[Yomegami]

Zuckerguss

The sun was setting over Nabias by the time the little Cake Kuhna named Zuckerguss, or just Gus, reached the town.

Stopping, and catching his breath while he was at it, he looked up at the gate, and smiled.

The only reason he was allowed to leave home for a time was to look for a runaway Serraptor named Elisah, who had somehow managed to escape the rainforest temple she was usually contained in.

Why Gus thought she'd be here was beyond anyone's knowledge, even here. But at least there'd be some nice people here, and perhaps he could make some new friends. And he liked making friends.

After resting for some time, he got up again, and continued on through the gate. He decided to begin his search tomorrow, after he was fully rested. He needed a good night's sleep after the journey he just recently ended.

[Azura Rayume]

Slanter

A black shadow slipped between the street vendors, virtually unnoticed. It paused by a stall selling fruit within the vision of the nearby cake kuhna. The owner turned away, his hurried movenents in closing up for the day causing him to knock over a crate of peaches. There! A swift, ebony paw shot up into the crate closest to the allyway, snatching two apples. Being a theif wasn't easy, by Slanter had a gift.

[Yomegami]

As he strode through the town, Gus kept an eye open for an inn.

But, so far, he hadn't found one.

What he did see was a fruit stand. It was obviously closing up for the day, so at first the cake kuhna stayed away.

Then, the owner knocked over a crate of peaches. As he watched the fruits go rolling everywhere, he realized just how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten much during his journey here.

But, if he did go and snare one of the peaches, wouldn't it be stealing?

As he was wondering over the right and wrong of it all, something darted out of the shadows and grabbed some apples.

Gus lept back, eyes wide. Could that be the serraptor he was supposed to be hunting?

[Azura Rayume]

Slanter froze, his paw halfway to another piece of fruit. The kuhna had seen him!

This had never happened before. Ever! At first, the Slithy panicked. What if the kuhna turned him in? Then, he noticed the hungered look on the face of the other. Maybe he could use that...

Swiftly, he motioned to Gus. Come here, the waving paw said. He might as well help the guy out. The gang could always use another member, after all.

[Yomegami]

If Gus wasn't already shocked enough from seeing something dart out of seemingly nowhere, he was even more surprised to see the thing motion for him to approach it.

At this point though, the kuhna could see he wasn't dealing with a Serraptor. Those had big, sharp claws on their hands, and long fingers. This had short fingers lacking of claws.

Still, it could be a threat. What did it want from him?

Hesitating for a few moments, he finally decided to approach it. However, he made sure his claws were at the ready, if it was necessary to use them.

[zomilli]

Vex
Vesz?©ly

Vesz?©ly walked calmly through town, her eyes darting back and fourth to make sure she wasn't being followed. An angst ball hovered over her head. The angst ball spoke softly to her. "Vesz, I'm, uh, hungry." Vesz?©ly sighed and started to make her was towards a fruit stand. She stopped instantly as she saw a shadow of some kind grab two apples. Who was there? Vesz?©ly inched her way closer.

[Azura Rayume]

"Hey," Slanter whispered once the kuhna was safely out of view of the vendor. His whiskers twitched slightly as he sensed someone... no, two someonse, approaching from behind. Apparently, he was going to have a bit of company this evening.

"You look hungry." His voice held a tinge of concern as he pulled one apple apart and offered on half to the kuhna.

[Yomegami]

As he approached it, Gus could easily see that his automatic assumption that this was the serraptor was mistaken. This was some sort of dark skinned amphibian.

It pointed out that he looked hungry, pulling an apple apart and handing one to the kuhna.

At first, he hesitated. Could he trust this being?

Eventually, hunger won out over suspicion, and Gus took the apple half from Slanter, and proceeded to eat it. As it turned out, he was hungrier than he thought he was, and the apple hit the spot quite nicely.

[Azura Rayume]

Slanter took a bite of apple and smiled slightly. His plan might work after all. "So, you'll be needing a place to stay tonight, right? If you do, my door's always open." He could still sence the other two behind him, so he didn't make any suspicious moves quite yet. They still had a chance to tell the "proper" athorities.

[zomilli]

"What is it Vesz?" Vex asked nervously, glancing around.
"I think someone just stole a piece of fruit right under that vender's nose," she said grinning a little.
"What!?" said Vex, shocked. "We have to tell somebody! The vender, the police-"
"We don't have to tell anyone Vex, anyways the vender's leaving now." said Vesz?©ly rolling her eyes.
"This goes completely against your morals!" Vex continued fretfully, his voice rising in panic.
"Keep your voice down!" Vesz?©ly hissed exasperated , "And you're talking about your morals Vex, not mine." Her eyes glinted micheviously. "I don't have any morals."
"Yes but-"
"Vex, it was a one, maybe two pieces of fruit. I'm going to see who it is," Vesz said determined. She started to approach cautiously.

[Yomegami]

Gus nodded in response to Slanter's question. Apparently, this thing had thought of everything while he was observing the kuhna.

"Yes, in fact, I was looking for an inn when the owner of this vendor bumbled and-" he said.

He stopped talking at this point. Something inside him was telling him this thing meant trouble.

The chances of the worry-free Gus listening to it, however, were nil.

"I'm fine with going to your place and resting up, but a name would be nice."

[Azura Rayume]

"A name?" Slanter gave a slight laugh. "It doesn't really have a name. It's not an inn, more like a place to stay if you're short n cash. A few of my... friends are there right now, but we don't mind company. It's this way." As he started down the alley, he glanced back over his shoulder at the pair behind him. "You two aren't very good at sneaking up on someone. My offer stands to you as well. Why don't you come stay with me tonight?"

[zomilli]

Vesz?©ly blinked furiously. She was so going to have to work on the whole "sneaking up behind someone" thing. But she could now tell that the creature-no, she corrected herself, the blackberry slithy- wasn't alone. There was also a kuhna standing beside it.
"Stay with you?" asked Vesz?©ly a little suspiciously. Well, Letifer had pretty much kicked her out, but he was going to regret it. He couldn't get the job done without her. She could praticaly feel the If you go with him Vesz?©ly I'm going to give you a lecture! vibes coming from Vex, but he didn't say anything. But she did want a place to stay for the night...
"Sure. Why not?" Vex gave her a withering look.

[Yomegami]

Gus sighed. Apparently, the amphibian had misunderstood what he had meant by "name".

But he decided to hold off the real question and keep his introduction for a later time. He got up to follow Slanter, then he stopped.

He had noticed, for the first time, the Fenling and Angst Ball that had been sneaking up on them. Although the amphibian had said they needed to work on sneaking around, they had done a good job of escaping the kuhna's attention.

Turning away, he returned to the more important buisness of following his soon-to-be host. This was his first visit to the town, anyway, and getting lost wasn't exactly on the to-do list...

[Azura Rayume]

Slanter began to move through the town, stopping occasionally to make sure the three were still following. He seemed to be going in circles for a time, the odd twistings would have confused any unguided wanderer.

Afther a while, they arrived at an old warehouse, the windows broken and the walls grubby. The old steel door was open slightly, nothing to be seen but darkness beyond.

Slanter gave a strange wistle, a sort of signal that brought the sound of scurring feet to the ears of those outside. Soon, a black and orange rodent appeared in the doorway, a silver pocketwatch dangeling from one paw.

"Slanter!" she cried, her voice squeaking slightly. "I was wondering when you'd show up!" She hugged the Slithy, then, seeing the other three, asked, "Who are they?"