The Treasure of Smuggler's Cove:Part Two

     "Oy, Sammy, wake up!”

     Clyf bonked Sammy, who had fallen asleep at the wheel, on the head. Sammy jolted awake, saying, “Yes, I’ll take a Honeyed Horn of Plenty. Uh. What’s going on?” Clyf rolled his eyes; Sammy was always having the strangest dreams. Clyf knew this because he constantly talked in his sleep, saying things like “Yes, I have sheared that Babaa, mom” and “You can’t just steal a Pandaphant from Shenkuu, it’s dangerous.”

     “You’re suppose to be steering, you ninny,” Clyf said, trying to keep his tone lighthearted. Truthfully, he was starting to get a big nervous – none of them knew where they were right now. It was dark; the moon shone over the water, providing the only light. How Sammy could see anything right now was a miracle, and he was their only hope in getting to Smuggler’s Cove. Sammy expertly navigated the ship, consulting the map Clyf had been given.

     The voyage had started out well. It was a clear, beautiful day, and the group was in good spirits, laughing and joking and eating and drinking heartily. They were jovial and optimistic, certain they would find the treasure. But slowly, throughout the course of the day, they all mellowed out. And then they got into unfamiliar territory. Since then, they all had been a bit on edge.

     Clyf especially had been on edge. He had snapped at Lilla several times throughout the day. He didn’t like the fact that she always had a way of making him feel stupid. Maybe it was the fact that, in a lot of ways, she was smarter than him. It made him jealous. Lilla had been standing at the corner of the ship sulking since their latest argument a few hours ago. Sighing, Clyf looked at her. She looked back at him, still sulking. I should probably go over and apologize he thought.

     As he went to move towards Lilla, a sudden cold passed over the air. It seemed somehow even darker than before. The moon hid behind a cloud, casting a shadow over the once moonlit water. The spray of the ocean water washed ashore, chilling him. A deep sense of unease and fear ran through Clyf. Something felt very, very wrong right now.

     Shaking the feeling, Clyf stumbled in the dark towards Lilla. “Hey, Lilla,” he said, his tone subdued. “I’m sorry for being such a grouch to you today.”

     Lilla sighed. “It’s ok. I just don’t get your problem sometimes,” she added. “All I’m ever trying to do is help you.”

     “I know that deep down,” Clyf said. “It’s just hard for me. I’m used to being the boss. I’m used to doing what I want. And I guess I’m not used to…” he trailed off.

     “Used to what?” Lilla asked.

     “I’m not used to someone being smarter than me,” he admitted.

     Lilla looked at him kindly. Clyf could tell her attitude had softened mainly due to the fact that he was complimenting her. “Look, Clyf,” she said, “I’m not necessarily smarter than you. I just know things that you don’t. And that’s ok. That’s why we have all sorts of Neopets on this ship. That’s why you need more than one voice and more than one person coming up with ideas.”

     “I know you’re right,” Clyf said “It’s just hard for me. I’m so used to calling the shots.”

     “Well don’t get too used to it, because you have me aboard now, too,” she teased. Her eyes sparkled. Clyf just smiled in return.

     Suddenly, there was light again. And voices. The most beautiful, angelic voices he had ever heard. Clyf and the rest of the crew looked over the edge of the ship. Waiting down below, on some rocks, about 50 feet away, were Meraishas. They were real! Clyf had heard many stories and legends, but never thought he would see one in person. And not just one, but three!

     The Meraishas were stunning. They had glowing blue scales and long, silken blonde hair. They were combing each other’s hair, laughing and giggling and singing. They smiled and waved at the crew, beckoning them to join them on the rocks. Clyf was captivated by their appearance. Soon, he could think of nothing else except them and their voices. Any sense of unease that he had previously had vanished.

     And he wasn’t the only one. Skippy was drooling, his mouth half open. Blitz, who normally couldn’t stop moving, stood rooted to the spot, entranced. The others also stopped everything they were doing to stare at the Meraishas – including Sammy, who was supposed to be steering the ship.

     Forgetting where he was or even who he was, Clyf started slowly walking towards the end of the ship. His feet seemed to be moving on their own. He hummed happily, and started prancing towards the edge. Soon he would get to be with the Meraishas, which he was very happy about. Forget Smuggler’s Cove – who needed that when he could be with the Meraishas?

     For some reason, Lilla was the only one not affected by the Meraishas below. Quite the contrary, she had looked at them with disgust. Clyf assumed it was because she was jealous. Lilla was currently rushing around the deck, saying to her crewmates, “What’s wrong with you?” and “Snap out of it!” as she shook them. And then she saw Clyf, about to jump off the ship.

     “CLYF, NO!” she screamed. She leapt towards Clyf and reached him in three giant bounds. She yanked him back by his bandanna, throwing him back onto the ship. Clyf protested angrily, but she bonked him on top of the head. “Stay there, stupid!” she chastised.

     Frantically, she ran to the wheel – the ship was rapidly approaching the rocks, and they were about to crash. With all her strength, Lilla wrenched the wheel in the opposite direction, away from the rocky shore and the singing Meraishas. The rest of the crew toppled down, thrown by the sharp turn of the ship.

     Clyf rubbed his head. “Uhhh,” he groaned. “What happened?” he asked, slowly getting to his feet. “Where are the pretty Aishas?” He looked around, as if expecting them to be on the boat. He realized that their singing had stopped.

     Lilla rolled her eyes. “Pretty? Oh, you mean the ones down there?” she asked, pointing.

     Clyf looked over the edge of the ship, and gasped in terror. Indeed, the once beautiful Meraishas had shifted into horrible, mutant versions of themselves. They had glowing red eyes and matted hair, and their nails were long and jagged. Instead of singing, they were snarling and hissing angrily. Kenny and the rest of the crew looked at them as well, and saw the same thing.

     The spell had been broken.

     “I don’t understand,” Kenny said, dumbstruck. “They were just there. They were beautiful.”

     “No, they weren’t,” Lilla explained. “Sammy, will you steer the ship please so I can explain to these ninnies what just happened?”

     Sheepishly, Sammy took control of the wheel once more; even though he was considered the smartest of the group, he hadn’t been able to resist the Meraisha’s spell. He was pretty embarrassed by it. Lilla had a way of making those around her feel small without intending to.

     “Look, those were not regular Meraishas,” Lilla explained. “They were sirens. SIrens are shape shifters that trick sailors into crashing into the rocks. They’re dangerous. They appear in the form of beautiful Meraishas with harmonic voices. Usually by the time you see them for what they really are, it’s too late. Good thing I was here.”

     “But then why didn’t you see them that way?” Skippy asked.

     “They only affect boys,” she said with a smirk. “Pay attention to what other people see, too. Recognize that things aren’t always as they appear. And remember, looks aren’t everything.”

     Clyf looked at her, considering her words. Lilla had always been more than meets the eye. When he first met Lilla, he didn’t think much of her – or, admittedly, of girls in general. He never thought girls could be pirates the way boys could. But once he got to know her, his feelings changed. He realized that she was more than “just a girl,” and did everything possible to show that to the world. Often times she was smarter, quicker, and stronger than some of the crew at times. He developed a new respect for her, and for girls in general. Often times, he would think to himself that he was ashamed of is previous viewpoints.

     Suddenly, a big, booming voice came from below the deck. “Ay! Dinner be ready!” It was Grubba Bub. Everybody had forgotten that he was below deck, making dinner for everybody. He was balancing bowls of what looked like brown slop in his arms. He picked up on the tension in the air immediately.

     “Er…” he said uncomfortably. “Everybody alright?” Grubba was a caring Skeith, but he was very awkward at times. He wasn’t the best at social cues, and didn’t know what to say in awkward situations.

     The crew looked at each other. For some reason, all at once, they burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. Grubba laughed as well, a little awkwardly. When the crew all finally stopped laughing, Clyf walked over to Grubba, wiping a tear from his eye he had been laughing so hard.

     “Everything is fine, my dear friend, thanks to Lilla,” he added. Lilla blushed and looked down, pleased at he acknowledgement. “Lets eat!”

     The crew enjoyed a meal together, blissfully unaware of the new dangers awaiting them along their journey. It had only just begun.

To be continued…