“Absolutely,” the Scavenger remarked.
Archer rubbed his hands. “So how do we know when the Island gets attacked?”
The Scavenger placed a device beeping with a green light on the table. “As soon as the light turns red, that’s the indicator that the Island has been attacked.”
“So, how long?” Daniel asked.
“Who knows?” the Scavenger said. “You can do all the time-pass you want during this time. Just explore the cave. It’s beautiful.”
The children strolled to a garden inside the cave and started playing with various features of the FLICK. In the evening, they all went through the finer details of their plan.
The next morning, the device started beeping red.
The Island of Human had been attacked.
The Scavenger announced, “It’s time.”
They got up and started walking up the staircase. The children had energy serums ready. In the war with the Skull Warrior, the energy serums had helped them a lot, rejuvenating them whenever they were exhausted. This time too, the Herbologists had come to the Island of Humans to help them and had loaded stocks of energy serums for their use.
The Scavenger said, “I communicated with the Unicorn King. He will be here in two hours. We will launch our attack in exactly one-and-a-half hours from now.”
They got out of the underground bandits’ lair. The Scavenger kicked the banyan tree in a particular way, closing the lid to the lair.
They walked silently through the forest and reached the entrance to Cotton Village.
They climbed a tall tree, taking powerful binoculars with them. There was heavy security deployment with Demons on hounds occupying every nook and corner of the village. It seemed Osay had prepared for the war well.
The Scavenger snapped his fingers. Four cannons appeared on the ground along with bags of ammunition and explosives. The Scavenger put the cannonballs into the cannons and said, “We need to use them slowly and judiciously. They will refill themselves. And remember, there will be warriors running towards us almost immediately after we attack. Don’t try to engage them and just keep firing. I will take them on. Use your Elemental Powers if they get too close.”
The children nodded.
The Scavenger looked at the time. “The allies will reach in half an hour.”
The children put a brick-like thing in the slot of the cannons and stepped away.
The cannons fired.
The final war had begun.
18
Osay’s army was fast approaching the Island of Humans.
Pyros stood with Thomas and Staler at the Island’s walls, watching the enemy’s march through his binocular. He put down the binoculars and pressed a device, alerting the Scavenger that the enemy had attacked.
“It’s time,” Pyros said.
Thomas turned back. Hundreds of humans and the Brentinute appeared tense but determined. They were carrying bows, arrows and the advanced weapons made by the scientists.
As Osay’s army reached near the entrance of the Island, Thomas shook hands with Pyros and Staler and whispered, “Let’s win this.”
The traps activated. Bombs lining the sea bed exploded, shooting powerful jets of water upwards. The soldiers at the front of the enemy army were thrown in all directions.
The hounds jumped, but the sea vines sucked them inside the water. Those that escaped were struck down by a barrage of arrows shot by the humans. Fire and poison on the tips of the arrows caused extensive damage to the enemy.
The enemy army was taken by surprise. Vast columns of water shot up from the sea, forcing the army to move sideways. But as they moved, they fell prey to grenades.
The traps were effective but were not enough in number.
The advance weaponry designed by the scientists proved effective too. A small rectangular box called the Electrifier, which on touching the water started spewing electricity, caused havoc on the enemy. The electricity travelled across the water, burning armours and knocking out the hounds into the sea.
The enemy army changed tactics. Instead of marching ahead, they started to shoot arrows towards the Island.
Thomas turned behind and roared, “ACTIVATE THE SHIELD!”
Blue light emerged from various spots on the walls. It went upwards and, all of a sudden, a protective dome formed around the entire Island. The dome protected the Island from the enemy’s arrows.
Pyros was worried. “There’s no way we can win this way. The dome could crumble soon. We need to think of something else, fast. Can we call the Greenies?”
Thomas said, “I am refraining from calling the Greenies. They would be effective only when the enemy breaches the Island. We need to take a calculated risk and allow the enemy to close in on us. When the dome cracks, there will not be any other option than to call the Greenies.”
Pyros nodded.
The enemy continued to shoot a barrage of arrows and cannon balls. The dome started weakening. The hounds seethed with rage, their teeth and claws bared for an attack. Little by little, Thomas’s army started to lose their confidence.
There was a loud blast. The dome cracked and evaporated into the air. There was a roar from the hounds as they approached the walls of the Island.
“It’s time, Thomas!” Pyros felt energized after drinking the energy serum. “They are on the walls! Summon the Greenies!”
Thomas moved at once for the bracelet on his hand.
That’s when things started to go downhill.
An arrow stuck right at the floor below Thomas’s foot. A second later, it blasted.
Thomas flew off the wall due to the impact of the blast.
Pyros was able to cover his eyes and head just before the arrow blasted. Thomas landed on the beach with a thud. As he steadied himself, he was shocked.
The bracelet was missing.
Thomas ran towards Pyros and Staler in desperation.
Pyros narrated that as soon as the arrow blasted, the bracelet flew from the hands of Thomas and went spiralling past him. Staler tried his best to catch it but in vain.
The bracelet fell towards the other side and got lost in the water.
“Oh my god!” Thomas
