Disclaimer: Fiction, Not Real.
By: The Almighty Water-Walking Panda (it�s more of a middle name, really)
Chapter Two: The Return of the Boy Pirate
He awoke to the calming and pleasant smell of a fruitful forest. One untouched by industrialist man or ruined by devastating effects to the environment. He breathed in the deep, rich smell of fresh leaves bending over him, shading him from the hot sun, the moist and fertile earth he rubbed against his cheek upon waking, and the not too far off smell of the salty ocean and it�s cold, constant waves.
�Honey, I�m home,� He muttered, eyes still sleep in shut. He groaned and slowly sat up, brushing off the dirt from his cheek before blinking rapidly and taking a look around.
All forest clearings look the same to the untrained eye, in this case Hunter�s, so it was more of a feeling rather than visual recognition that told him he was back in the world of fairies and pirates. He rubbed his cheek, his head, his hair, peering about without concern. Soon, he knew, the fairy would come charging out of that direction, closely followed by the captain. So he figured the best way to start was to wait.
And wait he did. He hummed softly to himself, happy he was back in his proper place in the story. And wait, and wait. . . and then wait some more. He judged the timing to be perhaps an hour of waiting.
Hunter frowned and looked about. Now where was that damn fairy? A heavy, sinking feeling began to weigh down his stomach. �Maybe,� he spoke quietly to himself, �I�m supposed to stand up? And THEN he comes tackling out of the bushes?�
With only a slight hope, Hunter stood and waited, facing the general direction he thought the fairy might come from. And waited, and waited, and finally decided he hated waiting almost as bad as not knowing where his friends were.
�Dammit all.� Hunter muttered, then set off to find out where everyone was.
It didn�t take as long as he thought it would, really, to get completely and utterly lost. He came across two clearings and discovered fresh footprints before realizing they were his own. (Really, what fairy wears Nike? Like they need to run faster.)
Then it hit him. He was alone. Alone in the Faye Forest. Not even a single chirping of a bird filled his ears, not the distant rustle of a creature foraging along the forest floor. Nothing. Empty.
This began to unease him. He wanted desperately to find someone, anyone and ask what the hell was going on. But there was still his predicament: Which direction was going to lead him to someone who could give him answers to all his questions?
And like a big pizza pie hitting an eye, an idea struck him. He stumbled back into the clearing and stopped. He looked at his footprints and saw they all pointed in one direction: straight ahead. He had made no turns or detours that he knew of yet continued to return full circle. Perhaps. . . yes, perhaps if he started in another direction? The left, then?
So Hunter changed direction and headed left. . . Only to return to the same clearing not five minutes later. So he tried right. And came back, scowling enough to make his face hurt.
�This,� he announced loudly, �is getting annoying. The fairy isn�t coming, is he? So why don�t you just fucking let me go already? I�ll find him, Carson and we�ll get on with the story, okay?� There was no response. He paused, looked around, then tried the right again.
He cursed a good pirate�s storm when he returned once again. �What do I have to do, tell me.� Hunter muttered, looking at the scattering of his footprints in the dust. �You want me to do it at a run?� He laughed and ran out the clearing, returning even faster.
�You want me to hop on one leg and twirl out of here?� He laughed harder and executed a very nice ballet for a man of his age. He returned with a flourish and sweeping bow, having too much fun with the entire situation.
�You want me to walk . . . backwards?� He ended this question a little uneasily. Was that it, then? Walking not forward, but backward? Why would the answer to his problem be so complicated but simple?
Hunter�s mouth shut and grew into a grim line. He took a breath and took a step not forward, not to the right, not to the left, but behind him. And then another and another, watching as the clearing escaped him foot by foot. Plants, hanging vines and the occasional tree branch hit him passing by but nothing blocked him from continuing onward. Er, that is, backward.
Suddenly, his feet found purchase uneasily, his sneakers sunk in to loose dirt, causing him to stumble slightly. �Shit!� He muttered, then righted himself. He peered about, then looked behind him. This was not the clearing. In fact, he could still see the clearing from here, but this was a different clearing altogether. This was the. . .
�Ocean.� Hunter whispered. He walked unsteadily across loose sand toward the darker, more moist sand rimming the slowly lapping waves. He took in the gently cresting ridges of water, the way the sun happily bounced rays off the surface and straight into his eyes, the utter peacefulness of it. He wasn�t sure if it was his own feeling or that of the character he played in this story, but Hunter had a sudden urge to haul anchor and sail the seas before him.
That was until he saw who was sitting calmly in the water along the bank. Hunter�s expression brightened and he ran over to say hello.
�Ninel! Hey, hi!� He ran up and set a hand on her bow. She answered with a friendly creaking of her boards. �What are you doing here? Aren�t you supposed to be waiting at the dock?�
Another creaking, this one long and somewhat sad. Hunter, who played a pirate but had not the inkling of boat-talk down, scratched his chin. �Hmm, maybe if I find Carson, he can tell me what you just said. Hang on, Ninel, I�ll go get him. What direction is he, by the way?�
Ninel didn�t answer, but instead began to pull herself off the sand and back into water. However before she could completely pull away, she paused. Hunter took this as an invitation and boarded quickly.
�He far off? Too far to walk?� Hunter asked, not expecting or receiving an answer. Instead, he took hold of the wheel for balance and watched the scenery pass. He wondered how Ninel was able to get from the Salmon river to the ocean and vice-versa. He found out when they came to a wide channel on the beach, dividing the land and allowing water to flow through rapidly. Hunter shaded his eyes with a hand and could just make out the dock which Ninel usually sat near, waiting to take Scade and the Captain down river to the Temple of Orna.
But to his surprise, Ninel didn�t even give her usual route a second glance. She skirted the large whirlpool at the head of the river and continued on to the other side of the beach. Here, the forest wasn�t as thick and looked rather limp and sparse.
�What�s going on over here, Ninel?� Hunter asked curiously. �I don�t think the book ever talked about what went on over on this side of the river. Except The Quagmire Swamp, but that�s far down the Salmon.�
He looked about the boat and wondered if Carson�s map was shoved into any of these bags. But he didn�t want to go through his friend�s things without permission, especially if that friend was a pirate who thought you might be after his gold. So he left the bags alone and continued to look about curiously.
The area, he realized, was changing rapidly. First it was the not-so-fullness of the trees, then came the rarity, then the lack of that unnerved Hunter. The sand of the beach lead up to clumps of wild grass and weeds that moved on to fields empty of anything taller than knee-height. Only here and there were groups of trees that couldn�t be called a thicket, and couldn�t be ignored simply because they struggled so hard to survive. One of these was just coming up when Hunter frowned.
�Where are you taking me, Ninel?� He asked. �Where is everyone? I know I�ve never been this far, but where is everyone? Where did they all go? Isn�t there someone around here who can tell me?�
Abruptly, Ninel slowed her cruising and began to pull in along the beach. Soft, wet sand came up in large crusting ridges as she parked herself in on the bank. He wondered if that did any wear and tear on her finish, or the bones along her ship�s body.
�Uh, didn�t mean any offense, Ninel, really.� He said a little unsure.
She responded with a polite creak. So, this was where he was meant to stop? Well, alright. He disembarked, planting both feet on the ground, swaying now that he was no longer using his sea legs. He looked around, then scratched his head. �Which direction, Ninel?�
She pulled back into the water, then pushed into the sand, the tip of her bow pointing straight ahead. Hunter pointed that way, then nodded. �Okay, well, thank you. Seems a bit far for Carson to be without his boat, but, the man was always slightly odd, wasn�t he?�
With half a shrug, he began forward, wondering why he was here, where everyone was, and why it seemed so urgent that he returned.
�Scade!� called a soft voice, �Scade! Over here!� It came from the trees, he realized. Hurrying over, he recognized a soft green glow trying to hide behind two large leaves.
�Pixie!� Hunter said, then was immediately shushed.
�Shush!� Pixie scolded, giving him her Mean face. �Not so loud, Boy Pirate! It�s dangerous to be seen out here! Quick, hide behind that juniper, next to the oak tree.�
�But why. . .�
�No buts!� She hissed, seeing something near the bank, �Just do as I say, quickly! They�ll see you!�
Without another sign of protest, Hunter quickly dove under the protection of the bush and tree, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He peered through the plant and saw that not only had Ninel shoved off and moved onward, but another boat, one he didn�t recognize was slowly moving along the beach, its occupants scanning the wilderness occasionally.
Hunter blinked, and tried to look again but the boat had moved on and out of sight. Did he see what he THOUGHT he saw? Had there really been animals, a wild boar, a cheetah and a wolf, riding that boat, dressed in armor?
He crouched there for a minute or two before the pixie fluttered down to join him. To his surprise, she grinned widely and hugged him around the cheek. �Oh, Scade! I�m so glad to see you!� She pulled back, eyes glittering. �I remember the last time we met. I�m so glad my mind isn�t so scattered anymore.�
Hunter�s eyes widened. �You remember? But, how? Doesn�t the story go back to the beginning?�
Pixie�s expression dampened. She nervously tapped the tips of her three fingers on each hand together. �Well, it should have, yes, you�re right. But something awful happened, Scade! Something truly dreadful! And now we don�t know what to do. That�s why I asked Ninel to wait for you, incase you ever decided to come back. It was hard, you know how she won�t listen to anyone but you or Carson, but, well. . . here you are!� she smiled pathetically and wrung her hands.
�Pixie,� Hunter said softly, �why don�t you tell me what�s going on? And where are Carson and the Fairy? What were those things in that boat? And start from the beginning. I don�t want to get confused.�
The pixie sighed, nodding. She opened her mouth and began to speak.
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�It started when you left.� The pixie spoke hesitantly, looking now and then toward the beach to make sure they were still alone. �We watched you go and began to go about getting things right again. Princess Aceana called a few other pixies and had them unscramble my head so that I was fine again. She let Carson and Celandine take as much of Silas� gold as they could carry, (since it was the first time ever that Carson could make it that far) and gave Commander Spire a shiny badge. He�s in the Princess� service now Scade. You should see how proud the fairy is. Kept saying how shiny it was.
�Well, it was almost time to see us off to return to our places at the beginning of the story. I had asked her about the changes she was going to make and Princess Aceana decided Cerulean Silas ought to stay dead this time, on account of what he did to the Fairy Aeries. So she decided to create a new villain, but wouldn�t tell us who or what it was. Said she wanted to keep it a secret until you or another Scade returned. And good thing you did come back, Scade, because I think it would have been quite confusing to anyone else.
�Well, that was all fine and dandy, except when the Incident occurred.� she paused, wings fluttering slightly in the wind as she sat in Hunter�s palm. Her expression was worried and anxious, making Hunter wish she would kill the suspense and just talk.
�It seems the villain the Princess made was a little too new, a little too still sketchy on what they had to do. They were supposed to kidnap her when someone opened the book and began reading. But they jumped ahead and kidnaped the Princess almost immediately. And now we don�t know where they�ve gone or how to get them back.�
�Them?� Hunter asked faintly. He had a sinking feeling about this.
�Them,� Pixie nodded. �When it was clear the Princess was kidnaped, Spire went after the villain, thinking he could take on whoever it was that. . . well, he took the Lieutenant, the Captain and his first mate, �Dine. That was two months ago. Three weeks ago, Ninel came back. By herself.�
The pixie turned large, round cat-slitted eyes up at Hunter, which he saw were brimming with tears. �Scade, they�re gone, our friends! All gone! And we don�t know where because Ninel won�t tell us! Things are getting out of hand. There�s a full blown war between the Vamps of Sanguine and the Witches of Dementia, both believing each other is cause to blame for not finding the Princess. Up and down the Salmon, tribes of cannibals are in war mode with each other, upset that the Princess could be taken before granting their wish. There�s fighting everywhere, Scade. We Pixies are seeing a lot of it and are helpless to stop it. We�re so little, there�s only so much we can do!� She sobbed and hid her face in her hands, shoulders quaking.
�Shh, shh, it�s okay, it�s going to be okay,� Hunter assured her, gently rubbing her back between her wings. �It�s going to be okay, Pix. I�m here now and you�ll see; we�ll find the guys, and �Dine and the Princess, in no time at all.�
She wiped her face and looked up at his wide smile. �Really?�
�Really.� Hunter said with such conviction that Pixie began to smile too.
�Oh, Scade, you don�t know how happy you�ve made us all by coming back!� She gave him a slightly wet hug and began to pull on his shirt. �Come one! We gotta get started! And I know just where to start, too! She�s not too far away from here. Just beyond that hill over there is her knew hut. Oh, she�ll be so happy to see you, Scade!�
Hunter followed after the eager Pixie. �Who has a hut over here?�
Pixie grinned at him. �Aceana does.�
Hunter stopped dead in his tracks. �Pixie. . . I thought you said the Princess was kidnaped! And that no one knew where they took her!�
The pixie nodded, fluttering back. �Yes, I did. But Aceana isn�t the Princess anymore.� She grabbed his collar and began dragging him along again. They reached the hill and began climbing over.
�If Aceana isn�t the Princess anymore,� Hunter said slowly, �who is? Her daughter? A relative?�
�No, it�s. . .� the Pixie began but was cut off.
�It�s that damn fairy,� said the woman coming out of her hut to meet them. Hunter had to blink several times trying to adjust his view of a de-throned Fairy Princess.
�He found where I kept that blasted tiara at night,� the woman Fairy in the homespun dress and the brown boots said with a wry smile. �Couldn�t keep his hands off my �shiny hat� as he put it. Put it on and took all my powers with it. Before I could get him to take it off, they came in and took him. They have my sympathy.�
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