he
noticed the landscape change. It wasn’t just the speed at which
they moved—the trees literally began to change. They all began to
whip about, transforming into vines. He could hear and feel the
ground heaving. Masaki tried to maneuver, and he did a good job at
first, but soon he had to slow down. The vines tried to wrap around
his legs, but he jerked away, snapping at them when they managed to
grab hold of him.
Hiro clutched Masaki’s fur and buried
his face at the nape of his neck. Masaki gave a yelp as two vines
whipped around him and Hiro both. He turned, snapping and biting at
the vines. He freed them on one side and then managed to jerk free
on the other side. They outran the vines for a while, but then one
latched on to Hiro’s leg. The vine yanked him away and whipped him
to the ground. The breath knocked out of his lungs, Hiro lay
stunned as stars danced before his eyes and his head swam. Then
darkness closed in as the vines covered him. No sound reached him
as he struggled to move, to breathe. Just as the blood began to
roar in his ears, Hiro heard the sound of something slicing through
the air. The whizzing continued, and he felt the vines around him
giving way. Air came through, and he took it in with great, gulping
breaths. When he focused on the figure reaching for him, he sucked
in his breath again.
Masaki wore a strange kind of armor,
crimson dragon scales covering every inch of his body. He had a
katana in his hand and another strapped to his back. His hair flew
wildly around him as he drew Hiro up. “Can you walk? Are you
hurt?”
Hiro tried to assess himself, but
Masaki didn’t wait. He sheathed his weapon and swept Hiro into his
arms, dashing forward again, almost as quickly as he had in his fox
form. Hiro closed his eyes and clutched at Masaki, listening to his
heart pound in an effort to drown out the sounds around him. They’d
been stopped for several moments before realized what it meant.
They had come to the edge of the dark forest and now rested by the
bank of a river. Masaki eased them both to the ground, holding Hiro
tight.
Shaking a bit, Hiro let Masaki put him
on the ground. At his urging, Hiro lay back. He felt Masaki’s
fingers caressing his face, and he reached for the brave man who’d
just saved his life.
“ My hero,” he said, as he
pulled Masaki down for a kiss.
* * * *
Masaki responded to Hiro’s surprising
passion, straddling him and kissing him more deeply. He then
covered Hiro’s face and neck with kisses as well. His heart had
nearly stopped when he’d seen the vines take Hiro under. He had to
be more careful from now on. Masaki backed off and looked down at
Hiro. “That my line, isn’t it? You’re my Hiro, aren’t
you?”
Hiro smiled. “You were awesome.” He
turned his head to take in their surroundings. “How can you tell
which way to go? I can’t make out shit with the trees and gray
sky.”
“ Inari’s shrine pulls me.
It’s why Kilana chose it. She can trick us all she wants, but in
such a deal, we must at least be given a fair chance.”
“ And if she
cheats?”
“ Izanami wouldn’t allow
it.”
“ Why not?”
“ This is her realm. She
retreated her upon her death.”
“ I know, but why would she
care?”
Masaki smiled as he moved off Hiro.
“Then you also know her husband Izanagi came to take her back. She
asked him not to look upon her, but he did anyway and saw that she
was rotting. It’s why he fled and placed a boulder in front of the
entrance to Yomi.” He stood and helped Hiro to his feet. “She
doesn’t like it when others break their word or go back on their
honor.”
“ Is there really a
physical entrance to Yomi? With an actual boulder?”
“ Yes, in a coastal
province. I can’t say more than that. No one can enter that way
anymore. One must die or be brought here by supernatural
means.”
Hiro took a few steps, examining his
hands and arms. “Are we … going to start rotting?”
“ Do you feel
noticed the landscape change. It wasn’t just the speed at which
they moved—the trees literally began to change. They all began to
whip about, transforming into vines. He could hear and feel the
ground heaving. Masaki tried to maneuver, and he did a good job at
first, but soon he had to slow down. The vines tried to wrap around
his legs, but he jerked away, snapping at them when they managed to
grab hold of him.
Hiro clutched Masaki’s fur and buried
his face at the nape of his neck. Masaki gave a yelp as two vines
whipped around him and Hiro both. He turned, snapping and biting at
the vines. He freed them on one side and then managed to jerk free
on the other side. They outran the vines for a while, but then one
latched on to Hiro’s leg. The vine yanked him away and whipped him
to the ground. The breath knocked out of his lungs, Hiro lay
stunned as stars danced before his eyes and his head swam. Then
darkness closed in as the vines covered him. No sound reached him
as he struggled to move, to breathe. Just as the blood began to
roar in his ears, Hiro heard the sound of something slicing through
the air. The whizzing continued, and he felt the vines around him
giving way. Air came through, and he took it in with great, gulping
breaths. When he focused on the figure reaching for him, he sucked
in his breath again.
Masaki wore a strange kind of armor,
crimson dragon scales covering every inch of his body. He had a
katana in his hand and another strapped to his back. His hair flew
wildly around him as he drew Hiro up. “Can you walk? Are you
hurt?”
Hiro tried to assess himself, but
Masaki didn’t wait. He sheathed his weapon and swept Hiro into his
arms, dashing forward again, almost as quickly as he had in his fox
form. Hiro closed his eyes and clutched at Masaki, listening to his
heart pound in an effort to drown out the sounds around him. They’d
been stopped for several moments before realized what it meant.
They had come to the edge of the dark forest and now rested by the
bank of a river. Masaki eased them both to the ground, holding Hiro
tight.
Shaking a bit, Hiro let Masaki put him
on the ground. At his urging, Hiro lay back. He felt Masaki’s
fingers caressing his face, and he reached for the brave man who’d
just saved his life.
“ My hero,” he said, as he
pulled Masaki down for a kiss.
* * * *
Masaki responded to Hiro’s surprising
passion, straddling him and kissing him more deeply. He then
covered Hiro’s face and neck with kisses as well. His heart had
nearly stopped when he’d seen the vines take Hiro under. He had to
be more careful from now on. Masaki backed off and looked down at
Hiro. “That my line, isn’t it? You’re my Hiro, aren’t
you?”
Hiro smiled. “You were awesome.” He
turned his head to take in their surroundings. “How can you tell
which way to go? I can’t make out shit with the trees and gray
sky.”
“ Inari’s shrine pulls me.
It’s why Kilana chose it. She can trick us all she wants, but in
such a deal, we must at least be given a fair chance.”
“ And if she
cheats?”
“ Izanami wouldn’t allow
it.”
“ Why not?”
“ This is her realm. She
retreated her upon her death.”
“ I know, but why would she
care?”
Masaki smiled as he moved off Hiro.
“Then you also know her husband Izanagi came to take her back. She
asked him not to look upon her, but he did anyway and saw that she
was rotting. It’s why he fled and placed a boulder in front of the
entrance to Yomi.” He stood and helped Hiro to his feet. “She
doesn’t like it when others break their word or go back on their
honor.”
“ Is there really a
physical entrance to Yomi? With an actual boulder?”
“ Yes, in a coastal
province. I can’t say more than that. No one can enter that way
anymore. One must die or be brought here by supernatural
means.”
Hiro took a few steps, examining his
hands and arms. “Are we … going to start rotting?”
“ Do you feel
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