Island Dream [a Damian Priest fantasy story]

16 Escape

The wind was blowing so hard that it blew the sparks and soot over to them. As Garro steered the ship out of the surf, the others held the sail in place. It was their only chance to get away from here. The waves were so high that they flooded the deck again and again

The sea was rough and splashed everything with water. And that was lucky, because the sparks went out before they could reach the sail. The red light that still had a firm grip on the night gave everything around them an almost ghostly glow. It was so creepy that Sanja couldn't help but shudder.

Her eyes kept searching for Damian's. But tears blurred her eyes so that she couldn't see anything clearly, not even her beloved. Everything inside her hurt, but it wasn't physical pain. It was the knowledge that she had lost the only home she had ever known.

"We're out of the surf... We made it!" Garro shouted after countless minutes of uncertainty.

Exhausted, Sanja sank to the ground. She cried uncontrollably and buried her face in her hands. But it wasn't long before she was in strong arms. Damian pulled her close and stroked her hair.

"Shh... I'm here... Take a deep breath." he whispered.

He was there. Apart from Paya and Garro, he was all she had left of her family. Slowly, she lifted her head to look at him. His face was covered in soot and sweat and blood. She could see that despite the little light. Presumably hers looked exactly the same. Carefully, she lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek. Now he really had been her salvation. Just as her grandfather had said.

"Which course should we take?" Garro wanted to know.

The two of them looked at him. He had one hand on the ship's wheel while his other arm was wrapped tightly around Paya. She was also crying softly on his shoulder.

"Head north-north-east for now. Do you have any nautical charts?" Damian called over to him.

"Yes... It's all down below deck. It seems Erwindro has prepared the ship for a trip. Everything is there... Fresh water and food. Even hay for the goats. I don't know how he did it, but I am eternally grateful to him." Garro replied.

"That's why he was so weak and couldn't fight anymore....He prepared the escape for us..." breathed Sanja as Damian slowly pulled her to her feet.

She grabbed Damian's hand and squeezed it tightly. But then she looked in the direction of her home. Only there wasn't much of it left. The flames and the lava were clearly visible in the night. But Kekepania seemed so much smaller... As if the island was quickly sinking into the sea.

"Everything will be fine... As long as you're with me, I'll always have a home." she said softly.

But it wasn't that she wanted Damian to hear it... It was more that she was trying to convince herself. Yet Damian heard her quiet words, the sea was calmer at this point. He carefully lifted her chin and gave her a loving kiss. Gratitude ran through him as he slowly realized how close their escape had been. He could have lost her. They could have lost each other.

"You will. Because I love you, Sanja." he then replied.

"I love you too, Damian. Where are you taking us?" she wanted to know.

"To the place where I lived before I met you. I hope you can call it home one day." he replied.

"Well... it seems I'm on my way to the new life my grandfather talked about. Our island dream is over." she whispered.