Orochi listened carefully to the boy’s words, his ears pricked forwards attentively despite the otherwise impassive expression that hung on his face. The concept, although it was so common and natural to most youngsters who had grown up within normal herds, was foreign to him. All of his adolescence had been spent avoiding every suggestion of companionship with every stranger that passed by – the idea of banding together with other long colts had never occurred to him during his exclusion.

He did not return the boy’s compliment. It did not even cross his mind to do so. Instead, when the stallion was quite finished, Orochi was silent for a moment, mulling over the information he had just received in his head. Total solitude did not seem a viable option on this new isle that he had been driven to – it was too densely populated for that, it appeared.

Joining these men did not particularly appeal to Orochi, but the idea was more palatable than turning away from them and running back into Nami again. No, his mind was made it up – it had to be.

“No,” he replied simply, his tone as gruff as ever. “That’s as much as I need to know.”

He fell silent again for a moment, the last of the cogs turning over within his head before he converted them into words.

“I will join you then, I suppose.”

The words were more of a statement than a request, although he watched for the young boy’s reaction anyway. This place seemed his best option for now.

OROCHI
and the worry cracks a fracture from your hip to your chest