The Sky and the Sea, the Sea and the Sky

7

I gave Ray a cold, rigid stare. The way he is standing almost seems as if nothing could knock him down. Two conflicted souls now linger, unable to compromise for any light. My eyes travel down to his hands, which are balled up in tightly clenched fists. His dark hair was no longer neat and tall, but shading his face in a way that made him seem fragile. I stand very close to him and reluctantly raise my head so my eyes meet his again. Sounds of bloodthirsty war fill my ears, but nothing can draw my attention away from him. It is one of those moments where I can't believe that life turned out the way it did. That my mom is gone, evil forces have entered our world. Tension has risen and is a never-ending force that wraps around every person of the Sky and of the Sea. It is a vile twisted way of thinking and feeling, and I have had enough of it. I stop thinking for a second. I close my eyes and just be. My chest puffs violently as I try to control each unsteady breath. My heart has no place to go and thumps violently as it tries to reach out of my body from within.

"Kal, I have to. It has to be me, "Ray commands. "You are most important to our world. You have to be the one that stays here, safe. For the world, Kal, for your people and the people after them." My lips quiver violently. My voice feels like a heavy burden in my throat. "No, Ray!, I snapped." I am the chosen one. My mom died because of a lurking power that can't be unleashed anymore. I am the daughter of the Queen Arundhati and letting you go is not worth it... at least... not for me." Ray's eyes fixated on my face. More sounds of war came in waves of terror and washed up into my mind. We stood on a cliff simply watching our world collapse. I feel Ray's calming hand stroke my face and gently shift my head away from the scene. Suddenly our lips met, and the world became still. All my problems went away. It was just me and Ray in our world where nothing could ever go wrong. 

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice screaming. "KALANI, WATCH OUT!" I looked behind me and fearfully dodged a spear that had been shot at me from below. I trembled in fear as I heard the sound of where the spear landed and realized what I had done. I whipped around only to see Ray's shaking body collapse to the ground. He was gasping for air. I thought each painful breath would be his last. Blood splurged out from his chest. He lifted his quivering hand and cleaved it around mine as if it could save him. My eyes filled with cold tears. Memories transpired into my mind; the good old days when we would sit on the same mountain we are on now and yell out the shapes we saw in the puffy white clouds. The time he helped me learn how to stretch my wings and fly. But also painful memories. When he told me he never wanted to be around Hai because she was a Damari. After that moment tension rose as to who was my closest and most trusted friend. And now the display of affection. One kiss that could be my first and last. The first time Ray had let me know that he cares in that way.

All I could think about was everything yet nothing. I watched as Ray grew weaker and weaker. My heart dropped. "Ray..." I cried. "I'm so sorry it's all my fault, it should've been me." My tears followed each other off my face and dribbled off Ray's cheeks each time they landed. There was no hope left. Ray struggled to get out the words "Get the stone and save us... that's why it's you, Kal." And with a pained smile, I watched Ray close his eyes as his wings folded in. His trembling hand fell instantly from my face.

I leaned down and kissed him on his forehead. I knew the world wasn't safe. I knew what I had to do for my Mother, Kal, Ray... but the burden of sudden death plunged in my soul like a continuous fiery flame that only grew with time. Chaos is an intangible force that can only go so deep before it nudges at the bottom of our minds. It lingers there until it can only think to fracture, then breaches into a new ghastly way of thinking. Hope is drained from whomever it may have been hiding in, and any peaceful thought perishes. 

"WHY?!", I screeched. "Mother... if you can hear me... help." I tucked my arms under Ray's motionless body. I lifted with him with all my strength and somehow managed to fly up into the frigid purple sky. My arms ached tremendously. A gripping pain in my wings spread like wildfire. Despite the torment, I flew higher and higher. Lightning shot all around. Fighting Skydens' surrounded me. They lashed out long bolts of lightning with such bitterness and hatred into the black sky. Each strike was like a piece of unsatisfied revenge that would never be put together for good. The sky and sea vibrated with cryptic power, yet could not shake me. I carefully placed Ray on a cloud. Our cloud. He would be a safe way up here. Safe... I thought. That's what my mother has always wanted. If I could follow the myth, my mother's secret riddle, then I could strip our peoples from the chains of mistrust and hatred they are tied to. "

In the words of my mother, I whispered: "For the love of the sky and sea."