The Setting Sun
Firelight flickers across golden-brown bodies, shining through the night in an intricate dance. A cool breeze blows through the creaking oaks and the moon sends thin shafts of light shooting through the golden-red treetops. Shadows weave and writhe like serpents, twisting and turning through the silent circle. Everything is still, waiting, waiting, until-
The Call. Clammy hands clenched, I walk to my trial.
Dancing for hours, weaving around the warm fire and the cool moonlight. Meeting people, laughing, eating, thinking. Feeling alive, but with a cold pit of dread in my stomach.
Flying through the forest, full of towering, dark pines and carpets of crisp brown needles snapping beneath my hardened feet. Animals leering at Aiko and me out of darkened corners. Only the moon to guide my sure path.
Stepping out of the forest, hearing the icy ocean pound against the rocky coast. Feeling sharp rocks between my toes, cutting and slicing my warm feet. Gazing at the endless ocean, lit up with the moon’s setting light. Meeting the weathered man and resting for the night ahead.
Aiko. I remember the time we were surprised by the bear while playing catch-the-cat. I still see that grizzly sometimes, with its carnivorous, slime-dripping canines ready to rip into my soft baby flesh. I see the claws, the dark, black cleavers ready to spew my warm organs onto the cold morning ground. I see the eyes, those snippets of death, staring at me as though I am nothing more than the next meal. I thought I would die. In fact, I knew I would die, until I heard the cracking and a huge thud. My eyes were closed, and as I opened them up, I saw Aiko with a rock in his hand.
I remember the time we were on the sharp cliff, overlooking the calm sea from higher than ladders can reach. I remember walking to the edge, gazing at the endless wonder and dangling my feet. I remember feeling a crunching and suddenly, a thousand white-hot spines tearing into my feet. I remember seeing the yellow swarm stinging my chest, neck, face, eyes, my vision a cloudy red. I remember seeing the ocean from different angles, spinning around in a sea of red blur, and detachedly, I remember noticing that I no longer was feeling the hard cliff . Only afterwards did I learn that I was still alive and Aiko, sitting away from the bees, was covered in red blotches.
I remember the countless hours we played in cool streams, soft forests, and warm caves, watching birds circle lazily in clear skies, making twig bows and arrows and shooting them at the scampering squirrels. I remember growing up with him, people saying that we were inseparable, the twins of our village. We have always been brothers.
My muscles are on fire, grinding out every oar stroke against the unstoppable ocean. The island is so close, yet so far, the place where we are to spend the coming night in the company of none but ourselves and the wilderness.
“I sure hope that this trial stuff is worth it, because, my body has worked harder than it ever has,” I say.
“Not harder than the time we had to help the most wise Derish build his new house,” Aiko responds.
“How true, how true. I still remember that old man’s words of wisdom- ‘Hard work will help you to succeed in life,’ and I still remember thinking that I didn’t care if I couldn’t shoot a deer two feet in front of me if I could just go get a drink from the cool stream.”
Continuing on, we pass time by talking, laughing, but Aiko’s laughter no longer seems the pure bell it once was.

“Are you scared?” I ask him. “Cause these waters seem like they have plenty of sharks in them. I’ve seen little hints of shadows moving around, and we just passed a floating fish with its guts cooking in the sunlight.”

“I’m not scared,” he responds, feet shuffling. “Just thinking.”
We paddle on, oars hitting the water with rhythmic splashes as the island looms closer. With the sun settling over the horizon, I gaze back at the indistinct mainland when stony hands smash into my tender ribs. I lurch over the side of our small boat, straight into the freezing water. Swimming up, I spit out salty water and blink ferociously to clear out my stinging eyes.

“Very funny joke,” I comment in a frosty tone. “You’ve now managed to make me wet, cold and miserable.”

I put my hand out expecting help into the boat, but oddly, I feel no response.

“Come on Aiko, help me in,” I say impatiently. That’s when I hear him crying.

“Aiko, what’s wrong?” I ask worriedly.

“I-I don’t th-think you can come on this boat again,” he says, sobbing between words.

“Why not?” I ask.

“Be-Because I won’t let you,” he responds voice slowly gaining strength.

“Ummm-why won’t you let me on?” I say. His words make no sense and I’m shivering in my ice bath.

“Because you’ve always gotten the glory, in everything we’ve done. I want some glory, and I can get it by returning like this, the lone survivor the bear attack.”

“Aiko, you can’t be serious,” I yell to him. “Stop this nonsense.”

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to accept your fate,” he says, his words echoing in the vast ocean.

A dark shadow glides through the cold water, and I gaze at his boat silhouetted against the last golden rays of the setting sun.