The Heart of Tangaroa✔️

Chapter 9: Lair of Tangaroa

"Maui?"

Moana carefully poked her head into the cooks shack that night, pulling a borrowed skin cape around her shoulders to keep the cold away as she slipped through the doorway, "Maui? Are you in here?"

Moana shifted along the dirt floor with great caution, shifting with bare feet farther into the cottage. It was dimly illuminated by the glow of a dying ember, and was filled with hanging fish cages and herbs. Rapa Nui was vastly different then Motunui. It's climate was different for one thing, as Moana actually had to cover up in order to keep warm. And the food consisted mainly of fish and other meats such as sea bird. It wouldn't surprise Moana one bit of Maui the giant hawk was a feast to these people, which made it all the more necessary to get him free.

Rounding one of the large wooden posts keeping up the ceiling, Moana inhaled sharply as her eyes caught a giant shadow hung up on the wall across from her. Hurrying forward, the young chief ignored the feeling of soft feathers around her ankles as she reached the demigod. The cooks has already bugun to pluck him, hence the feathers. But other then that, Maui looked generally unharmed,

"Maui?" Moana questioned, reaching out to brush a hand against one of his outstretched wings. It felt similar to his muscular bicep, gently curving and marked with dark blotches on the feathers. Shaking out of the thought, Moana frowned at her mindset as she poked the hawk again, "Maui, wake up,"

There was a slight movement as the bird shifted on the wall, it's dark eyes opening as it's head twisted downward slightly. Moana stared back up at him innocently, painted face glowing in the emberlight as her dark curls fell weakly around her cheeks, "are you ok?"

There was a small pull from the giant bird as a small noise of irritation came from his throat. Frowning, Moana followed the curve of his wings with her eyes, until she stopped on the nail driven through the primary feathers. Grasping onto it with her hands, Moana yanked slightly, wincing as Maui cried out softly in discomfort, "I'm sorry. Just...hold still,"

There was another angry noise as Moana pulled and wiggled the nail out of place, ignoring the blood seeping onto her hands as the metal instrument finally came loose. Folding one wing tightly against himself, Maui motioned to the other with his eyes. Getting the message, Moana began to work at the other nail, stumbling backwards as it flew loose and sent Maui tumbling to the floor. Immediately he transformed back into himself,
"Well, who's the chicken now?"

Moana smiled slightly as Maui grumbled an incoherent phrase and sat on his haunches, poking at the twin holes now in his biceps,

"You aren't supposed to be here,"

"Yeah, and you would have been eaten if I wasn't here. Take your pick,"

Moana folded her arms as Maui stared at her from the floor, groaned and nodded his head in defeat. On his chest, Mini Maui had the scoreboard out. There were two slashes on Maui's side, and one on Moana's,
"I know it's the second time she's saved me, ok? Go talk to your girlfriend or something,"

Maui flicked his miniature out of his tattoo as the little man appeared on Moana's shoulder, hauling up beside Mini Mo as the way finder rolled her eyes,

"Come on, get up,"

"Why?"

"One, because if anyone finds us in here there's going to be hell to pay. And two, you obviously came to Rapa Nui for a reason. Now you have help. So what happened anyway?"

Slinging one of Maui's large arms over her shoulders, Moana hoisted the demigod to his feet,

"Ugh, I was looking for Rehua,"