See You

     "...That's just...weird." Kuchiha would have laughed if it wasn't him. "It just...really doesn't fit..."

     "What!?"

     "The...bunny..."

     Not just the rabbit, the Penchree also really liked Runo. The rabbit was seated cheerfully in his flaming red hair, and the Penchree was licking his hand.

     "It's not my fault! They just...I dunno...!"

     "They're attracted to you?" Kake stuffed another pack of food in his bulging sack.

     "And you! Be quiet!" Runo and Kuchiha said simultaneously. They jumped and glared at each other. Rika's mother walked out of her house towards them as they stood in the town entrance.

     "Does everyone have everything they need?"

     "Yeah, pretty much." Kuchiha yanked a couple packs of crackers out of Kake's bag and handed them to her. "Too much stuff slows us down. But thanks anyways."

     "Thanks for the leather!! And the bags."

     "...Could'ya hurry and get your pets off me?"

     "But, Pinchy and Stevey really like you!"

     "...Stevey?" Runo plopped the rabbit into Rika's hands, next to the Penchree. It twisted out of her loose grip and bounded onto Kake's bag. Rika's mother watched this, and an amused look mixed with resignation came into her eyes.

     "Ah, a wild animal goes with the wild children, is that so..."

     "Eh? By the way, Kuchiha, could you carry the bag for me?"

     "Wha--why would I do that!!?"

     "Cuz you're my dog. That's in our deal."

     "Since when did being your bodyguard mean carrying your stuff!!!?? And I am NOT your dog!!!"

     Rika's mother took her daughter's hand and asked her if she would mind if the small group of travellers took care of Stevey. Rika shook her head vigorously.

     "Hey...you two...hey!!" Runo's shout finally made Kuchiha wrench her focus off of Kake. "Someone do something about the rabbit!?"

     "Stevey" (what a horrible name, Kuchiha thought) "can stay where he is." Rika giggled. "But you have to take good care of him and bring him back one day!!"

     "Oh! The rabbit!" The rabbit jumped onto Kake. "You sure? The she-wolf/dog" Kuchiha bared her fangs at Kake "might eat it."

     "I'm not a glutton!!! Unlike somebody!!!"

     "Yes, of course it's fine. I'm sure he's in safe hands. You should be going now, the sun" Rika's mother glanced at the brightening sky "is rising, and the villagers will soon be awake. They'd disapprove you going so soon towards such a dangerous destination. You should try to reach water and shade as soon as possible."

     "That won't be a problem." Kake set his staff into the soft sand and stepped forward. [woah! alliteration!] "Thanks for everything!!"

     "See you! When we come back, don't bawl your eyes out again, Rika!! And don't get your pet lost!!" Kuchiha followed Kake, and Runo caught up with them after waving goodbye. The cheerful calls of farewell followed them long after the village disappeared in the horizon.

     "So, Mr. Navigator, where're we headed?"

     Runo scowled. "The Forest of Angels."

     "What--but we should get to water first!!"

     "The river's only a couple marksas [about a mile and a half] closer. Besides--"

     "A marksa's a long way!! The heat's killing me, dang it! Kake!! Gimme the bunny."

     "Eh? What do you want Stevey for?"

     "I can't trust this guy for navigating!! And don't call him Stevey."

     "Wait--"

     "Shut it!" Kuchiha cut Runo off sharply. She did the routine thing--she was getting good at this--and the rabbit bounded out of her hands and veered left towards water.

     "There! See!? We don't need you!! Come on, let's go, Kake!!" She grabbed him by the back of his collar [more like his shirt...collar...but his shirt doesn't have a collar...???] and ran after the bouncing white. Runo stood watching them grow smaller, then sighed and followed at his own easy pace.

     Before long, the rabbit stopped short, and started floundering in the sand. Kuchiha ran up to see what was the matter, still dragging Kake after her, and stepped into something soft and damp.

     "Woah!?" She teetered forward and shot out her other foot to balance, only to get both feet stuck knee-deep in damp sand. Kake tripped over the struggling rabbit and landed flat on his face. "What--" Before Kuchiha could even finish her sentence, something small, red and shiny hurled towards her. In a flash she cut it in half with her katana, but her footing was bad and she nearly missed. She tried to move, and only went deeper into the sand.

     "Well, well, well. Learned your lesson yet?" Runo walked calmly to the very edge of the quicksand trap. "If not, I'd very gladly let the Scorplings poison you and eat you." Kuchiha would have shot a lazer beam at him with her eyes, but the Scorplings, now advancing, were flinging little balls of red poison steadily. [scorplings are like scorpions, except instead of a sting, their tails are mini catapults. they get around in the quicksand with shrimp-leg-like little legs, the pincers are wider, lighter, and for balance. i think they're cute. XD] With each dodge and cut, Kuchiha sank deeper into the slush, and she had to block the ones sailing at Kake, too. She was red, whether from anger, embarrassment, or excercise, she had no idea.

     "...!! I...give...so tell me what the heck this is...!!"

     Runo smirked. "Desert Scorplings. Small, but poisonous. Those little red balls won't kill you at first, but they get into your bloodstream and burn a hole through your heart if you get hit by enough. Love groups, and thrive in quicksand. Best place to trap and slowly kill their prey."

     "I get it already, just tell me how to get out of this!!!"

     Kake sat up, and found himself waist-deep in cold quicksand. "You know, Kuchiha, you really can't blame anyone else this time. You wanted to go to the river--the river's surrounded with this kind of stuff. Before, the forest hid it, but now--"

     "NOW'S not the time to lecture me!!! I said I get it!! Now do something about this!!!"

     "Eh, the bag sank completely..."

     "RURU!!!!"

     Runo put a hand on the sand and whispered something under his breath. The Scorplings stopped short, then dove into the quicksand. "...What'd you just say?"

     "Ruru. Suits a wuss like you."

     "Wu-!!"

     Unfortunately Runo didn't get his chance to retaliate. The sand under Kake burst up, and a massive Scorpling heaved to the surface, gripping him in its (luckily soft) pincers. Kuchiha stared in shock.

     "Didn't you just say...they were small...? Besides, what did'you say back there!? Bring your giant monster-dad here!!??" The Scorpling seemed to understand this, and swung its other pincer at her. She tried to cut it, but the shell was tough, and she sank to her neck in quicksand. This shut her mouth quite nicely.

     "'Back off, small fry.'"

     The Scorpling paused in the middle of dunking Kake under the watery sand. He giggled. "Eehh, it kinda tickles..." Runo glared at the Scorpling with his golden eyes.

     "Back. Off. Is what I said, and what I say now. Do you dare to defy me? Lord of the Sting-tailed Shells." It slowly loosened its grip on Kake, hesitating. "I hear your children's cries. I know what the sand and the water speak of, and know you cannot face me here. You will die, and the world dies with you. Do you hear? Lonely Scorpling." The Scorpling dropped Kake and buried itself under the quicksand.

     "Woah...glad that's over." Kuchiha tried to squirm to the surface, but just sank lower. The cold was sinking in. "Now can you get me out of this?"

     "No."

     "Wha-!!!"

     "It's not over, idiot."

     As the Scorpling sank down slowly, almost completely submerged, its tail whistled through the air and catapulted a giant ball of dripping poison. Runo cartwheeled [spelling????] to the side, slowed down a little in the soft sand. The glob barely missed him and splashed into the yellow, melting it and sizzling. Kake watched with exaggerated surprise, seated motionless in quicksand yet again.

     "Woaahh, it melted!! Cool!" Runo raised his eyebrows at the speaker, then leaped into the air to avoid another shot of poison. "You know, I saw your picture before. On a wanted poster. You're missing something now, aren't you." The Scorpling, finding long-distance attacks to no avail, charged towards Runo with freshly poisoned claws outstretched.

     "...I've seen the picture. I wasn't any different from how I am now." He stared at Kake like he was trying to see past the hair covering his left eye and didn't seem to notice the approaching menace. Kake smiled in reply.

     "It's in my bag. Thought I'd prepare myself when I broke in the bartender-guy's weapon storage." The Scorpling grabbed at him.

     To Kuchiha's shock (as she was out of hearing range), instead of dodging backwards, Runo dodged down, forwards. He leaped into the quicksand like a diver leaps into the sea. The Scorpling lurched around for a moment, disorientated, then sensing something move under its feet, dove down too. Silence reigned, in which Kake just sat grinning at the frustratingly helpless Kuchiha. She tried to roar at him with her eyes, like Runo seemed to do. It didn't work.

     And then there was a tremendous sucking sound, and out flew Runo, propelled by hundreds of small Scorplings, clutching Kake's bag and a black leather whip coiled in his hands. The giant Scorpling followed him, and they landed on dry ground, crouched and ready for the final showdown, the underlings flocking to the sidelines to watch safely. [quicksand.] Runo set down the bag and uncoiled the whip, shifting his hand on the hilt.

     "...You're a magic user, aren't you."

     Kuchiha perked her ears up. Kake turned his dark eye towards him. "Possibly. Or maybe I just knew."

     Runo laughed, and the only weapon he knew how to weild whistled towards the Scorpling.

Table of Contents

Chapter 11

Chapter 13