So. How'd I get such a weird job anyways?

It was actually because of my oldest brother. Howler doesn't look like other Lupes-he's a Darigan-Tyrannian hyrbrid, and to boot, he's got red fur, too. Because his Tyrannian and Darigan parts look pretty scary to some people, Howler sometimes has to deal with really simple-minded pets.

He was visiting a friend, and on the way home, got attacked by a group of hybrid-haters. He managed to get a message to Fiery, who immediately came down in her fire Draik form to help out. She managed to get Howler out of there, but it was pretty clear this needed some time to blow over.

Back home, Fiery called all of us together. My family's a pretty varied bunch; Fiery, a human despite her Draik guise, Howler, a hybrid Lupe, Orange Mane, a mean bully of a mutant Tonu, Forest, a rainbow Kougra, and me, back then a plain blue Zafara.

She said that Howler would have to leave our Mystery Island home for a while, and he would be staying with our friend Saber. Now, to get to Saber's house, would have to use a ship (he has wings, but they're too small for flying).

Fiery's plan to keep any mercenaries at bay called for muscle. Obviously she would go as a Draik. OM, all spikes and green drool, would probably be persuaded to go because he'd get to fight, and Forest with his nimble claws and agility would also be useful. I didn't know much in the way of fighting, and I sure wasn't well-equipped for it. Obviously, I'd be the one going with Howler, to make sure he got there safely and help him while he was hidden.

Well, the only crew Fiery had thought good to hire was a pirate crew. She could pay them enough to keep quiet about Howler, and feed them a little superstition about what would happen to the ship were Howler killed. He was a storm imprisoned in a Lupe's body, it was said, and if the storm's body was destroyed, it would take the ship with it.

The ship was called The Bleak Claw, and a bleak ship it was. I thought it was pretty stupid of the pirates to make their ship out of black wood, then park it in the Mystery Island docks. As we approached the ship, Howler in a thick cloak that hid his fangs, wings, eyes, and red fur, I saw a pirate Lenny walking about the deck, squawking at several members of the crew.

I guess that's the captain, I said to Howler. Howler nodded.

A pirate Korbat in the Crokabek's nest suddenly noticed us, and flapped down to the dock. You're Howler an' Draco, aye?

I nodded. That's us.

The Korbat sighed. Tha's a relief, mate. The cap'n's mighty upset...the crew wasn' supposed to dock the ship here.

Howler said, Yes, news traveled fast. It's how we knew to look here.

The Korbat nodded, and said, Well, come on board. The Captain'll be wantin' to get out of here as soon as possible. Give me a moment, an' I'll lower the gangplank for ya.

We got on board the ship, and went to meet the Captain. He was still furious at the crew, his mood sour even as the Island began to disappear behind us. Welcome ter the ship an' all that. I'm Cap'n Lance. The Lupe goes below deck. I s'pect you down thar too, Zafara, unless yer workin' as planned.

That wasn't part of the deal! Howler protested.

Is now, Lance said, clacking his beak. Go 'head an' get the Lupe situated, then there's a mop waitin' fer ya.

Howler's teeth were bared all the way down to the lower deck. He took off his cloak as soon as we found the room with a storm cloud painted on the door. This is ridiculous, he growled. This was not part of the bargain!

It'll be okay I said, trying to convince myself of this at the same time. Seriously, it's no big deal. I mean, I'll probably just be swabbing the decks.

Maybe for now that's all it is, Howler predicted, But I wouldn't be certain that's all he'll make you do.

Howler was right. At first, all I was doing was mopping the deck. But soon, I was also taking over for the cook when he felt lazy (which was a lot), doing the dishes, tying knots, mending sails, organizing heaps of treasure while being watched by Skorn, the first mate Tonu.

I didn't like the pirates. They always smelled like grog, their accents were harsh and difficult to understand, and it was easy to see that they didn't like me. I was just some land pet, a slow worker just convenient enough to get them all out of work. I had been hoping that I might get to learn some sword fighting while on the ship, but the only training I got was watching a couple pirate duels while I swabbed the decks. It's hard to see technique when the pirates are fighting fast, and when you're trying to keep from getting splinters in your paw.

There was a strange barrel on the ship that I couldn't help noticing. When he wasn't watching me sort treasure, the Tonu first mate joined a Grarrl and Skeith near the barrel, guarding it from me and the rest of the crew. Only Captain Lance was allowed to go near it, which he did at least once a day. I didn't know what was inside, and I didn't really care either.

At least, not until the ship was attacked by another band of pirates.

The ship came up on us before we saw it coming. The Korbat in the Crokabek's nest said it had come "out of nowhere," and there wasn't even time to prepare the cannons.

The other ship didn't fire, but pirates came over on ropes they tossed onto our ship, with sharp spikes that tore the wood. The first pirate to land was a pirate Eyrie, who'd flown across instead of flinging a rope. Following him was a pirate Xwetook, a Gelert, and a Moehog. On the Moehog's back was a pirate Doglefox, who bounded toward the pirate Eyrie.

Captain Lance leapt forward, followed by the his first mate and the Grarrl and Skeith. Arrr! What're you doin' here?

The pirate Eyrie stepped forward, his big paws thumping against the deck. Ah, keep yer feathers on! To the rest of the crew, he said, I'm Cap'n Torrents, this be the crew of the Thunderbird, and we be comin' ter take somethin' dangerous off o' yer paws. Er, wings, sorry, Lance.

Captain Lance's feathers puffed up. I can handle me treasure, Torrents!

Captain, Torrents corrected mildly. Not this treasure, ye can't.

How dare you-

Well, if ya don' believe me, I gotta friend who could tell ya otherwise.

I don't need to hear it!

I stepped forward. What's he got that's so dangerous?

The pirate Eyrie stared at me for a moment. Yeh don' look like part o' the crew...thought you wanted everybody t'be pirate-colored, Lance?

She's not part of the crew! Lance squawked.

I do enough work to be! I snapped back. It's in that barrel there...uh, Captain. What is it?

The pirate Eyrie's eyes flicked toward the barrel. Just as quickly, Lance and the three pirates with him drew their swords. Following suit, so did the rest of the crew.

Torrents sighed. Yer no' honestly gonna try to do this, are ye? C'mon Lance, ya remember last time.

I've gotten better! Lance hissed. And I've go' the 'vantage o' numbers!

Don' they always think that, Charybdis? Torrents said sadly, speaking to the pirate Xweetok.

The Xweetok grinned. At first, she said, then leapt forward, yanking three daggers from her belt, one in each front paw, and one in her tail. Landing in front of the crew, she flicked the daggers, and they extended into long swords. Her grin widened, and she winked at me.

The Gelert pulled out a sword as well, but he was holding it strangely. Seconds later, I saw why; another sword blade came out of the bottom of the hilt. The Moehog lowered his head, ready to charge, and Captain Torrents let out a screech.

The pirates lunged. It was easy to see who was going to win. Even though there were more Bleak Claw pirates, the Thunderbird crew were better fighter. I watched the battle excitedly, especially impressed by Charybdis, who used each sword perfectly, even though she was using three at once, and one with her tail. I never imagined holding anything in my tail, let alone being so good at using it.

The Moehog bowled pirates over, dodging their tusks, and the Gelert was a master with his two-bladed weapon, flipping and turning and smirking as he fought off the pirates.

Torrents was fighting Lance and his three pirates paw-to-paw, though I saw a sword in his belt. The little Dogelfox helped too, snapping at the big pirate's ankles and darting away again. But even though Torrents was the better fighter, he couldn't dodge a blow from Lance's sword hilt, which knocked the Eyrie to the ground, dazed.

Lance raised his sword, and I charge. Not for Lance, because that would have been stupid, but the barrel. I lifted it up, surprised and glad that it was light, and held it over the railing. LANCE! I shouted over the din of clanking swords.

Instantly, everyone froze.

Torrents shook his head, taking a step away from the pirates. I wouldn't recommend ye drop that, lass.

Snapping his beak, Lance said, Neither would I! Put it down! He took a step toward me.

Torrents 'brawked', and stepped in front of the enraged Lenny. Easy there, mate! Ye don' want her droppin' 'em, don' threaten her!

Lance paid no head to the Eyrie's words. Drop it, Zafara! he shouted.

There was a slam of wood, and a loud snarling bark. We all whirled to see Howler stepping into view, having just slammed open the door. His fangs and his eyes gleamed in the light of the ships deck, flashing silver and red on the pirates' swords. He'd flared his wings, and even though they were small, that seemed to scare the pirates even more. Step back, Lance, Howler growled.

Torrents blinked, then said admiringly, Well, tha' is a magnif'cent color ya got there! Some brushes mix up on ya?

Howler didn't take his eyes off of Lance, but said, No, Captain, this is all my inheritance. There is no brush that will give you such a color.

Torrents laughed. Arr, not a problem fer me! I like me coat jus' the way it is. Ya couldn' get me ter part with it unless...unless ye gave me enough ter buy another brush. He grinned at Lance, who clacked his beak, obviously not amused.

What's going on here, Captain? Howler asked, glancing at Torrents so that Lance wouldn't think my brother meant him. Why would it be such a big deal for Draco to drop the barrel? He glanced at me, and added, Don't put those down.

Never crossed my mind, I said, thinking forlornly of all of the trouble we'd gotten ourselves into now. A battle between pirates, Howler discovered...

Torrents' face became grim. Aye, the shells inside that barrel be valuable. An' no' just in monetary value. No...those shells are both gifted and cursed. Yeh carry one around, an' it gives yeh an ability...and then one day, poof, yer doin' the shells biddin' instead o' your own.

Pirate rubbish! Lance spat.

It does sound rather far-fetched, Captain, Howler agreed.

Charybdis, each sword at a pirate's throat, said, Aye, it does. But it's the truth. We've seen several pirates corrupted lready.

Torrents nodded, but Lance snorted. C'mon! How d'you decide that a pirate's been 'corrupted'?

Well, Torrents said calmly, A normally sensible captain smashin' his ship ter bits against the rocks- on purpose- seems a tad crazy ter me.

Lance cawed derisively. There's no proof o' that, cept in stories! You listenin' to the lore o' the seas, Torrents?

Matter o' fact, yeah. An' the seas know more'n you do. But y'know the shells don' sell for much, less ya tell others what they can do...an' conveniently leave out the consequences?

Lance stamped a claw. Yeah, I'll tell a customer they can grant wishes or some such nonsense. Bu' I know they don't have any power!

Tha's where yer wrong, Lance. Torrents shook mane from his face. Wha' would happen, ya think, if I stabbed one o' yer shells with a maractite dagger?

It would shatter, ya nimwit!

Normally, yeah, the shell'd shatter. Bu' these shells...well, let me show ya.

Yer not touching my goods, Torrents!

Torrents turned toward me. Would ya mind tossin me one o' those shells there lass?

Don't you dare! Lance shrieked. Or these three'll be on ya in a heartbeat! The Grarrl, Tonu, and Skeith turned their eyes on me. I glared back, but hesitated to open the barrel.

Ah, don' worry 'bout those lugs, Torrents growled. They take one step toward ya, Charybdis's got my permission ter remove limbs. I saw the Xweetok nod, and shoot a fierce grin in their direction.

Howler? My brother narrowed his glowing eyes at Lance, then turned to Torrents.

Touching it will not activate this corruptive bond, I assume?

Nope, Torrents replied. Usin' the shell ter do something magic, tha's how it starts. She'll be fine, so long as she tosses it over here right away.

Howler studied the pirate eyrie for a moment, then nodded.Go ahead, Draco.

I lifted the barrel lid. Inside were shells, hundreds, maybe thousands, of jade-colored shells. They reminded me of the scallop seashells we found back home on Mystery Island, or the ones on an Island Zafara necklace.

I picked one of them up, holding it between two fingers. I was afraid some voice might appear in my head or something, trying to make me use the shell's power… but nothing happened. It felt like a perfectly normal shell.

I tossed it to Torrents, and the pirate Eyrie snatched it from the air with one paw. He pulled out a maractite dagger from his belt with the other paw.

Lance was vibrating with fury, and I was sure he wanted to send his minions to attack Torrents. But Charybdis was watching them, and they'd already seen how fast she and her three swords could move. Wisely, Lance didn't make them charge.

Torrents set the shell on the deck, and raised the maractite dagger. He smirked once at Lance, then let the dagger plunge toward the shell.

Charybdis pounced toward me and Howler, and hissed, Get ready to grab a rope and swing over!

Torrents' dagger touched the shell, and from the shell came a huge, thick plume of near-black smoke that was actually really dark green. Le's go! I heard Torrents caw, and then Charybdis was handing me a rope.

I'll take the shells! she told me, and I nodded, running toward the deck railing, clinging to the rope. I pounced onto the railing, then forward. The rope was rough, but I held on, hearing the sea roar beneath me.

And suddenly, my feet were on another ship's deck. I tossed the rope back, and a moment later, Howler landed next to me. He tossed the rope into the smoke, and when it swung back, Charybdis was holding onto it with one paw, the other holding the barrel.

Torrents landed beside the steering wheel, and snapped, Le's get a move on!

Aye, Captain! Charybdis said, setting down the barrel, and heading for a set of levers near the front of the ship. She yanked one, called to Howler and I, Hold tight! And then the ship was flying forward, out of the green fog, and toward a clear sky and calm waters. I held onto the railing as tight as I could; I think Howler left claw marks in the floor.

Suddenly the boat slowed, until it was only being moved by wind in the sails. I looked back; Lance's ship was just a tiny dot, surrounded by fading smoke.

Idiot, Torrents muttered, trotting down the stairs, leaving the wheel to the Gelert, his double-bladed sword tucked away again.

He came toward me and Howler, and said, Welcome to th' Thunderbird. Consider yerselves our guests, 'til we find some land. He glanced behind him, and grumbled, Maybe I'll send Tag with ya.

The pirate Doglefox stepped into view, grinning up at the pirate with what I'm sure was vicious happiness.

What is going on, Captain? Howler demanded. Is this just theft, or is there truth to what you say?

In answer, Torrents held up one of the jade shells. There was a puncture hole in its center, surrounded by flecks of maractite. This's the shell I stabbed, he explained. Normal shells don' eek smoke.

I glanced at Howler, and knew he was convinced.

What're you gonna do with the rest of the shells? I asked, motioning toward the barrel.

Stab 'em all. Then hide them somewhere. We think lettin all the smoke out destroys the shell's magic, but we aren' sure.

...Why did you bother doing this? Howler asked.

Torrents sighed. There's a lo' of stuff out here in the sea tha' can harm anyone, pirate, merchant, or otherwise. An' we all need each other...well, the merchants maybe not us. But anyway...sea lore's full of tales about dangerous objects, fearsome monsters, haunted ships an' ghost captains makin' deals for the livin's souls. As a seafarer myself...Well, I can' let all these things run amuck.

What sort of monsters? Howler asked.

Ya ever heard of the Kraken? Big, nasty thing kinda like a squid...only bigger, bigger than this ship, bigger than most islands! It was a devourer o' ships, and it swam under the command of Davy Jones, the most fearsome pirate ter sail the seas...

I thought that was Captain Scarblade?

Scarblade was nothin' ter Davy Jones. Arr, nothin'!

And does this Kraken still scour the seas?

No...no, the Kraken was killed, an' later, his master was too, by the workings of another pirate Captain. An' now, that's what I do; fight monsters like the Kraken, remove deadly mystical object from other ships...kinda me, repayin' the sea fer all its done. I used to be a real good, traditional pirate.

While Howler and I stood in awe, me trying to imagine a squid bigger than the boat- it would have to be at least as big as a Titanic Giant Squid, which I'd never seen before- when Charybdis shouted, Captain! There's a shell missing!

Torrents held up his shell. It's right here, Charybdis...

A shell besides that one, Captain.

Torrents looked from the shell in his paw, to the barrel, to the shell in his paw again...then his feathers puffed. CURSE YA FER BREATHIN' LANCE! he shouted, slamming the shell onto the deck.

What is it? Howler asked.

He took one! That mangy featherbrain took one o' the shells! He musta grabbed one before we even got there!

I'm sure he only miscounted, Howler said.

Torrents shook his head. No...There are exactly two-hundred and twenty-six shells, an' Lance goes fer complete sets!

Sir! Charybdis said. You have to take these two to shore! The-

No! I shouted. It was weird; I didn't like pirates much, they were thieves after all...but these pirates seemed good enough, and besides, I wanted to get back at Lance for all those hours of deck swabbing. I wanna help!

Charybdis shook her head. No...maybe if... She looked up at Torrents, who was staring at her in horrified silence. He took the rainbow shell, Captain.

The pirate Eyrie slammed the deck with a paw. Curse him, he growled. If he puts that on, we're dead.

Howler suddenly spoke. Captain...I believe you might actually have convinced Torrents to at least worry about the shells...my guess would be that he won't attempt to put it on unless he desperately needs to.

Lance is a fool, Torrents said bluntly. There's no guarantee he won't have used it. Still...we gotta take our chances...fer the sake o' the sea...

Agreed, Howler said. But I would like to drop my sister off somewhere safe first.

I exploded. I'm stayin' right here, Howler! I'm not a kid anymore, I can handle it!

Howler stared at me for a moment, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. It's kind of hard to read emotions in pure-red eyes. You have changed, he muttered. The Draco who first came home wouldn't have stepped into the middle of a battle the way you did.

I folded my arms. Glad you agree, Howler. So...what do we do...Captain?

Torrents rustled his wings. Well...first, we gotta find the Bleak Claw. Then, we'll have to either take down Lance- no' likely, if he's wearin' the shell- or take the shell off him- equally unlikely, if he's wearin' it. So...our chances're low. But the longer we wait, the lower they get, so. He let out a sharp caw, and the Gelert spun the wheel of the ship.

Le's get a move on! the captain growled to the sky, planting his paws firmly on the deck.

It was a long trip. Once we found where we thought the ship would be, we had to actually get there. We saw the ship once or twice, but it always disappeared quickly. Torrents said this was a bad sign. It meant that Lance might be wearing the shell, and was using it to make the ship vanish.

One night, I asked Charybdis what was so important about the shell. Looking worried, she told me. The rainbow shell...it's one of the two-hundred twenty-six wish-granting shells created. It's one of the least powerful, compared to the abilities some of the other shells have granted...but the rainbow shell doesn't destroy the mind. In some ways, that makes it safer, but in others...there's still a lot of power in that shell.

I stared at her. So if Lance has that shell...he's got a power, and he's not gonna be crazy?

Charybdis shrugged, and said, Yeah. That's the gist of it.

Finally, through a stroke of luck, we found the Bleak Claw. Torrents shouted orders, mostly just making us get our weapons on. Charybdis had started teaching me some sword fighting, just enough that I could block and parry a little. I still won a lot of practice fights, because I used my fists and feet too.

The ship was completely empty. Without speaking aloud, we all seemed to decide that this was some sort of trap. Baffled, Torrents' crew, Howler, and I, gathered around the ship's wheel.

I don' like the look o' this, Torrents said bluntly.

Me either, I muttered. There was definitely something creepy about the ship's silence...Then I realized…it wasn't completely silent.

Before I could give any sort of warning, the pirates appeared all around up, invisibility spells slipping off them. Several pirates leapt for each crew member, and we were quickly forced to surrender. Lance appeared then, and had us tied to the mast. I don't really know why pirates do that, actually.

Nice try, Torrents, Lance said, grinning at the Eyrie captain. Torrents glared at him, wings rustling uselessly. There was a bit of blood on one of his legs, from a lucky slice by one of Lance's pirates.

Yeh see, Lance said, in the pirate world, only the strongest win. You mighta' won the battle for the barrel o' shells, Torrents, but only 'cause you took us by surprise. How's it feel now, eh?

Turning to Howler and I, Lance growled, As fer you, Zafara- I haven' forgotten what you threatened t'do to my shells. He ran the tips of his feathers over the rainbow-colored sea shell around his neck…and a jade-colored shell!

Torrents! I gasped. The pirate Eyrie's stunned brawk! told me that he'd already seen the extra shell.

Lance's beak gaped open in a grin, and now I saw that there was a distant sort of look in his eyes. Yes, Torrents- there're two-hundred twenty-seven shells; yeh've been missin' not one shell, but two!

So tha's how yeh've been vanishin Torrents snarled. I was wonderin' if the rainbow shell was limited after all…but look what yeh've done, Lance. Gone an' turned yerself crazy!

Crazy? Hah!

He studied me for a moment, twisting his head around and frowning. It was obvious to me that he was crazy; he was looking at me like tentacles had sprouted from my forehead or something. Yer a Zafara o' the beach, righ'?

…I…

ANSWER THE QUESTION!

I wasn't sure what he was asking, let alone what he wanted me to answer. But I did the best I could; Uh…well, I live on Mystery Island…

What're ya wantin' a beach Zafara for, Lance? Torrents demanded. I see no point ter it!

Tha's because, mate, yeh don' see like I see! He tapped his head knowingly; Torrents shook his head.

Yer one mad bird, Lance.

Completely ignoring Torrents, Lance said, Since yeh asked, Torrents, I s'ppose I'll tell ya. Legends have it tha' a beach Zafara can find treasure better'n any other pet, better 'n those treasure huntin' Doglefoxes!

He motioned to one of his lackeys, the Grarrl who'd supervised me while I was doing cabin-pet work. The Grarrl, looking strangely reluctant, passed his boss a small package wrapped up in brown paper. I expected Lance to unwrap the thing slowly, but maybe his craziness made him impatient too. He ripped the paper away like kids with Christmas presents- and held out an island paint brush.

A beach Zafara should have a proper coat! Lance shouted, clearly delirious. To the Tonu, he said, Hand over the water!

The Tonu passed Lance a small, chipped jar full of strangely reflective water; I could see my face in it…but as I watched, my face changed from blue and yellow to bright red, with a green nose- strawberry! But my ears were dark gold, with black spots, and I could see Darigan fangs poking out of my mouth. Immediately, I knew what was in the jar- Rainbow Pool water! I had seen Howler and Forest use the pool before, and watched as their reflections became a mash of differently-colored parts.

Lance yanked the lid off of the jar, and poured the water all over me. I spluttered, trying to rid myself of the strange taste of the water; it went from sweet to sour to salty to moldy to fruity, all in about four seconds. Before I could do anything else, Lance yanked the brush over me.

I felt like someone had poured a bucket of warm water over me. I felt a slight tingle all over as my fur changed color; the feeling was stronger in the places where white swirls were forming. A small hole formed painlessly in my right ear, and I felt a sudden small weight, as an earring appeared there. A bracelet formed on my left wrist, and a green band appeared around my neck. But the right bracelet and the gray and white seashell didn't appear; perhaps there wasn't enough rainbow pool water.

I didn't have a lot of time to absorb that I was now a new color; Lance ordered the Tonu and Grarrl to get me out of the ropes, and they did. I didn't fight them; I had to find some way to save my brother, and Torrents and the small crew. Being tied up along with them wasn't gonna help any.

Now, beach Zafara, Lance said with a cackle. Let's find treasure, aye?

I didn't answer, but it was clear that I had no choice in what we were doing. Lance shoved me toward the gangplank, and I walked, looking around for something- anything that would help the others.

And suddenly, I saw it- a tiny blur, brown and white, with a pointed nose. Tag! Torrents's Doglefox! A plan popped into my head, and I immediately leapt into action.

Umm, I said, stopping in my tracks. I sense treasure in…that direction! I pointed toward the railing where I'd seen Tag; he must have been hiding behind the barrels stacked there.

At that moment, I realized that of course there was treasure; it was a pirate's stash! But lucky for me, Lance was too crazy to think rationally. FORWARD! he shouted, and charged toward the barrels. He made the mistake of running past me.

I shoved him from behind, hard, and he fell into the barrels, knocking them over onto himself. Coins and gems burst from the crates, but I simply skipped over them as I raced toward the buried captain. I snatched the shells from his neck, and shouted, Tag, help the others!

Tag let out a loud snarl, appearing from behind a small treasure chest, and bounded toward the mast. Moments later, I heard shouts from Lance's pirates, as Tag bit away the rope and released the captive pets. I saw Torrents and Howler leaping for the stash of weapons to pirates had taken; moments later, a full-fledged fight had started.

Lance burst from the wreckage, his eyes on my hand. I blinked, confused; he still had the rainbow shell. I looked at my hand; sure enough, only the jade shell was there. I grimaced, wondering how I'd managed not to get both shells.

It seemed that Lance was still crazy. His eyes were bulged wide, and he stepped toward me, snarling, Yeh stole one o' me beauties! Yeh stole one o' me beauties!

I stepped back, wishing I had a sword, or some other weapon. Suddenly, Lance lunged at me, reaching for the shell. What I did was kind of instinctive; I punched him in the face.

Not surprisingly, Lance pulled back, clutching at his beak. I took the chance to get back, closer to my sword-wielding allies. Where was my sword?

Suddenly, Tag appeared on my shoulder; he must have leapt down from the masts holding up the sails. He dropped a green arm band made of kelp in my hand, then bounded away, leaping at a pirate Grundo and biting at its antennae.

I had no idea why Tag had given me the arm band. But I wanted my hand free to punch Lance again if I had to, and I needed a hand to keep the shell away from him too. So I shoved the band on my arm. Immediately, a sword slid out of the band- a full sized sword, long and silvery with a bright blue stripe down the middle.

I held the blade up, in the defense position Charybdis had taught me. Slowly I stepped away from Lance, heading toward the side railing of the boat. I had another idea…hopefully, it would work better than my first plan.

Lance seemed sane enough to be careful, now that I had a sword. I tried to make him feel a little more confident, by fumbling the sword just a bit. It seemed to work; he took a few more steps closer. But finally, I had to do something

C'mon, Lance! I thought you wanted this! I held up the shell. Maybe it just isn't very important…maybe I should get rid of it. My back was against the railing now; Lance had to charge, or I was in big trouble.

This time, luck wasn't favoring me. Lance snapped his beak, and yanked out his own sword, a bright, silver blade with wings on the hilt. He'd probably stolen it from somebody. Give me my shell, beach Zafara! So he was still a little crazy. That was something, at least.

He leapt at me, but this time, his sword was flashing. I stepped back, holding the jade shell up and back, and parried his blows as best I could. I think if he'd been totally sane, he would have sliced me to pieces; he was still more concerned about getting his shell than anything else. I got his attention by slicing a few feathers from the tip of his wing.

I'm gonna drown ye, treasure hunter! Tha's a promise! Arr, a PROMISE!

Well if I go, the shell goes with me! I shouted, stepping back and holding the shell over the railing. C'mon Lance! You want it? Get your tail feathers over here and save it!

Yeh will rue the day ye tested the courage of Captain Lance, Zafara! Yer treasure huntin' won't save ye now!

Finally, he charged. I dove to the side, and as Lance passed, stretching over the railing for the jade shell, I brought my sword in close, and cut the band around the rainbow sea shell. The shell clattered to the deck floor, shimmering, and Lance fell over the edge, reaching for the shell I'd tugged out of his reach as he fell into the water below.

Lance's pirates didn't have much fight in them once they realized what had happened to their captain. Torrents arranged a parlay with the Tonu, who was apparently going to be the crew's new captain. In return for not completely decimating them, Captain Skorn allowed us to return to our ship and leave.

Back aboard the Thunderbird, I handed the two shells to Torrents. He immediately stabbed the jade shell with the maractite dagger, but when he started to bring the blade toward the rainbow shell, he stopped.

Yeh know…it seems a shame ter waste a gift with no demandin' price. Lance wasn't the pet fer it, too greedy…but yeh know, lass…

He hesitated, then finally said, Yeh know what Lance said 'bout legends of island Zafaras bein' good treasure hunters? Well…tha's a real legend. Maybe you can turn tha' legend inter fact.

Torrents handed me the shell. Go 'head an' put that on yer new chain. An' what's more, it'll add some color sides green an' gold.

I took the shell, and threaded the green chain through the hole. Not putting the necklace back on right away, I told him about the kelp bracelet, and asked, Is it yours?

Nah, an' ye can be sure I'd wear that at all times if it was…nah, my guess's that Tag took it from one o' the barrels yeh trashed…annoyin' little mongrel, that Doglefox, but he does seem ter know what a magic thing can do 'fore anyone uses it.

I nodded, looking down at the bracelet. The sword had vanished as soon as I'd cut Lance's necklace; hopefully I could 'pull' it out of the kelp again if I ever needed it.

I didn't put the necklace on until Howler and I reached the Haunted Woods. I kept it in a small 'pouch' I'd made out of a green pirate's bandana, but I knew I couldn't just let the necklace sit there forever. It was time to figure out what gift the rainbow shell might have given me.

For a long time, it seemed like it did nothing…but the second I stepped onto the beach back home on Mystery Island, I felt this weird sensation…like I knew what was right beneath my feet, and under the sand nearby me. I could tell a kid was going to find a pretty shell right before they actually found it.

So apparently, I am a treasure-hunter Zafara, like Lance said. Legend made real. The Neopian seas can be a very magical place.