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KAVUA

CHAPTER 2 - FINDING HOME

She was safe in her bed, a soft warm blanket pulled over her head as her face rested against the softest pillow she had ever felt. The silky fabric from the canopy above her bed tickled her face as it swayed in a breeze coming from a large open window. The smell of juices and various breakfast meats filled her bedroom as she heard her family laughing downstairs. A warm, soothing hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Siara? Siara, wake up," A motherly voice echoed through her mind. Siara smiled and rustled in her sleep, only desiring to stay under the security of her blankets, yet at the same time, eager to meet the new day.

"Come on Siara. Siara!" The voice beckoned, now becoming more masculine. Siara began to come to, hardly opening her eyes and realized that the eyes looking back at her were not her mother's.

"Siara, come eat now," It was Chief. He gently rustled the top of Siara's hair and gave a small chuckle. Siara muttered to herself and sat up, rubbing the sunlight out of her eyes. She quickly awakened when she become aware that the sun was fairly high in the morning sky.

"Where is Deago?" She asked, a frantic tone in her voice. Chief carefully stood up, having to resort to a crawling position before he could lift his massive weight off the floor.

"He is with the others. He will be leaving us soon if you wish to say goodbye," Chief informed, brushing off some blades of dead grass from his ula. Siara jumped out of her new bed and quickly grabbed the first bit of clothing that was thrown on top of her suitcase. She got dressed in a hurry and shoved her breakfast down her throat, not wanting to miss saying her goodbyes to her mentor.

Deago was sitting outside on a bench made out of stone, infested with many children swarming all over him like lice. It was obvious that he didn't mind their curiosity as his "new world" items amazed the children. He played with the children and showed them his watch and explained how it told the time, only to be enlightened by an eight-year-old that the sun did a better job. Siara rested beside him on the bench, catching his infestation of laughing children as they now inspected every ounce of her being for strange jewelry and clothing.

"I'll be on my way soon. You sure you're going to be okay with this? You know that now is your only chance to change your mind," Deago prodded, wanting to be sure Siara was certain she wanted to accept this journey. Siara took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

"I'm sure, " She responded, not making any eye contact and taking another breath. "I've wanted to do this all my life. Now here I am."

"Good girl," Deago gave Siara a quick pat on the back and stood up, children tumbling playfully to the ground, most of them running off to find a new adventure. "Now then, I have a boat and many planes to catch. You know what to do here."

"Yeah," Siara said inaudibly. A small kit of about three years looked deep into Siara's eyes and smiled, reassuring Siara's soul that she was where she was meant to be. Deago placed his small amount of luggage in a beautifully handcrafted canoe. Two warriors were already awaiting Deago, ready to guide him to his destination. Siara held close to Deago, bidding him her last farewell. He grasped her tightly.

"You'll be fine. I believe in you," He comforted, lifting Siara's muzzle with a finger so his eyes would meet hers. She gave a half smile. Chief placed a plump hand on her shoulder as Deago climbed into the large canoe. The tribe's people all came together to watch Deago set off to his own home. Deago waved goodbye as the warriors pushed off and out into the sea, everyone waving back.

A familiar pain took hold of Siara's stomach again as she watched Deago become farther and farther away, until he was eventually out of sight. The people went back to their daily business. Siara went to the edge of the city; standing on a crag overlooking the ocean that separated her from her loved ones. Every last thought Siara didn't think she had surfaced to the front of her mind in an instant. She became panicked and dizzy and plopped down under a large tree, putting her head between her knees and her hands over her head. Her tail was puffed out large and kept close to her, wrapping around her huddled body.

"What am I doing here?" She whispered to herself.

"Oh, come! You'll be just fine. Don't be getting yourself all worked up now!" A sharp voice came from overhead, startling Siara. She gasped quickly and stood upright at an instant, as if being ordered to by a military official. A thin yet powerful looking older female stood before Siara. Her eyes were impenetrable, gazing into Siara's soul making her feel a bit like an open book. Siara folded her arms around her chest, hugging herself and turned away.

"I'm.., sorry?" Siara stammered, not being totally sure what to do in this position. The elder confidently ambled over to Siara, placing an arm around her. The woman's grip was surprisingly strong, given that she must have been around one hundred and ten years old(1). She wore a bright green colored skirt made from grasses and a bluish cloth wrapped around her chest, covering her breasts. Thick white hair grew down to her waist, flowing over a large, light blue tail. She was adorned with a gaudy amount of jewelry, ranging from necklaces made out of various nuts to beautiful shining gemstones. In addition, she carried a staff, which was as dolled up as its owner. A bright purple gem was embedded into her forehead, something Siara noted that the entire tribe member's wore. The most noticeable trait about this older female was her eyes. Something about her gaze was unsettling, yet it intrigued Siara, like maybe this woman knew the world and its history, even more than Siara.

"I'm just playing with you, child. I am Lai. The Chief Shaman, if you please," Lai beamed brightly, giving Siara a playful wink. Siara felt immediately at ease again, taking a breath of recovery.

"Pleasure to meet you. How did you know I was scared and not just tired?" She asked, suspiciously, cocking her head a bit.

"Child, your energy is running more rampant than a pack of stout(2) in the summer! It's all over the place and it is disrupting the nature around you. Please, try and calm yourself. You are in no harm," Lai said, leading Siara back to the main city by the hand. "Come, join us and please, just make yourself at home."

Siara took Lai's advice and crawled into a hammock tied between two laba'o trees(3). She watched the people as the day progressed. Some would converse with one another; some would scuttle around in a hurry. Siara giggled to herself as they reminded her of her own culture, mother's chasing after children and adults hard at work on their homes. Men and women in the gardens while others would fish. Siara had strolled around the main city, admiring the beautifully sculpted temples(4). The temples had intricate sculptures embedded in their walls and were painted with a variety of bright colors. Flowers almost as large as Siara dotted the edge of the rainforest as well as other unusual plant life. The main city was well landscaped, trees and gardens planted in the most perfect of places. She even noticed that the people seemed to not care for square or even triangular shapes. Everything was built circular. Even the temples had spiral staircases against them, winding up to the high tops of the temples.

Nighttime came in a hurry and the activity peaked within the tribe. A feast large enough to feed an army was supplied. Siara enjoyed the delicious fruits and vegetation as well as the raw san that had been caught earlier in the day. Siara knew she'd have to be accustomed to a raw food diet with no real meat. She made conversation with others, her new language skills still a bit broken due to her nervousness. Chief sauntered up to Siara and gave her a small hug.

"Have you eaten well tonight?" He asked, gazing at his people as he stood tall beside Siara.

"Yes, dinner was wonderful. Thank you," Siara complimented graciously.

"Good, that feast was for you. We tend to go overboard on our parties, large meals, loud music and lots of dancing. Tonight we celebrate!" Chief exclaimed. Siara smiled to herself.

"Celebrate what?" She asked.

"You."

The Chief didn't over exaggerate. The music was indeed very loud. Drums and stringed instruments made out of gourds and fine wood along with beautiful flutes echoed through the city. People danced with one another, and some attempted to dance with Siara who was too shy to join in. Tired children cuddled into Siara, since she was just sitting there watching everyone. That's when she began to become aware of everything. Everyone was happy. Everyone was laughing. Everyone shared everything with each other; there was no greed on this island. There wasn't any hate or any jealousy. She noticed that everyone simply loved one another. Wildlife came near the active city, almost seeming like they wanted to join in the fun and games as well. The ocean slammed against the rocks and cliffs to the beat the drummers were making. Everyone was in tune with everyone and everything around them. They were one. That is when Siara came to her final realization. She was in paradise.

She was home.

(1) The average Xelorian age ranges from 125-135. The oldest Xelorian on record was 142 years of age.

(2) Stout are a large, summer-time marine mammals that migrate the oceans. They appear in Kavuan waters during the summer months and are a delicacy among the Kavuan people, usually served raw with cooked grains and fruit pastes.

(3) A skinny, droopy tree which bears delicious laba'o fruits. Laba'o are high in nutrients and almost too sweet to eat. Kavuans use the sugars of the laba'o fruit to sweeten tinctures and teas and almost make pastes and desserts with it.

(4) The city of Kavua consists of three main temples. One which the Chief resides in, another to the South which hold all spiritual documents and historical writings of their people and also serves as an observatory for space phenomena, and the last residing to the North which is used as a medical center for surgeries and the ill, for both Xelorian and injured wildlife. To the northeast of the city are where the homes are built and to the northwest is the borders of the rainforest.