When Shigure was done, we realised we had just done it mentally in this private room and the room, along with the link had sunk even deeper. Sunk right down.
Poking out heads out of the private rooms in curiosity, we found ourselves in a new space. The mental link was now just a strand of a much larger and stronger link that I plucked at, making Shigure shiver and put out a hand to stop me.
Spiritual link. We now had a bonafide spiritual link. One that looked even more unbreakable than the smaller interwoven mental link.
*"Oh,"* Shigure and I exclaimed together. We exchanged looks and gave a little laugh at the same reaction we had had.
*"Now we have to get married,"* Shigure ruffled my hair and sighed. *"And how am I going to tell this to the Director?"*
*"Should we make a report to the Director about the number of dark lizards and things? We should report the attack, right?"* I said.
*"Yes,"* Shigure agreed. *"I didn't see so many when I scouted the way with Homeward a few months ago. We didn't have this problem."*
*"Well, we know dark lizards are attracted to groups of people with mental abilities or very strong ability centres,"* I said. *"Perhaps there are far more than we thought. If the big lizard didn't come, the situation could have been very bad."*
*"Yes,"* Shigure inclined his head. *"We should contact Homeward first and find out the situation from him. The fact that the big lizard said it had learnt something from us when referring to our link also worries me. It means there are likely many more intelligent creatures out here than expected. I'm lucky that lizard was only testing my strength. If it was a real life and death battle, I would have lost."*
*"And it said there was another even stronger creature further out there ahead of us,"* I added. *"If you struggled with this big lizard, what will we do facing that stronger creature?"*
"How did you get kidnapped by the lizard in the first place?" Shigure asked, bringing us out of our private linked space. It was then I felt all the pain in my body flare up, causing him to wince for me, feeling it through our link. "Oh, Uki-chan, I'm so sorry for being insensitive. I've hurt you."
"Take it as evidence of your great prowess," I said, glancing down at his crotch. "You're so well endowed and have been holding back for so long, I'm surprised you hadn't exploded earlier."
"Stop it, Uki-chan," Shigure covered his face with an arm for a moment. "I won't be able to stop myself if you provoke me again."
"It's alright. It's nothing I haven't felt before. Do it with you could be considered painless compared to…"
My voice drifted and mind wandered. Shigure forcefully dragged my attention back to him before it slipped into a dark hole that had yawned wide, waiting for me to take one more step and fall in.
"Don't think about those times, Uki-chan," he scolded me in a harsh voice. "You don't need to remember or remind me how much and how often I have failed to protect you in the past."
He kissed me aggressively and I returned the kiss. The kiss led to more than a kiss… and in the end we had to start cleaning ourselves up all over again.
It was a good thing that Shigure had a myriad of things in his myriad of hidden pockets. We didn't have to go anywhere for tissues or towels or water. He had wet wipes and even fed me a few biscuits while he was helping clean up my lower body. I was too sore and tired to even sit up. Although he had helped heal my mind and my mental barriers, the healing scars still felt sensitive and raw. I had a very bad headache. Bad enough that I could barely see.
At the same time, he reached out to Homeward to find out how everyone was doing and to report that we were fine. As he reached out, I realised that our mental and even spiritual powers had intertwined, and so my strength was pulled to follow along when he reached out to Homeward.
Upon sensing this, Shigure glanced down at me and rubbed his cheeks. I guessed we were going to both need some time to get used to how closely linked we were together.
*"Shigure? Kim? You're both ok? Why do you both feel so…"* Homeward faltered for words to say. His surprise, shock and joy laced his following words. *"Don't tell me that the two of you have actually… Shigure! I thought you said… Congratulations, you two! This is good news!"*
Shigure glowered at Homeward who brushed off his displeasure with an awkward laugh.
*"Not happy? Not satisfied?"* Homeward teased Shigure, causing Shigure's displeasure sharply to intensify to the point it was hard to breathe. *"Alright. Alright. Everyone back here in the camp are fine. Everyone is just very worried about the two of you. I told them that the big lizard locked you both up to have a chat. That was all."* Homeward became more serious. Where had my taciturn bone soup man gone?
Homeward glanced at me and laughed, having heard my unspoken thought.
*"Kim Na, Shigure's little Uki-chan, all people change. Especially when they meet the light of their lives and fall in love. I'm no longer the lonely old man hiding in a mountain cave mourning over life and what I've lost, not knowing what my future should look like."*
Dammit. He heard me. How had he…
*"Uki-chan, you're broadcasting through our link,"* Shigure told me gently with a smile. *"You're going to have to exercise greater restraint and control over your thoughts in the future."*
Aaargh… I was so not good at control. It seemed easy until you relaxed without knowing it and leaked everything to the other party.
Shigure and Homeward shook their heads and Shigure suppressed my presence, muting me, since he couldn't quite separate me from him right now. That was something we were both going to have to work on. Otherwise how were we going to have our own private lives in the future and give each other space?
Shigure and Homeward exchanged news and glanced at me every now and then. No matter how I tried, I couldn't seem to pull my thoughts back into private mode. It was like the private channel had become that shared couple's channel with Shigure and everything I did came from there. Our coupling had done far more than bring us closely together. We had almost merged into one being.
*"Creator help me,"* Shigure suddenly rubbed his face again, while Homeward patted his back. *"You haven't had this problem with Apricorn?"*
Homeward shook his head.
*"But then Apricorn and I didn't have such a deep relationship or a mental link with each other to start with,"* he said.
The three, no four, of us were pulled into a spiritual space. We were all seated in a pleasant and beautiful garden at a table where there was a steaming teapot. Apricorn looked around herself with confusion, holding the baby who was feeding in her arms.
"You called me?" the Creator asked Shigure, pouring tea for all of us.
Shigure rubbed his face again, not knowing where to start. Seeing he wasn't ready to talk, the Creator turned to Homeward and Apricorn.
"Have no fear. The bond between the two of you will deepen and develop naturally."
Homeward seemed to have a sigh of relief while Apricorn looked conflicted between getting down to kneel, but with the baby feeding in her arms everything was all clumsy.
"No need to bow," the Creator reassured her. "Sit, Daughter, and feed your child."
The baby lifted its head to look at the Creator with a big smile and made a noise.
"And a greeting of peace to you too, little one," the Creator smiled, reaching over to stroke Lutz's head. "Finish your meal."
Lutz once again lowered his head to latch onto Apricorn's breast, sucking away with enjoyment.
"Can someone please explain what is going on?" Apricorn said at last into the ensuing silence.
"Shigure said, 'Creator help me'," I reported. "We were talking to Homeward at the time. And then the Creator called us together. I wasn't expecting you to turn up too. It's nice to see you. When did you wake up?"
"After the battle was long over and they had just cooked dinner," Apricorn replied. "I heard you were kidnapped by a lizard twice and Shigure went after you. Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," I smiled at Apricorn. "More than fine, I…"
"Daughter," the Creator turned to look me in the eye and I quailed. "Last time you asked me that question, did you consider what you should have thought about? There is nothing to be proud of in what you have done."
Ugh. I was in trouble.
I lowered my head.
I really hadn't had that proper conversation with Shigure as I ought to have had, nor did I really consider what was wrong with my thoughts. I had acted on impulse. Again. I didn't quite understand what I had done wrong.
"Son," the Creator turned to Shigure with some disappointment in His eyes. "I expected better from you."
"We were tricked and drugged by that lizard…" Shigure began and then his voice trailed off.
"And in all that none of you asked me for my help? Do none of you think I am strong enough to help you handle the little problems and situations you find yourself in when your own power is insufficient? You know I cannot help you first without your request but you purposely blocked me out. My sons, you know why you didn't call upon me," the Creator addressed both Homeward and Shigure.
Homeward, Shigure and I all hung our heads, knowing we were being chatised. I had completely forgotten about the Creator, but it sounded like one or both of the other two had considered asking the Creator for help, but in the end hadn't done it.
"I thought that we shouldn't grow too reliant on you," Shigure mumbled. "I wanted to try and do things on my own and make you proud."
"And you?" the Creator prodded Homeward.
"I wanted to boast to my wife afterwards about how strong we were," Homeward likewise mumbled.
"Creator Father," I said. "I'm very sorry. I completely forgot that you existed for a moment. Everything happened so fast."
"Then," said the Creator with a sad look, "tell me what a father should do when his children don't think and impulsively go out into dangerous situations without even informing him? I don't want to wait until the very last second when you are screaming for help before I help you. Some of these dangers could have been avoided from the very beginning. I can see more clearly and further than all of you. Why did none of you think to come and inform me or even ask my advice before you began this ill-advised journey to your deaths?"
"Ill-advised?" Shigure's head shot up with wide eyes. "Journey to our deaths?"
"You could have asked me for help or advice at any point," the Creator's serious eyes stared into Shigure's. "You, as my son, or even as my servant, should at least have informed me of what you were planning. I tried to warn you, but you blocked me out. My son, tell me how you would have me help you when you have already made such a mess of things?"
"I've made a mess?" Shigure said in a daze, his eyes filling with tears, looking heartbroken. "I-I thought it would be for the best," his said in a choked voice. "I wanted to revitalise the lost land of the tribal judges. I thought… so… I was wrong?"
"The ancient land of the tribal judges is a land of death. You may not approach. If you go, you and all who go with you shall surely die," the Creator said solemnly. "If you continue this journey, at least half of you will make it there, but once you are there, there will be no turning back. You will assuredly all die there. Take this as a warning for what will happen if you tire of doing what is right. You even brought two innocent people with you."
He looked at the baby and me. Somehow, I felt being likened to the baby rather embarrassing.
"Then…" Shigure hesitated.
"Go back," the Creator said, seeping his gaze across all of us. "The enemy received word of your departure and is even now attacking the city. Go back and defend your people and the Land."
"What?!" Shigure and Homeward sat up straight in shock.
"What should we do?" I asked the Creator with some trepidation. "What is our best course of action?"
I felt the others agree with my question.
"If I tell you, will you obey?" the Creator asked us all.
"Majesty!" Shigure and Homeward immediately slid off their seats and knelt on the ground, indicating their attitude.
Apricorn attempted to follow suit but she was stopped, because the baby was still feeding. I would have, but my legs were still kind of sore and broken.
"Daughters, stay," the Creator nodded. "I have received your intentions."
"Creator, please receive my deepest apologies," Shigure bowed his face to the ground and Homeward followed suit, echoing him. "I have been negligent and irresponsible. I will not neglect to report and seek your commands in the future."
"Good," the Creator nodded once more. "Rise and sit. We have much to go through. Pay attention."
A hand on my head brought my attention back from where I had been wondering whether my legs would be healed and whether what I had done with Shigure was really wrong. What exactly had I done wrong?
"Your questions will be addressed in due time," the Creator told me. "Pay attention first."