Chapter 8 -The BIG Water
When the morning came, the sun did not rise with it. Instead a blanket of dark clouds hung thick and ominous, full of pending precipitation. The warmth that was yesterday was overridden by a flow of brisk air that felt alive with crackling energy.
Thunderstorms could be heard in the distance.
Up above circled a pack of gulls, riding the current that was coming down from the north. This wind swept through the trees and over the grassy land, sending a chill right under the blanket Hiro tried so hard to bury himself under. An arm pulled him closer, a hand moved over his chilled patch of un-blanketed leg, making Hiro content in his slumber once more.
Yuki and Shuichi looked at each other ambiguously at this sight before them.
Hiro and the stranger were cozied up to each other under one blanket. Hiro with his back to K, and K right up against Hiro's back. It looked as if they'd amalgamated into one large human. The blanket covered most of their body and head, except for a spill of reddish-brown and blonde hair that escaped the top, making it evident that there were two bodies under one fur.
"Don't you think we should wake them up?" Suguru asked, not really affected by this scene.
"Yeah, we should be heading south to Naniwa. Hikaru put me in charge of making sure Hiro gets to the ceremony," Sakano divulged, using some coals from last night to make the fire burn again with fresh wood.
"Well, it's going to pour soon, we need shelter first," Yuki said and drank some water he'd collected earlier out of a skin. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and added, "Who cares if Hiroshi gets to the ceremony…what's the big deal anyways?"
Shuichi gaped at Yuki, "What do you mean 'what's the big deal'? It's a big deal! Hiro and Ayaka will make the next generation of Nakano's! It is part of Gaia's cycle, the gods are watching us. We prepare all our lives for the moment we find our mate—"
"—he didn't choose her," Yuki reminded Shuichi. It was just as his own father did to him, not giving him a choice of mates either. He hated traditions; he wanted to do things his way.
Shuichi sat silent for a moment.
"Hikaru would be displeased," Sakano offered quietly, not wanting to wake Hiro up with this sort of gossip talk.
"He would be," Suguru agreed. "But you guys are all jumping to conclusions. Who says he's not going to be mated? Let's just eat quickly and get moving."
The group nodded.
K overheard the group talking as he came out of slumber and stretched, flexing his hips into the firm bottom that was pressed against his groin. "Mmm," he groaned contently at first, the friction of his movement stimulating a morning erection. The hushed chatter he heard meant nothing to him but it did bring him back to the present! In a flurry he tossed the covers off and jumped up so fast he startled everyone.
Shuichi screamed.
"Oh no! I have to go. I have to look for my family, Judy…I…I didn't want to sleep so late!" K cried.
Hiro's eyes opened wide with alarm too. He blinked a few times as his brain registered everything. It was suddenly so cold, it woke him up fast. Looking around he saw everyone watching him and he noticed K who was grabbing his pack, seeming as if he was ready to depart. He scrambled up too, "Hey, where you going?" he asked groggily.
As if he knew what Hiro said, K pointed east in the direction he knew the sun rose…even if right now there were clouds, "The sun."
"The sun?" Hiro murmured. Was that the way his family went? "But the big water is that way—"
"—big water!?" Sakano gasped, cutting in. "We can't go that way! Naniwa is that way!" he pointed southwest, his eyes large and face looking frazzled.
"Wait, why are we talking about the big water?" Suguru muttered suddenly looking eager. He loved the place where the water gods lived, an enormous palace of sand and life; it was where the land ended.
Yuki felt his opportunity emerge, "I think K is right…let's go to the big water."
Shuichi side-glanced at Yuki.
Hiro was surprised by Yuki's comment and ignored Sakano's. He watched K march off in the direction he'd thrown his spear yesterday and felt pressed to decide. But it came so easily, "Naniwa can wait."
Yuki smirked to himself and packed his stuff.
"No! Naniwa can't wait!" Sakano wailed. "Your father and mother will mad…Hiro you'll be punished!"
"I don't care!" Hiro stormed, his grey eyes gleamed angrily. He rolled up his fur and strapped them to his travelling pack in haste. Then he turned his back on them and headed off in the eastern direction.
Everyone watched him go.
"I never seen Hiro like this before," Shuichi said, "Maybe he doesn't want to go to Naniwa?" He looked worriedly in Hiro's receding direction. But he got up too, gathering his own blankets, "I go where Hiro goes."
Suguru replied, "I guess I'm stuck with you guys then." He prepared to go as well.
Yuki was way ahead of them, walking off to catch up with Hiro, leaving the rest behind—a trail of smoke lingering behind him from his morning pipe.
Sakano hunched defeated, forgetting about the fire. "What's the matter with everyone?"
K didn't know what to make of the group that followed him towards the sun. He couldn't exactly ask them why they'd come along. It was a nice feeling, but it was also not necessary—they didn't have to. Just like yesterday morning when they joined to take him home. But he couldn't stop them and he wasn't about to discontinue, he had to find his clan! He had to right the wrongs. Nothing was going to stop him. Nothing!
But the spirits must have been unsettled today; the rain began to come down. At first it was a light sprinkling, but soon the heavens roared and Aurora's power was unveiled. Streaks of blue light riddled the sky and tiny white rocks fell from the sky. They stung K's face, but he didn't care, he was getting used to feeling nothing but pain. He forged ahead, even though a few behind groaned in displeasure.
It was their problem, he hadn't asked them to come.
The bear skin boots sloshed over puddles that accumulated on the tall grassy plains. Spots of mud appeared, but K walked right through them. It was hard to see in the distance, the mountain visibility reduced but he could see the outcrop of some hills beyond this meadow. Every inch of him was now soaked, the leather clothing irritating his skin at the joints, tugging at the wounds on his skin. Blood bloomed under his pant leg, but his re-woken anger drove him on.
The only one that even kept close to him was Hiroshi. K wished he could tell the man how much he admired his persistence. He wished he could tell him 'thank you' and how happy he was to still have his divine guidance. Hiro's kind spirit was something he'd never experienced…especially by a stranger. But as they neared some cliffs, surrounded by large pine trees, he noticed a spot of blood on Hiro's cheek. A cut delivered by a large piece of hail from the sky. K stopped suddenly; he was letting his selfish anger ignore the pain of someone that had shown him nothing but compassion. How could he be so ignorant?
"You're hurt mammoth spirit," K said to Hiro. He pointed to the man's cheek. "Forgive me; we should get cover from those hills over there." This time he pointed towards his direction.
Everyone, including Hiro understood K's gesture.
Huddled under a cliff-hang of an outcrop of rock, the group huffed with exertion. They waited as the storm pressed on, wind howling through the tress. The gods were refreshing the land, releasing their essence. One could only wait until they were done.
"We've upset the gods," Sakano deemed.
Hiro sighed; he wasn't going to argue with Sakano. Maybe he had upset the gods; maybe he should just go to Naniwa. Maybe he was just being self-centred? He wondered this after he had time to calm down. His father and mother would be upset and angry…he didn't want that. But then he also wanted his freedom. It was so hard to choose. One or the other, what mattered most? But he couldn't ignore his vision…he glanced over at K, who was watching him.
K noticed Hiro's tiny cut was still bleeding, the wetness of his face sending the blood streaking down in little zigzags down his cheek. Not being anything close to a medicine man, K did the only thing he knew instinctively…he leaned over and washed his tongue over Hiro's wound. He licked it clean, tenderly, tasting the sweetness of Hiro's blood on his tongue.
Like an animal tending lovingly to him, Hiro closed his eyes. No one had ever done this to him before; the sensation drove all sore thoughts from his mind and instead made his groin ache…his heart swell. Somehow after all this he'd gained K's loyalty. Hiro felt his heart patter. But the blonde pulled away just a little, his face still close, "Thank you…" Hiro breathed.
A few hours later the storm moved on but the sun still hadn't appeared. Everyone felt sodden and drained of life, miserable. There was no sign of K's clan anywhere and even if there were tracks, they'd been washed away by the rain.
They continued on, now walking through a fog. The weather was changing drastically, cold air and warm air clashing. But the group knew it was the gods at work, it was something they accepted since birth—an ideal they grew up with.
The trek eastward became a few days...
They stopped only at night to make a fire, or to sit under any possible shelter from continuous scattered showers. The food supply was gone; there was only a little water, and provisions were picked up along the way.
K was feeling particularly irritated. He was hungry, fed up and tired. Where was his clan? They'd covered so much distance and still there was nothing. Someone was conspiring against him, this much was obvious. But he left his thoughts behind when he heard a booming crashing noise in the distance, he sniffed the air. It smelled of fish and wet matter.
"The big water!" exclaimed Suguru suddenly.
Huh? K watched the little man charge forth. They'd come to 'big water'? He was curious as to what this meant! Eagerly K followed the boy, along with everyone else, the crashing sound got louder. Was it angry spirits? There was a wind that blasted in his face once they ventured over a dune of sand, riddled with scratchy looking plants. Littered everywhere was blackened bits of seaweed, kelp and tiny white things that crunched under his foot. K bent to pick one of these crunchy things up, he examined its helical body.
"Shell," Hiro informed plucking the object out of K's fingers and pointed inside the cavern of the small exoskeleton. "It's empty, no food in there. Find bigger ones," he urged and tossed the shell over his shoulder. Hiro grinned; he loved this place and latched onto K's hand. "Follow me!"
K couldn't help but wonder at Hiro's excitement, he followed willingly. He wasn't getting the hype out of this place because he couldn't view it; the fog was hiding most of its wonder. K soon felt his feet being repetitively dampened by water. When he looked down, he saw it crawl up the sand coming towards him so fast and out of the blue K jumped away from it, startled.
The brunette laughed at him.
Simpering, K had to chuckle. They were obviously at a large body of water, but it didn't seem like any he'd ever been to before. Everyone seemed so happy to be here, most of them disappearing in the fog. K felt his mood lighten and wished the miasma would lift already and the warm sun would come back. Hiro let go of his hand and knelt in the sand suddenly. K stood watching as Hiro began to dig through the sand like some animal. He grinned, "What do?" he asked in the man's language.
"Clams," Hiro said and pawed away, making a hole. A few moments later he pulled out a large clam shell, tightly closed. "See," he offered and handed the mollusk to K.
K took the creature; he'd never seen a 'clam' before. It bubbled a little at the side but as he stared at it on his palm, it opened a little. How interesting! K went to touch the shell to pry it open and get a better look, but it snapped back closed instantly. It was alive! "It opened!" he exclaimed to Hiro who digging more holes.
All Hiro had to say was 'food' and K was next to him helping hunt for more clams. They spent a good hour just digging up treasures of clams. Their pile got pretty big and when Hiro thought they had enough he got out his water bladder. He walked into the water and filled it, and then he came back and put all the clams into the skin as well. "We need fire," he muttered.
K understood that and took off to gather some wood and tinder. He came next to Hiro with his collection and dropped it to the ground.
"Oh, no," Hiro began and shook his head at K. "The tide will come in and we'll get soaked. The fire has to be over there." He pointed back towards the sand dune. Picking up the heavy skin Hiro urged K to bring the wood and follow him.
Together they constructed a fire pit much like the one K saw the day Hiro showed him the sea sponge…that bath.
"You know what I want?" Hiro enlightened, talking as if K understood every word he said, "Tea…hot tea. All this dry seaweed makes great tea and you can eat it too. I wish I could bathe in it." He chuckled at his silly thoughts. "Swimming in tea…where'd that come from?" He changed topics, rambling; it was easy to do knowing that the person you were talking to couldn't judge you. "You know on the way to Naniwa is a hot spring." Hiro shivered with the thought, "It's so warm and you never want to leave it."
K listened to Hiro but only made out a few words. "Tea…eats…Naniwa?" he replied.
Again Hiro chuckled. "I wonder where everyone went." He looked around. "They're all investigating. It's a great place. Let's spend the night. It'll give me a chance to change the dressing on your leg," he said and pointed at K's injury.
"Ok," said K.
When everyone returned they spent the rest of the day eating clams. Digging more up and tossing them into the salty hot water to cook. Hiro had made his wakame tea and cooked more biwa to place on K's wounds. The group was now busy having fun making K practice their language, devilishly making him say all sorts of funny things...
"I am a cannibal," K emulated slowly, casting a dubious at Shuichi.
Everyone giggled.
Hiro cut Shuichi a dry look, and then looked at K. "You are not a cannibal, don't listen to him."
As they goofed around a beam of setting sunlight broke through the clouds and landed on them. All heads turned to face the sunlight.
The fog had dispersed.
Before him, in the distance stood an opening of a tunnel, rouge pink, orange and white, it beckoned to K. These colours also washed over the surface, rippled over the water, becoming a path on top of the largest vista of water he'd ever seen! Looking both ways, the water seemed to go on forever, to a point where he couldn't see any further. Perhaps if he were to walk there, he'd fall off…
Dazzling, K's eyes returned to the brightest orb, the sun, which was this portal to the tunnel he saw, half sunk in the water. From where he'd come from there existed only lakes, nothing this large. Now he understood why Hiroshi's group called it 'big water'. And above the sun, just a bit to the right, was the beginning of a waning moon—it was not bright yet. Right now it looked see-through, as if it had turned into a cloud itself.
K listened carefully, it sounded as if the water was talking. It told him "oosshhn". He got up and wandered towards the water, mesmerized, eyes still on the most beautiful sunset. He let the light warm his face, he sighed and listened to the lulling rhythm of the water. It was magical!
K realized then that he'd come as far as he could following the sun, this was it. He also realized—now that the fog lifted—that they were on a spit of land, where all the water met. Drawn to explore he wandered down the beach towards an outcrop of rock that stretched its thin arm over the water. From that vantage point was where he wanted to go. Walking away from the group further, K wandered down to the surf that he could see clearly now, rushing in and drawn back by the maw of the earth. He shucked off his foot leathers, dropping them where ever they should lie; he felt the sand between his toes, the water rushing over them. He smiled at the sensation as the water caused his feet to sink slightly, but he trod on heading for that peak.
"Hey K!" Hiro called from behind somewhere.
It was only then that K remembered that he was accompanied by others. He stopped to watch Hiro stroll over, the pink glow of the sunset on his handsome face.
K pointed to the water when Hiro was close enough, "It says 'ooshhen'". That was what he heard.
Hiro smiled, he liked how that sounded, and K was right…when the water talked it sounded like 'ocean'. "Ha! We shall call it 'ocean' then," he said with an affirmative nod. That sounded better than 'big water' any day, he thought. "But, where you going?" Hiro asked, "It's going to get dark soon."
"Yes, dark," K said with understanding. "I hope to find Aurora. She'll give me direction…an answer," K said with hope.
Aurora? Hiro had no idea what that was. A person in K's clan? Either way he didn't want to let the man wander off alone. He was too curious as what it was K was looking for and he had to admit he wanted to be close to him too.
Hiro took off his foot leathers as well and tossed them behind him, chasing after the blonde walking over the shoreline. "Oh, here…I bet you haven't noticed with the clams," Hiro started and walked into the ocean a little, he scooped up a handful of water and brought it back to K. "Taste it."
Wondering what Hiro was up to now K put his lips to Hiro's curled fingers and tasted the water. Ack! He spit it out. "Ewww!" K managed and spit the residue left on his tongue out.
"Salt," Hiro told him. "Too much of it is bad. But it's good for that." He pointed to K's injuries. "Heal…god's power, Kiyoshi's gift."
Hmm, K wasn't sure about all that. But the water sure looked inviting; he wanted to get in it. "Swim?" he asked Hiro.
Hiro didn't know what K meant but behind them, a few paces away, Suguru and Sakano ran bare into the ocean. Hiro turned to look, it seemed his companions couldn't resist. A happy visage came over his face; yes that was the best part about this water other than its food.
K's gaze was over Hiro's shoulder watching the two men in the distance, laughing as they splashed into the water. He pointed at Suguru and Sakano—that was what he was trying to tell Hiro. Nevermind the clothes, K marched into the cold water with them, swells crashing over his legs. It was much warmer than most places he'd swam in.
It was amazing!
K walked so far before it even got up to his mid thigh, he looked back at Hiro whose laughter lingered in the air. K laughed too, before he dove into the water and came up a few feet away. For a moment, K didn't want to go any further, his mood suddenly changing. Maybe he could stay here and just wait until the day She took his spirit. In this paradise he didn't think it would take that long. But his eyes widened, his leg felt as if it were on fire! This water was stinging his leg as if a million fire ants had crawled inside and began to gnaw. He grit his teeth and ignored it, it wasn't the worst thing he'd ever felt. Toes touching the bottom of soft sand, K returned his eyes to the sunset. Why couldn't things make sense anymore? Why did he have to feel so misplaced…why wasn't his clan here to share this with him? He looked over sadly as Hiroshi came up from under the surface next to him like a siren of the sea.
A tear rolled down K's face…his entire composure begin to crumble.
Big men weren't supposed to cry…
"All this…" K spread his hands open to the sky in vain, "…and I'm the only one to see it," he muttered to Hiro. Staring back at the fading sun he added, "If I've come to the end of the earth, and I have still not found my family, they are lost. I don't know where else to look. I've failed…as their chief…my father, he was wrong."
Hiro felt a bit unsettled to see the sombre look on the blonde's face, over the wetness on his cheeks. K's eyes were glistening; Hiro could feel his heart lodged in his throat. It looked as if K was surrendering…his spirit dead. He touched K's shoulder softly and whispered, "You'll never be forgotten…I'll never forget you…"
K heard Hiro's touching voice, though he did not know what he said. But it didn't matter what he said, he was here for him, standing next to him—like he was the only person left in the world that cared! He wanted to crumble to his knees and drown in the abyss. But he knew…he knew that Hiro wouldn't let him go—K felt it in his heart, this man was here for him. Brought forth by the spirits themselves!
He let out a puff of anguished breath and beheld Hiro's face, those grey eyes now dark and studying him quietly. They spoke volumes, eyes holding so much concern, questions and intelligence. It made K suddenly feel as if he were so much smaller than the man that stood before him. "No matter what chaos I've gone through…you were with me, in my dream. But now…you're right here," K began, turning fully to face the other man, slowly reaching out to touch the slope of Hiro's cheek with the back of his finger. "I felt at times as if I wanted to die on the ice…forget my parents wishes and just become one with Her. It hurt so much, but when I closed my eyes…I saw you." He was almost glad Hiro couldn't understand him now, understand his foolish rambling. "And I know it was you…I do not know why, or how, but…"
Hiro placed a finger to K's lips. "You don't need to explain my friend," even if he had no idea what K said. But he continued, "…the feeling I have right now—so strong. Do you feel it? I feel it in you; it's like nothing I've felt before. Take me away!" Hiro pleaded before he could stop himself. "I'm afraid to go to Naniwa. Guide me wolf spirit!"
Seeing Hiro so incensed, so virtuous, K couldn't stop himself from seeking out that power. Placing both palms to the brunette's face, he tipped it up as he descended urgently on his mouth. Unable to draw away from an energy he felt so strongly emitting from Hiro, he kissed him. There was no stopping this. A tiny moan came from the smaller man; it made his body ache. Hiro did not run away, but only kissed him back powerfully; K wrapped him up in his arms, deepening the kiss that felt so right.
A/N: The next chapter will be a lemon, so please don't kill me over this cliffhanger...I'll even post it up tomorrow too! lol I felt so silly calling the water Big water lol So I had K invent the word ocean lol! I dunno but if you listen to the ocean..it's like a constant "ooooshhn" sound to me XD That's where I got the idea anyways XD
About Naniwa...it's a district in the city of Osaka btw. So that makes Hiro and gang on the eastern side of Japan, northeast around Yokohama. I never thought to explain how I came up with locations, but I have been using the map of Japan vigorously lol I imagined that K and gang travelled over ice that connected Japan to the mainlands, and that the glacier occupies pretty much most of the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions. I'll give links to the sites I used to learn about this. Damn this place sucks for links. But you can wiki and google all this stuff!
Tip - Never eat a clam that's cooked and hasn't opened:P lol I just had to add that. ish shot
Reviewers:
the2evils - HI HI hun! Thanks so much for commenting! Well unfortunately the story wouldn't work with little Michael in this fic. I love him too tho, he's the cutest thing. It's the one thing I feel crappy about with this fic. But trust me between K and Hiro..there are a lot of illegitimate children running around in this fic...it's the god's fault -snort- So maybe there are Michaels XD -ish shot- But yep next chappie is a lemon and then more drama. It will all come together! -hugs-