Steps to survival

Chapter 19 : Taunting Nightmares

We stood at the edge of the bridge disinterested and bored, that is until we spotted Chrome and a shorter, wider figure.

"The hell?" I sputtered.

"I don't care for this one bit, Chrome!" The figure exclaimed with a raspy, tethered voice. I caught a glimpse of Senku's face, he had widened eyes, a jaw dropped enough to look dislocated and one singular eyebrow raised. As they approached nearer I had realised that the older man was tied up securely in a strong rope.

Was he being held against his will? Oh lord above, no. I scoffed in antipathy.

"Chrome, we do not condone kidnapping," I said as calmly as humanely possible in that said moment. He ignored me blatantly and clasped with hands together flatly.

"Oh, come on, Old Man Kaseki! We are in desperate need of your crafting skills!" Chrome bowed his head. Oh, Kaseki? That's his name.

"Now is this really how you youngins ask for favours these days? 'Cause I'm not into this kinky role play stuff!" He grumbled through tight lips. I let out a wheezed cough, I held my hand to my mouth to halt the oncoming laughter.

"And I'm definitely not interested in being apart of whatever black arts you're doing here," I could basically feel the growing irritation glow off of Chrome.

"See? And this is why I had to do things the hard way," Chrome cradled the back of his head nonchalantly.

"Old Man Kaseki. I forgot to bring your lacquer back to you. I'm sorry," Suika held out the clay cup towards Kaseki.

"Ah, that had slipped my mind," he said, mentally excepting her apology.

"Tell me, were you the one who made that?" Senku nodded towards Kohaku's shield, which she was momentarily showing off for us to see.

"Her lacquered shield is amazing. And you crafted it without iron tools and hardly any dyes to speak of?" Senku asked in admiration.

"Yep! That shield was a prize from the year that Kohaku's father, Kokuyo, became the champion of the Grand Bout. I tell ya, I really did go all out when I made that old beauty. Gosh, that does take me back," he explained absentmindedly.

We eventually made our way back to camp through the forest trail when Senku brought up conversation.

"The handiwork on that shield is remarkable for this era. So I had a feeling there must be an expert craftsman behind it. But I never expected you'd be a dusty old fossil," he chuckled.

"Play nice now, Senku," I tapped his arm, Kaseki chuckled at our quarrelling. Senku leaned back to glance at the older bloke.

"Did you make that awesome suspension bridge, as well?"

"Yeah, I sure did. And you had the nerve to pull the planks out! So you can count me out of whatever bogus sorcery you-" he stopped and admired the glass blobs on the floor, eyeing the one I made.

"Wait, what is this see-through stonework you've got? Wow," we all snickered at his sudden enthusiasm.

"We won't force you to help if you don't want to. So just sit back and watch the show," Senku said with only a hint of sarcasm I could pick up.

"You should get a kick outta this, Kaseki. In fact, I bet you're gonna be ten billion per cent entertained. So get ready to be excited!" He stuck the iron pole into the glass material and gestured for us to join him.

Chrome began to blow on the pipe creating a not-so-good air bubble. Kaseki hopped up and down in frustration, "what are you doing you fool?! Stop!" He cringed. Senku and I exchanged cheeky smiles with one another.

We began working together to make the glass container together since I didn't have a pole. He blew on the pole, he looked like a chipmunk! I giggled and began shaping the glass by rotating it. He watched my every move taking it in the best he could, I felt the tingle of his gaze. I hid away the bubbles in my stomach and carried on working.

"Heh. There's no way a guy who spent his whole life as a craftsman if gonna stand there and watch a newbie do something as drool-tastic glass blowing," Senku concluded.

"Drool-tastic? How cringe," I laughed, Senku nudged me with his arm playfully. There it was again. Senku felt a sensation that he could only describe as magnetism towards Kai- wait, Koiru. He scolded himself for calling her by her first name. His thoughts stopped short when he heard yelling that almost blew his ears off.

"I can't take it anymore!" Kaseki growled. His whole figure tensed and in seconds his whole torso became bare as the snapped ropes dropped to the floor.

"Boy! you got me real good damn it!" He roared. He was old but I realized that he was completely ripped. He grabbed Chrome's iron pole firmly.

"Let me take a crack at it!" He demanded. Chrome let out a shriek of confusion.

"He's jacked. Who would've guessed?" Senku said puzzled. In no time he beckoned us to assist him, he blew through the tube gently and created a perfect shape. After what seemed like no effort to Kaseki, he held a glass chemist bottle in the air proudly.

*time skip*

That morning I awoke drenched in sweat and tears, I gasped for air even though I didn't need to, it was mostly out of shock. I don't even remember what I dreamt of and it frustrated me to the core. I decided to wash the sweat off in the stream closest to the village.

I walked somberly toward the cold water and sunk down to my knees. I cupped the water and threw it over my face until it felt cleaner than before. I lowered my collar and let the water drip down my collar bone.

"Kai?" Who- oh it's Senku. Did he just call me by my first name? He did! And he looks extremely embarrassed. He towered over me, his knees gracing my back, he leaned over to get a look at my face.

"Kai, really?" I laughed and stood up, he stepped back, putting space between us.

"Why are you up so early?" He asked. Though I got the feeling that he already knew, I tilted my head, crossing my arms.

"Nightmare?" I nodded my head and he sighed.