Beginning Beyond The Horizon

The two eagles carried five people and followed the crow heading northeast. As they get farther and farther away from the Skeleton Desert, the wind gets cooler, and the landmarks start to change color.

Yul, who was sitting behind Hajime, asked, "What exactly are you thinking?"

Hajime asked, "Thinking of what?"

Yul said, "You're talking like I'm having sex with Abrafo behind that dirt mount."

Hajime said embarrassedly, "If you were me, you would have the same idea."

Yul sighed and said, "We often use the word release to replace the word pee. It sounds more appropriate." He looked at Hajime and found that Hajime's complexion was beautiful. Also, there is a fresh scent of roses coming from Hajime. "Hajime, do you use perfume?"

Hajime said, "No."

Yul said, "You have a drowsy smell of roses on you."

Hajime said, "I don't want to smell like the four of you. Usually, during Christmas season, stores have sales and discounts. I often shop around to see if my favorite perfume is on sale."

Yul asked, "Christmas? What's Christmas?"

Hajime shook his head and corrected his mistake. "Christmas is... a secret word...if you like someone, you give them a secret word...it's a secret word within the tribe..."

"No wonder I've never heard of it," Yul said, pausing. "How do you know so much about sex between men?"

Hajime thought to himself, how could he not know about sex between men. In his previous life, Kenji and he had done it many times. Hajime quickly turned his upper body halfway around, and Yul lowered his head to smell Hajime's fragrant hair. Yul's lips fell on Hajime's right cheek. He feels Yul's soft lips on his face. He felt Yul's soft breath caressing his skin. A chill runs down his spine as he meets Yul's eyes. He could feel every hair on his back standing up. He decides to kiss Yul directly, so he slides his face further away and his lips land on Yul's.

Hajime backs away, turning his back on Yul, "Because I'm preparing myself. Who can be sure that my true love is a woman? It could be a man too."

Yul, who was shocked by the kiss, didn't answer.

Hajime said, "Don't be so shocked. You should feel lucky to have kissed these lips first." He turned and continued to look at the beautiful sky. "A man your age is expected to be kissed by women a lot, but this is probably the first time you've ever kissed a man, so the shock will last longer." He giggled. "I've seen that look in your eyes before."

Yul asked, "Where?"

The shock in Yul's eyes is the same as when he kissed Kenji for the first time. He didn't want to mention his past life to Yul, so instead he said, "I've seen that look in your eyes before witnessing many young masters in the brothel."

Yul grabbed Hajime's right upper arm, "You've been to the brothel?"

Hajime fell back to Yul's chest. He reaches out his right finger and touches Yul's chin. "Like I said, prepare myself and get used to the male body," he flirts with a smile and eyes. He rests his head on Yul's left chest and closes his eyes. "Hey honey, do you mind if I put my head on your chest?"

Yul asked, "Are you this happy all the time or are you just pretending to be happy?"

Hajime closed his eyes and smiled, "I've always been happy."

Yule said with a smile. "Did you know...you also got my first kiss."​ ​

Hajime quickly opened his eyes and looked up at Yul. At this moment, he suddenly realized that Yul is actually a very attractive handsome young man. He failed to realize Yul's good looks on the first day he saw Yul in the meeting hall, and the few days they spent together. His unwavering focus on his mission makes him very attractive. Then his dirty thoughts pull him back to the moment when he held Yul's member in his hand. His cheeks started to flush.

"Hey, you two lovebirds... look," Abrafo called, pointing ahead.

The five men saw the turquoise mountains in front of them. The two eagles soared above the clouds over the mountains, following the leading crow. Hearing the birds chirping on the green hill, the five men shouted happily above the clear blue sky.

Michio called, "River." He pointed down.

Yul said, "Let's rest by the waterfall below."

U-ri said, "We don't even know if anyone we meet speaks the same language as us."

Yul said, "Let's do the rest on foot to avoid suspicion."

Hajime said, "No... I'd rather fly to civilization than walk."

Yul turned to Hajime and said, "We're here on a mission. Our mission is to keep it secret."

Michio said, "Listen to your husband. He has more experience in this field than you."

The eagles landed on the ground, and the five men got off from the eagles' back. The two eagles and the crow turned back into three little wooden figures the size of a thumb. Hajime walked over, picked up his three carvings, and put them in his cross bag. The five of them washed themselves and changed into new clothes. Hajime, U-ri, and Michio stay behind while Yul and Abrafo go to scout ahead.

Abrafo walked up to Yul and looked up at the trees. He turned back and said, "Yul, do you think any of these fruit trees are edible?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen this fruit before," Yul said. Yul picked a fruit that was on the ground and checked it. "Look, it looks like a bell."

Yul squeezed the fruit. There is a small black seed inside the bell fruit. Yule rubbed the seeds three times, and four little legs grew out of the black seeds. Yule dropped the black seeds on the ground and stomped on them with his feet. He turned around, "Abrafo, don't..."

Yul found himself standing alone among the bell fruit groves. He shouted, "Abrafo! Where are you?" He looked for Abrafo around the fruit trees. He looked at the ground, and hundreds of black creatures the size of human heads were approaching him. Yul drew his sword.

As soon as Abrafo turned around, Yul was gone. He stood alone in the bell fruit forest. Abrafo shouted, "Yul!"

Abrafo saw Yul walking slowly towards him. As Yul approached, Abrafo saw blood all over Yul's body. Yul's body was covered with wounds and blood was oozing out from the wounds. Yul collapses in front of Abrafo. Abrafo rushed to help him up.

Abrafo asked in panic, "Yul… how could this happen?"

Yul gurgled blood, "Abrafo, I'm dying. The monster is coming..." He took his last breath in Abrafo's arms and died.

Abrafo cried, "Yul…Don't die...No…."

As Yul backed away from the small spider creatures, his back hit the tree. He looked up to see spiders hissing at him from the branches of the tree. Then the hungry spiders quickly pounced on him. He swung his sword and chopped down some spiders.

Hajime, U-ri, and Michio waited by the waterfall for an hour, but Yul and Abrafo haven't come back, so the three decide to go find their two friends. The three find their two friends fooling around and are confused by their friends' actions. They stopped at a distance and watched their two friends playing with each other while they were standing eating apples, amusing themselves. They see Yul swinging his sword across the branches and the ground. On the other hand, Abrafo holds two fruits and cries for Yul not to die.

Hajime bit the apple in his hand and asked, "What are they doing?" He looked at Yul and Abrafo.

Michio chewed on an apple and said, "Not sure, but interesting."

Hajime nodded, "Agreed."

U-ri shouted at Yul and Abrafo, "Hey you two...stop playing. Let's hurry up."

Yul saw Abrafo's dead body lying on the ground and a hideous goblin sitting on the ground eating Abrafo's flesh. In anger, Yul lunged at the goblin who was eating Abrafo's flesh with his sword. Yul stabs at the goblin with his sword. The goblin turned around and blocked Yul's attack with its long ugly nails.

Michio shouted, "Abrafo watched out!" He rushed to stop Yul's sword, but was pushed back by an unseen force, pushing him twenty feet away and dropping him to the ground.

When Abrafo blocked the sword coming from behind, he turned around and saw an ugly demon with two horns. Abrafo punched the demon and flew ten feet away.

Abrafo pointed his sword at the demon and said angrily, "Ugly, how dare you kill my friend. I will kill you and avenge Yul."

Yul charged his sword at Abrafo, who was standing a few feet away.

Hajime yelled, "Michio!" He rushed to help Michio up.

Michio grunted in pain, "What's that?"

As soon as U-ri stretched out his hand, there was a clear force barrier blocking his way. He knocked twice and heard bells jingling loudly around the forest. The three covered their ears.

"That's what we heard last night," shouted Michio.

U-ri shouted, "It's some kind of invisible magical enchantment."

Hajime frowned, "Magic can be broken." He plucked six dried leaves with his right hand and sent the six dried leaves directly to the invisible magical enchantment. The six dried leaves burn a hole in the enchanted barrier, creating an opening. "Michio, pull them out."

Michio took out a paper talisman and sent it directly to Abrafo. The talisman paper turned into a long rope, tightly wrapped around Abrafo's waist. Mori then pulled Abrafo out.

While fighting the demon Abrafo felt something wrapped around his waist and pulled him up. The demon pursued him.

When Yul fights the goblin, he notices the goblin flying away. In a rage, he chased the goblin into the black hole. When Yul rushes out of the black hole, his sword is pointed at the goblin on the ground. Yul raises his sword and is about to slash at the goblin lying at his feet.

Hajime took Yu's right hand and said loudly, "No! Yul! Get yourself together."

Yul began to hear and see clearly. He looked to the right, and Hajime was holding his hand. He blinked and asked confusedly, "Hajime?"

Abrafo raised his sword and stabbed the demon who wanted to hurt Hajime. Hajime saw Abrafo's sword coming so he jumped in front of Yul and Abrafo's sword went straight into his stomach. Hajime fell back into Yul's arms.

Michio screamed, "No!" He slapped Abrafo across the face. "Snap out of it."

As the pain hit his face, Abrafo began to see clearly, and he saw his sword piercing Hajime's abdomen. He was surprised and confused, "Why is you? What did I do?" He stood up and walked slowly towards Hajime and Yul. "Oh, Hajime... I'm sorry..." He knelt beside Hajime with tears in his eyes.

Yul asked, "Why did you jump in front of me?"

Hajime scoffed with a mouthful of blood, "Heh…because you are my husband."

Yul held Hajime in his arms. Hajime looked at him in pain, blood flowed from his mount. After a period of struggle, Hajime died in his arms.