Another Hero's Journey...to Krawk Island

     “Ugh, where is he?” Andrea groaned as she emerged from an inn called The Sunset’s End. The red Kyrii’s mane was beginning to free itself of its restraining braid. “The innkeeper in there said that one of his maids saw a white Blumaroo with a purple Xweetok running toward the Beach of Bones…”

     “The Beach of Bones is due east,” said Markham, fanning himself with his at as he and Rohane stood guard outside the inn. “There shouldn’t be a pier anywhere there, it’s all shacks and houseboats and some dangerous breakwater. And, a purple Xweetok?”

     “What if that Xweetok is one of that pirate Kougra’s goons?” Rohane asked.

     Andrea’s eyes flashed, the blue igniting like a flame. “If they are, and if they’ve hurt Reuben, I’m going to…”

     “You’ll have to fall in line, Andrea.” The Blumaroo reached up to touch the hilt of his sword. “No one kidnaps my brother and gets away with it.”

     “Or my – “

     Markham shook his head and strode onward. “Come on, you two. You’ll get to clean their clocks all you want when we find Reuben.”

     * * *

     “See anything, Muirgen?”

     The pirate Eyrie flew over the roofs, circling the last area of the Warf Wharf that stood between them and the docks. She dropped down onto the nearest shed.

     “No, it doesn’t look like we’re – “ Her voice trailed off and she swooped down between Ione and Reuben, startling them. “Never mind. They’re coming. Wilhelm, Derrick, and Eif.”

     “Do we make a run for it?” Reuben asked.

     “They’ll be following us here, toward the docks. We have to find a way to double back,” said Muirgen. “We have to lose them, and…I don’t know if they saw me.”

     Ione gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, but finally said, “You’re right. We have to go back. How did they find us?”

     “I don’t know, but we won’t let them find us again.” Muirgen pulled the purple Xweetok, who in turn grabbed Reuben, and the three of them plunged into a maze of warehouses that thinned out into ramshackle houses built against each other, and which pulled them away from the pier, marked by the rippling sails in the sky. As they ran past a Krawk and an Ixi rolling dice for Krawps, they ducked into a bustling café that smelled of extremely strong coffee.

     “Ugh. Coffee. Like what Wilhelm gets at the Lighthouse Tavern.” Ione wrinkled her nose but didn’t protest further as they took a table away from the café’s only window, which opened out onto a bleak street with nothing but warehouses.

     “We need to split up,” said Muirgen urgently. “You take Reuben and leave through the back entrance. I’ll see if I can lead Wilhelm down a nice little chase long enough for you two to double back and get to the pier.”

     “But I thought we were doing this together!” the Xweetok hissed.

     “We still are.” Muirgen reached out and squeezed Ione’s hand tightly. “I trust you to get Reuben off Krawk Island. We’ll meet here again.”

     Ione smiled ruefully. “For coffee?”

     “You two can talk about coffee later, I think that’s the Grundo goon outside the café,” said Reuben, tugging at their sleeves. “We need a plan now, are we splitting up or not?”

     * * *

     “Are we lost?” Andrea wondered. “I’m pretty sure we passed by what you called a Golden Dubloon knockoff twice now.”

     “You’ll have to forgive this old Tonu, he hasn’t been on this island for years.” Markham grumbled. “Tch, this place has gotten more crowded since I was gone. I remember some of the old streets, but…”

     “Never mind that now.” Rohane waved his hands. “Also, can I take the stubble off? It’s so itchy.”

     “No!” Andrea and Markham cried. Then both of them clapped hands to their mouths as Rohane looked around to make sure no one heard them.

     “Sorry,” she said, remembering to tone down her voice.

     The white Blumaroo pointed down an alley. “You said the Beach of Bones is east, right? Maybe if we go through there…” He started toward it and broke into a run.

     “Wait!” Markham said. He cursed as he tripped over a stray stone. “R – um, Nightsteel!”

     But Rohane didn’t wait. He sprinted into the alley – and crashed into someone else. The two of them staggered and fell to the ground, groaning. A black hood fell away from one face, and a bandana and several bits of fake stubble from the other. The two of them stared at each other for one second before they blurted out each other’s names in a mix of disbelief and relief and shock and elation.

     “Reuben!”

     “Rohane?”

     Without a care for their disguises, the daggers at Reuben’s belt or the sword at Rohane’s back, the two Blumaroos threw themselves at each other, laughing and hugging.

     “I knew it! Bet you hijacked a ship by playing the hero card!”

     “Shhh, not so loud!”

     When the two of them broke away, Reuben stood up and saw Andrea, who had finally caught up with Markham. Before the swordsmith could do anything, the red Kyrii ran to him and embraced him tightly, sniffing away an incipient tear.

     “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

     Reuben managed a short chuckle, though it was a bit choked up. “Heh, not as happy I am to see you.” He gazed at her – her tousled braid and slightly crooked headscarf, her rough disguise that somewhat suited her, and her bright blue eyes – and clasped her hands tightly into his gloved ones.

     “I’m guessing you’re the mystery Xweetok, and I’m guessing you were helping Reuben, not kidnapping him,” said Rohane, addressing the purple Xweetok who was behind Reuben.

     “Nice to meet you, I’m Ione. Muirgen and I – “

     Markham cleared his throat, interrupting any ongoing or imminent conversation. “Okay, we got Reuben, now we need to get the ship ready for Meridell.”

     “You have a ship going to Meridell?” Ione asked.

     “Well, how else did ol’ Captain Markham make it here, lass?” The spotted Tonu answered her question with another question. “My crewmates are still trying to hunt Reuben down, so we need to regroup. I’ll find them.”

     “And I’ll find Muirgen. We had to split up when Wilhelm found us.”

     “Muirgen?” Andrea repeated.

     “Oh, right, she’s my – “

     Markham ran a hand through his mane. “We can chat later! Andrea, Nightsteel, take Reuben to the ship!”

     Reuben snorted and glanced at his younger brother. “Nightsteel?”

     “I’ll explain when we get there,” said Rohane sourly, reaching up to pull the fake stubble from his chin.

     * * *

     Anchored a few paces away from the most crowded area of the dock, the Swift Snarhook was floating placidly in the waters of Krawk Island.

     “Is that the ship you hijacked?”

     Rohane scowled as they hurried toward the pier where the Snarhook’s gangplank was lowered. “We didn’t hijack it! Captain Markham agreed to help us!”

     Reuben laughed as the three of them got to the pier, which was low in the water but got progressively higher as it stretched out into the sea. However, his laughter died in his throat when a crossbow bolt whistled in front of him, forcing Andrea to jump aside. The projectile thudded harmlessly into the planks of the pier, but none of them did not pay any more attention to it. Instead, they all turned to look up from the direction where the bolt had come from; from the second floor of the nearest wooden building, a brown Grundo, who somehow had fairly good aim despite his eyepatch, had already reloaded his crossbow bolt.

     They realized too late that a shadow Kiko had been lurking under the pier, a notched cutlass gripped in his teeth, and a pirate Kougra was already approaching them with a drawn blade.

     The white Blumaroo cursed.

     “What, you’re leaving without saying goodbye?” Wilhelm asked, his voice dripping with exaggerated disappointment.

     “Yeah, sorry about that,” said Reuben, who was not sorry at all, especially with how he decisively drew two daggers from his belt – with some difficulty, as his cloak was still wrapped around his waist. “I’ve got family back home, I’m sure you understand.”

     The Kougra’s face was impassive. “Not really. I never had a family.”

     “But we’re your family, Cap’n!” the shadow Kiko said as he gripped his cutlass.

     “Quiet, Derrick.”

     Andrea, Reuben and Rohane all huddled in the middle of the pier, back-to-back. While Rohane’s sword was already in his hands, Andrea’s eyes and hands were glowing with a dangerous blue light.

     “Yeah, quiet, Derrick, ‘cause I’m about to punch Wilhelm’s face in after kidnapping me.”

     “He kidnapped you! I should be the one who gets to punch his face first!” Rohane objected.

     “You’re going back to that backwater kingdom instead of taking your business here?” Wilhelm shook his head. “You’re missing out on a great business opportunity here. Everyone from every corner of Krawk Island will come to us for your work.”

     “I happen to love that backwater kingdom,” Reuben snarled. “And, I happen to be tired of talking to you.”

     “Fair enough.” Wilhelm shrugged. “Why don’t we let the steel do the talking?”

     At that, several things happened at once. Andrea spoke a single arcane word that sent chills down the spines of everyone who heard it, and a dazzling bolt of light lanced from her fingers and toward the Grundo in the window, forcing him to duck. Derrick sprang forward, cutlass at the ready, only to be met by a strong parry from Rohane. Wilhelm roared as he thrust his own cutlass, which met Reuben’s daggers with a loud clang.

     The Grundo peeped out from the window and fired a crossbow bolt that was incinerated in midair by another magic blast from Andrea, who did not seem at all distracted by the clash of blades all around her. Derrick slid forward and opened a tear into Rohane’s shirt, but the white Blumaroo whipped around nimbly and struck the Kiko on the back of the head with the flat of his sword. Livid, Derrick retaliated with a series of slashes that forced Rohane on the defensive, but not for long, as the knight began pushing back with a wide arc complemented by a roundhouse kick that caused Derrick to fall against the pier.

     Meanwhile, Reuben found himself backed toward the side of the pier, one dagger parrying Wilhelm’s wild swing and the other searching for an opening. While the white Blumaroo managed to find an opening, Wilhelm suddenly changed his move and hooked his cutlass against a loose part of Reuben’s baggy hood, distracting Reuben long enough for the pirate Kougra to kick him in the chest and into the sea.

     “Reuben!” Rohane yelled. He staggered, attempting to evade a cutlass thrust toward his chest.

     Andrea gasped when she heard the splash, which caused her to look away from Eif. He fired, and found his mark in the red Kyrii’s shoulder, causing her to crumple onto the pier.

     Wilhelm grinned. “That should cool you off.” But as he crouched down, he found himself dodging a dart instead – a dart shot from a blowgun carried by a pirate Eyrie. He looked up and cursed aloud.

     “Muirgen!”

     In his makeshift stronghold, the brown Grundo contended with a purple Xweetok whose cutlass was drawn, and she was upon him in a flash. While Muirgen swooped down beside an injured Andrea and tried to usher her away from the fray, Wilhelm howled in pain and raised his foot from the pier, clutching it as he hopped about.

     “Boss?” Derrick asked as he ducked a high strike from Rohane. “What’s going on?”

     Ione ran toward them just in time to see Reuben surface from the water, gasping and holding up a long dagger, grinning crookedly.

     “Guess he won’t be footing the bill.”

     The Xweetok groaned. “That’s terrible, but not as terrible as you’re gonna be when we’re done with you, Wilhelm.”

     “Wait, where’s Andrea?” Reuben asked as he clambered out of the water, dripping but otherwise okay. He looked around.

     “Eif shot her, but Muirgen took her away. She’s in good hands.”

     Reuben snarled. “All of you are going to pay for that, Wilhelm!”

     Derrick dived to the ground when Rohane came for him again, causing the knight to fall and drop his sword. As he did so, the pirate Kougra immediately grabbed the Blumaroo and threw him against Ione, the two of them winding up into a dazed pile.

     “Got any more friends, Reuben?” Wilhelm taunted.

     “Uh, they’ll be coming any minute now, I hope,” said Reuben hopefully, his daggers at the ready. Wilhelm started forward, only for Ione to stick out a leg and trip him. That gave Reuben enough time to throw two daggers at Derrick – one that missed, and another that grazed the Kiko’s hand enough for him to drop his own weapon.

     “Rohane, now!”

     Rohane needed no second bidding. He disentangled himself from Ione and sprang toward Derrick, wrestling him and pinning him down. Ione then rushed toward Wilhelm with her own cutlass, who backed away and led the Xweetok into an almost synchronized dance across the pier, their swords snaking out this way and that.

     “This is the last time you use anyone, Wilhelm!”

     “It’s not using if it’s a business partnership!” He suddenly withdrew his blade and punched Ione in the stomach, causing her to double over. As she gasped in pain, Reuben made his move, meeting the pirate Kougra’s cutlass with his dagger, forcing Wilhelm to back down, before palming a knife from his second sleeve and levelling it at Wilhelm’s throat.

     “Doesn’t look like a business partnership to me,” Ione quipped.

     “For the last time, I won’t be doing business with you,” Reuben hissed. Dropping his knife, he drew back and punched Wilhelm in the face so hard that the Kougra crumpled to the ground. “This is for kidnapping me, for shooting Andrea, for whatever you did to Muirgen and Ione.” Then he straightened up and said, “Told you I get first dibs on punching him in the face, Rohane.”

     * * *

     “I can’t believe we missed all the action!” Lou whined as he clacked his hooks together in front of Wilhelm, Derrick, and Eif, who were gagged and tied on the pier, next to the Swift Snarhook.

     “Oh, we’ll still have some action,” said Markham. “Taking these three over to the Governor’s Mansion for breaking the pirate’s code.” The Tonu shook his head in disapproval. “Abducting a Meridellian to force him to do business in Krawk Island…yeah, that’s definitely not in the code. Anyway, how’s Andrea?”

     “She’ll be okay,” said Muirgen, landing beside him and causing him to jump in surprise. “Ichabod, Nightclaw and I patched her, Ione, Reuben and Rohane up. Anyway…” Her voice trailed off, and she took a deep breath. “Reuben wanted me to ask you…may I join you when you head back to Meridell? He wanted to give me lessons at his smithy, let me apprentice with him for a few weeks.”

     Markham looked at her and blinked. “Don’t see anything wrong with that, why not? But what about Ione? Truth be told, I’ve been thinking of gathering up a crew again, maybe picking up privateering one more time. ‘Cept this time we’ll do it respectable-like, keeping ourselves to hidden and lost treasures across Neopia’s seas. You two would be a great addition to the crew.”

     The pirate Eyrie scratched her head. “But Ione and I promised to go straight.”

     “We won’t be doing any pillaging or anything like what Wilhelm did, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Markham assured her.

     “And we’ve got three kids to take care of.”

     “Well, our ship probably won’t have enough room as it is, but we can take you for now, and I can spruce up the Snarhook some to fit everyone on board when your apprenticeship with Reuben is done. What do you say to that?”

     Muirgen smiled. “I…I have to talk to Ione about it, but I’m sure she’ll appreciate that. Thanks…Cap’n Markham.”

     “That’s what I’m talking about, the real respect a captain deserves!”

     “Hey, we respect you, Cap’n!” Lou whined.

     * * *

     On the bow of the Snarhook, Andrea watched as the sky shifted from a clear afternoon blue to the splashes of pink and red that heralded a sunset. She sighed contentedly despite her bandaged shoulder and arm and leaned against the railing of the ship.

     Reuben approached her, somewhat hesitantly, one hand over his vest pocket. She frowned slightly when she saw him.

     “Are you all right?”

     The white Blumaroo nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” His brow furrowed. “I should be asking you if you’re all right. How’s your shoulder and the rest of your arm?”

     “I’ll be fine, but writing is going to be pretty hard for a while. Good thing Ichabod and Nightclaw have some surprisingly gentle healing hands.”

     “Good,” said Reuben, exhaling in relief.

     “So…what did you want to tell me?” she asked, approaching him. As she did so, he seemed to tense slightly, and he clutched something small and vaguely square-shaped in his pocket. “Wait, was this what you wanted to tell me back in Seaside?”

     “Andrea,” he said slowly, “There’s…another reason why I asked you to come with me to Seaside. I mean, that’s the reason. That was what I wanted to tell you. But then I got kidnapped, and you and Rohane came to my rescue, and…” He stopped babbling and breathed in, the smell of the sea all around them. “I missed you. I always miss you when you’re away, but I just realized how much…how much I…”

     “You what?”

     Reuben swallowed hard and finally produced the item that was in his pocket – a velvet maroon box. Andrea’s eyes widened as he flipped the lid open to reveal a beautiful gold ring with curlicues meticulously carved into it, and into which was set a sapphire that glistened in the sunlight.

     “I…I can’t imagine being away from you. Not anymore,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “I’ve been on a number of adventures like this one, but the best adventures I have are the ones with you.”

     The red Kyrii gaped at him, one hand on her bandaged arm, as he took the ring from its box and offered it to her.

     “Andrea, will you go on an adventure with me, for the rest of our lives?” He let out a nervous, barking laugh. “Our greatest adventure yet.”

     She looked from his somewhat sheepish, expectant face, to the ring in his hand, and back again, at a total loss for words. Only the sea seemed to speak, gently rocking the Snarhook like a baby in a cradle as more of the sky was dyed red, pink and orange.

     Then a sob escaped her throat, and she sniffed, beaming through watering eyes with a smile that could have rivalled the sun itself.

     “Oh, Reuben,” she whispered as she took the ring with a trembling hand and slid it onto one of her fingers. “Yes. I want to continue this adventure with you. For the rest of our lives.” Gingerly, she enveloped Reuben in a one-armed hug with her good arm. “But I’ve had enough of pirate adventures for a long time.”

     He grinned. “Me too. Good thing we’re heading home…for our next great adventure.”

      The End.