Chapter Text
We had fought the serpentine and the skeletons separately before, but never together.
It was an ambush.
We were all on the Bounty fighting for our lives. Cole had thought it would be a good idea to dock for a couple hours to replenish our food. We had been flying for months trying to delay the inevitable battle hoping Lloyd would complete his training in time. Someone must have tipped them off when we were landing though, because within minutes we were surrounded.
“Protect the boy!” yelled Sensai across the deck.
Everything blurred together—bones, scales, shouting, the scream of the Bounty’s alarms. Cole knocked a skeleton into pieces but a serpentine picked up its arm and used it as a weapon; even if we defeat one we are still giving the others an advantage.
‘I wish I knew where Nya was right now’ I thought.
Zane whipped past me on a track of ice, freezing every skeleton he could see in place. But the more we defeated the more serpentine attacked. It was clear which team was in charge of the ambush. Only Pythor could have planned a strategy this foolproof.
We had been on the Bounty for so long we ran out of food days ago. Zane could make ice, which we could melt and drink, but man had I wished someone had the power of noodles—maybe even Mr. Chen’s, his are always the best. Going without food for so long made us weak, but Cole had taken the hardest hit. Even with his super strength he was still the weakest of us all.
He and Kai fought back to back, protecting each other. Cole lunged forward, landing a fatal strike on a Constrictai. Yet, in that split second, Kai’s back was exposed. Another Constrictai took the opening, wrapping his tail around Kai and squeezing. Hard.
We hear the air leave his lungs and Kai goes limp.
The snake throws him off the ship and continues to fight.
I hear his body hit the ground.
CRUNCH.
Everything freezes.
The sound echoes off the surrounding buildings, seemingly growing louder and louder.
We hear strangled breathing. I turn to Lloyd.
He stands in the doorway of the Bounty, hiding, but coming up to help.
His eyes glazed over, and flashes of green surround him.