The waves were crashing and the wind was whistling as the dust continued to float through the town. Tadanji's extraordinary support put an end to others' fears. "Thank you... Someone was able to help her..." Karisa clenched her fists, relieved that Ayuka was safe.
"Your cry could be heard from here to the forest, so I knew something was amiss, which is why I hurried here right away." Tandaji was one of the island's best speedsters, thus he was the best to have been able to hear Karisa's scream in time to save Ayuka.
"Tandaji, we're blessed to have someone like you living on our island. Thank you so much for your help." Karisa exclaimed, a confident and trusting smile on her face.
"Tandaji, I wouldn't expect you to save someone like them. For these islanders, you are truly a miracle. I'd break that girl's skull to smithereens if you arrived a split second later; she wouldn't be able to take another strike."
Tandaji recognized Ayuka's voice, which was filled with gratitude. "I appreciate it..." Tandaji nodded in relief as she rested her shattered body on his shoulders. "Fighting someone like Jawjack took a lot of guts. You're a fierce warrior, so trust me when I say I'm here to guide you." He gently placed Ayuka's body against the wall, allowing her to take a break. "Stay here and don't move," With a nod, Ayuka acknowledged it and resumed normal breathing.
"I can finally repay you, old captain, by killing you." Tandaji drew his sword and drew his stance, readying himself for a fight. "Tandaji, you're not serious, are you? You think you're stronger than the girl who couldn't do anything to me? You were only a first mate, which is a lower rank than mine. So you're helpless, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
Tandaji was unconcerned with Jawjack's remarks and was aware of the problems he may face, but he was determined to win so that the inhabitants of Pelwick Island might once again live in peace.
"I'm perfectly aware that I'm not a match for you. Even though I lost against her, she did not murder me, therefore I am here to assist her by putting my life on the line."
"So, I see. That was the significance of the iceberg. You've already lost to her, and now you're attempting to help her in exchange for her not killing you? Tandaji, you're a strange pirate." He laughed hysterically once more and crossed his arms. "One more prey won't be too difficult to deal with!"
A scream of metal slicing through a tree reverberated across the neighborhood, and Codey rapidly spun the boomerang in his fingers in response. "And that should be the end of it." He stretched before grabbing the bottom of the trunk. "This ought to be simple!"
He started pulling, but it wasn't long before he realized he couldn't move the tree's trunk and instead sweated and moaned in frustration. He tried again, tensing his muscles this time, but slipped and fell. He jumped to his feet as his face smashed against the dirt.
"How heavy is this thing?!"
He wiped away the sweat from his fatigued face and smiled as he came up with an idea. "That's all there is to it!" With both palms, he reached for the tree's trunk and unleashed a tremendous wind that encircled the bottom of the trunk. He smiled as it lifted it with the help of Codey's power. "It's working!"
He began to push the tree forward, going closer and closer to the hole. "Everyone, look for corners and be cautious! I'm going to drop down a tree! Hurry!" He screamed, the tree still propped on his chest.
"Did he just say a tree?" One man inquire. Others began to stare at each other as a man swallowed, but one of the sweating men concurred. "All right, we'll do it!"
They all found their spots and alerted Codey of their readiness. He grinned and yanked the tree down with all his power. The tree sank into the hole as the wind lightened the trunk. Its bottom slammed against the floor, kicking up dust and leaving others perplexed. They were taken aback by the look of bewilderment on their faces.
After that, Codey took a few steps closer to the hole and stared down it. "All right, let's get climbing!" The men finally cheered up and smiled. They began crawling up the tree's trunk, and every one of them was safe and sound in less than three minutes.
"All right! We're leaving!" Codey remained motionless for a moment, sweating from the exhaustion he had experienced, and then smiled.
"Thank you for your help, young man! I'm not sure how we could thank you enough for being such a brave guy! Please let us know as soon as possible if you require anything from us!"
"Actually, I have something I'd want to question you about. It has to do with the missing girl. You mentioned that she vanished out of nowhere, that you got lost seeking for her, and that you then tumbled down here and became stuck. What's up with the girl, I'd like to know."
"To be honest, we have no idea what she is or who she is. She vanished today, and we were tasked with finding her. The longer we looked for her, though, the stranger things grew."
"What exactly does that imply?" Codey scratched the back of his head, hoping for a correct and understandable answer.
"One of the most interesting aspects of the girl is her disappearance. She is in one spot for one second and then in another for the next. We've begun to suspect that she isn't just a regular girl who got lost. There's something strange about her, which could indicate that she's a ghost or a spirit, but that's just a theory."
"I get what you're attempting to say. It's strange to me as well. I had previously seen the identical shadow of the girl, but when I arrived at the cave, she had vanished. She vanished without a trace."
"Look! There she is again!" When one of the men pointed, everyone turned around. The girl's form remained immobile, but she raised her arm and waved at them.
Codey took a serious tone right away. He stretched his right arm to the side while stretching the other in front of him. He extended his other arm and moved his left arm to align it with his chest. A gust of wind swirled around, causing a boomerang to appear. He took a solid stride forward and swung his arm forward as well.
The boomerang twisted up like a whirlwind as it blew through the forest mist. The boomerang phased through the silhouette as it closed in on the girl, blowing it away like smoke.
It whirled and became trapped in the tree, but the girl reappeared at the same location. "I should've figured it out a long time ago. She isn't real; she is merely a figment of the imagination. Like blown smoke, her silhouette waved in the mist. That being said, it's either a ruse or the girl is genuinely dead."
The eyes of the scouts widened. They trembled with fear and grew concerned. "There isn't a chance! She was simply reported missing today! How could she have died in such a short period of time?!" Incredulous, the man pondered. He suspected Codey of lying to them, but it was soon shown that the girl might actually be a spirit.
"But, I am not a spirit..." When her hushed voice reached the ears of others, they were all flabbergasted. At the time, Codey was also a little perplexed. "I suppose she can speak as well..."
"Shouldn't you be looking for your friend instead of seeking for me?"
"What exactly do you mean by that?! What friend, and why do we need to help them?" Codey felt puzzled. He was caught off guard and quickly heard the girl's explanation.
"Your friends. One of them is on the verge of drowning. He's been giving it his all under water, and if he will not get any air, he'll drown. It's not like it matters... Even if he manages to get away, he will be cursed. You never know, it may be a pretty bad curse."
"Who are you referring to? My companions went on a search for you in various parts of the island. So, which of them are you alluding to? Tell me right now, little girl!"
"It's the one by the lake. If you don't help him, he'll be in a lot of trouble. So hurry fast, the Abyssal Lions got hold of him. Stop hunting for a girl like me who isn't essential."
Codey finally grasped what had happened and froze in place. He began to shiver and make fists.
"You don't mean... You don't mean Tim, do you?!"
Tim's vision began to become considerably cloudier than usual, and his body began to weaken and soften.
("I can no longer hold my breath... Is there any kind of bottom to this lake?!") His eyes began to close slowly, but before he realized it, a light shined through the bottom. It was a hole, and it was only then that he realized he still had a chance to live.
He took a deep breath and began pulling his leg one last time. With his hands, he seized it and added strength. His hands began to spew flames, but they were quickly extinguished.
He swam forward and opened his mouth. He bit into the black tentacle without hesitation and watched as it unwrapped itself around his ankle.
He was now floating in the water, motionless, and the last of his breath was departing his body. Suddenly, he unexpectedly came into view of a creature that swam at him at full speed.
His eyes, shook as he became scared, and he quickly covered his mouth. He instantly swam toward the hole after seeing it, trailed by the unknown beast.
He felt movement behind him and as he turned around, he witnessed a huge maw gnawing at his torso with sharp fangs.
That's when his eyes, shook, and it became true. He was about to die.
To be continued...