“Listen, I understand. You don’t need to tell me,” she said quietly. Iyesha continued, “So now, I don’t think that this island is safe anymore. They found it once, and they will be able to find it again. It’s just a matter of time before the cloaking shield and tracking interceptor shuts down. Don’t get your hopes up too high. You may find yourself disappointed, just like me.” For a moment, Sam and Alana actually felt bad for Iyesha. She seemed to be quite upset at the moment, and her words were worrying them. Alana didn’t want to hear what Iyesha was saying, didn’t want to believe it, and didn’t understand what she meant. “OK,” said Alana. “We are both really confused. We don’t understand what is going on, and we probably never will. You need to help us. If we want to make things right, we first need to understand what went wrong.” Iyesha dried her tears and walked over to the small table that sat in the middle of the room. She called them all over and began speaking rapidly.
“You both are our only chance, to get out of here, to save our kind. You don’t know my story. My brothers and I were sent here, to get properly trained, to start our lives as Transmalians. Unfortunately, the WAR force found us and for months nobody could figure out how. I have a theory as to how, though. My parents must have led them here. Before we left, my parents didn’t seem like themselves. There was a sense of darkness about them, something that I couldn’t quite notice at the time. My parents were brainwashed and forced to betray us and join the WAR force. They had some knowledge of where the Adventure Island was, and must have been the ones to break in here. They destroyed the shield between this island and the rest of the world. On a normal map or GPS, you can’t locate this island, and you can’t spot it from an airplane, helicopter, or boat, all because of the protective shield. Only if you are one of us, can you find the island. My parents were somehow able to locate the island once again. They took my brothers with them. They and the rest of the WAR force destroyed most parts of the island, until they were driven out by the island guards and had to retreat. The guards had to rebuild the cloaking shield using unicorn horn dust. So many of our unicorn Transmalians are retired, since they had to donate their horns.”
Iyesha paused for a minute to catch her breath, and then began talking again. “The workers spent the last few years rebuilding the island, and we were sent back to the Nightfire School. Since both of you needed to come here, we were allowed to come along. Thanks to you, we got the chance to come back again. This time, we won’t let it happen. You guys are here, and you are currently the two rarest Transmalians in the world, so you are valuable. If the WAR force gets you, we could be in great trouble. But anyways, you both have to work extremely hard here, and you have to help us. There are so many things you don’t know, and don’t understand, but you know enough to just believe that you can make a difference.”
Alana was overwhelmed and became very emotional. “We will certainly help you. Besides, we have our parents to save too.” Sam agreed as well. Iyesha seemed extremely happy. “This island used to be wonderful once, and I found it so interesting. Just because my experience was ruined, I don’t want yours to be ruined. Do you guys want to go on a tour? I’ll be your guide. I know this area like the back of my hand,” she said warmly. Alana smiled and said, “Of course. We’d love to.”
Iyesha proceeded to give them a tour of the island. Alana felt alive with curiosity and wonder. All her excitement was revived. The island was magnificent. Alana felt privileged to be living on a secluded island, surrounded by green waters, and with natives who had extraordinary talents and powers. She participated in waterfall jumping, zip lining, and flying trapeze, which she thought were enjoyable and energizing. Alana was amazed by the endless amenities on the island.
Iyesha took them to visit different places of interest that day. There was only one mall on the island. Sam and Alana had not brought many of their belongings with them, and had to go to the mall. Unlike other malls, this mall did not require money for purchases. Each time a purchase was made, the store clerk stamped the customer’s arms with a red line. The mall sold all sorts of devices such as hover crafts, teleportation systems, mini laser watches, books with smoke bombs hidden in them, and other fascinating gadgets. Sam, Alana, Iyesha, and Avery spent quite a while browsing the mall and picking out the items they needed.
Once the shopping was done, the four decided to go to a nearby restaurant. Sam and Alana were still not clear as to when their formal training would begin. Iyesha and Avery assured them that they would understand everything the next day. The restaurant they went to, The Island Mamba, was a peculiar one. All of the entrees were served in coconut shells, and the drinks were served in pineapple shells. The seats were made of straw and bamboo, and the tables were made of rock. Sam found the restaurant rustic and unique, while Alana thought it was a nice reflection of what life on the island was like. The food served in the restaurant was unlike any other Sam and Alana had tried. The two children were unaware of the kinds of food being served, but Iyesha and Avery seemed familiar with all the foods native to the island.
After a nice, quiet dinner at the restaurant, the four children walked back to their cottages. The sun was setting and it would be dark soon. When Sam and Alana got to their cottage, they dropped their bags and ran to the window. The island was a dark blur of land with small specks of light sparkling like fireflies. As it darkened, the island looked like it was on fire with sparkling embers shining all around it. The sea lit up, glittering green against the ink black sky. Sam and Alana stared at the beautiful view, marveling at the wonders of this hidden island.
Sam and Alana were feeling tired and decided to retire for the night early. Sam was the first to crawl into bed but lay awake thinking. Alana sat near the window, pondering their situation. She missed her parents dearly, but was excited to be living on the island for a few days. It had officially been a week since their parents had been taken. They both couldn’t believe that they didn’t have a grand celebration for their birthdays like they usually did. Instead, they were at the Nightfire School, training and learning to the best of their abilities.
However, they did not wish to dwell on this topic. There were a few questions that Sam puzzled over. “Why was the Nightfire School created if the Adventure Island was already in place to train the Transmalians? Why did the Nightfire School not have as many defenses as the island did? How were they going to be trained at the Adventure Island?” Sam knew that soon he would find the answers to his questions; it was just a matter of time. He was just about to drift off to sleep when he remembered Max. What had happened to Max? he thought. Hopefully, Max would be on his way to the island soon. Sam crossed his fingers, then closed his eyes.
Alana began to feel drowsy as well, and slowly drifted into a deep slumber. Their arrival at the island was pleasant, and all bad thoughts were banished from their minds. Finally, as drops of daylight stretched across the sky, the sun rose, and with it, Sam and Alana. The sky looked like freshly spun cotton candy, and this beautiful sight signaled of the start of a good day. The two children had enjoyed a night of peaceful sleep. It was a good thing that they rose early because they had to unload their shopping bags and tidy their cottage. After an hour of cleaning, everything was in its place and well organized.
Sam and Alana were pleased with the progress they had made so far, and were planning to get ready for the day leisurely. But much to their surprise Iyesha and Avery stopped by their cottage, informing them that breakfast would be in fifteen minutes. So, the two had to rush to make it in time for their meal. Iyesha and Avery were kind enough to wait for them, as they scrambled to get ready. Once they were finished, they all walked down to the breakfast house. The breakfast area was next to a small row of cottages and the Hungry Bear, another restaurant. The breakfast house was a gigantic, white marble building with ten black columns supporting the structure in the front. The rest of the building was supported by rectangular slabs of cream marble.
The back part of the building had an open roof, with
a small gray screen that could be pulled over it. The landscape around the building was perfection. Beds of light pink flowers sat equidistant from each other, and the lush and finely manicured lawn stretched around it. Iyesha and Avery led Sam and Alana to the back of the building, where they saw an appealing buffet.
A long, ornate white table was standing in the middle of a dark, green field of moss. Around the table sat lacey, white thrones, with golden studded legs. The table was embellished with a silk, white cloth, and small vases of assorted flowers. Silver platters were laid out across the table. The platters contained items such as toast, pastries, varieties of fruit, beverages, yogurt, and assorted breads. Toward the end of the table were a number of strange-looking foods. Sam, Alana, Iyesha, and Avery took a seat at the end of the table. Sam thought it would be better to follow Iyesha and Avery, since they had eaten there before. Alana thought it would be better to eat foods that they were already familiar with, but decided to follow the group anyway.
Avery seemed thrilled as soon as she sat down at the table, but Sam and Alana seemed doubtful. Avery began piling up food on her plate and began taking large bites. When she noticed that everyone was staring at her with disgust, she looked up and asked, “Why aren’t you guys eating?” Sam, Alana, and Iyesha had no choice but to laugh, because Avery’s face was covered with colored frosting. She looked puzzled, but started explaining to them about the foods and the ingredients used to make them.
After talking to Avery, they found out that the foods were all traditional Transmalian breakfast items, and were made out of rare ingredients that were easily digested by both humans and animals. Sam and Alana decided to give the foods a try and took one of each. The first one they tried was a red pastry that looked like a bagel, but was square shaped. It tasted like a mix of pepper and noodles.
Avery informed them that it was a dragon fire pastry, made from the ashes of a volcano and shredded dragon scales. This breakfast item was specially made as a nutrient supplement for dragon Transmalians. The next pastry they tried was a triangular-shaped white cake. It was filled with golden cream on the inside and tasted like a mix of ice cream and cookies. This was a unicorn pastry and was made from goat cheese and powdered unicorn hair. Sam and Alana continued trying various foods that were unique to certain Transmalians, each with a different flavor and texture. The flavors were wild and original.
Sam and Alana had a great time trying different items and experiencing what meals were like on the island. Later, they departed for the main hall, which was a little farther down the road from the breakfast house. The main hall was a cavernous building, mainly decorated with light and dark brown bricks. Around the building were miniature trees, the size of a bush, with unusual fruits nestled among the leaves. The fruits were squash shaped and a pearly white in color.
In fascination, Alana bounded toward the small trees, which began to tremble ever so delicately. Alana reached out a hand, and as the tip of her finger brushed the edge of a leaf, the leaf turned brown, and the color slowly spread throughout the tree. The life was drained out of the small tree, and it wilted, crumbling to bits on the ground. Iyesha gave her a mean look, whispering, “Those are unicorn trees, which, when touched by anyone, die. They are extremely valuable, and their fruits revive injured animals.”
Alana stepped back in shock. When she looked up her attention was directed to a lady who was standing in front of the main hall. She introduced herself as the head coach. She grouped the kids based on their category. Alana took her place next to the unicorn Transmalian beginners, and Sam took his place with the dragon Transmalians. They parted ways, as did Iyesha and Avery, running to their separate groups. As usual, Sam was the only one in his category, as was Alana. She did recall that all the unicorn Transmalians were retired and so she felt unique and special, like some endangered species.
The groups were taken to different parts of the island for training. Alana, being the only one in her group, was led to one of the green pools. She was basically receiving private instruction, and was pleased with this thought. She met her private coach, Coach Penny, at the green pool. Coach Penny was a chubby, round lady, with two dimples, red hair, and thick arched eyebrows. Coach Penny gave her a powdery, white tablet, and ordered her to swallow it. Alana held the miniscule tablet in her hand, and then popped it into her mouth. As soon as the tablet touched her lips, sweetness burst all over her tongue, slowly spreading through her body. It ran through her veins, flowing to her heart.
Her body felt numb, and chills ran down her spine. She began to shiver, and her skin turned snow white. Her legs began to shrink in size, and small hoofs appeared where her feet should have been. Alana felt a tingling sensation take over her body, and she felt light and airy. Her hair became wispy, and her dark brown hair turned golden. A green horn shot out of her head. Its texture was smooth, like ivory.
Her back was wet and feathery, and she felt as if she were sitting on a cloud. Scents shot in from all around her. The pool smelled fresh, tangy, and interesting. Without any instruction, Alana dove straight into the pool, immersed in sticky, green liquid. Her lungs inflated, and she was able to breathe less often. She propelled herself through the pool, which almost felt solid. In fact, the pool tasted like liquid marshmallow. Alana dove deeper into the pool, and was surprised that she could see what was around her. The color of the pool was darker, and denser. Alana swam back toward the solid surface and pushed herself out of the pool. She miraculously flew upwards, spiraling like a bullet. Then, she descended down slowly, and her hoofs touched the ground softly.
Coach Penny marched over to her and clapped her on the back proudly. “Well done,” she said. “You have passed the first section of the test. The tablet I gave you enhanced your power and enabled you to assume your Transmalian form. You demonstrated your maneuvering abilities as a unicorn. The water you were swimming through is a combination of unicorn sweat and monkey hair, one of the toughest substances. Now, for the second part of your test, you must go to the rapids. It is a crucial part of your training, and will aid in your unicorn development. After the test we will discuss the results.”
Coach Penny led her up the mountain range and to the fierce rapids that flowed in between. Alana was placed at station number two, a rocky, rectangular-shaped cave that was dangling above the rapids. She was not quite sure what to do, and fear began to fill her. Coach Penny gave her another powdery, white tablet, which she swallowed hesitantly. This time, Alana felt energized and stronger, with more power flowing through her veins. As soon as she had morphed into her Transmalian form, a rubber coil was saddled around her waist. She stared in front of her, feeling scared but stimulated. The station she was sitting in resembled a photo booth.
Two slabs of wood separated her from the next station, and a pulley system, with a seat attached on the opposite side, held her in place. A rubber coil squeezed her like a seat belt. She noticed that the pulley system was built using a medium-sized gear and a thick bungee cord. As she finished looking around, a whistle was blown and the water in the river began flowing more intensely. A red tube was bobbing up and down in the river, and it began drawing closer to Alana’s station. Within seconds, the red tube was a few feet away from her station. “Aim for the tube!” Coach Penny yelled. “Navigate the course using it, and grab the checkered flag!”
As the tube bobbed closer, the gear in Alana’s seat began to loosen. The rubber coil’s grip on Alana’s waist began to ease. Suddenly, the gear started turning incredibly fast, and the bungee cord on the opposite side of her seat was pulled backward, like a slingshot. Alana was launched into the air, and only had a few moments to process the event. She looked down at her hoofs and made her decision. She spread her feathery wings and soared into the sky, pushing herself higher and higher. Looking down below, she saw the red tube being tossed unsteadily through the rapids. She positioned herself headfirst and dove through the air, straight toward the tube. She gracefully spun from side to side, like a kite. When she saw her target,
she aimed, and landed carefully on the soft base of the tube.
Sitting inside the tube was much like whitewater rafting. Alana maneuvered herself around multiple rocks and steered herself out of the way of whirlpools. Red flags would appear every few feet, and Alana would reach up and touch them, signifying that she had passed each checkpoint. She quite enjoyed the ride, savoring the smell of the fresh mountain air combined with the cool, brisk feeling of the water. Ever so often, the rapids would spin the tube around, and Alana would get drenched in water. Her feathery wings protected her from most of it, but other times she would just get drenched. The end of the course was approaching, as a checkered flag waved not too far in the distance. Alana could taste the victory in her mouth, and all she had to do was grab the checkered flag.
As she thought she had neared the end of her test, she saw a colossal rock right in her path and the tiny raft surely would not survive. Alana began back paddling in the water, hoping to create a vacuum. Unfortunately, in her Transmalian form, she was unable to paddle as well as she usually would. The tube picked up speed and zoomed right over the rock, skimming it slightly. Alana was relieved, but fearful once again. The water began sloping downward into a waterfall. She held onto the tube tightly, and lay on her belly, in sledding position. The waterfall drew nearer and nearer, and Alana was less sure of her plan.
At the last minute, she began to flutter her wings and flew off the edge of the waterfall. Water spewed from each side, spraying her lightly with mist. She flew cautiously, holding onto the tube as she did so. The experience was nothing she had ever known before. It was a blend of hang gliding and water tubing. Alana sloped downward with the waterfall, planning to land at the bottom. She tilted to the side, smiling as the wind blew through her hair and ruffled her feathers.
The Transmalians Page 8