Mizuchi.

[Lang]

It seemed he was finally getting through to the teen; perhaps there was hope for him yet. Despite their unfamiliarity with one another, and the circumstances under which they met, Rael did in fact have the older boy's best interests at heart. Had he wanted to try anything underhanded against his new companion, he would have done so back when they first met, instead of dragging it out. They may have gotten off to a rocky start, but honestly, how many new relationships started off on an immaculate, perfectly paved road?

He listened in rapt attention to the newly-named "Han" as they moved along, genuinely interested. "Heh, money's always good. To be honest, Han, I can't really say I blame you for trying what you did earlier; we all got our troubles up and down, and unfortunately money's a solution to most of them. You always gotta think about two things though, mate, when doing any sort of business, and that's "What do I get out of it?", and "what do I risk losing?" A simple concept, but one that was applied to every decision made, not just business. It might sound a tad strange coming from someone about a decade too early to even start shaving, but hey, knowledge came in all forms and sizes.

"Once this jaunt's done, if you're still interested, I'm sure I can hook you up with some work close by. You won't be hurting for money right after this, but if you want to think long term as well, it's definitely worth considering, especially if you want to have your own place someday."

The questions regarding himself he mostly kept vague about, letting on just enough to satiate the other boy's curiosity for now. "Let's just say I'm a little older than I look; I can't do much about the height thing though, so don't rub it in." Bit funny, how he knew he was a ninja, but didn't recognize a simple Bunshin for what it was. Then again, they were pretty close to Kirigakure; it wouldn't have been unusual for Han to come across one or two in the past. "What I did back there is beginner-level stuff. If you ever get the chance to come visit, I'll show you around my hometown; you'll really get an eye-opener then."

Eventually, the pair of them finally made it down to the docks, the smell of seawater greeting the duo along with the sound of brewing trouble. In the din of noises, the name of a particular individual stood out, and Rael immediately associated it with the figure he was meant to contact. Beckoning for Han to follow closely, they would approach the group at a steady pace, the iryou-nin waiting to hear a bit more before making a call.

[Yox]

As the boy spoke, Han felt more and more inspired by him. The kid was years younger than him, but seemed to be as if he was more mature. He was taking lessons from the nine year-old as if he were a school teacher. Rael had so much more going for him in his life than Han did. A subtle feel of jealousy cut through his body as the pair of them walked along the wooden planks of the docks.

"I hope so my friend..." he trailed off whilst the voices of the group ahead caught the attention of the pair. As they moved closer, the captain would take note of their arrival. "Ah, it seems we have our guest..." he finished off whilst glancing to the two of them. Old man Revāj had informed the fisherman that only one boy would be joining them. Who was the other one that joined him?

"Right... well. One more sailor will be joining us boys. The currents will be changing soon. I don't want to be going out there too late otherwise we wont make it home. Let's get a move on! Remember, you're being paid for this you bunch of slackers." The captain informed his crew as they stood up from their crouched positions. They then proceeded to head onto the fishing boat that was docked beside them.

It was a medium-sized boat that could fit a maximum of thirty people. There would be no problem with the group of people that would be heading out on this day. As the pair of boys would get on the boat, they would set-sail to the destination that they were bound. Both Rael and Han would not know where they were going. Perhaps they would question the captain on what was to come.

It was always good to be prepared.

[/font][/justify]

[Lang]

Well, whatever falling-out the sailors had brewing apparently diffused upon seeing the two of them. Rael observed their man "Yugai" as his gaze alternated between the pair, obviously not expecting extra company. With Han being the older one, and by significant years to boot, the fisherman would likely assume he was the one 'in charge', or at least directly recruited by old man Revāj; the young Genin filed away this extra tidbit for future use. In the meantime, he enthusiastically pulled at Han's arm for him to follow the others on board, playing the part of an overeager child, rather than the duo's leader.

As they set sail from Water Country's main island mass, Rael observed the direction their captain set as a course towards their unknown destination, keeping close to Han at all times. Occasionally, he would tug on the older boy's sleeve and point at something completely mundane; the shinobi had an appearance to keep up after all. Roughly half an hour after they left the docks, Rael tottered over to helm of the ship, where Yugai was commandeering the vessel.

"Hey, hey, mister! How far out is the area we're fishing anyway? Will we be able to make it back before dinnertime?" he asked, putting equal parts curiosity and excitement into his tone. Not only would the captain's answer verify his objective's location relative to Kirigakure and the other nations' boundaries, but by insinuating they were there to participate in fishing as well, Yugai would be inclined to correct him as to their real purpose for going there as well.

[Yox]

➢ Han glanced down at the boy as he was pulled by him around the boat. Moments beforehand the child had been the more mature one of the pair, now he was acting his age. Unaware of what was going on, Han simply just went with it. It was better off that way. The teenager had never been off into the ocean surrounding the Water Country. His first experience on the seas was already one that he would remember. Han's stomach grumbled as the boat rocked with the waves. He was getting seasick. As the pair of them reached the area in which the captain of the ship stood, Han departed from his blonde counterpart to find the toilet. His face was already pale green. It was obvious where he was going.

➢ Even though Rael was now alone, the captain would respond to him if he was supposed to be on the trip with them. "Look," he said whilst scanning the seas in front of him, "I'm being paid to take whoever showed up to a cave just west of here. It's about 20 kilometres from here. It'll be better if you go below with your friend and just let me navigate. It was a bit hard to find the last time we went out there. I just need to focus." The captain walked away from Rael after he finished speaking. Perhaps he was troubled due to the fact that he wasn't going to be paid if he didn't find the cave again. Or perhaps it could have been the cave itself that was on his mind. What was out there?

Later on...

➢ The boat had finally reached the destination. As the anchor was dropped off the front of the fishing boat, the captain headed toward the two newcomers for a quick briefing. "Alright we don't know what's down there. I don't know why the old man wanted to send two boys to go investigate, but I suppose it beats me going down there. We'll be here waiting for you to come back. If you can't find us then you can use this." The captain handed Han a flare gun with a single round in it. He then moved to the port side of the boat and gestured toward the entrance to the cave. It was a small sandy beach front that this cave sat on. There was no way around it, one simply just had to go through.

➢ As the boys would enter the cave, they would take note of the pearls that lined the walls. Though these pearls would not budge. They were held in place by something much more than just the hold of the surrounding rocks. Within the cave came a long, drowning sound of the wind. It echoed from the walls and extended deep within. The area in front of them was filled with the unknown. If they were to stand in the wrong spot, touch the wrong thing, then they would pay the consequences for it. There was something living within this cave. It was important for the boys to understand that anything could jump out at them. Perhaps it would be a liability to have a non-shinobi in the pair? Whatever the scenario, Rael would have to keep his guard up at all times.

Proceed with caution.

[/font][/justify]

[Lang]

At least now I have a better idea of where we’ll end up. Not that it really helps in this case.

There was little else to be uncovered from Yugai’s words, when he wasn’t being purposely cryptic. No, it was through his actions and evident concern that put Rael on edge. The Genin didn’t question him any further; given the man’s current state of mind, he was liable to turn nasty if peppered with any more. Therefore, he simply did as instructed, heading below deck to check up on Han. Upon discovering the boy’s less-than-stellar condition, he would search the fishing vessel for a canteen of water, along with some flavorless saltine crackers, before bringing them back to the teen. The latter would need to be well-hydrated and free of his upset stomach before they docked at the island cave.

Upon arrival, the captain wasted no time in handing them a single-shot flare gun, which he allowed Han to hold onto. "Just come if you see any loud explosions going off in the sky." Given what they were getting themselves into, the firearm might not even be an option once they were done with this. Tugging Han along once more, the pair of them descended from the vessel onto the sandy beach, and made their way into the yawning mouth.

Immediately upon entering, Rael let go of Han's arm, as they witnessed the marvelous sight of walls inlaid with pearls; it was just as old man Revāj said it would be. However, there were things that needed to be cleared up before they proceeded any further. "I know it's tempting, Han, but for now, don't touch any of the pearls or anything else unusual you might see. We'll have plenty of time for more detailed perusal once everything's done." Beckoning for the teen to follow his example, Rael suddenly kneeled, placing both palms flat on the cave's surface and kowtowed three times, though to which hidden being or deity he paid tribute, remained a mystery.

Rising from his unexpected tribute, Rael addressed Han once more, as he took point and slowly led them further into the cave, careful to watching his footing on the uneven surface. "I'll cover our front and sides; focus your attention on our backside, in case we need to make a quick escape."

[Yox]

The eye-sight of the young boys would adjust to the darkness of the cave the longer the pair spent in there. Nothing awaited them in the darkness. Well, at least not at the current moment. The boys would be walking through a tunnel, with Han flanking Rael at the rear.

The walls of the cave were marked with inscriptions. On closer inspection, Rael and Han would discover signs of water mythology. Tridents held in the hands of both men and women that were half-human, half-fish. The stories of their childhood had turned to life. Whether these inscriptions represented what awaited them within the cave or not could not be assumed at present. There was one drawing which was different from the rest. A larger merman held a single blade within his hands. If Rael was to look closer, he would identify the blade as the Gariantou.

The tunnel would eventually come to an end. It would open up into a medium-sized cavern. Ahead of them, a body of water with a single rock platform in the middle. A path extended from the land the pair of boys were standing on toward the platform in the middle. It was impossible to tell how deep the water was due to the lack of lighting in the cavern, however the illuminating pearls and crystals on the side allowed for some vision to be seen.

A single shadowy figure lay on the platform in the middle. It was an individual with long hair, possibly a female. Half of her body was out of the water, resting on the platform. The other half remained in the water. Though the pair of boys could not see it, the female that lay ahead of them was indeed a mermaid. She was singing to herself.

The voice would entice both of the boys, especially Han. Han rushed ahead of Rael as the two of them would enter the cavern. "It's a girl! She looks hurt. We've got to help her!" The girl ignored the voice of Han as he edged closer to the mermaid. Whether Rael followed was on his own accord. As Han reached the girl, he dropped to his knees to examine her. "Are you alright?" He asked her as he fixed her hair up.

Upon touching her hair, the mermaid grabbed ahold of Han's arm. She looked up into his face as he grabbed her. As the boys would now see the face of the girl, they would see that she was inflicted with pure beauty. "A land-dweller?" She inspected Han whilst continuing to hold him by his forearm. "What are you two doing here?"

[/font][/justify]

[Lang]

The cave, as they carefully ventured further into its depths, was turning out to be both a spelunker and mythologist's gold mine. The natural, precious stones found all around them were valuable indeed, but Rael was more interested in the many inscriptions they found carved into the surrounding walls. These rudimentary designs, while a step up from crude cave drawings and even obscure hieroglyphics, still appeared rather simple, suggesting they were not made in recent times. However, while uncertain of the specifics, he managed to get the general gist of things. For one, the 'characters' shown didn't look human, unless there were half-man, half-fish people walking around that he wasn't aware of.

And the Hoshigaki don't count. Though maybe someone with that bloodline could provide further insight once I get back.

These 'mermen', as he would henceforth refer to them as such, didn't exactly seem like they were a peaceful civilization either. Both males and females of the race were wielding nasty-looking tridents, suggesting the latter saw no less of combat than their counterparts. One of the carvings, depicting a larger merman than the rest, held a most unusual weapon in his hands, resembling an oversized sai or three-pronged sword. Was that the Gariantou old man Revāj talked about, or just another oddity in their culture? There was no time to dwell on the subject further, as the very faint sound of someone singing further in the cave drifted to their present location. He didn't know if Han was able to hear it; judging from the way he barely reacted, likely not.

What came next was a jumbled mess of events. As the cave opened up into a cavern, completely covered by water with exception of a small platform, Rael immediately took note of the half-submerged figure lying on the circular patch of rock in the center. By now, Han was definitely able to hear her voice, as he completely disregarded what the Genin told him earlier, rushing forward of his own accord with a dumb excuse for doing so. The woman's voice was compelling, yes, but his shinobi training allowed him to scope out the situation without being distracted. Also, at his young age, Rael had no particular interest in the supposed 'fairer sex', and so wasn't nearly as affected as his companion.

...How does she look hurt if she's singing to herself perfectly fine?

Releasing a small sigh at Han's ignorance, the iryou-nin followed behind at a much slower, normal person's walking pace. As the teen civilian kneeled down to handle the woman's hair, Rael had the sudden urge to facepalm. "Han, you're being rude. Let her go." As her arm shot out to grab Han's own meddling hands, the Genin didn't react aggressively in the slightest. Stopping just at the edge of the path leading to the pair, he bowed at the waist towards the woman in apology. "Please forgive him for his impudence, miss; he is not well-learned in social etiquette I'm afraid. We are explorers of the unknown, and I apologize for the both of us if we've disturbed your personal quiet." Little did he know just yet, she was no mere "miss".

[Yox]

The woman inspected the young blonde boy as he came closer. She had a thing for handsome boys. Although young, this child looked as if he would bloom into someone she would fancy. But his age had turned her off. She focused back onto the older boy in which she had in her grasp. Perhaps he would have to do. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Mai and I am the guardian of Mizushiro. It has been quite sometime that I have seen anyone really. I'm excited to see you two very much."

The woman moved out of the water. Strangely enough, she had a set of legs. Her upper body became covered with her falling luscious green hair. She wore tight shorts that extended to her upper thigh on her pants. To all that would look at her, she emitted a glowing aura of beauty. It was hard to resist her tempting spirit. The young boy, Rael, would begin to feel mixed emotions about the female. Something that he would find very difficult to snap out of. Something was definitely off about this situation. Han could not notice it though, merely living in the moment.

Han stood up after being let go of on his wrist. He moved his chest out in an attempt to show off his masculinity to the female that stood before them. Quickly turning to Rael, Han gave him the 'look' as if he should piss off and let him deal with her. Awaiting no response from the boy, Han edged closer to the female and began to speak to her. "My name is Han. It's a pleasure to meet someone as so beautiful as you. I'm sure you get comments about it all the time. How come you are the guardian? I'm assuming that Mizushiro is the home that awaits us below, right?"

She re-adjusted her stance before responding to the adolescent. Her hips moved from side to side, attracting the gaze of Han as he finished speaking. If Rael was paying attention, he would notice that Han was slowly losing his basic instincts of defence. This was an unknown woman from an unknown world. Surely he would find it strange that they would come across a beautiful woman lying across the face of a rock singing to herself whilst submerged within water. Hopefully Rael would pick something up.

She grinned in response to the boy, showing off her perfect teeth to the lad. "I'm the guardian because no one can resist me," she giggled whilst resting her back on the front of Han's body. She ran her finger up his neck and played with his hair at the back. Han responded with a gasp that suggested the words "you've got that right." He moved his own hands upon her hips, holding her against him as she continued to play with his hair. A second later was when the bite came.

Directly to his neck, the female latched on and would not let go. Han screamed as his arms rose upon the girl's shoulders, attempting to push her away from him. She would not move though. As for the boy Rael, he would be stopped momentarily in his place. It was imperative to understand that her singing prior had not been a simple campfire tune. It was much more than that. The mermaids of this civilisation had developed a technique to lure unsuspecting fishermen into their lair. The tempting songs they sang did the job, and many men were lead to their untimely death.

It was if the song had played with the boys' senses. Han lacked any sort of strength to throw the girl off, screaming as she continued to gnaw at his neck. But the screams of the boy did something more. They would disrupt the effect of the sound on the younger boy of the duo. Rael was now free to move. Would he attempt to save his companion, or would he leave him to die whilst retreating back to the outside world? The choice was his.