Around the same time, Avery and Sam had just finished crawling through the tunnel and made their way into a dark, musty room. Torches on the side of the wall suddenly lit up, and the two children came face to face with a bearded old man dressed in a red robe. “What brings you here?” he asked politely. Avery and Sam quickly blurted out their orders and the upcoming war that would take place at the Adventure Island. The man was about to reply, but the ceiling began to shake, rocks crumbling down to the ground. “They must be here!” he yelled in fright. “The WAR force is here for us! You must go to the teleportation chamber. Follow me!” The man bowed briefly and escorted them to the teleportation chamber.
All five children arrived back at the island, ready for a long break. Instead, they were in for an unpleasant surprise. At first, Mr. Holt greeted them in a jovial manner, congratulating them on their successful mission and thanking them profusely for their help. He paused for a second, then rushed out of the room. He arrived again, surrounded by the rest of his coworkers. He and his coworkers led the five children to the outskirts of the island, in front of the wide, iron gate. Mr. Holt began whispering something to one of his coworkers, who was a tall, lanky man.
The man went behind the gate and pulled on a large red lever. After a few minutes, traces of dust and liquid began to appear in the air. A circular barrier commenced in covering the whole island, protecting it. The barrier was clear and inconspicuous, but slightly visible to the human eye. It had small areas that glinted colorfully, similar to a rainbow. The barrier looked like a soapy bubble. Alana reached out to touch it and could faintly discern the texture of Plexiglass.
Sam, Alana, Iyesha, Bridjette, and Avery were told to stay directly behind the barrier and keep a lookout. Mr. Holt handed Sam a bugle, instructing him to blow it when the WAR force came near. He told all the children to put on their gear and take their Transmalian transformation pills when necessary. They kept their luggage close by, watching as Mr. Holt and the rest of his group walked away.
As soon as they had left, Sam asked, “Why did they assign us this task?” After all, they were newly trained and not as experienced as the other Transmalians. Avery smugly said, “Instead of taking this job, you should have gone to see how Max was doing. He is our most vital asset at this point. And the locket...do you know what to do with it?” Come to think of it, nothing had gone the way they had expected or planned. On top of that, Mr. Holt was constantly assigning them new tasks, trying to divert their attention. Was he a traitor? Sam thought anxiously.
“Alana,” asked Sam, “where’s the locket?” Alana groped for the locket in her pocket and pulled it out, holding it up with triumph. Sam snatched it, then looked at it intently. It looked exactly the same as it had when he first saw it. He brushed his hand over the face of the locket, wondering what was so special about it, and what they could use it for. Something had to be done to save Max, and he was sure that the locket was the answer. Bridjette was the first to start makings some plans. She suggested that they send her to the clinic, so she could give the locket to Max. Sam handed the locket to Bridjette, warning her to be careful with it.
She rattled off the rest of her plan to the group, telling them what they would need to do in case Mr. Holt and his men returned. All of them agreed, and they waited as Bridjette blended in with the clear, invisible color of the barrier. She slowly crawled under the openings in the gate and reached the other side. The rest of the children waited for Bridjette’s return and kept a wary eye on the seas. Bridjette returned shortly after, and Sam felt relieved that she had entrusted the locket to Max. She then joined them in scouring the seas.
The day felt really long, the sun’s rays beating down hard, scorching the children. They all became ravenous, their hunger pains growing as the day dragged on. Mr. Holt had not returned to talk to them, or even bother to send them any nourishment. Avery, who was the most voracious, started sifting through everyone’s luggage until finally she found a few granola bars. Each of them grabbed one and devoured it. They cast the wrappers aside, their focus wavering temporarily.
Unexpectedly, Bridjette got up, her back turned to them. She smiled, and said sinisterly, “They’re here.” For some reason, she seemed enthralled with the idea. “My mom and dad are finally here!” Sam, Alana, Bridjette, and Avery felt revolted. “What do you mean?” asked Iyesha calmly. “I mean, umm...” she said, turning around. Her eyes, now a malevolent green, sparkled wickedly in the evening light. She paused for a moment, twirling a strand of her wavy brown hair, and said, “There’s no point hiding it from you anymore. My parents work for the WAR force, and they sent me here to retrieve what is theirs.”
She held the locket out in the palm of her hand, laughing hysterically. Meanwhile, Sam cleverly took a pill out from his suitcase and dropped it into his mouth. Fury and rage rushed through him as fire spurted from his body. He flew forward and seized the locket from Bridjette, his claws abrading her soft hands. He ascended into the sky, grasping the locket tightly.
He looked down below, watching as Avery blew the bugle three times. Bridjette put her invisible gear on, and charged at Iyesha, who flew through the air and landed on the ground. She swiftly suited up, as did Alana and Avery. Bridjette retreated to the edge of the barrier, smiling. Iyesha, Avery, and Alana watched in horror as a great whirlpool formed in the middle of the sea and a large ship emerged. Upon this sight they knew that they had to retreat, and they hid in the shadows of some nearby trees. Smaller vehicles around it zoomed into the sky, circling the island. Men in beige uniforms were seen swimming through the water, washing up on shore, and carrying dark blue guns, tasers, and other weapons. Sam swooped down toward the ground, grabbed his suitcase, and tossed it into the air. He caught it in his mouth, clawing it open. He threw on his gear rapidly, took a few more pills, and pulled out all his gadgets: his GPS, his map, his sword, his micro-teleportation device, and his stun gun.
Sam was relieved to see men marching toward the enemy from the Adventure Island, row after row stomping their feet on the ground in battle salute. Dust rose up from the ground, surrounding the men as they walked. The men from the island were wearing green uniforms, carrying small bottles, swords, and other gear that Sam also possessed. There were thousands of men on the battlefield, and more kept streaming in. The WAR force did not consist of many men, but they had many large tanks, boats, ships, and other machines.
At the end of the Transmalian line were two medium-sized tanks. The WAR force charged at the barrier, pulling out blue daggers. They thrust the daggers at the barrier, and as they did so, blue electricity began running through the barrier. It slowly cracked and shattered, shards scattering everywhere. The island men barreled toward the WAR force men, and as they did so began converting into Transmalians. The change was wonderful. Creatures began appearing, flying, crawling, slithering, and jumping. The real war had begun.
BATTLE
Sam watched from above as men and women stormed from every side, pummeling each other. Swords were drawn and thrust, blue weapons were thrown, creating electric bombs and quakes. Animal abilities were used as hooves, tails, paws, teeth, jaws, and trunks struck arms and legs. Sam felt fascinated as he watched the battle unfold, and was overjoyed to see that the island troops were succeeding in holding back the WAR force. He decided to join the battle. He stopped flapping his wings and plummeted down, catching himself inches from the ground. He pulled out his sword and rushed toward a short, rotund man in a beige uniform. The man stormed toward Sam, pulling out a short blue knife. The man threw the knife at Sam and it struck one of his claws. His claw felt numb and he felt an electric shock passing through his body, making him shake and, dizzying him. Sam hurled his sword at the man, watching as it severed the man’s arm.
Alana, Avery, and Iyesha were morphing and entering the battlefield as well. Alana turned into a swift, powerful unicorn, her hoofs pounding against the ground as she weaved through the battlefield. She pulled out her stun gun, holding it in her mouth, galloping
at top speed and she shot a tall, robust woman. She froze in place and tumbled backward. Alana proceeded through the battlefield with Iyesha acting as her accomplice, following her wherever she went. Avery slithered through the groups of battling soldiers, occasionally injecting them with her toxic green venom.
Sam soared through the sky. He had the perfect aerial view of the people dueling on land, in water and air. Sam viewed small creatures darting below the clouds. As Sam directed his gaze to the edge of the beach, he saw small tanks approaching the shore, shooting blue darts as they drew closer. Men who were struck by the darts keeled over, lying flat on the ground. For hours, each side fought ferociously. As Sam watched, he felt as if he was seeing the same thing over and over again. Many lives were lost, but the amount of island men seemed to be decreasing. Bodies were scattered over the ground like pebbles on a beach. The WAR force showed no mercy as they advanced forward, pushing the island men back toward the gate. They were going to enter the island soon! Sam’s heart was racing as he realized that the island forces were being beaten and he felt his throat becoming parched. His worst fears were becoming real. They were going to take control of the island, and destroy everything that had come to be there.
He plunged downward, opening his mouth wide, showering the battlefield with fire. Soldiers cried out as the hot flames burned their skin, causing them to writhe in agony. As Sam skimmed closer to the ground, his jaws clamped around a WAR force man’s head and chomped down, releasing after pools of blood seeped between his teeth. The man’s head rolled off his neck and onto the ground, dripping blood. Sam dreaded what he had done. Maybe it was the right thing, maybe it was the wrong thing. He didn’t know. Why did this war even have to happen? Was the WAR force really that bad? All he knew was that the WAR force had his parents, and he needed them back. Sam truly didn’t mean to injure anyone, but he knew he did not have much choice. The thought of violence had always nauseated him. However, he had little time to worry about it now.
He stayed close to the ground and then stuck his claws out, scratching a WAR force woman down the back, creating huge gashes in her skin. He soared up high into the air, watching in terror as Iyesha was dragged into a skirmish at the edge of the sea. A brawny man towered over her, pulling out a series of weapons. In his hand he held a dark blue gun, a small blue bomb, and a sword. Iyesha in her Transmalian monkey form scurried from side to side, trying to avoid any injury.
She was dancing and moving very quickly from side to side, distracting him, and every time he tried to thrust his sword into her she jumped nimbly to the side. This went on for some time. Sam could not help but admire Iyesha and her courage to fight this large man. Then, the man decided to stop. He stood still for a minute, holding his large blue sword while closing his eyes. This pause caught Iyesha by surprise and she stopped to gaze at him, wondering what he was doing. She tried to get her stun gun ready to take aim at him. She had never shot anyone before and was trying to decide if she should kill him. But it was too late. The man seized the moment and thrust the blue sword into Iyesha’s chest.
She was still for a moment, not a sound or a cry. Her head tilted to the side, her face expressionless. Her body fell to the ground. The man cackled and stepped over Iyesha’s motionless form. He was standing near Avery, who was enraged. Her body slid under his feet, and she coiled herself around his legs. He struggled to free himself from her grip, but was unsuccessful. The man took his sword and attempted to kill her, but was surprised to find that his sword did not have any effect on her. Avery slithered up toward the top of his body and sank her fangs into his throat. He howled in pain, his face turning red. Avery crept down his body and landed on the field.
Sam flew to the middle of the swarm of soldiers and was startled to find Alana entangled in the middle of a fight. Four WAR force men surrounded her, two holding guns and two with daggers. Sam flew down to the ground, his claws scraping the soil. He landed next to Alana, his talons planted firmly. He opened his mouth and fire spewed out, scorching the four men. Enraged, they thrust their weapons at Sam in a threatening manner. One of the men held his gun up and pulled the trigger. An electrically charged blue bullet came speeding at Sam.
He didn’t have enough time to react. The bullet hit his right wing, paralyzing it for a few seconds. Sam’s wing seared with pain. He looked down at it, noticing a large blue bruise that seemed to be eating away at his wing, slowly burning it. Sam had no time to focus on the wound, because right at that moment Alana screamed.
Sam looked at her, and his heart skipped a beat. She was clutching her horn, wailing. A large stump sat on her head, where her horn should have been. Gold blood spilled out of her head, dripping down her face. She sank to the ground, weeping. The two men carrying daggers dashed toward her. However, Sam intervened. He attempted to take flight, but his injured wing prevented him from doing so. He fluttered weakly, his feet a few inches above the ground. Every few seconds, he faltered from side to side, his body shifting unevenly in the air.
The men guffawed, dropping their weapons. Sam immediately saw his chance. He darted from side to side, balancing his body, and rushed to where the men stood. He lifted his wings directly up and brought them down hard, striking the men with a great force. They roared with pain. Picking up their weapons, they then aimed them at Sam.
He dashed toward the tallest of the men, clamped his jaws around the man’s head, and bit down hard. Sam released his grip, his sharp teeth coated with blood. The man’s blood-soaked body was sprawled on the ground, wounds covering his head and face. Sam pounced on the second man, pushing him to the ground and suffocating him with his huge body.
The other men held their weapons up shakily, their lips quivering, and their knees trembling. They retreated back. Sam bowed his head to the ground, as if granting mercy upon the men, but instead charged forward, pummeling the men with his horns. He skewered their bodies, and as he raised his head, he carried their bodies up with him. It took quite a while for him to detach himself from the two men’s lifeless bodies. He looked around, feeling panicked as he noticed Alana was no longer standing by his side. He made an effort to take to the skies, but found himself teetering from side to side. He could no longer get an aerial view of the battlefield. He decided to find Alana by searching the grounds.
His heavy feet pounded the earth. Grass was uprooted and soil flew into the air. Sam’s body began to ache, his wings especially. He began shaking, sharp pains pulsing through him. What was happening? he thought. He collapsed, exhausted, and just before his head hit the ground, a hand grasped his neck and a pair of yellow eyes stared straight into his. Bridjette! he thought. He raised his head weakly, his mouth forming into a snarl.
“What?” he asked coldly. She smiled, and lifted him off the ground, then raised her hand. Sam could feel the pain that was about to come, as her hand swept through the air and across his cheek. Instead of feeling his cheek burn with pain, a cold, numb sensation came over him. He pressed his claw against his cheek, and blue liquid dripped onto it. As he stared at his claw, he noticed that it was slowly turning purple, spreading from his talons to the middle of his claw. Horrified, he brushed his claw against the ground, watching as blue liquid dripped onto the grass, turning it brown. “What have you done?” he screamed.
Flames spurted out of his mouth, surrounding Bridjette. She flailed her arms around wildly, attempting to blow the fire away. The fire gradually reached all parts of her body. Soon, there was nothing left of her but a pile of ashes. Sam kicked the ashes in fury, waiting for them to disperse. He stood, shaking. He knew it was a matter of time before his whole body became numb and paralyzed.
Sam continued searching the ground, and soon spotted Alana, who was fiercely battling alongside Avery. He joined them, feeling weak and weary. Avery and Alana were also in terrible shape. Avery was covered in cuts and bruises, and a large lump sat on her forehead. Alana was covered in gold blood, and her horn was missing. Sam tried to aid Alana and Avery but found that they were more cap
able than he was in fighting at the moment. He sat down, resting in the middle of the battlefield. Avery and Alana threw punches at the women who stood in front of them, and eventually defeated them with sheer luck.
Alana sat down next to Sam while Avery kept guard. Sam began wiping the gold-colored blood off Alana’s face, and a miraculous thing happened. Sam’s hand began losing its sickening purple color. In shock, he rubbed the blood all over his face and was surprised when Alana told him that his cheeks were no longer purple. He then rubbed the blood over his right wing, finding that the hole that had once been there was slowly mending, as a large flap of skin began to stretch across the gap. Alana unexpectedly gave an earsplitting scream. Sam looked up, to find a tall woman towering over the two of them and behind her, Avery’s stiff body. “No!” Alana shrieked, as the lady kicked Avery’s body and then grabbed her by the hair. Avery’s eyes were closed, and she seemed peaceful. Small strands of brown hair fell from her head, as the woman tugged at her hair wickedly.
Alana got up and took a stance, ready to battle this evil woman fiercely. Sam joined her, and he opened his mouth, heat welling up in his throat and flames bursting from his lips. The woman put her hand out, her palm facing Sam and Alana. Blue waves were emitted from her hand, and as soon as the flames hit her palm, it rebounded back, turning into smoke. In a matter of seconds, five more women surrounded the children. Sam saw no other option but to continue fighting. He scratched, punched, kicked, slapped, and fired at multiple WAR force women. Alana charged at them, stabbing them with her hooves. Sam and Alana took down the women one by one, helping each other when necessary.
The Transmalians Page 11