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I decided to feel my way around with my foot. I stretched
my leg out as far as it could stretch, and I felt around, hoping to find the right
way to go without falling off and tumbling into the boiling hot lava.
I found the right path, and I moved along quite
quickly. But near the end of the room, I couldn't find any invisible floor in
trace. It was starting to get real hot. Sweat rolled down my face. I started
to pant. I had to get out of that room. I started to panic. I frantically
glanced around the room, my eyeballs bulging, desperately in search for a way
out. I looked up at the ceiling, and I spotted a hook sticking out of the wooden
ceiling. Hmm... I thought, licking my lips with my dry tongue. If
I had a rope or something, I could -- then it hit me. I had that rope in
my pocket the "Follower of Phebious" gave to me! I searched around in my pocket,
and grabbed out the rugged old rope.
"Hmm..." I thought aloud. "I have to somehow
lasso this rope onto the hook, and swing across to that door over there..."
I tapped my hoof on the invisible floor.
It took me a while to figure out how to make
a lasso loop. I knew swinging from a rugged old rope that was about to brake
above a steaming lake of lava was risky, but I was getting dangerously hot,
so I had to do it.
I threw the rope up at the hook, and with a
few attempts, it wrapped around the hook. I took a deep breath, stepped back
a little bit, ran towards the rope, and jumped, hoping to grab it. My eyes were
tightly closed. I did grab it! I let out my breath, relaxed. I swung forward,
then back. forward, then back. I was so close to the door on the other side.
The only problem was, I didn't know where some invisible floor was to land on!
So, I decided to just jump off of the rope, right in front of the door, and
hope that I don't fall down into the boiling lava. It was a risk I had to take,
and even though if I did fall down into the boiling hot lava, I would
rather die of being so hot, than getting burned to death. I swung a little more,
getting more power. I let go of the rope, and landed right in front of the door.
I was safe!
I did a little victory dance, even though I
knew I had to get a move on. I stepped towards the door, and somehow lost my
balance. I fell off of the invisible floor. I screamed, as a fell. "HELP!" I
shouted, even though I knew nobody was around to help. I tightly shut my eyes,
waiting to face my doom. I was getting SO hot. The raindrop mark on my left
cheek started to ache. A red light flashed out from my left cheek. I could see
it shining onto the ceiling. I looked over my shoulder at how close I was to
the lava. Yep, I was going to die.
I covered my eyes with my hooves, but I never
felt the pain of the boiling hot lava. I was moving. I was afraid to open my
eyes. I felt a swoosh of wind. I slowly took my hooves out of the way, and opened
my eyes. I was flying! On Xraie!
"Xraie!" I shouted, with a little giggle in
my voice. "How did you get here?"
"Oh, I was trying to ditch Mister and Sir, but
I ran into this room. I saw you falling, so I rushed over here!" Xraie flapped
her little Draik wings towards the door.
"Wow, thanks!" I hugged Xraie around the neck.
"Oh, It's no problem," she replied, landing
right in front of the door. "Now lets go!" The purple Draik jerked the door
handle, and it gently opened.
"Wonder what's in this room?" I inquired, as
we entered cautiously.
"Dunno..." Xraie replied.
The room was pitch black when we entered, like
before, when we entered the lava room. Lights jerked on. I looked around, and
in the middle of the room were two petpets with rope tied around them- A Flightning
Bug and a Poppit!
"Hey!" Xraie shouted, joyfully. She ran over
to the petpets, the claws on her feet scratching against the metal floor. "It's
our petpets!"
I jogged over to the two petpets, also. "Let's
get the rope off of em'," I suggested, loosening the rope.
When the petpets got free, Xraie and I hugged
them happily.
"Hey, Xraie. We need to get a move on... let's
go through the door over there!" I pointed to yet another door.
"Sure!" Xraie smiled, as she flew over to the
door. I trotted close behind her.
This time I yanked on the handle. It opened
easily, and we walked inside. It was pitch black, as usual. After a few seconds,
the lights came on, only this time they were very dim.
It was a hallway with wooden plank flooring.
"Hey, we must be back on the normal part of
the ship!" Xraie guessed, cheerfully.
"Yeah!" I replied. "Lets go!" We scampered down
the narrow path, until we came to another door. We opened it, and went
through.
I looked around, my eyes sparkling, as I gazed
around the room. It was a restaurant!
"Awesome!" Xraie said, in awe. This Ship had
everything!"
"Lets order something to eat!" I suggested,
running over to an open table.
"But..." Xraie started.
"What?" I questioned.
"We're gonna have to pay."
"Don't worry!" I assured her. "I have plenty
of Neopoints in my pocket!"
"But On Krawk Island, they make you pay Dubloons,
don't they?"
I was silent. "Oh, yeah," I sighed, drooping
my head.
"I'm starving, though!" Xraie complained.
"Oh, wait!" I perked up, searching around in
my pocket. "You know that room with mountains of gold in it before you enter
the lava room?" I asked.
"Yeah," Xraie replied, holding her stomach in
pain.
"Well, I grabbed some handfuls of gold in there.
Maybe they're Dubloons!" I held out a golden coin, for my sister to look at.
"Wow! That sure is a Dubloon!" Xraie replied,
after carefully studying the object. "In a matter of fact..." She paused.
"What? Tell me!" I urged.
"That's a... a..." Xraie's eyes rolled around
dizzily, and she fell to the ground. "Unh..."
"Xraie!" I shouted. "Are you okay?" I bent down,
throwing the Dubloon to the side. It rolled along the floor, towards a pirate
Uni's table.
"Why I'll be..." The Pirate Uni gasped. "It's
a ONE-THOUSAND DUBLOON COIN! AND It's ALL MINE! HAR HAR HAR!" The Uni bent down
and picked up the dubloon, admiring it.
"What?!" I ran over to the Uni. "Did you say
one thousand Dubloon coin?!"
"I sure did. Ye have a problem with that?" the
Uni barked.
"Umm, no, but can you answer a question for
me?" I questioned, angelically.
"Sure, whatever," the Uni replied, shaking it's
fist.
I dug around in my pocket. "Are these
one-thousand Dubloon coins? I grabbed a handfull of dubloons, and showed them
to the Uni.
"Why, yes... they are! Ye have nine thousand
Golden Dubloons in ye hand..." The Uni looked at the dubloons, his eyes gleaming.
I slipped them back in my pocket. Now I knew
why Xraie fainted!
"Hey," I caught the Uni's attention. "Thanks
for the help,"
"Har... no problem, matey. Oh! Aren't you the...
captain?" the Uni asked, suspiciously.
"The... captain?" I thought to myself aloud.
"Why, yes, I am," I replied, beefing up my voice in a more manly tone. "Thank
you for noticing." I grinned, and started back to Xraie.
To be continued...
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