Natural Enemy 1-9

The morning of the Great Wave Festival started with all the noise in the world.

A noise that shook him from his sleep and sent his butt tumbling off the bed, as a hundred shouts went up at once with the bang-bang-BANG of tin drums alongside them.

Blue eyes blinked at the roof of his hut, Kai blearily staring up at the straw and wood as singing and cheering and so much else that it was way too early for ruined his rest.

Those same eyes rolled as he pulled himself off the ground, kicking free off the blankets tangled around him with a groan and dragged himself over to his window. But… I… Something on his face twitched, Kai wasn’t sure what, but something twitched as he stared out at the still-dark sky with a little bit of light peeking over the edge of the world. It’s not even dawn yet

It was like the whole village had woken up before the sun and decided to scream at the sun for it not being there in time for the party to start up right. 

I’m not… Kai sighed again, dropping all his bulk back into bed and pulling the covers back over his head. I’m not doing this right now.

But he did.

It only took a good sniff a few hours later to wake him right out of his sleep again, the air suddenly thick and heavy with something he knew and loved. Blue eyes snapped open again, Kai half-jumping out of bed as the smell of too many giant pigs roasting over the open fire slapped him awake, mouth already watering from the aroma of sweet mango sauce poured on top of it and cook smoke that was already thick enough to eat almost.

…well… Kai just shrugged off the rest of his tiredness. I slept enough, I guess.

He stepped out of his hut, the sun hitting his face and villagers waving his way.

Huh… There was definitely a happiness and cheer that was almost too determined and aggressive, even for the Great Wave; a little too loud and a little too bright, even with the water sparkling like jewels and the sun beaming down with power. 

Sharkskin drums banged alongside the tin ones in rhythm as people danced with smiles on every face. Both tourists and locals both came together with laughter as loud as anything; like they were trying to scare the shadows away with sheer volume.

But you’d have to be blind or crazy to pretend the shadows weren’t still there.

The tension from the half-dead woman several months back who still whispered about pirates even now, the stress from the three more wrecked boats since… all of it hadn’t gone anywhere, at least not to Kai. 

Maybe the villagers didn’t notice it, but he was pretty sure you couldn’t just scrub that out with good vibes. So, that low humming note stayed there all the same; that dread under the drums and the bass.

But the village had made a choice just not to… listen.

Which he could respect, kinda. Sometimes you had to puff out your chest and choose to be tougher than the fear and the villagers did that, even if not on purpose. They’d chosen defiance; to celebrate louder, harder and brighter than ever.

Like joy was a weapon or something.

Sure, he could respect it, but he was pretty sure a smile couldn’t do shit against a bullet.

The fourteen-year-old rubbed the last bit of sleep from his eyes as he dropped into a seat at Auntie Loa’s table, the wide and heavy bench firm under his butt. “Morning, Auntie.”

“Mornin’, Kai-boyo.” Auntie Loa moved around him, not even stopping as she greeted him back; the big woman a fussing whirlwind in floral print. “How’s your night?”

“…’s good, I guess.” Kai raised an eyebrow over at the chief’s sister, the smile on her face not as bright as those most others were wearing or even as wide as her usual one. She didn’t look scared or nothing, but she definitely looked focused; eyes flicking past the festival and onto the water as she placed plate after heavy plate down on the table.

“You eat, Kai.” She plopped a mountain of purple potatoes and roasted fish right in front of him, steam rising thick from the heap of foot as the drums beat in time with Auntie’s movements.

“You eat good.” The words were an echo, voice a low rumble that was a bit deeper than usual as she laid the command on him with her hand patting his back in time with it. “Big boy needs his strength for a day like today.”

She meant for the surfing, for competition; he was here to win this one, after all. Six months of training and practice had gotten him pretty damn far.

And well… Auntie wasn’t wrong.

So, Kai dug in.

Honestly, he was almost never not hungry and Auntie Loa fed the engine even more than it needed — not that Kai was complaining — but this was different. Each bite felt as important and heavy as the last as Kai shoveled it in, not saying much back as Auntie made conversation. This was about winning, proving he could make it out on the water.

More than anything, it was about showing Mako he could keep up with him on the waves.

He wasn’t gonna sit here and lie to himself and say that it was just friendly or just to show off his skills. No, that would be so big a lie, he was already calling bullshit at the thought of it.

He wanted it.

He wanted it so bad it made his teeth ache with every single swallow of fish.

Mako was good, great even; the best surfer on the island, and almost born to be on the water. 

Thing is, though, he was the water. And he wasn’t gonna let anyone, not even a friend, show him up on his turf.

With a burp loud enough to be heard over the music, Kai patted his stomach and finished the last bite. 

Auntie Loa grabbed his arm as soon as he stood up, one leg not even fully over the bench yet as he looked up at her. Damn, Auntie… Her grip was strong as her hand was heavy, calloused fingers digging into his bicep as she gripped him with the sort of strength he was glad Lani didn’t get from her dad’s side of the family..

“You be careful out there, Kai-boy.”

“It’s just waves, Auntie.” He nodded back at the big woman’s whisper, forcing the easy, lazy drawl he’d perfected. “Water can’t hurt me.”

“It is not the water I worry about.” She let him go with a pat on the back.

Kai blinked back at her for a second, before shrugging again. Weird…

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Kai hit the beach with his old board, the riot of color of sand that was Kaihua’s landscape so bright and clear it was almost technicolor. Man, I love this place. Almost two full years in O’Kalo village and he was still barely used to how perfect everything looked.

The fresh fourteen-year-old sat down in the sand and dropped his board across his lap as he reached into the pocket of his cut-off jeans. A second later, one hand came free, a puck of wax held tight as Kai immediately went to work. Scritch-scritch-scritch. The familiar, coconut-smell of the wax was a small, normal thing, the simple circular motion of his hand so calming it was almost enough to put him right into a trance; his eyes focused on nothing else but th-

“You ready to get smoked, watah-brah?”

Sand scattered across his board and lap both as someone plopped right down on the beach next to him.

Kai rolled his eyes over to where Mako sat now, the shirtless form of his friend and rival a bit too close for comfort as he flashed him a wide and easy grin.

His own board — a sleek, polished piece of koa wood that looked more like furniture than sports equipment — was tucked right under his arm.

“In your dreams, Mako.” Kai looked back down and went back to his waxing, trying to sound just as confident as he hoped. “I’ve been practicin’ since the last one. That skiff is mine. I already picked out a name for it.”

“Oh yeah?” Mako’s fingers drummed against his board. “What’s the name? The Wipeout?”

“The Naruto.” Kai shot back with the name he had in mind ever since he saw that bright orange paint-job shiny and new. “Cause I’m a frickin’’ storm.”

Mako let out a snort, fingers in motion like Kai’s as he started waxing his own board with motions so smooth and practiced they looked almost effortless. Hell, almost everything Mako did looked effortless, especially when he was out there on the waves. “I’ll believe it, water-brah. I’ll believe it when you don’t bail like a tourist who’s seen a shark, man.”

Kai clicked his tongue. “Shut up.”

The other boy let out another laugh, still waxing the board. “Nah, it’s funny, brah. Legs all wobbling. Arms shaking all over.”

He paused his laugh, eyes drifting over to Kai’s board. “But…”

Blue eyes blinked. “But?”

“But true is true, you better on the waves than the start. A lot better, Kai brah.” Mako’s smile was less a joke this time. “No more surfing like a little kid out there, too. You stopped fighting the water.”

“Gee, thanks.” The sarcasm was comfortable the way it slid out, Mako laughing loud again as Kai rolled his eyes. “Won’t be laughing like that when I smoke you, though.”

“Believe it, Kai brah!”

A few minutes later, Kai looked down at his board and smiled, the wax job complete to his satisfaction. The surface was done right, perfectly tacky with a bumpy white texture on the old wood.

“You ready?”

Kai blinked over at Mako, as the taller boy jabbed a thumb down the beach; the direction where all the other surfers were already gathering.

“Yeah.” Kai picked up his board and started walking down with Mako, gaze taking in all the noise, the colors, the movement; thousands of people laughing, eating and shouting as he was dead in the middle of it all.

The whole, beautiful, stupidly happy, fragile scene.

The little kids, faces sticky with mango juice and sand, chasing each other in the surf as they screamed loud enough to hurt somebody’s ears. The smell of pork roasting and sweet flowers and salt spray up against the bright colors of the festival banners — red and gold — snapping in the breeze. 

This was the life.

His steps slowed as he saw her, near the big fire pit where the village elders were taking deep sips from the kinda drinks Auntie Loa never let him touch. Surrounded by a bunch of other girls her age, she was wearing a lei of bright pink flowers that matched the one behind her ears.

Lani Moa threw her head back and laughed, something one of the other girls said apparently that funny.

And then she looked up.

Brown eyes found blue across the crowded beach, a laser lock as her laugh died. Her smile eased up, looking gentler and a bit more shy as she waved his way.

He waved back across the crowded beach.

Good luck.

…Thank you.

One look from both of them said enough as she gave him a small nervous nod.

One hand went up to his head, Kai rubbing the back of his neck with a gloved hand as both of them turned away. He looked back at the whole scene, quickly picking up the pace to meet up with the oblivious Mako.

“You’re lookin’ serious all of a sudden, brah.” Mako’s voice hit him as he caught up, his friend nudging him with a sharp elbow. “Worried Big Man Mako gonna make you look bad in front of the girls?”

“Nah, man,” Kai blinked at him, almost forcing the smile back on his face as his muscles felt like lead all of a sudden; the expression tight and uneasy. “Just thinking about sailing away on my new boat. Wondering if I should let you polish it for me.”

Mako laughed, one bicep flexing as he raised his arm up. “Keep dreamin’, brah. You good on the water now, but you ain’t no match for the Big Man Mako, two time winner!”

Kai sighed, eyes rolling as he patted some sand off his shorts. “Yeah, sure, we’ll see, we’ll see, Big Man.”

Mako was still laughing his ass off as he shielded his eyes with that same raised hand and looked out at the water, checking the break and the perfect, clean, rolling waves peeling off the reef. “Conditions look prime.”

Then he squinted, smile fading.

Kai tilted his head, wearing a look he knew was just as confused as the one on Mako’s face as his forehead crinkled up. “Something wrong?”

“Huh.” Mako’s answer wasn’t one, voice flat as his eyes narrowed further. “What’s that?”

Kai tured his head and followed his friend’s gaze, looking out onto the horizon.

The perfect, empty blue edge of the world where sky met sea.

Except it wasn’t empty anymore.

Three specks, dark and ugly like dead flies on a car window, stood out as Kai stared with Mako.

Too big to be fishing boats from this distance, at least no fishing boat Kai had ever seen. They were getting bigger, the sails close enough for him to make out from here.

Kai felt his heart freeze in his chest, for at least a second, his breath stopping with it as he realized that the sails were the wrong color.

Black canvas, tattered and stained, with a shape painted on them in rough, jagged white strokes.

A skull.

“PIRATES!”