[indent][u][b]Pekelo Island
West Blue[/b][/u][/indent]
There wasn’t much time.

Scratch that, there was [i]no[/i] time!

There was so much to do, so many things that needed correcting, and Kailani was [i]so close[/i]. Yet even now the beat of drums still echoed in her ears, the vibrations of too many feet as the sprawling tribe gathered, a stern voice telling her to not wander far - the Tournament would be starting as soon as the sun was high above. As the golden orb’s rays spread out over the land, peeking over the lip of Ka Li’Ai’s churning black clouds that served as the island’s ocean borders, every second ticking away brought her closer to her doom. If Kailani didn’t get this ship going, then eventually when she didn’t show up her caretakers would be sent out to drag her back - and her chances of escaping dwindled to none.

After all, if Mella’s brother won the tournament Kailani had no doubt that he’d want to impose his own punishment for her ‘crime’, and he was the frontrunner. That was no surprise, Ywa’n was every bit as determined, as brave as his sister - the whole family was. They just didn’t understand. Mella wanted off Pekelo as much as she did, had their positions been reversed … well, she’d have probably been very confused trying to build a ship, but the attempt would’ve been there!

Now this was Kailani’s last chance. If they found her, they’d put the ship she was working on to the torch, and to the Tournament she’d go. If she was honest with herself, she would’ve been nowhere near ready if not for the split hull that washed ashore that month, right in her secluded little patch of beach. High trees surrounded her, the leafy green of their tops shading the small stretch of sand no bigger than thirty feet. It was here that her ship was being built out of whatever supplies the islander could bring. Wood was in abundance on the island, rope was easy to come by, even carving out parts necessary. It was all the same song and dance, just on a much shorter timescale.

With the latest ship that came ashore it solved Kailani’s last problem - she couldn’t use the forge in her village without rousing suspicion. Stripping the metal from the strange vessel it was almost [i]easy[/i] to adapt it to her Striker. There were even pieces she was impressed with on it - it was almost like the man aboard was challenging the great storm. It made her last three weeks of work much simpler! She made sure to burn his heart, as per tradition, for his help.

She felt a little bad she didn’t share the rest of him with the village, but that’d have tipped them off to another boat. At least she ate well that week.

Now, attaching the last ‘shield’ of wood to the side of the ship, acting as a buffer against the wicked rocks, it was time to go. Her vessel was small, only enough for a few days supplies and herself, but that’s all she needed. Kailani pulled her thick brown hair back, retying it with the ornamental thread and feathered hairpiece that had been so carefully applied this morning. Had she a choice, she’d not be wearing the [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ab/51/62/ab5162a8b22da46c5e486c85d3ca7ceb.jpg]ceremonial outfit[/url] that she had been forced to wear, with its heavy golds and abundance of feathers, but a girl had to make due!

Now, it was time.

Thigh-deep in the sloshing water Kailani began to untie her boat, casting one last glance to her island, before her dark chocolate eyes roamed to the heavy storm of Ka Li’Ai. A crack of thunder echoed in the distance, a familiar and comforting sound that, with any luck, would be far behind her before the day was through.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Wish me luck, Mella.”[/color]