(Not So) Innocent Coincidence
Maxi and Xianghua returned to the rural village at dusk. Their horses were heavy with packed food. Maxi was trying to sing with a piece of fruit sticking from his mouth. His off key melodies made images of murder swim through Xianghua's head. She pulled her horse to a stop at the edge of the village and dismounted. She searched the ground until she found a long stick. She picked it up and waited for Maxi to dismount. When she got a clear view, she whacked him across the back of his head. The fruit dropped from his mouth.
He turned to glare at her. "Whrerovorvojerujshr!"
"What?"
"Wheridcmoeowtasj!"
Xianghua shook her head. "What?"
Maxi chewed what was left in his mouth and swallowed. "What the hell was that for!"
"Oh." Xianghua threw the stick down. "Your singing. Not only was it off key, but you were doing it with a mouth full of fruit. If I didn't make you stop, I would have had to kill you. Therefore, I just saved your life."
Maxi tugged on his horse's reins. "Well, thanks for being so considerate."
Xianghua ignored the sarcasm. "You're welcome." She pulled her horse after her into the village. Maxi growled as he followed her.
"Nobody else ever complained about my singing."
"Maybe everybody else was tone deaf. Obviously, pirates can't sing."
Xianghua opened the door and poked her head into the room. She whistled to get the woman's attention. The woman was kneeling at a small table having a cup of green tea. She turned at the waist and waved.
"You're back earlier than expected. I didn't expect you until late night."
Xianghua kneeled on the other side of the table. "Maxi's singing encouraged me to hurry." The woman laughed. "Pei Ma, where's Kilik?" Xianghua asked.
Pei Ma stopped with her cup at her lips. "He didn't tell you?"
Xianghua felt her heart sink, but she maintained a stoic expression. "Tell me what?"
Pei Ma took a sip. "He's gone to the mountains."
"The mountains? Why?"
"He said he was going there to meditate. He didn't say why or how long he'd be gone." She watched Xianghua's face fall. "You look terribly disappointed."
"Oh, no." Xianghua waved her hand as if to brush it off. "It's nothing."
Pei Ma knew better, but thought better of it. "If you say so."
3 years later
Maxi stretched across the grass and stared at the night sky. He could hear firecrackers exploding in the distance. He closed his eyes and imaged the festivities going on in the distance. He didn't realize he had company until he felt something poking his side. His hand snapped out to grab the culprit. When he opened his eyes, he found Kali-Yuga in his grasp. Maxi jumped to his feet and gave Kilik a brotherly hug.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Maxi asked.
"You don't want to do if you don't already."
Maxi noticed how cold and clammy Kilik's skin felt. He also looked somewhat pale, as if he hadn't seen sunlight in several months. "What have been doing while you were gone? You look like a ghost."
"I haven't felt more alive. Where is Xianghua?"
"Huh?" Maxi was taken aback by the change in subject.
"Xianghua," Maxi repeated. "Where is she?"
"Oh. In the river. Some ways down there." Maxi tilted his head in the direction for emphasis. "She's leaving tomorrow."
"Leaving? Why?"
"She lives in the city with an aunt."
"Oh, why did she leave?"
"She's getting married in a few days."
Maxi cringed when he saw Kilik's face fell. "She's getting married?" Kilik asked.
"Uh huh. His name's Da Han. He's a real jerk, if that makes you feel any better."
Kilik held his head up. "Why would it?"
Maxi smirked. "No reason. Just thought you'd like to know."
Kilik huffed as if accusing Maxi of something. He threw Kali-Yuga, which Maxi caught with one hand. "If you don't mind," Kilik said, "I have somewhere to be."
"Whatever." Maxi saluted as Kilik ran towards where Maxi indicated Xianghua was located. Maxi nodded. "Now it gets good."
Kilik approached a small grove along the riverbank. He continued downriver until he heard some splashing. He hid behind a tree and carefully moved from one to the other until he found the source.
He saw Xianghua sitting on a large rock in the water. She was in the nude with her back facing him. She was staring at the full moon while running a jade comb through her hair. Kilik considered turning away, but he actively decided not to. A surge of excitement ran through him as he realized the danger he was in. He had no idea what he would do if she caught him.
He saw her clothes hanging from a nearby branch. He reached for the short black dress swinging in the breeze. A sudden rustling in the water caused him to jump back behind the tree. Xianghua was swimming back to the riverbank.
Kilik carefully moved around the tree as she got closer. He held his breath when she stood in the water and flung her head back. He caught himself staring at her breasts as she treaded through the water. He snapped back to reality when the water level fell to her navel. He turned his back to the tree and continued moving around it to stay out of her field of vision. He listened to her getting dressed on the other side. When she began walking again, he moved around so that she was ahead of him. Kilik waited until she was quite a ways ahead before following her. He stayed behind the entire trip.
He watched her enter Pei Ma's home from a distance before going inside. When he finally went inside, he found Xianghua at the table with Maxi and Pei Ma. Xianghua and Pei Ma looked his way. Maxi completely ignored him.
Xianghua was the first to acknowledge him. "Kilik!" She approached him with arms open. Kilik let her hug him, but he didn't hug back. She didn't seem to notice nor care. "When did you get in?"
"A little after sunset."
"Oh." Xianghua led him to the table. "I assume you've heard the news."
"What news?"
"I'm getting married in a few days."
"Oh, yeah."
"I'm returning to the city tomorrow. You're welcomed to join me if you want."
Kilik glanced at Maxi, who was trying to signal for him to say something. Kilik did, but it wasn't what Maxi was expecting. "I have to get some air."
"What?" Xianghua asked. "You just got here."
"I won't go far. I just need some air."
They watched Kilik leave as quickly as he had arrived. Xianghua looked at Maxi. "What the hell was that about?"
Maxi merely shrugged and bit into some napa cabbage. Xianghua kneeled at the table and glared at Maxi. He shrugged again. "What!"
Maxi and Xianghua returned to the rural village at dusk. Their horses were heavy with packed food. Maxi was trying to sing with a piece of fruit sticking from his mouth. His off key melodies made images of murder swim through Xianghua's head. She pulled her horse to a stop at the edge of the village and dismounted. She searched the ground until she found a long stick. She picked it up and waited for Maxi to dismount. When she got a clear view, she whacked him across the back of his head. The fruit dropped from his mouth.
He turned to glare at her. "Whrerovorvojerujshr!"
"What?"
"Wheridcmoeowtasj!"
Xianghua shook her head. "What?"
Maxi chewed what was left in his mouth and swallowed. "What the hell was that for!"
"Oh." Xianghua threw the stick down. "Your singing. Not only was it off key, but you were doing it with a mouth full of fruit. If I didn't make you stop, I would have had to kill you. Therefore, I just saved your life."
Maxi tugged on his horse's reins. "Well, thanks for being so considerate."
Xianghua ignored the sarcasm. "You're welcome." She pulled her horse after her into the village. Maxi growled as he followed her.
"Nobody else ever complained about my singing."
"Maybe everybody else was tone deaf. Obviously, pirates can't sing."
Xianghua opened the door and poked her head into the room. She whistled to get the woman's attention. The woman was kneeling at a small table having a cup of green tea. She turned at the waist and waved.
"You're back earlier than expected. I didn't expect you until late night."
Xianghua kneeled on the other side of the table. "Maxi's singing encouraged me to hurry." The woman laughed. "Pei Ma, where's Kilik?" Xianghua asked.
Pei Ma stopped with her cup at her lips. "He didn't tell you?"
Xianghua felt her heart sink, but she maintained a stoic expression. "Tell me what?"
Pei Ma took a sip. "He's gone to the mountains."
"The mountains? Why?"
"He said he was going there to meditate. He didn't say why or how long he'd be gone." She watched Xianghua's face fall. "You look terribly disappointed."
"Oh, no." Xianghua waved her hand as if to brush it off. "It's nothing."
Pei Ma knew better, but thought better of it. "If you say so."
3 years later
Maxi stretched across the grass and stared at the night sky. He could hear firecrackers exploding in the distance. He closed his eyes and imaged the festivities going on in the distance. He didn't realize he had company until he felt something poking his side. His hand snapped out to grab the culprit. When he opened his eyes, he found Kali-Yuga in his grasp. Maxi jumped to his feet and gave Kilik a brotherly hug.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Maxi asked.
"You don't want to do if you don't already."
Maxi noticed how cold and clammy Kilik's skin felt. He also looked somewhat pale, as if he hadn't seen sunlight in several months. "What have been doing while you were gone? You look like a ghost."
"I haven't felt more alive. Where is Xianghua?"
"Huh?" Maxi was taken aback by the change in subject.
"Xianghua," Maxi repeated. "Where is she?"
"Oh. In the river. Some ways down there." Maxi tilted his head in the direction for emphasis. "She's leaving tomorrow."
"Leaving? Why?"
"She lives in the city with an aunt."
"Oh, why did she leave?"
"She's getting married in a few days."
Maxi cringed when he saw Kilik's face fell. "She's getting married?" Kilik asked.
"Uh huh. His name's Da Han. He's a real jerk, if that makes you feel any better."
Kilik held his head up. "Why would it?"
Maxi smirked. "No reason. Just thought you'd like to know."
Kilik huffed as if accusing Maxi of something. He threw Kali-Yuga, which Maxi caught with one hand. "If you don't mind," Kilik said, "I have somewhere to be."
"Whatever." Maxi saluted as Kilik ran towards where Maxi indicated Xianghua was located. Maxi nodded. "Now it gets good."
Kilik approached a small grove along the riverbank. He continued downriver until he heard some splashing. He hid behind a tree and carefully moved from one to the other until he found the source.
He saw Xianghua sitting on a large rock in the water. She was in the nude with her back facing him. She was staring at the full moon while running a jade comb through her hair. Kilik considered turning away, but he actively decided not to. A surge of excitement ran through him as he realized the danger he was in. He had no idea what he would do if she caught him.
He saw her clothes hanging from a nearby branch. He reached for the short black dress swinging in the breeze. A sudden rustling in the water caused him to jump back behind the tree. Xianghua was swimming back to the riverbank.
Kilik carefully moved around the tree as she got closer. He held his breath when she stood in the water and flung her head back. He caught himself staring at her breasts as she treaded through the water. He snapped back to reality when the water level fell to her navel. He turned his back to the tree and continued moving around it to stay out of her field of vision. He listened to her getting dressed on the other side. When she began walking again, he moved around so that she was ahead of him. Kilik waited until she was quite a ways ahead before following her. He stayed behind the entire trip.
He watched her enter Pei Ma's home from a distance before going inside. When he finally went inside, he found Xianghua at the table with Maxi and Pei Ma. Xianghua and Pei Ma looked his way. Maxi completely ignored him.
Xianghua was the first to acknowledge him. "Kilik!" She approached him with arms open. Kilik let her hug him, but he didn't hug back. She didn't seem to notice nor care. "When did you get in?"
"A little after sunset."
"Oh." Xianghua led him to the table. "I assume you've heard the news."
"What news?"
"I'm getting married in a few days."
"Oh, yeah."
"I'm returning to the city tomorrow. You're welcomed to join me if you want."
Kilik glanced at Maxi, who was trying to signal for him to say something. Kilik did, but it wasn't what Maxi was expecting. "I have to get some air."
"What?" Xianghua asked. "You just got here."
"I won't go far. I just need some air."
They watched Kilik leave as quickly as he had arrived. Xianghua looked at Maxi. "What the hell was that about?"
Maxi merely shrugged and bit into some napa cabbage. Xianghua kneeled at the table and glared at Maxi. He shrugged again. "What!"