"Don't bring her up!" Wai snarled, his expression becoming dangerous before he collected himself and a cunning smile took over his face.
"You're still as smart as I remember, yes I miss her, but I'm doing this for her"
"It is not the right way!" Tasuki snapped for the first time since their meeting.
"Who are you to tell me the right way, how many men have died for your so-called right way?" Tasuki matched his tone with both men breathing fire.
"Many must be sacrificed for the greater good, you know that, it's the oath of a fisher and those men were more than willing to die for the cause" Tasuki said to remind his friend of the oath they had taken.
"How is that different from what I'm doing?" Wai laughed bitterly. "I saw her die because of me!" his voice broke.
"What you are doing is sacrificing people by using them as bait, Nau died a honourable death, you are tainting her image by naming this evil cause after her!" Tasuki reasoned again. He knew the death of Nau had broken Wai but he had been broken too. She was like his sister and he would be lying if he said he hadn't spent sleepless nights to mourn her death. That night had been the worst night of his life and it had claimed half the warrior fishers. But even so they had made many discoveries that night. Over The blood of their comrades they had
learned more about the enemy and they were able to push them south and claim several islands.
"Seems we must stand on opposite sides of each other my friend" wai said finally with a pained expression on his face.
Tasuki had no choice in this matter either. He had tried to put it off for a while with his head warriors but it was impossible to avoid this forever. He didn't want another warrior on this mission. If anyone was to face off his once dear friend in an honour fight then it could only be him. If tables were turned he would expect the same.
"Seems so" Tasuki said as his hand curled around his sword. A warrior should never cry but even he couldn't stop the lone tear that ran down his left cheek. He had not only lost one friend that night, he had lost two. Tonight he was going to lose the other forever. "Now we fight." Tasuki said, meeting his friend's face with resolve even as his soul shattered into pieces. In a swift movement he had unsheathed karma taking a mere second to admire its deadly glint in the darkness before he charged in the air to meet the other warrior on his rafter.
"You are still as cold as ever" Wai said with a smile as their swords crashed like thunder causing sparks to ignite. Tasuki got a sense of deja vu. They had always practiced with Wai and they always tied in combat. It was not any different now. Though wai's moves were a bit reckless and rogue now he still moved with swift agility. Wai moved quickly standing on one foot as he propelled his body forward forcing Tasuki to jump back to his raft. The two
exchanged blows but if the moon was watching that night it could testify that their fight looked like a dance. A soul dance that carried love, regret, pain, understanding and most of all, goodbyes. The stars could shed tears and testify that it was not enemies who stood with a sword to each other's throat but friends who were doing what they loved for the last time and none of them wanted to leave that place alive. The heavens could have given evidence that they were both holding back and they almost seemed that they didn't want their dance to end.
"You are still a nuisance Wai" Tasuki blocked yet another attack from Wai "You have grown weak." he scoffed as they attacked and defended faster than a normal eye could catch yet it seemed like a beautiful dance. The fight prolonged and still no one wanted to take the lethal blow even as sweat dripped from their faces and their hands bled from the bruises from the impact of their swords meeting.
"You just got slower" Wai mocked in an attempt to edge his friend on to render the fatal blow but yet Tasuki knew his friend's intention as pain edged their brows. As the night proceeded it was clear neither of the fishermen was ready to render the final blow. Maybe that was the curse of the heart. Even the strongest warrior once in their life fell short to something like the blood running in their veins. The heart could not allow betrayal against itself. Perhaps nature could have pity on them and let them die of exhaustion or perhaps something more evil and sinister was watching and waiting for a simple mistake to dine on the two warriors.
The latter was true because Tasuki and Wai hadn't realized they had stepped in the uncleansed waters. Perhaps they knew or perhaps they didn't care. Maybe one of them noticed and one of them didn't care to notice. Yet deep in the waters the natural predator of Satu waters rejoiced.
No careless human dared to pass the uncleansed barriers and yet here two pieces of meat stood. Its tentacles inched with malice and hunger and they edged closer to one raft. It moved slowly yet steadily. Its companions moved behind him waiting for their leader's attack. They lay in wait black as night with eyes bleeding red and silent like the deepest depths of the ocean.
Then it happened. A long tentacle sprang out of the water faster than light as Tasuki jumped into the air to continue his assault. Things happened quickly as the tentacled shot out a strong hand pushed him mid air using the momentum to throw him onto his raft which was still close to the cleansed waters. Before Tasuki could get his footing another tentacle came for him which he sliced swiftly with his sword. But That wasn't the reason his eyes were wide in shock. Wai had saved him and his raft was now completely engulfed with black sticky tentacles as they tried to pull him under. Even as he fought relentlessly it was clear he was going to lose.
"Nooo Wai! What did you do! Why did you save me you asshole! Why do I have to owe you my life!" Tasuki roared tears flowing down his eyes. He could see a smile on Wai's face as both his hands were captured.
"I won't let you die for me!" Tasuki screeched as he charged forward on his raft karma tightly in his hand. He was going to save his friend. "You are not allowed to die till I kill you!" he yelled again, tearing through the two dozen creatures with new found vigor. He would rather die than watch then take another of his friends even though he had planned to kill him.
"I am a fisherman and as long as I have my sword I will kill you" he whispered a promise to the heavens. A promise he was willing to keep.