A CYNIC'S TALE

"These children live in a forest cloaked in darkness; a gathering place for spirits. Those who venture without guidance get swallowed by the void. Lives lost will never be found again. I will be your guide, for safe returns."

Kunikos is a collection of one-shots set in a very rural area of Mystique, Avenir. You may even call them vignettes. The residents of Pekopeko live in a forest of complete darkness. Although their lives are simple, they work hard to bring home a fruitful harvest.There is no "chapter 1" since each tale is a story in and of itself, but if you would like to read it in the order it was published, I suggest going down the "comic list" from top to bottom.

Comic Archive

Welcome Vignette "Nico"
Gemini Fakes

Welcome Vignette "Airi"
Befriending a Monster

Residents of PekoPeko

A collection of spirits that reside in Pekopeko. Their cries and stories can be heard faintly even from outside the forest.

Sobbing Toucan Couple

Name: (B) Ori (W) Oni
Friendly: Yes
Bio: A toucan (W) that was unable to leave its nest to escape an oncoming blizzard, and its partner (B) that refused to save itself and remained with (B) until the very end, became these spirits. They sing sorrowfully in PekoPeko woods, mourning the loss of those that did not make it through the winter. Seeing them apart is said to be a bad omen. Their cries resemble that of icy violins, calming souls and bringing peace of mind to those that listen from beginning to end.
Likes: Music
Dislikes: Noise
Favorite food: Carrots

Wish Carrier

Name: Woo Be
Friendly: Yes
Bio: A baby shark got trapped in the wires of a polluted sea and became this spirit. It carries the wishes of other souls on its back, collecting them and bringing them to those that can fulfill the soul-bearers last wish. It floats near the stars, catching rain in its white cloak to bring water to areas that suffer from drought. When near vegetation, it scoops up leftovers and brings them to those that are hungry. It does so in hopes of creating a world where there is no need for wishes, a world where the burden on its back can finally be lifted.
Likes: Water
Dislikes: Clutter
Favorite food: Strawberries

Lava Inky

Name: Lin
Friendly: No
Bio: A greedy rat ran straight through three mouse-traps, and became this spirit. It oozes ink that leaves a white, glowing trail wherever it goes. Because of this, it considers anyone that stalks it an enemy, and refuses to get close to any other species. It does not fight, but if enraged, glows with a burning aura that can temporarily blind anyone nearby so it can escape. It loves juicy fruits and pats on the head, but it will never seek them out in fear of being trapped again.
Likes: Grass
Dislikes: Darkness
Favorite food: Fish

Queen Lashes

Name: Mori
Friendly: No
Bio: A moth picked a fight with a snake and sent them both tumbling into a can of paint. They later became this spirit. It paints nightmares that come to life as shadows and hunt down prey in its stead. The brushes it possesses are made out of the fur from various shadow species, but the hands hiding within its cloak are supposedly the hands of all the spirits it has consumed, clawing their way out of its insides with no luck. It is said to paint for those that can afford to pay, but its services do not come for cheap.
Likes: Humans
Dislikes: Laziness
Favorite food: Grapes

HotHead

Name: Penruru
Friendly: Yes
Bio: A curious penguin tried to eat a candle and soon became this spirit. It wishes to give warm hugs to everyone, but anyone it touches ends up getting burned by the candle wax. For this reason, it often feels unwanted and ashamed, and hides away until others have forgotten its presence before it dares show its face again. It appears to always come up with some scheme that will allow it to hug its friends, but it never ends well. It tries to never cry because it knows its candle wax will only burn others.
Likes: Touch
Dislikes: Fighting
Favorite food: Bread

Sweeper

Name: Pyo
Friendly: Yes
Bio: A fox fell head-first into a bear trap and later became this spirit. It hates messy places, and uses its 9 tails to sweep areas clean. It will crawl into dirty hard-to-reach places (most times without permission) and clean until it tires itself out and falls asleep. They are often found passed out in the middle of nowhere, but once they wake, continue hunting for more areas to clean. When others are working hard, this creature exclaims "pyo, pyo" to encourage them to keep going.
Likes: Work
Dislikes: Sticky things
Favorite food: Peaches

A Thousands and One Eyes

Name: Zipper (Pop (M) Ziz (M) Bob (Female cat)
Friendly: Yes
Bio: An old married couple and their cat got struck by lightning and later became this spirit. Its tail acts as a scarf to keep it warm during rainy days, but sheds an unbelievable amount of fur wherever it walks. Some say it's so it can find its way back where it came from. Others say it's to make life harder for everyone else. To this day, no one really knows the truth. Their white eyes close when they're asleep, but the black ones stay fixed on you once they spot you no matter where you turn. It's said lost cat spirits crawl into their embrace to find a comfortable home.
Likes: Sunshine
Dislikes: Cold hands
Favorite food: Syrup

Sweet Sweet Slugar

Name: Bunsly
Friendly: Yes
Bio: A gluttonous slug suffocated in a cinnamon bun and later became this spirit. It's always hungry and constantly bites its own shell, mistaking it for a tasty treat. However, it's shell is sour and spicy to stop it from eating itself, due to the slug's bad habit of always eating before it thinks. Sadly, this slug is also extremely forgetful, so it continues to bite into its own shell many times during the day, and getting equally as disappointed every time.
Likes: Food
Dislikes: Things that are not food
Favorite food: Everything edible and sweet

Heart-Cheeked Stuffing

Name: Nyozuumi (Nyo/Zumi)
Friendly: Yes
Bio: A gust of air got entangled in a line of windchimes and later became this spirit. Due to its tiny claws, it uses it's big and fluffy scarf-like arms to grab items and move around. It loves to make trinkets out of recyclable materials for its friends, but they often catch fire in its flame by accident. It often sleeps next to creatures to provide them with light (if they are afraid of the dark) or warmth (if they are cold). If left alone for too long, it may start tearing up and crying out of loneliness.
Likes: Hands and crafts
Dislikes: Accidentally setting things on fire
Favorite food: Anything their friends make

Concept Art & Illustrations