Fountain of Youth {for Jinchu}

[CleverFox]

You need the money, you need the money...YOU NEED THE MONEY!!! That was the mantra that twenty four year old Daniel Fox, better known as Danny, had been repeating to himself for countless hours at this point. Really since this so called expedition had began though he had agreed to it and was on this trip on a purely voluntary basis. Okay so he had been bribed to come along and act as a guide for his less than enjoyable benefactor, and he used that term lightly, but since he was going to grad school for history and liked to visit the places that he was studying so that he could really get a feel for it and identify better with it, money was sort of necessary. And his less than pleasant companion had offered him that money and all he had to do was show him around a place that he was not familiar with.

It had sounded easy enough but the execution of that left a tremendous amount to be desired really, the two of them had been butting heads constantly. Danny was younger and therefor his companion thought that automatically translated into didn't know as much, a fact that was starting to grate on his last nerve. He was willing to put his IQ up against anyone's since he was rather intelligent and very well aware of that fact. Which just made being bossed around by someone that he did not see as better than him more insufferable than it would have likely been otherwise. Thus the need for the mantra that he had been repeating to himself almost continuously as they made their way through what could very well be described as a swamp.

Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll get eaten by something... Danny thought to himself sort of meanly, not actually cruel enough to mean that but enjoying the mental image anyway.

The two of them were on what most would call a fool's errand, a search for the legendary Fountain of Youth. While tales of the legendary water of life still existed to this day to Danny's knowledge no one was actively searching for it, well aside from himself and his current companion. And he was really only doing it because, like his mantra had stated before, he needed the money. He was using this as experience with dealing with unpleasant people as well, even if that was just an unfortunate side effect, but he kept all such thoughts to himself. Mainly because he didn't want to listen to any whining that his companion might have to offer.

[Jinchu]

Martin was really irritated and even more tired. He liked to read about conquests, campaigns and such things, but books rarely focused on the dirt, wet boots, thousands of mosquitoes and horesflies around and on how your legs ache after a few miles... And even if some books did mention that, reading and experiencing were very diffrent things too.

Martin Forest never intended to do thimks like that then he started his historical studies. In fact, in his mind nearly twenty years ago, as he graduated high school, that was a complete opposite to anything hard and unpleasant - you just learn interesting stories about people with awesome life!.. That's why he never bothered to do something that hard and boring as writing a degree work. Instead Martin changed courses, learned new things (he really knew a lot, a lot) - his father's, and now his own, little factory worked well by itself, letting him ignore financional problems and stay eternal student down to the age of 37.Now he looked kinda strange in freshmen's company - the grown-up man with thinned out auburn hair, noticable paunch and always puurly shaved chin, but he felt well in such role.

Untill he had recently found the diary of some Spanish monk from 16 century. Martin was lucky to notice that half-decompresed book in one second-hand-bookshop, and double lucky that the seller didn't realise how valuable it could be. Martin started to read it because of pure interest, but then... Some Indian, who became Christion just before his death, confessed to the monk about the secret place which seemed to be the Fountain of Youth!.. The Indian explained, that he wanted to go there and became young again, but was too weak, so he seeked fot the immortality Christians promised to him... The monk didn't belive in the story of Fountain, but wrote down what his naive interlocutor told about it. Martin Forest was always interested in such legends more then in any other part of the historical science, and he belived in the Fountain of Youth. More then that, he immediately realised, that this route was never used by those who tried to find fountain before.

Martin Forest secretle always wanted to be like those guys from historical (and, to be honest, adventure) books.

So he collected some money - not too much, sadly, because it seemed that factory without his managment wasn't doing as well as he thought, - bought needed equipment and hired the guy he've met in the university. They didn't talk much, but Martin remembered, that this Fox spent lots of time in woods, and mountains, oe whatever. He wouldn't tell anyone about Fountain and he was cheap. And after the expedition started, Martin discovered dirt, mosquitoes, ache... That was the most unpleasant time in his life, anf he started even regret all this, but today they left behind the "cliff, that looks like eagle's head" from the mon's diary, which meant they were very close!

But Martin was tired.

"How about some rest?.. Umph.. And snack?.." he whined in rather a demanding tone, dragging himself along behind Fox.

[CleverFox]

Danny wasn't terribly fond of the man that he was currently guiding through the overgrown wilderness, his machete making a trail for them since it was clear that no one had passed by this way in quite some time, how much time was completely impossible to tell. Perhaps some animals still used this trail but it was clear that no humans had passed this way in untold years but that was something that Danny was accustomed to and so he just hacked away at the vines, keeping a close eye out for anything that might pose a threat. He was only partially paying attention to the man that he was hired to guide through his hostile environment but at the same time he was going to make sure that he got him there and back in one piece if only for the fact that this was the only way to guarantee that he got his money.

His attention shifted back to Martin when the man asked him about resting and then mentioned a snack, the demanding tone that he was speaking in just serving to annoy Danny. "This isn't a great spot to rest and as for a snack, you aren't going to die if you do not get something to eat right now," Danny told him, keeping his tone even despite that he really wanted to snap at this man that thought himself so entitled. "It is safer if we keep moving and you do want to reach our destination before nightfall do you not?" He asked that question even as he was fairly certain that camping out in this wilderness was not what he man would view as a good way to spend his time.

And quite frankly Danny would agree with him in that regard if it were indeed his thought.

There were venomous snakes that one could encounter as well as other dangers and Danny did not fancy spending anymore time out in the wilderness and outside of the reach of help than he had to. Once again his mantra entered into his head, Danny repeatedly reminding himself that he desperately needed the money so that he could continue his travels as well as pay for the necessities that he needed in day to day life.

That was the only reason that he was hear right now.

[Jinchu]

Martin was realy displeased with the tone this boy was talking to him. Fox was much younger and, despite all that formal shit like degrees, Martin have read much more books and was much smarter then this dork. After all, that was Martin Forest who found the way to the legendary Fountain of Youth, right?

"But I need rest!" answered Martin in irritated voice, drawing off his sweaty collar. Actually he wanted to reach the Fountain before night, but he didn't want to walk anymore, so... He decided to at least whine about it. "We're walking like, forever! I might die without rest and food! Don't forget who's your employer, young man. You're here to show the way through jungle, not to show off, mister Smarty Pants. And you're not doing your job really well - that way you're showing is a hell!"

Actually, Martin wasn't in that desperate need in a rest and kept following his companion, but how one can deal with difficulties and problems if not by getting on other's nerves?

[CleverFox]

The fact that this man was constantly whining was really starting to grate on Danny's nerves and it was becoming harder and harder to remind himself that he needed the money that the jerk was going to pay him when all was said and done. When Martin countered what he had said about reaching the fountain by nightfall by saying that he needed rest it was on the tip of Danny's tongue to tell him that he needed to have that silver spoon pulled out of his ass and have someone beat him with it.

He realized that would just cause a fight however so he managed to refrain but it was all that he could do to bite his tongue, the man almost literally having to bite his tongue.

Danny did roll his eyes when the man went on his melodramatic rant about dying, the young man shaking his head as he retorted, "Somehow I doubt anything that drastic is going to happen. In case you weren't aware you can go three days without food so long as you have water, which you have." It was also on the tip of his tongue to tell the man that a little exercise wouldn't kill him but that he did manage not to say.

He also managed to ignore the insults but that was even harder still, the man was just insufferable.

[Jinchu]

After a half an hour, during which Martin complained from time to time, making pauses mostly then he needed to recover his breath (the way was hard for him, since he very rarely walked at all), they reached the tree with seven skulls under it's roots. Martin was really worried about that part - the tree could be burn out by lightening or plainly rot after all those years, skulls could be stolen by jackals (or whatever lives in this damn jungle)... But he was lucky. All was exectly like described in the diary.

"On the left from here," he commanded, nearly forgetting about tiredness and hunger thanks to anticipation. And forty minutes (to that moment Martin talked about his empty stomach, aching legs, rubbed corns and so on again) later they reached the ruines. In fact that looked more like a part of jungle, just a little bit too geometric, but since Martin knew what they were looking for (and saw many photos, drawings and plans of native buildings in books) he easily saw the shape of walls, columns and gated under the thicket and lianas. In fact, that architecture was different from eveything he studied - alike, but different, maybe the legacy of some more ancent, unknown culture, that existed before Maya. Aztec and all other civilizations that Europeans knew?.. But most importantly - that was the place there the Fountain of Youth should be hidden!

"Finally!.. Yes, yes!!" Martin exclaimed, hastily going inside ruines.

[CleverFox]

Danny was about ready to strangle the incessantly complaining man by the time that Martin started taking more of an interest in just where they were and seemed to stop with his constant stream of complaints. It was amazing how quickly he recovered from being on the verge of falling over dead and Danny had to fight back the urge to comment on that but he did manage, even if he had to literally bite his tongue.

Again...it was really sad that this was not the first time that he'd had to resort to this.

When they reached the ruins Danny's eyes widened slightly since he hadn't really been sure that they were going to find anything, that tale being old as history in and of itself. It did seem as though they were on the trail fo something at this point though whether that would turn out to be the fountain of youth was anyone's guess.

It seemed that Martin thought it would, the man getting jubilant and causing Danny to roll his eyes thought he did continue to follow him.

"Well let's just get on with it then," he said, his gaze scanning their surroundings just in case things turned out to be not quite as calm as they appeared at first glance. He wasn't expecting trouble per say but it was always better to be safe than sorry so he tended to err on the side of caution.

[Jinchu]

Martin heard the sound of running water and hastily headed there. He saw the pond with crystal clean, shining water, in the middle of each the small fountain - or more like spring - was spurting. There were no special effects to certify that that was magical Fountain of Youth, but Martin had no doubt about it. That was his triumph, the highest point of his life. He did it. He proved that the myth was actually true, he showed all those haughty scientists!.. Who now will dare to call him useless, and idler, infantile!..

Martin approached to the pond. It's stone curb was covered with soft emerald moss thanks to the dampness, the water blinked, and was so coool... And the man couldn't resist - he was sure that it was the Fountain of Youth, but wouldn't it be better to have a proof? Martin wasn't so young now, to be honest, - he was breathing heavily, felt aching in the side after all this walking and wouldn't mind to turn 10-15 years younger. Also, he was really thirsty... Forest bent to the water and made a few big gulps.

At first she felt only the cool water in his stomach, refreshing and... then Martin felt different. A strange trembling spread through his body, to his toes and to the roots of his hair, a weird ticklish sensation... All the hair on Martin's body bristled, eveything went dark before his eyes for a moment, his penis suddenly erected... and then shrinked. Martin found the edge of the pond much higher then before, and it was going up... His hands disappeared in the sleevs which suddenly became very long... And then his pants and boxers slipped down. Martin looked at himself and, to his great shock, saw a boy, who could be eight years old...

In fact, he looked cute with still thibk auburn curls, big brown eyes and ruddy cheeks. Instead of rather unattractive paunch he had just a normal boyish tummy and only his buttocks seemed a little too chubby and round yet...

But that wasn't what he wanted!! He didn't lan to become a baby!!.. Martin was shocked, couldn't belive in all that and, honestly, didn't know what to do...

[CleverFox]

Danny stood off to the side as they reached the spring, his gaze going around and he could see that there were what appeared to be ancient runes carved into the stones that surrounded the place, probably in a language that was as old as time immemorial. It was definitely interesting and the young scholar moved forward to have a closer look, brushing aside some of the moss as he gazed at the symbols. He couldn't read what they said and couldn't even identify what culture it was that had left them behind but that didn't mean that it wasn't interesting to him.

His attention was diverted from that only when he saw Martin move ahead and drink from the water, the young man shaking his head slightly in response to that since he would have thought it better to hold off on such things since there could be bacteria in the water. He didn't say that however and instead just watched what his employer was doing.

The man's eyes widened as he saw Martin begin to shrink before his very eyes, that being the last thing that he had been expecting, and he was unsure of what to do when he found himself staring at what appeared to be an eight or nine year old boy rather than his obnoxious employer. "Martin?" he asked in a somewhat hesitant voice, wondering if this was a hallucination brought on by some sort of disease he had contracted and also wondering if Martin still had all the knowledge he'd had before...before whatever this was had happened.

Danny was still unsure of the situation in its entirety.

[Jinchu]

Martin turned to Foc - oh, how big he was now! Somwhow that last detail made the man - the boy? - fully realise that all that was happening for real. His lip trembled. "Y-yes... that's me. I gues... I guess, we've never studied just how young those waters make you..." he mumbled.

He stepped out of his gigantic (no, no, that's because he was small now) boots, his pants and underwear (thankfully, his shirt now reached his knees) and... nearly fell down. It was so unusual to walk with different height, with diferent centre of gravity... Martin unsurely approacjed to Danny, not knowing exectly whay yo do and whay did he want.