The low rumble of distant thunder jostles me from my sleep. Outside of the cave, the skies are grey and the air is thick with humidity. The wind howls aggressively, rattling the trees and shaking the bushes surrounding the campsite.
Lucio's arm is lifelessly draped over my waist while I use the stump of his other arm as a pillow, keeping my head elevated off of the sand below us. My track record of being a blanket hog still stands as I realize I'm cocooned in the tiger pelt, leaving Lucio with the patch of fur that I assume must have once been the tiger's head. He must not be bothered by it much, as he lays completely relaxed beside me, soft snores bouncing off the stony walls surrounding us.
I turn over, being careful not to disturb Lucio as I face him and take in his sleeping expressions. His harpoon-shaped brows gently arch over his eyes. Barely audible snores escape through his partially parted lips, and, as usual, his hair flows in a tangled, golden mess behind him. A small smile graces my lips as I watch him. I almost don't want him to wake up, after watching him struggle with his dreams before waking him last night and seeing how exhausted he looked after speaking with Asra, but I hadn't forgotten what Lucio had told me about the storm. This could be our only chance to collect fresh water until the next storm hits, and who knows when that might be.
I rest my hand against his cheek and stroke it with my thumb. Lucio stirs, inhaling deeply through his nose as his eyes blink open. A smile graces his lips as his gaze fixes on mine.
"Good morning," he murmurs groggily.
"Good morning," I reply, offering him a kiss.
Lucio kisses back with a small peck before dislodging his arm from under my head and slowly sitting up. He looks towards the mouth of the cave and lets out a sigh.
"Looks like we've got ourselves a busy day ahead of us," he comments, "Rain will be coming down in buckets any minute."
I trail behind Lucio as he exits the cave, shaking the sand from our clothes as we go. Around us, the forest is dark with thick layers of dark grey clouds blanketing the skies above. Leaves and other debris from the surrounding landscape swirl in the air as the wind whips through the campsite. There's an aggressive energy in the air, almost as if this storm has every intention on ripping the island apart.
Snatching a twig from the undergrowth, Lucio crouches over a bare patch of sand and draws an intricate shape on the ground. It looks like a warped, upside down star. He draws four points within the shape and connects them with lines that dizzily bend and weave inconsistently.
"What is that?" I ask curiously, yelling to be heard over the wind.
"It's the island," Lucio calls back, "or at least a rough sketch of it. These four points mark where I've set up camp. Every one of them has empty bottles to collect rain water. We need to make sure they're all full before this storm passes."
Reluctance sits like a rock in my stomach, remembering our journey from East Camp, "We're going to all of them?"
Lucio shakes his head, "North Camp is three hours, roughly, from here. South Camp is a bit further, but is just about two hours from East Camp. We'll have to split up in order to get it all done in time."
Split up? In this weather?
"Wouldn't to be easier and safer if we stick together?" I ask, "I don't think either of us should be going out in this alone."
"Ordinarily, I'd agree with you, Akari, but we'll be out all day and night doing this if we go together. If we split up, we should both be back here well before nightfall. One of us can take North and West Camp. The other will take South and East."
The reluctance sitting in my stomach starts twisting into dread. It felt like something bad would happen to one of us if we didn't do this together. We really shouldn't be splitting up, but there didn't seem to be any way of convincing him otherwise. Besides, up until now Lucio had been doing this by himself. He more than likely had spent all day and night setting up these bottles to ensure he had plenty of drinking water.
"Alright," I sigh begrudgingly, "I can take North Camp and meet you back here when I'm done."
"Are you sure?" Lucio inquires, "I thought you'd be eager to go back to East Camp. You know, in case more of your cards turn up?"
I open my mouth to say something, only be cut off by a flash lightning splitting the sky over our heads. The air around us trembles with a deafening clap of thunder, and I feel the first drops of rain land along my arms.
"I don't think this is the type of weather to go card hunting in," I state, "The cards can wait until the storm passes."
Lucio nods. He stands up and crosses the campsite, pulling out something hidden within the surrounding foliage; a pair of spears. How was he even able to make those? Missing an arm, and all; it was interesting enough watching him handle the flint the other night, and managing to spark it. The spears appear to be fairly durable, as well, made from long, straight branches tipped with stones that seemed to have been chipped into a sharp point. Sharp enough to pierce the hide of a tiger, as I think back to the fractured half of the spear Lucio managed to bury into Nero's shoulder.
Nero. The tigers. As I take one of the spears into my hands, I am reminded of something Lucio had mentioned that night beside the campfire.
"Didn't you say the tigers live on the north side of the island?"
Lucio straightens and twirls his spear in his hand, "Hence why I gave you that spear as a precaution, but let's be honest with ourselves here. Nero caught you off guard last time. You rarely make the same mistake twice. You're more than capable of protecting yourself, even against Nero."
"And the others? What if Nero isn't alone this time?"
"The only other tigers on this island that I know of are Nero's mother and his brother, and like I said; the mother's a gentle giant."
"And the brother?"
Lucio shrugs, "Shy. He usually hides, unless you corner him."
I sigh irritably. If I'd have to name something about Lucio that hadn't changed, it'd have to be his stubbornness.
"Okay," I reluctantly agree, "but if I get mauled by a tiger, I'm blaming you."
Lucio barks out a laugh, "That's the spirit!"
He points me in the direction of the trail I need to follow to reach North Camp, and we kiss one last time before setting off in opposite directions.
As I set off, the rain starts coming down in buckets, and it isn't long before I'm soaked to the bone. The sound it makes as it hits the canopies of the trees is deafening. The dense foliage blocks most of the wind, only knocking me aside when I pass a break in the trees.
Deeper in the forest, it's almost as dark as night, only being illuminated by the occasional bolt of lightning. The roar of thunder is so loud at times that it hurts my ears. As the dirt beneath my feet turns to mud, I use the butt of the spear to help trudge along the path.
On the occasion, I spy a glass bottle or a jar leaning up against a tree, or strategically placed where rainwater can flow directly into it. Some are only filled halfway, others are overflowing and spilling out at the top. I must be getting close, and I make careful note of where each container is as I move along.
It feels like an eternity by the time I reach North Camp, or what's left standing of it. The campsite is overgrown with vegetation, almost overtaking the mouth of another cave situated in a nearby slope. As I approach, I trample the charred remains of a bonfire pit. Bits of twigs and logs burnt black roll under the soles of my feet as I pass by, staining the skin black. When was the last time Lucio was even at North Camp? It looks like nobody's been here in weeks.
I quickly duck into the cave, hoping to get a break from the torrential downpour before attempting to collect any sort of containers that could be used to harvest the rain's water. My clothes are once again heavy with water, sending misery shooting through me as I sit there shivering in the dark cavern.
Before I can get my bearings, I feel a hot breath on my shoulder and a low growl in my ear. I freeze, not daring to move as I hear the familiar crunching of dirt beneath four massive paws. A wet nose bumps my arm, and I feel the slightest touch of wet fur against my skin. As I look to my left, in the minimal light the day can offer through the storm in this cave, the massive head of a striped feline emerges from the shadows.
I scramble back and summon a bright ball of light to my hands. The tiger blinks at the sudden brightness, but doesn't move. Instead, it sits down, looking like a tall, regal statue as it watches me with curious yellow eyes.
It doesn't take me long to figure out that this isn't Nero. This tiger is far, far bigger, and looks much older. Dipping its head, the tiger places a paw on my lap in an almost comforting sort of way. Over the cat's shoulder, another striped face peers over at me, keeping its distance as it watches me.
These must be the two other tigers Lucio had mentioned; Nero's gentle giant of a mother, and his shy brother.
The massive tigress leans forward and begins dragging her tongue over my soaked scalp, pushing around what's left of my tight braids and entangling the fly-aways within the scratchy barbs. The second tiger takes a few steps towards me, curiosity and unease flickering in his gaze. All it takes is turning my head towards him to send the young tiger skittering to the back of the cave.
Lucio had named Nero. If I had to call that tiger anything, Shy would be perfect.
After having thoroughly messed up my hair, the tigress stands up and moves to sprawl out across the floor of the cave. Her size nearly challenges that of the horses I've seen at the palace. How did she get so big?! More importantly, how did the tigers even come to live on this island? Were they brought here? Did they swim over from a larger piece of land that was nearby? Had they been here all along? It doesn't seem like their kind will last long out here, with limited prey sources and no signs of any eligible mates.
After taking a few minutes to catch my breath and rest my weary legs, I stand and make my way back towards the mouth of the cave. The rain was still coming down in waves, shaking the surface of the sea with millions upon millions of heavy drops. The unyielding wind made it difficult to see. Palm trees bowed, struggling to remain standing. A crack in the distance causes me to jump, followed by a crash. We'd be lucky if the storm didn't level the island by the time it was over.
I patrol the perimeter of the campsite, looking for any stray containers that could be used for collecting water. I manage to find a few empty bourbon bottles lying against the nearby shore. I guess Lucio was right. Stuff like this washed up on shore all the time.
Looking around, I manage to find a spot where water trickles steadily off of a bit of vegetation. Ignoring the rain beating against my back, I patiently wait until all the bottles I find are full. I fit what I can into the deep pockets of my pants and begin filling my arms with various bottles, jars, and containers as I start back down the path leading back to West Camp.