Lu Fasiaitu, the God Slayer

Chapter 1

The ocean spray exploded into a shower of warm, salty rain on Lu’s face as boisterous waves collided with the Alia’s bow. The large ocean sailing double hulled canoe was an impressive sight as it cut through the waves effortlessly under the skilled guidance of Lu’s steady grip of the steering paddle. This 100 foot vessel moved through the water like a dolphin, efficient and fast, as if it were skimming on top of the waves.

Lu smiled as he watched the mountainous eastern coast of the island of Upolu rise and sink on the horizon with the rolling waves as they made good speed returning home. He was anxious to set foot on land after almost 7 months at sea on an extended folauga. A folauga is a voyage of discovery taken by only the most skilled navigators who inhabited the island kingdoms that populated the Ocean Empire of Tagaloa, God of the Kanaka, the mighty warrior race who had settled the Great Ocean, (the Pacific Ocean) known to them as the Vasa Loaloa.

Lu had been on many such voyages which had discovered lands that were both inhabited and uninhabited throughout the Vasa Loaloa. His grandfather Maui, had been the master navigator when the Kanaka had discovered the Land of the Long White Cloud, Aotearoa. He still recalled the stories his grandfather told of that voyage. Lu was blessed with a lineage of Navigators on both his father and mother’s side.

When he was of age he had joined his father on the annual Folauga. Lu’s father had taken a fleet that sailed North past any prior voyager’s exploration and they discovered Savaii or as it was now called Havaii. Nearly all major land discoveries were named after the islands where the discovering Tautai or Navigator came from. In that case the island they discovered was named after Savaii, the big island where Lu’s Father was from.

Lu could still recall how they were at sea for longer than any other voyage without seeing land, but his father had pushed forward following his instincts and knowledge of the sea, which he believed indicated there was land awaiting their arrival in this area of ocean expanse, which was not familiar to them. He recalled the moment their anticipation was rewarded, the exhilaration the crew felt when they finally saw the low lying clouds on the distant horizon that confirmed what they had hoped for from all the signs, that land was near. This was a great discovery, rivaling the discovery of Aotearoa as it was a large island and there were other large islands that were in the same vicinity that had adequate supplies of fresh water, all the familiar food bearing trees and plants as well as well stocked lagoons with abundant varieties of fish. This island chain could support more people from the South. They explored the different islands in that chain for 3 months before returning home.

These voyages usually included Alias from other island Kingdoms such as Tonga, Tahiti, and Fiji, creating a fleet that provided both security and protection in case of emergency. However, once the Folauga was complete these companion explorers returned home with news of any major discovery they had made and then voyages of occupation from all over the Empire took off as those seeking a new land set off into the Vasa Loaloa to stake their claim. After Havaii was discovered there was a rush of Alia expeditions from all over the empire including some from Upolu to settle Havaii and the accompanying islands.

The loud screeching of sea birds circling above the two masts of the Alia brought Lu’s attention back to the present. Each Pe’a or woven fine mat Sail was full as the north easterly winds blew briskly with the rising morning sun powering Lu’s fleet of Alias toward their final destination, the bay of Fagaloa, Lu’s home.