With that thought in mind, the Yellow Wocky sighed before quickly making way to the side entrance of the Krawps den under Kreludor's soft illumination.

The postern was inconspicuous, though it wasn't particularly well-hidden either. He tried to pull the door open, but if the clicking sounds and the lack of hinge movement was anything to go by, it was locked.

The Terror Mountain Kiosk owner couldn't help but roll his eyes in exasperation before knocking on the door in a specific pattern.

Three short taps. A pause. One long tap, one short tap, one long tap, one short tap.

Then he took a step back and waited for what felt like the whole night. It wasn't until the Wocky was about to turn around and find a nearby inn to sleep at that the door finally creaked open with a squeak, revealing...

"Come in, come in," Sidney hurriedly insisted, narrow eyes darting around the Warf Wharf.

The Wocky followed the doubtful Nimmo's gaze but failed to observe anything alarming or of note. At this late hour, the dock was still and quiet; vendors had packed up for the evening and even the most diligent of fisher pets were gone for the night.

Once inside, the Wocky spotted his other counterpart immediately. The Lost Desert Scratchcard Cybunny was absentmindedly rolling a pair of dice, scowling when the numbers did not land in her favor.

She looked up and smirked. "About time you showed up, Snowball!" She stood to greet her fellow Kiosk owner, offering him a warm hug.

"Nice guess but still not my name, Floppy Ears," the Wocky said with a grin, plopping into an empty chair.

While Sidney had made his reputation known throughout the Haunted Woods and beyond, the Wocky and Cybunny preferred to lay low. In all their time of knowing each other, the pair had opted to keep their names secret, leading to a good-natured guessing game that had lasted years.

"And I'd have been here sooner had we met at one of our kiosks instead of this random fourth location," the Wocky complained. "What's wrong with alternating kiosks? If I'm not mistaken, it was supposed to be my turn. I shouldn't have had to travel at all."

"Too obviousss," Sidney said in a low voice, joining them at the betting table. "I could not risk us being ssspotted by any of our usual customersss. I have a sssurprise item on this month's agenda. We're here to discuss..."

The Wocky scoffed. “Is this your way of showing us yet another IOU, Sidney?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“Not this time, ‘Sssnowball’,” the lanky Nimmo said as he gave a small laugh. He tapped on the scroll. “I was lucky to come across this lossst and forgotten artifact. It is sssure to bring us wealth!” Sidney exclaimed as his bright eyes gleamed. “And why I brought usss here today to Krawk Island… I’m sssure you’ve heard of the once Captain Dread? He’s been gone for many, many years, and no one has ssseen or heard from him… but thisss here is a map that leads to all the treasssure he had pillaged over the yearsss.”

The Desert Cybunny laughed. “You’ve got to be pulling a prank with us! Let’s just get on with our usual games and bets, what say you, Iceman?”

“No pranksss here, this is ssseriousss busssiness. I’d look for the treasssure myself, but I’m having trouble figuring thisss map out…” Sidney said as he unfolded the scroll. “I mean, we’re alwaysss betting on sssmall change… why not take a bet on sssomething larger?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

The Terror Mountain resident noticed the scroll had previously been sealed with wax, its stamp an image of skull and crossbones. “Well, Ms. Fluffertail, let’s just first have a look at what’s inside…”

"I think thisss colour represssents the treasure," Sidney said, gesturing to the silver. "But are thessse islandsss on the sides? I could not match their coassstline on the globe."

The Cybunny thrust her head in between theirs. "Oh, I love mazes!" she giggled, poking a furry finger onto the map.

"Careful!" hissed Sidney.

"Mazes?" the Wocky asked.

"Sure, these silver lines?" She batted away Sidney's jealous hand. "It's a maze of some sort. You can tell by how they're enclosed, and there's a section in the middle." The eyes of both Sidney and the Wocky grew wide as they realized she pointed to a wispy, silver X.

"The ssspot," Sidney muttered. "But where in Neopia isss it?"

"You said you didn't recognize it on the globe," the Wocky said. "Let's find a local map. Maybe it has the finer details of the surrounding islands. Where'd you get this, anyway? And how do you know it was Captain Dread's?"

Sidney's eyes darted around the room, though he must have checked it a dozen times already. "That'sss a sssecret I'd like to reveal another time... essspecially becaussse we have company."

They turned to where Sidney now pointed one long finger - to a loose floorboard in the corner of the room, where...

"Well, it looks like the Wocky's out of the bag already," sighed the Cybunny, ignoring the withering glare directed her way by the Wocky.

Sidney was already moving. He reached down and rolled up the parchment, stowing it back in his pocket. "We need to move, and sssoon," he hissed angrily. "You sssuggested finding a local map? Let'sss check the wharf docks and sssee if there are any posssted."

The Wocky nodded, and the trio quickly exited the Krawps den. Kreludor continued to softly glow from its spot directly overhead as they scurried toward the docks. The Wocky expected that, any moment, pirates would jump out of hiding and attack the group, but nothing of the sort happened.

"Do you think we lost them?" whispered the Cybunny, throwing another worried glance over her shoulder. Not likely, the Wocky mouthed in return as they finally reached their destination.

Despite the late hour, the docks themselves were still relatively busy. Fishing boats were being prepared for their early morning departure and there was even a large passenger vessel currently being disembarked, having arrived late from its journey. The Scratchcard Kiosk owners shuffled between piers, looking for any sign of a map.

A loud voice cut through the bustle of the docks. "Oi, you lot looking fer a boat?" The Wocky turned, looking for the voice's source, and saw...

“50 points passage around the archipelago if yer not lookin’ ta go far.”

It seemed suspiciously convenient, and the old man could probably tell the Wocky was measuring the offer, weighing the chances of it being a trick.

It was then, he elected to unfurl the sail of his minuscule vessel where the familiar and very ironic visage of a legendary Kiko Captain was displayed. In bold red letters beneath it read…

KRAWK ISLAND GHOST TOURS

“Several horrifying locations. History and mystery all for your swashbuckling delight…” He droned in a practiced way.

Everyone gawked at the sail for several quiet seconds, until the Cybunny finally decided she’d bother asking “...You got a map, old man?”

He snorts. “‘Course I do. What kind of a tour guide do you take me for?”

He reached down into his belt to procure three folded brochures which, articles about various ghoulish pirate hotspots aside, did in fact contain a local map.

Sidney regards the trifold page through squinted eyes. “Thisss... Isss very… unexpected. ” “You mean touristy and kitschy?” the Cybunny snorts, jabbing her elbow into the Nimmo’s side.

“Yarr, Typical landlubbers. Always of the mind we be all of us no good crooks n’ scoundrels, when plenty of us make honest points.”

The Wocky in turn made an appraising sound, eyes switching from brochure back up to the Yurble who seemed suddenly far more kindred; daresay, like a fellow salesman.

“‘Yer friends going to want some too?” He asked, pointing a paw over his shoulder. Sure enough, turning his head, through the crowd, the Wocky could just make out…

"We’ll pay you triple to leave right thisss inssstant," Sidney shouted as the three jumped into the small vessel.

The old Yurble happily obliged and quickly raised the sails of the schooner. Under the sparkling stars and the light of Kreludor’s moon they watched the dock grow smaller and the angry shouts of the pirates grow dimmer.

The Wocky and Cybunny both turned toward Sidney, waiting for an explanation as their spooky counterpart refused to make eye contact.

"Sidney we deserve an explanation before we continue on with anything! Who were those pirates? Did you really steal that map from them?"

"Yeah! Slushie is right! Tell us what is going on!"

Sidney sighed and looked at his icy and sandy counterparts. "Alright, alright..."

The Wocky and Cybunny waited with bated breath as Sidney began to tell them the story of how he obtained the treasure map.

"Well, you sssee..."

"So you ended up winning it off of them?" the Cybunny asked.

"Sssort of." Sidney responded, and the other two tilted their heads at the response. "I was in a tight sssspot with my dice rollsss.. they thought for sssssure I would lossse. But I ended up winning, and when I did, they didn't pay up as promissssed.."

"Ssssso I ssswiped the clossssest object off their belt when they weren't looking.. it'ssss all fair you sssee." He finished with a small shrug, and despite his usual crooked nature, he did look somewhat guilty, if only for putting them in this situation at all.

The Wocky put a paw up to his chin in deep thought. "So you've had Krawk Island planned as our meeting spot since you obtained that map.. how long ago was that?"

"It wassss about.. two weeksss ago?" Sidney answered.

The Cybunny looked dumbfounded. "Two weeks!" She shouted. "You couldn't have waited a little longer for things to simmer down?!"

"Didn't think thissss map meant ssssoo much to them.. but that only meansss it'ssss really worth sssssomething." Sidney responded matter-of-factly, crossing his arms.

Before the Wocky could scold Sidney for his morally ambiguous habits, or the fact that they were fleeing angry pirates when the three of them had little Battledome experience, the Yurble piped up from the behind, giving them a jolt as they thought he was at the helm.

"Aye, it is worth quite a pretty Neopoint.." He said in a slow, chilling tone, causing the Wocky's fur to stand on end. They turned around to see....

They were in way over their heads now. The Wocky had never been threatened with a weapon before! Not even that time Torakor lost out on his Peak O Plenty Scratchcard! And that Grarrl had been angry … they had to think fast.

“Why of course we will share the treasure with you!” The Cybunny shouted, eyes desperately darting to her counterparts. “Right, Flurryflake?”

“Yes, of course. For services rendered.”

“Ah, now I don’t think ya heard me correctly,” the Yurble croaked as he quickly reached for the Cybunny and held the blade to her chest. She yelped in fear and tears spouted from her lashes. “I said, lead me to the treasure and no one gets hurt.”

Frozen by fear, the Wocky simply looked to Sidney for guidance in this situation. He had been silent since his admission about stealing the map. “Yesss, we underssstand. We will do as you sssay. Icicle, come help me. We have a treasure to find…”

How will this story end?

I don't like how close the blade is to Fluffball, the Wocky thought. "Hey, Fluffball, you were the one who figured out it was a maze. I need your help over here."

The Cybunny looked all too relieved to get out of the way of the jagged blade, although the Yurble looked disappointed. The trio poured over the map for a few minutes, mindful of their antsy guard.

"Um- look here." The Cybunny pointed to a spot where the shoreline curved on the local map. "It matches up with this bend in the map, here."

The Wocky's heart skipped a beat in excitement.

"Then we mussst head due northeast," Sydney told the Yurble, who, to everyone's relief, sheathed his sword so he could control the boat.

He steered them clear of the deserted island, listening as the Cybunny directed him. "And land...there!"

A strong wind blew against them, threatening to take them further away from shore and back out into the current. The four Neopets disembarked.

"Now, lead me ta the treasure!" The Yurble drew his sword and pointed it at the three of them.

"Yess, yess," Sydney stammered as he tried to look at the map in the fierce wind.

"Hang on..." An idea sprouted in the Wocky's mind. "Do you have shovels? Let's check."

"Be quick about it, tho'!" The Yurble watched with narrowed eyes as the trio hopped and walked back to the boat.

"Do you trust me?" The Wocky asked his Desert counterpart.

She blinked somberly. "Yes."

Sidney chuckled. "No, not as far as I could throw you."

"Well, trust me this once," he said as they reached the boat. "And...jump into the boat!" Sidney hesitated, then sprung into the boat. The Cybunny clambered in while the Wocky shoved the boat off, aided by the strong wind, then grabbed the Nimmo's outstretched hand.

"Hey!! Come back here! I want me treasure!" The Yurble shouted.

The three kiosk owners laughed in relief as the wind pushed them out into the current, leaving the angry Yurble stranded on the deserted shoreline.

"Do you think he'll find the treasure?" The Wocky asked.

"Not a chance, Snowman." The Cybunny stretched. "There's miles of land to cover, and there's only one of him. Besides, we have the map."

Sidney rolled up the scroll and tucked it away for safekeeping. "Maybe our nexssst meeting..."

The Wocky nodded. "...We'll find the treasure."

The Cybunny smiled. "Together."

The End.