by Noah Harris
Barry stepped forward into the clearing, to investigate further. He stared at the mountain in awe, taking in the sprawling majesty. As he looked up, a feeling of dread crept into his very soul. He wasn’t sure if it was the mountain or just being on this island too long, but something about it was unsettling. He looked at it closer, discovering a pattern of carvings in the rock. Crawling up the sides were large lines in groups of three, sharply etched into the mountain with seemingly random placement, except the ones on the left were lower than the ones on the right.
That’s weird, he thought. With no footing or ledges, how could anyone have carved the rock up that high?
“Barry! There you are!” Xanathen’s voice called out across the clearing. He came running through the brush and stopped right beside Barry. “I went the other way!”
“I just wanted to check out the mountain. I saw it before, but I wanted to get a better look at it,” Barry replied. “I was thinking of climbing it. You game?”
“No,” Xanathen said sternly, as his face darkened. “We must go.”
“What? You chicken? Afraid I’ll beat you or what?”
“Barry, this mountain is sacred. All are forbidden to touch it.”
Xanathen’s body was tense, and he had transformed from being jovial to serious in a matter of seconds. He looked down at Barry harshly, his eyes now dark and solemn. Barry swallowed a lump in his throat as he absorbed the seriousness of the moment.
“Oh. Uh...right then. Shall we go?”
Xanathen nodded, waiting for Barry to go first. Taking the not-so-subtle hint, Barry obliged, creeping away from the mountain and back into the woods, with Xanathen trailing closely behind him. They went down their originally intended path in silence, though Barry continued to look up over the treetops to see the mountain, at least until the foliage of the forest got so thick it obscured the rocky monster.
Their silence continued, and though Barry was brimming with curiosity, he managed to curb it. He had grown to respect Xanathen and he felt that asking would only drive him closer to anger. If this strange new friend felt the mountain was sacred, there was no questioning the why of it. His first thought had been how silly and superstitious that was, but he quickly put that thought aside and scolded himself for it.
“I’m sorry about that,” Xanathen interjected through the silence. “You’re an outlander. I’m guessing you didn’t know.”
“I didn’t, so yeah, you guessed right.”
“That mountain is sacred to our people. Those who attempt to climb it are stricken down by the wrath of the gods.”
“Oh. Uh...sounds dangerous,” Barry replied uncomfortably. “I wasn’t trying to offend you, I—”
“Just don’t go near it, alright?”
Barry nodded in agreement. Xanathen’s expression soon warmed up a bit and he led the way down the path. Barry’s mind kept returning to the mountain. Each time it was visible beyond the trees or clouds, his curiosity resurfaced. While he was a modern man embracing technology and science, he couldn’t help that his mind wandered, thinking about something so sacred. He wondered whether people had actually died trying to climb it. He scoffed a little. The obvious answer was that they fell to their doom attempting it and that had then been interpreted as being smote by God, or some sort of god anyway. He felt a bit silly for even considering the notion that someone could actually be struck down simply for touching a mountain.
His eyes then wandered to the other mountain, the one that was Xanathen. While he felt it was an odd request, it was a request from someone whose respect he was trying to earn. He didn’t want to lose the trust of someone who could potentially keep him safe or perhaps even get him home! Besides, he was beginning to genuinely enjoy the company of this strange man. He found his enthusiasm charming and almost infectious, though he could do without being woken every day at the crack of dawn. While he thought Xanathen’s way of speaking was odd, and his mannerisms peculiar, his voice was soothing and calm, yet it still contained bouts of passion and excitement. The man held himself with such a noble presence that even his way of walking seemed regal and precise, most of it, anyway. It reminded him of the sea; how it rocked so calmly, yet occasionally broke into enormous crashing waves. He couldn’t help but be entranced by the way the big man spoke. He found the loud, boisterous laugh of his new friend to be a riot to experience, making him chuckle and even laugh. He couldn’t help but feel that if he lost Xanathen he would lose something very special.
He even enjoyed watching the way the big man moved. Watching the large, muscular body move as fluidly as it did, was a wonder to him. He liked watching him walk, run, and stretch. He even thought his face was entertaining. It was very expressive, reflecting the emotion of everything he did. And his hair, though not alive, seemed to be fuelled by a sense of motion and feeling. Barry would smile as he watched the mohawk flop back and forth, or bolt upright with his brow when he got excited. Bottom line, he was beginning to find out a lot of interesting things about Xanathen and he enjoyed his company very much. Barry even enjoyed the silences they shared, because even when Xanathen didn’t say anything, his silence could speak volumes. Barry felt strange admitting to himself that he had never before felt this excited about, or drawn to, anyone.
As the sun began to fade, giving a pinkish-orange hue to the overhanging clouds on the horizon, a rushing sound filled the air. Xanathen’s eyebrows rose with excitement as he stopped and turned to Barry. He tilted his head towards the sound and began to run, leaving Barry to follow.
The trees began to thin out, eventually revealing a cascading waterfall. Beautiful clear water raced down from the slope above, crashing into the lake below. The water was crystal clear, so translucent that the bottom of the lake was visible to the naked eye. As it grew deeper, the water turned from light to dark blue. The lake was shaped like a kidney bean; the waterfall centered right on the bend. The pale sunlight crept in from a distance, its rays on the water a dazzling sight as it reflected off thousands of ever-changing angles.
Exotic flowers bloomed in bursts of purples and blues, dangling down from winding vines to touch the grass. They came in various shapes and sizes. Large indigo clusters of small flowers hugged the bushes as deep sky-blue blossoms bloomed in the shape of stars. Some trees even bore fruits of a deep crimson, dangling low and shining temptingly.
Barry grinned as he knelt beside the lake, cupped his hands, and let the cold-water slip down his dry throat. He immediately felt refreshed, but just had to get another handful. He drank again and again, pausing only to stare at his reflection in the water. His face looked back at him, reflecting even his facial expressions as they contorted his face. From behind Barry’s head a familiar fin-like Mohawk sprouted. Xanathen stepped forward, allowing his own reflection to ripple above Barry’s, reminding him of a totem pole. He could see Xanathen’s pleased smile as he looked at this place with pride. His chest puffed out and he sighed with a grin on his face, like someone looking over their favorite piece of work. Barry noticed the crooked smirk that started to spread across the big man’s face. He scrambled to get up from the ground, but he felt a large foot on his butt and knew he was too late. With a shove from the big leg, Xanathen playfully sent Barry splashing into the lake.
“You asshole!” Barry shouted, smacking the water and sending a spray in his direction. Xanathen just stood there and tossed his head back, laughing heartily at his own prank. Barry bobbed up and down in the lake, his damp hair plastered to his head and his fatigues now drenched. Fortunately, they were made to get wet, but it was the principle of the thing. He looked sourly at Xanathen who just continued to laugh. He eventually knelt down at the lakeside with a triumphant grin.
“You think that’s funny?” Barry asked.
“Very.”
“Oh, then you won’t mind when I do this!” Barry flung his hands up and grabbed Xanathen, pulling him into the lake with him.
The water bubbled briefly and Xanathen’s hair rose to the surface first, s
urprisingly only slightly damp. The rest of his head came bursting out of the water with a loud gasp and a peal of laughter while Barry pulled himself onto the shore. He looked back at Xanathen, who let the water cling to his clothes and caress his body as he floated on the surface. He looked down at himself for a moment and with an awkward shrug, quickly shed his sopping wet fatigues and threw them toward the bushes, exposing himself to all.
Xanathen turned and looked him over before Barry could hide himself beneath the water. Those golden eyes seemed dazzled and didn’t look away. He looked as if he had found the rarest stone of all. “Barry, is this another contest of yours?” he asked finally, his voice sounding strange.
“What?” Barry twisted awkwardly in the water, hiding himself immediately and regretting his impulsive choice.
“If this is a contest of who looks better naked, you definitely win,” Xanathen’s toothy grin returned. Barry flushed and began to scramble for his clothes.
“No need to hide yourself. It’s only natural!” Xanathen continued reassuringly. “I’ll join you! Here, see?” Xanathen pulled himself out of the water, letting his drenched clothes drop in a heap right next to Barry’s fatigues. Meanwhile, Barry stood frozen in place, unable to tear his eyes off Xanathen. Without the barrier of clothes he could see the curves of all those well-developed muscles, each and every one. Though the clothes certainly didn’t hide them very well, they did camouflage the details, and now they were on full display. His dark muscles were highlighted around the edges by the light that shone on them. His sturdy pecs puffed out with pride while his legs stood like those of an immaculate statue. Barry’s eyes slowly crept down from his large chest, past his muscular abs and down to his crotch. Dormant and flaccid, it dangled past his large balls. Barry gasped internally as he looked at it with mild embarrassment but also intrigue. He knew how cold that water was, yet there it hung like nothing had happened. Either chilly water didn’t faze Xanathen at all, or considering shrinkage, his penis must have been truly enormous to start with. It was pretty impressive right now. He felt the blood rush to his face as he thought about it while he shyly gazed on, embarrassed, but yet unable to look away. Xanathen controlled his boastful grin and looked down at Barry, seeming to appreciate all that he had as well. His smile was now tender and soft, his eyelids lowered. Barry looked up, unsure of what to make of the look on his face. He was certainly being friendly.
“See? No reason to be shy. I’m right here,” Xanathen assured him. He then bent his knees, wrapped his arms around Barry and picked him up. He held him tight in his arms, smiling down proudly. Barry flinched, and reacted by wrapping his arms around Xanathen, pressing his face into the strong, smooth chest, unsure of what was going to happen next. Xanathen then wound up his muscles and bolted toward the lake, jumping into the water with one enormous splash.
The two bobbed in the cool water, letting it wrap around their bodies and run down their heads. There was a brief moment of awkward tension as they surfaced, but it was soon broken by laughter and the two men splashing each other playfully. The sun glistened as it shone on the lake, Barry and Xanathen crawled out to dry off a bit, only to leap back in again more nimbly than before. They would rate each other’s technique and critique one another constantly claiming that they could do better. After only a few minutes, even as the water reflected every bit of their bodies, Barry felt his shame and embarrassment simply blow away in the breeze. Xanathen’s bold reassurance boosted Barry’s confidence and made him feel more comfortable than anyone ever had. He could see in his eyes there was no judgement, only endless curiosity, and a kind of perceptiveness that only many years of wisdom could achieve. Barry continued to scramble out of the water and dive back in, no longer caring how much of himself was exposed.
The sun sank into the thick clouds on the horizon, surrendering the world to the dense darkness of the night. Xanathen and Barry continued to swim despite the darkness. Xanathen’s eyes were used to it, while Barry’s had adapted slightly over the weeks. They swam and floated aimlessly, enjoying the harmless embrace of the water. Barry floated on his back with his arms extended, looking up at the pitch-black sky with a frown. Though dark, he could tell he wasn’t looking at the sky but the clouds that seemed to permanently obscure it.
“So Xanathen, I never asked. Is this place always cloudy?” Barry asked somberly as he stared out past the trees.
“Hm? No, of course not,” Xanathen swam nearby, sculpting small waves with his muscular arms.
“Really? I haven’t seen the sky even once since I got here. I should’ve been able to at least see the moon by now. This place is just fog and clouds.”
“That’s not true; you can see the sun sometimes.”
“Sometimes, sure. But even then, just barely,” Barry splashed his arms against the water in protest as he continued to try and stare down the cloud-covered sky. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Like, I’ve heard of some places being cloudier than others, but this is beyond weird.”
Xanathen stopped swimming as he joined Barry, staring up into the sky with a serious scowl. He turned, and then, paddling himself further away, muttered something beneath his breath that was just barely audible over the cries of the nocturnal birds. He seemed satisfied as he swam back to Barry, tapping him on the shoulder and pointing to the sky.
“Look, see? It’s right there, like it always is,” he announced as he pointed. As if on command, the clouds overhead began to separate and reveal the moon. The pale heavenly body was full and radiant as it bestowed a pale light on the world below, reflecting on the lake around them. Ghostly halos echoed, surrounding it as the light illuminated the now thin and misty clouds. As gentle as the light was, it still seemed strong and powerful, almost daring anything to get in its way. Barry’s eyes fixed on it in awe. It was the largest he had ever seen the moon before…in his entire life. He had always had a mental image of it being about the size of a dime, but tonight it hung in the sky as big as a silver dollar.
“Wow...I’ve never seen it that big before,” he said.
“Oh. Well, of course it’s large, it’s the moon,” Xanathen replied with a smug grin.
“Yeah, the moon’s large alright, but it’s not usually that big. Where I come from it’s usually about this big,” he turned to Xanathen and showed its respective size between his thumb and index finger. Xanathen’s jaw dropped a little as he listened to Barry. “I mean, I’m not much of an astronomer, but I know I’ve heard of supermoons. Maybe that’s it.”
“Maybe it’s the magic of the island,” Xanathen’s voice was as smooth as the water that clung to their bodies. Barry guffawed, making a tremendous splash as he kicked through the water. He looked over to Xanathen. His eyes, a bright gold which had seemed even brighter with the moonlight reflected in them, had now darkened and he wore a sour expression.
“You doubt there is magic?” Xanathen asked, with a definite chill in his voice.
“Look, you can believe in whatever you want,” Barry began, rolling off his back and leaning on a log at the side of the lake. “But I don’t believe in that.”
“Magic is everywhere,” Xanathen argued. “It cannot be denied.”
“Look...I really didn’t mean to start an argument with you. Let’s just drop it.” Barry sighed.
“No. You brought it up. Let’s argue. You really don’t believe in magic?”
“Nope. I don’t. I don’t believe in magic.”
“But it’s everywhere. The way the plants bloom every year. The sun and moon swapping every night and morning. The fact that we’re even here and able to bask in all the grandeur of life, that is magic.”
“No, that’s...that’s science. Like the sun and moon thing? Easily explained. The earth moves in a circle, and while it does that, it spins. So, while we’re spinning, we face the sun, which is this big ol’ thing millions of miles away. We keep spinning and eventually face away from it, and that’s when it’s night.”
“That’s magic!”
&nb
sp; “No it’s not, that is science!”
“It sounds like magic to me. Great forces of the universe making all these things work? Magic!”
“Okay look, you can’t just say magic does everything that can’t be proven. It’s...I dunno, it’s an open-ended argument. It can’t be disproved. That’s why I believe in science. It may not be nice but it at least makes sense. There’s a reason for everything.
There’s a reason the sun and moon shift, there’s a reason plants grow, and there’s a reason we’re here. There are so many different sciences for a multitude of things. L-like okay, the sun and moon thing? There are people that study it. It’s called astronomy. There are people who study plants and the science of botany. And for people? There are...way too many sciences for people. There are sciences of what we’re made of, people who study our cultures, then there are people who study our heads and why we act the way we do, and—”