Capítulo 5: Isla de Misteriosa
Everyone was lying on the ground, unconscious. Curtis was the first to awaken. In an instant, he noticed that Caleb, Penny, Fred, Vincent, and Natalie were nowhere to be seen. Where had they vanished to? Wherever they were, they would surely be found soon enough.
Curtis proceeded to wake up everyone else. Their faces appeared to be covered in sand and bruises. They all stood up and dusted themselves off.
"Is everyone okay?" Andrew asked.
"Doesn't look like it," Cindy said. "I don't think the people in that plane survived."
"But how did we?" Ubaid asked.
"I haven't the slightest clue."
Andrew thoroughly looked at his surroundings. "This looks like...Gemstone Island!" he exclaimed.
"Why does it matter?" Ubaid growled. "We're stuck on some ridiculous island! Curtis, you had better find a way through or I'll incinerate you!"
"Do not fret," Ashley interrupted. "I shall lead the way." She led everyone through a nearby forest.
Ten minutes had passed, and the group appeared to be walking in circles. "We're walking in circles!" Cindy wailed.
"This forest may be playing tricks on us," Andrew said. He saw two short men nearby, both wearing overalls. "Let's ask those gentlemen over there if they know the way out." They approached the two men, who appeared to be carrying a bundle of carpets. "Do you two know the way out of this forest?"
"Of course we do!" the skinnier of the two men said rather cheerfully. "My name is Torin, by the way, and this is Javar."
"Only we dwarves know the way out of Gemstone Forest," said Javar. "I must warn you, though, that the only way out is by using magic."
"Dwarves?" Ashley wondered. "Magic? I don't understand any of this."
"We shall explain later," Andrew said. He looked back at the short men. "Lead the way, gentlemen."
Torin and Javar sprawled the carpets on the ground and sat atop one. They gestured for everyone else to do the same, with two people on a carpet. Being as there was an odd number of people, three of them had to sit on a carpet.
The carpets slowly lifted into the air, ascending above the trees. Ashley had only heard of magic carpets in fairy tails, so this experience was indeed a wonder. As they were in the air, Ashley looked at the island below.
"So that's Gemstone Island, eh?" she asked. "I have to say, it's pretty massive."
"You can say that again," said Torin. "For some reason, though, it isn't on any map."
"How strange..."
In the dense fog, everyone could see a tall bakery. They reached the ground, carefully stepped off the magic carpets, and entered the bakery. They were quite frightened when they saw that the workers' eyes were completely black. They were growling as though they had not eaten in weeks.
"Oh dear..." Javar groaned. The possessed workers charged toward the group.
"We can't just stand here!" Mark said. "We've got to do something!"
"There's no need for all the violence, friends," said Terrence. "Let me handle this." He simply used a water gun to spray the workers, reverting them to their original state.
"That was rather impressive," Ashley remarked.
The lights began to flicker, and everyone passed out. They eventually woke up to find themselves in a cage that was suspended in the air. On the floor below were two boys, one made out of a mysterious purple gel and the other out of tree bark.
"Compliments, Ashley and friends," said the boy made out of tree bark. "Allow me to ventilate my collaborator and I. My name is Charles Wood, and my friend here is Zeferino Battistelli. In case you are yearning to discern why we are here, our master—or should I say, teacher—Chantex has sent us to Valestrom so that we can be rid of those dwarves once and for all! Now we are going to make you watch as we destroy this place bit by bit."
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" a furious Ashley yelled.
"What can a simpleton like you do to stop us?"
Ashley, without even trying to, summoner a circular saw and cut through the bars of the cage. She proceeded to punch Charles in the face until he bled massively. After the brutal beating, Charles fled the area, dragging Zeferino with him.
"How did you do that?" Cindy asked as she and the others jumped out of the cage, successfully landing on their feet.
"I'm not sure," Ashley replied.
"Could it have been out of anger?" Andrew asked.
Ashley held her chin in thought. "Possibly."
A wave of fire whooshed in front of everyone. The flames morphed into a boy that was made out of fire himself. He appeared to be around Ashley's age. He wore a Jamaican hat, a shirt with red and orange stripes, and black sweatpants.
"Who in oblivion are you?" Cindy asked.
"The name's Keyon Williams," the boy said in a Jamaican accent. "I am an undergraduate student of Chantex's Preparatory School of Scientific Studies." Flames surrounded Keyon's body. "Let's make a little deal. Either you allow Ashley there to join our side...or I burn you all alive! So what will you choose?"
"I would never join you!" Ashley retorted.
"Have it your way." Keyon blew fire out of his mouth, but everyone managed to dodge the attack.
"Hey Keyon," called Terrence, "over here!" Keyon turned to see a bucket of water being dumped on him, putting the fire out.
"Great, now my magic isn't working!"
Angered, Keyon jumped out the window. He was quite surprised to see Zeferino and a battered Charles in a wooden carriage outside.
"Get in," Charles ordered. Keyon stepped into the carriage, and a Clydesdale pulled the three students away.
The group noticed small footprints on the floor and followed them. The footprints led to a small office, where a tall, slim man sat behind a wooden desk. He had blue eyes, brown hair that was combed back, and a bushy moustache. He wore blue jeans, a red plaid shirt, and a white apron.
"Oh, new customers!" the man said in glee. "My name is Samuel, the manager of this—"
"Actually, we are not customers," Ashley corrected. "We saw footprints that led to this very room. Tell us, who visited you recently?"
"A little boy not much younger than you came by my office earlier. How naughty he was! I believe he said his name was Dave."
"What did he do?" Nathaniel asked.
"See, I have a gift—the gift to be able to give people whatever their heart desires. All Dave did was ask me for world domination. Then he scurried away right before you lot stepped into my office."
"We must stop him!" said Ashley.
"Before you leave, I need you to do me a favor. All of my children have gone missing, and my senses tell me that they are somewhere on Isla de Misteriosa. Find them and bring them here at once. If you do that, I will forever be in your debt." He looked in Torin and Javar's direction. "You two, show these kind fellows the way."
"Yes sir!" both dwarves said.
The group went outside and flew away on the magic carpets once more, following the two dwarves. The carpet that Andrew and Cindy had been riding was suddenly aflame, and they hurled toward the ground. The others quickly followed them.
Cindy abruptly stood up. "I blame Andrew and his curse," she said.
"I am dreadfully sorry," Andrew said, hanging his head down low.
Ashley looked at her surroundings. The area resembled the Arctic, with snow in every direction. Even the mountains were completely covered.
"Where are we?" Ashley asked.
"This appears to be Isla de Misteriosa," said Torin. "Since you have already reached your destination, we shall be on our way."
"But how will we find our way back?"
"Just believe in yourselves," Javar explained. "A strong heart will always find the way." The two dwarves flew away on their magic carpet.
Everyone looked up to see a giant skeleton towering above their heads. It tried to grab them with its mighty jaws, but they luckily jumped out of the way in time.
"Let's work together!" Ashley announced. "Andrew, find the monster's weak spot!"
"Why me?" Andrew asked. "My curse might ruin everything!"
"Just do it!"
Andrew gulped and scanner the monster. "Its temples appear to be its weakest spot."
Curtis took action and used his rocket boots to fly toward the monster's mouth. He proceeded to shoot it with his machine gun. It was no use; the skeleton moved too quickly.
"I need a distraction to keep it stationary," Curtis said.
"Travis, distract this monstrosity," Ashley ordered.
Travis began hopping about, getting the skeleton's attention and giving Curtis a chance to shoot it. The monster's jaw eventually fell off, and Cindy used her giant magic glue gin to keep it from moving.
"Now it's my turn!" Nathaniel said.
He used his rocket launcher to blow up the jaw. Mark and Jack cut the skeleton's limbs off with their swords, and the weight fell on top of them. Peter used his sniper rifle to make a hole big enough for his brothers to get out of. David saw an opportunity and put his flamethrower inside the newly formed hole, while Tod attached his sceptre to the flamethrower. The giant skeleton exploded in a flurry of flames.
Six children appeared, each with blue eyes, light skin, and blond hair. They each wore brown jackets, black sweatpants, and brown boots. They all appeared to be around the age of ten or eleven. There were four boys and two girls.
"You saved us!" the tallest boy cheered.
"It was nothing," Ashley said. "What are your names, and how did you get here?"
"My name is Chad. We all ran away from home, for we felt as though we were not loved." He pointed to his siblings. "This is Sue, Thomas, Billy, Sydney, and Brandon. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"It's nice to meet you, too. Listen, your father loves you very dearly. He has been worried sick about you. So please, will you go back home?"
"She's right, Chad," said Sue. "We only put ourselves in danger coming here. Let's go home."
"Very well," Chad sighed.
A blizzard brewed in the distance. Ashley disappeared in the storm. She soon found herself in a dimly lit room, standing atop a silver platform. A girl stood before her, grinning. Ashley took a closer look and was utterly shocked.
"Subject 21!" she exclaimed. "You're here? But...how?"
"I escaped the clutches of Dr. Edwin and followed you through the door," Subject 21 explained. "It was worth it to see an old friend again."
"What are you talking about? We have only known each other for a few hours."
"Maybe this will help you remember: the watch."
Tears formed in Ashley's eyes. "Ch-Charlie? But I—I thought you had...died."
"I am dead, Ashley. If I had not died, I would be older than you—much older. I am nothing more than a spirit that is stuck is between. Now, there is a reason I brought you here: to warn you."
"Warn me? Of what?"
"There are two forces that have shrouded this world in darkness. One, as you already know, is Valestrom. The other is a numinous man named Chantex. He had groomed at least eighteen students to become villains, and he sent them after you, your friends, and even your friends' closest enemies. Charles, Zeferino, and Keyon are three of the eighteen. It is presidential that you, Ashley, could save us from this lunacy. Listen closely—you must tell the others that you must track Dave down. Although young, he is more capable of destroying the world than Valestrom and Chantex combined. Now go!"
Ashley was taken back to the island, the others giving her looks of confusion. "Where did you go?" Andrew asked.
"Let's just say that I met an old friend of mine," Ashley said. "Her name is Charlie, and she suggested finding Dave. Apparently, he is more powerful than both Valestrom and Chantex."
"Chantex?" questioned Cindy.
"He is working alongside Valestrom."
"First things first," Andrew said. "Let's take these children back to the bakery. Then we can search for Dave."
It only took about ten minutes to find the bakery again. When Samuel saw his children, he was filled with absolute joy.
"You've found my children!" he cheered. "As part of my gratitude, I will transport you back to Gemstone Island."
Samuel sent Ashley, Cindy, Curtis, Andrew, and Ubaid to Gemstone Island through a portal, while the others agreed to help around the bakery for the time being.
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