William, who was still holding the dagger against Sam’s dad’s neck, began dragging it across, laughing as he slashed his dad’s throat while blood trickled down his body. His mom, meanwhile, managed to escape from William’s grip while he was distracted, joining Sam on the opposite side. Sam told his mom to quickly climb onto him and he took to air. William, in the meantime, got out his gun and pulled the trigger. Blue bullets spiraled through the sky, and Sam managed to dodge them, one almost grazing his wing.
While Sam was in the air, he felt helpless and horrified as he watched his father collapse, his body slamming to the ground. Luckily, he was able to see that his father was still breathing. Sam had to go and rescue his dad. He realized that William would do anything in his power to gain what he desired, even if it was gone. He was ruthless and evil. Sam carried his mom to a safe area in the woods, telling her to come out only if there was more trouble. He then returned to the field.
Enraged, he raced toward William and zigzagged cleverly to dodge the bullets that William was shooting at him during his attempt to escape. Sam blew fire, and William started to run as fast as he could to escape to his helicopter. However, Sam, feeling ever so powerful, pinned William to the ground with one blow. His huge dragon form was enough to crush him. Sam watched as William’s body caught on fire, and the flames licked his body, devouring him. William howled loudly in pain as he burned to death. The WAR force soldiers on the field froze in fear, and instead of trying to defend their fallen leader, they decided to run, fearing they would suffer the same fate.
Sam then rushed toward his father, feeling around his chest for a heartbeat. He felt a very faint pulse, and as he tried to lift his dad from the ground, Alana and his mom came to help as well. Sam looked into the distance, noticing that the sky had started to turn green. He left his family, rising into the sky to see what was happening. He began to feel weary, and his eyes fluttered weakly. He looked below, watching as everything in front of him faded, covered with mist. A thick blanket of green mist was spreading across and was turning everything to ice. Soon the ground was frozen and the people were frozen.
He had no idea what was going on, but wanted to leave the island safely. He flew to the ground, shooting sparks out of his mouth and toward his parents. They were shaking in the cold. Sam blew fire to keep everything around his family from freezing. Sam mustered up all his energy and collected Alana and his parents, carrying them on his back. He flapped his wings weakly, hesitating to fly higher.
The ground passed below him, and he began dropping altitude. Weariness came over him, pushing him down. Sam’s goal was to reach the island’s main portal. He knew he could no longer fight the war, and that more violence was not going to help anything. His strength began faltering as he spun from side to side, his body uncontrolled.
Finally, he reached Mr. Holt’s office, which was vacant. He crumpled in front of the portal, getting up shortly after, and dragged his parents into the portal with him. Utterly exhausted, Sam dropped his head on the control panel, accidentally hitting a series of buttons.
His eyes closed, and he passed out, everything going black. Sam woke up shivering and shook his head, trying to clear the fog and recall what had happened. He looked around, and found his mom, dad, and Alana lying next to him. His dad was very weak from losing a lot of blood, but fortunately was alive. He tried to figure out what was going on.
His mom was smearing a dark liquid all over Alana’s scalp. He soon realized that she was smearing his dad’s blood over Alana’s injured horn. His mom was one of the most ingenious Transmalians. She knew that the only Transmalian blood that was not gold was tiger blood, which was a rare black color. It had the power to heal the most impossible wounds. While Sam had passed out, she had taken some of his father’s blood, collecting it carefully.
Then, Sam remembered that unicorn blood could heal all types of wounds, which was why his mom was using Alana’s blood next. She quickly collected some crusted gold blood on Alana’s face and mixed it with her saliva to make a balm, and used it to cover their dad’s neck wound. Miraculously, their dad’s wounds were sealing up, and Alana’s horn was now a short two-inch stump, growing more each minute.
Warmth bubbled inside Sam’s soul, filling him with joy. His family was safe, and together! He couldn’t wait to tell his parents about his adventures from the past few weeks. But, he also needed explanations. Why did they hide so many secrets? But more importantly, where had the portal taken them?
Carefully, he got up, thinking they must be in some sort of cave. The more he moved around, he realized that he was right. The bottom of the cave was made out of ice, and beneath the ice were groups of vibrantly colored gems. Sam slowly crawled over to Alana, and then made his way over to his parents. Once they were all together, they tried to find a way out of the cave. Sam’s dad grunted as he eased himself into a sitting position. The ice below began cracking, lines of black spreading throughout the surface. Sam could sense the ice becoming looser, more delicate. They had to move quickly, before it broke. Sam helped his dad up to his feet, becoming more and more nervous as he heard crunching noises. He looked around, worries floating in his mind as he tried to find a way out of the cave.
Each side of the cave was made of giant crystals, which were rigid, rough, and slippery. There was no way that they would be able to escape from the sides. Sam looked below, hoping that under the ice was a means of escape, but was distressed once again. The only way out was up; there was a small hole at the top of the cave. Then it occurred to him that it must be a frozen, dormant volcano.
Sam felt one pill still left in his pocket. After hurriedly taking it, he grabbed Alana by her shoulders, giving her no notice of what he was doing. He dug his claws into her shirt firmly, beat his wings, and soared toward the top of the cave. As he squeezed through the hole, he heard cries from below. The ice below his parents was about to crack and Sam had to do something, fast. “Hurry!” his mom yelled. “We’re counting on you!” shouted his dad in desperation. Sam had never seen his parents so helpless. He knew he had to do something.
Holding onto Alana tightly, Sam rammed his head into the area next to the hole, breaking off slabs of ice. The hole was now sizably larger, and Sam was able to comfortably fit through. He pulled Alana through the hole, and left her on the rim. While he looked around, Alana pointed out that the crystal cave was indeed an empty volcano. Sam felt that it was safe to leave Alana at the rim of the volcano, and instructed her to slide down the side of the volcano after he left to get their mom.
Sam descended through the hole, landing cautiously on the ice. He took his mom by the shoulders, doing the same as he did with Alana. After they both squeezed through the hole, he left his mom at the rim of the volcano, then quickly returned to grab his dad. When Sam reached the icy ground, he found his dad doing significantly better, and on his feet again. His dad had suffered serious injuries due to William and the rest of the WAR force, but was recovering as expected. Sam gently grasped his dad’s arms and heaved him through the air. Finally, they all stood at the rim of the volcano, briefly gazing at the cloudless sky.
During this time, Sam’s parents explained to him how they had arrived at the icy volcano. The portal had transported them to the volcano, which, at that time, they thought was a cave. They attempted to walk to the opposite side of the cave, but their dad was too weak, and collapsed. Their mom, who was dragging them to the other side, fell down from the excessive weight. They all must have hit the ice so hard, that they blacked out. Now that Sam understood how they ended up at the cave, everything seemed much clearer. But, time was still running out. They had to find a safe haven.
They each did as Sam instructed, sliding off the side of the volcano, and once they reached the ground, a wonderful sight met their eyes. Beyond the volcano was a sight worth living for. Millions of snow-covered trees danced in the wind. Frozen ponds glistened under the winter sun.
Light snowflakes fell from the sky, their patterns wondrous and
exquisite. He was sure that this would become home now, and it would be forever. Sam did remember about being a transmalia, about the Adventure Island, and about Max. But, some things he chose to forget. The tears of the past vanished, and the memories of war were extinguished. Sam wanted to erase them all out of his mind, but some part of them would still live within his soul. He wondered which of the island residents were still alive. And all the tribe leaders like Cecilian. Did the locket still exist? Sam would never know, and didn’t want to. He pushed his questions to the back of his mind and decided to live in the present. The future had so much in store. He and his family headed toward the wintry forest, ready for a new adventure.
6 MONTHS LATER
Sunlight seeped in through the cracks in the canopy. It blended in beautifully with the foliage, creating two shades of natural green. Herds of deer bounded playfully through the trees, and birds sang from the branches, their merry tunes resounding through the forest. Streams gurgled as they rushed through the forest, water splashing from side to side.
A small pond sat in the middle of the forest, bugs prancing around, and lilies floating elegantly on the still surface. The Smith family had found a fresh paradise. The Adventure Island was never going to be restored to its original state, and many people had decided to relocate. Other Transmalian families had joined them in the forest as well. They, in addition to escaping from the island, had found Sam and Alana’s family. Once the word spread that a new hiding place was found, more and more families began retreating to the forest, and slowly built a community within it. Some of the parents and children who had been injured in the war would never recover, but were definitely doing better. Everyone had finally found a place where they were protected.
Construction had been going on for quite a while, and the families in the forest were working their fastest to finish building their homes. They had started a new tradition, called the Sundrop Festival. Buzz floated through the air as the residents were excited to successfully carry out the plan that was the festival. The Sundrop Festival consisted of competitions between Transmalians, traditional food tasting, and many other events. Festival coordinators were allowed into a temporarily restricted area in the forest, setting up booths and activities. The community was full of excitement as people ran from place to place, preparing for the occasion.
Sam was one of the people who wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea of the festival. He wished to live a quiet, reclusive life with his family. Since this did not happen, Sam spent most of his time training at the Hidden Oaks Academy, a newly opened school in the forest. Although Sam wished to not be joined by other Transmalians, he soon learned that having more company was beneficial in its own ways.
Sam loved the life of a Transmalian, spending most of his time immersed with exploration. He had a deep interest in nature, developing a genuine love for plants and animals. Now that the festival was coming up, he and the other students at the Hidden Oaks Academy were focusing on preparing for the competitions. The people who won the competition in their Transmalian divisions at the Sundrop Festival would be highly rewarded. Sam was not at all intrigued by the prizes; he just wanted to discover the unopened secrets of life.
Sam already had a rival, whom he would be competing against. Drake was a vain, headstrong dragon Transmalian. He constantly challenged Sam to duels, and each time was the losing opponent. Sam, who was kind, accepted his victory humbly. Drake had been extremely tense a few days before the festival, and Sam made sure to keep out of his way. The festival slowly came around, and Sam, who had not at all paid attention to it, went to check it out. He made sure to take a book with him, in case he was utterly bored. He was surprised at how wonderful it looked. It resembled a carnival, with multiple booths lining the outside of a small stadium.
The people working in the booths were shaded by red and white striped roofs. The booths contained certain activities such as a bake challenge, ring toss, water war, and concession stands serving cotton candy, popcorn, hot dogs, and other normal foods. Sam spent quite a while participating in the booth activities, and tasting the food, which he hadn’t been able to have for a long time. He then made his way into the stadium. Inside the stadium was a circle of green, where two figures stood. The stadium was filled with seats, and people were crowding in. Sam took a seat, ready to enjoy his time at the festival. He knew his parents were in the crowd below, cheering Alana on, as she was one of the first to compete.
Alana was doing quite well in the competition, beating out the other opponents and successfully progressing through the challenges. After a while, Sam began to get bored of watching the competition. He knew that Alana would definitely win in her Transmalian division. After all, they had been through a war. A competition was hardly an obstacle in their path. He was quite sure that he would be able to win his division as well. After all, his only competitor was Drake. He and Drake would be the last to compete, so he would have plenty of free time until then. Hoping to pass some time, Sam pulled out the book he had brought with him. It was the Transmalian Book of Legends, which he had found in his school’s academy. He had begun reading passages, quotes, and excepts from the book. He became fascinated by his readings, diving deeper into the sayings of the book.
They offered an insightful and wise approach to life. Sam’s favorite excerpt from the book was: “Beings are created with similarities, but some are granted with unique abilities. All beings are special, but some, more than others. Those who seek power will continue to reach their goal, no matter how villainous their actions may be. The underlying concept must be peace. If a being can remember this, they have the greatest power in the world.” Every time he read this, he remembered Max, William, Iyesha, Avery, Bridjette, and the rest of the WAR force, but he also remembered what he had done, and where it brought him now. His family was now inseparable, and most of all, safe from harm. Even though the war had caused a great amount of damage and harm to innocent Transmalian lives, it had also changed them as people, teaching them that standing up for what they feel is right is of complete importance.
Sam realized that without the war, he wouldn’t have become who he was, and wouldn’t have discovered the hidden beauty of the world. The whole cause of the war was the locket, and now that it was destroyed, another war was not in the near future. Thinking back, Sam was grateful that he was a Transmalian, and that his parents had kept so many secrets from him. If they hadn’t, what would be left for him to discover? They told him many things, but they also hid some, and Sam knew that in good time, he would find out.
As soon as they arrived in the forest, Sam’s parents had told him the true significance of the locket. The locket was an ancient ornament, passed on from the first Transmalians down the line. In the year 1697, a powerful Transmalian was born. He became the king, as his powers supposedly surpassed those of the others. This king’s powers matched his generosity. He protected the weak, respected the strong, and helped the needy. Strangely, he was a rat Transmalian. Sam didn’t understand how an animal of such a minute size, and minimal power, could overpower others. But, his parents had told him often, weakness is the greatest power.
Anyways, this king was destined to live a short, but successful life. As he died, his trusted soldiers collected one of his emerald green eyes, for it was said that the eye of an ancient rat Transmalian king would be the solution of all worldly problems. They put the king’s eye inside the Transmalian locket, hoping that it would one day serve them as well as their king did. However, they never realized the true intention of the king.
The king wished to pass his power, his enlightenment, his skill, down to one person. This person would be the one who had the locket, and had the power to open it. Of course, a key was made, so the person who possessed the key and locket would be the one to open the locket. The locket could grant any wish and gain back anything that was lost. It could bring back lives, powers, memories, destroyed objects, and anything that one was yearning for.
Sam understood why the locket w
as greatly wanted by a large number of people. He also realized that, if in the wrong hands, the locket could cause serious harm, and now that it was destroyed, it prevented any such thing from happening. He was glad that he finally understood about the kind of life he would be leading, and why everything had happened the way it did. Sam knew where his future lay, and what he would do with it. He looked down at the book he held in his hands, grasping the concept of what life really was about. With that, he shut the book, and put it aside, ready for a new story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Medhaa Banaji is a sixteen-year-old girl who resides in Vienna, Virginia with her parents and two younger brothers. She had a passion for writing from a young age, and in fifth grade her teacher inspired her to write a book. She also took writing classes, and her writing teacher thought she was talented and encouraged her to keep writing. Medhaa began working on her book from the age of thirteen, and was motivated to keep writing. In her free time Medhaa enjoys reading, writing, singing, traveling, and filmmaking.
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