The Half-Hearts Chronicles

by Kealohilani

  Jharate finished his song, but it took her a moment to awake from the trance his voice had put her into. Her eyes opened slowly and she gazed at him with a dreamy look. She jumped as she realized that her iPod Nano was still in her pocket.

  Quickly, nearly frantically, she pulled it out and turned it on, hoping there was still some battery left. She was glad that she had charged it before they had started running around the theme park the day that they had disappeared from the Tower of Terror. Because she hadn’t turned it on since then— she dared to hope that there might be a few good hours left. But then she remembered her phone. What if it had been affected in the same way?

  Lani unwrapped the headphones from around the outside of the iPod and gave one to Jharate. He looked at it curiously. She smiled— placing the other one in her right ear. She scooted a little closer to him and pointed to his left ear.

  He raised an eyebrow and mimicked her action— placing the earbud carefully inside his ear. She scrolled to one of her favorite songs— I Wanna Hold You by Na Drua.

  Lani giggled as Jharate sat bolt upright— his eyes wide as he pulled the earbud out of his ear. After examining it carefully, he placed it back in his ear and smiled, listening intently.

  As the song played, Lani watched the expressions on Jharate’s face. When the song ended, she realized that she had only heard the melody as a background to the music video in her head— starring Jharate— with frequent close-ups on his deep brown eyes.

  Despite the fact that she loved the song and knew every word, she hadn’t registered any of the lyrics this time as her own thoughts had overridden them. She delicately smoothed some of her recently-unbraided hair back behind her ear and looked shyly down at the ground.

  “That is a magnificent song. I thank you for sharing it with me. This is truly an extraordinary device. How is the music performed inside my very mind? Is it magic?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing as amazing as magic. Earth only has machines for stuff like this. We use science. We don’t even believe in magic there.”

  “Perhaps the two are not as separate as we think.”

  “Oooh! I like that. It reminds me of a quote I read by Arthur C. Clarke. He believed that, ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ So maybe you’re right— maybe our technology has a few magical elements after all.”

  Lani’s hand went to her heart and she gasped as she saw a sudden movement at her foot. Instinctively, she retracted her feet. A small creature frantically retreated to the nearest tree. Lani laughed as she saw it peek around the corner. It was a squirrel.

  “Do you not have squirrels on Earth?” Jharate asked with a laugh.

  “We have squirrels!” Lani batted his arm playfully. “It just surprised me.”

  The two of them watched as the little scavenger cautiously returned, stole food from Lani’s mostly-finished dinner, and ate in front of them. Returning to the plate whenever it wanted more— it gained more and more confidence.

  “Oh it’s so pretty!” Lani whispered as she saw it better in the firelight.

  It had light golden fur, with perfect flowing swirls of black throughout it— as if a makeup artist had painstakingly painted the loveable little wide-eyed creature for a fantasy film.

  “I’ve never seen one with those markings before.”

  “They are not common.”

  Once Lani’s food was gone, the little creature ran away into the night.

  “Bye adorable little squirrel!” Lani called to it, waving as if it would wave back. Jharate smiled at her before returning to what they had been doing before the furry bandit had arrived.

  “Does this device contain more than one song within it?” Jharate asked.

  “Oh yes,” Lani giggled with a twinkle in her eyes. “It definitely has more than one. There are close to a thousand in this one, but they can hold a lot more.”

  “Astonishing! Would you be so kind as to share more with me? I would be particularly interested to hear another similar to the song you have just shared. I cannot explain to you in what manner it does so— nevertheless, the feeling your song evokes reminds me very much of the songs from my kingdom. And of happier times.”

  “I’d be glad to share more with you!” Lani exclaimed, as she started searching gleefully through her list. “That genre is one of my favorites too! It comes from some of the island peoples of Earth— specifically the Pacific Islanders.

  “I fell in love with their music when I got introduced to it in college by some of my friends who are actually from those islands. Maybe it’s partly because Trisakne has some island roots that it speaks to you? The battery will most likely die within a few hours of use though— the battery is the power source for this device— and then it won’t work anymore.”

  “Then let us make the most of it.”

  Lani lit up as she scrolled through her playlists of all of her favorite songs. They spent the rest of that evening listening to some of the music from the island music groups Hoʻokoa, Fiji, Ekolu, Common Kings, Koaʻuka, Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole and Rebel Souljahz. With This Ring by Kaulana Pakele and Windward Skies by Ten Feet became additional favorites for Jharate as, like the song by Na Drua, they reminded him of his homeland of Trisakne.

  Lani also shared a few of her favorite classic rock ballads and some of the old school music by Louis Armstrong and Sinatra. One of the songs he asked her to play more than once was an instrumental called Labyrinth by Lisa Linsky.

  “The song you call Labyrinth reminds me of the journey to Destavnia that we are currently undertaking— with hope for a better future.”

  “I can totally see that! That song does feel like a journey. I never really thought of it that way before. Of course I really never imagined being lost in a forest and making my way across enemy lines before either.”

  They both laughed. Lani loved that Jharate enjoyed discussing what he liked about the songs with her. That even when she offered to let him have both earpieces to listen, he always handed one of them back to her so that they could listen together.

  It was so different from many of the friends she had on Earth who disconnected once they “plugged in” and didn’t have the desire to share anything— Justin for instance. That boy disappeared the moment technology came within a fifty-foot radius.

  She hated that feeling of being so completely separate when you were supposed to be together. Conversely she loved how unity seemed to be second nature to Jharate, even in such a simple moment.

  The whole night would have been perfect if she could have only known one thing. Did Jharate feel more than friendship towards her, or not? Still, it had been one of the best nights she had ever experienced and she would take it— for now.

  As the days passed, she thrilled as, intermittently, she heard him singing some of the songs she had introduced him to— long after the iPod she had given to him as a gift had lost all of its unusually-long battery life. His voice seemed to cast a spell over her and she could listen to it all day! It left her breathless and yearning for more.

  And his mastery of those new songs was unfathomable! He could hear a song only once, or maybe twice— and then sing it perfectly. After that, he didn’t miss a lyric or a note— and she was blown away by his ability to master even the rap part of any song.

  Furthermore, his rich baritone voice could reach the unimaginably-high notes of the singer, Fiji— in Jowenna and Sweet Darlin’ and other Fiji songs— in a clear and angelic falsetto that left her even more entranced with him. She knew it wasn’t just her opinion either. On Earth, he would have impressed anyone anywhere anytime.

  She beamed when Jharate sang, I Can Be the Guy by Koaʻuka one night by the fire. Again, perfectly handling even some of the more unique and gritty-sounding parts of the melody like it was nothing to do so.

  Another song he loved singing— and that she loved to hear him sing— was I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith. It was the ultimate rock ballad in her opinion and Jharate’s sin
ging it almost made her swoon.

  Music was just one of the things that they shared. Lani and Jharate always arose to watch the sunrise together while they ate breakfast.

  The mornings were usually spent in silence. But there was something transcendental about their relationship that made her love these quiet moments almost as much as their conversations. She felt as if their souls spoke for them when their voices had ceased.

  They also shared a love of nature and would listen to the birds singing, the wind rustling through the trees, and the sound of babbling brooks bubbling by, in preparation for their day. But as the days rolled on, Lani became more and more anxious to know how he was feeling— in no uncertain terms.

  She didn’t want to just feel like maybe he loved her. She wanted to know! More than once she was tempted to say something, but she frequently reminded herself of her commitment to wait until he made the first move.

  Lani also remembered Jenna’s words, “Nothing kills a guy’s interest faster than a DTR session. Let him tell you. If there is a need to determine what the relationship is, maybe there isn’t one— and maybe there won’t be. But DTR-ing him only makes him pull away and makes you feel less than you are.”

  She knew her big sister was right— and that guys felt stronger and deeper emotions for a woman if they could do the pursuing— no matter how much the modern activists from her planet insisted everything to the contrary. Still, it was beyond frustrating to wait!

  Each day, they continued to practice their sword fighting over various terrains. Lani’s favorite training bout with Jharate occurred as they were practicing fighting over uneven and inclined surfaces. All at once her old habit of never counter-attacking kicked into overdrive. She advanced again, and again, and again, forcing Jharate to keep retreating up the steep slope until he reached the edge of a cliff.

  “Jharate, STOP!”

  Jharate stopped. The momentum of his sudden skid backwards pushed some dirt and gravel over the edge. He slowly turned to look back into the empty air behind him and then down below. Lani smiled at him as he turned back to her. She addressed him in a cheerful-but-quite-out-of-breath voice, with her sword still pointed at his chest.

  “Do you surrender?”

  Lani saw a twinkle in Jharate’s eyes and watched a mischievous smile cross his face.

  “Always know your terrain,” he bantered.

  Jharate turned abruptly and took a giant leap off of the cliff. Lani screamed and rushed to the edge to look down. She placed her hand to her heart and took in a deep breath as she saw him land in a large remarkably-clear pool of water, about twenty-five feet below— with a giant splash. As he surfaced, she yelled down to him.

  “You scared me to death!”

  “I have taught you a valuable lesson!” Jharate called back, grinning, as he tread water to remain afloat. “You must never allow an opponent any means of escape. Had I been a spy, you would have lost me and I would now be able to recount all that I had discovered.”

  “Point taken.”

  “Now, you must jump!”

  “Me?” Lani squeaked. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

  “I would never endanger you, Lani.”

  Lani looked down at the water. It seemed so far away. She knew landing wrong would hurt! She could feel her adrenaline spiking and her heart pounding in response. She took a deep breath and jumped off the cliff— screaming as she fell and trying to keep her toes pointed— taking one last breath before she went in.

  Her entrance into the water was so smooth that her eyes flew open in surprise as she plunged deeper into the pool and finally flexed her feet and put her arms out with her palms facing downward to slow her descent. A few colorful fish scattered around her and she thought she saw something large on the bottom, several feet below her. It resembled a brilliant electric-blue lobster. Can lobsters live in fresh water?

  Her musing was interrupted as she realized she was running out of air, and she swam upwards. Surfacing, she smiled as she heard Jharate’s hearty laugh. She laughed in return and followed him as he swam for land.

  One particularly sunny day, Lani and Jharate came to a river in the course of their daily training. It was hot and they had been working hard for hours. Lani looked at the cool clear water. Although trees covered much of the area, the sun was beating down on them and their training was intense.

  She wondered how the cold crystal water would feel against her hot skin. She imagined it washing over her and replacing the glistening sweat with splashes of cool liquid that would return her body to its normal temperature. She looked back at Jharate with eager eyes.

  “Would it be okay if we take a quick break here please?”

  Jharate gave his signature single nod of acknowledgement as the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. He sat down on a nearby boulder and watched her. In an instant she was wading knee-deep into the river.

  She leaned down, cupped her hands, and threw some of the water high above her into the air, letting the droplets fall down on her face and arms like a light summer rain. She laughed happily and looked back at Jharate.

  Her smile suddenly became mischievous and playful as she bent down again and splashed him before he had even noticed what she was doing. Jharate grinned and laughed freely as he ran into the water, splashing her back as he rushed towards her.

  She continued to splash him as she retreated slowly, until Jharate caught up with her. He carefully grabbed her arms to keep her from splashing him further and she laughed again.

  All at once her laughing stopped. She could feel the warmth of his hands on her wrists. The water she had splashed in his face dripped temptingly to the corners of his lips.

  She wondered how they would feel pressed against her own and how they would taste. She looked up into his eyes, unable to look away.

  Jharate looked intently back into her sparkling eyes with a fiery gaze. He let go of one of her arms and gently lifted her chin. Time seemed to stop. Jharate leaned down slowly.

  Lani’s lips burned for his and she was irresistibly drawn forward, unconsciously reaching for his ever-nearing lips— on tip-toe— when her feet slipped on the mossy river rock she was standing on and down she went. Jharate threw his arms around her to try to catch her, but it was too late.

  He twisted his body so that she would land on top of him, to keep her from harm, as they fell into the knee-deep water with a great big splash. Lani laughed nervously as she sat up and avoided eye contact with Jharate.

  “Are you injured, Lani?”

  “Just my pride. You?”

  “I have not been harmed in the slightest, thank you.”

  Lani could have screamed. His lips had been mere inches from hers! Why couldn’t she have been a little more coordinated for a few more minutes? She had been waiting for so long for that moment and in the last two seconds one misstep on one slippery rock had ruined it!

  Jharate stood up and gently helped her to her feet. They walked back to the riverbank and sat down on a nearby rock to dry off. The rock was a semi-flat boulder the size of a large coffee table that had absorbed a bountiful amount of the sun’s heat.

  Lani worked to quickly suppress her frustration. At least he tried to kiss me… That’s a good sign, right? She told herself that their first kiss would come in time and got back to enjoying the day.

  The two of them watched and listened to the river rush by, happily waiting for all the water to evaporate from their clothing. As they sat there together, his hand barely touched hers. She held very still to ensure that this moment lasted.

  The days quickly turned to nights, one blurring into the other— each day beginning seemingly before the last one had ended— as the six friends worked hard to learn how to use their various weapons and care for the camp. The arduous duties became routine as they constantly helped to build fires, cook food, gather wood, clean up, and wash clothes in the streams— along with everything else that was required.

  One of the hardest tasks was filling the small
water tanks for the makeshift showers— but it did serve to help build up both muscles and calluses. The tanks were made of animal skins so that they could be rolled up and easily transported when not in use.

  Hanging full tanks in nearby trees allowed gravity to bring the water into the folding canvas shower enclosures, which also doubled as stretcher-like devices to carry supplies from camp to camp.

  One pull of the rope attached to the bottom of each tank would open the spring-loaded caps so that the water could sprinkle through the multiple tiny holes that the caps covered. Releasing the rope automatically closed them again.

  There were two choices for carrying water— single buckets, or wooden yokes with double-sized buckets. The choice was made by the trainers. They made their decision based on what they felt their apprentices needed— unless an apprentice had complained or underperformed. In that case, the needs of the attitude outweighed the needs of the body.

  Justin had been shocked by the level of priority placed on hygiene. Jharate had been equally shocked that Justin would not want to bathe as often as possible— simply because it was inconvenient. Jharate even managed to shave his face every day, with only a straight razor to complete the task.

  The camp moved forward every three days or so. This was necessary in order to have time for training as well as for proper rest. The woods were so thick that it was hard to make a great deal of progress in a day, especially since they had the contents of an entire camp to maneuver through it. After a month or so of this, they finally neared the edge of the forest in Kelamosa and travel became somewhat easier as the trees thinned out slightly.

  On this particular late afternoon, they came to a clearing that was large enough for the entire party to be able to camp together— for the first time since entering these woods. As it would not be long before the sun would set anyway, they cheerfully made use of the space and quickly set up their camp.

  There was something about this simple pleasure that set everyone abuzz. There were more smiles, more happy chats, and more kind words between them than there had been in the entirety of the past three or four or five weeks or so. The atmosphere held within it a feeling of hope and joy for a coming success that was discernable by all.