Noko was on a quest for a very special delicacy. The moki traversed the wilderness of Niwen to find and gather Spika fruits, green-shelled orbs with soft red needles. His muzzle watered profusely when he only thought about their taste and smell. So heavenly! Unfortunately, they only grew in the hot, sandy soil of the Windswept Wastes. Most other mokis preferred to stay in the concealing shadows, in the dark safety of the trees and the vegetation, camouflaged by their dark fur, but he was an adventurous moki, he didn’t mind the sunlight. It didn't even bother him that he had to wander through the creepy Silent Woods to get to his destination.

Admittedly, even after the light had returned years ago through the paw and power of the guardian spirit Ori, who had gone astray on his quest to save his friend, this place was haunted and marked by its past. Wherever Noko looked, he saw the petrified remains of plants and animals alike, gigantic trees frozen to stone, and an entire scary graveyard of owls turned to rock. Before Ori had appeared to save his home, the Decay had done its worst to scar and mutilate Niwen. These woods had been hit particularly hard, hence why it took so long for them to recover, but life was coming finally coming back, thriving in the cracks between the stones. Between the ashen, stony corpses, new green sprouts were growing and little fireflies had found their way into this dead land. Still, recovery took time, it took an eternity, it took longer than for a moki to grow and mature.

It was eerily quiet, and Noko had to sing a little, happy melody to distract himself from his drab, somber surroundings. Fortunately, there were no active hazards and enemies in this area ever since the great corrupted beast Shriek had been defeated. A defeat that had happened before his time. No more corrupted creatures starving for the juicy, yummy flesh of a young moki dumb enough to enter the woods. The only remaining danger was the treacherous terrain, which demanded his full attention. A single misplaced step and he would fall off a branch or a cliff, plunge to his death and smack into the petrified ground.

A bunch of fireflies suddenly crossed his path, and they were so colorful! Usually, there were only yellow ones, but this bunch was shining and glowing in blue, red, orange, yellow, and even purple. The curious moki was distracted by the colorful surprise, so he didn’t watch his step, allowing the insidious terrain to take him. Step by step he plodded forward on all fours, his head facing the completely wrong direction, and then one of his paws lost its grip, stomped into the air, and he went tumbling. Noko cried out and hurriedly tried to grab anything with his hindlegs and his long, prehensile tail, but he could only delay the inevitable. He helplessly slid down the smooth, slanted side of the petrified branch with mocking slowness, and then he fell. Luckily, he didn't fall far. He flumped on another branch and reacted fast enough to grab it, now dangling from the dead plant like a ripe fruit. His legs dangled into the abyss and he desperately tried to pull himself up, but the shock paralyzed him. This was it, wasn't it? He was doomed unless someone happened to find him right now. In an attempt to make himself noticed, he called for help, screamed at the top of his little lungs. Maybe someone heard him, hopefully someone heard him.

The spirit guardian Yamu was a direct descendant of his creator Ori, the savior of Niwen, and he looked almost exactly like him aside from a few cosmetic differences, he had shorter ears and a longer tail than him. Ever since his creation, he scouted the wilderness to look for people in need, it was his mission and duty to aid all who were in distress. Today had been a rather quiet and peaceful day. He had visited most of Niwen, from the Luma pools to Mouldwood Depths, without finding a single soul in need, and now he was on his final trip to the Windswept Wastes. Honestly, he was very happy about every uneventful day, it meant that the people of Niwen were fine. It also meant that he could experience the beauty of the wilderness undisturbed and he didn't have to interact with anyone. Sure, his task literally forced him to deal with people, but after a successful rescue he never stayed for very long. The people he saved were always so emotional and annoying. He didn't want to be a hero, he didn't even want to impress anyone, he just wanted to do his job and make his creator proud.

A piercing wail ripped him out of his thoughts, Yamu instinctively turned his head to the source of the noise. Someone was in trouble and needed his help. Great. He changed course and his body whizzed through the dark and shady wastes of the Silent Woods with so little effort that it looked like he was flying. Another reason why he had been chosen to save people: Spirit guardians had an insane agility that allowed them to jump and dash through Niwen at breakneck speeds. They were made for this purpose. He quickly raced to the distressed howls and squeaks, the pitch told him that it was a moki. Those silly creatures just loved to get themselves into all sorts of predicaments, they were shy but so irresponsibly curious.

Yamu spotted the moki dangling from a petrified branch, black fur, slender appearance, a stripe of brighter fur running up from the loins to the face. Stubby snout, large ears and big, yellow glowing eyes, short but agile limbs and a long prehensile tail tipped with a tuft of bright fur, a cloth bag slung around his shoulder. He dashed next to him, wrapped his arms around the clamoring creature, and simply pushed on. The force behind his advance ripped the fearfully squeaking moki away from the branch, loosened his grip by force. He rarely cared to be careful. If they wanted him to be gentler, they shouldn't get themselves stuck in places like this.

Yamu hurled through the air, jumped and bounced, landing with heavy thuds that shook his entire body, but his anatomy and his special hooved legs allowed him to run on without any problem. Unfortunately, the ceaselessly wriggling and crying moki weighed him down and made the rescue much more difficult, so he reprimanded him with a harsh bark. ”Cut it out! Just a few more seconds and we’re done!” A distressed mewl, then silence. Yamu wasn’t wrong, seconds later they reached safe ground, far away from any steep cliffs and falls. He simply dropped the shivering bundle off and let him slump to the ground. While the moki slowly recovered from the shock and rough transport, the guardian spirit seized the opportunity to talk some sense into the reckless figure. 

”What are you doing here? I thought your kind was too scared to enter the Silent Woods?” he interrogated.

The moki looked at his savior with timidity, but also with steadily rising awe. He stammered, ”I want to get some Spika fruits.” 

”Get what? A bunch of fruits is the reason why you went through the woods? That is a really terrible idea! What were you thinking?” 

”Have you tasted one? They are so delicious!” 

”Sure, but they can be all they want, they still didn't come and save you, they only got you into trouble in the first place. Now, I’ve set you down near the passageway to the Wellspring Glades. Do me a favor and just go back there, okay? No more exploring, go home! I don't want to have to rescue you again.” Yamu rolled his eyes and turned around, getting ready to jump away and continue his patrol.

”Hey, but my fruits!” the moki yelled and hopped in front of him. 

”Huh? What about them?”

”I thought, maybe you could help me get some. Help me through the woods. I’ll even share them with you. Heck, you can have most of them!” 

The spirit guardian huffed and denied, ”How about you go back to safety and think about what nonsense you just spouted? I’d have to accompany you all the way only so you can get some stupid fruits, and then I’d still have to guide you back home. Do I look like a babysitter to you? No! So, please, do the sensible thing and save me that trouble, okay?” 

Yamu waved at him dismissively and bounced away to avoid any further interaction with this unreasonable moki. He was off to the west, headed for the Windswept Wastes, the moki’s original destination. It wouldn’t have been all that complicated to get him there, but he simply couldn’t be bothered. If he helped one of them with their everyday busywork, they would all soon swarm him and request him to do the same for them. No, that was a terrible idea.

Noko was slightly miffed about Yamu's refusal to help him, especially when he saw him leave toward the wastes, his original goal. Nevertheless, the rescue had been his first interaction with one of the guardian spirits. Strong and glowy creatures of the light. They were so incredibly cool and elegant in everything they did. Sometimes he wished he could hop around just like them, but watching their aerial dances was already very exciting. Also, he loved everything about their appearance, their white, glowing bodies, hooved feet, long tails, and long, narrow ears, they were just so pretty and shiny! Sure, Yamu hadn't looked like he enjoyed rescuing him, but it had probably been a very busy day for him, rescuing and saving all the creatures in distress. And even a hero deserved to be tired from time to time. Noko just regretted that he hadn't gotten the chance to show his gratitude with a hug or so. Ah well, maybe he would see him again sometime, then he would make up for the missed hug with an even bigger hug. But for now, he would do what the spirit guardian had asked, his heart was still pounding and the rush of adrenaline strong, he was too wired to try to go through the petrified graveyard again. He'd just fall again.

The next day brought more success. This time he didn't allow some stupid stray fireflies to distract him from his superior end goal, getting as many Spika fruits as he could reasonably carry, including the ones he'd eat on-site straight from the prickly bushes. The path through the petrified forest was still as spooky as ever, but he soon reached the outskirts of the Windswept Wastes. The gray veil of drabness that shrouded the woods faded and the beams of the sun broke through the sorrow to fill his heart with joy. Sure, the winds of the wastes were howling and hot, blowing around sand that got stuck in his fur and filled his eyes and ears, but it was so much better than that lifeless, soundless grave.

Determined to find his bounty, the moki stomped on through the sands, crawled and climbed across the tall, wind-carved walls of sandstone. It took him about an hour to make out a patch of large prickly Spika bushes inside a little sinkhole. He carelessly dropped down into the sinkhole and immediately began picking and plucking their tasty fruits. Oh, he would put so many into his little bag as he could. But first, he had to have a taste, check whether the fruits were actually ripe yet. Of course this was merely an excuse to stuff himself, Noko knew fully well which ones were ripe and which ones could use a few more days in the burning desert sun. He grabbed a fruit, chomped down, and took a big bite, enough to stuff his mouth and his cheeks, enough to have him chewing for an entire minute, squelching and squashing, Spika juice and spit messily drooling over his lips. It was as tasty and ripe as expected, he sighed happily.

This one was good, but what if the next one was bad? Only a dumb person would check once and be satisfied, and he wasn't a dumb person. He grabbed another fruit and dug in with a voracious bite, sent bits of it flying. One by one, he messily devoured the yummy bounty and gorged himself until his stomach was full enough to bulge his belly. A little burp of satisfaction escaped his lips, then he continued to pluck even more to stuff into his bag. Maybe he should have done the picking first, because the frenzied feast had made him tired and it was now so exhausting to lift his arms. He didn't let that laziness stop him, though, and he greedily filled his bag until it was about to tear. This was enough, literally, there was no way he could carry or eat even more. Noko rubbed his paws in satisfaction and turned around to leave the sinkhole. 

Oh. Wait.
 
He had jumped down without checking whether he could get back out first. The moki panicked and ran along the edge of the hole, desperately searching for a cliff to climb on, but the winds had sanded everything down, it was just too smooth to climb. Two more round trips sufficed to confirm his fear, there was no way out. Well, he’d better start yelling until one of the gorlek miners found him, so he made as much noise as possible.

Fate had it that Yamu passed through the Windswept Wastes right at that moment. He jumped through the hoops the wind had carved out of the sandstone when his ears located a scream from afar, barely audible through the harsh, omnipresent winds. The voice sounded strangely familiar to the spirit guardian. Enough fun and enough exploration, he grumbled, time to do his duty, time to rescue someone. He hasted on, guided by the cry of distress, his advance becoming even faster when he heard the voice crack. This sounded really bad. Finally, he found the source of the scream, a black furred body at the bottom of a sinkhole, a lone moki sitting motionless among a field of Spika cacti. It looked as if someone's greed had made them careless.

Yamu landed next to the moki with a resounding thud. ”Hey! Don’t worry, no need to explain anything, I can already guess how you got here,” he announced his arrival. Then he looked at the poor creature’s face and realized that it was the same moki he had rescued the day before. ”Wait, it’s you again? Didn’t I tell you to stay home and away from such hazardous areas?” The moki gave him an deeply embarrassed look, his paws were dripping with juice and his entire muzzle was all wet and messy. It was absolutely clear why he was here. He noticed his bulging bag and grinned, these fruits must be extraordinarily good if this moki was willing to risk everything just to stuff himself with them. 

”I know,” the rueful creature wept, his eyes filling with tears of exhaustion. 

Yamu rolled his eyes and chuckled, that one was persistent and had actually managed to traverse the Silent Woods on his own. ”It’s okay. Come, grab my paws and I’ll get you out of here.” The moki swallowed hard and held on to the spirit guardian, allowing him to pull him up and out of the nasty sinkhole.

The heat and the involuntary confinement had affected the pitiful creature quite a lot, and it didn't help that his belly was full of fruits. The moki feebly dropped out of his grip and just lay on his side, whimpering and quivering while trying not to throw up. Usually Yamu would've been up and away already, but there was no way he could leave the sorry male behind like that. That would’ve been very irresponsible, and if Ori found out about it, he'd give him the scolding of his life, or maybe even worse things. His creator, the spirit tree, was patient and benevolent, but even he had bounds that mustn't be overstepped. So he was stuck with the shivering moki, whether he wanted it or not. Yamu tried to make the best of his situation and sat down next to him, gently stroking his dark fur to calm him down.

The moki eventually rolled onto his back and allowed Yamu to rub his stuffed belly and alleviate the heavy nausea he experienced. If he had accompanied him yesterday, this wouldn't have happened. The spirit guardian felt guilty, because he had completely ignored all these very obvious signs that the moki had given him. Of course he had tried to get his idiotic fruits again, he seemed absolutely crazy about them. Had he endured him for just another hour, shepherded him through the woods and wastes, the hungry creature would’ve been happy, and it would’ve saved them both from the current misery.

Eventually, the nausea-stricken male recovered enough to sit up. He glanced at Yamu with hazy eyes and gave him an infirm smile. ”Thanks, Yamu. If you hadn't been, I would still sit in the hole,” he slurred. ”Also, you left so quickly yesterday. I could never thank you in the moki way.” The spirit guardian eyed him warily as the moki shuffled closer and reached for him. Yamu's instincts told him to back away, perceived this advance as an imminent danger, but he didn’t move and allowed him to express his thanks. Noko pulled his savior into a hug and even showed a little more affection. Yamu felt something pressing against his neck. Had the moki just kissed him? His gaze of utter confusion amused Noko. He tweeted, ”That's how a moki says thank you. My name is Noko, by the way.”

Yamu perplexedly rubbed the spot where Noko had kissed him while they slowly got back on their feet. The moki wheezed and groaned, his entire body trembling and his eyes glazed, he still bore the clear signs of heatstroke. The spirit guardian quickly intervened when he saw him crumble with a pained grunt, he jumped up and slung his arm around his waist to support him. It was pretty obvious that the overstuffed male wasn't going to make it home on his own anytime soon, so he had to help him back whether he liked it or not. Thus Yamu dragged Noko forward, step by step over the soft sands, and tried to keep him in the cool, comforting shadows as much as possible. He definitely didn't want to risk any further complications, lest the sorry creature fainted or, even worse, vomited all over the place. The paths they could take were severely limited, he couldn’t use the aerial pathways he normally used, and even the shortcuts a moki could climb were out of the question, so they had to make do with a long arduous trail across the ground, crawling like slugs.

At first, the slow pace had been quite fascinating for him, since he usually rushed past this area and never really took his time to take in its scorching beauty. But the fascination quickly turned into weariness and he couldn't wait to leave this hot hell. It still took them an entire exhausting hour to reach the border of the Windswept Wastes. The relentless winds and the dust marked them, their bodies now similar in color, a sandy, ugly brown.  A thought he didn’t never thought he would think passed his mind: he was glad that they finally entered the dark, spooky depths of the woods. The much lower temperatures calmed the moki down enough to allow him to move on his own again. A very weak smile formed on his lips and he took his first step, then another one, and soon he was walking all by himself again. Still, Yamu had vowed to accompany the reckless moki all the way back home. He wouldn’t allow him to do anything stupid again.

”Say, what made you the way you are? How did you become a traveling hero, Yamu?” Noko asked. He still sounded endlessly tired, but the undeniable glimmer of awe and curiosity sparkled in his eyes. 

The spirit guardian didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he jumped on a dead branch and sat down, taking his time to think about the question. Wasn’t it obvious why he did what he did? ”Ori created me to serve all the creatures of Niwen. That’s what I’m doing. That’s all there is to it.”

”But you are a hero!” 

”Not really, I just do what my creator asked me to do. Nothing more and nothing less.”

They moved on and another minute of silence passed, then the moki's squeaky voice interrupted the calming quiet of the Silent Woods again. ”So, what do you do when you're not somewhere in the wilds rescuing people?” 

Yamu stopped abruptly and turned around, gazed at Noko, and tried to think of something... anything. Now when he thought about it, he was always out in the wilderness, never at home, strictly speaking he didn't even have a home. Well, Niwen was his home. ”I'm still in the wilderness. Sometimes I visit my creator. Does this answer your question?” 

The moki gave him a slightly worried expression. ”But if you're always out in the wilds, don't you get lonely?” 

”That's the point.” People were exhausting, the wilderness was freedom.

”And what do you do in the wilds?” 

”I enjoy the freedom, the fresh air, the wonderful sights of Niwen. In short, I can do whatever I want.” 

”But what good are the wonderful sights when you can't share them with others?” Noko inquired. ”Yamu, what makes you happy? Does saving people make you happy?” 

This question hit him fully unprepared. The spirit guardian shook his head and quickly hurried away, he needed to be alone for a moment. There was something about the creature's inquisitiveness that bothered him. His question felt like a sting in his head, slowly drilling through the dense shell of his apathy. He came to a halt on a stone leaf, squatted down, and gazed into the drab abyss. What did make him happy?

Rescuing people was his duty, a task he had to do, not one he wanted to do. No, rescuing yowling and struggling creatures from their self-inflicted predicaments was no fun, just work. What else did he do? Sleeping atop the trees, eating berries while he rushed through the fertile parts of Niwen, gazing into the distance to find something, not knowing what it was he was looking for? He had spent most years of his life observing his surroundings, the changing of the seasons and the subtle and slow recovery from the Decay, but it wasn’t as fascinating as it used to be. Most of the time, he just tumbled around in a wild flurry of jumps and dashes, not even bothering to stop and have a look. So, what was still left? There was only one thing he enjoyed, one thing he did from morning to evening, he ran. It was fun to try out new tricks to become even faster, to master his well-established courses through Niwen at an even higher breakneck speed. But did that make him happy? Yamu felt empty all of a sudden, was that really his only defining feature?

He joined Noko with a low head and a miserable expression, tiredly dragging his tail over the ground, not even bothering to lift it anymore. This was the issue with people, they tended to make him feel miserable about himself, just kept mocking him with their stupid questions. He flinched when he suddenly felt something warm and fuzzy around his waist. The moki had slung his arm around him and supported him, dragged Yamu along, just as Yamu had done with him in the Windswept Wastes. 

”What are you doing?” he muttered somberly.

”I didn’t want to overwhelm you with that question, I’m so sorry. So sorry. Now, you picked me up when I was too weak to walk on my own. It’s the responsible thing for me to do the same with you.” 

A feeble chuckle escaped the spirit guardian, it amused him how the moki thought that he had to support him. He could still walk on his own, he didn’t need the help or pity of anyone, even less of someone who tormented him with questions. Then again, he didn’t even try to pull himself free, he mostly just couldn’t be bothered, but Noko’s helpfulness awakened something else deep inside him. He felt affection, he was happy that a creature was willing to help him, that a creature showed genuine interest in him.

Admittedly, he never gave the people he saved any time to help him or to even thank him. He always kept his interaction with others to a minimum when he saved them, and he usually didn't need any help either, he knew how to help himself. Now that he thought about it, forced into thinking by the moki's inquisitiveness, he wondered what he might have lost by immediately disappearing after every single rescue; the thanks and gratitude of the people. Though, there was a reason for his behavior. A few of his first rescue missions had gone awry, they had been catastrophes, each in their own unique way, him simply failing to save the victim, an encounter with a very ungrateful gorlek, and the one time he had made the wrong move at the wrong moment, sending someone to their doom, leaving them scarred for life. The consequences of his own incompetence haunted him to this very day. Probably the reason why he spent most of his time, from morning to evening, training himself to become flawless, the perfect savior who made no mistakes whatsoever. Granted, he had achieved that goal, a flawless record for a year and still running. He would’ve been proud, but after his exchange with Noko, there was no reason to be proud. There was no one around to see his pride and be happy for him.

Yamu grabbed the moki's arm and pulled it away with gentle force, looking deep into his large, glowing eyes. ”Do you feel better, Yamu?”

”You've given me a lot to think about. This was... certainly an interesting rescue, more interesting than any other before. Now, please, grant me a moment of silence. I need some time to think.”

Noko nodded quickly, fell back, and followed him at a distance. However, the naturally happy and carefree moki quickly forgot about the request for silence, and although he didn't pester the somber spirit guardian with more questions, he instead began to hum a melody. Not even a minute later, it had developed into a full-blown song that he hollered through the deadly silent woods, his voice echoing and reverberating between the petrified tree trunks. A weird place to sing a birthday chant, but then again, the Silent Woods were in the process of rebirth, life slowly but steadily rising from the ashes. It was so silly and surreal, Yamu couldn't help but grin at the slightly off melody. It actually managed to fill the place with life and warmth, natural joy, and happiness, both the petrified dead woods and his own cold heart.

Finally, the sun broke through the mist and they reached the other end of the woods, the passageway to the Wellspring Glades, the de facto center of Niwen, close to the watchful spirit tree and the home to countless mokis, a few gorleks, and some other intelligent creatures. This was a place of peace and safety. Yamu was about to part ways with his jolly companion, he didn’t have to accompany him all the way home, but he stayed long enough to hear him finish his chant. Noko gifted his song a pompous finale, singing louder than ever before, a big smile on his lips while he looked at his savior. The spirit guardian smiled, his ears fluttered and his tail swung with carefree joy. He had never felt better before. 

”Well, that's it. I rescued you and now you're back home. Go ahead, return to your people, and please don't make the same mistake again tomorrow, you hear me? Neither the woods nor the wastes are a safe place for a moki, and I don't want to find you in yet another dilemma. Mainly because there is a non-zero chance that I won’t be there to rescue you the next time you fall down a pit or something, and that would be terrible.” 

The moki grinned sheepishly. ”Okay, I'll try. But first, something for your trouble.” He handed him one of the Spika fruits, hugged him, and bid him farewell. ”No chance you'd visit the glades for a while, relax a little?” 

”I'm not done for today, my duty calls.” 

”Okey-dokey! Bye and thanks for the rescue.” 

Yamu didn't feel like entering the little town at all, it was too loud and busy. However, he felt a distinct sting of loneliness when the moki disappeared in the bushes. The first time he had felt loneliness in ages.

He turned around and walked away, cradling the parting gift in his paw. He felt strange, there was something wrong with his face, and it took him a moment to realize why it felt strange. The corners of his mouth angled up, assuming a position they hadn't taken in a long time, a curve from one cheek to the other, a general sense of ease and happiness, he was smiling! Hopefully it wouldn't stop too soon, because it felt good. Then he took a first probing bite of the green fruit. It was squishy, sweet, and delicious. He immediately understood why Noko had been so determined and reckless to gather them. The second bite soon followed and before he knew it, the entire orb of utter deliciousness had vanished into his gullet, leaving him with dripping lips, an even bigger smile, and a really pleasant feeling. He should definitely spend some more time with the people he rescued, this had been so much fun and he had even gotten the most delicious reward from it. 

The moki hadn't actually left yet, instead he was sitting behind a bush, still hoping that Yamu would change his mind and head toward the Glades. Sadly he didn't turn around, but he could hear his bliss when he bit into the gift. The smile on his lips, the slow and relaxed gait, the noise of happiness, this was such a wonderful outcome for their second encounter. Noko had felt so bad after he had almost made him cry, and he felt like he had accidentally stumbled upon something buried deep inside the somber spirit guardian’s mind. Something that made him wish that he had stayed and given him another fruit. A stubborn idea manifested in his mind, he wanted to make the spirit guardian smile again, he wanted to break through his deep-seated sadness, he wanted his hero and savior to be happy. Yamu had made him happy, so he should be happy too.

Over the next few days, Noko actually heeded the spirit guardian's advice and remained in the safety of the glades. The Spika fruits were all gone after just two days, the gluttonous moki couldn't help himself with such a yummy treat, but he didn't leave to get more. He didn’t want to cause any trouble. Instead, he used the time to train his mobility, used the trees, bushes, and rocks of the Wellspring Glades to hone his climbing and running skills for his inevitable return to the wastes. Eventually the urge to get more fruits rose, it almost felt like an addiction, but fortunately with only minor withdrawal effects, occasional drooling and fantasizing about their yummy taste. He also found himself fantasizing about Yamu, his smile had been stuck in his mind ever since his departure. The spirit guardian never visited the glades once, so Noko didn't even get to see him from afar or while passing by, and it made him sad. He often thought about him, but his savior had apparently forgotten him completely. Their emotional moment fading into a distant memory.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, Noko set out to cross the Silent Woods again. Two reasons drove him, getting more fruits and hopefully seeing Yamu. His craving for the fruits was actually secondary; he knew that Yamu was passing the area in the afternoon and he really wanted to meet him again. Wanted to see his smile again. Thus he climbed across the treacherous tomb of petrified trees and creatures. Thanks to his improved skills, the crossing didn’t feel so daunting anymore, but with his skills his overconfidence had grown as well. He hopped over the branches a bit too carelessly, his negligence asking for an accident to happen.

This time, it wasn’t a bunch of fireflies that distracted the curious moki, but the flash of something white, a lightning bolting through the dead branches, the silhouette of his savior. Noko promptly turned his head and seconds later he lost his footing and stumbled over his own feet. A distressed cry escaped his lips when he slipped down the side of the branch. He somehow managed to get a grip, barely holding on with the tips of his fingers. The situation was dire, there was no platform waiting below him, no leaf or another branch to slow his fall, just the yawning abyss and, hidden in the dusty darkness, the cold, hard ground. His heart beat faster and he yelled even louder, yelled at the top of his lungs, yelled so his savior could hear him and rescue him again. His situation was worse than ever before, he wasn’t stuck, he was about to lose his life. The petrified bark crumbled under his claws to misty ashes, his fingers slipped a little more, he lost the little hold he had, and then he fell. He tumbled down with a horrible shriek, his last breath escaping his lungs. A sudden, nasty thud shook his body and mind, he was reeling and shaking, breathless and full of pain. This was it, wasn’t it? Over? He was dead, right?

Yamu heard a sudden scream and turned in mid-air, dashing towards the heartbreaking sound of sheer terror. He came just in time to save a careless moki from certain demise. The creature was already falling to his death, so he rushed toward him, slammed into him and slowed his fall as fast as he could. The rescue wasn't gentle, but better than letting him crash to the ground, breaking all bones or even dying on impact. Since when had the Silent Woods become so popular with this bunch? It was a really dangerous place and not a playground. He rolled his eyes while he carried the whimpering and sobbing creature to safety, set him down in a recess at the foot of a tree, close to the entrance of the woods and close to the glades. Judging by the near-death, it would take this poor sod a long time to recover from his shock. He was really lucky that a spirit guardian had been nearby to rescue him.

Thanks to an encounter with a carefree but extremely reckless moki, Yamu had learned to stay with the people he had rescued. Since then he tried to help them even after the rescue was over and they were technically safe. It was good for them because they had someone to talk to, and it was good for him because he got to experience their joy and gratitude. A week ago, he hadn’t cared about social interaction of any kind. That had been a mistake, but he had fixed it. Now he cared. 

It was time to find out who he had rescued. Yamu dropped on his knees and lifted the moki's chin with his paw, peering into deeply distressed, teary eyes, their natural glow faint and feeble. A gasp escaped his lips when he recognized the face. ”Noko? Is it you?” The moki looked at him and nodded shakily, and at that moment something broke inside the spirit guardian. He had saved him twice, he had smiled for the first time in ages because of him, and now he had almost lost him forever. His heart felt as if it had been smashed by a rock, over and over again, smashed into oblivion and beyond. Deep sadness flowed through him and he began to sob, feebly collapsed against the shocked moki and cried as loud and bitterly as he did. Why, just why wouldn’t he stay out of danger? This was the third time he had rescued him! ”Why?”

His tears ran freely down his glowing cheeks, drenched his soft fur, dripped on his chest and on the moki. It was too much for Yamu, and he hugged Noko as if he wanted to never let him go again. That was probably for the best, because the silly moki would just get himself into trouble again. An eternity passed, but eventually, the rescued male recovered from his overwhelming shock and realized who was holding him. With shaky and unsteady paws, he returned the hug and held on to his savior, pressed him against his chest and held him close. ”Thank you. If you hadn't been...” His voice cracked and another set of gags and sobs claimed him. It had been all fun and games until he almost died. He had grazed eternity.

Another eternity passed until the emotional storm in their heads calmed, their tight embrace of mutual solace loosened, and they disengaged, sitting in front of each other, black and white, fur soaked and dull with salty waters of sadness. ”What are you doing here? Why did you have to give me the shock of my life?” A shocked and inquisitive howl, followed by a much softer remark. ”Please, don’t do this again. I was really worried, I am really worried. I don’t want to lose you!” 

The moki wasn’t crying anymore, but his face was a miserable grimace. ”I’m so sorry,” he mewled. ”I wanted to see you again, and I wanted to get more fruits. I knew that you pass this area in the afternoon, so I waited for you. I saw you, and then I got distracted and fell.” 

”But you shouldn’t go into the Silent Woods just to see me! This place is dangerous, you almost died!” 

”But where else would I find you? You’re nowhere, always running. I didn’t know where to look, I just really wanted to see you again.” Noko cracked up, he looked utterly hopeless. 

”But why would you want to see me again?”

Noko grabbed Yamu’s head and looked deep into his soul, his eyes glowing brighter than ever before. He spoke with unexpected determination, clarified his intent with vigor. ”I want to see you happy! I want to make you smile! I want you to love what you’re doing! You’re a hero, but you acted like an ass. A real dick! I know that this isn’t your true self, I saw your true self when you saved me last time! I saw it right now! You do care about me, you wouldn’t have cried if you didn’t, right?” They stared at each other in a moment of silent tension, but behind his silent, sad facade, Yamu’s mind bounced and rotated furiously. Noko’s words crashed through the shell of apathy that veiled his heart, rammed into the cracks, and exposed the naked core. The spirit guardian didn’t know how to respond, the words failed him, so the moki did the talking. Well, not quite the talking, but he performed an act that was much, much more powerful.

Noko tugged at his head, pulled him closer, close enough that he could feel his breath on his muzzle. His jaw dropped a little in surprise, and then he felt the other male's lips on his. The moment itself passed quickly, it had been just a very brief, fleeting kiss, but to him it felt like so much more. He saw the moki's expression change, he looked as if he was embarrassed and surprised by his own kiss, as if he hadn't actually wanted to do it. ”I- I didn't mean... it...” Now it was Yamu’s turn to reciprocate the favor. He had no kissing experience whatsoever, but it couldn't be that complicated, could it? Well, after a firm nose bump and a little too much tooth-on-lip contact, he learned that kissing was at least a little complicated. His kiss was clumsy and ungentle, but it brought the point across. Noko wanted to help him, he wanted him to be happy, he cared about him, and Yamu never thought it would ever happen, but in that moment, he knew instantly that he was the right one. Never before had he met anyone capable of evoking any emotion in him, be it joy or sadness, but he had also never given anyone a chance.

Yamu confirmed his actions with words. ”Yes, I do care about you. You taught me to feel again, and you made me feel everything. You believed in me.” A smile sneaked on his lips, the sorrow passed and turned into happiness. How had he lived without this for so many years? 

Noko agreed, ”And I still believe in you! I really want to make you happy again. In fact, I would spend my whole life to make you happy. Just, don't run away again. It hurt. It hurt so much!” The moki sluggishly picked himself up, shook his battered body, and stretched his aching limbs. He had survived, but it hadn't been pleasant. ”Yamu, I would like to invite you to Wellspring Glades. This time for real.” There was urgency in his voice, demanding an immediate answer. 

”Like a date?” Yamu didn't actually know too much about how they worked, but he knew that this was one.

”Yes, like a date. Is that okay for you?” 

A moment of silent reflection passed, he didn't want to leave Noko, but he also wasn't too keen on entering the overly busy town in the glades. Then again, so much had changed in his life in the last few days, even in the last few minutes, why shouldn't he give it a try? ”Just one thing, Noko. You must promise me never to do something so reckless ever again. I- if you really need to return to the wastes, I'll help you, okay?” 

The moki's eyes lit up with joy and he nodded eagerly. ”I promise I'll behave.”

Noko lend him a paw and helped the spirit guardian back on his feet. Not that he actually needed it, but the gesture was nice. Yet even when Yamu stood, Noko still held on to his paw, refused to let it go, his grip tightening around it, their fingers interlocking. ”I... I think I can go on my own now. Thanks for the help.” Noko didn’t respond verbally, but with a very affectionate smile, wrapping his other paw around it too. The spirit guardian finally realized that he didn’t do it to help him, him holding paws was a gesture of closeness. ”Let’s go then, right? Um, lead the way. I do know how to get to the Wellspring Glades, but it has been a while since I last visited them.” 

”It’s alright, I’ll show you around.” 

Paw in paw they left the dead, frightening woods behind, traversed a narrow, lush passageway, and entered the glades through one of the innumerable entrances. Large trees and sparkling ponds lay ahead of them, the voices and sounds of daytime business filled the air, countless creatures ran around and went about their daily lives. The town of earthbound wooden huts and round moki nests hanging from the branches was much bigger than he remembered. Had it really been this long since his last visit? He gave Noko a slightly nervous look and hesitated. He really didn’t want to go down there, too loud and busy, but the moki convinced him with a warm smile. 

”Ready?” 

”Ready.” 

Without breaking their paw-holding, they climbed down and entered the town.

The glades were predominantly inhabited by mokis, but there were also gorleks, spiderlings, and many other creatures living in peaceful coexistence. Almost all of them reacted the same when they saw the spirit guardian; they were amazed. He heard them gasp and ogle him with unconcealed curiosity, he felt like an attraction on display, an exotic animal, and that made him highly uncomfortable. Lips pressed together tightly, a nervous blush under his dense white fur, and his walk really shaky, he stumbled like a drunkard across the streets. Luckily, Noko noticed his anxiety and had an idea how he could help him. He released his paw, gave him free for the briefest moment, then he wrapped his arm around his waist. Yamu expected this to make him even more nervous, it was way more body contact than he liked, usually he didn’t want to have any, but it actually didn’t bother him because it was Noko. Better still, it even encouraged him and his fear vanished into thin air. He had saved Noko from his own overconfidence, now it was Noko’s turn to save him from his anxiety.

The arm around his waist also clearly indicated what they were up to, the looks of some passersby even turning slightly envious. It also made him think more about his situation. They were having a date, but did this make them boyfriends already? Was he serious about this? The world spun around him as they walked through the streets and passed the dwellings of the glade, and so did his mind. There was so much to see and so much to take in, so much to figure out and so much still uncertain. He felt as if he was floating, hovering slightly above the ground, while Noko nudged and carried him along like a balloon, felt as if he was dreaming. He hardly registered what was happening around him anymore and his mind only cleared when they finally entered a large wooden building.

The air was slightly stuffy, the furniture rustic, lanterns filled with fireflies illuminated the wooden interior. The noise from the street fell silent and was replaced by a comforting, blanketing silence, disturbed only by the gentle muttering and chattering of the people seated at the many round tables. Yamu awoke from his hazy dream. Where was he? He looked around and saw the many plates with food stacked on the tables. He took a deep breath, the scent of cooked deliciousness filled the air. This location was a restaurant.  He usually didn’t give too much about cooked food, his stomach was resilient and he mostly subsisted on a diet of berries and roots, but the exotic odors made his mouth water.

”A table for two, please.” A moki in a simple apron received them with a happy grin and guided them to one of the many free tables. She was visibly excited about the rare sight of a spirit guardian, her eyes always fixed on Yamu while she seated them and told them about the daily menu. There were so many things to choose from and it all sounded delicious, but he didn’t really know what any of it really was. He would’ve liked to try everything, but there was only limited space in his stomach; even if he took just a single bite from each meal, it still would’ve been too much. Overwhelmed by the stunning selection, he looked at Noko for help. The moki nodded and gave up an order for them. ”A Luma berry soup and a Glades mixture, a single bowl for both of us, please.” 

The waiter nodded and hastily scribbled everything on a little blackboard. ”Anything you’d like to drink?” 

”A single glass of Spika juice, that’s all.” 

She raised her brow, visibly astonished, but wrote it down as well. ”Wonderful. I’ll get you everything, boys.”

Sitting down had never felt so good before. Not only his body came to rest, but his mind as well, the turbulence subsided, the waves flattened, and he could think clearly again. 

”What’s up with her reaction?” 

”Spika fruits are rare and valuable. Spika juice is pretty expensive.” 

”Oh. So you can come here and just buy it?” 

”Yes, but again, it’s really expensive. I could buy some fruits, but it’d cost me everything I have.” 

”About the costs. I don’t even dare to talk about it,” Yamu stammered and nervously pressed his fingers together. ”Um, I don’t have any money. I don’t even know what kind of currency you use.” 

”Don’t worry about it, Yamu. I invite you, I’ll pay for everything. Eat as much as you want, drink as much as you want. It’s on me!” Noko laughed. 

”Thank you.” He didn’t really know how to react, he never expected to receive so much kindness... or ever have a date. 

”Also, you saved me three times. You deserve it more than anyone else!” That was certainly true, Yamu thought and smiled.

His smile became even wider when the waiter moki returned with a large bowl of steaming cream soup. She set it down and its wonderful savory-sweet scent quickly filled his nose. Luma berries were purple, so the entire soup had a creamy purple hue. She handed each of them a spoon and wished them a good appetite before she left with a happy grin. 

”Go on, dig in, it's really yummy! Almost as good as Spika fruits, but only almost.” Yamu wordlessly pointed at Noko, at himself, and at the soup. Were they going to share it? Noko seemed to have read his mind, or his very obvious gestures. ”It's cheaper if you order just one bowl for two. You don't mind, right?” He quickly shook his head. Of course he didn’t mind.

The first spoon of soup was scalding hot, he almost immediately burnt himself. ”Give it some time to cool. You can blow on it too.” The moki chuckled at Yamu's attempts to eat a soup. He tried to blow on the spoonful, but accidentally turned the spoon while he was blowing on it, and emptied the contents back into the bowl. This was incredibly embarrassing, he had spent so much time in solitude, he had even forgotten how to eat a stupid soup. Luckily Noko was there to lend him a paw. As if it was the most natural thing in the world he took his spoon, cooled it with his breath, and offered Yamu to feed him. The spirit guardian was reluctant, but finally gave in. He allowed him to feed him spoon by spoon, one for him, the next one for Noko, until the soup had cooled down enough for him to eat it without help.

”Thank you, Noko.” The feeding should’ve been embarrassing, but it actually felt really wonderful to share the soup like that. 

”No problem. Your smile is reward enough,” the other male replied, and playfully booped his snout. Yamu chuckled in surprise and spilled his mouthful of soup. 

”Hey, I'm trying to eat.” 

”And I'm trying to help you.” 

”But you're not helping.” 

”Well, I helped you a lot already.” 

”Okay, that's fair.” 

Another thing struck the spirit guardian while he was having more fun than ever with his new friend. ”So, is this was a date is like?” 

”Yes, some kinds of dates at least. Why? Is it fun?” 

”It's wonderful. However, I was wondering ever since you put your arm around me. What are we? Are we friends? Are we boyfriends?” 

His question caught the moki off-guard. He stared at him and slowly chewed on his soup while his gaze drifted away. ”Well, what do you want us to be? I invited you, I want to be at your side. We could stay friends, but after that kiss in the woods, maybe we could be something more? What about you? Do you want it to be more?”

Yamu was at a loss, he felt so incredibly dumb because he didn't know how any of this friendship stuff worked. ”How does this even work?” 

His helpless question was met with an understanding nod and an explanation. ”As friends, we would hang out with each other. I can show you the glades, and you can show me the rest of Niwen. As boyfriends, we would hang out even more. Get to know each other even better. A lot better. Tell me, if you could kiss me again, would you do it?”

Never before had he looked at a moki’s face on purpose, but now he inspected Noko’s face in all its details, his adorable, triangular snout, the big rings of dark fur around his eyes, the bright tufts inside his huge ears, the cautiously optimistic smile on his lips. He was really cute, even for a moki. ”Yes, I definitely would kiss you again. Or at least try my best at a kiss,” he whispered, remembering his absolutely terrible first attempt. 

”So you wouldn’t mind if I did this?” Noko put down his spoon and grabbed Yamu’s chin, gently tickling it before pulling him closer, their muzzles now an inch apart. His intent made clear when he tilted his head, their lips pressed together, parting and pushed into one another. Hot breath washed over Yamu’s glowing snout when he felt Noko’s tongue on his lips. He explored his mouth with tender curiosity, slowly pushing in and wrapping his tongue around his. The inexperienced spirit guardian was overwhelmed, so he just let the much more experienced moki lead and show him, not moving a single muscle. He felt hot, his entire skin tingling with excitement.

Somewhere in the kiss, he closed his eyes, just let the sensation flow over him. He could taste the soup on Noko's lips, smelled his earthy scent with a little pine mixed in. The kiss lasted forever, but it still ended far too soon. Their lips parted with a gentle smack, and it felt as if he had awoken from another dream. ”I see you can barely contain your enthusiasm,” Noko joked at his distant gaze. 

Yamu reacted in a trance, his fingers slowly brushing over his lips, the kiss still lingering in his mind, and he didn't even try to come up with a fitting reply. ”So does this make us boyfriends now?” 

”Well, do you want it?” 

He nodded reluctantly at first, still busy with the kiss and struggling to understand the whole concept of a boyfriend, but his nod became more energetic, and he decided to return the favor with everything he had already learned. A brief kiss, but already much better and softer than his first one, sealing the deal between them. This was it, they both knew it. There was a sentence in his mind, begging for attention, words he had never thought he would utter. ”I love you, Noko, for everything you have done for me.”

Noko’s eyes glowed brighter than ever before. ”I love you too, Yamu.” It felt so rewarding to unravel the gritty, dismissive spirit guardian, unwrap him like a present. The banter around the soup had convinced him; he was the right one. In hindsight, feeding him had been a silly, silly idea, but it had connected them in a very special way. Yamu was the big hero with amazing skills, he was a clumsy moki with unhealthy amounts of curiosity, yet there were ways in which even he could help him. And the smile on his new boyfriend’s lips was worth everything. Well, almost everything, certainly a really expensive meal, but certainly not him almost dying.

Their wholesome togetherness was interrupted by the waiter. She finally swung by to deliver them a glass of Spika fruit juice. The endearing chuckle that escaped her lips when she put the juice down next to them ripped them out of their lovey-dovey rapture. Time for a treat. Noko pushed the glass over to Yamu, the thick greenish liquid sloshing lazily. 

”This is really expensive, isn't it? I'll take just a sip, wouldn't want to drink too much of your treat,” the spirit guardian asked.

”No, please, feel free to have a taste. As much as you like.” 

Yamu felt his curious eyes resting on him when he reached for the glass and guided it to his lips. If it tasted anything like the fruit, it would be delicious. A single sip was enough to confirm his expectations, it filled his entire mouth with wonderful flavor, coated every last bit, and ran down his throat like honey. He craved more, his paw refusing to set the glass down again. Another sip couldn't hurt, could it? As long as he didn't empty it completely, it was fine. His next sip was a big one, another taste explosion that made him shiver like a bush in a storm. He forced himself to put the glass down, otherwise he would have drunk it all. This was just too good!

Noko didn't look like he was angry or upset that he had drunk more than half of the serving in his insatiable greed. Instead, he greeted him with an excited grin. ”It's great, right?”

Yamu nodded, but still felt a little guilty. ”I'm sorry, I didn't want to drink so much. I just couldn't...”

”No harm done. Like I told you, drink as much as you like. Also, maybe you're now more willing to help me to the wastes to pluck some more fruits now that you know how yummy they are.” 

”Oh, so that's why you ordered it? You trickster!” 

Noko chuckled mischievously and he suddenly pushed forward, licking all over Yamu's lips and collecting the remaining flavor, the lingering impression of the juice. He jumped back just as fast and smiled innocently. The brazen action caught Yamu off-guard, but his shocked stare quickly melted into a laugh. It felt incredibly relieving as it came from deep within him, breaking free and overflowing, not letting go for over a minute, leaving him breathless and wheezing.

Eventually, they received the main course, the Glades mixture, a dish consisting of an assortment of fruits and vegetables, fried fireflies, bristled with expertly selected herbs and spices, garnished with a thick sauce and some oil. It was served hot, of course, and it smelled even better than the soup, richer with more texture. The first bite was a revelation, Yamu knew and had tasted all ingredients before, but the mixture turned them into something much better. ”This food is excellent.”

”I know, that’s why I brought you here.” 

”I feel like I can’t even fathom its brilliance. I rarely ever ate cooked food, it feels like a waste that I get to eat it. I’d probably be already fine with a few berries.” 

”It’s for you, so it can’t be a waste!” Noko objected. ”It makes you smile, so it’s worth it.”

Yamu also wasn’t used to such enormous portions. It was advertised as a dish for two, but it felt like one for three. Still, it was a sin to let any of it go to waste, and so they spent a long time just sitting there, sipping on some water while waiting for their stomachs to process the delicious filling. Enough time to talk about all sorts of things; they used it to share their life stories. Noko told him about his childhood in the Wellspring Glades, mostly a detailed description of the many, many shenanigans in his youth. Yamu didn’t have much to tell in this regard, but he could give the moki an overview of all the places he had visited. He had explored Niwen from north to south, east to west, many times over, and he knew that he would eventually take Noko along and show him the most spectacular sights.

When the last few bites had disappeared in their greedy maws, both stuffed to the brim, Yamu felt strangely sore. His face hurt and he warily brushed his fingers over the aching spots, the joints of his jaw sent out a dull, throbbing pain. 

”Everything alright?” Noko asked. 

Yamu realized that it was just his laughing muscles, neglected for many years, they were now exhausted from making him smile this entire time. ”I think I've been smiling too much. It hurts?” 

”What, really?” Noko laughed loudly and promptly infected him with his laughter. He wouldn’t stop smiling anytime soon. If a few sore muscles were the price to pay for the greatest fun he ever had, he was more than willing to pay it.

The moki waiter returned for one last time to take care of the empty plate and to tell them how much they had to pay. ”I hope you enjoyed your meal, boys. By the way, we gave you a discount because you deserve some recognition for your deeds, Yamu.” 

Noko was visibly delighted. He would've paid the entire bill in the blink of an eye, but to get such a high discount was an unexpected and wonderful blessing. 

”Thank you,” Yamu whispered with a blush. It was still weird that everybody recognized him by name, while he knew next to no one. Had he always been this... famous? 

Noko was the first to get up. He moved to him, grabbed his paw, and pulled him up into a hug. ”So, that’s it. That’s our date. We can meet again whenever you want. Or, if you want, we can carry on right now. What do you say, you want to come with me to my home?” Yamu's heart was beating faster, of course he wanted to join him, he didn't want the date to be over yet. Not while he was having so much fun. He nodded eagerly, much to Noko’s joy. ”Well, follow me then.”

They left the quiet restaurant and delved back into the buzzing business of the town. It had become evening, the sun was setting on the horizon and immersed the houses and homes in a warm orange haze. The stares and the noises didn't bother him as much anymore, he still hadn't gotten used to it, but Noko's presence was enough to distract him. Eventually they climbed a narrow wooden staircase around the trunk of one of the centennial trees and reached the town's top level, the many hanging moki huts, interconnected by numerous wooden hanging bridges. His new boyfriend became more and more excited the closer they got to his home, and he literally dragged him along, storming across the bridges until they reached their destination. His place was relatively small, an orb made of an interwoven mesh of branches and flexible willow rods. The round wooden door was closed, but not locked, a simple pull was enough to gain entry.

It looked small from the outside, but on the inside it was surprisingly spacious. There even were two different levels. The ground level was a living room with a cobblestone cooking place. Rugs, blankets, and pillows in green, straw, and earthy colors were strewn about everywhere. A few chests and a crate were scattered around the living space, probably storing the moki's belongings. A pair of dimly glowing yellow lanterns illuminated the place just enough to make it the coziest place in Niwen. Noko closed the door behind him and made an inviting gesture. ”Welcome to my little home. Not much, but it's mine.” 

”It looks really comfortable, I just want to lay down and fall asleep.” 

The moki received his notion with an appreciative giggle. ”Just wait till you see the upper floor.”

He took him by his paw and led him up the narrow stepladder. The roof was low, and most of the upper room was taken up by a single big round bed, covered by the softest silkiest brown blanket he had ever seen and drowning in pillows. Another lantern on a bedside table drenched the bedroom in an orange glow, warm and cozy. 

”You're right, that's even comfier. This is where you sleep?” 

”Yes.” 

He felt a firmer tug on his paw, the moki pulled him into a kiss. It was different from their previous ones, it was much deeper and more sensual, he licked and caressed his lips, thrust his tongue deep into his muzzle. With fewer prying eyes and in a much more comfortable place, Yamu had little trouble indulging him. He reciprocated the kiss as best he could, but he still struggled with the tongue part. What was he supposed to do? Wriggle it around as he did? He vigorously undulated his tongue, his first attempt at a french kiss met with a sudden burst of laughter. ”Wow, so much energy!”

Noko gently pulled him on his bed, dragged him down onto the soft surface, and embraced him in an affectionate hug, followed by another, even hotter kiss. A shower of warm and pleasant feelings flooded the spirit guardian, his natural glow becoming stronger and illuminating the small chamber. He felt his boyfriend's paws wandering over his back, up and down, stroking the shaft of his tail and caressing his ears. Slowly but inexorably they pressed on, running around his waist, and exploring his butt and his groin. At the same time, he basically held Noko in his arms, felt his soft, black pelt under his fingers and stroked him blissfully. The kissing never stopped, each kiss immediately followed by another one, and he quickly became better at kissing by imitating his new boyfriend.

A gasp of unease escaped his lips and he abruptly pulled away from the kiss when the moki's finger hit one of his most sensitive parts. He had briefly bumped against the rim of his sheath and sent a strange tingle through his body. ”Hey, watch what you are doing!” 

”What I am doing?” Noko immediately pulled his paws back, stopped every movement and was left exceptionally stupefied.

”You touched my sheath. That feels weird.” 

”It feels weird?” He shuffled back and his eyes widened in confusion. 

”Yes, weird.” 

”Tell me, did you ever have sex before?” 

”No.” 

Noko's astonishment grew into infinity. ”But... you do know what sex is, right?” 

”Of course I do.” He sounded a little more indignant than he wanted to sound, although he had never experienced it himself, he had observed many creatures doing it on his many journeys. Mokis seemed to be particularly excited about mating, he found several moki couples having fun like that every single day.

Realization struck them both at the same time. Yamu understood why the moki was so casual about it. Sex was completely normal for him, he didn’t even think that someone could react to it the way Yamu did. However, this threw up new questions. ”I’m not your first one, am I?” 

Noko realized that Yamu was a virgin, and not only that, but he apparently hadn’t even touched himself ever. He shook his head and replied, ”If you’re talking about partners, no. I had many before you. If you’re talking about boyfriends, yes, you are the first one, the only one in my life. Now, Yamu, do you jerk off?” 

The spirit guardian’s completely befuddled gaze was telling; it took him more than just a moment to figure out what he meant. Jerking off? Did he mean that thing some of the mokis he saw did, sitting hidden in the bushes and stroking their pink shafts? ”No, I don’t.” 

The moki had a lot of trouble comprehending the incomprehensible. Just like the others of his kind, he was a sexual creature, jerking off was something completely natural. How could someone as old as Yamu have never jerked off in his entire life? ”Really. Why? I mean, did you never feel the urge to just go and touch yourself. Touch yourself a little more?” 

The spirit guardian vehemently shook his head. ”An urge? What urge? Why would I touch myself?”

Noko crawled to the edge of the bed and called Yamu to come over. The perplexed but curious male nodded and joined him. The moki looked at his boyfriend’s crotch, he had seen his sheath before, but now that he looked more closely, he realized that the spirit guardian was well equipped, a fairly large opening and two heavy, drooping testes. ”Yamu, can I show you something?” 

He received a coy look, Yamu reluctantly pressed his legs together when he noticed his stare. ”I- Okay.” 

”I want to try and show you how to jerk off. Just because you’ve never tried it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work. It’s fun! Do you trust me?” Yamu nodded quickly, his ears fluttering nervously. ”I’m going to use my paws. Rub them against your sheath. Is that okay? You can always tell me to stop if you need to.” Yamu nodded again, his eyes now glued to the moki’s paws, attentively following them as they inched closer.

The moki began his demonstration with a gentle caress, a little tender preparation to ease his tension. He brushed his paws over Yamu's thighs, touched his softly glowing white fur, and rubbed all the way from his knees to his groin, stopping just shy of his shaft. A strange tingling ran through the spirit guardian's body, he flushed and felt really warm, Noko's touch was doing something to him. His ears fluttered even more and his tail thumped on the bed. ”Are you okay?” 

He bit his lip and whimpered softly. ”It feels weird, I'm getting all warm and fuzzy inside.” Exactly the words the moki needed to hear to confirm that his advance was bearing fruit.

His fingers finally found their way back to Yamu's sheath, but this time he was prepared for it. The brushed over the sensitive rim, grabbed it, and gently stroked it. The glowing male gasped, and his body reacted in a strange, unfamiliar way. There was a strange current coursing through his body, rushing to his sheath, building up pressure. The surreal sensation manifested itself in a blueish glowing bit of flesh which gradually emerged from his sheath, pulsating and throbbing as it inflated and grew. It was the first time he saw his own phallus, and it looked fascinating. Unlike a moki's tapered pink member, it was blunt with only a very gentle taper and a slightly flared tip. His eyes widened and he looked at Noko, finding that the moki was equally astonished by his shaft. ”It's the first time I get to see a spirit guardian's cock. It’s so pretty! You're hung, Yamu!” 

The way he phrased his words made it sound like a huge compliment  ”Thank you. Hung? You mean big? Is that good?” 

”Depends on who you ask. I, for my part, love it big. The bigger the better,” Noko purred, his eyes sparkling with unconcealed lust. Yamu happened to glance at the moki's body, following the light stripe on his belly down to an already fully erect pink prick. He was apparently enjoying this as well.

His boyfriend noticed his curious stare. ”Just explore me however you like. It's only fair since I'm doing the same to you,” Noko encouraged him. ”Do you want to give it a paw? Don’t worry, just touch it if you like.” The spirit guardian gingerly grabbed his dick, felt it throb inside his grip. It was warm and a little wet, oozing clear liquid from the tip. ”A little more, and try to stroke it, just like I’m doing with yours.” They shuffled closer together to make it easier to masturbate each other. Yamu did as he was told and slid his paw over Noko's shaft, up and down, while Noko did the same with him. It felt absolutely incredible. Yamu’s face melted, his eyes wide and his jaw dropping, a deep groan escaped his throat. He felt so incredibly hot, but in a wonderful and satisfying way.

Noko placed a paw on his shoulder and pulled him into a kiss while his paw continued to rub and dance along his swelling shaft. For the first time, Yamu felt sexual pleasure. His breath became faster, hasty and erratic. The new, unknown sensation was surging through his body, claiming his mind with immense might; it was pure and unbridled lust that took hold of him. It swelled into a burning desire to get as much stimulation as he could. His heart was racing and his muscles tensed up as if they were preparing for something. A strange pressure built in his groin. It felt a little like a full bladder, and it was so intense, he feared it would rip his mind apart. ”Noko, I think something’s happening!” he howled, pulling away from their kiss.

The moki reacted within the blink of an eye. He slipped down from the bed and on his knees. The same lips that had played with his boyfriend’s mouth got to work on his blue glowing shaft. He pressed his lips against the tip and slid it into the tight, warm confines of his muzzle. The sudden tightness triggered Yamu’s first climax ever, and he erupted into Noko’s mouth. The spirit guardian moaned with endless pleasure, it sounded like he was losing his mind. His body shook and tensed, his sack bounced and twitched wildly, and his muscles contracted in a violent rhythm to pump out a gigantic first load. Spurt after spurt of gooey, warm spunk emerged from the throbbing tip, and it seemingly never ended. Noko swallowed it all with noisy, hasty gulps. He was glad that he had reacted in time to catch his orgasm, otherwise he would have received a monstrous mess right onto his belly. Instead, he got the warm, yummy load right into his belly where it belonged.

Once the orgasmic rush subsided, the spirit guardian slumped back, drained from his seed and his power. A wonderfully blissful trance enveloped his mind, this had been an experience like none other. How had he lived without ever finding out about this? No wonder mokis were so enthusiastic about it. So he lay there with his chest lazily rising and dropping, an enraptured smile on his lips. Hours had passed with his new boyfriend, hours spent smiling, having fun, and learning about new exciting things.

The bed jittered when the moki dropped down next to him, his face radiating deep happiness, but also unsatisfied desire. As wonderful as Yamu’s reaction was, Noko still hadn’t found release yet. His cock was rock hard and his lust was driving him crazy. 

”How was that?” the moki asked.

”Absolutely spectacular, I don’t know how I lived without this knowledge.” 

The moki’s paw brushed over his boyfriend’s silky fur, further and further down, returning to his still standing, rigid erection, gave it a probing stroke to provoke a reaction. Yamu yelped softly, his cock was sensitive and jerked vigorously. ”Does it feel good? Or is it too much?” He was greeted by a gaze full of lust, sparkling with a new-fledged craving that made him chuckle. Yamu had spent years without finding any relief, so it was no surprise that he was ridiculously pent-up. However, Noko also felt a little guilty. His boyfriend’s species, the spirit guardians, didn’t seem to need any sex, pristine beings that existed beyond the carnal desires of simpler creatures, and yet he had such big balls and such a yummy cock, begging to be explored, corrupted by the lowly needs of a horny moki. 

Luckily, his new boyfriend seemed to enjoy his sexual awakening. ”It feels wonderful. Whatever you’re doing, just keep doing it.”

Yamu’s wish was Noko’s command, and he tried to think of his next trick. His aching taper an insistent reminder of his own arousal, he had to get some relief. However, he didn't want to overwhelm the inexperienced spirit guardian, he had only just learned about the joys of masturbation. So he had to find something that both could enjoy. Mounting Yamu, be it his butt or muzzle, was out of the question. He didn't want to force himself into him without talking with him about the act first. Maybe he should simply masturbate again? Then he found a much better idea. He could also sit on his boyfriend’s blue glowing dick, easy and simple, teaching him just how nice and tight a moki ass is. But before he could take his beast, he had to prepare himself.

Noko was pretty sure that his boyfriend wouldn’t be thrilled about the idea of licking his tailhole, so he had to do something else instead. He grabbed a leaf of moki kelp from his nightstand. There were several bulging pockets in the leaf, each filled with a slimy, odorless liquid that probably served some important purpose, but also worked as an excellent lubricant. The kelp’s name came from its arousing effect on mokis, drawing them to it like moths to a lantern. The places where it grew had all become hookup spots for his kind. Noko decided to turn lubing up into a show for his boyfriend. He crawled over Yamu, rump over chest, tail raised high so that he looked straight at his asshole.

The glowing male watched his new boyfriend with great curiosity, saw him ponder, fetch a leaf of kelp, and then back up into his face, his entire rear on full display. Yamu’s gaze wandered from his tapered prick over his light ballsack all the way to the base of his tail, where his pink pucker caught his interest. Hidden deep in Noko's crack, it was revealed when the moki pulled his ass cheeks apart, the rosy opening quivering and winking at the spirit guardian. That’s when the kelp came into play. He broke one of the liquid-filled pods, it popped with a wet plop, and let the natural lube ooze on the exposed tailhole. The male gasped with a shiver, the fluid was pretty cold, and his body tensed up. Now for the preparation, his fingers slathered the lube over his ring, dug into the hole, twisted and stretched it to coat his insides and loosen himself up.

Yamu was enthralled but fairly clueless about what was happening. He felt the same warm, fuzzy feeling he had felt when Noko had masturbated him, although this time there was no touch, just the oddly delicious sight of the moki's quivering pucker, squelching and smacking as he played with it. In a sudden idea, he grabbed his butt cheeks and helped him spread them so he could focus on whatever he was doing. The moki thanked him with a content sigh, fingering himself a little harder before deciding that it was enough.

Noko plopped his fingers out and slowly raised his ass, turning around and squatting over Yamu’s swollen shaft. ”Oh, so this is how males mate!” his boyfriend gasped and sounded as if he had found the solution to an intricate riddle. 

Noko laughed, the innocence of the otherwise weathered spirit guardian was adorable. ”One of many ways. Now, watch and feel. It’s great, I promise.” He lowered his rump until his lube-soaked sphincter kissed the flat tip of Yamu’s cock. A quick grip, a little guidance, some pressure, and it finally slipped in with a wet plop. His tongue jumped out of his mouth and he moaned blissfully, his fingers and all his experience hadn’t fully prepared him for the sheer size of his boyfriend’s meat. He took a moment to simply wallow in the sensation of the fat tip stretching his sphincter.

It felt absolutely wonderful, so incredibly tight and warm, a storm of pleasure barraging through his body. Yamu could see why mokis loved doing this, but his boyfriend’s reaction made him a little worried. Why wasn’t he moving and why did he look as if he had stubbed his toe? ”Is everything okay?” 

Noko nodded with an overjoyed smile, his voice shaky. ”It’s perfect!” Then he took the rest, sliding it in with relishing slowness. The spirit guardian had to agree, masturbating had felt good, but this was otherworldly good, he wanted it to never end.

Noko was full and he loved it, expressing his bliss with an even louder howl, echoed by Yamu’s quieter, but just as passionate cry. When he reached the bottom, his legs gave up and he dropped on his boyfriend’s chest. A perfect opportunity to embrace him in a hug. ”You are perfect. Perfect in so many ways. I love you, Yamu.” Then he kissed him, his hips beginning to move as he rode him with shallow humps. Yamu replied with a sigh affection, pulling him even closer against his chest. He couldn’t speak even if he tried, the sensation of fucking his ass was too overwhelming. The sheer pleasure paralyzed him. As such it didn’t take a lot to make him experience that strange pressure in his loins again, he was about to explode a second time. ”Noko, it’s happening again!” 

”I can feel it. Let it all out!”

He came with a desperate cry, and his shaft erupted with a load as rich and voluminous as the first one, pouring a bucket of warm love into his boyfriend. His climax infected the moki, he suddenly trembled and groaned, joining him with an orgasm of his own. His pucker tightened, rhythmically constricting around his dick, sending him in new spheres of bliss. A sticky heat splattered on his belly, Noko’s taper spurted out his slim but forceful cumshot and sprayed it all over their bellies. Finally, the moki collapsed, utterly spent from the act, and buried him under his furry body. Yamu purred and lovingly rubbed his back. ”And I love you too, Noko.”

Once the moki found the strength to get up, they disengaged their carnal union. Nevertheless, they still remained locked together in a deep, loving embrace, sharing their warmth and idle, sloppy kisses. Noko asked him, ”How was your first time?” 

”Absolutely spectacular. I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything.” 

”Are you happy?” 

”Happier than ever before, thanks to you, Noko.” 

”That’s good. That’s what I want you to be.” 

He did it, Noko thought, he had found a boyfriend, accidentally showed him the pleasures of masturbation and sex, and made him happy. And if Yamu was happy, he was happy too. Also, he was definitely looking forward to picking Spika fruits in the Windswept Wastes with him.

For the first time in ages, Yamu's day ended with him being happy and satisfied. Thanks to the moki in his arms, his life had taken an unexpected turn for the better. And with Noko at his side, he was certain that his happiness would never end. The fun had only just begun.