A Legend Begins Again: Part One

     Isca's eyes snapped open at that moment, as if she could no longer bear to watch, and then she suddenly sat up, and in horror, shouted a single word.

     "GARIN!!!"

       ********

     Garin suddenly sat up in his sleep, only to have his head bonk right into Jacques, who was asleep in the hammock above him. Jacques awoke with a yelp and fell right out of his hammock onto the wooden floor. He sat up slowly, rubbing his arm, and Garin sat there in his hammock, holding his throbbing head, but both were groaning. Jacques stood up and glared at Garin.

     "Why is it when only ONE of us has a nightmare, we BOTH wake up?" he asked dryly.

     "Shuddup," Garin grumbled. He fell backwards back onto the hammock and groaned in annoyance. Jacques sighed and climbed back into his hammock. There was a moment of silence, and then Jacques leaned over the side of his hammock and looked at Garin.

     "You okay?" he asked. Garin nodded and looked out the window. "...What was it about?"

     "Hm?"

     "The nightmare."

     "Oh... nothing, it wasn't even a nightmare. I just... I don't know. For a minute I thought I heard something moving around the cabin," Garin said, fingering his Maractite dagger. "And whoever it was..." Garin wrung his neck nervously. "I felt like they were trying to choke me."

     Jacques looked up and around the cabin. It was dark, but nearly daybreak. And he could tell by the silence and shapes around them, that they were alone, he looked back at Garin.

     "You were imagining things Garin," he said. "No worries. Now let's get some shut-eye before dawn, eh?"

     "Aye, good idea," Garin said with a yawn. "G'night, Jacques."

     "You too, Garin," said Jacques, rolling back over.

     Garin lay there, half asleep and half awake, still unable to shake the feeling that someone was very close by. Scarblade, perhaps? No, that villain hardly scared Garin. Besides, he would have known if it were Scarblade; if it were, a foul stench would have filled the room. This feeling was different. It was like someone just as bad as Scarblade were there, but not as terrifying. Someone Garin had met... or had he? Someone... someone... WHO?

     ********

     Garin stood behind the wheel of the Black Pawkeet, giving the wheel a slight turn in towards the growing shape of Krawk Island. Last night still weighed heavily on his mind, but he shook most of it away. Garin took a deep breath of the crisp, salty air. No matter how many times, it always felt good to breath that free air that drew him to the place he felt was home to him.

     It had been a long time since Garin had felt afraid, though, and Jacques knew that. Even now, as he watched him from the crow's nest, Garin seemed tense. Jacques also knew that whatever had scared his buddy had scared him bad, but it wasn't their arch nemesis, Captain Scarblade... it was something else. Jacques sighed and leaned back against the portion of the mast that stuck up beneath him, and then looked up at their billowing flag. Jacques glanced down at Garin for a brief moment, then back to the sky. He knew that there was a slight change in the wind.

     Whatever was going on... was just the calm before the storm. Jacques rolled his eyes and climbed down from the crow's nest and went to Garin's side.

     "Okay, Garin, I give up," said Jacques, sounding annoyed. "What's bothering you?"

     Garin sighed and leaned forward on the wheel.

     "I don't really know," he admitted. "I just feel like... like there's something out there. Or someone, or... I don't know." Garin sighed. "Whatever it is, though, I have a feeling it's coming soon."

     Jacques smiled and placed his hand on Garin's shoulder. "Don't worry, Garin," he said. "It was just a dream after all, the feeling will go away after a while."

     "Aye, I guess you're right, Jacques," Garin said with a sigh. "Dreams are just dreams. Unless you're Isca."

     Jacques laughed.

     "Yeah, good point." He looked out towards the shore for a minute, then he looked back at Garin. "We goin' ashore?"

     "How else are we gonna get loot?" Garin asked. Jacques gave a nod as if saying, 'I knew that', and Garin chuckled. He stepped forward to the front of the helm to address the crew with orders.

     "Alright, mates! Heave to and prepare to drop anchor! Step lively now!" Garin shouted. His crew quickly acknowledged his orders and quickened their pace to obey. Garin sighed and looked around the ship. This had been his sturdy, never-let-me-down home for three long years, and his original crew had stayed with him all this time, and through the Maraqua event. They felt like family to him now, Jacques especially, but Garin knew his crew would probably stand by him until the bitter end. But Garin would never want it to go that far.

     "All ready, captain!" Talak called from the rigging above. Garin waved to the Wocky as acknowledgement, and then he walked down from the helm and to the side of the Black Pawkeet. He and Jacques lowered their long boat down to the water while some other members of the crew lowered another one. Garin always made sure that at least three of his crew stayed aboard his ship to guard her, just to be safe incase of a sudden attack. Garin stepped into the long boat and sat down beside Jacques.

     "All ready?" Garin asked his crewmembers. They nodded, and he nodded back. "Lets get going then."

     *****

     Garin walked through the streets of Krawk Island, looking for something to lift off of some unsuspecting Neopian as they passed, but for some reason his heart just wasn't in it today. He couldn't shake that feeling that there was something coming, and that it would mean nothing but bad news for him and his friends. Garin grumbled to himself and rubbed his forehead through his red headband.

     "Drat it all..." he mumbled to himself as he turned down a narrower street. He sighed and looked around, hoping to find something to distract him from his thoughts...

     Hold on! What was that?

     Garin turned back around quickly, just in time to watch a shadowed figure duck behind a corner. He grabbed for his dagger and bared his teeth. He WAS being followed! But it was odd, the feeling he had didn't feel like Scarblade was causing it, or any of his crew... but this seemed worse somehow. Garin turned and picked up his pace, keeping one hand on his dagger as he did, and pretty soon, rounded the corner. He stopped and looked around for a moment, then broke into a run down a small alley, which lead to another turn that he took instantly.

     He kept running and running until finally he was out of breath. He stopped and leaned against a nearby wall to catch his breath, then looked around again to see where he was. He was just outside of an old watermill that had been in this part of town for as long as he could remember. It was abandoned, but was sturdy enough to stand on its own for some time still, and as an extra precaution, Garin decided to head inside, sure that he had already lost his pursuer, but just to be safe, he'd need a place to hide.

     The mill's door wasn't locked, so it was easy to get in. It was fairly dark, but light enough for Garin to see a little bit. He walked further inside and stopped in the middle of the room, looking around, and his ears twitching for the slightest sound that would tell him he wasn't alone...

     But he heard nothing.

     Garin sighed in relief and sheathed his dagger as he felt his muscles and nerves relax after the scare and chase. But still, this might only just be the beginning... he still had to find out who was following him.

     Suddenly, Garin was grabbed from behind roughly and violently. He let out a startled yelp and hit behind him, hoping to break free, but his unknown attacker grabbed Garin by the hair and pulled his head back, and then Garin felt a cold blade laid across his throat, making him freeze. His attacker hissed evilly and Garin could hear him baring his teeth.

     "Remember me?" hissed a voice.

     Garin's eyes bulged and his stomach lurched. His heart began to pound like a drum in his chest and his mind raced in a panic. He knew that voice... it was so many years ago... but he knew the voice. Garin squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. He felt as he couldn't say it, but he barely managed to despairingly choke out the name of his enemy...

     "Bloodhook."

To be continued...

Hope you all enjoyed the sequel to my first NT story!!