Crunch

Crunch

Stomping the leaves under the straw sandals on his feet, he came in front of a small opening inside the dense trees covering the forest. What laid in front of him was a small hut, made of the same wood around everywhere in this mass of green. It had a single door with no knob, his father didn’t put much effort into it since no other soul lived here other than them. Though he wished he had done that, it would have been one more thing to learn.

Since he couldn’t learn anything now.

He trod in front, a tad bit swaying around as the huge and brown wild-boar on his shoulders put another burden to carry. At least that was considered to be if he didn’t count the iron hatchet on the side of his leather robe. Standing right next to the door, he dropped the corpse and knocked on the door twice. He made sure they were loud enough, or his grandmother wouldn’t hear it. She was old, perhaps way too older than she should have lived, yet the only thing the time impaired her from was balance and hearing.

And he didn’t know if that was a good thing.

Walking around the entrance, just a few steps away after rounding the hut, a small fence appeared in his sight. Together with plenty of herbs and plants and trees inside, horizontal several water grooves were dug at their sides. They seemed dried up. He guessed at the moment, the stream must have been blocked again. Another small trouble before he got on his journey.

Strolling around, he tried to locate the other sole iron tool in their house, the shovel. He frowned a bit, confused, as he knew last time he used the shovel he left it along the apple tree at the fence’s foot. Then he heard a pair of steps, slow and steady, approaching from behind. Turning around, his blue eyes glittered. He took a few large strides and hugged the old woman.

‘’Oh dear, I can walk.’’ She set her loose grey hair into a braid, this was the second time he saw her doing this. He didn’t want to remember the first one. ‘’Were you searching this, Ubel?’’ With that, he realized what she held. Instead of her normal crane, he remembered how he made that solely by himself, she held the iron shovel he had been looking for.

‘’Yes, grandma. Thank you.’’ He gave another hug then took the shovel from her after settling her down near a boulder.

‘’Do you want something to drink?’’

‘’I should be the one asking you, dear.’’ She smiled. ‘’Do what you have to do, I will just sit down here.’’

‘’Alright grandma.’’ Stepping up, he went a bit further than the small garden and came in front of a pile of dirt. He grimaced for a bit. The same fox troubled their family for years. His father said it came a bit after he was three, and since then for almost two decades the damned thing stole some crops and messed up their farm.

I will kill that fox if I find it...but when? He flared a bit.

Swearing, and knowing he couldn’t do it in a sole day, he shoveled the dirt to the side. After a few minutes, he saw trickles of water seeping through the black soil and grinned. Two more strikes and partly-clean water gushed out of the hole. He didn’t try to clean the dirt, the soil underneath the surface was richer in humus. Also, their drinking water came down from a different stream. So there was no need to worry.

Burbling water flowed through the grooves and plants seemed more healthy than a few seconds before. Must be my imagination, Ubel thought, then plucked a pair of apples as he neared his grandmother. One he gave to her and settled down right next on the grass.

‘’Mmm-your hands are wondrous as well, this tastes sweet.’’ She said with a smile and continued to bite down.

‘’Not as my father’s.’’

‘’Your father was a genius, dear. Don’t compare yourself to him.’’

Well, she was right. Still, Ubel couldn’t help but shake his head. Gobbling down, he finished the apple as the water came to the end of the grooves.

‘’Come on grandma, I need to take care of a few things before I go.’’

‘’Alright, help me out a bit.’’

Even without her words, he stood up and coiled his arm around her. He felt the difference between the texture on the skin; one soft and slightly tanned, the other wizened and rough. Thinking about that, he rounded the big boar and he led her inside. The door pushed open with a little force, and it creaked.

Ubel escorted her through the hall with the small mat, then came into the bedroom. He put her on her favorite, and a classic of old as she told, rocking chair. The instant she slumped down, the snoring started.

I wonder how she falls asleep like that.

The few things were preparing his pouch and taking the letter of invitation. He had done the former earlier this morning. The latter, obviously, stood inside the pouch as well. He took it from his own bed, then gazed at the door leading outside.

He forgot the boar for a moment, then came next to the animal to shoulder it again. Realizing his mistake, Ubel pulled it a bit far away from the door and took out the hatchet. They didn’t have a knife, it broke three months ago and he didn’t have the courage to go mine with his grandma home alone. So he could only try to skin it with the hatchet.

*********

He dropped the bulk of meat, cleaned and cut, on the wooden platform. Following that, he put over the blanket covered with salt over it after pouring huge amounts of salt. With this, it should keep from spoiling a few more hours.

Most of them will go to waste though.

There was nothing left to do.

He came back to the bedroom, saw his grandmother still snoozing, and walked closer. His gaze lingered for a long time after he turned around and left. After pulling the door, he checked the contents of his pouch again.

Thirty silver, a comb, the chopsticks, letter...and this.

He took out the necklace. It wasn’t even a necklace, it was just intended to look like that.

It was a pebblestone, words reading Evil written over with red ink, tied up with a pair of sturdy ropes.

A lucky charm, huh? Ubel sighed, and with caution tied it around his sunburnt neck.

He walked off and entered into the forest, kept going. He didn’t stop for a rest, he wasn’t the type to tire in an hour or two. He also knew the forest well, he and his father roamed around the woods most of their empty time. Mostly for food, of course, but sometimes for playing too.

He once tangled his hair on a high branch after cheering when he hunted his first prey. Or how he fell down while chasing a rabbit and scratched the corner of his eyebrows.

But after going further, he realized that he didn’t know here. He had never gone too far in the forest, simply because his father told so. He said it was dangerous, mysterious.

But there was more things he said about it, and he recounted those words in his mind:

There is no adventure there he told as many times as he could remember. Past the Orabura, there are only two things.

One is the world, simple and cruel.

Ubel started to slow down as the light became more piercing. Words became louder inside his mind.

Your grandfather died in that world, may the Light bless his soul.

Terrain saw some changes as well, soil and patches of grass turned into something yellow and slippery. It was hot, and his feet started to sink into it. His father's voice continued.

It was because of a petty reason, something about a debt of blood. It was as simple as that to be cruel.

Then his eyes adjusted to the blinding lights, and he stood rooted in his place.

Other is the ocean, wondrous and colorful. Watching makes you peaceful, and swimming inside gives you joy.

It might be the only thing worth in the world to love.

‘’Who are you?’’ A voice called out. He didn't realize the presence, nor did he saw any silhouette before his father's monolouge stopped reharsing. He turned to look at the shoreline. He saw a man with a paddle, behind him a shaking boat. Further than that lay the only thing worth in the world to love.

And the first time he saw the endless blue in front, he thought of his grandmother.

A woman like the ocean she was.

*********

The boat rocked amidst the tumbling waves.

This was the first time Ubel saw a body of water this big, and he had to say the biggest one was just a vast pool size of his house when the autumn came. So, he had every right to be shocked.

And he was.

Though the shaking and the splattered water did not help much in marveling at the scenery. Sun was high, it seemed like past mid-day, and leaned towards the west as its lights struck his eyes stronger than ever.

‘’Ummm-’’ His words trailed off for a moment as a ripple caught his attention, but Ubel quickly turned to look at the man again.

‘’How may I address you? Sir? Mr. Immortal? Exalted one?’’ Ubel gazed at him, more specifically around his fairly big muscles. His skin was more tanned than his as well, though Ubel’s case resulted from being under the sun. His seemed more natural, and the robe he wore seemed dandy enough to let him know he was someone special.

‘’I like the sound of the last one,’’ He smirked, ‘’But senior brother is enough.’’

‘’It sounds strange.’’

‘’Well, it is if you don’t say Boris at the end.’’

‘’...Senior brother Boris?’’

‘’Like that-watch out!’’ A big wave crashed on the boat’s deck and jerked it again. Ubel stumbled on his place and held the sides of the boat to hold himself, then sighed. These waves were too violent, and he had a gut feeling that they didn't affect the man in front of him at all. Warnings were probably only for him.

‘’It still sounds strange,’’ Ubel commented. Boris turned his head around and stopped rowing for a moment, his big eyes literally told Is it? The immortal seemed quite a strange fellow, Ubel thought. It wasn’t like he knew other people though, this might be a normal attitude.

‘’Well, if you say so junior-brother.’’

Ubel flinched a bit. It isn’t that strange when said to? Why?

‘’Let me ask you something as well,’’ Boris said as he returned back to rowing. ‘’How did you get the invitation letter?’’

Ubel paled for a moment, remembering that devil like smile.

‘’Oh well...’’

He didn't want to tell. Not because of a special reason, because he simply couldn't. He looked back into his memory, then came the vision of the man who had snow like hair.

‘’Hey young man, you seem to have a talent for cultivation.’’’

‘’Um? Sir?’’

‘’Don’t call me sir, I am your elder now. Take this letter, put it in a safe place. You have a bright future ahead.’’

‘’Sir? Sir!?’’

‘’I will send a disciple to take you from the shore at the west, be respectful! Or not, that is your choice.’‘

‘’SIR!?’’

‘’Um, a gift?’’ He could only tell this much. He didn't like the word sir at all from that point. He still didn't.

‘’Gift you say? Why? Does your family have relations with Elder Snow?’’

‘’I’m not sure, maybe?’’ Ubel didn’t want to keep talking about that lunatic further, his mind spent all energy it had left just from thinking about his smirk and loud voice.

‘’Hmmmm-If you say so. Hold tight, we are going up.’’

‘’Up? Up where? Up to the stream?’’

‘’I mean above, junior brother. To the skies.’’

‘’What-’’ Ubel blurted out as the boat started to float on the water’s surface. ‘’How?’’ The shaking stopped and soon, it rose ten meters from the ocean where it wouldn’t contact with the waves. It did not stop there, to Ubel’s disbelief, and rose further and further with more speed.

From floating, it turned into flying, then rushing. Wind’s were like sharp daggers piercing his face as his hair shriveled and swayed around, and he found it hard to breathe for a moment or two. His pupils’ size changed every so often, from tiny to large, together with his beating heart.

Then Ubel managed to catch his breath, his pale face started to regain its color.

‘’What is- by the Light, is that a mountain!?’’

‘’No-’’ Boris smiled.

‘’That is our home.’’