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"Shipmates, I'd like all of ye to meet the four Neopets,
Marcus Dino, Arielle Dragonwing, Brenda Bushtail and Sammy Gill. They have a human,
Jessica. I ask that ye all be nice to them whilst they're aboard me ship. These
landlubbers are under me care. Anyone caught making trouble for them will answer
to me, understood?"
A loud chorus of 'Aye aye Cap'n" followed.
Captain NightLupe grinned, revealing dozens
of shiny white teeth. "Good. Now return to your duties."
The pirates left without question.
I never dreamed that bandits and plunderers
would have this much discipline. But then again, I never thought I'd be on the
same ship as these bandits and plunderers.
My name is Brenda Bushtail a yellow Usul. There
was something fishy about Captain NightLupe. Jessica says that I have an "eye
that can see into the soul." In other words, it's difficult to hide feelings
from me. This black Lupe Captain had a secret. I could sense it, his silence,
his strong silence. The way his coal-black eye softened when he gazed upon Ari
and Marcus. And the way he kept muttering to himself, as if to boost his own
morale. He brought us on this ship for a reason, but I couldn't fathom what
that reason might be. Was he out to steal our Neopoints? Maybe he wants to ransom
us. No matter what his reason was, I still got a chill down my spine when that
one eye looked at me.
I stepped out onto the deck. The fresh winter
wind whipped through my fur and cooled my face. I heard shouts as Captain NightLupe
gave orders to his crew. "Speed her up another five knots, shipmates. Patch
my boy! Don't snooze in the crow's nest!" Patch Beaky the pirate Pteri awoke
with a start. "Aye Cap'n," he responded in shame.
Suddenly, I heard bangs and curses from the
kitchen. Curiously, I followed the sounds. I peered through the kitchen doors
to see two buccaneers (a Blumaroo and a Scorchio) attempting to cook skilly
and duff.
"Flubb me lad, that's too much skilly and not
enough duff. Ye couldn't cook for twenty dubloons," said the Scorchio to the
Blumaroo.
"Me cookin's fine, Flapp. Ye're addin' too much
duff. The Cap'n will choke on all that duff," replied Flubb the Blumaroo.
"Don't tell me how to cook, Flubb. I been cookin'
since before this ship was built."
"Oh, Flapp! Ain't ye the tower of wisdom and
knowledge? I've been cookin' for…" he counted on his fingers. "Longer than ye've
been cookin', so there!"
"Why you…" Flapp picked up a frying pan and
attempted to smack Flubb in the back. I had to interfere before someone got
hurt.
"Excuse me gentlemen," I said in my sweetest
little-girl voice.
Both cooks turned to see a petite yellow Usul,
nothing more than a child. "I noticed you're having trouble cooking."
"And what're ye gonna do about it, Usul?" Flapp
asked.
"I wanted to help."
"Ye can help by stayin' out of here."
Quickly, I shoved the two pirates aside and
peeked at their skilly and duff. "Hmm… is this all you know how to make?"
"'Tis easy cookin'. When ye've been on the open
seas all yer life, ye learn that a knife is somethin' ye use to defend yerself,
not somethin' ye use to cut hams."
I stuck a paw in the gooey mixture that the
pirates called lunch. I licked the paw and nearly gagged. "Too salty! Much too
salty!"
"Don't tell us how to cook, Usul. Ye're not
a pirate."
"No, but I'm taking over the kitchens and relieving
you of your cooking duties. Now get out of here and find something else to do.
I'll take care of lunch."
Flubb and Flapp thanked me gratefully. I don't
think they liked cooking much. When they were gone, I whipped up a quick pot
of vegetable soup with some brownies for dessert.
The crew loved it.
"Ye're a great cook, me dear girl," Captain
NightLupe told me. "I'm promoting you to Head Chef for the rest of the voyage."
The crew cheered. I had found my place on the
Peophin Lily.
***
I was finally getting used to life on a pirate ship. I wish I could say the
same for Sammy Gill.
"Ari, get out of my room. I feel terrible!"
my best friend said as he clutched his stomach and turned a pale green color.
"What's wrong?" I asked with concern.
"I… I… Bleah!" Sammy's lunch wound up all over
the cabin floor. "Someone make the boat stop rocking," he moaned.
I nearly laughed out loud. Sammy is a Koi! I
didn't know Kois could get seasick! But instead of laughing, I offered to clean
his mess up. Then, I brought him a bucket… just in case he had to do it again.
I told my other friend Marcus about it. Marcus
wasn't as tactful as I was. He laughed out loud for a good ten minutes. "A seasick
Koi! That's a classic!" he said.
* * *
Evening upon the decks of the Peophin Lily. My favorite time of day.
I watched the fiery red and gold sun sink behind the waves, casting a blinding
refection into the waters. Although the beauty was a bonus, I really liked evening
time because the pirates were getting ready to retire for the night. All was
quiet upon the decks and I could practice my swordplay in peace.
I drew my sword of Domar from my belt. I was
ready.
I remember when I was younger; I used to go
to Kauvara's shop after dinner. I bribed the starry Kau into teaching me swordplay.
She gladly agreed and she got a sword for me. She was always reminding me to
use my blade for good, not evil. "You'll be a legend someday, Ari," she predicted.
I was too young to make a big deal out of it. Legends are things you find in
books, right? They aren't real.
Then I grew older, and the Meridell vs. Darigan
War took place. I fought valiantly against the Drackonack several times. I never
beat him. But then I found out about Lisha and Jeran. They're true, living legends.
They're not just pictures in a book.
In fact, Lisha was a lot like me before she
discovered Meridell. And if she could become a legend, couldn't anyone?
After the war, I practiced my swordplay more
than ever. Kauvara said I was nearly as good as Jeran himself. I think she was
kidding. Or at least, I hope she was kidding. I'm not ready to be a legend yet.
I'm just practicing, waiting for that day.
Carefully, I swung my blade in and out in circles
and pretty patterns. I took a step back, then another step. Soon I was fighting
with a dozen imaginary enemies. I could see them in my mind, sword-swinging
demons. I blocked, I thrust, I leaped, and I heard their cries as I hit them.
I heard the clang of metal on metal. The battle was real in my mind.
Finally, I collapsed on the deck, too tired
to even lift my sword. But I had put up a good fight. Those demons wouldn't
bother me anymore.
Applause. A single Neopet clapping behind me.
I turned around to see Kara Lee the Kyrii. "Good show out there. You're skilled
with that blade, Ari."
"Thanks Kara Lee," I panted.
"Does your owner let you play with that thing?"
"Jessica's not my owner. She just takes care
of me. She tells me to be careful. And yes, she lets me practice. When a weapon
is involved, it isn't play. It's preparation."
Tears formed in Kara Lee's soft brown eyes.
"You're so lucky to have a human who cares about you."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"My human is a cruel girl. She's rich and petty
and snobby. And she expected me to be petty and snobby, too. She'd dress me
in the finest silk dresses and she'd ground me when I got them muddy. But I
didn't want to be like that. At Neoschool, I'd watch the children play careless
and free. I wanted to be like them." I single tear slid down Kara Lee's cheek.
"What happened next?" I asked empathetically.
"I rebelled against my owner. I flung all of
my silk garments into the mud. I bought a loose, comfortable cotton T-shirt
and a tunic and I ran away from home. Captain NightLupe hired me in his crew.
Then, when he saw what a good job I was going, he promoted me until eventually,
I became first mate. But there isn't a day that goes by when I don't… miss my
human. Regret my decision."
"You don't like the life you have now?"
"I love the Peophin Lily. I love her
Captain and her crew. I just miss my human. You probably wouldn't understand.
Even though she treated me badly, she's still my human."
I sighed. "I know what you mean about humans.
Once you have one, there's just no replacement."
"But do you truly know? Have you ever been without
Jessica?"
"Well…" I thought for a minute. Jessica is the
only human who had ever loved me. She had always been there for me.
"I didn't think so."
With that, Kara Lee walked off to her quarters,
sobbing. For a moment, I wondered if I had misjudged the strong-willed pirate
Kyrii.
To be continued...
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