The Wolf and The Dragon (Book 2)

78 - The Temple of Love

[Akita]

It was strange to walk away from the house, I mean, Lloyd was right, I was overwhelmed by so many memories flushing on my mind, but as soon as we left, I missed been in there, I gave the place another look as we walk down the path. I got the conclusion that Okami's house is a special place, and it somehow reminded me of the energy I felt in the temple of time, and the way it reacts to The Time Lords.

-"Lloyd. Maybe Okami's house is the Temple of Love." I said that to Lloyd as we walked hand to hands and fingers interlaced, on stone path towards the village, we have decided to go after food.

Lloyd found funny what I said, making me wonder if I had used the right words.

-"What do you mean, Red?"

-"You know, just like the Temple of Time. Do you remember, it was dead and doomed until The Time Lords showed up? It totally came to life in response to your mother's presence."

-"I see where you're going... we are the god of love, the house is our temple? If so, shouldn't it come to life with our presence?"

-"it is definitely trying to talk to us, I can feel it... "

-"still, it is only overwhelming you, why?"

I know the answer to his question, but I don't want to say...

-"Good afternoon, young Masters!" - a random man said to us on the street.

-"Good afternoon!" Lloyd replied back politely.

-"Do you know him?"

-"No, but he was nice and polite, I just replied." Lloyd told me with a smile.

But that was not the only one, soon other people in the streets said 'hello' and 'good afternoon' some of them just stared at us, and others even bowed.

-"Maybe they are Ninja fans." Lloyd said.

-"You are not wearing a Gi, and they are not referring to you as Green Ninja, but Dragon." I told him, as I was able to hear the whispers between them.

-"Ok... just smiled and waved back." Lloyd instructed me.

-"Really?" I said to him, grinning my teeth, doing as he told me. "Lloy...I don't like it..."

-"Let's go inside that noodle's shop, come one, quick." He almost dragged me inside a cosy small place with empty tables and chairs and only an old lady behind the counter.

-"oh! Little Okami and Dragon Warrior! How nice to see you back, take a seat. I will bring you your favourites."

Lloyd and I looked at each other, he shrouded his shoulders at me, and we walked towards the table taking a seat opposite one another.

-"Lloy! Does she know us? I mean not us but the previous us, like the originals? Do you think?" I said, a bit nervous.

-"or the alternate timeline, maybe, she called you little Okami, not Wolf or Ama."

-"and... do you think the people outside saying 'hello' also know us this way?"

-"it is possible..."

-"but... how... I don't understand."

-"me neither... However, that would explain the 'yin & yang' necklace we found."

-"I still don't get it.. what do you mean?"

-"what if this entire place is inside the alternate timeline?"

-"it does make any sense, Kataru and Sorla have been here, they didn't find anything different..."

-"what if it only reacts to us?"

-"like the temple of time, only reacts to its Time Lords."

-"precisely..." he stopped, as the old lady approached us with two big bowls of noodles, they smelled so good.

-"here you are! How are the two of you doing? haven't seen you around since the wedding."

-"We are fine, thanks!" Lloyd again answered ever so politely, while I stuff my face with noodles.

-"What is wrong with you little Okami? Don't tell you are carrying a baby already?" The old lady asked me, and I choked on my noodles, making Lloyd laugh.

-"Not yet, Mo... we are still quite young for kids!" He answered to her, passing me some paper towels to clean my face. I only smile at the old Lady agreeing with Lloyd's sentence.

-"good... good... kids are amazing, but they are hard work." The old lady said as she walked away.

-"how do you know her name?" I asked Lloyd once she walked away from us.

-"it was on her name tag." He answered stating the obvious I haven't noticed.

-"Ah!.... why did she think I am with a baby?"

-"I don't know... maybe because you were eating like a hungry wolf carrying a litter of 4 or 5 pups." He said laughing at me.

-"I wasn't!" - He just carried on laughing and cleaning my face.

(AN: To my wonderful readers, Book 1, Chapter: 'Who is the Dragon' - will tell you about the first time Lloyd met Mo, the old Lady from the Noddles shop. )

[Lloyd]

Mo, the old lady from the noodles' shop gave us a bag with dumplings, gyoza and spring rolls, we were not quite sure why, but we decided not to question.

As we walked holding hands by the beach, Akita stopped to observe the sea, she took her shoes off and put her feet in the water.

-"I never touched the sea before... well, no that I can remember. It feels nice..."

-"shame is a bit cold, or we could go swimming."

-"I am a glacier wolf, Honey, it is not cold for me." She said with a smirk on her face, and I find cute that she just called me honey.

-"Akita... " I said, trying to encourage her to not jump into the sea... but she was already removing her top layer to jump in -"you are crazy..."

-"and reckless... as you keep saying... come on Lloyd... let's live a bit... can't you swim?" she giggled between her words, throwing water on me.

-"I can swim, but that is too cold."

-"no, it is not..." At this point, she already has her legs covered by water.

-"Red... Akita... the sea is not like the springs, it can go deep very sudden, and it is dangerous..."

-"Dangerous? Am I hearing that from a Ninja?"

I just laughed at her. I grabbed the clothes she left in the sand, walked a bit away and found a rock just beside, I noticed we were just below Okami's house at the top of the cliff.

I was determined to not get myself wet in the cold seawater. But as I looked back to where she was, I could no longer see her.

-"Akita" - I screamed, scanning the beach quickly, but nothing, no sign of her. I didn't think twice and jumped after, not even thinking about removing my clothes.

I reached where I last saw her, but I still couldn't locate her. The waves were strong and I couldn't see a thing when I dive, I started to panic for real when suddenly she grabbed my legs.

-"you are so dead, Red..."

I ship #lloykita #lokita loykita