Tonako

Tonako skidded around a corner in The Teikodian Empire, clutching the useless apple stick that had gotten them into this mess. They crashed directly into a cart of polished scrap armor, sending mismatched pauldrons clattering across the marble. The cart’s owner, a chimper with eyes as hard as their wares, simply stared. Between gasps, Tonako explained how a charismatic stranger had promised them a taste of a forbidden mushroom, only to vanish when the Imperial guards appeared. Tonako had barely escaped with a fresh scar. The stoic merchant grunted, then pointed a thumb at a pile of tarps. “Hide.” That night, they shared rations in silence until Tonako used their stick to draw a goofy face in the dust. A dry chuckle was the reply. They’ve been together since, the fool and the cynic, a two-chimper protest against taking the shiny capital too seriously.