Chapter three: KA MOANA

The water was a clear and vivid aquamarine, with little waves when Keilani departed. The further out Keilani traveled, though, the deeper blue the water got, and the rougher it behaved. As the islands of Hawaii disappeared behind her, Keilani climbed to the top of her outrigger and stared out at the sky to observe the patterns of the winds and the clouds. Once she pieced together her plan, she jumped down, grabbed the rope controlling the sails, and set her course for the fastest way to the islands of Marquesas. She now wore a fierce and on-guard look, that replaced her gleeful and worryless smile for the challenge, for even she knew that she was no match for the ocean. 15 days of sailing had gone by and Keilani had realized how foolish it was to sail such a long voyage by herself. She had sailed for months at a time before this, but she had many servants and sailors to her aid then. Although Keilani knew how to follow the wind and where to go, she was clueless about how to anticipate the ocean and what the time it would take to get to Marquesas would be. She was almost to the end of her water supply and had even less food left. Praying that the winds would behave in her favor, and reliance on a dash of luck, she guessed that she would be able to get to Marquesas in 27 days, but what remained on her boat could not sustain her for that amount of time.

The next day, Keilani’s determination to survive overcame her love for the animals of the water. It was either them or her, and the most important lesson those many years in the forest taught her was to value her own life. She pondered using her Aukane but decided against it. Keilani believed that if she couldn’t survive without her Aukane, she didn’t deserve to have it. Keilani went to the edge of her boat and peered into the water. Although the water was dark, she could see the sun’s rays reflecting off of fish scales and caught glimpses of other marine animals. After a couple of patient minutes, she saw what she had been waiting for. Without hesitation, she dove into the water, swimming at intense speeds. All was quiet and still on the surface for over a minute, until Keilani exploded out of the water. With a light green sea turtle in her possession, she swam back and placed it on the outrigger. Once on the boat, she snapped the turtle’s neck, making the death quick and painless for the animal. Keilani had little empathy for people but possessed a deep love of animals. People chose to hurt others, but animals existed in a greater balance with no need for vengeance. This wasn’t preferable for Keilani, but in her mind it is the natural order.

She harvested what meat she could from the creature, then sharpened its bones and cleaned out the shell so she could collect rainwater, making sure none of its existence went to waste and giving its death greater purpose. Keilani had not been able to indulge herself with a real meal for over a week, so she enjoyed what the turtle gave her as soon as she could take advantage of it. After she had eaten all the meat from the turtle, she spent more time diving in the water and collecting fish. Days passed and Keilani thrived by acting purely on her sharp instincts, taking her mind back to her days in the forest when it was just her and the secrets of nature. As content as she was to have the ocean to herself, sailing was still a relentless pain. Paddling by herself when the wind was low and fighting the waves, falling off the ship in the middle of the night, and all other challenges made one thing clear: she needed to learn how to properly sail. Her father was many things, a combatant, a tactician, and a leader, but he was not a sailor, and thus neither was Keilani. Her background in sailing was not enough for the precision and grace on a boat needed for this journey. As the days went on the view of endless blue started to take its toll on keilani no matter how small. With no one to converse with and the scenery not changing it was a long tedious journey, whenever she wasn't fighting the weather that is. One day was particularly calm and as Keilani kept a log of the sun's approach towards the line that connects the sea and the sky she dozed off to sleep.

Keilani awoke suddenly one night to aggravated waves, booming thunder, clouded skies, and adrenaline pumping. A bolt of lightning hit the water in the distance and the resulting waves dwarfed her boat. She was out of control, and the water overcame her, flipping the boat and tossing her into the ocean with it. After she got back to the boat, she found that she had lost all of the food she gathered over the days since her initial supply ran out. Things were looking bad and for the first time in a long time, Keilani was vulnerable. With every wave, more of the boat got damaged. She did not like to summon her Aukane, but now was not the time for pride. Keilani turned her face towards the sky and started to raise her arm. But before she could summon her companion, another giant wave crashed against the boat. This time, the power of the wave swept her deep, deep beneath the surface of the water. Exhausted and sore, Keilani swam up to the surface again, gasping for air. And as if anything else could not go wrong, a large piece of wood that was ripped off the boat hit Keilani in the head, knocking her unconscious and rendering her fate subject to the ocean.

When Keilani awoke she was cold, but the air around her was hot and dry. Instead of penetrating, cold water and violent waves, there was black pumice, thick air, and magma. As she labored to get up, she felt all of the scrapes, bruises, and gashes on her body. The debris in the ocean took a toll on her body while she was unconscious, which made her question how well she would be able to fend off any potential enemies where she stood. A small distance away she saw many women dressed in white attire dancing and chanting. She attempted to approach them, but was quickly overcome by the heat and focused her energy into staying upright. Keilani then heard powerful footsteps approaching. With every step, the heat became more unbearable. Keilani could feel it everywhere, especially in her wounds, but remained unhindered. Finally, she saw the being that the footsteps belonged to. A beautiful lady with long, orange-red hair, possessing a strong facial structure with noticeably high cheekbones. She was dark. Darker than Keilani and she was bigger than the average man. She wore the same white attire as the ladies behind her: a white cloth sashed across her chest and a skirt just above the knees.

“I am Pele, goddess of fire and the volcano,” the being said to Keilani, wasting no time, “Bow to me,” she demanded.

“No” said Keilani, straightening her posture. She knew that Pele saved her for a reason, so there was no need for fear or submission to her. She had heard about Pele before through legend and knew she had quite a temper. Keilani understood this, but still wanted to remain strong. This disrespect angered the goddess and the heat grew even more intense, but Pele moved on to make her point.

“Where have you taken me?” asked Keilani.

“You’re in my domain, in the soul of the volcano Kilauea. You interest me, as your strength is admirable for a human. I've maintained a close watch over you since you were younger, and I’ve grown fond of you. It would have been a shame if you died in that ocean without reaching your full potential, so I brought you here to safety.”

“Well, I appreciate your assistance, goddess, but I must leave. I have a task to complete and I am already behind schedule.”

“You do not understand. Few make it into my domain alive, and even fewer leave that way. You must prove yourself worthy to leave.”

“I don't need to prove myself to you. For all I know I’m more adept than you are.”

Mere moments after those words escaped Keilani's mouth, she was face down on the smoldering floor, with Pele’s foot carving itself into Keilani's back. Keilani shrieked in pain, finally showing vulnerability and weakness, the rock floor singeing her skin and Pele’s mighty foot melting it. Pele looked different once enraged. Her fiery hair rose and the pupils of her eyes became white.

After Pele calmed down a bit she spoke down to Keilani, “Know your place, you have disappointed me. We shall meet another time.” Pele revered Keilani’s rebellion and bravery towards higher powers, which made Keilani such an excellent warrior. Never doubting one’s self can bring immense strength, but Pele knew that she had to teach Keilani respect, humility, and limitation. Keilani fell unconscious from the pain and when Pele removed her foot, there was a foot-shaped brand permanently etched into Keilani's back. Keilani would never be able to forget this encounter now that it was a part of her, and a piece of Pele would always be with Keilani.

Keilani awoke in even more pain, and her surroundings were once again different. She was rocking back and forth on the ocean, but on a different boat than she arrived. This one was even bigger and of a higher quality than her royal outrigger. Ahead of her stood her goal: the islands of Marquesas.