The Journal of Dreams (The Tales of Tahana - Book One)

Chapter 9: A Gulf of Water

22-2-2-4012 DM, Gulf of Tayang, Telama, Hilaraya

A storm in the middle of the sea... Dari stood in horror as he saw the angry dark clouds coming towards them. The sound of chimes in his ears started to grow louder by the second as the winds picked up speed, making the Seabird groan as it moved through the waves. He looked around for Jesi but he was suddenly gone. He must have bolted to his cabin when he heard that a storm was coming. He could hear someone shouting, but it was difficult for him to understand anything against the sound in his ears, which now seemed like hundreds of swishing knives. The sound was making his head ache and he felt like he was going to faint. Panic was already starting to eat him when he felt a strong hand yank his right arm, making him turn around.

Dari saw Amyi standing before him, his expression serious with a hint of fear showing in his auburn eyes. He could see Amyi's mouth moving, telling him something while lightly shaking him in the shoulders with both hands. He could not understand a word Amyi was saying. The sky above flashed momentarily, then, after a couple of seconds, he heard the booming sound of thunder against the sound of swishing knives. His heart pounded hard in his chest and he was close to losing consciousness. He forced himself to concentrate on Amyi's voice, until, finally, he was able to discern some words.

"... with me! ... understand? We have to... and get... listening to me? Dari?" Dari shook his head to throw away the sounds of knives that dominated his hearing. He knew Amyi was already shouting the last words but only a few words made sense to him. Amyi shook him again and he momentarily broke off from his panic.

"Wha... I can't hear you! The wind! Too loud!" Dari shouted back as he regained control of his mouth. Amyi looked puzzled for a moment, unable to comprehend what he just said. He shook Amyi's hand off his shoulders and covered his ears with the palm of his hands. Then, he saw that Amyi finally understood him. The sound of knives lessened a bit when he covered his ears, but he knew that removing his hands would surely cause him pain. Amyi gestured with his right hand, first pointing to Dari, then to himself, and then to the stairwell leading to the cabins.

Dari nodded in agreement, still covering his ears. A moment later, Amyi was leading him by the shoulders down to the stairwell, through the hallway, and into their cabin.

As soon as their cabin's door was shut, Dari felt the piercing sound of knives disappear. He removed his hands from his ears and the sound of the winds was reduced to a distant swishing sound. He let out deep sigh of relief and let himself be led by Amyi to sit on the chair facing the right wall. A round glass lantern stood precariously at the edge of table. Amyi reached for it and placed it in the middle of the table to keep it from falling. The ship lurched and Dari felt the deck beneath his feet groan.

Amyi gestured, "Are you alright?" with his hands, looking quite worried.

"I think I'm fine, Amyi. I can hear better at least. Wait! My sketchbook!" Dari exclaimed as he sprang up from the chair, realising that he no longer had his sketchbook with him.

The ship suddenly rocked violently and Dari lost his balance, making him fall back on the chair. He almost toppled over, but he clung on the edge of the table to his right to keep himself upright.

"Sit tight, my son, or you'll have a lot of bruises when this is over," Amyi said in a deep voice, which sounded like it came from within a cave.

Dari wanted to ignore Amyi and dash out of the cabin, but he saw that Amyi had his sketchbook tucked under his left arm. It must have fallen when he went in shock earlier on deck that he didn't even notice that Amyi had picked it up. This made him calm down and he allowed himself to fall on the chair as his panic of losing his sketchbook disappeared.