sʜᴀᴛᴛᴇʀɪɴɢ [Kingdom of Loathing fanfiction]

Chapter 23

The Island Fellows

***

The waves were pretty calm, for now. It's been around an hour now that I've been traveling off the sea. Yet, nothing came into my way. Not even seals that would eventually waddle underwater. The sun set. Everything... looked too peaceful to be true.
...
I looked at the map. The wind was now getting stronger. It was blowing my face rather vigorously. I held on the map tighter. At a moment, the wind was at it's roughest and the waves became so uncontrollable, they started to make my raft shake. I tried to stand up still. I once lost balance and fell on the back, deep down my boat. I also accidently let go of the map. It flew away from my grasp and got carried away by the wind. I tried to catch it back before it could go any further, but...

''Argh ! The map's too far away-'' that's when I saw Gronderson jumping out of the raft, plunging underwater. ''WAIT, GRONDERSON, NO !'' 

I cried to him before he disappeared from the watery surface with a splosh. I was sobbing uncontrollably meanwhile, only imagining the worse that could ever happen to him. I held on the raft still, that was still going in every direction possible, Raven trying his absolute best to follow the boat's pace too. A long moment of boat shaking and waves clapping was disturbing the way to the destination. That would be a miracle if I manage to make all the way to the island on these conditions ! I thought while getting my face splashed by a gigantic wave. That one actually knocked me off for a few secondes time, making me lying in the boat, the time the waves started to calm down again. It was almost getting dark at this time. Or at least, that's what I could conclude before I closed my eyes, dozing off. 

***

I woke up, rather dazed. I looked everywhere. Gronderson and Raven were now nowhere to be seen. The engine was switched off. I was left... alone, in the semi-dark, with only a raft and some supplies.

''Welp, looks like I'll have to be on my own now... pretty terrible condition, indeed...''

I sighed. I grouped my knees against my chest, the wind blowing softer across my face. The sun started to rise up. I looked over the endless watery plains, when I saw a tad of sand on the horizon. I looked up. Was now displayed the ground of an island with a pack of palm trees close to the seashore. A volcano was also visible from my point of view. Small amounts of sand were also piled in pots, making smaller islands. I managed to make it to the main island's shore with only paddling. The boat stopped moving. I got out of it, crawling to the firm ground. I now stood up, shakily. I looked around. There seemed to be some sort of opening located between two particular palm trees, but prefered not investigating any further. Actually, I couldn't have to, for something nudged on my leg. And something buzzed near my ear, too. I turned around, utterly gobsmacked by the sudden discovery I had to do.

''N-No way... that'd sound too cliché...'' I then got attacked... by a little black dot nuzzling closely against my cheek. ''R-Raven ! This is really you ! It really is !'' I let him fly around my head for some time, until he went down to my feet. I gasped.
''Gronderson... y-you're here too !'' 

He jumped into my arms and licked all over my face while I giggled. 

''Holy moly, I was so scared for you two...! You don't do this to me ever again, okay ?'' Gronderson tackled me on the leg again and I looked down to see some paper roll between his fangs. ''Oh, the map ! You... you managed to bring it back !'' I took it in hands, petting his head. He purred.