Jay lay in the alley, breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on the girl who watched him with unshakable calm. The soft moonlight filtered between the buildings, illuminating the dust floating in the air, and the distant sounds of the city felt muffled, as if the alley existed in a small world of its own.
"Well… I guess this is the part where the heroes come to the rescue, right?" Jay said sarcastically, half-gasping and raising an arm in a theatrical gesture. "Though you don't look very heroic."
The girl, with wolf ears and a tail, simply stared at him, her expression unchanged, indifferent. Her gray eyes shimmered with calm—but without any apparent emotion.
Jay sighed, scratched the back of his neck, and slowly pushed himself to his feet. Every movement was a struggle; his legs trembled, but little by little he managed to stand, swaying and panting.
"Okay… I'm not dead… that's progress," he muttered, trying to joke with himself as he looked at Nekotina. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Nekotina," she replied in a neutral tone.
Jay blinked, confused. In his mind, it didn't fit: a girl with wolf ears and tails named Nekotina… it made no sense. It didn't match her appearance or the impression she gave.
"Ah… I see. Well… I'm Jay… or Richter, whichever you prefer," he said, making an exaggerated gesture of introduction.
"You dress weird," she commented, as if that explained everything.
Jay let out a forced laugh, raising an eyebrow. "Thanks… I guess. But seriously, where are you from?"
"I don't remember where I come from, but those men wanted to take this stone from me. I've had it with me for as long as I can remember," she replied, carefully holding the small object that had caused so much trouble.
Jay looked at the stone and murmured in his mind: They called it the 'Scorpion's Heart'… but it doesn't look like a heart. More like something you'd stick in the fridge after a long trip…
"And you?" she asked suddenly, as if she wanted to know something about him.
"From the land of arepas," Jay replied, shrugging with an ironic smile.
The girl nodded slightly and gestured for him to follow. "Come, I'll take you somewhere."
They left the alley and began walking through the city streets. The buildings were old, with tiled roofs and irregular windows; the city had a medieval air, mixed with cobblestone roads, and the people passing by seemed to pay them no attention, busy with their own affairs.
As they walked, Jay decided to ask something that had been on his mind: "Hey… can you read?"
"No… I've never tried to learn and I'm not interested," Nekotina replied indifferently.
Jay frowned. "Well, that complicates things a bit…"
"Where are we going?" Jay finally asked, curiosity growing with a slight touch of concern.
"You'll see soon," Nekotina said, adding nothing more, walking with firm, confident steps—as if she knew exactly where they were headed.
Jay followed the girl as she moved with light, almost silent steps over the uneven stones of the alley. Each movement made her small tail rise and fall gently, swaying like a furry, almost hypnotic pendulum.
Jay swallowed hard.
"…Don't do it, Jay… don't do it…" he muttered to himself, reaching out just a few inches toward that fluffy tail.
For a moment, the temptation was too much. But he slapped his own cheek, the sound echoing through the alley.
"Focus, damn it! Keep it together… she could rip your arm off."
After fifteen minutes of walking through increasingly narrow streets, the scenery began to change. The buildings lost their color and sturdiness, their walls showing deep cracks, patched-up windows, and sagging roofs. The scent of fresh bread and spices faded, replaced by a heavy, damp air.
This was another part of the kingdom. A poorer, quieter one… the kind the main city tried to hide.
Nekotina stopped in front of an old, worn wooden door. She knocked twice—soft, but firm.
The door creaked open, and a small boy appeared—maybe nine years old—with the same wolf ears and tail. His eyes lit up the moment he saw the girl.
"SISSSSTER!" he shouted, throwing himself at her.
Nekotina received him with a soft sigh, then gently scratched between his ears. The boy closed his eyes, purring in a way that was oddly fitting for someone with wolf ears.
Then his eyes snapped open as he noticed Jay.
"Who's he?" he asked, hiding slightly behind his sister's leg, though his tail bristled with curiosity.
Jay raised a hand with an exaggeratedly friendly smile.
"I'm Jay. A traveler… nice to meet you, little guy."
The boy frowned with a surprisingly serious tone for his age.
"That's weird."
Jay leaned forward, hunching dramatically.
"Right? I totally agree with you…"
The boy blinked, confused, and Jay felt like he'd earned at least one small point in his personal ranking of "kids who don't automatically hate me."
Nekotina walked in without another word, and Jay followed.
The inside of the house was just as humble as it looked from the outside: faded walls, old furniture, and a table that seemed to be standing purely out of stubbornness. There was a faint smell of damp wood and soup reheated too many times.
As Jay looked around the room, a girl stepped out from another doorway. She looked about sixteen, with long ears so expressive they seemed to speak on their own. She froze when she saw the younger girl.
"Nekotina, you're back—" Her words broke off when she noticed Jay behind her.
"W-w-who… who is he?"
Jay raised his hands, calm this time.
"I'm Jay Baker. A… temporary acquaintance."
The older girl frowned and looked at Nekotina with the tone of a responsible sister.
"Don't bring strangers into the house! I told you—!"
"Nothing happened," Nekotina replied with total calm.
The older sister sighed, giving in.
"Well… whatever. The more people, the better."
Jay blinked.
What kind of philosophy is that? What does "better" mean? What are they planning? Why do I feel like I should jump out the window?
Before he could ask, the older sister clapped her hands.
"Alright, everyone ready? We're heading to the village."
The three siblings raised their fists in perfect unison.
"Let's go!"
Jay, caught off guard by the flawless timing, raised his fist a second later.
"...We're… going?" he echoed, awkward and unsure.
Inside, his mind was pure chaos.
I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know where I'm going. I don't know what they want. But… if this leads to food… I'm in. One hundred percent.
About five minutes had passed since the four of them left the house. Jay walked behind the siblings, observing the surroundings more closely as they moved through the narrow passage that wrapped around the home. The wood creaked under every step, as if the entire house was tired of existing. Sunlight barely filtered through the broken planks, casting uneven stripes of light across the dusty floor.
Finally, they reached the back.
Jay froze.
In front of him was a carriage. Or rather, something trying very hard to be a carriage.
It was an old wooden platform, patched up so many times it looked like a poorly assembled puzzle. The wheels were mismatched—one large, one small—and each turn emitted a metallic groan that made you fear for its lifespan.
And then… there was the horse.
A skinny horse, with dull fur and trembling legs, that seemed to struggle just to stay upright. Its breathing was slow and heavy, as if each exhale cost it a year of life.
Jay's mouth fell open.
The horse looked at him.
Jay looked back.
A silent exchange. Profound. A little tragic.
"Sorry for staring without permission…" Jay whispered, almost embarrassed.
The horse blinked with what Jay interpreted as absolute resignation.
The siblings came running out of the house, carrying a small cloth bag and a few items that barely looked useful. The boy, Nekofal, jumped onto the makeshift carriage, while Nekotina settled in naturally, as if this rickety vehicle were just part of daily life.
Nekotina looked back and waved her hand.
"Get on."
Jay hesitated, glancing again at the horse… and the board with wheels.
"Ah… sure…" he climbed up slowly, each movement accompanied by an unsettling creak of wood.
He settled beside the kids and sighed, tossing out a sarcastic comment.
"This horse can carry all three of us, right? I mean… it looks like it'll only move with divine permission."
Nekotina replied without emotion, almost as if she didn't understand the joke.
"It's fine."
The older sister, Nekohime, took the reins and gently stroked the horse's mane.
"Alright, buddy… let's go."
Against all odds, the horse lifted its head slightly, snorted with a hint of dignity, and began to move. Slow at first, with hesitant steps. Then, surprisingly, it reached a decent pace.
Jay's eyes widened a bit.
"Not bad…" he murmured, impressed.
The carriage rolled down the dirt path, kicking up small clouds of dust that floated for a few seconds before dispersing. The city stretched around them—poor buildings, improvised shops, and narrow streets where life seemed to move at a slower pace.
As the carriage continued, Nekohime turned slightly toward Jay.
"You. What's your name?"
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"Eh? I already told you, didn't I? Now it's your turn."
She frowned, displeased with his tone.
"Nekohime."
Jay felt a small déjà vu. His mind whispered:
(Perfect… another feline name… with wolf ears…)
But before he could finish the thought, a child's voice interrupted.
"I'm Nekofal!"
Jay blinked, then tilted his head back with a defeated sigh.
"Yeah, right? Of course… how cliché…"
The three siblings stared at him, not understanding his frustration.
The carriage moved more steadily than expected, while the soft breeze lifted the girls' silver hair. Jay observed the scenery: makeshift wooden stalls, clothes strung between buildings, stray cats, and people watching the carriage like it was a miracle still in motion.
Nekohime turned to him again.
"Where are you from?"
Jay replied with the same line he'd given Nekotina earlier.
"From the land of arepas."
Nekohime stared at him, frowning even harder.
Jay raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright. I'm from the American continent."
There was a brief silence before she responded, confused.
"There are no other continents. Only the Great Continent."
Jay laughed… very nervously.
"Heh… well… that complicates geography."
Then Nekofal spoke up, raising his voice a bit.
"Hey, your clothes again. So weird!"
Jay adjusted his shirt and replied like he was giving a fashion lecture.
"It's stylish clothing."
Nekofal tilted his head.
"Weirdo."
Jay slowly leaned back, accepting his fate.
"Yeah, I know… it's always the same…"
And the carriage kept rolling down the path, with Jay wondering how the hell he'd ended up there… and why, despite everything, he was starting to feel like maybe following this strange family wasn't such a bad idea after all.