Before Beasts, There Were Storms--6

Into the Fire

What was this feeling? What was he suppose to do with it?

"Kay!"

Back on the beach, after Kai was reminded that his now warmed up and awake sprained ankle still didn't like him, Tyson had at least woken up most of the way, and both he and Max were clapping.

"That's even more awesome up close!" said Tyson.

Kai had to agree with him. He had actually managed to land on his feet this time, irritated ankle aside.

"The magnificence of flight was captured perfectly in your figures," said Max in a mock, nasally art critic voice.

Congrats ended by Ayah crash landing into Kai's back. All nice feelings turned to cold, watery, gritty pain.

Some scrambling, apologizing, and yelling later, they settled into their powwow of what to do next while Tyson picked at the duck tape around his toes.

"If I'm in the water I'll have an easier time figuring out where we are," said Max. "And I could catch us some crabs too if you're up to roasting them, Kai. You didn't happen to see any fruit trees, did you?"

"I was a bit too high for that." Kai smacked Tyson's hands, earning him a glare, but it wasn't as though they had packed infinite amounts of duct tape, and it was unlikely they were going to stick around on this rock. "And I don't know if we should trust anything we could find. I'm not exactly adept at Pacific Island botany."

"That implies that you're adept at some other kind of botany," said Max, once more flashing his intuition.

"Let's just say if we were actually on a continent I might be able to pull up a wild carrot or something." Just the basics, Kai thought, as a murmur of memory rose up of his old Abbey training. They had never covered ocean travel.

"Get back to me when you can pull up a pizza," said Tyson. "I'm STARVED!"

"You're the last one who gets to say that," said Max, irritated.

"I already said I was sorry! And I told you, I was half asleep!"

Kai cut across Max's retort. "But you can figure out where we are if we get back to sea?"

"I think," Max frowned. "It's...hard to explain. But I need to eat first. I feel like crap. I guess swimming for three days straight can do that, right?"

"Three days?" Ayah's eyes went wide.

Kai didn't like that reaction, and cut across Max's response once more. "Get fishing, then. I'll cook whatever you bring up. I'll try to find some coconuts or something, they should be harmless."

"What do I do, then?" said Tyson, tail giving one, solid thump against the sand. "Jeeze, guys, why'd you even wake me up?"

"You could always find wood," said Max. "Those who don't help don't eat."

"I can't help what I do when I'm half asleep!"

Kai hoped that was true, otherwise he had a serious question concerning whatever moved Tyson to wrap himself up in one of his wings. Tyson, of all people, should understand Kai's precarious tolerance for physical contact.

"Besides," continued Tyson, "how am I supposed to get over that cliff to all the trees? No way am I walking around it."

"Guess you'll just have to figure out how to fly," said Kai wryly.

Ayah, who had been watching this dialogue with her fingers in her toes, tail feathers splayed out behind her, lit up. "That's right! Element of storm! Flying should be in your gut."