Beginning Beyond The Horizon

When goblins start emerging from behind the bushes, Bong and Michio know their best chance for survival is on land. At least on land, they have the ability to fight off and kill predators that attack them.

"Let's make a run for it. Maybe we can catch up with them," Bong said, looking at Michio and then into the sunlight to see the coracle boat floating not far from them. He predicted that if they ran fast enough, they might be able to catch up with the small round boat. "We need to catch that boat before it drifts downstream."

Michio nodded and said, "Alright, let's run."

Michio moved quickly with his three-section staff, and the first goblin pounced on him with a hand-made bone spear. Michio knocked the two-foot goblin to the ground and waved his three-section staff at another goblin running at him. 

Bong quickly climbed up the tree roots to the riverbank, grabbed the dagger, from his belt, and inserted the dagger into the head of the goblin who charged from Michio's left side. Bong looked up and saw that the coracle boat was sailing towards the dawn sunshine.

"Michio, hurry up, we might not be able to catch the boat," Bong shouted as he pushed one goblin into the river and kicked another goblin in the knee, causing the goblin to fall backwards into the bushes. Bong looked up and found that Michio was not far ahead of him. When he heard the screamed of the goblin he pushed into the river, he just started running towards Michio. Out of curiosity, he looked back and found that the Kylista had already swallowed the goblin's lower body in her mouth.

Bong and Michio had trouble moving as fast as they wanted because there were so many goblins attacking them from all directions. When they were able to open the way for them, they found that the white coracle boat had disappeared into the gap between the willow branches. 

"We're too late," Michio frowned.

"It doesn't matter if it's too late or not. We're getting out of here," Bong muttered, waving his dagger at a goblin. "If we continue to fight them, we will soon run out of energy and be killed by them."

Michio and Bong continued to move towards the sun as fast as possible, but the constant attacks of the goblins and the willow branches blocking the way made it difficult for them to move towards their desire destination.

Seeing how exhausted they were from fighting and running, Bong knew he would soon run out of energy. He knew that fighting these ashen goblins wasn't an ideal escape plan.

"Michio, let's run away from them and stop fighting," Bong shouted. "The longer we fight them, the more exhausted we will become, and it will be almost impossible for us to escape."

Michio quickly groped his chest and found the last talisman in his robe. He quickly took out the talisman and threw it at a group of goblins rushing towards Bong from behind.

The talisman becomes a line of fire, burning those closest to Bong and creating an opportunity for Bong to escape. Michio and Bong continued running without looking back, thinking there would be a road ahead, but when they reached the edge of the island, they stared at the crystal clear deep blue sea and realized there was no road ahead for them to escape.

"What are we going to do?" Bong asked in panic. 

Michio looked around and found U-ri standing on a rock not far from him. "U-ri," Michio shouted. "U-ri! This way!" He raised his hands and waved to U-ri, but U-ri didn't seem to look at him. "U-ri!" He turned to Bong. "It seems U-ri didn't hear me."

"U-ri!" Bong yelled, but U-ri stood there looking at the sea below. Bong looked towards U-ri and saw that Yul and Abrafo had dragged the coracle boat to the rock. "Abrafo! Over here!"

Michio and Bong watched as U-ri jumped on board and pulled Hajime aboard, then Hajime and U-ri helped Yul and Abrafo get into the boat.

Bong felt very frustrated and said angrily, "Why can't they hear our voices?" He turned his head crazily and looked at the sea. The coracle boat slowly drifted away from where Michio and him were standing. Bong saw Abrafo stand up, put his hands at the corners of his mouth, and look in their direction. It looked like Abrafo was shouting, but Bong didn't hear anything. "No wonder they can't hear us." He turned to look at Michio. "It looks like we can't hear them. This place... is like a different dimension. Whatever happens here, we can't be heard on the other side."

"So, if we want to hear their voices, we have to enter their dimension," Michio said.

Bong sighed and said, "My thoughts are the same as yours. We have to get out of here as soon as possible."

Michio looked back and saw many goblins walking towards their way. "Let's jump," Michio said.

Bong said, "Jump? But Michio... you can't swim."

Michio said, "Teach me something I can learn quickly."

Bong said, ""Well, floating backward is the simplest move." 

Michio grabbed Bong's right hand and said, "We talk in the water."

Bong turned and found that the goblins are less than a hundred feet away from them. "Agree!" He grabbed onto Michio's hand.

Michio and Bong ran to the edge of the island and jumped into the river.

The coracle boat sailed steadily along the clear blue sea, the Tanzanies on the coracle boat looking back from time to time to see if they could spot Michio and Bong. 

"We cannot continue to sit idly by," Abrafo said. "I will go back."

U-ri looked at Abrafo and asked, "How do you plan to go back? Swimming?"

Abrafo said, "If that is what I have to do then I will do it."

Yul said, "Abrafo, you stay."

"Yul..." Hajime looked up at Yul and whispered.

Yul said, "I'm a stronger swimmer."

U-ri said, "We don't know what's underneath the river."

Yul said, "We have been out at sea for a while, if there is anything danger, it would have already approach us."

U-ri frowned, "If our boat doesn't capsize, we wouldn't lose everything, and Hajime would have summoned his eagle to go back to look for them."

Hajime said, "U-ri is right. This boat is heading towards No Man's Land. We can't change its designated course, but I can used other methods to help Michio and Bong." He looked at Yul and Abrafo. "You two try to dive down and see if you can find anything for me."

Abrafo asked, "Anything?"

Hajime smiled and said, "Anything is fine, wood is better, but now anything is better than nothing."

Yul and Abrafo stripped down to their underwear and the two Tanzanies jumped into the sea. After diving again and again, the two Tanzanies came back empty-handed.

Yul grabbed the side of the boat, looked up at Hajime and said, "There's nothing. There doesn't seem to be any living things in this sea."

U-ri looked at the clear water and said, "Well, this is not good. If there are no living things in this sea, that means... If we don't die of dehydration, we will die of starvation."

Hajime sighed and said, "I can't believe there isn't a single creature in this vase sea."

Abrafo surfaces and asks, "How about this?" He shows Yul and Hajime a turtle shell.

Hajime looked at the turtle shell and said, "Well, like I said, something is better than nothing." He reached out and grabbed the turtle shell from Abrafo. "You two better get out. It's not good to stay in salt water for too long."

Hajime stretched out his hand and pulled Yul up. Yul turned around and pulled Abrafo up onto the boat.

Abrafo looked at Hajime and asked, "What are you going to do with that shell?"

Hajime said, "Creating a sea turtle to go find Michio and Bong." 

Hajime sat down, took out his dagger, and began to carve symbols on the carapace. Hajime sat quietly, concentrating on each scute until the entire carapace was covered with symbols. Hajime slashed his left palm with a knife and sprinkled the blood all over the symbols carved on the carapace.

Hajime smiled and looked up at the three Tanzanies who was staring at him. "Now, everything is done and ready to go," he said with a smile. "Why are you looking at me like this?"

Yul asked, "So, is this how you made your wooden eagles and the wolves?"

Hajime smiled and nodded. He turned the turtle shell over to see if the blood had dried. "It's not as bad as you think," he said. He raised his left palm. "You see, the wound has healed. Lately, any wound I normally have has healed as quickly as it did back then. Remember when I mentioned I was broken?"

The three Tanzanies nodded to Hajime.

Hajime smiled and said, "Well, after giving birth to Meiji, it seems that my strength has finally returned to its original state, so from now on, you don't have to worry about me not being able to recover after being injured."

Yul looked at Hajime, the red scar was still obvious. "What about that scar? When will it heal and disappear?" he asked.

Hajime sighed and said, "This scar will stay with me for the rest of my life." He smiled. "But Yul, don't worry, we still have fifty years to spend together." He was afraid of seeing Yul's tears, perhaps because he was more afraid that Yul would see his tears and start questioning him, so he quickly turned around to the side of the boat and put the shell on the water. "Let's go, little guy, go bring Michio and Bong here." Hajime watched the black turtle shell sink into the sea.