After a relatively short night but still allowing them to find some strength, Moana and her friends had now a new goal: to reach the nearest coast of the island. For this, the natives gave the small group two of their canoes and showed them the surest way to follow on the riverbed to avoid the biggest creatures that lived hidden in the water.
Tim and Flynn were busy putting down the bags of provisions given by the tribe in the dugouts. Moana, Rapunzel and Maui joined them on the small wooden pontoon bordering the big river still asleep. A shy sun had risen a few hours ago and already, echoes of the first creatures of the island were heard in the forests and mountains around. The island was waking up again.
The natives had all come back, again silent and serious, and regarded the departure of the little group with a neutral air. Before leaving, Maui turned to them, split between the joy of leaving and leaving this island, but also sad to have to leave those people who had been so good to him and had taken care of him. Standing before the leader of the natives, an old man with faces wrinkled with wrinkles and symbols, Maui bowed respectfully before him, and the latter did the same. Moana and the others watched in silence, but also thanked the tribe for helping them.
_ "I probably could never repay the debt I owe you, but ..... know that I'll never forget you ...." Maui said, with a twinge in her heart. The natives said nothing or expressed nothing, as they usually do, but Maui knew they were also touched by those words as they nodded slowly. From one of the canoes, Rapunzel was sitting, making a sketch of this tearing goodbye on a piece of paper.
Once the farewells were done, the two canoes slowly left the river, beginning their new journey across the island, under the eyes of the tribe, who for one last goodbye, raised all their hands in unison towards the group. Moana and her friends saw them and also gave a last goodbye to this lost and forgotten people.
For most of the day the two canoes sailed the calm, gray waters of the great river that seemed to cross the whole island, amidst the great mountains and huge trees like cages of wood and greenery. While paddling, the group could contemplate the life that blossomed around them. Flocks of strange creatures, like deer-toothed hinds, giant buffaloes, or other strange herbivores, came peacefully to the river, watching the two canoes with curiosity, but nothing more. Flocks of birds of a thousand colors flew up into the sky in a concert of squeals. Although being a hell, this island still offered unparalleled beauty.
Flynn, Rapunzel and Tim were on the first canoe, Flynn and Tim holding the oars while the princess, marveling at what she saw around her, was trying to make other drawings of the creatures she saw. On the second canoe, Moana and Maui were rowing in rhythm, this situation bringing them back to some memories.
_ "So what will we do when we get to the coast?" Moana asked.
_ "We will try to build a large raft so we can leave the island, and with all the wrecks on this island, it should not be too difficult to find materials."
It seemed like a good plan, but Motunui's young woman could see that her friend seemed worried, even though he was trying to hide it.
_ "Maui? What's wrong?"
Taken by the fact, the demigod did not try to hide it any more, and sighed heavily, gloomily.
_ "What worries me is that one of those monsters, the skull crawlers, swallowed my hook. I tried to defend myself, but they were too many...."
Moana now understood what was upsetting her friend. One of these demons was in possession of the magic hook. Without him, Maui could no longer use his powers. She put her hand on Maui's shoulder, smiling at him determinedly.
_ "We'll get it back, I promise you."
Maui smiled too, and nodded forcefully.
Towards the end of the day, as the new twilight was born in the sky, the group decided to stop for the night, on a small secluded and deserted bank, sheltered by a grove of tall trees at the foot of a big cliff. According to Maui, at this rate, they would reach the coast tomorrow at the end of the morning. But after a whole day rowing, they needed rest.
After attaching the canoes to the water's edge, Moana and the others gathered on the small gray sandbank. Flynn and Tim, working in good duo, started to assemble a pile of wood to make a fire. Rapunzel, though tired, wanted to help them and filled the water bottles with water.
Moana, as a sentinel, watched the surroundings, armed with her rudimentary spear. But for a few moments, the young woman had taken a strange presentiment, feeling attracted by something behind the trees and leading to the cliff's heights. Without understanding how or why, she felt the urge to see what it was.
_ "Friends ....." she said, turning to them "... I ... I'm coming back .... I have to go see something ...."
_ "What? But see what?" Tim asked, raising an eyebrow, wary, like the others. But they had no answer, Moana starting to move away by removing the first giant ferns in its path.
_ "Moana, wait, I'm coming with you!" said Maui, running up behind her, and motioning for the others to wait for them here. Flynn, Rapunzel, and Tim remained without understanding, seeing their two friends disappear into the depths of the vegetation. Flynn shrugged and picked up the pile again.
_ "What's wrong with Moana? Maybe we should go with them." Rapunzel worried, sitting on a small rock.
_ "She is with Maui, a demigod ... nothing can happen to her." Flynn reassured her with conviction as he laid the wood on the ground. Rapunzel smiled a little, but suddenly a thud caught their attention, and a moan from Tim. Turning, they saw with dread, Tim, lying unconscious on the sand, having received a stone on the head.
_"What....?" said Flynn, who did not have time to finish his sentence as he received a violent blow to the head from behind with a rifle butt. Seeing this, horrified, Rapunzel wanted to scream for help, but was immediately seized. A man held her firmly, locking her arms behind her back and putting her hand firmly on the princess's mouth, preventing her from screaming. Rapunzel, eyes wide with fear, and moaning under the hand of her captor, saw then a group of men whom she recognized standing in front of her, appeared from the thickets. Wagner's sailors!! They were all shabby, dirty, clothes ragged, and looked crazy, dark.
_ "Well, well, look who we find, the guys ... the princess, the prince and the little moss ...." said one of the sailors, under the serious laughter of his comrades. "The captain is going to be happy ...... let's take them."
The men obeyed and grabbed Tim and Flynn, dragging them with them, while Rapunzel moaned and struggled with all his might, while being dragged away.
_ "Keep quiet, little bitch!" shouted the sailor who held her firmly. She managed to bite him in the hand, making him let go on her mouth.
_ "Hel ...." she wanted to scream, but immediately another sailor arrived, putting a white handkerchief over her mouth. Rapunzel, defenseless, felt a strong smell in her nose and mouth, and little by little, her eyesight and her senses became blurry ..... she was sleepy ..... very sleepy ..... Sinking into unconsciousness because of chloroform, Rapunzel was transported more easily by the sailor, who followed the others, disappearing into the darkness of the forest with their prisoners.
************
Unaware of the situation of their friends, Moana and Maui had climbed for long minutes the steep walls of the black cliff at the top of which the young woman wanted to go. With Maui, the ascent was easier, the demigod being used.
Once at the top, they were both on a flat and high space, almost overlooking the island. Night had fallen, however, plunging the island back into the darkness, and moreover, a mantle of mist had risen, blocking the view.
_ "Moana, can you tell me what we're doing here?" he asked, but the young woman did not answer, looking too busy with something. She stared straight ahead, focused, and listened around her. That mysterious voice that told her to come here ... she was sure ... it was Te Fiti .....
But as she advanced and stood a few feet from the edge of the cliff, she and Maui froze ..... tremors and muffled footsteps were heard, slowly approaching their position. .... Holding by the hands, Moana and Maui stayed where they are, and with their round and amazed eyes, looked straight ahead ..... emerging from the mist like a ghost, Kong was there, dominating them his stature, the head and the top of his torso exceeding the height of the cliff. The great ape stopped right in front of the cliff, breathing heavily and uttering deep grunts. His eyes locked on Moana and Maui, who made no move.
Once again, he stood there, the great king of this island. His face covered with scars, his firm eyes and powerful crushing mortals by a simple look ....
Once again, the eyes of Moana and Kong met, and they stood there, staring at each other for long minutes, none of which could act .... Maui witnessed this, with astonishment. It was as if the souls of Moana and Kong had come into connection with their eyes and they were talking to each other without opening their mouths. The Ocean's Chosen One and the King of Skull Island, two forces of the nature that everything could oppose, were now face to face, linked to each other .... a meeting of the most supernatural, thought the demigod .... he knew now, as they probably had to guess too ... a common destiny bound them....
After looking, Moana, though hesitant at first and slightly trembling, stepped forward a few steps, without a sudden gesture, to Kong, who still looked at her and did nothing. Moana was now on the edge of the cliff, the big face of the monkey being barely a yard away from her. She could feel the big warm breaths coming from her nostrils. Gently, the young woman reached out her hand and with her palm came to touch Kong's nose, which let her do it. Maui was speechless. Moana, she, felt the skin of this great king under her palm, and felt her fear fade away, giving way to a joy like no other. A tear of joy ran down her cheek and a smile appeared on her lips. She was not afraid of him anymore. She knew that he would never hurt her. Kong, in turn, raised one of his enormous hands, and with great delicacy, touched with the fingertip, the wavy hair of Moana, who let him do it. He could easily crush her with just one of his fingers like an insect, but she knew he would not do it.
After this physical contact, Moana gently removed her hand and took a few steps back to Maui, who joined her. Kong continued to watch them without doing anything.
But suddenly, an explosion was triggered not far, in a deforested part of the island at the edge of the river. A column of flames and smoke rose in the air. Moana and Maui were surprised, contemplating what had happened with concern, and saw Kong, scowling, also turn to the explosion and the flames, and uttering a fierce roar that echoed throughout the island . Moana said nothing, but deep inside her, she suspected who was responsible for that. Furious at the noise and what he saw as a new aggression on his territory, Kong began to move away in the direction of the flames, disappearing into the mist.
_ "Wagner ...." Moana sighed, clenching her fists.
_ "Come, we must join the others, now!" Maui warned, grabbing her by the wrist to take her with him without delay.