Secrets from the Deep

Chapter 2

"Thanks, Charles, for joining me on this journey," Caden told his brother as he and his friends boarded the Star Sailor, the ship they were to sail. "So what exactly is the plan, and how are we going to find the dreaded Captain Modi?" one of Charles' friends, Albert Lewis, asked.

"We are going to sail out to the middle of the ocean and figure out where Captain Modi took poor Robert. This trip may take many months, and hopefully, we will live to tell the tale."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Michael, another friend of Charles. "I can't wait to find that villain and defeat him once and for all," he added.

Alex, yet another crew member, joked, "Not unless one of us defeats him first." And sure enough, the Star Sailor began to sail away.

After being turned down by several people who refused to teach her how to captain a ship or go on her quest, Meg went to the library. She was looking through different books about sailing, the ocean, and pirates, hoping to know as much as she could before going after Caden and his friends.

"Hello, Meg. What are you reading about?" a female voice asked all of a sudden. Meg looked up to see that her cousin Annie was now sitting at her table.

"Oh, hi, Annie. Captain Modi has kidnapped one of Caden's friends, so now, Caden's going after him. He wouldn't allow me to go with him, so now I am trying to learn more about the sea so I can captain a ship and go after him," Meg explained, hoping her cousin wouldn't think this was too ridiculous.

"Wait, you mean you're going to sail on a ship? That sounds fun! Can I come along?" Annie asked.

"Well, so far, no one else has been willing to come with or help me so I could use some company. If you're able to learn the ways of the sea with me, then I guess you can join me!" Meg decided.

"Thank you so much! My Uncle Alan is a sailor and can help us learn more before going off on our journey. We'll meet you at the docks this evening," Annie said before Meg gave her some of the books she had chosen to bring along with her on the trip.

"A toast to another successful adventure," Captain Modi told his crewmates on the Air Mando as he raised his glass.

"Agreed," his old mentor Terrance Espen said before drinking his ale.

"What are we going to do with the captive, though?" the First Mate Bill Gibbs asked.

"Like we always do with our kidnapping victims. We'll see if he has the skills or desire to be a pirate. If he's any good, we'll ask him to join the crew," Captain Modi began.

"If he refuses or is a terrible pirate, we'll have him walk the plank," Terrance added.

"Let us not think of that at the moment, though. Tonight, we celebrate and relax. Tomorrow, our captive's training begins."