The UNWANTEDS Island of Legends

A Looming Attack

At the sight of hundred lights picking the horizon in the direction of Warbler island, Alex Stowe, head mage of Artime, bounded into the mansion with  robes flying and leaped into stairs three in a stride. He didn't have time to look for his awful brother, Aardon. He didn't have time to comfort his newest friends, Sky and her younger brother, Crow, who felt for sure that the people of Warbler were coming to attack Artime because of them and their escape. Alex only had time to act.

                        Behind him came Simber, and behind simber cam Ms. Octavia, the octogator, nearly appearing to float through the air on her many tentacles. Alex dashed through the no-longer-a-secret hallway, past the two mysterious doors he had not yet been able to unlock, and then past the doors to his new living quarters and the Museum of Large. He turned left into his new office at the end of the hall way, by the picture window that overlooked Artime.

    Charlie the gargoyle was there already—- he spent a good deal of time in this wing of the mansion, still not getting over the loss of his creator, Mr. Today whose recent death had shaken Artime. Can you ask Matilda to contact us if she sees Aaron showing up at the palace tonight?" Alex asked Charlie. "also, find out if his wrists still shackled."

Charlie responded with a hand signal Alex had determined to mean "yes," though sky, who knew the sign language, had said something once about how that hand signal had a more complex meaning, like "yes" with an air of reverence, as if the gargoyle were acknowledging Alex as a king. It made Alex feel a little embarrassed to be referred to in a manner, but Sky had said it would be insulting to Charlie if Alex asked him to stop, so the new mage reluctantly accepted it.

"Thanks," Alex said. He drummed his fingers nervously on the desk and sorted through a stack of papers, not really seeing them, just keeping his fingers busy as if to mimic the speed of the wheels turning his head Simber and Ms. Octavia entered the office and took their places. Claire Morning and Gunnar Haluki, both recovered from their brushes with death, were not far behind. Tailing them was Florence, who had stayed back to be sure everyone made it safely inside to the mansion to await for their instructions.

Alex stood abruptly and paced the floor, distracted by a whirlwind of thoughts and not knowing quite how or where to start preparing for and attack at home. Crow had cried out that it was the birds of Warbler coming to get them, but Alex thought it was more likely that the dots of light were from Queen Eagala's fleet of ships she'd been building for years now. Sky had said there wee many could be heading to Artime to attack.

"But of course they must be," muttered Alex. "Don't be ridiculous." He looked up when the floor shook slightly Florence had taken her seat. The strange party of humans, statues , and creatures glanced uneasily about, quite possibility because of Alex's strange mumblings. Not a single one in the room had been around to see Alex's forced evolution from boy to head mage back when Artime had turned to dust, the creatures rendered lifeless when and the humans nearly so from lack of food and water. And while Alex, after a number of stumbles and amid countless moments of despair, had proven to be quite worthy of taking the place of their beloved leader, Mr. Today, the team had not been there to witness the worst of the situation

Alex looked around the room, thankful for perhaps the eighty-seven millionth time that the eyes that sought his belonged to this particular group of advisors. He opened his lips to greet them, but hesitated both in speaking and in pacing. Instead he took a moment to really consider who sat with him at his pivotal juncture: Simber, the Prine stone woman who had almost without effort grown to be Alex's confidant first mate. Florance, the enormous statue who leads the magical warriors of Artime , Tristan the stone angle, and  Prime Minister of Artime. Ms. Octavia, the art instructor, one of Mr. Today's most gifted, trusted and outspoken creations. Gunnar Haluki, the former high priest of Quill and the father of Alex's dear and valuable friends Leah and Isaiah. And Claire morning, Mr. Today's daughter, a musical genius and a nurturer rather than leader, by her own hand-picked-team—— and they were among the best of Artime.

Alex tapped his lips. "How much time do we have before they get here, Sim?" Several hours. Likely Moreeee," replied the beast Alex nodded "I'll be bright back," he said He strode to the rear wall of the office, uttered a spell, and went through the secret magic door that lead into his private head quarters. " Clive," he called Alex's black board took on a slight glow in the dark room. A face pressed out of it. "Yes, m'Lord?" "Knock it off," Alex muttered. "I need you to summon Samheed Burkesh, Carina Holiday, and Sean Ranger. Have them come to my office at once." Certainly, Your grace."

Come in. Are sky and Crow all right?" Alex asked "Lani and Meg are calming them down." Unconsciously Samheed touched the scars on his neck. "They're upset about what the leaders are tell you at Warbler," he said. He sat down and jiggled his foot. "That queen Eagala would come after anyone who escaped, identifying them by their orange eyes, and kill them. Lani and I nearly busted up laughing the first time we heard that back in Warbler, but now Crow and Sky are really afraid. And upset because of what they've brought on us by escaping and landing here. Sky is a mess over it. I was afraid of that."

Samheed looked like he was full of questions, but apparently he knew enough not to ask them now. Alex Glanced at Simber, as if he wanted the giant stone cheetah's approval of the decision to invite these friends to the meeting. Simber dipped his head slightly, barley a nod, but the meaning was clear to Alex that Simber thought well of the plan.

Alex expelled a breath, trying to push his nervousness out corner of it. "Hi everyone. Thank you for coming so quickly," he said. He looked at the three new, earnest faces in the room and felt immediately assured he'd made the right choice. "Now then," he continued, clasping his hands in his lap, "Now then," he continued clasping his hands in his lap, "lets figure this all out, shall we?"

It was the voice of a leader. A leader who for perhaps the first time, felt and sounded quite sure of himself