On the Road to Kālepa

  Year 602 of the Divine Empire

  To a human unfamiliar to the lands of āina Hānau, the sight of a kālai merchant band would seem unimaginable and frightening. Dozens of massive crustaceans crawled on the muddy jungle trail, their numerous legs dragging large shells strapped with all sorts of goods and implements. Atop these luhi rode intimidating figures, colored red and black with artistic designs carved into their bodies. An average kālai surpassed even the tallest of humans by a good margin, a difference made even more frightening by their clawed fingers and angular faces that always carried a fierce appearance. This scene would be considered alien by most, a bizarre procession of creatures that were neither mammalian nor crustacean, instead finding a strange place between the two categories. The kālai, of course, were generally oblivious to these abnormalities. They would instead be baffled by the softness and hairyness of humans, why they were forced to trade durability for intelligence while the carved folk held strong with both. Everything happening here was, of course, completely natural. That being said, Nohea still felt the need to clarify something.

  “Umm, Pika?”

  “Yes, friend?”

  “At the risk of seeming rude. . . Who is that?”

  They pointed towards who would easily be the most frightening member of the band. This creature, though resembling a pāpaka, was horrifically large. She stood nearly fifteen feet in height, and likely weighed enough to kill a kālai in a single hit simply by stepping on them by accident. Not that she would need to use a leg, as her right claw was dramatically larger than the other, large enough to theoretically chop a tree in half. The tales of female pāpaka did not do them justice.

  “Oh, her? That’s Lani. She comes by Kālepa once or twice a year to sell luhi.”

  “Ah, she’s a shepard?”

  “Indeed. No one raised luhi better than Lani. A natural born caretaker, that one.”

  Nohea watched as Lani bumped against a tree, leaving a foot deep gash that nearly toppled it. “Yes. . . Quite the comforting presence.”

  Aside from occasional wonderings like that, the trip was relatively unremarkable. It lasted nearly two days worth of traveling, with a break to sleep at an established waypoint in the middle. Nohea and Kanoa were able to relax comfortably for once, as the luhi they rode had a padded saddle that was soft enough to easily sleep on. Ikaika was far too large to ride with them, so he scuttled alongside their mount, eyes always alert to any threats from the jungle. Despite knowing that pilikua nui preferred not to target groups, what little he had heard of the village the pair came from had him paranoid for pursuers coming to bring them back. Nohea did their best to calm their protector down, though they were grateful to no longer be the person depended upon in a fight. With their nerves finally settled after days of alertness, they just sat back and enjoyed the ride, grabbing any new flowers they passed by to try and replicate on pieces of wood. They would likely need to get to work soon after arriving, so it would be best to have some new designs prepared.

  By the time the procession finally made it to Kālepa, it was late afternoon of the second day of traveling. Kanoa felt as if she was dying of boredom at this point, as her general anxiety around people had prevented her from socializing. Nohea, of course, already knew everyone by first name and had been engaging in idle conversation for some time now. Not to say that they had gotten close to any of them, but the artist had a way of fitting in the outskirts of any group they came across. It was only when they heard that the village was a few turns away that they headed back to their ride to check up on their. . . daughter? Companion? Little sister adjacent? They still weren’t certain, and the girl didn’t seem too keen on expressing herself. Regardless, they climbed back onto the luhi, seeing that Kanoa had taken to weaving little tokens out of thin leaves she had picked from nearby trees.

  “Hey, Kanoa, what are you working on there?”

  Startled, she gave a brief glance their way before responding. “I wanted a rock like Ikaika, but he couldn’t find one. It’s hard to make, though. . .”

  Nohea turned to Ikaika, who seemed to be carrying. . . a symbol of Kinohi? Where had he been hiding that? They had assumed the pāpaka had their own god, if one at all. They would have to ask about that later.

  “Yes, that would probably be tricky even for a skilled weaver. Yours looks good for a first try, though! That part’s the spearhead, right?”

  Nods

  “Hmm. You know, you might just have a talent here. I know a bit of weaving myself, if you’re interested.”

  “That’s alright, it’s kind of boring.”

  “Oh, well, that’s fine as well, I suppose. . . Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that we’re about to arrive.”

  “We’re going to a new home now, right?”

  “That’s right.”

  “. . . Can I leave the house there, every once in a while?”

  Nohea gritted their teeth and decided they were going to strangle Makaio if they ever saw him again. “You can leave whenever you want, Kanoa.”

  “Oh. Alright.”

  “. . . Well, that aside, I’d say we’re about to get a good look at our new. . . home. . .”

  Their voice trailed off as, finally, the two are given a chance to see the city of Kālepa. To say that this village made Ho’okahi look like a joke in comparison would be an understatement. It was easily three times the size of their old home, with hundreds of houses held above the waves. The comparative freedom was clear to see here, as the decorations strung between houses were a sight to behold. There were some walkways that were never touched by the sun, as the flower-bearing ropes attached to the surrounding homes created a vibrant canopy of colors and scents. There were wooden statues marking every key crossing between corridors, some with small stages built around them to hold performances on. The village resembled a cross between an overgrown garden and an abstract art piece. But all this, while still awe inspiring for Nohea, was not the source of their shock. What surprised them were the buildings on solid ground. These structures were unusual, made of stone and thatch, and seemed to be surrounded by a large wall. What was the purpose of such defensive measures? Were they expecting to be attacked by something? Stranger still was the structure floating on the water, which resembled some kind of elongated bowl. It had square hatches carved all along the sides, and large trunks sticking out of the middle, tied up fabric hanging from sets of artificial branches. Nohea couldn’t even imagine what its purpose could be, and so asked Pika, who was riding on the luhi in front of them.

  “Pika, what in the world is that thing?”

  “Hmm? Oh, you mean the boat? Bizarre looking thing, isn’t it? It’s one of the human’s creations, they use it to cross the ocean.”

  “Ah, so it’s meant for traveling long distances? I suppose that would be a good way to conserve energy.”

  “. . .While that is true, humans tend to need them for any kind of travel over the water. They’re not as equipped for it as we are, you see. Apparently they get exhausted after only an hour or two of swimming, and can only hold their breath for a minute.”

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  “Are you serious? How do they hunt?”

  “If the stories are true, the wildlife in their lands can be easily hunted without the need to touch the water. They can fish, but prefer the taste of animals kept behind fences.”

  “They eat land animals? How do they deal with the poisons?”

  “You know, I’m not sure. They seem to get sick from even the weaker ones here, so maybe it’s just not a problem there.”

  “Kinohi’s grace, no wonder they need to make their houses out of stone. The world must be a terrifying place for their kind.”

  “Heh. You have no idea how right you are.”

  On that note, the two fell into silence as they completed the final stage of their journey. Kanoa and Nohea disembarked as the luhi climbed a ramp onto the stilt corridors and began to make their way towards the market square. On the directions of the merchants, they made their way towards the training arena, Ikaika following behind them. Supposedly that was where they would be able to speak with Kehlani, the alaka’i of Kālepa. The location wasn’t all too different from the arena in Ho’okahi, being a simple circular platform with a raised center for performative battles. A line of children with a mix of genders stood in a rigid stance, awkwardly practicing sets of thrusts and guards with their spears. Nohea was taken aback for a moment as they recalled the unpleasantness of their own training as a child, but quickly refocused to the only two adults in the area. One of them was clearly alaka’i Kehlani, as they had never seen such an intimidating woman before in their life. Though she didn’t seem any more built than an average warrior, there was an unyielding strength to her appearance. Where Makaio’s manner shut down any possible opposition, hers radiated a competence that made following her lead the only sensible option. One made you submit, the other allowed you to follow. Her attire was also on the unusual side, with the normal dried flowers that would be tied across a woman’s torso being replaced with jagged shards of what looked like obsidian. She certainly had the image of an imperious leader, an energy that could barely be matched by the creature standing beside her.

  This other person must have been a human, as no kālai would look so soft. This. . . man? Probably? Was doing his best to speak down to his conversation partner, despite being nearly two feet shorter than her. His somewhat unimpressive stature aside, this human was quite the alien sight to Nohea. It seemed the rumor of their kind cutting their cords was true, as there was no way that sharp beard and neatly modeled head were natural. His skin tone reminded them of a slightly overripe peach, and seemed to be lacking any kind of shell. He looked. . . soft. Fragile, even. And yet, his eyes flamed with a profound arrogance which they had only seen before in the heavily inebriated. He was certainly in his right mind, though, as the foreign language he spoke was stated with clear intent. Seeing the newcomers, he sighed and turned towards the exit. With an embroidered cape flapping over his immaculately tailored suit, he strutted off with a curt pair of words as his farewell.

  Not sure if this was a good time, Nohea called out cautiously to the presumed alaka’i. “Excuse me? Are you the alaka’i here?”

  Noticing them for the first time, Kehlani responded smoothly. “Indeed. And I presume you would be the Pomaika and her guardian?”

  “I. . . yes, we are. I wasn’t aware that we were expected.”

  “I received an omen from lady Kinohi on the night of the last lua’i. She informed me of your escape and presumed need for shelter. The pāpaka was a bit of a surprise, though.”

  “-.-. .- ..- - .. --- ..- ... -. . ... ... / --. .-. . . - .. -. --.”

  “Ah, yes. This is Ikaika, he’s decided to stick with the two of us for a while, seems pretty protective of the little one. Oh, and if we’re doing introductions, my name is Nohea. Would you like to introduce yourself?”

  Kanoa peeked out from behind their legs. “. . . Kanoa.”

  “A pleasure. I am Kehlani, as you presumed. . . sir? Ma’am?”

  “Neither would be preferable.”

  “Understood. Well, as you were likely hoping, I am prepared to follow the will of the goddess. That said, there are going to be. . . conditions for you living here.”

  “Conditions? Could you be a bit more specific?”

  “What, did you think we would accept you without any? Villages typically expect a gift from their new occupants, you know. You need not be concerned, they are nothing gratuitous.”

  “. . . Fine. I’ll hear you out, at least.”

  “Of course you will. The first condition is that you must take up a profession in the village. I won’t be having any freeloaders taking up space and food.”

  “Fair enough. I work as a kaha carver, if that would be enough.”

  “Are you any good?”

  “I’ve created a technique through my Passion for it.”

  “Truly? You’ll hear no complaints from me, then. Ikaika here could serve as a good fisherman as well, so I see no problems with him. Naturally, that leaves little Kanoa’s obligations.”

  “You can’t seriously be expecting a child to work?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a pragmatist, not one of those . . . feudalist idiots in St. Caster. No, I only demand that you allow me to train her personally. Pomaika are naturally skilled in both the Ideals and Bonds, so I have no doubt in her potential. Besides, someone needs to prepare her for her rights as a blessed child.”

  Narrowing their eyes, Nohea put their arm in front of Kanoa, who had begun to tremble at those all too familiar words. “I think she’s had quite enough of her ‘role’, miss Kehlani.”

  “Ugh, don’t tell me you're expecting the same treatment as in your former home? Trust me, I have no intention of following the example of those traditionalists. No, I simply wish to enlighten her on the nature of our mutual patron, as well as train her on how to use that heat of hers properly.”

  Feeling the slight singing of their skirt, Nohea could concede that she needed a bit of help there. “Fine. But Ikaika or myself will be supervising these lessons. You can forgive a bit of cautiousness, I’m sure.”

  “Very well. There is a house on the third westward corridor from the shore. It has seashells embedded in the front door in the shape of three crashing waves. It was left abandoned a few months ago when its final occupant died of old age. You may live there.”

  With that, Kehlani went back to instructing the children, giving pointers on form and footwork.

  “. . . Is that all?”

  “Do you need anything else?”

  “No?”

  “Then go.”

  “Pragmatic, eh?”

  “Indeed.”

  Seeing no need to continue, Nohea began to lead their companions towards their new house. As they walked through the corridors of Kālepa, they were given a chance to contemplate this place. While the village was a notable improvement, there were certainly a few details that made them pause. The humans, for one, were difficult to read. Everything from their forms to their buildings felt alien, and the attitude of that man was concerning. They hadn’t bothered to ask, but they wondered how secure the relationship between the two groups really was. It certainly seemed odd to build a wall around a village that was connected to the other. And then there was the alaka’i. She seemed reasonable, but something felt . . . off. One second she was speaking as verbosely as a storyteller, the next she was almost as restrained as Kanoa. And those eyes. . . Despite how intense she may have seemed, her eyes resembled those of a child on the brink of acting out from boredom. Nohea wasn’t sure how confident they were about allowing that woman to act as Kanoa’s tutor, but so long as they kept an eye on things it should be alright. Still, they couldn’t shake the thought that this wouldn’t be the perfect sanctuary they had hoped it would be.

  Kanoa had not noticed any of Nohea’s concerns, as she was generally distrustful of people in general and wouldn’t have liked Kehlani one way or another. She was more concerned about the new house that they would all be living in, with the thoughts of training being pushed back in place of all the new sights and sounds. As they crossed the threshold into this small family home, she was a bit disappointed, admittedly. Compared to Makaio’s house, the one room house seemed paltry. It didn’t help that any furniture or supplies had presumably been taken by any relatives of the previous occupants.

  Nohea was the first to speak. “Well, it does seem a tad. . . sparse. We’ll have to eat our fish raw until we can get a pot to cook it in. Kanoa, you can handle raw meat now, right?”

  “I think so?”

  “Hmm. I guess we’ll have to find that out the hard way. At least the sleeping mats are still here. Ikaika, do you need one of those?”

  Ikaika just sat down in the corner. “-.-. --- -. - . -. - / -.-. --- -- ..-. --- .-. - .- -... .-.. .”

  “I guess not. Don’t think you can just relax now, though. Kanoa’s going to get a cough if she has to breathe in all this dust tonight, so I’m going to see if I can borrow a broom from the neighbors. Be back in a second!”

  As Nohea rushed out of the room, Kanoa laid herself down on the floor, doing her best to ignore the dust that was making its way into the spaces between her shell plates. It was nice here. Colorful. That lady they had talked to was a bit scary, and that pink-skinned person without a shell she was talking to was weird, but Nohea and Ikaika were here so it wasn’t too bad. She didn’t like the idea of being taught by that scary lady, but it felt like she had the same heat coming off of her. Speaking of her heat, it felt a bit different here. It seemed almost excited, as if there was something about this village that was fueling it. Well, it didn’t feel bad, so she guessed it wasn’t a problem. Kanoa had her guardians, and she trusted them at least enough to keep her safe. She smiled as Nohea burst back into the house, arms full of leaf frond brooms. Everything was going to be alright.