End of Act II
Interludes II
Interlude - Nomad
Paku’s catamaran danced over the crystal waves of the Emerald Sea, shooting magnificent splashes of warm seawater up into the air. Paku’s hands were slippery, and his face dripped with the mist as he held on tight to the steering oar at the rear of the catamaran.
It was a great honour for him to be in control of the catamaran, second only to receiving his first piercing. The position was usually held for the older boys and those with more experience.
Paku had turned fourteen only the day before, and Bya-Iam thought it was time that he got a feel for taking the second oar. The excitement still had not worn off, but he did not let it skew his focus.
Paku did not want to disappoint on his first day. The ocean meant everything to his people. Ever since the Great Flood, when the two moons had collided, Paku’s ancestors had lived upon the sea. Helping steer was a great honour to the Tekawa.
He could not disappoint!
Paku stared up at the crimson star, red as a deep-sea squid, sailing across the sky.
An omen of luck from Yunafa, it must be. She has truly blessed me on this day! Wind and water!
With the sun beating down from the clear sky overheard, the constant barrage of water spray was a pleasant relief for Paku.
He watched intently, feeling each change in the boat’s direction as it flew over the harmonious waves as graceful as a shark through open water.
“Easy, easy,” Bya-Iam directed, manning the other oar.
Paku tensed the muscles in his arms as he pushed and pulled his steering oar, planting his bare feet firmly on the wooden deck below as an anchor for his body.
It was harder than it looked when the older boys did it. He did not expect so much resistance from the sea against the rudder, nor how heavy the oar would be to push.
Paku did not groan or grimace, however. He was determined to make the Bya proud.
With each rise, the enormous boat would glide up before crashing back down with greater momentum. The winds began to pick up, caught in the triangular cloth sail.
“Steady!” Bya-Iam called out over the roar of the waves.
The catamaran went smoothly over the rising swell.
Bya-Iam, being as old as Paku’s nuna, stood out amongst the rest of the youthful crew. Yet he sailed better than all of them. He helmed the second steering oar on the other side of the deck from Paku.
Bya-Iam was Bya, or captain, of the catamaran, one of seven elected Byas from his clan. In Paku’s culture, Byas were the leaders, the tip of the spear.
Every sailor onboard listened to his orders intently, adjusting the beam of the huge sail and rebalancing their body weights to steady the rocking boat.
A boy on deck shouted something. Paku could not make out the words over the roaring waves but saw him pointing at something.
Paku followed his gesture with the other crewmates. His jaw fell open as he witnessed a huge animal rise from the sea surface less than one hundred metres from the catamaran.
“Look!” Paku gasped.
Even the Bya was taken aback by the spectacle.
The creature appeared to wallow at first, before raising an enormous dual-fluked tail up into the air, taller than a tree. Down its sides ran two more pairs of muscular flippers that reminded Paku of a fish’s pelvic fins. Its skin appeared smooth, glistening like wet hair in the sunlight.
“Bya, what is that?” Paku gasped.
“It is Tehl’toma,” Bya-Iam said. “Landwalkers call them colossal drakes.”
The boys all ceased their duties to witness the creature.
The immense animal lifted its head from the depths amongst spouts of crystal water. Its round eye glowed bright orange like a flaming ember. Its face had strands of kelp hanging from its beak.
It was easily the size of their catamaran, but somehow gave off a calm and peaceful vibe. Paku felt no danger from the titanic creature. He could not take his gaze away from the stunning beast.
“It has been many years since I have seen one,” Bya-Iam said. “The landwalkers, for years, hunted them for their oils. Then for their trophies.”
“But they are so gentle. Why hunt them for trophies?” Paku asked, observing the shreds of kelp which hung from the drake’s beaked mouth. It was as gentle as a guppy.
The Bya huffed. “Landwalkers are not like us. They are driven by greed and opportunity. They saw these creatures as prizes to be collected.”
The crew listened to their Bya with open ears. Paku felt disappointment over the information.
“This may very well be the last of its kind,” the Bya muttered under his breath. He stood in awe as the drake sank back beneath the waves, smoother than a slithering sea snake.
“What is it doing, do you think?” Paku asked, full of intrigue.
Bya-Iam shrugged, looking out at the horizon in the direction it was swimming off to. “I do not know, Paku. It swims south, away from warmer waters. Perhaps it seeks a new home? A wonderful occurrence, nonetheless. Let us hope we keep such luck with our catch.”
Paku had never expected to see such a wonderous sight on this day. He could not wipe the smile from his face.
Their catamaran, the Silat, was one of the largest in the fleet, so big that they could easily fit twenty crew members on board. Every man and boy onboard were shirtless, wearing only loincloths, enjoying the powerful sunlight and the cooling sea spray.
The men all had shaved heads and sun-kissed, earthy-toned skin, like most other Tekawa.
Their facial piercings communicated their rank. Paku had an eyebrow ring, received in a boy’s tenth year. The Bya, on the other hand, had
