riptide | kyojuro rengoku

XV | tame

IT WAS GETTING DARKER. You two hadn't stopped sailing throughout the night and at this point, you weren't exactly sure which direction Kyojuro was heading in. However, it did concern you that the sea creatures were getting more and more unfamiliar by the second. All you could do was advise Kyojuro to avoid hitting any of them and to maintain a steady pace.

Which, luckily, he obliged. The Flame Pillar kept his eyes ahead, adjusting his grip on the rope of the sails occasionally as he looked out for any empty islands nearby. The only reason you two were sailing for so long now was because he hadn't found a place to stop. The islands that you sailed by were either surrounded by dangerous monsters or didn't seem to have much.

You heard him yawn behind you and you sighed, resting your head on your arms as you continued to look at the rippling waves. You thought you had seen it all up until this point, but this region of the sea continuously proved you wrong. Your eyes fell onto a new creature, a dark green eel with big white eyes and orange spots that dotted its. . .scales?

That's what it seemed to be as its body shined, reflecting the moonlight in the sea.

You suddenly felt the boat pause and you stiffened, immediately growing alert. "Kyojuro?" You asked, confused. The male seemed equally perplexed, muttering for you to stay where you were. You yelped, feeling him pick you up, his arms settled on your back and underneath your knees. He leaped off the boat with ease, landing on a boulder.

"It's a big rock, but stay still. There's something underneath the boat,"

You paused, reaching out for his cloak before he could leave you. "It's. . . coral," He watched as your eyes squinted, a studious expression painting your face. He looked back at the boat, having no idea of what you were looking at. However, you were certain. There was a rocky purple substance that scraped against the bottom of the boat, crawling up its sides.

"Kyojuro," You gasped. "It's gonna consume the boat."

The Flame Pillar looked at your stunned expression and back at the boat, watching as the back of it grew higher and higher. He finally understood what you were staring at, seeing purple almost limb-like pieces of coral starting to slither over the wooden planks and boxes of fruit and cloth.

"Nothing to worry about!" Kyojuro pulled out his sword and you perked at the sound, hearing the metal let out a sharp noise as he wielded it in the air before getting in a stance. "Just stay here!" The Flame Pillar announced, stepping off the rock as a gust of wind exerted from his movements. You raised your arms to your face, the speed in which he left blowing your hair back.

You looked into the sea, hearing loud thunk-like sounds as his sword met the coral, slicing them off sharply from the back of the boat. "Kyo, you have to fight it underwater!" It didn't take a genius to realize that the coral was regenerating faster than his attacks, the strings of violet moving quicker and quicker as it wrapped around the vehicle.

He took your advice and you heard a splash followed by a bright flame underneath the water. Your breath hitched as you watched the waves part all of a sudden, his attack blowing the coral to pieces. However, it didn't seem to acknowledge Kyojuro's attacks, too busy trying to take the boat down with it.

His sword moved through the water followed by the downward arc of flames, the swing cutting down more of the sea creature until there were only two pieces of it left. You moved closer to the edge of the rock, holding onto it carefully as well as the dagger that he had given you. There was nothing clear to describe what you were seeing.

The boy that you had been traveling with was capable of so much and his power was immense. Each swing of his sword caused the waves to pull apart as if making way for his flames and burning away the sea itself. With one more upward swing of his sword, the coral had practically been cooked.

The once heliotrope-colored substance had been charred at the ends, a midnight black dusted at the tips as it recoiled, sinking further and further into the sea. Your chest rose and fell, jaw still slack with sheer surprise at his power. Did Kyojuro even recognize his own abilities? Was this really what the village had raised?

And still, the man who had just parted the waves, struggled to defend his village?

You swallowed harshly, part of you scared of what he was capable of while the other half admired him with endless respect. The amount of training and willpower he had to go through to unlock these powers was beyond you and realizing it now, you swore to never tell Kyojuro about the discovery of your own.

It was too risky.

What he could do or to your newfound sea serpent friend was something you didn't want to think about; especially when you still had some of your own suspicions against him, no matter how much you tried to ignore them. "See? I protected you!" You snapped out of your daze when Kyojuro spoke valiantly in front of you, hoisting you up with ease and returning to the boat.

You smiled back in his direction, proud. Yet, you noticed his heavy breathing followed by a loud cough. Your brows furrowed and as soon as he set you down, you pressed your hands against his chest, sensing his rapid heartbeat. "Every blessing has its curse, huh?" Kyojuro said jokingly, coughing again afterward.

You could feel the heat radiating from his skin even though his entire figure was wet. You refused to move your hands away, knowing that it might have a cooling touch the same way his hand had radiated warmth for you just a few days ago. "Every time you use it, it burns your lungs, doesn't it?"

He didn't answer your question, but that's all you needed to know.

Because now, you finally understood what it meant for the Fire God to tame the ocean.