Chapter 4
The first rain drops hit the floor. Black clouds overhead spreaded like a plague through the clear blue sky. Kai watched in fascination. The scene filled him with awe. Temporarily forgetting his predicament he gazed at the sky. This was the biggest storm he had ever seen. Well, apparently it wasn't. Shivering slightly as the next few drops fell with a cold breeze from the clouds, and the strange, half forgotten memory resurfaced, he sat up. Now was not the time to be daydreaming.
Slipping carefully off the roof of the cabin he had been resting on, Kai stalked round to the deck to see what had happened to the others. He found them huddled inside round the motionless form of Max on a bunk. Staring silently at the blonds prone features Kai felt a horrible stab of regret. He should not have lost his temper so easily. Max didn't deserve this. But Tyson, he had been getting really out of hand lately; 'He just never seems to take the blame for anything' Kai thought, his frustration welling up once more. Quickly exiting, he went to the stern, gazing through the sunlit drizzle falling like snow, out the back of the boat where the skies were still blue.
"This really is a mess Kai" The voice nearly made him jump. "Hilary", he turned round to find the brunette gazing at him with a faraway look in her eyes. Grunting in reply to her comment he flicked his gaze back out to sea, resting his arms on the railings of the boat. There wasn't anything left to say. But Hilary still stood there, eyes fixed on the back of Kai's head. Getting uncomfortable with her stare Kai turned back round again and snapped "are you here for a reason!" As though a veil had been lifted, the look was banished from her eyes at these words, replaced with one of hurt. Saying nothing, the girl turned and left.
'Well I can add another one to my list of people I've hurt today...' Kai sighed in a monotone. Quite what he had done to hurt her was beyond him. Deciding this was definitely not his best day, the captain of the blade breakers squatted down by the rudder. Taking a firm grip round the tiller he moved it experimentally through the water. So that was how it worked…he would push it one way, then the boat would turn the other as he pushed the water out of the way. After his little test session, that took a matter of minutes, the rain was coming down steadily in a freezing shower the sky, overcast to a restless grey. Soaked and ill-tempered he didn't much care. Through the rain he heard the collective footfalls of two other people. Ray and Hilary watched him apprehensively. "You found out how this thing works?" the Chinese spoke up hopefully. Kai grunted unintelligibly. The two stood momentarily in the rain, gazing at their captain, fiddling with the ships rudder.
Just as they were about to head back into the dry, a large swell rocked the boat. Hilary fell onto her arse with a squeak, while Ray managed to keep his balance. "This is gonna get rough if we don't hurry" the white tiger warned Kai as he helped Hilary to her feet. The blader in question was about to reply with a stinging comment when a roll of thunder growled through the air. The rain was getting heavier. Another wave rocked the boat. Lightning suddenly flashed over head. Hilary squealed and held onto Ray "its ok… He consoled her. "Kai!" the Neko-jin now had to yell above the storm "we're gonna go look after Max ok!" With no reply from the captain the duo made their way back to the cabin. Just as they entered a foul wind arose, catching the huge mainsail, it flung the boom viscously fast across the deck, sweeping dangerously at head height. Simultaneously another wave rocked the boat. Kai lost his balance, sitting down with a bump next to the rudder. Hilary and Ray appeared not to have noticed. 'That could have been nasty' with new resolve Kai grabbed the tiller and wrestled the boat to turn. The rain was getting harder now, stinging every bit of his bare flesh raw and cold. With a jolt through the pit f his stomach Kai realised it was hailstones. Coincidence? It had to be. The boom swung in slower this time, the sail flapping uselessly as it turned into the wind.
Kai thrashed the rudder left to right to no avail. The boat wouldn't move. Another swell sent his heart into his throat. The waves were getting bigger. Just as he though the situation couldn't get any worse, an annoying voice managed to make itself heard even above the storm "Hey KAI!" Clenching his teeth in fury and aggravation the blader rose up through the torrent of water and ice. Yelling to make himself heard above the rain and constant thunder, Kai roared back "WHAT DO YOU WANT Tyson!" taking the fact that he hadn't used a swear word to mean that they were back on good terms Tyson yelled back happily "This storm is GREAT isn't it!" Kai stared through the freezing downpour at his companion. What was he playing at! Didn't he realise that everyone's lives aboard this ship were in danger! Tyson was standing, legs apart, arms out stretched into the dark sky, trying to catch water in his mouth. In disbelief Kai gazed at him. Through his shock at the navy bladers stupidity kai suddenly realised, the sail had gone taunt. In a fraction of a second he dived forwards "TYSON GET DOWN!" Using all his power and speed Kai threw Tyson to the floor. The boom whipped round with the speed of the gale force wind driving it. Kai was still standing. Tyson watched horrified from the drenched floor as the horizontal pole ripped through the air above him with devastating speed "KAAIII!"
Nother one over n done with…sorry it took a while to get going but there we go…
Thanks to 'Amanita Virosa', 'Kailover 2oo6', and 'if I say I love you' for being very nice and reviewing my fic so far! It's been a great inspiration to get writing again! Cheers!