Jungle Princess ✔

Chapter 33: Drifting to Tahiti

Amitola had little to no experience on a boat, so her first reaction was to empty the contents of her stomach overboard.

"Ugh, not again!" Keon complained as Amitola heaved over the side, but there was nothing left but bile that tasted bitter in her throat.

"I can't help it. The sea is too bumpy," Amitola shot back in defence while Leotie rubbed her back consolingly.

They had been drifting all night. There was no sign of the other boats of their Ngaro people. It was just the eight of them, stuck in a boat that barely had any room for them to feel mildly comfortable, and the sun was just beginning to rise.

"I think I see another boat!" Maru cried suddenly, pointing at the horizon.

The golden rays of dawn lit up the surface of the ocean in violet and gold, however it also lit up the outline of another boat filled with people.

"Hey! Over here!" Oceana called, waving her arms and half-standing, causing the boat to rock sideways.

Maru tugged her down. "Don't do that, aroha, you'll send us all into the sea!"

Oceana grinned sheepishly at her husband. "Sorry, Maru."

Keon groaned in disgust. Amitola rolled her eyes. They had hardly had any sleep last night due to the newly-weds' love fest. Also, Amitola knew if she closed her eyes she'd have nightmares of her beloved island being engulfed by the ocean of lava, and she really didn't want to think about that. Not until she was on dry land again. Not until she was safe.

"They're coming closer to us," Haku observed, looking through the cylindrical device Keon had packed with them. Amitola borrowed it from him and peered through the hole, perceiving the boat to be even closer than it had been a few seconds before.

"Wow, they're fast!" she exclaimed, pulling the telescope from her eye. Without it, the boat seemed far away again. "Wait, how'd that happen?"

Keon shook his head in amusement to her cluelessness. "The glass magnifies anything in its view, dumbo." He snatched the telescope from her and looked for himself. "Daniel's on that boat." He sounded a little peeved. Amitola guessed Keon was still mad at him for offering him a drink that caused him to sleep unknowingly with her. Amitola wished she had a better alibi for why she had let him, but there was none except she had been thinking of Kahana, and had stupidly fooled herself into thinking it was really him.

"Paddle faster!" Amitola urged Haku and Keon, who had been resting for the past few minutes. The sooner they met with Daniel's boat, the sooner Daniel could lead her to where Kahana was.

"A little manners wouldn't hurt," Keon muttered, picking up the pace. Amitola felt the sea breeze blow her hair back as they glided through the water at a faster rate so in a matter of minutes, they were only meters away from Daniel, Makala, Rongo's boat.

"Why are there only three of you?" Akela asked disapprovingly. "There should be at least seven on each boat."

Amitola noticed Rongo and Daniel dripping with water, and Makala stared down, looking depressed. "What happened?" Amitola demanded.

"We tried to save her. We really did," Daniel said softly, averting his eyes, which reflected the sunrise.

"Where is Lanaya?" Leotie interrogated, looking between the wet boys.

"She fell out of the boat," Rongo answered quietly. "We were in shark-infested waters. A shark overturned our boat. Four others, including Makala's mother and Pio, were immediately eaten."

A sob escaped Akela's mouth, and Leotie wrapped her arms around Amitola's mother-in-law to comfort her. The hole that had formed in Amitola's heart only got deeper, and she felt emptier than ever. Pio was like a little brother to her. He was Rongo's little brother. And now he was gone, just like the rest of them. A tear slid down Amitola's cheek.