Bloodlines of Archaea I. Afira

“Everything is still quite confusing,” I said, as I cut the rope, which tied his boat to the dock. “Like what is with that outfit? You’re my best friend, why would you not tell me about this?” I said, angrily pulling the hood of the cloak off.

“I only recently found out. When my father died, Maktu felt I should know. So he told me everything.” He climbed onto the boat and held out his hand for me. I ignored this and climbed onto the boat, myself. “Apparently, for generations, my family has been sworn to protect the leaders, but when the last one, your great aunt, was consumed by her own power and joined the Underdark army, my grandfather convinced the gods to wait and to choose the next rulers wisely. They had to prove themselves. After one hundred years of waiting, they saw you.” He smiled at me. I couldn’t help but smile back, blushing. I pulled out the map, Maktu had given me and set it on the wood of the boat.

“We’re here, I said, pointing to the map, with the spot of our island. I looked for an island on the map which had a large volcano. Finding what I was looking for, I pointed, saying, “and we need to go here.” Akuma sighed and, seeming to realize I didn’t want to speak of this, and looked down at the map. The map was drawn in green and blue ink, outlined in black. It seemed to have been drawn many years ago, by people who had only seen the world once. It was shaky and obviously done at sea.

“Since this is a long sail, we should stop here, here, and here,” Akuma said, pointing to three islands along the way to the island with the volcano.

“We need a name for the ‘island with the volcano,’ we can’t just say that every time,” I said, smiling, and trying to lighten his anxious mood.

He chuckled softly, then, reaching into the boat’s storage, and pulling out two oars, responded with, “boy, or girl? If this volcano, turns out to be a boy, I’d go with Ikaia, if it’s a girl, how about… Iuga?” He handed an oar to me.

“I like Iuga,” I answered, grabbing the oar from his hand, as the wind had ceased. I wondered how it was possible for someone I had known my entire life to suddenly seem so different, even though he was still the same person he had always been. After a while we spent separately lost in thought, I began to wonder what my people back on the island were told, or what they thought of their new queen. I wondered if they knew they were in danger or were oblivious as I had so recently been.

Seeming to pick up on what I felt, he said, “I think they understand. You just lost Grandma Lilly, and your parents a few years before, I mean, also becoming queen is hard on anyone.”

“It’s not that, It’s just-” I trailed off, unsure I should explain, but picking up again. “I don’t know if I’m good enough for them. I mean, they’re an island filled with people who are attached at the soul with magical butterflies, and leaders who have had powers and a beautiful culture.” I explained, “I’m just not sure I fit in. Why was I chosen? What’s so special about me?”

He looked down at the ocean, not saying a word as he moved his oar, powerfully stroking the water. Until finally, saying quietly, “well, you’re more intelligent than anyone else on that island, you learn fast, you have a strong heart, and you live your life without fear,” he said, still looking out at the ocean.

Becoming hungry, I pulled out two bananas from the boat storage, saying, “we should eat the fresh stuff, first,” I handed one to Akuma, I also reached in and grabbed hold of the anchor, so that we could temporarily rest. I had never been more grateful to be resting my hands for the first time since that morning. I looked down at them, flinching at the sight of them. They were already calloused, not only that, but a new sensation had begun this morning, as I was now noticing that they burned.

“How are your hands?” I asked, noticing that he too, stared down at his own hands.

He looked up at me, and chuckled, saying, “this is going to be rough,” he showed me that his left hand bled. I gasped and pulled his hand close, losing his balance, he fell over, towards me. I giggled, but continued to study his wounded hand, eventually deciding to wrap it with something. I rummaged through the storage in the boat, but finding no bandages, used fresh seaweed, instead. I gently wrapped his hand, careful not to hurt him.