Chapter 4 Piñata No More (But Still Broke)
Kai was still spinning.
Every time he tried to stop, his body would swing back the other way, like a pendulum that had given up on life. His head was pounding from all the blood rushing to his brain, and his arms had gone numb about ten minutes ago.
"Will you STOP moving?!" Pugzooka hissed from his net, which was swinging in the opposite direction. "You're making me dizzy!"
"I can't help it!" Kai whispered back. "We're tied upside down in a forest because a man with a bird tricked us!"
"A man with a bird that YOU trusted," Pugzooka shot back.
"He saved us from the rhino!"
"He drugged us and robbed us!"
"We didn't have anything to rob! That's the saddest part!" Kai's voice cracked with frustration. "I had no money, no food, no weapon. Just you."
Pugzooka kept chewing on his net. "I've been working on this rope, you impatient sack of meat. It takes time."
"Well, chew faster. Neljun could come back any minute."
As if on cue, footsteps crunched through the leaves somewhere in the distance. Both Kai and Pugzooka froze.
"Don't move," Pugzooka whispered.
"I'm literally hanging upside down. Where would I go?"
Neljun's voice floated through the trees. He was talking to Blitzwing, the pompadour bird.
"I'm telling you, this was a complete waste of time," Neljun said, his voice annoyed. "The kid has NOTHING. No coins, no food, no weapons. His pockets were emptier than my future."
Blitzwing squawked something that sounded like "told you so."
"Don't give me that," Neljun continued. "You're the one who said he looked rich. 'Look at that backpack,' you said. 'Probably full of treasures,' you said." He kicked a rock in frustration. "It was full of DIRT. Just dirt and a half-eaten berry."
Kai's face turned red. That was his emergency berry. He had been saving it.
Neljun walked into the clearing where Kai and Pugzooka were hanging. He stood there with his hands on his hips, looking up at them like a disappointed farmer inspecting his crops.
"So here's the situation," Neljun said, addressing Kai even though Kai was pretending to still be unconscious. "You have no money. No valuables. Nothing worth selling except... well, you."
Kai kept his eyes closed, breathing slowly.
"Blitzwing and I talked it over," Neljun went on. "We decided to sell you."
"Sell me?!" The words slipped out before Kai could stop himself.
Neljun's eyes widened. Then he grinned. "Oh, you're awake. Good."
"You can't sell a person! That's illegal!"
"Where do you think you are, kid?" Neljun laughed. "This is Veridia. There are no laws out here in the wild. Dustwell has plenty of people who would pay good coin for a healthy young..." He looked Kai up and down and frowned. "Actually, you look pretty weak. I might have to sell you cheap."
"I am NOT weak!" Kai shouted.
"You poked a rhino with a stick."
"It was a SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT!"
Neljun ignored him and turned to Blitzwing. "What do you think? Five silver coins? Maybe six if the buyer is desperate?"
Blitzwing tilted its head, then shook it. It held up one wing and made a "pfft" sound.
"One silver?!" Neljun gasped. "That's insulting. He's worth at least two!"
Kai wanted to scream. He was being valued at one silver coin. One. He didn't even know how much a silver coin was worth, but the number felt small and embarrassing.
"Fine, fine," Neljun sighed. "One silver. But you're carrying him to Dustwell."
Blitzwing squawked in protest.
"No arguments. You wanted to rob him, so you help with the delivery."
The bird grumbled something under its breath and fixed its pompadour.
Neljun stretched his arms and yawned. "I'm going to find some breakfast. Don't go anywhere." He laughed at his own joke. "Get it? Because you're tied up?"
Kai did not laugh.
Neljun and Blitzwing walked off into the trees, their voices fading as they complained about Kai's lack of valuables.
The moment they were gone, Pugzooka started chewing his net like his life depended on it. His tiny teeth worked fast, and soon the rope began to fray.
"Did you hear that?" Kai whispered. "They're going to sell me. For ONE silver coin."
"I heard," Pugzooka said, his mouth full of rope. "Honestly, I think you're worth at least three."
"THANK you."
"But with the way you smell right now? Maybe half a silver."
"I haven't bathed in three days!"
"That's not my problem."
Pugzooka chewed faster. One strand of rope broke, then another. Then, with a final SNAP, the net opened and Pugzooka dropped to the ground. He landed on his feet, shook himself off, and looked up at Kai.
"Told you I'd get us out of here."
"You haven't gotten me out yet. I'm still hanging here like a decoration."
"I'm getting there, impatient." Pugzooka looked up at the branch where Kai's rope was tied. It was high, maybe fifteen feet up. "Okay. I need to climb that tree."
"You? Climb? You're the size of a squirrel with a puppy's face."
"I'm ALSO part squirrel, you idiot. Watch and learn."
Pugzooka scampered up the tree trunk like it was nothing, his tiny claws digging into the bark. Within seconds, he was on the branch, looking down at Kai with smug satisfaction.
"Natural talent."
"Just chew the rope!"
Pugzooka leaned down and started gnawing on the thick rope that held Kai in the air. It was slow work. The rope was much thicker than the net material, and Pugzooka's mouth was small.
"This is going to take a while," Pugzooka admitted between chews.
"How long?"
"Maybe an hour?"
"Neljun will be back in twenty minutes!"
"Then stop complaining and let me focus!"
Kai shut his mouth and hung there, listening to the sounds of the forest. Somewhere far away, a creature howled. And somewhere closer, Pugzooka's tiny teeth scraped against rope.
Strands broke, one by one.
Then they heard footsteps again.
"He's coming back!" Kai hissed.
Pugzooka stopped chewing and flattened himself against the branch, hiding behind a cluster of leaves. Kai closed his eyes and let his head hang limp, pretending to be unconscious.
Neljun walked into the clearing with Blitzwing, who was carrying a dead rabbit in its beak. The bird dropped the rabbit on the ground and started preening its feathers.
"We eat first, then we head to Dustwell," Neljun said. "The kid can wait."
Blitzwing looked up at Kai's hanging body and made a questioning sound.
"He's fine," Neljun said, waving his hand. "Still unconscious. Probably."
He sat down by a tree and started a small fire. Soon, the smell of cooking rabbit filled the air. Kai's stomach growled, but Neljun didn't seem to notice.
After eating, Neljun stood up and dusted off his pants. "I need to take another piss. Watch the merchandise."
He walked off into the trees. Blitzwing stayed behind, sitting on a rock and fixing its pompadour.
Pugzooka saw his chance.
He started chewing the rope again, faster this time, his tiny teeth working like a saw. The bird was looking in the opposite direction, admiring its own reflection in a puddle.
Snap. Another strand broke. Snap. Another.
The rope was down to just a few strands now. Kai could feel it loosening around his ankles.
Then, with one final snap, the rope broke.
Kai fell. He landed flat on his back with a loud THUMP, knocking all the air out of his lungs.
Blitzwing turned around immediately, its eyes wide.
"RUN!" Pugzooka screamed from the tree.
Kai scrambled to his feet—his hands were still tied behind his back, so running was more like waddling quickly—and dashed into the trees. Pugzooka leaped from the branch onto Kai's shoulder, holding on with his tiny claws.
"Go left! No, right! LEFT!" Pugzooka shouted.
"Which one?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
Behind them, Blitzwing squawked angrily and took flight. The bird was chasing them.
Kai ran faster than he had ever run in his life. He ducked under branches, jumped over roots, and crashed through bushes. Blitzwing was fast, but the forest was thick, and the bird had to dodge trees and vines.
Finally, Kai spotted a small opening in a rocky hillside—a cave, barely big enough for a person to crawl into.
"There!" he shouted, diving toward the cave.
He squeezed inside, scraping his elbows and knees, and rolled into the darkness. Pugzooka jumped off his shoulder and landed beside him.
Outside, they heard Blitzwing land nearby. Then Neljun's footsteps.
"Where'd they go?" Neljun's voice echoed.
Blitzwing squawked something.
"In that hole? Fine. Let them go. Not worth the trouble for one silver coin."
More squawking.
"Shut up, Blitzwing. We'll find another idiot in the forest."
The footsteps faded. The forest grew quiet.
"Did we just escape?" Kai whispered.
"I think so," Pugzooka whispered back.
"And Neljun gave up?"
"He said we're not worth the trouble."
Kai leaned his head against the cold cave wall. "I don't know if I should be relieved or insulted."
"Both," Pugzooka said. "Definitely both."
-
They stayed in the cave for the rest of the day and through the night.
The cave was small and cramped, and the floor was hard and cold. Kai's hands were still tied behind his back, so he had to sleep on his side like a sad caterpillar. Pugzooka curled up against Kai's chest for warmth, which would have been cute if he didn't smell like a skunk's gym bag.
"Your smell is going to kill me before starvation does," Kai mumbled.
"You're welcome to sleep outside with the rhino," Pugzooka replied.
Kai shut up.
At some point during the night, Pugzooka chewed through the ropes around Kai's wrists. Kai rubbed his sore arms and thanked him.
"Don't mention it," Pugzooka said. "Now go to sleep. You're annoying when you're awake."
"You're annoying all the time."
"I learned from the best."
They fell asleep to the sound of crickets and the distant howl of something that neither of them wanted to investigate.
-
When Kai opened his eyes, sunlight was streaming into the cave entrance.
Pugzooka was still asleep, curled into a smelly little ball. Kai carefully crawled toward the cave opening, his muscles aching from the terrible sleeping position.
He stuck his head out and looked around.
The forest was quiet. No Neljun. No Blitzwing. No angry rhino. Just birds singing and leaves rustling in the morning breeze.
Then he looked farther.
Past the trees, past a small field of tall grass, past a winding dirt road, there was something that made Kai's heart jump into his throat.
Smoke rising from chimneys. Wooden buildings with thatched roofs. Tiny figures moving around in the distance.
A village.
Kai's eyes went wide. His mouth hung open. He stared at the village like a starving man staring at a buffet.
"Is that Dustwell?" Pugzooka's sleepy voice came from behind him. The little beast crawled up next to Kai and looked out.
"I don't care what it's called," Kai whispered, his voice shaking with joy. "That's food. That's a bed."
He scrambled out of the cave and stood up, his legs wobbly but determined. The village was maybe a mile away.
"We're going," Kai said.
"We're walking?" Pugzooka asked.
"We're RUNNING."
Kai took off toward the village, his tired legs somehow finding the energy to move. Pugzooka ran beside him, his little tail bouncing.
"I can see it!" Kai shouted. "We're going to make it!"
"You're yelling too loud!" Pugzooka yelled back.
"I DON'T CARE! VILLAGE! FOOD! BED!"
"You said bed twice!"
"BED IS IMPORTANT!"
They ran through the tall grass, the morning sun warming their faces. Behind them, the cave disappeared into the trees. Ahead of them, Dustwell grew closer with every step.
Kai had never been so happy to see a village in his entire life.
Of course, he had no money, no food, no plan, and a talking beast that smelled like garbage.
But those were problems for future Kai.
Right now, present Kai was just going to enjoy the fact that he wasn't hanging upside down anymore.
