Avast, Ye Scurvy Mammals!
PART ONE of JASON'S ARC
"In Hamsterdam there lived a maid, mark well what I do say! In Hamsterdam there lived a maid, and she was mistress of her trade…"
The band of mammals bellowed their hearty shanty as they performed their daily tasks for their captain, standing boldly at the helm along with his trusty navigator. Each and every movement the crew made reflected nearly every beat that passed them by. It was as if the crew of the Malbrook were all cogs in this grand machine that couldn't be stopped even if someone dared to try. It brought a spirited grin to the captain's snout. A happy crew meant a happy captain, and a happy captain meant smooth sailing ahead.
Hoofs tapped on the wood of the ship's wheel as he looked upward at the sapphire sky. The sun was shining bright over the ship and the deep blue ocean around them. Amongst the cobalt sky above them were spots of puffy white clouds that threatened to block the warmth of the sun's rays, but failed in doing so.
Far to the southwest behind them were dark ominous clouds that seemed to hold quite a hazardous storm, but thankfully looked to be just a hair slower than they were. The thought eased the captain's mind.
A gust of wind blew through the deck, rustling the captain's coat and his floppy hazelnut- colored ears. With a smirk, the antelope shut his eyes and welcomed the cool air into lungs as they filled to capacity, then slowly emptied until the breeze had finally died down.
"Captain," a call bellowed from the main deck. The captain opened his eyes and looked to the stairs leading to the helm to spot a zebra slowly stepping towards him. He knew this mammal as the quartermaster of his ship, and one of his closest friends.
With the smirk still adorning his face, the antelope replied as his friend stopped at the peak of the steps, "What is it, Marty?"
"I believe we're approaching an island on the port side, Captain. Orders?"
The buck looked away from the stairs and outward to the left. Sure enough, beyond the vast amounts of water between them, he could see the island in the distance. However, this appeared to be no ordinary island. No, it was the island.
"It's Dead Mammal's Gorge."
No amount of fog covering the island could be a clearer indicator. Home to some of the treacherous landscapes on the seven seas, and one of the most sought after treasures in the Caribbean, it was said to have been an island of legend, a mere fairy tale for the young and adventurous. Now it was staring him dead in the snout, ripe for the picking.
For months the crew of the Malbrook had been searching for this island hoping to get lucky. Now, today was their chance.
"Dead Mammal's Gorge? I thought that was just a myth?"
"Well, it looks like the stories were true then. Tell the crew to prepare for docking. It's about time that we take what's now rightfully ours."
"Will do, Captain." The zebra scurried down the stairs and onto the deck below. He put his hoofs up to his mouth and began to loudly relay the captain's orders to the other crooning sailors. "Listen up lads," he began, hushing the lot as they turned their heads in his direction. "We're altering our course to the island located on our port side. We believe that this is none other than the island of legend, Dead Mammal's Gorge. It's said that this island holds bountiful treasures beyond imagination. You know what I say? I say we take it, and make this little fairy tale a reality. What do you say, mates?"
With a rowdy cheer, the crew raised their swords up in the air and looked to their captain.
"Well, get to it! Set course for Dead Mammal's Gorge, full sail!"
"Aye!" The lot of them bellowed, the captain included. He quickly spun the ship's wheel leftward toward the island in the distance. Once everyone else had resumed doing their normal tasks, another jubilant shanty blessed the ears of everyone on deck. Deckhands pulled on the various ropes scattered around the deck and began to firmly pull. With their strength the rest of the closed sails above flapped and wood creaked softly as they opened to catch the breeze, their vessel now picking up even more speed.
The antelope put on a confident grin as the breeze once again ruffled his outfit. Their course was set.
"Winds are looking to be in our favor, Captain," the high voice of the ship's navigator informed him from behind. "Seems like smooth sailing ahead."
"Thank you, Sally."
"Say, Jason," the gazelle started, pulling the antelope's attention away from his post, "when this is over and we're back home…did you want to come over and—"
"Let's try and not break what we're doing just yet. I think we're close to actually finishing one of these this time. I wouldn't want to ruin it for everyone else by breaking our own rules."
Before turning back to the front of the ship, he caught a glimpse of her sunken expression and couldn't help but feel slightly empathetic for her advance. He couldn't just leave it at that.
"I didn't say that I wouldn't now, did I? Cheer up lass, of course I'll take you up on yer little offer. We just need to take this here treasure first."
Although he couldn't see the gazelle behind him, he was sure that there was some sort of smile plastered all over her face. In the meantime, he would try his best to deter the crimson that had flushed into his ears by putting on a sly grin of his own. He only hoped that he didn't overdo the pirate inflection in his awkward state.
He eventually shook the feeling off to abide by his role, keeping a firm grip on one of the spokes of the wooden wheel.
Fortunately for them, it didn't take long to close the distance between them and the island. The crew were still singing their tunes and having a great time overall, apart from the ominous fog that had enveloped the circumference of the fabled island. Navigating through it should be an easy feat with their lookout stationed in the bird's nest above. What did have their captain concerned, however, was the looming threat that had stealthily swooped in above them. Gone were the few clouds that dotted the sky earlier; now, the heavy grey clouds that he'd spotted only moments before had suddenly closed in on them, and they looked to be even darker as he examined them further.
This wasn't good. If the storm were to close any more distance on them, he would have to consider their expedition effectively kaput until their next voyage on the high seas. Another variable he'd have to consider was the fact that they might never have this chance again. Finding, let alone seeing this mystical isle, was an achievement that no pirate had ever done—at least to his knowledge. If they gave up now, they would surely lose this opportunity. The last thing on his mind was the safety of the crew. Sailing in this weather was no laughing matter, and should be done with extreme caution. Doing so could very well cost them several members of the crew if they weren't careful.
No, the antelope decided. We should be fine. Time is on our side.
"Half-sail!" Jason barked to the crew, receiving a cheering verification that his order was indeed heard. "We're sailing into a think mist, mates. Be ready."
Although it was indeed risky, there would be no other chance like this again. If they were quick, they would be in and out before the storm could do any real damage. It was now a race against the clock, and he was gambling it all with Davy Jones.
The Malbrook's bow finally pierced the fog and eventually was consumed entirely. Now they were effectively blind.
Out on their port side, he swore he could see the ghastly remains of an old ship.
"Visibility is getting worse Captain," Sally warned.
The zebra lurking on the deck with the crew ran back towards the helm and scurried up the stairs. "Water's getting choppy and now we can't see anything down below. What should we do, Captain?"
We can't see a thing, he pondered to himself.
Then, an idea popped into his head.
"Christie," Jason shouted to the mammal stationed above. "Can you see the opening of the island from where you are?"
The bunny sprung up and extended the spyglass in her grip before pointing it toward the island. While the three waited for a response, a soft crack of lightning hit their ears.
"Aye, I can see it Jason. But we barely have enough clearance to clear the roof of it."
"Will we still be able to clear it?"
"From here…I suppose we might."
"Great, we're taking the chance. Do we need to alter our course at all?"
"N—Yes. We do…steer the ship just an eighth starboard, and slow'er down a pinch. Wouldn't want to ram us into the rocks."
"Aye."
He did as he was told as they traveled blindly though the mist, shouting to the crew below to bring the ship to quarter-sails. The ship slowed down to a crawl as they traversed through the thick fog.
Just as they got comfortable with the speed and direction, the doe stationed above barked to them, "Just a touch to port, Captain." With a slight touch of the ship's wheel, the captain obeyed his crewmate above. "Keep her steady. Should be a straight shot from where I'm looking."
Jason kept the wheel as steady as he could. His hoofs gripped the prongs of the wheel hard. Beyond the brown fur that stood straight up on his head and inside the depths of his thoughts were a plethora of prayers that hoped for the ship's safe passage. He couldn't bear to watch. He closed his eyes.
For a moment, time felt as if it became still. Nothing happened. Nothing could be heard beyond the sounds of water hitting the side of their ship. Not even the breeze stirred. Nothing. He began to fear the worst.
Then, a light voice and a nudge beckoned his attention.
"Captain," Sally said. "Look."
Slowly, the captain's eyes opened back up to the foggy air around him, waiting for something, anything to go wrong. But then, he saw it. At the bow of the vessel the fog was beginning to clear, revealing to the crew of the Malbrook a sight to behold.
They were now inside the center of the island of legend, Dead Mammal's Gorge.
Where to begin. Apart from the calmer waters that ceased to rock their boat, the soft breeze had also returned while it brushed over the various decks. The grey clouds above were the only detail that managed to remain the same upon passing through to the other side. Out of everything he could see, that was the beginning of the growing list.
Along the sandy shores of the inner isle were what appeared to be rustic looking buildings scattered sparingly across the landscape. At first glance it appeared that each and every one had seen some considerable wear and neglect over the years. Vines had crawled along the sides of the outer walls, and holes were starting to form on the rooftops. No mammal had inhabited the area in quite some time it seemed. Not that Jason was complaining. Now he wouldn't have to deal with any opposition while searching for treasure.
Extending from the shore and the small town was a battered, decrepit wooden dock, which at one time could have held a ship the size of the Malbrook. If only it were remotely usable now.
"Who do you think could've lived here?" Marty uttered as he gazed upon the town.
"Word has it that this place used to be Black Maw's base of operation," the captain answered.
"Seriously?" Sally questioned doubtfully.
The antelope nodded. "After plundering the seas and looting all that he could, he would take count of what he stole and stored it right here among mammals he could trust. That way, he could use the place as a front later on. Eventually, when Black Maw was finally killed in battle, the many treasures he stole were taken and sold off quickly one by one.
"According to some sources, there's still a few treasures that were mistakenly left behind by those too hasty to separate themselves from the likes of Black Maw, such as random bits and trinkets of silver and gold. Some even mentioned that there could be some weaponry scattered around too."
"So how come this place didn't get raided by the British then?" Sally asked. "If this place is as special as some mammals say, then how come they didn't go looking for it?"
"For the same reason this place slipped into legend. They couldn't find it. Those associated with it quickly made themselves scarce and separated themselves from the trade overtime. The loyalty of Black Maw's men prevented the Brits from finding his loot, and it remains untouched to this day."
"Until now," Marty smiled.
"Exactly." When Jason felt that the ship was close enough to the island, he turned back to his friend. "Tell the crew to lower anchor and prepare the mini-boats. We're going in."
"I'll stay with the ship," Sally said. "Just as a precaution."
"Sounds like a plan." He took a step closer to her and brought his voice down to a whisper. "Make sure no one takes the ship."
"Aye, Cap," she affirmed in her normal voice.
With her word, the captain and quartermaster left the sanctity of the helm down the stairs and to the main deck below. He was met with gleeful faces and exuberant song while the crew finished getting the smaller boats ready for travel. When they got the okay, the zebra and antelope stepped into one of them, along with two other bucks that sat in the rear.
Before they were dropped into the water, the captain turned to the male gazelle holding the rope beside him. "Make sure the other boat follows close behind. I feel that storm will be on us at any time now."
The gazelle nodded. "Aye."
The lot of them were lowered to the water below. With the time they had the captain turned to the rabbits and gave them an order. "When we get into the water we need to haul it over to the shore. We don't have a lot of time." Both of them looked upward at the antelope's gesture to the clouds above them, then gave him a nod.
The ship hit the rocky water and made its occupants sway until they found their balance. Accomplishing that, they began to vigorously row towards the abandoned hamlet. The captain went ahead and gave his new audience the same information he shared with Marty and Sally, which was met with nearly the same questions and reactions.
A distant lightning strike a ways away managed to reach their ears as it rumbled the air around them. They didn't have much time.
Luckily for them the trip didn't take that long. If they had to guess, it took around five minutes or so from the time they hit the water to when they hit the sandy shore. The moment they and the other mini-boat reached landfall, the lot of them scurried to the abandoned buildings they spotted upon arrival and ransacked what they could.
In a couple of the buildings, there were a couple of odd trinkets and silver doubloons, but they left much to be desired. For the most part the interior of the buildings were stripped of anything useful—no furniture, no treasures or weapons, not even a fork or a spoon. The place had been completely cleaned out.
One of the rabbit crewmates the captain rode in with entered the building he was currently in and delivered the same news. "Captain, we're not finding anything sir. There's nothing here."
The quartermaster appeared at the doorframe. "Nothing on our side either Captain."
The antelope circled around the edge of the room and traced his paw along the peeling wallpaper. He couldn't understand. Where was all the treasure? In all of the stories he heard, there had to have been something left behind.
"Maybe this place isn't as legendary or as remote as others say," the zebra continued. "If it was, we'd be seeing a lot more treasure, right?"
"Perhaps…" the antelope uttered blandly, disappointment clearly evident in his tone.
"What should we—"
"JASON!"
The scream made the three of them turn their heads towards the doorway. The pitch and tone distinctly told them the fear and urgency coming from this mammal. Jason already knew who exactly the source was.
"Sally."
With that realization, the three of them finally broke their character and allowed the real world to come into focus, fleeing the safety of the miniature, hollow wooden structure and out into the space that was their school's playground. Beyond the six miniature buildings that dotted their side of the play space and at the center of it all was the large mock ship plastered with the name of their elementary school: 'Malbrook'. And standing on the helm with the gazelle was one of the only cheetahs in the entire school, Harrison Acinon. From what Jason could see, the predator and a couple of his friends had backed the horned mammal into the corner of the deck. A mischievous laugh from the group made the antelope's blood boil.
Why would they be picking on Sally? What on Earth did she do to instigate anything from Harry? He was usually so quiet and kindhearted. What changed?
Jason had to get to the bottom of it. "Come on. Let's go check it out," he urgently told the zebra and two bunnies, taking off like a rocket over the grassy seas and toward the vessel.
When they managed to get close enough and not get spotted, they slowed down and made themselves hidden on the port side. They snuck around to the ladder on the side of the structure and silently made their way over to the stairs. At that point, they could hear the conversation above them as another round of cackles echoed over the side. A few raindrops started to fall from the sky. The storm had finally arrived.
"Look at her Harry, she looks like she's gonna cry." A cougar grinned.
"Leave me alone…" Sally uttered softly.
"Aww look at that, she's trying to say something," Harry chimed in. "What is it? Scared that we'll maul you to death?"
"Leave her alone Harry."
Jason called out to the mammals surrounding the gazelle. He and the three others walked confidently up the stairs, making themselves known while Jason stared down the small group of predators. With his headcount, there were a couple otters, a wolf, the cougar, and the cheetah. He only wished he had the rest of his crew.
"Well, what do we have here?" the wolf on the far right arrogantly instigated. "The little pirates are here to save the damsel in distress."
Paying no mind to the predator's bait, Jason took a step forward through the line of larger mammals to get to Sally, who was trapped in the corner. "Are you alright?" She nodded shakily. He then turned back to the spotted mammal who started this whole ruckus. "What's this all about Harry? Why are you picking on Sally?"
"What's it to you?" he retorted. "It's not like you would care or anything."
"Is it because we didn't let you join in on our game, because we picked a couple of bunnies over you? If it was that, I'm sorry. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind letting you join—"
"You don't get it, do you?"
The antelope's head gave a slight tilt while a crack of lightning filled the air. The rain was starting to fall steadily now. "What do you mean?"
The corner of the cheetah's mouth twitched as a small chuckle escaped his muzzle, then came his irritable reply. "You'd never understand."
"Just tell me—"
"The other's don't want me to play along, idiot! All I am to them is some stupid scary a-animal who can't get along with anyone other than animals who do understand. Besides," Harry took a step forward towards the two smaller mammals, "what are you going to do? You're just some stupid tiny antelope."
"I may be some stupid antelope," Jason shrugged, "but I do know a good mammal when I see one, Harry. You're a good mammal. Trust me. Listen, I can clear things up with my crew—"
It was at that moment that Harry gave the small prey animal a hard shove towards the railing behind him, nearly knocking the air out of him when his back collided with the wood. The onlookers gleefully 'ooh'd' and laughed at the display of dominance.
"Jason!" Sally cried as he recoiled forward. He fell weakly down onto his knees. Sally had her arm around him as he tried to find his breath again. She scowled at Harry, visibly holding back tears. "You jerk! What did you do that for?"
"I don't want to be a part of your stinking crew!"
"Kids!" a mature voice bellowed. It was Mrs. Winter, their teacher. The older snow leopard looked as if she was about to blow a gasket. If Jason knew one thing for certain, all of them were about to get in a heap of trouble.
o o o
Behind the closed door of Principal Goldstein's office, students sitting inside the general office of their school were whisked inside to plead their cases. Some of these exchanges had even led to some of their parents being hailed over the speaker phone which led to some heated and some tearful conversations.
So far, the entirety of Harrison's posse had already told their side of the story along with Marty, Sally, and the other two rabbit crewmates that went with Jason to the ship, Edison and Victor. The only two left were Jason and Harry, sitting silently in the seating area outside the office.
When their teacher Mrs. Winter arrived on the scene, they were led away from the wooden pirate ship play-structure, through the classroom, and into the larger common room. She asked the group what they were doing on the ship and why Jason was shoved into the railing, and she was met with all their answers at the exact same time. The commotion even prompted the teachers in other classrooms to shut their doors.
In the jumbled mess of voices she managed to pick out Sally's quiet one, explaining how Harry and his group were backing her into the corner of the ship and how Jason was trying to help.
When the snow leopard heard this, her face went deadpan before turning towards the gaggle of predators. She then told them that they would be going to Mrs. Goldstein's office. Jason couldn't help but notice the disappointment on the spotted mammal's muzzle.
Now all that remained were the antelope and the cheetah, who were sitting quietly in their respective chairs.
Harry was staring at the crème-colored tile with a blank stare. His back was hunched over and his head was sunken. His spotted elbows that rested on top of his knees supported the weight of his deceptively scrawny upper body. He nervously twiddled his thumbs back and forth while he waited for the inevitable.
In the meantime, while Jason waited for his turn to step into Mrs. Goldstein's office, he set his eyes on their Class of '25 photo, his legs swinging lazily back and forth while he observed. Although he wasn't too thrilled about missing class time in the computer lab, at least there was something to do to pass the time.
Slowly, he passed the familiar faces from around the school, putting names to nearly every single one of them until he finally got to his own picture. Under the freshly groomed portrait of the antelope was a tiny squiggle that he could barely make out from where he was sitting. It didn't take much deduction to figure out that it was in fact his own name, Jason F. Calhorn, that was inscribed under his smiling portrait.
Soon after that, he managed to spot Marty, Sally, Edison, Victor, and even the striking image of a gleeful, smiling Harry. Where in the world was that version of him? Jason almost felt inclined to ask the spotted animal, the lack of understanding only further fanning the flames of his burning curiosity. Even if he didn't receive an answer, the least he could do was start up a conversation instead of sitting in bored silence.
"…!"
Before the prey animal got the chance to speak, the loud sound of the doorknob to the principal's office turning filled the air, causing Harry's posture to correct itself to a proper upright position while the two of them watched the door slowly pull open. They sat there as Sally stepped sheepishly out through the door of the office and into the hallway. After flashing Harry a small smile, she waved goodbye to him and slipped back towards their classroom before he got a chance to respond.
Not that it mattered in any way. He waved back to the speedy prey animal with a grin adorning his face.
A few seconds after the gazelle left the space, out came the small golden rabbit that ran the entire school, Mrs. Goldstein. Her paw grasped onto the edge of the door as she stood before the two animals with a yawn. Jason almost felt the need to yawn along with her, but he was successful in pushing down the unwanted urge before she groggily managed to open her eyes back up.
When she finished rubbing at her eyes, she regarded the two of them with a heavy sigh. Her eyes first looked at the antelope, who stared back at her with a hint of silent confusion, then finally at the cheetah, whose body uncomfortably tensed up.
After another few uneventful seconds, the golden rabbit smiled and began to speak in a warm tone. "Could I see Harry next, please?"
For a moment the cheetah hesitated, his ears pushed to the back of his head. After a few seconds, Harry apprehensively slipped off of the chair and sulked into her office. Mrs. Goldstein slowly stepped into the room and shut the door behind them, leaving Jason alone in the school's main office.
At first, Jason could hear the vague grumble of Mrs. Goldstein's voice from the far end of the room. He couldn't pick out any words in particular, but if he had to guess she was probably asking Harry what exactly happened on the playgrounds.
Before that mumble could finish, however, something else a tad bit clearer hit the antelope's ears. It was the sound of crying. And it was coming from the principal's office.
Harry was crying.
Though Jason could barely hear the cheetah's blubbering through the walls, he was just distinguishable enough to make out. Not only was he bawling his eyes out, he was confessing everything. Harry must've felt guilty about the entire thing, wishing it never happened in the first place. Jason moved his chair over sneakily so that the horse sitting behind the reception desk didn't see and put his head up against the wall, allowing him to hear the conversation better.
What came next broke his heart.
Apparently, Harry's father was recently admitted into the hospital. He miserably explained that a gang of prey animals took the elder cheetah by surprise and started hurting him, and that a cop managed to break it up before it got worse.
Harry and his mother got to the hospital to see his father and find out about the severity of his injuries. When his father told him what happened, Harry became furious. He'd spent the night over at the hospital, and that almost caused him to be late today. Regretfully, he brought that hate with him.
The last thing Jason heard before he zoned out was, "Why are mammals so mean?"
Jason couldn't believe it. He didn't want to. Why would anyone attack someone who didn't do anything wrong? It's unnecessary. It doesn't solve anything. It didn't solve anything.
While Jason tried desperately to find an answer, a considerable amount of time seamlessly passed by. He only looked up when another mammal holding a damp umbrella entered the room, another cheetah. She was older, a bit stockier than most, but still young and just as pretty as the rest. He recognized this older mammal from their class's career day as Harry's mother. She rushed over to the principal's office, and then more mumbling continued.
Jason couldn't help but fear the worst. What would Harry face for his actions? Detention? Suspension? He didn't even wish to think about the thought of expulsion.
The door to the office opened once more. Two cheetahs walked slowly into the room and passed by Jason on their way out, most likely heading back to the hospital.
Once they left, Mrs. Goldstein came out of the office. She looked at him with a half-smile as she gestured for him to come inside. "Come on, looks like you're the last one."
Jason stepped into the room as the door shut behind him. He climbed into the chair, then once they were both situated in their respective areas, he asked the principal who was sitting at the edge of her desk, "Harry isn't in any trouble…is he?"
She gave him another smile, a full smile.
"No, Jason, no he is not."
A Note From the Author:
As you may have noticed—if you are aware of the Reddit prompts—this specific story was featured on the second prompt for the Zootopia Reddit page. I've decided to release this chapter as the first in the Tales Around the Block one-off story collection of mine. These stories will take place in the same universe that I had set for my main fan fiction story, The Fall, and will be around five to seven thousand words in length each. As I mentioned in my description, this story collection will not be updated as frequently becuase of the work I'm currently putting into my main fic, but I want to have something else here if I ever want or need to take the time for other ideas to flow (and to boost my creativity a bit.)
I hope you enjoy the collection and the short story! More to come in the future!
Cheers~