CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Tashi grinned, though it was far from being a nice one as it scrunched up her nose, one side of her mouth tilting upward more than the other as she chuckled sinisterly low, one brow arched as she anchored the boat close enough to the island. It wasn't one she'd ever come across in her journeys before and it looked deserted, at least from what she could see of it.

Soon Souichi had emerged from below, having finished his shower and dressed. At first he didn't notice the land, but did a double take. "Land?"

"It appears so, doesn't it?" The expression on her face had vanished, before she'd turned around to answer him.

"Finally, but do you know where this is?"

"Not really, can't say I've ever seen this island before, but who knows, if your friend managed to get a lifeboat he could have landed here at some point, right?" She'd paused a moment before speaking the last word.

Souichi thought a little while before nodding, that did seem possible, though he wondered if it could be true, it had taken them forever to get there. Still, there was a chance, no matter how remote, that Morinaga was somewhere on the island. Was he alive though was the most disturbing question, because it didn't look as though it were inhabited by humans from what he could see.

Tashi, "Well... since we might be here a couple of days to explore, I'll get a few things out of the boat, why don't you go explore?"

"I'll need a couple things first."

Rolling her eyes she shook her head, "Don't worry about it right now. I'll get whatever is necessary, you just go make sure its safe enough for us to even explore, okay?" She stressed the last words, "I am the captain after all, its not like I haven't done this before, otherwise I wouldn't have come so highly recommended would I have?"

He had to admit that was true, but with some disbelief that it had anything to do with her abilities as a captain. Some people could be led around by the nose too easily, however he shrugged and got down and waded to shore. Moving through the thick foliage he tried to make sure he wasn't getting to close to any poisonous plants or vicious animals.

Tashi just laughed quietly as she watched him disappear into the tall grass and weave behind a couple of tropical trees before she descended below deck to gather all that he had brought with him, a single bag with his clothes, a couple of books, journal, toothbrush and the like. Once up on deck she threw it onto shore, along with one box of food, she was keeping the rest.

'I'll call them and let them know where you are in a couple of weeks... well whenever I get home that is. That could take longer than a couple of weeks, we'll see.' With that she pulled up her anchor and turned the boat around and blasted off at full speed.

Souichi hearing the loud churn and buzz of the boat he turned around and began back in that direction. He couldn't quite believe his eyes as the boat sped away. That bitch had left him stranded on an island. 'What the fuck?' He gazed down at the small beach and saw his bag and a box, at least she'd left him that, but even so he was furious to the point that his body was shaking. He was shaking so badly that his knees gave way and he fell to the ground upon them.

He wondered how the hell he was supposed to find Morinaga, if it happened he wasn't on the island that that woman had deliberately set out to leave him high and dry him on. Burying his head in his hands, his eyes scrunched tightly closed as he tried to calm his breath and keep the tears of stress and grief from falling yet again he did not hear the rustling of the leaves behind him. His head had begun to pound from all the pent up emotions that he'd tried to lock deep down within himself.

A great large and burly man looked at another, perhaps they were twins, who held large spears in their hands as they communicated with one another.

"We have an intruder," one whispered.

"I wonder how he came to be here," whispered the other.

"Whatever the case, he doesn't belong," the two nodded in agreement and began toward the blond man who sat on his knees down the rarely used beach where they often kept guard. They'd only been gone a couple of moments to join in the second day of celebrations, but having taken their fill had promptly left for their post.

The blond suspected nothing and gasped in startled surprise as large hands gripped below his upper arm and lifted him from the ground. His bespectacled eyes gazed from one man to the other, 'They're giants!' At least in comparison to him they were huge, certainly bigger than Morinaga if only mostly in muscular bulk if not also their unusual and rare height.

After a moment, he had begun to struggle, his feet not even touching the ground. "Let me go you big idiots!"

They glared at him, both speaking at the same time, "You be quiet, you are the trespasser here. All who trespass will be killed."

That had Souichi stilling in there grasp, choking on a single word, "What!?"

One continued to speak over the other, "That or they are sold on the auction block, it usually depends on the Elder Woman, but with our Ou, we do not know what command he would give."

'This has to be some sort of joke!' Souichi had begun to shake, in fright yes, but also in rage, because of everything that had happened since that day Morinaga had left for that conference. That day that idiot kouhai of his had stepped foot on flight 103 over three months ago. The plane which had crashed in the Atlantic, whose captain, crew and passengers had left him to die if not already dead.

It was too much, just too fucking much for him to take anymore, as the tears streamed down his face as he began to struggle in their hold, not caring, not even really aware of what he was doing, because if he was meant never to find Morinaga then what was the use. '

Don't get so worked up. There's still father, Matsuda-san, Tomoe and Kanako to think about.' But how was he to escape his current tormentors, would he have been better off with that bitch who'd left him on the island in the first place? Perhaps not, but she hadn't said anything about killing him like these strangers had with their strange old form of Japanese.

Suddenly there was a young woman there who stared at him. "Oh, what a pretty man. Do you think Ou-sama would like such a gift, rather than trying to kill him or sell him?"

The two giants looked at each other, "Hmmn..."

One asked the other, "Do you think it will help, he has seemed quite down as of late, more than usual."

"It's worth trying, but he has not excepted any other advances or gifts offered to him like that."

Souichi didn't know what was going on, but he didn't like where this was leading, not one bit. He wasn't an object to be gifted over to someone, not even an Ou.

'Where the fuck am I anyway?' Once again he struggled, but groaned in pain as he felt those strong hands tighten on his arms, if he weren't dangling there between the two. Perhaps he could kick one.

The woman noticing what he was about to do spoke up, "I would not do that if I were you, they both have spears and their reflexes are very good. We wouldn't wish to mar that pretty skin of yours."

Souichi inhaled, and exploded, "What The Fuck!? Who the hell do you think you are?" He glared at the two holding him. "Let me fucking go already. I haven't done anything to you! It's not like I wanted to be here anyway!" He tried to swing a kick at one anyway, but was stopped by the mans other hand which had let go of his spear. His twin did the same with his other leg and he was helpless in their strong grip.

The woman smiled, "Let us go bath him and prepare him for Ou-sama. If he does not wish to have him, he is our Ou and must decide what best to do with this intruder anyway."

The two agreed and followed the woman, and Souichi could only wonder what the hell was going to happen, furious at not being able to free himself from the ridiculous situation he found himself in.