A Short Story on the Website of |
Polynesian Dueling
Kites
At last they are free from the ground
sailing through the air like giant birds of prey. Their clothing snaps on their
bodies like sails on boats sprinting before a typhoon trying to reach a safe
harbor. The two young men are roasted brown in color, strong of sinew, and eyes
like eagles with a single metal claw attached to a bamboo fishing pole clenched
in their white-knuckled hands. They stand on blocks attached to lower poles of
their three stick fighting kites, their waists tied to the crossing point of
the three poles of their airborne chargers. Each young man is carried into the
air higher and higher trying to gain the advantage of height over his opponent.
The brothers of the two men race down
the beach into the wind guiding the ropes attached to their brothers’ kites as
the combatants soar into the morning sky. The young maiden, the object of this
battle, faces the water, high on a cliff overlooking the battleground, guarded
by her father and uncles. Her blue black hair glows in the early morning light
as she stands statuesque in her pose as she awaits her future. Atea, named for the God of Light, and
Tanaoa, named for the Lord of Darkness in Marquesas Island mythology, are
reliving their history. Tanaoa wants to change the ending of their
grandfather’s story where the God of Light conquers the Lord of Darkness. The racing men have reached the end of
the beach and their ropes. The two young men drive their charging steeds of the
air towards each other. Each young man tries to reach the others kite with his
claw of flashing metal. The law allow a combatant to shred his
opponents kite with his claw, but he must not sever the guide rope or tear the
pilot’s body. If one antagonist does either, his brothers holding the life line
must let go of the rope and allow the gods to determine the pilot’s fate. As Tanaoa has gained the greater height,
he has the advantage of greater diving speed. Atea must wait and try to
maneuver, blocking his opponent’s first strike. Guiding the raven-black diving kite by
the bridle reins, Tanaoa strikes out with his extended claw reaching Atea’s
kite’s upper wing area with a telling ragged ripping rake, slicing a long tear
in the almost blinding white skin of Atea’s kite. Atea strikes back, unable to
deflect Tanaoa’s blow effectively. He is able to inflect only minor damage to
Tanaoa’s kite, as Tanaoa and his brothers try to regain the upper hand again.
The gods lift Atea’s kite into their heights and maneuver him into position for
a screaming dive towards Tanaoa’s struggling kite. Atea reaches out and begins
to tear at the black-winged, manned eagle while Tanaoa, partially blinded by
the sun, strikes back, but to no avail. With his kite in shreds, Tanaoa
plummets to the earth. |
Site Map
HOME
ShortStories
Essays
Poems
Websites
Meetings
Comments
ContactUs
Members