Island of Dragons (Unwanteds #7)(68)

Liam continued to lag, and finally Aaron sent him back to Artimé with one of Gunnar’s injured team members, telling them to go to the hospital ward. That left eighteen. They began jogging eastward along the north shore of Quill, looking for signs of Artiméans, but for a long stretch they saw no one and feared the worst for Sky and her team.

“Perhaps Sky’s team has already joined the others in Artimé,” said Gunnar.

“I hope that’s it,” said Aaron. Neither of them believed it. They ran faster.

Finally they heard shouts and clangs of metal in the distance behind the Ancients Sector. Aaron and Gunnar’s squirrelicorns rose up, spotted something, and pointed out the direction. The leaders pressed doggedly onward with their teams struggling to keep up.

When they emerged from behind the new building that housed the Ancients, they stopped to rest and take in the scene. Pirates and Artiméans lay lifeless on the ground, but unlike at the other posts, there were more dead pirates and fewer dead Artiméans here.

A small band of pirates was waging a full attack on Sky’s team, with Sky keeping four of them at bay on her own. Carina was there too, with her team in the trees, as was Kaylee with hers. Kaylee had four or five pirates trying to best her, and she held them off, though it wasn’t clear how long she’d be able to keep it up. Claire and her team were close in on the white boat, and as Aaron and his group looked on, Claire’s team eased their way off the white boat and came creeping up through the shallow water toward the shore.

“Stay quiet,” Aaron whispered to his group, and pointed to Claire. “Let’s take our cue from Ms. Morning. When her team attacks, and the pirates turn to see what’s happening, we’ll come in from behind them and strike where they are most defenseless. I think we’ve got a chance here to do some damage. Stay strong!”

Ms. Morning spotted them and lifted her chin, looking straight at Aaron between the attackers. Aaron lifted his as well, and pointed at her to tell her that he was going to follow her lead.

Aaron’s team members crouched behind rocks and buildings, and when Ms. Morning signaled to her team to move, Aaron did the same to his.

Together they ran toward the melee from opposite sides, components drawn, and when the pirates turned to see Claire’s team emerging from the sea, Aaron raised his dagger in the air. “Now!” he cried. With his other hand he flung three heart attack components at the biggest pirate near Kaylee. Wings sprouted from the heart-shaped components and they flew straight and true, and struck the pirate in the back. His body jerked, and then his sword fell from his hands, and he hit the ground.

Everyone in Aaron’s and Claire’s teams dove into the fray. Aaron sent off another round of heart attack spells, hitting the next pirate near Kaylee, and then he did it once more, striking a third, his pockets emptying rapidly. Kaylee, realizing what was happening, focused on the fourth pirate. She kicked the woman’s shield aside and stabbed her sword into the pirate’s ample girth. Aaron saw it happen, and sent a single scatterclip flying at the pirate to finish her off, crying, “Die a thousand deaths!”

The woman fell, and all of Kaylee’s opponents were down. Kaylee wiped the sweat from her forehead and took a breath or two before continuing on. Aaron pivoted and began to work on the next group of pirates. Soon out of heart attack components, Aaron switched to scatterclips.

The other Artiméans were quickly running out of their strongest components as well. The battle raged on, though the numbers grew to be much more even than they had been. With few components left, the Artiméans made use of the swords and shields strewn about, with varying degrees of success—some had never touched a sword until that moment, while others had taken several classes with Mr. Appleblossom. Still they struggled to fend off the remaining pirates, with Kaylee and Sky taking point and Claire consistently firing noncomponent spells until her concentration was shattered by lack of sleep and the intensity of the battle. But their efforts paid off, and the pirates dropped one by one.

Out of components, but armed with his immortality and swift healing, Aaron valiantly threw himself in front of several of his comrades in danger, taking the brunt of many swords and saving a few lives in the process. He cringed and fought off the pain, and checked to make sure the wounds were shedding little blood and closing up as swiftly as the first one had. They were.

Momentum grew on the side of Artimé, and finally the last of the pirates dropped. The north-side Artiméan teams had prevailed, but barely. There was little celebration. Everyone was exhausted, and no one noticed that Charlie the gargoyle had been waving from the boat for the past thirty minutes to try to get the attention of anyone who could understand him.

Finally, as Sky limped to the sea to wash the blood off her hands and face, she saw the gargoyle and signed back to him.

Charlie went on a tear, signing desperately, but Sky knew the language well and followed it all. After a quick response, she turned to the ragged crew of Artiméans.

“Everyone!” Sky shouted, her voice crackling with dust and fear. “We have to hurry! The head pirate, Captain Baldhead, is attempting to take over the mansion. He has hundreds of pirates still coming ashore!”





A Solemn Discussion


The remaining members of the teams of Aaron, Liam, Gunnar, Sky, Kaylee, Carina, and Claire counted off. There were fewer than fifty of them in good enough shape to continue fighting. Several squirrelicorns circled above them, waiting for instructions.