The sky was swarming with small clouds, slowly covering up the ocean sky. The honey sun peeked through the clouds, brightening up the faraway lands as the birds, chirping as they followed the wild animals that played their little games with their flock. Even though the birds’ chirping was there and the constant cries and barks from the wild animals – it was quiet. It was quiet, all so peaceful. And then there was a disturbance inside the dirt close to the surface. The damp dirt was shaking, as if someone was playing with the dirt on purpose. A couple; a fancy man with honey-yellow hair and indigo-blue eyes with a fine azure cape covering his leather armor, and an elegant lady with coal-black hair and brown eyes with a pair of leather leggings and a t-shirt covered by an identical azure cape, walked out on their daily walk as they saw the shaking dirt. The couple ran to the shaking dirt, curious by the movement of it, as well as they may be at the right place to see a cute animal appear. They stood right next to it, intrigued by it.

“What could it be, honey? It's bigger than what it was from a distance, it could be a beast! Or a monster!?” The chatty lady accompaning the man now scared as to the unsure nature of the animal under it.

“Perhaps it's an animal that’s stuck beneath the ground, we gotta help the poor thing!” Says the man as he goes down on his knees as he starts digging the dirt up with his bare hands, “C'mon, help!”

The lady nodded as her face was clearly flustered by the situation she was in. They both grabbed dirt, tossing it to the side as they dug to help the helpless thing under the dirt. The dirt was shaking even more as they dug more and more closer to it, they even caught instances of cries for help from beneath.

“It's not a thing, but a someone! We need to help them out, they're suffocating!” They dug even more rapid until they felt a soft thing against their fingers.

“We'll help you outta there, poor soul!”

They managed to dig out the unconscious brown-haired raccoon-demi human that was trapped under the dirt, shaking the dirt as it tried to escape. The couple brushed off the dirt that was stuck on him and jumped back as he started to recover from the fainting.

“It's so bright…” said the raccoon as he covered his blue-and-green eyes from the blazing sun almost blinding him, only seeing the couple as he covered himself by coincidence “Um… who are you guys?”

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

The couple exhaled in relief as they saw that he was alright “I'm Dante! And they beauty with me is Freya!” They looked at him with a genuine smile as a result of them being able to save him from suffocating.

“This is a little awkward as I don't have anything on me to pay you both for helping–“

“Don't sweat it, sonny! It's always a no-brainer to an opportunity that'll make you look good in front of your lady, ya know?” Dante winks with confidence as he has a small-talk with him.

“I agree. By the way, I'm Isak. ” The raccoon reveals his name as he brushes off the dirt left in his hair, discovering his raccoon ears “I'm also in need of help.”

Freya has been quiet till now and looks at Isak with caring eyes, asking him “What is it, Isak?”

Isak helps them up from the ground and looks around with his ears fixed, pointing towards the ocean sky “Where are we?”

“We are just outside of Aaron's Split!”

“Um…” Isak thinks intensely for a moment, being quiet before he turns to them with a blank expression on his face “Nothing.”

Freya discreetly pulled Dante's clothes and leans to his ear, whispering something Isak can't pick up on and they turn around, Dante waved as a gesture for Isak to follow him.

“C'mon Isak, let's head back to Aaron's Split!”

The three of them walked back to Aaron’s Split, with Isak curious by the scenery, his attention was caught by the dream-like town, all done by the townsfolk. Isak stops for a second to admire the view of the town from a distant.

“What’s the matter, Isak–”

“It’s...” Isak’s hearing was gone – he was in his own world “Beautiful”

“We’re almost there! Just a little more, Isak!” The couple smiled as they enjoyed his reaction.

They entered the town, a town full of life and wealth as seen by the huge marketplace and many interactions done by the many townsfolk and market enthusiasts. There was a big diversity in the townsfolk; race-wise, and economy-wise as well. The poor; marketing items of fishy quality with a no-brainer deal, hid from the honey sun as the day got warmer, pushing back the peasants and their little homemade marketplace. Meanwhile the rich praised the sun and enjoyed the warmth. The couple entered their house and Isak followed in. Dante opened up a chest close to the stairway to the second floor, digging through the clothes and picks out a leather outfit; a leather shirt and a pair of leather pants.

“Put this on Isak! I had another unused leather outfit in my chest! Talk about coming in handy!” Dante pushes the folded clothing down in Isak’s arms.

Isak was about to object the sudden gift of clothing, but he changed his mind and instead thought of something else much more important.

“Where can I change?”

“You can do it on the spot.”

“I–”

“Just kidding!” She laughed and replied ”The bathroom is to the right.”

Isak exhales as a sign of relief and enters the bathroom. He thinks to himself as he changes clothes “The town sure looks pretty, and there were people who were there to save me. I’m glad for that, but... I still don’t know what this place is. Maybe I’ll unravel more stuff about this world soon anyway. Still though, Dante and Freya... thank you.”