Chapter 28 – That Day Pt. 1
Her eyes always looked out to the future. That’s what they said. You could meet a thousand canines, but none ever left as great a mark as she did. No one ever came close to her level.
“Take a good look, Yisto,” Immy said. “Some day that’s gonna be you.”
She slung an arm around him, smiling wide at the painting.
 “Mark my words, tiny paws,” she said. “You’re gonna be known for miles by the time I’m done with you.”
“Assuming I actually wanna be known,” he said.
 For that, the fox gave him a light jab. He rubbed his shoulder.
“Would it kill you to be optimistic for once? Geez.”
He rolled his eyes. In truth, he did like the idea more than he cared to admit. For years he’d just been staring up at that painting. Dreaming of the day he’d make something of himself like she did. Like Immy did. To finally have that day come…He hid his smile, heading for the door.
 “Let’s just hope we don’t get mugged in the forest,” Yisto said as they made their way downstairs.
 Immy flashed her blade. “They’ll lose their hands if they try.”
He nodded. Of course she’d be so carefree.
For Immy, a trip through the woods was just routine. Another perilous journey to add to her belt of stories. For him, it had taken months of planning and preparation. Psyching himself up. Learning how to defend himself. He wanted more than anything to go on those grand adventures with her, but he wasn’t exactly a warrior’s kid. His father was a carpenter. And his mother…
He spotted her in the same spot she’d been in for years, tending to her plants.
He didn’t say a word as they passed, listening to Immy continually hyping up the journey as she pushed him towards the door. A bit more forcefully than usual. She didn’t relax until they were outside, her fur slinking down as she stopped shoving him.
“Sorry,” she said.
He simply nodded. Immy was annoying at times, but he knew she meant well. The fox mellowed out as they made their way through Cottonmie.
Despite the usual angry stares, it was a bit bittersweet walking through his home for the final time. Auntie Fluff waved goodbye as they passed, the mouse being one of the few in the Syndicate he considered a friend. And he spotted Harrison near the watering hole, the rabbit dipping his head as he passed, twin buckets in each hand.
He'd miss the quaint little town. The fish he’d watch swimming in the river. The giant buildings he’d scaled more times than he could count. The thorny trees which always carried fruits so sweet they made his cheeks want to explode. He’d miss it all. But he was even more excited to see what else was out there for him.
So many times Immy would come back from an adventure and rub the tale in his face. Now it was his turn. She would have to share that glory with him. He’d been counting the days since she agreed to take him. Not that he’d ever tell her, of course. She would have just poked fun at him for it.
“We got lotta ground to cover, tiny paws,” the fox said.
“You still haven’t told me where we’re going, y’know.”
She winked. “Wouldn’t be a good sellsword if I did.”
He rolled his eyes. Her and her secrets. The fox snickered, giving him a nudge.
“First thing’s first. We gotta get you equipped. Some potions, a nice set of armor…”
Giu flexed his arm, the fur hardening like steel. “I already got this. Sure I’ll even need all that?”
“No.” The fox smiled. “But it’ll look good on you, tiny paws. No self-respecting adventurer goes out without a plate or two.”
 “Ah.” 
His gaze rose over her. The sleek metal had always seemed relatively lightweight, at least for the fox. As was the sword she carried at her hip, its hilt just long enough to fit her hand. He’d tried to hold it a few times when he was younger. It only fit with one of his. 
“Maybe I could get a sword, too?” he asked.
“I don’t see why not.” She grinned. “Whadya think, tiny paws? Broadsword? Rapier? Cutlass?”
His cheeks flushed. “What about one like yours?”
She tapped the handle, humming to herself a moment. 
“Well…Maybe I could just give you this one.”
He brightened. “You would!”
“Heck no!” the fox laughed. “This is my sword only!”
He deflated, quickly slugging the annoying fox.
“Dumb stupid jerk!” he shouted.
“That’s Master Dumb Stupid Jerk to you,” she corrected.
“Not funny.”
“Says the one who’s not a master.”
He groaned. One thing he had not accounted for was how Immy would be for the duration of the journey. Given they would be traveling who knew where together, he’d have to deal with that side of her more often than once in a while. A small price to pay for getting as far away from Cottonmie as possible.
They’d already made it to the edge of town.
***
The Bunttail Woodlands was even more massive than it looked from afar.
Cottonmie had large trees sure, but none reached the clouds quite like the wooden skeletons he saw looming above their heads. He touched one, the base coarse and prickly. It wasn’t quite painful, but it wasn’t a nice sensation either.
Immy led the way, the fox cutting through bushes and marking trees. Every so often, she’d check back with him to make sure he was okay. He didn’t mind at first, but it got a bit grating after a while.
“I’m not a child, Immy,” he said. “Don’t need to baby me.”
“What? I’m not babying you, I’m just…Making sure you’re keeping up.”
“Uh-huh. Don’t forget, you did teach me pretty much everything I know.”
He turned to the nearest tree, channeling magic to his fist and smashing a hole through it. He shook the woodchips away.
“I’d like to think you did a good job,” he said.
The fox looked from the tree to him, her ears faltering. He flashed a smile, which seemed to cheer her up again. He knew she meant well, even if she could be a bit much at times.
After that, the trek became a bit more tolerable, Immy even speeding up as they went along. She dashed across a river, her tail guiding her through the air. He had to psyche himself up a bit to follow, but he managed to follow, much to his satisfaction. They kept running through Buntail, passing berry trees and hornet's nests. By the time they finally stopped to rest, the sun had fallen, the stars shining bright above their heads.
“Not bad for your first day, Yisto,” Immy said, tossing him a stamina potion.
He eagerly drank it up, letting out a gasp. Compared to combat training, a little run wasn’t so bad. Amazing, even.
Immy lit up a fire, Yisto sitting down next to her.
“So,” the fox said. “You really wanna know where we’re headed?”
“That would be nice yeah.” He thought a moment. “Is it Hayware? Bouncville?”
“Nope. It’s actually not in the Syd. Or the Villa.”
“Huh?”
Immy brushed her hair aside. “Truth is, I’ve been wanting to take you away for a while. Cottonmie’s no good for you. You’ve got the heart of a traveler, tiny paws.”
He couldn’t help but smile at that. Immy put a hand on the hilt of her sword, drawing it out of the sheathe. Under the glow of the flames, its metal was almost ethereal. She stroked the blade.
“You said you want a sword like mine, right?” she asked.
“More than ever,” he answered before even realizing. The fox chuckled, which made him flush redder.
“I’ve actually had this thing since I was kid,” she said. “I knew a guy back home who had this perfect forge. Swords made of crystal and gold. And steel. Probably the best blacksmith I’ve ever met.”
She looked at him.
“He’s gonna make you some armor, tiny paws. And a nice sword to play with.”
His eyes widened. Was she being serious? The fox’s eyes shined, the truth clear as day through them. As was the warm smile on her face. Yisto felt his chest tighten. He resisted the urge to immediately hug the fox. At least until Immy put the sword aside.
He threw his face into her, squeezing her tight. She stroked his head.
“So you can be optimistic, huh?”
“Shut up,” he groaned.
When they finally pulled apart, Immy was letting out a small yawn. She stretched her limbs out, rubbing her dreary eyes. 
“I figure it’s gonna be a big day tomorrow,” she said. “We should probably get some sleep while we can. Feel like takin' the first watch?”
“Isn’t that the Master’s-“
She put a hand on his chest. “Congrats, tiny paws. You’re now the Master for a day.”
He groaned though the fox was immediately falling backwards. She was out in seconds.
Great.
He sighed, leaning forward to watch the surrounding forest. At the very least, Bunttail was as exciting at night as it was in the daytime.
Thousands of insects chirped in his ears, distant croaks mingling with the other sounds. He drank in the scents of plants and people alike. Some fresh like there’s. Some stale. Some familiar. He wrapped his tail around his waist, sitting up as he caught more of those scents on the wind.
What is that?
He squinted ahead, the darkness obscuring most of Bunttail, though he could see something moving. A person. It took him a moment to realize whose scent it was. His ears twitched.
“M-mom?”
The figure rose out of the bushes, Yisto narrowing at them. Their face was covered by a mask, though their ears and tail gave away the fact they were a canine.
“I-Immy,” he called.
No response. The figure stepped closer, Yisto gave the fox a shake.
“Immy. Immy wake up. Wake-“
Her head fell off her shoulders.