The Mermaid-Cursed Pirate

Chapter 22

Recap:

Sirena considers the offer, then asks "Hand-to-hand in the fighting ring or island hunt?"

"Island hunt!" Charlie chooses with an evil glint in his eyes. "But make sure there's no poison on your weapons.

"So be it," Sirena concedes with an equally evil grin.

They shake hands and Pan becomes worried for their safety. This will be a vicious duel between the two good friends. It was all in fun, but they had placed some high stakes on it. High to them, at least. On the other hand, Sirena had interacted with him and didn't seem to be upset by it. Maybe there was some hope for him after all. It would take some time, but time was endless on Neverland.

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The following day, Sirena woke up to the sound of the dueling horn. The low sound always gave her an eerie excitement. The horn was very different from the warning horn, the attack horn, and the retreat horn. Those sounds didn't have the haunting quality the duel horn had, almost like a bad omen was being declared. There were duels every day for training against pirates and other threats. But the horn was reserved for duels that were settling disputes. These disputes could have insignificant or life-altering results.

Sirena got dressed in her combat outfit, complete with a green cape that would help her blend in. She gathered all her weapons and cleaned off the Dreamshade poison. Her goal was not to harm Charlie but to get him to forfeit as soon as possible. She would not forfeit in this fight, she never did. Finally, she sheaths her sword and puts the hood over her head. She enters the camp and goes to the center of camp, where everyone was waiting around the Great Fire.

The rules of Island Hunt where known to all Lost Boys. The two people fighting, the captains, chose half of the participating Lost Boys to be on their side. Each side then sets up a base and Pan flies to the middle of the island when both parties are ready, then blows the attack horn. If you get cut anywhere on your torso, you are "dead" and go back to camp. The first party to "kill" all the soldiers on the opposing side chooses the weapons for the final battle at midnight. If neither team gets eliminated before dusk, each person is allowed only 1 weapon of their own choice or the captains can call a truce. The final battle is when the victor is decided. It is fought in the forest, in the dark, and only between the two captains. If a captain is "killed" during the hunt, the other captain wins the duel by default.

"I assume everyone remembers the rules of an Island Hunt?" Pan questions. Everyone nods. "The captains, Charlie and Sirena, will now begin choosing sides. Sirena challenged Charlie, so he will pick first."

"Felix," he calls. Felix goes to his side.

"Pan," Sirena calls with a blank face and flat voice, surprising everyone. Usually, Pan is not chosen or refuses to fight. All eyes turn to Pan.

"Are you sure, Sirena? I don't want to break my promise."

"I'm sure. Do you agree to fight?"

He nods and walks to her side. They continue calling out names until everyone who wants to fight has been chosen. The younger boys and Nathan, one of the first Lost Boys, decided to stay at camp to protect it.

Pan claps his hands to get the boys' attention. "Because I am fighting in the Island hunt, each party will be given a half hour to set up. Then Nathan will blow the attack horn from camp and the hunt begins, whether you are ready or not. Understood?"

The boys nod and the two sides are dismissed and leave to find a place to make their base. Sirena silently leads her boys into the forest, but then turns to take them to Mermaid Lagoon.

"Typical," Pan mutters under his breath.

"What was that?" Sirena barks.

"Nothing at all," he replies with a smile.

Sirena rolls her eyes, but a slight smile creeps onto her lips, which Pan doesn't miss. "Alright boys, here's the plan. We take to the trees. Charlie likes to make traps along the paths, so we climb and strike from above. Everyone has cleaned the Dreamshade off their weapons, correct?" The boys nod. "All archers aim for the shoulders from the back. That will be considered a kill, and I can heal that without draining too much energy. Pan and I will go into hiding to make it harder for our party to lose. Make me proud and do your worst." Everyone nodded again and went to the tree line, immediately climbing and making their way through the forest. Everyone except Pan and Sirena.

"Why are you doing this? I meant you guys could do hand-to-hand in the fighting ring. This is not a disagreement that's worth an Island Hunt."

"Charlie seems to think so. I gave Charlie the choice and this is what he chose. That's the rules, Pan. You know that because you made them."

"But you guys were just joking around. You two are the best of friends, you're like an older sister to him. I know, he told me that when you left the Lost Boys."

"Then you would know this is all in good fun as well. He's young, Pan. All of this is fun and exciting to him, nothing more. He doesn't wish to hurt me. I don't want to hurt him either. That's why I am going to trust you with a secret, so my team can't lose. As long as we don't get 'killed,' it can be a truce. Come with me." She walks to the water and transforms. Peter steps closer but doesn't enter the water.

"Where are we going?" he questions.

"I'm trusting you, so I'm asking you to trust me." She holds out her hand to him. He steps into the water, and Sirena waves her other hand over his face and something like a bubble attaches itself to his mouth and nose. "Now hold on tight. If you let go, the spell willfade, and you can't breathe underwater without it."