In a Kingdom Called Eskos

1 - New Faces, New Beginnings

"Did we have to go fishing?" said a brunette girl.

"Yes," responded the purple-haired boy sitting next to her.

"But whyyy though??"

"Because I said so, now be quiet, you're scaring the fish."

"But why did I have to come?"

The boy sighed and recast his line, "If you want to go home, you can. But I'm not coming with you until I catch enough fish for both dinner and the market."

"YAY!!" the girl ran off, her red tail wagging with joy.

"EM! DON'T FORGET YOUR... hat... aaand she's gone..." The boy skillfully cast his line into the pond in front of him, "Hope she gets home ok..."

*A Few Hours Later*

The boy walked into the busy market wearing a fedora-like hat and carrying a medium-sized basket on his back.

"Any luck to-day Ruiz?" hollered a gruff old man from his stall.

The purple-haired boy looked at the old bearded man, "Not as much as usual, but 23's a pretty good number," Ruiz walked over to the old man and tossed him a fish, "Got a lotta brookies today, Jack."

Old man Jack mumbled something and then spoke, "Where in the world did ya fin' brookies? I din' even know there were any lef' in these parts..."

Ruiz gave the man a sly look, "I have my ways."

Jack grumbled and tossed the younger a package wrapped in brown paper, "I will fin' tha' secret spot o' yours..."

Ruiz caught the package and mumbled, "Of course you will."

Ruiz walked through the marketplace as normal and passed by a stall run by a young woman with brown cat ears. He glanced around, then approached the neko.

"It isn't often you see neko's in these parts. Things can get ugly," he said to her in a hushed voice. She looked at him, nervousness clear on her face, "I'd suggest a hat and a loose shirt," Ruiz tilted up his hat revealing cream-colored cat ears. The lady looked at him, first with confusion, and then kindness. She thanked him and smiled, which Ruiz followed with a tip of his hat and a polite, "m'lady."

He left the neko's tent and onto the street, where he saw a mysterious cloaked figure walk into one of the few permanent shops that were on the street. As he neared the building, he realized it belonged to his wizard friend, Jacoby.

He took off the basket slung over his shoulder and walked in, but saw no one. Ruiz walked a bit further in and was able to hear hushed voices coming from the back room.

"Night? You here?" Ruiz called out and the voices stopped abruptly. After a few moments, a man came out of the back room.

"Is that you, Kat?" the odd man looked around and saw Ruiz, "Ahh, it is you!"

The cloaked figure from the street appeared from the back room and began looking at some of the wares placed on one of the shelves.

"Um, hey, Kat, this isn't exactly the best time-" he was interrupted by the cloaked person.

"Jacoby. Who is this," the voice was slightly monotone, but there was something weird about it.

Ruiz's friend looked at the stranger, "Oh! This is an old friend of mine, his name i-" again, he was interrupted.

"Can he be trusted," they appeared to be staring at Ruiz, and the uncertainty was beginning to make him nervous.

"Yes, we can trust him. He-"

The figure approached Ruiz, looked up at his face, and spoke, "Prove it."

"Night..?" Ruiz took a small step back. Feeling rather disconcerted, he looked at his friend.

The 30-something wizard closed his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Take off your hat, Ruiz."

"What," Ruiz nervously looked over at Jacoby, "You know why I can't-"

"Look, it's important. You can trust her- er- Her... man. You can trust Herman," Ruiz raised an eyebrow, "You trust my judgement, don't you?"

Ruiz nearly facepalmed, but he reached for his hat, "Smooth, Night... real smooth..."

He removed his hat, and loosened his shirt, revealing two cream-colored ears and a similarly colored tail with a white tip.

The stranger looked over at Jacoby, who, with a nod, confirmed Ruiz truly was a Nekojin.

Ruiz puts his hat back on and starts to rehide his tail, but stops and sniffs the air, "Did something die in the back room?"

The wizard looks confused for a moment, but his eyes widen and he runs into said back room, swiftly followed by the stranger.

Ruiz cautiously enters the room and sees a pile of ash sitting on the table.

"How did this- How could- WHAT?!" Jacoby sits down, holding his head in his hands. He spoke again after a moment, "What... what exactly were you having me make..."

"Medicine..." the stranger looks down at their feet, "It was supposed to be medicine for a friend..." the stranger sighed, "It must've gotten too hot."

"What kind of medicine... is capable... of-of burning. A cast iron cauldron... to-to smitheroons!!??" Jacoby looked at the stranger in disbelief.

"The kind for a Drakkin." 

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(A/n):           Well I promised you guys a new story, and now you're gettin a new story! 

I got a very important question for all of you: What do you think of this story?          I know there isn't much here right now, but what do you think so far?    I know I'm excited!

Now, I'm not going to promise any updating schedule (for now), cuz I know I won't remember/keep it.

I think that's all for now. See ya later!

                          ~Ammy  ^_^