The ship lurched as it hit the dock, all the passengers and crew were off in
minutes. The crew went on a lunch break, and headed to do some things on the
island. Some tourists were buying gifts like PetPets for their family and friends.
But Branston was in a café over looking the harbour. Branston sat silently,
just staring at the boat he had been on previously in the day.
"Anytime now," he muttered under his breath.
Just then, there was a large explosion in the harbour. It rocked the whole
area around the waterfront. The boat had been blown to smithereens. Large chunks
of burnt Dubloons were scattered around the area. Branston got up, left his
bill on the table, and walked out the door. He headed towards the Deckball ship.
He got on board, watched a few games, then left. He headed towards the Krawk
Island Inn. When he got there, the stars were already out in the sky. He booked
a room, then headed up to take a shower, watch some TV, then go to sleep.
In the morning, Branston stuck his trusty dart gun in his waist belt, and
headed out the door. He just walked, not knowing what to do next. He walked
up to the end of a long dock, then sat down with his hind paws in the water.
He swished them back and fourth, like nothing in the world mattered. Then, he
heard a voice behind him.
"Hey you, watcha doin' here, arr? Want to buy some of me goods, arr, I knew
it! I have a way of knowing what people want. Arr, so ye scallywag, what do
you think you would be interested in?" he said, opening up a sack of the strangest
merchandise he had ever seen. But Branston always had to dig a little deeper.
"Where'd ya get these items?"
"Uhh... um... me and some friends found them washed up on shore. Ya, that's
it!"
"A likely story. But I'll buy one anyway. How many Dubloons for that pear
thingy?"
"Arr, nice choice mate! This be a rare thing, only 15 in the galaxy! Oops,
did me say that? Oh well, it be only 75 Dubloons!"
"What was that about only 15?"
"Arr... um... me an me blasted mouth... we counted 15 from the pile of them
on our ship"
"Ship?"
"Grr, me cannonballing mouth just won't stop! So, do yer want on of dey pears
or not?"
"I just noticed they have those big ugly scabs. I don't know if I want one..."
"Arr, there is nothin' wrong with that pear! I smuggled them with my own bare
paws, and I intend to sell them! Now, do, do, do, do, do ye, e, er wa, a, a,
ant one, one, one..." he said.
Branston tricked him into telling what was behind his merchandise, and now
they were in trouble.
"I didn't mean it, I was, just... erm... joking!" lied the fool.
Branston whipped his dart gun from his belt, and walked closer.
"Now, just put your hands in the air, and I won't have to use force," threatened
Branston.
"Okay, okay," said the fool.
Branston tied a blindfold to him, then made him lay on a log, and let him float
away. He head him singing something about bottles of Achyfi on a wall, strangely
enough. Branston tied the bag of goods to a piece of driftwood, then pushed
it off. He turned to walk away when he heard a giant splash, and saw that a
pear-shaped item flew from where the bag had been. It must have exploded,
good thing I didn't buy one, he thought.
Branston walked for hours, hoping he could have another apprehension of a
smuggler. But nothing. After four hours, he walked by a dark alley.
"Pssssst," said a voice. "In here," it beckoned.
Branston slowly walked, ready to pull a fast one any second. A strange Jetsam
was standing in the dark light. Branston wondered why everything creepy and
mysterious had to happen in dark, small alleys. He must just be lucky, he thought.
"I just bought these brilliant contraptions at the Hidden Tower. They are called
Ice Dice, and they have made me rich! For just ten Dubloons, you can take a
roll. Are you feeling chancy?" he said in a hoarse voice.
What could happen wondered Branston. So, he paid up and let the Jetsam explain
the rest of the rules.
"Okay, if you roll a seven, my dice disappear, and I go broke. If you roll
something else, I don't know what could happen to you," he explained as he handed
over the dice.
Branston swung his arm back, and rolled. He got a three. Suddenly, the world
around him warped as time seemed to stop. He felt dizzy, and when it stopped
he wasn't in the creepy alley anymore.
"Where am I," asked Branston aloud.
His surroundings were in a building of some kind, and he walked to a window
and saw he was at least two thousand feet from the ground. He could see clouds
all around, and couldn't see anything but treetops below him. He found a staircase
that led up, so he took them in hopes there would be someone to help him. Suddenly,
something very hard struck him over the back of his head...
To be continued... | 
