Mistic Pets

Welcome to Issue 31
Created by The Mistic Pets Team

The Adventures of Captain Jack Skillow: Part 4 -- Imps
Written By gemajgall

Th' Black Pyre weighed anchor jus' as th' sun set wit' view o' th' Lighthouse. Captain Jack Skillow usually had dealin's wit' Makoto, who ran Lighthouse Knicknacks. But th' recent encounters wit' th' legendaries o' Mistica had greatly shortened his time 'n ability t' acquire foreign booty. As th' Kelpies fastened th' ropes 'n th' Gargoyles secured th' sails, Skillow loot one final walk across th' deck 'n went into his pieces o' eight fer th' night.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Robbery! We've been robbed!” Th' cap'n shot upright, his head poundin' slightly from last night's rum. Th' warnin' bell was ringin' loudly, raisin' th' alarm. Th' pirate cap'n grabbed his hat 'n left his pieces o' eight. Th' deck was in chaos.

“What's going on here?!” shouted Captain Skillow. Much t' his great surprise, most o' th' makeshift crew stopped 'n gave 'im thar attention.

“Our larders are empty, Jack,” reported first mate Dibbs. “And the cargo bay has been cleaned out completely.”

“How! What happened to the night watch?”

“Didn't see a thing.”

“All the rum's gone?”

“All of it.”

“Why is the rum all gone?!”

“Steady, Jack,” urged Dibbs. “We'll find out what happened.”

“I know what happened!” Philip Quick called through th' crowd, steppin' around th' two Fey t' approach th' cap'n wit' Angel th' Anya on his heels.

Dibbs 'n Skillow turned in unison t' look at th' SPNHM missionary. That didn' stop Philip ad he approached th' two pirates nigh th' helm. “It was the imps.”

“The imps? They don't come near the water,” protested Dibbs.

“We're near their land,” stated Philip. “And this time of year they always cause trouble.”

“And I saw them!” chimed Angel wit' a smile, cuttin' off Dibbs's next comment.

“Bloody imps stealing on my ship!” Captain Skillow exclaimed, enraged.

“But why would they clear out the larders?” asked Dibbs. He looked o'er at th' mute Yehxil Wool, who merely shrugged.

“They won't get away with this; that I promise,” grumbled Skillow wit' gritted teeth.

“But where do we even start looking?” asked Dibbs.

Captain Jack Skillow looked at 'im a moment; then an idea struck 'im. He leaped down th' stairs 'n approached Tia Malda's apprentices. “You two—throw your bones and tell me where the imps went.” Th' Fey looked at 'im wit' deep eyes 'n smiled; Jack Skillow repressed a shudder 'cause it felt like he was lookin' right into Tia Malda's coy expression.

“It will cost you, Captain,” said th' first.

“And you owe a debt to our master already,” reminded th' second.

Skillow balked a moment, but his pride took over. “Tell me.”

Th' Fey smiled again 'n loot thar seats around a barrel. Speakin' t' each other in low voices, they then threw an assortment o' bone fragments, coral pieces, 'n semi-precious gems across th' wooden surface.

“Wedding bells soon will ring, and joyful times they will bring when a farmer and a princess wed.”

“But Imps despise love, and so have lead a plot to steal all the food for the feast and hold the new bride in the forest of the beast.”

“There Captain Skillow will find what was lost. But beware; there may be a cost,” they finished in unison, lookin' up blankly 'n expectantly at th' same time.

“In a forest?” echoed Dibbs, rubbin' his brow.

“The Darkwood,” murmured Captain Skillow. He thought a moment 'n then started makin' eye contact wit' his crew. “You, you, you, and all of you—come with me! We're getting our goods back!” He was met wit' two cheers—one from Dibbs 'n weak applause from Wool. Th' Gargoyles 'n Kelpies looked back at 'im expressionlessly.

“Can't fly in Darkwood,” grumbled a Gargoyle.

“Too dry,” stated a Kelpie.

“Are you men or Kangas?!” exclaimed Jack, tryin' t' rally his crew. He was promptly ignored.

~*~*~*~*~

A mighty wee band o' pirates pushed through th' thick brush o' Darkwood Hollow. Th' party consisted o' Captain Skillow, Dibbs, Wool, Philip Quick, 'n Angel. Nah another hand joined them. Captain Skillow was progressively gettin' more irritated as th' day gave way into evenin', worryin' about th' Pyre in th' hands o' such strange legendaries.

“We're lost,” stated Philip.

“We're not lost,” countered Skillow, checkin' his compass.

“I got an eerie feeling from this place,” murmured Dibbs. “Aye, Wool?” He looked o'er his shoulder, but th' Yehxil was gone. “Wool?”

“Where'd he go?” asked Skillow, spinnin' around as he heard th' natter. “Did you see him wander off missionary?”

Silence.

“Philip!” snapped Skillow. But th' man 'n th' Anya were both gone.

“This bodes ill for us all,” murmured Dibbs, inchin' backward.

Glowin' red eyes began t' appear in th' darkness, peerin' out at th' two remainin' travelers.

“Bugger,” muttered Skillow.

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