped a foot in thought. Looking down at the plain and tattered garment that she wore, Topaz had an idea on where to start. "First of all, genets tend to wear skirts and maybe bandanas for clothing. Civets normally wear shirts and skirts." She held her palms face up from her waist line showing her bare furred front in example. "If any of us wear anything at all."

"Why?" Rik asked. "The weather isn't different for both in the same place."

"I don't know, they just do." Topaz shrugged.

"It's not that humid like your home back in the jungle Rik. They have more options with cooler warm weather." Otho guessed an explanation. "Now, what about their skirts?"

"Yes. Their skirts wrap completely around though. Genets' skirts never completely connect." She stood one leg up on a small stool to show them. "It only drapes down covering the front and back to show off the whole side of the leg where the mostly patternless splotches are. Of course this is a very simple skirt for any working activity." She undid where it tied together, allowing the plain tan colored fabric to pool around her feet. Her lower tummy, inner thighs, and nether regions were the same white fur as her front to no surprise. Otho, however, was surprised at how indifferent he felt around the now nude genet.

'I never imagined a day when I would become used to being around naked women.' He smirked to himself before Topaz continued.

"Their tails are bushier and shorter." Topaz held her own before flicking it away. "And their fur patterns contain a mix of stripes and spots. Genets are more splotchy and random." She pointed out along her legs and arms before walking over where a few other cloth like fabrics were hung in the wall. "Civets' lower legs and arms are solid black too." Topaz talked shuffling through a few fabrics before pulling out a lengthy navy blue fabric with a complex white pattern. She tied and folded it around her waist with a smaller second one to hide the leather strings keeping it held up.

"Very beautiful Topaz." Rik liked the fanciful skirt that draped from her waist down to just below her knees.

"Thank you." She gave a short bow before giggling and smoothing out the fabric. The genet pulled out a matching piece that was smaller and wrapped it around her forehead. The light brown bangs of hair bunched up in the front, spilling over just a little. Topaz quickly tied the bandana and put on three necklaces, shortly followed by a bracelet or two on each wrist.

"I barely recognize you anymore. Are you sure everyone here dresses this nicely?"

"Around the village, yes, but for outside the village, no. Well... The bandana and skirt would be enough, but you get the idea."

"I like this one." Rik caught Otho's attention holding up an intricate bronze and silver necklace that spread outward, mimicking the suns rays.

"My uncle gave that to his wife the day they were married. Please be very careful with it." Topaz advised putting a small ring in her ear with a pure white downy feather attached. Otho silently liked the bronze necklace on Rik though. "Ok. Let's find a few elders and see what they think." She gave a nod looking herself over.

"Would they turn us away?"

"I don't see why they would." Topaz led them out and back into the village. This time there were a few others nearby that Otho could see closely.

"I feel out of place." He remarked seeing how plain his clothes were compared to the Inkasi's elaborate bracelets, earrings, anklets, skirts, and bandanas adorning nearly everyone else.

"Don't worry, we've seen plenty of different travelers and traders stop by for years. You'll both be fine." A few villagers certainly took interest in the trio and stopped whatever they were doing to get an extra look at who was in their village. Weaving by more beautifully constructed houses and lone stalks of bamboo, Otho and Rik found the village interior more dazzling than the temperate rainforest. Gardens occupied small spaces around houses and wasn't limited to the dark soiled ground, growing a multitude of foodstuffs. Shallow rectangular baskets hung from the edge of roofs containing flowers, ivy, vincas, and even strawberries. Some roofs even appeared curved at their ends to allow runoff to feed into the "floating" gardens.

Large sheets hanging out on thin lines connecting two or more houses were a common sight, apparently drying out. Small pots in various shapes and sizes were beautifully painted standing on random steps. Chickens roamed the open "streets" pecking through the earthy soil and healthy green grasses. A few people they passed whispered or looked at them. True to what Topaz had explained earlier, genets dressed accordingly and so did civets, with the common wear being jewelry of various kinds. Many of which were no less than dazzling to raccoon and vixen's eyes. "Alright!" Their lead genet exclaimed contently finding who she was looking for. Topaz approached someone on a front step wearing a dark green dyed shirt with a matching zig-zag patterned full skirt. The civet had dark brown fur that made his spots and stripes more subtle in comparison. A necklace with a cut piece of turquoise adorned his neck, along with a similar anklet on his left leg.

"Ah Topaz. Back from running around in the forest I see." His voice was scratchy giving away his older age.

"It was cut short this time." She gestured to the sand vixen and raccoon. "Could they stay in an empty house? They're travelers and would like to visit Luo for a while."

"Travelers huh?" He rubbed his silver ticked chin looking at the pair. "What are your names?"

"I'm Otho."

"I am Rik." They introduced themselves.

"Otho and Rik? I like those names." He grinned and dusted his apparel from sitting so long.

"We're from the jungle across the desert in the west." Otho added.

"Hmm, far away types. My name is Nicholas, and I'm happy to meet you two." He smiled pleasantly giving a short bow. "There is an available house if I recall down that way." He pointed behind them. "It's the one without any gardens, but a few plants I think."

"Yeah they can stay there! It's almost within sight of my house."

"Well then I hope that you two enjoy your stay here at Luo with Topaz to guide you and the whole village as your host." Nicholas clasped Rik's hand with both of his and shook before doing the same with Otho.

"Thank you!" They happily exclaimed before Topaz led them away.

"Youngsters never sit still to talk long." He sighed sitting back down on the steps to enjoy the calm weather.

"He is very kind." Rik said as they walked beside a small garden.

"Mhm. We're always generous towards strangers."

"Hey Topaz!" A civet ran up and hugged the genet, catching her off guard.

"Mazia!" Topaz hugged her civet friend back. She had on a blue shirt with a complete skirt style along with an anklet carved with treelike designs on it. The civet also had a necklace with a shiny quartz gem as the center stone. More basically dressed compared to Topaz.

'I think her skirt is making me dizzy.' Otho looked away from the black, tan, and white lined design.

"Otho. Rik. This is my best friend Mazia Durani, who was gone for quite a while visiting a neighboring village with her father." Topaz introduced them to the young predominantly grey and black civet.

"For a second I thought you were a civet too." She pointed to Otho's typical raccoon mask of black fur, then her own similar one. Mazia's black hair was messily organized on top of her head, and her tail was noticeably shorter and bushier than a genet's. Her light brown eyes were very lively. "Hello Rik." She shook the vixen's hand much like the elder civet did.

"Hi!" Rik returned.

"Where did you get that shirt? I like it." Topaz felt over her friends light blue and white fabric. It did look very similar to a regular shirt that Otho would've seen back at home.

"Some merchant guy in one of the villages that I traveled to."

"Why are you wearing it like that though?" She tapped the self made knot that had most of the shirt's front bundled up leaving the civet's entire slim white furred belly visible.

"Hey you don't even wear one most of the time."

"Genets rarely do Mazia, just like civets' skirts wrap around their legs and genets' don't."

"I know that. It's just something different." She tugged on the knotted fabric.

"Your mother doesn't really approve of your unique fashion sense."

"Someone has to." The civet shook her upper body with her nose held high.

"She didn't exactly approve of you and Malech at a creek making l-"

"Hey!" Mazia held her friend's muzzle shut before the bashful civet looked down with her ears pinned back. "Uh, so what are you doing with these two anyway?" She changed the subject making Topaz lightly shake her head.

"I have permission to show them around as guests."

"I'd be more than glad to help!" Mazia offered.

"I guess Otho would prefer looking around the area rather than stick with two females here." Topaz asked him. The raccoon merely shrugged. He definitely wasn't going to complain after he and Rik were given a house to stay in for as long as they wanted.

"Sure, I can give you a tour of my good old stomping grounds Otho." The raccoon gave a quick grin and wave before the enthused civet locked arms with him. Rik returned the smile and wave watching the chattering civet take him away. "I have so much to show you!" She triumphantly led Otho away in arm towards a small pathway towards the forest.

"I swear there are days she doesn't act a day over five." Topaz grinned shaking her head. "C'mon Rik, I can show you anything you want. It would be my pleasure as your hostess." She gave a happy nod placing her hands on her hips.

"Hmm." The vixen looked at Topaz's attractive skirt.

*

"Slow down! The path isn't going to disappear." Otho tried keeping up without tripping over something as Mazia hurried along with him over another small bridge out into the forest.

"Speed up!" She replied happily running past a few people who chuckled at the pair. The civet finally slowed down when they were a good distance along the pathway into the forest.

"Run fast enough?" He asked catching his breath while she looked around.

"There's only so much that I can show you before the afternoon is done with." She replied curiously peering at a small tree's leaves.

"And who is Malech?" Otho asked seeing the civet's ears fold back.

"Well I-we got into some trouble... together at the creek, and yeah that kind of thing. Just don't bring it up around anyone." She turned away, not wanting to talk anymore about it. He shrugged.

"Gotcha. So, what do you want to look at first?"

"I don't know... Let's just walk around and I'll explain what we see." She offered going down the forested trail.

"Shouldn't you be tired from visiting another village? You just got back today." He followed the upbeat female staring through the forest's intriguing greenery. An occasional clearing with small rows of fruiting plants greeted them. If anyone was tending to them at the moment, they'd give a friendly wave at the passing duo. There were plenty of streams and creeks to pass by and over as well, which probably helped explain why there were so many abundant plants. Mazia hopped over a stump and into a small pit of sand with a reminiscent grin.

"I wrestled with Topaz and my sisters here when I was little." She scuffed the sandy dirt. "Don't you have siblings?"

"No. My parents never wanted a large family." He recalled plenty of lonely times by himself at home.

"Dang. Maybe you and Rik could borrow a few of my sisters to see what it's like raising a large family before you two have one." Mazia shuffled her foot in the sand more.

"Before we have one?" His face looked puzzled.

"Yeah, couples always have kids."

"Wait. Oh no! Me and Rik aren't married!" He explained flabbergasted.

"You're not? I thought you two were." She placed a hand on her hip.

"No. Me and Rik are good friends traveling together, that's all." The raccoon chuckled looking up with a smile. 'The two of us, married?' That was a strange thought for Otho to dwell on. He blinked seeing something above them. "What is that?" Otho stared up at the canopy seeing what resembled a giant beehive stuck to the side of an equally large tree. 'Just imagine how big the bees are!'

"It's a genet tree home. You just climb up to it."

"How? It's a tall tree. Probably forty meters at least before you reach the top."

"Hurry up and I'll show you!" She ran up to the tree with the raccoon trying to keep up. "See?" Mazia showed him the pair of notches in the bark and outer wood that acted as a ladder.

"Is this safe?" Otho looked straight up the tall tree trunk. The home itself was only ten or so meters up, thankfully. It reminded him of a tiny space pod used to test g-forces on any standard military base, although the building material was clearly more organic. The thing itself was made of partially interwoven straw, grasses, and reeds.

"Of course! I'll show you." The civet didn't waste time in climbing up the tall tree with her nimble hands and feet. Otho bit his lip in hesitation hearing the green beads of her anklets and bracelets click together as she went.

'Dang.' He stared at the well indented notches within the tree. 'Pretend that it's a ladder Otho.' He told himself taking hold of the wooden spots before climbing his first steps. His worst fear was slipping, but Mazia didn't seem to have any trouble with that.

"You're being slow again!" Mazia called down to him. Otho looked up seeing her head poking out from the tree home's entrance.

"I don't like heights!" He admitted carefully feeling his way with each step up.

"I can tell." She chuckled and ducked back into the small hideaway. Otho groaned keeping his stare fixed on the house, and not the ground below. An eternity seemed to pass before he was next to the large hideout. The small structure attached to the tree didn't look very spacious as it was hidden from the ground.

"Is there enough room?" He strained his eyes to not look down. She rolled her light brown eyes at his silly fear.

"When me and Topaz were little, we used to jump around and play inside these things until we tired out." She knocked on the side to make her point. Otho nervously crawled in after the civet crossed her legs making room for him. He settled in, relieved that the structure didn't shake or wobble. The bottom floor was covered with a modest layer of what resembled old shredded cloth and downy feathers, probably for quick warmth or a soft seat.

"Can't they make larger ones?" He asked looking over the civet's simple brown necklace.

"Another kind is much larger and wraps around the entire tree, but those are usually higher up than this." She raised a hand up to convey the larger distance. Leaning back into the cloth behind her, Mazia fell head first into the tree.

"Mazia?" He looked seeing her legs remain still despite the upper half of her body hidden behind the cloth. She sat up and parted the cloth out of her way revealing a shallow hole cut into the tree.

"Sorry, looks like part of the tree was carved out for extra space." She removed the draped fabric entirely. It was only a small indent, maybe room for one extra person.

"What would someone use this space for? It's not that roomy." He remarked the compact space

"Eh. Mostly for hunting at night, avoiding the rain, or to nap in during the day if it's hot."

"I don't see how someone could feel safe enough to sleep here." He felt the woven side of the treehouse.

"There's a whole village of genets to the north that live in the trees and they don't need to come down to the ground! They even have large houses like ours on top of branches and everything."

"I would probably get sick from looking down constantly." Otho tried forgetting how high they already were.

"I think it's kind of cool, but they are a strange group of genets. For some spiritual reasons they don't wear anything. No clothes, jewelry, bandanas, feathers, nothing!" That certainly was different compared to Luo.

"That's kind of like Rik. She doesn't wear anything but the fur on her body."

"Say... Rik wouldn't be related to any of them by chance, would she?"

"No. Her family was probably killed during an attack, and they lived very far to the west near a wetland."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but you two came a long way to Luo." She remarked.

"Yeah, we did run into a few interesting people so far too. Three survivors from other village attacks, two other travelers, a technician who is also a delivery pilot, and now you guys."

"Dang. Why are you two traveling so far away from home?" She asked outstretching a leg.

"Hmm... If you can believe it, I found myself in Rik's home jungle without a way back home. We've been looking for some method of communicating back to rescue me."

"Communicate. Like the radio headsets that traders from the desert wear to talk great distances from each other?"

"Kind of, except those signals would be far too weak to transmit. The radio we need has to be very big or connected to a super computer." He explained only to lose the civet.

"Good luck finding those things." Mazia stated before blowing out a puff of air. "Let's descend. It's too hot in the afternoon for my liking." She fanned her body with the hem of her blue shirt. The small tree home was definitely not a long term safe haven for the raccoon. Mazia quickly crawled out with Otho right behind her. The raccoon found descending much easier and hopped down with relief.

"I have never enjoyed being on the ground so much." He took a deep breath feeling the ground beneath his paws. Mazia shook her head with amusement before leading him along the pathway once more. "How long has the Inkasi used that neat shutter system inside their houses?" Otho hopped over the creek behind her.

"I don't know, a long time before I was born. Roc would probably know since she can remember everything."

"Who is Roc?"

"Roc is a really smart ermine. She usually visits once a year, and she will probably remember an elder telling her the answer."

"Where is she from?"

"Ummm." The civet circled her hand in the air trying to remember. "I don't know, far a way I guess. She's not entirely from the Inkasi Free State."

"Well do you know who developed the Inkasi architecture?" He asked causing the civet to stop.

"I have no idea." She slowly shook her head. "I didn't even know about the shutters."

"How about Inkasi festivals or something?" He asked walking beside her.

"You're full of questions aren't you? Now I see why Topaz stuck you with me." She grinned. "Let's see... The village of Kongabo has a funny festival where females only wear bandanas around their hips and chase down males they find attractive to marry. The females all start by the large village fire pit at noon and find unmarried men until dark, tie them up, and then bring them back. Even married couples participate looking for their husband for fun."

"Please tell me you guys don't do that." Otho wondered if he would've been forced into participating. Rik would most likely want to run after him again for fun.

"Nothing like that." She chuckled. "We have a rain festival where during the first big rain of the year we all dance or party outside and then have a large meal. The only problem is that it's hard to predict when it will happen." The civet admitted continuing along the trail. "The only other large festival is the mothering days. It happens once a year, and the eldest female decides when it's supposed to start. Everyone spends a few days with their mother, aunts, grandmothers, or sisters. Too much hugging for my large chest, and everyone crams together with their families making everything more compact." She shivered as if the thought was enough to disturb her.

"I can see how both of those could be problems for you." Otho snickered with an amused grin.

"Yeah, if I walked around nude a lot more then those savanna traders that come by once a year to the Inkasi Free State from the south and southeast would ogle these until they left."

"I'm sure they would become accustomed to them." Otho recalled living back in the jungle with Rik for the first weeks.

"Yeah right. Anyway, if the mothering days were going to start within a few days, you and Rik would be allowed to leave before the ceremony."

"What if we couldn't or chose not to?"

"Then you'd be adopted by a mother for about six or so days to participate."

"Hmm. I wouldn't mind staying for that one." His smile faded. He hadn't seen or talked to his mom for probably five or six months by now, yet it felt like an eternity. They probably thought he was dead by now, but he wasn't going to give up on. Not this far.

"Please don't take my place then." She said with a good amount of sarcasm stopping by a mossy tree where a few large vines lazily hung close to the ground. Mazia felt over a few before pulling the thickest one closer to her. The civet reached under her skirt and drew a knife out.

"You had a knife on you this whole time?" Otho stared at the sharp blade as she cut into the thick vine.

"Of course! How else could I get a quick drink that isn't water?" Mazia managed to cut through the brownish vine and bring it to her mouth. The civet quickly bit around the vine as if it were a large straw. To Otho's surprise, a clear liquid began dripping out at a fast rate as she eagerly drank it.

"What is that?" He asked mystified that a vine could hold a large quantity of water

"Want some?" She held the end up preventing the rest from draining out. He shrugged and took hold of the thick vine, pointing it down to his open muzzle. Of she could eat it, then so could he. A small trickle of naturally sweet water flooded his mouth. "It's really good if your head is all stuffy or if you are sick in general."

"Mm. Refreshing." He held the vine up and licked his lips. "But I don't want to waste the rest." Otho looked up wondering how long the tangling vine went.

"No problem." She picked up the other end and stuck the two together. After a minute of holding them, she let go and the vine looked at if it had never been cut.

"What the-" Otho stared at the reconstructed plant.

"The sugar and other stuff help keep it together." She patted the vine as it gently swayed back and forth to her touch.

The energetic civet ended up taking him around the forest in a big circle showing him various things from strange plants, to where funny moments occurred. It was a lot to take in, much like Rik's jungle home. "So, enjoy the surrounding forest of Luo?" She walked him across a bridge back into the village.

"Very scenic to say the least, and it's much better than the desert." He looked at the larger stream that this bridge went over.

"Yeah, well this place is full of plants and water, yet it can be tough to find a spot to grow something specific rather than foraging around."

"What's with the broken pieces of wood?" He looked down into a ditch where the scattered boards rested. Most looked charred on one end from an uncontrolled fire or cracked from brute force.

"Oh, that's just burnt or destroyed stuff from the fighting a few years ago." She plainly answered without looking. Her ears folded back as a saddened look filled her eyes. War, understandably, was probably not a topic that she found worth remembering.

"Sorry for bringing it up. I didn't know that it affected you this strongly." He spoke softly.

"It's fine. You didn't know." She paused to sigh. "I'm just glad that nightmare is over with." They walked down a row of houses and what looked like a few market stalls. The activity of the village quickly improved their moods. An unseen musician played a flute somewhere nearby. Colorful flowers seemed to decorate every single home. A pair of male civets walked by them with a bundled fishing net, and little kits played with just about anything they could get their little hands on. For a village hidden in the jungle it was a very lively place to reside. Yet there were many more of them hidden throughout the north.

"Where's Topaz and Rik?" He asked looking around the busy village.

"Not sure. Knowing Topaz I thought they would be right here with all the cloth makers and-!" She suddenly jumped feeling a pair of hands prod her back.

"You could call my name out. That might have helped." Topaz grinned standing behind the civet.

"Don't make the fur jump off my back."

"Hey where is Rik?" Otho turned finding his friend standing behind Topaz, but hardly resembled her normal self. The sand vixen now sported a skirt and bandana much like the one Topaz wore, but with a stunning golden and blue color design that matched her fur and eyes perfectly. "Wow Rik! You look... Fantastic!" Otho said short for words. The sand vixen's ears pinned back coyly with gratitude.

"She has a fine eye for colors." Topaz added with a slightly alluring voice as she held a hand out to the vixen. "And having a large fluffy tail doesn't hurt anything." She watched Rik's swish happily. The vixen's stomach suddenly growled catching everyone's attention.

"We didn't eat anything yet." Rik coyly grinned.

"I'm kind of hungry too. Got anything on you now?" Mazia chimed in.

"I can have my parents make a large dinner for all of us. You're invited too." She gave a playful smirk to her friend.

"You're not keeping me away from a great meal." The civet replied with a toothy grin.

"Take them back to my home or yours for a while. I'll give my parents time to prepare extra of whatever they are already making. Then we can talk about your trip throughout the free state." Mazia nodded and led them away through the village.

"Where did you go and travel?" Rik asked.

"A village far to the north with my dad, then we stopped by another for a day on our way back." She replied before ducking under a smoothed wooden beam that another villager was carrying.

"Get anything?" Rik wondered thinking of cloth and machine parts that Kirsch had.

"Not too much. We normally trade more with a small group that lives in the sands southeast of here that are nearly surrounded by mountains. Mazia's home wasn't a long walk away. The civet quickly ushered them in when she led them to it. Her floor was messy along with most other things in her home, but other than that it was very similar to Topaz's home. Otho could only imagine how the back room and sleeping area could've looked like.

"Am I clean?" Rik turned to Otho presenting her semi clothed front.

"You look clean to me." He smiled. 'And stunning.' He added as a side note to himself.

"Such a couple." Mazia murmured quickly tugging her shirt off and looking to exchange for a new one.

"Can we go back and eat then?" The eager sand vixen asked.

"Hold on I need to dress up!" She looked at her pegs of jewelry that were similar to her friend's.

"Dress up?" Rik asked as the civet sifted through the rows of jewelry. She chose a medium pair of earrings that were a dark bronze and put them on.

"Yes. It is a dinner with another family." She looked through again, this time producing a pair of carved wooden anklets. Mazia sat down and quickly undid the basic wooden green ones.

"Why does this pair have little bells?" Rik smiled liking the chiming ringing noises they made.

"Those anklets are for dancing." Mazia explained hooking on the second anklet to wear. "You're full of questions Rik."

"You don't know the half of it." Otho smirked knowing with good reason how the sand vixen could talk her head off.

"Why are you rushing anyway? Cooked food doesn't run." Rik stood back and watched the civet hurry around the small space.

"Topaz's parents are great cooks, and I haven't eaten anything very appetizing while traveling around with my dad." She changed her full skirt for one with a different pattern. "Ok, so we're all ready now?" Mazia asked smoothing over her cheek, muzzle, and forehead fur.

"Shouldn't we at least help you clean up first?" Otho looked at where her previously worn clothes were strewn on top of other stuff.

"Clean what up?" She asked already halfway out the door. "Let's eat!" Otho shrugged and followed the two ladies out.

"I knew it wouldn't take you three very long." Topaz said standing by the front steps of a large home. "Especially when food is involved."

"Your parents do make the best meals." Mazia licked her lips hungrily before ruffling her friend's hair. The genet swatted the civet's hand away lightly with a chuckle.

"Why is this house and most of the others around it so much bigger?" Rik asked walking up the stairs beside Otho.

"Families require bigger houses." Mazia shrugged before opening the sliding door.

"Mazia! You should knock first anyway." Topaz chided her.

"Don't raise your hackles Topaz, I practically live with you and your family." She smiled slipping into the house.

"True." She mumbled to herself quickly entering with Rik and Otho. The house only had three rooms from what he could tell, but it had to be three times larger than Topaz's. The first room they were in was the largest and fairly wide. Cushions were scattered about likely for sitting, especially around a low level dark brown table near a corner. The unique shutter system however was only visible along what must have been a bedroom. Resting on a wall were two guns similar to the one Topaz owned along with a decorated spear that probably served for ceremonial purposes. A strange contraption was up against a wall that had dozens of threads spread out along pegs that somehow connected to a half made blanket. "I'll be right back." Topaz walked into one of the back rooms.

"Very beautiful place." Rik admired the homely space.

"I remember when Topaz and I made houses out of the cushions, but we usually ended up fighting each other with them."

"That must have been fun." Rik thought of how little of her own childhood that she could remember.

"Cooking for so many is time consuming, but fun!" A voice from the other room laughed as a clattering noise was made.

"Careful with that plate." Another voice warned.

"Everything smells great, thank you!" They heard Topaz exclaim gleefully.

"Just let me cut this and we can start eating."

"Just a minute you three!" The genet's head poked around from the corner before disappearing once again.

"Ten hours later..." Mazia joked tapping her foot impatiently on the wooden floor as things were readied in the adjacent room. A male brown and grey genet, and a large breasted female brown and white genet soon entered from the right room with a plate in each hand. Each were dressed in nice yet modest skirts with matching colors. Only the male had on a bandana, and only the female had on a metal anklet with turquoise stones between the chains.

"This is my mother, Tiranu, and my father, Baku." Topaz introduced them as each nodded. Her father was about Otho's height with a muscular build. Her mother was a touch shorter than Topaz with a slightly chubbier build.

"Topaz told us to make a large meal, but I didn't know it would be for travels so far away." Her mother noted setting two large plates on the low table with the father. Topaz retrieved the last two and set them likewise.

"Happy to meet you." Rik smiled.

"Thanks for letting us come over." Otho added.

"It's no trouble. We usually don't have too many guests other than Mazia and her family." Tiranu smiled sitting down on a cushion at the low table. Her husband joined her after setting the last two plates that were momentarily full of food. Otho's stomach growled as he eyed the spread before him. There was so much! "Come sit down with us!" Her mother gestured a hand over to each open cushion beside her. Everyone found a spot and didn't waste much time deciding on what to eat.

'Where to start.' He scanned the tabletop. A small stack of thin dark green leaf like plants resting on a dish intrigued Otho. He picked one up and could see a little bit of salt had been added. It felt very similar to paper between his fingers.

"You roll it up like this." Baku demonstrated taking the dark green item and some of the foods. His nimble fingers produced a thick green wheel of meat and leaf. The raccoon popped the large morsel into his mouth.

"Mmm." He hummed happily at the delightful tastes on his tongue. For the past weeks all he and Rik had eaten were dried meats, the servings of couscous Ruth had in the desert, and whatever they came across before meeting Topaz at the river. Mazia and Topaz chattered and laughed about numerous topics that came to mind as everyone began eating.

"You must tell us about traveling from the west." An arm pulled the raccoon closer so that he was leaning on Tiranu's side pressed against her. "I have never heard of what goes on there."

"Mom, I don't think he is used to so much physical affection at once." Topaz wore an amused grin at Otho's facial expression.

"But he's so far from home Topaz! Don't worry, you can expect a mother's welcome at this household." She squeezed the raccoon's side making her daughter giggle. Otho shyly grinned not really minding.

"My mom is always nice to guests like that, but she hardly treats me lavishly. Whenever that fat civet Jericho comes over to schmooze with her, he starts to flirt with me." Mazia frowned.

"How can he be fat if he fishes most of the day? Me, Vitzel, and Chagatai fish all the time and it can be exhausting. Especially if we have to use a large hand net." Baku asked.

"Fish! He just sits at the edge of a stream the whole time." She took a bite of duck to calm herself.

"At least let Otho eat mom." Topaz looked over at the constricted raccoon.

"Oh he can eat all that he wants." She loosened her grip and patted the raccoon's back.

"Thank you." He sat up straight.

"What's it like across all that sand? I heard the sun burns just about everything."

"It does! You can't walk across it without getting hurt." Rik exclaimed.

"Having to carry Rik for a long distance isn't easy either." He added grinning at the vixen. "But we didn't have an ornithopter to start out with."

"Someone showed me a drawing of one years ago and told me they were fairly loud."

"Scary." Rik mumbled.

"We met someone who used an ornithopter to run a delivery system.

"They do trade a lot with what little they have."

"A lot of people used to come by from the desert to trade during some of the year. Their thick clothes can cause some of them to faint from the humidity."

"It wasn't an easy journey, but we figured that out along the way." Otho nudged his shoulder into Rik's.

"So why did you enter such a dangerous place?" Baku wondered. "There isn't any food out there to catch or pick."

"I'm actually trying to find my way home."

"Aww. You poor thing!" Tiranu's arm began squeezing the life out of him once more.

"Looking for radio thing to contact them." Rik added.

"I remember someone from the desert having a radio. It almost never worked way out here." Baku watched with amusement as the raccoon pried himself free from his wife's grasp.

'Guess we'll have to keep looking.' Otho took a deep breath.

"Mm. The boar tastes great mom." Topaz licked her lips before taking another bite.

"Thanks, but you should thank your father for helping to catch it. I only prepared it with him."

"Fhank you dad." She said with a mouthful making everyone laugh.

"I would've preferred that you had come along to help hunt," Her dad picked up a filled green leaf roll before popping it into his mouth, "rather than run around all day. I hardly see you anymore."

"You know that I prefer canoeing rather than hunting in the western hills from here with your friends."

"There are countless rivers and streams that run through the entire area. I'm always afraid that you might fall asleep and find yourself too far down one."

"I'm not that irresponsible while goofing around."

"You did break an oar with some friends when you were fifteen."

"Hey a fallen tree limb underwater looks like a snake!" She rationalized despite her face being a little flustered.

"I know, I could hear the scream from up river." He chuckled. "Just don't pick all the fruit in the forest while going down river."

"That's impossible." Mazia set a cushion up to lay back. "Even if no one planted in small open areas."

"I like this place." Rik whispered to Otho. "Friendly and social."

"Mhm!" He nodded finishing another bite. "I haven't eaten this well in ages." The raccoon relaxed, enjoying the feeling of having a full stomach. It was great to be in a family setting for both of them.

"The sun is setting. We should get moving along." Topaz stood up with a stretch, slowly followed by everyone else.

"Do you two have a place to stay? We can make a small bed with some spare blankets." Her mother suggested.

"I already have permission from Nicholas for them to use the spare house east from here."

"Aww, well that's very considerate of him. But if you two get lonely, we always can provide extra company." She offered. The extra large living room was nice in itself, but Otho looked forward to having a home all to themselves.

"Thank you for the hospitality." Rik hugged both genet parents.

"Come back whenever you want!" Tiranu hugged the raccoon tightly where Rik had to help pull him out of the mother's iron grip.

"Ah! Thank you Tiranu!" He caught his breath from the overly affectionate mother.

"I'll stop by tomorrow mom." Topaz received a much more gentler hug. The group finished their goodbyes and left the household. Outside noises from the dominant forest were mingled with laughter and talking from families and friends collected inside or outside the houses. A few villagers were even cooking outside or more likely, playing games. The numerous clouds in the sky appeared powdered with stronger blues and bold oranges from the rapidly waning sunlight. A few kits ran in and out of some homes as a voice called out for them to hurry back. It was a happy environment.

"Your mom's arms are made of a strong forged metal Topaz." Otho rubbed his sides carefully.

"That's my mom! All hugs and hospitality."

"Iron arms sounds more accurate." Mazia flexed her arms for emphasis making everyone chuckle as Topaz led them to their temporary home. Along the way, they retrieved the backpack from Topaz's house.

"This will be your private house for however long you two decide to stay." She pointed to a small home much like her own.

"That's Mazia's house." Rik pointed to the house beside it.

"Sleep well Mazia." Topaz bade her friend goodnight as she stepped inside the neighboring home. A hand waved before the civet's tail slipped inside.

"Mazia lives next to us?" Otho watched the door slide shut.

"Yep, that's been her home for about half a year. She's been begging to start living alone since she was fifteen." Topaz opened up the front door.

'I didn't even think of becoming a pilot when I was fifteen.' Otho thought stepping inside after Rik. The interior was very similar to Topaz's house without all the pegs being stacked with jewelry or the partial wall to hide the back sleeping area. The raccoon's eyes widened seeing a bed in the back of the house. A real bed! "I don't believe it!" He yelled ecstatically running towards the back. "A bed! It's a bed!" The raccoon jumped head first into it, burying his muzzle and face into the softness. "And pillows too." His muffled voice was barely audible to the ladies.

"Does he normally act like this?" Topaz whispered to Rik.

"No. I learned that he didn't like sleeping on the ground very much." She replied watching Otho practically rub himself all over the covers. The raccoon contently moaned making the females giggle before he hopped up looking around the whole place. Not a floorboard squeaked as he walked around with a jovial grin.

"I can't thank you or Luo enough. This place is perfect!" Otho hugged the genet with great enthusiasm.

"I'm glad you love it." She modestly hugged him back. "Well I'll see you two tomorrow. Take the time to relax, and goodnight!" Topaz bade them goodbye for the night.

"I'll see you both tomorrow!"

"Rest well!" Rik said as the door slid shut.

"Wow. A house to ourselves." Otho remarked looking around the small yet humble space.

"More space than Kirsch's cramped house." Rik observed the small clean space before playing with the shutter system. Otho grabbed his journal and laid back in the greatest bed he had rested on in a long time. A pen quickly wrote down the experience of meeting Topaz by the river all the way to laying down in bed. He used up three full pages of his journal trying to describe everything without making a list of details yet.

"The Inkasi are very kind to strangers like us." He summed up leaning over the bed to put his journal up inside the backpack.

"They're very nice." Rik agreed carefully taking off her genet styled Inkasi skirt. "And the village is kind enough to let us stay for as long as we want." Otho's face turned a little more serious at that as he took off his pants under the covers.

"How long should we stay Rik?" The vixen undid her bandana next, allowing her messy dirty blond hair to lay down somewhat on her head. A pair of pants and underwear were tossed onto the floor with a crumpled thump for under the sheets.

"I am not sure. Maybe a few days to relax? We aren't really sure where to go." She pointed out ruffling her hair before approaching the bed.

"That's not a bad idea, but we should sleep, and then think about it again in the morning." He closed his eyes with a grin. Rik hummed out in agreement before sliding under the covers. The sand vixen held onto the side feeling her body sink a little into the bed before relaxing completely.

"Oh my! This is soft!" She remarked eagerly snuggling into the soft sheets and bed. The vixen rolled onto her side and rotated her hips, cracking a vertebrae. Her tail wagged happily under the covers.

"It's just like a bed back on my home." Otho happily stated as if they had tamed a cloud.

"I have a feeling these sheets and blankets aren't used as pieces."

"But they are so darn soft." He sighed feeling over the luxurious material. Rik smiled gazing across the space they had been given for their stay. Despite the sun having set and her dislike of staying inside a closed space, the open shutters allowed the moonlight into the house to give everything a sweet sleepy glow.

'Beautiful.' Her ears could still easily detect the comforting chatter of the forest too.

"Rik, can you move over just a little?" She heard Otho ask shuffling behind her.

"I don't have much room." The sand fox moved forward, already able to see over the edge of the bed.

"No. This way." He corrected himself, confusing her. Rik slid closer towards the center feeling their closer weight cause the bed to dip a touch more. She felt her body bump into his as an arm draped over her torso. She smiled feeling his bare body snuggle close to her, his black nose finding its usual home in her neck fur. "Thanks Rik." He rubbed her tummy making the vixen giggle softly. Both her hands wrapped over his, intertwining their fingers neatly. Otho loved hugging her close.

"Why are you afraid of asking me to sleep close to you?" She quietly asked causing Otho to nervously swallow. Her legs shifted and tangled with his own.

"It's like the whole nude thing I told you about back in the jungle. I'm just not completely accustomed to this."

"But we've slept this way for almost all of our nights together." Her hands firmly held his own to keep him close and make her point. "You shouldn't feel nervous. Just tell me." She rustled slightly, allowing her tail to curl around his leg.

"You're right. Heck, I even started this because it was really cool one night." He relaxed and closed his eyes. Rik smiled feeling him take a deep breath, inhaling her scent. It was always a clear sign that he was relaxed, and a warm pocket of air would always be created when he released the tensioned air. Otho sighed contently listening to the song of the forest insects and more importantly, his partner's breathing. Their body heat readily mixed creating a unique coziness that both enjoyed.

"Otho?" Rik quietly asked to see if he was still awake.

"Mmm, yes?" He responded moving his nose out of her neck fur.

"You stared at Topaz a lot when she put on those pretty skirts and fabrics."

"I-it's the whole nude thing still." His ears pinned back. "I'm used to you not wearing anything, but not everyone else I guess."

"How so?" She asked rubbing her thumbs over the raccoon's hands.

"Well... Take for instance today when Topaz's mom hugged you and me tightly. Before meeting you I would've been incredibly nervous, shaky, and completely clueless. But now I look at everyone and see them rather than their body parts."

"What about Topaz?"

"Her outfit was beautiful, and I haven't seen anything like it before." He stated imagining the garment on Rik. "Although I really like the one that you picked out. It was very beautiful on you." Rik smiled happily hearing that.

"Mm. Goodnight Otho."

"Goodnight Rik."