The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 4: The Pendant of Light

Chapter 26: Girls

Chapter 26

"Look, I know faces," Rouge told Rain Fox, "I've known Shade's face since that punk kid got off the Dragon's Belly ten years ago. I played Quidditch with the punk. I played pranks with him and Jinx. I know his face, Fox. That girl had his facial features. I know those thick eyebrows and high cheek bones anywhere. That girl's either related to him somehow or I'm a Hinkypunk."

Rain Fox chuckled. "Well, you certainly are not a Hinkypunk. I just don't know, Ravenus. Shade doesn't have any relatives."

"You just said he found out where his mother was," Rouge remarked, "So he obviously had family somewhere. As long as I knew him, he never knew anything about his biological family. Maybe this girl is related to him somehow."

"She just might have similar features to Shade," Rain Fox said, "She might not be related at all. A lot of the magical families are related, in some way, anyway. Lots of family trees intersect at one place or another."

"Hmm," Rouge said, "I still think she's related somehow."

The rest of the day and the next passed with the two of them talking about Rain Fox's visit from Archelaus the Bronze and the location of the hidden island among the Isles of Scilly. The other prisoner, the deaf man, was taken by the pirates midway through the second day and never returned.

The third day, after the pirates had docked, unloaded, and taken off again, they reached their destination towards the late afternoon. The Merry Malaclaw came to a halt before a larger, many-sailed boat named the Shrieking Shrake. Next to it was another boat smaller than the Merry Malaclaw that was tied to the larger ship. It was newer looking, with many men walking along planks bridged between it and the larger ship. The Bruised Bundimun was its name; a small schooner converted to serve the pirate cause.

Rain Fox and Ravenus Rouge were shackled and taken from their cell on the Malaclaw. They were led up from the ship's bottom decks to the sea air, along the bridging planks, and over to the Shrieking Shrake. Their feet and hands clanked at their every step thanks to the chains they were bound in. The swordsman, Alligus Crock, followed behind them, laughing and chuckling at their disposition. The young girl, the one Rouge was convinced looked like Shade, followed behind Crock. Rouge kept trying to look back at her but the gruff pirates pushed him forward. They were led to a large cabin on the deck of the large ship. The pirates opened two large oak doors that were aged and worn, but were ornate and decorated with strange seafaring scenes. The doors opened to a large cabin, which was richly ornamented with pictures, swords, and trinkets of all sorts.

Behind a large desk covered with gold coins and candles of different sizes sat a man with long, straight, clean brown hair. He was clean-shaven, had a beaky nose, a hooded brow, and pale skin. He wore a leather waistcoat with golden buttons and a long, frock-collared trench coat with ornate designs on it depicting dragons and sea creatures. He didn't appear to be very tall, even as he was seated. He was thin and had a high timbre in his voice, yet he wore a devilish grin that crept Rain Fox out a little.

"What is the meaning of this?" the man behind the desk asked.

"These are the two I sent you the owl about, Captain Sten," Alligus Crock told the man. "They are here to receive judgment."

"What a fortunate day this is turning out to be!" the captain cheered. "We caught ourselves a healthy bounty from the mainland and now I get the pleasure to pass judgment on a few land lovers! What, ho, men! We may be breakin' out the rum a little earlier than expected, yes?"

"Aye!" the pirates cheered.

The captain stepped up to the two prisoners and grinned at them. "Hello, friends. I'm Captain Stenonychus Morseducis. My men call me Captain Sten. I am the pirate lord of this ruffian rabble. We are humble pirates, we be. An honest group of traders and collectors, seaworthy men who carry our love for the sea in the thick of our hearty, beaten chests. We serve no master but our own destinies. We are the terrors of the sea! We are the masters of the waves! We-"