The Captain's Son: Part One

     His large ears swiveled, catching the sound of feet crunching on twigs. He might have greeted the incoming stranger, if not for the fact that Krawk Island was notorious for having thieves lurking around every corner. Albatross had learned it was better to be safe than to be sorry when it came to safeguarding his items, so he hid behind a massive tree to see whether friend or foe would appear. A minute later, a red Kyrii came into view. He wore a silver earring in his right ear, which was scarred considerably. The rest of his body looked to be in little better condition than his ear. The only clothing he wore was a tattered shirt full of holes, and below that hung a belt containing a sheathed dagger. Albatross almost gulped. This Neopet definitely looked like a thief.

     The Kyrii continued to tread through the forest as if he were ignorant of any presence but his own, which relieved Albatross a little. Eventually, the thief stopped right next to the vast expanse of sea, staring out across it as if waiting for something. Albatross was beginning to wonder what on Neopia the Kyrii was doing when a monstrous Scorchio emerged from the depths. Drops of water ran down her orange scales, making her seem to shimmer like an illusion. A massive tail flicked to and fro about her body, causing small waves to rise and fall. Her fins looked like they were made of the purest silk while her eyes glimmered like the facets of a diamond. For a second Albatross wanted to touch her to see if she was real, but regained his senses.

     Wait... I know her! When my shipmates and I were sailing to Mystery Island, we had to go through her territory! My friends assured me she was a myth, but we were proved wrong when she capsized our ship! We were lucky to have survived at all! I wonder what she wants with that Kyrii...

     “Have you located the Amulet yet, Beini?” the Scorchio asked, raising an eyebrow.

     “Yes, Auduna. The tracing spell I cast worked very well. It is a shame it took so long to find the Amulet, but those other fools do not know how to cast anything properly,” Beini muttered.

     “Give me the location,” Auduna ordered calmly, narrowing her gaze.

     “Right. The trail led to an orange Gnorbu child who lives with a green Ogrin in the middle of town. I am not sure of the runt's name, but I have heard that the Ogrin is called Rourke. I have no idea why a child would be in possession of Fyora's Amulet, but that does not matter. Is there more that I can do for you, my lady?”

     “No. You have served me well, Beini, and you may take your leave.”

     “Yes, Auduna,” the Kyrii replied before dashing off into the distance. His mistress followed suit, disappearing into the cold, blue sea. Albatross tried to stop his heart from leaping out of his chest by taking a deep breath. He could not afford to panic after what he had just seen.

     Fyora's Amulet... Fyora's Amulet...Yes, I have heard of that before in one of the books I read. It said the Amulet held a portion of the Faerie Queen's power, and that it was once stolen from the Hidden Tower long ago. I suppose that the thief who took the Amulet somehow lost it, and that the child found it somehow. I doubt he even knows what kind of enemy he has inadvertently made. If the Amulet remains in his possession, he will be destroyed. I have to prevent that somehow, but that means I would have to steal it to get the trace spell's focus to switch from the Gnorbu to me. I could then destroy the Amulet and obliterate the Amulet's trail. Wait. Even if I did steal it, there is a chance the spell would malfunction and stay targeted on the child. Well, that is a risk I will have to take. Maybe I could return it to the Faerie Queen. No...that would take too much time. Oh, I hope the blessing that Light Faerie gave me will come in handy now.

     Albatross drew in a breath and chanted slowly. Light magic shot out of his paws and swirled around in the air for a minute. An instant later it revealed a dark purple path that wound its way in a curved pattern through the woods. The Bori eagerly sprinted after it, looking over his shoulder every moment or so to make sure that no one was following him. It seemed to take forever, but he arrived at Rourke's house. After glancing in a window to make sure that no one was home and checking to see if anyone was within sight, he opened a portal and stepped into it. Soon he found himself in Rourke's living room.

     Once more he called upon his light magic to help him. He felt a warm sensation in his paws that told him the Amulet was nearby. He followed it quickly, feeling the heat in his paw increase as he neared the treasure. The magic led into a small room with a bed, a table with an oil lamp on it, and a small dresser. He winced slightly as he neared the dresser. The Amulet had to be in there. Albatross opened the top drawer and began sifting through a neatly folded pile of clothes. He sighed with relief when he found what he was looking for and shut the drawer. Albatross then transported himself out of the house, the Amulet held tight in his grasp.

      ---------------------------

      Havelock felt the enormous weight of the chains that bound his hands and feet press into every fiber of his body. The Brown Lupe ground his teeth at the pain, trying to ignore it. Ironic that Auduna had given him the ability to breathe underwater only to torture him. He hated the Maraquan Scorchio with an unrelenting fervor. It was this hatred that kept him going for the four years he had been imprisoned in his small cell. His ears pricked as he felt something move nearby and he stiffened. He knew it was her before she even arrived. Who else would come to see him?

     “Hello, Havelock,” she greeted in a smooth voice. “I have a proposition for you.”

     “What? Are you moving me into a darker cell?” he questioned sarcastically.

     “Do not use that tone of voice with me, Lupe. I just might take away my offer of freedom,” Auduna snapped.

     “Freedom? Why would you ever offer me that?” he spat.

     “Freedom will be your reward if you complete a mission for me first. A minion of mine has recently found the location of an item that I desire. It is in the hands of a young Gnorbu who lives on Krawk Island. If you bring the Amulet of Fyora back to me, I will grant you your freedom. Do you accept?”

     “I will not disgrace myself further by playing the part of your lackey,” Havelock sneered. “Why not get one of your loyal slaves to do your bidding?”

     “Because, Havelock, they are not as clever as you are. There is also an added bonus: the Amulet is in Rourke's home,” Auduna whispered, a malicious glint in her gaze.

     At the mention of the word 'Rourke' anger flared into Havelock's eyes, just as the Scorchio had wanted. For a moment it seemed that he would scream out in rage, but he calmed himself.

     “Give me instructions and I will follow them to the letter,” the Lupe stated crisply.

     “You are to travel to Krawk Island, sneak into Rourke's house at night, retrieve the Amulet, and sneak back out. If by some absurdity the Amulet is not there, you are to kidnap the child and use him to find it,” she instructed.

     “There are some problems with that. How am I going to get inside that old fool's house at night without anyone noticing? How will I even find the thing? What if Rourke wakes up? If the Amulet is not there, how can I sneak out with a child in my arms?” he interrogated with crossed arms.

     “You will be granted some of my dark magic to sneak in and out of the house, although the portals can only move you small distances. I will also give you a spell that should lull Rourke and the child to sleep for hours. You will also receive a spell to help you locate the Amulet. Are those answers good enough for you?”

     She grinned with delight as Havelock nodded. “Good.”

To be continued...

AN: Thank you for accepting me, TNT! Neomail is appreciated!

Trivia:

• Havelock means "sea competition" in Norse
• Auduna means "deserted" in Norse
• Beini means "name of a smith" in Norse