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 Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 12:17 pm
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2020 6:57 am
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2020 7:54 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2020 6:50 pm
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:27 pm
Crashed Treasures Moani had known for a very long time what they wanted to be. It had never really been a topic up for discussion among their family either who fully supported their choice. So, really once Moani was of age, they’d been allowed to work as an apprentice to a few merchants. Rotating between whoever needed the most help on certain days. Now that they were quite a bit older and more knowledgeable, their parents had enabled them to apprentice with a real treasure hunter. They were now allowed short trips to Belrea or Yael, but what they were really looking forward to were those trips to Tendaji one day.
“Ready to head out?” Their father asked as he handed Moani her bag. They’d just finished packing their bags for this newest trip with the treasure hunter.
“Yes, I’ll only be gone for two days max.” They said as they slung the bag over their shoulder. She was already excited at the thought of a new adventure! Even if they weren’t going far.
“See you when you get back then.” Both their parents kissed the top of their head. Moani waved at them and headed out.
Moani swam off to meet the older Kahaiko Keenu. Keenu had put together a small crew and had gladly taken on Moani, they’d been with him before so they weren’t strangers and their parents felt fine letting them go. He had mentioned a part of the reef they were checking out after a ship had crashed in the sea. The crew was safe, but they’d asked for a few items to be retrieved. Anything else was fair game for the treasure hunters. Moani had never been on a boat before so this was certainly going to be quite the adventure!
Keenu lived in a small reef home, but it looked like everyone else had gathered outside his home. There was another young Kahaiko like Moani there but the rest were much older. Moani settled next to the other young Kahaiko. Keenu had asked everyone to be there early, but Moani was sure they weren’t late, they’d made sure of it the night before. Their parents also would have said something, but maybe they were just being a bit paranoid. It could be that everyone just had gotten here much earlier.
“Alright everyone is here. Welcome Moani. This is Kekoa, Luana, Malina, and the other young one next to you is Akahele. Everyone this is Moani.” Keenu pointed to everyone as he said their names. Everyone exchanged greetings, Moani waved to all of them. “We’re going to head out now so we can make camp not too far from the crash. It’s some ways off so we’ll need the rest of the day to get there and if we’re lucky enough we might be able to go in. Questions?” Keena placed his hand son his hips as he swept his gaze on everyone present. “No? Perfect, let’s go hunting!”
Everyone swam after Keenu, the older hunters settled next to him and spoke about the crash and other details of the trip. Moani and Akahele stood a bit back but kept up, Keenu wouldn’t allow them to lag behind least they get lost. Though truth be told, Moani would have liked to be up at the front with the adults and not stay back with Akahele. They’d only done it to at least talk to another fellow young hunter, but he didn’t seem very chatty. They’d almost given up when he did say something after almost an hour of silence.
“Is this your first trip?” Akahele glanced at her.
“Oh no, I’ve bene on quite a few smaller trips. I’m trying to gain as much experience as I can before I go to Tendaji.” Moani replaced, keeping an eye on the adults.
“You want to go to Tendaji? Why? There’s plenty of treasure to be found in the water.”
“ I think it would be fun. The water is all nice, but who had really seen Tendaji? I like the adventure. What about you? Is this your first trip?” Moani shrugged.
“I guess and yes this is my first time. I’m a little nervous.” He said.
“Don’t be! I remember my first trip, it was great. Didn’t go this far though. My parents were the ones scared; I was just excited! I’ve wanted to treasure hunt for a long time.” They were already dreaming about the stuff they were going to find.
“What do you think we’ll find out there?” He asked.
“Who knows, but that’s half the fun right?”
Akahele didn’t speak for the rest of the trip, Moani grew bored pretty quickly but they didn’t push him. If he didn’t want to talk then that was okay, they just wish their companion was a little more lively or even talkative.
By the end of the afternoon, they had made it to the wreck. It was still fresh, barely a week old but wildlife had already started their work on it. They were to set up a little sleep area for them to spend the night outside of the ship. Moani had wanted to sleep inside but Keenu had said it might be too dangerous. So they would have to wait until they’d set up in the corals nearby before they could go in. Even then, one of the adults went in first to check it out and make sure everything was safe enough.
“Gather up everyone! Kekoa has finished the tour, and everything is fine. Everyone has their assignments, but the little hunters can have free reign on anything they find. Don’t forget to call out any danger and you clear out immediately. Go it? Yes? Good, off you go. You have two hours before we meet back at camp. You do not stray you come back right here. Off you go.” Keenu waved everyone off, he had planned on staying behind for now and would hunt for his own treasure tomorrow in the morning before they left.
Moani didn’t wait for Akahele, they were already swimming off into the wreck as soon as Keenu had finished talking to them. They approached slowly, happy to move around the wreck to see why it had perished. Moani found where the ship had cracked open, the darkness within didn’t reveal any secrets yet. The calmness of it all was a bit unsettling, just a week ago Earthlings had been living on this ship.
“Looks kinda creepy right?” Akahele said from beside her. Moani yelled, swimming back a bit. “Sorry,” he said a little sheepishly. “Didn’t mean to scare you. Are you going in?”
“Of course!” This was part of being a treasure hunter! They faced their fears and went into the unknown to bring back those treasures. Moani swam closer and placed their hand on the opening to peak in. The fish ran away as they looked in and took in all the damage that had been done. They wondered what had happened. Still, Moani swam in, there was nothing scary here so they moved in deeper. Time was getting low so they moved in deeper even into the belly of the ship to start looking through things to see what they might be able to find.
Moani didn’t find anything they wanted to keep as they moved through the ship, but they were getting acquainted with the area and they were sure the next day would be more fruitful. Then Keenu was asking everyone back to their little base for the evening for dinner. Akahele had found a few baubles, nothing Moani would have been interested in thankfully. They would have been a touch jealous if he’d found something before them. Everyone else had found a few things but nothing substantial or of high worth, but there was always tomorrow!
The next morning came quick, Moani got up at the same time as Keenu and went out with him. They swam quietly for a bit and then Keenu was pointing out things and explaining places where treasures might be hidden. He taught them as they moved about, pocketing the things he wanted to keep. Moani found a few baubles to bring back as gifts, nothing they wanted to keep or sell personally. Soon enough the others had joined them and Moani had drifted away to see what secrets they might uncover. They loved learning when they went on these excursions.
And then Moani found the thing that they really wanted to keep. It was some kind of metal tub they’d seen Earthlings look out from to help them see far. They’d found it tucked in a corner, it had caught a single ray of light and gleamed a bit. Moani was so happy and excited! This was exactly why she wanted to be a treasure hunter, to find the hidden things in plain sight or hidden. They also knew that they didn’t need anything else and so went back to camp happily clutching their object as they waited for the others to return so they could go back home.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 7:52 pm
The Truth Isn't Always What It Seems Quote: Moani always had a "perfect" vision of Tendaji and how it would be. Though they soon learn that reality isn't always what others make it to be and that they will need to make their own judgement.
The weather though soon turned out to be the least of their problem. They were robbed on their first tour of the city, Moani couldn’t believe they had been had by a child of all things. They must have looked like some fresh off the boat fish. Then they found out they could barely eat any of the spiced food, her palette did not agree with any of it. They had always thought of Tendaji as this grand place, but reality was hitting them hard in the face. Life here had its own hardships just like back home.
Of course, their bubble was popped by the end of the first day. Moani had found a place to stay for the night, cheap since they did not want to spend so much money. But cheap was cheap and the room had been barely big enough to fit a bed and a desk, but the bed was some kind of mud platform and completely uncomfortable to sleep on. Their skin had gotten so dry as well that they’d peeled a bit and had had to go for a swim to ease the itching. Moani was… Disappointed by the reality of it all.
They had asked for some stories as well, but no where in Tendaji seemed to be better. There was the too cold Zena and the too dangerous Chibale Isles that they would not be able to even step foot on. Jauhar had seemed OK and Tale seemed very… boring? Nothing like what some of the Kahikinans had spoken about. They could not believe that the stories would have been so embellished, Tendaji was not the glitz and glamour that they had thought it was.
It took them a couple of days to digest that, but Moani was optimistic, and they would not be brought down.
They knew Tendaji had the secrets that they had longed for and they would push through all those unpleasant things. They told themselves that this was just an adjustment period! Soon enough they would see what the others had and Tendaji would return to that glow they thought it had before they’d come all this way. But also, Moani had just seen Oba. They would head to Matori once satisfied and at least settled here.
They would see Tendaji on their own and make up their own mind from now on about it.
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