Okay! I'm ready. My first real fanfic put in the Redwall area of fanfiction. I'm nervous... okay Enjoy I guess!

The city of Jacova, one of the greatest cities ever built in the northern continent. Located right in the middle of the Jacova desert, it became a very prosperous city. Nearly fifty seasons ago, gold was struck underneath the desert and thousands of beasts flocked to it in hopes of achieving their dreams. The greedy hoped to be the richest beasts alive, and the generous wanted to use the gold to build the town of Jacova and create what many beasts know as a safe haven for travelers in the desert. Their expectations were exceeded and now it is a place not only for travelers to rest and tell their tales, but a home to nearly four-thousand beasts of all species.

However, as time went on, it became home to beasts with evil intentions as well...

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A young, crimson furred squirrel stared intently at the road he was walking on. Beads of sweat drizzled down his head and fell, hitting the brick road he walked upon. He wore a red vest and pants which matched his fur very well. His black tipped, bushy tail draped low as he panted under the desert sun.

Next to him stood his best friend, a brown squirrel in his young adult years. Like his partner he sported a vest and pants, but unlike his partner's, they were brown to match his fur. He was the more serious squirrel of the two and stood tall, following the caravan they had joined the previous day.

The red furred squirrel brushed a paw down his face, wiping the sweat away. "For three days... three days we've been walking Jerra and we've seen nothing but dunes, and this annoying brick road! I guess one day whoever owned Jacova decided to build a brick road so long, a beast would be more likely to stab themselves than reach the city. And because everybeast is stabbing themselves on the way there, whoever owns the city can cash in on themselves and make the same money and never run out."

Jerra raised his brow. "Mate you do have an overactive imagination. How do you think they got the limestone brick used the build this road?"

"They're rich. They built a city in the middle of a desert, and it prospered to the point they imported everything they own now."

"But they can't import it now because they're stabbing themselves on the way there. And what about them cashing in on their own city?"

Firetail stared blankly at his friend for a moment then sighed, "Nevermind that. Can you see Jacova now?"

Jerra shook his head. "For the millionth time, Firetail, I can't see past all of these beasts' heads."

Firetail looked up at his friend with a slight smirk. "C'mon, you should be able to, you're two heads taller than me."

"Mate, you're three heads shorter than the average squirrel."

Firetail stood straight up, glaring at his friend. "No... you're three heads taller than the average squirrel!"

"Ah ha! That makes me six heads taller than you then!"

Firetail tightened his fist. "Jump if you have to! You're the only squirrel who can use my head as an elbow rest for Jacova's sake!"

Jerra bust out laughing. "I'm the only squirrel bright enough to think of that!"

Suddenly, a voice came from somebeast in the crowd. "Jacova is just up ahead!"

Firetail brightened up and said to Jerra, "Do you see it? Do you see Jacova?"

Jerra got on his tiptoes and squinted his eyes as he looked off into the distance. All at once his eyes widened and a smile slowly formed on his face, illuminating his dull features.

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"Sir, another bounty hunter just arrived in town. Judging by the looks of his clothes he's from the south."

A greatrat picked up some sand from a jar and gently let it slide from his paw. "What's his name, messenger?"

The messenger scratched his head. "I've seem to have forgotten. Maybe I could remember if..."

The greatrat stared straight ahead and pointed to a bag of copper on a small wooden stool. "That's your reward if you tell me his name.."

There was a pause and then the messenger began to salivate at his mouth, "He's known as Firetail, sir!"

"The one who took down the Black Eye's leader single-pawed?"

The messenger quickly averted his gaze from the copper to the greatrat. " I wouldn't know, sir."

The greatrat looked his messenger from head to footpaw. "Of course you wouldn't. All you are is a money hungry ferret who doesn't know the first thing about leadership. Your name will never be known. All you're good for is snooping and deceiving."

The ferret's eye twitched at the comment, but he managed to keep a straight face.

The greatrat's eyes slowly drifted to the pile of copper then back to the ferret. "Follow the Firetail. Listen to what he asks and to what he hears. Make sure he doesn't find me and when takes his leave, you can call all of that copper over there gold!"

The ferret began to tremble with excitement as he saluted the greatrat. "I'll do it, Vlad the Sandscourge"!

I don't care how you critique me! I'm used to praise and HARSH ones, and quite frankly I get more out of the harsh ones so I'd rather you point out some problems. My goals for this fic is mainly to get better with my often 'awkward phrases' and get better with spelling, grammar, and punctuation, so please to whoever reads this and finds a mistake, tell me! I hope anyone reading this is enjoying it and I promise the next chapter is going to be longer.