Abducted Treasure

Chapter 4: My Idiot Brother Got Himself Kidnapped, Yaaay

~~~ Gem's POV~~~

A few hours earlier...

"Hey, have you seen Fwhip anywhere?" I asked Owen, sitting by the lake with him and Cleo, dipping my toes in. It was late, and most people were out partying, as was the habit of most pirates, even when it wasn't a holiday, but we had snuck out to the lake to relax in the peace and darkness. Fwhip was supposed to join us a while ago, but he hadn't arrived.

Cleo shook their head, and Owen said, "I saw him in the tavern with Scott before I left, but nothing since then."

I frowned. "That's not like Fwhip at all."

"Maybe he got... distracted. There are a lot of people out and about tonight- it was the Factioning today, after all." Cleo raised her eyebrows to make sure we all knew exactly what kind of distraction they meant.

The Factioning was a day once a year, where anyone who wanted to become a pirate were introduced to the island and sorted into a faction. It was usually followed by wild parties that lasted hours into the night and usually the morning too- the celebrations could last for days at a time.

Owen snorted. "Fwhip? He's probably off testing a new bomb or something with a bunch of drunk Kites-"

I shook my head and stood up, shaking my feet dry before sliding them into the combat boots, equipped with spiked toes to kick anyone who bothered me. "I'm going to go look for him. If he is off sleeping with someone or testing bombs, I am going to drag him here by the ear and dunk him in the lake, headfirst."

Owen and Cleo laughed and waved, their voices fading as I walked away, grabbing a torch from a stand and walking onto the path to the town.

The shadows danced at the edge of the torchlight, animal screeches and the rustling of plants reaching my ears. I walked quickly to the town, avoiding drunk pirates as they stumbled by, giggling and drinking from flasks as they babbled with the slurred speech of the very inebriated and soon to be very hungover.

I reached the tavern Fwhip had been in, and looking around, figured out that Fwhip was not present, due to the lack of bright red hair or bombs or bar fights or stupid life threatening dares.

Scott, however, was present, talking to a blushing blond man at one of the small side tables. I walked over to them and slid onto the bench, smiling at the blond before turning to Scott and asking, "Where the hell is Fwhip?"

"How should I know?" Scott said, his words rude but his manner cheerful. He was more than slightly drunk, but not enough to be insensible yet, thank the sun.

I rolled my eyes. "You were the last person he was seen with, and he hasn't shown up at our meeting point."

"Hi, I'm Gem," I said, turning randomly to the blond, extending my hand to the Nightingale. I could tell his faction and gender by the pins on his shirt. A simple pin of the Nightingale faction flag for his faction, and a lighter blue pin to show that he identified as male.

"Jimmy," he replied, shaking my hand. "Who's Fwhip, if that's ok to ask?"

I grinned, pulling my hand back and sitting back, crossing my legs under the table so that I could kick either of them if I needed to. "No problem at all- he's my twin brother. He was here earlier with Scott, but he's disappeared now and I'm trying to find him."

"Ohhh-" Jimmy nodded, understanding appearing on his face. "Red hair, blue eyes, black coat with a red scarf?"

I leaned forward. "Yes, that's him exactly. You've seen him?"

"I saw him follow my friend Sausage out that way," he gestured to a side door, "and neither of them came back."

Seriously? I think, annoyed. I smiled at Jimmy and elbowed Scott. "Don't drink too much, idiot." I say as a farewell, giving Jimmy a two fingered salute before getting up and walking out the door Jimmy pointed out.