riptide | kyojuro rengoku

XXXVIII | hostile

A WEEK HAD PASSED SINCE THEN. The book was fully translated and all of your wounds were pretty much healed. You'd get the occasional ache in your muscles sometimes, but it was nothing a little pause couldn't fix. Bandages weren't really a requirement anymore and the village had slowly started to accept you. 

It was more so that they would at least look at you now without being so disgusted or scared. It helped that Kyojuro would almost always be with you when you did wander out of the house. When he wasn't, Senjuro was there to help you understand the layout of the village. They hoped that eventually, you'd be able to walk around freely yourself.

You had also spent one of your days having tea with Shinjuro and discussing the extent of your abilities: summoning with blood, controlling the waves, and communicating with the other wildlife within the seas. He was genuinely intrigued rather than concerned for once, most likely because he'd been given the book to read properly that same day.

Shinjuro was content knowing everything and you knew that if you even stepped a toe out of line, he could have you exiled or even executed on the spot. Although he no longer had the abilities of the Flame Pillar, he was more experienced with the sword than Kyojuro was. "You two should gather your things," Shinjuro spoke up.

Kyojuro seemed to have known his father was standing there for a while as he didn't tense at all. You figured he must've been watching you and Kyojuro talk amongst yourselves, leaning against each other while messing with some flowers he picked from the grass for you. "The villagers haven't touched the boat per my orders. I figure there's food or supplies for you to get,"

Shinjuro's voice had lost that judgmental edge but still kept that stern tone. He expected you two to follow through with his demands without question, but he no longer felt the need to insult you two for the sake of his own satisfaction. Especially because neither of you had any concerning behaviors or backstabbing thoughts to be surveilled.

Kyojuro muttered something of compliance, grabbing your hand to lead you two to the boat you had arrived on. "I'm glad he respected our privacy," He spoke up all of a sudden, a hint of admiration behind his words. You knew that no matter what Shinjuro did, Kyojuro was forever grateful for him.

You weren't sure if it was because he used to be a good father (based on what Kyojuro had told you) or because he had welcomed you two in when all hope seemed lost. "I'm surprised he did," You remarked. You were slightly bitter about how the man had initially treated you and how he had treated Kyojuro for years, so you oftentimes kept your thoughts about him to yourself.

He simply hummed in response, not wanting to continue a conversation that could possibly spur hurtful words. You didn't want to either, focusing more on the bottom of the boat that you could see from here based on the waves crashing up against the wooden hull. "You don't want to get anything from your home while we're out here?" He questioned.

Kyojuro seemed to trust his father enough to go farther than he was asked to. More specifically, he knew that his father at least trusted you two enough to let you go. "There's not anything of importance, so we can go another day. There are some heirlooms and fruit that's probably spoiled, but nothing too big. . . " You admitted sheepishly.

He knew you missed your little house on the cliffside more than you would admit, but maybe in the future, you two could live there separately. Of course, you'd both still work on protecting the village and working under Kyojuro's father, but the village still didn't seem to have the homey atmosphere you desired.

He helped you up onto the boat and you could easily tell where to go, straying farther from him into one of the rooms where you two had stocked your food. There were some salted meats to collect and a few containers of stale biscuits. The fruit had spoiled by now so you opted to carry it to the village another day and offer it to some of the farmers as compost.

As soon as you collected what you needed, you turned to the doorframe, running right into Kyojuro's figure. You let out a small grunt, your breath hitching when his arm wrapped around your waist, tugging you close. "I got you," He said, giving you a wave of nostalgia. You smiled, arms reaching toward his neck despite the load you carried.

His lips met yours, the warmth more than welcome as you hummed, embracing him tighter. He didn't mind your touch, kissing you softly but with more fervor than before. There was a loud crash all of a sudden and to you, it felt different. It made your blood freeze as if everything had abruptly interrupted the tranquility in your body.

However, there was only one thing you were more connected to than your own figure.

The ocean.

"The ocean; there's something in the ocean," Kyojuro brandished his sword at your words and you tried your best to focus on calming the waves, hoping that the tides hadn't flooded the village. Both of you assumed it was a creature at first, swallowing hard as he helped you out of the boat and onto the sand.

"The Upper Rank Three of the Twelve Moons," He muttered under his breath as soon as you two got back on land. You had no idea what he was talking about, but you were able to make out the hull of a ship in the distance, the waves covering it enough for you to see the dark wood. There was a small white moon-shaped mark etched onto the side. 

Kyojuro's hands grasped your shoulders, sheathing his sword briefly. "They're pirates. Evacuate the villagers if you can," He said briefly, kissing your forehead. His touch lingered for a second more as if gazing at you one last time before he pulled away. The sound of his footsteps grew distant and you looked back at the ocean, finding a sharp rock and raising it.

"First time for everything. . . "