Jim's eyes widened at the being in front of him who was smiling sinisterly at the Captain and his mates. "So glad you could join us at last," the man continued, waving a feathered hand to one of the guards behind them. The boy heard the door close as the tiger grasping his shoulder let go and rounded to the other side of the desk.
"Who are you?" Jim mustered, feeling a twinge of pain on his mouth from a now noticeable gash in his lip.
The Captain's scarlet eyes turned to him as a smile raised his beak. "You're in no position to be asking questions officer, but I'll oblige you," he spoke, standing from his seat. "I'm Julian Fyneux, Captain of the Aeonian. I've sailed the Etherium for longer than you've been alive and you'll find I'm well versed in the ways of this frontier and all its inhabitants," he answered, rounding the desk to stand in front of his prisoners. Jim could see the long train that followed the man and quickly realized his peacock ancestry at the radiant colors in his feathers.
"Mr. Sawyer, I assume you've found it?" Fyneux questioned, wings tucked behind him as he looked the direction of the tiger guard.
"Aye, Capn'. Smith located it in the Captain's quarters," he answered swiftly. "Perfect," the peacock breathed. "Bring it to me."
Jim's head turned as a felinoid strode past him, holding a small wooden box in his claws. He presented it to Fyneux, lifting its lid as the contents within it glowed, illuminating the man's beak. His mouth turned upward into a smile as he reached inside it and withdrew a small item. As soon as his feathers touched it, the glowing ceased and it lost whatever light it had.
As the peacock turned it in his hand, Jim caught a glimpse of its ornate design and quickly recognized it as the mysterious gem he had locked in his office. He must have been making a strange expression because Fyneux's eyes suddenly turned to him and his smile widened.
"Curious little thing, isn't it? Not that you ever knew what it was," he spoke smoothly, holding it up for the boy to see. "Absolutely beautiful..." he breathed reverently, attention lost in it for a moment before he looked back at Jim.
"Little did you know of the treasure you stumbled upon, Captain Hawkins," he murmured. "And, I wonder..." he continued, taking a step near to the boy. Jim sat stiffly, not allowing himself to give into the reflex to lean away from the man. He watched in confusion as Fyneux set the gem on the ground near his knees. After a moment's hesitation, the solar-crystal began to glow again. The peacock nudged it closer to the boy, watching as it became brighter.
"Hmm. Well, that's that, then," Fyneux spoke, taking the item from the ground where its light dissipated upon its touch.
"What was that for?" Jim heard Silver question from behind him.
"Well, Mr. Silver, that was a simple test as to whether or not this key has claimed a new bearer," the peacock answered, returning the item to an ornate box on his desk, red eyes peering back at the ursid.
"Key?" Jim asked in confusion, feeling his head starting to pound as the present pain worsened.
"Why, yes, Captain Hawkins," Fyneux smiled. "This is the key to the ultimate treasure of the universe; something far greater than Flint's booby-trapped-trove. It's been in existence since the beginning of time, clumsily falling into the hands of fools and and thieves, but never has it been used for its true purpose."
The peacock strode to the side of his desk, looking upwards to the ceiling where Jim suddenly noticed painted constellations and ethereal images, some of which he recognized as classical Voyages maps. "And rarely has it ever locked onto a bearer," he continued, eyes turning down to the boy. "And Captain..." he said, suddenly leaning down to Jim's level. "It's chosen you. Congratulations."
The boy frowned, eyes locked on Fyneux. "So, what does that mean for me?" He spoke with a snarl.
"It means, Hawkins," the bird answered. "That you'll be spending an extended stay with my crew until we reach our destination."
Jim felt his heart skip fearfully at that response, limbs growing suddenly tense. His expression hardened as he glared at the peacock. "And what about mine?" He questioned. Fyneux looked at one of the pirates in the room and gave him a simple nod. At the gesture, the alien bowed and left the quarters, the door closing softly behind him.
"We'll keep who is already in this room, but the remainder of your crew will be monitored in the brig of your ship," he answered. Jim's mouth fell open as he made to speak in protest, but the bird cut him off. "And if you care for their wellbeing, you'll cooperate. You will, won't you Captain?" He continued with a smug smile.
Jim scowled, but didn't utter a word.
"Wonderful," Fyneux spoke. "On that note, I'll have Mr. Sawyer escort you to your quarters," he began, motioning to the tiger beside him who moved to step nearer to the prisoners on the floor.
"Hold on," Jim heard Anna speak behind him.
"Yes, Ms. Deering?" Fyneux spoke sweetly, turning his scarlet eyes to the woman.
"How did you find us? We made sure to take a discrete route to avoid other ships. Even if you got a tip-off, you would have lost us in the Calico Nebulae," she questioned. At the remark, the prisoner's eyes turned to the bird inquiringly.
Fyneux's beak turned upward as a series of chuckles shook the man's lithe body. "Oh, I was so hoping someone would ask!" He spoke with delight. "Ah... well, my dear friends, why don't you meet my agent... come out, Esmond."
Jim's head turned to one of the shadowy corners of the room where a darkened figure took a step forward into the light of the cabin. His eyes widened in shock.
"Barlow?!" The boy exclaimed. The candid walked to Fyneux's desk with a frown pulling at his mouth. "He did very well, didn't he?" The bird spoke smugly. "Monitoring all your findings on your little expeditions, keeping close eye on everything you gathered to see if you'd ever find the Ethereal Gem. And find it you did! But you needn't have worried about this raiding business if you'd have just given it to him when you first asked about it."
Jim's mind paged back to his odd interaction with Barlow just a few days prior. The canine had tried to take the crystal then, hadn't he?
"How could you?!" The boy demanded, trying to get to his feet before Sawyer forced him back to the floor with a rough claw. "I trusted you!"
"Jim, calm down-" Barlow started.
"Calm down?!" The boy shouted incredulously. "You violated my trust and the oath you took under the Queen's Navy! You're a traitor, and you gave it all up for what! A bunch of savage pirates?!"
"You don't understand, what Captain Fyneux is doing here is going to be revolutionary-Jim, come with us; we're going to receive treasures beyond your imagination. We're going to be more powerful than even the Queen. It will be more honor than you would ever get as a Captain," Barlow pleaded, looking intently at the boy. "Join us, Jim," he continued.
The boy scowled, glaring back at the candid. "In your dreams," he seethed. "You filthy traitor."
Barlow sighed in resignation. "You don't understand what you're missing, lad..."
"Oh, please," Jim scoffed. "Are you seriously telling me that one of my most revered professors fell into the deceit of pirates? What's gotten into you?"
The man just shook his head. "You'll realize soon enough what all this is, and maybe then you'll be more inclined to participate. I'm sorry for betraying you, Jim. But it was for the greater good. You'll see eventually."
The boy opened his mouth to retort when he felt Sawyer's claw back on his shoulder, lifting him to his feet. "Well, we have work to do now," Fyneux spoke as the other prisoners were pulled from the carpet. "But we'll talk again soon," the man said as the hostages were escorted out of the cabin. Jim cast a final glare back at Barlow before the tiger pushed him forward back to the deck.
The group continued with their captors across the dark wood planks to a set of stairs that descended below the poop deck. The boy looked over the rails to where his ship sat dormant in the Etherium, members of Fyneux's crew patrolling around the vessel. Anger twisted inside him before the view of it was gone while they moved downwards.
They walked down a darkened hallway, the wooden floor beneath them polished brightly as they were ushered to a metal door. Sawyer drew a key from his necklace, unlocking the barrier to reveal iron cells lined up on the sides of the room inside.
"Welcome to your quarters," the tiger spoke smugly, untying Jim's hands before pushing him into one of the cells. The boy hadn't even finished turning around before hearing the cold click its door locking. Sawyer smiled at him from the other side of the bars. "Hope these are adequate enough for you," he said, flashing his fanged teeth. "C'mon, men," he continued as the rest of the captors locked the other used cells.
The lights in the brig dimmed as the crew began to leave. "So long, Navy scum," the tiger snarled before closing the door with a slam and a click.
Jim spotted the others in the caged boxes around him, all looking defeated and distraught. "What... what do we do now?" Anna questioned softly across from the boy.
He felt a cold helplessness fill his chest at that inquisition, eyes fixed on the brig's metal door.
"...We play along."