Fragile Skins

Chapter ten: Hawaii

"Ok but do you think it would be worse to burn to death or drown." They were talking about the worst way to die.
"Kai, I can't drown." Sachiel said, floating on his back on the surface of the ocean.
"Oh yeah." Kai said floating next to him. "Oh the stars are out." Kai traced his finger from star to star.
"What are you doing?" Kai didn't reply.
"Hawaii is a day's swim from here."
"What?" Sachiel asked shocked.
"When I was a kid my dad started teaching me how to navigate using the stars. I finished teaching myself because I really wanted to sail the world." Kai explained.
"Oh, do you still wanna do that?" Sachiel asked.
"Yeah, I guess." Kai sighed, "Alright, that way." He pointed confidently in the direction of Hawaii. They dived back below the water.
They swam for a day hardly resting because royal guards could be anywhere. Slowly the outline of Hawaii appeared over the horizon. Dry land felt like a miracle on Kai's feet, the sand was soft and hot from being in the heat of the sun all day. Sachiel groaned.
"It's too hot." He sat on the shore with his tail still partially in the water. The gentle roar of the ocean from being tossed by the breeze that also whipped around palm trees was a familiar sound to Kai, who closed his eyes and let the wind beat on his face.
"It's not that much worse than California." Kai sat down next to Sachiel. Kai looked to the mermaid. Sachiel was looking down at the sand, his expression was somber. "What's wrong?"
"What now?" Sachiel asked quietly.
"We..." Kai stuttered, "I don't know." He looked down and curled his legs to cover his face. Sachiel was taken aback, he had never seen Kai express any form of weakness. "I'm sorry Sach I promised I'd avenge Meilong, but I was just being an idiot."
"You don't have to apologize, I shouldn't have been so hopeful that we could find the black submarine when we didn't have any clues or anything to go off of." Sachiel looked out to the ocean, "I just... want justice for him." Tears welled up in his eyes. The sun was setting and the bright red light reflected off the waves and ripples of the water. Kai looked to Sachiel.
"I know. I... I want to be strong but it's hard."
"You've always been so tough, it's ok to cry." Sachiel traced circles into the sand with his claw, "it's ok to feel sad and it's ok not to be ok." Kai sunk his head farther down. Sachiel thought about what to say next. He felt tears forming in his own eyes as he thought about Meilong. He reached over and grabbed Kai's hand, Kai gripped back tightly to Sachiel's surprise.The sun had sunk past the horizon and stars dotted across a dark blue sky. The ocean's gentle whooshing calmed Kai and Sachiel asleep.