The Prince and the Serpent

The Haunted Swamp

Boruto stood on the deck of Inojin's boat as it glided through the dark water. Mitsuki stood beside him, ever protective. The Serpent Prince had been practically glued to his side since they had boarded Inojin's ship. Part of Boruto wanted to feel irritated but he tolerated it instead. He figured Mitsuki's behavior was not illogical since they still weren't sure if they could trust Inojin.

At the dock, Boruto hadn't had the chance to really look at Inojin's boat. Now that he did, he noticed that is was one of the strangest looking vessels he had ever seen. It was a little smaller than the old man's fishing boat and it didn't make a sound as it glided through the mist. The deck was bare except for the occasional wooden box or frayed rope. A heavily neglected fishing net lay decaying near the bow and appeared to have no use except as clutter.

The wooden planks of the deck itself were tinged yellow in the ambient light. Boruto could see every corner of the boat deck but he could not identify the actual source of the light. Boruto assumed all these oddities were signs that the ship was heavily enchanted.

Sarada was below decks still. She had said she was tired and that she wanted to get some rest. Inojin was off somewhere. Boruto assumed he was tending to the ship. The only thing they had learned about Inojin so far was that his family ran a smuggling ring out of Dorchas. That was both good and bad news for Boruto. The Yamanaka's would definitely be able to help them lay low but Boruto would have to make it worth their while or else things would be no different than if they had been captured in Dorchas.

Boruto glanced at Mitsuki again. He was standing straight with his eyes fixed straight ahead. Boruto reached over and took hold of one of Mitsuki's hands.

"Why don't you go get some rest too, Mitsuki? I know you're exhausted." Mitsuki looked at Boruto with soft eyes.

"I am the most at ease when I am with you, Boruto." He said with his usual squinty-eyed smile. Boruto smiled affectionately and lifted Mitsuki's hand to his lips before looking out into the darkness. It was more out of habit than for the view. He adjusted his free hand on the railing of the ship and felt something papery crush under his palm.

He looked down to see a heavily designed piece of rice paper glued to the railing under his hand. He studied the intricate design more closely and found that it was a talisman meant to ward off evil. Curiosity piqued, he hooked down at hull. Hundreds of matching sutras were plastered on the wood seemingly at random.

The mist was stirred by a sudden breeze, drawing Boruto's attention. It was an ominous gust that moaned deeply as it passed over the ship. It sent chills through Boruto's body and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Movement in the water caught his eye. He turned to look but whatever it was vanished before he could properly focus and all was still again. Another alligator? Boruto wondered as he squinted into the gloom. The black mist swirled wildly as he tried to focus. Something was coming into view.

The water looked like it was lumpy. Boruto stared as the lumps slowly resolved themselves into what appeared to be balls of rotting vegetation floating just on the surface. He felt Mitsuki grab his upper arm and say his name as he leaned forward for a better look but he stayed silent, his focus completely on the lumps. One of them was moving.

It was slowly turning in place and Boruto could not bring himself to look away. As it turned, the blackened vegetation became more sparse, revealing something grey-white underneath. Boruto grabbed Mitsuki's hand on his arm as cold horror turned his blood to ice. He was certain that this sight would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life.

A bleached white skull was grinning back at them from the water's surface. The rotten grass flowed from its crown like grotesque hair. The bone was so pale, it appeared to glow against the mirror-like black water and the dark swirling mist. In its eyes sockets glowed tongues of fire. They stretched from the bottom to the top of the hollow eyes and hung as if frozen without a hint of flickering.