The next morning and all of the events of the previous evening was forgotten like Voidflys in winter, with a greed-driven truce stricken between the brothers as if Kano had never practice his newfound haggling, or the ensuing underhanded shenanigans of Nosal or the inevitable falling of the hammer that was their father’s wrath.

Their summary punishment for being “silly pups messing about” was to finish all the usual chores around the ranch on the next day before being allowed to have any breakfast and heading off to their first job.

Nosal and Kano had both woken up eagerly at the crack of dawn. This was due to the prospect of the immense riches that lay ahead of them giving the young boys fitful dreams filled with mountains of sweets and hordes of toys. The brothers carried out their chores of feeding the Monsters and watering the plants faster than they have ever done before, without even the need to communicate as they worked like a pair of silent and well-oiled automatons.

Nosal wasn’t even bothered by the Chitpulkas or Chopeck as the boy arrived stealthily with their feed and collected their eggs before the monsters had even woken up. In their haste and how they had decided to skip the inclusion of the worms to the Chitpulka feed, Kano had forgotten all about his monstrous Rottwood-worm from the previous day for the time being. He also went on to perform his most rushed and poorest rendition of the poem for the Sowigans as he cleaned them of any dirt or debris that morning.

Then like two little rainmice fleeing a spline, they raced across the field and towards the Kaholin stables.

“So got most of the jobs done have yeh? Yer two naughty pups?” rumbled Lem from the shadows before appearing in the backdoor of the kitchen as the boys chatted excitedly on their way to tend to the Kaholin.

“Yes father we’ve got most of the work done, just needing to get some hay for Deb and her baby and then we just have to collect the balls tis all,” replied Kano eagerly.

Nosal on the other hand only looked up at his father with a leery eye from behind the safety of his brother, as the boy was still weary of the smack he had received from Lem for kneeing his brother’s testicles the previous day. Lem himself didn’t care much for his son’s antics and was just happy to see them working and getting along together again for even if it was driven by greed, an uneasy peace for the Capyban father was peace nevertheless. He snorted out some hot air from his nose but it quickly turned into a chortle as the sound of a sad little whining stomach came rumbling from his youngest.

“Never mind the Kaholins for today pups. Just go on in before wee Nosal ends up dead from having skipped breakfast,” teased Lem before walking past his boys and out into the courtyard.

“Hey!” whined Nosal as his brother started to giggle beside him.

“But *giggles* but what about the Kaholins father?” asked Kano as he wrinkled his nose furiously in his attempt to wrestle back some control from his fit of laughter.

“Never mind them pups, I’ll handle them today.. plus the foal’s gonna be needing help with the moulting, an seeing as how Deb’ell be all flustered and worried like, it will be too dangerous for you boys,” explained Lem with a single wave over his shoulder as he walked towards the hay-barn and away from his boys.

But after his little attempt at looking cool, Lem then remembered he had some more important information to share. Turning round, he found that his boys were already heading into the kitchen to eat the Fritter soup he had prepared for them earlier.

“Oh and remember to head over to SARKINGS Shop! She’s got a beakhound from one of her huntresses to help you’se pups today with the burrowers!” he hollered back before turning away and continuing on his way.

“And keep an eye out for ma scythe when you’re there!” Lem added for good measure before disappearing inside the barn.

..

With long measured strides of their short hairy legs, the two brothers then rushed down the road into Pancreedy.

Sitting upon Kano’s shoulder was Dittat who was chirping excitedly at the prospect of the promised adventure from his partner that lay before him. Whilst the two boys occasionally shared a manic look with evil grins between themselves as they dreamed of the fortune that lay before them that day.

Halfway to the village the two brothers came to a halt as a small troupe came jogging down the road their way.

At the head of this procession was Gazelle Direclaw in a pair of loose fitting trousers and a quilted tunic. Right behind Mrs. Direclaw who was easily eating up the distance to the Brownwhisker boys was a familiar looking Horse-headed youth who carried a monolithic training wooden sword. Beside the reverse-centaur was a widely grinning gumdrop-green Dornmit-Tars, who even with labored breath still waved at the boys as he jogged towards them.

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Behind the two tall youths was a young Badgian man who kept his head down with his black and white fur absolutely caked in sweat. His tiny little beady eyes that could barely seen as he glared at the floor below, as if to curse the very Delmathar below him, were bloodshot and bulging as he huffed and puffed like a dying animal.

Then trailing behind even further and lagging badly were a motley crew of strangers that the brothers had never seen or met before.

They were quite the sorry sight to the boys, with Nosal thinking that they might die soon judging by the look of abject misery upon their faces as they ran.

First was a tiny boy whom the brothers could only assume was a halfling, if not for his badly scarred face that looked like a foreign demon from some out-worldly Realm on its last legs after being hounded by some equally fearsome fiends.

Then came a tall lanky Hebdican boy who heaved like a punctured bellows and actually ran with his head hanging back and up towards the sky like some demented and inverted banan-fruit they had once had long ago.

The worst of the group was another orc, whom they boys could not really distinguish the gender as they ran with a stooped head and arms swinging like dead tree-trunks. But this exercising individual actually shouted with every step they took, which to the boys sounded like Kaholin mare birthing with great difficulty.

Then last but not least were two similarly looking goblins whom held onto each other as they weaved along the road like some drunken three-legged beast.

All of the runners except for the village guards were in a terrible state, with many of their faces of a highly unnatural shade.

That looks awful, Nosal thought with a musk of fear before sidling up behind his brother’s back.

They look like their my age, Kano thought with a musk of joy as he started walking ahead to greet the troop.

“Morning misses Fellclaw!” he shouted with a waving arm. Dittat who was resting on his shoulder and nearly knocked off his perch gave Kano a small whack of his feelers before curiosity also go the better of the him as he squinted at the newcomers.

“ATTENTION! HALT!! … ATTTTTTT EASE!” shouted Gazelle like a giant whistling kettle before coming to an easy saunter and then to a stop a few paces before Kano with a briming smile. Her two guards easily mirrored their master before starting to do twists, stretches and jogging on the spot to keep warm.

Dornmit even gave the Brownwhisker boys a quick little wink but said nothing as he was currently on duty.

The other joggers on the other hand crumbled to the ground in a sorry heap with only the Badgian managing to come to a standing stop with his short stumpy arms on his hips. But he too was breathing ragged like the younger runners that lay collapsed behind him.

“It’s good to see you boys today, you off to the village?” asked Gazelle in a warm purring voice along with lopsided smile.

“Yes miss Gazelle, you guys look so amazing as usual!” praised Kano with hero-worship in his eyes. His brother Nosal on the other hand was still hiding behind him with a little hand on the hem of his Kano’s shirt, for the young Capyban was feeling shy at the sight of so many new strangers he had never seen before.

“Would I be able to find your father at home this morning?” the Leonid asked as she turned her head from side to side and creating a cracking noise from her popping neck vertebrae.

“Yes miss Gazelle, you should see him as soon as you get to our ranch, he’s working with the Kaholins so you won’t miss it,” replied Kano with a musk of joy at being able to help the heroic Leonid woman.

“Thanks Kano you’re such a helpful sweet little fella.. now tell me, where are you two of ta… if you do not mind me asking?” purred Gazelle before leaning to the side with one hand placed on her hip. The golden twinkle of the morning twins on her perspiring Leonid nose did nothing but further accentuated her already heroic figure along with the sweat on her golden fur casting the Leonid in a incandescent gleam, and it was more than the poor Kano could cope with as he stammered for a reply.

“We-we,ur, we’re heading off to Joantack’s, Joantacks farm,” Kano replied Lamely.

“We’re going to make some money doing a job,” added Nosal helpfully from behind his brother’s back.

“Oh is that so? I take it you are off to deal with his Burrower problem?... Well seeing as you have no weapons to speak off, why don’t you head on over to the barracks and ask my boy who’s there to lend you something to use?” Gazelle helpfully suggested in a cheerful tone. Behind the Leonid, her two guard recruits remained impassive with schooled faces as they were more used to their stricter version of their own master.

“Thank you. Hey Nosal you thank her too!” replied Kano before stepping to the side and nudging his brother forwards.

“Thanks miss Gazelle,” Nosal replied shyly to the floor before scuttling back to put his brother between him and the other kids on the floor, who were still gasping for breath and too tired to care about the interactions that was being carried out.

“Well, we better be off! Don’t want these new prospects getting stiches now! Plus we’ve got a date with certain Chitpulka today boys!” barked out Gazelle before shooting down the path and past the boys with a wicked grin.

The horse-headed youth and Dornmit-Tars smiled and nodded at the Brownwhisker boys in passing before they too, shot after their master at a running pace.

The Badgian man was soon to follow with a string of curses at a moderate jog.

Before the dying crew brought up the rear with the look of tortured people upon their faces.

“You reckon that was Timothy next to him that Dormnit was talking about?” Nosal asked in his normal voice once the weird procession had rounded the corner.

“I think so, plus look at all those new kids! We’re going to have some new friends in town,” answered Kano with a musk of joy.

“But was it just me brother or did misses Gazelle just say she’s got a date with a Chitpulka?” asked Nosal who was still unsure if he had heard correctly.

“Yeah I think so,” replied Kano before he simple shrugged and turned back to lead them towards Pancreedy.