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Stampy was a simple Raposa, all things considered. He hadn’t lived in Rapoville until after Wilfre attacked, but his old college roommate, Isaac, had reached out offering a position at his shop. So naturally, Stampy packed his bags and moved to Rapoville, starting his new job with his old friend.
“Hey Stampy, could you go do a supply run for me?” Isaac had come into work late today, so Stampy was left with setting up the store. “Cindi is sick in bed, and Mya just left for her business trip, so I need to be able to get home if Cindi calls.”
“Yeah, no problem! We aren’t expecting any shipments from Rapocity or Jangala any time soon, so where do you want me to go?”
“Do you think you could run to Shadow City?” Stampy froze and stared at Isaac.
“After what I heard Wilfre did to Circi, I don’t want to go anywhere near there. Not to mention the fact that Percate has been guarding the Shadow City World Gate with her life.”
“I know it’s dangerous, but I promise I’ll make it worth the trouble. Double pay for this week?” Stampy mulled it over in his head. There wasn’t a Hero in town right now and the Shadow monsters were getting more and more hostile without Wilfre to lead them. However, Isaac paid him well to begin with, so double pay would mean enough money to buy the house that he had been looking at for the past month.
“Alright, I’ll go. Anything in particular you’re looking for?” Stampy replied as he prepared for his trip, putting on his teal goggles and yellow scarf.
“I hear that the abandoned Ink Factory has a lot of stuff we could use. Spare mechanical parts, barrels of ink, old paintings. Nothing you can’t bring back on your own.”
“Alright. If I’m not back by midday, send someone after me.”
“Will do.” Stampy finished getting his belongings and left for Shadow City. As he approached the gate, he was stopped by Percate.
“Sorry Stampy, but I can’t let you through here. No one goes in or out on my watch.”
“Hey, don’t worry about me. I’m just gonna be in and out real quick.”
“I’m sure you would, but since Wilfre attacked my daughter, I’m not taking any chances.” Stampy thought over his options as Percate continued. “In the past 28 years, only three people have gone to Shadow City, my mother, my daughter, and Wilfre. My daughter is the only one out of them all that came out safe.”
“Then what if I bring someone with me?” Percate thought for a second.
“Do you mean a Hero, or do you mean a Raposa?”
“A Raposa. You know how adventurous some of these guys are. I could easily take someone like Indee or Zsasha with me and be fine.” Percate thought for a second before responding.
“Well, as much as I’m gonna regret saying this, take Circi. She knows the area and all about Wilfre’s Lair if you come across it. But if you’re not back in a few hours, I’m coming to get you myself, and trust me, I won’t be there to save you.”
“Yes ma’am, I understand.” Percate smiled and walked next door to her house, calling for Circi. Stampy watched as the deputy mayor walked out of her house and came with her mother to the gate. Stampy and Circi waved goodbye and headed into the World Gate, arriving right outside the gates of the Ink Factory.
“So, you’re heading into the city? How come?” Circi asked.
“Supply run for Isaac. I’m going to salvage some parts from the abandoned Ink Factory,” Stampy explained as the two of them walked towards the factory.
“Oh, you’re actually going in there? Well then here, let me give you some advice.” Stampy turned to face his guide. “Don’t bother trying to break into my factory, especially not when I’m your guide.” Circi suddenly shot a beam of shadow at Stampy, blasting him into the wall of the Ink Factory. When he hit the wall, ink began to pour out from the cracks, covering the parts of him that weren’t blasted by shadow. Circi retracted her beam and watched as Stampy was completely covered by the ink. “Let’s get this over with.” Circi blasted the ink off of him and pressed his body into the wall, turning him into a black and white caricature of his Raposa form.
“Why are you doing this? I thought you hated Wilfre; now you’re just like him?”
“It’s complicated Stampy, but long story short, I’m in charge here, and Wilfre’s about to come back to life. Now, what were you saying about supplies for Isaac?”
“What are you planning?”
“Oh, I know! How about I turn you into supplies? I could probably split you up into nine stamps for Isaac’s shop.”
“Circi don’t, that would kill me!”
“That’s the idea Stampy. I can’t have you telling anyone who I truly am. Now that I think about it, I don’t like nine. How about ten?” Circi drew a pen from her pocket. “There we go! Now you have a nice little tail!”
“I swear to the Creator, when I get out of here, I’m going to kill you.”
“That’s a nice joke, snookums,” Circi said, booping Stampy’s nose. “Now, say goodnight!” Circi drew her pen once more and shot a beam of ink at Stampy, tracing his outline in ten distinct ways, removing parts of him until there were ten different stamps floating around her. “Let’s scatter these around and put this all behind us, shall we?” Gathering the stamps, Circi began to teleport around the world, dropping parts of Stampy everywhere she went until she was out of stamps.
Four Months Later
“Next thing I know, you and Isaac are putting me back together again in his shop.” Stampy sat outside Isaac’s shop with the Hero and Isaac by his side. Stampy looked past the Hero and noticed Circi camping out by Creation Hall. The two locked eyes, and Circi’s face was plastered with anger. She flashed her shadow form to Stampy, causing him to panic.
“You ok Stampy?” Isaac asked.
“Yeah, it’s nothing. I just wish I saw the shadow monster that attacked me.”
“Circi said that it was a Shadow Ghoul. I’m really sorry you had to go through all that Stampy.”
“It’s ok, it wasn’t your fault, Isaac. There’s no way you could’ve known that would happen. But if you really want to apologize, I could use that double pay right about now.” Isaac and Stampy laughed as the Hero turned around an eyed Circi, who smiled and waved at the group, a dark glimmer in her eyes.