by JJ Aughe
Those of us left on the island were preparing the fire pits for the celebration when the ground beneath our feet suddenly began to tremble. The trembling had happened a few times before and no one had paid much attention to it. The trembling that morning grew stronger. Suddenly the ground began violently shaking causing some of us to fall. Then the mountain behind our village started spewing huge clouds of smoke from its top. The snow that had mantled the very top of the mountain began to melt causing large rivers of water and mud to rush down its sides. Everyone, including myself, panicked and jumped into any available fishing boat or raft and started paddling for the nearest island. We were about half way to that island when there was an enormous explosion behind us. We all turned to look. What we saw was frightening!
There was smoke and fire streaming from the top of the mountain, the smoke darkening the sky until it was as dark as if it were night. Soon great pieces of flaming rock began to drop into the waters around us. Some of the flaming rocks landed on a raft and a boat, those crafts and all aboard immediately became engulfed in flames and disappeared beneath the water.
Panicked beyond reason, we all began paddling in what we thought was toward the next island. In our panic to flee the flaming rocks we did not notice our course was not true and we missed the island. Before we knew what had happened we were past the island and were far out on the wide waters. As we turned our crafts back toward the island we could plainly see in the distance, it and the surrounding islands suddenly disappeared. We could still see the smoke from our island but we could no longer see any of the surrounding islands themselves.
Tobu, who had been in storms on the open waters, told me he was worried that the water between where we were and the island had risen in what he thought was one great wave. He said he had never seen the water do that and felt that we needed to gather the crafts and tie them together in case the water became so rough that it sank us. I felt he was right and told everyone to tie the rafts and fishing boats together with the fishing nets and vine ropes. Then we helplessly watched as the wave came toward us. Our crafts were pulled along with the wave as it went under us. When the wave had passed, there was no sign of the islands.
We drifted on the open water for many suns. A few of The People died during that time and many became so sick we thought they would die. Then, one morning, Koal-Ulan, one of our younger men, discovered that when he was moving a reed mat the breeze pushed him backwards. That gave him an idea.
One of our smaller bamboo rafts had been buffeted by the sea so much that it had begun to come apart. He explained what he wanted to try to do and asked for permission to move the few people on the raft to another raft and I gave him permission.
Koal-Ulan dismantled the small raft, tied three of its poles together at one end and took them to the raft in the very middle of the gathered crafts. He positioned the poles side by side and securely tied one end with fishnet. He had two of the young men help him lift the poles and keep them standing while he spread the lower end of each so each pole held the others up and quickly secured each end in place with a fishing net. Then he tied most of the woven reed mats we had to the poles. When he was finished we could tell that his idea was working for our combined raft and boat craft began to move through the water.
Koal-Ulan told me he was not satisfied with letting the wind take us where it wanted and proceeded to build something to guide our flotilla. He tied pieces of the flat sides of the old raft together, attached a long pole to it, tied the pole to the back of the raft at the rear of our boats and rafts and then lowered the flat part into the water. We were all amazed when he pushed the pole to one side and our combined vessel slowly turned the other way. Koal-Ulan was actually guiding us. It was amazing!
Koal-Ulan again proved his worth when he suggested that the people who were sickest be moved in the small space under the structure he had built in the center of our flotilla. The reason for moving them, he explained, was so the sun would not be so hard on them.
That very night we spotted an island and made our way to it. Koal-Ulan’s idea had saved all our lives and brought us to this beautiful group of islands our people now inhabit.”
Nu-Co-Mi A-Lua-Lea-Loa noticed On-Ah-Has glancing at the entry. Suspecting he was being distracted by the sounds of people’s voices outside she explained what he was hearing. “The people you hear outside are the descendents of the people who came to this group of islands with me. Where we now sit is a sacred place. The only time anyone ever enters here is when brother moon is full and the current leader enters to prepare for the blessing ceremony of that moon. That is why no one has come in. Even if someone did enter they would not know we were here. You see, we are in the spirit world. I chose this place so you would know that the people you count in your village are not the only members of The People On-Ah-Asa.”
At her words On-Na-Has straightened his spine, glanced around the small enclosure. On the wall he faced hung many masks with colored designs painted on them. Under each mask hung garments with the same design as the one above it. On another wall hung crude spears and hooked implements he had no idea of their use. What arrested his attention most was an almost life sized wooden carving of a young maiden. Though the carving depicted the maiden attired in flowers and a grass skirt, the face drew his awed attention. The face was that of Tas-An-Nola, the maiden who had captured the Waunizot warriors.
Seeing his incredulous stare, A-Lua-Lea-Loa smiled knowingly and explained. “The face you see on that carving is that of Kua-Lia-A-Ga-Na, my daughter. She was the first of a long line of Princesses to rule The People On-Ah-Asa in their new land. Each generation since she and the survivors of Kua-Lualu’s fishing party arrived in that land there has been one of her descendents, a maiden, who has had her features. Princess Kua-Lia-A-Ga-Na uses dreams to teach that maiden how to lead and watch over her people. Your Tas-An-Nola is the maiden for her generation. That is why she has the dreams she does and why she is one of only a few in your time who are able to read the thoughts of others.
Tas-An-Nola knows nothing of the reasons she has the dreams she does or why she is able to read the thoughts of those around her. She does not suspect that she is to be a vital part of the continuance of The People. She does not know what I tell you now and you are not to speak of it to her or anyone else. Tas-AN-Nola, being a direct descendant of Tas-Na-Ana the daughter of Huzon, from her children shall possibly come the ultimate savior of The People On-Ah-Asa.
I know you are about to ask how I can know all this. I confess. I do not know what I have just told you to be certain. There are many paths each of our descendants may take. All we, the Ancestors, can hope is that they will choose the path that will further our people’s existence, for there are some paths that will bring our people to destruction.
We, the Ancestors, talk to our descendants constantly in dreams such as the ones you and Tas-An-Nola frequently have. Though we know what each of you should do, we are not allowed to give you the knowledge of which path to take. That decision has to be your own.”
“Now,” A-Lua-Lea-Loa abruptly said. “I must leave you for it is urgent that I speak to another of my descendants. Think on what I have told you and have a prosperous life, On-Na-Has.”
So saying A-Lua-Lea-Loa began to fade away. As she disappeared, On-Na-Has’s vision blurred and he found he was in a swirling fog with nothing solid under his body. When he again felt something under him and his vision began to clear, he discovered he now sat alone on a reed mat in the shade of a lone tree near the shore of a vast blue body of water.
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I hope you enjoyed reading this second chapter of “Ancient Destinies, Book 2.” For publishing dates for this and the other books in the series go to Smashwords, type in jjaughe40 in the search window or go to Facebook, in the search window type in JJaugheNovelist.
Thank you.
