The Four Kings

The small seaplane rattled and groaned as it boldly pierced the sun-soaked tropical sky. Beyond the cabin's windows, the world seemed inviting and carefree, seemingly unaware of what was unfolding within the aircraft. The air hung heavy with humidity, and the feeble air conditioner did little to alleviate the discomfort. The pungent odor of the aged leather seats lingered in the air, steadily intensifying Ann's queasiness. She rested her head against the headrest, her neck awkwardly stretched in uncomfortable position, and frantically fanned herself with an old magazine. The back of her T-shirt was already drenched in sweat.

Ann glanced up at the moldy ceiling and the exposed, rusted beam, pondering how she had ended up entangled in this madness. It was a wonder to her how this contraption managed to stay airborne instead of rusting away in some long-forgotten junkyard. No surprise they were the sole passengers, as others wouldn't be crazy enough to embark on an ocean-crossing journey in this old junk. Her attention shifted briefly to their teacher, Dave, who sat hunched in his seat, engrossed in playing games on his phone."

Dave was the kind of man who could make you pause in your tracks if you encountered him on the street. His pale, almost translucent complexion complemented his silver crew-cut, which seemed to subtly gleam with a magenta hue in the sunlight. His deep blue eyes and graceful movements gave him a magnetic presence, turning heads wherever he went. His playful smile had the ability to light up any room, and he had young girls captivated by his charm.

She had a slight crush on him when they first met, but time had chipped away at the glittering facade of his character. After all they had experienced together, there was unanimous agreement on one matter: Dave was a reckless daredevil trapped in a man's body. Often, his actions bordered on sheer madness, landing them in trouble. It should have been the reverse, with the teacher guiding his students, much like Oogway in Kung Fu Panda mentoring Po. However, they found themselves more often scrambling to mitigate the fallout when Dave did something unexpected, and they invariably got pulled into the chaos.

Sensing Ann's gaze, Dave looked up from his phone, grinned, winked at her, and gave her a thumbs up, saying, "Don't worry, I've got everything under control." Jack, her classmate mumbled with a mouthful of melon bun, " You're the one who got us into trouble in the first place." He gestured toward Dave's phone and continued, "You're not supposed to use your phone while the plane is in the air. Don't get us into another mess" Dave rolled his eye, "Come on, Jack. Look at this ancient junk. I doubt there's anything electronic for the phone signal to interfere with." While they were arguing, the seaplane seemed to struggle to stay aloft as it descended to a much lower altitude. It wasn't just rattling; it was shaking more violently than before. Ann fought the urge to vomit as she clutched a paper bag close to her chest, cold sweat dripping from her forehead. Her eyes widened when she saw the captain guzzling from a massive liquor bottle, the kind you'd expect to see in the midst of a wild, raucous celebration. He even nonchalantly passed it to the co-pilot, as if they were sharing a drink at a bar.

Below them, the Four Kings archipelago came into view—an awe-inspiring sight of islands comprised of towering karst formations rising dramatically from the sea. They appeared like colossal shards of green glass with hidden lagoons nestled between them. "There it is... the Four Kings archipelago," Toji exclaimed excitedly, gazing out of the plane window. He was an imposing figure at eighteen years old. His shoulder length black hair, which he tied into a ponytail, swayed slightly as the plane shook. He was tall, almost reaching the ceiling, and his muscular frame and broad shoulders seemed to dwarf the seat. Toji glanced back at Ann over his shoulder, smirking as he sipped from a can of coffee. "Yo.. Ann, why do you look so pale? Relax a little, look outside, it's beautiful."

Ann answered through gritted teeth. "I think the captain is drunk. I don't know what possessed us to agree with Dave's crazy idea in the first place."

"Nonsense! Ye scallywags! I be sober enough to fly this baby. This tiny amount o' grog ain't gonna make me drunk. It's just me fourth bottle this mornin," The captain hollered, his voice thick with a drunken accent.

The plane suddenly lurched downward, sending Jack, who had neglected to fasten his seatbelt, hurtling forward to collide headfirst with a seat in front of him. Ann yelled, her hand gripping the armrest as if her life depended on it. 'You drunk ! You're gonna get us all killed!'

The cabin was in chaos, with items scattered everywhere as the seaplane continued its turbulent descent. Toji's hand slipped, and he ended up drenched in coffee. The captain spoke with unwavering confidence, "Ain't no way…we be goin' down. I've flown this baby all me life; she's never let me down. Just sit tight and have a little faith. She be old but sturdy…can fly right through a hurricane."

Ann couldn't find it in herself to believe the captain's words, not even for a moment. As the plane descended at an alarmingly rapid rate, she desperately prayed to whatever higher power might be listening. The plane hit the water with a bone-rattling jolt and swerved violently, finally coming to a halt as it scraped against the sandy beach.

"We made it…herherherher..,"said the captain, grinning widely as he took another swig from his bottle. Dave, their ever-confident teacher, got up from his seat, smiling brightly. "See, everything is fine."