After that, we walked out of the Academy and wandered around the streets,
greeting the pirate passerby. We stopped to lean against a lamppost, when a
hand grabbed me from behind.
I tried to scream, but someone stuck a hand over my mouth and pulled me into
the darkness, but Nova and Ari had grabbed my foot, so they were jerked into
the back alley too.
I saw a hooded figure, with a classic "gangster" hat on. They pulled back
the hood and I was surprised to recognise the Shoyru from the Treasure Hunt
game.
"Listen, I come with urgent news from the Faeries. They have been asked by
the Neopets Team to track down Malkus Vile and his organization. They know he
is somehow involved here. They also want you to track him by signing up on a
pirating crew. We believe he is smuggling goods, and this pirate crew will be
the ones who do it."
And then I stopped to think. We had done so much for Neopia already in Sakhmet,
did we really need to help here? But then I felt ashamed, and felt the spirit
of adventure, etc. It rose up in me, and I heard myself saying, "Of course."
So, we met up with Hiteru and Tide, and walked to the poster to sign up with
the crew. Most of the NeoPets and people who had signed up looked hard pressed
for a job, going by the scrawled words, which looked like they were written
by an illiterate NeoPet.
I signed my name down. Princess_zelda38. Next Ari came up and signed, Aristothonea.
Tide came to and scrawled Tidal_beak, followed by Hiteru and Nova, who signed
(respectively), Blobster47563 and NewWaveNova.
***
I walked over to the docks the next day with Ari, Nova, Hiteru, and Tide. We
were greeted by Hampshire, and I saw RED.
"SO, GROWN RATHER FOND, EH?"
"Heh…heh?"
"Hampshire! I want you to apologize now and leave my sight forever!"
"Her, well, I can't exactly do that, ya'll see. See, I signed up for this here
crew and we'll gonna hunt for treasure!" I sighed and gave up. As we walked
onto the ship, we were directed to changing rooms, for boys and girls, with
NeoPets and people divisions too.
I was given a white shirt and black pants, not to mention a red and white-spotted
kerchief and boots. Also, there was an eye patch. I stepped outside to ask a
pirate, "Um, why do I have the eye patch?"
"Cerse the cap'n says so missy! Now put it on!"
Next, we were assembled in front of the "cap'n" who I instantly recognised
as Malkus Vile.
"Now, most of you here I'm guessing were hard-pressed for a job. So, if any
of you let our little secret out, then I'll make sure you starve on the street!
Oh, and you won't be knowing our secret yet."
Then Vile stalked off, and left us, the crew, to find our room assignments.
I was roomed with another girl, whose username was sunnybutrfly32. Nova and
Ari were together, and so were Hiteru and Tide. At the mess hall, we decided
our course of action.
"Cool! We're spies, just like "Bruce, James Bruce"!" yelled Hiteru (I made
sure it was a quiet yell).
Ari said, "I think one a couple of us should sneak out and break into Vile's
captain room tonight. I talked to a couple regulars, and they say he gambles
at Virtual Chia Bingo till twelve NST most nights. There needs to be someone
who can pick locks. That would be me. And Nova will need to stay to make my
excuses if anyone else wakes up."
Tide paused, then added his opinion, "Well, our room is right next to the
captain's. We can make sure no-one in our dormitory hears if you make some noise."
"Right. I need to go too, because I'm the fastest reader, and I have pockets
in my pirate clothes, unlike you," I said.
So it was settled. That night I saw my roommate for the first time. She was
kind of thin, around thirteen. I smiled at her.
"Hi, I'm Sunny." All of a sudden, I felt that I could trust her. "I'm a spy
sent from the NeoPets team to track down Malkus Vile's operations here. I need
to go out tonight, can you cover for me?"
Sunny gasped in surprise, and I cringed at what I felt her response would be.
"Oh good! He's such a hateful person! Of course I'll cover for you." So that
was settled.
That night, I crept out and met Ari outside his room. She pulled out a lock
pick and got the lock off the door with ease.
"Where'd you learn to do that?"
"Hiteru."
"Oh, right. And how did you manage to bribe him so he would let you come instead
of him?"
"He get to watch a James Bruce movie on my NeoTV turn."
We slunk into the office, and I scanned the room until I saw a locked drawer.
Silently, I pointed to it, and Ari used her pick on it. Inside were documents
about the organization's latest moves.
But I didn't feel these were the papers. I pulled them out and felt around
in the drawer until I felt a latch. Popping it, I realised it led to a secret
compartment filled with readouts on the Organization. And, all of them were
contradictory to the previous stash we had found.
I stared at the precious paper gold until I heard footsteps. I shoved the papers
to Ari and opened a window so she could fly out and put the papers in a safe
place.
Malkus Vile was at the door with sunnybutrfly32 next to him, smiling. "Thank
you Sunny," Vile said. "Take her and her accomplices to the hold!" Two Scorchios
walked up to me and knocked me out.
***
I awoke, chained below deck. Ari, Nova, Tide and Hiteru were also there, chained.
"Ari, the papers?"
She smiled. It looked peculiar because her jaw was still injured from our fall.
"I hid it…" and then she winked and looked up. I paused. Eye…sky. Eye of the
sky. That could only mean in the telescope! I nodded to show I understood.
I told them about sunnybutrfly32 and about how she told Vile about us. I was
disgusted, to think I had trusted her!
Just then, a small Krawk walked in, carrying some dry bread and stale water
for us. I divided it up evenly, and then looked at the small Krawk who was guarding
us.
"Oh guys, we have so much extra food that we don't know what to do with,"
I sighed, noticing that our guard looked very hungry.
The little Krawk's eyes lit up with this. "I could maybe give some to you,
little Krawk, if you'll do one small thing for us."
The Krawk nodded eagerly, its small tail wagging. "Just get us those funny-shaped
shiny things," I said, pointing to the keys hanging on the wall. The Krawk padded
over and picked them up.
I slid the bread over to him and grabbed the keys, hiding them in a small
crack.
Later, when it was sufficiently dark, I pulled the keys out and unlocked all
our locks.
We gently pushed open our creaky cell door and walked out into the corridor,
when I tripped on a warm lump.
To be continued... | 
