Atlan

Chapter 4

He rose out of the surf as Atlan, suffocating on air as his knees dragged across the coarse sand along the Marina. His limbs regained their fight, blue lips trembling as blood rushed to restore his olive skin. His arms and legs flailed as scales shed. He retched, expelling the liquid from his lungs as air repaid its debt at last. Atlan stood, stumbling as he took his first steps.

He glanced at the horizon, hearing Krish′s voice. You′ll be home before sunrise, he had promised. As it happened, it now fell upon Atlan to keep that promise.

* * *

Amira Al-Amari sat on the kerb, hugging her knapsack to her stomach. Aslan was never late. It was unlike her elder brother to forget to pick her up. Amira knew he cherished his time with her as much as she did her moments with him; because of that, she refused to believe the headlines. Her parents had been shattered at the news. Even now, hours after the incident, both Amir and Sadia were down at the police station, demanding concrete answers. Amira wouldn′t go along – she knew Aslan best. He never broke a promise, and he never missed taking her to school.

And she was right. Albeit late, Aslan rode up to the road to their dilapidated apartment block like he did each morning, on his motorbike with a paper bag of pizza stashed in his pannier for Amira to eat during recess. Amira smiled and her brother smiled back. He might have been Atlan, Prince of the Sea; but to her, Aslan would forever be her Prince of Pizza.

* * *

″I promise, it won′t take long,″ he told her. Aslan dismounted his bike and sprinted through the sliding doors of Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, headed straight for the Critical Care Unit, his little sister in tow.

He noticed him as soon as he turned the corner; propped up on a hospital bed, receiving an intravenous drip and hooked onto a nebuliser; their gazes locked just like the night before at the Marina. Although it felt like, and indeed was for Aslan, a lifetime ago, he couldn′t stand another moment apart from Krish.

He rushed forward, taking hold of his hand upon reaching his bedside. Aslan felt his heart return to a resting pulse, but the tears began falling of their own volition. ″You shouldn′t have tried to rescue me, ″ he said, earning a small smile from Krish.

″I made a promise, remember?″ He laced his fingers through Aslan′s.

Amira arrived at her brother′s side, squeezing his other hand. A stream of light cascaded through the blinds, bathing them in warm hues that bore no resemblance to the ocean. Aslan felt like he could breathe again for the first time in forever. He knew his life had forever changed, but he also knew he had all he needed right beside him. He′d made it home before sunrise.