Cirque Periculum

Chapter 24

"Kirk, wake up!"

Adam kicked ferociously as he plunged Kirk's head underwater for the umpteenth time. You better wake up this time or I'll just leave you here.

He laboriously pulled him back up, Kirk sputtering and cursing and flailing about.

"What the- where are we?" Kirk yelled.

"We have to keep going! We're going to die. They're coming for us."

"Who? Oh..."

Kirk blinked enough to see a large ship plowing at full speed towards them. Right at them. Point heading straight to tear them apart.

Kirk gathered energy for a jump, grabbing Adam.

"We'll be cutting it close. Hopefully I can charge before the ship charges us."

"Wow, creative."

"Thank you."

The head of the ship was now a giant black shadow over them. Adam closed his eyes, bracing for impact.

POP!

He opened his eyes and found himself staring at the back of the boat sailing away from him. Kirk sputtered next to him, trying to keep his head above water.

"Time to motorboat to the mainland!" Adam shouted, grabbing Kirk before pulsing behind him. They launched forward, the city's twinkling lights ahead of them set against the setting sun.

It was a short time later they arrived on shore. The train visible to them, they sprinted towards it.

"We need to move quickly. Camp Caute can't interfere with Connor and Riley. I don't know what Riley needs Meridian for, but it's probably important."

"No shit Sherlock." Kirk said flatly, racing towards the train.

"Kirk is rude under pressure," Adam whispered under his breath.

They found Meridian in the train car with bars on the front, classic train car for animals. It smelled like that was what it was used for recently, even though Adam knew that they had no animals save for Mr. Summertin's chalk drawings.

"Meridian!" Adam exclaimed when he saw her. She looked awful. Black rings under her eyes. Her eyes themselves were glazed over, defeated. Her hair in disarray.

Still, when she heard his voice, she perked up instantly, looking around for him. Upon finding him, she almost smiled. "Adam. What are you doing here?"

"We're breaking you out of here," Adam said. "Mr. Summertin took Riley and Connor down to get the Alchemist's Mirror. Riley told me to get you. That you could stop him."

"I'm not sure why she would think of me," Meridian said.

"Camp Caute is there, attacking."

Meridian looked down pensively. "I knew this day would come. We can't let either Summertin get their hands on the mirror."

"Either Summertin?" Adam asked.

"Mr. Summertin's brother is the head of Camp Caute," Meridian said dismissively. "They both want to resurrect the Alchemist. That would mean certain doom for all of us!"

"Isn't he the origin of all magic?" Adam asked. "Couldn't it be a good thing for the Alchemist to come back? He could help us."

"Adam, when he was alive, he merely to enslaved us. If he were to come back, it wouldn't be good."

Something glowed in the train car. Puzzled, Meridian looked down at her forearm. Her puzzling glance turned to fear, the mark of the Alchemist glowing brightly on her arm- a silver moon encompassed by the symbol of life.

"How- they must have failed," Meridian said. "Boys return to the island as fast as you can, I'm afraid I'll have to meet you there."

"We haven't even let you out yet!" Adam exclaimed. "How are you going to meet us there?"

Meridian didn't have a chance to respond. She simply disappeared.

Adam and Kirk stood dumbstruck for a moment. They made eye contact, and Adam balled his fists.

"That was a COMPLETE waste of time! Inconsiderate. Despicable. Now we have to find a way back."

"We would've had to anyways," Kirk said. "Meridian couldn't carry both of us. We'll just hijack a boat or something."

"You're right. How rude of me."

"Let's go."

They hijack a boat and hurry back to the island.