Post by thedoggirl on Nov 16, 2014 19:26:13 GMT -5
....For beta fish readers. hehe I'm so funny ;P
(Apparently, I really like to create threads here.)
So... I've written a series for the NT, but I would appreciate if some of you had time to look it over in case of plot holes/mistakes/bad writing etc. I've experimented a bit with style, but I'm not entirely sure if it worked well.
I'm debating whether or not to post the entire thing here. Do people usually PM stuff like that? I'm not too sure how to go about this. *shrug*
Here's a preview of the current version for anyone interested (keep in mind that this is still an early version) :
(Apparently, I really like to create threads here.)
So... I've written a series for the NT, but I would appreciate if some of you had time to look it over in case of plot holes/mistakes/bad writing etc. I've experimented a bit with style, but I'm not entirely sure if it worked well.
I'm debating whether or not to post the entire thing here. Do people usually PM stuff like that? I'm not too sure how to go about this. *shrug*
Here's a preview of the current version for anyone interested (keep in mind that this is still an early version) :
Chapter 1
Footsteps pounded against the wooden boards of the dock, her heart thundering to the time of their crescendo. She was running out of options. Scurrying towards the dark water, she paused.
Fear. Sweat. Determination.
There was no way she would give up. Clutching her prize, a shiny medallion, she swung over the side of the pier. Resisting the urge to thrash in the frigid, inky ocean, she buried her claws into a post. Painstakingly slow, she pulled herself from the waves to wait.
Brave. Soaked. Patient.
She didn’t know why it was so important, but she trusted her friend’s intuitions. Mostly.
~***~
Vacations were supposed to be fun, relaxing and enjoyable. Key phrase being “supposed to be.”
Violet had been cautiously optimistic about a family trip to Krawk Island planned by their semi-crazy owner. Although they were all adjusting to the two newest additions of Neopets still, she had hoped that their adventure of a first Christmas had bonded them. While Violet and her brother Ruby always had got along fairly well, the same could not be said of Lucky and Storm.
One cool September morning, Lucky, a quiet, reserved yellow Bori, arrived at their castle. It had been a shock when their owner came home with eggs, milk, and a new sibling.
“Look, now you can finish those cookies. Yeah, I got two percent milk… oh and say hello to your new brother!” The teenage girl merely grinned at the two dropped jaws and one glare as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Violet and Ruby quickly grew fond of the short Bori, but Sand, Ruby’s kepru, did not approve right away.
“I finally cope with having a bossy, smarty-pants Xweetok, a bumbling red Lupe and that human here… and she takes in another charity case!” The kepru’s hackles rose as her sea blue-green eyes flashed. “By the magic in my bones, I feel this one is nothing but trouble!”
Far from appearing alarmed, Lucky only stared back at Sand with his mismatched pale blue and brown eyes until she sulked away. Later on, the skeptical kepru reluctantly started to warm up to him.
Nevertheless she warned, “Something is definitely off with his aura… He says he doesn’t dapple in any magic, but my instincts show otherwise.”
Lucky was pleased to move into his own tower, the front left one, of the castle. He even added to it, creating his own basement where he conducted scientific (and Sand suspected partly magical) experiments. The resident ghosts, living statues and other such secrets didn’t alarm him too much.
When October began to near its end, they were in for yet another surprise. After running some errands, their owner returned with her head buried in a book and a smirking green Ogrin at her side.
Grumbling, Sand declared, “I told you not to leave her unsupervised!”
The first few weeks of his stay were actually very peaceful; however, it was not to last. Numerous childish pranks, three loud arguments and one messed up laboratory led to high tension between the Bori and the Ogrin.
Flash forward three months and the strain had become almost unbearable. Even their slightly oblivious owner took notice. Relived, Violet let her handle it. After all, she was in charge, wasn’t she? But instead of talking, planning a picnic or doing a house project, they were off to Krawk Island to potentially pick fights with pirates and get lost. Now the Xweetok was no wet blanket, but her owner was a newbie and rather naïve. She had right to be anxious.
“Oooh! I think I can see the island!” The girl peered through the telescope carefully. “On the right- er starboard side? Wow, it’s so far away.”
“That’s because you’re holding it the wrong way, genius,” Sand snorted, shaking salt from her soaked pelt. “I’m surprised you can tie your own shoes… let alone get up in the morning.”
“Shush!” Violet growled, scanning the deck. “Don’t be so rude to Mom! And what if someone hears you?”
In the background, the crew adjusted ropes and the wind teased the billowing sails as waves cuffed the smooth wooden bow.
The talking petpet grunted nonplussed, “Relax, furball. No one is paying attention. You’ve been a pain in the tail all day: Storm, quit pretending to make Lucky walk the plank! Aw, don’t give me that look. It was pretty funny. Ruby, stop stealing the captain’s hat! You saw that pompous monstrosity! I would have thrown it overboard too. Lucky, turn Storm back! It’s a shame really because he made a great pawkeet. What’s your problem? Aren’t we supposed to have fun on a vacation?”
Ignoring her, the blue Xweetok smoothly swung up into crow’s nest to be alone. From her perch, she spotted the large red blur that was Ruby along with Lucky and Storm at opposite ends of the ship. Nervously, Violet sharpened her claws on the wood. The fact that neither Ruby nor Sand sensed the strangeness in the air this time pestered her. Nausea made her head spin so she curled up to nap.
“Hey! Wake up!”
In the red glow of sunset, Violet barely registered the familiar grey eyes as she acted instinctively and flung out her leg. Storm’s yelp as he tumbled backwards brought her out of her confusion. Thinking quickly, she pounced on his long tail to prevent a fall.
Sheepishly, the Ogrin chuckled, “Remind me to never prank you while you’re asleep.”
Narrowing her eyes, she retorted, “How about never prank me period?”
“Not you too!” He moaned, comically exaggerating his distress by clutching his chest. “None of you are any fun whatsoever.”
Exasperated, the Xweetok turned to watch the transition of red, orange and pink into the deep indigo of the night sky. “Did you come up her just to annoy me?”
“No, I came to tell you not to miss dinner. Annoying you was an added bonus.”
“You’re impossible.”
“I live for the impossible!” Storm declared with a wink before they started down.
Dinner was boisterous and rowdy; they were eating with a bunch of sailors after all. When their owner had booked a ship, they had assumed it was a fancy tourist boat. Apparently, The Salty Warf wasn’t simply a cargo ship. No, it was “an adventure.” The likely answer was the girl had no clue what she was doing.
Clearly uncomfortable, Lucky was squished between Ruby, who was inhaling his food, and a muscular Tonu having an animated conversation with his coworkers. Large, sensitive ears flat against his head, the Bori focused on efficiently shoving his meal down as fast as possible. Acting ridiculous, Storm achieved laughs from the crew and glares from the cook with his meatball juggling. Violet wasn’t positive she could be grateful to the captain for inviting the ladies to dine with him. It might have been a nice gesture; however, the captain wasn’t such a chatty person and so they were stuck in an awkward silence.
Back on deck, Violet leaned into the sea breeze desperately hoping that for once her “six sense” was mistaken. She was accustomed to different: her werelupe brother had a kepru that wasn’t actually a kepru, she carried around a magic sword, they lived in a haunted castle and one of her new brothers was some kind of wizard… the list went on and on.
“Hello, sister.” The soft click, click of Lucky’s blunt claws on the wood announced his approach. “I’m certainly glad we’re arriving tomorrow. I’m not sure I can handle more of this ‘authentic sailor cuisine.’ Personally,” Whispering the Bori leaned forward adopting an expression of mock seriousness, “I find it tastes similar to clay with the texture of coral.”
Playing along, Violet paused in consideration. “It is too bad you missed the soup. Not only is it the captain’s favorite, I believe they reused dishwater to make it.”
The Bori grimaced in pity. “There is a benefit to all of this, you know. Mom isn’t enjoying the food any more than us. Maybe she learned her lesson about impulsively making traveling plans.”
“Don’t get your hopes too high yet,” laughed Violet.
They stood in companionable quiet under the twinkling stars.
~***~
The next morning was carefully controlled chaos as the crew did a million different tasks at once. For safety, the passengers remained in their cabins. Relived that there were considerably less females aboard, Violet was happy to sit in the stuffy room with her owner. Ruby, Lucky and Storm, who had to bunk with sailors, were glad that the normally cramped area was mostly empty now. Sleeping didn’t come easy with the noise. Or the smell.
“So,” Storm began cheerfully. “Only an hour before we can ditch this Barf Boat and get to the real fun!”
“Hurray,” droned the Bori in a monotone with his snout buried in a thick tome.
Sticking his tongue out, the Ogrin started to retort, “Wait that’s right. You don’t have fun. All you want t-“
“Oh!” Ruby interrupted. “Do you think we’ll run into some pirates? I’d love to meet Garin! Or Jacques!” The Lupe purposely babbled on, an expert on defusing his brothers’ minor arguments. “I guess I need to buy a new hat for Captain Wellsburg. I was just about to hand it back to him- No, honest I was!”
Storm chortled, clutching at his sides and even Lucky had a grin threatening to split his face. Tail thumping against the wall, Ruby relaxed. He loathed when they bickered and fought. Everything was thrown off balance. He wanted his family-his pack-to remain close.
Soon they were ushered to the deck. Joining the girls, they gazed at the island as they approach the dock. Varied ships bustled around them like Eyries wheeling through the sky. Proud, tall ships unfurled their crisp white sails as others hurried out of the way. Squat fishing boats drifted further from the crowd. Hulking, luxury yachts smugly strode forwards.
“This place looks awesome!” Storm declared, beaming. It dimmed noticeably when the captain shuffled over to the group.
“I am pleased that you have….” Captain Wellsburg, a scruffy mutant Ixi, abandoned his sentence unable to continue with “enjoyed your trip” since nobody really did. He considered ending with “survived your trip.”
“Thank you for letting us catch ride on your ship! I appreciate it.” Violet blinked as her owner chatted amicably with the grumpy Ixi. “Your cousin told us you normally don’t allow passengers.”
“I owe Edward some favors,” stated the captain simply before stomping to the bow.
“What a great guy,” deadpanned the green Ogrin.
“Never mind him.” The teenage human turned to her pets. “The hotel will be wonderful, I promise!”
~***~
After settling in, they separated for a while to explore. Lucky and Storm found themselves together in the marketplace. Tentatively, they roamed the outskirts of the crowd. The Bori sighed.
Casually, the Ogrin nudged him with an elbow. “What’s with you? Come on, not even you can be grumpy forever!”
Fiddling with his claws, Lucky answered him hesitantly, “We… we don’t get along at all, do we?”
“Oh sure, we get along fine. I like expressing my brotherly affection through dangerous magical transformations.”
“I told you that was Sand!” He crossed his arms defensively. “And can’t you take anything seriously?”
“Of course I can. That’s just not as fun.”
Running a paw through his fur, the Bori muttered, “What do they expect me to do? How can I speak with him when everything is a joke?”
“Hello!” Storm stretched out the vowels as he poked at his older sibling. “I’m right here!”
“As if you’d let me forget.”
“Look, all I’m saying is just because you’re a stick in the mud doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
Before Lucky could retort, a large group of Neopets stampeded past. They were boisterously shouting while chasing a lone figure. Both boys blinked in surprise upon seeing a familiar face. Their sensible, composed sister Violet was somehow involved with a mob of irate pirates. The sun reflected off something clasped in her paw, briefing dazzling them.
“What in Neopia?” Lucky stared in horror at the confusing scene.
“Aww, you can hardly blame her. I love shiny things too.” Storm cringed at the withering glower he received. “What should we do?”
Beginning a brisk jog, the Bori replied, “Something incredibly stupid that will most definitely lead us into trouble.”
Falling easily in step beside him with his long legs, Storm grinned mischievously. “My favorite kind of activity.”
Footsteps pounded against the wooden boards of the dock, her heart thundering to the time of their crescendo. She was running out of options. Scurrying towards the dark water, she paused.
Fear. Sweat. Determination.
There was no way she would give up. Clutching her prize, a shiny medallion, she swung over the side of the pier. Resisting the urge to thrash in the frigid, inky ocean, she buried her claws into a post. Painstakingly slow, she pulled herself from the waves to wait.
Brave. Soaked. Patient.
She didn’t know why it was so important, but she trusted her friend’s intuitions. Mostly.
~***~
Vacations were supposed to be fun, relaxing and enjoyable. Key phrase being “supposed to be.”
Violet had been cautiously optimistic about a family trip to Krawk Island planned by their semi-crazy owner. Although they were all adjusting to the two newest additions of Neopets still, she had hoped that their adventure of a first Christmas had bonded them. While Violet and her brother Ruby always had got along fairly well, the same could not be said of Lucky and Storm.
One cool September morning, Lucky, a quiet, reserved yellow Bori, arrived at their castle. It had been a shock when their owner came home with eggs, milk, and a new sibling.
“Look, now you can finish those cookies. Yeah, I got two percent milk… oh and say hello to your new brother!” The teenage girl merely grinned at the two dropped jaws and one glare as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Violet and Ruby quickly grew fond of the short Bori, but Sand, Ruby’s kepru, did not approve right away.
“I finally cope with having a bossy, smarty-pants Xweetok, a bumbling red Lupe and that human here… and she takes in another charity case!” The kepru’s hackles rose as her sea blue-green eyes flashed. “By the magic in my bones, I feel this one is nothing but trouble!”
Far from appearing alarmed, Lucky only stared back at Sand with his mismatched pale blue and brown eyes until she sulked away. Later on, the skeptical kepru reluctantly started to warm up to him.
Nevertheless she warned, “Something is definitely off with his aura… He says he doesn’t dapple in any magic, but my instincts show otherwise.”
Lucky was pleased to move into his own tower, the front left one, of the castle. He even added to it, creating his own basement where he conducted scientific (and Sand suspected partly magical) experiments. The resident ghosts, living statues and other such secrets didn’t alarm him too much.
When October began to near its end, they were in for yet another surprise. After running some errands, their owner returned with her head buried in a book and a smirking green Ogrin at her side.
Grumbling, Sand declared, “I told you not to leave her unsupervised!”
The first few weeks of his stay were actually very peaceful; however, it was not to last. Numerous childish pranks, three loud arguments and one messed up laboratory led to high tension between the Bori and the Ogrin.
Flash forward three months and the strain had become almost unbearable. Even their slightly oblivious owner took notice. Relived, Violet let her handle it. After all, she was in charge, wasn’t she? But instead of talking, planning a picnic or doing a house project, they were off to Krawk Island to potentially pick fights with pirates and get lost. Now the Xweetok was no wet blanket, but her owner was a newbie and rather naïve. She had right to be anxious.
“Oooh! I think I can see the island!” The girl peered through the telescope carefully. “On the right- er starboard side? Wow, it’s so far away.”
“That’s because you’re holding it the wrong way, genius,” Sand snorted, shaking salt from her soaked pelt. “I’m surprised you can tie your own shoes… let alone get up in the morning.”
“Shush!” Violet growled, scanning the deck. “Don’t be so rude to Mom! And what if someone hears you?”
In the background, the crew adjusted ropes and the wind teased the billowing sails as waves cuffed the smooth wooden bow.
The talking petpet grunted nonplussed, “Relax, furball. No one is paying attention. You’ve been a pain in the tail all day: Storm, quit pretending to make Lucky walk the plank! Aw, don’t give me that look. It was pretty funny. Ruby, stop stealing the captain’s hat! You saw that pompous monstrosity! I would have thrown it overboard too. Lucky, turn Storm back! It’s a shame really because he made a great pawkeet. What’s your problem? Aren’t we supposed to have fun on a vacation?”
Ignoring her, the blue Xweetok smoothly swung up into crow’s nest to be alone. From her perch, she spotted the large red blur that was Ruby along with Lucky and Storm at opposite ends of the ship. Nervously, Violet sharpened her claws on the wood. The fact that neither Ruby nor Sand sensed the strangeness in the air this time pestered her. Nausea made her head spin so she curled up to nap.
“Hey! Wake up!”
In the red glow of sunset, Violet barely registered the familiar grey eyes as she acted instinctively and flung out her leg. Storm’s yelp as he tumbled backwards brought her out of her confusion. Thinking quickly, she pounced on his long tail to prevent a fall.
Sheepishly, the Ogrin chuckled, “Remind me to never prank you while you’re asleep.”
Narrowing her eyes, she retorted, “How about never prank me period?”
“Not you too!” He moaned, comically exaggerating his distress by clutching his chest. “None of you are any fun whatsoever.”
Exasperated, the Xweetok turned to watch the transition of red, orange and pink into the deep indigo of the night sky. “Did you come up her just to annoy me?”
“No, I came to tell you not to miss dinner. Annoying you was an added bonus.”
“You’re impossible.”
“I live for the impossible!” Storm declared with a wink before they started down.
Dinner was boisterous and rowdy; they were eating with a bunch of sailors after all. When their owner had booked a ship, they had assumed it was a fancy tourist boat. Apparently, The Salty Warf wasn’t simply a cargo ship. No, it was “an adventure.” The likely answer was the girl had no clue what she was doing.
Clearly uncomfortable, Lucky was squished between Ruby, who was inhaling his food, and a muscular Tonu having an animated conversation with his coworkers. Large, sensitive ears flat against his head, the Bori focused on efficiently shoving his meal down as fast as possible. Acting ridiculous, Storm achieved laughs from the crew and glares from the cook with his meatball juggling. Violet wasn’t positive she could be grateful to the captain for inviting the ladies to dine with him. It might have been a nice gesture; however, the captain wasn’t such a chatty person and so they were stuck in an awkward silence.
Back on deck, Violet leaned into the sea breeze desperately hoping that for once her “six sense” was mistaken. She was accustomed to different: her werelupe brother had a kepru that wasn’t actually a kepru, she carried around a magic sword, they lived in a haunted castle and one of her new brothers was some kind of wizard… the list went on and on.
“Hello, sister.” The soft click, click of Lucky’s blunt claws on the wood announced his approach. “I’m certainly glad we’re arriving tomorrow. I’m not sure I can handle more of this ‘authentic sailor cuisine.’ Personally,” Whispering the Bori leaned forward adopting an expression of mock seriousness, “I find it tastes similar to clay with the texture of coral.”
Playing along, Violet paused in consideration. “It is too bad you missed the soup. Not only is it the captain’s favorite, I believe they reused dishwater to make it.”
The Bori grimaced in pity. “There is a benefit to all of this, you know. Mom isn’t enjoying the food any more than us. Maybe she learned her lesson about impulsively making traveling plans.”
“Don’t get your hopes too high yet,” laughed Violet.
They stood in companionable quiet under the twinkling stars.
~***~
The next morning was carefully controlled chaos as the crew did a million different tasks at once. For safety, the passengers remained in their cabins. Relived that there were considerably less females aboard, Violet was happy to sit in the stuffy room with her owner. Ruby, Lucky and Storm, who had to bunk with sailors, were glad that the normally cramped area was mostly empty now. Sleeping didn’t come easy with the noise. Or the smell.
“So,” Storm began cheerfully. “Only an hour before we can ditch this Barf Boat and get to the real fun!”
“Hurray,” droned the Bori in a monotone with his snout buried in a thick tome.
Sticking his tongue out, the Ogrin started to retort, “Wait that’s right. You don’t have fun. All you want t-“
“Oh!” Ruby interrupted. “Do you think we’ll run into some pirates? I’d love to meet Garin! Or Jacques!” The Lupe purposely babbled on, an expert on defusing his brothers’ minor arguments. “I guess I need to buy a new hat for Captain Wellsburg. I was just about to hand it back to him- No, honest I was!”
Storm chortled, clutching at his sides and even Lucky had a grin threatening to split his face. Tail thumping against the wall, Ruby relaxed. He loathed when they bickered and fought. Everything was thrown off balance. He wanted his family-his pack-to remain close.
Soon they were ushered to the deck. Joining the girls, they gazed at the island as they approach the dock. Varied ships bustled around them like Eyries wheeling through the sky. Proud, tall ships unfurled their crisp white sails as others hurried out of the way. Squat fishing boats drifted further from the crowd. Hulking, luxury yachts smugly strode forwards.
“This place looks awesome!” Storm declared, beaming. It dimmed noticeably when the captain shuffled over to the group.
“I am pleased that you have….” Captain Wellsburg, a scruffy mutant Ixi, abandoned his sentence unable to continue with “enjoyed your trip” since nobody really did. He considered ending with “survived your trip.”
“Thank you for letting us catch ride on your ship! I appreciate it.” Violet blinked as her owner chatted amicably with the grumpy Ixi. “Your cousin told us you normally don’t allow passengers.”
“I owe Edward some favors,” stated the captain simply before stomping to the bow.
“What a great guy,” deadpanned the green Ogrin.
“Never mind him.” The teenage human turned to her pets. “The hotel will be wonderful, I promise!”
~***~
After settling in, they separated for a while to explore. Lucky and Storm found themselves together in the marketplace. Tentatively, they roamed the outskirts of the crowd. The Bori sighed.
Casually, the Ogrin nudged him with an elbow. “What’s with you? Come on, not even you can be grumpy forever!”
Fiddling with his claws, Lucky answered him hesitantly, “We… we don’t get along at all, do we?”
“Oh sure, we get along fine. I like expressing my brotherly affection through dangerous magical transformations.”
“I told you that was Sand!” He crossed his arms defensively. “And can’t you take anything seriously?”
“Of course I can. That’s just not as fun.”
Running a paw through his fur, the Bori muttered, “What do they expect me to do? How can I speak with him when everything is a joke?”
“Hello!” Storm stretched out the vowels as he poked at his older sibling. “I’m right here!”
“As if you’d let me forget.”
“Look, all I’m saying is just because you’re a stick in the mud doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
Before Lucky could retort, a large group of Neopets stampeded past. They were boisterously shouting while chasing a lone figure. Both boys blinked in surprise upon seeing a familiar face. Their sensible, composed sister Violet was somehow involved with a mob of irate pirates. The sun reflected off something clasped in her paw, briefing dazzling them.
“What in Neopia?” Lucky stared in horror at the confusing scene.
“Aww, you can hardly blame her. I love shiny things too.” Storm cringed at the withering glower he received. “What should we do?”
Beginning a brisk jog, the Bori replied, “Something incredibly stupid that will most definitely lead us into trouble.”
Falling easily in step beside him with his long legs, Storm grinned mischievously. “My favorite kind of activity.”
Chapter 2
If someone had told Violet what going into that tavern would have led to, she wouldn’t have believed them. The truth was too ridiculous. According to Sand, they had stumbled upon something that could change the world. (It was incredibly difficult to say if Sand was overreacting; however, given Violet’s luck, that wasn’t likely.)
Certainly, the tavern didn’t appear to be a place that a world changing event would happen. Captain’s Quarters was really a rather stereotypical “pirate” hangout for visitors to the island. Naturally, Violet figured famous (or infamous) Neopians wouldn’t care to be about. She had decided to explore awhile on her own and soon became hungry. Since customers were sparse, the blue Xweetok quickly received a seat.
Letting her thoughts drift, she fingered with the sword charm on her necklace. It was actually the magical sword she had found in their castle, but it could transform into just about any type or size of weapon. Violet’s sword could even talk; however, since January it had been silent, stuck as a harmless looking ornament. Before it had entered this state of hibernation, Violet had been given cryptic sounding clues. Neither Ruby nor Sand could make heads or tails of it and Lucky flatly refused to become involved. Storm, feeling cheeky, theorized it had chosen a champion petpetpet to wield it.
“Here’s your order: One BLT and a raspberry iced tea.” The cheerful waitress skillfully balanced several full trays while carefully navigating the room.
As she ate, Violet absentmindedly scanned the other tables. A Faerie Kougra and a blue Eyrie were sitting as close as possible to the doors. A half a dozen raucous Neopets were in the middle of the room. An employee was chatting with a pair of tourists. The bell chimed signaling someone’s entrance. A purple Bruce waddled inside and slid into the booth opposite the Kougra and Eyrie. They talked in low voices, but not particularly suspicious.
Taking a swig of her drink, Violet was suddenly shocked by the appearance of a flouting, turquoise kepru head. She managed to swallow it, but a great quantity of it went down the wrong pipe.
“Ah, good! I found you.” The translucent partial hologram of Sand watched Violet’s coughing fit with one eyebrow raised. “What’s with you?”
Massaging her now scratchy throat, Violet whispered indignantly, “I was enjoying a nice lunch when… you popped into existence right in my face!”
Sand huffed impatiently, “Yes, my ethereal self can be a bit startling. That old guy I accidently locked onto felt the same way.”
“You did what? You know what… never mind.” Violet nervously peered around the room. “What are you doing here? And as strange as talking to nothing would be, a disembodied head would be worse! Can everyone see you?”
“Not everyone.” Sand continued before Violet could sigh in relief, “But some might notice something. You see, with anybody not locked onto the spell the magic sort of skips over their brains. They see what they’d expect: nothing. However-“
“As interesting as a lesson of Sand’s How To Use Magic As Irresponsibly As Possible is, I’d like to know what you are doing.”
“Hm. Oh, yeah.” Wisps of magic formed an ethereal kepru paw pointing towards the Neopet trio by the door. “Those guys have a medallion that is the key to an ancient artifact.”
Puzzled, Violet frowned. “How do you even-“
“Not important.” Sand grunted when Violet crossed her arms. “I’ll tell you later alright? You need to get it. Please.”
Icy claws of apprehension clenched down on her heart. Sand didn’t say please. “Fine. Who has it?”
“The purple Bruce, Denny the Dagger or whatever. Those pirates love their silly titles.”
“You mean.... Benny the Blade? Part of Scarblade’s crew?” Violet’s eye twitched. “Of course.”
Sand wasn’t impressed. “Yep, that’s his name.”
“So what does this medallion look like?” Violet slumped in resignation.
“It’ll be a large gold coin with symbols etched on the sides and should have a gem in the middle,” explained Sand.
“That sounds like I lot of necklaces I’ve seen in tourist booths.”
“For one, the gold is real. And second, the aura is different. Duh.”
“How would I have known that?” Helplessly, the Xweetok spread her arms. “We can’t all do voodoo flout-y head stuff.”
Indignant, Sand’s face bobbed around. “I could go on and on how I do not participate in voodoo-“
“No thanks!” Violet hurriedly interrupted.
“But listen; you don’t have much time. I’ll lend you the Sight.”
Before Violet could question or protest, teal strands of the enchantment wrapped around her eyes. Silhouettes of Neopets glowed in vivid colors while inanimate objects faded to blurs of shadows. Cautiously, Violet glanced at herself. Fluctuating shades of purple and blue outlined her body. If she concentrated enough, Violet thought she could make out tiny words.
“Quit staring!” Sand scolded, her voice reverberating in the Xweetok’s skull. “Your true name can’t be understood so easily. Stay focused.”
Dragging her gaze away from the hypnotic flow of words, Violet located the artifact effortlessly. It was a swirling mass of gold and white.
“I told you the aura was different.” Sand stated smugly.
Instantaneously, Violet’s vision reverted back to normal. Disorientated the Xweetok blinked, fighting her nausea.
“All set?” Sand resumed as if she had answered, “I’ll give you a piece of advice; let them see only what they expect to see.”
“Hold on! What does that even mean?” Violet growled in frustration as the magic drifted apart.
Holding in a sigh, Violet furiously put her mind to work. Her best chance was to be close to the Bruce and cause a distraction that would buy her a few seconds. She had no doubt that many of Benny’s pirate friends were lurking nearby. Of the Kougra and Eyrie, Violet assumed they had extreme interest in finding unpleasant ways to relieve her of the medallion as well. Spying the servers’ aprons, an idea sprang upon her.
Sidling to the kitchen, Violet examined the uniforms. She picked one that appeared pristine, considering that those with wear and tear belonged to workers who would be recognized by frequent visitors. After securing the apron’s strings, she pined the nametag on, which read Jenny.
“Order up for table seven!” The chef bellowed.
Grasping the heavy trays, she ambled over to the trio of Neopets. They barely gave her a second glance, but Violet saw the Bruce’s condescending expression. To him, she was some dull-witted girl, who was more likely to trip over her own tail then bring the correct order. Violet could work with that. As she walked past them, she purposely stumbled, sending food and drink flying.
The Eyrie yelped when scalding soup spattered him. Agitated, the Faerie Kougra swiped noodles off her ear while Benny peeled a grilled cheese sandwich off of his shirt.
“Hey!” Benny’s beady eyes narrowed in rage. “You better clean this up, girlie.”
“I’m so sorry ‘bout that,” drawled Violet, playing the part of a dizzy waitress. “I’m afraid I’m just a tad clumsy.”
“Is that so?” The Kougra’s tone was positively acidic. She combed through her braid, which was sticky with soda.
Tossing her hair, Violet giggled, “My ma said I wouldn’t last an hour here, but it has been four so far.”
“Congratulations,” The Eyrie said stiffly. “Can I get some napkins, please?”
“Sure thing!” Violet bounced enthusiastically.
Throwing a wadded up pile of clothes at them, she turned too rapidly and knocked the surprised Bruce off his seat. Hauling him upright, Violet carefully palmed the medallion.
“I am very sorry,” Violet gushed. “I’ll get ya’ll a-“
“No!” All three Neopets shouted.
“It’s fine.” The Kougra clenched her teeth. “We’ll take care of it.”
“Just go,” demanded Benny. “And send out the manager!”
“If you say so.” Violet walked at a steady pace until she was out of view.
Hastily, she deposited the uniform on a counter and exited through the back door. Traveling down to the wharf, Violet wondered if the theft had gone unnoticed. Then she heard the sound of pursuit.
“Catch that Xweetok! She has the coin!”
“I had to jinx myself,” grumbled Violet, breaking into a sprint.
Blending into the crowd was Violet’s best chance at escape, but the pirates were closing the gap between them. She ignored the burning of her muscles and took strength from the rhythm of adrenaline pulsing in her veins. Eagerly the horde pressed forward, realizing their target was nearly caught. A rumble of barrels disrupted the chase, driving them to scatter. Maintaining her speed, Violet watched over her shoulder as a green Ogrin and a yellow Bori leapt from the alley. Tossing rotten fruit and random objects, Storm and Lucky bravely distracted the majority of the mob.
“For shiny things!” Storm let loose his battle cry, brandishing a cantaloupe.
“Watch out!” Lucky spotted two winged Neopets skimming the rooftops. “You’ve got an Eyrie and Kougra tracking you too.”
Finally, Violet reached a busy area. Slowing down slightly, she weaved through the mix of fur, feathers and scales. The remainder of Benny’s thugs jostled their way in her direction.
“Today just isn’t my day,” muttered Violet as she assessed the situation.
Shouts broke out and she knew she had no more time. Steeling herself, Violet plunged into the ocean.
~***~
Ruby had been enjoying a pleasant stroll with his owner on under lush palm trees when Sand pounced on his ear.
“Hey!” The large red Lupe yelped at the needle sharp teeth. “What was that for?”
“Stay still for a minute,” commanded the kepru from her position astride his collar.
Straining his neck, Ruby faced Sand inquisitive at her rigid form. Her hackles were up and her sea tinted eyes had a peculiar gleam in them. Then she sat down on his back, speaking softly.
“I got you a smoothie, big guy.” Ruby’s owner glanced at the kepru. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s…. meditating I guess.” Shrugging, Ruby adjusted his pace.
Ruby had learned to not overreact since Sand unexpectedly began spells often. Once she had slept for three days straight after traveling to “another plane of reality.” It had been a bit terrifying when the kepru had flopped over during game night without warning.
“I’m going to buy us some dinner to bring back to the hotel. Try to round up the others.” The girl patted Ruby affectionately. “I might have to wait awhile to pick up my order, but it shouldn’t be longer than an hour.”
“See you soon.” Ruby grinned, his tongue lolling in anticipation.
As he started towards the marketplace, Sand snapped out of her trance.
“We’ve got to go help Violet. I had her steal a valuable medallion from Benny the Blade,” Sand pronounced nonchalantly, stretching her stiff legs.
“Wha-“
“Never mind the explanations! Just go!”
Ruby rushed off. Reaching the waterfront, they searched for the Xweetok. Lucky and Storm darted past, followed by an entourage of bruised Neopets. Snarling ominously, the Lupe blocked their path.
“But we were only giving you some vitamin C! Sailors love vitamin C, right?” The Ogrin ducked from a return volley of oranges. “Fine, I hope you guys do get scurvy!”
“Ruby!” Lucky gratefully scurried behind the Lupe.
“Move it, you landlubber! Or I’ll let you take a swim!” The Yurble’s bold stance was undermined by his trembling knees.
“Oh, but it’s ladies first!” Storm teased, bolstered from his burly older brother’s presence.
“That mutt won’t be always around to save your hide. Boy, you watch your ba-“
The vexed Yurble’s threat was hindered due to a swing of Ruby’s massive paw, which launched him into the foamy waves. Frightened, his companions retreated.
“Can anyone tell me what in Neopia is going on?” Lucky asked frantically. “I’d really appreciate knowing why I just ticked off a crew of pirates.”
Everyone turned to Sand, who replied, “I needed that necklace.”
“It had better be pretty important.” Violet emerged from below the walkway, her fur drenched. “I’d hate to have angered Scarblade’s thugs for nothing.”
“Are you kidding? This is the start of a legendary treasure hunt!” Sand barked, pacing excitedly. “And don’t get so bend out of shape about Scarblade. There are a lot scarier things following this.”
“Is that supposed to be comforting?” The Bori commented drily, picking citrus seeds out of his pelt.
The kepru shrugged. “It’s not particularly relevant to you two-“ She gestured at Lucky and Storm. “As of right now, but we’ll see.”
“Sand… What are you planning?” Violet began, alarmed at the implication of the plural pronoun.
“We are going on a quest!” Flamboyantly, Sand flung her arm out toward the horizon. “And nothing will stand in my way--er our way of getting that artifact!”
If someone had told Violet what going into that tavern would have led to, she wouldn’t have believed them. The truth was too ridiculous. According to Sand, they had stumbled upon something that could change the world. (It was incredibly difficult to say if Sand was overreacting; however, given Violet’s luck, that wasn’t likely.)
Certainly, the tavern didn’t appear to be a place that a world changing event would happen. Captain’s Quarters was really a rather stereotypical “pirate” hangout for visitors to the island. Naturally, Violet figured famous (or infamous) Neopians wouldn’t care to be about. She had decided to explore awhile on her own and soon became hungry. Since customers were sparse, the blue Xweetok quickly received a seat.
Letting her thoughts drift, she fingered with the sword charm on her necklace. It was actually the magical sword she had found in their castle, but it could transform into just about any type or size of weapon. Violet’s sword could even talk; however, since January it had been silent, stuck as a harmless looking ornament. Before it had entered this state of hibernation, Violet had been given cryptic sounding clues. Neither Ruby nor Sand could make heads or tails of it and Lucky flatly refused to become involved. Storm, feeling cheeky, theorized it had chosen a champion petpetpet to wield it.
“Here’s your order: One BLT and a raspberry iced tea.” The cheerful waitress skillfully balanced several full trays while carefully navigating the room.
As she ate, Violet absentmindedly scanned the other tables. A Faerie Kougra and a blue Eyrie were sitting as close as possible to the doors. A half a dozen raucous Neopets were in the middle of the room. An employee was chatting with a pair of tourists. The bell chimed signaling someone’s entrance. A purple Bruce waddled inside and slid into the booth opposite the Kougra and Eyrie. They talked in low voices, but not particularly suspicious.
Taking a swig of her drink, Violet was suddenly shocked by the appearance of a flouting, turquoise kepru head. She managed to swallow it, but a great quantity of it went down the wrong pipe.
“Ah, good! I found you.” The translucent partial hologram of Sand watched Violet’s coughing fit with one eyebrow raised. “What’s with you?”
Massaging her now scratchy throat, Violet whispered indignantly, “I was enjoying a nice lunch when… you popped into existence right in my face!”
Sand huffed impatiently, “Yes, my ethereal self can be a bit startling. That old guy I accidently locked onto felt the same way.”
“You did what? You know what… never mind.” Violet nervously peered around the room. “What are you doing here? And as strange as talking to nothing would be, a disembodied head would be worse! Can everyone see you?”
“Not everyone.” Sand continued before Violet could sigh in relief, “But some might notice something. You see, with anybody not locked onto the spell the magic sort of skips over their brains. They see what they’d expect: nothing. However-“
“As interesting as a lesson of Sand’s How To Use Magic As Irresponsibly As Possible is, I’d like to know what you are doing.”
“Hm. Oh, yeah.” Wisps of magic formed an ethereal kepru paw pointing towards the Neopet trio by the door. “Those guys have a medallion that is the key to an ancient artifact.”
Puzzled, Violet frowned. “How do you even-“
“Not important.” Sand grunted when Violet crossed her arms. “I’ll tell you later alright? You need to get it. Please.”
Icy claws of apprehension clenched down on her heart. Sand didn’t say please. “Fine. Who has it?”
“The purple Bruce, Denny the Dagger or whatever. Those pirates love their silly titles.”
“You mean.... Benny the Blade? Part of Scarblade’s crew?” Violet’s eye twitched. “Of course.”
Sand wasn’t impressed. “Yep, that’s his name.”
“So what does this medallion look like?” Violet slumped in resignation.
“It’ll be a large gold coin with symbols etched on the sides and should have a gem in the middle,” explained Sand.
“That sounds like I lot of necklaces I’ve seen in tourist booths.”
“For one, the gold is real. And second, the aura is different. Duh.”
“How would I have known that?” Helplessly, the Xweetok spread her arms. “We can’t all do voodoo flout-y head stuff.”
Indignant, Sand’s face bobbed around. “I could go on and on how I do not participate in voodoo-“
“No thanks!” Violet hurriedly interrupted.
“But listen; you don’t have much time. I’ll lend you the Sight.”
Before Violet could question or protest, teal strands of the enchantment wrapped around her eyes. Silhouettes of Neopets glowed in vivid colors while inanimate objects faded to blurs of shadows. Cautiously, Violet glanced at herself. Fluctuating shades of purple and blue outlined her body. If she concentrated enough, Violet thought she could make out tiny words.
“Quit staring!” Sand scolded, her voice reverberating in the Xweetok’s skull. “Your true name can’t be understood so easily. Stay focused.”
Dragging her gaze away from the hypnotic flow of words, Violet located the artifact effortlessly. It was a swirling mass of gold and white.
“I told you the aura was different.” Sand stated smugly.
Instantaneously, Violet’s vision reverted back to normal. Disorientated the Xweetok blinked, fighting her nausea.
“All set?” Sand resumed as if she had answered, “I’ll give you a piece of advice; let them see only what they expect to see.”
“Hold on! What does that even mean?” Violet growled in frustration as the magic drifted apart.
Holding in a sigh, Violet furiously put her mind to work. Her best chance was to be close to the Bruce and cause a distraction that would buy her a few seconds. She had no doubt that many of Benny’s pirate friends were lurking nearby. Of the Kougra and Eyrie, Violet assumed they had extreme interest in finding unpleasant ways to relieve her of the medallion as well. Spying the servers’ aprons, an idea sprang upon her.
Sidling to the kitchen, Violet examined the uniforms. She picked one that appeared pristine, considering that those with wear and tear belonged to workers who would be recognized by frequent visitors. After securing the apron’s strings, she pined the nametag on, which read Jenny.
“Order up for table seven!” The chef bellowed.
Grasping the heavy trays, she ambled over to the trio of Neopets. They barely gave her a second glance, but Violet saw the Bruce’s condescending expression. To him, she was some dull-witted girl, who was more likely to trip over her own tail then bring the correct order. Violet could work with that. As she walked past them, she purposely stumbled, sending food and drink flying.
The Eyrie yelped when scalding soup spattered him. Agitated, the Faerie Kougra swiped noodles off her ear while Benny peeled a grilled cheese sandwich off of his shirt.
“Hey!” Benny’s beady eyes narrowed in rage. “You better clean this up, girlie.”
“I’m so sorry ‘bout that,” drawled Violet, playing the part of a dizzy waitress. “I’m afraid I’m just a tad clumsy.”
“Is that so?” The Kougra’s tone was positively acidic. She combed through her braid, which was sticky with soda.
Tossing her hair, Violet giggled, “My ma said I wouldn’t last an hour here, but it has been four so far.”
“Congratulations,” The Eyrie said stiffly. “Can I get some napkins, please?”
“Sure thing!” Violet bounced enthusiastically.
Throwing a wadded up pile of clothes at them, she turned too rapidly and knocked the surprised Bruce off his seat. Hauling him upright, Violet carefully palmed the medallion.
“I am very sorry,” Violet gushed. “I’ll get ya’ll a-“
“No!” All three Neopets shouted.
“It’s fine.” The Kougra clenched her teeth. “We’ll take care of it.”
“Just go,” demanded Benny. “And send out the manager!”
“If you say so.” Violet walked at a steady pace until she was out of view.
Hastily, she deposited the uniform on a counter and exited through the back door. Traveling down to the wharf, Violet wondered if the theft had gone unnoticed. Then she heard the sound of pursuit.
“Catch that Xweetok! She has the coin!”
“I had to jinx myself,” grumbled Violet, breaking into a sprint.
Blending into the crowd was Violet’s best chance at escape, but the pirates were closing the gap between them. She ignored the burning of her muscles and took strength from the rhythm of adrenaline pulsing in her veins. Eagerly the horde pressed forward, realizing their target was nearly caught. A rumble of barrels disrupted the chase, driving them to scatter. Maintaining her speed, Violet watched over her shoulder as a green Ogrin and a yellow Bori leapt from the alley. Tossing rotten fruit and random objects, Storm and Lucky bravely distracted the majority of the mob.
“For shiny things!” Storm let loose his battle cry, brandishing a cantaloupe.
“Watch out!” Lucky spotted two winged Neopets skimming the rooftops. “You’ve got an Eyrie and Kougra tracking you too.”
Finally, Violet reached a busy area. Slowing down slightly, she weaved through the mix of fur, feathers and scales. The remainder of Benny’s thugs jostled their way in her direction.
“Today just isn’t my day,” muttered Violet as she assessed the situation.
Shouts broke out and she knew she had no more time. Steeling herself, Violet plunged into the ocean.
~***~
Ruby had been enjoying a pleasant stroll with his owner on under lush palm trees when Sand pounced on his ear.
“Hey!” The large red Lupe yelped at the needle sharp teeth. “What was that for?”
“Stay still for a minute,” commanded the kepru from her position astride his collar.
Straining his neck, Ruby faced Sand inquisitive at her rigid form. Her hackles were up and her sea tinted eyes had a peculiar gleam in them. Then she sat down on his back, speaking softly.
“I got you a smoothie, big guy.” Ruby’s owner glanced at the kepru. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s…. meditating I guess.” Shrugging, Ruby adjusted his pace.
Ruby had learned to not overreact since Sand unexpectedly began spells often. Once she had slept for three days straight after traveling to “another plane of reality.” It had been a bit terrifying when the kepru had flopped over during game night without warning.
“I’m going to buy us some dinner to bring back to the hotel. Try to round up the others.” The girl patted Ruby affectionately. “I might have to wait awhile to pick up my order, but it shouldn’t be longer than an hour.”
“See you soon.” Ruby grinned, his tongue lolling in anticipation.
As he started towards the marketplace, Sand snapped out of her trance.
“We’ve got to go help Violet. I had her steal a valuable medallion from Benny the Blade,” Sand pronounced nonchalantly, stretching her stiff legs.
“Wha-“
“Never mind the explanations! Just go!”
Ruby rushed off. Reaching the waterfront, they searched for the Xweetok. Lucky and Storm darted past, followed by an entourage of bruised Neopets. Snarling ominously, the Lupe blocked their path.
“But we were only giving you some vitamin C! Sailors love vitamin C, right?” The Ogrin ducked from a return volley of oranges. “Fine, I hope you guys do get scurvy!”
“Ruby!” Lucky gratefully scurried behind the Lupe.
“Move it, you landlubber! Or I’ll let you take a swim!” The Yurble’s bold stance was undermined by his trembling knees.
“Oh, but it’s ladies first!” Storm teased, bolstered from his burly older brother’s presence.
“That mutt won’t be always around to save your hide. Boy, you watch your ba-“
The vexed Yurble’s threat was hindered due to a swing of Ruby’s massive paw, which launched him into the foamy waves. Frightened, his companions retreated.
“Can anyone tell me what in Neopia is going on?” Lucky asked frantically. “I’d really appreciate knowing why I just ticked off a crew of pirates.”
Everyone turned to Sand, who replied, “I needed that necklace.”
“It had better be pretty important.” Violet emerged from below the walkway, her fur drenched. “I’d hate to have angered Scarblade’s thugs for nothing.”
“Are you kidding? This is the start of a legendary treasure hunt!” Sand barked, pacing excitedly. “And don’t get so bend out of shape about Scarblade. There are a lot scarier things following this.”
“Is that supposed to be comforting?” The Bori commented drily, picking citrus seeds out of his pelt.
The kepru shrugged. “It’s not particularly relevant to you two-“ She gestured at Lucky and Storm. “As of right now, but we’ll see.”
“Sand… What are you planning?” Violet began, alarmed at the implication of the plural pronoun.
“We are going on a quest!” Flamboyantly, Sand flung her arm out toward the horizon. “And nothing will stand in my way--er our way of getting that artifact!”
