Beginning Beyond The Horizon

After waking up and sleeping in Yul's arms, Hajime was shocked by the scene. He must have had a nightmare last night. He slowly moved Yul's arm away from him. He wanted to get up quickly, before anyone saw such a scene. When Hajime sat up, he saw that U-ri was already cooking by the bonfire.

Hajime walked towards U-ri and asked, "Why do you get up so early?"

U-ri said, "When you are sixty-five years old like me, and your bones are half thin, you will understand."

Hajime said, "Do you see anything?"

U-ri asked, "What am I not supposed to see?"

Hajime said, "Never mind."

U-ri laughed, "You're talking about you and Yul. Since you're a couple, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I've seen a lot of things in my life that are more awkward than a hug between spouses. You and Yul's actions are as tiny as a needle in the ocean, so don't worry about it." He looked up. "Breakfast is almost ready, go wake up the others."

Hajime didn't need to wake up the other three people, they got up slowly by themselves, because the sun that had just risen from the horizon was already hot enough to wake up the other three people.

U-ri continues to make breakfast while Yul and Abrafo go to find water. Two hours later, the two came back empty handed. They sat around the campfire and began to eat.

Yul shook his head and said, "Nothing, just rocks and sand. We didn't see any animals."

U-ri frowned. "We have a destination, but no map. What would we do?" He handed Yul a bowl of rice soup.

Michio looked at the men and asked, "Then shall we go back?"

Yul drank his soup, and after swallowing it down, he said, "Going back home without the white dragon tail is not an option. Even without a map, we will continue to move forward."

Abrafo wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "It will be difficult for us to walk through this unknown desert, because we don't know which direction to go."

Yul said, "After everyone finishes eating, we set off."

Abrafo frowned in despair, "My feet will bleed through this desert."

After the men finished eating, they hurriedly packed their bags and prepared to leave.

Michio wants to encourage the rest of the men to go on with hope. He smiled and said, "Let's get ready for some walking."

Hajime looked at the men and asked, "So, do each of you agree to walk?"

U-ri said, "Yes, we can't do anything but walk since there is no horse."

Hajime sighed, "Okay… it's up to you. After all, it's your feet, not mine."

Hajime watched the men walking in front of Hajime. Hajime took a wooden fox the size of a thumb. He threw the wooden carved wolf on the ground, and the wolf began to change, becoming a huge gray wolf. The gray wolf's roar made the four of them quickly turn around and stare at Hajime. They saw a big wolf standing next to Hajime.

Michio's lips trembled with the trembling voice, "Wol…wolf…wolf…"

Frightened by the howling wolf, the four began to back away from Hajime and the wolf.

Hajime smiled at the four of them and patted the wolf's side lightly. "Long time no see, my friend," he said, continuing to rub the wolf's fur. He looked at the four people not far ahead. "The four of you agree to walk, but not me." He grabbed his backpack then cross bag and climbed onto the wolf's back. He looked at Yul and reached out his hand to Yul. "Dear, would you like to walk with them or relax on my wolf's back?"

Yul smiled and shook his head at Hajime's silliness. He grabbed Hajime's hand and climbed onto the wolf's back.

Yul asked, "Are you really going to let them walk?"

Hajime replied nonchalantly, "I asked. They want to walk." He reached into one of his pockets and threw the two carved wooden wolves on the ground. Standing beside were two big gray wolves. "Climb up or do you three want to walk?"

U-ri and Michio climbed up one and strapped their belongings to the other wolf, which was carrying Abrafo. The four men rode into an unknown desert.

Michio asked, "U-ri, what are you doing?"

U-ri said, "Because we don't have a map. I'm making one for us."

Yul turns to look at U-ri and says, "Good idea. We won't get lost on the way back."

U-ri said, "If we successfully complete this task and can lift the curse of the Endless River of Sorrow, this map will be a good guide."

Abrafo asked, "U-ri, why would a bookkeeper like you volunteer?"

U-ri said indifferently, "It's like I have a choice. I was chosen, not voluntarily like the rest of you. Also, I've read every book in Tanzang more than once. I want to read more."

Abrafo shook his head and looked at Michio, "And you?" He looked at Michio.

Michio said, "I don't know. I think it's the right thing to do as a monk."

Abrafo asked, "What about you, Hajime?"

Hajime smiled and said, "To search for my true love."

Abrafo laughed and said, "You are married to Yul. Adultery, in Tanzang, is punished by walking around the city."

Hajime said, "Then I won't cross that river back to Tanzang. Once you get your item, you can go back by yourself, since U-ri already makes a map."

U-ri asked puzzlingly, "How do you know that Yul is not your true love? Come to think of it, Yul stepped forward and agreed to marry you. If it's not fate, what is it?" He smiled at Hajime.

Michio nodded in agreement. He said, "That's right, the two of you bowed to heaven and the marriage was also arranged by His Highness."

Abrafo added, "And you're the one asking to marry Yul." He teased. "You have to get consent to divorce, without Yul's consent, you have to be his wife until."

The three said at the same time, "Death do you part." They laughed.

Yul suddenly said, "Quiet."

The three immediately covered their mouths. The five watched as the sand around them began to slide down into a sinkhole. A loud noise came from the sinkhole. The strong cracking sound made the ground around the sinkhole tremble. Slowly a large black crab emerged from the sinkhole. The crab is thirty feet high and has a tail twenty feet long. Its red eyes scouted the area, and its mouth was wide open with sharp teeth.

The sand under the feet of the five people began to slide towards the sinkhole. The three big gray wolves retreated slowly, away from the sinkhole.

Michio whispered, "If we move again, we will be in the open."

Hajime began to respond in a low voice, "You would rather fall into that unknown sinkhole?"

Abrafo said in a low voice, "The hole is getting closer."

Yul said, "Hajime…Run."

As soon as the three wolves ran away, the giant crab spotted them. The giant crab started chasing them.

Michio shouted, "Hajime, is this wolf running any faster?"

Hajime shouted back, "Since you are a monk, you should sacrifice yourself so we could get away."

Michio shouted, "I don't want to be the first to die."

Another giant crab came out from under the sand and used its claws stabbed right into Abrafo's wolf. The sharp claws pierce right into the wolf's abdomen yanking Abrafo off the wolf's back. Abrafo was thrown into the sand. Now Hajime screamed in pain while clutching his right abdomen.

Yul asked, "Hajime, what's wrong?"

Hajime groaned in pain, and the two wolves stopped. Michio grabbed his spear charged at Abrafo. When Michio got close to Abrafo, he sent a talisman at the second giant crab.

Yul shouted, "U-ri, look after Hajime." He drew his sword and ran towards Michio and Abrafo.

Hajime snorted in pain, "How could they fight against those two giant crabs?"

U-ri smiled and said, "We may not be powerful mages, but we can manipulate spells." He looked at Hajime. "What happened?"

Hajime explained, "When my crafting art is destroyed, I share their pain."

Michio stabbed the spear into the left claw between the crab's fingers. The huge crab stood up in pain, its left claw raised, smashing it into the sand. Michio then did a backflip and landed on the crab's left paw. The giant crab tried to stab Michio twice with its right claw but failed.

Abrafo grabbed the rope from his waist and threw it at the crab. The rope was tightly wrapped around the crab's right claw. Abrafo pulled the crab's right claw away.

Yul drew his sword and went straight to the crab's eight legs. Yul zigzags through the legs, chopping off first the crab's right leg and then the crab's third left leg. He then rolled under the crab and chopped off the giant crab's third left leg. Screeching in pain, the Crab called his mates for help. Yul then quickly chopped off the first left leg of the giant crab.

The weight of the crab with only two mid-legs is too heavy to stand, the two mid-legs cannot support the crab's body, so the giant crab fell to its stomach. The giant crab continued to hit the sand with its left claw.

Abrafo grunted and tried to grab the rope. "Yul, kill that bastard crab. Ah...!" He desperately pulled the rope away to prevent the crab's claws from stabbing Michio.

Yul jumps on top of the crab, leaps high, and stabs his sword in the middle of the crab's head with all his might. Yul twisted his sword and pierced deeper into the crab's head. After a few minutes, the giant crab stopped struggling and lay dead on the sand.

The first crab saw that its partner was killed, so in fear it slowly returned to the sinkhole.

Michio drew the spear from the giant crab's claw and looked at Abrafo. He said, "Let's eat this crab."

Abrafo, "What?" Michio surprised him by suddenly bringing up this idea.

Michio said, "Look around you. When was the last time you saw any animal. Since we killed it, let's eat it."

Yul said, "I agree with Michio."

Michio smiled and said, "Then I'll chop off the arm."

Abrafo complained, "Don't cut it there. Cut it here where more meat is at the top."

Yul walks towards Hajime and U-ri. He knelt on one knee and looked at Hajime, "How are you feeling?"

Hajime said, "Good. It'll be gone in a few minutes."

U-ri said, "I think we should camp here for the night. I know there is another monster crab. I don't know if I can sleep...but we don't have much choice at the moment." U-ri startled when Michio and Abrafo dropped the big claw on the ground. "What are you two doing bringing that back?"

Michio said with a smile, "To eat."

U-ri frowned in disgust. He thought he had misheard Michio, and asked again, "Eat?" Michio nodded. "I don't want to eat this." He turned his face away from the two men.

Michio said, "I'll give you until midnight. When your stomach is growling, I'm sure you won't just eat, but lick your fingers and ask for more."

U-ri shook his head at Michio and said indifferently, "I will never do that."