"Wenk wenk wenk~!"

"Come on, Hunter, like I said before. You're a big penguin now. You don't need a bed time story every time you go to sleep." I said as I started to lay down our sleeping equipment.

He let out a loud, angry "Wenk!", crossed his arms, and tucked his face into his red scarf around his neck.

"Aw come on, don't be like that." He waddled away every time I got closer and closer to him.

I yelled to him.

"Hunter. Huunter~. HUNTER!"

After trying to compromise with him and him ignoring every one of my actions, I sighed in exhaustion.

"Fine, fine. You win. AGAIN. I'll read you your bedtime story. BUT only if you promise to go to sleep right after."

"Wenk wenk!" He shouted excitedly as his head popped out of his scarf and his flippers up in the air. He scurred over to his sleeping bag and tucked himself in, with his eyes all wide and open in excitement.

I knelt down besides my medium-sized chest of vast amounts of seemingly-impossible storage, the most useful relic I had found during my travels. After mass amounts of digging through stuff that I forgot I put in the chest, I finally had found the pile of Hunter's story books. I picked two at random and hurried back to my now-impatient penguin. I pulled up a stool besides him.

"Now then, I present to you two stories: 'Kat Kid and the Kitty Gang: Adventures Through the Land of Algebra and Higher Mathmatics' or 'The Big Book of Epics and Fables'. And it's your lucky day to choose."

Hunter stared at me with the utmost "I am not amused" face.

"Alrighty then, time for some Kat Kid!"

Before I could open up the book, with it's very bright pink cover, Hunter slapped it out of my hands with the force of three rock golems.

I chuckled at how angry I made him.

"Fine, fine, 'Epics and Fables' it is."

Hunter let out a very happy "wenk" and tucked himself in yet again. His eyes were wide with excitement.

I let out another laugh, and patted his head.

"Seems like we haven't read this book in a while. Let's begin, shall we?"

Hunter let out a joyous "wenk" and smiled as I opened the large, dusty book.

"Thunder resonates the sky. Dark gray clouds loom overhead, hurdling bolts of rain into the earth with no mercy. The relentless pounding proved most prolematic to those unlucky enough to find shelter.

A dark ashy cat dashes forward towards a forest to escape that above him. He tempted his fate in search of a flower promised to bring immortality to those who consume it. He quickly turns from left to right, back and forth, avoiding every tree and rock to come his way.

As if rain was not enough, the clounds overhead jot down a bolt of lightning down into the forest. The lightning struck a tree branch, causing the now-burning branch to fall towards the forest floor. The cat stood directly underneath the falling branch, in a daze and with not enough time to react. He closed his eyes and stiffened his body, predicting what was coming next.

However, his predictions were wrong.

He felt a powerful force grabbing him and pushing him away from the danger. A loud boom of a heavy object reaching the earth rung in his ears. Rain no longer fell on his face. He opened his eyes and saw the burning branch a distance away from him. He looked towards the sky and only saw the beautiful face of a land nymph. She stood up with the cat cradled in her arms and hurried to her cave. She layed him down near the small, still cave pond and began to heal the injuries that the cat had recieved during the storm. The now warm and dry cat felt his eyelids getting heavy, and rested besides the pond.

He awoke to find the land nymph leaning near the mouth of the cave, looking upwards to the sky. The rain had stopped, and only small clouds speckled the sky. The cresent moon lit up the night, and the pond relected it's beauty, filling the cave with it's light. The cat stood up and walked toward the nymph.

'What ails you, fair maiden?'

'My love for an immortal is strong, yet I know such a love will only end in sorrow, as I am a mortal myself.' The nymph spoke with such a gentle and graceful voice, and she did not move her gaze as she replied.

'Fear not, maiden. I have spent 8 of my lives walking this earth and I have found where a rare flower grows that can help you live forever as well."

'You have no need to fetch such a flower for me, as for I have no need for it. It is my mortality that makes this earth all so precious to me. Do not risk your life to heal my minor pains. Now, go rest your weary eyes to continue healing those stressed legs from all your travels.'

The cat went back to his resting stop, but he did not sleep. He pretended to and waited until the nymph rested herself. As she slept, the cat snuck out into the mist of trees and began to dash towards a hidden cave located deep within the heart of the forest. It was a cave full of dangers and creatures so brutal and hideous to the human eye. But this did not hesitate the cat in the slightest. He was too intent on repaying the land nymph for saving his life. The cat did not listen to the nymph and entered the cave in search for the flower.

As the cat when deeper in to the cave, the more dangers were narrowly avoided. He then found himself in the deepest part of the cave. It was a cavern with lush green grass and foliage growing around the edges. Ahead was a body of water, and in the middle was a small island where a lone flower stood.

He took a few steps foward, keeping his eye on the flower and being weary of any danger. He creeped forward until a low rumbling followed his last step. Quickly and attentively, he stood still and scanned the area around him. His eyes picked up nothing, that is until he looked above him. Stalactites that were falling from above caught his full attention. His body began to freeze up in fear as he knew he had no time to escape. He closed his eyes for a last time and thought of the nymph.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Right before he opened his eyes again, he was pushed out of the way, and the crash of the fallen stalactites followed. He came back to his senses, and saw that he was cradled in the fallen nymph's arms. The nymph kept her gentle and sweet smile, but the cat knew she was injured. Her hold on him grew weaker and weaker as each second passed.

'I'm sorry, fair maiden. You have saved my life twice now. Please, allow me to help you,' he cried out to her.

The maiden could not give a responce.

The cat quickly dashed into the lake and swam to the small island. He fetched the flower in his mouth and swam back fast as he could. He arrived near the side of the weak, injured nymph and laid the flower amonst her bosom.

The cat had repaid his debt."

After a slight pause, I closed to book, which caused a slight dust cloud to expel.

"Wenk wenk."

"What? What do you mean that was lame? Not every story has to be action-packed and full of adventure, you know."

"Wenk!"

"Alright fine, I'll try to find something more action-packed for you next time, ok? But now it's sleepy time for the both of us. And a deal's a deal." I brushed the top of his head.

"Weeeeenk," said Hunter with a sigh.

I let out a little chuckle and put away the stool and the book. I extinguished the camp fire and went into my sleeping bag, right beside Hunter's sleeping bag. We wished each other a good night and sweet dreams.

I looked up and stared at the starry night sky until I fell asleep.