In Search Of Lost Friends

As the darkness enveloped the land, I found myself walking alone through the deserted streets. With Hiroshi slumped over my back, I scoured the area for a safe haven, a place to rest and recover before continuing our journey. Eventually, I stumbled upon an abandoned house, the perfect hideaway from prying eyes.

I laid Hiroshi down on a dusty old bed and started to prepare the house for our stay. I lit a fire in the fireplace, carefully tending to it until the flames roared and cast a warm glow around the room. Though Hiroshi seemed stable for now, I knew the night air would only exacerbate his condition.

With a sense of urgency, I fetched a bucket and hung it above the fire. I scoured the dusty old room for anything I could use to sterilize the bucket, eventually settling on a dirty cloth. I submerged the cloth in the hot water and added aloe vera gel, watching as the concoction bubbled and frothed, until the cloth was clean and sterile.

I placed the cloth on Hiroshi's forehead to help bring down the fever. I then undressed him, covering him with a clean blanket to ensure he remained warm and comfortable.

As the night progressed, I took watch over Hiroshi, my eyes never straying from his still form. The darkness seemed to linger, but eventually, the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon. When I awoke, Hiroshi was already up and dressed.

But his eagerness to continue the journey concerned me. "Hiroshi, you need to rest," I cautioned him. "We can't keep rushing headlong into danger like this."

Hiroshi's impatience was palpable, his desperation to find the lost Panda and Girl almost overwhelming. But I had a hunch. "I believe they're not far from here," I told him. "I learned that there are only two ports on this path and I am sure that they must have traveled this way just like us."

Despite my reassurances, Hiroshi remained anxious. "We need to find them," he insisted. "There's no time to waste."

As we set off, we quickly realized that the second kingdom was vastly different from the first. Bustling with life and activity, it seemed as though every corner we turned presented a new opportunity for discovery. As we walked, I suggested to Hiroshi that we ask around, see if anyone had seen a lost Panda and Girl.

Hiroshi agreed, and we started to approach passersby, asking for any information they might have. Though most seemed unaware of any such sightings, we persisted, undeterred. And eventually, after hours of questioning and searching, we didn't get much out of it. I was as worried about them as Hiroshi was.

Hiroshi and I traversed the bustling center of the city, which was even more crowded than the previous day. The cacophony of various sounds drowned out our voices, making communication difficult. When we arrived at a fork in the road, Hiroshi pointed to the left and said,

"I'll go that way and inquire with some locals about The Girl and the Panda. You go to the right and do the same. This way, we'll cover more ground and reconvene here at noon."

"Got it, Hiroshi."

As he instructed, I went right, speaking with everyone I came across, but to no avail. No one had any information about the duo. After two hours, my exhaustion prompted me to take a break in the bathroom. When I emerged, I heard a commotion in an adjacent alleyway.

It wasn't the sound of an ordinary stray animal. Curiosity piqued, I followed the noise to its source. Two men were aggressively confronting an elderly man, demanding money from him.

"Hand over the money, old man, or we'll send you to your grave!"

"Please, I need the money for my daughter's medicine! I beg of you!"

"Shut up! You either give us the money or face the consequences!"

As the old man began to cry and close his eyes, one of the men made a move to strike him. In a split second, I positioned myself in front of the old man, intercepted the attacker's fist, broke his hand, and incapacitated him by striking his throat. Using one hand, I then hurled him on top of his accomplice, rendering both men unconscious.

"Your bickering is more obnoxious than a pack of feral beasts. You two are nothing but scum!" I declared.

The old man was taken aback when he opened his eyes and gazed upon me.

"You saved my life," he said.

"I'm just glad I could help. You should be careful around here. There are many troubled individuals lurking about," I advised.

"I'm grateful for your intervention, young man. Thanks to you, I can obtain medicine for my daughter. Thank you," the old man expressed his gratitude.

"It was my pleasure. Please take care," I replied.

The old man then offered, "If there's anything I can do to repay you, let me know."

"No, thank you. I don't require any assistance," I declined his offer.

As the old man was about to leave, I thought of my friends I was looking for and I wanted to ask the old man if he had seen them.

"Excuse me," I said, approaching him. "I've lost some friends and I was wondering if you might have seen them around."

"Describe them to me," the old man replied kindly.

"One of them is a panda who wears a straw hat and behaves like a human. The other is a young woman with blonde hair and a stylish sense of dress."

The man's eyes widened with recognition. "Ah, yes! I saw them," he said, pointing in the direction of a nearby location. "It was late last night, and they were at a pretty fancy place."

Overwhelmed with gratitude, I thanked the man and hurried towards the meeting point where I was scheduled to rendezvous with my associate, Hiroshi. When he arrived, I eagerly shared my news.

"The left footpath is clear, no one there has seen them," Hiroshi informed me, taking a puff of his cigar. "Have you found anything?"

"I have!" I exclaimed, recounting my encounter with the elderly man. "He saw them at a fancy place nearby last night."

"Let's go find them then," Hiroshi said, extinguishing his cigar.

We arrived at the location and quickly entered, scanning the room for any sign of our missing friends. The place was quiet and peaceful, so we approached the bartender to make inquiries.

"We're looking for two people," Hiroshi said, sitting down on a stool. "One is a panda who wears a straw hat, and the other is a young woman with blonde hair. They were here last night, have you seen them?"

The bartender's face lit up with recognition. "Yes, they were here," he confirmed.