Dabble 23: Adventure Coming

“You’re dead kid!” Screamed the boar merchant, running with a knife after a red panda boy in the streets. The child grinned while carrying a handful of fruit, bread, and two pouches of rice. When the child felt the drop of rain on his nose, he examined the sky then quickly prepared for the down pour. The red panda sprinted forward to get some distance, pulled his shirt out, and dumped the foot in it. He used one hand to undo his shirt over his head and wrapped the food up, running bare-chested across the market district of the village.

“Someone, catch that little thief!” The boar yelled in agitation as he fell behind. The red panda turned a corner but paused as two guards, both goats, chased after him. The panda skids to a stop, turns around, and runs back towards the boar while tying a knot with his shirt.

“You’re mine now!” He said as he swung the knife. The red panda threw the goods over the boar’s head, slid under his legs, and caught it.

“Better fortune for you next time,” the red panda said, getting to his feet to sprint off.
Running into a new alley way with three adults chasing him, the red panda held the knot in his teeth as he jumped from one wall to another, reached the roof and lost the guards in minutes.

The rain poured down harder until a massive storm caused everyone to retreat into their huts and houses. The red panda glanced around before entered an abandoned watch tower at the other end of the village. The entire structure was mostly obscured by trees and roots. He pushed on a solid block of stone inward, then reached in and pulled on a dangling string.

Right next to him a hatch opened on the ground leading into the tower. He jumped in and closed the door behind him. Inside the tunnel he lit a lamp he kept attached to a wall and proceeded from the dirty surroundings to the cold stones of the tower. He walked up the steps to the base of the tower. “Come on Altia, time to eat!”

At the base of the watch tower stood a fireplace in the center, a tent made of discarded clothes, some drawings along the walls and on paper attached to the walls, and a chest. Racing down the stairs was a younger red panda with a pot of water caught from the rain.

“Jin? What did you get?” She asked.

Jin sat the stolen goods down and opened it up, making Altia smile and quickly grab a peach to nom on. “Part of a balanced breakfast as they say in the market,” he said proudly.

The two of them sat around the makeshift fire while the water bubbled to cook the rice. The two listened to the thunderstorm in silence. Jin pulled out a notebook from the chest to write.

“I found out the village chief is expecting the landlords of this region to come collect tax tomorrow. If we plan it right, I’m sure we can take out a loan or two.”

“To actually afford an inn to sleep in would be good,” she said. “How do you think we’ll find the family book though?” She asked.

Jin paused writing then glanced at the fire. “One more year of training then we’ll beat it out of the chief.”