Chapter 1
Angelisa sat in a chair, thinking about her life, and how much it sucked.
She tried so hard to have a good life. Everyday, she went to school, did her homework, worked hard at her part-time job, and spent as much time as she could practicing her music. Now, she would never sing again, but that was not her fault. The source of her ruined life was her father. Everything that had gone wrong in her life was because of her father. All she did was come home late, and he started hitting her. When she fought back,he accidentally slammed her head against a window. Now she could not speak or move because of brain damage.
She wondered why she fought back. For years, her father has been an abusive drunk that hit her. So why, after all these years, did she fight back? Maybe because she was sick of it, or because the fact she would have been leaving home soon gave her courage. Either way, it did not matter. Her life was over. Never again would she know the joy of singing or playing her guitar.
Angelisa remembered that day three years ago, in that music store. All she planned to do was avoid going home. So, she browsed through some songs, and found it. The song that changed her life. Among those songs was one by an artist from a bad home environment. This artist's music was all about the injustice of the world, the unfair treatment she endured. How through hard work, her life improved. That song gave Angelisa inspiration and hope.
After that, Angelisa practiced singing and saved up money to buy a guitar. Finally, she saw a glimmer of light in the dark. There was hope inside of her. Then it was all shattered so quickly.
Tears were running down her cheeks.
Someone wiped away her tears. It was a woman with white hair, but she looked about thirty. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were emerald green. This woman wore a old-type of dress. The kind you would have seen people wear a century ago.
"Hello, Angelisa." The woman said. "I am here because I can help you."
Something about her voice made Angelisa want to trust. Her voice was like that of a mother speaking to her child. However, Angelisa still doubted she could help her.
As if she heard Angelisa's thoughts, she said, "Have some faith."
She lifted her hand and blew some golden dust into Angelisa face. It smelled like freshly baked cookies. Suddenly, there was a warmth in her throat. Not an uncomfortable or painful warmth, but a nice feeling.
"Now, speak." The woman said.
Without thinking, she replied, "What?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that she had spoke. Her voice sounded like it always had. It was a dream come true. She could speak again.
"Before you say anything else, I should warn that this gift is temporary." The woman said.
Angelisa quickly shut her mouth. She did not want to waste this gift. Instead of talking, she carefully listened to what the woman had to say.
"I can give you back your voice permanently, as well as your movement." The woman said. "In exchange, you go somewhere. A place where you will eventually be able to repay the favor. All you need to do to seal this deal is say "Yes."
Without hesitation, Angelisa said, "Yes."
There was nothing left for her here. In fact, she would have left years ago if she could.
"Glad to hear that." The woman said.
She then blew more golden dust into into Angelisa's face, who blacked out in an instant.
Angelisa woke up to the feeling of a dog licking her face.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that there was a black dog on top of her. Well, more of a puppy because it was so small. As she began to get up, the puppy jumped off of her. It barked, but not an aggressive bark. The puppy seemed happy she was awake.
"Hi, little guy." Angelisa said to the puppy.
Then she noticed she was in a forest. There were trees everywhere, and they were so tall, Angelisa could not see their tops. She wondered where she was. Slowly, her memories began to surface. She remembered the hospital, her unusable limbs, her lost voice, and the strange woman. Everything was very blurry. Where she came from and what that place was like was a mystery to her.
"So, this is where she sent me." Angelisa said to one.
Then, Angelisa examined herself. She wore a thin leather jacket, a red shirt, jeans, and a pair of running shoes. Her brown hair felt longer than before. She wondered how long she had been asleep.
The puppy was brushing against her legs. Angelisa bent down and pet him. Suddenly, the puppy ran off into the woods. Angelisa decided to follow it. Hopefully, it would lead her to someone.
After three minutes of running, Angelisa lost the puppy. It just disappeared in an instant. There was a scream. Angelisa found herself running towards the scream rather than away from it. It was almost as if something was pulling her to its source. When she reached the source, she saw a man in black leather armor grabbing a girl by her arms. Angelisa did not know what was happening, but from the way the girl was struggling, she knew it was not good. Even though she wanted to do something, she did not know what action to take. Then she saw the bow and arrows at her feet. Angelisa picked up the bow, and aimed it at the black armored man. Strangely, it felt to easy to do. When Angelisa shot the arrow, it went straight through his knee. He cried out in pain. The girl who he had been grabbing then kicked where no man would ever want to be kicked. He fell to the ground. Angelisa ran over to the girl.
"Thanks." The girl said as she took the bow from Angelisa.
"No problem." She replied. "I'm Angelisa, and you are?"
"Snow." The girl said.
Snow wore a white dress and a brown hooded coat. Her hair was dark black, and her skin was very smooth.
"Why was this guy attacking you?" Angelisa asked.
"I'll tell you when we get away from here." Snow replied.
"Why do we need to move?" Angelisa asked.
Then she heard voices, not far away.
"More soldiers." Snow said. "We need to move!"
"What's going on!?" Angelisa was worried and confused.
"Explanations later." Snow said.
The two of them started running together. That is how their adventures began.
Chapter 2
Owen was a prisoner of his own body.
There was a car accident, one that cost him his father and his sister. Now he could not move his body at all. It has been two days since he awoke, unable to move. Two days of torture. He wished he was dead. He wished his suffering would end.
"Hello, Owen." An unfamiliar voice spoke.
A woman appeared. She had pale skin, white hair, and emerald eyes. Despite her white hair, she was still very young. Something about her voice made Owen want to trust her.
"I know you want your suffering to end." The woman said. "I can make that happen, and your death will not be necessary. Do you want to walk again? To run again?"
"Yes, but that is not possible." He managed to say.
"What if it were? What if I could give you your ability to move back, with some bonus features?" The woman asked.
"That is not possible." Owen said.
"Oh, it is." The woman said. "All I need is your agreement."
"And what do you want in return?" Owen asked, still doubting the woman.
"A favor, one that will be repaid whenever I want." The woman said. " Also, I require you go somewhere that you can gain a position from which you can repay me. So will you take me up on my offer?"
"Sure." Owen replied.
Suddenly, her body became a white cloud. This cloud covered Owen in seconds, and when he inhaled it, he passed out.
He instantly woke up when he smelled this horrible odor. It was like a mix of rotten fish and dead skunk. Owen sat up in a bed. An uncomfortable bed. Beside him was a girl who looked about his age, holding a brown bottle. Her hair was red and short, her eyes were the color of chocolate. She wore a black dress that had seen better days. The dress had clearly been patched up many times. The girl had an annoyed look on her face.
"Don't just sit there!" She spoke with a strange accent. "Get up!"
Owen obeyed her and stood up. He did not know where he was. His head hurt badly.
"Where am I?" Owen asked.
"The Pirate Tavern." The girl replied. "I found you passed out in the street when I was closing up last night."
"Why was I there?" He asked.
"Don't know." She replied. "Ya never been in my tavern before. Ya also didn't smell of beer."
"Thanks for taking care of me." Owen said.
"Well, glad to see I found a gentle man." She replied. "Not alot of people say "thank you" to me."
"Really?" Owen said.
"Yes." She said. "Name's Anne. And you?"
He paused for a second, then said "Owen".
"Where ya from?" Ann asked.
"I don't know." Owen said after a long pause.
"Ya mean ya don't remember where you're from?" She asked.
"Other than I my name, I remember nothing." Owen said as if he was just realizing this.
He had no memories of his home or his family. Nothing. His memories were a total blank. Which made him wonder how he ended-up in the street, unconscious.
"I'm talking to you." Anne said.
That snapped him out of his thoughts.
"What?" Owen said.
"I was saying if you've got nowhere to go, you could live here in exchange for working in my tavern." Ann said.
"Really?" Owen wanted to be sure he heard correctly.
"Yes, but don't think it'll be easy." Anne replied.
"I won't." He said quickly. "I mean I won't think its easy. I will gladly take your offer."
"Good." Anne grinned. "Get yourself cleaned up then meet me downstairs.
She walked away, down some stairs in a corner of the room. After she left, Owen studied the room. The walls were made of gray stones. Next to the bed was a table with one chair; both were made of wood. In one corner of the room was a small wooden dresser. There was a wooden door behind the bed. Owen opened the door and entered the other room. Inside was a wide barrel and a bucket full of water. Sticking out of the wall behind the barrel was a pipe with a nozzle on-top of it. Also, there was a cracked mirror, which Owen used to examine himself.
He wore a white shirt, a black leather jacket, leather boots, and black pants. His hair was very dark, his eyes were blue, and his skin was caucasian. He took off his shirt and saw a scar on his left shoulder. It was small, and shaped like a "x".
After a quick bath, he came down the stairs to the tavern. There were five square tables with four chairs at each. On the left side of the tavern was a counter with barrels and wine bottles behind it. Ann was cleaning the tables with a wet rag.
"Now that you've washed up," she handed him the rag, " start working."
Owen took the rag and got to work. Meanwhile, Anne got to work behind the counter, organizing what was behind it. There was an uncomfortable silence. A few minutes passed, and Owen could not stand the quiet any longer.
"So, do you own this tavern?" He asked.
"Yep, inherited it from my father." She replied.
"Where is he?"
Ann remained silent. Clearly she did not want to talk about her father. Owen quickly changed the subject.
"What kind of people come in here, anyway?"
"Mostly pirates." She replied. "One of the beauties of owning a tavern near a popular harbor."
"That's why you named it the Pirate tavern." Owen said.
"My mother thought it was appropriate." Anne smiled.
It was a nice moment, and the first of many.
A few weeks later, Owen was helping Anne unload some barrels of beer into the tavern. He had done it a couple of times in the last few weeks. However, when he unloaded the last barrel, he saw something unusual. A carriage painted black-and-red with four knights on horseback around it.
"That's Prince James," Anne said, reading the curious look on his face. "He is the future ruler of the kingdom."
"What does he look like?" Owen asked. "I couldn't see his face inside the carriage."
"Neither could I." Anne replied.
"Why do you think he is here?" Owen asked.
"No clue." Anne said. "I need you to go by some food. We're short on just about everything.
"Okay." Owen replied.
Over the past few weeks, Owen had come to respect Anne. She spent her days working in a tavern. puting up with drunken jerks. He also came to admire her beauty. Anne had the kindest heart Owen had ever seen. These are the reasons he fell in love with her. However, he had not told her this, for fear she would not feel the same way. Owen was satisfied just being near her.
Hours later, when Owen and Anne were working, serving bread and wine, someone unusual walked into the tavern. What made him unusual were the golden rings on his fingers and the golden pendant around his neck that was shaped like a skull. Clearly, he was a rich man. It was easy to see his arrogance in the way he walked. This man also had a wild smile, like he was looking for trouble. That gave Owen an uneasy feeling.
The rich man sat at one of the tables that Anne served. She walked over to him and asked what he wanted.
He answered, saying, "Some red wine, some grapes, and a little time alone with you."
Those last few words made Owen clench his fist. That is what he always did that when someone hit on Anne. Doing this helped him control his actions. Like always, Anne ignored the last comment, and brought the man what he ordered. However, after she did, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto his lap. Fury was now blazing inside of Owen.
"Please let me go." Anne said, being careful not to anger the man.
With one of his rings alone, he could buy the tavern.
"Why would I let you go?" The man asked, sarcastically.
What he did next made Owen's rage uncontrollable. The man kissed Anne. Though it was a short kiss, Owen could feel his anger boiling to the surface. After a quick second Anne got away from him. When she did, Owen started walking towards the man. Owen did not care who the man was, or how much money he had. His rage needed to be released, and he intended to release it.
"Excuse me." Owen said.
As soon as the man turned around, Owen punched him in the face. He hit him so hard, the man fell out of his chair. The man landed on the floor. A feeling of satisfaction surged through Owen. However, when the man stood up, a wide smile on face, that satisfaction evaporated.
"Oh, you will suffer for that." The man said, his voice was cold and cruel. "Do you know who I am?"
Suddenly, Owen felt fear. He knew that he should not have punched the man before he did it. For some reason now, there was this uneasy feeling in his gut, and fear was creeping into his mind. His throat became dry. All he could do was shake his head to say "No."
"I see you are a very naive idiot." The man said. "I am Prince James, the future ruler of this country."
Owen quickly realized the true gravity of the situation. Prince James could do more than have the tavern shut down. He could have Owen and Anne executed.
"Now that I have told you my name, could you do me the courtesy of telling me who you are?" Prince James asked.
"David, a traveler looking for some booze." He lied.
As long as the prince did not know who Owen was, he hoped Anne would be spared the consequences of his actions.
"Well, I hope you got some good booze." James said. "It will be your last drink you ever have."
That gave Owen a sick feeling in his gut. Or, a worse feeling in his gut.
"At dawn, come to the harbor," James said. "There we will have a duel. You win, you get to live. I win, you die."
"And if I don't show up?" Owen asked, though he did not want to know the answer.
"Then my men will hunt you down and kill you." James had an evil smirk. "Oh, and I'll burn this pathetic little shack to the ground."
Just before he walked out the door, he said, "Sweet dreams!"
After that, Anne closed the tavern early, while Owen sat in a chair, feeling the gravity of the situation. She hugged him, not knowing how else to comfort him. Anne was the first person to break the silence.
"You can't stay." She said.
"What?" Owen had been lost in his dread.
"If you stay, you're a dead man." Anne was struggling to hold back tears.
"But if I leave, you will lose the tavern." Owen held her hand tightly. "You could lose your life!"
"There has to be a way for you to survive." Anne could no longer hold back her tears.
"When I defeat the prince tomorrow, I will." He replied, trying to sound confident.
"And how many sword fights have you been in?!" Anne's voice full of sadness.
In all the time Owen had spent with Anne, he had never once seen her cry, or sound so lost in despair. He could not find the courage to reply.
All he could say was, "I will live."
Suddenly, there was a spark of hope in Anne's eyes. She wiped away her tears.
"Yes, you will!" She said.
Then she ran behind the counter and be moving things around. When she was done, Owen saw something he had never seen before. A trapdoor was hidden underneath some barrels. It must have lead to the tavern's basement. He did not even know the tavern had a basement. Anne grabbed a lantern and descended into the basement with Owen following her. The room was so dark, Owen could barely see his hand infront of his face. Once they reached the final step, the room was suddenly filled with light. It was as if the walls themselves were creating the light. There was a wooden shelf on the northern wall. On that shelf were glass jars filled with animal bones, a sword, and two wool sacks. Anne grabbed one of the sacks and emptied it. Inside, there had been to beans that appeared to be made of glass.
"What are these things?" Owen asked.
"My grandfather was an adventurer, and along his adventures, he collected many magic items." Anne replied.
She gave the beans to Owen.
"These are magic beans." Anne said. "They can open a portal to other worlds. With these we can escape to a place where that arrogant prince cannot follow us."
"Define "other worlds" for me." Owen said.
"These beans can take us to places that you can only get to by means of magic." Anne said. "Not even the prince will be able to follow us where we're going."
For a second, Owen was tempted to use the beans. He and Anne could live there lives somewhere safe and peaceful. The two of them could be together. However, Owen realized what Anne would be giving up.
"What about the tavern?" Owen asked.
Anne did not look him in the eye. All her life, she has lived in the tavern. It is where she as well as her mother were born. There were thousands memories within its walls. The tavern meant the world to Anne. Owen could not let it burn.
He set the beans aside, and picked up the sword.
"I can't run from this." Owen said. "I will fight for you and this tavern."
Tears began to flood from her eyes once more. Owen hugged her. After ending their embrace, the two of them kissed. Not a short, sweet kiss. This kiss was full of warmth and passion. It was better than Owen imagined.
"Take the beans with you at least." Anne said. "I trust that prince as much as I trust a pirate."
"Alright." Owen replied. "But I swear, I will return for you."
Then they kissed again.
As the sun began to rise, Owen was already walking to the harbor. At the harbor, most of the ships had left. Only one remained. A knight met Owen near the harbor. The knight lead Owen to the ship where the prince was waiting. He stood at the ships wheel, grinning with a distant look in his eyes. Until the knight called his name, the prince did not even notice Owen.
Prince James wore a white fur coat, black leather, and had his sword at his side. When he saw Owen, he chuckled.
"Either you are very brave, or very stupid." Prince James said. "I just hope you came here prepared to die."
"Don't forget, if I win this duel, I am free to go." Owen reminded the prince.
Without replying, Prince James unsheathed his sword and tried to strike down Owen. Fortunately, Owen blocked him with the sword Anne gave him. The prince was surprised by Owen quick reflexes. Owen took advantage of this surprise and attacked. Prince James countered his assault, but still got a cut on his chest. Not a deep one though.
"Well done." Prince James said. "Do you have experience wielding a sword?"
"Perhaps." Owen replied.
Honestly, Owen did not understand how he was fighting so well. Maybe he had fought with a sword before. After all, he still had not regained his memories. Just having the sword in his hands felt . . . Right.
As the fight progressed, James became increasingly reckless. His movements left openings which Owen took advantage of. However, Owen was still at a disadvantage. This is because he was not trying to kill the prince. All the wounds Owen inflicted were shallow cuts. It took him a few minutes to come up with a strategy to defeat the prince without killing him.
When James thrust his sword at Owen's chest, he dodged and used his own to knock the prince's out of his hand. Now, he held his sword against James' throat.
"I believe I have won this duel." Owen said.
"Appears so." James said with a furious expression.
Owen sheathed his sword and began to walk away. A feeling of relief washed over him for surviving. He hoped never to see the prince again. Just as he was about to walk off the ship, he heard someone running behind him. James was running towards him with his sword in hand and murderous intentions. The distance between them was closing rapidly. Instinctively, Owen blocked his attack with his left hand.
His left hand was cut off.
Pain surged from where his hand had been. It was undoubtedly the worst pain he had ever felt. Fortunately, he was knocked out shortly after it was cut off.
Two hours later, Owen awoke with a sack covering his head. The smell of seas salt penetrated the sack. There was still pain coming from his left arm, but had lessened. Owen could feel the cloth that had been wrapped around it. Someone must have tended to it while he was unconscious. Also, his arm were being restrained by someone.
Suddenly, the sack was lifted of his head. James stood in front of him, holding the sword Anne had given him. He threw it off the ship. Rage flooded Owen's mind. This prince was a monster. He had lied and taken joy in hurting Owen.
"You lying snake!" Owen shouted.
"What do you mean?" The prince acted clueless.
"You said if I won, I would go free." Owen said.
"I am a prince." James said with a smirk. "I am under no obligation to hold up a agreement with a commoner like you."
"So, what now?" He asked, though he did not want to know the answer.
"I am going to give you a little swimming lesson."
"Huh?" Owen was confused.
One of James's knights handed him a wooden bucket. When he held the bucket to Owen's face, he gagged. The bucket smelled rotten and metallic. Probably because of the blood and fish guts inside it. James emptied the contents over the side of the ship. Owen realized what he was doing.
The smell of blood easily attracts prince's men were already setting up a plank for Owen to walk.
"Oh, and one more thing, Owen." That last word sent panic into his very soul.
"How do you know my name?!" Owen demanded.
"After you assaulted me in the tavern, I made some inquiries." James said. "I also know that you care deeply for that wench that owns it. Maybe I'll pay her a visit when I return to that town."
The anger within Owen felt like an inferno.
"If you hurt her-"
"You'll what?" James cut in. "You are about to die. Any threats you make are worthless."
Owen did not despair, because there was something James did not know about. This something would be the key to his escape. The beans that Anne had given him before going to face the prince. One for him to use to escape to another world, and one to help him return. When he got back, he planned to make the prince suffer for deception and evil. No matter what it took, he would have his revenge.
The knights grabbed and dragged him to the plank. Once he reached the end, he turned around and looked at the prince with a smile. That seemed to creep James out.
"I shall be back." Owen said. "When I do, you should beware."
Then he took the bean from his pocket and dropped it in the water. Less than a second later, he jumped off the plank. Before he landed in the water, it became a green whirlpool. When he looked up, he saw the entire ship leaning because of the whirlpool. When he looked down, he saw a bright green light so bright, it blinded him.
Suddenly, he was in water. For a second, he panicked, thinking the bean had failed. However, he realized the prince's ship was nowhere near him. Plus, there were no sharks anywhere close to him. In the distance, he could see a humongous island. Since there did not seem to be anything else in sight, he swam towards the island. The swim there felt like it took days. By the time he reached the shore, his muscles felt as though they were on fire. He could not even walk. Using the last of his strength, he dragged himself onto the shore. His vision was becoming blurry, but he could see a boy walking towards him.
When this boy was standing over him, he said, "Welcome to Neverland."
After he said that, he kicked Owen in the face, and he passed out.
Chapter 3
Owen awoke in a wooden cage, with boys that were barely teenager, dancing around a fire nearby.
His head was pounding and there was still pain coming from where his left hand had once been. Ten feet away from him was a small fire. The kids around it were dancing like wild animals and making howling noises. None of them looked older than fourteen. They wore hoods and were banging sticks together. One of them walked over to him. This one looked like a young teenager, had dirty-blonde hair, brown eyes and wore completely green clothes. There was something different about this boy. Fear seemed to emanate from him.
"Well, well," he said with an amused voice. "Look who's finally awake."
Owen recognized the boy when he heard his voice. He was the one who knocked out Owen when he arrived on the island."
"Who are you?" Owen asked.
"Peter. Peter Pan." The boy replied. "And you trespassed on my home. No one comes to Neverland without my permission."
"So, are you the king here?" He asked.
Pan laughed. "There are no kings in Neverland. Just me and my Lost Boys."
"Are you the one who put me in a cage?" Owen asked. "If so, then why?"
"Cause' you're not a Lost Boy." Pan said. "And neither is he."
Pan pointed at another cage next to him. Inside was one of prince James' knights. It was the same one that had lead Owen to the ship. The knight's armor had been taken away, along with his sword. His skin was a very dark tone, he was bald, and had green eyes.
"You see, in Neverland, there is an age limit." Pan said with a grin. "Anyone over the age of fifteen, gets buried. So, enjoy tonight, because tomorrow, I can enjoy ending your short lived lives."
Then Pan walked away, and started dancing with the other boys. He howled louder than any of the others. After he left, one of the Lost Boys walked over to Owen and the knight. The boy was chubby and not wearing a hood. His hair was red and he had feather necklace. He handed Owen and the knight each one pineapple and a small wooden cup of water. Owen drank his in one big gulp.
"You are not the first adults to come to Neverland." The Lost Boy said. "In fact, there is one currently one being held prisoner in the Echo caves, just north of here."
Before Owen could say anything to the boy, he hurried away. Probably because Owen quickly discovered a knife, carefully jabbed into the pineapple. It had no handle, was thin, and the length of Owen's thumb. Without a handle it was hard to hold, but Owen figured it out. When he was almost done cutting the rope that held the cage together, he handed the knife to the knight.
"What are you doing?" The knight asked.
"Use the knife to cut the rope." Owen said. "Only cut most of it, if you cut too much, the cage will fall apart, and they will catch us. What until they are asleep, then use force to break the cage."
The knight was confused. Clearly, Owen's actions were strange to him. Most likely because he worked for an arrogant prince that was willing to hurt anyone and betray others without hesitation. When you work for someone like that, a person helping an enemy without even having to be asked, would be rather strange.
"What is the catch?" The knight asked.
"No catch." Owen said. "You have done me no direct harm. I'm not about to leave a man to face his death."
"Thanks." The knight said, with real gratitude.
A few hours later, when Pan and the Lost Boys finally went to sleep, he and the knight broke free from their cages and ran into the jungle. After twenty minutes straight of running, they stopped to catch their breath.
"Thanks again." The knight said. "I can not believe you did that for me."
"Seriously, you don't need to thank me." Owen replied. "I simply did what I felt was right."
"Alright." The knight said. "It is nice to meet you." He held out his hand. "My name is Greg."
"Now, we escape the same way we got here." Owen said.
"You mean through one of those portals?" Greg asked. "Do you have a means of opening another?"
"Yes." Owen replied. "Lucky for us, I have one more magic bean."
He reached into his pocket, only to find that the bean was not there. Panicked, he checked his other pockets. No bean in any of them.
"From your expression, I'm guessing it is not on you." Greg said.
"Pan must have taken it, just like he took your weapons." Owen replied.
"In other words, we are screwed!" Greg shouted in frustration. "In a few hours, those kids and Pan will wake up, find we're missing, and come looking for us. It's hopeless!"
"Maybe not." Owen said.
"What are you thinking?" Greg inquired.
"Remember the boy who gave us the knife? He said there Pan keeps someone prisoner in some caves north of the camp."
"How does that help us?" Greg asked.
"Perhaps, this prisoner knows something the can help us." Owen replied.
"Its unlikely." Greg said.
"Well, we haven't any better ideas." Owen said.
Greg nodded. Then they ran north, looking for a cave. After half an hour of searching, they found it. The cave was at the bottom of a small mountain. While the entrance was small, the inside was gigantic. Along the wall were drawings of flowers, trees, and people. They quickly found that the cave lead to a pit. A pit so deep, they could not see the bottom. Directly across from the ledge they were standing on, was a stone pillar with a wooden cage. A man called out to them from inside the cage.
"You're not Lost Boys." He said. "Please save me."
"Ya, we're here to rescue you." Owen said.
"Do you know anyway we can reach you?" Greg asked the man.
"There are only two ways to reach this cage." He replied. "You must either be Pan, and use shadow magic, or you must talk about something you would rather never talk about."
Owen understood the shadow magic part, but the other part did not make sense to him. How could talking help them reach the cage? He looked to Greg, who was also confused.
The man seemed to realize Owen and Greg's confusion.
"This cage is infused with powerful magic." He said. "When you talk about topics you would rather avoid, you can control the cave."
Owen still thought it sounded a little crazy, but, then again, nothing had seem sane to him since he woke up in Anne's tavern. However, he could not think of anything to say. There was nothing he wanted to avoid talking about.
"I understand." Greg looked at Owen. "Let me do it."
He sighed. "I'm a coward. I've always been a coward."
"What are you talking about?" Owen asked. "You're a knight. Aren't you trained to be brave."
"I am." Greg replied. "If it is a dragon, an troll, or a giant monster, I would slay them without hesitation. However, I could never face the real demon. The prince."
"No matter how much I despised his actions, I never spoke out against him. I was always afraid and did nothing. I am not a true knight."
Once he finished, stones rose up from the pit, and formed a bridge to the cage. Owen crossed the bridge and began to cut the rope.
"If you feel that you are unworthy of the title of knight, then make yourself worthy." He said to Greg.
After the man was free from the cage, he gave Owen an uncomfortable hug.
"Thank you." He said. "Thank you so much."
This man was slightly fat, had a short white beard, wore glasses and a red hat. His shirt white and torn. There were holes in his shoes that is toes were sticking out of.
"Is there any way I can repay you?" He asked.
"Actually, there is, Mr. . . "
"Smee. William Smee." The man said. "Everyone just calls me Mr. Smee."
"Peter Pan took my magic bean." Owen said. "With it, we could escape from this world. Do you know a way to take it from him?"
"Perhaps," Smee replied. "I was part of a navy unit that came here to rescue children who were kidnapped by a magic demon. This demon was Peter Pan."
"The murderous little brat?" Greg inquired. "He does seem evil, but it is hard to believe he's a demon."
"Pan is was the first boy to come to Neverland." Smee said. "When he arrived, all sorts of magic merged with him, turning him into a monster. He started abducting children. The second my unit landed in Neverland, he took our ship, then hunted us one by one. He kept me prisoner to put fear into the hearts of the Lost Boys."
"Wait, are the Lost Boys the children he kidnapped?!" Owen asked.
Smee nodded. "One of them tried to help me, and Pan turned him into a mouse. They obey him purely out of fear."
That was horrible, Owen thought. Living constantly in fear, forced to do things that were immoral when you were just a boy, and being taken away from your family. Pan truly was a demon.
"How can we get my bean back?" Owen asked.
"In order to reach Neverland, my captain used Pixie Dust." Smee said. "A powerful magic substance. If used correctly, it may be able to defeat Pan."
"Do you know where this Pixie Dust is?" Greg asked.
"Yes, I do." He replied. "My captain kept it hidden in his quarter, on the ship. Pan keeps it just offshore of the island, in a cave known as Skull Rock."
"Okay, so we have a plan." Owen said. "Now, let us move. We don't know when Pan will wake up. When he does, he'll come and kill us."
After that, the three of them began moving towards Skull Rock as quickly as possible. Smee helped them avoid dangerous areas and poisonous plants. When they reached the edge of the island, the sun had just started to rise. They could just barely see a cave shaped like skull off the shore. On the beach, was a small row boat. Owen and his companions quickly started to row the boat.
"So, how did you two end up in Neverland?" Smee asked them.
Both of them gave him a piercing look.
"Okay." Smee said, realizing his mistake.
Suddenly, they heard a noise. The sound of a woman singing. However, there were no lyrics to her song. At first it was as quiet as a whisper at first, but steadily grew louder.
"Oh no!" Smee said, his voice filled with fear.
He started grabbing dirt on the floor of the boat and cramming it into his ears. Greg and Owen looked at him as if he had gone mad.
"What are you doing?" Owen asked.
"That be the song of the sirens." Smee replied. "If you listen to it for too long, you will be drawn to it. Once you are close enough, the sirens will grab you, then drown you."
Upon hearing this, Greg started putting dirt in his ears as well. However, Owen did not. Before he had a chance, his body stopped obeying him. Then he the song began to affect him. He wanted to hear it better. He needed to hear it. An hand rose from the water and grabbed his arm.
When he looked down into the water, he saw a beautiful woman. This woman did not only look gorgeous, but greatly resembled Anne. Same red hair, same chocolate colored eyes, and the same smooth skin. However, there was something much more captivating about this girl. Owen was felt more attracted to her that he had ever been to Anne. She had his full attention; it was as if the rest of the world vanished. The woman began to sink into the ocean, as soon as her head was underwater, Owen jumped off the side of the boat.
Only after he was submerged did he see what the woman really looked like. A monster, not a pretty Anne-look-alike. Its eyes were pure black, its skin was made of green scales, and it had fins for ears. Its mouth had two rows of teeth, like a shark. Immediately, Owen tried get back on the boat, but the siren had grabbed his arms. The monster was very strong. Owen struggled, and the more he struggled, the more his lungs started to burn. Just as the siren was about to bite him, someone grabbed it from behind. Greg had dived in after Owen. The creature let go of Owen and turned its attention to Greg. He was quickly overwhelmed.
Even though Owen could swim to the surface and fill his lungs with oxygen, he did not. Instead, he pulled the knife given to him by the Lost Boy. Then, using the last of his strength, he stabbed the siren where he believed its heart to be. Its grip on Greg ceased. Now that he was free, he carried Owen to the surface, because he did not have the strength to do it himself. At the exact moment they were above water, they gasped for air with all their might. They climbed into the boat, though that was not necessary. Now they were just outside Skull Rock.
Inside the cave was a very impressive ship. Along the sides, there were cannons sticking out. It was painted red and yellow. The sails were white, and on the side was the name of the ship painted in black. This ship's name was the "Jolly Roger".
Using a rope that was hanging over the side, the three of them climbed on board. The first thing Owen said when he they were on board was "Thanks".
"For what?" Greg asked.
"You saved my life." Owen replied.
"Just doing what I felt was right." He said with a smile.
"Where is the captain's quarters?" Owen asked Smee.
"Below deck." He replied.
When Smee lead them to the stairs that went below deck, Owen turned to Greg.
"You stay up here." Owen said. "Holler if something happens."
"Understood." Greg replied.
In the captains quarters below, Smee started knocking on the floor boards. Normally, he would think something was wrong with Smee, but in light of recent events, he had realized that nothing Smee did was crazy. Once he started to think, he realized Smee believed the Pixie Dust was hidden under a fake floor board. While he did that, Owen examined the rest of the room. There was a desk made of smooth wood. On the left wall were shelves with two dozen books on them. Some of their title were Oceans of the Enchanted Forest, Monsters of the Sea, and Cheese Recipes for Wealthy Men. The right wall had carefully organized bottles. All it took was a single sniff for him to know what they were filled with. Rum, the most common alcohol drunk by sailors. Behind the desk was a pair of swords mounted on the wall.
Owen took one of the swords off the wall. He placed it under his belt, believing it would come in handy later. Then he started to search the desk. Quickly, he noticed one of the drawers was not pushed in all the way. First, he looked inside it and found nothing but boring documents. When he pulled the drawer out completely, he found a small pouch hidden behind it. Inside he saw sparkling green dust. It must have been the Pixie Dust.
"Help!" They heard Greg yell.
Smee ran up the stairs, but Owen did not follow immediately. He had something to do first, he dashed up the stairs.
The first thing he saw when he emerged was Pan holding a knife to Greg's throat. Two of the Lost Boys held his arms. Pan had evil grin on his face. Smee was being held down by four Lost Boys, and he was gagged. All around them were Lost Boys with arrows aimed and daggers drawn. Pan's gazed was fixated on his hand, which was holding the Pixie Dust.
"Hand the dust over, or this one gets his throat cut wide open." Pan ordered.
"No, it is the only thing that can defeat him!" Greg shouted.
When Greg finished his sentence, Pan made a small cut on Greg's throat. Blood dripped from the wound. A pained expression formed on Greg's face. Owen looked from Pan to Greg, then back again.
"Sorry, Greg." Owen said.
He tossed the pouch of Pixie Dust to Pan. He caught it. After checking the pouch, he threw it over the side of the ship. They all heard the splash.
"Shame. All you needed to do was sprinkle the dust on some metal and get me to touch it." Pan said, his tone mocking them. "Then I would have died instantly. All I had to do is threaten to kill your friend, and you handed over your only chance of survival. What a fool. When it comes down to it, put your life before that of others."
"At least I am not a coward." Owen replied.
The amusement in Pan's voice disappeared. "What do you mean?!"
"You used a hostage to control me." Owen said. "Basically, you cheat. This makes you a coward. If you wish to prove me wrong then," he drew his sword, "fight me."
Pan burst out laughing. It was like he had just heard the best joke in existence.
"You're an idiot!" He laughed. "The biggest idiot in all the lands. There is no way you could defeat me!"
"Then what have you got to lose?" Owen asked, sarcastically.
The laughter stopped. Pan snapped his fingers and a sword appeared in his hand.
"Just remember, you asked for this." He said with a smirk.
Owen drew his sword and thrust his sword forward, aiming for Pan's chest. Before the sword pierced him, his body and clothes turned black. A white light emanated from his eyes. When the sword pierced his chest, there was no blood. In fact, it felt as though Owen's sword had not touched anything. Pan swung his sword, forcing Owen to quickly back away. However, he was not fast enough. His cheek received a cut.
In an instant, Pan closed the distance between them. He pushed him to the ground. Clearly, he was just playing with Owen. What made this obvious is that he allowed Owen to stand up. Once he was standing, Pan punched him both the face and gut so fast he could not block it. Soon after, he fell back to the ground, clenching his stomach. Dizziness overtook him. It seemed as if the whole world was spinning. With one arm, Pan lifted him up and threw him across the ship.
His whole body hurt. One, or two, of his ribs felt like they were broken. He tasted blood in his mouth, which he spat out. Apparently, the sword had slipped from his grasp when he was thrown. This would have been the end of him, if not for the Pixie Dust he had removed from the pouch down below deck and hidden in his pocket. Thanks to Pan, he knew how to use it. His eyes searched for something metal for him to use. Within arms reach of him, was something shiny that he believed to be metal.
It was a hook. Probably one of the ones used to hold the ropes.
Owen grabbed it and sprinkled the dust on it. A golden glow surrounded the hook now. Pan grabbed his jacket and pulled him to his feet. The second he was on his feet, Owen stabbed Pan with the hook. Pan screamed as his body became smoke which then scattered. On the ground where he had stood was a bean. Owen grabbed it, then passed out.
When he awoke, Smee was applying medicine to his wounds. One of the Lost Boys was helping him. Whatever he was using, it worked very well. He could hardly feel any pain. They were in the former captain's quarters.
"Luckily for you, I have medical experience." Smee said when he noticed Owen was awake.
"Is Pan dead?" He asked.
"Yes, don't worry." Smee said. "Once you defeated him, the Lost Boys quickly started helping us. While I treated you, they went to get some herbs to aid in your recovery."
"We owe you greatly." The Lost Boy said. "You freed us from that monster."
"Where is my bean?" Owen asked.
Smee pulled it out of his pocket. It seemed fine. Also, Smee had found an extra shirt to wear. When Owen reached for his bean, he realized there was something in his hand. The hook he had use to defeat Pan.
"I don't know why, but I couldn't get you to let go of that." Smee said. "Even while you were unconscious, your grip on it was too strong."
Owen gazed at the hook. It had saved his life, along with the lives of Smee, Greg and the Lost Boys. For some reason, having the hook with him made him feel more confident and happy. Plus it was useful. Perhaps it would continue to be useful in the future.
Before he walked up to the deck, Owen asked Smee for a favor.
When he walked up to the deck, he had something to replace his left hand. The hook used to kill Pan.
"Morning captain." Greg said with a smirk. "Good to see you're better."
"Aye." Owen replied. "Now, I think it is time we went home."
Once he stood at the helm of the ship, he saw all the Lost Boys looking at him. Every single one of them was smiling. An amazing sight. Even after years of serving a monster, they could still smile. Their hearts were very strong indeed. Owen was pleased to see they were recovering from their torment.
"Listen," Owen spoke kindly to them. "When we return to the Enchanted Forest, Smee will take care of all of you. He will help you find a home. He will be like a father to you all. Together, you'll be one big happy family."
They turned to Smee who smiled at them. Just before Owen had come up from below deck, Smee had told him that idea. He really wanted to do it.
"I grew up without a family." He said. "Now, a vast family, as do all of you."
The Lost Boys cried out with joy. Pan had treated them like toys. Never had he even thought of them as anything more. These boys have always desired the love and warmth of family that they had been denied for so long. Now they had found it in Smee and each other.
Shortly after Owen little speech, they sailed out of Skull Rock. As the distance between them and Neverland increased, Owen prepared to use the bean Before he could drop it in the water, Greg stopped him. He had a serious expression.
"I want you to know, when we return to the Enchanted Forest, I am not going back to prince James' service." Greg said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay by your side for awhile."
"Why would you stay with me?" Owen asked. "I mean I understand you not returning to the Prince, but why come with me?"
"Because you are a good man." Greg replied. "So, it would be my honor to learn from you."
There was a happiness in Owen. He had gained a new companion. A comrade that would risk his life for him and he would do the same. He was glad he met Greg, despite him work for the man the cut off his hand. Anne would probably like him too. As soon as he introduced them. The mere thought of returning to Anne made his heart jump for joy.
Then, Owen dropped the bean and the whole ship was swallowed by the vortex.