The Captain's Son: Part Two

     Dark magic seeped through the boards of the structure as he whispered a sleeping spell. Satisfied that no one would hear his entry, Havelock opened a portal and walked into it. He rubbed his forehead with a hand after he was transported inside, feeling dizzy for a moment. Once he recovered, he cast a spell to find where the Amulet of Fyora was hidden. He nearly gasped as warmth flooded through him, feeling the heat increase as he neared his target. Havelock smirked as he entered a small room. Yes, the Amulet was definitely in here. He could feel the heat inside of him heighten as he neared a dresser. However, his feeling of bliss turned to one of desolation as he searched each of the drawers. The Amulet was not in any of them!

     No... no! I can not possibly return to Auduna with nothing! The Amulet must be hidden somewhere if I can not find it, which means I will have to kidnap the child after all.

     He slowly crept over to the Gnorbu, hovering over the boy for a moment before pinning his arms down and lifting him off the bed. Havelock nearly let go as the child screamed. The sleeping spell was supposed to have worked! It must have malfunctioned! He covered the Gnorbu's mouth with a paw, and was about to open a portal with the other when he stopped. An angry green Ogrin stood in front of him, an oil lamp in one hand. Havelock sneered at the sight.

     “Who are you and what do you think you are doing?” the Ogrin snarled.

     “You do not know who I am, Rourke? I certainly remember you, especially since you left me with that accursed Dark Faerie for four years!”

     The memory of who this stranger was hit Rourke's mind like a tidal wave....

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     The noise of silverware on plates echoed throughout the Golden Dubloon as sailors devoured their meals with ardor. Most of them had been at sea a long time, and many were eager to recount tales of their latest voyage. However, there was one story that attracted great attention.

     “I, Havelock, was sailing with my loyal crew to Brightvale in order to deliver a shipment of the rarest motes. We had been sailing for a week when a massive storm blew in. It almost swept the ship into the air, but I was the only one who did not panic. With my quick thinking we managed to steady the ship even though the winds were pounding us. Unfortunately, the storm made it impossible for us to sail to Brightvale. As if things were not bad enough, five giant Flotsams appeared! I, with my amazing skill, managed to subdue the beasts,and used them to tow our boat into Brightvale Harbour. Upon hearing of my exploits, King Hagan himself offered me all the gold I wanted, but I humbly refused.”

     The crowd around the canine chattered about how brave and heroic he was, some Neopets offering to buy him a meal for his efforts. A green Ogrin sitting at a nearby table scoffed at the story and muttered something to himself. At this, the crowd went silent, while the Lupe glared at the one person who did not believe his story.

     “What did you say?” Havelock asked in an icy tone.

     “I said that your tale was not true. I can see right through it,” the Ogrin replied nonchalantly, taking a sip of his Tchea Grog.

     “How dare you accuse me of lying! I bet your puny dinghy could not even make it past the harbour!” Havelock exclaimed, standing up.

     “My ship can go farther than yours ever could, boy, or my name is not Rourke.”

     “Fine! I challenge you to sail to Faerie's Rock! I will also go with you so you will not be able to lie about your journey.”

     At this the crowd gasped. Ships were known to crash around Faerie's Rock, causing very few sailors to ever go there. Any ship that made it there and returned home in one piece would surely be talked about for months!

     “I accept, but the next time you walk in here, your tail is going to between your legs,” Rourke jeered.

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     “Hmph! Your little piece of driftwood may have survived this little expedition, but it still pales in comparison to my ship,” Havelock snapped.

     “I doubt it,” Rourke commented from the wheel house.

     “Alright, so the S .S. Primella managed to come this far. Big deal. My ship could sail here any day. Now, turn this thing around. I want to go back-”

     Havelock was thrown against the side of the ship as a large wave caused the vessel to lurch backwards. Once he regained his balance, he almost fell overboard. A large, Maraquan Scorchio towered above him. Her dark green eyes were full of controlled rage as she gazed down at the two Neopets onboard the ship. Havelock wanted to move, but he was frozen in place.

     “Who are you?” Rourke asked.

     “My name is Auduna and it is very unfortunate that you two sailed into my territory. Normally, I would destroy both of you, but I am feeling quite generous today. I will grant one of you a chance to leave here. Are either of you up to playing my game?” the Scorchio asked.

     “I am,” Rourke affirmed.

     “Me t-too,” Havelock stuttered.

     The Scorchio snapped her a claw, causing a golden necklace to appear in it.

     “I will hide this item on the ship, and whoever finds it first will be free to go. The other will become my prisoner. Begin.”

     At those words the necklace vanished. Havelock darted around the ship, turning over everything in his path. Rourke, however, began to think.

     She would probably pick a place where Havelock or I normally would not look. I think I know where the necklace is, but it is a shot in the dark.

     The Ogrin took a few steps back, then ran across the deck and jumped overboard. He forced himself to move in the cold water, using his hands to search the sides of the S.S. Primella. A flush of excitement ran through Rourke's heart as he felt the unmistakable texture of metal under his fingers. He grabbed the item and swam upwards, bursting through the surface of the sea a moment later. Rourke proceeded to take hold of a rope that hung over the ship and used it to climb onto the deck.

     “I found it!” he cried, holding it up above his head.

     “Very good,” Auduna complimented, the necklace disappearing with another snap of her claw. “You may leave, Ogrin, but your companion may not.”

     Havelock's brown eyes widened with fear and he moved away, but he did not get far before an orange claw snatched him from where he was. Shivering from being so wet, Rourke as the Scorchio dove underwater with her prisoner.

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     “Let Scrap go, Havelock,” Rourke sneered.

     “I am very sorry, but my mistress would never want me to do that. However, I can give you something else,” Havelock explained. A mass of dark magic formed in his paw, colliding with Rourke's torso. He fell down onto the wooden floor, pain shooting through every cell in his body. He became unconscious a second later, blackness clouding his vision. Havelock opened a portal and held on to Scrap as he stepped through it, once more finding himself beside his ship. Scrap struggled against his grip, but Havelock managed ascend the gangplank.

     He held onto Scrap with one paw and picked up two lengths of rope with the other. He then proceeded to bind the Gnorbu's arms and legs, making sure that there was no slack available to him. Next, he gagged Scrap so he could not scream. Satisfied with his work, Havelock withdrew the gangplank and set sail. Scrap managed to look back at the only home he ever knew, sorrow apparent in his eyes.

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     Rourke woke up hours later to a throbbing headache. He managed to climb into a chair and tried to remember what had happened. Then everything came back to him like a nightmare that could not be forgotten. He sighed deeply, wondering what he could do about the situation.

     “I can not go after Havelock himself now that he is wielding such a strong degree of magic. I am not in expert in the area of spellcasting. Wait! That old Tonu knew about the Lost Isle. Maybe he also knows something about magic,” Rourke said to himself. With that idea in mind, he stood up, grabbed his coat and hat, and went out the door.

To be continued...